Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$89,794.92, up by 0.2 percent over 24 hours.

Bitcoin price performance, December 15, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin entered the new week on a cautious footing after a bruising bout of weekend volatility pushed prices back below the US$90,000 level.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency slid roughly 3 percent over the weekend, touching a two-week low near US$87,500 amid thin liquidity before buyers emerged early Monday to lift prices toward the US$89,500–89,700 range. While the rebound helped stabilize sentiment, Bitcoin has so far struggled to reclaim USD 90,000, which has emerged as a key psychological and technical barrier following last week’s pullback.

Going into the week, attention now turns to a packed economic calendar. In the US, non-farm payrolls data due Tuesday and inflation figures scheduled for Thursday are expected to influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s next policy steps.

MN Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe highlighted the emerging CME futures gap at approximately as a focal point for short-term price action, noting on X that ‘the sweep is already happening on $BTC. It’s great that it’s happening on Sunday, so then Monday will be positive.”

He also pointed to the CME gap as a potential magnet for liquidity and a reference level for rebound scenarios, but cautioned, however, that outcomes are not guaranteed and the current structure does not yet resemble setups associated with extended bearish weeks.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$3,140.16, up by 1.5 percent over the last 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.99, down by 1.7 percent over 24 hours.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$132.39, up by 1.2 percent over 24 hours.

Today’s crypto news to know

UK moves to place crypto firms under full regulation

UK officials are preparing legislation that would move crypto companies fully inside the country’s financial regulatory framework.

According to The Guardian, the plan involves putting crypto service providers under regulation like other financial firms, subject to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules on consumer protection, governance, transparency, and market conduct.

Treasury officials say the shift is meant to close long-standing gaps as crypto activity becomes more entwined with mainstream finance rather than operating at the regulatory edges.

Legislation is expected by October 2027 to give firms time to adjust to the more demanding compliance environment.

If enacted, the move would mark a structural change for UK-based crypto startups, which until now have largely operated without full product-level regulation.

HashKey prices Hong Kong IPO at top end with US$206 Million

HashKey Holdings, Hong Kong’s largest licensed crypto exchange, is set to raise about US$206 million after pricing its initial public offering near the top of its marketed range, according to a source familiar with the deal.

The company priced shares at HK$6.68, valuing the exchange operator as it prepares to debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on December 17. HashKey operates across trading, asset management, brokerage, and tokenization, and runs the city’s biggest regulated crypto exchange.

While mainland China continues to warn against crypto speculation, Hong Kong has taken the opposite approach, positioning itself as a regulated gateway for digital finance.

North Korean hackers drain wallets using ‘Fake Zoom’ meetings

North Korean cybercrime groups are using fake Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings to steal crypto, draining more than $300 million through the tactic so far, according to security researchers.

According to CryptoNews, the scam typically starts with a message from a compromised Telegram account that appears to belong to someone the victim already knows.

Victims are then invited to what looks like a legitimate video call, complete with convincing video feeds that are actually pre-recorded footage.

During the call, attackers claim there is an audio problem and send a supposed software “patch” that installs malware instead. Once installed, the malware can extract passwords, private keys, and internal security data, allowing attackers to empty crypto wallets.

Global crypto thefts have already surpassed US$2 billion this year, with North Korean-linked groups remaining among the most active and sophisticated actors in the space.

This week’s tech sector performance

Markets opened the week subdued with investors eyeing the US Federal Reserve’s rate decision, leading to modest gains in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) and the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX).

Reports of US President Donald Trump’s approval for NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) H200 chip sales to China boosted chip stocks and sustained AI enthusiasm. Tuesday’s (December 9) JOLTS report delivered data suggesting a cooling labour market amid tariff uncertainty but offering limited new clarity ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting.

Markets rallied sharply on Wednesday (December 10) after the meeting resulted in a 25 basis point rate cut to 3.5 to 3.75 percent; however, Nasdaq gains were tempered, hinting at continued caution around AI capex sustainability ahead of earnings from Oracle and Broadcom.

Rate-sensitive areas like financials and industrials led the rally, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) ahead of the Nasdaq, which closed slightly down. This highlighted a shift from tech dominance to a more diversified market. The S&P ended up 0.21 percent at a record 6,901.

Markets interpreted Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s measured tone during his post-meeting press conference — hawkish on cuts but dovish on recession — as reinforcing a gradual easing despite tariff caution.

Gains moderated toward the end of the week as Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) reported earnings that garnered a mixed reaction from investors and analysts.

Tech stocks have whipsawed in recent weeks, rallying on Fed rate cut bets and trade negotiation optimism before sharp pullbacks triggered by AI bubble fears and overvaluation concerns.

3 tech stocks moving markets this week

1. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Nvidia’s shares initially surged on Tuesday (December 9) on reports that President Trump would permit H200 exports to pre-approved Chinese clients, subject to a 25 percent US federal surcharge.

However, these early gains diminished as further reports emerged that Beijing is reviewing its domestic chip prioritization strategy.

Meanwhile, companies like ByteDance and Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) are reportedly seeking large orders, pending approval. On Friday, Reuters reported that Nvidia is considering increasing H200 chip output due to robust Chinese demand. Its share price was US$175.02 at Friday’s close, a modest decrease of 4.35.

2. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL)

Oracle shares dropped over 7 percent after hours on Wednesday after the company’s Q2 earnings missed revenue forecasts, coming at US$16.1 billion compared to expectations of US$16.2 billion.

The report showed cloud sales rose 34 percent, while infrastructure revenue increased by 68 percent. Both figures were below analyst expectations of 35 and 71 percent, respectively.

Oracle shares plunged further after executives disclosed on a conference call that this fiscal year’s capital expenditure would reach around US$50 billion, higher than prior guidance, including around US$12 billion spent this quarter on data centers.

On a more positive note, some analysts viewed capex as a strategic investment, citing AI’s growth potential and pointing to Oracle’s US$523 billion backlog of deals with companies like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Nvidia.

Oracle shares closed more than 16 percent lower this week at a price of US$189.97 on Friday afternoon.

3. Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO)

Conversely, Broadcom shares rose post-market on Thursday after reporting its Q4 2025 earnings results, which revealed a 74 percent increase in AI chip revenue, with custom XPUs now comprising 65 percent of its semiconductor business.

Total revenue reached US$18.02 billion year-over-year, exceeding expectations of US$17.46 billion.

Looking ahead, the company projects semiconductor revenue to double to US$8.2 billion in the next fiscal year. Q1 2026 guidance calls for US$19.1 billion total revenue.

During the earnings call, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan named Anthropic as the newly qualified fourth hyperscale, confirming its US$11 billion additional order for custom XPUs and AI racks. Shipments are expected to ramp up in late FY26.

After an initial rise, stocks fell during the call after the company guided low quarterly growth for its non-AI chips and a tax rate increase to 16.5 percent due to normalized post-acquisition tax benefits expiring.

Still, JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) analyst Vivek Arya reset his price target on Broadcom stock from US$460 to US$500 on Friday (December 12).

Despite the positive sentiment, Broadcom shares saw a decline of 11.79 to US$359.93 from the start of the week due to Friday’s sell-off.

Broadcom, Nvidia and Oracle’s performance, December 8 to 12, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

Top tech news of the week

Tech ETF performance

Tech exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track baskets of major tech stocks, meaning their performance helps investors gauge the overall performance of the niches they cover.

This week, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) declined by 3.88 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) saw a gain of 1.31 percent.

The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also decreased by 3.71 percent.

Tech news to watch next week

Speeches from Fed Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher J. Waller on Monday (December 15) and Wednesday (December 17) next week may further clarify the Fed’s dot plot.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem will also speak in Montreal on Tuesday (December 16), while key jobs, manufacturing and retail sales data in the US throughout the week could shift rate cut bets, pressuring growth stocks.

Earnings from Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and BlackBerry (TSX:BB) will be released on Wednesday and Thursday (December 18), respectively.

Key Fed meeting takeaways

It’s worth noting that although the Fed’s cut went through, three out of 12 officials voted against it, a situation that hasn’t happened since September 2019. Two wanted rates to stay the same, while Governor Stephen Miran was calling for a 50 basis point reduction.

Miran took his spot on the Fed’s Board of Governors in September after being nominated by President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the Fed — and Chair Jerome Powell in particular — for not lowering rates as quickly as he would like. Powell’s term ends in May 2026, and it’s anticipated that his replacement will follow Trump’s vision. Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council is said to be a strong contender, with 84 percent of respondents to a CNBC survey saying they think it will be him.

While the Fed’s rate decision was in focus this week, market watchers are also closely eyeing its post-meeting statement, as well as press conference comments from Powell, to figure out what the central bank’s policy will look like heading into the new year and beyond.

The latest dot plot shows that Fed officials expect only one rate cut in 2026, plus another in 2027. That’s unchanged from projections made in September, but experts have pointed out that the dot plot also highlights the growing divide between Federal Open Market Committee members.

Another important facet is the news that the Fed will start buying short-dated bonds as of Friday (December 12), with an initial round involving purchasing US$40 billion worth of treasuries per month. This move comes after the end of quantitative tightening measures on December 1, and is being looked at as a step in the direction of quantitative easing.

‘This is basically another way of saying quantitative easing, and we’re going to continue to print money,’ said David Erfle of Junior Miner Junky. ‘The Federal Reserve is in a situation where, ‘Hey, we’ve got to continue to issue new debt to pay off the old debt.’ So now the yield curve is going to steepen as the Fed pivots toward these treasury bills, and private investors are going to have to absorb more duration risk. So basically, this means loose monetary conditions are on the way, and that’s positive for both gold and especially now silver.’

Will the silver price keep rising?

With that in mind, what exactly is next for the silver price?

I’ve been asking guests on our channel where the metal goes from here, and many have said it’s becoming harder and harder to predict as silver enters uncharted territory.

Peter Krauth of Silver Stock Investor and Silver Advisor said that a ‘relatively conservative’ outlook for 2026 would be US$70. However, he also emphasized that higher levels are possible:

‘It’s taken 45 years for (silver) to finally break out through that US$50 level. And so we’re in uncharted waters, uncharted territory, and this being the kind of market that we’re in — fundamentally, as well as macroeconomically, as well as geopolitically — I think odds are silver is going to continue to climb higher.

‘And I think it’s going to convert a lot of doubters into into believers that silver is going to go on setting new record highs, and that it’s still relatively early in this market. We’re going to see it perform very, very well for several more years.’

For his part, Erfle weighed in on upside and downside for silver, outlining how the precious metal could get close to the US$100 level. Here’s what he said:

‘If you consider the supply/demand fundamentals, this is a fifth year of a supply deficit in silver, which has constantly been outpacing supply.

‘All these forces have converged to take the silver price so much higher, and looking at upside targets, the next target is the US$66, US$68 area, and then US$80 to US$83 if the momentum continues into January. But the long-term measured target of the cup-and-handle breakout is US$96.’

I’ll be having more conversations about silver next week with experts like Gareth Soloway, John Rubino and John Feneck, so drop a comment on our YouTube channel if you have any questions.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$92,265, down by 2.2 percent over 24 hours.

Bitcoin price performance, December 12, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin extends its bullish tone this week as markets absorbed the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut and risk sentiment improved across global assets.

US equities returned to all-time highs on Thursday (December 11). The Fed has now cut interest rates three times in three months, bringing the target range down to 3.50–3.75 percent as of the December 10 decision.

Bitcoin has responded in kind. After slipping sharply in the immediate aftermath of the Fed’s latest cut, the cryptocurrency rebounded on Friday, rising more than 2 percent over the past 24 hours to trade above US$92,000. The bounce kept BTC within the upward-sloping channel that has formed since the early-October correction.

Santiment noted that all three rate cuts since September have triggered similar intraday pullbacks in Bitcoin, followed by stabilizing rebounds once volatility eased. According to the firm, the latest episode appears consistent with that historical behavior, suggesting that traders are still recalibrating expectations under looser monetary policy.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$3,243.92, up by 1 percent over the last 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.03, up by 1.6 percent over 24 hours.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$138, up by 1.8 percent over 24 hours.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

Chart via CoinMarketCap.

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index continues to hold firm in fear territory, remaining firmly risk-averse on Friday and STAYING at 29 for a second consecutive day.

Despite Bitcoin’s recent upward trend and stabilization at the US$92,000 mark, investors continue to exercise caution after a volatile fourth quarter and reinforcing the view that traders remain reluctant to take on aggressive positions despite improved liquidity conditions elsewhere.

Today’s crypto news to know

Fed signals pause after third straight rate cut

Federal Reserve officials lowered interest rates for the third consecutive meeting, cutting the benchmark federal-funds rate to a range of 3.5 to 3.75 percent, its lowest level in three years.

The vote also revealed rare division inside the central bank, with three officials dissenting—two saying the cut was unnecessary and one pushing for a larger reduction.

Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is now positioned to hold a “wait and see” mode for the foreseeable future.

Powell also noted that adjusted job-growth figures may have been slightly negative since April. He also defended the timing of the cut, saying waiting for data delayed by the government shutdown would have created avoidable risks.

After the decision, the Dow posted its strongest reaction to a Fed announcement in two years.

Treasury’s Bessent prepares policy shift on crypto regulation

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is preparing a major policy letter that would redirect the Financial Stability Oversight Council away from its post-2008 focus on tightening rules and toward reevaluating whether existing regulations hinder growth.

The draft letter, obtained by CNBC, says FSOC will begin assessing whether certain oversight measures “impose undue burdens” that may actually undermine stability by limiting innovation.

The FSOC, originally created to prevent another financial collapse, coordinates oversight between the Fed, SEC, CFTC and other agencies.

If finalized, the policy would empower agencies to roll back or revise rules that are deemed outdated or overly restrictive.

Pakistan clears Binance and HTX to begin licensing process

Pakistan has granted initial clearance for Binance and HTX to set up local subsidiaries and begin preparing applications for full digital-asset exchange licences.

The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority issued “no objection certificates” after reviewing each platform’s governance, compliance structures, and risk controls, though the approvals stop short of permitting trading activity.

The NOCs also allow both companies to register on Pakistan’s anti-money-laundering system and begin establishing regulated local entities ahead of a forthcoming licensing regime.

PVARA Chair Bilal bin Saqib said the phased model will admit only platforms that meet strict global standards on anti-money-laundering and counter-terror financing.

Pakistan, one of the world’s largest crypto markets by retail activity, is simultaneously developing a Virtual Assets Act, while coordinating with US-based World Liberty Financial on digital-infrastructure proposals.