Russia's central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina told business media that the country's expanding Bitcoin mining industry has become one of several factors backing the ruble's exchange rate. Russian officials now frame large-scale mining as a kind of export that converts domestic energy into globally tradable digital assets, while regulators discuss channeling most crypto activity through licensed banks. Major state-linked lenders such as VTB and Sberbank are already testing crypto-linked derivatives and pilot programs for wealthy clients, signaling a gradual turn toward regulated market access.

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, argues that the Federal Reserve's new Reserve Management Purchases policy could ignite a rally that drives Bitcoin toward $200,000 in early 2026 before a steep correction. He forecasts BTC first regaining $124,000 and then surging higher, even as other analysts warn that on-chain data now points to a developing bear market.

On December 20, 2025, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino outlined plans to hire a lead engineer to develop a self-custodial mobile wallet that integrates the firm's on-device AI stack. The product is designed to support only Bitcoin via Lightning, USDT, USAT, and the gold-backed XAUT token, emphasizing payments and value preservation. Built on Tether's WDK and QVAC platforms, the wallet would give users local AI-assisted features without relying on cloud-based data processing.

On Dec. 21, 2025, Michael Saylor hinted that Strategy Inc. may be preparing another Bitcoin purchase, reinforcing its aggressive treasury strategy even as its shares struggle. The company currently holds 671,268 BTC worth about $59.56 billion, while its stock is down roughly 43% year-to-date and could face additional pressure if MSCI removes it from major equity indices in a February review.

On December 21, 2025, Litecoin's official X account rejected a viral claim that Charlie Lee regrets creating LTC, saying a CoinDesk interview was clipped and misrepresented. The account posted again on December 22. According to CoinGecko, LTC traded around $77.99 in the past 24 hours and sits at rank 30 by market capitalization.

Zcash’s ZEC is stabilizing on the daily timeframe as selling pressure eases and buyers defend support near $443.43 while the price engages major resistance around $454.99. Technical indicators, including moving averages and RSI, point to a shift from bearish control toward a more neutral-to-positive structure with upside levels at $645.44 and $699.00 in focus. Order book liquidity clustered in the low $440s and $430s on the bid side and between $455 and $465 on the ask side highlights an impending decision zone for the next directional move.

Uniswap's UNI has recovered on the daily chart and is holding above short-term supports while pushing into the mid-$6s. Key levels include resistance at $6.49–$6.66 and supports at $6.25–$6.13, with liquidity clustered near $6.31, $6, $5, $6.41, and $7.00. Momentum and moving averages signal a cautious trend transition.

BNB's daily trend remains fragile, with price below the 9- and 20-day EMAs and consolidating under dynamic resistance. Momentum shows a negative MACD with a shrinking histogram and an RSI under neutral, while bid walls in the low-$830s to mid-$840s counter overhead supply around $860 and toward $900.

On December 19, 2025, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ranked sixth among U.S. ETFs by 2025 net inflows, drawing more than $25 billion. Despite a roughly -9.6% YTD return, IBIT's inflows exceeded GLD's, underscoring unusually steady demand for spot Bitcoin exposure.