Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Valour received approval to list a Valour Solana ETP on Brazil’s B3 exchange on December 16, providing Brazilian institutions regulated, BRL‑denominated access to Solana through brokers and custodians. At the same time, Solana spot ETFs have recorded steady net inflows averaging about $3.64 million per day, with total net assets near $926.3 million (SoSoValue). On‑chain and exchange data show a declining exchange supply as SOL moves into wallets, indicating accumulation despite rangebound price action. SOL is trading around $128 inside a $122–$145 range. Technical indicators suggest subdued momentum (RSI ~44, compressed MACD) and there are dense liquidity and liquidation clusters near $123 that could amplify downside if broken. Analysts say sustained ETF inflows and expanded institutional access improve structural demand for SOL, but short‑term direction remains tied to Bitcoin. A decisive break above $145 would open targets toward $170–$200, while a Bitcoin‑led sell‑off could test supports near $95. Key takeaways for traders: (1) the B3 listing expands institutional demand and BRL liquidity for SOL; (2) ETF inflows and falling exchange balances point to accumulation under the surface; (3) monitor $123 liquidity cluster and Bitcoin correlation for short‑term risk management; (4) bullish confirmation requires a clear break above $145.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev says prediction markets are entering a long-term growth phase he calls a “prediction market supercycle,” naming on-chain platforms such as Polymarket as early leaders. Tenev predicts adoption and volumes could expand dramatically — potentially reaching trillions of contracts annually — as traders, institutions and exchanges use blockchain rails and on-chain settlement to price real-world events. Supporting developments include Kalshi’s $185 million funding round, large investments and data partnerships from firms like Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Kalshi’s tie-up with CNN, and Polymarket’s integrations and MetaMask partnership. Research cited shows Polymarket achieving high forecast accuracy in some time frames. New product launches aim to expand capacity and lower costs: PancakeSwap and YZi Labs announced Probable, a zero-fee prediction market on BNB Chain using UMA’s Optimistic Oracle for on-chain settlement. Reports say Robinhood drives significant Kalshi volume and plans to roll out customizable sports parlays using Kalshi technology in early 2026. Market reaction on social media was broadly positive. For crypto traders: this signals rising institutional capital, improving oracle and on-chain settlement infrastructure, and potential increases in liquidity and event-driven trading opportunities — developments that could create new hedging and speculative instruments tied to real-world outcomes and crypto-price forecasts.

Coinbase has expanded its platform to integrate U.S. stock and ETF trading alongside crypto, offering commission-free 24/5 stock trading for American users and unified portfolio management across assets. The exchange plans to launch tokenized stocks within the next quarter using a wrap/unwrap custody model and USDC-compatible settlement, subject to SEC guidance. Coinbase will also roll out perpetual futures for non-U.S. stocks next year and already offers perpetual futures for digital assets and other derivatives. The mobile app now supports direct access to Solana DeFi via Jupiter and increased accessibility to Base network tokens; the Base self-custody app has been rebranded and deployed in about 140 countries. Additional product updates include prediction-market integrations (starting with Kalshi), an AI-driven portfolio advisor, institutional tokenization services, custom stablecoin offerings, and Coinbase Business for startups. For traders, the move could shift retail liquidity between equities and crypto, introduce new leveraged instruments that increase short-term volatility, and leave tokenized products exposed to regulatory risk. Key SEO keywords: Coinbase, tokenized stocks, stock trading, perpetual futures, Solana DeFi, Base network, USDC.

Two recent pieces analyze whether placement on the XRP Rich List meaningfully increases the chance of retiring on crypto gains. On-chain data show roughly 7.41 million XRP addresses (up ~1.5M year‑over‑year). Ownership is concentrated: the top 10% threshold is ≥2,316 XRP, top 5% ≥8,010 XRP, and top 1% ≥48,895 XRP. Using a $1 million retirement target, break‑even XRP prices are about $431 for the top 10% entry, $125 for the top 5% entry and $20 for the top 1% entry. The later article emphasizes the change in wallet growth (addresses rising from ~5.82M to 7.41M) and reiterates concentration metrics while adding context on real‑world affordability — e.g., a $100 XRP over ten years (a Google Gemini hypothetical) would make top 1% holders multimillionaires and put many top 5% holders close to retirement levels in lower‑cost jurisdictions. Both pieces stress these outcomes are speculative, depend on market cycles, regulation, adoption and macro factors, and include a financial‑advice disclaimer. For traders: Rich List placement improves odds but is not a guarantee — the story highlights concentration risks, the large price moves required for mass retirement outcomes, and the importance of portfolio diversification and risk management.

The Jito Foundation, operator of a leading liquid-staking protocol and block-builder on Solana, has announced it will re-establish itself as a US-based legal entity and relaunch core operations after previously relocating overseas due to an unfriendly regulatory environment. The foundation attributes the reversal to clearer and more constructive US regulatory signals following industry-policy dialogue. Jito oversees services including JitoSOL liquid staking, neutral block-building and fair-inclusion tooling and is among the largest Solana protocols by TVL. The move aims to strengthen ties with US regulators, partners and users, improve institutional confidence and expand adoption of JTO and Solana staking. Remaining challenges include token classification, cross-agency compliance (SEC, CFTC), banking access and potential future legislation. For traders: this is a positive regulatory signal for Solana ecosystem adoption and liquid staking demand, which may support SOL and JTO over time; however, regulatory uncertainty at federal and state levels persists and could limit near-term upside.

Polygon Labs has made a strategic investment in Web3 media and community firm Boys Club to accelerate practical blockchain payments, stablecoins and everyday crypto use cases. Boys Club will retain editorial independence and continue cross‑ecosystem work (including Base, Solana and Aptos). The collaboration pairs Polygon’s ongoing technical development of cross‑border and cross‑chain payment rails, stablecoin tools and on‑demand settlement with cultural storytelling, events, social strategy and editorial design aimed at nontechnical audiences. Polygon says infrastructure alone won’t drive adoption; clear communication and narrative building are needed to build trust and mainstream usage. The partnership emphasizes marketing, education and real‑world adoption rather than protocol changes or direct technical integrations. For traders: expect this to raise awareness of Polygon’s payment use cases (remittances, instant settlement, Polymarket) and may increase demand for network utility, but immediate price impact is likely limited and tied to how effectively the outreach converts into measurable user growth.

Tether has launched PearPass, an open-source, peer-to-peer (P2P) password manager that stores credentials only on users’ devices and syncs them via end-to-end encrypted P2P connections. Built as part of Tether’s Pear ecosystem with partners such as Holepunch and Hypercore, PearPass includes a password generator, key-based non-custodial recovery, and was audited by Secfault Security. The app initially supports major browsers, will be free at launch, and plans mobile support later. Tether positions PearPass as a privacy- and sovereignty-focused alternative to cloud-hosted vaults that reduces single points of failure and remains operable under outages or regulatory pressure. Analysts note P2P recovery introduces edge-case risks if all devices are lost and the user’s recovery key is unavailable. Tether did not detail funding or monetization; it may keep the core product free while exploring premium or enterprise options. The release complements Tether’s broader expansion beyond USDT issuance into decentralized apps, P2P tools (Keet), infrastructure (Tether Data) and tokenization initiatives, signalling continued diversification of its product suite.

XRP traders have sharply reduced leveraged exposure since July 2025. CryptoQuant shows Binance Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR) for XRP fell from ~0.59 in July to ~0.187 (lowest since Nov 2024), signalling large-scale position closures or forced liquidations. Coinglass reports exchange futures open interest contracted from about $10.94 billion (~$3.65 ATH period) to roughly $3.47 billion (≈1.81 billion XRP), a ~68% drop. Data suggest traders are deleveraging by closing longs rather than flipping into shorts, which lowers immediate liquidation cascade risk but removes a key source of bullish momentum. Spot XRP ETF inflows continue to provide some demand support, but the derivatives market de-risking implies weaker near-term upside and reduced volatility. Traders should watch for signs of a directional shift: rising open interest, stabilization of ELR, or a higher low on the daily chart — until then thin liquidity and low leverage leave XRP vulnerable to further downside or sudden large moves when activity returns. Keywords: XRP, leverage ratio, futures open interest, ELR, Binance, CryptoQuant, Coinglass, spot ETF, volatility.

Polkadot’s native token DOT fell sharply after key support levels broke, first slipping below an ascending trendline near $2.05 and then collapsing through the $1.90 psychological level to around $1.82. The move unfolded despite Coinbase announcing direct Polkadot network support. CoinDesk Research’s technical models flagged decisive violations and heavy selling in the final trading hours, with volume spiking to roughly 284%–340% above the 24‑hour average (peak hourly flows ~400% above baseline), suggesting institutional distribution around the $1.90–$1.95 zone. Technical structure shifted from neutral/bullish tests to clear bearish momentum: lower highs, a descending channel from the $1.92 high, and a potential double‑top after failed breakouts near $1.95–$2.00. Immediate support sits near $1.82–$1.95 (psychological $1.95 and $1.90 levels noted); failure of $1.82 risks extension toward $1.75–$1.80. Immediate resistance is the broken $1.90–$2.00 range, and a sustained recovery requires reclaiming $2.00 with convincing volume. Broader markets were weaker during both reports (CoinDesk 20 index down ~0.6% to ~2%). Traders should watch price action around $1.82, $1.90–$1.95, volume trends, and whether DOT can retake $2.00 to reassess short‑term bias.

Bitfinex has permanently removed maker and taker trading fees across its platform — covering spot, margin, perpetual derivatives, tokenized securities and OTC markets — for all eligible users. The zero-fee model applies by default with no volume, UNUS SED LEO holdings or account-tier requirements. It covers more than 250 spot pairs, about 60 perpetual contracts and all Bitfinex Securities listings. Other charges such as withdrawals, deposit fees, margin lending and derivatives funding fees remain unchanged; affiliate rebates tied to trading fees and LEO fee discounts have been discontinued, though LEO retains other utilities (affiliate multipliers, some fee discounts and limited fee-free fiat withdrawals) and its repurchase-and-burn program continues. CTO Paolo Ardoino framed the move as a permanent, structural decision enabled by sustained profitability and improved matching-engine capacity; Bitfinex says its infrastructure can handle higher volumes and that risk monitoring remains to deter wash trading. The exchange expects to rely more on alternative revenue like service fees and lending while aiming to boost liquidity, trading volume and competitiveness. Eligible users need take no action — qualifying trades will execute at zero fees automatically.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has begun tokenizing U.S. Treasury securities on Digital Asset’s Canton network, progressing from earlier pilot work and regulatory approvals. The initiative targets wholesale institutional markets and aims to create a regulated, privacy-preserving infrastructure layer that preserves custody and compliance controls. DTCC plans to represent Treasuries as digital tokens to enable faster settlement, improved reconciliation and atomic delivery-versus-payment across systems while remaining interoperable with legacy post-trade infrastructure. The multi-year program — with a service targeted to launch in 2026 — initially covers DTC-custodied U.S. Treasuries and could expand to other DTC-eligible assets over time. Key participants include DTCC, Digital Asset and the privacy-focused Canton Network. For traders, the DTCC tokenization program signals institutional adoption of distributed ledger technology, potential reductions in settlement latency and operational costs, and new liquidity pathways for tokenized securities; however, it remains focused on regulated institutional custody rather than retail crypto markets.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted generic listing standards in October that remove the need for separate 19(b) approvals and the roughly 240‑day wait for qualifying crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs). Bitwise researcher Ryan Rasmussen told the Bankless podcast he expects more than 100 new crypto ETPs to launch in 2026, including spot crypto ETPs, index funds, equity-linked products, smart‑beta and momentum strategies. The rule creates a clearer playbook for issuers and lowers the barrier to ETF issuance, likely increasing product variety and competition among issuers. Market data already show more than 300 crypto ETPs exist globally, and some issuers (e.g., Tidal Trust) are filing niche ETFs such as a product targeting Bitcoin price moves outside normal trading hours. Analysts caution, however, that easier listings do not guarantee strong inflows: liquidity, investor demand and differentiated use cases will determine uptake. Historical behavior of ETFs suggests assets often concentrate in a few large funds, so many new ETPs may see thin trading while a handful attract most assets under management. For traders, the change signals more product options and potentially greater spot BTC liquidity over time, but initial listings may have low volume and fragmented flows.

Kyrgyzstan has launched USDKG, a USD‑pegged stablecoin the state-backed issuer says is physically backed by gold rather than cash or short‑term U.S. Treasuries. Initial issuance was 50 million tokens (≈$50M) on Tron, with plans to add Ethereum support. The issuer is a state-participated entity (OJSC Virtual Asset Issuer under the Finance Ministry); daily operations and management of the gold reserve are contracted to a private Kyrgyz company. ConsenSys Diligence performed a smart‑contract security review, but that audit does not verify off‑chain gold holdings or custody arrangements. Projected expansion phases aim to grow backing to $500M and eventually $2B. Officials say USDKG targets remittance-heavy, dollarised emerging markets and seeks to improve cross‑border payments, financial inclusion and transparency while operating outside a CBDC classification. Regulatory context: Kyrgyzstan’s 2022 “On Virtual Assets” law provides a licensing framework for VASPs and the project claims FATF‑compliant KYC/AML redemptions. Key due‑diligence points for traders and counterparties are: independent, recurring reserve attestations; clear custody and segregation of gold; concrete, tested redemption mechanics and rails; on‑chain admin controls (pause/freeze/blacklist) and their governance; and real‑world liquidity via exchange listings, OTC desks and payment rails. Until independent, frequent attestations, transparent custody and demonstrable redemption flows and listings are available, traders should treat USDKG as operationally unproven. This is informational and not investment advice.

Unicoin shareholders voted on December 5 to approve a board-led plan to transfer managerial control to a newly formed Unicoin Foundation and convert Unicoin into a decentralized, community-driven token. The move is explicitly designed to align with new SEC guidance from Chairman Paul Atkins that narrows the definition of a crypto security to tokens with an explicit expectation of issuer managerial efforts. By removing those expectations, Unicoin aims to qualify as a non-security commodity and pursue listings on major global crypto exchanges rather than low-liquidity, securities-only venues. Founders Alex Konanykhin and Silvina Moschini, along with policy consultant Sakineh Majd, said the change is needed to preserve liquidity and enable broad secondary trading. Unicoin bills itself as an audited, publicly reporting U.S. cryptocurrency focused on scalability and energy efficiency, cites an $18 billion pre-ICO valuation, and links to the Unicorn Hunters series. With shareholder approval secured, the company says it will proceed with exchange listing processes.

Crypto.com has revamped its referral program, increasing CRO rewards and adding a dedicated in‑app dashboard to improve tracking and sharing. Both referrers and referees can earn up to $100 (in CRO) per successful referral, paid across tiered trading‑volume milestones within 30 days (example Tier 1 milestones: $100 → $5, $500 → $15, $1,000 → $25, $5,000 → $75). The program supports up to 100 successful referrals per user (max $10,000 CRO) and replaces a 2024 scheme that paid up to $50 per user. Enhancements include real‑time milestone tracking, improved referral-code/link sharing, masked friend data for privacy, jurisdictional reward caps, and mandatory KYC plus trading‑volume requirements for new users. Referral payouts scale with the referred user’s trading volume, tying incentives into Crypto.com’s broader CRO‑centric rewards ecosystem (staking and subscription benefits). Terms vary by region. For traders: expect potential near‑term CRO sell pressure from distributed rewards but improved user acquisition and higher early trading activity could support longer‑term CRO demand if new users convert to ongoing traders or stakers.

SMARDEX has announced Everything, a unified DeFi protocol that combines AMM swaps, permissionless lending/borrowing and perpetual-style leveraged trading in a single smart contract and shared liquidity pool. Scheduled for a February launch, Everything builds on SMARDEX’s xy = k AMM and adds a novel, oracle-less leverage engine that executes atomic trades and a tick-based borrowing model intended to limit bad debt and improve capital efficiency. Borrowing will be available against any trading pair on the platform. Liquidity providers gain an extra yield stream via $USDNr, a decentralized synthetic stable asset targeting approximately 16% APR. A planned Geneve upgrade in summer will add yield-bearing collateral and native limit/take-profit order liquidity so idle orders can earn yield. SMARDEX — launched December 2024 and known for its low fees, AI-driven SMARTDEX features and the $USDN synthetic dollar — aims to reduce DeFi fragmentation, speed project launches and offer capital-efficient infrastructure for traders, market makers and builders. The announcement arrives amid strong DeFi growth in 2025 (Q3 TVL ~ $237bn). Traders should note the potential for increased on-chain leverage and concentrated liquidity — which can improve execution and reduce slippage — alongside operational risks including smart-contract, liquidity and adoption risk that could affect short-term volatility.

Russia’s Financial Markets Committee chair Anatoly Aksakov reaffirmed that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum will never be recognized as money for domestic payments; the ruble remains the sole legal tender for internal transactions. This position aligns with the Bank of Russia and governor Elvira Nabiullina, who oppose crypto for domestic settlements while permitting a tightly controlled experimental regime for limited use in foreign trade. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has said Russia has used crypto within a special legal framework for international trade. Regulators continue to permit restricted investment access (notably for qualified investors) and mining, while retaining powers to block retail crypto services. The 2020 law banning crypto payments domestically remains in effect, and ongoing debates between the Ministry of Finance (favoring oversight and taxation) and the central bank (favoring stricter limits) have not changed payment rules. Market context: total crypto market cap was reported at $2.92 trillion at press time. Primary keywords: Russia crypto payments, crypto legal tender, ruble payments. Secondary keywords: cross-border crypto settlements, experimental legal regime, crypto regulation.

HashKey Holdings completed a Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO that raised about $206 million, selling 240 million shares and becoming the first Asian digital-asset exchange to list in Hong Kong. The offering ran from Dec. 9 and included a Hong Kong tranche of 24 million shares that was nearly 394× oversubscribed and an international placing of 216.5 million shares that was 5.5× subscribed, signaling strong institutional and retail demand. Shares opened at HK$6.70 on the main board, briefly rose above the IPO price then slipped intraday to close slightly below the offer level, showing early volatility and mixed reception. Institutional investors participated, and CEO/chairman Xiao Feng framed the listing as a move to strengthen compliance, trust and support international expansion. For traders: the IPO confirms robust demand for crypto-exchange equities but revealed short-term selling pressure and intraday volatility — watch post-IPO lockups, secondary selling, and regulatory developments in Hong Kong for potential catalysts.

Hut 8 Corp. agreed a 15-year triple-net lease with AI cloud provider Fluidstack for 245 MW of IT capacity at its River Bend data center campus in Louisiana. The base-term contract is valued at $7.0 billion and includes a 3% annual rent escalator and a right of first offer (ROFO) for up to an additional 1,000 MW of future expansions. Hut 8 estimates roughly $6.9 billion of cumulative net operating income (NOI) from the base term (about $454 million per year); the contract could rise to approximately $17.7 billion if Fluidstack exercises three 5-year renewal options. Project partners named include Entergy (power), J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs (financing), Vertiv and Jacobs (infrastructure/engineering), with Google providing a financial backstop covering lease payments and related obligations during the 15-year base term. Up to 85% of project costs are expected to be debt financed. The first hall is planned to reach production in Q2 2027, with additional halls phased online through 2027. The deal is linked to a broader AI infrastructure plan involving Anthropic, targeting at least 245 MW and potentially up to 2,295 MW for AI workloads. Following the announcement, HUT shares jumped about 25% in premarket trading, lifting market attention and sending Hut 8’s market cap toward roughly $4 billion. Key trading takeaways: material revenue visibility and risk transfer from long-term triple-net lease and Google guarantee; significant capital and execution risk through buildout and financing; repositioning of Hut 8 from primarily bitcoin mining toward AI data-center development, which could create upside if Fluidstack/Anthropic scale operations.

Space, a Solana-based leveraged prediction market from the team behind UFO, has opened a public sale of its native SPACE token on December 17, with the platform launch targeted for January 2026. The protocol uses a Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) with zero maker fees and offers up to 10x leverage for predictions across crypto, politics, sports, tech and culture. Total supply is 1,000,000,000 SPACE. The public sale follows a market‑clearing price model: sales begin at a floor fully diluted valuation (FDV) and move through price discovery toward a capped ceiling FDV; all buyers pay the same clearing price, and oversubscriptions trigger pro rata allocations and refunds. The sale features time‑limited tiers that grant bonuses (airdrops, points multipliers, lifetime referral multipliers and fee discounts) to earlier contributors who meet minimum contributions within each 24‑hour window. Key sale mechanics: floor FDV ~ $50M, ceiling FDV ~ $99M, target raise $2.5M, linear FDV curve from $0.05 to $0.099, accepts USDC/USDT/SOL, and there is no min/max contribution for the sale itself though tiers require minimums to claim rewards. Crucially for traders: 100% of purchased tokens are unlocked at token generation event (TGE) — no vesting — and the protocol commits 50% of platform revenue to buybacks and burns of SPACE, with the other 50% to the treasury. Backers include Morningstar Ventures and Arctic Digital; prior rounds were heavily oversubscribed on Echo.xyz. Recommended participation path: use a self‑custodial wallet (Phantom recommended), contribute via the sale site (sale.into.space), and avoid sending funds from centralized exchanges. Traders should note the combination of a market‑clearing sale price, full immediate unlock, and a buyback‑and‑burn revenue split — factors that could create high short‑term volatility and potential medium‑term deflationary pressure on SPACE.

Charles Schwab has launched regulated Solana (SOL) futures cleared through U.S. markets and accessible inside customer brokerage accounts, extending its earlier Bitcoin and Ether derivatives offerings. The product gives institutional and retail traders regulated futures exposure to SOL without holding the token, with standard margin, clearinghouse rules and tax treatment. Schwab’s listing may boost institutional access, trading volumes and hedging options for SOL and steer short-term price drivers toward derivatives flows and portfolio allocation. At the time of reporting SOL traded around $127.82 (down ~0.6% on the day, ~6.7% on the week) with a market cap near $71.8B. Technicals remain bearish: weekly closes below the EMA200, a key demand zone at $89–$101, and near-term support at $123–$125; a clear break under $123 could expose $118 and $110, while reclaiming $134 (and resistance at $145) is needed for stabilization. For traders, Schwab’s SOL futures improve regulated access and hedging/leveraging capabilities but do not remove existing technical downside risk—near-term trading remains skewed to the downside unless critical levels are retaken.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has received an SEC no‑action letter authorizing a three‑year pilot to offer a securities tokenization service on pre‑approved permissioned blockchains. DTCC will begin by tokenizing a subset of highly liquid U.S. Treasury securities and selected large‑index ETFs custodied at the Depository Trust Company, using the privacy‑focused Canton Network developed by Digital Asset. DTCC will co‑chair Canton governance with Euroclear. The organizations aim to run a minimum viable product (MVP) in a controlled production environment by H1 2026, with phased expansion based on client demand. DTCC — which handled roughly $3.7 quadrillion in securities transactions last year — positions the initiative as a bridge between traditional capital markets and onchain infrastructure, targeting operational efficiencies, new product formation and potential liquidity improvements for regulated real‑world assets (RWAs). Observers note tokenization on a private chain may take time to integrate with public DeFi rails, and regulatory engagement will remain central as the program develops.

Valour, a unit of Nasdaq‑listed DeFi Technologies, has secured approval from Brazil’s B3 exchange to list a Solana (SOL) exchange‑traded product (ETP). The Solana ETP is Valour’s fifth digital‑asset ETP in Brazil, joining existing Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Sui offerings. Valour manages nearly 100 digital‑asset ETPs across global regulated exchanges (including LSE, Euronext, SIX and Spotlight) spanning layer‑1s, layer‑2s, modular infrastructure, gaming and governance tokens. Brazil — Latin America’s largest financial and crypto market — is Valour’s first major market outside Europe and serves as a launchpad for expansion into Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Listing SOL as a BDR on B3 uses the exchange’s regulated market infrastructure to give retail and institutional investors transparent, on‑exchange exposure to Solana. The approval follows rising retail and institutional participation in Brazil’s crypto market and broadens regulated access to Solana, which could increase liquidity and mainstream investor flow into SOL.

Hyperliquid’s foundation has proposed a validator vote to formally recognize roughly $1 billion of HYPE held in the protocol’s Assistance Fund as permanently inaccessible and exclude those tokens from circulating and total supply metrics. The Assistance Fund automatically converts trading fees and reserve yield (including 50% of USDH reserve yield) into HYPE and routes them to a system address designed without control mechanisms, making recovery impossible except by a hard fork. The proposal would not change on‑chain balances or perform an on‑chain burn but would treat Assistance Fund HYPE as effectively removed for governance, reporting and circulating‑supply calculations. Cantor Fitzgerald research cited in coverage estimates about $874M in protocol fees YTD (2025) with ~99% of fees flowing to the Assistance Fund, driving automated repurchases and a shrinking effective circulating supply. Hyperliquid remains a major perpetual DEX (DefiLlama: >$205B 30‑day volume); several DAT treasuries hold significant HYPE exposure (examples: PURR, HYPD). The later report adds on‑chain sentiment: whale activity shifted from strongly bearish in mid‑November to slightly bearish recently, with large addresses holding both big long and short positions while smaller wallets are strongly bullish. The validator vote is pending; if passed it would clarify governance accounting, likely tighten effective HYPE supply metrics and could have secondary effects on USDH dynamics because half of USDH reserve yield is routed to the Assistance Fund and converted to HYPE.

Solana sustained a week-long distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaign that peaked near 6 terabits per second (Tbps) and remained fully operational throughout. Monitoring showed continuous block and slot production and transaction confirmation times averaging ~450 ms (never exceeding ~700 ms). Founder Anatoly Yakovenko characterized the incident as “bullish,” noting attackers expended resources comparable to chain revenue. The attack coincided with high-activity periods but caused no downtime or measurable performance degradation, demonstrating improved network resilience after post-2022 upgrades. Market reaction was mutedly positive: SOL climbed modestly during the incident. Traders should monitor on-chain metrics — transaction throughput, fee changes, validator health and stake — and short-term market sentiment for shifts in buying pressure tied to perceived security. The event contrasts with a recent DDoS that degraded Sui, highlighting architecture-dependent resilience across chains. Primary keywords: Solana, DDoS attack, network resilience. Secondary keywords: Anatoly Yakovenko, 6 Tbps, Sui, blockchain security.

Bybit won the jury-selected “Best Centralized Exchange” award in the 2025 BeInCrypto 100 and was also recognised as one of the top exchanges in Latin America. Founded in 2018, the exchange reports over 70 million registered users and offers spot, futures and perpetual derivatives, copy-trading, Bybit Alpha, TradFi services and private wealth management, plus on-chain access for interacting with decentralized apps. The LATAM accolade underscores Bybit’s regional growth driven by localized products, partnerships and community engagement. The awards — determined by an expert panel and community votes — coincide with Bybit’s seventh anniversary and follow recent product expansions and promotional campaigns. For traders, the recognitions may reinforce Bybit’s market credibility and user-growth narrative, potentially supporting higher platform liquidity and order-book depth; however, they do not constitute investment advice.

A crypto whale lost roughly $20.4 million after allocating about $23 million across six AI-agent tokens on Base, according to on-chain analytics from Lookonchain and Arkham Intelligence. The portfolio plunged to roughly $2.58 million — an ~89% drawdown — as liquidity evaporated and sector-wide prices plunged. Token-level losses: FAI (~92% drop, ≈$9.9M loss), AIXBT (~84%, ≈$7.8M), BOTTO (~83%, ≈$936K), POLY (~99%, ≈$839K), NFTXBT (~99%+, ≈$594K) and MAICRO (~90%, ≈$381K). The wallet now holds about $3.6k (mainly ETH and tiny holdings of MONK, BYTE, SANTA), indicating a near-total exit at heavy losses. The event follows a broader collapse in the AI-agent token sector, which peaked near $16 billion market cap and fell about 77% earlier in 2025; current combined sector market cap is around $3.3–5B. Analysts cite waning retail/speculative demand, thin liquidity in small-cap tokens, development setbacks for autonomous-agent projects, and regulatory and utility uncertainty. Some industry voices still see long-term potential if regulation, institutional participation and product progress return. For traders, the episode highlights high idiosyncratic and systemic risk in narrative-driven small-cap altcoins: concentrated large bets and low liquidity can magnify losses, increase volatility and create contagion pressure across related AI-themed tokens. Traders should treat similar AI-agent tokens as high-risk, check liquidity depth, on-chain concentration and token flow activity before entering positions.

HashKey Group, a Hong Kong-based crypto exchange and asset manager, completed a HK$1.6 billion IPO and began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The offering sold 240 million shares (24 million in the Hong Kong tranche and 216 million+ in the international tranche) and attracted multiple cornerstone investors. Shares opened near the offer price (around HK$6.70) and traded largely flat during the early session, briefly moving within a HK$6.10–HK$7.10 intraday range before settling close to the IPO price. The muted debut reflects investor caution toward crypto-related equities amid regulatory uncertainty and questions about revenue visibility for digital-asset firms. Management framed the listing as a commitment to stronger compliance, security and infrastructure as the company expands globally. Traders should watch secondary-market liquidity, intraday volatility, and whether the listing encourages or deters other crypto firms considering public offerings — all factors that could influence sector sentiment and capital flows into crypto equities.

On-chain data show concentrated whale selling of roughly 28,500 ETH in a short span. A wallet linked to Lido founder Konstantin Lomashuk sold ~14,585 ETH (~$42.7M) in about an hour, while two other large holders offloaded ~14,000 ETH (~$40.8M) across DEXs and centralized exchanges (OKX, Binance, KuCoin, Gate). The sales came as ETH traded near $2,950–$2,960 and failed to reclaim higher pivot zones. Technicals: ETH is holding an ascending support line and the 50–61% Fibonacci retracement zone (near $2,882); RSI is weak (~36–37), indicating fragile momentum. Overhead liquidity clusters above $3,000–$3,460 could attract price if selling eases. Key levels for traders: immediate support ~ $2,882, deeper demand at ~$2,607, and resistance cluster $3,462–$3,600 (reclaiming which would restore bullish bias). Short-term impact: aggressive whale sells during low liquidity can amplify downside, raise volatility and heighten risk of a pullback toward the $2,600–$2,900 range. Longer term: on-chain adoption signals (e.g., institutional use cases) continue to advance, creating divergence between network fundamentals and price action. Traders should watch on-chain whale flows, weekly closes around $2,800–$2,900, RSI stabilization, and whether ETH reclaims the $3,462–$3,600 resistance to shift sentiment.