CryptoQuant data shows that decentralized borrowing on Aave has dropped sharply since August 2025, with weekly USDT and USDC loans falling from $6.2 billion to $1.9 billion by late November. At the same time, Nexo's weekly retail credit withdrawals fell from $34 million in mid-July to $8.8 million in mid-November before rebounding to $23 million, suggesting users increasingly prefer borrowing against collateral over selling in a weak market. Overall, CeFi lenders appear to be acting as a liquidity backstop while DeFi leverage contracts.

In Q3 2025, US GDP rose 4.3% while core PCE hit 2.9% quarter-over-quarter, pointing to a Goldilocks-style backdrop of strong growth and easing inflation. Against this macro setup, large investors are building positions in Ethereum, Sui, Worldcoin, Hyperliquid and presale token Bitcoin Hyper, with several wallets committing multi-million-dollar sums. The combination of supportive data and whale accumulation is driving speculation about the next major crypto bull phase.

US exchange-traded funds amassed $1.4 trillion of net inflows in 2025, with more than 1,000 new products debuting and trading activity reaching annual highs. On December 23, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $189 million net outflow, led by BlackRock’s IBIT at $157 million, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw $95.52 million exit.

In 2025, data from Memento Research shows that 118 major token generation events took place and 100 of those tokens, or 84.7%, now trade beneath their opening fully diluted valuations, with the median drawdown at 71%. Analysts link this to a "low float, high FDV" launch model, a liquidity vacuum created by ETF-driven flows into Bitcoin and Ethereum, and a shift in institutional behavior as liquid funds reportedly stopped buying new tokens at TGE over two years ago.

On December 23, 2025, the Central Bank of Russia published a draft framework for cryptocurrency investing that introduces separate rules for qualified and unqualified investors. The proposal caps annual investments by unqualified investors at 300,000 rubles in highly liquid assets subject to a basic test, while qualified investors may access non-anonymous tokens after risk checks, with full regulatory rollout targeted between July 2026 and July 2027.

On 24 Dec 2025, Spain confirmed it will apply the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework from July 2026 instead of the earlier December 2025 target. Crypto-asset service providers will have up to 18 months from the main MiCA start date in late 2024 to obtain authorisation or cease serving Spanish clients. The revised timetable aligns Spain with the maximum transition period allowed under supervisory guidance.

On December 24, 2025, crypto market maker Wintermute reported that Bitcoin's dominance has strengthened as price volatility persisted and many altcoins lagged. The firm linked altcoin weakness to supply overhangs and heavy token unlocks, while noting that its own tracked on-chain holdings, including BTC, ETH, SOL and USDC, now total about $416 million after earlier reductions.

Wintermute warns the expected altcoin rally has stalled, with retail capital rotating back to Bitcoin and Ethereum as dominance rises and liquidity thins. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin fell 1.12% below $87,000 and Ethereum slipped 1.5% near $3,000, while liquidations hit roughly $600 million Monday and $400 million on Wednesday and Thursday. Bitcoin ETFs saw $650.8 million in outflows over four days and Ethereum funds recorded $95.52 million in net outflows.