Email activity, number of unique developers, and number of lines of code changes all increased in 2025 compared to declines in prior years.
The sentiment among crypto investors has oscillated between "fear" and "extreme fear" since the market flash crash on October 10, 2025.
Crypto VCs told The Block they expect disciplined activity to persist in 2026, with a higher bar for new investments.
A large crypto wallet that recently took a sharp loss on Ethereum has restructured its holdings, moving away from volatile tokens and increasing exposure to stablecoins and tokenized gold, according to on-chain tracking data. Related Reading: A Maduro Bet, A Market Alarm: US Lawmaker Targets Trading Abuses The address drew attention after an aggressive Ethereum purchase late last year went wrong. Between November 3 and November 7, 2025, the wallet spent about $110 million to acquire 31,005 ETH at an average price of $3,581. As prices slid, the position was unwound. Nearly the entire holding was sold for roughly $92.19 million, locking in a loss close to $18 million within two weeks. At current prices near $3,020, that same Ethereum stack would now be valued at around $93.6 million. Shift Away From Ether After Costly Exit Based on reports from blockchain monitoring platforms, the sell-off marked a clear change in behavior. The wallet, once heavily tied to Ethereum, no longer holds a large directional bet on the asset. Instead, balances have been spread across cash-like tokens and commodities. The move reflects caution rather than an attempt to quickly recover losses. An unknown whale, who lost $18.8M on $ETH in just 2 weeks, has abandoned $ETH and rotated into #gold. The whale has spent $14.58M to buy 3,299 $XAUT at $4,421 over the past 7 hours.https://t.co/hit6agWmHd pic.twitter.com/X7k94zV0iQ — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 2, 2026 Gold Buying Shows Preference For Lower Volatility According to on-chain records, the address began building a position in Tether’s tokenized gold product, XAUT. Starting on Friday, the wallet spent $14.58 million in USDT to buy 3,299 XAUT across several transactions. The average purchase price came in near $4,421 per token. This was not the first gold buy. A smaller XAUT acquisition was made on December 13, roughly three weeks earlier. As of the latest data, the wallet holds 3,386 XAUT tokens worth about $14.92 million. The broader portfolio now totals close to $91 million. About $58 million sits in USDT, another $18 million is held in USDC, while the remainder is split between XAUT and a reduced Ethereum balance. The composition points to capital protection rather than high-risk positioning. Metals Outperform Crypto In 2025 Returns from last year help explain the change. Reports have disclosed that Bitcoin fell by 6% in 2025, while Ethereum dropped 11%. Over the same period, gold surged over 60%, and silver rose an even steeper 147%. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Grows As Altcoins Post Another Losing Year: Analyst Major stock indexes such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq 100 also posted stronger performance than much of the crypto market. With those results in view, some investors appear more comfortable holding assets linked to metals or cash. Meanwhile, analysts at asset manager VanEck have pointed to 2026 as a possible recovery year for the crypto market. Their view contrasts with the current behavior of large wallets moving into stablecoins and gold-linked tokens. The divide shows how uncertain sentiment remains after a year when metals and traditional assets delivered stronger gains than major cryptocurrencies. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The altcoin market is set to rally, based on technical analysis showing altcoins trading above critical support levels formed in October.
The retreat follows the LIBRA memecoin scandal involving the country's president, Javier Milei, which caused a firestorm of controversy.
The Japanese yen is commonly used by macroeconomic investors to carry out levered bets because of its artificially low interest rates.
Washington is about to take a serious swing at crypto’s most stubborn problem: who, exactly, is supposed to police the market when a token trades like a commodity, is sold like a security, and moves through software that insists it isn’t a company at all. The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (better known […]
The post Washington’s new crypto bill would strip states of power – legally bans oversight that catches front-end manipulation appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Crypto phishing losses plunged in 2025, but experts warn the threat has only changed shape rather than disappeared. Reports show a sharp fall in money stolen by wallet-draining scams, even as attackers tested new tricks tied to recent protocol changes. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Grows As Altcoins Post Another Losing Year: Analyst Scam Sniffer Data Shows Drop According to Scam Sniffer’s 2025 analysis, wallet drainer phishing losses fell to about $83.85 million — an 83% decline from roughly $494 million in 2024. The number of affected wallets dropped to around 106,000, a fall of about 68% year-on-year. These figures come from the security platform’s annual study and were picked up by major crypto outlets. Attackers Shift, Not Stop Only 11 incidents topped $1 million in 2025, down from 30 the prior year, signaling fewer headline grabs but a rise in smaller hits. The largest single theft recorded last year was roughly $6.5 million, tied to a malicious Permit signature attack. Average losses per victim fell to roughly $790, which suggests attackers moved toward more frequent, lower-value strikes. Market Moves Mattered Losses followed market activity. The third quarter logged the highest damage at about $31 million, when Ethereum’s rally brought more users and approvals onchain. Monthly peaks included August, which posted about $12.17 million, while December was the quietest with roughly $2 million. That pattern shows fraudsters target busy trading windows. 1/ Ever woken up to an empty crypto wallet? With scammers draining $107K+ across EVM chains JUST THIS WEEK (per @zachxbt), it’s scarier than ever! Shoutout to @realscamsniffer for their 2025 report – losses down 83%, but threats are evolving FAST. Let’s recap & warn on 2026… https://t.co/uSerpsg80d — JP (@rugpullfinder) January 3, 2026 Permit Signatures And New Vectors Reports highlighted Permit and Permit2 signature abuses as a major driver of big losses, accounting for a large share of multi-million cases. Scam Sniffer also flagged EIP-7702 batch signature techniques that were used in a few complex attacks after network upgrades. Security teams say these methods exploit user approval flows rather than raw smart-contract bugs. Why The Drop Happened Analysts attribute much of the improvement to better wallet warnings, wider use of approval revocation tools, and more active tracking by onchain monitors. Some defenders also point to reduced market froth in parts of the year, which lowered the pool of high-value targets. Still, multiple outlets stress that reduced totals do not equal safety. Related Reading: A Maduro Bet, A Market Alarm: US Lawmaker Targets Trading Abuses Based on reports, phishing will likely remain cyclical: losses could spike again during big rallies or when new signing features are introduced. Security firms urge users to check approvals, avoid blind signing, and use wallet tools that flag risky requests. Regulators and exchanges are watching the trend, but responsibility for many attacks still falls to individual users and wallet software. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
PwC's expansion into digital assets signals a broader industry shift towards embracing blockchain technologies, impacting consulting and audit sectors.
The post PwC ramps up digital assets work under revised US regulatory environment appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
XRP is showing fresh signs of strength as new money flows into the market and prices move higher. After spending years trading within a narrow range, XRP is now breaking out, drawing attention across the crypto space as 2026 begins. XRP is also turning heads for breaking out of a multi-year consolidation pattern. Analysts say …
Bitcoin sought to maintain 2026 BTC price highs as the weekly close brought major volatility risks thanks to geopolitical uncertainty over Venezuela.
After a difficult end to 2025, the altcoin market looks set to take the lead in the new year, being the most significant beneficiary from the recent post-holiday rally. Dogecoin, the largest meme coin by market capitalization, has jumped by nearly 24% since the turn of the year. According to the latest on-chain data, the price of Dogecoin appears to be in a critical region at the moment. The relevance of this zone suggests that the meme coin may be merely at the start of an extended upward trend over the next few months. Is It Time To Buy DOGE? In a January 3 post on X, Alphractal CEO and founder Joao Wedson said that Dogecoin has entered its most important accumulation zone. This on-chain observation is based on the recent changes in the CVDD (Cumulative Value Days Destroyed) Channel. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sharpe Ratio Flips Into Negative Territory— Is The Recovery Back On? For context, the CVDD Channel is an on-chain indicator that tracks the volume of aged capital being sent into the market (Dogecoin, in this case). This metric is typically used in highlighting zones of long-term support or resistance based on the movement of aged coins on-chain. Wedson highlighted in his post that the CVDD channels depend on Fibonacci-based levels on top of the CVDD curve. This metric creates historical value zones where price tends to react; with the blue CVDD lines, for instance, acting as strong structural support for the price of Dogecoin. As observed in the chart above, DOGE’s recent surge to around $0.15 came after its price bounced from the first blue level. In essence, these lower blue levels have historically proven to be good support cushions for the Dogecoin price. According to Wedson, the lower CVDD Fibonacci zones often coincide with long-term accumulation phases for Dogecoin. Hence, it might be time to accumulate the meme coin, especially as its price is wedged within the blue CVDD zones. Dogecoin Price Outlook 2026 As of this writing, the price of DOGE stands at around 0.1415, reflecting an over 2% jump in the past 24 hours. A broader look at the chart shows that Dogecoin seems to be heating up at the moment. According to data from CoinGecko, the meme coin’s value has increased by more than 15% in the last seven days. Related Reading: XRP Under $2? One Of The ‘Greatest Blessings’ We’ll See In Our Lifetime, Analyst Says Following its red-hot action to kickstart the new year, the price of Dogecoin looks set for a positive run in 2026. Moreover, the altcoin market is being tipped to outperform Bitcoin this year. Hence, a renewed bullish momentum and a long-overdue altcoin season could have the DOGE price reaching new highs in 2026. Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Ethereum's next phase will be defined by financial products that feel familiar to everyday users, Mike Silagadze said.
Bitcoin is moving slowly this weekend, but important price levels are starting to take shape. After breaking higher on Saturday, the price has paused, showing a steady market mood. While there has not been a major rally yet, the overall setup shows that Bitcoin is still holding strength. Bitcoin Holds Support Near $90,400 The most …
According to market observers, the US strikes on Venezuela early Saturday are not expected to push Bitcoin into a large sell-off. The strikes took place at around 6 a.m. UTC and lasted for about 30 minutes, reports show. Related Reading: The Bitcoin Whale Comeback Story May Be Overblown, Onchain Data Shows Michael van de Poppe, founder of MN Trading Capital, wrote on X that he does not expect “a widespread correction” tied to the attack, arguing the event was planned and has already passed market participants. Other analysts shared a similar view, saying dramatic moves usually come when traders expect worse things ahead. Bitcoin: Market Moves And Liquidations Based on reports, Bitcoin held firm above the $90,000 mark. CoinGecko data showed a rise of 1.50%, putting the token at $91,320 at the time of publication. I don’t think we’ll see a widespread correction based on the attack in Venezuela on #Bitcoin. It’s a planned and coordinated attack on Maduro, and is already past us. The likelihood of more negativity on the markets from that single event are relatively slim. I would assume… — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) January 3, 2026 CoinGlass figures indicate about $60 million in Bitcoin positions were liquidated over the prior 24 hours, with roughly $55 million of that coming from short bets. That kind of forced selling can amp up volatility for a short period. Still, the broader pattern this time looked muted. Historical Drops Have Happened Fast There have been episodes when conflict pushed prices down quickly. In June 2025, for example, Bitcoin fell nearly 3%, sliding from $106,000 to $103,000 inside roughly 90 minutes after explosions in Tehran. Traders point out that sudden moves often follow when markets fear ongoing escalation. Here, many market watchers see less chance of follow-up actions that would deepen panic. Federal Debt And Genesis Day In The Middle Of Market Noise Based on reports, the US national debt passed $38 trillion on Saturday, with the US National Debt Clock placing it near $38.5 at the time. That milestone came as Bitcoin fans marked “Genesis Day,” the anniversary of the first block mined by Satoshi Nakamoto. Happy Bitcoin Genesis Block day — Paolo Ardoino ???? (@paoloardoino) January 3, 2026 Paolo Ardoino, CEO of stablecoin issuer Tether, posted a celebratory message, while Sam Callahan, director of strategy and research at BTC treasury firm OranjeBTC, echoed the sentiment. For many in the community, the headline embedded in the Genesis Block remains a symbol of a monetary system capped in supply and not subject to the same printing pressures as fiat. Yeah generally the market really nukes when we expect things to get worse afterwards which doesn’t seem to be the case. Could see this actually bring some green to the market as people take this as a sign of strength tho — Tyler Hill (@Tylerhill) January 3, 2026 Community Reaction And Context Reports have shown some in the crypto space treated events like the strike and the rising US debt as separate but related stories. A few traders said the strike could bring “green” to markets as investors interpret decisive action as a sign of control, an outlook voiced by analyst Tyler Hill. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Grows As Altcoins Post Another Losing Year: Analyst Meanwhile, others emphasized that the immediate market response has been calm rather than panicked. Social posts and onchain flows were watched closely by hedge funds and retail traders alike. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Wintermute faced scrutiny for two recent events: dumping Bitcoin onto Binance during New Year's Eve's thin liquidity, then scrambling to accumulate coins in what appeared to be urgent buying ahead of the Fed announcement on Jan. 2. The claims paint a picture of coordinated manipulation: sell into weakness, buy back cheaper. On-chain data supports the […]
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Crypto billionaires in California are threatening to leave the state, but are they ready to make good on their promise, or is an impending wealth exodus more of a paper tiger?
Crypto billionaires in California are threatening to leave the state, but are they ready to make good on their promise, or is an impending wealth exodus more of a paper tiger?
An analysis of “wrench attacks” shows physical assaults against crypto holders are increasing in number and severity, with Europe and Asia seeing the sharpest rise.
An analysis of “wrench attacks” shows physical assaults against crypto holders are increasing in number and severity, with Europe and Asia seeing the sharpest rise.
A popular market analyst has shared two possible price trajectories for Bitcoin following the asset’s bullish start to 2026. In the past three days, the premier cryptocurrency has gained by 3.4% to trade at $90,500. Bitcoin now lies at a decision point as multiple implications hinge on the next price move. Related Reading: The Bitcoin Whale Comeback Story May Be Overblown, Onchain Data Shows $123,500 Rebound Or $86,000 Pullback: What Next For Bitcoin? In an X post on January 3, pseudonymous analyst Bitcoin Meraklisi shares a two-pronged price analysis of the Bitcoin market. Following its recent rally, the expert explains that Bitcoin sits on top of a three-month downtrend, putting the asset at a decision point. In the bullish scenario of a decisive and convincing breakout past $90,500, Bitcoin is expected to immediately reach $94,800. If this target is met, there would be a strong potential to trade as high as $107,300, moving Bitcoin into the six-figure zones for the first time since mid-November. With an overwhelming bullish conviction, Meraklisi states that the premier cryptocurrency could also rebound to $123,500, representing a potential 36.5% on present market prices. On the other hand, if Bitcoin experiences another rejection, the analyst explains investors should expect an initial price drop to $88,000. However, a continued pullback to around $86,000 also remains on the card. Interestingly, Bitcoin Meraklisi notes that price prediction is presently difficult, considering the market’s heightened sensitivity to macroeconomic and external events. Over the past year, Bitcoin continued to experience growing adoption, reflected in rising institutional and government participation. However, the premier cryptocurrency has also suffered price declines due to geopolitical tensions and renewed trade-war concerns Related Reading: Why The Ethereum Price Could Bounce Above $3,500 Soon Bitcoin RSI Flashes Positive Signal Amid the present market uncertainty, Meraklisi also notes that the Bitcoin relative strength index is showing a positive market signal after breaking out of an ascending triangle pattern to end a 3-month downtrend. If treated as a leading signal, this RSI breakout suggests that Bitcoin may overcome its current resistance level and potentially transition into a bullish price trajectory. At press time, the premier cryptocurrency is valued at $90,603, reflecting market gains of 0.76% and 3.13% in the last one and seven days, respectively. However, the monthly chart reports a minor loss of 1.68%, suggesting the market recovery is yet to commence. Bitcoin boasts a total market cap of $1.8 trillion and is ranked the largest cryptocurrency and eight largest asset in the world. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview
US Rep. Ritchie Torres said he will introduce legislation to curb what he and other lawmakers describe as possible insider trading on prediction markets, after a single, highly timed wager on Polymarket paid off when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Grows As Altcoins Post Another Losing Year: Analyst Reports have disclosed that the bill — being called the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 — would bar federally elected officials, political appointees and executive branch staff from trading on event markets when they hold material nonpublic information. Public Integrity In Focus According to reporting, a newly created Polymarket account placed roughly $32,500 in bets on a contract that asked whether Maduro would be out of power by January 31, 2026. That stake bought about 438,000 shares when the market price was as low as $0.07 per share late Friday. Within about 24 hours, after action by US forces and an announcement by US President Donald Trump, the position surged—returning more than $400,000 to the account. NEW — RITCHIE TORRES (D-N.Y.) will introduce a bill on this. Bill will be called the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 Description, per a source: This bill prohibits federal elected officials, political appointees, and Executive Branch employees… https://t.co/eZZ9BmAMgJ — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2026 The trade’s timing set off immediate questions. Social media users and some investors flagged the purchase as suspicious because it came hours before the public announcement. Observers noted that prediction markets can move quickly on small flows of information, and that enforcement rules vary across platforms. Reports note that other markets, like Kalshi, had priced similar outcomes at roughly $0.13, underlining how unexpected the outcome was to many traders. A newly created Polymarket account invested over $30,000 yesterday in Maduro’s exit. The US then took Maduro into custody overnight, and the trader profited $400,000 in less than 24 hours. Insider trading is not only allowed on prediction markets; it’s encouraged. https://t.co/EtZyW1IWTa pic.twitter.com/MzsU9kOU73 — Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 3, 2026 How The Bill Would Work Torres’s proposal would adapt principles from existing rules that limit trading by officials in traditional securities markets and extend them to online prediction exchanges. The draft language aims to make it unlawful for covered government figures to trade on contracts tied to government actions or political events when they possess nonpublic information because of their official roles. The measure would also task regulators with clarifying which platforms are covered and how violations would be enforced. Market Reaction And Questions Platform operators have long said their terms forbid trading on material nonpublic information, but critics say those rules are hard to police in real time. Some analysts and lawmakers argue that this episode shows a gap between written policies and effective oversight. Others warn against overreach that could stifle legitimate market activity used for forecasting and research. Related Reading: A Maduro Bet, A Market Alarm: US Lawmaker Targets Trading Abuses Investigations may look at the account’s origins and any links to people with privileged knowledge. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are pushing for clearer legal guardrails. If Congress moves quickly, new rules could reshape who may legally bet on political and national security events. Featured image from AFP/Getty Images, chart from TradingView
The euro finally has a substantial stablecoin market, and for once, it's not just a niche corner of DeFi. When MiCA’s stablecoin rules kicked in June 2024, they turned euro-pegged stablecoins into a regulated product category with paperwork, reserve rules, and an actual licensing lane. Under MiCA, stablecoins that reference a single fiat currency sit […]
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Ripple is moving forward with a stablecoin strategy that focuses on strict regulation and bank-level oversight. The company’s U.S. dollar stablecoin, RLUSD, is being positioned as a compliance-first product rather than an experimental crypto token. RLUSD operates under state oversight from the New York Department of Financial Services and has also received conditional federal approval …
Coinbase has halted peso-based USDC on- and off-ramps in Argentina less than a year after launch, citing a review of local operations while keeping crypto trading fully active.
Coinbase has halted peso-based USDC on- and off-ramps in Argentina less than a year after launch, citing a review of local operations while keeping crypto trading fully active.
Pi Network has been under heavy pressure since its listing on centralized exchanges. The token is currently trading near $0.209, far below its peak and struggling to regain momentum. Pi reached an all-time high of $2.98 in February 2025, but the price has since collapsed by more than 87%. It later touched an all-time low …
Recent on-chain data revealed a major shift in Ethereum net flow to the Binance exchange during December 2024. This eye-catching event could imply several market developments, especially following the asset’s bearish struggles in Q4 2025. Meanwhile, Ethereum has notably opened 2026 on a positive note, climbing to above $3,100 for the first time since mid-December. Related Reading: Ethereum Finds Its Footing Again, But Here’s Why Bulls Still Have Work To Do Ethereum Sees $960M Inflows As Investor Sentiment Shifts In a QuickTake post on December 3, the analysis page CryptoOnChain reports an important change in Ethereum investors’ activity. Notably, the Ethereum net inflow in December reached $960 million on Binance, the world’s largest exchange by trading volume. The development is particularly important and compelling because it represents an impressive shift from the negative inflow record that had existed since July 2025. For the majority of H2 2025, investors had chosen to continually withdraw more ETH than deposit, likely in favour of long-term accumulation, i.e., bullish, or to divert potential selling pressure elsewhere. However, the figures recorded in December suggest an abrupt change in investors’ behavior, which bears multiple possible implications for the market. Generally, increased exchange inflows are considered a bearish signal interpreted as market participants’ preparation for a potential asset offload. Considering ETH price struggles in Q4 2025, this recent spike in net inflows could be indicative of a potential repositioning for an anticipated long-term bear market. However, CryptoOnChain highlights some possible positive effects of this event. The huge inflows recorded in December could also reflect a revival in buyer interest, suggesting renewed demand for Ethereum as investors prepare to accumulate at lower price levels. In addition, the heavy net inflows could also represent a new capital injection in the Ethereum market that has been moved to exchanges for active trading. In line with this thought, CryptoOnChain also states that traders may be moving capital to exchanges to capitalize on trading opportunities driven by an expected high volatility. In conclusion, the analysts emphasize that the sudden reversal leading to the massive inflows in December is a vital market signal potentially indicating a new phase of accumulation or heightened trading activity. Related Reading: Weekend Trap? Bitcoin Enters Choppy Range As Critical Trend Line Holds Below Ethereum Market Overview At the time of writing, Ethereum trades at $3,121 following a slight decline of 0.11% in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, daily trading volume is down by 52.68% and valued at $11.79 billion. Despite recent gains, the prominent altcoin remains 37.15% below its all-time high, recorded in August 2021, following the extended market correction of Q4 2022. Featured image from Flickr, chart from Tradingview
The chances of Bitcoin’s price tumbling in the aftermath of the US military's attack on Venezuela are "relatively slim," according to a crypto analyst.