As the S&P 500 and gold continue climbing to fresh all-time highs—riding the wave of the Santa Claus rally that's blessed traditional markets—crypto traders are dealing with a completely different script. While equities and commodities celebrate, the digital asset space remains under pressure, painting a sharp contrast between mainstream finance euphoria and the crypto market's ongoing struggles. It's a tale of two markets right now: one basking in record territory, the other grinding through headwinds.

Someone is using Circle's name to cause trouble. A fake press release has recently been circulating online, claiming that Circle has launched a platform called "CircleMetals," which allows users to exchange USDC for supposedly tokenized gold (GLDC) and silver (SILC). Even more outrageous, this fake press release impersonates Circle's CEO Jeremy Allaire and other executives, quoting their statements.
Circle has officially confirmed to the media that this is completely false. A spokesperson clearly stated that the press release "is not genuine." This tactic of using the name of a major company t

Let's talk about the interesting disconnect we're seeing across different chains right now. While Bitcoin and Ethereum are capturing headlines with their price swings, there are some solid Layer 1 and Layer 2 ecosystems quietly gaining traction based on actual usage metrics and developer activity. The question isn't just which chain looks good on the price charts—it's which ones are attracting real transaction volume, growing their developer communities, and delivering tangible improvements even when the broader market is sideways or under pressure. Some chains are proving resilient through bu

While the S&P 500 keeps breaking records as the year-end "Santa Claus rally" kicks into gear, crypto isn't getting the same holiday cheer. Bitcoin and major altcoins are lagging behind traditional equity gains, marking another year where digital assets struggle to ride the coattails of traditional market momentum.
It's a familiar pattern we've seen play out before—when traditional markets rally hard, especially during seasonally strong periods, crypto often gets left holding the short end of the stick. The S&P's new highs are pushing headlines and retail attention toward stocks, while sentimen

Auto loan delinquencies just hit their highest level ever recorded. We're seeing Americans struggle more than ever to keep up with vehicle payments, signaling real stress in household finances. According to economists, this surge reflects broader economic pressures—rising costs, stagnant wages, and tighter credit conditions all playing a role. When consumer debt stress peaks like this, it typically ripples through spending patterns and investment behavior. For those watching market cycles, these metrics matter: financial pressure on regular consumers often precedes shifts in risk appetite and

The S&P 500 just hit an intraday record high, riding the wave of growing rate cut expectations. The market's betting on looser monetary policy ahead, which is giving equities a serious boost. This kind of macro shift typically ripples across asset classes—when traditional markets like large-cap stocks are rallying on dovish signals, it often signals broader appetite for risk assets. Crypto traders should pay attention to these Fed policy signals and interest rate trajectory, as they've historically influenced capital flows into alternative investments and shaped market sentiment.

Here's the core tension in current economic policy: can pro-growth moves like deregulation and tax cuts really compensate for the drag from tariffs? Because let's be real—tariffs are basically a different kind of tax, hitting consumers and businesses. So the bet is that you'll gain more from releasing regulatory constraints and letting companies keep more cash than you'll lose from higher import costs. Interesting thought experiment though: what if we ditched the tariff part of the equation? Where would growth be then? That's the question everyone in markets should be asking right now, especia

By 2025, many new tokens have already emerged, and their performance varies greatly. Some have surged to impressive prices, while others have a quite substantial FDV—this difference reflects the market's evaluation logic of different projects.
From the price trend perspective, among the early-listed tokens, there are strong performers as well as those with mediocre performance. Even more interesting is the FDV (Fully Diluted Valuation) data—some projects, although not particularly outstanding in price, have a lot of room for valuation. This indicates that the market is still gradually digestin

Recently, there has been an interesting phenomenon. A leading exchange just launched Lighter($LIT), and shortly after, a wave of betting on the prediction market platform emerged regarding "what the FDV will be 24 hours after the project launches."
The results are quite fascinating—data shows a clear divergence.
Among the bettors, over 85% believe the FDV will surpass $2 billion. That sounds strong, but looking further up the data reveals something interesting: only 23% are willing to bet it can break $4 billion. The 14 percentage point gap between these figures actually reflects the market's

The ECB's recent signals are worth paying attention to. For months, European central bankers maintained their aggressive stance, but lately there's been subtle pushback—especially as we head into the holiday season. The question isn't whether they'll pivot entirely, but whether they're finally acknowledging the economic headwinds.
When major central banks cool their rhetoric, it ripples through asset markets. Higher interest rate expectations had kept traditional markets volatile, which indirectly affects crypto sentiment. If European policymakers are genuinely reconsidering their aggressive t

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is set to bring its massive nuclear facility back online on January 20th. The plant, recognized as the world's largest nuclear power station, will resume operations in phases. This development carries broader implications for the region's energy landscape and electricity costs moving forward. The restart addresses Japan's long-standing energy supply challenges and marks a significant shift in the country's post-Fukushima energy policy. Observers note that stable, affordable power infrastructure remains crucial for data centers and computational netw

Holiday shopping report shows Visa payment volumes grew 4.2% during the first seven weeks of the season, but growth momentum is noticeably weaker compared to the same period last year. This deceleration in retail spending could signal shifting consumer behavior and tighter discretionary budgets. Such slowdowns in traditional consumption often correlate with changes in investment flows—when mainstream retail spending cools, capital allocation patterns tend to shift, potentially affecting how investors view alternative assets. The data suggests economic headwinds may be impacting household purch

The number of initial jobless claims in the United States for the week ending December 20th was 214,000, below the expected 224,000. This data exceeds market expectations and may ease concerns about a US economic recession, providing short-term positive momentum for risk assets and the cryptocurrency market.

Recently, regulatory agencies issued risk warnings to investors, exposing a suspicious investment product called "Victory" Sauce Aroma Original Liquor (VSFOLT) and its associated RWA tokens.
The scheme of this product is as follows: promoters claim that there are physical liquor assets and shares of a Hong Kong-listed company backing the tokens, inducing investors to believe that they can share in the profits when the product matures. It appears to be a logical scheme, but in reality, it is a typical case of false asset endorsement.
Why is this a special reminder? Because these "asset tokeniza

The market's keeping a close eye on several heavyweight developments this morning. On the economic front, growth figures are coming in solid, suggesting momentum hasn't stalled despite lingering uncertainties. Then there's the tariff situation—the anticipated move on semiconductor duties is being delayed, which is catching traders' attention as it could ease near-term supply chain pressures.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is making headlines with fresh record closes, signaling renewed investor confidence. It's the kind of macro backdrop that tends to ripple through the broader asset space, including

Kevin Mahn from a leading financial advisory firm shares an interesting take on what's brewing for 2026: the bull market isn't done yet, but don't expect a smooth ride. While 2025 has been relatively kind to crypto investors, expect significantly higher volatility as we head into next year. It's the classic pattern we've seen before—momentum continues, but with more dramatic swings in either direction. For traders watching the cycles, this means tighter risk management and more active positioning strategies. The underlying bullish structure remains intact, but the margin for error shrinks cons

Longs have been holding for an entire day, but the price remains stagnant. Watching the candlestick chart stay still, I feel really frustrated.
The market is messing with us, and the indicator signals are also fluctuating wildly. Can we really keep playing like this, brothers?
I believe many people have experienced this situation—clearly judging the direction correctly, but still stuck in the position. Should we wait to see if it breaks through, or find an opportunity to cut losses? This is the daily life of trading.

Spotted an interesting token movement on Solana: Neurosama is showing some notable trading activity today. The 24-hour buy volume came in at $23,102 while sell-side volume hit $19,275, indicating fairly balanced trading interest. Current market cap sits at $14,200 with liquidity still building. The buy-to-sell ratio suggests moderate demand, though the relatively low liquidity means traders should be cautious with position sizing. Worth keeping on radar if you're tracking emerging projects on Solana—these early-stage movements can signal potential interest shifts in the meme coin space.

Bitcoin mining outfits are making bold moves by transitioning into AI data centers. Here's what's driving this trend: they already own the real estate, cooling systems, and power infrastructure that AI compute demands. Instead of letting existing assets sit idle, these operations are capitalizing on skyrocketing demand for computational resources. It's a smart pivot—repurposing their technical expertise and operational backbone to capture a piece of the AI infrastructure boom. The economics make sense: they've got the grid connections, the experience managing massive energy loads, and the oper

Internet service providers in the Philippines have gradually blocked access to the two major exchanges Coinbase and Gemini. According to the Philippines Central Bank's tagging results, the National Telecommunications Commission has issued restrictions to ISPs involving approximately 50 platforms identified as unauthorized trading platforms, but the specific list has not been publicly disclosed.
This is not the first time the Philippines has taken action. As early as March 2024, the country had imposed blocking measures on a leading exchange, not only restricting online access but also requirin