According to statements reported by Russian news agencies, Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, said cryptocurrencies “will never become money” in Russia and should be treated only as investment instruments. He said that where a payment is required, it must be made in Russian rubles. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund Ruble Remains Sole Payment Unit Based on reports, that stance matches existing law. A 2020 federal law on digital financial assets defines digital currency as something different from Russia’s monetary unit and bars its use as a means of payment inside the country. The law treats tokens and classic cryptocurrencies as property or investment items rather than legal tender. Russia Central Bank Concerns Over Stability Officials in Moscow have repeatedly echoed the central bank’s worry that allowing crypto for everyday payments could harm monetary control and financial stability. Regulators say the ruble’s role must be protected, and that volatility in assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum makes them unsuitable for regular transactions. Limited Windows For Crypto Use Reports have also noted that while crypto cannot be used to buy goods and services domestically, it can still exist in regulated pockets. Lawmakers and regulators are framing cryptocurrencies as tradable assets, not cash. Some narrow exceptions are being discussed for corporate or cross-border operations under strict rules, but those do not change the basic ban on domestic payments. What The Law Means For People And Business Practical effects are clear. Russian residents and businesses cannot accept digital coins in place of rubles for sales or services. At the same time, individuals can hold, trade, or invest in crypto under the framework that separates ownership from payment rights. The law also requires public officials to declare holdings in digital assets, linking transparency rules to the new regime. Related Reading: 5,606 Bitcoin: Lightning Network Sets Fresh Capacity Record A Narrowing Path Forward Based on reports from several outlets, the political message is firm: payments stay in rubles. Lawmakers are talking about refining rules for trading, custody and reporting, but they are not signalling a shift toward letting cryptocurrencies replace the ruble for daily use. That position keeps Russia on a different track from some countries that permit crypto payments or give coins legal tender status. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Michael Saylor’s firm Strategy continues to make Bitcoin headlines with its enormous purchases, making it one of the largest holders in the world. Related Reading: TechCrunch Founder Names XRP Among His Largest Crypto Positions Reports show the company owns 671,268 Bitcoin, roughly 3.2% of the total supply, valued at about $58.61 billion at the time of publication, according to Saylor Tracker. Bitcoin entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano said on his podcast that it would be extremely difficult for any other public company to match Strategy’s buying pace. Massive Holdings And Recent Purchase Strategy announced a fresh buy of 10,645 Bitcoin for $980.3 million, paying an average of $92,098 per coin. That move pushed its total hoard to roughly 3.2% of all Bitcoin in existence. Those are large figures. They also show why rivals would need huge sums to close the gap. Pompliano On The Scale Needed To Compete According to comments made on The Pomp Podcast, Pompliano said that a company trying to match Strategy would have to “raise hundreds of billions of dollars.” He said it would be “very hard to see that happening.” He pointed to Strategy’s early entry in 2020, when Saylor’s initial purchase was about $500 million while Bitcoin traded between $9,000 and $10,000. That initial stake, based on current prices cited in reports, is now worth more than $4.8 billion with Bitcoin trading around $86,950. Market Impact And Buying Method Market watchers have flagged Strategy’s growing share as something to watch. Some worry a single large holder could influence price moves. Others note the firm does most of its buying through over-the-counter desks. OTC trades are used to handle big orders without sending shockwaves through exchange order books. Many investors see the regular, large purchases as a positive sign for Bitcoin demand. Holding Strategy And Influence Concerns Pompliano described 3.2% as “a big number, but it’s also a small number.” He added, “It’s not like they own 10%.” That view captures a split: the holding is large enough to matter for supply dynamics and market psychology, but not so large that it gives absolute control. Still, the combination of size and repeated buys draws attention from traders and regulators alike. Outlook And Long Term Plans Reports quote Strategy’s CEO Phong Lee as saying the company probably won’t sell any Bitcoin until at least 2065. Saylor has also posted that he plans on “buying the top forever.” Those statements reinforce a long-term stance rather than short-term trading. The market tends to treat such commitments as bullish, and many participants adjust expectations for future demand accordingly. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund A Dominant Buyer With 671,268 Bitcoin on the books and a steady program of purchases, Strategy remains a dominant public buyer. Based on current numbers and public comments, it will be difficult for another listed company to match that level of accumulation without very large capital raises or a dramatic change in corporate behavior. The pace set by Strategy is likely to keep drawing attention from investors watching supply and demand for Bitcoin. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Russia has reiterated its firm stance on crypto, drawing a clear distinction between digital assets and traditional currency. While global debate continues over whether crypto can coexist with national currencies, Russian lawmakers are reinforcing a long-held view. Related Reading: Bitcoin ‘Death Cross’ Panic Returns: History Says It’s A Late Signal Inside the country, payments remain the sole domain of the ruble. The position comes as crypto usage grows worldwide and as Russia experiments with alternative settlement tools for cross-border trade under pressure from sanctions. At the center of the latest comments is Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets and a key figure behind Russia’s crypto legislation. Speaking to state media, Aksakov said there is no ambiguity in the law. BTC's price records some gains on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Lawmakers Reinforce Ruble-only Payment Rule In Russia, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum can be held or traded as investments, but they are not permitted to function as a means of payment in domestic commerce, according to lawmaker Anatoly Aksakov. All payments for goods and services must continue to be settled in rubles. Aksakov’s remarks restate provisions introduced in Russia’s 2020 digital assets law, which removed cryptocurrencies from any form of legal tender. Lawmakers argue that money must be issued and controlled by the state, and private digital currencies do not meet that standard. Officials say there are no plans to soften this stance. The rule applies across retail, online services, and business contracts, closing the door on crypto payments regardless of adoption trends or market conditions. Central Bank Skepticism Shapes Policy The Bank of Russia continues to play a decisive role in this approach. Governor Elvira Nabiullina has long warned that cryptocurrencies pose risks to financial stability and consumer protection. The central bank has consistently opposed using crypto as a medium of exchange and has previously pushed for broad restrictions on exchanges and transactions. This position has led to years of friction with the Ministry of Finance, which favored regulation and taxation over outright limits. While several legislative proposals emerged from that debate, none altered the core prohibition on crypto payments. Today, policymakers appear to be aligned in preserving the ruble’s monopoly. Cross-Border Use Grows Despite Domestic Ban Although crypto is barred from internal payments, Russian authorities acknowledge its growing role in international trade. Businesses are permitted to use digital assets for cross-border settlements under an experimental legal regime, a workaround that has gained traction amid global financial restrictions. Officials estimate that billions of dollars’ worth of trade has already moved through such channels. Similarly, Russia has legalized cryptocurrency mining and is tightening oversight of the sector, underscoring a split strategy, limited use abroad, and strict control at home. Related Reading: The Bearish Structure That Puts Bitcoin Price At $92,550, And Then $82,000 That divide alone defines Russia’s crypto policy. Digital assets may serve as investment tools or external settlement instruments, but inside the country, the ruble remains the only means of payment. Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview
The project previously raised an unannounced pre-seed round of about $5 million in mid-2024, founder Kevin Lepsoe told The Block.
Lightning Network capacity hit a new high this week as major exchanges put more Bitcoin into off-chain channels, boosting the network’s total liquidity and changing how users move BTC. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund Exchange Support Drives Capacity According to reports, the Lightning Network’s public capacity climbed to about 5,606 BTC, with some trackers briefly showing a peak near 5,637 BTC. That is a clear uptick from earlier levels and marks the highest recorded total so far. Exchanges including Binance and OKX have been named as contributors that added Bitcoin to Lightning channels, and other platforms such as Kraken and Bitfinex are expanding their support as well. These deposits are aimed at speeding up deposits and withdrawals and cutting fees for customers. Network Activity Vs. Public Nodes Based on reports, that increase in capacity has not been matched by a big rise in the number of public nodes or channels. Public node counts sit near 14,940, while public channels are roughly 48,678. In other words, more Bitcoin is available inside the network, but the number of hands handling traffic has not jumped in the same way. Some of this extra liquidity is concentrated in larger, custodial channels run by exchanges, which can move big sums without creating many new public routes. That makes on-chain metrics a bit harder to read. Transaction counts and on-chain fee savings do show real user benefits, even when the node graph looks stable. A separate figure that shows real usage is the share of exchange traffic routed over Lightning. Based on reports, one exchange has routed around 15% of its Bitcoin transactions via Lightning rails after adopting Lightning integrations, pointing to meaningful operational changes at major platforms. New Use Cases And Funding Funding and protocol work are following capacity growth. Tether led a round that raised about $8 million for a startup focused on payments over Lightning, indicating interest in stablecoin flows on the network. Announcing Taproot Assets v0.7, now with reusable addresses, a fully auditable asset supply, and larger, more reliable transactions. ✅ With this release, we are laying the foundation for trillions of dollars to flow on bitcoin and Lightning. ???? Read more below. Upgrade today! — Lightning Labs⚡️???? (@lightning) December 16, 2025 Protocol upgrades — including work around Taproot-related asset handling and reliability improvements — are also being rolled out to support more varied payments and token types. These developments point to Lightning being used for things beyond tiny tips: remittances, merchant payments, and stablecoin transfers are being tested more widely. Related Reading: TechCrunch Founder Names XRP Among His Largest Crypto Positions Market watchers say this mix of exchange liquidity, developer upgrades, and rising on-platform usage could make Lightning a more practical rail for everyday BTC movement. Some critics warn that heavier reliance on custodial channels raises centralization risks and reduces the visibility of true peer-to-peer routing. Others note that improved user experience, lower costs, and faster finality are what ordinary users will notice first. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially concluded its investigation into the decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Aave (AAVE), marking a significant development in the ongoing evolution of regulatory approaches within the cryptocurrency industry. Stani Kulechov, the founder and CEO of the Aave protocol, confirmed the end of the four-year investigation in a post on social media, expressing relief and optimism about the future of DeFi. Aave Founder Celebrates End Of SEC Investigation In his announcement, Kulechov emphasized the considerable effort and resources invested by the Aave team throughout this process. He stated, “We are finally ready to share that the SEC has concluded its investigation into the Aave Protocol.” Highlighting the impact of regulatory scrutiny on DeFi, he added, “This process demanded significant effort… to protect Aave, its ecosystem, and DeFi more broadly.” Related Reading: Will Bitcoin Suffer A 20% Decline After Japan’s Rate Hike? Historical Patterns Suggest So Kulechov expressed hope for a new chapter in which developers can freely innovate and contribute to the future of finance, asserting, “DeFi will win.” This conclusion is notable against the backdrop of heightened regulatory pressure that DeFi projects have faced in recent years. Under the previous SEC chair, Gary Gensler, the agency made a concerted effort to enforce regulations in the crypto space. In 2021, the SEC initiated 19 enforcement actions related to cryptocurrency in just the first nine months. However, recent patterns reveal a substantial shift in the commission’s stance on crypto enforcement. SEC Eases Crypto Enforcement Actions By Over 60% Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the SEC has reportedly eased enforcement actions in over 60% of ongoing cryptocurrency cases. A New York Times investigation published recently analyzed thousands of government documents and court records, revealing that the SEC has either dismissed, paused, or reduced penalties for a significant majority of active crypto cases since January 20, 2021. Related Reading: XRP Price Forecast: Key Factors That Could Propel It To $3 In Early 2026 While Trump’s first term saw an average of one high-profile cryptocurrency case per month—including the notable action against Ripple Labs—the current landscape indicates a less aggressive regulatory approach for major players like Binance, Ripple, and Gemini. Following the administration shift, enforcement actions against these companies have either been withdrawn or significantly softened. Paul S. Atkins, the newly appointed SEC chair under the Trump administration, has labeled this regulatory shift a “new day” for the cryptocurrency industry. At the time of writing, the protocol’s native token, AAVE, was trading at $187, having only surged by 1% following the announcement. However, on a year-to-date basis, the AAVE token has seen a significant 52% drop, with prices currently 72% down from the all-time high of $661 reached in May 2021. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets have witnessed a sharp retrace during the last 24 hours, which has resulted in a long squeeze on derivatives exchanges. Crypto Long Liquidations Have Neared $600 Million During The Past Day According to data from CoinGlass, the latest sharp price action in the cryptocurrency market has accompanied a huge amount of liquidations over at the derivatives side of the sector. Related Reading: US Bitcoin Session Leads December Returns After Weak November “Liquidation” here naturally refers to the forceful closure that any open contract has to undergo after it has amassed losses of a certain degree. For long investors, this happens when the asset’s price drops, while for shorts, liquidation occurs after a surge. How much the cryptocurrency will have to move in one direction to liquidate a specific position comes down to the percentage threshold defined by the platform and the amount of leverage that the trader has opted for. During sharp price swings, positions with high amounts of leverage attached are the first to go. Bitcoin and other assets have faced some notable volatility during the past day, which has once again caught out traders on the derivatives market. As the table below shows, liquidations have crossed $650 million over the last 24 hours. About $584 million of these liquidations involved long positions alone. That’s equivalent to almost 90% of the total, showcasing how disproportionate the price volatility has been during this period. In terms of the individual symbols, the largest contributor to the liquidation event has been Ethereum, not Bitcoin, as is often the case. With over $235 million in contracts involved, Ethereum has notably outpaced Bitcoin, which has witnessed $186 million in liquidations. ETH facing more liquidations is likely due to the fact that its price drawdown has been stronger during the past day. Out of the altcoins, Solana has come out on top with $37 million in positions flushed, ahead of XRP ($16 million) and Dogecoin ($12 million). Interestingly, SOL has outperformed the two despite its losses being more limited. In some other news, the latest Bitcoin decline has meant that its price has fallen back under a key on-chain price level, as the chart shared by analytics firm Glassnode shows. The level in question is the Active Realized Price, corresponding to the cost basis of the active participants on the Bitcoin network. Currently, it’s located at $87,900, which is above the cryptocurrency’s spot price. Related Reading: Cardano SuperTrend Turns Bearish—Last Signal Preceded 80% ADA Drop Thus, it would appear that the latest dip has put the active investors as a whole into a state of net unrealized loss. Bitcoin Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $87,200, down more than 3% over the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, Glassnode.com, CoinGlass.com, chart from TradingView.com
Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch and CrunchBase, has placed XRP among his largest personal crypto holdings, according to a recent social post. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund He listed XRP as one of his top five positions by dollar value, alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Immutable. The disclosure landed plenty of attention online and reignited debate about who is buying what and why. Arrington’s Holdings And Community Reaction Reports have disclosed that his post drew heavy engagement, with replies running the gamut from Bitcoin-only stances to more mixed portfolios. Several industry figures echoed Arrington’s mix; Tony Edward, for example, listed XRP with BTC and ETH when discussing core positions. The debate was loud and fast on social feeds. Some users framed the move as a vote of confidence. Others warned that one investor’s choices do not equal a market-wide shift. Tell me your top five crypto holdings (by total dollar value). Mine are XRP, BTC, ETH and IMX — Michael Arrington ????☠️ (@arrington) December 13, 2025 Institutional Moves Follow Based on reports, Arrington’s public support is tied to direct institutional activity. In October, Arrington Capital joined Ripple and SBI Holdings to back an initiative by Evernorth aimed at building a large institutional XRP treasury. The project, which has been described in some circles as among the biggest of its kind, aims to increase institutional use of XRP and to support on-ledger activity such as decentralized finance and lending. That involvement means Arrington is more than a vocal supporter; he is also tied to projects that could change how institutions use the token. XRP Market Moves And Key Figures XRP’s market picture has been mixed. As of December 16, 2025, the token was trading around $1.98, having held in a roughly $2.00 to $2.20 band in recent sessions. There was a small daily lift of about 1.2% to roughly $2.08 on Monday, which helped the token cover some ground after early-December weakness. The year has seen bigger swings: XRP peaked near $3.65 in July before giving back some gains. Activity in regulated derivatives has also grown. Reports point to XRP futures on the CME reaching a record open interest of roughly $3 billion in late October 2025, a figure that market watchers say reflects rising institutional appetite for regulated exposure. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven A Past Claim That No Longer Holds Arrington has previously highlighted XRP’s strong performance. In March, he tweeted that XRP had been the best-performing major asset across multiple time frames — 90 days, 180 days, one year and three years. That claim no longer lines up with current rankings. Performance metrics have shifted since then, and the statement has been overtaken by later results. Featured image from Bitpanda Blog, chart from TradingView
According to a Grayscale outlook released Monday, the asset manager expects rising demand for alternatives and clearer rules in the US to push Bitcoin to a new all-time high in the first half of 2026. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund The report lays out 10 key investing themes for 2026 and ties the Bitcoin call to two main forces: growing portfolio demand for stores of value and what Grayscale describes as improving regulatory clarity. Spot-Bitcoin ETPs reached the market in 2024, the firm notes, and Congress passed the GENIUS Act in 2025, steps that the report says reduce barriers for big investors. Macro Risks And Demand For Crypto Grayscale frames its outlook around a simple macro point. Rising public debt and the risk that fiat currencies lose buying power are pushing some money toward Bitcoin and Ether, the report says. That argument will sound familiar to many institutional buyers. It is also a broad claim. No exact price targets were offered for Bitcoin, only a view that valuations will climb in 2026 and that the so-called four-year cycle may be ending. Stablecoins are another major theme. Grayscale expects stablecoin use to grow: cross-border payments, collateral on derivatives, even use on corporate balance sheets are all mentioned as likely developments. Asset Tokenization And DeFi Growth Reports have disclosed that Grayscale sees asset tokenization reaching an inflection point next year. Lending protocols and staking are singled out as areas where activity could expand. The firm foresees practical outcomes: stablecoins in payment rails, more institutional access to staking, and tokenized assets showing up in trading and custody systems. Grayscale also flags two narratives it does not expect to move markets in 2026 — quantum computing risk for crypto and digital asset treasuries — saying research will continue but valuations are unlikely to be affected this soon. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven Over the past 3 months, the average return across nearly all crypto sectors has underperformed Bitcoin. This persistent relative weakness highlights a market environment where capital concentration favours BTC. ???? https://t.co/rFisuVfSY7 https://t.co/lpXqEe9bbW pic.twitter.com/WNtKEKclX7 — glassnode (@glassnode) December 16, 2025 Onchain Data Suggests Quiet Caution Meanwhile, data from onchain analytics group Glassnode was also cited in this context. Over the last three months, Glassnode reports, the average return across most crypto sectors has underperformed Bitcoin, indicating capital concentration in BTC. That has not translated into strong faith in leadership. A separate institutional feed, Bitcoin Vector, said dominance fell in the second half of the year, with ETH rotations cutting into BTC’s lead and a weaker rebuild after deleveraging events. In short: funds appear to prefer holding Bitcoin, but are not placing big new bets. Featured image from YourStory, chart from TradingView
According to reports, Coinbase has launched regulated futures linked to Shiba Inu, opening the token to trading on a US derivatives venue. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven The new products include perpetual-style contracts and monthly futures tied to what Coinbase calls the 1k SHIB index (a 1,000 token index), with trading scheduled to run 24/7. The rollout began on December 5, 2025, as part of a broader push by the exchange to add altcoin derivative listings under US rules. Regulated Futures Hit The Market Reports have disclosed that the perpetual contracts operate like offshore swaps in form but are offered through Coinbase’s regulated platform and are designed to include a funding-rate mechanism to keep prices close to spot. Now live: Trade US Perpetual-Style Futures for all altcoins on Coinbase Derivatives, available 24/7. → Shiba Inu $SHIB → Avalanche $AVAX → Bitcoin Cash $BCH → Cardano $ADA → Chainlink $LINK → Dogecoin $DOGE → Hedera $HBAR → Litecoin $LTC → Polkadot $DOT → SUI $SUI →… pic.twitter.com/yjS2XsQ2jN — Coinbase Markets ????️ (@CoinbaseMarkets) December 15, 2025 Monthly contracts were made available as an initial phase. Clearing and settlement are handled inside systems compatible with US oversight, and the products are described as compliant with Commodity Futures Trading Commission frameworks. What Traders And Institutions Might Do Market participants say having regulated futures can change who trades a token. Institutional desks and some large funds often need regulated venues and clearer custody paths before they increase exposure. Added liquidity and round-the-clock pricing may attract more active traders, and that could raise volume. At the same time, access to futures also makes it easier to bet against the token, which can push volatility up. Reports note that immediate moves in spot markets have been mixed, showing that access to derivatives does not automatically lift the token’s price. Because SHIB has regulated futures on Coinbase (“1k Shib Index”), it qualifies for spot ETF consideration under the same SEC pathway Bitcoin and Ethereum followed. The big picture for SHIB •SHIB now joins the “ETF-watchlist club” with other futures-backed cryptos. •If/when… pic.twitter.com/cZPxUWWhBn — ???????????????????? (@LucieSHIB) September 18, 2025 Market Context And Exchange Strategy Coinbase’s decision follows steps the exchange has taken to grow its derivatives arm. Company filings and public letters in 2025 framed derivatives growth as a strategic priority, and the firm has pursued deals and product launches to expand those capabilities. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund One notable deal disclosed earlier involved an agreement valued at close to $3 billion to strengthen derivatives know-how and infrastructure. This background helps explain why Coinbase is offering altcoin futures that trade continuously, under a regulated roof. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
About 21% of people surveyed by the Financial Conduct Authority said they hold between $1,345 and $6,718, and the most popular cryptos are bitcoin and ether.
While fewer people in the UK now own crypto, remaining investors are holding larger balances on average, the FCA said.
Bitcoin (BTC) has experienced a 4% drop, falling below the $86,000 mark on Monday, as market speculation grows regarding the cryptocurrency’s future following the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) interest rate decision. In a recent poll conducted from December 2 to 9, an overwhelming 90% of economists—63 out of 70—predicted that the BOJ would increase short-term interest rates from 0.50% to 0.75% at this week’s planned meeting. Experts Warn Of Impact From BOJ Rate Hikes Experts on social media have noted a concerning trend: during the last three rate hikes by the BOJ, Bitcoin has typically dropped significantly. The statistics reveal the following declines: a 23% drop in March 2024, a 26% decline in July 2024, and a 31% dip in January of this year. Related Reading: Why XRP Isn’t Reacting to Major Institutional and Regional Developments Based on current prices just below $86,000, this would imply that if the cryptocurrency sees another 20% correction, it could drop all the way to 68,800. This would mean extending the gap compared to the all-time high of $126,000 by almost 46%. The group of experts further highlighted that the dynamics at play in Japan significantly impact Bitcoin’s performance as Japan holds the largest amount of US debt of any nation. When Japanese interest rates rise, capital tends to flow back to Japan, leading to reduced liquidity in dollars. This decrease in dollar liquidity often results in the selling of riskier assets like Bitcoin. On November 30, a foreboding sign of this potential downturn appeared when confirmation of Japan’s impending rate hike caused Bitcoin to dip to around $83,000, erasing approximately $200 billion from the overall cryptocurrency market. However, the bearish sentiment affecting Bitcoin is not solely the result of Japan’s actions. Market analyst known as NoLimit recently pointed to another critical factor: China’s renewed crackdown on Bitcoin mining. China’s Mining Crackdown Spurs Bitcoin Sell-Off The analyst recently asserted that China has tightened regulations, particularly affecting operations in Xinjiang, where a significant number of crypto mining setups were shut down in December. This led to the abrupt offline status of roughly 400,000 miners. The repercussions of such a sudden shift in mining activity are already evident. The Bitcoin network hashrate has fallen by about 8%, indicating that fewer miners are actively contributing to the network. NoLimit suggests that this sudden reduction creates immediate revenue-loss for miners, who may need to liquidate Bitcoin to cover operational costs or to relocate their equipment. Consequently, this generates actual selling pressure on the market, contributing to the downward price trend seen on Monday. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Compression Deepens as Analysts Debate if the Next Move Is a Rally or Breakdown Despite the short-term pain this creates, the analysts clarified that it does not indicate a long-term bearish outlook for Bitcoin. Instead, he views it as a temporary supply shock driven by regulatory decisions rather than a shift in demand. Historical patterns support this notion: when China has previously cracked down on miners, the cycle follows a familiar trajectory: miners are forced offline, hashrate dips occur, prices fluctuate, and eventually, the network adapts before Bitcoin moves forward again. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
JPMorgan Asset Management has introduced a tokenized money-market fund built on the Ethereum blockchain, according to company filings and industry reports. The fund, called My OnChain Net Yield Fund (MONY), issues shares as digital tokens that live on the public Ethereum network and are aimed at qualified investors through the bank’s Morgan Money platform. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven JPMorgan Issues Tokenized Fund On Ethereum Based on reports, MONY holds familiar, low-risk instruments such as US Treasury securities and repurchase agreements fully backed by Treasuries. The bank says the token shares represent direct ownership of the fund and can be held at blockchain addresses, opening up on-chain settlement and recordkeeping for a product that normally sits in traditional custody systems. Seeded With $100 Million Reports have disclosed that JPMorgan seeded MONY with $100 million of its own capital at launch. The move is meant to kickstart liquidity and show institutional seriousness about putting cash management products on-chain. The tokenization work is being handled by internal teams tied to JPMorgan’s digital-assets efforts, and the bank has been testing ways to move conventional securities into token form for several years. How The Tokens Work And Who Can Use Them Investors receive tokenized fund shares that may be transferred or recorded on Ethereum. Based on reports, access is limited: the fund is offered only to qualified clients via Morgan Money, not to the general retail public. The token structure mirrors traditional fund economics — holders are exposed to the same short-term instruments that underpin money-market products — but the record of ownership is stored on a public ledger. Related Reading: Bitcoin Headed For $200 Trillion? CEO Makes Bold Prediction Qualified Investors And Access According to coverage, institutional clients with asset levels above $25 million and accredited individuals with at least $5 million are among those eligible, and the minimum initial investment sits at roughly $1 million. That narrow access aligns with regulatory guardrails for tokenized securities and with the bank’s goal of serving big, sophisticated cash managers first. Analysts say the launch is part of a broader push by big asset managers to experiment with tokenized share classes and on-chain settlement. Other firms have run pilots with similar ideas, and some have already put cash-like products on Ethereum. Based on reports, the move points to an industry desire to test whether blockchain can speed up settlement, increase transparency, or create new on-chain liquidity for institutional cash flows. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
As the week began, the XRP price experienced a 4% decline, bringing it nearly 50% below its all-time highs. However, analysts forecast significant gains for one of the market’s leading altcoins in January 2026, citing three major catalysts that could reshape its market outlook. A Major Step Towards Broader Access In a recent analysis, Sam Daodu, a market expert from 24/7 Wall St., emphasized the importance of Vanguard’s decision to approve trading of XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Daodu emphasized that the real significance lies in the facilitation of distribution; with Vanguard’s advisors able to allocate XRP exposure through regulated ETFs without additional cumbersome processes. He indicated that three interrelated factors are now at play: the influx of institutional capital through ETF investments, a reduction in supply, and the influence of Vanguard in altering the approach towards the asset. Related Reading: Bitcoin Pulls Back Under $89K, Michael Saylor Smells Opportunity Notably, the results of the token’s exchange-traded fund launch have already been notable, with XRP inflows hitting $1 billion within the first four weeks of trading, making it one of the fastest-growing crypto ETF launches to date. Additionally, XRP’s market supply has contracted significantly, dropping by 45% from approximately 3.9 billion tokens at the beginning of 2025 to about 1.6 billion by December. This contraction can be attributed to large holders refraining from distributing their tokens, leading to an accumulation in whale wallets and the removal of tokens from liquid markets due to ETF custody. This decreased supply implies that smaller inflows now carry greater influence. With only 1.6 billion tokens available on exchanges, investments of $20-30 million in daily ETF purchases can have a substantive impact on market supply. A Key Driver For Price Appreciation The Vanguard XRP ETF launch is particularly significant in this context, as it locks tokens into regulated custody vehicles that are less likely to be sold frequently. Unlike tokens held on exchanges that can be quickly moved in and out, ETF custody tends to encourage a buy-and-hold strategy, fostering conditions for gradual price appreciation fueled by sustained institutional demand amid a diminishing available supply. Given that the decision to provide ETF access came late in the year, year-end trading typically focuses on maintaining existing allocations rather than creating new positions. While the ETF adds credibility to XRP without causing immediate price pressure, its journey to a $3 valuation by January will depend on how swiftly advisory capital mobilizes, the durability of supply compression, and the overall stability of the markets. XRP Price Path To $3 Three potential scenarios present themselves for XRP’s future. The most optimistic scenario sees advisory capital moving quicker than typical, perhaps allowing advisors to integrate small XRP allocations during January’s rebalancing. In this case, XRP ETF inflows could remain robust, ranging from $40-60 million daily, while the locked-up supply on exchanges supports a price increase that could see the XRP price surpass $2.25, aim for $2.60, and potentially test $3 by the end of January. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Compression Deepens as Analysts Debate if the Next Move Is a Rally or Breakdown The middle-ground perspective suggests a more conventional institutional timing. In this scenario, while the XRP ETF access will gain attention in December, actual allocations might ramp up gradually, leading to a daily influx of about $20-30 million instead of the earlier expected pace. Here, the XRP price could establish higher lows and breach the $2.25 mark, facing resistance between $2.40 and $2.80. Price fluctuations would focus more on future adoption rather than immediate implications. According to Daodu’s conclusions, and given these circumstances, the XRP price reaching $3 could take until the first or second quarter of 2026 rather than being an immediate milestone. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Shiba Inu has kept a spot in crypto talk even as its price has slid sharply. According to reports, the network had a market cap of $5 billion as of Dec. 6, and it still draws attention because people know the name. That visibility, however, does not settle the debate over whether the token belongs in a long-term portfolio. Related Reading: Bitcoin Headed For $200 Trillion? CEO Makes Bold Prediction Shiba Inu’s Price And Market Size Based on reports, Shiba Inu has seen massive moves over several years. Roughly five years ago it traded near $0.0000000001684; at the time of writing, it is quoted at about $0.000008439. SHIB’s all-time high stands at $0.00008845, which means the token trades roughly 85% below that peak. Reports have disclosed that SHIB has tanked about 55% so far this year, and some data points show almost a 60% decline over a recent 12-month span. Those drops have pushed many investors to ask whether the story that once lifted SHIB has faded. On-Chain Signals And Holder Counts There are mixed signals on the chain. Data from CryptoQuant is reported to show memecoin dominance falling to its lowest level since early 2024, a sign that speculative interest across similar tokens has ebbed. At the same time, the number of wallets holding SHIB moved from about 1.45 million at the start of the year to around 1.52 million more recently. That jump in holders was noted alongside the price slide. It suggests distribution rather than complete abandonment; small increases in holders do not always mean increased trading activity, but they can show steady retail interest. Memecoin markets are dead. pic.twitter.com/6kymLWH4JX — Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) December 11, 2025 Pundit Views And The Utility Question Meanwhile, crypto pundit Neil Patel has listed reasons he would not treat Shiba Inu as a proper investment. He argues the memecoin doesn’t solve a clear, large-scale problem and points out that developer activity for SHIB is limited compared with many other networks. The claim is that much of SHIB’s value has been driven by hype cycles and not by broad real-world use. Those views were presented in firm terms, and they have been repeated across a range of commentaries that warn about hype-driven tokens. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven Investor Takeaways And Risks Investors who want exposure to crypto are often told to look at major networks such as Bitcoin for scarcity-driven arguments; that point was brought up in several reports. At the same time, SHIB’s supporting projects — a layer-two chain, a decentralized exchange, a metaverse concept — are real but appear to have small adoption so far. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin risks a further drop toward the $70,000 area if the Bank of Japan follows through with an expected interest-rate rise on Dec. 19, analysts focused on macro forces warned. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven According to multiple macro-focused voices, the move could sap global liquidity and put fresh downward pressure on risk assets, with some traders already bracing for a sharp pullback. Japan’s policy shift matters because higher rates tend to strengthen the yen and raise the cost of borrowing. When that happens, traders who previously borrowed cheaply in yen to invest elsewhere are often forced to unwind those positions. That process can pull money out of global markets in a short period of time, and Bitcoin has often felt that impact as investors cut exposure during risk-off stretches. BOJ Tightening Drains Global Liquidity According to AndrewBTC, every BOJ hike since 2024 has coincided with Bitcoin drawdowns of more than 20%. Based on reports, the analyst pointed to declines of roughly 23% in March 2024, 26% in July 2024, and 31% in January 2025. ???? BREAKING: JAPAN WILL CRASH $BTC Bank of Japan is set to hike rates +25 bps on Dec 19. Japan = largest holder of US government debt ???????? ???? Look at the $BTC chart: Every BoJ rate hike → Bitcoin dumps over 20%+???? • March 2024 → -23% • July 2024 → -26% • January 2025 →… pic.twitter.com/grN3QRNUg4 — AndrewBTC (@cryptoctlt) December 13, 2025 Traders are not only watching central bank calendars. Bitcoin’s daily chart also flashed a classic bear flag formation after a steep fall from the $105,000–$110,000 area in November. Market Positioning Widens Ahead Of Key Data Bitcoin slipped below $90,000 in thin trading on Sunday, a move that traders took as a cautionary sign rather than a definitive trigger. Based on reports, Ether held up better than many altcoins, suggesting selective risk taking in the market. Traders are positioning before a busy slate of US data and central bank events that could sway flows. Analyst EX bluntly warned BTC will collapse “below $70,000” under the stated macro conditions, a stark forecast that highlights how crowded bets can amplify moves when liquidity is pulled. EVERY TIME JAPAN HIKES RATES, BITCOIN DUMPS 20–25% NEXT WEEK, THEY WILL HIKE RATES TO 75 BPS AGAIN. IF THE PATTERN HOLDS, $BTC WILL DUMP BELOW $70,000 ON DECEMBER 19. POSITION ACCORDINGLY. pic.twitter.com/IWU8JbXjn3 — ΞX (@rektbyEX) December 13, 2025 Related Reading: Bitcoin Pulls Back Under $89K, Michael Saylor Smells Opportunity What This Means For Investors The story tying BOJ policy to Bitcoin’s swings is simple in outline: when funding costs in Japan rise, global borrowing becomes pricier, and risk assets can be sold as positions are reduced. That dynamic helps explain why past BOJ moves lined up with 20-30% declines in Bitcoin. Still, markets often try to price events ahead of time; a hike that’s already built into prices may have a smaller effect than one that comes as a surprise. Featured image from Nikkei Asia, chart from TradingView
The UK Treasury has set October 2027 as the date its full cryptoasset regime comes into force. For the first time, exchanges, custodians and other crypto intermediaries serving UK clients know they will need FCA authorisation under FSMA-style rules to keep doing business, rather than just a money-laundering registration and a risk warning. The reaction […]
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Strategy chair Michael Saylor signaled that his firm may add to its Bitcoin holdings just as the market slid again on Sunday, a move that kept traders on edge and fed fresh debate over what is driving the declines. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven Back To More Orange Dots According to a post on X, Saylor shared a chart with the phrase “Back to More Orange Dots,” a shorthand that investors interpret as fresh buying. Based on reports tracked by SaylorTracker, Strategy bought 10,624 BTC on Dec. 12 — its biggest single purchase since late July. The firm now holds about 660,624 BTC, which at current prices is worth roughly $58.5 billion, and its average cost per coin stands at $74,696. ₿ack to More Orange Dots. pic.twitter.com/rBi1aagDVO — Michael Saylor (@saylor) December 14, 2025 Sunday Wick, Low Liquidity Bitcoin briefly dipped to a two-week low near $87,750 in late trading on Sunday, before climbing back above $89,000 by the time of writing. Traders pointed to a familiar pattern: quick wick-downs on weekends when liquidity is thin. Ether showed relative strength while major altcoins lagged, and market participants were seen positioning ahead of a packed calendar of US data and central bank decisions this week. Analysts Eye Bank Of Japan According to analyst commentary, some market participants blame the selling on expectations around the Bank Of Japan. People are seriously underestimating what the bank is about to do to crypto, said one analyst using the handle NoLimit. Justin d’Anethan, head of research at Arctic Digital, said the slide toward $88,000 “feels like a defeat,” and linked the move to fear of a carry trade unwind tied to Japanese rate expectations. Markets May Have Priced It In Sykodelic, another market watcher, argued that Japan’s actions are largely priced in. “Markets are forward-thinking, forward-moving. They move in anticipation of events, not when those events happen,” they wrote. Based on that view, the recent drop is less about a fresh shock and more about ordinary back-and-forth: macro funds trimming exposure, short-term traders taking profit, and buyers stepping in at lower levels. Related Reading: Bitcoin Headed For $200 Trillion? CEO Makes Bold Prediction That push-and-pull helps explain why Bitcoin keeps snapping lower on thin pockets of liquidity but does not break decisively below key support. Meanwhile, the tension between long-term holders — represented by companies like Strategy — and short-term macro flows is shaping price action. There is no sign yet of widespread liquidations or a funding crisis, which suggests the declines are measured rather than chaotic. Featured image from Australian Farmers, chart from TradingView
The move comes as Visa deepens its stablecoin work and reports a $3.5 billion annualized run rate in stablecoin settlement volume.
Hashdex is out with its 2026 crypto investment outlook, and the vibe is pretty clear: stop treating crypto like a weird side-bet and start treating it like… an allocation. The firm’s CIO Samir Kerbage says “most investors” should be thinking in the 5–10% range, framing it as a pragmatic response to a messier macro regime (sticky inflation risk, debt burdens, the 60/40 portfolio looking less like a law of nature and more like a historical artifact). Look, you can debate the exact number, but Hashdex’s point is that the underweight has become the active decision. Crypto is now “well above $3 trillion” in market cap and about 1% of the global investable market by its math—meaning a sub-1% allocation is basically a deliberate fade. They also cite a Charles Schwab survey where 45% of financial advisors said they planned to allocate to crypto ETFs over the next year. And they’re not just waving their hands. Hashdex runs a simple portfolio thought experiment: adding crypto exposure (represented by the Nasdaq Crypto Index US) to a 60/40 improves risk-adjusted returns in their backtest window, with higher allocations juicing total return while, yes, drawdowns get uglier. That trade-off isn’t hidden — it’s the whole point of sizing the position instead of YOLO’ing it. Related Reading: Crypto Tanks After Fed Cut: Santiment Breaks Down The Trap But the meat of the report isn’t “buy crypto because number go up.” It’s three themes, three predictions — basically a roadmap for what they think does the heavy lifting in 2026. Top 3 Crypto Predictions For 2026 First up: the “cryptodollar”. Hashdex argues stablecoins are starting to do something geopolitically weird and financially consequential: while some sovereigns try to de-dollarize, stablecoins re-dollarize at the user and corporate level, with issuers recycling that demand into short-duration Treasuries. Their baseline is stablecoins going from roughly $295 billion to well over $500 billion in 2026. If that accelerates, they suggest it changes the shape of Treasury demand — in one scenario, stablecoin growth could shorten the average duration of US debt by around four months (because the backing skews short). That’s the kind of detail bond people obsess over. Crypto people probably should, too. Related Reading: Will The Crypto Market Benefit From The Trump Fed Takeover? Second: tokenization finally acting like a flywheel instead of a conference slide. Hashdex points to tokenized RWAs at roughly $36 billion as of late 2025 and says the market could grow 10x to about $400 billion by end-2026. They also flag that tokenized Treasury bills have already climbed to over $8 billion, from a little above $700 million two years earlier. They namecheck real-world rollout examples — BlackRock’s liquidity fund, Franklin Templeton’s on-chain government money fund, UBS’s tokenized VCC fund in Singapore, Siemens’ on-chain bond — as proof this isn’t just crypto teams talking to themselves anymore. “We’re not spending enough time talking about how quickly we’re going to tokenize every financial asset.” Third: AI, but not the “add AI to the pitch deck” version. Hashdex says decentralized AI networks pulled nearly $1 billion in venture funding in 2025, largely aimed at problems like verification, coordination, and compute cost. Their call is the “AI Crypto” segment growing from about $3 billion to $10 billion in 2026. The throughline is simple even if the plumbing isn’t: stablecoins deepen on-chain liquidity, tokenization pulls more assets onto rails, and AI pushes demand for crypto-native infrastructure that can verify and coordinate without a single gatekeeper. Hashdex’s punchline is that 2026 is when “exploratory” turns into “strategic.” Not a tidy ending, sure — but markets rarely give you one. At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $3.03 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Veteran market trader Peter Brandt has reignited debate around XRP after issuing sharp remarks about the token’s most loyal supporters. Drawing from a career that spans more than five decades, Brandt grouped XRP alongside silver when describing markets where bullish belief often holds firm despite repeated price swings and long periods of disappointment. Related Reading: Do Kwon Falls Hard — Terraform Labs Chief Gets 15 Years For Wire Fraud According to people familiar with his comments, Brandt grounded his criticism in personal trading history. He said he has handled thousands of contracts across commodities, equity benchmarks, and digital assets, and argued that the “perma bulls who I find most uneducated and biased are those who trumpet Silver and XRP,” pointing to what he sees as a pattern of investors staying bullish even when price action and broader conditions turn against them. Brandt Highlights Decades Of Experience Brandt’s tone was blunt and personal. He has a long record of public commentary, and his criticisms of XRP are part of a pattern that stretches back years. Earlier this month he called XRP supporters “obsessed” and compared their conviction to that of silver bulls. For 50 years I have traded many thousands of contracts of every commodity, stock indexes and as many cryptos as you can think of The perma bulls who I find most uneducated and biased are those who trumpet Silver and XRP — Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) December 12, 2025 At times he has made bearish forecasts — including predictions that XRP would slide toward zero against Bitcoin — while at other moments he identified bullish chart patterns and set higher targets that were later hit before the market reversed. Community Pushback And Surprises Responses came fast. Zach Rector, a known figure in the XRP space, pushed back on Brandt’s view. Reports disclosed that Bitcoin maximalist YoungHoon Kim said on December 12 that he would start buying XRP — a notable shift for someone who had favored Bitcoin exclusively. Kim has claimed an IQ of 276, a detail many readers flagged as unverifiable, but it was repeated in social posts and prompted discussion. X Finance Bull accepted Brandt’s trading record but suggested that charts alone may miss broader structural moves in crypto markets. Dr. Don Woods, a self-described silver bull, joked that triple-digit returns had left him unbothered by labels of bias or ignorance. XRP: Price Context And Market Moves According to market snapshots tied to the exchanges, XRP traded above $3 at one point before slipping toward the lower end of the $2 region. Volume and broader crypto swings played parts in that move. Brandt’s critics point to that resilience as proof his calls are sometimes off. His supporters say his track record over five decades still deserves weight. Both views are in circulation, and both are being used to argue different investment cases. 10,000 XRP And The Freedom Argument Meanwhile, Edoardo Farina, founder of Alpha Lions Academy, has kept a steady bullish stance. Based on his past posts, he argued that holding 10,000 XRP could put an investor in a special position if prices rise enough. Related Reading: American Bitcoin Makes Big Buy, Adds 416 BTC To Its Stack “It’s hard to understand how free you’ll be,” he wrote in one message that was later shared widely. That claim contains no timeline or clear price targets. It is a conviction play, not a forecast built from disclosed assumptions. The differing views is part of a wider debate about bias, data, and belief in crypto. Some traders treat Brandt’s words as a warning against unchecked optimism. Others treat community pushback as evidence that XRP’s story is not settled and that broader factors — legal, regulatory, and adoption-related — could change the math. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The protocol automates yield generation by rebalancing capital across DeFi protocols, factoring in risk, and offers access to various assets.
A new public company with a big Bitcoin stash is pitching a bold claim. Twenty One Capital, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange on December 9, arrived with close to $4 billion Bitcoin treasury and now holds the third-largest BTC reserve among public firms. According to the firm’s CEO, Jack Mallers, Bitcoin’s role could expand far beyond a speculative holding. Related Reading: Solana’s Long-Awaited Firedancer Launch Sparks 5% Rally CEO Sees Bitcoin As A Reserve Asset Mallers told viewers on theCUBE+NYSE Wired that Bitcoin has compounded holders’ portfolios at roughly 50% a year over the past five to 10 years. Based on reports, he expects that the current $2 trillion market for Bitcoin could grow to between $20 trillion and $200 trillion. He argued Bitcoin might become the next global reserve asset as finance “recollateralizes” itself away from traditional treasuries and government debt. If supply then stood at 20 million tokens when a 100x market rise happened, Bitcoin would trade near $10 million per coin. At a present price of $92,270, that outcome would equal an increase of about 10,730%. Market Signals Remain Mixed Short-term market signs are not all in favor of a big rally. According to market watchers, the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut barely moved Bitcoin, leaving price action largely flat and directionless. The MACD histogram, however, is showing hints of bullish momentum in some technical reads, which suggests buyers may be warming up. The dollar index is showing signs of weakness, which often helps assets like Bitcoin. ETF flows keep disappointing. Without steady inflows from funds, big narratives can struggle to turn into lasting price gains. Product Push Aimed At Liquidity Without Selling Twenty One Capital says it wants to offer services that let holders tap liquidity without selling their coins. The firm plans to start in credit and lending and has said it will roll out products in partnership with Tether. Related Reading: Do Kwon Falls Hard — Terraform Labs Chief Gets 15 Years For Wire Fraud Mallers described the company as more than a balance-sheet accumulator; he compared their ambitions to Coinbase while stressing a narrower focus on Bitcoin services. If executed, these offerings could change how holders manage risk and cash needs. Big Numbers And Big Questions The projection to $200 trillion is headline-grabbing. It is a vision, not a forecast, and it hinges on major shifts in global finance and adoption. Reports note that other industry figures have offered similar long-term targets, which means the idea is not unique but remains highly debated. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
XRP’s recent pullback to $2 has not changed the broader technical picture, according to a new analysis shared on X by crypto analyst Egrag Crypto. Despite the lack of bullish price action in recent weeks, the technical analysis proposes that the market structure continues to favor an upside continuation rather than the trend ending. This outlook places the next three to six months in a constructive zone for XRP’s price action, where the probability of further upside is higher than the risk of a downward move. Related Reading: Do Kwon Falls Hard — Terraform Labs Chief Gets 15 Years For Wire Fraud XRP Currently In Consolidation, Not Distribution The assessment of Egrag’s technical analysis is based on XRP’s price action currently ticking a list of boxes that points to the next move being up. The first of these boxes is what the analyst referred to as a regime shift, which occurred after the XRP price made a decisive breakout from a multi-year base around $0.5 last year. This decisive breakout shifted the market from accumulation to expansion. Pullbacks in this phase are usually corrective, not trend-ending. In that context, the current price action can be viewed as part of a natural pause rather than a signal that the larger bullish move has failed. Another central argument in the analysis is that the current price behavior represents consolidation rather than distribution. Egrag Crypto describes the market as being in a compression phase following an impulse, and this is a pause, not a top. Although XRP has spent about 13 months ranging within this structure, the analyst interpreted this as extended consolidation instead of a distribution process. Chart Image From X. Source: @egragcrypto On X EMA Structure Keeps Bullish Bias Intact Another reason as to why the trend is more likely bullish is because XRP is still trading in alignment with its long-term exponential moving average, which remains above the 21 EMA. That relationship preserves the bullish bias, even though price currently sits below the faster 9 EMA, but this only reflects short-term weakness rather than a structural breakdown. Beyond pure chart structure, fundamental developments have added weight to the case for longer-term appreciation. XRP is currently holding $2 as an important support zone, and recent developments have emerged that could increase bullish sentiment. An example is Ripple’s conditional approval alongside other crypto firms for a national trust bank charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Related Reading: Solana’s Long-Awaited Firedancer Launch Sparks 5% Rally Although the outlook is much more bullish, there is always the possibility of turning bearish within the next six months. According to Egrag, this outlook can only turn bearish if XRP records a sustained monthly close below the $1.80 to $1.60 region. Taken together, the analysis concludes that XRP is more likely to resolve higher than lower over the next three to six months, even if there is price volatility along the way. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
According to Markus Thielen, head of research at 10x Research, Bitcoin’s familiar four-year cycle still exists, but what drives that rhythm has changed. He told listeners on The Wolf Of All Streets Podcast that the calendar timing of halvings is no longer the main force. Instead, election timing, central bank moves and where money flows now matter more. Related Reading: Bitcoin Headed For $200 Trillion? CEO Makes Bold Prediction Shift From Halving To Politics And Liquidity Thielen highlighted that Bitcoin’s major peaks in 2013, 2017, and 2021 all happened in the fourth quarter, and he believes these highs match up more closely with election cycles and political uncertainty than with the timing of the halvings. According to him, there is added market worry about whether the sitting president’s party will keep control of Congress. He said that could shape policy and investor choices, and he mentioned US President Donald Trump when discussing current political odds. The message was clear: politics changes expectations, and expectations move prices. The four-year cycle is still intact, but it’s driven by midterm elections, not the halving.@markus10x pic.twitter.com/5td8bLgb20 — The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) December 13, 2025 Liquidity And Institutional Caution The recent Fed rate cut did not spark the usual broad rally in risk assets. Institutional investors, who now have a larger role in crypto markets, are acting more guardedly as policy signals remain mixed and liquidity looks tighter. Capital inflows into Bitcoin have slowed compared with last year, Thielen said, removing some of the buying pressure that helped push prices higher before. Arthur Hayes, the BitMEX co-founder, made a similar point in October, saying that global liquidity, not an automatic four-year clock, has always driven the main moves in cryptocurrency. According to Hayes, halvings may line up with rallies sometimes, but they are often coincidental. Bitcoin slipped below $90,000 in thin Sunday trading, a sign of fragile demand when volumes are low. Ether showed relative strength while major altcoins lagged. Traders are positioning ahead of a busy week of US data and central bank events, putting premium on signals that affect liquidity and risk appetite. With institutional desks watching macro reads closely, momentum is likely to depend on flows rather than calendar dates. Related Reading: Solana’s Long-Awaited Firedancer Launch Sparks 5% Rally What This Means For Investors The clearest takeaway is simple. The four-year pattern can still help frame expectations, but it should not be treated as a rule. Halvings affect supply and miner economics, and they matter to some market actors, but in a market shaped by large funds and ETFs the real fuel is cash and credit conditions. When liquidity loosens, prices can run. When it tightens, rallies can end. That lesson sits at the center of both Thielen’s and Hayes’s views. Policy and liquidity are now central to Bitcoin’s cycles. Reports indicate that the pattern has shifted from a purely mechanical schedule to one influenced by broader money conditions and political timelines. Market participants appear to be responding to economic news and central bank signals alongside the block reward schedule. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
XRP has struggled to create any upside traction over the past few days, with the price rejecting above $2.15 in the middle of the week and now back to lingering just above the $2 level. A new long-term technical comparison shared by crypto analyst ChartNerd places XRP’s price behavior since its July all-time high of $3.65 into an interesting context, implying that what XRP is doing now resembles a phase from its 2016 market cycle that points to an incoming huge rally. Related Reading: American Bitcoin Makes Big Buy, Adds 416 BTC To Its Stack Repeating 2016 Rejection And ABC Crash Structure According to crypto analyst ChartNerd, XRP’s current structure matches a similar price action that unfolded in late 2016. when price rejected an accumulation supply block and rolled into an ABC corrective move. That correction ultimately produced a 69% flash-wick decline that extended into the first quarter of 2017. The drop was severe and unfolded over several months, eventually pushing XRP to as low as $0.00240, but it eventually represented the end of the correction rather than the end of the bullish cycle. The chart accompanying the analysis, which is shown below, highlights a similar rejection pattern forming now. This pattern is based on how the XRP price rejected at its most recent all-time high in July. Since then, the monthly price chart has been printing consecutive red candles, with monthly closes consistently below opens. At the time of writing, XRP is about a 44% correction from this all-time high. This means a 69% correction is yet to play out in its entirety. Therefore, if history repeats, a full 69% ABC-style move from the all-time high would drag XRP back below $1 and as low as $0.8. This move is expected to play out into the first quarter of 2026. XRP Price Chart. Source: @ChartNerdTA Potential Drop Could Be A Set-Up For A Much Larger Rally XRP is currently trading at $2.04. Therefore, a deeper pullback below $1 will translate to a 51% decrease from the current price action. The idea of a deeper pullback from $2 is tough to imagine, especially given the inflows into Spot XRP ETFs. In fact, a pullback of that magnitude could test conviction across the market and cause many bullish traders to step aside. However, the technical analysis frames it as a structural reset rather than anything else. In 2017, the post-crash consolidation laid the groundwork for one of XRP’s most explosive rallies on record, ultimately delivering gains in excess of 110,000%. Related Reading: Is Dogecoin Waking Up? Critical On-Chain Metric Explodes Higher If this sequence plays out as expected, then the real bullish opportunity would develop later in 2026. From that reset zone, the chart projects a long-term advance to the 1.618 Fibonacci extension, placing a potential upside target around $27. The visual projection in the chart above shows a clean multi-month expansion zone that delivers a 2,300% gain after the corrective phase. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Dogecoin (DOGE) is testing the lower boundary of a long-term triangle pattern, a move that could determine its next major price direction. A new technical analysis highlights a roadmap with key recovery levels and outlines a potential timeframe when selling and profit-taking may become favorable. Dogecoin Triangle Pattern Signals Recovery Path In a recent X post, crypto analyst Jonathan Carter presented a new analysis of Dogecoin’s price action, predicting that a potential recovery may be imminent. Carter explained that Dogecoin is currently testing a critical support area around $0.135 within a long-standing descending triangle chart structure. The setup is unfolding over the 3-day timeframe, with price action remaining above the pattern’s lower boundary. This zone has become a key battlefield between buyers and sellers. Related Reading: Is Dogecoin Waking Up? Critical On-Chain Metric Explodes Higher Carter highlights that the ongoing support area offers a favorable risk-reward profile for market participants. Buyers stepping in at this level are attempting to prevent a breakdown that could invalidate the broader recovery outlook. This means holding above this support zone could keep Dogecoin’s bullish scenario intact. The descending triangle visible on the analyst’s shared chart shows a series of lower highs pressing against the stable support zone at $0.135. This compression often precedes a decisive move once the price reacts strongly at the base. Dogecoin’s current structure also suggests the market is steadily approaching that inflection point. The volume data at the bottom of the chart has yet to show strong expansion near the support area. This indicates that Dogecoin’s trading activity has been relatively muted, suggesting that the market may be waiting for confirmation before committing to a significant upward move. If Dogecoin successfully rebounds from the $0.135 support zone, Carter’s chart maps out several upside levels to watch. Initial recovery targets are seen around $0.155 and $0.190, where previous price reactions occurred. Clearing these levels would signal growing momentum and a possible end to DOGE’s downtrend. Further upside extensions projected on the chart include $0.250 and $0.310, which align with previous consolidation areas. A stronger continuation could open the path toward $0.370 and ultimately the resistance zone near $0.470. Resistance Zone Reveals When To Sell DOGE Carter’s Dogecoin chart clearly shows the $0.47 resistance zone, where sellers are expected to become active again. A rally into the zone would likely face increased selling pressure based on historical price behaviour. As a result, the resistance area serves as a strategic level for profit-taking rather than for new entries in Dogecoin. Related Reading: Binance’s USD1 Stablecoin Push Deepens Relationship With Trump’s Crypto Platform Overall, Carter’s analysis suggests that Dogecoin’s price is sitting at a pivotal technical level that could shape its next major move. The meme coin’s price is currently down, having crashed by over 22% year-to-date, according to CoinMarketCap. Despite this slip, Carter remains optimistic about DOGE’s recovery path. The recovery timeline highlighted in the analysis suggests that by 2026, the meme coin may have emerged from its downturn. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
On Dec. 9, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency put out a press release with a very direct message for US banks: you are allowed to sit in the middle of crypto trades. In the memorably titled News Release 2025-121, the OCC published the somehow even worse-titled Interpretive Letter 1188 and confirmed that […]
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The XRP price has been on a steep downward spiral throughout the second half of 2025, falling from its all-time high of around $3.65. However, finding support at the $2 mark has been a consistent theme during the altcoin’s period of decline. Most recently, the XRP price fell this week from its local high close to $2.20 before bouncing back from the $2 mark. While the coin’s value continues to hover around this psychological price point, below is a look at other relevant levels that could determine its future trajectory. Key On-Chain Levels For XRP In a December 12 post on social media platform X, crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared on-chain insights into the current market outlook for the XRP token. Using Glassnode’s Cost Basis Distribution Heatmap, the market pundit identified three key levels for the XRP price. Related Reading: Crypto Exchange Binance To Assist Pakistan In Tokenizing $2 Billion In Government Bonds The Cost Basis Distribution Heatmap tracks the average cost basis of the total XRP token supply. With the help of a heatmap, this metric highlights different price levels and the density of investors who purchased their tokens within and around these price levels. The deep red shade on the heatmap indicates an investor cluster with their cost basis around the highlighted price regions. These zones often act as dynamic support and resistance, depending on whether the current XRP price is below or above them. Martinez highlighted that the $1.96 and 1.78 zones are the next support cushions for the price of XRP. As seen with recent rebounds around the $1.96 level, the altcoin will likely also bounce back (if it loses the current immediate support) at $1.78, as investors tend to double down and defend their positions by buying more when the price returns to their cost basis, thereby keeping the token’s price afloat. Meanwhile, Martinez noted that the $2.17 level is a resistance zone for the XRP price, as several investors with their cost basis around it are likely to sell when the price returns to this zone. This selling activity, in turn, puts downward pressure on the altcoin and prevents its price from breaking out. Ultimately, this on-chain observation reveals that the XRP price needs to at least break the resistance at $2.17 to kickstart any fresh upward trajectory. On the flip side, a loss of the $1.96 support could see the fourth-largest cryptocurrency fall to as low as $1.78. XRP Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of XRP stands at around $2.01, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the altcoin is down by nearly 2% on the weekly timeframe, according to CoinGecko’s data. Related Reading: Here’s Why Bitcoin’s Reaction To Fed Policy Turns Bearish After Each FOMC Update Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView