Analytical Overview of Cryptocurrencies on December 3, 2025: Yearn Finance Hack, Bitcoin Correction, Dynamics of Top Altcoins, and Key Market Trends.
The cryptocurrency market began December with a sharp correction: after a recent rally, Bitcoin lost ground, and prices of many altcoins declined. The focus has shifted to the hack of the DeFi protocol Yearn Finance, which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars. Additionally, speculative volatility and profit-taking have exacerbated the price pullback. Despite this, institutional interest in digital assets remains high: major banks and funds are expanding investor access to crypto-ETFs and trading funds. The market backdrop is contradictory: on one hand, new technical products are rolling out towards cryptocurrencies; on the other, regulators are exercising caution. Investors across different regions (the USA, EU, Asia) are keeping a close eye on economic signals and news from the industry.
Bitcoin Under Pressure
The first cryptocurrency has corrected several percentage points following its historical high. As of December 3, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) stands at around $85,000, significantly lower than the record levels reached at the end of November. Profit-taking and a general decline in sentiment have pushed the price down to a local minimum of about $80,000 on short-term intervals. Experts highlight that the key support level is positioned in the $80–82K zone; a breach of this area could lead to further declines. However, in the medium term, most analysts continue to expect a bullish trend to resume as demand recovers. According to experts, breaking through resilient resistance levels could allow Bitcoin to reach new heights.
Ethereum and Altcoins: Correction Amid Sell-offs
Following Bitcoin, the leading altcoin Ethereum (ETH) and other major tokens have also seen their prices decrease. At the time of publication, Ethereum is trading around $2,800, a few percentage points down from its recent peak above $3,000. Other altcoins such as XRP, Binance Coin, Solana, Cardano, and others came under pressure as well. For instance, Ripple (XRP) has fallen to approximately $2.70, Binance Coin (BNB) is around $800, and Solana (SOL) sits at about $135. Market participants relate this drop to news surrounding Yearn Finance and the overall increase in volatility. Many investors note that earlier capital inflows had shifted towards Ethereum-based products, partially supporting ETH prices. Forecasts for altcoins remain mixed: if the situation stabilizes, consolidation is possible, but further dynamics will depend on the overall sentiment in the financial markets.
DeFi Hack: Yearn Finance Incident
One of the key events of the week was a serious incident in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The Yearn Finance protocol confirmed a successful attack: a malicious actor exploited a smart contract vulnerability in the yETH token, "printing" billions of coins and withdrawing about $9 million from the liquidity pool. Although the main pools of Yearn remained untouched, the news caused panic among traders. The price of the YFI token sharply depreciated, and other crypto assets faced pressure. Experts remind us that such smart contract errors and unprecedented "bugs" continue to pose a significant risk for DeFi protocols.
Institutional Investments and Regulatory Environment
Despite the current turbulence, large players' interest in cryptocurrencies remains high. Last week, it was announced that investment bank Goldman Sachs will acquire the ETF issuer Innovator Capital Management for $2 billion, expanding its footprint in the cryptocurrency products segment. Simultaneously, $11 trillion Vanguard, which has traditionally favored conventional assets, will allow its clients to trade ETFs based on Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana starting December 3. Moreover, Bank of America officially recommends that investors allocate up to 1–4% of their portfolio to digital assets, while some hedge funds and pension funds are gradually incorporating cryptocurrencies into their long-term investment strategies. The regulatory landscape presents a mixed picture: China continues to ban private cryptocurrency trading, while the USA and EU are discussing new rules to protect investors. This contrast indicates that the infrastructure for institutional investments is expanding, but oversight remains stringent.
Market Sentiment and Volatility
The sharp decline in prices has led to increased fear in the market: various assessments indicate that the "fear and greed" index has fallen to extremely low levels (around 20–25 points), signaling panic among investors. Market participants have noted heightened volatility and record liquidation volumes: during the Asian session alone, exchanges recorded forced closures of long positions amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Such "liquidations" accelerate price declines. The current situation reminds market participants of the importance of adhering to risk limits: extreme sell-offs often precede reversals, but in the short term, any exacerbation could lead to additional losses.
Forecasts and Expectations
Expert opinions on the future development of the cryptocurrency market are divided. Some analysts maintain "bullish" forecasts, believing that the current correction may be a temporary pause before renewed growth. For example, analysts at Standard Chartered still believe that Bitcoin could reach levels around $150–200K by the end of the year, with Ethereum targeting $7–8K. Optimists point out that even after the recent pullback, current levels are close to most medium-term targets. At the same time, cautious traders warn of the risks of further correction: macro pressures and increased regulatory scrutiny may slow the recovery of prices. As a result, experts anticipate a period of consolidation: if demand stabilizes, key resistance levels could determine the next trend.
Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin (BTC) — the first and largest cryptocurrency. Current price around $85,000, market capitalization exceeds $1.5–1.7 trillion (approximately 60% of the market).
- Ethereum (ETH) — the leading altcoin and platform for smart contracts. Price approximately $2,800, market capitalization is around $300–350 billion.
- Tether (USDT) — the largest stablecoin backed by US dollars. Price is stable at $1, market capitalization more than $150–160 billion.
- Ripple (XRP) — token of the Ripple payment network. Trading around $2.70, market capitalization approximately $120–130 billion. The news regarding the token's status in the USA continues to affect its popularity.
- Binance Coin (BNB) — the cryptocurrency of the Binance exchange. Value around $800, market capitalization around $100–110 billion. BNB is popular thanks to its extensive use on the exchange and in the BNB Chain ecosystem.
- Solana (SOL) — a high-performance blockchain platform. Price approximately $135, market capitalization around $90–95 billion. The popularity of SOL is supported by the active development of projects in the ecosystem and expectations of creating a spot ETF.
- USD Coin (USDC) — the second-largest dollar-backed stablecoin. Price is fixed at $1, market capitalization around $60–70 billion. USDC is used in institutional calculations and DeFi protocols due to the transparency of its reserves.
- Cardano (ADA) — a blockchain platform with a scientific approach. ADA is priced approximately $0.50–0.60, market capitalization around $20–25 billion. The project draws attention with plans for new upgrades and discussions about launching related financial products.
- TRON (TRX) — a blockchain for smart contracts, popular in Asia. Trading around $0.33, market capitalization around $30–35 billion. TRX remains among the top ten coins due to its extensive use for issuing stablecoins.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — a well-known meme cryptocurrency. Price around $0.18–0.20, market capitalization $25–30 billion. DOGE enjoys support from a significant community and the intermittent attention of celebrities, keeping it in the top 10 despite high volatility.
Cryptocurrency Market on the Morning of December 3, 2025
Prices of major digital assets as of the morning:
- Bitcoin (BTC): $85,000
- Ethereum (ETH): $2,800
- Ripple (XRP): $2.70
- Binance Coin (BNB): $800
- Solana (SOL): $135
- Tether (USDT): $1.00
- Total market capitalization: ~ $3.5 trillion
- Fear and greed index: ~ 23 (extreme fear)
