Crypto Market Faces Decline Amid Heightened Fear and ETF Outflows on December 16, 2025
On December 16, 2025, the cryptocurrency market experienced a notable downturn, with the total crypto market capitalization falling by 4.2% to $3.02 trillion. In the same period, the 24-hour trading volume registered at $134 billion, while 95 of the top 100 cryptocurrencies saw price declines.
Bitcoin (BTC) traded around $86,184, reflecting a 4% drop from the previous day, and Ethereum (ETH) fell 6.8% to about $2,924. BTC prices are nearing the 100-week moving average near $84,800, with analysts warning of a potential drop below $80,000 if the current rout persists. The ETF cost basis for BTC remains near $83,800, with further support levels below at $81,200. Meanwhile, Grayscale projects BTC to reach a new all-time high within the first half of 2026.
Investor sentiment has been impacted by ETF activity, as US BTC spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded outflows totaling $357.69 million, and ETH ETFs saw outflows of $224.78 million. Overall, BTC ETFs maintain net inflows of $57.55 billion and ETH ETFs have net inflows of $12.86 billion. Notably, Fidelity led Bitcoin ETF outflows with approximately $213.12 million, and BlackRock led Ethereum ETF outflows with about $139.09 million.
In regulatory developments, the US Financial Stability Oversight Council removed cryptocurrency from its list of systemic threats in its 2025 annual report. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dismissed or paused around 60% of crypto-related cases over the past year.
Market sentiment remains cautious, with the crypto market fear/greed index dropping from 27 to 22, indicating heightened fear among investors. Economic indicators such as Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) data and Consumer Price Index (CPI) reports are closely watched but considered by some analysts to be distorted by a recent government shutdown. This situation has contributed to complex impacts on liquidity and volatility, including prospects of deleveraging in the market.
Among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, only five gained in the last 24 hours. MemeCore (M) rose 3.9% to $1.73, and Provenance Blockchain's HASH increased 2.2% to $0.03079. Conversely, notable losers included Aster (ASTER) down 12.4% to $0.8193, Ondo (ONDO), and Pump.fun (PUMP), each declining about 10%. This uneven performance illustrates the selective pressure across various digital assets during this period.
