Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Coins.ph has relaunched its mobile app as an all‑in‑one digital wallet combining everyday payments, bill settlement, bank and e‑wallet transfers, low‑cost international remittances and in‑app crypto trading. The platform — licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a virtual asset marketplace and mobile wallet — supports the national QR Ph standard with acceptance at over 600,000 merchants and near real‑time confirmation on more than 120 bill types. Coins.ph aims to reduce friction across multiple apps and speed fund movement across banking and e‑wallet ecosystems. The company is promoting PHPC, a peso‑backed stablecoin (pending regulatory approvals), for QRPh payments and exploring PHPC use on Circle’s Arc testnet for cross‑border remittances. Recent partnerships include Sky Mavis (PHPC for QRPh), FinFan (Philippines–Vietnam remittances) and BCRemit (stablecoin remittance corridors). Amira Alawi has been appointed Global Marketing Director to lead international expansion toward a larger global platform (Coins.xyz). For traders: the relaunch centralises on‑ramp/off‑ramp rails, increases fiat‑crypto utility in the Philippines and signals potential growth in PHPC stablecoin flows if regulators approve wider use — factors that could influence local crypto liquidity and stablecoin demand.

Weekly market analysis shows several altcoins forming higher highs and higher lows and trading above their moving averages, indicating resumed bullish momentum. Canton (CC) leads performance — trading at $0.09696 with a market cap of $3.54B and 7-day gain of 27.94% — having broken above and retested moving averages; resistance sits at $0.11 with an upside target near $0.15. Pippin (PIPPIN) trades at $0.5160, market cap $516M, 7-day gain 23.02%; pattern suggests potential rise toward $0.90 but prior rejections at $0.70 signal selling pressure. Audiera (BEAT) is uptrend-biased at $2.27 (market cap ~$365M, 7-day gain 20.19%) and remains above the 21-day SMA; a break below that SMA would increase downside risk. Midnight (NIGHT) is rebounding from a retracement, trading at $0.08075 (market cap ~$1.34B, 7-day gain 18.46%) with a potential return to $0.116. Sky (SKY) regained bullish momentum at $0.06808 (market cap ~$1.56B, 7-day gain 15.33%) and may test $0.070–$0.080. The report emphasizes moving-average support and resistance levels as key short-term drivers and includes the author’s disclaimer that the analysis is opinion and not investment advice.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov purchased roughly $15 million worth of AAVE tokens from the open market during a sensitive governance period that included debate over AIP-121 — a proposal to have the Aave DAO absorb and fund Aave Labs. Analytics firms flagged the purchase and community members raised concerns that a large founder holding could concentrate voting power and sway DAO decisions. Kulechov publicly confirmed the purchase but said he did not use those tokens to vote on AIP-121 or related measures, stressing his commitment to the protocol’s long-term health. Aave governance relies on token-weighted voting and has a distribution of voting power among many addresses, though large holders (whales) can exert outsized influence. Market reaction was limited: AAVE saw short-term volatility but stabilized, while core metrics such as TVL (~$12B across V2/V3) and protocol revenue remained strong. The episode highlights ongoing tensions as projects transition from founder-led teams to fully community governance and underscores possible governance innovations (time locks, reputation systems, transparency dashboards). Key implications for traders: monitor on-chain voting power concentration, governance announcements, and any follow-on proposals related to Aave Labs funding — these events can cause short-lived volatility even if fundamentals remain intact.

Coinbase confirmed Indian authorities arrested a former customer‑service agent tied to the May security breach in which attackers bribed overseas support staff to obtain sensitive customer data and demanded a $20 million ransom. U.S. law enforcement and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office cooperated in the probe; prosecutors also charged a Brooklyn man accused of running impersonation frauds using the compromised data. Coinbase estimated remediation costs could reach up to $400 million. CEO Brian Armstrong thanked Hyderabad police and said further arrests are expected. The incident highlights ongoing third‑party and insider risks for crypto exchanges and prompted a roughly 1.2% dip in Coinbase’s shares, underscoring investor sensitivity to security lapses. Traders should monitor potential regulatory scrutiny, any disclosures about affected accounts or force‑logout actions, and whether remediation or legal costs materially affect Coinbase’s operations or liquidity.

Bitcoin’s roughly 30% decline from its 2025 high has made tax‑loss harvesting a prominent strategy for crypto investors seeking to offset sizable stock market gains. With the S&P 500 up about 18% year‑to‑date, investors can sell depreciated Bitcoin positions to realize capital losses and immediately repurchase, because the IRS treats crypto as property and does not apply the 30‑day wash‑sale rule used for stocks. Losses may offset capital gains dollar‑for‑dollar and up to $3,000 of ordinary income annually, with excess losses carried forward. Experts cited include Robert Persichitte, CPA (Delagify Financial), Tom Geoghegan (Beacon Hill Private Wealth) and Cornell professor Will Cong, who note that the lack of wash‑sale restrictions accelerates execution and that recent entrants and a 30% autumn peak decline raise year‑end selling pressure. Key takeaways for traders: (1) tax‑loss harvesting can trim 2025 tax bills by offsetting equity gains; (2) immediate repurchase preserves market exposure; (3) act before year‑end and monitor forthcoming 1099‑DA reporting in 2026. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, tax‑loss harvesting, wash‑sale rule. Secondary/semantic keywords: capital losses, S&P 500 gains, IRS guidance, year‑end selling, tax planning.

APEMARS (APRZ) has launched its whitelist for a staged presale that the project markets as a narrative-driven opportunity combining utility mechanics (thermal burns, referral rewards) with community incentives. The presale’s Stage 1 price is cited at 0.00001699 with a projected listing price of 0.0055, yielding a theoretical ROI above 32,000% for earliest entrants; a $200 Stage 1 allocation would equate to roughly 11.78 million APRZ at that price. The article contrasts APEMARS with established Layer‑1s — Solana (SOL) and Sui (SUI) — noting Solana’s throughput and developer adoption and Sui’s growing cross‑chain integrations (e.g., Bitget Wallet). The piece is a sponsored press release emphasizing early‑entry advantages for traders seeking high-upside, low‑price altcoins under $0.40, while reminding readers that presales carry risk and are not financial advice. Primary keywords: APEMARS, presale whitelist, APRZ, altcoins under $0.40, Solana, Sui.

On-chain metrics show Bitcoin is in a high-risk regime as capital exits the market. CryptoQuant analysis of seven-day moving average (7dMA) net capital flow — realized profits minus realized losses — sits near -$160 million, indicating average daily net capital loss over the past week. Elevated coin movement (% Supply Active, last 180 days) is 31.79% (above its 30-day average and in the 80th historical percentile), up 14.4% year-over-year. The combination of negative 7dMA and rising supply activity suggests active distribution and loss-taking, not accumulation. Price action: BTC is trading around $88,700, capped below $90k with lost momentum after a correction from $120k–$125k earlier in the year. Technicals show BTC below a faster-moving average (now resistance) but above a longer-term rising MA that still provides structural support. Volume spiked on the sell-off from >$110k; the rebound to ~$88k has low participation. Key ranges: holding $86k–$90k preserves the bullish structure; failure to reclaim $95k–$100k keeps downside risk elevated. For traders: expect heightened volatility and potential further downside while 7dMA remains negative and supply activity stays high; reduced conviction implies rallies are likely to be sold and volume-driven sell events can accelerate losses.

Chainlink (LINK) has seen sustained exchange outflows and sizable on-chain accumulation that have tightened available supply and reduced near-term selling pressure. Since January, reserves on exchanges declined materially as several large wallets withdrew funds — including a single wallet removing over 329,000 LINK — while the Chainlink reserve added ~90,000 LINK, pushing total reserves above ~1.32M LINK. Exchange outflows recently exceeded 15M LINK, compressing liquid supply. Price has traded in a range (roughly $11.75 support to $14.65 resistance) and rebounded from a demand zone toward a descending-channel ceiling near $13.2–$13.5. Key upside targets to watch are $14.65, $16.66 (distribution pivot) and $20 (macro reclaim). On-chain and derivatives indicators point to buy-side absorption rather than leveraged chasing: 90-day spot taker CVD is positive, signalling persistent taker buy dominance; derivatives show larger short liquidations (~$59.5k on Dec 26) versus long liquidations (~$10.6k), implying sellers — not buyers — suffered forced exits. Futures taker CVD also supports buy-side activity. Analysts say downside risk remains contained while LINK holds above $11.75 and that a clean break above $14.65 could open a move toward $16.66, aided by tightening supply. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, exchange balances, taker CVD and key resistance levels for signs of a directional breakout or renewed selling pressure.

The crypto market pulled back during the U.S. trading session as traders awaited the largest options expiry of the year. Over $23 billion of Bitcoin options and more than $4 billion of Ethereum options — roughly $28 billion in total — are set to expire on Deribit. Bitcoin’s options show a put-call ratio of 0.38 (bullish skew) with major call concentration between $100,000–$116,000 and a maximum pain point at $96,000. Ether’s put-call ratio sits around 0.43–0.45, with strike concentration between $3,000–$3,100 and a maximum pain point at $3,000. Low holiday trading volumes may amplify volatility around the expiry. Technicals for BTC are pointing toward downside risk: a rising wedge, bearish pennant, and an approaching death cross (50- and 200-day WMAs narrowing). Analysts warn Bitcoin could retest the November low near $80,000, with a break below that level exposing $75,000. Short-term volatility is expected around the expiry; traders should monitor options gamma, strike concentrations, maximum pain levels, and thin holiday liquidity for potential rapid moves.

Ether ETFs in 2025 experienced notable growth spurts and sharp reversals, reflecting a maturing but volatile market. Following the launch and increased availability of spot ETH exchange-traded funds, inflows initially accelerated as institutional and retail investors sought regulated exposure to Ether. Periods of concentrated buying drove price appreciation and higher trading volumes, but these advances were frequently followed by swift profit-taking and outflows that produced abrupt price corrections. Market participants cited factors such as macroeconomic news, shifting risk sentiment, ETF creation/redemption dynamics, and concentrated trading in large blocks as drivers of the swings. Analysts noted that the ETF channel is deepening liquidity and improving price discovery for ETH, while also amplifying short-term volatility as funds aggregate demand and then adjust positions. For traders, the environment created both fresh liquidity-led trading opportunities and elevated tail risks around ETF flows, rebalancing dates, and major macro events. Key takeaways: (1) ETF flows can spark rapid upside moves but also trigger rapid reversals; (2) monitoring creation/redemption data and block trades is increasingly important; (3) volatility around ETFs may persist as the market integrates institutional participation and regulatory frameworks. The overall picture suggests a more mature market structure for Ether, with better access for investors but new dynamic risks for short-term traders.

Cardano and Solana have announced a collaboration aimed at improving cross-chain interoperability and unlocking significant value between the two ecosystems. The partnership focuses on technical and developer-level integration to facilitate asset transfers, shared tooling, and improved composability across both networks. While specifics on timelines, technical mechanisms, or governance arrangements remain limited, the announcement signals cooperation between two major layer-1 projects. Traders should note potential increases in on-chain activity, developer migration or joint projects, and heightened interest in SOL and ADA. Market-moving outcomes could include elevated trading volumes, short-term price volatility for SOL and ADA as news is priced in, and longer-term value accrual if the collaboration materially improves liquidity and cross-chain utility. Key points: Cardano and Solana collaboration announced; emphasis on cross-chain interoperability, tooling, and developer integration; limited technical details and timelines; likely effects include increased activity and volatility for SOL and ADA, with possible longer-term bullish implications if execution succeeds.

WazirX founder and CEO Nischal Shetty confirmed the long-running ownership dispute with Binance has escalated into formal litigation. The disagreement dates to Binance’s 2019–2020 acquisition announcement: WazirX says it holds legal documents proving Binance’s stake, while Binance publicly denies ownership. The case follows a July 2024 hack in which WazirX lost roughly $230 million from an external fund-management site tied to its multi-signature setup. Shetty said the hack targeted an external service and declined to comment on any post-hack contact from Binance because the matter is sub judice. Separately, WazirX used Liminal’s multisignature custody software; Liminal denies being breached and says about $175 million remained under its control 75 days after the theft. WazirX has pledged to migrate assets to new multi-signature wallets and publish the wallet list for transparency. For traders: litigation increases uncertainty over platform control, asset recovery and operational clarity for WazirX’s user base. Monitor court filings, official wallet migrations, on-chain movements, regulatory actions in India and updates on asset recoveries and withdrawal restrictions. Keywords: WazirX, Binance, litigation, exchange hack, multisig custody, wallet migration, asset recovery.

Silver has rallied to about $79/oz — roughly a 150% year-to-date gain — driven by tightening mine supply, strong industrial demand (notably solar-panel manufacturing), retail hoarding and the U.S. designating silver a “critical mineral” in 2025. Major markets for price discovery and access are London OTC physical trades (vaults held by banks such as HSBC and JPMorgan, ~27,187 tonnes reported), futures on COMEX (CME Group) and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and large ETFs such as BlackRock’s iShares Silver Trust (around 529 million oz, ~USD 39bn). Retail investors primarily gain exposure via ETFs and trading apps; physical bars and coins are available but trade at premiums and move more slowly. Elevated futures open interest and ETF inflows have amplified liquidity and price moves, while miners’ stocks remain correlated but carry company-specific risks. Analysts caution the silver market is relatively small and highly volatile — prices can spike or reverse quickly — so traders should monitor supply reports, ETF flows, COMEX/SHFE open interest and physical vault inventories when positioning. Other precious metals have also posted strong gains, underscoring broad demand for safe-haven and industrial metals.

EU enforcement has turned large fines into a routine cost for major U.S. tech firms operating in Europe. Google now records “European Commission fines” as a regular expense, totalling $10.5 billion through Sept. 30, 2025. In 2024 EU regulators levied €3.8 billion in penalties on U.S. tech companies — exceeding €3.2 billion in income tax paid by listed European tech firms that year. Major penalties included Google’s €2.95 billion adtech ruling and a €4.34 billion Android fine; a December 2025 probe targets Google’s use of publisher and YouTube content to train AI. Under new EU regimes, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) expand enforcement: X (Elon Musk) was fined €120 million under the DSA; Apple paid €500 million for blocking alternative payments; Meta paid €200 million for data use breaches. Seven gatekeepers are covered by DMA: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Microsoft, Meta and Booking.com. EU officials warn repeat breaches could trigger fines up to 20% of global turnover. The measures have drawn U.S. political pushback and threats of retaliation, potentially complicating regulatory risk for tech and adjacent markets.

As 2026 approaches, the article highlights three crypto picks for traders: Ethereum (ETH), Shiba Inu (SHIB) and new DeFi token Mutuum Finance (MUTM). ETH is presented as a large-cap, ecosystem backbone with slower price upside and resistance near $3,000 — a stability play. SHIB is framed as a community-driven meme asset struggling around $0.00001 due to a very large circulating supply, making sustained rallies reliant on renewed hype. The focus is on Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a lending/borrowing DeFi protocol whose presale price is $0.035 and has risen ~250% from Phase 1. MUTM has sold 825M tokens (out of 4B supply) with ~45.5% allocated to presale and $19.45M raised; Phase 6 is over 99% allocated. Official V1 launch is targeted for Sepolia testnet in Q4 2025 with core features (liquidity pools, mtTokens, debt tokens, automated liquidator) and initial assets ETH and USDT. Security steps include a CertiK token scan score of 90/100, an ongoing Halborn audit and a $50k bug bounty. The article contrasts a $500 position in SHIB (hype-dependent) vs MUTM (utility- and launch-driven), noting MUTM’s official launch price of $0.06 and analyst projections of 200–300% post-launch if adoption and exchange listings follow. The piece is a press release and advises readers to conduct their own due diligence.

Wintermute founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy announced the trading firm will vote against Aave’s token-alignment proposal, intensifying an ongoing governance rift within the AAVE DAO. Wintermute, an AAVE investor since 2022 with active governance participation (but no equity in Aave Labs), criticized the proposal for lacking clarity on structure, governance and outcomes, and for weak mechanisms for value capture. Gaevoy highlighted a growing expectation mismatch between Aave Labs and many AAVE tokenholders over who should capture value and how external functions (notably business development) should be handled. He described the vote as premature, urged de-escalation, and said reversing earlier fee-related decisions might have helped. Snapshot voting data shows the proposal facing strong opposition: about 55% against, ~41% abstain, and ~3.5% in favor as voting concludes on Dec. 26. The dispute traces to earlier conflict over diversion of swap fees that would have benefited Aave Labs rather than the DAO treasury. The alignment proposal seeks DAO control or accountability over brand assets (domains, social handles, naming rights). The article also notes Aave’s 2026 roadmap—Aave V4, Horizon, and the Aave App—aimed at scaling liquidity, institutional use, and consumer adoption. Key entities: Wintermute, Evgeny Gaevoy, Aave Labs, Stani Kulechov, AAVE DAO. Primary keywords: Aave, AAVE, token alignment, governance, Wintermute. Secondary keywords: value capture, Aave Labs, DAO vote, swap fees, Aave V4, Horizon.

Hyperliquid closed 2025 with record growth across users, trading volume, liquidity and revenue, according to ASXN-sourced data cited by the platform. Key figures: ~609,700 new users, $2.95 trillion in cumulative trading volume across about 198.9 billion trades, roughly $844 million in revenue, net inflows near $3.87 billion and year-end TVL around $4.15 billion. The platform runs on its own Layer‑1 (HyperBFT), which it credits for processing an average of 6,502 orders per second, near-CEX execution speeds, zero gas fees and non‑custodial on‑chain settlement. Hyperliquid says the combination of high throughput, low latency and fee savings attracted both retail and advanced traders to perpetual futures and other derivatives. Market volatility and active derivatives usage in 2025 supported inflows and fee generation, helping the exchange reach top-tier DeFi profitability. Observers highlight Hyperliquid’s model — custom Layer‑1 performance plus DeFi transparency — as a competitive challenge to centralized exchanges and as evidence that decentralized derivatives can scale. For traders: higher volumes and deepened liquidity may improve execution and reduce slippage on derivatives pairs hosted on Hyperliquid; however, rising platform prominence could also increase regulatory scrutiny and competitive responses from CEXs. Primary keywords: Hyperliquid, decentralized derivatives, Layer‑1, trading volume, TVL, revenue.

Solana led blockchain app revenues in 2025 with about $1.3 billion, driven by meme-token cycles, AI agent activity and a late-year DeFi resurgence. Cryptorank data showed Solana surpassed Ethereum in users, transactions and app revenues for much of the year, with app-driven income dominating for over seven months. Hyperliquid’s native HyperCore chain ranked second with roughly $908 million in native-chain revenues after its first full year as a perpetual-futures DEX — $848 million came from perpetual futures trading. Hyperliquid reported $3.87 billion in deposits, about 609,000 new users, $46 million distributed to builders and nearly $1 million from ticker auctions. Ethereum generated $524 million in 2025, BNB Chain $257 million and Base $76.4 million. Several legacy networks (Avalanche, Filecoin, TON) dropped from the top 10 as apps migrated to newer L1/L2s and specialized chains (EdgeX, Axelar, Bittensor, Optimism) rose based on strong single-app performance. The broader market takeaway for traders: 2025 marked a shift from incentive-led volume to predictable, app-driven revenue streams — favoring chains and apps with real user traction rather than airdrop farming. Traders should monitor Solana metrics (users, transactions, app revenues), DEX volumes and perpetual futures flows as potential trade signals; Hyperliquid’s results also highlight the revenue and liquidity potential of perpetual DEXs and native-chain settlement models.

Global mergers and acquisitions climbed about 50% in 2025 to roughly $4.5 trillion, driven by cheap financing, strong equity markets and lighter U.S. regulation. The year produced a record 68 megadeals (transactions above $10 billion), concentrated in media and transport—highlighted by bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery and the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger valuing the combined railroad near $250 billion. U.S.-involved transactions totaled about $2.3 trillion, the largest share since 1998. Investment banks earned an estimated $135 billion in fees. Private equity activity rose 25% to $889 billion, with notable buyouts including a $55 billion Electronic Arts take-private led by a major sovereign investor, though exits remained constrained. Overall deal count fell about 7%, signaling consolidation into fewer, larger transactions. A brief mid‑year pause followed tariff announcements, but dealflow recovered with two consecutive quarters above $1 trillion. For crypto traders: larger corporate M&A and elevated investment‑bank revenues can boost risk appetite and liquidity spillover into crypto markets, favoring higher-beta tokens during deal optimism; regulatory shifts in the U.S. are an important macro variable to watch for policy spillovers affecting crypto regulation and institutional participation.

On December 26, 2025, PowerBank Corporation and Smartlink AI launched Genesis-1, the first DeStarlink satellite that functions as a foundational node for an "Orbital Cloud" — a decentralized, space-based blockchain and AI inference network operating in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Genesis-1 is solar-powered and runs blockchain node verification and AI data processing autonomously, designed to provide censorship-resistant identity and transaction verification independent of terrestrial power grids and jurisdictions. The mission aims to create a verification layer resilient to regional internet shutdowns and political interference. The current satellite proves the technical viability of autonomous, solar-powered computation in space; PowerBank and Smartlink AI plan to expand the constellation through 2026 to deliver high-compute decentralized services to underserved or disrupted regions. The project positions space-based blockchain as a new layer of global infrastructure for verification and decentralized services.

Bitmain, the leading ASIC manufacturer, has implemented across-the-board discounts and bundle deals on multiple generations of Bitcoin mining hardware, including S19 and S21 series. Reports say even flagship S21 immersion-cooled units saw cuts of about $7 per TH/s, and some bundles were auctioned with buyers able to “name their price.” The move comes as hashprice — expected daily revenue per TH/s — fell to near $35/TH/s/day, below commonly cited breakeven levels (~$40/TH/s/day). Mining operators face a squeezed margin environment driven by a 2024 halving (block subsidy halved to 3.125 BTC), a significant BTC price drop in 2025 (from >$126k in October to ~$80k in November), rising energy costs, regulatory pressure and supply-chain stress. Miners are increasingly turning to renewable energy and cost-cutting measures to survive. The hardware discounts signal distress in the mining sector and may accelerate consolidation among smaller or heavily levered operators.

China’s regulators and UBS SDIC Fund Management suspended new subscriptions to the UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund LOF Class C after the fund’s secondary-market price traded at a premium exceeding 60% to its underlying Shanghai silver futures. Retail-driven buying—amplified by step-by-step arbitrage guides on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu—pushed the fund to hit daily 10% limits for three consecutive sessions. The manager previously cut subscription caps (Class C from ¥500 to ¥100; reductions to Class A) but these measures failed to stem demand, and premiums briefly remained near 44% after the limits. Year-to-date the fund rose about 187%, outpacing Shanghai silver futures (~145%), reflecting intense retail flows into a limited set of domestic silver products. Regulators and the manager cited the large disconnect between market price and net asset value, thin underlying silver liquidity, and elevated downside risk from a potential rapid sentiment reversal as reasons for intervention. Traders should watch for spillovers into other metals LOFs, shifts in on‑shore liquidity, widening arbitrage opportunities, and heightened volatility in related commodities and safe‑haven assets. Primary SEO keywords: China silver fund, UBS SDIC, silver LOF, premium, retail frenzy. (Main keyword "China silver fund" appears multiple times.)

LiveBitcoinNews highlights ten crypto projects to watch in 2026 and promotes the APEMARS (APRZ) presale as a high-upside opportunity. APEMARS is staging a 23-phase presale; Stage 1 price is $0.00001699 with whitelist access open. The article projects a hypothetical listing price of $0.0055, implying a 32,271% return — e.g., a $2,000 Stage 1 buy would convert to roughly $647,440 at listing. The presale features weekly stage increases, token burns at stages 6, 12, 18 and 23, and whitelist perks (early pricing, notifications, community standing). The piece also briefly profiles established coins and platforms — Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), Litecoin (LTC), Cardano (ADA), Tron (TRX), Stellar (XLM) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) — emphasizing their market roles: BTC as store of value, ETH as smart-contract leader, SOL/AVAX for high throughput, and others for payments or niche use cases. The article is a paid promotional press release and includes a disclaimer that it is not investment advice.

Fundstrat research head Tom Lee told CNBC that Ethereum’s role as financial infrastructure—driven by institutional tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) and onchain settlement—could push Ether (ETH) to $7,000–$9,000 by early 2026 and potentially $20,000 over the longer term. Lee highlighted Wall Street initiatives at firms such as Robinhood and BlackRock as catalysts for tokenization. He also expressed bullish views on Bitcoin (BTC), calling it a store of value and suggesting a move toward $200,000 next year is plausible. Data cited shows tokenized RWA market value rose to about $18.9 billion in 2025, with US Treasuries (~$8.5B) and commodities (~$3.4B) leading. Ethereum hosts the majority of tokenized RWA—over $12 billion—and around $170 billion in stablecoins, maintaining its position as the primary settlement layer. Institutional moves such as the DTCC’s plan to tokenize part of US Treasuries on the Canton Network were noted as further support for onchain adoption.

Russia’s Roscosmos has postponed the maiden flight of the Soyuz‑5 medium‑lift rocket, originally targeted for late 2024 from the Baiterek complex at Baikonur. The delay is attributed to additional testing of onboard systems and ground infrastructure; Roscosmos says a new date will be set after tests and coordination with Kazakhstan. Longstanding international sanctions (since 2014 and intensified in 2022) have constrained access to specialized components and complicated development, contributing to timeline slippages. Recent operational issues — including damage to a Baikonur pad during a late‑November crewed launch and a Soyuz MS‑28 service module fairing failure — have led to temporary suspensions and extended repair schedules (repairs now projected to finish by February 2026). Roscosmos highlights that while some Soyuz 2.1a launches from Plesetsk and Vostochny remain successful, the Soyuz‑5 programme faces supply‑chain and integration challenges. Key points for traders: geopolitical sanctions continue to affect Russian aerospace supply chains; extended timelines increase uncertainty around Russia’s presence in commercial launch markets; disruptions to Baikonur operations could affect satellite deployment schedules and international collaborations. Monitor Roscosmos and Kazakh authorities for rescheduling, technical bulletins, and any further incidents that could impact related supply chains or market sentiment.

Solana (SOL) is trading around $120 after failing to clear $150 multiple times in November, forming a bearish market structure that puts the $120 support level at risk. Whales are split: one large holder holds 20x leveraged long positions now showing an unrealized loss of $5.88 million (reducing total unrealized profits from $18M to $3M), while another whale has profited over $27.7 million from shorts and is taking profits. At the same time, Circle has minted roughly $55 billion USDC on Solana in 2025, including a recent $500 million mint, increasing on-chain liquidity. The piece argues that growing stablecoin liquidity may be fueling speculative activity rather than stabilizing SOL, as concentrated leveraged longs create vulnerability to short squeezes and liquidations. Key takeaways for traders: heightened volatility, strong whale-driven polarity (leveraged longs vs. shorting bears), and elevated risk that a bearish move will break the $120 support, potentially triggering rapid downside via liquidations.

Industry data shows crypto total value lost (TVL) to exploits in 2025 exceeded $2.53 billion, with social engineering now the dominant attack vector. Sentora attributes 55.3% (~$1.39 billion) of exploit-related losses to social engineering and human-centric attacks. Private key compromise accounted for 15% (~$0.37 billion), while infinite mint and smart-contract bugs made up the remainder. Chainalysis and other monitors estimate total crypto theft across all categories in 2025 at $2.7–$3.4 billion; DPRK-linked groups were the largest identifiable actors, tied to roughly $2.02 billion in theft including an estimated $1.4 billion Bybit breach. Analysts say improved automated auditing and formal verification have reduced large smart-contract vulnerabilities, shifting attacker focus to user-targeted and operational weaknesses. Traders should note the shift: losses are increasingly driven by social engineering, poor key management, and operational lapses rather than pure protocol code flaws.

NFT marketplaces shifted strategies through 2025 to survive a prolonged market downturn and changing user behavior. Key adaptations included: emphasizing utility NFTs tied to gaming, events and subscriptions; integrating with Layer-2 and alternative chains to cut fees (notably rollups and some EVM-compatible chains); tighter IP and fraud controls to rebuild buyer trust; promoting fractional ownership and NFT lending/fiat on-ramps to improve liquidity; and pivoting to curated drops, secondary-market royalties models and subscription services to create steady revenue. Market players experimented with token incentives, staking and marketplace-native tokens to re-engage collectors while reducing dependence on speculative floor-price growth. Several platforms cut staff and restructured costs to extend runway. The shift favoring utility, interoperability and lower gas costs resulted in selective trading volume recovery on chains with cheap, fast transactions. For crypto traders, the key takeaways are: (1) NFTs with clear utility or strong gaming/metaverse ties attract capital and show more predictable volume; (2) marketplaces and protocols that lower mint/trade costs (Layer-2s, alternative L1s) may see increased on-chain flow; (3) fractionalization and lending products create new on-ramps and synthetic exposure to NFT value; (4) tokenized marketplace plays (marketplace tokens, staking rewards) add new tradable instruments but raise tokenomics risk. Primary keywords: NFT marketplaces, Layer-2, fractional NFTs, NFT lending, marketplace tokens. Secondary/semantic keywords included: gas fees, interoperability, royalties, curated drops, utility NFTs. This evolution is likely to reshape where NFT trading volume concentrates and which projects attract capital.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) advised investors that ideal Bitcoin (BTC) entry points occur during market fear rather than during bullish euphoria. In a Christmas message, CZ noted that those who captured the biggest gains historically bought when sentiment was negative — amid fear, uncertainty and doubt — not at all-time highs. Current sentiment indicators back this view: the CMC Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits around 27 (fear), an improvement from readings of 21 a week ago and 15 a month ago, while BTC has consolidated just below $90,000 (reported trading at $88,769). The article argues that a sustained recovery above $90,000 with strong daily closes could shift sentiment from fear to neutral, and later to optimism — by which point attractive entry opportunities may be gone. Key keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, Changpeng Zhao, CZ, market sentiment, Fear & Greed Index, accumulation, buy-the-dip.