Bitcoin slid below $87,000 as crypto weakness extended into mid-December trading, with selling pressure dragging major tokens lower and reviving risk-off behavior across the market. Bitcoin dipped to roughly $85,600 while ether fell below $3,000, reinforcing a broad downturn rather than a one-off spike in volatility.
In this type of tape, Digitap ($TAP) has started gaining traction as a banking-utility trade, built around everyday settlement and defensive token mechanics, rather than pure price momentum, and is increasingly discussed as one of the best cryptos to buy now when markets turn risk-off.
The move under $87K mattered because it arrived with weak follow-through across majors, not isolated strength in any single sector. CoinDesk framed the slide as “weakness persists,” with bitcoin and ether both fading during U.S. trading hours. That fragility also showed up in positioning: roughly $200 million in long liquidations as leveraged positions were flushed out when the price dropped below $87K, a sign that leverage was forced out rather than investors calmly rotating.
On the sentiment side, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has spent more than 30% of the past year in fear or extreme fear, and mid-December readings returned to that zone as prices weakened again. The point is simple: when fear dominates, “up-only” narratives stop working, and capital starts prioritizing protection and functionality, especially for crypto for beginners who are more focused on preserving value than chasing momentum.
During extended drawdowns, retail traders face a different game than institutions. Market coverage pointed to thin liquidity conditions amplifying sudden price moves and triggering liquidation cascades, and many tokens become hostage to sentiment rather than fundamentals. Barron’s described this broader risk aversion dynamic as crypto failing to track traditional safe havens, with major coins continuing to slide while investors behave more cautiously.
That backdrop tends to reward projects that can argue for relevance even when charts look ugly. Utility-led narratives work better in bear markets because they offer a clearer reason to exist: moving money, settling payments, lowering fees, or giving users more control, which is why these projects often surface among the best altcoins to buy now when speculation fades. In other words, value comes from usage, not just speculative belief that the next candle must be green.
Digitap’s positioning in this market is straightforward: a live banking-style app that focuses on moving between crypto and cash, with infrastructure designed for settlement across rails like SWIFT, SEPA, and ACH. The bear-market logic leans on defense: auto-settlement concepts that reduce exposure to sudden drops, and a deflationary design where buybacks and burns aim to reduce circulating supply over time.
The project’s tiered verification setup also fits the control theme that tends to dominate in fearful markets: a Wallet plan with no KYC, a Virtual plan that typically completes verification within 6–24 hours, and a Pro plan that Digitap states involves offshore verification over several business days and with physical card delivery timelines varying by region, typically measured in weeks. The offshore bank location is determined by residence rather than user selection.
Digital presale mechanics are being used as additional evidence of demand holding up during weakness: the current price is $0.0371, the next step is $0.0383, Round 2 is framed as roughly 98% sold, and fundraising is positioned around $2.6 million with over 150 million tokens sold.
A temporary holiday campaign adds a softer engagement hook without changing the core bear-market posture. The campaign theme runs like a short advent cycle with two drops per day on a 12-hour rhythm (often described around 07:00 UTC and 19:00 UTC), pushing repeat check-ins rather than one-time clicks.
The practical fit is simple: in a market where majors bleed, routine utility plus time-boxed rewards can keep attention anchored to product usage instead of chart-watching.
That matters because the broader market narrative is not about a clean bounce yet. CoinDesk’s reporting on the $87K break emphasized ongoing weakness across majors, and liquidation-driven volatility tends to reinforce defensive behavior rather than spark confident dip-buying.
Bitcoin slipping below $87K and Ether falling under $3K fits a late-year pattern of fragile risk appetite rather than a single headline-driven move. In that environment, utility trades become easier to justify: products that still function during red weeks can hold attention when pure momentum plays struggle to regain support, a key reason Digitap is being discussed as the best cryptocurrency to buy now in defensive market conditions.
Digitap’s narrative leans into that reality by focusing on settlement utility, tiered access, and defensive token mechanics, a combination that aligns more closely with what investors look for in the best crypto to invest in long term during uncertain cycles.
Discover how Digitap is unifying cash and crypto by checking out their project here:
Presale: https://presale.digitap.app
Website: https://digitap.app
Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app
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