MicroStrategy purchased an additional 22,628 BTC in December, increasing its holdings to 672,497 BTC. At the same time, Bitcoin's price dropped by 4%, trading around $88,000 at the time of publication. These three facts — the company's large purchases, price decline, and changes in the DeFi ecosystem — shape the monthly market summary.
MicroStrategy Continues Accumulating Bitcoin
The company acquired 22,628 BTC in December, bringing its total holdings to 672,497 BTC, or about 3.3% of the 19.9 million bitcoins in circulation. This consistent buying activity maintains MicroStrategy's status as one of the largest corporate BTC holders. More details on previous accumulations can be found in the article about the company's strategy, which discusses the history of its purchases and balance.
Bitcoin Price Dynamics in December
In December, Bitcoin's price fell by more than 4% and currently stands at around $88,000. This decline affected short-term investment returns but does not negate existing corporate purchases and accumulations. For market participants, this means increased volatility while maintaining a high asset value compared to previous cycles.
Legal Challenges for Prediction Markets in the US
Prediction markets, including platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, face legal actions in 11 states where regulators consider them a form of gambling. Companies are contesting these claims in courts, pointing to different legal and commercial characteristics of their products. The situation remains under litigation and may affect the availability of such services in certain jurisdictions.
Cryptocurrency Thefts in December 2025
In December, attackers stole $22.5 million in ten incidents, according to DefiLlama data. For the entire 2025 year, total thefts amounted to $3.4 billion, highlighting an ongoing security issue in the industry. The rise in attacks on personal wallets and major platform hacks remains a key risk for holders and users of cryptocurrencies.
Growth of Real-World Assets (RWAs) in DeFi
The volume of real-world assets in DeFi surpassed $19 billion following growth in December, with the largest share held by tokenized US Treasury bonds totaling $8.7 billion. RWAs have overtaken DEX volume and ranked among the top five largest DeFi categories by distributed asset value. Growth drivers include products from major institutional issuers and tokenization providers.
Why This Matters
For miners, these events have both direct and indirect impacts. Price declines affect mining revenue in fiat terms and may narrow margins amid high electricity costs, while corporate purchases indicate continued institutional demand for the asset. Meanwhile, RWA growth and legal disputes around prediction markets are unlikely to change farm operations themselves but reflect broader trends in crypto adoption and regulatory pressure.
What to Do?
If you operate between one and a thousand machines, focus on basic risk management and security. First, ensure personal and operational wallets are protected: use hardware wallets for keys, enable two-factor authentication, and regularly update software. Second, monitor energy costs and adjust profitability calculations to current BTC prices to respond quickly to periods of reduced returns.
Third, stay informed about news regarding major players and security incidents, as they affect liquidity and trust in the ecosystem; adjust holding or selling strategies if necessary. Finally, if questions arise about the legal status of products or services you use, pay attention to local restrictions and regulator notices.
Additional materials on the topic can be found in the article about Michael Saylor's hint at a new purchase, which reviews leadership remarks and possible next steps for the corporation.