Market Signal Briefing

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 24, 2025) - Metal Source Mining Inc. (CSE: MSM) (OTCQB: SFRIF) (FSE: E9Z) (the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement financing of 3,400,000 units in the capital of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.30 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,020,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit purchased will include one common share and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant.

Solana

SUI

XRP

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Crypto Journalist

Anas Hassan

Crypto Journalist

Anas Hassan

Part of the Team Since

Jun 2025

About Author

Anas is a crypto native journalist and SEO writer with over five years of writing experience covering blockchain, crypto, DeFi, and emerging tech.

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Last updated: 

December 24, 2025

Anthropic’s Claude AI, widely regarded for its conservative and transparent analytical style, has released forward-looking price projections for Solana (SOL), Ripple’s XRP, and Sui (SUI) as 2025 draws to a close.

According to the model, all three assets are entering a period of heightened volatility, with the potential for sharp price movements beginning around Christmas and extending into early 2026, a window historically marked by thin liquidity and exaggerated market reactions.

Claude AI Projects SOL $275–$400 Bull Case vs $110–$150 Bear RangeClaude AI’s bullish outlook for Solana aligns closely with projections from Bitwise and other institutional analysts who expect SOL to set new all-time highs by 2026, with upside targets ranging between $275 and $400.

This thesis is anchored on three core drivers: accelerating ETF adoption, improving technical infrastructure, and growing real-world asset tokenization.

Source: Claude AIBy mid-2025, Solana-linked ETFs had already attracted more than $2 billion in inflows, with JPMorgan estimating that figure could reach $6 billion by mid-2026.

Source: TradingViewOn-chain fundamentals further reinforce this optimism, as Solana’s total value locked surged to $4.6 billion, while the network processes tens of millions of daily transactions across DeFi, gaming, and NFT ecosystems.

However, Claude’s bearish scenario highlights technical fragility and macro risks. Key support at $116–120 remains critical, with a breakdown potentially opening a move toward $110–150.

Claude AI Says XRP Targets $5–$8 Upside With $1.40–$2.15 Downside RiskClaude AI identifies regulatory clarity and ETF-driven institutional demand as the backbone of XRP’s bullish case.

Following Ripple’s settlement with the SEC, XRP ETFs reportedly attracted over $1 billion within weeks, with projections of $4–8 billion in inflows by late 2026.

This surge has removed roughly 15% of the circulating supply from exchanges, introducing structural scarcity.

Source: Claude AIThe launch of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin adds another layer, as increased stablecoin activity could drive XRP liquidity demand.

Tokenized real-world assets on the XRP Ledger reached $394.6 million, while Ripple has stated ambitions to capture 14% of SWIFT’s $20+ trillion payment volume over the next five years.

Under supportive macro conditions and continued regulatory clarity, Claude projects XRP could reach $5–8 by the end of 2026.

Source: TradingViewThe bearish outlook, however, centers on declining on-chain usage. Monthly transaction volumes have trended downward for two years, raising doubts about XRP’s role as a bridge currency.

Competition from stablecoins like USDC and high-performance chains such as Solana and Cardano further pressures adoption.

XRP remains 48% below its July 2025 high of $3.66, and failure to break resistance near $2.35 could see it consolidate between $1.40 and $2.15 through 2026.

Anthropic’s Claude AI Says SUI Targets $4–$7 Growth Despite $1.10–$1.70 Consolidation RiskClaude AI assigns SUI a bullish target range of $4–7, driven by explosive DeFi growth and rising institutional interest.

Sui’s TVL has surged from $25 million at launch to over $2.6 billion, making it the fastest-growing non-EVM Layer-1.

Source: Claude AIDaily DEX volumes reached $367.9 million, while stablecoin market capitalization surpassed $415 million following native USDC integration.

Institutional momentum is building, with Grayscale launching SUI Trust products and 21Shares filing for a spot ETF.

Source: TradingViewStill, SUI trades 67% below its $4.33 all-time high and below its 200-day moving average, signaling technical damage.

Despite strong ecosystem metrics, price weakness reflects investor caution. Claude’s bearish scenario places SUI in a $1.10–1.70 consolidation range if macro conditions deteriorate post-2025.

Maxi Doge (MAXI) Presale Draws $4.4M in Early CapitalWhile Claude’s analysis focuses on large-cap assets, early-stage presales can offer asymmetric upside.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has raised nearly $4.4 million and positions itself as a next-generation Dogecoin alternative on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network.

The presale offers staking rewards of up to 71% APY, with the token currently priced at $0.0002745 ahead of scheduled stage increases.

To get into the presale, visit the official presale website and stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram channels.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

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TL;DR

Ethereum hit 1,913,481 L1 transactions in one day with $0.16 average fees, showing demand can clear without pricing out users.
Fusaka increased block size 33% and added PeerDAS so nodes verify blobs by sampling, while blobs are sidecars that do not compete with standard transactions.
Pectra doubled blob sidecars from 3 to 6 to ease L2 settlement, but fragmentation and state growth still keep scalability and node economics in focus.

Ethereum’s base layer just posted its busiest day of 2025, pairing record throughput with fees that would have been unthinkable in prior congestion cycles. In a social post, Etherscan said Ethereum processed 1,913,481 Layer 1 transactions in a single day and the average transaction fee was $0.16. That combination implies the network can absorb heavy demand without pricing out everyday users, a practical signal that 2025’s scaling work is materially reshaping mainnet economics. For wallets and applications, cheaper execution means routine transfers, contract calls, and settlement flows can run with less friction and fewer retries.

📊 Ethereum L1 recorded its highest daily transaction count in 2025

Yesterday, Ethereum processed 1,913,481 transactions with an average transaction fee of $0.16

Ethereum is scaling ⧫ pic.twitter.com/AL9T5b8RHj

— etherscan.eth (@etherscan) December 24, 2025

What’s driving the surge and what still breaks
The most immediate driver was Fusaka, activated earlier this month, which directly expanded Ethereum’s Layer 1 capacity. The upgrade increased block size by roughly 33%, allowing significantly more transactions to fit into every block. It was the catalyst for the spike. It also introduced PeerDAS, enabling nodes to verify data “blobs” by sampling tiny portions instead of downloading everything, easing a long-running throughput bottleneck. Blobs, introduced in Dencun and expanded in Fusaka, function like sidecars attached to main blocks, carrying data cheaply without competing with standard transactions. Fusaka turned capacity gains into real user-facing throughput.

Pectra, rolled out in May, prepared the network for higher utilization by optimizing how Layer 2 systems interact with Ethereum’s main chain. The upgrade doubled the number of blob sidecars per block from 3 to 6, increasing the supply of space for L2 data submission. With more room available, the cost for networks such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base to settle on Ethereum fell, helping keep the base layer uncongested even as activity climbed. That coordination between L2s and L1 is now showing up in metrics. Pectra effectively lowered settlement friction by expanding blob bandwidth.

Even with these gains, Ethereum’s scaling roadmap remains unfinished. The ecosystem is still fragmented, and users can struggle to move funds across L2 environments without relying on complicated bridges. Another pressure point is state growth: the database of accounts, balances, and smart contracts keeps expanding and could reach terabytes or even petabytes, a size that would make it difficult for normal users to run a node with consumer hardware. Throughput can rise, but decentralization must stay practical. That trade-off will shape priorities. Fragmentation and state bloat are the constraints that still define Ethereum’s next phase.

Bitcoin has largely ignored what should have been supportive macro signals. US CPI cooled to 2.7% in December, strengthening rate-cut expectations, yet Bitcoin failed to respond. Instead of attracting fresh capital, the price stalled while money rotated elsewhere.

That disconnect is why the Bitcoin bear market discussion is resurfacing.

Fidelity’s Director of Global Macro, Jurrien Timmer, recently warned that Bitcoin may have already ended its latest four-year cycle in October, both in price and time. The on-chain and market data since then increasingly support that view.

Data Signals Suggest Bitcoin May Already Be in a Bear MarketMultiple independent indicators now point to the same conclusion: capital is retreating, conviction holders are selling, and Bitcoin is absorbing risk without real demand.

Stablecoin Inflows Have Collapsed Since the Cycle PeakStablecoin inflows often act as dry powder for crypto rallies. That fuel has vanished.

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Total exchange inflows for ERC-20 stablecoins peaked at around 10.2 billion on August 14. By December 24, inflows had fallen to roughly 1.06 billion, a drop of nearly 90%.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

Stablecoin Flows: CryptoQuantThat August inflow peak closely preceded Bitcoin’s October high above $125,000, the same period Timmer identified as the likely cycle top.

While I remain a secular bull on Bitcoin, my concern is that Bitcoin may well have ended another 4-year cycle halving phase, both in price and time. If we visually line up all the bull markets (green) we can see that the October high of $125k after 145 months of rallying fits… pic.twitter.com/Uxg9DTccnt

— Jurrien Timmer (@TimmerFidelity) December 18, 2025
Since then, fresh capital has failed to return, reinforcing the idea that distribution replaced accumulation after the peak.

Long-Term Holders Have Turned Aggressive SellersConviction holders are behaving differently after October.

Bitcoin long-term holder net position change flipped negative shortly after the cycle high. Selling accelerated from roughly 16,500 BTC per day in late October to around 279,000 BTC recently. That is an increase of more than 1,500% in daily distribution pressure.

Long-Term BTC Holders Dumping: GlassnodeThis aligns directly with Timmer’s thesis that the four-year halving cycle phase likely ended in October. Long-term holders appear to agree, reducing exposure rather than defending price.

Bitcoin Dominance Is Rising, But Not for Bullish ReasonsBitcoin dominance has climbed back toward 57–59%, but this is not a risk-on signal.

BTC Dominance: CoinGeckoAfter the softer CPI print, capital did not rotate into Bitcoin. Instead, it flowed into traditional hedges. Over the past year, silver has rallied by over 120%, while gold is up roughly 65%. At the same time, broader crypto markets have lagged badly.

If you invested $10,000 in each asset at the start of 2025, you’d have:

Silver → $23,000

Gold → $16,500

Copper → $13,500

Nvidia → $13,450

Nasdaq → $12,000

S&P 500 → $11,600

BTC → $9,400

ETH → $8,800

Altcoins → $5,800

— Dirk 💎 (@DirksDegen) December 24, 2025
This shift reinforces the idea that Bitcoin’s rising dominance is not being driven by fresh risk appetite, but by capital retreating into relative safety within crypto.

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That view is echoed by an exclusive market comment shared with BeInCrypto by Ray Youssef, founder and CEO of NoOnes, who highlighted why gold has led the 2025 debasement trade while Bitcoin remains range-bound.

“While gold may clearly be winning the 2025 debasement trade on price performance, the comparison masks a more nuanced market reality. Gold’s recent run to new all-time highs and 67% YTD gains reflect classical defensive investor positioning as capital seeks certainty in a market environment defined by fiscal excess, geopolitical strain, and macro policy uncertainty. Increased central bank accumulation, a softer dollar, and persistent inflation risks have reinforced gold’s role as the market’s preferred defensive asset,” he said.

Youssef added that Bitcoin’s behavior this year has diverged sharply from the digital-gold narrative.

“Bitcoin, by contrast, has recently failed to deliver on the hedge narrative. The asset has not traded like digital gold in 2025, owing to its heightened sensitivity to macroeconomic factors. BTC’s upside is now tied to liquidity expansion, sovereign policy clarity, and risk sentiment, rather than to monetary debasement alone,” he highlighted.

Mega-Whale Addresses Are Quietly DecliningLarge holders are also stepping back.

The number of Bitcoin addresses holding more than 10,000 BTC has fallen from 92 in early December to 88. That decline came alongside falling prices, not accumulation.

Mega BTC Whales Distributing: GlassnodeThese addresses often represent institutional-scale players. Their reduction adds another layer of confirmation that smart money is not positioning aggressively for upside here.

Bitcoin Remains Below a Critical Long-Term Moving AverageBitcoin is still trading below its 365-day moving average near $102,000, a level last decisively lost at the start of the 2022 bear market.

This moving average acts as both technical and psychological support. Failure to reclaim it suggests the market has shifted from trend continuation to regime risk. If price remains below this level, historical precedent points toward deeper downside zones near the traders’ realized price band around $72,000.

Bitcoin is below its 365-day moving average ($102K), a key technical and psychological support level last broken at the start of the 2022 bear market.

If price fails to reclaim it, data suggest the next support lies near $72K, the Traders’ minimum realized price band. pic.twitter.com/VySVce5NY9

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) November 5, 2025
Taken together, these signals support Timmer’s warning that Bitcoin may already be in a bear-market phase or closing in on that, even if the price has not fully reflected it yet. Capital has dried up, conviction holders are selling, dominance is rising defensively, and macro relief is being ignored.

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That said, not all long-term cycle supports have broken yet. Those counter-signals, and the exact levels that decide whether this becomes a full bear market or a prolonged transition, come next.

Why the Bitcoin Bear Market Case Is Not Fully Settled YetDespite the growing evidence pointing toward a Bitcoin bear market, two long-term cycle indicators still argue against a confirmed structural breakdown.

Also, one reason the Bitcoin bear market case remains unresolved is how markets are interpreting the CPI slowdown. While cooling inflation typically benefits risk assets, the current response suggests investors are prioritizing safety and liquidity over growth.

That does not mean the CPI signal is wrong. It may simply be early, with Bitcoin historically reacting later than traditional hedges once liquidity expectations fully translate into capital flows.

These and the indicators we would discuss next do not negate the bearish signals discussed above. But they explain why this phase may still resolve as a prolonged transition rather than a full bear cycle.

Pi Cycle Top Has Not TriggeredOne of Bitcoin’s most reliable cycle indicators, the Pi Cycle Top, has not flashed a peak signal. The indicator compares the 111-day moving average with the 350-day moving average multiplied by two.

Historically, when these two lines cross, Bitcoin has been near or at major cycle tops.

As of now, the two lines remain widely separated. That suggests Bitcoin is not in an overheated or euphoric phase, even after the October high.

PI Cycle Top: CoinglassThis contradicts the idea raised by Fidelity’s Director of Global Macro, Jurrien Timmer, who noted that the October peak near $125,000 fit prior cycle timing.

In past cycles, true bear markets began after clear Pi Cycle confirmations. That signal is still absent.

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The 2-Year SMA Remains the Line That Matters MostThe second and more immediate counter-argument is structural. Bitcoin is still trading near its 2-year simple moving average, which sits around $82,800.

This level has repeatedly acted as Bitcoin’s long-term trend divider. Monthly closes above the 2-year SMA have historically marked cycle survival.

Sustained closes below it have marked deep bear phases.

So far, Bitcoin has not confirmed a monthly close beneath this line.

That makes December’s monthly close critical. If Bitcoin holds above $82,800 into year-end, the market likely remains in a late-cycle transition rather than a confirmed Bitcoin bear market.

🚨 Bitcoin in a critical zone on the 2Y SMA Multiplier

The 2Y SMA Multiplier is one of Bitcoin’s most respected cycle charts — and the current moment demands attention.

📍 Today, BTC is trading very close to the 2Y SMA, currently at $82,800.

📉 History matters:
Whenever… pic.twitter.com/jmIW9RSSGg

— Alphractal (@Alphractal) December 16, 2025
That outcome keeps open the possibility that 2026 reflects delayed upside rather than prolonged downside.

However, if December closes decisively below the 2-year SMA, downside projections toward the $65,000–$75,000 range, referenced by Timmer, gain structural backing.

TL;DR —Key Bitcoin Price Levels To Watch NowThe bearish framework also has clear invalidation levels. A reclaim of the 365-day moving average near $102,000 would materially weaken the bear market thesis. That would align with Tom Lee’s year-end Bitcoin price prediction.

That level marked the start of the 2022 bear market when it broke, and would signal renewed trend strength if recovered.

In simple terms:

Above $82,800 into December close: transition phase remains intact
Below $82,800 on a monthly basis: bear market risk escalates
Back above $102,000: bullish structure begins rebuilding
For now, Bitcoin sits between conviction selling and long-term cycle support. The market is not confirming strength, but it is not fully breaking either.

The December close will decide which narrative carries into 2026.

PEPE is drawing renewed attention as Onchain Lens reports James Wynn opening a 10x leveraged long, signaling rising speculative interest despite a still-fragile market structure. 

This move places PEPE back on traders’ radar, especially as leverage increases without a clear directional trend. 

However, broader positioning does not reflect aggressive conviction. Instead, traders appear to be probing for a breakout while managing downside risk. Leverage flows cautiously rather than explosively. 

Consequently, sentiment leans curious, not confident. This behavior often emerges near compression phases, where traders position early ahead of expansion.

Meanwhile, the absence of extreme positioning limits immediate follow-through.

Descending wedge tightens price near demand
Pepe [PEPE] continues to compress inside a clear descending wedge, with price holding just above the $0.0000039–$0.0000037 demand zone highlighted on the chart. 

Sellers keep printing lower highs beneath the wedge resistance, currently aligned near $0.0000050, which caps upside attempts. 

However, buyers repeatedly defend the same base, preventing follow-through below demand. This interaction confirms absorption rather than capitulation. 

A clean break below $0.0000037 would expose the next downside level near $0.0000030, where historical liquidity sits. 

Conversely, a breakout above wedge resistance opens the path toward $0.0000063, then $0.0000079, where prior reactions occurred. Therefore, PEPE price trades at a level where structure, liquidity, and risk converge tightly.

Source: TradingView

PEPE spot buyers quietly absorb sell pressure
Spot taker CVD remains positive, confirming that buyers continue to absorb market sell orders despite muted price action. 

Each dip attracts aggressive taker buying, limiting downside follow-through. However, overhead supply still caps rallies, delaying upside expansion. 

This divergence reflects accumulation rather than distribution. Sellers fail to force continuation lower, while buyers step in consistently. 

Consequently, price grinds sideways instead of trending down. This steady absorption builds a base beneath price. 

Therefore, spot demand acts as a stabilizing force as leverage builds, increasing the odds that any structural break triggers expansion rather than continuation of compression.

Open Interest climbs as leverage builds
Open Interest rises by roughly 7.6% to about $222 million, confirming fresh leverage entering the market. 

Traders open new positions instead of unwinding risk. However, price remains compressed, which increases liquidation sensitivity. 

Rising Open Interest without trend expansion often precedes forced moves. Leverage stacks on both sides as price approaches key structural levels. 

Consequently, even modest volatility can unwind crowded exposure quickly. This setup increases reaction speed once direction emerges. 

Therefore, Open Interest growth amplifies the importance of current price levels and raises the stakes around any breakout or breakdown.

Are PEPE longs really in control here?
Long/short positioning stays narrowly tilted, with longs near 52% and shorts around 48%, producing only a mild bullish bias. Traders lean long, yet conviction remains fragile. 

No side dominates leverage convincingly. As a result, positioning lacks the fuel for sustained continuation. 

However, this balance increases instability. A small move can flip sentiment rapidly. Longs risk forced exits below demand, while shorts face pressure if resistance breaks. 

Consequently, volatility risk rises despite calm price action. Therefore, leverage acts as tinder, waiting for a directional spark rather than driving trend alone.

Conclusively, PEPE price trades at a critical inflection point where compression, steady spot absorption, and rising leverage intersect. Key levels now matter more than sentiment. 

A breakdown below $0.0000037 risks acceleration toward $0.0000030, while a breakout above $0.0000050 shifts focus to $0.0000063 and $0.0000079. 

With leverage elevated and positioning balanced, price likely resolves through expansion rather than drift. 

Direction depends on which side loses control first, making the next structural break decisive rather than gradual.

Final Thoughts

PEPE now sits at a make-or-break zone where price must resolve through expansion.
The next decisive move will favor speed and force rather than gradual continuation.

Bitcoin didn’t unwrap a breakout this Christmas Eve. Instead, the top cryptocurrency remains locked below the $90,000 resistance level, consolidating in the mid-range as volatility continues to compress.

Summary

Bitcoin fails to reclaim $90,000 resistance with multiple confluences.
Price trades mid-range between $97,500 and $80,500.
Loss of $85,500 increases downside risk toward $80,500.

Bitcoin (BTC) price continues to trade sideways, as with consolidation dominates price action near the $87,000 region. Despite multiple attempts to regain higher levels, the price has been unable to reclaim a critical resistance zone on a closing basis.

This ongoing rejection has reinforced a broader high-time-frame range, keeping Bitcoin locked in rotational behavior rather than directional movement.

Bitcoin price key technical points

Major resistance near $90,000 remains unbroken, reinforced by multiple technical confluences.
Bitcoin trades within a high-time-frame range between $97,500 and $80,500.
Loss of $85,500 support could open downside toward the $80,500 range low.

BTCUSDT (4H) Chart, Source: TradingView
Bitcoin’s current consolidation phase is primarily defined by a well-established resistance zone near the Point of Control (POC), which aligns closely with high-time-frame resistance around $90,000 and the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement from the recent corrective leg. This cluster of technical confluence has repeatedly rejected price, preventing any sustained upside continuation.

Each rejection from this region has resulted in price rotating lower, reinforcing the notion that sellers remain active and buyers lack the conviction needed to reclaim control. From a market auction perspective, repeated failures at resistance often lead to balance rather than trend, especially when the price cannot establish acceptance above the value.

Following the latest rejection, Bitcoin rotated back toward support near $85,500, a level that has acted as a short-term floor within the current structure. This rotation is characteristic of range-bound markets, where price oscillates between clearly defined support and resistance levels rather than trending in one direction.

From a broader structural standpoint, Bitcoin is clearly trading within a high-time-frame range bounded by $97,500 on the upside and $80,500 on the downside. Price is currently near the midpoint of this range, an area typically characterized by limited directional bias.

When markets trade near range equilibrium, volatility often compresses as both buyers and sellers wait for confirmation before committing capital.

This mid-range positioning explains the lack of follow-through in recent price moves. Upside attempts stall as price approaches resistance, while downside moves find support before developing into sustained sell-offs. Such conditions are typical during consolidation phases and often precede larger directional moves once balance breaks.

The $85,500 level now serves as a key inflection point. As long as this support holds, Bitcoin is likely to continue rotating within the broader range. However, a decisive loss of $85,500 on a closing basis would shift the short-term bias to the downside, opening the probability of a deeper corrective move toward the $80,500 range low.

From a technical perspective, confirmation remains critical. A bullish resolution would require Bitcoin to reclaim the $90,000 resistance zone, establish acceptance above the Point of Control, and hold that region on a closing basis. Without these signals, upside moves risk being rejected as part of ongoing consolidation, a scenario consistent with expectations that Bitcoin may trade sideways into 2026 as ETF inflows normalize.

Conversely, a bearish resolution would involve a clean break below $85,500, followed by acceptance at lower prices. Such a move would likely accelerate toward the lower boundary of the range as liquidity is taken out below interim supports.

Bitcoin price action: What to expect
Bitcoin is likely to remain range-bound between $97,500 and $80,500 as long as resistance near $90,000 caps price and $85,500 holds as support. A decisive break above or below this range will determine the next major directional move.

Altcoins

midnight

Price Prediction

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We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Author

Simon Chandler

Author

Simon Chandler

Part of the Team Since

Jan 2018

About Author

Simon Chandler is a Brighton-based writer and journalist with over ten years of experience writing about crypto, technology, politics and culture. He has written for Cryptonews.com since late 2017,...

Has Also Written

Ad Disclosure

Ad Disclosure

We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Last updated: 

December 24, 2025

The Midnight price prediction has taken a turn for the worse today, after the new privacy coin fell to $0.07326, a 3.5% drop in 24 hours.

Despite this fall, NIGHT remains up by 12% in a week and by 15.5% in the past fortnight, making it the highest-performing top-100 coin over this timeframe.

Even though the wider market has suffered as a result of negative sentiment and AI bubble-related fears, Midnight has been flying since launching on the Cardano network.

And while it has dipped in the past day or so, it still arguably remains in price discovery mode, and could rally strongly again in the final week of the year.

Midnight Price Prediction: As the NIGHT Price Continues to Slip, Is A Christmas Eve Miracle Possible?If we look at Midnight’s chart today, we see that it has lost momentum in recent days, which may be a concern to investors.

However, there’s a strong case that it is merely correcting a little over the shorter term, and that it will rebound back up in the very near future.

For instance, its relative strength index (yellow) is very close to touch 30 and even falling lower, at which point logic dictates that a rebound will come.

Source: TradingViewWe see something very similar with NIGHT’s MACD (orange, blue), which has turned negative today and could be very close to hitting bottom.

But perhaps most bullishly of all, its price has been trading within a pennant since launching earlier this month, and this pennant is about to converge.

As such, a big move could be just around the corner, and one catalyst for such a move could be more exchange listings.

Coinbase is yet to list NIGHT, as are numerous other major exchanges, such as Binance, Crypto.com and Bitstamp.

So if we do see new listings in the next few days, the Midnight price could rise much higher, resuming its bullishness of the past couple of weeks.

$NIGHT looks like its ready to pump!

Midnight feels like another small cap gem that could give great returns. I have a feeling that it will do what $JELLYJELLY did where we caught the bottom and pumped 3x.

I'm expecting the price to go to $0.065 zone and we see a bounce from… pic.twitter.com/HM7B87Ut0o

— D Future Money (@DFutureMoney) December 23, 2025
More fundamentally, Midnight looks to have a bright future ahead, seeing as how it’s one of the first platforms to allow for privacy-first programmable dapps and protocols.

So instead of simply being a privacy coin (such as Monero or Zcash), it will enable privacy smart contracts and applications.

This is why it has been doing so well since launching, and why the Midnight price prediction looks so good right now.

Once its current correction plays out, it could reach $0.10 by the end of the year, and then $0.20 by Q2 of 2026.

New Mining Token Raises ?? As It Prepares to Launch: Why PEPENODE Could Be a Big Winner in 2026While Midnight does look like one of the most exciting new coins in the market right now, there are other high-potential new entrants that traders might also want to consider.

One of these is PEPENDOE ($PEPENODE), an Ethereum-based token that is planning to make mining more accessible to the average investor.

It has been running its presale over the past couple of months, and has now raised in excess of $2.3 million, with the presale due to end in only 14 days.

This is a very encouraging figure for such a new token, and it suggests that PEPENODE has the potential to do very well when it lists in a couple of weeks.

What’s exciting about the token is that it’s planning to launch a mining platform that will enable investors to mine meme coins without having to buy and run expensive mining hardware.

Instead, users can build and operate their own virtual mining rigs, which they can grow by spending PEPENODE tokens on more virtual nodes.

More nodes result in greater rewards, while rewards can also be increased by upgrading nodes and combining them in novel ways.

This will incentivize the accumulation of PEPENODE tokens, which could result in the coin’s price rising steadily over time.

PEPENODE pays out mining rewards in the form of external tokens such as Fartcoin and Pepe, while holders can also stake the token for a passive income.

This potentially makes the new alt hugely profitable, with latecomers still able to join its sale by going to the official PEPENODE website.

The token is selling at its final presale price of $0.0012112, but it has every chance of rising much higher once it lists in the next two weeks.

Visit the Official Pepenode Website Here

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In brief
Pudgy Penguins characters are currently appearing on the outside of the Las Vegas Sphere.
The activation follows the Dogwifhat meme coin community failing to accomplish the same earlier this year.
The Pudgy Penguins campaign doesn't spotlight its crypto elements, which include NFTs and a meme coin.
Pudgy Penguins will wrap the Las Vegas Sphere for Christmas after debuting on the glowing venue on Tuesday.

The crypto-native brand's recent announcement sent some traders into a meltdown, as the community behind Solana meme coin Dogwifhat (WIF) failed to advertise on the venue earlier this year despite raising $700,000 in an attempt to do so—funds the team later refunded to contributors.

A Sphere spokesperson previously told Decrypt that it would only accept crypto advertising from exchanges or in relation to Bitcoin. Despite this, the Dogwifhat backers announced in January that they were set to appear at the Las Vegas venue.

For that reason, a Sphere representative told Decrypt that they were “distressed” that the Dogwifhat team was using their name for “fraudulent purposes.”

So, how can Pudgy Penguins—a brand that started as an NFT profile picture collection, has created a Solana meme coin called PENGU, helped launch an Ethereum layer-2 network, and more—advertise on the Sphere?

“This activation celebrates specifically our physical products, like toys, animations, and merch. It has nothing to do with the crypto side of our business,” Vedant Mangaldas, director of partnerships and business development at Pudgy Penguins, told Decrypt. “We fully realize Sphere’s guidelines on crypto-related things.”

Prior to Tuesday's rollout, a Sphere spokesperson confirmed to Decrypt that Pudgy Penguins would wrap the Sphere, and that its crypto policy has not changed, as this activation specifically relates to physical products.

This means that during the seven-day wrap, the Pudgy Penguins NFTs, the Pengu meme coin, or any other crypto-related ventures will not be mentioned on the Sphere. Instead, the exosphere animation focuses on the cartoon creatures that drive the brand, and briefly mentions the availability of merchandise.

Pudgy Penguins ventured into the world of physical products in 2023 and started being stocked in Walmart. As of February 2024, the Pudgy Toys line had racked up $10 million in sales, less than a year after the collection debuted. The brand has seen similar success with its social media content and library of GIFs, which have seen considerable reach without obvious crypto connections.

“We have 2 million followers on Instagram, and, you know, I would say 90% of them probably don't know that crypto exists. It celebrates that side of the spectrum,” Mangaldas explained. “When you get a billion views on GIFs, I would assume that a majority of them don't know that we're a crypto company. And I think that's the beauty of Pudgy Penguins.”

It was actually really easy, only took 3 minutes to set up.

— Pudgy Penguins (@pudgypenguins) December 13, 2025

Still, it wasn’t an easy path to wrapping the Sphere, despite a joking jab on social media at Dogwifhat Sphere organizer Ansem that it only took three minutes to set up.

Instead, a source familiar with the deal told Decrypt that conversations with the Sphere started in early 2024. Those discussions started to get serious this year as the Pudgy Penguins brand established itself more outside of crypto.

It then took months for animators to craft the content, which is now plastered on the exosphere of the towering venue and seen far and wide from around Las Vegas. A source familiar with the activation told Decrypt that Pudgy Penguins is hoping to produce a hugely viral moment from an animation that lasts just a minute.

Pudgy Penguins is expected to have paid up to $600,000 to wrap the Sphere for seven days, a source familiar with the matter told Decrypt. As cartoon penguins decorate the outside of the Sphere, the inside of the venue is hosting screenings of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

// Price

Reading time: 2 min

Published: Dec 24, 2025 at 17:37

Solana's (SOL) price has fallen below the moving average lines, but the price range has remained steady above the $120 support and below the moving average lines.

Solana price long-term prediction: ranging

Buyers were unable to sustain bullish momentum above the $148 high and the 50-day SMA barrier. Today, the cryptocurrency has dropped to a low of $123.

Since November 21, the bears have not broken through the $120 support. If the current support holds, the altcoin will return to its trading range. If the support level is breached, selling pressure will resume and Solana will fall to the previous low of $103. Solana is currently trading at $123.59.

Technical indicators

Key supply zones: $220, $240, $260

Key demand zones: $140, $120, $100

SOL price indicator analysis

The moving average lines have been moving horizontally above the price bars since November 21. The 21-day SMA acts as the resistance line for the price bars. On the 4-hour chart, the price bars are below the downward-sloping moving averages. The moving average lines have slowed the price movement.

What is the next move for SOL?

Solana price is falling below the moving average lines. Solana reached a low of $117, but bulls bought the dips. Buyers have pushed the altcoin back above the $120 support. Bulls and bears are struggling to keep the price above the $120 support level. If buyers prevail, the cryptocurrency will return to its previous range.

Disclaimer. This analysis and forecast are the personal opinions of the author. The data provided is collected by the author and is not sponsored by any company or token developer. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell cryptocurrency and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Coinidol.com. Readers should do their research before investing in funds.

Circle expands its USDC platform to include tokenized precious metals amid surging gold and silver demand.

Key Takeaways

Circle introduces GLDC and SILC, allowing users to swap USDC for tokenized gold and silver 24/7 with deep COMEX-based liquidity.
Gold and silver have both hit record highs in December, gaining over 70% and 140% year to date, respectively.

Circle announced today that it has entered the tokenized commodities market with the launch of GLDC and SILC, two new digital assets representing tokenized exposure to gold and silver.

The offering, available through CircleMetals.com, allows users to instantly swap USDC for tokenized gold or silver at real-time prices, backed by liquidity modeled on COMEX reference markets.

Tokens are issued and settled on-chain, with integration into wallets, DeFi apps, and institutional trading platforms.

“USDC was built to be trusted, transparent digital cash for the internet economy,” said Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire. “With GLDC and SILC, we’re extending that trust to gold and silver while preserving the speed, accessibility, and composability developers and institutions expect from USDC.”

Circle’s expansion comes amid surging interest in precious metals. Gold reached a record high above $4,500 yesterday, now up more than 70% year to date, while silver jumped above $72 this week, capping a 140% rally in 2025.

Analysts attribute the momentum to expectations of looser monetary policy in 2026, with markets currently pricing in at least two rate cuts next year.

Circle said tokenized commodities are a natural evolution of capital markets and that bringing gold and silver into the same real-time, programmable environment as USDC unlocks new use cases in treasury, settlement, and risk diversification.

Disclaimer

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Charles Hoskinson has explained what the Midnight Network’s launch will mean for the Cardano network. This comes as the Cardano network doubles its efforts to improve DeFi on the network and, in the process, boost ADA’s utility. 

Hoskinson Explains Midnight Will Boost Cardano’s DeFi
During a livestream, the Hoskinson rebutted speculation that Midnight would kill the Cardano ecosystem, stating that it would instead 10x DeFi on the network. He also mentioned that the Midnight network provides an incentive for users to leave other networks, such as Ethereum and Solana, and migrate to Cardano. 

The founder noted that these users can go through the Midnight network to Cardano in order to get privacy. The hype around the Midnight launch already looks to be boosting the network’s ecosystem, as DEX aggregator DEX Hunter pointed out that the DeFi volume has been exploding since the launch of the NIGHT token.

Meanwhile, Hoskinson also mentioned why investors should not sell their ADA for NIGHT tokens, describing both tokens as complementary. He further remarked that Midnight is the ‘ChatGPT of privacy’ and that it adds privacy to Cardano decentralized applications (dApps). 

The founder also asserted that these dApps will be the first to adopt privacy, enabling them to leapfrog competitors on other networks, such as Ethereum’s Uniswap. Hoskinson also does not believe Midnight will steal ADA’s TVL, as he sees the latter as one meant to provide on-chain/off-chain infrastructure for networks like Cardano. 

Hoskinson also expects Bitcoin DeFi to grow on Cardano, since they share the same UTXO system. This move could further boost ADA’s utility and lead to significant growth in the ecosystem. However, for now, the blockchain remains well behind, as DeFiLlama data show it ranks 31st in DeFi TVL. 

Big Things In Store For The Blockchain?
Cardano’s core ecosystem organizations proposed an infrastructure budget last month to advance stablecoins, custody, analytics, bridges, and pricing oracles on the network. The ecosystem already appears to be making progress, as the Midnight Foundation President, Fahmi Syed, recently revealed that a legal contract has been received for a stablecoin partner. 

This has led to speculation that it could be USDT or USDC, with these stablecoins likely to provide a significant boost to network activity. Commenting on the network’s future, stakeholder Rami recently expressed optimism, stating that the network is getting a tier-1 stablecoin in months while the DEX trading volume is “exploding.” 

He believes that trading volume will continue to grow as additional NIGHT liquidity enters the market and more trading pairs are established. Rami added that DEXs are faster than ever and that new oracle systems are coming online.

At the time of writing, the ADA price is trading at around $0.35, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

ADA trading at $0.35 on the 1D chart | Source: ADAUSDT on Tradingview.com
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Ethereum price slipped for the second consecutive day as sentiment in the crypto market waned and as Arthur Hayes continued his selling spree. 

Summary

Ethereum price has crashed into a bear market in the past few months.
Arthur Hayes continued his selling spree today.
Separately, a major whale has bought tokens worth $1.67 billion recently.

Ethereum (ETH) token declined to a low of $2,900, much lower than the year-to-date high of $4,960. This drop has coincided with the broader industry’s performance. 

ETH token retreated as Arthur Hayes, the founder of BitMex, continued his selling spree. He moved 682 tokens valued at nearly $2 million today. 

Arkham data shows that he has sold ETH tokens worth over $5 million this month. He has then boosted his stake in Pendle, Ethena, and Ether Fi. Most importantly, he still holds Ethereum tokens worth over $22 million. 

Still, some investors are accumulating the coin, hoping that it will rebound soon. One whale bought tokens worth $136.49 million today, bringing his total purchases since Nov. 4 to $1.67 billion. 

Tom Lee’s BitMine has also continued its buying spree in the past few months. The company has purchased 436,361 tokens over the past 30 days, representing 3.6% of the market capitalization. He hopes to own 5% of Ethereum and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in staking earnings annually. 

In his statements, Lee has highlighted Ethereum’s role in the crypto industry, where it has become the largest chain. It has gained a commanding market share in industries like decentralized finance, real-world asset tokenization, and stablecoins.

Ethereum price technical analysis 
ETH price chart | Source: crypto.news
The daily chart indicates that the Ethereum price has declined over the past few months. It has moved from the year-to-date high of $4,960 to the current $2,915. 

The coin’s sell-off is being supported by the 50-day and 200 moving averages, which formed a bearish crossover in November. It has also formed a bearish flag pattern.

Therefore, the most likely Ethereum price prediction is bearish, with the first target being at $2,622. A drop below that level will indicate further downside, potentially to the psychological level at $2,000.

Data from Etherscan shows the Ethereum network processed its highest daily number of transactions this year yesterday, December 22. 

The network processed about 1,913,481 transactions on its Layer 1 in a single day, and the average fee to resolve each was around $0.16 per transaction.

What is the highest number of transactions on Ethereum?
Ethereum stakeholders believe the 2025 transaction count record can be linked to a combination of high throughput and low costs, which were directly linked to the two major network upgrades that occurred during the year: the Pectra and Fusaka upgrades.

The Fusaka upgrade went live earlier this month and has been singled out as the most probable and immediate cause for the achievement of the new record. The upgrade directly expanded the capacity of the Ethereum L1 blockchain, increasing the size of each block by roughly 33%.

That increase may seem minute, but it has allowed the L1 network to fit significantly more transactions into every block. In the past, all nodes were tasked with downloading all data, which resulted in a bottleneck.

The Fusaka upgrade introduced PeerDAS, a new feature that has made it possible for nodes to verify data “blobs”, large chunks of transaction data, by sampling just tiny parts of them. Blobs are like sidecars attached to the main block and carry data cheaply without competing with standard transactions.

The Fusaka upgrade follows the Pectra upgrade, which was implemented in May, laying the groundwork for scaling by optimizing how Layer 2 networks, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, interact with the main chain.

Pectra doubled the number of the aforementioned “sidecars” from 3 to 6 per block. And because there was suddenly double the supply of space for Layer 2 data, the cost for L2s to “settle” on Ethereum dropped.

Ethereum still faces some critical issues
The Pectra and Fusaka upgrades have kept the overall network uncongested and resulted in lower average gas fees. However, scaling challenges still exist within the ecosystem.

There is also the fact that the Ethereum ecosystem as a whole is fractured, and users still find it challenging to use L2 funds, as that involves navigating complicated bridges and routes.

The fragmentation issue remains a big one, but every now and then, a new L2 pops up, and the database of all accounts, balances, and smart contracts (the “State”) keeps growing larger and larger.

If this keeps up, the State becomes terabytes or petabytes in size. And if it gets too big, it becomes impossible for a normal person to buy a hard drive big enough to run a node.

Despite the critical issues fragmentation poses, Ethereum continues to attract institutional players.

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Encourages Klarna Group plc (KLAR) Shareholders To Inquire About Securities Fraud Class Action.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP reminds investors of the upcoming February 2, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Bitdeer Technologies Group (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BTDR) securities between June 6, 2024 and November 10, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”).

IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR BITDEER INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.

What Happened?
On November 10, 2025, Bitdeer announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2025, revealing a per-share loss of $1.28, well below the consensus expectation of a loss of $0.22. The Company also disclosed that development of its next-generation Seal 04 ASIC chip had been substantially delayed, contradicting positive statements Bitdeer had previously made about the chip’s development.

On this news, Bitdeer’s stock price fell $2.63, or 14.9%, to close at $15.02 per share on November 11, 2025, thereby injuring investors.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the SEAL04 chip projected to have a chip-level energy efficiency of 5 J/TH would be ready for use in the A4 rigs with an expected mass production to begin in the second quarter 2025; and (2) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Bitdeer securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than February 2, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.

Key Takeaways Americold joins OTR to deliver storage and distribution supporting OTR's supply chain in Adelaide.Americold's expertise in fast-turning, high-service inventory underpins its success in the QSR sector.Through the OTR partnership, COLD expands into convenience retail sector.
Americold Realty Trust (COLD - Free Report) recently joined forces with On the Run (OTR), one of Australia’s most recognized P&C brands, to deliver storage and distribution solutions supporting OTR’s supply chain in Adelaide and its growing national footprint.

Americold’s proven expertise in managing high-service inventory has been key to its success in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sector. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, the company supports supply chains for more than 1,500 QSR locations across five major brands. Leveraging this strong foundation, Americold is now expanding into the convenience retail sector through its partnership with OTR.

Australia and New Zealand offer major opportunities for cold chain innovation, and Americold’s investments and operational capabilities position the company to satisfy the growing consumer expectations for freshness and convenience. This partnership marks a key milestone in Americold’s expansion into related sectors and highlights its dedication to building lasting partnerships that deliver long-term value.

Per Richard Winnall, president of International, Americold, “This partnership reflects Americold’s ability to handle fast-turning, high-touch, high-service business models for multi-unit operators. Our Adelaide operations are designed for speed, accuracy, and flexibility, which are critical for P&C retail. We look forward to growing our relationship with OTR and continuing to invest in Australia and New Zealand, markets with significant potential for cold chain innovation.”

Wrapping-UpThe partnership with OTR positions Americold to broaden its service portfolio and enter the fast-growing convenience retail sector, strengthening its market presence. By expanding, Americold can diversify its customer base and secure new, recurring revenue streams for sustained growth.

In the past month, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 0.3% against the industry's fall of 0.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Crown Castle (CCI - Free Report) and Lamar Advertising (LAMR - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCI’s 2025 FFO per share has been moved two cents northward over the past two months to $4.30.

The consensus estimate for LAMR’s 2025 FFO per share has been revised a cent upward to $8.19 over the past week.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

Simeon Siegel, Guggenhiem Securities, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the retail winners this holiday season, the morning's Nike news and much more.

Most sources define mid-cap stocks, often referred to as the market’s sweet spot, as a stock with a market capitalization of $2 billion to $10 billion. However, given the ascent of multiple companies into $1 trillion territory, perhaps we should consider some flexibility. That can be found with the Invesco NASDAQ Next Gen 100 ETF (QQQJ) – an ETF that’s home to 111 stocks with an average market capitalization of $27.12 billion.

As noted above, that exceeds the standard mid-cap definition. However, also note  that Morningstar classifies the Invesco ETF as a mid-cap growth fund.

Let’s roll with the Morningstar classification. The fact of the matter of is many of QQQJ’s are legitimately mid-cap names. Those that aren’t are basically small large-caps. Slicing and dicing aside, QQQJ is ideal for advisors and investors to access the mid-cap growth space. That’s fortunate — this space has performed admirably this year and could do more of the same in 2026

QQQJ Worth a Query
QQQJ turned five years old in October. It follows the NASDAQ Next Generation 100 Index, which is comprised of the NASDAQ-listed companies ranking 101st to 200th by market value. That positions the ETF to deliver on the advantages offered by mid-cap equities.

“On the upside, whether mid-cap stocks are the sole investments being targeted for a portfolio or they’re part of a more diverse selection, a good argument for them is that they are often for companies that are trying to expand,” noted SoFi. “These are established companies in industries that are experiencing rapid growth, or are expected to. And thanks to that growth, the average mid-cap company’s earnings often grow at a steady clip.”

As is the case with large-caps, how mid-caps evolve and ascend to that status is worth pondering because it articulates the growth stories that make this asset class and ETFs like QQQJ desirable.

“Most mid-cap companies are small-caps that have burgeoned, and some are on their way to becoming large-cap businesses. Growth eases the ability to access financing to fuel expansion, so mid-caps typically have an easier time obtaining financing than small caps do,” added SoFi.

Specific to QQQJ, mid-cap ETFs can be advantageous for investors looking to diversify mega-cap-heavy portfolio. Because these aren’t larger stocks, Wall Street under-follows many mid-caps, meaning stock-picking in this realm can be tricky. The broad swatch of active managers that have difficulty beating mid-cap growth benchmarks reinforces this, but QQQJ eases those issues.

For more news, information, and strategy, visit the ETF Education Content Hub.

Earn free CE credits and discover new strategies

Vancouver, British Columbia – TheNewswire - December 24, 2025 – Lexston Mining Corporation (“Lexston” or “the Company”) (CSE: LEXT) (OTCQB: LEXTF) (Deutsche Börse Frankfurt: L75) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to $500,000 through the issuance of up to 6 ,250,000 units at a price of $0.08 per unit (the “Private Placement” ).  Each unit will consist of one common share and one common share purchase warrant.  Each common share purchase warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.10 for five years from the date of issuance.   The Company plans to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for general working capital purposes and exploration expenditures.  Certain directors and officers of the Company may participate in the Private Placement.

By

Aaron Rennie

A former Senior Publishing Editor on the Dow Jones Newswires team at The Wall Street Journal, Aaron earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Journalism from Columbia University.

Published December 24, 2025

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, is also a member of Nike's board.
Unique Nicole / WireImage

Key Takeaways
Shares of Nike rose Wednesday, helped by news of a buy from Apple CEO Tim Cook, a member of the company's board.Cook bought at average prices near $59, well below Wall Street analysts' consensus price target around $80.

A vote of confidence from the leader of one big brand is helping the shares of another today.

Shares of Nike (NKE) climbed on Wednesday's holiday-shortened trading session—the shares were recently up about 4.5%, leading all gainers on the S&P 500—following an expression of support from Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Why This Matters to Investors
As a general rule, investors sell shares when they think they have better uses for the money—and those reasons can be hard to divine. The other side of that coin is that investors only buy shares when they think they're poised to rise. That's why watching the trades of people associated with a particular company is part of many investors' strategies.

A regulatory filing revealed that Cook, a member of Nike's board for two decades, bought nearly $3 million worth of Nike stock on Monday, acquiring 50,000 shares—a rough doubling of his stake—at a weighted average price of $58.97, not far off Friday's close.

Even with today's surge, Nike shares have lost about 20% of their value this year. The company is about a year into a turnaround launched by CEO Elliot Hill, and while management believes it's made substantial progress investors are still wary.

Whatever investors may think of the shares, Wall Street analysts are generally positive. The mean price target as tracked by Visible Alpha is around $80, substantially above recent prices closer to $60.

"We think consensus estimates are bottoming and see several catalysts that could drive healthier growth," Bank of America analysts wrote recently. "We expect gradual progress on innovation will begin to offset the sell down of older styles."

Article Sources

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editorial policy.

SEC. "Form 4."

Nike. "Corporate Governance."

Bank of America. "North America is sprinting, but China stumbled."

Key Takeaways INTC posted Q3 2025 non-GAAP gross profit of $5.45B, with operating margin rising to 40% from 18%.Intel's Client Computing revenue rose to $8.53B as PC demand grew, aided by Windows 11 and AI PCs.INTC cut cost of sales to $8.43B from $11.28B, reflecting cost discipline and a streamlined portfolio.
Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) reported a non-GAAP gross profit of $5.45 billion during the third quarter of 2025, up from $2.39 billion a year ago. Non-GAAP operating margin improves to 40% from 18% a year ago. The figure exceeded management guidance by 4%. The uptick was driven by multiple factors such as higher revenues, a favorable product mix and lower inventory reserves.

It is witnessing solid traction in the Client Computing Group. In the third quarter, the company reported revenues of $8.53 billion from this segment, up from $8.16 billion in the year-ago quarter. A rebounding PC market backed by growing adoption of Windows 11 PCs is a major growth driver.

Moreover, it has also gained solid market traction in the growing AI PC market. Major PC manufacturers such as HP, Dell, ASUS, Acer and Samsung are collaborating with Intel to develop next-gen AI PCs. This is driving growth in the Client Computing Group and boosting gross margin.

Intel has made significant developments in its cost discipline initiatives and streamlined its portfolio to enhance efficiency across its operations. In the third quarter, the company’s cost of sales decreased to $8.43 billion, down from $11.28 billion in the year-ago quarter.

How Are Competitors Faring?Intel faces competition from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) in the semiconductor space. In the third quarter, AMD reported a non-GAAP gross profit of $4.99 billion, up from $3.65 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin was 54%, up 40 basis points year over year, while it improved from 43.3% reported in Q2. Revenue growth and a healthy product mix are propelling the gross margin.

NVIDIA reported a Non-GAAP gross profit of $41.9 billion, up from $26.3 billion a year ago, with respective margins of 73.6% and 75%. The ongoing transition from offering Hopper HGX systems to Blackwell full-scale data center solutions is affecting gross margin. Sequentially, NVIDIA’s non-GAAP gross margin improved 90 basis points as Blackwell ramped with an improved mix and cost structure.

INTC’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesIntel has rallied 78.2% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 28.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Going by the price/book ratio, the company's shares currently trade at 1.48 book value, lower than 32.65 of the industry average.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings estimates for 2025 have increased 13.33% to 34 cents, while those for 2026 have declined 9.38% to 58 cents over the past 58 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Intel stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Key Takeaways PFE expects revenue headwinds in 2026-2030 as major drugs like Eliquis and Ibrance lose patent protection.PFE's oncology pipeline has several late-stage candidates.PFE is expanding its obesity portfolio through the Metsera acquisition and a GLP-1 deal with YaoPharma.
Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) expects a significant negative impact on revenues from the loss of exclusivity (“LOE”) of several of its key products in the 2026-2030 period.  These include Eliquis, Vyndaqel, Ibrance, Xeljanz and Xtandi, all of which face patent expirations.

However, the company has strengthened its R&D pipeline through M&A deals, successful data readouts and pivotal program starts in 2025, which, it believes, will position it for sustainable growth in the post-LOE period.

PFE’s Strong Oncology PipelinePfizer has particularly advanced its oncology pipeline with several candidates entering late-stage development. Key oncology candidates in late-stage development include vepdegestrant (a small-molecule PROTAC for ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer), atirmociclib (a CDK4 inhibitor for 1st line HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer) and sigvotatug vedotin (an antibody-drug-conjugate or ADC for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer).

Sasanlimab for the treatment of BCG-naive high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is under review in the United States and the EU. This year, it in-licensed exclusive global ex-China rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize PF-08634404, a dual PD-1 and VEGF inhibitor, from China’s 3SBio. Dual PD-1/VEGF inhibitors have been designed to overcome the limitations of single-target cancer therapies like Merck’s (MRK - Free Report) blockbuster PD-L1 inhibitor, Keytruda and have the potential to become the new standard of care oncology treatments.

By 2030, Pfizer expects to have eight or more blockbuster oncology medicines in its portfolio.

In non-oncology areas, an mRNA flu/COVID combination vaccine and osivelotor for sickle cell disease are in late-stage development.

Pfizer is also working on expanding the labels of approved products like Padcev, Adcetris, Litfulo, Nurtec, Velsipity and Elrexfio, among others. Last month, Pfizer's key drug, Padcev, was approved by the FDA in combination with MRK’s Keytruda for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.

PFE Strengthens Obesity Pipeline in 2025Importantly, Pfizer is strengthening its presence in the obesity market, currently dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The $10 billion Metsera acquisition in November added four novel clinical-stage incretin and amylin programs for obesity, which are expected to generate billions of dollars in peak sales. Earlier this month, Pfizer in-licensed exclusive global rights to develop YP05002, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) for treating obesity from Chinese biotech YaoPharma. With the Metsera acquisition, the YaoPharma deal and other Pfizer programs that include a GIPR antagonist candidate, Pfizer believes it has a robust and diverse obesity portfolio.

Despite near-term revenue pressure from upcoming patent expirations, Pfizer’s expanding late-stage pipeline, led by oncology and supported by growing investments in obesity, vaccines, and rare diseases, positions it for sustainable long-term growth.

Competition in the Oncology SpacePfizer is one of the largest drugmakers of cancer medicines. Other large players in the oncology space are AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) , Merck, J&J (JNJ - Free Report) and Bristol-Myers.

For AstraZeneca, oncology sales now comprise around 43% of total revenues. Sales in its oncology segment rose 16% in the first nine months of 2025. AstraZeneca’s strong oncology performance was driven by medicines such as Tagrisso, Lynparza, Imfinzi, Calquence and Enhertu (in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo).

Merck’s key oncology medicines are PD-LI inhibitor, Keytruda and PARP inhibitor, Lynparza, which it markets in partnership with AstraZeneca. Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer, alone accounts for more than 50% of Merck’s pharmaceutical sales. Keytruda recorded sales of $23.3 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 8% year over year.

Bristol-Myers’ key cancer drug is PD-LI inhibitor, Opdivo, which accounts for around 20% of its total revenues. Opdivo’s sales rose 8% to $7.54 billion in the nine months of 2025.

J&J’s oncology sales now comprise around 27% of its total revenues. Its oncology sales rose 20.6% on an operational basis in the first nine months to $18.52 billion. While J&J’s older cancer drugs, multiple myeloma treatment Darzalex and prostate cancer drug, Erleada, are key contributors to its top-line growth, new drugs such as Carvykti, Tecvayli, Talvey and Rybrevant, plus Lazcluze, hold the key for long-term growth.

PFE’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesPfizer’s stock has declined 7% in the past year against an increase of 16.0% for the industry. 

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From a valuation standpoint, Pfizer appears attractive relative to the industry and is trading below its 5-year mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 8.18 forward earnings, lower than 17.40 for the industry and the stock’s 5-year mean of 10.39.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has risen from $3.07 per share to $3.10 per share, while that for 2026 has declined from $3.15 per share to $3.04 per share over the past 60 days.

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Pfizer has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Ares Management is exploring a buyout to expand its private equity arm and better compete with larger peers.ARES says it has capacity for organic growth & deals as US retirement plans expand access to private markets.Private equity is about $25B, just over 4% of Ares Management AUM, down from more than 13% in 2014.
Ares Management Corp. (ARES - Free Report) is exploring a potential acquisition to expand its private equity business and better compete with industry leaders such as Blackstone (BX - Free Report) , KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR - Free Report) and Apollo Global Management (APO - Free Report) . According to an article on Private Equity Wire, Michael Arougheti, CEO of Ares Management, said this in an interview with the Financial Times.

Rationale Behind Ares Management’s Potential MoveArougheti said that ARES has adequate financial capacity to pursue both organic growth and acquisitions, particularly as U.S. retirement plans begin expanding access to private markets. He noted that a broader and more diversified private equity franchise will become increasingly important as defined contribution plans open up to alternative investments.

Although Arougheti didn’t mention any specific targets, he said that even a private equity firm managing $100 billion or more would be financially feasible for Ares Management and would not be outsized relative to its market value. However, he stressed the importance of balance, noting that the company does not intend to swing from being underexposed to private equity to overly concentrated in the strategy.

He further indicated that ARES could scale its private equity business through greater size, geographic diversification or by adding sector-specific capabilities that complement its broader platform. While no transaction is imminent and there is no immediate strategic gap, he acknowledged that the company’s private equity arm remains relatively small compared to Blackstone, KKR and Apollo.

Private equity accounts for roughly $25 billion of ARES’ assets under management (AUM) as of Sept. 30, 2025, representing just more than 4% of total AUM, down from more than 13% at the time of the company’s public listing in 2014. This contrasts with its dominant private credit franchise, which has been the primary driver of growth and profitability.

Ares Management has been engaged in acquisitions to reshape its business. In March 2025, it purchased the international arm of GLP Capital Partners in a deal valued at up to $5.2 billion. This complemented the company’s real estate and digital infrastructure investment capabilities and expanded geographic presence.

How are ARES’ Peers Expanding?Similar to Ares Management, its peers are scaling their businesses through strategic collaborations or acquisitions. Earlier this month, Blackstone partnered with Phoenix Financial, with a tie-up across a range of credit strategies, including corporate, real estate and asset-based credit. Phoenix will invest up to $5 billion across these strategies.

Likewise, KKR expanded its partnership with Capital Group to offer new, integrated retirement and wealth solutions. The collaboration builds on their successful launch of public-private investment strategies in 2025. On the other hand, in September, Apollo Global acquired Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc. to strengthen its real estate investment platform and support long-term fee-based revenue growth.

Ares Management’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past three months, shares of Ares Management have gained 3.3% against the industry’s decline of 6.7%.

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Currently, ARES carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways FDA issued a CRL to Sanofi's NDA for tolebrutinib in non-relapsing secondary progressive MS.The FDA had already extended the review timeline twice, citing additional analyses as a major amendment.The European Commission approved SNY's Wayrilz for adult ITP patients refractory to other treatments.
Sanofi (SNY - Free Report) announced that the FDA has issued a complete response letter (CRL) to its new drug application (NDA), seeking approval for its investigational Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, tolebrutinib. The NDA sought approval for tolebrutinib to treat adult patients with non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (nrSPMS).

More on FDA’s CRL for Sanofi’s TolebrutinibThe FDA’s latest CRL for tolebrutinib does not come as a surprise, as earlier this month, the regulatory body extended the review timeline for tolebrutinib in nrSPMS for the second time this year.

Earlier this year, the FDA had extended the review period for Sanofi’s NDA for tolebrutinib in nrSPMS by three months. The FDA was initially expected to give its decision by Sept. 28, 2025. However, this date was extended by an additional three months to Dec. 28 after Sanofi’s submission of additional analyses during the review process, which the agency deemed a major amendment to the original filing.

The agency once again revised this date after the company submitted an expanded access protocol for the drug in nrSPMS at the FDA’s request. Further guidance from the FDA is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

In the past six months, shares of Sanofi have inched up 1.1% compared with the industry’s increase of 20.4%.

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In July 2025, tolebrutinib was provisionally approved in the United Arab Emirates for the treatment of nrSPMS and to slow disability accumulation independent of relapse activity in adults. A regulatory filing seeking approval for tolebrutinib for a similar indication is currently under review in the European Union.

SNY's Recent Hurdles With Tolebrutinib StudiesEarlier this month, Sanofi announced that the phase III PERCEUS study, which evaluated tolebrutinib in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), did not meet the primary endpoint, in delaying time to onset of six-month composite confirmed disability progression versus placebo.

However, the safety profile of tolebrutinib was similar to that seen with previously conducted studies on the candidate.

Following this, Sanofi decided not to pursue further development of tolebrutinib in PPMS — an area that represents 10% of the overall multiple sclerosis (MS) patient population.

In 2022, the FDA placed a partial clinical hold on Sanofi’s phase III studies on tolebrutinib in MS and myasthenia gravis (MG) indications after the regulatory agency identified cases of drug-induced liver injury in some study participants who were treated with the drug.

The MG studies on tolebrutinib were eventually discontinued in 2022 after careful evaluation of the emerging competitive treatment landscape.

Gets EU Nod for WayrilzIn a separate press release, Sanofi announced that the European Commission has approved Wayrilz (rilzabrutinib), a novel BTK inhibitor, as a new treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in adult patients who are refractory to other treatments.

The approval in the EU was expected, as in October, the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) rendered a positive opinion recommending the approval of Wayrilz for the given indication.

The approval in the EU was based on data from the pivotal phase III LUNA 3 study, which showed that treatment with Wayrilz led to a positive impact on sustained platelet counts and other ITP symptoms, thus meeting both the primary and secondary endpoints.

The FDA approved Wayrilz for the treatment of persistent or chronic ITP in adult patients who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment in August 2025.

SNY's Zacks & Stocks to ConsiderSanofi currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are CorMedix (CRMD - Free Report) and Castle Biosciences (CSTL - Free Report) , both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the past 60 days, estimates for CorMedix’s 2025 earnings per share (EPS) have increased from $1.85 to $2.87. EPS estimates for 2026 have moved up from $2.49 to $2.88 during the same period. CRMD stock has decreased 23.8% in the past six months.

CorMedix’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 27.04%.

In the past 60 days, estimates for Castle Biosciences’ loss per share have narrowed from 64 cents to 34 cents for 2025. During the same time, loss per share estimates for 2026 have narrowed from $1.82 to $1.06. In the past six months, shares of CSTL have rallied 109.9%.

Castle Biosciences’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 66.11%.