Crypto News

Analyst Ali Martinez warns XRP faces downside risk to about $0.80 as on-chain fundamentals weaken and large holders increase selling. Martinez highlights a decline in daily active addresses on the XRP Ledger to roughly 38,500, signaling cooling network participation. At the same time, whales have moved more than 40 million XRP into net selling over several days, reducing large-holder balances and adding supply pressure. Technically, Martinez identifies $1.77 as a critical support level; a sustained break below that level would expose a volume-based support band near $0.79–$0.80. The analysis combines on-chain metrics (active addresses, whale transfers, exchange flows) with price structure and volume distribution to argue that continued selling and weaker network activity raise the probability of a deeper pullback. Traders should watch whale transfers to exchanges, monitor volume around $1.77, and apply risk management (position sizing, stop-losses, diversification). Broader macro and regulatory developments could change the outlook; this is informational, not financial advice.

The US government asked a New York federal judge to reject an amicus brief from the DeFi Education Fund (DEF) in the criminal case against brothers Anton and James Peraire‑Bueno, who are accused of using MEV bots to extract roughly $25 million from pending Ethereum transactions. Interim US Attorney Jay Clayton argues DEF’s brief repeats legal theories already rejected by the court and adds no new facts relevant to a pending motion for acquittal. DEF warned prosecutions of MEV activity could chill DeFi development and drive developers offshore. Coin Center filed a separate amicus brief also opposing the government; prosecutors have sought to exclude that brief too. A November 2024 jury deadlock produced a mistrial; prosecutors are seeking a retrial in the Southern District of New York for late February or early March 2026. The brothers face charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen property — each count carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The case centers on whether MEV bot strategies constitute criminal fraud or legitimate blockchain activity. Traders should watch this closely: a conviction or legal precedent against MEV extraction could tighten enforcement risk for Ethereum (ETH) validators, bot operators and DeFi builders, potentially dampening developer activity and risk appetite; a defense victory or restrictions on prosecution could preserve the status quo for MEV-related trading strategies.

2025 marked a shift from ad-hoc enforcement to structured global crypto regulation, with stablecoins, sovereign Bitcoin reserves and unified licensing emerging as core themes. Key developments included the U.S. executive order creating a Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, the SEC’s “Crypto 2.0” enforcement drive, and the GENIUS Act establishing a federal 1:1-backed stablecoin regime. Jurisdictions advanced complementary measures: Arizona proposed a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act; Japan relaxed stablecoin rules and advanced crypto ETFs; the UK applied banking-level standards to crypto firms; the EU implemented MiCA enabling pan-EEA licensing (notably Bitvavo approval) and moved toward tighter AML harmonization; Hong Kong and Singapore progressed stablecoin and tokenization frameworks; and Pakistan, Kenya and Taiwan pursued national crypto authorities or studies. International coordination grew via initiatives such as the U.K.–U.S. Taskforce. Market impacts already visible include rotation toward MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins, growing tokenized asset AUM (money market funds and tokenized gold), clearer on-ramps for banks offering custody and stablecoin services, and stronger enforcement and asset-recovery actions. For traders, expect continued volatility around regulatory clarifications, distribution or reserve limits on stablecoins, cross‑border equivalence rulings and compliance-driven issuance cost increases. Over the medium term, clearer rules and greater TradFi participation should support institutional inflows, deeper liquidity and expansion of tokenized markets—while raising barriers for unregulated issuers.

A wallet linked to former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes transferred 6.27 million ENA tokens (≈$1.28M) to the Bybit exchange, according to OnchainLens data reported by COINOTAG. The deposit occurred during a period when ENA traded near $0.18–$0.22, representing a material single-entity inflow relative to ENA’s market size and daily volumes. The transfer does not disclose intent. For traders, the primary risks are short-term selling pressure and order-book impact given thin liquidity; Bybit’s deep liquidity and advanced execution tools could reduce slippage if the tokens are sold using tactics like iceberg or TWAP orders. Analysts should watch subsequent on-chain flows, exchange inflows/outflows, funding rates, and order-book depth across major venues. Immediate effects are likely to be bearish if Hayes (or the linked entity) executes aggressive sell orders, while alternative uses (collateral, lending, internal rebalancing) would be neutral. Real-time on-chain monitoring and tracking follow-up exchange activity are recommended for intraday trade decisions. Primary keywords: ENA, Bybit, Arthur Hayes, on-chain transfer. Secondary keywords: liquidity, order book, token inflow.

Real-world assets (RWAs) in DeFi have surpassed $17 billion total value locked (TVL), overtaking decentralized exchanges to become the fifth-largest sector. Growth is concentrated in a handful of large issuers — Tether Gold (XAUt), Paxos Gold (PAXG), Securitize, Circle’s USYC and Ondo — which together hold the majority of RWA TVL. Ethereum dominates on-chain RWA activity with over $12 billion (50%+) of the sector’s TVL, supported by deep liquidity, institutional-grade infrastructure, redeemability and regular attestations. Tokenized gold leads by value (XAUt ≈ $2.29B; PAXG ≈ $1.6B) and tokenized equities have climbed above $1.2B market cap. CoinGecko reports RWAs posted roughly 185.8% year-to-date returns in 2025, outperforming Layer-1s and other DeFi sectors. The market is consolidating around trusted issuers that provide custody, attestations and liquidity, while smaller projects lose share. Trading takeaways: monitor Ethereum liquidity and on-chain flows into major RWA issuers (gold tokens, USYC, Ondo) for repricing risk and concentration-driven volatility; strong YTD performance may attract speculative capital but also heightens regulatory and issuer-specific risks.

The Russian Ministry of Justice published draft amendments (Dec. 30, 2025) to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code that would criminalize unauthorized crypto mining. The draft defines “illegal mining” as extraction by persons or entities not listed in the state register and ties liability to damage or income thresholds (basic: ≥3.5 million RUB; aggravated: ≥13.5 million RUB). Penalties range from compulsory work (up to 480 hours) and forced labor (up to two years) to fines up to 1.5 million RUB. Aggravated or organized-group cases carry higher fines (500,000–2.5 million RUB or one to three years’ income) and up to five years’ forced labor or imprisonment, plus possible additional fines. The move follows Russia’s November 2024 legalization of crypto mining and registry system; over 1,000 participants were registered by May 2025, and miners must already report monthly mined-token income. The draft responds to rising illicit “black” mining and electricity theft that caused state grid Rosseti losses exceeding 1.3 billion RUB in 2024 and prompted 40+ criminal probes. Deputy PM Alexander Novak had signaled criminalization plans for 2026. For traders: this increases regulatory and legal risk for Russia-linked miners, could raise operating costs, and — if enforced — may reduce underground hashpower and shift mining geography. Monitor the final legal texts, enforcement actions, and changes in reported Russian hash rate and miner-related infrastructure narratives, as these could affect miner service providers, mining-focused equities, and tokens tied to mining infrastructure.

Venture capitalists surveyed by TechCrunch — including partners from Databricks Ventures, Asymmetric Capital, Norwest and Snowflake Ventures — expect most enterprises to raise AI spending in 2026 but to concentrate budgets on a small number of proven, high-ROI products. Respondents (24 enterprise-focused VCs) foresee a shift from broad experimentation to targeted deployment and tool rationalization. Key spending themes: data foundations, model post-training optimization, governance and safeguards to make AI production-safe, and vendor consolidation. VCs warned this reallocation may compress funding and adoption for many AI startups, especially commoditized or easily replicated offerings and those directly competing with large suppliers (eg. AWS, Salesforce). However, startups with hard-to-replicate vertical products or proprietary data may still attract capital. The survey notes VCs invested a record $192.7 billion into AI startups in 2025, indicating strong overall interest even as 2026 spend concentrates. For crypto traders: the shift favors established AI infrastructure and enterprise-focused vendors, plus firms offering governance, data-platform, or optimization tools — areas that intersect with blockchain projects providing enterprise data solutions or AI orchestration. Commoditised AI tooling or small startups without defensible moats could face funding headwinds that reduce M&A or token-linked partnership activity.

Galaxy Digital warns that 2026 may be “too chaotic” for precise Bitcoin (BTC) forecasting but maintains a long-term bullish target of $250,000 for BTC by 2027. The firm says options markets price wide mid-term dispersion — roughly equal odds of BTC finishing June 2026 near $70,000 or $130,000 — and year-end scenarios spanning about $50,000 to $250,000, indicating high volatility. Galaxy highlights that BTC needs to reclaim and hold above roughly $100,000–$105,000 to materially reduce downside risk. Key macro drivers include the pace of AI-related capital expenditure, the direction of monetary policy and US political cycles. For 2026 Galaxy expects a possible range around $70,000–$150,000, with near-term momentum muted by macro pressure and a cautious risk-on/risk-off environment. Offsetting risks, Galaxy cites expanding institutional access, potential easing of monetary policy and demand for dollar-hedge assets as factors supporting BTC’s longer-term case — increasingly compared to gold. Traders should expect continued short-term volatility and wide outcome dispersion; reclaiming $100k+ would be a bullish technical signal, while failure to hold that area raises downside scenarios nearer $50k.

Russia’s Ministry of Justice has proposed criminal penalties targeting unregistered cryptocurrency miners to enforce tax compliance and formalise the sector. The draft law would fine unregistered miners up to 1.5 million rubles and impose up to two years of compulsory labour; cases involving large profits or organised groups would face higher penalties — fines up to 2.5 million rubles, up to five years’ imprisonment or 480 hours of forced labour. The measures require miners to submit monthly tax reports detailing crypto generated and give authorities powers to restrict mining in specific regions. The proposal follows regulatory changes effective 1 Nov 2024 that mandated compulsory registration and monthly reporting and barred foreign entities from mining in Russia. Officials — noting that only about 30% of miners had registered by mid‑June 2025 and that 1,364 miners were registered at end‑Oct 2024 — say the draft aims to close enforcement gaps, bring undeclared operations into the tax register and deter illegal mining. For small-scale miners consuming under 6,000 kWh per month, taxation treatment remains as individuals subject to personal income tax. Traders should watch for enforcement actions and heightened compliance risk in Russia’s mining ecosystem; potential outcomes include miner shutdowns, reduced local hashpower, and short‑term shifts in mining economics that can influence BTC network hash rate and regional mining cost dynamics.

Pepe Coin (PEPE) has seen a sharp, sustained decline from its year-to-date high (~$0.000028) to roughly $0.0000037–$0.0000042 across the two reports, erasing many billions in market value and cutting market cap to around $1.7 billion. On-chain metrics show notable whale selling: large-holder supply fell from ~4.54 trillion PEPE to ~4.47–4.51 trillion this month, while “smart money” balances also trimmed positions. Exchange-held supply has rebounded from monthly lows, indicating renewed selling pressure. Spot volume and futures open interest collapsed (spot ~ $195M; futures OI down from ~ $1B to ~$240M–$300M), signalling weak demand and reduced leverage. Technicals are bearish on higher timeframes: PEPE trades below the 50-day/50-week moving averages, a weekly head-and-shoulders with a broken neckline at ~$0.00000561 was noted, ADX (~27) points to a strengthening downtrend, and momentum indicators favour sellers. Nearest downside targets include the October low near $0.000002816–$0.000002835, with a deeper support scenario near $0.0000020 if that breaks. Key trader implications: rising exchange supply and whale capitulation increase near-term downside risk; falling OI and neutral funding rates reduce the chance of violent leveraged squeezes but also mute rebound potential. Traders should tighten stops, reduce position sizes, and monitor whale accumulation or a reclaimed 50-day/50-week MA and rising open interest as early signs of recovery.

Grayscale Research says two primary forces could drive a crypto market upswing in 2026: increased demand for stores of value amid macroeconomic stress and clearer U.S. regulation. Grayscale research head Zach Pandl told CNBC that rising government debt, persistent fiscal deficits and fears of fiat depreciation are pushing investors toward Bitcoin as a long-term hedge. The firm expects these structural portfolio shifts to persist into 2026 and identifies Bitcoin as the main beneficiary of store-of-value flows. Grayscale also forecasts renewed progress on U.S. federal digital-asset rules after a stalled 2025 bill; clearer regulation would lower issuance risk, make token integration into corporate capital structures easier, and could prompt more institutional and corporate participation. The reports also note views from industry figures (including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong) linking Bitcoin’s role to dollar dynamics and potential enterprise adoption. Separately cited commentary forecasts that major tech firms and top banks could accelerate mass adoption by integrating wallets or using permissioned/modular blockchain stacks interoperable with public chains. Key takeaways for traders: BTC is highlighted as the primary asset likely to attract store-of-value inflows; regulatory clarity in the U.S. is a catalytic event that could increase institutional demand and reduce policy uncertainty; enterprise-level integration remains a medium-term adoption vector. Monitor U.S. regulatory developments, macro indicators (debt, deficits, inflation/fx risk), and institutional flows as potential trade drivers.

Ethereum recorded a quarterly record of 8.7 million newly deployed L1 smart contracts in Q4 2025, reversing a year-long downtrend (Q1 ~6M; Q2 4.3M; Q3 3.1M) and far above Q4 2024’s 528,100, according to Token Terminal data cited by analyst Joseph Young. Total L1 contracts now approach ~91.7 million. The surge is attributed to Layer-2/rollup expansion (Base, Optimism, Arbitrum), reduced gas costs, growth in DeFi, NFTs, GameFi, restaking and real‑world asset (RWA) issuance, plus increased wallet activity and intents. Metrics cited include a 30-day moving average of ~171k new contracts and rising active addresses (Etherscan showed ~396k → 610k YoY in earlier reporting). Despite record deployments, ETH price traded near $2,980–$3,019—inside a multi-year support/resistance band of $2,800–$3,000—and fell ~27.6% in Q4 in prior reports. Exchange ETH reserves and notable flows (millions of ETH moving on/off exchanges) have raised distribution concerns. Analysts note that persistent contract deployment increases on-chain demand for gas and can support staking and infrastructure growth, which is constructive for medium-to-long-term ETH demand, but macro weakness and selling pressure can keep prices muted in the short term. For traders: the data signal improving network activity and developer momentum (bullish fundamentals) but do not guarantee immediate price appreciation; expect potential higher fee-driven demand for ETH over time, increased on-chain activity around L2s, and short-term volatility tied to flows and macro sentiment.

SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY) led weekly ETF inflows, drawing roughly $6.2 billion for the week ending Dec. 26 while the fund gained about 0.8% over the period. Sector-level flows among the 11 S&P 500 sector ETFs were mixed: six sectors recorded inflows and five saw outflows. Communication Services (XLC) experienced the largest sector withdrawal (~$1.78 billion), while Financials (XLF), Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Consumer Staples (XLP) attracted the biggest sector inflows. Technology and Health Care also showed notable movement between the two reports, signaling ongoing sector rotation into cyclicals and defensive areas. In commodities and crypto-related ETFs, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) led commodity inflows with about $2.62 billion and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added $656.7 million. By contrast, iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) recorded meaningful outflows (about $416.3 million in the later report, versus smaller outflows in the earlier one). Overall, flows point to broad demand for US large-cap equities and precious metals, mixed sector preferences, and a modest pullback from bitcoin-focused ETF exposure. For crypto traders, the takeaway is continued institutional interest in risk-on equity allocation and gold as a hedge, alongside temporary reduced flows into bitcoin ETFs — a signal that may weigh on near-term bitcoin liquidity and sentiment but does not necessarily change longer-term crypto adoption trends.

A large crypto trader (a whale) has expanded coordinated leveraged short positions across Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL), bringing combined exposure to roughly $169 million, per Onchain Lens. Position breakdown in the latest report: ~36,281 ETH (~$106M), ~552 BTC (~$48M) and ~114,677 SOL (~$14M). Earlier reporting showed different sizing (~$243M total with heavier BTC exposure), indicating the position mix has shifted over time toward a larger ETH concentration. The trades coincided with BTC trading near $87,000, ETH below $3,000 and SOL under $123, adding directional downside pressure to major markets. High leverage and concentrated ETH shorts (over 60% of the current total exposure) raise liquidation risk and increase the chance of sharp price moves if funding rates spike or the whale adjusts or is forced to close positions. Traders should monitor open interest, funding rates, on-chain liquidation data and order-book liquidity for potential spillover and volatility. Primary keywords: leveraged shorts, Bitcoin short, Ethereum short, Solana short, crypto whale. Secondary keywords: Onchain Lens, liquidation risk, derivatives, trader positioning.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes forecast that Zcash (ZEC) could reach $1,000, citing rising demand for privacy, notable institutional accumulation and supply-side dynamics including ZEC’s late-2025 halving. Hayes framed $1,000 as an initial target while acknowledging significant downside risks. On-chain metrics show increased private usage—about 30% of circulating ZEC is in shielded addresses—supporting the narrative of growing privacy adoption. Institutional activity intensified in late 2025: Grayscale launched a Zcash fund and firms such as Cypherpunk Technologies disclosed multi-million-dollar purchases (reported ~ $18m, targeting roughly 5% of supply). Since Hayes’ market signal, ZEC rallied roughly 40%, trading near the mid‑$500s with about 14% monthly gains and over 700% year‑over‑year. Technical resistance sits around $600, with a breakout toward $750 and then $1,000 by mid‑2026 possible if momentum continues. Key trader considerations: limited liquidity on regulated venues, thin DEX order books, leverage-driven volatility and regulatory pressure on privacy coins. Traders should monitor exchange liquidity, leverage and open interest, regulatory developments affecting privacy tokens, on-chain shielded-address flows, and confirmation of technical breakouts for short‑term entries and staged accumulation.

A malicious build of the Trust Wallet Chrome extension (v2.68) contained code that let attackers access and drain users’ wallets, causing roughly $7 million in reported losses. Trust Wallet confirmed the breach, identified 2,596 affected addresses, and released a patched extension (v2.69). The team says it will reimburse victims and is prioritizing accurate payouts; it has received about 5,000 reimbursement claims, including duplicates and false claims. Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao corroborated the $7 million estimate. The incident disproportionately alarmed Shiba Inu (SHIB) holders because of SHIB’s large retail base and heavy browser‑extension usage. Trust Wallet warned that only communications through verified channels are official and recommended users disable v2.68, install v2.69 from the Chrome Web Store, move funds to secure wallets (hardware or official mobile apps), and revoke suspicious approvals. For traders: expect potential short‑term sell pressure on SHIB from drained wallets and on‑chain token movements; monitor refund confirmations, tracked wallet flows, and Trust Wallet forensic updates for market signals. This event highlights ongoing risks of browser‑based wallet extensions and follows previous SHIB‑related exploits, underscoring the need for cautious custody practices.

Analyst Adam Livingston shows Bitcoin (BTC) surged about 27,701% since 2015, far exceeding gold (+283%) and silver (+405%) over the same period. Livingston says BTC’s outperformance holds even when excluding its earliest years. Critics including gold advocate Peter Schiff argue a shorter, more recent timeframe could paint Bitcoin’s performance as less dominant. Matt Golliher of Orange Horizon Wealth notes a key structural difference: commodities like gold and silver can see supply increases when prices rise, which can cap long-term gains, whereas Bitcoin’s fixed supply removes that supply-side response. The coverage also cites broader market context — a 2025 rally in precious metals (gold and silver) and weaker US dollar (DXY down ~10% YTD) that have driven demand for scarce assets, and a rise in crypto activity in some markets (eg. Brazil’s reported +43% crypto transactions in 2025) indicating ongoing retail and institutional interest. Analysts such as Arthur Hayes suggest continued dollar weakness and potential Fed easing could keep supporting scarce assets including BTC, gold and silver. For traders: the debate reinforces macro drivers (USD strength/weakness, monetary policy, supply characteristics) as primary catalysts for BTC relative performance versus precious metals. Short-term price moves may follow macro shifts and liquidity; long-term narratives remain centered on scarcity and adoption.

Cardano (ADA) faces renewed criticism as traders note limited visible consumer dApp usage, shallow stablecoin depth and liquidity, fueling the “ghost chain” narrative while ADA trades in the low-$0.30s–$0.40s range. By contrast, Digitap ($TAP) markets a banking-first, payments-and-settlement proposition: an omnibank layer that combines fiat rails (SEPA, SWIFT, ACH) with crypto transfers, live Visa card support, merchant tools and tiered privacy/KYC. Digitap highlights live products, third-party security audits (SolidProof referenced), a fixed 2 billion token supply, buy-back-and-burn mechanics and structured presale economics. Earlier reporting noted TAP presale metrics at $0.0361 with >$2.3M raised and 139M tokens sold; later updates put Round 3 proceeds above $3M, ~162M tokens sold and a presale price near $0.0383 with a targeted listing price of ~$0.14. The combined narrative suggests traders in cautious markets may rotate capital from slow-moving large-caps like ADA toward early-stage, utility-first presale projects that advertise live payments utility and defined tokenomics. Traders should weigh ADA’s dependence on future dApp adoption and liquidity expansion against TAP’s present-product claims, audit visibility and presale mechanics. Note: this article is paid content and not investment advice.

Tokenomist data shows over $500 million in scheduled token unlocks between Dec 29 and Jan 5, creating a meaningful near-term supply shock for multiple tokens. Major cliff events are led by Hyperliquid (HYPE) — a $251.19M cliff unlock (~2.59% of adjusted supply) — and SUI ($67.29M, ~1.24%). EigenLayer (EIGEN) and Kamino Finance (KMNO) stand out for high proportional shocks (EIGEN ~9.74% of adjusted supply; KMNO ~5.35%), increasing potential short-term volatility. Other cliff releases include OP, ENA (Ethena), and ZORA. Linear vesting is also substantial: Rainmaker (RAIN) has about $76.56M in weekly emissions and Solana (SOL) about $61.62M (484,670 SOL), with notable linear releases for TRUMP, Worldcoin (WLD), Dogecoin (DOGE) and Avalanche (AVAX). Traders should treat these unlocks as predictable increases in circulating supply that can produce immediate sell-side pressure (especially around HYPE and SUI cliffs) and sustained downward pressure from daily/weekly vesting (notably RAIN and SOL). Monitor unlock schedules, on-chain flows, exchange inflows, and order-book depth. Consider reducing position size, using staggered exits, or implementing hedges (shorts or options) ahead of large cliffs or high-percentage unlocks to manage short-term downside risk and elevated volatility.

Japan’s FY2026 tax-reform draft would shift gains from certain cryptocurrencies handled by registered firms from progressive miscellaneous-income tax (which can exceed ~50%) to a 20% flat tax for “specified crypto assets.” Eligibility is limited to tokens recognised in official registries and traded or custodied by Financial Instruments and Exchange Act-registered operators, effectively favouring regulated exchanges and likely covering major, transparent coins while excluding opaque or unregistered tokens. The package pairs tax relief with tighter regulatory alignment: stronger custody rules, disclosure standards, market-conduct oversight and expanded approved crypto-linked investment products. A three-year loss carry-forward for qualifying crypto investments is proposed starting in 2026, allowing investors to offset future gains — a treatment not currently available. The measures aim to boost domestic trading, long-term holdings and use of compliant venues, but require legislative approval and exclude unregistered P2P activity and noncompliant tokens. Key trader takeaways: potential lower tax drag for regulated crypto holdings, stronger incentive to move funds to licensed exchanges and custodians, increased clarity on tax treatment for major tokens, and probable reduced appeal of trading unregistered/opaque tokens.

SoftBank Group is in advanced, though not finalized, negotiations to acquire DigitalBridge Group, a private-equity investor that manages major data-center and digital infrastructure assets. Reports say SoftBank could announce a deal within days, but terms, timing and a final agreement remain uncertain. DigitalBridge’s portfolio includes DataBank, Switch, Vantage Data Centers and Yondr Group. The move follows SoftBank’s prior infrastructure deals and aligns with its strategy to consolidate AI-era compute and networking capacity amid surging demand for AI workloads. No financial terms or deal structure have been disclosed and representatives for both firms declined to comment. Traders should watch for a formal announcement and any guidance on deal size or financing, as such details could affect sentiment in infrastructure-related equities and tokens tied to data-center or cloud ecosystems.

Hyperliquid unstaked 1.2 million HYPE on Dec. 28, 2025 to prepare a team distribution scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026. This is the first monthly release under a previously disclosed 24‑month vesting plan; future distributions will occur on the 6th of each month. The 1.2M HYPE equals roughly 0.3% of the 420M total supply and comes from Hyperliquid Labs. Hyperliquid reiterated these releases follow existing vesting terms and do not change core protocol mechanics. To manage circulating supply and offset potential sell pressure, the firm pointed to running supply-management measures: daily buybacks (~21,700 HYPE), staking emissions (~26,700 HYPE), a prior ~1.9M HYPE buyback in November, and a 37M HYPE burn from the Assistance Fund. Market reaction was muted; HYPE has declined from 2025 highs above $50. For traders, the monthly unlock schedule reduces uncertainty around token flow but could add recurring short-term selling pressure if market demand does not absorb monthly releases. Key SEO keywords: Hyperliquid, HYPE token, team vesting, token unlock, token unstake, buybacks, token burn.

Bitcoin (BTC) must gain about 6.24% in the final days of 2025 to close the year with a positive annual candle, according to analysts. BTC peaked near $125,000 in October then dropped roughly 30%, finding a local bottom around $80,000 in November and trading in the mid‑to‑high $80,000s toward year‑end. The price has been below the 365‑day moving average since November, breaking the multi‑year structural uptrend established after 2023. Macro drivers are key: the Federal Reserve cut rates three times in 2025 (each by 25 bps), but December guidance from Chair Jerome Powell was mixed and CME FedWatch assigns only ~18.8% odds to another cut in January, keeping liquidity prospects uncertain. Market commentators are split — some see further upside without a gold/silver pullback, while others warn Bitcoin’s valuation versus gold could halve by 2026. For traders, a successful ~6.24% year‑end rally would preserve a psychological and technical milestone (first positive close after the halving cycle), while failure would mark the first down year after a halving-driven cycle. Key factors to monitor: BTC price vs. the 365‑day moving average, liquidity and Fed guidance, moving‑average support levels, and reaction after the recent local bottom. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC price, 365-day moving average, Federal Reserve, liquidity.

Flow suffered a $3.9M exploit via a vulnerability in its execution layer that allowed funds to be withdrawn through cross-chain bridges. Flow Foundation executed a rollback to a pre-exploit checkpoint and paused normal processing, putting the chain into read-only mode while exchanges, bridges and validators synchronized balances (block height ~137,385,824). The rollback aimed to excise the malicious transactions but drew sharp criticism from bridge operators, validators and developers — notably deBridge founder Alex Smirnov — who said the measure was rushed, lacked coordination and raised systemic risks. Smirnov warned of doubled balances for assets bridged off Flow during the rollback window (approx. 11:25 PM PST Dec 26 to 5:30 AM PST Dec 27) and potential unrecoverable losses for assets bridged into Flow. He urged validators to pause until remediation and compensation processes are agreed with partners and security groups, and suggested alternatives such as targeted hard forks or blacklisting attacker addresses to avoid undermining transaction finality. Flow deployed a Mainnet-28 fix, kept the chain read-only, and says it is working on remediation and compensation but has not given a firm timeline. The incident caused market turmoil: FLOW’s price plunged over 40% within days and volatility and trading volumes spiked. The dispute highlights trade-offs between removing malicious transactions and creating broader systemic disruption, reigniting debate over immutability, governance, and crisis coordination for bridges, validators and custodial platforms. Traders should monitor remediation/compensation announcements, on-chain re-org scope, bridge and exchange synchronization notices, and FLOW liquidity — these factors will drive short-term volatility and inform risk decisions.

Zcash (ZEC) staged a sharp late‑December rally, with a 17% one‑day surge to about $515 on Dec. 27 and a broader ~30% Santa rally that recovered roughly 43% for the month and erased half of Q4 losses. Perpetual futures activity spiked: global 24‑hour perp volume for ZEC briefly reached about $2.9 billion (≈7% market share), temporarily surpassing Solana (SOL) and ranking third behind BTC and ETH. Futures open interest and spot volumes also climbed, signaling rising speculative demand. On‑chain metrics show increased real use of ZEC’s privacy features — shielded supply doubled in recent months to roughly 4–5 million ZEC — while exchange outflows and accumulation indicate holders are moving coins off exchanges. Technicals turned constructive as ZEC reclaimed its 50‑day moving average and cleared Supertrend resistance; analysts cite upside targets from $600 up to $746–$800 if momentum continues, with key short‑term support near $450. Traders should note heightened perp volume and rising open interest (confirmation of demand), stronger on‑chain adoption of shielded pools (narrative tailwind), and the risk of profit‑taking or volatility typical of privacy coins. Key action points: monitor perp volumes and open interest for sustained demand, watch $450 support and the 50‑day MA for trend validity, and manage position size given elevated volatility.

South Korea extradited a 29-year-old Lithuanian national accused of stealing about 1.7 billion won (~$1.8M) in cryptocurrency using KMSAuto, a malicious Windows activation tool. The National Office of Investigation (NOI) concluded a five-year, multi-country probe that found the malware — downloaded more than 2 million times between 2020 and 2023 — performed real-time memory/clipboard manipulation to swap destination wallet addresses during transactions. Investigators say the campaign compromised over 3,100 addresses worldwide and successfully intercepted roughly 840 transactions, netting the attacker ~1.7 billion won; eight South Korean victims reported combined losses of about 16 million won. The inquiry began after an August 2020 complaint about a stolen bitcoin. Law enforcement traced funds through exchanges in six countries, seized 22 devices from the suspect’s residence, worked with Lithuanian authorities, issued an Interpol red notice, and arrested him in Georgia before extradition to Korea. Authorities warned users to avoid unlicensed software, verify wallet addresses before sending funds, and be aware of wallet‑swapping malware. For crypto traders: the case highlights continued risk from address‑hijacking malware targeting users of pirated or third‑party tools, the importance of address verification practices (hardware wallets, address whitelisting, copy‑paste checks), and that coordinated cross‑border enforcement can recover leads and disrupt persistent malware campaigns.

Kraken-backed xStocks has launched on The Open Network (TON), enabling Telegram users outside the U.S. to trade tokenized US stocks and ETFs inside the chat app. xStocks already operates on Solana and Ethereum with roughly $180M in assets across ~50,000 wallets, and the TON rollout targets Telegram’s native audience to broaden retail access to on-chain equities. Tokens are marketed as claim tickets — fully collateralized custodial securities held in Switzerland and Jersey — and Kraken’s recent acquisition of Backed Finance centralizes issuance, trading and settlement within its stack. The service excludes U.S. users and carries legal, custody and smart-contract risks: token holders receive creditor claims rather than regulated shareholder rights. For traders, expect greater retail access, cross-chain market fragmentation (Solana, Ethereum, TON), increased competition in RWA tokenization, and new counterparty/technical risks. Short-term impacts may include higher demand and trading volumes for linked tokens on TON/Telegram; long-term effects include intensified platform competition and heightened regulatory scrutiny. Key SEO keywords: tokenized stocks, TON, Telegram, xStocks, Kraken, RWA tokenization.

Jesse Knutson, Head of Operations at Bitfinex Securities, forecasts that tokenized real-world assets (RWA) could reach $1 trillion within the next decade, driven primarily by rapid adoption in emerging markets. Tokenization converts physical assets — such as real estate, commodities and fixed-income instruments — into blockchain tokens, enabling fractional ownership, on-chain funding and stablecoin settlement. Knutson says developed markets are currently focused on tokenizing fixed-income products (US Treasuries, money market funds), while emerging economies are more likely to tokenize tangible assets and scale faster by bypassing legacy financial infrastructure and integrating digital payments. Key barriers remain: legal enforceability of on-chain contracts, liquidity and settlement risk, investor protections, and interoperability between permissioned and public blockchains and token standards. Knutson emphasizes the need for pilots to move into production-ready, transferable tokens that can act as DeFi collateral to unlock wider utility. For traders, the trend points to growing demand for tokenized real assets and expanding on-chain collateral use — opportunities that hinge on regulatory clarity and improving secondary-market liquidity.

Reports say Ripple is in late-stage talks to pursue an initial public offering in 2026. The company is preparing for a public listing that would bring stricter audits, fuller disclosures and ongoing regulatory oversight—changes likely to increase institutional trust. An IPO could make Ripple more attractive to banks, payment providers and large enterprises that require transparency and governance. Ripple’s core product is an XRP-powered payments network for fast, low-cost cross-border transfers already integrated in some financial systems. A 2026 IPO could accelerate institutional adoption of Ripple technology, raise payment volumes on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and drive genuine demand for XRP as an on‑chain liquidity bridge. Over time, a public listing may shift XRP’s narrative from a speculative token toward infrastructure-backed utility, though that transition depends on regulatory clarity and steady uptake by enterprises. Traders should note the IPO would likely increase disclosures and institutional participation, which could support XRP’s fundamentals, but near-term price reactions may be volatile and hinge on concrete regulatory developments.