In 2025, the cryptocurrency sector recorded 267 deals worth about $8.6 billion, marking sharp growth from the prior year. Major transactions included Coinbase's $2.9 billion Deribit acquisition and $14.6 billion raised through 11 crypto-related IPOs. Analysts expect continued momentum in mergers, acquisitions, and stablecoin firms in 2026, supported by new crypto-friendly rules.

Dragonfly General Partner Rob Hadick said on Squawk Box that Solana and Ethereum can grow together as tokenization expands, each serving different roles. According to RWA.XYZ, Ethereum’s market including stablecoins is $183.7 billion versus Solana’s $15.9 billion. Recent migrations and capital flows highlight fee and scalability trade-offs across the two networks.

On December 24 and 25, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao reiterated on X that many successful Bitcoin investors tend to accumulate during periods of fear, uncertainty, and doubt instead of at all‑time highs. Community members echoed his view, drawing parallels to AI tokens and stressing that conviction is built in fearful markets, while Bitcoin maintained a market cap near $1.73 trillion as overall crypto capitalization slipped to $3.02 trillion.

On December 24, the EU confirmed that DAC8 will apply to digital assets and take effect on January 1, 2026. The rules require exchanges and brokers to report user and transaction data to national tax authorities, with system updates due by July 1, 2026 and investor filings by January 31, 2027.

PENGU advanced 1.8% to $0.00906 as of December 25, 2025, even as major cryptocurrencies fell. A branding push tied to Pudgy Penguins' Las Vegas Sphere Exosphere display lifted visibility and interest in the token. Analysts cited marketing momentum and social engagement rather than protocol changes behind the move.

On December 24, 2025, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov announced the launch of the KGST stablecoin on Binance, pegged to the national currency, the som. The country also introduced USDKG, a gold-backed stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar on the Tron network with an initial supply of about 50 million tokens, and signaled plans to extend it to Ethereum.

On December 23, Philippine internet providers began blocking access to major exchanges including Coinbase and Gemini as regulators enforced local licensing rules. Manila Bulletin reported that the National Telecommunications Commission directed carriers to restrict around 50 platforms lacking Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas authorization. Authorities had earlier moved against Binance, culminating in a shutdown order on March 25, 2024.

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.

Matador Technologies has been authorized to issue up to C$80 million, or about $58 million, in securities over the next 25 months to support a long-term Bitcoin-focused treasury strategy. The company aims to increase its holdings from roughly 175 BTC to 1,000 BTC by 2026 and ultimately target 1% of Bitcoin's total supply, while more than 190 publicly traded firms currently hold Bitcoin despite recent stock price declines.