EL AMRANI

Silver soared to $63 per ounce today, marking a new all-time high for the precious metal. In contrast, the cryptocurrency market slipped 2.74% over the past day, with all top 20 coins, except stablecoins, in the red.

This sharp divergence in performance indicates a shift in capital flows. While such moves are often viewed as a classic risk-off signal, some analysts argue that it may indicate the opposite.

Why Are Silver Prices Rising?

Silver extended its broader uptrend today, reaching yet another milestone as it climbed to a fresh record high during early Asian trading hours. Companies Market Cap data shows silver sits sixth among global assets with a $3.5 trillion market cap.

According to recent commentary from The Kobeissi Letter, the metal is now on pace to record its strongest 12-month performance since 1979.

“The current rally in Silver prices makes 2020 and 2008 look like a rounding error. A new era of monetary policy is coming,” the post read.

As the rally accelerates, people are once again rushing to acquire safe-haven assets. But why is the demand for silver rising? According to trader Michael, the surge is not simply a matter of demand, but “desperation.”

He highlighted physical silver-backed ETFs absorbed more than 15.3 million ounces in four days. This marked the second-largest weekly inflow of 2025.

Moreover, Michael noted that this figure comes quite close to the 15.7 million ounces added throughout the entire month of November.

“Silver ETFs are now on track for their 10th straight monthly inflow, something that has only happened during systemic stress events,” he added.

The world’s largest silver ETF, SLV, reportedly saw almost $1 billion in weekly inflows, surpassing the inflows of major gold funds. In his view, the factors behind silver’s rapid ascent extend far beyond retail enthusiasm or inflation fears. Michael said that,

“The global monetary system is losing trust quietly, quickly, and from the inside out.Silver is the only asset that sits at the crossroads of two crises: 1. A hard-asset scramble as sovereign debt climbs past breaking points. 2. A relentless industrial shortage driven by AI infrastructure, solar expansion, EV adoption, and semiconductor demand.”

The trader stressed that when financial uncertainty meets physical scarcity, silver’s price doesn’t simply rise but “detaches,” signaling what he describes as a deeper rupture rather than a typical market rally.

Silver vs Bitcoin: The Performance Gap Widens in 2025

Meanwhile, the crypto market’s lackluster performance stands in sharp contrast to silver’s surge. BeInCrypto Markets data showed that the largest cryptocurrency fell more than 2% over the past day, extending a broader downward trend.

Analyst Maartun noted that in 2025, silver is emerging as the standout performer, even outpacing gold. Bitcoin, on the other hand, is lagging behind these precious metals and even major stock indices, including the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

“Over the past four years Bitcoin has been getting killed in terms of silver. It’s lost over half of its value priced in silver,” economist Peter Schiff remarked.

2025 YTD Performance Comparison Showing Silver’s Gain Versus Bitcoin’s Decline. Source: X/JA Maartun

This indicates that risk-off sentiment is rising. When uncertainty increases, investors often turn to traditional safe-haven assets. Silver and gold have served this role for centuries.

Nonetheless, some analysts view silver’s rally not as a flight to safety, but as a sign that investors are ready to take on risk. Crypto analyst Ran Neuner offers this contrarian take, saying market conditions now favor risk-on assets. His view challenges traditional perspectives on the surges in precious metals.

“The market is now in FULL risk-on mode and most people aren’t seeing it because Bitcoin isn’t moving! Silver is at all-time highs. It is on a breakout and climbing with acceleration. Silver is the Beta gold and indicates Risk-On!” he stated.

Neuner also pointed to the ETH/BTC ratio climbing above its 50-week simple moving average, indicating renewed interest in cryptocurrencies. He also cited the Russell 2000’s breakout and the Federal Reserve’s latest pivot as additional evidence supporting a broad risk-on environment.

“Soon the sellers in BTC will dry up and the big catch up trade will begin. All the data points in one direction!” Neuner claimed.

Other analysts also expect Bitcoin to see renewed demand. Whether this view prevails will depend on how market trends continue and whether crypto buyers return strongly in the coming time.

The “AI token” hype train has long left the station—good riddance. But Kite AI? It’s still here, heads down, fixing the boring (but crucial) parts of Web3 that most projects only tweet about. It’s not chasing viral trends or token pumps. It’s building something simple: a way for software agents (think AI models, automated tools) to earn money, spend it, and stay accountable—no human hitting “pay now” every time. Sounds niche? Wait till you imagine an AI buying cloud compute, licensing a dataset, and splitting royalties with creators—all by itself, and all traceable.
What Kite Actually Builds: Identity, Money, and Rules for Machines
Kite’s playbook is refreshingly no-nonsense: give autonomous agents the three things they need to “live” in the digital economy. No fancy jargon—just tools that work.
1. Kite Passport: The Machine’s “ID Card”
Every software agent gets an on-chain “passport” that spells out the rules: How much can it spend? Who can it pay? How long can it stay active? This isn’t about spying on AI—it’s about accountability. If a bank lets an agent buy market data, the passport ensures it won’t blow the budget or send money to shady addresses. Every action is logged, so audits aren’t a nightmare. For businesses, that’s the difference between “letting AI run wild” and “trusting AI to follow the rules.”
2. x402 Micropayments: AI’s Pocket Money System
Remember the old web’s “402 Payment Required” code? Kite took that dusty idea and turned it into x402—a protocol for tiny, fast payments. Agents can settle stablecoin transfers worth pennies for things like API calls, data queries, or royalty splits—no human managing wallets, no clunky middlemen. Kite says this cuts fees by ~90% compared to regular crypto transactions. That’s a big deal: if an AI needs to pay 100 different data providers 0.01 USDC each, x402 makes it cheap and easy—instead of a logistical nightmare.
3. Proof-of-AI (PoAI): The “Fact-Checker” for Machine Work
How do you know an AI actually did the work it’s getting paid for? Enter PoAI, Kite’s validation layer. Validators (nodes that stake KITE tokens) check if an AI’s output—say, a model prediction or a data analysis—matches what was promised. If they do a good job, they earn rewards. If they lie or cut corners, they lose their staked KITE. It’s like hiring a referee for machine transactions: it turns “trust me” into “prove it.”
Why This Isn’t Just “Tech for Tech’s Sake”
Right now, almost every payment needs a human, an invoice, or a big company like Stripe in the middle. If AI agents are going to run parts of the economy autonomously, they need a way to move money that’s cheap, fast, and trustworthy. Kite’s trio of tools solves that:
x402 makes millions of tiny payments feasible (no more “fee bigger than the payment” problems).
Passports give legal and audit trails (so businesses don’t get sued for their AI’s bad spending).
PoAI ensures agents get paid only for good work (no more “AI took the money and ghosted” scenarios).
Together, they knock down the two biggest walls to “agent economies”: getting paid, and being trusted.
Traction That’s Real (Not Hype)
Kite’s numbers read like a project building infrastructure, not chasing trends. Here’s the good stuff:
Testnet Chaos (In a Good Way): Hundreds of millions—even billions—of agent interactions have been logged. At one point, x402 was handling ~932,000 weekly transactions. That’s not “test data”—that’s real usage.
Big Names Back It: PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst led its funding round; Coinbase Ventures jumped on board too. These firms don’t write checks for meme tech—they bet on utility.
Pilots That Actually Do Something: OKX Wallet integrated Kite; Pieverse built bridges for cross-chain payments; Shopify and PayPal are testing real-world use cases (think AI chatbots that process payments). No “research demos”—actual products in the works.
Funding Real Apps: Kite’s grant program with Animoca is giving $10M to dApps that use x402 for royalties and agent payments. This isn’t “free money”—it’s seeding demand for Kite’s tools.
The KITE Token: Utility First, Hype Second
KITE isn’t a meme token—it’s the fuel that runs Kite’s system. Here’s what you need to know, in plain terms:
Fixed Supply: 10 billion KITE total. Only ~1.8 billion (18%) is circulating right now.
Community Focused: ~48% of the supply is set aside for community grants, incentives, and team (many locked until 2027—no quick dumps).
Why Stake It: Validators earn double-digit APYs for running PoAI checks. Plus, a portion of x402 fees goes to buying back KITE—so more usage = less supply (if adoption sticks).
The Risks: Let’s Be Honest
Kite has momentum, but it’s not bulletproof. Here’s what could trip it up:
Scale Stress: Millions of tiny payments hit blockchains differently than big DeFi swaps. Bridges and mempools could get clogged as Kite grows—even with gasless UX.
Garbage In = Garbage Out: If an AI’s payment depends on bad data (like a faulty price feed), PoAI can’t fix that. Kite needs rock-solid oracles to avoid “wrong payments.”
Regulators Love Payment Rails: If regulators classify Kite’s tools as “payment services,” it could face KYC/AML rules or licensing demands—especially as it partners with PayPal and Shopify.
Token Unlocks: Big locked supplies will hit the market eventually. If Kite’s growth slows, buybacks might not be enough to keep prices stable.
What to Watch (Skip the Price Charts)
Forget hourly KITE prices—these are the signals that matter:
x402 Growth: Are monthly micropayments going up? That’s the clearest sign people are using Kite’s core product.
DApp Retention: Do grant-funded apps keep using Kite after the money runs out? One-off projects don’t count—sustained usage does.
PoAI Health: How’s validator uptime? Are there slashing incidents? This shows if the “trust layer” is working.
Enterprise Deals: Do Shopify/PayPal pilots turn into long-term contracts? That’s when Kite moves from “crypto tool” to “mainstream infrastructure.”
The Big Picture
DeFi made money programmable. Kite is making payments and identity programmable for machines. It’s less sexy than “AI token to the moon,” but way more necessary if we want AI to run parts of commerce without constant human supervision.
KITE the token isn’t a short-term trade—it’s a bet on the future of machine economies. If Kite can turn those billions of testnet interactions into real mainnet usage, it could be the “payment rails” every AI uses. Even if it doesn’t, it’s building tools other projects will steal. Either way, watch the usage metrics—not the volatility. That’s where Kite’s story will live or die.
@GoKiteAI $KITE #KITE

XRP continues to struggle under a persistent downtrend as bearish cues from the broader crypto market limit recovery attempts. 

Despite this weakness, the altcoin still benefits from the support of major wallets, even as some whale cohorts reduce their exposure.

XRP Supply Changes Hands

Whale activity shows a notable redistribution of XRP supply between major cohorts. Addresses holding 1 million to 10 million XRP offloaded more than 330 million XRP in the past four days, reflecting skepticism among mid-sized whales. Their selling pressure, however, did not send supply to exchanges or retail holders.

Instead, larger wallets holding 10 million to 100 million XRP absorbed this supply. Their combined holdings climbed by 350 million XRP during the same period, worth more than $729 million. This accumulation signals confidence from deeper-pocketed investors who often act as stabilizing forces when market sentiment weakens.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

XRP Whale Holding. Source: Santiment

XRP’s macro picture remains challenged by declining network activity. Active addresses have fallen to a three-month low of 37,088, showing that many investors are not transacting or engaging with the network. Such a drop typically signals fading interest or uncertainty about near-term price direction.

Reduced participation also impacts liquidity, making it harder for XRP to stage a strong recovery even when large holders are accumulating. With fewer users initiating transactions, demand remains muted, slowing down the pace at which XRP can escape its downtrend.

XRP Active Addresses. Source: Glassnode XRP Price Could Remain Rangebound

XRP is trading at $2.08 at the time of writing, extending a nearly month-long downtrend. For several days, the altcoin has oscillated within the narrow range between $2.20 and $2.02. This highlights the ongoing struggle to generate momentum.

The mixed signals from whales and weak network activity suggest that XRP may continue consolidating within this band. If broader market conditions improve, a break above $2.20 could allow XRP to target $2.36. This would mark its first meaningful recovery attempt in weeks.

XRP Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

If bullish sentiment fails to develop, XRP faces the risk of another downturn. Losing the $2.02 support level would send the price below $2.00. This would invalidate the bullish thesis, exposing the altcoin to deeper losses.

Millions of Xiaomi smartphone users are set to gain direct access to crypto through Sei from 2026, marking one of the largest consumer-level distribution pushes by a blockchain network to date. 

New Xiaomi devices sold outside China and the US will ship with a pre-installed Sei wallet and Web3 discovery app, positioning Sei as a default crypto access layer for global Android markets.

Wallet Pre-Installation Lowers Barriers To Crypto Access

Under the partnership announced on December 10, new Xiaomi phones will include a native MPC wallet with Google and Xiaomi ID login. This eliminates seed phrases and removes one of the biggest adoption hurdles for first-time users.

The companies will also explore stablecoin payments for Xiaomi products, with pilot regions targeted for Hong Kong and the EU from Q2 2026. 

The move signals a phased rollout focused on regions with regulatory clarity and strong crypto adoption.

Xiaomi shipped 168 million smartphones in 2024, holding 13% global market share. Even low conversion percentages could translate into millions of new wallets.

A Structural Bullish Signal For SEI Token

The integration does not guarantee immediate price appreciation for SEI. Rollout depends on new device sales, and stablecoin payments are still a 2026 milestone. 

Usage growth will likely appear gradually through wallet activations, dApp interactions, and gas consumption on the network.

SEI Token Price Chart. Source: BeInCrypto

However, the distribution channel is significant. The pre-installed app makes Sei the first blockchain that users encounter on a mainstream smartphone, without the friction of app store searches or manual onboarding.

This model shifts crypto from optional download to default availability — a dynamic that historically drives exponential adoption curves in mobile services.

Payments Could Unlock Real Economic Throughput

If stablecoin payments go live across Xiaomi’s retail and digital ecosystem, users could purchase devices, wearables, and even EVs using USDC and other tokens on Sei. 

This would introduce recurring transaction volume tied to real-world commerce, not only speculative trading.

The significance for SEI lies in fee generation. More transactions increase demand for the token through gas usage and staking, which strengthens network economics over time.

The first payments rollout is planned for 2026, with expansion dependent on regulatory approval in other markets.

Overall, the Xiaomi integration is one of the clearest examples of blockchain infrastructure moving toward everyday consumer access. 

The news is structurally bullish for SEI, though the token’s upside depends on real usage once devices reach consumers and payments mature.

Bitcoin (BTC) once again fell below the $90,000 mark in early Asian trading hours today, despite positive macroeconomic catalysts.

An analyst highlighted the drop in stablecoin inflows as a key factor behind Bitcoin’s ongoing weakness, suggesting fresh liquidity is vital for a bullish rally.

The Key Catalyst Bitcoin Needs to Turn Bullish Again

Data from BeInCrypto Markets showed that December has been a volatile month for the largest cryptocurrency. This follows two consecutive months of losses, with Bitcoin posting its largest monthly decline of the year in November.

At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $89,885, down 2.7% over the past 24 hours. The drop comes despite yesterday’s Federal Reserve decision to cut interest rates for the third time this year.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto Markets

The bank lowered rates by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.50%–3.75%. Rate cuts are typically viewed as bullish for the crypto market. In fact, many expected a rebound.

However, prices moved in the opposite direction. So, if not this, then what exactly does Bitcoin need to reverse its downtrend?

According to Darkfost, its liquidity. The analyst explained that stablecoin inflows into exchanges have dropped from $158 billion in August to approximately $76 billion today.

This represented a decline of 50% over just a few months. Meanwhile, the 90-day average fell from $130 billion to $118 billion, highlighting a clear downward trend.

“One of the main reasons why Bitcoin is struggling to recover right now is the lack of incoming liquidity. When we talk about liquidity in the crypto market, we’re primarily referring to stablecoins,” the post read.

Declining Stablecoin Exchange Inflows. Source: X/Darkfost

The analyst added that this steep decline in stablecoin inflows signals weakening demand. Bitcoin now faces ongoing selling pressure that new capital has not absorbed. Furthermore, the trend shows that slight rebounds are driven more by reduced selling than by renewed buying.

“For Bitcoin to restart a genuine bullish trend, the key lies in new liquidity entering the market,” Darkfost noted.

BeInCrypto also highlighted in a recent report that stablecoin issuers continue to mint new tokens, with the market capitalization of major assets such as Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USDC reaching new highs this month.

Nonetheless, data show that a lot of supply is being absorbed by cross-border payment demand. Additionally, a significant share of the inflows is moving toward derivatives exchanges rather than spot platforms.

“Asia leads with the highest volume of stablecoin activity, exceeding North America. Relative to gross domestic product, though, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America stand out. Most of the flow is from North America to other regions,” the IMF wrote in a recent report.

Thus, Bitcoin’s recent decline highlights that macro catalysts alone are no longer driving the market. The data makes it clear that renewed stablecoin liquidity is the missing ingredient for a sustained bullish reversal. Market sentiment also needs to improve. Fearful behavior and low engagement continue to hold back capital rotation into Bitcoin.