Major alternative cryptocurrencies declined on Tuesday amid thin trading volumes and limited participation from U.S. desks. Bitcoin traded around $87,300, down about 3% over the past 24 hours. Ether fell near $2,950, while XRP traded around $1.86. Other large-cap tokens, including ADA and SOL, also slipped as year-end selling persisted without major catalysts.
Linh Tran, Senior Market Analyst at XS, said in an email, “Bitcoin’s outlook for Q1 2026 leans more toward a scenario of stability and renewed accumulation rather than a strong growth phase at the beginning of the year.” She added, “Price fluctuations may remain within a range of approximately USD 80,000 to USD 100,000.”
Tran noted, “Monetary policy is not yet sufficiently accommodative, ETF flows remain selective, and the regulatory environment is still in a phase of consolidation, all of which limit the market’s ability to rapidly enter a new bullish cycle.”
The price action shows a market struggling to attract fresh risk, with many participants in preservation mode. Low volatility and uneven liquidity allow modest sell programs to breach intraday support levels, particularly during U.S. hours when tax-related and book-cleanup flows concentrate.
Traders monitor whether Bitcoin holds the mid-$80,000s into the new year or faces another holiday dip that triggers a deeper reset before liquidity and conviction improve. Bitcoin traders continue to eye the $80,000 to $100,000 range.
Asian stocks cooled after a seven-day winning streak, with several regional markets closing the year on Tuesday. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index slipped 0.1% following Monday’s gains, which marked its longest stretch since September.
U.S. futures showed little change after the S&P 500 fell 0.3% and the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.5% in the previous session. A gauge of global equities dipped for the first time in eight sessions but remains on track for its best year since 2019.
Gold and silver steadied after retreating from record highs.
Copper extended its December advance, climbing as much as 2.2% to $12,493 a ton and securing a 10th consecutive gain, the longest streak since 2017. A weaker dollar and renewed supply concerns supported firm sentiment. Copper futures have risen more than 40% this year, positioning the metal for its largest annual gain since 2009.
