They say a month in crypto feels like a year if you’re deep in it, and this 2025 felt like a twelve-year speedrun. Narratives flipped weekly, conviction trades got punished, and even some of the best of us were humbled at least once. Through it all, crypto news revolved around just one thing. Where the Bitcoin price and Ethereum are going to head next, and whether this cycle was different or just “not yet”.
Reflecting back now, crypto wasn’t clean or linear this 2025. Bitcoin made history with its all-time highs, lost price support, and made it again before cracking under macro pressure. Ethereum moved more slowly but smarter, carried by real upgrades, though it lags in price. Around them, majors like
Solana
0.80%
Solana
SOL
Price
$125.79
0.80% /24h
Volume in 24h
$3.21B
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Price 7d
,
Cardano
0.18%
Cardano
ADA
Price
$0.3515
0.18% /24h
Volume in 24h
$477.29M
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Price 7d
,
Avalanche
1.80%
Avalanche
AVAX
Price
$12.56
1.80% /24h
Volume in 24h
$235.08M
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Price 7d
,
XRP
1.31%
XRP
XRP
Price
$1.87
1.31% /24h
Volume in 24h
$1.66B
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Price 7d
, and
Chainlink
0.70%
Chainlink
LINK
Price
$12.37
0.70% /24h
Volume in 24h
$334.73M
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Price 7d
fought for relevance in a year where attention was the most valuable currency.
January opened with optimism and chaos in equal measure. The Trump memecoin launched just before the inauguration and briefly hit a top-15 market cap, only to age poorly weeks later. Regulators unexpectedly helped sentiment when the SEC removed SAB 121, easing the path for banks to custody crypto. Ross Ulbricht’s pardon was huge, symbolically, Binance Labs became YZi Labs with a sharper AI focus, and total crypto market cap pushed beyond $4 trillion for the first time.
(source – CoinGecko)
February reminded everyone how fragile the infrastructure still is. Bybit’s $1.4 billion exploit became the largest hack in crypto history. Argentina’s LIBRA token collapsed amid rug pull accusations. At the same time, Bitcoin price dropped over 20% on tariff fears, liquidating more than $2 billion. Solana inflation debates resurfaced, while CZ’s “Broccoli” dog meme somehow became a distraction amid the chaos.
Fraud that crushed this cycle:
Trump coin
Libra Coin (Remember when the President of Argentina rugged his coin and Threadguy went into hiding?)
10/10
Pump Fun extraction
ICOs?
If anything, this cycle’s crime has been far worse than any previous cycle. https://t.co/yZBOBFUCbr
— Emperor Osmo (@Flowslikeosmo) December 29, 2025
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2025
Crypto News 2025 in Review: Bitcoin and Ethereum Price Through the Cycle
March shifted the tone. The US announced a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve holding seized BTC alongside ETH, SOL, and XRP, a moment that changed how institutions viewed crypto in 2025. The SEC dropped its Ripple appeal, XRP caught a bid, and Binance’s “Vote to List” campaign showed how important community governance is in crypto.
The United States has established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Why it’s historic and what it means for all of us pic.twitter.com/FEBsKObIS2
— Natalie Brunell (@natbrunell) March 8, 2025
April hit hard. Trade tensions sparked a sharp sell-off, dragging Bitcoin price below $100,000 and wiping out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions. MANTRA collapsed nearly 90%, a reminder that hype and narrative don’t protect bad token design. Also in April, Coinbase’s Jesse Polak’s “tokenize everything” became the RWA mantra.
Momentum returned in May and June. ETH Pectra upgrade went live without drama, which somehow fueled adoption as Ethereum price responded with one of its strongest monthly candles in years. Meanwhile, Bitcoin price pushed past $110,000 as US states approved BTC reserves. Coinbase is joining the S&P 500, and Circle’s IPO added crypto legitimacy, while DeFi TVL recovered across major protocols.
Remember, in 2025 $ETH got 2 major upgrades
Upgrade #1 – Pectra (May 2025)
Cut costs and boosted throughput by scaling blobs for L2
Upgrade #2 – Fusaka (Dec 2025)
Pushed scalability and UX even further
These two upgrades made for a more stable, predictable settlement layer. pic.twitter.com/B7GaWx8tnk
— Sōka_Data (@Soka_Data) December 29, 2025
July and August leaned euphoric. Bitcoin held strong at $120,000 level, SOL launched the first spot ETF, and Ethereum quietly turned upward. August saw Ethereum price peak just below $5,000 as DeFi activity exploded. CEX tokens like CRO and OKB ripped, perp DEXes like Hyperliquid went mainstream, and ASTER gained traction with BNB and CZ backing.
DISCOVER: 16+ New and Upcoming Binance Listings in 2025
What’s Next? Crypto Hard Reset?
September broke tradition by avoiding the usual dump, helped by rate cuts. October didn’t forgive complacency. Bitcoin price briefly touched $126,000, a new all-time high, before a government shutdown and tariff shock triggered $19 billion in liquidations during the October 10 flash crash. Solana’s ETF went live globally, Zcash’s privacy narrative returned, and weaker projects quietly disappeared.
RUMOR: Few major crypto funds blew up during the October 10th flash crash that wiped out $19 billion. They’re now being forced to sell Bitcoin and ETH to cover losses, which explains the relentless dumping. This also fits why Alt/Btc pairs are holding up well. pic.twitter.com/sB1pFdwIKd
— Ash Crypto (@AshCrypto) November 20, 2025
November and December 2025 closed crypto on a sobering note. Bitcoin fell below $80,000, DOGE and XRP ETFs launched, and prediction markets exploded. Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade shipped, stablecoins surpassed $300 billion in market cap, and RWAs grew 185% despite a year-end slump that erased gains across majors.
Today, at the end of 2025, crypto feels more mature, if less forgiving. What comes next? Only God knows.
For now, Happy New Year!! Manifest this: ” We will come back stronger next year!”
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Coin to 100X In 2025
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The post Crypto Market News Today, December 31: 2025 Retrospectives on Bitcoin Prices, Ethereum, and Major Altcoins appeared first on 99Bitcoins.