Ethereum's TVL Could Skyrocket '10X' In 2026: Sharplink CEO
Sharplink co‑CEO Joseph Chalom predicts Ethereum’s total value locked could surge ten‑fold by 2026, propelled by broader stablecoin usage, tokenized real‑world assets, and growing institutional appetite. He forecasts the stablecoin market reaching $500 B and the tokenized RWA market hitting $300 B, while sovereign‑wealth‑fund allocations to Ethereum may expand five‑ to tenfold. Currently Ethereum’s TVL sits around $68 B and Sharplink holds roughly 797,704 ETH (~$2.33 B). Analysts remain cautious as Ether’s price shows modest declines.
Bitcoin Crawls to $88K as Aave Faces Governance Drama: Finance Redefined
Bitcoin recovered from a weekly low of $86,561, climbing above $88,600 by Friday, signaling a modest rebound after holiday‑season weakness. Spot Bitcoin ETF demand stayed negative, posting a fifth straight day of $175 million outflows. In DeFi, Aave’s DAO rejected a...
USX Briefly Depegs on Solana DEXs Before Liquidity Support Restores Price
USX, Solana's native dollar‑pegged stablecoin, briefly fell to $0.10 on decentralized exchanges after a surge of sell orders exhausted liquidity on Orca and Raydium. Issuer Solstice Finance injected liquidity at 04:30 UTC, pushing the price back toward the $1 peg and...
BNB Chain Fermi Hard Fork Scheduled for January Activation
The BNB Smart Chain’s Fermi hard fork will go live on Jan. 14, reducing the block interval from 750 ms to 250 ms. The upgrade adds extended voting parameters to mitigate node communication delays and introduces a selective indexing mechanism that lets users...
Tokenized Commodities Near $4B, as Gold Extends All-Time Rally
Tokenized commodities are approaching a $4 billion market cap as spot gold, silver and platinum set all‑time highs. Tether Gold and Paxos Gold together account for over $3 billion of that value, highlighting strong demand for on‑chain precious‑metal exposure. The sector grew...
Memecoins Go From Christmas Cheer to Cold Reality, Sinking 65% in a Year
Memecoins have slumped 65% over the past year, leaving the sector at a $35 billion market cap and its lowest valuation of 2025. Trading volume plunged 72% to $3.05 trillion, underscoring a sharp retreat from the $100 billion Christmas‑day peak in 2024. The...
Inside the Swiss City Where You Can Pay for Almost Everything in Bitcoin
Lugano, Switzerland has rolled out the Plan ₿ program, letting merchants and residents settle purchases, taxes and fines with Bitcoin, USDT or the local LVGA token. The city routes all crypto payments through the Lightning Network and instantly converts them to...
Trust Wallet Will Cover $7M Lost in Christmas Day Hack, CZ Says
Trust Wallet users lost roughly $7 million after a compromised browser‑extension (version 2.68) was used to siphon funds on Christmas Day. Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao announced that Binance will cover the losses for affected users. The exploit appears to have been orchestrated...
Tips for Crypto Newbies, Vets and Skeptics From a Bitcoiner Who Buried $700M
James Howells, the Bitcoiner who lost a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin worth about $700 million, offered practical advice for crypto newcomers, veterans, and skeptics. He stresses learning blockchain fundamentals before buying, experimenting with small amounts, and avoiding leveraged trading. For...
Crypto Sentiment Holds ‘Extreme Fear’ for 14th Straight Day
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index slipped to 20 on Dec. 26, marking a 14‑day stretch of extreme fear—the longest run since the metric’s 2018 launch. Bitcoin trades around $88,650, roughly 30% below its October all‑time high, while US‑China tariff anxieties...
Ethereum Unlikely to Reach New Highs in 2026: Ben Cowen
Crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen warned that Ethereum is unlikely to break new highs in 2026, citing Bitcoin's apparent bear market. He noted that even if Ether retakes its $4,878 all‑time high, it could become a bull trap and tumble toward...
Vitalik Says Grok Arguably a 'Net Improvement' To X Despite Flaws
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin praised X’s AI chatbot Grok as a net improvement for the platform’s truth‑friendliness, noting its unpredictable replies often debunk users’ political biases. He highlighted that the lack of pre‑visible answers forces Grok to challenge echo chambers,...
Canton Token Rallies 27% After DTCC Outlines Tokenized Treasury Plans
Canton Coin surged 27% after DTCC announced plans to tokenize U.S. Treasury securities on the Canton Network. DTCC, handling $3.7 quadrillion in transactions, will issue tokenized Treasuries via its DTC subsidiary. The move highlights growing institutional interest in real‑world asset tokenization,...
Quantum Computing in 2026: No Crypto Doomsday, but Time to Prepare
Quantum computing re‑emerged as a headline in 2026 after Microsoft unveiled its Majorana 1 topological‑core chip, prompting renewed debate over crypto security. Experts agree that breaking Bitcoin’s ECDSA signatures remains a decade‑plus away, but they warn that attackers are already harvesting...
Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Spends Christmas Eve Recounting First Day in Prison
Keonne Rodriguez, co‑founder of the Bitcoin privacy tool Samourai Wallet, documented his first day in a U.S. federal prison on Christmas Eve, marking the start of a five‑year sentence. His letter describes the intake process, medical checks, and the emotional strain...
Crypto Derivatives Volume Explode to $86T in 2025, Averaging $265B per Day
Crypto derivatives trading surged to $85.7 trillion in 2025, averaging $264.5 billion daily, according to CoinGlass. Binance led with $25.09 trillion, representing 29.3% of global volume, while OKX, Bybit and Bitget together accounted for over 60% of market share. Institutional products such as...
CZ Proposes Fix to Address Poisoning After Investor Loses $50M
Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao called for new wallet safeguards to eradicate address‑poisoning, proposing blockchain queries that block known malicious addresses and filter out tiny spam transactions. He highlighted a recent $50 million USDT loss as evidence of the threat’s scale. Address...
NFT Collections Get No Santa Rally as Market Hits 2025 Lows
The NFT market valuation plunged to $2.5 billion in December, a 72 % drop from its January peak of $9.2 billion. Weekly sales failed to breach $70 million, marking the weakest three‑week stretch of the year. Participation eroded sharply, with unique buyers sliding to...
Social Engineering Cost Crypto Billions in 2025: How to Protect Yourself
Crypto thefts in 2025 totaled over $3.4 billion, with social engineering responsible for the majority of losses. Kraken’s CSO Nick Percoco highlighted that attackers gain entry through human manipulation rather than technical exploits, exemplified by the Bybit breach that alone accounted...
Bitcoiners Bullish over Elon Musk Tipping 'Double-Digit' Economic Growth
Elon Musk posted on X that the United States could achieve double‑digit GDP growth within the next 12‑18 months and, if artificial intelligence drives productivity, even triple‑digit growth in about five years. The bullish forecast has energized Bitcoin enthusiasts, who...
Solana and Ethereum Can Coexist in Tokenization Race: Dragonfly VC
Dragonfly VC partner Rob Hadick told CNBC that Solana and Ethereum will both thrive in the tokenization race, with neither chain likely to dominate the market. He highlighted Ethereum’s $183.7 billion network asset value and its stablecoin dominance, while noting Solana’s...
Tokenization Has Moved Past Money only Meaning Fiat: Kraken Exec
Kraken’s Head of Consumer Mark Greenberg told CNBC that blockchain tokenization is redefining money, extending it beyond fiat to assets like stocks, Bitcoin, gold and stablecoins. Kraken’s xStocks tokenized‑stock product, unavailable in the U.S., has amassed over 80,000 wallets and...
From Stablecoins to Incumbents, VCs Map Crypto Value in 2025
Venture capital partners highlighted incumbents such as Robinhood, stablecoin issuers, and prediction‑market platforms as the top value creators in 2025. Regulatory clarity enabled incumbents to act aggressively, while stablecoins experienced surging transaction volumes and record profitability per employee, exemplified by...
Crypto Heads Into 2026 with Privacy, Decentralized Identity on the Line
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin is urging the crypto industry to prioritize privacy and self‑sovereignty over simple user onboarding, warning that walled‑garden solutions betray decentralisation. In 2025, Ethereum became a testing ground with over 750 privacy‑focused projects targeting decentralized identity and selective...
Offchain Labs Boosts ARB Stake as Arbitrum Crosses $20B Milestone
Offchain Labs, the developer behind Arbitrum, announced an additional purchase of ARB tokens, reinforcing its long‑term commitment to the layer‑2 network despite a 77% price decline this year. The buy‑back follows Arbitrum’s recent milestones, including over 2.1 billion lifetime transactions and...
Five Governments that Clarified Crypto Licensing in 2025
2025 saw five major jurisdictions overhaul crypto‑licensing rules, delivering unprecedented regulatory clarity. In the United States, the GENIUS Act introduced a federal stablecoin framework that replaces fragmented state licences. The European Union’s MiCA entered full implementation, granting a single‑authorisation passport...
How Ondo Finance Plans to Bring Tokenized US Stocks to Solana
Ondo Finance announced it will launch tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on the Solana blockchain in early 2026. The tokens will be custody‑backed, giving holders economic exposure while underlying securities remain with U.S. broker‑dealers. Minting and redemption will operate 24 hours...
Crypto Downturn Reveals Gap Between VC Valuations and Market Cap
The recent crypto market downturn has exposed a stark mismatch between venture‑capital valuations and current market capitalizations for many blockchain startups. Projects once valued near $1 billion, such as Humanity Protocol and Fuel Network, now trade at a fraction of those...
Philippines Blocks Coinbase, Gemini Amid Wider Crackdown on Unlicensed VASPs
Philippine regulators have ordered internet service providers to block access to global crypto exchanges Coinbase and Gemini, following a National Telecommunications Commission directive that targets fifty unlicensed platforms flagged by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The move extends a broader...
Trend Research Quietly Becomes One of Ethereum’s Largest Whales with 46K ETH Buy
Trend Research, a private investment arm linked to LD Capital, purchased 46,379 ETH, raising its holdings to roughly 580,000 ETH and placing it among the top three Ethereum treasuries worldwide. Only SharpLink Gaming and BitMine Immersion Technologies, both publicly listed, hold larger...
HashKey Secures $250M for New Crypto Fund Amid ‘Significant Interest’
HashKey Capital closed the first tranche of its fourth crypto fund with $250 million, aiming to raise a total of $500 million. The commitment came from a mix of global institutional investors, family offices and high‑net‑worth individuals, exceeding the firm’s initial expectations...
Bitcoin Treasury Matador’s $58M Share-Sale Approved to Expand Holdings
Matador Technologies received Ontario Securities Commission clearance to raise up to $58 million by issuing shares, warrants or other securities over the next 25 months. The proceeds will fund its ambition to hold 1,000 Bitcoin by the end of 2026, up...
Bitcoin’s Lack of ‘Crazy’ Year-End Price Means No Hard Crash in Q1: Pomp
Anthony Pompliano told CNBC that Bitcoin’s muted year‑end rally reduces the odds of a severe Q1 crash. The cryptocurrency trades around $87,436, down about 7.4% since the start of the year, while volatility has noticeably compressed. Pompliano highlighted Bitcoin’s 100%...
From FTX Fallout to Fresh Capital: Former US Chief Raises $35M for New Exchange
Brett Harrison, former president of the collapsed FTX US, has raised $35 million for his new venture Architect Financial Technologies. The funding round, featuring investors such as ARK Investment, Galaxy and VanEck, follows a $12 million round backed by Coinbase Ventures and...
Brazil's Live Orchestra to Turn Bitcoin Price Moves Into Music
Brazil has secured approval under the Rouanet Law to fund an experimental orchestra that will translate Bitcoin’s real‑time price movements into live music. The project can raise up to 1.09 million reais from private donors, who receive tax deductions for contributions....
Gnosis Announces Hard Fork to Recover Funds From Balancer Exploit
Gnosis chain operators executed a hard fork on Monday to retrieve assets tied to the November Balancer exploit that siphoned over $116 million. The fork follows a soft‑fork consensus reached by validators in November and aims to place recovered funds in...
DWF Labs’ Physical Gold Trade Signals Crypto Capital’s Move Into Commodities
Crypto market maker DWF Labs settled its first physical gold transaction, a 25‑kilogram bar, using conventional bullion custody rather than blockchain. The trade comes as gold prices surged past $4,500 per ounce, outpacing most crypto assets. DWF’s managing partner Andrei...
IMF Says El Salvador in Talks to Sell State-Run Chivo Bitcoin Wallet
The IMF confirmed that negotiations to sell El Salvador's state‑run Chivo Bitcoin wallet are "well advanced," even as President Nayib Bukele insists the government will keep buying Bitcoin. The IMF‑El Salvador loan agreement, signed in May, requires the country to...
Ethena’s USDe Loses $8.3B Since October Crash Amid ‘Loss of Confidence’
Ethena’s synthetic stablecoin USDe has lost roughly $8.3 billion in market value since the Oct. 10 liquidation event, halving its market cap from about $14.7 billion to $6.4 billion. The crash triggered a brief de‑peg to $0.65 on Binance, which the founder attributed to...
How Wall Street Is Using Ethereum without Talking About Ethereum
Wall Street is quietly adopting Ethereum as a core settlement layer, processing over $5 trillion in quarterly transaction volume. Banks and payment giants use Ethereum‑based stablecoins to move regulated dollars instantly, bypassing traditional clearing delays. Major institutions such as JPMorgan and BlackRock...
South Korean Card Giant Completes Stablecoin Payments Pilot for Foreigners
South Korean payments processor BC Card has finished a pilot that lets foreign users pay local merchants with stablecoins. The trial, conducted with blockchain firm Wavebridge, wallet provider Aaron Group, and remittance service Global Money Express, converted overseas stablecoin holdings...
Polymarket Bets Surge on Lighter Airdrop as Hyperliquid Lists LIT
Polymarket traders are betting an 86% chance that Lighter, a leading perpetual DEX, will execute its token airdrop by the end of 2025, backed by $9.5 million in betting volume. Lighter opened an optional allocation form allowing users to split their...
OKX Reports Trading Increase After Expansion Into US, EU
OKX announced that its trading volume in licensed, regulated markets surged 53‑fold in 2025 following its entry into the United States and the European Economic Area. The exchange reported that daily active wallets doubled, with roughly 190,000 new wallets created...
ZOOZ's Bitcoin Treasury Play Faces Nasdaq Delisting Clock
ZOOZ Strategy, an Israel‑based Bitcoin treasury firm listed on Nasdaq and TASE, received a Nasdaq notice that its share price fell below the $1 minimum bid‑price requirement, giving it until June 15 2026 to regain compliance. The company, which holds 1,036 BTC to...
Crypto Altseason Unlikely in 2026 as ‘Blue-Chip Survivors’ to Win Out: Analyst
CoinEx Research analyst Jeff Ko predicts that 2026 will not see a traditional altseason, with liquidity concentrating on blue‑chip cryptocurrencies. He forecasts modest global liquidity tailwinds and a Bitcoin price target of $180,000 by 2026, noting weakened correlation with M2...
Bitcoin Perpetual Open Interest Rises as Traders Bet on Year-End Rally
Bitcoin perpetual futures open interest rose to 310,000 BTC, while funding rates jumped from 0.04% to 0.09%, indicating growing leveraged long bets. The price briefly touched $90,000 before slipping back to $88,200, underscoring volatility ahead of year‑end. A massive $23 billion options...
Recent Bitcoin Miner Capitulation May Signal Bottom Is Near: VanEck
VanEck analysts note a 4% drop in Bitcoin’s network hashrate, the sharpest since April 2024, and argue that such compression historically precedes bullish price moves. Their research shows 65% of 90‑day forward returns are positive after a 30‑day hashrate decline, rising...
Wall Street’s Bid on Crypto Dominated 2025 but What’s the Demand Outlook for 2026?
Wall Street’s embrace of crypto culminated in 2025, with spot Bitcoin ETF net inflows of $57 billion and total assets soaring to $114.8 billion. The momentum slowed in late 2025, triggering a 30% correction in Bitcoin and a 50% drop in Ether....
Palmer Luckey’s Erebor Hits $4.3B Valuation as Regulators Advance Bank Charter
Erebor, the digital‑bank venture co‑founded by Palmer Luckey and backed by Peter Thiel, closed a $350 million financing round that lifted its post‑money valuation to $4.35 billion. The company secured preliminary conditional approval from the OCC and a 12‑month FDIC deposit‑insurance endorsement, clearing...
EU Council Endorses Offline and Online Versions of Digital Euro
The European Union Council has formally endorsed the European Central Bank’s design for a digital euro, approving both an online version and a privacy‑focused offline variant. The offline model will store central‑bank‑signed tokens in secure elements of certified devices, ensuring...