Over the weekend, the overall crypto market reached a value of $3 trillion again. This is a big number that shows how much all cryptocurrencies are worth together. For the first time in a while, there was no sudden drop in prices late on Sunday.
This week is expected to be quieter because it’s the Christmas holiday period (more on Christmas holiday period). When people celebrate holidays, they often trade less, so things may not move a lot in the markets. Some important economic data will be shared, but no major events are likely to shake the markets.
Last week, softer inflation data from US Consumer Price Index (learn about US CPI) gave traders hope for what’s called a “Santa rally” (Santa rally explained): a rise in stock prices during the end of the year. But despite that, markets stayed very calm.
Economic Events for December 22-26
We’ll see several important reports this week that might give hints about how the economy is doing:
- Monday: The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation report for October will be released. This report shows changes in prices people pay for goods and services and how much they are spending (understand more about PCE here). The US Federal Reserve (read about the Federal Reserve) pays attention to this data alongside CPI when deciding money policies.
- Tuesday: The report on the United States third-quarter economic growth, or GDP (learn about US GDP), will be released. This shows how much the economy grew in three months. Experts believe the growth will be around 3% to 3.5%, which is lower than the 3.8% growth during the second quarter.
- Tuesday: Data on new home sales (what are new home sales?) will be shared too. This report tells us how many newly built homes were sold, which shows how consumers are spending money.
- Wednesday: A report about durable goods orders for October will be out. Durable goods are items like cars or refrigerators that last a long time. This report shows how many of these items were ordered.
- Thursday: Stock markets are closed for Christmas!
According to Vinod Nair, a research expert at Geojit Investments, attention will quickly shift to central banks around the world for their plans in 2026.
What’s Happening in Crypto Markets?
Right now, the total value of all cryptocurrencies is at $3.08 trillion during Monday morning trading in Asia. This number hasn’t changed much compared to last week. In fact, markets have recovered after hitting low values last Friday. Bitcoin (Bitcoin explained), the world’s most famous cryptocurrency, climbed back to $88,000 during the weekend. It even briefly reached $89,000 on Sunday. On Monday, it was trading around $88,500, staying within the same range for about a month.
Ethereum (learn about Ethereum), another popular crypto, crossed the $3,000 mark on Monday morning. However, it hasn’t gone above that level yet. Other cryptocurrencies, also known as altcoins (what are altcoins?), showed mixed results. For example, Tron, Monero (about Monero), and Hyperliquid had small gains. On the other hand, Bitcoin Cash (Bitcoin Cash explained) and Leo had slight losses.
That’s the summary of what’s happening in both the crypto and traditional markets this week! Everyone seems to be focused on data reports and looking forward to holiday celebrations.