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The Bitcoin market structure is believed to have undergone a massive shift since the significant price downturn seen on October 10, 2025. While the premier cryptocurrency has been on something resembling a recovery path since the market bloodbath, some sectors believe that the bear season has already kicked off.

With BTC sitting beneath its opening price of 2025, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a bullish case for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Moreover, an interesting data point about a relevant class of Bitcoin investors has emerged, further adding credence to the beginning of a possible bear market. 

Are Bitcoin Treasury Firms Offloading Their Coins?

In a new post on X, CryptoQuant’s Head of Research, Julio Moreno, shared an on-chain insight to support the hypothesis that the Bitcoin bear market has started. This conclusion is based on the Balance Growth of an investor group known as the “dolphins.”

Dolphins refer to a group of crypto investors holding substantial amounts of a coin, placing them between small investors (shrimps) and the largest investors (whales). Specifically, Moreno described dolphins as wallet addresses with significant BTC holdings between 100 – 1,000 coins. 

According to the latest data from CryptoQuant, the growth in the Dolphins’ BTC holdings has slowed down in the past year and appears to be in a downward trend. Moreno believes that this negative change points to the emergence of a Bitcoin bear market.

Moreno revealed that these Dolphin addresses had increased year-over-year by roughly 965,000 BTC when the BTC price hit its current all-time high around $125,000. Now that the BTC price is nearly 30% below its record high, the Bitcoin Dolphins’ balance stands at around 694,000 coins.

Moreno wrote on X:

This address cohort includes ETFs and Treasury companies, which have also stopped buying.

More interestingly, the CryptoQuant Head of Research revealed that this investor group consists of ETF issuers and Treasury companies, which have stopped purchasing Bitcoin. According to data from SoSoValue, the US-based Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have posted net outflows in five out of the last six weeks.

Meanwhile, BTC and crypto treasury companies have struggled in the past few months, with retail investors losing tens of billions to the hype. While there have been rarely reports of crypto treasury sell-offs, this decline in these Dolphins’ holdings tells an entirely different story.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,151, reflecting an over 3% decline in the past 24 hours.

According to remarks made at the Founders Summit, Fidelity’s chief executive Abigail Johnson offered a rare look at how the firm moved from curiosity to a full crypto business and why she keeps a personal stake in Bitcoin. The account ties early, small bets to later services now offered to advisors and clients.

Early Interest Turned Practical

Around 2013, a small group inside Fidelity began meeting to learn what Bitcoin might mean for the firm. They mapped out 52 possible uses. Most ideas did not survive testing. One early result — accepting Bitcoin donations for charity — gave the team credibility outside the company and opened doors for deeper work.

That early credibility made it easier for the firm to test bigger ideas without waiting for orders from the top.

A Bold Mining Bet Paid Off

Johnson pushed for a $200,000 purchase of Antminer hardware at a time many inside opposed the move. Reports say that mining effort became “probably the single highest IRR business” Fidelity has had.

The decision put staff into Bitcoin’s technical layers, giving them real experience with wallets, security, and the plumbing of the network long before many rivals caught up.

Company Moves Into Custody

Based on reports, demand from financial advisors drove Fidelity toward custody services. Advisors wanted secure ways to help clients hold and pass on Bitcoin, and Fidelity responded by building custody, custody-adjacent products, and support across asset management and research.

Johnson told the audience she owns Bitcoin personally and described it as a core digital asset that could play a role in people’s savings plans. She calls it crypto’s “gold standard.”

Exchange Supply Drops As Accumulation Continues

Market data referenced in the session showed Bitcoin trading above $89,000 while balances on centralized exchanges fell to roughly 1.8 million BTC — a level not seen since 2017, according to aggregated CryptoQuant and Glassnode figures cited by BRN Research.

Realized-cap growth stayed positive on a monthly basis, which analysts interpret as fresh capital entering the market even when price moves stay contained.

Shark Wallets And Network Growth For Ethereum

Reports also pointed to Ethereum strength. ETH climbed past $3,200 as so-called shark wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH resumed accumulation.

Daily new addresses briefly neared 190,000 following the Fusaka upgrade, a spike that analysts say often lines up with stronger demand for ETH.

Market Signals And What’s Missing

Analysts quoted in the briefing noted that supply leaving exchanges and steady accumulation point to longer-term holders taking control. What the market lacks, they said, is a decisive push into the roughly $96K to $106K band that would signal a broader breakout. For now, accumulation continues while prices trade in a tighter range.

Based on reports from the conference, Fidelity’s crypto path reads like a slow build: small internal experiments grew into real operations, and a handful of early bets — including a $200,000 mining play — gave the firm practical know-how.

Combined with current on-chain signs of accumulation, the picture suggests established players and patient holders are shaping market supply even as price momentum waits for a clearer trigger.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Розничным клиентам французской банковской группы Banque Populaire и Caisse d’Épargne (BPCE) станет доступна покупка-продажа биткоинов, эфира, Solana и стейблкоинов USDC. Входящий в четверку крупнейших банков Франции BPCE анонсировал запуск новой услуги с понедельника, 8 декабря.

According to the latest report, the lower house of Poland’s parliament has failed to overturn the President’s veto of the Crypto-Asset Market Act. Earlier this week, the Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, vetoed a bill aimed at setting strict rules in the country’s digital assets market.

Why Did The Polish President Veto The Digital Asset Bill?

On Friday, December 5, Bloomberg reported that the lower house of the Polish parliament couldn’t secure the required three-fifths majority vote to override the President’s veto of the Crypto-Asset Market Act. This bill, introduced in June 2025, aimed to align Poland with the European Union’s MiCA framework for the digital asset markets.

Related Reading: Key Updates On The US Crypto Market Structure Bill: What You Need To Know

However, President Nawrocki decided against signing the crypto market legislation due to concerns that it may pose a real threat to the freedom of Poles, their property, and the stability of the country. According to the country’s leader, “overregulation” is one way to drive away new companies and investors, while seriously slowing innovation.

As Bitcoinist earlier reported, the crypto community in Poland had already raised concerns about the regulation as early as September, especially as the bill surpassed the European Union (EU) minimum regulatory requirements. 

For instance, the bill’s messaging read that all Crypto Asset Service Providers are required to obtain a license from the Polish Financial Service Authority (KNF). Meanwhile, the bill proposed heavy fines and potential prison time for market participants who break the law.

According to the Bloomberg report, supporters of the bill have also voiced out the need to provide regulatory oversight of Poland’s digital assets industry. Their belief is that clear, comprehensive rules are critical to fight fraud and avoid potential misuse of digital assets by bad actors. 

Poland’s Presidency Calls Crypto Bill A Legal Fiasco

Rafael Leskiewicz, the press secretary of the President, took to the social media platform to react to the lawmakers’ failure to override the veto. The presidential spokesperson said the Crypto-Asset Market Act is a legal fiasco, while calling the attempt to overturn the president’s veto a political maneuver.

Leskiewicz said in a statement:

The President, by vetoing this act, exposed the low quality of the legislation being created. This market should be subject to monitoring and control, but certainly, bad law should not be created that restricts the freedom to conduct business activities.

President Nawrocki, who was elected earlier in June, had always portrayed himself as a pro-Bitcoin leader who would rather veto regulatory restrictions than create new digital asset laws. According to market data, the adoption of crypto assets by Polish households has continued to grow in recent years, with the number of domestic users expected to hit 7.9 million by this year’s end.

Bitcoin’s price action has been grossly dramatic throughout the year. After reaching its current all-time-high price of $126,000 in early October, the world’s leading cryptocurrency saw a rapid flip to the downside. Since reaching its October high, Bitcoin spiraled to as low as $80,500, a more than 15% negative deviation in reviewing year on year growth. 

As the market sentiment thus ostensibly leans bearish, an on-chain analysis has recently been published, proffering reasons to believe that the negative sentiment among investors could be growing stronger.

$91,000 Max Pain Point Breached After Friday Options Expiry

In a QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, crypto pundit GugaOnChain brings to light the expiry of about $3.4 billion in Bitcoin options. This expiration event, which took place on Friday, 5th December, is one that typically triggers a “gravitational force” which attracts price to itself. By extension, price tends to move towards a specific price level referred to as the Maximum Pain Point, where option buyers incur the greatest losses, and sellers realize the most profits.

In this scenario, the Maximum Pain Point stood at approximately $91,000. As such, the Bitcoin price saw a rapid decline towards this mark. However, by the end of the session, Bitcoin had already slipped beneath its “gravitational force,” reaching as low as $89,500, and entering a range that amplified its buyers’ losses, while also maximizing its sellers’ (market makers) gains.

Negative Funding Rate Further Strengthens Bearish Narrative

GugaOnChain also references readings from the Bitcoin: Funding Rates metric, which tracks the average funding rate across all major perpetual futures exchanges. As the analyst explains, this metric is useful in reading the prevalent market sentiment. For example, negative Funding Rates, such as the current reading of -0.001206, typically indicate the willingness of short traders to pay the longs for their positions. As such, it is evident that the market sentiment is more bearish than bullish.

There appears to be an alignment between the negative funding rates and the sell pressure supplied by the $3.4 billion expired options and breach of the $91,000 Maximum Pain Point. GugaOnChain explains that such a correlation further strengthens the narrative that the Bitcoin market could see an additional significant drop in its price.

While the long-term market direction may be well-defined, its short-term sentiment, however, reflects a more modest stance of utmost caution.  As of press time, Bitcoin is valued at about $89,250. Over the past 24 hours, the premier cryptocurrency has lost approximately 3.38% of its value, per CoinMarketCap data.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview

According to remarks made on CNBC’s Power Lunch, Strategy’s CEO Phong Le said the company moved quickly to calm investor fears after Bitcoin fell sharply. The firm announced a $1.44 billion US dollar reserve on Monday, raised through a stock sale.

The reserve is meant to hold enough cash to cover at least 12 months of dividend payments right away, and the company says it will expand that buffer to cover 24 months over time.

Reserve Aimed At Dividend Concerns

Based on reports, Le said the drive was largely about stopping what he called “dividend FUD.” He added that the $1.44 billion was put together in eight and a half days and, by his count, represents about 21 months’ worth of dividend obligations.

“We’re very much are a part of the crypto and Bitcoin ecosystems. Which is why we decided a couple of weeks ago to start raising capital and putting US dollars on our balance sheet to get rid of this FUD,” Le said on Friday.

This afternoon, Phong Le, CEO of @Strategy, joined @CNBC @PowerLunch to discuss how $MSTR moves with bitcoin, how our USD reserve addresses recent FUD, the shifting Overton Window, key volatility drivers, and why bitcoin’s long-term outlook remains strong. pic.twitter.com/1t5hsfov0m

— Strategy (@Strategy) December 5, 2025

The move followed growing questions about whether Strategy could meet its payout and debt commitments if its share price plunged. Company materials also highlight a new “BTC Credit” dashboard that claims the firm now holds enough assets to service dividends for more than 70 years.

Bitcoin’s Drop Tests Crypto Firms

Bitcoin’s slide has been severe. Once trading above $126,000 earlier this year, BTC fell roughly 30% from that high and hit about $88,130 on Friday, after a one-day drop near 4%.

Reports tie the decline to a wave of forced liquidations and dwindling retail interest. At the same time, money has flowed into gold, silver and some large-cap stocks, leaving crypto out of the rally.

Analysts such as Stephane Ouellette of FRNT Financial say the pullback could be a normal reset after a big run, not a sign that crypto is finished.

Short Sellers, Stock Moves, And Market Signals

Investors had been asking whether Strategy would sell Bitcoin if the stock tumbled. Le told CNBC the company would only consider selling its BTC holdings if the stock price fell below net asset value and fresh capital was unavailable.

That stance was meant to reassure holders that the firm was not planning to liquidate core assets on the first sign of trouble. Still, the recent volatility fed narratives that dividend payments and debt service might be at risk, which in turn encouraged some market participants to place bets against the company.

Company Says It Will Avoid Selling Bitcoin

Strategy’s public messaging emphasized access to capital as proof of strength. Raising $1.44 billion in a down cycle, the CEO said, was also designed to show the market that the company could still attract funding.

Based on reports, that was part of an effort to stop short sellers from piling into positions that bet on further declines. The company’s dashboard and the stated runway targets are clear signals aimed at easing investor anxiety.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto firm Ripple recently announced its mission to be the one-stop shop for crypto infrastructure. This came as the firm highlighted the acquisitions it made this year in a bid to achieve this mission. 

Ripple Unveils One-Stop Shop For Digital Asset Infrastructure 

In a blog post, Ripple touted itself as the one-stop for crypto infrastructure. The firm noted that it had invested almost $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem through strategic investments and acquisitions. It added that 2025 marked its most ambitious year yet with four major acquisitions pointing toward one mission of being the one-stop infrastructure provider for moving value the way information moves today. 

Ripple stated that some acquisitions will plug directly into Ripple payments to give its customers a unified, seamless operating environment with even more capabilities and currencies. Meanwhile, others will operate independently while benefiting from shared infrastructure. The firm noted that together, these companies will bring it closer to owning the full financial plumbing behind global value movement. 

Furthermore, the company noted that businesses are operating in real time, but their financial infrastructure still isn’t. The firm believes that its unified offering gives companies the ability to bring their money management and movement up to the expectations of the digital world. It then went on to highlight how its newest acquisitions are critical to powering this change. 

Highlighting The Role Of Its Latest Acquisitions 

The firm stated that its now-closed acquisition of GTreasury marks a significant expansion into the multi-trillion-dollar corporate finance arena, a market that it noted many predict will lead the next phase of crypto adoption. The firm further remarked that through access to the global repo market via Ripple Prime and Ripple Payments’ real-time cross-border rails, corporate treasury teams can unlock idle capital, move money instantly, and open up new growth opportunities. 

Ripple then highlighted its $200 million acquisition of Rail, which it stated will make the firm’s Payments the market’s most comprehensive end-to-end stablecoin payments solution. The firm said that it is compliantly connecting the best of fiat and crypto assets so that businesses can move money faster, save costs, and build to grow. 

Ripple stated that its acquisition of Palisade broadens the range of customer use cases for custody, which is one of its central product strategies. It noted that Palisade’s “wallet-as-a-service” technology extends the company’s Custody’s inherent appeal to banks and financial institutions that carry out high-frequency transactions. 

Lastly, the payment firm highlighted its acquisition of Hidden Road, which is now Ripple Prime. It stated that this completes the liquidity and execution layer of its one-stop shop vision. The Prime offers institutional-grade prime brokerage, clearing, and financing. This enables clients to execute OTC spot trades for major crypto assets, including XRP and RLUSD. While Palisade custodies assets and Rail moves them, Ripple noted that its brokerage business ensures that they can be traded efficiently, financed responsibly, and accessed through regulated channels.

The European Commission has moved to allocate the supervision of crypto companies and their activities under the sole jurisdiction of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).  This move will end the application of different regulatory styles in several member states operating under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA).

ESMA’s Single Crypto Authority To Boost Competitiveness, Innovation – EC

In a Thursday announcement, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), rolled out a series of regulatory measures aimed at creating a singular financial service market. This initiative centers around creating a competitive, innovative, and efficient financial system that offers EU citizens better options for wealth growth and business financing. 

A statement from the announcement read: 

Deeper integration of financial markets is not an end, but a means to create a single market for financial services greater than the sum of its national parts. Simplified access to capital markets reduces costs and makes the markets more appealing for investors and companies across all Member States, irrespective of size.

In particular, the EC’s new regulatory package will move the oversight of Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs), among other groups of businesses to under the sole authority of the ESMA. Interestingly, the EC’s recent move comes just three months after the French, Austrian, and Italian market authorities pushed for a stronger European framework for cryptocurrencies, citing major differences in each national implementation of the MiCA regulations. 

Presently, crypto regulation across the 27 EU member states operates under MiCA, resulting in a patchwork of national approaches which the EC claims is hindering competition and effective cross-border operations. The ESMA’s singular regime aims to eliminate these discrepancies in order to provide a better integrated EU financial market. 

The EC said:

Improvements to the supervisory framework are closely linked to the removal of regulatory barriers. The package aims to address inconsistencies and complexities from fragmented national supervisory approaches, making supervision more effective and conducive to cross-border activities, while being responsive to emerging risks. 

Alongside the new singular regime, the European Commission has also expressed plans to create a friendly environment for the adoption of distributed ledger technology, e.g, blockchains, to spur innovations in the financial sector. However, all these regulatory changes still remain subject to negotiation and approval by the  European Parliament and European Council.

Crypto Market Overview

At the time of writing, the total crypto market cap is valued at $3.04 trillion, following a slight 0.25% loss in the past day. Meanwhile, total trading volume is valued at $135.47 billion.

In remarks made on December 4, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins expressed an optimistic outlook for the cryptocurrency industry. Atkins emphasized the SEC’s intent to modernize its rules to facilitate an on-chain market environment, leveraging distributed ledger technology and the tokenization of financial assets.

SEC Chair Advocates For Crypto Tokenization

Atkins highlighted the transformative potential of these technologies for the capital markets. He stressed that enhancing these markets is essential for US firms and investors to maintain their leadership on a global scale. 

The chair underscored that the advancements in blockchain technology could streamline not only trading processes but also the entire issuer-investor relationship, which would enable a more efficient and transparent financial ecosystem.

Tokenization, according to Atkins, goes beyond merely changing the mechanics of trading. He pointed out that it can foster direct connections for various important functions such as proxy voting, dividend payments, and shareholder communications, all while reducing the reliance on multiple intermediaries. 

In his address, Atkins acknowledged several innovative models that deserve consideration. He noted that some companies are directly issuing equity on public distributed ledgers in the form of programmable assets. 

These assets can integrate compliance features, voting rights, and governance capabilities, allowing investors to hold securities in a digital format that promotes transparency and reduces the number of intermediaries involved.

Additionally, he mentioned that third parties are engaging in the tokenization of equities by generating on-chain security entitlements that represent ownership stakes in traditional equities. 

The emergence of synthetic exposures—tokenized products designed to reflect the performance of public equities—was also highlighted. While many of these offerings are currently being developed offshore, they showcase the international interest in US market exposure supported by distributed ledger technology.

Atkins Critiques Past SEC Strategies

However, Atkins cautioned that transitioning to on-chain capital markets entails more than just issuance. He stated that it is essential to address various stages of the securities transaction lifecycle effectively. 

For instance, if tokenized shares cannot be traded competitively in liquid on-chain environments, they risk becoming little more than conceptual assets without practical utility. 

The chair also criticized the previous SEC’s approach toward the crypto industry under the agency’s former chair Gary Gensler, which attempted to adapt to on-chain markets through an expansive redefinition of “exchange.” 

This earlier strategy enforced a broad regulatory framework that ultimately created uncertainty and stifled innovation, Atkins stated. He said that it is vital to avoid repeating such mistakes in order to stimulate innovation, investment, and job creation in the United States.

To foster a conducive environment for growth, Atkins called for compliant pathways that can enable market participants to capitalize on the unique benefits of new technologies like crypto. 

In light of this conviction, he has instructed SEC staff to explore recommendations for utilizing the agency’s exemptive authorities, permitting on-chain innovations while the Commission works toward developing long-term, effective crypto regulatory frameworks.

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

Палата депутатов Парагвая одобрила законопроект, требующий от всех местных майнеров, а также связанных с ними компаний, подать в Министерство промышленности и торговли (MIC) заявку на регистрацию.

The cryptocurrency market experienced another wave of liquidations on Friday, with Bitcoin (BTC) prices dipping below the critical support level of $90,000. This decline followed a brief rally that had seen its price rise approximately $3,000 above this threshold earlier in the week.

Crypto Market Faces $430 Million In Liquidations 

Data from CoinGlass reveals that nearly $430 million in liquidations occurred across the crypto market over the past 24 hours, predominantly affecting leveraged long positions, which accounted for about $350 million. 

During this period, Bitcoin underwent a 3.5% retracement, with its price settling at just above $89,120—a stark 29% below its all-time high of over $126,000 reached in October.

Market expert OxNobler recently highlighted the role of both retail and institutional investors in this downturn. In a post on social media platform X, OxNobler detailed the reason behind Bitcoin’s decline: significant sell-offs by major players. 

According to the analyst, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, sold 4,000 BTC; U.S.-based Coinbase (COIN) liquidated 5,675 BTC; and traditional finance giant Fidelity sold 3,288 BTC. Additionally, market maker Wintermute offloaded 1,793 BTC. 

Notably, the analyst pointed out that Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, which is the largest public company holder of Bitcoin with over 650,000 coins, has also sold over 3,820 coins in this same time frame.

The firm’s sell-off comes on the heels of speculation regarding Strategy’s potential to liquidate some of its holdings due to the substantial losses affecting its financial performance amid declining Bitcoin prices. 

When Strategy CEO Phong Le was questioned about the possibility of selling off Bitcoin, he acknowledged that while the firm’s former CEO, Michael Saylor, has consistently opposed selling, circumstances may change if the company’s stock trades below the net value of its Bitcoin holdings, which aligns with the recent actions taken by the firm.

Coinbase Analysts Predict December Recovery 

Interestingly, while these institutional sell-offs have contributed to the current market dip, Coinbase’s institutional division has projected a potential recovery for the crypto market in December, citing improving liquidity, a 92% probability of the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting rates, and supportive macroeconomic conditions.

Analysts have pointed out several reasons for optimism, including the recovery of liquidity, the resilience of the “AI bubble,” and the attractiveness of short US dollar trades at current levels. 

However, OxNobler warned that the situation may not be so straightforward. Alongside the activities of major institutions, he noted that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, had recently sold $130 million worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH).

Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum’s co-founders, seems to have resumed selling Ethereum, with millions of ETH being moved from the foundation’s wallet through Gnosis Safe.

Ultimately, OxNobler asserts that these institutional activities may have a hand in manipulating crypto prices and preventing them from climbing to higher levels and key resistance points. 

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

Прокуратура США обратилась в суд Южного округа Нью-Йорка с ходатайством приговорить сооснователя Terraform Labs До Квона (Do Kwon) к 12 годам лишения свободы за мошенничество, вызвавшее крах экосистемы Terra в 2022 году.

Очередной случай незаконной добычи криптовалют выявили энергетики Кабардино-Балкарии — злоумышленники украли электричества почти на 6 млн рублей.

Специалисты работающей в области кибербезопасности компании SlowMist рассказали, что злоумышленники изменили права доступа владельца к кошельку Solana и украли свыше $3 млн в цифровых активах.

Reports have disclosed that some extremely wealthy family offices are adding XRP to their holdings, a move that market watchers say could influence demand for the token.

According to Jake Claver, CEO of Digital Ascension Group, a close contact overheard members of an affluent family tied to a major US food brand discussing sizable XRP positions while being driven from Disney World to their hotel in Orlando. Claver also said he has spoken with several large family offices that are making allocations into XRP.

Billionaire Interest And Anecdotal Claims

Claver said many of these investors are not looking for quick gains but for ways to preserve capital over the long run. He said only 38% of global family offices are even considering crypto exposure today, and that some of the families he has spoken with are now exploring XRP as part of a hedge.

Claver emphasized a mindset common among long-term investors: “You should only have to get rich once,” he said, describing how some families build a steady core position surrounded by diversification.

ETF Inflows And Market Numbers

Based on reports, the new XRP exchange-traded funds have pulled substantial supply from exchanges and OTC desks since launch. Over 400 million XRP have been taken up by ETFs, and inflows have topped $887 million with total assets above $906 million as of Wednesday.

Some sources count these moves within nine days of launch; others reference a 15-day window, which suggests reporting on timing has varied. Price action has stayed fairly steady near $2, but many traders are watching whether ETF demand eventually pressures that level.

Record-Breaking XRP Velocity: A Surge in On-Chain Activity

“Such a surge typically signifies high liquidity and substantial involvement from traders or significant movements by whales.” – By @CryptoOnchain

Full analysis https://t.co/AgXG0JK5Ig pic.twitter.com/H04OICWRIW

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) December 4, 2025

On-Chain Activity And Holder Concentration

Blockchain data shows there are roughly 7 million XRP wallets, and about half of those hold fewer than one hundred XRP. That concentration of ownership is being pointed to by some as a factor that could magnify price moves if larger buyers step in.

On December 2, the XRP Ledger’s velocity metric jumped to 0.0324, a yearly high according to CryptoQuant, driven by large transfers and heightened on-ledger circulation. Reports noted that several whales moved XRP at levels not seen earlier this year, a sign some big players may be repositioning.

What Investors And Observers Are Watching

Observers say the key things to monitor are ETF flows, on-chain metrics like velocity, and whether large family offices publicly disclose allocations. Ripple’s existing ties with certain banks and projects are often cited as part of the story for institutional adoption, though other platforms also aim at broad use by banks.

For now, the picture mixes solid market activity — including ETF inflows and a jump in velocity — with ongoing chatter about billionaire buying. The market signals suggest growing institutional interest, while the family-office stories add another layer to how people are interpreting the trend.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

As stablecoins continue to gain worldwide momentum, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for global cooperation to avert potential macro financial stability risks related to the rapidly growing sector and to turn the industry “into a force for good.”

Stablecoins To Foster Innovation, Financial Inclusion

On Thursday, the IMF released a 56-page report discussing the growing influence of stablecoins, their potential use cases in mainstream financial markets, and the risks associated with the sector’s varying oversight.

Amid the sector’s rapid growth, the organization highlighted that the two largest stablecoins, USDT and USDC, have tripled their market capitalization since 2023, reaching a combined $260 billion. Meanwhile, their trading volume has increased by around 90% to $23 trillion in 2024, with Asia surpassing North America in stablecoin activity volume.

The IMF noted two major potential benefits from stablecoins. First, they could enable faster and cheaper cross-border payments, especially for remittances, which can cost 20% of the amount being sent and face some delays.

However, “being a single source of information, blockchains can greatly simplify the processes linked with cross-border payments and reduce costs,” the Fund’s economists explained in a blog post.

Second, stablecoins could expand financial access, driving innovation by increasing competition with established payment service providers, therefore, making retail digital payments more accessible to underserved customers.

They could facilitate digital payments in areas where it is costly or not profitable for banks to serve customers. Many developing countries are already leapfrogging traditional banking with the expansion of mobile phones and different forms of digital and tokenized money.

Notably, competition with already established providers could lower costs and lead to enhanced product diversity, “leveraging synergies between digital payments and other digital services.”

IMF Warns Of Fragmented Oversight

Despite their potential benefits, stablecoins also carry significant risks, the IMF explained, including de-pegging and collapsing if the underlying assets lose value or if users lose confidence in the ability to cash out. Per the report, this could also trigger fire sales of the reserve assets and disrupt financial markets.

Stablecoins could also accelerate a “currency substitution” dynamic, where individuals and companies abandon their national currency in favor of a foreign one, like US dollars or euros, due to instability or high inflation.

The organization noted that the dynamic decreases a country’s central bank’s ability to control its monetary policy and serve as the lender of last resort, damaging the financial sovereignty of affected nations.

In addition, the potential to reduce cross-border frictions and make faster and cheaper transactions could be undermined by a lack of interoperability if various networks are unable to connect or are restricted by different regulations and other hurdles.

“Stablecoin regulation is in its infancy, so the ability to mitigate these risks remains uneven across countries,” the organization affirmed, noting that “the IMF and the Financial Stability Board have issued recommendations to safeguard against currency substitution, maintain capital flow controls, address fiscal risks, ensure clear legal treatment and robust regulation, implement financial integrity standards, and strengthen global cooperation.”

As reported by Bitcoinist, the FSB vowed in October to address the evolving threats from private finance and the growing use of stablecoins, promising to increase the global watchdog’s policy response and overhaul its surveillance system to make it more flexible and quicker.

Nonetheless, major jurisdictions have taken different stances in key areas, as the IMF detailed, which could result in the exploitation of gaps between jurisdictions and issuers to locate where oversight is weaker.

All this underscores the need for strong international cooperation to mitigate macrofinancial and spillover risks (…). Tokenization and stablecoins are here to stay. But their future adoption and the outlook for this technology are still mostly unknown.

The organization concluded that “improving the existing global financial infrastructure might be easier than replacing it. Achieving the best possible balance will require close cooperation among policymakers, regulators, and the private sector.”

Data shows distribution on the Bitcoin network has dropped off, with both the largest of whales and small retail hands taking to accumulation.

Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score Shows Shift Toward Buying

As explained by Glassnode analyst Chris Beamish in an X post, Bitcoin investors have been showing a lot less distribution at the recent price levels. The on-chain indicator of relevance here is the “Accumulation Trend Score,” which tells us about whether BTC holders are buying or selling.

The metric tracks investor behavior using not just the changes happening in their wallet balance, but also accounting for the size of their wallets. This means that larger entities have a higher influence on the score.

When the value of the Accumulation Trend Score is greater than 0.5, it means the investors are displaying a net trend of accumulation. On the other hand, it being under the threshold suggests the dominance of distribution.

Now, here is the chart shared by Beamish that shows how the Accumulation Trend Score has changed for the different Bitcoin investor segments over the last few years:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score has reflected a varied behavior for the different investor segments during the last couple of months, but very recently, a uniform picture has started to develop.

The smallest of investors in the market, those holding less than 1 BTC, started participating in aggressive accumulation around the time of BTC’s low in November and have since maintained the indicator nearly at a perfect value of 1. This suggests that retail investors have been buying the dip.

Meanwhile, the 100 to 1,000 BTC traders, popularly called the sharks, have been accumulating throughout the drawdown that has followed since the early October peak, indicating that these investors haven’t lost conviction despite the deep decline.

The story is a bit different for the whale cohorts, however. The 10,000+ BTC holders, corresponding to the largest of hands on the network, were in a phase of distribution between August and November, but they have finally started accumulating since the price low, although the Accumulation Trend Score isn’t as high as the retail investors in their case.

The 1,000 to 10,000 BTC whale group didn’t stop distributing even after the bottom, but very recently, their score has just breached the 0.5 mark. With this, a uniform behavior has begun to appear on the Bitcoin blockchain, with investors as a whole opting to expand their wallet balance.

It now remains to be seen how long this trend of accumulation will continue.

BTC Price

Bitcoin has faced a drop of more than 3% over the last 24 hours that has taken its price to $89,300.

Do Kwon, the troubled co-founder of Terraform Labs based in Singapore, is facing a possible 12-year prison sentence in the United States due to his role in the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin, which resulted in significant losses within the cryptocurrency market.

Do Kwon Seeks Reduced Sentence Of Five Years

Bloomberg reported that in a court filing late Thursday, US prosecutors described the Terraform Labs co-founder’s fraudulent actions as “colossal in scope.” 

They emphasized that his “misleading statements to customers” triggered a domino effect of crises across the crypto landscape, culminating in the downfall of notable entities such as Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.

This comes amid a regulatory environment that has grown increasingly lenient under the Trump administration. In late October, President Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who had been convicted for failing to uphold proper anti-money laundering measures.

In a recent court filing, Terraform Labs co-founder expressed a desire for a reduced sentence of five years. His legal team asserted that he has already “suffered substantially” for his actions, noting that he has spent nearly three years in detention conditions described as “brutal” in Montenegro. 

Kwon’s lawyers argued that a five-year prison term would be sufficient and that the prosecutors’ recommendation of 12 years is “far greater than necessary” for justice to be served.

Potential For Sentence Transfer For Terraform Labs Co-Founder

Initially, Kwon pleaded not guilty in January to a nine-count indictment that charged him with securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. However, he changed his plea in August to guilty for conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud. 

During this change, Terraform Labs’ leader acknowledged that his actions included making “false and misleading statements” regarding the restoration of TerraUSD’s peg in 2021, admitting, “What I did was wrong.”

As part of his plea agreement, Kwon has consented to forfeit $19.3 million and some properties. Prosecutors have chosen not to demand restitution for the millions of investors who collectively lost $40 billion, citing that calculating individual losses would be too complicated.

Kwon faces charges in both the US and his native South Korea, where prosecutors are also pursuing a lengthy prison sentence potentially reaching up to 40 years. 

He was arrested in Montenegro in 2023 while using a fake passport, and following a protracted legal battle, he was extradited to the United States in January after spending nearly two years in a Balkan jail.

US prosecutors have indicated they would support Kwon’s opportunity to serve the second half of his sentence in South Korea, provided he adheres to the terms of his plea deal and qualifies for a transfer program. Kwon is scheduled for sentencing by US District Judge Paul Engelmayer on December 11.

When writing, Terraform Labs’ native token Luna Classic (LUNC) saw a 75% increase in response to Do Kwon’s probable sentence, trading at $0.000050 and placing it at the helm of the market’s top performers on Friday. 

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

Reports have disclosed that central banks around the globe have stepped up purchases of gold this year, with one month standing out. In October 2025, officials bought 53 tons of gold, a level that analysts say is the highest monthly demand seen this year. These moves reflect growing concern about inflation, weaker currencies and rising geopolitical risk.

Central Bank Buying Surges

According to data cited by financial outlets, 2025 is on track to be the fourth-highest year this century for institutional gold accumulation when measured net year-to-date through October. Analysts at Deutsche Bank put gold’s share of central-bank reserves at about 24%, a level not seen since the 1990s. Those figures help explain why governments that once moved away from bullion are returning to it now.

Bitcoin Enters The Conversation

Some banks and market researchers are now asking whether Bitcoin could play a similar role for national treasuries. Based on reports from major financial firms, Deutsche Bank projects that Bitcoin could appear on central-bank balance sheets by 2030 as a complementary reserve asset.

Central banks are ramping up gold purchases:

Global central banks purchased +53 tonnes of gold in October, the most since November 2024.

This marks a +194% jump compared to July, and the 3rd-straight monthly acceleration.

In the first 10 months of the year, central banks have… pic.twitter.com/7pZWyEjjvf

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) December 4, 2025

Bitcoin’s market profile has changed: liquidity has risen, and price swings have been less extreme during recent months even though volatility remains higher than older reserve assets. Bitcoin also reached a record above $123,500 in recent trading, a price point that has captured wide attention.

A Few Banks Are Testing The Idea

A small number of central banks are now at least studying the idea more seriously. The Czech National Bank, for example, has discussed the possibility of a “test allocation” to learn how crypto might behave inside a reserve mix. Those conversations tend to focus on custody, accounting rules and how to report gains or losses, rather than immediate buying.

On Gold & Bitcoin: Why Officials Are Cautious

Risk is the main reason most central banks have not moved faster. Bitcoin still shows larger price swings than standard reserve assets, and global rules for how to hold and audit crypto are not uniform. Based on expert commentary, regulators and auditors would need clear guidance before many central banks felt comfortable adding crypto to official reserves.

What This Could Mean For Markets

If even a handful of national banks were to allocate a small share of reserves to Bitcoin, demand could rise sharply and change how markets view the asset. A modest sovereign allocation would not replace gold or the US dollar, but it could give Bitcoin a stronger role as a hedge for countries facing currency weakness or rising inflation. At the same time, such a move would push more work into custody and compliance services, which would have to scale up quickly.

Gold buying by central banks is already significant — 53 tons in one month and about 24% of reserves in gold for some — and that Bitcoin is being discussed as a possible next step for some policymakers. The path from discussion to adoption is uncertain, and many technical and legal questions remain. Still, the debate has moved from theory to test runs and official reports, making this one of the more closely watched trends in global finance this year.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The anticipated crypto market structure bill, or namely the CLARITY Act, designed to provide essential regulatory clarity for digital assets in the United States, is approaching critical dates in the Senate. However, it faces significant complexities related to stablecoin yield, conflicts of interest, and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Senate Divided On Crypto Market Structure Bill

Legal expert and Chief Legal Officer of Variant Jake Chervinsky, reports that the Senate is divided into two committees: Banking, which is handling the securities law aspect, and Agriculture, responsible for the commodities law portion. 

Both committees have published drafts of their work this fall, with the next step being markup, a process where hearings will be held to vote on amendments before sending the bill to the Senate floor for a full vote.

However, both committees are cautious and are unlikely to proceed with markup until they resolve ongoing disputes. Among these, three significant issues stand out.

The first major concern involves stablecoin yield. In the GENIUS Act, banks lobbied for a prohibition on interest payments, meaning stablecoin issuers cannot offer holders any form of interest or yield. 

While the current prohibition prevents direct yield payments to holders, it does not address non-yield rewards or yield provided by third parties. Banks consider this gap a “loophole” and are advocating for broader restrictions to be included in the market structure bill. 

Conflicts Of Interest And DeFi Regulations Stall Progress

The second issue revolves around conflicts of interest. Some Democratic senators have indicated they would not support the market structure legislation unless it includes provisions that restrict the President’s family from conducting business in the crypto space. 

The third and perhaps most crucial issue pertains to DeFi. It is important to note that market structure legislation primarily addresses centralized platforms that exercise custody over user funds and transactions. 

Chervinsky believes the bill should primarily focus on protecting DeFi, but traditional finance (TradFi) stakeholders have been pushing Congress to categorize virtually all entities in the crypto sector—developers, validators, and others—as intermediaries. 

The expert emphasized that the success of any market structure bill hinges on ensuring robust protections for developers since the viability of the crypto industry relies on their contributions. 

Given the intricate nature of these issues and the swiftly approaching holiday break, Chervinsky noted that it is possible that discussions about market structure could extend into January. 

Senate Markup Set For December 17-18

Market analyst MartyParty provided another update on December 4, indicating that the bipartisan Digital Asset Market Structure Bill is gaining significant momentum in Congress, with a markup session in the Senate Banking Committee tentatively scheduled for December 17-18, just before the holiday recess

If successfully passed, he states that the bill could establish clearer pathways for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and mitigate “debanking” risks, paving the way for compliant exchanges and potentially stimulating market volumes following the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approvals for spot crypto trading. 

This “regulatory convergence” is seen as a catalyst that could drive liquidity and energize the next bull market, reinforcing President Trump’s vision for the US to emerge as the “crypto capital of the world.”

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