Crypto Prices Today December 18: BTC Drops Below $106K, PENGU Soars by 550%, BGB Up by 17%

As a seasoned crypto investor with years of experience navigating the volatile waters of the digital asset market, I must say that today’s price action was another rollercoaster ride. The sudden spikes and drops in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies have become almost routine for us veterans in this space.

Today, crypto prices exhibited significant ups and downs with Bitcoin (BTC) reaching an unprecedented peak of $108,000 before dipping slightly to $106,000, reflecting high volatility in recent trades. In a remarkable turn of events, Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), a new token introduced yesterday, skyrocketed by an impressive 550% within the first 24 hours, landing it among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Interestingly, Bitget Token (BGB) also registered a robust growth of 17%, even as the overall market faced a decline.

On December 18th, the total value of all cryptocurrencies dropped around 1% to about $3.71 trillion, with trading volume also decreasing by 8.6% to $185 billion. Interestingly, the Fear and Greed Index indicated a high level of investor optimism, scoring 80, signaling “extreme greed.” Let’s dive into how some major cryptocurrencies fared on that particular day regarding their price movements.

Crypto Prices Today: Market Tackles Turbulence But Some Alts Soar

In the past day, the crypto market exhibited a mixed response: Bitcoin and Ethereum experienced a decrease of around 1% to 3%. Conversely, U.S.-based projects such as XRP, Stellar (XLM), and Hedera (HBAR) saw an increase of 3% to 6%, indicating a positive trend among certain altcoins, even as the overall market declined.

Bitcoin Price Today

The Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped by 1% and was trading at $105,368. Its 24-hour low and high were $105,004 and $108,269, respectively. The market cap stood at $2.09 trillion, with $70 billion in trading volume. Its market dominance was recorded at 56.63%.

According to SoSo Value’s report, Bitcoin ETFs experienced a withdrawal of approximately 247 million BTC on Tuesday. Fidelity was responsible for the largest portion of these withdrawals, accounting for about 128 million BTC. Grayscale’s GBTC also saw an outflow of around 84 million BTC, while data regarding BlackRock’s involvement is yet to be released.

Ethereum Price Today

Today’s Ethereum (ETH) value was fluctuating around $3,869, which represented a 4% decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest and highest points within that period were $3,836 and $4,040 respectively. The total market capitalization was approximately $466 billion, with a trading volume of about $35 billion. Ethereum’s dominance in the market was measured at 12.67%.

Approximately 10 million dollars flowed into Ethereum ETFs recently, with Grayscale contributing about 4.45 million and Fidelity handling around 4 million. We’re yet to receive data from BlackRock regarding their inflow.

XRP Price Today

As a researcher examining the crypto market today, I’ve noticed that XRP has experienced a 3% increase over the past 24 hours, currently trading at approximately $2.55. The price range during this period was between $2.463 (low) and $2.717 (high). In terms of market cap, XRP stands at a staggering $146 billion, with a daily trading volume of around $17 billion, positioning it as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

Solana Price Today

Over the past day, Solana’s (SOL) value has risen by 2%, currently sitting at $218. The range between its lowest and highest points in the last 24 hours was between $213 and $228. At present, its total market capitalization is approximately $104 billion, with a trading volume of around $6 billion, accounting for 2.85% of the overall crypto market.

Meme Crypto Prices Today

Meme-based cryptocurrencies appear to be following a downward trend in the market. For instance, Dogecoin (DOGE) has dropped around 3% and is now being traded at about $0.39. Similarly, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has experienced a 4% decrease and is currently valued at $0.00002609. Notable meme coins such as PEPE, BONK, and WIF have also dipped by 2% to 6%. These fluctuations seem to mirror the general trend in the crypto market today, with meme coin prices adjusting during broader market corrections.

Top Crypto Gainer Prices Today

Pudgy Penguins

Today, Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) experienced a massive increase, jumping approximately five times its previous value within the past 24 hours. This significant surge followed Binance‘s launch of it yesterday. At present, PENGU is being traded at around $0.03, having reached a low of $0.02 and a high of $0.06 in the last day.

Bitget Token

Bitget Token (BGB) continues its strong performance, marking the second consecutive day as a top gainer. Today, it’s up by 17%, currently trading at $4.18. Its 24-hour low and high range between $3.56 and $4.23. The rise in price is attributed to Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, being granted a license to operate as a Bitcoin service provider by El Salvador’s Central Bank.

Litecoin

As an analyst, I’m observing a significant 7% increase in the value of Litecoin (LTC) over the past 24 hours, with its current trading price at approximately $125. In the same timeframe, its lowest and highest prices were recorded at $114 and $129 respectively. This upward trend can largely be credited to optimistic forecasts from Bloomberg analysts suggesting a potential earlier launch of a Litecoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) compared to those for Solana and XRP. Today’s crypto market landscape shows that Litecoin is standing out notably in these broader trends.

Top Crypto Loser Prices Today

Lido DAO

Today, the price of LDO (Lido DAO) dropped by 9% and is now being traded at $2.08. Its lowest point during the past 24 hours was $2.05, while it reached a high of $2.31. Among all cryptocurrencies today, Lido DAO had the poorest performance.

Aptos

The price of APT, or Aptos, dropped approximately 8% and is currently being exchanged at $12.89. Its lowest point over the past 24 hours was $12.72, while its highest was $14.36. Compared to other cryptocurrencies today, APT experienced a significant decrease in value.

Fantom

Currently, the price of Fantom (FTM) is at $1.31, representing a decrease of 7%. Over the past 24 hours, its lowest and highest points were $1.297 and $1.43 respectively. The current market capitalization of Fantom stands at approximately $3.67 billion, with a 24-hour trading volume of around $475 million. Today’s crypto market shows a minor decline for Fantom.

Additionally, the one-hour chart reveals a bearish movement for Bitcoin, which has dipped by about 0.5%, along with significant altcoins such as Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Binance Coin (BNB) dropping around 1% within the same timeframe. This suggests an increased short-term selling activity in the market.

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2024-12-18 07:04