Crypto Market Update December 17, 2025: Moderate Gains Amidst Stable Conditions and New Developments
The cryptocurrency market showed a slight uptick on December 17, 2025, with the total market capitalization rising by 0.1% to $3.03 trillion. Among the top 100 coins, 75 experienced gains. Bitcoin (BTC) edged up by 0.1% to $86,388, while Ethereum (ETH) slipped slightly by 0.1% to $2,924.
Volatility remains elevated compared to the previous six months. Glassnode reported that although higher expected price dispersion followed a recent market plunge, overall conditions are stabilizing with moderated expectations for extreme price moves. The crypto fear-and-greed index stands at 25, indicating continued muted market sentiment.
Several notable market movers include XRP, which gained 1.2% to $1.90; Dogecoin (DOGE) increased by 0.6%; Midnight (NIGHT) surged 4.5% to $0.05944; Monero (XMR) rose 4.2% to $429. Conversely, Aster (ASTER) fell by 9.2% to $0.7421, and Bittensor (TAO) dropped by 6.2% to $246.
In institutional developments, the Marshall Islands launched a nationwide universal basic income program paid via cryptocurrency. Residents receive quarterly payments of about $200, totaling roughly $800 annually. These payments are tokenized and stored or sent through crypto wallets, with the first distributions occurring in late November.
In the corporate sphere, HashKey Holdings began trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Its shares opened with a 6% gain but later slid below the initial public offering price of HK$6.68. The HashKey CEO noted that increasing regulatory clarity enhances the long-term prospects for digital assets.
Regarding exchange-traded funds (ETFs), U.S. BTC spot ETFs experienced outflows totaling $227.09 million on Tuesday. However, the total net inflow for BTC ETFs remains strong at $57.27 billion. Among 12 BTC ETFs, five saw outflows while one posted an inflow; notably, Fidelity and BlackRock each reported inflows of $26.72 million.
In contrast, U.S. ETH spot ETFs saw outflows of $224.26 million on the same day, with a total net inflow of $12.64 billion. Among nine ETH ETFs, two had outflows and none showed inflows. BlackRock’s ETH ETF recorded an outflow of $221.31 million, and Fidelity’s ETH ETF had an outflow of $2.94 million.
Overall, the crypto market momentum has remained largely unchanged over the past month, reflecting cautious investor sentiment amid evolving regulatory landscapes and new initiatives in the space.
