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Ethereum’s network activity seems to be moving in an opposite direction to its current price performance. While the price of ETH has been experiencing waning action in recent days, the leading network has continued to attract notable participation and usage within the broader cryptocurrency landscape.

User Base On Ethereum Keeps Expanding

Even in a volatile crypto and macro environment, the Ethereum network has managed to maintain an upside trajectory. Once again, the network is showing quiet but significant expansion while the price of ETH persistently struggles to post another notable upward movement.

A report from Coin Bureau reveals that behind the day-to-day price fluctuations, there is a steady rise in network activity. The rise in network activity is driven by an expanding user base, signaling that participation across the ETH ecosystem is deepening rather than fading.

According to the expert, Ethereum‘s user base is still expanding as the number of active addresses on the network is continuously increasing. Data shows that the overall number of active addresses has surpassed the 275 million landmark. This steady rise in active addresses coincides with ongoing market volatility, making it a crucial development to watch in the upcoming days due to its potential to influence the market trajectory.

From Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and staking to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs )and Layer 2 activities, the expanding user base indicates that the foundations of ETH are still solid. Such resilience strengthens the network’s role as the foundation for the development of smart contract adoption.

ETH Network Activity Growth Reaches Untouched Levels

In 2025, the Ethereum network witnessed one of its sharpest growths in the past few years. As the year comes to an end, Leon Waidmann, a market expert and head of research at On-Chain Foundation, revealed that the ETH mainnet recently hit a new all-time high in network activity, underlining the blockchain’s relevance.

After months of steady growth, the leading network is now processing more transactions and computations than it has ever done since its existence. This level of processing power reflects a notable demand for application creation on the blockchain and a real user base.

Waidmann highlighted that layer 2s did not drain activity from Ethereum; instead, the projects expanded it, strengthening the network’s scalability. In addition, more economic activity is being settled on the blockchain than at any other time in its history, which paints a bullish 2026 for ETH and its expanding ecosystem.

As transaction counts rise and user engagement increases, the milestone indicates more than just short-term momentum. Meanwhile, this growth is shaping how the market views ETH’s current phase, which highlights a blockchain that is thriving despite evolving market conditions.

Despite recent waning price action, Milk Road still believes that ETH could close December in green even after one of its toughest quarters in recent years. Milk Road prediction is supported by the fact that some of ETH’s strongest months and rebound quarters have occurred following periods of heavy quarterly selling.

Thus, December ending on a positive note is possible. However, the more noteworthy question is what comes after. In the past, periods like these have often served as the reset period prior to strong recovery efforts.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is struggling amid increased market volatility and choppy price action. With the final days of the Fourth Quarter (Q4) approaching fast, technical analysts point to weakness in DOGE’s price structure, noting that the meme coin has already fallen 50% and may be gearing up for further correction. If this happens, Dogecoin could end the year in the red, failing to reclaim former highs. 

Dogecoin Set To End Q4 In The Red After 50% Crash

Crypto analyst KrissPax has shared a new Dogecoin price analysis on X, warning that the meme coin may end the Fourth Quarter of 2025 in deep recession. According to the analyst, the Dogecoin price has already crashed roughly 50% in Q4, reflecting sustained weakness after a brief period of stability in October.

KrissPax explained in his post that Dogecoin initially showed resilience at the start of October, as price action respected an upward-sloping support trendline. That structure broke decisively during the October 10 flash crash and liquidation event, which the analyst noted was a leverage sweep that marked a significant shift in market behavior.

Since the devastating event, the analyst has stated that Dogecoin has steadily moved lower with no meaningful recovery. Although the meme coin has attempted to break out of its downtrend over the past few months, its weak price action and negative market sentiment have contained any strong bullish rally. 

KrissPax has also highlighted the meme coin’s repeated loss of critical support levels, suggesting deeper structural weakness rather than a temporary price pullback. This weakness is clearly reflected in Dogecoin’s price action. According to CoinMarketCap data, DOGE is currently trading at $0.126, down 15% over the past month, and more than 60% year-to-date. 

What The Chart Says

In his analysis, KrissPax shared a detailed price chart that reflects Dogecoin’s bearishness throughout the year. The market analyst disclosed that he had tracked the meme coin’s price movements through multiple support zones, including the purple, red, and brown ranges—all of which have failed to hold. 

After the October 10 crash, Dogecoin struggled to reclaim the broken support trendline, confirming it as resistance rather than a base for an uptrend continuation. One of the most significant signals highlighted on the chart by the analyst is the Death Cross formation. This technical pattern is often associated with extended downward trends and bearish market sentiment. 

After Dogecoin formed a Death Cross, its price continued to trend lower for months. The chart also showed multiple consolidation ranges that ultimately broke to the downside. Each period of sideways movement was followed by another price decline, suggesting heavy distribution rather than accumulation during these pauses. The repeated failure of key support zones further indicates that DOGE buyers were unable to prevent further declines even as selling pressure persisted. 

Robinhood, an American financial services company, has kicked off a holiday gifting event that lets users earn free Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and other rewards through daily giveaways. The promotion is expected to run for six days and reward all users who participate in the countdown on the official app.

Robinhood Gifts Free Bitcoin And Dogecoin To Users

In the spirit of giving, Robinhood has launched a special holiday promotion offering users free cryptocurrency and other rewards through a countdown event called Hood Holidays. Running from December 26 to 31, the program delivers daily prizes to lucky participants who are on the App’s countdown screen when each Sweepstakes ends.

The Hood Holiday event is part of Robinhood’s effort to engage all of its users during the holiday season. The promotion spans six days and includes prizes totalling $7 million. Robinhood announced that, excluding Bitcoin and Dogecoin distributions, they will deliver grand prizes such as a trip to Hawaii and smaller awards like AirPods, providing a mix of traditional and digital rewards. 

Notably, users can claim their rewards by participating in the daily countdown on the App. They must be present on the countdown screen at the specified end time, 8:30 PM ET, to secure their prizes. Eligible participants receive a direct allocation of BTC or DOGE, which is automatically distributed to their Robinhood wallet account after winners are confirmed. 

Robinhood has revealed that on the first day of the event, eligible users were awarded five grand prizes valued at $17,500, 1,000 first prizes of $129, and $500,000 in Dogecoin. From day two, Gold members gained access to higher-value prizes. They were offered five grand prizes of $17,150, 1,000 first prizes of $275, and $750,000 in BTC shared among the remaining participants. Day three will see $850,000 in Ethereum (ETH) distributed to winners and other gifts.  

Day four is expected to feature Solana (SOL) rewards and other prizes, while Day five opens again to all users and awards $1 million in XRP to entrants. The final day is reserved for Gold members and includes a grand prize of $164,900, $1.5 million in Bitcoin distributed to participants, and other rewards. Robinhood has stated that prizes will be fulfilled 8-10 weeks after winners are confirmed, and each user is limited to one prize a day. 

Participants Face Glitches During Hood Holidays Giveaway

On the first day of Robinhood’s Hood Holidays event, many users reported being unable to access the activity on the application or reveal their gifts. Some participants disclosed experiencing frozen screens, failed loading, app errors, and glitches.  

Due to the severity of the technical problems, Robinhood had taken to X to assure users that the issue would be resolved and that participants from day one would receive their gifts. They revealed that the errors were due to high traffic and that regular updates will be delivered directly to users in the app.

Bitcoin’s price may be showcasing slight upward movement, but the overall outlook is still quite bearish considering the volatile state of the broader cryptocurrency market. Even with the flagship asset trading below the $90,000 price mark for the past few weeks, expectations for another huge rally remain solid in the hearts of major investors as they lean toward an upside position.

Big Money Bets On Bitcoin Are Sharply Returning

A recent view into the action of investors shows that the Bitcoin market is entering a decisive phase where sentiment could trigger the next potential move. After months of range-bound trading and recurrent responses to macro news, a deeper structural shift is now taking place among BTC investors.

Currently, large investors regarded as whales are demonstrating robust bullish sentiment toward the flagship asset. CW, a data analyst and crypto investor, shared that the cohort is massively opening long positions once again after examining the key BTC Whale vs. Retail Delta metric.

With the massive long positions coinciding with changes in liquidity, investors’ action, and on-chain activity, this suggests that the shift could be more than just short-term noise. This is because such a strong desire for bullish moves has the potential to redefine momentum across the market in the upcoming weeks.

According to the expert, these deep-pocket investors are largely building long positions in anticipation of a possible renewed upward trend in the price of Bitcoin. It is worth noting that long positions opened by the cohort reached their peak when BTC’s price dropped to around the $80,000 level. 

CW stated that this robust newfound buying trend has continued ever since. To address market fears and confusion, the expert highlighted that whale holders leaning toward long positions are a bullish signal for the crypto king generally. 

In a broader view, the chart shared by CW shows that large BTC investors have been concentrating more on upside bets than downside bets since July 2024. This trend points to sustained conviction among the cohort in BTC’s long-term prospects.

Whales And Retail Holders Are Now Buying More BTC

Bullish sentiment appears to have returned across the overall Bitcoin market, as big and small investors move in a similar bullish trajectory once again. CW revealed in another post that large and smart retail investors are now buying BTC at the same time, suggesting growing confidence beneath the surface.

Interestingly, this dynamic historically preceded phases of increased volatility and directional certainty. Furthermore, the synchronized accumulation indicates that investors on various scales might be preparing for a potential significant upswing in BTC’s price.

Amid the development, the resumption of retail investors’ buying activity is particularly noteworthy. Meanwhile, CW noted that only seasoned investors are still participating, which implies that the market is getting close to the beginning of a rally.

According to reports, Mirae Asset Group is in advanced talks to buy Korbit, South Korea’s long-running crypto exchange, in a deal valued at about 100 billion to 140 billion won — roughly $70 million to $100 million.

The memorandum of understanding was reportedly signed through Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate outside the group’s regulated financial arm, as part of the preliminary purchase talks.

Mirae Asset Signs MOU With Major Shareholders

Sources say the agreement covers most of the stakes held by NXC and SK Planet, which together control the firm. Korbit’s ownership is reported at about 60.5% for NXC (the Nexon holding company) and 31.5% for SK Planet, with Mirae Asset negotiating to buy those shares.

Korbit’s Position In South Korea’s Market

Korbit is described as the fourth-largest exchange in South Korea, but its trading volume is small compared with the market leaders. Reports put its market share under 1%, while Upbit and Bithumb continue to handle the bulk of local trading.

According to The Chosun Daily, Mirae Asset Group is in talks to acquire Korbit, South Korea’s fourth-largest crypto exchange. Mirae Asset Consulting has signed an MOU with major shareholders. Korbit is currently ~60.5% owned by NXC and subsidiaries, with SK Square holding ~31.5%.…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 28, 2025

Why A Big Financial Group Is Interested

Based on reports, Mirae Asset sees two practical advantages: first, buying an existing, licensed operator gives faster access to regulated crypto business lines.

Second, using a non-financial affiliate helps the group navigate rules that restrict direct involvement by banks and insurers in virtual asset trading.

Industry observers have flagged that a licensed exchange — even a small one — can be valuable to a large financial house aiming to offer custody or trading services under local rules.

Regulatory Hurdles And Next Steps

Regulators are expected to review any final deal, and no confirmation has been issued by either Mirae Asset or Korbit as of reporting.

MIRAE ASSET IN TALKS TO ACQUIRE KOREA’S CRYPTO EXCHANGE KORBIT FOR $100 MILLION

Mirae Asset is reportedly negotiating a $100 million acquisition of South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Korbit, signaling continued interest from major financial institutions in expanding their… pic.twitter.com/RlZbeLIS05

— Crypto Town Hall (@Crypto_TownHall) December 29, 2025

Antitrust checks, banking relationship transfers, and compliance reviews would be part of the close if negotiations move forward. Market participants say that until formal filings are made, talks should be treated as preliminary.

If the purchase completes, a major financial player would own a licensed exchange — a move that might encourage other traditional firms to consider similar deals.

For Korbit, new ownership could mean an influx of capital and a push to rebuild competitive footing. For users, the change could bring stronger compliance and perhaps new product offerings, but it would be unlikely to shift the overall market share picture quickly given the dominance of the top two exchanges.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong argued that Bitcoin ultimately strengthens the US dollar by acting as a market-based constraint on fiscal and monetary excess, framing the asset as a “check and balance” that could help the US retain reserve-currency credibility.

In a Dec. 28 post on X accompanied by a short voice recording, Armstrong pushed back on the idea that Bitcoin is inherently a threat to the dollar. “Bitcoin is good for USD,” he wrote, saying it “It creates competition in a way that’s healthy for the dollar, which helps to provide a check and balance against high inflation and deficit spending.”

Bitcoin is good for USD.

It creates competition in a way that’s healthy for the dollar, which helps to provide a check and balance against high inflation and deficit spending. pic.twitter.com/iHjQCJVqCb

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) December 28, 2025

Bitcoin Acts As A Check On Dollar Inflation

Armstrong’s core claim is that the existence of a credible alternative store of value increases the political and economic cost of letting inflation or debt dynamics deteriorate. In the recording, he said that if the US veers into “too much deficit spending or inflation,” capital can “flee to Bitcoin in times of uncertainty,” creating external pressure on policymakers and, by extension, a stronger incentive to maintain currency stability.

He situated the argument inside a broader critique of budgeting incentives in democratic systems. “Democracies around the world, including the United States… are trying to figure out how to fix deficit spending,” he said, adding that “the incentives are just not aligned to actually balance the budget.” The implication, as Armstrong laid it out, is not that Bitcoin repairs those incentives directly, but that it makes ignoring them more costly by offering an exit valve when credibility erodes.

Armstrong also tied reserve-currency status to the relationship between inflation and real growth. “It might be okay to have 2% to 3% inflation if the economy is growing 2% to 3%,” he said. But if “inflation outstrips the growth of the economy,” Armstrong warned the US could “eventually lose the reserve currency status,” which he described as “a massive blow” to the country.

He added a geopolitical layer, arguing that reserve-currency privilege is not static. “China, these other superpowers are coming in trying to compete for that over time,” Armstrong said, positioning monetary credibility as an axis of long-run strategic competition.

The conclusion he offered was a reframing of Bitcoin’s role: less an adversary to the dollar than a disciplining force that could lengthen the runway for US financial leadership. “So I actually think in a strange way, Bitcoin is helping extend the American experiment,” he said.

Armstrong’s comments land in the middle of a growing debate inside crypto about whether Bitcoin’s maturation makes it a parallel system or a pressure mechanism within existing ones. If his framing resonates, it could reinforce an emerging narrative among institutional allocators and policy-adjacent crypto advocates: that Bitcoin’s competitive presence may be compatible with, rather than corrosive to, dollar dominance, so long as it keeps signaling costs when confidence starts to slip.

At press time, BTC traded at $87,604.

Bitcoin’s network has become slightly harder to mine, with the latest difficulty rising to a little over 148 trillion. Block times are currently averaging about 9.95 minutes, a little below the network’s 10-minute goal, prompting the adjustment to slow mining slightly.

Projected Difficulty Rise

Bitcoin adjusts its mining difficulty every 2016 blocks, roughly every two weeks, to keep the average block time near 10 minutes. When blocks are added too quickly, the network raises difficulty; when they fall behind, it lowers it.

Right now, miners are adding blocks a bit faster than the target, which means the network will increase the challenge to keep production steady.

Based on CoinWarz estimates, the next adjustment on January 8, 2026, at block 931,392, is expected to push the difficulty to past 148 trillion.

Historical Context And Market Moves

Mining difficulty has climbed to new highs during 2025, with two sharp jumps in September coinciding with Bitcoin’s price surge earlier in the year.

Bitcoin hit $125,100 in October before experiencing a significant drop. As prices rise, more mining rigs enter the network, which increases total computing power and prompts difficulty to adjust upward.

Miners’ Costs And Network Security

Higher difficulty means miners need more computing power and energy to solve blocks. This raises costs and can squeeze profit margins, especially for smaller operations.

At the same time, the system protects the network from centralization. If one miner or a group controlled too much computing power, they could dominate block production or even attempt a 51% attack. By adjusting difficulty, the network keeps mining distributed and secure.

Outlook From The Investment Side

According to Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, Bitcoin may deliver steady growth over the next 10 years rather than massive yearly gains.

He told CNBC that he expects “strong returns” with moderate ups and downs. Hougan also maintains that 2026 is likely to be a positive year for Bitcoin, reflecting the network’s resilience after recent highs and volatility.

The rise to above 148 trillion is not dramatic but will slightly tighten miners’ margins. Tracking block times, hash rate, and difficulty can give insight into short-term mining profitability.

For investors, difficulty trends also indicate the real-world effort securing Bitcoin, which influences supply and potential selling pressure.

The network’s difficulty adjustments are routine but vital. They ensure coins are released steadily, miners remain challenged, and Bitcoin’s decentralized design is preserved.

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView

The current XRP drawdown is accompanied by a notable jump in exchange inflows, a setup CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) says is consistent with rising sell pressure and a market that has not yet transitioned into accumulation.

XRP Selling Pressure Intensifies

In an X post, Darkfost wrote that “recent data point to a clear intensification of selling pressure on XRP,” placing it in the context of a sharp drawdown. “This dynamic comes in the context of a sharp correction, with the price dropping by around 50%, falling from a peak near $3.66 to an area around $1.85,” he said.

Darkfost’s main signal is exchange inflows, with an emphasis on Binance, which he called the venue that “continues to concentrate the largest trading volumes among all exchanges.” The underlying idea is simple but often effective: when inflows ramp up quickly, the market is seeing more coins positioned where they can be sold.

“One way to visualize this selling pressure is by analyzing XRP inflows to exchanges, particularly Binance,” he wrote. “These inflows are generally interpreted as a potential intent to sell, especially when they increase rapidly.”

He described the shift as starting mid-month. “After a relatively calm period marked by moderate and stable inflows, the situation shifted noticeably starting on December 15,” he said. “Since then, XRP inflows to Binance have risen sharply, with daily volumes ranging from 35 million XRP to a significant peak of 116 million XRP recorded on December 19.”

The implication is less about a single spike and more about the persistence of elevated prints. In that framing, repeated large inflows during a drawdown tend to read like ongoing distribution rather than a clean washout.

Darkfost argued the inflow regime also maps to a behavioral change across cohorts. “This change in dynamics also suggests a shift in investor behavior,” he wrote. “While a large portion of the market had been following a holding strategy since October, the trend over the past two weeks points to a move toward profit taking for older positions, as well as capitulation and loss selling from more recent entrants.”

He was explicit about what would need to change before “accumulation” becomes a defensible label. “As long as these elevated inflows persist or intensify further, it will be difficult for XRP to establish a true accumulation phase,” he said. “If this selling pressure continues, the current correction could not only extend in time but also deepen further.”

The Macro Backdrop

In separate posts, Darkfost tied the XRP signal to a wider market condition he characterized as liquidity constrained. “The crypto market continues to suffer from a lack of liquidity,” he wrote, adding that “the market cap of the main stablecoins has been stagnating for the past few weeks.”

He offered a specific interpretation of what that means for marginal demand. “There is no longer any fresh liquidity entering the market (fiat → crypto),” he said, while also arguing that “liquidity is still present within the market and is not leaving it.” The catch, in his view, is that available liquidity is staying sidelined: “However, this liquidity is not being deployed either, if we look at current stablecoin inflows to exchanges.”

Darkfost quantified the slowdown using exchange inflow averages. “Between September and today, the average monthly inflow to exchanges has been cut in half, dropping from $136B to around $70B,” he wrote, adding that “the annual average has also started to decline over the past few weeks.”

Sentiment Turning Bearish

Darkfost also said sentiment in the entire crypto market has swung negative, based on a composite he tracks. “The general consensus has turned bearish,” he wrote, saying the indicator is “based on media articles, data from X, and several other sentiment indicators.” He noted that “when a shared consensus forms, the market tends to reverse and prove the majority wrong,” citing similar setups he observed between July and October 2024 and between February and April 2025.

At the same time, he warned against treating the signal as a timing tool, especially if broader conditions deteriorate. “These phases can last for some time, especially when the market enters a prolonged bear market phase,” he wrote. “We have only started to enter this period since early November, so there is no need to rush, but it is probably already a bit late to turn bearish.”

At press time, XRP traded at $1.90.

Leaders in crypto and tech are pushing back hard against a proposed one-time 5% wealth tax in California. The measure would hit net worth above $1 billion and would tax paper gains—assets counted even if they haven’t been sold.

Supporters say the money would pay for health programs and other public services. Based on official estimates, the plan could raise up to ~$100 billion from roughly 200 very wealthy residents.

What The Tax Would Do

According to the initiative’s fiscal outline, the levy would apply to net worth on January 1, 2026, and it targets unrealized gains — stocks, company stakes, and other holdings valued on paper.

Taxpayers could pay in one lump sum or stretch payments over five years, with interest if they choose the latter. For example, someone with $20 billion in assets would face about $1 billion in liability under a 5% rule. A resident with more than $200 billion could see a bill exceeding $10 billion.

A 5% theft of unrealized gains and assets taxes were already paid on is about the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard. I promise you this will be the final straw. Billionaires will take with them all of their spending, hobbies, philanthropy and jobs. Solve the waste/fraud issue. https://t.co/DKcNWni2kB

— Jesse Powell (@jespow) December 28, 2025

Industry Pushback And Warnings

Based on reports, several high-profile crypto firms and founders say the measure would drive people and money out of California. Executives named in coverage include Hunter Horsley, Jesse Powell, Chamath Palihapitiya, Nic Carter, Alexis Ohanian, and other tech figures.

I say this with no joy as a California resident:

Many who’ve made this state great are quietly discussing leaving or have decided to leave in the next 12 months.

More generally, one of the fascinating developments of this decade is people voting their views not with the… https://t.co/bTlBnsYdnY

— Hunter Horsley (@HHorsley) December 27, 2025

Their message is simple: large, sudden tax bills on paper wealth could force owners to sell stakes or move to other states, which they argue would cost jobs and investment in the local economy. Some say the rule would be especially tough on founders whose wealth is tied up in startups.

Supporters offer a different view. They argue the charge would target a small group—high net worth individuals—and provide funds for health care, education, and food programs without increasing taxes for middle-income families.

Representative Ro Khanna has been mentioned as a backer who sees the revenue as a way to strengthen public services.

Numbers And Unknowns

The math is clear in one sense: 5% of very large sums adds up quickly. Estimates put potential revenue as high as ~$100 billion. But collection is less certain.

Critics point to past cases where wealth taxes produced less money than forecast because some taxpayers relocated or shifted assets offshore. Valuing private companies and volatile holdings like crypto presents practical challenges, and that could make administration complex.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson says he will stop using X at the end of December, with a “digital twin” set to take over his account in January, an unusual handoff that reshapes how one of crypto’s most visible founders communicates with the Cardano community. “Five more days on X,” Hoskinson wrote in a Dec. 27 post. “Come January, a digital twin takes over this account—I’ll explain what that means on the first YouTube stream of the new year.”

Here’s Why The Cardano Founder Will Leave X

Hoskinson pointed followers to where he intends to be active next. “Where to find me: Midnight Discord for weekly AMAs, YouTube for livestreams, and the long-form writing I’ve owed myself for a decade,” he wrote, tying the shift to Midnight and to a renewed emphasis on longer-form communication.

The motivation, he said, is incentive design. “Why leave? X rewards outrage,” Hoskinson wrote, adding that “the work that matters—Africa, Basho, Midnight 1.0, Cardano governance—rewards building.” He framed it as a conclusion drawn from a full decade on the platform: “Ten years taught me which game is worth playing.”

The farewell also carried a sharper edge that nodded to the disputes he has been drawn into on X. “To everyone who made this decade worthwhile: thank you. To the rest: I won’t miss you,” he wrote. Hoskinson has been a prolific and often combative presence on the platform, frequently engaging critics directly and weighing in on Cardano’s technical direction, governance arguments, and broader industry controversies.

Hoskinson’s writing pivot is already underway. On Dec. 25, he published a long post titled “What the Horizon Kept” on his personal Blogger site, opening with a vignette in which “The old fisherman said, ‘The ocean’s too quiet,’” before moving into a surreal narrative about instruments failing, maps not matching reality, and an island appearing where none was marked. The site’s profile bio describes him, bluntly, as a “Guy who writes stuff that makes people angry.”

He also continued posting in a more typically terse mode in recent days. In one message, Hoskinson wrote: “Before Crypto and After Crypto. Friends don’t let friends do crypto.”

Before Crypto and After Crypto. Friends don’t let friends do crypto pic.twitter.com/129Odf4Ihj

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) December 28, 2025

Hoskinson has not provided details about the “digital twin” beyond promising an explanation in his first YouTube livestream of the year. For Cardano and Midnight followers, the near-term question is how that handoff works in practice, and whether the conversation he has historically driven on X consolidates on Discord, YouTube, and whatever long-form writing comes next.

At press time, ADA traded at $0.3779.

After the Dogecoin open interest hit new all-time highs back in September, it has seen a significant crash, culminating in the open interest dropping to levels not seen since 2024. This was a reflection of the decline in market participation from investors due to the rapid drop in the Dogecoin price. However, the open interest seems to have put in a bottom, and there has been a recovery in this major metric, something that could carry positive implications for the meme coin’s price.

Dogecoin Open Interest Recovers Above $1.5 Billion

On December 19, the Dogecoin open interest fell below the $1.3 billion mark, following the decline in participation. But the performance so far suggests that this could be a possible bottom. The week following this bottom saw a significant spike in the open interest, as it jumped above the $1.5 billion mark, as shown on Coinglass.

Since then, the Dogecoin price interest has consistently come in above $1.5 billion, suggesting that crypto traders are moving back into the meme coin. This is because the open interest measures the total outstanding futures or options contracts for a particular asset, and as the open interest rises, it means investors are opening more positions on Dogecoin.

This carries a positive implication, going by historical performance, because times when the open interest has risen have often coincided with times when the price has seen a recovery. An example is the Dogecoin price reaching close to $0.3 back in September when the open interest rose to its current peak of $6.01 billion.

Given this trend, if the Dogecoin open interest continues to rise, then it is likely that the price will follow the same trajectory. Therefore, the DOGE price could be getting ready to mark a bottom, especially as the crypto market readies to usher in a new year.

Volume Refuses To Bugde

While the open interest has seen a recovery, the Dogecoin daily trading volume remains low. According to Coinglass data, the daily trading volume is sitting at one of the lowest points for the year 2025. This also plays into the fact that participation has been muted for the digital asset.

However, this muted volume is not relegated to Dogecoin lately, given that the entire crypto market has been in a bearish trend. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is currently sitting at a score of 24 at the time of this writing. This shows that there is Extreme Fear in the market, and it is a time when liquidity is low, leading to lower prices.

Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson has shared an interesting outlook for the crypto market in a recent YouTube interview by Altcoin Daily, projecting a major upside for Bitcoin in 2026 while also outlining a way capital flows into altcoins. His comments touched on institutional demand, decentralized finance, and why the next crypto market phase may soon decouple from Bitcoin.

Bitcoin At $250,000 And The Bridge Into DeFi

When asked about if he is still bullish on Bitcoin in 2026, Hoskinson said he expects Bitcoin to reach around $250,000 in 2026, pointing to persistent institutional demand as the core driver. 

This prediction is interesting, especially given the current context of Bitcoin’s price action, which is currently stuck below $90,000. It is also not a new stance for Hoskinson, who previously floated the same target during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

In the YouTube interview with Altcoin Daily, Hoskinson noted that the missing piece has been a credible way for Bitcoin’s enormous stored value to interact with the broader DeFi ecosystem. He explained that Bitcoin holders are very cautious about handing custody of their assets to third parties, which has limited how much BTC can be deployed productively.

The solution, in his view, lies in non-custodial credit systems. Hoskinson described a future where Bitcoin can be lent in a non-custodial manner to access stablecoins, which are then deployed across DeFi to generate yield. 

If the yield generated exceeds the cost of credit, Bitcoin holders gain predictable passive returns without sacrificing control of their holdings. Once such mechanisms mature, trillions of dollars in Bitcoin value could gradually spill into altcoins, and this will provide a stronger foundation for real-world adoption across the altcoin sector.

Solana Versus Ethereum As 2026 Nears

Hoskinson also shared his perspective on the comparison between Ethereum and Solana, explaining that the difference comes down to how each network can grow from here. He said Ethereum is, in many ways, a victim of its own success. After years of growth, it has become a huge ecosystem that is naturally harder to move and adapt quickly.

Solana, on the other hand, is a faster-moving chain that can experiment and adopt new ideas more easily. According to Hoskinson, Solana may be better positioned for growth over the next few years due to its tighter leadership and more agile development approach. Still, he was careful to give Ethereum its due credit, noting that it continues to carry much of the foundational work among altcoins and DeFi.

When asked about Cardano and Midnight, Hoskinson said his optimism is rooted in different fundamentals for each, although Midnight still has much more room to grow. Cardano focuses more on long-term infrastructure and research-driven development, but Midnight represents something new for the industry. 

Midnight is a recently launched partner chain created by Cardano’s creators, and it functions as a complementary network to Cardano. In the interview, Hoskinson described Midnight as part of a fourth generation of cryptocurrency design, positioning it as a first mover that could capture a big market share if development and adoption move quickly enough.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine has started staking its Ether tokens, depositing roughly $451 million worth of ETH into Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) system on Saturday, December 27. This appears to be a fresh strategy from the digital asset treasury (DAT) firm, which has managed to stay relevant in a nascent, uncertain sector of the cryptocurrency industry.

How Much Would BitMine Make From Ethereum Staking?

In the early hours of Saturday, December 27, on-chain analyst EmberCN revealed that BitMine has finally started attempting to stake its Ether holdings to earn interest income. The largest Ethereum treasury firm deposited 74,880 ETH (equivalent to $219 million) into an Ethereum PoS contract.

In a later, separate transaction, BitMine went on to deposit 79,296 ETH (worth about $232 million) into Ethereum PoS staking. This brings the firm’s total stake in the ETH network to 154,176 ETH (roughly $451 million) in the past day and so far.

EmberCN added in the post on X:

They [BitMine] now hold 4.066 million ETH, with an approximate APY of 3.12%. If all of it were staked, they could earn about 126,800 ETH in interest over a year, which at the current price of $2,927 would be worth $371 million.

Earlier in November, Bitmine had disclosed its plans to start Ether staking in 2026’s first quarter through a dedicated in-house setup called the Made-in America Validator Network (MAVAN). At the time, the Ethereum treasury firm stated it had selected three institutional staking providers for a pilot program, using a small portion of its ETH to test performance, security, and operational quality before scaling.

Meanwhile, the treasury firm has not stopped accumulating Ether tokens despite the not-so-optimistic signs in the crypto market. The recent buying spree took BitMine’s Ethereum holdings to a whopping 4.066 million ETH.

As it appears, staking presents an opportunity for the largest corporate ETH holder to earn passive income from its Ethereum holdings, especially as the general market continues to underperform. With crypto prices in a downward trend, shares of most DATs have not been able to enjoy the required tailwind to soar to new heights.

BMNR 2025 Price Recap 

As of this writing, the BitMine stock (ticker: BMNR) is valued at around $28.31 per share, closing with an almost 4% decline on the last trading day. A broader look at the stock shows that the past few months have been rough for the digital asset treasuries sector.

According to data from TradingView, BMNR’s value has dropped by nearly 43% in the past three months. However, its is worth noting that the stock has grown by almost 2.5x in the past year.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs suffered heavy withdrawals over the Christmas week as investors pulled about $782 million from the products, according to data from SoSoValue.

Bitcoin’s market price stayed roughly near $87,000, even as the funds lost cash. The drop trimmed total net assets in US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs to about $113.5 billion, down from levels above $120 billion earlier in December.

Major Funds Lead The Withdrawals

Friday was the worst single day of the stretch, when ETFs recorded a combined $276 million in net outflows. BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for nearly $193 million of that exit, while Fidelity’s FBTC lost about $74 million.

Grayscale’s GBTC saw more modest redemptions during the same period. Friday also marked the sixth straight day of outflows — the longest streak since early autumn — with more than $1.1 billion draining out across that run.

Seasonal Pressure Or A Bigger Shift

According to Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research, holiday moves and thin market depth can cause short-term withdrawals as desks close for the holidays.

He expects institutional flows to come back when trading desks reopen in early January and thinks a shift toward Fed easing in 2026 — markets are pricing roughly 75–100 bps of cuts — could lift demand for ETFs.

Based on reports from Glassnode, however, the trend looks broader than holiday noise: the 30-day moving average of net flows into US spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs has been negative since early November, signaling sustained outflows by institutional players.

Metals Take Center Stage

Meanwhile, gold and silver enjoyed a banner run while crypto saw pullbacks. Gold futures climbed above $4,550, hitting multiple records this year. Silver topped $75 per ounce and has gained about 150% year-to-date.

That rally has prompted some investors to reallocate away from crypto. Market experts like Louis Navellier said that with central banks active in the metal markets and volatility lower, gold has attracted flows that might otherwise have gone into digital assets.

Outspoken critic Peter Schiff wrote on social media that Bitcoin’s inability to rise alongside other risk assets raises doubts about its near-term upside.

What This Means For Institutional Demand

ETFs are widely watched as a proxy for institutional appetite. Based on the latest figures, institutions appear to be pulling back after a period when they were a key driver of crypto markets.

The divergence between rising precious metals and a modest decline in Bitcoin — about 6% year-to-date — has reinforced that view. Some of the selling likely reflects rebalancing and cash needs during the holidays. Some of it may reflect a rethinking of risk allocation by large allocators.

Reports suggest flows could normalize when trading activity returns to normal after the holiday break. If rate markets continue to price in easing and bank-led crypto infrastructure becomes easier for big investors to use, ETF inflows might resume. For now, the flow data points to a cautious institutional stance, even as Bitcoin’s price holds at elevated levels.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

The Ethereum price looks set to end 2025 with a double-digit loss, but its start to the new year appears to be the more worrying subject. A prominent on-chain analyst has identified crucial price levels that could decide ETH’s future in the next few months.

3 Critical Support Zones For ETH Price

In a new post on the social media platform X, Alphractal CEO and founder Joao Wedson warned the market of the potential risk of seeing the Ethereum price below the $2,000 mark again. According to the on-chain analytics expert, the price of ETH is currently holding on to three critical on-chain support levels.

Firstly, Wedson highlighted that the MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) Z-Score, which offers insights into when an asset is overvalued or undervalued, suggests that the Ethereum price is sitting exactly on its final support cushion. According to the crypto founder, a failure of this level could see the price of ETH suffer an aggressive downside move.

Wedson also mentioned that the Market Cap Growth Rate, which reflects the real expansion of Ethereum’s market capitalization over time, is testing a critical structural support level. The Alphractal CEO revealed that breaking below this support would suggest weakening capital inflows, signaling the potential imminence of downside pressure.

Additionally, the crypto analyst noted that the Delta Growth Rate, a metric that measures the divergence between Realized Cap growth and Market Cap growth, which generates an on-chain alpha signal, is also at support. “A loss of this level would suggest speculative capital exiting the market, increasing the likelihood of a future capitulation phase,” Wedson added.

According to the crypto pundit, there is a huge likelihood that the Ethereum price falls below the $2,000 mark if these on-chain foundations break. An over 30% correction from the current price point is even more probable as supply pressure increases against declining demand heading into the new year.

The blockchain firm founder didn’t dismiss the idea of taking a long position in the Ethereum market at the current price levels, especially for investors with a higher risk appetite. At the same time, Wedson stated that the Ethereum price remains in a fragile position from a broader outlook.

Ethereum Price Overview

The price of Ethereum is currently down by more than 40% from its all-time high of $4,946. This record reflects the struggles of the second-largest cryptocurrency—and perhaps the broader market—in the final quarter of 2025. As of this writing, ETH is valued at around $2,940, reflecting no significant movement in the past 24 hours.

Against widespread expectations, the second term of Donald Trump as the US President has yielded a positive effect on Bitcoin’s price. While the flagship cryptocurrency has recorded an all-time high since Trump’s inauguration in January, the market has mostly been in consolidation and range-bound phase, with the broader picture still taking on a bearish form. Crypto analysis page XWIN Research Japan recently offered a comparative analysis with the post-election euphoria seen in 2016, to explain why the post-2024 price action is without enthusiasm.

Analyst Explains Why Bitcoin’s Structure Differs Sharply From 2016

In the Quicktake post on CryptoQuant, the research and education institution draws a critical comparison between the 2016 and 2024 post-election periods. Just after Trump’s victory in 2016, the crypto market operated within a low-inflation and low-interest-rate environment, one that is ideal for a market with growing liquidity. Also, the crypto market’s relatively small size allowed for quick accumulation of speculative liquidity. Hence, the market was able to get sufficient capital to serve as fuel for a prolonged, yet powerful, uptrend.

However, early 2025 saw a different market environment and dynamic. The year began and extended into a high-rate period, where financial conditions increasingly became crippling. Also, the larger market size (compared to the post-2016 election market), alongside increased participation among several investors, has structurally reduced the stand-alone importance of political events on price movements. Simply put, policy implementations can barely move Bitcoin’s price alone, especially when encumbered by more liquidity constraints.

LTH-SOPR Ratio Further Reflects Caution

XWIN Research Japan also references data obtained from the Bitcoin SOPR Ratio (LTH-SOPR/STH-SOPR), which reinforces the cautious stance among investors following Trump’s second inauguration. The Bitcoin SOPR Ratio deciphers market sentiment by comparing whether long-term holders are realizing profits more aggressively than short-term holders, serving as an important indicator of whether a price trend is driven by institutional conviction or speculative trading.

According to the research team, Bitcoin’s long-term holders (LTHs) are realizing their limited profits. Short-term holders, on the other hand, are trading within red territory. Historically, this condition is typically found when the market is about to embark on a prolonged journey of demand-supply adjustments.

Based on historical data, it becomes clear that Bitcoin is currently within a fundamentally bearish structure. Although XWIN Research elucidates that “as long as long-term holders maintain relative dominance and short-term holder selling is absorbed, downside may be supported,” but this came with a caveat that upside leadership would likely also remain restricted.

The analytics group further conjectures that a stable growth of Bitcoin ETF inflows, alongside a clear depreciation in LTH distribution, would be pivotal in rescuing BTC from its downward spiral. Until these happen simultaneously, bitcoin might remain in its current state of inertia, or — in the worst case — dive further south. At press time, Bitcoin holds a valuation of about $87,623, recording a slight 0.5% loss since the past week, and a 0.6% ascent since the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data. 

Bitcoin’s 2025 Q4 performance has been marked by heavy market corrections, pushing prices as low as $80,000. As the premier cryptocurrency struggled to resume its bullish trajectory, recent on-chain data has emerged suggesting little potential for a major price move.

Fading Retail Participation Underscores Bitcoin Market Fragility

In an X post on December 27, renowned market analyst Burak Kesmeci explains that retail participation in the Bitcoin market continues to weaken, with on-chain data showing a renewed slowdown in small transaction activity. Notably, demand from investors executing transactions in the $0–$10,000 range has turned negative again on a 30-day change basis, signaling a lack of fresh retail inflows since mid-December.

The $0–$10,000 transaction cohort is widely used as a proxy for retail behavior, and a sustained negative reading typically reflects declining enthusiasm among smaller investors rather than active distribution by large holders. According to Kesmeci, retail demand began deteriorating around December 14, reversing what had been a brief stabilization period.

At the same time, total retail transfer volume has fallen back toward the $375 million to $400 million range. This contraction suggests that while retail investors are stepping away from the market, they are not rushing for the exits. Instead, activity points to apathy rather than fear, with participants choosing to remain on the sidelines amid uncertain price action. Therefore, while there are no new market inflows, there is also no need for investor panic.

Bitcoin Set For Consolidation 

According to Kesmeci, the decline in Bitcoin retail investor demand suggests continuation of the broader consolidation phase currently gripping Bitcoin. Since mid-December, the premier cryptocurrency has consistently moved between $85,000 to $90,000, facing strong opposition to further movement at both extremes.

The absence of new retail buyers reduces upside momentum, as historically strong rallies have required sustained participation from smaller investors to complement institutional or whale-driven flows. However, the lack of panic selling also indicates that downside pressure remains muted for now.

Bitcoin is likely to remain within its present consolidation range, barring the introduction of a market catalyst. Many optimists expect the new year to begin on a positive note, citing expected rate cuts and a potentially bullish capital rotation from a soaring commodities market. 

On the other hand, some analysts push for market caution, referencing capitulation indicators that suggest the corrections that began in October may extend throughout Q1 2026. At press time, Bitcoin trades at $87,401, reflecting a minor 0.3% gain in the past day.

The narrative surrounding XRP has undergone a fundamental transformation, and the token has begun to trade like an asset that has already endured its most punishing tests. Years of regulatory uncertainty, legal scrutiny, and prolonged underperformance have tempered speculation and reshaped its investor base, leaving behind a market that appears more resilient than reactive.

Why XRP No Longer Reacts To Every Negative Headline

XRP is starting to trade like an asset that has already endured its hardest trials after years of regulatory overhang, which forced it to mature earlier than most digital assets. An ambassador at AstraAIofficial, Winny, revealed on X that the ETFs linked to the token are now live, providing traditional investors with regulated exposure without the operational friction of wallets or exchanges.

At the same time, institutional inflows are rising, with managed assets tied to XRP surpassing $1 billion, a milestone that signals growing confidence. The supply on exchanges balances continues to thin, reinforcing the narrative. Long-term fund purchases don’t trade; they sit, which has changed the pressure dynamics, whether participants would admit to it or not. Most importantly, the regulatory clarity is finally improving, something that the altcoin has lacked for years.

Winny concluded that this is about the altcoin graduating into a different market structure. Meanwhile, all this dynamic doesn’t mean the market will explode tomorrow, but it does mean the fundamentals are quietly shifting, and patience pays.

Institutions Are Choosing The Altcoin For A Reason

Crypto analyst Xfinancebull has explained why it will be too late if no one believes in XRP. The narrative was that ETFs were priced in, but the funds became the fastest altcoin ETF in history to hit $1 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM), with no outflows, no red days, and just steady institutional-sized capital moving in with conviction.

The flow data shows that the funds have absorbed over $666 million in November, followed by another +$470 million in December, with no single outflow day. During the same period, Bitcoin and Ethereum saw hundreds of millions in net outflows, while XRP quietly stacked over 30 consecutive green flow days. Currently, 686 million and 740 million XRP are locked, quietly reducing supply in real-time.

However, the reason the altcoin is being chosen is that it solves what institutions actually need, which are complexity-ready settlement, on-chain liquidity, and global transaction speed. XRP’s price is currently down because the entire market is under pressure; that move is macro, not a failure.

In Xfinancebull’s view, institutions are still accumulating the token with patience and intent. The markets often whisper before they move, but this time the data is screaming, and institutions are already stacked.

According to the latest report, a former Coinbase customer service contractor has been arrested in India for their role in a recent data breach incident. This arrest comes after hackers reportedly bribed customer service representatives or contractors to gain access to customer information at the US’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

In May, Coinbase revealed that hackers bribed contractors or the company’s employees outside to steal sensitive user information. While the San Francisco-based crypto firm faced backlash for allegedly disclosing the data breach months after initial discovery, several employees of the US outsourcing firm TaskUs were laid off following the incident.

Former Customer Service Agent Arrested In India

On Friday, December 26, a Bloomberg report stated that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced a former customer service agent had been arrested in India in connection with the data breach that occurred earlier in the year. The crypto exchange estimated at the time of the incident that this information leak could cost as much as $400 million.

Earlier reports suggested that an India-based TaskUs employee was caught taking pictures of her work computer with her phone to sell it to hackers at the start of the year. The suspected employee and an accomplice were providing sensitive Coinbase customer data to malicious actors in return for bribes, Bitcoinist disclosed earlier.

Armstrong said in a post on the social media platform X that the Hyderabad Police have picked up an ex-Coinbase customer service agent, with more arrests still to come. “We have zero tolerance for bad behavior and will continue to work with law enforcement to bring bad actors to justice,” the crypto CEO said.

2026, Start Of A New Coinbase Chapter?

2025 proved to be another challenging year for security across the global cryptocurrency industry, marked by several significant exploits and hacks that rocked the space. As Bitcoinist reported, over $3.4 billion worth of crypto assets were lost to hacks and exploits this year.

However, this latest development would come as a positive step for Coinbase, which largely struggled with platform security in 2025. Earlier in February, an investigative report found that customers lost more than $65 million to social engineering exploits in just two months.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Brooklyn man was indicted on 31 counts for allegedly operating a phishing scheme that defrauded about 100 Coinbase customers of approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency. Going into 2026, the cryptocurrency exchange would be hoping to offer a more secure platform for its users.

According to the latest market data, Ethereum has seen an annual record of speculative trading activity in 2025. Below is how much was traded in the ETH derivatives market in the past year.

Ethereum Futures Trading Hits New Yearly Record

In a December 26 post on social media platform X, pseudonymous analyst Darkfost revealed that Ethereum stood out in one regard despite the mixed performance of altcoins in 2025. 

Darkfost highlighted that derivatives trading volumes continued to dominate the entire crypto market this year. However, Ethereum recorded increased activity in the derivative markets in 2025, setting a new record in terms of futures trading for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

As expected, Binance remained the dominant platform in terms of derivatives trading volume, with its figure further putting things into perspective. According to data highlighted by Darkfost, over $6.74 trillion in ETH futures volume was traded on Binance in the past year, almost double that of 2024, which was already a historical record.

However, this trend was not limited to Binance, as other major exchanges also observed a similar phenomenon. Breaking things down, OKX saw a new record of $4.28 trillion, while Bybit registered $2.15 trillion, and Bitget recorded $1.95T in ETH futures volume.

Darkfost concluded:

All major exchanges therefore converge toward the same conclusion. Ethereum was one of the most traded assets in the world on derivative markets in 2025, highlighting just how strong speculative appetite has been.

What Derivatives Market Dominance Means For Price?

Going further, Darkfost put into perspective the magnitude of futures dominance in the market over the past year. The on-chain analyst revealed that ETH saw $5 in futures trading for every dollar in spot trading, an annual record in the derivatives market.

As observed in the chart above, a spot-to-futures ratio around 0.2 over the year reflects a market heavily tilted toward leverage. According to Darkfost, this trend explains the extreme speculation witnessed in the Ethereum market throughout 2025.

Darkfost noted that a market primarily driven by derivatives tends to be more unstable and less predictable. “Movements tend to be amplified, disorderly, and highly dependent on liquidations, ultimately allowing ETH to register only a marginal new all-time high by just a handful of dollars,” the analyst added.

As of this writing, the price of ETH stands at around $2,932, reflecting an over 1% decline in the past 24 hours. After a mixed performance this year, the altcoin is currently down from its all-time high by more than 40%.