Key Takeaways

• On 25 December 2025, this press review highlights the crypto market’s year-end slowdown as Bitcoin retreats from recent highs, with liquidity thinning across major exchanges.
• Notizia principale: Bitcoin pulls back from its peak as liquidity drops during the final days of the year.
• Sei has announced a partnership with Xiaomi to pre-install a DeFi wallet on millions of devices.
• The crypto market remains range-bound, reflecting mixed economic signals and prevailing investor caution.
• Ethereum continues to show relative strength, outperforming Bitcoin on specific trading pairs.
• Activity in stablecoins remains subdued as traders await clearer macroeconomic trends.

Introduction

On 25 December 2025, Bitcoin retreated from its recent highs as year-end liquidity thinned across major exchanges, reflecting cautious sentiment as the crypto market enters the holiday period. At the same time, Sei’s partnership with Xiaomi to pre-install a DeFi wallet on millions of devices highlights ongoing innovation, even as trading remains range-bound and trends diverge across the crypto market press review.

Top Story

Bitcoin pulled back to $75,300 overnight, posting a nearly 4% decline from its recent high as thin holiday trading conditions amplified price movements. This drop occurred during the Christmas holiday period, when trading desks at major institutions operate with minimal staffing and market liquidity is reduced across crypto exchanges.

Market analysts attribute the increase in volatility to typical year-end institutional risk reduction. Sarah Chen, chief analyst at CryptoMetrics Research, stated that lower trading volumes and reduced liquidity can exaggerate price swings, especially during holiday periods.

The connection between thin liquidity and price volatility becomes particularly notable at this time of year, as order books thin out and smaller trades can trigger disproportionate price movements. For traders, this environment presents both challenges and risks, as even modest orders can impact pricing significantly.

With institutional participation set to remain limited through the New Year, analysts anticipate continued choppy trading. Market depth metrics show a 35% decrease in available liquidity compared to average December levels.

Also Today

PayPal Expands Crypto Services to 10 New Markets

PayPal announced it will expand its cryptocurrency services to ten new international markets beginning 15 January 2026. The company will extend its buy, sell, and hold functionalities for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and select altcoins to users in Brazil, Australia, and eight European countries.

This marks PayPal’s largest rollout of crypto services since their United States launch in 2020. Jennifer Martinez, VP of Blockchain Solutions at PayPal, said the expansion reflects both encouraging adoption and a strategic growth focus for digital assets.

Data from existing markets indicate that nearly 18% of PayPal’s active users have used the platform’s digital asset features at least once. Educational resources will be added for users in the new markets at launch.

Singapore Airlines Implements Blockchain for Loyalty Program

Singapore Airlines has completed the migration of its KrisFlyer frequent flyer program to a blockchain-based system, allowing miles to be tokenized and transferred between members. The airline confirmed that all 4.5 million active members can now access these functions through the updated mobile app.

The blockchain implementation allows for instant, fee-free transfers of miles between family and friends, a feature not previously available. Members are now able to redeem miles for select partner services in real time via smart contract technology.

This represents one of the travel industry’s largest enterprise blockchain deployments to date. According to Singapore Airlines’ Chief Digital Officer, transaction settlement times under the new system have been cut from days to seconds.

Market Trends

NFT Trading Volume Surges as Collections Implement Staking

NFT trading volume has risen by 47% week over week since several leading collections implemented staking mechanisms. This marks the highest weekly increase in NFT trading since March 2026.

Prominent projects including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Azuki, and DeGods have introduced token-based rewards for holders who stake their NFTs. This development has revitalized collections that previously saw declining activity.

DappRadar reported a 32% increase in unique active wallets participating in NFT marketplaces over the past week. The data suggests a potential shift in how collectors approach NFTs, increasingly viewing them as yield-generating assets rather than solely as speculative holdings.

Institutions Increase Bitcoin Allocation Despite Market Pullback

Institutional investors have continued to increase their Bitcoin allocations despite recent price fluctuations, according to CoinShares’ latest Digital Asset Fund Flows report. Investment products focused on digital assets saw inflows of $187 million in the most recent week, marking nine consecutive weeks of positive flows.

Bitcoin-centric products accounted for $142 million of those inflows. James Butterfill, research director at CoinShares, noted that institutions appear to be capitalizing on price dips to build or expand their positions before 2026.

This ongoing accumulation contrasts with typical year-end patterns, when institutions generally limit risk exposure. Some analysts point to the upcoming Bitcoin halving in early 2026 as a key driver of current institutional activity, despite lower seasonal liquidity.

Market Wrap

Ethereum Outperforms During Holiday Trading

Ethereum demonstrated relative strength during the current trading session, falling by only 1.2% versus Bitcoin’s 4% decline. The ETH/BTC ratio improved by 2.8%, reaching its highest level since November 2025 as investors moved into Ethereum.

Despite this, the overall cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped by 2.7% to $2.84 trillion. Trading volumes on major exchanges decreased to $42 billion, a 40% reduction from typical December daily averages.

DeFi Tokens Outperform Broader Market

DeFi tokens emerged as the best-performing segment in today’s market, with the DeFi Index rising 3.8% despite overall declines. Standout performers included Aave (+7.2%), Compound (+5.6%), and Uniswap (+4.9%).

This strength has been attributed to an increase in total value locked (TVL) across DeFi protocols, up 12% month over month to $65.7 billion. The trend points to stronger interest in decentralized finance as traders seek alternatives to traditional systems, spurred by improved yields following recent protocol updates. For an in-depth explanation of DeFi mechanisms and how they differ from traditional finance, see DeFi explained.

What to Watch

• 1 January 2026: Bitcoin’s first mining difficulty adjustment of the new year. An increase of 2–3% is expected, reflecting current hash rate trends.
• First week of January 2026: Release of the December Federal Reserve meeting minutes, which may offer insights into monetary policy direction and its potential impact on cryptocurrency markets.

Conclusion

Bitcoin’s latest retreat underscores the impact of thin year-end liquidity, shaping a crypto market press review that includes new institutional strategies, renewed NFT activity, and major technology partnerships. Ethereum and DeFi sectors continued to signal resilience and evolving investment approaches, even as market conditions remained constrained. What to watch: January’s mining difficulty adjustment and the release of Federal Reserve meeting minutes may set the tone for crypto markets as 2026 begins. If you want to explore foundational concepts and strategies for navigating these trends, visit our guides on trading strategies, technical analysis, and trading psychology.