In the U.S. economy, large-cap firms such as Amazon and Nvidia are reporting billions in profits and fresh stock highs, while many small businesses are cutting staff and hours. Recent data show companies with fewer than 50 workers have shed 120,000 jobs in November, even as S&P 500 companies recorded a 12.9% rise in net income in the third quarter of 2025. Owners across retail, restaurants, and promotional goods say tariffs, inflation, and weaker demand are squeezing margins and forcing painful staffing decisions.

In August 2025, the SEC announced a joint stipulation related to Ripple's case, which the summary frames as key context for XRP. For December 2026, ChatGPT outlines price zones: Bitcoin at a $150,000 base case with $190,000–$220,000 upside, XRP at $4.50 with $8–$12 in a bull case, and PEPENODE at 10x–25x from a $0.012112 baseline. The outlook references a 2025 spot ETF inflow estimate of $22.1 billion.

From March to October 2024, Bitcoin traded between $50,000 and $74,000 before a 56% post‑election rally that coincided with a sharp rise in futures open interest. Spot ETF inflows of about $35 billion in 2024 and roughly $22 billion in 2025, together with a 50% drop in stablecoin exchange inflows, showed how sustained capital and liquidity, rather than headlines alone, shaped Bitcoin's breakouts and consolidations. Long-term holders realizing over $1 billion per day in profits and a halving of the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio further constrained upside in 2025 despite bullish narratives.

Crypto.com is recruiting for an internal market-making desk in prediction markets, raising questions about fairness and structure. Coinbase expects its purchase of The Clearing Company to close in January, and JPMorgan is reportedly exploring crypto trading for institutions. DWF Labs settled a 25‑kilogram gold trade as part of a move into physical commodities.

On December 25, 2025, data from CryptoRank cited by PANews showed BNB Chain leading Layer 1 blockchains by daily active users, ahead of Solana, NEAR, TronDAO, and Aptos. BNB Chain reportedly recorded 4.32 million daily active users, while Solana and NEAR logged 3.23 million and 3.15 million, respectively. BNB was priced at $840.99 with a market cap of $115.83 billion, posting a 0.54% daily decline but a 1.31% gain over the past week.

Over the past year, Binance Wallet has led major token launch platforms with a 12.69x current ROI and a 78.01x all-time high ROI across 44 projects. Data shows that participants who exit shortly after token listings tend to secure gains, while longer-term holders often see profits erode as liquidity and momentum decline.

On Christmas Eve, Hong Kong's FSTB and SFC said they had concluded consultations on a licensing framework for virtual asset dealers and custodians. The regime, modeled on Type 1 securities standards, tightens oversight of trading and custody and encourages pre-application discussions, with a follow-on phase targeting virtual asset advisors and asset managers.

On December 25, 2025, the Bank of Russia said it has readied a regulatory framework that would permit both qualified and retail investors to trade digital currencies and stablecoins, while keeping a domestic payments ban. Retail buyers must pass a risk test and face a 300,000 rubles, or about $3,800, annual limit through one intermediary, and qualified investors can purchase without volume caps after testing.