Why Is Crypto Down Today? – December 15, 2025

As a new week begins, the crypto market is down today, with the cryptocurrency market capitalisation decreasing by 0.5%. It now stands at $3.15 trillion. About 80 of the top 100 coins have gone down over the past 24 hours. At the same time, the total crypto trading volume is at $94.3 billion, notably lower than what we’ve been seeing over the past month.

Crypto Winners & Losers

At the time of writing, 5 of the top 10 coins per market capitalisation have seen their prices decrease over the past 24 hours, and three are up (not taking the two stablecoins into account).

Bitcoin (BTC) is down by 0.5% since this time yesterday, currently trading at $89,627. This is the smallest decrease in this category.

Bitcoin (BTC)

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Ethereum (ETH) is up by 0.6%, now changing hands at $3,128.

The highest decrease on the list is Dogecoin (DOGE)’s 1.5% to $0.1362.

It’s followed by XRP’s 1.2%. The coin now stands at $1.99.

On the other hand, Tron (TRX) is the category’s best performer, having appreciated 2.5%, currently trading at $0.2816.

Looking at the top 100 coins, we find that 80 have dropped over the past day.

MemeCore (M) fell the most in this category: 6.1% to the price of $1.7.

It’s followed by Midnight (NIGHT), which is down 5.1% to $0.06792.

On the green side, two coins saw double-digit increases. Rain (RAIN) appreciated 11.6% to the current $0.007968.

Provenance Blockchain (HASH) follows with a rise of 11% to the current $0.03013.

The rest of this list is up by 2.4% and less per coin.

The market is still consolidating. Lower holiday liquidity and institutional momentum keep BTC range-bound, while traders await new catalysts.

Moreover, all eyes are on the Bank of Japan now, as it prepares to implement a 25-basis-point rate increase on 19 December.

Ignacio Aguirre, CMO at Bitget, told Cryptonews that a stronger yen “raises the risk of unwinding yen carry trades which is a move that can temporarily weigh on crypto valuations as leveraged positions reset across global markets.”

Not a Bear Market (Yet)

Tony Severino, Market Analyst at YouHodler, argues that “Bitcoin, by definition, is in an uptrend.”

For BTC to shift into a bear market, a downtrend needs to be confirmed with a lower low. This makes $74,000 a critical support zone that bulls must defend to keep BTC bullish, the analyst says.

The coin could try to reclaim the 50-week Moving Average, located at around $102,000. Therefore, $100,000 will act as a key psychological barrier for price.

Meanwhile, a storm is coming, Severino says. While volatility stirs on the lowest timeframes, the market is still unusually calm at higher timeframes, he says. “A spark is waiting to ignite this compression into an explosion.”

Moreover, sentiment remains at fearful extremes. “While this can be a catalyst for a sustained bounce in a bull market, fear and panic measures stay elevated throughout the duration of a bear market.”

Severino concludes that Bitcoin will either prove the four-year-cycle remains with a bear market, or break the cyclical pattern with a renewed bull run.

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing on Monday morning, BTC stood at $89,627. The coin began the day with the intraday high of $90,265, gradually falling to the low of $87,892. It then jumped to $89,898 before moving to the current price.

Over the past week, BTC moved between $88,230 and $94,267. It’s down 2.2% in this period. It’s also down 6.9% in a month and 28.8% from the all-time high of $126,080.

Should the market go downwards, BTC could see the sub-$80,000 level. It may fall to $76,300, followed by $70,000. Conversely, a push upwards could help it regain the $100,000 territory.

Ethereum is currently changing hands at $3,128. Unlike BTC, ETH started the day at $3,119, gradually trading lower to the intraday low of $3,052. It then surged to the intraday high of $3,141.

Moreover, ETH is unchanged in a week, trading in the $3,065–$3,390 range. At the same time, it’s down 1.4% in a month and 36.6% from the ATH of $4,946.

Ethereum could see its price reclaim the $3,200 level, after which it could seek to regain the $3,290-$3,370 levels as well. However, another drop could return it to the $2,900 zone and below.

Ethereum (ETH)

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Meanwhile, the crypto market continues moving in a very tight range, much like the market itself. The crypto fear and greed index stands at 27 today, the same as yesterday.

This further highlights the market’s indecisiveness and the participants’ caution as everybody await a macroeconomic signal strong enough to give the prices a push in either direction.

ETFs Saw a Mixed Friday

Following a single red day, the US BTC spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $49.16 million in inflows on Friday. The total net inflow increased slightly to $57.9 billion.

Of the twelve BTC ETFs, one recorded inflows and one saw outflows. BlackRock added $51.13 million.

At the same time, Fidelity posted $1.96 million in outflows.

Moreover, the US ETH ETFs recorded negative flows for a second day in a row, with $19.41 million in outflows on 12 December. The total net inflow pulled back very slightly compared to Thursday, standing at $13.09 billion.

Of the nine funds, one recorded inflows, and three saw outflows. BlackRock accounted for all the inflows for the day with $23.25 million.

Grayscale let go of $36.52 million, while Fidelity saw $6.14 million in outflows.

Meanwhile, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new crypto custody guidance for retail investors. It urged them to understand the risks and options before storing digital assets.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance outlined the technicalities of crypto asset custody, and it defined self-managed wallets and third-party custodians.

Quick FAQ

1. Why did crypto move with stocks today?

The crypto market saw a decrease over the past 24 hours, and the US stock market posted a drop during its previous session. By the closing time on Friday, 12 December, the S&P 500 was down by 1.07%, the Nasdaq-100 decreased by 1.91%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.51%. Tech shares continued experiencing significant pressure as AI bubble concerns grew.

1. Is this drop sustainable?

Some fresh catalysts, such as the Bank of Japan’s rate increase, could impact the crypto market in the short term and push it out of the consolidation range. Barring such significant catalysts, the prices are likely to continue trading sideways and lower for a while longer.