Bitcoin slips below $90K as US Senate stalls crypto bill

Business Dec 18, 2025

Bitcoin just slid to about $86,700 after briefly rising above $90,000.
The drop follows the US Senate's decision to delay a major crypto regulation bill until 2026, leaving the market in limbo.

Why does this matter?

Uncertainty around crypto rules is making prices wobbly—Bitcoin fell 4% this week and Ethereum dropped over 11%.
The total crypto market cap also shrank to $2.92 trillion, which could make big investors more cautious for now.

What's behind the dip?

The earlier price jump was boosted by the opening of US equity markets and quick trades, but faded as buying interest dried up.
As Nischal Shetty from WazirX noted, active Bitcoin wallets are at their lowest since last year and fear is high—meaning not many are eager to buy near $85K right now.