What Shipped
As of December 25, 2025, the crypto market continues to show steady growth and innovation, with several exciting developments from key blockchain organizations like Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare Network, and XDC Network. Bitcoin is trading strong at around $87,465, marking a healthy 0.82% increase over the past 24 hours. Ethereum also shows modest growth, priced at approximately $2,926.
Among smaller but promising projects, Hedera Hashgraph stands out with a notable 2.95% price increase, currently valued at about 11 cents per token. Flare Network and Ripple also posted positive gains, with prices rising by 0.62% and 0.93% respectively. Meanwhile, Stellar experienced a slight dip of just under 0.1%, and XDC Network showed a mild decline.
On the innovation front, Stellar recently launched new composability features, turning a long-discussed concept into reality. Composability refers to the ability of different blockchain applications and smart contracts to work together seamlessly, boosting the ecosystem’s utility and efficiency. This update opens doors for developers to build more complex and interconnected applications on the Stellar blockchain.
Additionally, Stellar is making waves with real-world use cases like tokenizing real estate through partnerships such as RedSwan. Tokenization means converting real assets, like property, into digital tokens on a blockchain, which can make buying, selling, and managing these assets faster, more transparent, and accessible to a wider audience.
Why It Matters
These developments highlight an important trend in blockchain technology: the shift from purely speculative coins towards practical applications that solve real problems. When blockchains become more composable, they allow developers to combine different tools and services, creating richer financial products and services. This can lead to more efficient systems for payments, lending, and asset management.
For example, tokenizing real estate on Stellar could revolutionize the property market by lowering barriers to entry, improving liquidity (how easily assets can be bought or sold), and increasing transparency. Instead of traditional paperwork and slow processes, blockchain offers faster and more secure transactions.
Ripple and Stellar continue to focus on improving cross-border payments. These are transactions sent from one country to another, which are often slow and expensive using traditional banking systems. Blockchain networks can reduce costs and settle payments much faster, benefiting people and businesses worldwide.
Hedera’s strong price performance reflects growing interest in its unique approach to distributed ledger technology, which aims to provide high-speed and secure transaction processing. Flare Network’s positive momentum is tied to its efforts to bring smart contract capabilities to blockchains that don’t natively support them, expanding the possibilities for decentralized finance (DeFi).
Builders’ Corner
For developers and blockchain enthusiasts, the recent composability update on Stellar is particularly exciting. This new capability means that smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) can now more easily interact and share data, making it simpler to build complex services like decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, or automated payment systems.
Here are some concrete examples of what this means:
- Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Developers can create lending and borrowing platforms that use multiple protocols working together smoothly.
- Tokenized Assets: Real estate, art, or even stocks can be represented as digital tokens that are easy to trade and manage.
- Cross-chain Compatibility: Flare Network’s smart contract functionality enables assets from other blockchains like Ripple or Ethereum to be utilized in new ways.
- Compliance and Security: With Chainlink’s recent updates focusing on compliance, developers can build applications that meet regulatory standards while maintaining decentralization.
If you’re new to blockchain development, this is a great time to explore how these networks and tools can help you build innovative applications. Many projects offer developer guides, grants, and community support to make the learning curve easier.
Quick Prices
- Bitcoin (BTC): $87,465 (+0.82% 24h)
- Ethereum (ETH): $2,926 (+0.29% 24h)
- Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.11 (+2.95% 24h)
- Ripple (XRP): $1.87 (+0.94% 24h)
- Stellar (XLM): $0.21 (-0.08% 24h)
- Flare Network (FLR): $0.011 (+0.62% 24h)
- XDC Network (XDC): $0.049 (-0.64% 24h)
What to Watch
Looking ahead, there are several important trends and events to keep an eye on:
- ETF Movements: Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP continue to influence market dynamics. Recent reports show outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs ahead of Christmas, while XRP ETFs have crossed a $1.25 billion asset milestone, signaling growing institutional interest.
- Cross-Border Payment Innovations: Ripple and Stellar’s ongoing work to streamline international payments could significantly impact global finance, especially for remittances and business transactions.
- Blockchain Settlement Technologies: The next big breakthrough in crypto might not be a new coin but improvements in how transactions settle—meaning how quickly and securely payments are finalized. This could make blockchain more practical for everyday use.
- Compliance and Regulation: As blockchain grows, meeting regulatory standards becomes crucial. Tools like Chainlink’s compliance-focused solutions are important for mainstream adoption.
- Developer Ecosystem Growth: More updates and partnerships aimed at simplifying blockchain development will continue to emerge, making it easier for newcomers to contribute and innovate.
For anyone curious about blockchain investing or development, these trends suggest a future where blockchain technology becomes more integrated into everyday finance and asset management, offering exciting opportunities for both users and builders.
TL;DR: Bitcoin and Ethereum show steady price growth, while Hedera and Ripple gain momentum. Stellar’s new composability features enable developers to build more interconnected blockchain apps, and tokenization projects like real estate on Stellar are advancing. Cross-border payments and compliance remain key focus areas. Watch for ETF flows, blockchain settlement improvements, and growing developer tools as blockchain becomes more practical and accessible.
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