Daily Crypto Briefing – December 25, 2025

Christmas Day brought a mix of year-end reflections and market movements as crypto markets showed modest gains while institutional adoption continued to accelerate.

Top Stories

Real-World Assets Drive Institutional Adoption

The Defiant reports that tokenized real-world assets became Wall Street's primary gateway to crypto in 2025, transforming from concept to billions in on-chain liquidity. The DTCC's announcement of tokenized Treasury plans sent Canton token surging 27%, highlighting growing institutional momentum behind tokenized assets.

Memecoins Define 2025's Wild Trading Year

CryptoSlate's comprehensive analysis reveals how 2025 opened with a sitting president launching his own token and closed with researchers exposing manipulation in supposed "comeback stories." The memecoin hall of shame showcases the year's most volatile and controversial trades.

Record SEC Filings Signal Regulatory Clarity

The Block reports Bitcoin drove a record spike in SEC filings throughout 2025, coinciding with meaningful legislative progress that provided clearer operational frameworks for market participants. This regulatory clarity has pulled more institutions on-chain.

Stablecoins Reach Mainstream Adoption

Cointelegraph analysis shows the $310 billion stablecoin market reveals genuine crypto adoption in emerging markets, providing financial access where traditional systems fall short. This milestone demonstrates adoption beyond speculation.

Markets

Bitcoin Holds $87K Support

• Bitcoin maintained position around $87,000 on Christmas Day with modest gains
• CoinDesk notes the $70,000-$80,000 zone shows gaps in historical price support based on five years of CME futures data
• NewsBTC analysis suggests Bitcoin is poised for a "boring" 2025 close after failing to reclaim $90,000
• Flash crash to $24,000 occurred on Binance's USD1 pair due to thin liquidity during holiday trading

Ethereum Struggles Below $3,000

• NewsBTC reports Ethereum failed to reclaim the critical $3,000 mark over the past 48 hours
• $6 billion in Ethereum options approach expiration, placing pressure on the $3,000 level
• ETH continues to face resistance as year-end approaches

ETF Outflows Continue

• CoinDesk data shows Bitcoin and Ether ETFs experienced outflows ahead of Christmas
• BlackRock's IBIT saw the largest single-day exit at $91.37 million
• XRP ETF assets crossed $1.25 billion milestone despite muted price action

Regulation

Hong Kong Advances Crypto Framework

• CoinDesk reports Hong Kong regulators target 2026 legislation for virtual asset dealer and custodian rules
• FSTB and SFC concluded consultations and plan to introduce new bill to LegCo next year
• Framework aims to provide clearer regulatory structure for crypto operations

Russia Prepares Crypto Trading Launch

• CryptoNews reports Moscow Exchange and St. Petersburg Exchange are preparing for regulated cryptocurrency trading
• Launch expected by 2026 following Russia's legislative deadline of July
• Move could integrate crypto into Russia's broader financial system

Technology

DeFi Developments

• CryptoBriefing reports Uniswap vote to burn 100 million UNI tokens shows overwhelming support
• Tornado Cash governance control restored through token holder vote with 517,000 votes in favor
• Gnosis Chain executed hard fork to recover funds from Balancer exploit

Security Concerns

• CryptoPotato reports CZ pushes for wallets to block poison addresses by default after $50M USDT theft
• Address poisoning attacks continue to target crypto users with sophisticated scams
• Industry calls for improved wallet security measures

Quick Hits

• Canton token rallies 27% following DTCC's tokenized Treasury announcement
• AI tokens shed 75% in value over the year, wiping out $53 billion in market cap
• Crypto industry logged record $8.6 billion in deals during 2025
• L1 tokens crushed in 2025 with SOL down 35.9% and AVAX dropping over 67%
• Pudgy Penguins secured Las Vegas Sphere advertising spot after Dogwifhat campaign failed
• Kyrgyzstan's nation-backed stablecoin KGST listed on Binance
• Prediction markets had their breakout year in 2025 with mainstream adoption
• Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index remained in extreme fear for 13 consecutive days
• Crypto derivatives market shifted toward institutional participants with CME overtaking Binance

What to Watch

• Fed Policy Impact: Q1 2026 Federal Reserve decisions could significantly impact Bitcoin and crypto markets, with potential for BTC to fall to $70,000 if rate cuts are paused
• Quantum Computing Preparedness: While quantum computing won't break Bitcoin in 2026, the industry needs to prepare for "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks
• Bitcoin Mining Evolution: Post-halving stress is reshaping Bitcoin mining with increased focus on AI, HPC, and consolidation heading into 2026
• Institutional Tokenization: Growing momentum behind tokenized real-world assets as traditional finance embraces blockchain technology
• Year-End Options Expiry: Massive options expirations during holiday period could increase short-term volatility across major cryptocurrencies