Ethereum’s Future Hinges on Zero-Knowledge Proofs, EF Director Says
Ethereum Foundation co‑executive director Hsiao‑Wei Wang announced that zero‑knowledge cryptography is moving from rollup layer‑2 solutions to a native protocol feature in Ethereum’s mid‑term roadmap. Recent breakthroughs in zk‑proof efficiency make a native zkEVM feasible, promising lower verification costs and higher scalability. While short‑term upgrades focus on execution and blob space, the long‑term vision integrates compact proofs directly into block validation, preserving security and decentralization.
Tennessee Orders Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com to Cease Sports Betting Contracts
Tennessee regulators have issued cease‑and‑desist orders to Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com, demanding they stop offering sports event contracts to state residents. The firms, which operate as CFTC‑registered contract markets, lack the state gambling license required by Tennessee’s Sports Gaming Act....
Institutions Know a “Good” Exchange Is Built for Failure
Chris Soriano argues that an exchange’s true quality is measured by its performance during market stress, not by superficial polish or compliance scores. CoinDesk’s November 2025 Exchange Benchmark shows improved governance, yet many crypto venues still run retail‑centric matching engines, lack...
Hundreds of Wealthy Investors Are Using Crypto to Buy Real Estate in Europe
Brighty, a Lithuania‑licensed crypto payments platform, has brokered more than 100 apartment purchases for high‑net‑worth individuals across Europe. Transactions range from $500,000 to $2.5 million, with customers spending roughly $50,000 per month on crypto‑funded real estate. The firm relies on blockchain‑analytics...
Bitcoin Pulls Back to $90,000 as Early Friday Rally Attempt Fails
Bitcoin slipped back to roughly $90,000 after a brief surge to $92,000, posting a 1% decline over the past 24 hours. The pullback occurred as U.S. equities rallied, with the Nasdaq up 1% and the S&P 500 gaining 0.8%. Mixed labor...
World's Largest Custodial Bank BNY to Offer Tokenized Deposits for Institutional Investors
BNY Mellon, the world’s largest custodial bank, has rolled out a tokenized deposit service for institutional investors, mirroring client balances on a permissioned blockchain. The new Digital Assets platform allows on‑chain representation of deposits, delivering near‑instant, 24/7 settlement and streamlined...
Crypto Exchange OKX Cuts Institutional Staff Amid Global Restructuring
OKX announced a global restructuring of its institutional business, resulting in roughly one‑third of its institutional salesforce exiting the firm. The cuts, which include both layoffs and voluntary departures, are part of a shift toward a more traditional coverage model...
Tether Said to Have Invested up to $50 Million in Crypto Lender Ledn at $500 Million Valuation
Tether has invested between $40 million and $50 million in crypto lender Ledn, valuing the company at $500 million. The deal, disclosed by a source, marks Tether’s latest strategic move beyond its core stablecoin business. Ledn, which recently shifted to a bitcoin‑only lending...
U.S. Added 50,000 Jobs in December as Unemployment Rate Fell to 4.4%
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that non‑farm payrolls grew by 50,000 jobs in December, falling short of the 60,000 forecast. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.4%, better than the projected 4.5% and down from November’s 4.6%. Revised data...
Bitcoin May Be Gearing up for a Rally that Sent Price to $126,000 Last Year
Bitcoin has been confined to an $80,000‑$95,000 range for about 50 days, echoing a similar 52‑day consolidation earlier this year that ended with a surge to $126,000 in October. Analysts label these prolonged, flat periods as time‑based capitulations, where impatient...
Toncoin Drops, Falls Through Key Support Levels in Technical Breakdown
TON fell over 4% in 24 hours, sliding to $1.76 and breaching key support levels at $1.79 and $1.78. A volume spike of 2.14 million TON, well above the seven‑day average, suggests large‑holder or institutional selling pressure. The move contrasts with...
Ripple Wins UK Regulatory Approval From Financial Conduct Authority
Ripple’s UK subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK Ltd., secured registration with the Financial Conduct Authority under the country’s anti‑money‑laundering regime, enabling it to conduct certain crypto‑related activities in Britain. The approval stops short of a full financial‑services licence but signals Ripple’s...
A Ruble Stablecoin Outpaced Market Leaders Last Year Despite International Sanctions
A7A5, a ruble‑linked stablecoin launched in January 2025, added roughly $90 billion to its circulating supply over the past year, outpacing market leaders USDT and USDC. Backed by A7 LLC, a firm tied to state‑owned Promsvyazbank and convicted Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, the token...
Ethereum Treasury Firm SharpLink Stakes $170M ETH on Linea Network
SharpLink Gaming, the Ethereum treasury firm behind SBET, has allocated $170 million worth of ether to a yield‑generating strategy on ConsenSys’ Linea network. The approach layers native ETH staking, EigenCloud restaking rewards, and incentives from Linea and ether.fi, all under Anchorage...
XRP Slips to $2.12 After Liquidations Clear Both Sides of the Futures Book
XRP slipped to $2.12 on Jan 9 after a two‑step liquidation reset cleared roughly $10 million of both short and long positions on Binance Futures. The price is now trapped between a $2.07‑$2.08 demand pocket and $2.17 resistance, with volume spikes confirming...
Bitcoin Holds Near $91,000 as Market Awaits Trump Tariff Ruling: Asia Morning Briefing
Bitcoin hovered around $91,000 during Asian trading as markets await the U.S. Supreme Court decision on President Trump’s emergency‑powers tariffs slated for Jan 10. Prediction‑market odds on Polymarket show only a 24% chance the Court will fully uphold the tariffs. The...
Trump Says He Won't Rescue Sam Bankman-Fried with Pardon
President Donald Trump told the New York Times he will not grant a pardon to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman‑Fried, who is serving a 25‑year fraud sentence. In the same interview he ruled out clemency for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and Venezuelan...
Bitnomial Wins U.S. Regulator's Nod on Prediction Markets Push, Joins Growing Crowd
Bitnomial received a CFTC no‑action letter, allowing it to launch a U.S.‑focused prediction‑market service that trades contracts tied to cryptocurrency prices and macroeconomic indicators. The approval follows a recent wave of similar permissions granted to DraftKings, Gemini, Polymarket, PredictIt and...
Ethereum Scaling Network Polygon Close to Buying Bitcoin Kiosk Firm Coinme, Sources Say
Polygon, the Ethereum Layer‑2 scaling solution, is nearing a deal to acquire Bitcoin ATM operator Coinme for between $100 million and $125 million. The acquisition would give Polygon control of a nationwide network of kiosks operating in 49 U.S. states, many of...
XRP ETFs See $40M of Outflows After Eight-Week Run of Inflows
U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded their first net outflow day since debut, with $40.8 million withdrawn on Jan 7. The outflow was driven primarily by 21Shares’ TOXR, which saw a $47.25 million redemption, while other issuers posted modest inflows or flat activity. Despite...
Zcash Governance Clash Tanked the Token. Here's Why It May Not Be as Big as It Seems.
The core development team of the Electric Coin Company (ECC) left Zcash to launch a new company after a governance clash with the nonprofit Bootstrap. The announcement triggered a sharp sell‑off, sending ZEC down roughly 19% despite a 880% rally...
Polygon Labs Unveils ‘Open Money Stack’ to Power Borderless Stablecoin Payments
Polygon Labs announced the Open Money Stack, a modular framework for stablecoin‑based, cross‑border payments. The stack, slated for launch later this year, works across multiple blockchains and bundles on‑chain settlement, fiat access, and compliance tools. By allowing firms to select...
Optimism Proposes OP Token Buybacks Using 50% of Superchain Revenue
The Optimism Foundation has proposed allocating half of Superchain revenue to repurchase OP tokens, with monthly buybacks slated to begin in February. The plan, which will be voted on Jan 22, draws on sequencer fees from chains like Base, Unichain, and...
JPMorgan Says the Crypto Selloff May Be Nearing a Bottom as ETF Outflows Ease
JPMorgan analysts say the recent crypto sell‑off may be approaching a bottom, citing easing outflows from Bitcoin and Ether ETFs and stabilising positions in CME futures. Flow data show that both retail and institutional investors have largely completed the de‑risking...
CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Ripple (XRP) Drops 4.5% as Nearly All Assets Decline
CoinDesk 20 index slipped 2.1% to 2,872.95 on Tuesday, reflecting a broad crypto market pullback. Ripple (XRP) was among the worst performers, dropping 4.5%, while APT fell 5%, marking the laggard tier. Only one of the twenty constituents, Polkadot (POL), posted...
Stand With Crypto Advocacy Group Sees Nearly 700,000 New Members Ahead of 2026 Election
Stand With Crypto, the Coinbase‑founded advocacy group, added 675,000 new members last year, bringing its U.S. base to roughly 2.6 million across all 50 states. The organization has mobilized its members for political action, filing 925,000 letters in 2025 and over...
Tokenized Brazilian Credit Card Debt Offers 13% Yield Through BlackOpal's GemStone Platform
BlackOpal’s new GemStone platform will tokenize Brazilian credit‑card receivables, allowing merchants to receive cash instantly at 95 cents on the dollar. The tokens are sold to institutional investors who can earn a USD‑denominated, FX‑hedged 13% annual yield. The initiative uses the...
Florida Revives Push for Bitcoin Reserve with New 2026 Bill
Florida lawmakers reintroduced House Bill 1039 to create a Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Fund managed by the state chief financial officer. The proposal permits discretionary allocation of up to 10% of certain state funds into Bitcoin, with independent audits and an...
October's Crypto Crash Left Market Makers Stuffed with Coins, Slowing Trading: BitMEX
BitMEX’s 2025 State of Crypto Perpetual Swaps report shows the October 10 market crash wiped out $20 billion in leveraged futures and triggered auto‑deleveraging that forced market makers to abandon their short‑hedge positions. The resulting unhedged long spot exposure caused market...
Bybit’s Private Wealth Management Delivered 20% Returns Amid a Challenging 2025
Bybit’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) generated a 20.3% APR in 2025, driven by its flagship high‑yield USDT‑based strategies. The top‑performing fund’s Delta Neutral Arbitrage approach proved resilient amid central‑bank tightening, regulatory uncertainty, and volatile crypto markets. High‑net‑worth clients increasingly seek...
Solana Accelerate to Open Consensus Hong Kong in February
Solana Accelerate will debut on February 11 as a one‑day program inside Consensus Hong Kong, the three‑day digital‑asset conference running Feb 10‑12. The event pairs Solana’s developer‑focused community with investors, regulators and policymakers gathering in Asia. By embedding Accelerate within Consensus, the Solana...
Crypto Credit Is Starting to Look Like Cash Savings Accounts: Asia Morning Briefing
Flowdesk’s 2025 crypto credit review finds yields across staking, stablecoin lending and Bitcoin‑backed loans have compressed as record demand was matched by deeper on‑chain liquidity and tighter arbitrage. ETH staking yields have settled near 2.5% while total value locked approaches...
Trump-Linked World Liberty Financial Applies for Federal Bank Charter
World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm closely tied to former President Donald Trump, has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust charter to launch the World Liberty Trust Company. The new...
Solana Mobile Sets Jan. 21 Launch Date for SKR Token, Confirms Airdrop
Solana Mobile announced that its SKR token will launch on Jan. 21, 2026, with a fixed supply of 10 billion. A snapshot for the airdrop has already been taken, reserving 20 % of the supply for eligible users and developers. SKR will serve...
XRP Spot Trading Is Now Live on Hyperliquid with Flare's FXRP Listing
Flare has launched FXRP, an on‑chain representation of XRP, on Hyperliquid’s spot market, debuting with an FXRP‑USDC pair. Hyperliquid’s on‑chain order‑book recorded $185 million in 24‑hour volume, offering tighter spreads than typical AMM venues. The FXRP token leverages Flare’s FAssets and...
Aptos' APT Falls Amid a Decline in Wider Crypto Markets
Aptos’ APT token slipped 1.1% to $1.88, trading within a narrow $0‑$0.11 band as broader crypto markets weakened. Volume spiked 24% above the weekly average, reaching a peak of 5.3 million tokens near the $1.91 resistance level. Technical analysis highlights $1.87...
Tokenization 'Supercycle' Set to Drive Crypto’s Next Leg Higher in 2026: Bernstein
Bernstein predicts a tokenization “supercycle” beginning in 2026, arguing that crypto markets have likely bottomed after a volatile 2025. The firm maintains its Bitcoin price target of $150,000 for 2026 and $200,000 at the 2027 peak, while noting crypto‑linked equities...
World's Elites Want to Invest Big in Crypto and Binance Is Moving to Help Them
Binance has launched Binance Prestige, a white‑glove service aimed at ultra‑wealthy investors with $10 million-plus portfolios. The offering expands on Binance Wealth by handling fiat‑to‑crypto onboarding, large‑order execution using VWAP/TWAP strategies, and tailored custody solutions. Catherine Chen, head of VIP and...
Former Brazil Central Bank Official Unveils Real-Pegged Stablecoin with Yield Sharing
Former Central Bank of Brazil director Tony Volpon launched BRD, a real‑pegged stablecoin backed by national Treasury bonds that distributes the sovereign debt yield to token holders. The token targets foreign investors seeking Brazil's 15% benchmark rate, positioning itself against...
Rumble Introduces Crypto Wallet with Tether, Allowing Tips in BTC, USDT, XAUT
Rumble has rolled out a non‑custodial crypto wallet built with Tether’s Wallet Development Kit, allowing viewers to tip creators in Bitcoin, USDT, or XAUT directly within the app. The wallet, powered by MoonPay, eliminates traditional payment intermediaries and gives users...
Babylon Labs Raises $15 Million From A16z Crypto to Develop Bitcoin Collateral Infrastructure
Babylon Labs announced a $15 million investment from a16z crypto to accelerate its BTCVaults infrastructure, which lets native Bitcoin serve as collateral in on‑chain financial applications. The funding will enhance core technology and drive integration with external platforms, while the company’s...
Ripple Again Rules Out IPO, Saying Balance Sheet Gives It Room to Stay Private
Ripple announced it will not pursue an initial public offering, preferring to remain private while it scales through acquisitions and product development. The company recently closed a $500 million financing round at a $40 billion valuation, backed by investors such as Fortress...
Strategy’s STRC Perpetual Preferred Stock Returns to $100, May Trigger More Bitcoin Buying
Strategy’s perpetual preferred equity, STRC, reclaimed its $100 par value in pre‑market trading, the first time since early November. The stock now pays an 11% annual dividend, marking its fifth rate increase since launch and delivering roughly an 11% effective...
Nike Sells Its NFT and Virtual Sneakers Amid Lack of Digital Art Market Interest: Report
Nike quietly sold its RTFKT digital‑products subsidiary in December, ending a year‑long shutdown of the NFT unit. The company did not reveal the buyer or transaction value, framing the divestiture as a "new chapter" for its community. The move reflects...
Bitcoin Slides Toward $91,000 with Two CME Pricing Gaps Coming Into Focus
Bitcoin is hovering just above $91,000 as traders focus on an unfilled CME futures gap that opened over the weekend between $90,600 and $91,600. The gap, created when cash‑settled contracts pause for the weekend, is viewed as a technical magnet...
Lloyds Bank Completes UK’s First Gilt Purchase Using Tokenized Deposits
Lloyds Banking Group announced the UK’s first gilt purchase using tokenized deposits, leveraging blockchain technology. The bank partnered with crypto exchange Archax and the privacy‑focused Canton Network to issue tokenized deposits and settle the government bond instantly. The transaction demonstrated...
Barclays Invests in Stablecoin Settlement Firm as Tokenized Infrastructure Advances
Barclays has taken an undisclosed stake in Ubyx, a U.S. startup building a clearing system for tokenized money such as regulated stablecoins and bank deposits. The move signals traditional banks’ growing appetite for blockchain‑based settlement solutions that comply with existing...
Hedge Fund Karatage Appoints IMC Veteran Shane O’Callaghan as Senior Partner
London‑based hedge fund Karatage has appointed Shane O’Callaghan, former global head of institutional partnerships and digital asset sales at IMC Trading, as a senior partner and head of institutional strategy. O’Callaghan previously held senior roles at crypto platform Portofino Technologies...
Crypto Traders Can Now Take Leveraged Bets on Silver via Binance Futures
Binance Futures will debut silver perpetual contracts on Wednesday, offering up to 50× leverage and settling in USDT. The contracts have a 5 USDT minimum notional and a funding fee capped at ±2% every four hours. Silver’s 147% rally in 2025...
Bitcoin and the Japanese Yen Are Moving Together Like Never Before
Bitcoin’s price has become unusually synchronized with the Japanese yen, as the 90‑day correlation coefficient between BTC and Pepperstone’s JPYX index climbed to a record 0.86. This translates to roughly 73 % of Bitcoin’s price swings mirroring movements in the yen...