Gate Research: BTC Short-Term Holders Remain Under Pressure | Stablecoin Settlement Enters the Banking System

• Market Overview: On December 17, the crypto market continued its recovery, with major assets showing signs of structural rebalancing. Bitcoin stabilized above 85,000 USDT and rebounded to trade around 87,500 USDT, where short-term momentum has improved but remains constrained by medium-term resistance. Ethereum recovered to the 2,950 USDT area after its recent decline, though the pace of the rebound has been relatively moderate. Overall sentiment remains cautious, but rotation within major assets is becoming increasingly evident, with capital allocation showing early signs of marginal improvement.
• Trending Tokens: PTB (+86.81%) surged sharply amid growing narratives around Bitcoin application-layer expansion and institutional adoption, with its low circulating supply amplifying short-term volatility. LIGHT (+27.01%) gained on expectations surrounding the Lightning × RGB technical roadmap and upcoming testing progress. ARC (+16.98%) attracted attention as interest returned to AI agent infrastructure and developer-driven narratives.
• Alpha Insights: On-chain data indicate that short-term Bitcoin supply continues to shift toward long-term holders, with an improving supply structure helping to alleviate potential sell pressure. Meanwhile, stablecoin supply is still expanding, but at a slower pace, signaling a marginal cooling in new liquidity and a market increasingly driven by existing capital. At the same time, USDC settlement has expanded onto public blockchains and into banking use cases, highlighting the evolution of stablecoins from crypto-native instruments into cross-system payment and clearing infrastructure.

Discover more details today → Gate Research: BTC Short-Term Holders Remain Under Pressure | Stablecoin Settlement Enters the Banking System

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Investing in cryptocurrency markets involves high risk. Users are advised to conduct their own research and fully understand the nature of the assets and products before making any investment decisions. Gate is not responsible for any losses or damages arising from such decisions.

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