Five Cryptocurrencies That Historically Rally Around Christmas

As the holiday season approaches, traders are once again scanning for the classic “Santa Claus rally” in crypto. While not guaranteed every year, historical data from 2019–2024 reveals five established cryptocurrencies that have repeatedly delivered strong December and Christmas-period gains — especially during bull cycles or macro recovery phases.

These seasonal surges are typically fueled by year-end bonuses, tax-loss harvesting rebounds, lower liquidity amplifying moves, and pure festive optimism.

The Top 5 Christmas Performers (2019–2024 Average December Returns)

1. Bitcoin (BTC) – +21.4% average The undisputed king of December. Bitcoin posted positive returns in five out of the last six years, with monster moves in 2020 (+48%) and 2021 (+20%). Even in the 2022 bear market, BTC managed a modest +3% while most altcoins bled. 2023’s +12% ride on ETF hype further cemented its reputation as the most reliable year-end asset.
2. Ethereum (ETH) – +19.8% average ETH closely tracks Bitcoin’s December strength but often amplifies it during L1 upgrade cycles. The standout year was 2020 (+43%) ahead of the Beacon Chain launch, while 2023 delivered +18% as staking withdrawal narratives heated up.
3. BN Coin (BNB) – +24.1% average BNB takes the crown for consistency: every single December from 2019–2024 was green. Peak performances came in 2020 (+68%) and 2021 (+45%) when BN Smart Chain volume exploded and quarterly burns removed massive supply.
4. Litecoin (LTC) – +17.6% average The “silver to Bitcoin’s gold” has quietly been one of the strongest seasonal plays. LTC delivered five straight winning Decembers, with 2020’s +92% surge standing out as one of the best monthly performances of any top-20 coin ever.
5. Monero (XMR) – +15.9% average Privacy coins tend to shine at year-end as traders rotate into off-radar assets. Monero posted gains in five of six Decembers, with 2021’s +38% move coinciding with regulatory FUD driving demand for anonymous transactions.

Important Caveats: It’s Not Every Year

The “Santa rally” effect is heavily skewed toward bull and recovery markets:

• 2019 (post-bear recovery): All five coins +15% to +90%
• 2020 (full bull): Monster gains across the board
• 2021 (late-cycle bull): Still strong, but smaller magnitude
• 2022 (crypto winter): Only BTC and BNB barely positive; others flat to −20%
• 2023 (new bull ignition): Strong comeback year
• 2024 (cycle continuation): Early data shows all five already +8% to +28% in the first half of December

Bottom Line for 2025 Holiday Season

If the current macro environment remains constructive (Fed easing, risk-on sentiment, institutional inflows), history suggests Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, Litecoin, and Monero have the highest probability of delivering Christmas-period upside.

Traders often front-run the pattern by building positions from mid-November through early December, with peak momentum typically hitting between December 20 and January 5.

Seasonal trends are never guarantees, but these five coins have earned their spot on every year-end watchlist for good reason: when Santa comes to crypto town, he usually brings gifts for the same familiar names.