Though the cryptocurrency market struggled all through December, a small variety of institutional traders managed to finish the yr within the black.
New on-chain information from analytics platform Nansen reveals that whereas costs stay beneath stress, a number of giant cryptocurrency funds generated thousands and thousands of {dollars} in realized positive factors however turned to aggressive promoting because the month progressed.
Elite fund secures highest earnings even in market downturn
Market maker Wintermute emerged as essentially the most worthwhile fund in December, posting realized positive factors of about $3.17 million, Nansen stated.
Dragonfly Capital adopted go well with, with earnings unfold throughout a number of wallets totaling $1.9 million, $1 million, and $990,000.
IOSG and Longling Capital additionally ranked extremely. Taken collectively, these traits counsel that the positive factors have been concentrated in a repeat group of extremely energetic institutional merchants quite than remoted one-off wallets.
“Earnings are concentrated in a small variety of repeat funds quite than one-time wallets,” Nansen famous, highlighting how constant execution and energetic commerce administration have remoted institutional winners from broader market downturns.
Arrington, Pantera, and Polychain are additionally included in Nansen’s 30-day dataset from 5 blockchain networks, every with various profitability.

Within the revenue rating for December 2025, Wintermute topped the checklist with $3.17 million, adopted by a number of Dragonfly Capital wallets. Nansen
December was a troublesome month for many crypto members as volatility elevated and sentiment weakened in direction of the top of the yr.
Regardless of this background, Wintermute and Dragonfly Capital capitalized on the alternatives introduced by short-term disruption and liquidity.
Their efficiency highlights the advantages of scale, subtle buying and selling infrastructure, and multi-chain monitoring throughout occasions of market stress.
Dragonfly’s technique is distinguished by its diversification throughout wallets, permitting the fund to seize upside in quite a lot of positions whereas diversifying danger.
Then again, Wintermute’s dominance displays its function as a significant liquidity supplier that may revenue from volatility quite than endure from it.
IOSG and Longling Capital additionally posted notable positive factors, making them among the many most worthwhile funds of the month. Taken collectively, these information spotlight the group’s resilience at a time when retail merchants have been barely struggling to remain afloat.
Aggressive profiteering shapes on-chain habits
However Nansen’s on-chain monitoring reveals that these similar worthwhile funds are actually leaning towards promoting quite than accumulating.
On December 26, QCP Capital deposited 199.99 ETH, price roughly $595,929, onto the Binance alternate, a transfer usually related to making ready property on the market.

QCP Capital transferred 199.99 ETH price $595,929 to Binance on December 26, 2025. Nansen
Wintermute can be aggressive on the gross sales entrance. Social media commentary has accused the corporate of aggressively promoting Bitcoin and Ethereum throughout December’s volatility, however on-chain information confirms that Wintermute diminished its publicity after constructing positions at the start of the month.
🚨 Breaking information:
WinterMute accumulates $BTC and $ETH price of property simply earlier than Christmas
They dumped over $125 million in BTC in a single minute, lowering it to $24,000.
That is pure Christmas manipulation!! https://t.co/hSbWI1Bl2R pic.twitter.com/MmQv1nBZql
— ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇʀ (@DeFiTracer) December 25, 2025
This exercise is extra in keeping with revenue taking and danger administration quite than passive holding.
Dragonfly Capital equally diminished its place in Mantle (MNT). In a seven-day interval in December, the fund deposited 6 million MNT tokens price roughly $6.95 million into Bybit.
.@dragonfly_xyz (Dragonfly Capital) continues to deposit MNT to @Bybit_Official.
Up to now 7 days, $6,000,000 (roughly $6.95 million) has already been transferred.
They nonetheless maintain 9.15 million tokens unfold throughout a number of wallets, price roughly $10.76 million. pic.twitter.com/3M2s5se9l6
— Nansen🧠(@nansen_ai) December 21, 2025
Regardless of these gross sales, Dragonfly nonetheless holds 9.15 million MNT tokens (price roughly $10.76 million), suggesting a partial exit quite than an entire exit.
The distinction between December’s strong positive factors and rising promoting stress factors to a twin organizational technique.
- Make the most of volatility when alternatives come up,
- Rapidly keep away from dangers in response to altering circumstances.
For skilled funds, year-end promoting might additionally mirror portfolio rebalancing, capital preservation, or preparation for brand spanking new allocations in early 2026.
Continued promoting by top-performing funds might weigh on short-term markets, but it surely may be an indication of self-discipline quite than bearish perception.
The article Crypto Funding Funds Achieve in December Regardless of Total Market Weak spot was first revealed on BeInCrypto.
