What happened: After a rough start to December, Bitcoin dropped to nearly $84,000 before a partial rebound to the mid-$86,000 range; Ethereum and other major coins saw similar losses. Market-wide liquidations and thin liquidity contributed heavily.
Why it matters: The plunge under $85K confirms how fragile sentiment and liquidity remain. In such conditions, even moderate selling can trigger outsized moves. Without renewed demand or macro tailwinds, crypto is vulnerable to further downside.
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2. 
Mainstream adoption step: Vanguard opens platform to Bitcoin, ETH, XRP & SOL ETFs
What happened: Vanguard — one of the largest global asset managers — reversed its previous stance and allowed U.S. ETF products based on Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Solana to be listed for its brokerage clients.
Why it matters: This could widen access to crypto for tens of millions of traditional investors. If capital flows through Vanguard, institutional-style demand may return — but only if valuations stabilize. It’s a structural positive, though near-term volatility may linger.
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3. Crypto-mixer shut down — Swiss & German authorities seize mixing service over money-laundering probe
What happened: Law-enforcement agencies in Switzerland and Germany shut down the mixing service Cryptomixer.io, seized servers and froze crypto worth tens of millions. The service allegedly facilitated illegal money flows.
Why it matters: This crackdown signals renewed regulatory focus on anonymity tools and illicit finance. For the crypto ecosystem, it raises compliance and on-boarding costs — especially for privacy-conscious services and users in high-regulation jurisdictions.
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4. 
Token-unlock wave: over $70M in tokens expected to unlock first week of December
What happened: Multiple crypto projects — including Sui and several smaller tokens — are scheduled to unlock a sizeable amount (~ US$76 million worth) between Dec 1–7, releasing new supply into the market.
Why it matters: Fresh supply of tokens entering the market may add bearish pressure, especially in a stressed environment with weak demand. For small-cap and newly issued tokens, this could trigger outsized volatility or price dips.
