Bank of Japan Set to Hike Rates to 30-Year High, Posing Another Threat to Bitcoin
The Bank of Japan is set to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, the highest level in three decades, with the decision slated for Dec. 19. A stronger yen and tighter global liquidity from the hike could pressure Bitcoin and broader crypto markets, echoing the August 2024 sell‑off that saw BTC fall from $65,000 to $50,000. However, market analysts note that speculators are currently net long the yen and Japanese bond yields have already risen, which may blunt an immediate risk‑off reaction. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s recent 25‑basis‑point cut provides some offsetting liquidity support.
Crypto’s Machine Learning ‘iPhone Moment’ Comes Closer as AI Agents Trade the Market
Recall Labs hosted AI‑trading arenas where custom agents competed against foundational large language models on the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange. While base LLMs like GPT‑5 barely outperformed the market, specialized agents that added extra logic and data sources secured the top...
Citadel Securities and DeFi Waging War of Words Through SEC Correspondence
Citadel Securities sent a 13‑page letter to the SEC urging that DeFi protocols handling tokenized securities be treated as regulated exchanges or broker‑dealers. A coalition of DeFi advocates—including the DeFi Education Fund, a16z, the Uniswap Foundation and others—replied with its...
Bitcoin Plunges Below $90K as AI Worries Drag Nasdaq, Crypto Stocks Down
Bitcoin fell below $90,000 as AI‑focused equities tumbled, led by Broadcom’s 10% slide despite solid earnings. The Nasdaq slipped more than 1%, extending a broader tech pullback that began with Oracle’s sharp decline. Crypto‑related stocks, including miners and exchanges, mirrored...
Prediction Markets Are Coming to Phantom's 20M User Via Kalshi
Crypto wallet Phantom is integrating U.S.-regulated prediction‑market platform Kalshi into its app, giving its 20 million users the ability to trade outcomes like elections, macro events, and crypto prices directly from the wallet. The feature supports any Solana‑based token, from SOL...
Most Influential: David Bailey
David Bailey, former Bitcoin Magazine CEO, launched the bitcoin‑treasury venture KindlyMD (ticker NAKA) after a $700 million‑backed merger with Nakamoto Holdings. The stock surged from about $2 to over $30 in May, only to tumble as Bitcoin rose, falling to $0.45...
Backed, Chainlink Unveil xBridge to Move Tokenized Stocks Between Solana and Ethereum
Backed Finance unveiled xBridge, a cross‑chain bridge that moves tokenized stocks—called xStocks—between Ethereum and Solana. Built with Chainlink’s Cross‑Chain Interoperability Protocol, the bridge preserves corporate actions such as splits and dividend payouts when assets migrate. xStocks are 1:1 backed by...
Most Influential: Tom Lee
Tom Lee, co‑founder of Fundstrat and veteran Wall Street strategist, has been appointed Chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, steering the firm toward an Ethereum‑centric treasury model. BitMine recently raised a $250 million private placement to fund staking and ETH holdings, now...
Most Influential: Jesse Pollak
Base, Coinbase’s layer‑2 network launched in 2023, surged to $15 billion total value locked in January 2025, making it the second‑largest L2 after Arbitrum. The growth was driven by sub‑cent transaction fees and a burst of DeFi, social and meme applications,...
Most Influential: Changpeng “CZ” Zhao
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who stepped down as Binance CEO in 2023 and served a brief prison term for a Bank Secrecy Act violation, received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2025, reinforcing his standing in the crypto world. The...
MiCA Will Make or Break Euro-Pegged Stablecoins by 2026: DECTA
German payments processor DECTA projects that euro‑pegged stablecoins will gain traction as the EU's Markets in Crypto‑Assets regulation (MiCA) comes fully into force by 2026. The new regulatory framework standardises reserve requirements, issuer oversight and operational rules, making it simpler...
Ripple Payments Lands First European Bank Client in AMINA
Ripple has secured its first European bank client, Switzerland‑based AMINA, to use Ripple Payments for near‑real‑time cross‑border transfers. The licensed payments stack bridges traditional fiat rails with blockchain settlement, allowing AMINA to move fiat and stablecoins—including Ripple’s RLUSD—without multiple correspondent...
XRP Ledger Upgrade Lays Groundwork for Lending, Tokenization Expansion
RippleX released XRPL server version 3.0.0, introducing a suite of amendments and bug fixes focused on accounting accuracy and protocol extensibility. The key fix, fixTokenEscrowV1, resolves an escrow accounting error that previously mis‑recorded issuer balances after fee‑bearing token releases. Additional...
From Lockstep to Lag, Bitcoin Poised to Catch Up With Small Cap Highs
The Russell 2000 index posted an all‑time high, while Bitcoin lagged 27% below its October peak. The Federal Reserve began a $8.2 billion Treasury‑bill purchase program, part of a $40 billion liquidity effort. Market participants price in roughly 50 basis points of...
CFTC Gives No-Action Leeway to Polymarket, Gemini, PredictIt, LedgerX Over Data Rules
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued no‑action letters to Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini and LedgerX, allowing them to sidestep certain swap‑related record‑keeping and data‑reporting rules. In exchange, the platforms must keep contracts fully collateralized, clear trades only through designated channels,...
U.S. Financial-Risk Watchdog, FSOC, Erased Digital Assets as a Potential Hazard
The Financial Stability Oversight Council’s 2025 annual report removed digital assets from its list of systemic vulnerabilities, marking a clear policy shift under the Trump administration. The prior 2024 report had highlighted stablecoin and crypto‑ETF risks and urged Congress to...
Chainlink's LINK Drops 5% Despite Coinbase Bridge Deal, But Bottoming Signs Emerge
Chainlink’s LINK token slipped nearly 5% to $13.74 despite Coinbase’s announcement that it will use Chainlink’s Cross‑Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to power a $7 billion bridge for wrapped assets. The price decline reflected broader altcoin weakness and Fed‑rate concerns, pulling LINK...
U.S. CFTC's Pham Moves for Do-Over on 'Actual Delivery' Guidance on Crypto
Acting CFTC Chairman Caroline Pham announced the withdrawal of the 2020 guidance defining “actual delivery” of crypto commodities. The agency said the rule was outdated and impeded innovation, prompting a reevaluation in light of five years of market evolution. The...
Coinbase Expands Reach of Stablecoin-Based AI Agent Payments Tool
Coinbase has launched x402 V2, the second version of its stablecoin‑based payments protocol designed for AI agents. The upgrade introduces a modular SDK, wallet‑based identity, automatic API discovery, dynamic recipients, and support for multiple blockchains and fiat via CAIP standards....
U.S. Senate Rolls Toward Last Vote on Confirming Crypto Regulators at CFTC, FDIC
The U.S. Senate is set to vote early next week on two pivotal crypto‑regulatory appointments after a 52‑47 procedural win. Mike Selig, a senior SEC official, is nominated to chair the CFTC, while Travis Hill, a veteran banking regulator, is...
JPMorgan Pushes Deeper Into Tokenization With Galaxy's Debt Issuance on Solana
JPMorgan acted as arranger for Galaxy’s on‑chain commercial paper issuance on the Solana blockchain, settling the debt in USDC stablecoin. The tokenized debt attracted institutional investors Coinbase and Franklin Templeton, highlighting growing confidence in blockchain‑based financing. The deal builds on...
Binance Overhauls Stablecoin Trading with Trump-Linked USD1
Binance is replacing its BUSD collateral with the Trump‑linked stablecoin USD1 and launching new BNB/USD1, ETH/USD1 and SOL/USD1 trading pairs. The exchange will also enable zero‑fee swaps between USD1, USDC and USDT, and convert all BUSD reserves to USD1 within...
Crypto Investment Firm Blockstream to Acquire TradFi Hedge Fund Corbiere Capital
Blockstream Capital Partners announced the acquisition of Corbiere Capital Management, a Jersey‑based equities hedge fund founded in 2023. The deal adds equity and event‑driven strategies to Blockstream’s existing bitcoin‑linked products, creating a multi‑strategy platform aimed at institutional investors. Rodrigo Rodriguez,...
Robinhood Stock Slides 8% After Big Decline in November Trading Volumes
Robinhood’s shares slipped 8% after the broker reported a sharp decline in November trading activity across equities, options and crypto. Platform assets fell 5% month‑over‑month to $325 billion. Crypto trading volume dropped 12% from October and was 19% below a year‑ago...
ICP Extends Decline as Breakdown Below $3.40 Reinforces Bearish Structure
Internet Computer (ICP) dropped 4.28% in the last 24 hours, sliding from $3.52 to $3.3735. A brief rally to $3.60 generated a volume spike, establishing that level as a key resistance zone. The token then formed lower highs and lows,...
Save the Children Introduces Bitcoin Fund to Streamline Crisis Response
Save the Children has launched a Bitcoin Fund, developed with digital‑asset firm Fortris, that lets the charity hold bitcoin donations for up to four years. The fund gives donors the option to decide when to convert their crypto, aiming to...
Cross-Chain Liquidity Protocol LI.FI Raises $29M in Series A Extension
Berlin‑based cross‑chain liquidity protocol LI.FI announced a $29 million Series A extension, bringing total capital to $51.7 million. The platform now powers swaps and cross‑chain transfers for more than 1,000 B2B partners, including Robinhood, Binance, Kraken, MetaMask and Alipay. LI.FI’s open‑source infrastructure aggregates...
Hong Kong's OSL Group to Offer U.S.-Regulated Stablecoin with Anchorage Digital
Hong Kong‑based OSL Group is launching the USDGO stablecoin, a U.S. dollar‑pegged token issued under federal oversight through Anchorage Digital. The token is fully collateralized 1:1 with liquid U.S. assets, including Treasury securities, and embeds KYC and AML controls. USDGO...
Most Influential: The Social Media Traders
In 2025 crypto‑focused traders on X (formerly Twitter) turned their personal profit‑and‑loss dashboards into real‑time spectacles, moving billions of dollars through meme tokens and perpetual‑swap DEXs. Pseudonymous figures such as James Wynn amplified a $7,000 PEPE bet into a $25 million...
Most Influential: Sirgoo Lee
Sirgoo Lee announced his resignation as CEO of Upbit in 2025, ending a tenure that saw the exchange capture more than 80% of South Korea’s on‑shore crypto volume. Under his leadership, Upbit instituted robust risk controls, recovering over 94% of...
Most Influential: Cathie Wood
Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Invest, remains fiercely bullish on crypto, forecasting Bitcoin at $1.2 million by 2030 after trimming a previous $1.5 million target. She cited rapid stablecoin expansion as a factor that could siphon transactional demand from Bitcoin. Ark’s spot...
Most Influential: Arthur Hayes
Arthur Hayes, co‑founder of BitMEX and now CIO of Maelstrom, has shifted from exchange building to macro‑driven investing. He leverages a high‑visibility social media presence to share market theses, blending geopolitical analysis with short‑term calls. Hayes was an early advocate...
Coinbase Taps Chainlink CCIP as Sole Bridge for $7B in Wrapped Tokens Across Chains
Coinbase has appointed Chainlink’s Cross‑Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) as the exclusive bridge for all its Coinbase Wrapped Assets, covering tokens like cbBTC, cbETH, cbDOGE, cbLTC, cbADA and cbXRP. The wrapped assets represent roughly $7 billion in market value, enabling users to...
Most Influential: Shayne Coplan
After a year of federal investigations, Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan cleared all regulatory hurdles and revived his prediction‑market platform. The company is now valued at $9 billion, bolstered by a $2 billion investment from Intercontinental Exchange and partnerships with the UFC, NHL...
Crypto Trading Volumes Deteriorated Across Board Last Month as Market Slumped: JPMorgan
JPMorgan reported that crypto trading volumes slumped across the board in November 2025, with spot activity down roughly 20% and stablecoin turnover falling 26% month‑on‑month. Derivatives and NFT markets also weakened, while U.S. crypto ETFs experienced heavy outflows – $3.4 billion...
Nexo Agrees to Buy Argentina’s Buenbit to Expand Crypto Services Across Latin America
Nexo, the Swiss‑based crypto lender, announced an agreement to acquire Argentina’s crypto platform Buenbit. The purchase gives Nexo immediate access to Buenbit’s user base in Argentina and Peru and allows it to operate under local regulatory rules. By integrating Buenbit’s...
DYdX Launches Solana Spot Trading, Opens Access to U.S. Users
dYdX announced the launch of its first spot trading product on the Solana blockchain, extending access to U.S. traders for the first time. The move diversifies the exchange beyond its derivatives‑centric legacy and leverages Solana’s low‑cost, high‑speed infrastructure. dYdX highlighted...
Klarna Partners With Privy to Explore Crypto Wallet Use Within Its Ecosystem
Swedish fintech leader Klarna announced a partnership with Privy, a Stripe‑backed wallet infrastructure provider, to develop crypto wallet features for its user base. The collaboration builds on Klarna’s recent launch of KlarnaUSD, a dollar‑pegged stablecoin, and aims to embed crypto...
Mexico’s Central Bank Keeps a ‘Healthy Distance’ From Crypto
Mexico's central bank, Banxico, reaffirmed its cautious stance on digital assets in its year‑end report, pledging to keep a “healthy distance” between virtual assets and the traditional financial system. The bank highlighted legal‑tender status, extreme price volatility, cybersecurity, money‑laundering and...
Fifth XRP Spot ETF on the Way After CBOE Approval of 21Shares Application
Cboe BZX has formally certified 21Shares’ XRP spot ETF, ticker TOXR, moving the product one step closer to market launch. The fund becomes the fifth spot‑based XRP ETF to receive exchange approval and will track the CME CF XRP‑Dollar Reference...
Sky's Keel Starts $500M Investment Campaign to Boost RWAs on Solana
Sky's Keel has launched a $500 million "Tokenization Regatta" to attract real‑world asset (RWA) projects to the Solana blockchain. The program offers direct capital and technical support to issuers of tokenized debt, credit, and funds, and has already drawn interest from...
Marketnode, Lion Global Bring Singapore-Vaulted Gold Fund Onchain on Solana
Marketnode and Lion Global Investors have launched the Singapore Physical Gold Fund on the Solana blockchain, tokenizing gold bars that are fully vaulted and insured in Singapore. The on‑chain offering lets investors subscribe, trade, and redeem units through Marketnode’s platform...
Revolut and Trust Wallet Launch Instant Crypto Buys in EU With Self-Custody Focus
Fintech leader Revolut and Binance‑owned Trust Wallet have launched an EU‑wide integration that lets users buy crypto instantly with Revolut Pay, cards or bank transfers and have the assets deposited directly into their self‑custodial Trust Wallet. The service supports Bitcoin, Ether,...
BTC, Nasdaq Futures Drop as Oracle Earnings Revive AI Bubble Fears
Oracle reported a fiscal Q2 FY26 revenue miss, with cloud‑infrastructure sales at $4.1 billion below expectations and legacy software declining. The company’s long‑term debt jumped 25% to $99.6 billion, and analysts project net debt could reach $290 billion by 2028. The earnings disappointment...
Crypto Drop Wipes Out $370M in Bullish Bets as BTC, ETH Give Back Gains
Crypto markets experienced a massive leverage unwind on Dec 11, 2025, with over $514 million in positions liquidated in a single day. Long bets bore the brunt, accounting for $376 million versus $138 million in short liquidations, highlighting a heavily bullish bias before the...
U.S. Senate's Crypto Market Structure Bill Gets Messy as Calendar Weighs Down
Senate Democrats have issued a counter‑offer on the crypto market‑structure bill, accepting much of the Republican framework but insisting on stronger disclosure, secondary‑market safeguards, and ethics rules aimed at officials with crypto ties. The proposal also seeks tighter limits on...
Asia Morning Briefing: Fed Cut Brings Little Volatility as Bitcoin Waits for Japan
Bitcoin held steady above $91,000 after the Federal Reserve’s 25‑basis‑point rate cut, trading in a narrow $91k‑$92k range as Asian markets opened. CryptoQuant data shows a sharp drop in exchange inflows and whales pulling back deposits, reducing immediate sell pressure....
Bhutan Debuts TER Gold-Backed Token on Solana
Bhutan launched TER, a gold‑backed token on the Solana blockchain, issued through the special‑purpose Gelephu Mindfulness City. The token is fully collateralized by physical gold and managed by DK Bank, the country’s first licensed digital bank, which handles issuance, distribution,...
State Street and Galaxy to Launch Tokenized Liquidity Fund on Solana in 2026
State Street and Galaxy Asset Management will debut the State Street Galaxy Onchain Liquidity Sweep Fund (SWEEP) on Solana in early 2026, accepting subscriptions and redemptions in PayPal‑issued PYUSD stablecoin. The fund, seeded with roughly $200 million from Ondo Finance, is...
Crypto CEOs Join U.S. CFTC's Innovation Council to Steer Market Developments
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the formation of a CEO Innovation Council to guide derivatives market‑structure reforms, focusing on tokenization, crypto assets and 24/7 trading. The inaugural roster includes crypto‑industry leaders Tyler Winklevoss (Gemini), Arjun Sethi (Kraken) and...
