Coinbase is weighing a potential equity investment in South Korea’s Coinone, as the country’s third-largest crypto exchange explores options that include selling part of its controlling shareholder’s stake, according to local media and industry sources.

A local outlet reported Sunday that Coinone has put itself on the market and is discussing scenarios tied to Chairman Cha Myung-hoon’s holdings, which total 53.44% through his personal stake and his holding company, The One Group.

Speculation around a sale picked up after Cha returned to frontline management just four months after stepping down as chief executive, a move that some observers read as preparation for a stake transaction.

Tech Upgrades Accelerate Even As Losses Weigh On Valuation

Coinone, meanwhile, said Cha stepped back in to sharpen its technological edge as it nears a double-digit market share, building out areas such as artificial intelligence.

Attention has also turned to Com2uS, the gaming group that accumulated a 38.42% stake in Coinone between 2021 and 2022.

Coinone’s continued losses have weighed on its book value, which Seoul Economic Daily put at 75.2B won, or about $52M, at the end of the third quarter, below Com2uS’s reported acquisition cost.

Against that backdrop, industry sources say Coinbase plans to visit South Korea this week and meet major local players, including Coinone, as it looks for partners to build products that fit Korean rules.

Korea’s Crypto Exchange Sector Sees Surge In Deal Activity

The talks come as dealmaking accelerates across South Korea’s crypto exchange sector, with traditional finance and big tech circling licensed platforms and won trading rails.

Regulators recently cleared Binance’s long-running effort to take over GOPAX, and the market has since seen a rush of takeover interest.

Naver Financial agreed to acquire Dunamu, the operator of market leader Upbit, in an all-stock deal, while local media have also reported Mirae Asset Securities is pursuing Korbit.

Coinone has tried to differentiate on product as well as ownership, launching what it called the country’s first flexible Bitcoin staking service in Aug. 2025, letting users earn rewards without locking up their holdings.

Coinone says discussions remain open-ended, and it has not settled on a structure, a timeline or a buyer. Still, the prospect of a Coinbase tie-up lands at a moment when Korea’s exchange map is already shifting, and when global players are watching for a way in.

The post Coinbase Weighs Investment In South Korean Exchange Coinone: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

The cryptocurrency market faced a sharp correction in the early hours of January 26, with BTC erasing its entire monthly progress. After peaking at $97,000 on January 14, Bitcoin slid approximately 10.9% to briefly dip below the $87,000 mark. This volatility has pushed the January return to -0.5%, reflecting a broader “risk-off” sentiment across the digital asset space. The pullback is being attributed largely to rising uncertainty around U.S. government shutdown, alongside broader risk-off sentiment across global markets.The GameFi sector bore the brunt of the sell-off, dropping nearly 5%, led by double-digit losses in Axie Infinity (AXS). While Ethereum fell below $2,900, some assets showed resilience; notably, River (RIVER) surged 30% and Beam (BEAM) rose 19%, suggesting that despite the macro-level decline, specific project catalysts continue to drive isolated pockets of growth.

But what else is happening in crypto news today? Follow our up-to-date live coverage below.

The post [LIVE] Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for Jan. 26, 2026 – BTC Slumps 11% From Monthly High Below $87K Amid Market Wide Slump appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin dipped under $88,000 as Asia opened to mixed trade, with investors leaning into safety and pushing gold to a record above $5,000 an ounce.

In China, stocks moved in different directions. The Shanghai index rose 0.12%, and China A50 gained 0.49%, while the SZSE Component slid 0.74% and DJ Shanghai eased 0.09%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.04%.

Gold extended a rally that has reshaped the commodity market. Spot gold rose 1.79% to $5,071.96 an ounce by 0159 GMT after touching $5,085.50 earlier, and US gold futures for February delivery gained 1.79% to $5,068.70.

Market snapshot

• Bitcoin: $87,781, down 1.3%
• Ether: $2,867, down 2.6%
• XRP: $1.89, down 0.6%
• Total crypto market cap: $3.04 trillion, down 1.4%

Greenland Tariff Threat Rolled Back As Trade Risks Linger

Investors have treated the metal as a refuge through shifting policy expectations and geopolitical stress. Prices surged 64% in 2025, and they have gained more than 17% this year, supported by safe-haven demand, expectations of easier US monetary policy, central bank buying and ETF inflows.

President Donald Trump’s trade threats stayed in focus. He abruptly stepped back on Wednesday from threats to impose tariffs on European allies as leverage to seize Greenland, and he said over the weekend he would impose a 100% tariff on Canada if it followed through on a trade deal with China.

He has also threatened to hit French wines and champagnes with 200% tariffs in an apparent effort to pressure French President Emmanuel Macron into joining his “Board of Peace” initiative.

Some observers fear the board could undermine the United Nations’ role as the main global platform for conflict resolution, though Trump has said it will work with the UN.

US Futures Ease After Volatile Week Marked By Trade Risks

Currency markets also turned volatile. The yen jumped to more than a two-month high on speculation that coordinated intervention by US and Japanese authorities could be imminent, and Tokyo’s top currency diplomat left that prospect open while keeping markets guessing.

The yen rose as much as 1.2% to 153.89 per dollar, its strongest since November. The euro hit a four-month high of $1.1898 and was last up 0.4% at $1.18665, as traders trimmed dollar positions ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting and watched for a possible announcement by the Trump administration of a new Fed chairman.

Wall Street faces another busy week after a rocky stretch. US stock index futures fell modestly on Sunday evening as markets braced for the Fed decision on Wednesday and a wave of corporate earnings, after last week’s pullback tied to geopolitical strains and trade uncertainty.

The post Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Dips Under $88K, Gold Hits Record Above $5K As Yen Hits Two-Month Peak appeared first on Cryptonews.

Entropy, a decentralized crypto custody startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), is winding down and plans to return remaining capital to investors, according to founder and chief executive Tux Pacific.

Pacific wrote on X over the weekend, “I am winding-up Entropy.” They added, “After four years, several pivots, and two rounds of layoffs, I’ve decided to wind-up Entropy and return capital to our investors.”

Crypto Automation Bet Fell Short After Investor Feedback

The shutdown follows a late-stage push in 2025 to reposition the company around a crypto automations platform, which Pacific described as “basically n8n/zapier/etc for crypto,” with automated signing via threshold cryptography, secure computation using trusted execution environments, and “deep AI integrations.”

That product direction still failed to clear a venture-style growth bar. “After an initial feedback request revealed that the business model wasn’t venture scale, I was left with the choice to find a creative way forward or pivot once more,” Pacific wrote.

Entropy first drew attention in 2022 when it raised $25M in a seed round led by a16z crypto, with participation including Dragonfly Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Robot Ventures, Ethereal Ventures, Variant and Inflection. The company had earlier raised a $1.95M pre-seed round.

Founder Looks Beyond Digital Assets Toward Pharmaceuticals Research

At launch, Entropy pitched itself as a decentralized alternative to custody providers such as Fireblocks and Coinbase, leaning on cryptographic approaches like multi-party computation to let users control how funds could move, including rule-based constraints.

Pacific also thanked a16z crypto and Guy Wuollet for helping steer the wind-down, calling their guidance “invaluable.”

The closure lands in a tougher funding climate for early-stage crypto startups. Crypto venture deal count fell about 60% year-on-year in 2025, dropping to roughly 1,200 transactions from more than 2,900 in 2024.

Next, Pacific said they plan to step back before deciding what comes after Entropy. “My time in crypto might be coming to an end, as I feel myself drawn specifically into pharmaceuticals,” they wrote, adding they want to work on hormone delivery and validate research on new estradiol drug formulations.

The post a16z-Backed Crypto Custody Startup to Shut Down, Return Investor Funds appeared first on Cryptonews.

Tether emerged as the most profitable crypto entity in 2025, generating an estimated $5.2 billion in revenue as stablecoins overtook all other protocol categories in earnings.

According to the latest Coingecko annual crypto industry report, Tether alone accounted for 41.9% of all stablecoin-related revenue in 2025, outpacing competitors such as Circle, Hyperliquid, Pump.fun, Ethena, Axiom, Phantom, and PancakeSwap.

The results show that dollar-backed digital currencies have become the most durable revenue engine in crypto, even as market conditions fluctuated throughout the year.

Tether Leads Stablecoin Issuers To Capture Crypto Revenue Crown

Among more than 168 crypto protocols tracked in 2025, stablecoin issuers collectively generated the highest revenue, with Tether firmly at the center.

Its $5.2 billion haul placed it well ahead of Circle and other major players, reinforcing USDT’s position as the industry’s primary settlement asset.

Within the top ten revenue-generating protocols, just four entities, led by Tether and Circle, produced 65.7% of total earnings, equivalent to roughly $8.3 billion.

The remaining six protocols in the top ten were all trading-focused platforms, highlighting a sharp divide between stable revenue streams and market-dependent income.

That contrast became clear as trading revenues swung widely with investor sentiment during the year.

Phantom, for example, recorded $95.2 million in revenue in January at the height of the Solana meme coin frenzy, only to see earnings fall to $8.6 million by December as speculative activity cooled.

USDT Claims 60% Share Of $311B Stablecoin Market

The broader stablecoin market expanded rapidly, with total market capitalization rising by $6.3 billion in the fourth quarter alone to reach a record $311.0 billion.

That marked a 48.9% year-over-year increase, adding $102.1 billion as adoption accelerated across regions.

Tether maintained clear leadership with 60.1% of the total stablecoin market cap, or about $187.0 billion, followed by Circle’s USDC at 24.2%, equivalent to $72.4 billion.

Tether is now the world’s third-largest digital asset by market value at $186.8 billion, up roughly 50% from a year earlier.

While the top players strengthened their grip, shifts within the top five reflected changing risk appetites.

Ethena’s USDe experienced the sharpest reversal, with its market cap plunging 57.3%, or $6.5 billion, after a mid-October depeg on Binance undermined confidence in high-yield looping strategies.

Other stablecoins posted mixed but notable moves as capital rotated within the sector.

PayPal’s PYUSD surged 48.4%, adding $1.2 billion to reach $3.6 billion and briefly claiming the fifth spot before World Liberty Financial’s USD1 reclaimed it by nearly $1.

Additional high-growth tokens included Ripple’s RLUSD, which expanded 61.8% to add $488.2 million, and USDD, which climbed 76.9% with a $366.8 million increase.

Inside Tether’s $500B Valuation Path and Expanding Investment Empire

Looking ahead, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan recently suggested that Tether could become the world’s most profitable company if its trajectory continues.

“There’s a chance that many emerging market countries will convert from primarily using their own currencies to using USDT,” Hougan said, pointing to Tether’s near-total dominance outside Western markets.

Based on projected interest income, calculations indicate that custody of $3 trillion in assets could generate annual revenue exceeding the $120 billion earned by Saudi Aramco last year.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino previously told Cryptonews he remains confident USDT will retain its lead due to the company’s deep understanding of real-world usage.

Beyond stablecoins, Tether has expanded aggressively into traditional assets and investments.

The company recently became the second-largest shareholder in Italian football club Juventus and has reportedly explored raising $20 billion for a 3% stake, a deal that would imply a valuation near $500 billion and place Tether among the world’s most valuable firms.

The post Tether Posts Largest Crypto Revenue in 2025: $5.2B From Stablecoin Dominance appeared first on Cryptonews.

Scroll co-founder Ye Chen’s X account was hijacked in a sophisticated phishing operation where attackers posed as platform employees to target crypto industry figures.

The compromised account, which commands substantial influence among crypto leaders, began distributing fraudulent messages claiming copyright violations and threatening account restrictions unless users clicked on malicious links within 48 hours.

The hackers transformed Chen’s profile to mimic X’s official branding, updating the bio to reference Twitter and nCino while warning followers about security breaches.

The attackers flooded the feed with reposts from X’s verified accounts to enhance perceived legitimacy, then launched their phishing campaign via direct messages.

Sophisticated Attack Mirrors Growing Pattern

The breach follows established tactics where hackers exploit trusted accounts to distribute malicious links disguised as urgent platform notifications.

Recipients received messages appearing to come from X’s rights management team, complete with fake compliance warnings and time-sensitive appeals processes designed to create panic and bypass security awareness.

Blockchain security researcher Wu Blockchain first identified the compromise and alerted the community to ignore any communications from the account.

The warning emphasized particular concern given Chen’s extensive network of high-profile cryptocurrency executives, developers, and investors who might trust messages from his verified account.

The attack represents the latest escalation in social media compromises targeting crypto industry leaders, in which hackers increasingly leverage delegated account access and expired domain registrations to bypass security measures, including two-factor authentication.

Industry Faces Relentless Social Engineering Wave

BNB Chain’s official account suffered a similar breach in October when hackers posted fake reward programs with phishing links after Binance co-founder CZ warned followers against clicking suspicious content.

The compromised account promoted fraudulent BSC token distributions, promising early payouts to users who voted on reward dates through malicious URLs designed to drain digital wallets.

Binance co-CEO Yi He’s WeChat account was also hijacked in December to promote meme coin schemes, with attackers conducting a coordinated pump-and-dump operation around the token MUBARA.

Two wallets created hours before the breach accumulated 21.16 million tokens before dumping holdings as retail traders flooded in, netting attackers approximately $55,000 while leaving later buyers exposed to price collapse.

Among other notable accounts hacked were ZKsync and Matter Labs, which were compromised in May through what the team described as “delegated accounts” with limited posting privileges.

Hackers published false claims about an SEC investigation alongside fake airdrop promotions, triggering a 5% drop in the ZK token price despite a prior 38.5% weekly rally.

The prominent crypto media company, Watcher.Guru also confirmed its account breach in March after fake Ripple-SWIFT partnership claims spread across connected Telegram, Facebook, and Discord channels through automated content bots.

The team suspects the compromise originated from a suspicious link containing unusual query strings shared in their Telegram group weeks earlier.

Record Theft Year Exposes Escalating Threats

The crypto ecosystem witnessed over $3.4 billion stolen in 2025, according to Chainalysis’s 2026 Crypto Crime Report, with North Korean state-backed hackers accounting for a record $2.02 billion across fewer but increasingly sophisticated attacks.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea now represents 76% of all service compromises, bringing cumulative DPRK cryptocurrency theft to $6.75 billion since operations began.

Personal wallet compromises surged to 158,000 incidents affecting at least 80,000 unique victims, triple the 54,000 cases recorded in 2022.

Address poisoning scams drove December’s single-largest loss, when one victim transferred $50 million to a fraudulent wallet mimicking their intended destination, while private key leaks resulted in $27.3 million stolen from multi-signature wallets.

Personal Security Breaches Surge Across Platforms

Most recently, Ubuntu developer Alan Pope warned that attackers are hijacking Snap Store publisher accounts by registering expired domains linked to legitimate developers, then pushing malicious updates to previously trusted packages.

The technique exploits automatic update systems and established trust signals, with at least 2 confirmed cases of wallet-stealing malware distributed through seemingly normal applications.

Given these growing, multifaceted attack vectors, Better Business Bureau officials are warning consumers about phishing campaigns that lock X users out of their accounts and are subsequently used for cryptocurrency promotions.

Kentucky journalist Jennie Rees described receiving direct messages from apparent colleagues requesting contest votes, only to find her account posting fake Audi purchase claims tied to crypto earnings after clicking the malicious link.

The post Hackers Impersonate X Staff Using Compromised Scroll Founder Account appeared first on Cryptonews.

XRP is trading near $1.89–$1.91 as January draws to a close, holding a well-defined triple-bottom support around $1.88 after slipping below the $2.00 mark earlier this week. The pullback has coincided with ETF outflows and a sharp drop in trading volume, but price action suggests stabilization rather than renewed selling pressure.

With volatility compressing and buyers repeatedly defending the same demand zone, XRP is approaching a technical decision point that could define its next directional move.

ETF Outflows Ease Short-Term Momentum Without Breaking the Thesis

Short-term pressure has been driven largely by institutional flows. According to data reported by CryptoQuant, U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded their first weekly net outflows, totaling approximately $40.6 million toward the end of January. Trading volume has also declined sharply, with some estimates showing a 50%+ drop in 24-hour activity, signaling trader hesitation rather than aggressive selling.

That said, the flow data points to rotation and profit-taking, not abandonment. XRP remains one of the few large-cap tokens with clear regulatory positioning in the US, and earlier ETF inflows north of $1 billion underscore that institutional interest hasn’t disappeared. The current reset appears more about leverage clearing than confidence breaking.

Core Adoption Trends Remain Unchanged Despite Price Weakness

Fundamentally, Ripple’s long-term thesis remains unchanged. XRP continues to underpin on-demand liquidity (ODL) across Ripple’s global payments network, offering faster and cheaper settlement compared to legacy systems.

More than 300 financial institutions remain connected to RippleNet, and ongoing regulatory clarity following 2025 rulings continues to distinguish XRP from many peers.

While no major partnership headlines have emerged this week, the absence of negative ecosystem news reinforces the view that the current weakness is market-driven, not fundamental.

XRP Price Prediction: Volatility Shrinks at $1.90 – Breakout or Breakdown Ahead?

From a technical perspective, XRP price prediction remains cautiously neutral near term. On the 2-hour chart, price is stabilizing inside a descending channel, capped by a falling trendline near $1.95. XRP is trading below the 50-EMA and 100-EMA, while the 200-EMA near $1.99 continues to act as firm resistance.

Support is clearly defined between $1.88 and $1.85, where repeated long lower wicks suggest responsive buying. RSI has recovered into the mid-40s after oversold readings, indicating easing downside pressure. Volatility has contracted, forming a descending wedge, a structure that often resolves higher if support holds.

A successful break above $1.95 would expose $2.03–$2.06, signaling structural repair. Conversely, a decisive loss of $1.85 would open downside toward $1.80 and $1.77.

XRP Trade setup: Accumulate near $1.88–$1.85, target $2.03–$2.06, invalidation below $1.80.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013635 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post XRP Price Prediction: $1.88 Triple-Bottom Support as ETF Money Pulls Back – What’s Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

South Korean crypto exchanges recorded a 62% surge in stablecoin trading volumes as the won fell to multi-year lows against the dollar, prompting platforms to intensify marketing campaigns around dollar-pegged tokens.

According to The Korea Times, trading volume in Tether (USDT) across the nation’s five major won-based exchanges climbed to 378.2 billion won ($261 million) when the exchange rate exceeded 1,480 won per dollar last Wednesday, citing CryptoQuant data.

The spike follows mounting currency pressures that pushed the won through nine consecutive days of declines against the dollar, marking its longest losing streak since 2008, Bloomberg reported.

Major exchanges, including Korbit, Coinone, Upbit, and Bithumb, launched aggressive promotional campaigns centered on stablecoins, including USDC and USDe, waiving trading fees and distributing rewards to boost volumes during what industry officials described as a downturn in broader crypto markets.

Banks Slash Dollar Rates as Government Defends Currency

According to The Chosun Daily, South Korea’s major commercial banks slashed dollar deposit interest rates to near zero in response to government pressure to defend the exchange rate.

Shinhan Bank cut its annual rate from 1.5% to 0.1% starting January 30, while Hana Bank reduced rates from 2% to 0.05% for its Travelog Foreign Currency Account.

The coordinated move followed the authorities’ summoning of bank executives and their request that they “refrain from excessive marketing that encourages foreign currency deposits such as dollars.”

Banks responded by introducing incentives for won conversion, with Shinhan offering a 90% preferential rate for customers converting dollar deposits back to won, plus an additional 0.1 percentage point rate boost for those subscribing to won-term deposits afterward.

Dollar deposit balances at the five major banks fell 3.8% from month-end to 63.25 billion dollars as of January 22, marking the first decline after three consecutive months of surges.

Corporate deposits, which account for 80% of all dollar holdings, dropped sharply from 52.42 billion dollars at year-end to 49.83 billion dollars, suggesting that the authorities’ recommendation to sell dollars spot, combined with perceptions that the exchange rate had peaked, was driving the decline.

Individual dollar deposits grew at a significantly slower pace, rising just 109.64 million dollars, compared with the previous month’s 1.09 billion dollar surge.

Presidential Intervention Accelerates Won Stabilization

President Lee Jae-myung delivered a rare verbal intervention on the exchange rate during a January 21 press conference, stating authorities predicted the rate would drop to around 1,400 won within one to two months.

The won-dollar rate immediately fell from 1,481.4 won to 1,467.7 won following his remarks, closing at 1,471.3 won.

Market observers noted the unprecedented nature of a sitting president specifying both an exchange rate target and timeline, with Lee’s statement carrying significantly more weight than U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s earlier comment that the won’s recent decline was “inconsistent with Korea’s strong fundamentals.”

Meanwhile, demand for dollar exchange slowed as average daily won-to-dollar conversions reached 16.54 million dollars from January 1-22, while dollar-to-won conversions surged to 5.2 million dollars daily, significantly exceeding last year’s 3.78 million dollar average and indicating increased profit-taking.

In fact, according to CNBC, South Korea’s fourth-quarter GDP growth slowed to 1.5% year over year, missing economists’ forecasts of 1.9%, as construction investment shrank 3.9% and exports pulled back 2.1% from the previous quarter.

The won has lost nearly 2% against the greenback this year, making it one of Asia’s worst-performing currencies, while South Korean retail investors bought approximately 2.4 billion dollars of U.S. equities on a net basis through mid-January, up roughly 60% from the same period last year.

The broader economic slowdown comes as Seoul advances major crypto policy reforms despite regulatory gridlock over stablecoin governance.

Earlier this month, South Korea ended its nine-year corporate crypto trading ban, permitting listed companies to invest up to 5% of equity capital in top-20 cryptocurrencies, while lawmakers passed amendments to the Capital Markets Act and Electronic Securities Act establishing legal frameworks for tokenized securities trading beginning January 2027.

Korea Exchange Chairman Jeong Eun-bo pledged to launch spot Bitcoin ETFs and extend trading hours to 24/7 as part of efforts to eliminate the “Korea discount,” though comprehensive digital asset legislation remains stalled amid disputes between the Financial Services Commission and the Bank of Korea over stablecoin issuance rules.

The post Stablecoin Trading Surges 62% in Korea as Dollar Strengthens Against Won appeared first on Cryptonews.

GameStop has transferred its entire Bitcoin stash to Coinbase Prime, triggering fresh speculation that the video game retailer may be preparing to unwind its short-lived Bitcoin treasury strategy.

Blockchain analytics firm CryptoQuant flagged the move on Friday after identifying a wallet labeled as belonging to GameStop that sent all 4,710 BTC, worth roughly $420 million at current prices, to Coinbase’s institutional trading platform.

“GameStop throws in the towel?” CryptoQuant asked in a post on X, suggesting the transfer was “likely to sell.”

GameStop Faces Potential $75M–$85M Loss on Bitcoin Bet if Sold

If liquidated near recent market prices, the sale would lock in a sizable loss.

CryptoQuant estimates GameStop accumulated its Bitcoin in May at an average price of around $107,900 per coin, implying unrealized losses of roughly $75 million to $85 million, depending on execution price.

GameStop announced its Bitcoin purchase earlier this year after CEO Ryan Cohen met with Strategy chairman Michael Saylor in February to discuss corporate crypto treasury models.

At the time, the move aligned the meme-stock retailer with a growing group of public companies experimenting with digital assets as balance-sheet holdings.

Since the transfer, GameStop has not publicly confirmed whether it has sold or intends to sell the Bitcoin.

While moving funds to Coinbase Prime often precedes a sale, given the platform’s deep liquidity and execution tools, such transfers do not always signal imminent liquidation.

Coinbase Prime also provides custody and wallet management services through its regulated trust business, leaving open the possibility of an internal restructuring.

The timing has fueled debate. Corporate Bitcoin treasuries surged in popularity throughout 2024 and early 2025, but the model has faced growing scrutiny as crypto prices pulled back sharply in recent months.

Several firms that adopted similar strategies are now sitting on steep paper losses, prompting some to trim holdings to shore up balance sheets.

Ethereum-focused ETHZilla, for example, recently disclosed selling part of its Ether reserves to reduce debt.

Cohen Stock Purchase Lifts GameStop Shares as Bitcoin Questions Swirl

The transfer also coincides with renewed activity from Cohen himself.

A regulatory filing this week revealed the CEO purchased an additional 500,000 GameStop shares worth more than $10 million, helping push GME shares up over 3% on Thursday.

The stock move added another layer of intrigue, with some investors viewing the buy as a vote of confidence amid uncertainty around the company’s crypto exposure.

Despite the recent pressure, corporate crypto treasuries remain embedded in traditional markets.

Earlier this month, MSCI opted not to remove digital asset treasury companies from its indexes, a decision that spared firms like Strategy from potential billions in passive outflows.

The post GameStop Transfers $420M in Bitcoin to Coinbase, Sparking Exit Speculation appeared first on Cryptonews.

Support is growing for a Bitcoin proposal that would temporarily limit the amount of data embedded in transactions, as a debate over network spam and node decentralization intensifies.

Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110) is currently signaling support from 583 nodes, or about 2.38% of the network, according to data from The Bitcoin Portal.

Out of roughly 24,481 reachable nodes, those backing the proposal are primarily running Bitcoin Knots, an alternative node implementation often favored by operators critical of recent changes to Bitcoin Core.

BIP-110 Proposes One-Year Cap on Bitcoin Transaction Data

BIP-110 proposes a temporary soft fork that would reintroduce strict limits on transaction data at the consensus level.

Specifically, it caps transaction output sizes at 34 bytes and restricts OP_RETURN data, a script used to embed arbitrary information into transactions, to 83 bytes.

The soft fork is designed to last for one year, after which the limits could be extended, modified or allowed to expire.

The proposal emerged in response to changes introduced in Bitcoin Core version 30, released in October 2025.

That update removed the long-standing 83-byte limit on OP_RETURN data following a pull request first introduced earlier in the year.

The move was controversial and met with widespread criticism from parts of the Bitcoin community, which argued the change was made without sufficient consensus.

OP_RETURN has long been a flashpoint in Bitcoin governance debates. While it enables use cases such as timestamping and metadata anchoring, critics say uncapped data fields encourage blockchain spam and non-financial use of block space.

Larger data payloads increase storage and bandwidth requirements for nodes, raising concerns that running a full node could become cost-prohibitive for everyday users.

Critics of the Core update argue that higher hardware demands risk undermining one of Bitcoin’s defining features, which is the ability for individuals to verify the network using consumer-grade hardware.

As node operation becomes more expensive, they warn, the network could drift toward greater centralization.

Bitcoin educator Matthew Kratter compared unchecked data usage to a parasitic threat. He has argued that excessive spam could overwhelm the network’s underlying structure, weakening Bitcoin’s resilience over time.

BIP-110 Backers Frame Proposal as Temporary Fix

Supporters of BIP-110 see the proposal as a corrective measure rather than a permanent policy shift.

By making the soft fork explicitly temporary, its authors aim to give the network time to assess the impact of restored limits without locking Bitcoin into a long-term rule change.

Others remain unconvinced. Bitcoin Core contributor Jameson Lopp has defended the removal of OP_RETURN limits, arguing that artificial caps do little to deter spam and may instead push unwanted activity into other parts of the protocol.

From this view, market fees should determine how block space is used.

The post Proposal to Temporarily Cap Bitcoin Transaction Data Gains Support From 583 Nodes appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ethereum is trading in the $2,930–$2,950 range as of January 25, 2026, consolidating after a broader pullback from January highs above $3,400. The move lower reflects near-term macro caution and heavy ETF-related selling rather than a breakdown in network fundamentals.

With Bitcoin hovering near $89,000 and risk sentiment mixed, ETH has shifted into a range-bound phase where price is lagging underlying activity.

ETF Pressure Weighs on Price, Not Structure

Short-term pressure has largely come from spot ETH ETF outflows, which exceeded $600 million between January 20–23, led in part by a single-day $250 million exit from BlackRock’s ETHA. This selling has cooled momentum and kept ETH capped below the $3,000 handle.

However, the flow data points more toward rotation and profit-taking than institutional abandonment. On-chain tracking shows whales accumulating roughly $1 billion worth of ETH during the recent correction, while funding rates and open interest have reset from crowded long conditions. That combination suggests leverage is being flushed, not confidence.

On-Chain Activity Tells a Different Story

Beneath the price, Ethereum’s network activity remains strong. Daily active addresses have climbed toward 1.3 million, while transaction counts are holding between 1.9 million and 2.2 million per day.

Validator behavior reinforces this trend: exit queues are near zero, entry queues are rebuilding, and staking participation continues to rise, tightening circulating supply.

Low fees and improved efficiency post-upgrades are also driving sustained DeFi and app usage, reinforcing a “price weak, fundamentals firm” dynamic that has historically preceded larger trend moves.

Ethereum Rises Despite U.S.-Iran Tensions

On the geopolitical front, the tensions are rising between the U.S. and Iran as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns it is “more ready than ever” amid U.S. warships moving toward the Middle East. The warning comes after Iran’s recent crackdown on protests, which left thousands dead, and Trump has set strict red lines for military action, including preventing mass executions and violence against civilians.

Despite these geopolitical tensions, Ethereum (ETH) continues to rise. This shows that investors remain confident in Ethereum’s growth, likely supported by strong developments like the Ethereum Foundation prioritizing post-quantum security.

Ethereum Price Prediction: Compression Builds Near $2,950 as ETH Eyes Its Next Leg

Technically, Ethereum price prediction is bearish as ETH is holding above $2,850–$2,900, a key support zone aligned with prior demand and Fibonacci confluence. RSI remains subdued near 35–40, signaling caution but not capitulation.

A reset toward support followed by a reclaim of $3,060 would reopen upside toward $3,190–$3,400, while a clean break below $2,800 would risk a deeper retracement toward $2,700.

Looking ahead, Ethereum’s 2026 roadmap adds weight to the longer-term case. The upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade and later Hegota phase focus on scalability, efficiency, and sustainability, building on blob infrastructure progress and accelerating Layer-2 adoption.

With over 8.7 million new contracts deployed entering the year, analysts increasingly view 2026 as a potential breakout period if macro conditions stabilize.

Ethereum (ETH/USD) Trade setup: Accumulate near $2,850–$2,900, target $3,190–$3,400, invalidation below $2,700.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013635 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post Ethereum Price Prediction: $3,000 Rejected, But On-Chain Data Tells Another Story appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin is trading near $88,700 as markets weigh a pullback from $97K against rising regulatory clarity in the US, internal network debates, and shifting technical momentum. Senate crypto reforms, growing BIP-110 adoption, and rumors around GameStop’s BTC transfer have added noise, but price action suggests consolidation, not collapse. The $88K zone now stands as the key pivot for Bitcoin’s next directional move.

Bitcoin Governance Debate Resurfaces as BIP-110 Node Adoption Expands

Bitcoin’s long-running governance debate has resurfaced as adoption of Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110) edges higher. Roughly 2.38% of Bitcoin nodes are now running BIP-110, a temporary soft fork designed to limit non-monetary data, or “spam,” embedded in transactions.

The proposal restores restrictions on OP_RETURN data and output sizes that were loosened in recent Bitcoin Core updates.

The issue has divided the community. Critics argue that allowing excessive arbitrary data risks turning Bitcoin into a data-storage network, raising node costs and pushing out smaller, home-run operators, which could increase centralization. Supporters counter that usage should not be artificially limited and that existing spam filters are ineffective.

While the debate may create short-term noise, it has little direct price impact. Over time, efforts like BIP-110 reinforce Bitcoin’s decentralization, strengthening its credibility as resilient, trust-minimized money.

GameStop Moves 4,700 BTC to Coinbase Prime, Raising Sale Speculation

GameStop has moved its entire Bitcoin holding, roughly 4,710 BTC worth over $420 million, to Coinbase Prime, sparking speculation that a sale may be imminent. According to CryptoQuant, the company acquired its Bitcoin at an average price near $107,900, meaning a full exit at current levels around $90,800 would imply an unrealized loss of roughly $76 million.

Large transfers to institutional trading platforms often precede selling, but the move alone does not confirm liquidation. GameStop has not issued any public statement, leaving markets to interpret the intent.

The broader impact on Bitcoin appears limited. More than 190 publicly listed companies now hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets, underscoring continued institutional participation.

Even if GameStop were to exit, it would represent an isolated corporate decision rather than a shift in overall institutional confidence. Short-term volatility is possible, but longer-term demand remains intact.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Tests $88K Support as Breakout Pressure Builds

Bitcoin price prediction remains bearish as BTC is trading near $88,600, entering a corrective phase after failing to hold the $97,300 swing high earlier this month. On the 4-hour chart, price has slipped back into a rising channel that guided the move from the $83,800 low.

The rejection at channel resistance marked a momentum shift, reinforced by long upper wicks and a bearish engulfing candle that broke short-term support.

BTC is now testing a key confluence zone between $88,000 and $87,300, which aligns with prior demand and the lower boundary of the ascending channel. Recent candles show smaller bodies with lower wicks, suggesting selling pressure is easing rather than accelerating. However, price remains below the 50-EMA and 100-EMA, while the 200-EMA near $91,200 continues to cap rebounds, keeping near-term bias cautious.

RSI has rebounded from oversold levels near 30 and is stabilizing around 40–42, signaling balance but not strength. The structure resembles a descending flag within a broader uptrend. If $87,300 holds, a reclaim of $90,000 could open $92,400–$94,500. A clean break below risks $85,600.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) Trade Setup: Buy $87,500–$88,000, target $94,000, stop below $85,500.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013635 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC at $88K as BIP-110 Adoption and GameStop Fuel a Make-or-Break Zone appeared first on Cryptonews.

US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded their weakest performance in nearly a year, shedding $1.33 billion in net outflows during a shortened four-day trading week, according to data from SoSoValue.

The pullback marks the worst weekly showing since February 2025 and reflects a sharp reversal in investor sentiment after strong inflows the previous week.

The outflows follow a period of optimism, when spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $1.42 billion in net inflows.

Midweek Bitcoin ETF Outflows Surge as $709M Exits in Single Day

Selling pressure peaked midweek. Wednesday alone saw $709 million exit Bitcoin ETFs, making it the heaviest outflow day of the week.

Tuesday followed closely behind with $483 million in redemptions. Outflows eased toward the end of the week, with $32 million leaving on Thursday and $104 million on Friday.

The magnitude of the withdrawals echoes the turbulence seen in late February 2025, when Bitcoin ETFs lost $2.61 billion in a single week during a sharp market downturn.

That episode, often referred to by analysts as the “February Freeze,” coincided with Bitcoin’s drop from above $109,000 to below $80,000 and included a record $1.14 billion single-day outflow on Feb. 25.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by assets under management, posted outflows on all four trading days last week.

Data from SoSoValue shows the fund experienced its heaviest redemptions on Tuesday and Wednesday, accounting for a significant share of the overall decline.

IBIT currently holds about $69.75 billion in net assets, representing roughly 3.9% of Bitcoin’s total circulating supply.

Despite the recent pullback, the broader picture for spot Bitcoin ETFs remains positive.

Since their launch in January 2024, cumulative net inflows stand at $56.5 billion, with total net assets across all US spot Bitcoin ETFs reaching approximately $115.9 billion.

Ethereum ETFs were not spared from the broader risk-off move. Spot Ether ETFs posted $611 million in net outflows for the week, reversing the prior week’s $479 million inflow streak.

Wednesday was again the worst day, with $298 million redeemed, followed by $230 million on Tuesday.

Total net assets for Ether ETFs now sit around $17.7 billion, with cumulative inflows of $12.3 billion since their July 2024 debut.

Solana ETFs Defy Broader Sell-Off as Bitcoin, XRP Funds See Outflows

Not all crypto-linked funds followed the same pattern. Spot Solana ETFs continued to attract capital, recording $9.6 million in net inflows over the week, extending a multi-week positive trend.

Bitwise’s BSOL remained the category leader by assets. Spot XRP ETFs, meanwhile, saw mixed flows, ending the week with $40.6 million in net outflows after a sharp $53 million exit on Tuesday.

The ETF drawdowns come amid signs of shifting market dynamics on-chain. According to a CryptoQuant report, Bitcoin holders have begun realizing net losses for the first time since October 2023.

The firm noted the market has moved from a profit-taking phase into a loss-realization phase, with roughly 69,000 BTC in realized losses since Dec. 23, a pattern reminiscent of past transitions from bull to bear markets.

The post US Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Worst Week in One Year After $1.33B Outflows appeared first on Cryptonews.

Solana is trading near $126, slipping modestly over the past 24 hours but holding a price zone that traders are watching closely. While short-term price action reflects broader market caution, Solana’s underlying activity tells a very different story. Network usage, institutional interest, and upcoming protocol upgrades are all accelerating, creating a widening gap between price and fundamentals as the market heads deeper into 2026.

This divergence is shaping Solana’s near-term outlook and its longer-term investment narrative.

Solana Finds Balance Near $126 After January Pullback

Solana ended the session near $126.72, with daily trading volume around $2.74 bn and a market capitalization just under $72 bn, ranking the token #7 globally. The recent pullback follows a rejection near $147.50, with price now consolidating inside a defined support band between $124 and $127.

On the technical side, SOL remains below its 50-EMA near $134 and 200-EMA around $136, confirming that short-term momentum has cooled. However, candlestick behavior has shifted.

Recent sessions show smaller bodies and reduced downside follow-through, suggesting selling pressure is fading rather than accelerating. As long as $125 holds, the move looks corrective, not structural.

On-Chain Activity Remains Firm Despite Price Weakness

While price has softened, Solana’s network activity continues to expand at record speed.

Key on-chain metrics stand out:

• DEX volume reached $107 bn, surpassing Ethereum, Base, and BSC combined in recent periods
• Stablecoin transfer volume climbed to $312 bn, highlighting real payment and settlement use
• Active addresses surged to 27.1 million, up more than 50% week over week
• Staking participation hit all-time highs, signaling long-term confidence rather than speculative churn

These figures point to real demand rather than short-term trading flows, reinforcing Solana’s role as a high-throughput settlement layer.

Real-World Asset Tokenization Gains Momentum on Solana

Institutional adoption is quietly reshaping Solana’s positioning. Enterprise blockchain firm R3 is building Solana-native infrastructure focused on private credit and trade finance, while Coinbase completed full Solana chain integration, expanding liquidity access across major regions.

At the same time, Solana has crossed $1 bn in tokenized real-world assets, supported by flows tied to BlackRock’s BUIDL initiative and rising USDC velocity. This shift is reframing Solana from a speculative trading chain into an institutional-grade platform for tokenized finance.

Solana (SOL/USD) Technical Outlook: $125 Support Tested as $136 Comes Into Focus

From a price perspective, Solana price prediction seems bearish as SOL is testing a rising trendline that originates from December lows. RSI remains subdued near 38–40, reflecting caution but not exhaustion. A clean break below $124 would expose $120.90, while a reclaim above $131.50 would signal renewed upside toward $136 and $141.60.

Looking further ahead, the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade, targeting faster finality and expanded block capacity, reinforces Solana’s long-term thesis. If fundamentals continue to outpace price, the current range may prove to be a positioning phase rather than a peak.

Solana Trade idea: Buy near $124–$125, target $136, stop below $120.90.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013625 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post Solana Price Prediction: Why $126 Could Be the Calm Before SOL’s Next Surge appeared first on Cryptonews.

XRP is trading near $1.92, with 24-hour volume around $1.92 bn and a market cap of $116.6 bn, keeping it ranked #5 among cryptocurrencies. After January’s pullback, price has stabilized, pointing to a shift from active selling toward positioning. Recent sessions show XRP consolidating in a tight range, with buyers consistently stepping in around $1.88–$1.90.

That support has limited further downside while volatility narrows, putting focus on whether this consolidation resolves higher or gives way to renewed pressure.

RLUSD Gains Traction on Binance as XRP Liquidity and Institutional Use Expand

Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin RLUSD is quickly emerging as a key catalyst. On January 22, 2026, Binance listed RLUSD for spot trading, including an XRP/RLUSD pair, alongside a temporary zero-fee promotion. Initially launched on Ethereum, RLUSD’s upcoming integration with the XRP Ledger is expected to enhance settlement efficiency and on-chain activity.

The stablecoin’s regulatory positioning stands out:

• Approved by NYDFS and cleared by the OCC
• Designed for institutional and compliance-first use
• Positioned as a bridge between traditional finance and crypto rails

Analysts see this as a structural positive for XRP, as increased RLUSD usage ties liquidity flows more closely to the XRP ecosystem.

Leadership and Institutional Momentum: Why XRP’s Long-Term Case Is Strengthening

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse remains optimistic about 2026, pointing to regulatory progress and institutional demand as drivers for the next growth phase. He has highlighted momentum around US crypto legislation and framed regulatory clarity as a long-term unlock for enterprise adoption.

Beyond stablecoins, Ripple continues expanding its banking footprint. Recent partnerships, including DXC Technology’s integration with Ripple infrastructure, aim to support custody, payments, and tokenization for institutions managing trillions in assets. These developments reinforce XRP’s role beyond speculation, anchoring it in real financial use cases.

XRP Technical Outlook: $1.90 Support Tested as XRP Nears a Breakout Decision

Technically, XRP price prediction is neutral as XRP is compressing inside a symmetrical triangle, formed by lower highs from $2.40 and higher lows near $1.87. The 50-EMA around $1.97 caps short-term rallies, while the 200-EMA near $2.02 reinforces resistance. RSI near 48–50 signals balance rather than exhaustion.

A confirmed break above $1.96 could open a move toward $2.05–$2.15, while a loss of $1.88 would expose $1.83. Until then, XRP remains in decision mode.

XRP Trade setup: Buy on a confirmed break above $1.96, target $2.10–$2.15, stop below $1.88.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013625 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post XRP Price Prediction: Symmetrical Triangle at $1.90 – Breakout or Breakdown Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Ethereum Foundation has officially elevated quantum resistance to a top strategic priority with the formation of a dedicated Post Quantum team backed by $2 million in funding.

The new initiative comes as blockchain networks face mounting pressure to defend against quantum computing threats that industry experts increasingly warn could materialize within years rather than decades.

Ethereum researcher Justin Drake announced the team formation on Friday, revealing that Thomas Coratger will lead the effort alongside Emile, a core contributor to leanVM.

“After years of quiet R&D, EF management has officially declared PQ security a top strategic priority,” Drake said, adding that the foundation has been developing its quantum strategy since a 2019 presentation at StarkWare Sessions.

Foundation Commits Resources Across Multiple Fronts

The Ethereum Foundation is launching comprehensive defensive measures spanning research, development, and infrastructure testing.

Antonio Sanso will kick off bi-weekly All Core Devs Post Quantum breakout calls next month, focusing on user-facing security, including dedicated precompiles, account abstraction, and transaction signature aggregation with leanVM.

The foundation announced two $1 million prize competitions to strengthen cryptographic foundations.

The newly launched Poseidon Prize targets the hardening of the Poseidon hash function, while the existing Proximity Prize continues to drive hash-based cryptography research.

“We are betting big on hash-based cryptography to enjoy the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations,” Drake stated.

Multi-client post-quantum consensus development networks are already operational, with pioneer teams including Zeam, Ream Labs, PierTwo, Gean client, and Ethlambda working alongside established consensus clients Lighthouse, Grandine, and Prysm.

Weekly post-quantum interop calls, coordinated by Will Corcoran, are managing collaborative technical development across these diverse implementation teams.

The foundation will host a three-day expert workshop in October, bringing together top specialists from around the world, building on last year’s post-quantum workshop in Cambridge.

An additional dedicated post-quantum day is scheduled for March 29 in Cannes, ahead of EthCC, to create multiple forums for advancing research and coordination across the global Ethereum development community.

Industry Voices Split on Timeline Urgency

The quantum threat has divided blockchain leaders on both timeline predictions and strategic priorities.

Independent Ethereum educator sassal.eth called quantum computing “a very real threat for blockchains” that is “coming sooner than most people think,” praising the foundation’s defensive preparations.

Pantera Capital General Partner Franklin Bi predicted that traditional financial institutions will struggle with the transition to post-quantum cryptography.

“People are over-estimating how quickly Wall Street will adapt to post-quantum cryptography,” Bi said, adding that blockchain networks possess unique capabilities for system-wide upgrades at a global scale.

He argued that successful quantum resistance could transform select blockchains into “post-quantum safe havens for data and assets,” particularly as traditional systems face prolonged periods of vulnerability due to single points of failure.

Bitcoin community assessments remain sharply contested. Vitalik Buterin previously shared Metaculus data showing a median 2040 timeline for quantum computers breaking modern cryptography, with roughly a 20% probability before the end of 2030.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back has dismissed near-term concerns, claiming practical threats remain decades away and accusing critics of creating unnecessary market alarm.

Project ZKM contributor Stephen Duan acknowledged transition challenges while calling quantum resistance “inevitable,” noting that his team will soon upgrade multiset hashing to a lattice-based construction.

ZKsync inventor Alex Gluk also said the network’s Airbender prover is already “100% PQ-proof,” highlighting Ethereum’s unmatched ability to adapt to emerging threats while maintaining its position as the global financial settlement layer.

Foundation Plans Comprehensive Roadmap Release

The Ethereum Foundation will publish detailed strategic guidance on pq.ethereum.org covering full transition planning to achieve zero loss of funds and zero downtime over the coming years.

Drake highlighted recent artificial intelligence breakthroughs in formal proof generation, noting that specialized mathematics AI recently completed one of the hardest lemmas in hash-based SNARK foundations in a single eight-hour run costing $200.

The foundation is developing educational materials, including a six-part video series with ZKPodcast and enterprise-focused resources through EF Enterprise Acceleration.

Ethereum now has representation on the post-quantum advisory board, Coinbase announced this week, bringing together leading cryptography researchers to assess long-term blockchain security risks as quantum computing capabilities advance across government and private-sector development programs.

The post Ethereum Launches $2M Quantum Defense Team as Threat Timeline Accelerates appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin is trading near $89,500, locked in a tight range that reflects consolidation rather than weakness. While price action remains compressed, a series of institutional and regulatory developments this week is reshaping how the market views Bitcoin’s longer-term role.

South Korea’s $48M Bitcoin Custody Breach Raises Alarms

South Korean authorities are investigating the disappearance of roughly 70 bn won ($48 mn) worth of seized Bitcoin from official custody. The issue surfaced during a routine audit by the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, according to local reports.

Preliminary findings suggest the loss resulted from a phishing attack, after a staff member reportedly accessed a fake website, leading to leaked credentials. While details remain limited due to the ongoing investigation, the case has reignited debate around how governments store and protect confiscated digital assets.

Importantly, the incident does not reflect a failure of the Bitcoin network itself. Instead, it underscores weaknesses in human processes and custody frameworks. Long term, this type of breach may push governments toward stricter crypto custody standards, ironically strengthening institutional confidence rather than weakening it.

UBS Explores Crypto for Private Banking Clients

In a separate but related signal, UBS is reportedly evaluating plans to offer cryptocurrency investing to select private banking clients, beginning with Bitcoin and Ether for wealthy Swiss customers. According to Bloomberg, the bank is assessing third-party partners to support the rollout.

If successful, UBS could later expand the service into the US and Asia-Pacific, aligning with similar initiatives from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan. The move reflects growing demand among high-net-worth investors for crypto exposure through trusted, regulated institutions, rather than exchanges alone.

Bitwise’s Bitcoin-Gold ETF Signals Macro Thinking

Adding to the institutional theme, Bitwise Asset Management has launched the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF (BPRO) on the NYSE. Unlike spot Bitcoin ETFs, BPRO is actively managed and blends Bitcoin, gold, precious metals, and mining equities, with at least 25% allocated to gold at all times.

The fund carries a 0.96% expense ratio and targets long-term investors focused on capital preservation. By pairing Bitcoin with gold, Bitwise frames BTC as a macro hedge against currency debasement, not a speculative trade.

Bitcoin Price Forecast: $89,500 Range Tightens as Breakout Pressure Builds

Bitcoin is trading near $89,500, holding inside a narrowing range after a sharp rejection from the $97,000 peak earlier this month. On the 2-hour chart, price action points to compression rather than breakdown. BTC continues to defend the $87,300–$88,000 support band, an area repeatedly tested and protected by buyers.

Long lower candlestick wicks around this zone suggest sellers are struggling to gain follow-through, signaling thinning supply at lower levels.

From a structural view, Bitcoin remains anchored to a rising trendline that has guided price higher since the $83,800 low. While price briefly slipped below the 50-EMA and 100-EMA, it has stabilized near the 200-EMA, which is flattening instead of rolling over.

This behavior typically reflects a transition phase, not a confirmed trend reversal. The broader setup resembles a descending flag within an ascending channel, a formation that often resolves in the direction of the prevailing trend.

Momentum supports this outlook. RSI has rebounded from oversold levels near 30 and is now hovering around 48–50, signaling balance rather than renewed selling pressure. Recent candles show smaller bodies and reduced volatility, often seen before range expansion. If BTC dips, $87,400 remains key support. A push above $90,980 would open the path toward $92,400 and $94,250.

Trade setup: Buy near $88,000–$87,500, target $94,000, stop below $85,500.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013625 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Stuck at $89,500 – Are Korea’s Breach and UBS the Catalyst? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Las Vegas Valley businesses, from restaurant chains to small juice bars, are embracing Bitcoin payments as mainstream adoption accelerates, with companies avoiding credit card processing fees averaging 2.5% to 3.5% while tapping into a growing customer base actively seeking crypto-friendly merchants.

The shift follows Square’s November 2025 decision to enable roughly 4 million U.S. merchants to accept Bitcoin payments with zero processing fees through 2026.

According to Fox5Vegas, at Cane Juice Bar and Cafe on Rainbow near Windmill, district manager Tyler Peterson serves fresh-pressed sugar cane juice that customers can pay for with cash, card, or Bitcoin after eight months of crypto implementation.

“Bitcoin is getting very popular with mainstream people, not just the people that are actually into things like cryptocurrencies,” Peterson said, noting the payment option helps the business “move forward” while attracting new customers who specifically seek Bitcoin-accepting locations.

Small Business Growth Through Bitcoin Maps

Peterson confirmed customers who normally wouldn’t know about his shop come in specifically to use Bitcoin, with calls and inquiries arriving regularly.

“So actually some customers we have generated off of accepting Bitcoin,” Peterson said. “That Bitcoin map is helping us out a lot.”

Consumers can locate Bitcoin-accepting businesses through dedicated Bitcoin maps or Cash App’s directory feature, creating organic discovery channels for merchants willing to accept crypto payments.

Jeremy Querci, a Bitcoin consultant with Sovreign, explained that businesses accepting Bitcoin now range from medical practices to juice bars to children’s play places, with payment processing requiring just a few taps on a phone.

“At the time of checkout, you say you want to pay in Bitcoin and the business can bring up a QR code that you scan with your phone with any Bitcoin app,” Querci said, while Peterson asserted the technology will become progressively easier as “it’s the future.”

National Chains Lead Corporate Bitcoin Adoption

The momentum extends beyond small businesses into major restaurant chains, with Steak ‘n Shake announcing this week plans to pay all hourly employees at company-operated restaurants a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 for every hour worked starting March 1, with funds accessible after a two-year vesting period.

CEO Will Reeves positioned the move as part of the 91-year-old burger chain’s transformation into “a real bitcoin company, putting sound money into the hands of working Americans.“

Lightning Network payments enabled across all U.S. Steak ‘n Shake locations in mid-May 2025 brought transaction fee savings of nearly 50% compared with credit cards, alongside roughly 15% increases in same-store sales in the months following launch.

The rollout received public backing from Jack Dorsey, who enthusiastically endorsed the chain’s Bitcoin adoption plans when the company first polled followers about accepting crypto.

Infrastructure Advances Enable Mainstream Payments

Cash App rolled out Bitcoin Lightning payments and stablecoin transfers in November 2025, allowing eligible users to pay over the Lightning Network in seconds with no fee using either BTC or USD balances after scanning a Lightning QR code.

The app introduced Bitcoin Map, an in-app directory that helps customers find nearby Square merchants and other businesses accepting Bitcoin, enabling users to locate stores, get directions, and pay directly over Lightning at checkout.

Just yesterday, crypto payments firm Mercuryo partnered with Visa to enable near-real-time conversion of digital assets into fiat currency, allowing users to send proceeds directly to Visa debit and credit cards via Visa Direct.

“This partnership with Visa will further enhance Mercuryo’s ability to deliver a fast, low-cost user experience,” said Mercuryo co-founder and CEO Petr Kozyakov, noting the integration reduces friction historically associated with moving funds across borders or cashing out digital assets.

The corporate adoption mirrors explosive growth across the broader crypto payments landscape, with crypto card volumes surging from roughly $100 million monthly in early 2023 to over $1.5 billion by late 2025, representing a 106% compound annual growth rate, according to Artemis Analytics.

Annualized volumes now exceed $18 billion, while traditional peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers grew just 5% to $19 billion over the same period.

At the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading around $89,500, down roughly 5% over the previous week, as Bitcoin spot ETFs experienced steep outflows totaling $1.62 billion across four trading days amid compressed yields on basis trades that dropped below 5% from around 17% a year ago.

The post Las Vegas Businesses Ditch Credit Card Fees for Bitcoin Payments appeared first on Cryptonews.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has agreed to dismiss its enforcement case against Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, after investors in its defunct lending program recovered their crypto assets in full.

In a joint filing submitted Friday to federal court in Manhattan, the SEC and Gemini Space Station cited the complete repayment of assets to users of the Gemini Earn program through the Genesis Global Capital bankruptcy process.

The repayments were completed between May and June 2024, according to the court document.

SEC Drops Gemini Case After Earn Investors Made Whole

The regulator said the decision followed the “100 percent in-kind return” of crypto assets to affected investors, meaning customers received the same digital assets they had originally deposited rather than cash equivalents.

Based on that outcome, the SEC concluded that dismissing its claims against Gemini was appropriate.

The case stems from charges brought in January 2023, when the SEC accused Gemini Trust Company and Genesis Global Capital of offering unregistered securities through the Gemini Earn program.

Under the arrangement, Gemini users loaned their crypto to Genesis in exchange for yield, with Gemini acting as the platform intermediary.

At its peak, the Gemini Earn program held approximately $940 million in customer assets.

That balance was frozen in November 2022 when Genesis halted withdrawals amid broader market turmoil following the collapse of several major crypto firms.

Genesis later filed for bankruptcy, triggering months of negotiations among creditors, regulators, and counterparties.

Unlike many firms that failed during the 2022 crypto downturn, Genesis ultimately returned customer assets rather than liquidating holdings and distributing cash proceeds.

That outcome played a central role in the SEC’s decision to unwind its case against Gemini.

SEC Drops Gemini Case as Crypto Policy Softens and Exchange Grows

The dismissal comes amid a broader shift in the SEC’s approach to digital asset regulation under US President Donald Trump.

The administration has signaled a more accommodating stance toward the crypto sector, with Trump publicly pledging to support mainstream adoption of digital assets and ease regulatory pressure on the industry.

In its filing, the SEC stressed that the dismissal does not reflect its position on other crypto-related enforcement actions, underscoring that the decision was specific to the facts of the Gemini case.

The exchange has continued to expand its institutional footprint following the resolution of the Earn dispute.

Gemini made a high-profile debut on Nasdaq last year, reflecting renewed investor interest in regulated crypto platforms as the market rebounds. According to LSEG data, the company is currently valued at approximately $1.14 billion.

The post SEC Drops Enforcement Case Against Winklevoss-Founded Crypto Exchange Gemini appeared first on Cryptonews.

US authorities have arrested former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, ending a years-long international manhunt for a figure investigators describe as a major cocaine trafficker who relied on cryptocurrency to move and conceal illicit profits.

Wedding, 44, was taken into custody in Mexico late Thursday and transferred to the United States on Friday, according to US officials.

The former athlete, who competed for Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had been listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives, with a reward of up to $15 million offered for information leading to his capture.

Former Olympic Snowboarder Faces US Charges in Global Drug Case

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wedding, whom she described as a “onetime Olympian snowboarder-turned alleged violent cocaine kingpin,” will face federal charges in the US related to drug trafficking, murder, and operating a criminal enterprise spanning multiple countries.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest in a post on X, crediting cooperation with Mexican authorities for locating Wedding after more than a decade on the run.

Investigators allege that Wedding played a senior role in cocaine distribution networks tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, overseeing shipments from Colombia into the United States and Canada.

According to US officials, the operation generated more than $1 billion annually in illegal proceeds at its peak.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Wedding in November, accusing his organization of using cryptocurrency to move and launder drug profits.

In its notice, the Treasury said digital assets were used to obscure the flow of funds and conceal large sums derived from narcotics trafficking.

Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said Wedding voluntarily surrendered at the U.S. Embassy before being handed over to the FBI.

Patel later told reporters that Wedding had been hiding in Mexico for over 10 years and was believed to be under cartel protection.

Wedding arrived Friday at Ontario International Airport in Southern California, where federal officials held a press conference following his transfer.

Authorities said they seized firearms, luxury vehicles, artwork, and other assets connected to the alleged criminal enterprise, and indicated further arrests may follow as the investigation continues.

Ryan Wedding’s Earlier Cocaine Case Predates Latest US Charges

This is not Wedding’s first encounter with US law enforcement. In 2008, he was arrested in California in a cocaine trafficking sting involving a Vancouver-based operation.

He was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to four years in prison, before being released around 2011.

The arrest comes as crypto-related crime remains a growing concern. According to Chainalysis, illicit cryptocurrency addresses received a record $154 billion in 2025, a sharp increase from the year before.

In another case, US prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, with stealing roughly $16 million in cryptocurrency from around 100 Coinbase users through an alleged phishing and social engineering scheme.

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