The most interesting chart in crypto right now is BTC/XMR, which paints an entirely different market outlook than those paired against USD-backed stablecoins, which are all struggling as we head toward the year-end close. On the flip side, Monero is showing that real crypto may be staging a comeback, as the leading privacy token is up more than +120% against Bitcoin in 2025.
Monero has been in and out of crypto news over the last few years, primarily due to crackdowns on privacy tokens, which have led to its delisting from multiple centralized exchanges. Across Europe, many exchanges, including Kraken, have removed XMR for trading, while Binance and Coinbase have removed it in every market.
XMR has benefited from the increased attention on the crypto privacy sector in 2025, as Zcash (ZEC) has made waves, surging +610% this year. It is up for debate which of ZEC or XMR offers better technology and stronger privacy. Still, both projects and the broader privacy space have benefited significantly from the uptick in attention.
Monero Crypto Outperforming Bitcoin in 2025: Is XMR/BTC the Best Chart in Crypto Right Now?
With sentiment in the gutter around the crypto market right now, the XMR/BTC chart is offering an optimistic outlook at a time when the Fear and Greed Index is sitting at ’16: Extreme Fear’. The memecoin sector is non-existent, low-cap utility plays can barely sustain a 24-hour pump before being sold off, and even major caps are struggling.
XMR is bucking the trend and remains heavily in the green year over year, up +97% from this time last year. It currently trades at around $415, just -23% below its all-time high of $542.
This is even more impressive than other major caps that are down significantly more from their all-time highs: SOL is down 54%, DOGE is down -81%, and LINK is down -74%, among others.
Crypto Fear and Greed Chart
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The Monero crypto chart looks even better when compared to Bitcoin, with the leading privacy token up 125% in the past year against BTC. Given that Bitcoin has reached four new all-time highs in 2025, XMR’s triple-digit gains against BTC are significant.
On the 1-week chart, Crypto Twitter trader @ramseycrypto has highlighted the Monero chart, noting that it has completed the early stages of a cup-and-handle pattern. If it holds above the $400 support level, it appears ready to test new highs.
While real-world utility projects like Monero continue to outperform Bitcoin and the broader market, there is still some hope that investors are here for tried-and-tested tokens with a legitimate use case.
#XMR bullish as hell👀
Completed the rounding bottom on weekly👌
Ready to go higher✈️#Monero $XMR pic.twitter.com/zJWlCKxxsa
— Daniel Ramsey (@ramseycrypto) December 13, 2025
As the XMR/BTC chart continues to paint one of the only positive pictures in crypto right now, utility-based projects such as PepeNode (PEPENODE) are seeing an uptick in ICO investment, climbing to $2.35M over the weekend as investors look to take advantage of its ‘Mine-2-Earn’ offering.
Mine-2-Earn Making PepeNode (PEPENODE) One of the Best Utility-Backed Plays in Crypto Right Now: 24 Days Until ICO Slams Shut
The PepeNode (PEPENODE) presale hit $2.35M over the weekend, a six-figure increase that highlights the growing demand for utility-backed memecoin plays.
PEPENODE offers its revolutionary virtual mining platform, staking, and a tiered presale pricing model that increases prices as more investors participate, locking in profits at each successive price stage.
These features create excitement and interest in the PEPENODE token ahead of its launch on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and centralized exchanges (CEXs). While Binance delisted Monero amid privacy regulation concerns in 2024, the leading CEX has been adding new tokens at a faster pace in 2025, and PepeNode could be set for a 2026 listing.
The popularity of PEPENODE largely stems from its virtual mining setup, which enables investors to deploy virtual nodes and facilities that generate rewards instantly via an easy-to-use dashboard. This feature allows presale investors to compound their investments, earning additional revenue through an innovative GameFi mining approach.
As broader crypto market conditions improve, PepeNode is solidifying its position as one of the best investment plays, with more hype and demand than many major cap tokens right now.
The PEPENODE token is currently priced at $0.0011968 during the presale, with just 24 DAYS remaining before the timer expires and the ICO concludes. This stands to be one of the strongest altcoin plays to kick off 2026 with, and time is running out to secure PepeNode at these early-bird prices.
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