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Bitcoin slipped 0.57% and temporarily fell below $88,000 before recovering.
Ethereum rose 0.40%, unlike the broader market, and was held above $3,100 due to steady buying interest.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana ETFs have seen high inflows over the last week.
Crypto prices today were in the red zone as bears took reigns. Most cryptocurrencies faced heavy selling pressure on December 15, 2025. The broader crypto market was lower in the last 24 hours, with Layer 2 tokens seeing the steepest decline of 3.59%. Here’s what happened in the market based on CoinMarketCap data.
Bitcoin price was down 0.57% to $89,639.06, having briefly fallen below the key $88,000 support level before recovering. It had a market capitalization of $1.78 trillion with 24-hour trading volume at $45.56 billion at press time. The circulating supply stands at 19.96 million BTC.
According to CoinSwitch Markets Desk, “BTC moved lower after failing to sustain the $92,000-$93,000 range, which triggered profit-taking and a shift to short-term risk-off positioning. With no immediate bullish catalyst, sellers gradually took control while buyers remained cautious, resulting in an orderly decline rather than a panic-driven sell-off. At the same time, upside is being capped by steady options selling from long-term Bitcoin holders.”
CoinSwitch analysts further noted, “The brief consolidation near $90,000 acted as a bear flag, followed by continuation toward the $88,000 zone. In the near term, holding $88,000 could allow a relief bounce, while a break lower may open downside toward $86,000-87,000. A decisive reclaim above $90,000-91,000 would be needed to stabilise sentiment.”
While most crypto prices today were on the downside, Ethereum managed to go against the tide to post a modest gain of 0.40% to trade at $3,122.36. Earlier in the session, ETH came under pressure and fell toward the key $3,000 mark before finding buyers who lifted it back above the resistance level of $3,100. Ethereum maintains a market capitalization of $376.85 billion with $18.91 billion in 24-hour volume, supported by its circulating supply of 120.69 million ETH.
Looking at crypto prices today, across the top digital assets:
Stablecoins were steady. USDT trades without much change at $1, holding a market cap of $186.26 billion. The USD Coin stands at $0.9999, retaining its valuation of $78.39 billion.
Solana shed 0.46% and changed hands at $131.84, and BNB fell 0.50% to $889.37. XRP price was down 0.74% to $2. Cardano dropped 0.81% to $0.4041. Meanwhile, Dogecoin (DOGE) decreased 1.07% to trade at $0.1367. However, TRON defined the downward trend, adding 2.60% to $0.2809.
Also Read: Ethereum Struggles: Treasury Demand Falls, Will $4K Come Later?
Leading the decline were layer 2 tokens, particularly the sharp losses of Celestia (TIA) and Mantle (MNT). Most sectors remained in negative territory, such as DeFi, Meme tokens, and CeFi, though a few Layer 1, PayFi, and CeFi tokens showed relative strength during the pullback.
Here are the top global cues impacting crypto prices today.
Meanwhile, despite the price weakness, institutional investors continue to accumulate digital assets via regulated products. From December 8 through December 12, spot cryptocurrency ETFs recorded strong weekly inflows:
Bitcoin ETFs attracted about $287 million in net inflows.
Ethereum ETFs saw inflows of around $209 million on a week-over-week basis.
Solana ETFs posted healthy gains of $33.6 million, with all seven tracked products showing positive flows.
These numbers indicate continued institutional demand for crypto exposure via regulated investment vehicles, amid broader market volatility.
Britain said it would bring digital assets into the regulatory ambit of the Financial Conduct Authority from October 2027. The UK Treasury is working on legislation to subject crypto businesses, including exchanges and digital wallets, to oversight akin to other financial instruments.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the move would create ‘clear rules of the road’ and keep ‘dodgy actors’ out of the market, while introducing robust consumer protections. The FCA said it intended to finalize rules for trading, market abuse, custody, and issuance by the end of 2026, while the Bank of England works on stablecoin regulations.
About 12% of UK adults currently hold some form of cryptocurrency. The new framework is designed to make Britain one of the leading financial centres in a digital age and follows similar moves by the European Union, including the MiCA legislation.
HashKey Holdings, operator of Hong Kong's largest licensed cryptocurrency exchange, raised HK$1.6 billion ($206 million) in its initial public offering after pricing 240.6 million shares at HK$6.68 each, near the upper end of its marketed range. Strong institutional demand saw the top 20 investors get about 80% of the institutional tranche, setting the IPO up as a key test of Hong Kong's ambition to become a regional digital-asset hub.
Bhutan signed a multi-year agreement with Cumberland DRW for the development of a responsible digital asset ecosystem in Gelephu Mindfulness City. The partnership would aim at building sustainable infrastructure for digital assets, creating a national framework for stablecoins, and developing local human resources. The implementation will be done through Green Digital Ltd and in line with the vision of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Base co-founder Jesse drew ire from the crypto community after allegedly shilling activity related to a suspected scam token. On-chain investigator ZachXBT questioned the decision to amplify certain figures previously accused of shilling scam-linked crypto and NFT projects. The incident once again sparked controversy relating to influencer-driven hype and investor protection within the ecosystem.
Also Read: XRP News Today: XRP ETFs Extend Inflow Streak as Market Price Holds Steady Near $2
Crypto prices today reflect continued volatility as markets search for direction. While short-term pressure remains strong across most sectors, strong ETF inflows and an advancing regulatory framework cast a light on maturing institutional interest. Investors should pay attention to key support levels, particularly the inability of Bitcoin to hold above $88,000 and Ethereum holding at the $3,000 mark.
1. Why is the crypto market down today?
The crypto market is mainly down due to selling pressure across the major sectors, especially Layer 2 tokens. Prices struggling at key support levels have further made many investors cautious.
2. Why is Bitcoin below $88,000?
Bitcoin slipped below $88,000 due to profit booking on a short-term basis and resistance near $90,000. Buyers stepped in quickly at this support region with decent interest seen around it.
3. Why is Ethereum doing better compared to the rest of the coins?
It has held up better because buyers defended the $3,000 level. Ethereum is holding up better due to strong inflows into ETFs and still-continuing demand for ETH-based applications.
4. How does today's market drop affect stablecoins?
Stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, remain stable, their prices hovering close to $1 because they are designed to eliminate volatility even when the larger crypto market has fallen.
5. Do inflows in ETFs mean that prices of cryptos will shoot up any time soon?
ETF flows indicate long-term confidence from institutions but are no assurance of short-term price appreciation. Prices can remain volatile while markets digest economic and regulatory news.
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