According to cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez, a December X post outlines a cycle-based scenario where Bitcoin, after peaking near $126,000, could face a ~70% drawdown toward $37,000–$38,000, with a possible low around October 2026. BTC was $89,506 at press time, up 1.7% in 24 hours, and below its 50-day and 200-day SMAs.

Shiba Inu is signaling a potential rebound as its hourly chart approaches a golden cross, with the 9-day and 26-day moving averages nearing convergence around $0.000007271. SHIB trades near $0.000007328 with a modest 0.38% daily gain, while 24-hour volume has climbed to $93.52 million amid ongoing volatility below the $0.00001 level and inconsistent token burns. Despite recent supply reductions via dead wallets, persistent sell-offs and bearish sentiment suggest a sustained rally may be difficult without a stronger catalyst from the current technical setup.

ChatGPT 5.2 sets out a 2026 investment outlook spanning equities, fixed income, commodities, and crypto. It anticipates uneven but positive growth, cooling inflation, selective equity gains anchored by AI, lower bond yields, resilient credit, strength in metals like copper, a stable oil backdrop, and a maturing crypto market under clearer regulation, with Japan and parts of Europe presenting value.

CoinShares reported last week that digital asset ETPs recorded $952M in outflows, the first weekly decline in four weeks, while XRP drew $62.9M in net inflows. Ethereum and Bitcoin saw withdrawals of $555.1 million and $460 million, highlighting shifting preferences amid market volatility.

On 18 December, a coalition of over 125 crypto firms and advocacy groups urged the US Senate Banking Committee to oppose expanding the GENIUS Act, challenging banking lobby efforts to limit stablecoin returns. Banks, in Capitol Hill briefings, warned of up to $6.6 trillion in deposits shifting to digital platforms. Companies named include Coinbase, Gemini and Kraken.

On December 22, 2025, Strategy disclosed that it raised $747.8M through an at-the-market sale of 4.35M MSTR common shares and allocated the entire amount to its USD reserves, lifting cash holdings to $2.19B. The firm kept its BTC stash at 671,286 BTC after acquiring more than 21K BTC in the prior two weeks, while MSTR traded around $164.82 amid expectations of a potential BTC market recovery. The enlarged cash buffer may support dividend payments for up to two years as Strategy waits for more favorable conditions before resuming large-scale BTC purchases.

Strategy paused bitcoin buying last week and shifted $748 million into its USD reserve, taking the fund to $2.19 billion. The company still holds 671,268 BTC after acquiring 10,645 BTC for about $980.3 million the prior Monday at an average price of $92,098 per bitcoin.

CoinShares' latest weekly report shows XRP-based products attracting $62.9 million of inflows, a 34% increase from the prior week's $46.9 million and the largest positive figure among major assets. Over the same period, digital asset investment products recorded $952 million in outflows, with Bitcoin and Ethereum bearing the brunt, while U.S. XRP spot ETFs added $13.21 million in net inflows on Dec. 19 and pushed cumulative net inflows to $1.07 billion. XRP's price hovered around $1.93 on Monday, as institutions continued shifting capital away from Bitcoin and Ethereum toward XRP exposure.