Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

On-chain data show a single whale deposited $5 million USDC into HyperLiquid and opened a 3x leveraged Bitcoin long, a position that is being actively increased. Within the same ~5-hour window the same address also purchased 180,004 HYPE tokens for roughly $4.84 million. Earlier reporting noted sizable leveraged HYPE longs on HypeerLiquid (including a separate wallet with a 6x HYPE long), suggesting concentrated, high-leverage exposure across HYPE and BTC on derivatives venues. For traders: monitor BTC price action, HyperLiquid funding rates and open interest, liquidation risk from a growing 3x position, and order-book depth for HYPE because the large on-chain buy may move price in low-liquidity conditions. Primary keywords: HyperLiquid, BTC long, HYPE, whale deposit, USDC. Secondary keywords: leverage 3x, on-chain monitoring, funding rates, large accumulation. This concentrated capital deployment signals risk-on behaviour and directional conviction that could add short-term upside pressure to BTC if the long is increased without hedges, while the HYPE purchase could cause material price moves given likely limited liquidity.

Ghana has enacted the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act, 2025, formally legalising digital-asset trading and establishing the Bank of Ghana (BoG) as lead regulator with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) overseeing securities-related activity. The BoG has created a Virtual Assets Regulatory Office; the BoG and SEC will publish operational directives and licensing rules to implement the law. Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender—the Ghana cedi remains the sole official currency. The BoG says the framework aims to reduce uncertainty, strengthen consumer protection, curb scams and pyramid schemes, and improve accountability and costs for financial institutions. Authorities estimate roughly 3 million Ghanaians hold digital assets; Chainalysis ranks Ghana among Africa’s top five by crypto value received. SEC data show rapid growth in on‑chain flows (reported figures rose sharply year‑on‑year). Regulators have already frozen about $15.2m tied to an international scam. Local startups welcomed the law, noting benefits for remittances, cross‑border trade and ties with international partners. The Act’s effective date and detailed licensing procedures will be set out in forthcoming regulatory instruments. Key implications for traders: greater regulatory clarity should reduce operational risk for regulated exchanges and institutional on‑ramps, increase KYC/AML scrutiny, and could boost institutional flows and trading volumes — while enforcement actions and tighter controls may increase short‑term volatility.

Solana (SOL) has broken above the $140 resistance, marking a confirmed daily-chart breakout and a short-term bullish shift. Price traded near $139–$140 at press time, rising roughly 4% on the day and over 12% on the week. Technicals point to a near-term target at $170 (0.618 Fibonacci), with higher extensions at $200 and $260 if momentum persists. On-chain and market signals show rising institutional participation: January 5 saw net inflows of about 125.33K SOL into Solana spot ETFs (Bitwise 93.25K, Fidelity 14.92K, Grayscale 13.43K, VanEck 3.73K). Separately, Morgan Stanley filed an S-1 for a Solana Trust meant to track SOL and include staking yield (it also filed a Bitcoin Trust), indicating growing institutional interest though custodian and listing details remain undisclosed. Earlier commentary noted bullish momentum from volume and ETF flows with key short-term support near $130; a drop below that could signal a pullback. Traders should monitor ETF flows, on-chain capital inflows, and broader crypto market stability to confirm whether the breakout sustains. Primary keywords: Solana, SOL price breakout, spot ETFs, institutional inflows, Morgan Stanley S-1.

Bank of America has moved from offering crypto only on client request to proactively recommending modest Bitcoin allocations of 1%–4% for eligible wealth-management clients across Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank and Merrill Edge. The guidance targets investors comfortable with emerging themes and volatility, with more conservative clients steered to the 1% end. From January 2026 the bank’s strategists will begin formal coverage of four spot Bitcoin ETFs — BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) — enabling more than 15,000 advisers to proactively guide clients toward approved spot-ETF exposure rather than only responding to requests. The policy change cites rising demand from high-net-worth clients, improved regulatory clarity around spot Bitcoin ETFs and better institutional custody solutions. The move aligns Bank of America with peers that have already suggested small single-digit Bitcoin allocations or opened ETF access, broadening regulated crypto exposure for wealth clients while emphasising standard volatility and risk warnings. Traders should view this as a significant institutional endorsement that may increase institutional inflows into BTC and boost ETF flows, though price effects will depend on execution, timing and broader market conditions.

Prenetics Global, a Nasdaq-listed consumer health company backed by David Beckham, has suspended further Bitcoin (BTC) purchases and will redirect capital to scale its flagship supplement brand IM8. The company began a balance-sheet BTC accumulation in June after raising $48 million in October, originally targeting about one BTC per day. Following a sharp market correction — with Bitcoin sliding from October highs near $110,000 to the high-$80,000s — Prenetics paused the buy program on December 4 and shifted funds into IM8. Management says the firm still holds around 510 BTC (reserve asset) and more than $70 million in cash and equivalents. The board and CEO Danny Yeung concluded that investing in IM8 presents a clearer path to long-term value than further crypto exposure. Investors in the recent round included crypto firms such as Kraken, Exodus and GPTX. The move reduces corporate demand for incremental BTC purchases and reflects a wider trend of public companies tempering aggressive crypto-treasury strategies amid market volatility, tighter financial conditions and regulatory uncertainty. For traders: immediate sell-side pressure from this single corporate pause is limited given Prenetics’ existing holdings are retained, but the decision signals reduced corporate accumulation demand which could modestly dampen longer-term buying tailwinds for BTC.

Sberbank completed a pilot corporate loan secured by Bitcoin mined by Intelion Data, using the bank’s Rutoken institutional custody to hold the pledged cryptocurrency. Commercial terms — loan size, tenor, interest rate and liquidation/margin mechanics — were not disclosed; the bank described the deal as a test to develop procedures for crypto-collateral lending and custody. The pilot follows regulatory shifts in Russia: industrial crypto mining was legalized in November 2024 and the Bank of Russia is rolling out experimental regimes for cross-border crypto settlements and domestic trading rules. Sberbank intends to launch custody services with bank-style safety guarantees and mechanisms for freezing assets in suspected illicit activity, coordinating with the central bank as it finalizes rules. For miners, the transaction demonstrates a potential new financing route using mined Bitcoin as collateral. Wider adoption depends on final legislation, Bank of Russia implementation details and large banks’ internal risk and liquidation policies.

Exodus Movement (EXOD) has partnered with MoonPay and infrastructure provider M0 to launch a fully reserved, US dollar‑backed stablecoin aimed at payments in early 2026. MoonPay will issue and manage the token on M0’s programmable, interoperable platform, enabling rapid minting, cross‑network expansion and enterprise issuance features. Exodus plans to integrate the stablecoin into Exodus Pay so users can send, spend and earn rewards while retaining self‑custody of private keys. The rollout emphasizes speed, reliability and regulatory compliance — coming after the U.S. GENIUS Act (July 2025) which mandates 100% reserves, monthly disclosures and annual audits for regulated stablecoins. Product availability, supported networks and merchant integrations will be announced closer to launch. Market context: the stablecoin sector exceeded $300 billion in 2025 with incumbents such as USDC and PYUSD; Exodus aims to compete as a payment‑focused, regulated digital dollar leveraging MoonPay’s distribution network and M0’s infrastructure.

Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority has published draft rules that would require licensed insurers to hold capital equal to 100% of the value of any directly held cryptocurrencies, marking the first explicit insurer crypto framework in Asia. Stablecoins are treated separately: for Hong Kong-regulated stablecoins risk charges would be tied to the underlying fiat and aligned with the territory’s forthcoming stablecoin licensing regime expected in early 2025. The proposals, announced in a December 4 presentation and subject to public consultation from February to April 2026, also extend capital incentives for investments in Hong Kong and mainland China infrastructure projects. The draft opens insurers to crypto-related infrastructure investments while emphasising operational safeguards — custody, accounting and cybersecurity — and expects larger, well-capitalised insurers to lead allocations. Hong Kong’s insurance sector wrote roughly HK$635 billion (≈US$82bn) in gross premiums in 2024 across 158 licensed insurers, so even small allocations could supply meaningful institutional liquidity to digital-asset markets. The framework contrasts with other Asian regimes: South Korea still restricts insurer holdings, Singapore focuses on retail controls, and Japan may reconsider classifications in 2026. Public consultation will precede legislation submission. Key SEO keywords: Hong Kong regulation, insurance capital rules, crypto risk charge, stablecoin licensing, institutional liquidity.

GeeFi (GEE) has raised about $1.4–$1.6 million in its token presale, with Phase 1 selling out quickly (10 million tokens, ~$500k). The project reports more than 3,000 holders and is in Phase 3 where tokens are priced at $0.13. GeeFi markets a projected public listing price of $0.40—implying ~325% upside for Phase 3 buyers and ~1,200% paper gains for Phase 1 buyers—and promotes a product roadmap including a non-custodial GeeFi Wallet, a cross-chain DEX, a GeeFi crypto card and multi-chain asset management across 14+ networks. The presale includes tiered staking: 55% APR for 12 months, 22% for 3 months, 15% for 1 month and a flexible option up to 10% APR, plus a 5% referral bonus. Analysts and the project cite imminent exchange listings as bullish catalysts, though these claims are promotional. The article contrasts GeeFi’s fundraising momentum with Solana (SOL), noting institutional inflows into Solana-related products (~$4.3bn cited), staking-enabled ETFs offering ~6–8% yields and the upcoming Firedancer upgrade — factors helping SOL recover from recent lows. The release is a sponsored press statement and not investment advice. Primary keywords: GeeFi presale, GEE token, presale staking, token listing, Solana (SOL).

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened a major consultation to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto trading platforms, intermediaries, staking, lending/borrowing and DeFi. The consultation covers token listing admissions and disclosures, market-abuse rules (insider trading and manipulation), governance, operational and conduct standards for exchanges and brokers, mandatory risk disclosures for staking services, and protections for lending and borrowing. Responses are requested by 12 February 2026; the FCA aims to publish final rules and guidance in 2026 ahead of government plans to bring crypto firms under full FCA supervision from October 2027. The FCA says the rules are intended to increase transparency and consumer protection without eliminating all risk. Market context from follow-up reporting: recent US jobs data amplified uncertainty and triggered roughly $500m in crypto liquidations within 24 hours, briefly raising volatility. Other industry notes: MetaMask added native Bitcoin support and Ripple has been testing a USD-backed stablecoin (RLUSD) on L2 chains. For traders, the consultation signals a likely shift from a light-touch UK regime to clearer, stricter rules that will increase compliance costs and could change product availability, custody practices and counterparty risk across exchanges, staking and lending services. Primary keywords: UK crypto regulation, FCA consultation, crypto exchanges. Secondary/semantic keywords: staking rules, crypto lending, market abuse, DeFi oversight, token listings.

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Dec. 12 granted conditional approvals for five national trust bank charters, expanding federal oversight of crypto-focused banks. Approved were First National Digital Currency Bank (linked to Circle/USDC), Ripple National Trust Bank, and conversions to national charters for BitGo Bank & Trust, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos Trust Company. These entities—stablecoin issuers or custodians for USDC, USDS, PYUSD and RLUSD—will be allowed to custody their own digital assets under OCC supervision. National trust banks cannot take retail cash deposits or make loans but can provide custody, asset management and payment-settlement services across all states without separate state licenses. The OCC’s approvals are conditional: firms must meet specified capital, governance and risk-management requirements before final charters are granted. The move follows earlier OCC steps (including Anchorage’s 2021 charter and approval of “riskless principal” crypto‑asset transactions) and accompanies related industry developments: the SEC issued a no-action letter to The Depository Trust Company for a voluntary securities-tokenization pilot (targeted H2 2026 for Russell 1000 equities, U.S. Treasuries and major ETFs), and JPMorgan launched MONY, an Ethereum tokenized money-market fund investable with cash or USDC. Banking trade groups including the American Bankers Association and Bank Policy Institute criticized the approvals, warning of blurred regulatory boundaries, unresolved supervision and resolution questions, and potential systemic risk. Implications for traders: allowing issuers and custodians to self-custody under federal charters can reduce counterparty risk for stablecoins and encourage greater institutional on‑chain activity, potentially improving liquidity and market depth for assets tied to these providers. However, heightened regulatory scrutiny, legal challenges and industry pushback create uncertainty that could drive episodic volatility around related stablecoins and platforms.

Coinbase and Standard Chartered have extended and deepened a strategic institutional partnership to broaden fiat on- and off-ramps, custody, trading support, staking, lending and other digital-asset infrastructure for institutional clients. The collaboration combines Standard Chartered’s cross-border banking, risk management and regulatory expertise with Coinbase’s institutional trading and custody capabilities. Key features include expanded USD settlement rails and account connectivity for faster transfers, integrated custody solutions to reduce counterparty risk and operational friction, and exploration of staking, lending and other services for asset managers, trading firms and corporates. The deal builds on earlier cooperation in Singapore (real-time SGD transfers) and sits alongside other bank-led tokenization and stablecoin pilots in the region. For traders, the partnership may increase institutional on-ramps, liquidity and custody capacity, reduce settlement times and costs for large flows, and support the emergence of more regulated institutional products—factors that can enable larger inflows and smoother execution for high-volume trading.

J.P. Morgan arranged a $50 million issuance of tokenized U.S. commercial paper for Galaxy Digital on the Solana blockchain, creating and managing the on‑chain US Commercial Paper (USCP) token and handling delivery‑versus‑payment settlement. The issuance and redemption were executed in USDC to accelerate finality and avoid bank-transfer delays. Institutional buyers included Franklin Templeton and Coinbase (which also provided wallet custody); Galaxy Digital Partners acted as structuring agent. Solana was chosen for fast settlement and low fees; USDC offered dollar-pegged, operationally simple settlement. The deal is one of the largest U.S. commercial paper issuances on a public blockchain and an early institutional example of blockchain-based debt issuance. Market observers say it highlights growing institutional demand for tokenization, programmable settlement and public-chain infrastructure, with potential cost and time savings versus traditional rails. Analysts expect tokenized securities could scale substantially over the coming years as firms seek faster, more transparent settlement for real-world assets. For traders: the transaction underlines institutional interest in Solana-based infrastructure and USDC liquidity, may increase on-chain institutional activity, and is a signpost for potential growth in tokenized asset markets.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins said most initial coin offerings (ICOs) for certain token types are likely not securities and therefore fall outside SEC jurisdiction, shifting oversight toward the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Speaking at the Blockchain Association policy summit, Atkins referenced his four-category token taxonomy — network tokens, digital collectibles, digital tools, and tokenized securities — and argued only tokenized securities clearly meet securities-law standards. Under Project Crypto (launched early 2025), the SEC is exploring clearer rulemaking, exemptions and safe harbors for compliant ICOs, airdrops and network rewards to reduce legal uncertainty. Traders should note three practical implications: 1) a formal SEC/CFTC split could lower compliance costs and speed market access for tokens classified as non-securities; 2) tokenized securities remain under strict SEC oversight and carry continued regulatory risk; 3) renewed regulatory clarity may revive ICO-style fundraising and expand U.S. trading activity and token listings (e.g., platforms launching U.S. token offerings). Key SEO keywords: ICO regulation, CFTC oversight, Project Crypto, token taxonomy, tokenized securities.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has expanded Ripple Markets APAC’s Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence, allowing Ripple to offer a broader suite of regulated payment services from its Singapore hub. The 2025 licence upgrade builds on Ripple’s 2023 full MPI approval and now permits end‑to‑end cross‑border payment processing, regulated digital payment token services (including XRP), settlement and liquidity provision using Ripple USD (RLUSD), fiat on/off‑ramp services, and enterprise settlement tools under MAS oversight. Ripple can market scalable payment solutions to banks, fintechs and crypto firms across Asia‑Pacific remittance corridors. Company executives highlighted Singapore’s clear, innovation‑friendly regulatory framework and rising on‑chain activity in APAC, positioning Ripple to deepen regional infrastructure investment. Remaining caveats include unspecified operational details requiring compliance work, lengthy institutional integration cycles, cross‑jurisdictional regulatory differences and market volatility that could affect adoption of XRP‑based services. For traders, the licence expansion strengthens Ripple’s regulatory standing in a key market, raises the probability of broader institutional use of XRP and RLUSD across APAC corridors, and may support positive sentiment and increased on‑chain activity for XRP. This is informational and not investment advice.

Coinbase has reopened user registrations in India after a two‑year suspension, restoring nationwide crypto‑to‑crypto trading, asset transfers, and wallet features while planning a full bank‑linked INR cash‑to‑crypto on‑ramp in 2026. The exchange originally entered India in 2022 but halted UPI payments and exited in 2023 after the National Payments Corporation of India rejected its UPI use. Coinbase rebuilt regulatory ties, registering with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit in March 2025 and running an early‑access relaunch in October before opening registrations more broadly. Current services include Simple Trade, Advanced Trade and Coinbase Wallet (self‑custody, NFTs, dApps); INR deposits and withdrawals remain disabled pending the planned fiat rails. Coinbase says it will prioritise custody protections, simple onboarding and local hiring (expanding a team of 500+ across product, engineering and compliance) and has boosted investment in Indian exchange CoinDCX. India’s crypto tax regime — 30% tax on gains plus 1% tax deducted at source — remains a headwind. For traders, the phased return signals increased on‑chain liquidity and competition in India ahead of a potential 2026 retail growth catalyst if fiat rails are approved. Short‑term effects may be limited while INR rails are offline; long‑term market access and volumes could rise materially once cash‑to‑crypto flows resume.

French banking group BPCE is launching in‑app cryptocurrency trading on 8 December, giving about 2 million customers across four regional banks early access. The service is operated by BPCE’s digital‑assets arm Hexarq and supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and USDC. Pricing: a €2.99 monthly fee for the dedicated crypto account plus a 1.5% commission per trade (minimum ≈ $1.16). BPCE will deploy the feature in phases across its network, targeting roughly 12 million retail customers by 2026 to monitor performance and resolve issues before full rollout. Trades execute through a Hexarq‑managed digital‑asset account integrated into the mobile banking apps. The move makes BPCE one of the large European traditional banks offering native crypto trading, increasing competition with fintechs (Revolut, Bitstack, Trade Republic) and banks like BBVA and Openbank that already provide similar services. The rollout comes amid regulatory scrutiny in France — lawmakers have proposed classifying crypto as “non‑productive wealth,” which could expose very large holdings to a new wealth tax — a factor traders should watch. For crypto traders: expect increased retail access and potentially higher on‑chain demand for BTC, ETH and SOL over time, but also short‑term sensitivity to fee structure, onboarding limits and French regulatory developments.

South Korea’s two largest exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, recorded a sharp 24-hour surge in trading volumes across 21 altcoins, led by XRP and MOODENG. Combined exchange data show XRP and MOODENG as the top-traded tokens (roughly $210m and $178.7m respectively). Major cryptocurrencies also saw elevated activity: BTC ~$139m, ETH ~$134.6m, and USDT ~$94.2m. Mid-cap and niche tokens posted significant volumes too — SOL ~$55.8m, Doodles ~$45m, Pudgy Penguins ~$36.9m — alongside several smaller projects with multi-million-dollar turnover. Earlier reports highlighted slightly different totals and additional tokens but the core development is the same: concentrated demand from Korean traders driving short-term, high-liquidity flows on domestic venues. Traders should watch volume spikes on Upbit and Bithumb as potential precursors to increased volatility and near-term price moves for the listed coins. This is market reporting, not investment advice.

Citadel Securities told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that certain DeFi platforms—especially those handling tokenized U.S. equities—functionally operate like traditional exchanges or broker‑dealers and therefore should be subject to comparable Securities Exchange Act oversight. The firm pointed to smart‑contract order matching, automated market makers, fee models and custody-like flows as evidence that DeFi trading venues create transparency, surveillance and compliance gaps if given broad exemptions. Citadel proposed targeted rulemaking to fold tokenized assets into existing frameworks rather than creating parallel regimes. The submission renewed a wider industry debate: crypto advocates, including Uniswap founder Hayden Adams and groups like the Blockchain Association, warn that treating open‑source developers or non‑custodial protocols as intermediaries would chill innovation, push teams offshore and harm U.S. competitiveness in tokenization. Financial trade groups and voices aligned with SEC Chair Gary Gensler urge careful, technology‑neutral rules to balance investor protection with innovation. For traders, this dispute could reshape market structure, increase compliance costs for tokenized‑asset platforms, alter liquidity and onboarding processes, and change the design of tokenized products if the SEC moves toward treating DeFi venues as regulated exchanges or broker‑dealers.

Kevin Hassett has emerged as the frontrunner to be nominated by President Trump as the next Federal Reserve Chair, with prediction markets (Polymarket/Kalshi) pricing his odds near 80–85% after Trump’s public praise and scheduling moves that favored him. Hassett, a former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and director of the White House National Economic Council, is viewed as politically aligned with the administration and strongly dovish — he has publicly argued the Fed should cut rates faster and is willing to tolerate higher short‑term inflation to deliver quicker rate cuts. Notable for crypto traders: Hassett disclosed substantial Coinbase stock holdings (reported roughly $1m–$5m) and serves on Coinbase advisory panels while leading the White House digital‑asset working group. That direct link to the crypto industry, combined with his likely dovish tilt, is expected to push liquidity higher, put downward pressure on the dollar, and favor risk assets including Bitcoin and major altcoins. Market implications: Traders should watch for an increased probability of earlier rate cuts, a potential USD weakness, and a liquidity tailwind that can lift crypto and tech equities. Short term, news-driven rallies in Bitcoin (BTC) and other liquidity‑sensitive tokens are plausible on nomination headlines. Medium-to-long term, easier monetary policy typically supports higher risk asset valuations, though concerns over Fed independence and political influence could add volatility and regulatory scrutiny. SEO keywords (primary/secondary) integrated: Kevin Hassett, Federal Reserve, Fed chair, Coinbase holdings, interest rates, dovish Fed, Bitcoin, crypto market, dollar weakness, liquidity.

Binance promoted co‑founder Yi He to co‑CEO alongside Richard Teng, creating a dual leadership to balance user‑centric product growth with stronger regulatory compliance. Teng — a former regulator who became CEO during Binance’s 2023–24 U.S. settlement period and CZ’s resignation — will continue to lead regulatory, institutional readiness and compliance efforts. Yi He, previously head of customer service and a long‑time strategic lead, will focus on product innovation, Web3 expansion, marketing and rebuilding customer trust. The appointment signals a strategic shift from CZ’s rapid expansion model to a split role of “Builder‑in‑Chief” (He) and “Regulator‑in‑Chief” (Teng). The announcement coincided with a short BNB price uptick (reported near $896.05). However, Binance still faces significant legal and reputational risks, including a North Dakota lawsuit alleging transfers tied to extremist groups that could materially affect the company’s risk profile. For traders: leadership changes aim to reduce regulatory tail risk over time and may support medium‑term confidence in BNB, but ongoing litigation and reputational uncertainty make near‑term volatility likely. Keywords: Binance, Yi He, Richard Teng, co‑CEO, compliance, BNB, regulatory risk.

Ethereum has activated the Fusaka network upgrade, its 17th major hard fork and a step toward a biannual upgrade cadence. The headline change is PeerDAS (EIP-7594), which lets validators sample blob data availability instead of downloading entire blobs, reducing validator CPU and bandwidth needs and enabling higher Layer-2 blob throughput. Fusaka raises per-block blob targets (typical target 14, max 21), adds a minimum blob base fee to prevent near-zero costs, and is expected to scale blob capacity roughly eightfold by January 2026 as throughput is cautiously increased. Network-level changes include a higher default block gas limit (EIP-7935) and optimizations to gas-limit dynamics to balance energy per transaction and DoS protection; native secp256r1 support for device/passkey signatures; EIP-7939 (“Count Leading Zeros Opcode”) to speed ZK proofs and improve quantum-resistance; and various caps and API tweaks that tighten block-data limits and curb expensive operations. Core developers prioritized a focused scope to meet the deployment schedule. Major industry participants and the Ethereum Foundation view Fusaka as a significant scalability milestone since The Merge. Developers are already planning the next upgrade, Glamsterdam, targeted for 2026. For traders: Fusaka lowers validator resource requirements and reduces Layer-2 settlement bottlenecks and blob-related gas costs, which can improve network throughput and developer activity — factors that tend to be supportive for ETH demand over the medium term. Key keywords: Ethereum, Fusaka, PeerDAS, EIP-7594, Layer-2, blob fees, scalability, secp256r1, EIP-7939.

Cocoon, a decentralized AI compute platform built on The Open Network (TON), launched publicly at Blockchain Life 2025 and began routing real AI workloads on November 30. The network encrypts data during computation so GPU providers cannot access user inputs or models, enabling individuals and organisations to rent spare GPU capacity in exchange for TON token rewards. Telegram co‑founder Pavel Durov has promoted Cocoon and Telegram plans to integrate it into Mini Apps and bots, making the messenger the platform’s first major adopter. Cocoon positions itself as an alternative to centralized cloud providers (Amazon, Microsoft), aiming to lower cost and improve privacy for AI inference and training. The protocol already started distributing TON rewards to participating GPU providers and plans to onboard more GPU resources in coming weeks to increase throughput and developer engagement. Traders should watch TON token economics, network uptime, privacy verification, and developer adoption—sustained GPU participation and real workload volume could increase TON utility and demand, while execution risks (downtime, unproven privacy guarantees, competition) could limit impact. Keywords: TON, Cocoon, decentralized AI, GPU marketplace, encrypted compute.

Naver Financial, the payments arm of South Korean internet group Naver, will acquire Dunamu, operator of the Upbit cryptocurrency exchange, in an all‑stock transaction valued at about $10.27–10.3 billion (≈15.13 trillion won). The deal is structured as a share swap (2.54 Naver shares per Dunamu share reported) and consolidates a leading Korean payments platform with one of the country’s largest centralized exchanges. Management says the merged group will allocate roughly $7 billion toward AI and blockchain initiatives to expand payments, settlement and cross‑border crypto payment infrastructure, and expects integration to improve liquidity, standardisation, risk controls and data‑sharing across Korea’s fintech ecosystem. Regulators are expected to scrutinise competition and financial integrity, which could delay or modify terms. For traders: the transaction signals mainstream consolidation between tech platforms and centralized exchanges in South Korea, may change liquidity dynamics on Upbit and increase regulatory attention on Korean crypto markets and platform tokens. The article did not report immediate token listings, delistings or operational changes.

Victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks filed a U.S. civil suit on Nov. 24 in North Dakota against Binance, founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and co‑founder Heina Chen under the Anti‑Terrorism Act (18 U.S.C. §2333). The 306 plaintiffs allege Binance processed over $1 billion historically and moved more than $50–100 million after Oct. 7 for groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran’s IRGC and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The complaint accuses Binance of deliberately facilitating illicit transfers by allowing intermediary accounts, off‑chain internal transfers and U.S. dollar liquidity to be used to conceal flows — conduct plaintiffs say reflects a business model of avoiding KYC/AML controls to attract illicit volume. The suit cites Binance’s Nov. 2023 guilty plea and $4.32bn DOJ settlement, plus CZ’s plea, fines and brief sentence, arguing those enforcement actions did not stop alleged facilitation. Plaintiffs seek compensatory and treble damages; civil exposure remains despite CZ’s presidential pardon of related criminal liability. Binance denies wrongdoing and says it complies with international sanctions and that crypto is a small share of global terror financing. For traders: the case raises risk of heightened regulatory scrutiny, increased compliance costs for exchanges, legal and reputational risk for Binance and potential volatility for exchange‑related tokens and market sentiment if the suit expands civil liability precedent.

Ripple’s XRP has fallen to around $1.90, down 19% month-to-date, as bearish on-chain signals and a net unrealized profit/loss of –0.30 for short-term holders indicate incomplete washout and weak technical support at $1.95. Failure to hold this level could push XRP toward $1.57, heightening trader caution. Meanwhile, DeFi project Mutuum Finance has raised $19 million in its MUTM presale’s final stage at $0.035 per token, selling 95% of its supply. Mutuum’s dual lending architecture—Peer-to-Contract pools for liquid assets like ETH and USDT and Peer-to-Peer markets for exotic tokens—backed by a Halborn security audit, underpins its dollar-pegged stablecoin model. With a projected launch price of $0.06, the MUTM presale offers potential 400% returns, attracting growth-seeking crypto traders.

Ozak AI has raised $4.56 million in its ongoing presale, selling over 1 billion tokens at $0.014 each amid the crypto downturn. With a 10-billion token supply, its tokenomics allocate 30% to presale, 10% to liquidity and team, 30% to community and ecosystem, and 20% to reserves. The project integrates AI and blockchain for real-time market predictions via a rollup-powered Smart Contract Execution Layer and an Agentic AI Orchestration Layer for price forecasting, sentiment analysis, technical charting, and event monitoring. Strategic partnerships with Echobit, IQ Wiki, Meganet, SINT, and Phala Network expand cross-chain AI execution and secure data processing. Smart contracts have undergone audits by CertiK and Sherlock, ensuring system robustness. The strong presale performance and potential for 12× gains to date underscore growing trader confidence, positioning Ozak AI as a bullish AI cryptocurrency with prospects for smart-money inflows and long-term growth.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $903 million net outflow on November 20, the second-largest single-day withdrawal since launch. Withdrawals hit BlackRock’s IBIT ($355M), Grayscale’s GBTC ($199M) and Fidelity’s FBTC ($190M), with other providers also seeing redemptions. The selloff followed mixed Nvidia Q3 results and softer US employment data, triggering risk-off sentiment in US equities and pushing Bitcoin below $82,000. Despite the pullback, cumulative Bitcoin ETF inflows stand at $57.4 billion, about 6.5% of Bitcoin’s market cap. November’s net outflow has reached $3.79 billion, topping February’s record, with IBIT alone down over $2 billion this month. Ethereum-based ETFs saw $261.6 million withdrawn, while new altcoin ETFs raised funds: XRP ETF ($105 million) and Solana ETFs ($23.7 million). Traders should watch for potential buying opportunities if market volatility subsides.

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, is in talks to invest $1.15 billion in German AI robotics startup Neura. This Tether investment would value Neura at $9.3 billion to $11.6 billion and mark the company’s first major foray into advanced robotics. Neura aims to develop intelligent automation robots for manufacturing, business operations, and household chores, with plans to produce five million units by 2030. The discussions underscore Tether’s diversification strategy beyond crypto, following expansions into Bitcoin mining, commodity-trade lending, and tokenized gold (XAUT). If concluded, the deal will further expand Tether’s strategic portfolio of over 140 companies and leverage stablecoin revenues for high-growth sectors.