Crypto Experts Diverge on Market Outlook as Bitcoin and Ethereum Face Consolidation

Mixed Signals Emerge from Crypto Market Analysts

As 2025 draws to a close, cryptocurrency market experts are presenting sharply divergent views on the future trajectory of digital assets, with forecasts ranging from optimistic multi-year bull runs to warnings of significant corrections ahead.

Samson Mow has articulated a vision of a "decade long bull run" for Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market ^[2]. This bullish sentiment is echoed by Bitcoin analyst PlanC, who expressed optimism as the year nears its end, suggesting that those who "made it through 2025" had survived the bear market ^[2].

Ethereum Faces Technical Challenges

Ethereum is currently experiencing a period of indecision after forming a rounded top pattern following its all-time high of around $4,940 reached in August ^[1]. The asset has since undergone a correction, falling to the $2,700 support area, where it has been trading within a sideways pattern capped by the $3,300 resistance from late November ^[1].

Technical indicators show ETH remains under bearish pressure after forming a death cross around $3,555 and continues to trade below both the 50-day and 200-day Simple Moving Averages ^[1]. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently at 43, moving above the 40 equilibrium levels, indicating the price remains in a neutral zone ^[1].

Crypto analyst Ali Martinez, with over 164,000 followers on X, suggests that ETH could drop further to the $1,700 zone, which could represent a good buying position ^[1]. However, if bulls use the current area as a zone of demand, Ethereum could surge to the $3,400 resistance area, with a long-term target of around $3,584 within the 200-day SMA ^[1].

Bitcoin Consolidates After Record Highs

Bitcoin has experienced significant volatility, setting a new all-time high of $126,198.07 on October 6 before suffering a more than 30% correction ^[2]. In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin's price dropped to as low as $86,628.14 before recovering slightly to trade at $87,392.43 as of 12:33 a.m. EST, though it remained over 1% in the red on the 24-hour timeframe ^[2].

Data from CoinMarketCap shows BTC is down more than 9% on the yearly timeframe ^[2]. The cryptocurrency has been consolidating since late November, oscillating between $83,260 and $94,611 over the last month ^[2].

Bullish Forecasts Contrast with Cautionary Warnings

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan stated in July that 2026 will be an "up year" for Bitcoin ^[2]. Strategy CEO Phon Le said in an interview earlier this week that Bitcoin's market fundamentals have remained strong this year despite declines in price and sentiment ^[2].

Renowned trader Michael van de Poppe told his more than 816,000 X followers that BTC could be poised for a "strong start" to 2026 ^[2]. He indicated he will be watching to see if BTC's price can stay above the 20-monthly Moving Average, stating: "If the monthly closes above it (and even better; above $90K), I think we're in for a strong start of 2026 with a run to $105-110K" ^[2].

However, not all analysts share this optimism. Veteran trader Peter Brandt warned earlier this month that Bitcoin's price could plunge to as low as $60,000 by Q3 2026 ^[2]. Similarly, Fidelity's director of global macroeconomic research Jurrien Timmer predicted that 2026 could be a "year off" for BTC ^[2].

Technical indicators such as the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and short-term Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) suggest that BTC's price could move in either direction in the coming days ^[2].