Bitcoin dips amid death cross signal; Stellar and Chainlink unveil key blockchain updates

What Shipped

As of November 16, 2025, the cryptocurrency market has seen some interesting developments and price movements worth noting. Bitcoin, the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency, is currently priced at about $94,595. While this is a strong value, it has experienced a slight dip of roughly 1.66% in the past 24 hours. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency known for its smart contract capabilities, is trading at around $3,095, down nearly 3.8% over the same period.

Several other notable blockchain projects have also seen modest declines. Ripple (XRP), a digital payment protocol aiming to facilitate fast and low-cost cross-border transactions, is currently priced at $2.18, down about 3.5%. Stellar, another blockchain focused on cross-border payments and financial inclusion, is trading at $0.25 with a similar percentage drop. Hedera Hashgraph, a platform known for its fast and secure distributed ledger technology, has dropped over 5%, now at $0.15. Flare Network, which integrates smart contract functionality with other blockchains, and XDC Network, a hybrid blockchain for global trade and finance, have also seen minor declines.

On the development front, Stellar has released a series of updates that focus on improving how events are reconciled on its network, which can help developers better track and verify transactions. The Stellar community spotlighted Pavel Matveev from COCA, highlighting ongoing ecosystem growth and collaboration. Additionally, Stellar addressed a past issue related to state archival, explaining what happened and how it was resolved to ensure network reliability.

Chainlink, a decentralized oracle network that connects smart contracts to real-world data, held its SmartCon 2025 conference, unveiling new product releases and key announcements. Among these is Chainlink Confidential Compute, a technology aimed at enabling private smart contracts on any blockchain, which could open up new use cases where data privacy is critical.

Why It Matters

Understanding these updates and price trends is important for anyone interested in the blockchain space, whether you are a new investor or simply curious about where the technology is heading.

• Market Sentiment: The slight declines in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum suggest a cautious market environment. This could be due to various factors, including macroeconomic conditions or technical chart patterns like Bitcoin approaching a “death cross,” a historical indicator where a short-term moving average crosses below a long-term one, often signaling potential further downside.
• Technological Progress: Updates from Stellar and Chainlink show that the blockchain industry is actively working to solve real-world problems. Improving event reconciliation on Stellar makes it easier for developers to build reliable applications, while Chainlink’s confidential compute could enable new privacy-focused solutions, expanding blockchain’s reach into industries like finance and healthcare.
• Diverse Ecosystem: Projects like Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC Network each focus on different aspects of blockchain technology—from payments to smart contracts to enterprise solutions—highlighting the ecosystem’s diversity and potential for innovation.

Builders’ Corner

If you’re interested in building or learning more about blockchain technology, here are some concrete examples and opportunities based on recent news:

• Explore Stellar’s Event Reconciliation: Stellar’s recent blog post explains how developers can better track network events. This can be helpful if you’re building applications that require accurate transaction histories or automated workflows on Stellar’s blockchain. Visit Stellar’s developer blog for detailed guides.
• Chainlink’s Runtime Environment (CRE): Chainlink shared five ways to build with their Runtime Environment, which makes it easier to create decentralized applications that interact with real-world data. This is a great starting point if you want to build smart contracts that respond to external events like weather, stock prices, or sports scores. Read more here.
• Confidential Smart Contracts: Privacy is a big concern in blockchain. Chainlink’s new confidential compute technology allows developers to create smart contracts that keep sensitive data private while still running on public blockchains. This is promising for applications in finance, healthcare, and beyond. Learn about it in detail.
• Follow Stellar’s Ecosystem Growth: Stellar’s spotlight on community leaders like Pavel Matveev shows the importance of collaboration. Engaging with community projects or attending ecosystem events can be a great way to connect and contribute.

Quick Prices

What to Watch

Looking ahead, here are some key areas and events to keep an eye on:

• Bitcoin’s “Death Cross”: Historically, this technical pattern can indicate a potential downturn. Investors should watch if this pattern leads to further price changes or if Bitcoin holds strong, which could signal resilience.
• Ethereum’s Potential “Supercycle”: Analyst Tom Lee recently suggested that Ethereum might be entering a phase similar to Bitcoin’s past “supercycle,” a long period of strong growth. While some critics disagree, it’s worth monitoring Ethereum’s fundamentals and adoption, especially as smart contract platforms continue to evolve.
• Development Updates from Stellar: Stellar’s ongoing improvements and community initiatives could lead to new partnerships or increased network usage, strengthening its position in the blockchain payments space.
• Chainlink’s Innovations: With new tools like the Runtime Environment and confidential compute, Chainlink is expanding what’s possible with smart contracts. Watch for new projects and collaborations that leverage these technologies.
• Market Sentiment in Altcoins: Memecoins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) continue to show volatile price action and could influence broader market trends, especially in retail investor interest.

TL;DR: Major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have dipped slightly but remain strong. Stellar and Chainlink are pushing forward with important technical updates that make blockchain applications easier and more private. Keep an eye on Bitcoin’s technical patterns and Ethereum’s growth potential, along with exciting developments from Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC networks. For builders and newcomers, these updates offer practical ways to engage with blockchain technology and its growing ecosystem.