Sign in Subscribe
news

Crypto market update range-bound with selective altcoin strength

Crypto market update range-bound with selective altcoin strength

Crypto Market Pulse — December 2025

The cryptocurrency markets were mostly range-bound over the last 24 hours. Total capitalization held around the $3.07 trillion mark with only a slight dip, and both Bitcoin and Ethereum saw modest moves. Altcoins led the action in pockets (with DeFi and meme tokens showing strength) but overall about 75% of top 100 coins fell, indicating broad risk-off sentiment.

24h at a Glance

  • Total Market Cap: $3.07T (24h Δ ~-0.1%)
  • BTC Dominance: 57.3% (Δ ~-0.1pp)
  • ETH Dominance: 11.1% (Δ +0.5pp)
  • Spot Volume (24h): $50–150B (source methodology varies)
  • Market Breadth (Top 100): ~25 advancers vs ~75 decliners

*Note: 24h volume and market cap change vary by data source, hence a range is shown to account for differing calculation methods.*

Why the Market Moved

  • Macro/Flows: General risk sentiment was subdued – equity indices were flat and Treasury yields remained elevated – so crypto movements were muted. Trading volumes have been trending lower (some data shows daily spot volume down ~10–15%), reflecting waning speculative interest in the short term.
  • DeFi & Altcoin activity: A handful of sectors led gains. For example, decentralized exchange volume spiked (Uniswap’s token jumped), suggesting renewed liquidity demand or product updates. Privacy/blockchain infrastructure projects (like Aleo) also rallied on tech hype.
  • Memecoins and Novelty Tokens: Speculative tokens saw sharp moves on social-driven momentum. One new coin (Midnight) surged ~25%, hinting at a fringe memecoin frenzy. A rise in political-themed meme tokens also pointed to traders chasing viral news rather than fundamental drivers.
  • No Major News Shock: No new regulatory crackdowns or hacks shook the market. With big coins rangebound and no clear external catalyst, day-to-day technical trends and investor sentiment dominated price action.

Sectors & Movers

  • DeFi/DEX: Decentralized finance tokens outperformed general market; Uniswap posted solid gains after on-chain activity picked up. Stablecoin yields and cross-chain tools are also in focus as traders rotate into liquidity platforms.
  • Memes & Political Tokens: The memecoin narrative resurged. Social-media-driven tokens (like a recent “Midnight” coin and a former political meme coin) spiked, reflecting a speculative turn. These moves suggest some risk-on appetite in fringe categories.
  • Large-Cap Movers (≥ $5B): Uniswap, Polkadot, Avalanche — these major projects saw notable rallies. Potential drivers include increased network usage (Uniswap), ecosystem updates (Polkadot), and renewed adoption chatter (Avalanche).
  • Mid-Cap Movers (≥ $500M): Midnight (a new meme token), Aleo, TrumpCoin — mid-level assets with recent spikes. Midnight soared on viral hype; Aleo rose as interest in privacy/blockchain scaling grew; and TrumpCoin jumped on political momentum.

What It Means

  • Opportunity: The pullback and sector rotations have created selective entry points. Strong projects (e.g. leading DeFi platforms, core infrastructure coins) may be attractive on dips if overall sentiment improves. Niche areas like privacy/zk-SNARKs could reward early support as tech matures.
  • Risk: Reduced volume and negative breadth warn of continued volatility. Hype-driven moves (especially in small tokens) could reverse quickly. Traders should be wary of overextended rallies in meme coins and focus on risk management, as any macro shock could reignite selling.
  • Timing/Regime: The current regime appears Risk-Off: broad declines with weak participation. Until a clear breakout in volume or a catalyst emerges, expect choppy trading. In such an environment, trend-following may underperform and risk management is key.

Invest or Wait?

Aggressive: If you have a high risk tolerance, consider nibbling into oversold segments or solid projects now. Look for technical breakouts on volume (e.g. DeFi token charts improving) and scale in gradually (not financial advice). Always set stop-loss levels and be ready to exit if the trend fails.
Cautious: You may prefer to stay on the sidelines until the market confirms a direction. Consider dollar-cost averaging or waiting for clear support to hold before adding new positions. Invalidate bullish cases if major support levels break or selling spikes resume.

Crypto is volatile. This overview is informational only. Always do your own research and consider your risk tolerance.

Bottom Line

The crypto market has been range-bound with a cautious tone over the past day. Without strong catalysts and under muted volume, broad risk-aversion persists. Investors should remain patient and focus on high-quality, resilient assets while watching for a definitive change in trends before making aggressive moves.

Read next