Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Galaxy Research director Alex Thorn says Bitcoin’s October nominal peak of about $126,000 does not exceed $100,000 when adjusted to 2020 dollars using the US Consumer Price Index (CPI). Thorn’s calculation — an inflation‑adjusted peak near $99,848 (2020 USD) — reflects roughly 20% erosion in dollar purchasing power since 2020 and uses CPI data (with a recent annual CPI around 2.7% as of November). The report argues that persistent inflation and a weaker dollar underpin narratives about currency debasement and influence investor psychology around symbolic thresholds such as $100,000. Analysts in the report note Bitcoin remains sensitive to Federal Reserve policy expectations: slow disinflation keeps the Fed cautious, while a softer dollar (DXY down ~11% YTD) supports flows into crypto. Thorn recommends traders and market participants prioritise inflation‑adjusted metrics and macro context when assessing all‑time highs to improve risk management and better interpret price action in volatile markets.

CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index ticked higher in recent updates (reported at 18 and 22 in two separate snapshots), signaling early altcoin rotation but remaining far below the ~75 threshold that defines a full altcoin season. The index measures how many of the top 100 coins (excluding stablecoins/wrapped assets) have outperformed Bitcoin over 90 days; a higher reading implies broader altcoin strength versus BTC. Traders should treat the rise as an early warning of capital gradually shifting from Bitcoin into selected altcoins rather than confirmation of a broad market switch. Practical trader actions: monitor the index regularly and set alerts for sustained increases, track Bitcoin dominance and BTC price action, prioritize fundamental research on individual altcoins, manage position sizing given higher altcoin volatility, consider dollar-cost averaging into high-conviction projects, and rebalance portfolios cautiously. Historical patterns suggest sustained readings above ~50 often precede larger altcoin rallies, so a continued climb from current levels would increase short-term trading opportunities but requires confirmation from market breadth, sentiment, and macro factors. This is informational and not trading advice.

El Salvador is advancing “well‑advanced” negotiations with the IMF over conditions tied to a $1.14 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan, with a key plank being the planned sale (privatization) of the state-run Chivo Bitcoin wallet to reduce sovereign crypto exposure and boost transparency. The IMF has praised El Salvador’s stronger‑than‑expected macro performance — forecasting roughly 4% real GDP growth and noting fiscal consolidation, expanded social spending and legal/financial reforms — while insisting on steps to scale back public‑sector involvement in Bitcoin functions and to mitigate BTC‑related financial risks. Authorities continue to accumulate bitcoin, bringing official holdings to more than 7,500 BTC after a reported single purchase of over $100 million. The government has also passed an Investment Banking Law to enable digital‑asset services and attracted crypto firms such as Tether to relocate, signalling continued pro‑crypto policy even as it pursues Chivo divestment. For traders, the immediate implications are mixed: ongoing large sovereign BTC purchases support demand fundamentals for BTC, while a Chivo sale and tighter IMF‑linked oversight could reduce perceived sovereign crypto risk and volatility in the medium term. The timing and structure of the Chivo privatization, alongside any future purchases or sales by the state, will be key catalysts to watch.

BlackRock has identified its proposed spot Bitcoin ETF as one of its top three investment themes for 2025, signaling strong institutional conviction in regulated Bitcoin exposure. The firm highlighted client demand for ETFs, the strategic role of a Bitcoin ETF in portfolio diversification, and the potential for regulated products to address custody and operational concerns for institutional investors. BlackRock acknowledged short-term price uncertainty and regulatory risk, noting it did not forecast specific price moves. Traders should monitor approval developments: an approved spot Bitcoin ETF could accelerate institutional capital inflows, raise trading volumes and liquidity, and strengthen market infrastructure; conversely, regulatory setbacks or volatile fund flows could trigger short-term price swings. Key SEO keywords: Bitcoin ETF, spot Bitcoin ETF, BlackRock, institutional adoption, ETF approval.

Michael Selig was sworn in as the 16th chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on December 22, 2025, succeeding acting chair Caroline Pham, who left to join payments firm MoonPay. Selig joins from the SEC’s Crypto Task Force where he served as chief counsel and helped shape cross‑agency digital‑asset recommendations. He inherits an active CFTC crypto agenda pushed under Pham — notably the Crypto Sprint, a digital‑asset markets pilot permitting Bitcoin, Ether and USDC as collateral, expanded spot trading on CFTC‑registered futures exchanges, automated market surveillance deployment, and conditional no‑action relief for several prediction market operators (Polymarket US, LedgerX, PredictIt, Gemini Titan). Pham’s tenure also included operational restructuring and regulatory relief measures that unlocked capital and broadened market access. Selig has pledged continuity: to prioritize derivatives market stability, adapt oversight for new technologies (including Layer‑2 style platforms), and coordinate with the SEC and Congress as digital‑asset market‑structure legislation advances. For traders, the leadership change signals regulatory continuity and a continued push toward clearer frameworks for spot trading, collateralized digital assets and prediction markets — developments that could support product rollouts, liquidity expansion and institutional participation while maintaining enforcement and market‑integrity priorities.

Bipartisan House momentum is building to change how the IRS taxes crypto staking rewards. Eighteen representatives led by Rep. Mike Carey asked the IRS to treat staking income on a realization basis — taxing rewards only when sold — to avoid what they call “double taxation,” reduce filing burdens, and encourage participation in proof-of-stake networks ahead of the 2026 tax year. Separately, Reps. Steven Horsford and Max Miller circulated a discussion draft of the Digital Asset PARITY Act proposing broader crypto tax reforms: a de minimis exemption for regulated stablecoin payments, up to five-year deferral for mining and staking income recognition, and extensions of wash-sale and certain securities tax rules to actively traded digital assets. Lawmakers asked the IRS to identify any technical constraints to updating guidance by end-2026. For traders, these proposals could materially lower immediate tax liabilities for staked assets, simplify reporting, and increase incentives to stake — potentially affecting supply dynamics and staking participation on proof-of-stake networks. Key SEO keywords: crypto taxation, staking rewards, IRS guidance, PARITY Act, proof-of-stake.

Mercado Bitcoin’s 2025 investor report (Raio‑X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais 2025) shows a 43% year‑on‑year increase in crypto trading activity on its platform in Brazil and an average investment per user of about BRL 5,700 (just over $1,000). Retail behaviour is shifting from short‑term speculation toward diversification and longer‑term planning: 18% of users now hold multiple cryptocurrencies and younger investors (≤24) increased allocations by 56%. Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) remained the top traded assets. Demand for lower‑risk crypto products surged — stablecoin trading tripled year‑over‑year and Mercado Bitcoin’s “Renda Fixa Digital” (digital fixed‑income, RFD) grew 108%, with the exchange allocating roughly $325 million to RFDs in 2025. Geographic participation expanded beyond Brazil’s southeast and south into the central‑west and northeast, and institutional and high‑net‑worth interest is rising. Key takeaways for traders: larger average ticket sizes and broader retail diversification, increasing allocations to yield and fixed‑income crypto products, continued BTC/USDT/ETH dominance in volume, and growing on‑ramp and product demand that may shift local liquidity and order‑book depth. Primary SEO keywords: Brazil crypto, Mercado Bitcoin report, Bitcoin, USDT, stablecoin, digital fixed income. Secondary keywords: trading volume growth, portfolio diversification, Renda Fixa Digital, retail investor trends.

Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has published a whitelist of 29 licensed crypto platforms authorised to operate in the country, confirming regulatory approval for major domestic and regional exchanges. The move follows OJK Regulation No. 23/2025, which tightens crypto and digital-asset derivatives controls: only registered assets may be listed, derivatives offerings require prior approval, segregated margin mechanisms must be used, and consumer knowledge tests are mandated for derivatives access. OJK urges retail investors to use only whitelisted platforms and treats unlisted services as unauthorised, strengthening enforcement powers against non-compliant operators. The whitelist aims to improve investor protection, market transparency and custody/KYC standards, and will likely draw user inflows and liquidity to approved venues while raising barriers for unregistered exchanges. The announcement comes amid increased international interest in Indonesia — including Robinhood’s local acquisitions and OSL Group’s buyout of Koinsayang — highlighting the country’s sizeable retail base and attractiveness for global entrants. Traders should monitor volume migration to whitelisted venues, potential delistings on non-compliant platforms, changes in liquidity and spreads on approved exchanges, and further regulatory updates from OJK or Bank Indonesia.

Aave CEO Stani Kulechov unveiled a 2026 expansion roadmap built around three priorities: Aave V4, Horizon (RWA), and the Aave App. V4 introduces a hub-and-spoke Cross-Chain Liquidity Layer to reduce liquidity fragmentation, increase capacity for larger capital flows and enable institutional and enterprise on-chain credit. V4 will also add developer tooling to lower barriers for launching markets. Horizon is Aave’s tokenised real-world-asset (RWA) lending market — currently about $550 million in net deposits — aiming to exceed $1 billion in 2026 through partnerships with firms such as Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton and VanEck. The Aave App is the consumer-facing mobile savings-style product planned for full rollout in early 2026 with a target of one million users. The roadmap follows the U.S. SEC’s closure of a four-year probe, which Aave says allows the team to pivot from regulatory defence to scaling. For traders: expect possible increases in institutional capital and deposit flows (supporting on-chain liquidity), reduced fragmentation across chains (improving execution and depth), and higher retail adoption (potentially raising AAVE demand). Monitor V4 rollout milestones, Horizon deposit growth and Aave App user metrics as catalysts that could influence AAVE price and DeFi liquidity.

Chainalysis reports North Korea–linked groups stole at least $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, driven primarily by a February Bybit breach that accounted for about $1.5 billion. DPRK-affiliated actors made up roughly 76% of service-level crypto theft value for 2025 and have cumulatively taken an estimated $6.75 billion over multiple years. Attackers shifted from high-frequency, low-value exploits to large, targeted intrusions using insider access, executive impersonation, contractor compromises and upstream vendor access to maximize single-event hauls. Chainalysis and the FBI identified disciplined 45-day laundering cycles that rely on many small transfers (commonly under $500,000), Chinese-language OTC brokers and payment processors, guarantee services, cross-chain bridges, mixers and exchanges with weak KYC. Retail impact remained significant: Chainalysis recorded about 158,000 theft incidents affecting roughly 80,000 personal wallets in 2025, totaling approximately $713 million (down from $1.5 billion in 2024) as attackers concentrated on large service breaches. For traders, the report highlights elevated systemic risk from state-linked, high-value exchange hacks, persistent laundering channels that complicate recovery and enforcement, and increased pressure on exchange security and compliance. Recommended trader actions include tightening counterparty due diligence, favoring exchanges with strong custody and KYC controls, monitoring addresses tied to reported incidents, and preparing liquidity contingency plans for exchange outages or confidence shocks.

Ethena Labs moved 18.36 million ENA (≈US$3.75M) to exchange Bybit, according to on-chain monitoring by Onchain Lens. This transfer follows earlier treasury activity: two years ago Ethena withdrew 34.65 million ENA from Gate (then ≈US$28.25M) and later received about 3.38 million ENA as staking rewards. Ethena still holds roughly 20.118 million ENA (≈US$4.23M) in liquidity pools. The net effect is a reallocation of ENA between wallets, liquidity pools and exchange custody, increasing exchange-side supply that could raise short-term sell-side pressure. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, Bybit order books and traded volumes for signs of increased sell liquidity or sudden market moves. Primary keywords: ENA, Ethena Labs, Bybit, on-chain transfer, liquidity.

Bybit has resumed spot trading for UK users after a months‑long pause, reintroducing roughly 100 spot pairs and P2P services while keeping derivatives and certain products restricted. The relaunch follows continued dialogue with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and uses an FCA‑aligned arrangement — with authorised firm Archax approving Bybit’s financial promotions in the UK — to meet local financial promotion standards. Bybit says it has strengthened KYC, AML and transaction monitoring and will roll out additional UK‑tailored products gradually. The move reflects growing UK crypto adoption and ongoing UK regulatory work (with new rules targeted by 2027). For traders: renewed access to Bybit’s spot liquidity in the UK may change local order flow, tighten or widen spreads depending on flows, and affect short‑term price dynamics for major tokens. Compliance‑focused marketing via an FCA‑authorised approver reduces legal risk for outreach to UK retail, but the evolving regulatory regime could alter product availability and compliance costs over time.

This combined guide ranks the top five crypto casinos for 2025 — BitStarz, BetWhale, Bets.io, 7Bit Casino and KatsuBet — and evaluates them for Bitcoin users on bonus size, supported cryptocurrencies, game libraries (slots, table games, live dealer), provably fair mechanics, licensing/security, payment speed and customer support. New or emphasized points in the later summary include stronger focus on BTC as the primary deposit/payout option, mobile UX, VIP programs and crypto-only promotions. Key platform highlights: BitStarz leads for instant BTC withdrawals and provably fair games; BetWhale targets USA/AU/CA bettors with sports betting and a large fiat/crypto welcome bonus; Bets.io mixes sportsbook and casino with a combined bonus and free spins; 7Bit offers one of the largest BTC welcome packages; KatsuBet focuses on UX and speed. The guide explains how crypto casinos work (deposits, fast on-chain payouts, provably fair verification), lists popular payment coins (BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, DOGE), and sets operational checks: valid licensing, withdrawal speed, transparent wagering terms and responsive support. Trader-focused tips stress selecting high-RTP games, strict bankroll management, strategic use of bonuses, enabling 2FA and preferring private wallets for long-term holding. Risks and red flags include missing licenses, no provably fair systems, withdrawal complaints and unrealistic promotions. For traders, these platforms can increase on-chain BTC flows (deposits and withdrawals), temporarily affect short-term BTC liquidity on exchanges, and provide an alternative way to gain exposure to BTC with gambling-specific risk profiles. Primary keywords: crypto casinos, Bitcoin casino, BTC bonuses, bitcoin gambling. Secondary keywords: provably fair, wagering requirements, crypto payments, VIP program.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) experienced a sharp increase in large-holder activity, with on-chain analytics provider Santiment reporting a six-month high in whale transfers. Data show concentrated whale moves within 24 hours, including roughly 1.06 trillion SHIB inflows to centralized exchanges and a separate ~400 billion SHIB whale transfer. At the same time, exchanges saw more than 8 trillion SHIB withdrawn within the same period, materially reducing sell-side liquidity. Aggregate exchange trading volume also spiked to multi-month highs. Analysts note these flows are ambiguous for price direction: large inflows to exchanges often precede selling and downside pressure, while sizable withdrawals to private wallets suggest long-term holding or off-exchange strategies that tighten available supply and can produce bullish pressure if selling is limited. For traders, the key metrics to watch are continued exchange inflows/outflows, subsequent whale transactions, order-book depth and on-exchange liquidity — all of which will determine near-term volatility and the balance between selling pressure and supply tightness.

XRP-linked spot ETFs have surpassed $1 billion in assets under management across multiple issuers, driven by growing investor familiarity with XRP, strong multi-year price performance, and recent product launches by major institutions. Data from CoinGlass and SoSoValue show roughly $1.14 billion AUM and continued net inflows since November 2024. CF Benchmarks CEO Sui Chung told CNBC that recognition and a long track record are attracting traditional investors; he also noted rising interest in Solana-based ETFs as on-chain metrics gain clarity. Franklin Templeton launched an XRP ETF (XRPZ) on NYSE Arca, adding a prominent institutional entrant. In contrast, spot Ether ETFs have experienced consecutive outflows while Bitcoin ETF flows have been mixed. For traders, the milestone signals rising institutional allocation to altcoins, likely supporting liquidity and demand for XRP exposure. Key trade considerations: monitor ETF inflows/outflows, regulatory updates, and short-term price action for timing entries or exits. Primary keywords: XRP ETF, XRP ETFs, XRPZ; secondary/semantic keywords: assets under management, ETF inflows, NYSE Arca, institutional inflows.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has opened a governance vote to allocate roughly 5% of its unlocked treasury — about $120 million at current prices — to accelerate adoption and liquidity for its stablecoin USD1. Launched in March, USD1 reached roughly $2.7 billion TVL within six months. The proposal would deploy WLFI tokens as strategic support (not direct token grants) across selected CeFi and DeFi partnerships to fund integration, liquidity programs, incentive schemes and expand governance influence for WLFI holders. WLFI says it will publicly disclose partners receiving treasury-based incentives to maintain transparency. The move follows recent exchange listings for USD1 (notably Binance adding USD1 pairs) and aims to narrow USD1’s market-cap gap with larger rivals such as PYUSD. The treasury holds about 19.96 billion WLFI (estimated reserve ~$2.4B); the proposal is now live for stakeholder voting and early feedback shows some opposition. Key keywords: WLFI, USD1 stablecoin, treasury allocation, governance proposal, CeFi, DeFi, liquidity, Binance listing.

Filecoin (FIL) staged an intraday rally to about $1.26–$1.266 before reversing sharply and trading down near $1.20–$1.21. Earlier weakness reported FIL breaking a $1.30 support level and dipping toward $1.23, while a later update recorded a smaller net decline from the session high. Trading volume rose materially versus recent averages: peak session volume hit roughly 6.36 million tokens (about 140% above the 24‑hour average) and overall volume was roughly 19% above weekly norms. CoinDesk Research’s technical model detected liquidation-sized spikes of roughly 497,000 tokens during the late-session sell-off, signaling significant institutional selling pressure that pierced multiple support levels. Key technical levels: immediate resistance around $1.266–$1.30 and support near $1.201–$1.207, with a local trading floor identified near $1.207. Market context: broader crypto weakness accompanied the move, with indexes showing declines. For traders: expect heightened volatility and potential short-term consolidation around $1.20–$1.21; a sustained recovery above $1.30 would be required to shift the near-term bias bullish. Primary keywords: Filecoin, FIL price, trading volume, institutional selling. Secondary keywords: intraday range, resistance, liquidation, support zone, CoinDesk Research.

The Hyper Foundation has proposed a validator-led governance vote to formally recognize roughly 37 million HYPE (about $1 billion) held in Hyperliquid’s Assistance Fund as permanently excluded from circulating and total supply. The Assistance Fund automatically converts trading fees and reserve yield into HYPE and stores them in a system-controlled address without a private key, making the tokens inaccessible under current protocol rules. Rather than performing an on-chain burn, the proposal asks validators to reach a stake-weighted social consensus: a "yes" vote would treat those tokens as forever removed from supply metrics without moving them on-chain. The vote is stake-weighted and runs through December 24; results will depend on validator participation. If approved, the change creates a deflationary accounting effect — lowering reported circulating and total supply — which could raise scarcity metrics used in institutional models and improve transparency for supply reporting. Market impact is conditional: it may be bullish if demand for HYPE grows to reflect the reduced effective supply, but price reaction will hinge on validator approval, trader interpretation of a social (not technical) burn, and real demand dynamics. Primary keywords: HYPE, token burn, governance vote. Secondary/semantic keywords: Hyper Foundation, Hyperliquid, Assistance Fund, circulating supply, fee conversion.

A large BTC-linked trader dubbed the “BTC OG Insider Whale” increased a concentrated 5x-leveraged long in Ethereum, expanding a single position to 203,340.64 ETH (notional ≈ $5.78B) and bringing related aggregate long exposure to about $6.95B, according to Hyperinsight via COINOTAG. The reported liquidation price for the main position is near $2,132. The position presently shows an unrealized loss of roughly $70.16M. Earlier reports described a separate Insider Whale opening a 100,985 ETH 5x long (entry ≈ $3,158, liquidation ≈ $2,015) and showing an unrealized profit, indicating rapid, large-scale leveraged activity in ETH markets across different timestamps. Key trading details: large concentrated 5x leverage, single-position size ~203,340 ETH, aggregate exposure ~ $6.95B, reported liquidation near $2,132, and unrealized loss ~ $70M. Traders should note that such heavy concentrated leverage increases the risk of liquidation cascades and can amplify short-term ETH volatility; a sharp downward move toward liquidation levels could trigger forced selling and accelerate price declines.

Tether led an $8 million funding round in Speed, a startup building stablecoin payment infrastructure on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, with participation from Ego Death Capital. Speed operates Speed Wallet and Speed Merchant, serving more than 1.2 million users across consumers, creators, platforms and merchants and processing over $1.5 billion in annual payment volume. Tether framed the investment as part of a strategy to expand USDT utility on Bitcoin-layer payments and to back infrastructure that enables low-fee, high-scale and compliant settlements. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino highlighted Speed’s Lightning-native architecture as a model for integrating stablecoins with low-cost global settlement. The deal adds to Tether’s portfolio of 140+ backed companies as the issuer diversifies investments funded by profits from US Treasury holdings that support USDT. Key trading-relevant figures: $8M round, 1.2M+ users, $1.5B+ annual payments, and continued Tether backing of USDT infrastructure.

Bitcoin’s estimated network hashrate fell roughly 10% in one day, dropping by about 100–110 EH/s after mining farms in China’s Xinjiang region shut down. Former Canaan executive Kong Jianping estimated around 400,000 miners were taken offline (assuming ~250 TH/s per ASIC), reducing global hashrate and briefly slowing block production until the next difficulty adjustment. The outage underscores that regional enforcement can still move global mining estimates despite China’s lower post‑2021 share (now ~14–20%). Concurrently, US miners are expanding capacity — Hut 8 announced 1.5 GW of new sites across Texas, Louisiana and Illinois, and American Bitcoin bought 16,299 Antminers — illustrating a geographic reallocation of hashpower. Short‑term effects for traders include temporary drops in network difficulty, a transient improvement in miner revenue and hashprice for remaining miners, and potential volatility as markets price regulatory and operational risk in China. Longer‑term impacts depend on the speed of hashpower relocation and how much new capacity in friendly jurisdictions offsets the outage. BTC spot price was cited near $86,227 at reporting; machine counts and per‑unit hashrate are estimates and not independently confirmed.

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has granted conditional approval for Ripple to form Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB). The charter focuses on custody, settlement and fiduciary services rather than traditional deposit-taking or lending, aligning with Ripple’s cross-border payments and XRP Ledger use cases. Key confirmed benefits: dual supervision for the planned stablecoin RLUSD (OCC plus New York Department of Financial Services), regulated custody for digital assets, and direct access to U.S. banking rails that shortens settlement paths and reduces intermediaries. The approval is conditional — Ripple must satisfy OCC pre‑opening and compliance requirements and is pursuing a Federal Reserve master account to enable direct settlement on U.S. payment systems. Market implications for traders: the decision increases regulatory legitimacy for RLUSD and Ripple’s custody capabilities, which may enhance institutional confidence and improve on‑ramp/off‑ramp liquidity for the XRP Ledger. That could support gradual demand for XRP as a bridge asset in cross‑border flows, but near‑term price effects are likely limited until OCC conditions are met and a Fed master account (or other operational steps) are secured. Monitor fulfilment of OCC conditions, Fed master account progress, and broader U.S. stablecoin regulation for catalysts.

Circle, issuer of USDC, will acquire Interop Labs’ team and proprietary technology—the original builders of the Axelar Network—to accelerate cross‑chain capabilities for its Arc Layer‑1 blockchain and the Cross‑Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). The deal, which excludes the Axelar Network, its foundation and the AXL token, is expected to close in early 2026 subject to customary conditions. The acquisition transfers Interop Labs’ staff and technology into Circle to strengthen native stablecoin transfers (including USDC), improve cross‑chain messaging and asset transfers, and speed development of developer tools and SDKs for multichain applications. Axelar’s open‑source codebase and community governance remain intact; Common Prefix will assume many day‑to‑day development responsibilities to preserve network continuity. Circle says the move is part of a broader strategy to make Arc an economic operating system for the internet and to scale interoperable on‑chain finance. The company also recently obtained a Money Services Provider licence from Abu Dhabi’s FSRA. Key keywords: Circle acquisition, Axelar, cross‑chain, CCTP, Arc blockchain, USDC.

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) closed a $29.5 million presale to fund a Bitcoin-native execution layer that runs on the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM). The protocol routes transaction execution and complex apps off Bitcoin’s base layer into a high-throughput, low-fee environment while keeping BTC as the final settlement asset. HYPER is designed as the ecosystem’s gas, staking and governance token; presale pricing was $0.013375–$0.013425 per token and buyers could use SOL, ETH, USDT, USDC, BNB or credit card. The team targets mainnet between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 and plans developer tooling (Rust SDKs, SPL-style token support) plus wrapped‑BTC payments, DeFi, NFTs and gaming use cases. The raise is presented as evidence of demand for a fast, Bitcoin‑anchored execution layer and a potential mechanism to increase BTC on‑chain utility. Traders should note tokenomics, presale supply and vesting schedules, route-to-market (multi-asset onramps), and the execution timeline — key factors that will affect HYPER’s short-term price action and longer-term structural demand for BTC.

The U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) removed digital assets from its 2025 list of financial‑system “vulnerabilities,” reclassifying them as “significant market developments to monitor.” The report attributes the shift to 2025 regulatory milestones and growing institutional adoption: the GENIUS Act (federal framework for payment stablecoins with 100% reserve requirements and supervision by the Fed, OCC and FDIC), the SEC’s rescission of SAB 121 (altering custodial accounting), OCC interpretive guidance on custody and limited native token holding, and Executive Order 14178 (supporting responsible digital‑asset growth while banning a U.S. CBDC). FSOC highlighted institutional channels opening—spot BTC and ETH ETFs, tokenization and easing custody concerns—and noted regulators have pulled broad warnings that previously constrained banks, insurers and pension funds. The report retains warnings about illicit finance, stablecoin run risks and fragmented international implementation (FSB, FATF concerns). FSOC’s assessment is conditional on orderly ETF flows, full stablecoin backing, and no major custody or bridge failures. For traders: the reclassification reduces macroprudential stigma, likely easing institutional inflows into custody, ETFs, stablecoin reserves and regulated lending in the U.S.; however, ongoing regulatory development for custody, AML and tokenization and international fragmentation mean risks remain. Key keywords: FSOC, stablecoins, GENIUS Act, spot ETF, custody, regulation.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped from 16 on Dec 15 to 11 on Dec 16, 2025, registering an ’extreme fear’ reading near the highest levels seen in almost a year. The index is a composite sentiment metric weighted across Volatility (25%), Market Volume (25%), Social Media Hype (15%), Market Surveys/ Sentiment (15%), Bitcoin Dominance (10%) and Google Trends (10%). The decline reflects rising volatility, reduced liquidity and weakened buying interest as traders move to a risk‑off stance. Traders should view the signal as an elevated downside-risk environment with higher probability of volatile, liquidity-constrained price action in Bitcoin (BTC). Near-term directional cues to monitor include Bitcoin Dominance, social sentiment metrics and Google Trends; on-chain indicators and clear capitulation signals would be needed to confirm a durable low. Recommended tactical responses: reduce leverage, tighten position sizing and follow predefined risk thresholds rather than chasing speculative catalysts. This sentiment read is relevant for short-term position sizing and risk management decisions for BTC traders.

Visa has launched a global Stablecoins Advisory Practice within its Visa Consulting & Analytics unit to help banks, fintechs, merchants and businesses design, launch and manage stablecoin products. The service offers market-fit analysis, regulatory guidance, technology integration, training, go-to-market planning and use-case assessment, leveraging Visa’s existing infrastructure — including 130+ stablecoin-linked card programs across 40+ countries and USDC settlement activity on its network. Visa cited earlier pilots such as USDC settlement and stablecoin payouts via Visa Direct in select markets. Navy Federal Credit Union (15 million members) and other institutions are re-evaluating stablecoin rails for faster, lower-cost payments. The move follows broader industry momentum from firms like Stripe, PayPal (PYUSD) and JPMorgan (JPM Coin), and aligns with investor commentary (eg. ARK/Cathie Wood) about stablecoins taking on payment roles. For crypto traders, the announcement signals rising institutional support for on-chain USD rails, likely increasing demand for payment-focused tokens and stablecoin-related settlement flows while reinforcing Bitcoin’s evolving narrative as digital gold rather than a transactional currency. Primary keywords: Visa, stablecoin, on-chain dollar, USDC, payments.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published an investor bulletin explaining custody of crypto assets for retail investors. The guide defines custody as the methods and locations used to store and access crypto via wallets that rely on private and public keys, and warns that loss of private keys or recovery (seed) phrases results in permanent loss of funds. It explains wallet types — hot wallets (online, convenient but exposed to network risks) and cold wallets (offline, more secure but subject to physical/backup risks) — and stresses secure storage of recovery phrases. The bulletin contrasts two custody approaches: self‑custody, where users control private keys and bear technical and security responsibility; and third‑party custody, where exchanges or custodians hold keys. For third‑party providers the SEC recommends due diligence on regulatory status, background, insurance coverage, security protocols (hot/cold storage mix), asset use policies (including rehypothecation or commingling), fee structures and privacy protections. Practical investor tips include never sharing private keys or seed phrases, guarding against phishing, using strong passwords and multi‑factor authentication, and matching custody choice to technical ability, risk tolerance and cost. The guidance follows prior exchange and custodian failures that locked customers out of assets and aims to help retail traders weigh self‑custody versus third‑party custody risks before trading or storing digital assets. Keywords: SEC guidance, crypto custody, self‑custody, cold wallet, hot wallet, investor protection.

Fanatics has launched Fanatics Markets, a regulated, fan‑focused prediction‑market app built in partnership with Crypto.com. The iOS and Android app is live in multiple U.S. states (including California, Texas, Florida and Washington) with phased rollouts to additional states as regulatory approvals arrive. Phase one lets users trade outcome‑based contracts on sports, economic, political and finance events within a federally supervised framework; phase two will expand into crypto, stocks and IPOs, climate, pop culture, technology/AI, movies and music next year. Pricing, liquidity and clearing are provided by Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (CDNA), a CFTC‑registered exchange and clearinghouse, enabling onshore, compliant derivatives settlement rather than relying on offshore platforms. Fanatics retains the user interface and responsible‑trading tools (deposit/session limits, timeouts, self‑exclusion). The rollout follows Crypto.com’s strategy of offering regulated clearing to third‑party marketplaces and signals a push to mainstream regulated prediction trading and multi‑asset markets — a development traders should watch for potential shifts in retail order flow and derivatives demand, especially once crypto markets are added.