Why Is Crypto Down Today? – December 24, 2025

Market Overview - The crypto market capitalization has decreased by 1.1% over the past 24 hours, now standing at $3.02 trillion, amid broad weakness across major assets [1][8] - Trading activity remains high, with a 24-hour volume of $98.49 billion [1] Major Cryptocurrencies Performance - Bitcoin (BTC) is currently priced at $86,780, down 0.8% in the last 24 hours, but slightly higher on a weekly basis, with a market cap of approximately $1.73 trillion [3] - Ethereum (ETH) has fallen 1.5% to $2,919, with a market capitalization near $352 billion [3] - Among the top 10 cryptocurrencies, Solana (SOL) dropped 2.3% to $121.36, BNB (BNB) slipped 1.6% to $835.76, and XRP (XRP) declined 1.8% to $1.85 [4] Notable Outperformers - Outside the major cryptocurrencies, SQD surged by 43.7%, Quantum Resistant Ledger increased by 31%, and pippin rose by 21.8%, standing out as notable gainers in a generally risk-off market [5] Bitcoin Market Dynamics - Galaxy Research indicates that while Bitcoin has reached nominal highs, it has not surpassed the $100,000 mark when adjusted for inflation [5][6] - Bitcoin's dominance in the crypto market is increasing as trading activity slows towards year-end, putting sustained pressure on altcoins [7] Institutional Activity - US spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced net outflows of $188.6 million, primarily driven by BlackRock's IBIT, while US spot Ether ETFs recorded outflows of $95.5 million, reversing previous inflows [8] - Institutional activity remains robust, with Bitmine adding nearly $1 billion worth of ETH in December [8]