Latest Tezos (XTZ) News Update

By CMC AI
25 December 2025 04:17AM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on XTZ?

TLDR

Tezos blends technical upgrades with cultural momentum – here’s the latest:

  1. Etherlink’s Farfadet Upgrade (22 December 2025) – EVM-compatible chain boosts speed and capacity.

  2. Art Ecosystem Breakout Year (19 December 2025) – Museums, global events, and 500k+ NFTs sold.

  3. Controlled Price Consolidation (22 December 2025) – Defensive recovery signals emerge amid market stress.

Deep Dive

Overview:
Tezos’ EVM-compatible Layer 2, Etherlink, activated its sixth upgrade, Farfadet, doubling transaction capacity to 1,000+ per second while maintaining sub-cent fees. The upgrade follows a year where Etherlink’s TVL surged from $1.46M to $82.73M, driven by integrations with DeFi giants like Curve and Superlend.

What this means:
This is bullish for XTZ because it strengthens Tezos’ position in high-performance DeFi and gaming. Faster confirmations and reduced withdrawal times (from 15 days to <1 minute) improve user experience, potentially attracting Ethereum developers seeking low-cost alternatives. (CoinMarketCap)

2. Institutional Art Adoption Surge (19 December 2025)

Overview:
Tezos’ art ecosystem saw 500k+ NFTs sold in 2025, anchored by partnerships like the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), which showcased blockchain art to 243k+ visitors. Events like Art on Tezos Berlin drew 700+ attendees, while Mario Klingemann’s AI artwork sold for 43,000 tez ($19.8k).

What this means:
This is neutral-to-bullish, as institutional adoption validates Tezos’ niche in digital art but hasn’t reversed XTZ’s price trend (-67% YoY). However, the MoMI partnership extension through 2027 signals long-term cultural relevance. (Crypto.News)

3. Capitulation Phase Resilience (22 December 2025)

Overview:
Despite a broader market capitulation, XTZ consolidated near multi-year support at ~$0.46. Analysts note stable staking participation and governance activity, suggesting reduced sell pressure compared to peers like Solana (-23% vs XTZ’s -7.8% monthly loss).

What this means:
This is cautiously optimistic. While XTZ shows relative stability, recovery depends on broader liquidity conditions. The $0.42–$0.48 range remains critical; a sustained break above $0.50 could signal momentum reversal. (CryptoNewsLand)

Conclusion

Tezos is threading innovation (Etherlink upgrades) with real-world utility (art, DeFi), yet price action remains muted. With Fear & Greed at 28/100 and Bitcoin dominance at 59%, can Tezos’ NFT traction translate to sustained demand for XTZ in 2026?

What are people saying about XTZ?

TLDR

Tezos swings between cautious tech warnings and niche optimism. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Bearish momentum warns of further downside risks

  2. Artists rally around XTZ-powered NFT drops

  3. Etherlink’s DeFi growth fuels long-term believers

Deep Dive

1. @Finora_EN: Bearish technicals signal 15% drop potential 🐻

“If price breaks below 0.4206 with strong bearish candles, I expect continuation toward 0.4077”
– @Finora_EN (5.7K followers · 62.3K impressions · 24 Dec 2025 12:22 UTC)
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What this means: Bearish for XTZ as momentum indicators and liquidity levels suggest traders are preparing for deeper corrections, with RSI (49–62) showing weakening buying pressure.

2. @ArtByMinaa: NFT creators sustain XTZ cultural relevance 🎨

“Hidden Truth” listed for 6.66 XTZ (~$3.08)
– @ArtByMinaa (1.1K followers · 2.8K impressions · 19 Dec 2025 06:22 UTC)
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What this means: Neutral for XTZ as grassroots NFT activity demonstrates ongoing utility, though minimal price impact from small-scale art sales.

“Messari highlighted [...] Etherlink processed 20.5M transactions (+22.5% QoQ)”
– CoinJournal (22 Oct 2025 08:37 UTC)
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What this means: Bullish for XTZ if Layer 2 adoption accelerates, though current price (-67% YoY) shows skepticism about near-term RWA traction.

Conclusion

The consensus on Tezos is mixed – technical traders eye breakdowns below $0.42, while ecosystem builders bet on Etherlink’s institutional DeFi pipeline. Watch whether the network’s TVL can rebound past $45M to validate the “compliant RWA chain” narrative. For now, XTZ’s price action remains at the mercy of broader altcoin liquidity shifts.

What is the latest update in XTZ’s codebase?

TLDR

Tezos’ codebase saw major upgrades in 2025, enhancing staking, scalability, and security.

  1. Seoul Upgrade (4 September 2025) – Protocol-native multisigs and 63x efficiency gains.

  2. Rio Upgrade (1 May 2025) – Flexible staking cycles and Layer 2 scalability tools.

Deep Dive

1. Seoul Upgrade (4 September 2025)

Overview: Introduced institutional-grade security features and slashed network validation requirements by 63x. Simplified unstaking for users.
The upgrade added protocol-native multisignature wallets, eliminating reliance on third-party solutions for collective account management. It also implemented BLS signatures to compress cryptographic data, reducing daily validation storage from 900 MB to 14 MB. Users can now initiate unstaking in one click, though funds remain locked for 4 days.
What this means: This is bullish for Tezos because institutions gain secure, customizable custody options, while everyday users benefit from faster transactions and simplified asset management. (Source)

2. Rio Upgrade (1 May 2025)

Overview: Overhauled staking mechanics and boosted Layer 2 performance.
Rio introduced 1-day staking cycles (down from weeks), letting users adjust stakes faster. It also added support for Data Availability Layer (DAL) participation, a critical component for scaling rollups like Etherlink. Bakers now face stricter penalties for inactivity to improve network reliability.
What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish for Tezos: shorter cycles improve liquidity, but validators must adapt to stricter rules. Enhanced DAL support strengthens Tezos’ position in the modular blockchain race. (Source)

Conclusion

Tezos’ 2025 upgrades prioritized scalability (Rio) and institutional readiness (Seoul), aligning with its focus on modular infrastructure and real-world adoption. Will these improvements attract more developers to its EVM-compatible Layer 2, Etherlink?

What is next on XTZ’s roadmap?

TLDR

Tezos’ development pipeline focuses on scalability, real-world assets, and ecosystem growth.

  1. Tezos X Rollout (Q3 2025) – Scaling via modular rollups and EVM compatibility.

  2. Uranium Tokenization Expansion (2026) – Institutional adoption of RWAs on Etherlink.

  3. Etherlink DeFi Incentives (Q1 2026) – Liquidity programs for Layer 2 growth.

  4. Art Ecosystem Partnerships (2026–2027) – Museum collaborations and FA2 Fellowships.

Deep Dive

1. Tezos X Rollout (Q3 2025)

Overview: Tezos X, announced at TezDev 2025, aims to enhance scalability through modular rollups (like Etherlink) and improve developer accessibility by supporting mainstream languages like JavaScript and Python. This upgrade focuses on seamless cross-rollup communication and reducing latency.
What this means: Bullish for XTZ as it could attract Ethereum developers seeking lower fees and faster transactions. However, adoption depends on competing with established L2 ecosystems.

2. Uranium Tokenization Expansion (2026)

Overview: Following the launch of uranium.io on Etherlink, Tezos plans to expand its RWA offerings, targeting commodities and institutional investors. Co-founder Arthur Breitman emphasized uranium’s potential at the Federal Reserve Fintech Conference.
What this means: Neutral-to-bullish. Tokenizing niche assets could differentiate Tezos, but regulatory hurdles and market demand for uranium remain risks.

Overview: Etherlink, Tezos’ EVM-compatible L2, will launch a $3M incentive program to boost liquidity and attract projects like Uniswap v3-based Oku. TVL has already surged 6,200% YoY.
What this means: Bullish if liquidity migrates from Ethereum L2s, but bearish if incentives fail to sustain engagement post-rewards.

4. Art Ecosystem Partnerships (2026–2027)

Overview: The MoMI x Tezos partnership extends through 2027, featuring 12 commissioned artists using FA2 contracts. The FA2 Fellowship educates creators on blockchain tools.
What this means: Neutral for price, but strengthens Tezos’ niche in digital art—critical for brand visibility amid broader market volatility.

Conclusion

Tezos balances technical upgrades (Tezos X, Etherlink) with ecosystem bets (art, RWAs), aiming to carve niches in DeFi and institutional tokenization. Success hinges on execution amid fierce L2 competition. Will uranium tokenization catalyze the next growth phase, or will art remain its core narrative?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.