Bitcoin slid under $85,000 overnight, triggering close to $600 million in long liquidations across the crypto market as traders positioned for a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan this week. The move erased more than $218 million in Bitcoin longs and over $213 million in Ethereum longs while major altcoins, including Solana, XRP, BNB, Cardano, and Dogecoin, also posted notable 24-hour losses.

On 16 December 2025, MetaMask launched native Bitcoin support, allowing users to buy, send, receive, and swap BTC directly within the wallet. The update reduces reliance on wrapped Bitcoin and aligns with a broader push toward chain-agnostic wallets that unify access to multiple blockchain ecosystems. This move is part of MetaMask's ongoing multichain strategy, positioning the wallet as a neutral interface rather than an Ethereum-only gateway.

Recent on-chain data shows that Bitcoin wholecoiner inflows to Binance have fallen to levels last seen in 2018, with the yearly average now around 6,500 BTC and weekly averages near 5,200 BTC. Large holders with at least 1 BTC are increasingly avoiding exchanges and moving over 6,400 BTC into long-term accumulation wallets, while retail traders continue to send smaller amounts to centralized platforms during market pullbacks.

On 16 December, Bitcoin fell 4.5% to an intraday low of $85.7k before rebounding to $86.5k, while broader crypto market capitalization slipped 4.4%. Over the same 24-hour window, $652 million in crypto positions were liquidated, with Ethereum seeing $233.5 million in liquidations against Bitcoin's $184.8 million, as rising Open Interest and leverage pointed to elevated volatility and downside risk.

On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee confirmed it would postpone markup of crypto market structure legislation to early 2026. Bitcoin fell over 4% in the past 24 hours, briefly touching $84,000 and stabilizing near $85,800, while total crypto market capitalization slipped to $2.93 trillion.

On Dec. 15, 2025, CNBC's Jim Cramer posted on X that Bitcoin is "easy to prop up." The comment came after a reported $980.3 million of buying between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14 at an average $92,124, with prices falling toward $85,000 as users leaned into the "Inverse Cramer" meme.

On December 15, the crypto market shed nearly $150 billion as Bitcoin traded close to $85,000 and major tokens fell 4%–8% in a day. Reported mining shutdowns in China and $357.6 million in Bitcoin ETF outflows added pressure. By December 16, heavy leverage contributed to about $649.4 million in liquidations, including a $11.58 million BTC order on Binance.

During an Oval Office event on Monday, President Donald Trump said he is aware of the Samourai Wallet case and is willing to review a possible pardon for its CEO, Keonne Rodriguez, who recently received a five-year federal prison sentence. Rodriguez, accused of operating a Bitcoin mixing service allegedly used to launder $237 million and running an unlicensed money-transmitting business, responded that Trump's remarks are an important step as his prison term begins in four days. The crypto community has rallied behind Rodriguez with the #pardonsamourai hashtag and calls from industry figures to free him, citing previous presidential pardons in high-profile crypto-related cases.