Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA) are highlighted by analysts as candidates to reach $100 billion market valuations by early 2026. Solana, with a market cap near $68 billion, is expected to benefit from the Alpenglow protocol upgrade — moving transaction finalization from seconds to milliseconds and increasing block capacity — and from early institutional activity such as two U.S. banks settling USDC on Solana and Visa’s continued stablecoin efforts on the network. Cardano, with a market cap around $12.7 billion, would require far larger price appreciation but could be supported by its privacy-focused sidechain Midnight and a planned bridge to Solana that could access roughly $95 billion in DeFi liquidity. Regulatory developments are also pivotal: the U.S. CLARITY Act progressing through the Senate could clarify ADA’s status as a commodity and pave the way for potential Cardano ETF approvals. Analysts cite technical upgrades, growing institutional integrations and regulatory clarity as the decisive drivers for valuation upside, while warning of the usual high volatility and risks in crypto markets.

Solstice and Cor Prime executed the first institutional stablecoin-for-stablecoin repurchase agreement (repo) on a public blockchain, settling via Membrane’s post-trade infrastructure. The deal used tokenised USD stablecoins — one as collateral to borrow another — creating a collateralised short-term loan structure familiar to TradFi but settled atomically on-chain through smart contracts and identity-verified institutional addresses. Key outcomes: it proved technical feasibility for institutional-grade, on-chain cash-management primitives; reduced settlement times and counterparty risk through collateralisation and atomic settlement; and demonstrated a regulated-friendly model for custody, KYC/AML and auditability. Traders should note implications for capital efficiency (stablecoin holders can obtain liquidity without off‑ramping to fiat), 24/7 liquidity management, and potential reductions in fiat banking frictions. The pilot could accelerate development of decentralized repo markets and broader TradFi–DeFi integration, potentially unlocking trapped liquidity and changing institutional treasury operations if adoption widens.

Bitget has launched a new PoolX cycle offering a 3:1 unlock ratio: participants lock 1 BTC to unlock 3 BTC, with a per-user lock limit of 50 BTC. The lock window runs from 18:00 on Dec 27, 2025 to 18:00 on Jan 2, 2026 (UTC+8). Eligible users who record a net-positive BTC deposit during the event will receive a 5% BTC wealth-management coupon after PoolX ends. First-time PoolX participants who meet the net-deposit requirement by 19:00 on Jan 1, 2026 (UTC+8) qualify for an additional 10% BTC coupon. Net deposits must be completed by the Jan 1 cutoff to receive the first-time bonus. Key trader takeaways: large short-term yield incentives (3x unlock ratio and coupon rewards) that could shift BTC flows into Bitget custody, a 50 BTC per-user cap limiting concentration risk, and a deposit cutoff (Jan 1) that may concentrate inflows before that time. Primary keywords: Bitget, PoolX, BTC, Bitcoin yield. Secondary keywords: lock-up, liquidity program, wealth-management coupon, net deposit. This concise briefing highlights timing, eligibility, caps and potential market flow effects for traders evaluating short-term BTC liquidity and yield opportunities.

In 2025 the crypto ecosystem refocused on custody, counterparty and regulatory risk after major incidents and policy moves. A high-profile early-year theft from Bybit — reported at about $1.4 billion and attributed to a North Korea–linked actor — intensified scrutiny of exchange custody controls, multisignature procedures and counterparty exposure. Policymakers advanced the GENIUS Act, clarifying stablecoin issuance, reserve requirements and audit standards, while efforts to standardize crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) sought to broaden institutional access and improve market pricing. Year-end developments included cross-border regulatory coordination, national trust-bank pilots for digital asset services, and listings on exchanges such as HKEX, all reinforcing governance and operational controls. The cycle closed with increased enforcement actions, highlighting that custody failures and weak governance can trigger material market risk and regulatory response. Primary keywords: Bybit hack, stablecoin regulation, GENIUS Act, custody risk. Secondary/semantic keywords: exchange security, ETP standardization, counterparty risk, North Korea-linked theft, HKEX listings. Relevance for traders: monitor exchange custody updates, stablecoin reserve/audit disclosures, and regulatory announcements — these drive liquidity, counterparty confidence and pricing for BTC and broader crypto markets.

AI-driven forecasts from an ensemble of Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 2.5 Flash and GPT-4o indicate a modest near-term outlook for Hedera (HBAR) into the end of 2025 and early 2026. At publication HBAR traded at $0.1157 (market cap $4.95B, 24h volume $107.09M), up ~4.9% over 24 hours and ~6.1% for the week. Finbold’s aggregated AI projection for the period ending 31 Dec 2025 averaged $0.115 (≈ -1.33% from the quoted level). Model outcomes diverged: Claude Sonnet 4 showed a potential +6.27% upside while Gemini 2.5 Flash outlined a -6.63% downside, reflecting elevated short-term volatility. Analysts note seasonal dynamics: HBAR historically averages ~38% gains in January, which may attract anticipatory buying, while year-end tax-loss harvesting can exert selling pressure. Key technical level: holding above $0.115 support through Dec 27–30 could signal absorption of tax-driven selling and set up a January rebound. For traders, the data suggests a cautious approach—expect heightened volatility, watch the $0.115 support zone, and position sizing should account for divergent AI scenarios and seasonality.

A record $27.14 billion of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options expire tomorrow in the largest quarterly settlement ever for crypto derivatives. Most exposure clusters around Bitcoin’s current price near $85,000, with heavy call open interest near $90,000 and significant put interest around $85,000. Dealers and market makers have been hedging gamma risk through spot and futures trades, which likely compressed Bitcoin’s trading range between roughly $85K and $90K and suppressed volatility. Once the options expire, hedging activity should unwind, reducing mechanical liquidity flows and potentially increasing short-term volatility as price reacts more directly to spot order flow. Analysts are monitoring the $80,000–$82,000 area and the post-expiry sessions to determine whether the recent consolidation reflects accumulation or distribution. Traders should watch for increased intraday moves, shifting liquidity, and rapid directional responses near the noted levels.

Gate Web3 today launched a BountyDrop ForeGate airdrop via the Gate Web3 App. Users can join from the app’s "Activities" page and complete tasks in the BountyDrop module. Among all task completers, 500 participants will be randomly selected to share a 5,000 USDT prize pool. Separately, Gate Web3 is running a New Year "Opening Bonus" event from December 25, 2025 to January 7, 2026: users who complete a first-time trade above a specified amount (Swap or Web3 DEX) on the Gate app will receive a guaranteed random airdrop reward and reimbursement of first-trade gas fees. Additionally, users whose cumulative Swap volume reaches thresholds can unlock tiered cash rewards. Gate Web3 positions itself as a multi-chain wallet connecting 100+ chains and thousands of DApps; BountyDrop is its in-app earn-and-discover section where simple tasks can yield airdrops or lottery entries. This campaign may boost on-chain activity, user engagement and Swap/Dex volumes on Gate’s platform in the short term. (Note: content is market information, not investment advice.)

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes purchased 1.85 million LDO tokens on Binance, totaling approximately $1.03 million, according to on-chain tracker Onchain Lens. The transaction was reported by PANews and flagged as market information only. No additional context about the purpose of the purchase or subsequent moves was provided. Key details: buyer — Arthur Hayes; venue — Binance; asset — LDO (Lido DAO token); quantity — 1,850,000 LDO; value — ~$1.03 million. Traders should note this sizable allocation by a prominent crypto figure, which could signal conviction in LDO but lacks further on-chain signals about holding period or selling intent.

Solar (SXP) plunged 13.02% on Binance spot over 24 hours as thin order books amplified selling, leaving the token in the lower half of its daily range (~$0.0606–0.0654). Trust Wallet Token (TWT) staged a 10.5% intraday rebound from its low, but remains weak on 1‑ and 3‑month horizons after a recent Chrome‑extension exploit and profit‑taking. Several mid‑caps — API3, ACA, BIFI and LAYER — showed “wick up then fade” intraday profiles, spiking then selling off and ending 10–20% below intraday highs, a pattern consistent with exit‑liquidity in a shallow market rotating back to majors. Analysts note the moves reflect a grinding sell‑off rather than forced liquidations; SXP’s USD weakness will likely persist versus Bitcoin if BTC dominance holds. Base case into year‑end: macro flows and Bitcoin ETF positioning keep BTC strength and pressure altcoins. Tactical short‑term: TWT can see a 10–15% USD squeeze into Dec 31 on short covering, but structural underperformance versus BTC is probable without a BTC pullback.

Aave’s governance dispute escalated after an ARFC proposal to transfer brand assets (domains, social accounts, naming rights) from Aave Labs to the DAO was decisively rejected (≈994,800 against vs ~63,000 for) with a large abstention (~41%). The conflict followed community claims that Aave Labs rerouted front‑end swap fee flows when switching aggregators (ParaSwap → CowSwap), potentially diverting substantial revenue away from the DAO — estimates suggested up to ~$200k weekly. Founder Stani Kulechov defended Aave Labs, noting the DAO generated roughly $140M this year and saying his $10–15M AAVE spot buy was not used to influence votes. Market reaction was immediate: a major holder executed a programmed sell of ~230,000 AAVE (≈$38M notional), crystallizing heavy selling pressure after buying earlier at higher prices. AAVE price fell roughly 20% during the week (from high $180s to mid $140s), with perp funding turning negative and volatility spiking. Aave Labs has initiated an ARFC snapshot to resolve brand-control issues while pledging clearer communications on value delivery to the DAO. For traders: expect elevated volatility and downside risk in the short term — key support sits around $140–$142; a decisive break lower would likely accelerate exits, while governance clarity, a large buyer, or institutional fixes would be needed to restore confidence and remove the governance discount.

Ripple’s XRP surged to a $3.65 all-time high in July 2025 but has declined nearly 50% to trade below $1.90 by late December 2025. Despite Ripple’s legal victory over the SEC, major partnerships, and acquisitions (including Hidden Road), XRP fell after July and continued downward even after the launch of spot XRP ETFs in mid-November, which failed to prevent a 20%+ drop. ChatGPT suggests key steps for XRP to reach a stronger position by Christmas 2026: 1) Technical recovery — break the long-term downtrend by reclaiming $2.20, holding above $2.50, and targeting a $3.00–$3.20 retest with strong volume; 2) Convert ETF inflows into sustained market impact via larger, consistent ETF and institutional inflows and participation from firms like BlackRock or Fidelity; 3) Strengthen narratives — spotlight payments, real-world tokenization, enterprise adoption, or ETF growth; 4) Improve on-chain utility — increase settlement volume, production use of XRP liquidity, and expand On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) corridors and enterprise integrations. For traders, the piece highlights key price levels, the importance of ETF flows vs. spot price action, and the need to watch on-chain adoption metrics and institutional moves as catalysts for medium- to long-term upside.

China’s Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) published an Implementation Plan for high‑quality digital finance in the banking and insurance sector aimed at boosting advanced manufacturing supply chains. The plan prioritizes stronger credit support for manufacturers undergoing digital transformation and promotes standardized supply‑chain finance using blockchain and big data to serve upstream and downstream firms. It also urges financial institutions to pilot emerging technologies in finance — including blockchain, quantum computing, and Beidou satellite services — and immersive tools such as VR/AR to improve risk governance, data security and interoperability. The initiative seeks to widen capital access across the manufacturing value chain and encourage cross‑sector collaboration between finance and industry. Key themes: digital finance, supply‑chain finance, blockchain, Beidou, quantum computing, manufacturing support.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz warned crypto wallet manufacturers against forcing mandatory or hurried software and firmware updates. In an X post, Schwartz argued that mandatory updates or urgent prompts can pressure users to skip verification steps, increasing susceptibility to phishing, fake updates and user errors that may permanently damage devices. He advised wallet makers to notify users of available updates but allow them to install at a convenient, unpressured time unless the update addresses an immediate, critical threat. The comment followed a Trezor warning about a potential scam and aligns with broader crypto security practices emphasising user control and careful verification. Primary keywords: crypto wallet updates, firmware updates, wallet security. Secondary/semantic keywords: hardware wallet, phishing risk, user UX, forced updates.

2025 was defined by a sequence of market-moving events that accelerated crypto’s integration with traditional finance and exposed structural risks. Major incidents included a Feb. 24 Bybit hack (~$1.4B) tied by US authorities to North Korea-linked actors, which refocused attention on custody and counterparty operational risk. In April, tariff-driven risk-off moves showed crypto behaving as a high-beta macro asset, sensitive to global policy and liquidity. The US GENIUS Act (signed July 18) created a federal framework for dollar “payment stablecoins,” tightening reserve, disclosure and oversight rules. Stablecoins gained institutional footing: Circle pursued a public offering and issuers increasingly positioned tokens as payments infrastructure. In September, US regulators approved generic listing standards for commodity-based trust shares, streamlining spot crypto ETP listings and broadening market access. October saw peak euphoria — Bitcoin briefly topped $125,000 amid record ETP inflows, then a rapid correction triggered over $19 billion in leveraged liquidations. By December, crypto firms (e.g., Circle, Ripple) progressed toward national trust bank approvals in the US; UK and Hong Kong regulators moved to strengthen frameworks and listings (HashKey IPO on HKEX raised $206M). The Terra/LUNA saga concluded with Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years. Key takeaways for traders: operational and custody risk is central; crypto increasingly moves with macro risk and liquidity; stablecoins are shifting into regulated financial infrastructure; wider access has amplified leverage-driven volatility. Relevant stats: Bybit theft ~$1.4B, Bitcoin peak >$125,000, >$19B liquidations, HashKey IPO $206M. (Main keyword: crypto events 2025.)

Trust Wallet confirmed a security incident in its Chrome browser extension version 2.68 after on-chain investigator ZachXBT reported multiple user wallets drained on Dec 25. The attacker injected malicious code in an extension update, draining approximately $6–7 million in user funds. Cybersecurity firm PeckShield estimated over $6M stolen, with roughly $2.8M still in hacker-controlled addresses and more than $4M moved to centralized platforms including KuCoin, HTX, ChangeNOW and FixedFloat. Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who holds a majority stake in Trust Wallet, said the company will cover losses for affected users. Trust Wallet advised web-extension users to disable the extension immediately, enable Chrome Developer mode to inspect, and upgrade to version 2.69 — mobile wallet users and other extension versions are not affected. Independent investigators are collecting theft addresses to trace on-chain flows; affected users should contact Trust Wallet support. Trader actions: check your Trust Wallet extension version, disable and update if on 2.68, move high-value assets to cold wallets, avoid interacting with suspicious extension prompts, and monitor on-chain flows and exchange deposits tied to the exploit.

China’s central bank (PBOC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) have issued a notice to roll out a pilot program nationwide allowing multinational companies to operate integrated cash pools that combine RMB and foreign-currency balances. The move aims to simplify intra-group capital collection and usage, deepen financial opening, and support high-quality development of the real economy. The notice excludes financial institutions, local government financing vehicles and real estate companies from participating in cash-pool operations, except where a finance company acts as the sponsoring enterprise. This policy expands on earlier regional pilots and is intended to improve cross-border treasury efficiency for multinational corporate groups.

The article outlines ’Big Ideas 2026’ concentrating on new infrastructure primitives expected to shape the next phase of Web3 and crypto ecosystems. It highlights emerging foundational components—such as modular execution layers, shared settlement rails, composable data availability, and on-chain identity primitives—that aim to reduce costs, improve scalability, and enable new classes of decentralized applications. The piece discusses how these primitives can decouple execution from settlement, foster interoperability between chains, and support richer developer experiences. Key stakeholders include protocol teams, layer-2 builders, infrastructure providers, and developer communities; no specific companies or tokens are singled out. The article emphasizes technical trends rather than market metrics, forecasting gradual adoption across 2026 driven by developer tooling, standardized APIs, and increased capital into infrastructure. For traders, the most relevant takeaways are: potential rotational flows into infrastructure and layer-2 tokens as adoption signals appear, sustained interest in projects enabling interoperability and data availability, and the likelihood of longer-term volatility around major protocol upgrades. Primary keywords: infrastructure primitives, Web3 infrastructure, modular execution. Secondary keywords: layer-2, data availability, interoperability, on-chain identity.

MEXC has launched an "ETH & SOL Stake-to-Earn" staking event offering 20% APR for a seven-day lock-up. The promotion opened on December 24, 2025 (10:00 UTC) and is available to users who have completed Primary KYC verification. Two product tiers target different portfolio sizes: ETH staking requires 2–35 ETH, and SOL staking requires 40–770 SOL. Both tiers carry the same seven-day lock and 20% APR. MEXC positions the event as part of its broader effort to expand passive-earning options alongside its zero-fee trading initiatives. The exchange, founded in 2018 and serving over 40 million users across 170+ countries, says it will continue launching user-focused activities. For full details, users are directed to MEXC’s official event page. Primary keywords: MEXC staking, ETH staking, SOL staking; secondary/semantic keywords: 20% APR, 7-day lock-up, stake-to-earn, zero-fee trading.

CME Group surpassed Binance to become the dominant venue for crypto derivatives by 2024–2025, marking a shift from retail-driven to institutional-led markets. CoinGlass data highlighted rising CME open interest and volumes, driven by institutional hedging, basis (cash-and-carry) trades and delta-neutral strategies tied to spot BTC ETFs. Leveraged funds held approximately 14,000 net-short contracts (~115,985 BTC) to hedge ETF inventories; annualized basis spiked to 20–25% in November 2024 before normalizing after deleveraging. In 2025 CME expanded its lead in BTC futures and approached Binance in ETH derivatives. Binance remained the largest derivatives platform by total volume (29.3% market share, $25.09 trillion annualized; ~$77.45bn daily average in 2025), retaining dominance in high-leverage retail trading. OKX, Bybit and Bitget formed a solid second tier; the top four exchanges controlled 62.3% of market volume. The report notes platform consolidation: large exchanges widening their liquidity advantage while smaller venues lose share. Key implications include increased institutional participation via regulated spot ETFs, futures and options, the normalization of cash-and-carry and basis trades among hedge funds, and a structural shift in market drivers from retail leverage to institutional desks.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has shifted focus from exchange operations to mentoring, investing and building the BNB Chain ecosystem in 2025. His priorities are Giggle Academy (education), YZi Labs (investment/mentorship), a $1bn Builder Fund for DeFi/AI/RWA/biotech, and advising policymakers. On‑chain metrics show BNB Chain activity rising: daily active addresses around 2 million, on‑chain transaction volume up ~600% year‑on‑year, and BNB price volatility with key support near $1,100 and resistance at $1,330–1,370. Zhao promotes a “stablecoin 2.0” thesis — native, high‑liquidity, yield‑bearing stablecoins that differ from the dominant USDT model — and points to projects like Ethena and USD1, plus YZi Labs’ stakes in new designs. He also backs prediction markets (e.g., Probable, Opinion, Polymarket) and warns that shared alpha (sold trading strategies, subscription AI agents) erodes edge. For traders, the story highlights growing on‑chain liquidity and activity on BNB Chain, a concentrated BNB order‑book that creates clear liquidation levels, and a strategic push toward native yield‑bearing stablecoins that could change stablecoin flows and DeFi liquidity on BNB Chain.

Lugano has expanded its Plan ₿ program so residents and merchants can pay and accept municipal invoices and everyday purchases using Bitcoin (on‑chain or Lightning) and USDT. Payments route over Lightning or are processed by Bitcoin Suisse and are immediately converted to Swiss francs, with an embedded ~1% FX/processing fee; the city does not hold crypto on its balance sheet. The MyLugano app offers up to 10% LVGA token cashback at participating merchants; LVGA can be spent on municipal services, creating a city‑backed circular payments loop. Over 350 merchants accept Lightning payments and the Plan ₿ Forum attracted more than 4,000 attendees in October 2025, indicating growing real‑world usage. For traders, the rollout increases localized, persistent utility demand for BTC (more hot‑wallet receipts and Lightning onboarding) while creating steady sell‑side conversion pressure as receipts are flipped to CHF. Near‑term price impact is likely limited — liquidity, ETF flows and funding rates remain dominant drivers — but the initiative strengthens structural demand and broadens use‑case narratives that can support long‑term price floors for BTC.

Total cryptocurrency liquidations in 2025 reached about $154.6 billion, with the largest single-day wipeout near $19.1 billion, according to CoinGlass data. The headline figure is driven largely by one extreme October spike; for most of the year liquidations were moderate and frequent rather than systemic. Leverage remained a core market feature — overleveraged positions were the primary victims during high-volatility episodes triggered by positioning imbalances, macro shocks, policy headlines and regulatory rumors. Open interest generally rose with bullish moves and fell during corrections, suggesting capital rotated rather than fled. Trading volume increased in the second half of the year, indicating traders returned and adjusted risk after major events. The piece argues 2025 was a year of volatility and deleveraging — a market maturation process — rather than evidence of structural collapse. Key takeaways for traders: monitor leverage and positioning, watch open interest and volume for confirmed flows, and treat large single-day liquidation spikes as stress tests rather than proof of systemic failure.

CoinGecko’s year-end ranking for 2024 shows Real World Assets (RWA) as the top-performing crypto sector by investor returns. Using aggregated price-performance data across thousands of tokens grouped by narrative, CoinGecko ranked the top 10 sectors: 1) RWA, 2) Layer 1, 3) Made in USA, 4) Memecoins, 5) DeFi, 6) Layer 2, 7) AI, 8) DEX, 9) Solana ecosystem, 10) Gaming. Analysts attribute RWA’s lead to macro conditions (higher traditional yields), improved infrastructure and growing institutional participation from firms like BlackRock and JPMorgan exploring tokenization of bonds, real estate and commodities. The report signals a shift toward tokenized assets with measurable revenue models and regulatory compliance, while Layer 1/Layer 2 remain vital for scalability and memecoins retain retail interest. For traders, the data implies increased institutional flows into RWA-related tokens, possible reallocation away from pure speculation, and sustained interest in infrastructure plays. This is a market-maturation indicator rather than a zero-sum rotation among sectors.

Eden Miner has launched a mobile cloud-mining app that pools CPU cycles from participating Android smartphones into a shared cloud-mining hub, allowing users to earn proportional rewards without buying GPUs or ASICs. The service emphasizes low entry barriers and ease of use: install the app, opt in to share compute, register with email, deposit supported cryptocurrencies, and begin earning immediately. Packages start from low price points and use green-energy-powered data centers and rented compute capacity; security protections (McAfee®, Cloudflare®) and 24/7 multilingual support are provided. Rewards are credited daily in USD and can be withdrawn or reinvested after a minimum balance (reported at $100). The app targets casual miners, retail traders and users in regions with limited access to dedicated mining hardware, offering a passive-income route that monetizes idle devices. Key risks noted include variable profitability (depends on mined coin, network difficulty, fees, electricity and bandwidth), privacy and battery-consumption concerns, and the usual cloud-mining counterparty risks. For traders, Eden Miner expands retail access to mining rewards and may modestly increase retail selling pressure on coins mined if adoption scales, but profitability and net coin issuance effects will depend on which coins are mined and user withdrawal behavior.

Bitcoin (BTC) has pierced a long-standing downtrend line at the convergence with a rising major trendline, producing a candle close above the downtrend on short timeframe charts. Traders are watching for confirmation — ideally one confirmed candle above the downtrend and preferably two to three daily candle bodies — before treating the move as a legitimate breakout rather than a fakeout. The next significant resistance cluster sits near $90,000; a sustained break there would strengthen bullish conviction. On the weekly chart, a confirmed breakout could target the prior all‑time high and the eight‑year trendline, with a possible extended upside to around $130,000 if momentum continues. Key indicators such as the weekly Stochastic RSI currently point lower, so volume and follow-through are critical. If bears invalidate the breakout and price falls back below the trendlines, BTC could revisit major horizontal supports and face a prolonged consolidation or deeper correction. For traders: watch confirmation candles, volume, and the $90k horizontal level for entries or to manage risk. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC breakout, $90,000 resistance. Secondary keywords: trendline break, fakeout, weekly Stochastic RSI, volume confirmation.

Crouton Digital, an institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure provider based in Riga, raised $1 million in strategic funding to expand validator operations, public and private RPC endpoints, archive nodes, Node-as-a-Service (NaaS) and institutional staking products across 45+ networks. The firm is shifting from a validator-focused operator to a full-spectrum Web3 infrastructure provider, emphasizing bare-metal, multi-region deployments, internal telemetry, dashboards and high-availability architecture to support low-latency, high-throughput, mission-critical workloads during congestion, upgrades and peak usage. Crouton participates in early validator alignment and support programs for next-generation and existing protocols including Monad, Starknet, Somnia Network, Story Protocol, IOTA and Walrus, aiding incentivized testnets, mainnet launches and governance activation. The company holds a verified AAA (VSP) reliability rating from Staking Rewards and has begun SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 certification processes to meet institutional compliance expectations. Funding will be used to scale global multi-region validator operations, roll out RPC and archive node services, grow institutional staking offerings (delegation, white-label validators, reporting) and enhance observability and automated reliability tooling for protocols, funds, custodians and enterprise clients. Key SEO keywords: Crouton Digital, RPC nodes, Node-as-a-Service, institutional staking, validator operations.

Toncoin (TON) has been range-bound above the $1.45 support since testing a $1.42 low on Nov. 21. After a brief push above the 21-day SMA on Dec. 7, TON failed to sustain gains toward the 50-day SMA and was capped around $1.60–$1.49, then retraced to remain range-bound above $1.45. Short-term momentum has eased: moving averages on higher timeframes slope downward and price is trading under these averages, while the 4‑hour chart shows buyers repeatedly stalled at the 50‑day SMA. Key longer-term resistance zones cited are $4.00, $4.50 and $5.00; broader historical support levels mentioned include $3.50, $3.00 and $2.50. For traders, the critical near-term level is $1.45 — a decisive break below it would likely open a path to $1.17 and, in a deeper bearish scenario, toward prior lows near $0.70. The overall short-term outlook is neutral-to-bearish while TON stays compressed in this range; volatility and directional bias will depend on whether buyers can reassert above the 50‑day SMA or sellers force a break of $1.45. This is market commentary, not investment advice.

Bitcoin trades steadily above $88,600 as a record combined $27 billion of Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire on Deribit on December 26. The large expiry could clear hedging pressures that have kept BTC between $85K–$90K, potentially allowing ETF flows and institutional demand to more directly influence price. Ethereum sits near $2,962 while SOL and Uniswap show modest gains. Market volume remains low due to post-holiday conditions; traders expect renewed capital inflows as markets reopen fully toward year-end and into January. Notable developments: Lighter, a decentralized perpetual protocol and Ethereum Layer‑2, published audited source code ahead of a token generation event, increasing transparency. The article highlights 2025’s high liquidation totals (~$150–$154B) as a reminder of leverage risks. Key takeaways for traders: monitor options expiry delta and pinning effects, watch for relief in mechanical hedging, track ETF/institutional flows, and assess liquidity depth when hunting high‑upside altcoin opportunities in DeFi perpetuals, ZK scaling and high‑volume trading platforms.

Crypto analyst CryptoBull highlights a recurring pattern in XRP’s weekly chart: extended consolidations inside large wedge formations followed by sharp upward rallies. Historical wedges since 2014 preceded XRP’s biggest bull runs, including the 2017–2018 surge to $3.36 and the post-2024 breakout that led to a 500%+ rise and a July 2025 peak near $3.65. CryptoBull argues XRP has entered another wedge and is approaching the apex, implying an imminent explosive move if price breaks sustained long-term resistance. No firm price target was given. The analyst’s view aligns with broader market expectations that XRP could rally sharply in 2026, but legal, macro, or momentum risks could alter outcomes. This is informational and not financial advice.