Bitcoin's network mining difficulty rose 0.04% to 148.26 T on Dec. 25, the final adjustment of the year, BlockBeats reports. CoinWarz data show the next difficulty adjustment is expected on Jan. 8, 2026 at block height 931,392, with network difficulty projected at 149 T. In 2025, BTC mining difficulty set new all-time highs and saw two sharp increases in September during Bitcoin's price rise, then dropped sharply after the market crash, BlockBeats reports.

U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $782 million in net outflows during Christmas week, with December 29 data marking the sixth consecutive trading day of redemptions and pushing the cumulative figure above $1.1 billion, BlockBeats reports. Friday saw the largest single-day withdrawal at roughly $276 million, including nearly $193 million from BlackRock's IBIT and around $74 million from Fidelity's FBTC, while Grayscale's GBTC posted smaller but steady outflows. Total assets under management across Bitcoin spot ETFs fell to approximately $113.5 billion from over $120 billion in early December, even as Bitcoin traded near $87,000 over the same period. Some institutional observers cited in the report said holiday-related outflows are typical and noted that January ETF flows, once normal trading resumes, may provide clearer directional signals.

Bitcoin has gained about 27,701% since 2015, far exceeding silver's roughly 405% and gold's about 283% returns over the same period, leading crypto analyst Adam Livingston to call it a "top asset", Cointelegraph reported on Dec. 29. Gold advocate Peter Schiff countered that performance should be measured only over the past four years, arguing "Bitcoin's time has passed", while Orange Horizon Wealth co-founder Matt Golliher noted commodity prices tend to converge toward production costs as higher prices boost supply, contrasting this with Bitcoin's fixed supply. In 2025, gold reached around $4,533 per ounce and silver neared $80 as Bitcoin remained relatively flat and the U.S. Dollar Index fell nearly 10% for one of its weakest years in a decade. Arthur Hayes said looser Federal Reserve policy and a weaker dollar would support scarce assets including gold, silver and Bitcoin long-term.

Centralized exchanges recorded a net inflow of 2,593.63 BTC over the past 24 hours, Coinglass data show. Kraken led with a net inflow of 1,372.71 BTC, followed by Binance at 591.79 BTC and Gate at 565.12 BTC. Coinbase Pro reported the largest net outflow during the period, with 294.74 BTC leaving the platform.

El Salvador increased its Bitcoin holdings by 1,511 BTC between Jan. 1 and Dec. 28, Cointelegraph reports. The country's total holdings now stand at 7,514.37 BTC, valued at 6.6 亿美元.

Strategy founder Michael Saylor posted new Bitcoin Tracker information on Dec. 28, BlockBeats reports. Based on previous patterns, Strategy has typically disclosed additional Bitcoin purchases on the day after such tracker-related updates are released.

Bitcoin briefly traded above $88,000 on December 28, rising 0.47% over 24 hours, HTX data show. The cryptocurrency touched the $88,000 level intraday before pulling back.

Analyst Ali said on Dec. 28 that Bitcoin's recent rebound resembles a 'dead cat bounce' and could be followed by further declines, BlockBeats reports. On-chain data show inflows into the crypto market have been steadily declining, with net capital flow turning negative for the first time in nearly two years at negative $4.5 billion; Bitcoin ETF products recorded net outflows of nearly $1 billion over the past two weeks. Ali added that funds are exiting rather than entering the market, spot demand is not supporting prices, and any rebound is likely leverage-driven, leaving risk of further weakness if outflows persist.