Initial U.S. jobless claims came in at 214,000 for the week ending Dec. 20, down 10,000 from the prior period and below a 224,000 forecast, according to the Labor Department. Continuing claims rose to 1.92 million, while the Conference Board said December consumer confidence fell to 89.1 from 92.9, marking a fifth consecutive monthly decline.

Bitcoin is approaching a record $23.6 billion options expiry on Dec. 26, with positions clustered near key strikes that could reshape dealer hedging and short term volatility. At the same time, spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US are seeing sustained net outflows and price is consolidating around $87,106 within a tight range marked by resistance near $90,647 and support around $83,986. How flows and liquidity evolve after the holiday period may determine whether the market extends its weakness or sets up for a sharper reversal.

Five jurisdictions moved to streamline crypto licensing in 2025, with major milestones: the US GENIUS Act in July, EU MiCA passporting from January, Dubai VARA's Version 2.0 in May, Hong Kong's stablecoin regime in August, and UK HM Treasury and FCA steps in April and December. These changes created clearer pathways and reduced duplication for compliant firms.

U.S. regulators halted an alleged crypto fraud that took over $14 million from investors on 24 December 2025. The operation used social media groups, private chats, and slick but fictitious platforms, then pressured victims to pay new fees during withdrawal attempts, leaving funds unrecovered.

On December 24, 2025, Circle announced a digital metals expansion that lets customers swap USDC for tokenized gold (GLDC) and silver (SILC) at live market prices. The service cites COMEX-linked liquidity, on-chain settlement, and 24/7 availability, aiming to integrate precious metal exposure into public blockchains for institutional and developer use.

XRP is finishing December 2025 down about -13.44%, trading near $1.8653 on the monthly chart while the Bollinger midband sits around $1.8193. If the monthly close holds above roughly $1.82, the upper band near $3.60 becomes the next upside reference; a close below would restore downside levels.

On December 24, 2025, veteran trader Peter Brandt told his 835,400 X followers that palladium could rally after a pullback exceeding 17%, possibly dipping toward $1,650–$1,700. He added platinum may be near a correction after a breakout and projected Bitcoin's next bull-market peak for Sep 2029.

Ethereum remains capped beneath the $3,300–$3,700 supply zone, with the 200‑day and 100‑day moving averages acting as resistance. Price is hovering above $2,800 support, and open interest is around $18B. A loss of $2,800 may trigger a quick move toward $2,600, while failure to clear resistance increases the odds of a pullback toward $2,700.