Adopted by the Council of the EU in October 2023, DAC8 will require crypto platforms to begin reporting user and transaction data to national tax authorities on 1 January 2026, with full compliance due by 1 July 2026. The framework covers EU CASPs and non‑EU providers serving EU residents, excludes CBDCs and certain e‑money tokens, and enables automatic data sharing among member states.

Meme coins are ending the year with renewed upside momentum, with Fartcoin, Bullish Degen, Bitcoin Hyper, Pepenode and Maxi Doge highlighted as key tokens with high-risk, high-reward potential. After a broad market pullback that left many meme assets 80%–90% below their peaks, some traders have recorded rapid gains running into tens of thousands of dollars on newer names like LAUNCHR, SNOWBALL and BEPE. The five featured projects range from established Solana meme plays to presale tokens with multi-chain support and mine-to-earn mechanics, with some analysts suggesting possible 10x–100x returns if market conditions improve in 2026.

The SEC and CFTC outlined a coordinated approach to U.S. crypto oversight, advancing joint efforts including a Token Classification Framework, Project Crypto and work on crypto ETFs under the leadership of Paul Atkins and Michael Selig. The plan seeks clearer rules around crypto commodities and spot markets while promoting innovation and competition across digital asset venues.

On Dec. 26, 2025, analyst Ali Martinez said XRP is consolidating in a triangle that could precede a move of about 10%. The token rebounded into positive territory in the prior session and recently traded near $1.8684 after a 24‑hour increase of 2.01%, with near‑term action stabilizing around the pattern’s midpoint.

On 26 December 2025, Bitcoin’s price remained locked in a narrow range as $23.6 billion in options approached expiry, keeping traders on edge. Heavy selling from October and November has largely been absorbed, leaving $85,000 as an important support area while attempts to break into the low-$90,000s have stalled. Momentum indicators and relative performance versus gold are showing early signs of improvement, but a sustained recovery still depends on post-expiry volume and follow-through.

On December 25, 2025, BitMine Immersion chairman Tom Lee quoted an image circulating online that listed a $20,000 Ethereum target for 2026, responding with just "love this" despite the forecast later being flagged as fake. His reaction drew attention to BitMine's $11.83 billion crypto treasury, which holds 4,066,062 ETH and gains about $4.07 billion in paper value for every $1,000 move in ETH price. If ETH ever reached $20,000, that position alone would be worth roughly $81.32 billion, underscoring why such extreme numbers attract interest even when their origin is dubious.

On December 26, the Bitcoin (BTC) price slipped about 1% in 24 hours to around $86,860, with bulls losing control as most major coins turned red. The BTC/USD rate is testing local support at $86,850, and analysts note that a daily close near current levels with a long wick could open the way toward the $85,000 area amid declining trading volume.

CoinShares reports that the digital asset market delivered a standout performance in 2025, with Bitcoin setting new all‑time highs and crypto returning to mainstream institutional and media attention. The firm argues that the next phase of the sector will be driven less by price swings and more by real-world utility, adoption and integration into traditional finance, including the growth of spot Bitcoin ETFs, prediction markets, stablecoins and tokenised products. Looking into 2026, CoinShares expects structural changes such as app-based savings and broader stablecoin settlement to matter more than macro catalysts, with regulation seen as a prerequisite for scaling innovation.