Bitcoin Bulls Busted on Their Predictions as BTC Closes 2025 at $87K

As the year 2025 ended, Bitcoin’s rally ended far below high-profile predictions, leaving bulls disappointed and analysts questioning market sentiment. While speculations from leaders sparked optimism within the market, none of the potential marks have been hit as expected. 

As noted by Common Sense Investor (CSI) on X, leading personalities such as Eric Trump, Michael Saylor, Robert Kiyosaki, Tom Lee, Chamath Palihapitiya, and Tim Draper anticipated that Bitcoin would break above $150,000 by the end of 2025. But it closed at only around $87,000 for the year – a drastic deviation from the expected forecast.

THEY WERE ALL WRONG ABOUT BITCOIN ! $BTC

– Eric Trump: “I think we’re going to be over $175,000 this year… You go out a couple of years and there’s no question Bitcoin goes over $1 million.”

– Michael Saylor: "$150,000 by the end of 2025."

– Robert Kiyosaki:… pic.twitter.com/N0yR43bZP7

— Common Sense Investor (CSI) (@commonsenseplay) January 1, 2026

Since the beginning of 2025, various leaders praised Bitcoin continually and predicted unbelievable highs. Eric Trump was optimistic about Bitcoin reaching over $175,000 in 2025, then hitting $1 million in a couple of years. 

One of the most prominent Bitcoin advocates and Strategy’s founder, Michael Saylor had more conservative estimates at $150,000, while the prognosis by Robert Kiyosaki was $180,000–$200,000. Leaders like Tom Lee and Tim Draper have voiced their forecast of $250,000, while entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya stated it will jump as high as $500,000 this October. 

In reality, all these forecasts drastically overshot the actual. Even Young Hoon Kim, hailed as the “World’s Highest IQ Record Holder,” had Bitcoin reaching $220,000 in 45 days. The result has BTC reaching $88,000, off by approximately 60%. 

Technical Trends and Market Sentiment

As per TradingView data, the price of Bitcoin continues to exhibit high volatility since the second half of 2025. The range of the fluctuations is between $88,000 and $125,000, peaking during October and then falling below $90k in late-November. 

The technical analysis indicators portray a mixed position. The MACD is moderately positive, as the indicator line is crossing above the signal line. The RSI is at 50, suggesting a neutral market. The volumes were stable, indicating a cautious entry by buyers and sellers. 

Data from CryptoQuant paints a picture of sharp movements in Bitcoin open interest on various exchanges. From 2023 to 2025, as Bitcoin increased in price, open interest also increased and reached from $5 billion to as high as $45 billion. 

After October, many leveraged traders exited the market, dropping open interest below $30 billion, even as BTC stayed near $89,000. This divergence shows caution among leveraged participants despite strong price action.

According to CoinMarketCap, as of writing, Bitcoin trades near $89,500, gaining nearly 2.2% in the last 24 hours. Its trading volumes currently sits at $25.94 billion, declined by 15% over the last day. 

Institutional Developments on the Horizon

While his Bitcoin price prediction falling short, Michael Saylor also expressed rumors that U.S. banks may enter the Bitcoin services industry by mid-2026. This would include buying, storing, and lending against Bitcoin assets. 

If it comes to action, the move will position Bitcoin and other digital financial assets to be integrated into conventional banking systems and possibly offer a basis for wider adoption. Institutions may also impact Bitcoin’s subsequent price-discovery levels.

Bitcoin’s 2025 journey shows how hard it is to predict its price in the short term. Big-name forecasts missed the mark, and market ups and downs kept traders cautious. Going forward, banks and institutions getting involved could influence Bitcoin, but price swings are still likely.

Also Read: Polymarket Traders Remain Skeptical About BTC’s Performance in 2026

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