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North Korean-linked hackers are using fake Zoom calls to drain crypto wallets in what security researchers say has become a near-daily threat to the cryptocurrency community. According to multiple security reports, the campaign has already netted roughly $300 million in stolen funds and shows few signs of slowing.

Fake Zoom Meetings Used To Drain Wallets

According to Security Alliance (SEAL) and other researchers, attackers first contact targets through messaging apps such as Telegram. They then invite victims to a video call that looks legitimate.

During the call, the impostors claim there is a problem with sound or video and offer a “fix” — a file or a link that appears to be an official update. When the victim runs the file, malware installs and begins stealing credentials, browser data, and crypto keys.

Several attacks are reported every day, and many follow the same pattern. Researchers say these staged calls let attackers bypass normal caution because people tend to trust someone they see on camera.

SEAL is tracking multiple DAILY attempts by North Korean actors utilizing “Fake Zoom” tactics for spreading malware as well as escalating their access to new victims.

Social engineering is at the root of the attack. Read the thread below for pointers on how to stay secure. https://t.co/2SQGdtPKGx

— Security Alliance (@_SEAL_Org) December 13, 2025

NimDoor, Other Malware Strains Target macOS And Wallets

Based on reports, one strain tied to these schemes is NimDoor, a macOS backdoor that can harvest keychain items, browser-stored passwords, and messaging data.

Security teams link NimDoor and related tools to BlueNoroff, a group connected to the Lazarus Group network. BlueNoroff has a long record of attacking crypto firms and exchanges.

Once the malware is in place, wallets have been emptied within minutes. Victims often discover the theft only after seeing outgoing transactions on the blockchain.

Deepfakes And Calendar Invites Make Scams More Convincing

Researchers warn that attackers are not simply using fake names. They are also deploying AI-assisted deepfake video and voice tools to impersonate executives or known contacts.

Attackers sometimes send calendar invites that look like genuine meeting requests from platforms such as Calendly, directing targets to attacker-controlled Zoom links.

The level of social engineering makes the calls seem urgent and official, which reduces the time victims take to question what they are being asked to install.

Attackers Target Individuals And Small Firms Alike

Reports have disclosed that victims include individual traders, startup employees, and small teams at crypto companies. Losses are concentrated but widespread, with estimates around $300,000,000.

Some victims have lost funds tied to browser wallets and hot wallets; others had recovery phrases captured and used to drain accounts.

Security teams urge quick action when a suspicious update is offered during a remote session: They warn not to run it, verify separately, and treat unsolicited meeting fixes as high risk.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin treasury company Strategy has announced its latest purchase, taking its total investment in BTC beyond the $50 billion milestone.

Strategy Has Added 10,645 BTC With The Latest Acquisition

As announced by Strategy co-founder and chairman Michael Saylor in a new X post, the company has completed another big Bitcoin acquisition. With this new purchase, it has added 10,645 BTC to its reserves, spending $92,098 per token or $980.3 million in total.

The buy has come just a week after Strategy made another acquisition of a similar level. More specifically, the purchase last Monday saw 10,624 BTC entering the treasury company at a cost basis of $963 million. This buy was the firm’s largest since July, and the latest one is even bigger.

On the Monday coinciding with the start of December, Strategy only added a small amount of Bitcoin to its holdings (130 BTC) and a newly announced $1.44 billion USD reserve instead took the spotlight. Saylor noted that the reserve will better equip the company to navigate short-term market volatility.

The mega BTC buys in the two weeks that have followed since then suggest that despite the existence of the USD reserve, the cryptocurrency is still the priority for the treasury firm.

According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the new 10,645 BTC acquisition occurred in the period between December 8th and 14th, and was funded using sales of Strategy’s STRF, STRK, STRD, and MSTR at-the-market stock offerings.

The treasury company now holds a total of 671,268 BTC, with an acquisition cost of $50.33 billion. At the current exchange rate, the firm’s holdings are worth $57.56 billion, putting it in a net profit of over 14%.

The new purchase means that 2025 has overtaken 2024 in terms of the USD amount invested by Strategy into Bitcoin, as the chart shared by CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn showcases.

From the graph, it’s visible that the difference between the two years isn’t much right now, but 2025 still has a couple of weeks to go. It only remains to be seen whether Strategy will buy more in the coming days and if so, whether the purchases will be similar in size to the latest two.

Despite the scale of the acquisition, Bitcoin has plummeted following Strategy’s new announcement, taking both this week’s and last week’s massive purchases into the red.

The latest decline in the cryptocurrency has also come despite the fact that the spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) witnessed a net amount of inflows during the past week, according to data from SoSoValue.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $86,000, down around 4.5% over the last seven days.

According to reports, the UK Treasury will extend existing finance laws to cover cryptoasset firms, with the new rules set to take effect in October 2027.

This means exchanges, wallet providers and other crypto service companies will move beyond current anti-money-laundering registration and into the same regulatory space as banks and brokers.

Regulators To Apply Existing Rules

Based on statements from ministers and officials, the Financial Conduct Authority will be the main supervisor for the sector. Firms will be required to meet standards on reporting, governance and customer protections similar to those applied in traditional finance.

The shift is described as bringing clarity for businesses that want to operate long term in the UK, while giving regulators tools to act against fraud and market abuse.

UK TO REGULATE CRYPTO UNDER FINANCIAL LAW FROM 2027

– The UK will bring cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin under full financial regulation from 2027, placing crypto alongside traditional financial products, per Reuters.

– The Treasury plans to extend existing financial laws to… pic.twitter.com/RhWK96NN51

— BSCN (@BSCNews) December 15, 2025

Consumer Safeguards And Market Integrity

Reports have disclosed that one of the core aims is stronger consumer protection. Officials say the changes will help block bad actors and reduce scams, and that the Treasury is also considering tighter rules around political donations made with crypto. The move follows a series of high-profile fraud cases and growing public concern about safety in crypto markets.

The road to full regulation will be gradual. The Treasury has circulated draft legislation and ministers expect complementary rules from the FCA and the Bank of England to be ready by the end of 2026, ahead of the legal regime going live in 2027. Consultations and regulatory sandboxes are under way, giving firms time to adjust.

How This Compares Internationally

Based on reports, the UK’s plan is being framed more like the US approach than the EU’s Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA), which was introduced in 2024.

Officials say closer alignment with US practice should help international firms that operate across borders, but it also raises questions about how UK rules will differ from both US and EU requirements in practice.

A draft bill has been prepared and it has had only minor edits since first being published, according to government sources.

Industry responses are mixed: some firms welcome the certainty, while lawyers and trade groups want clearer detail on how existing conduct rules will apply to crypto business models. The FCA is running targeted workstreams, including tests for stablecoin issuers and custody providers.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ripple, Solana, and XRP are converging at a pivotal moment as Ripple formally repositions XRP for a multichain future that extends well beyond a single partnership. At the Solana Breakpoint event, Ripple leadership outlined how integrating XRP into Solana’s ecosystem represents a strategic inflection point for the asset’s utility, liquidity profile, and long-term relevance within decentralized finance. The move signals a clear transition from chain-specific execution toward cross-ecosystem scalability, with XRP positioned as a portable liquidity layer rather than a siloed network token.

Ripple’s Strategic Play At Solana Breakpoint

The vision of a Ripple-Solana integration was shared on December 13, 2025, by Luke Judges, Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead, during a presentation at Solana Breakpoint, one of the industry’s most influential conferences focused on blockchain performance and ecosystem collaboration. Judges made it explicit that Ripple’s roadmap no longer treats the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as the sole environment for XRP’s growth. Instead, the company is executing a deliberate multichain strategy designed to embed XRP directly into high-activity DeFi ecosystems.

Central to this announcement was the introduction of wXRP, a wrapped version of XRP that will operate on the Solana network. The initiative is supported by Hex Trust, which handles custody and issuance, and LayerZero, which provides the cross-chain messaging infrastructure. Importantly, wXRP maintains a 1:1 backing with native XRP, ensuring holders retain full price exposure while gaining access to Solana-based applications. This structure allows Ripple to expand XRP’s reach without diluting its underlying value proposition.

Judges emphasized that the integration is aimed at practical market outcomes rather than experimentation. By placing XRP inside Solana’s high-throughput environment, Ripple is targeting deeper liquidity, higher transaction velocity, and sustained demand from users already active in decentralized trading and lending.

XRP Enters A Multichain Era

Ripple’s expansion of XRP into multiple networks marks a shift toward broader blockchain interoperability. Against this backdrop, the operational impact of wXRP becomes clearer. By bringing XRP onto Solana, Ripple is enabling direct participation across decentralized exchanges, lending and borrowing markets, and liquidity protocols. This expansion unlocks yield strategies and advanced trading instruments that were previously out of reach for XRP holders operating solely within the XRP Ledger. At the same time, wallet integrations such as Phantom, which serves roughly 20 million users, significantly extend XRP’s accessibility and day-to-day usability within Solana’s ecosystem.

Beyond Solana, Ripple has made clear that this is a template, not an endpoint. Judges confirmed that similar cross-chain deployments are planned for Ethereum, Optimism, HyperEVM, and other networks aligned with Ripple’s broader DeFi and RLUSD strategy. 

That long-term architecture is anchored by the XRP Ledger itself, a point reinforced by J. Ayo Akinyele, Head of Engineering at RippleX. As activity and liquidity extend across multiple chains, XRPL remains the stable foundation supporting these integrations. Through this strategy, Ripple positions XRP as a cross-ecosystem settlement and liquidity asset, capable of supporting multiple networks while anchored by the stability of XRPL.

Tether has seen its Juventus buyout attempt rejected as majority stakeholder Exor has told the stablecoin giant its share is not for sale.

Tether Fails To Acquire Premier Italian Football Club Juventus

On Friday, Tether announced that it had submitted a proposal to acquire Juventus, one of the biggest football brands in the world. The stablecoin firm had previously acquired a 10% minority stake in the club, and with this new plan, it had intended to execute a full buyout.

The first stage had included a proposal to Exor, the holding company of the Agnelli family and majority stakeholder of Juventus. According to Reuters, Tether had offered the firm 2.66 euros per share, a notable premium above the then closing price of 2.19 euros.

In a press release, Exor has responded to Tether, saying that its board has unanimously rejected the bid for its 65.4% controlling stake in Juventus. “Exor reaffirms its previous, consistent statements that it has no intention of selling any of its shares in Juventus to a third party, including but not restricted to El Salvador-based Tether,” noted the company.

Founded in 1897, Juventus has established itself as one of the biggest football clubs globally, with a particularly memorable period of success coming during the 2010s, in which it won nine consecutive titles in the Serie A, the first division of Italian football.

With Exor turning down the deal, the USDT issuer will have to reconsider its approach to the club popularly dubbed as The Old Lady. So far, Tether hasn’t issued any statements in answer.

In the original announcement, Tether had announced that if the firm is able to acquire Exor’s stake, it will move to acquire the remaining shares of the club through a public tender offer at the same share price. This would put the total valuation of Juventus at about $1.17 billion.

Tether had also noted that in the event that the transaction is completed, it will also be prepared to invest 1 billion euros in the football club. “Tether is in a position of strong financial health and intends to support Juventus with stable capital and a long horizon,” said CEO Paolo Ardoino.

While The Old Lady enjoyed a strong period in the last decade, the 2020s haven’t been as kind. Since the 2019-20 season title win, Juventus hasn’t come close to becoming the Italian champion, with its best finish being third place during the 2023-24 season. Juventus also became part of a financial scandal in 2023, with Serie A punishing it with a 10-point deduction for false accounting. Thus, Tether’s interest has arrived when the club has been in a bit of a slump.

USDT, Tether’s stablecoin, has been experiencing growth recently, with its market cap hitting a new record of $186.23 billion, according to data from DefiLlama.

Bitcoin Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $89,700, down 2.5% over the last week.

US-listed spot XRP ETFs just put together a streak that’s hard to ignore: 19 straight trading days of net inflows, with zero outflow sessions over the run, according to daily flow data compiled by Sosovalue.

The numbers add up quickly. By Dec. 12, cumulative net inflows sat at $974.50 million, while total net assets across the products were shown at roughly $1.18 billion.

XRP ETFs Log 19 Straight Trading Days Of Inflows

The early days did most of the heavy lifting. Sosovalue’s table shows $243.05 million of net inflow on Nov. 14, then another surge on Nov. 24 ($164.04 million). There were also chunky adds on Nov. 20 ($118.15 million) and Dec. 1 ($89.65 million). Even as the pace cooled, inflows didn’t flip—Dec. 8 posted $38.04 million, and Dec. 12 added another $20.17 million.

On X, Bitmern Mining founder and CEO Giannis Andreou framed it bluntly today: “19 consecutive trading days of inflows. Zero outflow days. Nearly $1B in net capital added.” He called it “sustained institutional positioning,” not retail froth.

That “institutional bid” angle is also showing up in the asset rankings. In a Dec. 13 post, Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg pointed to a separate snapshot of the US crypto ETP landscape showing XRP products now edging out Solana by total assets under management.

Bloomberg Intelligence data in the chart puts XRP ETP assets at about $1.638 billion, just ahead of Solana at $1.566 billion, in a market where Bitcoin still towers over everything at $125.425 billion and Ethereum sits at $22.019 billion.

McClurg’s explanation for the flip was less about Solana underperforming and more about where each asset “fits” in the wrapper trade.

“SOL ETFs launched before XRP, but XRP ETFs have now passed SOL in total AUM. I expected this,” McClurg wrote, adding “SOL is much more efficient to hold on-chain and to stake directly for retail audiences, whereas XRP has more institutional demand and no staking. As with everything, there will be an audience that prefers direct ownership, and an audience that prefers the ease of financial instruments. Some will do both.”

Notably, from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $287 million for the week, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw weekly net inflows of $209 million. SOL spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $33.6 million.

At press time, XRP once again fell below the $2 mark. The token traded at $1.98 and thus at the key support zone. A drop below the red support band could strengthen the bear case for a deeper crash to the 100-week or even 200-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA). XRP visited the latter during the October 10 crash.

Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto market enter the week facing a series of events that could shape short-term price action. Key macroeconomic data, policy signals, and sector-specific developments are set to test market sentiment and influence volatility across major digital assets. Traders and investors are closely watching how these events unfold, as shifting expectations around inflation and liquidity could determine whether the market recovers or extends its downside pressure. 

Events Set To Move Bitcoin And Crypto Market This Week

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market face a pivotal week, with several high-impact economic events lining up just days before Christmas. With year-end liquidity thinning and the recent market downturn, price reactions to macro developments could be more volatile than usual.

The period from December 16 to 19 features key US economic data releases alongside global policy decisions that directly influence risk sentiment. Cryptocurrencies remain highly sensitive to shifts in interest rate expectations and dollar liquidity, making this week decisive for Bitcoin’s near-term direction.

On December 16, October retail sales data and the November US Jobs Report are scheduled for release. These data provide insight into consumer strength and labor market conditions, both of which influence the extent to which monetary policy may remain restrictive. Usually, stronger retail spending or job growth could reinforce expectations that interest rates stay higher for longer. This risk scenario often pressures Bitcoin and other crypto assets as tighter financial conditions tend to reduce speculative capital flows. 

Next are the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data and the December Philly Fed Manufacturing Index, due on December 18. Notably, inflation remains one of the most influential drivers for crypto markets. If inflation comes in stronger than expected, the US dollar could strengthen, weighing on Bitcoin prices. Conversely, softer inflation data may support risk assets by improving the outlook for Quantitative Easing (QE). 

December 19 will see the release of several key economic reports, including the National Core CPI year over year, November existing home sales, the revised UoM consumer sentiment, and inflation expectations. National Core CPI is especially important as it is the primary measure of underlying inflation and often triggers market volatility. 

US FED And Japan Monetary Policy Events 

At the December 18-19 monetary policy meeting, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to announce its interest rate decision, which could affect global liquidity conditions. In a recent speech, Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that the BOJ was weighing the advantages and drawbacks of raising interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75%. If a spike occurs, it could affect risk markets, including cryptocurrency.

In addition, five US Federal Reserve speaker events are scheduled this week. Their comments and insights could quickly reshape crypto market expectations. Last week, the FED cut rates by 25 basis points at its final 2025 FOMC meeting, bringing the new US interest rate to 3.50-3.75%. This rate cut triggered a surprising sell off, underscoring significant impact on Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. 

A critical flaw in React Server Components is being used by attackers to inject malicious code into live websites, and that code is siphoning crypto from connected wallets.

Reports note that the vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-55182, was published by the React team on December 3 and carries a maximum severity rating.

Cybersecurity firm Security Alliance (SEAL) has confirmed that multiple crypto websites are actively being targeted, and they urge operators to review all React Server Components immediately to prevent wallet-draining attacks.

Security teams say the bug allows an unauthenticated attacker to run code on affected servers, which has been turned into wallet-draining campaigns across several sites.

A Wide Risk To Sites Using Server Components

SEAL said the flaw affects React Server Components packages in versions 19.0 through 19.2.0, and patched releases such as 19.0.1, 19.1.2, and 19.2.1 were issued after disclosure.

Crypto Drainers using React CVE-2025-55182

We are observing a big uptick in drainers uploaded to legitimate (crypto) websites through exploitation of the recent React CVE.

All websites should review front-end code for any suspicious assets NOW.

— Security Alliance (@_SEAL_Org) December 13, 2025

The vulnerability works by exploiting unsafe deserialization in the Flight protocol, letting a single crafted HTTP request execute arbitrary code with the web server’s privileges. Security teams have warned that many sites using default configurations are at risk until they apply the updates.

Attackers Inject Wallet-Draining Scripts Into Compromised Pages

According to industry posts, threat actors are using the exploit to plant scripts that prompt users to connect Web3 wallets and then hijack or redirect transactions.

In some cases the injected code alters the user interface or swaps addresses, so a user believes they are sending funds to one account while the transaction actually pays an attacker. This method can hit users who trust familiar crypto sites and connect wallets without checking every approval.

Scanners And Proof-Of-Concepts Flooded Underground Forums

Security researchers report a rush of scanning tools, fake proof-of-concept code, and exploit kits shared in underground forums shortly after the vulnerability was disclosed.

Cloud and threat-intelligence teams have observed multiple groups scanning for vulnerable servers and testing payloads, which has accelerated active exploitation.

Some defenders say that the speed and volume of scanning have made it hard to stop all attempts before patches are applied.

More Than 50 Organizations Reported Compromise Attempts

Based on reports from incident responders, post-exploitation crypto activity has been observed at more than 50 organizations across finance, media, government, and tech.

In several investigations, attackers established footholds and then used those to deliver further malware or to seed front-end code that targets wallet users.

SEAL has emphasized that organizations failing to patch or monitor their servers could experience further attacks, and ongoing monitoring is essential until all systems are verified safe.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Japan is quietly reimagining how digital assets fit into its financial system, and the timing is drawing attention. While global markets are already sensitive to upcoming macro decisions from the Bank of Japan (BoJ), Tokyo is advancing parallel reforms that touch crypto regulation, taxation, and broader liquidity conditions.

Related Reading: Ex-Terra Insider Calls Do Kwon Case ‘Backwards’ In Explosive X Thread

Together, these moves are forcing investors to reassess how Japan may influence crypto markets in the months ahead, not just through headlines, but also through structural changes.

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) has outlined plans to shift crypto oversight away from the Payment Services Act toward the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

Crypto Moves From Payments to Investment Rules

Under the proposed framework, cryptocurrencies would be treated more explicitly as financial products rather than payment tools. Oversight would move under securities-style rules, aligning crypto trading closer to traditional investment markets.

The FSA has emphasized stronger investor protection, particularly around token offerings. Exchanges handling initial exchange offerings would be required to provide detailed disclosures, including the identities of issuers, token distribution methods, and independent code audits.

The framework mirrors elements seen in the EU’s MiCA regime and South Korea’s crypto laws, including explicit bans on insider trading and tighter controls on unregistered or overseas platforms serving Japanese users. Rather than signaling deregulation, the shift suggests Japan is standardizing its crypto space.

Tax Reform Sends a Different Signal

Alongside tighter oversight, Japan is preparing a significant tax reform. Crypto gains, currently taxed as miscellaneous income at rates that can reach 55%, are set to move to a flat 20% rate. This would place digital assets on similar footing with stocks and other capital assets.

The proposal reflects years of pressure from investors and startups, who have argued that punitive taxation has pushed activity offshore.

While the regulatory net tightens, the tax cut points toward an effort to keep capital and innovation within Japan, potentially improving long-term participation rather than encouraging short-term speculation.

Macro Pressure Still Shapes Market Behavior

Despite policy shifts that appear supportive on paper, market reaction has been muted. Assets such as XRP have remained range-bound even amid Japan-related developments, reflecting low volumes and liquidity fragmentation rather than enthusiasm or fear.

Similarly, macro forces loom larger. The BoJ is expected to hike rates later this month, a move that has historically coincided with risk-off behavior in crypto as yen liquidity tightens. Japan is also preparing to offload over $500 billion in ETFs at a slow pace, underscoring policymakers’ caution about destabilizing markets.

Related Reading: Bitcoin Makes The Cut As Brazil’s Largest Private Bank Issues 2026 Guidance

Japan’s crypto policy reset looks less like a catalyst and more like a backdrop. Whether it ultimately supports prices may depend less on regulation itself and more on how liquidity, rates, and risk appetite settle once key macro decisions are out of the way.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

Ethereum is struggling to regain traction as it continues to trade below the critical $3,200 level, weighed down by persistent selling pressure and growing macro uncertainty. Market sentiment has deteriorated notably in recent weeks, with many analysts increasingly calling for a broader bear market phase.

From a structural perspective, ETH remains below several key technical levels that previously acted as support, reinforcing the perception that downside risks are still present and that bullish momentum remains fragile.

Beyond price action, on-chain data is beginning to confirm this cautious outlook. According to a CryptoQuant report by CryptoOnchain, Ethereum’s network activity has contracted sharply, signaling a meaningful decline in underlying demand. The 7-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) of Active Addresses has fallen to 327,000, marking the lowest reading since May 2025.

This represents a significant pullback from earlier cycle highs and suggests that fewer users are actively interacting with the Ethereum network.

Historically, sustained bullish trends in ETH have been supported by expanding network usage and rising participation. The current decline in active addresses indicates a reduction in network utility, often associated with cooling investor interest and the exit of short-term participants.

Ethereum Network Activity Signals Cooling Demand

According to the CryptoQuant report, the current decline in Ethereum’s Active Addresses represents a sharp pullback from the peak of roughly 483,000 addresses recorded in August. Since that high, network participation has steadily weakened, highlighting a clear loss of momentum in on-chain activity.

This contraction has closely mirrored Ethereum’s market performance over the same period. As active addresses declined, ETH’s price corrected significantly, falling from a cycle high near $4,800 to the current $3,100 area.

The simultaneous drop in both price and network activity is a critical signal. It suggests a reduction in demand for block space and points to a potential exit of retail traders or short-term participants who typically drive spikes in transaction activity during strong bullish phases. When fewer users interact with the network, it often reflects lower speculative interest and diminished transactional demand.

In a healthy and sustainable bull market, rising prices are usually accompanied by expanding network usage, with active addresses trending higher as adoption and participation grow. The current divergence from that pattern indicates a cooling ecosystem rather than an acceleration phase.

For Ethereum to establish a durable price reversal, this metric will be essential to watch. A sustained recovery in Active Addresses would be one of the clearest early signals that demand is returning and that the network is regaining fundamental strength.

Ethereum Weekly Price Structure Shows Critical Inflection Zone

Ethereum’s weekly chart highlights a market caught between long-term structural support and unresolved downside pressure. After peaking near the $4,800–$5,000 region earlier in the cycle, ETH entered a prolonged corrective phase that drove price sharply lower. The subsequent rebound from the $1,500–$1,600 lows marked a clear recovery, but the rally has so far failed to transition into a sustained bullish trend.

Currently, ETH is trading near the $3,150 level, hovering around a key confluence zone. Price is interacting with the 100-week and 200-week moving averages, which historically act as pivotal trend-defining levels. While ETH has managed to reclaim the longer-term moving averages, it continues to struggle with follow-through above them, signaling hesitation from buyers at higher prices.

The structure since mid-2024 resembles a broad consolidation rather than a decisive breakout. Each rally attempt toward the $4,000–$4,500 range has been met with strong selling pressure, producing lower highs on the weekly timeframe. Volume has also declined compared to previous impulsive advances, suggesting weaker conviction behind recent rebounds.

From a structural perspective, holding above the $2,800–$3,000 region remains critical. As long as this zone holds, ETH maintains a constructive higher-low relative to the 2022 bottom. However, failure to build acceptance above the moving averages keeps Ethereum vulnerable to extended consolidation or another corrective leg before a clearer trend emerges.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Dogecoin has spent much of the past year drifting without a clear narrative, but recent comments from prominent community voices have refocused attention on January as a potentially important period for the meme coin. 

A brief post on X by a Dogecoin supporter known as Jimmy, stating that utility for DOGE is coming in January, is notable because it echoed a longer message from another supporter, BuildrJ, who pointed out that crypto’s next phase must center on real usage rather than hype, and why adding utility to DOGE is overdue.

Focus Shifts To Utility For Dogecoin

The point made by BuildrJ reflects a sentiment that has been building across the market. Many traders now draw a clear line between holding crypto as a trade and actually using it as a tool. 

DOGE, which started its origins as a joke, already functions as a fast and inexpensive payment network. Supporters argue that this foundation gives Dogecoin an advantage over newer meme coins that exist largely as narratives without proven usage.

When Jimmy referred to utility arriving in January, the comment can be interpreted as confidence that Dogecoin’s role as a usable currency is about to gain more visibility, rather than a promise of a single dramatic feature release. 

Dogecoin’s clearest and most established use case is in payments. Over the past year, discussions within the DOGE community and around the Dogecoin Foundation have been focused on making the cryptocurrency more practical for everyday transactions and reinforcing the network’s relevance as a medium of exchange. One recurring theme in recent discussions has been the possibility of DOGE being integrated into X’s long-anticipated payments infrastructure, often referred to as X Money.

If DOGE is actively used rather than merely held, demand becomes more organic and less dependent on short-term enthusiasm. Another area that has featured prominently in community discussions is the arrival of Spot Dogecoin ETFs in the US, although inflows have been lower than expected.

Is A New All-Time High Realistic For DOGE?

From a price perspective, reaching a new all-time high in January would be an extraordinary move. Dogecoin’s previous peak at $0.73 was set during a period of extreme retail participation and euphoria. That environment no longer exists in the same form, as capital inflows are much more crypto selective. This is precisely why the discussion around Dogecoin’s utility has become more important to its price outlook.

January does not need to deliver a new record high for it to be a meaningful month for DOGE. At the time of writing, DOGE is trading around $0.137 and is at risk of losing $0.13 anytime soon. 

From a technical standpoint, sustained hold above the $0.14 price level, accompanied by inflows into Spot Dogecoin ETFs and interest tied to real usage, would already represent a meaningful change in trend for DOGE.

Ethereum is struggling to regain momentum after failing to reclaim the $3,200 level, keeping the market in a fragile equilibrium. Despite several recovery attempts, price action suggests that bulls are now focused less on pushing higher and more on defending current demand zones. This hesitation reflects broader uncertainty across the crypto market, where traders remain cautious amid tightening liquidity and elevated macro risk.

However, beneath the surface, on-chain activity is beginning to tell a more nuanced story. According to Lookonchain, data sourced from Arkham reveals that a major market participant has re-entered aggressively. The so-called 66kETHBorrow Whale, who previously accumulated 489,696 ETH worth roughly $1.5 billion, has started buying Ethereum again as prices declined.

This behavior stands out because it occurred during weakness rather than strength, a pattern typically associated with strategic accumulation rather than short-term speculation.

Whale activity during drawdowns often signals confidence in higher prices over a longer time horizon, even when sentiment remains fragile. While Ethereum still faces technical resistance overhead, the return of large buyers suggests that demand is weak but has not disappeared.

Whale Accumulation Raises Questions Amid Ethereum Weakness

Lookonchain data provides further insight into the recent actions of the 66kETHBorrow whale, highlighting a sequence that has drawn significant attention from the market. Over the past eight hours, the whale borrowed approximately $85 million in USDT from Aave and transferred the funds to Binance.

Shortly after, he withdrew 38,576 ETH, valued at roughly $119.3 million, from the exchange. This rapid movement of capital during a market pullback has raised questions among smaller investors, many of whom are wondering whether this whale is acting on information or conviction that is not yet reflected in price.

Such behavior is often interpreted as deliberate accumulation, particularly when ETH is withdrawn from exchanges rather than left on trading platforms. Exchange outflows generally reduce immediate sell-side liquidity, reinforcing the perception of long-term positioning. However, it is critical to acknowledge the limits of on-chain visibility. These transactions represent only the wallets that have been publicly identified and tracked.

There is no certainty that this whale’s exposure is fully transparent. He could be holding hedges, short positions, or additional long exposure through other wallets, centralized exchanges, or derivatives markets that are not visible on-chain. As a result, while the activity suggests confidence, it should not be interpreted as definitive directional confirmation.

ETH Price Struggles Below Key Moving Averages

Ethereum is currently trading near the $3,150–$3,200 zone after a modest rebound, but the broader technical structure remains fragile. On the daily chart, ETH continues to trade below its 50-day and 100-day moving averages, both of which are now acting as dynamic resistance. The recent bounce stalled near the declining 50-day MA, highlighting the lack of strong follow-through from buyers.

The 200-day moving average, positioned closer to the $3,500 area, remains well above current price levels. This reinforces that Ethereum is still in a corrective phase within a larger macro uptrend. As long as price remains below this long-term trend indicator, upside attempts are likely to face selling pressure from both swing traders and systematic strategies.

Price action over the past weeks shows a series of lower highs following the rejection near $4,000 in October, confirming a short-term bearish market structure. However, ETH has so far defended the $2,800–$2,900 support region, suggesting that buyers are still active at lower levels.

For Ethereum to shift momentum decisively, bulls must reclaim and hold above the $3,300–$3,400 range. Failure to do so keeps downside risks open, with a potential retest of prior demand zones if broader market sentiment deteriorates.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin (BTC) began the new trading week on the back foot, slipping below the $90,000 mark as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of a dense slate of U.S. economic data and key global central bank decisions.

After reaching an all-time high of $126,000 in October, the world’s top cryptocurrency has struggled to regain momentum, instead entering a period marked by tight ranges, low volatility, and subdued trading volumes.

Market movers appear reluctant to commit to new positions as uncertainty builds around the direction of macroeconomic trends. Bitcoin was trading near $89,600 during early Monday sessions, extending weekend losses and reflecting a broader risk-off mood across global markets.

Bitcoin Volatility Compresses as Technical Levels Tighten

Bitcoin’s recent price behavior has been defined by historically low volatility, with the asset hovering in a narrow band just below $90,000.

Analysts note that such compression often precedes a sharper move. Technical analyst Aksel Kibar has identified a critical setup on the daily chart, suggesting that a decisive breakout or breakdown could be imminent.

On the downside, failure to hold current levels could open the door to a decline toward the $86,000 area, with deeper support seen between $73,700 and $76,500. On the upside, a sustained break above resistance near $94,600 could shift momentum and put the $100,000 level back into focus.

Other traders have echoed calls for patience, advising investors to wait for a confirmed move outside the current range before taking positions.

On-Chain Signals and Liquidity Raise Caution

Beyond chart patterns, on-chain data has reinforced a more cautious outlook. Analysts at CryptoQuant have highlighted weakening demand and selling pressure near key moving averages, suggesting that recent rebounds have lacked conviction.

Declining liquidity following the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut has also weighed on Bitcoin and the broader crypto market, according to market makers.

Still, not all signals are uniformly bearish. Data from Glassnode shows that some digital asset treasury firms have quietly resumed Bitcoin accumulation, despite prices struggling to stabilize. This mixed backdrop underscores the market’s current indecision.

Macro Data and Central Banks in Focus

Attention now turns to a busy macroeconomic calendar. Investors are watching delayed U.S. jobs data, inflation reports, retail sales figures, and flash PMI readings for clues on growth and interest rate expectations. Speeches from Federal Reserve officials later in the week could further influence sentiment.

Globally, central bank meetings add another layer of uncertainty. Decisions from the European Central Bank, Bank of England, and especially the Bank of Japan, where a rate hike is widely expected, are being closely monitored for their impact on global liquidity.

With volatility compressed and key catalysts approaching, Bitcoin appears poised at a crossroads as markets await clearer signals on economic and policy direction.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

The lawsuit between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had dominated headlines for years, with XRP in the spotlight over its potential classification as a security. Now that the legal dispute is over and XRP has been definitively cleared as non-security, experts argue that Ripple’s greatest success extends far beyond XRP regulation.  

Ripple’s True Victory Beyond XRP Regulation 

A crypto market expert operating under the name “Stellar Rippler” on X has shared a compelling report that reassesses what truly constitutes Ripple’s biggest win. The analyst highlighted that the real win for Ripple was not regulatory approval but an intellectual shift in how the project is perceived. 

The expert highlighted that while he favors XRP, he has historically been skeptical of Ripple’s intentions. However, he stated that the recent approval of the crypto company’s bank charter by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) speaks volumes about Ripple’s long-term vision in the financial sector. 

Last week, on December 12, the OCC granted conditional approval to five crypto-related firms, including Ripple, to obtain national trust bank charters. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Ripple, reinforcing its legitimacy in traditional finance despite the numerous oppositions. 

In his post, the analyst compares XRP and XLM, noting that the debate between the two cryptocurrencies has often been driven by emotion. He said that discussions were frequently centered on conflicts between retail and institutions, accusations of token dumpings, and differing visions for the future. 

According to the expert, XRP and XLM have always been structurally similar, both designed for fast, low-cost settlement, cross-border liquidity, interoperability, and real-world financial infrastructure. However, he notes that the primary difference between the two cryptocurrencies has always been strategy rather than values. 

He explained that while Ripple prioritized tackling regulatory hurdles, banking, and building institutional partnerships first, Stellar focused on grassroots adoption and open networks. With the new OCC bank charter, the expert emphasizes that Ripple’s strategic approach is now clearly validated and undeniable. 

Stellar Rippler highlighted that Ripple did not abandon its crypto principles but took on the regulatory responsibility to ensure its network could operate at scale. He stated that this milestone shows that history favors builders who solve foundational problems rather than those who focus on tribal disputes.  

Stellar Expert Shifts Stance After Ripple Gains OCC Approval 

In a previous post, Stellar Rippler publicly announced a significant change in perspective on Ripple following news that the company had received conditional approval for a national bank charter. He admitted he was wrong in his past views, describing the recent development as a full submission to the highest level of federal and state oversight in the United States. 

The Stellar expert now believes that Ripple is firmly committed to long-term global finance, stating that a company would not take such a path if it were not building something designed to last decades. He added that this milestone represents maturity and legitimacy for Ripple and strengthens confidence in XRP.

The price of XRP may be declining as volatility extends, but a lot of the leading altcoin has been observed leaving cryptocurrency exchanges at a rapid rate. With the token heavily leaving exchanges during the bearish phase, this raises the possibility of an anticipated supply shock.

Is An XRP Supply Shock Incoming?

As XRP battles with bearish movements, its presence on centralized exchanges is subtly shrinking, which is starting to attract notable attention in the market. A report from Ripple Bull Winkle, a market expert and the founder of Lux Lions NFT, shows that the token has been consistently leaving crypto exchanges, even with fading price momentum.

This decline in supply on exchanges signals that investors may be transferring their coins into long-term storage or self-custody rather than making them easily accessible for trading. While these investors maintain the trend, it is often considered a strategic move in order to position themselves for potential upward spikes in price.

In the post on the X platform, Ripple Bull Winkle highlighted that the supply of XRP on exchanges is now totaled at 4 billion. Despite the massive coins still available on crypto exchanges, the figure only represents nearly 8% of the total supply circulating in the market.

As the altcoin exchange supply shrinks, the trend is sparking fresh debate about its possible implications for price behavior in the upcoming weeks. In the past, it has frequently preceded times of decreased sell pressure, shifting liquidity dynamics, and increased demand sensitivity.

Ripple Bull Winkle noted that the majority of the supply on exchanges is not for sale liquidity. Such thin float with growing institutional demand is likely to lead to explosive conditions, allowing XRP to kick off another sharp rally. According to the expert, this trend could be a sign of a supply shock because they do not show warnings; instead, they just detonate.

Taking a look at another post, Ripple Bull Winkle revealed a massive withdrawal from crypto exchanges, indicating rising conviction and reducing sell-offs. During the weekend, over 30 million XRP were withdrawn from exchanges, which was carried out in a single day.

The expert claims that this is how supply shocks are kicked off quietly, and the price does not move first. “Liquidity disappears first. Most people won’t notice until sellers are gone,” the expert added.

ETFs Market Is Thriving

XRP continues to experience significant demand both from retail and institutional investors via its Spot Exchange-Traded Funds. X Finance Bull highlighted that the funds are the only ETFs without any daily outflows over the last 30 days.

Currently, the funds hold the line with $1.34 billion and 669 million XRP locked. While others rotate their capital, institutions are building up on the token with conviction. According to the expert, institutional investors understand that the token is shaping up to be the liquidity layer for global finance, but retailers fail to. Meanwhile, this is how smart money moves prior to a paradigm shift.

Когда $BTC в один день может резко просесть и так же быстро отскочить, рынок снова вспоминает простую истину: в крипте цена часто движется не только фундаменталом, но и настроением толпы. На прошлой неделе Associated Press описало эпизод, когда биткоин кратковременно опускался ниже $85 000, а затем стабилизировался около $86 650, на фоне ухода инвесторов в «тихие гавани» и фиксации прибыли.

Нетрудно понять, почему старший руководитель крупной инвестиционной компании Vanguard Джон Амэрикс раскритиковал первую криптовалюту, назвав ее цифровым аналогом игрушки Лабубу.

В такие периоды мем‑сегмент ведет себя особенно показательно. Когда «серьезные деньги» осторожничают, розничные трейдеры чаще ищут не «идеальный актив», а историю, в которую легко поверить и которую легко обсуждать. И если рынок становится «одним большим мемом», то выигрывают проекты, которые прямо превращают торговлю в игру, а участие — в принадлежность к сообществу.

На этом фоне неудивительно, что внимание перетекает в мем‑токены с «культурой трейдинга»: они не обещают решить все проблемы мира, но решают более приземленную — удерживают интерес, когда хочется действия. В этой логике Maxi Doge становится не «еще одним мемом», а попыткой упаковать азарт высокорисковой торговли в понятный, вирусный и соревновательный формат.

У многих розничных игроков одна и та же боль: «киты» двигают рынок объемом, а им остается либо догонять движение, либо искать способ усилить свой результат через дисциплину, стратегию и сообщество на биржах криптовалют. Именно здесь проекты вроде Maxi Doge стараются сыграть роль «социального рычага», который компенсирует нехватку капитала вовлеченностью и механиками.

КУПИТЬ MAXI DOGE

Почему мем‑рынок снова превращается в арену для трейдеров

Последние месяцы показали, что спекулятивные нарративы возвращаются волнами: как только биткоин перестает быть «прямой линией вверх», аудитория разбивается на два лагеря. Одни уходят в ожидание и кеш. Другие — в краткосрочную охоту за доходностью, где мем‑сектор становится витриной настроений и риска.

Статистические обзоры рынка отмечают, что в 2025 году дневные объемы торгов мем‑монетами регулярно превышали $5 млрд, а сама категория переживала резкие ускорения роста в отдельные периоды. Это не гарантия доходности, но маркер спроса на «истории», которые быстро распространяются и быстро конвертируются в сделки.

Отсюда и конкуренция форматов. Одни мем‑проекты делают ставку на «картинку и шутку». Другие — на геймификацию, турниры, стимулы для удержания и социальные механики. В такой гонке Maxi Doge — лишь один из вариантов, но он вписывается в тренд «мем как торговое сообщество».

Как Maxi Doge упаковывает «культуру 1000x» в соревнование

Центральная идея Maxi Doge — культ «королевского» плеча. С практической стороны проект делает акцент на соревновательной механике: закрытые для участников конкурсы по результативности торговли с таблицами лидеров и наградами. Это важный сдвиг для мем‑сегмента: внимание удерживается не только обещанием пампа, но и регулярным событием. Вокруг него строится активность сообщества.

Триггеры интереса уже заметны в цифрах. Предпродажа привлекла $4,3 млн, а токены предлагаются по $0,000273 — это дает четкую метрику спроса, которую рынок обычно отслеживает в реальном времени.

При этом данные по крупным покупкам тоже подогревают историю: трекеры показывают 2 значимые транзакции на общую сумму $503K. Крупнейшая — на $251K от 11 октября 2025 года.

$MAXI подойдет тем, кто ищет мем‑проект, который делает ставку на дисциплину, турниры и культуру трейдинга.

Legendary analyst Peter Brandt has criticized XRP investors, describing them as uneducated. His criticism comes amid the drop below the psychological $2 level, despite recent fundamentals that paint a bullish picture for the altcoin. 

Peter Brandt Describes XRP Investors As “Uneducated”

In an X post, Brandt stated that XRP investors, who are permabulls, are the most uneducated and biased set of people he has seen over his 50 years of trading. The veteran trader classified this set of investors alongside those who trumpet Silver. He also highlighted how this was a big deal considering that he has traded thousands of contracts of every commodity, stock indexes, and many cryptos. 

XRP has, over the years, been known to have one of the strongest crypto communities, which commonly refer to themselves as the ‘XRP Army.’ Brandt has, on several occasions, been criticized by some investors over some of his bearish predictions for the altcoin. This has led to him calling them out in the past whenever he makes such predictions. 

It is worth mentioning that Brandt had also earlier in the month asserted that the “most madly obsessed perma-bulls” on earth are bulls. Although the veteran trader didn’t state an exact reason for making these statements, some pundits have developed a knack for making outlandish price predictions. 

An example of such a pundit is Barry C, who recently stated that the price will skyrocket from $2 to $1,000 a lot sooner than people anticipate. The pundit has in the past alluded to banks’ potential adoption of the token as a factor that could spark the rally to $1,000. He recently highlighted the OCC’s grant of a conditional approval to Ripple to operate as a bank, which provides a boost for the altcoin. 

Largest IQ Holder Is Now A Bull

XRP pundit Zach Rector clapped back against Brandt’s statement, noting that the largest IQ holder is now an XRP bull. The largest IQ holder, Young Hoon Kim, recently revealed that he had started buying the token, having become bullish on the altcoin. He also predicted that the altcoin could reach a new all-time high (ATH) before the year ends. 

Meanwhile, in his latest X post, Kim opined that the price could potentially reach $100 over the next five years. However, he didn’t mention what could spark such a parabolic price surge for the altcoin. It is worth mentioning that such predictions have raised eyebrows because of what the altcoin’s market cap will be if it reaches such price targets. A $100 price target would give XRP a market cap of almost $10 trillion. 

At the time of writing, the token’s price is trading at around $1.98, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Один из самых обсуждаемых игроков хайстейкс-сцены, Ник Эйрболл, официально стал амбассадором CoinPoker.

Партнерство было объявлено в символичный момент — сразу после его громкой победы в Million Dollar Marathon на Hustler Casino Live, где он заработал $1,35 млн менее чем за 10 часов игры.

В честь сотрудничества CoinPoker и Ник Эйрболл запускают крупный розыгрыш для новых игроков, подчеркивая амбиции рума закрепиться в статусе площадки номер один для онлайн-покера высоких ставок.

Хайстейкс-звезда Hustler Casino Live присоединился к CoinPoker после выигрыша $1,35 млн и уже сыграл в топовых онлайн-играх платформы

CoinPoker объявил о подписании Нихила «Nik Airball» Аркота в качестве нового амбассадора бренда. Эйрболл — одна из самых ярких фигур современной живой покерной сцены США, прославившийся благодаря бескомпромиссной и агрессивной игре в дорогих кеш-играх Hustler Casino Live. Его спокойствие на фоне шестизначных колебаний банка и готовность играть против сильнейших соперников сделали его любимцем зрителей и ключевым персонажем хайстейкс-трансляций.

В рамках сотрудничества Ник Эйрболл разыгрывает 1% от своего недавнего выигрыша — $13 500. Принять участие в акции могут новые игроки CoinPoker, зарегистрировавшиеся с промокодом AIRBALL. Розыгрыш продлится в течение декабря, а победители будут объявлены в социальных сетях Эйрболла и CoinPoker. По масштабам это один из крупнейших розыгрышей среди амбассадорских кампаний рума.

Сам Ник отметил, что его привлек подход CoinPoker к развитию онлайн-покера, акцент на этике и прозрачности. Эти ценности совпадают с позиционированием платформы как «дома хайстейкс-покера». CoinPoker регулярно предлагает игры с лимитами вплоть до NL и PLO $1 000/$2 000, а также проводит Cash Game World Championship — серию, ориентированную на сильнейших кеш-регуляров.

Показательно, что Эйрболл уже принял участие в VIP-игре CGWC на CoinPoker, где сыграл против таких известных профессионалов, как Jungleman, в формате Seven Deuce Game на лимитах $50/$100. Это стало первым сигналом того, что партнерство будет сопровождаться не только маркетинговыми активностями, но и реальным хайстейкс-контентом.

Заключение

Сотрудничество Ника Эйрболла и CoinPoker выглядит логичным шагом для обеих сторон: харизматичный хайстейкс-игрок усиливает медийное присутствие рума, а CoinPoker предоставляет ему онлайн-платформу, соответствующую его уровню и стилю игры.

Розыгрыш $13 500 и участие Эйрболла в топовых играх подчеркивают стремление CoinPoker конкурировать за внимание серьезных игроков и укреплять свои позиции на рынке онлайн-покера.

Quantum risk has become a recurring stress point in Bitcoin discourse, often framed as an existential threat. The claim usually follows a familiar arc: quantum computing is advancing quickly, cryptography is vulnerable, and Bitcoin isn’t adapting fast enough.

Marty Bent doesn’t buy that framing. In his Dec. 14 episode, Bent acknowledged that quantum computing represents a genuine risk — not just for Bitcoin, but for any system built on modern cryptography — while pushing back on the idea that Bitcoin developers are ignoring the issue.

“Short answer is yes, it is a risk,” Bent said. “But it’s not only a risk for Bitcoin. It’s a risk for any system that depends on cryptography for security.”

What Developers Are Doing To Make Bitcoin Quantum-Safe

What tends to get lost, he argued, is the work already underway. Bent pointed to ongoing developer discussions and, more recently, a research paper published by Blockstream’s Jonas Nick and Mikhail Kutunov examining hash-based, post-quantum signature schemes tailored specifically for Bitcoin.

“I just wanted to make this video to push back on that notion,” Bent said, referring to claims that Bitcoin isn’t moving fast enough. “Because I think it’s pretty clear if you’ve been following Bitcoin development discussions over the last year, the quantum risk is certainly being taken seriously and the conversations have started.”

Nick summarized the paper in a Dec. 9 post on X, describing it as an analysis of post-quantum schemes optimized for Bitcoin’s constraints rather than generic cryptographic benchmarks. Bent described the work as a signal that research is shifting from abstract concern to concrete design space.

Hash-based signatures are conceptually simple and rely solely on hash functions, which is a primitive Bitcoin already trusts.

While NIST has standardized SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+), we investigate alternatives that are better suited to Bitcoin’s specific needs.

— ncklr (@n1ckler) December 9, 2025

Nick wrote via X: “Hash-based signatures are conceptually simple and rely solely on hash functions, which is a primitive Bitcoin already trusts. While NIST has standardized SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+), we investigate alternatives that are better suited to Bitcoin’s specific needs. We explore in detail how various optimizations and parameter choices affect size and performance. Signature size can be reduced to ~3-4KB, which is comparable to lattice-based signature schemes (ML-DSA).”

The challenge, Bent emphasized, isn’t a lack of candidate solutions. It’s that Bitcoin is a globally distributed system with nearly 17 years of operational history, and changes at the protocol level come with heavy trade-offs. “Bitcoin is a globally distributed peer-to-peer system that depends on consensus protocol rules that are very hard to change,” Bent said. “And you really don’t want to change them too often.”

That reality complicates any transition to quantum-resistant signatures. Existing address types, HD wallets, multisig setups, and threshold schemes all need to be considered. And beyond compatibility, there’s the question of performance.

“One of the biggest hurdles when approaching this problem in Bitcoin is that many quantum-resistant schemes are very data intensive,” Bent said. “Yes, there are many different schemes that can be implemented. However, they come with trade-offs — particularly verification and bandwidth trade-offs.”

Larger signatures can slow block propagation and make it more expensive to run a full node, which directly impacts decentralization. The Blockstream paper focuses heavily on that tension, exploring optimizations that could reduce signature sizes to a few kilobytes while keeping verification costs manageable.

“They feel pretty confident that they’ve done the research to find signature schemes that would have a nice trade-off balance,” Bent said. “You get quantum resistance, but at the same time it remains conducive for people to download full nodes and verify transactions without needing a significant amount of bandwidth and data storage.”

Bent was careful not to frame the research as a finished solution. Instead, he described it as groundwork — mapping the problem space early so the network isn’t caught flat-footed if quantum capabilities advance faster than expected.

“This is by no means like, ‘hey, we solved the problem,’” he said. “But we are taking this problem seriously, doing research and beginning to figure out ways in which we could solve the quantum risk that may or may not manifest in the medium to long term.”

He also noted that BTC tends to be singled out in quantum discussions, even though most of the internet relies on cryptographic assumptions that would face similar pressure in a true post-quantum scenario.

“If quantum computers do come, Bitcoin is not the only thing,” Bent said. “Almost everything you touch on the internet is depending on some cryptographic security at some point.”

Everyone’s panicking about quantum computing killing bitcoin.

But they’re ignoring what just got released.@martybent explains. pic.twitter.com/uyRIjpGuNY

— TFTC (@TFTC21) December 14, 2025

For now, Bent’s takeaway was measured. Quantum risk exists. Progress in quantum computing is real. But the narrative that developers are ignoring the issue doesn’t align with what’s happening in technical circles.

“Very smart developers, cryptographers more importantly, are researching the problem,” he said. “If you know where to look, it’s pretty clear that people are preparing for this.” Not solved. Not ignored. Just quietly being worked on.

At press time, BTC traded at $89,854.

Bitcoin’s bounce last week was quickly cut off by growing volatility in the broader crypto market, causing the price to fall below the pivotal $90,000 mark once again. Given the recent price fluctuations, investors’ sentiment, especially those on crypto exchanges, has shifted as inflows from BTC wholecoiners plummet.

Binance Sees Sharp Drop In BTC Wholecoiner Inflows

While the price of Bitcoin pulls back this new week, there is one key metric that is currently standing out. This metric is the BTC Wholecoiners Inflows on Binance, which is starting to tell a different story about investors on the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world.

After examining this metric, Darkfost, a market analyst and author at CryptoQuant, revealed that on the Binance platform, wholecoiner deposits are drying up. Specifically, wholecoiner inflows imply transactions larger than 1 BTC, which provides vital insight into both current selling pressure and the broader evolution of the market.

Data shows that the inflows from this cohort are declining when compared to past years. Presently, BTC’s yearly average now sits around 6,500 BTC, representing a level not seen since 2018. Meanwhile, on the shorter time frame, the weekly average is situated near 5,200 BTC, marking one of its lowest readings of this cycle.

While the wholecoiner inflows dry up, the pattern that inflows have followed this cycle in comparison to previous ones is very intriguing. Even as Bitcoin continued to rise, wholecoiner inflows to Binance have steadily decreased rather than rising as they once did.

Beyond indicating that investors with sizable Bitcoin holdings are less inclined to sell, this trend could also point to a deeper structural shift in the market. With Bitcoin’s valuation experiencing a steady increase, owning a full BTC has become extremely difficult, which naturally decreases the total number of transactions larger than 1 BTC.

At the same time, Darkfost highlighted that there are now more options available in the ecosystem for owning or trading Bitcoin. Even crypto exchanges have multiplied, and the steady growth of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) provides more venues, a trend that is likely to redirect flows that previously went nearly exclusively to major exchanges such as Binance.

BTC Still Trading Below Short-Term Cost Basis

Bitcoin is still trading below the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis located at $105,400. What this means is that the crypto king has been trading below the level for nearly 2 months now. However, Darkfost stated that staying beneath the level for such an extended period is not uncommon. 

During previous corrections, the duration of these phases has ranged from two months to over four months, making the present correction fall well within a typical range. However, since this indication tends to stay negative for much longer after the market actually enters a bear phase, it would be crucial to prevent Bitcoin from declining any further.

In the meantime, this does not invalidate the notion that these periods remain a signal for accumulation opportunities. Nevertheless, caution is still crucial, and access points should be carefully optimized. Darkfost believes that an accumulation of this type is only appropriate for long-term investors.