Market Signal Briefing

Explore how sector focus, leverage, and volatility set these two popular leveraged ETFs apart for aggressive tech investors.

The ProShares Ultra QQQ ETF (QLD 0.07%) and the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL +0.00%)  both aim to provide leveraged exposure to high-growth technology stocks, but their strategies diverge sharply. QLD offers 2x daily returns of the Nasdaq-100 Index, while SOXL targets 3x daily returns of the NYSE Semiconductor Index.

This comparison highlights their costs, recent performance, risk, portfolio makeup, and unique features for investors weighing aggressive tech exposure.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricQLDSOXLIssuerProSharesDirexionExpense ratio0.95%0.75%1-yr return (as of Dec. 27, 2025)24.95%44.62%Dividend yield0.18%0.53%Beta (5Y monthly)2.425.32AUM$10.6 billion$13.6 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

SOXL offers a higher yield and lower expense ratio than QLD, potentially appealing to those focused on cost efficiency within leveraged ETFs. That said, because leveraged ETFs perform best as short-term investments, yield and fees may not have a significant impact on your portfolio.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricQLDSOXLMax drawdown (5 y)-63.68%-90.46%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$2,591$1,491What's insideSOXL provides targeted, triple-leveraged exposure to the semiconductor industry, with 100% of assets in technology stocks. The fund only contains roughly 40 stocks, with top positions in Broadcom, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices. Its daily leverage reset means returns may diverge from expectations over longer periods, especially during volatile markets.

In contrast, QLD delivers 2x daily returns of the Nasdaq-100, giving investors exposure not just to semiconductors, but also to a broader mix of technology (55% of total assets), communication services (15%), and consumer cyclicals (13%). Its largest holdings include Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft. Both funds feature a daily leverage reset, which can magnify both gains and losses due to compounding effects.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

What this means for investorsLeveraged ETFs can amplify returns when the fund's underlying index is thriving, but they can also see much steeper downturns when the index falters. This makes them high-risk, high-reward investments, and they are only intended to be held short-term.

SOXL offers greater potential returns, aiming to triple the daily returns of the semiconductor sector. This industry is one of the most volatile in the market, but it's also proven to be incredibly lucrative in recent years.

QLD, on the other hand, mitigates some risk by tracking the broader Nasdaq-100 and only aiming for double its daily returns. With more diversification and smaller earnings goals, this ETF carries less risk than SOXL, but it also has less earning potential.

Over the last 12 months, SOXL has outperformed QLD. Yet with its much higher beta and deeper max drawdown, investors can expect more significant price swings with SOXL. That doesn't necessarily mean QLD is not risky, as all leveraged ETFs are more prone to volatility than standard funds. But between the two, SOXL is the more turbulent -- and potentially more lucrative -- choice.

Where you choose to buy will depend mostly on your risk tolerance. Funds like SOXL that boast 3x daily leverage are not for risk-averse investors, but if you're looking for a short-term play on the semiconductor industry, it could be a good fit. For others seeking a leveraged fund with a little less risk, QLD's broader focus and 2x daily leverage might be a bit more palatable.

GlossaryExpense ratio: The annual fee, as a percentage of assets, that a fund charges to cover operating costs.
Leveraged ETF: An exchange-traded fund designed to amplify daily returns, often using financial derivatives and debt.
2x daily returns: A strategy aiming to deliver twice the daily performance of a specified index.
3x daily returns: A strategy aiming to deliver three times the daily performance of a specified index.
Nasdaq-100 Index: A stock market index of 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange.
NYSE Semiconductor Index: An index tracking the performance of major semiconductor companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Beta: A measure of an investment's volatility compared to the overall market, typically the S&P 500.
Max drawdown: The largest percentage drop from a fund’s peak value to its lowest point over a specific period.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund or stock, shown as a percentage of its current price.
Daily leverage reset: The process by which leveraged ETFs adjust exposure each day to maintain their target leverage ratio.
Compounding effects: The impact of daily returns building on each other, which can cause long-term results to differ from expected multiples.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of assets that a fund or investment company manages on behalf of investors.

SKT consortium conducts Korean government's 'Sovereign AI Foundation Model' project with A.X K1, positioning Korea for Global Top 3 AI Powers
A.X K1: Korea's first 'Teacher Model' for smaller and specialized applications
SK Telecom realizes AI as public good, advancing Korean government's 'AI for Everyone' with 20 million-user service foundation
SKT consortium's full-stack AI ecosystem positioned to serve as national AI infrastructure

, /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) today unveiled 'A.X K1,' Korea's first hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) model with 519 billion (519B) parameters.

A.X K1 (519B-A33B) is poised to serve as the core foundation for Korea's ambition to become a top-three global player in the AI race, following the U.S. and China. The model marks the beginning of a full-stack AI ecosystem, encompassing all areas from semiconductors to services.

500B-Scale to Power Korea's AI Ecosystem as a 'Teacher Model'

A.X K1, Korea's first hyperscale AI model, represents a significant milestone in enhancing the global competitiveness of Korean AI within a landscape currently dominated by the U.S. and China.

Unlike knowledge-consuming AI models, A.X K1 functions as a 'Teacher Model' — a provider of knowledge — enabling knowledge transfer to smaller models, particularly those below the 70B-scale. It also serves as foundational digital social overhead capital (SOC) for the AI ecosystem. The SKT consortium will expand research to enable A.X K1 to transfer knowledge to smaller and specialized models, driving innovation for Korea.

At scales above 500 billion parameters, AI models demonstrate more stable performance in complex mathematical reasoning and multilingual understanding, according to global cases. These enhanced capabilities enable advanced tasks such as high-complexity coding and agent-based execution.

Promotes AI as Public Good, Advancing 'AI for Everyone' Through Services Already in Active Nationwide Use

The SKT consortium plans to strengthen nationwide AI accessibility by offering A.X K1 through A. (A-DoT), which has over 10 million subscribers. The consortium aims to build an 'AI for Everyone' framework, enabling the public to easily access AI via phone calls, text messages, the web and applications.

Liner, a member of the SKT consortium, operates expert knowledge search services for more than 11 million global subscribers. Expectations are high that it will provide highly accurate and reliable search services in multiple languages with A.X K1.

A.X K1 is also expected to boost industrial competitiveness through AIX — including solutions such as A. Biz for manufacturing, real-time character dialogue and autonomous behavior in Krafton's games, and humanoid AI robots.

Additionally, A.X K1 will serve as a testbed to validate the competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor industry. An AI model capable of operating at a non-standard scale of workload (500B or more) is indispensable for practically verifying memory bandwidth and inter-GPU communication speed, which are key performance bottlenecks in high-performance AI semiconductors.

Building a Full-Stack AI to Advance Korea's Global Top-Three AI Strategy

The SKT consortium's business strategy, including SK Telecom's 500B-scale AI model, aligns with Korea's national goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI nations.

In this global race, success depends not only in the performance of individual models but also on a nation's ability to scale and operate AI at a national level.

The SK Telecom-led SKT consortium includes eight organizations: SK Telecom, Krafton, 42dot, Rebellions, Liner, SelectStar, Seoul National University, and KAIST. Together, they have built a full-stack sovereign AI platform based entirely on proprietary technologies across the entire value chain, including AI semiconductors, AI data centers (AIDCs), AI models and AI services.

Building on LLM development efforts since 2018, each consortium member contributed specialized expertise: Liner enhanced accuracy through expert-level information retrieval technology; SelectStar ensured reliability through large-scale data construction and validation; Krafton provided scalability from global multimodal R&D experience; 42dot strengthened versatility through its on-device AI technology; and Rebellions improved efficiency with domestically developed NPU technology.

Already, more than 20 institutions, including major affiliates such as SK hynix, SK Innovation, SK Broadband, the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, have submitted letters of intent to participate. These institutions have agreed to utilize and validate A.X K1 together in real-world field settings.

The consortium plans to release A.X K1 as open-source to companies across Korea's AI ecosystem. Through major developer communities and SK Telecom platforms, the consortium will provide open-source access and APIs to foster an environment for seamless AI agent development.

Additionally, the consortium will establish an integrated support framework for AI model development and disclose portions of the training data used for model development through public and private platforms, boosting Korea's overall AI competitiveness.

"This marks a new inflection point in Korea's journey toward becoming one of the world's top three AI nations amid intensifying global competition," said Kim Tae-yoon, Head of Foundation Model Office at SK Telecom. "As Korea's leading AI company, we will continue driving our efforts to deliver AI for Everyone."

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.

For more information, please visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

SOURCE SK Telecom

A recent announcement by the Trump administration should help reopen a lucrative revenue stream for AMD.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 0.02%) stock clocked stellar gains in 2025, rising 78% this year as of this writing. However, recent trading suggests that some investors are booking profits. AMD stock is down 19% since hitting a 52-week high on Oct. 29.

This pullback could be a buying opportunity for investors looking to add a fast-growing company that's benefiting from the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, a recent announcement by President Donald Trump, which will allow companies like Nvidia (NVDA +1.02%), AMD, and Intel to sell their advanced AI chips to Chinese customers, is going to give AMD an additional boost in 2026.

Let's take a closer look at AMD's catalysts for the new year and see why this stock has the potential to soar once again.

Image source: AMD.

The Trump administration's announcement could give AMD a big shot in the arm
AMD's business grew at a nice clip in 2025. It is on track to deliver $34 billion in revenue for the year, up 31% over 2024 revenue. It might have been even better, but AMD hasn't been able to sell its chips into the Chinese market since April, when the Trump administration imposed export controls on sales of advanced AI data center chips to that country.

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As a result, AMD incurred an $800 million inventory charge in the second quarter. Moreover, the company lost a significant chunk of its revenue stream thanks to the Trump administration's move. That's because China accounted for nearly a quarter of AMD's 2024 revenue of $25.8 billion, or almost $6.2 billion.

Despite the headwind, analysts expect a 20% increase in the company's earnings for 2025 to $3.97 per share. Consensus estimates suggest that AMD's earnings could jump 62% next year to $6.46 per share. I think it could end up doing much better than that.

Take Nvidia, for example. The Trump administration now allows Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 chips to Chinese customers. Nvidia was previously only selling its downsized H20 chips in China to comply with export regulations. Those chips were significantly cheaper and less powerful than Nvidia's flagship Hopper processor, the H200.

With the change, Nvidia will likely see a significant bump in its revenue next year, even after paying the 25% tax that the administration plans to charge on sales to China. President Trump pointed out in his Truth Social post that the "same approach will apply to AMD," suggesting that the company may be able to sell its high-end chips to Chinese customers.

It was earlier selling the downgraded MI308 processor to Chinese customers. It may now be able to ship its more powerful chips into that market, just like Nvidia has been allowed to. So, there is a possibility of AMD regaining the lost Chinese revenue in 2026, even with the 25% export fee.

That's because a full-fledged AMD data center graphics processing unit (GPU) will carry a significant premium over the nerfed MI308. This is why AMD's sales next year could turn out to be much higher than expected.

The stock could skyrocket in 2026
Analysts anticipate AMD's revenue to jump by 31% in 2026 to $44.6 billion. Assuming its revenue from China next year lands at 2024 levels of $6.2 billion, its top line could be somewhere around $51 billion. What's worth noting is that analysts haven't adjusted their 2026 revenue expectations for AMD following the Trump administration's rule change, suggesting that the company's potential gains from China aren't baked in just yet.

Data by YCharts.

Assuming AMD does achieve $51 billion in revenue next year and maintains its price-to-sales ratio of 11 at that time, its market cap could jump to $561 billion. That points toward a potential jump of 60% from its current market cap. So, now it would be a good time to buy this semiconductor stock following its recent pullback, as it has the potential to soar impressively in the new year.

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of New Era Energy & Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAI) resulting from allegations that New Era Energy & Digital may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased New Era Energy & Digital securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=49293 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On December 12, 2025, Investing.com published an article entitled “New Era Energy & Digital stock falls after Fuzzy Panda short report.” The article stated that New Era Energy & Digital stock “tumbled” after “short seller Fuzzy Panda Research released a scathing report targeting the company.” Further, the article stated that Fuzzy Panda’s short report, “titled ‘NUAI: Serial Penny Stock CEO Combined Bad Gas Assets, Paid Stock Promo, Renamed Co & Added ’AI’,’ alleges that the company spent 2.5 times more on stock promotions than on operating its oil and gas wells. Fuzzy Panda claims CEO E. Will Gray II has a history of running penny stock companies “into the ground” over approximately 20 years.”

On this news, New Era Energy & Digital stock fell 6.9% on December 12, 2025.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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Contact Information:

        Laurence Rosen, Esq.
        Phillip Kim, Esq.
        The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
        275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
        New York, NY 10016
        Tel: (212) 686-1060
        Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
        Fax: (212) 202-3827
        [email protected]
        www.rosenlegal.com

2 mins mins

Key Points:

Aave DAO vote ignites debate over governance and revenue sharing.Vote rejected with 55% against, 41% abstaining.$AAVE token price drops, raising concerns over governance.
Following the recent Aave DAO vote, founder Stani Kulechov raised concerns over Aave Labs’ relationship with $AAVE holders, highlighting the need for transparency and improved governance.

The outcome suggests significant implications for decentralized governance credibility and $AAVE token dynamics, as community rifts and governance challenges influence investor confidence and market stability.

Aave Vote Rejection Highlights Governance Disputes
The Aave DAO vote ended with a majority rejecting the brand asset ownership proposal. Stani Kulechov, Aave’s CEO, engaged in discussions about the economic relationship between Aave Labs and $AAVE holders. The vote saw over 55% rejecting, and 41% abstaining.

Aave Labs committed to clearer communication on creating value for $AAVE holders. Kulechov emphasized transparency and alignment to navigate interests. The DAO generated $140 million in revenue, exceeding past years, controlled by $AAVE token holders.

Community reactions highlighted governance uncertainties. Stani Kulechov’s $15 million $AAVE token purchase drew scrutiny. He clarified, “These tokens were not used to vote on the recent proposal; that was never my intention. This is my lifelong career, and I support my beliefs with my own funds.” The process, while chaotic, was titled productive for Aave’s future health.

Economic Impact: $140M Revenue Sparks Tokenholder Concerns
Did you know? In 2025, Aave’s DAO generated $140 million, exceeding its combined revenue of the previous three years, despite governance challenges.

As of December 2025, Aave’s (AAVE) current price is $156.11 with a market cap of $2.39 billion and a trading volume of $265.28 million, a 23.04% decrease. The token’s price decreased 42.41% over 90 days, according to CoinMarketCap.

Aave(AAVE), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 21:17 UTC on December 27, 2025. Source: CoinMarketCap

Coincu research highlights Aave’s governance disputes as reflecting broader DeFi protocol challenges. Large token holder influence remains divisive, emphasizing the need for balanced governance frameworks to address economically intertwined interests.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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2 mins mins

Key Points:

Completed Season 2 points distribution; “S3e” announcement hints at TGE.Speculation grows on upcoming Season 3 event.Anti-sybil measures reinforced to maintain fairness.
On December 27, 2025, Lighter, a decentralized perpetual futures exchange on Solana, announced the completion of its Season 2 points distribution via Discord, addressing speculative community concerns.

The community speculates a Season 3 points event tied to Lighter’s anticipated TGE, impacting the distribution and trading of Lighter’s LIT token.

Lighter DEX Ends Season 2, Tightens Sybil Measures
Lighter’s leadership confirmed the completion of Season 2’s points distribution, eliminating sybil, self-trading, and wash-trading activities. Vladimir Novakovski, the project’s CEO, affirmed the removal of these practices to foster fair trading. The community is advised to avoid any airdrops or claim links, as they are presently inactive. The term “S3e” mentioned in communications indicates the likelihood of a Season 3 event, potentially coinciding with the anticipated TGE. This event is expected to leverage 25% of the token supply for distribution directly to user wallets.

Sebas, Core Contributor at Lighter DEX, announced, “We are finalizing processes ahead of TGE,” indicating the team’s efforts to ensure the integrity of the points system while addressing sybil and self-trading.

Reactions among stakeholders remain optimistic yet speculative. In a discord statement, core contributor Sebas highlighted the initiative’s commitment to fairness, while the Head of Marketing, Pilla.eth, revealed plans for further community engagement through buybacks and structured token allocation.

LIT Token Faces Challenges Amid DeFi Expansion
Did you know? Lighter’s initial Season 1 directly facilitated $550 billion in trading volume, reflecting the high engagement levels that continue to influence the decentralized perpetual futures market.

Litentry (LIT) reports a current price of $0.12 and a fully diluted market cap of $11.81 million, with no circulating supply as of December 27, 2025, according to CoinMarketCap. The token’s 24-hour trading volume changed by 88.25%, showing a 0.99% decline over the same period. Over the past 90 days, LIT has decreased by 70.35%.

Litentry(LIT), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 21:47 UTC on December 27, 2025. Source: CoinMarketCap

Coincu’s research team suggests that fair distribution mechanisms and active community engagement strengthen Lighter’s positioning in the growing DeFi landscape. Implementing robust anti-sybil measures underpins similar strategies employed across peer decentralized exchanges in recent cycles, fostering broader market confidence. Structural adaptations moving forward could further enhance competitiveness.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson has refuted claims that he dumped his ADA holdings as the token set its current all-time high of over $3 more than four years ago.

Like many crypto executives, Charles Hoskinson took to X to wish his Cardano fans a Merry Christmas. In his post, Hoskinson reflected on the challenges of 2025, describing it as “a long, hard year.”

He urged investors not to let the “fire go out” during the holiday season, stressing that 2026 has a lot to look forward to. However, what started as a warm holiday wish swiftly took a different turn. One commentator accused the IOG CEO of dumping his ADA stockpile when the price hit $3. The X used claimed that Hoskinson doesn’t see it as a bargain and has refused to purchase the token back after it retreated to a mere $0.3. 

According to data from CoinGecko, ADA is up 0.6 percent in the last 24 hours. On a weekly basis, Cardano’s price is down 5.4 percent, and, for the month, it’s down 16.8 percent.

Perhaps most notable, however, is that the cryptocurrency has lost more than 88 percent of the gains it achieved in September 2021, when it reached a high of $3.09.

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Hoskinson rebutted this claim right away, asserting unequivocally that he never dumped ADA when the price was hovering above $3. He added that repeating allegations that he liquidated his ADA tokens at the top would not make them accurate, dismissing those spreading the narrative as bots circulating misinformation.

Notably, Cardano’s price may be down, but several upcoming developments keep ADA fans’ hopes alive.

Cardano is prepping to launch multiple upgrades in 2026, including the rollout of the network’s Leios upgrade, enhancements to the network’s decentralized finance functionalities, and the full mainnet launch of Midnight, a privacy-focused sidechain in the ADA ecosystem.

Large-cap assets like Ripple's XRP and Cardano (ADA), which depend largely on committed communities, need to distinguish themselves with real-world use cases.

Bitcoin drew fresh attention after two separate posts on X highlighted unusual price signals, including a brief Binance pair plunge and a widening gap versus stock and gold models.

Shanaka Anslem Perera said a widely shared screenshot claiming Bitcoin fell to $24,000 on Christmas reflected a short lived wick on Binance’s BTC USD1 pair, not a market wide crash.

Binance BTC USD1 Pair Briefly Dropped as Traders Cited Thin Liquidity, Perera SaysShanaka Anslem Perera said a widely shared screenshot claiming Bitcoin fell to $24,000 on Christmas reflected a brief price wick on a single, illiquid Binance trading pair, not a broader market crash.

In a post on X, Perera wrote that the BTC USD1 pair “wicked down” about 72% for roughly three seconds, while BTC USDT did not trade below $86,400. He said the move appeared limited to one order book and ended quickly as arbitrage activity closed the gap.

Perera linked the volatility to a Binance promotion that he said offered 20% APY on USD1 deposits about 24 hours earlier. He said traders moved from USDT into USD1 to pursue the yield, which he claimed reduced sell side liquidity on the BTC USD1 market. Perera said a large market sell then hit a thin book, pushing the price down to the nearest bids, which he identified as $24,111, before prices normalized.

Perera also said a similar spike occurred on Dec. 10, when BTC/USD1 briefly dropped from about $96,000 to $76,000. He argued that posts alleging “manipulation” did not provide on chain evidence, while posts calling it a “crash” drew major attention.

Perera added that the episode highlights risks tied to newly listed stablecoin pairs, including liquidity gaps during promotional campaigns. He also said USD1, the stablecoin used in the pair, is issued by Trump linked World Liberty Financial and has passed a $3 billion market cap.

Bitcoin Trades Below Stock and Gold Models, PlanB SaysBitcoin traded near $87,500 on Friday, sitting well below levels implied by its historic correlation with U.S. stocks and gold, according to an analysis shared by PlanB.

In a post on X, PlanB said model comparisons place Bitcoin closer to $6,900 when aligned with equities and around $4,500 when aligned with gold. He described the gap as unusually wide, noting that the current price appears “way off” past relationships shown in long term regression charts.

Bitcoin Price Divergence Chart. Source: X (PlanB)

PlanB said a similar disconnect occurred when Bitcoin traded below $1,000 in earlier market cycles. At that time, he said, the divergence preceded a sharp rally that eventually lifted prices by roughly ten times. However, he added that historical correlation does not guarantee future outcomes.

The analyst said the relationship between Bitcoin, stocks, and gold could remain broken. If so, he said, the current cycle may unfold differently from past episodes. PlanB did not provide a timeframe for convergence and said only that markets would determine whether correlations reassert themselves.

BitMine staked about $219.2 million in ETH while keeping a much larger Ethereum balance unstaked. At the same time, Tom Lee restated his bullish case that Ethereum could reach higher levels into 2026 as network usage grows.

BitMine Stakes $219.2 Million in ETH, With Billions Still UnstakedBitMine staked about $219.2 million worth of Ether on Friday, according to on chain transfers shared by the X account @TedPillows. The transactions showed BitMine linked wallets sending large ETH amounts into staking deposit addresses within hours.

On chain records listed several deposits in the same window, including transfers of roughly 16,992 ETH, 20,768 ETH, and 24,544 ETH. Together, the moves supported the claim that BitMine deployed about $219.2 million into Ethereum staking on the day.

At the same time, BitMine still holds a much larger Ether position that remains unstaked. The post said the firm holds about $10.759 billion in Ethereum that it could stake later, which would far exceed the amount deposited so far.

Ethereum staking locks ETH into the network in exchange for validator participation and rewards. As a result, large deposits often attract attention because they can shift a portion of supply out of liquid circulation while increasing long term exposure to the protocol.

Tom Lee Keeps Bullish Ethereum Target for 2026Meanwhile, Tom Lee reiterated a bullish view on crypto heading into 2026, saying Ethereum could rise from around $3,000 to $7,000 or $9,000 in early 2026, according to a clip circulated on X. Lee also said he still sees a path for Ethereum to reach $20,000 if the network becomes competitive with global payment rails.

Lee tied the case to utility rather than trading momentum. In the clip, he pointed to scale, settlement, and real world usage as the main drivers, arguing that Ethereum could shift from a speculative asset toward financial infrastructure if it handles large transaction volumes reliably.

He has made similar arguments in past market commentary, where he framed Ethereum’s long term upside around adoption and network effects. In that view, broader use by exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and tokenization platforms matters more than short term price action, because it increases demand for blockspace and settlement on the base layer and related networks.

The latest comments came as crypto investors track whether Ethereum’s ecosystem can expand beyond trading and DeFi into payments and settlement for real businesses. That question often centers on fees, throughput, and user experience, since global payments require speed and predictable costs at scale.

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Peter Schiff has issued a fresh warning about Bitcoin after silver recorded a dramatic price surge. The veteran economist said Bitcoin may face the opposite outcome of silver’s rally.

Also, he expects any move to unfold faster because market declines often accelerate under pressure. His comments followed a sharp intraday jump in silver prices that pushed the metal above $79 per ounce for the first time.

Is Silver’s Rally Accelerating Investor Shift to Commodities?
Schiff shared his view on X after traders watched silver climb more than 10% within hours. Market data showed the rally took silver from $78 to $79 in about ninety minutes.

The move attracted global attention because the metal has already been in a strong uptrend for months. A TradingView chart showed a near-vertical breakout as price extended toward new historic territory.

The momentum of Silver also gives more strength to the wider market’s perspective concerning metal assets. The good performance of crypto-based tokenized commodities is also a reflection of this trend. Their rise towards $4 billion in overall evaluation indicates that more investors want exposure to alternative assets.

Recent CompaniesMarketCap data showed that silver has narrowed its difference with NVIDIA in terms of overall market value, which indicates high institutional demand and renewed investor attention on commodities.

Is Bitcoin Losing Ground to Silver?
In the meantime, the price of BTC was close to $87,000 with little upward movement in the last day. Small intraday improvements were also seen in major cryptocurrencies, per CoinMarketCap data.

New information has also fueled controversy on the silver surge. A new chart shows silver’s monthly RSI at its highest level in forty-five years.

This level signals extreme momentum and raise questions about sustainability. The reading also highlights how aggressive the current breakout by silver has become.

Another market chart compares Bitcoin against silver on a multi-year basis. The chart shows Bitcoin giving back relative gains that stretched back to 2017. The move is an indication of how fast silver has fared better than BTC in the recent rally.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has outlined a forward-looking vision for 2026 that places stablecoins at the center of global financial change. His projections suggest a period where blockchain infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and robotics advance simultaneously, reshaping digital markets and technology adoption.

Yakovenko shared his outlook through a public post, forecasting that total stablecoin supply could exceed $1 trillion by 2026. Besides scale, his comments pointed toward limits in quantum computing progress, steady fusion challenges, and major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. He also projected shipments of roughly 100,000 humanoid robots within the same period.

Stablecoin Growth Faces Conflicting ViewsYakovenko’s trillion-dollar stablecoin forecast contrasts with estimates from major financial institutions. JPMorgan Chase expects global stablecoin supply to reach between $500 billion and $600 billion by 2028. The bank links most stablecoin expansion to crypto trading activity rather than everyday payment usage.

Significantly, JPMorgan reported that stablecoin supply has grown by about $100 billion this year alone. That growth pushed total supply to roughly $308 billion. USDT and USDC drove most of the increase. Additionally, derivatives platforms added nearly $20 billion in stablecoin balances as futures trading activity expanded.

However, JPMorgan analysts emphasized that higher transaction volumes do not automatically require higher supply levels. Faster circulation could reduce the need for large issuance increases. Moreover, banks continue developing tokenized deposits, while central banks explore digital currencies that could compete with private stablecoins.

Solana Market Performance and Technical OutlookSolana’s market price moved higher alongside renewed discussion around network adoption. SOL traded at  $123, posting a daily gain of 1.08%. Consequently, its market capitalization stood near $69.3 billion, supported by a circulating supply of about 560 million tokens.

Source: X

Crypto Patel, a market analyst, commented on investor behavior surrounding Solana’s long-term narrative. He noted that many holders remain emotionally tied to a $1,000 price target. However, he stressed that price cycles never move in a straight line.

According to Patel, Solana currently trades within a corrective phase. A breakdown below the $120 support could push prices under $100. That level, he suggested, may offer a stronger long-term accumulation opportunity. His accumulation range extends from $98 down to $50.

Long-Term Expectations Remain DividedDespite near-term volatility, long-range projections remain optimistic among some analysts. Patel outlined a long-term valuation range between $500 and $1,000 for SOL. Hence, market participants continue balancing innovation-driven optimism against cyclical risk management.

An investment in XRP at the beginning of 2025 has delivered a negative return so far, despite a year marked by some of the most consequential fundamental developments in the asset’s history.

As of press time on December 27, 2025, XRP was trading at $1.85, reflecting an 11% year-to-date decline.

XRP YTD stock price chart. Source: Finbold
Based on this performance, XRP began the year at approximately $2.08, meaning a $1,000 investment made in early January 2025 would now be worth about $890, representing a loss of roughly $110 before fees or taxes.

XRP 2025 performance 
This underperformance comes in a year that, on paper, should have been transformative for XRP. One of the most significant catalysts in 2025 was the final resolution of Ripple’s long-running legal dispute with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The settlement brought long-awaited regulatory clarity, removing a major overhang that had restricted institutional participation for years and effectively reframing XRP’s status in the U.S. market. Historically, such clarity has been viewed as a potential turning point for digital assets seeking broader adoption.

Ripple also made a decisive push into institutional finance during the year. The expansion of its prime brokerage and liquidity services signaled a clear strategy to position XRP within traditional market infrastructure. 

At the same time, XRP gained exposure through regulated investment vehicles, including the launch and approval of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETF) in select jurisdictions, lowering the barrier to entry for both professional and retail investors.

Another notable development was the rollout and broader integration of Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD. While the stablecoin itself is not XRP, its usage within the ecosystem indirectly supports XRP through transaction fees and liquidity mechanics, adding another layer to the asset’s long-term utility narrative.

Despite these structural advances, XRP’s price struggled to sustain momentum throughout 2025. Market sentiment remained fragile for much of the year, with repeated failures to hold above key resistance near $2. 
Broader crypto market volatility, combined with periodic XRP escrow releases and cautious investor positioning, weighed on price action. By late December, XRP had slipped into negative territory for the year, erasing gains seen earlier in 2025.

Featured image via Shutterstock

XRP spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) launched in mid-November and quickly amassed over $1.1 billion in inflows. Consistent weekly demand and rising assets positioned the products as a serious contender heading into 2026. Capital, Liquidity, and Conviction: XRP ETFs in 2025 XRP ETFs entered U.S.

BitMine, the largest corporate holder of Ethereum, has begun staking part of its $12 billion ETH treasury.

On December 27, on-chain analyst Ember CN reported that the firm deposited approximately 74,880 ETH, valued at about $219 million, into Ethereum staking contracts.

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Why is BitMine Staking Its Holdings?The move represents only a small slice of BitMine’s total holdings of roughly 4.07 million ETH, currently valued near $12 billion.

Still, it signals a meaningful shift in how the company intends to manage its balance sheet.

BitMine Ethereum Staking. Source: Ember CNIf the company were to stake its entire treasury at the current estimated annual percentage yield (APY) of 3.12%, it would generate approximately 126,800 ETH annually. At current prices, this equates to $371 million in yearly revenue.

Such a structure would effectively recast BitMine as a yield-bearing vehicle tied to Ethereum’s consensus layer. This means its valuation would no longer hinge primarily on the asset’s directional price movements.

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ETH Staking Goals and RisksHowever, the strategy introduces new financial and operational risks for the company.

Unlike Bitcoin held in cold storage, which can be liquidated immediately in stressed market conditions, staked Ether is constrained by protocol-level withdrawal mechanics.

Validators exiting the network must pass through an exit queue, which can delay access to capital during periods of heightened volatility.

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In a liquidity crunch, that delay could leave BitMine exposed to price swings that a non-staking treasury might otherwise avoid.

This tradeoff underscores a structural difference between holding Ethereum as a passive asset and deploying it as productive capital within the network.

Still, BitMine has a long-term goal of acquiring and staking 5% of Ethereum’s total supply.

To support that vision, the firm is developing a proprietary staking platform, the Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN), scheduled for deployment in early 2026.

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“We continue to make progress on our staking solution known as The Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN). This will be the ‘best-in-class’ solution offering secure staking infrastructure and will be deployed in early calendar 2026,” BitMine chair Thomas Lee said.

Meanwhile, critics argue that consolidating such a large share of Ether under a single US-domiciled validator framework introduces centralization risks. They say the structure could undermine a network designed to be neutral and globally distributed.

With BitMine currently controlling about 3.36% of the total ETH supply, MAVAN could, in theory, face pressure to comply with the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.

As a result, the firm could refuse to validate blocks containing transactions linked to sanctioned addresses.

Sat, 27/12/2025 - 16:46

Amid the consistent price corrections, Shiba Inu has failed to sustain momentum, and it might close the year on a very big negative note, posting multiple months of negative returns.

Cover image via U.Today

After several months of negative performance and consistently facing a severe price correction, Shiba Inu is on track to wrap up 2025 in the deep red territory.

With its price move over the past months, Shiba Inu has suffered one of its worst yearly performances since its explosive 2021 rally. Data from crypto analytics platform CryptoRank shows that SHIB is down 65.8% since the beginning of 2025, wiping out all gains achieved in some of its positive months.

SHIB continues to plummetOver the last 24 hours, Shiba Inu has slipped 0.13%, hovering around $0.00000722 as of writing time.

HOT Stories

While the asset has extended the negative momentum across every major time frame, it has dropped 3.32% over the last week, and delivered a steeper 15.5% decline in the past month.

The leading meme asset has sustained the bearish pressure across the longer term, which reflects more severe losses as SHIB has posted a 38.9% decline over three months, 37.5% losses in six months and 66.6% over the past year.

In 2025, SHIB recorded losses of 41.4% in Q1 and 7.86% in Q2. However, the next quarter saw a modest 3.49% recovery in Q3 but the gains posted during the quarter were too weak to reverse sentiment.

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While Q4 followed with another negative movement, showing a sharp 38.9% decline, Shiba Inu is left with no realistic chance of closing the year on a positive note.

Although Shiba Inu ended 2024 with a strong 104.2% annual gain, it has moved the opposite way in 2025 with its performance for the year showing a bearish trajectory amid weak investor interest.

This negative yearly performance has been largely fueled by its poor monthly returns as SHIB has posted losses in nine out of twelve months in 2025, with February, October, November and December suffering the heaviest declines.

While July delivered a brief 8.92% gain, the move failed to establish any lasting recovery.

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Ethereum remains locked in a sideways structure, trading just below the psychological $3k mark.

Despite multiple attempts, buyers have struggled to generate follow-through momentum.

The recent price action reflects a market caught in indecision, with weakening bullish conviction and no real dominance from sellers. Meanwhile, on-chain data is starting to stir, hinting that the next move could be brewing beneath the surface.

Technical Analysis
The Daily Chart
On the daily chart, ETH continues to consolidate between the $2,700 support zone and the $3,300 resistance, with price hovering around $2,970 at the time of writing.

The 200-day EMA (orange) and 100-day EMA (blue) continue to act as dynamic overhead resistance and have also printed a bearish crossover. This makes them a key confluence zone just above $3,300, where the price was previously rejected.

The RSI also remains below the midline, suggesting no momentum shift yet in favor of buyers. A close below $2,700 would likely trigger a retest of the $2,200 macro demand area, while reclaiming $3,300 could open the door toward $3,700 and beyond.

For now, the market lacks a catalyst strong enough to break out of this compression.

Source: TradingView
The 4-Hour Chart
Zooming into the 4H chart, ETH is still respecting the local trading zone between $2,800 and $3,000, moving sideways around the mid-range again.

Price action has been choppy, with failed breakouts both above and below, showing clear indecision from both sides.

The RSI has started climbing again, which could indicate some short-term upside, but without reclaiming the $3,000–$3,100 supply zone, buyers remain at a disadvantage.

If the price consolidates above $3,100 again with strength, a rotation back to the upper resistance at $3,300 could be expected, but the structure still favors range-bound trades as things stand.

Source: TradingView
On-Chain Analysis
Exchange Reserve
Ethereum’s exchange reserves have been trending down consistently for most of 2025, reflecting a long-term trend toward accumulation or self-custody. This has historically been interpreted as bullish, as fewer tokens on exchanges generally mean less sell pressure.

However, the recent chart shows a subtle but clear uptick in reserves, which is the first in months.

This could mean two things: either traders are preparing to cut their losses from recent consolidation, or larger players are repositioning ahead of a spike in volatility.

If this reserve build-up continues, it could point to increased potential for sell-side activity in the short term.

That said, one uptick doesn’t change the long-term accumulation trend yet. It is still important to monitor whether this is a one-off move or the beginning of a broader sentiment shift. If it is paired with price rejection at resistance and rising open interest, it could confirm preparation for downside positioning.

Source: CryptoQuant

Tags:

Journalist

Posted: December 27, 2025

Source: X

Tom Lee’s Bitmine staked 74,880 ETH worth $219 million. So, there is tons of confidence in Ethereum’s long-term growth.

Meanwhile, SharpLink Gaming redeemed 35,627 ETH – A sign that institutional moves are becoming more active and tactical.

Source: X

This fits the greater trend. Ethereum’s share of DeFi hasn’t weakened despite capital rotating. Instead, the big players are learning to work within the system.

What’s driving the price narrative?
While its fundamentals anchor Ethereum, price action is being influenced elsewhere… in derivatives.

Source: Cryptoquant

In 2025, ETH Futures activity went up to record levels. Binance alone saw over $6.7 trillion in ETH Futures volume, nearly double last year.

Other exchanges like OKX, Bybit, and Bitget followed the same pattern, confirming that speculation has been creating pace.

Source: Cryptoquant

The imbalance is pretty striking. According to analyst Darkfost on X, for every $1 in spot ETH, nearly $5 flows into Futures.

This level of leverage explains why price moves feel chaotic and unstable, even as Ethereum’s fundamentals remain unshaken.

Final Thoughts

Ethereum controls 68% of DeFi TVL and 70% with L2s.
ETH’s price is being driven by record leverage, explaining volatility and market disconnect.

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Gold and silver peaked in early August 2020. After that point, Bitcoin, the broader cryptocurrency market, and major U.S. stock indices began a volatile phase. The S&P 500, Russell 2000 and the NASDAQ went through a period of rapid growth, steep decline and later bounce back.

Grok AI Reviews Bitcoin and Market Trends After 2020 Shift
The analysis drew attention after market analyst Matthew Hyland questioned Grok AI about asset behavior following the Gold and silver 2020 peak. In an X post, he asked how Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and major U.S. stock indices performed in the years that followed. The AI reviewed market movements from late 2020 through 2025 using price trends and index performance.

Bitcoin stepped in quickly after the 2020 peak. At that time, it was hovering around $11.5K. Bitcoin ended the year at around $29K, for gains of about 150%. The shift was indicative of strong demand and increased interest in digital assets.

Momentum continued into 2021. Bitcoin peaked near $69K as trading picked up across cryptos. Wild price swings would follow in years to come. Even with continued volatility, by 2025 Bitcoin was still trading at around 500% the level it had been in 2020.

The broader crypto market expanded along a similar path. Total market capitalization stood near $390B around mid-2020. By 2021, it grew to more than $2T during a major bull run. Later cycles produced sharp pullbacks and rebounds, underscoring the sector’s sensitivity to liquidity.

U.S. Equity Markets Show Strong Gains, Volatility, and Recovery
U.S. equities advanced at a steadier pace. The S&P 500 ended the year between 3,500 and 3,756 after August and was up about 7%. The index jumped another 27% in 2021. By 2025, cumulative gains were roughly 100%.

Technology stocks led much of the equity strength. The NASDAQ climbed around 11% in August of 2020 and closed out that year with a gain of roughly 40%. The tech rally continued in the subsequent years. By 2025 the index had climbed some 150% from its level in 2020.

Smaller companies experienced wider swings. November 2020 was a stunning month for the Russell 2000, up almost 18%, as risk-on trades came back quickly. The index reached a high point in 2021 and then turned volatile. By 2025, it was still up about 50% over all.

The market changed dramatically in 2022. Risk appetite declined as inflation escalated and rates were hiked aggressively. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell sharply, and equities also fell as financial conditions tightened. Recovery started in 2023 and continued into 2025.

But since gold and silver topped in 2020, Bitcoin and the rest of crypto have all experienced strong expansions. The S&P 500, Russell 2000 and the NASDAQ all had a good gain during the same time frame. Together, these actions illustrate a general move toward higher-growth assets in both crypto and equities market.

No more X goonery: Cardano’s founder ditches Crypto Twitter for Discord AMAs & YouTube streams.

Market Sentiment:

Bullish

Bearish

Neutral

Published:
December 27, 2025 │ 5:26 PM GMT

Created by Gabor Kovacs from DailyCoin

By the looks of it, Cardano’s (ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson has had enough of the copious amounts of right-wing extremism & Elon Musk’s internet goon-driven echo chamber. So, the outspoken ‘Crypto Cowboy’ has officially dropped a departure message, saying he’s going to be replaced by a digital twin on the first day of the New Year.

Cardano Founder Of The Picture Out As X Gets DarkSome of Crypto Twitter’s OGs praised this move, even contemplating the same type of action. Meanwhile, others sarcastically remarked that X, previously known as Twitter, is not an airport and nobody is obliged to announce leaving it. Clearly stating that “X rewards outrage”, Charles Hoskinson has a similar opinion to Ethereum’s Vitalik.

Probably a decision many are contemplating given the direction of the platform

— depressivehacks (@depressivehacks) December 27, 2025
Further on, Cardano’s (ADA) founder promised to drop a YouTube video at the beginning of 2026, where he would go into piquant details on how the decision to terminate Mr. Hoskinson’s Twitter presence came into light. “The work that matters—Africa, Basho, Midnight 1.0, Cardano governance—rewards building.”

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“Ten years taught me which game is worth playing”, – noted Cardano’s Hoskinson, comparing the huge contrast in values. A few weeks ago, SpaceX, Tesla & X owner tech mogul Elon Musk launched a misinformation attack on the European Union (EU) as vengeance for the fine of €120 million for breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Elon’s Goons Still Drooling For EU’s DissolutionAs Elon launched a tirade of borderline-fascist remarks about the European Union, this got other crypto community peers fuming. For instance, Ethereum’s (ETH) founder Vitalik Buterin publicly asked Elon Musk to stop tweaking the algorithm to the dark side, going as far as to say that X is becoming a “death star laser for coordinated hate sessions”.

@elonmusk I think you should consider that making X a global totem pole for Free Speech, and then turning it into a death star laser for coordinated hate sessions, is actually harmful for the cause of free speech. I'm seriously worried that huge backlashes against values I hold…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) December 9, 2025
Others questioned Elon’s double standards when it came to Russia, implying that the other side might not love Twitter’s boss as much as he does – X is completely banned in the Russian Federation with Duma’s orders blatantly linking American platforms like X, Facebook & Snapchat to ‘extremist groups’ without consideration to lift the ban.

On The Flipside
Despite the critique coming from Vitalik Buterin & Charles Hoskinson, most recent commentary suggests there’s a bright side to it.
On Christmas, Vitalik praised Elon Musk’s move to natively integrate Grok on X, making huge strides towards “truth-friendliness”.
Why This MattersPlatforms like X are pivotal to the crypto community, hosting many crypto-related digital events on X Spaces. Despite the different interests among users, steering clear of the political drama on X has become hardly avoidable.

Stay in the loop with DailyCoin’s top crypto news:
XRP’s Price Derisking In Full Swing; Leverage Ratio Tanks
Shiba Inu Sends Christmas Cheers, Price Takes Winter Nap

People Also Ask:Why is Charles Hoskinson signing out of X?

He’s fed up with the platform rewarding outrage and drama. He prefers focusing on building real projects like Africa initiatives, Basho, Midnight 1.0, and Cardano governance.

When does the change happen?

Starting January 2026. He has about five days left as of December 27, 2025.

What is this Hoskinson’s “digital twin”?

An AI-powered version that will take over his IOHK_Charles account for basic posting. He’ll explain details in his first 2026 YouTube stream.

Where will Hoskinson be active instead?

Midnight Discord for weekly AMAs. YouTube for livestreams. Personal channels for long-form writing.

Will this affect Cardano or ADA price?

His past X posts have pumped ADA before. But the move signals a shift to substance over hype. Price impact seems minimal so far—more tied to broader market conditions.

DailyCoin's Vibe Check: Which way are you leaning towards after reading this article?

Market Sentiment

100% Bullish

This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein shall be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs pose a considerable risk of loss.

Year-end usually brings position cuts across crypto. Big wallets and smart money often reduce exposure to secure profits, sit on cash, and wait for lower-liquidity conditions to finish. That’s normal for December. Even with that backdrop, a few assets are seeing the opposite. Crypto whales are adding again across multiple time frames.

One shows steady 30-day accumulation, another gets 7-day whale support, and a third just saw fresh 24-hour inflows.

Chainlink (LINK)The first token on the list that crypto whales are buying is Chainlink. Whale wallets have raised their holdings by 57.79% over the last 30 days. This means whales added about 680,000 LINK in that period.

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At the current LINK price, that is close to $8.5 million in accumulation.

LINK Whales: NansenWant more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

This buildup occurs while Chainlink has corrected by about 7.5% over the same period. Smart money wallets have reduced exposure by 5.2%, suggesting whales are positioning early rather than expecting an immediate move.

On the chart, the Bull Bear Power (BBP) indicator shows that red bars have been shrinking since December 24. BBP measures the distance between price and a moving average to highlight whether bulls or bears control momentum. When the red bars shrink, bearish pressure is fading.

At the same time, LINK is trying to reclaim a key short-term barrier near $12.50. A daily close above that level would put the token back inside the short-term breakout conversation. Above $12.50, the more critical levels sit near $12.98 and $13.75, and a move past $15.00 would return LINK to a clear bullish zone.

LINK Price Analysis: TradingViewSponsored

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Smart money exiting while whales continue to add hints at a slower setup. The structure suggests whales are accumulating into weakness for a potential move in early 2026, not an immediate breakout. Until $12.50 is reclaimed, LINK may stay range-bound. Also, a dip under $11.72 can invalidate the whales’ bullish theory for now.

Lido DAO (LDO)Crypto whales have also turned to Lido over the past 7 days. Their balances are up 30.34%, bringing the cohort’s stash to 17.49 million LDO. At the current price , whales added roughly 4.07 million LDO, worth about $2.28 million in a week.

This comes while the token has gained 4.2% during the same period, which suggests whales are buying into strength.

LIDO Whales: NansenNot all big buyers are anonymous. One of the most notable additions came from Arthur Hayes, who accumulated 1.85 million LDO worth around $1.03 million. It also explains why the “Public Figure” cohort has climbed alongside whale activity.

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Smart money, however, shows a different stance. Their balances are down 7.75%. Exchange balances are also down 1.49%, hinting that retail may be removing tokens from exchanges rather than selling. This disconnect means the whale thesis might take time to play out and could stretch into early 2026 instead of an immediate move.

On the chart, Lido trades inside a clear range between $0.59 and $0.49. The On-Balance Volume (OBV) indicator, which measures whether volume flows in or out, broke its downtrend on December 23.

That happened at the same time whale inflows picked up, so the signal is worth watching.

A daily close above $0.59 is needed to confirm strength. That level broke on December 14 and hasn’t been reclaimed since. If buyers clear it with conviction, the next zones to watch are $0.76 (0.618 Fibonacci) and then $0.92, where momentum could flip from corrective to bullish.

LDO Price Analysis: TradingViewUntil then, range-bound trading remains the base case. A loss of $0.49 would invalidate the current LDO price setup, especially if smart money keeps reducing exposure during year-end volatility.

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Aster (ASTER)The third token on the list is Aster. This one has seen whale interest on the 24-hour window rather than a longer accumulation trend. Over the past day, whales added 2.37% to their existing stash.

Following this rise, whale holdings now stand at approximately 19.23 million ASTER. At a price of about $0.71, that means whales added roughly 455,000 ASTER, worth a little over $320,000.

ASTER Crypto Whales: NansenThe addition is not massive. It stands out because ASTER has dropped more than 30% in a month, and this pickup might hint that sentiment is slowly shifting from heavy selling to cautious positioning.

Price action supports this reading. ASTER fell sharply from about $1.40 on November 19 and found support near $0.65, which has held as a floor through December. Selling pressure also looks weaker now. On the Wyckoff Volume indicator, red and yellow bars (seller control) have been fading since December 15. The recent shift toward lighter red/yellow bars suggests sellers are losing dominance.

If whales are right, the recovery attempt begins with a push to $0.83, which requires approximately a 16% move from current prices. Breaking above $0.83 opens room toward $1.03, and then $1.24 if market conditions improve.

ASTER Price Analysis: TradingViewIf the price loses $0.65, the thesis breaks down. A clean loss of that level can put ASTER at risk of new local lows as year-end volatility picks up.

Cover image via U.Today

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

The weekend has started with a market correction, according to CoinMarketCap.

Top coins by CoinMarketCapADA/USDThe rate of Cardano (ADA) has not changed since yesterday.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the price of ADA might have set a local resistance at $0.3590. If bulls can hold the gained initiative and the daily bar closes near that mark, the growth may continue to the $0.36 zone and above.

Image by TradingViewOn the bigger time frame, one should focus on the candle closure in terms of yesterday's bar peak.

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If it happens around it, traders may see an ongoing upward move to the $0.37 area by the end of the week.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, there are no reversal signals so far. However, if the weekly bar closes far from the formed support at $0.3466, there is a chance to witness a bounce back to the $0.38-$0.40 range.

ADA is trading at $0.3569 at press time.

Original U.Today article

Sat, 27/12/2025 - 18:59

Can the rate of Ethereum (ETH) return above the $3,000 mark by the end of the week?

Cover image via U.Today

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Most of the coins are in the green zone again, according to CoinStats.

 ETH chart by CoinStatsETH/USDThe rate of Ethereum (ETH) has risen by 0.63% over the last day.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the price of ETH is in the middle of the local channel between the support of $2,921 and the resistance of $2,938. As neither side is dominating, there are low chances to see sharp moves by tomorrow.

Image by TradingViewOn the bigger time frame, the situation is similar. The technical position of ETH has not changed a lot since yesterday.

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The volume is low, confirming the absence of buyers' and sellers' energy. All in all, sideways trading around the current prices is the more likely scenario until the end of the week.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, the rate of the main altcoin does not have enough strength for a sharp move. In this case, traders are unlikely to witness sharp ups or downs soon.

Ethereum is trading at $2,928 at press time.

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BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes is in the news today after he accelerated accumulation across LDO and PENDLE within a tight window. In fact, he committed roughly $1.03M into LDO and about $973K into PENDLE. 

Here, the timing stands out. Especially since both assets seemed to be trading near compressed structures after extended downtrends on the charts. 

Rather than spreading capital broadly, Hayes’s focus is on two DeFi primitives tied to staking and yield. Such a concentration matters. 

These buys arrived before confirmed trend reversals, not after breakouts. Therefore, the activity could be a sign of positioning ahead of expected movement. 

When large capital enters during structural compression, it often alludes to preparation rather than reaction.

PENDLE derivatives activity starts warming up
PENDLE’s derivatives metrics confirmed growing participation at press time. Trading volume surged by 29% to $78.9M, while Open Interest expanded by 7% to $43.09M. Such a combination usually signals fresh leverage entering the market, not traders closing positions. 

The price reacted constructively to the same, pushing higher instead of stalling. Importantly, leverage growth remained controlled, reducing liquidation risks. 

Therefore, speculative interest appeared to rebuild gradually rather than aggressively. Such an environment ordinarily favors continuation attempts. 

When Open Interest rises alongside the price and volume, markets often transition from compression to expansion. 

Hayes’s PENDLE entry seemed to align with this shift, reinforcing the idea of early positioning rather than late momentum chasing.

LDO traders lean long, but stay measured
LDO positioning data lent more confirmation. Binance long accounts climbed towards 60%, pushing the long-short ratio close to 1.5. 

Bulls now hold a clear edge. And yet, shorts remain active too. Overcrowded longs often precede reversals, but LDO has not reached that stage yet. 

The price has also continued to grind higher, rather than spike vertically. Such behavior often reflects controlled optimism. 

However, broader market caution still lingers. Therefore, LDO’s long bias could be a sign of early confidence, not exhaustion. When rising long exposure aligns with large spot accumulation, probability favors continuation rather than renewed downside.

PENDLE structure confirms early reversal attempt
On the price charts, PENDLE broke above its descending channel after defending the $1.67 demand zone – A level that halted downside pressure multiple times. 

At press time, it was trading near $1.88, reclaiming the channel midpoint and shifting short-term structure bullish. 

This move did not occur in isolation though. Open Interest rose by 5% to $43.09M, while derivatives volume surged by 29% to $78.9M – Confirming active participation during the breakout. 

Momentum also seemed to support continuation. The MACD histogram flipped positive, with Signal Lines turning north and indicating a hike in upside momentum. 

Holding above $1.95 will keep the reversal intact, while rejection risks a pullback towards $1.67 – A level that now acts as key invalidation.

Source: TradingView

LDO wedge break signals stabilization
On the other hand, LDO has pushed out of a prolonged descending wedge after repeatedly holding the $0.55–$0.56 support band – A zone that absorbed selling pressure throughout December. 

The altcoin was valued at $0.57 at press time, stabilizing above the wedge breakout level. Momentum conditions have improved meaningfully too. In fact, the MACD histogram turned positive, while the Signal lines converged and hinted at a bullish crossover. 

Positioning data seemed to support this shift too, with long accounts rising towards 59–60%, yet without excessive crowding. 

Structurally, the next resistance lies at $0.67, where the prior breakdown occurred, followed by a higher target near $0.88. 

A breakout above $0.67 would confirm trend continuation, while a loss of $0.56 would invalidate the breakout and reopen downside risk.

Source: TradingView

Are LDO and PENDLE being positioned for a DeFi rally?
Hayes’s clustered accumulation, rising Open Interest in PENDLE, strengthening long bias in LDO, and confirmed technical breakouts all align clearly. The positioning remains early, not crowded. Therefore, risk might be skewed towards continuation rather than rejection. 

If PENDLE holds above $1.95 and LDO reclaims $0.67, both assets could head towards higher resistance zones. 

This could be indicative of strategic preparation for a DeFi-led move, one driven by structure and participation rather than speculation alone.

Final Thoughts

LDO and PENDLE exhibited aligned structural strength backed by positioning and participation.
Hayes’s accumulation might be anticipatory, favoring continuation rather than reactive buying. 

TLDR: 

Institutions deploy fresh capital each January while traditional assets trade at highs and crypto remains below peaks.
Tax-loss harvesting creates December selling that reverses in January as investors re-enter identical positions.
Bitcoin’s 50-week EMA sits near $98,200, with historical patterns suggesting potential rally to $100,000-$102,000 range.
A 20% Bitcoin move historically produces 35-40% gains in large-cap altcoins and 60-80% moves in smaller tokens.

Q1 2026 may bring positive momentum for Bitcoin and altcoins based on historical patterns and market dynamics. 

Crypto analyst Crypto Rover outlined three factors that could drive prices higher in early 2026. These factors include fresh capital deployment, year-end tax strategies, and Bitcoin’s cyclical patterns. 

The analysis comes as traditional assets trade near all-time highs while many digital assets remain below their peaks. Institutions may view this gap as an opportunity for capital allocation.

Institutional Capital Flow and Market Positioning
Crypto Rover noted on X that hedge funds and asset managers typically deploy fresh capital at the start of each year. 

This pattern occurs consistently across the financial sector. January traditionally sees new money entering markets as institutions execute their annual strategies. Currently, gold trades near record levels while silver and major stock indices also sit at elevated prices.

🚨 Q1 2026 COULD BE BULLISH FOR BTC AND ALTS.

Here's why:

1) Fresh capital gets deployed at the start of the year

Every January, hedge funds, asset managers, and institutions put new money to work.

That happens every single year.

Right now, most traditional assets already… pic.twitter.com/j9VfVcxG8c

— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) December 27, 2025

Bitcoin and numerous altcoins remain below their all-time highs despite recent market activity. This price differential matters to institutional investors seeking value. 

When liquidity expands in financial markets, capital flows toward assets that appear less overvalued. Crypto markets remain relatively small compared to traditional finance. Therefore, even modest reallocation from large funds can create substantial price movements in digital assets.

The analyst emphasized that crypto fits the profile institutions seek during capital deployment cycles. 

Traditional assets already appear crowded at current valuations. Meanwhile, digital assets offer exposure to growth potential without chasing extended rallies. This dynamic has previously led to strong first-quarter performance in cryptocurrency markets.

Tax Harvesting Effects and Cyclical Technical Patterns
December selling pressure often stems from tax-loss harvesting rather than bearish sentiment. Investors sell losing positions before year-end to realize tax benefits. 

Many participants then re-enter identical positions in January. This creates a predictable shift in market dynamics. Selling pressure evaporates while buying demand returns simultaneously. The transition has historically fueled positive price action in early quarters.

Bitcoin follows a four-year market cycle that has shown consistent patterns. The previous cycle saw Bitcoin decline from $69,000 to $32,000 before rallying. 

The recovery brought prices to approximately $48,000 as Bitcoin reclaimed its 50-week exponential moving average. 

Today, that same technical level sits near $98,200. A repeat of this pattern in Q1 2026 could push Bitcoin toward $100,000 to $102,000, representing an 18% gain from current levels.

Altcoins typically amplify Bitcoin’s movements during bullish phases. Historical data shows that a 20% Bitcoin rally often produces 35-40% gains in Ethereum and large-cap altcoins. 

Smaller altcoins can experience 60-80% increases before momentum fades. However, Crypto Rover cautioned that such moves may represent relief rallies rather than sustained bull markets. 

The pattern could create temporary optimism before markets potentially resume downward trends.