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  • Russia’s central bank signals shift toward retail crypto access
    Cointelegraph.com - 13:52 Dec 23, 2025
    Russia’s central bank has submitted draft that would allow non-qualified investors to purchase crypto, but only under strict conditions. The Bank of Russia put forward a policy proposal that would allow non-qualified investors to buy certain cryptocurrencies. According to a Tuesday announcement, the central bank’s proposal would allow both qualified and non-qualified investors to buy most crypto, but with limitations. Non-qualified investors would be limited to a yet-to-be-defined set of liquid crypto after passing a knowledge test, capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834) a year. Qualified investors would gain broad market access excluding privacy coins, also subject to a knowledge test. Read more
    Tags: Russia
  • How Wall Street is using Ethereum without talking about Ethereum
    Cointelegraph.com - 13:19 Dec 23, 2025
    Ethereum is increasingly powering tokenized money, faster settlement and regulated onchain infrastructure — even as institutions avoid naming it outright. Wall Street’s adoption of Ethereum is closely tied to its ability to automate settlement through smart contracts, reducing reliance on slow, manual reconciliation processes. Stablecoins and tokenized dollars now serve as a primary entry point for banks, allowing regulated US dollar transfers to move continuously on Ethereum-based rails. Financial institutions often avoid naming Ethereum directly, instead describing it as neutral blockchain infrastructure that supports compliant financial systems. Read more
    Tags: Ethereum
  • South Korean card giant completes stablecoin payments pilot for foreigners
    Cointelegraph.com - 13:10 Dec 23, 2025
    South Korean payments giant BC Card has completed a pilot allowing foreign users to pay local merchants via stablecoins. South Korean payments processor BC Card has completed a pilot project that enabled foreign users to pay local merchants using stablecoins. BC Card’s pilot project was announced Tuesday and was conducted with blockchain company Wavebridge, wallet provider Aaron group and cross-border remittance provider Global Money Express. The companies had foreign users convert their stablecoins held in overseas wallets, which were partnered with BC Card, into digital prepaid cards. The company said this pilot was not a short-term project, but part of preparations to implement a stablecoin payment structure. The change is a response to the evolution of South Korean stablecoin regulations, it said. Read more
  • Polymarket bets surge on Lighter airdrop as Hyperliquid lists LIT
    Cointelegraph.com - 12:55 Dec 23, 2025
    Polymarket traders price an 86% chance of Lighter’s airdrop by the end of 2025 as the DEX opens wallet allocation forms and redistributes slashed points. Lighter, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) and a major rival to Hyperliquid, is fueling airdrop speculation as Polymarket traders bet on a token launch before year’s end. Sebas, also known as Babastianj, a core contributor to the Lighter DEX, announced on the project’s Discord channel Monday that the platform is finalizing key processes ahead of the highly anticipated token generation event (TGE). “We’re in the final stretch of Season 2 and are running data science to remove Sybil, self-trading, and wash-trading points,” he said, adding that all slashed and removed points are planned to be redistributed to the community. Read more
  • Are altcoins coming back? Why 'Bitcoin season' has staying power in 2026
    Cointelegraph.com - 12:15 Dec 23, 2025
    Crypto traders and several metrics suggest that an altcoin season is nowhere to be seen as institutions help Bitcoin strengthen its grip on the market. Most altcoins are currently displaying bearish patterns that suggest “altcoin season” is not coming, according to numerous analysts, as Bitcoin dominance begins to rise again.  Key takeaways: The Supertrend indicator flashes “sell,” which previously led to a 66% drop in the altcoin total market cap. Read more
    Tags: Bitcoin
  • OKX reports trading increase after expansion into US, EU
    Cointelegraph.com - 12:00 Dec 23, 2025
    The exchange cited licensing approvals in Europe and its US launch as key drivers behind the surge in activity on its compliant platforms. Crypto exchange OKX said volume in its licensed and regulated markets increased 53-fold in 2025, driven by its expansion into the United States and the European Economic Area. Citing internal data, the exchange said daily active wallets doubled over the past year, with an average of about 190,000 new wallets created each day, while decentralized exchange volume on its platform rose 262% globally and centralized trading increased 16% over the same period. The company attributed its market growth to an operating model focused on licensed access to regulated markets. OKX expanded across the European Economic Area in January after receiving a license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, or MiCA. Read more
  • ZOOZ's Bitcoin treasury play faces Nasdaq delisting clock
    Cointelegraph.com - 11:42 Dec 23, 2025
    ZOOZ’s minimum bid‑price notice makes it the latest Bitcoin treasury stock to brush up against Nasdaq’s listing rules. ZOOZ Strategy’s Bitcoin-backed stock has been put on a Nasdaq compliance clock after the exchange warned the company its shares no longer meet the $1 minimum bid-price requirement, raising the risk of delisting if the price fails to recover within six months. The dual‑listed firm, which trades on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, said in a Monday statement that it plans to monitor the situation, and it may consider a reverse share split if needed. A reverse share split is when a company reduces the number of its outstanding shares and raises the price per share proportionally, typically to lift the stock price without changing the firm’s overall market value. Read more
  • Ether ETFs snap outflow streak while XRP products post multi-week highs
    Cointelegraph.com - 09:16 Dec 23, 2025
    Altcoin ETF flows are diverging, with Ether stabilizing, XRP drawing steady demand and smaller funds seeing uneven traction. Spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US recorded $84.6 million in net inflows on Monday, breaking a seven-day outflow streak in one of the biggest single-day reversals this month.  The shift came after over $700 million exited spot Ether (ETH) products last week, highlighting a pause in selling pressure. According to SoSoValue data, the rebound lifted cumulative net inflows to about $12.5 billion.  At the same time, XRP (XRP) ETFs extended their uninterrupted inflow streak, recording $43.9 million in net inflows on Monday, their strongest daily showing since early December. XRP ETFs have not experienced a single net outflow day since their launch, resulting in cumulative net inflows exceeding $1.1 billion. Read more
  • Hageman video fuels Senate chatter as Lummis leaves Wyoming seat open
    Cointelegraph.com - 09:00 Dec 23, 2025
    Harriet Hageman’s “Soon” teaser on X sharpens talk of a 2026 Senate bid to replace crypto ally Cynthia Lummis, raising the stakes for Wyoming’s pro‑crypto brand. Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman fueled speculation about a 2026 Senate run after posting a cryptic video days after Senator Cynthia Lummis announced she will not seek reelection. ​The five-second clip shows the congresswoman alongside a single-word caption: “Soon.” It breaks a months‑long lull on her account and bolsters speculation that she is eyeing Lummis’ open seat. Wyoming’s Senate seat has been a reliable voice in advancing regulatory clarity for the crypto industry, from market structure bills and stablecoin regulation to banking access. Whoever replaces Lummis will help decide whether crypto keeps a dedicated champion in the Senate. Read more
  • Bybit to discontinue services for Japanese residents, citing regulations
    Cointelegraph.com - 07:57 Dec 23, 2025
    Bybit will phase out services for Japan-based users starting in 2026, following earlier steps to halt new registrations. Bybit will begin phasing out services for residents of Japan from 2026, introducing gradual account restrictions as it moves to comply with the country’s regulatory requirements, the cryptocurrency exchange said on Monday. The exchange said users classified as Japanese residents will be subject to the restrictions on a rolling basis, while those incorrectly flagged have been asked to complete additional identity checks. Bybit is not registered with Japan’s Financial Services Agency, which requires crypto exchanges serving Japanese users to hold local approval. “If you're a resident of Japan, please note that starting from 2026 your account will be subject to gradual restrictions. You'll receive additional updates on the remediation process in subsequent communications,” the exchange said in an announcement on Monday. Read more
  • CFTC changes guard as Selig takes reins, Pham departs
    Cointelegraph.com - 04:36 Dec 23, 2025
    CFTC acting chair Caroline Pham says Monday was her last day at the regulator, with Michael Selig being officially sworn in to chair the agency. The US commodities watchdog has a new leader. Michael Selig was sworn in as chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Monday as acting chair Caroline Pham departed the agency after nearly a year at the helm. Pham, who had been serving as the CFTC’s acting chair since January and its sole commissioner since August, said on Monday that it would be her last day at the agency. Meanwhile, the CFTC confirmed that Selig was sworn in as the agency’s 16th chairman on Monday after being nominated for the role by President Donald Trump on Oct. 27 and confirmed by the Senate on Thursday. Read more
  • Crypto altseason unlikely in 2026 as ‘blue-chip survivors’ to win out: Analyst
    Cointelegraph.com - 04:36 Dec 23, 2025
    CoinEx’s Jeff Ko tells Cointelegraph there likely won’t be an altseason in 2026 as liquidity will flow into the top cryptocurrencies. The typical altcoin rally is likely to wane next year, with only “blue chip” cryptocurrencies seeing the lion’s share of liquidity, says CoinEx Research chief analyst Jeff Ko. “Retail investors expecting a rising tide to lift all boats will be disappointed,” Ko told Cointelegraph. “We predict no traditional altseason; instead, liquidity will be ruthlessly selective, flowing only to blue-chip survivors with real adoption.” Ko anticipated “modest global liquidity tailwinds in 2026,” tempered by divergent central bank policies, but added that Bitcoin's historical sensitivity to the M2 money supply growth “has softened since the 2024 ETF launches, with correlation diminishing.” Read more
  • Bitcoin perpetual open interest rises as traders bet on year-end rally
    Cointelegraph.com - 03:32 Dec 23, 2025
    Bitcoin perpetual open interest climbed to 310,000 BTC while funding rates doubled, signaling bullish positioning for the year-end. Crypto derivatives markets are heating up as Glassnode reports perpetual open interest has risen in anticipation of a big move at the end of this year. Perpetual open interest (OI) has risen from 304,000 to 310,000 Bitcoin (BTC) as its price briefly touched $90,000 on Monday, Glassnode said on Monday. The funding rate has also “heated up” from 0.04% to 0.09%, which suggests derivatives traders are anticipating a potential market move by the end of the year.  Read more
    Tags: Bitcoin
  • BlackRock pins Bitcoin ETF as major theme alongside T-bills, tech stocks
    Cointelegraph.com - 03:00 Dec 23, 2025
    BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF has featured on the $13.5 trillion asset manager's homepage, representing one of three major investment themes as the market heads into 2026. BlackRock says its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund was one of its three biggest investment themes in 2025, putting it alongside Treasury bills and the largest US tech stocks. The asset manager named its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) alongside its ETF tracking Treasury bills and another tied to the “Magnificent 7” tech stocks of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla. IBIT has attracted more than $25  billion in net inflows this year, ranking sixth among all ETFs and trailing broad index funds, despite the fund delivering a negative return so far for 2025. Read more
  • Recent Bitcoin miner capitulation may signal bottom is near: VanEck
    Cointelegraph.com - 00:32 Dec 23, 2025
    Bitcoin has often surged after sustained hashrate drops, a trend that would provide much-needed relief to many struggling Bitcoin miners at current prices. Bitcoin’s hashrate fell 4% over the month to Dec. 15, which could be a positive sign for the cryptocurrency’s price in the months ahead as miner capitulation is “historically a bullish contrarian signal,” VanEck analysts say.  “When hash rate compression persists over longer periods, positive forward returns tend to occur more often and with greater magnitude,” VanEck crypto research lead Matt Sigel and senior investment analyst Patrick Bush noted in a report on Monday. They noted that since 2014, Bitcoin’s 90-day forward returns have been positive 65% of the time when the network’s hashrate had declined over the prior 30 days, compared with 54% when the hashrate rose. Read more
    Tags: VanEck
  • Wall Street’s bid on crypto dominated 2025 but what’s the demand outlook for 2026?
    Cointelegraph.com - 23:06 Dec 22, 2025
    Federal Reserve policy and crypto-friendly regulation could be setting the market up for a bullish 2026, but there are still a handful of hurdles investors should be aware of. 2025 was a blockbuster year for Bitcoin (BTC) and the wider crypto market as crypto-friendly legislators platformed growth-focused regulation and Wall Street finally accepted Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), and numerous altcoins as a valid asset class worthy of inclusion in an investment portfolio.  The global bid on Bitcoin, Ether and Solana’s SOL (SOL) token was near immeasurable, with total net flows into the spot Bitcoin ETFs reaching $57 billion and the total net assets across the ETFs reaching $114.8 billion.  Going into 2026, the real question is, will the pace of institutional, corporate and government-level adoption, which were critical price drivers in 2025, continue? Since October, the robust inflows to the spot Bitcoin ETF tapered off and, in some cases, turned into a sellers' market for weeks on end, and this was followed by a 30% co...
  • Palmer Luckey’s Erebor hits $4.3B valuation as regulators advance bank charter
    Cointelegraph.com - 22:48 Dec 22, 2025
    Luckey-backed Erebor raised $350 million at a $4.35 billion valuation as OCC and FDIC approvals signal momentum for crypto- and AI-focused banking. Erebor, the digital bank co-founded by tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey and backed by billionaire Peter Thiel, has secured a $4.35 billion post-money valuation after raising $350 million in a funding round led by Lux Capital, according to Axios sources. The valuation milestone, which underscores growing institutional appetite for banking models tailored to crypto, AI and stablecoin-friendly customers, comes as Justice Department regulators take swift steps toward chartering the company.  Erebor recently received preliminary conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a key regulatory hurdle toward becoming a fully licensed bank.  Read more
  • EU council endorses offline and online versions of digital euro
    Cointelegraph.com - 22:48 Dec 22, 2025
    The Council of the European Union endorsed the launch of the European Central Bank’s digital euro in both an online and a privacy-focused offline version. The Council of the European Union (EU) the European Central Bank’s (ECB) digital euro design, A Friday document outlined the council’s position on the digital euro, including alignment with the ECB on launching online and offline variants simultaneously ECB President Christine Lagarde that t rest with EU lawmakers Read more
  • ETHZilla liquidates $74.5M in Ether to redeem convertible debt
    Cointelegraph.com - 22:09 Dec 22, 2025
    The transaction highlights growing pressure on crypto treasury companies to prioritize debt reduction as token prices remain volatile. Crypto treasury company ETHZilla said in a filing with US regulators that it sold part of its Ether holdings to repay outstanding convertible notes amid a broader market downturn. The company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission the sale of 24,291 Ether (ETH) for $74.5 million at an average price of $3,068.69 per token, leaving about 69,800 ETH on its balance sheet as of Friday. The company said it expects to use all or a significant portion of the proceeds to redeem its outstanding senior secured convertible notes. Read more
  • Arizona lawmaker proposes barring taxes on crypto and blockchain
    Cointelegraph.com - 21:37 Dec 22, 2025
    Two bills and one resolution proposed by state lawmaker Wendy Rogers could allow Arizona voters to change the state's taxation laws applied to digital assets and blockchain. Arizona state Senator Wendy Rogers has proposed two bills and a resolution in an effort to change the state’s laws on taxing digital assets. In legislation prefiled with the Arizona Senate on Friday, Rogers proposed amending state statues to exempt virtual currency from taxation (SB 1044), barring counties, cities and towns from taxing or fining entities running blockchain nodes (SB 1045), and amending the state constitution’s definition of property taxes to clarify rules on digital assets (SCR 1003). The blockchain node bill may move through the state legislature, but the crypto tax bill and resolution would require a vote by Arizona voters during the next general election, in November 2026. Read more
    Tags: Arizona

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