Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Arbitrum’s Alpha Transaction Race began distributing rewards on December 27 at 11:00 UTC+8, according to Coinotag citing official sources. The distribution includes VSN and LAVA allocations under the network’s structured incentives program. Eligible users can claim rewards via the established portal. Users who submit claims after a 48-hour window will receive an additional 5 Alpha points, provided as either VSN or LAVA to meet eligibility criteria. The rollout is intended to boost liquidity and on-chain activity without changing token economics. Traders should verify official announcements and monitor the rewards dashboard for claim status and potential short-term shifts in token flows.

TeraWulf (WULF) and Cipher Mining (CIFR) are crypto miners pivoting to AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads after securing multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals with Google Cloud (Alphabet) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). These hyperscaler contracts are expected to drive strong revenue growth in 2026 — analysts project roughly 132% growth for TeraWulf and about 66% for Cipher. Valuation multiples could expand to approximately 21–22x 2026 revenues, implying potential share-price upside of 45–50% if the companies deliver. Key risks include TeraWulf’s higher leverage and both firms’ need to execute large-scale buildouts and meet hyperscaler performance and timeline requirements. The story places crypto miners as infrastructure providers in the AI acceleration trend, linking mining operators’ revenue outlook to enterprise cloud demand rather than only BTC price movements.

CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju says Bitcoin’s spot order-flow distribution currently signals a Price Decrease phase characterized by Whale Accumulation while retail investors are selling. According to Ki, range-bound markets often follow a two-step dynamic: price rises trigger Retail FOMO and Whale Sell-off; price drops trigger Retail Sell-off and Whale Accumulation. The present configuration — predominant whale accumulation amid retail outflows — typically indicates shifting on-chain liquidity and consolidation before a possible next leg of directional price discovery. Traders are advised to monitor on-chain liquidity, watch interactions between retail activity and large holders, and use disciplined risk controls and corroborating indicators before changing exposure.

An on-chain expert said Bitcoin’s rapid drop to about $24,000 was not a genuine market crash but a liquidity wick on Binance driven by concentrated sell-side pressure. The move briefly pushed BTC below key support levels before prices quickly recovered, suggesting the decline resulted from order-book imbalances and a cascade of liquidations on a single exchange rather than broad market capitulation. Analysts noted that such exchange-specific liquidity events can create sharp, short-lived price distortions, attracting algorithmic liquidations and stop-loss executions. The episode underlines the influence of centralized exchange order books on short-term volatility and highlights risks for leveraged traders during thin liquidity periods. Traders should watch exchange-level liquidity, large order flows, and liquidation clusters to better manage risk and avoid false breakouts.

ZKP, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, will launch trading on South Korea’s major exchanges Upbit and Bithumb. The listings mark a significant market entry for ZKP in one of the world’s largest crypto trading hubs, potentially increasing liquidity and user access. Exact listing dates, trading pairs, and deposit/withdrawal schedules were announced by the exchanges (or ZKP team) in linked statements. The move follows growing interest in privacy tokens despite regulatory scrutiny in some jurisdictions. Traders can expect higher on‑exchange volume for ZKP at listing, potential short-term price volatility around the announcement and listing dates, and improved price discovery over time as Korean market participants engage. Key keywords: ZKP, privacy token, Upbit, Bithumb, South Korea, crypto listing, liquidity, trading pairs, price volatility.

A post on the Truth platform alleging that former President Trump uncovered “1 million” pages of new Jeffrey Epstein documents and that the DOJ was diverted to handle a politically motivated scheme has circulated without verification. The claim, amplified on social media, highlights how political headlines can drive short-term crypto market moves by altering perceptions of regulatory risk and macro policy uncertainty. Traders may see amplified volatility during thin liquidity sessions; Bitcoin and major altcoins are particularly susceptible to rapid repricing as market participants reassess risk exposure. Recommended trader actions include prioritizing official statements and on-chain data over social posts, maintaining disciplined stop-loss levels, using diversified hedges, and avoiding overreaction to unverified narratives. Key themes: political headline-driven sentiment, regulatory risk, short-term volatility, importance of risk controls.

Japanese analyst Yuto Kanzaki says private Japan–South Korea talks on joint blockchain infrastructure, together with impending Japanese regulatory clarity for Ripple Prime and Ripple Custody, could accelerate institutional use of Ripple and XRP across East Asia. The discussions — not yet public — may produce shared frameworks for payments, remittances and enterprise blockchain services where the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is already active. Ripple has committed a large portion of its one‑billion‑XRP program to an XRPL Japan and Korea Fund aimed at partnerships, startup investment and developer support. Network-level momentum includes new XRPL validators in the region — South Korea’s Infinite Block and Japan’s SBI VC Trade — which strengthen decentralization, resilience and compliance credibility. Kanzaki advises XRP holders to monitor developments closely, arguing that combined government coordination, clearer regulation, regional investment and growing validator participation could improve institutional integration and adoption of XRP. This is informational and not financial advice.

WazirX founder Nischal Shetty has confirmed the long-running ownership dispute with Binance has moved into formal litigation. The dispute stems from Binance’s 2019 acquisition announcement; both sides now assert competing claims over control, governance and operational rights of WazirX. The escalation raises regulatory and strategic risk for WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange, and could complicate cross-border cooperation and licensing discussions. The litigation may increase uncertainty around platform control, asset access and user trust, potentially affecting withdrawal behaviour and liquidity. Separately, WazirX and its founder have publicly clashed with custody provider Liminal following a July 2024 hack that drained roughly $230 million from an external fund-management site linked to WazirX. WazirX attributed part of the loss to failures in its multisignature custody framework; Liminal denies a breach and says about $175 million remained under its control after the incident. The custody dispute highlights scrutiny on multisig and third-party custodial arrangements and their role in exchange security and asset recovery. Key takeaways for traders: monitor court filings and official statements for changes in platform control or governance; watch on-chain movements, wallet migrations and any announced asset recoveries; expect heightened regulatory attention in India that could affect operational clarity and user flows; and consider possible short-term volatility in assets associated with WazirX user balances and withdrawal demand. Primary keywords: WazirX, Binance, custody dispute, multisig, exchange litigation.

Jan3 CEO Samson Mow said on X that he expects 2025 to be a bear market but believes Bitcoin will soon begin a prolonged bull market lasting until about 2035. The brief report — shared by PANews — conveys Mow’s forward-looking market view without providing detailed timing, price targets, or the analysis supporting his forecast. No trading advice or specific strategies were offered. The statement is positioned as market commentary from a notable industry figure rather than an analytic report. Relevant keywords: Bitcoin, bull market, bear market, Samson Mow, 2025, 2035.

Market analyst Colin Wu warns the GENIUS Act — enacted in July — creates both opportunities and major risks for the crypto sector. While the bill could boost adoption of USD-backed stablecoins and demand for dollars and US Treasuries, Wu says it concentrates geopolitical and financial influence and complicates global dollar flows. The Act defines acceptable reserve assets (bank deposits, short-term Treasuries, repo agreements), but their price volatility could produce reserve shortfalls if Treasury values fall. Wu argues stablecoin rules will likely trigger broader regulation of crypto assets and real-world assets (RWAs), pushing licensed banks to enter tokenization, custody and clearing once legal recognition arrives. That shift could centralize stablecoin infrastructure within regulated banks and reduce risks to monetary stability — but also threatens the current stablecoin industry by displacing unregulated firms and changing profit dynamics. Traders should note potential liquidity and reserve risks, increased regulatory scrutiny across crypto sectors, and the prospect of greater bank involvement in tokenization. Key implications include higher USD/Treasury demand, regulatory-driven market reconfiguration, and elevated uncertainty for stablecoin-backed trading and RWA activity.

Coinbase has confirmed the arrest in India of a former customer support employee tied to a customer data breach first disclosed in May, CEO Brian Armstrong said. The incident involved attackers reportedly bribing a contractor to access sensitive customer records and included a $20 million ransom demand; Coinbase previously called it one of its most notable security breaches and estimated remediation costs could reach $400 million. The company has not disclosed the arrested individual’s identity or whether further arrests are expected. Analysts say the case highlights ongoing cybersecurity and governance shortcomings at major exchanges and renews calls for stronger privacy controls, clearer incident reporting and tighter regulatory oversight. For traders, the episode may prompt short-term volatility in Bitcoin (BTC) and other exchange-listed assets as confidence in custodial security is tested. Longer-term implications include increased scrutiny of exchange risk, greater emphasis on compliance and potential acceleration of shifts toward self-custody solutions. Primary keywords: Coinbase, data breach, customer data, arrest. Secondary keywords included naturally: Brian Armstrong, ransom demand, security incident, remediation costs.

Onchain Lens data shows a wallet linked to Justin Bram received 5.37 million WLD tokens from the Worldcoin vesting wallet (roughly $2.6 million). Of those, 943,000 WLD were transferred directly to Justin Bram and subsequently sold for about $458,814. The same address also sold 23.84 million FAI tokens for $54,629. The activity highlights token vesting distributions and early token sales by an individual associated with Worldcoin. Traders should note the size of the WLD transfer and the on-chain sale, which could increase short-term sell pressure on WLD and draw attention to token unlock schedules and insider-related flows.

OKX spot market snapshot: MINA recorded the largest intraday gain at +3.22%, trading at $0.0794. Other top gainers included CHZ (+3.20%, $0.0364), PEOPLE (+3.06%, $0.00939), BLUR (+2.94%, $0.0287) and OP (+2.81%, $0.271). On the downside, MEME was the biggest decliner at -1.91%, trading at $0.00100. Additional intraday losers were CRV (-1.59%, $0.383), CORE (-0.61%, $0.114), JUP (-0.60%, $0.200) and BCH (-0.55%, $599). The report is a market information update and does not constitute investment advice.

Keonne Rodriguez, co‑founder of Bitcoin privacy app Samourai Wallet, published a letter from a U.S. federal prison describing his first week after surrendering to begin a five‑year sentence. Rodriguez detailed intake procedures, medical checks, housing moves and an emotional family goodbye, calling the facility “confusing and unnatural” but “manageable” and saying fellow inmates treated him respectfully. He was sentenced on Nov. 19 in connection with his role in a crypto mixing protocol; prosecutors argue some tools were structured or promoted in ways that enabled illicit transfers. Supporters warn the prosecution threatens open‑source development and free speech, with a clemency petition gathering over 12,000 signatures and public calls for a pardon; former President Donald Trump said he would “take a look” at the case. The story has drawn comparisons to the Tornado Cash prosecution and sharpened debate over whether creating or maintaining privacy software can trigger criminal liability. For crypto traders, the case highlights regulatory and legal risk for privacy tools and services—potentially affecting developer behaviour, project funding, and market sentiment toward privacy‑focused crypto solutions.

Crypto educator Jesse, founder of Apex Crypto Academy, argues XRP could exceed $10 if banks and central banks adopt it as a settlement asset. Trading near $1.84 at publication, Jesse frames valuation around payment throughput and settlement velocity rather than static market-cap comparisons or Bitcoin-style store-of-value metrics. He notes traditional finance and central banks process far greater daily volumes than Bitcoin and says Ripple’s focus on cross-border payments and partnerships with banks could drive institutional demand for XRP liquidity. Jesse warns simple market-cap math ignores settlement velocity, liquidity cycles and institutional behavior; broad adoption as a settlement asset would materially raise required liquidity and could justify a roughly fivefold price increase (implying a market cap near $600 billion). Critics counter that XRP has traded below $3.84 for years and view double-digit forecasts as optimistic. The coverage emphasizes this is opinion, not financial advice.