How Low Will Bitcoin Go Before October Ends?

Bitcoin slides below $105K amid market fear; analysts caution further drops to $74K or even $50K if pressures continue.

Lukas Schneider is a US–German crypto news writer who turned a college Bitcoin-mining hobby into a location-independent career.

Lukas Schneider

Oct 20, 2025

13 min read

how low bitcoin will go

Bitcoin's been hammered lately, dropping below support levels that once felt rock-solid. Right now, it's trading under $105,000—a pretty steep fall from earlier highs, and honestly, it has a lot of folks worried about how much lower it could go.

According to technical analysis and a handful of expert takes, Bitcoin might slide anywhere between $74,000 and $100,000 if things get ugly. Some of the more dramatic predictions even toss out numbers as low as $10,000. We've already seen it crash through big support zones, including the 200-day moving average at $107,520. That level used to be a reliable floor.

A cocktail of factors is driving this gloomy outlook: regulatory jitters, shaky macro conditions, and a lot of panic selling. The Fear and Greed Index has plummeted to 32, which is deep in "fear" territory. It's a good time to pay attention to these price levels and the stormy forces pushing Bitcoin around.

Key Takeaways

  • Bitcoin could fall to $74,000–$100,000, with some wildcards pointing at $10,000
  • Crucial support levels, especially the 200-day moving average at $107,520, are already history
  • Market fear, regulation, and global economics are the main villains in this downturn

What's Been Happening With Bitcoin Prices?

October 2025 has been rough. Bitcoin's price has tumbled to multi-month lows, with several support levels getting steamrolled along the way.

How Bad Were the October Sell-Offs?

This month, Bitcoin hit its lowest point in over three months. The pain really ramped up around October 17, when it sliced below some critical supports.

We watched a nasty 4.53% daily drop as sellers piled on. The price slipped from over $110,000 to test the $102,000 area, then made a half-hearted attempt to bounce back.

Once Bitcoin fell through $110,000, the floodgates opened. That breakdown set off a wave of liquidations, especially for traders using leverage.

DatePrice LevelEvent
Oct 17$110,000Support broken, sell-off intensifies
Oct 18$102,000Test of lower support
Oct 20$111,000Brief recovery attempt

Automated trading bots and stop-loss orders made the drop even worse once technical levels started failing.

What Events Are Hitting Bitcoin the Hardest?

Several big-picture events have been hammering Bitcoin. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China are back in the headlines, spooking crypto markets again.

ETF outflows have added to the pain. We saw a lot of selling from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds as big players trimmed their bets.

On top of that, global economic jitters have investors running for safer assets. Not great for Bitcoin.

FactorImpact
U.S.-China Trade TensionsIncreases volatility and uncertainty
ETF OutflowsTriggers institutional selling
Macro RisksPushes investors to safe havens

When Bitcoin dropped below $110,000, it triggered a chain reaction of forced selling. That just made things spiral faster.

Which Support Levels Have Fallen?

Bitcoin's smashed through several big support levels this month. The most painful was the break below $110,000—that zone had held up for a while.

We also saw the $107,000–$110,000 range give way. Once that happened, it was open season for lower targets.

The $102,000 mark was next. That level has a lot of psychological weight for traders and institutions alike.

  • $110,000 – Main support broken
  • $107,000 – Second line of defense gone
  • $102,000 – Key psychological threshold

There's a lot of nervous watching at $100,000 now. If that cracks, we could be staring down at $92,000 based on past corrections.

What's Pushing Bitcoin Lower?

Plenty of things, honestly. Economic shifts, government actions, and plain old investor nerves are all pushing Bitcoin down.

Are Macroeconomic Forces to Blame?

Higher interest rates are a big deal here. When central banks hike rates, people tend to ditch riskier bets like crypto for safer stuff like bonds.

  • Higher rates = more attractive traditional investments
  • Liquidity dries up
  • Speculative appetite shrinks

Recession fears are also weighing heavy. When things get shaky, volatile assets like Bitcoin are usually the first to get dumped. A strong US dollar just adds more pressure, since Bitcoin often moves in the opposite direction.

Inflation news can move the needle fast. If inflation keeps running hot, central banks might get even more aggressive, which just keeps the selling pressure on Bitcoin.

How Do Regulations Affect Bitcoin Prices?

New government rules or threats of crackdowns can send Bitcoin tumbling. Investors hate uncertainty, and regulations are a wildcard.

  • SEC actions against crypto companies
  • Banks limiting crypto transactions
  • Tax changes for digital assets
  • Global regulatory coordination

We've seen Bitcoin lose 10–20% in a matter of hours after major regulatory news. Even rumors can set off a sell-off. Exchange regulations hit especially hard, since they can choke off liquidity and make prices jumpy.

What's Up With Investor Sentiment?

Market psychology is a huge piece of this puzzle. The Fear and Greed Index is deep in the red, showing extreme fear.

Big liquidations just make things worse. Forced selling from leveraged positions creates a domino effect. Lately, there have been huge liquidation clusters between $105,000 and $109,000.

  • Whale wallet activity
  • Social media buzz (or panic!)
  • Bearish technical signals
  • Institutions shifting their stances

Panic selling seems to hit hardest when Bitcoin breaks through major supports. Retail investors tend to bolt, which only fuels the downward rush.

Where Do Experts Think the Bottom Is?

Analysts are all over the map. Some see a floor at $50,000–$75,000, but it really depends on which data or patterns they're looking at.

What Are Top Analysts Predicting?

Arthur Hayes (BitMEX co-founder) is calling for a bottom around $70,000. He bases that on Bitcoin's tendency to drop about 36% from its all-time high during bull runs.

  • Stock market crash
  • Big bank failures
  • Major central banks pumping liquidity

Glassnode backs up a similar view, projecting a bottom above $70,000 using on-chain data. Meanwhile, Michaël van de Poppe from MNCapital thinks Bitcoin already hit bottom, spotting a double-bottom pattern and expecting a turnaround if it breaks $82,500–$83,500.

Are Experts Bullish or Bearish?

There's a big split. Bulls like van de Poppe see a quick rebound from around $80,000.

But bears warn of a possible crash all the way to $10,000 in 2025, especially if a recession hits. Some Elliott Wave folks even predict a bear market dragging out until late 2026.

Doctor Profit says a "black swan" recession could drive Bitcoin to $50,000. Adaora Favour Nwankwo (CoinEx) also points to economic indicators and CPI data as major drivers.

What About Short-Term vs. Long-Term Views?

Short-term, a lot of analysts expect Bitcoin to retest the low $80,000s or high $70,000s soon. Data shows a 26% drop in Q1 2025, which lines up with the August 2024 pullback (per CryptoQuant).

Longer-term, predictions are all over the place. Hayes thinks Bitcoin could rocket up tenfold once central banks start loosening up. Others are more careful, seeing support between $70,000–$75,000 unless a recession hits—then all bets are off, and $50,000 could be in play.

Honestly, nobody's sure when the recovery will start. Some expect a long, cold bear market. Others are betting on a quick snapback once resistance breaks.

Does History Still Matter for Bitcoin Cycles?

Bitcoin used to follow pretty clean four-year cycles tied to halvings. But lately, things seem to be changing. Institutional adoption and new policies are shaking up those old rhythms.

What Can We Learn From Past Bear Markets?

Historically, Bitcoin cycles last about 1,400 days—split evenly before and after halvings.

In 2018, Bitcoin crashed 84% from nearly $20,000 to around $3,200. The 2022 bear market saw a 77% slide from $69,000 to about $15,500.

  • Bull runs: 12–18 months after halvings
  • Bears: 12–24 months
  • Recovery: 6–12 months at the bottom

The cycle low multiple chart shows an average of 700 days on each side of halving events. This used to be a pretty solid way to predict big moves.

Usually, we'd see a post-halving lull, then a rocket up, a peak, and a long decline. That's been the rhythm since 2012—until now.

Are We Breaking Out of the Old Cycles?

Honestly, it looks like it. Institutional adoption is a game-changer. Big companies and funds are holding huge amounts of Bitcoin, which changes the playbook compared to the retail-driven days.

Policy shifts are also in the mix. Some regions are clarifying regulations, and a few are even talking about holding Bitcoin as a strategic reserve. That's definitely not business as usual.

  • ETF approvals bringing in mainstream investors
  • Corporates adding Bitcoin to treasuries
  • Clearer regulations
  • More liquidity overall

This cycle feels different—more drawn out, less boom-and-bust. Volatility's down, and price swings are less wild. Some folks think we're entering a "supercycle" where those neat four-year patterns just don't apply anymore. Maybe they're right. Or maybe we're just in a weird in-between phase. Who really knows?

What Can We Really Learn From Past Lows?

Historical cycle lows have always offered some clues for guessing where the bottom might be. In previous bear markets, Bitcoin's found support at certain technical levels and timeframes—almost like clockwork, but not quite.

The 21-week and 50-week exponential moving averages have acted as anchors in past cycles. Right now, Bitcoin's bumping up against those same levels, so maybe history does still have something to teach us.

Support levels from past cycles:

  • 200-week moving average (a classic support zone)
  • Previous cycle highs turning into new lows
  • 80-90% retracements from peak prices—ouch

There's a recurring pattern: "downside deviations" below big support before any real recovery. Sometimes prices just dip under expected levels before finding a real bottom. It's a little nerve-wracking but, well, that's crypto trends.

Recovery periods have lasted anywhere from six months to a year once those true cycle lows are in. Accumulation during these stretches seems to kick off the next bull cycle, at least if you trust the charts.

CycleApproximate LowRecovery Duration
2014-2015-85% from peak~10 months
2018-2019-83% from peak~12 months
2022-2023-77% from peak~8 months

One thing's for sure: Bitcoin's come back from every bear market to hit new all-time highs. The timing and size of those moves? Still a moving target, honestly.

What Could Happen to Bitcoin Through October?

There are a few ways this could play out heading into October. Price action's going to depend a lot on whether Bitcoin hangs onto support around $100,000-$110,000 or just gives up the ghost.

Is a Continued Downtrend on the Table?

Bitcoin's recent slip below $100,000 is its first time at this level in a month and a half. That break could open the door to more weakness, depending on who you ask.

Some possible downside targets:

  • $93,000 as the next support to watch
  • $74,000 as a possible bottom, if weekly indicators are right
  • October lows—analysts say there's a 60-75% chance we revisit them

That $74,000 level is the weekly kijun support, which last mattered during August 2024's yen carry trade mess. That episode rattled global markets pretty hard.

If buyers don't step in, Bitcoin could test these lower zones. Dropping under $100,000 also shattered a psychological barrier that'd been holding things up.

Support LevelSignificanceLast Tested
$100,000Major psychological levelJune 2024
$93,000Technical supportNot breached yet
$74,000Weekly kijun supportAugust 2024

Could We See Stabilization or a Rebound?

The $107,000-$110,000 area is a real battleground right now. If bulls defend it, maybe the worst is over—for now.

Some reasons for hope:

  • Low volatility is almost too quiet, and that usually means a big move's coming
  • Seasonal trends—Q4 tends to be friendly to crypto, though that's not a guarantee
  • Federal Reserve policy—odds of rate cuts are at 96.7%, which could help risk assets

Institutional buyers matter a ton here. Big players often treat big dips as buying chances, so that could put a floor under prices.

Technical folks say holding above $100,000 would be bullish. If that happens, maybe we see a push back to recent highs. But that's a big "if."

What Could Flip the Script for Bitcoin?

Plenty of things could shake up Bitcoin's path this month.

Potential catalysts to watch:

  • Federal Reserve rate moves or policy surprises
  • Huge institutional Bitcoin buys or dumps
  • Stress in global markets that spills over
  • Technical breaks above or below key levels

Honestly, market psychology is half the battle. Panic selling can snowball, but a little optimism can turn things around fast.

Watch for trading volume spikes during big price swings. High volume usually means the move is real, not just noise.

And don't forget: Bitcoin's still tied to traditional markets, whether we like it or not. If stocks stumble, crypto usually feels it too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bitcoin Price Crash

What Are Experts Saying About Bitcoin's Near-Term Lows?

Most analysts see $93,000 as a realistic next stop if the slide keeps going. Some are eyeing $74,000 as a worst-case, based on technicals.
We've just seen Bitcoin dip below $100,000 for the first time in weeks. The price is down 0.56% in 24 hours, now hovering around $111,872.
Market watchers say $112,000 is a key level. If it breaks, more downside could be coming.

How Does Recent Volatility Change Bitcoin Price Predictions?

Bitcoin's recent drop under $112,000, after a week of sliding, has everyone guessing. There's more uncertainty than usual about where it goes next.
Volatility makes predictions even trickier. Market mood can flip in an instant—sometimes for no obvious reason.
These boom and bust cycles are classic Bitcoin. Volatility just widens the range of possible outcomes, for better or worse.

What Historical Trends Might Help Predict Future Lows?

History shows Bitcoin's survived several brutal "crypto winters." Some crashes have wiped out up to 80% of peak value.
Past bear markets give us some idea of where support might show up. Analysts lean on those old numbers to guess where the floor could be.
Bitcoin's four-year cycle has a habit of repeating: big corrections, then slow recoveries. It's not a perfect crystal ball, but it's something.

How Could Regulatory Changes Affect Bitcoin's Price Floor?

Regulation is always a wild card. New rules or crackdowns tend to trigger fast selling, especially from big institutions.
Tax policy changes can also spook investors. Tighter rules usually mean lower floors during corrections, at least in the short run.
Regulatory uncertainty tends to make things worse on the downside. On the flip side, clear rules sometimes help stabilize prices.

What Do Financial Models Say About Future Bitcoin Dips?

Financial models try to factor in everything from macro trends to investor psychology. Institutional adoption and sentiment are big pieces of the puzzle.
Technical models point to certain support levels based on trading patterns. They highlight where a bounce could happen during a steep drop.
Prediction markets—where people bet on Bitcoin's future price—offer another window into what traders expect. It's not gospel, but it's a useful signal.

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