Introduction
The cryptocurrency market closed 2025 on a subdued note, with Bitcoin (BTC) failing to secure a yearly gain and most major altcoins following suit. The primary cryptocurrency recorded a 7% yearly decline, repeatedly rebuffed at the $90,000 resistance level throughout December. In stark contrast, Canton’s CC token delivered a standout performance, surging 130% over the past month and defying the broader market’s negative sentiment, which saw the total crypto market cap shed $20 billion in a single day.
Key Points
- Bitcoin failed to break $90,000 resistance multiple times in December 2025, ending the year with 7% yearly decline
- Canton's CC token surged 130% monthly and 18% daily while most other altcoins declined in value
- Total cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped $20 billion in one day to below $3.06 trillion as Bitcoin dominance fell to 57.3%
Bitcoin's Year-End Consolidation and Rejection
Bitcoin’s underwhelming price performance culminated in a yearly decline of 7%, with the asset unable to sustain momentum above key resistance levels. Throughout December, BTC traded within a consistently narrowing range, beginning the month between $94,500 and $84,500 before tightening to a sideways pattern between $86,000 and $90,000 for the final weeks of the year. Multiple attempts to breach the $90,000 barrier were swiftly intercepted, with the latest rejection occurring at $89,000, leading to a retracement to under $88,000.
This persistent failure to break higher has had a tangible impact on Bitcoin’s market metrics. Its market capitalization has slipped to $1.750 trillion, according to the source data. Furthermore, Bitcoin’s dominance over the altcoin market—a key indicator of its relative strength—has retreated to 57.3%. This consolidation and rejection pattern at year-end underscores the significant selling pressure that prevented BTC from closing 2025 in positive territory, setting a cautious tone for the broader market.
Canton's CC: A Lone Star in a Red Sky
While Bitcoin and most altcoins struggled, Canton’s CC token operated in a world of its own, posting extraordinary gains. The asset exploded by 130% on a monthly scale and added another 18% in the past 24 hours alone, pushing its price well above $0.17. This performance starkly contrasts with the general market direction, making CC the most notable outlier and gainer among digital assets as 2025 concluded.
The only other significant gainer from the larger-cap altcoins was Internet Computer (ICP), which posted an increase of more than 3.5%. The dramatic surge in CC’s value highlights how specific tokens can decouple from broader market trends, driven by project-specific developments, ecosystem growth, or concentrated investor interest, even during periods of general market contraction.
Broad Altcoin Retreat Drains Market Value
The negative sentiment was not confined to Bitcoin. A review of other major cryptocurrencies reveals widespread losses. Cardano’s ADA and Uniswap’s UNI both declined by more than 3%, with ADA falling below $0.34. Dogecoin (DOGE), Chainlink (LINK), Hedera (HBAR), Cronos (CRo), and Monero (XMR) all posted losses of up to 2.5%. Even major players like Binance Coin (BNB), Ripple’s XRP, and Solana (SOL) traded slightly in the red.
Only Ethereum (ETH) and Tron (TRX) managed to eke out minor gains amidst the downturn. This broad-based retreat across the altcoin spectrum directly contributed to a significant drop in the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, which declined by $20 billion in one day to fall below $3.060 trillion. The simultaneous drop in Bitcoin’s price and its market dominance to 57.3% indicates that the selling pressure was pervasive, affecting both the flagship cryptocurrency and the wider altcoin market almost uniformly, with the sole exception of Canton’s CC.
📎 Related coverage from: cryptopotato.com
