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The Midnight price prediction has taken a turn for the worse today, after the new privacy coin fell to $0.07326, a 3.5% drop in 24 hours.

Despite this fall, NIGHT remains up by 12% in a week and by 15.5% in the past fortnight, making it the highest-performing top-100 coin over this timeframe.

Even though the wider market has suffered as a result of negative sentiment and AI bubble-related fears, Midnight has been flying since launching on the Cardano network.

And while it has dipped in the past day or so, it still arguably remains in price discovery mode, and could rally strongly again in the final week of the year.

Midnight Price Prediction: As the NIGHT Price Continues to Slip, Is A Christmas Eve Miracle Possible?

If we look at Midnight’s chart today, we see that it has lost momentum in recent days, which may be a concern to investors.

However, there’s a strong case that it is merely correcting a little over the shorter term, and that it will rebound back up in the very near future.

For instance, its relative strength index (yellow) is very close to touch 30 and even falling lower, at which point logic dictates that a rebound will come.

Source: TradingView

We see something very similar with NIGHT’s MACD (orange, blue), which has turned negative today and could be very close to hitting bottom.

But perhaps most bullishly of all, its price has been trading within a pennant since launching earlier this month, and this pennant is about to converge.

As such, a big move could be just around the corner, and one catalyst for such a move could be more exchange listings.

Coinbase is yet to list NIGHT, as are numerous other major exchanges, such as Binance, Crypto.com and Bitstamp.

So if we do see new listings in the next few days, the Midnight price could rise much higher, resuming its bullishness of the past couple of weeks.

$NIGHT looks like its ready to pump!

Midnight feels like another small cap gem that could give great returns. I have a feeling that it will do what $JELLYJELLY did where we caught the bottom and pumped 3x.

I'm expecting the price to go to $0.065 zone and we see a bounce from… pic.twitter.com/HM7B87Ut0o

— D Future Money (@DFutureMoney) December 23, 2025

More fundamentally, Midnight looks to have a bright future ahead, seeing as how it’s one of the first platforms to allow for privacy-first programmable dapps and protocols.

So instead of simply being a privacy coin (such as Monero or Zcash), it will enable privacy smart contracts and applications.

This is why it has been doing so well since launching, and why the Midnight price prediction looks so good right now.

Once its current correction plays out, it could reach $0.10 by the end of the year, and then $0.20 by Q2 of 2026.

New Mining Token Raises ?? As It Prepares to Launch: Why PEPENODE Could Be a Big Winner in 2026

While Midnight does look like one of the most exciting new coins in the market right now, there are other high-potential new entrants that traders might also want to consider.

One of these is PEPENDOE ($PEPENODE), an Ethereum-based token that is planning to make mining more accessible to the average investor.

The PEPENODE presale is live.

Buy Nodes. Build Your Server Room. Combine Nodes For Huge Bonuses.

Do it all here https://t.co/d1JAronqiv pic.twitter.com/60uLhEoukP

— PEPENODE (@pepenode_io) September 10, 2025

It has been running its presale over the past couple of months, and has now raised in excess of $2.3 million, with the presale due to end in only 14 days.

This is a very encouraging figure for such a new token, and it suggests that PEPENODE has the potential to do very well when it lists in a couple of weeks.

What’s exciting about the token is that it’s planning to launch a mining platform that will enable investors to mine meme coins without having to buy and run expensive mining hardware.

Instead, users can build and operate their own virtual mining rigs, which they can grow by spending PEPENODE tokens on more virtual nodes.

More nodes result in greater rewards, while rewards can also be increased by upgrading nodes and combining them in novel ways.

This will incentivize the accumulation of PEPENODE tokens, which could result in the coin’s price rising steadily over time.

PEPENODE pays out mining rewards in the form of external tokens such as Fartcoin and Pepe, while holders can also stake the token for a passive income.

This potentially makes the new alt hugely profitable, with latecomers still able to join its sale by going to the official PEPENODE website.

The token is selling at its final presale price of $0.0012112, but it has every chance of rising much higher once it lists in the next two weeks.

Visit the Official Pepenode Website Here

The post Midnight Price Prediction: As the NIGHT Price Continues to Slip, Is A Christmas Eve Miracle Possible? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The cryptocurrency market has struggled to make any real headway this Christmas Eve, with its total capitalization sticking to the same $3.024 trillion level as yesterday.

This figure represents a 2% gain since Friday, yet the market as a whole has also plunged by 30% since reaching a record cap of $4.379 trillion on October 7, as jitters over an AI-related stock market bubble has turned investors off higher risk assets.

Given that prices haven’t substantially improved in over two months, the market is getting closer to an overdue rebound, with many major tokens continuing to boast attractive fundamentals.

And we’ve picked the best coin to buy this Christmas Eve that could 100x in 2026, with our pick – the Solana-based layer-two network Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – currently holding a hugely successful presale as it prepares to launch.

Best Coin To Buy This Christmas Eve That Could 100x in 2026 – 24 December 2025

In fact, Bitcoin Hyper has now raised an enviable $29.7 million, making its initial coin offering one of the biggest of 2025.

This figure is a testament to how much confidence Bitcoin Hyper is inspiring among investors, who have clearly taken a keen interest in its plans to launch a fully fledged layer-two network for Bitcoin.

As an L2 for Bitcoin, Bitcoin Hyper will provide investors with the chance to convert their BTC into corresponding amounts of HYPER tokens, and then to use the latter in the L2’s ecosystem of dapps.

Bitcoin Hyper will focus on providing BTC holders with DeFi platforms and protocols in which to put their BTC to work, enabling them to lend out their Bitcoin or, via HYPER, stake it for a regular income.

Given that Bitcoin now boasts a market cap of $1.7 trillion, this means that Bitcoin Hyper’s ecosystem could provide a means of tapping into enormous capital and wealth.

On a technical level, it will operate using Solana’s Virtual Machine, giving it state-of-the-art speed and scalability, and also making it compatible with Solana apps and platforms.

The platform will also harness zero-knowledge rollups, which will not only enhance its throughput, but also give transactions a high level of privacy and security.

Such features make Bitcoin Hyper one of the most advanced L2s in the crypto sector, which helps to explain not only why its presale has done so well, but also why it’s our best coin to buy this Christmas Eve.

Bitcoin Hyper Could Be the Biggest New Coin of 2026: How to Buy Early

As a token, HYPER will have a max supply of 21 billion tokens, meaning that it corresponds to Bitcoin’s supply at a 10:1 ratio.

This supply will have a broad allocation, with 25% going to its community treasury, 30% to development, 20% to marketing, 15% to staking and community rewards, and 10% to listings and liquidity.

While its presale is likely to close within the first few weeks of 2026, investors can still join by visiting the official Bitcoin Hyper website.

All of the pieces are coming together to create the greatest Bitcoin L2 ever made.

What more could you ask for this holiday season?!https://t.co/VNG0P4GuDo pic.twitter.com/Uq6y1kXwsT

— Bitcoin Hyper (@BTC_Hyper2) December 24, 2025

There, they can connect a compatible wallet (e.g. Best Wallet) and buy any amount of HYPER using SOL, ETH, USDT, BNB or fiat currency (via a credit card).

They’ll receive their tokens once the sale ends, with HYPER preparing to list on exchanges very soon after.

In view of its fundamentals, it has every chance of rallying strongly once it goes live on exchange, while a market-wide recovery and bull rally could see it rise even higher.

This is why it’s our best coin to buy this Christmas Eve, and why it could end up being one of the biggest new tokens of 2026.

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

The post Best Coin To Buy This Christmas Eve That Could 100x in 2026 – 24 December 2025 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Entities linked to alleged Mt. Gox hacker Aleksey Bilyuchenko transferred another 1,300 BTC worth approximately $114 million to unknown exchanges over the past week, according to blockchain intelligence firm Arkham Intelligence.

The wallets still hold 4,100 BTC, valued at around $360 million, and have now sold a total of 2,300 BTC since distribution activity began in October.

Arkham analyst Emmett Gallic reported that the deposits mark an acceleration of a controlled selloff that started months ago.

“The entity related to Aleksey Bilyuchenko has deposited another 1.3K $BTC ($114M) to the unknown exchanges in the past 7 days,” Gallic stated, adding that total sales have now reached 2,300 BTC while substantial holdings remain intact.

The entity related to Aleksey Bilyuchenko has deposited another 1.3K $BTC ($114M) to the unknown exchanges in the past 7 days.

They still hold 4.1K $BTC ($360M). They have sold a total of 2.3K $BTC. https://t.co/GtzPKLb5AC pic.twitter.com/asoaz1wBgL

— Emmett Gallic (@emmettgallic) December 23, 2025

Controlled Distribution Follows Months-Long Pattern

The recent transfers continue a systematic distribution that Gallic first flagged in October when roughly 8,000 BTC connected to the WEX/BTC-e case appeared to be controlled by Russian authorities, specifically the third department of the second service of the CSS of the FSB.

Bitcoin belonging to BTC-e co-founder Bilyuchenko had been slowly liquidated through unknown exchanges since mid-October, with 110 BTC deposited in just two days during early November alone.

Gallic noted uncertainty about whether Bilyuchenko remains jailed in Russia or continues to control these funds, though Moscow courts have seized most of his other assets.

However, the structured nature of the transfers suggests deliberate positioning rather than panic selling, with each deposit carefully routed through exchanges that obscure the final destination of proceeds.

So it seems that almost 8K $BTC ($867M) related to the WEX/BTCE case are controlled by Russian authorities (3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS of the FSB) including the 6.5K $BTC that moved earlier today. pic.twitter.com/9LwhZxvAFb

— Emmett Gallic (@emmettgallic) October 17, 2025

Criminal Background Spans Mt. Gox Hack and BTC-e Operations

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges against Bilyuchenko and co-conspirator Aleksandr Verner in June 2023, alleging they conspired to launder approximately 647,000 bitcoins stolen from Mt. Gox between September 2011 and May 2014.

“Armed with the ill-gotten gains from Mt. Gox, Bilyuchenko allegedly went on to help set up the notorious BTC-e virtual currency exchange, which laundered funds for cyber criminals worldwide,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. stated at the time.

Court documents revealed that Bilyuchenko and Verner gained unauthorized access to Mt. Gox’s servers that held crypto wallets in September 2011, when the exchange was the world’s largest Bitcoin platform, servicing thousands of users.

The stolen bitcoins represented the vast majority of Mt. Gox customer holdings and were primarily laundered through bitcoin addresses at two other online exchanges controlled by the conspirators.

Bilyuchenko also allegedly operated BTC-e from 2011 until law enforcement shut down the platform in July 2017, working alongside Alexander Vinnik, who was recently returned to Russia in a February prisoner swap with the United States.

Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the now-defunct BTC-e exchange, has been returned to Russia as part of a prisoner swap.#BTC-e #Russiahttps://t.co/c0nOqfxQuu

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) February 14, 2025

BTC-e processed over $9 billion in transactions and served approximately one million users worldwide, receiving criminal proceeds from computer intrusions, ransomware events, identity theft schemes, and narcotics distribution rings, according to Justice Department estimates.

Whale Selling Compounds Bitcoin’s Year-End Weakness

The Bilyuchenko-linked distribution adds another layer of supply pressure to Bitcoin markets already struggling under broader whale selloffs and thinning holiday liquidity.

Bitcoin slipped 1.12% below $87,000 today as perpetual open interest dropped $3 billion overnight, leaving markets vulnerable to sharp moves despite reduced leverage heading into Christmas.

Wallets holding between 10,000 and 100,000 BTC collectively reduced their positions by 36,500 BTC, worth approximately $3.37 billion, since early December, contributing to what analysts call Bitcoin’s “weakest year-end performance in seven years.“

Bitcoin stuck in consolidation as holiday liquidity drains and $23.7 billion options expiry looms, with analysts targeting recovery in 2026.https://t.co/q4BE5awX8t

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 23, 2025

Bitcoin ETFs recorded $650.8 million in outflows over four days, led by BlackRock’s $157 million single-day withdrawal, while Ethereum spot ETFs posted $95.52 million in net outflows.

Bitfinex analysts warned that Bitcoin now faces “a substantial headwind in the form of a dense overhead supply cluster accumulated by top buyers between $94,000 and $120,000.“

The concentration of supply has created a top-heavy market structure in which rebound attempts are increasingly capped by sell pressure, reminiscent of early 2022, when recoveries during bearish phases repeatedly failed to gain traction.

Amid the turbulence, most asset managers expect 2026 to be the year in which Bitcoin recovers and regains its strength.

However, the ongoing Bilyuchenko selloff, with 4,100 BTC still available for distribution, threatens to extend consolidation through early 2026 as markets absorb both legitimate whale profit-taking and illicit funds being methodically liquidated through unknown channels.

The post Mt. Gox Hacker Dumps $114M in Bitcoin as Selloff Intensifies appeared first on Cryptonews.

A controversial Bitcoin development proposal to permanently eliminate Ordinals inscriptions and Bitcoin Stamps has sparked fierce debate within the developer community.

The draft, known as “The Cat,” would mark millions of dust-sized outputs containing NFT data as permanently unspendable through a consensus-level soft fork.

The proposal targets what its author, Claire Ostrom, describes as an unprecedented explosion in Bitcoin’s UTXO set.

Between 2009 and early 2023, the UTXO database grew gradually to roughly 80-90 million entries.

Source: Bitcoin Development Mailing List

Within just one year, it doubled to over 160 million entries, with analyses suggesting nearly half of all UTXOs now contain less than 1,000 satoshis.

The Cat would identify these outputs using external indexers like Ord and Stamps, then render them permanently unspendable while allowing nodes to prune them from the UTXO set entirely.

Maxwell Calls Proposal “Outright Theft”

Bitcoin Core developer Greg Maxwell delivered harsh criticism, calling the proposal a “total non-starter” that would constitute theft.

“The proposal would intentionally and knowingly confiscate millions of dollars in funds,” Maxwell wrote in response to the Bitcoin development mailing list.

Maxwell disputed claims that spam filters are ineffective, arguing that the current setup already blocks most pointless data storage, except for uses that are more valuable because of Bitcoin’s limitations.

He warned the proposal would likely trigger a flood of evasion transactions while failing to stop NFT trading, since indexers operate independently of consensus rules.

“NFTs are just an imaginary parallel world that don’t depend on the network to validate their activity,” Maxwell explained.

Source: Bitcoin Development Mailing List

The legendary developer also criticized the proposal’s length and technical complexity, suggesting it should have been floated as a simple question about discouraging NFTs rather than dense technical documentation.

He pointed to the potential misuse of language models, leading to unnecessarily complex proposals that waste participants’ time.

Supporters See Essential UTXO Cleanup

Bitcoin Mechanic, a prominent anti-spam advocate, offered cautious support despite acknowledging philosophical concerns about UTXO deletion.

“I don’t consider it unreasonable for Bitcoin users to do this if they see fit as the UTXO set is something that they must contribute resources to maintaining in perpetuity,” he wrote.

The proposal’s supporters emphasize that between 40-50% of the UTXO set consists of spam outputs with dust amounts.

Removing these would provide substantial disk space savings, particularly for maximally pruned nodes.

Developer Nona YoBidnes argued the proposal would send a strong signal to discourage future spam activity.

“Less spam is the objective here. I’m not concerned with the price of spam, only the quantity,” Nona stated.

However, supporters acknowledge the unprecedented nature of consensus-level UTXO deletion.

Bitcoin Mechanic noted that while spam filters can be easily fixed if misconfigured, mistaken UTXO deletion would be catastrophic.

The proposal addresses this by imposing extensive verification requirements and encouraging the community to independently validate snapshots of the targeted outputs.

Alternative Proposal Emerges

A competing proposal called “Lynx” by Matteo Pellegrini takes a different approach, suggesting periodic cleanup tied to Bitcoin’s halving schedule rather than targeting specific protocols.

At each halving, UTXOs below 999 satoshis that remained unspent for 4 years would become permanently unspendable.

Pellegrini argues this threshold-based method avoids The Cat’s reliance on external indexers and protocol-specific targeting.

“By using a threshold rather than a list, Lynx requires no external indexers, makes no judgment about why a UTXO is small, and applies equally to all participants,” the proposal states.

Maxwell also rejected Lynx, noting that dust thresholds aren’t consensus parameters and that predictably inactive outputs have minimal performance impact.

He suggested the mailing list should ban future proposals to confiscate coins for a year, warning that they risk undermining public confidence in Bitcoin.

Escalating Battle Over Bitcoin’s Purpose

The controversy follows months of escalating tensions over Bitcoin’s role.

Earlier this year, Ordinals leader Leonidas threatened to fund a Bitcoin Core fork if developers attempted censorship, claiming support from miners controlling over 50% of the hash rate and startups that contributed over $500 million in transaction fees since 2023.

Ordinals ecosystem leader Leonidas threatened to fund a Bitcoin Core fork if developers attempt to censor Ordinals transactions ahead of the controversial v30 upgrade.#Bitcoin #Ordinalshttps://t.co/bYYY1ZKR3i

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) September 8, 2025

The same month, Developer Jimmy Song also criticized the earlier Taproot upgrade for creating a “social attack surface” that enabled spam-like activity, arguing it failed to deliver on privacy promises while opening the door to nonfinancial transactions.

Meanwhile, the October Bitcoin Core v30 upgrade removed the 80-byte OP_RETURN limit, enabling data payloads of up to 4MB per transaction.

The change also sparked an exodus to Bitcoin Knots, an alternative implementation that now represents 28% of the network.

The post New Bitcoin Proposal Could Permanently Ban Ordinals and NFT Transactions appeared first on Cryptonews.

Anthropic’s Claude AI, widely regarded for its conservative and transparent analytical style, has released forward-looking price projections for Solana (SOL), Ripple’s XRP, and Sui (SUI) as 2025 draws to a close.

According to the model, all three assets are entering a period of heightened volatility, with the potential for sharp price movements beginning around Christmas and extending into early 2026, a window historically marked by thin liquidity and exaggerated market reactions.

Claude AI Projects SOL $275–$400 Bull Case vs $110–$150 Bear Range

Claude AI’s bullish outlook for Solana aligns closely with projections from Bitwise and other institutional analysts who expect SOL to set new all-time highs by 2026, with upside targets ranging between $275 and $400.

This thesis is anchored on three core drivers: accelerating ETF adoption, improving technical infrastructure, and growing real-world asset tokenization.

Source: Claude AI

By mid-2025, Solana-linked ETFs had already attracted more than $2 billion in inflows, with JPMorgan estimating that figure could reach $6 billion by mid-2026.

Source: TradingView

On-chain fundamentals further reinforce this optimism, as Solana’s total value locked surged to $4.6 billion, while the network processes tens of millions of daily transactions across DeFi, gaming, and NFT ecosystems.

However, Claude’s bearish scenario highlights technical fragility and macro risks. Key support at $116–120 remains critical, with a breakdown potentially opening a move toward $110–150.

Claude AI Says XRP Targets $5–$8 Upside With $1.40–$2.15 Downside Risk

Claude AI identifies regulatory clarity and ETF-driven institutional demand as the backbone of XRP’s bullish case.

Following Ripple’s settlement with the SEC, XRP ETFs reportedly attracted over $1 billion within weeks, with projections of $4–8 billion in inflows by late 2026.

This surge has removed roughly 15% of the circulating supply from exchanges, introducing structural scarcity.

The launch of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin adds another layer, as increased stablecoin activity could drive XRP liquidity demand.

Tokenized real-world assets on the XRP Ledger reached $394.6 million, while Ripple has stated ambitions to capture 14% of SWIFT’s $20+ trillion payment volume over the next five years.

Under supportive macro conditions and continued regulatory clarity, Claude projects XRP could reach $5–8 by the end of 2026.

The bearish outlook, however, centers on declining on-chain usage. Monthly transaction volumes have trended downward for two years, raising doubts about XRP’s role as a bridge currency.

Competition from stablecoins like USDC and high-performance chains such as Solana and Cardano further pressures adoption.

XRP remains 48% below its July 2025 high of $3.66, and failure to break resistance near $2.35 could see it consolidate between $1.40 and $2.15 through 2026.

Anthropic’s Claude AI Says SUI Targets $4–$7 Growth Despite $1.10–$1.70 Consolidation Risk

Claude AI assigns SUI a bullish target range of $4–7, driven by explosive DeFi growth and rising institutional interest.

Sui’s TVL has surged from $25 million at launch to over $2.6 billion, making it the fastest-growing non-EVM Layer-1.

Daily DEX volumes reached $367.9 million, while stablecoin market capitalization surpassed $415 million following native USDC integration.

Institutional momentum is building, with Grayscale launching SUI Trust products and 21Shares filing for a spot ETF.

Still, SUI trades 67% below its $4.33 all-time high and below its 200-day moving average, signaling technical damage.

Despite strong ecosystem metrics, price weakness reflects investor caution. Claude’s bearish scenario places SUI in a $1.10–1.70 consolidation range if macro conditions deteriorate post-2025.

Maxi Doge (MAXI) Presale Draws $4.4M in Early Capital

While Claude’s analysis focuses on large-cap assets, early-stage presales can offer asymmetric upside.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has raised nearly $4.4 million and positions itself as a next-generation Dogecoin alternative on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network.

The presale offers staking rewards of up to 71% APY, with the token currently priced at $0.0002745 ahead of scheduled stage increases.

To get into the presale, visit the official presale website and stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram channels.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The post Anthropic’s Claude AI Predicts the Price of SOL, XRP, and SUI by the End of 2025 appeared first on Cryptonews.

World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin, which is linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump, saw a sharp jump in market capitalization this week after Binance rolled out a high-yield promotion centered on the token.

On Wednesday, USD1’s market value rose by about $150 million, climbing from roughly $2.74 billion to $2.9 billion, according to figures cited alongside Binance’s announcement of its new “USD1 Boost Program.”

USD1 Daily MarketCap Source: CoinGecko

The increase followed Binance’s decision to offer enhanced yields of up to 20% annual percentage rate on USD1 held in its Simple Earn Flexible products.

The promotion, which runs from December 24, 2025, to January 23, 2026, is structured to combine Binance’s standard real-time APR with additional bonus tiered rewards.

Binance Targets Passive Yield Seekers With Limited-Time USD1 Boost

Binance said the campaign is designed to help USD1 holders increase passive returns during the limited-time window, with subscriptions allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Under the program’s mechanics, users who subscribe to USD1 Flexible products can earn rewards through two streams.

The real-time APR accrues minute by minute and is automatically added to users’ Earn accounts, while the bonus tiered APR is calculated separately and credited daily to users’ Spot accounts, starting the day after rewards begin accumulating.

Source: Binance

Binance set a minimum subscription amount of 0.01 USD1 and capped participation at 2 million USD1 per user. Bonus APR tiers apply to balances up to 50,000 USD1, with any amount above that threshold earning only the standard real-time rate.

Participation requires navigating to the Simple Earn section, selecting USD1, choosing the Flexible option, and completing the subscription process.

The USD1 Boost is part of Binance’s broader lineup of “Boost” programs, which the exchange uses to drive engagement across different parts of its platform.

Other Boost offerings include BNB Boost, which allows users to borrow BNB at preferential rates to qualify for higher VIP tiers, and LiquidityBoost programs that reward market makers with fee rebates on selected trading pairs.

Incentives, Airdrops, and Deals Fuel USD1’s Rapid Ascent on Binance

Binance has positioned these initiatives as time-limited incentives designed to optimize capital usage and encourage activity within its ecosystem.

The latest promotion comes amid a series of developments that have steadily expanded USD1’s footprint. In June, World Liberty Financial announced that it had airdropped about $4 million worth of USD1 to holders of its WLFI token, distributing roughly $47 in USD1 to each eligible wallet outside certain jurisdictions.

The Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial airdropped an estimated $4 million worth of USD1 to holders of its native token this week.#WorldLibertyFinancial #USD1https://t.co/maLUNfTIuz

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) June 4, 2025

The airdrop was carried out on Ethereum and was framed as a live test of the project’s distribution infrastructure.

Binance has also taken steps to deepen its support for the stablecoin. On Dec. 11, the exchange added fee-free USD1 trading pairs against major cryptocurrencies and said it would convert collateral backing its Binance USD product into USD1 at a one-to-one ratio.

@Binance has widened access to the Trump family–linked USD1 stablecoin, adding new fee-free trading pairs.#Binance #Trumphttps://t.co/s0vD9yk357

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 12, 2025

Earlier this year, USD1 was used to settle MGX’s $2 billion investment into Binance, a transaction disclosed by Eric Trump during a panel at Token2049 in Dubai.

These integrations have helped push USD1 into the ranks of the world’s largest stablecoins by market capitalization, placing it seventh globally, behind PayPal’s PYUSD.

Source: CoinGecko

World Liberty Financial’s crypto activities, including USD1, have been reported to generate about $802 million in income during the first half of 2025.

At the same time, the project has drawn scrutiny. A July Bloomberg report cited anonymous sources claiming Binance contributed code to USD1’s development, a claim Binance founder Changpeng Zhao disputed, saying the report contained factual errors.

Separately, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed have urged federal authorities to investigate World Liberty Financial’s alleged ties to illicit actors, allegations the company has denied.

The post Trump-Linked USD1 Surges $150M as Binance Unveils Massive 20% Yield Promo appeared first on Cryptonews.

Internet users in the Philippines began losing access to major global cryptocurrency exchanges this week after local internet service providers moved to block dozens of online trading platforms following orders from regulators.

Among the platforms affected were Coinbase and Gemini, two of the largest U.S.-based crypto exchanges, which users reported became inaccessible across multiple Philippine ISPs as of Tuesday. Independent checks confirmed the disruptions.

Philippine Crackdown Leaves Traders Scrambling After Platforms Are Blocked

The blocks followed a directive from the National Telecommunications Commission, which instructed ISPs to immediately restrict access to 50 online trading platforms identified by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as operating without authorization.

The NTC said the order was issued after a formal request from the central bank to disable the websites and applications of unlicensed virtual asset service providers as part of an ongoing effort to enforce local registration and licensing rules.

According to the NTC, the action is grounded in updated financial regulations under BSP Circular No. 1206, which outlines how virtual asset providers must operate within the country.

The framework places emphasis on consumer protection, financial stability, and the central bank’s authority to supervise entities involved in money services and digital assets under the New Central Bank Act.

By cutting access to noncompliant platforms, regulators said they are seeking to prevent continued exposure of the public to financial risks tied to unregistered services.

While the commission did not publish a complete list of the affected platforms, it acknowledged the public attention surrounding the blocking of large international exchanges and stated that additional global platforms could be impacted as enforcement continues.

To the investors, the short-term effect has been disastrous, with most users being caught unawares, with account and order cancellations and money withdrawals from frozen accounts not being possible on frozen platforms.

Local traders were reporting temporary asset liquidity freezes and attempts to transfer assets to foreign locations in a rush.

The regulators have made it clear that funds lost, stolen, or trapped due to enforcement measures have no legal redress to users of unregistered platforms.

Philippine Regulators Push Crypto Toward Licensed Channels

In addition to the temporary disturbance, the crackdown as described by authorities has been one of the larger changes in regulated crypto activity.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has underlined that licensed platforms must comply with regulations on fund segregation, disclosures, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering controls.

Authorities believe that directing users to legitimate transactions would hamper their exposure to fraud, manipulation of the market, and unlawful financial transactions.

The most recent enforcement initiative is based on a sequence of regulatory measures in the last two years.

Towards the end of 2023, the Philippines started a 90-day grace period during which Binance could comply or face the blockage of the exchange by the ISPs in March 2024 and the removal of the exchange by major app stores.

The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission is working to remove Binance-linked applications from Apple and Google app stores. #Binance #Philippineshttps://t.co/pH0hbgkZEn

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) April 23, 2024

More recently, at least 10 other unregistered platforms, such as OKX, Bybit, and Kraken, were warned by the SEC due to unauthorized operations and threatening investors and national security.

Meanwhile, regulators have been busy formulating new formal regulations in the sector. In December 2024, SEC published the draft Crypto-Assets Service Provider rule and made it available for public consultation, including licenses, disclosure policies, capital requirements, and cybersecurity requirements.

Philippines SEC has proposed new rules for crypto service providers, focusing on transparency, public offerings, and marketing practices.#CryptoRegulations https://t.co/4pCGmJgWaG

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 24, 2024

The commission has also introduced a regulatory sandbox that registered firms can use to test novel crypto products and be supervised.

Regulated crypto activity has been growing in spite of the crackdown against unlicensed platforms. The PDAX local exchange has launched remote worker stablecoin payroll services, and the crypto digital bank GoTyme has recently launched in-app crypto services on a licensed basis.

The post Philippines Blocks Coinbase, Gemini: 50 Platforms Hit in Major Regulatory Crackdown appeared first on Cryptonews.

HashKey Capital, an asset management firm focused on crypto and blockchain investments, has announced the first closing of its fourth fund, HashKey Fintech Multi-Strategy Fund IV securing $250 million in commitments.

HashKey Capital has completed the first closing of Fund IV with $250 million in commitments.

This multi-strategy fund will focus on blockchain infrastructure, mass adoption use cases & emerging markets.

Wishing everyone happy holidays as we look forward to an innovative…

— HashKey Capital (@HashKey_Capital) December 24, 2025

In a press release the firm said the first close exceeded expectations and attracted interest from a broad base of global institutional investors. The firm is targeting a final fund size of $500 million.

Fund IV’s general partner is HashKey Capital Investment part of the broader HashKey Group. The investor base comprises institutional allocators, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals, reflecting continued institutional appetite for selective digital asset exposure despite evolving macro and market conditions.

The firm adds that its inaugural fund achieved a distributed-to-paid-in (DPI) multiple of over 10x, reinforcing its track record in high-conviction blockchain investing.

Multi-Strategy Approach Across Public and Private Markets

Fund IV will pursue a multi-strategy investment mandate designed to support digital asset initiatives with a focus on infrastructure, scalability, and mass-adoption use cases.

The fund combines public-market strategies with liquidity-generating crossover opportunities, aiming to capitalize on structural inefficiencies within the digital asset ecosystem.

In addition to public and crossover investments, the strategy includes selective private-market allocations to emerging technologies and platforms expected to enhance risk-adjusted returns.

According to HashKey Capital, this blended approach is intended to provide flexibility across market cycles while maintaining exposure to long-term thematic growth in blockchain and fintech innovation.

Institutional Expansion and Regional Focus

Founded in 2018, HashKey Capital has grown into a major participant in the global blockchain investment landscape, managing more than $1 billion in assets and overseeing a portfolio of over 400 projects worldwide. The firm was an early institutional backer of Ethereum and maintains offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.

HashKey Capital has also played a role in the development of regulated digital asset products in Hong Kong, including participation in the launch of the city’s first spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Commenting on the fund close Deng Chao, CEO of HashKey Capital, said the new capital positions the firm to capture growth in emerging markets, where blockchain applications are being tested at scale.

Dr. Xiao Feng, Founder of HashKey Group comments that the convergence of artificial intelligence, blockchain and institutional finance is creating new investment opportunities, with Fund IV intended to support projects demonstrating both technical capability and commercial viability.

Fund IV is designed to provide investors with institutional-grade exposure across infrastructure, tooling, and application layers of the blockchain ecosystem, with an emphasis on projects positioned for broad adoption.

The post HashKey Capital Secures $250M First Close for Fund IV, Targets $500M AUM appeared first on Cryptonews.

As the holiday spirit settles in and many traders take time off from their investment portfolios, a rare opportunity has emerged on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025.

Major cryptocurrencies are trading at attractive year-end discounts, with assets like XRP, SOL, and ETH quietly presenting great entry points as some of the best crypto to buy now, while most investors celebrate and liquidity thins.

Ripple (XRP): Trading 51% Below Highs To Repeat Last December’s Setup

Last year’s December Eve, Ripple’s XRP was trading around $2.20 and went on a 50% run to $3.35 by January.

Now XRP is trading around $1.86, more than 51% down from its highs. With most traders taking time off, the chart has historically presented the best opportunities to accumulate solid crypto at discounts.

Since launching over 11 years ago, XRP has survived prolonged regulatory uncertainty, market cycles, and shifting narratives, yet remains one of the most liquid and widely integrated digital assets in the industry with over $112 billion market cap.

Technically, XRP has been trending lower under a well-defined descending trendline, but price is now pressing against this resistance while defending the $1.85–$1.90 support zone.

Source: TradingView

RSI remains subdued around the high-30s, indicating XRP is not overheated and is instead stabilizing after months of distribution.

Historically, similar RSI conditions near structural support have acted as basing zones before trend reversals.

If XRP confirms a clean breakout above the descending trendline and reclaims the $2.00 level, the chart opens room for recovery toward the $3.00–$3.50 region in early 2026. A sustained move beyond that zone would shift focus toward the broader $5.00 target later in H1 2026.

Solana(SOL): Down 50% From Peak, Head and Shoulders Pattern Eyes $228 Target

Solana(SOL) went on a massive run from December 2024 to reach a high of $294 in January.

The token is now down over 50% from this peak.

Historically, SOL has shown a tendency to overcorrect during downturns and then outperform during periods of renewed risk appetite.

Recall the post-FTX dump where it crashed from $250 to around $8; many thought it was doomed, yet it pulled a monster recovery of over 30X.

With SOL price trading around $122, a 2X run from here is realistic for investors taking the opportunity to buy the dip now.

Source: TradingView

Buying during deep pullbacks allows positioning ahead of potential ecosystem expansion, especially as on-chain activity remains robust even while price action lags.

If SOL holds the current shoulders around $120, it can easily reach and surpass $200 in 2026.

Ethereum (ETH): 40% Correction Creates Gift-Wrapped Entry Below $3,000

Ethereum(ETH) has slid over 40% from its August high of $4,953, and this Christmas Eve is coming bearing gifts as ETH trades below $3,000 despite massive buy volume from ETFs and treasury companies.

Since launching in 2015, Ethereum has navigated multiple market cycles, major upgrades, and shifting competitive pressure, yet consistently retained its dominance in developer activity and capital locked on-chain.

The ETH chart shows an EMA Cross 50/200 at $3,175.34, with the 50-day moving average crossing below the 200-day moving average.

The major $2,400 support zone stands as the line in the sand that must hold to push prices back up.

The descending trendline connecting lower highs shows that if price breaks out going into 2026, ETH can target the $3,700-$3,900 resistance zone, then pursue ambitious H1 2026 targets of $4,590-$5,000.

SUBBD Presale Targets 10X Returns in 2026

As attention turns toward 2026, SUBBD is emerging as one of the best crypto presales to invest in.

The AI content subscription platform has raised nearly $1.4M and is used by over 2,000 content creators with 250 million combined fans.

The project forecasts 10X returns in 2026 from the current $0.05725 price, with 20% staking APY available.

To join the presale now, visit the official website or follow SUBBD on X and Telegram.

Visit the Official SUBBD Website Here

The post Best Crypto To Buy This Christmas Eve, 24 December 2025 – XRP, SOL, ETH appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin has slipped below $87,000, but the move looks more like controlled de-risking than a breakdown. With sentiment cooling into year-end and liquidity thinning, price action is compressing rather than unraveling. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index at 27 places the market firmly in “fear” territory, yet there are few signs of panic selling. Instead, buyers continue to engage near well-defined support, suggesting positioning is cautious, not capitulatory.

That restraint is visible across the broader market. Total crypto market capitalization is holding near $2.94 tn, while daily trading volume has eased to around $90.6 bn, reflecting lighter participation as traders step back ahead of the holidays. In this environment, marginal flows carry outsized influence, increasing the risk of sharp but short-lived moves.

ETF Outflows and Leverage Set the Tone

Institutional flows remain a near-term headwind. Crypto ETFs recorded net outflows of $284.1 mn on December 23, reinforcing a short-term risk-off bias among larger allocators. Notably, these outflows have weighed on momentum without triggering disorderly selling, implying portfolio rebalancing rather than outright exits.

At the same time, leverage remains elevated. Aggregate open interest across crypto markets is hovering near $760 bn, dominated by perpetual futures. This combination, high leverage alongside muted spot selling, often precedes volatility expansion, as compressed ranges eventually force positions to unwind.

Dominance and Volatility Signal Defensive Rotation

Market structure continues to favor Bitcoin. BTC dominance has risen to 59.1%, while Ethereum’s share sits near 12%, confirming ongoing capital rotation away from altcoins. The Altcoin Season Index at 18/100 reinforces that this remains a Bitcoin-led market.

Volatility metrics support that view. Bitcoin’s implied volatility near 44.6 is notably lower than Ethereum’s 68.7, suggesting BTC is being treated as a relative defensive asset within crypto rather than a high-beta trade.

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: Compression Inside a Falling Channel

Bitcoin price prediction is bearish as BTC is trading near $87,200 on the 2-hour chart, consolidating within a well-defined descending channel that has guided price action since the early-December peak near $94,600. The structure remains corrective rather than impulsive, with lower highs capping rebounds while buyers consistently defend the $86,500–$86,700 support zone.

Price is hovering around the channel’s midline, a common pivot area ahead of directional resolution. The 50-EMA remains below the 100-EMA, confirming short-term bearish pressure, but both averages have flattened, suggesting downside momentum is cooling, not accelerating.

Bitcoin Price Chart – Source: Tradingview

Candlestick behavior supports this view. Recent sessions show small real bodies with frequent upper and lower wicks, alongside multiple spinning tops, signaling compression and indecision. Momentum is quietly improving as the RSI near 43 forms higher lows, creating a bullish divergence.

Structurally, the channel is starting to resemble a falling wedge, often a bullish resolution pattern. A break above $88,800 could open $90,600 and $92,700, while a loss of $86,500 exposes $83,800 and $81,600.

Trade idea: Accumulate near $86,700, target $92,500, invalidation below $83,800.

PEPENODE: A Mine-to-Earn Meme Coin Nearing Presale Close

PEPENODE is gaining momentum as a next-generation meme coin that blends viral culture with interactive gameplay. With over $2.38 mn raised and the presale approaching its cap, interest is building fast as the countdown enters its final stretch.

What makes PEPENODE stand out is its mine-to-earn virtual ecosystem. Instead of passive holding, users can build digital server rooms using Miner Nodes and facilities, earning simulated rewards through a visual dashboard. The concept brings gamification and competition into the meme coin space, giving holders something to do before launch.

The project also offers presale staking, allowing early participants to earn boosted rewards ahead of the token generation event. Leaderboards and bonus incentives are planned post-launch to keep engagement high.

With 1 $PEPENODE priced at $0.0012064 and limited allocation remaining, the presale is entering its final opportunity window for early buyers.

Click Here to Participate in the Presale

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Price Drops Below $87,000, But Is a Christmas Reversal Possible? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto market is trading lower today, with total market capitalization slipping by 1.1% over the past 24 hours to $3.02 trillion, according to market data. The pullback comes amid broad weakness across major assets, while trading activity remains elevated, with 24-hour volume at $98.49 billion.

TLDR:

Crypto market cap fell 1.1% to $3.02T, with broad losses across major assets;

Galaxy Research says Bitcoin has not truly cleared $100K when adjusted for inflation;

BTC is consolidating near $87K, with key support at $85K–$86K and downside risk toward $80K;

Market sentiment remains weak, with the Fear & Greed Index at 27 (fear);

US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $188.6M in net outflows on Dec. 23, led by BlackRock’s IBIT;

US spot Ether ETFs also recorded outflows of $95.5M, reversing the prior day’s inflows;

Institutional activity continues, with Bitmine adding nearly $1B worth of ETH in December.

Crypto Winners & Losers

At the time of writing, most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization are in the red over the past day.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $86,780, down 0.8% over the last 24 hours, though it remains slightly higher on the weekly timeframe.

Bitcoin’s market cap stands at approximately $1.73 trillion, maintaining its dominant position despite the broader downturn.

Ethereum (ETH) has fallen 1.5% to $2,919, with its market capitalization sitting near $352 billion.

Among the largest declines in the top 10, Solana (SOL) dropped 2.3% to $121.36, while BNB (BNB) slipped 1.6% to $835.76. XRP (XRP) also declined 1.8%, trading at $1.85.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is down 2.2% on the day, changing hands at $0.1274, while Cardano (ADA) recorded one of the sharpest losses among large caps, falling 2.3% to $0.3554.

Outside the majors, select tokens posted gains. SQD led the market with a 43.7% surge, followed by Quantum Resistant Ledger, which climbed 31%, and pippin, up 21.8%, standing out as notable outperformers amid an otherwise risk-off session.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Research has said Bitcoin may have printed new highs in nominal terms, but it has yet to truly clear the $100,000 mark once inflation is taken into account.

Bitcoin may have printed new highs in nominal terms, but it has yet to truly clear the $100,000 mark once inflation is taken into account.#Bitcoin #Inflationhttps://t.co/dsCimbcLQG

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 24, 2025

Galaxy’s head of research, Alex Thorn, said Tuesday that Bitcoin never crossed six figures when adjusted for inflation using 2020 dollars, despite the asset reaching an all-time high above $126,000 in October.

Bitcoin Dominance Rises as Altcoins Face Year-End Pressure

Bitcoin’s share of the crypto market continues to climb as trading activity slows toward year-end, keeping altcoins under sustained pressure, according to Wintermute’s latest market update.

The report said capital rotating is out of smaller tokens and back into Bitcoin and Ethereum, dampening expectations for an altcoin rally typically seen after strong Bitcoin moves.

The broader market remains weak, with Bitcoin slipping below $87,000 and Ethereum trading near $3,000 over the past 24 hours. Altcoins posted steeper losses, led by the NFT sector, which fell more than 9% as risk appetite faded.

Earlier in the week, heavy volatility triggered roughly $600 million in liquidations on Monday, followed by another $400 million on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Wintermute data confirms retail rotation from altcoins to Bitcoin and Ethereum as dominance climbs and supply pressure mounts into year-end.#Bitcoin #Ethereumhttps://t.co/NFbUk9dKHx

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 24, 2025

Despite a partial rebound toward $90,000, Bitcoin’s price action has stayed constrained. Open interest in Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetuals dropped by a combined $5 billion, reducing leverage but leaving markets exposed to sharp moves amid thin liquidity.

Traditional financial players continue entering the space despite recent market volatility, providing a more durable foundation for future growth.

Bitmine added another 67,886 ETH worth $201 million to its treasury, bringing total December purchases to approximately $953 million.

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing on Tuesday, Bitcoin is trading near $86,926, down roughly 0.6% on the day. Earlier in December, BTC attempted a rebound toward the $92,000–$94,000 zone but failed to hold momentum, resuming its broader downtrend that began after peaking above $120,000 in October.

Over the past several weeks, Bitcoin has moved within a declining range, with repeated rejections below $90,000 and growing selling pressure on rallies. The chart shows BTC breaking below several short-term support levels in November, with buyers now defending the $85,000–$86,000 area.

A sustained move below this zone could expose downside toward $82,000, with a deeper pullback opening the door to the $80,000 psychological level. On the upside, BTC would need to reclaim $90,000 to signal stabilization, with further resistance near $95,000.

Ethereum is trading around $2,926, down roughly 1.2% over the past 24 hours. The chart shows ETH continuing to underperform after losing the $3,200–$3,300 range earlier in November. Since then, price action has remained heavy, with lower highs and limited follow-through on rebounds.

ETH briefly dipped below $2,900 in recent sessions before finding short-term support, but momentum remains fragile. If selling resumes, the next key downside level sits near $2,800, followed by stronger historical support around $2,650.

On the upside, a recovery above $3,000 would be the first step toward stabilizing price action, with additional resistance near $3,200.

Meanwhile, crypto market sentiment remains firmly in the fear zone, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index reading 27 at the time of writing. The index has shown little improvement in recent days, reflecting continued caution among market participants.

While sentiment has recovered slightly from last month’s extreme fear low of 12, it remains well below neutral levels, suggesting investors are still hesitant to take on risk.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $188.64 million on Dec. 23, extending the recent cooling in institutional demand.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the outflows, shedding $157.34 million on the day. Fidelity’s FBTC followed with $15.30 million in outflows, while Grayscale’s GBTC saw $10.28 million leave the fund. Bitwise’s BITB also recorded a smaller outflow of $5.72 million.

Cumulative net inflows across all US spot Bitcoin ETFs stand at $57.08 billion. Total value traded across the products reached $3.16 billion, while total net assets stood at $114.29 billion, equivalent to roughly 6.5% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization.

US spot Ether ETFs reversed course on Dec. 23, posting net outflows of $95.53 million after a day of inflows earlier in the week.

Grayscale’s ETHE accounted for the largest share of the outflows, shedding $50.89 million on the day. BlackRock’s ETHA followed with $25.04 million in net redemptions, while Bitwise’s ETHW saw $13.98 million exit the fund. Franklin’s EZET also recorded outflows of $5.61 million.

Cumulative net inflows across US spot Ether ETFs remain at $12.43 billion. Total value traded across the products reached $999 million, while total net assets stood at $18.02 billion, representing roughly 5.0% of Ethereum’s total market capitalization.

Meanwhile, BlackRock is staffing up for the next leg of its crypto push, posting new digital asset roles across New York, London and Singapore as it expands a team that now spans tokenization, stablecoins and crypto market structure.

BlackRock is expanding its crypto team with new digital asset roles across New York, London, and Singapore, hiring from associates to senior leaders across product, research and compliance.#BlackRock #CryptoJobs https://t.co/XkylJ7A9yk

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 24, 2025

Robert Mitchnick, who leads BlackRock’s digital assets strategy, flagged the recruitment drive recently, saying the firm is hiring for multiple leadership roles across its digital assets team in New York, London and Asia.

The post Why Is Crypto Down Today? – December 24, 2025 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto borrowing activity is undergoing a huge shift as decentralized finance (DeFi) contracts sharply during this latest current market correction while centralized finance (CeFi) shows early signs of recovery.

DeFi leverage is fading.

AAVE borrowing is down ~70% since August as risk appetite fell with prices.

But on @Nexo, borrowing rebounded +155% WoW during the drawdown.

Users are choosing to borrow against collateral, not sell. pic.twitter.com/paqjLMeq5L

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) December 24, 2025

New research from CryptoQuant highlights how changing risk appetite and liquidity needs are reshaping borrowing behavior across the crypto ecosystem.

DeFi Borrowing Contracts as Risk Appetite Fades

According to CryptoQuant’s latest dashboard decentralized borrowing has fallen in line with declining crypto prices. Since August borrowing volumes on major DeFi protocols have dropped as traders reduce leverage and exposure.

CryptoQuant reports on Aave which is one of the largest DeFi lending platforms, weekly borrowing of stablecoins USDT and USDC has fallen by 69%, declining from a peak of $6.2 billion to just $1.9 billion by the end of November.

This contraction also closely mirrors the broader market downturn suggesting that users are actively unwinding leverage rather than deploying fresh capital.

Despite the sharp pullback in new borrowing Aave still maintains $16.3 billion in outstanding loans, showing the scale of DeFi credit markets even during periods of stress.

The decline in incremental borrowing points to a clear reduction in speculative risk-taking across decentralized markets, reports CryptoQuant.

CeFi Borrowing Shows Early Signs of Rebound

Centralized borrowing activity initially followed a similar downward trajectory during the market correction, but recent data suggest a divergence may be emerging.

CryptoQuant also notes that CeFi platforms are beginning to see renewed borrowing demand even as prices continue to weaken.

On Nexo weekly retail credit withdrawals dropped sharply from $34 million in mid-July to $8.8 million by mid-November. However, the following week saw a strong rebound to $23 million — a 155% week-on-week increase.

This behavior also indicates that users may be increasingly opting to borrow against their crypto holdings rather than selling assets at depressed prices.

The rebound suggests CeFi platforms are serving as a liquidity backstop during market drawdowns, allowing investors to access cash while maintaining long-term exposure to crypto.

Centralized Lenders Play a Structural Role in Downturns

CryptoQuant’s analysis highlights the structural importance of centralized lenders during periods of market stress. While DeFi borrowing tends to contract rapidly as leverage is reduced, CeFi platforms often absorb liquidity demand when investors seek flexibility and capital preservation.

Nexo’s cumulative credit withdrawals reached $817 million in 2025, positioning it as one of the most active venues for crypto-backed lending this year.

The latest data also suggests that centralized lenders complement DeFi markets by offering alternative borrowing channels with different risk profiles and user behavior.

The post Crypto Borrowing Shifts as DeFi Contracts and CeFi Activity Rebounds: CryptoQuant appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin dominance continues its relentless climb as markets consolidate into year-end, leaving altcoins trapped under heavy supply pressure and an unforgiving token unlock schedule.

Wintermute’s latest market update confirms what many traders feared. Retail investors are rotating out of altcoins and back into major assets, signaling the end of the anticipated altcoin rally that typically follows Bitcoin’s strong performance.

The broader crypto market extended losses over the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin slipping 1.12% below $87,000 and Ethereum dropping 1.5% near $3,000.

Several altcoins saw sharp pullbacks, with the NFT sector leading declines at over 9% as weak short-term risk appetite dominated trading activity.

Source: Wintermute

Bitcoin and Ethereum Absorb Market Pressure

Crypto markets saw intense downside pressure early last week, with Bitcoin falling below $85,000 midweek and Ethereum breaching $3,000.

Liquidations surged to approximately $600 million on Monday, followed by another $400 million each day on Wednesday and Thursday as choppy conditions forced leveraged positions out rapidly.

Bitcoin gradually recovered toward $90,000 later in the week, but the price action remained constrained.

Perpetual open interest dropped $3 billion for Bitcoin and $2 billion for Ethereum overnight, leaving markets vulnerable to sharp moves despite reduced leverage heading into the Christmas holiday period.

Wintermute’s internal flow data reveals aggregate buying pressure returning to major assets, with institutional flow providing consistent support since the summer.

Source: Wintermute

The more notable shift involves retail traders rotating out of altcoins and back into Bitcoin and Ethereum, aligning with the growing consensus that Bitcoin must lead before risk appetite sustainably moves down the market cap curve.

For now, Wintermute stood on the path that “the market continues to trade choppy as liquidity continues to be thin and discretionary desks winding down into year end.”

Macro Headwinds Compound Altcoin Struggles

Markets remain range-bound as liquidity thins and discretionary desks wind down into year-end.

Downside moves stay abrupt but increasingly self-contained as leverage flushes quickly and capital retrenches into the most liquid assets.

Bitcoin and Ethereum continue acting as primary risk absorbers while the broader market struggles under supply pressure and limited risk appetite.

“Funding and basis across majors remained relatively compressed through the sell-off,” Wintermute said, with options markets continuing to price a wide range of outcomes as implied volatility stays elevated.

Notably, a recent Galaxy Research analysis shows that Bitcoin never crossed $100,000 when adjusted for inflation using 2020 dollars, despite reaching an all-time high above $126,000 in October.

“If you adjust the price of Bitcoin for inflation using 2020 dollars, BTC never crossed $100,000,” Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, said. “It actually topped at $99,848 in 2020 dollar terms.“

Traditional Finance Entry Offers Medium-Term Support

Traditional financial players continue entering the space despite recent market volatility, providing a more durable foundation for future growth.

Bitmine added another 67,886 ETH worth $201 million to its treasury, bringing total December purchases to approximately $953 million.

However, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF net flows have turned negative since early November, signaling reduced institutional participation and broader crypto-market liquidity contraction.

Source: X/@Cointelegraph

Bitcoin ETFs recorded $650.8 million in outflows over the past four days, led by BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), which recorded the largest single-day outflow of $157 million.

Ethereum spot ETFs also recorded a net outflow of $95.52 million, with all nine ETFs posting no inflows, according to SosoValue.

Farzam Ehsani, co-founder and CEO of VALR, outlined two plausible scenarios heading into 2026.

“Either the current drawdown reflects strategic positioning by large players ahead of renewed accumulation, or the market is undergoing a deeper reset driven by macro headwinds and Federal Reserve policy,” he told Cryptonews.

David Schassler, head of multi-asset solutions at VanEck, also maintained a constructive outlook despite current weakness.

Bitcoin prices would recoup in 2026, setting it up to be a “top performer,” despite the current market downturn, VanEck manager predicts.#VanEck #Bitcoin2026 #BTCOutlookhttps://t.co/3t8TvlvWcj

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 24, 2025

“Bitcoin is lagging the Nasdaq 100 Index by roughly 50% year-to-date, and that dislocation is setting it up to be a top performer in 2026,” he wrote in the company’s 2026 outlook report.

Ehsani sees scope for Bitcoin to revisit the $100,000–$120,000 range in the second quarter of 2026, though he cautioned that “without the emergence of new major players, there will be no altcoin season; at best, we can expect a market recovery to previous levels.“

The post Wintermute Warns: Altcoin Season Is Dead as Bitcoin Dominance Soars appeared first on Cryptonews.

Logan Paul has agreed to sell one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever produced, moving to capitalize on what he describes as a strong moment for the collectibles market.

Key Takeaways:

Logan Paul will auction his record-setting Pikachu Illustrator card after accepting a $2.5 million advance from Goldin Auctions.

The sale, featured on Netflix’s King of Collectibles, is set to go live on Jan. 12.

Strong demand for high-end collectibles is pushing rare Pokémon and sports cards into alternative-asset territory.

The WWE star and social media influencer confirmed he will auction his Pikachu Illustrator card, which he purchased in 2021 for nearly $5.3 million, a price that set a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon trading card sold in a private sale.

The card will be sold through Goldin Auctions, one of the largest auction houses specializing in sports memorabilia and collectibles.

Logan Paul Takes $2.5M Advance as Pokémon Card Heads to Goldin Auction

Paul accepted a $2.5 million advance from Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin as part of the deal.

The sale was featured in the latest season of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which premiered on Dec. 23.

According to Goldin, the auction will go live exclusively on the Goldin Auctions website on Jan. 12.

Goldin estimates the card could fetch between $7 million and $12 million, potentially setting a new benchmark for Pokémon collectibles.

Paul previously turned down a $7.5 million offer for the card, underscoring how sharply prices at the top end of the market have risen in recent years.

“The Pokémon market is hot. It’s hotter than it’s ever been,” Paul said in a joint interview with Goldin on Bloomberg TV. “Ken gave me a deal I could not refuse.”

Logan Paul has agreed to sell his rare Pokémon card that he bought for nearly $5.3 million.

He says Pokémon collectibles have delivered "higher returns than the stock market in the past 20 years.” https://t.co/tA6hCNKe02 pic.twitter.com/kCDTkmVLdl

— Bloomberg (@business) December 24, 2025

Goldin described high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class that has attracted growing interest from wealthy buyers.

He pointed to record sales in other segments of the market, including sports cards, as evidence of sustained demand.

“That’s how you see a basketball card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant sell for $12.5 million,” he said.

Pokémon’s 30-Year Fans Are Driving Today’s Collectibles Boom

The timing of the sale also coincides with shifting demographics among collectors. Pokémon will mark its 30th anniversary in 2026, and many fans who grew up with the franchise now have the disposable income to compete for rare items.

Goldin said this generation has different preferences from previous collectors, often favoring cultural icons over traditional fine art.

Paul, a longtime collector, has repeatedly showcased his interest in rare Pokémon cards across social media and in public appearances.

He rose to prominence alongside his brother Jake Paul on Vine and YouTube before branching into boxing, wrestling and entertainment.

Jake Paul recently lost a high-profile boxing match to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a bout streamed live on Netflix.

The post Logan Paul Agrees to Sell Record-Breaking $5.3M Pokémon Card at Auction appeared first on Cryptonews.

Spain is gearing up to launch two key crypto regulations in 2026, including the full implementation of MiCA regulations.

Per CriptoNoticias, the country will enforce the DAC8 directive from January 1, 2026, requiring crypto exchanges to report user information.

Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) has been one of the most significant regulatory shifts in Europe’s crypto landscape, which came into effect in December 2024. Spain will see its full deployment by mid-2026, the report added.

This means that cryptos will take shape in Spain under standardized rules for issuance and marketing. Besides, the regulation classifies them into categories such as utility tokens, security tokens and stablecoins.

Spain unveiled its MiCA adoption plans in 2023. July 2026 is the deadline for all 27 EU member states to implement the regulations of the law.

Besides, Banco de España, Spain’s central bank, informed its citizens of the potential benefits of the digital Euro, with its European counterparts to introduce the CBDC.

Central Bank of Spain Embraces Digital Euro, Highlights Benefits for Customers

Banco de España is aligning with its European counterparts to introduce their customers to the possibilities of the digital euro.#CryptoNews #Spainhttps://t.co/ThplMMNwf2

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 26, 2023

Spain to Implement DAC8 Crypto Directive – Here’s What it Means

The Euro nation will launch the full enforcement of DAC8, which provides for automatic exchange of information on crypto-assets between EU countries.

Starting Jan 1, 2026, exchanges and crypto service providers should automatically report user transactions, balances, and movements to EU tax authorities.

“From 2027 onwards, we will have information on all transactions carried out during 2026,” said José Antonio Bravo Mateu, a specialist in digital asset taxation. “It will be almost complete information,” he added.

According to the expert, DAC8 will significantly expand the scope of information, which would be “much greater than what is requested from a bank.”

“From January 1, 2026, if you have crypto assets or euros in an exchange located in Spain, they can be seized directly, without the need for complex prior procedures,” Bravo Mateu cautioned.

DAC8 Keeps Taxpayers on Tighter Leash

Risk and regulatory consultant Cero Uno says that the DAC8 directive is a “feast” for the Spanish Tax Agency.

If cryptos are held in custody by a Spanish-authorized entity like Binance Spain SL, the service provider must report directly to the Spanish Tax Agency using mandatory Forms 172 and 173, with balances and transactions carried out this year.

Last month, the Spanish Sumar Parliamentary Group proposed three amendments to crypto tax laws, including suggestions that crypto gains should be taxed under the Corporate Income Tax at 30%.

The post Spain to Implement Full EU MiCA Regulations Starting July 2026 – Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

Shares of Upexi fell sharply on Tuesday after the company filed to raise up to $1 billion, a move aimed at expanding its Solana treasury and supporting other token-related initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

Upexi shares fell after the company filed to raise up to $1 billion to expand its Solana treasury.

The firm holds 2.1 million SOL worth about $262 million but has paused purchases amid a broader market pullback.

Declining Solana prices have cut the value of Upexi’s treasury by more than half from its peak.

The stock closed down 7.5% at $1.84 following the filing, though it recovered some ground in after-hours trading, rising 4.3% to $1.92, according to Google Finance data.

In a shelf registration statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Upexi said the offering could include common and preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units issued over time.

Upexi Pivots to Solana Treasury Strategy With $262M in SOL Holdings

The company said proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, with a primary focus on accumulating Solana and staking the tokens to generate additional yield.

Upexi currently holds 2.1 million SOL valued at about $262.3 million, making it the fourth-largest corporate Solana treasury, according to CoinGecko.

The company adopted its Solana-focused strategy in late April, pivoting away from its previous consumer products and e-commerce business.

However, Upexi has not added to its Solana holdings since July 23, reflecting a broader slowdown in corporate crypto treasury purchases in the second half of 2025.

The pullback comes as digital asset prices have declined and investor confidence in treasury-driven crypto strategies has weakened.

UPEXI $UPXI announces $23 million private placement priced at $3.04 per share with warrants, a 1.3x premium to NAV.

$10 million upfront plus up to $13 million upon warrant exercise at $4.00.

The Solana-focused treasury company will use proceeds for working capital and its SOL… pic.twitter.com/m47LuNgrUU

— Treasury Edge (@TreasuryEdge) November 26, 2025

The value of Upexi’s Solana holdings has fallen sharply alongside the token’s price. At its peak in mid-September, the company’s SOL treasury was valued at roughly $525 million.

At current prices, that figure has dropped by more than half, leaving Upexi with an estimated paper loss of about 19%.

Solana was trading near $123.75 at the time of writing, down 57.5% from its all-time high of $293.31 set in January 2025, CoinGecko data shows.

The filing underscores the risks facing companies that have tied their balance sheets closely to volatile digital assets, even as some continue to pursue aggressive accumulation strategies in anticipation of a market rebound.

Solana Shrugs Off One of the Largest DDoS Attacks on Record

As reported, Solana has successfully withstood a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that peaked at nearly 6 terabits per second, ranking among the largest ever recorded on the internet.

The attack, which lasted for more than a week, did not disrupt network activity, with Solana continuing to process transactions normally and maintaining sub-second confirmation times, according to data shared by SolanaFloor.

The incident places Solana alongside major centralized infrastructure providers such as Google Cloud, Cloudflare and AWS, which have previously faced record-scale DDoS assaults.

Despite the scale of the traffic, Solana’s validators and core infrastructure absorbed the load without performance degradation, highlighting improvements in the network’s resilience compared to earlier periods marked by congestion and outages.

The post Upexi Shares Slide After $1B Filing to Expand Solana Treasury appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin may have printed new highs in nominal terms, but it has yet to truly clear the $100,000 mark once inflation is taken into account, according to Galaxy Research.

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin has yet to break $100,000 when adjusted for inflation, Galaxy Research says.

Dollar purchasing power has fallen roughly 20% since 2020, altering Bitcoin’s real peak.

Inflation and dollar weakness continue to support the debasement trade narrative.

Galaxy’s head of research, Alex Thorn, said Tuesday that Bitcoin never crossed six figures when adjusted for inflation using 2020 dollars, despite the asset reaching an all-time high above $126,000 in October.

“If you adjust the price of Bitcoin for inflation using 2020 dollars, BTC never crossed $100,000,” Thorn said. “It actually topped at $99,848 in 2020 dollar terms.”

Galaxy Research Adjusts Bitcoin Price Using CPI to Account for Inflation

Thorn’s analysis adjusts Bitcoin’s price using changes in the US Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks inflation based on the cost of a basket of goods and services.

His calculation accounts for the gradual erosion of purchasing power across each inflation reading from 2020 through today.

According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI rose 2.7% over the past 12 months as of November, continuing a trend that has significantly weakened the dollar’s buying power.

Since 2020, the US dollar has lost roughly 20% of its value, meaning that prices today are about 1.25 times higher than they were four years ago.

In practical terms, a dollar now buys only about 80% of what it could in 2020. When Bitcoin’s recent peak is viewed through that lens, the psychological six-figure threshold remains just out of reach in real terms, Galaxy Research data shows.

The inflation backdrop remains a key factor shaping market narratives. US inflation surged above 9% in mid-2022 during the COVID-19 era and, while it has cooled, it is still running above the Federal Reserve’s long-term 2% target.

if you adjust the price of bitcoin for inflation using 2020 dollars, BTC never crossed $100k

it actually topped at $99,848 in 2020 dollar terms, if you can believe it pic.twitter.com/bo3UGfBXbY

— Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) December 22, 2025

At the same time, the US dollar has come under pressure in global markets. The Dollar Currency Index (DXY), which measures the dollar against a basket of major currencies, is down 11% year-to-date and recently traded near 97.8, according to TradingView.

The index touched a three-year low of 96.3 in September and has broadly trended lower since late 2022.

This combination of persistent inflation and dollar weakness has fueled what traders often call the “debasement trade,” where investors rotate into assets they believe can preserve value as fiat currencies lose purchasing power.

Bitcoin Remains Tied to Fed Policy as Inflation Eases Slowly, Analyst Says

According to Linh Tran, market analyst at XS.com, Bitcoin’s recent price action underscores the market’s sensitivity to monetary policy expectations rather than headline economic data.

While US inflation has eased from last year’s highs, the latest consumer price index reading of 2.7% suggests that the disinflation process remains slow and uneven, forcing “the Fed to maintain a cautious stance, making it difficult to pivot quickly toward an aggressive easing cycle,” Tran said in a note shared with Cryptonews.com.

Last week, K33 also said Bitcoin’s prolonged sell-side pressure from long-term holders may be approaching its limits after years of steady distribution.

The post Bitcoin’s $100K Milestone Still Unreached When Inflation Is Considered: Galaxy Research appeared first on Cryptonews.

David Schassler, head of multi-asset solutions at VanEck, presented a constructive outlook on Bitcoin, projecting that the largest crypto would recoup next year despite its current “lag.”

“Bitcoin is lagging the Nasdaq 100 Index by roughly 50% year-to-date, and that dislocation is setting it up to be a top performer in 2026,” he wrote in the company’s 2026 outlook report.

Further, VanEck’s lead of Digital Assets Research Matthew Sigel pointed out that Bitcoin’s historical four-year cycle “remains intact” following the early October 2025 high.

“That pattern suggests 2026 is more likely a consolidation year than a melt-up or a collapse.”

The report titled “Plan for 2026: Predictions from Our Portfolio Managers” presented a stronger and steadier crypto market view on mining economics and the evolution of stablecoins.

Bitcoin Lows Are Temporary, Reflects ‘Softer Risk’: Schassler

Bitcoin price stands at a critical juncture, after weeks of controlled downside. The price action has narrowed, indicating consolidation rather than renewed selling pressure. Besides, gold surged past $4,500 an ounce for the first time, grabbing the spotlight.

However, the analyst remained optimistic about a potential rally, stressing that the current BTC market slump “reflects softer risk appetite and temporary liquidity pressures.”

“As debasement ramps, liquidity returns, and Bitcoin historically responds sharply. We have been buying.”

Schassler also predicted that the gold surge would continue to $5,000 in 2026, and the bull run would introduce real volatility. The yellow metal is up more than 70% this year and is currently trading past $4,500 per ounce.

Strong Fundamental Drivers Behind BTC, ETH Prices in 2026

The crypto industry is moving deeper into integration with traditional finance, with more regulated institutions entering the space. However, Ruslan Lienkha, chief of markets, YouHodler, told Cryptonews that prices are expected to have a more gradual, long-term impact rather than generating immediate upside.

“The strongest fundamental drivers of BTC and ETH in 2026 will remain macroeconomic,” Lienkha noted.

Besides, crypto corporate treasury allocations remain a major catalyst for market momentum in 2026, he added.

“In the short and medium term, major cryptocurrencies remain heavily influenced by macroeconomic conditions — particularly interest rates, liquidity trends, and broader risk sentiment.”

Additionally, increasing jurisdictions establishing clear and transparent regulatory frameworks for crypto could also facilitate broader institutional participation, Lienkha told Cryptonews.

“We are likely to see a significant rise in the involvement of banks and other financial institutions in the market in 2026.”

The post VanEck Manager Predicts Strong Bitcoin Comeback in 2026 Despite Its Current ‘Lag’ appeared first on Cryptonews.

BlackRock is staffing up for the next leg of its crypto push, posting new digital asset roles across New York, London and Singapore as it expands a team that now spans tokenization, stablecoins and crypto market structure.

Robert Mitchnick, who leads BlackRock’s digital assets strategy, flagged the recruitment drive recently, saying the firm is hiring for multiple leadership roles across its digital assets team in New York, London and Asia.

The openings range from associate roles to senior leadership, covering product strategy, research, fund services and compliance, according to job listings and role descriptions posted on BlackRock’s careers pages.

High-Paying Crypto Roles Anchor Expansion Plan

One of the most senior postings, a managing director role in New York, puts the salary range at $270,000 to $350,000 and tasks the hire with leading major cross firm digital assets initiatives tied to crypto assets, stablecoins and tokenization.

In Singapore, BlackRock is also hiring a managing director to run digital assets strategy across Asia Pacific, with responsibilities that include building a multi-year commercial plan, shaping regulatory engagement, and mapping distribution through banks, brokers, crypto exchanges and fintech platforms.

BlackRock’s listings also point to a global build-out around digital asset tokenization and controls, with roles in areas such as fund services and financial crime compliance alongside legal coverage for EMEA markets.

From ETFs To Tokenization, BlackRock Deepens Its Bet

The firm is asking new hires to show up in person, with the postings reiterating a hybrid model that requires at least four days a week in the office and one day from home.

The hiring push lands after BlackRock helped pull crypto deeper into traditional portfolios through its spot Bitcoin ETF, and it has also pushed into on chain finance with a tokenized institutional liquidity fund on Ethereum.

BlackRock has even put its iShares Bitcoin Trust among its top investment themes for 2025, placing it alongside short-term Treasuries and a mega-cap US tech basket, a signal that the firm sees crypto exposure as a core portfolio building block for some clients.

Tokenization is part of the same arc, and BlackRock’s BUIDL fund has already shown up in market plumbing, including being accepted as collateral at crypto exchange Binance, a milestone for tokenized Treasuries in institutional style workflows.

Taken together, the job slate reads like a plan to professionalise the full stack, product build, market structure, risk and compliance, and regional execution, as BlackRock positions for crypto’s next phase beyond headline-driven rallies.

The post BlackRock Staffing Up For Next Phase Of Crypto Expansion appeared first on Cryptonews.

The cryptocurrency market extended its correction over the past 24 hours, with the NFT sector leading losses, with top NFTs down more than 9%, amid broad-based declines across major sectors. Bitcoin slipped 1.12% to fall below $88,000, while Ethereum dropped 1.5% to hover near $3,000. Several altcoins saw sharp pullbacks following recent rallies, with Audiera plunging over 41% and WIF hitting a new weekly low after a 12% drop, reflecting weakening short-term risk appetite despite pockets of resilience in select tokens.

But what else is happening in crypto news today? Follow our up-to-date live coverage below.

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