Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Coinbase research lead David Duong reports on‑chain perpetual futures (perps) exceeded $1 trillion in monthly trading volume in 2025 as traders shifted toward leveraged exposure on decentralized exchanges. Over the most recent 30 days on‑chain perps handled roughly $972 billion, led by Lighter (~$203B), Aster (~$171.8B) and Hyperliquid (~$160.6B). Notable peaks included Hyperliquid’s ~$319B monthly high in July and Aster’s near $36B 24‑hour volume shortly after its September launch. Drivers cited include limited altcoin spot rallies, attractive leverage on perps, improved on‑chain execution and liquidity, and rising confidence in self‑custodial infrastructure. Duong argues perps are evolving from isolated high‑leverage tools into composable DeFi primitives that can integrate with lending, yield farming and tokenized real‑world assets (RWA), enabling dynamic hedging, new rate products and broader collateral uses. He also flags tokenized equity perpetuals (stock perps) as a likely next growth frontier. Risks remain: amplified volatility from leverage, higher systemic leverage, and increasing regulatory scrutiny as volumes approach traditional derivatives markets. Analysts expect 2026 to be pivotal for composability, with potential synergies from AI trading agents and zero‑knowledge tech. For traders, the trend points to greater capital efficiency and new strategy layers but also higher tail risk from leverage and regulation.

Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi predicts a major tech company—likely Google, Meta or Apple—will introduce or acquire a native crypto wallet by 2026, potentially exposing digital assets to billions of users. He expects this wider retail access to be bullish for Bitcoin (BTC) price but to lower BTC dominance as DeFi rails such as Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) capture more activity. Qureshi also sees banks and fintechs building permissioned private chains that can link to public blockchains using tooling like Avalanche, OP Stack, Orbit and ZK stacks, though he doubts standalone L1s launched by fintechs or banks (examples: Tempo, Arc, Robinhood Chain) will attract sufficient users or liquidity to rival established public networks. Institutional pilots by JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and IBM are noted, but most remain in pilot stages. He forecasts a substantial rise in stablecoin supply and wider use of stablecoin-linked payment cards in 2026, and expects consolidation among perpetual DEXs to a few leaders. Qureshi warns of potential insider-trading scandals and tighter DeFi oversight, and anticipates stricter enforcement of MiCA-style rules. Greater institutional demand for treasury and payment tokenization could drive enterprise blockchain use; several crypto firms are eyeing 2026 IPO windows. Trading relevance: a Big Tech wallet would likely increase retail on‑ramp and on‑chain liquidity (bullish for BTC and stablecoin volumes), shift dominance toward ETH/SOL DeFi activity, raise compliance and counterparty risks for DeFi products, and favor projects with strong on‑chain liquidity and regulatory readiness.

Standard Chartered and Ant Group have launched a pilot real-time tokenized deposit service in Hong Kong that represents bank deposit balances as digital tokens for instant settlement and on‑chain use. Built under Hong Kong Monetary Authority initiatives (including Project Ensemble and the DLT Regulatory Sandbox), the service ties Standard Chartered’s banking infrastructure and custody with Ant Group’s tokenization and payments platform to allow clients to convert fiat deposits into tokenized deposits that can be transferred and settled in real time across participating platforms. The pilot targets institutional and corporate treasury needs — improving liquidity management, accelerating cross‑border payments between HKD, offshore CNY and USD, and enabling on‑chain interoperability while meeting local regulatory and custody requirements. The initiative underscores growing adoption of regulated tokenization by legacy banks, bridges traditional banking rails with blockchain utility, and may serve as a model for further bank-led tokenized-asset services in Asia.

Chainalysis data shows North Korea-linked groups stole about $2.02 billion in crypto in 2025, helping push total industry thefts to roughly $3.4 billion so far. This is a 51% year‑over‑year increase for DPRK-linked losses and raises their cumulative takings to about $6.75 billion. Attack frequency fell while the total value rose because a few very large breaches — notably a February compromise of Bybit that accounted for roughly $1.5 billion — dominated losses. Chainalysis reports three attacks comprised 69% of service-provider losses. Attackers favored gradual laundering (transfers typically under $500,000), heavy use of cross-chain bridges such as Celer and Stargate, and largely avoided lending protocols and many decentralised exchanges. Personal wallet incidents increased in count (about 158,000 incidents and ~80,000 unique victims), but value stolen from individuals dropped to $713 million from $1.5 billion a year earlier, indicating more frequent but smaller-target attacks. Solana had the most individual victims; Ethereum and Tron saw the highest theft rates per active wallet. Private-key compromises remained highly damaging, accounting for the bulk of early‑2025 losses. The trend shows attackers concentrating on fewer, larger targets — especially centralized exchanges and custodial services — which raises sustained counterparty risk. Traders should monitor centralized exchange security, on-chain flows (bridge activity and many small transfers used for layering), and be alert to market reactions after large breach disclosures.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said Bitcoin (BTC) complements the US dollar by serving as a market-based check on fiscal and monetary excess. In a Dec. 28 post on X with an accompanying voice clip, Armstrong argued Bitcoin creates healthy competition that raises the political and economic cost of high inflation and large fiscal deficits by offering an exit option for capital if confidence in policy erodes. He framed Bitcoin as a disciplining force that can help the United States retain reserve-currency credibility amid global competition and weak budget incentives in democracies. Armstrong emphasized the relationship between inflation and real growth, warning that persistent inflation outpacing growth could jeopardize the dollar’s reserve status. He suggested Bitcoin’s existence incentivizes smarter policymaking by increasing the reputational and financial consequences of poor fiscal or monetary choices. At the time of the post, BTC traded around $87,604. Key keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, US dollar, reserve currency, inflation, fiscal deficit, Brian Armstrong.

Ethereum (ETH) has regained short-term bullish momentum after bouncing from lows near $2,800 and is trading around $3,000–$3,050 following a recent 24-hour gain. Short-term technicals are mixed: momentum indicators (AO and Stochastic) show improving but cautious signals, with the Stochastic nearing overbought levels. Key resistance sits at $3,050–$3,200; failure there could trigger a pullback toward the $2,870–$2,920 support band. Analysts highlight a pinpoint support near $2,917.65 — holding that level would favor a continuation toward $3,415 and a longer-term target near $4,200 (approximately 35–39% upside from current levels). On-chain flows are mixed: large wallets (10,000+ ETH) have shown accumulation since July, though some big holders slightly trimmed positions. ETH remains below its 200-day EMA (~$3,400), indicating the longer-term trend is not yet confirmed. For traders: watch $3,050 as the immediate confirmation level; monitor $2,900–$2,920 (esp. ~$2,918) as critical support; use the 200-day EMA as trend confirmation. Short-term setups include an aggressive long on a confirmed $3,000 flip to support or a cautious buy near $2,870–$2,920; failure to hold support raises the risk of a drop toward $2,700. This analysis is informational and not financial advice.

Uniswap has completed a landmark on‑chain burn of 100 million UNI (≈$596M) after the UNIfication governance proposal passed with 99.9% support. The vote recorded ~125.34M UNI for and 742 against, comfortably exceeding the quorum. The burn, executed around 04:30 UTC on Dec 28, reduced circulating supply from 1.0B to roughly 730M UNI. Protocol fees are now active for Uniswap v2 and selected v3 pools on Ethereum; interface fees remain set to zero. Fee mechanics: v2 captures 0.05% of trades (LP fees fall from 0.3% to 0.25%) for protocol burns, while v3 uses tiered extraction (e.g., one-quarter of LP fees for the lowest-fee tiers and smaller shares for higher-fee tiers). Future fee sources (Layer‑2s, v4, UniswapX, PFDA, aggregator hooks) will be proposed via governance. The Uniswap Foundation allocated 20M UNI for developer growth and ecosystem funding. Uniswap Labs said Unichain revenue will first cover Optimism and L1 data costs, then prioritize UNI burns. Market reaction: UNI spiked ~19% at vote start and rallied further (~6%) after the burn, trading in a roughly $5.89–$6.38 range, as supply reduction and an activated revenue mechanism improved on‑chain value capture. Key takeaways for traders: the large permanent supply cut boosts scarcity and could support higher price floors; protocol fees create recurring value capture that may attract long-term holders; expect volatility around governance updates and future fee proposals. Primary keywords: Uniswap, UNI burn, UNIfication, protocol fees, token supply reduction.

WLFI, the native token of World Liberty Financial backed by former President Donald Trump, has fallen roughly 56% from its post‑launch highs and remains range‑bound with strong resistance at $0.20–$0.24. The project raised about $550 million across two token sales (≈20 billion WLFI at $0.015 in Oct 2024 and 5 billion WLFI at $0.05 between Jan–Mar 2025) and later completed a $1.5 billion treasury deal with ALT5 Sigma. Trading volume spiked at launch but has since thinned, concentrating activity near range lows and producing a consolidation pattern with repeated failed breakout attempts. On‑chain liquidity appears balanced but subdued, indicating weak buy‑side conviction. Political and regulatory scrutiny intensified in 2025 amid allegations (denied by WLFI and the White House) that tokens may have reached sanctioned entities; lawmakers urged the SEC to investigate. Management plans to expand into real‑world assets in 2026 and has diversified the treasury into assets such as WBTC, ETH, MOVE and various DeFi tokens. For traders: WLFI shows weak technicals (repeated resistance, falling volume) and elevated political/regulatory risk. Expect continued volatility and range‑bound behavior until a clear catalyst — regulatory resolution, major buy‑side demand, or concrete progress on real‑world asset integrations — emerges. Primary SEO keywords: WLFI, World Liberty Financial, WLFI token. Secondary keywords: token sale, political risk, treasury deal, range‑bound trading.

An AMLBot on-chain study (2023–2025) finds Tether (USDT) blacklisted 7,268 addresses and froze about $3.29 billion across Ethereum and Tron, while Circle’s USDC froze $109 million across 372 addresses. USDT freezes outnumber and outsized USDC by roughly 30x in both value and address count. Tron accounted for approximately $1.75 billion of frozen USDT. Tether operates an active “freeze + burn + reissue” process and reports coordination with more than 275 law-enforcement agencies across 59 jurisdictions; it also engages routinely with authorities and exchanges to execute freezes and remediate funds. By contrast, Circle typically restricts or pauses USDC only after explicit legal triggers (court orders, sanctions) and does not routinely burn and reissue tokens. Recent high-profile freezes and procedural disputes cited in the report (including multi-signature approval delays and large freezes tied to investigations) have raised trader concerns about censorship risk, custodial counterparty exposure, and on-chain liquidity lockups. For traders, the key implications are elevated operational and compliance risk for USDT holders, potential flows toward USDC among regulated institutions and exchanges, and short-term price or liquidity sensitivity when large freezes or blacklists occur. Primary keywords: Tether, USDT, Circle, USDC, stablecoin freeze, blacklists, Tron, Ethereum.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit alleging an AI-driven crypto investment fraud that siphoned at least $14 million from mainly U.S. retail investors. From January 2024 to January 2025, operators used social media ads, WhatsApp groups and fake “investment clubs” to funnel victims to sham trading platforms — Morocoin Tech, Berge Blockchain Technology and Cirkor — that displayed fabricated security token offerings (STOs) and fake account balances. Promoted investment clubs — AI Wealth, Lane Wealth, AI Investment Education Foundation and Zenith Asset Tech Foundation — posed as AI-powered advisers to build credibility. Scammers used AI claims, deepfake videos, cloned trading panels, fake KYC/support messages, Zoom malware links and WhatsApp persuasion. When victims tried to withdraw, they were charged upfront “fees” and denied funds, which were then moved overseas via bank accounts and crypto wallets. The SEC sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, alleging violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Exchange Act of 1934 and seeking permanent injunctions, restitution, prejudgment interest and civil penalties. The SEC’s investor-education arm warned the public to be cautious with social-media investment tips and to verify registrations on Investor.gov. For traders: this enforcement action underlines increasing regulator focus on AI-enabled and social-media-based crypto frauds, highlights ongoing AML/KYC and capital-extraction risks, and may raise scrutiny of platforms that advertise AI trading products.

Uniswap’s governance executed the UNIfication proposal, burning 100 million UNI (~$591M) from the treasury and enabling ongoing protocol-fee-funded burns. The action cut treasury holdings from ~$2.1B to ~$1.6B and reduced circulating supply by ~15%. Protocol fee flows were activated for Uniswap v2 and select v3 pools (tiered v3 share ~16–25% per tier; v2 ~0.05%), with Unichain sequencer proceeds also routed into the burn mechanism after layer costs. The proposal passed with overwhelming community support (~99.9%). Market reaction was immediate: UNI spiked ~5% intraday to a local high near $6.40 before settling around $6.30, 24h volume rose ~52% to about $297M, and market cap hit a monthly high near $4.6B. On-chain indicators showed increased accumulation and positive Netflow, while short-term technicals (20/50 MAs and the Stochastic Momentum Index) flipped bullish. Analysts suggest continued buying could push UNI through $6.4 to $6.6 and toward $7.2; failure to sustain demand could see a retrace to ~$5.7. For traders: key drivers are (1) substantial one-time supply cut (100M UNI) plus an activated revenue-to-burn loop that can apply sustained deflationary pressure depending on protocol volume; (2) short-term momentum and whale accumulation that have supported the recent price lift; and (3) monitor fee revenue, burn cadence, LP behaviour, on-chain flows and governance actions for ongoing volatility. Primary keywords: Uniswap, UNI burn, deflationary loop, protocol fees, token burn.

Charles Hoskinson launched Midnight Protocol, a cross-chain privacy framework using zero-knowledge proofs to enable regulatory‑aware private transactions on Cardano (ADA), Bitcoin (BTC) and the XRP Ledger (XRP). Midnight is designed to be programmable so developers can set privacy levels per dApp and apply compliant controls — an argument positioned to attract institutional use over permissioned blockchains and legacy finance. Hoskinson highlights tokenized real‑world assets (RWA) as a major target, estimating a potential $10 trillion addressable market. He projects Midnight could materially increase Cardano’s DeFi metrics (monthly active users, transactions, TVL) by up to 10x if integrations succeed. The protocol’s native token NIGHT drew intense interest at launch but has been highly volatile, sliding roughly 80% to about $0.08 amid heavy speculation. Key signals for traders: monitor NIGHT liquidity and order‑book depth, watch for partner integrations and cross‑chain deployments (especially on BTC and XRP Ledger), track RWA pilot use cases, and follow regulatory responses to privacy-layer rollouts. Short term, expect elevated speculative trading and price swings tied to listings, news and technical liquidity; long term, adoption by institutional RWA projects and successful cross‑chain integrations would be the main drivers of sustained demand.

SBI Ripple Asia and Doppler Finance have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop institutional-grade yield products and real-world-asset (RWA) tokenization on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The collaboration pairs Doppler’s XRPL-native DeFi capabilities and yield infrastructure with SBI Digital Markets’ Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-regulated, segregated custody to reduce exchange and custody risk for institutional clients. This marks SBI Ripple Asia’s first partnership with an XRPL-native protocol and aims to turn traditional assets into compliant, programmable digital instruments, unlock new liquidity channels, and improve capital efficiency. The deal emphasizes compliance, transparency and institutional custody as selling points for on‑chain yield products. Market commentary tied to the announcement noted XRPL technicals — including RSI compression and a descending-triangle wick-fill pattern — that could precede either a relief rally or further weakness; traders should therefore watch XRP technicals alongside institutional onboarding signals. Primary keywords: XRPL, XRP, RWA, institutional custody, yield products.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis endorsed Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller’s proposal to create “skinny” master accounts that would give crypto firms, fintechs and payments-focused banks limited direct access to Federal Reserve services. Presented at the Payments Innovation Conference, the plan aims to address recurring debanking—industry-called “Operation Chokepoint 2.0”—by allowing payments-only entities restricted Fed rails under strict compliance, risk and activity limits. Supporters say skinny master accounts would enable faster, cheaper, 24/7 settlement, reduce reliance on correspondent banks, and curb arbitrary service denials that have affected firms such as Strike, BlindPay and Kontigo; venture investor Marc Andreessen is cited saying over 30 founders faced banking blocks. The proposal limits credit and activity to payments-only operations and includes controls to manage systemic risk. Backers frame the move as a practical remedy to ongoing banking refusals despite prior political pressure (including a presidential executive order) to prevent unjustified account closures. Stakeholders are awaiting formal Fed action and details on eligibility, compliance requirements and operational constraints. For traders: the measure could improve payment rails and operational stability for crypto payment flows if implemented, but timing, scope and regulatory safeguards will determine market relevance.

XRP spot ETFs launched in 2025 have seen rapid, sustained institutional inflows, attracting over $1.1 billion since launch and recording prolonged daily net inflows in late 2025. The funds drew consistent capital while BTC and ETH ETFs faced net outflows in November–December 2025, highlighting a rotation of institutional demand toward XRP. Analysts and commentators attribute the flows to institutional allocation, regulatory clarity, and ETF mechanics that require authorised participants to source XRP to back shares — effectively reducing available spot supply. Early effects include higher spot liquidity, tighter bid-ask spreads, elevated trading volumes, and greater correlation between ETF flows and XRP price moves. For traders, the key signals are increased short-term volatility tied to inflows, opportunities for momentum and ETF-arbitrage strategies, and potential longer-term support for XRP’s valuation if inflows persist and available supply remains constrained. Monitor ETF net flows, spot liquidity metrics, bid-ask spreads, and derivatives open interest to anticipate price moves and arbitrage windows.

Hyderabad police arrested a former Coinbase customer-support agent accused of accepting bribes from hackers who targeted third-party contractors in India to obtain unauthorized server access. The social‑engineering scheme exposed sensitive data from thousands of Coinbase accounts. Internal logs flagged suspicious activity as early as January 2025; attackers publicly demanded a $20 million ransom in May 2025. Coinbase refused to pay and converted the ransom demand into a public bounty to help law enforcement track perpetrators. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic estimates Coinbase’s remediation and customer reimbursement costs at $180–$400 million. CEO Brian Armstrong praised Hyderabad police and reiterated a zero‑tolerance stance on insider threats. The incident underscores risks from insider collusion and third‑party outsourcing, increasing focus on stricter vetting, zero‑trust access controls and continuous monitoring of contractors. Traders should watch for heightened regulatory scrutiny, potential reputational damage to centralized exchanges, and elevated emphasis on insider/third‑party security — factors that may affect exchange volumes and investor confidence in the short term.

A large crypto whale known as the "BTC OG Insider" holds a leveraged long portfolio of roughly $745.7M across ETH, BTC and SOL, according to COINOTAG data tracked by HyperInsight. The combined positions show an aggregate unrealized loss (~$52.26M) and cumulative funding fees (~$3.14M). Position breakdown: ETH longs dominate (~$595.4M, avg entry ~$3,147.39) with an unrealized loss of ~$44.57M; BTC longs total ~$87.4M (entry ~$91,506.70) with an unrealized loss of ~$4.08M; SOL longs are ~$62.9M (entry ~$130.19) with an unrealized loss of ~$3.72M. Compared with earlier reports, the later update shows slightly larger reported unrealized losses and funding fees, confirming sustained leveraged exposure and ongoing mark-to-market pressure. For traders: the portfolio is heavily overweight ETH (primary risk vector), so large ETH deleveraging or liquidations could exert short-term downward pressure on ETH and correlated altcoins. Monitor ETH funding rates, order-book liquidity at key ETH support levels, on-chain whale flows, and derivatives open interest. BTC and SOL exposures are materially smaller, implying less systemic pressure from this whale on those tokens unless broader market stress forces broader deleveraging. Primary SEO keywords: ETH holdings, BTC OG whale, leveraged longs, unrealized loss, funding fees.

Hong Kong has opened a public consultation to adopt the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and to update Common Reporting Standard (CRS) rules, aiming to bring centralized crypto exchanges and cross-border crypto transactions into automatic tax-information exchange by 2028 (CARF) and apply updated CRS measures from 2029. More than 70 jurisdictions have committed to CARF as part of OECD/G20 efforts to close reporting gaps for wallets, decentralized platforms and exchanges. Officials, led by Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui, said the measures will align Hong Kong with international tax-transparency standards, protect its financial reputation and support its role as a global financial hub. Industry experts (including Calix Liu, Stefano Passarello and Noam Noked) warn CARF will raise compliance costs, especially for smaller firms, and could push some trading activity toward self‑custody and peer‑to‑peer channels if enforcement is strict. Hong Kong’s blockchain sector grew ~250% between 2022–2024 and crypto firms rose ~30% in the same period; the public consultation runs until early 2026. For traders: expect tighter KYC and reporting on centralized exchanges over the medium term, potential liquidity and volume shifts toward non‑custodial venues, and higher compliance costs for exchanges and custodians that may affect spreads and execution. Key SEO keywords: CARF, Hong Kong crypto regulation, crypto tax reporting, CRS, exchange compliance.

Japan’s ruling parties (LDP and Japan Restoration Party) released a fiscal 2026 tax outline that reclassifies certain crypto activities as financial products and applies a separate 20% flat tax to spot trading, derivatives and exchange-listed crypto ETFs/trusts — the so-called “green zone.” The reform also introduces a three‑year loss carryover for approved trading activities. Staking rewards, lending yields and many NFT transactions remain treated as miscellaneous income taxed on receipt at progressive rates (up to ~55%). A proposed “Specified Crypto Assets” category will likely be limited to tokens listed on exchanges registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, meaning unlisted altcoins and many DeFi activities may remain outside the 20% regime. Exchanges will be required to submit unified transaction reports from 2026, raising compliance and record-keeping demands and preventing simple loss offsetting against stock gains. The outline also signals potential future measures such as exit taxes on unrealized gains for expatriating investors. For traders: segregate “green zone” assets, prepare detailed P&L and exchange records, and consult tax advisors to optimize treatment under the new 20% tax and three-year loss carryover.

Chainlink (LINK) has seen sustained exchange outflows and sizable on-chain accumulation that have tightened available supply and reduced near-term selling pressure. Since January, reserves on exchanges declined materially as several large wallets withdrew funds — including a single wallet removing over 329,000 LINK — while the Chainlink reserve added ~90,000 LINK, pushing total reserves above ~1.32M LINK. Exchange outflows recently exceeded 15M LINK, compressing liquid supply. Price has traded in a range (roughly $11.75 support to $14.65 resistance) and rebounded from a demand zone toward a descending-channel ceiling near $13.2–$13.5. Key upside targets to watch are $14.65, $16.66 (distribution pivot) and $20 (macro reclaim). On-chain and derivatives indicators point to buy-side absorption rather than leveraged chasing: 90-day spot taker CVD is positive, signalling persistent taker buy dominance; derivatives show larger short liquidations (~$59.5k on Dec 26) versus long liquidations (~$10.6k), implying sellers — not buyers — suffered forced exits. Futures taker CVD also supports buy-side activity. Analysts say downside risk remains contained while LINK holds above $11.75 and that a clean break above $14.65 could open a move toward $16.66, aided by tightening supply. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, exchange balances, taker CVD and key resistance levels for signs of a directional breakout or renewed selling pressure.

USDC treasury addresses minted 90,000,000 USDC on the Ethereum network, as detected and reported on-chain by monitoring service Whale Alert. Earlier reports noted a 60,000,000 USDC mint; the later update indicates a larger 90M issuance. Reports provide no on-chain context about recipients, purpose, whether the mint corresponds to new fiat backing or internal treasury reallocation, nor any immediate redemptions or transfers. For traders: a sizable USDC mint increases stablecoin supply and on-chain liquidity, which can enable larger flows across DeFi protocols and exchanges. Without accompanying transfer or redemption data, the short-term price impact on USDC is unclear; market effects are more likely to show up as shifts in stablecoin availability and potential changes in lending/borrowing dynamics and stablecoin-based funding across DeFi. This update is informational and not investment advice. Primary keyword: USDC. Secondary keywords: USDC minting, Ethereum, stablecoin supply, Treasury.

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.

SUI price remains below key moving averages and has held the $1.30 support since Nov 21 after multiple retests. Buyers briefly pushed toward the 21-day SMA on Dec 19 but were rejected, leaving price bars under downward-sloping moving averages and producing Doji candles that signal range-bound, indecisive action. If $1.30 holds, SUI is likely to stay range-bound between about $1.30 and $1.80. A decisive break below $1.30 would likely resume selling pressure, with analysts pointing to potential targets near previous lows around $0.61–$0.56. Key supply zones are noted at $4.00, $4.20 and $4.40, while demand zones sit around $3.00, $2.80 and $2.60. This technical assessment is time-sensitive and not investment advice.

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.

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.

Bitwise Asset Management has filed an S-1 with the U.S. SEC to launch a spot SUI ETF that would hold SUI tokens directly, naming Coinbase Custody Company as the custodian. The filing does not disclose a ticker or fee; it follows other market entrants including Canary Capital (first filer) and 21Shares (which launched a 2x SUI product). SUI is the native token of the Sui Layer‑1 blockchain, spun out of Meta’s Diem team, and ranks near the top 30 by market cap. Bitwise previously added SUI to its 10 Crypto Index ETF (BITW), signalling institutional interest in Move‑language chains. The SEC review process begins and could take months with potential amendments; approval remains uncertain amid evolving regulator guidance under Chair Paul Atkins. If approved, a spot SUI ETF would broaden regulated access to SUI for institutional and retail investors, likely increasing on‑chain liquidity, market depth and spot/derivatives flows. Traders should watch SEC feedback, custody arrangements (Coinbase Custody), ETF structure and potential effects on SUI liquidity, bid/ask spreads and derivatives pricing.