ETH-focused ETFs saw withdrawals in the second half of December, with weekly outflows exceeding $600 million, according to recent flow data. Selling was led by BlackRock's product, and ETH traded just below $2,900 during the period. Early-week capital exits reduced buy-side support, keeping the near-term outlook defensive.

On 20 December 2025, CryptoQuant warned Bitcoin may have shifted into a bear phase driven by fading demand rather than panic selling. Its on-chain metrics highlight weaker U.S. spot ETF inflows, slower growth among 100–1,000 BTC wallets, and softer perpetual funding, with $70,000 eyed near term and $56,000 (realized price) a later target if demand fails to recover.

On 20 December 2025, BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT ranked among the year's leading ETFs by inflows, even though it has posted negative returns in 2025. The fund attracted more than $25 billion in new capital, indicating investors are prioritizing long-term Bitcoin exposure over short-term price performance and increasingly viewing Bitcoin ETFs as structural portfolio assets comparable to gold.

Bitcoin is losing upward momentum as on-chain data indicates spot demand has dropped below its longer-term trend since early October, suggesting softer structural support near recent highs. At the same time, derivatives metrics point to two key liquidation areas around $90,500 for shorts and $84,500 for longs, with price currently oscillating between these liquidity pools. This setup leaves Bitcoin vulnerable to sharp, liquidity-driven volatility until one of these zones is decisively cleared.

On December 19, 2025, mixed market signals suggested Bitcoin may be nearing a late‑cycle transition after slipping below $85,000 earlier in the week. According to Fidelity's Jurrien Timmer, the October move above $125,000 could have marked the cycle's peak, with potential downside toward $65,000–$75,000. Miner stress and defensive positioning reinforce cautious sentiment.

On 19 December 2025, Taiwan's justice system was reported to be safeguarding just over 210 BTC, valued at approximately $18 million, across multiple investigations. Authorities have developed procedures to trace, seize, and custody crypto as case evidence, indicating a shift toward internal handling rather than immediate liquidation or reliance on external custodians.

On 18 December 2025, Cardano's ADA fell about 6% in 24 hours and nearly 17% over the week, trading close to 90% under its $3.10 all-time high from 2021. Technical indicators show weak momentum and persistent selling, while a governance vote approved a ₳70 million Critical Integrations Budget that has yet to meaningfully improve market sentiment. The funding aims to boost interoperability and real-world use cases, but investors remain focused on whether development progress can eventually translate into price recovery.

On 18 December 2025, Aster detailed its fifth airdrop stage, called "Crystal", which introduces the project's most restrictive and lowest-emission distribution so far. The airdrop will start on 22 December and run for six weeks, using a split-claim model that burns unclaimed bonus tokens from early participants while rewarding those who accept a lockup period. This phase comes ahead of the planned Aster Chain testnet and mainnet launches, and is designed to reduce immediate selling pressure and favor long-term alignment.

On 18 December 2025, after the ECB's latest rate decision, Christine Lagarde outlined the bank's focus on stability, digital payments and stablecoins. She said a digital euro remains under review and must be simple, affordable, privacy‑respecting and usable offline, while noting MiCA enables oversight but reserve exposure in stablecoins could pose risks requiring vigilance by regulators.