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On Monday, Bitcoin successfully reclaimed the $93,000 mark, spurred by a wave of renewed optimism that has also revitalized altcoins such as Ethereum (ETH), XRP, and Solana (SOL), all of which are experiencing recoveries not seen in nearly a month. 
According to data from CoinGecko, Bitcoin has recorded a weekly surge of 7%, while Ethereum and Solana have outperformed the leading cryptocurrency with increases of nearly 9% during the same period. Notably, XRP has taken the lead, boasting a significant 15% uptrend.
Large Holders Drive Bitcoin Surge
A key driver behind this recent surge, especially for Bitcoin, can be attributed to large holders, or “whales,” who have acquired approximately 270,000 BTC in the last 30 days, amounting to roughly $23 billion. 
Market analyst NoLimit highlighted this crucial development in a recent social media post, noting its significance: this accumulation represents 1.3% of Bitcoin’s total supply and marks the largest net buy from this group in 13 years.
However, NoLimit asserts that this doesn’t imply that Bitcoin will see an immediate surge in its value. It indicates that long-term investors are aggressively positioning themselves even while the broader market sentiment remains mixed.
Will BTC Establish A Macro Lower High?
In the short term, though, market analyst Rekt Capital warns that despite Bitcoin hovering just above $93,400, it has closed its 12-month candle below the $93,500 mark. This suggests that the $93,500 level is likely to act as resistance moving forward. 
Historical patterns across four-year cycles indicate that such resistances can hinder price movement for an extended period, often resisting for up to three years before being breached in the next Halving year.
Should Bitcoin indeed be in the early stages of a bear market, this could imply that prices might surpass the $93,500 resistance in the coming months only to establish a macro lower high before continuing their downward trajectory. 
According to Rekt Capital, the sustainable breakout above this resistance is more likely to occur in the next halving year in 2028.
$BTC

Spending on Visa-linked crypto cards surged sharply in 2025, highlighting growing real-world usage of digital assets and stablecoins for everyday payments.
Net spending across a group of Visa-issued crypto cards rose 525% over the year, climbing from $14.6 million in January to $91.3 million by the end of December, according to data from Dune Analytics.
The data tracks six crypto cards issued by blockchain projects in partnership with Visa, offering a snapshot of how crypto-native payment tools are gaining traction among users.
EtherFi leads crypto card spending
Among the six cards analyzed, the Visa-backed card from EtherFi dominated spending activity, recording $55.4 million in total net spend during 2025.
That figure placed EtherFi well ahead of competitors, with Cypher ranking second at $20.5 million. Other cards included in the data set came from GnosisPay, Avici Money, Exa App, and Moonwell, each contributing to the broader rise in crypto card usage.

Growing role of crypto and stablecoins in payments
Market participants said the surge reflects more than short-term experimentation.
“These figures demonstrate not only the fast adoption of crypto cards among users but also the strategic importance of crypto and stablecoins for Visa’s global payment ecosystem,” said a researcher from Polygon, posting under the handle @obchakevich_ on X.
“The increase in spend volume confirms that crypto is no longer just an experimental technology, but a fully fledged tool for everyday financial transactions,” the researcher added.
Visa doubles down on stablecoin infrastructure
The growth in crypto card spending comes as Visa continues to expand its stablecoin and blockchain-related initiatives.
Over recent months, the payments giant has extended stablecoin support across four blockchains, while forming new partnerships and upgrading infrastructure to make digital assets more accessible for both retail and institutional clients.
In mid-December, Visa further accelerated its push by launching a stablecoin advisory team, aimed at helping banks, merchants, and fintech companies design, launch, and manage stablecoin-based products.
Momentum heading into 2026
With transaction volumes rising sharply and Visa deepening its commitment to stablecoin rails, analysts expect crypto card usage to remain a key growth area in 2026, particularly as more users adopt stablecoins for cross-border payments and everyday spending.
The data suggests that crypto-linked cards are increasingly moving beyond niche use cases — and becoming a meaningful extension of traditional payment networks.
$ETH
$CYS

The sentiment among crypto investors has oscillated between “fear” and “extreme fear” since the market flash crash on October 10, 2025, but the mood appears to be slowly stabilizing.
The CoinMarketCap “Crypto Fear and Greed Index” — a widely tracked measure of investor sentiment — flipped to “neutral” on Sunday for the first time since October, signaling that market fear may be subsiding even if bullish conviction remains muted.
The Index currently sits at 40, a level indicating that investors are no longer deeply fearful but have yet to return to optimism.
In November, the gauge hit its lowest reading of 2025, sinking to 10, which corresponds to “extreme fear,” according to CoinMarketCap data.
Bitcoin price retreats from extremes, trading near key levels
The shift in sentiment comes as the price of Bitcoin stabilizes near $88,000–$92,000, according to recent Binance price data. Current levels are well below the all-time high above $125,000 seen before the October crash but reflect relative resilience compared with the sharp drawdowns that followed market turmoil late last year.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is tracking near the $88,000–$92,000 range, a price band that has served as a psychological support area after the significant volatility in late 2025. 
Crypto investor sentiment plunged in October amid a historic market sell-off that derailed part of the prior bull run. Bitcoin fell sharply — at one point sliding nearly 35% from just above $125,000 — while many altcoins lost large portions of their value in rapid fashion.
Sentiment improving, but macro risks remain
The return to neutral territory on the Fear and Greed Index highlights a gradual shift in market psychology, but analysts caution against reading too much into a single data point. While investors are less fearful than in recent months, the broader crypto investor base is still cautious, and bullish sentiment has not yet taken hold.
“Neutral readings can simply reflect indecision,” one market strategist noted, “as participants wait for clearer macro and on-chain signals before committing capital.”
Growing geopolitical tensions and continued muted retail participation are likely to weigh on sentiment in the near term, even as short-term indicators improve.
Geopolitical spotlight: U.S. strike on Venezuela
All eyes remain on global news flows after a U.S. strike in Venezuela last weekend, which has dominated headlines and raised questions about potential spillovers into global financial markets.
In a televised announcement, President Trump stated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and removed from power following the operation.
Bitcoin’s price has remained relatively resilient in the immediate aftermath — a behavior that diverges from how many traditional risk-on assets typically react to geopolitical shocks.
Market analysts remain divided on the potential impact of the event on crypto prices. Some suggest that the price of Bitcoin could remain largely unaffected, while others argue that correlation with traditional markets — particularly U.S. equities — could lead to volatility once mainstream trading resumes.
For now, traders and investors are closely watching both crypto and traditional markets as U.S. exchanges reopen, which may offer further clarity on how sentiment evolves.