Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) finally cracked its much predicted $100,000 mark before falling back down to Earth in late 2025. Many of the big cryptocurrencies lost value over the last 12 months despite 2025 being a banner year for the digital assets story.  Next year, the story in crypto will be more about structure than price cycles of the big coins, Web3 founders predict.Positive regulations in the U.S. and a handful of themes will keep investors bullish on crypto even if prices are moving sideways for months, m ...

Stablecoins are poised to become a foundational layer of global finance over the next two years, according to Ripple President Monica Long, who says the asset class is shifting from experimental pilots to full-scale production across mainstream payments. In commentary outlining her expectations through 2026, Long argues that stablecoins are no longer a niche crypto innovation but are on track to become the default infrastructure for cross-border payments, embedded directly into legacy financial rails used ...

Market Overview - Wall Street showed mixed signals with nonfarm payrolls rising by 64,000 in November, exceeding expectations of 50,000, while the unemployment rate increased to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021 [1][2] - The Nasdaq 100 increased by 0.2% to 25,121, while the Dow Jones and S&P 500 experienced slight declines of 0.2% and 0.1% respectively [3][6] - Small-cap stocks underperformed, with the Russell 2000 dropping 0.6%, marking a third consecutive session of losses [3][6] Sector Performance - Energy stocks continued to decline, falling 2.2% on the day, lagging behind the broader market [5] - Oil prices fell to $55 per barrel, down 2.2%, reaching the lowest levels since January 2021, amid expectations of a potential resolution in the Ukraine war that could ease restrictions on Russian oil exports [4] - In commodities, gold remained stable at $4,300 per ounce, while silver decreased by 0.6% to $62 per ounce [5] Notable Stocks - Affirm Holdings Inc. saw a significant increase in shares, rising by 10.48% [8][9] - The top gainers in the Russell 1000 included Circle Internet Group Inc. (+9.07%), RH (+6.82%), and Cognex Corporation (+5.20%) [9] - Conversely, the top laggards included Corcept Therapeutics Inc. (-8.19%), Amkor Technology Inc. (-7.64%), and Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. (-6.35%) [10]

Core Insights - Ethereum price has fallen below the critical $3,000 level, currently trading around $2,900–$2,950, reflecting a decline of approximately 5–7% over the past 24 hours, with a market cap around $340 billion [1][4] - A significant liquidation event occurred, resulting in nearly $600 million in leveraged crypto positions being wiped out in a single day, contributing to the current volatility [2][4] - The decline in Ethereum's price is part of a broader trend, with the cryptocurrency losing key support levels since November, particularly the $3,590 mark, which was breached with a selling volume 138% above average [4] Market Dynamics - Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and serves as the foundation for DeFi, NFTs, and tokenization projects, making its price movements influential across the entire crypto market [3] - The price action is influenced by Bitcoin's pullback and liquidations, which have historically correlated with Ethereum's performance, alongside increasing competition from alternative chains like Solana [5] - Traders are closely monitoring the $2,820–$2,830 zone, which has historically acted as a support level, while the current trading below $3,000 and the 100-hour moving average indicates a bearish trend [5][6] Technical Analysis - Resistance levels are identified at $2,980, $3,050, and $3,080–$3,120, with a decisive move above these levels potentially leading to a recovery towards $3,175–$3,200 [6] - Conversely, failure to reclaim the $2,980 and $3,000 levels with sufficient volume could result in further declines towards $2,920 and possibly $2,880–$2,840, with $2,800 being a critical support level [7]

Group 1 - BNB has risen nearly 2.5% to trade at $872, outperforming most major cryptocurrencies amid a broader market recovery, with the CoinDesk 20 index increasing by 1.4% [1] - Trading data indicates that BNB climbed steadily, reaching a high of approximately $876, with daily volume exceeding recent averages, suggesting participation from larger traders [2] - Recent announcements from BNB Chain ecosystem participants, such as PancakeSwap's new onchain prediction market called Probable, have supported interest in BNB [3] Group 2 - Market participants are monitoring whether BNB can maintain its position above $870 and challenge resistance in the $880 range, with a sustained break potentially refocusing attention on the $900 level [3] - BNB has shown a pattern of higher lows throughout the day and has held gains during periods when other tokens experienced pullbacks [2] - A drop below $850 would test the durability of recent gains, indicating whether they reflect long-term accumulation or short-term positioning [3]

Core Viewpoint - The volatility in the cryptocurrency market has significantly impacted Coinbase (COIN) stock, which has seen a decline of nearly 40% from its 52-week high of $444.70 in July 2025 due to corrections in Bitcoin and other crypto assets [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Position - Despite Bitcoin not reaching six digits, Coinbase stock appears attractive following the recent selloff, with speculation about the launch of prediction markets and tokenized equities as early as December 17 [2][3]. - Coinbase supports approximately 90% of the total crypto asset market capitalization for trading on its platform, indicating a strong market position [4]. Group 2: Financial Performance - As of Q3 2025, Coinbase reported assets on its platform totaling $516 billion and assets under custody of $300 billion, with quarterly revenue of $1.86 billion [5]. - The stock has traded sideways, down about 2% over the last six months, reflecting broader market volatility [5]. Group 3: Liquidity and Growth Potential - Coinbase has a liquidity buffer of $11.9 billion, bolstered by a $3 billion convertible debt issuance in August 2025, enhancing its financial flexibility [6]. - The company reported crypto assets held for investment of $2.6 billion and collateral of $1 billion, increasing the liquidity buffer to $15.9 billion, which supports aggressive growth strategies [7]. - An adjusted EBITDA margin of 44.7% for Q3 indicates strong potential for operating cash flows when trading and investment activities are robust [8].

Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the U.S. SEC has formally concluded its four-year investigation into the Aave Protocol. He noted that DeFi has faced heightened regulatory pressure in recent years, and that the closure of the probe reduces uncertainty and allows developers to continue building in a clearer regulatory environment. https://t.co/hS8JkrdXbT ...

Basius77 / Shutterstock.com Quick Read Bitcoin is back in the green, up by $871.86, this morning – which would explain why shares of Strategy are up $3. Up about $3.25 in premarket, Coinbase was another casualty of the Bitcoin pullback. However, much like we’re seeing with MSTR, COIN is going along with the Bitcoin bounce. Analysts at Morgan Stanley just upgraded Roku to an overweight rating with a price target of $135 from $85. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ re ...

Major asset managers are forecasting that Bitcoin will shatter its traditional four-year cycle and reach new all-time highs in 2026, driven by massive institutional capital inflows and regulatory clarity. Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan and Grayscale Research both project BTC will exceed its previous peak despite conventional wisdom suggesting 2026 should be a pullback year. Bitcoin has historically followed a four-year cycle tied to halving events, with three significant up years followed ...

Core Insights - XRP experienced a significant price decline of over 45% from its peak of $3.66 in July 2025 to around $2.00 by December 2025, primarily due to profit-taking by whales and a broader selloff in the crypto market [4][6][10] - Despite the price drop, XRP ETF inflows reached $1 billion in under four weeks, marking the fastest institutional adoption since Ethereum ETFs launched, which could potentially stabilize and reverse the price decline [6][9][10][15] Price Movement and Market Dynamics - XRP's all-time high of $3.66 was achieved after a 480% increase over the previous year, but the subsequent retreat has left approximately 37% of XRP holders with unrealized losses [4][6][10] - The broader crypto market lost over $1 trillion in value from October to November 2025, contributing to XRP's decline alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum [2][4] Whale Activity and Selling Pressure - Whales sold approximately 200 million XRP (valued at $400 million) in late November 2025, likely to lock in profits from the summer surge [2][3] - A significant portion of recent XRP buyers are now holding underwater positions, leading to continued selling pressure as some investors cut losses [3][6] ETF Inflows and Institutional Demand - XRP ETF inflows have created structural demand, with nearly $1 billion in assets attracted within four weeks of launching, indicating strong institutional interest [9][10][14] - The inflows have absorbed nearly 1% of XRP's circulating supply, contributing to a tightening of exchange balances, which fell from 3.95 billion to 2.6 billion XRP over 60 days [10][14] Future Price Predictions - Analysts present three potential scenarios for XRP's price trajectory through 2026, depending on the sustainability of ETF inflows and broader market conditions [16][17][20] - The bullish scenario suggests that sustained ETF inflows could push XRP back to its previous high of $3.66 by Q4 2026, while the bearish scenario warns of a potential drop to $1.50 if whale selling accelerates and ETF inflows fade [17][23][24]