Stablecoin

On Dec. 25, 2025, World Liberty Financial said on X that its USD1 stablecoin's market capitalization exceeded $3 billion. Binance launched a USD1 Booster Program offering up to 20% APR and began a 1:1 swap of B-Token BUSD collateral into USD1, while a BTC/USD1 spot pair flash crash briefly printed $24,000 before spiking above $87,000.

On December 25, Bitcoin briefly fell under $87,000 during thin Christmas trading as ETF withdrawals and weak liquidity pressured prices, according to XWIN Finance. Its Trend Index printed 34/100 and the Fear and Greed Index hit 24. Net outflows were about 2,900 BTC (~$251 million), while Ethereum funds remained net negative on the week.

On December 25, 2025, the Bank of Russia said it has readied a regulatory framework that would permit both qualified and retail investors to trade digital currencies and stablecoins, while keeping a domestic payments ban. Retail buyers must pass a risk test and face a 300,000 rubles, or about $3,800, annual limit through one intermediary, and qualified investors can purchase without volume caps after testing.

On Dec. 12, 2025, the stablecoin market’s total value reached $310 billion, up 70% year over year. USDT at $172 billion and USDC at $145 billion dominate activity, and stablecoins often comprise about 80% of exchange trading. The asset class is increasingly used for faster, lower-cost cross‑border payments and as core collateral in DeFi.

The Asia Web3 Alliance Japan and Web3 Salon have launched the JFIIP accelerator with Ripple Labs and several major Japanese financial institutions to support compliant finance projects on the XRP Ledger. The program offers Japanese startups a grant of about $10,000 and prioritized access to Ripple's broader grant pool, with a strong focus on real-world banking and tokenization use cases.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 set a new high at 6,920, adding $18 trillion in value since the April 2025 bottom. Gold and Silver also reached records, while Bitcoin trades around $88,000 amid calls it could reach $150,000 in 2026. Some analysts discuss potential rotation from stocks and metals into major crypto assets.

Layer-1 assets saw sharp drawdowns in 2025, with Solana down 35.9% and Avalanche falling more than 67%, according to OAK Research's end-of-year report. The study highlights user redistribution, TVL shifts, and a pivot toward revenue-focused protocols, while developer activity stayed resilient across EVM, Bitcoin, and Solana ecosystems.

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.

Moscow Exchange and St. Petersburg Exchange have outlined plans to start regulated cryptocurrency trading once Russia's new legal framework is in force by July 1, 2026. Qualified investors will be able to trade without volume limits, while retail participants face knowledge tests and a yearly purchase cap of 300,000 rubles, alongside an ongoing ban on using crypto for domestic payments.

According to Binance exchange data, Bitcoin plunged to about $24,111 on the BTC/USD1 pair and snapped back to $87,000 within seconds, a dislocation isolated to USD1. Analysts say BTC is consolidating in a descending triangle below the 21MA, with a decisive breakout or breakdown needed to confirm the next direction.