The global cryptocurrency market inched up 0.9% to $3.21 trillion over the past 24 hours, with total trading volume cooling to $66.8 billion. Market sentiment remained fearful, as the Fear and Greed Index slipped to 27 from 29. While Bitcoin and Ethereum posted modest gains, altcoins showed stark divergence: Monero (XMR) skyrocketed 23%, while Litecoin (LTC) fell 3.3%.
Bitcoin, Ethereum Lead With Dominance Unchanged
Bitcoin traded at $91,337, up 0.9% on a $19 billion volume, maintaining a 57% dominance. Ethereum climbed 1.07% to $3,120, with $11.6 billion in trading. Together they account for nearly 70% of the total market cap. Solana jumped 3.82% to $141.37, while XRP slipped 0.95% to $2.06.
Monero Rockets 23% as Litecoin Leads Losers
Privacy coin Monero (XMR) was the top performer, hitting $584.58 with a 23.32% gain on $297 million volume. IP (Story Protocol) surged 24.89% to $2.49. On the losing side, Litecoin (LTC) dropped 3.37% to $78.49, Polygon (POL) fell 7.28%, and MemeCore slid 4.29%.
Fear Index Remains Low; Macro Events Loom
The Fear and Greed Index, still in the fear zone, recovered slightly from 25 (extreme fear) last week to 27. This week’s key events include the US December CPI, Supreme Court tariff ruling, and the Fed’s Beige Book. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted that a DOJ grand jury subpoena followed his Senate testimony but targets the Fed’s independent rate decisions. Seven UK Labour committee chairs urged a ban on crypto political donations, warning of hidden funding and foreign interference. Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said stablecoin development will proceed step by step, with gold-linked assets under cautious review. Coinbase is lobbying US lawmakers to protect stablecoin rewards, threatening to withdraw support if Senate rules limit rewards to banks. Meanwhile, Kweichow Moutai launched a digital tech subsidiary with 600 million yuan capital, covering live streaming, blockchain, chips, and internet services.
DeFi and Stablecoin Snapshot
The DeFi sector rose 0.8% to $111 billion in market cap, with $3 billion in volume, representing 3.5% of the global market. Stablecoin market cap stood at $311.5 billion with $50.6 billion in volume, down 0.1%. Overall, the market lacks clear direction, with capital rotating between majors and volatile altcoins.