Crypto News

DraftKings has launched DraftKings Predictions, a CFTC-registered prediction‑markets app available in 38 U.S. states that initially offers sports and financial event contracts (sports trading live in 17 states). The product runs on Railbird Exchange, a derivatives venue DraftKings acquired and registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, providing regulated clearing and a derivatives-style infrastructure similar to CME standards. DraftKings says it will expand offerings to include crypto, entertainment and cultural event contracts—allowing traders to gain exposure to outcomes such as Bitcoin halvings or Ethereum upgrades without owning the underlying assets. The move brings a major public sports-betting operator into regulated prediction markets and is expected to attract both retail and institutional liquidity by offering U.S.-compliant event contracts. DraftKings reported Q3 revenue of $1.14 billion and reiterated its full-year revenue outlook (up to $6.1 billion). Analysts say the app could boost trading volumes around volatile crypto events and shift some flow away from unregulated on‑chain platforms, while reducing counterparty and regulatory risks through CFTC oversight.

Mangoceuticals (MGRX) has partnered with Cube Group to launch a Solana-focused digital asset treasury (DAT) strategy targeting up to $100 million in SOL exposure. The vehicle, operated through new subsidiary Mango DAT, will accumulate SOL in phases using proceeds from the company’s Nasdaq listing and potential at-the-market equity offerings. Cube Group will manage the strategy, beginning with actively managed SOL staking aimed at annualized yields of roughly 7–20%, and broader Solana ecosystem participation to generate non-dilutive, yield-driven returns for the corporate treasury. Mangoceuticals has also filed a trademark for “MULTI-DAT,” describing services including virtual currency transactions, portfolio management, tokenized assets, DeFi infrastructure and stablecoin treasury tools. Company leadership frames the initiative as bridging traditional corporate treasury management with institutional-grade DeFi yields and increasing Mangoceuticals’ role in Solana ecosystem growth. Key trading implications: phased accumulation may add steady buy pressure for SOL over time; staking yields could reduce circulating supply; and public funding through ATM offerings links SOL purchases to equity market activity.

Chainlink (LINK) has seen continued reserve accumulation and spot-market buying despite recent weakness. The LINK Strategic Reserve recently added roughly 89k–93k LINK in short windows, bringing reported reserve holdings to about 1.23M LINK. On-chain metrics for the past 90 days show spot taker CVD is buy-dominant, indicating spot buyers have absorbed sell pressure as LINK fell from the mid-$16–$17 range toward $12. Exchange spot netflows were slightly negative, interpreted alongside reserve buys as accumulation rather than wholesale selling. Liquidation data (~$213k) was skewed toward short liquidations (~$167k), implying downside was amplified by leveraged short positions resetting rather than fresh bearish conviction. Technicals and liquidity structure point to a defended demand zone near $11.8–$12.2, with key short-term levels at $13.02 (breakout confirm), $14.65 (next resistance), and $16.66 (major upside target). Stochastic/RSI readings differ between reports (one shows overbought, another shows RSI ~40.8), suggesting mixed momentum signals and the potential for volatility. For traders: monitor reserve disclosures, spot taker CVD, spot netflows, liquidation flows, and the $13.02 breakout. Continued reserve accumulation and buy-dominant CVD tighten effective supply and support upside; however, overbought indicators and concentrated liquidity clusters mean rallies could be vulnerable to quick pullbacks if buying momentum fades.

President Trump is conducting final interviews for the next Federal Reserve Chair, with a decision expected in January. Reported interviewees include BlackRock CIO Rick Rieder, Fed Governor Christopher Waller and economist Kevin Hassett; Jerome Powell’s reappointment remains uncertain. Candidates bring different backgrounds: Rieder offers private‑sector asset‑management experience, Waller institutional Fed experience, and Hassett a politically aligned economic perspective. The choice will shape U.S. monetary policy — influencing interest rates, inflation strategy, balance‑sheet policy and Fed communication. Markets may react to both the uncertainty during the selection window and the eventual appointment, which could reset expectations for rates, dollar strength and risk assets. For crypto traders, Fed policy influences crypto via interest rates and dollar moves; traders should watch interview comments and signals of hawkish (rate‑focused) versus dovish (growth‑focused) approaches, monitor leaks and scheduled announcements, and prepare for elevated volatility. Practical trader steps: reduce exposure to rate‑sensitive positions, diversify, maintain tighter risk controls, and avoid speculative trades driven by rumor. Primary keywords: Federal Reserve, Fed Chair, interest rates, cryptocurrency markets.

Ripple has taken a minority stake in U.S.-regulated broker-dealer TJM Investments and TJM Institutional Services and formed a strategic partnership to expand institutional-grade crypto execution, clearing and prime-brokerage services. The integration centers on Ripple Prime — Ripple’s multi-asset prime brokerage platform — which will supply TJM with trading infrastructure, execution and balance-sheet support, collateral efficiency and clearing stability. TJM will use Ripple Prime’s institutional tools to offer hedge funds, family offices, asset managers and global investors broader, regulated access to digital assets via on‑ramp and prime-like services rather than offshore venues. Financial terms were not disclosed. Ripple Prime’s leadership says the combined execution experience and platform scale will accelerate TJM’s expansion into digital assets. Analysts view the deal as further convergence between traditional finance and fintech-driven crypto services and a response to institutional demand for seamless execution, custody and regulated clearing. For traders, the partnership signals growing institutional on‑ramp infrastructure and may channel more institutional order flow through regulated brokers and prime platforms, supporting deeper liquidity and potentially lowering execution risk for institutional-sized trades.

On‑chain data show large XRP withdrawals from Binance have driven the exchange’s XRP reserves to multi‑month lows. Traders and holders are moving XRP off‑exchange into cold wallets and regulated custody, a behavior interpreted as reduced near‑term selling pressure and increased long‑term confidence. Recent developments indicate sustained daily outflows and notable purchases tied to spot XRP ETF accumulation, with ETFs acquiring hundreds of millions of XRP over recent weeks. Reduced exchange supply can amplify buying pressure: with fewer coins available to trade, steady or rising demand—including ETF and institutional flows—may trigger sharper price moves and supply squeezes. Past episodes of major exchange reserve declines preceded steep rallies in XRP, and technical resistance sits near $2.40–$2.50; a clean breakout could intensify institutional FOMO. Key SEO keywords: XRP supply shock, exchange reserves, XRP ETFs, Binance withdrawals, institutional demand.

Synthetix has relaunched its canonical perpetual futures decentralized exchange (Perps) on Ethereum mainnet in a private beta, marking its return from layer-2 networks. The product uses off‑chain order matching with on‑chain settlement so user funds remain on Ethereum L1 while achieving low-latency execution. The private beta (Dec 19, 2025) opens with BTC, ETH and SOL markets and up to 50x leverage. Access is limited to 500 users — historical power users, stakers and competition participants — with a 40,000 USDT deposit cap per user; withdrawals are disabled at launch and expected to reopen after about one week while the deposit contract is monitored. The team led by founders Kain Warwick and Jordan Momtazi called this an early iteration and plans rapid weekly expansion: new markets, higher deposit caps, increased leverage, multicollateral margin, new order types, real‑world assets (RWAs), deeper Ethereum composability and an institutional-grade CLOB with off‑chain matching and L1 custody/settlement. The move back to Ethereum is attributed to lower gas after upgrades (e.g., Fusaka), desire to keep custody and settlement on chain, and improved on‑chain composability. The launch follows a competitive trading event that generated significant volume and fees; initial sUSD depositor rewards on the Infinex pool have been extended to support the rollout. For traders: expect limited initial liquidity and capped exposure during the beta, potential short-term volatility around market additions and reward incentives, and longer-term increases in on‑chain derivatives activity if Synthetix scales markets and institutional features as planned.

Bitwise reports that Bitcoin (BTC) showed lower volatility than Nvidia (NVDA) in 2025 and expects the trend to continue into 2026. In 2025 BTC ranged roughly $75,000 (April) to an October high near $126,000 (~68% swing) versus Nvidia’s roughly 120% swing. Bitwise attributes reduced BTC volatility to broader institutional adoption, the growth of spot BTC ETFs and traditional investment products, and forecasts increased allocations from banks and wealth managers (Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch named). The firm expects continued ETF inflows, accelerated on‑chain development, clearer crypto‑friendly regulation, and the potential for a new BTC all‑time high and a weakening of the historical four‑year boom‑bust cycle. However, newer research from K33 and CryptoQuant highlights heavy long‑term holder selling: about 1.6M previously dormant coins moved since early 2023 (~$140B) and nearly $300B of >1‑year dormant coins reentered markets in 2025; CryptoQuant flagged one of the largest long‑term holder distributions in over five years in the past 30 days. Traders should weigh the bullish structural drivers (institutional demand, spot ETF liquidity, regulatory clarity) against persistent long‑term‑holder supply and macro risks (halving, interest rates, leverage). Near term, steady selling from long‑term holders can exert downside pressure despite improving institutional flows; longer term, greater institutional adoption and ETF inflows are constructive for BTC volatility compression and price discovery.

An early Bitcoin investor known as “1011short” transferred 5,152 BTC (≈$445M) to Binance, on-chain analytics show. Arkham Intelligence and social reporting indicate the wallet also holds large multi-asset long exposure — roughly $695M across BTC, ETH and SOL — and reportedly increased Ethereum exposure the same day, holding about 203,341 ETH, 1,000 BTC and 250,000 SOL. Large, identifiable exchange inflows are often interpreted by traders as potential precursors to selling, OTC deals, portfolio rebalancing, or using exchange services (staking/loans). The transfer came amid a fragile market rally after cooler US inflation data that briefly pushed BTC above $89k and ETH near $3k before momentum faded and BTC traded near $85k, erasing over $100M from crypto market cap and taking total capitalization below $3T. Key trader takeaways: monitor exchange net flows and open interest for signs of incoming selling; watch whether other OG wallets move funds or increase ETH exposure; consider the wallet’s concentrated multi-asset long positions as a liquidation risk if price reverses. This on-chain move is a notable liquidity signal that could add short-term downward pressure on BTC if coins hit order books, but it is one data point that requires context from broader whale activity and macro conditions.

SoFi Bank (SoFi Technologies) has launched SoFiUSD, a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., designed for regulated settlement among banks, fintechs and enterprise platforms. SoFiUSD is backed 1:1 by cash deposits held at the Federal Reserve and redeemable on demand. The token will initially be issued on Ethereum (public, permissionless blockchain) with plans to expand to additional chains. SoFi plans to use SoFiUSD first for internal settlement — including cross-border payments via SoFi Pay and Galileo partners — then open access to other businesses in coming months. CEO Anthony Noto said the coin addresses slow settlement, fragmented payment rails and unverified reserve models, and will support institutional payment flows and dollar liquidity needs. The launch follows broader US bank interest in deposit-backed stablecoins after clearer regulatory guidance (OCC/Genius Act context) and comes as SoFi expands crypto products and partnerships. For traders: SoFiUSD introduces a regulated, bank-issued dollar liquidity instrument that may increase on-chain USD settlement capacity, reduce settlement times and lower counterparty risk for dollar flows — factors that can affect stablecoin market share, liquidity routing and fiat on/off-ramp dynamics.

Coinbase has integrated Poland’s dominant mobile payment network BLIK via European payments processor PPRO to enable direct cryptocurrency purchases in Polish złoty (PLN). BLIK serves about 20 million users and holds roughly 70% of Poland’s online payments, offering instant in‑app confirmation via one‑time six‑digit codes, PINs or biometrics. The integration, announced by Coinbase executive Côme Prost, removes prior indirect PLN on‑ramps, reduces conversion steps and potential fees, and uses familiar local rails to lower onboarding friction. Coinbase said the collaboration with PPRO will deepen in 2026 with additional local payment methods. The move targets a market with high crypto adoption (Poland’s adoption estimated near 51%) and follows Coinbase’s broader European expansion and regulatory positioning. For traders, the change improves fiat on‑ramp convenience for Polish users, may increase local trading volumes in PLN pairs, and reduces settlement friction — a structural boost to liquidity and user acquisition, but not an immediate price driver for specific tokens.

SoFi Financial, through its national bank charter, has issued SoFiUSD — a dollar-pegged stablecoin deployed on a public blockchain and backed 1:1 by cash reserves held at the Federal Reserve. The rollout initially targets businesses and financial partners via SoFi’s bank membership channels and aims to streamline on-chain payments, 24/7 real-time settlement, and cross-border transfers while reducing payment costs. Key differentiators versus private stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDT) are the national bank charter and direct Fed-held reserves, which lower counterparty and de-peg risks. Planned use-case expansion includes yield products, collateralized lending, and integration into investment services. Traders should note potential increases in on-chain fiat liquidity and institutional activity, and a likely shift of regulatory focus toward bank-issued digital dollars. Risks include heightened regulatory scrutiny, operational and custody challenges, interoperability with existing stablecoins, and the need for broad adoption and user education. Overall, this development could encourage other regulated banks to issue tokens and alter liquidity patterns across DeFi and centralized venues.

Ondo Finance and LayerZero have launched Ondo Bridge, a unified cross-chain bridge enabling 1:1 transfers of more than 100 tokenized stocks and ETFs between Ethereum and BNB Chain. Built on LayerZero’s messaging framework, the single-architecture bridge replaces per-asset bridges and preserves one-to-one parity so tokens remain fully backed while moving across chains. The bridge improves interoperability and distribution by making Ondo’s tokenized securities easily accessible to 2,600+ apps already connected to LayerZero; Stargate has added support. Ondo says the architecture enables faster onboarding of additional EVM-compatible chains (weeks rather than months). Since the launch of Ondo Global Markets on Ethereum in September and its expansion to BNB Chain in October, the platform has grown to over $350 million in TVL and about $2 billion in cumulative trading volume. Recent product expansions include a private tokenized money-market fund with State Street and Galaxy Digital, and the SEC closed an investigation into Ondo Finance, removing a regulatory overhang. For traders, the bridge could broaden liquidity and market access for tokenized securities, increase routing options across LayerZero-enabled apps, and potentially boost tradable volumes for Ondo-listed assets.

Ethereum (ETH) remains in a corrective phase beneath a long-term descending trendline and below the 100- and 200-day moving averages. Daily resistance sits at $3,400–$3,600; a sustained daily close above this zone with strong volume is needed to invalidate the downtrend. Shorter-term action shows ETH trading inside a rising corrective channel within the larger downtrend, but repeated rejections near $3.3K–$3.6K and a recent breakdown of the channel’s lower boundary suggest accelerating downside momentum. Key near-term support is $2,600–$2,800 (previous demand zone and the origin of the prior bullish impulse). On-chain liquidation heatmaps show dense short-liquidation clusters above $3.4K–$3.7K and comparatively thinner long-liquidation clusters below, with the next notable liquidity cluster around $2,600–$2,700. The later report adds that there is also a large, largely untested liquidity cluster near $2,000; analysts warn a liquidity-driven sweep toward $2,000 could occur to clear long leverage and reset funding before a durable bullish structure can form. For traders: monitor the $3.4K–$3.6K resistance for confirmation of a bullish reversal; failure to reclaim that zone keeps downside risk intact and raises the probability of a liquidity sweep toward the $2K area, which would likely trigger forced liquidations and elevated volatility. Keywords: Ethereum, ETH price, technical analysis, liquidity, market risk.

An Ethereum multisignature wallet controlled by a whale was compromised after a private key leak and drained for an estimated $27.3M. Security firm PeckShield and on‑chain investigators reported the attacker set themself as the sole signer on a 1-of-1 multisig (created April 11, 2025), enabling full control. The attacker moved roughly 4,100 ETH (~$12.6M) through Tornado Cash in repeated 100 ETH transfers, retaining about $2M in liquid assets and various tokens (WETH, OKB, TWT, LEO, FET, NEXO). Investigators warn the private key may have leaked during setup or via malicious assistance; linked positions could raise total losses toward ~$38M. The victim’s multisig still holds a leveraged Aave long: ~25,000 ETH supplied as collateral against about $12.3M DAI borrowed, with a health factor near 1.68 — vulnerable to sharp ETH price drops that could trigger liquidations. Trading implications: expect potential short-term downside pressure on ETH from laundering and possible sell-offs of remaining stolen balances, and heightened liquidation risk that could amplify dumps. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, Tornado Cash addresses, the multisig’s Aave health factor, and inflows to centralized exchanges for signals of further cash-out or forced selling.

PEPE (PEPE) has broken the neckline of a weekly head-and-shoulders pattern, confirming a bearish reversal and signalling a material shift in momentum. Price dropped roughly 13–16% over the past week, with recent intraday weakness around 3–4%. Analysts (Ali Martinez and MisterSpread) highlighted the classic left shoulder, head and right shoulder formation and the decisive neckline break. The measured move from the pattern points to a target near $0.0000017–$0.00000185, implying a potential 60–70% decline from recent levels if intermediate support fails. Weekly chart structure shows lower highs and lower lows, indicating sellers remain in control and bullish momentum has faded. Key technical level to watch is the $0.0000044 neckline — a reclaim would shift momentum, while failure to find accumulation at the next supports could extend losses. Traders should prepare for elevated volatility and downside risk to PEPE positions until clear reclaim of resistance or sustained accumulation appears.

Binance has launched a whistleblower program offering up to $5 million for verifiable tips identifying individuals or firms impersonating the exchange and charging fees to secure token listings. The exchange published a partial internal blacklist naming entities and people found soliciting paid listings, including BitABC, Central Research, May/Dannie, Andrew Lee, Suki Yang, Fiona Lee and Kenny Z. Binance also formalized a stricter listing framework, reiterated that it does not authorize any third party to broker or charge for listings, and said it will pursue legal action against impersonators. Founder Changpeng Zhao reiterated on X that anyone claiming to guarantee a Binance listing is a scammer. The announcement aims to protect token projects and users, reduce listing-related fraud and improve transparency in the listing process. Traders should note increased enforcement may reduce scams around new token announcements and lower the risk of rug-pulls tied to fake listing promises. The move comes amid reports about Binance potentially planning a return to the U.S. market and possible changes in CZ’s ownership stake.

ETHGas raised $12 million in a seed round led by Polychain Capital and launched what it calls Ethereum’s first blockspace (gas) futures market with roughly $800M in commitments from validators, builders and relays. The platform lets validators sell blockspace up to 64 blocks (~12.8 minutes) ahead and offers three pre‑confirmation types: full‑block sales, top‑of‑block reservations and execution guarantees. Buyers (traders, dApps, institutions) can hedge gas costs, prepay execution and reduce fee volatility. Validators post ETH or restaked ETH (via EigenLayer) as collateral and face slashing for failures; ETHGas reports a ~99.96% fulfillment rate so far. The team is testing a “Real‑Time Ethereum” model that slices blocks into ~50ms windows (240 slices per block) to speed execution, reduce MEV and target >10,000 TPS; parts of this system have run on mainnet with wider rollout planned next quarter (or Jan–Feb 2026 in later reports). ETHGas charges a 5% fee on futures trades and plans additional fees for real‑time settlement. Founder Kevin Lepsoe says selling blockspace gives validators revenue certainty and can increase MEV capture, but he also acknowledges centralization risks from concentration of validator rewards and dependence on builders/relays; the team plans leader‑election nodes and community engagement to mitigate those risks. For traders: ETHGas introduces tradable gas‑futures and pre‑confirmation products that enable hedging of gas fees and more predictable execution, which may reduce fee volatility and improve UX—but it raises questions about validator incentives, centralization and how blockspace pricing may shift across Ethereum.

HM Treasury has laid a final statutory instrument before Parliament to bring cryptoassets into the UK financial regulatory perimeter and place them under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) supervision from 2027. The legislation defines regulated activities for cryptoassets — including qualifying stablecoins, safeguarding of qualifying and specified investment cryptoassets, operation of cryptoasset trading platforms, intermediation (lending/borrowing), and staking — and requires firms to meet existing transparency, licensing and safeguarding standards. Chancellor Rachel Reeves framed the reform as strengthening consumer protection and encouraging investment and innovation; Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby said it supports the UK’s ambition to be a digital finance hub. The FCA has started a consultation to design tailored rules and guidance covering market integrity, consumer protection, competition and the “unique aspects of cryptoassets,” and will use the consultation to build a final rulebook for trading platforms, intermediaries, DeFi activity and custody. Industry lawyers welcomed the clarity provided by definitions, offences and carve-outs in the legislation. The regime replaces the prior registration-only approach and aims to tighten oversight of custody, exchanges, AML/suspicious-activity detection and market-abuse monitoring. Implementation begins now with full enforcement expected in 2027 — giving firms time to apply for authorisation and adapt operations while signalling the UK’s intent to attract legitimate digital-asset businesses and exclude bad actors.

Ava Labs says Avalanche’s growth is driven by sovereign, purpose-built Layer‑1 chains tailored to institutional and enterprise use cases rather than short-term crypto narratives. John Nahas, Ava Labs’ chief business officer, told TheStreet Roundtable that Avalanche supports private, public and hybrid interoperable chains. The network currently has about 80 live Layer‑1 chains and over 100 on testnet, and Ava Labs projects roughly 200 enterprise and institutional chains across finance, digital identity, AI and government by next year. Notable adopters cited include Toyota (building four distinct Avalanche chains), FIFA and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). Ava Labs argues that banks, asset managers and enterprises prefer dedicated blockchain rails — with independent governance, custom performance parameters and bespoke economic models — to meet regulatory, compliance and operational needs. For traders, these adoption metrics — growing live chain count and institutional deployments — are positive fundamentals for AVAX, signalling increased long-term demand for network services even if short-term market narratives shift. Primary keywords: Avalanche, AVAX, purpose-built chains, enterprise blockchain. Secondary keywords: layer‑1, institutional chains, private permissioned chains, interoperability, Toyota, FIFA, SMBC.

Binance is exploring a relaunch of its American affiliate Binance.US that could involve a recapitalization diluting former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s majority stake. The discussions, which remain fluid, follow CZ’s presidential pardon and his stated push to make the US a core market. Binance exited direct US retail services in 2019, spawning Binance.US (operated separately) that lacks access to Binance’s global liquidity and derivatives—limits that a successful US re-entry would remove. Reported options include a buyback or dilution of CZ’s holdings, governance and leadership changes, and a faster decision timetable driven by regulatory and political pressures. Binance is also pursuing strategic partnerships, most notably with BlackRock — including possible integration of BlackRock’s tokenized money-market fund and co-developed products — and closer ties with World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto venture linked to Trump family members. Yi He has been elevated to a public strategic role to steady operations. Market context: BNB (BNB) has corrected roughly 38% from its October all-time high and traded near $846 at report time. For traders: a successful US relaunch and partnerships with institutional players like BlackRock could improve Binance’s legitimacy, access to US liquidity and depth for BNB and spot markets, which is bullish longer term; however, ownership changes, governance uncertainty and political/regulatory risk introduce short-term volatility and downside risk for BNB and related tokens.

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), manager of Norway’s ~$2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, publicly backed Metaplanet ahead of a 22 December extraordinary meeting, voting in favor of management’s proposals to restructure capital and enable an institutional issuance. Metaplanet will (1) reduce capital stock/reserves to free surplus funds, (2) expand authorised shares and create two preferred classes — Class A (MARS) with variable monthly dividends and Class B (MERCURY) with fixed quarterly dividends, conversion and redemption features — and (3) is authorised to use proceeds to buy Bitcoin. The company plans to raise about $150 million by issuing MERCURY to institutions and explicitly allocate proceeds for BTC purchases as it pursues an ambitious target to scale holdings toward 100,000 BTC by 2026 (up from a previously stated 30,000 BTC). NBIM holds roughly 0.3–0.49% of Metaplanet and also has positions in MicroStrategy; its public “Yes” vote is seen as institutional validation for corporate Bitcoin treasury strategies and for BTC-exposed equities. Short-term headwinds remain: Metaplanet paused BTC purchases after 29 September because market NAV (mNAV) fell below 1x, creating near-term uncertainty about immediate accumulation. For traders: watch for a planned $150m institutional issue, potential resumption of large BTC buys by a listed Asian firm, and the legitimising effect NBIM’s support may have on Bitcoin-treasury equities and investor appetite. Keywords: Metaplanet, Norges Bank, Bitcoin treasury, institutional issuance, BTC purchases.

Mizuho Securities surveyed 230 Robinhood and Coinbase users and found stronger interest and intended capital allocation to prediction markets among Robinhood customers. About 50% of Robinhood respondents plan to use new funds for prediction-market trades versus 37% at Coinbase. Users on both platforms trade prediction markets mainly around economic (81%), political (49%) and sports (47%) events and often add new capital rather than selling existing crypto holdings. Based on this behavior gap, Mizuho raised its revenue outlook for Robinhood and trimmed Coinbase’s price target, citing risk that prediction-market activity could cannibalize Coinbase’s core spot crypto trading fees. For traders, the note implies potential shifts in volume and fee mixes: Robinhood may invest more in prediction-market features, promotions and event offerings to monetise its retail base, while Coinbase may be more cautious to avoid diverting fee-bearing crypto volume. The coming quarters will show whether Robinhood’s broader, event-driven user base converts into materially higher prediction-market revenue and whether Coinbase can integrate prediction products without eroding spot trading fee income.

A California class-action proposes a $10 million settlement for customers who deposited fiat into FTX- or Alameda-related accounts at Silvergate Bank between 2019 and 2022. The settlement, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of California, targets depositors identified by the FTX bankruptcy process; more than 46,000 potential claimants were mailed notice. Claimants have until Jan. 30 to file a claim or opt out; a final fairness hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9. The suit alleges Silvergate, Silvergate Capital and former CEO Alan J. Lane aided tortious conduct by FTX, Alameda and Sam Bankman‑Fried. Because the claimant pool exceeds 46,000, recoveries from the $10M fund would likely be pro rata and small per claimant. Silvergate — formerly a key crypto-friendly bank — voluntarily wound down operations in March 2023 after FTX’s collapse. The filing frames the settlement as an additional recovery beyond distributions from the FTX bankruptcy estate. Separately noted: former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison was moved to community confinement during part of her two-year sentence; her projected release is Feb. 20, 2026. Key trader takeaways: deadline (Jan. 30) to preserve claims, modest $10M pool versus >46,000 potential claimants implying limited per-claim recoveries, and ongoing civil fallout from the FTX collapse that may keep regulatory and legal scrutiny on crypto banking relationships.

Moody’s Ratings has proposed a formal rating framework for USD‑pegged stablecoins (roughly a $300bn market) that prioritizes redemption reliability over returns. The methodology evaluates the credit quality of each reserve asset and related counterparties, then applies market‑value adjustments by asset class and maturity to derive haircuts. Moody’s will treat the lowest scoring reserve asset as the key constraint (a “weakest link” approach). The framework also incorporates liquidity, governance, regulatory context, and operational/technical risks (eg. blockchain forks). Short‑term government securities and cash deposits score higher; algorithmic stablecoins are excluded. Issuers would pay for assessments. Moody’s says the ratings are intended to clarify a stablecoin’s ability to return dollars on demand, not to predict price performance. Public consultation is open until late January. For traders, the new ratings could shift perceived counterparty and reserve risks across stablecoins, change liquidity assessments, and influence flows between USD‑pegged tokens as markets reprice reserve quality and redemption reliability.

California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a page on the state website that highlights people President Donald Trump pardoned, focusing on convicted figures from the cryptocurrency world such as former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and BitMEX co‑founders. Presented as a “top 10 criminal cronies” tracker, the page compiles pardons and uses stylized imagery labelling some subjects “FELON.” Newsom framed the effort as putting facts in one place to show who Trump “elevates and protects,” and his move is part of ongoing public criticism of Trump amid Newsom’s rising national profile. The White House had no immediate comment. For crypto traders: the action escalates political and regulatory scrutiny of high‑profile industry figures and highlights potential executive interference in prosecutions — risks that can raise short‑term market volatility for tokens and firms tied to the implicated platforms. Keywords: Trump pardons, CZ, Ross Ulbricht, crypto regulation, political risk.

Shima Capital, a crypto venture firm that raised roughly $200M in 2021, is winding down after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud charges against founder Yida Gao. The SEC alleges Gao raised more than $158M from 349 investors (May 2021–Mar 2023) using marketing materials that misrepresented returns — claiming a 90x return that was actually 2.8x — and ran an alleged BitClout SPV scheme in which he raised about $11.9M from five investors, bought tokens at discounts and sold them to the SPV at higher prices, secretly profiting about $1.9M. Gao has consented to pay roughly $4.2M in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, faces a permanent officer-and-director bar, and is subject to a parallel criminal case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office (NDCA). Gao resigned as managing director; FTI Consulting and FTI Capital Management will lead an independent wind-down and act as replacement registered investment adviser. Shima says its finance team will remain through transition and no forced sales are planned. Notable portfolio holdings included Berachain, Monad, Pudgy Penguins and positions tied to meme projects such as Shiba Inu. The SEC action highlights heightened scrutiny of venture-capital practices in crypto, raising governance and transparency concerns for VC-backed token projects and the potential for closer enforcement of fund reporting and fund-advisor conduct.

Polkadot’s native token DOT fell sharply after key support levels broke, first slipping below an ascending trendline near $2.05 and then collapsing through the $1.90 psychological level to around $1.82. The move unfolded despite Coinbase announcing direct Polkadot network support. CoinDesk Research’s technical models flagged decisive violations and heavy selling in the final trading hours, with volume spiking to roughly 284%–340% above the 24‑hour average (peak hourly flows ~400% above baseline), suggesting institutional distribution around the $1.90–$1.95 zone. Technical structure shifted from neutral/bullish tests to clear bearish momentum: lower highs, a descending channel from the $1.92 high, and a potential double‑top after failed breakouts near $1.95–$2.00. Immediate support sits near $1.82–$1.95 (psychological $1.95 and $1.90 levels noted); failure of $1.82 risks extension toward $1.75–$1.80. Immediate resistance is the broken $1.90–$2.00 range, and a sustained recovery requires reclaiming $2.00 with convincing volume. Broader markets were weaker during both reports (CoinDesk 20 index down ~0.6% to ~2%). Traders should watch price action around $1.82, $1.90–$1.95, volume trends, and whether DOT can retake $2.00 to reassess short‑term bias.

Shiba Inu engineering lead known as Johndoeshib resigned on December 12, 2025, calling his tenure a “natural conclusion.” He had been a visible contributor to Shibarium and SHIB infrastructure and frequently posted development updates. Colleagues including developer Kaal Dhairya and the OSCAR team publicly thanked him. Two days after leaving, he announced a new venture, HypeIt, offering software development, web design and programming services and inviting community collaboration. The departure prompted mixed community reaction and came amid broader ecosystem tensions — notably K9 Finance DAO, Shiba Inu’s liquid-staking partner, warned it may reconsider ties with Shibarium after complaints about a Shibarium Bridge hack and alleged poor communication from the SHIB team. Johndoeshib said his exit is unrelated to that controversy and that he remains a long-term SHIB observer. At publication SHIB traded near $0.0000077. For traders: this is primarily a personnel change with limited immediate on-chain impact, but it occurs alongside governance and security disputes that could affect market sentiment. Monitor on-chain activity, liquid-staking partner statements (K9), and community governance signals for potential short-term volatility in SHIB.