On December 21st, trader Captain Faibik, known for previously calling a major Bitcoin price drop, argued that the recent crypto correction has ended and a new bull phase is approaching, with BTC potentially reaching $120,000. Analysts are also tracking altcoin strength via the Total 3 market cap and highlighting Ethereum, Solana, Chainlink, Ethena and Bitcoin Hyper as standout opportunities based on on-chain data, technical setups and institutional interest. Whale accumulation, ETF inflows and a $30 million Bitcoin Hyper presale are among the key metrics underpinning these bullish outlooks.

According to local reports on December 21, the Bank of Korea sent an official document to major banks outlining a second-phase CBDC pilot focused on testing government subsidy payouts in digital currency. The first phase, run with seven banks for three months, was suspended after criticism over limited utility and costs in billions of won.

On Dec. 18, 2025, SBI VC Trade set a new start time for its "Rent Coin" lending round, covering 34 cryptocurrencies such as XRP, BTC and DOGE, while XRP ETFs collectively posted 30 consecutive trading days of net inflows with a debut U.S. spot product drawing nearly $250 million in first-day volume. Over the same period, Shiba Inu saw about 100 billion SHIB move off exchanges as downside liquidation levels clustered near $0.00777, Solana registered a 40% jump in trading volume alongside a golden cross near $132.9, and Dogecoin analysts warned of potential declines toward $0.1 or even $0.062 after losing support in the $0.16–$0.18 range.

Binance has crossed 300 million registered accounts eight years after its July 2017 launch, supported by deep liquidity, fast listings and diversified stablecoin markets. A Binance report researched by Kaiko highlights how robust infrastructure, structural market improvements, and developments such as Bitcoin spot ETFs and Europe’s MiCA regulation have attracted both retail and institutional traders. Recent data also show Binance processing significantly higher daily volumes than major rivals, with tight spreads and resilient order books during volatile periods.

Over the latest trading week, the crypto market swung sharply as macro factors kept Bitcoin volatile and pushed risk appetite lower. Canton, Audiera and Uniswap led the upside with double‑digit percentage gains, while XDC Network, Hyperliquid and MemeCore ranked among the weakest performers. Several smaller altcoins recorded extreme moves in both directions, underscoring an environment of heightened speculation and fragile conviction.

Intel's shares rose 86% in 2025 amid $9 billion from the US government via the CHIPS Act, plus $5 billion from Nvidia and $2 billion from SoftBank, alongside Lip‑Bu Tan's appointment as CEO in March 2025. Entering 2026, the foundry remained loss‑making and lacked a major outside customer, with analysts warning Intel has 12–18 months to secure a 14A client.

Tokenized gold supply, including Paxos's PAXG, has climbed to about $1.5 billion, according to Token Terminal. Analysts debate whether Bitcoin's lag versus gold reflects a temporary safety rotation or a valuation gap, with the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio near levels seen at past market lows.

On December 21, 2025, Cleveland Fed President Elizabeth Hammack said rates should remain unchanged for months after three meetings cut a total of 0.75 percentage points. She cited inflation risks, noting the 2.7 percent CPI may be closer to 2.9 percent to 3.0 percent, and pointed to tariffs and higher input costs that could lift prices in early 2025.