Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

A long-dormant Bitcoin whale address, 3JFgQr, moved 181 BTC from Binance today after three years of inactivity. According to on-chain analytics firm Lookonchain, the withdrawal is worth roughly $15.8 million at current market prices. The transaction was flagged by blockchain monitors but no additional context — such as destination wallet identity, intent to sell, or further transfers — was provided. This movement draws attention because large withdrawals from centralized exchanges by previously inactive whales can signal changes in selling pressure, accumulation, or private custody shifts. Traders should note the size (181 BTC) and the source (Binance) while watching on-chain follow-ups and order-book activity for potential short-term volatility.

On-chain analysis by Coinotag (citing analyst Ai Yi) shows a BTC ’OG Insider’ whale executed a 2,683.68 SOL long, now holding roughly $61.57 million in SOL at an average entry price of $130.19 and carrying an unrealized loss of about $5.03 million. The same address holds substantial long exposure across major assets: about $87 million in BTC longs (entry ~$91,506.70) and roughly $590 million in ETH longs (entry ~$3,147.39), bringing the portfolio’s aggregate notional to near $740 million and unrealized losses to approximately $58.04 million. The report highlights concentrated long positioning across SOL, BTC and ETH and notes mark-to-market pressure on the whale’s book. Traders should watch this address for potential liquidity impacts in spot and derivatives markets, but on-chain position data alone does not predict immediate price direction.

Tsinghua University has emerged as China’s leading AI powerhouse, producing high-impact research, startups and hardware. Backed by state policy and subsidies tied to President Xi’s tech priorities, Tsinghua alumni have founded firms such as DeepSeek and Sapient and developed innovations including the Accel AI chip, DrugCLIP drug‑discovery tools, and the Absolute Zero Reasoner training method. Between 2005 and 2024 the university filed 4,986 AI/ML patents (900+ in 2024) and holds more of the 100 most‑cited AI papers than any other university. China now accounts for over half of active AI patent families globally. Talent supply is expanding via STEM education and initiatives on campus — subsidised computing platforms, student agent competitions, and influential faculty like Turing Award winner Andrew Yao returning to teach. While U.S. institutions still lead on patent impact and produced more top models in 2024, China’s share of top AI researchers rose sharply from 2019–2022. For crypto traders the key takeaways are: accelerating Chinese AI R&D and state support may boost demand for AI‑infrastructure tokens and chip‑related projects, increase competition for U.S. tech firms, and influence token sentiment tied to AI compute and cloud services.

Silver surged to an all-time high of $75 per ounce, up about 158% year-to-date in 2025, driven by strong vault inflows and growing safe-haven demand amid geopolitical turmoil. Gold is approaching its record near $4,525 as investors seek protection. The market shock intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a “powerful and deadly strike” in Nigeria aimed at a terrorist group, and attacks tied to Venezuela also heightened regional risk. The strikes pushed global stocks and oil sharply lower as traders reassessed risk and energy supply concerns. Key market developments noted in the article include severe metal demand gains, heightened geopolitical risk from U.S. actions in Nigeria and Venezuela, and cross-asset volatility affecting equities and oil. Traders should watch continued physical silver flows, potential U.S. trade or restriction moves, gold’s momentum, and energy market reactions for near-term price catalysts.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said xAI’s chatbot Grok has made Elon Musk’s X more "truth-friendly" by often challenging users’ biased prompts rather than confirming them. Buterin highlighted that the unpredictability of Grok’s responses and its willingness to oppose users seeking affirmation have been positive for platform truthfulness, second only to community notes. He acknowledged, however, concerns about fine-tuning bias — including influence from Musk and xAI — and pointed to past Grok hallucinations (such as exaggerated claims about Musk) as evidence of the system’s flaws. Industry voices warn that centralized AI control can institutionalize bias, producing authoritative-seeming but incorrect worldviews. Buterin said Grok is nevertheless a “net improvement” compared with other third‑party AI content on X. The article places Grok alongside other AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Character.ai) that have faced factual errors or dangerous behaviour, underscoring calls for improved transparency, decentralization, and safety in AI development.

Japan’s 2-year government bond yield climbed to a record 1.155% on December 26, marking the highest level on record for that maturity. The move reflects rising short-term yields in Japan’s debt market and may signal shifting expectations about the Bank of Japan’s policy path and domestic inflation. Market commentary emphasized this as notable fixed-income volatility, though the report did not provide further details on trading volumes, BOJ actions, or specific drivers. This uptick in short-term yields is relevant for global rates-sensitive markets, as changes in Japanese yields can affect currency flows, cross-border capital allocation, and risk asset pricing.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), an Ethereum-based DeFi lending protocol, has accelerated through its presale and reported roughly a 250% price rise from early stages to the current Phase 6. The token is trading around $0.035 with a 4 billion maximum supply; about 45.5% (≈1.82 billion) is allocated to early distribution. The issuer reports more than $19 million raised and over 18,000–18,500 holders. Mutuum offers two markets: P2C distribution pools that issue mtTokens to depositors (which accrue value from borrower interest) and P2P loans where borrowers select fixed or variable rates with strict LTV limits and automatic liquidations. Tokenomics use phased price increases (about +20% per phase) and shrinking available supply per stage — dynamics the project says create urgency. Security measures cited include a CertiK report, an ongoing Halborn assessment and a $50,000 bug bounty. The roadmap highlights a protocol-backed stablecoin and oracle integration, with a target V1 rollout in Q1 2026. Observers note rising whale activity and constrained supply late in the presale — near-term catalysts traders monitor. Risk disclaimers stress this information stems from issuer releases and that due diligence is required.

Bitcoin faces heightened sell pressure and negative spot ETF flows, pushing price toward on‑chain fair value. On‑chain metrics (realized cap, coin days destroyed, liquid supply) show BTC moved from overvalued territory into fair value; short‑term holder pressure sits near equilibrium — a rare state indicating uncertainty about the next trend. Options expiry creates short‑term volatility: liquidation heatmaps identify key liquidity clusters at roughly $83.5k, $84k, $90k–$92.7k and $94.7k. Technical structure on the daily chart is bearish, making a dip toward the $82k–$84k pocket likely before a bounce to the $94k–$97.2k area, which the article flags as a selling opportunity given the prior swing from ~$107k to ~$80.6k. Breakout to a sustained bullish bias would require reclaiming levels above about $101.7k–$107.5k. Traders should expect sideways action with short‑term volatility around the options expiry and position accordingly.

A critical vulnerability in the Trust Wallet Chrome browser extension version 2.68 was exploited, resulting in roughly $6 million in unauthorized withdrawals, according to blockchain investigator ZachXBT. Trust Wallet has confirmed the exploit affected only the 2.68 browser extension; mobile apps and other extension versions were not impacted. The team advised users running v2.68 to disable the extension immediately and update to v2.69, monitor and document transactions, and follow official channels for guidance while it investigates the technical root cause. Recommended precautions for traders include upgrading the extension, shifting large holdings to hardware wallets, never exposing private keys or recovery phrases, and closely monitoring wallets for suspicious activity. The incident highlights persistent wallet-extension security risks in DeFi and reinforces the need for timely software updates and stronger custody practices. Primary keywords: Trust Wallet, wallet extension exploit, browser extension vulnerability. Secondary/semantic keywords: crypto security, DeFi custody, hardware wallet, software update.

Spot silver rose above $74 per ounce, gaining nearly 3% intraday and pushing year-to-date (YTD) gains to more than $45. The gold–silver ratio fell about 1.2% on the session and has declined over 32% YTD, reaching its lowest level since February 2014. Market commentary notes that this compression in the gold–silver ratio may reflect shifting risk sentiment and could influence liquidity flows and hedging behavior across crypto markets, as investors reassess allocations between traditional safe-havens and yield-sensitive assets. Traders are advised to maintain disciplined risk management and monitor macro-linked signals tying precious metals moves to potential shifts in cryptocurrency volatility and capital allocation.

COINOTAG, citing Cointelegraph, reports that Strategy CEO Phong Le says Bitcoin’s 2025 outlook remains robust despite year‑end price volatility and muted sentiment. Le emphasizes sustainable fundamentals over short‑term swings and highlights ongoing engagement between traditional banks and regulators in the United States and the UAE to understand crypto dynamics and align regulatory and technology roadmaps. He plans to meet Michael Saylor to deepen institutional dialogue and assess how legacy lenders are adapting to cryptocurrency developments. The report frames government and bank engagement as supportive for Bitcoin’s long‑term narrative amid short‑term uncertainty.

MicroStrategy CEO Phong Le urged investors to stop fixating on Bitcoin’s daily price swings and adopt a long-term, fundamentals-driven approach. Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast, Le said short-term volatility is “unpredictable” and recommended a “systematic and mathematical” investment method that assesses Bitcoin by its structural properties over years. He pointed to two major bullish drivers: warming U.S. government sentiment toward BTC and growing institutional adoption as banks and asset managers begin offering Bitcoin products. For traders, Le recommended practical steps: dollar-cost averaging (DCA), secure custody (hardware wallets and exchange security features), and continuous education on Bitcoin’s core fundamentals (scarcity, decentralization, network growth). He warned that psychological pressures — FUD during downturns and FOMO in rallies — remain the main challenges to a buy-and-hold strategy. The message reinforces a long-term bullish thesis for Bitcoin as regulatory clarity and institutional flows strengthen its case, while short-term price action remains noisy and hard to time. Keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, long-term value, institutional adoption, DCA.

China’s Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX) will impose limits on new daily openings and raise minimum opening sizes for select platinum and palladium futures (PT2606, PT2608, PT2610, PT2612 and PD2606, PD2608, PD2610, PD2612), effective December 29, 2025. The measures — a cap on daily new openings for non‑futures firms (300 lots) and an increase of minimum opening size from one lot to two — respond to extreme price volatility and persistent onshore premiums versus London and COMEX. Platinum rallied to about $2,377.50 before retreating to ~$2,220 (roughly +145% YTD) and palladium reached three‑year highs near $1,684 (~+85% YTD). The move follows chaotic silver trading in China (Shanghai silver briefly near $80/oz; global spot ~ $72/oz) and stress in China’s UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund, which hit its 10% daily loss limit after earlier huge gains amid delivery shortages. For traders: expect elevated volatility around Dec 29, potential liquidity squeezes in onshore metals markets, wider Shanghai–COMEX spreads, and knock‑on effects for commodity‑linked derivatives and crypto products that track metals or use them as collateral. Monitor GFEX notices for exact position caps and settlement/delivery rules, watch onshore vs international price dislocations, and adjust short‑term risk management, leverage and position sizing accordingly.

Tokyo’s consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 2.3% year-on-year, cooling more than expected as food and energy prices eased but remaining above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. The data reduces immediate inflation pressure while keeping policy tightening prospects alive; markets expect the BoJ to remain cautious and likely persist with rate hikes. For crypto markets, the report highlights potential impacts via yen liquidity, funding costs and cross-asset rotations: a still-elevated inflation rate supports demand for Bitcoin and other digital assets as hedges against fiat weakness, yet global liquidity and investor risk appetite will drive volatility. Key figures: Tokyo CPI ex-fresh food +2.3% YoY; BoJ 2% inflation target. Traders should watch yen funding conditions, cross-asset flows, and regulatory signals, as these will influence short-term crypto volatility and longer-term risk premia.

The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index dropped to 16 (from 17), indicating a market strongly led by Bitcoin where most top-100 altcoins have underperformed BTC over the past 90 days. The index excludes stablecoins and wrapped tokens; readings above 75 denote an altcoin season. Analysts attribute the low reading to risk-off investor sentiment, rising Bitcoin dominance, and inflows favoring Bitcoin liquidity (including institutional ETF interest). For traders, the index’s low level suggests reducing overexposure to high-risk altcoins, dollar-cost averaging into high-quality projects if holding for the long term, and avoiding chase-buying short-term altcoin pumps. The metric is a 90-day, lagging indicator that confirms trends rather than predicting immediate reversals; watch for sustained index increases (above ~50–75), periods of Bitcoin consolidation, or improved market risk appetite as early signals of renewed altcoin strength. Recommended actions: rebalance allocations toward BTC if overweight in altcoins, perform selective fundamental research on resilient alt projects, set alerts on the index, and use it alongside other on-chain and sentiment indicators when timing trades.

South Korea’s Korea Exchange (KRX) will form a working group to study extending daily trading hours to 12 hours by adding pre-market and post-market sessions. Proposed windows would extend trading from the current 09:00–15:30 main session (with an existing post-market 15:40–18:00) to either 07:00–19:00 or 08:00–20:00. The review aims to evaluate market structure changes, operational readiness and potential impacts on liquidity and investor access. No final decision or implementation timeline has been announced. Key topics likely to be assessed include trading-hour alignment with international markets, effects on volatility and liquidity, and infrastructure readiness for longer sessions.

Spot silver surged above $74 per ounce for the first time, extending a daily gain of about 3%. The metal has climbed more than $45 year-to-date, reflecting strong bullish momentum in the physical silver market. The move was reported by PANews and framed as market information rather than investment advice. No specific drivers, trade volumes, or institutional participants were cited in the report. Key SEO keywords: spot silver, silver price, $74/oz, precious metals, market momentum.

2025 reshaped the Philippine crypto landscape, shifting focus from speculation to regulation, privacy and government adoption. Key events: SEC introduced and refined the CASP rules (₱100M paid-up capital; CASP enforcement from July 5), BSP-backed NTC blocking of 50 unlicensed VASPs (Dec 23) that rendered global platforms like Coinbase and Gemini inaccessible for many ISPs, and the National Privacy Commission’s cease-and-desist against Tools for Humanity/Worldcoin over paid iris scans. Other notable developments: DBM minted SARO NFTs with Bayanichain (government on-chain experiments); Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte filed a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill proposing acquisition of 2,000 BTC yearly; Pi Network moved to Open Network with community merchant events; Bybit/Bitget briefly integrated with QR Ph before SEC flags; high-profile money-laundering/kidnapping case (Anson Que) traced funds into crypto and frozen with help from Binance and Chainalysis; Senate passed the CADENA Act pending harmonization with the House. Impacts for traders: reduced access to some global venues, higher compliance costs for local VASPs, increased on-chain government transparency initiatives, and stronger enforcement against unlicensed services. Primary keywords: Philippines crypto, CASP rules, VASP block, Worldcoin, CADENA Act. Secondary keywords: BSP, SEC, NPC, SARO NFT, Bitcoin reserve, QR Ph integration, money laundering.

Strategy (MicroStrategy) CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin market fundamentals “couldn’t be better” for 2025 on the Coin Stories podcast, arguing long-term drivers outweigh recent price weakness. Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $125,100 on Oct. 5 before sliding almost 30% to around $87k at publication. Sentiment measures show “Extreme Fear” (Crypto Fear & Greed Index). Le advised traders to be methodical on short-term moves, citing metrics such as micro NAV (mNAV) and Strategy’s Bitcoin and USD treasuries. Strategy’s mNAV has fallen below 1 to 0.93; the company holds 671,268 BTC (~$58.6B). Le emphasized rising institutional and government support — meetings with banks in the US and UAE and growing engagement from US policy and banking sectors — which he views as bullish for 2025–2026. The interview referenced Michael Saylor’s involvement and noted expectations around a potential US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, though no formal plan has been confirmed.

Ethereum trades near a key resistance level at around $3,050 amid continued on-chain accumulation by large holders and dominant stablecoin settlement volumes. On-chain metrics show whales holding near their realized cost basis, with little profit-taking so far. Stablecoin transfers on Ethereum reportedly process roughly $90–100 billion daily, reinforcing the network’s role as primary settlement infrastructure. Price action has compressed under a multi-month trendline, forming higher lows and reducing volatility — a technical setup that raises the odds of a significant breakout once selling pressure remains absorbed. Short-term signals include reclaiming the $3,000 level with rising volume and controlled reactions on repeated tests of resistance. Traders should monitor volume, whale net flows and stablecoin settlement data to gauge breakout conviction and potential directional bias.

Bitcoin whale transfers and continued spot ETF outflows raised short-term caution on December 25. Onchain Lens reported BlackRock deposited 2,292 BTC (~$199.8M) to Coinbase while an eight‑year dormant wallet moved 400 BTC (~$34.9M) to OKX — roughly $234M of BTC headed to exchanges. SoSoValue recorded five straight days of net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, signaling weakening institutional demand amid price consolidation around $87,700. Exchange metrics show BTC price slipped ~0.35% and open interest fell ~0.99% to $57.42B, indicating modest deleveraging. CoinGlass flagged leverage clusters with approximately $646M of longs concentrated near $85,966 and $422M of shorts near $88,636, creating localized squeeze risk. Key technical levels: $86,000 support and $93,500 resistance; a daily close below $86,000 could trigger deeper corrections, while a decisive breakout above $93,500 would favor further upside. Traders should monitor exchange inflows (notably BlackRock and dormant-wallet deposits), ETF flow reports, open interest shifts and leverage concentrations for potential short-term volatility and directional cues.

A large bearish trader on Hyperliquid has opened a roughly $31 million short position in Bitcoin (entry ~$87,718.80) and an additional ~ $100,000 short in AAVE (entry ~$150), according to monitoring by HyperInsight and reported by COINOTAG. The disclosures reflect concentrated short exposure on a liquidity venue, highlighting how sizeable traders (whales) can influence near-term price discovery for BTC and related tokens. COINOTAG cautions that these figures are data points within ongoing liquidity dynamics and not predictions; traders should watch updates from Hyperliquid and HyperInsight for confirmation. Key details: BTC short ≈ $31M, entry ≈ $87,718.80; AAVE short ≈ $100K, entry ≈ $150. Primary keywords: Bitcoin short, BTC short, AAVE short, whale, Hyperliquid, HyperInsight.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has dropped into the ’extreme fear’ zone, reading around 20–23 on Alternative.me’s 0–100 scale. The index aggregates six inputs — volatility, market momentum/volume, social media sentiment, surveys, Bitcoin dominance and Google Trends — and is updated daily. Such low readings are commonly treated as contrarian signals: historically they have sometimes preceded recoveries, while extreme greed has signalled market tops. For traders, the index should be used as context rather than a standalone trigger. Recommended actions include avoiding impulse trades, reassessing portfolio allocations to reduce overexposure, conducting due diligence on projects, and using dollar-cost averaging (DCA) to accumulate gradually. The article stresses combining the index with technical and fundamental analysis because negative sentiment can persist and lead to continued downside. Heavy influence from Bitcoin metrics means Bitcoin’s price action will materially affect the index and broader market sentiment.

A record $23.347 billion of Bitcoin options is set to expire today on Deribit, eclipsing last year’s $14.3 billion peak and marking the largest single expiry in BTC options history. Concurrently, about $3.7 billion in Ethereum options will also expire. Key metrics show a put/call ratio of 0.35 for BTC, signaling a strong call (bullish) skew, and a max pain price around $95,000 — well above current spot levels. The large call concentration suggests bullish positioning, but market maker hedging and the high max pain level could create selling pressure or price attraction dynamics as contracts are settled or rolled. Traders should monitor liquidity and volume spikes near the ~08:00 UTC expiry, watch ETF flows and macro indicators for context, and employ strict risk management (stop-losses, position sizing). Short-term impact likely includes elevated volatility as large derivatives positions are unwound or adjusted; long-term implications reflect the growing scale and institutionalization of crypto derivatives markets.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs registered roughly $826 million in net outflows across the five trading days ending Dec. 24, 2025, with about $175 million withdrawn on Christmas Eve, according to Farside Investors. Flows were negative on every trading day since Dec. 15 except Dec. 17, which saw a $457 million inflow. Traders and analysts attribute the selling to routine year‑end activity — notably tax‑loss harvesting — and a large quarterly options expiry that temporarily reduced risk appetite. Outflows concentrated during US trading hours; the Coinbase premium traded below zero for much of December, indicating weaker US demand while Asian venues absorbed buying. On‑chain metrics show long‑term holders are not aggressively exiting and realized gains point to moderate profit‑taking rather than wholesale liquidation. The 30‑day moving average of US spot ETF net flows for both Bitcoin and Ethereum has been negative since early November, implying liquidity is largely inactive rather than structurally broken. Market participants expect choppy price action near term while US buyers remain sidelined; if post‑holiday flows move back toward neutral or positive, Bitcoin could stabilise and resume upward moves without needing outsized new demand. This summary is for informational purposes and not investment advice.

Grayscale published a report outlining 10 investment themes it expects will drive upside across six crypto sectors. The themes span macro and sector-specific trends—such as tokenization, on-chain identity, AI-native infrastructure, layer-2 scaling, decentralized finance primitives, gaming and NFTs, interoperability, regulatory clarity, stablecoin expansion, and tooling/infra for developers—that Grayscale believes will unlock value across tokens and projects. The firm ties these themes to six sectors (infrastructure, decentralised finance, data & identity, tokenization & asset services, payments & stablecoins, and consumer apps including gaming/NFTs) and highlights specific catalysts that could accelerate adoption. The report is positioned as a thematic map for investors and traders, suggesting where capital allocation may follow as adoption and utility increase. No concrete price forecasts were provided; the publication serves as a framework for thematic allocation rather than trading advice.

The gold–silver ratio fell 1.2% to 61.60, marking its lowest level since February 2014 and a decline of over 32% year-to-date. Silver surged, with spot silver gapping up above $73/oz to a record high near $73.7/oz. Spot gold climbed back above $4,500/oz, rising about 0.5% on the day. The move reflects strong relative strength in silver versus gold, driven by buyer demand for silver and safe-haven interest in gold. This market update is informational and not investment advice.

Market activity is muted over the holidays, but the article highlights differing technical outlooks for Shiba Inu (SHIB), XRP and Bitcoin (BTC). SHIB has been in a persistent downtrend with momentum indicators deeply oversold. Recent price action shows sideways chopping near local lows with low volume — a sign of seller exhaustion rather than an immediate bull reversal. SHIB remains below key moving averages and needs a convincing move above short- or mid-term averages with rising volume to confirm recovery. XRP is transitioning from distribution to stabilization: price compression near support, muted RSI and quieter volume suggest accumulation and a potential bottom-forming process. If XRP reclaims short-term moving averages, it could accelerate a recovery due to reduced overhead resistance. Bitcoin’s price has stabilized but volume has steadily contracted during consolidation. The divergence between price stability and falling volume signals weak conviction; in holiday conditions this may be temporary, but low participation makes BTC vulnerable to sharp moves if selling resumes. Traders should treat SHIB as higher-risk for further downside unless confirmed by volume-backed recovery, view XRP as improving risk-reward if averages are retaken, and consider BTC’s current stability fragile until volume returns. Primary keywords: Shiba Inu, SHIB, XRP, Bitcoin, BTC, trading volume, moving averages, oversold, accumulation.

Philippine internet service providers began blocking access to Coinbase and Gemini on December 24, 2025, following a National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) directive requested by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The action targets about 50 unlicensed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) deemed non-compliant with BSP Circular No. 1206. Direct access to major international exchanges is restricted for local users, affecting trading of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). The BSP says the move aims to protect consumers from unregulated platforms and enforce registration; BSP data cited in the report indicates over 90% of the targeted entities lacked required VASP registration. Local, BSP-licensed exchanges (for example XTexchange) are cited as alternatives and are seeing increased user interest. The directive follows prior regulatory measures in the region, such as 2024 restrictions on Binance, and signals continued enforcement pressure requiring global platforms to secure local licensing to retain market access. Traders should expect potential short-term liquidity shifts to licensed local venues, possible routing through VPNs for access, and modest disruption to fiat on-ramps and cross-border flows until compliance or licensing changes occur.