Mapping Bitcoin’s year-end slowdown as leverage exits the market

Things look dreary in Bitcoinland as we go into the holidays.

Written by Samyukhtha L KM

Reviewed by Renuka Tahelyani

Updated 11:00 EST December 17, 2025

Bitcoin’s market is losing pace. Open Interest (OI) has fallen as institutions unwind leveraged positions. Trading activity has slowed, too, leaving prices in a narrow range.

This may very well just be a breather. With leverage coming off the table, Bitcoin [BTC] is going into the year-end in a quieter, more defensive stance.

BTC activity takes a hit

Bitcoin market activity is easing as we put 2025 behind us.

Data from Alphractal showed that OI has fallen deep, down nearly 50% from recent highs. In value terms, more than $30 billion in leveraged positions have been closed across exchanges.

OI has dropped from above $70 billion to around $35-40 billion, even as Bitcoin’s price has held relatively steady. In fact, the slowdown followed a common year-end pattern.

Institutional investors typically cut risk, take profits, and close positions before closing their books. As leverage comes off, activity also slows across Futures, Spot markets, and ETFs.

This chart confirmed that the drop had to do with real position closures, not just price changes. This is a pause in activity as we approach the holidays.

Trading volumes are quiet too

By mid-December, Bitcoin trading volume across CEXs fell to around $191 billion, down from roughly $263 billion in the first half of November. ETF activity slowed even more, with volumes dropping to about $39 billion from over $50 billion a month earlier.

In short, both exchange and ETF volumes were trending lower as prices moved sideways at press time.

Binance continued to dominate centralized trading, handling more than $50 billion in volume, but overall participation softened.

Prices are drifting

Bitcoin traded at $86,400 at press time, down from recent highs near $92,000 earlier in December.

BTC was below its key moving averages, with the 50-day near $90,000 and the 100-day and 200-day well above $100,000. Short-term pace is weak.

Daily RSI was near 38, so there was limited buying pressure. OBV also trended lower and participation continued to thin out. Market is careful as traders wait for catalysts to come back.