The Bank of Japan (BOJ) finally pulled the trigger, and as usual, the Bitcoin angle shows up in market conversations. The central bank raised its benchmark rate to 0.75%, a level Japan hasn’t seen since 1995. That sounds dramatic, but the size of the hike is probably what matters more than the FUD headlines some news outlets are making.
🦔The Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise its benchmark rate Friday to 0.75%, the highest level since 1995. This would be the first rate increase since January. All BOJ watchers surveyed by Bloomberg forecast a rate hike for the first time since Governor Kazuo Ueda's term… pic.twitter.com/dt0QiquVMB
— Hedgie (@HedgieMarkets) December 18, 2025
The increase came in at 25 basis points as we were bracing for something much heavier. Some projections were floating around that assumed a 75-basis-point BOJ move, which would have tightened liquidity fast and put real pressure on crypto and Bitcoin sentiment. Under that scenario, a push down toward $63,000 for Bitcoin didn’t seem unrealistic.
The BOJ hiked by..25 basis points
I mean, the market was expecting 50 bp, some were saying 75bp.
And so the Yen is weakening.
Let the chaos ensue pic.twitter.com/pOTKxjBgEh
— Peter R Hann Goldbug Weirdo/Silver Affectionado (@PeterRHann1) December 19, 2025
Instead, nothing broke. Bitcoin stayed calm, steady at $87,000 after the announcement, with no meaningful move. We don’t see no panic, no sharp sell-off, the market just moved on. In that sense, Bitcoin reaction said more about positioning and accumulation than the BOJ policy.
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BOJ Context and What Bitcoin Is Showing Now
Zooming out a bit, the BOJ to Bitcoin link lines up with something else we should be watching closely. The US regulation. Michael Selig has now been confirmed as head of the CFTC, and he’s widely seen as someone who understands Bitcoin. This alone changes the vibe around derivatives and institutional access.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Senate confirms pro-crypto Michael Selig as CFTC Chairman.
— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) December 19, 2025
Pricewise, Bitcoin hasn’t really changed its behavior. It’s still moving inside a kind of wide $84,000 to $94,000 range. Holders and believers continue to defend the lower end, and that area lines up with several key moving averages. On the upside, the $88,000–$90,000 zone remains the level to beat.
Apart from the US regulatory news and BOJ decisions, Bitcoin flows are also still structured. There’s the outline of an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern forming, though it’s not confirmed yet.
(source – BTC USD, TradingView)
On-chain data also helps the bullish case, with larger holders accumulating and exchange balances staying low. For now, we are still bullish.
Ethereum Moves While Bitcoin Holds the Floor
While BOJ headlines dominated macro chatter, Ethereum quietly stole some attention away from Bitcoin. ETH rose about 3.3% on the day and pushed close to $3,000, even as market mostly moved sideways.
Ethereum exchange balances are now at their lowest level since 2016. Only about 13.7% of the total supply sits on exchanges, which means there’s simply less ETH available to sell. At the same time, institutions and corporates have been accumulating aggressively, adding millions of ETH to their long-term holdings.
In previous cycles, this same setup didn’t last long without a move higher. Ethereum’s tightening supply points toward a possible run toward the $4,100 area. Staking demand and reduced issuance only strengthen that case.
All told, the market’s reaction to BOJ Bitcoin developments felt mature. Bitcoin is steady, while Ethereum is ready to run to lead the altcoin season.
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The post Crypto Market News Today, December 19: BOJ Hikes Rates, Bitcoin Steady as Ethereum Bounces appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
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