Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s oldest and most valued crypto, remained around the $86,000 mark early Thursday. Other popular altcoins — including the likes of Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin (LTC) — landed in the red across the board, as the overall Market Fear & Greed Index stood at 22 (Fear) out of 100, as per CoinMarketCap data. Audiera (BEAT) became the biggest gainer of the lot, with a 24-hour jump of nearly 46 percent. UNUS SED LEO (LEO) became the biggest loser, with a 24-hour dip of nearly 26 percent.
The global crypto market cap stood at $2.91 trillion at the time of writing, registering a 24-hour dip of 1.58 percent.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Today
Bitcoin price stood at $86,430.97, registering a 24-hour dip of 0.57 percent, as per CoinMarketCap. According to Indian exchanges, BTC price stood at Rs 81.11 lakh.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Today
ETH price stood at $2,826.63, marking a 24-hour loss of 3.84 percent at the time of writing. Ethereum price in India stood at Rs 3.71 lakh.
Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Today
DOGE registered a 24-hour dip of 4.90 percent, as per CoinMarketCap data, currently priced at $0.1247. Dogecoin price in India stood at Rs 18.25.
Litecoin (LTC) Price Today
Litecoin saw a 24-hour loss of 5.11 percent. At the time of writing, it was trading at $75.06. LTC price in India stood at Rs 8,844.67.
Ripple (XRP) Price Today
XRP price stood at $1.83, seeing a 24-hour dip of 4.84 percent. Ripple price in India stood at Rs 232.74.
Solana (SOL) Price Today
Solana price stood at $122.58, marking a 24-hour loss of 4.13 percent. SOL price in India stood at Rs 17,927.38.
Top Crypto Gainers Today (December 18)
As per CoinMarketCap data, here are the top five crypto gainers over the past 24 hours:
Audiera (BEAT)
Price: $02.78
24-hour gain: 33.01 percent
Pippin (PIPPIN)
Price: $0.4413
24-hour gain: 25.72 percent
MYX Finance (MYX)
Price: $3.50
24-hour gain: 8.49 percent
XDC Network (XDC)
Price: $0.04873
24-hour gain: 3.06 ercent
Monero (XMR)
Price: $410.75
24-hour gain: 1.83 percent
Top Crypto Losers Today (December 18)
As per CoinMarketCap data, here are the top five crypto losers over the past 24 hours:
UNUS SED LEO (LEO)
Price: $6.83
24-hour loss: 25.54 percent
Pump.fun (PUMP)
Price: $0.002042
24-hour loss: 11.83 percent
MYX Finance (MYX)
Price: $3.11
24-hour loss: 11.56 percent
Aster (ASTER)
Price: $0.6805
24-hour loss: 11.50 percent
SPX6900 (SPX)
Price: $0.4743
24-hour loss: 9.91 percent
What Crypto Exchanges Are Saying About Current Market Scenario
Akshat Siddhant, Lead Quant Analyst, Mudrex, told ABP Live, “The crypto market witnessed sharp price swings during the U.S. market open, with Bitcoin briefly surging to $90,300 before pulling back to the $86,000 zone within an hour. On-chain and derivatives data suggest the move was amplified by thin liquidity, triggering a leverage reset. Around $120 million in short positions were liquidated on the way up, followed by over $200 million in long liquidations during the pullback. The U.S. CPI inflation and jobless claims data will decide Bitcoin’s next move. A daily close above $89,000 could make way for a sustained rally towards $92,000, with major support standing at $84,000.”
Nischal Shetty, Founder, WazirX, noted, “BTC is trading around ~$86,800 amidst mild volatility based on macro drivers and liquidity rotation. Lower central bank rates, like the Bank of England easing policy, are being touted as a catalyst to increase liquidity and support risk assets including crypto, according to analysts. It’s important to note that crypto’s correlation with broader markets (especially equities) has strengthened. Global energy tensions have marginally lifted broader risk assets and pushed some investors to hedge outside traditional markets, as indicated by experts.”
CoinSwitch Markets Desk noted, “BTC slipped back toward the $85.5K–$86K zone after a brief failed rally near $90K, as the upside move was largely driven by short-term trading rather than sustained spot demand. The pullback also tracked weakness in U.S. tech stocks and continued year-end profit-taking. In the near term, price action is likely to remain range-bound. On the technical side, $85K remains key support, while $88.5K–$90K continues to act as strong resistance. On the other side, Bhutan announced a national Bitcoin Development Pledge, allocating up to 10,000 BTC to support the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, reinforcing long-term sovereign-level interest in BTC.”
Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus, said, “Bitcoin is holding above $86,000, but the price action still reflects market stress and not a clear directional trend. Repeated pushes higher are being faded quickly. Sharp intraday spikes are followed by equally fast reversals back toward the mid-$80,000s. The market is clearly oversold on short-term measures. However, that alone has not been enough to establish a durable floor. Liquidity remains thin and recent moves look more like positioning clean-ups and stop-runs than genuine accumulation. Institutional buying has briefly overtaken new supply, but the broader tape still suggests distribution and hesitation rather than a confirmed bottom.”
Avinash Shekhar, Co-founder & CEO, Pi42, said, “Bitcoin’s swift price movements reflect the growing scale, liquidity, and participation in global crypto markets. As digital assets continue to attract a diverse set of traders and investors, periods of heightened activity are a natural outcome of a maturing ecosystem. These moments encourage market participants to be more informed, disciplined, and strategic in how they approach trading, especially as crypto increasingly becomes part of mainstream financial conversations.”
Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO and co-founder of Unocoin, said, “Cryptocurrency markets are under pressure today as Bitcoin consolidates near $87,700, while Ethereum, XRP, and Dogecoin post mild declines. The broader market remains weak, with nearly 75% of the top 100 coins trading below key moving averages, reflecting fading momentum. The downturn is driven by global risk-off sentiment, thin year-end liquidity, and growing regulatory uncertainty. A key trigger was the US Senate Banking Committee’s decision to delay discussions on the long-awaited crypto market structure bill until early 2026, dampening investor confidence. Technically, emerging death cross patterns across major tokens signal bearish bias, frustrating traders despite recent positive catalysts.”
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Disclaimer: Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. Cryptocurrency is not a legal tender and is subject to market risks. Readers are advised to seek expert advice and read offer document(s) along with related important literature on the subject carefully before making any kind of investment whatsoever. Cryptocurrency market predictions are speculative and any investment made shall be at the sole cost and risk of the readers.
