wendy

Bitcoin is trading between $88,990 and $89,473 over the past hour, hovering just under the psychological $90K barrier as traders debate the asset’s next move. With a market cap of $1.78 trillion and 24-hour volume at $21.62 billion, bitcoin remains the heavyweight champion of digital assets — though its footing has grown increasingly cautious. During intraday trading, price has drifted between $88,976 and $90,130, proving once again that sideways action is not always stability — sometimes it’s simply indecision.
Bitcoin Chart Outlook
The daily chart tells a familiar story of decline meeting uncertainty. After sliding from a major high near $111,129 to a bottom around $80,537, bitcoin clawed its way back to the $90K area, resembling a washed-out surfer waiting for the next big wave. Volume reinforces the narrative: peaks appear during panicked red candles, while bullish attempts at reversal lack conviction.
Key support sits in the $80,500–$82,000 region — prompting speculation of a potential double bottom — while resistance remains firm at $95,000–$96,000, a zone bitcoin has knocked on but never entered. Until bulls break that ceiling with confidence and volume, the broader trend remains fragile and flat.

4-Hour Chart: Lower Highs Take Shape
Zooming into the 4-hour view, bitcoin has cooled off after an energetic rally from $84,045 to $94,172. Since then, the chart has shifted into a lower-high structure — a polite but unmistakable hint that bullish enthusiasm has dimmed. Price now drifts between $88,500 and $90,000 with the lethargy of a bored housecat, unwilling to commit to either direction.
Volume peaked during the climb, then thinned out — leaving an uncomfortable vacuum where buyers should be. A breakdown below $88,500 risks accelerating losses toward $86,000.

1-Hour Chart: Sideways and Sluggish
On the hourly chart, bitcoin is moving strictly sideways, oscillating between $88,900 and $90,200 with the grace of a restless intern. The sequence of lower highs and shallow bounces suggests distribution, not accumulation — someone is selling into strength while retail traders dream of a breakout.
Volume spikes tend to accompany red candles, another sign that sellers are setting the tone. Thursday’s rejection at $90,286 lacked follow-through, and unless bitcoin convincingly reclaims $90,500 with strong volume, bullish dreams remain just that — dreams.

Oscillators: Mixed and Muddled
The market’s emotional meters are sending mixed signals:
RSI: 43 (neutral)Stochastic: 54 (neutral)CCI: 4 (neutral)ADX: 35 (trend present but non-directional)Momentum: –1,894 (leaning bearish)MACD: –2,353 (mild bullish tilt)

Together, they paint a picture of indecision, not capitulation.
Moving Averages: A Field of Red Flags
The moving averages are the loudest skeptics in the room. All EMAs — 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, and 200 — lean bearish. The 10-period EMA sits at $90,158, while the 200-period EMA declines at $104,076, underscoring the gap between current price and long-term trend.
Simple moving averages agree, except the 20-period SMA at $89,410, which flirts briefly with the bullish side. But one green signal does not make a trend. Until multiple timeframes align with volume, the technical picture remains entirely uncertain.
Bull Case
If bitcoin reclaims and holds above $95,000 with authoritative volume, the current consolidation could convert into a launchpad. MACD already hints at a potential shift. Clearing multiple resistance zones would mark the beginning of a broader trend reversal — and finally give the bulls their moment in the sun, provided they bring volume to the party.
Bear Case
A market trapped in lower highs, weak buyer volume, and bearish moving averages leaves bitcoin vulnerable to a deeper correction. Failure to break above $95,000 signals fading momentum, while support at $88,500 is growing increasingly fragile. Without a decisive buyer comeback, the path of least resistance still points downward.
#Binance #wendy #BITCOIN $BTC

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) snapped back into positive territory with healthy inflows, while ether ETFs logged another day of red. Solana and XRP maintained momentum with steady entries, signaling that investor appetite is shifting more broadly across the crypto ETF landscape.

BTC ETFs Turn Positive as Solana and XRP Post Gains
Some trading days feel like a reset button has been pushed, and Friday, Dec. 5, delivered exactly that. After a choppy stretch of outflows, the crypto ETF market found its footing again, led by a renewed wave of capital into bitcoin products and by continued strength in solana and XRP funds. Ether, however, faced another day of turbulence.
Bitcoin ETFs closed the session with a $54.79 million inflow, reversing the previous day’s weakness and marking a measured return of investor confidence. The day’s strength came primarily from Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB, which pulled in $42.79 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC followed with a solid $27.29 million.
Mixed trading week for bitcoin ETFs with three days of inflows and two days of outflows.
Vaneck’s HODL added $11.39 million, Bitwise’s BITB contributed $4.86 million, and even Wisdomtree’s BTCW, usually quiet, added $947.22K. The lone drag came from Blackrock’s IBIT, which posted a $32.49 million outflow, but it wasn’t nearly enough to tip the day into the red. With $4.07 billion in total trading volume and net assets at $117.11 billion, bitcoin ETFs ended the week in a steadier position.
Ether ETFs weren’t as fortunate. The category logged a $75.21 million outflow, entirely driven by Blackrock’s ETHA, which shouldered the full departure. No other ether ETF recorded movement, leaving the day decisively negative despite steady trading volumes of $1.77 billion. Even so, net assets remained healthy at $18.94 billion, underscoring that the market hasn’t lost faith, just momentum.
Solana ETFs, meanwhile, continued to show resilience with a $15.68 million inflow. Bitwise’s BSOL led with $12.18 million, while Fidelity’s FSOL added $3.49 million, keeping the week firmly green for the SOL ecosystem. Total trading reached $27.28 million, and net assets held at $877.62 million.
Rounding out the day, XRP ETFs enjoyed another $10.23 million inflow, spreading across Canary’s XRPC ($4.97 million), Bitwise’s XRP ($2.27 million), Franklin’s XRPZ ($2.20 million), and Grayscale’s GXRP ($785.40K). Though still the smallest of the major crypto ETF sectors, XRP continues to carve out meaningful traction.
#Binance #wendy #Bitcoin #ETF $BTC $ETH $BNB

New data shows Ethereum has now burned more than 6 million ETH in transaction fees — over $18 billion worth at the exchange rate of Dec. 7. The milestone marks more than four years since the London upgrade introduced EIP-1559, yet despite the massive burn total, Ethereum’s overall supply continues to grow.
ETH Burn Surpasses 6 Million Since the 2021 London Upgrade
Ethereum recently activated its Fusaka upgrade, a major enhancement that expands block gas capacity and dramatically increases available blob space. In practice, this means each block can now support far more call data and rollup blobs, opening the door to higher throughput and cheaper activity across the network.
Fusaka also restructured Layer-2 (L2) fees and, by extension, helped lower on-chain (L1) gas costs. As of Dec. 7, Ethereum gas fees sat well below 1 gwei, according to etherscan.io.
At 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, low-priority fees hovered around 0.305 gwei, while high-priority fees were roughly 0.326 gwei. This put the cost of a transfer somewhere between $0.005 and $0.02, while smart-contract operations like swaps, NFT sales, or bridge transactions ranged from $0.14 to $0.50.
When London went live in August 2021, EIP-1559 completely overhauled Ethereum’s fee market, introducing a dynamic base fee that is automatically burned — permanently removing ETH from circulation with every block.
Four Years Later: Over 6.1M ETH Burned, Led by Blob Fees
It has now been 4 years, 4 months, and 2 days since London — including leap years — and the burn count has crossed 6.1 million ETH, amounting to $18 billion removed from supply. Data from ultrasound.money shows:
• Blob fees are now the single largest burn driver, eliminating 1,492,094 ETH.
• Standard ETH transfers follow with 377,388 ETH burned.
• NFT marketplace OpenSea accounts for 230,051.12 ETH burned.
• Uniswap v2 contributed 227,337.27 ETH to the burn total.
• USDT usage led to 211,342.55 ETH burned.
• Uniswap v1 completes the top tier with 153,585.62 ETH burned since 2021.
Despite the Burn, ETH Supply Keeps Growing
Even with 6.1 million ETH destroyed, Ethereum’s supply still shows 0.800% annualized inflation over the last four years. Since London, the network has added roughly 4,065,657 ETH to total supply.
Under proof-of-stake (PoS), issuance has been sharply reduced compared to the old proof-of-work (PoW) model. If Ethereum had remained on PoW, simulated data indicates:
• Annual inflation would sit around 3.499%.
• Total supply would have increased by 16,931,820 ETH.
PoS significantly limits issuance, but as the data reveals, the network still operates under mild inflation — a reminder that Ethereum’s deflationary “ultrasound money” narrative is dependent on sustained block activity and congestion, not guaranteed.
Still, compared to the PoW era, the difference is dramatic. Ethereum has substantially reduced its long-term inflation trajectory, even if outright deflation remains elusive.
#Binance #wendy #ETH $ETH

A speculative fever has hit Polymarket as traders pile into bets that President Trump will declassify UFO files in 2025. The sudden surge has ignited a fresh wave of curiosity — and debate — about what might finally emerge from classified archives.
UFO Disclosure Mania Sends “Yes” Shares Exploding Higher
Polymarket traders are swarming the Yes side of a contract asking whether President Trump will release classified UFO or UAP documents before the end of 2025. Earlier this month, the market’s implied odds sat in the single digits. Within hours on Sunday, they rocketed into the mid-70% range and briefly spiked to 81%, an astonishing vertical move for a contract that had drifted quietly for months.
The contract only resolves if the U.S. government formally releases classified UFO files, videos, or reports by December 31. Hints, promises, or vague suggestions do not count. Polymarket requires a clear government publication or widely verified release.
Despite these strict conditions, traders appear unfazed: more than $233,000 has already flowed into the market, with buyers scooping up shares around $0.76–$0.77.
A Sudden Repricing Fueled by FOMO and Speculation
The frenzy started midday after a series of large orders pushed the chart nearly straight upward. Polymarket amplified the moment by posting a screenshot captioned:
“BREAKING: Trump predicted to declassify UFO files this year.”
Liquidity remains modest, but the speed of the move suggests either (1) strong conviction or (2) classic fear of missing out — two ingredients that frequently ignite fireworks on prediction markets.
Why Do So Many Traders Think Trump Might Actually Do This?
Trump’s past comments provide ample material for speculation. He has previously expressed curiosity about UFOs, responded enthusiastically to Pentagon footage released in 2020, and repeatedly framed himself as a transparency-focused president. During his 2024 campaign, reports surfaced claiming he intended to release unreleased footage if reelected — a talking point that resurfaces every time UFO conversation spikes.
Bipartisan pressure has also intensified. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump earlier this year to declassify UAP materials as part of broader transparency legislation. Congressional hearings, Pentagon recruiting for UAP-related roles, and growing public pressure have created an environment where such a move, at least politically, is not unimaginable.
UFO activists have added their own accelerant. Public figure Dr. Steven Greer claimed in January that he reviewed draft UAP-related executive orders with Trump officials. Others argue Trump’s history of releasing sensitive documents — from Crossfire Hurricane files to assorted political materials — shows a willingness to override bureaucratic resistance.
And just days ago, NewsNation reported that journalist Michael Shellenberger claimed the U.S. government transferred recovered UFO technology to private contractors. “Trump needs to speak directly to the American people and explain what’s going on,” Shellenberger said Tuesday on Elizabeth Vargas Reports.
Traders Think It’s Likely — But Are They Right?
For now, Polymarket participants are treating UFO disclosure as a high-probability event. Whether they are early visionaries or simply enjoying an expensive, adrenaline-fueled ride will become clear before the year closes.
Until then, the market will keep doing what prediction markets do best: turning speculation into price — and collective curiosity into wagers.
#Binance #wendy $BTC $ETH $BNB

Since the major reset on 10/10, BTC-denominated open interest has fallen and stayed below 310K BTC, unable to recover toward the >380K BTC highs seen earlier in the cycle.
Speculative participation remains deeply muted.

The funding rate continues to step down from the higher ranges seen in September.
This persistent drift lower reflects a decline in leveraged long conviction, with traders unwilling to pay a premium to maintain upside exposure.

The directional premium paid by longs (30D sum of funding) has dropped to $28.1M/month, which is roughly a 75% decline from the $112.7M/month peak in mid-August.
A clear sign that speculative appetite for long positions has evaporated.

#Binance #wendy #Bitcoin $BTC $ETH $BNB

AI-linked cryptocurrencies just endured one of their harshest stretches in recent memory, with performance charts drenched in red across nearly every timeframe. Even sector leaders weren’t spared, leaving traders who were hunting for green candles instead facing a sobering correction. The downturn arrives despite AI’s continued dominance in global headlines — a reminder that crypto markets are indifferent to hype when price action turns against a narrative.
The AI Crypto Sector Takes a Heavy Hit
Tokens tied to artificial intelligence — coins built to power on-chain agents, decentralized GPU markets, and machine-learning networks — were hammered throughout the week. Nearly every major project showed weekly losses, and monthly performance looked even worse. Bitcoin’s rebound above $91K on Sunday gave the sector a brief breath of relief, but the damage in longer timeframes remains unmistakable.
At the top of the pile sits Bittensor (TAO), a flagship token linked to a decentralized AI intelligence network rewarding participants for building machine-learning models. TAO fell 6.8% this week and 23.55% over the last thirty days — a steep erosion of value for a token often positioned as the future of decentralized AI. By Sunday afternoon, TAO traded just above $288.
NEAR, ICP, RENDER, and Other Majors Bleed Deep Red
NEAR Protocol (NEAR), a high-performance chain supporting AI-native applications, posted even sharper declines: down 9.64% weekly and 39.61% over the past month. NEAR now sits 92% below its all-time high, despite continued AI-focused development across its ecosystem.
Internet Computer (ICP) — designed to host fully on-chain applications, including autonomous AI systems — fared no better. ICP tanked 14.86% on the week and an eye-catching 61.85% over 30 days. NEAR is now priced at $1.68, while ICP trades at $3.39.
In the decentralized GPU arena, Render (RNDR) slipped 11.87% this week and 30.52% over the month. Despite its reputation as one of crypto’s most practical AI-powered networks, the token was treated no differently from the rest of the AI sector: sold aggressively. RNDR now sits at $1.57.
The newer Story Protocol (IP) — which aims to tokenize intellectual property and embed licensing logic directly into smart contracts — also suffered: down 21.01% weekly and 44.28% monthly. Traders are unloading IP at roughly $2.10.
Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL), known for its autonomous on-chain AI agents, fell 11.46% this week and 38.32% on the month. Its theoretical future revenue streams have not yet outweighed market fear, and VIRTUAL is trading at $0.88.
Even Core Infrastructure Projects Are Not Immune
Injective (INJ) — an L1 chain integrating AI-powered prediction tools and trading infrastructure — fell 9.25% on the week and 25.8% monthly. Its price of $5.39 still marks it as one of the “less damaged” tokens in the group, though that isn’t saying much given the sector-wide slump.
The industry’s heavyweight alliance, the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) — merging Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol — shed 11.9% this week and 28.66% over the month. Despite being positioned as a decentralized AI giant, traders appear anything but collaborative, sending FET to $0.23.
The Graph’s GRT, a core indexing infrastructure token widely used across Web3, also plunged: down 10.47% weekly and 30.05% monthly. GRT now trades at $0.045, a staggering 98% below its all-time high.
Meme Tokens Provide the Only Green Candle
Amid the carnage, one outlier emerged: Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) — a meme token with an AI theme — somehow posted a 13.73% weekly gain and an impressive 38.16% monthly jump. It trades at $0.379, representing the only meaningful green spot in the entire AI sector.
Meanwhile, Theta (THETA) sits at $0.331 and continues its multi-timeframe decline, reinforcing that this downturn isn’t about blue-chip quality — it’s a sector-wide AI reset.
Where Does the AI Crypto Sector Go From Here?
For now, AI tokens still hold their narrative strength, and prices did show minor improvement today. But the broader message from multi-week and multi-month data is unmistakable: weakness is widespread, persistent, and deeply structural.
Whether this moment becomes a temporary hiccup or the start of a longer sector-wide recalibration depends on one thing:
whether buyers regain their appetite for risk — and remember what drew them to AI in the first place.
#Binance #wendy #AI $BTC $ETH $BNB

Recent opinion pieces have revived the old comparison between bitcoin and tulip mania, pointing to the 17th-century speculative frenzy as a parallel for today’s crypto markets. But these comparisons miss the mark — and analyzing bitcoin solely as a store of value fundamentally overlooks what gives it meaning.
Bitcoin Is Not Digital Tulip Mania, Even If the NGU Narrative Momentarily Slows
While scanning major publications for daily bitcoin news, I came across yet another article likening bitcoin to the tulip craze, suggesting its value stems only from speculative fervor. These analyses reduce bitcoin to a singular investment thesis centered on store-of-value properties, ignoring its broader purpose.
True, from a strict “suitcoiner” perspective, bitcoin’s performance this year may feel underwhelming. October and November — typically stronger months for the asset — were not as impressive as expected.
But viewing bitcoin purely as “digital gold,” whose value derives solely from scarcity and long-term appreciation, is incomplete. It neglects the very foundation on which bitcoin was built.
Bitcoin’s Purpose Extends Beyond Its Price
Like money itself, bitcoin has multiple functions. Beyond being a store of value, it was designed from its earliest days to serve as a medium of exchange — a role that is often forgotten when the conversation fixates on market cycles and price targets.
In its 2008 whitepaper, Bitcoin was described as “a peer-to-peer electronic cash system”, one that enables transactions without relying on trust in financial intermediaries. That alone remains revolutionary.
Before Bitcoin, value transfer almost always required a trusted third party, and money issuance was controlled by central banks with very few exceptions. Bitcoin’s breakthrough wasn’t just engineered scarcity; it was the creation of a monetary network capable of moving value without centralized approval.
For many in the developed world, this capability may feel abstract or unnecessary. Payment services work, banks function, and financial access is relatively reliable. But for those living under sanctions, suffering from capital controls, or excluded from traditional banking, bitcoin’s permissionless design is nothing short of life-changing.
This Is Why Bitcoin Will Never Become “Digital Tulips”
Bitcoin is not a flower whose price once spiraled out of control and then collapsed into irrelevance. Even when growth slows, its intrinsic functionality — censorship-resistant, borderless value transfer — ensures it will never fit the tulip analogy.
Its utility is real. Its network effects are durable. And its technological foundation provides value far beyond speculation.
This is why bitcoin cannot — and will not — become digital tulip mania.
#Binance #wendy #bitcoin $BTC

Pakistan presses ahead with a national digital asset framework as leaders and major crypto executives align on building a secure, transparent ecosystem to advance regulation, innovation, and financial inclusion.

Pakistan Advances National Digital Asset Overhaul
Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance shared on social media platform X on Dec. 5 that it hosted a consultative meeting on the National Digital Asset Framework with Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib, and senior Binance executives, including CEO Richard Teng.
The Finance Ministry described:
The meeting focused on Pakistan’s next steps toward building a secure, transparent, and innovation-driven digital asset ecosystem.
Officials assessed on/off-ramp design, tighter AML/CFT controls, and broader integration of regulated financial institutions. The ministry added: “Minister Aurangzeb reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a forward-looking regulatory environment that protects national interests while enabling technological progress.”
Binance leaders outlined international crypto developments, Pakistan’s expanding user participation, and blockchain’s ability to reduce costs across the nation’s $38 billion remittance flows. According to the ministry, Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib emphasized: “Pakistan’s unique opportunity to shape global digital finance norms and highlighted digital assets as core financial infrastructure capable of supporting inclusion, unlocking new banking opportunities, and driving national progress.” The dialogue also covered formalizing citizen-held virtual assets, expanding Web3 skills, and exploring sovereign debt tokenization to widen liquidity and investor access.
Read more: Pakistan Opens Doors to Regulated Exchanges as Critics Raise Red Flags Over Its Crypto Strategy
Participants reviewed taxation mechanics, phased capital gains schedules, oversight through licensed exchanges, and the potential use of a limited amnesty to transition users onto regulated platforms. The ministry stated:
Work is advancing on a structured licensing regime for Virtual Asset Service Providers, aimed at meeting global standards, ensuring user protection, and encouraging institutional participation.
Bank presidents discussed custody, risk frameworks, and technical collaboration to ready the sector for a supervised digital asset market intended to support economic expansion and innovation. Crypto advocates maintain that predictable regulation can deepen inclusion, attract capital, and enhance Pakistan’s competitiveness. Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) commented on X: “Pakistan moving fast on crypto.”
#Binance #wendy $BTC $ETH $BNB

The cryptocurrency market may be edging toward a meaningful rebound as improving liquidity conditions and rising expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts fuel optimism for a broader digital-asset recovery.
Coinbase Notes Rising Liquidity and the Prospect of a December Crypto Recovery
Coinbase Institutional, the institutional arm of Coinbase Global (Nasdaq: COIN), said on X on Dec. 5 that crypto markets may be entering a new upswing. The team pointed to strengthening liquidity, a sharp increase in the odds of a Federal Reserve rate cut, and a macro backdrop that appears increasingly supportive for digital assets.
“It appears that signs of a recovery are beginning to emerge,” Coinbase Institutional wrote, adding:
We think crypto may be poised for a December rebound as liquidity improves, Fed cut probabilities rise to 92% (as of Dec. 4), and macro conditions turn more constructive.
The firm elaborated further: “Back in October, we highlighted a positioning adjustment (based on our custom M2 index) that forecast weakness in November and a reversal in December. This could mark the starting point for crypto market momentum to reassert itself.”
Liquidity Trends Strengthen Coinbase’s Outlook

Coinbase’s institutional division also shared a chart illustrating its customized global M2 money-supply indicator alongside bitcoin’s price and the COIN50 Index. The graphic highlights a steadily rising liquidity trend into the end of 2025 despite volatile crypto prices — reinforcing Coinbase’s view that systemic liquidity may be shifting in crypto’s favor.
Analysts routinely track global M2 changes to understand liquidity cycles, since crypto markets tend to respond quickly to shifts in capital availability. A macro environment leaning toward monetary easing often draws sidelined capital back into digital assets, particularly when volatility begins to stabilize.
Although uncertainty remains around inflation and global growth, crypto proponents argue that bitcoin’s fixed‐issuance structure and ethereum’s evolving monetary profile position both assets to benefit from expanding liquidity and a weakening U.S. dollar.
#Binance #wendy #bitcoin $BTC

JPMorgan analysts say bitcoin may be preparing for a major upward move, driven by trading behavior increasingly resembling gold and by shifting macro dynamics that could set the stage for significant upside in the months ahead.
JPMorgan Signals Bullish Momentum for Bitcoin
Global banking giant JPMorgan believes bitcoin could rise to around $170,000 within the next several months, outlining a bullish scenario tied to gold-like trading trends. The analysts noted that recent risk aversion, evolving expectations for 2026 interest rates, and uncertainty surrounding Strategy’s bitcoin stance have created short-term pressure on market sentiment.
In a research note to clients published Wednesday, the team led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou wrote:
Our volatility-adjusted bitcoin-to-gold comparison index continues to imply a theoretical bitcoin price near $170,000, suggesting substantial upside potential over the next 6–12 months.
The strategists also addressed concerns over bitcoin’s recent bear-market pullback and speculation that Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) may reduce its BTC holdings if the stock’s premium continues to narrow. CEO Phong Le has said any selling would depend on the firm’s mNAV falling below 1. However, JPMorgan noted the company’s recent accumulation of $1.4 billion in cash reduces the likelihood of forced liquidations.
The analysts added that MSCI’s January 15 index review could remove companies with significant digital-asset exposure from major benchmarks — a potential headwind depending on the outcome.
Gold-Like Behavior Gains Strength
Bitcoin is currently trading at $89,712, but JPMorgan argues that its gold-like behavior continues to emerge during periods of market stress. Historically, macro volatility has pushed investors toward bitcoin as an alternative asset, similar to the way gold attracts capital during uncertainty.
While an unfavorable MSCI decision or large-scale selling by Strategy could drag prices lower, a favorable ruling could help bitcoin reclaim previous highs.
Crypto advocates challenge the bearish concerns, pointing instead to:
• Growing institutional adoption
• A more mature and resilient market structure
• Bitcoin’s fixed supply and strengthening long-term fundamentals
Together, they argue, these factors provide a durable foundation for continued appreciation — and JPMorgan’s $170K projection suggests that traditional finance is beginning to agree.
#Binance #wendy $BTC $ETH $BNB

Ripple’s deepening push into integrated digital asset infrastructure marks its clearest bid yet to power real-time global finance. By bringing together treasury intelligence, institutional custody, liquidity provisioning, and settlement rails under one enterprise platform, the company is positioning itself as a central infrastructure provider for the next phase of financial transformation.
Ripple Expands Its Institutional Finance Ambitions
Institutional demand for instant financial infrastructure is accelerating, reshaping how enterprises architect digital asset systems. In a Dec. 4, 2025 Insight post, Ripple revealed an expanded roadmap designed to deliver a seamless, end-to-end platform for managing and transferring value across both traditional and blockchain-based environments.
“Ripple has invested nearly $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem through strategic investments and acquisitions,” the company wrote.
It added that 2025 stands apart as its most ambitious year yet, driven by four major acquisitions that all converge on a single mission: to become the one-stop infrastructure provider for moving value with the same speed and efficiency as information flows today.
The Insight outlined how each acquisition contributes a critical pillar to the broader platform.
• GTreasury boosts liquidity intelligence and opens connectivity to global repo markets.
• Rail brings virtual account infrastructure and stablecoin-based settlement capabilities.
• Palisade adds high-speed institutional custody mechanisms.
• Ripple Prime supports execution, financing, and other prime-brokerage-grade trading services.
Reece Merrick, Ripple’s senior executive officer and managing director for the Middle East & Africa, celebrated the milestone on X:
“A big day for the future of finance! With today’s addition of GTreasury (alongside Rail, Palisade, and Ripple Prime), we just completed the four major acquisitions that turn Ripple into the first true one-stop shop for institutional digital asset infrastructure.”
He continued: “This isn’t just about adding products. It’s about removing friction, reducing counterparty risk, bringing bank-grade security to infrastructure, and giving treasurers, CFOs, and financial institutions the tools they’ve been asking for to scale with digital assets.”
The Blueprint for a Unified Global Finance Layer
According to Ripple, the fusion of treasury intelligence, custody architecture, liquidity access, and settlement pathways empowers enterprises to streamline operations, strengthen capital management, and reduce operational bottlenecks. The company framed its strategy succinctly in the Insight:
Each of these acquisitions—custody, virtual accounts, treasury intelligence, prime brokerage services—adds a critical capability to Ripple’s suite of solutions. But the real story is the sum of these parts: Ripple is building the one-stop infrastructure shop that will power the next era of real-time global finance.
While some analysts warn that consolidating so many core financial functions under one provider could increase institutional dependency risk, supporters argue that unified infrastructure reduces fragmentation, enhances reliability, and accelerates institutional adoption of digital assets.
#Binance #wendy #XRP $XRP

Crypto markets may be warming up again this week, but one well-known insider just poured cold water on the excitement.
A Stark Warning From Former Block Executive Mike Brock
“Bitcoin will fail. Because it is a lie,” wrote Mike Brock, a former senior leader at Jack Dorsey’s bitcoin-focused division at Block. His remarks ignited a storm on social media at a moment when digital assets appear to be entering an early-stage recovery — and perhaps even setting up for a year-end rally.
Brock is not an everyday skeptic. He spent more than a decade inside the machine. He began his career at Block as a software engineer, helping develop Square Cash — the money-transfer app that later evolved into Cash App. The product recently made headlines for allowing its 58 million users to pay with bitcoin without actually holding the cryptocurrency.
Later, Brock rose to CEO of TBD, Block’s developer-focused initiative. But something shifted. After TBD abruptly shut down in November 2024, Brock walked away from corporate life altogether, ending his eleven-year tenure.
“I walked away from everything I built,” he wrote. “Recruiters stopped calling. Opportunities disappeared. I lost the status of being an insider, the comfortable salary, the ability to say I was one of the good people trying to fix the system.”
Bitcoin as an Elite Tool?
At the core of Brock’s argument is a belief that bitcoin has become — or perhaps always was — a tool of the elite. In his view, a “corporate monarchy” is using the asset to steer society toward an oligarchic model reminiscent of Russia’s.
He acknowledges that many in the bitcoin community reject this ideology, but he argues they have chosen to look away, justifying their inaction with good intentions while becoming “useful idiots” for authoritarian actors.
“I used to be one of those useful idiots,” he admitted. “I believed my good intentions and technical knowledge made me different from those using the same tool for authoritarian ends.”
These criticisms echo other warnings from respected industry figures. Caitlin Long, CEO of Custodia Bank, has repeatedly accused shadowy whales of manipulating crypto markets. Institutional capital has flowed into bitcoin at unprecedented scale. BlackRock now controls more digital assets than any other company. Vanguard and Charles Schwab — two of the world’s largest asset managers — have confirmed plans to integrate bitcoin into their platforms.
It is difficult to dismiss Brock’s suggestion that these institutions form a modern “corporate monarchy.” Peter Thiel, whom Brock cites as a quintessential oligarch, once wrote: “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”
A Market Still in Flux
Whether Brock’s dire warning should be taken literally remains to be seen. But his comments arrive at a time when bitcoin’s evolution into a favorite asset of corporate America is undeniable. The coin crossed $126,000 in October, plunged to $80,000 in November, and appears to be rebounding again.
How this story ends is anyone’s guess.
“Bitcoin holders think prices will soar during a financial crisis,” Brock said. “In reality, bitcoin will have to crash sharply when that happens. The high priests of bitcoin, in their religious fervor, have convinced themselves the opposite is true. But for those still reachable by reason, I offer this warning now.”
#Binance #wendy #bitcoin #BTC $BTC

Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade has officially gone live, sending ETH to $3,222 and marking a significant leap forward for the network’s scalability roadmap. The update raises the block gas limit to 60 million and introduces a per-transaction gas ceiling of 16.78 million — a configuration that has stirred debate among developers but is widely praised for enabling parallel execution and preventing resource overload.

A Technical Breakthrough for Scaling and Lower Fees
The Ethereum blockchain has rolled out the Fusaka upgrade, and early reactions call it a major success in advancing the network’s long-term roadmap. The market responded almost instantly. Ether surged to $3,222 shortly after the upgrade, its highest level since November 17. The move was striking given that ETH had traded near $2,800 just a day earlier on December 2, underscoring strong market conviction in the protocol’s latest transformations.
Arriving roughly seven months after the transformative Pectra upgrade, Fusaka is being celebrated for delivering deep technical improvements that reshape Ethereum’s capacity. These enhancements move the network closer to its longstanding promises of dramatically lower and more predictable Layer-2 (L2) fees, along with a major expansion in throughput.
The core mechanism driving this shift is the combination of lifting the block gas limit to 60 million and introducing the Transaction Gas Limit Cap (TGLC) at precisely 16.78 million gas. The specific value raised eyebrows across the developer community. Some critics argued the number appeared arbitrary, chosen without the public modeling and technical justification expected for a parameter that influences worst-case block processing time.
Still, engineers and protocol researchers have pushed back on that criticism. The per-transaction ceiling, they argue, is exactly what the network needs to prevent a single transaction from monopolizing node resources.
Mo Dong, Brevis CEO and co-founder, highlighted the technical precision of the choice. He explained that the 16.78 million threshold works well because “a power-of-two–like structure simplifies implementation across multiple codebases.” More importantly, he said, “this limit enables parallelization,” allowing nodes to process transactions more efficiently by distributing work.
Charles d’Haussy, CEO of the dYdX Foundation, echoed this view. He noted that the cap preserves the ability to execute large transactions without risking delays or opening the door to denial-of-service vectors. In his assessment, developers selected this number because it is “large enough not to disturb typical activity, but small enough to preserve predictable execution times and safeguard the network.”
L2 Scaling, Security, and the PeerDAS Debate
The Fusaka upgrade also introduces Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) and expands potential blob capacity by as much as eightfold. This has triggered intense debate about how much L2 fees will fall and which rollup architectures stand to benefit most.
Experts interviewed widely agree that PeerDAS will deliver meaningful reductions in L2 costs, but not at a perfectly linear ratio to capacity increases. Ivo Georgiev, CEO and founder of Ambire Wallet, estimates that the maximum reduction probably tops out around 80%. “It’s not as simple as expecting fees to fall 8x,” he said. “But given the added overhead of today’s rollup transactions, a 30–40% reduction is almost guaranteed.”
PeerDAS fundamentally changes how Ethereum processes blob data. Instead of requiring every node to fully replicate all data, the network distributes data availability proofs across participants. This architectural shift addresses Ethereum’s long-standing scalability bottleneck but also invites scrutiny over latency and data security.
Dong described the design as a calculated technical tradeoff that unlocks massive scalability while preserving Ethereum’s underlying integrity. The main security advantage, he said, is its resilience against data-withholding attacks.
“In hostile scenarios where a block producer withholds data, the sampling mechanism provides cryptographic assurances that missing data will be detected with overwhelming probability. Analyses show the likelihood of a successful attack dropping to effectively zero — around one in 10²⁰ — as network size increases,” Dong noted.
Georgiev added that in practical terms, PeerDAS introduces “almost no tangible downside — it’s virtually a pure win.”
Critics, however, warn that PeerDAS could introduce systemic risks tied to block validity and temporary data unavailability, issues developers must proactively assess. Even so, d’Haussy expressed confidence that these concerns will not translate into fundamental new threat vectors.
“Sampling actually makes it harder to finalize a block that contains missing data, because validators only vote once they confirm availability. The primary risk window is short-term — a temporary network delay that could cause missed attestations,” he explained.
Despite the ongoing technical debates, both supporters and skeptics agree on one point: Fusaka strengthens Ethereum’s position as the secure, decentralized settlement layer for a multi-chain ecosystem. By unlocking new levels of throughput and cost efficiency, it accelerates L2 economics and prepares the network for its next wave of innovation — scaling up without compromising the foundational principles that made Ethereum dominant in the first place.
#Binance #wendy #ETH #Fusaka $ETH

While Bitcoin tumbled 17.67% over the course of November, a cluster of long-inactive wallets unexpectedly came back to life, shifting coins originally accumulated between 2011 and 2017. Among those years, 2016 stood out sharply: wallets from that period moved a notable 1,570.12 BTC last month — a stash valued at roughly $145 million.

A Brutal Month Doesn’t Stop Old BTC From Stirring
November offered little comfort to Bitcoin holders as the asset shed a significant portion of its value throughout the month. Even so, the downturn didn’t stop some of the oldest coins on the network from awakening after years of silence. And while a single 50 BTC coinbase reward from 2012 moved at the start of December, no coins from 2009 or 2010 changed hands in November.
Data from btcparser.com shows that 63 long-dormant addresses became active for the first time since their original acquisition. Altogether, 2,443.25005 BTC were revived — worth about $225.6 million at the exchange rate on December 4. Despite the broader turbulence, activity among older coins slowed slightly as prices drifted lower.
On-chain metrics reveal that wallets created in 2011 registered three spending events totaling 26.98 BTC. Although “spending” is the technically correct term, it doesn’t necessarily mean the coins were sold or transferred to a different owner. Wallets from 2012 also recorded three transactions, collectively moving 85.02 BTC. Addresses originating in 2013 were notably more active, logging twelve spends and releasing 316.94 BTC for the first time since they were initially acquired.
Older Wallets Reactivate Across Multiple Years
Wallets from 2014 and 2015 proved relatively quiet. Seven addresses from 2014 moved 169.819 BTC, while six from 2015 transferred 91.42105 BTC.
But it was the 2016 cohort that carried the most weight. Seventeen separate addresses from that year moved 1,570.12 BTC, often in sizable chunks. Some transactions involved 217.38 BTC, 216 BTC, 103 BTC — and one wallet even executed a massive 500 BTC transfer.
Dormant Bitcoin tied to 2017 wallets recorded fifteen transactions, though only 182.95 BTC in total were moved across the month. After 2016, the year 2013 ranked as the second-most active period for reawakened coins, with 2017 taking third place.
A Rare Glimpse Into Bitcoin’s Oldest Treasuries
Despite November’s steep price decline, veteran Bitcoin continues to stretch its limbs. And although 2016 wallets dominated the activity, the broader wave of reactivation offered a rare look into these long-held reserves that have remained untouched for many years.
#Binance #wendy $BTC

Stablecoins’ rapid global expansion is reshaping financial access and payments, offering new efficiencies while raising urgent concerns over monetary control and regulatory gaps that policymakers worldwide are now scrambling to confront.

IMF Warns of Expanding Stablecoin Influence
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) detailed on Dec. 4 that stablecoins can widen financial access and support innovation but may also create risks for monetary autonomy. The organization outlined these issues in its latest blog post assessing stablecoins’ expanding role in payments and markets.
The IMF stated on social media platform X:
Stablecoins can expand financial access and drive innovation, but also cause currency substitution and market volatility. Global cooperation on regulation is essential.
The Fund is working with the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and others “to close gaps and improve oversight,” the IMF added.
The official blog post on the IMF website is written by Tobias Adrian, Marcello Miccoli, and Nobuyasu Sugimoto, prominent economists and financial experts who hold senior roles within the International Monetary Fund’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, focusing on global financial stability, digital currencies, and regulation.
“Stablecoins have great potential to make international payments faster and cheaper for people and companies,” they detailed. “But this promise comes with risks of currency substitution and countries losing control over capital flows, among others. Turning stablecoins into a force for good in the global financial system will require concerted actions by policymakers, at both the domestic and international levels.”
The authors also noted that “stablecoins’ cross border flows are growing fast.” Their analysis underscores how expanding use in remittances and digital commerce reflects deeper ties with financial markets, while simultaneously exposing economies to confidence shocks, reserve-asset declines, and potential runs.
Regulatory fragmentation remains a central challenge, as the authors stated: “Stablecoins could be used to circumvent capital flow management measures, which rely on established financial intermediaries.” They explained that uneven oversight enables issuers to take advantage of weaker jurisdictions and complicates monitoring of cross-border movement. Some authorities are considering access to central bank liquidity for certain issuers, while others are reinforcing legal clarity, financial integrity rules, and global data standards.
The IMF economists concluded:
Improving the existing global financial infrastructure might be easier than replacing it. Achieving the best possible balance will require close cooperation among policymakers, regulators, and the private sector.
Although the IMF economists emphasized systemic risks, crypto advocates counter that well-regulated stablecoins can broaden financial inclusion, reduce settlement frictions, and enhance transparency across global payments.
#Binance #wendy #IMF