Recently, XRP prices have been under continuous pressure, hovering around $1.86 at the end of December, with a monthly decline of 15%. In the short term, the weak price trend and unclear direction have caused many retail investors to lose patience with XRP. However, several analysts believe that behind the current sideways consolidation, a major volatility that could change the trend is brewing.
Analysis indicates that one of the potential triggers is the upcoming expiration of global options totaling up to $7.1 trillion, which is considered the largest options expiration in history and could have a profound impact on the entire cryptocurrency market, including XRP. Analyst Zach Rector believes that this event may force large institutions to close positions, thereby breaking the current downtrend. He emphasizes that XRP's weakness is not due to a lack of demand but has been suppressed for a long time by excessive leverage in the derivatives market.

Gate launched the annual report on December 19, which quickly attracted nearly 150,000 visits and over 100,000 shares, demonstrating high user recognition. The report not only reviews users' annual experiences but also lays the foundation for brand exposure and ecosystem development. To thank users, Gate will hold a lottery event from December 26, 2025, to January 2, 2026.

ChainCatcher Message: The Crypto Fear and Greed Index shows that market sentiment has been in extreme fear for 14 consecutive days. On December 26, the index dropped to 20, marking one of the longest fear periods since its launch in February 2018.
It is worth noting that despite Bitcoin's current trading price of approximately $88,650, which is five times higher than the $16,000 during the 2022 FTX collapse, market panic levels are even more severe. Bitcoin has fallen nearly 30% from its all-time high of $126,080 on October 6.
Alphractal data shows that cryptocurrency Google search volume, Wikipedia page views, and forum discussion volume have all decreased significantly, with social activity returning to bear market levels. However, traditional retail investors are still entering the market. The US Bitcoin ETF is expected in 2025.

In 2025, the overall value of Layer-1 (L1) public chain tokens experienced a significant downturn, with prices notably underperforming the market, sparking widespread discussions among investors about whether "L1 has already reached its end." However, from on-chain data and user behavior, this decline appears more like a valuation re-pricing rather than a fundamental collapse.
According to the analysis report released by Schizoxbt on December 25, most mainstream L1 tokens saw substantial retracements in 2025. Ethereum declined by 15.3% for the year, Solana dropped 35.9%, Avalanche and Sui both fell over 67%. TON performed the weakest, with a year-to-date decline of 73.8%. Among the mainstream L1s, only BNB and TRX managed to defy the trend, recording increases of 18.2% and 9.8%, respectively. This indicates that in a market environment dominated by risk aversion, market capitalization has become less effective in supporting token prices.

Recently, Conflux (CFX) experienced a significant rebound after partnering with AI gaming project PlaysOut, quickly boosting short-term market sentiment. Since hitting resistance at $0.146 a month ago, CFX has been trading within a downward channel and once dipped to a stage low of around $0.06. After weeks of stagnation, Conflux shows signs of a rebound, but the overall structure remains cautious.
As of press time, CFX is trading at approximately $0.072, with a nearly 9% intraday increase. Meanwhile, trading activity has significantly increased, with 24-hour trading volume surging over 350% to about $58 million, and market capitalization approaching $400 million. This change indicates a clear rise in short-term capital participation, but it does not mean the trend has completely reversed.

Gate News Bot Message, December 26th, according to CoinMarketCap data, as of press time, PLUME (Plume) is currently trading at $0.02, up 9.96% in the past 24 hours, with a high of $0.02 and a low of $0.02. The 24-hour trading volume reached $33.5 million. The current market capitalization is approximately $61.2 million, an increase of $5.55 million from yesterday.
Plume is an on-chain ecosystem platform focused on real-world assets (RWA), dedicated to transforming assets into globally accessible financial tools with native crypto utility. The platform has attracted over 200 ecosystem partners, with a pipeline of assets under construction valued at $5 billion, and a total locked value (TVL) of $303.1 million.
Plume offers including blockchain infrastructure, Plume Passport wallet,

Moody's Chief Economist Mark Zandi believes that the Federal Reserve may implement multiple cautious rate cuts by 2026, due to the economy being in a delicate balance rather than a boom, and inflation levels remaining above the target, complicating the decision to cut rates.

Gate News Bot Message, December 26th, according to CoinMarketCap data, YB (YieldBasis) is currently trading at $0.44, up 14.33% in the past 24 hours, with a high of $0.45 and a low of $0.37. The 24-hour trading volume reached $29.9 million. The current market capitalization is approximately $38.7 million, an increase of $4.85 million from yesterday.
Yield Basis is a platform that derives returns from market volatility. Users can earn YB tokens through trading profits or by staking liquidity. The platform now supports 3 markets, with a total locked value of $149 million, mainly supporting Bitcoin assets such as tBTC, cbBTC, and WBTC, with the WBTC market token APR reaching 38.53%. Users can choose to participate in Earn, Lock, Vote, Govern functions, and discuss on the community forum.

BlockBeats 消息，12 月 26 日，慢雾科技首席信息安全官 23pds 在社交媒体发文表示，「使用持续有用户被盗版本钱包的用户，务必要先断网，再导出助记词转移资产。否则在线打开钱包就可能会被盗。助记词已经备份的钱包务必先转移资产，再升级钱包。」

The Bank of Lithuania announced that all crypto service providers must apply for a license by December 31. Those without a license will face fines and criminal liability. Out of approximately 370 registered institutions, only about 30 have applied. Lithuania aims to become a "gateway" for MiCA.

Due to a 3% short-term increase in Bitcoin, the largest single liquidation on the entire network reached $14.14 million, involving a BTC long position opened with 40x leverage. This address was liquidated twice, and then opened a $7.1 million BTC short position with 40x leverage again.

Gate News Bot Message, December 26th, according to CoinMarketCap data, ALGO (Algorand) is currently trading at $0.12, up 4.21% in the past 24 hours, reaching a high of $0.12 and a low of $0.11. The current market capitalization is approximately $1.053 billion, an increase of $42.6 million compared to yesterday.
Algorand is a public blockchain platform that adopts a Pure Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, dedicated to providing efficient and secure blockchain solutions. The platform features a transaction throughput of 10,000 transactions per second, instant finality, zero network downtime, and supports development languages such as Python and TypeScript.
The Algorand ecosystem covers asset tokenization, DeFi, payments and stablecoins, humanitarian aid

Web3 ride-hailing app TADA plans to enter the New York market in June 2026, adopting a "zero commission" model, charging only a fixed software fee to drivers. TADA already holds an 11.1% market share in Singapore and is piloting in Denver, aiming to provide an alternative option for high-commission markets.

Gate News Bot message, December 26th, according to CoinMarketCap data, as of press time, NOM (Nomina) is currently trading at $0.0088, up 14.63% in the past 24 hours, with a high of $0.0089 and a low of $0.0068. The current market cap is approximately $25.6 million, an increase of $3.27 million from yesterday.
Nomina is the first unified perpetual futures DEX trading terminal, providing experienced DeFi users with an advanced strategy platform across perpetual futures DEXs. Users can synchronize opening and closing positions, execute strategies across exchanges, manage multiple exchange positions on one interface, and expand trading volume while reducing risk through automation tools. The platform aims to help users seize the opportunities arising from the rise of on-chain financial systems and has received support from well-known investment institutions such as Pantera, Jump Crypto, Two Sigma, and Spartan.

Gate News Bot Message, December 26th, according to CoinMarketCap data, WLFI (World Liberty Financial) is currently priced at $0.14, up 4.85% in the past 24 hours, reaching a high of $0.14 and a low of $0.13. The 24-hour trading volume is $95.4 million. The current market capitalization is approximately $3.785 billion, an increase of $175 million from yesterday.
World Liberty Financial is a platform connecting DeFi and traditional finance, featuring on-chain products driven by use cases, dedicated to bridging traditional financial systems with an open economy through innovative solutions. The WLFI token has successfully been opened for trading through community governance voting and is now listed on multiple major exchanges. The platform’s core product, USD1, is an upgraded version of the dollar stablecoin, designed to be stable, secure, and transparent. WLFI has also launched a cross-chain bridging tool supporting seamless transfers across multiple blockchain networks such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. WLFI token holders can propose, review, and vote on the platform’s future through community governance. Additionally, the platform plans to launch the WLFI application and lending features to provide users with a more comprehensive DeFi experience.