Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

LayerZero’s governance proposal to activate a per-transaction protocol fee failed to reach quorum on December 27, 2025, and will not advance. The draft would have levied a fee on each cross-chain message, capped at validation and execution costs. Collected fees were to be converted into ZRO and burned, introducing a deflationary mechanism linked to protocol usage. With the vote failing, implementation is delayed and governance will revisit the measure in six months. Traders and developers should watch the next vote cycle for possible changes to fee levels, governance transparency, and impacts on cross-chain throughput and transaction costs. Key SEO keywords: LayerZero, protocol fee, ZRO burn, governance vote, cross-chain fees.

Crypto analyst CryptoBull argues that precious metals (gold and silver) are experiencing a late-stage, aggressive rally that has concentrated liquidity into metals. Bitcoin and broader crypto are described as lagging—BTC consolidating in the mid-$80,000s—indicating crypto has not yet caught the same late-cycle surge. CryptoBull expects capital to rotate from overheated metals into underperformed assets, with XRP positioned to benefit and still having most of its gains ahead. A social-media commentator (Mariwen) echoes the view that patience is warranted while liquidity remains in metals. The piece frames the outlook as a liquidity-driven rotation thesis rather than an immediate price forecast. Primary keywords: XRP, crypto rotation, precious metals, Bitcoin, liquidity.

Bitcoin price forecasts for 2026–2030 emphasize institutional adoption, the 2024 halving’s delayed supply shock, technological upgrades and macroeconomic context. Analysts use models such as stock-to-flow and network-value metrics, and expect 2026 to mark post‑halving maturation (price peak or consolidation depending on rates, regulation and tech adoption). From 2027–2028, network effects, Lightning Network and rising institutional holdings could accelerate valuation, with active addresses and layer‑2 transactions projected to grow materially. By 2029–2030 Bitcoin may approach mainstream asset status—possible use as a reserve asset, broader portfolio allocations (currently advised at 1–5%) and reduced volatility as market depth increases. Key risks include hostile regulation, protocol vulnerabilities, exchange or liquidity crises, macro shocks, environmental concerns and competition from other technologies. Predictions are presented as scenario ranges rather than fixed targets; investors should apply risk management and independent research.

Analysts assess XRP’s realistic price path from 2026–2030 and whether it can reach $5. The primary determinant remains regulatory clarity — especially the outcome of the U.S. SEC lawsuit against Ripple — with a clear favorable ruling likely to remove the main overhang and support higher prices. Other key drivers are institutional adoption of Ripple’s On‑Demand Liquidity (ODL), verifiable on‑chain adoption metrics and volume, and technical upgrades to the XRP Ledger (scalability, Hooks, low fees). Scenario analysis: bullish — full regulatory win plus rapid ODL adoption and a broad crypto bull market could make $5 plausible by 2029–2030; base case — gradual normalization, steady adoption and market cycles could place XRP around $2.50–$3.50 by 2030; conservative — continued regulatory uncertainty or adverse rulings keep XRP below $2 for much of the decade. Constraints and risks include Ripple’s large escrow holdings and scheduled releases, competition from CBDCs and rival payment tokens/chains, persistent technical resistance around $1.50–$2.00, market volatility, and Ripple’s business concentration. Traders should monitor primary indicators: SEC litigation developments, verified ODL/institutional flows, on‑chain volume and liquidity, escrow release schedule, and macro crypto market health. Risk management through position sizing, diversification and event‑driven stop rules is advised. The report emphasises that a $5 outcome requires multiple favorable conditions aligning over several years; absent those, upside is likely limited to the mid‑single digits.

Argentina’s Senate approved President Javier Milei’s 2026 budget in a 46–25 vote, marking his first major legislative victory since taking office in 2023. The budget approval strengthens Argentina’s position with the IMF and aims to help deliver a fiscal surplus as the government negotiates a roughly $20 billion IMF program. Lawmakers plan to review Milei’s labour reform next year; the bill would also allow the administration to arrange foreign debt operations subject to congressional approval. Finance Minister Luis Caputo said no new overseas bond sales were planned for January despite roughly $4.5 billion in bond payments due. Separately, official data showed Argentina’s economic activity rose 3.2% year-on-year in October — below prior estimates — while monthly activity slipped 0.4%. Market volatility around the midterm elections and a roughly 5% peso depreciation in October have increased financing pressures despite a $20 billion currency swap line arranged by U.S. officials.

This unified analysis assesses Cardano (ADA) price prospects for 2026–2030 and whether ADA can reach $2. It integrates on-chain metrics, roadmap milestones and macro factors. Key bullish drivers: deployment of Layer‑2 scaling (Hydra), improved staking economics, Voltaire governance rollout, broader DeFi/NFT adoption raising TVL and daily active addresses, interoperability, and uptake in verticals such as identity and education—especially in developing markets. Technical strengths include the Ouroboros PoS protocol and IOG’s research‑driven development. Short‑term (2026–2027) scenarios: moderate growth paths project ADA in roughly $0.85–$1.80 depending on market cycles and milestone delivery; a return to a strong crypto cycle could test $1.40–$1.80, while failure to scale keeps prices lower. Longer term (by 2030) scenarios range from a bear case below $1, a base case around $1.80–$2.50, to a bull case of $3–$5 — reaching $2 requires substantial on‑chain economic activity and market‑cap expansion, not just speculation. Primary risks: roadmap delays (Hydra, Mithril, Voltaire), developer attrition, stiff competition from other smart‑contract platforms (notably Ethereum), regulatory headwinds, and macro market volatility. The combined pieces assign a moderate probability (roughly 60–70% in one estimate) of ADA reaching $2 between 2027–2029, but stress high uncertainty. Trading considerations for crypto traders: use dollar‑cost averaging, consider staking to capture yield and reduce supply pressure, size positions relative to portfolio risk, and closely monitor milestone delivery, TVL growth, DAUs, and DeFi activity as catalysts. This outlook is informational and not trading advice.

bit.com, a cryptocurrency exchange, announced it will wind down operations in an orderly manner and initiate a “user asset migration plan.” The exchange provided notice via an official announcement. No detailed timeline, reasons or supporting figures were disclosed in the bulletin. The move signals an operational shutdown process focused on transferring customer assets off the platform. Traders should watch for follow-up communications from bit.com with specifics on withdrawal windows, asset transfer procedures, deadlines and any custodial arrangements. Key keywords: bit.com, exchange shutdown, user asset migration, withdrawals, custodial transfer.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) responded after a reported Trust Wallet exploit that led to roughly $7 million in token losses. CZ said Binance and Trust Wallet are investigating the incident, will support affected users, and are coordinating with law enforcement and security partners. Trust Wallet advised users to transfer assets to a new wallet and to revoke suspicious approvals; the company and associated security teams are tracking impacted tokens and attacker addresses. No comprehensive recovery was announced. The event highlights ongoing risks from compromised wallet approvals and third-party dApps. Crypto traders should monitor further forensic updates, address blacklists, and any token delistings or liquidity impacts tied to affected assets. Key facts: incident scale ~$7M, principal actor commentary from CZ, user mitigation guidance (move funds/revoke approvals), and ongoing investigation with law enforcement and security partners.

Over a 24-hour period on March 25, 2025, perpetual futures markets saw a large deleveraging event: $47.32 million in Bitcoin (BTC) futures were liquidated, with 91.39% coming from long positions, indicating a concentrated long squeeze. Ethereum (ETH) experienced $21.18 million in liquidations, 74.9% of which were longs. By contrast, Zcash (ZEC) recorded $5.52 million in liquidations dominated by shorts (94.88%), consistent with a short squeeze in a low-liquidity altcoin. The report links these moves to leverage mechanics in perpetual contracts—high leverage and crowded long positions amplified a downward move for BTC/ETH, while low liquidity and idiosyncratic flows produced the ZEC rally and short liquidations. Traders are advised to monitor funding rates, open interest, volumes and liquidity; adopt lower leverage, use stop-losses, and diversify positions. The episode highlights persistent structural risks in crypto derivatives despite market maturation and may prompt temporary reductions in available leverage as exchanges adjust risk parameters.

Evernorth, an institutional digital-asset treasury firm backed by names such as SBI, Ripple, Pantera and Kraken, is reportedly shifting from passive XRP holdings to operational involvement in the XRP ecosystem. According to commentary highlighted by X Finance Bull and remarks from Ripple CTO David Schwartz, Evernorth plans to buy XRP on the open market for an institutional treasury, run validators/nodes, provision liquidity, develop yield-generation strategies, and integrate with DeFi protocols connected to XRP Ledger (including RLUSD). The narrative stresses that this activity represents foundational infrastructure work — validators, order-book strengthening and liquidity commitments — signaling long-term institutional intent rather than short-term speculation. The move is framed as part of a quieter migration of value into operational roles within the network ahead of broader market or regulatory shifts. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

A recent analysis examines how geopolitical events combined with high derivatives open interest created conditions for some of the largest liquidations in crypto history. The report links sharp price moves to sudden geopolitical shocks and concentrated leverage across major exchanges, where elevated open interest and crowded directional bets magnified volatility. Key factors highlighted include concentrated positions in Bitcoin and major altcoins, use of perpetual futures with funding-rate incentives, weak cross-exchange risk dispersion, and rapid deleveraging when margin calls triggered cascade liquidations. The analysis cites specific metrics: unusually high open interest-to-market-cap ratios, spikes in funding rates, and clustered order-book liquidity gaps that allowed relatively modest flows to produce outsized price moves. Traders are advised to monitor aggregate open interest, funding-rate divergences, exchange-level concentration, and geopolitical risk calendars as leading indicators of liquidation risk. Recommended tactics include reducing directional leverage, hedging with options or inverse futures, staggering position entry/exit, and increasing stop-loss discipline during known geopolitical events. The piece concludes that interplay between macro shocks and crypto derivatives structure makes the market particularly susceptible to abrupt squeezes — a dynamic likely to persist until leverage is structurally reduced or liquidity becomes more evenly distributed across venues.

A former Russian traffic police officer has been sentenced to seven years in prison after confiscating a detainee’s phone in 2022, transferring approximately 20 million rubles worth of Bitcoin to his own account, and using violence to coerce the detainee. In addition to the prison term, the ex-officer will serve the sentence in a standard prison, be stripped of his police rank, and ordered to pay 20 million rubles in compensation to the victim. The case highlights criminal misuse of law-enforcement powers involving cryptocurrency theft and coercion. Key points: former traffic police officer; incident occurred in 2022; stolen Bitcoin valued at ~20 million rubles; convicted and sentenced to 7 years; stripped of rank; ordered to pay 20 million rubles compensation.

Market maker Wintermute announced it will vote against a governance proposal on AAVE that seeks to transfer brand asset control to AAVE token holders. Founder Evgeny Gaevoy cited unclear value-capture mechanics, lack of operational detail on who would manage or monetize the brand, and misalignment between Aave Labs and AAVE token holders. Gaevoy also warned that public political maneuvering around the vote has already hurt AAVE’s market price and fostered volatility. Wintermute remains a participant in Aave governance and said it still believes in AAVE’s potential but urged Aave Labs to engage in clearer, longer-term arrangements for token value capture. The outcome — rejection or passage — could materially affect Aave’s governance dynamics and token market sentiment.

Apeing is positioning itself as a whitelist-only meme-coin launch that staggers access and pricing to limit early sell pressure. The presale is staged with Stage 1 priced at $0.0001 and a planned listing target near $0.001; initial participation requires joining the project whitelist via its official site. The project emphasises three pillars — verified community engagement, interactive utility development and security measures (audits and controlled announcements) — and compares its structured approach with established meme tokens such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Pepe, Pudgy Penguins and Official Trump. For traders, the key implications are that a whitelist-only presale can concentrate early demand and create scarcity, staged pricing rewards preparation over speed, and structured distribution may lower immediate listing-day volatility versus unstructured launches. The coverage is a paid press release and not trading advice.

An XRP community commentator, King Valex, argued that XRP (XRP) consistently follows Bitcoin (BTC) during major market rallies and declines. Citing historical moves, Valex highlighted instances where BTC’s large gains coincided with outsized XRP rallies: BTC’s 2015–2017 rise (~8,450%) alongside XRP’s 51,633% increase to its 2018 high; BTC’s 2020–2021 surge (~from $13k to ~$69k) paired with XRP moving from $0.24 to $1.96; and the 2024–2025 run where BTC rose ~157% (from $49,000 to $126,000) while XRP climbed ~500% (from $0.61 to $3.66). Valex used these examples to dismiss claims that XRP decouples from BTC, bluntly stating “If you think XRP doesn’t follow BTC, you are DELUSIONAL.” The article notes regulatory headwinds (the SEC lawsuit) as a historical constraint on XRP’s ability to re-test its 2018 all-time high. It also references high BTC price forecasts (e.g., $1 million predictions from prominent figures) and models hypothetical XRP prices if it were to match or outpace Bitcoin’s future gains. Disclaimer: the piece is informational and not financial advice.

On-chain data shows Bitcoin mining difficulty increased about 35% during 2025 as miners expanded capacity and network hashrate rose. Blockchain.com data put the 7-day average hashrate at roughly 795.7 TH/s on Jan 1 and about 1,070.3 TH/s by year-end, with an all-time high of 1,151.6 TH/s in October. Difficulty climbed in step with hashrate, peaking above 155 trillion hashes in October and settling near 148.2 trillion hashes by late December — roughly 35% higher than the ~109.8 trillion level at the start of the year. The report notes that miner revenue depends largely on BTC block subsidy (fixed in BTC outside halving), so hashrate typically follows price trends; the hashrate outpaced BTC price year-to-date despite price drawdowns. Short-term hashrate and difficulty fell from their October peaks alongside BTC price pullbacks, but both remain materially higher year-over-year. Key figures: ~35% difficulty growth in 2025, hashrate up from ~795.7 TH/s to ~1,070.3 TH/s, ATH hashrate 1,151.6 TH/s, difficulty near 148.2 trillion hashes. Primary keywords: Bitcoin mining difficulty, Bitcoin hashrate, mining difficulty 2025, BTC difficulty. Secondary/semantic keywords: miner revenue, block subsidy, network ATH, difficulty adjustment.

Bitmine added 154,176 ETH to Ethereum staking — roughly $451 million at current valuations — bringing its cumulative stake to about 4.066 million ETH, according to COINOTAG citing Ashes Monitor. The move underscores continued large-scale institutional participation in ETH staking. For traders, the key implications are potential tightening of liquid ETH supply, shifts in staking reward distribution, and impacts on validator capacity and on-chain liquidity. Monitor ETH staking inflows, validator yields, validator churn, and on-chain flows for signs of short-term volatility. In the medium to long term, sustained large-scale staking by custodial and mining firms can reduce circulating supply and may exert upward pressure on ETH price if demand for liquid ETH remains strong. Primary keywords: Bitmine, ETH staking, 154,176 ETH, 4.066M ETH, Ethereum. Secondary keywords: staking inflows, validator concentration, staking yield, on-chain liquidity.

Yuga Labs, the company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), has acquired Improbable’s Unreal Engine–based creator platform that powers the Otherside metaverse and negotiated a perpetual license for Improbable’s high-concurrency technology. CEO Greg Solano announced the deal and said many of Improbable’s core engineers and developers will join Yuga Labs in early 2026. Yuga intends to fully internalize the platform and team to accelerate iteration, long-term investment in Otherside, and to build an open creator platform that supports large-scale multiplayer experiences, composable assets, true digital ownership and built-in economies. Improbable, a UK-based company known for large-scale simulation and metaverse infrastructure, had long collaborated with Yuga on Otherside. The acquisition signals Yuga’s push to control key infrastructure and talent for scaling Otherside, and positions the company to deploy AI-driven content and larger concurrency experiences in 2026.

Galaxy Research head Alex Thorn said Bitcoin needs a year-end close above $93,389 to deliver positive returns for 2025. Thorn noted muted sentiment heading into year-end and said some portfolio managers may only begin reallocating in early 2026, depending on macroeconomic signals and technicals. Despite a weak year-end, US Bitcoin ETPs showed resilience: inflows peaked around $62 billion in October and fell by only about 9%, indicating maturation of the asset class. Galaxy also suggested Bitcoin could gain a ‘‘gold-like’’ depreciation-hedge narrative as large allocators and central banks adjust allocations. Key figures: $93,389 year-end threshold, ~$62 billion peak ETP inflows, ~9% retreat in inflows.

Yuga Labs has acquired Improbable’s Unreal Engine–based creation platform that supported the Otherside metaverse and secured a perpetual licence to Improbable’s high-concurrency technology for Otherside. Several long-time Improbable engineers and developers who worked on Otherside are set to join Yuga Labs next year. The deal transfers the underlying Unreal Engine creation tools and locks in continued access to the high-concurrency systems that power Otherside’s large-scale, multiplayer experiences. No financial terms were disclosed. The move consolidates development talent and technology into Yuga Labs, potentially accelerating Otherside updates and future virtual-world features.

Arkham Analytics flagged an on-chain transfer where a wallet starting with 0xE040 deposited 40,000,000 YGG (approx. $2.65M) to Binance deposit wallets. Blockchain tracing links the address and transfers to Yield Guild Games’ treasury and multisig controls. The same address has sent YGG to Binance repeatedly over the past five months, indicating a deliberate, phased liquidity deployment from the guild’s reserves. Analysts note such transfers are common in treasury and reserve management and do not necessarily suggest illicit activity. Traders should watch for official disclosures from Yield Guild Games about reserve strategy or governance changes, as further exchange deposits could increase available market supply and affect YGG liquidity and price visibility. Primary keywords: YGG, Yield Guild Games, Binance, treasury, token deposit. Secondary/semantic keywords included: on-chain transfer, liquidity provisioning, multisig, reserve management.

Yuga Labs has acquired Improbable’s Unreal Engine creation platform and obtained a permanent licensing agreement for Otherside’s high-concurrency technology, according to BAYC co‑founder Garga.eth. Improbable engineers and developers will join Yuga Labs; the acquisition price and full terms were not disclosed. The move is framed as a strategic strengthening of Yuga Labs’ gaming stack ahead of an expanded push in 2026, intending to scale Otherside experiences and accelerate new blockchain-based gaming projects. Industry observers see the deal as reinforcing Yuga Labs’ leadership in crypto gaming by integrating Improbable’s tools to support high-concurrency, real-time worlds. No immediate financial details or delivery timelines beyond a broad 2026 expansion plan were provided.

Robinhood has launched its Hood Holidays countdown event, offering $500,000 worth of Dogecoin (DOGE) and additional prizes — including Rolex watches and Apple AirPods — to participating users. The promotion began with a five-minute daily claim window. On day one many users reported app glitches that prevented them from accessing the countdown or claiming rewards; reports included blank screens and missed prizes despite logging in early. Robinhood has not yet responded publicly to the complaints. Key details: main prize pool is $500K in DOGE, short time-limited claim periods, and multiple high-value physical prizes. Primary keywords: Robinhood, Dogecoin, DOGE, crypto giveaway, app glitch. Secondary keywords: Hood Holidays, countdown event, crypto promotion.

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.