Из жизни альткоинов

Phishing losses fell drastically in 2025 by over 83% compared to the previous year. However, the underlying data show that reduced figures do not translate to a decline in security threats.

Crypto Phishing Losses Down From $494M To $84M In 2025

A phishing attack occurs when an unsuspecting user is tricked into giving up sensitive information or signing off on malicious transactions. In the crypto space, signature phishing attacks are a major security concern and are facilitated using wallet drainers.

According to Web3 security outfit Scam Sniffer, total phishing losses in 2025 were valued at $83.85 million across 106,106 victims, representing respective drops of  83% and 68% from 2024. There were also 11 large cases of theft over $1 million compared to 30 in 2024. Meanwhile, the single largest theft was a $6.5 million loss via a permit signature attack in September, which was 8x lower than that of 2024.

While the latest figures represent a significant decline from the previous year, Scam Sniffer analysts state there is no direct translation to decreased market threat as losses moved in parallel with the market cycle. Therefore, losses increased or decreased in relation to the global crypto user activity. 

Notably, monthly losses varied from $2.04 million in December to $12.17 million in August. However, Q3, which was the busiest market period, accounted for the largest portion (29% i.e $31 million) of the yearly losses. However, figures dropped to $13 million in Q4, as user activity cooled off.

Related Reading: Aave Founder Responds To Governance Tension With Strategic Plan – Details

EIP-7702 Emerges As Latest Phishing Signature Type

According to Scam Sniffer’s report, EIP-7702 exploitation emerged as a new threat in the signature-based wallet-drainer ecosystem. Leveraging account abstraction introduced in the Pectra upgrade in May 2025, attackers can bundle multiple malicious operations into a single signature. 

Notably, the largest EIP-7702 losses, with two incidents culminating in $2.54 million, were recorded in August. Meanwhile, Permit/ Permit2 signature types lead the space, accounting for $8.72 million in losses across three major incidents, I.e. 38% of all large-case losses. 

Beyond signature phishing types, Scam Sniffer also highlighted other phishing attack types that threaten the crypto space. The Bybit incident in February stands out, after the Lazarus group breached a Safe (Wallet) developer machine and launched a program that imitated the multi-sig interface, resulting in losses of $1.46 billion.

In conclusion, while reported signature phishing losses have declined, the threat landscape remains active. Moreover, the fall in trackable losses may suggest attackers are employing harder-to-track vectors such as private key breaches or targeted social engineering.

Кто мог предположить взлет анонимных криптовалют в 2025 году? Однако они взлетели. Понятно, что точность предсказаний не может быть 100%. Но мы попробуем назвать список наиболее перспективных коинов наступившего 2026 года.

Суд эмирата Дубай приговорил женщину к двум месяцам тюремного заключения и штрафу 4,3 млн дирхамов (около $1,1 млн), признав виновной в криптовалютном мошенничестве.

The US federal debt passed $38 trillion on January 3, 2026, according to Treasury tracking. That new milestone was reached as some in the cryptocurrency community observed Genesis Day, the anniversary of Bitcoin’s first block. Reports note the timing drew attention because it highlighted contrasts between public borrowing and Bitcoin’s fixed supply.

Debt Hits New High

According to Treasury figures, the gross federal debt climbed past $38 trillion on January 3. The rise has been sharp over the last two years, moving from about $34 trillion in early 2024 to roughly $36 trillion by late 2024, and then at $38.5 trillion in late 2025.

Analysts have calculated that the debt has been increasing by roughly $6 billion per day recently, a pace that pushes interest costs higher and narrows options for future budgets. Some of the increase comes from continuing budget shortfalls where spending outstrips revenue.

On 3 January 2009, the Bitcoin network launched with the mining of its first block, known as the Genesis Block.

Embedded in that block was a headline from @TheTimes newspaper:

“Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.”

The message permanently anchors Bitcoin’s origin… pic.twitter.com/hGozJOYd3I

— Bitcoin Policy UK (@bitcoinpolicyuk) January 3, 2026

Drivers Behind The Surge

According to market coverage, several factors are behind the jump: sustained annual deficits, increasing interest payments on existing debt, and large spending bills enacted in recent sessions of Congress.

Debt held by the public and amounts owed to federal trust funds together make up the headline figure. Economists warn that as the debt grows relative to the size of the economy, more taxpayer dollars will be needed just to service interest payments, which could crowd out other priorities.

Bitcoin Community Responds

On January 3, many Bitcoin supporters marked Genesis Day, a date they view as symbolic of financial change when Bitcoin’s first block was mined in 2009. Some users posted about the contrast between a national debt that keeps climbing and Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million coins.

Others used the anniversary to elevate broader questions about fiscal rules and money supply. The reactions were mixed; some view it as a warning, others saw it as a moment for commemoration.

Investors and commentators have weighed the implications. A portion of the market treats scarce assets like Bitcoin and gold as hedges against what they view as the risks of heavy borrowing.

At the same time, mainstream economists caution that running large and persistent deficits can raise borrowing costs and slow growth over the long run. Treasury officials monitor cash needs closely and sometimes change borrowing schedules to cover gaps between receipts and outlays.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The US strike on Venezuela represents the largest headline event of the new year so far. In several developments spinning off this incident, Representative Ritchie Torres is reportedly moving to introduce a bill targeting insider trading on prediction markets amid traders’ netting heavy profits on forecasted capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Push For Integrity In Prediction Markets

On January 3, US President Donald announced a successful military mission in Venezuela resulting in the capture of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The Republican-led administration in Washington accuses Maduro and his spouse of running a “narco-terrorist organization,” and both parties have been arraigned to face charges of drug trafficking in New York.

Amid the numerous condemnations and reactions to this move by the US government, there have been revelations of insider trading around the event in the predictions market. Blockchain analysis page Lookonchain reports that three insider wallets placed Polymarket bets on the capture of Maduro just hours before the attack.

Data shows that these three wallets were recently created, funded, and only placed bets relating to Venezuela and Maduro’s capture to net total profits valued at $630,848. The largest of these transactions came from a trader who invested $34,000 to record gains of $409,900. 

According to the founder of PunchBowl News, Jake Sherman, Rep Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) aims to introduce a bill that illegalizes this act among government officials and protects important state-related information. The bill, which would be titled the Public Integrity In Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, aims to ban all affiliated government persons from participating in the prediction market bets when exposed to certain information. 

Sherman states that the description of the proposed law read: 

This bill prohibits federal elected officials, political appointees, and Executive Branch employees from engaging in certain transactions involving prediction market contracts when they either possess material nonpublic information relevant to the transaction or could reasonably obtain such information through their official duties. 

The restriction applies to buying, selling, or exchanging prediction market contracts tied to government policy, government action, or political outcomes on platforms engaged in interstate commerce

Notably, prediction markets surged in late 2025 following growing Wall Street interest in the blockchain market infrastructure. Kalshi, which presently ranks as the largest prediction platform, is presently valued at $11 billion after a $1 billion fundraising in December.

Crypto Market Resilient Amid Venezuela Attack

In other news, the crypto market has shown no significant negative reaction to the US attack on Venezuelan soil. Over the last day, Bitcoin has moved by 2.13% to trade at $91,414 as the total crypto market cap climbed to $3.08 trillion.

Пользователи сети Cardano оказались под угрозой фишинговой атаки: злоумышленники распространяют ссылки на вредоносное программное обеспечение, замаскированное под десктоп-приложение кошелька Eternl. Атака началась 31 декабря и продолжается до сих пор.

В первый торговый день года суммарный чистый приток средств в американские биржевые фонды (ETF) на биткоин и эфир достиг $645,8 млн. Это рекорд последних более чем полутора месяцев.

Solana is approaching a pivotal moment in its evolution as it prepares for one of the most consequential network upgrades. After a long period recognized for its speed and low fees, the network has also faced criticism around stability, validator performance, and long-term scalability. This upcoming upgrade aims to directly address those concerns that could redefine SOL’s role in the blockchain ecosystem.

Performance Improvements That Matter At Scale For Solana

Solana is preparing for one of its most significant upgrades with Alpenglow, a consensus overhaul that replaces both Tower BFT and Proof of History (PoH) to achieve sub-second finality. In an X post, Delphi Digital revealed that the upgrade will introduce two protocol components.

At the core of this upgrade is Votor, which would replace the Tower BFT’s incremental voting rounds with a lightweight vote aggregation model.  Validators can aggregate votes off-chain before committing finality, allowing the block to be finalized in one or two confirmation rounds rather than multiple chained rounds. Due to this, the theoretical finality would drop down to the 100-150 millisecond range, representing roughly a 100-fold reduction from its original 12.8 seconds.

Furthermore, Votor would achieve this through two concurrent finalization paths: Fast Finalization triggers when a proposed block gains 80% or more of the total stake approval in the first round, and instantly finalizes. After, Slow Finalization would kick in when the first round reaches 60 to 80%, which will require a second round to exceed 60% before the block is finalized. Both paths operate in parallel and will ensure finality is achieved even when under partial network participation.

The other core of this upgrade is Rotor, which has been redesigned to rework the SOL block propagation layer. Meanwhile, the original Turbine gossip network relied on multihop relays with variable latency. Rotor will introduce stake-weighted relay paths that would prioritize bandwidth-efficient propagation, meaning high-stakes validators with reliable bandwidth will become the key relay points.

In simulation, block propagation can occur in as low as 18 milliseconds under typical bandwidth conditions. This upgrade is expected to roll out gradually, with initial activation anticipated in early to mid-2026.

How Solana Emerges As The Leading On-Chain Trading Hub

The Kobeissi Letter has reported that the Solana on-chain spot volume reached $1.6 trillion in 2025, officially overtaking all off-chain exchanges except Binance. According to data from Jupiter Exchange, SOL on-chain volumes have surged from 1% of total volume to a massive 12% since 2022.

In 2025, SOL officially surpassed Bybit, Coinbase Global, and Bitget in total trading volume. Meanwhile, the Binance share has declined from 80% to 55% since 2022. This shows that the crypto activity is rapidly moving on-chain.

Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov has responded to recent governance tensions within the Aave ecosystem, outlining a strategic plan to address operational control concerns and accelerate long-term growth. The controversy followed a DAO vote on whether the community should assume full control over the protocol’s brand and front-end assets. The proposal was decisively rejected—with 55% voting against, 41% abstaining, and just 3.5% in favor—highlighting persistent questions around value capture and alignment between Aave Labs and token holders.

Time To Scale Beyond Crypto – Aave CEO

In a post on Friday, Kulechov framed the present moment as a crossroads for Aave, emphasizing that the protocol’s growth cannot be limited to its current crypto-native lending products. He sees enormous potential in expanding into real-world assets (RWAs) and institutional markets, projecting that Aave could ultimately support a $500 trillion asset base and onboard tens of millions of users through the Aave App. 

Kulechov said:

Today, most of Aave’s lending is concentrated around ETH, BTC, or leverage-driven looping strategies correlated with crypto market cycles. When I started Aave (originally as ETHLend) in 2017, the vision was to use smart contracts to power lending across virtually all asset classes and use cases.

A core aspect of this strategy is the upcoming Aave V4, a modular architecture designed to integrate new lending models and asset classes safely. The design allows innovation without compromising protocol integrity, enabling both crypto-native and RWA-backed use cases while creating a developer-friendly environment to encourage innovation.

Consumer Products, Revenue, And Alignment

Addressing operational concerns, Kulechov stressed that mainstream consumer-grade products needed to onboard millions of users should be developed by independent, highly autonomous teams on top of the permissionless Aave Protocol rather than funded or controlled directly by the DAO. This approach ensures rapid execution while allowing the protocol to benefit from increased usage and revenue.

Kulechov said:

World class consumer products are built by highly opinionated teams with the autonomy to move quickly. While decentralized governance works well for protocol economics, it is not suited for product-level decision making.

Kulechov also pledged to share revenue generated outside the protocol with token holders and confirmed that upcoming proposals will include clear guardrails for branding and revenue alignment. In his concluding notes, Kulechov reinforced his belief in Aave’s potential while also appealing for collaboration to drive the protocol and its native token’s success.

BlackRock pushed into digital assets massively in 2025, with on-chain data revealing just how aggressive the leading asset manager became in accumulating Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

Blockchain tracking data shows that the world’s largest asset manager expanded its cryptocurrency holdings by more than $23 billion in 2025, and this is one of the biggest institutional accumulation phases seen in the year. The figures highlight a sustained commitment to Bitcoin and Ethereum, even as price action turned bearish towards the end of the year.

BlackRock’s Crypto Portfolio Expansion Through 2025

Crypto was at the forefront of BlackRock’s investment strategy in 2025. According to data from on-chain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence, BlackRock’s on-chain cryptocurrency holdings at the start of 2025 were $54.83 billion. By January 1, 2026, that figure had risen to about $78.36 billion, representing a net increase of roughly $23.52 billion over the course of the year. 

These figures mean that by the end of 2025, BlackRock’s crypto portfolio had grown by about 43% compared to the start of the year. Unsurprisingly, the accumulation was concentrated almost entirely in Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two biggest assets leading institutional exposure to the crypto industry.

Bitcoin was the dominant holding by value. BlackRock’s BTC stash grew from around 552,550 BTC worth about $51.16 billion in January 2025 to about 770,290 BTC valued at $68.05 billion in January 2026. This translates to an increase of approximately 217,740 BTC, adding about $16.88 billion to the firm’s portfolio based on year-end valuations. 

Even with Bitcoin’s price down about 5% from January 2025, the increase in BTC units held grew by 39%, which, in turn, pushed the total value higher.

Ethereum, although smaller in absolute terms, saw even faster relative growth. Holdings expanded from 1.07 million ETH valued at $3.59 billion in January 2025 to about 3.47 million ETH worth $10.31 billion in January 2026. That represents an increase of nearly 2.4 million ETH, contributing around $6.71 billion to BlackRock’s crypto holdings in 2025.

These numbers mean that BlackRock’s ETH holdings grew by more than 224% over the year, far outpacing Bitcoin’s 39% increase.

ETFs And Institutional Demand Motivated $23 Billion Accumulation

The bulk of BlackRock’s crypto buying in 2025 was due to persistent inflows into its spot exchange-traded products. Investor demand for regulated exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum was strong for much of the year, particularly during rallies that pushed both assets toward fresh all-time highs.

At the same time, corrective phases in the crypto market were accompanied by notable ETF outflows. This trend supports the view that Bitcoin and Ethereum price action is becoming increasingly linked to ETF activity, and BlackRock is the dominant issuer within those flows.

BlackRock has not yet established a presence in the XRP market. The asset manager does not currently offer a Spot XRP ETF, and spokespersons have previously stated that the company has no immediate plans to launch one.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

The XRP ecosystem made significant strides in 2025, from greater regulatory clarity and key network upgrades to new partnerships with Ripple and more. Now that 2026 is underway, a Ripple developer has revealed that even more groundbreaking innovations are coming for the crypto project. He encourages the community to prepare for upcoming changes to XRP that could take the project to the next level. 

Ripple Dev Announces Exciting Changes For XRP In 2026

J. Ayo Akinyele, the Head of Engineering at RippleX, the developer-focused arm of the crypto payments company, has shared an exciting new update for XRP that is gaining traction across the community. In a public post on X, Akinyele sounded optimistic, highlighting steady behind-the-scenes progress on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and unveiling exciting new developments set to transform the network’s future. 

Akinyele began by recognizing the builders, validators, and community members whose ongoing contributions continue to drive XRPL, emphasizing that their collective efforts remain critical to the blockchain’s long-term growth. The developer also highlighted how RippleX and Ripple are driving progress for the XRP Ledger, noting that they’re both helping to prepare the network for a pivotal phase in its evolution. 

Looking ahead, Akinyele described 2026 as a potentially transformative and incredible year for the XRP Ledger. He shared plans for several technical upgrades, each aimed at expanding the network’s functionality and making it more appealing to developers and global enterprises.

Notably, privacy will be a major focus in 2026. While he did not go into technical details, Akinyele’s remarks suggest ongoing work to improve how transactions and data are managed on the ledger. He also highlighted programmability as a crucial area of growth. Improvements in this area could enable developers to build more complex and flexible applications directly on XRPL, opening the door to broader use cases. 

The Ripple developer also hinted at new changes to XRPL’s Interoperability, particularly through the use of Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology. This development could enable the network to interact with other blockchain ecosystems more securely and efficiently, without compromising data integrity. 

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is also expected to feature prominently in XRPL’s roadmap in 2026. Akinyele referenced on-chain lending as one example of DeFi functionality that could be introduced, signaling deeper financial tooling on the network. Taken together, these upcoming advancements paint a picture of XRPL evolving into a more versatile and developer-friendly network, capable of a broader range of applications and use cases across the blockchain ecosystem. 

XRPL Set For Major Technological Overhaul This Year 

Beyond new features, Akinyele stressed the importance of strengthening XRPL’s technical foundations. He outlined upcoming upgrades for 2026, including formal specification and verification, as well as a more modular ledger design. These improvements are expected to enhance the blockchain network’s resilience, scalability, and long-term stability. 

The Ripple developer concluded his post by urging the XRP community to stay committed and focused as they prepare for the next phase of XRPL’s evolution in 2026.

The price of Bitcoin has made a solid start to the new year, jumping above the $90,000 mark on Friday, January 2nd. While this newly-found momentum could have been triggered by a plethora of factors, an on-chain expert has pointed out that whale activity is not one of them.

Look Closer: BTC Whale Holdings Actually In Decline

In a recent post on the social media platform X, CryptoQuant’s head of research Julio Moreno argued that the largest Bitcoin investors are not back buying enormous amounts of BTC. This conclusion is based on the Total Whale Holdings and Monthly % Change and Total Dolphin Holdings and Monthly % Change chart.

As the name suggests, the Total Whale Holdings and Monthly % Change chart shows the total balance of addresses with more than 1,000 coins and how it has changed in the past month. Meanwhile, the Total Dolphin Holdings and Monthly % Change chart depicts the change in the balance of investors with between 100 and 1,000 BTC (capturing exchange-traded fund holdings).

What’s more peculiar is that the Total Whale (and Dolphin) Holdings and Monthly % Change excludes exchange wallet addresses. According to Moreno, the majority of Bitcoin whale data has been skewed by exchanges consolidating a lot of their holdings into fewer addresses with larger balances, explaining why whales seem to be in a reaccumulation phase recently.

Interestingly, the data is indeed skewed, as upon removing all exchange addresses’ data, the total Bitcoin whale balances shows a decline rather than an ascent. The same trend can be seen in the lower Total Dolphin Holdings and Monthly % Change chart in the image below.

This shrinking balances of Bitcoin whales tells a story of waning demand in the market, sending signals of the start of a bear market. As seen in past cycles, the lack of apparent demand growth is the most telltale sign of impending correction phase for the Bitcoin price.

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $90,320, reflecting an over 2% leap in the past 24 hours.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Suffering Historic Losses

Since its trading debut, the US Bitcoin ETF market has been an excellent way to judge investor demand in the cryptocurrency market. However, market data hasn’t been telling a pretty story for the flagship cryptocurrency in recent weeks.

For context, the largest Bitcoin ETF, BlackRock’s IBIT, posted roughly $244 million in net outflows last week, marking its 2nd-consecutive weekly withdrawal. The fund has now witnessed net withdrawals in 8 of the last 10 weeks, with a total of just 20 weekly outflows since its launch two years ago.

According to recent data, crypto funds registered approximately $446 million in net outflows last week, marking the sixth week of withdrawal over the last nine weeks.

Crypto expert JV has told XRP investors about what he described as the greatest blessings. This came as he also revealed that he has been accumulating XRP in preparation for a potential bull run for the altcoin. 

Expert Tells XRP Investors Of The Greatest Blessings 

In an X post, JV stated that XRP under $2 is one of the greatest blessings of this lifetime. He added that he is still accumulating XRP, which is his top crypto holding. The expert also listed Bitcoin, WLFI, Solana, XLM, HBAR, and VET as his other top holdings alongside XRP. Meanwhile, his top two stocks are crypto equities ABTC and XXI. 

Meanwhile, JV indicated that he was gaining exposure to XRP and other crypto assets to counter the dollar’s devaluation. In an earlier X post, he revealed that his XRP has gained over 600% since 2020, while the dollar has lost almost 20% of its purchasing power. In line with this, he declared that he is a long-term investor and that he moves his fiat currency into assets that grow over time and do not lose value. 

The expert mentioned that he told people five years ago they would be a legend if they bought XRP at $0.17 and held it for four years. Now, he again told market participants that they would be legends if they bought XRP under $2 and held it for the next four years. JV suggested that he wasn’t worried about the altcoin’s recent underperformance, noting that it isn’t about timing the market but about time in the market. 

He further remarked that most market participants get wrecked because they are trying to get rich quickly by chasing pumps, waiting for saviors, and looking for perfect entries. However, the expert believes that buying and holding is the best approach. 

XRP Likely To Rise Above $2 Soon Enough

Crypto analyst TARA has predicted that the XRP price could rise to $2.30 soon, indicating this might be the last chance for investors to get XRP around $2, as JV advised. The analyst noted that if the altcoin can hold the $1.88 level from here on out, it could make a big push to the $2.30 resistance level next. XRP has notably bounced in the last 24 hours amid Bitcoin’s rally to $90,000. 

Meanwhile, in the long term, crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has reiterated that XRP can reach double digits. In an X post, he stated that the altcoin will likely hold above the 21 EMA and build a base for the next macro move, with targets between $10 and $11. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2, up over 9% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Initially, Bitcoin began the last month of 2025 with significant bearish momentum, with the price structure taking on a clear bearish direction. However, this downside momentum soon weakened after the flagship cryptocurrency encountered its $85,000 support. Since then, Bitcoin traded mostly within a consolidatory range, struggling to break out of either end of the chart convincingly. Interestingly, an on-chain analysis has been released that examines the dynamics that may have influenced BTC’s December performance.

Binance Inflows See Rapid Monthly Decline From $24.7B To $16.54B

In a QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, market expert CryptoOnchain shares findings on evaluating inflows into Binance in the name of Bitcoin. The indicator involved in this analysis is the Binance Monthly Inflow By UTXO Age metric, which determines how much Bitcoin (in USD or BTC terms) flows into Binance each month, broken down by the age of the UTXOs (Unspent Transaction Outputs) being deposited.

CryptoOnchain highlights that this downturn in money inflows was influenced by young UTXOs (transactions less than a day old). From its November high of approximately $24.7 billion, the metric quickly dropped to $16.54 billion in December, marking an $8.16 billion inflow gap. Typically, young UTXOs are a means through which short-term speculative behavior can be tracked, seeing as they are representative of recently transferred coins. Hence, the significant drop in Binance inflow indicates a growing unwillingness among short-term holders to sell their coins. 

It is worth noting that heightened inflows from this investor group point to a growing inclination to sell. This translates to the Bitcoin price as elevated bearish pressure, which leads to short-term price corrections. The inflows decline in December is therefore an inversion. It reveals a “cooling of speculative activity,” which in turn translates on the charts as a significant loss of selling pressure. 

The crypto pundit further highlights possible reasons for this exodus of speculative activity. Structurally, the analyst conjectures that the inflow decline could be due to fading price momentum, characteristic of the final days of the year. Short-term holders might have exited the market due to caution, to observe what the new year brings, without getting caught in the mix. 

This action then causes a “handover of supply control” to Bitcoin’s mid-term and long-term investors. Historically, such transitions have been associated with consolidation phases and periods of lower volatility, where no significant amount of directional momentum is seen. Hence, if history is anything to go by, the Bitcoin price could be gearing up for sustainable cycles in the coming months.

Bitcoin Price Overview

At press time, Bitcoin holds a valuation of about $89,533, with CoinMarketCap data showing a daily growth of 0.85%. 

Bitfarms Ltd. has completed the sale of its Paso Pe Bitcoin mining site in Paraguay, ending its presence in Latin America. The 70-megawatt facility was sold for up to $30 million, a move that the company says will free cash for projects in North America. Reports have disclosed the deal as part of Bitfarms’ plan to focus its energy and compute efforts closer to home.

Sale Terms And Payout Schedule

According to the company, the buyer is the Sympatheia Power Fund, managed by Singapore’s Hawksburn Capital, and the agreement calls for $9 million in cash at closing plus additional milestone payments that could total up to $21 million.

A $1 million non-refundable deposit was already paid, and the remaining payments are tied to post-closing conditions expected to be completed over roughly 10 months. The transaction is expected to close within about 60 days, subject to customary conditions.

Why Bitfarms Is Moving North

Based on reports, Bitfarms’ management said the sale helps it concentrate on North American energy and computing work. Chief Executive Ben Gagnon was quoted saying that the deal brings forward an estimated two to three years of anticipated free cash flows, which will be reinvested into North American high-performance computing and AI energy infrastructure in 2026. The company now says its energy portfolio is 100% North American.

Market Reaction And Context

Markets reacted quickly after the announcement. Traders noted an uptick in Bitfarms’ stock following news of the sale, reflecting investor interest in the company’s cash-flow move and strategic refocus. This sale follows earlier asset moves in Paraguay, including the transfer of other sites in recent months, showing a steady pullback from South America.

Sympatheia Power Fund, the buyer, is presented as an infrastructure fund that will take over the Paso Pe site and related operations. Reports describe the fund as being managed by Hawksburn Capital, which is based in Singapore. The buyer’s intentions for the site were not fully detailed in the announcement, but the transfer was framed as a normal handoff of a running energy and mining asset.

Analysts have watched miners rework portfolios since the Bitcoin halving and as demand for data compute has risen. Some companies are shifting assets toward flexible power use or repurposing sites for AI and HPC workloads. Bitfarms’ move is one of several examples where operators sell overseas plants and redeploy capital into the US and Canada.

Featured image from BTC Echo, chart from TradingView

Tom Lee, chairman of Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine, has asked shareholders to approve a proposal to increase the company’s authorized shares to 50 billion. This “dramatic” increase in the share count, which is currently at 50 million, is aimed at keeping the BMNR stock attractive for retail investors.

Why BitMine Authorized Shares Need To Increase: Tom Lee

In a recent YouTube message, Lee urged shareholders to support the motion to increase the number of BitMine shares significantly. According to the chairman, this increase would most importantly address the potential need for future share splits as BMNR’s price tracks the price of Ethereum.

Using the Ethereum/Bitcoin ratio, Lee postulated various potential future valuations for the price of Ether. The BitMine Chairman’s model shows that the ETH price could reach $250,000 if Bitcoin surges to $1,000,000, especially as tokenization continues to draw institutional attention to the Ethereum blockchain.

In the event that Ethereum reaches a valuation of $250,000, Lee’s model puts the BitMine stock at an implied price of about $5,000 per share, a price considered too high for most retail investors. “Not everybody wants a stock price at $500, $1,500, or $5,000. Most people want shares to stay at around $25,” Lee said in the YouTube message.

This argument is based on the unit bias problem, a psychological concept where buyers lean more toward buying a whole unit of an asset instead of a fractional quantity. Due to this cognitive bias, investors are enticed more by numerous units of “cheap” stocks rather than owning fractional units of stocks with better underlying value or ROI (return on investment) potential.

Furthermore, Lee explained that if ETH hits $250,000, BitMine would have to initiate a 100:1 stock split to maintain a share price of $25. The chairman said this share split would create 43 billion shares outstanding.

Lee noted:

The current shares outstanding are 426 million, and we are trying to get the authorized share count to 50 billion. That doesn’t mean we’re issuing 50 billion shares. That’s what we want the total maximum shares to be.

The BitMine chairman also highlighted capital market activities and opportunistic acquisitions as other reasons why the Ethereum treasury firm needs to increase its authorized share count to 50 billion. The shareholders’ deadline to vote on the proposal is January 14, 2026.

After shifting its focus from Bitcoin mining to Ethereum treasury in 2025, BitMine has gone on to become the largest corporate holder of Ether. The BMNR stock closed the day at a valuation of $31.19, reflecting an almost 15% gain on Friday.

Ethereum Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of ETH stands at around $3,110, reflecting an over 3% jump in the past 24 hours.

Market expert DeFi Tracer has compiled a series of predictions from an influential figure in the cryptocurrency market — specifically, a “whale,” or an investor with a large portfolio. This particular whale has accurately anticipated every Bitcoin (BTC) all-time high and numerous crypto market tops since 2015. 

Long-term Vision

The whale’s latest forecasts for 2026, unveiled in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), include an ambitious target of $250,000 for Bitcoin (BTC), $20,000 for Ethereum (ETH), and $1,500 for Solana (SOL).

However, this whale’s insights extend beyond mere numbers. He emphasizes the current phase of infrastructure development that encompasses critical elements such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), custodial services, regulatory advancements, and the strategic adjustments made by corporate balance sheets. 

According to his analysis, the market’s transition into this new phase often triggers an initial decline in prices as speculation fades. He suggests that the rise won’t be immediate; instead, it will involve a gradual, steady demand as the market stabilizes.

While not explicitly stated, his model indicates that he does not anticipate a quick surge in prices. Instead, he envisions “a pressure phase” characterized by several key developments: weak hands are shaken out, credit positions are liquidated, and “easy” leverage is removed from the market. 

This transition—moving from speculation to accumulation—typically follows a predictable sequence: speculation leads to heightened volatility, which is then followed by liquidations and fear, causing retail investors to exit. Ultimately, exits pave the way for stabilization, which sets the stage for future upside.

What To Expect For Crypto In 2026

In this context, DeFi Tracer suggests that Bitcoin might experience a decline to around $50,000 before the accumulation phase begins in earnest. This implies a potential 44% correction ahead for the cryptocurrency from current trading levels slightly above $89,600. 

The reasoning behind this perspective is straightforward: the market requires a cleansing process before launching into a new bull run. 

Looking toward 2026, the indicators suggest that the whale’s analysis is on point. Signs indicate that the necessary cleansing of the market is nearing completion and that the long-awaited growth phase is just around the corner.

Several macroeconomic factors underline this optimism. Notably, metals have reached all-time highs and are now shifting capital into cryptocurrencies. The traditional four-year market cycle has drawn to a close, while governments worldwide are showing increasing interest in acquiring cryptocurrencies.

The expert concluded that while 2025 was marked by a correction and cleansing of the crypto market, 2026 is poised for what the whale describes as structural growth. This process will reportedly be methodical and steady rather than rapid and chaotic, suggesting a systematic recovery for cryptocurrencies. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

The mastermind behind the Bitfinex hack, one of the most prominent cases in crypto security history, has been released early from prison after serving 14 months, under a 2018 law signed by US President Donald Trump.

Bitfinex Hack Mastermind Receives Early Release

On Friday, Ilya Lichtenstein, the mastermind behind the 2016 hack that stole over 120,000 Bitcoin (BTC) from crypto exchange Bitfinex, announced that he had been released from prison a year after receiving a five-year sentence.

On X, Lichtenstein thanked a law signed by President Trump during his first administration for his release. “Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I have been released from prison early,” the post stated.

Notably, Trump signed the bipartisan First Step Act on December 21, 2018, aiming to improve criminal justice outcomes and reduce the size of the federal prison population. The law included a series of reforms, including one to establish a “risk and needs assessment system” that offers some inmates rehabilitative programming and the opportunity to be released early into home confinement.

According to CNBC, A Trump administration official stated on January 2 that the mastermind behind the Bitfinex hack “has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies.”

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) previously declared that Lichtenstein used advanced hacking techniques and tools to access Bitfinex’s network. He then transferred 119,574 Bitcoin to one of his crypto wallets through more than 2,000 transactions.

At the time, the stolen funds were valued at around $71 million. However, its value has increased exponentially in the past decade, being worth nearly $11 billion at current prices. During his sentencing hearing, he expressed remorse for using his talents on criminal activities “instead of a positive contribution to society.”

“I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can,” Lichtenstein affirmed on his Friday announcement, thanking his supporters for the help and vowing to prove “the haters” wrong.

Crypto Heist Figures Reunite Under Trump’s Law

Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather Morgan, reacted to the news online, declaring that being reunited at home with her husband after four years was “the best New Year’s present” she could get.

Morgan, a rapper known online as “Razzlekhan,” entered prison in February 2025 but was released early from prison after eight months under the First Step Act. In late October, she posted a video on X, sharing the news and thanking President Trump for her release.

“It is very good to be back, and I want to give a shout out to Papa Trump for making my 18-month sentence shorter,” she stated. However, it appears that the US President was not directly involved in the decision.

As reported by Bitcoinist, the self-titled “Crocodile of Wall Street” was sentenced to 18 months in prison on November 18, 2024, for her role in the Bitfinex heist. Despite not being involved in the hack, Morgan assisted her husband in laundering the stolen funds by using “numerous sophisticated laundering techniques” to disguise them.

Notably, they used fake identities to create online accounts, deposited the stolen Bitcoin in several darknet markets and crypto exchanges to withdraw the funds, converted BTC to other cryptocurrencies, and deposited part of the funds into crypto mixers. The couple seemingly managed to launder 21% of the total funds stolen from Bitfinex.

At the time, prosecutors argued that Morgan was “a willing participant and bears full responsibility for her actions.” Nonetheless, they noted that she was “a lower-level participant,” which resulted in her reduced sentence.

В ближайшие несколько недель ситуация на крипторынке будет зависеть от настроений и поведения розничных инвесторов, заявил аналитик ончейн-платформы Santiment Брайан Куинливан (Brian Quinlivan).

Суд Южного округа Флориды отклонил коллективный иск против американского миллиардера и владельца баскетбольного клуба «Даллас Маверикс» Марка Кьюбана (Mark Cuban), сотрудничавшего с криптокредитором Voyager Digital, который обанкротился в 2022 году.