Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Kyrgyzstan’s government-backed stablecoin KGST has been listed on Binance, marking the first CIS country nation-backed stablecoin to appear on the exchange and the BNB Chain. The project was developed with Binance and local authorities after months of development, test deployments and a smart‑contract audit. Kyrgyz officials say KGST aims to support cross‑border payments and expand use of the som in the digital economy. Details on reserve backing, peg mechanics and specific trading pairs were not disclosed in the announcements. Binance listings typically raise accessibility, on‑chain liquidity and trading volume; however, market impact may be limited by the som’s small global footprint. Traders should watch for listed trading pairs (likely vs USDT or BTC), initial liquidity and order‑book depth, deposit/withdrawal availability, reserve audits or transparency reports, and any regulatory statements from Kyrgyz or international authorities. Primary keywords: KGST, Kyrgyzstan stablecoin, Binance listing. Secondary keywords: stablecoin reserves, fiat‑backed token, liquidity, regulatory scrutiny.

HashKey Capital has completed the first close of its HashKey Fintech Multi‑Strategy Fund IV with $250 million in commitments, backed by global institutions, family offices and high‑net‑worth individuals. The Hong Kong–based, China‑founded asset manager — which oversees over $1 billion across more than 400 portfolio projects — targets a $500 million final close. Fund IV will allocate across multi‑strategy positions in blockchain infrastructure, scaling solutions (Layer‑1/Layer‑2), DeFi, NFTs, mass‑adoption use cases and crossover plays between traditional finance and blockchain. Management cites tightened liquidity and reduced market‑maker exposure after October’s liquidation events as drivers for demand for patient, long‑duration capital. HashKey highlighted priority focus areas including emerging‑market payments, digital identity and cross‑border expansion, alongside regulatory‑compliant product structures in Hong Kong to attract institutional investors. The raise signals continued institutional commitment to private crypto vehicles despite softer public‑market flows; traders should watch for increased venture liquidity, potential support for token listings or secondary markets from portfolio companies, and greater deal flow into infrastructure and scaling protocols.

The market saw a record surge in crypto mergers, acquisitions and IPOs in 2025, with total deal value reaching $8.6bn across 267 transactions (up 18% by count and nearly 300% by value from 2024). Major M&A deals included Coinbase’s $2.9bn acquisition of options exchange Deribit, Kraken’s $1.5bn purchase of futures platform NinjaTrader, and Ripple’s $1.25bn acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road. The wave of dealmaking and large public raises — 11 crypto IPOs raised about $14.6bn globally, led by Bullish (~$1.1bn), Circle Internet Group (> $1bn) and Gemini ($425m) — is credited largely to a more crypto‑friendly US policy environment under President Trump, which eased regulatory and legal pressure and restored institutional appetite. Legal and industry advisers expect continued M&A interest in firms with clear licences (including EU MiCA alignment) and strong stablecoin exposure as new US/UK regimes take shape. For traders: expect greater institutional participation, consolidation among regulated players, and volatility catalysts from M&A liquidity shifts and IPO lock‑up expiries. Note that this corporate activity coincided with a late‑year spot pullback — Bitcoin fell more than 30% from an October peak and traded near $88,000 at the report’s publication — underscoring that heightened dealflow does not preclude short‑term price weakness.

The EU’s Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC8) takes effect on January 1, 2026, formally bringing crypto-asset service providers (exchanges, brokers and similar platforms) into mandatory tax reporting under the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). Firms must collect and report detailed user and transaction data to national tax authorities, which will share it across member states. Providers are required to update systems, controls and customer checks by July 1, 2026; the first investor tax filings are due January 31, 2027. DAC8 aligns crypto reporting with Common Reporting Standard–style transparency for holdings, trades and transfers and grants tax authorities enhanced cross-border cooperation tools — including powers to freeze or seize crypto assets linked to unpaid taxes. The directive complements MiCA by focusing on tax transparency rather than licensing or market conduct. For traders and firms, DAC8 means higher compliance costs, more on-chain/off-chain traceability for investors, increased reporting overhead and heightened enforcement risk for tax avoidance; noncompliance will trigger penalties under national laws.

Hyperliquid confirmed that a terminated employee controlled a wallet that opened substantial leveraged short positions against its native HYPE token, based on on-chain tracing. The implicated address (0x7Ae4) — reportedly funded via intermediary Arbitrum/Polygon addresses (0xA2c5 → 0x5a62) — opened roughly $223,000 in leveraged shorts on Dec 17 (about $180,000 HYPE at 10x and $43,000 BTC at 40x). Chain data shows the Polygon intermediary previously received ~ $66,000 USDC from Hyperliquid between September and November, and around $53,000 was returned to Hyperliquid on Dec 17. Hyperliquid says the individual was fired in Q1 2024 for insider trading and reiterated a zero-tolerance policy banning employees and contractors from trading HYPE derivatives. The exchange pushed back against claims of insolvency and market manipulation, stating all USDC on its HyperCore is verifiably on-chain, denying retroactive volume manipulation and special privileges, and noting alleged admin functions are testnet-only or misinterpreted. For traders: monitor HYPE liquidity, on-chain positions and funding rates closely — the presence of large insider-linked shorts and potential forced liquidations increases short-term volatility and execution risk around HYPE.

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.

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.

Kaspersky has identified a new infostealer named Stealka, discovered spreading via counterfeit game cheats, mods and pirated software hosted on trusted developer portals (GitHub, SourceForge, Softpedia, Google Sites). The malware requires users to manually download and run malicious installers bundled with fake mods and cracked apps. Once executed on Windows systems, Stealka harvests browser data, saved passwords and crypto wallet artifacts, targeting over 100 Chromium- and Gecko-based browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera) and more than 80 crypto wallets and extensions — including MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Binance Wallet, Phantom and Trust Wallet. It exfiltrates private keys, seed phrases, wallet file paths and extension data (Kaspersky reports it targets 115+ wallet, password manager and 2FA extensions), plus credentials and data from messaging apps (Discord, Telegram), email clients (Outlook, Thunderbird), VPNs (ProtonVPN, Surfshark) and note apps. Some bundles also deploy cryptominers, adding performance and resource risks. Telemetry shows initial detections in Russia with cases in Turkey, Brazil, Germany and India. Kaspersky’s remediation advice for crypto users: avoid pirated or unofficial downloads and game cheat sites; source mods only from verified creators; verify file checksums or digital signatures; keep Windows and apps patched; run reputable antivirus/EDR; use dedicated password managers and enable two-factor authentication; and, for seed phrases/private keys, use hardware wallets or keep them entirely offline. For traders, compromised keys and saved wallet data can cause immediate asset theft and account takeovers, and can accelerate social‑engineering spread through infected contacts — making cautious download practices and hardware wallets critical to reduce short-term loss risk and long-term account security exposure.

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.

Klarna has partnered with Coinbase to accept short-term institutional funding in USDC, using Coinbase’s digital-asset infrastructure as the settlement rails. The USDC channel complements — rather than replaces — Klarna’s existing funding mix (customer deposits, loans and commercial paper), offering faster blockchain-based settlement and access to institutional investors who prefer dollar-pegged crypto assets. Klarna CFO Niclas Neglén called the move an initial step into a new funding method and said stablecoin access could broaden Klarna’s investor base and diversify funding sources. Separately, Klarna has developed its own dollar-pegged stablecoin, KlarnaUSD, built with Bridge/Stripe-related tooling and Paradigm’s Tempo blockchain; a Tempo mainnet launch is planned for 2026. The company warned of regulatory, market and operational risks. Primary keywords: Klarna, USDC, Coinbase, stablecoin funding. Secondary keywords: institutional funding, BNPL, blockchain settlement, KlarnaUSD. Traders should note this increases institutional on‑ramps into payment rails, could modestly raise short-term USDC demand tied to corporate treasury programs, and signals continued integration of fiat rails with regulated stablecoins.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑WY), a prominent pro-crypto lawmaker, announced she will not seek reelection in 2026 and will leave the Senate at the end of her term. Lummis helped lead early crypto policy efforts in Congress — including work on the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the GENIUS Act stablecoin framework, the US Clarity Act, and the Bitcoin Act — and repeatedly pushed for clearer rules instead of enforcement-driven regulation from the SEC. The industry responded with widespread praise from figures such as Collin McCune (a16z), Greg Xethalis and Kyle Samani (Multicoin), David Sacks (White House crypto official), and Bitcoin advocates. Her exit removes a high-profile, Senate-level ally for clearer crypto legislation; stakeholders warn this raises risks to policy continuity and could slow progress on bills already moving through Congress. Lummis said fatigue and personal considerations informed her decision but plans to continue pushing crypto legislation through 2026. Traders should monitor legislative momentum on the US Clarity Act and other bills, nominee confirmations that shape regulatory enforcement, and any shifts in congressional coalition-building — all of which could affect regulatory certainty and short-term market volatility.

Bitcoin faces the largest annual options expiry on December 26, 2025, with roughly $23.6–23.7 billion notional across about 300,000 BTC contracts and concentrated IBIT strikes near $85k–$100k. Thin holiday liquidity and strong gamma hedging have compressed price action into an $85k–$90k range. Market models and options desks indicate a likely initial squeeze toward $82k–$84k that could clear leveraged longs, followed by a rebound toward the $95k “max pain” level as market makers hedge flows. Historical expiries show mixed outcomes — some compress volatility before a post-expiry breakout (Dec 2023), others saw volatility rise (Mar/Sep 2024) — so outcomes vary. Macro drivers — US Treasury yields, Fed rate-cut timing, ETF inflows, and the April 2026 halving reducing supply — remain key background factors. Analysts flag elevated 5–7% intraday swings during the holiday expiry window and advise traders to reduce leverage, monitor open interest and liquidation heatmaps, and watch expiry flow and gamma levels for short-term trade setups. Primary technical levels: support around $80k–$82k; resistance/trigger near $90k and $95k. Net implication for traders: expect short-term volatility around the expiry with potential for a January rally as hedges unwind, but remain cautious of a March bull-trap and avoid over-leveraging.

Uniswap governance approved the ‘UNIfication’ proposal, switching on protocol fees and authorising a one‑time retroactive burn of 100 million UNI from the treasury (roughly $590M at reporting prices). The vote saw overwhelming support (over 125 million SUPPORT vs. ~742 dissenting), converting UNI from a governance‑only token toward a value‑accruing asset. Going forward, a portion of trading fees on Uniswap — which averages about $2 billion in daily volume and generates roughly $600M annualised fees — will be routed on‑chain to a burn mechanism rather than paid exclusively to liquidity providers. The change links platform revenue to token supply dynamics and creates a direct deflationary pressure: as protocol usage rises, more UNI will be removed from circulation. A short governance timelock precedes activation; markets reacted modestly with UNI trading near $5.90 and technicals (RSI ~53, MACD histogram positive) suggesting possible near‑term bullish momentum toward resistance around $6.50–$6.60. Traders should factor the immediate supply cut and the new fee‑to‑burn revenue flow into short‑ and long‑term position sizing and risk management.

Binance-backed Trust Wallet’s Chrome extension (v2.68.0) was compromised on Dec 24, 2025 after malicious JavaScript disguised as analytics (notably file 4482.js) was injected into the extension. The payload captured seed phrases and wallet activity when users imported or accessed mnemonics, then exfiltrated data to lookalike domains branded as TrustWallet metrics. Attackers used stolen seeds to autonomously restore wallets and withdraw assets across Bitcoin, Solana, BNB Smart Chain and multiple EVM L2s without requiring transaction approvals. Approximately $7 million was drained and rapidly consolidated through services including ChangeNOW, FixedFloat, KuCoin and HTX. Trust Wallet released an updated extension (v2.69.0), urged immediate upgrades or disabling the extension, and said it will refund affected users though details remain pending. The incident highlights a likely supply‑chain or malicious-code injection targeting browser extension imports and underscores acute seed phrase risk for browser wallets. Traders should treat this as a warning: avoid using browser wallet extensions until updates are audited, move funds to hardware or official mobile wallets, rotate keys, monitor suspicious addresses, and expect potential short-term downward pressure on affected tokens (including TWT). Primary keywords: TrustWallet hack, seed phrase theft, browser extension malware; secondary keywords: Chrome extension compromise, wallet security, supply-chain attack.

Flare Networks has launched earnXRP, an on‑chain, XRP‑denominated yield vault developed with Upshift.fi and overseen by Clearstar Labs for strategy and risk management. Users deposit FXRP (XRP wrapped for Flare) into a non‑custodial Upshift vault and receive earnXRP receipt tokens representing their share. The vault auto‑deploys pooled FXRP across strategies — stXRP staking, concentrated AMM liquidity provisioning, and carry‑trade style positions — with returns compounded and paid in XRP. Clearstar targets indicative yields around 7–10%, though yields may decline as the vault grows. The product includes a 5 million FXRP initial deployment threshold, no per‑user limits, and on‑chain redeemability of earnXRP for FXRP without long lockups; fees are waived for the first 30 days. All strategy actions are verifiable on‑chain, and Flare positions the product as an on‑chain alternative to centralized yield offerings that can expand XRPFi liquidity and increase XRP utility. The launch arrives amid active U.S. regulatory debate over crypto yields — a backdrop Flare cites as a reason for clarity — and signals renewed institutional and retail focus on on‑chain XRP yield opportunities. For traders, earnXRP offers simplified, transparent exposure to compounded XRP yield with professional oversight, which could increase on‑chain demand and liquidity for XRP while carrying smart‑contract and market‑risk considerations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said talks with US representatives covered joint management of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the possibility of using its electricity for crypto mining. Putin told Kommersant that Washington had expressed interest in establishing crypto-mining operations at Europe’s largest nuclear site and that supplying power from the plant to Ukraine was also discussed. He said Ukrainian staff still operate the facility but have taken Russian citizenship; Russia has controlled the plant since March 2022 and runs it via Rosatom. Kyiv rejects any deal that sidelines Ukrainian sovereignty and insists on restoring Ukrainian control and demilitarizing the site. The plant, once supplying over 20% of Ukraine’s electricity, remains fragile with safety warnings from the IAEA and recurring power disruptions. For crypto traders: claims that the US considered using Zaporizhzhia’s baseload nuclear power for Bitcoin mining are unconfirmed and politically sensitive. Any material development — including changes to power routing or governance at the plant — would be highly geopolitical, could affect industry power availability and miner operating costs, and might influence Bitcoin sentiment and energy-dependent mining equities or ETFs. Monitor confirmations from Washington, Ukrainian and IAEA statements, and any on-the-ground changes to the plant’s power output or access before positioning trades.

Uniswap governance approved the UNIfication package with overwhelming support (~125.34M UNI for, 742 against), implementing a protocol-level fee switch that redirects a portion of trading fees (including net sequencer fees from Unichain/Uniswap’s layer-2 routing) from liquidity providers to the protocol treasury. After a two-day timelock the proposal will immediately burn 100 million UNI from the treasury — an amount Uniswap says approximates cumulative burns had the fee switch been active since launch — and route ongoing collected fees into continuous UNI burns. The package also consolidates operations by moving Uniswap Foundation functions to Uniswap Labs, removes fees from Uniswap Labs’ interface, wallet and API, and establishes a UNI-funded annual growth budget for development and ecosystem expansion. Founder Hayden Adams framed the changes as foundational for Uniswap’s next decade. Traders should note immediate on-chain effects: a fixed one-time supply reduction (100M UNI) plus an activated revenue-to-burn mechanism that ties protocol usage to deflationary pressure. Short-term risks include market reaction to the treasury burn timing and the opportunity cost of diverting fees from LPs and grants; longer-term effects may increase UNI scarcity and value accrual to token holders if fee volumes remain material. Key facts: ~125M yes votes, 742 no; 100M UNI burn; fee switch activated and ongoing fee-to-burn flow; two-day timelock before execution.

On‑chain trackers Arkham and Lookonchain report large Chainlink (LINK) withdrawals from Binance over the past 48–72 hours, indicating significant off‑exchange accumulation. Multiple newly created Ethereum addresses received bulk transfers: notable withdrawals include 469,437 LINK (~$5.8M) and 234,979 LINK (~$2.9M), with one address earlier in December moving roughly $10M in LINK across four transfers. In total, on‑chain monitors observed roughly 1.56 million LINK (~$19.8–$20M) withdrawn across several wallets, several of which now hold multimillion‑dollar LINK positions (two addresses > $2M, four > $1M, others $400k–$610k). Binance remains Chainlink’s most liquid market, accounting for more than 7% of LINK trading volume. Price context: LINK trades near $12.60–$12.70, below the 50‑day EMA and still down from the October crash that reached $7.90; RSI shows neutral momentum. Implications for traders: sustained large exchange outflows reduce on‑exchange sell liquidity and can be bullish if demand persists, but the price remains in a downtrend — verify ongoing Binance balance changes, wallet clustering, and price/volume reaction before positioning. Possible reasons for the withdrawals include long‑term accumulation, private custody, or OTC transfers.

Husky Inu AI (HINU) logged a modest pre‑launch uptick, moving from about $0.00024028 to $0.000243 during ongoing fundraising that began April 1, 2025. The project has raised roughly $907.9k and has cleared several fundraising milestones ($750k, $800k, $850k, $900k) after a period of sluggish momentum. The team continues to use pre‑launch mechanics to fund development and will review the official launch timing in scheduled governance meetings (past reviews: 2025‑07‑01, 2025‑10‑01; next: 2026‑01‑01). Broader crypto markets posted a Boxing Day recovery after a small Christmas dip: BTC and ETH rebounded (BTC near $89k, ETH around $2.9k), though sentiment remains cautious. For traders: HINU’s price move signals renewed investor interest but the token still faces low liquidity and execution risk common to pre‑launch assets. Monitor fundraising velocity, order‑book depth, official launch announcements, and BTC/ETH momentum before initiating positions. Key SEO keywords: Husky Inu AI, HINU pre‑launch, fundraising, pre‑launch token, Boxing Day crypto recovery.

Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will introduce a unified licensing regime for virtual-asset (VA) dealers, custodians, brokers and advisors, targeting legislation submission to the Legislative Council in 2026. The draft framework—reshaped by more than 190 consultation responses—aligns with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO) and applies a “same business, same risk, same rule” principle to extend securities-style broker standards to crypto trading services. Key requirements will include strict custody safeguards for private key management and asset segregation, broker compliance obligations for OTC desks and trading intermediaries, and licensing of advisory and asset-management services (a separate one-month consultation is open). The SFC is already progressing related measures: consultations on OTC licence rules, reviews of derivatives and margin trading, approval of staking services under strict asset-control rules, and allowance of spot crypto ETFs since 2024. The unified 2026 regime aims to attract institutional capital by creating licensed, auditable market infrastructure, reducing counterparty and custody risk, and positioning Hong Kong competitively against regional hubs such as Singapore and the mainland’s restrictive stance. For traders: expect clearer market access for institutional flows, higher custody and compliance standards for counterparties, potential tightening of OTC and margin activities, and a platform for more complex products (tokenised securities, structured derivatives) that could increase liquidity and product sophistication over the medium term.

Moscow Exchange (MOEX) and St. Petersburg Exchange (SPB) say they will launch regulated crypto trading once the Bank of Russia finalizes a legal framework that opens the market to retail and professional investors. The draft regime would classify Bitcoin and stablecoins as monetary assets, keep crypto as a high‑risk class, ban crypto for domestic payments, and tighten rules for depositories, exchanges and custodians. Retail (non‑qualified) investors would be limited to 300,000 rubles per year and restricted to very liquid tokens traded through designated licensed intermediaries; qualified/professional investors would have no purchase caps but would be barred from anonymous/privacy coins. The timeline targets a pilot from March 2025, full implementation by July 1, 2026, and enforcement of intermediary‑related illegal activity provisions from July 1, 2027. MOEX and SPB say they already have trading, clearing, custody and settlement systems and that brokers and asset managers are testing custody and accounting systems while preparing products (spot crypto, stablecoins, trusts, funds). Market participants expect users to migrate from the gray market into licensed channels once rules take effect. Primary keywords: Russia crypto regulation, Moscow Exchange, retail crypto limit. Secondary keywords: crypto custody, spot crypto, stablecoins, trading infrastructure, regulatory timeline.

CryptoAppsy is a lightweight mobile app (iOS/Android) providing real-time prices for thousands of cryptocurrencies with data refreshed every five seconds. Aimed at traders, it offers an all-in-one dashboard (favorites, portfolio, alerts, curated news) and smart push price alerts. Portfolio management supports multiple fiat currencies and auto-updates P&L across holdings, easing cross-currency accounting. The app includes an Index section that lists newly launched tokens with price, launch time, volume and market cap to improve discoverability and arbitrage awareness. Additional features include macroeconomic indicators (Fed dates, U.S. 10-year yield, DXY), a tailored multilingual news feed filtered by portfolio holdings, live news broadcasts, periodic in-app rewards, and a beginner-friendly UX that requires no account registration. High user ratings (5.0 App Store, 4.5 Google Play) are noted. For traders, CryptoAppsy promises faster market insight, reduced reliance on social media rumors, and tools for monitoring short-term moves and newly listed tokens. Disclaimer: this is not investment advice; crypto markets are volatile and risky.

Sling Money, a Solana-based payments app from Avian Labs, has secured registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a Virtual Asset Service Provider, authorising it to offer crypto services in the UK. The FCA registration requires compliance with UK Money Laundering Regulations, including AML and KYC obligations, but does not grant consumer protections such as the Financial Ombudsman or FSCS coverage. Sling Money already holds EU approval under MiCA via Dutch regulators and is registered as a Money Services Business in the United States. The app supports Paxos’ USDP and Circle’s euro-backed EURC stablecoins, routes transfers over the Solana (SOL) blockchain for low-cost, fast settlement, links users’ bank accounts for direct fund transfers alongside in-app custody, and is currently in closed beta in the UK. This expanded regulatory footprint in Europe underscores growing regulatory scrutiny and mainstream adoption of stablecoins for cross-border and real-time payments. Traders should note the emphasis on compliant onramps, support for USDP and EURC stablecoins, and continued use of Solana rails, all of which can affect liquidity, settlement speed and counterparty risk in stablecoin payment flows.

Ondo Finance announced plans to launch custody-backed tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on the Solana blockchain, targeting an early‑2026 release. The tokens will be backed by underlying securities held with U.S.-registered broker‑dealers; on‑chain holders receive economic exposure (including dividend pass‑through) but not shareholder voting rights. Trading and transfers will be available 24/7 on Solana while minting and redemption will operate aligned with U.S. market hours (24/5) to maintain peg and liquidity. Chainlink will supply price and corporate‑action oracles (dividends, splits), and Ondo will use Solana Token Extensions — notably Transfer Hook — to embed jurisdictional eligibility checks and transfer restrictions within each token for compliance. Ondo currently has roughly $365 million in issued tokenized assets across chains and plans to expand its catalog from 100+ U.S. stocks and ETFs to “hundreds” on Solana. Key watchpoints for traders before launch include the initial asset list and liquidity, custody counterparties and operational controls, KYC/whitelisting and jurisdiction filters, mint/redemption mechanics and timings, and oracle reliability for corporate actions. For traders, benefits may include faster settlement, lower fees, wallet‑native exposure to equities and on‑chain composability; risks include dependencies on custodians and oracles, potential peg deviations during market stress, limited day‑one liquidity, and regulatory or operational constraints that could affect price tracking and tradability.

Spain will fully adopt the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework and implement the DAC8 reporting directive, tightening licensing and transaction reporting for crypto platforms by 2026. From 1 July 2026, crypto service providers operating in Spain must hold full MiCA authorization from the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) or stop offering services; the CNMV already supervises more than 60 entities. Separately, DAC8 takes effect on 1 January 2026 and requires centralized platforms to report detailed transaction-level data — including user identities, wallet addresses and values — to the Spanish Tax Agency with no minimum thresholds. Major custodial exchanges (for example, Binance Spain and Kraken Ireland) must comply and are expected to deliver full user-data submissions by 2027, while self-custody wallets remain outside DAC8 reporting for now. Proposed Spanish tax-policy changes (including higher capital-gains rates and classifying digital assets as seizable) increase enforcement risk. Traders should expect higher compliance costs for centralized venues, likely market consolidation toward licensed providers, and greater on-chain and on-exchange transparency that may shift liquidity or user flows across jurisdictions. Key SEO keywords: MiCA, DAC8, Spain crypto regulation, crypto licensing, transaction reporting.

Bitcoin reached a nominal intraday high above $126,000 in October 2025, but Galaxy Digital research head Alex Thorn calculates the peak falls to about $99,848 when adjusted to 2020 US dollars using CPI — beneath the $100,000 real level. The analysis uses cumulative CPI inflation as a deflator and highlights that part of Bitcoin’s recent nominal gains reflect dollar depreciation rather than pure real appreciation. US CPI remained above the Fed’s 2% target (11-month annual rate ~2.7% in November) and the dollar lost purchasing power (~20% since 2020), with the US Dollar Index (DXY) down roughly 11% in 2025. These forces have pushed flows into scarce assets — Galaxy frames it as a “currency depreciation trade” that benefits Bitcoin and gold. Market participants noted a ~30% retracement after the October peak, with year-end trading in the $87k–$93k band in one earlier note; VanEck described recent pullbacks as healthy deleveraging and miner stress rather than structural crashes. Institutional accumulation—including corporate balance-sheet purchases—continued even as some exchange-traded product flows exited. Draft regulatory proposals in the US and Europe are adding short-term volatility; some analysts warn prices could revisit roughly $65,000 on regulatory or deleveraging shocks. Key datapoints: nominal peak > $126,000; inflation-adjusted peak ≈ $99,848; US CPI ~2.7% (Nov annualized); DXY ~97.8 (≈11% drop in 2025). For traders: prioritize monitoring CPI prints, Fed guidance, DXY moves and real (inflation-adjusted) price metrics alongside nominal charts; weigh position sizing against potential regulatory-driven volatility and periodic deleveraging.