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

According to claims made from Russian Media Kommersant, the country is discussing joint management of Zaporizhzhia (the largest nuclear facility in Europe) with the United States, with the purpose of using it for Bitcoin mining. President Vladimir Putin allegedly announced the collaboration at a pre-New Year meeting of the State Council on Christmas. Putin said […] source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/russia-alleges-us-joint-bitcoin-mining-plant/

null source: https://x.com/wublockchain/status/2004433251721793610

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.