Bitcoin remains at historically high price levels, while on-chain data indicates a prolonged decline in network activity measured by active addresses. Since peaking at about 1.15 million daily active addresses in April 2021, participation has slid to roughly 680,000, even as the market experienced sharp rallies and corrections. Analysts point to increased long-term holding and growing off-chain exposure through custodial platforms and financial products as key forces reshaping Bitcoin's on-chain footprint in the current cycle.

Market analyst EGRAG CRYPTO outlines an "X Pattern" fractal for XRP that assumes the token remains within a long-term rising price channel. The model highlights cooling momentum on indicators like RSI and MACD and frames a possible late-cycle expansion as contingent on key support levels holding. A decisive break below this channel would invalidate the scenario rather than confirm a guaranteed breakdown.

On 17 December 2025, Bitcoin was down more than a third from its cycle high earlier this year, with the drop attributed to tightening liquidity and aggressive deleveraging. Market participants point to the low-to-mid $80,000s as a potential stabilization zone linked to institutional ETF cost bases, while derivatives open interest has fallen sharply.

On 17 December 2025, Russian authorities restated that cryptocurrencies cannot be used for domestic payments, and the ruble remains the sole legal medium of exchange. According to Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the State Duma's Financial Markets Committee, digital assets may be held and traded as investments but will not be treated as money within Russia.

On 16 December 2025 at 20:30, PayPal applied to U.S. regulators to establish a Utah-based industrial loan company. The bid aims to expand small‑business lending, cut reliance on partner banks, and, if approved, allow the firm to accept FDIC‑insured deposits and manage its own balance sheet.

On 16 December 2025, U.S. lawmakers effectively pushed comprehensive crypto market structure legislation into 2026 as election pressures, fiscal deadlines, and limited floor time take priority. The pending bill seeks to clarify federal oversight of digital assets, including how authority is shared between the SEC and CFTC, yet procedural steps such as hearings and markups remain incomplete. In the meantime, agencies continue to shape crypto regulation through guidance and enforcement, leaving the industry operating under evolving interpretations of existing law.

On 16 December 2025, CoinGecko data indicated that Solana attracted more ecosystem-related interest than any other major blockchain, measured by verified organic website traffic. The analysis, covering early 2024 through mid-December 2025, showed Solana captured over a quarter of all attention, leaving Base, Ethereum, Sui, BNB Chain, Bitcoin, and Cardano trailing behind.

On 16 December 2025, BitMine Immersion Technologies highlighted a strategy built around accumulating $321 million worth of ETH as a long-term strategic asset rather than a short-term trading position. The company aims to secure a meaningful share of Ethereum’s circulating supply and plans to transition part of its holdings into staking, linking its corporate trajectory to Ethereum’s validation and settlement infrastructure.

On 15 December 2025, XRP's price remained confined to a narrow range while institutional interest was described as building away from public order books. The piece argues that ETFs could make this demand visible and influence price discovery. Until transparency rises, supply on exchanges and fragmented payments narratives may keep the chart subdued.