Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bitcoin recovered from a weekly low of $86,561 to trade above $88,600 amid thin year-end liquidity, while spot BTC ETFs registered modest outflows — about $175 million on Wednesday — marking five straight days of net withdrawals. In DeFi, Aave’s contentious governance proposal to transfer control of brand assets and IP to a DAO-controlled entity was decisively rejected: 55.29% voted “NAY”, 41.21% abstained and only 3.5% supported it. The episode underscores governance risks in DAOs where timing, participation and escalation shape outcomes. Other market developments noted: Hyperliquid’s HYPE token is touted by Cantor Fitzgerald to potentially reach $200 by 2035 amid HIP-3 optimism; Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao urged wallet-level defenses against address poisoning after an investor lost roughly $50 million to a phishing-style scam; Ethena’s synthetic dollar USDe has seen about $8.3 billion in net outflows since an October liquidation event; and Uniswap’s long-awaited fee switch (UNIfication) passed the vote threshold and is set to burn 100 million UNI and enable a Protocol Fee Discount Auctions system. Market breadth was generally positive with many top-100 tokens finishing the week higher. Key metrics: BTC weekly low $86,561, rebound above $88,600; Aave vote: 55.29% NAY, 41.21% abstain, 3.5% YEA; spot BTC ETF outflows ~$175M (single day).

Silver surged past $75 per ounce amid a broader precious-metals rally, while gold traded above $4,500–$4,600 after setting fresh records. As of the session, silver reached $75.14 before settling near $74.6 and shows a roughly 158% year-to-date gain; gold rose to $4,516.50 (U.S. futures at $4,547.70) and is on track for its strongest annual gain since 1979, up about 72% YTD. Drivers include expectations of U.S. rate cuts, a weaker dollar, thin year-end liquidity, heightened geopolitical risk, central-bank purchases, ETF inflows, and structural supply tightness in silver (plus its U.S. critical-mineral status). Market commentary notes a possible long-term shift in the gold-to-silver ratio after decades of gold dominance. Analysts warn volatility may persist due to low liquidity and speculative flows; some forecasts project gold could target $5,000–$5,500 and silver approach $90 in 2026 if supply constraints continue. Key implications for traders: elevated momentum and rapid moves increase both upside opportunity and short-term risk; monitor liquidity, dollar/rates signals, ETF flows, and physical demand in China/India for trade entries and risk management.

Ethereum network activity has surged sharply from 2023 into 2024–2025, with transaction counts climbing toward the high end of historical scales. On-chain charts (growthepie data) show a steep rise in transactions since early 2024, though transaction count alone does not specify unique users or value transferred. Technically, analysts highlight a possible macro inverse head-and-shoulders reversal on ETH weekly charts: a left shoulder in late 2024, a deeper head in early 2025 and a prospective right shoulder after the mid-2025 peak. A rising neckline marks resistance — a decisive break above it would confirm a larger bullish reversal; failure to hold the right-shoulder area would invalidate the setup. Shorter-term indicators show ETH trading near its 50- and 200-day simple moving averages (50 SMA turning down toward the 200 SMA), with price stabilizing near the mid-range and the 14-day RSI at neutral levels. Together, the on-chain activity spike plus the weekly pattern and moving-average consolidation point to heavier network use while price sits at a critical decision zone for traders. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH, on-chain activity, inverse head and shoulders, breakout, moving averages. Secondary/semantic keywords: transaction count, weekly chart, RSI, SMA, network usage, breakout confirmation.

Hyperliquid and Digitap (TAP) are positioning for a shift in 2026 where banking-focused narratives may outcompete perpetual futures (perps) products. Hyperliquid, priced at $24 in the article, emphasizes integration with traditional banking rails, regulatory-compliant custody, and on-chain settlement features that aim to attract institutional capital. Digitap (TAP) targets high-leverage perp traders and retail liquidity through low fees and deep orderbooks. Key differences: Hyperliquid leans on banking partnerships, compliance, and fiat on/off ramps to capture institutional flows; Digitap focuses on derivatives volume and retail market share. The article argues that macro conditions expected in 2026 — tighter regulatory scrutiny, demand for regulated custody, and institutions seeking lower counterparty risk — favor platforms that bridge crypto and traditional finance. For traders, this suggests a potential rotation from leverage-driven perp venues to venues offering fiat rails and institutional-grade custody, which could reduce perp volumes and volatility while increasing demand (and potential price support) for tokens tied to regulated, bank-integrated platforms. Primary takeaways: 1) Market narrative may shift toward compliance and banking integration in 2026. 2) Perp-focused growth could slow if regulators clamp down on leveraged products or if institutions prefer bank-integrated platforms. 3) Short-term volatility may rise as traders reposition; longer-term liquidity and market depth could improve for bank-linked platforms. Relevant SEO keywords: Hyperliquid, Digitap, TAP, perpetual futures, perps, banking integration, institutional flows, crypto custody.

XRP dipped to $1.83 on Dec 26, 2025, then staged a mild rebound and was trading near $1.87. Short-term momentum is fragile: support sits at $1.80 (daily close below risks $1.70–$1.60) while immediate resistances are $1.94 and $1.98 — a break above $1.98 could push XRP toward $2.10–$2.20. ETF-driven interest provides background support but holiday liquidity and profit-taking limit bullish moves. 2026 price forecasts vary widely: CoinCodex predicts a narrow $1.84–$1.87 range; DigitalCoinPrice projects ~ $4.01 (average $3.59); WalletInvestor forecasts $2.53–$3.50 (average ~$3.02). Key drivers for 2026 performance include adoption, investor sentiment, broader crypto market trends, and liquidity conditions. Traders should watch $1.80 support and $1.98 breakout level for short-term entries and monitor on-chain adoption indicators and macro/ETF flows for longer-term conviction.

Equity’s podcast team forecasts major tech themes for 2026: the practical deployment of AI agents, blockbuster AI-related IPO candidates, and structural shifts in venture capital. AI agents—autonomous systems using world models for planning and interaction—are expected to move from hype to usable applications in robotics, autonomous systems and complex decision-making. Startups will shift away from stealth toward greater transparency and varied funding sources; “physical AI” (robots, AVs, smart infrastructure) will require different capital and safety considerations than software-only firms. OpenAI and Anthropic are highlighted as 2026 IPO candidates with estimated valuations of roughly $80–100B and $15–25B respectively, contingent on regulatory clarity, revenue growth and enterprise adoption. The podcast also notes entertainment industry pushback on AI-generated content and evolving IP/regulatory debates. Venture capital will face liquidity constraints, longer holding periods, more focus on profitability, and increased use of alternative funding, accelerating the rise of “AI-native” companies. For traders, the forecasts imply heightened market attention on AI equities and tokenized projects tied to robotics, AI infrastructure, and enterprise AI adoption—factors that may drive volatility around IPOs, regulatory decisions and funding announcements.

Exchange on-chain and perpetual futures data from analytics firm Alphractal indicate a notable shift in trading activity from Bitcoin (BTC) to Ethereum (ETH). BTC perpetual trade counts have fallen sharply from their August–November leveraged peak (historical single-day highs across ~19 exchanges) to a 7-day average near 13 million trades, while ETH trade activity remains higher — with a 7-day average around 17.5 million and a 2025 peak near 50 million trades. Alphractal ties the divergence to a post‑October liquidation-driven caution around Bitcoin leverage and records the largest open‑interest drawdown in BTC history, suggesting BTC is in a “reset” phase before institutional and whale demand returns. Short-term market metrics showed BTC trading near $88,875 with elevated volume (+43% 24h). For traders, the key takeaways are increased ETH perpetual flow and conviction versus reduced BTC leveraged activity, implying rotation of liquidity and short-term trader focus toward Ethereum.

Bitcoin fell intraday to $86,673 and was trading around $87,208 after partial recovery, according to CoinGecko. Prominent trader Josh Olszewicz (CarpeNoctom) warned that BTC is flirting with a weekly Ichimoku Cloud breakdown — a signal that the prevailing uptrend may be ending and that price could drop to the bottom of the cloud. He also flagged tax-loss harvesting as an additional source of selling pressure late in the year. Olszewicz noted the potential formation and breakdown of a bear flag pattern (a flag pole followed by sideways consolidation), which would indicate a further downside continuation if price breaks the flag’s lower boundary. Key keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, Ichimoku Cloud, bear flag, tax-loss harvesting, volatility. Traders should monitor weekly Ichimoku cloud support, bear-flag lower trendline, and year-end tax-driven selling for short-term downside risk and position sizing.

AI is rapidly transforming cybercrime by enabling highly convincing, personalized scams at scale. Security researchers estimate 50–75% of global phishing and spam now originate from AI systems that mimic company tone, reference public events and produce realistic voice and video impersonations. Dark web markets sell AI-powered hacking tools and subscriptions (e.g., WormGPT, FraudGPT, DarkGPT) with tiered pricing and support for as little as ~$90/month, lowering the barrier to entry. Experts from Carnegie Mellon, Google Threat Intelligence Group and industry firms (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Darktrace) warn criminal groups can automate targeting, reconnaissance and payload creation, making operations faster, smaller and more profitable. While fully autonomous attacks remain limited, AI has already replicated complex breaches in lab tests. Defenders are also using AI to scan code and find vulnerabilities, but human oversight remains required. For traders: increased AI-driven phishing and fraud raise operational risk for exchanges, custodians and DeFi platforms, potentially increasing short-term volatility if high-profile breaches occur and prompting tighter regulation and security spending in the medium term.

Silver and gold prices have continued to rise as investors seek safe havens amid growing recession and default concerns. Precious metals analysts say the rally reflects increasing risk aversion driven by economic slowdown signals, mounting corporate and sovereign debt worries, and volatility in other asset classes. Traders are watching safe-haven flows into gold and silver, noting stronger-than-expected demand that could persist if macro uncertainty deepens. Key takeaways: precious metals are outperforming amid risk-off sentiment; rising safe-haven demand may pressure risk assets; short-term price spikes could be followed by consolidation if inflation or policy expectations change. Primary keywords: gold, silver, safe-haven demand. Secondary keywords: recession fears, market volatility, risk-off, precious metals.

Trust Wallet confirmed a security incident in its Chrome browser extension v2.68 that led to roughly $7 million in funds being drained. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT first flagged suspicious drains after users imported seed phrases into the extension; researchers suspect a supply‑chain or malicious update introduced the vulnerability. Trust Wallet says the issue was isolated to v2.68 — mobile apps and other extension versions were not affected — and advised users to disable the extension immediately and update to v2.69. The company published an official update on Dec 26, is conducting internal audits, has not disclosed a full technical root cause, and warns users to ignore messages outside official channels to avoid follow‑on phishing scams. Trust Wallet has committed to fully refunding affected users and is finalising the refund process. Key trader actions: monitor TWT sentiment and on‑chain movements from drained wallets, avoid interacting with untrusted extensions, consider moving high‑value holdings to hardware wallets or multisig, and verify any refund instructions via official Trust Wallet channels. Primary keywords: Trust Wallet, browser extension security, $7M loss. Secondary/semantic keywords: supply‑chain attack, seed phrase compromise, refund, on‑chain draining, extension update.

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz says XRP’s resilience stems largely from sustained grassroots support from the “XRP Army,” rather than Wall Street capital. Novogratz argued on a podcast that strong community ownership keeps XRP visible through market cycles even as capital becomes more selective. He contrasted this with Bitcoin, where spot ETFs are reshaping supply dynamics: ETF inflows can absorb supply during volatility and create resistance around price bands (notably the $100,000 psychological/technical area). Legal expert Bill Morgan noted an “XRP ETF supply shock” has begun to materialize with surprising XRP-related investment product developments. Novogratz warned of macro risks — a sharp Nasdaq decline or AI-driven job losses could drag crypto markets down. The piece cites Ripple CTO David Schwartz’s point that XRP-denominated fees become cheaper in dollar terms as XRP price rises, potentially strengthening liquidity and security. Overall, the article frames XRP’s survival as community-driven while acknowledging ETF-driven structural changes in BTC markets and broader macro downside risks.

Ethereum (ETH) recorded an all-time high in on-chain usage on December 24, 2025, as seven-day average transactions climbed to about 1.73 million. The surge is attributed largely to Layer-2 rollups settling transactions on Ethereum, increased DeFi activity, and steady stablecoin transfers. This rise in network demand has occurred without major fee spikes, implying improved capacity and efficiency. Large holders (10,000–100,000 ETH wallets) have increased combined balances to over 21 million ETH, while exchange reserves have fallen by more than 4 million ETH in the past year. Offsetting these bullish supply signals, analysts reported roughly $1.4 billion of ETH moved into major exchanges (Kraken, Binance) within 48 hours — a pattern that can signal selling or defensive positioning. Price action remained muted: ETH traded near $2,950–$3,000, up <1% in 24 hours but down ~9% over two weeks and ~14% year-over-year. Traders watch the $3,100 resistance zone; a sustained break could target higher levels, while failure to hold support would increase downside risk. Greater transaction volume also raises EIP-1559 burn, gradually reducing supply growth—an often bullish structural factor—but short-term liquidity and exchange flows continue to dominate price direction.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading in a tight range between $80,000 (support) and $90,000 (resistance) as liquidity accumulates on both sides. Multiple failed attempts to clear the $90K resistance — a confluence of daily VWAP and the 0.618 Fibonacci level — have left price rotating lower toward untested resting liquidity nearer $80K. The market is in balance, volatility contracting and false breakouts likely until acceptance is achieved outside the range. A sustained close above $90,000 on strong volume would signal bullish continuation; a clean break below $80,000 would indicate acceptance lower and likely accelerate selling. Traders should watch volume, acceptance (closes) beyond the range, and liquidity clearings for trade signals.

Analysts predict 2026 will be a breakout year for crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as U.S. regulatory clarity and a likely easing of interest rates attract significant capital. Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas projects a base case of $15 billion in ETF inflows for 2026 and an upside of $40 billion if market conditions improve. Cointelegraph reporting cites expectations of over 100 new ETF filings and growing institutional adoption from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, registered investment advisers and endowments. Analysts note ETF holders provided structural price support to Bitcoin during recent drawdowns, with only 4% of assets redeemed during a 35% pullback. Forecasts include a potential doubling of altcoin ETFs in the U.S., broader product sets (staking-yield and rule-based index/basket funds), and crypto ETF assets under management potentially rising to $400 billion by year-end 2026. Key drivers named are passage of comprehensive U.S. legislation (e.g., the CLARITY Act), regulatory approvals, and potential Federal Reserve rate cuts that would favor risk asset inflows. Primary keywords: crypto ETF, Bitcoin ETF, ETF inflows. Secondary/semantic keywords: regulatory clarity, CLARITY Act, institutional allocation, staking yields, AUM growth.

Bitcoin faces the largest annual options expiry on December 26, 2025, with roughly $23.6–23.7 billion notional across about 300,000 BTC contracts and concentrated IBIT strikes near $85k–$100k. Thin holiday liquidity and strong gamma hedging have compressed price action into an $85k–$90k range. Market models and options desks indicate a likely initial squeeze toward $82k–$84k that could clear leveraged longs, followed by a rebound toward the $95k “max pain” level as market makers hedge flows. Historical expiries show mixed outcomes — some compress volatility before a post-expiry breakout (Dec 2023), others saw volatility rise (Mar/Sep 2024) — so outcomes vary. Macro drivers — US Treasury yields, Fed rate-cut timing, ETF inflows, and the April 2026 halving reducing supply — remain key background factors. Analysts flag elevated 5–7% intraday swings during the holiday expiry window and advise traders to reduce leverage, monitor open interest and liquidation heatmaps, and watch expiry flow and gamma levels for short-term trade setups. Primary technical levels: support around $80k–$82k; resistance/trigger near $90k and $95k. Net implication for traders: expect short-term volatility around the expiry with potential for a January rally as hedges unwind, but remain cautious of a March bull-trap and avoid over-leveraging.

Pi Network released about 8.7 million PI tokens into circulation on Dec. 25, a scheduled unlock worth roughly $1.76 million at current prices. The distribution was the largest scheduled release in December and comes amid plans that could add ~54.7 million PI tokens (≈ $11.07 million) to circulating supply later in the month. PI traded near $0.203 at the time of reporting, down from a November high of $0.279 and slightly above an annual low of $0.192. Circulating supply is listed at ~8.37 billion PI with a market cap near $1.72 billion. Trading liquidity is concentrated on a limited number of exchanges. Concurrently, Pi Network reported holiday commerce participation from more than 125,000 merchants accepting PI for goods and services and is rolling out an updated wallet UI to selected users and business accounts. Open Mainnet activity continues with over 215 apps in the ecosystem. Primary keywords: Pi Network, PI token, token unlock, circulating supply. Secondary/semantic keywords: merchant adoption, wallet update, liquidity, market cap, token distribution.

The US dollar (DXY) fell 0.8% this week and is set for its largest weekly decline since June, with an approximate 8% drop for 2025 — its biggest yearly fall since 2017. Weakening inflation and jobs data expectations have pushed markets to price in additional Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026. Ten-year Treasury yields eased to about 4.12% amid steady buying, and traders now put nearly a 90% probability on no change at the next Fed meeting, while still expecting at least two more 25 basis-point cuts by mid‑2026. Risk-sensitive currencies — notably the Australian dollar (AUD) and Norwegian krone — outperformed the dollar. Equities remained robust: the S&P 500 hit new all-time highs during light holiday volumes, marking the fourth winning week in five. Market positioning reflects lower liquidity and a Santa Claus rally; analysts note gains were led by financials and industrials rather than purely tech. Key takeaways for traders: the dollar weakness increases carry and risk-on flows, may lift crypto and equities in the near term, and makes FX pairs with USD base weaker; watch upcoming US jobs and inflation data for potential volatility and signs that would alter the Fed cuts pricing.

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz warned that community loyalty alone will not sustain tokens like XRP and ADA through the 2025 market cycle; projects must demonstrate measurable real-world utility and revenue models. Novogratz contrasted Bitcoin’s distinct valuation as money with other chains that will be valued like businesses, driven by revenues, profits and platform usage. He singled out XRP and Cardano (ADA) as examples facing pressure to move beyond narrative and prove business use cases such as cross-border payments, enterprise adoption and protocol fee generation. Key metrics traders should watch include transaction fee revenue, protocol revenue distribution, enterprise partnerships, developer activity and on-chain usage. Novogratz noted market maturation — greater institutional participation and regulatory scrutiny — is shifting capital toward assets with demonstrable economic substance and management quality. He cited token models with clear, equity-like value (e.g., tokens using buybacks/burns tied to profits) as increasingly favored. Galaxy Digital’s internal tracking shows divergence between genuinely adopted networks and those reliant on community momentum; historical cycles (like many 2017 ICO tokens fading) support the view that projects with real use cases hold up better. For traders, the takeaway is to prioritize fundamentals — measurable usage, partnership announcements, on-chain revenue metrics and developer engagement — when assessing XRP and ADA exposure ahead of the next cycle. This is not trading advice; investors should do independent research.

As the crypto market approaches the 2026 cycle, influencers remain important drivers of sentiment and short-term narratives. The article advises traders to treat influencer commentary as an input — not direct financial advice — and to prioritise voices that combine technical analysis, education, and consistent accuracy. It highlights technical analysts (notably Crypto Rover, @CryptoRover) who provide chart-based signals and market psychology insight, and stresses the value of educational creators who explain tokenomics, network utility and regulatory context. Key trading takeaways: use influencers to gauge sentiment and early narratives, cross-check information, track historical accuracy, and integrate insights into disciplined risk management. The piece warns against acting on single voices or viral posts and recommends blending social-media signals with independent analysis to reduce noise and avoid impulsive trades.

TRON (TRX) has traded in a tight range between $0.27 and $0.29 since early November, with the price currently around $0.278–$0.288. Buyers repeatedly pushed TRX above short-term moving averages but were rejected at the $0.29 resistance on multiple attempts. Short-term charts show Doji candlesticks and price oscillating around the 21-day and 50-day simple moving averages, indicating market indecision. On the 4‑hour chart TRX has slipped below the 21-day SMA several times while holding near the 50-day SMA, suggesting limited upward momentum until moving-average resistance is reclaimed. Immediate support sits at $0.27, with a downside target near $0.25 if that level fails. Wider supports noted at $0.20, $0.15 and $0.10; upside breakout levels to watch are $0.33–$0.35 and longer-term resistances at $0.40–$0.50. For traders, the setup points to a sideways/ranging market with limited short-term upside unless buyers retake $0.29; failure to do so keeps TRX capped by moving-average resistance and raises the risk of a break toward $0.25. This summary is for informational purposes and not trading advice.

MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares rose slightly to $160 on Dec 26 after a modest crypto rebound, but the stock faces downside risks as its enterprise market-cap net asset value (mNAV) turned negative for the first time. Bitcoin’s fall from a year-to-date high near $126,200 to about $88,800 reduced the value of MicroStrategy’s BTC holdings, leaving enterprise value at $59.0B versus $59.7B in Bitcoin — an mNAV of 0.988. Market-cap NAV also fell to 0.763. Additional pressure stems from ongoing at-the-market (ATM) share offerings (more than $11.8B capacity remaining), which have boosted outstanding shares from 93.2M in 2022 to over 267M, diluting holders. Technicals are bearish: MSTR’s 50- and 200-day weighted moving averages have crossed (death cross), shares dropped below key supports including $230 and the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement, and Bitcoin itself shows a death cross and bearish pennant that could push BTC toward $80,000. For traders: expect elevated downside risk for MSTR correlated to Bitcoin price action, continued dilution risk from ATM offerings, and technical levels to watch at $230, $160, $126 and psychological $100.

BNB Chain’s Fermi hard fork is scheduled for mainnet activation on Jan. 14 after a November testnet run. The upgrade reduces block interval from 750 ms to 250 ms to support sub‑second, time‑sensitive applications, and adds extended voting parameters to mitigate node communication lag caused by shorter block times. Fermi also introduces a selective indexing mechanism so nodes or users can retrieve portions of ledger data without downloading full block history, lowering resource requirements. Current metrics: BNB Chain processes ~222 TPS in practice but has a theoretical maximum of 6,349 TPS; active addresses are ~2.87 million, comparable to Solana. The upgrade targets higher throughput and lower latency to improve DeFi execution and support payments or time‑sensitive use cases. Traders should note potential short‑term network effects around the hard fork date (e.g., node upgrades, temporary validator churn) and longer‑term implications for on‑chain throughput, slippage reduction, and DEX/DeFi activity.

APEMARS ($APRZ) is highlighted as a structured, 23-stage presale promising very large theoretical returns for early whitelist participants. Stage 1 price is quoted at $0.000016990; with a projected listing price of $0.0055 the article implies a potential ROI of ~32,272% for a $4,000 allocation. Whitelist access grants priority entry and lower pricing, with stages lasting one week or until sell-out. The piece frames APEMARS as a narrative-driven launch emphasizing controlled supply, time-based progression and staged scarcity. Established assets are also covered: Litecoin (LTC) is described as exhibiting resilience and accumulation around $77 with technical patterns suggesting consolidation ahead of a breakout; Monero (XMR) is framed as evolving from a privacy token into an interoperability/privacy infrastructure asset, citing OpenZeppelin/Polkadot developments and large private XMR donations to the Free Software Foundation. The article is a sponsored press release and not investment advice.

U.S. crypto regulation is shifting toward coordinated, dual-track oversight led by the SEC and CFTC. Key initiatives include the SEC’s Token Classification Framework, Project Crypto, innovation exemption proposals, and updated ETF listing standards with a focus on asset tokenization. The CFTC is pursuing clearer commodity rules via a rapid review process (“Crypto Sprint”) and is preparing to take a central supervisory role over crypto commodities, notably Bitcoin. Industry observers expect a durable two-agency model by 2026: the SEC to drive institutional frameworks and rulemaking for securities/tokenized assets, and the CFTC to expand market infrastructure and oversight for commodities like BTC. The change signals regulatory clarity that could affect product listings, institutional flows, and market structure.

Nicholas Crypto Income ETF (BLOX) has outperformed both YieldMax’s LFGY and a spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) over the past six months, returning +15.51% versus IBIT’s -14.62% and LFGY’s capital-depleting performance. Earlier coverage described BLOX as an income-first product using ETP holdings, crypto equities and options-writing to target high distributions (much classified as return of capital). The later, updated analysis credits BLOX’s recent outperformance to a diversified portfolio mix — spot Bitcoin ETFs, crypto equities and flexible options strategies (put spreads and covered-call-like structures) — and to income from physical assets plus options premiums. By contrast, LFGY relies on a synthetic options approach that the author argues produces higher beta, structural capital erosion and larger NAV drawdowns during Bitcoin sell-offs. A stress test cited in the updated piece estimates a 20% Bitcoin drop could cut BLOX NAV by ~18–25% but LFGY NAV by ~35–45%. Analysts rate BLOX a Buy for its structured asset selection and income generation, and assign LFGY a Hold due to higher downside risk. Key takeaways for traders: BLOX offers income overlay and lower downside volatility versus pure-spot BTC exposure, benefits from options premium and diversified holdings, and may trade with lower beta to BTC/ETH; however, many distributions are return of capital (affecting tax timing and cost basis) and payout sustainability depends on ongoing options income and market volatility. Short-term implication: BLOX can cushion BTC drawdowns but may lag strong crypto rallies. Long-term implication: BLOX is more defensive in prolonged bear markets but will underperform in sharp bull runs.

Trust Wallet’s Chrome browser extension (version 2.68) was compromised via a malicious update that exfiltrated seed phrases and allowed attackers to drain wallets across multiple chains. Blockchain investigators traced more than $7 million stolen from wallets on BTC, ETH, SOL and BNB Chain, with funds rapidly routed through exchanges, swaps and mixers. The company confirmed the breach on-chain after researcher ZachXBT raised the alarm. Binance co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said Binance/Trust Wallet will reimburse verified losses and described the funds as “SAFU.” Trust Wallet released patched extension links and advised affected users to disable version 2.68 immediately and upgrade to 2.69; mobile apps and other extension versions were not affected. The team also warned against importing seed phrases into browser extensions and recommended hardware wallets for large balances. An internal review is under way to determine how a malicious update passed submission checks; investigations and reimbursement processes are ongoing. For traders: expect continued scrutiny on browser-extension security, potential short-term selling pressure on tokens tied to compromised chains if large on-chain sell-offs persist, and heightened demand for hardware and custody solutions.

Bitcoin dropped almost $3,000 during the first US trading session after Christmas, sparking forced liquidations across derivatives markets. Data from Coinglass shows more than $70 million in leveraged long positions were liquidated over a four-hour period. The rapid decline amplified selling pressure as margin calls and automated liquidations added downward momentum. At press time BTC traded around $87,175, down roughly 2% over the prior four hours. The move underscores the heightened volatility in crypto markets and the risks of high leverage for traders.

A crypto commentator, Joshua Dalton (founder of Triblu), predicted on X that XRP holders could become millionaires, billionaires or more if XRP gains widespread adoption and potentially becomes part of U.S. reserves. Dalton argues XRP’s affordability (quoted at $1.86 in the article) and Ripple’s U.S. operations make it a preferable reserve candidate versus Bitcoin, which he claims has trust and origin issues. He links his view to evolving U.S. regulation — including recent executive and congressional moves seen as crypto-friendly — and XRP’s improved legal standing after its dispute with the SEC. Dalton suggests XRP could help address national-scale financial issues, citing U.S. debt as a use case for a trusted, government-ready digital asset. Key names and items: Joshua Dalton, Triblu, Ripple/XRP, Bitcoin, Michael Saylor, U.S. regulatory bills (CLARITY Act, GENIUS Act, Anti‑CBDC Surveillance State Act), XRP price cited at $1.86. For traders: the argument frames XRP as a macro-driven speculative opportunity tied to regulatory progress and institutional acceptance rather than technical or on‑chain fundamentals.