At Binance Blockchain Week 2025 in Dubai, American economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff reiterated that Bitcoin lacks intrinsic value and cannot function as sound money, he said in an interview following his gold-versus-Bitcoin debate with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. He said BTC’s price is driven purely by speculation and has lagged gold over the past four years. Schiff contrasted Bitcoin with gold’s enduring industrial and monetary uses and likened BTC to “cigarettes of money,” arguing it would be worthless if demand vanished.

Recent Bitcoin price volatility has driven increased demand for cryptocurrency retirement accounts, with platforms reporting exceptional activity during the downturn. Jonathan Rose, CEO of BlockTrust IRA, said the platform experienced one of its busiest weeks following the pullback, as investors viewed lower prices as strategic entry opportunities for long-term holdings. Alto's platform data shows its 29,000 users completed over 240,000 crypto transactions in the previous year.

The U.S. Senate passed a funding package on November 12 to reopen federal agencies, clearing the path for the Securities and Exchange Commission to resume processing more than 130 pending crypto ETF applications. Industry analysts expect spot XRP ETFs to receive approval this month, with Canary Funds positioned as a potential first mover following its November 11 Form 8-A filing with the SEC. Market observers noted institutional inflows continued despite the regulatory pause, with capital flows entering a holding pattern during the shutdown.

Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies recorded significant gains in October 2025 despite weakness across the broader crypto market. Zcash increased 248% during the month and reached a market capitalization of approximately $6.5 billion, according to Grayscale Research. Litecoin, Monero, and Dash also demonstrated increased adoption during the same period.

Cryptocurrency traders experience elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and stress compared to non-investors, according to a National Library of Medicine study analyzing 11,177 participants across multiple countries. The research found trading behaviors mirror high-risk gambling patterns, with participants demonstrating compulsive activities that persist despite financial losses. Extreme market volatility creates psychological pressures as prices can swing 20% overnight, leaving traders in constant cycles of anticipation and remorse.