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Bitcoin (BTC) hodlers are enjoying another day of zero volatility on Dec. 26 as hopeful forecasts se signs of a trend change.

Opinions diverge further over BTC price bottom

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView confirmed more sideways action near $16,800 for BTC/USD on Boxing Day.

The pair took the holiday period in stride, with reduced volumes having no impact on an already deflated market experiencing its lowest volatility on record.

With few trading opportunities in the last week of “Do Nothing December,” analysts attempted to ready the ship for potential headwinds to come.

“If BTC fails to reclaims ~$17,150 as support before the end of the year… Then $BTC will establish the $13900-$17150 range as its new playground,” Rekt Capital tweeted in a fresh update.

Bitcoin (BTC) accumulation is nearing a new milestone this Christmas as redistribution of the BTC supply continues.

Data from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode shows that the total BTC balance of so-called “accumulation addresses” is nearing all-time highs.

"HODL-only" BTC addresses climb closer to 1 million mark

Behind the scenes in the 2022 Bitcoin bear market, certain entities are in no doubt over their BTC investment strategy.

According to Glassnode, Bitcoin accumulation addresses are more numerous than ever before, while the BTC balance they contain is almost at a record high.

“Accumulation addresses are defined as addresses that have at least 2 incoming non-dust transfers and have never spent funds,” the firm’s description explains.

Japanese regulators are reconsidering some major cryptocurrency restrictions related to the use of stablecoins like Tether (USDT) or USD Coin (USDC).

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan will lift the ban on the domestic distribution of foreign-issued stablecoins in 2023, local news agency Nikkei reported on Dec. 26.

The new stablecoin regulations in Japan will allow local exchanges to handle stablecoin trading under condition of asset preservation by deposits and an upper limit of remittance. “If payment using stablecoins spreads, international remittances may become faster and cheaper,” the report notes.

Allowing stablecoin distribution in Japan will also require more regulations related to Anti-Money Laundering controls, the FSA said. The authority on Monday started collecting feedback on proposals for lifting the stablecoin ban in Japan. As previously reported, Japan’s parliament passed a bill to ban stablecoin issuance by non-banking institutions in June 2022.

The latest measure will significantly impact cryptocurrency trading services offered in Japan as currently no local exchanges provide trading in stablecoins like USDT or USDC.

Bitcoin (BTC) exchange users have forgotten all about the FTX scandal this Christmas, data shows.

According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, exchange outflows have now hit their lowest levels in over six months.

Still not your keys, still not your coins?

As Bitcoin volatility sets a new record low in what is being called “Do Nothing December,” exchange users’ habits are also rapidly adjusting to the current climate.

After seeing an overwhelming surge in light of the FTX meltdown, BTC withdrawals from exchange wallets have entirely reversed the spike which began around six weeks ago.

Having hit a peak of 142,788 BTC on Nov. 14, outflows from the trading platforms tracked by Glassnode have declined over ten times.

Despite an eventful year fraught with crypto collapses and price drops, Steven Goulden, a senior research analyst at crypto trading firm Cumberland has pointed to several “green shoots” to break the surface in crypto in 2023.

In a 14-page “Year in Review” report released on Dec. 24, Goulden said he saw four “emerging narratives” in 2023 that will lead to “significant progress” for crypto over the next six to 24 months.

These include non-fungible tokens (NFTs) becoming a “go-to method” of tokenizing a brand's intellectual property (IP), Web3 apps and games becoming “genuinely popular,” while Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) could become more commonly used as a nation’s reserve asset.

Goulden argued that while NFTs have until this point, been “largely been confined to the art space,” he believes the next step for NFTs will lie in the marrying of NFTs and a brand’s intellectual property.

The analyst noted that many non-Web3 companies are already making “significant progress” to monetize IP and improve customer engagement using NFTs.