Crypto

Even as ETH struggles below $3,000, developers surge as record contract deployments indicate organic growth driven by rollups, stablecoins, RWAs, and wallets.

Coinbase’s head of research said the forces that drove crypto in 2025, such as regulation, ETFs, stablecoins and tokenization, will only get stronger in the coming year. Momentum from crypto exchange-traded funds, stablecoins, tokenization, along with clearer regulations, is set to compound in 2026, accelerating crypto adoption, according to Coinbase’s head of investment research, David Duong. In a year-end wrap-up posted to X on Wednesday, Duong said 2025 saw spot exchange-traded funds create regulated access to crypto, digital asset treasuries emerge as new corporate balance-sheet vehicles, and tokenization and stablecoins moving deeper into core financial workflows. “We expect these forces to compound in 2026 as ETF approval timelines compress, stablecoins take a larger role in delivery-vs-payment (DvP) structures, and tokenized collateral is recognized more broadly across traditional transactions,” he said. Read more

Session’s Chris McCabe and Alex Linton tell Cointelegraph that AI-integrated devices could bypass messaging encryption, creating privacy and security issues. Artificial intelligence, a lack of awareness of data privacy, and regulatory pressures are among the biggest threats to the future of private messaging, says Alex Linton and Chris McCabe, executives from the decentralized messaging app Session. The EU’s efforts to mandate the scanning of private messages through its Chat Control legislation have been heavily criticized by privacy advocates, but Linton, president of the Session Technology Foundation, told Cointelegraph that AI is another front that needs to be pushed back.   AI’s capacity to analyze information on a device and store that data creates “huge privacy issues, huge security issues,” and the ability to communicate privately could basically be rendered “impossible to do on an average mobile phone or an average computer,” Linton said. Read more

Amir Zaidi’s return signals a strengthening of crypto oversight as the agency prepares for new digital asset laws. The key policy maker who oversaw the launch of regulated Bitcoin futures in the US has returned as the Commodities Futures Trading Commission’s chief of staff after a six-year hiatus.  In a Wednesday announcement, the CFTC welcomed back Amir Zaidi with chairman Michael Selig emphasizing the wealth of experience Zaidi will bring.  “I’m grateful for his willingness to return as chief of staff and for his continued dedication and service to both the CFTC and our stakeholders. Amir was instrumental in the historic launch of CFTC-regulated bitcoin futures contracts during President Trump’s first term,” Selig said. Read more

Only three CBDCs have been successfully launched around the world so far, in Nigeria, the Bahamas and Jamaica, although many jurisdictions are considering it. The Reserve Bank of India has urged countries to focus on central bank digital currencies over privately-issued stablecoins, citing concerns about financial stability. In its December financial stability report, released on Wednesday, the RBI argued that CBDCs preserve the “singleness of money and the integrity of the financial system,” and should remain as the “ultimate settlement asset” and the “anchor for trust in money.” “The RBI, therefore, strongly advocates that countries should prioritise central bank digital currencies over privately issued stablecoins to maintain trust in money, preserve financial stability and design next generation payments infrastructure that is faster, cheaper and secure.” Read more

US Representative Warren Davidson said the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act may backfire on Americans by stripping them of their financial freedom and privacy. US Representative Warren Davidson warns the US is drifting toward a permissioned and heavily surveilled financial system, arguing that recent crypto legislation undermines the industry’s original promise of permissionless, private money. In a post on X on Wednesday, Davidson criticized the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act, arguing it enables a wholesale version of a US dollar central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could be used for “surveillance, coercion, and control.” He also fears a digital ID system will be rolled out that forces Americans to get government permission to use their own money. Read more

Bitwise’s filings span DeFi, layer-1s, privacy coins, and AI-linked tokens, signaling a broad bet on altcoin demand.

Money printing is a catalyst for higher risk-on asset prices, but the looming 2026 US midterm elections could throw a wrench in markets. Bitcoin’s price could rise in 2026 as easing monetary policy injects “massive” liquidity into markets, according to Bill Barhydt, CEO of crypto exchange and wallet company Abra, though other analysts sound more cautious notes. Speaking to the Schwab Network, Barhydt said he expects a “ton” of liquidity injections from the US Federal Reserve next year as policymakers continue cutting interest rates, potentially reviving quantitative easing and boosting risk assets such as Bitcoin, adding: Regulatory clarity in the US and growing institutional investment, combined with lower interest rates, likely mean BTC and the broader crypto market are in for “a great few years,” he added.  Read more

Committee staff have circulated revisions for the CLARITY Act ahead of a Jan. 15 title-by-title markup, reviving a digital-asset framework that stalled in 2025. Draft text keeps CFTC lead for qualifying tokens, sets SEC lane for yield features, and tightens DeFi front-end registration. The post Senate Sets January Markup On The CLARITY Act – Traders Brace for DeFi Amendments appeared first on Cryptonews.

With Congress in recess until the new year, sources familiar with the progress of a digital asset market structure bill are expecting consideration in early 2026. Members of the US Senate Banking Committee are expected to move forward with consideration of a digital asset market structure bill in the second week of January after months of delays. According to reports and people familiar with the matter, the Banking Committee could hold a markup for the Responsible Financial Innovation Act during the second week of January. The event would mark progress on advancing legislation that has been slowed by Democratic lawmakers’ concerns over decentralized finance, and the longest US government shutdown in history. Cody Carbone, CEO of digital asset advocacy organization The Digital Chamber, told Cointelegraph that “the second week of January will have at least one markup on pending market structure legislation in the Senate.” The US Senate Agriculture Committee is also considering its version of the market structur...

Franklin Templeton has again backed XRP as a building block for cross-border payments saying XRPL offers real-time, low-cost settlement. A DBS Bank MOU with Franklin Templeton and Ripple has tied tokenized money market funds to XRPL. Spot XRP ETFs have taken in $1.07B with $3–$3.05 as the next test. The post XRP Price Prediction: Franklin Templeton Exec Says XRP Is Key to Cross-Border Payments – Is a $3 Breakout Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

DJT shareholders have received confirmation regarding a Trump Media Token Airdrop executed through Crypto.com and positioned the asset as a reward mechanism for platforms like Truth Social rather than financial equity. The post Trump Media Token Airdrop Confirmed for Shareholders With New Truth Social Utility appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ethereum nears $4,800 resistance with $8,500 target in sight as traders monitor key patterns, whale accumulation, and declining short interest.

A major investment bank said it was upgrading shares of TeraWulf to “outperform,” based in part on its "build-out" strategy. Investment banking company Keefe, Bruyette & Woods has turned more bullish on Bitcoin miner TeraWulf, citing what it sees as a looming shift in the company’s business mix that investors have yet to fully price in. In a Wednesday report, KBW said it upgraded TeraWulf (WULF) to “outperform” from “market perform” and raised the company’s share price target to $24 from $9.50.  According to the bank, the reassessment was based on investors “underappreciat[ing] the magnitude of the BTC mining to HPC [high-performance computing] leasing mix shift in 2026-2027 and robust growth catalysts on 646MW net of visible HPC leasing pipeline through 2027."  Read more

Bitcoin Hyper has raised nearly $30 million in its public presale for a Layer-2 Bitcoin protocol that enables smart contract functionality and DeFi access, with over 1.35 billion tokens staked at 39% APY ahead of its planned early 2026 exchange debut. The post Best Altcoins To Buy On New Year’s Eve That Could 100x in 2026 – 31 December 2025 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto firms faced a record $2.72 billion in theft this year as attackers expanded their reach across major exchanges and DeFi platforms.

There is a particular kind of Bitcoin holder who only shows up when the noise gets loud. They are the people who watched 2021 melt into 2022, who kept their keys anyway, who learned to live with the idea that the line on the chart can drop faster than their mood. When the price is […] The post Bitcoin long-term holders just stopped selling, but a broken chart signal hides the truth appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The company plans to distribute a crypto token per share to shareholders, but the tokens do not represent shares or rights in Trump Media. Trump Media and Technology Group, operator of US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, said Wednesday it plans to roll out a blockchain token for shareholders that entitles them to perks and rewards. The DJT token will be launched in collaboration with crypto exchange Crypto.com, and the distribution to existing shareholders set at a 1:1 ratio, or one token per share owned, according to the announcement from the company. The token “may” include rewards and perks for DJT shareholders, including discounts on the Truth Social media platform, the Truth+ media streaming platform, and prediction market Truth Predict. Read more

BitMine's ETH stockpile swells over $12 billion as aggressive buying continues during holiday slowdown.

JPMorgan has launched a tokenized money market fund on Ethereum, highlighting how regulated cash products may integrate into onchain settlement and collateral workflows. JPMorgan tokenized a money market fund and launched it on the Ethereum mainnet. The fund holds US Treasurys and Treasury-backed repos, with daily dividend reinvestment. Public Ethereum places MONY alongside stablecoins, tokenized treasuries and existing onchain liquidity. Read more