NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 1:29 PM ET — Regular session
- Bitcoin up 0.8% at $88,320; ether up 1.3% in afternoon trade.
- Coinbase up 0.2% and Strategy up 1.4% as bitcoin-linked stocks track the token.
- U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs posted a $19.3 million net outflow on Monday, led by outflows from BlackRock’s IBIT, Farside data showed.
Bitcoin was up 0.8% at $88,320 on Tuesday afternoon in New York, steadying after recent choppy trading into the final days of the year.
The move matters now because thin holiday trading has amplified swings across risk assets, leaving crypto sensitive to fresh signals on U.S. interest rates. Traders are watching whether the Federal Reserve’s next message cements expectations for more easing in 2026.
Markets get a key test at 2 p.m. ET when the Fed releases minutes from its December meeting — the detailed record of policymakers’ discussion. Any shift in perceived rate cuts can quickly feed through to bitcoin and other speculative assets.
Bitcoin traded between $86,782 and $89,250 on Tuesday, according to market data. Ether rose 1.3% to $2,971, while solana gained 0.9% to $124.50.
Crypto-exposed U.S. stocks moved in step. Coinbase Global was up 0.2% and Strategy Inc gained 1.4%, while miners Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms were little changed.
Bitcoin ETFs also ticked higher, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) up 1.5% and Grayscale’s GBTC up 1.3%. Spot bitcoin ETFs hold bitcoin directly and have become a closely watched barometer of institutional demand.
Fed minutes due later Tuesday are expected to shed light on divisions after policymakers cut rates for a third time, bringing the target range to 3.50%–3.75%, Reuters reported. The minutes can move Treasury yields and the dollar — two macro inputs traders often cite when framing risk appetite.
“In light volume trading, we’re seeing a reversal of what we saw over the last couple of days,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, in a Reuters markets wrap. Reuters
ETF flows remained mixed heading into year-end. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $19.3 million of net outflows on Monday, with IBIT seeing $7.9 million of withdrawals and Invesco’s BTCO posting $10.4 million of outflows, according to Farside Investors’ daily flow data.
A major corporate buyer also returned to the tape. Strategy said in an SEC filing it sold 663,450 shares through its at-the-market program, raising $108.8 million in net proceeds, and used the money to buy 1,229 bitcoins at an average price of $88,568 each.
The same filing showed Strategy held 672,497 bitcoins as of Dec. 28, bought for $50.44 billion at an average price of $74,997 per coin. Investors often treat the stock as a leveraged proxy for bitcoin because the company funds purchases through capital markets and holds a large bitcoin reserve.
In macro markets, the U.S. dollar is on track for its steepest annual drop since 2017, the Financial Times reported, a backdrop some traders see as supportive for dollar-priced assets. Near term, bitcoin traders are watching the Fed minutes, whether ETF outflows stabilize, and whether the token can push back toward the $89,000–$90,000 area in thin trade.
