Ripple's XRP rebounded from a multi-week low near $1.77 on Friday to trade around $1.92, briefly reclaiming the $1.90 level seen as key support by traders. The TD Sequential indicator, cited by Ali Martinez, now signals a potential local top after this roughly 10% bounce, raising concerns for bulls. Analysts note XRP's price is tracking bitcoin's broader sentiment, while a clear break below $1.90 could open the way toward the $1.55–$1.70 area and possibly down to $1.00.

On December 22, 2025, a poll shared by Peter Schiff on X saw 59% of more than 21,000 participants choose Bitcoin over gold and silver for a hypothetical $100,000 investment held until 2028. Schiff continues to argue that Bitcoin diverts capital from precious metals, even as he highlights that gold has climbed from about $1,800/oz in November 2021 to around $4,400/oz while Bitcoin rose from $69,000 to roughly $88,000 over the same period.

Russia's central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina told business media that the country's expanding Bitcoin mining industry has become one of several factors backing the ruble's exchange rate. Russian officials now frame large-scale mining as a kind of export that converts domestic energy into globally tradable digital assets, while regulators discuss channeling most crypto activity through licensed banks. Major state-linked lenders such as VTB and Sberbank are already testing crypto-linked derivatives and pilot programs for wealthy clients, signaling a gradual turn toward regulated market access.

A bipartisan bloc of 18 members of the US House of Representatives has asked the Internal Revenue Service to revise how crypto staking rewards are taxed before 2026. Their letter argues that current rules amount to double taxation, discouraging staking participation and potentially undermining both blockchain security and US leadership in digital assets.

Crypto markets briefly pushed total capitalization back above $3 trillion as the week opened with low volatility amid the Christmas holiday period. October’s US PCE inflation figures on Monday and the third-quarter GDP report on Tuesday are among the main macro updates traders are watching, alongside housing and durable goods data. Bitcoin is trading around $88,500 after briefly touching $89,000, while Ether is struggling to build momentum above the $3,000 level.

On December 22, Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) listed 29 licensed platforms, naming Indodax, Tokocrypto, Pintu and Upbit. The framework introduces approvals for trading, clearing via PT Bursa Komoditi Nusantara and PT Kliring Komoditi Indonesia, and stricter consumer verification and knowledge tests. Derivatives will require OJK clearance and margin rules.

Decentralized perpetual futures exchange Hyperliquid stated that a wallet flagged by the community for shorting and selling $HYPE is controlled by a former staff member dismissed in Q1 2024. On-chain observers had tracked the address’s large $HYPE balance, alleged TWAP-style selling and links to HyperEVM after the token’s launch. In response, Hyperliquid reiterated its code of conduct, including a ban on team trading $HYPE derivatives and a zero-tolerance policy toward insider trading.

Uniswap’s UNI surged past $6 after a governance proposal focused on protocol fees and token burns reached quorum ahead of the 25 December voting deadline. UNI climbed from $5.30 when voting opened at 3:50 UTC on 20 December to $6.16, with traders watching the $5.60-$5.86 liquidity band as a potential pullback zone.