Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a net outflow of $681 million during the U.S. trading week of Jan. 5–9, driven by four consecutive days of redemptions that erased earlier deposits. Fidelity’s FBTC led the withdrawals with about $481 million redeemed, followed by Grayscale’s GBTC with roughly $172 million. BlackRock’s IBIT posted the largest weekly inflow among spot ETFs (+$25.86 million) and remains the dominant product with cumulative net inflows near $62.41 billion. Aggregate assets under management for Bitcoin spot ETFs stand at $116.86 billion, equal to about 6.48% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization, and cumulative net inflows into these ETFs total $56.40 billion. Ethereum spot ETFs also flipped to weekly net outflows (~$68.6 million), holding $18.70 billion (about 5.04% of Ethereum market cap). At publication BTC traded near $90.4K and ETH near $3,088. These fund-flow dynamics offer a snapshot of institutional flows and market sentiment that traders can use to assess liquidity, short-term pressure on prices, and positioning ahead of further macro or crypto-specific catalysts. This content is informational and not investment advice.

Crypto market turbulence in 2025 drove a record wave of memecoin failures. CoinGecko’s GeckoTerminal recorded about 11.6 million tokens ceasing active trading during the year, with 7.7 million failing in Q4 alone. The October 10 market crash — which triggered roughly $19 billion of liquidations — was a major catalyst. New token issuance exploded: GeckoTerminal listings rose from ~3 million at end-2024 to about 20 million by end-2025. Low-barrier launch platforms such as pump.fun on Solana lowered costs for creating memecoins and flooded markets with low-quality, speculative tokens. Despite heavy attrition, aggregate memecoin market cap and volumes showed short-term strength — market cap rose from $38bn (Dec 29) to $47.7bn (Jan 5) before easing to about $43.7bn, and trading volume briefly jumped roughly 300% — underscoring episodic speculative flow even amid high failure rates. For traders, the takeaways are clear: memecoin issuance and survivability risks have surged, increasing counterparty, rug-pull and illiquidity risks for newly launched tokens; volatility creates speculative short-term opportunities but demands stricter due diligence, deeper liquidity checks and position-sizing to manage downside risk.

Ethereum (ETH) is stabilizing above $3,000 and trading around its short-term exponential moving averages (notably the 26 EMA), which is beginning to act as dynamic support. Recent price action shows higher lows and rising volume, suggesting a controlled, sustainable recovery rather than a blow-off bounce. ETH remains below the 100- and 200-day moving averages, so a full trend reversal is not confirmed; maintaining the 26 EMA and moving toward the 50 EMA would strengthen bullish odds. XRP is displaying a short-term bullish signal as the 26 EMA crosses above the 50 EMA — a classic short-term golden cross. The asset broke a descending structure, printed a higher low near $2.00, and is consolidating above short-term support with limited sell pressure and neutral RSI, indicating continuation potential if XRP holds above the 50 EMA and absorbs nearby overhead resistance. Shiba Inu (SHIB) is in a low-volume, sideways phase after a relief move. Daily trading volume has fallen to near zero, making price moves fragile and easily moved by small orders. High exchange reserves keep supply pressure present; without renewed volume, any rally is unlikely to sustain. Low volume may precede volatility compression and then expansion — direction will depend on whether buy-side volume returns or sell-side pressure resumes. Key takeaways for traders: monitor ETH respect for the 26 EMA and approach to the 50 EMA for confirmation of a broader recovery; watch XRP’s 50 EMA as support and volume behavior to validate the short-term golden cross; treat SHIB as neutral/idle until meaningful volume and participation return. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH, XRP, Shiba Inu, SHIB, EMA, trading volume.

Bitcoin (BTC) surged above $92,000 on major exchanges, with Binance USDT perpetual futures, Coinbase and Kraken confirming the breakout. The rally is driven by sustained institutional demand, 17 consecutive weeks of net inflows into new spot Bitcoin ETFs, and declining on-exchange supply (Glassnode). Market structure shows dominant call-option buying, neutral perpetual funding rates, rising futures open interest and higher trading volume — signs of broad participation from both retail and institutions. On-chain fundamentals strengthened: record-high hash rate and increasing number of addresses holding ≥1 BTC. Year-to-date gains exceed 45%, and the price sits roughly 33% above the prior all-time high near $69,000. Analysts point to longer-term capital from pension funds and sovereign wealth allocations that may reduce volatility, but risks remain: regulatory shifts, macro tightening, whale concentration, and technical/security issues. The rally has also lifted large-cap altcoins such as ETH, SOL and AVAX. For traders, key metrics to watch are volume and order-book depth, ETF net flows, funding rates, futures open interest, exchange balances, and whether weekly closes hold above current levels; near-term technical levels include support zones around $88,000–$85,000 and psychological resistance toward $100,000.

Over a multi-day episode culminating March 25, 2025, crypto perpetual futures experienced concentrated forced liquidations dominated by short positions. Aggregated exchange data shows a smaller cluster of roughly $66 million in 24 hours to March 25 — led by BTC ($29.08M, ~78.7% shorts), ETH ($27.55M, ~68.9% shorts) and SOL ($9.97M, ~78.6% shorts) — while an earlier report (March 21) recorded a larger $294.7M liquidation day driven mainly by BTC ($186M, ~91.3% shorts), ETH ($78.3M, ~74.9% shorts) and XRP ($30.4M, ~82.0% shorts). Both accounts point to a classic short squeeze: rising prices forced highly leveraged short positions to add margin or be auto-liquidated, causing market buy pressure that amplified price moves. Contributing factors include high leverage in perpetual contracts, positive funding-rate dynamics that reward longs, concentrated short positioning, and rapid shifts in market sentiment. Despite the headline figures, these events remain smaller than past billion-dollar liquidation days and produced no reported exchange infrastructure failures. For traders: monitor funding rates, open interest and liquidation heatmaps; consider reducing leverage, tightening stops and watching for continued upside pressure or reversal signals. Primary SEO keywords: futures liquidations, short squeeze, Bitcoin liquidations, Ethereum liquidations. Secondary/semantic keywords included: funding rates, open interest, leverage, liquidation heatmap.

Monero (XMR) surged more than 20% on Jan 12 to $596.61, setting a fresh all-time high and breaking the post-2017 ceiling as a renewed interest in privacy coins gathered pace. The rally builds on momentum that began in late 2025, when privacy tokens showed relative resilience while major crypto gains slowed. On-chain activity and trading volumes increased, with liquidity and bids notably concentrated on fewer, less-regulated venues after major regulated exchanges delisted privacy coins. Market participants, including Merkle Tree Capital CIO Ryan McMillin, warned that liquidity concentration can fragment price discovery and raise volatility or manipulation risk. Supporters point to structural demand for transaction privacy amid tightening surveillance of cash and non-bank payments. The move came as Bitcoin and large caps remained rangebound, a backdrop that often channels capital into niche assets with clear narratives. Traders should watch volume confirmation, exchange flows (including OTC and P2P demand), concentrated liquidity, and regulatory headlines to judge the sustainability of the uptrend. This report is informational and not investment advice.

At Sibos Frankfurt, industry leaders from EY, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), major banks, infrastructure firms and enterprise software vendors concluded that stablecoins and programmable money have shifted from theoretical use cases to practical business payments. Key speakers included Paul Brody (EY/EEA), Naveen Mallela (J.P. Morgan), Guillaume Dechaux (ConsenSys), Adi Ben-Ari (Applied Blockchain), Rhomaios Ram (Fnality) and Bernhard Schweizer (SAP). Main points: shared programmable ledgers are being adopted inside banks to unify cash and assets, enabling new intraday liquidity tools. Interoperability between onchain and offchain systems is critical. Infrastructure providers report usability is approaching Web2 levels (eg. MetaMask and MetaMask Card), making payments seamless for end users. Real-world use cases already active include remittance-like business flows in South America, stablecoin escrow for supply chains, and wholesale settlement projects using central-bank-grade settlement rails. Barriers remain: regulatory certainty for large corporates and systemically important infrastructure is slow and costly; enterprises require stablecoins, deposit tokens and bank payments to plug into existing ERP workflows (eg. SAP) without changing processes. Implication: the industry’s focus is moving from proving onchain payments to delivering enterprise-grade privacy, regulatory compliance, predictable execution and seamless ERP integration. The near-term agenda is operationalization at scale rather than technical feasibility.

At Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025, a panel including Redwan Meslem (Enterprise Ethereum Alliance), Andrej Majcen (Bitcoin Suisse), Sabrina Wilson (GFOX) and Helen Ye (Qubit Underwriting) examined what’s needed for tokenized collateral to reach institutional scale. Panelists agreed tokenization is not just technical but systemic: usable collateral requires reliable valuation, legal enforceability, 24/7 mobilization and rapid liquidation. Custody and real-time control—summed up by “not your keys, not your coins”—are critical for enforceability under pressure. Interoperability across venues and legacy systems was highlighted as the primary unlock: token standards (eg. ERC-based frameworks) matter only if they enable capital velocity and composability across clearing, settlement and collateral workflows. Regulators need to accept token-native custodians as equivalent to banks; regulatory equivalence across jurisdictions and institution types is more important than novelty. The panel’s pragmatic outlook: tokenized collateral will complement — not immediately replace — traditional systems, delivering faster settlement, reduced counterparty risk and more efficient capital use. Adoption hinges on converging standards, regulation and infrastructure, with potential expansion of eligible assets if trust and connectivity are established.

Market analyst Michaël van de Poppe says the ETH/BTC ratio bottomed in April 2025 and is tracing a pattern similar to the 2019 cycle, signaling a potential shift toward an “Ethereum market.” He points to on‑chain fundamentals: stablecoin supply on Ethereum rose more than 65% in 2025 versus earlier levels, DeFiLlama shows stablecoins on Ethereum exceed $163.9 billion (USDT ≈52%), and Token Terminal reports roughly $8 trillion in stablecoin transfers on Ethereum in Q4 2024. Van de Poppe notes the ETH/BTC ratio fell to ~0.017 in April, rallied to ~0.043 in August, then retraced to ~0.034 after an October market pullback. Price action saw ETH briefly test ~$3,300 and cross the 365‑day moving average before sliding to about $3,100 at publication. Santiment adds that investor sentiment mirrors patterns seen before past ETH rallies. Combined, these signals — rising stablecoin liquidity on Ethereum, increasing tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs), and sustained developer activity — present a constructive outlook for ETH relative to BTC. Traders should watch the ETH/BTC ratio, stablecoin flows on Ethereum, and the 365‑day moving average for short‑term entries and manage risk around market‑wide pullbacks.

Coinbase has warned it may withdraw support for the CLARITY Act after lawmakers added a proposed ban or severe limits on stablecoin rewards—yields (typically 1–5% APY) exchanges pay users who hold tokens like USDC. Coinbase says any rule should focus on disclosure and transparency rather than reserving rewards for banks or banning them outright. Banks and some regulators argue rewards resemble deposit-like products and pose consumer or systemic risks, supporting restrictions that would confine rewards to licensed banks or national trust charters. Crypto firms counter such limits would stifle competition, reverse elements of recent legislation (GENIUS Act) that enables third-party partners to offer rewards, and trigger user migration or product innovation outside U.S. markets. Bloomberg and other reports note Coinbase’s political influence and donations could affect congressional outcomes ahead of key committee votes in early 2025–2026. Coinbase currently earns revenue from stablecoin rewards via its Circle partnership and offers roughly 3.5% on some USDC balances; analysts estimate a ban could cut stablecoin-related revenue significantly (estimates in prior reporting suggested up to ~$1.3bn impact in 2025 if rewards were blocked). About 35% of U.S. crypto investors reportedly use stablecoin reward programs. International regimes differ: MiCA and some UK guidance limit rewards, while Singapore and the UAE permit them under licensing or sandboxes. The dispute has weakened bipartisan support for the market-structure bill and increases near-term legislative uncertainty. Outcome will affect stablecoin custody flows, exchange revenues, competition between banks and crypto platforms, and could prompt platform consolidation or regulatory arbitrage. Key SEO keywords: Coinbase, CLARITY Act, stablecoin rewards, USDC, regulation. The main keyword "stablecoin rewards" appears multiple times to aid discoverability.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says a new DOJ criminal probe into renovations at the Fed’s headquarters is politically motivated retaliation for his refusal to lower interest rates at President Trump’s request. The U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., opened the investigation into whether Powell misled Congress about the size of the renovation project. Powell framed the probe as a threat to central bank independence, arguing monetary policy should be set by economic evidence, not political pressure. The dispute follows repeated public attacks by Trump — including threats to fire Powell and prior actions like attempting to remove Fed officials — and reports that Trump may nominate loyalists who favor rate cuts, notably Kevin Hassett. Powell’s term ends in May, and he warned the probe raises broader questions about whether the Fed can continue to set rates free from intimidation.

Former President Donald Trump publicly denied any involvement in media reports that the Department of Justice issued a subpoena related to an investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The allegation, first reported by The New York Times and referenced by Walter Bloomberg, has not been confirmed by the DOJ. Markets reacted with volatility: S&P 500 futures swung and bond yields moved as investors assessed risks to central bank credibility. Legal experts note that a DOJ probe of a sitting Fed Chair is historically rare and would mark a significant escalation beyond normal congressional oversight, audits, or inspector-general reviews. Commentary from scholars and former officials stressed that perceived political interference could undermine the Fed’s credibility, increase market volatility, weaken policy effectiveness, and create global spillovers. Potential inquiry areas cited in reporting include communications tied to monetary policy and compliance with ethics and disclosure rules, but specifics remain unverified. The episode spotlights tensions between executive authority and institutional independence; its market impact will depend on whether the DOJ confirms an investigation, the scope and transparency of any probe, and subsequent political developments.

Under four decades of escalating sanctions that severed Iran from the dollar-based global banking system, Tehran has progressively integrated cryptocurrencies into state-level financial and sanction‑evasion strategies. Since the mid-2010s—notably after domestic exchanges like Nobitex launched—Iranian actors including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began using crypto for cross‑border payments, import financing, and to fund regional proxies (Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Iraqi militias). Iran also converts surplus oil and cheap energy into mined bitcoin to create liquidity. Domestic exchanges (Nobitex, Wallex.ir, Excoino, Aban Tether, Bit24.cash) are embedded with local banking rails to move value without SWIFT access, and reportedly employ techniques to obscure transaction origins. The crypto network has become part of a broader “axis of illicit finance” involving sanctioned states (Russia, Venezuela, North Korea) and tacit support from China, forming an alternative financial web. This evolution shifts crypto’s role from individual hedging to a geopolitical tool supporting Iran’s foreign operations. For traders, the key implications are: increased regulatory scrutiny of exchanges and on‑chain analytics, potential sanctions‑related disruptions or hacks (e.g., attacks on Nobitex and Sepah bank in 2025), and steady demand for crypto liquidity within sanctioned corridors. Primary keywords: Iran sanctions, cryptocurrencies, Nobitex, IRGC, bitcoin mining. Secondary/semantic keywords: sanction evasion, proxy funding, alternative finance, SWIFT exclusion, blockchain analytics.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin published an open letter defending Tornado Cash co‑founder Roman Storm and arguing that criminalizing developers of privacy tools threatens digital rights and software development. Storm was convicted in August of conspiracy to conduct unlawful money transfers and faces up to five years in prison at a pending sentencing hearing. Buterin said privacy tools are essential infrastructure against systemic data extraction, noted he has used Tornado Cash, and confirmed a 50 ETH donation to Storm’s legal fund. The case sits alongside wider enforcement actions against privacy-focused projects: Alexey Pertsev (Tornado Cash co‑founder) received a 64‑month sentence from a Dutch court; Samourai Wallet founders faced U.S. prosecutions with multi‑year sentences. Significant fundraising has supported Storm’s defense — more than $6.39 million raised in 2025, with large donations from the Ethereum Foundation, Federico Carrone, and the Solana Policy Institute. Over 110 crypto firms and industry groups have petitioned U.S. lawmakers seeking explicit legal protections for software developers; the DOJ has signaled that “writing code” is not itself a crime. For traders, the case highlights growing regulatory risk for privacy tooling and protocols that integrate mixers or privacy layers: potential legal outcomes could affect developer behavior, integration decisions, project funding, and on‑chain privacy services, which in turn may influence market sentiment for related tokens. Keywords: Tornado Cash, privacy tools, Vitalik Buterin, developer liability, Ethereum.

ICEx, the International Crypto Exchange, has received an operating license from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK), becoming the country’s second fully regulated crypto exchange after Pintu. The approval, confirmed in early 2025 following the transfer of crypto oversight from Bappebti to the OJK, requires ICEx to meet bank-like AML/KYC, consumer protection and custody standards. ICEx completed a strategic $70 million funding round from regional VCs and fintech partners to strengthen technology infrastructure, regulatory compliance, market education and local hiring. The license raises market-entry standards, signals clearer regulatory classification of crypto as regulated financial securities, and creates a near-term regulated duopoly (ICEx and Pintu) under OJK oversight. For traders, expected effects include safer on-ramps and custody, improved dispute resolution and institutional confidence, increased competition on fees and services, and clearer pathways for regulated products (e.g., custody, staking) pending approvals. Short-term impacts are likely to be higher retail and institutional flows into licensed venues and improved operational security; medium-term effects include potential partnerships with banks and a stricter barrier for new entrants due to capital and governance requirements.

Pump.fun, a Solana-based memecoin launchpad, has rolled out a creator fee sharing feature that allows projects to distribute platform fees to up to ten wallets. The update uses Solana smart contract changes to enable percentage-based, automatic on-chain allocations (e.g., split among primary wallet, partners, marketing, community treasury) with full auditability. Concurrently, Pump.fun added coin ownership transfer and revoke-update-authority tools to simplify acquisitions, team transitions and to lock project parameters for security. The features underwent months of development and six months of third-party security audits. Early metrics show a 28% rise in positive social sentiment and relative stability in the native token PUMP after the announcement. Analysts say these tools can improve creator monetization, increase project longevity and position Pump.fun competitively among launchpads. Key SEO keywords: Pump.fun, fee sharing, Solana, memecoin launchpad, creator economics, multi-wallet distribution, ownership transfer.

XRP has outperformed peers recently due to three main drivers that may sustain gains into 2026: (1) legal clarity from favorable outcomes in the SEC vs. Ripple litigation and ongoing positive regulatory developments that reduce uncertainty for XRP usage and listings; (2) growing institutional and payment use-case adoption, with Ripple securing more partnerships and pilots that increase real-world utility and on‑chain demand; and (3) macro and technical market conditions — including BTC-led liquidity recovery, rotation into altcoins, and bullish price structure/volume patterns for XRP — that amplify momentum. Analysts cited improving on‑chain metrics, higher exchange inflows for trading activity, and bullish technical indicators as reasons the rally could extend. Traders should watch remaining regulatory milestones, major partnership announcements, and key support/resistance levels; volatility may persist around news events. Overall, the combination of regulatory progress, adoption catalysts, and supportive market technicals presents a potentially bullish case for XRP through 2025–2026, although risks remain from adverse legal developments or a broader crypto market downturn.

Prediction markets and traders are assigning a low probability that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will step down amid a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry. Despite the DOJ probe drawing attention, market-based indicators used to gauge political or policy risk show little change in odds for Powell’s exit. Participants cited here note that such markets often reflect participants’ assessment that a resignation or removal remains unlikely absent clear legal or political pressure. The article highlights how prediction-market pricing can temper immediate market reactions by signalling continuity in central bank leadership — a factor closely watched by investors for its implications for interest-rate policy and macroeconomic stability.

DefiLlama data shows crypto exchange Gate recorded a net capital inflow exceeding $33.05 million in the past 24 hours, ranking first globally. The report highlights Gate’s strong short-term liquidity inflows relative to other exchanges, signaling heightened user activity or large deposits. The article provides market information only and does not constitute investment advice. Key keywords: Gate, net inflow, DefiLlama, crypto exchange, liquidity.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin responded to Elon Musk’s announcement that X will open-source its platform algorithm every four weeks. Buterin said open-sourcing the algorithm is a good idea if done properly, and he emphasized the need for the mechanism to be verifiable and reproducible. He noted that while this step won’t solve all transparency issues, it would address longstanding public demands for algorithmic transparency and allow users who feel censored or demoted to inspect execution code and understand why their posts receive little attention. Buterin also expressed skepticism about the four-week cadence, calling it possibly optimistic because frequent updates would be required to prevent exploitation. (Note: original report by PANews; not investment advice.)

Goldman Sachs projects robust U.S. economic growth in 2026 alongside tempered inflation, and anticipates the Federal Reserve will cut rates twice. In its Jan. 11 "2026 U.S. Economic Outlook," Goldman forecasts GDP growth of 2.5% year‑over‑year in Q4 (2.8% for the full year), core PCE inflation easing to 2.1% by December, and core CPI slowing to about 2.0%. The bank expects two 25-basis-point Fed cuts in June and September due to increased uncertainty in labor market prospects, with a baseline unemployment rate around 4.5%. Goldman flags a risk of a period of "no employment growth" as firms adopt AI to reduce labor costs. On trade policy, the firm assumes political pressure over living costs ahead of midterms will limit further large tariff increases. The outlook emphasizes fiscal support from tax cuts, rising real wages and household wealth as growth drivers. This view suggests milder inflation and a friendlier rate path that could influence risk assets and interest-rate sensitive markets.

On Jan 9–10 an identified "swing smart money" Ethereum address (0x69b...0e378) completed a full exit from a recent ETH swing trade. The wallet withdrew ETH at an average price of $3,078.51, split withdrawals over a four‑hour window and moved funds into Binance in two deposits. Shortly after, the address received about $8 million in USDT, indicating the ETH was likely sold on‑exchange. Chain analyst @ai_9684xtpa reported the trade, estimating the net profit from this swing at roughly $83,000. No investment advice was provided. Key details for traders: the move involved on‑chain transfers to a major centralized exchange (Binance), a realized profit of ~$83k, and concentrated sell pressure from a single tracked smart‑money wallet.

Market snapshot: On January 12, OKX price data showed RENDER (RNDR) leading intraday gains, trading at $2.59 with a 3.35% rise. Other notable risers included FET at $0.297 (+2.84%), ZIL at $0.00537 (+2.28%), SOL at $141.02 (+1.86%), and GLM at $0.304 (+1.84%). Top intraday decliners were AEVO at $0.0412 (-2.80%), SATS at $0.0000000164 (-2.55%), LTC at $78.67 (-2.36%), NEO at $3.844 (-2.04%), and ILV at $5.763 (-1.92%). The report is for market information only and does not constitute investment advice.

Spot gold climbed to fresh records above $4,600/oz as investors sought safe havens amid geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation and expectations of looser monetary policy. The latest update shows a decisive technical breakout at ~$4,600 with spot peaking near $4,612/oz and year-to-date gains of about $280. Trading volumes rose over 35% year‑on‑year and physical gold ETF inflows exceeded $8–80 billion this quarter (reports vary), while CFTC data point to rising long positions from institutions, including central banks, hedge funds and asset managers. Analysts attribute the rally to lower real yields, systemic‑risk repricing and strategic reserve diversification; major banks now project targets in the $4,800–$5,000 range if macro conditions persist. Technical indicators (RSI) warn of possible short-term pullbacks, so traders should expect continued volatility and manage position sizing and risk — consider dollar‑cost averaging, strict stops and alignment with portfolio tolerance. Key signals to watch: US dollar strength, real yields, incoming CPI/employment data and central‑bank policy comments, which will likely drive near‑term direction.

Seven UK parliamentary committee chairs, led by Liam Byrne, have written to the government calling for a full ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, citing threats to transparency, traceability and electoral integrity. The letter, submitted January 11, says crypto can obscure donor origins, enable many small donations that evade disclosure thresholds, and increase risks of foreign interference. The Electoral Commission and several ministers have expressed similar concerns, though officials warn procedural complexity may prevent a ban from being included in the imminent Elections Bill. The move intensifies pressure on the Labour government amid broader UK crypto regulation efforts — including reclassifying crypto as property and plans to regulate digital assets like financial products by 2027. The issue gained urgency after reports that Reform UK signalled openness to accepting bitcoin and other digital-asset donations and following a high-profile £9m donation linked to investor Christopher Harborne (reported as fiat). Traders should monitor UK regulatory developments and political scrutiny: an outright ban or tighter rules would reduce crypto donation flows, raise regulatory risk premiums, affect public sentiment toward major tokens, and could increase short-term volatility for on-chain donation activity or politically exposed tokens.

Tether Gold (XAUT) spiked over 20% — roughly 25% in a 30-minute window — on major South Korean exchanges (notably Upbit and Bithumb) on March 21, 2025, driven by concentrated KRW buying and limited liquidity in XAUT/KRW pairs. Upbit recorded a peak near 6,742,000 KRW before the price corrected to a stabilized gain of about 0.96%. The surge highlights the persistent “Kimchi Premium” dynamic where local demand and fiat on‑ramp constraints create price discrepancies versus global markets. XAUT is an asset-backed token, each unit representing one troy ounce of physical gold stored in Swiss vaults and subject to professional audits; eligible holders may redeem tokens for physical gold under issuer terms. Analysts cite factors such as retail-driven demand, possible large buy orders (whale accumulation), stop‑loss cascades on leveraged positions, and macroeconomic hedging (gold demand during currency or inflation worries) as likely causes. For traders, the event underscores high short-term volatility and arbitrage opportunities in region-specific pairs, while its broader market impact is limited given XAUT’s niche status compared with major cryptocurrencies.

On-chain analyst Willy Woo warns that Bitcoin (BTC) faces downside risk as liquidity is evaporating behind its price moves. Woo highlights shrinking bid-side liquidity and fading market depth, arguing that price gains are not yet supported by robust order-book liquidity. He points to on-chain indicators showing lower participation around current levels and cautions that thin liquidity can amplify sell-offs, increasing volatility and downside for BTC. The commentary arrives amid mixed market signals: BTC has rallied intermittently but lacks broad-based buying as measured by exchange order books and certain liquidity metrics. Woo’s assessment underscores the risk that a minor catalyst or concentrated selling could trigger a larger price correction when liquidity is thin. Traders should watch liquidity metrics, order-book depth, on-chain flow to exchanges, and large-holder behavior for signs of weakening support. Key named figure: Willy Woo. Key asset: BTC (Bitcoin).

Monero (XMR) rallied sharply after capital rotated out of Zcash (ZEC) amid developer and governance disputes at the Electric Coin Company (ECC). Bitfinex data showed XMR surpassing its 2021 peak (~$518) and reaching about $545. The move saw XMR rise roughly 15% in 24 hours, ~26.5% over the past week and around 168% year‑on‑year, pushing Monero toward a top‑10 market‑cap position (circa $9.9bn). The latest report notes price action broke and held key support in the $420–$470 range, with elevated momentum and stronger near‑term support levels. Contributing factors include renewed institutional and retail interest in privacy coins amid growing regulatory scrutiny, plus a >20% drop in ZEC following ECC governance disagreements. Traders should weigh heightened short‑term bullish momentum and potential continued inflows into privacy assets against regulatory risk that could curb long‑term adoption. This is informational and not investment advice.

A Tiger Research report finds roughly 99% of Web3 projects generated effectively zero revenue in the most recent 30-day window, with only about 200 projects earning at least $0.10. The study combines Token Terminal and on-chain analytics to conclude many projects operate as ‘zombies’—technically active but reliant on token treasury liquidation and continuous fundraising rather than real revenue. Key structural flaws identified are token-first economics, misaligned founder incentives from token allocations, and speculative funding driven by narrative over fundamentals. Typical non-revenue expense drains include team pay, exchange listings, marketing, and audits; projects often sell treasury tokens to cover costs, creating a “slow-motion liquidation” that benefits early insiders and risks later investors. Tiger Research recommends clearer revenue pathways before token issuance, conservative valuations, user-adoption metrics, and sustainable tokenomics. The report cites protocol fees, subscription (SaaS-like) models, enterprise B2B use cases, and hybrid fiat-token models as viable revenue approaches. Implications for traders: increased scrutiny on token fundamentals, potential selective capital flight from low-quality tokens, regulatory attention, and a possible market rotation toward projects with demonstrable revenue and aligned tokenomics.