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**A Series of Harsh Criticisms from Renowned Investor Figures Against Crypto**

The fact is, prominent figures and investors around the world remain skeptical about the growth of digital crypto assets, mainly Bitcoin ($BTC ). In fact, some still view crypto as a speculative and high-risk asset.

Nevertheless, their criticism does not align when looking at Bitcoin's growth since it was created by Satoshi Nakamoto, where this asset has developed into the largest digital crypto asset in the world, rising thousands of percent to peak this year, reaching its highest price at US$126,000.

Not only that, the current market capitalization of crypto has reached US$2.95 trillion, driven by several catalysts such as massive institutional purchases, state cash adoption with Bitcoin, and inflows of billions of US dollars into ETFs. #CryptoAcademyNews

Disclaimer Alert. Not Financial Advice (NFA). Do Your Own Research (DYOR).

**In fact, Last Year's Bitcoin-Dogecoin Christmas Gifts Ended Up Losing Money**

A number of investors have made breakthroughs in giving Christmas and New Year gifts by giving crypto. However, it turns out that this digital asset gift has existed since 2017, started by Andy L who gave Bitcoin.

However, crypto gifts do not always turn a profit. In fact, during Christmas 2024, the results turned out to be disappointing to this day because crypto prices had been at a high level in December 2024, then dropped in 2025.

An investment gift of US$100 at Christmas 2024 is equivalent to 0.0010 $BTC Bitcoin, 292.94 $DOGE Dogecoin, and 0.02823 $ETH Ethereum, which are now worth US$87.77 (down 12.2%), US$37.70 (down 16.9%), and US$83.13 (down 62.3%).

This makes the total gift of US$300 in these three cryptos now worth only US$208.60, down 30.5%. On the other hand, if US$300 in gold had been given as a gift last Christmas, it would now be worth US$516.47, as that asset reached its all-time high in Q4.

Nevertheless, historically, previous crypto gifts have been very profitable, as US$300 from Christmas 2023 to Christmas 2024 grew to US$725.32 (up 141.8%) and from Christmas 2022 to Christmas 2023 to $559.61 (up 86.5%).

**Peter Schiff: Prepare for a Historic Economic Crisis**

Peter Schiff stated that the Federal Reserve is quietly returning to policies that trigger inflation as in the past, where it will buy government bonds worth $40 billion every month. According to him, this is merely debt monetization, which will shape inflation expectations.

In fact, Schiff said that the era of US dollar dominance will soon come to an end, leading to the worst economic crisis in history, especially as gold begins to rise to record highs.

“The era of US dollar dominance will soon come to an end. Gold will replace the US dollar as the primary reserve asset of central banks. This means the US dollar will plummet against other fiat currencies, and the era of the United States easily leveraging global advantages will be over. Prepare for a historic economic crisis,” Schiff wrote on his X account.

As a note, overall, the dollar index fell 9.93% throughout the year, marking the deepest decline since 2003. Then, the world gold price briefly set an all-time high after soaring to $4,383 per ounce on Monday (22/12).

*Disclaimer Alert. Not Financial Advice (NFA). Do Your Own Research (DYOR).*
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**Starting from a Bitcoin Magazine Writer, Vitalik's Wealth Surpasses Rp13 Trillion**

The founder of Ethereum ($ETH ) Vitalik Buterin's story began as a writer and founded a Bitcoin magazine ($BTC ) in 2012. At that time, he was just 19 years old. Now, he has transformed into a trillionaire with a wealth of around US$700-800 million or about Rp13 trillion.

This Russian-born man became acquainted with Bitcoin through his father, but he was skeptical and thought the asset would fall. Over time, he began to delve into digital crypto assets through the University of Waterloo majoring in computer science.

This led him to discover ideas related to the weaknesses present in Bitcoin. He believed that the shortcomings of the crypto asset were due to its programming language being too simple, and he proposed these ideas to the community but was rejected.

By the end of 2013, Vitalik wrote the Ethereum whitepaper and presented it in 2014 in Miami. His idea was accepted by people and quickly garnered US$18 million in funding before its release in 2015.

As a result of his innovative ideas, his life changed significantly. Ethereum grew to become the second largest crypto asset, rivaling Bitcoin.

**Analyst Says Bitcoin Demand $BTC Plummets, Market Will Head Towards Bearish**

One unnamed analyst at the CryptoQuant platform noted that the market is signaling a move towards bearish. This is because the demand for purchasing Bitcoin $BTC has been declining since early October, causing its price to drop.

"Demand growth has fallen below trend since early October 2025. This indicates that most of the additional demand growth in this cycle has materialized, thereby eliminating one of the main pillars supporting the price," he said, citing official sources from CryptoQuant.

Moreover, the main pillars of Bitcoin, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), continue to experience outflows. This reflects market participants pulling their funds and indicates slowing demand.

As a result, this has caused Bitcoin to break below the 365-day moving average price. This indicator is typically used to show the price movement direction of Bitcoin, which historically separates bullish and bearish markets in the long term.

**Despite Uncertain Markets, ETF $XRP Silently Reaches Inflow US$1.25 Billion**

The inflow of the XRP ETF experienced an increase of about US$1.25 billion even though its price stands at US$1.87, according to CoinMarketCap, Friday (26/12). This means that, despite the market still being uncertain, exposure to the ETF supply remains highly sought after by investors.

Furthermore, the total net inflow has reached US$1.13 billion, with total assets under management (AUM) surpassing US$1.25 billion, which in almost a month recorded an inflow of US$11.93 million, according to SoSoValue, Wednesday (24/12).

However, the increase in inflow for ETF $XRP is inversely related to Bitcoin, where the Bitcoin ETF recorded massive outflows of up to US$1.11 billion, causing its price to remain stagnant at an average of US$87,000 over the past week.

Therefore, looking at the broader market, the recovery of Bitcoin and $XRP has not received full support from US Spot ETF trading, so the majority of major assets remain stuck in a risk-off condition, with price movements still limited.

*Disclaimer Alert. Not Financial Advice (NFA). Do Your Own Research (DYOR).*

**Galaxy Researchers Assess Bitcoin Cannot Break the US$100 Thousand Mark, Why?**

Head of Galaxy Research, Alex Thorn, revealed that Bitcoin cannot break the psychological barrier of US$100 thousand. He assesses that when adjusted for inflation.

"If you adjust the price of Bitcoin for inflation using the dollar value of 2020, Bitcoin has never surpassed $100,000, instead peaking at $99,848 in 2020 dollar value, if you believe," he said, citing his X account.

In his assessment, the decline in purchasing power of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has gradually occurred with each release of inflation data from 2020 until now. Overall, the dollar value has dropped about 20% during that period.

Additionally, the Dollar Currency Index (DXY) throughout 2025 experienced a decline of about 11% to 97.8, with its lowest point occurring in September at 96.3.
$BTC

**Exactly 7 Years Ago Christmas Eve Became Gloomy, Bitcoin Touched US$3.834**

The state of the crypto market on Christmas Eve 7 years ago turned tense, precisely in 2018. This was because Bitcoin (BTC) plummeted to US$3.834, according to Bitbo data.

This was reinforced by an analyst or a crypto enthusiast named Bong, who uploaded a screenshot containing the state of the market at that time, which was claimed to be taken on Christmas Eve 7 years ago.

The post garnered various reactions, one of which was from Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) who reposted it on his X account. Additionally, the phenomenon was referred to as the real Christmas gift because Bitcoin dropped 42%.

It is known that 2018 was the biggest event for crypto where the market experienced a bearish trend, commonly referred to as 'crypto winter' in the early history of cryptocurrency. This occurred due to the burst of the Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) bubble and FOMO (fear of missing out).
$BTC

**The Movement of Bitcoin Prices Can Be Transformed into Orchestra Music in Brazil**

An orchestra project in Brazil will transform fluctuating Bitcoin (BTC) price data into music.

This project has received approval from the Federal Government of Brazil to raise funds through a state tax incentive program worth US$197,000 or Rp3 trillion, along with contributions from private companies and individuals.

Furthermore, this project will convert monetary figures into musical notes using algorithms to track Bitcoin. Real-time Bitcoin price data will guide the melody, rhythm, and harmony as the orchestra plays.

Additionally, this performance is designed to represent audio to the audience about Bitcoin's volatility by translating market behavior into sound. Moreover, this project has met the requirements of the Brazilian Rouanet Law.
$BTC $ETH $BNB

Elon Musk's Wealth Breaks Records, Analyst: Will Reach US$1 Trillion If He Buys Bitcoin

Forbes data shows that Elon Musk has reached a record wealth of over US$749 billion or more than Rp12.4 quadrillion. This occurred after SpaceX completed its IPO, which boosted the company's valuation by more than US$800 billion.

In addition to SpaceX, Musk has founded other companies, including Tesla, Neuralink, xAI, and purchased platform X with a deal worth US$44 billion in 2022. Musk's wealth also increased after winning a legal dispute related to Tesla stock retention of about US$146 billion in 2018.

Bitcoin analyst Joe Burnett revealed that Musk could reach US$1 trillion faster. Tesla indeed has a long-term compensation package that could potentially increase his wealth by another US$1 trillion, but the valuation target that must be achieved is still far.

He argues that the fastest route for Musk to US$1 trillion is not through Tesla or IPOs, but rather by buying Bitcoin and using it as collateral to finance businesses like SpaceX and artificial intelligence (AI) projects.

According to him, the scarcity of Bitcoin and its potential value increase could accelerate Musk's wealth growth compared to waiting for corporate incentives. However, this strategy remains high-risk because Bitcoin's volatility could trigger liquidation if its price falls. $BTC

**Investors Finally Relieved, Bitcoin Rebounds After a Week of Weakness**

The price of Bitcoin was pressured down to touch the level of US$89,000 after a massive sell-off in the crypto market. However, the situation began to change today, Sunday (22/12). Where Bitcoin successfully rebounded and is now traded around US$90,000, marking a recovery.

The catalyst for this increase in Bitcoin occurred after the Federal Reserve's (the Fed) rate cut adjustment and the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) tightening policy. Where, although US policies being tighter had temporarily pressured risk assets, Bitcoin benefited from the release of yen carry-trade and dwindling liquidity during the holidays that strengthened its movement.

Furthermore, CryptoQuant shows that exchange balances have reached a five-year low, while wallets holding more than 1,000 Bitcoins have added 218,570 Bitcoins since March.
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**Looked Down Upon, Memecoins Are Apparently Popular in Indonesia**

According to the latest data from CoinGecko, the 2025 State of Memecoins Report, Indonesia has become one of the countries with the highest interest in memecoin digital assets at around 22.6% as of last November. This figure places Indonesia on par with several major countries such as the US, India, Nigeria, Germany, Turkey, and the Netherlands.

For your information, Dogecoin $DOGE remains the largest memecoin in the world, covering 47.3% of the market share, even though investor attention continues to shift toward several new projects. Even though $DOGE has weakened, memecoins with similar themes are still in demand.

However, apart from all that, overall interest in memecoins has continued to decline since the beginning of this year, with a decrease of 81.6%, which also reflects the overall decline in the market capitalization of memecoins.

Disclaimer Alert. Not Financial Advice (NFA). Do Your Own Research (DYOR).

**Features | Due to Negligence, 25,000 Bitcoin Owned by a Miner Disappeared After Hacking**

An early miner named Allinvain woke up to find his entire Bitcoin balance of about 25,000 BTC vanished in a single transaction on June 13, 2011. These thousands of Bitcoins are now valued at US$2.2 billion or approximately Rp36.87 trillion.

This happened due to a fatal combination of weak security. The mining pool account did not have 2FA, leaked credentials, and an unencrypted wallet.dat file on a Windows system with software from various sources.

As a result, the attacker was able to copy the private key and move the coins in seconds. The funds were then divided and spent slowly, and the perpetrator was never caught.

This incident is the darkest tragedy in the early history of Bitcoin, leaving behind a bitter story that remains an eternal reminder in the blockchain about the importance of digital asset security.
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**Don't Save Fiat Money, CZ Claims Buy Everything Using Crypto**

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) stated that he does not hold any fiat money at all, but rather 100% in Bitcoin and crypto.

“I don’t have fiat money. I have this thing, like a card right? So this is my interface for fiat. Like a Visa card, when swiped, the merchant receives fiat money and my crypto BNB is deducted in real-time,” said CZ in an interview.

The world's richest crypto figure revealed that by not using fiat, it means he is not affected by monetary policy. Because fiat money is eaten away by inflation, unlike some cryptos like Bitcoin.

“We are outside the fiat system, we are inside the crypto system,” he added.

The founder of the world's largest crypto exchange also added that although crypto is considered more volatile than fiat, he can still tolerate it. The reason is that crypto is expected to keep rising in the long term.

“The volatility of crypto to fiat depends on how you look at it. But if we compare fiat to crypto, you won’t care, only the spending changes from day to day,” he continued.
$BTC $USDC $USDT

**Elon Musk's Wealth Surpasses Rp12.4 Quadrillion**

Elon Musk's wealth continues to rise with a fortune exceeding US$749 billion or more than Rp12.4 quadrillion, according to Forbes, Saturday (12/12). The increase in Musk's wealth surged after SpaceX completed its IPO, boosting the company's valuation by more than US$800 billion.

In addition to SpaceX, Musk has founded other companies, including Tesla, Neuralink, xAI, and acquired platform X in a deal worth US$44 billion in 2022. Moreover, Musk's wealth recently increased following a victory in a legal dispute related to the holding of Tesla shares valued at around US$146 billion in 2018.

Furthermore, Musk's wealth has surpassed that of Google founder Larry Page, who ranks second among the world's billionaires with a fortune of around US$242.7 billion or Rp4 quadrillion.
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**North Korea Breaks Record for Largest Crypto Hacker of 2025**

The entire group of hackers associated with North Korea is known to have stolen around US$2.02 billion in crypto digital assets throughout the year 2025, according to a Chainalysis report. This acquisition has driven a 51% increase compared to last year, with total thefts amounting to around US$6.75 billion.

In addition, this trend indicates that hacking groups in North Korea are shifting their theft priorities to high-value targets, rather than stealing small amounts of funds. Moreover, the alleged hacking in crypto exchanges this year has dragged the name Lazarus into the spotlight as the perpetrator behind the loss of millions in digital assets.

In fact, recently, the hacking of Upbit that attacked the Solana (SOL) network causing losses of Rp596 billion is suspected to have been orchestrated by the Lazarus group, which is linked to North Korea. Furthermore, Lazarus has become the largest crypto hacker experienced by Bybit this year.
$BTC $ETH $SOL

**Bad Dreams, 91% of Crypto Companies Are Not Ready to Face Quantum Computers**

Bain & Company, a leading consulting firm in the United States (US), notes that only 9% of crypto companies have a recipe against quantum computers. This means that 91% of crypto entrepreneurs are resigned to being hacked by that upcoming technology.

In fact, as many as 73% of Information Technology (IT) experts believe that quantum computers could pose a dangerous risk to crypto within five years.

However, in the same report, crypto is assessed as a potential anti-quantum solution itself. With post-quantum cryptography (PQC) technology that can protect data from quantum computer decryption..

Nevertheless, in its implementation, this technology requires years to map the landscape of corporate cryptography, update protocols, ensure compliance, and the technology that supports PQC.
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**Gen Z in the World Prefer Receiving Crypto as Gifts**

A recent survey from Visa revealed that 45% of Generation Z (Gen Z) in the United States (US) prefer receiving crypto digital assets as gifts, with stablecoins becoming one of the increasingly popular options.

Not only that, global Gen Z is normalizing cross-border transactions while shopping on social media. This aligns with data showing that 60% of Gen Z frequently make gift purchases from overseas sellers this season, especially as 41% choose to vacation during this time.

Therefore, digital payments are chosen as one of the alternatives for cross-border payments. Additionally, many people in various countries are concerned about falling victim to fraud, leading to a shift in their payment preferences from physical cards to digital wallets.

Receiving crypto as a gift is indeed easy and cheap. However, it is important to remember that crypto may not be the best financial asset for young people who are still learning to invest and manage money, especially since crypto is highly volatile and carries significant risks.

*Disclaimer Alert. Not Financial Advice (NFA). Do Your Own Research (DYOR).*
$BTC $ETH $BNB

**CZ Stuck in Aster, Causing Himself a Loss of Rp4.7 Billion**

The founder of Binance, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), suffered a loss of US$285,819 or approximately Rp4.7 billion due to a 37% drop in Aster (ASTER) over the course of a month.

However, this incident did not prompt CZ to withdraw his funds or cut losses. Arkham Intelligence noted that there have been no sales, thus his losses are calculated as floating losses.

It is known that this purchase was made when Aster was priced at US$0.91 and is now trading at around US$0.76, according to CoinMarketCap.

Furthermore, CZ's total holdings in Aster amount to 2 million tokens, which are now valued at approximately US$1.6 million. This calculation is based on his post from last November, where he stated that he had just purchased Aster in a large quantity.
$ASTER