Crypto Trends Capture Attention as Market Struggles
On a typical Sunday morning, trading volumes dropped even further, and the forthcoming week does not promise significant news updates. While altcoins displayed minor losses, Bitcoin (BTC) $90,357.50 wrestled to maintain its position above the $88,000 threshold. Investors faced a tough week, marked by volatility and uncertainty. This article delves into the present scenario of BTC and altcoins, identifying those that are gaining prominence in the market.
Contents
Bitcoin (BTC) Insights
Current State of Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin (BTC) Insights
In the last five trading sessions, BTC experienced notable ETF outflows on four occasions, each exceeding $100 million. The outflows began with $357 million on December 15 and continued with a net outflow of $158 million on Friday. Despite a brief influx of funds on Wednesday, driven by market data, selling pressure remained dominant. This trend suggests institutional investors are reducing their risks as the year-end approaches.
Friday of the upcoming week marks the year’s largest options expiration event, with analysts predicting it might support a downturn. Although cumulative BTC ETF inflows have exceeded $62 billion this year, they have now fallen below $58 billion. Given that the total net inflow for 2025 remains significantly below last year’s, it indicates a challenging year.
Negative sentiment prevailed over the weekend as BTC failed to secure a support level that would negate the bear flag pattern. Given its consistent downward closures, there is increasing potential for a deeper correction that could extend Bitcoin’s value below $80,000. Should closures under $84,500 occur in the coming days, losses could intensify, reaching as low as $80,780 and possibly $76,000.
Current State of Cryptocurrencies
The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies remains below the psychological threshold of $3 trillion as altcoin indices hit rock bottom at 17, and the fear and greed index stays in fear territory. The average Relative Strength Index (RSI) of cryptocurrencies, being below 49, indicates prevalent selling pressure. Only six altcoins recorded double-digit gains in the past 24 hours. Among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, Canton (CC) led with a remarkable rally of 36.5%.
BEAT saw a 26% rise, NIGHT 18%, and UNI 16.6%. Uniswap’s (UNI) surge may be sustained due to an impending vote concerning potential changes. The team proposes fees activation to remove up to 100 million UNI Coins from circulation, favoring bulls, with the voting supporting the price since December 19.
Conversely, PUMP and M Coin closed as leaders in losses for the week, each declining by 30%. Aster and TAO seem to be in search of new all-time lows.
3 Altcoins To Watch This Weekend | December 20 – 21
The crypto market is heading into the final week of 2025, and this will be the second last weekend of the year. As Bitcoin and the altcoins alike have been directionless, external factors may act as catalysts in the coming days.
BeInCrypto has analysed three such altcoins that present interesting opportunities for investors this weekend.
Midnight (NIGHT)
NIGHT has emerged as the best-performing altcoin of the week, gaining 61% since launch. Strong early momentum continues to attract speculative interest. The sharp rise reflects heightened demand from traders seeking exposure to newly launched assets with high growth narratives.
Investor interest is driven by NIGHTs development ties to Charles Hoskinson and the Cardano ecosystem through the Midnight blockchain. The token now exceeds a $1 billion market cap. Trading near $0.064, NIGHT could break $0.065 and $0.075, targeting the $0.088 all-time high.
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NIGHT Price Analysis. Source:TradingView
Downside risks remain elevated for a newly launched token. Premature profit-taking could reverse momentum quickly. If selling pressure increases, NIGHT may fall toward $0.045. Such a move would erase recent gains, invalidate the bullish thesis, and increase short-term volatility.
Pump.fun (PUMP)
PUMP has moved opposite to NIGHT, ranking among the worst-performing altcoins this week. The token has fallen more than 35%, trading near $0.00197. Persistent selling pressure reflects weak sentiment, as investors continue reducing exposure amid broader market uncertainty.
Despite losses, technical indicators offer a potential rebound signal. The relative strength index has entered oversold territory, suggesting selling pressure may be exhausting. If buyers step in, PUMP could rebound above $0.00212 and extend gains toward the $0.00242 resistance level.
PUMP Price Analysis. Source:TradingView
The recovery scenario remains fragile. Failure to attract buying interest could extend losses. A breakdown below current levels may send PUMP toward the $0.00171 support. Such a move would invalidate the bullish outlook and reinforce continued downside risk.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash jumped 8% today on asset-specific activity rather than broader Bitcoin moves. The rally followed speculation surrounding ShapeShift founder Erik Voorhees swapping 4,619 ETH, valued at $13.42 million, for 24,950 BCH from a wallet inactive for nine years, reigniting market interest.
However, Erik Voorhees confirmed that the wallet did not belong to him, nor does he own any BCH. Nevertheless, the rally ignited by the speculation may likely extend into the weekend.
Continued investor inflows, confirmed by a rising Chaikin Money Flow, support the upside case. If demand holds, BCH could break above $593 and advance toward $624, signaling short-term recovery strength driven by renewed confidence.
BCH Price Analysis. Source:TradingView
Downside risks persist if momentum fades. Failure to reclaim $593 could keep Bitcoin Cash capped below $600. In that scenario, weakening demand may pull BCH toward $555 or lower, reinforcing consolidation and invalidating the near-term bullish outlook.
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PUMP Plunges 30% After Whale Exit – Could This Be a Key Turning Point?
Whale Exit: Major holder sold $6.3 million PUMP, signaling potential further downside.
Buybacks: Team continues daily token purchases, totaling $12.7 million in December so far.
Technicals: Oversold indicators and key support at $0.0025 suggest possible rebound if buyers step in.
Pump.fun — PUMP, recently took a hit, sliding deeper into a downtrend after failing to maintain momentum. The token peaked at $0.0048 last month but has since traded in a descending channel. At press time, PUMP changed hands at $0.002754, down more than 30% over the past month. Selling pressure intensified as large holders exited positions, raising questions about whether PUMP has reached a key turning point in the market.
$PUMP is under pressure, and the current structure does not justify an entry yet.My focus remains on, the all-time low. That is the only price where risk-reward becomes attractive, and I’m willing to wait for it.The downside pressure is coming from multiple factors: •… https://t.co/Dd37s0Gw8X pic.twitter.com/6g0Fa2aSKp— Kapoor Kshitiz (@kshitizkapoor_)
December 13, 2025
Whale Exits Amplify Selling Pressure
On-chain data revealed that a major whale closed positions at a significant loss. Two wallets controlled by the same whale sold a combined $6.3 million worth of PUMP. One wallet deposited 1.17 billion tokens, valued at $3.21 million, while the other sold 1.129 billion tokens worth $3.11 million. The whale had accumulated PUMP for over three months.
By realizing losses exceeding $5 million, roughly 50% of the initial investment, the whale signaled deteriorating confidence. Historically, such large exits at a loss can indicate further downside risk. Exchange flows reflected similar trends. CoinGlass data showed a sharp positive shift in Pump.fun Spot Netflow, reaching around $509,000 from a previous negative of $1.28 million.
Positive netflows often indicate rising exchange inflows, increasing near-term selling pressure when demand remains weak. Buyers faced a significant stress test as internal support struggled to absorb the selling. Despite ongoing challenges, the Pump.fun team continued token buybacks throughout December.
Oversold Signals and Potential Recovery
Momentum indicators suggest the token is oversold. PUMP’s Stochastic RSI dropped to 21, a level often seen during strong seller control. While oversold readings can sometimes precede rebounds, they do not guarantee an immediate reversal. If selling continues, the token risks losing the $0.0025 support zone, which could push prices lower. Buyers need to reclaim EMA20 near $0.0029 to challenge the bearish trend.
A successful move above EMA20 could open a path toward EMA50, around $0.0034, offering potential upside. Traders are watching closely for any signs that buy-side support can stabilize the market. Whale exits, selling pressure, and oversold conditions create a delicate balance. Whether PUMP rebounds or continues lower depends on whether buyers can step in and counteract the heavy selling.
PUMP’s recent decline highlights the impact of large holders on token price. Whale capitulation, combined with technical weakness, has shaped current market sentiment. Token buybacks show some commitment from the team but may not be enough to reverse trends alone. Investors should monitor support and resistance levels closely while keeping an eye on any return of smart money.
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Pump.fun (PUMP)
How is Crypto VC Investment Trending in a Bearish Market?
Venture capital is the lifeblood of the startup world in Web3 and crypto. Entrepreneurs need to raise money for projects in order to hire talented people, pay operating costs, and perform marketing for scaling a business.VCs, of course, are more than happy to do this, as they get a chunk of the long-term payoff if there ever is one, of course. Most startups fail, and the business is highly predicated on unicorns to drive venture funds.
The crypto market is unique, to be sure, with cryptocurrencies also playing a role as many startups launch tokens. However, the digital asset market hasnt been performing as well.Since October, when the price per 1 BTC hit an eye-watering $126,000 record level, the orange asset is in the red by 25%.
Crypto VC Investments Over the Past 10 Years. Source: Galaxy Research
Crypto prices impact the VC market, and dynamics have certainly changed for startups to raise money. Whats the outlook looking like overall right now?
Market cycles may influence investment sentiment and can slow or accelerate the pace of closing deals, noted Stefan Deiss, CEO of Hashgraph Group, focused on VC in the Hedera ecosystem.
Lowered Expectations From Venture Capital
One of the first things that happens when crypto trends to a downward cycle is that startup valuations go lower.
It may not seem directly related, but the concept of the hot rounds for fashionable startups cool off, and VCs dont really go for sky-high valuations so much, noted Artem Gordadze, an angel investor in NEAR Foundation and advisor at startup accelerator Techstars.
When Bitcoin is trading at high levels, like the perceived $100k level, startup valuations are commensurately high, Gordadze said. This creates a challenging dynamic: VCs must justify the entry valuation based on a potential future price that must materialize within the investment horizon to generate acceptable returns.
Bitcoins price since the start of Q4 on October 1. Source: CoinGecko
It seems the theory that Bitcoin always goes up is not one venture capitalists are attuned to. Because of long time horizons for VC investments, they have seen many cycles, especially with Bitcoin.
In addition, many VCs often call November and December write-off months. This means they dont expect to do too much work during the fourth quarter and the holiday season, preferring to start investing anew after the calendar turns to another year.
The Pragmatic View
The view of venture from 10,000 feet up, as it pertains to the crypto sector specifically, is one of spending, but less volume.
Case in point: Prediction market Polymarket closed $1 billion, while Kraken took in $800m in funding this quarter.
In the third quarter, the total amount of funding was $4.59 billion, but half of that was concentrated on just seven deals, according to Alex Thorne, head of research for Galaxy.
The cash is flowing: 2025 Q3 was the second-highest since 2022 Q1. Source: X
Market downturns sharpen the focus because you stop seeing price action as a signal but rather resilience in execution and product as the main indicators that count, said Hashgraph Groups Deiss. Downturns push investors to focus more on fundamentals rather than short-term momentum.
That short-term momentum may often be more hype than anything else. And many big venture-backed projects doing a TGE have not performed very well this year. This includes PUMP (down over 50% in 2025) and Berachain (a 91% drop since its February launch).
High volatility and uncertain early-stage valuations are driving a significant shift in capital deployment, favoring strategies with shorter liquidity cycles and better pricing control, added Gordadze.
The Lock-Up and the Liquidity
One of the most distinctive aspects of the cryptocurrency industry is the token generation event, or TGE.The successor to ICOs of days past, Coinbase is now facilitating TGEs after its $375 million purchase of investor platform Echo.Monad was the first project to launch there, raising $296m, and theres surely more to come.
However, once a token launches, there are a few metrics that are unique to crypto that venture investors must closely monitor.
One is the lock-up, whereby, at TGE, not all tokens are circulating in the market yet; there is a period of holding these assets back. This is designed to better incentivize a networks participants, from team members to community airdrops and foundation efforts.
Then theres fully diluted value, or FDV this is the total number of tokens times the price basically a market cap for all tokens, even if they havent been unlocked yet.
And when markets gyrate, its really hard to forecast any potential exits of tokens for VCs, which can be a conundrum.Recently, Arthur Hayes of Maelstrom Capital went on a rant about lock-ups, specifically related to Monad. As a trader, Hayes clearly doesnt like the illiquidity of these types of tokens.
Arthur Hayes tagging Monads Keone Hon about lock-ups. Source: X
Given the average token or equity vesting/lock-up period of 12 to 48 months, VCs must model the markets likely condition when these lock-ups end, said Gordadze, the Techstars mentor. The entry price must be strategically set to ensure a profitable exit, making long-term market forecasts crucial for deal finalization.
The Future of Crypto VC Investment in 2026 and Beyond
On the subject of market forecasts, VCs surely love to talk about the future. And for crypto, it seems, given favorable US regulatory actions in 2025, that next year could be much better. Is that just investor hopium?
Maybe. But rose colored (or green) glasses are always the default mode for VCs. Optimism, of course, always wins.
2026 is shaping up as a year defined by real utility DeFi will make a strong comeback with enhanced momentum and maturity and the stablecoin moment becomes background, noted Deiss. Stablecoins certainly had a moment this year, although they are the boring infrastructure thats going to power, say, the next Polymarket, which uses USDC on Polygon as its main coin and chain.
Now that stablecoins are finally going mainstream and banks are rushing to get in, the next level will be services for users that are powered by these assets behind the scenes, noted Gordadze.
The most significant growth areas will likely reside in the intersection of AI/Blockchain and RWA/Blockchain, as these represent the greatest opportunities for real-world impact and institutional revenue generation.
Read the article at BeInCrypto