Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

A liquidity squeeze has triggered a sharp sell-off in AI-themed crypto tokens and the broader altcoin market. AI tokens fell about 24.9% over the past month and roughly 74.6% year-to-date, while AI-token trading volume dropped ~20% to $3.48bn, signaling waning investor confidence. Overall altcoin market cap contracted ~34% from $1.77tn to $1.16tn. Analysts link the decline to rising risk aversion, tighter liquidity, weaker U.S. macro data (notably falling labor participation), and increasing correlation between AI equities and related tokens. Some researchers warn of an AI-driven bubble mirroring past tech cycles and project the possibility of a deeper pullback toward a $1tn altcoin cap by 2026 if conditions worsen. European regulatory warnings on risky digital assets have added pressure. Traders should monitor employment metrics, AI-equity strength, liquidity and trading volumes; further weakness in AI stocks, negative employment surprises, or renewed liquidity tightening could accelerate downside for AI tokens and spill into the wider altcoin market. Reassess fundamentals and position sizing rather than chasing short-term narratives, as AI tokens remain highly volatile.

Bitmain has implemented significant price cuts, bundle deals and auction-style offers across legacy S19 and next-generation S21 Antminer lines as network hashrate remains near record highs while BTC price has retreated. Late-December factory discounts brought several Hydro-cooled S19 variants and S21 models to promotional levels (roughly $3–$4/TH on some S19 Hydros), aiming to clear inventory and stimulate demand amid weakening miner margins. The move follows a broader drop in mining profitability (hashprice has fallen below industry breakeven levels in prior reports) driven by sustained hashrate, the post-halving lower block reward and softer BTC prices. Analysts warn these cuts increase selling pressure on miners, compress breakevens, and intensify competition between OEMs and the secondary market for used ASICs. For traders, expect elevated miner sensitivity to price movements, potential acceleration of miner capex reductions, more on-chain BTC selling from struggling operators, and downside pressure on BTC until miner margins recover or hashrate declines.

Sharplink co‑CEO Joseph Chalom forecasts Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) could increase roughly tenfold by late 2026, driven by institutional stablecoins, tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs), sovereign wealth funds and new on‑chain use cases such as AI agents and prediction markets. Chalom highlights the stablecoin market (current market cap ~ $308B) as a primary liquidity source and projects it could expand toward ~$500B by 2026 amid increased issuance from banks and corporates (examples cited include JP Morgan and PayPal) and regionally backed local‑currency stablecoins. He expects tokenized assets under management to grow to about $300B by 2026 as issuance moves from single funds and securities to whole fund portfolios. Sovereign wealth funds’ ETH holdings and tokenization activity are forecast to increase 5–10x, providing another institutional flow into Ethereum. Sharplink Gaming is noted as a large public Ethereum treasury holder (797,704 ETH, ≈ $2.33B), underscoring institutional exposure. Chalom argues Ethereum’s strengths — large validator set, uptime and role as a settlement layer — make it attractive for institutional settlement, prediction markets and on‑chain AI agents, which together could materially boost on‑chain activity and capital inflows. The views are market outlook and not investment 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.

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.

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.

Cardano (ADA) has weakened after breaking short-term support levels, trading around $0.35 and consolidating just above $0.347–$0.35. Price sits below key short-term moving averages (7/21/30-day SMAs) and on the 4-hour chart is under downward-sloping averages; momentum indicators (MACD negative, RSI mid-30s) point to bearish pressure and possible oversold conditions. Recent stop-loss cascades accelerated the sell-off after the pivot broke. Immediate downside risk targets the 2025 low near $0.32 and, if bearish momentum persists, a deeper move toward $0.30. To regain upside momentum, buyers need to reclaim moving averages and resistances — near-term resistance includes the 23.6% Fibonacci at ~$0.45. Doji candlesticks have limited directional conviction recently. This is market analysis, not investment advice.

Aptos (APT) has posted a short-term rebound — roughly +1.3% in 24 hours and about +15.8% over the week — yet remains inside a longer-term downtrend. Price is testing resistance around $1.70–$1.72 after an October sell-off that broke prior support near $4.32. Technicals are mixed: RSI has recovered from oversold levels, signaling temporary buying interest, while On‑Balance Volume (OBV) sits near multi-year lows, indicating persistent selling pressure. APT’s price remains closely correlated with Bitcoin (BTC); BTC’s recent ~1.5% rise toward $90k provided altcoin relief, and an upcoming BTC options expiry could increase short-term volatility and possibly lift APT toward $1.90–$2.00 if a broader rally occurs. On-chain and fundamental signals are weak — declining transaction and developer activity and capital flow favoring Solana (SOL) memecoin action — so any durable reversal would require both technical breakout above $1.70 and improving fundamentals. Short-term trading band: $1.56 support and $1.69–$1.72 resistance. Traders should treat the current move as a relief rally: consider range trades (buy near support, short near resistance), manage risk with tight stop-losses, monitor BTC direction, OBV and RSI for conviction, and wait for confirmed breakout (targets $1.90–$2.00) or breakdown below $1.56 for continuation of the bear trend.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged three alleged crypto trading platforms (Morocoin Tech, Berge Blockchain Technology, Cirkor) and four affiliated investment clubs for a coordinated investment-confidence scam that stole about $14 million from U.S. retail investors. Operators recruited victims via WhatsApp groups, social advertising and promises of AI-driven trading tips, steered them into fake trading platforms and bogus security token offerings (STOs), blocked withdrawals and extracted advance fees. Funds were routed overseas through banks and crypto wallets. The SEC’s Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit led the enforcement action, seeking injunctions, disgorgement and civil penalties. The move comes amid a surge in SEC filings referencing blockchain — and a wave of spot Bitcoin ETF applications — highlighting heightened regulatory scrutiny. For traders: the case underscores elevated counterparty and platform risk, the need to verify licensing and withdrawal proofs before committing capital, and the potential for compliance-driven volatility around Bitcoin-related news. Primary keywords: SEC enforcement, crypto scam, Bitcoin ETF filings, retail investor risk. Secondary/semantic keywords: WhatsApp recruitment, fake trading platforms, security token offerings, funds movement, regulatory scrutiny.

Ozak AI (OZ) has completed multiple presale rounds, selling more than 1.03–1.05 billion OZ tokens and raising roughly $5.12–$5.1 million in private funding, with totals approaching a $5.5 million target ahead of exchange listings. Presale price rose from approximately $0.001 to $0.014 (about 14x). Commentators and analysts cited in coverage project aggressive post-listing scenarios — one scenario implies a listing price near $1 (≈71x from presale) and later targets between $5–$10, while other estimates suggest up to ~300x several months after listing. The project markets a three-layer AI-focused architecture (AI layer, IPFS-encrypted Data layer, and OSN layer) to run predictive models and ingest on-chain/off-chain data, and highlights DePIN, cross-chain capabilities and partnerships with firms such as Openledger, Meganet, Phala Network, SINT, Gremory AI and IQ Wiki. The articles note the coverage is sponsored and not financial advice. For traders: the presale demonstrates strong early demand and high implied upside expectations, but price forecasts are speculative and depend on exchange listing dynamics, liquidity, token unlocking, and execution of the project’s technical and partnership roadmap.

Franklin Templeton’s spot XRP ETF (XRPZ) has surpassed the 100 million XRP milestone, now holding roughly 101.55–105.9 million XRP (est. $192.7m–$200m). The inflows appear steady and methodical, driven by regulated institutional and compliance-focused demand rather than short-term speculative buying. ETFs acquire XRP from open markets and place tokens into custody, removing supply from exchange balances. With exchange reserves falling and substantial amounts moving into long-term custody and ETF vehicles, circulating supply tightens — a dynamic that can amplify price pressure if demand increases. Analysts view this as growing institutional adoption: ETFs provide regulated access for retirement accounts, brokers and compliance-conscious investors and may support more stable, lower-volatility demand compared with retail-driven rallies. Key details: ETF ticker XRPZ, holdings above 100M XRP, estimated value near $193M, and implications for supply dynamics and trading volume. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

Zcash (ZEC) has regained market attention after a dramatic six-month rally that delivered over 1,000% gains, but recent price action shows mixed signals. Short-term trading range is roughly $390–$480 with resistance near $510–$520 and immediate support in the mid-$300s (around $313). ZEC briefly reached highs in November before correcting into early December and has since rebounded; trading volumes remain elevated. Technicals are ambiguous: the 10-day moving average sits above the 100-day, suggesting a nascent uptrend, yet ZEC has declined about 13% month-over-month while posting near 15% weekly gains. A decisive break above $510 could target roughly $600 (≈20% above recent highs) and open bullish scenarios cited by analysts, while failure to clear resistance would keep bears in control and risk deeper pullbacks toward the mid-$300s. Broader factors — stability in BTC, ETH, SOL and other majors, sector-wide weakness among privacy coins, and renewed institutional focus on privacy infrastructure — will influence ZEC’s path. Traders should watch price action around $510 resistance, mid-$300s support (notable prior low ~$313), volume, and short- and long-term moving averages to time entries and manage risk. This summary is informational and not investment advice.

DOGEBALL, a new dog-themed ERC‑20 token, is launching a four-month presale starting 2 January 2026 on a live custom Ethereum Layer‑2 called DOGECHAIN. The project markets near‑zero fees, sub‑2‑second blocks and full EVM compatibility. Tokenomics: 80 billion total supply, ~20 billion (25% in earlier summary) allocated to the ICO/presale across 15 stages starting at $0.0003, with a confirmed listing price of $0.015 implied by earlier materials (large early-stage uplifts advertised). The presale pledges at least 15% of proceeds to liquidity. DOGEBALL pairs an on‑chain dodgeball-style game with a $1 million prize pool (top prize $500,000) and cites a partnership with Falcon Interactive; smart contracts were reportedly audited by Coinsult in earlier coverage. The marketing positions DOGEBALL as a meme‑coin with potential for large multiples (100x–200x for Stage 1) and compares its infrastructure-first pitch to established meme tokens PEPE and FLOKI, which are highlighted for sustained volume and expanding utility respectively. Disclosure: coverage is a paid press release and not trading advice.

OAK Research’s year‑end report shows major Layer‑1 and Layer‑2 tokens suffered steep price and user declines in 2025 as capital and activity rotated toward Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), BNB Chain and revenue‑generating protocols. Total Monthly Active Users across major chains fell about 25.15%. Solana (SOL) lost roughly 94 million users (>60% decline) while BNB Chain nearly tripled its user base by capturing migration flows. Layer‑2 performance diverged: Base saw TVL gains aided by Coinbase distribution, Optimism and zkSync Era experienced sharp contractions, and Mantle posted modest TVL growth largely tied to concentrated token supply. OAK attributes the token sell‑offs to three structural issues: aggressive and continuous unlock schedules, weak value‑capture linking on‑chain usage to token demand, and institutional preference for BTC/ETH. Developer activity remained resilient — Electric Capital data shows sustained dev growth across EVM and SVM stacks and two‑year full‑time developer growth strongest on Bitcoin. On‑chain revenues concentrated in stablecoin issuers (Tether, Circle) and derivatives venues, leaving undifferentiated infrastructure tokens exposed. Outlook for 2026: continued downside and consolidation risk for undifferentiated L1/L2 tokens without clear revenue models or differentiation (speed, cost, security); protocols with meaningful revenues may stabilize but still face unlock pressure and market volatility. For traders: expect ongoing sell pressure on speculative L1/L2 tokens, flight to base layers and fee‑earning protocols, and heightened sensitivity to token unlock schedules, TVL and on‑chain revenue metrics.

Quantum computing advances in 2026 — including milestones like Microsoft’s Majorana 1 — have accelerated research and investment but do not pose an imminent threat to Bitcoin or major blockchains. Cryptography experts say practical quantum attacks that can run Shor’s algorithm at scale against ECDSA remain years to a decade or more away because they require millions of low-error qubits, long coherence times and material and fabrication breakthroughs. The primary near-term risk is archival: adversaries are already collecting on-chain public keys and encrypted data today to decrypt later once quantum capability matures (“store now, decrypt later”). Analysts estimate roughly 25–30% of BTC (about 4 million BTC) is held in addresses exposing public keys, increasing potential vulnerability. ECDSA digital signatures are the weakest link; SHA-256 hashing is comparatively more resilient to quantum attacks. Recommended actions for traders and holders: avoid address reuse, keep public keys hidden until spending, and prepare to migrate to post-quantum wallets and signature schemes when viable. Industry responses include proposals for quantum-resistant signatures, vendor products offering quantum-grade randomness and post-quantum encryption for hot wallets (e.g., Qastle), and regulatory attention from bodies like the US SEC. Market impact is limited in the short term — the narrative is shifting from ‘if’ to ‘when,’ making wallet hygiene and strategic planning for post-quantum migration important for long-term risk management.

A Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime report concludes the Central African Republic’s (CAR) rapid crypto initiatives — including making Bitcoin legal tender in 2022 (later rolled back), the Sango hub and Sango Coin, and a government‑linked memecoin ($CAR) tied to speculative land tokenisation — are unrealistic, opaque and vulnerable to criminal exploitation. The projects were launched despite severe infrastructure limits (low electricity and internet access) that prevent broad citizen participation. Sales and market performance have been weak (Sango sales far below targets; CAR memecoin collapsed from a reported peak to deep losses). The IMF and regional central bank raised legal, transparency and macroeconomic concerns; local courts struck down some measures. The report flags concentration of gains among foreign investors and a domestic elite linked to President Faustin‑Archange Touadéra, and names intermediaries allegedly connected to cross‑border crypto fraud. It warns the 2023 tokenisation law for natural resources (oil, gold, timber, land) and poorly regulated platforms could create channels for money‑laundering, foreign influence and transnational organised crime while delivering scant benefits to ordinary citizens. For traders: the revelations and regulatory pushback increase counterparty, legal and reputational risks for CAR‑linked tokens and any listings tied to the country’s projects, heightening volatility and reducing project credibility.

Ethereum plans two major hard forks in 2026 — Glamsterdam (mid‑2026) and Heze‑Bogota (late‑2026) — targeting large‑scale Layer‑1 scaling, increased Layer‑2 capacity, broader zero‑knowledge (ZK) verifier adoption and stronger on‑chain censorship resistance. Glamsterdam will introduce Block Access Lists (EIP‑7928) to enable parallel transaction execution across CPU cores and enshrined proposer‑builder separation (ePBS) to integrate MEV mitigation into consensus and unlock validator‑level ZK verification. These changes are expected to allow staged gas limit increases (current ~60M gas per block → ~100M in H1 2026 → ~200M or more later in 2026, with some estimates up to ~300M), increase per‑block blob capacity (potentially 72+ blobs) and extend the time window for generating and verifying ZK proofs. Researchers project roughly 10% of validators may verify ZK proofs instead of replaying full execution, freeing further gas headroom. Heze‑Bogota will focus on censorship resistance (e.g., Fork‑Choice Inclusion Lists/FOCIL) to let validator groups ensure inclusion of specific transactions when a subset of nodes remain honest. Secondary developments include improved L2 UX (examples: ZKsync’s Elastic Network / Atlas storing funds on‑chain while enabling fast L2 activity) and proposals for an Ethereum Interoperability Layer to ease L2 cross‑chain operations. For traders: these protocol upgrades could materially raise on‑chain capacity, reduce L2 congestion, change MEV dynamics and pressure fee volatility — factors that may shift liquidity, on‑chain flows and Layer‑2 token activity. Monitor gas limit changes, ePBS adoption, validator ZK verification uptake and on‑chain fee metrics for near‑term trading signals.

Bitcoin is range-bound between $85,000–$90,000 as a concentrated options expiry on December 26 could drive elevated short-term volatility. Roughly $24 billion (or hundreds of millions to billions in different reports) of BTC options expire, with heavy put open interest clustered at the $85K strike. Options mechanics — gamma, dealer hedging and delta exposure — have contributed to recent sideways action and can amplify price moves into expiry. On-chain signs (whale accumulation, lower exchange inflows) and ongoing ETF flows provide structural support, but concentrated expiries often produce intraday swings of several percent. Traders should monitor open interest, put/call skew and dealer gamma exposures around $85K; a failure of the $85K support could trigger a rapid move toward $80K (including a quick sweep or liquidation cascade), while holding the zone may clear weak hands and enable a rebound toward $90K once options-driven flows fade. Key trading actions: expect elevated volatility near Dec 26, track options OI and skew, watch ETF flows and exchange inflows, and size positions for potential quick directional moves.

Caroline Pham, former Acting Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has joined fiat-to-crypto on-ramp MoonPay as Chief Legal Officer and COO-level regulatory lead. Pham is credited with cutting duplicative compliance burdens at the CFTC and has warned that 2026 will be decisive for U.S. market-structure rulemaking. MoonPay processes fiat-to-crypto conversions for assets including XRP and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. Pham’s appointment brings high-level regulatory experience into a major payments on-ramp, likely improving MoonPay’s ability to anticipate rulemaking, shape compliant institutional access, and strengthen government relations and compliance programs. The reporting frames this as a structural infrastructure development rather than a short-term price catalyst; improved regulatory alignment and stronger compliant rails may favor assets designed for regulated financial use — notably XRP. No price targets or transaction figures were disclosed. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

A Christmas‑day flash crash on Binance’s BTC/USD1 pair briefly pushed Bitcoin to $24,111 before automated and arbitrage activity restored the price to roughly $87,000 within seconds. The move was isolated to the USD1 stablecoin pairing — a newly launched, incentivized dollar‑pegged token (USD1 reportedly backed by the Trump family and offering high APY) — and did not appear on major BTC pairs such as BTC/USDT. Causes cited include extremely low buy‑side depth on the USD1 order book, a large sell order or liquidation sweeping bids, stop‑loss cascades and fast arbitrage that both exaggerated and corrected the price wick. A DeFi researcher suggested coordinated insider shorts but provided no conclusive evidence; exchange display or execution anomalies are also possible. The incident underscores execution risk in shallow or exotic stablecoin pairs and the potential for microstructure‑driven, exchange‑specific price anomalies. For traders: avoid placing large aggressive orders in low‑liquidity pairings, monitor order‑book depth and spreads, use limit orders where appropriate, and be cautious of promotional or high‑yield stablecoins that can attract volume without depth. This is a market‑microstructure liquidity glitch rather than a fundamental devaluation of Bitcoin. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) has shown range-bound but volatile trading, moving between roughly $23.6 and $25.2 and trading near $24.7—about a 4% intraday gain. Market capitalization stands at roughly $8.3 billion, placing HYPE among the top 15 tokens by market cap. On-chain data shows a significant whale accumulation of approximately $12.1 million in HYPE over the past 14 days, suggesting renewed institutional or long-term interest. Daily trading and futures volumes are elevated, which has helped absorb intraday pullbacks and limited sharp declines. The project’s low-latency, high‑liquidity derivatives infrastructure and ongoing governance/tokenomics discussions—including proposals for multi-million-dollar token burns and community votes—are focal points for traders, as they could affect circulating supply and future price action. Analysts note the price remains far below the $59 all‑time high and that stronger, sustained volume is required to confirm a bullish breakout. Short-term outlook: sideways to mildly bullish if volume and risk appetite increase; volatility risk remains. Long-term outlook: mixed—some see potential for new all‑time highs after 2026 if development and adoption accelerate, while others caution broader market conditions and macro risks could suppress gains. Not investment advice.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz clarified that the 2017 XRP escrow was introduced to add predictability to token releases, not to enable larger or hidden sales that could single-handedly depress XRP’s price. Schwartz said that before the escrow, Ripple had no fixed monthly sales cap; the escrow locked most holdings and imposed a fixed, capped monthly release schedule, which he opposed at the time because it reduced strategic flexibility. He argued markets already price in predictable, capped releases and routine re-locking of unused XRP, so escrow mechanics alone do not explain XRP’s long-term price performance. Instead, Schwartz pointed to broader drivers — network utility growth, liquidity, regulatory clarity and macroeconomic trends — as more important determinants of price. His comments reframe community debates from emotional claims about withheld supply to a focus on market expectations, transparency and price discovery. Traders should note that while scheduled escrow releases are transparent and predictable, perceived selling pressure from Ripple remains a recurring narrative that can influence short-term volatility.

Russia’s central bank and major exchanges are preparing a regulated crypto market with a legislative deadline of July 1, 2026. The Bank of Russia published a regulatory concept that mandates custody rules, AML/surveillance, and investor classification; penalties for unlicensed intermediaries are slated to begin July 1, 2027. Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is developing trading and settlement infrastructure while the St. Petersburg Exchange says its systems are already in place to list and settle approved digital assets. The proposal creates a two-tier investor system: non‑qualified (retail) investors face a 300,000‑ruble (~$3,800) annual purchase cap per intermediary, must pass knowledge checks, and are limited to an approved list of liquid tokens; qualified investors (institutions and high‑net‑worth individuals) will have no volume limits but cannot buy anonymous tokens and must meet risk‑awareness criteria. Crypto remains banned as a means of payment in Russia; digital assets are to be treated as investment instruments only. For traders, the roadmap signals likely increases in on‑exchange liquidity, formal tax and surveillance channels for previously informal flows, and higher custody/AML compliance costs for service providers. Key hurdles remain: finalizing complex legislation, implementing custody and AML frameworks, and restoring market confidence after prolonged regulatory uncertainty. Primary keywords: regulated crypto trading, Moscow Exchange, St. Petersburg Exchange, Bank of Russia, July 2026.

BitMine, Tom Lee’s Ethereum-focused treasury, purchased 67,886 ETH (≈$201 million), bringing its reported holdings above 4 million ETH — roughly 3% of circulating supply. This tranche follows earlier disclosed buys (including a prior ~29,462 ETH purchase and an earlier 98,852 ETH disclosure), lifting BitMine’s cumulative accumulation to over 4 million ETH. The firm reports an average acquisition price near $2,991 per ETH and values the treasury at roughly $12 billion at current market prices. BitMine frames the strategy as a long-term structural bet on Ethereum’s role in tokenization, DeFi and the proof-of-stake ecosystem. Market reaction was muted: BitMine’s NYSE stock ticked down slightly while ETH experienced short-term weakness. For traders, the key takeaways are: concentrated institutional buying that reduces free float, potential for continued price support if accumulation persists, increased staking/governance influence from large holders, and the possibility of heightened volatility as markets digest large treasury builds. Primary keywords: BitMine, Ethereum, ETH accumulation. Secondary keywords: institutional buying, treasury holdings, proof-of-stake, ETH supply.

CoinShares’ weekly Digital Asset Fund Flows reported ~ $952M net outflows for the week ending 20 Dec 2025, driven chiefly by U.S. withdrawals (~$990M) amid regulatory uncertainty tied to delays around the U.S. "Clarity Act." Outflows were concentrated in spot Ethereum products (≈ $555M) and Bitcoin funds (≈ $460M). Despite the pullback in BTC and ETH, select altcoins attracted institutional capital: XRP saw inflows of $62.9M and Solana $48.5M. Regional flows were mixed, with modest inflows in Canada (~$15.6M) and Germany (~$46.2M). Total assets under management in crypto investment products stood at $46.7B, down from $48.7B at the same point in 2024. CoinShares frames the moves as portfolio rebalancing and risk-off positioning while institutions await clearer U.S. regulatory signals, warning that persistent U.S. regulatory ambiguity makes it unlikely fund inflows will exceed last year’s totals under current conditions.

Bitcoin (BTC) surged past the $88,000 level on December 25, 2025, trading around $88,014–88,015 on Binance USDT after breaching a significant resistance zone. The move is credited to growing institutional adoption, demand for an inflation hedge, and favorable regulatory developments, which together have amplified bullish market sentiment and triggered retail FOMO. Short-term technical momentum points toward $90,000 as the next psychological target, with higher resistance levels such as $100,000 noted as medium-term objectives. Traders should monitor on-chain and exchange volumes and any regulatory news to confirm the breakout’s sustainability. Recommended risk measures include position sizing, dollar-cost averaging (DCA), portfolio diversification, and secure custody. A successful consolidation above $88,000 would validate new support and increase the odds of further upside; however, high volatility and the risk of sharp pullbacks remain. Keywords: Bitcoin, BTC price, price breakout, institutional adoption, $88,000 breakout.

Metaplanet’s board approved an equity-linked financing plan to grow its Bitcoin treasury to 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027. Shareholders unanimously backed proposals to issue two classes of preferred shares (voting Class A and non-voting Class B) with floating-rate features, quarterly dividends, a 10-year issuer call at 130% on Class B, and a put right if the company fails to list within a year. Class B issuance may be offered to overseas institutions to widen capital access. Management positions Bitcoin as a hedge against yen depreciation and follows strategies used by large corporate Bitcoin holders. The structure aims to enable substantial BTC purchases while deferring — but not eliminating — dilution for existing equity holders. Analysts warn the plan is sensitive to Bitcoin price moves: falling crypto prices can pressure digital-asset treasuries (DATs), widen equity valuation discounts, and make future capital raises harder in downturns. Traders should watch Metaplanet’s actual buying cadence, the timing and size of share issuances, and BTC price action, since successful accumulation depends on repeated capital raises and sustained or rising BTC prices. Primary keywords: Metaplanet, Bitcoin treasury, equity-linked financing, digital asset treasuries, BTC.

Gnosis Chain node operators executed a validator-approved hard fork to recover funds linked to the November Balancer exploit that drained nearly $120 million across chains. The network said the attacker no longer controls the assets and urged remaining operators to update nodes to avoid penalties; it did not disclose the exact recovery total. The hard fork follows an emergency soft fork in November that froze roughly $9.4 million on Gnosis Chain. On-chain data showed the attacker moved large amounts — including staked ETH — to new addresses before recovery attempts. Balancer traced the breach to a vulnerability in Balancer V2 Composable Stable Pools despite multiple audits; white-hat actors previously retrieved about $28 million. The decision to hard fork sparked debate: supporters praised coordinated recovery and user protection, while critics warned it weakens immutability and called for clearer intervention rules. For traders: expect heightened on-chain activity and potential short-term volatility around recovered-fund movements, DAO wallet transfers, validator announcements and any clawback or compensation proposals that could affect token flows.

Circle, issuer of the USDC stablecoin, has launched two asset-backed tokens: GLDC (gold) and SILC (silver). Each token represents fractional claims on physical bullion stored in audited, insured vaults and can be purchased 24/7 by swapping USDC on CircleMetals.com. Tokens settle on-chain and integrate with compatible wallets, DeFi protocols and institutional workflows, positioning them as programmable alternatives for treasury diversification, DeFi collateral and fast cross-border value transfer. Backing and liquidity are modelled on COMEX reference markets. Benefits cited include on-chain transparency, fractional ownership and reduced storage overhead. Key risks are custodial trust in Circle and its partners, regulatory uncertainty around asset-backed tokens, and uncertain long-term adoption and liquidity. Circle’s standing as a major stablecoin issuer may boost credibility and integration potential versus existing gold-backed crypto offerings. Traders should note this development as a potential new inflow conduit for USDC into tokenized real-world assets, which could subtly shift USDC utility and affect demand dynamics for stablecoins and on-chain collateral.