5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens on December 26, 2025

Markets wake up to a digital dawn—while traditional finance naps through another holiday hangover.

1. The Crypto Clock Never Sleeps

While NYSE traders sip eggnog, blockchain networks process billions. December 26th isn't a holiday on-chain—it's just Thursday. The 24/7 nature of digital assets exposes a fundamental flaw in legacy market hours: global capital doesn't punch a time clock.

2. Institutional Floodgates Creak Open

Watch for the quiet drip becoming a torrent. Every major bank's "digital asset division" that launched in 2023 now reports directly to the CEO. That's not experimentation—that's assimilation. The smart money already moved while everyone debated whether Bitcoin was a currency.

3. Regulatory Theater Hits Its Stride

Three different agencies will claim jurisdiction over the same token today. Meanwhile, decentralized protocols operate across 94 countries simultaneously. The gap between bureaucratic imagination and technological reality widens by the minute—and capital flows toward the latter.

4. The Retail Revolution Goes Unnoticed

Another 50,000 users will onboard to self-custody wallets today. They won't ask for permission, won't complete KYC forms, and definitely won't wait for market open. This isn't rebellion—it's rational choice. Why queue at the bank when you can be the bank?

5. Narrative Control Slips Away

CNBC can't frame what it doesn't understand. The morning's top five stories will ignore the $200M NFT settlement that just cleared, the DAO that acquired a publicly traded company, and the prediction market accurately forecasting today's Fed whispers. Legacy media covers markets like sports—digital assets play a different game entirely.

Bonus jab: Wall Street still thinks 'blockchain' is a type of Excel formula.

The opening bell rings for a shrinking kingdom. While traditional markets play catch-up on delayed data, crypto markets price tomorrow's reality today. Adaptation isn't coming—it already happened. The only question left is who's still watching the ticker tape.

Stock Futures Point Lower

Stock futures pointed lower in premarket trading after the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average set new closing records in Wednesday's holiday-shorted trading session, when the major market indexes moved higher for a fifth straight session. Futures associated with the Dow were lower by nearly 0.2% in early trading, while those tied to the S&P 500 were fractionally lower. Futures tracking the Nasdaq crept higher. U.S. benchmark crude oil futures were at nearly $58.50 a barrel as the commodity stayed near two-week highs. Bitcoin traded at $88,600, higher than the $87,400 it hit on Wednesday. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note, which can influence a range of consumer loans, were at 4.14%, ticking higher from Wednesday’s levels.

Gold, Silver Extend Streak of Highs

Gold and silver again touched record highs on Friday as the precious metals continued to see their prices rise. Gold futures were trading around $4543.50 an ounce after earlier pressing as high as $4561.60. Silver futures were at $75.67 an ounce recently after earlier reaching a new high of $75.84. Precious metals continued to add value in December, with silver rising by more than 27% this month and gold adding more than 6%. Silver has more than doubled in value this year, while gold is up by more than 70%. Investors have been pouring into the safe-haven assets as investors anticipate lower interest rates and central banks have been adding to their holdings.

Nvidia to Buy Assets from AI Startup Groq

Nvidia (NVDA) has made a deal with artificial intelligence startup Groq, according to news reports and a post on the startup’s site. Groq in a statement said that Nvidia entered a non-exclusive licensing agreement for the startup’s inference technology.“The agreement reflects a shared focus on expanding access to high-performance, low cost inference,” it said. CNBC reported that the deal include an asset purchase worth $20 billion in cash, citing Alex Davis, CEO of Disruptive, which led a $750 million fundraising round for the startup.The MOVE comes as AI stocks have been moving higher to end the year. Nvidia shares were higher by 0.6% in premarket trading.

Federal Regulators Probe Tesla Door Release Issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it earlier this week opened an investigation into Tesla (TSLA) after it received a petition saying the mechanical door release for the 2022 Tesla Model 3 wasn’t easily accessible. “The petition cites allegations that the mechanical door release is hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency,” the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said. The issue is expected to affect about 179,000 vehicles. The NHTSA had opened other investigations into Tesla, including a probe on electronic door lock issues with a different model. Tesla shares ticked higher in premarket trading.

Nike Shares Continue Rise After Apple CEO Stock Purchase

Nike (NKE) shares continued to rise in premarket trading after the athletic apparel Maker helped lead stocks higher in Wednesday’s session. Nike shares gained 4.6% Wednesday after a regulatory filing revealed that Apple CEO Tim Cook, a member of Nike's board, bought nearly $3 million worth of the company’s stock. Despite the surge, Nike shares are lower by 20% so far this year. Nike shares were higher by nearly 0.4% in premarket trading.