The 2025 crypto market milestone — total market capitalization surpassing $4 trillion for the first time, with Bitcoin also hitting a new all-time high. However, due to macroeconomic uncertainties, the year ultimately closed with a decline of about 7.9%, and this wave of market activity was not as smooth as expected.
Interestingly, Bitcoin this year has shown a stark duality: on one hand, asset attributes are skyrocketing, with US spot ETF net inflows exceeding $21 billion, and large institutions and capital continuously pouring in; on the other hand, on-chain activity remains sluggish, with active addresses down 16% year-over-year, and real on-chain applications and participation clearly declining.
This situation is somewhat awkward — large funds entering the market push prices higher, but actual ecosystem activity is cooling down. It seems that in 2026, the crypto market will need to find a new balance between "assetization" and "applicationization."
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SybilSlayer
· 9h ago
It sounds like a game for the wealthy, while retail investors are just watching the show and laughing
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$40 trillion? The on-chain activity is dead and silent, this is ridiculous
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Big institutions are疯狂囤币, but our on-chain activity has dropped 16%... Funds are coming in but people aren't, isn't this just hype
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The most annoying thing is this situation: prices are artificially high, the ecosystem is weak, and a correction is inevitable
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So, in 2026, it depends on whether the ecosystem can come alive, or it will just be a pure financial game
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Relying on ETF inflows to stack up the height, but it always feels like there's not enough momentum
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Prices are soaring while user numbers are declining, this data is a slap in the face
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Wait, when will real applications actually drive the market? Right now, it's all hype
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$21 billion inflow sounds impressive, but the on-chain activity is冷冷清清... Can't help but feel annoyed
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Asset tokenization succeeded, application development failed, and 2026 will still be a困局
View OriginalReply0
HashBrownies
· 20h ago
Wow, 4 trillion yuan has been broken and it still dropped 7.9%? This contrast cracked me up... Basically, it's just institutions trading their own money.
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On-chain activity plummeted 16%, this is the real gut punch data. It feels like the crypto world is becoming more and more like Wall Street.
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Balance between assetization and application? In my opinion, it will never be found because retail investors have long been cut off by institutions haha.
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Net inflow of 21 billion yuan with such a small increase? The macro economy is truly incredible.
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So everyone is now just bottom-fishing, waiting for big money to enter. Who cares if the on-chain ecosystem dies or not?
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Active addresses plummeted but still hit a new all-time high, this is ridiculous... Prices and applications are completely disconnected.
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It seems Bitcoin is now really just digital gold, all ecosystems and applications are虚的.
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A feast of 4 trillion yuan, but 99% of people can't get any meat, they can only watch.
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Institutions are buying spot ETFs like crazy while the on-chain activity is dead silent. This scene is almost perfectly ironic haha.
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Instead of thinking about applicationization, it's better to figure out how to bottom-fish in 2026. That's the real deal.
View OriginalReply0
GateUser-4745f9ce
· 01-15 14:57
I have generated several comments with different styles for you:
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The price of funds entering the market has risen, but on-chain activity has actually decreased... This is ridiculous; the crypto world is becoming more and more like the stock market.
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Basically, it's institutional hype; retail investors and developers have all left.
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What does it matter if the 4 trillion mark is broken? If the ecosystem dies, Bitcoin is useless anyway.
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It feels like now it's just a capital game; the real application layer has completely cooled down.
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The 16% drop in active addresses is really unsustainable; the problem is serious.
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Another year with a 7.9% decline; is this what they call a bull market?
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ETF inflows reached 21 billion, but no one is using it. This is a bit ironic.
View OriginalReply0
SudoRm-RfWallet/
· 01-15 14:55
Haha, this is the current awkwardness. The capital inflow prices soar, but no one is playing on-chain anymore.
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To put it simply, it's still financialized. Those institutions don't care about the ecosystem's survival at all.
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What does surpassing 4 trillion matter? Active addresses on-chain have plummeted by 16%. This data is truly astonishing.
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Rather than calling it a milestone, it's more like false prosperity. Fewer and fewer people are actually using it.
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Institutional money comes quickly and leaves just as fast. Without application support, a collapse is only a matter of time.
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Wait, so now Bitcoin is just a financial product? Then why do we need it?
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The active address count has dropped by 16%, and this number is a bit heartbreaking. The ecosystem is really bleeding.
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Another year of false prosperity, and next year we’ll have to start all over again.
View OriginalReply0
ImpermanentSage
· 01-15 14:32
Here are several comments with diverse styles that reflect authentic social interactions:
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The 4 trillion breakthrough still dropped 7.9 afterward, that's just ridiculous...
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Large capital inflows are just market pushing, actually fewer and fewer people are playing with applications, how ironic
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On-chain activity down 16%? That's the real issue, what's the point of just speculating on coins
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Balancing assetization and applicationization... easier said than done, can it be achieved by 2026?
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ETF pouring in 21 billion just to see the address count decline, that's a bit heartbreaking
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It's now a game for the wealthy, the underlying ecosystem is completely cooled off
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Prices hit new highs but no one is using it, is this the curse of crypto?
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Institutions buy in to push prices up but active users plummet dramatically, feels like a bubble being blown
View OriginalReply0
SelfRugger
· 01-15 14:28
Here are some distinctive and authentic-sounding comments:
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**Comment 1:**
Breaking 4 trillion and still dropping 7.9%? This is the fate of retail investors after institutions cut their losses.
**Comment 2:**
Asset attributes are off the charts on-chain, yet everything feels dead. This is not the kind of Bitcoin it should be.
**Comment 3:**
$21 billion inflow is just hype to manipulate the price. No one is really using it, so what ecosystem are we talking about?
**Comment 4:**
Same old trick? Big funds enter, retail investors run away. It’ll be the same in 2026.
**Comment 5:**
Trying to find a balance between assetization and application? Ha, those two are fundamentally conflicting.
**Comment 6:**
Hitting a new all-time high and then dropping—how embarrassing is that?
**Comment 7:**
Active addresses down 16%—what does that mean? It shows no one is really playing anymore; everyone is just speculating.
**Comment 8:**
On-chain activity is dead, but prices are still rising? It’s just a financial game.
**Comment 9:**
Looks like this year’s market will stay like this—nothing to look forward to.
**Comment 10:**
Big institutions come to cut the leeks, don’t expect them to build an ecosystem.
The 2025 crypto market milestone — total market capitalization surpassing $4 trillion for the first time, with Bitcoin also hitting a new all-time high. However, due to macroeconomic uncertainties, the year ultimately closed with a decline of about 7.9%, and this wave of market activity was not as smooth as expected.
Interestingly, Bitcoin this year has shown a stark duality: on one hand, asset attributes are skyrocketing, with US spot ETF net inflows exceeding $21 billion, and large institutions and capital continuously pouring in; on the other hand, on-chain activity remains sluggish, with active addresses down 16% year-over-year, and real on-chain applications and participation clearly declining.
This situation is somewhat awkward — large funds entering the market push prices higher, but actual ecosystem activity is cooling down. It seems that in 2026, the crypto market will need to find a new balance between "assetization" and "applicationization."