Memento Research tracked 118 Token Generation Events (TGEs) in 2025 and found 84.7% (100/118) now trade below their launch valuations. The median token’s fully diluted valuation (FDV) is down 71% and market cap down 67% since launch. High-profile losses include Syndicate (SYND) -93.6%, Animecoin (ANIME) -93.6%, Berachain (BERA) -93.2%, Bio Protocol (BIO) -93.1%, Xterio (XTER) -92.9% and Lit Protocol (LITKEY) -92.1%. Venture-backed projects also suffered steep drawdowns (e.g., Mira -91.1%, Venice Token -90.8%, Plasma -89.9%). Memento highlights several drivers: heavy pre-TGE venture allocations and large VC rounds (billions raised in 2025) that left retail buying at inflated, fully diluted valuations; oversupply of new tokens and fragmented liquidity; brief post-launch volume spikes followed by 50–70% falls within weeks; market-wide correction events (notably the Oct 10–11 crash) and increased regulatory caution. The data covers both H1 and H2 2025. For traders the takeaway is clear: buying at TGE no longer reliably yields upside for retail investors. Recommended tactics include strict position sizing, thorough due diligence on vesting schedules and liquidity, prioritising established projects, and waiting for sustained on-chain liquidity and secondary-market depth before entering new listings.
A crypto trader lost roughly $50 million in Tether (USDT) after an address‑poisoning attack exploited copy‑and‑paste and clipboard vulnerabilities. The attacker substituted a legitimate wallet address with a look‑alike malicious address (same leading and trailing characters), which appeared in the victim’s transaction history or clipboard, causing a large outgoing USDT transfer to be routed to attacker‑controlled wallets. The thief quickly fragmented and moved funds across multiple addresses, converted portions to ETH, and used mixers to obscure the trail, making recovery unlikely. No exchange or individual names were disclosed. The incident highlights the risks of truncated address displays, clipboard hijacking and human error when copying addresses. Traders are advised to verify full addresses, use checksum‑aware wallets and hardware wallets, enable address whitelists and multi‑factor confirmations for large transfers, use dedicated address‑book tools, and avoid pasting addresses directly from recent transaction lists. Primary keywords: address poisoning, USDT, Tether, crypto scam. Secondary keywords: clipboard hijacking, address substitution, wallet security, hardware wallet.
Hilbert Group (HILB), a Swedish investment firm, has acquired high-frequency trading platform Enigma Nordic for $32 million to accelerate market‑neutral, algorithmic cryptocurrency trading across global venues. The purchase gives Hilbert Enigma’s proprietary HFT engine and execution stack, enabling cross‑exchange, data‑driven arbitrage and systematic strategies across spot and derivatives markets. Hilbert plans to integrate Enigma’s market‑neutral strategies into its hedge‑fund products to offer institutional investors scalable, systematic crypto strategies, improve liquidity provision and reduce execution slippage while maintaining strict risk controls and governance. Enigma’s quant strategies are reported to have strong risk‑adjusted performance and substantial cumulative trading volume, underscoring the capability play to capture real‑time inefficiencies in digital‑asset markets. The deal reflects growing institutional demand for scalable algorithmic trading tools and diversified crypto revenue streams, though actual deployment and expansion may face regulatory scrutiny and require ongoing risk management.
Bank of China’s Vientiane branch completed the first cross-border digital RMB (e‑CNY) consumer QR-code payment between China and Laos under guidance from the People’s Bank of China and the Bank of the Lao PDR. The branch connected to the PBOC’s cross-border digital RMB platform and processed merchant QR payments in Laos, delivering real-time exchange-rate quotes, on‑site QR verification and immediate clearing to achieve end-to-end “pay‑exchange‑clear” integration. Lao merchants receive settlements via existing devices and channels with minimal hardware change while compliance is preserved. The pilot targets tourism, remittance and merchant payments by lowering cross-border settlement thresholds and simplifying payments for Chinese tourists and local businesses. No transaction values were disclosed. For crypto traders, this advances digital RMB internationalization and demonstrates a practical CBDC cross-border use case that may affect regional payment rails and on‑chain/off‑chain liquidity flows; monitor regulatory signals and central‑bank coordination for implications on CBDC adoption and stablecoin demand.
Neutral
digital RMBcross-border paymentsCBDC pilotQR paymentsBank of China
Analysts assess XRP’s realistic price path from 2026–2030 and whether it can reach $5. The primary determinant remains regulatory clarity — especially the outcome of the U.S. SEC lawsuit against Ripple — with a clear favorable ruling likely to remove the main overhang and support higher prices. Other key drivers are institutional adoption of Ripple’s On‑Demand Liquidity (ODL), verifiable on‑chain adoption metrics and volume, and technical upgrades to the XRP Ledger (scalability, Hooks, low fees). Scenario analysis: bullish — full regulatory win plus rapid ODL adoption and a broad crypto bull market could make $5 plausible by 2029–2030; base case — gradual normalization, steady adoption and market cycles could place XRP around $2.50–$3.50 by 2030; conservative — continued regulatory uncertainty or adverse rulings keep XRP below $2 for much of the decade. Constraints and risks include Ripple’s large escrow holdings and scheduled releases, competition from CBDCs and rival payment tokens/chains, persistent technical resistance around $1.50–$2.00, market volatility, and Ripple’s business concentration. Traders should monitor primary indicators: SEC litigation developments, verified ODL/institutional flows, on‑chain volume and liquidity, escrow release schedule, and macro crypto market health. Risk management through position sizing, diversification and event‑driven stop rules is advised. The report emphasises that a $5 outcome requires multiple favorable conditions aligning over several years; absent those, upside is likely limited to the mid‑single digits.
This unified analysis assesses Cardano (ADA) price prospects for 2026–2030 and whether ADA can reach $2. It integrates on-chain metrics, roadmap milestones and macro factors. Key bullish drivers: deployment of Layer‑2 scaling (Hydra), improved staking economics, Voltaire governance rollout, broader DeFi/NFT adoption raising TVL and daily active addresses, interoperability, and uptake in verticals such as identity and education—especially in developing markets. Technical strengths include the Ouroboros PoS protocol and IOG’s research‑driven development. Short‑term (2026–2027) scenarios: moderate growth paths project ADA in roughly $0.85–$1.80 depending on market cycles and milestone delivery; a return to a strong crypto cycle could test $1.40–$1.80, while failure to scale keeps prices lower. Longer term (by 2030) scenarios range from a bear case below $1, a base case around $1.80–$2.50, to a bull case of $3–$5 — reaching $2 requires substantial on‑chain economic activity and market‑cap expansion, not just speculation. Primary risks: roadmap delays (Hydra, Mithril, Voltaire), developer attrition, stiff competition from other smart‑contract platforms (notably Ethereum), regulatory headwinds, and macro market volatility. The combined pieces assign a moderate probability (roughly 60–70% in one estimate) of ADA reaching $2 between 2027–2029, but stress high uncertainty. Trading considerations for crypto traders: use dollar‑cost averaging, consider staking to capture yield and reduce supply pressure, size positions relative to portfolio risk, and closely monitor milestone delivery, TVL growth, DAUs, and DeFi activity as catalysts. This outlook is informational and not trading advice.
Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee and Sharplink co-CEO Joseph Chalom presented bullish forecasts for Ethereum driven by institutional tokenization and on-chain settlement. Lee said rising Wall Street interest in tokenizing securities and institutional treasury allocations to ETH could push Ether (ETH) to $7,000–$9,000 by early 2026 and, over the longer term, toward $20,000. He also reiterated a broader long-term bullish stance for crypto, citing Bitcoin (BTC) as a store of value with potential upside. Chalom projected a roughly 10x increase in Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) by 2026 — from about $68 billion today — supported by inflows from asset managers, banks and sovereign wealth funds. He expects the stablecoin market to expand to roughly $500 billion and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) to exceed $300 billion by 2026, with Ethereum acting as the primary settlement layer. Data cited shows tokenized RWA market value rising (about $18.9 billion in 2025) and Ethereum hosting the majority of RWAs and stablecoins, reinforcing its settlement role. Both speakers highlighted growth in on-chain activity (AI agents, prediction markets) and institutional projects (e.g., DTCC tokenization pilots, BlackRock, Robinhood initiatives) as catalysts. Key trader takeaways: bullish fundamentals tied to institutional adoption and tokenization, potential for large inflows that could raise ETH prices and TVL, but timing and scale remain uncertain — traders should weigh leverage, liquidity, and regulatory risks when positioning.
On-chain data show Ethereum whales accumulated roughly 4.8 million ETH since November 21, raising holdings from ~22.4M to ~27.2M ETH (about 4% of circulating supply). Whales are defending a realized cost basis at $2,796 — a level that produced three price bounces — while ETH has consolidated in a $3,000–$3,500 trading band. ETH dominance has recovered from about 11.5% to roughly 13%, indicating renewed market share despite weak altcoin rotation. At current prices those whale positions sit on roughly $4.8 billion in unrealized profit. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR) climbed to 2.964, a six-month high — roughly $2.96 of borrowed exposure per $1 unlevered — which raises the risk of liquidations or rapid deleveraging if volatility spikes or macro catalysts fail to appear. For traders: monitor the $2,796 make-or-break support and the $3,000–$3,500 range, track ELR and margin metrics for early signs of de‑leveraging, and watch ETH dominance and Bitcoin-led flows since a shift toward BTC or reduced dominance could accelerate downside pressure. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH whales, leverage. Secondary keywords: ELR, ETH dominance, on-chain accumulation, liquidation risk.
Apeing is positioning itself as a whitelist-only meme-coin launch that staggers access and pricing to limit early sell pressure. The presale is staged with Stage 1 priced at $0.0001 and a planned listing target near $0.001; initial participation requires joining the project whitelist via its official site. The project emphasises three pillars — verified community engagement, interactive utility development and security measures (audits and controlled announcements) — and compares its structured approach with established meme tokens such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Pepe, Pudgy Penguins and Official Trump. For traders, the key implications are that a whitelist-only presale can concentrate early demand and create scarcity, staged pricing rewards preparation over speed, and structured distribution may lower immediate listing-day volatility versus unstructured launches. The coverage is a paid press release and not trading advice.
CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator told Fortune Brainstorm AI that the current AI boom is driven by real end‑user demand and physical supply constraints — not a circular flow of capital among the same firms. He highlighted persistent GPU shortages and broader bottlenecks in data‑centre infrastructure, energy and raw materials (eg. copper), and cited industry reports showing GPU shipments lagging orders by about 20–30%. Intrator also noted increased competition for GPUs from crypto miners. CoreWeave has reduced client concentration — Microsoft fell from ~85% of revenue to under 30% of backlog — and defended the company amid post‑IPO stock volatility (IPO $40, shares near $90). For traders, key takeaways are: continued hardware scarcity should support sustained GPU demand and keep upward pressure on prices; secondary‑market GPU flows could add volatility if major customers scale back; delays in builds and energy/infrastructure constraints may slow capacity growth and extend the supercycle; and customer diversification lowers single‑client counterparty risk but stock remains sensitive to delivery and backlog updates. Monitor vendor backlogs, shipment rates, data‑centre buildouts and GPU resale flows for signs of easing or worsening scarcity.
AI-focused crypto tokens have plunged amid concerns of an AI crypto bubble and weakening U.S. labor-market indicators. Latest data show AI tokens fell 24.9% in the past month and are down 74.6% year-to-date, while 24-hour trading volume for AI tokens and related altcoins has declined about 20% to $3.48 billion — a sign liquidity is drying up. Broader altcoins have lost roughly 34% of market value, bringing altcoin market capitalization to about $1.16 trillion from a prior peak near $1.77 trillion. Analysts highlighted a growing correlation between AI equities and AI tokens: the S&P 500 is up ~17.8% YTD, driven in part by AI stocks, even as U.S. labor participation slips (reported at 59.4%), a divergence that historically precedes market corrections. Firms cited include Alphractal (raising bubble parallels tied to labor-market divergence) and Artemis (reporting token declines and volume drop). Traders should monitor employment data, AI-equity strength, and liquidity metrics closely: further weakness in AI stocks or negative employment surprises could accelerate downside for AI tokens and exert broader pressure on altcoins, with some analysts warning of a potential move toward a $1 trillion altcoin market cap if sentiment worsens.
Bearish
AI tokensaltcoinsmarket liquidityU.S. employmentequity-crypto correlation
On-chain exchange flow data show over 50 billion Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens were withdrawn from centralized exchanges in a rapid outflow. CryptoQuant and other sources report a large negative exchange netflow, marking sustained withdrawals that most likely reflect accumulation or transfers to cold storage rather than mere internal wallet reshuffling. The outflow reduces exchange-listed supply and so lowers immediate sell-side liquidity — a condition that can amplify upward price moves if buy-side demand returns. Price action remains below key moving averages and in a longer-term downtrend, but the decline’s slope has flattened; momentum indicators are in oversold territory and volatility has eased, suggesting a late-stage bearish setup that often precedes consolidation or reversal. Trading volume increased alongside the outflow, supporting the view that withdrawals were accompanied by genuine buying interest rather than low-liquidity noise. For traders: the exchange netflow and rising volume are bullish indicators to monitor, but outflows alone do not guarantee a rally — renewed demand or a broader crypto market catalyst is required. Short term: expect continued consolidation with elevated upside risk if inflows resume or the wider market rallies. Mid-to-long term: sustained exchange withdrawals historically precede stronger rallies once buying pressure returns. Keywords: Shiba Inu, SHIB, exchange outflow, exchange netflow, token withdrawals, accumulation, liquidity, trading volume, price consolidation.
Japanese analyst Yuto Kanzaki says private Japan–South Korea talks on joint blockchain infrastructure, together with impending Japanese regulatory clarity for Ripple Prime and Ripple Custody, could accelerate institutional use of Ripple and XRP across East Asia. The discussions — not yet public — may produce shared frameworks for payments, remittances and enterprise blockchain services where the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is already active. Ripple has committed a large portion of its one‑billion‑XRP program to an XRPL Japan and Korea Fund aimed at partnerships, startup investment and developer support. Network-level momentum includes new XRPL validators in the region — South Korea’s Infinite Block and Japan’s SBI VC Trade — which strengthen decentralization, resilience and compliance credibility. Kanzaki advises XRP holders to monitor developments closely, arguing that combined government coordination, clearer regulation, regional investment and growing validator participation could improve institutional integration and adoption of XRP. This is informational and not financial advice.
Bullish
XRPRippleJapan–South Korea CollaborationRegulationXRPL Validators
Keonne Rodriguez, co‑founder of Bitcoin privacy app Samourai Wallet, published a letter from a U.S. federal prison describing his first week after surrendering to begin a five‑year sentence. Rodriguez detailed intake procedures, medical checks, housing moves and an emotional family goodbye, calling the facility “confusing and unnatural” but “manageable” and saying fellow inmates treated him respectfully. He was sentenced on Nov. 19 in connection with his role in a crypto mixing protocol; prosecutors argue some tools were structured or promoted in ways that enabled illicit transfers. Supporters warn the prosecution threatens open‑source development and free speech, with a clemency petition gathering over 12,000 signatures and public calls for a pardon; former President Donald Trump said he would “take a look” at the case. The story has drawn comparisons to the Tornado Cash prosecution and sharpened debate over whether creating or maintaining privacy software can trigger criminal liability. For crypto traders, the case highlights regulatory and legal risk for privacy tools and services—potentially affecting developer behaviour, project funding, and market sentiment toward privacy‑focused crypto solutions.
Crypto educator Jesse, founder of Apex Crypto Academy, argues XRP could exceed $10 if banks and central banks adopt it as a settlement asset. Trading near $1.84 at publication, Jesse frames valuation around payment throughput and settlement velocity rather than static market-cap comparisons or Bitcoin-style store-of-value metrics. He notes traditional finance and central banks process far greater daily volumes than Bitcoin and says Ripple’s focus on cross-border payments and partnerships with banks could drive institutional demand for XRP liquidity. Jesse warns simple market-cap math ignores settlement velocity, liquidity cycles and institutional behavior; broad adoption as a settlement asset would materially raise required liquidity and could justify a roughly fivefold price increase (implying a market cap near $600 billion). Critics counter that XRP has traded below $3.84 for years and view double-digit forecasts as optimistic. The coverage emphasizes this is opinion, not financial advice.
Bullish
XRPRippleInstitutional SettlementCentral BanksMarket Cap
Two wallets linked to Pantera Capital transferred a combined 5,264 ETH (about $15.39–$15.4M) into Coinbase Prime on December 27, according to Onchain Lens. The on-chain deposit moves a sizable amount of Ether into a regulated institutional custody and prime brokerage platform, signaling institutional allocation toward Coinbase’s custody layer. Such inflows can indicate preparation for trading, OTC execution, custody consolidation, compliance or liquidity management. The transfer provides real-time transparency into institutional fund flows and is consistent with growing institutional activity in prime custody venues. No comment was reported from Pantera or Coinbase. Traders tracking large inflows to regulated venues may view this as a monitorable signal of potential selling, rebalancing or increased trading activity in ETH.
Bitmain has initiated broad discounts, bundle offers and auction-style sales across Antminer lines including S19 and the newer immersion-cooled S21 as Bitcoin mining profitability deteriorates. Hashprice — estimated daily revenue per TH/s — has fallen to roughly $35/TH/s/day, below a commonly cited breakeven near $40/TH/s/day, following the April 2024 halving and a weaker BTC price (from ~$126k in Oct 2025 to ~$80k in Nov 2025). Bitmain reportedly cut prices by about $7/TH/s on some S21 immersion units and is allowing miners to bid or choose bundle pricing to clear inventory and accelerate upgrades from older, inefficient rigs. Rising network difficulty, higher average electricity costs, regulatory and supply-chain pressures are squeezing miner margins; some operators are exploring renewables or idling rigs to reduce losses. For traders, this signals heightened selling pressure from miners, potential capex reductions, faster consolidation toward lower-cost and more efficient operations, and increased sensitivity of BTC price to miner on-chain sales and capitulation. Secondary markets for used ASICs may face pressure, while regions with cheap power could benefit from discounted upgrades. Near-term implications include possible downward pressure on miner equities and spot BTC volatility; longer term, price cuts may herald a next-gen chip cycle and faster efficiency gains in mining hardware.
Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) dismantled a cross-border crypto and forex investment fraud ring in Karachi that allegedly stole about $60 million. Authorities seized 37 computers, 40 mobile phones, more than 10,000 international SIM cards and six illicit payment-gateway devices. The network used social engineering on social media and messaging apps, impersonating traders or insiders to recruit victims onto fake trading platforms that displayed forged profit data. Victims typically deposited around $5,000, then were pressured to pay additional "taxes", withdrawal or verification fees; after payments accounts were frozen and communication ceased. Funds were routed to overseas bank accounts and converted into cryptocurrencies for cross-border transfers. In Phase 1 of the operation, police arrested multiple suspects; 22 remain detained, including several foreign nationals. Cases have been registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. The investigation remains active and involves coordination with foreign jurisdictions. For traders: the bust highlights persistent crypto scam risks, the use of illicit payment gateways and SIM-card networks to bypass controls, and the importance of due diligence when engaging with trading platforms or unsolicited investment offers.
Solana (SOL) is trading under a bearish structure after failing repeatedly to reclaim the $150 resistance, leaving $120 as the immediate critical support. In 2025 Circle has minted roughly $55 billion USDC on Solana, including a recent $500 million mint — a large on-chain liquidity injection that has increased trading and DeFi activity but has not produced clear bullish momentum for SOL. On-chain and chart data (Onchain Lens, TradingView) show prolonged sideways chop, raising speculative pressure and potential volatility. Whale positions are divided: reports show a major leveraged long (around 20x) now carrying roughly $5.88 million in unrealized losses after earlier profits, while short-side whales have realized about $27.7 million in gains. The concentration of leveraged longs alongside large short profits increases the risk of liquidation cascades. For traders: monitor $120 closely — a decisive break lower could trigger rapid leveraged liquidations and sharp downside; reclaiming and holding above $150 would be required to restore bullish structure. Primary keywords: Solana, SOL price, USDC mint, whales, liquidity. Secondary/semantic keywords: support level, resistance, leverage, liquidations, on-chain activity.
Sharplink co-CEO Joseph Chalom forecasts Ethereum total value locked (TVL) could rise tenfold by end-2026, driven by growth in stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets (RWA) and increased allocations from sovereign wealth funds. Chalom projects the stablecoin market expanding to about $500 billion (from roughly $308 billion currently) and expects ~54% of stablecoin activity to remain on Ethereum — a dynamic that could materially lift Ethereum TVL (currently ~ $68.2B per DeFiLlama). He also anticipates the tokenized RWA market reaching $300 billion in 2026 as institutions including JPMorgan, Franklin Templeton and BlackRock scale tokenization of funds, equities and bonds to entire fund portfolios. Sharplink Gaming reportedly holds 797,704 ETH (~$2.33B). Chalom expects sovereign wealth funds’ Ethereum exposure and tokenization activity to increase 5–10x. Additional growth drivers cited are mainstream adoption of on-chain AI agents and prediction markets, which would raise on-chain activity and liquidity. Market context: Ether trades near $2,900 and is down ~12% year‑over‑year; some analysts warn new highs may be constrained by Bitcoin conditions. These comments are presented as market outlook, not investment advice.
Bullish
EthereumStablecoinsTokenized RWASovereign Wealth FundsOn-chain AI
Industry monitors report at least $2.53 billion in crypto exploits in 2025, with social engineering now the dominant attack vector, responsible for about 55.3% (~$1.39 billion) of losses. Private key compromises account for roughly 15% (~$0.37 billion), while infinite-mint attacks and smart-contract bugs make up the remainder. Chainalysis and other trackers estimate total crypto theft in 2025 at $2.7–$3.4 billion and attribute about $2.02 billion to North Korea-linked groups, a roughly 51% increase from 2024; that figure includes a reported $1.4 billion extraction from Bybit. Analysts say improved automated auditing and formal verification have reduced large-scale smart-contract breaches, shifting attackers toward human-targeted methods: phishing, impersonation, poor key management and operational lapses. For traders, this means higher personal-wallet and custodial risk, potential sustained sell pressure on affected tokens, and elevated counterparty risk for exchanges and custodial services. Key takeaways: prioritize secure key custody, tighten counterparty due diligence, monitor tokens tied to breached platforms, and expect state-sponsored groups to remain a major theft vector.
Solana led blockchain app revenues in 2025 with about $1.3 billion, driven by meme-token cycles, AI agent activity and a late-year DeFi resurgence. Cryptorank data showed Solana surpassed Ethereum in users, transactions and app revenues for much of the year, with app-driven income dominating for over seven months. Hyperliquid’s native HyperCore chain ranked second with roughly $908 million in native-chain revenues after its first full year as a perpetual-futures DEX — $848 million came from perpetual futures trading. Hyperliquid reported $3.87 billion in deposits, about 609,000 new users, $46 million distributed to builders and nearly $1 million from ticker auctions. Ethereum generated $524 million in 2025, BNB Chain $257 million and Base $76.4 million. Several legacy networks (Avalanche, Filecoin, TON) dropped from the top 10 as apps migrated to newer L1/L2s and specialized chains (EdgeX, Axelar, Bittensor, Optimism) rose based on strong single-app performance. The broader market takeaway for traders: 2025 marked a shift from incentive-led volume to predictable, app-driven revenue streams — favoring chains and apps with real user traction rather than airdrop farming. Traders should monitor Solana metrics (users, transactions, app revenues), DEX volumes and perpetual futures flows as potential trade signals; Hyperliquid’s results also highlight the revenue and liquidity potential of perpetual DEXs and native-chain settlement models.
China’s regulators and UBS SDIC Fund Management suspended new subscriptions to the UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund LOF Class C after the fund’s secondary-market price traded at a premium exceeding 60% to its underlying Shanghai silver futures. Retail-driven buying—amplified by step-by-step arbitrage guides on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu—pushed the fund to hit daily 10% limits for three consecutive sessions. The manager previously cut subscription caps (Class C from ¥500 to ¥100; reductions to Class A) but these measures failed to stem demand, and premiums briefly remained near 44% after the limits. Year-to-date the fund rose about 187%, outpacing Shanghai silver futures (~145%), reflecting intense retail flows into a limited set of domestic silver products. Regulators and the manager cited the large disconnect between market price and net asset value, thin underlying silver liquidity, and elevated downside risk from a potential rapid sentiment reversal as reasons for intervention. Traders should watch for spillovers into other metals LOFs, shifts in on‑shore liquidity, widening arbitrage opportunities, and heightened volatility in related commodities and safe‑haven assets. Primary SEO keywords: China silver fund, UBS SDIC, silver LOF, premium, retail frenzy. (Main keyword "China silver fund" appears multiple times.)
The USDC Treasury (Circle) minted 250,000,000 USDC in a single on-chain transaction flagged by Whale Alert on April 10, 2025. Backed 1:1 by USD reserves, this mint increases USDC circulating supply and represents a notable liquidity event. Large-scale mints often signal institutional activity — exchanges, market makers, hedge funds or corporations preparing liquidity for trading, large asset purchases (e.g., BTC, ETH), OTC desks or DeFi deployments. On-chain transparency allows traders to monitor subsequent token flows to exchanges, DeFi protocols or custody wallets. The immediate market effect depends on deployment speed and destination: transfers to exchanges or trading desks can create near-term buying pressure on major crypto assets, while idle custody or redemptions would mute impact. Key data points: 250,000,000 USDC minted; recorded at the official USDC Treasury contract address. Historical context: prior multi-hundred-million USDC mints have coincided with institutional inflows and TVL increases but are not guarantees of instant rallies. For traders: treat the mint as a neutral on-chain indicator that becomes bullish if followed by visible exchange inflows or on-chain conversions into crypto. Track on-chain explorers and alert services for follow-through; watch for increased market depth and reduced slippage if funds are deployed as liquidity.
Strategy CEO Phong Le says Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain strong despite a roughly 29% drop from October highs. Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast (Dec. 23), Le urged investors to use disciplined, quantitative, long-term approaches — highlighting metrics such as mNAV (market cap vs. BTC treasury value), a dedicated Bitcoin treasury and a US dollar reserve. Strategy holds about 671,268 BTC (~$59B at reporting) and has set aside a $1.4B USD reserve for shareholder dividends. Le pointed to growing institutional and government engagement — meetings with US banks and talks in the UAE — and described significant US government support as a bullish catalyst toward 2026. Market context: BTC hit an all-time high in early October (~$125–126k) and traded near ~$87k at the time of reporting; the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has been in “Extreme Fear.” Key takeaways for traders: monitor mNAV and treasury metrics, expect elevated near-term volatility, prefer methodical, fundamentals-focused positioning, and watch for institutional or policy developments that could materially shift sentiment.
A whale moved 3,000,000 TRUMP tokens (~$14.88M) into Binance after roughly 50 days of accumulation, realizing an estimated $7.8M loss versus a prior withdrawal valued at about $22.68M, according to on-chain trackers (Lookonchain/Onchain Lens). The deposit signals capitulation and increased short-term sell-side supply, but the market absorbed much of the selling: spot price held above $4.80 and traded around a $5 pivot. TRUMP briefly broke a descending channel but failed to sustain gains above the $5.20–$5.25 resistance and has since reverted toward the $5 level. Technical indicators show neutral-to-weak momentum (RSI ≈ 46). On-chain and market metrics — including a positive 90-day CVD (CryptoQuant) and a CoinGlass 4-hour long/short ratio near 1.32 — suggest buyers have been absorbing supply without strong bullish follow-through. Liquidity clusters and liquidation heatmaps concentrate around $5.10–$5.20, making that band a likely test point and potential stop-run zone. Traders should monitor exchange inflows, spot CVD, liquidity bands, and price reaction at $5 support and $5.20 resistance for short-term volatility and possible additional selling pressure.
CryptoRank data shows Solana (SOL) and derivatives platform Hyperliquid (HYPE) led blockchain revenue in 2025, with Solana collecting about $1.3 billion in on-chain fees and Hyperliquid about $816 million; Ethereum (ETH) generated roughly $524 million. Solana’s revenue was driven by sustained transaction throughput across DEX activity, memecoin trading, DePIN and consumer apps while its TVL remained range-bound at roughly $7–$12 billion — indicating higher fee generation per unit of capital rather than TVL growth. Hyperliquid’s fees were concentrated in perpetuals and derivatives execution; its TVL rose from ~$2 billion early in the year to peaks above $6 billion before settling near $4.1 billion. Santiment and CryptoRank evidence cited in the reports point to a market shift: networks optimised for execution quality and high-frequency activity convert flow into fees more efficiently than chains that rely on deep but less active liquidity. For traders, the key takeaways are to monitor on-chain activity metrics (transaction volume, DEX swaps, derivatives volume) and fee-capture rates as leading indicators of network revenue potential. Watch SOL for throughput-driven trade opportunities and HYPE for derivatives flow — but adjust risk sizing for liquidity concentration and potential sentiment swings.
Trust Wallet confirmed a security incident in its Chrome browser extension v2.68 that led to roughly $7 million in funds being drained. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT first flagged suspicious drains after users imported seed phrases into the extension; researchers suspect a supply‑chain or malicious update introduced the vulnerability. Trust Wallet says the issue was isolated to v2.68 — mobile apps and other extension versions were not affected — and advised users to disable the extension immediately and update to v2.69. The company published an official update on Dec 26, is conducting internal audits, has not disclosed a full technical root cause, and warns users to ignore messages outside official channels to avoid follow‑on phishing scams. Trust Wallet has committed to fully refunding affected users and is finalising the refund process. Key trader actions: monitor TWT sentiment and on‑chain movements from drained wallets, avoid interacting with untrusted extensions, consider moving high‑value holdings to hardware wallets or multisig, and verify any refund instructions via official Trust Wallet channels. Primary keywords: Trust Wallet, browser extension security, $7M loss. Secondary/semantic keywords: supply‑chain attack, seed phrase compromise, refund, on‑chain draining, extension update.
Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz warned that community loyalty alone will not sustain tokens like XRP and ADA through the 2025 market cycle; projects must demonstrate measurable real-world utility and revenue models. Novogratz contrasted Bitcoin’s distinct valuation as money with other chains that will be valued like businesses, driven by revenues, profits and platform usage. He singled out XRP and Cardano (ADA) as examples facing pressure to move beyond narrative and prove business use cases such as cross-border payments, enterprise adoption and protocol fee generation. Key metrics traders should watch include transaction fee revenue, protocol revenue distribution, enterprise partnerships, developer activity and on-chain usage. Novogratz noted market maturation — greater institutional participation and regulatory scrutiny — is shifting capital toward assets with demonstrable economic substance and management quality. He cited token models with clear, equity-like value (e.g., tokens using buybacks/burns tied to profits) as increasingly favored. Galaxy Digital’s internal tracking shows divergence between genuinely adopted networks and those reliant on community momentum; historical cycles (like many 2017 ICO tokens fading) support the view that projects with real use cases hold up better. For traders, the takeaway is to prioritize fundamentals — measurable usage, partnership announcements, on-chain revenue metrics and developer engagement — when assessing XRP and ADA exposure ahead of the next cycle. This is not trading advice; investors should do independent research.