Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Arthur Hayes, BitMEX co‑founder, reduced his Ether exposure in December by transferring about 1,871 ETH (~$5.53M) to exchanges and depositing a further 682 ETH (~$2M) to Binance for sale, according to on‑chain tracker Lookonchain. Hayes rotated proceeds into stablecoins and several beaten-down DeFi tokens, buying roughly 1.22 million ENA (~$257.5K), 137,117 PENDLE (~$259K) and 132,730 ETHFI (~$93K). His wallet now holds about $48M in USDC. These moves follow an earlier weekend swap (680 ETH for ~1.2M ENA) and reflect a defensive shift: reducing ETH exposure near the $3,000 level while keeping large USDC liquidity for flexibility and deploying capital into select distressed DeFi assets. For traders, the actions signal short-term caution on ETH price risk but opportunistic accumulation in small-cap DeFi tokens; watch for potential selling pressure for ETH around exchange deposits and possible price sensitivity in the purchased tokens as Hayes and others rotate funds.

BlackRock transferred approximately $229.2 million of crypto into Coinbase Prime, depositing 2,292 BTC (~$199.8M) and 9,976 ETH (~$29.2M), according to on‑chain trackers Arkham Intelligence and Lookonchain. Earlier reports cited slightly different amounts (2,019 BTC and 29,928 ETH), but the later, higher‑precision Lookonchain update consolidated the move as a single institutional deposit. The transfer signals notable institutional activity between the world’s largest asset manager and Coinbase’s institutional custody/trading platform, though the purpose — custody, trading, staking or fund reallocation — was not disclosed. Markets watch such flows closely because they can precede large trades or rebalancing by ETFs and fund managers; recent weekly outflows from BlackRock’s Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF products underscore active fund flows that could drive subsequent trading. Traders should note potential short‑term volatility around BTC and ETH as the market digests whether this deposit represents a precursor to selling, redeployment, or simple custody transfer.

Gnosis Chain executed a governance-approved hard fork on Dec. 22 to recover about $9.4 million frozen after an early-November Balancer protocol exploit. The fork, activated at 11:11 a.m. ET, rewrote recent chain state to revoke the attacker’s control and route recovered funds to a DAO-controlled recovery address. Node operators and validators were instructed to upgrade clients immediately; those who fail to upgrade within ten days face penalties including suspended rewards or slashing. The action follows an earlier emergency soft fork that had blacklisted the attacker’s address but left funds inaccessible. The decision split the community: supporters argued the move returned assets to victims and was a legitimate governance remediation, while critics warned it undermines blockchain immutability and could set a risky precedent. The Balancer exploit drained roughly $116–128 million across multiple chains; coordinated recoveries elsewhere have reclaimed significant portions (for example, StakeWise recovered ~ $19M in osETH and Berachain recovered $12.8M). Balancer has also proposed a reimbursement plan to return about $8M to affected liquidity providers, pending approval. Primary keywords: Gnosis Chain, hard fork, Balancer exploit, DAO recovery, validator upgrade, blockchain immutability.

HashKey Capital completed a $250 million first close for its fourth crypto-focused fund, HashKey Fintech Multi-Strategy Fund IV, with a $500 million target final close. Backers include institutional investors, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. The fund will deploy capital across multi-strategy investments with an infrastructure-first thesis — prioritising foundational blockchain protocols, security and developer tooling, plus highly scalable projects such as layer-2s, efficient-consensus chains and interoperability solutions. HashKey — an investment arm active across Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan that has managed over $1 billion across 400+ projects — recently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after a $206 million IPO. The firm said investor demand exceeded expectations; its stock rose roughly 4% on the announcement. The raise arrives amid broader market turbulence: liquidity providers and market makers have reportedly reduced exposure after recent volatility and large liquidations, while US spot BTC and ETH ETFs have shown net outflows in recent 30-day averages. For traders: increased institutional capital aimed at infrastructure and scalability could favour tokens and equities tied to layer-2s, interoperability stacks and protocol security. However, material price effects depend on deployment pace, deal execution, and prevailing market volatility — meaning benefits may be medium-to-long term and uneven across projects. (Main keyword: HashKey Capital crypto fund)

DWF Labs completed its first physical gold trade on Dec. 22, 2025, settling a single 25‑kilogram gold bar through conventional bullion custody and settlement channels rather than on‑chain rails. The firm treated the deal as a test tranche to validate logistics and operations and withheld counterparty, pricing, vault and insurance details. DWF said it plans to scale into additional real‑world assets (RWA) including silver, platinum and cotton. The use of traditional bullion-market infrastructure signals a cautious, compliance‑focused approach as the crypto native firm blends crypto capital with legacy commodity markets. Traders should watch for follow-up disclosures — multiple-bar transactions, named custodians or brokers, disclosed prices, or regulatory filings — which would clarify how DWF intends to deploy crypto liquidity into physical commodities and could create hedging, arbitrage or liquidity‑migration opportunities across crypto and precious‑metal markets.

A Brazil-based orchestral project has been authorized under the Rouanet cultural incentive law to raise up to BRL 1.09 million (≈ USD 197,000) to stage a live concert in Brasília that translates Bitcoin (BTC) price movements and technical indicators into musical notation. The performance will use a bespoke algorithm to track real-time BTC market data and map those inputs to melody, rhythm and harmony during the instrumental concert. The government notice confirmed the project met technical review criteria, is classified as “instrumental music” (which determines incentive rules), and allows sponsors to claim tax-deductible credits; fundraising must conclude by December 31. The official announcement did not indicate any use of blockchain or on-chain infrastructure or NFTs. The initiative follows previous algorithmic crypto-art experiments—such as Matt Kane’s programmable BTC-driven visual work and data/AI installations by Refik Anadol—continuing a trend of using live market data as creative input. For traders: the project is cultural and educational in nature and is unlikely to directly affect BTC liquidity or price, though it keeps Bitcoin in public and cultural discourse, which can have modest informational or sentiment effects over time.

Cipher Mining has acquired the 195‑acre Ulysses site in Ohio with 200 MW capacity, its first facility outside Texas and its entry into the PJM wholesale electricity market. The site has secured interconnection approvals and power capacity from AEP Ohio and is designed to host Bitcoin mining and high‑performance computing (HPC) and data‑centre services. Cipher targets energization in Q4 2027. The acquisition reflects a wider industry trend of publicly listed miners diversifying into power assets, data centres and HPC to stabilise revenues and offset prolonged low Bitcoin mining margins (hashprice pressure). Financial terms were not disclosed. For traders: the deal signals miners’ shift toward power-backed, multi‑revenue infrastructure that can reduce dependence on short‑term hashprice swings and potentially improve long‑term operational resilience. Primary keywords: Cipher Mining, PJM market, data centre, Bitcoin mining, HPC, AEP Ohio.

US spot Ethereum (ETH) ETFs recorded a $95.5 million net outflow on December 23, reversing a brief inflow and resuming a prior outflow trend. Data from Trader T shows withdrawals were concentrated in a few funds: Grayscale’s ETHE led with $50.89M outflow, BlackRock’s ETHA $25.05M, Bitwise’s ETHW $13.98M and Franklin Templeton’s EZET $5.61M; other funds reported no net activity. This follows earlier multi-day outflows that together removed large sums from ETH spot ETFs and, in previous reporting, saw BlackRock as a major driver of redemptions. Trading volume across ETH ETFs has shown variability alongside these flows. Analysts say a single-day outflow does not define a long-term trend and may reflect profit-taking or short-term consolidation, but continued withdrawals could reduce ETF-driven buying pressure and expose short-term ETH price support to downside risk. For traders: monitor daily ETF flows, macro indicators and Bitcoin price action; review position sizing and risk management; avoid knee-jerk reactions and use flow data as a sentiment indicator. Keywords: ETH ETF, Ethereum, ETF flows, institutional flows, market sentiment.

Amplify has launched two thematic ETFs on NYSE Arca — the Amplify Stablecoin Technology ETF (STBQ) and the Amplify Tokenization Technology ETF (TKNQ). Both funds charge a 0.69% expense ratio and track MarketVector indexes that aggregate public companies and crypto products generating revenue from stablecoins, tokenization, payments technology, digital-asset infrastructure and trading platforms. Holdings span payment giants Visa and Mastercard, fintechs such as PayPal and Circle, crypto ETF providers including Grayscale, iShares and Bitwise, and institutional players linked to tokenization like BlackRock, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Nasdaq and Figure Technologies. Portfolios include equities and spot crypto ETF exposures to tokens such as XRP, SOL, ETH and LINK. Amplify — which manages over $16 billion — said regulatory progress (notably the US GENIUS Act discussions and Europe’s MiCA framework) supports stablecoins and tokenized settlement, underpinning the product launches. For traders, the ETFs offer a regulated, concentrated vehicle to gain targeted exposure to stablecoin infrastructure and tokenization plays; they may attract institutional capital to Web3 infrastructure equities and crypto-linked ETFs and could shift liquidity toward listed providers and exchange-traded products.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has seen strong presale demand and large-holder accumulation, lifting the token roughly 250% from early presale lows. Phase‑6 allocations are reported to be >99% sold and the project has raised around $19–20M with over 18,600 holders since public distribution. MUTM is an Ethereum-based DeFi lending protocol that issues mtTokens to liquidity providers; protocol revenue is partly used to buy back MUTM on open markets and distribute tokens to mtToken holders. Security checks include a CertiK token scan (90/100), an ongoing Halborn review, and a live $50k bug‑bounty. The official public launch price is set at $0.06 (presale price seen at $0.035; early presale $0.01). Roadmap milestones include a Sepolia V1 testnet, Chainlink oracles and a protocol stablecoin slated for later roadmap phases. Analysts outline upside scenarios tied to V1 adoption and revenue recycling — conservative forecasts range from 2x–3x, with aggressive longer‑term scenarios of 4x–7x contingent on sustained on‑chain lending volume and execution. For traders, key considerations are shrinking circulating supply in presale, recent six‑figure whale allocations, audit progress, timing of V1 testnet/launch, and whether on‑chain lending activity will validate the token buyback mechanics — each factor could drive short‑term volatility and buying pressure.

The Ontario Securities Commission approved Matador Technologies to raise up to C$58.4 million over 25 months via shares, warrants, subscription receipts, debt or units to fund an aggressive Bitcoin accumulation plan. Matador converted to a Bitcoin treasury company in December 2024 and currently holds ~175 BTC (≈US$15.3M). Management aims to reach 1,000 BTC by end-2026 and scale to 6,000 BTC by end-2027, with a long-term goal of holding roughly 1% of Bitcoin’s supply. The company says capital will be deployed strategically, timing purchases around BTC price volatility to maximise Bitcoin-per-share. On the announcement day Matador shares (MATA) fell about 3.6%, underscoring near-term equity sensitivity to corporate crypto funding. For traders: the approved raise increases potential corporate demand for BTC over the medium term but also raises downside risks — fundraising, purchase cadence and balance-sheet pressures can produce share and treasury volatility or forced sales (as seen in other firms). Key signals to watch: Matador’s funding draws, disclosed BTC purchases, treasury reports and any on-chain movements tied to the company, all of which could create tradeable flows or sentiment shifts.

Architect Financial Technologies, founded by former FTX US president Brett Harrison, has raised $35 million to develop a multi-asset institutional trading and derivatives platform covering crypto, equities, commodities, FX and perpetual futures. The round includes MIAX, Tioga Capital, ARK Investment, Galaxy and VanEck and builds on a prior $12 million 2024 raise backed by Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures and SALT Fund. Architect received regulatory approval in Bermuda to offer perpetual futures tied to traditional assets, expanding beyond crypto into stocks, commodities and currencies. The platform targets professional and institutional traders with algorithmic trading, advanced risk management and deep-liquidity execution, and plans expansion into Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The raise signals renewed venture interest in derivatives infrastructure and aims to address liquidity and risk challenges that have driven outsized trading volumes and periodic liquidation events in crypto derivatives markets.

Alphabet has agreed to acquire renewable developer Intersect Power for $4.75 billion in cash to secure large-scale, long-term electricity supply for its expanding AI data-center infrastructure. The deal gives Alphabet access to Intersect’s operating renewable projects and power contracts, improving energy certainty and supporting sustainability goals as AI workloads drive rising data-center power demand. Intersect will continue to operate under its brand and leadership. The acquisition marks a notable vertical integration move by a major tech firm into clean energy, highlighting intensifying competition among cloud and AI providers for dedicated energy and infrastructure capacity. No cryptocurrencies or tokens were involved in the announcement, and no immediate regulatory or financing obstacles were reported.

THORChain has launched swap.thorchain.org in public beta — an open‑source, native cross‑chain swap front end that enables direct swaps of native assets without wrapped tokens, bridges or centralized intermediaries. The beta supports BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, TRX, DOGE, BCH, LTC, AVAX and ATOM and is compatible with any self‑custody wallet; connecting a wallet is optional. THORChain controls UX, routing and transaction flow in the interface to funnel on‑protocol volume while soliciting community feedback ahead of an official launch planned for Q1 2026. Roadmap items include adding thousands more tokens across chains, improved onboarding and routing visibility, and deeper integration of protocol features such as bonding and liquidity provision. The release reinforces THORChain’s position as trustless native cross‑chain infrastructure for wallets, aggregators and exchanges and may shift some swap volume on‑chain to THORChain’s ecosystem. The site is live at swap.thorchain.org.

Bybit will roll out phased account restrictions for users it identifies as Japanese residents starting January 2026 to comply with Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA). The exchange halted new Japanese registrations on October 31, 2025 and set January 22, 2026 as a key cutoff: any account that has not completed Identity Verification Level 2 by that date may be treated as a Japanese resident and subjected to restrictions. Bybit said restrictions will be applied on a rolling basis, allows users who believe they were misclassified to submit additional KYC, and framed the move as proactive compliance while dialogue with regulators continues. The company warned operational continuity for impacted accounts is not guaranteed. The decision follows intensified FSA scrutiny — including requests in February to app stores to remove unregistered exchange apps — and broader Japanese tightening after prior exchange failures. Concurrently, Bybit is reallocating resources to jurisdictions with clearer rules, re-entering the UK spot market via a promotions arrangement with Archax and securing a UAE Virtual Asset Platform Operator licence. Traders should watch for reduced order flow and local liquidity from restricted Japanese access, potential short-term volatility in pairs with notable Japanese participation, and any future market impact if Bybit later obtains local registration and returns. Primary keywords: Bybit, Japan regulation, FSA, account restrictions, KYC, UK expansion, UAE licence.

Hong Kong police arrested 15 people over a rapid daylight robbery on Dec. 18 in Sheung Wan that seized four suitcases containing about ¥1 billion (≈$6.4M) in cash from employees of a Japanese crypto‑related firm. The attack, which lasted under 30 seconds, involved prior surveillance, multiple getaway vehicles and a butcher knife. Seven suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery; eight were released on bail. Authorities say the arrests include an alleged mastermind, direct perpetrators, surveillance operatives and vehicle providers. Police credited the SmartView AI‑enabled CCTV network (roughly 4,500 police cameras plus ~5,000 connected cameras) for enabling arrests within four days. Clothing, masks and the weapon used were recovered, but most of the stolen cash remains missing. Investigators are probing a possible information leak that allowed the gang to time the cash‑to‑crypto conversion. The case highlights rising sophistication of physical attacks on high‑value cash‑to‑crypto exchanges in Hong Kong, a major FX and currency‑exchange hub serving crypto firms. Traders should note increased operational risk for over‑the‑counter (OTC) cash conversions and in-person fiat flows, potential tighter scrutiny on cash transactions, and possible short‑term disruptions to local OTC liquidity and service availability.

A crypto whale accumulated 3.806 billion PUMP tokens on Binance between Sept 12 and Nov 4, 2023, spending about $19.53 million (avg. $0.00513 per token). After holding the position for roughly three months, the wallet consolidated the entire balance and transferred it to prime broker FalconX for liquidation. At transfer the holding was valued at about $7.3–7.6 million, implying a realized/paper loss of roughly $12.2 million — about 62% of the original outlay. On-chain observers flagged the wallet (3QB9kHf37NC2xAKTBfPyBve6fNt6TPXdUS1AvVwbgfuh) and tracked the transfers. Traders should note the key implications: large concentrated positions in volatile meme tokens can suffer steep drawdowns; moving large stakes to OTC/prime brokers often precedes accelerated selling and creates significant near-term selling pressure on the token; and position sizing, exit planning and awareness of liquidation routes are critical risk controls. Relevant keywords: PUMP, whale sale, meme token, FalconX, on-chain transfer, selling pressure.

Bitcoin Munari (BTCM) has opened its final public presale window at $0.015, completing allocation of the 11,130,000 BTCM public presale pool. The presale closes on December 23 and public trading is scheduled to begin on December 28 on Solana’s SPL, supported by a 1,680,000 BTCM liquidity allocation. Total supply is capped at 21,000,000 BTCM, with 53% allocated to public distribution. Presale tokens unlock and become transferable at launch with no staged vesting. Validator rewards total 6,090,000 BTCM paid over ten years with declining emissions. Staking roles and thresholds are: full validators 10,000 BTCM (dedicated servers), mobile validators 1,000 BTCM (Android), and delegators minimum 100 BTCM. Year-one staking yields are projected at roughly 18–25% APY, intended to act as a supply sink by locking up circulating tokens. The project will initially use Solana SPL infrastructure for market access, then onboard validators, deploy delegation tooling and testnets, and perform a 1:1 bridge migration to Bitcoin Munari’s native Layer‑1 — a DPoS, EVM‑compatible chain with privacy and governance features. Security audits were performed by Solidproof and Spy Wolf, with KYC handled by Spy Wolf. For traders, the critical variables are the immediate circulating supply at launch, the dedicated liquidity pool, and validator onboarding and staking participation rates that could materially compress circulating supply. Watch launch liquidity and early order‑book activity on December 28, validator bonding metrics, and staking take‑up to assess short‑term volatility and medium‑term supply-driven price support.

Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) has designated USDT on the TRON blockchain as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token (AFRT). The approval allows FSRA‑licensed firms to custody, trade, settle and provide other regulated services using TRON‑based USDT within ADGM. This follows earlier AFRT approvals for USDT on Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche and complements ADGM’s stablecoin framework, which requires full reserves, transparency and AML controls and uniquely permits yield-bearing stablecoins. TRON’s USDT is noted for low fees and high throughput, and TRON currently hosts the largest circulating supply of USDT. Regulators and TRON DAO cited governance, security and regulatory cooperation as factors in the decision. For traders, the ruling lowers institutional regulatory uncertainty for TRON USDT, may increase institutional stablecoin flows through ADGM, and could improve settlement efficiency and liquidity for TRON‑based USDT pairs — particularly for Gulf‑region on‑ramps/off‑ramps. However, expect continued scrutiny on reserves, AML controls and compliance, which could affect operational practices for issuers and custodians.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov has accumulated 84,033 AAVE (roughly $12.6M spent over a week), including a fresh purchase of 32,660 AAVE (~$5.15M) on Dec. 23 at an average price near $158. The aggregated position carries an average cost around $176 and currently shows an unrealized loss of roughly $2.2M–$2.3M at prevailing prices (~$153–$154). The buys come amid a heated governance dispute after a December integration routed swap fees to Aave Labs wallets instead of the DAO treasury, triggering heavy selling: AAVE fell about 18% over the week, lost over $500M in market value, saw more than 980 on-chain holders drop in a day, and experienced a sharp decline in trading activity per on-chain trackers. Aave Labs submitted a divisive Snapshot vote (Dec. 23–26) on brand ownership, which markets view as having low odds of passing. Short-term risks include continued whale selling, governance uncertainty between Aave Labs and the DAO, and degraded liquidity and trading volumes. Kulechov’s purchases provide a high-profile signal of founder conviction but do not resolve the underlying dispute; traders should monitor large wallet flows, Snapshot vote results, holder counts, and on-chain activity metrics for near-term price direction. Key metrics: 32,660 AAVE latest buy (~1,699 ETH / ~$5.15M), total wallet holding 84,033 AAVE, avg buy price ~ $157.78 for last tranche, position avg cost ~ $176, unrealized loss ~ $2.2M–$2.3M, AAVE price drop ~15–18% over the week.

BlackRock has positioned its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as one of three principal investment themes heading into 2026, alongside an ETF tracking short-term U.S. Treasury bills and an ETF tied to the “Magnificent 7” Big Tech stocks. IBIT drew more than $25 billion in net inflows in 2025, bringing cumulative inflows since its 2024 launch to roughly $62.5 billion. The fund ranked sixth across all ETFs by inflows in 2025 despite producing negative returns for the year and Bitcoin sliding about 30% from its October peak. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) also saw strong demand, attracting about $9.1 billion in 2025 and reaching roughly $12.7 billion in AUM since inception. The firm has filed for a Staked Ethereum ETF to offer staking rewards and for a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF designed to generate yield via covered-call strategies on Bitcoin futures. IBIT’s 2025 inflows outpaced rivals by a wide margin — more than five times the inflows of Fidelity’s FBTC — underscoring persistent institutional demand for spot BTC and product innovation focused on BTC and ETH rather than altcoins. For traders: the sustained ETF flows signal structural, product-driven liquidity into BTC and ETH markets, may tighten ETF-related liquidity premia, and suggest that new yield-oriented products (staked-ETH, covered-call Bitcoin) could shift institutional allocations and affect derivatives flow and volatility.

Metaplanet, Japan’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin with 30,823 BTC (≈$2.7–2.75bn), won shareholder approval for five capital-restructuring proposals that enable issuing dividend-paying preferred shares targeted at institutional investors. The company doubled authorized shares for two preferred classes (Class A and Class B to 555 million each) and reclassified capital reserves to capital surplus to fund preferred dividends and potential buybacks while continuing BTC purchases without diluting common equity. Class A will pay monthly floating dividends under a Metaplanet Adjustable Rate Security (MARS) that raises pay when the share price falls below par to help stabilise value. Class B will pay quarterly fixed dividends with a stated yield of 4.9%, includes a 10-year issuer call at 130% of face value, and grants a put right to investors if no IPO occurs within one year. Approval also allows issuance of Class B shares to overseas institutional investors, creating an income-style, indirect route to Bitcoin exposure via preferred equity rather than spot BTC or common stock. The Tokyo-listed stock jumped about 4.16% after the vote and the company has begun U.S. ADR trading via Deutsche Bank. For traders: this creates a novel institutional instrument tied to a large corporate BTC reserve, may broaden institutional demand for corporate-linked Bitcoin exposure, and signals Metaplanet’s continued capacity to buy BTC while offering predictable yield; the impact on BTC price is likely indirect but could be modestly supportive of institutional demand.

Ripple developers have proposed XLS-66d to add institutional-grade, native lending to the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The design introduces Single Asset Vaults — isolated, per-loan vaults for XRP and stablecoin RLUSD — managed by pool administrators who underwrite, service loans, and provide first-loss capital. Loans are fixed-term and fixed-rate, with underwriting and KYC performed off-chain to reduce smart-contract and regulatory risk. Target users include banks, payment firms, market makers and fintechs for corridor funding, inventory financing, market-making liquidity and pre-funding instant settlements. Ripple expects validator governance voting on activation in late January 2025. Community voices urged holders not to sell XRP and suggested using borrowing against holdings as an alternative. For traders, the proposal could create new yield pathways for XRP and RLUSD, potentially increasing demand and on-ledger liquidity while reducing pooled-lending systemic risk. Key risks include uptake uncertainty, regulatory scrutiny, and credit/default exposure managed by administrators. Primary keywords: XRPL, XRP, onchain lending, RLUSD, institutional lending.

Trump Media & Technology Group executed an on-chain purchase of roughly 450 BTC (about $40M), moving the coins into long-term custody across multiple addresses. On-chain analytics indicate the funds were bought directly from a major exchange and shifted to cold storage as part of a deliberate corporate-treasury strategy to hold Bitcoin as a reserve asset rather than trading inventory. The buy raises the company’s disclosed corporate crypto exposure toward the billion-dollar range reported earlier in 2025. The acquisition coincided with Trump Media’s announced plan to merge with fusion energy developer TAE Technologies in a transaction valued near $6 billion, signalling broader strategic diversification into energy and advanced technology. There was no formal corporate statement detailing the Bitcoin strategy; market reaction to the combined disclosures was positive, with the company’s stock moving higher after the announcements. Key facts for traders: ~450 BTC acquired (~$40M), purchases executed across multiple on-chain transfers from an exchange, coins placed into long-term custody, timing overlaps a $6B TAE Technologies merger announcement. Primary keywords: Trump Media, Bitcoin, BTC, corporate treasury, institutional accumulation. Secondary keywords: reserve asset, long-term custody, TAE Technologies, merger.

Erebor, a digital bank backed by Palmer Luckey and Peter Thiel, closed a $350 million funding round led by Lux Capital with participation from Founders Fund, 8VC and Haun Ventures, doubling its valuation to about $4.35 billion. The company has received FDIC approval for deposit insurance and obtained a preliminary national bank charter, positioning it to offer both traditional deposit-taking services and crypto-tailored products. Erebor targets a 2026 launch and intends to serve crypto firms and technology companies by integrating supervised national banking with digital-asset services. Key SEO keywords: Erebor, crypto banking, FDIC approval, bank charter, Lux Capital.

Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers has introduced measures to exempt digital assets from Arizona property tax, bar local governments from taxing or fining blockchain node operators, and provide clearer regulatory definitions for digital assets. The package includes two bills and a constitutional resolution: one bill would remove virtual currency from taxable property lists; a second would prohibit counties, cities and towns from imposing taxes or fees on blockchain node operations; and a constitutional resolution would amend the state constitution to explicitly exclude digital assets from property-tax definitions, requiring voter approval in November 2026. Supporters argue the proposals reduce compliance burdens, prevent double taxation, and attract blockchain businesses, talent and investment — potentially increasing onshore holdings of Bitcoin and other digital assets. Critics warn of lost state revenue and possible conflicts with federal tax rules. Traders should monitor committee votes, floor passage, and the 2026 ballot timetable; passage — especially of the constitutional amendment — could be a longer-term bullish signal for onshore demand (not immediate price action), while legislative debate and fiscal-impact analyses may create short-term volatility for crypto-related names and local market sentiment.

Decentralized exchange Aster launched Stage 5 of its ASTER buyback program on December 23, 2025, allocating up to 80% of daily platform fees to repurchases. The program splits fees into two on‑chain mechanisms: 40% for automatic daily market buybacks and 20–40% held in a strategic reserve for targeted purchases triggered by market conditions. Both mechanisms are fully on‑chain, publicly verifiable and managed via dedicated wallets. The announcement coincided with a near‑term ASTER price uptick of about 3% to $0.725 after a week in which the token fell roughly 20% due to selling pressure. The token previously spiked more than 30% in November following disclosure of a >$2.5M holding by Binance co‑founder CZ. A pseudonymous analyst flagged ASTER trading near the bottom of its channel and projected a corrective rebound to $0.88–$0.90, noting a decisive break above $0.90 would be required to confirm a stronger trend reversal. Key SEO keywords: ASTER buybacks, on‑chain buyback, Aster exchange fees, token repurchase, ASTER price action.

The Digital Asset PARITY Act, a bipartisan draft bill circulating in the U.S. House, proposes major crypto tax reforms aimed at simplifying taxation and encouraging broader adoption. Key provisions include: a capital‑gains exemption for dollar‑pegged stablecoin payments under $200 issued by regulated entities (removing routine purchase reporting); optional deferral of taxation on staking and mining rewards for up to five years, with tax due on disposition or at the five‑year mark; application of traditional wash‑sale rules to digital assets (closing a loophole used in tax‑loss harvesting); a mark‑to‑market election for active traders; constructive sale doctrine limits to prevent indefinite deferral via derivatives; and potential tax incentives to attract foreign investment through U.S. brokers. The bill also contemplates special treatment for crypto loans, NFTs and thinly traded tokens, and timing rules for enactment. As a draft, the measure remains subject to committee review and congressional votes; no change to current tax obligations is effective until law is passed. Traders should monitor developments: if enacted, the stablecoin exemption could increase stablecoin payment use and reduce taxable events for small transactions; staking/mining deferral would improve short‑term cash flow for validators/miners and change timing of taxable income; and applying wash‑sale rules would alter tax‑loss harvesting and short‑term trading strategies.

The Bank of Russia has acknowledged that Bitcoin mining likely contributes to ruble strength but said the effect is hard to quantify because much mining remains in a legal and reporting gray zone. Governor Elvira Nabiullina described mining as “one of the additional factors” supporting the currency but warned against attributing the ruble’s 2025 gains solely to mining. Senior officials, including deputy presidential aide Maxim Oreshkin, have characterized crypto-linked flows as a de facto new export that can influence currency markets by channeling value outside standard routes. The central bank is pushing to “whiten” the sector through tighter regulation and improved reporting, coordinating rules with the Finance Ministry and other agencies to ensure crypto transactions pass through licensed market participants. State Duma financial committee chair Anatoly Aksakov reiterated that cryptocurrencies will not be treated as money in Russia. Traders should watch for follow-up policy measures: taxation and reporting rules for miners, requirements for onshore conversion of earnings to rubles, tighter licensing of intermediaries, and any energy-policy shifts that affect mining operations. Potential market implications include increased Russian mining output and hash rate if firms formalize operations, marginally higher ruble demand from conversion of mining proceeds, and greater regulatory scrutiny that could affect cross-border flows. At press time, Bitcoin traded near $88,927. Keywords: Bitcoin mining, ruble strength, Russia crypto regulation, capital flows, BTC price.