Bitcoin News Today: Stablecoins Challenge Bitcoin's Role as Analysts Clash Over Price Outlook

Bitcoin's price outlook remains contentious as market participants weigh conflicting signals from technical indicators, institutional forecasts, and macroeconomic pressures. The cryptocurrency currently trades near $105,000, below its 200-day moving average of $112,245 on Binance, with analysts divided on whether this signals a consolidation phase or the start of a deeper correction. Key metrics such as the "unrealized loss ratio" suggest limited selling pressure from long-term holders, but critical support levels—particularly $100,000—are under scrutiny as bears brace for potential downward momentum, according to a Blockchain Magazine report.

Recent on-chain data reveals a muted risk of large-scale liquidation, with the unrealized loss ratio at 0.06, historically associated with market stability rather than panic selling. This contrasts with prior downturns in 2020 and 2022, when spikes in unrealized losses coincided with sharp price corrections. Analysts note that Bitcoin's current positioning below its moving average reflects a "holding pattern," as traders await catalysts to break the stalemate. A recovery above $112,245 could reignite bullish sentiment, while a sustained drop below $100,000 risks triggering renewed profit-taking and institutional caution, a point the Blockchain Magazine report also highlighted.

Price predictions further complicate the narrative. While some bulls defend $100,000 as a psychological floor, others warn of a potential slide to $87,800 if resistance at $107,000 fails. CryptoQuant's Maartunn highlighted a 405,000 BTC outflow from long-term holders over 30 days, signaling ongoing profit-taking. Meanwhile, Bitwise's Matt Hougan argues the recent selloff reflects "retail capitulation" rather than systemic weakness, predicting a year-end rally to all-time highs, according to a Cointelegraph roundup.

Institutional sentiment has also shifted. Cathie Wood of Ark Invest recently slashed her Bitcoin price target from $1.5 million to $1.2 million by 2030, citing the disruptive rise of stablecoins in payments and emerging markets. "Stablecoins are usurping part of Bitcoin's role," she told CNBC, reducing her bullish case by $300,000, as detailed in a Yahoo Finance story. Galaxy Digital similarly revised its 2025 forecast downward to $120,000 from $185,000, reflecting growing competition from faster, cheaper payment solutions, per a Crypto.news report.

Bloomberg's Mike McGlone has echoed caution, warning that Bitcoin's path to $100,000 remains fragile amid macroeconomic headwinds and regulatory uncertainty. His analysis underscores the tension between Bitcoin's aspirational "digital gold" narrative and its practical utility as a medium of exchange, which stablecoins increasingly challenge, a point noted in the Yahoo Finance story.