Crypto

Altcoins lagged Bitcoin in 2025, but XRP, Zcash and Algorand outperformed on regulatory clarity, privacy demand and tokenization. Crypto markets got more institutional and more regulated in 2025, but the familiar “altcoin season” many traders expected never fully arrived. Bitcoin (BTC) hit fresh highs earlier in the cycle, yet much of the rest of the market lagged. Bitcoin was down approximately 7% year-to-date after an early-October sell-off, while the total market capitalization of altcoins declined by more than 46% from its 2025 peak, according to TradingView data. Even so, a handful of tokens managed to outperform during a year defined by selective risk taking and heavy scrutiny. XRP (XRP) drew fresh momentum from regulatory developments, Zcash (ZEC) rallied as interest returned to financial privacy, and Algorand (ALGO) got a boost from real-world tokenization efforts. Read more

Bitmain cut prices on Bitcoin mining rigs on Dec. 23 after miner revenue per unit of hashrate fell in November. The discounts, which extend to current-generation hydro and immersion products, are landing in a cycle in which Bitcoin’s price strength has not translated into the kind of mining-margin expansion that previously drove hardware scarcity and […] The post Bitmain just slashed mining rig prices, proving the market’s oldest “Bitcoin rule” is officially dead appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Despite XRP's price slump, spot XRP ETFs have attracted notable institutional inflows.

Currently at $1.84, DOT has support at the $1.83 level and resistance at $1.88.

"Binance won't list PI just because of hype or community size," ChatGPT stated.

Strategy, the largest public BTC holder resumes buying, lifting holdings to 672,497 coins.

Trust Wallet said it has identified 2,596 compromised addresses following its Christmas Day exploit as investigators work to separate real victims from false claims. Trust Wallet has moved into a verification phase after a Christmas Day exploit involving its browser extension; while thousands of wallets have been identified, the company has received far more reimbursement claims than expected. On Monday, Trust Wallet CEO Eowyn Chen said the company had identified 2,596 wallet addresses tied to the compromised extension. Still, it has received almost 5,000 claims, suggesting a significant amount may be false or duplicate submissions.  “Because of this, accurate verification of wallet ownership is critical to ensure funds are returned to the right people,” Chen wrote. “Our team is working diligently to verify claims; combining multiple data points to distinguish legitimate victims from malicious actors.” Read more

The company's stash has grown to 672,497 BTC.

BitMine Immersion Technologies staked over $1 billion in ETH in 48 hours, swelling the Ethereum validator queue and tightening liquid supply amid growing corporate demand for passive yield. The post BitMine Locks $1B ETH in 48 Hours: Is a Supply Squeeze Imminent? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Trend Research pulled $63.28 million in ETH from Binance and borrowed $40 million through Aave to fuel continued buying, while BitMine staked $780 million over two days as institutional demand intensifies around Ethereum's $3,000 level. The post Trend Research Scoops Up $63 Million in ETH, Borrows $40M to Buy More appeared first on Cryptonews.

ALT5 Sigma appointed a new auditor that is currently barred from performing audits due to an expired firm license. The post Trump-Linked Crypto Firm ALT5 Sigma Faces Scrutiny Over Unlicensed Auditor: FT appeared first on Cryptonews.

China’s central bank will let banks pay interest on digital yuan wallets from Jan. 1, 2026, reshaping e-CNY as deposit-like money as the US bans CBDCs. China’s central bank is rolling out a new framework for the digital yuan that will allow commercial banks to pay interest on e-CNY wallet balances starting Jan. 1, 2026, a move officials say will push the central bank digital currency (CBDC) beyond its original role as a cash substitute. The new CBDC framework will allow banks to treat the digital yuan as part of their asset-liability operations, Lu Lei, a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, wrote in a PBOC-affiliated China Financial Times article published on Monday. “The digital RMB will move from the digital cash era to the digital deposit currency (Digital Deposit Money) era,” said Lei in the report. “It has the functions of monetary value scale, value storage, and cross-border payment.” Read more

Bitcoin trades near the 100-week MA, a level tied to past crashes, as analysts watch for a possible breakdown or trend shift before year-end.

[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, UAE, December 29th, 2025] Spartan Arena has been announced to be open on January 1, 2026, for a four-week season. The competition gives traders of all backgrounds the chance to convert their ideas into live-running bots and prove their strategy in public view. What sets Spartan Arena apart is its accessibility. […]

The Fermi Hard Fork is shaping up as a gateway for mainstream adoption – Binance Coin price predictions could flip bullish if traders bite. The post Binance Coin Price Prediction: Is BNB About to Explode in 2026 With Fermi Hard Fork Slated for January 14? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Weekly fund flows point to lingering caution, with investors favoring newer products and select regions over broad market exposure. Crypto exchange-traded products recorded $446 million in net outflows last week, extending a cautious trend persisting since October’s sharp market correction.  According to asset manager CoinShares, the latest withdrawals bring total outflows since Oct. 10 to $3.2 billion, signaling that investor confidence has yet to recover as the year ends. The weekly outflows contrast with year-to-date (YTD) inflows of $46.3 billion, a figure broadly consistent with 2024 levels.  CoinShares’ head of research, James Butterfill, said that total assets under management (AUM) have risen by just 10% YTD. He said this indicated that “the average investor has not seen a positive outcome this year once flows are taken into account.” Read more

Sberbank used its in-house crypto custody tool to back a loan for mining firm Intelion Data, signaling broader interest in crypto lending.

A single corporate treasury has effectively hijacked Ethereum’s validator mechanics, executing a billion-dollar maneuver that has flipped the network’s flow data from a steady exodus to a sudden traffic jam. For the first time in six months, the queue to stake ETH, locking up tokens to secure the blockchain in exchange for yield, significantly outstrips […] The post Ethereum’s record staking queue looks bullish, but one corporate giant is secretly distorting the real signal appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The crypto market went through another minor roller-coaster.

RWA protocols have overtaken decentralized exchanges by total value locked, as tokenized Treasurys, private credit and commodities become core onchain building blocks. Real-world asset (RWA) protocols are one of decentralized finance’s (DeFi’s) winners in 2025, overtaking decentralized exchanges (DEXs) to become the fifth-largest category by total value locked (TVL), according to DefiLlama.  RWAs now account for about $17 billion in TVL, up from $12 billion in Q4 2024, highlighting how quickly tokenized Treasurys, private credit and other real-world claims have moved from niche experiments to core DeFi plumbing. As DefiLlama noted, “At the start of this year, they weren’t even in the top 10 categories.”  Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research, told Cointelegraph that RWA growth is being driven by “balance-sheet incentives rather than experimentation,” with higher-for-longer rates making tokenized Treasurys and private credit attractive as onchain, yield-bearing assets, amid improving regulat...