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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.

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. 

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. 

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

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson wants crypto to stop acting like it’s permanently stuck in 2021 brain.

In a Dec. 15 livestream titled “Some End of Year Thoughts,” the IOG CEO delivered a blunt year-end diagnosis of a market that, in his telling, lost its retail engine, let politics turn into a sideshow, and drifted back into the easiest (and laziest) narrative in the business: find the next 10x, then dump it on someone else.

“This has been a really [expletive] up year for our industry as a whole,” Hoskinson said from Colorado, describing 2025 as “a donkey of a year” — “an old donkey with a gas problem.”

Cardano’s Hoskinson Warns Of Retail Exodus

His first big complaint was structural, not emotional. The Cardano founder argued that institutional capital did arrive, but much of it got “locked into the Bitcoin layer,” and didn’t rotate into altcoins the way prior cycles did. “So we lost our trickle down effect that we enjoyed in 2021 and in 2017,” he said, framing it as a market-mechanics issue as much as a sentiment one.

Then he pivoted to politics. Hoskinson described a messy set of expectations heading into 2025 — hopes of a more constructive US regulatory posture, then disappointment as crypto became entangled in headline-grabbing memes and what he characterized as erratic signaling. He pointed to the launch of TRUMP coin at the inauguration (as he recounted it), followed by MELANIA, calling them “cash grab situations” that left the broader industry wearing the reputational fallout while still chasing regulatory relief.

The deeper problem, though, was retail. The Cardano founder argued the industry never rebuilt trust after the 2022 wipeout, and that 2025 didn’t offer a compelling reason for everyday participants to come back beyond speculative churn. “Retail showed up in 2021… and then they got screwed again and again and again,” he said. “And now you want them to come back so you can do it again. Will they? No.”

That sets up his core pitch for 2026: a reset framed as a return to “first principles,” with less reliance on governments, celebrity catalysts, or “the cavalry.” His language wasn’t subtle. “No government is coming to save us. No large company is coming to save us. No large investor is coming to save us,” he said. “We are on the island.”

He also tied that reset to a broader, darker worldview — AI, robotics, and a society he worries will drift into a “dystopian hellscape” without credible systems for agency, ownership, and verification. Whether you buy that framing or not, it’s clearly the rhetorical engine he wants crypto to run on: less number-go-up, more “what are we actually building, and who does it help?”

Hoskinson didn’t completely let his own camp off the hook, either. He acknowledged missed predictions — including his past expectation that bitcoin would reach $250,000 in 2025 — and the ongoing criticism he gets for timelines.

“I honestly believed [Bitcoin] would be back in December of 2024. Because I believed that Trump would be good for crypto. I was wrong. I believed it and I was wrong. I’ll admit that. But I do believe in 2026 there’s a path for it to get there. And I do believe we as an industry will pivot and return to retail and rebuild those relationships and get it done. It’ll be a difficult road, but I see a path to make that happen. Leios will ship. We know how to do it. We wrote all the code down. We got it done,” Hoskinson said.

Some End of Year Thoughts https://t.co/oFWWeKPmRU

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) December 15, 2025

Towards the end, he tried to anchor the “reset” in concrete ecosystem moments, pointing to Midnight’s launch mechanics as an example of retail-first distribution and highlighting heavy trading activity around the token. “The bullshit’s over,” he said. “We’re back to work… in 2026 it’s a return to first principles.”

At press time, Cardano traded at $0.3843.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recently sparked a wave of criticism from traditional finance groups following its approval of conditional bank charters for five cryptocurrency firms: Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Paxos, and Fidelity. 

Stablecoins Seen As Direct Threat

Following the OCC’s announcement, industry stakeholders quickly voiced their concerns. Traditional banks expressed apprehension that these approvals stretch the definition and historical purpose of the national trust bank charter. 

Rebeca Romero Rainey, president and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America, stated that the conditional approvals endanger consumers and create institutions that the OCC may not effectively manage. 

She further remarked that the new framework allows stablecoin operators access to the federal banking system without the rigorous capital and regulatory requirements that traditional banks must uphold.

Todd Phillips, a professor at Georgia State University and former attorney with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, also noted that stablecoins pose a direct threat to the conventional banking model. 

He remarked that banks are reacting aggressively to counter this emerging competition from stablecoins, which are perceived as encroaching on their market share.

In defense of the OCC’s actions, Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould emphasized the benefits of new entrants in the federal banking sector, asserting that they would introduce fresh products and services while enhancing competition. He views this as a positive move for consumers and the broader banking industry.

Banks Raise Alarm Over OCC’s Crypto Trust Charters

One key difference between trust banks and conventional banks is their inability to accept deposits or make loans. Nonetheless, banks are wary that these newly chartered firms may venture beyond merely holding assets to back stablecoins. 

Rob Nichols, president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, expressed concern that this expansion of the trust charter blurs the lines defining banking activities and could lead to regulatory arbitrage.

The Bank Policy Institute (BPI) also raised questions about the OCC’s approval process, urging transparency to help the public understand the rationale behind these decisions. Greg Baer, the BPI’s president and CEO, emphasized the need for clarity around the applications.

The current conditional approvals for crypto trust banks present a more viable litigation landscape than earlier fintech charters, according to Andrew Grant, co-founder of Runway Group, a consultancy focused on financial technology. 

Many banks are reportedly unhappy about the momentum of the OCC’s recent decisions, suggesting they may take steps to introduce regulatory friction against these new entrants.

Furthermore, the provisions of the GENIUS Act permit the establishment of national banks without deposit insurance, which complicates the ability of traditional banks to mount effective legal challenges against the approved cryptocurrency firms. 

Todd Baker, a senior fellow at the Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy at Columbia Business School, noted that while litigation may yield some restrictions on crypto-related activities, it is unlikely to impact stablecoin issuance, redemption, or custody.

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

North Korean-linked hackers are using fake Zoom calls to drain crypto wallets in what security researchers say has become a near-daily threat to the cryptocurrency community. According to multiple security reports, the campaign has already netted roughly $300 million in stolen funds and shows few signs of slowing.

Fake Zoom Meetings Used To Drain Wallets

According to Security Alliance (SEAL) and other researchers, attackers first contact targets through messaging apps such as Telegram. They then invite victims to a video call that looks legitimate.

During the call, the impostors claim there is a problem with sound or video and offer a “fix” — a file or a link that appears to be an official update. When the victim runs the file, malware installs and begins stealing credentials, browser data, and crypto keys.

Several attacks are reported every day, and many follow the same pattern. Researchers say these staged calls let attackers bypass normal caution because people tend to trust someone they see on camera.

SEAL is tracking multiple DAILY attempts by North Korean actors utilizing “Fake Zoom” tactics for spreading malware as well as escalating their access to new victims.

Social engineering is at the root of the attack. Read the thread below for pointers on how to stay secure. https://t.co/2SQGdtPKGx

— Security Alliance (@_SEAL_Org) December 13, 2025

NimDoor, Other Malware Strains Target macOS And Wallets

Based on reports, one strain tied to these schemes is NimDoor, a macOS backdoor that can harvest keychain items, browser-stored passwords, and messaging data.

Security teams link NimDoor and related tools to BlueNoroff, a group connected to the Lazarus Group network. BlueNoroff has a long record of attacking crypto firms and exchanges.

Once the malware is in place, wallets have been emptied within minutes. Victims often discover the theft only after seeing outgoing transactions on the blockchain.

Deepfakes And Calendar Invites Make Scams More Convincing

Researchers warn that attackers are not simply using fake names. They are also deploying AI-assisted deepfake video and voice tools to impersonate executives or known contacts.

Attackers sometimes send calendar invites that look like genuine meeting requests from platforms such as Calendly, directing targets to attacker-controlled Zoom links.

The level of social engineering makes the calls seem urgent and official, which reduces the time victims take to question what they are being asked to install.

Attackers Target Individuals And Small Firms Alike

Reports have disclosed that victims include individual traders, startup employees, and small teams at crypto companies. Losses are concentrated but widespread, with estimates around $300,000,000.

Some victims have lost funds tied to browser wallets and hot wallets; others had recovery phrases captured and used to drain accounts.

Security teams urge quick action when a suspicious update is offered during a remote session: They warn not to run it, verify separately, and treat unsolicited meeting fixes as high risk.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin treasury company Strategy has announced its latest purchase, taking its total investment in BTC beyond the $50 billion milestone.

Strategy Has Added 10,645 BTC With The Latest Acquisition

As announced by Strategy co-founder and chairman Michael Saylor in a new X post, the company has completed another big Bitcoin acquisition. With this new purchase, it has added 10,645 BTC to its reserves, spending $92,098 per token or $980.3 million in total.

The buy has come just a week after Strategy made another acquisition of a similar level. More specifically, the purchase last Monday saw 10,624 BTC entering the treasury company at a cost basis of $963 million. This buy was the firm’s largest since July, and the latest one is even bigger.

On the Monday coinciding with the start of December, Strategy only added a small amount of Bitcoin to its holdings (130 BTC) and a newly announced $1.44 billion USD reserve instead took the spotlight. Saylor noted that the reserve will better equip the company to navigate short-term market volatility.

The mega BTC buys in the two weeks that have followed since then suggest that despite the existence of the USD reserve, the cryptocurrency is still the priority for the treasury firm.

According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the new 10,645 BTC acquisition occurred in the period between December 8th and 14th, and was funded using sales of Strategy’s STRF, STRK, STRD, and MSTR at-the-market stock offerings.

The treasury company now holds a total of 671,268 BTC, with an acquisition cost of $50.33 billion. At the current exchange rate, the firm’s holdings are worth $57.56 billion, putting it in a net profit of over 14%.

The new purchase means that 2025 has overtaken 2024 in terms of the USD amount invested by Strategy into Bitcoin, as the chart shared by CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn showcases.

From the graph, it’s visible that the difference between the two years isn’t much right now, but 2025 still has a couple of weeks to go. It only remains to be seen whether Strategy will buy more in the coming days and if so, whether the purchases will be similar in size to the latest two.

Despite the scale of the acquisition, Bitcoin has plummeted following Strategy’s new announcement, taking both this week’s and last week’s massive purchases into the red.

The latest decline in the cryptocurrency has also come despite the fact that the spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) witnessed a net amount of inflows during the past week, according to data from SoSoValue.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $86,000, down around 4.5% over the last seven days.

According to reports, the UK Treasury will extend existing finance laws to cover cryptoasset firms, with the new rules set to take effect in October 2027.

This means exchanges, wallet providers and other crypto service companies will move beyond current anti-money-laundering registration and into the same regulatory space as banks and brokers.

Regulators To Apply Existing Rules

Based on statements from ministers and officials, the Financial Conduct Authority will be the main supervisor for the sector. Firms will be required to meet standards on reporting, governance and customer protections similar to those applied in traditional finance.

The shift is described as bringing clarity for businesses that want to operate long term in the UK, while giving regulators tools to act against fraud and market abuse.

UK TO REGULATE CRYPTO UNDER FINANCIAL LAW FROM 2027

– The UK will bring cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin under full financial regulation from 2027, placing crypto alongside traditional financial products, per Reuters.

– The Treasury plans to extend existing financial laws to… pic.twitter.com/RhWK96NN51

— BSCN (@BSCNews) December 15, 2025

Consumer Safeguards And Market Integrity

Reports have disclosed that one of the core aims is stronger consumer protection. Officials say the changes will help block bad actors and reduce scams, and that the Treasury is also considering tighter rules around political donations made with crypto. The move follows a series of high-profile fraud cases and growing public concern about safety in crypto markets.

The road to full regulation will be gradual. The Treasury has circulated draft legislation and ministers expect complementary rules from the FCA and the Bank of England to be ready by the end of 2026, ahead of the legal regime going live in 2027. Consultations and regulatory sandboxes are under way, giving firms time to adjust.

How This Compares Internationally

Based on reports, the UK’s plan is being framed more like the US approach than the EU’s Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA), which was introduced in 2024.

Officials say closer alignment with US practice should help international firms that operate across borders, but it also raises questions about how UK rules will differ from both US and EU requirements in practice.

A draft bill has been prepared and it has had only minor edits since first being published, according to government sources.

Industry responses are mixed: some firms welcome the certainty, while lawyers and trade groups want clearer detail on how existing conduct rules will apply to crypto business models. The FCA is running targeted workstreams, including tests for stablecoin issuers and custody providers.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ripple, Solana, and XRP are converging at a pivotal moment as Ripple formally repositions XRP for a multichain future that extends well beyond a single partnership. At the Solana Breakpoint event, Ripple leadership outlined how integrating XRP into Solana’s ecosystem represents a strategic inflection point for the asset’s utility, liquidity profile, and long-term relevance within decentralized finance. The move signals a clear transition from chain-specific execution toward cross-ecosystem scalability, with XRP positioned as a portable liquidity layer rather than a siloed network token.

Ripple’s Strategic Play At Solana Breakpoint

The vision of a Ripple-Solana integration was shared on December 13, 2025, by Luke Judges, Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead, during a presentation at Solana Breakpoint, one of the industry’s most influential conferences focused on blockchain performance and ecosystem collaboration. Judges made it explicit that Ripple’s roadmap no longer treats the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as the sole environment for XRP’s growth. Instead, the company is executing a deliberate multichain strategy designed to embed XRP directly into high-activity DeFi ecosystems.

Central to this announcement was the introduction of wXRP, a wrapped version of XRP that will operate on the Solana network. The initiative is supported by Hex Trust, which handles custody and issuance, and LayerZero, which provides the cross-chain messaging infrastructure. Importantly, wXRP maintains a 1:1 backing with native XRP, ensuring holders retain full price exposure while gaining access to Solana-based applications. This structure allows Ripple to expand XRP’s reach without diluting its underlying value proposition.

Judges emphasized that the integration is aimed at practical market outcomes rather than experimentation. By placing XRP inside Solana’s high-throughput environment, Ripple is targeting deeper liquidity, higher transaction velocity, and sustained demand from users already active in decentralized trading and lending.

XRP Enters A Multichain Era

Ripple’s expansion of XRP into multiple networks marks a shift toward broader blockchain interoperability. Against this backdrop, the operational impact of wXRP becomes clearer. By bringing XRP onto Solana, Ripple is enabling direct participation across decentralized exchanges, lending and borrowing markets, and liquidity protocols. This expansion unlocks yield strategies and advanced trading instruments that were previously out of reach for XRP holders operating solely within the XRP Ledger. At the same time, wallet integrations such as Phantom, which serves roughly 20 million users, significantly extend XRP’s accessibility and day-to-day usability within Solana’s ecosystem.

Beyond Solana, Ripple has made clear that this is a template, not an endpoint. Judges confirmed that similar cross-chain deployments are planned for Ethereum, Optimism, HyperEVM, and other networks aligned with Ripple’s broader DeFi and RLUSD strategy. 

That long-term architecture is anchored by the XRP Ledger itself, a point reinforced by J. Ayo Akinyele, Head of Engineering at RippleX. As activity and liquidity extend across multiple chains, XRPL remains the stable foundation supporting these integrations. Through this strategy, Ripple positions XRP as a cross-ecosystem settlement and liquidity asset, capable of supporting multiple networks while anchored by the stability of XRPL.

Tether has seen its Juventus buyout attempt rejected as majority stakeholder Exor has told the stablecoin giant its share is not for sale.

Tether Fails To Acquire Premier Italian Football Club Juventus

On Friday, Tether announced that it had submitted a proposal to acquire Juventus, one of the biggest football brands in the world. The stablecoin firm had previously acquired a 10% minority stake in the club, and with this new plan, it had intended to execute a full buyout.

The first stage had included a proposal to Exor, the holding company of the Agnelli family and majority stakeholder of Juventus. According to Reuters, Tether had offered the firm 2.66 euros per share, a notable premium above the then closing price of 2.19 euros.

In a press release, Exor has responded to Tether, saying that its board has unanimously rejected the bid for its 65.4% controlling stake in Juventus. “Exor reaffirms its previous, consistent statements that it has no intention of selling any of its shares in Juventus to a third party, including but not restricted to El Salvador-based Tether,” noted the company.

Founded in 1897, Juventus has established itself as one of the biggest football clubs globally, with a particularly memorable period of success coming during the 2010s, in which it won nine consecutive titles in the Serie A, the first division of Italian football.

With Exor turning down the deal, the USDT issuer will have to reconsider its approach to the club popularly dubbed as The Old Lady. So far, Tether hasn’t issued any statements in answer.

In the original announcement, Tether had announced that if the firm is able to acquire Exor’s stake, it will move to acquire the remaining shares of the club through a public tender offer at the same share price. This would put the total valuation of Juventus at about $1.17 billion.

Tether had also noted that in the event that the transaction is completed, it will also be prepared to invest 1 billion euros in the football club. “Tether is in a position of strong financial health and intends to support Juventus with stable capital and a long horizon,” said CEO Paolo Ardoino.

While The Old Lady enjoyed a strong period in the last decade, the 2020s haven’t been as kind. Since the 2019-20 season title win, Juventus hasn’t come close to becoming the Italian champion, with its best finish being third place during the 2023-24 season. Juventus also became part of a financial scandal in 2023, with Serie A punishing it with a 10-point deduction for false accounting. Thus, Tether’s interest has arrived when the club has been in a bit of a slump.

USDT, Tether’s stablecoin, has been experiencing growth recently, with its market cap hitting a new record of $186.23 billion, according to data from DefiLlama.

Bitcoin Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $89,700, down 2.5% over the last week.

US-listed spot XRP ETFs just put together a streak that’s hard to ignore: 19 straight trading days of net inflows, with zero outflow sessions over the run, according to daily flow data compiled by Sosovalue.

The numbers add up quickly. By Dec. 12, cumulative net inflows sat at $974.50 million, while total net assets across the products were shown at roughly $1.18 billion.

XRP ETFs Log 19 Straight Trading Days Of Inflows

The early days did most of the heavy lifting. Sosovalue’s table shows $243.05 million of net inflow on Nov. 14, then another surge on Nov. 24 ($164.04 million). There were also chunky adds on Nov. 20 ($118.15 million) and Dec. 1 ($89.65 million). Even as the pace cooled, inflows didn’t flip—Dec. 8 posted $38.04 million, and Dec. 12 added another $20.17 million.

On X, Bitmern Mining founder and CEO Giannis Andreou framed it bluntly today: “19 consecutive trading days of inflows. Zero outflow days. Nearly $1B in net capital added.” He called it “sustained institutional positioning,” not retail froth.

That “institutional bid” angle is also showing up in the asset rankings. In a Dec. 13 post, Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg pointed to a separate snapshot of the US crypto ETP landscape showing XRP products now edging out Solana by total assets under management.

Bloomberg Intelligence data in the chart puts XRP ETP assets at about $1.638 billion, just ahead of Solana at $1.566 billion, in a market where Bitcoin still towers over everything at $125.425 billion and Ethereum sits at $22.019 billion.

McClurg’s explanation for the flip was less about Solana underperforming and more about where each asset “fits” in the wrapper trade.

“SOL ETFs launched before XRP, but XRP ETFs have now passed SOL in total AUM. I expected this,” McClurg wrote, adding “SOL is much more efficient to hold on-chain and to stake directly for retail audiences, whereas XRP has more institutional demand and no staking. As with everything, there will be an audience that prefers direct ownership, and an audience that prefers the ease of financial instruments. Some will do both.”

Notably, from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $287 million for the week, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw weekly net inflows of $209 million. SOL spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $33.6 million.

At press time, XRP once again fell below the $2 mark. The token traded at $1.98 and thus at the key support zone. A drop below the red support band could strengthen the bear case for a deeper crash to the 100-week or even 200-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA). XRP visited the latter during the October 10 crash.

Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto market enter the week facing a series of events that could shape short-term price action. Key macroeconomic data, policy signals, and sector-specific developments are set to test market sentiment and influence volatility across major digital assets. Traders and investors are closely watching how these events unfold, as shifting expectations around inflation and liquidity could determine whether the market recovers or extends its downside pressure. 

Events Set To Move Bitcoin And Crypto Market This Week

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market face a pivotal week, with several high-impact economic events lining up just days before Christmas. With year-end liquidity thinning and the recent market downturn, price reactions to macro developments could be more volatile than usual.

The period from December 16 to 19 features key US economic data releases alongside global policy decisions that directly influence risk sentiment. Cryptocurrencies remain highly sensitive to shifts in interest rate expectations and dollar liquidity, making this week decisive for Bitcoin’s near-term direction.

On December 16, October retail sales data and the November US Jobs Report are scheduled for release. These data provide insight into consumer strength and labor market conditions, both of which influence the extent to which monetary policy may remain restrictive. Usually, stronger retail spending or job growth could reinforce expectations that interest rates stay higher for longer. This risk scenario often pressures Bitcoin and other crypto assets as tighter financial conditions tend to reduce speculative capital flows. 

Next are the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data and the December Philly Fed Manufacturing Index, due on December 18. Notably, inflation remains one of the most influential drivers for crypto markets. If inflation comes in stronger than expected, the US dollar could strengthen, weighing on Bitcoin prices. Conversely, softer inflation data may support risk assets by improving the outlook for Quantitative Easing (QE). 

December 19 will see the release of several key economic reports, including the National Core CPI year over year, November existing home sales, the revised UoM consumer sentiment, and inflation expectations. National Core CPI is especially important as it is the primary measure of underlying inflation and often triggers market volatility. 

US FED And Japan Monetary Policy Events 

At the December 18-19 monetary policy meeting, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to announce its interest rate decision, which could affect global liquidity conditions. In a recent speech, Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that the BOJ was weighing the advantages and drawbacks of raising interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75%. If a spike occurs, it could affect risk markets, including cryptocurrency.

In addition, five US Federal Reserve speaker events are scheduled this week. Their comments and insights could quickly reshape crypto market expectations. Last week, the FED cut rates by 25 basis points at its final 2025 FOMC meeting, bringing the new US interest rate to 3.50-3.75%. This rate cut triggered a surprising sell off, underscoring significant impact on Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.