Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

CoinGecko’s 2025 State of Memecoins report shows the meme coin sector surged to a record $150.6 billion market cap in December 2024, driven by politically themed tokens (so-called “PolitiFi” such as TRUMP and LIBRA), Solana-era launch platforms, and social-media-driven virality. The peak coincided with extreme token issuance—reportedly as many as ~73,000 new token launches per day in January 2025—and practices that increased on-chain risk, including rug pulls, insider-heavy launches, alleged large insider outflows (reported ~$107M from LIBRA), and artificial demand through wallet bundling. Dog-themed tokens (led by DOGE) retained ~47% of sector value even as new narratives (politics, AI) and ecosystem tokens (BONK, FLOKI, DEGEN) spread across chains including Solana, Bitcoin, Base and BNB Chain. Public interest shifted toward the U.S. (rising from ~20% to nearly 30%) but overall attention fell sharply from early 2025 levels. By late 2025 the sector had retraced substantially—estimates show a decline of about 69% (to ~$47.2B) or ~73% (to ~$38B) depending on timing—illustrating how political narratives can produce rapid inflows and equally swift reversals. CoinGecko highlights potential next-phase drivers such as tighter CEX–DeFi integration (in-app on-chain trading from exchanges like Coinbase and Binance) that could reintroduce users while blurring risk exposure. Key takeaways for traders: extreme volatility and elevated scam/rug-pull risk; narrative-driven flows (especially political tokens) can cause sharp short-term moves; market share remains concentrated (DOGE dominant); and cross-chain launch activity and centralized exchange on-chain features could reshape liquidity and risk profiles.

Ethereum (ETH) saw a marked surge in new wallet creation in December, with Santiment reporting daily spikes near 196–197K and a daily average around 163K. Active sending addresses and daily network growth rose to multi‑month highs, producing roughly a 25% increase in network activity versus November and about a 12% rise in active addresses. Holder sentiment shifted from negative in November to neutral–positive by mid‑December, suggesting reduced selling pressure among long‑term holders. Despite these on‑chain improvements, ETH traded range‑bound near $2,800–$3,300 for several weeks, with trading volume still below October averages. Analysts (including Merlijn The Trader and others citing historical parallels from 2015–2018 and 2024 patterns) view the sustained wallet inflows and reaccumulation as signs of renewed demand and potential upside — one projection targets a move toward $3,700 and an outperformance of BTC on the ETH/BTC pair. Key trading signals to monitor: continued new wallet inflows and active‑address growth for demand confirmation; a decisive rise in volume (20%+ above recent averages) to validate a breakout; and price structure around $2,860–$2,900 for accumulation risk management. Watch resistance near $3,700 and leverage/retail participation metrics that could amplify any move.

Prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi currently price roughly a 50–55% probability that Kevin Hassett will be nominated as the next Federal Reserve chair after President Trump signaled he was considering Hassett alongside Kevin Warsh. These markets aggregate money-backed bets and update in real time, reflecting shifting trader conviction. Hassett, a former White House Council of Economic Advisers chair, would likely influence interest-rate policy, quantitative tightening and bank regulation — key drivers of global liquidity and risk appetite that affect crypto prices. Earlier reports showed odds moving sharply as market participants weighed politicization risks; later pricing consolidated around the ~55% level, while Warsh also remains a contender. For crypto traders, prediction-market moves are a near-term signal of changing expectations about Fed posture: higher odds for a candidate perceived as more hawkish could strengthen the dollar, lift bond yields and pressure risk assets; a more dovish or unpredictable appointee can increase volatility and boost demand for alternatives like Bitcoin. Traders should watch prediction-market odds, Treasury yields, dollar indices and volatility indicators; track candidates’ historical views on financial innovation and digital assets; and keep position sizing and stop-management flexible given political appointment risk. These markets reflect sentiment rather than certainty — liquidity, event prominence and news flow can skew short-term pricing — so use odds as a real-time input, not definitive outcomes.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed proposed final consent judgments against former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison and former FTX engineers Gary Wang and Nishad Singh as part of its FTX fraud enforcement. The SEC alleges that from May 2019 to November 2022 FTX and Sam Bankman‑Fried raised over $1.8 billion while misrepresenting risk controls and treating Alameda Research as a regular customer but exempting it from protections. Complaints say Wang and Singh coded systems that diverted customer funds to Alameda and Ellison misused those funds; hundreds of millions were allegedly sent for Alameda investments and personal loans. Ellison, Wang and Singh consented to final judgments without admitting liability: permanent anti‑fraud injunctions and bans from serving as public‑company officers or directors — Ellison for 10 years, Wang and Singh for 8 years — subject to court approval. The action is part of broader SEC enforcement and asset‑recovery efforts tied to the criminal case against Sam Bankman‑Fried. Market reaction was muted: FTX’s native token FTT rose about 6% intraday to roughly $0.51 after the filings but remains over 99% below its all‑time high. For traders: the rulings reinforce regulatory risks around centralized exchanges and governance failures, are unlikely to materially change FTT’s fundamentals, and may modestly affect sentiment toward legacy FTX‑linked assets.

South Korean lawmaker Min Byoung‑duk (Democratic Party) urged the government to speed up stablecoin legislation and implement a won‑pegged stablecoin to protect national payment sovereignty. Speaking at the Global Business Forum in Seoul, Min warned that dollar‑pegged stablecoins are increasingly used in cross‑border payments, trade settlement and remittances, and that Korean firms — including SMEs — are already paying overseas workers and exploring dollar‑denominated stablecoins for international settlements. He argued the policy debate should move from whether to adopt stablecoins to how to implement them, calling for cooperation between regulators and traditional financial institutions and for a legal framework that balances consumer protection and AML with broader digital asset classification. Min proposed a won‑backed stablecoin with distinct domestic use cases (for example, cultural payments or SME services) to capture market share and retain oversight of Korea’s payment infrastructure before foreign stablecoins become entrenched. This signals potential regulatory action and product development that traders should monitor for implications on stablecoin markets, FX flows and regulatory risk in the region.

A long-dormant Ethereum ICO wallet (0xbDb6) moved its entire holding of 2,000 ETH — roughly $5.96 million at reporting — to a new address after more than a decade of inactivity. The wallet’s original ICO investment was about $620, implying an on-chain return near 9,616x. On-chain analytics (flagged by Lookonchain/LookIntoChain) noted the transfer but provided no immediate details about the recipient, intent to sell, or links to known entities. This activity constitutes a renewed on-chain liquidity event that can affect market microstructure, including short-term liquidity provision and price discovery. Traders should monitor the destination address for subsequent distribution, concentrated selling, or gradual reallocation. Key data: 2,000 ETH moved; estimated value ~$5.96M; original ICO cost ~$620; implied ROI ~9,616x. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH, ICO wallet, dormant wallet, on-chain transfer, liquidity event.

The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 0.75% on Dec. 18, the highest since 1995, marking a break from decades of ultra‑accommodative policy. Markets now price further BOJ normalization and a higher yield environment in Japan, with some JGB maturities trading above 2%. The move tests global funding structures, notably the long‑running yen carry trade that has helped finance leveraged positions across risk assets including Bitcoin. After the announcement, U.S. investors showed net selling of Bitcoin—Coinbase’s retail premium gap turned negative (around -$57 at one point) and on‑chain/exchange flows signaled U.S. outflows. Higher Japanese yields and rising FX hedging costs are making domestic bonds relatively more attractive versus U.S. assets and crypto. Analysts describe a “macro stalemate”: U.S. data could push the Fed toward easing while Japan tightens, creating positioning stress rather than an immediate fundamental collapse. The principal market risk is indirect: sustained higher JGB yields may keep global interest rates elevated, reducing risk appetite and pressuring high‑beta assets like BTC. Traders should monitor JGB yields, USD/JPY moves, FX hedging costs, Coinbase premium and exchange flows, and bond–crypto correlations. Short term, expect heightened volatility and possible selling if carry trades unwind; medium to long term, dynamics are complex—Japan’s still negative real rates could eventually weaken the yen and, depending on global demand for Treasuries and hedging behaviours, create scenarios that are less uniformly negative for Bitcoin.

BlackRock has posted multiple senior and mid-level job openings across the US, Europe and Asia as it scales its digital-assets business. Roles announced by Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s global head of digital assets, cover New York, San Francisco, Wilmington, London, Dublin and Singapore and range from associate to managing director level. Specific vacancies include Digital Assets Associate, Managing Director (including Head of Research), Product Strategist, Fund Services — Digital Asset Tokenization, EMEA Digital Assets Lawyer and financial-crime compliance roles. Job descriptions reference work on crypto assets, stablecoins and tokenization; experience requirements run from 3–6 years for associate roles to 12+ years for senior hires. One New York Managing Director listing shows a $270,000–$350,000 salary range and a hybrid (minimum four days/week) schedule. BlackRock is already a leading issuer of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs and launched the first tokenized fund on Ethereum last year. This hiring push signals institutional scaling of crypto capabilities — expect potential acceleration of ETF product rollouts, new tokenized real-world-asset offerings and deeper liquidity or custody programs. Traders should monitor upcoming SEC ETF filings, specific technical and regulatory hires, regional base announcements, and job descriptions for clues on timelines (likely 6–18 months), product scope and market impact.

DraftKings has launched DraftKings Predictions, a CFTC-registered prediction‑markets app available in 38 U.S. states that initially offers sports and financial event contracts (sports trading live in 17 states). The product runs on Railbird Exchange, a derivatives venue DraftKings acquired and registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, providing regulated clearing and a derivatives-style infrastructure similar to CME standards. DraftKings says it will expand offerings to include crypto, entertainment and cultural event contracts—allowing traders to gain exposure to outcomes such as Bitcoin halvings or Ethereum upgrades without owning the underlying assets. The move brings a major public sports-betting operator into regulated prediction markets and is expected to attract both retail and institutional liquidity by offering U.S.-compliant event contracts. DraftKings reported Q3 revenue of $1.14 billion and reiterated its full-year revenue outlook (up to $6.1 billion). Analysts say the app could boost trading volumes around volatile crypto events and shift some flow away from unregulated on‑chain platforms, while reducing counterparty and regulatory risks through CFTC oversight.

HOLY Mining has launched an intelligent, mobile-first cloud mining platform that lets retail users mine major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE) without buying hardware or covering electricity costs. The platform offers flexible, transparent short-term hashrate contracts (examples range from $100 for 2 days to $5,000 for 30 days) with stated daily earnings and total-return figures, a $15 registration bonus, 24/7 customer support, a mobile app for live hashing and revenue tracking, and one-click activation. Features include AI-driven automated allocation of computing power to the most profitable pools, daily settlements with automatic payouts to personal wallets, tiered contract options (starter, standard, premium), a VIP program for higher returns, and an affiliate/referral scheme. Security is marketed as “bank-grade” with multi-layer encryption, distributed servers and real-time risk monitoring. The offering is positioned as an on-ramp for retail users seeking passive crypto earnings by lowering technical and capital barriers. The announcement appears as sponsored content and includes a disclosure advising users to perform their own research before participating.

Mangoceuticals (MGRX) has partnered with Cube Group to launch a Solana-focused digital asset treasury (DAT) strategy targeting up to $100 million in SOL exposure. The vehicle, operated through new subsidiary Mango DAT, will accumulate SOL in phases using proceeds from the company’s Nasdaq listing and potential at-the-market equity offerings. Cube Group will manage the strategy, beginning with actively managed SOL staking aimed at annualized yields of roughly 7–20%, and broader Solana ecosystem participation to generate non-dilutive, yield-driven returns for the corporate treasury. Mangoceuticals has also filed a trademark for “MULTI-DAT,” describing services including virtual currency transactions, portfolio management, tokenized assets, DeFi infrastructure and stablecoin treasury tools. Company leadership frames the initiative as bridging traditional corporate treasury management with institutional-grade DeFi yields and increasing Mangoceuticals’ role in Solana ecosystem growth. Key trading implications: phased accumulation may add steady buy pressure for SOL over time; staking yields could reduce circulating supply; and public funding through ATM offerings links SOL purchases to equity market activity.

Bitcoin’s weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen to about 35 — the weakest weekly reading since early 2023 — after roughly a 36% drawdown from the all-time high to lows near $80.5K–$87K. Historical parallels show such low weekly RSI readings have sometimes preceded major rallies (notably when BTC traded near $15.5K–$17K), but they have also persisted through extended bear markets (2018, 2022). On-chain metrics add nuance: CryptoQuant’s Network Value to Transactions (NVT) Golden Cross has moved from roughly -0.6 toward -0.32, indicating structural undervaluation and a move toward equilibrium that in past cycles preceded large rallies. Analysts are split — some view the confluence of extreme weekly RSI and depressed NVT as a buy-the-dip opportunity and potential relief bounce; others warn the RSI can stay oversold during prolonged corrections, so a capitulation bottom is not guaranteed. Trader guidance: wait for price-action confirmation (stabilization or bullish RSI divergence), monitor higher-timeframe support, consider dollar-cost averaging for long-term exposure, and apply strict risk management. This is not investment advice.

President Trump is conducting final interviews for the next Federal Reserve Chair, with a decision expected in January. Reported interviewees include BlackRock CIO Rick Rieder, Fed Governor Christopher Waller and economist Kevin Hassett; Jerome Powell’s reappointment remains uncertain. Candidates bring different backgrounds: Rieder offers private‑sector asset‑management experience, Waller institutional Fed experience, and Hassett a politically aligned economic perspective. The choice will shape U.S. monetary policy — influencing interest rates, inflation strategy, balance‑sheet policy and Fed communication. Markets may react to both the uncertainty during the selection window and the eventual appointment, which could reset expectations for rates, dollar strength and risk assets. For crypto traders, Fed policy influences crypto via interest rates and dollar moves; traders should watch interview comments and signals of hawkish (rate‑focused) versus dovish (growth‑focused) approaches, monitor leaks and scheduled announcements, and prepare for elevated volatility. Practical trader steps: reduce exposure to rate‑sensitive positions, diversify, maintain tighter risk controls, and avoid speculative trades driven by rumor. Primary keywords: Federal Reserve, Fed Chair, interest rates, cryptocurrency markets.

Ripple has taken a minority stake in U.S.-regulated broker-dealer TJM Investments and TJM Institutional Services and formed a strategic partnership to expand institutional-grade crypto execution, clearing and prime-brokerage services. The integration centers on Ripple Prime — Ripple’s multi-asset prime brokerage platform — which will supply TJM with trading infrastructure, execution and balance-sheet support, collateral efficiency and clearing stability. TJM will use Ripple Prime’s institutional tools to offer hedge funds, family offices, asset managers and global investors broader, regulated access to digital assets via on‑ramp and prime-like services rather than offshore venues. Financial terms were not disclosed. Ripple Prime’s leadership says the combined execution experience and platform scale will accelerate TJM’s expansion into digital assets. Analysts view the deal as further convergence between traditional finance and fintech-driven crypto services and a response to institutional demand for seamless execution, custody and regulated clearing. For traders, the partnership signals growing institutional on‑ramp infrastructure and may channel more institutional order flow through regulated brokers and prime platforms, supporting deeper liquidity and potentially lowering execution risk for institutional-sized trades.

Ozak AI (OZ) has sold over 1 billion tokens and raised about $4.9 million in its presale, while Bitcoin has seen a recent pullback. The presale price moved from $0.001 to $0.014 (≈14×). The project markets an AI + DePIN narrative with features such as AI agents, real-time analytics feeds, staking and governance utility, decentralized storage, and the November-launched x402 Protocol that bills users only for compute consumed — a cost-saving claim that supports autonomous agents. Analysts cited in coverage project aggressive upside for OZ, with scenarios ranging up to $5 by 2028 (implying as much as ~420× from current presale levels) and other earlier reports suggesting targets like $10 by 2029. The piece is sponsored content and not investment advice. Key takeaways for traders: measurable presale traction (~$4.9M), clear product and token-utility narrative (staking, governance, liquidity), strong short-term buying interest driven by speculative ROI models, and typical presale execution and liquidity risks. Monitor token unlock schedules, on-chain distribution, roadmap execution (including x402 adoption), and broader market risk appetite — all will materially affect OZ’s short- and long-term price performance.

The global crypto market cap fell to $2.93 trillion — an eight‑month low — wiping out 2025 gains and sliding roughly one-third from the October $4.4T peak. CoinGecko data shows the market is down about 14% year‑to‑date and range‑bound since March 2024. Sentiment indicators signal “extreme fear”: the Fear & Greed Index sits near 16 and Santiment reports rising negative social chatter. Recent macro moves, notably the Bank of Japan’s rate hike to 0.75%, tightened liquidity and contributed to risk‑off flows that pressured prices. Bitcoin traded around $86–87k in the latest sessions with intraday ranges near $84.5k–$89.5k; analysts warned of further downside in the short term — some forecasting 10–20% drops in altcoins and possible capitulation scenarios for BTC — while others noted brief rebounds after policy shocks. Bloomberg Intelligence offered a highly bearish comparison to past crashes, whereas traders and fund managers flagged the pullback as a possible accumulation window for fundamentally strong DeFi and layer‑2 projects if institutional interest persists. Key trader takeaways: heightened volatility and systemic risk; monitor Bitcoin support levels (~$82.5k) and short‑term sentiment indicators (Fear & Greed, Santiment social data) for bounce signals; expect tactical downside but consider selective accumulation in high‑quality projects depending on risk tolerance and time horizon.

Chainalysis reports over $3.4 billion in crypto stolen globally through early December 2025, exceeding the prior year’s total. North Korea–linked groups accounted for at least $2.02 billion — roughly 76% of service-related compromises — a 51% year‑over‑year increase and raising the DPRK cumulative lower bound to $6.75 billion. The single Bybit compromise contributed about $1.5 billion, underlining how rare, catastrophic centralized key compromises drive outsized losses. Centralized services caused 88% of value lost in Q1 2025. Overall theft incident counts rose sharply to roughly 158,000 in 2025 (from 54,000 in 2022), with unique victims doubling to ~80,000; however, value stolen from individuals fell from $1.5 billion in 2024 to $713 million in 2025, indicating more frequent but smaller-value attacks. Attackers shifted tactics away from large personal-wallet heists (personal-wallet share fell to 20% of value in 2025) toward sophisticated breaches of custodians, exchanges and Web3 firms, often using embedded insiders, fake recruitment and credential harvesting. Laundering increasingly uses many small on-chain tranches (60%+ under $500k) routed via Chinese‑language money-movement services, cross‑chain bridges, mixers and specialist platforms. Chainalysis highlights growing concentration of losses: the largest hacks now exceed the median incident by more than 1,000x, and the top three hacks made up 69% of service-related losses. Key trader takeaways: elevated geopolitical and custodial risk centered on a few mega-breaches may widen custodial risk premia, prompt intensified exchange due diligence, encourage shifts toward self‑custody or regulated counterparties, and increase volatility around centralized platforms and related tokens.

Synthetix has relaunched its canonical perpetual futures decentralized exchange (Perps) on Ethereum mainnet in a private beta, marking its return from layer-2 networks. The product uses off‑chain order matching with on‑chain settlement so user funds remain on Ethereum L1 while achieving low-latency execution. The private beta (Dec 19, 2025) opens with BTC, ETH and SOL markets and up to 50x leverage. Access is limited to 500 users — historical power users, stakers and competition participants — with a 40,000 USDT deposit cap per user; withdrawals are disabled at launch and expected to reopen after about one week while the deposit contract is monitored. The team led by founders Kain Warwick and Jordan Momtazi called this an early iteration and plans rapid weekly expansion: new markets, higher deposit caps, increased leverage, multicollateral margin, new order types, real‑world assets (RWAs), deeper Ethereum composability and an institutional-grade CLOB with off‑chain matching and L1 custody/settlement. The move back to Ethereum is attributed to lower gas after upgrades (e.g., Fusaka), desire to keep custody and settlement on chain, and improved on‑chain composability. The launch follows a competitive trading event that generated significant volume and fees; initial sUSD depositor rewards on the Infinex pool have been extended to support the rollout. For traders: expect limited initial liquidity and capped exposure during the beta, potential short-term volatility around market additions and reward incentives, and longer-term increases in on‑chain derivatives activity if Synthetix scales markets and institutional features as planned.

Bitwise reports that Bitcoin (BTC) showed lower volatility than Nvidia (NVDA) in 2025 and expects the trend to continue into 2026. In 2025 BTC ranged roughly $75,000 (April) to an October high near $126,000 (~68% swing) versus Nvidia’s roughly 120% swing. Bitwise attributes reduced BTC volatility to broader institutional adoption, the growth of spot BTC ETFs and traditional investment products, and forecasts increased allocations from banks and wealth managers (Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch named). The firm expects continued ETF inflows, accelerated on‑chain development, clearer crypto‑friendly regulation, and the potential for a new BTC all‑time high and a weakening of the historical four‑year boom‑bust cycle. However, newer research from K33 and CryptoQuant highlights heavy long‑term holder selling: about 1.6M previously dormant coins moved since early 2023 (~$140B) and nearly $300B of >1‑year dormant coins reentered markets in 2025; CryptoQuant flagged one of the largest long‑term holder distributions in over five years in the past 30 days. Traders should weigh the bullish structural drivers (institutional demand, spot ETF liquidity, regulatory clarity) against persistent long‑term‑holder supply and macro risks (halving, interest rates, leverage). Near term, steady selling from long‑term holders can exert downside pressure despite improving institutional flows; longer term, greater institutional adoption and ETF inflows are constructive for BTC volatility compression and price discovery.

An early Bitcoin investor known as “1011short” transferred 5,152 BTC (≈$445M) to Binance, on-chain analytics show. Arkham Intelligence and social reporting indicate the wallet also holds large multi-asset long exposure — roughly $695M across BTC, ETH and SOL — and reportedly increased Ethereum exposure the same day, holding about 203,341 ETH, 1,000 BTC and 250,000 SOL. Large, identifiable exchange inflows are often interpreted by traders as potential precursors to selling, OTC deals, portfolio rebalancing, or using exchange services (staking/loans). The transfer came amid a fragile market rally after cooler US inflation data that briefly pushed BTC above $89k and ETH near $3k before momentum faded and BTC traded near $85k, erasing over $100M from crypto market cap and taking total capitalization below $3T. Key trader takeaways: monitor exchange net flows and open interest for signs of incoming selling; watch whether other OG wallets move funds or increase ETH exposure; consider the wallet’s concentrated multi-asset long positions as a liquidation risk if price reverses. This on-chain move is a notable liquidity signal that could add short-term downward pressure on BTC if coins hit order books, but it is one data point that requires context from broader whale activity and macro conditions.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is trading near a critical long-term support zone (~$0.13–$0.14; current reference ~$0.1332) amid rising derivatives activity and mixed technical signals. Open interest in DOGE derivatives has increased to about $1.49bn and long positions exceed 51%, while the MACD approaches a bearish cross and recent liquidations signal fragile downside momentum. Institutional flows into Dogecoin ETFs remain minimal (roughly $171.9k in one session), indicating limited conviction from larger buyers. For traders, the key levels are the $0.13–$0.14 support band and upside targets near $0.18–$0.21 if the support holds; a decisive break below would negate the bullish scenario. Meanwhile, DeFi token Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is in a phase-based presale (Phase 6 at $0.035) and has drawn capital and holders—reported metrics show about $19.5m raised and ~18.5k holders—with Phase 7 set to raise the price to $0.04. MUTM positions itself as a dual-layer lending protocol (P2C for large stable assets and P2P for riskier assets) with interest-bearing mtTokens, and it plans a Sepolia V1 testnet in 2025 to enable lending and liquidity pools. The piece frames DOGE as a high-liquidity momentum trade around a make-or-break support level and MUTM as an early-stage speculative DeFi play offering presale price jumps and protocol adoption upside. Traders should weigh DOGE’s elevated derivatives exposure and weak institutional inflows against short-term technical risk, while MUTM appeals to speculative capital ahead of protocol milestones — but both carry distinct risk profiles and require due diligence.

SoFi Bank (SoFi Technologies) has launched SoFiUSD, a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., designed for regulated settlement among banks, fintechs and enterprise platforms. SoFiUSD is backed 1:1 by cash deposits held at the Federal Reserve and redeemable on demand. The token will initially be issued on Ethereum (public, permissionless blockchain) with plans to expand to additional chains. SoFi plans to use SoFiUSD first for internal settlement — including cross-border payments via SoFi Pay and Galileo partners — then open access to other businesses in coming months. CEO Anthony Noto said the coin addresses slow settlement, fragmented payment rails and unverified reserve models, and will support institutional payment flows and dollar liquidity needs. The launch follows broader US bank interest in deposit-backed stablecoins after clearer regulatory guidance (OCC/Genius Act context) and comes as SoFi expands crypto products and partnerships. For traders: SoFiUSD introduces a regulated, bank-issued dollar liquidity instrument that may increase on-chain USD settlement capacity, reduce settlement times and lower counterparty risk for dollar flows — factors that can affect stablecoin market share, liquidity routing and fiat on/off-ramp dynamics.

Coinbase has integrated Poland’s dominant mobile payment network BLIK via European payments processor PPRO to enable direct cryptocurrency purchases in Polish złoty (PLN). BLIK serves about 20 million users and holds roughly 70% of Poland’s online payments, offering instant in‑app confirmation via one‑time six‑digit codes, PINs or biometrics. The integration, announced by Coinbase executive Côme Prost, removes prior indirect PLN on‑ramps, reduces conversion steps and potential fees, and uses familiar local rails to lower onboarding friction. Coinbase said the collaboration with PPRO will deepen in 2026 with additional local payment methods. The move targets a market with high crypto adoption (Poland’s adoption estimated near 51%) and follows Coinbase’s broader European expansion and regulatory positioning. For traders, the change improves fiat on‑ramp convenience for Polish users, may increase local trading volumes in PLN pairs, and reduces settlement friction — a structural boost to liquidity and user acquisition, but not an immediate price driver for specific tokens.

SoFi Financial, through its national bank charter, has issued SoFiUSD — a dollar-pegged stablecoin deployed on a public blockchain and backed 1:1 by cash reserves held at the Federal Reserve. The rollout initially targets businesses and financial partners via SoFi’s bank membership channels and aims to streamline on-chain payments, 24/7 real-time settlement, and cross-border transfers while reducing payment costs. Key differentiators versus private stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDT) are the national bank charter and direct Fed-held reserves, which lower counterparty and de-peg risks. Planned use-case expansion includes yield products, collateralized lending, and integration into investment services. Traders should note potential increases in on-chain fiat liquidity and institutional activity, and a likely shift of regulatory focus toward bank-issued digital dollars. Risks include heightened regulatory scrutiny, operational and custody challenges, interoperability with existing stablecoins, and the need for broad adoption and user education. Overall, this development could encourage other regulated banks to issue tokens and alter liquidity patterns across DeFi and centralized venues.

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and fusion developer TAE Technologies agreed an all‑stock merger to create a publicly traded fusion energy company valued at roughly $6 billion. The deal, expected to close by mid‑2026, will leave both parties with about 50% ownership. TMTG will provide up to $300 million in cash — $200 million at signing and $100 million upon filing an S‑4 — to accelerate TAE’s fusion development. The transaction values TAE shares at $53.89 based on TMTG’s 30‑day VWAP to Dec. 17. The merged company plans to start building a 50 MW utility‑scale fusion plant in 2026 and pursue follow‑on 350–500 MW plants pending approvals, positioning fusion for industrial uses including powering AI and manufacturing. Leadership will combine executives from both firms: Devin Nunes is set to serve as co‑CEO with TAE CEO Michl Binderbauer, and Michael B. Schwab will chair a nine‑member board. TAE says it has built and operated five fusion reactors and raised more than $1.3 billion from investors including Google, Chevron Technology Ventures and Goldman Sachs. Markets reacted immediately: TMTG shares jumped roughly 35–38% on the announcement, though TMTG remains down year‑to‑date. For crypto traders, the headline impact is primarily on TMTG equity and market sentiment; there is no direct cryptocurrency issuance tied to the deal, but increased retail attention to TMTG could spill into correlated meme‑crypto risk-on flows.

Ondo Finance and LayerZero have launched Ondo Bridge, a unified cross-chain bridge enabling 1:1 transfers of more than 100 tokenized stocks and ETFs between Ethereum and BNB Chain. Built on LayerZero’s messaging framework, the single-architecture bridge replaces per-asset bridges and preserves one-to-one parity so tokens remain fully backed while moving across chains. The bridge improves interoperability and distribution by making Ondo’s tokenized securities easily accessible to 2,600+ apps already connected to LayerZero; Stargate has added support. Ondo says the architecture enables faster onboarding of additional EVM-compatible chains (weeks rather than months). Since the launch of Ondo Global Markets on Ethereum in September and its expansion to BNB Chain in October, the platform has grown to over $350 million in TVL and about $2 billion in cumulative trading volume. Recent product expansions include a private tokenized money-market fund with State Street and Galaxy Digital, and the SEC closed an investigation into Ondo Finance, removing a regulatory overhang. For traders, the bridge could broaden liquidity and market access for tokenized securities, increase routing options across LayerZero-enabled apps, and potentially boost tradable volumes for Ondo-listed assets.

Bitcoin (BTC) rallied above $89,000 on December 18, 2025, trading near $89,005 on Binance USDT markets after strong buying pushed it through a key psychological resistance. The move is attributed to continued institutional adoption, macroeconomic hedging demand amid inflation concerns, and easing regulatory uncertainty in key jurisdictions. Technical levels to watch: sustained closes above $89,000 would be bullish and could prompt tests of $90,000 and $95,000; prior resistance near $90,000 may act as new support if confirmed by volume. The rally has potential to lift the broader crypto market while triggering capital rotation away from smaller altcoins and higher intraday volatility. Key drivers for sustainability include ongoing institutional inflows, on-chain health metrics (hash rate, active addresses) and absence of negative regulatory headlines. Risks: rapid corrections at all-time highs are common. Trader guidance: avoid FOMO, set clear entry and exit levels, consider dollar-cost averaging, secure holdings on reputable exchanges or hardware wallets, monitor trading volume, BTC dominance, and liquidity. Longer-term positive factors cited include institutional adoption and layer-2 developments, but short-term traders should prepare for possible pullbacks even amid a bullish technical breakout.

Ethereum (ETH) remains in a corrective phase beneath a long-term descending trendline and below the 100- and 200-day moving averages. Daily resistance sits at $3,400–$3,600; a sustained daily close above this zone with strong volume is needed to invalidate the downtrend. Shorter-term action shows ETH trading inside a rising corrective channel within the larger downtrend, but repeated rejections near $3.3K–$3.6K and a recent breakdown of the channel’s lower boundary suggest accelerating downside momentum. Key near-term support is $2,600–$2,800 (previous demand zone and the origin of the prior bullish impulse). On-chain liquidation heatmaps show dense short-liquidation clusters above $3.4K–$3.7K and comparatively thinner long-liquidation clusters below, with the next notable liquidity cluster around $2,600–$2,700. The later report adds that there is also a large, largely untested liquidity cluster near $2,000; analysts warn a liquidity-driven sweep toward $2,000 could occur to clear long leverage and reset funding before a durable bullish structure can form. For traders: monitor the $3.4K–$3.6K resistance for confirmation of a bullish reversal; failure to reclaim that zone keeps downside risk intact and raises the probability of a liquidity sweep toward the $2K area, which would likely trigger forced liquidations and elevated volatility. Keywords: Ethereum, ETH price, technical analysis, liquidity, market risk.

An Ethereum multisignature wallet controlled by a whale was compromised after a private key leak and drained for an estimated $27.3M. Security firm PeckShield and on‑chain investigators reported the attacker set themself as the sole signer on a 1-of-1 multisig (created April 11, 2025), enabling full control. The attacker moved roughly 4,100 ETH (~$12.6M) through Tornado Cash in repeated 100 ETH transfers, retaining about $2M in liquid assets and various tokens (WETH, OKB, TWT, LEO, FET, NEXO). Investigators warn the private key may have leaked during setup or via malicious assistance; linked positions could raise total losses toward ~$38M. The victim’s multisig still holds a leveraged Aave long: ~25,000 ETH supplied as collateral against about $12.3M DAI borrowed, with a health factor near 1.68 — vulnerable to sharp ETH price drops that could trigger liquidations. Trading implications: expect potential short-term downside pressure on ETH from laundering and possible sell-offs of remaining stolen balances, and heightened liquidation risk that could amplify dumps. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, Tornado Cash addresses, the multisig’s Aave health factor, and inflows to centralized exchanges for signals of further cash-out or forced selling.