Bitcoin dropped below $100,000 on December 19, reaching an intraday low of $99,941 on OKX before recovering slightly. The cryptocurrency has declined more than 22% from its all-time high recorded earlier this month, entering correction territory. Betting platform Polymarket now assigns a 51% probability to BTC reaching $90,000 before year-end, up from 11% one month ago.

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood reaffirmed her long-term Bitcoin price projection of $1 million during November's In the Know podcast. She cited the stablecoin market's expansion past $300 billion as evidence of digital asset sector maturation. Wood anticipates improved liquidity conditions around mid-December following Federal Reserve announcements and employment data releases.

President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao on October 23, 2025, according to The Wall Street Journal. XRP declined over 2.5% in 24 hours to $2.18, erasing earlier weekly gains. Bitcoin is tracking its largest gain against gold since April 22, when the BTC/XAUT pair surged 11%.

Fundstrat Head of Research Tom Lee projects a substantial cryptocurrency rally extending through late 2025, supported by improved technical indicators and reduced leverage following the October 10 liquidation event—the largest in five years. Bitcoin and Ethereum have maintained stability with open interest at record lows, despite deleveraging pressures tied to U.S.–China trade tensions. Lee cited JPMorgan's acceptance of digital assets as loan collateral as a notably bullish signal for the sector.