Из жизни альткоинов

Bitcoin has lost the critical $90,000 level and is now hovering near the $86,000 area, a zone that is quickly becoming the last meaningful support in the current structure. The recent decline has unfolded with little resistance from buyers, as bullish participation has largely disappeared from the market. Momentum-driven demand has faded, spot buying remains weak, and rallies are consistently being sold. As a result, a growing number of analysts are openly shifting their outlook toward a bear market scenario.

According to a recent report by on-chain analyst Axel Adler, conditions beneath the surface reinforce this pessimistic view. Derivatives positioning remains firmly negative, indicating that short sellers continue to dominate short-term market dynamics.

At the same time, market sentiment metrics have fallen to levels historically associated with major capitulation phases. Fear is widespread, confidence is fragile, and risk appetite across crypto markets is clearly deteriorating.

The combination of negative futures positioning and extreme investor fear creates a challenging environment for Bitcoin. Rather than signaling an immediate bottom, these conditions suggest that selling pressure remains structurally embedded in the market.

Futures Positioning And Sentiment Signal Deep Stress

Adler explains that the Bitcoin Positioning Index provides a clear view of who controls the derivatives market. The indicator aggregates changes in open interest and funding rates to identify the dominant direction of futures positioning.

At present, the index sits at -4, firmly in negative territory. This reading corresponds to a bearish regime and aligns with an active downtrend signal. Visually, the chart is dominated by purple bars over the past four weeks, highlighting sustained pressure from short positions and a lack of bullish conviction in derivatives markets.

Negative positioning combined with falling prices confirms that bears remain in control of short-term market dynamics. According to Adler, a meaningful regime shift will only occur if the index returns above zero and the price consolidates above local resistance levels. Without that confirmation, downside risk remains elevated.

The Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index reinforces this bearish backdrop. The index, which tracks market sentiment from extreme fear to extreme greed, has fallen deep into the extreme fear zone and well below the 25th percentile.

The 30-day SMA has dropped to 20, while the 90-day SMA sits near 32, signaling persistent sentiment deterioration since September. While extreme fear alone does not guarantee a reversal, its alignment with negative futures positioning suggests that selling pressure is structural rather than purely emotional.

Bitcoin Tests Critical Support As Downtrend Persists

The chart shows Bitcoin trading under sustained technical pressure after failing to reclaim higher levels. Price has decisively broken below the medium-term moving averages and is now consolidating around the $87,000–$88,000 zone, a level that previously acted as support during the mid-cycle advance. The rejection from the blue moving average signals that bullish momentum has weakened significantly, while the downward slope confirms a loss of trend strength.

More importantly, Bitcoin is now hovering just above the red long-term moving average, a level that historically acts as a key structural support during broader corrections. The recent bounce from the $85,000–$86,000 area suggests that buyers are still present, but the response lacks conviction. Volume remains muted compared to earlier distribution phases, indicating hesitation rather than aggressive accumulation.

Structurally, the sequence of lower highs since the $120,000 peak remains intact. Until Bitcoin can reclaim the $92,000–$95,000 range and hold above the declining mid-term average, downside risks persist. A clean loss of the long-term support could expose deeper retracement levels toward the low $80,000s.

In the short term, this price behavior reflects a market in repair mode. Bitcoin is no longer trending, but it has not yet shown the strength required to invalidate the corrective structure.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Quantum risk has been getting louder in the Bitcoin conversation over the past few months. The question is whether that noise translates into price pressure in 2026.

Grayscale’s answer, in its updated 2026 Digital Asset Outlook: “Dawn of the Institutional Era” (last updated Dec. 15), is essentially no. Quantum belongs on the risk register and in the research pipeline, not on the list of themes the firm expects to steer Bitcoin’s valuation next year. In its view, it’s not “likely to move prices” in 2026.

Why The Quantum Computer Threat Won’t Move Bitcoin Price In 2026

That call matters because the quantum debate arrived while the market is already looking for new failure modes — everything from “the four-year cycle is dead” to renewed anxiety about large holders distributing supply. Grayscale’s framing is simpler: the threat is real in theory, but the relevant timelines don’t line up with a 2026 trading horizon.

The firm lays out the core concern in plain terms: “Theoretically, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive private keys from public keys, which could then be used to create valid digital signatures to spend users’ coins. Therefore, Bitcoin and most other blockchains — and virtually everything else in the economy that uses cryptography — will eventually need to be updated for post-quantum tools.”

The key word is eventually. Grayscale points to expert estimates suggesting a machine capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography is “unlikely before 2030 at the earliest.” That pushes 2026 into a preparedness bucket: more research, more coordination, more work on mitigation — but not a year where markets suddenly apply a quantum discount because a lab headline hit the wires.

Grayscale makes that explicit. “However, expert estimates suggest a quantum computer powerful enough to break Bitcoin’s cryptography is unlikely before 2030 at the earliest. Research on quantum risk and community preparedness efforts will likely accelerate in 2026, but this theme is unlikely to move prices, in our view,” the firm writes.

In the report’s taxonomy, quantum sits closer to “high attention, low near-term impact” than to a true 2026 catalyst. Grayscale groups it with other heavily discussed trades that may not drive returns on a one-year view, including the digital-asset-treasury (DAT) narrative that had its Michael Saylor copycat phase in 2025.

The broader outlook is firmly “institutional era” in tone. Grayscale expects 2026 to extend structural shifts in how digital assets are owned and allocated, driven by macro demand for alternative stores of value and an improving regulatory backdrop that reduces frictions for large investors. In that context, the firm is calling for Bitcoin to set a new all-time high in the first half of 2026, while arguing the classic four-year halving cycle is becoming less dominant as spot ETPs and slower-moving portfolio allocation play a bigger role.

That’s also why quantum looks like a mismatch for the 2026 price question. If the marginal buyer is an allocator working through due diligence checklists, the market’s response function changes. Those investors do not ignore tail risks — but they also tend not to liquidate positions on long-dated, low-probability scenarios unless the timeline becomes immediate.

Grayscale highlights one other, quieter point that fits the institutional framing: Bitcoin’s supply schedule. The report notes investors can be “highly confident” the 20 millionth bitcoin will be mined in March 2026 — a predictable, verifiable milestone that speaks to the protocol’s rule-based issuance.

So will quantum computing suppress Bitcoin in 2026? Grayscale’s base case is no — not because the problem is imaginary, but because it isn’t close on the timeline markets usually need before they reprice risk. For next year, the firm expects the bigger drivers to look familiar, even if they arrive in more institutional packaging: rates, regulation, ETP plumbing, and steady absorption of BTC into mainstream portfolios.

Quantum remains a theme to track. Just not, in Grayscale’s view, the theme that sets the price in 2026.

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $87,184.

Ethereum is trading below the $3,000 level as selling pressure continues to weigh on the broader crypto market. After weeks of unstable price action, ETH has failed to reclaim key psychological and technical levels, reinforcing a fragile market structure.

Sentiment remains decisively bearish, with fear and even apathy starting to dominate trader behavior. Volatility has compressed, participation has thinned, and many analysts are increasingly pointing toward a prolonged bear market scenario extending into 2026.

This lack of conviction is not limited to retail participants. According to data shared by Lookonchain, two large whales dumped a combined 14,000 ETH, worth approximately $40.82 million, in just the past two hours. Such aggressive selling during already weak conditions adds pressure to an asset that is struggling to attract sustained demand.

While isolated whale activity does not define the broader trend on its own, timing matters. Large distributions during periods of low liquidity often amplify downside moves and reinforce negative sentiment across the market.

Ethereum Whale Selling Meets Long-Term Conviction

Arkham data shared by Lookonchain reveals fresh evidence of large-scale selling as Ethereum trades under sustained pressure. Address 0x2802 sold 10,000 ETH, worth approximately $29.16 million, at an average price of $2,915.5 through decentralized exchanges.

Shortly after, another whale, 0x4c0A, offloaded 4,000 ETH, valued at around $11.66 million, distributing the sale across multiple centralized venues, including OKX, Binance, KuCoin, and Gate. The timing and coordination of these moves reinforce the current bearish tone, particularly as liquidity remains thin and broader market sentiment leans defensive.

In the short term, such activity adds to downside pressure and fuels uncertainty among smaller investors, who often interpret whale selling as a signal of deeper weakness ahead. However, price action and sentiment do not tell the full story. Despite the drawdown, Ethereum’s fundamentals continue to strengthen at a pace rarely seen before. Institutional adoption is accelerating, not slowing.

Most notably, JP Morgan recently announced the use of Ethereum to launch its first tokenized money-market fund, a milestone that underscores growing confidence in Ethereum as a settlement and financial infrastructure layer. While markets may remain bearish in the near term, the divergence between price sentiment and fundamental progress is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Ethereum Price Struggles to Hold Key Weekly Support

Ethereum continues to trade under pressure on the weekly chart, with price now sitting around $2,950 after a sharp rejection from the $3,200–$3,300 region. This area previously acted as a key pivot zone and has now clearly flipped into resistance. The inability to reclaim it confirms that sellers remain in control of the medium-term structure.

From a trend perspective, ETH is consolidating around its 200-week moving average (red line), a historically important level that often determines whether corrections remain cyclical or evolve into deeper bearish phases. So far, this moving average is acting as dynamic support, preventing a more aggressive breakdown. However, momentum remains weak, and upside follow-through is limited.

The 50-week and 100-week moving averages (blue and green lines) are beginning to flatten and converge, reflecting indecision and reduced trend strength. Volume also remains muted compared to prior expansion phases, suggesting that neither strong accumulation nor capitulation is taking place at current levels.

Structurally, ETH remains in a wide consolidation range between $2,500 and $3,300. A weekly close below the $2,800–$2,900 area would expose downside toward the lower end of that range. Conversely, reclaiming $3,300 is required to reestablish bullish momentum. Until then, Ethereum remains technically fragile despite its long-term fundamentals.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

The market entered a sharper pullback this week after the Senate confirmed that a long-anticipated crypto structure legislation will not advance before the end of the year.

Related Reading: Crypto Market Structure Bill Stalled: Senate Banking Committee Pushes Markup To Early 2026

What many investors had hoped would be a closing act for regulatory clarity in 2025 instead became another extension of uncertainty, triggering risk-off behavior across digital assets and related investment products. The delay arrived at a fragile moment for markets grappling with growing sensitivity to policy signals from Washington.

Bitcoin slid below the $86,000 level, while the broader digital asset market shed roughly $140 billion in capitalization within hours. The total market value has fallen to around $2.93 trillion, its lowest level in several weeks, as traders reassessed regulatory timelines that now extend into early 2026.

Senate Pushes Crypto Market Structure Talks Into 2026

The Senate Banking Committee confirmed it will not hold a markup hearing on the crypto market structure billbefore Congress adjourns for the holidays.

While committee leadership says bipartisan negotiations are progressing, lawmakers acknowledged that time has run out to move the bill forward in 2025. Chairman Tim Scott’s office reiterated that discussions with Democratic counterparts are ongoing, with a markup now expected in early 2026.

The proposed legislation is designed to clarify how digital assets are regulated in the U.S., including defining the respective roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Under current drafts, the CFTC would oversee spot crypto markets, while securities laws would be more clearly applied to token issuers and intermediaries. Parallel efforts in the Senate Agriculture Committee, which also oversees the CFTC, have yet to reach a markup stage, further slowing the process.

Market Reaction Highlights Fragile Sentiment

The legislative setback quickly translated into market pressure. Bitcoin fell from near $90,000 to the mid-$85,000 range, while Ethereum dropped below $3,000. Additionally, the average crypto RSI fell to around 32, indicating that the market is within oversold territory.

Analysts pointed to elevated derivatives positioning and heavy open interest around key price levels as factors amplifying downside moves. Exchange-traded products reflected the shift, with Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs recording significant outflows as institutional investors reduced exposure.

Some market observers noted that unrealized losses have risen sharply, while funding conditions and leverage remain stretched, making prices more vulnerable to negative catalysts such as policy delays.

Regulatory Uncertainty Persists Despite Agency Actions

Despite the legislative pause, regulators have continued to act within existing frameworks. The SEC has issued staff guidance and hosted public discussions on how current securities laws apply to crypto activities, while the CFTC has taken steps to expand supervised spot market participation.

However, industry participants say these measures fall short of the comprehensive clarity the market structure bill is meant to deliver.

Related Reading: Terra Founder Do Kwon Could Face 30-Year Sentence In Potential South Korean Trial

The Senate’s decision reinforces a familiar pattern for crypto markets: policy delays translating into heightened volatility. With negotiations set to resume in early 2026, investors will be left to navigate another extended period where regulatory questions remain unresolved.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart on Tradingview

Although the anticipated crypto market structure bill, also known as the CLARITY Act, has not yet been passed into law, its proposed framework is already influencing conversations around how major cryptocurrencies could be classified and regulated in the future. 

The implications could be particularly significant for Ripple and XRP, as the Act introduces interesting standards that could determine whether a digital asset is treated as a security or a commodity under US law.

Reality Check Under The Clarity Act

US lawmakers are moving closer to finalizing digital asset legislation, and attention across the crypto market is increasingly turning toward the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, commonly known as the CLARITY Act. 

At the heart of the CLARITY Act is an effort to replace interpretations of decentralization with clear criteria. One of those criteria is a supply concentration threshold, which states that no single entity or coordinated group should control 20% or more of a blockchain’s native asset supply for the network to qualify as mature.

A recent post on X by an XRP community member known as Arthur has brought focus to this issue. Arthur highlighted the proposed 20% ownership threshold embedded in the CLARITY Act’s definition of a mature blockchain, noting that Ripple’s compliance with this benchmark could push XRP firmly toward commodity status and is the only path to global adoption.

However, this provision directly intersects with Ripple’s escrow holdings. The payment currently controls about 40% of the total XRP supply through escrow mechanisms. This has long been a focal point in debates over decentralization and how much control Ripple has over XRP’s supply.

What This Means For Ripple And XRP

Under the CLARITY Act’s framework, reducing escrow control below the 20% threshold would help demonstrate that XRP no longer depends on a single issuer’s dominance. That would back up the claim that XRP functions as a decentralized digital commodity rather than a security tied to Ripple’s corporate actions. 

In order to comply with the Act, Ripple would need to find a way to slash its current XRP holdings by almost 50%. However, if the CLARITY Act is eventually passed in its current form, it does not automatically mean that Ripple would be forced into a direct sale of its XRP holdings, nor does it mandate that its XRP holdings will be handed over to another holder. 

What it does introduce is a clear structure. Ripple would need to demonstrate that it does not exercise control over XRP’s circulating or total supply if the cryptocurrency is to qualify as a mature blockchain asset under US law. 

How that outcome is achieved would largely be a tactical decision. Therefore, Ripple could pursue several paths to comply with the CLARITY Act without disrupting the price action of XRP.

Ripple releases 1 billion XRP tokens every month. On average, about 70% of these released tokens are always returned back into escrow.

Hedera’s HBAR token is trading near its lowest levels in more than a year, reflecting both broader crypto market weakness and project-specific headwinds.

After a steady decline through November and December, HBAR has slipped into a tight consolidation range, with traders debating whether the current pause marks a base for a short-term rebound or a continuation of the downtrend.

Recent price action indicates growing activity around key technical levels, despite mixed fundamental indicators.

HBAR Slides to Multi-Month Lows as Selling Pressure Builds

HBAR fell to around $0.11–$0.12 this week after failing to hold above the $0.125 support zone, a level that had acted as a floor several times earlier in the year. The drop coincided with a wider market pullback, as Bitcoin and major altcoins weakened ahead of global macro events, including Senate decisions in the U.S.

Trading data shows that volume surged sharply during attempts to reclaim resistance near $0.119–$0.120, suggesting active distribution rather than sustained accumulation.

Market structure has turned decisively bearish over recent sessions. HBAR is now trading below key moving averages, and momentum indicators such as RSI and MACD continue to point lower.

On-chain and ecosystem data have also weighed on sentiment, with Hedera’s total value locked declining significantly from earlier highs and stablecoin supply on the network shrinking over recent months.

Volume Spikes Show Key Support and Resistance Zones

Despite the broader downtrend, recent volume patterns have drawn attention from short-term traders. During one session, HBAR volume jumped more than 80% above its daily average as the price tested resistance near $0.119.

The rejection triggered another wave of selling, but late-session activity showed renewed buying interest as the price approached the $0.112–$0.113 area. This zone is now viewed as immediate support, with a deeper psychological level around $0.10 acting as the next downside reference if selling resumes.

On the upside, analysts are watching $0.119–$0.122 as a critical resistance band. A clean break above this range would be needed to shift short-term structure and open the door for a move toward prior highs near $0.13.

Analysts Split Between Oversold Bounce and Further Downside Risk

Some technical analysts argue that HBAR is approaching oversold conditions, noting weakening bearish momentum and signs of trendline breaks on lower timeframes. These signals have fueled short-term bounce scenarios targeting the mid-$0.12 to $0.14 range, provided support continues to hold.

Others remain cautious, pointing to stalled demand for recent Hedera-linked investment products and slowing ecosystem growth. From this view, failure to defend current levels could expose HBAR to a retest of $0.10, a level last seen during earlier liquidation events.

Cover image from ChatGPT, HBARUSD chart from Tradingview

Except for Ethereum’s fluctuating price action in the past few weeks following a broader market volatility, another key area is drawing notable attention in the sector. ETH’s price has been exhibiting bearish performance, and at the same time, its supply dynamics have been demonstrating a negative trend.

Net Negative Ethereum Supply Persists

Even with the current bearish state of the market, the supply dynamics of Ethereum are hinting at a quiet but powerful signal to the market. In a post on the social media platform X, Leon Waidmann, a market expert and the head of research at On-Chain Foundation, has delved into the asset’s supply dynamics, revealing a persistent negative trend.

On-chain data indicates that Ethereum supply has remained net negative despite continuous price swings, as seen on the chart shared by Waidmann. The data also shows that the metric has been exhibiting a negative trend over the last 7 days.

When Ethereum’s supply dynamics stay negative, it simply implies that more ETH are being removed from circulation compared to those being added to the market. This pattern is a result of persistent network activity, ongoing fee burning, and rising long-term holding and staking demand.

During the 7-day period, Waidmann highlighted that over 30,000 fresh ETH were added to the market. Meanwhile, Spot Ethereum Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) accumulated over 67,100 ETH, with about 11,700 ETH being burned via network fees. 

Overall, this brings the network’s net supply change to -49,800 ETH. Therefore, the number of ETH removed from circulation was 2.7x more than those issued in the market within the period. What this means is that the current demand for ETH continues to structurally outpace issuance.

Typically, heightened demand in the market has preceded upward swings in price. However, the price of ETH has failed to respond in this direction. Waidman noted that the price is not moving yet, because most demand is passive and not price-chasing. 

Thus, the expert declares absorption first before breakout comes later. Furthermore, large holders are still distributing into rallies, which leads to the capping of short-term moves. Another reason hinges on derivatives, as it often sets the marginal price, not spot flows. 

During negative supply dynamics, there is usually a tightening of the floor before it lifts the ceiling. Waidmann has highlighted a market structure where supply breaks first, then price follows, which is a clear pattern of how bases are formed.

ETH Network Throughput Makes Historical Highs

With recent updates, the Ethereum network has sprung back to life at a rapid rate. Joseph Young, a crypto enthusiast, has shared a fresh milestone for ETH, as the network’s execution throughput surges to an all-time high. The newly launched Fusaka Upgrade drives the network’s recent spark. 

Since the introduction of the key update, Young stated that ETH’s mainnet capacity has doubled, and rollups such as Base are already processing 10x that execution. According to Young, rollups are scaling in production while ETH is rapidly scaling, reinforcing the growing notion that ETH is the settlement layer of finance.

A crypto analyst has shared his latest forecast for the Bitcoin price, highlighting a potential downturn. His analysis breaks down technical indicators and macroeconomic data to predict key movements in the coming months and years. The report has outlined several bearish targets for Bitcoin, cautioning traders to forego excessive bullish expectations, especially as the market shows signs of entering a bearish phase. 

Bitcoin Price Set To Decline Below $55,000

A crypto analyst who calls himself ‘Mr. Wall Street’ on X has released a full technical breakdown of Bitcoin, providing both market and psychological insights while predicting a devastating decline to new lows. He highlighted that the BTC bullish momentum seen earlier this year has collapsed, signaling a shift toward a bear market. 

Key technical indicators used to understand Bitcoin’s market position and direction are signaling the start of a bear phase. The expert highlighted that the weekly 50-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA50), Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) monthly cross, and Relative Strength Index (RSI) bearish divergence are now all pointing downward. 

Given this weakness, Mr. Wall Street has predicted that Bitcoin could first retest the weekly EMA50 target near $100,000 before its next decline. The analyst stated that traders are likely planning short positions in the $104,000 to $98,000 range, targeting a potential drop to $74,000 to $68,000. Looking ahead, he projects that the Bitcoin price could crash further by Q4 2026, potentially declining to levels between $54,000 and $60,000. 

Supporting his bearish forecast, the analyst has cited the decline and pressure in financial markets outside of crypto as factors contributing to the broader market downtrend. He also mentioned that the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) planned interest rate hike adds to the current stress, along with market makers who went bankrupt during the October 10 flash crash and are waiting to liquidate billions of dollars in spot assets. 

Mr. Wall Street has dismissed common bullish arguments such as the potential restart of Quantitative Easing, explaining that minor Federal Reserve (FED) balance sheet operations do not signal a complete QE cycle. He stressed that macro bullishness does not justify ignoring short and mid-term risks. Moreover, he warned that those who ignore the reality of a bear case would wish they had shorted the retested $100,000-$125,000 range a year from now. 

Looking beyond the projected bear cycle, Mr. Wall Street believes that Bitcoin could eventually rebound to around $89,000 in 2027. Following this, he expects the cryptocurrency to accelerate toward $110,000 and ultimately $160,000.

Macroeconomic Factors Contribute To Market Decline

Mr. Wall Street also links his bearish Bitcoin forecast to the present weakness in broader macroeconomic conditions. He highlighted that BTC’s struggles are deeply connected to the decisions made by central banks, particularly the FED. 

According to the analyst, the US economy began showing signs of deterioration at the start of 2025. He claimed that key indicators, such as worsening job data and misleading inflation figures, were allegedly ignored. Furthermore, he highlighted that the FED’s inaction and delayed rate cuts prevented necessary economic easing, leaving markets and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin vulnerable to correction.

Биткоин 15–16 декабря потерял около 5% стоимости, опускавшись до $85120. Падение первой криптовалюты могла спровоцировать распродажа актива корпоративными инвесторами и значительный отток средств из спотовых ETF на биткоины, сообщили аналитики платформы Farside.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has announced a new framework that outlines how banks can apply to issue payment stablecoins through subsidiaries as part of the implementation of the country’s stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act. 

FDIC’s First Move On GENIUS Act

In a statement, Acting Chair Travis Hill emphasized that the proposed process is tailored to allow the FDIC to thoroughly evaluate the safety and soundness of applications from banks seeking to enter the stablecoin market. 

According to a summary from FDIC staff, banks wishing to issue payment stablecoins will need to submit detailed applications outlining various aspects of their proposed activities.

Each application must include a description of the intended payment stablecoin, along with a comprehensive overview of the subsidiary’s activities. 

Additionally, institutions must provide financial information, details regarding the ownership and control structure of the subsidiary, and pertinent policies related to customer agreements, including provisions for custody. Applicants will need to submit an engagement letter from a registered public accounting firm.

30-Day Review Period For Stablecoin Applications

The FDIC aims to promptly review submissions, notifying stablecoin applicants within 30 days whether their application has been deemed substantially complete. Following that, the agency must make a decision on approval within 120 days from the time the application reaches this status.

“This proposed rule is the FDIC’s first action to implement the GENIUS Act,” stated Acting Chairman Travis Hill. He added that in the coming months, the agency plans to introduce proposals to establish the required management standards for subsidiaries of FDIC-supervised institutions that are approved to issue payment stablecoins. 

The FDIC is also committed to providing comprehensive regulatory clarity regarding activities associated with digital assets and tokenized deposits. The plan will undergo a public consultation period before it can be finalized.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Following the sudden pullback observed across the cryptocurrency market, the price of XRP has fallen sharply, causing it to revisit the $1.8 threshold. With XRP’s price facing heightened bearish pressure, traders appear to be stepping back, raising questions about the current price action.

Leverage Unwinds Across XRP Markets

XRP’s waning price action is starting to trigger a crucial shift in investors’ action and sentiment toward the leading altcoin. A widely monitored derivatives metric outlined by Arab Chain, an author at CryptoQuant, is still trending lower, suggesting that the market risk balance for the altcoin is subtly recalibrating.

Specifically, the Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR) for XRP, a metric that monitors the amount of borrowed capital traders use in relation to exchange balances, is showing a persistent downtrend. Typically, a continued decline in the measure is a clear sign of reduced risk in the derivatives market.

After examining the XRP’s ELR on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Arab Chain found a persistent decrease to roughly 0.18, reflecting a clear sign of caution in the XRP market on Binance. It is worth noting that this position is one of the lowest levels recorded during the ongoing period, as the price of the token trades close to the $2.00 mark.

Arab Chain highlighted that the drastic decline in the ELR suggests that investors’ reliance on decrease is decreasing, meaning that most of the funded positions have been closed or limited. Structurally, a decline in leverage is seen as an indication of reduced market fragility.

When this occurs, it lowers the likelihood of forced liquidations, which are caused by sudden price movements. As the market tends to lower risk and reset open positions, this behavior usually happens following times of increased volatility or price corrections. 

Interestingly, the drop is occurring along with a downward trend in XRP’s price compared to its previous levels above $3.00. This synchronicity is a sign that the accumulation of highly leveraged positions does not fuel the price decline. Rather, it is riven by the unwinding of such positions.

In the past, environments like these typically marked transitional phases. During this period, the market transitions from active speculation to a calmer phase concentrated on rebalancing. 

A Stabilization To Kickstart A Rally

Once the metric starts to stabilize again at a relatively low level, Arab Chain noted that it could lay the foundation for more substantial XRP price movements in the future. However, this is expected to happen once liquidity slowly returns to the derivatives market in the absence of excessive leverage.

In other words, low leverage would make any future rally less likely to see a dramatic reversal. While the ELR sits at 0.18, the market is still reconstructing itself and creating a more balanced base prior to calculating its next major direction. Whether it resumes its upside direction or enters a prolonged consolidation phase depends heavily on the metric’s movement.

Crypto pundit Chain Cartel has raised several key points following SWIFT’s latest comment on its move to adopt blockchain technology. The pundit claimed that Ripple’s XRPL network best suits what SWIFT is trying to achieve and suggested that the two firms collaborate. 

Pundit Points To Ripple’s XRPL After SWIFT’s Announcement

In an X post, Chain Cartel stated that SWIFT admitted they are building Ripple’s XRPL network, but did not explicitly say so in their announcement. The pundit was referring to an X post from SWIFT highlighting their earlier announcement to add a blockchain-based ledger to their infrastructure.

The pundit explained that SWIFT’s language in the X post suggests that they want to build something like Ripple’s XRPL. He declared that it is not Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any generic blockchain experiment but precisely what Ripple has been building for a decade. Chain Cartel noted that Ripple’s model has always been a neutral settlement layer, real-time atomic finality, shared ledger visibility for institutions, interoperability with legacy rails, and liquidity-first design. 

Chain Cartel then alluded to SWIFT’s statement about its plans to build a blockchain-based ledger to be included in its payment infrastructure and provide a single source of truth, enabling instant, 24/7 cross-border payments. He declared that this is Ripple’s blueprints with the XRPL, as the crypto firm uses the network for its payment services. 

In line with this, the pundit remarked that SWIFT doesn’t replace rails, but instead coordinates them, and that Ripple doesn’t replace banks, but instead connects them. He added that SWIFT is acknowledging that the future payment stack requires a ledger layer, not just messaging, and that the only model already battle-tested at scale is Ripple’s XRPL.

However, it is worth mentioning that SWIFT doesn’t plan to integrate Ripple’s Ledger. Instead, it is building this blockchain-based ledger in partnership with Consensys and Chainlink. As such, although SWIFT may plan to build a network similar to Ripple’s XRPL, it intends to do so without assistance from the crypto firm. 

Ripple Looking To Expand Its Payment Service

Ripple is looking to expand its payment service, as it recently announced plans to begin testing its RLUSD stablecoin on Ethereum layer-2 networks Base, Ink, Optimism, and Unichain. The move comes just days after the OCC granted Ripple a conditional approval to become a bank, which is also a major boost for the firm’s payment service. 

Ripple plans to expand its RLUSD stablecoin beyond the Ethereum and XRPL networks to these layer-2 networks through its partnership with Wormhole. The firm noted that the future of crypto is multichain, which is why it is adopting this strategy. This move gives Ripple’s clients greater options when using the RLUSD stablecoin, and it could also attract new users to the stablecoin, which is currently one of the fastest-growing stablecoins. 

Доля владельцев криптовалют среди жителей Великобритании сократилась до 8%, сообщили авторы исследования, проведенного Управлением по финансовому надзору Великобритании (FCA) при участии платформы YouGov.

Работающий с криптовалютами Custodia Bank обратился в Десятый окружной апелляционный суд США с просьбой пересмотреть решение суда штата Вайоминг, поддержавшего отказ Федеральной резервной системы США предоставить необанку доступ к своим платежным системам.

As volatility weighs heavily on the market, fresh insights are shedding light on who is really driving activity in the XRP ecosystem. A crypto analyst has shared new observations, revealing that a specific demographic continues to dominate XRP trading activity. The analyst explained that this trend has held steady despite the cryptocurrency experiencing notable downside momentum, with prices sliding to new lows amid broader market uncertainty.

Analyst Says Whales Are Dominating XRP 

A recent analysis report by market expert Xaif Crypto suggests that whales remain the dominant demographic influencing price action. He shared a chart on X highlighting Spot Average Order Size on the XRP Ledger, showing normal, retail, and big and small whale orders. 

The analyst noted that the recent spike in XRP trading has been driven primarily by whales. According to his report, this trend has persisted despite the altcoin entering a period of short-term price weakness. The cryptocurrency has recently declined toward its lowest price levels this year, raising concerns among smaller investors. 

Xaif Crypto explained that this type of behavior from whales is often seen during market bottoming phases. He emphasized that large holders typically increase accumulation when prices are depressed and avoid aggressive buying once a strong uptrend is already underway. The analyst also noted that this strategy suggests whales may be positioning themselves ahead of a potential recovery in XRP’s price.

The continued presence of whales has also helped stabilize liquidity to some degree during the ongoing decline. While retail traders may hesitate amid falling prices, whale activity tends to prevent sharp breakdowns by absorbing significant selling pressure. 

Buying Sentiment Surges Amid Price Weakness

A CryptoQuant analyst who also highlighted that XRP’s trading activity continues to be dominated by whales has observed a notable change in the cryptocurrency’s Spot Taker CVD. According to the analyst’s report, XRP’s Spot Taker CVD has entered a taker-buy dominant trend. This shift suggests that aggressive buyers are now outweighing sellers, often interpreted as a sign of strengthening market sentiment and potential upside for price action.

These market changes follow XRP’s sharp drop, which has pushed its price below $2 for the first time in months. The cryptocurrency has struggled to break through resistance zones needed to establish new highs, keeping overall sentiment cautious among traders. 

At present, XRP is trading around $1.82, down more than 6% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. Over the past week, the cryptocurrency’s price has fallen by nearly 9%, adding to the broader bearish outlook. XRP’s year-to-date performance is also negative, with the cryptocurrency losing about 22% of its value so far. 

Despite these severe declines, buying activity has increased significantly. Additionally, daily trading volume has surged by more than 97%, suggesting renewed interest as whales continue to shape the market’s direction. 

Инвестиционный директор Bitwise Мэтт Хоуган (Matt Hougan) уверен, что биткоин больше не следует четырехлетней закономерности, согласно которой после проведения халвинга курс биткоина растет в течение нескольких лет, а затем крипторынок уходит в медвежий тренд.

Биткоин снова уперся в собственный парадокс: чем он ценнее как «база доверия», тем сильнее хочется использовать его не только как хранилище, но и как средство для платежей, DeFi и ончейн‑продуктов. И тут начинаются проблемы. Базовый слой Bitcoin по дизайну медленный, ограниченный по пропускной способности и дорогой в периоды перегрева. На нем далеко не уехать. Да, бывают окна «дешевого» мемпула — но рынок уже понял, что стабильная UX‑модель не строится на удаче.

В 2025‑м эта тема звучит еще громче из‑за дискуссии вокруг «комиссионного будущего» сети. Когда комиссии падают, пользователям приятно, майнерам — не очень, и это запускает неприятные вопросы о долгосрочной устойчивости модели безопасности после халвинга. Cointelegraph, ссылаясь на Galaxy Digital, писал, что дневные комиссии Bitcoin обвалились более чем на 80% относительно апреля 2024 года, а часть блоков фактически «почти бесплатная».

На этом фоне внимание к Bitcoin Layer 2 и инфраструктуре вокруг $BTC выглядит не модой, а прагматикой. Если ликвидность и доверие — в Bitcoin, то где будет исполняться «быстрый» финансовый слой? Именно поэтому такие истории, как Bitcoin Hyper, начинают собирать спрос еще до выхода продукта: рынок покупает не только токен, а ставку на архитектурный сдвиг — исполнение вне L1, финальная безопасность через L1.

КУПИТЬ BITCOIN HYPER

Почему нарратив Bitcoin Layer 2 снова возвращается в 2025 году

Ралли интереса к Bitcoin L2 подпитывается сразу двумя силами: UX и экономика. UX — потому что пользователи и билдеры привыкли к почти мгновенным подтверждениям и копеечным комиссиям в других экосистемах. Экономика — потому что «пустой мемпул» звучит хорошо до тех пор, пока вы не задаетесь вопросом: а что будет поддерживать рынок комиссий в долгую? Отсюда и рост обсуждений тезиса про перенос активности, которая генерирует комиссии и удерживает пользователей, в «надстройки» вокруг Bitcoin.

В конкурентном поле тоже происходит любопытное расслоение. Одни команды идут в сторону BitVM/zk‑нарративов и мостов, пытаясь минимизировать доверие к бриджам и повысить безопасность выхода в $BTC. Например, Citrea в 2025 году выкатывала крупные апгрейды тестнета и работала над BitVM‑основанной мостовой архитектурой, параллельно снижая комиссии на уровне системы.

Другие экосистемы делают ставку на «Bitcoin‑ориентированные» смарт‑контракты и ускорение исполнения транзакций поверх Bitcoin‑сеттламента (тот же Stacks исторически двигался в эту сторону через крупные апгрейды). В этом ландшафте Bitcoin Hyper — еще один вариант ставки, но с иной технической интонацией: скорость и девелоперский стек как главный крючок. И, если честно, именно это сейчас лучше всего «продается» разработчикам: меньше ожидания, больше результата.

Почему SVM на Bitcoin может стать настоящим магнитом спроса

У Bitcoin Hyper ставка предельно ясная (и слегка дерзкая): принести Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) в Bitcoin Layer 2 и получить исполнение смарт‑контрактов с экстремально низкой задержкой — проект прямо обещает производительность «быстрее, чем Solana». Это важно, потому что для DeFi, игр и высокочастотных сценариев задержка — не косметика, а экономика продукта: арбитраж, ликвидации, MEV‑динамика, UX в платежах. Чем быстрее «кухня» исполнения, тем выше потолок по сценариям.

Архитектурно месседж тоже попадает в нерв рынка: модульная схема, где Bitcoin L1 выступает базовым слоем, а реальные расчеты уносятся в L2. Да, у модели есть компромисс — заявлен single trusted sequencer с периодическим якорением состояния в L1. Риск тут очевиден: централизация последовательности транзакций и потенциальные точки отказа/цензуры на уровне секвенсора (как бы ни был красив мост и SDK). Но вот что многие упускают: на ранней стадии рынок часто покупает не «идеальную децентрализацию», а скорость выхода экосистемы и время до product‑market fit. Точнее — баланс: чуть меньше идеала сегодня, чтобы не потерять темп завтра.

Спрос на историю подкрепляется и цифрами: пресейл уже привлек $29,5 млн при цене токена $0,013435. Вдобавок данные по крупным адресам показывают две заметные покупки примерно на $396 тыс.; самая крупная транзакция — около $53 тыс. (19 ноября 2025 года). Это не гарантия роста, но сигнал: часть капитала явно хочет экспозицию к нарративу «Bitcoin L2 + быстрые смарт‑контракты». И да — для многих это выглядит логичнее, чем просто держать еще один «L1 ради L1».

Дальше будет решать не лозунг, а три метрики: качество бриджа для BTC‑перетоков, реально достижимая задержка/стоимость исполнения и способность привлечь билдеров (Rust‑ориентированный SDK тут играет в плюс). Для понимания полезно сравнить, что именно рынок «покупает» сейчас: технологию, бренд или ликвидность — см. список лучших монет на 2025 год.

Solana has been battling what some ecosystem builders are calling an internet-scale DDoS campaign — and, despite the usual “Solana is fragile” jokes, the network seems to be shrugging it off.

Pipe Network said of the ongoing attack via X today: “The ongoing DDoS attack on Solana is one of the largest in internet history. 6 Tbps volumetric attack translates to billions of packets per second. Under that kind of load, you’d normally expect rising latency, missed slots, or confirmation delays.”

Pipe further says that’s not what the data is showing. “Median tx confirmation ~450ms,” the team wrote, adding that p90 remains under 700ms and slot latency is holding at 0–1 slots. In other words, if you’re a regular user or trader, you might not even know anything’s happening. Which is kind of the point.

Reactions From The Solana Community

Raj Gokal, Solana Labs’ co-founder and COO, put it more bluntly in a reply to a broader DDoS debate: “have you heard about the ongoing DDOS against Solana that has had zero effect on performance?”

The backdrop here matters. Justin Bons had posted about Sui being DDoS’d yesterday, claiming it triggered “mass delays” and arguing that “127 validators is not enough,” with the broader warning: don’t let validator counts drift too low if you want a chain to be resilient.

Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius, largely agreed with the premise — but pushed back on the simplistic “more validators = solved” framing.

“I understand your point & mostly agree with you,” Mert wrote, before adding that “a chain is more resistant to DDoS with 100 professional high powered validators compared to 10k validators run by amateurs.” He also said there are scenarios where higher validator count can help, but emphasized it isn’t the core defense by itself. Then he dropped the key detail: Solana’s attack hasn’t been a one-day headline, it’s been going on for a while.

“And fyi there has been a colossal ddos attack on Solana for weeks now,” Mert wrote, later adding that Solana “has been under a colossal DDoS attack for at least over a week now btw” — and that the fact most users haven’t felt it is “a big testament to the level of engineering present here.”

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko chimed in with a more technical angle on why validator count can matter in specific leader-hand-off dynamics: “Validators count helps if the previous leader can finish their block while the current one is being hit. Then the cost of ddos approaches the cost of ddos the whole network.”

Translation: if an attacker wants to reliably disrupt block production, they may have to sustain pressure across more of the network, not just pick off a single leader at the wrong moment. That gets expensive fast.

SolanaFloor summed it up via X: “Solana has been under a sustained DDoS attack for the past week, peaking near 6 Tbps, the 4th largest attack ever recorded for any distributed system. Network data shows no impact, with sub second confirmations and stable slot latency. The Sui network was also targeted by a DDoS attack yesterday, resulting in delays in block production and periods of degraded network performance.”

And there’s a more strategic takeaway that’s starting to sound less theoretical each month: blockchains are now juicy targets. David Rhodus, founder of Permissionless Labs (and a contributor to Pipe Network), said: “This puts Solana among the most heavily DDoSed targets in internet history. It reinforces that blockchains are now Tier-1 DDoS targets. This is not “script kiddie” activity — 6 Tbps is industrial-scale.”

If you’re a validator, Mumtaz offered the practical advice you’d expect in a week like this: have backups across multiple hosting providers and regions. Because even if the chain holds, your own infrastructure might not.

The broader point, though, is the new baseline: these networks are getting stress-tested like mainstream internet services now. Solana’s claim today is that it passed — quietly, under load, and without users noticing. That’s the kind of victory that doesn’t look dramatic on a chart. It just […] works.

At press time, Solana traded at $126.

Кори Айринг, известный покерный игрок и автор популярного контента, запустил необычную рождественскую акцию для своей аудитории. Вместо классического фриролла он предложил подписчикам участие в конкурсе с общим призовым фондом $30 000, главным призом которого стали места в дорогих кеш-играх.

Проект реализуется при поддержке CoinPoker и уже привлек внимание нестандартным подходом к вовлечению игроков и прозрачной механикой отбора.

Как контент-мейкер и амбассадор CoinPoker превратил неудачи на крипторынке в покерный челлендж с реальными бай-инами по $10 000

В основе Christmas Freeroll лежит личная история самого Айринга. В начале года он поставил цель выйти на капитал в $1 млн и сделал крупную ставку на криптовалюты, инвестировав значительную часть своих средств в Bitcoin, Ethereum и Solana. Резкое падение рынка перечеркнуло эти планы, и Айринг оказался перед необходимостью искать альтернативный путь к цели.

В отличие от большинства инфлюенсеров, он не стал ограничиваться мотивационными заявлениями. Айринг решил вернуться в среду, где чувствует себя профессионалом, — в покер, и применить классическую модель бэкинга в необычном формате. Вместо поиска инвесторов он сделал ставку на собственных подписчиков, предложив им шанс сыграть на высоких лимитах за его счет.

Механика отбора построена на игре в кеш на платформе CoinPoker. Участники регистрируются с промокодом CE и играют раздачи в период с 6 по 25 декабря. В рамках акции разыгрываются два бай-ина по $10 000 для игры в The Lodge — техасском покер-руме, которым управляет Даг Полк. Еще $10 000 распределяются между финалистами в виде денежных призов.

Победители определяются в двух категориях. В зачете The Protege ключевую роль играют показатели эффективности и итоговый финансовый результат, тогда как The Grinder ориентирован на объем игры: самые активные участники выходят в отдельный мини-турнир, победитель которого получает второй хайстейкс-бай-ин. Организаторы отдельно подчеркивают, что в расчет принимается только честная игра, без попыток искусственно увеличить количество раздач.

Первый этап уже завершен. Победительницей категории The Protege стала подписчица по имени Кайла, которая получила место в реальной кеш-игре против опытных регуляров. Несмотря на отсутствие большого опыта в подобных составах, ей удалось завершить сессию с прибылью и на практике доказать, что формат работает не только на бумаге, но и за столом.

Вторая путевка пока остается открытой. Борьба за победу в The Grinder продолжается, а финальный турнир запланирован на конец декабря. Для многих участников это редкая возможность без личных вложений проверить себя в условиях, которые обычно доступны лишь профессионалам.

Заключение

Проект Кори Айринга показывает, как личный вызов может превратиться в масштабную медийную и игровую инициативу. Christmas Freeroll объединяет контент, живой покер и реальные деньги, предлагая аудитории не абстрактные обещания, а конкретный шанс сыграть на высоких лимитах.

Для CoinPoker это еще один шаг в сторону нестандартных форматов, а для игроков — возможность войти в хайстейкс через честный и прозрачный отбор.

According to a post by former Canaan (a Chinese tech company) executive Jianping Kong, Bitcoin’s estimated hashrate fell roughly 10% in a single day, sliding from about 1,053 TH/s to just under 943 TH/s.

Kong said the decline equated to roughly 100 TH/s to 110 TH/s lost since Sunday and blamed the change on mining farms in China’s Xinjiang region shutting down.

He wrote that “at least 400,000 machines” were taken offline, using an assumed rate of 250 TH/s per ASIC as his basis.

China Mining Instability

Based on reports, China remains a volatile source of hashrate. Before 2021, China supplied a majority of the network’s computing power. Now estimates place its share closer to 14% to 20% depending on the data provider.

Cheap power has drawn miners back, but political and regulatory swings can push large clusters off the grid with little warning.

Kong framed the recent shutdowns bluntly, saying the temporary loss hands an advantage to other countries, adding that “the US wins without lifting a finger.”

Impact On Network

Data recorded the drop from 1,053 TH/s to about 943 TH/s, a decline of just over 110 TH/s and roughly 10%. That kind of move can change mining conditions.

Blocks may be found a little slower until the next difficulty adjustment. The network’s total hashrate is always an estimate inferred from on-chain data, so exact figures are not precise, but the size of this swing is large enough to show how concentrated pockets of mining can still move global metrics.

Kong’s machine-count estimate — and the 250 TH/s-per-ASIC figure he used — are his calculations, not a confirmed inventory count from operators on the ground.

Bitcoin Mining Operations And Market Shifts

Reports have disclosed that US mining companies are expanding capacity as global hashrate reallocates.

Hut 8 announced it is building four new mining sites in Texas, Louisiana and Illinois, adding 1.5 gigawatts of power capacity.

American Bitcoin, a company tied to the Trump family, is now part of that growth story; the firm acquired a fleet of 16,299 Antminer U3S21EXPH units from Bitmain and its board includes Eric Trump, the second-eldest of US President Donald Trump’s three sons. These moves underline a clear shift in where large-scale mining is happening.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView