For years, XRP’s market identity was shaped by the dynamics that defined the early crypto era: retail-driven speculation, regulatory uncertainty, and an enduring belief that blockchain rails could overturn decades-old banking infrastructure. That narrative was volatile, adversarial, and deeply cyclical as XRP’s performance rose and fell with court headlines and sentiment waves rather than measurable […]
The post XRP’s new “plumbing” narrative exposes a valuation shift that most retail speculators are completely ignoring appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The Solana network has seen its validator count crash by more than 68% over the past three years, falling from thousands of active nodes to just around 800. The massive decline in validators has sparked discussions about whether this could become a threat to the blockchain network or a natural pruning of inactive nodes to increase efficiency. Solana loses 68% Of Its Validators In 3 Years A new report from Criptonocias reveals that Solana has experienced a dramatic decline in the number of its validators, active and non-active, since March 2023. This decrease has raised concerns across the crypto community about the network’s overall health and security. Related Reading: Why Has The Solana Price Been Crashing Since October? This Major SOL Player Is Selling Over the last three years, the Solana network has steadily lost validators, going from 2,500 to 2,100 in November 2022 and now hovering around 800. This decline means the blockchain has lost a total of 1,700 validators. Although this considerable decrease should trigger warning alerts, it could be a result of ledger pruning, which involves removing inactive or redundant nodes to streamline a network and improve its performance without compromising security. Notably, validators are crucial for the operation of a blockchain network, as they run nodes, confirm transactions, and help maintain the integrity of the system. Each validator adds to the diversity of the network and reduces the risk of any single entity gaining excessive control. According to the report, some voices in the Solana ecosystem see the reduction of validators in a positive light. They argue that losing “Sybil validators,” which are nodes pretending to be multiple independent operators but are actually controlled by a single party, can be beneficial. Based on this perspective, having a smaller number of reliable and active validators is healthier than maintaining thousands of nodes that do not contribute meaningfully to the blockchain network. Criptonocias revealed that teams such as Layer 33, which develops infrastructure node tools and provides network services for Solana, point out that many of the validators leaving the blockchain are not Sybils but legitimate node operators. This suggests that the drop in numbers does not automatically equate to improved network quality despite widespread talks about ledge pruning. Notably, the potential impact on the Solana network, whether negative or positive, depends on the independence of the remaining validators and the distribution of power among them. An updated report of the validator count reveals that it has dropped again from 800 to 795. Solana Faces Liquidity Crunch As Profitability Declines Amidst its decline in validators, the Solana network is showing signs of strain as liquidity dries up and profitability declines. On-chain data from Glassnode highlights a troubling trend in the network’s trading activity, with the 30-day average realized profit-to-loss ratio remaining below 1 since mid-November. Related Reading: Solana Welcomes Bearish December, But Pundit Shares Possible Move To $170 This level is typically associated with bear market conditions and points to a growing imbalance between gains and losses among traders. A ratio below 1 also indicates that traders are realizing losses more frequently than profits, underscoring the cryptocurrency’s weakening market sentiment. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
Pantera Capital led the round, with Coinbase Ventures and Digital Currency Group also participating.
Internet Computer slipped back into a declining pattern after early strength faded, with the slide pushing the token toward key December support levels.
Strategy argues MSCI’s proposed crypto holding threshold would be impossible to apply consistently and would "stifle innovation."
This partnership could significantly accelerate mainstream crypto adoption by integrating blockchain technology into everyday consumer devices.
The post Sei partners with Xiaomi to expand global user base through pre-installed app initiatives appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
American singer D4vd was the most Googled person this year after a girl was found dead in his car—and one Polymarket user profited from it.
The startup named Surf says over 300,000 people are using the platform with more than a million search results.
Bitcoin’s reaction to FOMC decisions often conflicts with traders’ predictions. Will today’s Federal Reserve interest rate outcome lead to a rally or sell-off?
Galaxy Digital expansion includes a new Abu Dhabi office, strengthening its presence in the UAE and supporting digital asset innovation.
The post Galaxy Digital opens office in Abu Dhabi to expand UAE presence appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The firm has not announced any new bitcoin purchases since May, when it bought 4,710 BTC.
The company behind the largest stablecoin, the $186 billion USDT, is increasingly venturing beyond crypto into sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics.
The letter to the US Senate Banking Committee cited opposition to the digital asset market structure bill, echoing concerns from other labor groups.
A rate cut could stimulate economic activity but may also signal concerns about economic stability, influencing market and investor confidence.
The post Polymarket users forecast 97% probability of 25 bps rate cut appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The adoption of Bitcoin by Eurozone nations could accelerate digital currency integration, influencing global financial systems and policies.
The post Coinbase’s strategy chief predicts more Eurozone nations will adopt Bitcoin after Czech Republic appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
In this week’s Crypto Long & Short Newsletter, Carter Feldman writes that the bear market makes this a prime moment for privacy coins, signaling growing user demand for true financial autonomy. Then, we dive into Ethereum with Andy Baehr’s “vibe check” – when ETH rallies, it may signal something larger is afoot.
Bitcoin climbed to a three-week high on Tuesday before slipping back, a move that has traders and analysts watching closely. Related Reading: NFT Slump Worsens With Monthly Sales Hitting Rock Bottom According to TradingView data, Bitcoin price topped out at $94,600 late in the session — its highest level since November 25 — then eased to about $92,450 at the time of reporting. Santiment, a blockchain analytics firm, said social chatter calling for “higher” and “above” exploded during the spike, but market action remained uneven. Bitcoin: Trader Frenzy And Skepticism Reports have disclosed that the surge drew heavy retail attention and a flurry of social-media posts urging more buying. Some market watchers questioned how organic the rise was. A well-known long-term investor using the handle “NoLimit” told his 53,000 X followers that the $94,000 push looked engineered: big buys packed into a few minutes, thin order books, then little follow-through. ???? Bitcoin enjoyed a much needed rebound back to $94.6K today, reinvigorating traders, causing them to FOMO back in and expect higher prices. According to our social data scraping X, Reddit, Telegram, & other data, calls for “higher” & “above” exploded. ???? High bars indicate… pic.twitter.com/o3U3yWkwkk — Santiment (@santimentfeed) December 9, 2025 That pattern, he argued, is how larger traders can create short-term fear of missing out so they can sell into strength. Santiment also highlighted a behavioral twist: smaller traders appear to pile in after spikes, often leaving them on the wrong side of moves. Volatility followed the high, as prices pulled back by a couple thousand dollars within hours. Exchange order depth and timing of large blocks, analysts say, matter a lot when liquidity is shallow. Fed Decision Could Shift Momentum The US central bank meeting this week is a key wildcard. Market pricing on CME Group futures showed an 88% chance of a 0.25% rate cut, which many traders think helped fuel the rally. Yet some analysts warned that any sign of hesitation about future cuts could dampen risk appetite. Beyond US policy, next week’s potential Bank of Japan rate action is being watched because a tighter stance there could lift yields and pull capital back to Japan, tightening global liquidity. That kind of flow can pressure risky assets across markets. Liquidity, Institutions And The Bigger Picture Meanwhile, long-term holders pared back supply after a 36% correction from the all-time high, and some addresses now hold levels seen in March. Jessica Gonzales, an analyst cited in reports, said M2 money supply sits at about $22.3 trillion and stablecoin reserves remain elevated, suggesting there is capital around but not necessarily evenly distributed in markets. Institutional moves also feature: big firms such as BlackRock and Strategy have expanded crypto exposure, which could add a steadier buyer base — or simply shift where risk sits. Related Reading: Institutions Scoop Up 9,000 Ether, Fueling Bullish Signals What Traders Should Watch Short-term traders should track order-book depth, large trade clusters, and how price reacts to any Fed wording about future cuts. The next 25 days were flagged as especially important by several observers because liquidity swings and regulatory updates could flip the narrative fast. If a true broad-based bid forms, prices could move quickly. If the Fed signals caution, the opposite could happen. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
Eric Trump said the company has become one of the fastest-growing bitcoin accumulators since its Nasdaq listing three months ago.
Cascade raised $15 million in seed funding in a round co-led by Polychain and Variant, with support from Coinbase Ventures.
Michale Saylor and team urged MSCI to maintain neutral index standards after a plan to exclude firms with significant digital asset holdings.
Excluding Bitcoin-heavy firms from indices could destabilize markets and hinder innovation by marginalizing digital asset businesses.
The post Strategy asks MSCI to reject proposal excluding Bitcoin-heavy firms appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin whipsawed around the key yearly open level into the Fed interest-rate announcement as traders waited for a reliable move.
The Elon Musk–run company is moving ahead with plans for an initial public offering that would seek to raise “significantly more than $30 billion.” Even relatively small balance-sheet allocations matter at that scale.
PNC Bank, a US banking giant with more than $569 billion in assets under management (AUM), has embedded spot Bitcoin trading into its private banking platform, marking a distinct pivot in the institutional adoption cycle. This makes it the first top-10 US lender to allow clients to buy, sell, and hold digital assets directly alongside […]
The post PNC Bank just launched direct Bitcoin trading, but one specific restriction effectively holds your digital assets hostage appeared first on CryptoSlate.
When Strategy disclosed its acquisition of more than 10,000 Bitcoin worth $1 billion, market watchers anticipated an immediate rally. Instead, Bitcoin’s price barely moved. The muted response was not a reflection of weak demand but the result of how the purchase was executed. In response to the confusion surrounding the stagnant price action, Quinten Francois explained the mechanics behind the transaction, clarifying why such a large buy left no visible impact on the chart. The Invisible Plumbing Behind Institutional Bitcoin Accumulation On 9 December 2025, Andrew Tate questioned why a massive 10,000 BTC buy failed to nudge the market. The answer, as analyst Francois explained, lies in the operational backbone of over-the-counter (OTC) desks—an ecosystem designed to absorb billion-dollar flows while keeping price action stable. These desks operate entirely outside exchanges. When a firm wants thousands of BTC, nothing is executed against the real-time order book. Instead, OTC operators start sourcing supply quietly from large holders looking to offload position size. Related Reading: Dogecoin Price Set To Surge As Sellers Show Signs Of Exhaustion This pipeline includes deep private liquidity that retail traders never see: miners selling block rewards, VCs rotating out of token allocations, market makers rebalancing inventory, and even corporate treasuries restructuring reserves. None of these trades appear on exchange feeds. According to Francois, they do not trigger volatility, sweep liquidity pools, or create the upward pressure that retail investors typically expect from large buys. More critically, Francois notes that these transactions do not occur in a single block. A 5,000–10,000 BTC order is never filled all at once. Instead, OTC desks spread procurement over days or even weeks, accumulating inventory piece by piece. Only when enough matched supply is gathered do they finalize the transaction, resulting in a smooth settlement with no visible footprint on price charts. Why No Price Rally Emerges From Shadow-Side Demand Shadow-side demand refers to large-scale institutional buying that occurs entirely outside public exchanges. These hidden transactions do not trigger price rallies because OTC infrastructure is designed to prevent slippage, volatility, and market distortion. Institutions acquiring strategic size deliberately avoid pushing prices higher, while liquidity providers are incentivized to maintain stability. By keeping trades off public exchanges, both sides protect execution quality and preserve overall market integrity. Related Reading: Pundit Highlights The Condition That Will Trigger A 2,300% XRP Rally To $50 A rally only emerges when open-market demand exceeds visible liquidity. In this case, the demand never hit the open market. OTC desks tap private channels first and only touch exchanges if supply dries up—and that is considered a last resort. If enough sellers are found privately, no exchange-side buying occurs at all. This is why public charts often show sell pressure but rarely show institutional demand. The buys happen in the shadows, the sells appear on-chain, and the price remains anchored. Strategy’s $1 billion allocation did not fail to move the market; it was intentionally engineered not to. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
The platform saw massive success in 2025, with over $150 billion in cumulative volume, $138 million in monthly revenue, and a notable $500 million token sale in July.
Perpetrators use various tactics, including posing as delivery drivers or waiting at gyms, homes, or hotel rooms, to target victims and demand access to their wallets.
The Movement Labs’ co-founder’s secret dealings and subsequent scandal stoked industry-wide anxieties about opaque token allocations and insider trading.
The crypto industry’s most notorious hackers continue to break records, highlighting the importance of taking every step possible to secure wallets.
Crypto’s Gen Z supervillain may have single-handedly popped the memecoin bubble this year, exposing it as less a cultural movement and more a parasitic financial machine feeding on new entrants.