Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Pakistani authorities, led by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), dismantled an international crypto and forex investment fraud network that reportedly stole about $60 million and arrested more than 34 suspects. Scammers recruited victims via social media and unregulated trading platforms, used fake profit screenshots to build trust, then demanded extra fees; after larger deposits victim accounts were frozen and funds diverted. Proceeds moved through multiple bank accounts, were converted into digital assets and transferred across borders. The takedown coincides with rollout of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), which is preparing licensing and AML controls for virtual-asset firms. PVARA has issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Binance and HTX to begin AML registration while full licensing is pursued. Islamabad also signed a memorandum with Binance to explore tokenising up to $2 billion of state assets and is planning a national stablecoin and studying a CBDC. For crypto traders: expect stronger AML scrutiny and KYC friction for services serving Pakistan, potential removal of illicit liquidity from regional markets, and the prospect of increased local liquidity and institutional access if licensed exchanges enter. Short-term volatility or regional capital flows are possible as illicit services are shut down and compliance ramps up.

Apex Crypto Insights host Jesse publicly challenged a recent Lewis Jackson video that made disputed claims about XRP flow, utility, and interactions between public and private ledgers. Jesse said Jackson’s video contained multiple technical inaccuracies—citing at least three major errors early on—and warned that those errors could mislead XRP holders about liquidity movement and token utility. He emphasized the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a public, decentralized blockchain and that private institutional ledgers are separate systems that interoperate through documented frameworks rather than undocumented "flows." Jesse’s earlier attempt to clarify the matter was removed, prompting a fresh, public rebuke. He plans to publish a series of fact-based response videos within four to eight days to correct misinformation; the rollout was delayed by work on Apex Crypto Academy and holiday travel. Jesse expressed respect for Jackson’s past work while insisting a careful, documentation-backed rebuttal is needed. Community response has been largely supportive, urging patience and reliance on verified XRPL documentation. This is informational, not financial advice.

X’s new “Edit Image” feature, powered by Grok AI, lets any user prompt edits to public images. After rollout, high-profile digital artists — including manga creator Boichi and illustrator Iomaya — reported widespread non-consensual edits, watermark removal, reattribution as “AI-generated,” and harassment. A viral case involving a commissioned piece that was edited and maliciously reposted drew millions of views and intensified creator backlash. Artists are pausing posts, migrating to platforms like Instagram, adding watermarks, restricting visibility, or halting uploads. Creator groups and analysts call for metadata standards, edit-permission controls and clearer moderation policies. For traders, the episode signals reputational and user-retention risks for X and similar platforms integrating aggressive AI tools: potential outcomes include policy rollbacks, increased moderation costs, creator migration, lower engagement and advertising revenue, and elevated regulatory scrutiny. Market-relevant SEO keywords: X, Grok AI, AI image editing, creator rights, platform moderation.

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out coordinated raids at 21 residential and office locations across Karnataka, Maharashtra and New Delhi on 18 December 2025 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, targeting 4th Bloc Consultants and linked entities accused of running a crypto investment fraud since at least 2015. The probe identifies 26 fake trading platforms — including goldbooker.com and cryptobrite.com — that cloned legitimate exchanges and promised unusually high returns on deposits denominated in bitcoin and other digital assets. Promoters recruited victims via Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram, used unauthorised images of crypto commentators and celebrities, and offered referral bonuses and staged early payouts to build trust. Investigators seized digital devices, property records and information on bank and crypto accounts for forensic analysis. The ED says operators laundered proceeds through crypto wallets, peer‑to‑peer (P2P) transfers, shell companies, foreign bank accounts and hawala channels, and used illicit funds to buy real estate in India and abroad. The agency has not disclosed total losses, victim count or seizure values; next steps include tracing flows from the 26 platforms into identified accounts and assets and possible further enforcement. For traders: the advisory and public naming of fraudulent sites raise short‑term reputational pressure on crypto onshore channels and highlight persistent fraud vectors (fake platforms, P2P laundering, social‑media recruitment). Key keywords: Enforcement Directorate, crypto scam, fake platforms, money laundering, bitcoin, hawala, 26 websites.

Derivatives analytics firm CoinGlass reports roughly $150 billion in forced liquidations across crypto markets in 2025, averaging $400–$500 million per day. Most routine days saw liquidations in the tens-to-hundreds-of-millions range with limited medium-to-long-term price impact. A concentrated deleveraging on October 10 produced the largest single-day liquidation in recorded history: exchanges reported about $19 billion in long and short liquidations that day; CoinGlass estimates the true peak may have been $30–$40 billion after accounting for delayed exchange disclosures and market-maker data. The October 10 event was heavily long-biased (≈85–90% long liquidations), indicating crowded long leverage ahead of the crash. CoinGlass cites a near-term catalyst — then-U.S. political news (announced tariffs on Chinese goods) — that triggered a sharp risk-off move, but stresses the market’s fragile structure (high valuations and elevated leverage) made a large correction likely. Derivatives volume spiked alongside the deleveraging (one-day volume reached $748.3 billion versus a yearly average near $264.5 billion); total annual derivatives volume hit $85.70 trillion in 2025. At publication, Bitcoin was trading around $87,000–88,000. Key takeaways for traders: heightened tail-risk from concentrated leverage, pronounced susceptibility of long positions, potential underreporting of peak liquidation figures, and the importance of monitoring futures basis, open interest and leverage metrics to manage event risk.

GrubHub is probing a wave of fraudulent emails that impersonated its merchant subdomain and promised recipients a 10x return for sending Bitcoin to scammer-controlled wallets. The campaign began circulating on December 24 and used sender addresses such as merry-christmas@b.grubhub.com and crypto-promotion@b.grubhub.com. Messages included personalized recipient names, short time windows to urge quick transfers, and links or wallet addresses that appeared authentic and passed basic checks, prompting speculation about DNS or email-spoofing techniques. GrubHub confirmed the activity was unauthorized, said it contained the incident and launched an investigation, but provided few technical details. The FBI has warned of increased holiday crypto scams and reported that non-delivery/non-payment crypto frauds caused more than $785 million in losses in 2024. Recommended actions for traders: delete suspicious emails, verify promotions via official GrubHub channels, avoid clicking unsolicited links, enable multi-factor authentication, report incidents to authorities (for example, IC3), and monitor wallets and transactions. Primary keywords: GrubHub scam, Bitcoin scam, phishing. Secondary keywords: email spoofing, FBI warning, DNS spoofing, wallet safety.

Bitcoin’s outlook is sharply divided as analysts debate whether 2025 was a stealth bear market or the quiet start of a decade-long bull run. Proponents — including Jan3 founder Samson Mow and analyst PlanC — argue 2025 represented the worst of the cycle and that structural conditions (institutional interest, spot‑ETF flows) set the stage for a sustained bull market possibly extending toward 2035. Opponents warn of renewed downside in 2026: trader Peter Brandt forecasts a drop to around $60,000 by Q3 2026, and Fidelity’s Jurrien Timmer calls 2026 a likely “rest year” around $65,000. Optimists such as Phong Le and Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan point to fundamentals and renewed US spot‑ETF purchases as supporting medium‑term gains. Market data shows caution — BTC trades near $87k, down roughly 9% year‑to‑date, and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits near 20 (“extreme fear”). Key takeaways for traders: the community is split between a view that the bear phase is over and one that predicts further downside; near‑term price action will remain sensitive to macro indicators and ETF inflows; volatility and sentiment are likely to drive trading opportunities into 2026; and disciplined risk management (position sizing, stop rules, hedges) is essential given wide forecast dispersion.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) slumped to a multi-year low of $0.0000066 in 2025 and trades around $0.00000716, underperforming despite Bitcoin and Ethereum reaching new highs. Bulls cite potential regulatory clarity from the CLARITY Act, the planned launch of Zama’s fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) on Shibarium, and the availability of regulated SHIB futures on Coinbase as possible catalysts for inflows in 2026. Critics point to persistent structural weaknesses: an enormous circulating supply (≈589 trillion SHIB), token burns that have fallen from billions to millions daily, anonymous and intermittently silent core contributors, and multiple unfinished or stalled utility projects (Shibarium upgrades, SHIB: The Metaverse, K9 Finance staking, AI initiatives). Past milestones produced limited sustained price response, and a Shibarium exploit followed by sparse team communication hurt confidence. For traders: SHIB is highly speculative with both limited immediate demand drivers and concentrated structural constraints. Watch on-chain metrics (burn rate, exchange flows, wallet activity), adoption signals for Shibarium FHE, any regulated product listings (futures/ETF exposure), and team transparency. Use tight risk controls, conservative position sizing, and prefer event-driven trades around confirmed regulatory or technical developments rather than buy-and-hold exposure.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched a brief, one‑minute statewide survey to gather user experiences and complaints about cryptocurrency ATMs amid rising scam activity. The questionnaire asks about ATM operators used, machine types, referral sources and any financial losses. The survey follows a December 19 scam alert and is part of the Consumer Protection Division’s ongoing investigation into crypto ATM fraud. The FBI reported roughly $246.7 million lost to crypto ATM–related fraud in 2024, highlighting national concern. The initiative aims to map fraud hotspots, identify vulnerable kiosk operators, and inform potential measures such as enhanced ID checks, geofencing and fraud detection requirements for operators. The move comes as enforcement actions increase — including a Washington, D.C. lawsuit alleging Athena Bitcoin allowed scam-driven deposits — and the AG urged residents who used crypto ATMs to participate. For traders, the survey and likely regulatory scrutiny reinforce preferences for regulated exchanges (e.g., Coinbase, Gemini) over irreversible ATM transactions and may increase oversight of ATM operators, affecting on‑ramp liquidity and retail flows.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) shows waning user engagement and sustained downward price pressure, prompting parts of its community to consider alternatives. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has emerged as a leading presale opportunity: the project says it completed a security audit and has raised more than $19.5 million from about 18,500–18,580 investors. MUTM is in Phase 6 of its presale at $0.035 per token (claimed ~99% sold), roughly 250% above its initial price. Later presale phases will price tokens at $0.04, with a planned public launch target of $0.06. The protocol markets two lending models — a communal asset pool and customizable loan contracts — plus an in-development $1 stablecoin and a daily leaderboard that rewards top buyers. The coverage frames this shift as part of a broader rotation from memecoins like SHIB toward projects with defined DeFi utility and structured tokenomics. The piece is a sponsored press release and includes a disclaimer urging independent due diligence.

Zcash’s shielded (private) supply has stabilized at about 23% of total supply after an earlier 8 percentage‑point rise in 2025, signaling sustained adoption of optional zk‑SNARKs transactions. On‑chain metrics show steady shielded usage and stable ZEC volumes, while privacy coins such as Monero have also seen correlated gains as users and businesses grow concerned about transparent ledgers exposing full transaction histories. Developers at Electric Coin Company and analytics firms (e.g., Messari, Chainalysis) note ongoing work to improve Zcash usability and scalability. Separately, Grayscale has filed to list a Zcash ETF on NYSE Arca under ticker ZCSH, a significant test of whether privacy‑focused assets can be integrated into regulated, custodial products with compliance and sanctions screening. For traders: the 23% shielded ratio confirms persistent demand for privacy features; the Grayscale filing could attract institutional flows and liquidity if approved but may introduce custody/compliance constraints that affect how privacy features are used; on‑chain volumes remain steady, suggesting no immediate sell‑off. Primary keywords: Zcash, shielded supply, ZCSH ETF. Secondary/semantic keywords: zk‑SNARKs, privacy coins, Monero, on‑chain metrics, institutional flows.

Investors pulled roughly $1 trillion from active equity mutual funds in 2025 as returns concentrated in seven U.S. megacap tech stocks (the “Magnificent Seven”) left most active managers underperforming. Bloomberg Intelligence’s analysis of Investment Company Institute data shows active equity outflows totaled about $1T — the 11th consecutive year of net withdrawals — while passive equity ETFs gathered more than $600 billion. Narrow market breadth, with fewer than 20% of stocks rising on many trading days, created a wide performance gap between cap-weighted indexes and equal-weighted benchmarks. Consequently, 73% of U.S. equity mutual funds underperformed their benchmarks, one of the weakest records since 2007. A small set of concentrated, non-benchmark active strategies outpaced peers — for example, Dimensional Fund Advisors’ international small-cap value portfolio (up >50%) and select sector/thematic funds (resource and diversified thematic bets) — by avoiding megacap tech or taking concentrated exposures. For traders, the news signals continued passive ETF inflows that may boost liquidity and price support for large-cap tech names, higher market concentration risk, and uneven participation across smaller caps. Active managers face a dilemma: track megacap-driven benchmarks to justify fees or deviate and risk underperformance. Keywords: active equity funds, passive ETFs, megacap tech, fund outflows, market concentration.

JPMorgan Chase has frozen banking access for Latin American stablecoin startups BlindPay and Kontigo after identifying business links to U.S.-sanctioned jurisdictions, primarily Venezuela. Both firms connected to JPMorgan through payments facilitator Checkbook, but the intermediary relationship did not exempt them from the bank’s sanctions screening and Know-Your-Customer’s-Customer (KYCC) checks. JPMorgan said the action was driven by sanctions compliance rather than a general stance against stablecoins. Immediate consequences for the startups include halted deposits and withdrawals, operational paralysis, and heightened liquidity and reputational risk. The incidents highlight increased ‘‘de-risking’’ by banks toward crypto firms operating in sanctioned or high-risk jurisdictions, likely prompting higher compliance costs, stricter KYCC requirements for payment facilitators, and more limited banking on-ramps for stablecoin issuers serving inflation-prone Latin American markets. For traders, the story signals potential disruptions to regional stablecoin flows and on‑ramps—factors that can amplify local redemption pressures and volatility in stablecoin-pegged trades. Expect accelerated professionalization of compliance across the sector as firms and intermediaries respond to tighter bank scrutiny.

Bank of China’s Vientiane branch completed the first cross-border digital RMB (e‑CNY) consumer QR-code payment between China and Laos under guidance from the People’s Bank of China and the Bank of the Lao PDR. The branch connected to the PBOC’s cross-border digital RMB platform and processed merchant QR payments in Laos, delivering real-time exchange-rate quotes, on‑site QR verification and immediate clearing to achieve end-to-end “pay‑exchange‑clear” integration. Lao merchants receive settlements via existing devices and channels with minimal hardware change while compliance is preserved. The pilot targets tourism, remittance and merchant payments by lowering cross-border settlement thresholds and simplifying payments for Chinese tourists and local businesses. No transaction values were disclosed. For crypto traders, this advances digital RMB internationalization and demonstrates a practical CBDC cross-border use case that may affect regional payment rails and on‑chain/off‑chain liquidity flows; monitor regulatory signals and central‑bank coordination for implications on CBDC adoption and stablecoin demand.

By 2026, stablecoins — led by USDT and USDC — have become the default unit of account and settlement medium for crypto sports betting, with BTC retained mainly as a liquidity reserve and for large strategic bets. Platforms that adopt a stablecoin-first architecture (Dexsport is highlighted) offer direct USDT deposits and withdrawals across multiple chains, instant stablecoin payouts, public bet tracking, weekly cashback paid in stablecoins with no wagering requirements, and reduced or minimal KYC. This model eliminates fiat/crypto conversion layers, reduces live-bet volatility risk, speeds settlement, and improves bankroll predictability — advantages valued by high-frequency, arbitrage, and professional bettors. Unlike custodial or hybrid systems that perform internal conversions or throttle withdrawals, stablecoin-native sportsbooks keep USDT/USDC on-chain from deposit to payout, enabling true instant payouts and clearer on-chain liquidity management. Mobile and wallet-based UX benefits from simpler flows and fewer conversion steps. The coverage stresses that stablecoins lower price-volatility risk but do not remove platform, custody or regulatory risks. For traders, the key takeaway is an operational shift: short-term wagers and live-betting liquidity are increasingly denominated in stablecoins (USDT/USDC) while BTC remains important for large-exposure liquidity and treasury. Primary keywords: stablecoins, USDT, instant payouts, crypto betting, Dexsport. Secondary keywords: live betting, bankroll management, sportsbook liquidity.

Japanese game developer KLab announced a "dual gold financial strategy" to protect shareholder value from inflation and a weakening yen by allocating part of recent fundraising into Bitcoin and gold. From roughly ¥5.1 billion raised, KLab plans to deploy ¥3.6 billion into a 60:40 split between Bitcoin (BTC) and physical-gold exposure (via a pure-gold ETF), executing staggered, small purchases tied to price movements. The company already held 1.19828 BTC and recently added 3.17 BTC at an average ¥13.83 million per BTC, bringing total BTC holdings to 4.36828 BTC; it also bought gold ETF units at ¥21,514 each. KLab described falling yen purchasing power as a “silent collapse” and framed the move as a hedge against inflation and currency weakness. The announcement is presented as corporate-treasury diversification information, not investment advice. For traders, key takeaways are a modest corporate buy interest for BTC, explicit dollar/yuan exposure hedging via gold, and potential incremental buying pressure from staggered execution — factors that could mildly support BTC price dynamics but are unlikely to trigger major market moves on their own.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said reports indicate the United States has discussed using a stake in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to run large-scale Bitcoin mining. The Kremlin presents the ZNPP as a possible bargaining chip in wider peace talks: Russia occupies the plant, Ukrainian engineers work under Russian control, and Moscow is reportedly ready to concede territory outside Donbas while keeping Donbas itself. According to Kommersant, a U.S. proposal allegedly suggested a three-way 33% split of operational control, with U.S. officials running operations; Ukraine rejects joint business with Russia and has sought a 50-50 partnership with the U.S. The six reactors at ZNPP are shut down and the plant currently cannot feed the grid, relying on diesel generators; theoretically, if safely restarted, it could supply power for energy-intensive crypto-mining farms. The proposal is largely symbolic given safety, operational and geopolitical barriers. Separately, Russia is moving to a tightly controlled digital-asset framework from July 1, 2026 that expands institutional access, caps retail activity (a 300,000-ruble annual limit) and plans to criminalize unregulated crypto activity by 2027. For crypto traders, the story links geopolitics, energy assets and regulation: the ZNPP proposal may have limited practical impact on BTC supply or mining capacity in the near term, but Russia’s regulatory shift could increase institutional demand within a controlled domestic market and affect regional mining dynamics.

On-chain data show Ethereum whales accumulated roughly 4.8 million ETH since November 21, raising holdings from ~22.4M to ~27.2M ETH (about 4% of circulating supply). Whales are defending a realized cost basis at $2,796 — a level that produced three price bounces — while ETH has consolidated in a $3,000–$3,500 trading band. ETH dominance has recovered from about 11.5% to roughly 13%, indicating renewed market share despite weak altcoin rotation. At current prices those whale positions sit on roughly $4.8 billion in unrealized profit. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR) climbed to 2.964, a six-month high — roughly $2.96 of borrowed exposure per $1 unlevered — which raises the risk of liquidations or rapid deleveraging if volatility spikes or macro catalysts fail to appear. For traders: monitor the $2,796 make-or-break support and the $3,000–$3,500 range, track ELR and margin metrics for early signs of de‑leveraging, and watch ETH dominance and Bitcoin-led flows since a shift toward BTC or reduced dominance could accelerate downside pressure. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH whales, leverage. Secondary keywords: ELR, ETH dominance, on-chain accumulation, liquidation risk.

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

CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator told Fortune Brainstorm AI that the current AI boom is driven by real end‑user demand and physical supply constraints — not a circular flow of capital among the same firms. He highlighted persistent GPU shortages and broader bottlenecks in data‑centre infrastructure, energy and raw materials (eg. copper), and cited industry reports showing GPU shipments lagging orders by about 20–30%. Intrator also noted increased competition for GPUs from crypto miners. CoreWeave has reduced client concentration — Microsoft fell from ~85% of revenue to under 30% of backlog — and defended the company amid post‑IPO stock volatility (IPO $40, shares near $90). For traders, key takeaways are: continued hardware scarcity should support sustained GPU demand and keep upward pressure on prices; secondary‑market GPU flows could add volatility if major customers scale back; delays in builds and energy/infrastructure constraints may slow capacity growth and extend the supercycle; and customer diversification lowers single‑client counterparty risk but stock remains sensitive to delivery and backlog updates. Monitor vendor backlogs, shipment rates, data‑centre buildouts and GPU resale flows for signs of easing or worsening scarcity.

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

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

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

Two wallets linked to Pantera Capital transferred a combined 5,264 ETH (about $15.39–$15.4M) into Coinbase Prime on December 27, according to Onchain Lens. The on-chain deposit moves a sizable amount of Ether into a regulated institutional custody and prime brokerage platform, signaling institutional allocation toward Coinbase’s custody layer. Such inflows can indicate preparation for trading, OTC execution, custody consolidation, compliance or liquidity management. The transfer provides real-time transparency into institutional fund flows and is consistent with growing institutional activity in prime custody venues. No comment was reported from Pantera or Coinbase. Traders tracking large inflows to regulated venues may view this as a monitorable signal of potential selling, rebalancing or increased trading activity in ETH.

Ethereum has seen sustained spot-ETF outflows since Dec. 11, totaling roughly $853.9 million over two weeks, with only Dec. 22 recording a notable $84.6 million inflow. Major withdrawals have come from BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Ethereum Fund (FETH), signaling an institutional year‑end pullback. ETH traded near $2,900–$2,964 at the latest checks, down from August highs and roughly 12% lower week‑on‑week in earlier reports. Trading volume, derivatives volume and open interest have fallen, indicating reduced leverage and lower conviction. Technical indicators (RSI <50, MACD bearish, lower highs/lows) point to short‑term downside bias; key supports are $2,880–$2,980 with $2,500 flagged as a critical level if outflows continue. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw larger concurrent outflows (~$1.538B over the same period). By contrast, XRP ETF flows showed steady inflows and net assets above $1.16B, reflecting stronger institutional interest. For traders: monitor ETF flows, spot liquidity and on‑chain whale activity; manage risk with position sizing, stops near support levels, and watch RSI shifts for early divergence that could signal a reversal.

Solana (SOL) is trading under a bearish structure after failing repeatedly to reclaim the $150 resistance, leaving $120 as the immediate critical support. In 2025 Circle has minted roughly $55 billion USDC on Solana, including a recent $500 million mint — a large on-chain liquidity injection that has increased trading and DeFi activity but has not produced clear bullish momentum for SOL. On-chain and chart data (Onchain Lens, TradingView) show prolonged sideways chop, raising speculative pressure and potential volatility. Whale positions are divided: reports show a major leveraged long (around 20x) now carrying roughly $5.88 million in unrealized losses after earlier profits, while short-side whales have realized about $27.7 million in gains. The concentration of leveraged longs alongside large short profits increases the risk of liquidation cascades. For traders: monitor $120 closely — a decisive break lower could trigger rapid leveraged liquidations and sharp downside; reclaiming and holding above $150 would be required to restore bullish structure. Primary keywords: Solana, SOL price, USDC mint, whales, liquidity. Secondary/semantic keywords: support level, resistance, leverage, liquidations, on-chain activity.

Industry monitors report at least $2.53 billion in crypto exploits in 2025, with social engineering now the dominant attack vector, responsible for about 55.3% (~$1.39 billion) of losses. Private key compromises account for roughly 15% (~$0.37 billion), while infinite-mint attacks and smart-contract bugs make up the remainder. Chainalysis and other trackers estimate total crypto theft in 2025 at $2.7–$3.4 billion and attribute about $2.02 billion to North Korea-linked groups, a roughly 51% increase from 2024; that figure includes a reported $1.4 billion extraction from Bybit. Analysts say improved automated auditing and formal verification have reduced large-scale smart-contract breaches, shifting attackers toward human-targeted methods: phishing, impersonation, poor key management and operational lapses. For traders, this means higher personal-wallet and custodial risk, potential sustained sell pressure on affected tokens, and elevated counterparty risk for exchanges and custodial services. Key takeaways: prioritize secure key custody, tighten counterparty due diligence, monitor tokens tied to breached platforms, and expect state-sponsored groups to remain a major theft vector.

Coins.ph has relaunched its mobile app as an all‑in‑one digital wallet combining everyday payments, bill settlement, bank and e‑wallet transfers, low‑cost international remittances and in‑app crypto trading. The platform — licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a virtual asset marketplace and mobile wallet — supports the national QR Ph standard with acceptance at over 600,000 merchants and near real‑time confirmation on more than 120 bill types. Coins.ph aims to reduce friction across multiple apps and speed fund movement across banking and e‑wallet ecosystems. The company is promoting PHPC, a peso‑backed stablecoin (pending regulatory approvals), for QRPh payments and exploring PHPC use on Circle’s Arc testnet for cross‑border remittances. Recent partnerships include Sky Mavis (PHPC for QRPh), FinFan (Philippines–Vietnam remittances) and BCRemit (stablecoin remittance corridors). Amira Alawi has been appointed Global Marketing Director to lead international expansion toward a larger global platform (Coins.xyz). For traders: the relaunch centralises on‑ramp/off‑ramp rails, increases fiat‑crypto utility in the Philippines and signals potential growth in PHPC stablecoin flows if regulators approve wider use — factors that could influence local crypto liquidity and stablecoin demand.

Solana led blockchain app revenues in 2025 with about $1.3 billion, driven by meme-token cycles, AI agent activity and a late-year DeFi resurgence. Cryptorank data showed Solana surpassed Ethereum in users, transactions and app revenues for much of the year, with app-driven income dominating for over seven months. Hyperliquid’s native HyperCore chain ranked second with roughly $908 million in native-chain revenues after its first full year as a perpetual-futures DEX — $848 million came from perpetual futures trading. Hyperliquid reported $3.87 billion in deposits, about 609,000 new users, $46 million distributed to builders and nearly $1 million from ticker auctions. Ethereum generated $524 million in 2025, BNB Chain $257 million and Base $76.4 million. Several legacy networks (Avalanche, Filecoin, TON) dropped from the top 10 as apps migrated to newer L1/L2s and specialized chains (EdgeX, Axelar, Bittensor, Optimism) rose based on strong single-app performance. The broader market takeaway for traders: 2025 marked a shift from incentive-led volume to predictable, app-driven revenue streams — favoring chains and apps with real user traction rather than airdrop farming. Traders should monitor Solana metrics (users, transactions, app revenues), DEX volumes and perpetual futures flows as potential trade signals; Hyperliquid’s results also highlight the revenue and liquidity potential of perpetual DEXs and native-chain settlement models.