On December 17, Bitcoin spiked about $3,300 in 30 minutes and then fell $3,400 within 45 minutes, triggering widespread liquidations. More than 120,000 traders saw nearly $400 million wiped out in 24 hours, including $310 million over the last 4 hours. The move ranged from $87,100 to $90,300.

On December 16, 2025, the US unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, above the 4.5% forecast and the prior 4.4%. Commentators say the highest reading since September 2021 could drive Federal Reserve easing in 2026. Bitcoin traded near $88,000 after the release, up 1.84% over the past three hours.

Three large traders established combined long positions worth $92.87 million on Bitcoin and Ethereum through Hyperliquid on November 26, data show. The positions utilized leverage ranging from 2x to 25x. Separately, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin transferred $2.9 million in ETH to privacy protocol Railgun.