Bitfinex Hacker Ilya Lichtenstein Credits Trump’s First Step Act for Early Prison Release
Ilya Lichtenstein, the mastermind behind the 2016 Bitfinex hack that stole roughly 120,000 bitcoin, was released from a five‑year sentence after serving just 14 months. He credited President Donald Trump’s First Step Act for the early release and reiterated his intent to contribute positively to cybersecurity. The hack, valued at over $10 billion today, led to the recovery of about 94,000 BTC, with prosecutors seeking to return the assets to Bitfinex. Lichtenstein’s case arrives amid a series of high‑profile crypto‑related clemencies granted by Trump.
Bitcoin Pushes Above $90,000 as Traders Eye Change in Pattern
Bitcoin surged past the $90,000 mark, climbing about 2.5% in the last 24 hours and breaking the defensive trend that dominated late‑2025. Ether, Solana and XRP each posted gains near 4%, while crypto‑related equities such as Coinbase, Hut 8 and Galaxy...
$110 Billion in Crypto Left South Korea in 2025 Owing to Strict Trading Rules
South Korean investors moved over 160 trillion won ($110 billion) from domestic crypto exchanges to offshore platforms in 2025, driven by restrictive regulations. The Digital Asset Basic Act was delayed due to stablecoin disputes, leaving a gap in rules for derivatives and...
Bitcoin Miner Bitfarms Exiting Latin America with $30M Sale of Paraguay Site
Bitfarms announced the sale of its Paso Pe, Paraguay bitcoin‑mining site to the Sympatheia Power Fund for up to $30 million, with $9 million paid upfront and the remainder tied to milestones. The deal finalizes Bitfarms' exit from Latin America, following a previous...
Internet Computer Climbs Back to $3 as Short-Term Momentum Improves
Internet Computer (ICP) surged about 3% in the past 24 hours, pushing the token above the $3 psychological level and briefly reaching $3.03. The price rally follows a short‑term recovery that began in the upper $2.80s, with higher lows and...
BONK Jumps More than 10% in 24 Hours as Momentum Pushes Price Higher
BONK, the Solana‑based meme token, surged roughly 10.6% in the past 24 hours, climbing to about $0.00000833. The rally broke a critical resistance at $0.00000820, a level that had previously capped gains, and pushed the price near $0.00000844. Elevated trading...
Bitcoin's Squeeze Sets Stage for Major Price Swing
Bitcoin has entered a classic Bollinger Band squeeze as its price has hovered between $85,000 and $90,000 for two weeks, narrowing the volatility bands to under $3,500—the tightest since July. Such squeezes historically precede large price swings, with past examples...
Cardano's ADA Pops 7%, Bitcoin, Ether Show Steady Gains as Traders Enter 2026
Cardano’s ADA surged 7% on Friday, outpacing Bitcoin’s modest 1% rise to around $88,700 and Ether’s similar gain near $3,010. The rally was confined to a handful of large‑cap tokens, with Solana, XRP and BNB also posting gains, while the...
Dogecoin Surges 7% as a Double-Bottom Break Sparks DOGE Rally
Dogecoin surged 6.6% to $0.126, breaking the $0.121 resistance band on volume that spiked to 183% of its daily average. The move completed a double‑bottom pattern around $0.120‑$0.121, turning that zone into potential support. Traders now watch the $0.1245‑$0.125 level...
Vitalik Buterin on the Two Goals Ethereum Must Meet to Become the ‘World Computer’
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin reflected on 2025’s technical gains, noting faster processing, higher reliability, and improved scalability. He warned that milestones alone won’t fulfill Ethereum’s original mission of a decentralized world computer. Buterin emphasized two simultaneous imperatives: global usability and...
Base’s Creator Coin Push Sparks Builder Backlash over Favoritism Concerns
Base is aggressively promoting creator‑coin tokens on its L2, largely through a partnership with NFT marketplace Zora. The initiative has spurred a surge in daily token mints, overtaking Solana in August, and keeps the network processing more than 10 million transactions...
Trump Media to Distribute New Digital Tokens to DJT Shareholders
Trump Media and Technology Group announced a partnership with Crypto.com to distribute a new digital token to DJT shareholders, issuing one token per whole share on Crypto.com’s Cronos blockchain. Token holders will receive periodic rewards, including discounts on Truth Social,...
KBW Upgrades TeraWulf to Outperform, Sees AI Pivot as Catalyst for Sharp Growth
KBW upgraded TeraWulf (WULF) to Outperform and lifted its price target from $9.50 to $24. The broker argues the market undervalues the company’s transition from Bitcoin mining to AI and high‑performance computing (HPC) leasing. Analysts project a 505% EBITDA compound...
XRP and Solana Volatility in 2025 Was Twice as Bumpy as Bitcoin's
In 2025, XRP and Solana experienced realized volatility of 80% and 87% respectively, roughly twice Bitcoin's 43% level. Altcoin ETFs have attracted $1 billion for XRP and $763.9 million for Solana, yet their liquidity remains shallow compared with Bitcoin’s $56.96 billion in spot...
South Korean Retail Keeps Buying Ether Hoarder BitMine Despite 80% Drop: Report
South Korean retail investors have continued to pour money into BitMine Immersion Technologies despite an 82% plunge from its July peak, making it the second‑most bought overseas stock by Korean traders after Alphabet. The company, now holding roughly $12 billion in...
Bitcoin's Market Got Calmer in 2025 Thanks to Yield-Hungry Institutional Investors
In 2025 Bitcoin’s implied volatility fell sharply as institutions adopted covered‑call strategies to earn yield on idle holdings. Volmex’s BVIV and Deribit’s DVOL indexes dropped from around 70 % to the mid‑40 % range, reflecting reduced market turbulence. Institutional players sold out‑of‑the‑money...
Bullish Calls of XRP to Jump 300% in 2026 Do the Rounds Again, Implying $8 Target
XRP traded around $1.87 on Dec 31, 2025, with volume up 20.8% despite a narrow price range. Standard Chartered reiterated a bullish forecast, targeting $8 per token by the end of 2026, citing clearer U.S. regulation and growing institutional appetite. Spot...
David Beckham-Backed Prenetics Ditches Bitcoin Purchase
Prenetics, the health‑sciences firm co‑founded by David Beckham, announced it will cease all new Bitcoin purchases after a prolonged crypto market slump, while retaining its existing 510 BTC worth roughly $45 million. The company will redirect capital to its IM8 supplement...
Unleash Protocol Hit by $3.9 Million Exploit with Funds Routed Through Tornado Cash
Unleash Protocol, an on‑chain intellectual property finance platform, suffered a $3.9 million loss after an attacker exploited its multisignature governance system to upgrade contracts and withdraw assets. The stolen funds, including WIP, USDC, WETH, stIP and vIP, were bridged to Ethereum...
Long-Term Holders Turn Net Accumulators, Easing a Major Bitcoin Headwind
Long‑term Bitcoin holders (LTHs) have shifted back into net accumulation, adding roughly 33,000 BTC over the past 30 days—the first positive net change since July. Despite this, LTHs sold more than 1 million BTC during the 36 % correction that began in...
Traders Split over Whether Lighter’s LIT Clears $3 Billion FDV After Launch
Lighter’s governance token LIT has not yet opened for public trading, yet pre‑market activity places it near $3.20, implying a fully diluted valuation (FDV) above $3 billion. Traders are divided, with some arguing the token merits a $2 billion FDV while others...
Institutions Are Increasingly Using the Bitcoin Options Playbook for Altcoins: STS Digital
Institutions are now transplanting Bitcoin options strategies onto altcoins, according to STS Digital, a principal digital‑asset derivatives dealer. By writing covered calls, selling puts and buying calls, they aim to hedge volatility and capture additional premium income. STS Digital reports...
As Democrats Gain in Odds to Take U.S. House, Waters Bashes SEC Chair on Crypto
Maxine Waters, the leading Democrat likely to chair the House Financial Services Committee if Democrats secure a House majority, has publicly rebuked SEC Chair Paul Atkins for terminating high‑profile crypto enforcement actions. In a letter to the committee’s Republican chair,...
Aptos' APT Delines on Below Average Volume
Aptos (APT) slipped 1.7% to $1.70, underperforming the broader crypto market as the CoinDesk 20 index fell 0.7%. Trading volume over the past 24 hours was 16% below the 30‑day average, indicating weak institutional conviction. The token now trades within...
Crypto Winter Looms in 2026, but Cantor Sees Institutional Growth and Onchain Shifts
Cantor Fitzgerald warns that Bitcoin is entering a classic four‑year crypto winter, likely testing the $75,000 breakeven level identified by Strategy. The downturn is expected to be less chaotic, driven by institutional balance‑sheet adjustments rather than retail panic. Tokenized real‑world...
Bitmine's Ether Stash Tops 4.1 Million Tokens as Crypto and Cash Holdings Reach $13.2 Billion
Bitmine Immersion Technologies reported crypto, cash and moonshot assets totaling $13.2 billion, anchored by a 4.1 million ETH holding that represents about 3.41% of the network’s circulating supply. The firm now holds the world’s largest publicly owned ether treasury and ranks second...
Polkadot's DOT Dips, with Token Underperforming Wider Crypto Markets
Polkadot’s native token DOT slipped 2% to $1.84 in the past 24 hours, while trading volume rose 7.8% above its seven‑day average. The decline occurred without any clear fundamental catalyst, leaving technical resistance at $1.88 as the primary driver. DOT...
Sberbank Issues Russia's First Crypto-Backed Loan to Bitcoin Miner Intelion Data
Sberbank, Russia’s second‑largest bank, issued the country’s first bitcoin‑backed loan to major miner Intelion Data, marking a pilot for crypto‑collateralized financing. The loan, secured with bitcoin mined by Intelion and held in Sberbank’s Rutoken custody platform, was made without disclosing...
Bitcoin Reverses Early Gains, Drops Below $88,000 as Nasdaq Futures Wilt
Bitcoin briefly topped $90,000 before slipping below $88,000, pulling major altcoins lower. The retreat coincided with Nasdaq 100 futures falling about 0.5%, underscoring the crypto‑equity correlation that intensifies during equity downtrends. Global Bitcoin futures open interest dropped to roughly 533,000 BTC, reflecting...
Bitcoin Whales Have Been the Main Accumulators in the $80,000 Range
Bitcoin whales, defined as wallets holding at least 1,000 BTC, have been the primary buyers since the cryptocurrency slipped to around $80,000 in late November, according to Glassnode data. The 1,000‑10,000 BTC cohort shows an Accumulation Trend Score close to 1, indicating sustained...
Tokenized Silver Volumes Explode as Metal's Price Rises to Record
Tokenized silver trading has surged, with the iShares Silver Trust token on RWA.xyz seeing a 1,200% jump in monthly transfer volume, a 300% rise in holders, and a 40% increase in net asset value. The metal’s price has approached $80...
Digital Yuan Holdings to Earn Interest Under China's New Framework
China's People’s Bank will roll out a new digital‑yuan framework on Jan. 1, 2026, permitting commercial banks to pay interest on e‑CNY balances. The change reclassifies the digital yuan from a cash‑like token to a deposit‑type liability, aligning it with traditional...
XRP and Cardano Need to Prove They're Useful Beyond Just Fans, Mike Novogratz Says
Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz warned that Ripple’s XRP and Cardano’s ADA must prove real utility beyond loyal fan bases as the crypto market shifts toward fundamentals. He noted that despite multi‑billion‑dollar market caps, on‑chain activity for both tokens remains...
Bitcoin Tops $90,000, Oil Rises as Russia-Ukraine Peace Hopes Falter
Bitcoin surged past $90,000 on Monday, climbing over 2% as optimism for a Russia‑Ukraine peace agreement faded. The rally lifted major altcoins—Ether, XRP and Solana—each gaining roughly 3% or more. In parallel, oil markets reacted to renewed conflict, with WTI...
Bitcoin Sinks Below $87,000 as Crypto Assets Slide, Metals Soar Post-Xmas
Bitcoin slipped below $87,000, retreating 1.6% after briefly touching $89,000 during the holiday lull. Meanwhile, gold, silver, copper, palladium and platinum surged to fresh all‑time highs, with gold trading at $4,573 per ounce. The metals rally was fueled by heightened...
Coinbase Named a Top Three 2026 Fintech Pick at Clear Street
Clear Street analyst Owen Lau named Coinbase (COIN) as one of his top three fintech picks for 2026, ranking it alongside Nasdaq and S&P Global. Lau maintains a buy rating with a 12‑month price target of $415, despite the stock...
Uniswap's Token Burn, Protocol Fee Proposal Backed Overwhelmingly by Voters
Uniswap’s “UNIfication” proposal passed with over 125 million votes, authorizing a 0.05 % protocol fee and a token‑burn mechanism. The change shifts a portion of the platform’s $600 million annual fees from liquidity providers to an on‑chain burn, linking UNI’s value to actual...
Bitcoin’s $70,000 to $80,000 Zone Highlights Gap in Historical Price Support
Analysis of five years of CME Bitcoin futures reveals that the $70,000‑$79,999 price band has been visited only 28 trading days, the fewest among major ranges. By contrast, lower zones such as $30,000‑$49,999 accumulated close to two hundred days each,...
Hong Kong Regulators Target 2026 Legislation for Virtual Asset Dealer and Custodian Rules
Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Securities and Futures Commission will table a bill in 2026 to create a licensing regime for virtual‑asset dealers and custodians. The framework, shaped by a two‑month public consultation that attracted...
Bitcoin and Ether ETFs See Outflows Ahead of Christmas, Led by IBIT and ETHE
Spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs recorded significant outflows on December 24, with Bitcoin funds losing $175 million and Ether funds shedding $57 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led the Bitcoin exits with a $91.37 million withdrawal, while Grayscale’s ETHE drove the Ether outflow with $33.78 million, pushing...
Bitcoin Briefly Trades at $24,000 on Binance’s USD1 Pair in Flash Move
Bitcoin briefly displayed $24,111 on Binance’s USD1 pair before snapping back above $87,000 within seconds. The flash wick appeared only on the USD1 stablecoin pair, which is backed by World Liberty Financial, and did not affect other major BTC markets....
Circle Platform Promising Tokenized Gold, Silver Swaps Is 'Fake,' Company Says
A press release on Dec 24 claimed Circle launched a platform called CircleMetals for swapping USDC with tokenized gold (GLDC) and silver (SILC) tokens backed by COMEX liquidity. Circle’s spokesperson confirmed the announcement is fake, stating the company never created such...
EU’s Crypto Tax Reporting Starts in January with Threat of Asset Seizure
The EU’s DAC8 directive, effective Jan. 1, 2026, expands tax‑reporting obligations to crypto‑asset service providers. Exchanges, brokers and custodians must collect detailed user and transaction data and share it with national tax authorities, which will then exchange information across member states....
XRP Price Reaction Muted Even as New Income-Generation Opportunity Appears
Payments‑focused cryptocurrency XRP saw little price movement in the past 24 hours despite the launch of earnXRP, a new yield‑generating vault. The product, created by Upshift, Clearstar and Flare, lets holders deposit FXRP—an ERC‑20‑compatible, over‑collateralized representation of XRP—into a vault...
Crypto M&A Hits Record $8.6 Billion in 2025 as Trump’s Regulatory Stance Spurs Deals
Crypto M&A reached a record $8.6 billion in 2025, up sharply from $2.17 billion in 2024. The surge was fueled by the Trump administration’s supportive regulatory agenda, notably the GENIUS Act that created a federal stablecoin framework. Deal activity climbed to 267...
Trump Media Shuffles 2,000 BTC After Fresh Bitcoin Inflows
Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT) transferred roughly 2,000 bitcoin, valued at about $174 million, across several wallets a day after reporting a rise to 11,542 BTC. About $12 million of the moved coins were sent to Coinbase Prime Custody, while the...
Sling Money Receives Approval to Offer Crypto Services in UK as Stablecoin Payments Gain Popularity
Sling Money, the crypto‑payments app from Avian Labs, secured approval from the UK Financial Conduct Authority to operate as a crypto services provider. The platform enables person‑to‑person transfers using Paxos’ USDP and Circle’s EURC stablecoins on the Solana blockchain, linking...
Polymarket Points to Third-Party Login Tool After Users Report Account Breaches
Polymarket disclosed that a vulnerability in a third‑party authentication provider caused recent account breaches, resulting in users losing funds despite two‑factor authentication. The platform pointed to Magic Labs, an email‑based login service that auto‑creates wallets, as the likely source. Polymarket...
Dogecoin Loses $0.13 Floor as Derivatives Positioning Signals Bigger Swings Ahead
Dogecoin slipped below the $0.13 psychological floor as heavy spot selling coincided with a dramatic surge in derivatives activity. BitMEX reported a 53,000% jump in DOGE futures volume, reaching $260 million, indicating traders are bracing for heightened volatility. The price fell...
XRP Weakens After Losing Support, with $1.85 Next in Focus
XRP lost its short‑term support around $1.87 as sellers pushed the token below the $1.8615‑$1.8700 band. Heavy volume at the $1.9061 resistance level indicated larger players were selling into strength rather than accumulating. The price now hovers near $1.86, with...
