Blockstream CEO Adam Back criticized Nic Carter on X on Friday for amplifying quantum risk narratives around Bitcoin. Carter said Castle Island Ventures invested in Project Eleven and disclosed the stake on October 20. The debate deepened after Charles Edwards warned that quantum computers could threaten Bitcoin within 2–9 years if security is not upgraded.

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.

Cynthia Lummis, the junior U.S. senator from Wyoming since 2021, announced on December 19, 2025 that she will not seek another term, citing the demands of six more years. A longtime bitcoin advocate, she reportedly first bought BTC in 2013, and filings from 2021 show purchases between $50,000 and $100,000. She has championed pro‑crypto legislation, including calls for a strategic U.S. Bitcoin reserve.

Bitcoin has slipped about 3% for the week to $88,000 after briefly rebounding from $84,500, with on-chain data highlighting that zone as the strongest current support. Analyst Ali Martinez notes that a break below roughly $83,300 could open the way to deeper supports at $79,520, $70,685, and $63,111. The price also faces heavy sell walls just above the market, including resistance around $90,000, $92,000 and a major barrier near $94,000.

On Friday, her office said Sen. Cynthia Lummis will retire when her term concludes in early 2027. During her tenure, she advanced crypto frameworks and introduced an AI liability bill tied to disclosure requirements. According to NBC News, two sources said Rep. Harriet Hageman is likely to run for the deep-red Wyoming seat.

On December 19, 2025, Blockstream CEO Adam Back publicly challenged Nic Carter's warnings that quantum computing poses an imminent threat to Bitcoin. Back said developers are quietly preparing, while Carter cited Castle Island Ventures' investment in Project Eleven and an Oct. 20 Substack disclosure to argue the risk is real and underappreciated.

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.

Reports of a renewed Bitcoin mining crackdown in China surfaced after BTC's hashrate dropped about 8%. Jack Jianping Kong posted that Xinjiang miners faced scrutiny and later claimed at least 400,000 machines were shut. By 18 December, pool data showed a rebound, with North American and China-based pools reflecting mixed, temporary declines.