Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Coinbase Institutional’s global head of investment research, David Duong, says clearer global regulatory frameworks were the main driver behind an “extraordinary” 2025 for crypto, despite muted price action. Coinbase’s 2026 Crypto Market Outlook highlights accelerating institutional adoption, a broader investor base, deeper integration of tokenization, and expanded use of dollar-backed stablecoins in payment and delivery‑vs‑payment (DvP) structures. The report expects stablecoins and tokenized collateral to move further into core financial workflows in 2026 as banks and corporates build on-chain infrastructure. Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad warned U.S. policy risks—including potential bans on interest or rewards for U.S. stablecoins—could undermine U.S. competitiveness versus China, which will allow banks to pay interest on digital yuan from Jan 1, 2026. Coinbase supports the GENIUS Act as a path to make regulated, dollar-backed stablecoins primary digital payment tools, but banking opposition to rewards may slow adoption. Key themes for traders: growing institutional demand, increased stablecoin use in payments and settlement, regulatory developments (GENIUS Act, U.S. stablecoin rules, China digital yuan interest), and potential geopolitical competition shaping market flows.

Representative Warren Davidson warns that current and proposed U.S. crypto regulations are undermining decentralization and stifling innovation. He argues laws like the GENIUS Act for stablecoins prioritize bank-centric, account-based models that favor insured depository institutions as issuers, marginalizing non-bank and non-custodial protocols and weakening self-custody protections. Davidson says this account-based approach treats token ownership like traditional bank accounts rather than cryptographic, token-based ownership, increasing barriers for decentralized projects and potentially forcing capital and talent overseas. The CLARITY for Market Structure Act may help by clarifying securities vs. commodities and acknowledging self-custody, but Davidson is skeptical it will fully reverse an entrenched account-based regulatory philosophy. Experts note the difficulty of crafting rules that protect consumers without imposing central points of control. Data cited include a 35% year-over-year drop in venture capital for U.S. crypto startups in 2024 and accelerating investment into jurisdictions with clearer frameworks (Singapore, EU under MiCA, UAE). The debate centers on balancing consumer protection and financial stability with preserving permissionless innovation; the outcome will shape where crypto innovation and investment locate in the coming years.

Grayscale’s “Crypto Sectors Quarterly: A Preference for Privacy” (Dec 29, 2025) reports a sector rotation in Q4 2025 from large-cap risk-on assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) toward privacy-focused currencies. After strong momentum in Q3, overall crypto momentum cooled and most sectors finished Q4 negative, but the Currencies sector outperformed driven by privacy tokens. Top performers included ZEC, XMR, DASH, DCR, BDX and BAT. Grayscale attributes gains to rising on-chain activity for shielded/private transactions (notably ZEC and XMR), increased private payments and daily transactions (Dash), governance with privacy enhancements (Decred), growth in privacy services (Beldex), and ecosystem adoption (BAT via Brave’s 100M monthly users). The report frames privacy tokens as defensive allocations during heightened volatility and highlights narrative-driven flows and on-chain usage as key drivers. Grayscale also flags two medium-term thematic catalysts for 2026: a likely U.S. bipartisan market-structure bill to clarify registration, disclosure and classification for crypto (which could change institutional reporting and encourage regulated blockchain transactions), and long-term concerns about quantum-computing risks to current cryptography — viewed as distant but notable. For traders: monitor privacy-token flows and on-chain metrics, watch for momentum and narrative-driven volume spikes, and assess regulatory risk to privacy features, which could materially affect volatility and liquidity going into 2026.

US Senate Banking Committee members are expected to hold a markup on a digital asset market structure bill (Responsible Financial Innovation Act) in the second week of January 2026. The move follows delays caused by Democratic concerns over decentralized finance and the extended US government shutdown. The Senate Agriculture Committee is also working on its version of the bill. The legislation aims to clarify regulatory oversight of digital assets—potentially expanding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) authority and promoting coordination between the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The House passed a related bill in July (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, CLARITY). Uncertainty remains about Senate passage, with political factors such as the 2026 midterm campaign and the announced retirement of bill supporter Senator Cynthia Lummis (R‑WY) potentially affecting momentum. Key names: Senator Cynthia Lummis; Republican Senator Thom Tillis; Cody Carbone (Digital Chamber). Primary keywords: digital asset market structure, CFTC, SEC, market structure bill. Secondary/semantic keywords: Responsible Financial Innovation Act, CLARITY, decentralized finance, Senate markup, regulation.

A Whale Alert notification flagged a 348,000,000 USDC transfer (≈$348M) on Ethereum from a wallet labeled “Coinbase Institutional” to a primary “Coinbase” hot wallet. The on-chain move appears to be an intra-exchange transfer for treasury or liquidity management — shifting institutional custody funds to a hot wallet to facilitate trading, withdrawals or OTC operations. The later report clarifies the flow was internal rather than an external outflow, so USDC supply didn’t change and immediate market impact was negligible. Analysts caution single internal transfers are poor standalone signals; pattern analysis (repeated inflows to exchange hot wallets or sustained withdrawals to cold storage) is more informative. Traders should monitor follow-on actions — rapid conversion into other assets, large OTC executions, or inactivity — to determine whether the funds will create sell pressure or simply provide a liquidity buffer. Keywords: USDC transfer, Coinbase, stablecoin flows, liquidity management, Whale Alert.

Franklin Templeton’s head of digital assets, Roger Bayston, described XRP as a “foundational building block for cross‑border transaction efficiency,” signalling growing institutional endorsement. Since the launch of spot XRP ETFs in mid‑October, XRP vehicles have drawn $1.07 billion in inflows; Franklin Templeton’s XRP fund recorded $28.6 million in weekly volume. The inflows coincide with outflows from Bitcoin, suggesting some institutional rotation into regulated XRP ETFs. Technically, XRP trades near $1.83, under key resistance at $3.00–$3.05 and below a descending trendline. A decisive weekly close above $3 would confirm a trendline breakout and could open a path toward the July high near $3.50. Weekly RSI sits in the low‑to‑mid 40s, consistent with a corrective consolidation rather than a deep retracement, provided support around $1.50 holds. The article also notes partnerships — including Franklin Templeton, DBS and Ripple — that tokenized money market funds on the XRP Ledger, reinforcing on‑chain utility. Traders should watch ETF inflows, weekly closes around $3, and the $1.50 support; a sustained inflow trend and weekly breakout would be bullish, while failure to hold mid‑$1.50s could trigger deeper pullbacks.

Bitwise has filed with the U.S. SEC to launch 11 spot altcoin ETFs targeting AAVE, ZEC, UNI, HYPE, SUI, STRK, NEAR, TAO, ENA, CC and TRX. Each fund proposes roughly 60% exposure via direct token holdings and 40% via derivatives and other ETPs to improve liquidity and manage risk. The filings follow momentum from 2025 U.S. approvals for spot ETFs on SOL, XRP, HBAR, LTC, LINK and DOGE, which drew substantial institutional inflows (e.g., XRP ~$1.16B, SOL ~$763M) but produced mixed price responses. Analysts warn the altcoin-ETF space may become crowded and face a shakeout despite continued institutional interest. Traders should monitor SEC processing timelines, fund prospectuses for fees and rebalancing rules, and daily flow and secondary-market activity — these will likely drive short-term liquidity and volatility in the listed tokens, while meaningful sustained price appreciation will depend on broader market sentiment and continued institutional demand.

Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy’s executive chairman, says corporate Bitcoin treasury firms may shift from speculative accumulation to issuing simple digital credit products backed by BTC. In a Dec. 20 interview with CoinDesk, Saylor described these instruments as liability‑tied, over‑collateralized credit offerings that deliver dividend‑like returns above risk‑free rates while avoiding short‑term trading. He forecasts this operational credit model could become mainstream by 2026, provided issuers maintain transparent collateral audits, predictable repayment protocols, and consistent operations. The article cites data points: corporate BTC holdings exceeded 1 million BTC in 2024 (Chainalysis), MicroStrategy holds over 250,000 BTC (late 2024), and industry surveys (Deloitte/PwC/Fidelity) showing strong institutional interest. Key takeaways for traders: the move would reposition BTC as balance‑sheet capital rather than just a speculative asset, potentially creating yield products that reduce firms’ spot‑price exposure and attract institutional capital. Regulatory, liquidity and execution risks remain primary hurdles.

An alleged hack of a Binance market-maker account triggered extreme volatility in the BROCCOLI714-USDT pair. Attackers reportedly used nearly $20 million from the compromised account to execute rapid buy orders into a low-liquidity altcoin market, driving a spike of over 1,141% before retracing—current gains remained above ~777% at the time of reporting. Traders who sold near the peak realized substantial profits; earlier low-entry holders saw outsized returns. The episode highlights exchange counterparty risk, thin liquidity dangers, and the potential for rapid pump-and-crash moves in obscure pairs. Primary keywords: Binance hack, BROCCOLI714, market-maker compromise. Secondary/semantic keywords: low liquidity, pump-and-dump, altcoin volatility, exchange security. Traders should be cautious entering illiquid pairs, monitor on-chain flows and exchange order books, and consider tighter risk controls for small-cap listings.

Bitcoin (BTC) traded sideways in the $85k–$90k band, holding around $88.3k amid year‑end thin liquidity and muted regional equity moves. Since the October crash, BTC’s price has shown compressed volatility with sharp rallies followed by full retracements; downward momentum stalled near $84.5k support in December while repeated rejections capped moves toward the $90k resistance. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded seven consecutive days of outflows (Dec 18–29), signalling weak demand. Realized volatility has risen substantially since October — approaching levels seen in March–April — suggesting elevated short‑term risk. Analysts expect continued rangebound action and liquidation magnets until a decisive breach of ~$94.5k (bull trigger) or ~$85k (bear trigger) on meaningful volume. Key takeaways for traders: manage risk due to higher realized volatility, watch ETF flows and volume for conviction, and monitor $94.5k/$85k as critical breakout/breakdown levels.

Plasma’s native token XPL underperformed through 2025, falling from its launch-era all-time high to a December low of $0.1145 amid weak market sentiment. Analysts including Altcoin Sherpa and pseudonymous Columbus have flagged recent strength and a short-term recovery, arguing that improved market conditions in 2026 could trigger a significant rally. Key technical levels to watch: support near $0.1497 (must hold to avoid deeper drops), immediate resistance at $0.1783 (retested multiple times), and a decisive reversal level at $0.2285. Traders are cautioned that $0.1783 has been a common short-entry point and that a reclaim of $0.2285 would signal a clearer bottom reversal. Bitcoin’s price remaining below $88,000 and year-end volatility could amplify XPL moves. The article notes XPL’s role in stablecoin payment infrastructure but includes a disclaimer that this is not investment advice.

A crypto researcher (SMQKE) highlighted documented evidence showing blockchain-based settlement was tested within established banking operations, including letters of credit and interbank settlements on a public network. The material contrasts blockchain rails with SWIFT, citing SWIFT’s costs, intermediary reliance, and geopolitical disconnection risks. It references Ripple’s integration model that connects existing banking systems rather than replacing them and notes Ripple’s design choices (no mining, low energy use, fixed supply) as aligned with institutional priorities. The documents describe XRP’s direct role in settlement flows and a mechanism that burns a small amount of XRP per transaction, linking usage to gradual supply reduction. SMQKE argues this demonstrates ongoing transactional demand from institutional payment activity rather than short-term trading interest, supporting a long-term utility-driven valuation case for XRP. The article frames these findings as informational and not financial advice.

Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index closed 2025 up 29%, logging 63 all‑time highs — the index’s second‑best annual performance since 2000. The late‑year rally followed a turbulent spring marked by heavy U.S. tariffs and political tension; easing tariffs and a leadership change (Mark Carney becoming prime minister) helped calm markets. From an April low the TSX rose more than 40%, driven primarily by miners, financials and technology. The materials subindex doubled on gains in gold, silver, copper and palladium; precious metals hit fresh records as traders sought safe havens. The financials sector jumped about 40%, helped by better‑than‑expected earnings from Canada’s big banks, lower interest rates and improved loan books. The Fed cut rates three times in 2025 (with further cuts expected), which boosted non‑income assets and supported the rally. Concerns remain: stretched bank valuations (P/E around 15 versus 9.7 in 2022), weak oil fundamentals despite energy stock gains, and geopolitical and tariff risks that could re‑emerge. Analysts say the TSX may still attract global capital in 2026 but warn against extrapolating 2025’s gains without caution.

Crypto hacks in 2025 reached a record $2.72 billion in losses, TRM Labs reports, driven by highly coordinated attacks against exchanges and DeFi. The largest incident was the February Bybit exploit — estimated at $1.4–$1.5 billion — in which North Korean-linked actors stole Ethereum and related tokens from multi-signature cold wallets after compromising a Safe developer’s laptop. Other major incidents included a Coinbase data breach (no funds taken; remediation costs up to $400 million), the Cetus Protocol smart-contract exploit on Sui (≈$223M lost, $162M recovered), a $90M hack of Iran’s Nobitex, a $70M drain of UPCX DeFi via a compromised private key, a $50M attack on BtcTurk, and a $36M Solana hot-wallet theft at Upbit. TRM attributes the surge to faster, better-coordinated attack chains and expanded North Korean IT schemes. Key trader takeaways: reinforce custody and developer-device security, expect heightened regulatory and compliance scrutiny, watch liquidity and exchange withdrawal suspensions after big breaches, and monitor sell pressure from stolen-token movements. Primary keywords: crypto hacks, Bybit hack, Ethereum exploit, DeFi security, exchange breaches. Secondary keywords: TRM Labs, Safe multi-sig, Coinbase breach, Cetus Protocol, North Korean hackers.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) upgraded Bitcoin miner TeraWulf (WULF) from "market perform" to "outperform" and raised the price target to $24 from $9.50, arguing the market underestimates the company’s pivot from pure BTC mining toward high‑performance computing (HPC) and AI infrastructure leasing. KBW cites a visible 646 MW HPC leasing pipeline through 2027 and recent large deals — including a reported $3.2 billion New York data‑center expansion and three lease agreements with AI provider Fluidstack with combined commitments cited around $6.7 billion — as evidence of scale. The bank projects leases could drive a roughly +505% EBITDA CAGR for 2025–2027 and expect HPC leasing to account for about two‑thirds or more of revenue in 2026, becoming the main contributor to profit by 2027. KBW also highlights lower execution risk owing to secured financing, an established delivery record and supportive debt markets, saying recent share weakness largely reflects sector‑wide selling rather than company fundamentals. At the time of the report TeraWulf traded near $11.46 (up ~2.8% intraday); BTC price context was roughly $87.6k. Key keywords: TeraWulf, WULF, AI leasing, HPC leasing, Bitcoin mining, EBITDA CAGR, price target $24.

Long-term Bitcoin holders paused a months-long selling trend and briefly shifted to net buys, coinciding with renewed institutional flows and corporate treasury accumulation. CryptoQuant data showed long-term holders moved from distributing ~674,000 BTC (≈$59.8bn historically) to net buying 10,700 BTC in a single day. Exchange netflows recorded over $4 billion in BTC outflows through December, suggesting accumulation by short-term and retail buyers. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs reversed recent outflows with $335 million of inflows—the third-largest daily inflow since October—after previously seeing $1.12 billion withdrawn between Dec 17–29, per CoinGlass. Corporate treasuries hold roughly $152.4 billion in BTC (~1.175 million coins), with MicroStrategy alone holding about $59.7 billion and adding an estimated $22 billion in 2025. Bitcoin trades range-bound near $85,000–$90,000 after a 32% decline from its $126,000 all-time high; the Fear & Greed Index sits at 32, indicating prevailing caution. Key implications for traders: reduced sell-side pressure from long-term holders and renewed ETF inflows may act as a support floor and lower downside risk in the near term, while sustained institutional and treasury demand can underpin longer-term accumulation. Monitor on-chain netflows, ETF daily flows, and exchange reserves for confirmation of trend continuation or a return to distribution.

2025 delivered a turbulent year for crypto marked by regulatory change, record highs and painful crashes. Key events: XRP hit a new all-time high on July 17 after the SEC and Ripple officially settled litigation in August (Ripple agreed to pay $125M), but XRP still finished the year lower. Bitcoin reached a cycle peak of $126,080 in October before a 35% plunge and remained ~30% below that peak by year-end. A single-day deleveraging on October 10 wiped out roughly $19 billion of leverage, driven by a sudden geopolitical shock. The U.S. saw major regulatory shifts: SEC Chair Gary Gensler resigned (Jan 20), Congress passed the GENIUS Act (stablecoin framework, July 18), and the administration created a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (EO March 6). Market infrastructure moves included the first U.S. listing of Circle (CRCL on NYSE, Sept 18), approval of spot-based altcoin ETFs (including XRP and DOGE, November), and the Ethereum Pectra hard fork (April 16) raising validator staking caps. Major security incidents and liquidations included the Bybit hack (~$1.4–1.5B drained on Feb 21) and FTX beginning repayments (~$1.2B distributed in Feb). Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) received a presidential pardon on Oct 23, expunging his felony conviction. Institutional accumulation persisted: Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) surpassed 500,000 BTC holdings. Overall, 2025 combined regulatory clarity and institutional adoption with acute market volatility—important drivers for traders: watch ETF flows, regulatory signals, macro shocks that can trigger rapid deleveraging, and on-chain/hack risks.

Ethereum (ETH) is approaching a key resistance zone near $4,800, with some analysts projecting a potential extension toward $8,500 if that level is cleared. ETH traded around $2,970 at publication, up about 2% over the past week. Technical setups include a daily descending channel—where a decisive daily close above the channel could target $5,000—and a weekly inverse head-and-shoulders pattern whose neckline lies near $4,800. Short-term support sits near $2,800, while a move above $3,060 could open $3,230; a drop below $2,880 would invalidate the near-term bullish bias. On-chain data show shrinking exchange reserves (down >4 million ETH this year) and growing accumulation by addresses holding 10,000–100,000 ETH (now controlling over 21 million ETH). Short interest has dropped markedly, increasing the risk of short squeezes around $3,080–3,060. Analysts cited: Javon Marks (targeting $8,500 contingent on clearing $4,800), Clifton Fx (breakout watch to $5,000), Trader Tardigrade (inverse H&S). Key takeaways for traders: monitor price action at $4,800 (decisive breakout level) and $2,800–$3,060 (short-term support/resistance), watch for a breakout confirmation above the daily channel and neckline, and consider on-chain supply trends and reduced short interest that could amplify upward moves or fuel squeezes.

Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad warned that US regulatory delays and restrictions on stablecoins could erode American leadership in digital payments as China accelerates its digital yuan (e-CNY) program. The newly enacted GENIUS Act prohibits stablecoin issuers from directly paying interest on dollar-backed stablecoins, allowing only limited third-party incentives. Industry participants say this reduces product appeal and may push activity toward foreign or state-backed digital assets. Meanwhile, China will permit commercial banks to pay interest on e-CNY wallet balances starting January 2026 and is integrating e-CNY into savings and payment products, cross-border trials and incentives to boost adoption. Shirzad argued that these regulatory choices will shape future global settlement networks and, if unresolved, could weaken the dollar’s role in digital settlements. Key figures include Faryar Shirzad (Coinbase) and Lu Lei (People’s Bank of China). For traders: expect heightened regulatory scrutiny in the US, potential migration of stablecoin liquidity offshore, and increased competition from an incentivized e-CNY that could shift settlement flows and institutional preferences.

Chainlink emerged in 2025 as the industry-standard oracle and cross-chain infrastructure powering widespread institutional and government adoption of on‑chain finance. Key developments include U.S. government macroeconomic data feeds sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Chainlink representation at the White House Digital Asset Summit, and multiple high‑profile partnerships. Major banks, asset managers, and market infrastructures adopted Chainlink standards: UBS executed an in‑production tokenized fund workflow using the Digital Transfer Agent (DTA) standard; Mastercard integrated Chainlink for an on‑chain crypto purchase flow; J.P. Morgan, Ondo Finance and others completed cross‑chain Delivery‑versus‑Payment transactions; and S&P Global Ratings and FTSE Russell began publishing on‑chain data via Chainlink DataLink. DeFi and tokenization projects also scaled Chainlink usage: Coinbase selected CCIP for wrapped assets (~$7B market cap), Base and Solana bridged via CCIP v1.6, Lido moved wstETH to CCIP, Aave Horizon adopted Chainlink compliance and NAV tools, and Maple Finance, Ondo, xStocks, and others used Chainlink for tokenized funds and cross‑chain transfers. Product launches expanded capabilities: Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE), Automated Compliance Engine (ACE), Confidential Compute, DataLink, Data Streams for U.S. equities/ETFs, CCIP v1.6 (non‑EVM support), Smart Value Recapture, and the Digital Transfer Agent technical standard. Economic upgrades included the Chainlink Reserve, Payment Abstraction (converting off‑chain fees to LINK), and a rewards program to incentivize ecosystem participation. For traders: Chainlink’s integrations and product releases increase demand drivers for LINK token utility—cross‑chain bridges (CCIP), DataLink feeds, CRE orchestration, and compliance tooling—while embedding Chainlink deeper into institutional workflows reduces adoption risk. The report signals broader on‑chain capital markets growth and greater reliance on Chainlink infrastructure across banking, markets, and DeFi.

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), an Alaska Native regional corporation, has acquired Coinstar — the operator of roughly 24,000 coin-exchange kiosks and cash-to-crypto services — in a private deal that triggers full repayment of Coinstar’s whole-business securitization. ASRC will repay about $750 million in principal plus accrued interest in early January, removing near-term refinancing risk tied to kiosk cash flows and clearing a major liability from Coinstar’s balance sheet. Coinstar was owned by Apollo Global Management since 2016 and expanded into cash-to-crypto via kiosks and a mobile app after the pandemic. ASRC, with diversified revenue streams across construction, petroleum and government contracts, is presented as having the capital to stabilize operations and ensure continuity of millions of cash-to-crypto transactions. For traders, the transaction reduces financing and restructuring overhang for a prominent retail crypto on-ramp, may improve confidence in crypto infrastructure providers, and lowers operational risk for kiosk-based retail demand. Primary keywords: Coinstar, ASRC, crypto kiosks, debt repayment. Secondary/semantic keywords: whole-business securitization, cash-to-crypto, Apollo Global Management, retail on-ramp, financing risk.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), an Ethereum-based non-custodial DeFi lending protocol, is in Phase 7 of its token presale at $0.04 with Phase 8 set to rise to $0.045. The project has raised $19.5 million and reports about 18,600 token holders. Mutuum offers a dual model: Peer-to-Contract (P2C) liquidity pools where depositors earn mtTokens for passive yield, and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) loans with variable or fixed rates and LTV-based liquidation protection. It plans an over-collateralized USD-pegged stablecoin on Ethereum. Security claims include a 90/100 CertiK token scan, a Halborn audit of lending/borrowing contracts, formal verification, and a $50k bug bounty; a Sepolia testnet beta is live and V1 mainnet is planned. Marketing materials compare early MUTM buys to early-stage Ethereum, suggesting large theoretical upside; traders should treat these as promotional claims. Key trader takeaways: staged presale pricing (watch phase transitions and supply sold), tokenomics (4B total supply; ~45.5% allocated to presale; ~820M sold), audit coverage and ongoing security testing, and roadmap milestones (testnet beta → V1 mainnet). Perform due diligence on token distribution, lockups, audit reports and liquidity plans before trading; potential short-term bullish momentum around presale phases may reverse on token listing and unlock schedules.

Bitcoin (BTC) entered Q1 2026 under lingering bearish pressure after a ~32% drop from its $126,000 all-time high and a 5.6% decline over the past year. Selling accelerated in October 2025 and prices stabilized in a range between $85,000–$90,000. On-chain signals show long-term holders (UTXOs >6 months) paused distribution, shifting from net selling 674,000 BTC (≈$59.8bn) to buying 10,700 BTC in a single day, suggesting reduced sell-side pressure. Exchange netflows in December showed outflows exceeded inflows, with over $4bn deployed into purchases and $294m withdrawn the week of Dec 29, indicating retail and short-term investors removing BTC from exchanges. U.S. spot BTC ETFs recorded $1.12bn of outflows Dec 17–29 but saw a $335m inflow that was the third-largest daily inflow since Oct 21, hinting institutional selling may be easing. Coinbase Premium remained negative (-0.09), signaling weaker U.S. retail demand. Corporate and digital-asset treasury firms hold roughly 1.175m BTC (~$152.4bn), with Strategy (largest corporate treasury at $59.7bn) buying ~one-third of its BTC in 2025 (~$22bn). Market sentiment remains fearful (Fear & Greed Index: 32). Overall, indicators point to early stabilization driven by reduced LTH distribution, ETF flow reversals, and corporate accumulation, but near-term bearish dominance persists; regulatory clarity and macro support may be required for a sustained recovery in Q1 2026.

Ethereum’s Total Value Locked (TVL) is rising and increasingly underpinning ETH’s long-term price stability and ecosystem expansion. Analysts note that ETH’s valuation is tracking on-chain capital concentration — including stablecoins, treasuries, real-world assets (RWAs), and on-chain asset management — which creates a more structural price floor based on utilization rather than speculation. Research cited (Milk Road, Emperor Osmo) argues that growing TVL deepens liquidity, strengthens collateral, and sustains demand for block space and security. Despite fee migration from Ethereum L1 to L2s, the network still holds dominant TVL and ecosystem value (ETH trades vs. ecosystem at roughly a 1.1x premium). At the time of reporting ETH was trading near $3,000 with 24-hour volume down ~13% while price moved up ~1%. For traders, expanding non-speculative capital inflows imply higher support levels for ETH outside bull markets and greater resistance to downside shocks; TVL growth therefore serves as a structural bullish anchor for medium- to long-term positioning.

2025 saw a wave of high‑profile crypto hacks and security breaches affecting major exchanges and platforms, including incidents linked to Bybit and Coinbase. Attack methods included hot‑wallet compromises, credential‑stuffing, private‑key leaks, oracle and smart‑contract exploits, third‑party service failures and malicious token approvals. Losses across incidents reached hundreds of millions (with some reports citing larger totals), with funds sometimes frozen, partially recovered, or laundered via mixers and DeFi protocols. Several firms issued post‑incident reports and offered reimbursements or insurance payouts. Regulators have intensified scrutiny and proposed stricter custody, KYC and third‑party risk rules. For traders: expect heightened volatility in affected tokens and correlated assets, short‑term liquidity strains on some trading pairs, and reduced confidence in impacted platforms. Recommended risk management: reduce concentrated exchange exposure, move large holdings to hardware or institutional custody, enable multi‑factor authentication, avoid password reuse, monitor chain flows and addresses linked to breaches, and prefer venues with clear insurance or reimbursement policies. Primary keywords: crypto hacks, exchange breach. Secondary/semantic keywords: hot‑wallet compromise, credential stuffing, smart‑contract exploit, funds recovery, regulatory scrutiny, market volatility.

Ripple has not pursued strategies to “pump” XRP’s price, analysts and community figures say. Community analyst Arthur argues Ripple prioritizes making XRP useful as liquidity infrastructure for cross-border payments rather than driving market sentiment or short-term valuation. Infrastructure-focused adoption, he says, typically unfolds quietly and results in sudden repricing only when real operational demand forces participants to hold and use the token. Another contributor, LadyP, echoed that meaningful price moves will follow demonstrated utility, not promotional campaigns. The article notes that this approach can frustrate retail holders who expect rapid price reactions to announcements or social media hype, but positions XRP as a long-term, usage-driven asset. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

The article highlights Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a Layer‑2 Bitcoin protocol currently in presale and promoted as a top altcoin pick for New Year’s Eve with potential to deliver 100x returns upon listing in early 2026. The presale, launched mid‑May 2025, reportedly nears $30 million raised and notably had no prior private or venture rounds, suggesting public-driven demand. HYPER is priced at $0.013505 in presale and will incrementally increase until sale end. The project allows BTC holders to lock Bitcoin on Layer‑1 and receive tokenized BTC on the Hyper network to access faster, lower‑fee transactions, smart contracts via a Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) compatibility, staking and DeFi. Over 1.35 billion HYPER tokens are locked in staking with advertised rewards up to 39% APY; no tokens will circulate before the Token Generation Event (TGE) scheduled for early 2026. Purchases accept ETH, USDT, BNB, SOL and card payments via the official site and use a smart contract for transparency. The article frames HYPER as an infrastructure-focused presale with yield features and tokenomics designed to reduce pre‑launch dumping, arguing it could outperform speculative altcoins if the broader market turns bullish in 2026. Disclaimer: this is informational and not investment advice.

A U.S. federal court in the Northern District of Texas dismissed with prejudice a class-action lawsuit alleging Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks caused investor losses by promoting crypto lender Voyager Digital. Plaintiffs claimed violations of Texas securities and consumer protection laws after Voyager’s July 2022 Chapter 11 bankruptcy froze customer assets. The judge found the plaintiffs’ claims insufficient, concluding promotional activity did not meet the legal threshold for securities liability under frameworks like the Howey Test. The ruling shields Cuban and the Mavericks from refiling the same claims and sets a notable precedent distinguishing general platform endorsements from sales of securities. Legal experts caution the decision is fact-specific and does not guarantee immunity for all promoters, especially in cases involving direct token promotion or explicit misrepresentations. Traders should note this narrows one pathway for investor litigation over promotions but does not remove regulatory or reputational risks tied to celebrity endorsements and crypto marketing.

BitMine Immersion Technologies materially expanded its Ethereum (ETH) holdings during a year‑end market lull, executing large spot purchases and significant staking transactions that raised its treasury to roughly 4.07 million ETH (~$12B). Consolidating both reports: BitMine bought sizable blocks of ETH over short windows (reported purchases of ~32,938 ETH and earlier ~64,622 ETH across different periods) and staked substantial amounts (reporting an additional ~118,944 ETH staked in one update). Company leadership (Tom/Thomas Lee) framed the accumulation as opportunistic buying amid pre‑upgrade weakness and as a cash‑generating strategy via ETH staking. Concurrent institutional flows were mixed across the reporting periods: one report noted net spot ETH ETF inflows (~$67.9M, led by Grayscale), while another highlighted ETF outflows (≈$1.4B in November) and stressed rising perpetual‑short activity among professional traders. Market context: mainnet fee pressure from L2 migration, technical indicators showing oversold conditions in some snapshots, and an 81% drop in broader institutional crypto buying over three months were cited. Implications for traders: sizeable corporate accumulation and ongoing staking by BitMine provide a structural demand floor for ETH, supporting bids during pullbacks and reinforcing medium‑to‑long‑term bullish fundamentals; however, short‑term volatility risk remains elevated due to concentrated short positions, ETF flow swings, and macro liquidity conditions. Primary keywords: BitMine, Ethereum, ETH, staking, spot ETH ETFs, ETF flows, perpetual shorts.