On December 29, long-time Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff described a 14% plunge in silver prices as a buying opportunity while citing Bitcoin’s roughly 30% decline from its peak as proof it is a scam. Commentators and analysts challenged the inconsistency, arguing that both moves were driven by similar market forces and accusing Schiff of using flawed math and bias in his broader precious metals versus crypto narrative.

On December 29, Bull Theory said on X that Bitcoin’s late-2025 consolidation resembles mid-2020, when gold and silver rallied first and capital rotated into crypto later. With BTC near $87,000 after an over 30% slide from an October peak above $126,000 and gold around $4,550, the analyst sees a potential multi-fold move into 2026.

In the final network recalibration of 2025, Bitcoin's mining difficulty was set at 148.2 trillion, up from 109.8 trillion on January 1, 2025. This roughly 35% yearly increase underscores rising competition among miners and sustained investment in more efficient hardware, even as Bitcoin's price has fluctuated.

Crypto venture investment surged in 2025, peaking at about $10 billion in Q2 and staying near $8 billion in Q3 and Q4. Yet CryptoRank data shows many newly listed tokens now trade far below private-round valuations, with drops from $1 billion to around $285 million and from $400 million to $15–16 million.

AMLBot's on-chain study covering 2023–2025 reports Tether froze more than $3.29 billion in USDT and blacklisted 7,268 addresses across Ethereum and Tron, while Circle's USDC freezes totaled $109 million over 372 addresses. The gap was amplified on Tron, where $1.75 billion in USDT sits in blacklisted wallets. The findings underscore contrasting enforcement practices among leading stablecoin issuers.

In January 2024, spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved, followed by a $10 cross‑sector test at the cycle's start. Results ranged from $28 in winners to just $1.20 in laggards amid capital concentrating in regulated products. Bitcoin set an October all‑time high above $126,000 and later traded near $88,000.

In 2025, governments shifted crypto into formal policy, led by actions outlined on December 25. The U.S. moved to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the UAE enforced VARA and ADGM rules, and El Salvador kept holdings after ending legal tender, lifting reserves to roughly 7,500 BTC. Pakistan allocated 2,000 megawatts for mining, while Europe and Brazil tightened oversight, including an $18 million central bank stake in Coinbase.

On December 26, the USX stablecoin on Solana sharply lost its dollar peg, plunging to $0.10 amid a severe liquidity shortage before recovering. Developer Solstice said the depeg was confined to secondary markets and that backing reserves stayed fully collateralized with 1:1 redemptions still available, as the price later rebounded close to $1.00 after market makers added liquidity.

On December 24, 2025, Ethereum's on-chain usage reached a new record even as ETH traded around $3,000 and remained well below prior peaks. Network data point to surging transactions driven in part by Layer-2 settlements, growing DeFi usage, and large holders accumulating, while recent exchange inflows and subdued price action highlight ongoing liquidity pressures.