On 25 December 2025, Michael Saylor outlined a 2026 Bitcoin outlook that centers on U.S. banks expanding lending and custody services around the asset. He argues that clearer regulation, Bitcoin-backed credit, and institutional custody from major banks could shift Bitcoin from a niche holding into a mainstream financial instrument and support the next bull phase.

Caroline Ellison is now scheduled to leave federal custody on January 21, 2026, several weeks earlier than her previous release date after receiving a two-year sentence linked to the FTX collapse. Prison records show she moved to community-based supervision in New York in October 2025, and her extensive cooperation against Sam Bankman-Fried, who received 25 years, played a key role in shortening her custodial term. Despite the earlier release, she faces a 10-year ban from serving as an officer or director of any public company, including those in the crypto sector.

On 25 December 2025, an article outlined ChatGPT's view that crypto is entering a selective phase where capital concentrates on networks with liquidity, real usage, and credibility. It highlights Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana as best placed for 2026, emphasizing institutional relevance, financial infrastructure strength, and user traction rather than broad speculative rallies.

Upexi, a Nasdaq-listed consumer products company, has filed a shelf registration that would allow it to raise up to $1 billion over the next three years while deepening its Solana-based treasury strategy. The firm already holds about 2.03 million SOL, valued near $254 million, and focuses on staking and long-term holding even as its share price has dropped sharply from this year's peak. Its recent quarterly results showed $66.7 million in net income on $9.2 million in revenue, largely driven by mark-to-market gains on Solana rather than core operations.

On 24 December 2025, President Sadyr Zhaparov stated that Kyrgyzstan's national stablecoin, KGST, is now listed on Binance and operates on BNB Chain. The token is pegged 1:1 to the Kyrgyz som and is intended to extend the national currency's role in digital payments and cross-border transactions. It is presented as a state-linked alternative to privately issued, mostly dollar-backed stablecoins.

On 24 December 2025, U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs registered significant net outflows, with thin holiday liquidity and year-end portfolio moves weighing on flows. Bitcoin products saw $188.6 million in redemptions and Ethereum funds lost $95.5 million, while XRP and Solana ETFs attracted smaller inflows. Several analysts described the pattern as seasonal rebalancing and profit-taking rather than a shift in longer-term sentiment toward crypto ETFs.

On December 24, 2025, Bitcoin underperformed other major assets as on-chain activity and buying participation continued to cool. BlackRock's constructive long-term stance coexists with investor concerns that measured institutional flows and thinning active addresses are restraining breakouts despite strength in equities and precious metals.

On 23 December 2025, Bitcoin underperformed even as global M2 rose from about $104 trillion to more than $115 trillion over the past year. After an October peak near $126,000, it has struggled to hold above $90,000, while December ETF flows were uneven with several outflow days.

VanEck's mid-December ChainCheck report argues that falling Bitcoin network hashrate often precedes stronger performance. The firm notes hashrate slipped about 4% in the month before December 15 and, since 2014, 90‑day returns were positive roughly 65% of the time during contractions versus 54% during expansions, framing miner stress as a contrarian tailwind.