On December 15, Anatoly Aksakov said Russia will not recognize cryptocurrencies as legal tender, limiting them to investment use. The State Duma's stance aligns with the central bank's opposition to crypto payments and reinforces ruble-only settlement rules. Earlier Finance Ministry ideas on exchange oversight and taxation signal differing views within government.

On December 17 2025, Bitwise stated that institutional demand for crypto ETFs could surpass the entire new supply of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana in 2026, potentially creating a supply squeeze. The firm, which oversees more than $15 billion across 30 products, also expects over 100 crypto ETFs to launch in the US in 2026 and predicts Bitcoin may break its historical four-year cycle as spot ETF flows gain influence. Bitwise emphasized that these are forward-looking projections rather than guaranteed outcomes.

On Tuesday, Governor Tiff Macklem said the Bank of Canada will permit only fiat-linked, high-quality stablecoins, requiring a 1:1 peg and backing with high-quality liquid assets, under rules expected in 2026. A November 2025 budget report outlined reserve, redemption and risk-management obligations for issuers, while Canada advances real-time payments and open banking.

In 2025, Binance has seen crypto inflows reach $1.17 trillion and is projected to record about $7 trillion in spot trading volume, sharply outpacing rival exchanges. Data shows record spot and perpetual futures activity on Binance, alongside a notable increase in hedging demand as market volatility returns after a previously stable six‑month period.

Digital asset investment products saw $864 million of inflows last week, marking a third consecutive week of gains dominated by $796 million from US investors. Bitcoin products attracted $522 million but remain behind prior yearly levels, while an analyst warned the asset could face a deeper correction after falling from about $126,000 to $90,000, with potential downside targets as low as the $54,000–$60,000 range by late 2026.

Recent data shows retail market participants are heavily positioned for further downside in cryptocurrencies, with mentions of falling prices dominating trading chatter in mid-December. At the same time, sentiment gauges such as a low Fear & Greed Index reading and weakening momentum indicators suggest markets may be nearing a zone where short-term stabilization or a relief bounce becomes more likely.

On Monday, Ark Invest's trade filing showed purchases across crypto-linked equities: $17 million of BitMine, $16.26 million of Coinbase, $9.9 million of CoreWeave, and $10.8 million of Circle via ARKK, ARKW, and ARKF. The firm also added $5.94 million in Block, $5.2 million in Bullish, $1.24 million to its Ark‑21Shares Bitcoin ETF, and sold 124,867 Tesla shares for about $59.35 million.

The XRP Ledger Foundation has called on XRPL node operators and developers to urgently upgrade to rippled v3.0.0, which introduces several new but inactive amendments and core ledger fixes. Shiba Inu is trading near a downside liquidation area around $0.00777, while Solana has recorded a 40% surge in trading volume alongside a bullish golden cross pattern as its price recovers toward $132.9.