The possible retrial of two brothers alleged to have exploited the Ethereum blockchain could come soon, but the US government argued one amicus brief isn't relevant to consider. The US government has filed a letter opposing the introduction of an amicus brief from the digital asset advocacy group DeFi Education Fund as the court considers a possible retrial for two brothers allegedly behind a $25 million exploit of the Ethereum blockchain. In a Tuesday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, interim US Attorney Jay Clayton submitted a letter to Judge Jessica Clarke requesting that a brief from the DeFi Education Fund (DEF) not be accepted while the court considers a motion to dismiss the case against Anton and James Peraire-Bueno. “Detached from the trial record, the brief merely recites legal arguments already rejected by this Court,” said Clayton, referring to the DeFi Education Fund’s amicus brief, adding: Read more
The company will keep its Bitcoin holdings but stopped accumulating BTC as it shifts capital toward scaling its consumer health brand. Prenetics Global Limited halted its Bitcoin treasury buying program, ending daily purchases announced in June to refocus on its consumer health brand co-founded with former football player David Beckham. According to an announcement on Tuesday, the company paused its Bitcoin purchases on Dec. 4 and will not pursue additional BTC acquisitions, focusing instead on scaling its nutritional brand IM8, which Prenetics said surpassed $100 million in annualized recurring revenue within 11 months of launch. The company will keep 510 Bitcoin (BTC) on its balance sheets, along with more than $70 million in cash and cash equivalents. IM8, a subsidiary of Prenetics, sells an all-in-one daily nutrition supplement marketed as a replacement for multiple standalone products. Read more
The introduction of a stablecoin bill pioneered by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will reportedly be delayed into 2026 after concerns about issuers. South Korean lawmakers have reportedly delayed submission of a cryptocurrency bill that could allow the issuance of domestic stablecoins as key issues remain unresolved. According to a Tuesday Yonhap News report, officials in South Korea’s government were continuing to work on the Digital Asset Basic Act, but expected to submit the bill sometime in 2026. The reported delay was due to “major issues that raise disagreements with relevant organizations, including stablecoin issuers.” The bill, proposed by the country’s ruling Democratic Party in June, would permit the issuance of stablecoins pegged to the won and is expected to boost South Korea’s crypto market. Under the proposed bill, stablecoin issuers would reportedly be required to entrust all their reserve assets to authorized custodies, like banks. Read more
Relative outperformance by privacy-focused cryptocurrencies such as Zcash suggests defensive positioning as markets absorbed losses and broader structural stress. The digital asset sector is closing out a turbulent quarter marked by losses, strained market infrastructure and investor disappointment. Yet one corner of the market stood out: privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. According to Grayscale’s latest quarterly market summary, privacy emerged as an unexpected investment theme in the fourth quarter, with assets such as Zcash (ZEC) significantly outperforming the broader crypto market. Zcash’s price surged in the fourth quarter, rising from about $50 in mid-September to a peak near $700 by mid-November, CoinMarketCap data shows. Read more