- Bitcoin steadies near $92K as ETF inflows recover, but market remains cautious ahead of FOMC and BOJ events.
- Altcoins soar with $FELIS up 3,552% and $MAGA +546%, highlighting strong daily volatility in crypto markets.
- DeFi TVL rises to $123.7B, BOB surges 11,091%, while NFTs see mixed performance with CryptoPunks up 8.1%.
Crypto markets are starting to calm down, but traders remain careful. Bitcoin (BTC) is holding around $92,000 as selling pressure eases. After over $1.1 billion left ETFs in November, a smaller $56.5 million has flowed back in.
According to QCP report, derivatives markets remain hesitant, which keeps crypto in a narrow trading range. Investors are now closely watching the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting (FOMC), while Japan’s Bank of Japan meeting on December 19 could also shake markets.
Overall, Bitcoin hasn’t made any big moves this year, staying mostly flat after hitting over $123,000 earlier in 2025. Corporate treasury buying is helping to keep prices supported.
Investors are keeping a close eye on Powell’s comments, as his tone could affect how willing traders are to take risks in the short term. QCP notes that with little new economic data, the market is staying cautious, even though many expect a looser monetary policy in 2026.
Meanwhile, Japanese government bond yields have hit levels not seen in decades, which has put focus on USD/JPY carry trades. This means any surprise decision from the Bank of Japan could create big swings in both crypto and traditional markets. As a result, traders are staying alert and prepared for volatility.
Altcoins and DeFi See Strong Gains
Altcoins experienced some extreme daily fluctuations. Felis ($FELIS) surged more than 3,500% to $0.0000009127. Cute Cat Candle ($CCC) increased 530% to $0.000000002545, while TRUMP MAGA ($MAGA) surged 546% to $0.00128.
The total value locked (TVL) in DeFi also grew by 2.57%, reaching $123.7 billion. Aave leads with $33.95 billion in TVL, and BOB had a staggering one-day gain of 11,091%. NFT activity was mixed: overall sales dropped 7.12% to $9.19 million, but CryptoPunks rose 8.11% to $614,277.
Institutional Moves and Regulatory Updates
Big institutional moves are also influencing the market. Strive revealed a $500 million stock offering to buy more Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Circle is developing a privacy-focused stablecoin called $USDCx to meet growing demand from institutional investors.
On the regulatory front, the U.K.’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has officially allowed national banks to trade crypto, marking an important step for mainstream adoption.
