Bitcoin price prediction: BTC slides near $85k after NFP report crushed rate-cut hopes

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Bitcoin slides to $85,300 as inflation fears.

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Sholanke Dele

21.11.2025

Bitcoin price prediction: BTC slides near $85k after NFP report crushed rate-cut hopes — Bitcoin lost 7.3% Thursday to $86,000

Bitcoin price weekly decline deepened as the market erased over $3 trillion from global crypto valuations, setting a heavy tone for traders heading into the weekend. Sellers have dominated order flow for five straight sessions, and each session has printed higher daily trading volume than the previous one, a pattern that reinforces how aggressive the exit has been.

- Bitcoin lost 7.3% Thursday to $86,000 as inflation data crushed rate-cut optimism.

- Coinbase premium near -90 reveals stronger U.S. institutional selling pressure.

- BTC RSI near 24 and weekly EMA support hint short-term market stabilisation ahead.

The sharpest pressure came on Thursday after the NFP report pointed to sticky inflation that weakened December rate cut expectations. Bitcoin fell 7.32% to $86,000 and recorded over $96 billion in traded volume, the highest in more than five days. That surge in activity captured intense panic selling as Bitcoin’s market cap slipped to $1.70 trillion. Sentiment gauges reacted instantly. The Binance Fear and Greed Index collapsed to 11, reflecting deep fear across global traders grappling with a harsher macro backdrop.

Bitcoin price dynamics (2024 - Nov 2025). Source: Tradingview

A significant portion of the selloff has come from the United States. The Coinbase Premium Gap fell to a negative value near minus ninety, showing that Bitcoin traded at a cheaper price on Coinbase than on Binance. Since Coinbase attracts institutional and high-net-worth investors in the U.S., a negative premium signals heavier selling pressure from that region compared to global flows. This explains why market depth thinned quickly during Thursday’s fall, especially as liquidity providers stepped back to reassess risk. The narrative has been reinforced by veteran trader Peter Brandt’s recent suggestion that the U.S. could force Michael Saylor to liquidate his Bitcoin, a thought experiment that hints at why U.S. whales may be aggressively shorting. Even though the idea is extreme, it has shaped sentiment by planting the notion of deeper structural pessimism within the American investment circle.

Bitcoin consolidation possible if volume cools and RSI sustains oversold condition

Today is Friday, and European hours opened on another mild slide. Bitcoin is printing over 1% loss at $85,300. Despite the pressure, technical signals suggest the market could experience short-term stabilisation. The 100-week exponential moving average now acts as a cushion on the weekly chart. At the same time, the daily RSI sits in deep oversold territory near twenty-four, indicating exhaustion among sellers at current levels.

If the RSI stays near these depressed readings while price trades above the weekly moving average, Bitcoin may start consolidating through the weekend. Any sign of reduced trading volume could give traders confidence that forced liquidations have slowed. However, the broader tone still depends on how investors reassess inflation expectations next week.

We discussed how Bitcoin gained 5% from $88,500 to $93,000 after Nvidia’s strong earnings report. The rebound followed nine consecutive days of declines that formed a clear bearish structure.

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