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This Week’s Summary

• The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $3.11 trillion.
• Bitcoin rose to around $91,100, up 4%.
• Ethereum gained nearly 7% to trade at around $3,100.
• XRP is up 13%, Solana is up 9%, and Dogecoin is up 23%.
• Almost all altcoins are trading in the green, with very few exceptions.
• The DeFi sector saw total value locked (TVL) decline to about $118 billion.

Crypto Trends 29 December 2025 – 4 January 2026: Market Analysis and Performance

The crypto market entered 2026 carrying the same insecurities as 2025. However, it quickly reacted to international events, such as the US arresting the Venezuelan President. The news that hit the world on Friday instantly impacted most financial markets, including the crypto sector. Most cryptocurrencies rallied overnight, recovering lost ground and breaking through key resistance levels. Meanwhile, the overall market capitalization climbed back above the $3 trillion threshold, following a $130 billion increase.

Bitcoin started the year trading at about $87,000. However, the king of cryptocurrencies did not linger there for long. The recent developments in international politics brought investors back into the market, especially those banking on a spectacular bull run. As a result, Bitcoin’s value increased by nearly 4% compared to last week.

Ethereum also reclaimed a significant level after rallying above $3,000. The second crypto in command ended a disheartening period that saw it drop as low as $2,700 in December. Its supporters are now hoping for a steady course that will cement its position above $3K.

Altcoins & DeFi

Most altcoins are trading in the green, though some notable exceptions remain. For example, XRP is up 13%, Solana is up 9%, Cardano is up 9%, Avalanche is up 12%, Sui is up 18%, Chainlink is up 8%, and TRON is up 4%. On the other hand, Zcash is down 5%.

The memecoins also saw some interesting trajectories. For instance, Dogecoin is up 23%, Shiba Inu is up 22%, and Pepecoin is up 69%.

The Metaverse sector has also seen notable movements over the past week. For instance, Axie Infinity is up 11%, The Sandbox is up 5%, and Floki is up 40%. Meanwhile, Decentraland is up 13%, Render is up 47%, and ApeCoin is up 5%. Stacks increased by 30% and Virtuals by 27%. Meanwhile, MultiversX decreased by 1%.

The DeFi sector gained nearly $6 billion in total value locked (TVL), bringing the total to about $124.25 billion.

Crypto Market Analysis – What’s in the News?

• Tether confirmed purchasing 8,888.8888888 Bitcoin, worth $779M, in the last financial quarter of 2025.

Next Week’s Crypto Market Forecast

The crypto market is reacting with immense positivity to another early January event for the second year in a row. As in 2025, US politics is again taking center stage, rocking financial markets worldwide. It is interesting to see how long the recent rally in the crypto market will last.

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