Bitcoin Gets “Hammered” Over $88k Once Again Despite 2026 Around the Horizon ⋆ ZyCrypto

Popular crypto analyst Michael van de Poppe has stated that “something” is clearly preventing the premier digital currency from enjoying long stints above $88k as it keeps getting “hammered” beyond that level.

Bitcoin was once again rejected above the $90k valuation yesterday, and the index has since receded to previous levels. The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has been attempting to break above the key resistance level for the better part of the last 3 weeks. Still, the market has consistently rejected such moves, much to the bulls’ despair.

A Big Move Still on the Horizon

Van de Poppe tweeted:

“Well, it’s quite clear that something is preventing the markets to go up.

Every time #Bitcoin gets north of $88K, it gets hammered and back in the range.

Time to wait, it’s been multiple weeks in this range already, which means that a big move remains to be on the horizon.”

Van de Poppe is known for his bullish stance on Bitcoin, both in the short-term and the long-term, but he has admitted that market forces are currently preventing a strong move to $90k. Each time, the bulls muster the courage to make such a move, the market instantly shuts it down.

As a result, the analyst argues that a potential price drop to $83.8k, or even $80k, will be needed to ensure a market rebound. Currently, the premier digital asset has been locked in above the $88k level for the better part of the last 16 days, but has failed every time. 

Here is the recent price action:

Ever since dropping below the key $90k level, Bitcoin has attempted to recover above it at least 6 times, the latest such effort occurring earlier today. The repeated rejections around this valuation show that the bulls are under pressure to perform, but they quickly run out of steam when an opportunity arises.

The Future

A price pullback to $85k and lower may be in the cards in the buildup to New Year’s Eve and start of 2026, provided the bulls don’t make it past the $90k resistance convincingly. The short downward move will allow the bulls to retrace and build the momentum needed for a strong price reversal.

The start of the 2026 calendar year is likely to open the playing field for Bitcoin as it navigates uncharted waters. The digital currency has never had a net bearish year following a halving, but that is about to happen, bringing further uncertainty to the already volatile market.