On December 15, CME Group introduced spot-priced XRP and SOL futures, with contracts stated to become effective on December 15, 2025. The products expand its U.S. crypto suite alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and feature longer expirations to reduce rollovers. CME cited more than 1.3 million Spot-Quoted Bitcoin and Ether contracts traded since June.

Bitget has opened a private beta that lets a group of users trade forex, gold, commodities and stock derivatives using USDt as margin and settlement. The exchange says positions are collateralized with stablecoins and remain in a restricted testing phase while it monitors performance and risk controls. As other platforms like Kraken and Bybit also add traditional assets, crypto exchanges are increasingly positioning themselves as unified venues for both digital and TradFi markets.

Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon has been sentenced to 15 years in a U.S. prison for wire fraud linked to the Terra-Luna collapse and could later face up to 30 additional years if convicted in South Korea. He may apply for transfer to South Korea after serving half of his U.S. term, where prosecutors have prepared a separate case tied to Capital Markets Act violations and large investor losses.

JPMorgan Chase has introduced the tokenized My OnChain Net Yield Fund on Ethereum with $100 million in internal seed capital, targeting institutional and high-net-worth investors. The fund, operated by JPMorgan Asset Management via the Kinexys platform, tokenizes money market fund shares and focuses on bond-based assets. Ethereum's role in on-chain financial products continues to grow as its market value and dominance evolve amid recent price declines.

On Dec. 15, analysts highlighted that Bitcoin remains pinned below intraday range highs, with sellers defending resistance and eyeing a potential move toward $84,000 and possibly $80,600. Several major altcoins such as ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, DOGE, ADA and BCH are testing or nearing critical support zones, with upside scenarios hinging on reclaiming their 20-day or 50-day moving averages. The broader backdrop includes a Bank of Japan rate decision expected on Dec. 19, which has previously coincided with double‑digit Bitcoin drawdowns.

CoinGecko's 2025 ranking by mindshare shows Solana leading at 26.79%, with Base at 13.94% and Ethereum at 13.43%. Sui holds 11.77% and BNB Chain 9.05%, while XRP Ledger registers 4.68%. The list emphasizes attention and engagement across ecosystems rather than price performance.

HashKey Holdings Ltd. raised HK$1.6 billion, roughly $206 million, by pricing its Hong Kong initial public offering at HK$6.68 per share, close to the top of the HK$5.95–HK$6.95 marketing range. The company sold 240.6 million shares amid strong demand, while its debut comes during a busy December for Hong Kong listings and a volatile period for the broader crypto market.

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has slid to 16, close to 2025's low of 10, while Bitcoin trades around $88,900, about 30% below its $126,000 peak from October. Ethereum remains 36% under its August high and XRP has surrendered more than 40% of its value, even as spot XRP ETFs log 19 straight days of inflows totaling about $990.91 million. Despite extreme fear dominating sentiment, some traders are watching support between $80,000 and $85,000 for BTC as macro policy moves and liquidity shifts continue to drive volatility.