Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Donald Trump floated former White House economist Kevin Hassett as a potential Federal Reserve chair, with market odds (Kalshi) around 84%. Traders interpret a crypto-friendly, dovish Fed pick as likely to ease monetary policy and lower the hurdle for risk assets. The article links that prospect to renewed interest in Bitcoin infrastructure and Layer-2 projects. It highlights Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) — marketed as a Bitcoin Layer-2 integrating the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) to enable high-throughput smart contracts and DeFi while anchoring settlement to Bitcoin. The presale has raised over $28.8 million, with $HYPER priced at about $0.013365 during the presale. The piece projects potential ROIs of ~1,396% by 2026 (target $0.20) and ~11,123% by 2030 (target $1.50), and suggests a token release window between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026. Key trading takeaways: increased probability of looser Fed policy can drive liquidity into Bitcoin and high-beta crypto plays; Layer-2 scalability solutions (Lightning, Stacks, Rootstock, Merlin, Bitcoin Hyper) may benefit; $HYPER presale dynamics and aggressive price targets imply elevated speculative risk. This is promotional and not investment advice — DYOR and manage risk.

KuMining, a cloud mining arm affiliated with KuCoin, announced three major updates: a global Cloud Mining Affiliate Program, integrated airdrop campaigns tied to hashrate purchases, and KuPool reaching a top‑4 global position for Dogecoin (DOGE) hashrate. The affiliate program offers tiered commissions (1.00%–1.50%) based on 30‑day hashrate fee volumes denominated in USDT, automatic daily commission transfers to KuCoin main accounts, sub‑account support in volume calculations, and partnership options for high‑impact collaborators. Airdrop integrations allow users who buy hashrate contracts during events to receive additional token rewards; the first campaign ran with Bitdealer and distributed a 60,000 $BIT prize pool. KuPool now reports over 200 TH/s on DOGE/LTC pairs and claims a world top‑4 position for DOGE hashrate, highlighting growth in LTC and DOGE mining capacity. KuMining positions these moves as measures to increase accessibility, user rewards and decentralization in cloud mining, leveraging KuCoin’s infrastructure and partnering mining providers. This is a sponsored press release; not investment advice.

The article examines why competitive advantages—"AI moats"—remain crucial in artificial intelligence despite rapid technological shifts. It argues that moats built from proprietary data, specialized models, and integrated ecosystems continue to deliver durable value by improving performance, reducing costs, and creating high switching costs for customers. The piece outlines how these moats have changed: greater importance of fine‑tuned models, emphasis on domain‑specific datasets, reliance on compute and infrastructure partnerships, and growing regulatory and privacy constraints that raise the value of compliant, trusted platforms. It highlights key examples of moat strategies (proprietary user data, specialized applications, platform integrations, and partnerships with cloud providers) and explains tradeoffs — including rising capital and operational requirements, risks from open models, and potential erosion from improved open‑source capabilities. The article concludes that investors and companies should focus on sustainable signals of moat strength—unique datasets, deep product integrations, clear monetization, and regulatory compliance—while recognizing that moats are evolving and require active maintenance.

Rwanda’s national digital identity programme has registered 300,000 people as it prepares for a planned June 2026 rollout, National Identification Agency (NIDA) Director General Josephine Mukesha said. The €50 million ($57m) scheme includes nationwide data collection and biometric enrollment; citizens will receive Single Digital Identity (SDID) numbers after enrollment. The legislative framework was set in 2023; large-scale registration and biometric capture began earlier in 2025. NIDA says the system uses selective data sharing to protect privacy (e.g., only photo and age for nightclub entry) and stores secure biometrics to allow recovery if users lose their SDID number. The digital ID aims to improve secure remote service access, extend IDs from birth (current IDs begin at 16), and include previously excluded groups such as stateless persons, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants. Mukesha cited international examples such as Estonia’s e-ID during planning and urged all residents to enroll and confirm their details.

Glassnode and Fanara Digital report that Bitcoin has attracted approximately $732 billion in net new capital since the 2022 cycle low, a sum larger than all previous cycles combined. Realized cap rose to about $1.1 trillion as spot price peaked ~690% from $16,000 to $126,000. The report highlights growing institutional adoption, driven largely by spot Bitcoin ETFs and treasury allocations, which now hold roughly 1.36 million BTC (~$168 billion, ~6.9% of circulating supply). Long-term realized volatility has fallen from about 84% (2021 peak) to ~43%, signalling deeper liquidity and dampened systemic volatility. Analysts say breaking and flipping the $93,000 area into support is critical for sustaining the recovery; large short-liquidation clusters near that level could accelerate upside toward $97–98K if absorbed. Key implications for traders: increased institutional flows and ETF demand are structurally supportive for BTC, volatility compression may reduce short-term price swings but make breakouts more significant, and liquidity clusters around $93K–$98K are likely focal points for stop/limit executions and potential rapid moves. This article is not investment advice.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) chair Peng Jin-long said the draft Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) law, which includes a chapter on stablecoin issuance and supervision, has been submitted for executive review. Under the FSC’s proposed two-stage regulatory approach, the first phase restricts stablecoin issuers to licensed financial institutions to prioritize risk management. If the VASP bill is sent to and passed by the Legislative Yuan in the next session and FSC subsidiary regulations (sub-laws) are completed on schedule, the first Taiwan-regulated stablecoins could launch as early as June–July 2026. Key timeline points: FSC submitted the VASP draft to the Executive Yuan on 2025-06-27; inter-agency review followed on 2025-07-25; Peng stated on 2025-12-03 that, pending legislative approval and sub-law completion, the FSC could finalize implementation within about six months. Market impact centers on clearer regulatory paths, issuer limitations to banks and financial firms, and timing uncertainty tied to legislative progress.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $92,900–$93,000 after a strong recovery from below $84,000, with 24‑hour volume near $91.2 billion. Traders and analysts note BTC is retesting the neckline of an inverse head-and-shoulders on the 3-hour chart — a breakout above $92K–$93K would project a move to $105K–$107K. Key analysts cited: Crypto Patel (targets $105K–$107K), Michaël van de Poppe (warns if $92K is lost price may drop to $88K–$90K; pattern invalid if price falls below ~$82,400), and Daan Crypto Trades (notes higher high/higher low structure and a $97K–$98K short-term target). On-chain data from Glassnode shows short-liquidation clusters and signs of seller exhaustion, suggesting potential buying pressure and short squeezes that contributed to recent upside. Immediate support sits around $88K–$90K and the pattern’s lower boundary near $82.4K. Expect heightened volatility near the $93K neckline; a confirmed breakout implies bullish continuation toward $105K+, while failure risks a pullback to the $88K–$82K zones.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is preparing rules for the country’s first locally issued stablecoin, targeting issuance by licensed financial institutions (likely commercial banks) by the second half of 2026 and formal rollout by end-2026. A draft Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Act has cleared cabinet review and could pass the legislature soon; stablecoin-specific rules are expected within about six months after the bill advances. Regulators favour full-reserve backing, asset segregation and local custody of reserves. The key open issue is the peg — US dollar or New Taiwan dollar — which will shape cross-border use, onshore/offshore restrictions and central bank oversight. If pegged to USD, the token could facilitate cross-border settlement while avoiding some onshore NT$ constraints but may invite closer central bank scrutiny. Authorities highlight benefits such as safer retail payments, improved remittances and modernised rails, while seeking to mitigate risks around consumer protection, illicit finance and technological security. Market demand and timing will influence peg choice; credibility will depend on transparent reserve practices and custody arrangements. For traders: this moves Taiwan toward a regulated stablecoin model that could increase onshore institutional blockchain adoption and payment-use cases — watch peg decisions, reserve rules, and which banks win issuance licences, as they will determine regulatory burden, onshore liquidity effects and likely market acceptance.

Bithumb will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for XION starting 10:00 UTC on December 8 to support a planned XION network upgrade. The halt applies only to XION deposits and withdrawals; trading of XION on Bithumb is expected to continue for most of the maintenance window. The exchange said the suspension is precautionary, not an emergency, and that user holdings remain secure in Bithumb wallets. Traders are advised to complete any inbound or outbound XION transfers before 10:00 UTC on December 8 or use alternative exchanges. Bithumb will announce when services resume via official channels. The upgrade aims to improve network security, performance, transaction speeds and potentially lower fees. Typical upgrade durations are 2–8 hours, but the exchange has not given a precise timeframe.

PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin surged from about $1.2 billion in September to roughly $3.8 billion in market cap by Q4, driven by a ~113% supply increase and a 150% jump in transactions (1.8 million) in November. The rapid growth accelerated after PayPal integrated LayerZero in September, expanding PYUSD onto nine additional blockchains (including Aptos, Avalanche, Tron, Flow upgrades and others) and giving direct access to PayPal and Venmo’s 400+ million active users. PYUSD was the second-fastest growing stablecoin in Q3 2025 behind Ethena’s USDe. The broader stablecoin market sits near $307.2 billion, with USDT (~$184.6B) and USDC (~$77.3B) holding over 85% market share. Market attention has turned to PYUSD’s advertised 3.7% annual yield on balances, which appears to conflict with the GENIUS Act that bans yield-bearing stablecoins and requires 1:1 reserves and limited issuer types. PayPal has not publicly detailed how it will align PYUSD’s yield with federal rules; the company currently operates under NYDFS oversight. The news underscores PayPal’s distribution advantage in onboarding users to crypto payments, may affect PYUSD adoption and regulatory scrutiny, and comes amid a modest overall crypto market rebound (BTC ~ $92.9K, ETH ~ $3,052 at publication).

Bitcoin saw a short-term holder shakeout that could accelerate a recovery above a key resistance level. On-chain indicators showed weaker short-term holder conviction, with increased selling from addresses holding BTC for brief periods and profit-taking around recent highs. Analysts noted that the shakeout may purge weak hands, reducing supply-side pressure and setting the stage for renewed upward momentum if demand holds. Traders should watch the key technical level (near-term resistance) and volume/flow metrics: if Bitcoin reclaims and holds that level on rising volume and declining short-term selling, a faster recovery is likely. Conversely, failure to regain the level could extend consolidation or prompt deeper retracement. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, short-term holder shakeout, recovery. Secondary/semantic keywords: on-chain indicators, resistance level, selling pressure, volume, profit-taking, weak hands.

The UK’s Property (Digital Assets, etc.) Act has received royal assent, formally classifying cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as a distinct category of personal property under UK law. The change codifies the Law Commission’s 2024 recommendation and replaces reliance on piecemeal common-law rulings, providing clearer legal footing for ownership claims, recovery of stolen assets, insolvency treatment and estate administration. Industry groups including CryptoUK and Bitcoin Policy UK welcomed the reform. The development sits alongside ongoing UK regulatory activity: the FCA’s stablecoin cohort in its Regulatory Sandbox (applications close 18 Jan 2026) and an accepted firm testing a GBP-denominated stablecoin, and the Bank of England’s consultation on regulation for sterling-denominated systemic stablecoins (open until 10 Feb 2026). For traders, the law improves legal clarity around custody and dispute resolution, which may boost institutional participation and reduce counterparty/legal risk over time. Expect continued policy focus on stablecoin infrastructure and market safeguards. Keywords: UK crypto law, digital assets, stablecoins, property classification, FCA sandbox.

South Korean exchange Bithumb issued an investment warning for the AI16Z token after the project carried out an undisclosed token snapshot at 11:40 UTC on November 11 during its transition to ElizaOS. Bithumb said the unilateral snapshot lacked timely disclosure to holders, creating uncertainty around eligibility for the token swap and raising investor-protection and transparency concerns. Immediate implications include unclear token-swap mechanics, potential value pressure on AI16Z holdings, and possible trading restrictions or warnings on exchange listings. Traders should monitor official Bithumb and AI16Z/ElizaOS communications, verify snapshot and swap deadlines, and consider risk management measures such as position size adjustments or exiting positions. Key SEO keywords: Bithumb warning, AI16Z token snapshot, ElizaOS migration, token swap, investor protection.

Kraken Pro has expanded trading hours for tokenized equities (xStocks) to 24/7 for professional customers in eligible jurisdictions. Phase one enables continuous trading for 10 of the most liquid xStocks: TSLAx, QQQx, SPYx, NVDAx, CRCLx, AAPLx, HOODx, MSTRx, GLDx and GOOGLx. Previously available 24 hours a day, five days a week, the move lets traders execute strategies, manage risk and react to global events at any time, including weekends and holidays. Kraken highlights institutional-grade execution, deep liquidity and on-chain settlement for xStocks, issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited and offered via Payward Digital Solutions Ltd. xStocks are not registered with local securities regulators and are not available to U.S. persons; geo restrictions and regulatory disclosures apply. Traders should consider risks — prices can fall as well as rise — and consult tax or investment advisors as needed.

WPA Hash has launched a multilingual mobile cloud-mining app that lets users in 120+ countries mine cryptocurrencies from smartphones without owning hardware or technical expertise. The app supports English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese, offers a $15 signup bonus, and provides preconfigured cloud-mining contracts with example returns (e.g., $100 → $106; $5,000 → $7,092.5; $12,000 → $19,140). It connects users to WPA Hash’s global, energy-efficient data centres in Europe, North America and Asia, and displays real-time hashrate, yield curves and daily reports. Supported assets include BTC, ETH, XRP, DOGE and USDT. The platform features automated hash-power allocation, encrypted wallets, real-time profit settlement and options to withdraw or reinvest earnings. WPA Hash says the app lowers barriers to entry by removing equipment and maintenance needs and plans future features such as multi-currency computing-power products, a user-to-user hash-power trading market and decentralized profit distribution. For traders: the product expands retail access to mining, offers clearly presented contract returns and may increase retail demand for the supported coins; however, counterparty, operational and regulatory risks remain relevant when assessing potential market impact.

CME Group has rolled out a suite of standardized cryptocurrency benchmarks covering Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and XRP, including a VIX‑style 30‑day implied volatility index for Bitcoin derived from BTC options and Micro Bitcoin futures. The non‑tradable reference indices provide real‑time pricing and volatility metrics intended for options pricing, hedging and institutional risk management. CME said the launch responds to rising institutional derivatives activity — combined crypto futures and options volume exceeded $900 billion in Q3 with average daily open interest above $31 billion — and the proliferation of spot Bitcoin ETFs that increased demand for consistent market measures. By replacing fragmented venue pricing with a single set of benchmarks, CME aims to improve pricing rigor, support options markets and make hedging and strategy construction more reliable for institutional traders.

21Shares filed an amendment to its S-1 on Dec. 2 disclosing operational details and the fee structure for its proposed spot Dogecoin ETF, which would trade on Nasdaq under the ticker TDOG if approved. The filing sets a sponsor fee of 0.50% of net asset value, charged daily and paid weekly in DOGE. The fund will be a simple spot vehicle holding only Dogecoin and tracking its dollar price without leverage or active trading. The 0.50% fee is intended to cover custody, administration, marketing, trustee duties and routine legal and audit costs; extraordinary expenses (taxes, lawsuits, indemnities) would be covered by selling DOGE. Creation/redemption transaction fees fall to authorized participants and may be adjusted by the sponsor with notice. The amendment comes amid increased DOGE-focused product activity — including 21Shares’ 2x leveraged DOGE ETF and Grayscale’s conversion of its Dogecoin trust to a spot ETF — and heightened DOGE trading: DOGE traded around $0.15 with roughly $1.7 billion volume at the time of reporting. The public fee disclosure moves TDOG closer to launch, though final timing depends on the SEC review.

Ethereum remains central to DeFi, NFTs and Web3, and experts give wide 2025 price forecasts reflecting optimism about adoption and caution over regulation and competition. Analysts cited include Standard Chartered (up to $14,000), Finder’s panel ($6,000–$8,000) and Techopedia ($4,500–$8,000). Key drivers highlighted for Denmark: stable economy tied to the euro, high digital adoption, supportive fintech environment, and clear national regulation under DFSA plus upcoming EU MiCA rules. Technical improvements — notably the Ethereum 2.0 Proof-of-Stake upgrade and Layer-2 scaling — are expected to lower fees, improve throughput and attract institutional and eco-conscious investors. Risks include tighter EU regulation, market corrections after bullish cycles, and competition from other Layer‑1s (e.g., Cardano, Solana). Local insights point to Danish investor sophistication, tax treatment of crypto as capital assets, and case studies of early Danish holders benefiting from long-term holding and diversification. Forecast ranges for 2025 provided by experts span roughly $4,000 to $14,000; consensus expects long-term growth but short-term volatility. Traders should weigh regulatory developments (MiCA), on‑chain metrics, ETF/spot-product approvals, and Layer‑2 adoption when sizing positions. This sponsored article is informational only and not investment advice.

Polarise, an AI-powered full‑stack SocialFi protocol led by founder Colin Lee and backed by investors including Digital Currency Group, Coinbase Ventures, Polygon and Animoca Brands, is preparing for mainnet launch and a Token Generation Event (TGE). The protocol introduces four integrated layers — decision (AI-driven market and portfolio insights), execution (social-to-financial language compiler), asset (proprietary ERC1000 with NFT↔FT conversion) and liquidity (unified, AI market‑making) — designed to solve fragmentation in SocialFi and enable permissionless UGC prediction markets. Key innovations: instant, no‑approval market creation via a simple social syntax (% for predictions, # for topic NFTs, @ for revenue splits); ERC1000 assets that capture fees, convert to fungible tokens for liquidity, and can be staked; AI that optimizes pricing, discovery and portfolio rebalancing; and unified liquidity pools to prevent isolated depth. Polarise claims $22.9M TVL in DeFi modules pre‑mainnet and is running a Genesis Program where users earn points convertible to $RISE allocation at TGE through tasks and multi‑tier referrals; milestone badges grant permanent multipliers and governance/priority benefits. Roadmap for 12–18 months: imminent mainnet and TGE, expanded AI agents, livestream monetization, DAO templates, reputation systems and multi‑chain deployment (Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain, Base, Solana). For traders: the protocol emphasizes capital efficiency (convertible prediction positions), multiple revenue streams per market, early access to $RISE via Genesis, and composability with DeFi — factors that can create new tradable assets and liquidity flows across the ecosystem.

Bybit has joined Komainu Connect, the collateral management platform from regulated custodian Komainu (backed by Laser Digital and Blockstream). The integration lets institutional clients trade around the clock while their assets remain held in regulated, bankruptcy-remote, on-chain segregated custody wallets. Key features include 100% collateral mirroring on-exchange, automated off-exchange settlement that removes the need to pre-fund exchange accounts, client-by-client segregated wallets for transparency and legal clarity, and broad institutional asset coverage. Komainu said the move reduces counterparty risk and provides frictionless market access; Bybit highlighted strengthened trust and custody capabilities for its institutional users. The partnership expands Komainu Connect’s direct integrations with exchanges, lenders and brokers, aiming to speed settlement and widen access to market counterparties. This is a sponsored press release and not investment advice.

Ethereum activated the Fusaka hard fork on Dec 3, 2025, introducing Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) and several blob-parameter tweaks to boost data availability and throughput for Layer‑2 rollups. PeerDAS lets validators verify small random samples instead of full blocks, cutting node bandwidth needs by roughly 80–85% and enabling up to an ~8× increase in L2 data throughput as rollups adopt the change. Fusaka also adjusts blob parameters (via Blob Parameter Only forks), raises the block gas limit from 30M to 150M gas, and implements EIP‑7825 (a per-transaction gas cap ~16.78M gas) to prevent single transactions from exhausting blocks. The rollout is staged: Fusaka activated Dec 3 then begins incremental blob-cap increases (first parameter bump shortly after activation), with a second BPO fork scheduled in early January to lift blobs-per-block further (to 14 blobs per block in the final step). Expected near-term effects include materially lower Layer‑2 transaction fees (estimates ~40–60% reductions depending on rollup adoption and network demand) and cheaper blob fees for rollups. Major L2s (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) are expected to integrate PeerDAS in the coming weeks, which should increase on‑chain settlement capacity and reduce resource costs for rollups. Fusaka follows the Pectra upgrade earlier in 2025 and fits Ethereum’s modular roadmap toward Osaka (2026), which will add blob streaming and stateless validator client features. For traders: the upgrade reduces L2 operational costs and improves scaling headroom — monitor rollup integrations, blob-fee dynamics, and gas-market responses for short‑term volatility and fee‑sensitivity in ETH and L2 tokens.

SUI surged 20.96% in the past 24 hours, outperforming the broader crypto market as liquidity improved and buyers chased momentum. CoinMarketCap’s AI analysis cites three main catalysts: Coinbase opened SUI trading for New York residents, the token broke a critical resistance level, and market participants are orderly absorbing an upcoming token unlock. The move coincided with fresh intraday highs and renewed risk appetite. Analysts warn traders to monitor on-chain flows and exchange policies; sustained gains depend on continued liquidity access and disciplined risk controls rather than headline-driven speculation. Key stats: SUI +20.96% (24h); overall market +6.18% (24h).

American Bitcoin (ABTC), the Nasdaq-listed bitcoin mining and accumulation company co-founded by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., plunged about 40% on Dec. 2 after a tranche of pre-merger private-placement shares unlocked. ABTC fell intraday from $3.58 to as low as $1.80 and closed at $2.19, down 38.8%, leaving the stock roughly 76% below its September $9.31 peak. Management reiterated that underlying fundamentals remain strong: Q3 revenue rose to $64.2 million from $11.6 million year‑on‑year and the company reported a $3.5 million net profit versus a prior loss. American Bitcoin reported roughly 4,090 BTC in treasury as of Nov. 13 and has expanded mining capacity. Founder Eric Trump said on X the selloff was expected because early investors can now cash out and that he does not intend to sell his stake. Analysts warn that further scheduled share unlocks through 2026 could create ongoing selling pressure. The decline coincided with broader weakness in crypto-related equities (eg, Coinbase, Circle). Traders should monitor ABTC unlock schedules, on-chain BTC treasury movements and any changes to miner collateralization as near-term drivers of volatility and potential liquidity-driven price pressure.

In 2025 global crypto regulation matured: exchanges must obtain licences, comply with strict AML/KYC and report to tax authorities. Major developments include the EU’s full implementation of MiCA, forcing non-compliant stablecoins and issuers to restructure or face delisting; global adoption of the FATF Travel Rule, lowering privacy thresholds for transactions; and new US legislation clarifying stablecoin status (GENIUS Act) and signalling a shift from SEC enforcement to structured frameworks via bills like FIT21 and the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. Key regional trends: EU enforces EMT/ART licensing and 1:1 reserve rules; US enables bank custody of regulated stablecoins; APAC (Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan) focuses on tokenized real-world assets via sandboxes; UAE/VARA positions Dubai as a regulated crypto hub. For traders, expect tighter KYC, automated tax reporting (DAC8, 1099-DA, CARF), safer holdings favouring compliant stablecoins (eg USDC in the EU), and delistings of non-compliant tokens. Near-term effects include reduced anonymity, potential liquidity shifts as assets get delisted or reissued under compliant frameworks, and increased institutional flows into regulated products and tokenized securities. Looking ahead to 2026, tokenized RWAs and the CBDC vs private stablecoin dynamic will shape markets, with both expected to coexist but under heavier compliance and custody requirements.

ICBC Financial Leasing Co., with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) as lead underwriter, issued 4.5 billion yuan of three‑year financial bonds using a blockchain ledger combined with digital currency settlement. The offering was originally sized at ¥3.0 billion with ¥1.5 billion in oversubscription rights; the oversubscription was exercised, bringing the final amount to ¥4.5 billion. Notes carry a fixed annual coupon of 1.84%. Issuance records were uploaded on‑chain in real time, providing tamper‑evident transparency and enabling investor verification. Channeling proceeds through digital currency settlement reduced clearing layers and improved settlement efficiency. Market observers say the deal highlights fintech adoption in mainstream corporate debt markets and could serve as a model for future capital‑markets financing using blockchain and digital currency. Key SEO keywords: ICBC bond, blockchain bond issuance, digital currency settlement, financial bonds, China fintech.

Ontology has joined the Circle Alliance Program, a consortium started in 2023 that connects fintechs, banks, payment processors and Web3 projects to build a more open internet financial system. The partnership gives Ontology access to Circle’s infrastructure—most notably USDC—enabling easier stablecoin flows, improved liquidity and faster DeFi and payment integrations on the Ontology layer-1 network. Ontology’s strengths in decentralized identity and data may be paired with USDC-powered services to enable identity-verified financial use cases across platforms. Benefits cited include increased developer activity, stronger institutional credibility and accelerated cross-chain and real-world applications. Key risks are regulatory complexity across jurisdictions and the technical challenge of seamless integration and adoption. Developers should monitor official channels for APIs, tooling and technical guidance. This strategic move signals broader Web3 interoperability trends where blockchains and regulated stablecoins converge to support mainstream finance.

Ethena’s synthetic stablecoin USDe contracted sharply in November, losing roughly $2.2 billion (24%) of supply as traders redeemed or sold the token. CoinGecko data shows USDe’s market capitalization fell from $9.3 billion on Nov. 1 to about $7.1 billion on Nov. 30, and to $6.9–$7.1 billion at time of reporting, dropping USDe from the third to the fourth largest stablecoin. The outflows follow an October depeg on Binance — a brief plunge to $0.65 attributed by Ethena founder Guy Young to a Binance-specific oracle problem; mint/redemption mechanics reportedly functioned and about $2 billion was redeemed across DeFi. In contrast, fiat-backed dollar stablecoins saw net inflows of roughly $3.2 billion in November: Tether (USDT) increased by ~$1.3B to $184.6B, Circle’s USDC rose by ~$600M to $76.5B, PayPal’s PYUSD jumped by $1B to $3.8B (35% month-on-month) and Ripple’s RLUSD surpassed $1B, rising from $960M to $1.26B. Total stablecoin market cap was around $311B, with fiat-backed coins making up about $303B. Key implications for traders: heightened redemptions in synthetic stablecoins may signal preference shifts toward fiat-backed reserves and pose liquidity and peg-risk considerations for DeFi positions that use USDe as collateral or settlement. Primary keywords: USDe, synthetic stablecoin, fiat-backed stablecoins, USDT, USDC, PYUSD.

Babylon has partnered with Aave to let users deposit native Bitcoin as collateral on Aave’s lending markets via Babylon’s trustless Bitcoin Vaults, removing the need for wrapped BTC or custodial intermediaries. The integration will create a dedicated Bitcoin ‘spoke’ into Aave’s hub-and-spoke architecture, enabling on-chain BTC deposits on Babylon’s base chain while borrowers access stablecoins and other assets on Aave. Babylon currently secures over 56,000 BTC (~$5.15 billion) in its staking product. Testing is slated for early 2026 and a broader rollout is expected around April 2026. Babylon also plans to launch Bitcoin-backed DeFi insurance — pools of BTC that earn yield if no claims occur but provide liquidity to cover protocol hacks — with an announcement targeted by January 2026. Key implications: unlocking native BTC liquidity could vastly expand DeFi lending capacity (Babylon cites even 5% of Bitcoin entering lending as significant), reduce counterparty/custody risk from wrapped tokens like WBTC, and broaden the pool of BTC available for borrowing and DeFi underwriting. Primary keywords: native Bitcoin, BTC lending, Aave, Babylon, DeFi insurance. Secondary/semantic keywords included: trustless vaults, wrapped BTC, collateral, hub-and-spoke, yield, protocol risk.

Short-term Bitcoin traders holding BTC for one to three months are experiencing the largest unrealized losses of the current bull cycle, with paper losses of roughly 20–25% persisting for over two weeks, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfrost. He notes these holders remain underwater until Bitcoin trades above its realized price near $113,692, and that capitulation among this cohort often signals attractive accumulation opportunities. Major institutions remain cautiously optimistic about 2026 recoveries; Grayscale flagged the current drawdown as potentially a local bottom ahead of a 2026 rebound. ETF flows have been blamed by some for selling pressure, but Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas and others say spot Bitcoin ETFs accounted for at most about 3% of recent selling. Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a modest $58 million net inflow on Tuesday after $3.48 billion of cumulative outflows in November, marking five consecutive days of positive flows per Farside Investors. The ETFs’ average flow-weighted cost basis sits near $89,600, meaning ETF buyers are no longer broadly underwater if BTC holds above that level. Related US spot crypto funds saw small outflows: spot Ether ETFs netted $9.9 million outflows and Solana ETFs $13.5 million outflows on the same day. Key takeaways for traders: elevated short-term unrealized losses increase the risk of further short-term selling if capitulation continues, but modest ETF inflows and institutional commentary suggest potential support if BTC holds key cost-basis levels.