Bitcoin may be holding slightly below $90,000, but data imply that the $100K year-end target is still alive as analysts point out that three Bitcoin Price Prediction indicators are flashing a green signal.

The 3-Key Drivers For Bitcoin $100k Year-end Target

The first and most critical driver is the shift in Federal Reserve monetary policy.

After months of reducing liquidity through quantitative tightening, where the central bank stopped reinvesting proceeds from maturing bonds and Treasury holdings, the Fed ended this program on December 1.

Markets are now positioning for an easing cycle.

Data from the CME FedWatch Tool reveals that traders see an 87% likelihood of a rate reduction at the upcoming Wednesday meeting, with three additional cuts anticipated by September 2026.

This policy shift comes as tech sector borrowing costs rise amid substantial AI infrastructure debt, creating conditions where investors may seek alternative stores of value.

The combination of these factors could provide the momentum needed for Bitcoin to cross the six-figure threshold in the coming weeks.

The second driver is liquidity structure.

According to order-book data from CoinGlass, Bitcoin currently has two significant liquidity clusters: the downside liquidity around $90,000, which is currently being tested, and upside liquidity near $94,500.

If the latter is breached, a rally toward $100,000 becomes highly probable.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Rising Channel Points to $100k Breakout

The third driver comes from technical analysis, which suggests a $100,000 recovery if BTC breaches the $95,000 resistance.

The 4-hour chart shows Bitcoin trading inside a rising channel, though the latest rejection near mid-range has pushed price back toward the lower trendline.

The key support level holding the structure together is $84,000. If BTC stays above that line, the overall channel remains intact, and a rebound toward $95,000 resistance becomes likely.

A breakout above $95,000 would flip the structure bullish and open the path toward the $100,000 region, the next major liquidity target.

However, RSI has cooled off sharply and is leaning bearish, indicating weakened momentum.

If Bitcoin loses $84,000, the rising channel breaks down, and price could slide toward longer-term support around $80,000.

Maxi Doge Presale Gains Traction

While Bitcoin awaits bullish confirmation, Maxi Doge (MAXI) is emerging as a notable Ethereum-based meme coin with ambitions to replicate Dogecoin’s success story.

MAXI is channeling the community-driven energy that propelled DOGE from $0.00008547 in 2015 to its current $0.138 price, a remarkable +161,800x gain.

While replicating that exact trajectory may be ambitious, analysts believe Maxi Doge can deliver a modest 10-50x return for early adopters.

MAXI has now raised over $4.2 million and is building a vibrant community where holders share trading setups, early opportunities, and alpha insights.

Beyond the meme appeal, 25% of raised funds will be deployed into high-potential plays, with profits reinvested directly into marketing to fuel exponential growth and community rewards.

To join the presale at the current $0.0002715 price, visit the official Maxi Doge website.

Then connect an Ethereum-compatible wallet like Best Wallet, and pay with ETH, BNB, or USDT.

You can swap existing crypto or use a bank card to invest in seconds.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Year-End $100K Target Alive – Here Are the Three Drivers That Matter appeared first on Cryptonews.

MetaMask, the most widely used Ethereum wallet, is moving directly into the prediction market arena through a new integration with Polymarket, giving users the ability to trade event outcomes from inside their wallets.

“You can now trade on the future outcome of real world events inside your wallet,” Consensys’ Gabriela Helfet wrote, adding that users will also earn MetaMask Rewards points for every prediction placed.

MetaMask Becomes New Gateway to Polymarket With One-Tap Funding

The integration creates a new on-ramp for Polymarket and introduces “one tap funding,” allowing users to deposit with any token from any EVM-compatible chain.

The move further tightens the link between everyday crypto wallets and decentralized betting platforms, positioning MetaMask as a gateway not only to Web3 apps but also to real-world event speculation.

Polymarket has surged in popularity over the past year, fueled in part by heightened attention during the 2024 US election cycle.

Former President Donald Trump’s embrace of crypto and a more relaxed regulatory climate helped push the platform back into the US market.

The company is now reportedly exploring a valuation of up to $15 billion, following a $2 billion strategic investment from Intercontinental Exchange, the parent of the NYSE.

For MetaMask, the move comes as the wallet expands beyond its Ethereum-focused roots. In October, it launched multichain accounts that support both EVM and non-EVM networks, including Solana.

The wallet is also preparing for the rollout of a native MASK token, as parent company Consensys gears up for a potential IPO.

The move comes as Polymarket is recruiting staff for an internal market-making team that would trade against its own customers, mirroring a controversial feature already used by rival Kalshi that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.

As reported, the New York-based prediction market startup has approached traders, including sports bettors, to join the new unit, people familiar with the matter said, requesting anonymity because the plans remain private.

Prediction Markets Hit $13B in Record Activity

Prediction markets have crossed $13 billion in cumulative trading volume, marking a record high even as broader crypto markets cool.

The surge has drawn in major players across tech and finance, including Fanatics, Coinbase, and MetaMask, all of which have recently launched or expanded event-trading platforms.

Against this backdrop, YZi Labs, the venture firm founded by Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, has been intensifying its involvement in the sector.

YZi-backed Opinion has emerged as one of the most surprising breakout platforms. Launched on BNB Chain in October, it recorded nearly $1.5 billion in weekly trading volume within its first month, briefly overtaking established names such as Kalshi and Polymarket.

Meanwhile, prediction markets platform Kalshi has secured a major media breakthrough after signing a partnership with CNN, making the company the network’s official prediction markets partner while closing a $1 billion funding round at an $11 billion valuation.

The post MetaMask Enters Prediction Markets With Polymarket Integration appeared first on Cryptonews.

CoinShares head of research James Butterfill has dismissed insolvency concerns surrounding Tether following warnings from BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes, who claimed a 30% drop in the stablecoin issuer’s Bitcoin and gold holdings could wipe out its equity.

Butterfill’s December 5 market update affirmed that Tether maintains over $181 billion in total reserves against roughly $174.45 billion in liabilities, leaving a surplus of approximately $6.78 billion.

The dismissal comes as crypto markets navigate turbulence in Japanese government bonds and softer US employment data that showed a -32,000 print versus forecasts of +10,000.

Hayes sparked controversy on November 30 by arguing Tether is “running a massive interest rate trade” that positions the company for Federal Reserve rate cuts while exposing it to dangerous volatility through its $22.8 billion allocation to gold and Bitcoin.

Tether CEO Counters Insolvency Claims with Financial Data

CEO Paolo Ardoino swiftly refuted Hayes’s assessment with detailed disclosures showing Tether Group’s total assets reach approximately $215 billion.

The executive explained that the company holds roughly $7 billion in excess equity on top of its stablecoin reserves, plus another $23 billion in retained earnings as part of Tether Group equity.

Bitcoin and gold represent just 12.6% of total reserves, with over 70% held in short-term U.S. Treasuries.

“S&P made the same mistake of not considering the additional Group Equity nor the ~$500M in monthly base profits generated by U.S Treasury yields alone,” Ardoino stated, suggesting critics are “either bad at math or have the incentive to push our competitors.“

The company generated more than $10 billion in profit this year from interest income on reserve assets, making it one of the most efficient cash-generating businesses globally with just 150 employees.

His defense followed S&P Global’s November 26 downgrade of USDT’s peg-stability rating from 4 to 5, citing increased exposure to “high-risk” assets and “persistent gaps in disclosure.”

Ardoino responded defiantly, declaring, “We wear your loathing with pride,” while positioning Tether as “the first overcapitalized company in the financial industry, with no toxic reserves.”

The rating action carries profound implications under MiCA regulations, which prohibit USDT from EU exchanges with a “5” rating, potentially shifting institutional liquidity toward competitors like Circle’s USDC.

Industry Veterans Challenge Hayes’s Fundamental Analysis

Joseph Ayoub, former head of digital asset research at Citi, noted Hayes overlooked critical distinctions between Tether’s disclosed reserves and total corporate holdings.

The analyst explained that Tether maintains a separate equity balance sheet comprising mining operations and corporate reserves that aren’t publicly reported under the company’s “matching philosophy” for reserve disclosure.

“Tether isn’t going insolvent, quite the opposite; they own a money printing machine,” Ayoub concluded, pointing to the company’s roughly $120 billion in interest-yielding Treasuries generating approximately 4% returns since 2023.

Banks operate on significantly lower fractional reserves of 5-15% in liquid assets compared to Tether’s overcollateralized structure. However, traditional institutions benefit from central bank lender-of-last-resort support that Tether lacks.

Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise Invest, characterized Tether’s structure as “better than fractional banking reserves,” while CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju dismissed Hayes’s warning as motivated by trading position management.

Former FT Alphaville editor Izabella Kaminska offered a deeper structural analysis, suggesting Tether’s thick equity buffer and retained earnings model creates “a capital structure that looks a lot like the banking model academic Anat Admati advocates: much thicker equity buffers, far less leverage, and minimal maturity mismatch.“

Kaminska noted that if Tether’s depositor base proves willing to redeem directly in gold during stress situations, the metal becomes “the natural last-resort funding asset for its shadow/grey exposures and a hard-asset substitute for the lender-of-last-resort support that banks get from central banks.”

This cross-border redemption channel operates without dependence on synchronized regulatory frameworks.

The controversy emerges as Tether expands beyond stablecoin issuance into commodity trade lending, having deployed approximately $1.5 billion in credit across oil, cotton, wheat, and agricultural markets.

The company’s Q3 attestation showed USDT issuance increased by more than $17 billion during the quarter, lifting circulating supply above $174 billion, with October figures surpassing $183 billion.

The post CoinShares Debunks Tether Collapse Fears After Hayes Warning appeared first on Cryptonews.

Federal prosecutors are demanding a 12-year prison sentence for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon for orchestrating the fraud that triggered TerraUSD’s catastrophic $40 billion collapse in 2022.

According to Bloomberg, the government described Kwon’s crimes as “colossal in scope” in a Thursday filing before US District Judge Paul Engelmayer, pointing to cascading market failures that ultimately contributed to FTX’s downfall.

Kwon will face sentencing on December 11, with his own legal team requesting just five years behind bars.

The 34-year-old South Korean entrepreneur pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy and wire fraud charges under an agreement capping prosecutorial recommendations at 12 years.

However, the statutory maximum reaches 25 years for his role in the algorithmic stablecoin fraud.

Prosecutors Highlight Systemic Market Damage

The Justice Department’s sentencing memorandum emphasizes that Kwon’s fraudulent statements to customers triggered a chain reaction across cryptocurrency markets.

Prosecutors specifically cited the collapse’s contribution to Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX implosion as evidence of broader systemic damage beyond Terra’s immediate investor losses.

Kwon admitted in court that between 2018 and 2022, he “knowingly agreed to participate in a scheme to defraud purchasers of cryptocurrencies” from Terraform Labs.

He acknowledged making false statements about TerraUSD’s peg restoration mechanisms and concealing Jump Trading’s secret role in propping up the stablecoin during a May 2021 depeg event that foreshadowed the larger catastrophe.

The timing carries added significance, as the Trump administration has largely eased the tough-on-crypto enforcement actions, as the Biden administration did before.

Most recently, President Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao on October 23 after his conviction for anti-money laundering program failures at the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Although the administration defended the pardon, claiming it was reviewed “with the utmost seriousness.”

Defense Cites Montenegro Detention and Dual Prosecution

Kwon’s attorneys argue that nearly three years in what they describe as “brutal conditions in Montenegro” should factor heavily into sentencing calculations.

His legal team emphasizes that more extended imprisonment proves “far greater than necessary” to achieve justice, particularly given the substantial punishment already endured during extended foreign detention.

The defense filing highlights Kwon’s agreement to forfeit over $19 million and multiple properties under the plea deal reached with prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.

His lawyers further note that Kwon still faces trial in South Korea for identical conduct, where prosecutors are seeking a 40-year prison term that creates additional consequences warranting consideration in the American sentence.

Prosecutors notably aren’t pursuing restitution from the millions of investors who lost $40 billion, citing the excessive complexity of determining individual losses across global markets.

US authorities have indicated they will support Kwon serving the second half of his sentence in South Korea if he complies with the plea terms and qualifies under international transfer programs.

Sentencing Disparities Raise Deterrence Questions

The contrasting approaches to major crypto fraud cases have sparked debate over the consistency of punishment.

Bankman-Fried received 25 years, plus an $11 billion restitution order, after a trial conviction on all counts, though recent reports indicate that four years were later reduced from that sentence.

Kwon’s guilty plea significantly reduced his exposure despite Terra’s larger $40 billion loss compared to FTX’s $8 billion fraud.

Legal experts note that federal sentencing guidelines for fraud at Terra’s magnitude would typically suggest advisory ranges approaching life imprisonment before statutory caps, making Kwon’s five-year request face steep odds.

The Judge handling his case, Engelmayer, is known for the strict handling of financial fraud cases, and most observers expect sentences of 15 to 20 years, given the massive victim impact.

The December 11 hearing will determine whether cooperation through guilty pleas significantly reduces punishment compared to trial convictions, as in Bankman-Fried’s case.

Kwon was arrested in Montenegro in March 2023 while traveling under a fake passport, triggering a lengthy extradition battle between US and South Korean authorities.

He spent nearly two years detained in the Balkan nation before being sent to America in January, where his case became one of the most closely watched legal battles in cryptocurrency’s brief history.

The post Do Kwon Sentencing: US Wants 12 Years for Terra’s $40 Billion Crash appeared first on Cryptonews.

A newly introduced bill in Indiana would require public retirement programs to offer Bitcoin-related investment options and would also limit how much power local governments have to restrict the use of digital assets.

The proposal was filed on Thursday by State Representative Kyle Pierce, a Republican from Anderson. Known as House Bill 1042, the legislation was presented during a meeting of the House Financial Institutions Committee.

It focuses on giving public workers access to cryptocurrency investments while setting clear legal boundaries around digital asset use, custody, payments, and mining.

Indiana Targets First-in-the-Nation Mandate for Bitcoin in Public Pensions

Under the bill, administrators of several state-run retirement and savings plans would be required to include cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds as standard investment choices.

It would also permit certain public pension funds to invest directly in crypto-linked ETFs and give the state treasurer authority to place funds from specific accounts into stablecoin-based ETFs.

Pierce said the bill is designed to give Indiana residents more financial flexibility as digital assets become a larger part of the broader economy.

He added that the legislation is intended to balance investment choice with regulatory guardrails while allowing the state to explore potential government use of blockchain technology through pilot programs.

The legislation goes beyond retirement investing and takes aim at local regulation. Cities and counties would be prohibited from passing rules that place “unreasonable” limits on digital assets if similar rules do not apply to traditional financial activity.

That protection would extend to crypto payments, private ownership of digital wallets, and mining operations.

The bill adds clear safeguards for self-custody. It states that private digital asset keys could only be demanded through a court order and only when no other legal method of access is available.

It would also prevent local governments from zoning out mining facilities from industrial zones and would protect properly zoned residential mining activity.

If enacted, Indiana would become the first state in the country to require publicly managed retirement programs to provide Bitcoin exposure as a standard option.

While some states permit limited crypto investment flexibility, none currently mandate it.

U.S. States Expand Crypto Access in Pensions, Payments, and Property Laws

Other states have taken related but narrower steps. Oklahoma passed a law in 2024 protecting residents’ right to hold crypto in self-custody wallets and blocking special taxes on Bitcoin transactions.

In 2025, Kentucky followed by formally recognizing self-custody as a protected property right. Wyoming has also approved laws that allow public pension funds to invest in digital assets.

Elsewhere, Arizona introduced legislation that would allow Bitcoin ETFs in retirement accounts, while Florida outlined legal pathways for holding digital assets through ETFs in certain state funds.

Indiana’s proposal stands apart by making crypto ETF access a requirement rather than a choice.

Momentum around crypto-linked retirement exposure continues to build nationwide. In August, Michigan’s state retirement system tripled its Bitcoin ETF holdings to 300,000 shares, valued at about $11.4 million, according to regulatory filings.

The fund also holds roughly $13.6 million in Ethereum through the Grayscale Ethereum Trust. Wisconsin’s state investment board has also disclosed more than $387 million in Bitcoin ETF exposure.

States are also widening their use of digital assets outside of investing. In September, Ohio finalized plans to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for official state payments.

In October, California updated its Unclaimed Property Law to ensure dormant crypto is not automatically converted into cash when

transferred to state custody.

New York City has taken its own steps by setting up a municipal Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain.

The move followed an executive order from Mayor Eric Adams aimed at coordinating crypto policy and encouraging blockchain development.

At the federal level, broader regulatory efforts are also underway. Lawmakers are preparing new frameworks that could shape how states approach crypto policy, including updated guidance on 401(k) crypto exposure expected in 2026.

The post Indiana Bill Would Mandate Bitcoin in Pensions and Shield Self-Custody Rights appeared first on Cryptonews.

Strategy CEO Phong Le says the company’s newly built $1.44 billion cash reserve is designed to quiet investor anxiety over its ability to withstand a sharp downturn in Bitcoin.

Speaking on CNBC’s Power Lunch, Le said the move followed weeks of speculation about whether the firm could continue meeting its dividend and debt commitments if market conditions worsened.

“We’re very much a part of the crypto ecosystem and Bitcoin ecosystem,” Le said. “Which is why we decided a couple of weeks ago to start raising capital and putting US dollars on our balance sheet to get rid of this FUD.”

Strategy Builds Cash Buffer to Avoid Selling Bitcoin in Market Slump

The reserve, announced Monday and funded via a stock sale, is intended to secure at least 12 months of dividend payments, with plans to stretch that buffer to 24 months.

The company emphasized that the stock-funded buildup gives Strategy breathing room without having to sell any Bitcoin during a turbulent period for the market.

Concerns over Strategy’s dividend stability had grown louder in recent weeks as Bitcoin retreated from its highs.

Le acknowledged the market chatter but dismissed it as exaggerated. “We weren’t going to have an issue paying dividends, and we weren’t likely going to have to tap into selling our Bitcoin,” he said.

“But there was FUD that was put out there that we wouldn’t be able to meet our dividend obligations, which causes people to pile into a short Bitcoin bet.”

The CEO said raising $1.44 billion in just eight and a half days was intended as a direct response, showing the firm can still attract capital even in a downcycle.

“We did it to address the FUD, and to show people we’re still able to raise money when Bitcoin is under pressure.”

Last week, Le said Strategy would only consider selling Bitcoin if the stock dropped below net asset value and the company lost the ability to raise additional funds.

Strategy has also introduced a new “BTC Credit” dashboard, which it says shows the company holds enough assets to service dividends for more than 70 years.

Strategy Adopts Dual-Reserve Model as BTC Buying Slows

As reported, Strategy has shifted from its long-standing “buy Bitcoin at all costs” approach to a dual-reserve treasury model that pairs long-term BTC holdings with a growing dollar buffer.

The move follows a dramatic slowdown in the firm’s accumulation pace, from 134,000 BTC per month at its 2024 peak to just 9,100 BTC in November, signaling preparation for a potentially prolonged bear market.

Despite the slowdown, the company remains one of the world’s largest Bitcoin holders, with roughly 650,000 BTC on its balance sheet.

The post Strategy CEO Says $1.44B Cash Reserve Aims to Calm Bitcoin-Slump Fears appeared first on Cryptonews.

Strive, a Nasdaq-listed firm and the 14th-largest public holder of Bitcoin, is pushing back against MSCI’s plan to remove companies with significant digital-asset exposure from its global indexes.

In a letter addressed to MSCI chairman and CEO Henry Fernandez, the company warned that the proposal, which would exclude firms whose crypto holdings exceed 50% of total assets, risks shutting passive investors out of fast-growing corners of the market.

JPMorgan Warns Strategy Could Lose $2.8B Under MSCI Proposal

JPMorgan analysts recently cautioned that Strategy, a prominent Bitcoin treasury company included in the MSCI World Index, could face as much as $2.8 billion in losses if the exclusion moves forward.

Strategy’s chair, Michael Saylor, has confirmed that discussions with MSCI are ongoing as the company attempts to head off the decision.

Strive CEO Matt Cole argued that the proposal misunderstands the role large Bitcoin-focused firms play in emerging industries, particularly artificial intelligence.

He noted that miners such as MARA Holdings, Riot Platforms, and Hut 8, all potential exclusion targets, are rapidly expanding into AI infrastructure by retooling data centers for high-intensity compute workloads.

“Many analysts argue that the AI race is increasingly limited by access to power, not semiconductors,” Cole wrote, adding that miners are uniquely positioned to meet those needs.

Even as AI revenue increases, he said, companies will continue holding sizable Bitcoin reserves, meaning MSCI’s exclusion would permanently wall off a sector positioned at the intersection of digital assets and next-generation computing.

Cole also pointed to the rising demand for Bitcoin-linked financial products. Firms such as Strategy and Metaplanet function similarly to banks offering structured BTC notes, providing equity-based access to Bitcoin performance without requiring investors to hold the asset directly.

Excluding these treasury companies, he argued, would give traditional financial institutions, including JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, an uneven playing field, as index-linked capital would become biased against firms whose business models center on Bitcoin exposure.

Strive Says MSCI’s 50% Rule Would Cause Index “Whiplash”

Strive further challenged the practicality of MSCI’s 50% threshold, noting that tying index eligibility to a volatile asset would cause companies to drift in and out of benchmarks, increasing tracking errors for funds that follow them.

Cole highlighted Trump Media & Technology Group as an example. Despite holding one of the largest public Bitcoin treasuries, it narrowly avoided MSCI’s preliminary exclusion list because its BTC exposure currently sits just under the cutoff.

Instead of a blanket rule, Strive proposed a parallel “ex-digital asset treasury” version of MSCI’s indexes.

This would allow asset managers who wish to avoid crypto-heavy companies to do so, while others could maintain exposure to the full investable universe.

MSCI has not yet indicated whether it will revise its proposal, but industry pressure is mounting as treasury-heavy firms await a final decision.

The post Strive Urges MSCI to Scrap Proposal Excluding Major BTC Holders appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto market has dipped by 1.5% today, as investors remain nervous ahead of the Federal Reserve’s next FOMC meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are down by just under 2% in 24 hours, while XRP and Solana have suffered falls of around 4%.

Yet the market’s total capitalization ($3.2 trillion) has risen by 5.5% since Tuesday and by 7% since November 23, as the mood warms after a period of AI-bubble-related fears.

Now may therefore be a very good time to buy again, just as coins begin regaining strength, but before they rise too much.

We’ve therefore picked the best altcoin to buy now, a new ERC-20 token called PEPENODE ($PEPENODE) that’s aiming to make mining much more accessible.

Best Altcoin to Buy Now – 5 December

PEPENODE’s approach to mining is simple: give users the ability to build their own virtual mining rigs, which they can run in order to earn rewards in external tokens, such as Fartcoin and Pepe (it will add other coins in the future).

Users can build their rigs by spending PEPENODE tokens to buy more virtual nodes, which they can upgrade and combine in order to earn more mining rewards.

The more nodes they have and the more they’ve upgraded them, the more rewarding PEPENODE’s mining system will be for users.

This creates a huge incentive to acquire more PEPENODE, which users can also stake for a passive income, with its current APY at 570%.

Demand for the new token could therefore be substantial, pushing its price up over time.

What’s also attractive about PEPENODE’s mining system is its flexibility: users can make their mining rigs as large as they like, but they can also sell off their nodes if they wish to scale down.

Such features help to explain why the coin is already proving so popular, with its presale having raised $2.27 million.

This is a very positive figure for such a new token and offers some sign of its future potential.

How to Join the PEPENODE Presale Before It Ends

Investors can tap into this future potential by going to the official PEPENODE website, where the coin is currently selling $0.0011778.

This price will rise later today and will continue to rise until the sale enters its final phase, just before PEPENODE lists.

Potential buyers should therefore act quickly, since the available signs suggest that PEPENODE has the potential to be one of 2026’s biggest new alts.

It will have a max supply of 210 billion PEPENODE, with allocations divided between node rewards, liquidity, development, marketing, and its treasury.

Its unique mining system is the main reason why it’s our best altcoin to buy now, and its upcoming launch could coincide with a major market recovery and rally.

Visit the Official Pepenode Website Here

The post Best Altcoin to Buy Now – 5 December appeared first on Cryptonews.

A prominent Cardano supporter just warned the community that the layer-2 scaling solution Hydra may not be as safe as they think. Are investors’ funds at risk, and does this justify a bearish Cardano price prediction?

In a lengthy X post, a pseudonymous user named YODA, known for his support of the Cardano network for years, highlighted a potential flaw in the design of Hydra. This technical weakness would supposedly allow node operators to have a say on what happens with users’ tokens.

He clarified that the funds locked up in the L2 and delegated to third-party Hydra Heads (validators) are fully in control of the latter, not the owner.

In theory, if Hydra Heads collude and introduce false transactions, they would be able to sign them without necessarily having access to the private keys of the original owner of the ADA tokens.

“Every update requires signatures from all Hydra Head operators. Those signatures are made using the private keys of the operators, not the users,” YODA emphasized.

He added: “If they collude, they can ALL sign a malicious snapshot that splits all the funds between them.”

Cardano Price Prediction: ADA Finds Support at $0.40 But Bearish Trend Persists

Aside from Dogecoin (DOGE), Cardano (ADA) has been one of the worst-performing top 10 tokens this year, with total losses now reaching 49%.

The daily chart shows that the token has found support temporarily at $0.40.

However, ADA has been on a strong downtrend and is not yet showing signs of a trend reversal. The price needs to climb above $0.52 to reverse this downtrend.

Otherwise, ADA may face a much more dramatic correction to $0.32, meaning a total downside risk of 25%.

Well-established tokens like ADA have struggled to reach higher highs during this cycle. However, a new crypto presale called Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has managed to raise over $4 million in just a few weeks to launch its community-centered meme coin.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is The New Dogecoin-Themed Meme Coin

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is an Ethereum meme coin that aims to bring together an army of like-minded ‘degens’ who are not afraid to make YOLO trades to get out of mom’s basement.

Through fun competitions like Maxi Gains and Maxi Ripped, token holders will compete by showcasing their highest-yielding traders to earn rewards and bragging rights.

They also get exclusive access to a hub through which they can share ideas, insights, setups, and more.

This is a vibrant community that fully embraces the energy that comes with bull markets.

Finally, up to 25% of the presale’s proceeds will be used to invest in high-potential projects.

The gains will be used to fund the project’s marketing efforts to make $MAXI known.

To buy $MAXI before the presale ends, simply head to the official Maxi Doge website and link up a compatible wallet like Best Wallet.

Either swap USDT or ETH to get this token or use a bank card instead.

The post Cardano Price Prediction: Crypto Researcher Says New Hydra Upgrade Not 100% Secure – Could All Wallets Get Drained? appeared first on Cryptonews.

A cybersecurity firm just identified malicious code on the official Pepe website that could drain visitors’ wallets.

This development threatens to undermine investor trust and favors a bearish Pepe price prediction. But could it really go to zero?

According to Blockaid, a firm dedicated to detecting fraud in the crypto space, the site contains code known as “Inferno Drainer,” designed to immediately siphon funds from any connected wallet.

The firm told Cointelegraph: “Blockaid detected Inferno drainer code on the Pepe front end, matching a known drainer family we regularly identify.

This is a front-end compromise, where users are redirected to a fake site that injects malicious code to drain wallets.”

The site reportedly auto-downloads malicious code onto users’ computers or mobile phones, which will execute automatically.

Pepe Price Prediction: Lead Team Fails to Address the Threat – How Low Can PEPE Go?

Meme coins have experienced big losses in 2025 as the market has shunned this entire category despite the May-October altseason.

The token has lost more than three-quarters of its value since the start of the year. This reflects the market’s lack of appetite for PEPE.

The meme coin has temporarily found support at $0.0000040 following a robust jobs report in the United States. Although the Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows a mild bullish divergence, the price still needs to climb above $0.0000055 to reverse its latest downtrend.

PEPE may not hit zero after the news, as the website does not compromise the token’s smart contract.

However, the lack of coordination from the lead team does favor a bearish outlook as Pepe’s community engagement seems weak.

In contrast, a new crypto presale inspired by the Pepe viral meme called Pepenode ($PEPENODE) has managed to raise nearly $2.3 million to launch its fun mine-to-earn (M2E) game.

Pepenode ($PEPENODE) Makes Meme Coin Mining Fun and Hardware-Free

Crypto mining has commonly been associated with expensive hardware, complex algorithms, and so on.

Pepenode ($PEPENODE) is here to change that by introducing an M2E model that allows users to easily launch virtual mining servers.

By buying $PEPENODE, players can launch as many mining rigs as they want to earn points and compete to make it to the leaderboard.

Top miners receive airdrops of popular meme coins like Bonk ($BONK) and Fartcoin ($FARTCOIN) from the project’s rewards pool.

In addition, they can upgrade their setup to increase their output by investing additional $PEPENODE tokens. Up to 70% of the tokens used will be burned forever to reduce the circulating supply.

Mining has never been this easy, and the crypto community will soon start to notice. As such, the demand for $PEPENODE should skyrocket as more users join the platform.

To buy $PEPENODE at its presale price, simply head to the official Pepenode website and link up a compatible wallet (e.g. Best Wallet).

You can either swap USDT or ETH for this token or use a bank card to invest in seconds.

The post Pepe Price Prediction: Official PEPE Website Hacked and Infects Visitors With Malware – Is PEPE About to Go to Zero? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Brad Garlinghouse argues that Bitcoin has yet to realise its full bullishness this cycle, and with it, bullish XRP price predictions may still be on track.

Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week 2025, he dismissed the current bearish mood around crypto as temporary and completely out of sync with the fundamentals supporting the market.

2026 has the potential to be “the most bullish year in crypto yet,” with institutions paving the way for a $180,000 Bitcoin.

The pro-crypto regulatory shift in the U.S. has unlocked one-fifth of global GDP, with institutional-level demand only just being tapped into with the introduction of ETFs.

And they have only just permeated the mainstream with traditional asset manager giants outside of digital-native firms playing “catch-up,” introducing their vast clientele.

Garlinghouse rejects the idea that ETF demand has peaked, noting the few crypto offerings represent just 1–2% of all ETF assets, a tiny fraction that leaves enormous upside.

XRP is a standout beneficiary with steps towards regulation, like the GENIUS stablecoin Act, paving the way for its infrastructure, like stablecoins, to become mainstream.

Ripple’s stablecoin approvals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai reinforce that point; stablecoins are no longer experimental, they’re becoming embedded in real financial systems.

XRP Price Prediction: How High Can XRP go in 2026?

December is shaping a strong launchpad into 2026 with a strong confluence of support laying the groundwork for a 4-month descending channel breakout.

The lower boundary of this consolidation is about to be retested, aligning with the level that has provided a firm bottom market throughout the bullish phase of the market cycle at $1.90.

A strong technical setup for a launchpad, and momentum indicators could support it.

While its most recent attempt has ended in rejection, the RSI is now testing the 50 neutral line after weeks in deep oversold territory. Strength is building towards a bullish shift.

While the MACD verges on a death cross below the signal line, it may prove short-lived as XRP nears the confluence zone.

The key breakout threshold lies at $2.70, a former strong support level that recently flipped to resistance. Reclaiming this zone could confirm a breakout targeting an 80% upside move to $3.70.

And with further U.S. interest rate easing expected into and growing institutional involvement, the setup could extend much higher, eyeing $5 in the approach of past all-time highs for a 150% run.

SUBBD: Strong Fundamentals at Their Earliest

With market conditions shaping up for a 2026 bull run, capital is rotating into the next high-upside contender, and increasingly, SUBBD ($SUBBD).

Positioned as an AI-powered content platform, SUBBD is redefining the $85 billion subscriber economy by giving creators true ownership and fans genuine access.

By cutting out the middlemen, $SUBDD puts control back in the hands of those who create real value.

Creators can monetize directly, while fans gain access to exclusive content, early releases, and meaningful interactions through token-gated perks.

The concept is already gaining traction. $SUBBD nears $1.4 million in presale, as investors back the shift toward a decentralized creator economy.

With SUBBD, both sides of the community win — creators earn more, and fans get closer while embracing the decentralization use cases crypto was built for.

The post XRP Price Prediction: Ripple CEO Says Bitcoin Will Double by 2026 – How High Can XRP Go? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin is currently holding the fort above $91k after a prolonged downturn sent the world’s favourite crypto down to a seven-month low of $82,000 by November 21, not long after Bitcoin notched a new all-time high (ATH) of $126,080 on October 6.

The wider crypto market jumped 6% yesterday, lifting total capitalization to about $3.24 trillion. Today, momentum has cooled with a near 2% drop to $3.18 trillion. Bulls remain optimistic that this pause is consolidation, not capitulation.

Additionally, with crypto entering maturity, Bitcoin dominance is generally falling, indicating that the next substantial bull market may well be powered by altcoins. With that in mind, here’s why XRP, Solana, and Pepe are the best crypto to buy right now.

XRP ($XRP): Transforming Global Cross-Border Payments

Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) continues to dominate the international value-transfer niche thanks to its fast settlement speeds and minimal fees. The XRP Ledger (XRPL) serves as Ripple’s answer to slow, expensive legacy systems like SWIFT.

Major institutions, including the UN Capital Development Fund and U.S. government agencies, have highlighted the XRPL’s utility, while Ripple’s expanding network of fintech partners has helped XRP secure its position as the third-largest non-stablecoin, now capitalizing over $124 billion.

Ripple’s rollout of RLUSD, a dollar-backed stablecoin, marks a strategic move to capture the next generation of global payments infrastructure. Every RLUSD transaction burns a small amount of XRP, gradually reducing supply and reinforcing XRP’s long-term value proposition.

Following the resolution of its five-year legal battle with the SEC, XRP rallied to a July high of $3.65. Its current price near $2.09 represents a 43% retracement, but indicators suggest resilience. Furthermore, the relative strength index (RSI) sits at 36, indicating the token is likely to conclude today’s -2.8% selloff over the weekend and swing back into green.

The recent introduction of nine U.S.-based XRP ETFs is expected to accelerate institutional inflows throughout the holiday season. Additional ETF approvals may follow, and if Congress successfully passes comprehensive crypto legislation before year-end, XRP could target $15 or more by 2026.

Solana (SOL): The Speed Leader Closing In on a Potential $1,200 Target

Solana ($SOL) has cemented itself as a top-tier smart-contract network, prized for its lightning-fast transactions and low fees. With a market cap surpassing $76 billion and almost $9 billion in total value locked across its DeFi protocols, Solana remains Ethereum’s most formidable competitor.

New Solana spot ETFs from Grayscale and Bitwise, launched late last month, could open the door to significant capital inflows, echoing earlier institutional waves that propelled Bitcoin and Ethereum to new heights.

After dipping near $100 earlier this year, SOL now trades around $136, holding firm at a critical support zone. A bullish flag pattern has taken shape since mid-September, signaling a potential breakout.

The next major resistance sits near $250; a decisive move above that level could propel SOL beyond its prior ATH of $293.31, with a 4x up to $1,200 emerging as an ambitious yet attainable stretch target if the festive season turns into a bull market.

At the same time, Solana has become a leading hub for Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, with giants like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton choosing the network to deploy tokenized financial products.

Pepe (PEPE): The Internet’s Favorite Frog Prepares for a Potential Upswing

Launched in April 2023, Pepe ($PEPE) quickly rose through the meme-token ranks, capitalizing on the global popularity of Matt Furie’s iconic character. Now boasting a market cap above $1.9 billion, PEPE enjoys an unmatched cultural presence, amplified when Elon Musk briefly switched his X profile picture to a Pepe meme, fueling speculation about his meme coin interests. Musk is publicly known to hold Bitcoin and Dogecoin.

Currently priced near $0.000004554, PEPE sits roughly 84% below its late-2024 high of $0.00002803 after a quiet summer and subdued fourth quarter.

Its RSI is now around 45, which indicates the token is neither overbought nor oversold and has plenty of headroom for further gains over the weekend.

With the token hovering near its lowest valuation in nearly two years, PEPE offers traders a high-upside entry point ahead of the next major market run. Clearer U.S. regulatory guidance could revive risk appetite and fuel a meme coin gold rush, potentially giving PEPE the momentum to retest its all-time high before year-end.

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER): A Meme-Powered Bitcoin Layer-2 Built for 2026 and Beyond

One emerging project generating buzz ahead of 2026 is Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), a Bitcoin layer-2 solution wrapped in meme-culture branding. Despite its playful façade, HYPER targets real technical improvements with high-speed throughput, ultra-low fees, and smart-contract functionality.

Developed using the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), HYPER features decentralized governance and a Canonical Bridge designed for seamless Bitcoin movement across multiple chains.

The presale has already raised around $29 million, and prominent analyst Borch Crypto forecasts the token could surge up to 100× upon exchange listing.

A recent Coinsult audit revealed zero contract vulnerabilities, boosting investor confidence. HYPER tokens power transaction fees, governance, and staking, with presale users able to earn up to 40% APY.

With the project’s full platform release planned for 2026, both seasoned Bitcoin users and newcomers have the chance to position themselves early in what may evolve into a major enhancement of Bitcoin’s utility landscape.

Visit the official presale website or follow Bitcoin Hyper on X and Telegram for more information.

The post Best Crypto to Buy Today 5 December – XRP, Solana, PEPE appeared first on Cryptonews.

The newest iteration of Alibaba’s so-called “ChatGPT rival,” Qwen3-MAX, has rolled out fresh AI-driven price forecasts for XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin as the month draws to a close. The model warns that all three cryptocurrencies could experience heightened turbulence over the coming weeks, with major moves possible in either direction.

Below are Qwen3-MAX’s two-track predictions showing both the potential upside and the risks each asset may face throughout December.

XRP (XRP): Alibaba AI Sees Either a Drop to $0.15 or a Run Toward $10 by Year-End

In its pessimistic projection, Alibaba’s model suggests Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) could retreat from its current $2.06 level to around $0.15, a drop of roughly 93%, should bearish sentiment continue dominating the market.

Such a correction would contrast sharply with XRP’s powerful performance earlier this year, when the token soared to a new seven-year high of $3.65 in July following Ripple’s pivotal legal win over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Throughout most of 2025, XRP has hovered between $2 and $3. Its relative strength index (RSI) now sits at a neutral 37 and is downtrending as traders cash in on profits today from a brief price bounce yesterday.

However, Alibaba’s bullish outlook paints a very different picture, one in which XRP surges 385% to touch $10 before New Year’s Eve, almost tripling its all-time high.

The recent debut of nine U.S. spot XRP ETFs could fuel a wave of institutional interest this holiday season, echoing the early inflows seen when Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs first launched.

More ETF approvals are anticipated in the coming months, increasing the probability that 2026 becomes a transformative year for XRP. Investors who accumulate now may find themselves well-positioned ahead of that shift.

Cardano (ADA): Alibaba Predicts a Potential 2,274% Explosion in December

Cardano ($ADA) remains one of the most academically rigorous and research-driven blockchain ecosystems. Launched by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, the network prioritizes peer-reviewed development, security, scalability, and long-term sustainability.

With a market cap exceeding $15.6 billion and more than $189 million in TVL, Cardano continues to stand out among layer-1 networks thanks to its active development community and expanding suite of decentralized applications.

According to Alibaba AI, ADA could surge to approximately $10 by early 2026, an extraordinary 2,274% climb from its current price at $0.4212 and more than triple its 2021 peak of $3.09.

Analysts note that Cardano’s carefully paced upgrades and robust fundamentals could position it as a major winner in the next DeFi-centric bull cycle.

Still, Alibaba’s bearish prediction warns that ADA could slip toward $0.10 if macro weakness worsens, representing a downside of just over 76% from today’s price.

Dogecoin (DOGE): Alibaba AI Targets $2.50 in Moonshot Scenario and $0.02 in Potential Collapse

Dogecoin ($DOGE), initially created in 2013 as a parody of the crypto boom, now accounts for roughly $21.7 billion in market value, representing nearly half of the $45.8 billion meme-coin sector.

The token formed several bullish chart setups in late summer and early autumn, but momentum has since cooled. In Alibaba’s more negative scenario, DOGE could sink to $0.02, a drop of about 86% from its current price of $0.1387.

Dogecoin’s all-time high of $0.7316 came during the retail-driven mania of 2021, and its long-discussed $1 milestone remains elusive. Yet Alibaba’s bullish case suggests DOGE could actually rally 1,700% to $2.50, or 18x its current price.

Meanwhile, real-world adoption continues to grow: Tesla accepts DOGE for merchandise, and payment platforms including PayPal and Revolut support DOGE transactions.

Maxi Doge (MAXI): A Rapidly Emerging Meme Coin Overlooked by Alibaba’s Forecasts

While Alibaba AI highlights the upside potential for major blue-chip cryptocurrencies, early-stage presale tokens potentially deliver far larger percentage gains. One fast-growing contender is Maxi Doge ($MAXI), which has already brought in nearly $4.3 million as it positions itself as the next breakout Doge-themed meme coin.

MAXI’s narrative follows Maxi Doge, a canine crypto bro and degen distant relative to the original Dogecoin. Maxi is obsessed with lifting weights, trading meme coins with 1,000x leverage, and cultivating a degen community across social media to help him usurp Dogecoin’s throne.

As an ERC-20 token, MAXI benefits from Ethereum’s energy-efficient proof-of-stake network and its massive developer ecosystem, advantages that Dogecoin’s older Bitcoin-style proof-of-work consensus mechanism does not offer.

The ongoing presale includes staking rewards of up to 72% APY, although yields decrease as more participants join in.

MAXI is currently priced at $0.0002715 in its active presale phase, with automated price increases scheduled in upcoming rounds. Buyers can participate using MetaMask or Best Wallet.

Dogecoin stands no chance!

Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.

Visit the Official Website Here

The post China’s Alibaba AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Cardano, Dogecoin by the End of 2025 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Poland’s efforts to align its crypto market with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework have hit a major political roadblock after lawmakers failed to override a presidential veto on a sweeping digital-asset bill.

This leaves the country as the last EU member without a national MiCA-style regime.

According to a Bloomberg report, the vote was held in the lower house of parliament on Friday, falling short of the three-fifths majority required to overturn President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to reject the legislation.

The outcome halts Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s push to place Poland’s crypto sector under tight regulatory control and forces the government to restart the legislative process from scratch.

Tusk Flags Crypto as National Security Threat Amid Russia Sabotage Claims

Tusk had framed the bill as a national security measure in the days leading up to the vote.

Addressing parliament, he said the unregulated crypto market had become a conduit for money laundering and foreign interference, including activity linked to Russia and Belarus.

He told lawmakers that Polish authorities had identified “several hundred” foreign entities operating in the domestic crypto market and warned that Russian intelligence and organized crime groups were exploiting digital assets for covert financing.

Government officials have tied those concerns to recent security incidents.

Last month, Warsaw blamed Russia for a blast on a key railway route used for supply traffic to Ukraine, an allegation Moscow dismissed.

Polish security services have also cited cases of underground groups allegedly paid in cryptocurrencies to carry out sabotage activities inside the country.

The veto has deepened an already sharp political confrontation between Nawrocki, a nationalist conservative, and Tusk’s pro-European coalition.

The president rejected the bill earlier this month, arguing that it went far beyond EU requirements and threatened civil liberties, property rights, and the stability of the state.

The blocked law would have implemented MiCA-style rules in Poland, introducing licensing for crypto-asset service providers, investor protection standards, stablecoin reserve requirements, market abuse bans, and strict anti-money laundering controls.

It also proposed granting authorities the power to block crypto-related websites through administrative orders, a provision the president described as opaque and vulnerable to abuse.

Political Tensions Rise After Poland Blocks Sweeping Crypto Oversight Bill

Nawrocki also criticized the scale of the bill, which exceeded 100 pages, contrasting it with far shorter implementing laws in neighboring Czechia and Slovakia.

He warned that heavy supervisory fees and added domestic restrictions would drive Polish crypto firms to register in other EU countries, costing Poland tax revenue and talent.

His chief of staff, Zbigniew Bogucki, said on Friday that the president is open to regulation as long as future proposals are not excessively restrictive.

The failure to override the veto leaves crypto companies operating in Poland without a clear national legal framework ahead of the EU’s July 1, 2026, MiCA compliance deadline.

The political dispute has increasingly drawn in industry players.

Nawrocki has portrayed himself as a defender of the crypto sector and was endorsed before his election by Kristi Noem, a senior U.S. official, at a conference in southeast Poland sponsored by trading platform Zondacrypto.

The exchange later stated that it accepts no Russian clients and fully complies with anti-money laundering rules.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski added another dimension to the dispute on Friday, saying on radio RMF FM that the crypto industry sponsors figures across the right wing of Polish politics, explaining the sharp resistance to tighter oversight.

The veto follows months of turbulence around crypto regulation in Poland. In September, lawmakers had initially passed the bill, triggering strong backlash from industry leaders who warned that Poland’s version of MiCA amounted to overregulation.

Zondacrypto’s chief executive at the time described it as a “step backwards” that risked criminalizing core blockchain development activity.

The post Poland Stalls MiCA-Style Crypto Rules as Lawmakers Fail to Override Presidential Veto appeared first on Cryptonews.

Polymarket is recruiting staff for an internal market-making team that would trade against its own customers, mirroring a controversial feature already used by rival Kalshi that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.

According to Bloomberg, the New York-based prediction market startup has approached traders, including sports bettors, to join the new unit, people familiar with the matter said, requesting anonymity because the plans remain private.

Polymarket declined to comment on the recruitment effort.

The move comes as the platform prepares its full U.S. relaunch after securing regulatory clearance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, having paid a $1.4 million penalty in 2022 for operating an unregistered derivatives exchange.

Kalshi’s Market-Making Unit Faces Legal Scrutiny

Kalshi already operates an in-house trading arm, Kalshi Trading, which places bids on the exchange and effectively takes opposing positions to customers’ bets.

Company executives have defended the unit as necessary to create liquidity and improve the user experience.

Still, critics argue it creates inherent conflicts of interest and makes Kalshi resemble a traditional sportsbook rather than a neutral peer-to-peer platform.

Some are now claiming that the company is a gambling company and not a prediction company.

“Let’s just call a spade a spade, it’s gambling, lots of things are gambling,” a X user said.

A proposed class action lawsuit filed last month alleges that Kalshi Trading sets betting lines that disadvantage customers, claiming “consumers place bets on Kalshi, they face off against money provided by a sophisticated market maker on the other side of the ledger.“

Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara dismissed the lawsuit as a “pure smear campaign” on social media.

She stated that Kalshi Trading operates unprofitably and receives “no preferential access or treatment.”

However, the legal challenge shows mounting concerns about whether prediction markets function as advertised, neutral platforms where users with differing opinions trade directly with each other.

Push for Market-Making Comes Amid Rapid U.S. Expansion

Polymarket’s decision to build an internal trading desk arrives as the company executes its return to American markets following years offshore.

In December, the CFTC issued a no-action letter covering QCX LLC and QC Clearing LLC, two entities Polymarket acquired earlier in 2025 for $112 million to gain licensed designated contract market status and regulated clearing capabilities.

The agency granted temporary relief from certain swap data reporting requirements, allowing the platform to operate within the same framework governing federally supervised U.S. trading venues.

Founder and CEO Shayne Coplan confirmed receiving “the green light to go live in the USA” and credited CFTC staff for completing the process in record time.

The regulatory clearance caps a lengthy journey that intensified in November 2024 when the FBI raided Coplan’s Manhattan residence and seized electronic devices as part of an investigation into whether Americans continued accessing the site through VPNs despite the 2022 ban.

Despite being barred from U.S. operations since 2022, Polymarket expanded aggressively overseas, recording roughly $6 billion in wagers during the first half of 2025 alone.

The platform gained global attention during the 2024 presidential election cycle, as its markets closely tracked Donald Trump’s odds of winning.

Market Makers and Growing Institutional Interest

Prediction markets rely heavily on market makers willing to take less popular trades, as the platforms match buyers with sellers on binary yes-or-no contracts.

Both Polymarket and Kalshi have offered incentives rewarding heavy users who provide liquidity, while a small number of traditional financial trading firms, including Susquehanna International Group and Jump Trading, have begun serving as external market makers on Kalshi.

Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital is currently in talks with both platforms to become a liquidity provider, with Novogratz telling Bloomberg that the firm is “doing some small-scale experimenting with market-making on prediction markets.“

The broader debate centers on whether prediction markets genuinely differ from traditional gambling operations.

During a public appearance last month, Coplan called conventional sportsbooks a “scam” that “rip off the consumer,” positioning Polymarket as a transparent alternative where users trade against each other rather than facing house odds designed to extract profits.

The post Polymarket to Launch In-House Trading Desk That Bets Against Users: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto market is bleeding as leveraged liquidations intensify, sending Bitcoin back below $90,000.

Analysts are warning that if bulls fail to defend the critical $84,000 support level, Bitcoin’s price prediction could tilt into a full-blown bear market.

$200M Wiped Out As Crypto Liquidations Trigger Market-Wide Selloff

Over the last four hours, more than $200 million in leveraged positions have been liquidated across the crypto market.

Bitcoin is down over 3%, while Ethereum has plunged over 4%. The bloodbath has wiped out over $100 billion in total market capitalization today.

The carnage follows today’s massive options expiry event, which traders had been monitoring closely.

A staggering $3.357 billion worth of BTC options with a max pain point at $91,000 expired today, alongside $668 million worth of ETH options with a max pain at $3,050.

Prominent trader TraderThanos is leaning heavily bearish as the 5-day candle closes below $93,000.

“Maybe we get another retest of 93k-93.2k. That would align more perfectly with my current bias. The next leg down takes us to 76k,” he warned.

Thanos highlighted a critical technical breakdown: “This is the first time price is trading under those Moving Averages since June/July of 2023,” referring to the 100 EMA and 100 MA on the 5-day timeframe.

If price stays beneath these moving averages, he expects a drop to the $72,000-$76,000 range.

Adding to the bearish sentiment, the odds of Bitcoin hitting $80,000 by year-end have now surpassed 40% on Polymarket.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Bulls Must Hold $84K or Face $76K

Bitcoin is trading below all major moving averages on the 4-hour chart, keeping the broader structure tilted bearish.

The 200-MA near $95,000 remains the key resistance that must be reclaimed to restore bullish momentum, but repeated rejections show sellers aggressively defending that zone.

Immediate support sits around $84,000, which stabilized the price during the last flush.

However, if Bitcoin fails to bounce strongly from this level, the broader corrective structure could extend toward deeper support near $76,000, where a more meaningful reversal becomes likely.

Bitcoin’s direction remains biased lower as long as it stays capped under $95,000.

A reclaim of that level would signal trend restoration, but until then, indicators point toward continued weakness.

Bitcoin Hyper Presale Surges Past $29M Amid BTC Weakness

As Bitcoin struggles, investors are turning to Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), a project working on bringing speed and affordability to Bitcoin’s blockchain for decentralized applications.

Built on Solana-based architecture, Bitcoin Hyper accelerates transaction speeds while slashing network fees.

This enables developers to deploy DeFi platforms, meme coins, and payment solutions that Bitcoin holders can access without abandoning the original blockchain.

The presale has raised over $29 million, with tokens priced at $0.013375 and strong institutional interest driving momentum.

Early investors can benefit from presale pricing at the current $0.013385 price, with some analyses suggesting potential 10-15X ROI by 2026.

To buy $HYPER at its discounted presale price, head to the official Bitcoin Hyper website and link your wallet, such as Best Wallet.

Then connect a wallet (Best Wallet, MetaMask, or Coinbase Wallet) and select payment (ETH, USDT, BNB, SOL, or USDC).You can also use a bank card for instant access.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: $200M in Leveraged Liquidations Pushes BTC Under $90K — Can Bitcoin Avoid a Breakdown Below $84K? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin is now trading near $89,000 after slipping under $90,000 again, and most large-cap tokens are lower on the day, which keeps the Crypto Fear & Greed Index around 25 and indicates that anxiety has eased only slightly from last week while conviction remains thin and easily shaken by routine headlines.

The seasonal “Santa Claus rally” enters the conversation each December because equity desks track a tendency for late-month strength, yet for digital assets, the calendar effect only matters when liquidity and positioning are prepared to carry bids across sessions rather than fade into the close, which is not the profile this market has shown in recent days.

Bitcoin Price (Source: CoinMarketCap)

Seasonality Needs More Than A Calendar

If a holiday lift is going to matter for crypto, order-book depth on the largest spot pairs needs to rebuild into and after the United States session so that routine headline flurries do not push price through thin ladders, and spreads need to remain tight during moderate selling so execution costs do not sap appetite for adding risk late in the day.

Derivatives should confirm the shift with funding that moderates without relying on squeeze-driven bursts and with a futures basis that settles toward neutral rather than flipping repeatedly, because those signs show that leverage is resetting in a controlled way.

Flows then complete the picture when creations for spot Bitcoin products appear in a steady run instead of one-off prints and when net stablecoin issuance turns higher for more than a session or two, since those patterns show new dollars entering rather than the same capital recycling through a narrower set of venues.

Triggers That Could Decide December

Macro drivers still shape the path into year-end because a firm dollar and higher yields have repeatedly leaned on risk assets, meaning that softer rate expectations would remove a headwind, while any renewed hawkish tone would keep bids cautious and push market makers to carry less inventory through event windows.

Rotation beyond Bitcoin usually follows improved depth in the leader rather than leading it, so a healthier backdrop would show advances broadening from Bitcoin into larger caps only after order books thicken and funding calms.

For desks that watch sentiment, the index near 25 says fear dominates, yet not at the extreme levels seen earlier, which can allow short-lived rebounds on quiet days.

But a durable turn requires evidence that arrives together rather than piecemeal, including deeper books through the U.S. close, steadier funding and basis across multiple sessions, a visible run of ETF creations, and a rise in net stablecoin supply that survives beyond a single headline cycle.

If those pieces align, the case for a December lift improves, and the seasonal story becomes a tailwind rather than a distraction, while in their absence, the market remains one adverse policy remark or liquidity wobble away from another test of support.

The post Why This Santa Claus Rally Setup Leaves Bitcoin One Shock Away From Support Retest appeared first on Cryptonews.

A chaotic token launch on Solana has placed decentralized finance platform HumidiFi and Jupiter Exchange under intense scrutiny after blockchain investigators linked a single actor to the mass botting of the $WET public presale, capturing the majority of the allocation within seconds.

According to a detailed on-chain investigation published by Bubblemaps, one entity operating under the alias “Ramarxyz” used more than 1,000 wallets to claim roughly 70% of the $WET public presale allocation.

The sale, which took place through Jupiter’s Decentralized Token Formation (DTF) launchpad, sold out in just two seconds before most retail participants could interact.

HumidiFi Confirms Bot Attack as Blockchain Data Traces Sale to One Actor

HumidiFi later confirmed that a large bot farm had overwhelmed the public sale. Bubblemaps found that at least 1,100 of the 1,530 participating addresses were controlled by the same actor.

The wallets followed a repetitive funding pattern, with each receiving exactly 1,000 USDC from centralized exchanges shortly before the sale.

One wallet allegedly broke the pattern by receiving funds from a private address that could be traced to the Twitter handle @ramarxyz through previous public blockchain activity.

Rather than acknowledging the activity, the individual later publicly suggested that HumidiFi should refund the sniper’s allocation, despite being linked to the exploit.

Shortly afterward, HumidiFi confirmed that all suspected bot allocations had been canceled and that legitimate presale participants would instead receive a prorated airdrop.

A separate on-chain analysis by trader Gautam Mgg showed that 4% of the public allocation went to just 10 wallets, with four wallets alone committing 40% of the entire public sale supply using bots.

The wallets were publicly listed using Solana explorers. Gautam also blamed Jupiter Exchange for failing to introduce basic bot protection measures, such as CAPTCHA or last-minute address rotation.

Jupiter had earlier announced that the $WET token sale was fully completed, raising $5.57 million across its Wetlist, JUP stakers, and public sale phases.

The public phase offered 30 million tokens at $0.069 per token, capped at $1,000 USDC per wallet. The token is scheduled to become claimable on December 9 alongside the launch of liquidity pools.

HumidiFi to Reissue Token After Aborting Disrupted $WET Launch

Following the incident, HumidiFi announced it would abandon the compromised launch and create a new token instead.

The protocol said all legitimate Wetlist and JUP staker participants would receive a pro-rata airdrop under a newly deployed contract that has been audited. A new public sale is now scheduled.

HumidiFi launched in mid-2025 and has grown into one of Solana’s most active decentralized exchanges, processing over $1 billion in daily trading volume and often accounting for more than one-third of all spot trading on the network.

According to DefiLlama, its Dex volume currently sits close to $30 billion over 30 days, while its cumulative volume sits at over $122 billion.

The $WET token was introduced as the protocol’s staking and fee-rebate asset and was promoted as a community-driven distribution using Jupiter’s DTF platform.

The incident has revived broader concerns over token distribution fairness across launchpads.

In September, Bubblemaps also flagged a separate Sybil attack linked to the MYX token airdrop, where roughly 100 newly created wallets claimed nearly $170 million in tokens after being funded simultaneously from OKX.

That case similarly raised questions about identity controls and launch design weaknesses.

Jupiter DTF was introduced as a transparent, trust-minimized alternative to traditional token launches, combining curation and on-chain verification. The $WET sale was its first live deployment, making the failure a major test for the model.

Neither Jupiter Exchange nor the individuals accused have issued a detailed technical breakdown of what failed at the infrastructure level.

The post Exposed: “Ramarxyz” Sniped 70% of $WET Presale With 1,000+ Wallets – Then Demanded Refund appeared first on Cryptonews.

A suspected British hacker linked to one of the largest single Bitcoin thefts ever recorded may have been detained in Dubai, according to claims made Friday by on-chain investigator ZachXBT.

In a post shared on his Telegram channel on December 5, ZachXBT said a man known online as “Danny” or “Meech,” identified as Danish Zulfiqar, appears to have been taken into custody by authorities, with a portion of the stolen crypto allegedly seized.

He pointed to roughly $18.58 million in digital assets now held in a single Ethereum wallet that he says is connected to the suspect.

ZachXBT noted that several wallets previously tied to the alleged hacker had funneled funds into the same address in a pattern commonly seen during law enforcement seizures.

He also claimed Zulfiqar was last known to be in Dubai, where a villa was reportedly raided.

Authorities Silent as Reports Surface of Possible Arrest in $243M Bitcoin Hack

According to the investigator, others linked to the suspect have also gone silent in recent days.

So far, there has been no official confirmation from Dubai Police or UAE authorities regarding any arrest, asset seizure, or raid connected to the case.

Local media outlets in the region have also not verified the claims.

The possible arrest follows months of investigation into the August 19, 2024, theft of 4,064 Bitcoin, worth about $243 million at the time. The funds were taken from a single Genesis creditor who accessed assets through Gemini.

ZachXBT made the case public in September, alleging the theft was carried out through a coordinated social engineering attack.

According to his findings, the attackers posed as Google support staff and convinced the victim to reset two-factor authentication.

They then used remote access software to take control of the account. After extracting the private keys, the attackers drained the wallet and moved the Bitcoin through a web of exchanges and swap services in an attempt to launder the funds.

ZachXBT initially tied the attack to three online aliases, “Greavys,” “Wiz,” and “Box”, later naming Malone Lam, Veer Chetal, and Jeandiel Serrano as the people behind those accounts.

He said his findings were shared with law enforcement authorities.

U.S. Charges, UK Guilty Plea, Thailand Arrest Mark New Phase of Crypto Crime Probes

U.S. prosecutors later filed criminal cases connected to related activity. In September 2024, the Department of Justice charged two suspects in a $230 million crypto fraud scheme.

Broader racketeering charges later described an operation totaling more than $263 million, including the Genesis-linked Bitcoin theft. Court documents outlined a mix of SIM swaps, social engineering tactics, and even physical burglaries.

Prosecutors said the stolen funds were spent on high-end cars, travel, and nightlife. One of the defendants, Veer Chetal, was later accused of carrying out another $2 million crypto theft while out on bond.

ZachXBT has also connected Zulfiqar to the August 2023 Kroll SIM swap incident, which exposed the personal data of creditors tied to BlockFi, Genesis, and FTX.

That breach later played a role in more than $300 million worth of crypto thefts through follow-up phishing and impersonation schemes.

The reported Dubai development comes as crypto-related law enforcement activity continues to pick up worldwide.

In October, Thai authorities arrested Liang Ai-Bing in Bangkok over an alleged $31 million crypto Ponzi scheme that ZachXBT had previously exposed.

In the UK, authorities recently secured a guilty plea from Zhimin Qian in a case tied to what officials described as the largest crypto seizure in history, involving more than $6.7 billion in Bitcoin.

Outside of investigations, ZachXBT has also remained active in public disputes.

In November, he clashed with UFC fighter Conor McGregor over comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s NFT project, redirecting attention to McGregor’s own failed meme coin venture earlier this year.

The post ZachXBT: British Hacker Linked to $243M Genesis Theft Likely Nabbed in Dubai appeared first on Cryptonews.

Institutions are jumping at the opportunity to gain exposure to SOL staking yields, contributing 3.1 million SOL in a testament to bullish Solana price predictions.

As the designated staking backend for institutional products, Staking service Marinade has seen its Total Value Locked (TVL) increase 3 fold to $436 million over November.

This adoption has been catalysed with the launch of several spot SOL staking ETFs as a regulated means to gain access to the altcoin’s yields.

Over November, these ETFs saw a 22-day inflow streak despite amounting to the second-worst month of the year. TradFi markets chose to buy the dip on SOL as other ETFs like Bitcoin bled.

Demand that only stands to grow with fresh touch points for institutional-grade exposure, like the recently unlocked 50 million clientele of the second-largest asset manager, Vanguard.

As the favored accumulation strategy over Bitcoin, Solana is in a favorable position to outperform the leading cryptocurrency if the bull run returns for 2026.

Solana Price Prediction: Where Could Solana Go In 2026

December is shaping a strong launchpad into 2026 as Solana forms a clean double-bottom pattern along a firm support throughout the bullish phase of this market cycle at $120.

And with momentum indicators verging on bullishness, the structure is acting as a clear bottom to the two-month Solana price decline.

While its most recent attempt has ended in rejection, the RSI is now testing the 50 neutral line after weeks in deep oversold territory. The MACD has also built a strong lead on the signal line.

Both suggest the early stages of a fresh uptrend as buyers step back in.

Still, the Solana price has faltered at the double-bottom neckline around $145, a level it must reclaim as support for the $210 target to play out.

Such a shift would set up a retest of the wider year-long descending-triangle resistance, creating a breakout scenario targeting levels near $500 for a potential 260% gain.

Though a near-term catalyst, such as a decision to ease U.S. interest rates next week, may be required to stimulate risk sentiment.

And with further macroeconomic easing expected through 2026 and growing institutional involvement, the setup could extend toward a much larger move, eyeing $ 1,000 for a 630% run.

Bitcoin Hyper: A Reason Bitcoin Could Still Outpace Solana

Those who jumped to Solana as an alternative Layer 1 to the leading crypto may be forced to reconsider, as the Bitcoin ecosystem finally addresses its biggest limitation: ecosystem growth.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bridging Bitcoin’s security and stability with Solana’s speed, creating a new Layer-2 network that unlocks scalable and efficient use cases Bitcoin couldn’t support alone.

The project has already raised over $30 million in presale, and post-launch, even a small share of Bitcoin’s trading volume could push its valuation significantly higher.

Bitcoin Hyper is fixing the slow transactions, high fees, and limited programmability that have capped Bitcoin’s potential – just as the market turns bullish

The post Solana Price Prediction: Institutions Pile In as Staking Hits 3.1M SOL – Could SOL Overtake Bitcoin in 2026? appeared first on Cryptonews.