Trading volumes fell to the lowest levels in 2025

Altcoins like ETH and SOL are seeing over 50% declines every week compared to last year's holidays.

In the year As 2025 draws to a close, cryptocurrency trading activity has fallen to a lull this year.

Bitcoin (BTC) and major altcoins are experiencing their lowest two-week trading volume since December 2024, with weekly moves for assets like Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) down more than 50% compared to last year's holiday period.

Holiday sphere drags volumes to annual lows.

Data shared on Dec. 30 by Santiment on XX showed that trading volume has been steadily sliding in the final weeks of 2025, with both bitcoin and altcoins recording their quietest two-week stretch since the same period last year.

The analyst firm said flat, erratic price action, coupled with year-end holidays, kept traders away from screens, reducing liquidity in the spot and derivatives markets.

The drop is especially noticeable among altcoins. Sentiment said ETH, SOL, Cardano (ADA) and Dogecoin (DOGE) are seeing less than half of their weekly trading volume compared to the end of 2024, with speculative activity remaining high even during the holidays. According to Sentiment, this year's decline reflects weak short-term interest rather than panic selling.

Social data tells a similar story. A post by Oro Crypto citing Santiment metrics highlighted a steady decline in Bitcoin's social volume since mid-November. The numbers show that discussions on major forums are dwindling, responses to price volatility are muted, and even dynamic sessions fail to attract attention.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin's social dominance has also dipped into low single-digit territory, suggesting that attention is dispersed rather than incentivized around a single asset.

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According to Oro Crypto, this environment looks more like fatigue than fear. Historically, major cycle peaks have coincided with high narratives and retail engagement, but those signals are now missing, even as prices fluctuate within broad bands.

Different symbols for the new year

Despite recent technicals, some observers have pointed to broader macroeconomic patterns as reason for optimism.

A recent analysis shows that similar to mid-2020, gold and silver have seen a historic bull run on central bank money before capital shifts to bitcoin. Today, with gold hitting above $4,500 and silver hitting new highs, a similar sequence may be unfolding.

This outlook sees the metal's strength not as a risk-off warning, but as a leading indicator that risk assets such as BTC may follow suit in 2026, supported by reasonable devaluation and clearer regulation.

Still, on the charts, Bitcoin's trajectory remains debatable. Trading around $88,000, the asset is caught in a tightening pattern, with one trader saying bitcoin needs to break above $90,600 to open a path to $107,000. However, if the support is not held, the market may test the level between $70,000 and $65,000.

A combination of low volumes, social apathy and critical technical levels means the market's current lull cannot last. As such, the defining story in early 2026 will be either a breakout to the upside into a new rally or a downward trend into a deeper correction.