Key Bitcoin price levels to watch ahead of 2025’s last FOMC meeting

Newly appointed Binance co-CEO and co-founder Yi He said on X that her WeChat account was hijacked after an old mobile number was taken, highlighting how Web2 messaging platforms can be used to impersonate crypto executives. 

“WeChat was abandoned long ago, and the phone number was seized for use. It cannot be recovered at present,” she said in a translated X post.

Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain flagged that after the hack, the attackers promoted a token called Mubarakah, pumping the price. The platform claimed that the attackers netted $55,000 with the scheme. 

The attack comes days after the Binance co-founder was appointed as the co-CEO of the crypto exchange platform. Binance CEO Richard Teng announced the news at Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai, calling it a “natural progression.”

SlowMist founder outlines how to avoid the attack vector

This follows a previous WeChat compromise in November, which involved Tron founder Justin Sun. On Nov. 30, Sun posted on X that his account was hacked and that he had contacted the platform to try to get the account back. 

A sharp slowdown in buying pushed the NFT market back toward its weakest levels of the year, as weekly and monthly totals fell sharply and overall valuations continued to slip.

According to market trackers, trading activity cooled significantly in November and the first week of December, raising fresh questions about demand heading into year end.

Sales And Volume Plunge

According to CryptoSlam, NFT sales fell to $320 million in November, down from close to $630 million in October. That level is roughly on par with the $312 million recorded in September 2024.

Based on reports, the trend did not improve at the start of December: from Dec. 1–7, collections generated about $62 million in sales — the weakest weekly total recorded so far in 2025. Market participants are being hit by lower turnover and fewer big trades.

Market Cap Shrinks Dramatically

CoinGecko data shows the sector’s market cap sits at $3.1 billion, which is down 66% from a January high of $9.2 billion. Reports have disclosed a steep month-to-month swing as well: values dropped from $6.6 billion in October to $3.5 billion in November, a fall of 46% in roughly 30 days.

There was a brief uptick on Nov. 11 when market cap moved from $3.5 billion to nearly $4 billion during a memecoin-driven surge, but the recovery was short-lived and the market cap later retreated back to $3.1 billion. These moves show that prices are still volatile and driven by bursts of speculative interest.

Blue Chips Mostly Lose Ground

Top collections were not immune. Based on reports, CryptoPunks fell about 12% over the past month. Bored Ape Yacht Club slid 8.5%, while Pudgy Penguins dropped 10.6% in the same period.

Art-focused blue-chip works also fell: Chromie Squiggle lost 5.6%, Fidenza declined 14.6%, Moonbirds went down 17.9% and Mutant Ape Yacht Club slipped 13.4%. The biggest fall among major names came from Hypurr, which dropped 48%.

Two Collections Show Gains

Not every project followed the downward path. Infinex Patrons posted almost 15% rise in the last 30 days, and Autoglyphs outperformed the top ten with a 21% gain.

These outliers were lifted by collector interest, and in some cases by the projects’ small supply or unique on-chain history. Still, such gains remain the exception rather than the rule.Outlook As Year Ends

The weak start to December suggests the pullback could continue into the close of the year. Liquidity is thinner now, and short-lived rallies driven by other crypto market events have failed to create lasting momentum.

Prices were pushed down across a wide set of collections, and trading volumes have not shown a sustained recovery.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

By Jack Denton

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies advanced on Wednesday ahead of a widely expected interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve, which should boost sentiment across markets.

But crypto traders may be facing the possibility of a decline in Bitcoin prices even if the Fed cuts rates.

The price of Bitcoin rose 2.5% over the past 24 hours to $92,700. Bitcoin convincingly ran back up above the key $90,000 price level on Sunday but remains down by more than a third from its record high in October.

"Bitcoin has broken through the ceiling of a falling trend channel in the short term," wrote investing platform Investtech based on an analysis of technical market indicators for Bitcoin. "The currency has support at points $84,000 and resistance at points $107, 000. The currency is assessed as technically slightly negative for the short term."

The Fed is widely expected to cut rates by a quarter-point on Wednesday, but investors may be more focused on a speech from Fed Chair Jerome Powell and a summary of central bank officials' economic projections.

The question of whether interest-rate cuts will continue in 2026 — marking a further reduction in borrowing costs that should boost Bitcoin as well as risk sentiment more broadly — remains uncertain.

If remarks from Powell or the Fed's summary of economic projections paints a picture of a central bank that may not cut rates much, or at all, in 2026, Bitcoin could suffer as one of the leading-edge risk assets.

Crypto traders may be preparing for that negative possibility. Evidence in the Bitcoin options market — where traders bet on specific future price moves — suggests bearish sentiment with preparations for a price drop.

There is a concentration of "puts" — contracts that pay out if prices drop to a specific level or "strike price" by a certain expiration date — for Bitcoin at $89,000 by Thursday, based on open interest levels on the exchange Deribit.

The $89,000 level is the most popular strike price by open interest of any option expiring on Thursday, with overall more puts than calls — bullish bets on a higher strike price — in the Deribit options market.

Beyond Bitcoin, Ethereum — the second-largest crypto by market capitalization — jumped 6.5% to above $3,300. Smaller cryptos or altcoins were also buoyant, with Ripple up 1%, Solana surging 4%, and Dogecoin advancing 4%.

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

Bitcoin trades steady, reversing much of its recent gains. The cryptocurrency rose in recent days on the prospect of the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in a decision due Wednesday. However, investors are mindful that the Fed's forecasts and messaging might be cautious regarding the prospect of further rate cuts. "Crypto's attempt at a rebound stifled," Louis Navellier of Navellier Markets says in a note. Prospects of a rate cut are "clouded by the expectations that the cut will be highly contentious internally," he says. Bitcoin trades steady at $92,644, having dropped back from Tuesday's three-week high of $94.621, according to LSEG data. (jessica.fleetham@wsj.com)

XRP got a big boost after Bitwise Asset Management added it to its Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund (BITW). This fund, listed on the regulated NYSE Arca exchange, lets traditional investors invest in the top 10 cryptocurrencies without buying them directly. 

XRP now makes up 5.17% of the fund, making it the third-largest holding after Bitcoin and Ethereum. This move shows growing confidence from institutional investors and strengthens XRP’s role in mainstream crypto portfolios.

Signals of Mainstream Adoption

XRP’s presence in BITW reflects crypto’s shift from niche markets into mainstream finance. Multi-asset ETFs like BITW provide investors with a regulated way to diversify across top-performing cryptocurrencies. Monthly rebalancing ensures that only the strongest assets are included, emphasizing XRP’s growing relevance as the market matures.

XRP ETF Milestones

XRP’s momentum is further supported by the launch of U.S. spot-based XRP ETFs, which quickly reached $1 billion in assets under management, the fastest after Ethereum. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse highlighted that these ETFs are attracting increasing interest from traditional investors, reinforcing XRP’s institutional appeal and signaling broader market adoption.

XRP Price, Technical Outlook

XRP is currently consolidating in the mid-$2 range. Short-term indicators show limited strength, but the $1.90–$2.00 support zone provides a solid floor. Traders will look for a breakout above $2.22–$2.30 to confirm upward momentum. With growing institutional backing, XRP could have the catalyst needed for a sustained move higher.

Solana price is showing early signs of stabilization after weeks of persistent downside pressure, as both on-chain data and technical indicators point to cooling sell momentum. While the broader trend remains under pressure, traders are increasingly watching whether SOL can defend critical support levels and stage a recovery rally heading into year-end.

Solana On-Chain Data Signals Profit-Taking Is Cooling

On-chain metrics by Glassnode suggest that selling pressure may be easing. Solana’s Realized Profit/Loss Ratio, which tracks whether investors are selling tokens at a profit or a loss, has declined sharply after a recent spike. Historically, such cooling phases often mark the end of aggressive distribution periods rather than immediate trend reversals.