Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

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

Evernorth, a treasury vehicle backed by Ripple executives, has accumulated about 389 million XRP at a reported cost basis of roughly $947 million. At the current XRP price near $1.86, the position is valued at about $724 million, implying an unrealized loss of approximately $220 million. XRP has fallen roughly 16% over the past 30 days, a decline that coincides with broader market weakness in Bitcoin and a wider crypto correction. This pullback has occurred despite ongoing inflows into U.S.-listed XRP ETFs, which have taken in over $100 million since launch. For traders, the report highlights notable whale risk and mark-to-market exposure from a large treasury holding that could increase downside pressure on XRP if Evernorth reduces holdings to realize losses, or conversely provide liquidity support if it refrains from selling. Key metrics: Evernorth ~389M XRP; cost basis ~$947M; current value ~$724M; unrealized drawdown ~$220M; 30-day XRP decline ~16%; current price cited ~$1.86. Primary keywords: XRP, Evernorth, Ripple, unrealized loss, XRP ETFs. Secondary keywords: crypto treasury, market correction, Bitcoin weakness, large-holder risk, selling pressure.

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

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

Tether CTO Paolo Ardoino said an AI-driven boom and possible bust in U.S. equities is the biggest market risk to Bitcoin in 2026 because BTC remains correlated with broader risk appetite. He warned heavy AI capital spending — data centres, power and GPUs — could reverse sentiment and trigger equity volatility that spills into crypto. Ardoino said recent institutional adoption (pension funds, governments, funds) and growing Bitcoin ETF flows, plus reduced post‑halving miner sell‑pressure, make deep 80%‑style drawdowns less likely. He cited CFTC approvals for spot Bitcoin products and rising tokenisation (via Bitfinex Securities) as liquidity and institutionalisation positives. Ardoino highlighted Tether Gold (XAUT) growth, including a $150m U.S. purchase, praised sustainable corporate Bitcoin treasuries and urged treasury teams to build operating businesses and use pragmatic education and hedging. He also criticised aspects of Europe’s MiCA regulation for stifling innovation and noted mining investment in the Middle East as a driver of further institutionalisation. Traders should monitor equity volatility — especially AI sector flows — as a near‑term BTC risk, while factoring in stronger institutional demand that dampens the likelihood of extreme historical crashes but not of shorter liquidity events or macro shocks.

Major bitcoin mining firms including Core Scientific, CleanSpark, Cipher Mining and IREN are repurposing large, power-dense mining facilities into AI data centres for hyperscalers such as Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. Facing compressed mining margins from tougher competition, higher electricity and equipment costs and halving-driven economics, miners are signing long-term GPU leases, upgrading cooling and networking, and deploying clusters to host AI workloads while in many cases keeping limited bitcoin operations. The shift has lifted sector valuations — for example the CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF and several miner stocks have seen strong year-to-date gains — and some companies (Core Scientific) plan multi-year exits from pure mining (targeting full exit by 2028). Advantages include existing high power density, grid connections and cooling infrastructure that speed conversion; bitcoin sites can also offer flexible load curtailment that continuous AI data centres cannot. Key risks are heavy capex for HPC/GPU retrofits, stretched investor valuations, and potential relocation of US onshore Bitcoin hashpower overseas if capacity is redirected. For traders, this pivot changes miners’ revenue mix and may weaken the direct correlation between miner equities and BTC price, while possibly altering US mining capacity dynamics and on-chain hash rate distribution. Primary keywords: Bitcoin mining, AI data centres, Core Scientific, CleanSpark, data centre conversion. Secondary keywords: GPU, hyperscalers, long-term leases, power contracts, halving, mining margins.

Crypto.com has posted a job for a quant trader to run an internal market‑making desk for its sports prediction markets. The role will buy and sell contracts tied to sports outcomes, provide systematic liquidity, manage risk, and seek profit — effectively operating as an in‑house trading desk that can take the opposing side of customer bets. Crypto.com told Bloomberg the desk will not use proprietary customer order flow or data as a revenue source and said market makers get a brief technical advantage window (3 seconds) on sports markets. The move revives conflict‑of‑interest concerns — critics say exchanges trading against users can make prediction platforms resemble traditional sportsbooks rather than neutral exchanges. The decision mirrors scrutiny of other platforms (eg, Kalshi, Polymarket) and reflects a broader liquidity challenge in prediction markets; industry observers see internal market making as a practical response to thin order books. For traders, expect deeper institutionalised liquidity on Crypto.com’s prediction products but also higher scrutiny on transparency and fairness, which could affect user trust, order flow and platform volumes.

Brett Harrison, former president of FTX US, has raised $35 million to launch AX, an exchange operated by Architect Financial Technologies and regulated in Bermuda. The Series A round was led by Miami International Holdings and Tioga Capital and values the company at roughly $187 million; it follows a prior $12 million round in 2024 that included Coinbase Ventures. AX plans to offer crypto-style perpetual futures on traditional assets such as stocks and forex, using non-expiring, non-custodial contracts to avoid holding underlying assets. The platform aims at institutional and professional clients outside the U.S. to navigate U.S. regulatory constraints after Harrison’s 2022 resignation from FTX US. AX promises 24/7 continuous trading, deeper liquidity, improved price discovery and advanced leverage products. Key near-term challenges include obtaining regulatory approvals in Bermuda and other jurisdictions, ensuring robust compliance and risk controls, and managing reputational scrutiny tied to Harrison’s FTX past. For traders, AX could change market structure and liquidity if adopted by institutions, but uptake depends on regulatory sign-off and counterparty acceptance.

Hedera’s HBAR has come under renewed selling pressure after the Canary HBAR spot ETF reported zero net inflows on Dec. 22, leaving ETF assets near $52 million (about 1% of HBAR’s market cap). HBAR traded around $0.11 on Dec. 23, down more than 20% over the past month after breaking the $0.14–$0.15 range in late November. Daily trading volume for the HBAR ETF remains low (about $630k), indicating limited institutional demand despite initial post‑launch interest that included a $1.78M single‑day inflow. Other altcoin ETFs attracted capital in contrast — Solana spot ETFs saw multi‑million dollar daily inflows and assets near $940M, while XRP spot ETFs recorded $40M+ inflows pushing combined altcoin ETF assets above $1.2B. On‑chain data previously showed exchange outflows at various times, but recent zero ETF inflows remove a likely near‑term institutional support for HBAR. Technical levels: failure to reclaim the $0.123–$0.125 zone accelerated declines toward $0.10–$0.11; resistance sits near $0.21–$0.23 (200‑day EMA noted in earlier reports around $0.208) and a break below $0.18–$0.17 could open $0.15–$0.11. Implication for traders: weak ETF demand increases short‑term downside risk for HBAR unless ETF capital returns, macro risk sentiment improves, or network fundamentals provide catalysts. Primary keywords: HBAR, Canary HBAR ETF, ETF flows, altcoin ETFs.

Bitmine executed large institutional purchases of Ethereum via regulated custody provider BitGo, reported by on-chain trackers. Two reports show differing sizes: an earlier report recorded a 14,618 ETH buy (≈$44.3M) and a later report recorded a 6,678 ETH buy (≈$19.6M). Both transactions are framed as institutional accumulation rather than short-term trading, highlighting renewed institutional confidence in ETH driven by Ethereum’s PoS roadmap, its dominance in DeFi and NFTs, and improving custody and OTC infrastructure that enable large trades. Key risks include regulatory shifts, macroeconomic pressure, execution risk on network upgrades, and competition from other smart-contract platforms. For traders: monitor institutional flows and on-chain data as sentiment indicators; consider ETH for long-term core allocation while managing concentration and liquidity risk. Institutional buys can support price stability and create buy-side pressure, but they do not guarantee short-term price appreciation—combine this signal with technicals, order flow and macro indicators before trading.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has kept roughly 3% of its supply linked to TRON founder Justin Sun blacklisted and immovable three months after a troubled September launch, on-chain analytics firm Bubblemaps reported. Sun held about 3% of WLFI with only ~20% unlocked at launch. The frozen holdings have lost an estimated $60 million in unrealised value. WLFI’s debut featured distribution confusion — community allocation expected at 5% but only ~4% went live due to lockbox mechanics, and liquidity/marketing allocations clarified later to ~2.8%, pushing effective circulating supply toward ~6.8%. Other large allocations (10% ecosystem fund, 7.8% to Alt5 Sigma) were reportedly unlocked without vesting. Early on-chain movements tied to Sun moved roughly $9 million of WLFI via HTX and Binance. Project maintainers flagged unusual activity and used a guardianSetBlacklistStatus function to freeze the associated wallets. The token launched at $0.20 with an implied market cap near $1 billion, saw very high initial volume and mechanical-looking price action, then declined steadily. Community reaction split between support for a freeze to prevent insider selling and criticism that it violated investor rights; Sun denies intent to sell and has publicly requested unfreezing. Traders should watch any changes to blacklist status, additional token unlocks, exchange handling of liquidity allocations, and on-chain transfers — each could trigger sharp short-term volatility in WLFI. Primary keywords: WLFI, Justin Sun, token freeze, blacklist, token launch. Secondary keywords: TRON DAO, frozen holdings, paper losses, on-chain analytics, liquidity allocation.

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.

Chainlink (LINK) whales accumulated roughly 1.57–1.62 million LINK (≈$19.8–$22M) over recent days as price consolidated around $12.6–$13.6. On-chain trackers (CryptoQuant, Onchain Lens, Lookonchain, Onchain Lens) show multiple consecutive days of large buy orders and several days of negative exchange netflows (reported totals between -151k and -384.9k LINK), signalling increased withdrawals from exchanges and reduced available sell-side supply. Notable transactions include a whale buying 360,551 LINK on Dec 22 and another purchase of ~1.62M LINK across Binance and Kraken in earlier reporting; combined whale holdings now total roughly 0.8–2.18M LINK for the identified wallets. Technical indicators differ across reports: short-term momentum showed bearish reads after a rejection at $14.90 in earlier coverage, but later updates show moving averages converging and a short-term MA9 crossover with bullish Stochastic readings. Analysts identify support near $12.60 (or $12.65) and resistance at $14.50–$14.90, with upside targets cited around $15–$16.70 if whale accumulation and exchange outflows continue. Key trader takeaways: shrinking exchange supply and concentrated whale buys are bullish short-to-medium-term catalysts, but confirmation requires sustained volume, continued net outflows, and price holding above $12.6; a breakdown below $12.6 could test $11.8 and negate the bullish case.

ETHZilla, the publicly listed crypto treasury firm that rebranded from 180 Life Sciences, disclosed in an SEC filing that it sold 24,291 ETH for $74.5 million (average ~$3,068.69 per ETH) to redeem senior secured convertible notes. After the disposal, the company holds roughly 69,800 ETH. The firm said it expects to use most or all proceeds to repay debt. ETHZilla has also pursued diversification through recent investments, acquiring stakes in Karus (20% fully diluted) and Zippy (15%). The sale reflects a wider trend among listed crypto treasuries trimming holdings amid price volatility to reduce leverage and shore up liquidity — similar moves have been made by other public firms such as FG Nexus and Sequans Communications. Traders should note the immediate incremental sell-side supply from the disclosed liquidation, the company’s intent to deleverage rather than exit crypto exposure, and the potential for improved market confidence if debt reduction stabilizes its balance sheet. Primary keywords: ETHZilla, Ether (ETH), ETH sale, convertible notes, crypto treasury, debt repayment.

MYX Finance (MYX) has shown renewed upside after a volatile sequence: an initial fakeout pushed price to $3.90 before a liquidity-driven reversal to $2.90, then MYX rallied ~12% in 24 hours to trade near $3.30 and reclaimed the $3 level. A 4‑hour break above $3.10 created an imbalance/demand zone at $2.93–$3.18 that is likely to be retested. Technicals on the daily chart remain bullish, supported by bullish MACD momentum, rising moving averages and on-chain capital inflows. Derivatives signals were mixed in earlier coverage: Open Interest had declined and funding turned deeply negative (suggesting short positioning and squeeze potential), while short/long ratios hovered near parity — indicating some short-hunting around $3.7–$3.9 in prior moves. Liquidation heatmaps identify magnetic zones at $3.87–$4.40 (lighter) and $2.49–$2.66 (denser). Macro sentiment is a limiting factor: Bitcoin failing to reclaim $94.5k keeps broader altcoin risk appetite muted and could cap upside. Trading guidance: traders can lean bullish while price holds the $2.93 demand zone, targeting a move toward $4.40, but manage risk for volatility and potential short squeezes; the bullish setup invalidates on a decisive break below $2.93. This is not financial advice.

Bitcoin slipped below the key $89,000 level after a recent rally, trading around $88,900 on Binance USDT pairs. Analysts cite profit-taking by short-term holders and large whales, overbought technical signals on shorter timeframes, and broader macroeconomic uncertainty—notably interest-rate concerns—that have tightened risk appetite. The break of near-term support likely triggered automated sell orders; traders are watching support zones at roughly $88,000, $85,000 and $82,000, while a recovery above $90,000 would suggest renewed buying pressure. Recommended trader actions include reviewing portfolio allocation, applying dollar-cost averaging for long-term accumulation, and setting stop-losses for active positions. On-chain indicators — exchange flows, whale activity and market dominance — and trading volume should be monitored to gauge conviction. The move is presented as a common market correction in a volatile asset class rather than proof the broader bull market has ended. This update integrates earlier reporting of a drop below $88,000 and later confirmation of continued selling pressure and technical overextension on short timeframes.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) fell to multi-month lows (around $0.0000073) while on-chain metrics showed a sharp increase in token burns and continued exchange withdrawals. A 24-hour burn surge of 133% removed about 7.2 million SHIB, with more than 35 million burned over four days, trimming circulating supply to roughly 585 trillion. Exchange reserves have declined for months, suggesting accumulation into cold wallets. Technically, SHIB has formed a large falling wedge on the daily chart and the Percentage Price Oscillator shows bullish divergence, supporting a potential near-term rebound toward ~$0.000010, with that view invalidated below the year-to-date low at $0.0000069. However, off-chain fundamentals are mixed to weak: Shibarium’s TVL has plunged (~19% to $1.47M) with no notable protocol additions, 24h trading volume has cooled (~$96M), and futures open interest collapsed to about $77M from a YTD high near $550M. Earlier reporting noted an even larger burn spike (17,225%) tied to a ~30M token transfer to a burn address but pointed out the dollar value of that burn was tiny (~$250) versus SHIB’s multi-billion-dollar market cap. For traders: rising token scarcity and falling exchange supply are potential bullish supply-side factors, but weak ecosystem adoption, declining liquidity and derivatives activity, and bearish technical breakdowns (from the earlier report) argue for continued downside risk unless smart-money accumulation, meaningful Shibarium traction, or ETF-related demand re-emerge. Monitor burn rates, exchange balances, Shibarium TVL and developer activity, daily volume and open interest, and price action around $0.0000069 (bear invalidation) and $0.000010 (near-term target).

Spot XRP ETFs in the US recorded $82 million of net inflows last week, pushing total XRP ETF assets under management (AUM) above $1.2 billion after six consecutive weeks of inflows since their mid‑November launch. Early demand was initially retail-led but institutional investors — including pension and insurance funds — have begun allocating to XRP ETFs, with industry figures citing XRP’s payments use case and operational track record as easing institutional adoption. By contrast, US Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs saw significant outflows last week: roughly $497 million from BTC ETFs and about $644 million from ETH ETFs (SoSoValue data). Solana spot ETFs attracted $66.5 million in inflows. Despite these ETF flows, XRP’s price slipped below $2 amid broader market weakness. Earlier reporting showed a different snapshot in which US crypto ETFs overall had net inflows exceeding $500 million over a comparable period, led by BTC ($287M) and ETH ($209M), Solana ($33.6M) and persistent XRP inflows over 30 days. The combined coverage indicates a rotation of capital: some money is moving away from BTC/ETH ETFs into alternative spot-crypto ETFs like XRP and SOL, reflecting shifting retail and growing institutional interest in non-BTC/ETH exposure. For traders: monitor ETF subscription/redemption data, AUM trends, and short-term liquidity as these reallocations can decouple ETF flows from immediate spot price moves, create transient volatility in BTC/ETH and bolster demand for XRP and SOL.

Poland’s lower house (Sejm) voted 241–183 to re-pass the Crypto-Asset Market Act — an unchanged version previously vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki — and has sent the bill to the Senate. The legislation aims to implement the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework domestically by creating a strict licensing and supervision regime under the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). Government officials frame the measures as national-security and anti–money-laundering steps. Critics, including MPs and industry groups, say the bill goes beyond MiCA’s baseline, concentrates power in the KNF, shortens transition periods ahead of the expected July 2026 MiCA deadline, raises compliance costs and risks pushing firms to relocate to more accommodating EU jurisdictions. The president has previously expressed pro-crypto sentiments but vetoed the earlier bill over concerns it threatened freedoms and stability; officials say a classified security briefing could affect his final decision. If the Senate approves the unchanged bill, it will return to the president and may become law or face another veto. For traders: the measure increases regulatory risk for Polish-based crypto firms and service users, could reduce domestic liquidity and onboarding, and may prompt relocation or operational changes by exchanges and custodians — factors that can affect regional liquidity and market access, though immediate global price effects are likely limited unless broader EU action follows.

The U.S. Department of Justice sentenced Magdaleno Mendoza, a senior promoter for IcomTech, to 71 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal reentry. IcomTech, launched in mid‑2018, marketed supposed crypto mining and trading products promising “guaranteed” daily returns but operated as a multi‑level marketing Ponzi scheme. Promoters recruited largely Spanish‑speaking, working‑class investors via expos, community meetings and high‑profile events. Investors saw simulated online “profits,” were blocked from withdrawals and ultimately suffered losses when the scheme collapsed by late 2019. Mendoza collected cash at events, helped promote a worthless proprietary token called “Icoms,” and funneled investor funds to pay earlier participants and promoters’ personal expenses. Prosecutors say operators collected significant sums from roughly 190,000 individuals across the U.S. and other countries; earlier sentences include founder David Carmona (121 months) and former CEO Marco Ruiz Ochoa (60 months). Mendoza was ordered to pay approximately $790,000 in restitution and forfeit $1.5 million, including interest in a California property. For traders: this case underscores ongoing regulatory and law‑enforcement pressure on fraudulent crypto schemes, highlights the reputational risk of small, proprietary tokens (Icoms), and serves as a reminder to perform rigorous due diligence on yield promises and MLM‑style crypto offerings.

Indiana Republican Rep. Kyle Pierce introduced bipartisan-leaning legislation that would allow state-managed public funds — including teacher and public employee pensions and 529 education savings plans — to allocate assets to regulated crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The bill bars direct crypto holdings by those plans, limiting exposure to ETFs for greater transparency and oversight. It also contains broader crypto provisions: protections for miners (including proof-of-work operators and home miners), limits on local bans of crypto payments, prohibitions on special taxes for crypto use, clearer rules for mining operations, and expanded protections for self-custody of digital assets. The draft was developed with industry input (e.g., Satoshi Action Fund) and reflects growing federal momentum around stablecoin rules. Retirement officials signaled neutral support, citing low current member demand but accepting ETF access if accompanied by risk disclosures and suitability reviews. Supporters say ETF access could raise long-term institutional demand for major digital assets; critics warn about suitability for retirement plans and risks from newer tokens. For traders, the bill signals potential incremental institutional flows into spot-backed crypto ETFs and possible local mining activity growth if enacted — factors that could underpin demand for major PoW assets. SEO keywords: crypto ETFs, state crypto regulation, miners protection, institutional adoption, stablecoins.

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.

Nasdaq has filed with the SEC to move U.S. equity trading from the current 5×16 schedule to a 5×23 model: trading from Sunday 21:00 ET to Friday 20:00 ET with a daily one-hour maintenance window. Official rationale highlights service for Asia and Europe, but the proposal is widely seen as a coordinated step toward tokenized, near-continuous markets and eventual 24/7 trading. Key enablers cited include DTCC’s push toward tokenized real-world assets, the switch to T+1 settlement in 2024, and Nasdaq’s backend upgrades (including Calypso integration) for automated margin and collateral management. The initiative follows similar moves from NYSE and Cboe and depends on major infrastructure changes: a continuous securities information processor and DTCC completing 24/7 clearing by late 2026. Expected effects for traders and intermediaries include higher operational costs, strain on brokers and clearinghouses, fragmented and thinner liquidity during night sessions, faster transmission of global shocks with less overnight digestion, and potential changes to price discovery and execution models. Early data supporting demand: NYSE non-regular-hours trading reached about 20 billion shares and $62 billion in Q2 2025 (~11.5% of U.S. volume). Traders should monitor SEC decisions, DTCC production timelines, broker infrastructure readiness, and initial liquidity/volatility patterns in the night sessions. The move may act as a stress test aligning market hours with on-chain settlement rhythms and could accelerate demand for fully tokenized, 7×24 tradable equities.

XRP is trading around $2 with a bullish technical setup: supports near $1.96, $1.90 and $1.84 and resistances at $2.10, $2.16 and $2.23. Analysts say renewed institutional interest and payment-use narratives could push XRP toward $4–$5 in a full bull market, although upside depends on macro liquidity and real-world settlement adoption. Separately, Ozak AI (OZ), an AI-native blockchain project, has reportedly raised over $4.9 million in its presale. The project claims millisecond-level market signal processing, autonomous multi-chain SINT agents, and data from a 700K+ node Perceptron Network feeding its models. Some analysts cited view Ozak AI as a high-risk, early-stage speculative opportunity with 50x–100x ROI potential over the next cycle. The piece is a paid press release and not investment advice.

Dogecoin (DOGE) price momentum has weakened after breaking short-term support, with limited near-term catalysts; a recent liquidity sweep set a short-term support level that could allow a temporary relief bounce. Market interest is rotating from meme coins toward utility-focused DeFi projects. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is highlighted as a top beneficiary: its presale is in Phase 6 at $0.035 and is reported over 95% sold (98% in later reporting), with roughly 18.3k–18.5k+ holders and ~ $19–20 million raised. Phase 7 will raise the presale price to $0.04. Mutuum positions itself as a decentralized lending/borrowing protocol, is undergoing a Halborn security audit, and plans a V1 testnet on Sepolia in Q4 2025. The project runs gamified community incentives (24-hour leaderboards, daily $500 MUTM rewards and a $100,000 token giveaway). The coverage is a press release and advises traders to do their own due diligence before participating in the presale.

Binance announced on December 19, 2025 that it removed nine tokens from its Alpha listing venue — BUZZ, DARK, FROG, GORK, MIRAI, PERRY, RFC, SNAI and TERMINUS — after an internal review found they did not meet Alpha’s listing standards. Delistings are effective immediately on the Alpha platform, though users can still sell remaining balances via Binance Wallet and related interfaces for a limited window. Binance also removed several Alpha spot trading pairs earlier that day as part of routine compliance and quality-control measures. The exchange framed the cleanup as part of broader efforts to improve listing transparency and user protection, pointing to recent initiatives including a transparency report and a whistleblower reward program. Traders should note the delisting timestamps to avoid forced exposure and consider risk management steps — closing positions or withdrawing assets before removals. Primary keywords: Binance Alpha, delist, token removal, FROG.

Kalshi, a regulated prediction market platform, has integrated the TRON blockchain to accept deposits and withdrawals in TRX and TRON-based USDT (TRC-20). The rollout allows U.S. users to transact directly on TRON; international users can access TRON via linked exchange accounts. Kalshi says the integration expands its multichain capabilities and brings more on-chain liquidity into regulated event markets by combining TRON’s fast settlement and low fees with Kalshi’s market infrastructure. TRON DAO described the partnership as part of a broader convergence between traditional financial platforms and blockchains. Expected benefits include improved capital efficiency, lower transaction costs, greater accessibility for TRON users, and strengthened liquidity profiles for Kalshi’s markets as stablecoins and prediction markets mature. Traders should watch for changes in on-chain liquidity and capital flows (especially demand for TRX and TRC-20 USDT), possible liquidity fragmentation across chains, and regulatory developments affecting prediction markets.

The White House AI and crypto policy chief David Sacks said the Senate Banking Committee will mark up the CLARITY Act in January. The bipartisan bill would split digital assets into three categories—digital commodities (under CFTC jurisdiction), investment contract assets (under the SEC) and permitted stablecoins—and create rules for exchange registration, Qualified Digital Asset Custodians (QDACs) with strict key-management, and AML/KYC compliance. Earlier House passage and recent Senate confirmations by Chairs Tim Scott and John Boozman have advanced prospects for a Senate process. Progress slowed recently due to a U.S. government shutdown and ongoing party negotiations; Democrats are seeking more time to vet market-integrity, financial-stability and ethics provisions. Separately, debate has intensified over the GENIUS Act clause banning interest or yield on stablecoins. The Blockchain Association and 125+ industry signatories oppose broad interpretations that would extend the ban; banking groups want prohibitions to cover rewards paid by third parties and are lobbying for changes. The timeline coincides with other regulatory moves such as an OCC opinion allowing banks to execute riskless-principal crypto-asset transactions — a development that could increase traditional finance participation in crypto markets. Industry firms (Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, Circle, a16z, Paradigm) have engaged with regulators; consumer advocates warn for stronger anti-fraud and market-manipulation protections, particularly for DeFi. For traders: the CLARITY Act would materially reshape jurisdictional certainty (CFTC vs SEC) and compliance requirements for exchanges, custodians and stablecoin issuers. Market reaction may hinge on final language for stablecoin yields under the GENIUS Act and on whether the bill narrows or broadens regulatory scope for DeFi. Expect increased institutional on‑ramp potential if QDAC and OCC pathways are finalized, but also potential short-term volatility as stakeholders lobby amendments ahead of the Senate markup.

Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro Research at Fidelity, said Bitcoin likely peaked near $125,000 in October 2025 following the 2024 halving and may enter a roughly one‑year correction or “bear year” in 2026. Using historical cycle alignment, Timmer notes the peak timing fits prior patterns and highlights falling trading volume and reduced on‑chain activity since the high. He identifies a critical technical support zone at $65,000–$75,000; a drop below $65,000 would erase most 2025 gains. Fidelity expects 2026 could be a “resting” year with extended sideways or modestly down price action rather than a sudden crash. Timmer remains long‑term constructive on Bitcoin but flags elevated downside risk over the next year. By contrast, he underscores gold’s strong 2025 performance (about +65% YTD) and argues it has shown better downside resilience amid macro uncertainty. Implications for traders: expect higher short‑term volatility and possible drawdowns for retail buyers who entered near the October peak; institutions may view weakness as an accumulation opportunity to lower average cost. This is market analysis, not investment advice.