Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

YZi Labs, the family office backed by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, has filed to replace CEA Industries’ board after CEA’s pivot to become a BNB-focused public treasury coincided with an ~89% collapse in its share price from July. YZi — which led a $500m PIPE in August to support CEA’s BNB strategy — argues that CEO David Namdar and CEA management mismanaged the pivot through poor communication, weak marketing, halted outreach and potential conflicts of interest (including pursuing rival treasury deals). YZi seeks to void charter changes made since July, expand board nomination rights for large shareholders and install its own directors. CEA holds 515,054 BNB at an average cost basis of $851.29 (mNAV ~0.79x); BNB is ~40% below its record high but up ~24% year-to-date. The dispute highlights governance risks for token-backed treasuries and cultural friction between fast-moving crypto investors and traditional corporate governance. Traders should watch imminent shareholder votes, any board or management changes, legal challenges over bylaw amendments, and on-chain custody signals. Outcomes to monitor: a quick board replacement or clearer strategy could narrow the steep market discount on CEA’s BNB holdings and support BNB-linked flows; prolonged litigation or governance uncertainty may keep BNC shares depressed and weigh on BNB sentiment. Related sector moves: other treasury plays are reorganizing (e.g., a Yorkville merger involving CRO-focused treasury plans), underlining broader pressure on digital-asset treasury valuations during recent market declines.

South Korean ruling-party lawmakers, led by Kang Joon-hyun, have set a Dec. 10, 2025 deadline for financial regulators to submit a draft stablecoin law. The push follows months of deadlock between the Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) over whether banks should hold majority (≥51%) ownership of stablecoin issuers. The BOK argues a bank-majority model is needed to ensure deposit-like oversight, anti-money-laundering controls and financial stability; the FSC treats stablecoins as virtual assets and supports broader issuer eligibility to protect innovation. The Political Affairs Committee is reviewing three competing bills; if regulators miss the deadline, lawmakers plan to draft and advance legislation during an extraordinary National Assembly session in January 2026. Domestic demand is significant: USD-pegged stablecoin trading volume hit 56.95 trillion won in Q1 2025, and both lawmakers and President Lee Jae-myung have advocated a won-pegged stablecoin to curb capital outflows. Industry stakeholders oppose a bank-centric model, calling for issuer-agnostic rules and published BOK guidelines on risk mitigation and trust criteria. The deadline signals strong legislative intent to resolve regulatory gridlock — traders should watch for a regulator bill or unilateral legislation, as either outcome will shape issuer eligibility, custody/operational requirements and market structure for stablecoins in South Korea, potentially affecting liquidity, onshore stablecoin adoption, and trading flows.

WhiteBIT has launched WhiteBIT US, an independent, licensed U.S. exchange headquartered in New York with nationwide satellite offices. The platform opens to verified U.S. retail users with full KYC, offering spot trading, instant exchange and fiat on/off-ramps at launch. WhiteBIT US intends to add fiat integration, KYB (corporate onboarding), custody, liquidity and institutional services, and aims to operate across all 50 states while hiring U.S.-based staff. The move coincides with WhiteBIT’s seventh anniversary and a global brand push, including a Times Square video campaign. The parent W Group reports about 35 million users across eight fintech and blockchain businesses and over 1,300 staff. WhiteBIT highlights security credentials — zero reported breaches, a Top‑3 CER.live security ranking and CCSS Level 3 certification — plus AML/KYC compliance, competitive fees and Earn products. Founder and CEO Volodymyr Nosov framed the U.S. launch as a commitment to build secure infrastructure and support U.S. blockchain growth. For traders: the launch increases competitive US custody, liquidity and fiat on/off‑ramp options, could widen order‑book depth for assets listed by WhiteBIT US, and underscores continued regulatory-focused expansion by European exchanges moving into the U.S. market.

Singapore’s Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has approved an expanded licence for Ripple, widening the firm’s regulated crypto activities in the city-state. The licence extension covers custody, exchange and broader payment services for Ripple’s digital assets — including XRP and related liquidity tokens — enabling Ripple to scale institutional services, support cross-border payments and deepen partnerships with businesses and financial institutions under MAS oversight. The approval follows Ripple’s push for clearer regulatory standing after earlier legal disputes in other jurisdictions and reinforces Singapore’s role as a regional crypto hub. For traders, the MAS approval increases regulatory clarity and could boost institutional and merchant use of Ripple’s payment rails, potentially raising on- and off-exchange demand for XRP. Short-term price moves may be driven by sentiment and speculation; longer-term impact depends on measurable growth in adoption, transaction volumes and liquidity for Ripple-linked services.

Chicago fintech Bitnomial has self-certified rule changes to operate the first CFTC-regulated spot cryptocurrency market in the United States. The company filed under CFTC regulation 40.6(a) on Nov. 13 and set the rule changes to take effect Nov. 28 after passing the mandatory 10-business-day review without a public CFTC stay. If effective, Bitnomial would offer federally regulated spot trading — including leveraged and non‑leveraged spot products — on a Designated Contract Market (DCM), distinguishing it from existing spot venues that operate under state licenses. The move follows recent CFTC amendments to 40.6(a) and the agency’s “Crypto Sprint” initiative that signals a push to accelerate federally supervised crypto markets. No public comment has been issued by the CFTC; Bitnomial did not immediately respond to requests for comment. For traders: a CFTC-approved spot venue could broaden regulated on‑ramps, affect liquidity flows between state-licensed exchanges and federal markets, and create new products (including leveraged spot) that may change margin and funding dynamics across spot and derivatives markets.

First Digital Group, the Hong Kong-based issuer of FDUSD stablecoin, has submitted a non-binding letter of intent to merge with New York-listed SPAC CSLM Digital Asset Acquisition Corp III to pursue a US public listing. The proposed SPAC route is intended to accelerate First Digital’s entry into US capital markets, provide faster valuation certainty, and leverage CSLM’s digital-asset expertise. First Digital issues FDUSD (circulating supply reported around $920M after a peak of $4.4B in April 2024) and manages reserves for TrueUSD. The company is involved in a legal dispute with Techteryx concerning reserve handling. CSLM raised about $230M at IPO; transaction details and a planned PIPE remain under negotiation and no timeline or definitive terms have been announced. Traders should note potential benefits for FDUSD from enhanced regulatory compliance, greater reserve and financial transparency, and improved institutional trust and liquidity if the deal proceeds — but also the risks: regulatory approvals, investor scrutiny of reserves, competition from larger stablecoins, execution risk in the SPAC process, and ongoing legal exposure. The announcement could influence FDUSD market sentiment by increasing on-chain and off-chain monitoring of its reserves and liquidity conditions.

Sony Bank plans to issue a 1:1 USD-pegged stablecoin for U.S. customers as early as fiscal 2026 to enable payments and settlements across its gaming, streaming and anime ecosystems, including PlayStation. The stablecoin—targeted at lowering card processing and cross-border fees for subscriptions, in-game purchases and digital content—would be issued via Connectia Trust, a Sony Bank subsidiary that applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national crypto bank charter in October. Sony has partnered with Bastion for stablecoin infrastructure and retains backing from Sony Financial Group. More than 30% of Sony’s revenue comes from the U.S., making that market central to early adoption. The plan has drawn formal opposition from the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), which argues the model blurs banking and commerce, could resemble uninsured deposits and disadvantage community banks. Analysts and banks have warned that rising USD stablecoin adoption could siphon deposits from emerging-market banks by 2028, increasing regulatory scrutiny. Technical details — including custody, redemption mechanics, reserves, audit regime and whether payments will integrate with Sony’s Layer-2 Soneium blockchain — remain unclear. If approved, the stablecoin could streamline payment rails within Sony’s ecosystem, reduce transaction costs and increase user engagement, but it faces regulatory pushback that could delay or change the rollout.

CoinShares has formally withdrawn its U.S. spot ETF registration filings for XRP, Solana (staking) and Litecoin and will pivot away from single‑asset crypto ETFs toward crypto equities, thematic baskets and multi‑asset active strategies. The withdrawals—signed by the firm’s CFO and filed with the SEC—follow successful U.S. launches of XRP and Solana‑related spot ETFs by larger incumbents (Grayscale, Bitwise, Canary Capital, REX‑Osprey) that captured substantial inflows and left the U.S. ETF market highly competitive with thin sustainable margins. CEO Jean‑Marie Mognetti cited intensified competition and the risk of margin‑eroding price wars as reasons to avoid entering crowded single‑asset spots. CoinShares plans to focus on higher‑margin products and bespoke strategies over the next 12–18 months, including thematic crypto baskets, equity‑exposure products and active strategies blending crypto with traditional assets. The firm is also preparing for a planned $1.2 billion Nasdaq listing via a SPAC merger, which likely informed the strategic shift. Market reaction to the news was modest: SOL and LTC saw intraday declines of roughly 2%, while XRP fell under 0.5%; CoinShares still manages about $10 billion AUM and retains a strong European presence with a leading Solana ETP on Frankfurt. For traders: expect reduced direct US ETF competition from CoinShares (which may slightly reduce new selling pressure from an additional entrant), short‑term negative sentiment risk for SOL and LTC, and a longer‑term reallocation of institutional flow toward thematic, equity‑linked and multi‑asset crypto products that could alter demand patterns for specific tokens.

David Sacks, a senior White House adviser on crypto and AI and founder of Craft Ventures, has forcefully denied a New York Times investigation that said he retained dozens of crypto and AI investments and used his role to advance policies that could benefit them. The NYT reported Sacks and Craft retained about 20 crypto and hundreds of AI investments despite earlier statements that Sacks sold over $200 million in crypto holdings. The story singled out custody and stablecoin infrastructure — notably Craft’s reported 7.8% stake in BitGo — and alleged Sacks promoted the GENIUS Act in ways that could advantage firms tied to stablecoins and custody, potentially worth over $130 million at prior valuations. Sacks called the reporting a “nothing burger,” shared legal demands calling it a smear, and has sued the publisher for defamation. Industry figures including Tether’s Paolo Ardoino and investor Perianne Boring publicly defended him. The Office of Government Ethics reportedly required sales of certain assets but allowed retention of private, illiquid holdings; Sacks’ special adviser term is capped at 130 days and he is managing the timeline. For traders: the allegations focus on policy-driven upside for custody and stablecoin infrastructure (BitGo and related services). Denials and strong industry backing have so far limited immediate market fallout, but watch for: new disclosures of Sacks’ holdings, legal developments from his lawsuit, regulatory inquiries or heightened political scrutiny of stablecoin rules, and any market re-pricing of custody/stablecoin infrastructure names. Primary keywords: David Sacks, conflict of interest, stablecoin regulation, BitGo. Secondary/semantic keywords: GENIUS Act, custody, stablecoin infrastructure, disclosure, Office of Government Ethics.

Japan’s 10-year government bond yield has surged to about 1.86% (the highest since April 2008) and the 2-year yield has reached around 1%—levels not seen since 2008. The rapid increase has nearly doubled 10-year yields over the past 12 months and signals a shift away from decades of ultra-low or negative Japanese rates. Analysts warn this repricing can unwind large-scale yen carry trades, where investors borrow cheap yen to buy higher-yielding assets globally. Trillions borrowed in yen are estimated to have flowed into US Treasuries, European bonds, emerging-market debt, US tech equities and speculative assets including cryptocurrencies. A reversal of these carry trades could prompt repatriation of capital to Japan, strengthen the yen and tighten global funding. Market commentators link the move to recent crypto weakness, arguing that high-risk assets such as Bitcoin are often first to react when liquidity tightens; small shifts in funding can trigger outsized crypto moves. The shift coincides with heavy US Treasury issuance and changes to quantitative tightening, adding pressure to global liquidity conditions. For traders: monitor Japanese bond yields and yen strength as leading macro drivers; expect increased volatility and potential outflows from crypto if carry funding reverses; watch safe-haven flows, US Treasury issuance, and liquidity indicators for signs of broader deleveraging.

Cybersecurity firm AhnLab reports that North Korea‑linked Lazarus Group used targeted spear‑phishing over the past year to steal crypto credentials, deploy malware and enable large thefts — including an estimated $1.4 billion incident tied to Bybit and other breaches such as a $30 million Upbit loss. Attackers posed as lecturers, interviewers or other trusted contacts to trick victims into running malicious code or surrendering credentials. AhnLab found Lazarus referenced in 31 post‑incident analyses from Oct 2024–Sep 2025 and attributes over $1.43 billion in crypto thefts to the group in that period. The firm warns that in 2026 attackers will increasingly leverage AI — including deepfakes, automated phishing content and polymorphic malware — to make spear‑phishing more convincing and to evade detection. Recommended mitigations for exchanges, custodians and traders include multi‑layered defenses: regular audits and patching, staff phishing training, multifactor and biometric authentication, VPNs, cautious handling of links/attachments, stronger anomaly detection, and verifying communications through independent channels. For traders, immediate actions are: harden account access (MFA, hardware keys), reduce custodial risk where possible, verify any unusual requests off‑channel, and monitor counterparty health — since successful breaches can cause short‑term liquidity shocks or volatility around affected venues.

South Korea’s lawmakers have agreed on a bank-led consortium model for KRW-denominated stablecoins, resolving a months-long dispute over supervisory authority. Under the agreement, banks would hold majority control of stablecoin-issuing entities while technology firms may participate as minority partners. The draft expands the existing Digital Asset Basic Act with detailed rules on reserves, issuance, licensing and supervision, and clarifies treatment of global stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. Lawmakers are pressing the government to submit a formal bill by Dec. 10 or they will advance their own proposal, with a target to pass the new digital asset act in the National Assembly’s January extraordinary session. The package also includes wider financial-security and capital-market reforms: tougher penalties and updated rules under the Electronic Financial Transactions Act after recent hacks, stronger anti-money-laundering oversight, and changes to tender-offer and share-allocation rules to protect retail investors. For traders: the framework reduces regulatory uncertainty for exchanges and issuers, likely limits non-bank-led stablecoin issuance, and aligns Korea’s stablecoin oversight more closely with traditional banking supervision — changes that could alter onshore stablecoin liquidity, product availability and counterparty risk for KRW pairs.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes warned that newly launched layer‑1 blockchain Monad and its MON token face a severe downside risk — he estimated MON could collapse up to 99% if large vested allocations begin to sell. Hayes characterized MON as a typical high‑FDV, low‑circulating “VC coin”: Paradigm led a reported $225 million raise, Coinbase ran a public sale/airdrop, and much supply remains held by insiders and VCs, creating an illusion of liquidity. Hayes said token unlock schedules and concentrated holdings are the main near‑term price risks; large coordinated sell pressure following vesting could trigger deep dumps after the initial post‑listing pump (MON rose ~40% since listing). Monad co‑founder Keone Hon responded by pointing to technical features (MonadBFT consensus, async execution, JIT compilation, MonadDb, RaptorCast), an open‑source audited mainnet and ~170 global validators, and said the Coinbase sale broadened access. Hayes remains bullish on broader crypto narratives driven by monetary expansion and flagged privacy tech (zero‑knowledge systems and privacy coins) and a small set of layer‑1s (BTC, ETH, SOL, ZEC) as likely long‑term survivors. Traders should monitor MON token unlock timelines, on‑chain flows, whale movements, circulating supply changes and market‑maker liquidity — VC‑heavy launches often produce sharp short‑term downside if large holders sell, while long‑term price depends on real adoption and sustained on‑chain activity.

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Tether’s USDT stability assessment to a weak rating, citing growing exposure to volatile, less‑liquid assets such as Bitcoin and gold and flagging potential liquidity risk under rapid redemption scenarios. Tether’s Q3 report (not independently audited) shows roughly $181B in assets versus $174B in USDT liabilities, including about $139B in cash and cash equivalents, ~87,200 BTC (≈$8B), gold, loans and other illiquid holdings. S&P warned that in a run on redemptions mark‑to‑market losses and limited immediate liquidity could strain Tether despite positive net assets on paper. Industry responses diverge: critics (including Arthur Hayes) argue a ~30% fall in BTC+gold could eliminate Tether’s equity and threaten USDT solvency, while others (including some former bank analysts) say market price swings don’t necessarily equal insolvency and point to Tether’s large asset base. Key datapoints for traders: $174B USDT liabilities, $181B assets, $139B cash equivalents, ~87,200 BTC, and an estimated cash‑equivalent shortfall in an instant redemption stress scenario cited by S&P. Trading implications: the downgrade raises counterparty and liquidity risk for USDT exposure. Traders should monitor USDT peg stability, Tether redemption behavior, BTC and gold volatility, on‑chain flows out of USDT, and any independent audits or regulatory actions that could alter market confidence and short‑term liquidity. Primary keywords: Tether, USDT, S&P downgrade, Bitcoin, stablecoin liquidity.

BitMEX co‑founder Arthur Hayes warned that a roughly 30% decline in Bitcoin (BTC) and gold — both now held as part of Tether’s disclosed reserves — could erase Tether’s equity and render USDT illiquid or effectively insolvent in a mass redemptions scenario. The warning follows S&P Global Ratings’ downgrade of USDT’s stability profile to “weak,” citing heavier allocations to higher‑risk, less liquid assets. Tether’s self‑reported Q3 transparency report (not independently verified) lists about $181B in total assets versus roughly $174B in USDT liabilities, with $139–140B in cash and cash equivalents and the remainder (~$34B) in non‑cash reserves including ~87.2K BTC, gold, loans and other instruments. Critics argue that shifts from cash‑like instruments into BTC and precious metals magnify potential losses during rapid redemptions and expose instant‑liquidity risk (a fractional‑reserve‑like profile for immediate convertibility). Defenders note Tether’s broader corporate balance sheet (equity, mining and other investments), profit from interest‑bearing Treasuries and assets still exceeding liabilities, arguing solvency is intact even if liquidity conversion could be stressed. For traders: monitor USDT reserve disclosures and any movement of Tether’s large BTC holdings, watch market liquidity and redemption signals, and treat USDT as carrying counterparty/liquidity risk during market stress — especially when using leverage or executing large exits.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin publicly urged Zcash to reject token-based governance, warning it concentrates power with large holders and risks degrading the protocol’s privacy features. Buterin argued token voting empowers the “median token holder” and wealthy wallets, creating incentives for short-term, value-driven changes that could remove or weaken privacy protections. He cited the “tragedy of the commons”: small holders lack incentive or capacity to research proposals, allowing large stakeholders to steer outcomes. Buterin reiterated alternative approaches he has proposed for Zcash, including off-chain Retroactive Public Goods Funding (RPGF), anonymous voting mechanisms, and a conservative technical stance paired with experimental economic designs. The Zcash ecosystem — including the Electric Coin Company and the Zcash Foundation — is debating governance reforms such as bicameral or hybrid voting models. At publication Zcash (ZEC) traded near $457, slightly down on the day but up month-over-month. For traders, Buterin’s intervention may shift sentiment toward valuing privacy preservation over speculative upgrades, influence governance votes, and increase scrutiny on proposals that could affect ZEC’s utility or market perception.

Lighter transferred 32.05 million USDC to its treasury, leaving roughly 100,000 USDC in its fee wallet. Since October 16, about 8.6 million USDC was redeposited into the Lighter platform; approximately 7.5 million USDC of that was routed into an LLP (Lighter Liquidity Pool/Limited Liability Partnership) structure whose generated fees are returned to holders and recorded as LLP revenue. That routing represents roughly 25% of the platform’s generated income and appears not to have been documented in public governance records. The remaining ~21.9 million USDC was moved to a Coinbase custody address, signalling a change in custody strategy for large balances. On-chain monitoring flagged these moves as material for liquidity management, custody and governance transparency. This is market information for traders — not investment advice.

Flow blockchain has initiated an isolated recovery after a $3.9 million exploit that prompted validators to approve a targeted software upgrade. The phased plan isolates addresses linked to the attacker while preserving legitimate on-chain activity. Validators reached consensus on the upgrade and testing is underway ahead of Phase 1 deployment; full chain operations will resume only after tests complete. An earlier proposal to roll back the chain to a pre-hack state was abandoned after exchanges, partners and ecosystem participants (including Dapper Labs and the Flow Foundation) opposed a rewind that would disrupt uninformed users. Security analysts noted the attacker bridged stolen funds off-chain into Ethereum and other assets, making a rollback ineffective. The incident caused a sharp market reaction: FLOW fell about 40% to roughly $0.10. Traders should watch test outcomes, Phase 1 rollout and any further on-chain address restrictions for signs of network stability and token-price recovery. Primary keywords: Flow, isolated recovery, FLOW token, hack, blockchain security.

BlackRock’s tokenized USD money-market fund BUIDL has distributed more than $100 million in cumulative on‑chain dividends since launching in March 2024. Initially issued on Ethereum, BUIDL has expanded to six additional blockchains including Solana, Aptos, Avalanche and Optimism and surpassed $2 billion in tokenized assets earlier in the year. The fund invests in short-term, USD-denominated instruments such as U.S. Treasury bills, repurchase agreements and cash equivalents and issues dollar-pegged tokens that receive programmable, automated on‑chain payouts. The milestone signals tokenized securities moving from pilot stages to practical, scalable use, offering faster settlement, transparent ownership and automated distributions — features that may compete with stablecoins as institutional interest grows. Regulators and bodies like the Bank for International Settlements have warned about operational and liquidity risks as these products scale, so traders should watch liquidity conditions, cross-chain flows and regulatory developments for impacts on short-term USD liquidity and tokenized-asset markets.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) failed to sustain an upswing after rejection around $26 — a level aligned with the 21‑day simple moving average (SMA). Since Dec. 22 the token has held key support at $22 and is trading near $25–26. Technicals are mixed-to-weak: on the daily chart HYPE sits between the 21‑day and 50‑day SMAs with both slopes turning down, pointing to rangebound downside risk; on the 4‑hour chart short-term momentum shows strength above the 21‑period SMA but remains below the 50‑period SMA. A decisive break above the 21‑day SMA / $26 would open targets near $30–31 and the 50‑day SMA; failure to overcome $26 risks a return to the $22 support and possible extension toward the $20.5 Fibonacci extension noted by analysts. The article also cites wider, inconsistent bands of support/resistance (supports $30/$40 and resistances $60/$70) that conflict with the nearer $22–$31 range and appear less relevant to current price action. This is an opinion-based technical read, not financial advice. Primary SEO keywords: Hyperliquid, HYPE price, 21‑day SMA, support $22, resistance $26.

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, told CNBC he expects Bitcoin (BTC) to deliver steady, long-term gains over the next decade with lower volatility and fewer extreme annual swings. Hougan reiterated that 2026 could be a positive year for BTC. He noted recent drawdowns of around 30% are materially smaller than past cycle drops of 60%+, and attributed reduced volatility to persistent institutional buying and clearer U.S. regulation. Hougan added that much of the potential upside from U.S. policy and the current political cycle is likely already priced in, which may limit further marginal gains from government action. The coverage highlights Bitcoin’s recent price milestones (including highs near $109,000 in early 2025 and a 2024 peak around $125,100) and comparative analyses showing Bitcoin’s decade-long outperformance versus precious metals. For traders, the takeaway favors disciplined, long-horizon positioning, risk management, and monitoring macro liquidity conditions that could accelerate or temper price moves.

Solana (SOL) rebounded to about $127.50 on Dec 29, 2025, marking a fourth consecutive daily gain after retesting the $119 support zone. A 161% surge in 24h trading volume to $4.15 billion signals heightened market participation. Technical indicators are mixed: ADX strengthened to 25.62, indicating rising trend momentum, while Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) remains negative at −0.13, showing ongoing selling pressure. On-chain leverage concentrations are notable — CoinGlass data highlights major liquidation clusters at $122.20 (support) and $130.40 (resistance), with roughly $114.12M in long leverage and $149.74M in short leverage concentrated near these levels. Traders on social channels cite upside targets of $144–$150 if SOL clears $130.4; immediate technical upside target is $145 (~13.8% above current). For traders: the strong volume-backed rebound suggests renewed interest and the potential for a short squeeze if SOL breaks above $130.4, but the high concentration of shorts and negative CMF increase the risk of volatile moves, stop-hunts, or renewed selling if resistance holds. Key levels to watch: $119 (support), $122.2 (liquidation cluster support), $130.4 (short concentration/resistance) and $145 (near-term target). Monitor volume, leverage unwind, and price action around these levels for clearer directional confirmation.

Stablecoin supply reached a record $314 billion in 2025, with about $69 billion (≈22%) held on centralized exchanges, according to CryptoQuant. Binance is the dominant exchange holder with roughly $49 billion — about 71% of exchange stablecoin reserves and nearly 15% of global supply. OKX and Bybit follow at roughly $10 billion and $3 billion, leaving the top three exchanges controlling about 94% of centralized exchange stablecoin liquidity. December saw net outflows of roughly $8 billion from exchanges (including about $3B from Bybit and $2B from Binance), yet large reserves remain. On-chain activity is down ~40%, whales accumulated ~20,000 BTC, and futures open interest rose by ~$2 billion. Binance reduced FDUSD supply on-platform during 2025 (from ~2.5B to ~500M). Short-term prices were around BTC ≈ $90,000 and ETH ≈ $3,000, with mixed analyst views: some point to coordinated buying potential inside Binance, while others warn that negative capital flows and elevated futures funding rates make rebounds fragile. For traders: monitor exchange stablecoin balances (main keyword: stablecoin), Binance stablecoin flows, futures funding rates, and spot ETF flows as leading indicators. The concentrated and idle stablecoin pool increases deployable buying power — especially on Binance — but holiday low volumes and allocation to yield/derivatives mean large deposits do not guarantee immediate spot buying. Expect potential rapid buying when a clear catalyst arrives; short-term signals remain mixed.

XRP exchange balances have fallen sharply as ETF inflows and institutional custody absorb large volumes, removing roughly 750 million XRP from centralized exchanges in recent weeks and leaving about 1.5 billion XRP in liquid exchange reserves. On-chain and Glassnode data show a steady decline in exchange-held XRP throughout 2025 without commensurate price moves, indicating conviction-driven, long-term accumulation rather than short-term trading. Spot XRP ETFs now hold significant, effectively locked capital (about 669 million XRP, ~$1.34B reported in earlier data), further reducing daily tradable supply. Analysts link increased institutional participation to regulatory clarity (the Clarity Act) and note single-day withdrawals exceeding 30 million XRP. At current absorption rates, projections suggest exchange supply could reach critically low levels by early 2026, producing a low-float market where marginal demand has outsized price impact. For traders, the key implications are a shift from sentiment-driven to liquidity-driven price mechanics, higher sensitivity to order flow, reduced sell-side liquidity, and increased potential for rapid rallies or sharp moves on modest net buying or selling. Monitor exchange balances, ETF flows, and large withdrawals as leading indicators of tightening liquidity and elevated volatility risk in XRP.

Tokenized stocks have reached a record $1.2 billion total market capitalization, driven by stronger regulatory clarity, maturing infrastructure and rising institutional participation. The market has grown roughly 167% from about $450 million 18 months ago. Tokenized shares of Apple, Tesla and Amazon account for about 40% of the total. Platforms use permissioned blockchains, custody arrangements and smart contracts to enable fractional ownership, faster settlement and 24/7 on‑chain trading. Key supportive regions include the EU (MiCA), the U.S. (SEC guidance) and Asian jurisdictions with regulatory sandboxes. Analysts project continued expansion — conservative forecasts near $2.5 billion by year‑end and bullish estimates up to $4 billion — but risks remain: regulatory fragmentation across jurisdictions, smart contract and custody vulnerabilities, platform fragmentation and occasional price divergence from underlying shares. For traders, tokenized stocks open new liquidity channels and arbitrage opportunities but require careful due diligence on platform custody models, counterparty risk and cross‑market spreads. Primary keywords: tokenized stocks, market cap, fractional ownership. Secondary/semantic keywords included: institutional adoption, custody, 24/7 trading, MiCA, SEC guidance, arbitrage.

Ethereum (ETH) trades near $3,020 after a short-term rally briefly pushed prices above $3,050 before momentum stalled. Technical picture: daily RSI ~50 indicates stabilization rather than a confirmed reversal. Key levels to monitor are support at $2,950–$2,900 (break would confirm renewed downside) and resistance at $3,100–$3,150 (daily close above suggests the corrective phase is ending). On-chain and flow data show roughly $47.6 million in spot net outflows, signaling supply removal but not strong accumulation, while futures and options activity has risen—implying greater derivatives engagement and potential volatility. Compared with an earlier report showing persistent spot outflows, capital returning to exchanges, falling futures open interest, and long liquidations, the latest update points to increased derivatives activity but still fragile conviction among participants. For traders: monitor $2,950 support and $3,150 resistance for trend confirmation, watch exchange flows for signs of accumulation or further outflows, and be prepared for elevated volatility from derivatives positioning. A sustained daily close above $3,150 would be needed to shift the medium-term bias bullish; failure to hold $2,950 would confirm renewed downside.

Toncoin (TON) has extended gains since its Coinbase listing and is approaching a key resistance at $1.705. Technical indicators signal short-term caution: the Stochastic RSI is overbought and a daily-chart price imbalance near $1.57 could attract a corrective pullback to fill the gap. Derivatives data remain supportive of buyers — open interest rose about 7.27% to $103 million and the long/short ratio stands near 2.98 (longs roughly three times shorts) per Coinalyze. Network fundamentals, including The Open Network and Telegram integrations, provide adoption tailwinds. Traders should watch $1.705 for a decisive breakout that could trigger a sustained uptrend; failure to breach it may lead to choppy action and a pullback toward the $1.57 imbalance area. Monitor open interest and the long/short ratio as conviction indicators. Primary keywords: Toncoin, TON price, $1.705 resistance, open interest. Secondary keywords: Stochastic RSI, long/short ratio, Coinalyze, Coinbase listing.

Russia has moved from restriction to regulation and proposed a comprehensive crypto framework scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026. The draft rules would classify cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as “currency assets,” impose formal requirements on exchanges, expand investor access (widening qualified investor permissions and gradually broadening retail access with caps and coin liquidity limits), and introduce criminal penalties for illegal crypto market activity by summer 2027. This follows a rapid policy shift in late 2024–2025: Bitcoin mining was legalized in late 2024, active mining farms rose ~44% to about 197,000 by 2025, and an Experimental Legal Regime (ELR) launched in March 2025 allowing limited crypto payments including foreign trade settlements. The Central Bank also cleared BTC and ETH derivatives for “highly qualified” investors and moved to relax investor qualification limits. A ruble-pegged stablecoin (A7A5) has emerged as a key instrument in cross-border settlements and related entities have faced sanctions. The proposals target regulated exchange operations, defined investor categories (qualified vs retail with limits), and formal recognition of stablecoins used for international settlements — a shift appearing intended to harness mining exports, create alternative payment rails under sanctions, and align policy with regional peers. For traders: expect clearer exchange compliance rules, phased retail access (purchase caps, liquid-coin lists), potential flows into BTC/ETH derivatives markets from qualified investors, and ongoing regulatory risk around sanctioned stablecoins and entities that could affect liquidity and cross-border settlement flows.

Ethereum’s Total Value Locked (TVL) remains near $68.6 billion (DeFiLlama) while total DeFi TVL has retraced to roughly $182 billion (Sentora). The divergence reflects capital concentrating on Ethereum’s core protocols — stablecoins, lending (Aave), liquid staking (Lido) and restaking/EigenLayer-linked projects — while smaller experimental protocols lose share. Analysts point to a maturing market driven by infrastructure demand, stablecoin adoption, tokenised real-world assets (RWA) and growing institutional rails. SharpLink’s Joseph Chalom says these trends could drive significant long-term TVL expansion on Ethereum if stablecoin and RWA flows accelerate. For traders: monitor stablecoin supply, RWA onramps, protocol-specific inflows (lending, liquid staking, EigenLayer), and liquidity depth. Expect headline TVL volatility to decline as capital becomes more selective and concentrated in deep-liquidity, security-focused protocols — presenting fewer high-beta plays but clearer opportunities tied to institutional and on-chain settlement flows.