A circulating report attributed to Fundstrat warns of a potential crypto drawdown in early 2026, setting downside targets for Bitcoin, Ether and Solana.
Eight CryptoPunks NFTs have been added to the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), marking a major milestone for NFTs in traditional art. The works were donated through an initiative led by Art on Blockchain, with support from several crypto art collectors. Larva Labs, the original creators of CryptoPunks, also contributed …
The final quarter has historically been a constructive phase for crypto markets, with December often marking the start of renewed upside momentum. In past cycles, the Bitcoin price has used this period to break prolonged consolidations and reverse bearish trends, while the Ethereum price follows. This year, however, that seasonal playbook is failing. Despite multiple …
A crypto user has lost nearly $50 million in USDT after falling victim to an address poisoning scam, according to on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain. The incident happened due to a simple copy-paste mistake during a large transfer and is now being described as one of the costliest errors in crypto history. How the $50 Million …
The Solana price has shown encouraging signs of recovery, climbing 6% on Friday to approach the $126 mark. This uptick follows a concerning dip below the crucial $120 level, which had sparked fears of a potential downtrend that could drag the cryptocurrency down toward the $100 threshold. Solana Price Gains Ground Chris MacDonald, an analyst at The Motley Fool, recently highlighted two key factors contributing to Solana’s resurgence. One significant catalyst is a proactive initiative by the Solana Foundation. Bitcoinist reported earlier this week that the organization is currently assessing whether its network can withstand potential threats from quantum computing technologies. Related Reading: Bitwise’s 2026 Crypto Forecast: Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Solana Poised For New Record Highs In collaboration with Project Eleven, a security firm specializing in post-quantum cryptography, the Solana team has launched a quantum-resistant testnet following a comprehensive threat assessment. The second notable factor driving the Solana price uptick is the announcement from health and wellness company Mangoceuticals, which revealed plans to allocate $100 million toward acquiring and holding SOL. Despite the positive momentum, experts caution that Solana’s price is currently following a “clean corrective structure.” Moving Averages Signal Downtrend From a technical analysis perspective, the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) is situated around $143, significantly higher than the current trading range, while the 200-day SMA looms even further at approximately $170, suggesting a prevailing downtrend rather than a healthy consolidation phase. In the short term, the 20-day exponential moving average has also rolled over near $133 and has consistently rejected previous attempts at a bounce. Analysts note that until the Solana price can close above the low-$130s for an extended period, any rebounds will likely be seen merely as counter-trend movements. Immediate support lies just below current trading levels at the $125 mark, followed by critical levels in the $121–$120 range, and another demand zone around $110. A more significant downturn could push the price into the high $90s, with projections indicating a potential dip to around $80 if liquidations accelerate further, as NewsBTC reported on Thursday. Related Reading: Crypto Payments Firm MoonPay Set For $5 Billion Valuation With NYSE Owner’s Backing The market has already registered an eight-month low near $116.9. A decisive close beneath that level could likely drag the Solana price toward the psychologically significant $100 mark. On the upside, the Solana price could encounter initial resistance clustered in the $133–$138 range, with stronger resistance observed in higher levels between $144 and $147 that could prevent any new recoveries in the short-term. To facilitate further price recovery, the Solana price will need to clear that second group of resistance levels on a daily close, ideally supported by increased trading volume, to pave the way toward prices between $160 and $165. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Chiliz, the Layer-1 blockchain for Sports and Entertainment and the native token of Chiliz Chain, has seen a sharp rise today,up nearly 24% to trade around $0.0376. The sudden move has raised one key question across the market: what is driving CHZ higher today? DeFi Innovation Boosts Confidence One of the main reasons CHZ is …
Blockstream CEO Adam Back said that Castle Island Ventures founding partner Nic Carter is “not helping” the ongoing quantum-Bitcoin narrative for Bitcoiners.
After reaching a new multi-month low, Solana (SOL) is attempting to hold a key high-timeframe level as support ahead of week’s end. Some analysts have suggested that the altcoin is poised to bounce, but others warned that a potential rally could be short-lived. Related Reading: Bitcoin Mirrors Q1 2025 Playbook, Is It Headed To $70,000 Before Year’s End? Solana To Tag Higher Levels Soon On Friday, Solana recovered from the latest drop and surged 7.7% toward the $125 area. The cryptocurrency fell nearly 9% on Thursday afternoon amid a broader market correction, sending its price to an eight-month low of $116. Amid the pullback, SOL’s price breached below a crucial high timeframe level, the around $120 mark, for the first time since April before recovering. Analyst Crypto Batman noted the altcoin “is not only at its major support level, the same one that has held price for the past 2 years.” In addition, the cryptocurrency is also forming a bullish divergence on the 3-day timeframe, “exactly like what we saw before the major bottom” at the start of Q2, the market observer added. To him, this suggests that Solana could bottom soon and see the start of a recovery rally to the macro range highs. However, another market observer affirmed that even if a retest of the higher levels is likely, “context matters here.” Analyst Crypto Scient highlighted that SOL’s price is currently at the range lows of its multi-year range, recording the first retest of this area after being rejected from the range highs. “One could argue SOL has been distributive for nearly two years now. That’s fair,” he explained, “[but] range lows rarely break on the first attempt.” Moreover, Scient pointed out that there’s significant liquidity left between the $175–$190 levels that “should get tagged at some point, even within a broader bearish environment.” As a result, the analyst considers that a “move higher to clean liquidity before any deeper downside would make far more sense.” December Close To Define SOL’s Fate? Analyst Rekt Capital affirmed that the $123 horizontal support remains the “defining level” that Solana must hold to prevent a major breakdown to multi-year lows. He detailed rebounds from this support have historically produced “outsized upside expansions,” with 140% and 100% moves. However, each rebound from this level has been progressively weaker over time, with the most recent bounce only managing to rally 15%. This signals a “sharp deceleration in upside responsiveness at this level,” which is important to consider as the compression in rebound magnitude could affect SOL’s monthly close. According to the analysis, a monthly close above the macro support would keep Solana positioned for a weaker rally, but a close below $123 would substantially change the structure. The second case would suggest that distribution has already started and confirm “how much this support has weakened since the last meaningful rebound that produced a near 2x move earlier this year.” Related Reading: Did Crypto Investors Stop Believing In The Four-Year Cycle? Analyst Weighs In Moreover, it would begin to mirror SOL’s performance in early 2022, when a similar price action preceded “macro relief moves during the opening phase of the Bear Market, including the decisive breakdown that occurred at the turn of that year.” Ultimately, the analyst warned that it remains to be seen whether the altcoin can close December above this crucial level and rebound, or if a breakdown “accelerates distribution sooner rather than later.” As of this writing, Solana is trading at $126, a 3.4% decline in the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin's projected bear market in 2026 suggests maturing adoption, potentially stabilizing its long-term growth and investment appeal.
The post Fidelity’s director predicts Bitcoin will enter bear market in 2026, bottoming near $65K appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Over the past few months, Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy), the largest publicly traded Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company, has found itself at the center of a pressing issue that could lead to its exclusion from the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) index. This potential move not only poses significant financial risks for the firm but could also have broader implications for the cryptocurrency sector, with analysts estimating that it could result in losses up to $9 billion in demand for its shares. Industry-Wide Consequences The MSCI proposed in October that companies holding digital assets comprising 50% or more of their total assets should be removed from its global benchmarks, arguing that such companies resemble investment funds, which are excluded from its indexes. However, many firms, including Strategy, assert that they are operational companies creating innovative products and argue that MSCI’s proposal is biased against the cryptocurrency industry. Related Reading: Solana (SOL) Support Shattered, Potential $100 Test Looms, Says Analyst MSCI is currently conducting a public consultation, and analysts warn that if it decides to exclude Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) companies, it could prompt other index providers to follow suit. “The conversation already extends beyond just MSCI… to the eligibility of DATs in equity indexes in general,” said Kaasha Saini, head of index strategy at Jefferies, who anticipates that most equity indexes will align with MSCI’s decisions. Asset managers are believed to hold as much as 30% of a large-cap company’s free float, leading to potentially significant outflows if these companies are dropped from major indexes. This situation is particularly precarious for the DAT sector, which often finances its token purchases by selling stock. The company’s CEO, Phong Le, and co-founder Michael Saylor addressed the potential MSCI exclusion in a public letter. They estimated that such a move could lead to $2.8 billion worth of the company’s stock being liquidated and may “chill” the entire industry. In their letter, they explained that excluding DATs could shut them out from the roughly $15 trillion passive investment market, drastically undermining their competitive standing. Major Outflows Predicted For Strategy Analysts at TD Cowen estimated in November that around $2.5 billion of Strategy’s market value is linked to MSCI, with an additional $5.5 billion reliant on other indexes. JPMorgan’s analysis suggested that if MSCI were to exclude Strategy, the company could see $2.8 billion in outflows, a figure that could rise to $8.8 billion if it faced exclusion from other indexes, such as the Nasdaq 100, the CRSP US Total Market Index, and various Russell indexes owned by LSEG. In addition to Strategy, MSCI’s preliminary list identifies 38 companies at risk of exclusion, with a combined issuer market cap of $46.7 billion as of September 30, including French firm Capital B, which is also investing in Bitcoin. Related Reading: Crypto Payments Firm MoonPay Set For $5 Billion Valuation With NYSE Owner’s Backing Alexandre Laizet, Capital B’s director of Bitcoin strategy, remarked that while the current holdings of passive funds in their shares are limited, having access to passive flows is crucial for future adoption. Matt Cole, CEO of US-based Bitcoin buyer Strive—which is not at risk of exclusion—notes that the proposals have largely been factored into market valuations. He added, “On a longer-term basis, I think it raises the cost of capital for all Bitcoin treasury companies.” At the time of writing, the firm’s stock, which trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol MSTR, was trading at $165, marking gains of almost 4% ahead of the close of trading this week. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin continued to sell near $90,000 as investors reacted to weak US jobs data and slowing economic growth by shifting into safer assets.
As market participants continue to speculate on when altcoin season will arrive, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes argued there is “always an altcoin season happening.”
On-chain data shows the Ethereum exchange netflow has witnessed a negative spike during the past week, a potential sign that investors have been accumulating. Ethereum Exchange Netflow Has Been Red For The Past Week As pointed out by institutional DeFi solutions provider Sentora in a new post on X, Ethereum has seen net outflows from exchanges in the past week. The indicator of relevance here is the “Exchange Netflow,” which measures the net amount of ETH that’s moving into or out of wallets connected with centralized exchanges. When the value of this metric is positive, it means the investors are depositing a net number of tokens to these platforms. As one of the main reasons why holders deposit their coins to exchanges is for selling-related purposes, this kind of trend can be bearish for the asset’s price. Related Reading: Bitcoin & Ethereum Diverge: Longs Dominate BTC, While ETH Shorts Rise On the other hand, the indicator being below zero suggests outflows are dominating the inflows on exchanges. Such a trend can be a sign that investors are in a phase of accumulation, which can naturally be bullish for the cryptocurrency. As the data shared by Sentora shows, Ethereum has seen a weekly Exchange Netflow value of -$978.45 million, indicating that traders have made a massive amount of net withdrawals. The significant outflows have come as Ethereum has witnessed a decline during the past week. As Sentora explains: This signals aggressive accumulation where investors are likely “buying the dip” and withdrawing assets to cold storage or on-chain environments, tightening the liquid supply despite the negative price momentum. Related Reading: Ethereum Risks Slide To $2,000 If December Closes Below This Level: Analyst The price drawdown in the past week has also accompanied a drop in the total transaction fees on the network, meaning that transfer activity has gone down. The blockchain saw about $2.64 million in fees over the last week, which is more than 15% down week-over-week. ETH Saw A Brief Visit Under $2,800 Before Rebounding Ethereum observed a decline to $2,780 on Thursday, but the asset was able to bounce back as it’s now floating just under $3,000. Interestingly, ETH’s bottom was around the same level as a major on-chain supply cluster, as a chart shared by analyst Ali Martinez in an X post shows. In the graph, Martinez has attached the data of the Ethereum UTXO Realized Price Distribution (URPD) from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode. This metric basically tells us how much ETH supply was last transacted at the various price levels that the coin has visited in its history. There is a huge supply zone located at $2,772 on the URPD, suggesting a large amount of investors have their cost basis at it. Generally, such levels act as a support boundary during downtrends, as traders who purchased there buy the dip to defend it. Featured image from Dall-E, Sentora.com, chart from TradingView.com
Lummis' retirement could shift the focus and momentum of crypto legislation, impacting the U.S.'s role in global digital asset innovation.
The post Senator Lummis to retire from Senate in 2027, focuses on crypto legislation as final legacy appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Veteran chartist Peter Brandt has once again turned his focus to the XRP community after sharing a technical breakdown that points to a bearish market structure on the weekly timeframe for the cryptocurrency. Brandt’s technical analysis focused squarely on chart behavior rather than sentiment, warning that the current setup carries downside implications that traders cannot ignore and must deal with. Peter Brandt Calls Out A Potential Double Top Taking to the social media platform X, Brandt highlighted what he described as a potential double top forming on XRP’s weekly chart. He acknowledged upfront that the pattern could still fail but stressed that, as things stand, the structure leans bearish. Related Reading: Analyst Says This XRP Level Is Keeping Downside Pressure In Check The analysis is based on XRP’s recent price action, which has lost the $2 price level after days of consistent bearish price action in December. Brandt framed the setup as a matter of accepting what the chart is showing rather than arguing against it, bluntly stating that market participants need to deal with the implications instead of dismissing them. His remarks were also directed at persistent XRP optimists, making it clear that his stance is not driven by bias against the asset but by adherence to classical chart principles. Until price action invalidates the pattern, the risk profile is tilted to the downside, and XRP might continue pushing downwards in the near term. “Love it or not — you need to deal with it,” Brandt said. The chart accompanying Brandt’s post shows XRP falling below the support of a flag pattern a few months ago. This breakdown has continued to the lower boundary around $1.80 to $2.00, which has acted as an important support pair against a resistance around $3.5. This support level has acted as a critical support region two times already this year. However, XRP looks like it might be losing this level now at the third time of asking. The weekly moving averages on the chart also appear to be flattening, a sign that upside strength has weakened compared to earlier phases of the cycle. What Would Change The Bearish Outlook A double top pattern is a bearish reversal signal, meaning an uptrend is likely ending and a downtrend is beginning. However, despite his firm tone, Brandt was careful to note that the pattern is conditional, not absolute. “This is a potential double top. Sure, it may fail, and I will deal with this if it does,” he said. Related Reading: XRP Price Falls To Critical Support Level, Is It Time To Panic? A sustained move back above the support at $2 would delay any breakdown into the $1 range. A further sustained reclaim of highs around $2.2, $2.5, $2.7, and $3 would invalidate the double top and force a reassessment of the broader trend. However, until such happens, Brandt’s technical structure continues to favor caution that many XRP proponents might not agree with. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
The Bitcoin price has experienced a significant correction after reaching all-time highs above $126,000 in October, currently trading just above $87,900. This marks a notable 30% decline over the past few months. Despite this setback, analysts at Citi express optimism for the cryptocurrency’s future, forecasting that its value will continue to rise through 2026. Optimistic Bitcoin Price Predictions According to Citi’s analysts, the base case for the Bitcoin price is set at $143,000, reflecting a potential 62% increase from current levels. In a more bullish scenario, the cryptocurrency could surge to over $189,000, indicating a substantial 114% increase. Conversely, the analysts also present a bear case for the leading crypto, with an estimated price around $78,500, which would represent an additional 10.6% decline from current trading levels. Related Reading: Solana (SOL) Support Shattered, Potential $100 Test Looms, Says Analyst The forecast from Citi relies on the assumption that investor adoption will persist, particularly with an influx of funds into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) projected to reach $15 billion. This influx is seen as a catalyst that could significantly boost the Bitcoin price. Furthermore, ongoing negotiations in the US Senate regarding their version of the crypto market structure bill, namely the CLARITY Act, which aims to regulate Bitcoin under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is anticipated to enhance market adoption. In contrast to Bitcoin, analysts express concerns regarding Ethereum’s (ETH) potential for growth. They argue that Ethereum, being viewed more as “programmable money,” has seen decreased activity, which has resulted in its current trading price of just below $3,000—40% below its all-time high of $4,964. Additional Catalyst For Price Growth Chris Neiger, an analyst at The Motley Fool, also attaches bullish predictions to the Bitcoin price future, highlighting that recent US job data reflects an unemployment rate increase to 4.6%, the highest since 2021. He asserted that if the Federal Reserve (Fed) chose to lower interest rates by 2026, the Bitcoin price could benefit since lower rates typically enhance the cryptocurrency’s value by making borrowing more affordable. In November, JPMorgan provided a more conservative estimate, suggesting that Bitcoin could reach $170,000 by 2026, with potential upside expected over the next six to twelve months. Related Reading: Crypto Payments Firm MoonPay Set For $5 Billion Valuation With NYSE Owner’s Backing Meanwhile, even more aggressive predictions from market researcher Fundstrat forecast the Bitcoin price could soar between $200,000 and $250,000 by the end of 2026, largely driven by the mainstream adoption of ETFs. Additionally, the establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve by the federal government has encouraged states to consider similar initiatives. Neiger concludes that just as ETFs have contributed to the credibility of cryptocurrencies and facilitated price increases, the formation of state-level Bitcoin reserves could serve as another critical driver propelling Bitcoin’s value higher in 2026. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
The Recent volatility in the Bitcoin market pullbacks is being widely interpreted as a wave of selling pressure, but the underlying data tells a different story. On-chain metrics show little evidence of broad holder distribution, suggesting that these dips are not being driven by investors exiting their positions. Instead, the weakness in price appears to stem from the market structure issues. Why Structural Weakness Is Often Temporary These Bitcoin dips aren’t coming from selling pressure; they’re coming from stablecoin-denominated shorts. The co-founder of GlydeGG, Sweep, revealed on X that when large amounts of leverage enter the system through dollar or stablecoin, market makers don’t just let the price move. Related Reading: The Bearish Structure That Puts Bitcoin Price At $92,550, And Then $82,000 Their mandate is to remain neutral because neutrality demands balance. They achieve this by selling spot BTC, not because they’re bearish, but because neutrality requires it. As a result of that, the price drops without fear, panic, and without real spot. The United States doesn’t need to dump assets to influence global markets; it exports dollars. Those dollars become leverage, while leverage creates synthetic pressure, which in turn forces hedging, and hedging hits the spot markets; that’s the cycle. This is why recent sell-offs feel empty, because retail has already left. Currently, the market is rebalancing within a system price against a weakening currency, and all markets are now denominated in a currency that’s losing purchasing power. That’s why volatility rises even when conviction doesn’t change. This isn’t a bear market; it’s clearing the Liquidity Providers (LPs), which is how big players buy BTC cheaply without ever owning it. How Bitcoin Supply Dynamics Are Entering A New Phase An ambassador and partner of Wolfswapdotapp, Crypto Miners, has pointed out that the Bitcoin supply dynamics are shifting fast. According to K33Research, nearly $300 billion worth of previously dormant BTC re-entered circulation in 2025. This supply release has been driven by long-term holder sales, large OTC transactions, and ETF-related absorption, which represents one of the largest supply unlocks in BTC history. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Make-or-Break Phase Begins: Weekly Support Holds, Momentum Fades On-chain data from CryptoQuant has shown that the long-term holder distribution over the last 30 days has reached its highest level in more than five years. At the same time, the selling pressure currently is outweighing demand, as ETF flows turn negative, and retail participation has weakened. Despite near-term fragility, K33 noted that this distribution phase may be approaching exhaustion. The early holder selling is expected to fade into early 2026, potentially setting the stage for renewed accumulation as institutional rebalancing stabilizes supply. For now, the markets remain sensitive, but structurally, this looks like a late-cycle supply redistribution rather than panic selling. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Veteran trader Peter Brandt said that the US Clarity Act will be a positive for the industry, but probably won’t “redefine” Bitcoin’s price.
CryptoQuant sees bitcoin downside risk toward around $70,000, and said it could fall as low as $56,000 if the downtrend continues.
CryptoQuant has released a new report, highlighting a significant shift in Ethereum’s exchange supply dynamics and institutional behavior. According to the data, the amount of ETH held on crypto exchanges has crashed to unexpected lows. The decline coincides with growing institutional accumulation, a trend often viewed as an early signal of a bullish price outlook. Ethereum Exchange Balances Fall To 2016 Lows Arab Chain, a crypto analyst on CryptoQuant, revealed that Ethereum’s exchange supply ratio across all tracked platforms has declined to approximately 0.137. According to the data referenced in the report, this represents one of the lowest readings observed since 2016. Related Reading: Ethereum 2-Year Trend Maps Out This Unique Crash Path To Bottom At $2,187 The analyst emphasized that this metric reflects the proportion of total ETH supply currently held on exchanges relative to the overall circulating supply. Lower levels of this metric reflect a smaller fraction of ETH ready for liquidation on exchanges, which the analyst identifies as an important factor in understanding market liquidity conditions. Arab Chain also noted that the sustained decline in this ratio indicates a continued outflow of ETH from centralized exchanges to external wallets. This movement suggests that a smaller portion of Ethereum’s supply is readily available for trading. It also signals growing confidence among holders who prefer long-term positioning over short-term speculation. From a broader market perspective, a shrinking exchange supply is often seen as bullish for prices due to basic supply-and-demand dynamics. When fewer coins are available to sell, even a slight increase in demand can push prices up, as buyers compete for a smaller pool of liquid ETH. Reduced liquidity can also limit the intensity of declines, as large sell orders become harder to execute without moving the market. In his report, Arab Chain references historical behaviour, illustrated by a chart showing the Ethereum supply ratio for all exchanges. The analyst noted that similar declines in exchange supply have occurred during periods of reaccumulation or in the lead-up to stable price movements following significant market volatility. Ethereum Supply On Binance Crashes Arab Chain has also shared insights on Ethereum’s supply on Binance. The analyst disclosed that ETH balances on the exchange have been steadily declining over the past few months. As one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, Binance’s reserve changes often reflect broader market sentiment. Related Reading: Why Did The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And XRP Prices Crash, And Will It Continue? The CryptoQuant report highlights that the Exchange Supply Ratio on Binance has crashed to 0.0325, a relatively low level compared to previous months. This indicates a steady withdrawal of ETH from the crypto exchange, reducing the amount of tokens available for immediate spot market selling. Arab Chain suggested that the drop in Ethereum supply on Binance shows that traders are becoming more cautious. Rather than engaging in short-term trades, many appear to be holding ETH off exchanges due to ongoing market volatility and uncertainty. The analyst added that the falling supply, combined with ETH’s price stability, indicates lower selling pressure. It also signals that the market may be entering a new phase of liquidity absorption and repositioning. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
The SEC proposed settlement agreements for key members of FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle.
In the latest update on the FTX saga, the SEC confirmed Caroline Ellison had consented to a officer-and-director bar, preventing her from leading any companies for 10 years.
The most tireless advocate of digital assets issues in the U.S. Senate said she's grown too tired to keep at it, leaving her Republican seat in play next year.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis — a leading force behind efforts to pass sweeping crypto legislation — said she will not seek reelection.
Cynthia Lummis is one of the key Republicans responsible for pushing members of Congress to pass a crypto market structure bill under consideration in the Senate.
The Bank of Japan tightened policy on Dec. 18, lifting its benchmark rate to 0.75%, the highest since 1995. Governor Kazuo Ueda framed the move as a formal break with the “ultra-accommodative” regime that has helped fuel global risk-taking for decades. Following the news, Bitcoin was little changed near $87,800, but the calm surface belies […]
The post Japan’s rate hike ends the ‘free money’ era and puts Bitcoin on notice appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Expanding the stablecoin yield prohibition to include the application layer is an anti-competitive practice, industry advocacy groups say.
XRP-linked exchange-traded funds reached about $60 million in assets under management on December 17, according to market reports, even as XRP’s spot price slid. Related Reading: 5,606 Bitcoin: Lightning Network Sets Fresh Capacity Record At the time of reporting, XRP was trading around $1.86, down more than 8% in the last week. That gap between ETF growth and a falling spot price has left some investors puzzled. ETF Flows And How They Work According to Chad Steingraber, the way ETFs operate helps explain the disconnect. ETF shares trade on exchanges like regular stocks during market hours. Fund managers then tally net flows at the end of the trading day and arrange purchases of the underlying XRP after the market closes. Because of that timing, ETF inflows do not always translate into instant buying pressure on the spot market. Officially crossed $60Million! Record day! https://t.co/Nub2m5MK0Y pic.twitter.com/xg2zgecq24 — Chad Steingraber (@ChadSteingraber) December 18, 2025 Institutional Processes Take Time Based on reports, part of the picture is the nature of institutional decision-making. Large funds tend to move slowly. They run checks, review risk, and take time to approve new positions. That process can take months or longer. So an increase in ETF AUM can reflect careful planning and staged capital allocations rather than a rush of short-term bets. Price Action Shows Technical Weakness On charts, XRP has been under pressure for months. Traders watching longer time frames point to a steady downtrend and multiple warnings of a broader pullback since mid-year. The token has slid about 12% over the past month. Support between $1.80 and $1.90 is now being tested. A sustained break below $1.80 would likely shift focus to $1.60, and then to a wider support band near $1.30 to $1.40 if selling continues. ETF Growth Still Small In Context While $60 million sounds meaningful, that sum is small compared with AUM levels seen in larger crypto ETFs, and it may not be enough on its own to move markets. ETF structures differ, too. Some managers may hedge, use staged buys, or employ other tactics that change how and when they add XRP to reserves. These operational choices can mute any immediate impact on price. ???? Among top cap assets, here are the amount of non-empty wallets on each network currently: ???? Ethereum $ETH: 167.96M ???? Bitcoin $BTC: 57.62M ???? Tether $USDT: 9.63M ???? Dogecoin $DOGE: 8.13M ???? XRP Ledger $XRP: 7.41M ???? Cardano $ADA: 4.54M ???? USD Coin $USDC: 4.39M ???? ChainLink… pic.twitter.com/ciRBUp4GxE — Santiment (@santimentfeed) December 18, 2025 Non-Empty XRP Wallets Steadily Climbing Meanwhile, reports show that the number of non-empty wallets on the XRP Ledger has been climbing. Santiment has highlighted rising counts of addresses holding some XRP. Over the past month, while the token fell in price, on-chain wallet activity suggested accumulation by some holders. That pattern raises questions about whether larger buyers are quietly adding to positions. Related Reading: UK Crypto Ownership Takes Biggest Hit Since 2021, Regulator Says What This Means For Traders For now, markets show mixed signals. ETF AUM growth points to rising institutional involvement over time. Price action, however, signals caution. Traders and investors will be watching whether end-of-day ETF purchases increase demand on the spot market, and whether the $1.80 level holds. The coming days and weeks may help reveal whether AUM gains translate into broader buying or if technical pressure continues to dominate. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
FDIC reveals a path for bank-issued stablecoins under the GENIUS Act as corporate BTC treasuries expand, Anchorage buys Securitize’s RIA arm and Bhutan taps reserves.
In its annual predictions report, Galaxy’s analysts said onchain dollar transfers could process more volume next year than the US bank system that handles payroll and bill payments.