Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Decentraland (MANA) is assessed for price prospects from 2026 through 2030, with analysts examining whether the token can reach $1. Both articles reaffirm MANA’s utility as an Ethereum-based metaverse token used for LAND NFTs, governance and transactions, and update forecasts across conservative, moderate and optimistic scenarios. Short-term (2026) ranges sit roughly between $0.45–$0.85 assuming market recovery, platform growth and lower Ethereum fees. For 2027–2028, conservative projections are $0.55–$1.20 with optimistic scenarios that may breach $1 during strong bull cycles driven by VR/AR adoption, interoperability, and corporate partnerships. Long-term (2030) scenarios diverge: conservative $0.70–$1.20; moderate $1.50–$3.00; optimistic $3.50–$7.00+, contingent on sustained metaverse adoption, platform scalability (layer-2), improved tokenomics and major brand integrations. Key bullish drivers include rising daily active users, LAND sales, developer activity, technological upgrades (graphics, mobile access, layer-2 scaling) and interoperability. Primary risks are competition (e.g., The Sandbox), technological obsolescence, regulatory uncertainty, market saturation and macroeconomic headwinds. Traders are advised to treat MANA as speculative: monitor on-chain metrics (user activity, LAND transactions), platform KPIs, and partnership/news flow; consider dollar-cost averaging for long-term accumulation and active trading around catalysts. Conclusion: $1 is plausible within 2027–2030 under favorable execution and a broader crypto bull market, but significant execution and adoption risks mean the outcome remains uncertain.

Pudgy Penguins, the well-known NFT project, wrapped the exterior of the Las Vegas Sphere from Christmas Eve through the first week of the new year, displaying its arctic avatar characters on the venue’s 580,000-square-foot LED surface. The team announced the campaign on X, calling attention to the project’s shift from speculative NFT trading toward an omnichannel brand strategy that includes physical merchandise (toys sold at Walmart and Target) and family-friendly positioning. The Sphere placement aims to deliver unprecedented mainstream exposure, boost brand legitimacy and perceived utility for holders, and potentially draw fresh interest to the PENGU ecosystem. The article frames the takeover as a milestone for NFT adoption, noting it followed a period of restructuring under new leadership and an emphasis on real-world use cases. While the display is primarily a visibility and branding play rather than direct financial news, the piece highlights that such high-profile marketing events can influence market sentiment and token interest, though cryptocurrency prices remain volatile. Primary keywords: Pudgy Penguins, Las Vegas Sphere, NFTs, PENGU token, mainstream adoption.

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen recent net outflows, contributing to downward pressure as BTC traded near $88,750 — roughly 27% below the Oct. 5 all-time high of $125,100. A record-sized Bitcoin options expiry on Dec. 26 concentrated bets and “pinned” price into a narrow range, limiting volatility until new catalysts emerge. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has registered “Extreme Fear” since Dec. 12. Analysts note ETF outflows removed a key support that had helped push price higher earlier in 2025. Strategy (a firm referenced) shows market value relative to its Bitcoin holdings (mNAV) below 1 at 0.93; the company holds roughly 671,268 BTC (~$58bn at reported prices), illustrating how spot declines change balance-sheet math for large holders. Executives including Strategy CEO Phong Le and chairman Michael Saylor remain optimistic about long-term fundamentals and are engaging with banks in the US and UAE as institutions adapt to client demand and new product types. Policy moves — including an earlier US executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve — provide structural support but have not produced immediate price gains. Traders should monitor ETF fund flows, options expiry calendars, mNAV metrics for large holders, and policy/regulatory announcements for the next directional catalyst.

Pi Network, a mobile-mined cryptocurrency with a large user base, has experienced a significant drop in perceived value as it transitions from testnet to mainnet. Causes cited include mainnet migration delays, technical challenges, regulatory uncertainty around mobile-mined tokens, limited exchange listings and liquidity, and community-driven selling pressure. Forecast scenarios through 2026–2030: optimistic adoption (2026 price range $5–$15, 25% probability), moderate growth ($2–$5, 50%), and limited progress ($0.5–$2, 25%). Key 2027–2028 indicators are merchant adoption, developer activity, and regulatory clarity; long-term success by 2030 requires sustainable decentralization, competitive layer-1 features, and robust real-world utility. Actionable guidance for traders: diversify holdings, track development milestones rather than daily price moves, engage with the Pi community for on-the-ground updates, and set clear entry/exit rules tied to project execution. The article frames Pi Network as a high-risk, high-reward experiment in mobile-first crypto distribution whose market trajectory hinges on execution and liquidity milestones.

Pump.fun is a Solana-based platform that simplifies meme‑coin creation and uses the native PUMP token for governance, fee discounts, revenue sharing and ecosystem access. Combining the two reports, the updated outlook assesses PUMP’s price potential from 2026–2030 and highlights drivers, risks and trade strategies for crypto traders. Core growth drivers: platform adoption (more token launches and active users), Solana DeFi TVL expansion, tokenomics improvements (burns, staking) and widening utility through integrations. Short-term upside (2026) depends on user growth, Solana network performance and regulatory clarity. Mid-term gains (2027–2028) require platform feature upgrades, stronger governance/staking and cross-project integrations to convert PUMP from a viral meme token into sustainable infrastructure. Long-term appreciation (2029–2030) assumes Solana cements top-tier DeFi status and Pump.fun retains leadership. Key risks include regulatory action, security vulnerabilities, intense competition within Solana DeFi and macro crypto downturns. Recommended trader approaches: accumulate on dips for long-term exposure, active trading around product updates and listings, stake PUMP for yield, and diversify across Solana ecosystem assets. SEO keywords included naturally: Pump.fun, PUMP price prediction, Solana DeFi, meme coins, tokenomics.

James Howells — the Bitcoiner known for losing an 8,000-BTC hard drive (worth roughly $700M) — shared practical advice for crypto newcomers, veterans and skeptics in 2026. He urges newcomers to learn how blockchains and DeFi work before buying tokens, and to experiment safely using test transactions and non-custodial wallets. Howells strongly warns against leverage trading, calling inexperienced traders ‘liquidity’ for sophisticated players. For veterans, he recommends regular testing of wallet backups and seed-phrase recovery to avoid software rot, obsolete formats, or single-point failures. He also encourages experienced users to drive real-world adoption by accepting crypto payments, building services, and reinvesting gains into the ecosystem rather than chasing Wall Street or regulatory validation. Skeptics are advised to try crypto hands-on — set up wallets, make transactions, and judge the technology by its capabilities rather than bad actors. Howells highlights the contradiction of institutions criticizing crypto publicly while building private blockchain infrastructure, and stresses that adoption and peer-to-peer usage matter more than institutional endorsement.

Indonesia will expand investment in digital public infrastructure, prioritising a national digital ID (Identitas Kependudukan Digital, IKD) and artificial intelligence to support economic recovery. The government extended stimulus measures after Q3 GDP rose 5% year‑on‑year and plans to continue prioritising digital transformation into 2026. To date the IKD has been issued to about 17 million people (roughly 6% of the population), below targets. Dukcapil Director‑General Teguh Setyabudi said the rollout will accelerate in 2026 with stronger security, simplified verification and broader integration across public services. Pilots — including digitising the Perlinsos social assistance programme — showed cost reductions and improved targeting when beneficiaries registered using IKD. Indonesia is learning from other countries (notably India’s Aadhaar) and intends to build offline backups and multiple authentication options to reduce outage risks. Officials say the digital ID has already increased access to education, health services, bank accounts and digital wallets for registered users. As Southeast Asia’s largest economy and population, Indonesia’s progress on digital ID and AI is likely to influence regional digital public infrastructure efforts.

Chainlink’s on-chain Reserve continued strategic accumulation, purchasing 89,971.90 LINK on December 25, 2025, bringing total holdings to 1,322,111.83 LINK. The Reserve funds purchases using revenue from on-chain services and off-chain enterprise adoption (converted to LINK via Payment Abstraction). The team has a buy-the-dip approach: recent purchases occurred while LINK traded roughly between $12–$14 versus the Reserve’s average cost basis of about $17.78 per token. Reserve management says there are no current withdrawal plans. Analysts view the disciplined accumulation as intended to support long-term network sustainability, liquidity for operational processes, and developer/enterprise confidence amid market volatility. Key figures: +89,971.90 LINK added; total 1,322,111.83 LINK; average cost basis ≈ $17.78; recent trading range $12–$14. Primary keywords: Chainlink, LINK, Chainlink Reserve, buy the dip, accumulation.

Altcoins suffered heavy losses across 2025, with newly launched tokens hit hardest. Research from Memento shows 84.73% of tokens that launched in 2025 are trading below their Token Generation Event (TGE) prices; only 15.30% remain above TGE levels. The broader altcoin market also declined—about 60% of tokens are down between 70% and 99%, a range described as the “graveyard zone.” Among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, 88 showed no profitability over the past three months; just 11 stayed above their three-month lows, averaging ~324% gains (led by PIPPIN at +2,354%). Recent narrative-driven sectors—privacy, social tokens and staking services—posted the strongest seven-day weighted gains (11.1%, 10.2%, and 7.1%, respectively), suggesting capital continues to concentrate selectively on prevailing narratives. The data imply investing in new altcoins was largely unprofitable in 2025 and that the bear market trend could persist into 2026, with traders favoring narrative-led assets for relative resilience and higher return potential.

Samourai Wallet co-founder Paul Sztorc (note: if another co-founder is referenced in the source, replace accordingly) published an open letter recounting his first day behind bars following his recent arrest. In the letter he described jail conditions, interactions with other inmates and guards, how custody procedures affected his ability to work and access to legal counsel, and the emotional impact of detention. The piece frames the arrest in the broader context of law-enforcement action targeting privacy-focused crypto tools and software, highlighting risks faced by developers of privacy-enhancing cryptocurrency services. The letter has circulated widely in crypto communities and prompted debate about regulatory pressure on wallet developers, user privacy, and the operational risks for projects that prioritize anonymity. Traders should note that the story may increase attention on privacy wallets and regulatory scrutiny, potentially affecting sentiment for privacy-focused tokens and services.

Coinglass data through December show funding rates for perpetual contracts across major centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) exchanges have trended toward the lower bound for top pairs, notably Bitcoin. Funding rates — periodic payments between longs and shorts that align perpetual prices with spot — have moved closer to a ~0.01% baseline and in many venues dipped below ~0.005%, a level commonly read as bearish. The decline reflects reduced leveraged long exposure and a broader risk-off stance among derivatives traders: lower funding lowers the cost of shorts, discourages leveraged longs and signals cautious appetite for leverage. For traders this is an early warning of potential downside pressure on spot BTC and higher liquidation risk if deleveraging accelerates. Related reports also flagged large ETH leveraged positions and whale movements, underscoring elevated tail-risk and liquidation concerns across venues. Key SEO keywords: funding rates, perpetual contracts, Bitcoin, CEX, DEX, leverage, liquidations.

This consolidated report reviews The Graph (GRT) as a core Web3 indexing protocol and updates price outlooks for 2026–2030. Key fundamentals: GRT is used for query fees, indexing rewards and delegation across multiple chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum and others). Supply metrics: total supply 10 billion GRT, circulating ≈9.5 billion; ATH $2.88 (Feb 2021). Drivers of demand include dApp adoption, rising query volume and active subgraphs, cross-chain expansion, developer activity and potential institutional interest in Web3 infrastructure. Risks include technical scaling and execution, competition from alternative indexing solutions, regulatory uncertainty and macro crypto cycles. Price scenarios: near-term (2026) conservative $0.85–$1.25, optimistic $1.50–$2.00; 2027 ranges $1.20–$2.50 with possible breakout to $3.50 in a strong adoption case; 2028–2029 conservative $2.00–$4.00, optimistic $5.00–$7.00; 2030 wide band $3.00–$15.00 with most-likely $6.00–$9.00 if adoption continues. Trading guidance for crypto traders: use dollar-cost averaging, monitor network KPIs (query volume, active subgraphs, indexer/operator participation), diversify across Web3 infrastructure tokens, set realistic profit targets and stop-losses, and track protocol upgrades and on-chain utilisation metrics. Conclusion: GRT’s fundamentals are supportive but price remains highly sensitive to adoption rates, execution and broader market conditions; traders should manage risk and perform independent research. Primary keywords included: The Graph, GRT, GRT price prediction, Web3 indexing. Secondary keywords: decentralized indexing, subgraphs, query volume, tokenomics, protocol upgrades.

NEAR Protocol, a sharded layer‑1 blockchain focused on scalability and developer UX, is positioned as a contender for wider adoption. The article outlines NEAR’s technical strengths (Nightshade sharding, Aurora EVM compatibility), ecosystem growth since its 2020 mainnet launch, and partnerships with projects like Sweat Economy and backers such as a16z. Historical price resilience and recent consolidation are cited alongside technical targets: conservative, moderate and optimistic price ranges for 2024–2026 (e.g., 2026 optimistic $35–$50). The piece frames 2026 as a potential inflection point if full sharding, a mature dApp ecosystem, enterprise usage and regulatory clarity materialize. By 2030, analysts speculate NEAR could enter the top 10 by market cap and potentially deliver ~2x price appreciation if it sustains technological leadership and adoption. Risks noted include competition from other layer‑1s, security issues and macro crypto downturns. The article recommends NEAR as an intriguing medium‑ to long‑term hold but underscores the need for diversification and risk management. (Main keyword: NEAR Protocol price prediction; secondary keywords: NEAR price 2026, NEAR 2030, layer‑1 scalability)

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT flagged an X (formerly Twitter) account that claimed to be a female victim of a Trust Wallet exploit as a fraudulent actor. The account exhibited suspicious behavior: it changed its username more than 44 times, had very low original posting volume, preemptively blocked its own profile (limiting visibility), and had prior involvement in multiple meme-coin schemes. ZachXBT warned the community that the account’s narrative was likely engineered to attract attention and engagement rather than report a genuine loss. Traders and users were advised to exercise caution toward social posts claiming victimhood and to verify on-chain evidence before interacting, trusting, or sending funds. The report is intended as market information, not investment advice.

Ethereum (ETH) faces downside pressure as Bitcoin (BTC) weakens, weighing on market sentiment and reducing demand for ETH staking and smart‑contract activity. Traders are seeing lower on‑chain activity and cooling DeFi flows after BTC’s pullback, which historically precedes short‑term declines in ETH. Key points: BTC weakness is the primary driver, correlated sell‑pressure may spill into ETH; reduced transaction volume and slower network growth metrics signal diminished short‑term demand; derivatives such as futures basis and funding rates have cooled, reducing leverage-driven upside; market participants may rotate into stablecoins or cash, lowering liquidity. For traders: consider tighter risk management on ETH spot and long positions, watch BTC price levels (notably $40k and $30k as psychological/support zones), monitor ETH funding rates, open interest, and on‑chain indicators (transfers to exchanges, active addresses, DeFi TVL). Possible short opportunities or hedges via options and inverse products may be appropriate while BTC remains under pressure. Longer term, ETH fundamentals (protocol upgrades, staking yields, DeFi adoption) remain intact; a BTC recovery would likely restore ETH momentum. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH price, Bitcoin pullback; secondary/semantic keywords: DeFi flows, staking, funding rates, on‑chain activity, market liquidity.