Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

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.

Asia markets traded mixed as a modest tech-sector rebound collided with growing concerns about the U.S. economic outlook. Japanese stocks outperformed after stronger-than-expected export and trade-surplus data, signalling resilient overseas demand and lifting the yen to one-month highs amid renewed speculation about Bank of Japan policy moves. Chinese shares rebounded on tech gains and solid job-creation figures, though the yuan softened after an unexpectedly weak central parity fixing. Overall regional sentiment remained cautious: tech strength and robust Japanese trade data offered support, but uncertainty over U.S. growth, central bank reactions and FX moves constrained broader gains. For crypto traders, these cross-asset dynamics — yen strength, yuan weakness and U.S. growth risk — can influence liquidity, risk appetite and dollar flows into crypto, especially during times when equities and tech outperformance set the tone for risk-on moves.

Chainlink (LINK) large holders (top 100 wallets) accumulated more than 20.46 million LINK since early November, roughly $263M at current prices, while major exchange reserves declined — a sign of reduced near-term sell pressure (Santiment, CoinGlass). Separately, Chainlink-linked exchange-traded products saw about $2.02M in net inflows on the reported day with no outflow days during the tracked period (Altcoin Buzz). Price followed broader market weakness, falling from about $13.68 to ~$12.70, breaching short-term support near $13.23 and testing a $12.50–$12.80 support band; failure could open lower targets around $11.50 and near $10. On-chain activity shows protocol usage continuing: CCIP transfers exceeded $2.2B across 50+ chains, indicating sustained adoption despite consolidation. For traders: concentrated whale accumulation and falling exchange balances reduce immediate selling pressure and can support rallies, while ETF inflows signal institutional interest; however, macro headwinds and broad crypto weakness keep short-term downside risk elevated. Trade guidance: manage risk with clear support/resistance levels (resistance ~$13.23–13.68; support $12.50–12.80, then $11.50), use tight stops, and size positions given elevated volatility.

Bitcoin is under pressure after losing the $88,000 support level amid a cluster of macro and crypto-specific events that may increase volatility in the coming weeks. Key catalysts include this week’s U.S. inflation report, Friday’s Bank of Japan rate decision, a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and MSCI’s reclassification of crypto reserve firms. Market views are mixed: a high-profile analyst remains bearish with a $76,000 target and calls recent gains a low-volume bounce; Mark Cullen expects short-liquidation zones above $95,000 to be cleared — potentially triggering an $8,000 short squeeze that could push spot BTC above $98,000 after an interim clearance around $83,000. Technicals show BTC has reached the Fibonacci “golden zone” of the prior uptrend; traders should watch for a bounce and a higher low, but downside toward yearly lows by late November is possible. Near-term outlook: heightened intraday volatility driven by fast liquidations and macro releases, elevated downside risk for altcoins, and mixed directional risk for BTC. Traders should size positions, set tight risk controls, and monitor liquidity around the $83k–$95k range as macro data and central-bank moves unfold.

Binance announced a backend system upgrade and UTF-8 encoding tests for its spot trading platform scheduled for December 17. The exchange said the maintenance focuses on encoding reliability and platform stability and will not affect live spot trading, order routing, or liquidity. During validation, users may encounter test tokens and test trading pairs appearing on the platform; Binance warned these are routine internal test artifacts and that any similarly named on-chain tokens are not officially supported. No trading suspensions or changes to core market services are expected. This notice is informational and not investment advice. Primary keywords: Binance, spot trading, UTF-8 test, system upgrade. Secondary keywords: platform stability, order routing, liquidity, test tokens, exchange maintenance.

Binance will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for Terra Classic (LUNC) starting at 14:10 UTC on December 18 to support a planned network upgrade. The halt is a precautionary, standard operational step to protect user funds and prevent transaction errors while blockchain rules change. Spot trading on Binance will remain available, so users can buy, sell and trade LUNC during the pause; balances held on the exchange remain secure. No exact end time is provided — services will resume after Binance validates the upgrade and posts an official announcement. Traders and custodians should complete any external transfers before the 14:10 UTC cutoff and avoid panic selling. Monitor Binance and Terra Classic official channels for the resumption notice. Primary keywords: Binance LUNC suspension, Terra Classic upgrade. Secondary/semantic keywords: LUNC deposits, LUNC withdrawals, network upgrade, exchange maintenance.

Bitcoin is trading near $88,000 amid rising macro and political uncertainty ahead of a public address by former President Donald Trump, discussions about a potential Federal Reserve chair choice, an imminent US inflation report, the Bank of Japan rate decision, and a major court ruling. Recent market risk appetite has weakened, increasing short-term downside pressure. A prominent crypto analyst reiterated a bearish BTC target of $76,000, citing low-volume rallies and structural signs that any bounce may be limited. By contrast, analyst Mark Cullen highlights concentrated short liquidity above $95,000 that — if cleared after a small pullback toward ~$83,000 — could trigger forced short liquidations and push BTC toward or above $98,000. Traders should note heightened volatility: the more likely immediate scenario is further downside due to macro catalysts, while a rapid upside squeeze remains possible if short positions are violently closed. This is market commentary, not investment advice.

A major derivatives trader on Hyperinsight/Hyperliquid boosted an Ethereum long to 4,400 ETH (≈$12.95M) and holds concentrated leveraged exposure with a reported liquidation price near $2,720. On Hyperliquid the position carries roughly $22.9M in unrealized losses, while earlier reporting indicated a different large account held extensive longs across ETH, SOL and BTC (totaling hundreds of millions) with significant but non-immediate liquidation risk. On-chain data show the trader built the ETH position over multiple entries and has not materially reduced size despite recent drawdowns. Traders are watching the $2,720 level as a critical threshold that could trigger forced deleveraging and exacerbate short-term ETH sell pressure and liquidity strain. The case highlights elevated liquidation and directional risk for leveraged ETH players ahead of macro events (for example, Fed decisions) that can increase volatility. Short-term impact is heightened volatility and localized downside pressure on ETH; broader market effects depend on whether the whale reduces size or faces margin calls.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a consent settlement with Illusory Systems Inc., operator of the Nomad cross‑chain bridge, following a June–August 2022 smart‑contract vulnerability that led to about $186 million in stolen digital assets and over $100 million in consumer losses. The FTC alleges Nomad marketed itself as security‑first but failed to follow secure‑coding, testing and incident‑response practices; a faulty code update in June 2022 introduced a defect exploited from August 1, 2022. Nomad recovered roughly $22 million after the exploit. Under the proposed settlement Illusory Systems must implement a formal information security program, submit to independent security assessments every two years, cease making deceptive security claims, and return any recovered funds to affected users. The FTC has published the signed consent agreement for 30 days of public comment and may pursue enforcement under the Federal Trade Commission Act if the settlement is approved. For traders: the case highlights ongoing risks with cross‑chain bridges, the importance of smart‑contract audits and clear incident‑response processes, and increased regulatory scrutiny of security claims — factors that can raise perceived counterparty and smart‑contract risk and amplify volatility around affected bridge‑linked tokens and liquidity.

HashKey Holdings, a Hong Kong-based crypto investment and services firm, completed its Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO on December 17, 2025, raising about $206 million with shares up roughly 3% on debut. The offering drew participation from major traditional financial institutions including JPMorgan, Fidelity and UBS. This milestone follows Hong Kong’s push to become a regulated digital-asset hub and clearer licensing for virtual asset service providers, and it signals growing institutional adoption of crypto-native businesses. For traders, the IPO increases sector legitimacy, may encourage more regulated crypto firms to pursue Hong Kong listings, and could draw additional institutional capital into crypto-adjacent equities and products. Key trading considerations: potential growth in onshore liquidity and new regulated product offerings, heightened regulatory scrutiny and compliance costs for listed firms, and continued exposure to crypto market volatility. Overall, the development favors institutionalization of the market but requires traders to monitor regulatory signals, custody and tokenization product rollouts, and any shifts in investor flows that could affect correlated equities and token markets.

Brazil’s Court of Auditors in São Paulo will record documents from the state’s first public real estate auction on a blockchain to reduce fraud and legal disputes. Nordeste Leilões will run the sale of ten warehouses in partnership with blockchain firm InspireIP, which will timestamp and cryptographically seal every file so records become tamper-evident and publicly verifiable. The pilot responds to recurring problems in Brazil’s auction market — forged documents, fake websites and inconsistent public records — and is intended as an added verification layer to increase buyer and auctioneer confidence and reduce litigation. Nordeste Leilões reported roughly 9.5 million reals (~$1.74M) in sales across 65 auctions this year and sees the blockchain layer as a route to larger urban markets. The blockchain used was not disclosed. The initiative aligns with broader national moves — including a Legal Framework for Crypto Assets and expanded AML rules for digital-asset providers — aimed at improving investor protection and transparency and encouraging wider crypto adoption starting in early 2026. Keywords: blockchain, Brazil auction, real estate auction, timestamping, cryptographic seal, fraud prevention, public records.

CoinoTag, citing Coinglass data, maps concentrated Bitcoin liquidation clusters on centralized exchanges (CEXs) and highlights two high-impact price zones. Earlier reporting flagged key thresholds near $86K (long liquidations) and $89K (short liquidations). A later update revised the magnitudes substantially: a break above $89,000 could force roughly $7.02 billion in cumulative short liquidations across major CEXs, while a drop below $85,000 could trigger about $12.44 billion in cumulative long liquidations. The liquidation heatmap measures relative cluster intensity (potential for liquidity-driven cascades), not exact contract counts. Traders should watch these liquidity bands — roughly $85K–$86K on the downside and $89K on the upside — as likely accelerants of volatility and rapid directional moves. Short-term intraday traders should prepare for fast squeezes and increased order-book stress around those levels; swing traders and risk managers should consider position sizing and stop placement given the possibility of sizeable cascade liquidations.

Russia will impose permanent, region-wide bans on cryptocurrency mining in Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk (two heavily affected Siberian regions), upgrading prior seasonal winter restrictions. Authorities cited grid overloads and repeated blackouts at peak mining periods caused by low-cost hydro-powered operations. The measure is regional, not national, and follows temporary winter curbs across roughly 10 regions through 2031 and prior enforcement actions that dismantled illegal farms. Russia currently supplies about 4–5% of Bitcoin’s global hash rate; the ban is expected to reduce Russia’s share, lower local hashrate, and push miners to relocate domestically or abroad (notably Kazakhstan, Canada, and the U.S.), raising operating costs for those who remain. Short-term effects for traders: potential dip in BTC hashrate and transient miner capitulation or reallocation of equipment, possible short-term upward pressure on miner revenues elsewhere if global difficulty drops. Long-term implications: increased regulatory risk for Russia-based mining exposure, lower local investment and tax receipts, potential growth in informal/underground mining, and heightened emphasis on energy-efficient consensus models. Traders should monitor Russian enforcement actions, regional electricity policies, hash rate metrics, and miner relocation flows to assess impacts on mining profitability and Bitcoin network statistics.

The bitcoin-to-gold ratio fell roughly 50% in 2025, dropping from about 40 ounces of gold per BTC in December 2024 to around 20 ounces by Q4 2025. This compression reflects a macro-driven repricing that favored gold rather than a structural collapse in bitcoin demand. Key drivers: central banks bought 254 tonnes of gold through October 2025 (Poland led with 83 tonnes); global gold ETF holdings rose by ~397 tonnes in H1 2025 and reached a record ~3,932 tonnes by November. Gold returned ~63% year-to-date and surpassed $4,000/oz in Q4 despite a generally tight US rate backdrop; higher VIX and elevated geopolitical risk supported safe-haven and reserve demand. Bitcoin also posted positive returns in 2025 and reached six-figure prices aided by spot-BTC ETF adoption, but spot-BTC ETF assets under management fell from $152B in July to about $112B by November amid price pullbacks and net outflows. On-chain data show long-term bitcoin holders sold aggressively—Glassnode reports ~300,000 BTC sold in October and over 500,000 BTC sold by LTHs during H2—reducing LTH supply from ~14.8M to ~14.3M BTC. Higher real yields through much of 2025 raised the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, keeping bitcoin more correlated with equities while gold benefited from reserve and hedging flows. For traders: expect elevated volatility and rotation between safe havens (gold) and risk assets (crypto); short-term pressure on BTC versus gold is likely, particularly if rate and geopolitical uncertainty persist. The long-term investment narrative for bitcoin remains intact, but cyclical dynamics favor gold for reserve and risk-hedge flows. This summary is informational and not investment advice.

The UK government has opened an independent review into potential foreign interference in domestic political funding, explicitly examining cryptocurrency donations. Prompted by the conviction of Reform UK politician Nathan Gill for accepting foreign bribes, the probe will assess how crypto features — pseudo‑anonymity, cross‑border transfers, privacy coins and mixing services — could be used to conceal foreign contributions. Officials will evaluate existing institutional safeguards and may recommend measures such as mandatory wallet disclosures for large donations, stronger cooperation between electoral bodies and financial intelligence units, Travel Rule adoption, real‑time blockchain monitoring tied to political entities, and targeted transparency rules rather than blanket bans. The review is due to report by the end of March and its findings will feed into planned election and democracy legislation, potentially setting a precedent for international regulation of political donations in crypto. Traders should monitor resulting regulatory guidance and enforcement signals, which could increase compliance costs, reduce anonymity use in political donations, and spur demand for on‑chain transparency and compliance tools.

The Bank of Canada will permit regulatory approval only for high-quality, fiat-pegged stablecoins beginning in 2026. Approved stablecoins must maintain a secure 1:1 peg to the Canadian dollar or another reputable fiat currency, hold transparent, easily convertible high‑quality liquid reserves (for example government bonds and treasury bills), publish redemption policies, undergo regular audits, and implement risk‑management and data‑protection measures. The move follows Canada’s 2025 budget framework and aims to curb risks from algorithmic or poorly reserved stablecoins, strengthen consumer protection and financial stability, and set clear standards for crypto firms. Key challenges include defining “high-quality” reserves, enforcing ongoing transparency and audits, potential constraints on innovation, and the risk that users may migrate to unregulated foreign stablecoins. Traders and firms should prioritize stablecoins with full fiat collateral and public audits, review reserve transparency, diversify holdings, and monitor Bank of Canada guidance. The policy could make Canadian‑approved stablecoins a global safety benchmark while narrowing the domestic market to fiat‑backed models.

Anchorage Digital has acquired Hedgey, a specialist in automated token vesting, distributions and cap-table management. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal integrates Hedgey’s smart-contract-based tooling with Anchorage’s custody, trading, compliance and asset-management services, enabling startups, DAOs and institutional clients to automate token generation events (TGEs), vesting schedules, distributions and reporting. This follows Anchorage’s acquisition of Securitize’s wealth-management arm and is part of a broader push to offer end-to-end institutional crypto infrastructure. Expected benefits include reduced operational risk, fewer manual errors, improved compliance and tax reporting, and a more competitive full-service offering for token lifecycle management. Challenges include technical and cultural integration and clear communication of the combined product. For traders, the acquisition signals accelerated institutional tooling for tokenized equity, real-world assets (RWAs) and regulated DeFi strategies, which may lower execution friction and gradually support greater institutional participation in token markets.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has formally requested U.S. federal probes into PancakeSwap and a token issued by World Liberty Financial (WLFI), citing possible price manipulation and improper political influence tied to the WLFI project. Warren asked the Treasury and Justice Departments to investigate whether PancakeSwap — a major Binance Smart Chain-based decentralized exchange operating across multiple chains — was used to elevate the WLFI token, which has alleged links to former President Trump and prior politically sensitive activity. Her letter highlights risks from permissionless DEXs that process large volumes without KYC/AML controls and raises concerns about market abuse and political favoritism. The development may draw heightened regulatory scrutiny on DEXs and tokens associated with high-profile political figures, prompting traders to monitor enforcement actions, reassess exposure to WLFI and related tokens, and favor platforms with stronger compliance. Key SEO keywords: PancakeSwap, WLFI, Elizabeth Warren, decentralized exchange, DEX regulation.

Traders Fair Manila 2026, organised by IEvents, will be held on 9 May 2026 at Edsa Shangri‑La, Manila. The one‑day global finance exhibition focuses on trader education, financial literacy and fintech innovation, bringing together brokers, fintech firms, trading academies and market experts. The programme features seminars, keynote sessions, hands‑on demonstrations, interactive booths, live product demos, and networking opportunities. Key topics highlighted include AI‑driven trading, crypto developments, forex, stocks, commodities and modern trading tools and strategies. The event aims to connect newcomers, experienced traders and international financial institutions, offering practical trading education, exposure to trading platforms and tools, giveaways and lucky draws. Registration and event details are available at https://tradersfair.com/philippines/ (contact: info@tradersfair.com). Note: information provided is not trading advice.

SPX6900, a leading memecoin, plunged more than 10% in 24 hours while the broader memecoin sector fell about 6.8%. Despite the sharp drop, on-chain and derivatives indicators point to a possible short-term rebound. Open interest in SPX6900 futures rose from $8M to $11.47M even as price fell, producing a bullish divergence. The MACD signal line is turning up, suggesting seller exhaustion. Weekly cumulative volume delta (spot and futures) has remained net-positive since early December, though buying pressure has gradually weakened and CryptoQuant shows neutral retail sentiment. Critical technical levels: support at $0.44 (the October low) and resistance near $0.75, which capped previous rallies three times. Holding $0.44 could trigger a reclaim toward $0.75; a decisive break below $0.44 would likely accelerate downside. Broader context: the memecoin market peaked above $150B in 2025 and has contracted to roughly $43B (an 81.6% YTD decline), reflecting liquidity fragmentation and shifting narratives—factors that may constrain any sustained SPX6900 recovery. Traders should monitor SPX6900’s open interest, MACD, CVD, key support/resistance ($0.44 / $0.75), and sector liquidity to identify short-term bounce opportunities and manage downside risk.

PEPENODE (PEPENODE) is gaining presale momentum as the project prepares for an imminent exchange listing. The ERC‑20 token has raised about $2.35 million with roughly three weeks remaining in the presale. PEPENODE bills itself as a virtual mining ecosystem where users buy, upgrade and combine virtual mining nodes to earn meme tokens (examples cited: PEPE and Fartcoin) without physical hardware. Key token economics: max supply 210 billion, presale price $0.0011968, and purchases accepted in ETH, USDT, BNB or fiat. The project also markets staking (advertised ~553% APY) and secondary‑market trading of nodes. The wider crypto market is subdued — recent liquidation events and sideways price action are noted — but the article frames PEPENODE as an early speculative opportunity that could benefit from a broader rebound. There are promotional elements in the sources (affiliate links and disclosures). Traders should treat this as a high‑risk presale investment and perform due diligence; this is not investment advice.

Elon Musk’s net worth jumped to a record roughly $684 billion after an insider tender that implied a SpaceX valuation of about $800 billion. Forbes reported the gain following the $2 billion employee share sale, keeping SpaceX the world’s most valuable private company. Bloomberg says SpaceX is exploring an IPO that could raise more than $30 billion and value the company near $1.5 trillion — a move that would further boost Musk’s wealth and create another path to a $1 trillion net worth. Market prediction platforms adjusted quickly: Kalshi shows an ~85% market-implied chance Musk becomes a trillionaire by 2029 and about a 60% chance before 2027. Tesla shares also hit fresh highs near $490, rallying over 20% in the past month amid progress on its robotaxi/autonomy efforts. For crypto traders: the headlines may increase risk-on sentiment and wealthy-investor liquidity, potentially lifting broader risk assets, though direct crypto linkages are indirect. Primary keywords: Elon Musk, SpaceX valuation, IPO, net worth, Tesla rally. Secondary/semantic keywords: insider tender, employee share sale, private company valuation, Kalshi odds, robotaxi progress.

Ethereum (ETH) slipped into a short-term downtrend after failing to hold $3,400, sliding to about $2,926 (–6.9%) and briefly testing the $2,800 area. Derivatives stress drove much of the move: an Arkham‑tagged whale (“BitcoinOG”) amassed roughly $700M in leveraged ETH longs on Hyperliquid and took unrealized losses exceeding $54M while its estimated liquidation price remained near $2,082. Market metrics show heavy position squaring — daily derivatives volume rose ~53.5% to $87.15B while open interest fell ~55.3% to $37.67B. CoinGlass recorded sharp liquidations: ~$196M on Dec 15 and ~$58M the following day, with long liquidations totaling about $213M across the two days. On‑chain events included repeated high‑leverage SETH long wipeouts, highlighting concentrated leverage risk. Technicals: Stochastic RSI sits near 17 (oversold); key levels are $3,000 (resistance) and $2,700 (support). Implications for traders: this is a leverage‑driven pullback raising short‑term volatility and cascade liquidation risk. Traders should manage position sizes, monitor open interest, funding rates, and clustered liquidations; a reclaim of $3,000 is needed to reopen upside toward prior resistance near $3,436, while sustained liquidation pressure could drag ETH toward $2,700 or lower.

Major US indexes closed mixed as rising bond yields and interest-rate sensitivity prompted a rotation into growth and technology stocks. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones fell (S&P down ~0.24%; Dow down ~0.62%), weighed by weaker cyclical and blue‑chip names and economic data, while the Nasdaq Composite rose (~0.23%) on strength in large-cap tech, semiconductors and software. Traders cited shifting investor sentiment, sector rotation from value/cyclical into growth/tech, and earnings‑season nuances where select reports move index performance. Key market drivers to monitor include CPI/inflation prints, Fed minutes and corporate earnings — any of which could sustain or reverse the split. For crypto traders, this session underscores the importance of watching macro signals (bond yields, Fed guidance) and sector flows, as rising yields and risk‑off moves can pressure risk assets including major cryptocurrencies. Keywords: Nasdaq, S&P 500, Dow Jones, sector rotation, bond yields, interest rates, tech stocks, earnings season.

Retail sentiment across crypto has flipped strongly bearish, with Santiment reporting a surge in mentions of “lower” and “below” as traders price in further declines. CoinMarketCap’s Fear & Greed Index sits at 22 (“Fear”), one of the lowest readings since recent capitulation events. Historical patterns and on-chain metrics show that readings below ~25 often align with local bottoms and a higher probability of positive Bitcoin returns within 30 days. Bitcoin briefly traded under $87,000 after a failed breakout; momentum indicators (e.g., Choppiness Index) point to range-bound conditions and weakening trend strength. Altcoin volumes have fallen by roughly 15% over the past week, and Santiment highlights a retail capitulation phase between Dec 9–16 while noting that large holders may be accumulating. For traders, heightened retail fear can indicate emotional exhaustion and a greater chance of short-term stabilization or a relief rally — but confirmation is needed. Key signals to monitor: on-chain accumulation metrics, exchange flows, Fear & Greed movement, and whale distribution. Primary keywords: crypto market sentiment, Fear & Greed Index, Bitcoin stabilisation. Secondary keywords: Santiment, retail capitulation, on-chain metrics, altcoin volumes, relief rally.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has formally asked the U.S. Treasury and Justice Departments to disclose whether they are investigating decentralized exchanges (DEXs), explicitly naming PancakeSwap and Uniswap. In a letter demanding a response by Jan. 12, 2026, Warren cited national security and AML/CTF concerns — including potential money laundering, terrorism financing and alleged political influence tied to the Trump family’s crypto-related firm, World Liberty Financial. She referenced industry data and FinCEN guidance that extends AML expectations to DeFi. The inquiry arrives as U.S. crypto legislation stalls (the Responsible Financial Innovation Act markup delayed to 2026) and amid increasing global regulation such as the EU’s MiCA rules. The increased political and enforcement scrutiny of DEXs could shift regulatory priorities and enforcement focus. For traders, the request heightens risk for tokens and liquidity on named platforms: expect potential increases in risk premiums, higher volatility and possible liquidity constraints for assets primarily traded on PancakeSwap or Uniswap if investigations proceed or enforcement actions are announced. Key actors: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Pam Bondi. Keywords: DeFi, PancakeSwap, Uniswap, AML, DEX regulation.

OpenSea has integrated the gameplay‑earned token POWER as a native payment option across its NFT marketplace, enabling players to spend rewards earned in Pixion Games’ Fableborne and other Power Protocol titles directly on NFT purchases without converting to ETH, WETH or stablecoins. Power Protocol functions as shared infrastructure so a single token can be used across multiple games; Fableborne currently drives most POWER activity. OpenSea framed the move as meeting rising demand for alternative on‑chain payment options and broader payment flexibility. The integration is among the earliest examples of a game‑earned token functioning platform‑wide on OpenSea and expands POWER’s utility beyond in‑game use into mainstream NFT commerce. Separately, OpenSea plans to launch its native SEA token in Q1 2026, proposing fee changes (1% for NFT trades, 0.85% for token trades) and allocating 50% of revenue for buybacks, a development that could affect platform economics and tokenomics.

Bybit has been named Best Centralized Exchange (CEX) and listed among the top exchanges in Latin America in BeInCrypto’s 2024 BeInCrypto 100 Awards. The awards evaluated platforms on liquidity, security, product range, fees, user experience and regional growth. Bybit’s recognition reflects strong market liquidity, competitive fees, broad product offerings (spot, derivatives, staking, copy trading and Web3 dApp access), and recent LATAM expansion through localized products, partnerships and community initiatives. The accolade — announced around Bybit’s seventh anniversary — reinforces its brand credibility and may support higher institutional and retail adoption in emerging markets. For traders, the award signals potentially deeper order books and improved execution on Bybit for major pairs, continued product innovation that may increase fee-earning opportunities, and stronger regional on-ramps that could gradually boost local inflows.