Crypto Year-End Momentum: Bitcoin Surges, Ethereum Lags, Stablecoins Soar, and Privacy Coins Outperform

In the past 48 hours, the crypto market shows cautious year-end momentum amid stalled rallies and mixed signals. Bitcoin hit $90,000 but faced violent rejection, retracing below that key level with a brutal sell-off triggering $4.93 million in liquidations, mostly shorts at a 3,436 percent imbalance.[1] It now consolidates around $86,000 to $90,000, up 6.2 percent for 2025 overall, contrasting Ethereum's bearish path with 5.1 percent yearly losses and $533 million ETF outflows.[1][2][6]

Shiba Inu flashed bullish signs as 459 billion tokens left exchanges over the past week, hinting at reduced selling pressure despite a 50 percent downtrend.[1] XRP remains neutral, targeting $2 in 2026 predictions, outperforming Bitcoin in ETF flows by 600 percent and showing quantum resistance edges.[1] Stablecoins surged, with Ripple's executive forecasting $28 to 30 trillion in 2025 volume, up 50 to 60 percent year-over-year, now at 30 percent of on-chain activity with 10 million daily addresses.[3]

Whale activity diverges: Bitcoin holders with 1,000 to 10,000 BTC accumulated aggressively near $80,000, backed by MicroStrategy's 1,229 BTC buy, while Ethereum whales offloaded $14.5 million.[2] Retail stays optimistic on ETH despite risks. Privacy coins like Zcash outperformed in Q4 2025 as shielded balances rose.[4]

Leaders respond optimistically: Galaxy's Mike Novogratz predicts a great 2026 if Bitcoin reclaims $100,000, calling current stalls technical hurdles.[1] Robinhood's CEO teased Bitcoin upside, and Ripple eyes mainstream use amid regulatory clarity.[1][3]

Compared to early December's volatility, demand softened with less memecoin speculation, shifting to institutional caution and privacy focus, rewarding Bitcoin holders over altcoins down 15 to 18 percent yearly.[4][6] Perpetual futures hit $1.2 trillion monthly, outpacing spot markets.[15] Overall, 2025 rewarded patience, setting up potential 2026 breakouts if US demand rebounds.[1][2] (298 words)

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