What Is Driving Today’s Increase in Cryptocurrency Values? – December 26, 2025

The cryptocurrency market is experiencing an upward trend today, marking a second consecutive day of gains. The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies has risen by approximately 1%, now estimated at around $3.07 trillion, while the trading volume over the last 24 hours is reported to be $91.4 billion, based on market data.

Most significant assets are trading positively, indicating a consistent risk appetite despite relatively low trading volumes.

TLDR:

• The cryptocurrency market has continued its upward trajectory for a second day, with total market capitalization increasing by about 1%;
• Approximately 9 out of the top 10 coins have recorded gains;
• Experts caution that Bitcoin is still facing challenges below $90,000, with holiday trading volumes contributing to a volatile, high-resistance market;
• 10x Research indicates that reduced volatility and options positioning suggest a potential multi-week uptrend if the breakout is sustained;
• Key BTC levels: potential upside above $89k–$90.5k, downside risk below $86k, with stronger support near $82k;
• ETH requires a solid break above $2,980–$3,000 to unlock potential gains toward $3,150–$3,300;
• Market sentiment remains cautious, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index at 27 (fear);
• No ETF data for December 25 due to the Christmas market closure;
• Additionally, Russia’s Sberbank is investigating crypto-backed lending.

Crypto Winners & Losers

As of this writing, 9 of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization have shown gains over the last 24 hours.

Bitcoin (BTC) has increased by 1.4%, trading at $88,681, as it maintains its position above the $88,000 mark following recent consolidation.

Ethereum (ETH) has risen 1.3% to $2,964, continuing its modest gains while remaining just below the $3,000 psychological threshold.

BNB (BNB) is slightly up, gaining 0.1% to reach $840, while XRP (XRP) has also increased by 0.1%, trading at $1.87. Solana (SOL) has risen 0.7% to $122.80, recovering some ground despite being lower on the weekly chart.

Among the top 10, Dogecoin (DOGE) was the weakest performer, declining 1.2% on the day and trading at $0.1257, continuing its short-term pullback.

Looking beyond the large-cap cryptocurrencies, several smaller tokens have experienced significant gains. Islamic Coin (ISLM) led the market with an 86.5% increase, followed by WOLF, which surged 65.6%. zkPass also distinguished itself, climbing 46.3% and ranking among both the top gainers and trending assets.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Selby, head of research at CF Benchmarks, noted that Bitcoin remains constrained below a crucial level as markets enter the seasonal lull.

Bitcoin hovered near $87k in thin holiday trade as Asian stocks edged higher, with analysts stating that low liquidity kept prices pinned despite a steady risk mood.#AsiaMarketOpen #BitcoinPrice https://t.co/Burg9tFUDM

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 26, 2025

“Bitcoin has faced difficulties breaking above the $90k level amid a busy schedule of macroeconomic data releases, and price action appears to be forming a bearish wedge with downside risk,” he stated.

“As we approach the holiday season, trading volumes are following their typical seasonal decline, which generally reinforces the choppy, high-resistance environment currently observed.”

Bitcoin Near Inflection Point as Options and Volatility Signals Align — 10x Research

Bitcoin has been moving sideways for weeks, concealing deeper shifts in market positioning that could lead to a significant move. According to 10x Research, a rare alignment of options positioning, compressed volatility, and technical exhaustion is emerging, a combination that has historically preceded sustained trends rather than temporary price spikes.

Bitcoin triggers a bullish breakout – if maintained, then a multi-week uptrend is likely.
Bitcoin has spent weeks drifting sideways, testing the patience of both bulls and bears, while the forces shaping its next move quietly evolve beneath the surface.
A rare convergence… pic.twitter.com/8t7az7HytJ

— 10x Research (@10x_Research) December 26, 2025

The firm observes that capital has largely remained on the sidelines following the October 10 crash, with ETF outflows accelerating after the hawkish October 29 FOMC meeting. While the technical sell-off appeared mostly complete by late November, Bitcoin struggled to rebound as investors shifted into year-end outperformers, leaving BTC without significant inflows.

As year-end positioning resets and new risk budgets come into effect, 10x Research suggests that several overlooked indicators are beginning to align. If the current breakout is sustained, the setup indicates a potential multi-week uptrend, making the next signals on key charts crucial for confirming whether a broader trend is developing.

Levels & Events to Watch Next

As of this writing, Bitcoin is trading around $88,681, reflecting an increase of approximately 1.7% over the past 24 hours. Price action has improved compared to recent sessions, with BTC moving higher after defending the mid-$86,000 range earlier this week.

From a broader perspective, Bitcoin remains significantly below its October peak near $125,000, following a sharp correction in November and a consolidation phase throughout December. Over the past week, BTC has traded within a relatively narrow range, with short-term support forming around $86,000–$87,000.

A sustained move above $89,000 would likely pave the way for a test of $90,500, followed by resistance near $92,000–$93,000. Conversely, a drop below $86,000 could expose BTC to further declines toward $84,000, with deeper support closer to $82,000.

Ethereum is currently trading at approximately $2,967, achieving a stronger daily gain of about 2.2%. ETH’s rebound has been more decisive than Bitcoin’s in the latest session, with the price recovering ground after several unsuccessful attempts earlier in December.

Despite the rebound, Ethereum remains constrained below the significant $3,000 psychological level. Over the past week, ETH has traded unevenly, reflecting low conviction as volume remains moderate.

A solid break and hold above $2,980–$3,000 would likely shift near-term momentum in favor of bulls, with upside targets around $3,150 and potentially $3,300 if follow-through buying occurs. If sellers regain control, ETH could revisit support near $2,850, with a deeper pullback exposing the $2,700–$2,750 range.

Meanwhile, market sentiment in the cryptocurrency sector remains firmly in the fear zone, according to the latest CoinMarketCap data. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is at 27, showing little change from the previous day, indicating ongoing caution among investors.

While sentiment has slightly improved from last month’s extreme fear reading of 15, it remains well below neutral levels.

Since US stock markets were closed for Christmas, there were no ETF flow updates for December 25.

For December 24, US spot Bitcoin ETFs continued their losing streak, recording $175.29 million in net outflows. The selling pressure was widespread, led by BlackRock’s IBIT, which saw $91.37 million exit.

Grayscale’s GBTC followed with $24.62 million in outflows, while Fidelity’s FBTC lost $17.17 million. Bitwise (BITB) and ARK 21Shares (ARKB) also experienced smaller redemptions.

US spot Ether ETFs also turned negative, posting $52.7 million in net outflows, ending a brief inflow streak. Grayscale’s ETHE led the declines with $33.78 million in outflows, followed by BlackRock’s ETHA at $22.25 million. Grayscale’s ETH trust (ETH) was the only product to see inflows, adding $3.33 million on the day.

Total trading volume across US ETH ETFs reached $689.44 million, while net assets stood at $17.86 billion, representing roughly 5% of Ethereum’s total market capitalization.

Meanwhile, Sberbank is investigating crypto-secured lending as Russia’s financial sector accelerates its push into digital assets ahead of the country’s mid-2026 regulatory deadline.

Russian President Putin stated that the US is interested in crypto mining at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.#ZaporizhzhiaNuclearPowerPlant #CryptoMining #Ukrainehttps://t.co/jbG9w0pouG

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 26, 2025

Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov informed TASS that the bank is prepared to work with regulators on developing infrastructure for such services, potentially broadening Russia’s crypto ecosystem beyond trading into collateralized finance.

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