Major Crypto Companies Secure US Regulatory Approvals While Bitcoin Faces Technical Pressure - December 13, 2025

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market displayed mixed signals this week as major institutional developments coincided with ongoing price volatility. Bitcoin experienced fluctuations around the $90,000-$94,000 range, with analysts noting consistent bearish reactions following FOMC meetings throughout 2025. Despite a modest 2% gain following the Federal Reserve's rate cut, the flagship cryptocurrency struggled to maintain momentum above key resistance levels.

Regulatory clarity emerged as a dominant theme, with several major crypto firms securing conditional approvals from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to operate as national trust banks. This development represents the first new federal crypto charters since 2021 and signals growing institutional acceptance. Meanwhile, XRP and Solana garnered significant attention through new partnerships and technical developments, with XRP launching on additional blockchain networks and Solana being selected for sovereign token projects.

Market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic despite technical headwinds. Short-term Bitcoin traders were profitable for 66% of 2025, suggesting underlying resilience even amid a 30% correction. However, analysts noted that crypto speculation has reached 2024 lows, particularly in memecoin sectors, while traditional finance leveraged ETFs hit record highs of $239 billion.

The week also saw notable corporate movements, with Tether exploring equity tokenization and considering major acquisitions, while several prominent crypto figures made bullish long-term predictions extending into 2026.

Major Negative News

• Bitcoin's Consistent FOMC Weakness: Bitcoin has dropped after every Federal Open Market Committee meeting in 2025, with analysts attributing this to manipulative moves designed to flush out long positions through high liquidations.

• Analyst Warns of Potential XRP Crash: Market analyst issued urgent warnings against buying XRP, citing a bearish MACD crossover pattern that historically preceded crashes of over 60-80% in previous cycles.

• Terra Luna Despite Recovery Faces Bearish Predictions: Although LUNA hit a 7-month high, analysts warn the pump could end badly due to weak fundamentals and overall bearish price predictions.

• Bank of Japan Rate Hike Pressure: The Bank of Japan is preparing to raise policy rates to 0.75%, the highest since 1995, which has pressured Bitcoin below $85,000 and contributed to over $637 million in long liquidations.

• Silk Road Bitcoin Movement: Dormant Silk Road wallets moved 33.7 BTC after nearly five years of inactivity, raising concerns about potential renewed downward pressure on Bitcoin prices despite the modest volume.

• Bitcoin Mining Profit Squeeze: Bitcoin miners are experiencing significant financial pressure as the hash price hovers near record lows, forcing a shift toward renewable energy sources as a cost-cutting measure.

Major Positive News

• Major Crypto Firms Secure OCC Bank Approvals: Paxos, Ripple, Circle, Fidelity Digital Assets, and BitGo received conditional approvals to operate as national trust banks, marking the first new federal crypto charters since 2021 and providing a path to deeper traditional finance integration.

• XRP Expansion to Ethereum and Solana: XRP is launching on major layer-1 networks including Ethereum and Solana, enabling DeFi utility through wrapped XRP (wXRP) and potentially driving significant adoption growth.

• Bhutan Selects Solana for Sovereign Gold Token: The government of Bhutan chose the Solana blockchain for its new gold-pegged token (TER), enhancing Solana's credibility and institutional adoption.

• New XRP ETF Launches on Wall Street: 21Shares introduced its TOXR fund, providing US investors with direct spot exposure to XRP through regulated markets, adding fresh momentum to institutional adoption.

• Corporate Bitcoin Accumulation Surges: Public and private treasuries acquired over 12,644 BTC in November, with analysts believing this whale accumulation could drive Bitcoin to unprecedented levels heading into 2026.

• Interactive Brokers Enables Stablecoin Deposits: The major brokerage firm began allowing US retail clients to fund accounts with USDC stablecoin from personal wallets, representing significant mainstream financial integration.

Key Risk Factors

• Federal Reserve Policy Sensitivity: Bitcoin's consistent negative reactions to FOMC updates indicate heightened sensitivity to monetary policy changes and interest rate expectations
• Market Manipulation Concerns: Multiple analysts have raised concerns about coordinated market manipulation, particularly around exchange flows and leveraged liquidations
• Regulatory Uncertainty: Despite positive OCC developments, broader regulatory frameworks remain unclear, particularly regarding stablecoin legislation and CBDC policies
• Technical Resistance Levels: Bitcoin and major altcoins continue to face strong resistance at key levels, with bearish indicators suggesting potential further downside
• Liquidity Concerns: Market liquidity appears to be drying up ahead of holidays, potentially amplifying price volatility in both directions
• Macroeconomic Headwinds: Rising interest rates globally, particularly the Bank of Japan's hawkish stance, continue to pressure risk assets including cryptocurrencies

Conclusion and Outlook

The cryptocurrency market finds itself at a critical juncture, balancing significant institutional progress against persistent technical and macroeconomic challenges. The conditional approval of major crypto firms for national trust bank charters represents a watershed moment for regulatory legitimacy, potentially unlocking trillions in institutional capital flows. However, these positive developments occur against a backdrop of continued price volatility and concerning technical patterns.

Bitcoin's struggle to maintain momentum above $94,000 and its consistent weakness following Fed meetings suggests the market remains highly sensitive to monetary policy shifts. The pattern of post-FOMC selloffs throughout 2025 indicates that traditional financial correlations continue to dominate crypto price action, potentially limiting Bitcoin's role as an independent store of value in the near term.

Looking ahead to 2026, the market faces two distinct scenarios. Bullish catalysts include growing institutional adoption, regulatory clarity, and continued corporate treasury accumulation, with some analysts projecting Bitcoin could reach $150,000 by end-2026. However, bearish risks remain substantial, including potential deeper corrections if key support levels fail and continued macroeconomic headwinds from global central bank tightening.

The expansion of XRP and Solana into broader DeFi ecosystems, combined with sovereign adoption cases like Bhutan's gold token, suggests the infrastructure for mainstream crypto adoption continues to develop despite price volatility. These technological and partnership developments may prove more significant for long-term adoption than short-term price movements.

*Key Monitoring Points*: Watch for Bitcoin's ability to reclaim and hold above $94,000, the implementation timeline for newly approved crypto bank charters, Federal Reserve policy signals in early 2026, and the success of cross-chain integrations like wrapped XRP on Solana and Ethereum networks.

※ This report is provided for informational purposes only and is not investment advice or a recommendation. Investment decisions should be made at your own discretion and risk.

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