Bitcoin Consolidates as Ethereum Builds for the Next Crypto Cycle
What is driving price action now
The cryptocurrency market is ending the year in a more cautious and selective mood after a very strong 2025. Earlier in the year, broad optimism around ETFs, institutional adoption, and expectations of easier global monetary policy pushed most digital assets sharply higher. Recently, however, momentum has slowed. Liquidity is thinner near year-end, traders are locking in profits, and markets are reacting more to positioning and risk management than to hype. Volatility remains elevated, but it is becoming more uneven, with capital concentrating on the largest and most liquid assets rather than flowing across the entire market. In simple terms, crypto is no longer in a “everything…
