Report | Crypto

Despite a decline in the price of XRP in the last year, Ripple is expected to reach a valuation 25% higher than reported after a November 2025 funding round. Ripple Labs reportedly plans to buy back up to $750 million worth of shares from investors and employees in a program set to give the company a $50 billion valuation. According to a Wednesday Bloomberg report, Ripple plans to run a tender offer for the shares through April. The $750 million buyback program will reportedly value the company at $50 billion, 25% higher than the valuation assigned following its $500 million raise in November 2025. The company’s president, Monica Long, said at the time that Ripple had no plans to go public. The reported buyback follows Ripple's expansion of operations beyond the crypto industry, including through the $1.2 billion acquisition of non-bank prime broker Hidden Road and treasury management system provider GTreasury in October. Earlier this week, the company said that it would move forward with plans for a financia...

Thai crypto operators reportedly froze 10,000 suspected “mule accounts” as new AML checks and transfer delays took effect in a wider anti-fraud push. Thai cryptocurrency platform operators have reportedly frozen more than 10,000 accounts suspected of being used to launder illicit funds, as the country steps up efforts to crack down on so-called mule accounts. The freezes followed the rollout of stricter screening measures aimed at slowing suspicious crypto transfers and requiring additional Know Your Customer checks before higher-risk transactions are completed, according to local reporting from the Bangkok Post on Tuesday. The tighter process helped operators identify and freeze more than 10,000 suspected mule accounts, Att Thongyai Asavanund, chief executive of KuCoin Thailand and chairman of the Thai Digital Asset Operators Trade Association (TDO), told the Bangkok Post. Read more

Stablecoin banking startup Kast secured fresh funding as it looks to expand payment infrastructure across North America, Latin America and the Middle East. Stablecoin payments company Kast has raised $80 million in a funding round that values the company at $600 million, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday citing people familiar with the matter. The round was co-led by QED investors and Left Lane Capital, and Kast expects an annual revenue run rate of around $100 million in 2025, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly plans to use the funding to expand across North America, Latin America and the Middle East, while also adding staff, securing licenses and developing new products. Read more

Prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are exploring potential fundraising rounds that could value each company at around $20 billion. The post Kalshi, Polymarket Discuss Fundraising at $20B Valuations: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK reportedly secured a second boost of 3 million British pounds ($4 million) from Thailand-based crypto investor Christopher Harborne Nigel Farage’s Reform UK secured a second boost, this one worth 3 million British pounds ($4 million), in November 2025 from Thailand-based crypto investor Christopher Harborne, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The aviation entrepreneur and early crypto backer, who is one of Reform’s biggest individual funders, donated $12 million to the party in August 2025, in what was a record single gift to a UK political party by a living donor. The additional donation cemented Reform’s position at the top of the UK’s political party money race. The party pulled in about $18 million in 2025 in total, with the Conservatives receiving $17 million and the governing Labour party $10 million, according to the FT. Read more

The crypto venture giant has launched a fifth fund with plans to close by mid-2026, according to sources. Crypto venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is doubling down on crypto despite a major market downturn, seeking $2 billion for a new crypto fund. A16z Crypto, the blockchain arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, is raising a fifth crypto-focused fund, with plans to close by mid-2026, Fortune reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The latest round is significantly smaller than its previous $4.5 billion fund from 2022, but the company has shifted to a shorter fundraising cycle to remain flexible to ever-changing crypto narratives.  Read more

The meeting reportedly happened hours before Donald Trump posted to his social media platform, echoing some of Brian Armstrong's public statements about stablecoin yield. US President Donald Trump reportedly met with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong just hours before issuing a statement criticizing banks for holding a market structure bill “hostage.” According to a Tuesday Politico report, Trump met privately with Armstrong after a group of Coinbase representatives went to the White House. The details of the reported meeting were unclear, but the president posted to his Truth Social channel afterwards, that “the US needs to get Market Structure done, ASAP.” “The banks are hitting record profits, and we are not going to allow them to undermine our powerful Crypto Agenda [...],” said Trump in his Tuesday post. Read more

Fundraising platform Giving Block said it faciliated more than $100 million in donations of stablecoins to charities in 2025, a surge possibly aided by a change in US laws. The cryptocurrency fundraising platform Giving Block reported that it had seen a surge in donations with stablecoins in 2025 compared with previous years. In its annual report released on Wednesday, the Giving Block said there had been a “major shift” in donations using stablecoins, particularly with Ripple USD (RLUSD) and Circle’s USDC (USDC). The platform reported that it had facilitated more than $100 million in crypto donations in 2025, with more than $32 million coming through USDC, RLUSD, Tether’s USDt (USDT), Dai (DAI), and other stablecoins. “The trend is clear: stablecoins are no longer a side story in Crypto Philanthropy—they’re becoming one of its fastest-growing channels,” said the report. Read more

South Korea’s government and ruling party reportedly agreed on a proposal to cap major shareholder stakes in crypto exchanges at 20%, with limited exemptions for new operators. South Korea’s government and ruling party have reportedly agreed on a plan to cap the ownership stakes of major shareholders in domestic crypto exchanges at 20%. The Democratic Party of Korea’s digital asset task force and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) agreed to set the maximum shareholding limit at 20% after discussions, according to a Wednesday report by local media outlet Herald Economy. However, regulators may allow exceptions of up to 34% for new businesses through an enforcement decree. The threshold references the Commercial Act’s 33.3% veto threshold in general shareholders’ meetings, per the report. Read more

The newly created Polymarket wallets placed bets on the timing of a US strike against Iran, buying shares hours before the first explosions were reported in Tehran. Six Polymarket traders earned roughly $1 million after accurately betting that the United States would strike Iran before the end of February, triggering insider trading suspicions. The six wallets were all created in February and placed nearly all of their activity on contracts predicting the timing of a potential US attack, Bloomberg reported, citing data shared by analytics firm Bubblemaps SA. In several cases, shares were purchased only hours before explosions were first reported in Tehran, with some contracts acquired for around $0.10, per the report. Read more

Tether blocked billions in USDt tied to scams and laundering cases as authorities increasingly rely on stablecoin issuers to halt suspicious funds. Stablecoin issuer Tether has reportedly frozen roughly $4.2 billion worth of its USDt tokens connected to suspected criminal activity over the past three years. Most of the blocked funds were restricted since 2023, as regulators and law enforcement agencies intensified scrutiny of crypto-related fraud and sanctions evasion, the El Salvador-based firm reportedly told Reuters on Friday. Tether’s dollar-pegged USDt (USDT) token is the largest stablecoin in circulation, with more than $180 billion outstanding, up sharply from about $70 billion three years ago. Read more

The UK lender is reportedly seeking a technology partner to support blockchain-based payments and deposits as stablecoin adoption accelerates across finance and Big Tech. UK banking giant Barclays is reportedly exploring blockchain technology for core banking services, the latest sign that major financial institutions are evaluating digital ledger infrastructure to modernize legacy systems. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Friday that Barclays is seeking technology providers for a blockchain platform capable of handling payments, deposits and crypto-related applications such as stablecoins and tokenized deposits. The lender has issued requests for information to several technology suppliers, though the companies were not identified. A vendor selection could be made as early as April, the report said. Read more

A proposed law would require online investment influencers to reveal their holdings and paid promotions, with penalties potentially comparable to market manipulation violations. South Korea is reportedly preparing new rules that would force social-media personalities promoting cryptocurrencies and stocks to reveal what they own and whether they are being paid. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won, a member of the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, is drafting amendments to the Capital Market and Financial Investment Business Act and the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users, according to a report from Korean-language business news website Herald Business. Under the proposal, individuals who repeatedly offer advice or receive compensation to encourage the public to buy or sell financial products or virtual assets must disclose the compensation received and the type and quantity of assets they hold. The requirement would apply to advice delivered through publications, online communicatio...

Bloomberg reports that Stripe is in early acquisition talks with PayPal as the payments giant has battled competition, leadership turmoil and an 85% stock drop from its peak. Payment processing firm Stripe is reportedly considering an acquisition of all or parts of its rival PayPal Holdings. Stripe is in early talks and has expressed preliminary interest in PayPal or parts of its business, though no deal is guaranteed, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Stripe, which enables enterprises to accept payments, make payouts, and automate financial processes, said on Tuesday that it was valued at $159 billion in a tender offer to shareholders and employees, a 74% jump from a year ago. Read more

After a yearlong share slump, PayPal is fielding buyout approaches as rivals weigh asset sales and a possible full acquisition, according to Bloomberg. PayPal Holdings has reportedly attracted unsolicited takeover interest after a prolonged stock slump left the payments giant trading well below recent highs, signaling that competitors were looking to consolidate their footprint in the digital payments space.  Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Monday that PayPal has been meeting with banks to review buyout approaches from unnamed investors. One potential bidder — described as an industry rival — is said to be exploring an acquisition of the entire company, while others have expressed interest in specific PayPal assets. There is no guarantee a deal will materialize, and discussions remain at an early stage, the report said. Read more

Analysis by Bitcoin services company River forecasts a transaction surge as individuals and businesses experiment with AI agentic payments. Monthly transaction volume on the Bitcoin (BTC) Lightning Network, a secondary layer for BTC that enables payment use cases, surpassed the $1 billion milestone in November 2025, according to a report from Bitcoin financial services company River. Transaction volume on the Lightning Network hit an estimated $1.1 billion in November, across 5.2 million transactions, according to a report shared by Sam Wouters, River’s director of marketing. The report said: However, the total transaction count in 2025 is lower compared with 2023, when monthly Lightning transactions peaked at 6.6 million in August of that year, which River attributed to experiments with micropayments in gaming and messaging apps. Read more

Local media reported that the stolen 320 Bitcoin was returned to a wallet controlled by authorities, with the unknown hacker seemingly having a sudden change of heart. South Korean prosecutors say they recovered more than 320 Bitcoin that disappeared from government custody in 2025 after the cryptocurrency was returned to an official wallet this week, local media reported. The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office said it unexpectedly recovered 320.88 Bitcoin (BTC), worth about $21.3 million at the time of writing, local media outlet The Chosun Daily reported on Thursday. Prosecutors confirmed to the outlet that the unknown hacker returned the stolen Bitcoin to the authorities’ cryptocurrency wallet on Tuesday, and it was later transferred to a secure domestic digital exchange wallet also controlled by authorities. The Bitcoin went missing from prosecutors’ custody during an investigation in August 2025, authorities said at the time. Prosecutors later discovered the loss during a routine inspection of seized f...

New Keyrock research finds not all newly created money impacts risk assets due to how fresh liquidity flows through the economy. Treasury bill issuance is the primary liquidity metric that impacts Bitcoin’s (BTC) price and not the Federal Reserve or any other central bank’s balance sheet, according to a new report from crypto investment firm and market maker Keyrock. Every 1% change in global liquidity levels impacts BTC’s price by 7.6% the following business quarter in which new money is created. However, not all liquidity impacts risk asset prices equally, Keyrock researcher Amir Hajian said. Treasury bill issuance has about an 80% correlation with BTC prices since 2021, and this metric leads BTC prices by about eight months, according to the report. Hajian wrote: Read more

Investigators say Raees and Ameer Cajee are back in South Africa years after Africrypt’s collapse, while investors still struggle to serve legal papers. South Africa’s so-called “Bitcoin Brothers,” Raees and Ameer Cajee, have quietly returned to the country years after the collapse of their crypto investment platform Africrypt, according to a new TV investigation. A segment aired Sunday by investigative program “Carte Blanche” said the pair is residing inside the gated Zimbali Estate in KwaZulu-Natal, MyBroadband reported on Monday. According to the report, journalists attempted to approach the property but were blocked by private security. The team also reportedly traced the brothers to a holiday location in Umhlanga and a recent address in Johannesburg, but failed to make direct contact. Read more

The platform hopes to capture a fraction of the more than $9.6 trillion in daily trading volume in the foreign currency exchange market. World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform backed by the family of US President Donald Trump, announced on Thursday that it will launch foreign currency exchange (FX) and remittance services for its users. The planned foreign exchange and remittance platform, called World Swap, seeks to challenge traditional remittance and FX service providers with lower fees and a simplified user interface, according to Reuters. Daily global FX trading volume surpassed $9.6 trillion in April 2025, according to a report from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), and the personal remittances market topped $892 billion in annual volume in 2024, according to data from the World Bank. Read more