Why Is Crypto Up Today? – December 26, 2025

The crypto market is up today, extending gains for a second consecutive session. Total cryptocurrency market capitalization has increased by around 1%, now standing at approximately $3.07 trillion, while 24-hour trading volume sits at $91.4 billion, according to market data.

Most major assets are trading in positive territory, reflecting steady risk appetite despite relatively muted volumes.

TLDR:

• The crypto market extended gains for a second day, with total market capitalisation rising about 1%;
• Roughly 9 of the top 10 coins traded higher;
• Analysts warn Bitcoin is still struggling below $90,000, with holiday trading volumes reinforcing a choppy, high-resistance market;
• 10x Research says compressed volatility and options positioning point to a potential multi-week uptrend if the breakout holds;
• Key BTC levels: upside above $89k–$90.5k, downside risk below $86k, with deeper support near $82k;
• ETH needs a firm break above $2,980–$3,000 to unlock upside toward $3,150–$3,300;
• Market sentiment remains cautious, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index at 27 (fear);
• No ETF data for Dec. 25 due to Christmas market closure;
• Separately, Russia’s Sberbank is exploring crypto-backed lending.

Crypto Winners & Losers

At the time of writing, 9 of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization have posted gains over the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin (BTC) is up 1.4%, trading at $88,681, as it continues to hold above the $88,000 level after recent consolidation.

Ethereum (ETH) has climbed 1.3% to $2,964, extending modest gains as it remains just below the $3,000 psychological level.

BNB (BNB) is slightly higher, up 0.1% at $840, while XRP (XRP) has added 0.1%, trading at $1.87. Solana (SOL) rose 0.7% to $122.80, recovering some ground despite remaining lower on the weekly timeframe.

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

Looking beyond large caps, several smaller tokens posted sharp gains. Islamic Coin (ISLM) led the market with an 86.5% surge, followed by WOLF, which jumped 65.6%. zkPass also stood out, rising 46.3% and ranking among both the top gainers and trending assets.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Selby, head of research at CF Benchmarks, said Bitcoin remained pinned under a key level as markets drift into the seasonal lull.

“Bitcoin has struggled to break above the $90k level during a busy schedule of macroeconomic data releases, and price action appears to be forming a bearish wedge with downside risk,” he said.

“As we head into the holiday period, trading volumes are following their usual seasonal lull, which typically reinforces the choppy, high-resistance environment currently observed.”

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

Bitcoin has spent weeks moving sideways, masking deeper shifts in market positioning that could set up a decisive move. According to 10x Research, a rare alignment of options positioning, compressed volatility, and technical exhaustion is forming, a combination that has historically preceded sustained trends rather than short-lived price spikes.

The firm notes that capital largely stayed sidelined after the Oct. 10 crash, with ETF outflows accelerating following the hawkish Oct. 29 FOMC meeting. While the technical sell-off appeared mostly complete by late November, Bitcoin failed to rebound as investors rotated into year-end outperformers, leaving BTC without meaningful inflows.

As year-end positioning resets and fresh risk budgets come into play, 10x Research argues that several overlooked indicators are beginning to line up. If the current breakout holds, the setup points to a potential multi-week uptrend, making the next signals on key charts critical for confirming whether a broader trend is underway.

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $88,681, up roughly 1.7% over the past 24 hours. Price action has improved compared with recent sessions, with BTC pushing higher after defending the mid-$86,000 area earlier this week.

On a broader view, Bitcoin remains well below its October peak near $125,000, following a sharp November correction and a consolidation phase through December. Over the past week, BTC has traded within a relatively tight range, with short-term support forming around $86,000–$87,000.

A sustained move above $89,000 would likely open the door for a test of $90,500, followed by resistance near $92,000–$93,000. On the downside, a loss of $86,000 could expose BTC to further weakness toward $84,000, with deeper support closer to $82,000.

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

Despite the bounce, Ethereum remains capped below the key $3,000 psychological level. Over the past week, ETH has traded unevenly, reflecting low conviction as volume stays moderate.

A firm 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 emerges. If sellers regain control, ETH could revisit support near $2,850, with a deeper pullback exposing the $2,700–$2,750 range.

Meanwhile, crypto market sentiment remains firmly in the fear zone, according to the latest CoinMarketCap data. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index stands at 27, broadly unchanged from the previous day, signaling continued caution among investors.

While sentiment has improved slightly 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 Dec. 25.

For Dec. 24, US spot Bitcoin ETFs extended their losing streak, recording $175.29 million in net outflows. Selling pressure was broad-based, 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 posted smaller redemptions.

US spot Ether ETFs also turned negative, posting $52.7 million in net outflows and snapping a short 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 exploring crypto-secured lending as Russia’s financial sector accelerates its push into digital assets ahead of the country’s mid-2026 regulatory deadline.

Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov told TASS the bank stands ready to collaborate with regulators on developing infrastructure for such services, potentially expanding Russia’s crypto ecosystem beyond trading into collateralized finance.

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