In a recent report, the data aggregator CoinGecko has unveiled the leading 
crypto narratives of the year, with the Real-World Asset (RWA) sector emerging 
as a major contender with notable returns RWAs Lead Crypto Market Growth The 
report highlights that RWA has become the standout narrative in 2025, boasting 
an impressive average price return of 185.8% year-to-date (YTD) across key 
tokens, such as Figure Heloc, Chainlink (LINK), Stellar (XLM), Tether Gold 
(XAUT), and BlackRock’s BUIDL. This surge in the RWA sector can largely be 
attributed to the performance of specific platforms. Notably, Keeta Network 
has skyrocketed by 1,794.9% YTD, while Zebec Network and Maple Finance have 
recorded gains of 217.3% and 123.0% respectively. Related Reading: Bitcoin 
Correction Timeline: Analyst Predicts Potential Bottom In October 2026 Current 
statistics show that the crypto RWA sector boasts a Distributed Asset Value of 
$18.88 billion, reflecting a 2.56% increase over the past month. However, the 
Represented Asset Value has seen a slight decline, standing at $407.93 
billion, down 2.36%. For context, RWA’s approach facilitates asset managers 
and projects the digital transformation of tangible assets, such as real 
estate and commodities, creating a solid foundation for trading, managing, and 
securing these assets. Layer-1 (L1) solutions have emerged as the second most 
profitable narrative this year, achieving an average price gain of 80.3% YTD. 
The success of this narrative can be attributed to the performance of privacy- 
focused blockchains such as Zcash and Monero, which have seen rallies of 
691.3% and 143.6%, respectively. Another noteworthy crypto narrative, “Made in 
USA,” is also on track to end the year positively, with average gains of 30.6% 
YTD, primarily driven by Zcash’s performance that mitigated the moderate 
losses of other tokens in that category. Top Meme Tokens Suffer Heavy Losses 
Despite their popularity, narratives such as memecoins and artificial 
intelligence (AI) have struggled this year, with average returns of -31.6% and 
-50.2% year-to-date, respectively. Leading memecoins in the crypto space, such 
as Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), have demonstrated the volatility of 
this sector by suffering significant losses of over 60% year-to-date. 
Similarly, the report notes that many artificial intelligence-focused crypto 
assets have recorded declines between 49.8% and 84.3%, with only Alchemist AI 
and Kite performing relatively better. Related Reading: Ethereum Fails To 
Surpass $3,000: Predictions For The Final Days Of The Year Lastly, the 
decentralized finance narrative faced a challenging year, experiencing average 
returns of -34.8%, which is consistent with the returns seen in the memecoins 
segment. The decentralized exchange (DEX) narrative has mirrored this decline 
with average losses of -55.5%, while layer-2 (L2) solutions have also 
struggled, recording average returns of -40.6% for the second year in a row. 
At the time of writing, the market&#8217;s leading crypto, Bitcoin (BTC), was 
trading at $88,960, having recorded losses of 10% year-to-date. Featured image 
from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

RWA Tops Crypto Narratives In 2025: CoinGecko Reports 185% Growth

Bitcoin reached new all-time highs in October, yet Jan3 founder Samson Mow has 
described the year as a “bear market” and anticipates a major bull run ahead.

Bitcoin saw bear market in 2025, ‘decade long’ bull run ahead: Mow

Amid already fragile sentiment across the crypto market, attackers exploited 
Trust Wallet, shaking confidence in self-custody solutions. The breach has 
impacted hundreds of users, with on-chain data showing that more than $6.77 
million has already been stolen. The timing has amplified concern, coming at a 
moment when investors are already navigating heightened uncertainty, declining 
prices, and rising risk aversion. Related Reading: XRP Exchange Reserves On 
Binance Fall To Six-Month Low: Selling Pressure Is Easing According to the 
Trust Wallet team, the exploit appears to be linked to a recent update to its 
Chrome browser extension. In a public statement posted on X, the company urged 
users to take immediate action, stating: “Users with Browser Extension 2.68 
should disable and upgrade to 2.69.” The message suggests that the 
vulnerability was isolated to a specific version of the extension, rather than 
the core wallet infrastructure, but the scale of the losses has nonetheless 
raised alarm. Trust Wallet is one of the most widely used self-custody wallets 
in the industry. Reporting a user base of roughly 220 million people globally. 
That reach makes any security incident particularly significant, not only 
because of the direct financial impact, but also due to the broader 
implications for trust in non-custodial platforms. As investigations continue 
and affected users assess the damage, the exploit adds another layer of stress 
to a market already grappling with weak sentiment and elevated skepticism 
toward crypto infrastructure. Funds Tracked As Trust Wallet Commits To Full 
Reimbursement On-chain investigators have begun tracing the movement of funds 
linked to the Trust Wallet exploit. According to analysis shared by 
Lookonchain, the attacker has already transferred approximately $5.5 million 
through a combination of instant swap services and centralized exchanges, 
including ChangeNOW, FixedFloat, KuCoin, and HTX. Routing funds through 
multiple channels suggests an attempt to obscure flows and accelerate 
laundering. A pattern commonly observed in recent wallet exploits. Despite the 
ongoing movement of stolen assets, Trust Wallet has moved quickly to reassure 
users. Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) publicly stated that 
Trust Wallet will fully cover all user losses resulting from the incident. 
This commitment has been central to calming concerns. Particularly given the 
wallet’s large global user base and the broader climate of weakened trust in 
crypto infrastructure. The Trust Wallet team later reinforced this position 
with a formal statement, confirming the scale of the impact and outlining next 
steps. “We’ve confirmed that approximately $7M has been impacted and we will 
ensure all affected users are refunded,” the team said. The team added that 
supporting affected users is the top priority, and they are actively 
finalizing the refund process. The statement also warned users to avoid 
interacting with messages that do not originate from official Trust Wallet 
channels. As fund tracking continues, the focus has now shifted from damage 
assessment to execution of reimbursements and restoration of user confidence. 
Altcoin Market Holds Key Support As Broader Structure Weakens The total 
cryptocurrency market capitalization excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum is trading 
near the $825 billion level on the weekly chart. Following a sharp pullback 
from the $1.1–$1.2 trillion highs reached earlier this year. This index, used 
as a proxy for broader altcoin market health, shows a clear loss of momentum 
after an aggressive expansion phase. Signaling rising stress across the 
altcoin sector. Technically, the market has slipped below its faster weekly 
moving average, which previously acted as dynamic support during the uptrend. 
That level has now flipped into resistance, limiting upside attempts. Price is 
currently hovering just above the longer-term moving averages, which converge 
between roughly $780 billion and $820 billion. This zone represents a critical 
structural support area. A sustained break below it would likely confirm a 
broader bearish transition for altcoins. Related Reading: Bitcoin and Ethereum 
Coinbase Inflows Collapse While Binance Retains Relative Activity – Details 
From a market-structure perspective, holding the current range keeps the 
possibility of consolidation alive. However, failure to defend this support 
would open the door to a deeper retracement toward the $650–$700 billion 
region. For a bullish case to re-emerge, the altcoin market would need to 
reclaim the $900 billion level and reestablish acceptance above its key moving 
averages. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Trust Wallet Exploit Drains $7M: Hundreds Of Users Affected

As the year draws to a close, XRP investors are increasingly adopting a 
bearish outlook, anticipating that the altcoin will remain below the critical 
$2 threshold. XRP Forecasts Dipped A recent poll conducted by cryptocurrency 
exchange Gemini, running from December 12 to 23, reveals that 73% of investors 
predict XRP will finish the year between $1.50 and $2.00, suggesting a muted 
conclusion for the altcoin&#8217;s performance in 2025. Just weeks prior, market 
sentiment was more optimistic, with around 38% of traders expecting XRP to 
rally to a range of $2.00 to $2.50 by December 31. However, that figure has 
since dropped to 28%, reflecting a significant decline in confidence. Related 
Reading: Bitcoin Correction Timeline: Analyst Predicts Potential Bottom In 
October 2026 The possibility of the cryptocurrency exceeding $2.50 appears 
almost non-existent, as only about 4% of respondents foresee it reaching the 
$2.50 to $3.00 range, and a similar 4% predict it could surpass $3.00. The 
consensus of 73% predicting an XRP finish between $1.50 and $2.00 marks an 
increase from the 63% recorded earlier in the poll. This growing alignment 
among poll participants indicates that they are consolidating around this 
range as the most likely scenario. Furthermore, the sentiment towards higher 
price levels has significantly shifted. The percentage of voters anticipating 
a rally into the mid-$2 range has dwindled to a mere 4%, reflecting dwindling 
confidence after several failed attempts to break through resistance levels. 
Even the outlook for the altcoin’s price to drop below $1.50 has risen 
slightly to 7%, up from 6%, although most believe a sharp sell-off is 
unlikely. Rising Supply From Early Investors This prevailing sentiment aligns 
with Futures data indicating a prevalence of aggressive sell orders, while the 
slow accumulation of XRP in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) at a pace of $30 to 
$50 million daily cannot keep up with profit-taking and risk reduction 
activities in the market. On-chain data reveals that significant realized 
gains have been secured as XRP approached its recent highs. For instance, a 
long-term holder who initially acquired the altcoin around $0.40 sold over 350 
million tokens at approximately $2.00, reaping an estimated profit of $721 
million. Related Reading: Ethereum Fails To Surpass $3,000: Predictions For 
The Final Days Of The Year With many early investors reportedly cashing out at 
the $2 level, there has been minimal support for dip-buying to bolster the 
price, keeping it in the current range between $1.7 and $1.8 recorded in the 
week. Experts suggest that when the supply increases from long-term holders, 
whose initial investments were made at $0.40 to $0.60, it creates a resistance 
ceiling that is challenging to break without substantial new demand entering 
the market. At the time of writing, XRP was trading at $1.830. The altcoin has 
recorded major losses in all time frames, with a year-to-date decline of 15%, 
in line with the broader market&#8217;s performance. Featured image from DALL-E, 
chart from TradingView.com

Gemini Poll Finds Over 70% Of Investors Predict XRP Below $2 By Year’s End

Coinbase Institutional’s 2026 Crypto Market Outlook frames the industry at a 
pivotal transition, with policy clarity, institutional participation, and 
infrastructure convergence positioning digital assets to integrate deeper into 
the financial core over the coming year. Coinbase 2026 Crypto Market Outlook 
Sees Regulatory Clarity Reshaping Institutional Strategy, Risk, and Compliance 
Coinbase Institutional, the research arm of […]

Cryptocurrency price in AUD