Bitwise Asset Management's 2026 outlook predicts U.S.-listed crypto ETFs could collectively buy more than 100% of newly issued BTC, ETH, and SOL in 2026. It cites flow trends since spot ETF launches in 2024 and activity on 16 December, when volumes stayed high despite net outflows, as evidence of persistent institutional demand.

Ethereum exchange balances have fallen to their lowest since 2016, with the exchange supply ratio at 0.137. Institutional and corporate treasuries now hold 5,961,187 ETH valued at $17.7bn, representing 4.94% of supply. BitMine Immersion added 407,331 ETH over the last 30 days.

XRP's ETF has logged more than 30 consecutive inflow days, with today's $10.89 million pushing total assets to $1.12 billion even as the token's price weakens. XRP trades near $1.92, over 40% below its yearly peak, and momentum signs suggest the selloff could be losing steam.

Recent data shows retail market participants are heavily positioned for further downside in cryptocurrencies, with mentions of falling prices dominating trading chatter in mid-December. At the same time, sentiment gauges such as a low Fear & Greed Index reading and weakening momentum indicators suggest markets may be nearing a zone where short-term stabilization or a relief bounce becomes more likely.

Aave’s founder Stani Kulechov confirmed this week that the U.S. SEC has closed its four-year investigation into the protocol without recommending enforcement. Shortly after, a new governance proposal from BGD Labs co-founder Ernesto Boado asked for AAVE token holders to move the Aave brand, domains, social channels, and developer gateways into a DAO-controlled legal entity. If approved, this shift could mark one of DeFi’s most far-reaching decentralization restructurings by redefining who owns and steers the protocol’s public-facing infrastructure.

XRP traders have been reducing risk in 2025, with leverage and futures open interest falling to year-to-date lows. According to CryptoQuant and CoinGlass, Binance's Estimated Leverage Ratio dropped from about 0.58 in July to near 0.20, while open interest slid from above $10 billion as price moved under $2.00.

J.P. Morgan has introduced a $100 million tokenized money market fund on Ethereum, expanding its activity on public blockchains after arranging a $50 million commercial paper issuance on Solana. The new My OnChain Net Yield Fund (MONY) invests in U.S. Treasuries and fully collateralized repos, with tokenized shares held in investors' blockchain addresses and accessed via Morgan Money.

Bitcoin extended its slide on Monday, trading near $86,000 as the Coinbase Premium Index moved back below zero. The sub-zero reading points to softer U.S. buying interest amid rising volatility, while failed attempts to reclaim $92,000 and derisking in futures add to caution. A retest of the $82K–$84K area remains a risk if sentiment does not improve.

Ripple began testing its U.S.-regulated stablecoin RLUSD on Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain, using Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers to support native multichain issuance. RLUSD operates under an NYDFS Trust Charter, and DefiLlama data shows 79.2% of RLUSD on Ethereum worth over $1 billion, with the remainder on XRPL.