Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

EU enforcement has turned large fines into a routine cost for major U.S. tech firms operating in Europe. Google now records “European Commission fines” as a regular expense, totalling $10.5 billion through Sept. 30, 2025. In 2024 EU regulators levied €3.8 billion in penalties on U.S. tech companies — exceeding €3.2 billion in income tax paid by listed European tech firms that year. Major penalties included Google’s €2.95 billion adtech ruling and a €4.34 billion Android fine; a December 2025 probe targets Google’s use of publisher and YouTube content to train AI. Under new EU regimes, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) expand enforcement: X (Elon Musk) was fined €120 million under the DSA; Apple paid €500 million for blocking alternative payments; Meta paid €200 million for data use breaches. Seven gatekeepers are covered by DMA: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Microsoft, Meta and Booking.com. EU officials warn repeat breaches could trigger fines up to 20% of global turnover. The measures have drawn U.S. political pushback and threats of retaliation, potentially complicating regulatory risk for tech and adjacent markets.

As 2026 approaches, the article highlights three crypto picks for traders: Ethereum (ETH), Shiba Inu (SHIB) and new DeFi token Mutuum Finance (MUTM). ETH is presented as a large-cap, ecosystem backbone with slower price upside and resistance near $3,000 — a stability play. SHIB is framed as a community-driven meme asset struggling around $0.00001 due to a very large circulating supply, making sustained rallies reliant on renewed hype. The focus is on Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a lending/borrowing DeFi protocol whose presale price is $0.035 and has risen ~250% from Phase 1. MUTM has sold 825M tokens (out of 4B supply) with ~45.5% allocated to presale and $19.45M raised; Phase 6 is over 99% allocated. Official V1 launch is targeted for Sepolia testnet in Q4 2025 with core features (liquidity pools, mtTokens, debt tokens, automated liquidator) and initial assets ETH and USDT. Security steps include a CertiK token scan score of 90/100, an ongoing Halborn audit and a $50k bug bounty. The article contrasts a $500 position in SHIB (hype-dependent) vs MUTM (utility- and launch-driven), noting MUTM’s official launch price of $0.06 and analyst projections of 200–300% post-launch if adoption and exchange listings follow. The piece is a press release and advises readers to conduct their own due diligence.

Wintermute founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy announced the trading firm will vote against Aave’s token-alignment proposal, intensifying an ongoing governance rift within the AAVE DAO. Wintermute, an AAVE investor since 2022 with active governance participation (but no equity in Aave Labs), criticized the proposal for lacking clarity on structure, governance and outcomes, and for weak mechanisms for value capture. Gaevoy highlighted a growing expectation mismatch between Aave Labs and many AAVE tokenholders over who should capture value and how external functions (notably business development) should be handled. He described the vote as premature, urged de-escalation, and said reversing earlier fee-related decisions might have helped. Snapshot voting data shows the proposal facing strong opposition: about 55% against, ~41% abstain, and ~3.5% in favor as voting concludes on Dec. 26. The dispute traces to earlier conflict over diversion of swap fees that would have benefited Aave Labs rather than the DAO treasury. The alignment proposal seeks DAO control or accountability over brand assets (domains, social handles, naming rights). The article also notes Aave’s 2026 roadmap—Aave V4, Horizon, and the Aave App—aimed at scaling liquidity, institutional use, and consumer adoption. Key entities: Wintermute, Evgeny Gaevoy, Aave Labs, Stani Kulechov, AAVE DAO. Primary keywords: Aave, AAVE, token alignment, governance, Wintermute. Secondary keywords: value capture, Aave Labs, DAO vote, swap fees, Aave V4, Horizon.

Hyperliquid closed 2025 with record growth across users, trading volume, liquidity and revenue, according to ASXN-sourced data cited by the platform. Key figures: ~609,700 new users, $2.95 trillion in cumulative trading volume across about 198.9 billion trades, roughly $844 million in revenue, net inflows near $3.87 billion and year-end TVL around $4.15 billion. The platform runs on its own Layer‑1 (HyperBFT), which it credits for processing an average of 6,502 orders per second, near-CEX execution speeds, zero gas fees and non‑custodial on‑chain settlement. Hyperliquid says the combination of high throughput, low latency and fee savings attracted both retail and advanced traders to perpetual futures and other derivatives. Market volatility and active derivatives usage in 2025 supported inflows and fee generation, helping the exchange reach top-tier DeFi profitability. Observers highlight Hyperliquid’s model — custom Layer‑1 performance plus DeFi transparency — as a competitive challenge to centralized exchanges and as evidence that decentralized derivatives can scale. For traders: higher volumes and deepened liquidity may improve execution and reduce slippage on derivatives pairs hosted on Hyperliquid; however, rising platform prominence could also increase regulatory scrutiny and competitive responses from CEXs. Primary keywords: Hyperliquid, decentralized derivatives, Layer‑1, trading volume, TVL, revenue.

Solana led blockchain app revenues in 2025 with about $1.3 billion, driven by meme-token cycles, AI agent activity and a late-year DeFi resurgence. Cryptorank data showed Solana surpassed Ethereum in users, transactions and app revenues for much of the year, with app-driven income dominating for over seven months. Hyperliquid’s native HyperCore chain ranked second with roughly $908 million in native-chain revenues after its first full year as a perpetual-futures DEX — $848 million came from perpetual futures trading. Hyperliquid reported $3.87 billion in deposits, about 609,000 new users, $46 million distributed to builders and nearly $1 million from ticker auctions. Ethereum generated $524 million in 2025, BNB Chain $257 million and Base $76.4 million. Several legacy networks (Avalanche, Filecoin, TON) dropped from the top 10 as apps migrated to newer L1/L2s and specialized chains (EdgeX, Axelar, Bittensor, Optimism) rose based on strong single-app performance. The broader market takeaway for traders: 2025 marked a shift from incentive-led volume to predictable, app-driven revenue streams — favoring chains and apps with real user traction rather than airdrop farming. Traders should monitor Solana metrics (users, transactions, app revenues), DEX volumes and perpetual futures flows as potential trade signals; Hyperliquid’s results also highlight the revenue and liquidity potential of perpetual DEXs and native-chain settlement models.

Global mergers and acquisitions climbed about 50% in 2025 to roughly $4.5 trillion, driven by cheap financing, strong equity markets and lighter U.S. regulation. The year produced a record 68 megadeals (transactions above $10 billion), concentrated in media and transport—highlighted by bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery and the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger valuing the combined railroad near $250 billion. U.S.-involved transactions totaled about $2.3 trillion, the largest share since 1998. Investment banks earned an estimated $135 billion in fees. Private equity activity rose 25% to $889 billion, with notable buyouts including a $55 billion Electronic Arts take-private led by a major sovereign investor, though exits remained constrained. Overall deal count fell about 7%, signaling consolidation into fewer, larger transactions. A brief mid‑year pause followed tariff announcements, but dealflow recovered with two consecutive quarters above $1 trillion. For crypto traders: larger corporate M&A and elevated investment‑bank revenues can boost risk appetite and liquidity spillover into crypto markets, favoring higher-beta tokens during deal optimism; regulatory shifts in the U.S. are an important macro variable to watch for policy spillovers affecting crypto regulation and institutional participation.

On December 26, 2025, PowerBank Corporation and Smartlink AI launched Genesis-1, the first DeStarlink satellite that functions as a foundational node for an "Orbital Cloud" — a decentralized, space-based blockchain and AI inference network operating in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Genesis-1 is solar-powered and runs blockchain node verification and AI data processing autonomously, designed to provide censorship-resistant identity and transaction verification independent of terrestrial power grids and jurisdictions. The mission aims to create a verification layer resilient to regional internet shutdowns and political interference. The current satellite proves the technical viability of autonomous, solar-powered computation in space; PowerBank and Smartlink AI plan to expand the constellation through 2026 to deliver high-compute decentralized services to underserved or disrupted regions. The project positions space-based blockchain as a new layer of global infrastructure for verification and decentralized services.

China’s regulators and UBS SDIC Fund Management suspended new subscriptions to the UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund LOF Class C after the fund’s secondary-market price traded at a premium exceeding 60% to its underlying Shanghai silver futures. Retail-driven buying—amplified by step-by-step arbitrage guides on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu—pushed the fund to hit daily 10% limits for three consecutive sessions. The manager previously cut subscription caps (Class C from ¥500 to ¥100; reductions to Class A) but these measures failed to stem demand, and premiums briefly remained near 44% after the limits. Year-to-date the fund rose about 187%, outpacing Shanghai silver futures (~145%), reflecting intense retail flows into a limited set of domestic silver products. Regulators and the manager cited the large disconnect between market price and net asset value, thin underlying silver liquidity, and elevated downside risk from a potential rapid sentiment reversal as reasons for intervention. Traders should watch for spillovers into other metals LOFs, shifts in on‑shore liquidity, widening arbitrage opportunities, and heightened volatility in related commodities and safe‑haven assets. Primary SEO keywords: China silver fund, UBS SDIC, silver LOF, premium, retail frenzy. (Main keyword "China silver fund" appears multiple times.)

LiveBitcoinNews highlights ten crypto projects to watch in 2026 and promotes the APEMARS (APRZ) presale as a high-upside opportunity. APEMARS is staging a 23-phase presale; Stage 1 price is $0.00001699 with whitelist access open. The article projects a hypothetical listing price of $0.0055, implying a 32,271% return — e.g., a $2,000 Stage 1 buy would convert to roughly $647,440 at listing. The presale features weekly stage increases, token burns at stages 6, 12, 18 and 23, and whitelist perks (early pricing, notifications, community standing). The piece also briefly profiles established coins and platforms — Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), Litecoin (LTC), Cardano (ADA), Tron (TRX), Stellar (XLM) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) — emphasizing their market roles: BTC as store of value, ETH as smart-contract leader, SOL/AVAX for high throughput, and others for payments or niche use cases. The article is a paid promotional press release and includes a disclaimer that it is not investment advice.

Russia’s Roscosmos has postponed the maiden flight of the Soyuz‑5 medium‑lift rocket, originally targeted for late 2024 from the Baiterek complex at Baikonur. The delay is attributed to additional testing of onboard systems and ground infrastructure; Roscosmos says a new date will be set after tests and coordination with Kazakhstan. Longstanding international sanctions (since 2014 and intensified in 2022) have constrained access to specialized components and complicated development, contributing to timeline slippages. Recent operational issues — including damage to a Baikonur pad during a late‑November crewed launch and a Soyuz MS‑28 service module fairing failure — have led to temporary suspensions and extended repair schedules (repairs now projected to finish by February 2026). Roscosmos highlights that while some Soyuz 2.1a launches from Plesetsk and Vostochny remain successful, the Soyuz‑5 programme faces supply‑chain and integration challenges. Key points for traders: geopolitical sanctions continue to affect Russian aerospace supply chains; extended timelines increase uncertainty around Russia’s presence in commercial launch markets; disruptions to Baikonur operations could affect satellite deployment schedules and international collaborations. Monitor Roscosmos and Kazakh authorities for rescheduling, technical bulletins, and any further incidents that could impact related supply chains or market sentiment.

NFT marketplaces shifted strategies through 2025 to survive a prolonged market downturn and changing user behavior. Key adaptations included: emphasizing utility NFTs tied to gaming, events and subscriptions; integrating with Layer-2 and alternative chains to cut fees (notably rollups and some EVM-compatible chains); tighter IP and fraud controls to rebuild buyer trust; promoting fractional ownership and NFT lending/fiat on-ramps to improve liquidity; and pivoting to curated drops, secondary-market royalties models and subscription services to create steady revenue. Market players experimented with token incentives, staking and marketplace-native tokens to re-engage collectors while reducing dependence on speculative floor-price growth. Several platforms cut staff and restructured costs to extend runway. The shift favoring utility, interoperability and lower gas costs resulted in selective trading volume recovery on chains with cheap, fast transactions. For crypto traders, the key takeaways are: (1) NFTs with clear utility or strong gaming/metaverse ties attract capital and show more predictable volume; (2) marketplaces and protocols that lower mint/trade costs (Layer-2s, alternative L1s) may see increased on-chain flow; (3) fractionalization and lending products create new on-ramps and synthetic exposure to NFT value; (4) tokenized marketplace plays (marketplace tokens, staking rewards) add new tradable instruments but raise tokenomics risk. Primary keywords: NFT marketplaces, Layer-2, fractional NFTs, NFT lending, marketplace tokens. Secondary/semantic keywords included: gas fees, interoperability, royalties, curated drops, utility NFTs. This evolution is likely to reshape where NFT trading volume concentrates and which projects attract capital.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) advised investors that ideal Bitcoin (BTC) entry points occur during market fear rather than during bullish euphoria. In a Christmas message, CZ noted that those who captured the biggest gains historically bought when sentiment was negative — amid fear, uncertainty and doubt — not at all-time highs. Current sentiment indicators back this view: the CMC Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits around 27 (fear), an improvement from readings of 21 a week ago and 15 a month ago, while BTC has consolidated just below $90,000 (reported trading at $88,769). The article argues that a sustained recovery above $90,000 with strong daily closes could shift sentiment from fear to neutral, and later to optimism — by which point attractive entry opportunities may be gone. Key keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, Changpeng Zhao, CZ, market sentiment, Fear & Greed Index, accumulation, buy-the-dip.

Bitcoin is trading below its 23-week and 50-week moving averages (near $101,870 and $106,528), raising the prospect of a “death cross” that could signal further downside. Current price is around $88,690 (BTC/USDT weekly). Two technical scenarios are outlined: (1) a bullish reversal if Bitcoin reclaims and closes weekly above $101,870–$106,528, which would negate the death-cross narrative and target resistance near $107,155; (2) a bearish path if it remains below that band, with support at $80,600, then $74,111, and a critical test at the 200-week moving average near $67,026 if weekly closes break lower. Macro factors amplify risk: slowing inflows to U.S. spot BTC ETFs and cautious Fed commentary on rate cuts are reducing risk appetite and increasing volatility. Traders should watch weekly closes relative to the 23- and 50-week MAs, $80.6k and $74.1k supports, and ETF flows for short-term positioning and risk management. This article does not provide investment advice.

Jurrien Timmer, Fidelity’s macro strategist, warned that both gold and Bitcoin may “take a year off” in 2026 despite his long-term bullish view. Timmer — who previously expected gold to hand momentum to Bitcoin in H2 2025 — noted that gold instead outperformed through 2025, rallying roughly 70% and reaching record highs (reported near $4,550). Drivers cited include geopolitical tensions, expectations of a Federal Reserve dovish pivot, and central banks shifting reserves away from US Treasuries. By contrast, Bitcoin (BTC) underperformed in late 2025, set to record its second-worst Q4, down about 7% for the year. Timmer’s caution signals a potential near-term pause for risk assets and hard assets before they resume longer-term cycles. Key takeaways for traders: strong gold performance has recently outshone Bitcoin; macro forces (Fed stance, reserve reallocations, geopolitics) are primary drivers; expect elevated volatility and possible consolidation for BTC in 2026 as capital flows respond to central-bank moves and safe-haven demand.

The USDC Treasury (Circle) minted 250,000,000 USDC in a single on-chain transaction flagged by Whale Alert on April 10, 2025. Backed 1:1 by USD reserves, this mint increases USDC circulating supply and represents a notable liquidity event. Large-scale mints often signal institutional activity — exchanges, market makers, hedge funds or corporations preparing liquidity for trading, large asset purchases (e.g., BTC, ETH), OTC desks or DeFi deployments. On-chain transparency allows traders to monitor subsequent token flows to exchanges, DeFi protocols or custody wallets. The immediate market effect depends on deployment speed and destination: transfers to exchanges or trading desks can create near-term buying pressure on major crypto assets, while idle custody or redemptions would mute impact. Key data points: 250,000,000 USDC minted; recorded at the official USDC Treasury contract address. Historical context: prior multi-hundred-million USDC mints have coincided with institutional inflows and TVL increases but are not guarantees of instant rallies. For traders: treat the mint as a neutral on-chain indicator that becomes bullish if followed by visible exchange inflows or on-chain conversions into crypto. Track on-chain explorers and alert services for follow-through; watch for increased market depth and reduced slippage if funds are deployed as liquidity.

Ethereum is trading below $3,000 and remains capped by resistance after falling from cycle highs near $4,800. Price has compressed around ~$2,800–$3,000 for nearly a month, producing tight volatility and market indecision. On-chain indicators reinforce the cautious outlook: weekly ETH netflows on Arbitrum — a key Layer-2 proxy for smart-money and DeFi activity — are subdued and choppy, showing no clear inflow or outflow trend. Technicals remain bearish with lower highs/lows and price below major daily moving averages; the 111- and 200-day SMAs converge around $3,300–$3,600, forming a heavy supply zone. Key levels: support ~ $2,800 (break would accelerate downside); resistance cluster ~$3,200–$3,600 (reclaim and hold needed to shift momentum). Traders should watch Arbitrum cumulative netflow as an early signal: a sudden, sustained expansion could presage a decisive move. For now, muted on-chain flows and compressed price action suggest limited conviction — the market is coiling and a swift directional breakout (either direction) remains possible once volume returns.

Arthur Hayes, co‑founder of BitMEX, argues Bitcoin could surge to $200,000 within three months as central banks—particularly the US Federal Reserve—begin a subtle form of monetary easing. Hayes highlights the Fed’s Reserve Management Purchases (RMP), which buy Treasury bills mainly from money market funds, and contends RMP functions like quantitative easing (QE) by creating liquidity that can flow into Treasury issuance, the repo market and longer-dated bonds. He notes money market funds hold about 40% of outstanding T‑bills and says RMP’s liquidity effects will eventually support financial assets including Bitcoin. Hayes expects Bitcoin to consolidate around $80,000–$100,000 while markets recognize RMP as QE, after which BTC could first revisit prior highs (~$124,000) and then accelerate toward $200,000, potentially by March. He also suggests coordinated global easing and a weaker dollar could amplify the rally. The view rests on liquidity-driven price mechanics rather than on fundamental adoption metrics. Key names and figures: Arthur Hayes (BitMEX), Federal Reserve, Reserve Management Purchases (RMP); price targets: $124,000 and $200,000; consolidation range: $80,000–$100,000. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC price, Arthur Hayes, quantitative easing, Reserve Management Purchases. Secondary/semantic keywords: liquidity, Fed easing, Treasury bills, money market funds, dollar weakness.

The global iGaming sector is entering a transformative phase in 2026 as crypto payments, Web3 primitives and AI-driven safety tools converge with traditional online gambling. Key trends include wider crypto as a default payment method (BTC, ETH, USDT, SOL, USDC), on-chain RNG and provably-fair mechanics, instant withdrawals and stronger KYC/compliance driven by evolving EU, US and LATAM regulations. The article ranks 11 leading platforms by category: Stake.com (best overall, Lightning & Solana support), BC.Game (altcoin & bonuses), Rollbit (hybrid casino + trading + NFT), Roobet (entertainment & streamer partnerships), Cloudbet (licensed high-limit), TrustDice (provably fair), Bitcasino.io (best UX/mobile), Duelbits (low house edge), Sportsbet.io (sports & eSports), Ignition Casino (US-focused poker), and MetaWin (on-chain gaming transparency). It highlights licensing, cross-chain crypto payments, UX, payout history and transparency as primary comparison factors. AI-powered behavioral models and tokenized loyalty/NFT rewards are noted as shaping engagement and safer-gambling measures. For traders, the piece emphasizes that crypto-native payment rails and provable fairness increase on-chain utility and could influence crypto transaction demand in gaming verticals, while regulatory clarity may shift market access and liquidity across jurisdictions.

Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, is scheduled for release from federal custody on January 21, 2026, according to U.S. Bureau of Prisons records. Ellison, 31, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and conspiracy tied to the 2022 collapse of FTX and cooperated extensively with prosecutors, including testifying against FTX founder Sam Bankman‑Fried. She was sentenced in September 2024 to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered to forfeit about $11 billion; she began serving her sentence in November 2024. Records show Ellison was transferred in October 2025 from a Connecticut federal prison to a Residential Reentry Management (RRM) office in New York and has been in community confinement since October 16, 2025. Her release date was recently moved forward from February 20, 2026 to January 21, 2026 — officials have not publicly explained the change, though it is likely due to good‑conduct credits and reentry programs. Post‑release conditions include three years of supervised release and a consented 10‑year bar on serving as an officer or director of public companies or crypto exchanges, per SEC notices. Sam Bankman‑Fried remains serving a 25‑year sentence and is pursuing clemency. For crypto traders: the development is primarily legal and personnel‑focused and is unlikely to directly move markets. However, Ellison’s early release and continued regulatory restrictions reinforce ongoing regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk tied to FTX‑related actors, which could sustain higher compliance costs and cautious sentiment across crypto firms.

IREN Limited (IREN) emerged as the top-performing application software stock in 2025, according to a Seeking Alpha report dated Dec. 26, 2025. The information technology sector was the second-best performer year-to-date, rising about 25%, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) up roughly 26.1%. The article highlights sector-wide strength in IT and application software subsectors that contributed to IREN’s relative outperformance. Key tickers mentioned alongside sector ETFs include VGT, XLK, IYW, FTEC and IXN, and several individual tech names are referenced. The piece is a short market note aimed at ranking top performers within the IT subsectors rather than detailing IREN’s fundamentals, guidance, or financials.

Strategy CEO Phong Le says Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain strong despite a roughly 29% drop from October highs. Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast (Dec. 23), Le urged investors to use disciplined, quantitative, long-term approaches — highlighting metrics such as mNAV (market cap vs. BTC treasury value), a dedicated Bitcoin treasury and a US dollar reserve. Strategy holds about 671,268 BTC (~$59B at reporting) and has set aside a $1.4B USD reserve for shareholder dividends. Le pointed to growing institutional and government engagement — meetings with US banks and talks in the UAE — and described significant US government support as a bullish catalyst toward 2026. Market context: BTC hit an all-time high in early October (~$125–126k) and traded near ~$87k at the time of reporting; the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has been in “Extreme Fear.” Key takeaways for traders: monitor mNAV and treasury metrics, expect elevated near-term volatility, prefer methodical, fundamentals-focused positioning, and watch for institutional or policy developments that could materially shift sentiment.

The Bitcoin–silver price ratio (XAG/BTC) is emerging as a macro risk indicator, measuring how many ounces of silver are needed to buy one Bitcoin. A falling ratio typically signals risk-on conditions—liquidity expansion and capital rotating into higher-volatility assets such as Bitcoin—while a rising ratio denotes defensive rotation into silver amid risk-off environments. Extreme ratio readings have historically preceded mean reversion and cycle shifts rather than serving as short-term trade triggers. Drivers include macro liquidity, real yields, industrial silver demand, inflation expectations, monetary policy and institutional flows into Bitcoin. Traders should view the ratio as contextual macro information to monitor alongside real interest rates, the U.S. dollar index and Bitcoin dominance; current silver strength suggests a defensive tilt that could prolong Bitcoin consolidation even as eventual rotations back to crypto occur.

The 2025 End‑of‑Year report distills the dominant crypto narratives that drove market behaviour this year. Key themes include macro-driven volatility, regulatory milestones worldwide, the maturation of on‑chain data analytics, and renewed institutional interest in Bitcoin and select layer‑1 networks. Significant events highlighted are tighter U.S. and EU regulatory frameworks, several high‑profile token listings and delistings, notable protocol upgrades improving scaling and gas efficiency, and a rise in real‑world‑asset tokenization pilots. On metrics, Bitcoin regained market leadership with increased ETF inflows and higher on‑chain custody metrics, while select altcoins saw episodic volume spikes tied to major upgrades and partnerships. Traders should note heightened correlation between risk assets and macro indicators (rates, CPI), increased liquidity in regulated venues, and recurring short‑term volatility around regulatory announcements and protocol hard forks. Primary keywords: crypto market, Bitcoin, regulation, layer‑1 upgrades, on‑chain data; secondary keywords: ETF inflows, tokenization, market volatility, institutional adoption. This concise overview helps traders focus on catalysts likely to affect liquidity, order flow and risk management into 2026.

Aave founder and Aave Labs CEO Stani Kulechov denied accusations that he purchased roughly $15 million of AAVE tokens to influence a contested Aave DAO governance vote over transferring Aave brand assets (domain, social accounts, GitHub, naming rights) into DAO control. Kulechov said the tokens were not used to vote and that the buy reflected personal conviction. The dispute followed community concern that fees from a CoW Swap integration were routed to a wallet controlled by Aave Labs. The proposal — reportedly submitted by Aave Labs and attributed to former CTO Ernesto Boado, who says it was pushed to Snapshot without his consent — was rejected by voters (≈55% “nay”, ≈41% abstain, ~3.5% “yes”). Criticism centered on rushed process, concentrated voting power (top three wallets >58%, largest >27%) and prior token sales by Kulechov cited by critics. Kulechov acknowledged Aave Labs has not clearly disclosed its economic alignment with AAVE holders and pledged clearer disclosures. Traders should monitor AAVE liquidity, on-chain movements of large wallets, Snapshot/governance developments and market sentiment, since founder token purchases, governance disputes and concentrated voting can increase volatility and affect token demand and fee flows.

Crypto analyst BullRunners reviewed XRP amid holiday liquidity-driven market weakness, noting Bitcoin slid below $87,000 and ETF outflows accelerated. He said XRP lost key support near $1.90 and trades around $1.85–$1.86 with active short-term selling, but warned against panic. BullRunners disputed rapid-collapse narratives to $1.10 in the near term, identifying intermediate support zones at $1.51–$1.52 and moving-average support around $1.54–$1.55. Technically, XRP remains inside a multi-month descending wedge that began after July’s peak; price dips below support in Oct–Nov recovered back into the wedge, so a confirmed breakdown has not occurred. He flagged the late-Q1/early-Q2 2026 convergence of wedge resistance and support as a pivotal inflection. BullRunners also highlighted continued XRP ETF inflows as a positive divergence from heavy Bitcoin ETF outflows, calling the phase late-cycle deleveraging rather than structural failure. Overall, he leans bullish if the wedge resolves upward, while traders should watch $1.51–$1.55 support, moving-average crossovers, and ETF flow trends.

A whale moved 3,000,000 TRUMP tokens (~$14.88M) into Binance after roughly 50 days of accumulation, realizing an estimated $7.8M loss versus a prior withdrawal valued at about $22.68M, according to on-chain trackers (Lookonchain/Onchain Lens). The deposit signals capitulation and increased short-term sell-side supply, but the market absorbed much of the selling: spot price held above $4.80 and traded around a $5 pivot. TRUMP briefly broke a descending channel but failed to sustain gains above the $5.20–$5.25 resistance and has since reverted toward the $5 level. Technical indicators show neutral-to-weak momentum (RSI ≈ 46). On-chain and market metrics — including a positive 90-day CVD (CryptoQuant) and a CoinGlass 4-hour long/short ratio near 1.32 — suggest buyers have been absorbing supply without strong bullish follow-through. Liquidity clusters and liquidation heatmaps concentrate around $5.10–$5.20, making that band a likely test point and potential stop-run zone. Traders should monitor exchange inflows, spot CVD, liquidity bands, and price reaction at $5 support and $5.20 resistance for short-term volatility and possible additional selling pressure.

USX, a Solana-native dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Solstice Finance, experienced an extreme secondary-market depeg on Dec 26, 2025 after severe liquidity evaporation on DEXs (Orca, Raydium). On isolated trades reported by PeckShield, USX briefly fell to $0.10 amid extremely thin order books; aggregated DEX data showed many trades clustered around $0.80 before Solstice and market makers injected liquidity. Primary-market reserves remained overcollateralized and 1:1 redemptions through permissioned institutional channels were operational throughout. After liquidity support, USX recovered to roughly $0.94 and later near $0.995; CoinGecko logged an intraday low of $0.8285 and a high of $1.01. Solstice plans third-party attestation of collateral and is working with partners to deepen secondary-market liquidity. Market context: USX’s market cap is in the hundreds of millions (≈$284M reported) within a stablecoin sector valued at hundreds of billions, underscoring systemic liquidity risks. Key takeaways for traders: (1) secondary-market liquidity shortfalls can produce extreme, short-lived price dislocations even when on‑chain collateral is intact; (2) issuer and market‑maker interventions can restore peg quickly but do not remove reputational and contagion risk; (3) expect elevated intraday volatility for USX and potential spillovers to Solana-linked assets and other algorithmic or thinly collateralized stablecoins while attestation and liquidity measures are pending. Monitor DEX depth, on‑chain reserve attestations, redemption status, and market‑maker activity for trading and risk decisions.

Market analysts flagged a sharp Bitcoin (BTC) sell-off and suspect institutional activity tied to ETFs and BlackRock. Analyst NoLimit observed large BTC transfers from BlackRock’s IBIT ETF into Coinbase Prime at U.S. market open — a pattern often associated with imminent selling or liquidity management. Technical analyst OxNobler and others reported rapid, large-volume sales across major platforms: Binance (~10,155 BTC), Coinbase (~10,113 BTC), Wintermute (~5,354 BTC), BlackRock (~4,945 BTC) and Kraken (~4,630 BTC) — totalling more than $2.5 billion of BTC moved within roughly 30 minutes. Bull Theory noted a $2,300 intraday BTC drop that liquidated about $66 million in long positions in 45 minutes and contributed to roughly $60 billion wiped from the crypto market. At the time of reporting BTC traded near $87,340, roughly 30% below October all-time highs. Analysts attribute the move to ETF-related redemptions or inventory management, low-liquidity timing, and risk reduction ahead of derivatives events, raising renewed manipulation concerns. Key takeaways for traders: monitor ETF flows (notably IBIT), watch exchange wallet movements and liquidity windows around market opens, tighten risk controls for high-leverage positions, and expect elevated volatility while institutional rebalancing and derivatives events occur.

Bitcoin showed robust onchain market structure through 2024–2025, yet shifting macroeconomic conditions capped further price gains in 2025. BTC rallied from ~$42,000 to above $100,000 in 2024, driven by strong stablecoin inflows ($38–$45B/month on average), sustained exchange outflows, and rising institutional/spot-ETF demand. The 365-day MVRV rose from 1.8 to ~2.2 in 2024, indicating structural strength without overheating. However, unlike prior bull cycles, US real yields stayed positive (roughly 1.6–2.1% in 2025) and the Fed shrank its balance sheet from $7.6T to $6.5T (2024–2025), increasing the opportunity cost of non-yielding assets. In 2025 stablecoin inflows fell about 50% from late-2024 peaks and exchange netflows became mixed, while MVRV stabilized between 1.8–2.2. Statistical analysis showed onchain flows explained under 6% of MVRV variation in 2024–2025, implying valuations were increasingly driven by macro variables. For traders: onchain metrics remain useful to assess market structure and downside protection, but major upside likely requires easing macro conditions (falling real yields or expanded liquidity). Monitor real yields, Fed balance sheet trends, stablecoin inflows, and exchange netflows for triggers to resume broad price discovery. This is not investment advice.