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StealthEX Reveals All-Star Lineup for Holiday “Crypto Advent Calendar” Giveaway

Esra Zuhal
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StealthEX Reveals All-Star Lineup for Holiday “Crypto Advent Calendar” Giveaway

To celebrate the magic of the holiday season, StealthEX, a leading instant crypto exchange, has announced a massive 7-day giveaway event aimed at rewarding the Web3 community. Running from December 22 through December 28, the “7-Day Crypto Advent Calendar” will feature daily prize pools sponsored by some of the most dynamic projects in the industry.

This week-long celebration transforms the traditional advent calendar into a digital treasure hunt. Each day, StealthEX and a specific partner project will distribute $100 among the community, for a total of $700 over the course of the campaign.

The Official Holiday Lineup

StealthEX has partnered with seven diverse and powerful crypto communities to ensure every day of the event offers something unique—from top-tier meme utility ecosystems to cutting-edge AI and payment protocols.

The full schedule of reveals is as follows:

  • December 22: Vita Inu (VINU) – The world’s first fast and feeless dog-themed coin with high transaction speeds and smart contracts.
  • December 23: Bad Idea AI (BAD) – A decentralized experiment combining Blockchain, AI, and DAOs.
  • December 24: Electra Protocol (XEP) – A lightning-fast, secure, and eco-friendly blockchain designed for instant payments.
  • December 25 (Christmas Day): Shiba Inu (SHIB) – The world-renowned decentralized meme token that has evolved into a vibrant ecosystem.
  • December 26: Zypto (ZYPTO) – A project revolutionizing the payment space with seamless crypto-fiat solutions.
  • December 27: BabyDoge (BABYDOGE) – One of the most beloved community-driven meme coins with a focus on charity and deflationary tokenomics.
  • December 28: Dingocoin (DINGO) – A community-focused project combining meme culture with NFT utility.

Giveaway Mechanics: How to Win?

StealthEX has designed the event to restart every 24 hours, giving users a fresh chance to win daily. Two winners will be selected per day, with each receiving $50 worth of the day’s featured coin.

To enter, participants must visit the StealthEX X (Twitter) account and:

  1. Follow both @StealthEX_io and that day’s partner project.
  2. Like & Repost the specific giveaway announcement.
  3. Engage by answering the daily question or tagging a friend in the comments.

Winners are drawn randomly 24 hours after each post goes live and announced publicly. Prizes are distributed directly to user wallets within 72 hours of selection.

About StealthEX

StealthEX is an instant cryptocurrency exchange for limitless swaps. It is a non-custodial platform, meaning users do not need to register or pass KYC verification for standard transactions, ensuring privacy and ease of use. With a vast selection of over 2,000 crypto assets, StealthEX offers both floating and fixed exchange rates, creating a seamless bridge between different blockchains. The platform’s mission is to make cryptocurrency exchange accessible, boundless, and simple for everyone.

Disclaimer: This Press release article is provided by the Client. The Client is solely responsible for this page’s content, quality, accuracy, products, advertising, or other materials. Readers should conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the material available on this page. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for the accuracy of info and any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by the use of or reliance on any content, goods, or services mentioned in this press release article.

Please note that The Crypto Basic does not endorse or support any content or product on this page. We strongly advise readers to conduct their own research before acting on any information presented here and assume full responsibility for their decisions. This article should not be considered investment advice.

 

 

From Europe To The World: WhiteBIT Reinforces Its Position Among Leading Global Crypto Platforms

Esra Zuhal
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From Europe To The World: WhiteBIT Reinforces Its Position Among Leading Global Crypto Platforms

In 2025, WhiteBIT expanded its international presence, entered new markets, and developed its product and institutional offering. The year focused on geographic expansion, partnerships, and operational development across retail and institutional segments, alongside ongoing compliance and security efforts.

Building a Global Crypto Platform

In 2025, WhiteBIT announced the launch of W Group, a fintech global ecosystem combining multiple blockchain and digital finance products.The W Group ecosystem serves 35 million users worldwide. Within this structure, WhiteBIT serves more than 8 million users across 150+ countries and processes approximately $3 trillion in annual trading volume.

Expanding Presence Across Key Markets

During the year, WhiteBIT expanded operations in Australia, Argentina, and Brazil and others.

WhiteBIT also launched WhiteBIT US as a separate entity intended to operate locally in the United States. The platform introduced spot trading, instant exchange, and on/off-ramp services, with additional corporate and institutional services planned for subsequent phases.

In the Middle East, WhiteBIT entered into a cooperation agreement with Durrah AlFodah Holding in Saudi Arabia. The agreement outlines collaboration on blockchain infrastructure, CBDC research frameworks, tokenization initiatives, and data and mining infrastructure, in line with Vision 2030.

Partnerships Driving Global Reach

In 2025, WhiteBIT continued to develop partnerships across sports, payments, and trading infrastructure.

The company entered a global partnership with Juventus FC, with its logo featured on the first team’s kit sleeve. The collaboration included the launch of the Juventus Fan Zone and ticket and membership discounts for fans holding the WhiteBIT Nova Debit Card.

WhiteBIT also continued fan-focused initiatives with FC Barcelona, including joint activations around the club’s return to Spotify Camp Nou, engaging supporters both on-site and digitally.

Alongside sports partnerships, WhiteBIT worked with Visa, TradingView, Tether, and FACEIT, and organized the International Crypto Trading Cup (ICTC), the first ever live streamed trading competition.

WBT Reaches New Market Milestones

In 2025, WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) marked three years since its launch. During the year, WBT reached a new all-time high (ATH) of $64.11, representing a 1784.1% year-over-year increase. The coin was included in five S&P Cryptocurrency Indices, reflecting growing recognition at an institutional benchmarking level.

WhiteBIT and WBT also appeared in exchange and market rankings published by CoinDesk, Kaiko, and CoinGlass.

Product Development and Platform Evolution

Throughout 2025, WhiteBIT continued to develop its retail platform and core infrastructure, focusing on performance and scalability. The trading infrastructure is capable of processing over 1 million operations per second, supporting periods of high market activity.

Product updates included Hedge Mode for futures trading, expanded Buy Crypto and Flex Earn functionality, updates to the web and mobile interface, improvements to the affiliate dashboard, and the introduction of a real-time Best Bid/Ask WebSocket stream. WhiteBIT also launched WB Check, a unique product enabling simplified crypto transfers without requiring the recipient to complete full onboarding.

WhiteBIT also continued to develop payment-oriented products.The WhiteBIT Nova card exceeded €50 million in cumulative volume, indicating growing interest in everyday crypto payments. The average monthly spend surpassed €750 per user, with transactions distributed across routine categories such as groceries (21%), food and cafés (19%), and subscriptions (14.5%). During the year, WhiteBIT also introduced new Nova card designs, expanding customization options for users.

WhiteBIT’s mining pool, WhitePool, also expanded operations during the year, increasing hashrate and capacity. During 2025, WhitePool increased its hashrate from 7 EH/s to over 10 EH/s, mined 502 blocks, and distributed 1,503.41 BTC to users, with an average lucky rate of 104%. Also WhiteBIT introduced a referral program for WhitePool as part of its mining pool offering.

B2B and Institutional Services

In 2025, WhiteBIT significantly strengthened its B2B and institutional offering as part of its global expansion.

Existing services, including Token Listing and Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS), were upgraded to better meet international demand. Token listings became faster and more accessible, while CaaS was streamlined to simplify crypto integration for fintech companies and banks.

WhiteBIT also expanded its institutional product suite with OTC trading, portfolio margin, liquidity provision, custody solutions, payments for business, alongside tailored solutions for high-net-worth clients.

Together, these services form a comprehensive crypto infrastructure for corporate clients — designed to be flexible, scalable, and secure, with personalized onboarding and efficient execution.

During the year, WhiteBIT continued to deepen relationships with institutional clients through exclusive initiatives, including its first Institutional Night at the FC Barcelona Museum, bringing together industry leaders for high-level discussions in a closed, professional setting.

Security and Compliance

During 2025, WhiteBIT updated internal AML, security, and compliance frameworks to support operations across additional jurisdictions.

Changes included updates to compliance policies, transaction monitoring procedures, and account protection mechanisms. WhiteBIT’s compliance practices were referenced in an external case study published by Crystal Intelligence.

The exchange continues to hold an AAA security rating from CER.live and maintains CCSS Level 3 certification.

By the end of 2025, WhiteBIT operated across multiple regions with a broadened product set covering retail users, businesses, and institutional clients. Further expansion in the  U.S. market is a priority for WhiteBIT, while WhiteBIT US operates and develops as a separate company.

Teucrium CEO Says XRP Would Be Taken Very Seriously in Portfolios as Digital Gold Alongside BTC — Here’s Why

Abdulkarim Abdulwahab
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Teucrium CEO Says XRP Would Be Taken Very Seriously in Portfolios as Digital Gold Alongside BTC — Here’s Why

Teucrium CEO Sal Gilbertie believes XRP is still in the early stages of its growth story, especially when considering regulation and real-world utility. 

Speaking in an interview with crypto commentator Zach Rector, Gilbertie explained why XRP ETFs, investor interest, and future use cases could expand once the Clarity Act passes.

XRP ETF Demand Did Not Come as a Surprise

Gilbertie said the strong debut of XRP exchange-traded funds did not surprise him. He recalled earlier discussions where projections of $6 billion to $8 billion in first-year inflows into XRP ETFs were already on the table.

Notably, that projection came from JP Morgan, and Gilbertie believes XRP could ultimately exceed those figures.

Currently, cumulative inflows into single XRP ETFs stand around $1 billion. Meanwhile, he views this as only an early-phase figure. According to Gilbertie, the recent slowdown in XRP’s price has affected momentum, but not the long-term interest.

Clarity Act Could Be a Game Changer for XRP

A key part of Gilbertie’s outlook centers on regulation. He argued that once the Clarity Act comes into effect, XRP’s use case could expand rapidly. In his view, regulatory clarity would unlock more expansive adoption and make XRP more attractive to institutions and portfolio managers.

He stressed that assets with clear utility will earn a more permanent place in investment portfolios. While Bitcoin is digital gold, Gilbertie grouped XRP alongside Ethereum and Solana as assets with functional use cases that investors take seriously over the long term.

“Tip of the Iceberg” for XRP ETF Inflows

From Gilbertie’s perspective, the current $1.2 billion in XRP ETF inflows represents only a fraction of what could come. He described the figure as the “tip of the iceberg,” suggesting that demand could grow significantly as regulation improves and awareness spreads.

In his words: 

“Assets that have a use case, like Ether, Solana, and XRP, are going to be layered into people’s portfolios very seriously. I think we’re just at the tip of the iceberg.”

Meanwhile, Gilbertie also highlighted how important being early is in the ETF industry. According to him, first movers with strong branding often dominate their category, giving them a lasting advantage.

Teucrium’s XXRP ETF and Strong Early Performance

Teucrium’s own XRP-linked product, XXRP, has seen notable traction. The fund attracted over $500 million in assets within just 12 weeks. Gilbertie pointed out that, in the ETF world, reaching $25 million in assets within a year is a major success. For context, only about 1% of ETFs achieve this milestone.

Reaching half a billion dollars in such a short time, he said, shows strong engagement from the XRP community.

Overall, Gilbertie’s comments suggest that as U.S. regulations become clearer, XRP could see much wider use, adoption, and investment interest in the future.

Analyst Says Buying XRP Under $2 Is ‘Basically Stealing It’ at This Point

Abdulkarim Abdulwahab
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Analyst Says Buying XRP Under $2 Is ‘Basically Stealing It’ at This Point

XRP is under pressure, but some analysts say the current pullback presents an opportunity rather than a reason to panic.

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.83, down 4.72% over the past 24 hours. Weekly performance shows a 9% decline, while losses over the past few days now stand at roughly 15%.

Despite the weakness, XRP community figure Alex Cobb believes the market is overlooking how much has changed since XRP’s last major rally.

Comparing Today to XRP Legendary Run

In a recent post, Cobb referred to XRP’s historic move from around $0.50 to $3.66, arguing that today’s fundamentals are far stronger than they were during that run.

According to him, the quality of headlines around regulation, adoption, and Ripple’s business expansion was “nowhere near as good” back then compared to today. From this perspective, Cobb argues that buying XRP below $2 represents a major deal.

In his words: “If you are buying XRP under $2, you are basically stealing it at this point.”

Regulatory Progress Still Not Reflected in Price

Cobb’s comments align with his earlier view that XRP remains underpriced given Ripple’s recent regulatory progress. He has repeatedly highlighted Ripple’s conditional license from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to form a national trust bank, as well as the company’s pursuit of direct access to the Federal Reserve system.

Supporters believe these developments move Ripple deeper into the U.S. financial system, yet XRP continues to trade as if those changes have limited impact.

In other words, the XRP community believes the price is lagging behind its strong fundamentals. As a result, some advocates like Cobb see current prices as buying opportunities rather than warning signs.

Interestingly, the reported holder of the world’s highest IQ shares this perspective.

World’s “Smartest Investor” Backs XRP

This week, YoungHoon Kim, who claims the world’s highest IQ (276), argued that smarter investors are more likely to hold XRP. Once a Bitcoin maximalist, Kim has shifted to XRP and has been sharing bold forecasts since December 12.

He predicts XRP could hit $100 by 2030, a nearly 50x jump — though critics call this unrealistic. Despite skepticism, Kim and other XRP bulls highlight the potential upside at XRP’s current price below $2 as a reason for high-IQ investors to hold.

On the other hand, prominent meme investor ChartFu revealed a short position on XRP. He boldly declared on X this week that he is now officially bearish on XRP, signaling expectations of lower prices.

XRP Down 50% From Peak: Is There Still Hope?

Overall, these strongly bullish and bearish calls come at a time when XRP is down 50% from its July peak of $3.66. While some believe the worst is over and a recovery is due, others are calling for a price drop below $1.

As The Crypto Basic reported this week, whales have dumped over 1.1 billion XRP in the last few weeks, signaling massive bearish sentiment.

Meanwhile, regardless of short-term performance, many believe XRP could be much higher in the years to come. Accordingly, they consider buying XRP at under $2 a steal.

Nearly 45% of XRP Ledger Nodes Face Temporary Disconnection as Upgrade Deadline Nears

Abdulkarim Abdulwahab
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0
Nearly 45% of XRP Ledger Nodes Face Temporary Disconnection as Upgrade Deadline Nears

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is heading into a key technical moment, with a large portion of the network set to be amendment-blocked due to outdated software versions. 

Data from the XRPL node distribution shows that while newer versions dominate, a significant share of nodes are still running older releases that no longer meet network requirements.

Old XRP Ledger Versions Set to Be Blocked

According to XRPL validator Vet, around 45% of XRP Ledger nodes are running older versions of rippled and are about to be amendment-blocked. Once this happens, those nodes will disconnect from the network until they upgrade.

Vet described the situation as a “last call,” urging operators to update to rippled 2.6.2 or higher to continue normal operations. Importantly, he stressed that this process does not affect XRPL liveness, meaning the network itself remains stable and functional.

Node Distribution Highlights the Issue

The current node breakdown shows that while newer versions like rippled 3.0.0 (35%) and rippled 2.6.2 (20%) are widely adopted, a sizable portion of nodes are still on older builds such as 2.6.1, 2.5.1, 2.6.0, and 2.5.0. These older versions account for roughly 45% of those now at risk of being blocked.

This explains why the upcoming amendment enforcement is drawing attention across the XRP community.

Community Reactions

XRP community figure Crypto Eri called the event long overdue and a necessary cleanup of outdated infrastructure. Vet agreed with this view, adding that any affected node can rejoin the network with a simple update that takes just a few minutes.

However, not everyone sees it as routine. Handy Andy, founder of Xspence LTD, pointed out that 45% is a large number and questioned whether some services might temporarily go offline as a result.

In response, Vet noted that he has been monitoring services with large node counts and suggested that Top Node, a major operator in the past, appears to be among those exiting due to failure to update its validators.

Expert Says This Is the Chart That Takes XRP 1,321% to $27

Elendu Benedict
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Expert Says This Is the Chart That Takes XRP 1,321% to $27

An analyst has continued to reiterate the possibility that XRP would rally to unprecedented prices despite the recent correction.

Market expert EGRAG Crypto has remained bullish on XRP even amid uncertainty. The asset is below the crucial $2 support level, with CoinMarketCap showing an 11.8% correction in the past 30 days. However, EGRAG has shared a whole new perspective on the ongoing retracement.

A Storm Before the Calm?

In his December 18 tweet, he stated that “this is the chart.” While this may sound vague, an accompanying chart paints the whole picture.

Per the chart, the current XRP retracement may be a necessary step before the next explosive price move. It shows the cryptocurrency consolidating downwards to retest after breaking out of an ascending triangle.

XRP Triangle Breakout/EGRAG
XRP Triangle Breakout/EGRAG

For perspective, XRP trended within the triangle for over six years from its 2018 all-time high of $3.84 until a breakout in November 2024. After that, it surged to its July high of $3.66 before correcting to enter the current distribution phase.

Notably, a section of the graph explained that triangle breakouts typically lead to a retest, followed by a bullish continuation. As a result, the recent downtrend aligns with an XRP retest of the resistance neckline. Notably, a successful move would confirm its next impulsive uptrend.

Two XRP Retest Scenarios

Meanwhile, EGRAG shared two possible retest scenarios, both of which have bullish implications. The first scenario is if it retests and bounces from a former resistance level at $1.83, which lies close to its December 2017 closing price.

XRP broke above this level in late November and ended the year above it, turning it into a key support area. At the current market price of $1.91, XRP is just 3% away from this point.

The second scenario would see XRP retest the “Line of Hestia,” identified in the chart. The support trendline lies at $0.85, representing a 55% retracement from the current market price.

XRP Would Bounce After Retest

Interestingly, XRP would bounce to new all-time highs regardless of the level from which it recovers. The analyst highlighted possible price targets for XRP, drawing context from three different length points in the ascending triangle it broke out from.

According to the chart, the first target is a 95% rally to $3.72. Notably, the second target lies at $9, which would mark a new all-time high for XRP. From the current market price, it represents a 373.6% increase.

Ultimately, the analyst is predicting a double-figure valuation of $27, which is the full length of the triangle at its highest price. This marks a 1,321% growth from its current price.

Taiwan Confirms Seizure of Over 210 Bitcoins in Criminal Investigations

Zabi
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Taiwan Confirms Seizure of Over 210 Bitcoins in Criminal Investigations

Taiwan has disclosed that it holds more than 210 Bitcoin tokens seized through criminal investigations.

The confirmation came from the Ministry of Justice and was made public by legislator Ko Ju-Chun. Based on Bitcoin’s market price at the time of reporting, the holdings are worth approximately $18 million.

Taiwan’s Standing Among Global Government Bitcoin Holders

When compared internationally, Taiwan’s Bitcoin position is notable. Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET would rank Taiwan as the 10th largest government holder of Bitcoin worldwide.

By contrast, the United States leads by a wide margin, holding more than 328,000 BTC, largely acquired through seizures linked to cybercrime and fraud investigations. China and the United Kingdom follow, rounding out the top three.

Collectively, governments worldwide control more than 640,000 bitcoins, roughly 3% of Bitcoin’s total circulating supply.

Seized Digital Assets Extend Beyond Bitcoin

While Bitcoin has drawn the most attention, the Ministry of Justice emphasized that it represents only a portion of Taiwan’s confiscated digital assets.

According to official inventory data, the total value of seized cryptocurrencies stands at nearly $40 million, based on market prices at the time of disclosure. Notably, stablecoins account for the largest share by quantity.

Authorities reported holding more than $17.77 million in USDT. Additional assets include USDC and USDC.e, as well as Ethereum and several other cryptocurrencies.

Judicial wallets also hold smaller amounts of BNB, TRX, LPT, and other minor token balances, such as TWT, MAX, and BSC.

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Standardizing the Handling of Digital Assets

The Ministry of Justice said these assets were accumulated as part of broader efforts to formalize crypto-related enforcement practices.

Officials noted that work is underway to standardize the seizure, storage, and ultimate disposition of virtual assets through the judicial system. The goal is to ensure consistency in how courts manage digital assets tied to criminal cases.

Political Debate Over Bitcoin’s Strategic Role

The disclosure has intensified political debate over Bitcoin’s place within Taiwan’s financial framework.

Last month, a Taiwanese lawmaker urged policymakers to examine whether Bitcoin should be treated as a strategic or reserve asset. During a legislative session, Ko Ju-Chun argued that virtual assets increasingly intersect with national security and financial sovereignty.

Despite the growing discussion, Taiwan has not committed to any reserve strategy involving Bitcoin. Any long-term policy shift would require legislative approval and coordination with financial regulators.

Stablecoin Regulation Gains Momentum

Alongside the Bitcoin debate, momentum is also building around stablecoins oversight. In November, Taiwan’s central bank called for stricter licensing requirements for stablecoin issuers and recommended that a portion of issuer reserves be held directly at the central bank.

Additionally, the bank has sought a formal supervisory role under the Financial Supervisory Commission’s draft Virtual Asset Services Act.

FSC Chair Peng Jin-long informed lawmakers that the bill has cleared initial cabinet reviews. He added that the legislation could pass its final reading in the next session.

Consequently, stablecoin-specific regulations are expected to follow within six months, making late 2026 the earliest possible launch window for a locally issued stablecoin.

Bitcoin Price Analysis for Dec 18: Here are BTC’s Immediate Support and Resistance Levels

Mark Brennan
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Bitcoin Price Analysis for Dec 18: Here are BTC’s Immediate Support and Resistance Levels

The Bitcoin price is facing support and resistance at crucial levels, and a breakout above the Bollinger band resistance could indicate further movement.

Bitcoin’s price has recently surged, climbing to $88,344 amid a 1.7% increase over the past 24 hours. The digital asset has experienced significant price volatility, with a daily range between $85,373.53 and $90,164.9. 

Looking at its performance over the last 14 days, Bitcoin has seen a solid 5.1% plunge. With a market cap of over $1.76 trillion, it continues to lead the crypto space as an institutionally recognized asset. As Bitcoin hovers near the $90k mark, market watchers are eager to see whether this momentum will continue or if price consolidation is on the horizon.

Will Bitcoin’s Momentum Continue?

Bitcoin’s daily chart highlights key technical indicators that point to a potential reversal or continuation of the current trend.

The price is currently preparing to test the middle line of the Bollinger Bands, which sits at $89,971.79. A rejection at this level could send the price back toward the lower Bollinger Band around $85,774.46, but a break above the middle band may signal further upward movement towards the upper band at $94,169.13.

Bitcoin Prediction
Bitcoin Prediction

Support currently lies near the $85,360 level, where Bitcoin has found support several times over the past month. A break below this level could open the door to the lower support around $82,500. On the resistance side, $89,971.79 serves as an immediate resistance, with $94,169.13 being a crucial level to watch for any potential breakout. 

Additionally, the MACD indicator shows a bullish momentum shift with the blue line attempting to cross above the orange line. However, the MACD is still slightly in the negative territory, indicating that Bitcoin needs to build more strength before confirming any sustained upward move.

Can Bitcoin Reclaim $120,000?

Elsewhere, analyst Captain Faibik suggests that Bitcoin is poised for a potential bounce in the near future, indicating that a reversal could be imminent. According to Faibik, the next key level to watch is the resistance at $93,000, which could serve as a crucial hurdle in determining whether Bitcoin can continue its upward trajectory.

With Bitcoin currently hovering below the $90,000 psychological level, the market is looking for signs of momentum to push past this critical barrier. Faibik’s target for Bitcoin is set at $120,000, with the expectation that a breakout above the descending expanding wedge channel and the $93,000 resistance could push Bitcoin towards this target. To reach $120,000, Bitcoin will need to surge by about 35.83% from the current price of $88,344. 

Bitcoin Spikes Toward $90K as US Inflation Comes in Cooler than Expected

Sam Wisdom Raphael
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Bitcoin Spikes Toward $90K as US Inflation Comes in Cooler than Expected

Bitcoin jumped sharply after new U.S. inflation data came in far below expectations, bolstering optimism around further rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

Specifically, on Dec. 18, 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released long-delayed November 2025 Consumer Price Index data. The report showed that headline CPI rose 2.7% year over year, well below economists’ forecasts of 3.1% and down from 3.0% in September. 

US Inflation Cools

Also, Core CPI, which strips out food and energy, climbed 2.6% year over year, also missing expectations and cooling from previous readings. The 2.6% core CPI reading marked the lowest level since 2021. However, officials did not report any monthly inflation figures, as the shutdown disrupted October data collection entirely.

Housing-related inflation showed signs of slowing. Notably, shelter costs increased only 0.2% between September and November, easing pressure on the overall index. Prices also fell in several categories, including recreation and clothing, which helped pull inflation lower. 

However, analysts cautioned that the softer reading did not fully reflect underlying inflation trends. They highlighted timing distortions caused by delayed data collection, which coincided with seasonal discounting tied to the holiday period. 

Meanwhile, the CPI report followed closely after a separate U.S. labor update showed unemployment rising to 4.6%, its highest level since September 2021. These trends have fully raised confidence around further rate cuts.

Expert Comments

Speaking on the CPI data, Tom Lee, head of research at Fundstrat, noted that the report was restrained and argued that it bolsters the Federal Reserve’s focus on protecting jobs. He suggested that this stance effectively places a policy safety net under financial markets if economic risks intensify.

Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stressed that tariffs were the primary driver behind the recent inflation overshoot and said their peak impact should arrive in the first quarter of 2026. Powell asked investors to interpret the CPI report carefully, citing distortions caused by the government shutdown.

However, the data influenced expectations for monetary policy. While traders still see little chance of a January rate cut, the probability of a March cut climbed to around 60%, up from roughly 54%. 

Stock futures jumped about 0.5%, and Treasury yields moved lower, creating a risk-friendly environment that often supports risk assets like Bitcoin. Specifically, lower inflation reduces the appeal of yield-based assets and encourages investors to rotate toward higher-risk opportunities.

Bitcoin Spikes Toward $90,000

Following the report, Bitcoin witnessed a rapid spike. Notably, the premier crypto asset gained 1.28% within 15 minutes, with momentum pushing the price to a high of $89,423 roughly 45 minutes later. However, it has since eased slightly to trade around $88,530.

The sudden surge squeezed bearish traders across different crypto assets. Over the past hour, short sellers absorbed losses totaling nearly $67 million, while long liquidations stood at just $4.63 million. Looking at a broader four-hour window, short liquidations climbed to $74.09 million, compared with about $10 million in liquidated long positions.

Crypto Liquidation Data Coinglass
Crypto Liquidation Data | Coinglass

During the rally, Bitcoin added roughly $40 billion to its market capitalization in just 35 minutes, though it later gave back part of those gains. 

While the broader crypto market followed Bitcoin higher, altcoins showed more resilience during the brief pullback. That shift caused Bitcoin’s dominance to slip below 60%, coming barely an hour after market veteran Benjamin Cowen confirmed that dominance had reclaimed the 60% level.

Commenting after the CPI release, the co-founder of Bitcoin2go said Bitcoin responded positively but not explosively, adding that sustained cooling inflation could give the Federal Reserve more room to cut rates more decisively, a scenario that typically favors risk assets like Bitcoin.

Expert Rejects Cardano ‘Dead Money’ Narrative, Explains Why ADA Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Lele Jima
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0
Expert Rejects Cardano ‘Dead Money’ Narrative, Explains Why ADA Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Crypto analyst Dr. Cuadrado has criticized the way the broader crypto market assigns value to blockchain projects, pointing to Cardano as a prime example.

In a recent commentary, Cuadrado noted that Cardano (ADA) accounts for just 0.55% of “the Crypto Top 20 Index (DFT)”. By comparison, Bitcoin dominates the index with nearly 69%, while Ethereum follows at almost 14%. Meanwhile, other major assets such as BNB, XRP, and Solana carry weightings of 4.60%, 4.57%, and 2.82%, respectively. 

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Cardano Is Not Dead Money, but a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity 

Reacting to these figures, Cuadrado raised concerns about Cardano’s marginal allocation, describing the 0.55% weighting as abnormal, particularly for a project that has survived every major crypto bear market since launch.

Based on this disparity, Cuadrado observed that critics often label Cardano as “dead money,” largely because it has failed to deliver explosive short-term price movements in recent periods. However, he disagrees with that characterization. Instead, the analyst argued that the market has largely ignored Cardano, as many traders focus on short-term price action rather than long-term fundamentals and network resilience. 

Notably, Cuadrado described Cardano as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, stressing that this view is grounded in fundamentals rather than hype. According to him, his conviction stems from a deep understanding of Cardano’s architecture, underlying technology, and competitive advantages.

In his view, evaluating the network through these lenses reshapes the conversation and offers clearer insight into its true value. 

Regulation Will Reset the Market 

Meanwhile, Cuadrado argued that the market’s fixation on short-term gains is approaching its end as regulatory frameworks begin to take shape. For context, the U.S. Senate is currently reviewing the CLARITY Act. This legislation aims to clarify the regulatory status of cryptocurrencies like Cardano, designate appropriate regulators, and reduce market manipulation.

Consequently, Cuadrado characterized regulation as a market reset mechanism, asserting that it could curb persistent manipulation on centralized trading platforms and shift attention back to fundamentals. He projects that many people will eventually realize that they have been keeping close tabs on noise while other projects were busy building convictions. 

The Amazon Parallel 

Notably, the broader market downturn has weighed heavily on Cardano’s price performance. Since the start of 2025, ADA has declined by 55.4%, falling 59.3% over the past three months and 9.42% in the past week alone. At its current price of $0.374, ADA now trades 87.94% below its all-time high of $3.10.

Amid this steep decline, Cuadrado drew a comparison between Cardano’s current price action and Amazon’s stock (AMZN) during the dot-com crash.

At the time, AMZN plunged nearly 90%, falling from $113 to $6, leading many observers to write the stock off as dead. However, Cuadrado pointed out that Amazon’s internal metrics continued to improve, steadily strengthening the business beneath the surface.

To underscore this point, he referenced a remark from Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos, who summarized the lesson succinctly: “The stock is not the company.”

With AMZN now trading around $221, Cuadrado argued that history rewards those who recognize strong fundamentals early, rather than those who react impulsively to short-term price movements.

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