Daily Crypto Briefing – December 22, 2025

The crypto market shows mixed signals as Bitcoin hovers near $90,000 while institutional moves and regulatory developments shape year-end sentiment.

Top Stories

Bitcoin Faces "Demand Vacuum" Warning

CryptoSlate analysis suggests Bitcoin's 2025 "supercycle" narrative is ending differently than expected. On-chain data confirms a demand vacuum that could drag prices down to uncomfortable ranges, despite institutional access and favorable policy backdrop.

Crypto Banking Gets $4B Boost

Banking startup Erebor raised $350 million at over $4 billion valuation following FDIC approval. The bank aims to service technology companies working with virtual currencies, AI, defense, and manufacturing.

Regulatory "Dream Team" Takes Shape

David Sacks praised the SEC and CFTC picks as a crypto regulation "dream team." Following Michael Selig's confirmation, the White House official said regulators are set to offer "clear regulatory guidelines" for digital assets.

Binance Compliance Issues Surface

New report reveals Binance failed to prevent suspicious accounts from moving $144 million after its 2023 plea deal. Details leaked of 13 accounts that moved $1.7 billion since 2021.

Regulation

• Ghana Legalizes Crypto Trading

Ghana passed legislation creating a regulatory framework for Bitcoin and crypto trading. The framework could boost economic diversification, attract fintech investment, and enhance financial inclusion.

• Indonesia Whitelists 29 Platforms

Indonesia's regulator published a whitelist of 29 licensed crypto platforms as global players eye the market.

• US Tax Relief Proposal

Bipartisan lawmakers drafted a tax bill with stablecoin and staking relief, exempting some stablecoin payments from capital gains taxes.

• Hong Kong Insurance Rules

Hong Kong's insurance regulator is weighing new capital rules and risk charges on crypto assets for insurance companies.

Markets

• $952M Crypto Fund Outflows

Regulatory delays triggered $952 million in outflows from US crypto funds as Clarity Act delays spooked investors.

• Major Airdrops of 2025

Decrypt compiled the five biggest crypto airdrops of 2025, with users receiving billions in "free money" token distributions.

• XRP Struggles at $2

XRP price continues to face resistance near the $2.00 level despite ongoing ETF developments.

• Hyperliquid Reclaims $25

HYPE token gained above $25 as whales added to their positions.

Bitcoin

• Strategy Pauses Bitcoin Buys

MicroStrategy boosted its cash reserve by $748 million last week, pausing Bitcoin purchases near Christmas.

• Saylor's Green Dots Signal

Michael Saylor's cryptic post showing "green dots" ahead of orange dots stirred fresh market speculation.

• Fidelity Predicts 2026 Slide

Fidelity's strategist warned Bitcoin's October high of $126,000 could mark the cycle top, predicting a 2026 slide.

• JPMorgan Explores Crypto Trading

JPMorgan is weighing crypto trading for institutional clients amid growing demand.

DeFi

• Aave Governance Dispute

Community debates erupted over who controls Aave's brand and online assets, sending the token lower.

• Uniswap Fee Switch Activated

UNI surged 19% over the weekend as the community voted to activate the fee switch for token burns.

• earnXRP Yield Vault Launch

Flare, Upshift, and Clearstar introduced earnXRP, a new XRP-denominated yield vault to boost DeFi participation.

Corporate Moves

• Coinbase Acquires Clearing Company

Coinbase agreed to buy The Clearing Company to deepen its prediction markets push.

• ETHZilla Sells $74.5M ETH

Peter Thiel-backed ETHZilla sold $74.5 million of ether to trim debt load, leaving 69,800 ETH on balance sheet.

• BlackRock Names Bitcoin Top Theme

BlackRock promoted its bitcoin ETF as a top 2025 investment theme despite recent price weakness.

Quick Hits

• [Bitcoin briefly reclaimed $90,000](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/12/22/bitcoin-reclaims-usd90-000-with-u-s-trading-risk-ahea