What's happening: Bitmine spends $98M on ETH, raising its treasury to 4.47 million tokens
Tom Lee’s Bitmine Immersion Technologies announced a $98 million purchase that lifted its ether holdings to 4.474 million tokens, about 3.71 % of Ethereum’s total supply. The firm now has 3.04 million ETH staked, valued at roughly $6 billion, generating $172 million in annualized staking revenue, with potential to rise to $253 million at full capacity.
Also developing:

Bitcoin’s 2026 outlook centers on a tightening supply curve that could push the price past $95,494, with the next rally potentially driven by institutional capital rather than retail demand. Ether is targeted at $3,295, reflecting growing institutional adoption and a shift toward traditional financial valuation metrics. The interview suggests the era of broad altcoin seasons is ending, emphasizing selective investment in projects with clear use‑cases. Regulatory clarity, Fed policy, and geopolitical risks are identified as macro forces that could shape the crypto cycle toward a “1996 internet moment.”

Vilnius‑based crypto exchange BTCC announced it traded $5.72 billion in tokenized gold during 2025, surpassing the $5 billion milestone. The fourth quarter alone generated $2.74 billion, an 809 % increase from Q1. BTCC also reported $53.1 billion in total tokenized gold futures volume, driven by...

NASA researchers conducted a drone‑based flight test at Ames Research Center using an open‑source blockchain framework to secure real‑time transmission of flight data. The system proved capable of protecting telemetry, flight plans and operator registrations from interception or tampering. By...

Newrez will treat eligible cryptocurrency holdings—including Bitcoin, Ether, spot ETFs and US‑dollar‑backed stablecoins—as qualifying assets in its mortgage underwriting, beginning in February for non‑agency home purchase, refinance and investment loans. The assets must be held on US‑regulated exchanges, fintech platforms,...

Bags.fm, a Solana‑based token launchpad, saw explosive activity after the Gas Town token (GAS) surged 682% in 24 hours. Other new tokens such as RALPH, CMEM, VVM, TERRA and RedwoodJS posted gains ranging from 400% to over 80,000%. The platform...

A hacker executed a sophisticated social‑engineering attack on a hardware wallet, stealing roughly $282 million worth of Bitcoin and Litecoin. The stolen assets—1,459 BTC and 2.05 million LTC—were quickly swapped for the privacy coin Monero and partially bridged to Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin via...

Ethereum’s validator entry queue has swelled to over 2.55 million ETH, worth roughly $8.3 billion, creating a 44‑day wait—the longest since July 2023. The surge is driven by BitMine Immersion, which has already staked more than 1.25 million ETH from its $13 billion treasury. With...

Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union has teamed with InvestiFi to embed a full‑stack InvestTech platform into its online banking suite. The integration will let roughly 60,000 members trade more than 6,500 stocks and ETFs, plus over 25 digital assets, directly...
Tokenised loyalty programs are converting static points into portable, programmable digital assets that give customers true ownership via secure wallets. This shift enables rewards to move across apps, creating network effects and simplifying partner integrations. For growth teams, tokenised incentives...
IronWallet launches a non‑custodial wallet that eliminates gas fees for swaps on five major blockchains, including Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Solana, and Tron. The platform supports over ten thousand tokens across more than ten networks, allowing users to manage diversified portfolios...

Gusto, the payroll and HR platform serving over 400,000 small businesses, has launched a beta program with crypto infrastructure provider Zerohash to enable stablecoin payouts for international contractors. The new option lets eligible workers receive U.S. dollar‑denominated stablecoins with settlement...

PNC Bank CEO Bill Demchak told investors that stablecoins must be classified either as payment tools or as money‑market‑fund‑like investment products. He warned that offering interest blurs that line and would subject tokens to the same strict oversight applied to...

Crypto credit and debit cards have surged from roughly $100 million in early 2023 to over $1.5 billion monthly by late 2025, creating an $18 billion annualized spend that nearly matches peer‑to‑peer stablecoin transfers. The market grew at a 106 % compound annual growth...

Riot Platforms surged 11% after buying a 200‑acre Texas parcel for $96 million, funded by selling about 1,080 bitcoin, and signing a 10‑year, 25 MW data‑center lease with AMD. The AMD agreement is expected to generate $311 million in revenue, with options that...

JPMorgan reports that U.S.-listed bitcoin miners added $13 billion in market value during the first two weeks of 2026, bringing the sector’s total capitalization to roughly $62 billion. A modest rise in Bitcoin price combined with a 2 % drop in network hashrate...

The CoinDesk 20 Index rose 0.3% to 2,985.7 points on Thursday, driven by strong gains in Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Aave (AAVE). BCH led the pack with a 3.1% increase, while AAVE added 1.4%, pushing ten of the twenty assets higher....

In 2025 the crypto sector pivoted from meme‑driven speculation to measurable fundamentals, driven largely by decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). Projects began reporting on‑chain revenue, making protocol earnings the new benchmark for valuation. This shift underpins the emerging "machine economy,"...

FOGO is building a high‑performance execution layer that is fully compatible with Solana’s smart‑contract ecosystem. The project emphasizes ultra‑low latency, high throughput, and real‑time user experiences, positioning itself for traders, gaming platforms, and other latency‑sensitive applications. While the design promises...

In this bonus Fintech Recap episode, Jason and Alex Johnson dissect the controversial rise of Kontigo, a Y Combinator- and Coinbase-backed startup accused of facilitating sanctions evasion. They clarify AML versus sanctions, detail Kontigo's retail service and the hidden role...

Revenue in crypto is increasingly captured by user‑facing DeFi applications rather than base‑layer blockchains. Data from Real Vision and DeFiLlama shows DeFi fees are five times higher than blockchain fees, with stablecoin issuer Tether alone generating $563 million in the last...

Tudou Guarantee, a Telegram‑based escrow tied to Cambodia’s Huione Group, has refunded more than $130 million in USDT since early 2026 and announced it is winding down operations. The refunds, which peaked at $18.1 million in a single day, signal a retreat...
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀? That was my main question to Raoul Pal in our latest conversation. Raoul is one of the most respected macro voices in finance. When he speaks, institutions listen. But I wanted...

I still think the GIGACHAD 1/100's by @beeple will end up as iconic and as valuable as Warhol Marylyn's...and a stupendous investment too. https://t.co/uGOanD3xhm
Finunion has launched a live B2B crypto payments platform that lets companies invoice, collect and manage crypto transactions without extra integrations. The system supports one‑time and recurring invoices, generates payment links, and consolidates all activity in a single dashboard. Payments...

UPDATE: CryptoQuant says BTC’s ~21% rebound since Nov. 21 looks like a bear market rally, not a trend reversal. They warn demand is weak, spot buying is contracting, and ETF inflows are muted. Source: The Block https://t.co/YgkEwjYAoa
The biggest threat to community banks isn’t stablecoins 🏦 @CampbellJAustin explains what actually is 👇 https://t.co/oAs3VHUr6c

tZERO Group and North Capital Investment Technology have launched Agora, a technology network that links alternative trading systems (ATS) to broaden market access for tokenized and private securities. The platform lets securities listed on one ATS be traded by qualified...
The banks are actively stopping Crypto Market Structure because they are using YOUR money to lobby against yield, rewards and interest on YOUR money. They want all the profit for themselves. KEEP FIGHTING MR.ARMSTRONG https://t.co/E7O1QEjRgI
$10B volume. Such volume. Much swaps. More partners are joining every day, growing the network effects of @near_intents

President Donald Trump announced that the "leaker on Venezuela" has been arrested, reigniting scrutiny of prediction‑market platforms. Blockchain analysts linked the leaker to a cluster of Polymarket wallets that posted outsized bets on Venezuelan political outcomes just before the news...
How do Stablecoins pull $6 trillion out of banks If the *entire* market cap of stablecoins is estimated to be $2 trillion by 2030? 🤔

Is the stablecoin space "speed running" the problems we saw in banking-as-a-service? @AlexH_Johnson and I did a bonus ep of Fintech Recap, discussing what lessons banks & "infrastructure" companies should learn from the Kontigo mess. https://t.co/kh6Hi6EYHb

DDC Enterprise announced the purchase of 200 Bitcoin, bringing its total holdings to 1,383 BTC and pushing the company to the 44th‑largest public Bitcoin holder. The acquisition was made at an average cost of $88,998 per coin, resulting in a...

Coinbase pulls support from crypto market structure bill Policy pivot: Coinbase deciding regulatory status quo better than codified framework. Implications for crypto industry - unified lobbying front collapsing. Does this strengthen or weaken path to comprehensive legislation? https://t.co/moOU63OeQc
Gold’s on a tear. 🚀 Bitcoin mostly is not. Which should you buy? Here are the factors to consider. https://t.co/a249uTrsQf

Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan warned that stablecoins offering interest could trigger up to $6 trillion—about a third of U.S. commercial bank deposits—to flee traditional banks. The prospect of 4% on‑chain yields versus sub‑1% savings rates would force banks to...
BlackRock finally acknowledges the growing $38T the US is facing We are so focused on NEW laws and regulations it keeps growing and won’t stop BITCOIN and not IBIT https://t.co/GbDS0JEOM4
Capped rates. Political pressure on the Fed. “Economic populism on steroids,” 💥 says @ramahluwalia on Bits + Bips: https://t.co/M6kptqdSmk

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19 establishing a legal framework for “cryptobanks,” which are joint‑stock companies that can combine token‑based operations with traditional banking services. The decree requires cryptobanks to obtain resident status in the state‑backed Hi‑Tech Park and to register with...

💥XRP NEWS: XRP was South Korea’s most traded crypto in 2025, surpassing BTC & ETH. XRP/KRW led trading all year, with $1T+ in volume processed on Upbit. Source: coinpaper https://t.co/9qDekrCy8n
Love Starknet Love Solana Love NEAR Love Bitcoin Love Ethereum Love Zcash Love ZK Bullish.

Crypto lender Nexo has inked a four‑year, tens‑million‑dollar sponsorship with the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team, securing category exclusivity for digital assets. The deal embeds Nexo’s branding on the car livery, driver helmets and pit‑crew apparel, and follows a three‑year partnership...

Matt Walsh and Nic Carter recap the week’s blockchain headlines, noting the delayed markup of the Clarity market‑structure bill and Coinbase’s withdrawal of support amid bank lobby pressure. They flag Kontigo’s alleged sanctions‑evasion issues and X’s API change that blocks...
Crypto used to be an ecosystem made of isolated islands. That's the old crypto. New crypto is an ecosystem of hubs with bridges that connect layers, chains, apps, and what not. And that's good.

Brian Garry Sewell, a 54‑year‑old from Washington County, Utah, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors said he defrauded at least 17 investors of roughly $2.9 million between 2017 and 2024 and ran...

Google announced that, starting Jan. 28, crypto exchange and custodial wallet apps on Google Play in South Korea must upload proof of acceptance of their Virtual Asset Service Provider registration with the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit. The rule targets offshore platforms,...

Moldova announced plans to adopt its first comprehensive cryptocurrency law by the end of 2026, mirroring the European Union’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA). The draft, being prepared by the finance ministry, the National Bank, the market regulator and the...

Digital Wealth Partners has appointed Two Prime to manage roughly $250 million in bitcoin for its institutional clients, expanding an existing relationship. Two Prime offers a suite of bitcoin‑focused services, including one of the world’s largest bitcoin‑secured lending operations. The mandate...

Polygon Labs announced a strategic pivot toward a payments‑first model, centered on stablecoin rails and an "Open Money Stack." The shift follows a $250 million acquisition of crypto‑ATM firm Coinme and developer platform Sequence. Sources indicate up to 30% of staff...
Read how Aave V4 evolves Aave’s risk management framework to scale from billions to trillions in value, serving millions of users and institutional partners.