Bitcoin’s long-term market fundamentals remain exceptionally strong in 2025, even as prices and investor sentiment weakened toward the end of the year, according to Phong Le, CEO of Strategy.Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast on Tuesday, Le said Bitcoin’s recent price decline does little to change the broader investment thesis.“The fundamentals of the market this year for Bitcoin couldn’t be better,” Le said, adding that he pays little attention to short-term price fluctuations.Bitcoin Price Falls Nearly 30% From Record HighBitcoin reached an all-time high of $125,100 on Oct. 5, but has since dropped nearly 30%, trading around $87,700 at the time of publication, according to CoinMarketCap.The price weakness has coincided with a sharp deterioration in market sentiment. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has remained in “Extreme Fear” territory since Dec. 12, reflecting persistent caution among retail investors.Despite the pullback, Le emphasized that Bitcoin’s price behavior is often difficult to interpret in the short term.“Bitcoin does what it does,” he said. “When you’re an investor, you think about the long term of the asset class.”Strategy Focuses on Long-Term Metrics Over Price VolatilityLe said Bitcoin investors should take a disciplined, data-driven approach when navigating short-term price movements.“Bitcoiners should be fairly methodical and mathematical about it,” he said.That philosophy underpins Strategy’s treasury strategy, which focuses on metrics such as mNAV — the company’s market value relative to the value of its Bitcoin holdings — rather than daily price swings.Strategy currently holds 671,268 BTC, worth approximately $58.6 billion, making it the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder. According to Saylor Tracker, the firm’s mNAV recently fell below 1.0, trading near 0.93, as the company’s stock declined alongside Bitcoin.U.S. Government Support Seen as Major Long-Term TailwindLooking beyond market cycles, Le highlighted what he described as unprecedented institutional and government support for Bitcoin in the United States.“The U.S. government is fully supportive of Bitcoin like it’s never been before,” he said.Le noted that both he and Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor have been meeting with traditional banks in the U.S. and the UAE, where financial institutions are increasingly trying to understand how to integrate Bitcoin into their operations.“If you think about what’s happening with traditional powers of the world — the U.S. government, the U.S. banking system — they are all getting on board with Bitcoin,” Le said. “That’s extremely bullish for this year and 2026.”Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Still UnclearIn March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order formally establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. However, a detailed implementation plan has yet to be confirmed.Some analysts previously expected a clearer announcement in 2025. In September, Alex Thorn, head of firmwide research at Galaxy Digital, said there was “a strong chance” the U.S. government would officially announce the reserve this year.Long-Term Outlook Remains Bullish Despite Short-Term FearWhile Bitcoin’s price and sentiment have weakened into year-end, Strategy’s leadership remains focused on structural adoption, regulatory progress, and institutional alignment rather than short-term volatility.Le’s message to investors is clear: market fear may dominate headlines today, but Bitcoin’s underlying fundamentals continue to strengthen — potentially setting the stage for renewed growth beyond the current downturn.

Ethereum may struggle to reclaim record highs in 2026 as broader crypto market conditions remain fragile, according to prominent analyst Benjamin Cowen.Speaking on the Bankless podcast on Tuesday, Cowen said Ethereum’s outlook is closely tied to Bitcoin’s market structure, which he believes increasingly resembles a bear market.“If Bitcoin truly is in a bear market — which is what it feels like — it would be kind of hard for Ethereum to go up there,” Cowen said.His comments come amid growing debate over whether the crypto market has already peaked for the current cycle following sharp drawdowns since October.Ethereum Rally in 2026 Could Be a “Bull Trap”Cowen warned that even if Ethereum manages to reclaim its all-time high of $4,878, last reached in August, such a move may not be sustainable.“If Ethereum does get back to all-time highs in 2026, I’d be worried that it’s just a bull trap,” Cowen said, suggesting a sharp reversal could follow.He added that a failed breakout could send Ether back toward the $2,000 level, reinforcing the idea that upside moves may be corrective rather than the start of a new bull phase.At the time of writing, Ether is trading near $2,900, meaning a return to its peak would require a rally of more than 40%.Ethereum’s Performance Hinges on Bitcoin’s Market CycleCowen’s caution aligns with a broader bearish narrative forming around Bitcoin. Veteran trader Peter Brandt recently projected that Bitcoin could fall as low as $60,000 by Q3 2026, reinforcing concerns that the current cycle may have already topped.Cowen emphasized that Ethereum would be the only altcoin he would even consider capable of retesting all-time highs under these conditions — and even that scenario remains uncertain.“The only altcoin I’m even considering this for is Ethereum. A lot of the other altcoins are kind of cooked at this point for the cycle,” he said.Other Analysts See Potential for Deeper DrawdownsSome firms are even more cautious. Fundstrat Global Advisors reportedly warned investors earlier this month about a potential “meaningful drawdown” in 2026, which could push Ether into the $1,800–$2,000 range.However, not all analysts agree with the bearish outlook. Crypto commentator Crypto With James argued on Dec. 16 that Ethereum is “not done yet,” suggesting a near-term push back toward record highs remains possible.Ethereum Faces a High-Stakes 2026With Bitcoin struggling to regain momentum and liquidity conditions tightening, Ethereum’s ability to reach new highs in 2026 may depend less on its own fundamentals and more on whether the broader crypto market can escape a prolonged downtrend.For now, analysts remain divided — but Cowen’s warning highlights a growing concern: any major ETH rally next year may come with elevated downside risk rather than a new cycle of sustained growth.

According to BlockBeats, the stablecoin USX on the Solana blockchain experienced a temporary depeg, with its secondary market price dropping to $0.1. Following liquidity injection by Solstice, the USX price has recovered to $0.94.

Crypto market sentiment has remained entrenched in “extreme fear” for the 14th consecutive day, underscoring a deep disconnect between price levels and investor psychology.According to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, sentiment dropped three points to 20 out of 100 on Dec. 26, extending one of the longest sustained periods of extreme fear since the index was launched in February 2018.Sentiment Weaker Than During the FTX CollapseNotably, the current reading is lower than levels seen during the collapse of FTX in November 2022, a period widely considered one of the most traumatic events in crypto history.This comes despite Bitcoin trading near $88,650, roughly five times higher than prices during the FTX fallout, and only about 30% below its all-time high of $126,080 set on Oct. 6, according to CoinGecko data.The index aggregates multiple inputs, including price volatility, trading volume, social media sentiment, trend data, and Bitcoin dominance, to gauge overall market psychology.Macro Fears Continue to Weigh on Crypto ConfidenceMarket sentiment has trended steadily downward since early October, after renewed U.S.–China tariff concerns erased nearly $500 billion from total crypto market capitalization on Oct. 10.Additional pressure has come from uncertainty around U.S. Federal Reserve policy, with growing fears that the Fed may pause interest-rate cuts in early 2026. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE, warned earlier this week that Bitcoin could slide toward $70,000 if rates remain unchanged.Retail Participation Shows Signs of RetreatOn-chain analytics firm Alphractal reported that crypto-related search interest has dropped sharply, citing declines in Google search volume, Wikipedia page views, and online forum discussions.“Crypto social volume has returned to levels typically seen during bear markets,” Alphractal noted, adding that retail investors appear increasingly disengaged and discouraged as December progresses.Bitwise: Crypto-Native Retail Sitting Out the MarketBitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan previously attributed the weak sentiment to “crypto-native retail” stepping away after a series of damaging events.He cited the lingering effects of the FTX collapse, memecoin failures, the absence of a sustained altcoin season, and the Oct. 10 liquidation event, which collectively eroded confidence among long-time retail participants.“Crypto-native retail is depressed,” Hougan said, arguing that many have chosen to stay sidelined rather than re-enter volatile markets.Institutional Flows Tell a Different StoryIn contrast, Hougan noted that traditional finance retail and institutional investors remain active, pointing to the continued inflows into U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded funds.Despite Bitcoin posting a 5% year-to-date decline, U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs have attracted more than $25 billion in net inflows in 2025, highlighting a growing divergence between professional capital and retail sentiment.Fear May Be a Contrarian SignalHistorically, prolonged periods of extreme fear have often coincided with market bottoms rather than tops, though analysts caution that macro uncertainty and thin year-end liquidity could keep volatility elevated in the near term.For now, the crypto market remains caught between institutional accumulation and retail disengagement, with sentiment metrics flashing warning signs even as prices stabilize well above historical bear-market lows.

Kraken has officially launched the Krak Card, a Mastercard crypto debit card for residents living in the EU countries and the United Kingdom. The Krak card would allow users to spend more than 400 cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies seamlessly.

According to official news, MGBX will list LIT (Lighter) on December 26, 2025 at 18:00 (SGT). Spot trading deposit opening time: December 26, 2025 at 17:00 (SGT). Trading opening time: December 26, 2025 at 18:00 (SGT). Withdrawal opening time: To be determined. Lighter is a perpetual trading protocol that introduces a scalable, secure, transparent, non-custodial, and verifiable order book trading infrastructure into the Ethereum ecosystem.

Spot gold hit a record high of $4,530.6 per ounce on Friday, while spot silver briefly touched a record high of $75.14. Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst at OANDA, said that since early December, momentum-driven and speculative traders have been driving the rise in gold and silver prices. Thin year-end liquidity, expectations of prolonged Fed rate cuts, a weaker dollar, and surging geopolitical risks have all contributed to pushing precious metals to new record highs. Gold could potentially move towards $5,000 per ounce in the first half of next year, while silver has the potential to reach around $90 per ounce. In addition, platinum and palladium have surged due to tight supply, tariff uncertainty, and rotating investment demand for gold. Platinum has risen approximately 165% year-to-date, and palladium over 90%. Jigar Trivedi, senior research analyst at Reliance Securities, said that platinum is supported by strong industrial demand, with US inventory holders replenishing their stocks amid sanctions-related concerns, which has helped maintain high prices. (Jinshi)

According to an official announcement, Upbit has announced that it will launch trading pairs for ZKP (Korean Won), BTC, and USDT.

According to Coinglass data, the price of Bitcoin on Coinbase showed a negative premium of approximately -0.1% for about an hour today, compared to several other major Asian exchanges. This has now narrowed to -0.0632%. Furthermore, the Coinbase premium index has been in negative territory for 12 consecutive days since the 15th of this month. A negative premium on the Coinbase Bitcoin premium index indicates that the price of Bitcoin on Coinbase is lower than the global average. This usually reflects significant selling pressure in the US market, decreased investor risk appetite, increased market risk aversion, or capital outflows.

null source: https://x.com/cointelegraph/status/2004434662140104964

null source: https://x.com/CryptoNewsXBT/status/2004434249408303355

Trust Wallet confirmed a security incident affecting version 2.68 of its Chrome extension after users reported unauthorised wallet drains following a recent update. The company told users to disable the extension and upgrade immediately, saying its mobile app and other versions were not affected while the investigation continues.

Kyrgyzstan has taken another step toward embedding digital assets into its financial system after cryptocurrency exchange Binance listed the country’s first som-pegged stablecoin, a move that signals growing state-level confidence in blockchain-based payments and infrastructure.

A 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, stands accused of orchestrating a sophisticated phishing scheme that drained $16 million from Coinbase users. Prosecutors say Spektor, using the online alias “lolimfeelingevil,” targeted unsuspecting victims by posing as an official Coinbase support agent, warning them that their crypto holdings were at risk of theft.

A Brazilian music project will turn real-time Bitcoin price changes into live orchestral performances using an algorithm to guide the instruments. The initiative has received government approval and funding through Brazil’s tax incentive programme to bring the concept to life in Brasília.

Ethena’s synthetic stablecoin USDe has suffered a sharp contraction since the Oct. 10 market crash, with roughly $8.3 billion exiting the protocol as investors reassessed the risks tied to leveraged and synthetic-backed designs.

Seven companies ran fake crypto platforms and WhatsApp investment clubs, tricking US investors out of over $14 million with false trading claims and AI-driven tips. Victims were pressured to pay extra fees to withdraw funds, and the stolen money was sent through overseas bank accounts and crypto wallets.

A South Korean man’s attempt to secure a lighter punishment for laundering funds through cryptocurrency has backfired dramatically, with an appeals court overturning his suspended sentence and sending him to prison for four years.

Trump Media & Technology Group bought 451 more Bitcoin, bringing its total holdings to 11,542 coins worth over $1 billion. The company is using Bitcoin as a long-term reserve and is expanding into crypto investments and related financial services.

Justin Sun has lost around $60 million after World Liberty Financial blacklisted his wallet, freezing his WLFI tokens following a $9 million transfer. The freeze has left him unable to access or trade his holdings, while the token’s price has dropped over 40% since September.