Current Cryptocurrency News as of December 2, 2025: Trends in Bitcoin and Ethereum, Changes in the Top 10 Cryptocurrencies, Institutional Trends, and Market Analysis.
As we enter December, global cryptocurrency markets continue to correct following a sharp rise during the fall. Major digital assets are trading in the red, with Bitcoin dropping to around $85–86K, Ethereum around $2,800, and many altcoins losing 4–8% in the past day. November turned out to be the worst month for Bitcoin since 2021, with the asset falling more than $18K from its record high of $126K in early October. Such a significant decline, combined with overall market uncertainty, has created a risk-averse sentiment in the market.
Macroeconomic factors have also amplified pessimism; for instance, rising yields on Japanese government bonds amid expectations of monetary tightening have created additional pressure on risky assets, including cryptocurrencies. However, December is traditionally favorable for BTC (with an average price increase of +10%), prompting investors to closely monitor developments. Bitcoin is currently holding above a key support level around $80K, a breach of which could trigger a new wave of sell-offs.
Current Situation: Bitcoin and Ethereum
Bitcoin (BTC) continues its decline, losing about 5% over the last day. As of Tuesday morning, the price hovers in the $85–86K range, close to November’s lows around $80K. Ethereum (ETH) has dropped 5-6% and is trading around $2,700–2,800, reflecting the market sentiment (in November, Ether fell nearly 22%, marking its worst monthly performance since February).
Other major altcoins are following the leaders’ trends: Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), and XRP fell by 4–5% at the beginning of the week, trading at approximately $120, $0.13, and $2, respectively. Binance Coin (BNB) is holding steady around $800 due to sustained interest in the Binance ecosystem. DeFi tokens (like Chainlink, Uniswap, etc.) have also mostly declined in line with the broader sell-off.
DeFi and Security News
Amid the overall cryptocurrency sell-off, events in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector also impacted the situation. On December 1, Yearn Finance reported an "incident" in its yETH liquidity pool: an attacker withdrew about 1,000 ETH (around $3 million) through the Tornado Cash mixer. As a result, the protocol suffered a loss of around $9 million, and the price of YFI plummeted sharply. This attack has been a significant shock to the market and has raised concerns about DeFi platform security. It’s worth noting that last week, the South Korean exchange Upbit experienced a major hack.
Such news leads to an additional capital outflow: on Monday, liquidations of long positions in cryptocurrency futures exceeded $400 million, indicating panic selling. These events demonstrate that the infrastructure of the crypto market remains vulnerable, with negative news instantly impacting prices.
Ethereum: Upcoming Fusaka Update
Amid the market downturn, there is positive news for the Ethereum ecosystem. The activation of the Fusaka update (combining changes from Fulu and Osaka) on the Ethereum blockchain is expected on December 3, 2025. Fusaka includes 12 significant protocol improvements aimed at increasing network throughput and reducing fees, particularly for Layer-2 solutions. A key feature — the PeerDAS technology — will allow for the verification of only fragments of large "blobs" of data instead of full uploads, significantly speeding up verification and reducing the load on nodes.
Developers and institutional investors (such as Fidelity) believe that Fusaka will significantly enhance Ethereum's scalability. This could improve the efficiency of decentralized applications and attract additional interest to the ecosystem. In the short term, the impact on ETH's price may be limited, but in the long term, Fusaka lays the foundation for growth.
Regulation and Global Policy
Market sentiment is largely shaped by regulatory news. In China, the central bank reaffirmed its tough stance at the latest meeting on virtual currencies: cryptocurrencies do not hold legal tender status, and stablecoins may be used for illegal purposes. The regulator has pledged to intensify the fight against illegal financial schemes associated with virtual assets to "maintain economic stability."
Approaches in different countries vary widely. In the EU, MiCA legislation has been implemented, which includes protective measures for stablecoins, and regulators are discussing a ban on "multi-issuance" of tokens to prevent the risks of mass simultaneous redemptions. In Japan, on the other hand, there are discussions about relaxing regulations; the authorities plan to reduce taxes on cryptocurrency gains and allow banking groups to launch their own cryptocurrency exchanges.
- China: Full ban on cryptocurrency trading and mining, amplified oversight of stablecoins, and transaction monitoring.
- Europe: Existing MiCA rules include mechanisms to protect investors from stablecoin risks; limiting "multi-issuance" is under discussion to prevent simultaneous mass token redemptions.
- USA: A major cryptocurrency bill is being prepared (voting is scheduled for early 2026), which will clarify the status of digital assets (commodities or securities) and enhance investor protections.
- Japan: Measures to broaden access to the crypto market are under discussion — tax incentives and allowing banks to engage in cryptocurrency services.
Institutional Sentiment and Investment
The interest of large investors in cryptocurrencies has weakened: in November, Bitcoin ETFs demonstrated record outflows — over $3 billion left such funds, and about $1.4 billion exited from Ethereum. This indicates that institutional investors are unwinding positions. According to Bloomberg, total outflows from BTC ETFs exceeded $4.6 billion for October-November, while there was only a slight influx of ~ $70 million in the last week of November.
In particular, Strategy Inc (which holds the largest corporate Bitcoin portfolio) has formed a reserve of $1.4 billion for future dividend payments, easing concerns about a potential forced sell-off of their $56 billion hedge fund. Nonetheless, most institutional players have adopted a wait-and-see approach, monitoring for stabilization signals.
- Record outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (several billion dollars in November) signal a decrease in interest from institutional investors.
- Large holders (e.g., Strategy Inc) are forming liquidity reserves (safety cushions) for fulfilling obligations, reducing pressure on the market.
- The influx of new funds into the market is currently minimal: investors are in a wait-and-see mode and focused on risk management.
Altcoins and Promising Tokens
Among popular altcoins, top-capitalization assets are predominantly demonstrating synchronous movement with Bitcoin and Ethereum. XRP is trading around $2, Solana around $120, Cardano around $0.37, Polkadot around $4–5. Most blue-chip tokens (BNB, LINK, DOT, etc.) have dropped by 5–8% at the beginning of December. The meme coin Dogecoin remains priced at around $0.13, while other meme tokens (Shiba Inu, Floki, etc.) have also declined amid the broader correction.
Stablecoins hold particular significance in the market: Tether (USDT) and USDC are consistently trading around $1 and provide significant liquidity. They allow investors to quickly transfer assets to a "safe haven" during high volatility and preserve capital.
New and niche tokens are still highly correlated with the overall trend: tokens from DeFi platforms and blockchain games have decreased in price despite update announcements. Recently, the previously rising Hyperliquid (HYPE) faced pressure and returned to around $30.
Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin (BTC) — The first and largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, often regarded as "digital gold." BTC serves as a benchmark for the entire market.
- Ethereum (ETH) — The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, the primary platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications (DeFi, NFTs, etc.). A significant Fusaka update is expected in December.
- Tether (USDT) — The largest stable token (stablecoin) pegged to the US dollar. USDT is used for capital storage and transferring funds between cryptocurrency exchanges.
- Binance Coin (BNB) — The native token of the Binance exchange. Used for paying fees on the exchange and participates in the Binance ecosystem, including staking and launching new projects.
- XRP — The token of the Ripple network, originally designed for fast international payments. XRP is popular due to Ripple's collaboration with banks and financial institutions.
- Solana (SOL) — A high-performance blockchain for smart contracts. Known for fast transaction processing times and low fees, attracting DeFi and NFT projects.
- Cardano (ADA) — A proof-of-stake blockchain focused on scalability and sustainability. ADA is valued for its scientific approach to development and community support.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — A meme coin created as a joke project that gained widespread community support. DOGE is often used for short-term speculation and online donations.
- Polkadot (DOT) — A multi-chain platform designed to unify various blockchains. DOT is used to secure the network and vote on the development of the Polkadot ecosystem.
- Avalanche (AVAX) — A blockchain with high throughput and fast consensus. Avalanche competes with Ethereum by offering a platform for creating new DeFi protocols with low fees.
Outlook and Predictions
Analysts now note heightened caution in the market. The key benchmark is the $80K level for BTC: holding above it will help avoid panic. If Bitcoin breaks this support, further declines are expected. However, seasonal factors in December are traditionally favorable for cryptocurrencies, so the scenario of moderate stabilization or a rebound by the end of the month remains possible.
The future trend will depend on a combination of factors: the monetary policies of central banks, technological innovations, and investor sentiment. Investors are advised to diversify their portfolios and closely monitor regulatory news and key project developments. Announcements of significant updates (such as Fusaka for Ethereum) provide optimism, but risks remain due to global economic uncertainty and recent incidents. The coming weeks will reveal whether the crypto market can stabilize and find new momentum for growth.
