The Bitcoin price drops despite institutional buys as forced selling from miners and Asian holders pressures the market.
Bitcoin’s price continues to drop, even though institutions are purchasing large amounts of BTC. This ongoing decline is not due to weak fundamentals but strong selling pressure from certain sources.
A key factor in this selling pressure is the ongoing mining crackdown in China. Despite institutional investors buying billions of dollars in Bitcoin, forced liquidations are driving the price down.
China’s Mining Crackdown Leads to Selling Pressure
China has once again restricted Bitcoin mining, causing a drop in the network’s hash rate by around 8%. While this may seem small, it’s significant since China still controls about 14% of global hash power.
Long-term holders are selling at their fastest pace in 5 years.
This is why Saylor billion-dollar buy isn’t moving the price as the selling is way much higher.
A good chunk of this selling is coming from China as recently a lot of mining rigs were shutdown.
This caused global… pic.twitter.com/B48fGlDoj5
— K A Y (@kay_drake_) December 17, 2025
In 2021, China banned mining in several provinces, at a time when it controlled more than half of the Bitcoin network’s hash rate. Although China’s mining share is smaller now, the recent reduction in hash rate has triggered large-scale selling from miners.
When mining operations are shut down or restricted, miners often have no choice but to sell their Bitcoin holdings to cover losses. This forced selling adds significant downward pressure on the price.
Despite the strong institutional interest in Bitcoin, this selling from miners is a major factor keeping the price low.
Forced Selling from Long-Term Holders and Miners
The selling pressure is coming from long-term Bitcoin holders, particularly in Asia.
These early holders, often referred to as “OG whales,” have started liquidating their positions in response to increased mining restrictions. On-chain data shows that long-term holders have been selling more over the last couple of months.
WHY IS BITCOIN STILL DUMPING WHILE INSTITUTIONS ARE MAKING BILLION DOLLAR BUYS?
Bitcoin is not going down because fundamentals are weak.
It is going down because selling pressure is stronger and coming from deeper sources.
One major reason is China’s mining crackdown coming… pic.twitter.com/QBAG8PKAKh
— Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) December 17, 2025
Miners facing shutdowns also contribute to the selling pressure.
When miners stop operations, they need to sell their Bitcoin to manage losses. This forced liquidation is not driven by market sentiment but by necessity, further increasing selling volume.
Related Reading: Sora Ventures Targets $1B BTC Buy With Asia’s First Bitcoin Treasury Fund
Regional Differences in Bitcoin Trading Activity
The selling pressure appears to be concentrated in Asia, with major exchanges like Binance, Bybit, and OKX showing steady net selling.
In contrast, U.S.-based exchanges such as Coinbase continue to see net buying, indicating that institutions in the U.S. are accumulating Bitcoin. This regional difference is crucial in understanding why Bitcoin’s price is falling despite institutional interest.
While U.S. institutions are still buying Bitcoin, the selling from Asia is much higher.
The imbalance between these factors keeps the price under pressure. Once the selling from miners and long-term holders slows down, the market may find stability, and Bitcoin’s price could rise.
Overall, Bitcoin’s current price decline reflects a distribution phase in the market. Forced sellers, including miners and long-term holders, are dominating the market. As the market absorbs this excess supply, prices may stabilize and start moving upward again.