The market cap of bitcoin mining stocks climbed 9.43% on Friday, finishing the 
session with every one of the top ten publicly traded miners by market value 
in the green, including three names that logged double-digit advances. With 
just one week left on the 2025 calendar, nearly the entire mining cohort — 
save for two […]

Bitcoin Mining Stocks End Friday Strong as a Choppy Year-End Awaits

Multiple factors, including ETF outflows, contracting demand, and price 
falling below key support levels, indicate the start of a BTC bear market.

Bitcoin’s apparent demand shrinks, signals new bear market: Analysts

XRP has continued to trade lower as crypto prices weaken across the board, 
with the total market shedding more than $1.3 trillion since October. Related 
Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders 
Warn During the past three months, XRP has dropped more than 30%, keeping 
pressure on sentiment even as some commentators argue the token’s purpose goes 
far beyond short-term price moves. Retail Vs. Institutional Viewpoint 
According to health and finance commentator Dr. Camila Stevenson, much of the 
debate around XRP misses how large financial players judge settlement tools. 
Everyday traders tend to focus on charts and quick exits. Banks do not. They 
look at whether a system can handle stress, move large sums, and keep working 
when conditions worsen. Stevenson compared it to infrastructure testing, where 
strength and capacity matter more than the initial cost. XRP Was Built For 
Flows Based on reports from her recent video discussion, XRP was structured to 
act as a bridge for moving value, not as a speculative chip. With a fixed 
supply, the token cannot expand in quantity to meet higher transaction demand. 
Stevenson said that leaves price as the only way to support larger volumes. 
Analyst XFinanceBull echoed this view, encouraging market watchers to think in 
terms of flows rather than daily price action. Price Alone Does Not Prove Use 
Even so, market behavior still plays a major role. XRP trades in open markets, 
and speculation continues to influence price direction. A higher price may 
improve efficiency, but it does not guarantee adoption. Stevenson pointed out 
that many institutions position through custodians, OTC desks, and private 
agreements. These transactions often happen quietly and may not show up as 
sharp moves on public charts. Sudden spikes during positioning, she warned, 
would suggest instability rather than healthy use. Why Higher Price Helps 
Stevenson argued that banks moving billions would rather use fewer units that 
each represent more value. Fewer tokens can mean simpler settlement and less 
risk of slippage during busy periods. Large financial systems tend to fail 
when money cannot move or when settlement slows, not when prices fall. In that 
context, a higher XRP price could support smoother transfers if volumes rise 
enough to test the system. Related Reading: XRP ETFs Grow Past $60M As Price 
Struggles To Respond Market Reality Remains Mixed Despite the theory, clear 
proof of large-scale institutional demand remains limited. Regulation, 
liquidity depth, and reliable access still shape whether banks commit real 
volume. XRP’s 33% slide over recent months shows how quickly sentiment can 
shift, even as long-term use cases are debated. The idea that banks prefer a 
higher XRP price rests on future scale, not current trading patterns. Featured 
image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Banks Could Favor A Higher XRP Price, Finance Expert Says

Bitcoin hovered at $88,202 per coin at 2:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 20, as 
derivatives markets quietly shifted into a more cautious posture following the 
Dec. 19 options expiry. Futures leverage eased, options positioning has 
thickened, and traders appeared more interested in protection than bravado. 
BTC Derivatives Data Shows Traders Hedging, Not Chasing According to […]

Bitcoin Futures and Options Positioning Suggests a Measured Reset Ahead

Bitcoin&#8217;s fundamental properties make it a better long-term bet than gold, 
according to Bitcoin maximalist and analyst Matthew Kratter.

Cryptocurrency price in AUD