At the time of writing, PI gained 0.12% over 24 hours and 0.39% over the week while Bitcoin traded between $85k and $90k. Despite September and December product updates, price momentum remained muted, with a push above $0.218 needed to alter structure and $0.2 as local support. Daily moving averages near $0.205 and $0.221 continued to act as resistance.

On December 31, 2025, onchain data indicated that XRP balances on centralized exchanges had retreated to levels last seen in 2018, pointing to a sharp contraction in immediately tradable supply. Over the past two months, total exchange holdings dropped from nearly four billion XRP to about one and a half billion, while the price hovered around $1.86 and continued to hold the $1.78–$1.80 support zone. This combination of reduced sell-side liquidity and resilient price structure suggests the market may be shifting toward a supply-driven consolidation phase as it approaches 2026.

In a blog post titled 'Balance of Power' published Tuesday, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warns that scale and automation are eroding checks and balances. He advocates "mandatory diffusion" and "adversarial interoperability", and cites Lido, which holds roughly 24% of staked ETH, as a decentralized example within crypto governance.

The United States, under President Trump, is moving toward a pro‑crypto framework, with a Senate hearing on the Crypto Market Structure Act expected in January 2026 and California's Digital Asset Act slated for July. A potential Fed chair change on May 15 and the stablecoin GENIUS Act deadline on July 18 could shape compliance and liquidity. BTC is $88,413.97, per CoinMarketCap.

According to Etherscan, the Ethereum mainnet recently processed 2.2 million transactions in a single day while average fees fell to about $0.17. Fees had previously peaked above $200 per transaction in May 2022 and have generally trended lower amid network upgrades, increased gas limits and rising on-chain activity including 8.7 million new smart contracts in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has called on citizens to install the decentralized Bitchat messaging app ahead of the presidential election set for January 15, 2026. He cited past nationwide internet and social media shutdowns that rights groups say hit opposition organizing hardest, and warned that authorities could again restrict access. Bitchat's Bluetooth-based mesh network lets users exchange encrypted messages without traditional internet infrastructure, which he argues could help supporters stay connected if online services are blocked.

On 31 December 2025, Michael Novogratz said crypto‑native companies still rise and fall with Bitcoin, as fees, trading, and staking income compress when prices drop. He added that Galaxy Digital is expanding into data centers and infrastructure to reduce earnings volatility, while he sees scope for a crypto catch‑up into 2026.

CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn reports that the Bitcoin Coinbase Premium Gap has dropped deep into negative territory, reaching one of its lowest readings in 18 months. The metric now shows BTC trading at a $122 discount on Coinbase versus Binance, pointing to weaker US-based demand even as the spot price moves sideways around $88,900. This rare discount suggests American institutional and large traders are exerting more selling or less buying pressure than offshore counterparts.