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Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

BTC/ETH Options Expiry: $28.5B Contracts, ~300k BTC at Risk

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A major crypto derivatives expiry is unfolding: roughly 300,000 BTC in options (about $23.7B notional) are set to expire today, and combined with Ethereum options total BTC/ETH options exposure reaches approximately $28.5B. Large expiries concentrate derivatives positioning and typically force dealer rebalancing, delta hedging and exercise/assignment decisions that can amplify short-term price moves for BTC and ETH. Traders should monitor open interest concentrations, strike distributions, option skews and spot liquidity to anticipate potential pinning, short squeezes or volatility spikes around settlement. The event does not imply a fixed directional bias; outcomes depend on prevailing positioning and liquidity. However, market-maker adjustments and heavy hedging flows often create transient liquidity stress and larger intraday swings—factors important for leverage, stop placement and short-term strategies. This expiry is viewed as a notable liquidity milestone for the derivatives market and may inform near-term risk sentiment across spot, futures and perpetual markets.
Neutral
Bitcoin options expiryDerivatives liquidityOpen interestVolatility riskBTC ETH options

Whale ‘Buddy’ Holds 8,000 ETH 25x Long Ahead of Massive Options Expiry

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A large trader nicknamed “buddy” has built concentrated leveraged long positions ahead of a major options expiration, drawing market attention and coinciding with an ETH price rally. Monitoring firm Hyperinsight reports the trader added 525 ETH of long exposure over roughly 16 hours, closed BTC longs, and now holds: 1) an 8,000 ETH position in ETH at 25x leverage with a reported liquidation price near $2,870; and 2) an 8,000 HYPE position at 10x leverage. The moves come as a sizable options expiry for BTC/ETH approaches, increasing the potential for squeezes and heightened volatility. Key details for traders: position sizes (8,000 ETH at 25x), leverage levels (25x for ETH, 10x for HYPE), recent additions (+525 ETH in ~16 hours), and liquidation price (~$2,870 for the ETH long). These concentrated, highly leveraged positions can amplify short-term price swings, influence funding rates and order-book dynamics, and raise the risk of cascading liquidations if price moves toward the liquidation level. Traders should monitor open interest, options expiry flow, funding rates, and order-book depth around major exchanges to gauge potential squeeze pressure and manage risk accordingly.
Bullish
EthereumWhale ActivityOptions ExpiryLeverageMarket Volatility

Analyst: XRP Is Being Integrated into Regulated Derivatives Infrastructure

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A market commentator argued that XRP is transitioning from a fringe crypto into the regulated derivatives stack used by institutions. Despite a 34% Q4 2025 drop to $1.87, XRP has seen institutional developments: XRP ETFs launched last month gathered $1 billion in inflows within 21 days, Ripple received conditional bank-charter approval, and the company expanded via acquisitions and partnerships. The commentator (Richard) reviewed multiple year-end regulatory filings and ethics-policy updates that treat XRP as a governed asset, with insider-trading and personal-trading rules applied. He points to leveraged XRP ETFs (including 5x products), futures, swaps, margin structures, and daily-reset leveraged products as evidence institutions are building structured exposure—often using derivatives first to manage risk. CME-listed XRP futures have shown strong uptake, surpassing $26 billion in notional volume and reaching $1 billion open interest fastest among assets. The commentator views repeated filings and amendments as signs sponsors are phasing product rollouts from lower to higher leverage, signaling deeper institutional integration rather than a short-term price play. Disclaimer: informational only, not financial advice.
Bullish
XRPDerivativesInstitutional AdoptionXRP ETFsCME Futures

CZ: $24k Bitcoin print on Binance was a thin‑liquidity glitch, not a market crash

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Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao dismissed a viral screenshot showing Bitcoin at about $24,111 on Binance as a microstructure glitch on a newly listed BTC/USD1 pair, not a market-wide crash. The extreme wick occurred on BTC/USD1 — a pair quoted in USD1, a stablecoin tied to World Liberty Financial — and snapped back within seconds to prevailing prices above $87,000 as arbitrageurs corrected the dislocation. CZ explained that thin order books on new pairs allow a single aggressive market order to print an extreme price; the pair isn’t used in any Bitcoin index and produced no liquidations. Solv Protocol’s Catherine Chan attributed the event to a liquidity surge caused by a Binance promotion offering 20% APY on USD1 deposits, which pushed users to swap into USD1 and briefly created a premium, allowing a market sell to sweep buy orders. Traders should note the operational risk: new quote-asset pairs and promotional flows can create fragile order books where one large market order produces headline price prints without signalling a genuine trend. At press time Bitcoin traded near $89,298. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, Binance, CZ, liquidity glitch; secondary keywords: USD1 stablecoin, arbitrage, order book, BTC/USD1.
Neutral
BitcoinBinanceLiquidity GlitchStablecoin USD1Arbitrage

Jake Claver: 99.99999% Confident XRP Will Make a Major Move in 2025

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Digital Ascension Group CEO Jake Claver told the XRP community he is 99.99999% confident XRP will make an “unbelievable move” before year-end 2025. Claver reiterated earlier bullish claims that XRP could reach triple-digit prices if several catalysts align, citing disruptions in oil markets, stronger U.S. regulatory engagement, growth of XRP ETFs, and large-scale liquidity shifts in Japan. XRP traded at $1.87 with a peak near $3.66 five months earlier, reflecting roughly a 50% decline year-to-date. The article notes XRP ETF inflows of $1.14 billion in one month from firms such as Canary Capital, Grayscale, Bitwise and Franklin, and mentions a speculative BlackRock ETF filing that could target XRP. Claver has previously forecast extreme short-term targets (e.g., $100–$1,000) and faces criticism after missed predictions. The piece cautions readers that this is opinion and not financial advice.
Neutral
XRPXRP ETFJake ClaverPrice PredictionInstitutional Flows

Nearly 50% of XRP Holders Are Underwater — Why Traders See This as Bullish

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Crypto analyst Steph Is Crypto reports that nearly 50% of XRP’s circulating supply is now underwater, with the share of supply in profit falling to about 52% on a 7-day moving average. The drop in holder profitability occurred alongside XRP’s price decline, meaning a large portion of tokens last moved at prices above current levels. Historically, this “profitability compression” has reduced immediate selling pressure from profit-takers and preceded sharp rallies when demand returned — Steph notes a comparable setup in November 2024 that preceded a 500%+ rally. The current setup suggests downside risk is more evenly distributed and that modest inflows could have outsized price impact because fewer holders are positioned to sell at a profit. The article emphasizes this is not investment advice and urges readers to do their own research.
Bullish
XRPon-chain metricsholder profitabilitymarket structuredemand-supply

DahLIAS: First provably secure constant-size cross-input signature on secp256k1

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Researchers Jonas Nick, Tim Ruffing (Blockstream Research) and Yannick Seurin (Ledger) published DahLIAS, the first formal, provably secure construction of a constant-size, fully aggregated cross-input signature scheme that operates on Bitcoin’s native secp256k1 curve. DahLIAS produces a single 64-byte signature that aggregates signatures from many signers across different transaction inputs (CISA), reducing transaction size and verification cost. Unlike BLS-based aggregation, DahLIAS works within Bitcoin’s existing curve assumptions and requires only similar cryptographic premises already used by Bitcoin. It uses a two-round interactive protocol (similar in interaction to MuSig2 but functionally distinct) and includes formal security proofs. DahLIAS is not compatible with current Bitcoin consensus rules as-is — verification takes a set of public keys and corresponding messages plus a 64-byte proof rather than the single public key–message–signature model — so integrating it would require a consensus change and a BIP. The paper’s key contribution is demonstrating that full cross-input signature aggregation on secp256k1 is possible, paving the way for future BIP proposals and implementation work (e.g., secp256k1lab) to bring smaller, more private and cheaper complex transactions to Bitcoin.
Neutral
DahLIASsecp256k1signature aggregationBitcoinprivacy

Exodus Partners with MoonPay and M0 to Pilot Digital Dollar Payments

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Exodus, the consumer crypto wallet developer, has announced a partnership with payments provider MoonPay and fintech platform M0 to pilot functionality for a US digital dollar. The collaboration aims to enable users to receive, hold and transmit a tokenized digital dollar through Exodus’ wallet interface, leveraging MoonPay’s on/off ramp infrastructure and M0’s stablecoin and tokenization tooling. The pilot focuses on user experience and compliance, integrating custodial and non-custodial flows and testing redemption and settlement mechanisms. Key objectives include testing fiat on/off ramps, wallet interoperability, and regulatory controls needed for a digital dollar rollout. The announcement highlights industry momentum around tokenized fiat and central bank digital currency (CBDC) experimentation, though it does not indicate a government-issued CBDC launch or specific timeline. For traders, the development signals growing infrastructure for tokenized US-dollar settlement rails, potential increases in on-chain dollar liquidity, and expanded use cases for stablecoins and tokenized fiat instruments.
Neutral
Digital dollarExodusMoonPayStablecoinsTokenized fiat

Strategy CEO Phong Le: Bitcoin fundamentals ’couldn’t be better’ for 2025 — focus on long term

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Strategy CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin’s fundamentals for 2025 are exceptionally strong despite recent price declines and market fear. Speaking on a podcast, Phong Le urged investors to ignore short-term volatility and focus on long-term adoption, citing growing support from the U.S. government, major banks and meetings with traditional banks in the U.S. and UAE. He noted catalysts such as SEC innovation and Vanguard allowing Bitcoin ETF trading, which helped trigger roughly $400 million in short-covering during a recent rebound. CoinMarketCap data: BTC hit an all-time high of $125,100 on Oct 5, then fell nearly 30% to about $88,700 at the time of reporting. The crypto fear & greed index has shown ’extreme fear’ since Dec 12. Strategy holds $1.4 billion in cash reserves to deploy into market weakness and emphasizes risk-managed frameworks like mNAV, a Bitcoin reserve and USD reserve. Phong Le remains bullish into 2026, aligning with institutional narratives that increased ETF flows and government reserves could drive further adoption, though some forecasters warn of potential retracement to $60,000 amid liquidity tightening and regulation. Key names and figures: Phong Le, Strategy, Michael Saylor, Vanguard, SEC. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, fundamentals, ETF, institutional adoption.
Bullish
BitcoinBTCFundamentalsETFInstitutional adoption

Bithumb to Delist EVZ on Jan 26 — Withdraw or Sell Before Trading Halt

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Bithumb announced it will delist EVZ and stop all EVZ trading at 06:00 UTC on January 26 after the EVZ foundation failed to provide required explanatory materials following an “investment warning” designation and a past security incident. The exchange cited compliance, transparency and security concerns as reasons for removal. Users must either sell their EVZ before the trading halt or withdraw tokens to a compatible wallet within a subsequent withdrawal window (final deadline to be announced). The delisting underlines stricter exchange listing standards and signals increased regulatory and operational scrutiny. Traders should act quickly, confirm wallet compatibility and addresses, and monitor EVZ listings on other platforms; exchanges may review EVZ independently. Main keywords: Bithumb delist EVZ, EVZ delisting, withdrawal deadline, exchange compliance, token transparency.
Bearish
BithumbDelistingEVZExchange complianceToken withdrawals

Gate Launches VIP Super Friday #17 — VIP5+ Users Get Airdrop, Win Up to 8,888 NIGHT

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Gate has launched the 17th edition of its VIP Super Friday event, running from 2025-12-26 15:00 to 2026-01-01 23:59 (UTC+8). The promotion guarantees a 100% chance to win for participants; VIP level 5+ users who sign up immediately receive an airdrop and can win up to 8,888 NIGHT. The event features a pool of 2,352 NIGHT gacha prizes, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Users can obtain additional gacha chances by completing deposit, wealth-management, and trading tasks. The announcement emphasizes limited quantity and encourages early participation. The notice is informational and does not constitute investment advice.
Neutral
GateAirdropNIGHTVIP promotionCrypto exchange

Liquidity, ETFs and Stablecoins: What Actually Drives Bitcoin Prices

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The pieces argue that narratives (political events, regulation, institutional interest) spark volatility, but measurable capital flows and liquidity determine whether Bitcoin trends persist. After the 2024 U.S. election BTC rallied ~56% alongside a spike in futures open interest, yet weak spot demand prevented a durable uptrend. Spot BTC ETFs were a primary, quantifiable catalyst — roughly $35bn net inflows in 2024 and $22bn in 2025 — with price moves closely tracking ETF flow pace; momentum faded when inflows slowed or turned negative. Stablecoin inflows to exchanges, used as a proxy for deployable buying power, fell about 50% from recent highs, reducing market capacity to sustain narrative-driven rallies. On-chain metrics (realized profit-taking by long-term holders >$1bn/day on 7-day avg in July) show significant selling pressure, while higher real yields and shifts toward defensive assets (BTC/gold ratio decline) increase Bitcoin’s opportunity cost. Conclusion for traders: watch spot ETF flows, exchange stablecoin balances, futures open interest and realized selling — narratives can trigger moves, but sustainable rallies require persistent spot-led demand and ample liquidity. No investment advice.
Neutral
BitcoinLiquiditySpot ETF flowsStablecoin inflowsOn-chain realised selling

Ethereum 2026: Glamsterdam & Heze‑Bogota — L1 scaling to 10k TPS, big gas increases and stronger censorship resistance

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Ethereum plans two major hard forks in 2026 — Glamsterdam (mid‑2026) and Heze‑Bogota (late‑2026) — targeting large‑scale Layer‑1 scaling, increased Layer‑2 capacity, broader zero‑knowledge (ZK) verifier adoption and stronger on‑chain censorship resistance. Glamsterdam will introduce Block Access Lists (EIP‑7928) to enable parallel transaction execution across CPU cores and enshrined proposer‑builder separation (ePBS) to integrate MEV mitigation into consensus and unlock validator‑level ZK verification. These changes are expected to allow staged gas limit increases (current ~60M gas per block → ~100M in H1 2026 → ~200M or more later in 2026, with some estimates up to ~300M), increase per‑block blob capacity (potentially 72+ blobs) and extend the time window for generating and verifying ZK proofs. Researchers project roughly 10% of validators may verify ZK proofs instead of replaying full execution, freeing further gas headroom. Heze‑Bogota will focus on censorship resistance (e.g., Fork‑Choice Inclusion Lists/FOCIL) to let validator groups ensure inclusion of specific transactions when a subset of nodes remain honest. Secondary developments include improved L2 UX (examples: ZKsync’s Elastic Network / Atlas storing funds on‑chain while enabling fast L2 activity) and proposals for an Ethereum Interoperability Layer to ease L2 cross‑chain operations. For traders: these protocol upgrades could materially raise on‑chain capacity, reduce L2 congestion, change MEV dynamics and pressure fee volatility — factors that may shift liquidity, on‑chain flows and Layer‑2 token activity. Monitor gas limit changes, ePBS adoption, validator ZK verification uptake and on‑chain fee metrics for near‑term trading signals.
Bullish
EthereumGlamsterdamHeze‑BogotaL1 scalingZero‑knowledge proofs

Musk Predicts Big U.S. Growth; Bitcoin Bulls Eye Comeback

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Elon Musk forecasted rapid U.S. economic growth on X, predicting double-digit expansion within 12–18 months and triple-digit growth in about five years, attributing gains to advances in applied intelligence. Traders and analysts linked his comments to improved macro conditions and potential upside for Bitcoin as Fed rate cuts and rising risk appetite support crypto demand. Bitcoin traded around $87,709, roughly 30% below October highs. Market voices differed: supporters such as Anthony Pompliano and Oryon Finance saw Musk’s outlook as bullish for risk assets, while skeptics like Artem Russakovskii and commentator Bariksis warned of continued downside or a 2026 bear market. On-chain and research signals were mixed: K33 suggested long-term holder sell pressure could be easing, while XS.com noted inflation (CPI 2.7%) still warrants Fed caution before aggressive easing. Key implications for traders include monitoring Fed policy, inflation data, liquidity conditions, long-term holder flows, and technical resistance levels (some analysts highlight potential retests of around $60k).
Bullish
BitcoinElon MuskMacroeconomicsFederal ReserveMarket Sentiment

MGBX Lists LIT (Lighter) for Spot Trading Dec 26 — Deposits 17:00, Trading 18:00 UTC+8

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MGBX will list LIT (Lighter) for spot trading on December 26, 2025. Deposit channels open at 17:00 UTC+8 and spot trading begins at 18:00 UTC+8; withdrawal timing has not yet been announced. Lighter is described as a perpetual trading protocol offering a scalable, secure, transparent, non-custodial, verifiable order-book infrastructure built on Ethereum to improve on-chain liquidity and risk controls. Traders should monitor official MGBX channels for withdrawal schedules and initial liquidity details, as these will affect execution quality, spreads, and short-term price volatility. Primary keywords: LIT, Lighter, MGBX listing, spot trading. Secondary/semantic keywords: deposit open, trading start, ERC-20, on-chain liquidity, order-book, withdrawal schedule.
Neutral
LITMGBXToken ListingSpot TradingEthereum

Bitcoin Chip Distribution Shows Bullish Bias as $87,000 High-Volume Support Forms

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Analyst Murphy at COINOTAG identifies a concentrated chip (on-chain cost basis) distribution for Bitcoin around $87,000 and $84,500, with the $87,000 band representing the highest-volume bar and the strongest near-term support. Excluding a November 22 wallet consolidation event, roughly 1.12 million BTC are clustered in the $83,300–$84,500 band, and turnover within that range has effectively halved. High-volume chip stacks create a decision point where aggregated long and short positions can precipitate either a breakout or retracement. Murphy interprets the chip structure as leaning bullish: if the $87,000 high-volume support holds, Bitcoin’s immediate trajectory favors measured upside rather than speculative spikes. Traders are advised to monitor liquidity around $87,000 and $84,500 and to adopt risk-aware position sizing, using credible on-chain chip data to guide entries and stops.
Bullish
BitcoinOn-chain analysisSupport levelLiquidityMarket structure

Japan Creates Dedicated FSA Division for Crypto and Stablecoin Oversight

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Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) will establish a dedicated crypto regulation division in summer 2024 to oversee virtual assets (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) and payment-focused stablecoins. The reorganisation also adds an Asset Management and Insurance Supervision Bureau. The specialist unit aims to provide clearer guidelines, stronger consumer protections and faster, more nuanced policy responses to DeFi and stablecoin growth. Japan already restricts stablecoin issuance to licensed banks, trust firms and money transfer agents under a 2022 law; the new division will enforce those rules and could set an international precedent. Traders can expect greater regulatory clarity for licensed exchanges, potential attraction of institutional capital to Tokyo, and stricter oversight that may reduce fraud but could increase compliance costs. Key SEO keywords: Japan crypto regulation, stablecoin rules, FSA crypto division, virtual assets, regulatory clarity.
Bullish
Japan crypto regulationStablecoinsFSAVirtual assetsRegulatory reform

Lido’s 690% dev growth fuels LDO breakout amid revenue strength

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Lido DAO (LDO) has seen a 690% year‑over‑year increase in development activity, according to Chain Broker, coinciding with a short‑term price breakout on December 25, 2025. The project also ranked highly for weekly fees and revenue, recording roughly $14.3 million in weekly fees for staking products — a sign of sustained protocol usage despite broader Layer‑1 weakness. LDO rose about 7.65% that day after attempting to breach a descending trendline that intensified following the October 10 crash. Momentum indicators were mixed: RSI near neutral and MACD showing fading downside momentum rather than a decisive bullish signal. Liquidation heatmaps (CoinGlass) highlighted concentrated leverage around $0.51, indicating potential downside if momentum reverses. Overall, the combination of outsized development growth and strong fee generation appears to have bolstered investor interest and supported short‑term strength in LDO, though technical risks and liquidation clusters leave the breakout’s sustainability uncertain.
Neutral
LidoLDOdevelopment activityon‑chain revenuetechnical risk

Market Strategist: US Regulatory Review Makes XRP ‘Built for This’

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Market strategist Levi Rietveld highlighted comments from U.S. Treasury official Scott Bessent indicating a review of regulatory barriers affecting blockchain, stablecoins and payment systems. Bessent said regulators will examine outdated rules and consider reforms to strengthen U.S. capital markets and improve access. The article argues XRP’s design—fast, low-cost cross-border settlement and use in transaction fees—aligns with the payment infrastructure Bessent described. It notes Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin settles on the XRP Ledger in seconds with low fees, potentially increasing XRP demand as stablecoin and payment activity grows. The piece frames the regulatory reassessment as reducing friction that previously limited XRP adoption and as supportive of XRP’s role in institutional, compliant payment flows. (Disclaimer: not financial advice.)
Bullish
XRPRegulationStablecoinsPaymentsRipple

Major exchanges push into prediction markets — Coinbase, Crypto.com, JPMorgan and DWF Labs

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Prediction markets are moving toward the crypto mainstream as major exchanges and institutions increase investment and operational involvement. Coinbase is acquiring on‑chain prediction startup The Clearing Company (deal expected to close in January), reinforcing its push into regulated prediction markets, tokenized assets and equities. Crypto.com is hiring quantitative traders to staff an internal market‑making desk that will buy and sell prediction contracts alongside external traders; the move aims to boost liquidity but raises questions about market structure, fairness and potential conflicts despite the firm’s claim that internal traders follow the same rules as outside participants. Bloomberg reports that JPMorgan is exploring crypto trading services for institutional clients, signalling deeper traditional‑finance integration and potential new liquidity sources. Separately, DWF Labs completed a 25 kg physical gold settlement as part of diversifying into real‑world commodities and hedging exposure. For traders: expect greater liquidity and product diversity in prediction markets and potential shifts in pricing as centralized market‑making ramps up. Monitor company disclosures on internal market‑making rules, Coinbase’s integration plans and any JPMorgan product announcements — plus regulatory and tax developments — which could affect market fairness, flows and volatility.
Neutral
prediction marketsCoinbaseCrypto.cominstitutional cryptomarket making

Binance Christmas Dip: Bitcoin Briefly Falls to $24,111 on Low Liquidity, Then Recovers

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On December 25, 2025, Bitcoin on Binance experienced a rapid drop to $24,111 before quickly recovering. The move occurred during typically thin holiday liquidity and followed large, apparently coordinated Bitcoin transfers onto Binance that appear to have put downward pressure on prices. Some sub-$25,000 limit orders were filled during the dip, allowing buyers to acquire BTC at a temporary discount. The episode sparked speculation about possible market manipulation by large holders and highlighted how low-volume periods amplify price impact from sizeable sell orders. The event did not produce an extended downtrend; liquidity returned and prices stabilized shortly after. Key facts: intraday low $24,111 on Binance, timing: Christmas Day 2025, primary cause: large transfers + low liquidity, immediate effect: short-lived wick and quick recovery. Traders should be cautious around holidays when thin markets can magnify order flow effects and consider using limit orders, reduced position sizes, or increased stop spacing to manage volatility.
Neutral
BitcoinBinanceMarket LiquidityPrice ManipulationHoliday Volatility

Ripple to Unlock 1B XRP on Jan 1, 2026 — Traders Watch Supply Risk

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Ripple will unlock 1 billion XRP from escrow on January 1, 2026, as part of its monthly release schedule established in 2017. Historically Ripple re-escrows 60–80% of monthly unlocks, leaving roughly 200–400 million XRP to enter circulation. On-chain data and recent months (including December 2025) show most unlocked tokens are quickly re-locked, limiting net supply increases and containing long-term price impact. Traders should monitor on-chain transfers, re-escrow volumes and U.S. regulatory developments (e.g., the CLARITY Act) for deviations from the pattern. Key stats: 1B XRP unlocked; estimated 200–400M net supply addition; past net increases typically under ~200M–400M/month. Primary keywords: XRP unlock, Ripple escrow, circulating supply. Secondary/semantic keywords: supply risk, on-chain transfers, CLARITY Act, market volatility.
Neutral
XRPRippleEscrow UnlockCirculating SupplyRegulation

zkPass (ZKP) Listed on Bithumb — Major Win for Privacy Tokens and KRW Trading

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Bithumb, one of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has listed zkPass (ZKP) with a direct KRW trading pair, going live at 09:00 UTC on the announcement date. The listing gives zkPass immediate access to significant liquidity and a large, tech-savvy retail base. zkPass is a protocol using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to enable private verification of identity and credentials without revealing underlying data. The KRW pair removes reliance on USDT/BTC on-ramps, simplifying access for Korean investors and likely boosting trading volume and price discovery. Benefits cited include enhanced privacy, reduced data-breach risk, and cross-platform interoperability. Key risks: regulatory uncertainty around privacy-focused tokens, high post-listing volatility, and the project’s long-term success depending on protocol adoption rather than token listing alone. Traders should watch initial order book depth, volume spikes, and any regulatory commentary from Korean authorities. Primary keywords: zkPass, ZKP, Bithumb, KRW trading. Secondary/semantic keywords: zero-knowledge proofs, privacy tokens, fiat on-ramp, exchange listing.
Bullish
zkPassBithumbPrivacy tokensZero-knowledge proofsKRW trading

BTC Perpetual Futures Long/Short Ratio Near Balance with Slight Short Bias

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BTC perpetual futures long/short ratios across major exchanges show a market near equilibrium with a modest short-side bias. Aggregate 24‑hour figures read roughly 49–50% long vs. 50–51% short (latest combined reading ~49.34% long / 50.66% short). Exchange-level breakdowns are close to balanced: Binance ~48.9% long / 51.0% short, OKX ~49.95% long / 50.05% short, Bybit ~48.7% long / 51.3% short. The indicator, which reflects the percentage of long vs. short perpetual positions, points to fragmented sentiment and likely range-bound or consolidating price action rather than a decisive directional trend. Traders should monitor shifts in the long/short ratio alongside funding rates, open interest and price/volume action to spot momentum opportunities or crowded-trade risks. Extreme readings can serve as contrarian signals—heavy long positioning can precede long squeezes and corrections, while heavy shorting can fuel short squeezes and bounces. The metric mainly captures leveraged, short-term participants and can be skewed by large players, so it should be used as a real-time sentiment tool combined with technical and on-chain analysis rather than a standalone predictor.
Neutral
BTCPerpetual FuturesLong/Short RatioDerivativesMarket Sentiment

Coach JV: XRP Set to Move Fast and Aggressively as Institutions Increase Adoption

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Finance coach Coach JV, a long-term XRP holder, says XRP will move “fast and aggressively,” urging investors to ignore short-term volatility and remain patient. He features interview clips with Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, Canary Capital CEO Steve McClurg, and Ripple CTO David Schwartz to support the outlook. Hougan called XRP a core crypto asset appealing to financial advisors, highlighting use cases such as cross-currency liquidity, stablecoins, and early ETF inflows. McClurg noted that while crypto follows a 4-year cycle, assets can diverge; XRP has shown resilience with continued inflows and could peak again in 2026, helped by XRP Ledger adoption, Ripple’s stablecoin, and ETF demand (about $300m AUM in the first week). Schwartz said institutions are using the XRP Ledger for actual settlement and financial products, with over 500,000 new wallets created and growing utility from stablecoins and tokenized assets. Coach JV emphasized institutional entry, risks from inflation and currency debasement, and that disciplined, patient investing separates long-term holders from short-term hype. Disclaimer: not financial advice.
Bullish
XRPXRP LedgerInstitutional AdoptionXRP ETFStablecoins

Upbit Lists zkPass (ZKP) Trading Pairs Against KRW, BTC and USDT

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Upbit has announced it will list zkPass (ticker: ZKP) and open trading pairs against the South Korean won (KRW), Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT). The listing expands ZKP’s liquidity and accessibility by providing fiat and major crypto pairings on one of South Korea’s largest exchanges. Upbit’s notice is positioned as market information and not investment advice. Key details: token ticker ZKP; pairs: ZKP/KRW, ZKP/BTC, ZKP/USDT; exchange: Upbit. Traders can expect increased on‑exchange availability and potentially higher volume and price discovery once trading begins.
Bullish
UpbitzkPassZKPExchange ListingKRW/BTC/USDT Pairs

HTX launches ZBT/USDT perpetual with up to 20x leverage and $10,000 trading party

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Huobi HTX listed a ZBT/USDT perpetual futures contract on December 26, offering up to 20x leverage. To promote trading, HTX launched a ZBT contract trading campaign running from Dec 26 15:00 to Jan 2 15:00 (UTC+8) with a $10,000 prize pool. Participants must register and reach a cumulative valid trading volume of at least 10,000 USDT in ZBT/USDT contracts to share rewards based on ranking. New contract users trading ZBT/USDT are eligible for additional exclusive benefits. The announcement is presented as market information and not investment advice.
Neutral
HTXZBTPerpetual FuturesLeverage TradingTrading Campaign

DOGE Eyes $0.12 After 4H Rising Wedge Breakdown; $0.135 Invalidates Bear Case

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Dogecoin (DOGE) shows a bearish technical outlook after a confirmed rising wedge breakdown on the 4-hour chart. The breakdown signals measured downside momentum with a primary target near $0.12, a level aligned with prior consolidation and demand. A reclaim above $0.135 would invalidate the bearish structure and reopen short-term upside. Futures funding rates are near neutral, suggesting balanced long/short positioning and that recent selling appears spot-driven rather than the result of broad leveraged deleveraging. Intraday, $0.13 is a key pivot: a daily close below it could accelerate the move toward $0.12, while holding it would favor range-bound consolidation. Volume data show a ~20% pickup around $0.13 per exchange metrics, but overall distribution looks orderly rather than panic-driven. Traders should watch $0.13 for near-term directional cues, $0.12 as the downside target, and $0.135 as the invalidation threshold for short positions.
Bearish
DOGETechnical AnalysisRising WedgeFunding RatesSupport and Resistance

Binance to Reimburse Trust Wallet Users After $6–7M Browser Extension Hack

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Trust Wallet’s browser extension (v2.68) was compromised after a malicious update was published to the Chrome Web Store, allowing attackers to drain users’ crypto. Security firm PeckShield revised estimated losses from $2.8M to roughly $6–7M. The exploit affected BTC, Ethereum-compatible chains and Solana; about $2.8M remains in attacker-controlled addresses while most stolen funds were moved toward centralized exchanges (notably ChangeNOW, KuCoin and FixedFloat). Trust Wallet issued a patched extension (v2.69) and warned desktop users not to open the extension to avoid triggering the exploit. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said funds are "SAFU" and Binance will use its treasury to reimburse victims. Investigations are focusing on how a malicious extension update passed publishing controls — a likely release-pipeline or insider compromise. Trader actions: update or remove the Trust Wallet browser extension immediately; avoid interacting with suspected attacker addresses; monitor inflows to centralized exchanges for potential cash-outs. Binance’s reimbursement plan may reduce immediate sell pressure, but ongoing forensic/legal actions and funds routing to exchanges create short-term volatility risk. Keywords: Trust Wallet, browser extension hack, Binance, wallet security, reimbursement.
Bearish
Trust Walletbrowser extension hackBinance reimbursementwallet securityexchange cashout risk