HashKey’s IPO bid puts Hong Kong’s virtual asset regime on display, testing whether compliance-first crypto platforms can win investors.
10x Research’s Markus Thielen says Bitcoin’s four-year cycle still exists but is now driven by politics, liquidity and elections rather than the halving.
The Bank of Japan is expected to increase its benchmark interest rates on Friday, a historically bearish signal for riskier assets like Bitcoin.
Twenty One Capital’s NYSE listing showed how tightly markets now price Bitcoin-heavy firms, with investors refusing to pay much beyond the underlying BTC value.
While the Ethereum price still struggles to mount a sustained bullish momentum, an investigation into its on-chain activity has revealed a significant change in the behavior of its market participants. Active Addresses Decline To 327,000 From 483,000 August High In a Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, market analyst CryptoOnchain shared that there has been a growing scarcity of activity within the Ethereum network. Specifically, the quant referenced data obtained from the Ethereum Active Addresses metric, observed on the 7-day Simple Moving Average. Related Reading: If This Ethereum Bear Flag Pattern Holds, ETH Price Could Be On Its Way To $2,400 Since reaching its peak in August, the Active Addresses metric has declined steadily from about 483,000 to 327,000 — a level which marks the lowest reached since May this year. This downturn of more than 32% suggests an increasing exit of willing participants from the Ethereum network. Interestingly, the aforementioned downturn is not a stand-alone phenomenon. Just around the same period where active addresses explored the southside of the charts, the Ethereum price also took on a bearish direction. This period saw the Ether token lose its $4,800 valuation and begin its descent to the current price around $3,100. According to the analyst, this strong correlation between the falling Ethereum valuation and its contracting network usage points to something clear — that the recent price drop is likely a result of reduced network demand. This further shows that market participants are moving past speculation, and are in lieu adopting a broader outlook on the Ethereum blockchain. Ethereum Market Outlook On the more positive side, CryptoOnchain explained how healthy bull cycles differ from the present market cycle. Typically, rising prices are not taken for granted as they often indicate a healthy bullish cycle. An expansion of the cryptocurrency’s network usage also lends credence — enough to serve as confirmation — to suspicions of structural shifts into bullish phases. This theory holds true from a variety of historical occurrences. So, a market would not qualify as bullish enough if the Ethereum price were on the rise without any parallel growth in on-chain activity. Hence, for a convincing price reversal to hold, there has to be a significant and sustained recovery of active addresses. This would signal the return of on-chain demand and further heighten expectations of imminent momentum. Until those conditions are simultaneously met, the Ethereum market remains in a state of utmost caution, where prices could head towards either direction, with the major factor being the influx of network users. As of press time, the Ether token is valued at about $3,106, reflecting no significant movement since the past day. Related Reading: XRP Mirrors 2016 Trend That Led To 69% Crash Before 110,000% Rally Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Michael Saylor explains why governments should consider Bitcoin-backed digital banks. It is time to examine the potential benefits and risks of Bitcoin banks.
Robinhood has spent the past few years trying to outgrow its meme-stock reputation, and the clearest sign that it is thinking differently now sits far from Menlo Park. In early December, the company said it would buy PT Buana Capital Sekuritas, a small Indonesian brokerage, and PT Pedagang Aset Kripto, a licensed digital asset trader, […]
The post Robinhood is constructing a “regional triangle” that unlocks the one thing US regulators won’t permit appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Standard Chartered and Coinbase are expanding their partnership to develop trading, custody and financing services aimed at institutional crypto clients.
Interest in XRP exchange traded funds is growing quickly after another product received approval. Cboe has approved a 21Shares XRP ETF under the XR ticker, adding to the list of funds offering exposure to the token. The pace of inflows has surprised even industry leaders. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently celebrated that XRP ETFs crossed …
Spot XRP exchange-traded funds continued a streak of positive flows, with over $20.1 million recorded on Friday, marking 19 consecutive days of net inflows.
The price action of Bitcoin has been somewhat limited in the past few weeks, as the bulls and bears battle for dominance in the market. This indecisiveness has had the premier cryptocurrency oscillating between the $89,000 and $93,000 levels in recent weeks. According to the latest on-chain data, this sideways movement exhibited by the Bitcoin price is associated with the uneven distribution of the coin’s total supply around various levels. This recent on-chain evaluation has also identified the possible next stop for the market leader’s price. BTC Price At Risk Of A 20% Decline? In a December 13 post on the X platform, pseudonymous analyst Darkfost explained that the Bitcoin price is locked in a battle between $89,000 and $93,000. This on-chain observation is based on the distribution of the BTC supply (using the URPD metric) around different price levels. Related Reading: Bitcoin Macro Retracement Meets Mid-Range Battle – Will Bulls Reclaim Momentum? The URPD (UTXO Realized Price Distribution) metric tracks the amount of a particular cryptocurrency that was traded at a specific price level. When a large amount of coins is traded at a certain price level, the region tends to serve as support when the price trades above it and resistance when the price is beneath it. According to Darkfost, this explains why the Bitcoin price seems stuck within the $89,000 – $93,000 region (the yellow area in the highlighted chart). The market analyst noted that the zone has seen significant trading activity, justifying the oscillation of the BTC price within the range. What’s new is the “distribution gap” (blue area in the chart) in the $74,000 – $80,000 range, which represents a zone with relatively low historical trading activity. Darkfost explained that these low-liquidity regions tend to attract the Bitcoin price in a bid to rebalance supply and demand. As observed in the chart above, this distribution gap lies between the $74,000 – $80,000 range, meaning that the price of BTC could witness a correction to this level before bouncing back to a new high. A correction to this level could be equivalent to a nearly 20% downturn from the current price point. Furthermore, Darkfost noted that 34% of the total BTC supply distribution is now above the psychological $90,000 level. This trend could make $90,000 a structural support level for the price of Bitcoin over time. It is also worth noting that while a large distribution cluster can be seen around $84,000, it should not be over-interpreted. Darkfost mentioned that the distribution level is not as genuine as it looks, but rather a result of Coinbase’s recent Bitcoin movement. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $90,150, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bullish Structure Weakens As Inter-Exchange Liquidity Touches Red Zone – Details Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Ethereum is holding firm above key support as smart money steps in, hinting at growing confidence beneath the surface. With bullish signals and steady inflows aligning, the market now watches whether this stability can spark a meaningful upside move. ETH Coils Below $3,200 Ahead Of A Decisive Move AltCoin Việt Nam, in a recent post, highlighted that ETH is positioned at an extremely tense moment on its chart, signaling that the asset is preparing for a major directional move. This immediate pressure is being fueled by a significant bullish divergence that has just appeared on the chart, marking the first time the signal has materialized in over a month. Related Reading: Why Ethereum’s Rally Isn’t Overheated – And Where Demand Must Grow Next The analyst reinforced the expectation of high volatility by referencing historical data. Their research shows a consistent history of 9–16% price volatility whenever ETH falls below the $3,200 level. Given that the price is currently fluctuating tightly around the $3,100 mark, this historical context provides a clear signal that a sharp volatility explosion may be imminent. Adding overwhelming conviction to the bullish case is the recent action of market movers. AltCoin Việt Nam reported that a single super large whale just opened a leveraged long position totaling a massive $392 million (equivalent to 120,094 ETH). This colossal bet on the upside demonstrates a firm, high-conviction among institutional players. Furthermore, the institutional framework continues to provide a reliable underlying demand. The Spot Ethereum ETF market is still actively attracting substantial capital inflows, totaling over $250 million this week. BitMine Technologies also purchased an additional 33,504 ETH (valued at $112 million) today, highlighting persistent institutional accumulation. Considering the confluence of technical divergence, historical volatility context, and massive whale and institutional purchasing, the market faces a critical juncture. AltCoin Việt Nam posed the final question: Can ETH break out strongly and immediately confirm the uptrend, or will it need to retest lower support levels before initiating the expected explosive rally? Buyers Step In As Ethereum Defends Key Support According to crypto analyst The Boss, ETH has shown a highly encouraging response from a key technical area. Ethereum has reacted positively with the $3,091 support zone, and is currently holding firmly above this level, which is a strong signal that short-term buying pressure remains resilient and active in the market. Related Reading: Ethereum Inches Toward A Critical Decision Point: Bullish Break Or Deeper Dive? As long as the price stays above the green line, the analyst confirms that the primary focus remains the upside, validating the potential for a move toward the resistance zone marked by the blue line. The Boss emphasized the importance of these structural defense moves, concluding that such strong reactions from established support levels are vital signals for confirming the validity of the current structure and providing clear direction of the prevailing trend. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
The crypto ecosystem in Venezuela is a product of ongoing economic collapse and international sanctions pressure, according to the TRM Labs team.
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
Pakistan also granted preliminary clearances to Binance and HTX to prepare its license applications for a full launch in the country.
Bitcoin is facing a critical juncture as its macro retracement converges with a tight mid-range battle between $86,000 and $100,000. With bearish patterns confirmed and short-term support holding, the market now waits to see if bulls can reclaim momentum or if a deeper pullback is on the horizon. Bitcoin Confirms Macro Top: Bearish Phase Underway According to an update from Crypto Patel, Bitcoin appears to have confirmed a market top and is now transitioning into a broader macro retracement phase. The loss of a key bullish support level has shifted the market structure into a bearish phase. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Market Structure Strengthens Despite Slower Trading Activity — Here’s Why The chart shows that a Head and Shoulders formation has fully played out. Classical technical rules suggest that the 162% downside projection has already been achieved, reinforcing the view that a cycle top is in place and a larger trend reversal is underway. Looking at the macro Fibonacci retracement from the bear-market low to the recent peak, several key levels come into focus. These include the 0.382 retracement, which sits near $56,700, and the 0.5 level around $44,000, representing a zone of potential bear-market acceptance. Additionally, the 0.618 retracement near $35,000 stands out as the strongest long-term support area. On the liquidity side, an unfilled fair value gap between $98,000 and $100,000 acts as a magnet for a short-term relief bounce before the broader downtrend resumes. Overall, the macro outlook for Bitcoin remains bearish. While a bounce toward the $98,000–$100,000 region is possible, the dominant path points toward a deeper move into the $70,000–$60,000 Fibonacci supports. Traders are advised to wait for confirmation and remain flexible, respecting multiple scenarios as the market unfolds. BTC Trapped: $96,000–$100,000 Cap Meets $86,000 Support Bitcoin remains range-bound between two critical zones as noted by CyrilXBT. Price is hovering near the $90,300 area after facing another rejection from the $96,000–$100,000 supply zone and the 50-day EMA. This region has consistently capped upside attempts over the past several weeks. Related Reading: Report Reveals 65% Of Bitcoin Treasury Companies Struggling With Major Unrealized Losses On the downside, buyers continue to show up around the $86,000–$88,000 demand zone, preventing the price from slipping into a broader breakdown and keeping BTC locked within its current range. From a broader market perspective, Bitcoin previously cooled off while tech stocks surged. As momentum in tech begins to slow, BTC is attempting to stabilize, but a decisive reclaim of the $96,000–$100,000 zone is still required to shift momentum. A sustained move above $100,000 would open the door to trend reversal. Conversely, a loss of the $88,000 support could expose Bitcoin to a deeper pullback toward the $72,000–$76,000 region. Until either scenario plays out, price action remains choppy, and patience is warranted. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Despite traditional ETF investors willing to pay premiums to go long, Bitcoin natives selling covered calls have put a damper on a price rally.
Rodney Burton used to promote crypto alongside Jamie Foxx and Rick Ross; now, he faces decades in prison on wire fraud and money laundering charges.
Exor's decision to retain Juventus ownership underscores a commitment to legacy and stability, potentially impacting the club's future strategies.
The post Juventus owner rejects acquisition offer from Tether appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
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 […]
The post US banks just unlocked a loophole to profit from your crypto trades without holding the bag appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The guide was a good-faith primer on crypto custody basics and best practices, including different forms of wallet storage and common risks.
Tether holds a minority stake of over 10% in Juventus, and has a seat on the board, but its bid to buy the team in full was rejected in less than 24 hours.
Bitcoin’s bearish momentum has since reached a cool-off state, as price maintains above the last swing low established late November. However, although there has been a steady uptrend, signs of a bullish reversal remain weak. Interestingly, a recent evaluation has been published, which delves into the factors that may affect Bitcoin’s next major move. Related Reading: Silk Road Bitcoins Are On The Move Again, Is The BTC Price Ready For Another Dump? Analyst Points To Key Support, Resistance Zones Using MVRV Metric In an X post released on December 12, market analyst Ali Martinez shares that Bitcoin’s next significant move depends on how the price acts around a set of identified critical levels using data from the MVRV Extreme Deviation Pricing Bands. For context, this metric is used to identify when Bitcoin is undervalued or overvalued, with past activity around certain levels being a defining factor. It serves this function by comparing Bitcoin’s market price to its Realized Price and plotting extreme levels of likely deviation, such as ±0.5 and ±1.0, around the realized price. From the chart below, $99,000 stands in correspondence to the +0.5 standard deviation band. This price level has historically functioned as a local top, especially in resistance against short-term bullish momentum. This happens because there is an increase in profit-taking among sellers, as they are prone to exiting in the presence of any real opposition. Interestingly, a significant break above this $99,000 resistance level could be a sign of awakening bullish interest, potentially causing the inflow of bullish momentum upon its retest. On the flipside, the most immediate support zone is seen to lie around the $76,000 price. Notably, this region corresponds to the –0.5 deviation band, suggesting that it is a price level where Bitcoin would become undervalued if reached. Past market cycles also reveal that pullbacks into this price region have often preceded increased upward momentum, owing to the ‘buy-the-dip’ mentality that must have prevailed. Expectedly, a slip beneath this key support zone would be a result of intensified sell pressure within the market. When this development occurs, the Bitcoin price could see an even deeper correction towards the south side of the price. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Prepares for Upside Move—Is the Rally About to Return? Metric Suggests $122,000 And $53,000 Are Next Crucial Zones To Watch Notably, Bitcoin is expected to face another battle in the scenario where it breaks above the $99,000 resistance. Readings from the metric reveal that the +1 standard deviation band stands roughly at $122,000. Bullish rallies have often reached this price region, with significant resistance met to send prices sharply downwards. A break above the +1.0 deviation could therefore precede the formation of a new all-time-high price. Also, the –1.0 deviation stands at the $53,000 price level. If the –0.5 deviation were to fail, the Bitcoin price could begin a bearish cycle towards $53,000, as it stands as the next significant support. This is so because it has historically functioned as a strong accumulation zone, where a bit of sideways movement was seen before major price expansions followed. At press time, Bitcoin stands at approximately $90,400, with a loss of %1.24 recorded since the last day, per CoinMarketCap data. Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview
Onchain data shows multiple cost basis metrics confirm heavy demand and investor conviction around the $80,000 price level.
The SEC's guidance may enhance investor protection and influence the evolution of crypto custody practices, impacting market stability.
The post SEC issues guidance on crypto asset custody for retail investors appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The first SOL ETF was launched in July, followed by Bitwise’s SOL ETF in October, which recorded $57 million in first-day trading volume.
The annual Nasdaq 100 rebalance saw six companies dropped and three new additions, with changes taking effect on December 22, but bitcoin treasury company Strategy hung onto its spot.
Executive John Ameriks emphasized Vanguard's core view of the crypto sector hasn't changed, seeing the asset class as highly speculative.
Since early October, when the Ethereum price began its dive into bearish territory, it has struggled to regain any of its significant price levels. The Ether token failed to hold at multiple support zones throughout November, as it plunged downwards. While Ethereum appears to be gaining bullish momentum to signal an imminent price reversal, a bearish continuation looks like the more probable scenario after the latest decline to $3,000. A popular analyst has recently put forward a prognosis, which paints a worrying picture for the second-largest cryptocurrency. $2,400 Might Be The Next Price Cushion For ETH In a December 13 post on the social media platform X, market analyst Ali Martinez highlighted that the Ethereum price is showing an interesting sign of a potential bearish continuation over the coming weeks. Martinez’s analysis hinged on the bear flag pattern, a technical analysis pattern that is often used to confirm the continuation of a downtrend. Related Reading: Dogecoin Tightens Up: Symmetrical Triangle Converges With High-Timeframe Wyckoff Setup Typically, the pattern has two components — the flag and the flag pole. Price initially displays a sharp downward move, forming the flagpole. Afterwards, there is usually a brief period where the price displays upward movement or even sideways consolidation; this period of choppy price action makes up ‘the flag.’ What gives the flag its integrity is its upper and lower boundaries, which serve as resistance and support zones. Because breakouts beneath support zones typically indicate that the market could be bearish, a failure of the flag’s support would then be the needed confirmation of the earlier-seen sell signal. In the scenario where this happens, the crypto pundit pointed out that Ethereum’s possible target could be the $2,400 price level. This is likely the case because all preceding regions may present with insufficient liquidity to sponsor any significant price reversal. Ethereum Whales’ Realized Price Of $2,400 Comes In Sight — What To Expect Interestingly, on-chain data adds credence to $2,400’s reputation as a relevant price level. In a Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, a pseudonymous pundit, OnChain, revealed that Ethereum is currently happens to be trading very close to a significant price level. According to the analyst, Ethereum whales — with holdings of at least 100,000 ETH — mostly procured their coins close to $2,400. Interestingly, the Ether token barely ever falls to price levels close to the realized price of this group of investors. Since the last five years, there have only been four instances where the ETH price nearly reached the acquisition price of these whales, before eventually seeing major recoveries. If this historical pattern thus plays out, the second-largest cryptocurrency might have seen the beginning of yet another bullish rally. As of this writing, Ethereum holds a valuation of $3,086, reflecting a 4% price decline in the past day. Related Reading: Solana Gains Institutional Momentum as New On-Chain Bond Deal and XRP Integration Build Hype Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView