Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, believes the post-October 10 crash bottom for Bitcoin may already be established as prices stabilize around $86,000.

Bitcoin price prediction metrics indicate institutions are positioned to lead the next bull cycle heading into 2026.

Institutions Now Hold Nearly 30% of Bitcoin Supply

Wood emphasized that Bitcoin represents a revolutionary global monetary system and asset class, functioning as institutions’ preferred gateway into cryptocurrency and deserving frontline status in institutional portfolios.

Glassnode data reveals institutions now control 29.8% of the total Bitcoin circulating supply. Public companies alone custody over 1 million BTC, U.S. spot ETFs hold 1.31 million, and exchanges maintain nearly 3 million BTC.

Despite Bitcoin trading beneath the Short-Term Holders’ realized price of $104,000, placing recent market participants under sustained loss pressure, institutions continue accumulating.

Just yesterday, Bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy doubled down on its conviction, announcing another massive Bitcoin purchase worth nearly $1 billion.

In a Form 8-K filing dated December 15, MicroStrategy disclosed acquiring 10,645 BTC between December 8 and December 14, spending $980.3 million at an average price of $92,098 per coin.

Additionally, Eric Trump’s World Liberty Financial recently purchased 416 Bitcoin worth $38 million, expanding the company’s holdings to 5,000 BTC.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Daily Chart Shows Early Stabilization Signs

Bitcoin’s daily chart displays price attempting recovery after a sharp corrective downtrend, with the market recently breaking above a short-term descending trendline.

This movement signals potential transition from bearish control to early stabilization, particularly as price maintains above the highlighted demand zone in the low-$80,000 region, which previously absorbed substantial selling pressure.

The most crucial overhead level sits at the short-term holders’ realized price near $104,000, aligning with prior range support turned resistance.

While Bitcoin trades below this zone, upside attempts will likely encounter supply from trapped buyers, restricting follow-through.

The RSI has risen from oversold conditions but stays below the 50 midpoint, suggesting improving momentum without a complete bullish reset.

This favors a scenario where price can advance toward the $92,000–$98,000 region near term, but a sustained bull run remains unlikely unless Bitcoin reclaims and maintains above $100,000–$104,000 on strong volume.

Maxi Doge Offers Investors 72% APY Ahead of Institutional Rally

Increased institutional buying could drive Bitcoin above $100,000 soon, and when this occurs, presale projects like Maxi Doge ($MAXI) would benefit from the massive demand surge.

Maxi Doge is an early-stage meme coin following the Dogecoin playbook that generated over 1000x gains in the years since its launch.

The MAXI presale has raised over $4.3 million and offers 72% annual staking rewards for those entering early at the current price of $0.000273 per token.

The project offers an alpha channel where traders exchange insider tips, share early trade ideas, and discover hidden opportunities to capitalize on the upcoming bull run.

To buy early, visit the official Maxi Doge website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can pay with existing crypto like USDT and ETH, or use a bank card to complete your purchase in seconds.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Cathie Wood Says the Bottom Might Be In – Are Institutions About to Trigger the Next Bull Run? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Major asset managers are forecasting that Bitcoin will shatter its traditional four-year cycle and reach new all-time highs in 2026, driven by massive institutional capital inflows and regulatory clarity.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan and Grayscale Research both project BTC will exceed its previous peak despite conventional wisdom suggesting 2026 should be a pullback year.

Bitcoin has historically followed a four-year cycle tied to halving events, with three significant up years followed by sharp corrections.

Since the most recent halving occurred in April 2024, more than 18 months ago, traditional cycle theory would predict 2026 as a down year.

However, Hougan argues that the forces driving previous cycles have weakened substantially, while new structural dynamics are taking hold.

“We believe the wave of institutional capital that began entering the space with the approval of spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024 will accelerate in 2026, as platforms like Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and Merrill Lynch begin allocating,” Hougan wrote in Bitwise’s annual predictions report.

He expects Bitcoin to reach new all-time highs, relegating the four-year cycle to the dustbin of history.

Institutional Era Replaces Retail-Driven Volatility

Grayscale’s 2026 outlook echoes this transformation, projecting Bitcoin will set fresh records in the first half of next year as the market transitions into what it calls the institutional era.

The asset manager identifies two pillars supporting this view:

• Macro demand for alternative stores of value amid rising public debt
• Fiat currency risks, plus improving regulatory clarity that deepens blockchain integration with traditional finance.

The changing market structure has already altered Bitcoin’s price behavior. Previous bull markets saw gains exceeding 1,000% in a single year, while this cycle’s maximum year-over-year increase reached only 240% through March 2024.

Grayscale attributes this moderation to steadier institutional buying rather than retail momentum chasing, arguing the probability of deep, prolonged drawdowns has declined significantly.

Grayscale expects rising valuations in the crypto sector in 2026, and as a result, Bitcoin could exceed its previous high in the first half of the year.

Bitwise’s analysis also highlights how Bitcoin volatility has steadily decreased over the past decade, with BTC now less volatile than Nvidia throughout 2025.

Hougan predicts Bitcoin’s correlation with stocks will fall in 2026 as crypto-specific factors like regulatory progress and institutional adoption power the asset higher even if equities struggle.

Regulatory Clarity and Monetary Policy Alignment

Katherine Dowling, president of Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company, recently forecast that Bitcoin would reach $150,000 by the end of 2026, citing “the trifecta of a positive regulatory environment, quantitative easing, and institutional inflows.”

President Trump recently signed the GENIUS Act, establishing stablecoin regulatory framework, while the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency permitted national banks to offer crypto brokerage services.

Just this month, Bank of America now allows its financial advisers to recommend Bitcoin ETFs, potentially channeling portions of the bank’s $3.5 trillion in client assets into digital assets.

The Federal Reserve cut rates three times in 2025 and expects to continue easing next year.

Notably, Grayscale expects bipartisan crypto market structure legislation to become US law in 2026, which will solidify blockchain-based finance in capital markets.

Since US Bitcoin ETPs launched in January 2024, global crypto ETPs have attracted $87 billion in net inflows, yet less than 0.5% of US advised wealth is allocated to crypto.

On the technical level, according to a CryptoQuant analyst, on-chain data shows long-term holders distributing coins at one of the largest 30-day rates in the past 5 years, typically indicating late-cycle behavior.

However, CryptoQuant data also shows short-term holders are facing pressure, as Bitcoin has traded below their $104,000 cost basis since October 30, resulting in unrealized losses averaging 12.6%.

As reported by Cryptonews today, Bitcoin dropped nearly 4% to approximately $85,940 amid investor risk reduction ahead of crucial US economic data.

Despite near-term volatility, like other major players, Bitfinex maintains that the groundwork is being laid for BTC to regain all-time highs in 2026, supported by looser monetary policy and steady adoption by ETFs, corporates, and sovereign entities that are absorbing multiples of the yearly mined supply.

The post Bitwise Chief: Bitcoin to Hit Fresh Records in 2026 and Break Four-Year Cycle appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Financial Conduct Authority launched a public consultation on comprehensive crypto regulations designed to establish clear standards across trading, staking, lending, and decentralized finance while protecting consumers and supporting innovation.

The proposals, published across three consultation papers, seek feedback until February 12, 2026, as Britain positions itself as a global hub for digital assets ahead of the regime’s 2027 implementation.

The regulatory framework applies similar principles to crypto as traditional finance, requiring transparency for consumers, proportionate requirements for firms, and flexibility for innovation.

David Geale, executive director for payments and digital finance at the FCA, said: “Regulation is coming – and we want to get it right. We’ve listened to feedback, and now we’re setting out our proposals for the UK’s crypto regime.“

Comprehensive Framework Covers Eight Core Areas

The consultation addresses admissions and disclosures, requiring firms to provide clear information before investors commit capital to cryptoassets.

Market abuse measures target insider trading and manipulation to ensure fair markets, while trading platform standards aim to keep exchanges safe and reliable.

Intermediary requirements establish responsibilities for brokers and middlemen handling crypto transactions.

Staking services must clearly disclose risks when offering yield-generating products that lock up customer assets.

Lending and borrowing rules protect both crypto lenders and borrowers through standardized safeguards.

The proposals extend to decentralized finance, questioning whether traditional finance rules should apply to protocols enabling trading and lending without intermediaries.

Prudential requirements establish financial safeguards that help firms better manage operational risks.

The framework builds on earlier feedback and new research published alongside the consultation, aligning with government legislation introduced on December 15.

Government Legislation Backs Regulatory Expansion

The Treasury introduced the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025, bringing new crypto activities under FCA supervision from 2027.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said, “Bringing crypto into the regulatory perimeter is a crucial step in securing the UK’s position as a world-leading financial centre in the digital age.“

Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby also added that “We want the UK to be at the top of the list for cryptoassets firms looking to grow and these new rules will give firms the clarity and consistency they need to plan for the long term.”

The legislation places crypto firms under the same supervision as traditional financial products, including transparency standards.

Britain’s approach follows the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, while the US is developing its own framework.

The UK established the Transatlantic Taskforce with America to coordinate crypto standards. Around 12% of UK adults now hold cryptocurrency, according to FCA data.

Regulatory Progress Follows Market Development

The consultation caps significant regulatory evolution since Britain formally recognized Bitcoin and crypto assets as legal property under the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill.

The law confirmed digital assets can be owned, inherited, and recovered under property law protections previously limited to traditional assets.

Parliament’s approval resolved legal ambiguity around ownership disputes, stolen funds, and inheritance cases.

CryptoUK called the property law “a massive step forward,” noting it provides a clearer legal footing for proving ownership and recovering tokens after fraud.

In September, the FCA accelerated crypto application reviews, cutting approval times from 17 months to 5 months while raising acceptance rates from 15% to 45%.

BlackRock and Standard Chartered secured registrations since April as the regulator improved processes through pre-approval meetings and industry roundtables.

The Bank of England separately proposed stablecoin regulations last month, with both institutions promising final rules by the end of 2026.

The government also appointed a “digital markets champion” to coordinate the development of blockchain-based financial infrastructure, including tokenized securities and digital gilts, under the DIGIT framework.

Last month, the Treasury also advanced DeFi tax reforms, backing a “no gain, no loss” model deferring capital gains until users withdraw tokens rather than taxing every deposit.

The changes follow two years of consultations with industry participants, including Aave, Binance, and major accounting firms, to align tax events with actual economic outcomes.

The post FCA Opens Consultation on UK’s First Comprehensive Crypto Rulebook appeared first on Cryptonews.

Wyoming-chartered crypto bank Custodia has filed a petition with the full Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking reconsideration of the Federal Reserve’s denial of its master account application, escalating a five-year legal battle.

The bank argues that the October panel decision misinterpreted federal law and raises constitutional concerns about the Fed’s authority.

The petition, filed on December 15, requests en banc review, asking all active circuit judges to examine whether regional Federal Reserve Banks can exercise unreviewable discretion over master account access for legally eligible institutions.

Custodia contends the three-judge panel’s 2-1 ruling conflicts with the Monetary Control Act’s mandate that payment services “shall be available” to nonmember depository institutions, creating what it describes as an unconstitutional veto power over state banking charters.

State Banking Authority Under Threat

The filing raises federalism concerns about the Fed effectively overriding Wyoming’s 2020 decision to charter Custodia as a Special Purpose Depository Institution.

Without master account access, the bank cannot utilize core Federal Reserve payment services, including wire transfers and automated clearinghouse systems, rendering its state-issued charter largely meaningless despite meeting all statutory eligibility requirements.

“When the Fed denies a master account to a state-chartered financial institution, it effectively vetoes a bank charter that State regulators have approved,” the petition states.

Wyoming created its SPDI framework specifically to attract digital asset companies, requiring 100% reserve backing and prohibiting lending to reduce risk.

Custodia argues the Fed’s rejection undermines this carefully crafted state regulatory regime designed to foster blockchain innovation within stringent safety parameters.

The constitutional implications extend beyond federalism.

Custodia’s legal team contends that if regional Reserve Bank presidents hold unreviewable discretion over master accounts, they effectively become “Officers of the United States” wielding significant executive authority without proper constitutional appointment.

Federal Reserve Bank presidents are selected by private bank directors and approved by the Board of Governors, a process Custodia argues violates the Appointments Clause if those officials exercise the discretionary power the majority opinion affirmed.

Deep Judicial Split Emerges

The petition highlights growing disagreement among Tenth Circuit judges on statutory interpretation.

Judge Timothy Tymkovich’s dissent joined Judge Bacharach’s 2017 opinion in Fourth Corner Credit Union v. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, creating a 2-2 split among circuit judges on whether the Monetary Control Act mandates master account access.

Tymkovich wrote that the Fed’s interpretation grants “unreviewable discretion” that raises “thorny questions” under Article II while contradicting the MCA’s plain language, which requires services to be “available to nonmember depository institutions.“

The Kansas City Fed denied Custodia’s application in January 2023 after 27 months of review, citing risks from its “crypto-asset activities” despite initially telling the bank there were “no showstoppers” with its application.

Internal Fed documents revealed that staff deemed Custodia’s capital “adequate” and praised its “impressive” executive team, only for Board of Governors officials to intervene.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller has since acknowledged publicly that the Fed possesses sufficient tools to manage risks without denying master accounts entirely.

In an October interview, Waller suggested the Fed can “tailor” account structures to match individual bank risk profiles, undermining the necessity argument for blanket denials.

OCC Exposes Systematic Crypto Debanking

Custodia’s legal fight unfolds as federal regulators confront widespread debanking practices targeting crypto firms.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released findings in December showing all nine largest national banks imposed “inappropriate” restrictions on lawful businesses, including digital asset companies, between 2020 and 2023.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and others maintained internal policies requiring escalated approvals or imposing blanket restrictions on sectors deemed to conflict with institutional values.

The review examined thousands of complaints about political and religious debanking, as well as crypto exclusions.

Banks insisted they did not discriminate, but the OCC found many restrictive policies were publicly visible.

In fact, Strike CEO Jack Mallers recently claimed his accounts were abruptly closed under vague references to “concerning activity,” fueling allegations of coordinated exclusion despite regulatory denials.

The controversy intensified after President Trump signed an executive order in August intended to prevent banks from debanking customers solely for crypto-related activity.

The post Wyoming Crypto Bank Files Petition Demanding Full Court Review of Fed Account Denial appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council has removed crypto from its list of systemic financial threats in its 2025 annual report. This is a dramatic regulatory shift attributable to the transformation happening under the Trump administration.

The 86-page document, approved December 11, eliminates the dire warnings about digital assets that dominated previous years, instead emphasizing responsible growth and regulatory clarity for the sector.

The FSOC’s latest assessment contrasts sharply with its 2024 report, which warned that stablecoins represented an acute vulnerability to runs absent appropriate risk-management standards.

This year’s report acknowledges crypto’s role in innovation and economic development, while noting that recent legislative progress has addressed many of the concerns that previously existed.

The council now describes digital assets as facilitating secure, efficient transactions through distributed ledger technology rather than framing them as destabilizing forces.

Legislative Progress and Banking Access Reforms

The transformation stems largely from the passage of the GENIUS Act in July, which established America’s first comprehensive federal framework for payment stablecoins.

The legislation requires licensed issuers to maintain reserves in highly liquid assets, such as U.S. Treasuries, and prohibits rehypothecation except for limited purposes.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted in the report that continued use of dollar-denominated stablecoins supports the dollar’s role in international finance.

Beyond stablecoins, federal agencies have systematically withdrawn restrictive guidance that previously discouraged banks from engaging with crypto firms.

The SEC eliminated prior-notification requirements for offering digital asset custody services, while banking regulators rescinded joint statements that effectively pushed crypto activity outside traditional finance.

The Federal Reserve ended its novel activities supervision program, returning oversight to normal supervisory processes.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released preliminary findings showing all nine largest national banks imposed inappropriate restrictions on lawful crypto businesses between 2020 and 2023.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and others maintained internal policies requiring escalated approvals or blanket limitations on digital asset companies, alongside sectors such as firearms and adult entertainment.

Comptroller Jonathan Gould described the practices as “harmful to lawful enterprises” and an inappropriate use of national bank charters.

The findings build on President Trump’s August executive order guaranteeing fair banking access and state-level fair access laws in Florida, Idaho, and Tennessee, designed to prevent ideological account closures.

Market Structure Legislation Races Senate Deadline

Last week, Senator Cynthia Lummis pushed for immediate Senate Banking Committee markup of the Responsible Financial Innovation Act before the holiday recess, warning negotiations cannot drift into February without risking election-year paralysis.

She told the Blockchain Association Policy Summit that bipartisan drafts have been rewritten repeatedly, exhausting staff members as lawmakers struggle to reconcile the House and Senate approaches to defining which tokens fall outside securities classification.

The House passed the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in July, giving the CFTC primary oversight of digital commodities while preserving SEC authority over fundraising.

The Senate version uses the term “ancillary assets” and faces tension over decentralized finance regulation.

Senator Thom Tillis warned that missing the December window could freeze the bill for the rest of 2026.

However, Senator Mark Warner also suggested completing everything before the holiday recess would be difficult, noting the White House still hadn’t provided final language on quorum and ethics rules.

Traditional Finance Embraces Tokenized Products

JPMorgan Chase demonstrated the sector’s mainstreaming by launching its first tokenized money-market fund on the Ethereum network.

The My OnChain Net Yield Fund begins with $100 million of the bank’s capital before opening to qualified investors with minimum investments of $1 million.

The MONY fund accepts subscriptions in cash or USDC, demonstrating institutional adoption of crypto-native payment rails for settlement alongside traditional cash.

The launch follows the GENIUS Act’s regulatory clarity, with Wall Street accelerating tokenization efforts across equities, bonds, and real-world assets.

John Donohue, JPMorgan’s global liquidity head, cited a “massive amount of interest from clients around tokenization” and the bank’s intention to lead the space with product lineups that match traditional money-market fund choices on the blockchain.

The integration of blockchain into core financial products, once considered distant from crypto, indicates the technology is progressing from experimental to infrastructure-grade status within traditional finance.

The post US Financial Watchdog No Longer Sees Crypto as Systemic Threat: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

Today’s Bitcoin liquidation is approaching $400 million and has pushed prices toward a critical 2-year support level maintained since 2023.

Bitcoin price prediction now points to a potential sweep of the $80,000 lows before a bullish reversal toward $100,000.

On-Chain Data Shows $81K as Critical Support

Data from Glassnode reveals Bitcoin’s True Market Mean, the average on-chain purchase price held by active market participants, stands near $81,000, serving as strong support during today’s 3.6% decline that sent prices below $86,000.

Crypto analyst Darkfost observed that inflows to Binance from “wholecoiners” (transactions exceeding 1 BTC) are collapsing compared to previous years.

The yearly average now sits around 6,500 BTC, a level not seen since 2018.

“What is particularly interesting is the trend these inflows have followed during this cycle compared to past ones.

Instead of increasing as they did previously, wholecoiner inflows to Binance have steadily declined, even as Bitcoin continued pushing higher,” Darkfost explained.

BTC demand on spot orderbooks currently sits at elevated levels, from $85,000 down to $80,000, suggesting continued downward pressure on the asset.

However, analyst Ted Pillows reveals that defending the $81,000 support could enable Bitcoin to target the next major resistance zone around $92,000-$94,000.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Weekly Chart Shows Bearish Momentum Cooling

Bitcoin’s weekly chart displays clear momentum deterioration after failing to maintain above the $100,000 psychological resistance, which now represents the key threshold required to resume a sustained uptrend.

Price has since reversed and trades in the mid-$80,000 region, with sellers driving it toward a critical support band around $81,000.

The RSI has dropped into the mid-30s, indicating growing bearish pressure, but approaches levels where downside momentum typically begins slowing.

If the $81,000 support maintains, the chart favors a short-term relief rally toward the $90,000–$95,000 region, with a larger move back toward $100,000 only probable if buyers reclaim that level on strong volume.

However, a decisive weekly close below $81,000 would bring the final bull-market structure support near $76,000 into focus, and losing that level would significantly increase the risk of a deeper corrective phase.

Pepenode Offers Investors 553% APY Ahead of 2026 Bull Run

If Bitcoin finally breaks the $100,000 level and starts climbing again, meme coins like Pepenode (PEPENODE) could see another explosive rally.

Pepenode is a new crypto project that’s already raised over $2.3million despite tough market conditions.

It’s a game where you can mine coins without needing expensive hardware setups.

You play the game in your web browser, set up virtual mining rigs, and upgrade your facilities to earn PEPENODE tokens.

The project is copying PEPE’s success strategy, which surged over 1,000x during the 2023-24 run when Bitcoin entered “up only” mode.

Now that more people are buying Pepenode’s mining rigs, the token price is expected to rise quickly.

To join the presale before the price increases:

• Go to the official Pepenode website.
• Connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.
• Then buy PEPENODE tokens for $0.0011968 and pay with crypto, using ETH, or USDT, or use a bank card in just a few clicks.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Nears a Break Below Key 2-Year Support at $81K — Can a Low Sweep Spark a Rally Back to $100K? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Solana captured 26.79% of global interest in blockchain-specific narratives throughout 2025, securing its position as the most popular crypto ecosystem for the second consecutive year despite facing mounting competition and declining market share.

Base and Ethereum rounded out the top three positions while newer entrants like Sui and BNB Chain surged into prominence, according to CoinGecko’s latest blockchain ecosystem analysis.

The layer-1 network’s market share dropped 12.0 percentage points from 38.79% in 2024, due to struggles to expand beyond meme-coin speculation even as institutional adoption accelerated through U.S. ETF launches.

The decline pushed Solana out of the top five most popular crypto narratives ranking after being overtaken by AI agents and Made in USA themes.

Base and Ethereum Hold Ground

Coinbase’s Base ecosystem maintained second place with 13.94% of investor interest, down 2.9 percentage points from 16.81% in 2024.

The smaller decline came despite major developments, including the Coinbase Wallet rebrand into the Base app, Shopify’s USDC payment integration, and x402 facilitation rollout.

Ethereum secured third position with 13.43% mindshare, posting a 2.7 percentage point year-over-year increase that narrowed its gap with Base.

The growth occurred while investors remained critical about ETH price performance and the blockchain’s competitive positioning amid intensifying rivalry from faster networks.

However, Ethereum’s scaling layer faces severe consolidation pressure, as Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism now process nearly 90% of all L2 transactions, with Base alone accounting for over 60%.

According to 21Shares, most of the 50-plus competing L2s are unlikely to survive through 2026 as smaller rollups have seen activity plunge 61% since June, creating what analysts call ‘zombie chains’ with minimal usage and evaporating liquidity.

Sui and BNB Chain Double Their Market Presence

Sui and BNB Chain emerged as the year’s biggest gainers, after more than doubling their market share to claim fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Sui recorded the largest growth, with a 6.9 percentage-point jump to 11.77%, positioning itself close behind Ethereum and establishing credibility as a serious competitor in chain-specific narratives.

BNB Chain captured 9.05% mindshare following a 4.9 percentage point increase, driven by Binance Alpha’s May launch that propelled the network to lead onchain trading volumes.

The ecosystem also benefited from founder CZ’s renewed involvement and resilient BNB price action throughout the year.

Solana’s momentum continued to build through major platform integrations, as Coinbase activated native DEX trading for Solana tokens in its mobile application in early December, allowing users to swap assets on-chain for the first time.

The exchange separately announced plans to acquire Vector, a Solana-native trading platform, in a deal expected to close by year-end.

New Entrants Reshape Competitive Landscape

XRP Ledger and Bittensor led new additions to the top rankings, with XRP securing sixth place at 4.68% mindshare and the AI-focused Bittensor capturing 1.91% for ninth position.

Berachain and Abstract also broke into the top 20 among new ecosystems tracked this year.

Hyperliquid delivered the most dramatic rise after increasing from 0.01% mindshare in 2024 to 1.57% this year, climbing 44 positions in the rankings.

The perpetuals-focused platform marked a key stablecoin milestone with its USDH launch while building robust DEX infrastructure and community engagement that demonstrated scalability beyond single-product offerings.

Meanwhile, the TON ecosystem saw its ranking slide following a 5.0 percentage-point year-over-year decline in mindshare, contrasting sharply with Sui’s ascent as a serious contender for a chain-specific narrative.

Notably, Jupiter reinforced Solana’s ecosystem depth by announcing seven coordinated upgrades at Breakpoint, headlined by JupUSD stablecoin developed with Ethena.

The Solana DEX, which processed $1.08 trillion in combined spot and perpetual volume year-to-date while maintaining $2.7 billion in total value locked, also exited beta for Jupiter Lend after reaching $1 billion in supply within eight days.

Bhutan further validated Solana’s institutional appeal by launching TER, a gold-backed digital token running on the network and distributed through DK Bank.

The sovereign-backed initiative positions Bhutan among nations experimenting with state-issued tokenized assets while leveraging Solana’s speed and efficiency.

The post Solana Dominates Crypto Attention for Second Straight Year: Analysis appeared first on Cryptonews.

Japan’s central bank is scheduled to hold its Monetary Policy Meeting (MPM) on December 18–19, 2025, with markets anticipating a possible rate hike to 0.75% from 0.5%, a move that could flip the global risk trade and significantly impact the Bitcoin price prediction outlook.

Japan’s Rate Hike Is Risky For Bitcoin

Analysts view the potential rate hike as ending the “Carry Trade” era.

Higher rates make yen assets more appealing, prompting investors to pull capital from overseas holdings like crypto.

This strengthens the yen, raises borrowing costs worldwide, and dampens Bitcoin speculation, historically causing 20-30% price drops.

Macro investor Afsheen Jafry explained that while markets focus on Powell and the Fed, the BOJ actually controls something more fundamental: global liquidity flows.

“When the BOJ tightens, capital floods back to Japan. When they ease, it floods out, and crypto is always first in line to catch that overflow,” she noted.

She cited July 2024 when the BOJ’s rate increase triggered a massive selloff, crushing Bitcoin from $73,000 to $53,000.

“That wasn’t random. That was carry trade unwinding on a massive scale.”

The BOJ also holds roughly ¥83 trillion ($534 billion) in ETFs accumulated since 2010, representing 7-8% of Japan’s ETF market.

Reports indicate officials plan gradual sales of these ETFs starting in January 2026.

These sales would reverse years of liquidity injections, potentially pressuring Japanese stocks and reducing global risk appetite.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Defending $80K Support Critical for Price Recovery

Bitcoin is holding firm above the $80,000 level after November’s sharp drop, showing buyers are defending this key support that has held since late 2024.

The recent push toward the upper $80,000s hints at early signs of recovery, but BTC remains trapped below the critical $100,000 to $109,000 resistance zone.

Breaking through this range could flip momentum and confirm a true reversal. Otherwise, this bounce may fade.

RSI has climbed from oversold levels into the mid-40s, signaling that selling pressure is cooling, though upside momentum is not yet convincing.

If Bitcoin keeps holding $80,000, a retest of $100,000 is likely, with $109,000 as the next target. On the flip side, a breakdown could send BTC sliding toward the $62,000 to $71,000 demand zone.

As Bitcoin prepares for its next move, traders are pouring millions of dollars into presales, investing in meme coins before they list on exchanges.

Don’t Miss Out on One of the Hottest Meme Presales Right Now

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has quickly become one of the most talked‑about presales in crypto, gathering millions in early support and standing out in a crowded meme coin market.

This is not just another token, it’s a high‑energy community‑driven play built for traders who want early exposure before listings hit major exchanges.

The MAXI presale has established an alpha channel where traders exchange tips, early trade ideas, and hidden opportunities to capitalize on the upcoming bull run.

Traders are already comparing $MAXI’s momentum to Dogecoin’s early days, with strong social engagement and visibility rising fast.

To get involved before the next price increase:

• Visit the official Maxi Doge presale site
• Connect any compatible wallet, or download Best Wallet if you need one
• Buy using crypto like USDT or ETH, or use a bank card in just a few clicks

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Japan’s Next Rate Hike Could Flip the Global Risk Trade – Is Bitcoin the Big Winner? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Agnelli family has unanimously rejected Tether’s binding all-cash proposal to acquire majority control of Juventus Football Club, dismissing the stablecoin issuer’s €1 billion ($1.17 billion) investment pledge just one day after the offer became public.

According to Dow Jones Newswires, Exor, the family’s holding company, said Saturday it has no intention of selling its 65.4% stake to the El Salvador-based crypto firm or any third party, ending what would have been one of European football’s most audacious takeover attempts this year.

Tether submitted its formal proposal on Friday, seeking to purchase Exor’s controlling position and subsequently launch a public tender for all remaining shares at an undisclosed price.

As per Reuters, Juventus shares surged more than 12% Monday morning, reaching their highest level since November 25, after the rejection implied a 21% premium to Friday’s close despite the family’s refusal to negotiate.

Century-Old Legacy Defends Against Crypto Ambition

Exor’s board emphasized that Juventus represents more than a commercial asset for the Agnelli dynasty, which has maintained ownership for over a century.

“Juventus is a storied and successful club, of which Exor and the Agnelli family are the stable and proud shareholders for over a century, and they remain fully committed to the club,” the holding company stated, closing the door on further discussions.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino positioned the rejected offer as a long-term commitment rooted in his personal connection to the Turin-based Serie A club.

“As a boy, I learned what commitment, resilience, and responsibility meant by watching Juventus face success and adversity with dignity,” Ardoino said, adding that Tether was prepared to support the club with stable capital across a lengthy investment horizon.

The stablecoin issuer framed its proposal as a strategic move to help Juventus navigate a rapidly changing global sports and media landscape.

Despite the rebuff, Tether maintains significant influence within Juventus after quietly purchasing an initial stake in February and expanding holdings beyond 10% by April.

The company successfully placed deputy investment chief Zachary Lyons and Francesco Garino on Juventus’s board in October, with shareholders approving Garino’s appointment last month.

Private Equity Reshapes European Football Landscape

Tether’s rejected bid arrives amid accelerating private-equity interest in European football clubs, as they seek to capitalize on lucrative media rights and player transfer markets.

According to Newswires, Apollo Global Management agreed last month to acquire majority control of Spanish club Atletico de Madrid, while RedBird Capital purchased AC Milan for $1.2 billion in 2022 and Oaktree Capital seized FC Inter Milan last year.

Financial groups have rushed into European football as clubs generate increasing revenue from international broadcasting deals and player transactions.

Juventus, valued at roughly €944 million, represents a particularly attractive target given its status as Italy’s most successful club with a global fanbase and established commercial infrastructure.

However, crypto partnerships have drawn sharp criticism when clubs partner with questionable firms.

FC Barcelona faced backlash in November after signing a three-year sponsorship deal with Zero-Knowledge Proof, a blockchain startup registered in Samoa with minimal social media presence.

The club later distanced itself from ZKP’s FCB token, clarifying it had “no connection whatsoever” to the digital asset.

Sports crypto adoption is growing. Paris Saint-Germain became the first sports entity to adopt a Bitcoin treasury strategy in May, while football accounted for 43% of crypto and digital asset sponsorships during the 2024/25 season, up 64% year-over-year.

Tether’s Aggressive Expansion Across Multiple Sectors

Tether’s broader expansion push has accelerated dramatically across multiple sectors, with the company on track to generate approximately $15 billion this year from its $183.8 billion USDT market capitalization.

Recent reports also suggest Tether may seek $20 billion in new capital for a 3% ownership stake, establishing a valuation near $500 billion that would approach Mastercard while eclipsing Netflix and Samsung.

The firm has simultaneously deployed approximately $1.5 billion in commodity trade lending across oil, cotton, and agricultural markets while expanding its gold reserves beyond $12 billion to support this aggressive diversification strategy beyond its core stablecoin operations.

The post Agnelli Family Rejects Tether’s $1 Billion Bid for Juventus Stake appeared first on Cryptonews.

Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon faces the possibility of an additional trial and lengthy prison term in South Korea following his 15-year sentence from a Manhattan federal court for orchestrating the $40 billion TerraUSD collapse.

According to The Korea Times, the 34-year-old Korean national could apply to be transferred to his home country after serving half his US term, where prosecutors are seeking a sentence exceeding 30 years for violations of capital markets laws.

US District Judge Paul Engelmayer delivered the sentence last week, rejecting both the prosecution’s 12-year recommendation and the defense’s five-year request.

“In the history of federal prosecutions, there are few frauds that have caused as much harm as you have,” Engelmayer told Kwon directly.

Korean Authorities Prepare Separate Prosecution

South Korean prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant for Kwon in September 2022 through the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office joint financial crimes unit.

A senior prosecutor told the local report that prosecuting Kwon domestically would serve local victims most effectively, as approximately 200,000 Korean investors have suffered losses totaling roughly 300 billion won ($204 million).

Ten alleged accomplices have faced trial in Korea for nearly three years while authorities awaited Kwon’s potential return.

The separate Korean charges center on violations of the Capital Markets Act stemming from the same conduct underlying his US conviction.

However, Korean prosecutors maintain they can pursue independent punishment regardless of the American proceedings.

Kwon initially sought extradition to Korea rather than to the United States after his March 2023 arrest in Montenegro on charges of possessing forged documents.

He spent nearly two years detained there before transfer to America in December 2024, with his defense team describing the conditions as “brutal.”

Terra Collapse Mechanics and Fraudulent Claims

Between 2018 and 2022, Kwon admitted to knowingly participating in schemes to defraud Terraform Labs’ crypto purchasers.

The Singapore-based firm issued the TerraUSD stablecoin and its sister token, Luna, claiming that Terra maintained a one-to-one dollar peg through its protocol design.

When Terra fell below $1 in May 2021, Kwon publicly stated the protocol had restored its value autonomously.

US prosecutors later discovered that an investment firm contracted by Terraform Labs had secretly purchased Terra to artificially prop up its price, with Jump Trading’s role deliberately concealed from investors.

Both tokens plunged again in May 2022, wiping out tens of billions in investor value and triggering cascading failures across cryptocurrency markets.

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

Kwon was convicted on nine counts, including fraud and money laundering, and Judge Engelmayer ordered the forfeiture of $19 million in illicit gains.

The initial potential sentence under US guidelines was 130 years, but the August plea agreement capped prosecutorial recommendations at 12 years.

Sentencing Disparities and Transfer Mechanics

Judge Engelmayer called the 12-year recommendation “unreasonable” while dismissing the five-year request as “implausible,” ultimately imposing 15 years as “the least I can impose.”

The defense argued that dual prosecution should be factored into sentencing calculations, particularly given the overlap in allegations across jurisdictions.

The court rejected this reasoning, with Engelmayer stating that one court cannot base rulings on speculation about another court’s decisions.

US prosecutors indicated they would not oppose a transfer request under the International Prisoner Transfer Program after Kwon serves half his sentence, leaving the pathway to Korean prosecution open.

The contrasting treatment compared to Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence has raised questions about consistency, as Kwon’s guilty plea significantly reduced exposure despite Terra’s larger loss.

Legal experts note that federal guidelines for fraud at Terra’s scale typically suggest advisory ranges approaching life imprisonment before statutory caps.

Kwon will receive credit for time served in US custody, though questions remain about whether his 21-month detention in Montenegro will count toward his American term.

The sentencing comes amid escalating crypto-related criminal activity worldwide.

Spanish and Danish authorities recently arrested nine suspects in a violent kidnapping and murder targeting a victim’s crypto holdings.

Just last month, South Australia Police also filed 800 charges against 55 individuals in a massive crypto-linked crime ring.

The post Do Kwon Could Face Second Trial in Korea After 15-Year US Sentence appeared first on Cryptonews.

A critical security flaw in React Server Components has prompted urgent warnings across the crypto industry, as threat actors are rapidly exploiting it to drain wallets and deploy malware.

Security Alliance announced that crypto-drainers are actively weaponizing CVE-2025-55182, urging all websites to review their front-end code immediately for suspicious assets.

The vulnerability affects not only Web3 protocols but all websites using React, with attackers targeting permit signatures across platforms.

Users face immediate risk when signing any transaction, as malicious code intercepts wallet communications and redirects funds to attacker-controlled addresses.

Critical Flaw Enables Remote Code Execution

React’s official team disclosed CVE-2025-55182 on December 3, rating it CVSS 10.0 following Lachlan Davidson’s November 29 report through Meta Bug Bounty.

The unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability exploits how React decodes payloads sent to Server Function endpoints, allowing attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests that execute arbitrary code on servers.

The flaw impacts React versions 19.0, 19.1.0, 19.1.1, and 19.2.0 across react-server-dom-webpack, react-server-dom-parcel, and react-server-dom-turbopack packages.

Major frameworks, including Next.js, React Router, Waku, and Expo, require immediate updates. Patches arrived in versions 19.0.1, 19.1.2, and 19.2.1, with Next.js users needing upgrades across multiple release lines from 14.2.35 through 16.0.10.

Unfortunately, the researchers have again detected two major new flaws.

Vercel deployed Web Application Firewall rules to automatically protect projects on its platform, though the company emphasized that WAF protection alone remains insufficient.

“Immediate upgrades to a patched version are required,” Vercel stated in its December 3 security bulletin, adding that the vulnerability affects applications that process untrusted input in ways that permit remote code execution.

Multiple Threat Groups Launch Coordinated Attacks

Google Threat Intelligence Group documented widespread attacks beginning on December 3, tracking criminal groups ranging from opportunistic hackers to government-backed operations.

Chinese hacking groups installed various malware types on compromised systems, primarily targeting cloud servers on Amazon Web Services and Alibaba Cloud.

These attackers employed sophisticated techniques to maintain long-term access to victim systems.

Some groups installed software creating secret tunnels for remote control, while others deployed programs that continuously download additional malicious tools disguised as legitimate files. The malware hides in system folders and automatically restarts to avoid detection.

Several groups disguised malicious software as common programs or used legitimate cloud services, such as Cloudflare Pages and GitLab, to hide their communications.

Financially motivated criminals joined the attack wave starting on December 5, installing crypto-mining software that secretly uses victims’ computing power to generate Monero.

These miners run constantly in the background, driving up electricity costs while generating profits for attackers. Underground hacking forums quickly filled with discussions sharing attack tools and exploitation experiences.

Historic Supply Chain Attack Pattern Continues

The React vulnerability follows a September 8 attack in which hackers compromised Josh Goldberg’s npm account and published malicious updates to 18 widely used packages, including chalk, debug, and strip-ansi.

These utilities collectively account for over 2.6 billion weekly downloads, and researchers have discovered crypto-clipper malware that intercepts browser functions to swap legitimate wallet addresses with attacker-controlled ones.

Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet described that incident as a “large-scale supply chain attack,” advising users without hardware wallets to avoid on-chain transactions.

The attackers gained access through phishing campaigns impersonating npm support, claiming accounts would be locked unless two-factor authentication credentials were updated by September 10.

Global Ledger data shows hackers stole over $3 billion across 119 incidents in the first half of 2025, with 70% of breaches involving funds being moved before they became public.

Only 4.2% of stolen assets were recovered, as laundering now takes seconds rather than hours.

For now, organizations using React or Next.js are advised to patch immediately to versions 19.0.1, 19.1.2, or 19.2.1, deploy WAF rules, audit all dependencies, monitor network traffic for wget or cURL commands initiated by web server processes, and hunt for unauthorized hidden directories or malicious shell configuration injections.

The post Major JavaScript Library Breach Puts All Crypto Websites at Risk appeared first on Cryptonews.

Solana spot ETFs, which debuted in late November 2025, have recorded net inflows for seven consecutive trading days, accumulating $674 million in total.

Analysts suggest this institutional buying pressure could propel the Solana price prediction toward a $180 breakout.

Bitwise Dominates Solana ETF Inflow Rankings Ahead of $180 Breakout

Data from Sosovalue reveals Bitwise commands the lead with $608.81 million in inflows, while Grayscale and Fidelity follow with $97.74 million and $54.8 million, respectively.

Despite a 2% price decline over the past week, analysts say the growing institutional appetite for Solana is a necessary catalyst to finally breach the 2-month $180 resistance barrier.

Beyond institutional interest through ETFs, Solana has been earning credibility from Wall Street in its campaign to become the blockchain infrastructure for capital markets.

At the recently concluded Solana Breakpoint conference, Marc Antonio, Head of DeFi at asset manager Galaxy Digital, declared that Solana represents the only blockchain capable of processing tokenized securities at the scale that Wall Street executives like Larry Fink have long championed.

Antonio emphasized, “We want Solana to be so dominant and we want Solana to have such good prices that when you compare the price of Nasdaq-listed Forward Industries on Solana versus Nasdaq, you want to buy on Solana. That’s the end state.”

Solana Price Prediction: Technical Setup Shows Accumulation Before $180 Breakout

Solana is consolidating below a long-term descending trendline following an extended corrective period, with price currently maintaining within a clearly defined accumulation zone spanning $120–$135.

This area has repeatedly absorbed selling pressure, indicating sellers are exhausting their control, though the market hasn’t yet demonstrated a decisive reversal.

The failure to recapture the $180 level maintains the broader structure as technically bearish, with that zone now functioning as the primary upside obstacle.

Momentum remains subdued, but the RSI is stabilizing in the low-40s and has begun printing mild bullish signals after a prolonged bearish stretch, suggesting downside momentum is diminishing.

If SOL can break above the descending trendline and reclaim $180, the chart opens pathways for a stronger recovery toward the $210 region, which aligns with the next major resistance level.

Pepenode Raises $2.3M To Position for Meme Coin Explosion

If SOL finally breaks through $180 resistance and converts the $200 psychological level into support, meme coins like Pepenode (PEPENODE) could experience 10-50x post-TGE rallies.

Pepenode is a new crypto project that’s already raised over $2.3 million despite challenging market conditions.

It’s a game where you can “mine” coins without needing expensive computer equipment.

You play the game in your web browser, set up virtual mining nodes, and upgrade your facilities to earn more tokens.

The project is replicating the success strategies of PEPE and popular Solana memecoins that saw dozens of projects rally over 100x during the 2024 summer season.

Now that more people are starting to purchase Pepenode’s mining rigs, the token price is expected to rise rapidly.

To join the presale before the price increases, visit the official Pepenode website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can buy tokens now for $0.001192 each and pay with crypto coins like ETH, BNB, or USDT.

The post Solana Price Prediction: Analysts See $180 Breakout as Spot ETF Inflows Reach $674M appeared first on Cryptonews.

Macro analysts are cautioning that Bitcoin could decline toward $70,000 as the Bank of Japan prepares to implement a 25-basis-point rate increase on December 19.

Bitcoin analyst AndrewBTC emphasized that Japan holds the largest position in U.S. government debt, making a rate hike bearish for the Bitcoin price prediction outlook.

Historical Pattern: BOJ Hikes Trigger 20%+ BTC Drops

In a December 13 X post, the analyst examined the BTC chart and noted a consistent pattern: every Bank of Japan rate hike has preceded Bitcoin declines exceeding 20%.

The data reveals that Bitcoin dropped 23% following the March 2024 rate hike, then fell 26% after the July 2024 increase, and most recently declined 31% following the January 2025 adjustment.

With another rate decision scheduled for next Friday, the analyst believes volatility from the BOJ announcement could drive Bitcoin down to the $70,000 support level.

Historically, BOJ rate increases have strengthened the Japanese yen, elevating borrowing costs and making investments in higher-risk assets less attractive.

In conversation with Cryptonews, Ignacio Aguirre, CMO at Bitget, explained that a stronger yen “raises the risk of unwinding yen carry trades which is a move that can temporarily weigh on crypto valuations as leveraged positions reset across global markets.”

Bitcoin now faces mounting pressure as investors reduce leverage and scale back exposure amid growing risk-off sentiment.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Weekly Chart Shows Broken Bull Structure

The weekly Bitcoin chart reveals clear momentum deterioration following repeated failures to maintain support above the $100,000 psychological threshold, which has now converted back into solid resistance.

Price has broken down from the previous distribution zone near cycle highs and is trending lower, with bearish structure validated by consecutive lower peaks and steady descent toward the upper-$80,000 region.

The RSI divergence indicator remains decisively bearish, currently positioned in the high-30s, displaying persistent weakness without any significant bullish divergence emerging.

If this momentum continues, the next major weekly support zone sits near $70,000, aligning with the prior range floor and representing the first area where substantial buying interest is likely to materialize.

A more severe correction toward the $53,000 zone cannot be dismissed if $70,000 fails to hold, potentially marking a cycle bottom.

MAXI Presale Opens Early Investment Access Before Bull Run Resumes

If Bitcoin successfully defends the $90,000 level and avoids crashing to the $70,000 lows, a 2026 bull run would remain intact, and early-stage projects like Maxi Doge ($MAXI) would benefit from the upcoming liquidity flowing into risk assets.

Maxi Doge has established an alpha channel where traders exchange insider tips, early trade ideas, and hidden opportunities to capitalize on the upcoming bull run.

The $MAXI presale has raised over $4.3 million and offers one of the most accessible entry points for everyday investors in this market cycle.

Participants who join now can still purchase at the current $0.00275 price before it increases and benefit from 72% annual staking rewards.

To buy early, visit the official Maxi Doge website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can pay with existing crypto like USDT and ETH, or use a bank card to complete your purchase immediately.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Analysts Warn BTC Could Slide Toward $70K if Bank of Japan Hikes Rates on Dec. 19 appeared first on Cryptonews.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued fresh guidance urging retail investors to understand the risks and options before storing digital assets, just as federal regulators advance a historic shift toward integrating crypto into the traditional banking system.

The advisory comes amid a broader regulatory realignment that has seen the agency drop enforcement cases, approve tokenization pilots, and clear crypto firms for national bank charters.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance released an investor bulletin outlining the mechanics of crypto asset custody and the trade-offs between self-managed wallets and third-party custodians.

The guidance defines custody as the method through which investors store and access private keys, the passcodes that authorize transactions and prove ownership of digital assets.

It warns that losing a private key results in permanent loss of access, while compromised keys can lead to theft with no recourse.

Hot Wallets, Cold Storage, and the Security Spectrum

The bulletin distinguishes between hot wallets, which remain connected to the internet for convenience, and cold wallets, which use physical devices like USB drives or paper backups to stay offline.

Hot wallets expose users to cyber threats but enable faster transactions, while cold wallets offer stronger protection against hacking at the cost of portability and ease of use.

The SEC notes that physical cold storage devices can be lost, damaged, or stolen, creating additional risks that may still result in permanent asset loss.

Investors choosing self-custody control their own private keys and bear full responsibility for security, backup procedures, and technical setup.

Those opting for third-party custodians must research how providers safeguard assets, whether they use hot or cold storage, and whether they engage in practices such as rehypothecation or asset commingling.

The bulletin urges investors to confirm whether custodians provide insurance, how they respond to bankruptcy or hacks, and what fees they charge for transactions and transfers.

Regulatory Shift Accelerates as Crypto Enters the Banking System

The custody guidance arrives as the SEC pivots from enforcement-led oversight to policy development under Chair Paul Atkins, who told Fox News in August that the agency is “mobilizing” to make the US the global crypto capital.

Atkins said divisions across the SEC are now focused on building a regulatory framework that supports innovation while protecting investors, marking a sharp departure from the litigation-heavy approach that defined the previous administration.

That shift has already produced tangible results. The agency closed its multi-year investigation into Ondo Finance without charges this week, signaling greater tolerance for tokenized real-world assets.

Days earlier, the SEC granted the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation a rare no-action letter allowing it to tokenize US Treasuries, ETFs, and Russell 1000 components starting in late 2026.

The DTCC said tokenized securities will carry the same ownership rights and investor protections as traditional instruments, bridging legacy infrastructure with blockchain-based settlement.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency conditionally approved five crypto firms, including Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos, to launch or convert into national trust banks.

The charters allow digital-asset companies to custody assets and offer banking services under a single federal standard, eliminating the need to navigate state-by-state regulations.

Paxos received explicit permission to issue stablecoins under federal oversight, while Ripple’s charter excludes RLUSD issuance through the bank.

OCC head Jonathan Gould said the approvals ensure the federal banking system “keeps pace with the evolution of finance,” dismissing concerns from traditional banks that the agency lacks supervisory capacity for crypto-native firms.

He noted that the OCC has supervised a crypto-focused national trust bank for years and receives daily inquiries from existing banks about innovative product launches.

The regulatory momentum extends beyond custody and charters. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission launched a pilot program allowing Bitcoin, Ether, and USDC as collateral in derivatives markets, while the OCC found that nine major US banks imposed “inappropriate” restrictions on lawful crypto businesses between 2020 and 2023.

Senate leaders are also racing to finalize the Responsible Financial Innovation Act before year-end, though unions and consumer groups warn the bill could expose pensions to unregulated assets.

The post SEC Issues Crypto Custody Warning: Know the Risks Before You Store appeared first on Cryptonews.

YoungHoon Kim, the world’s record-holding IQ genius with a documented IQ of 276, predicts XRP will set a new all-time high heading into 2026.

He revealed he’s actively purchasing “XRP from now on,” a development analysts interpret as bullish for the XRP price prediction outlook.

Crypto Community Reacts to XRP High-IQ Endorsement

Popular crypto commentator Gordon noted that when the smartest individual on the planet starts accumulating XRP, it signals that the current $2.00 price stabilization may mark the beginning of a rally toward record highs.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse highlighted that barely four weeks after the XRP ETF debut, the regulated product has become the fastest crypto spot ETF to reach $1 billion in assets under management (since ETH) in the United States.

Data from Sosovalue shows that over $20 million in XRP inflows are recorded daily since launch, with cumulative inflows approaching $1.2 billion.

Analysts at Sistine Research suggest that if XRP continues defending the $2 range support levels and ETF inflows maintain this trajectory, seeing XRP trade around $10-$15 in 2026 wouldn’t be surprising.

XRP Price Prediction: $2.40 Pivot Holds the Key for 2026 Rally

On the 1-day chart, XRP is consolidating just above the critical $2.00 support following an extended pullback, with price repeatedly defending this zone and establishing a short-term foundation.

The $2.00-$2.05 area is functioning as a demand region, and provided it maintains, downside risk remains limited, with the next significant support positioned lower around $1.80.

On the upside, the chart clearly demonstrates that the $2.38-$2.40 region represents the crucial pivot point.

This zone has capped multiple recovery attempts and now constitutes the level that must be reclaimed to validate a bullish continuation pattern.

Momentum indicators are beginning to stabilize, with the MACD flattening and suggesting a potential bullish crossover, indicating that selling pressure is dissipating.

If XRP can break and sustain above $2.40, the structure opens pathways for stronger movement toward $2.81 and subsequently the psychological $3.20 area highlighted on the chart.

PEPE 2.0? Pepenode’s Browser Mining Game Raises $2.3M

If XRP finally breaks through $2.40 resistance and establishes a new high above $4, meme coins like Pepenode (PEPENODE) could experience substantial price surges.

Pepenode is a new crypto project that’s already raised over $2.3 million despite challenging market conditions. It’s a game where you can “mine” coins without needing expensive computer equipment.

You play the game in your web browser, set up virtual mining nodes, and upgrade your facilities to earn more tokens.

The project is replicating PEPE’s success strategy, which surged massively during XRP’s 400% rally from $0.50 to over $3.50 during the last summer run.

Now that more people are starting to purchase Pepenode’s mining rigs, the token price is expected to rise rapidly.

To join the presale before the price increases, visit the official Pepenode website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can buy tokens now for $0.001192 each and pay with crypto coins like ETH, BNB, or USDT.

You can also use a regular credit or debit card to complete your purchase in just seconds.

The post XRP Price Prediction: Record-Holding IQ Genius Predicts XRP Rally to New ATH Going Into 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Itaú Asset Management, the investment division of Brazil’s largest private bank, has advised investors to allocate 1% to 3% of their portfolios to Bitcoin in 2026

The recommendation, published earlier this week, emerges as Bitcoin price prediction models suggest possible upward momentum despite BTC’s sharp 30%+ correction from October’s peak levels.

Itaú Analyst Says Bitcoin Offers “Uncorrelated” Portfolio Protection

Itaú analyst Renato Eid emphasized that Bitcoin operates fundamentally differently from equities, fixed income, or domestic assets.

Though price swings remain a defining characteristic, the institution contends Bitcoin can serve as a portfolio stabilizer while delivering growth opportunities during periods when traditional investments falter.

Itaú Asset now stands alongside Morgan Stanley and Bank of America in promoting controlled crypto exposure, with these financial giants suggesting 2-4% and 1-4% ranges, respectively.

Brazilian market participants encountered amplified volatility as their national currency gained over 15% in value against the U.S. dollar this year.

This exchange rate movement intensified losses for local investors maintaining dollar-priced holdings like Bitcoin.

Internal research from Itaú demonstrated minimal correlation between BITI11, the bank’s domestically traded Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, and competing asset categories.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: $90K Support Test And Bear Wick Signals Buyer Defense

On the 1-day Bitcoin chart, price currently trades at $90,467.70, reflecting a modest 0.22% gain.

The technical picture displays a descending channel pattern that has dominated since October’s highs.

The chart highlights a “bear wick” formation in recent price action, typically indicating strong selling pressure that encountered buying interest.

Bitcoin is currently testing the descending channel’s lower boundary near $90,467, with critical support identified at $80,638.

Resistance levels are clearly marked at $102,152 and a more substantial barrier at $116,453.

The RSI indicator registers 44.61, positioned in neutral territory but leaning slightly bearish.

This suggests Bitcoin isn’t oversold yet, meaning additional downside remains possible if selling pressure intensifies.

A potential decline toward the $80,000 support zone, followed by a reversal, could trigger a rally back toward $102,000 and potentially higher toward $116,000.

Failure to maintain current levels would likely accelerate downside movement, while a strong bounce with increasing volume could validate the bullish reversal scenario outlined in the projection.

MAXI Raise $4.3M And Targets Early Investors Before Rewards Drop

As Bitcoin defends the $90K level to build momentum for a 2026 rally, early-stage projects like Maxi Doge ($MAXI) are attracting investors seeking to benefit from the upcoming wave of capital flowing into crypto.

Drawing inspiration from Dogecoin’s monster rally during the 2021 bull run, $MAXI is creating an alpha channel where traders share insider tips, early trade ideas, and hidden opportunities before they gain widespread attention.

The $MAXI presale has now raised over $4.3 million and provides one of the most accessible entry points for regular investors in this market cycle.

Participants who join now can still purchase before the price increases and before the 72% annual staking rewards decrease.

To buy early, visit the official Maxi Doge website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can pay with popular crypto like USDT and ETH, or use a bank card to complete your purchase immediately.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Brazil’s Largest Private Bank Itaú Supports Bitcoin Exposure — Can 3% allocation Push BTC Higher? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Vanguard Group now allows clients to trade spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, but the $12 trillion asset manager’s skepticism toward crypto remains firmly intact.

According to Bloomberg, John Ameriks, Vanguard’s global head of quantitative equity, compared Bitcoin to a viral plush toy collectible rather than a productive asset at Bloomberg’s ETFs in Depth conference on Thursday, saying it lacks the income, compounding, and cash flow that the firm seeks in long-term investments.

“It’s difficult for me to think about Bitcoin as anything more than a digital Labubu,” Ameriks said, referencing the popular stuffed toy craze.

The comment comes as Bitcoin trades around $90,000, down from $126,000 in October.

At the same time, Vanguard maintains its longstanding position against launching its own crypto-focused ETFs even as it opened platform access to third-party products earlier this month.

Platform Opens Despite Deep Investment Doubts

Vanguard’s decision to allow ETF trading followed months of tracking the performance of crypto products, since spot Bitcoin funds launched in January 2024.

The firm wanted to ensure these products “delivered what’s on the tin, the way that they’re described,” Ameriks explained in a separate conference interview.

However, he stressed that Vanguard won’t advise clients on whether to buy or sell digital-asset ETFs.

“We allow people to hold and buy these ETFs on our platform if they wish to do so, but they do so with discretion,” he said.

“We’re going to not give them advice as to whether buy or sell or which crypto tokens they ought to hold. That’s just not something we’re going to do at this point.“

The reversal reflects growing pressure on the world’s second-largest asset manager after rivals BlackRock and Fidelity captured billions in crypto ETF flows.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust became the fastest ETF ever to reach $70 billion in assets, generating hundreds of millions in annual fees while Vanguard clients complained about restricted access and some threatened to close accounts in response to the firm’s initial blockade.

Leadership Change Drives Strategic Shift

The firm’s leadership transition played a key role in the platform’s opening. Salim Ranji, who took over as CEO this year after running BlackRock’s giant ETF business and overseeing the launch of IBIT, has spoken publicly about blockchain’s potential despite Vanguard maintaining that it has “no plans to launch its own crypto products.“

Andrew Kadjeski, head of brokerage and investments at Vanguard, told Bloomberg that “cryptocurrency ETFs and mutual funds have been tested through periods of market volatility, performing as designed while maintaining liquidity.”

He added that “the administrative processes to service these types of funds have matured; and investor preferences continue to evolve.“

Ramji’s predecessor, Tim Buckley, had said a Bitcoin ETF did not belong in a typical retirement account, reinforcing the firm’s reputation as crypto-skeptical.

The platform now serves more than 50 million clients worldwide who previously couldn’t buy spot Bitcoin ETFs through their existing Vanguard accounts, potentially pulling mainstream money toward digital assets.

Speculative Asset View Persists Despite Market Evolution

Vanguard executives have consistently labeled cryptocurrencies speculative investments throughout Bitcoin’s volatile boom-and-bust cycles.

The firm now considers digital assets extremely or very risky, with 66% of US investors aware of crypto sharing this view, according to recent FINRA Foundation data, up from 58% in 2021.

Ameriks conceded that Bitcoin might offer non-speculative value in certain scenarios, including high-inflation environments or periods of political instability.

“If you can see reliable movement in the price in those circumstances, we can talk more sensibly about what the investment thesis might be and what role it could play in a portfolio,” he said. “But you just don’t have that yet—you’ve still got too short of a history.“

A Vanguard spokesperson added that the firm remains optimistic about blockchain’s utility and its ability to improve market structure.

Despite platform restrictions, Vanguard holds indirect Bitcoin exposure as the second-largest institutional shareholder in Strategy, while managing approximately $11 trillion and treating crypto funds similarly to other “non-core” assets, such as gold, on its US brokerage platform.

The post Bitcoin Is a “Digital Labubu,” Says Vanguard — Yet It Opens ETF Trading appeared first on Cryptonews.

As Bitcoin consolidates in the $90,000-$91,000 range, on-chain data from Binance reveals an unusual bullish divergence in trader behavior regarding selling versus buying activity.

Rather than liquidating positions, the majority are aggressively withdrawing coins from the exchange, leading the Bitcoin price prediction to signal a potential breakout above $100,000.

Bitcoin Deposits Hit 8-Year Low, Creating Supply Shock

According to charts from CryptoOnchain, the 30-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA-30) of Exchange Withdrawal Transactions on Binance experienced a substantial spike, reaching 3,100 daily transactions on December 3rd.

“This marks the highest level of withdrawal activity observed since May 2018,” the analyst noted.

The metric indicates a growing number of investors are transferring assets to cold storage, demonstrating a long-term holding strategy, rather than short-term trading speculation.

Even more remarkable is the sell-side behavior. While withdrawals surge, the 30-day moving average of depositing transactions to Binance has fallen to its lowest level since 2017, dropping to approximately 320 transactions.

The massive divergence, where withdrawals hit a 7-year peak while deposits reach an 8-year low, creates a textbook “Supply Shock” scenario.

“This behavior indicates extreme conviction among investors who believe the price discovery phase is far from over,” CryptoOnchain concluded.

Technical Structure Shows Range-Bound Consolidation

Bitcoin continues trading within a broad one-year range, with recent weekly candles positioning the price near the range low around $80,000-$81,000.

The chart identifies substantial resistance between $117,000 and $122,000, but the market must first reclaim the mid-range level near $109,000, an area that has consistently capped rallies since mid-2025.

Only a decisive weekly close above $109,000 would reopen pathways toward a larger bullish structure.

Meanwhile, weekly moving averages are beginning to flatten, and price currently trades beneath the 20-week and 50-week MAs, indicating momentum remains subdued.

If Bitcoin loses the $80,000 support, the chart reveals a wide demand zone between $62,000 and $71,000 as the next significant area where buyers may establish a bottom.

Until then, price will likely range sideways with a slight bearish tendency unless bulls recover $109,000 and reverse momentum in their favor.

Pepenode Raised Over $2.3M To Position for Meme Coin Mania

If Bitcoin finally breaks through $109,000 and starts climbing again, meme coins like Pepenode (PEPENODE) could experience another explosive rally.

Pepenode is a new crypto project that’s already raised over $2.3 million despite challenging market conditions.

It’s a game where you can “mine” coins without needing expensive computer equipment.

You play the game in your web browser, set up virtual mining nodes, and upgrade your facilities to earn $PEPENODE tokens.

The project is replicating PEPE’s success strategy, which surged over 1,000x during Bitcoin’s rally from $27,000 to over $64,000 during the 2023-24 run.

As more people start purchasing Pepenode’s mining rigs, the token price is expected to rise rapidly.

To join the presale before the price increases, visit the official Pepenode website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can buy tokens now for $0.001192 each and pay with crypto coins like ETH, BNB, or USDT.

You can also use a regular credit or debit card to complete your purchase in just seconds.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Binance On-Chain Data Shows Rare Bullish Divergence at $90K — Can BTC Explode Past $100K Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

At the ongoing Solana Breakpoint conference in Abu Dhabi, announcements revealed that Hex Trust and LayerZero will bridge and issue wrapped XRP directly on the Solana blockchain.

Analysts suggest this cross-chain liquidity expansion could propel the XRP price prediction toward $5.

Ripple Expands to Solana and Secures First European Banking Partnership

Hex Trust, a prominent regulated digital asset platform serving institutional clients and functioning as a qualified custodian, announced plans to issue and custody wrapped XRP (wXRP), a 1:1-backed representation of native XRP to support DeFi activity and cross-chain functionality.

Consequently, wXRP’s utility will extend beyond the XRP Ledger, becoming tradable with RLUSD on Solana, Ethereum, and other blockchains where RLUSD is available.

“Users of wXRP and RLUSD will benefit from two assets that are built on trusted, compliant infrastructure, enabling broader DeFi utility for XRP and RLUSD across supported blockchains,” stated Giorgia Pellizzari, CPO and Head of Custody at Hex Trust.

In another significant development, Ripple recently partnered with Amina Bank AG to facilitate near real-time cross-border payments for Amina Bank’s clients using Ripple Payments.

Notably, Amina Bank AG becomes the first European bank to adopt Ripple Payments.

These strategic initiatives are expected to impact XRP token valuation.

Analysts note the asset is forming a bullish pennant pattern with price already positioned above strong support levels, potentially targeting $5 in 2026.

XRP Price Prediction: Technical Analysis Shows Critical $2.00 Support Test

On the XRP/USDT chart, price currently trades at $1.9960, down approximately 1.87%, and sits at a pivotal juncture.

The technical setup reveals XRP has been consolidating within a range following a substantial rally earlier this year.

The chart identifies critical support at $2.00, where the price currently rests, with a stronger support zone at $1.80 if the current level breaks.

On the upside, initial targets include approximately $2.61 and an ambitious secondary target near $3.17, with a confirmation level at $2.40 that would signal bullish control.

The RSI at 43.55 is in neutral to slightly bearish territory, suggesting potential for movement in either direction without extreme conditions.

If XRP maintains support above $2.00 and builds momentum, there is potential for a return to the $2.40-$2.61 range.

MAXI Presale Hits $4.3M as Traders Position for XRP-Led Altcoin Season

As XRP attempts to leverage Solana DeFi for a bullish reversal heading into 2026, presale projects like Maxi Doge ($MAXI) are attracting investors seeking to capitalize on altcoin rotation typically associated with XRP rallies.

$MAXI is building an active community where traders share insider information, early trade setups, and hidden opportunities before they become widely known.

The $MAXI presale has now raised over $4.3 million and represents one of this cycle’s most accessible, community-driven opportunities.

You still have time to join the presale at the current price of $0.0002725 before the next increase and can earn a first-come-first-served 72% APY by staking their tokens.

To purchase MAXI tokens early, visit the official Maxi Doge website and connect a crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can pay using popular crypto like USDT, SOL, and ETH, or use a bank card to complete your purchase in seconds.

The post XRP Price Prediction: Solana Breakpoint Confirms XRP Is Coming to SOL – Can DeFi Liquidity Help Drive a Rally to $5? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Jupiter announced seven coordinated platform upgrades at Breakpoint, headlined by JupUSD, a new stablecoin developed with Ethena that will integrate across the entire Jupiter ecosystem to allow rewards during DCA orders, limit orders, and prediction market participation.

The Solana-based decentralized exchange, which has processed $1.08 trillion in combined spot and perpetuals volume year-to-date while maintaining $2.7 billion in total value locked, framed the upgrades as solutions to fragmented data, fraudulent assets, and the absence of professional-grade tools needed for institutional adoption.

Protocol-Level Economics Across Trading Platforms

JupUSD launches next week with deep protocol-level integration that isolated stablecoins cannot replicate.

According to Jupiter executives, controlling both the dollar and the transaction platform allows synergies across use cases, creating a self-reinforcing flywheel effect.

The stablecoin will route through Jupiter’s existing infrastructure, handling billions in stablecoin volume via swap aggregation, perpetuals, and lending, completing what the company called an end-to-end stack.

The launch arrives as Solana’s stablecoin infrastructure expands through institutional partnerships, with Western Union planning to launch its US Dollar Payment Token through Anchorage Digital Bank in the first half of 2026 for international remittances.

The Solana Foundation also partnered with Korean blockchain infrastructure company Wavebridge to build a compliance-ready KRW-pegged stablecoin following South Korea’s preparation of regulatory framework legislation, with Wavebridge CEO Jongwook Oh stating the collaboration seeks to create structures where the stablecoin is “not only issued but also verified, controlled, and fit for institutional use.“

Additionally, Jupiter Lend exited beta and became fully open source after reaching $1 billion in total supply within eight days, the fastest growth rate for any Solana protocol in history.

Now, the lending protocol is built with Fluid and introduced tick-based liquidity, allowing all risky positions to be liquidated in a single transaction and allowing Jupiter to offer the highest loan-to-value ratios and the lowest liquidation penalties in decentralized finance.

Developer Tools and Data Infrastructure

The newly launched Developer Platform consolidates real-time analytics across all Jupiter APIs, giving builders visibility into logs, usage patterns, and performance metrics through a unified dashboard that tracks every swap, pricing call, and token API request.

Developers can now debug issues by investigating 429 errors, 500 errors, and downtime events through comprehensive logs designed to help teams ship more efficiently.

Jupiter Terminal consolidated trading for all asset classes into a single platform featuring real-time wallet tracking, Alphascan’s analytics across 61-plus launchpads with developer blacklisting, and professional execution tools, including one-cancels-other orders and partial fills.

The terminal leverages Ultra v3, Jupiter’s proprietary end-to-end trading engine that powers features like Jupiter Beam and Predictive Execution, technology adopted by Robinhood for its own operations.

Meanwhile, VRFD expanded beyond token verification into a full, trusted data layer to address Solana’s challenge of 30,000 daily token launches, most of which are scams or imposter tokens.

VRFD now verifies metadata and provides high-signal insights across all surfaces, including Jupiter mobile and APIs, building on Jupiter Verify’s position as the most trusted token verification system powering nearly every wallet, terminal, and explorer in decentralized finance.

Acquisition Strategy Extends Lending Capabilities Beyond Traditional Assets

To amplify adoption and scalability, Jupiter acquired Rain.fi to expand its money market capabilities to off-chain, long-tail, and long-duration assets that previously lacked viable on-chain pathways.

Rain.fi’s Offer Book, a specialized orderbook launching in Q1, will enable simpler, more transparent liquidity access without price-based liquidations, making every on-chain asset productive through peer-to-peer lending models that scale through Jupiter’s integration infrastructure.

The Rewards Hub unified rewards, trading activity, and referrals into one system with a $1 million pool tied to real contributions, addressing what Jupiter called fragmented on-chain incentives disconnected from actual usage.

Jupiter’s coordinated upgrades across data infrastructure, execution tools, lending protocols, and developer resources represent what executives called “deliberate upgrades to systems already powering hundreds of millions of users, traders, and builders” rather than entirely new products.

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