Major Crypto Exchanges See Sharp Decline in December 2025 Trading Volumes

Major Crypto Exchanges See Sharp Decline in December 2025 Trading Volumes

CEX spot trading volume dropped 35% in December 2025, while DEX volumes fell 30%, reflecting a continued downturn across major platforms, according to BlockBeats data.

KCS

Fact Check
The assessment is based on a convergence of evidence from multiple high-authority, highly relevant primary sources. The most definitive evidence comes from The Block's data dashboard, which is a primary source providing the specific aggregated monthly spot trading volume data required to verify the statement. Further direct support comes from Coinbase, a major exchange, which explicitly stated in a market update that trading volumes were 'subdued' in late December 2025. This qualitative confirmation from a key market participant strongly corroborates the quantitative data.Additionally, data from the CME Group, while focused on derivatives, is another highly authoritative primary source that reflects the activity in a significant segment of the cryptocurrency market. While secondary sources like the blog post from onesafe.io and the Reddit discussion have low authority, they align with the trend reported by the primary sources, adding to the overall consistency of the evidence.There is no contradictory evidence presented among the credible sources. Several sources, such as the SEC filing, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange page, and the Bank of Jamaica data, were dismissed due to their irrelevance to the specific topic and time period. The high quality and consistency of the supporting primary evidence lead to a high confidence level in the statement's truthfulness.
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Summary

In December 2025, centralized exchange (CEX) spot trading volumes saw a 35% decline, with Binance, Kucoin, and Upbit experiencing the largest drops over 39%. Perpetual DEX volumes dropped by 30%, while website visits fell by 20%. The declines suggest ongoing reduced market participation, potentially influenced by wash trading or automated trading activities.

Terms & Concepts
  • Centralized Exchange (CEX): A cryptocurrency trading platform operated by a central entity that facilitates trades and manages user funds and order books.
  • Decentralized Exchange (DEX): A blockchain-based trading platform that enables peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transactions without a central intermediary.