Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Ripple released XRPL v3.0.0 and has opened five protocol amendments for validator voting through January 2026: fixAMMClawbackRounding, fixIncludeKeyletFields, fixMPTDeliveredAmount, fixPriceOracleOrder and fixTokenEscrowV1. These changes correct AMM clawback rounding, add identifying fields to ledger objects, restore DeliveredAmount metadata for MPT payments, enforce canonical asset-pair ordering for price-oracle entries, and fix escrow accounting for MPT transfers with fees. Collectively they improve oracle reliability, on-chain accounting and AMM behavior — reducing operational risk and improving price and risk-model inputs for traders. Separately, Ripple engineer Edward Hennis announced an on-ledger institutional XRPL Lending Protocol targeted for validator voting in January 2026. The protocol will use Single Asset Vaults, provide fixed-term/fixed-rate underwritten credit, and allow private or public contributions; intended use cases include market-maker inventory borrowing, PSP prefunding of merchant payouts and short-term working capital for fintech lenders. Traders should monitor validator votes, amendment activation timelines, oracle behavior after activation, MPT escrow flows and AMM liquidity shifts. The immediate amendments mainly reduce execution and accounting risk on XRPL; the prospective lending protocol is a structural change that could raise on-ledger demand for XRP and related stablecoins (e.g., RLUSD) if adopted, potentially affecting supply dynamics and yields.

Trump-themed meme coin launched during Inauguration Week and saw a rapid initial listing and trading activity but drifted toward year-end with falling liquidity and reduced community engagement. The token attracted speculative attention during the presidential transition, with spikes in volume and price followed by steady declines as initial hype faded. Key issues highlighted include thin liquidity pools, wide bid-ask spreads, low market depth, and high susceptibility to price manipulation and rug pulls. The article notes there were no major protocol incidents but emphasizes investor risks inherent to meme tokens backed by political branding rather than fundamentals. Recommended trader takeaways: avoid large position sizes on low-liquidity meme coins, check on-chain liquidity and wallet concentration, use limit orders, and be prepared for high volatility and potential rapid devaluation. Primary keywords: Trump meme coin, meme token, liquidity, price manipulation. Secondary keywords: on-chain liquidity, bid-ask spread, rug pull, trading strategy.

Tokenized commodities — blockchain-backed digital representations of physical metals — have climbed to an estimated $3.93 billion after rising about 11% in the past month, driven by record highs in precious metals. Spot gold peaked near $4,530/oz and silver briefly hit $74.56/oz. RWA.xyz data show Tether Gold (XAUt) leads the market at roughly $1.74 billion and Paxos Gold (PAXG) follows at about $1.61 billion. Tokenized precious metals enable on-chain transfers outside traditional market hours, but pricing, liquidity and redemption remain tied to legacy markets and off-chain infrastructure. Ethereum dominates tokenized real-world assets (RWA), holding approximately 65% of tokenized RWA value (~$12.7B), with BNB Chain around 10.5% (~$1.85B). Standard Chartered projects tokenized RWA (excluding stablecoins) could expand to $2 trillion by 2028, with about $250 billion flowing into less liquid asset classes such as private equity and commodities. On-chain activity from RWAs is increasing Ethereum fees (Ethereum recorded ~$11.41M in fees over the past 30 days) but remains small versus stablecoins and fungible-token trading; chains dominated by stablecoins (Tron, BNB Chain, Solana) currently capture larger fee shares. For traders: rising tokenized commodity market caps and record metal prices signal growing institutional and retail interest, especially for Ethereum-based tokenized assets. Expect potential increases in on-chain trading volume and liquidity for XAUt and PAXG, greater correlation between crypto and precious-metal markets, and persistent counterparty and redemption risks tied to off-chain custodial and pricing mechanisms. Watch Ethereum activity and fee metrics for signs of growing RWA flow, and monitor liquidity/redemption terms of individual tokenized metal products before trading.

Sponsored analysis argues that 2026 could be a major convergence year for AI and crypto following a potential high‑value OpenAI IPO and Ethereum’s renewed strength. The piece highlights Based Eggman — a presale token built on Base (an Ethereum L2) with multi‑chain expansion to Binance Smart Chain, a play‑to‑earn gaming hub and creator monetization — as a top speculative bet positioned to capture “AI spillover” capital. Key claims: OpenAI IPO valuations debated up to $1 trillion; ETH recently reclaimed ~$2,900; conservative 2026 ETH price target cited at $12,000–$15,000; Based Eggman presale shows strong staged demand. The article outlines presale participation steps (MetaMask/Coinbase Wallet, fund with ETH/BNB, use official links) and stresses this is a sponsored piece with a disclaimer. Primary keywords: Based Eggman, OpenAI IPO, Ethereum, presale, Base L2. Secondary keywords: ChatGPT prediction, play‑to‑earn, BSC, ETH price prediction. Traders should note this is promotional content — it signals potential retail interest and presale momentum but carries standard presale and token risks (smart contract, liquidity, regulatory, market rotation).

Clear Street analyst Owen Lau ranked Coinbase (COIN) among his top three fintech stock picks for 2026 alongside Nasdaq and S&P Global. Lau kept a Buy rating and a $415 12-month price target for COIN, implying roughly 70% upside from current levels. He cited Coinbase’s expanding revenue mix — subscriptions, stablecoin (USDC) activity split revenue with Circle, and on-chain financial services — plus diversification into tokenization, payments, prediction markets, derivatives and AI tools. Lau views 2026 as a “transition year” for crypto equities, where adoption and stable revenue sources will matter more than trading volumes; he expects regulatory clarity (crypto market-structure and stablecoin rules) and product rollouts to be re-rating catalysts. The thesis points to Coinbase’s strong balance sheet, international reach and lower reliance on volatile spot trading as advantages versus peers. COIN shares were modestly lower amid a post-Christmas selloff at the time of the report. Keywords: Coinbase, COIN, USDC, tokenization, stablecoin revenue, fintech picks, AI tools.

ABN AMRO’s German subsidiary, Hauck Aufhäuser Digital Custody, has received authorization under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), enabling it to offer regulated crypto custody and trading services to institutional clients across the European single market. Concurrently, ABN AMRO and German bank DZ BANK executed their first international over‑the‑counter (OTC) smart derivatives contract. The ten‑day trade was fully automated using distributed ledger technology: settlement, valuation and collateral management were handled on‑chain, with daily payments executed instantly via SEPA and confirmed back to the smart contract. The transaction highlights institutional adoption of tokenised derivatives, improved operational speed, on‑chain transparency, and compliance under a unified European regulatory framework. Key keywords: MiCAR, ABN AMRO, crypto custody, on‑chain derivatives, DZ BANK, SEPA, distributed ledger technology.

Bitcoin recovered modestly over the holiday week, briefly testing near $90,000 after stronger-than-expected US CPI data but repeatedly failed to sustain breakouts. Price moves: a short surge to almost $90K, rejection under $85K, recovery to $90.4K, then falls below $87K, fluctuating around $87–89.5K and currently near $88.3K. BTC remains year-to-date negative after starting 2025 above $94K. Market cap reclaimed about $1.76 trillion and BTC dominance sits near 57.7%. Major altcoins showed mixed weekly performance: ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, DOGE and ADA slightly down; BCH, XMR, ZEC modestly up; CC and UNI posted the largest gains. Notable headlines include analyst forecasts of an extended bear market (possible bottom in late 2026), a Binance USD1 pair flash-wick to $24K explained as an illiquid pair event, a $7M Trust Wallet drain with potential insider involvement, and Tom Lee’s Bitmine accumulating ~98,852 ETH (now 3.37% of supply). Key metrics: market cap $3.06T, 24h vol $93B, BTC $88,300 (+0.5%), ETH $2,955 (-0.1%), XRP $1.87 (-0.2%). Traders should note repeated failed BTC breakouts, elevated volatility around macro prints (CPI), and mixed altcoin strength — factors that favor cautious position sizing and watching macro catalysts and on-chain flows into ETFs or large accumulators for directional bias.

COIN (Coinbase) shares fell about 0.96% as a broad pullback hit cryptocurrency-related equities amid a cautious U.S. open: the Dow rose 0.03%, the S&P 500 0.16% and the Nasdaq 0.15%. Other notable crypto stocks slid, including MSTR (-0.09%), CRCL (-1.69%), SBET (-2.50%) and BMNR (-1.75%), reflecting a risk-off tone driven by thinner liquidity and regulatory headlines. Traders are showing a defensive stance, rotating out of higher-beta blockchain equities while seeking liquidity and realistic valuations ahead of upcoming sector catalysts. The report underscores how macro caution and slim market depth can amplify dispersion across crypto-linked stocks and influence short-term volatility for related crypto markets.

Approximately $23.6 billion of Bitcoin and Ethereum options expired on March 21, 2025, in one of the largest quarterly expiries of the year. Analysis by Negentropic (run by Glassnode co‑founders Jan Happel and Yann Allemann) indicates the event unwound concentrated options open interest — particularly large call concentrations near $70,000–$75,000 strikes — that had imposed a “structural price cap” via hedging flows. As market makers reduced hedging-related selling pressure, Bitcoin’s spot market can resume cleaner price discovery. Pre‑expiry open interest was roughly $18.5B for BTC options and $5.1B for ETH options. Key technical supports remain near $65,000 and the 50‑day moving average (~$63,500). On‑chain metrics — falling exchange reserves, high hash rate, and accumulation by >100 BTC addresses — and rising institutional participation bolster fundamentals. Traders should note reduced gamma exposure post‑expiry could allow trend development with less choppy, hedge‑driven movement, though expiries can also trigger short‑term volatility. Overall, the removal of the derivatives overhang may shift near‑term drivers from complex hedging flows to supply/demand and macro fundamentals, affecting liquidity, momentum, and trade setups for both spot and derivatives desks.

HYPE appears compressed beneath key resistance (~$25.50–$26) while a well-known whale reopened a 10× leveraged long (~$7.9M) immediately after booking ≈$249k profit. Derivatives data show shorts controlling ~62% of taker volume and Open Interest rising ~3.38% to about $1.42B, signaling added exposure during consolidation. Funding rates remain mildly positive (~+0.0057%) and restrained, implying leverage entered without panic. Price finds support near $22.50–$23 and repeatedly tests the descending-wedge upper boundary; a daily close above $26 would likely trigger short-covering and rapid upside towards $28, $34.90 and possibly $42.60. Rejection would target $22. The setup favors a quick breakout scenario driven by trapped shorts and rising OI rather than a prolonged decline.

As doubts grow over the dollar’s dominance, analysts see continued inflows into gold and silver and forecast further gains into 2026. GlobalData’s Ramnivas Mundada projects gold could climb another 8–15% and silver 20–35% by 2026, citing drivers such as slowing U.S. growth, rising geopolitical risks, trade frictions, accelerated de‑dollarization by central banks, and an expected Fed easing cycle in 2026. Prominent gold bulls (e.g., Peter Schiff) warn the dollar’s structural role may be weakening and that gold could regain central-bank reserve prominence. Meanwhile, Bitcoin—recently down from its all‑time high (~$126k) to around $90k—is viewed as relatively underpriced by some analysts (e.g., Bitbank’s Hasegawa). With capital reallocating toward safe havens and away from the dollar, analysts argue Bitcoin could experience a “catch‑up” rally if precious metals’ momentum continues, attracting value‑oriented and macro-driven flows. Key themes: de‑dollarization, Fed policy, precious metals leadership, and potential re‑rating of BTC.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered an ’extreme fear’ reading of 20 on Dec. 26, marking about two weeks of elevated fear — one of the longest such streaks since the index began in 2018. The index fell three points on Dec. 26 and has weakened steadily since October following a near-$500 billion market drawdown tied to US–China tariff tensions and an October 10 liquidation wave. The gauge combines volatility, trading volume, social sentiment, Google Trends, investor surveys and Bitcoin dominance. Data providers report sharply reduced retail engagement: Google search and Wikipedia traffic, forum activity and social volume have dropped to typical bear-market levels. Crypto-native retail is said to be largely sidelined after shocks such as the FTX collapse, memecoin crashes and absent altcoin seasons. Traditional retail flows into US spot Bitcoin ETFs remain strong (over $25bn in 2025), even as BTC trades roughly 30% below its October all-time high. Analysts warn macro uncertainty — notably Fed policy and potential changes to rate-cut expectations — could push Bitcoin lower; some market voices see scenarios where BTC falls toward the mid-five-figure range. For traders: the persistent ’extreme fear’ reading raises downside risk and the potential for amplified volatility and larger liquidations. Monitor Bitcoin dominance, volatility spikes, Google Trends and social-volume metrics for early signs of sentiment inflection. Prioritise risk management, position sizing and liquidity planning until retail engagement and macro clarity improve.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says Bitcoin could become one of the highest-performing investments over the next decade. Using conservative assumptions, Hougan built a model forecasting Bitcoin’s price to reach $1.3 million by 2035. The projection frames Bitcoin not merely as a highly volatile asset but as a potential long-term store of value and major return generator. The article presents this forecast as market information and not investment advice.

Glassnode co-founder Negentropic said Bitcoin’s price action has turned constructive as buy-side demand appears on pullbacks and recent lows hold. A major shift is the dissipation of derivatives-driven pressure after the largest-ever Bitcoin options expiry (~$23.6 billion notional). In prior weeks, hedging flows mechanically capped rallies; with those flows fading, price discovery is less constrained and current trends favor further upside. On macro fundamentals, US M2 money supply expanded 4.3% year-on-year in November to a record $22.23 trillion — the 21st consecutive month of growth and about $40 billion above 2022 peaks. Real (inflation-adjusted) M2 rose 1.5% YoY for the 15th month, indicating ongoing liquidity expansion and continued fiat depreciation. Key takeaways for traders: reduced hedging/friction from derivatives may allow more price-driven moves, pullbacks find buyers, and persistent monetary expansion remains a bullish macro backdrop for BTC.

Upbit’s 24‑hour trading volume rose to $13.39 billion (a 28.2% increase from the earlier report), driven mainly by KRW‑denominated pairs, according to Coinotag citing CoinGecko. XRP/KRW was the largest single KRW pair, accounting for about 10.38% of daily turnover. Other high‑volume tokens on Upbit during the period included 0G, BTC, ZKP and CPOOL. Earlier reporting had shown a decline in volume to $11.73 billion with XRP/KRW at a larger 17.61% share, indicating the market moved from a lower‑liquidity phase to a liquidity inflow between the two snapshots. For traders, the development signals concentrated activity in KRW markets and renewed liquidity on Upbit — factors likely to narrow intraday spreads, deepen order books for popular KRW pairs (notably XRP/KRW), and create KRW‑denominated arbitrage opportunities. Monitor order‑book depth and pair‑level volumes closely: rapid shifts in Upbit’s KRW liquidity can produce short‑term volatility and execution slippage for large orders, while sustained inflows could support tighter spreads and improved market resilience.

Binance Wallet announced the 43rd exclusive token generation event (TGE) for COLLECT, with a subscription window from 08:00 to 10:00 UTC on December 27, 2025. Eligibility and allocations are determined by participation using Binance Alpha Points; eligible users can secure allocations before wider market access. The announcement advises users to ensure their Binance Wallet meets eligibility criteria and to follow enrollment steps on the Binance platform. COINOTAG will monitor the TGE and recommends verifying official Binance communications for any schedule changes and tracking COLLECT’s post-launch integration and compliance to assess medium-term impact on the exchange ecosystem. Key SEO keywords: Binance Wallet, COLLECT TGE, Alpha Points, token generation event, subscription window.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is trading around $0.126 (Dec. 26), holding just above a key support zone at $0.123–$0.125 after a prolonged corrective drawdown that unwound earlier speculative excess. Overhead resistance sits at $0.133 and $0.148; reclaiming those levels would be required to shift the short-term narrative bullish. Spot flows remain muted and net spot demand is negative, while leverage across futures/options desks is being reduced, indicating gradual supply absorption but limited upside momentum. A sustained move above the 20-day EMA, coupled with improving spot flows and reduced long-side leverage, would signal the corrective phase is ending. For traders, the $0.123–$0.125 zone is critical for stops and entries; failure to hold it risks further weakness, while a clear break above $0.133/$0.148 could trigger short-covering and fresh long interest. Primary keywords: Dogecoin, DOGE price, support and resistance, spot flows, leverage, 20-day EMA.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) experienced a dramatic derivatives event: CoinGlass recorded a roughly 5,000% long-vs-short liquidation imbalance after about $10,590 of long positions were liquidated versus roughly $214 in shorts. Despite the large long washout — an event that often drives price lower — SHIB price on Binance flipped green and held near $0.00000721, up about 2.1% on the day. The session looked like a rapid long purge that cleared crowded leverage rather than a classic short squeeze, since shorts took negligible losses. Traders may interpret the liquidation as a reset that removes overstretched long exposure; if SHIB defends the $0.0000072 area on retests, derivative desks could view the imbalance as a foundation for a recovery toward the day’s spike zone. Conversely, a repeat long-heavy liquidation and a break below $0.000007 would likely turn today’s rebound into a trap and trigger a deeper pullback. Key takeaways for traders: (1) significant long-only liquidations do not always lead to sustained declines if spot buyers step in; (2) monitor support at $0.0000070–$0.0000072 and open interest/leverage metrics for follow-through; (3) short-side exposure remained small in this event, so watch for leveraged long re-entries that could amplify moves.

XRP community figure Jake Claver, CEO of Digital Ascension Group, has repeatedly predicted that XRP would reach $100 by the end of 2025. Throughout 2025 Claver promoted the target, citing institutional interest, XRP ETF launches/expansions, and tokenization as catalysts. XRP has instead traded around $2 for most of the year, implying a required gain of roughly 4,900% to hit $100. Community member Levi Rietveld publicly proposed a $1 million wager in November tied to the outcome; Claver never formally accepted but has continued to assert near-total confidence (99.9%+). With five days remaining in 2025 and XRP well below the $100 mark, community skepticism has grown and the wager is widely seen as unwinnable. The article notes heightened criticism on social platforms and Claver’s continued public insistence, including dramatic social posts, while reminding readers this is informational, not financial advice.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that prediction markets with deep liquidity can be manipulated to force real-world outcomes — a phenomenon sometimes called "hyperstition." Responding to comments by Charlotte Fang that liquid prediction markets might "program reality," Buterin called this a major failure mode. He highlighted two core risks: whale domination, where large actors drive markets to manufacture outcomes, and the "hitman" problem, where financial incentives could encourage people to cause harmful events that match market bets. Buterin argued that if markets can create truth rather than reveal it, they lose their truth-seeking and fairness value. The warning raises ethical and regulatory concerns for prediction-market platforms and traders, especially around market concentration, incentive design and potential legal exposure.

Ripple cleared major legal and market hurdles in 2025, producing multiple catalysts for XRP traders. In August 2025 Ripple and the SEC dropped appeals, cementing a 2023 split ruling that programmatic XRP sales are not securities while restricting institutional offerings and imposing penalties; that regulatory clarity followed XRP’s July 2025 surge to multi-dollar highs and supported renewed exchange, custody and market-maker participation. Onchain development accelerated: XRPL’s EVM sidechain and protocol-level AMM (XLS-30) boosted native liquidity and smart-contract compatibility, while RLUSD — a fully backed, redeemable stablecoin — expanded institutional DeFi integration and reached significant market capitalization. Strategic acquisitions (including Hidden Road and GTreasury) and partnerships broadened Ripple’s institutional stack, and multiple issuers launched XRP spot ETFs in 2025 that drew early inflows and improved institutional access. For traders: the verdict reduces legal tail risk, ETF listings and custody expansions increase liquidity, stablecoin adoption and XRPL DeFi lift on‑chain volumes, and large corporate deals suggest sustained institutional flow. Key levels and metrics to watch: XRP support near $1.90–$2.80 (post-ATH retracement), resistance around $3.00–$3.65, ETF inflows and listing rules, XRPL EVM sidechain TVL, RLUSD market cap and FX pool depth, and corridor/venue volumes that will signal short-term momentum and liquidity shifts.

Aptos (APT) has posted a short-term rebound — roughly +1.3% in 24 hours and about +15.8% over the week — yet remains inside a longer-term downtrend. Price is testing resistance around $1.70–$1.72 after an October sell-off that broke prior support near $4.32. Technicals are mixed: RSI has recovered from oversold levels, signaling temporary buying interest, while On‑Balance Volume (OBV) sits near multi-year lows, indicating persistent selling pressure. APT’s price remains closely correlated with Bitcoin (BTC); BTC’s recent ~1.5% rise toward $90k provided altcoin relief, and an upcoming BTC options expiry could increase short-term volatility and possibly lift APT toward $1.90–$2.00 if a broader rally occurs. On-chain and fundamental signals are weak — declining transaction and developer activity and capital flow favoring Solana (SOL) memecoin action — so any durable reversal would require both technical breakout above $1.70 and improving fundamentals. Short-term trading band: $1.56 support and $1.69–$1.72 resistance. Traders should treat the current move as a relief rally: consider range trades (buy near support, short near resistance), manage risk with tight stop-losses, monitor BTC direction, OBV and RSI for conviction, and wait for confirmed breakout (targets $1.90–$2.00) or breakdown below $1.56 for continuation of the bear trend.

Bitcoin is trading near $89k as institutional interest surges: SEC filings referencing blockchain hit about 8,000 in 2025, driven by spot BTC ETFs and asset-manager amendments. Recent US laws — the GENIUS Act (stablecoin rules: 100% reserves, monthly disclosures, AML requirements) and the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act — provided clearer compliance paths, encouraging more institutional participation. Technicals on the 4‑hour chart show a breakout from a descending channel with BTC above the 50 and 100 EMAs and RSI ~57, suggesting short‑term bullish momentum; a hold above $88,319 could open resistance targets at $90,500, $92,650 and $94,675. The article proposes a trade setup: enter above $88,900, stop below $88,061, targets $92,650–$94,675. The piece also highlights growing retail presale activity in meme tokens (example: Maxi Doge) but emphasises Bitcoin as the principal institutional entry point. Key implications: regulatory clarity plus ETF rollouts are driving capital flow into BTC, potentially setting structural conditions for a broader bull phase in 2026, though traders should weigh technical levels, liquidity from options expiries, and speculative altcoin flows.

XRP consolidated around $1.85 after dipping below $2.00, with bulls defending support amid a 30% surge in 24‑hour spot trading volume. CoinMarketCap data showed daily volume exceeded $2 billion, signalling renewed buying interest during post‑Christmas sessions. Bitcoin’s reclaiming of the $88,000 area provided a supportive macro backdrop for altcoins. Technical indicators identify $1.90 as the near-term resistance; a return of liquidity could produce an upside breakout. Institutional demand is notable: XRP spot ETFs have surpassed $1.25 billion in net assets, with recent inflows adding roughly $11 million, highlighting growing professional investor exposure and potential stabilising effects on price. Overall, heightened volume plus ETF inflows suggest short‑term bullish momentum, while market normalisation in early 2026 will determine sustainability.

Arthur Hayes, former BitMEX co‑founder, moved 1.85 million LDO (~$1.03M) from a Binance hot wallet into a Hayes-controlled address on Dec 26, 2025. The transfer coincided with an immediate ~6% short-term LDO price gain and a >200% spike in trading volume versus the weekly average. At the time LDO traded near $0.556; technical levels to watch are support $0.5546 and resistances $0.7126, $0.9416 and $1.24. On-chain metrics and protocol data point to stronger Lido fundamentals: year‑over‑year development activity rose ~690% and weekly protocol revenue reached ~$14.3M, driven by growing adoption of liquid staking derivatives (stETH) across DeFi integrations such as Aave, Curve and MakerDAO. Recent protocol upgrades include triggerable withdrawals and Curated Module v2; governance and the Safe Harbor Agreement (covering ~$26B staked ETH) are also highlighted. Technical indicators are neutral-to-cautious: LDO sits above the 10‑day EMA but below longer-term EMAs, with a 14‑day RSI around 45.7. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, volume, and whether institutional follow‑through preserves the $0.5546 support. Short-term momentum depends on volume and follow-up buys; long-term outlook hinges on Lido retaining liquid-staking market share and successfully delivering upgrades. Actionable tips: track on‑chain wallets (Lookonchain, Etherscan), watch volume and EMA crossovers, set clear entry/exit levels, and consider portfolio diversification to manage risk.

Huma Finance has opened Season 2 airdrop Part 2. Eligible wallets that missed Part 1 can claim allocations in Part 2. Claims close on January 26 at 21:00 (UTC+8). Liquidity providers (LPs) who have moved or withdrawn locked PST and mPST will see their Part 2 allocations reduced accordingly. The announcement reiterates this is market information and not investment advice.

Ethereum (ETH) is trading around the critical $3,000 zone after recent consolidation and mixed flows across spot ETFs and derivatives. Early reports showed a rebound above $3,000 supported by renewed ETF inflows, whale accumulation (~14,618 ETH, ~$185M) and improved technicals, while later updates noted spot ETF outflows, large whale buys (single wallet ~$16.1M; reports of ~220,000 ETH bought in a separate week), and a concentrated $3.8B options expiry with max-pain near $3,000. Open interest rose, increasing leverage and liquidation risk in the $3,100–$3,200 area. Key levels: support $3,000, $2,960, $2,732; resistance $3,200, $3,270 (38.2% Fib), $3,520 (200-day MA) and higher targets toward prior highs if momentum continues. Short-term catalysts traders should monitor: spot ETF flows, whale accumulation and disclosures, options expiries and open interest, and daily closes above/below $3,000. Bull case: sustained daily closes above $3,000 with rising ETF inflows and continued whale accumulation could drive breakouts to $3,200→$3,270→$3,500–$3,520 and beyond toward prior highs. Bear case: failure to reclaim $3,000 or rejection near $3,200 may trigger corrections to $2,960, $2,850 or back to $2,732; a decisive breakdown below $2,732 points to a mid-term bearish trend. Longer-term bullish arguments cite large-scale accumulation and scheduled network upgrades (Glamsterdam and Hegota forks in 2026) as potential catalysts, but traders should weigh heightened volatility from options expiries and elevated leverage when sizing positions.

Prediction markets face a major real-world test during the 2024 U.S. midterm elections. The sector has seen rapid growth and high valuations—Polymarket and Kalshi have been cited as reaching multibillion-dollar valuations—prompting debate on whether these platforms are reliable collective-intelligence data infrastructure or speculative betting venues. Proponents argue markets deliver continuous, incentive-aligned probability signals useful to journalists, pollsters, policy analysts, and investors; critics warn of liquidity limits, manipulation risk, and regulatory uncertainty. Key success factors include high liquidity, diverse participation and clear event resolution. A strong performance in the midterms could accelerate regulatory acceptance, integration into financial/data ecosystems, and wider institutional use; a poor showing could invite scrutiny and slow adoption. The article highlights differences between prediction markets, traditional polling and punditry, and notes the regulatory role of the CFTC and the existence of blockchain-based platforms. No direct trading advice is provided.

Bitcoin is trading tightly around the $89,000 level, a key technical and psychological threshold that could determine near-term direction. Price action shows consolidation after recent gains, with on-chain data and derivatives flows suggesting mixed signals: institutional demand remains present but profit-taking and elevated options open interest increase the chance of volatile moves. Analysts point to $89K as pivotal — a decisive break above could trigger fresh momentum toward new highs, while failure to hold may prompt a sharper correction as leveraged positions unwind. Market participants should watch spot volume, US macro cues, Bitcoin funding rates, and options expiries for clues. Short-term traders may prefer tight risk controls around breakout/failure levels; longer-term holders remain focused on fundamentals such as adoption and ETF flows. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, $89K, breakout, consolidation; secondary keywords included: options open interest, funding rates, institutional demand, volatility.