Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
Bitcoin/Crypto Daily Podcast — December 29, 2025
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Altcoins outpace Bitcoin as precious metals’ historic rally keeps macro focus sharp
By Siamak Masnavi, AI Boost — December 28, 2025
Source: CoinDesk
Altcoins including XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin led gains in thin weekend trading while Bitcoin stayed range-bound between roughly $86.5K and $90K. Glassnode data shows spot hovering near the active investors’ mean and well below the short-term holder cost basis (~$99.9K), a setup that can cap rallies as underwater holders sell into strength. Meanwhile, a historic surge in silver (~+155% YTD) and gold (~+72% YTD) is keeping macro attention on inflation hedges and potential allocation shifts.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs bleed $782M during Christmas week amid ‘holiday positioning’
By Amin Haqshanas — December 28, 2025
Source: Cointelegraph
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $782 million in net outflows over Christmas week, including a $276 million single-day drop on Friday led by BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. Total ETF AUM slipped to about $113.5 billion, with six straight days of redemptions—the longest streak since early autumn—though some attribute the move to holiday positioning and thin liquidity. Glassnode notes a broader sustained outflow phase, while rate-cut expectations for 2026 could help flows normalize in January.
Stolen LastPass backups enable crypto theft through 2025
By Unknown — Date: not provided
Source: Security Affairs
This report warns that leaked LastPass backups are still being abused by threat actors to facilitate crypto theft into 2025. It underscores ongoing operational security risks for wallet holders and stresses continued vigilance around password managers and key storage.
Coinbase says three areas will dominate the crypto market in 2026
By Siamak Masnavi, AI Boost | Edited by Sam Reynolds — December 28, 2025
Source: CoinDesk
Coinbase Institutional argues structural forces—more than hype cycles—are reshaping crypto, with three pillars set to lead in 2026: perpetual futures, prediction markets, and stablecoin-powered payments. The firm says derivatives now anchor price discovery, prediction markets are gaining durable relevance, and stablecoins continue to underpin real-world settlement and transfers. The key test next year is whether these markets can scale and manage risk under tighter conditions.
Bitcoin risks first post-halving year red candle with price stuck at $88K
By William Suberg — December 28, 2025
Source: Cointelegraph
With Bitcoin hovering near $88K and volatility muted, traders are eyeing a three-day RSI bullish divergence and the possibility that fresh capital redeploys in early January. BTC is down about 6% YTD, putting its first post-halving red yearly candle on the table and challenging the four-year cycle narrative. Some analysts see a retest of the yearly open near $93.5K as possible, but emphasize that candle closes matter more than wicks at year-end.
Russia softens crypto stance: Retail investors allowed limited Bitcoin access under new regulatory framework
By Kevin Hughes — December 28, 2025
Source: Natural News
Russia’s central bank proposed allowing retail investors to buy limited amounts of the most liquid cryptocurrencies (up to 300,000 rubles per intermediary annually) after passing a knowledge test, while professionals face no caps but must show risk awareness. Anonymous coins remain banned, and crypto usage for domestic payments is prohibited; trading will route through licensed platforms, with final rules targeted by mid-2026 and penalties enforced in 2027. The framework reflects a cautious opening amid sanctions pressure and broader experimentation with alternative settlement methods.
Santa didn’t come for Bitcoin ETFs: $782 million walks out the door
By Christian Encila — December 28, 2025
Source: Bitcoinist
Spot Bitcoin ETFs shed roughly $782 million over the holiday week, capped by a $276 million outflow Friday dominated by IBIT and FBTC. Beyond seasonal factors, 30-day averages show sustained net outflows since early November, signaling a more cautious institutional stance even as BTC prices hold near $87K. The concurrent surge in gold and silver suggests some reallocation toward metals while crypto consolidates.
Bitcoin returns will be strong but “not spectacular” over next decade: Bitwise
By Ciaran Lyons — December 28, 2025
Source: Cointelegraph
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan expects a decade of steady, lower-volatility Bitcoin gains and sees 2026 as an “up” year, underpinned by slow-moving institutional demand that has limited drawdowns. Debate over the four-year cycle persists, with some analysts warning of deeper retracements, but Hougan argues the Trump administration now adds limited incremental upside given clearer U.S. regulatory positioning. The broader takeaway: long-term strength without blow-off peaks.
Uniswap executes 100M UNI burn after governance approval
By Amin Haqshanas — December 28, 2025
Source: Cointelegraph
Uniswap completed a major governance milestone, burning 100 million UNI (~$596M) after near-unanimous support for the “UNIfication” proposal. Interface fees were set to zero while fees were activated on Uniswap v2 and selected v3 pools, with Unichain fees contributing to future burns; UNI rallied over 5% on the news. The Uniswap Foundation plans a Growth Budget distributing 20 million UNI to continue funding ecosystem development.
Trump, tariffs and utility tokens: Animoca’s Yat Siu says crypto finally has to grow up
By Christina Comben — December 28, 2025
Source: Cointelegraph
Animoca Brands’ Yat Siu argues that the 2025 “Trump trade” fell short as tariffs and rates pressured risk assets, pushing crypto toward compliance and real utility in 2026. Animoca’s planned reverse-merger IPO aims to give public markets an “altcoin proxy,” while regulatory clarity via the Clarity and GENIUS Acts could catalyze a wave of tokenized, use-case-driven products. After the memecoin blow-off, Siu expects 2026 to be the year of the utility token—“tokenize or die.”
