Solana Beach priceSOLANA

As Bitcoin $87,744.31 struggles to consolidate under its previous peak, seasoned analyst Peter Brandt suggests that the current market cycle is not yet complete. According to Brandt, the structure of cycles that span over several years may allow for a more severe pullback before a lasting bottom is formed. He hints at volatile and unsettling price movements in the short term, predicting that the next major bull peak could be delayed until around September 2029. This discussion reignites the debate on whether Bitcoin’s weakness presents an opportunity or a warning for altcoins. Contents Brandt’s Perspective on Market Bottom What Awaits the Altcoin Front? Brandt’s Perspective on Market Bottom Peter Brandt emphasizes that Bitcoin’s long-term charts indicate that cycles are completed over years rather than months, hinting that the current structure appears unfinished. He notes that the price remaining significantly below its recent peak and the lack of strong momentum return could indicate that the deep cleansing process in the market has not yet concluded. Brandt’s cautious stance is based on Bitcoin’s recurring pattern over the past 15 years. This behavioral pattern involves severe corrections following significant parabolic rises that wipe out excessive leverage and speculation, paving the way for a new cycle. This historical pattern leads the analyst to keep “worse case” scenarios on the table. In more extreme assumptions, Brandt points to the mid-20,000 dollar range as a potential cycle bottom, suggesting the risk of falling below 60,000 dollars should not be ignored if selling pressure accelerates. What Awaits the Altcoin Front? Bitcoin’s failure to maintain critical psychological levels and signals of market share softening direct some investors toward the potential for capital rotation. Historical cycles have shown relative performance increases in specific segments of altcoins while Bitcoin hovered in a horizontal range, bringing similar expectations back to the forefront. Ethereum $2,952.28, DeFi, tokenization, and their central roles in institutional experiments are frequently cited as potential beneficiaries. A scenario where Bitcoin lacks direction could see selected altcoin projects shine. On the other hand, analyst Benjamin Cowen highlights that a broad-based altcoin rally may not occur unless macroeconomic and monetary conditions are favorable. Cowen argues that investors lingering with expectations of a weak altcoin season could see these unmet expectations deferred to 2026. He adds that long-term wealth building is more about holding robust, quality assets rather than chasing speculative narratives. Currently, there is no clear consensus within the altcoin market. Asset managers like Bitwise believe that if liquidity conditions become favorable, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana could reach new peaks in 2026. Experts like Arthur Hayes, however, describe the altcoin season not as a one-time event but as an ongoing process driven by narrative shifts and capital flows changing waves.

Ethereum: Large smart contract platform with strong developer community and ongoing scalability upgrades. Solana: Fast, low-cost network with growing developer activity and medium-cap growth potential. Chainlink: Provides essential oracle services connecting blockchains to real-world data for smart contracts. Investing in altcoins with long-term potential requires focusing on projects with strong fundamentals and real-world utility. Platforms that support widespread adoption often outperform others during bullish market cycles. Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink stand out in today’s market. Each of these networks has a unique value proposition while providing potential for significant returns over time. Ethereum (ETH) Source: Trading View Ethereum continues to be the leading smart contract platform in the cryptocurrency space. Thousands of decentralized applications operate across its network, covering finance, NFT marketplaces, and other blockchain-based solutions. The platform successfully transitioned to proof-of-stake validation, reducing energy consumption and allowing holders to earn rewards through staking. Development teams on Ethereum remain focused on upgrades to improve scalability and lower transaction fees. These improvements are crucial for maintaining network efficiency as adoption grows. Ethereum also benefits from one of the largest developer communities in crypto, constantly building new applications and tools. Solana (SOL) Source: Trading View Solana focuses on delivering high-speed transactions at minimal costs, making it a popular choice for decentralized finance and NFT projects. Its network can process high transaction volumes while maintaining low fees, which has attracted developers and users alike. Solana has faced technical challenges in the past, including network outages, but developer activity and ecosystem growth continue to expand steadily. The platform is considered a medium-cap cryptocurrency, offering higher growth potential compared to larger assets. Its technical infrastructure allows projects to scale efficiently while maintaining user satisfaction. Solana represents a compelling option for investors seeking a balance between growth potential and a functioning, actively developed network. Continued expansion of developer projects and rising user adoption could position Solana as a leading platform for long-term growth. Chainlink (LINK) Source: Trading View Chainlink provides essential oracle services, connecting blockchain networks with external real-world data. Smart contracts rely on Chainlink to access accurate information, such as prices, event outcomes, or weather data. This infrastructure allows DeFi protocols and other blockchain projects to function reliably. Chainlink has integrated across many major DeFi platforms and continues expanding into cross-chain communication technologies. Developers are also working on linking tokenized real-world assets to blockchain networks, further increasing its utility. The protocol’s value is tied more to broad adoption of blockchain technology than to short-term market trends. Investors gain exposure to a network that supports the growth of decentralized applications across multiple ecosystems, making it a strong long-term investment option. Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink each provide unique advantages for long-term investors. Ethereum combines widespread smart contract usage, strong development, and ongoing upgrades. Solana offers high-speed transactions, low fees, and a growing ecosystem. Chainlink serves as critical infrastructure connecting blockchains to real-world data, supporting overall adoption. These three cryptocurrencies trade at levels that present long-term growth opportunities. As adoption continues and networks expand, they could deliver meaningful returns for patient investors. Tags: Altcoin Chainlink (LINK) Crypto market cryptocurrency Ethereum (ETH) Solana (SOL)

The latest Builder’s Block brings a dense batch of arbitrum updates, spanning protocol post-mortems, new learning content, and emerging economic debates across the ecosystem. Summary Technical post-mortem on Prysm Mainnet Learn and build with Stylus, WASM, and oracles Workshops on agentic payment flows and Solana migration Ecosystem highlights and economic debates Governance, proposals, and community discussions Closing notes from Builder’s Block 008 Technical post-mortem on Prysm Mainnet The Arbitrum Foundation released a detailed analysis of the recent Prysm Mainnet “Fusaka” incident. The post-mortem explains the technical root cause, how it affected validator and network participation, and the specific mitigation steps taken. Moreover, the report outlines the patches shipped in v7.0.1+, designed to prevent a similar disruption. These changes strengthen client robustness while keeping compatibility with Ethereum’s upgrade path. Learn and build with Stylus, WASM, and oracles New “Learn Build” resources focus on helping developers deepen their skills across the Arbitrum tech stack. A long-form explainer examines how Stylus leverages WebAssembly to overcome EVM limits and improve performance. This deep dive shows how WASM can unlock more efficient computation and lower gas costs while preserving full interoperability with existing EVM smart contracts. That said, the article also stresses careful benchmarking when migrating high-value workloads. Another piece delivers an optimized RedStone oracles technical breakdown. It details the redstone oracle integration with Arbitrum Stylus and how oracle data can be processed with lower latency and reduced costs for on-chain applications. Developers can also access a complete five-part course dedicated to Arbitrum Stylus. The YouTube series includes an introduction to Stylus, a speedrun, a Uniswap fork implemented in Stylus, a module on Stylus data types, and an overview of the Stylus CLI. Workshops on agentic payment flows and Solana migration A new workshop on agentic payment flows targets teams building for x402 and AP2. In this session, CapxAI and Arbitrum walk through Agentic Payment Flows and Private AI Inference, illustrating how programmable agents can route and protect payments on L2. Moreover, the ecosystem is pushing cross-chain growth with resources for teams that want to migrate solana applications to Ethereum liquidity. The StylusPort handbook and CLI/MCP assistant help Rust-based projects move to Arbitrum Stylus while keeping familiar tools. Ecosystem highlights and economic debates The latest arbitrum ecosystem announcements highlight fresh launches and notable community threads. A key feature examines l2 vs l1 economics, comparing fundamental differences between Ethereum L1 and L2 models. This analysis covers long-term sustainability, sequencer revenue structures, and data availability costs. However, it also raises open questions about how fee markets and profit-sharing will evolve as L2 adoption accelerates in 2025. Another technical talk explores confidential payments lending and sealed-bid lending auctions on Arbitrum. The discussion explains how confidential stablecoins and on-chain auction designs can be combined to protect user privacy while preserving transparent settlement. An end-of-year event titled “Meet Steven Goldfeder” features the CEO of Offchain Labs. The session, available both in person and online, provides community members with a chance to hear directly about Arbitrum’s roadmap and recent milestones. Governance, proposals, and community discussions On the governance and research side, the community is discussing Vitalik Buterin’s ideas for trustless gas prediction markets. This architecture aims to improve fee estimation and enhance block market efficiency on L2s through market-based forecasts. In parallel, an AIP proposes activating ArbOS 51, also known as “Dia”. The constitutional change would align with Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade, refine gas pricing logic, and ship critical node optimizations to strengthen the rollup’s performance. Another live proposal, “Stablecoin Fast Lane”, suggests a specialized transaction path similar to TimeBoost, tuned for stablecoin payments. Moreover, the design targets reduced latency for financial transactions by prioritizing time-sensitive flows without undermining general-purpose usage. These discussions, combined with continuous arbitrum updates from the Foundation and community, show how governance, research, and infrastructure upgrades are converging to optimize the L2 stack. Closing notes from Builder’s Block 008 Builder’s Block #008 closes with a reminder to keep experimenting across the stack, from Stylus WASM performance to new oracle pipelines and confidential finance primitives. Overall, the latest edition underlines Arbitrum’s push for performance, security, and developer-focused tooling across the ecosystem.

### Crypto Market Overview (December 23, 2025) The cryptocurrency market traded sideways today, with total capitalization slipping 0.8% to $3.07 trillion amid low holiday volume and anticipation of U.S. GDP data and Fed signals. Bitcoin hovered around $88,088, down 0.7% over 24 hours and ranging from $86,997 to $90,541 with $25.8 billion in volume, while Ethereum eased 1% to $2,993, just below $3,000. Altcoins like Chainlink (LINK) dipped 0.6% to $12.49 and Sui (SUI) 0.4% to $1.45, though some like Polymesh (POLYX) gained on project updates. ### Technical Analysis Bitcoin's "Asia up, U.S. down" pattern persisted, briefly hitting $90,000 before retracing to $88,000 support; RSI at 47 shows neutral momentum, with resistance at $90,000 and potential drop to $86,000 if breached. Ethereum consolidated near $2,900–$3,000, facing EMA pressure amid $555 million yearly outflows, but network growth with 195,000 new wallets suggests underlying strength. Liquidations rose 11% to $222 million, with open interest at $129 billion indicating rebuilding leverage despite extreme fear (Fear & Greed Index at 24). ### Key Drivers and News Institutional outflows hit $952 million weekly, led by$BTC Bitcoin and$ETH Ethereum ETFs, as investors rotated to Solana and $XRP XRP amid maturing market dynamics. Gold and silver's record highs drew safe-haven flows, pressuring crypto, while U.S. equities' Santa rally (S&P 500 monthly gains streak) offered indirect support. A massive $27-28.5 billion Bitcoin and Ethereum options expiry on December 26 looms, likely pinning prices in range until then. Ethereum's stablecoin surge (65% in Q3) and Polymesh's Confidential Assets launch boosted select altcoins. ### Outlook Short-term volatility expected ahead of GDP report and options expiry, with Bitcoin potentially reclaiming $90,000 on positive data or testing $86,000 downside. Ethereum could stabilize above $3,000 if outflows ease, benefiting from regulatory tailwinds like the GENIUS Act. Sentiment remains in extreme fear, but year-end liquidity may spark a rebound; monitor economic releases closely and research before investing.

Chainlink $12.28 (LINK) continues to be heavily impacted by the prevailing uncertainties in the cryptocurrency markets. As of December 23, the price of LINK was recorded at $12.49, with a market capitalization of approximately $8.84 billion. However, this current price is about 16% lower compared to its monthly peak and around 55% down from its level at the beginning of the year. This sharp pullback reflects investors’ increased caution towards both macroeconomic developments and weakening on-chain data. Contents DeFi Data and Whale Movements: Insights Technical Outlook and Potential Scenarios DeFi Data and Whale Movements: Insights According to DefiLlama, the total value locked (TVL) in Chainlink-based DeFi applications has dropped remarkably, from $1.13 billion at the end of August to about $545 million. During the same period, there has also been a consistent decline in weekly transaction fees. These declines in TVL and fees suggest a waning demand for Chainlink services and a slowdown in ecosystem usage. The on-chain stagnation appears to have led to a decline in interest from major investors, known as whales. Nansen data reveals that the amount of LINK held by whales decreased by 2% in the last seven days, falling to 1.84 million units. Meanwhile, the total LINK balance on exchanges has increased by 2.7% to 226.73 million units, indicating a potential strengthening of selling pressure. This scenario escalates the downward risks on the price in the short term. Technical Outlook and Potential Scenarios The weekly chart for Chainlink calls for investor caution. It highlights a multi-year “double top” formation, with the peaks forming around $28.06 and the neckline situated at $11.08. In technical analysis, such formations are often precursors to significant downturns. Momentum indicators also emit negative signals. The MACD indicator has moved below the signal line, with both lines trending downward, suggesting that sellers maintain their dominance in the market. The RSI stands at approximately 37.7, indicating that it has not yet entered the oversold territory. This suggests that there is still room for downward movement before a potential recovery. A critical level to watch is $11.08. A potential break below this level could result in the price falling to $8 or even the robust support level of $5 that was established during the 2022-2023 period. While Chainlink’s weakness continues, competition in the oracle space is intensifying. Recently, projects like Pyth Network and Band Protocol have increased their integrations with different blockchains, intensifying competition in the data oracle market. Collaborations with Solana and new generation Layer-2 solutions provide developers with alternative oracle options, making it increasingly important for Chainlink to offer new use cases and updates to maintain its market share.