The market showed mixed price action on December 18, with heightened volatility, especially during the late session. Bitcoin Bitcoin 1.29% Bitcoin Bitcoin BTC Price $64,231.88 1.29% /24h Volume in 24h $16.50B Price 7d Learn more briefly moved above $90,000 earlier in the session before facing selling pressure and returning to test the key $85,000 support level. As investors search for the next 100x crypto during this consolidation phase, BTC is currently holding near $86,900, up 0.56% over the past 24 hours but down 3.49% on the week.

Analysts continue to highlight the $85,000 zone as an important support area, supported by steady ETF inflows and on-chain data pointing to reduced near-term sell pressure.

Etfs flow by Coinglass
(Source: Coinglass)

EXPLORE: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2025

Bitcoin and Major Altcoins Face Short-Term Pullback

Ethereum Ethereum 1.59% Ethereum Ethereum ETH Price $1,740.99 1.59% /24h Volume in 24h $6.22B Price 7d Learn more recorded heavier losses, sliding to around $2,844 after a 2.85% daily decline and a 10.77% drop over the past week. Transfers from large holders to exchanges added pressure, raising concerns about additional supply entering the market. Solana Solana 4.07% Solana Solana SOL Price $73.34 4.07% /24h Volume in 24h $1.99B Price 7d Learn more  also moved lower, trading near $123, down 3.31% on the day and 5.84% over the week, in line with broader weakness across altcoins.

Performance among other major assets was mixed. BNB gained 3.40% to trade near $835, while XRP climbed 3.54% to approximately $1.84. Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC remained close to their $1.00 peg.

Overall, the global crypto market capitalization stood near $2.91 trillion, reflecting a modest decline of nearly 2% over the past 24 hours.

DISCOVER: H Crypto +30% BEAT Crypto +23%: Hottest Crypto to Buy Right Now?

PIPPIN Standing on Business in the Meme Coin and AI Segment – Next 100x Crypto?

While large-cap assets corrected, the meme coin and AI segment has a shining star, PIPPIN, a Solana-based project combining meme culture with autonomous AI agents. After printing a large red candle that tested lower price levels, PIPPIN recovered decisively and is now trading around $0.44, with a market capitalization above $440 million. The rebound points to sustained interest from its community and continued engagement from larger holders.

PIPPIN price action

(Source: Coingecko)

PIPPIN’s concept centers on an AI-generated unicorn that evolves into an active digital persona, supported by an open-source autonomous agent framework inspired by BabyAGI. Strong trading volumes and visible accumulation suggest that market participants are responding to both the narrative and the underlying technology rather than short-lived excitement alone.

However, not everyone is bullish. On-chain analysis from Bubblemaps has raised red flags about token distribution, showing that a concentrated cluster, potentially insiders, controls up to 80% of the supply, previously estimated at half and now valued at around $380–400 million. Community posts on X, including visualizations from Bubblemaps, have labeled PIPPIN a potential “ticking time bomb,” warning of manipulation risks and possible coordinated sells that could trigger sharp dumps.

With Bitcoin maintaining support above $85,000 and altcoins attempting to establish a base, attention is increasingly turning toward projects that combine strong engagement with practical innovation.

Could this market deliver the next 100x crypto?

Stay tuned for the latest crypto news.

Dec 18 Update: ETF Flows Show Mixed Crypto Sentiment

Fatima
By Fatima

Crypto ETF flows were mixed on December 18. Bitcoin ETFs posted daily inflows of 4,952 BTC ($434.8M), though the 7-day total remains negative at -2,475 BTC ($217.3M).

Ethereum ETFs continued to see pressure, with 1-day outflows of 7,943 ETH ($23.6M) and 7-day outflows of 160,507 ETH ($476.7M).

Solana ETFs stayed positive, recording daily inflows of 99,286 SOL ($12.6M) and weekly inflows of 503,145 SOL ($63.9M).

$27M Crypto Hack Exploits Multisig Wallet Vulnerability

Fatima
By Fatima

A major crypto investor lost around $27.3 million after hackers exploited a weakness in their multi-signature wallet. The breach occurred when a private key was leaked, allowing the attacker to bypass wallet protections and access funds directly. Blockchain monitoring shows the hacker quickly funneled roughly $12.6 million through Tornado Cash, hiding the stolen assets, while retaining $2 million in accessible holdings.

The compromised wallet also managed a $12.3 million DAI loan on Aave, raising risks of forced liquidations. Experts warn that even multisig wallets can fail if keys are exposed or setup is flawed.

Strategy: Bitcoin’s Quantum Leap Forward

Fatima
By Fatima

Michael Saylor argues quantum computing won’t break Bitcoin but will strengthen it. A future upgrade would enable active coins to migrate to quantum-resistant addresses, leaving lost coins permanently frozen. Security rises, effective supply falls, and Bitcoin emerges more robust than ever.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Why Did BTC Trigger Back-to-Back Short and Long Squeezes in a Single Session?

Fatima
By Fatima

On December 17, Bitcoin saw a sharp and chaotic two-hour stretch that sent prices violently higher and lower within a short window.

The move began with a fast rally, then flipped just as quickly into a steep drop. Both sides of the market took hits. Each leg pushed Bitcoin roughly $3,000 in either direction, highlighting how aggressive trading had become during the session.

Bull Theory flagged the initial surge, noting that Bitcoin jumped about $3,300 in just 30 minutes. That spike forced the liquidation of roughly $106M in short positions. 

According to the analyst, the speed and scale of the move made it a textbook short squeeze.

But the strength did not last. Over the next 45 minutes, Bitcoin gave back nearly all of those gains. Prices dropped around $3,400, triggering about $52M in long liquidations. 

Bull Theory described the reversal as a fast shift into a long squeeze, showing how quickly sentiment flipped.

Other market watchers pointed to the same episode from different angles. DEGEN NEWS described Bitcoin as printing “two straight volatile hourly candles,” emphasizing how unusual the back-to-back swings were. 

ZeroHedge tied the move to its long-running “10 am slam algo” idea, calling it a near $5,000 swing within about an hour at the time of its post.

Both ZeroHedge and Bull Theory have pointed to a pattern they say shows up around 10:00 a.m. EST. That timing lines up with the opening of US stock markets. And it’s where some of these sharp Bitcoin moves tend to appear.

DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in 2025

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Fatima
Fatima
Crypto Journalist

Fatima is a rising crypto journalist with a sharp eye for hidden gems and technical analysis. When she's not charting the next big breakout or diving into onchain data, a firm believer that alpha is where you least expect it,... Read More

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