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Лидером среди обеспеченных золотом стейблкоинов в уходящем году стал XAUT компании Tether с капитализацией почти $2,2 млрд — он занял 50% рынка, сообщили аналитики платформы The Block's Data.

Michael Saylor tossed a compact bit of Bitcoin game theory onto X on Tuesday and it set off the predictable kind of fight: technical details colliding with ideology.

“The Bitcoin Quantum Leap: Quantum computing won’t break Bitcoin—it will harden it,” Saylor wrote, adding: “The network upgrades, active coins migrate, lost coins stay frozen. Security goes up. Supply comes down. Bitcoin grows stronger.”

Short version: if quantum ever becomes real enough to threaten today’s signature schemes, Bitcoin can upgrade. Coins that are actively managed move to new, quantum-resistant output types. Coins that aren’t—because the keys are lost, the owner is gone, or the UTXOs are simply abandoned—should effectively get stuck. Frozen.

Bitcoin Developers And Community React

That’s the part people latched onto, because it’s not just a technical question. It’s a social one. Who gets to decide which coins are “lost” versus “just old”? Jameson Lopp, one of the loudest voices pushing for practical quantum-readiness, basically said: yes, and welcome aboard. “I agree, lost coins should stay frozen. Glad to hear you’ll support my BIP!”

Then the counterpunch arrived fast. “We have no right to freeze another man’s bitcoin,” wrote Wicked (@w_s_bitcoin), arguing any attempt to lock legacy coins could spark a contentious chain split. He also floated a more narrative-friendly twist: what if Satoshi left early keys exposed as a “bounty” for quantum computers?

Lopp’s answer wasn’t sentimental. It was node-level realism. “On the flip side, every node runner has the right to refuse to accept coins they believe are most likely to have been stolen by a quantum attacker,” he wrote, framing it less as confiscation and more as a defensive filter to preserve the integrity of circulating supply. Later, he conceded the uncomfortable core: “Correct, the best you can do is come up with an extremely lengthy migration window.”

That “migration window” is doing a lot of work here. The draft proposal described by Lopp and co-authors (Christian Papathanasiou, Ian Smith, Joe Ross, Steve Vaile, Pierre-Luc Dallaire-Demers) sketches a three-phase path: first a soft fork that nudges (or forces) new sends into proposed quantum-resistant outputs, then a later rule change that makes legacy ECDSA/Schnorr spends invalid after a long deadline, and an optional third phase to recover unmigrated coins if the rightful owner can prove control through some new mechanism.

It sounds orderly on paper. It never is in practice. Because you can’t prove theft in Bitcoin’s older UTXOs. Wicked hammered that point: there’s “no way to prove whether older coins were stolen or just forgotten and then moved later by the rightful owner.” The fear, in his view, is basically supply paranoia dressed up as security.

Lopp didn’t deny the incentives. He leaned into them. “I can assure you that many entities in the industry care about supply shocks causing the value of their coins to plummet; businesses still use dollars as their unit of account.” And then, in a line that reads like a homework assignment for anyone who thinks this ends cleanly: “Your homework is to figure out the power dynamics…”

Outside the Bitcoin-only trench fight, other corners of crypto mostly reacted with a raised eyebrow. Nic Carter, a founding partner at Castle Island Ventures, demanded specifics: “Explain in detail how all of those things will happen […] Which core devs has microstrategy funded to work on the multiple hard and soft forks that will be required for this plan? Which quantum researchers?”

BitMEX Research pushed back on the “hardfork” framing. “What makes you think we need a hardfork?” it asked, arguing the transition could be painful without literally being a hard fork. Another account summed up the mood: “You can freeze coins with a soft fork.”

Then again—soft fork or not—getting broad social consensus to lock unmoved coins is its own nightmare. “The idea that there would be social consensus over locking unmoved coins is crazy,” one user wrote. “In 1,000 realities that doesn’t happen once.”

And, quietly, a reminder from Willem Schroe (Botanix CEO): “Yes, there are quantum developments but nothing remotely close to a breakthrough. That said, our current cryptographic solutions are not even remotely close to ready or battletested so quantum resistance work is definitely worth it. Very small risk but would have a big impact.”

So overall, none of this is about quantum tomorrow. It’s about Bitcoin deciding what it is when faced with a threat that can’t be patched with vibes. The tech path is hard. The politics might be harder.

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $86,761.

Криптовалютный трейдер и блогер с аудиторией более 1,4 млн читателей в соцсети Х Ларк Дэвис (Lark Davis) заявил, что криптовалюта LINK гораздо лучше XRP, а Chainlink в течение следующего десятилетия превзойдет Ripple.

Руководитель отдела исследований компании Bitwise Райан Расмуссен (Ryan Rasmussen) заявил, что для криптовалютных биржевых фондов (ETF) в следующем году может наступить «эпоха фабрики чизкейков».

Крупнейшая криптобиржа Binance опубликовала черный список так называемых листинговых агентов — посредников, обещающих криптокомпаниям помощь в размещении токенов на бирже.

Top meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have slipped into the background of recent times, giving room for other unexpected candidates to shine. Over the last week, there have been some interesting rallies in the meme coin space, but none from the usual suspects. Instead, meme coins, which were believed to be long dead, have seen a revival, with prices more than doubling in 10 days. This report takes a look at the two meme coins that have dominated the sector over the last few weeks.

PIPPIN Climbs The Ranks Of Meme Coins Very Quickly

Like other meme coins, PIPPIN saw an initial run-up following its initial launch back in November 2024, and as attention shifted to the next shiny meme coin, it died a slow death. By 2025, the coin was all but forgotten before its shocking revival in November 2025.

As data analytics platform Bubblemaps shared, there seemed to be a coordinated accumulation trend from a number of connected wallets. Between October 24 and November 23, 50 wallets, funded from the HTX exchange in very tight timeframes, had received similar amounts of Solana (SOL).

Once received, the wallets, which previously had no enchain activity, then proceeded to buy the PIPPIN token. By the time the buying was done, the wallets had bought up $19 million worth of PIPPIN, giving them control of half of the meme coin’s supply.

What followed was what has been referred to as a coordinated pump, causing the meme coin to rise 1,000%, or 10x, in the space of one week. However, PIPPIN did not stop there and has since risen by more than 2,000% since then, with its market cap crossing $400 million to new all-time highs. CoinMarketCap data shows a 146% increase in the last week alone, making it the top performer among the leading meme coins and putting it ahead of the likes of FARTCOIN and FLOKI.

JELLYJELLY Doubles In One Week

Another of the meme coins that seemingly came back from the dead is JELLYJELLY, whose initial rally had shocked the market. Just like PIPPIN, JELLYJELLY’s rise had also begun with a coordinated accumulation among a number of wallets. Bubblemaps reported this back in November, showing that seven wallets had withdrawn 20% of the meme coin’s supply from the Gate and Bitget exchanges.

With the accumulation done, the JELLYJELLY price had risen by more than 600% to reach a new all-time high just short of $500 million back in early November. The price had then retraced, reaching below $100 million, but has seen another revival this week.

CoinMarketCap data shows the JELLYJELLY price rose 143% in one week, to put it above the $100 million market cap level once again. This makes it the second-best performer behind PIPPIN among the top 30 meme coins over the last week.

Сенатор-демократ от штата Мичиган Элисса Слоткин (Elissa Slotkin) и сенатор-республиканец от штата Канзас Джерри Моран (Jerry Moran) представили законопроект о мерах борьбы с криптовалютными мошенниками.

Председатель компании MicroStrategy Майкл Сейлор (Michael Saylor) заявил, что квантовые компьютеры не смогут уничтожить Биткоин, а наоборот, укрепят первую криптовалюту.

Инвестор и соучредитель Morgan Creek Digital Энтони Помплиано (Anthony Pompliano) заявил, что другим фирмам сложно будет превзойти компанию Strategy по запасам биткоинов из-за нехватки у них свободного капитала.

Гендиректор американской криптобиржи Coinbase Брайан Армстронг (Brian Armstrong) заявил, что криптовалюты и блокчейн превосходят традиционную финансовую систему.

Власти Бутана заявили, что используют 10 000 биткоинов из своих резервов для развития экономического потенциала города Гелефу. Цель — остановить эмиграцию молодежи путем создания высокооплачиваемых рабочих мест.

As concerns about the potential risks posed by quantum computing to the cryptocurrency landscape grow, the Solana Foundation has taken new measures by announcing a collaboration with Project Eleven, which specializes in post-quantum security.

Solana’s Focus On Long-Term Security 

In a Tuesday press release, the Solana Foundation outlined its commitment to fortifying the cryptocurrency’s ecosystem against the implications of quantum computing. 

Through this initiative, Project Eleven has conducted a comprehensive threat assessment and successfully prototyped a functioning testnet utilizing post-quantum digital signatures. 

Under their engagement, Project Eleven undertook a risk analysis to evaluate how forthcoming breakthroughs in quantum computing could impact various facets of Solana’s infrastructure. Areas scrutinized included user wallets, validator security, and the foundational cryptographic assumptions that underpin the network. 

Moreover, Project Eleven has implemented a working post-quantum signature system on a Solana testnet, demonstrating that quantum-resistant transactions can be both practical and scalable.

Matt Sorg, VP of Technology at the Solana Foundation, emphasized the organization’s approach: “Our responsibility is to ensure Solana remains secure not just today, but decades into the future.” 

He noted that the culture of innovation within the Solana ecosystem would continue to thrive with the upcoming release of a second client and an advanced consensus mechanism this year. 

Alex Pruden, CEO of Project Eleven, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Solana didn’t wait for quantum computers to become a headline problem. They invested early, asked the hard questions, and took actionable steps today.” 

Industry Leaders Urge Speedy Action

Solana’s stance comes amid alarming reports indicating that quantum computers could potentially undermine blockchain security by developing algorithms capable of deciphering private keys. 

This scenario raises significant concerns for any digital assets operating on blockchain technology that rely on digital signatures, making them vulnerable to quantum hacking. As such, industry experts are actively exploring various measures to bolster cryptocurrency networks against these threats. 

Doug Finke, Chief Content Officer at Global Quantum Intelligence, pointed out that several groups are integrating the three post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms established by NIST into their platforms. 

He emphasized the uncertainty surrounding when a sufficiently powerful quantum computer might be developed, raising the stakes even further. Finke stated, “What’s worse, if an unfriendly party does develop such a computer, they may not let anyone know about it.”

Currently, several cryptocurrencies have already begun incorporating quantum-safe cryptography into their architecture, including Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL), Cellframe, and Bitcoin Quantum from BTQ. 

Among those issuing warnings about the looming threats from quantum computing are notable figures such as Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, Capriole Investment founder Charles Edwards, and representatives from major firms like BlackRock and Google.

Yakovenko has urged the Bitcoin community to accelerate efforts to implement quantum-resistant upgrades. He believes there is a 50% chance of a significant quantum breakthrough occurring within the next five years, further emphasizing the need for vigilance.

At the time of writing, SOL is trading at $127, which is a 6.7% decrease in price over the past seven days. Compared to the all-time high of $293 reached earlier this year, SOL is trading at almost 56% below this threshold. 

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

Чтобы иметь доступ к финансовому рынку, криптоактивы должны считаться «хорошими деньгами» и соответствовать требованиям регулятора к резервам и прозрачности, заявил председатель  Банка Канады Тифф Маклем (Tiff Macklem).

Во вторник Комиссия по ценным бумагам и биржам США (SEC) прекратила четырехлетнее расследование в отношении проекта Aave. Основатель платформы Стани Кулехов (Stani Kulechov) рассказал о планах на 2026 год.

On-chain data shows the Bitcoin Inter-exchange Flow Pulse (IFP) has rapidly been going down recently, a sign of cooling derivatives interest.

Bitcoin IFP Has Witnessed A Plunge Recently

In a new post on X, CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has talked about the trajectory that the Bitcoin IFP has been following recently. The IFP refers to an on-chain indicator that measures the BTC flows taking place between spot and derivatives exchanges.

When the value of this metric is going up, it means investors are ramping up transactions to derivatives platforms. Such a trend can be a sign that demand for speculation is on the rise.

On the other hand, the indicator witnessing a decline implies fewer coins are traveling from spot exchanges to derivatives ones. This kind of trend can suggest traders are lowering their appetite for risk.

Now, here is the chart shared by Maartunn that shows the trend in the Bitcoin IFP and its 90-day moving average (MA) over the past decade:

As is visible in the above graph, the Bitcoin IFP was witnessing an uptrend in the last few months of 2024, but with the start of this year, a reversal in the indicator occurred. The switch to a downtrend meant that its value slipped below the 90-day MA, something that has historically signaled bearish conditions.

Over the course of 2025, the IFP has continued its downward trajectory, but lately, the decline has accelerated, indicating that derivatives interest is cooling off fast.

Two cycles ago, the IFP sliding below its 90-day MA led into the 2018 bear market. In the 2021 bull market, the bear signal on the IFP was initially followed by the second half of that bull run, but then the 2022 bear market took over as the metric failed to recover.

A similar trend has been witnessed this year as well, with Bitcoin exploring new all-time highs (ATHs) despite the IFP suggesting bearish conditions. The recent acceleration in the indicator’s downtrend, however, has been accompanied by a bearish period in the asset’s price. Only time will tell whether this is a repeat of the pattern from the last cycle, or if risk appetite will make a comeback among investors and the IFP will reverse course.

In some other news, the Bitcoin treasury companies have seen their holdings go up recently, despite the drawdown that the market has faced, as pointed out by Glassnode co-founder Rafael in an X post.

From the chart, it’s apparent that since Bitcoin started declining from its ATH above $126,000, the treasury companies have still continued a net upward trajectory. “Not seeing much of the alleged forced selling here despite some equities trading below mNAV,” noted Rafael.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $87,500, down over 7% in the last week.

Популярный криптовалютный аналитик и основатель MN Fund Михаэль ван де Поппе ((Michaël Van De Poppe) считает, что последнее падение биткоина сделало его сильно недооцененным по сравнению с золотом, а значит скоро может произойти разворот тренда.

Криптовалюты подарили людям беспрецедентную финансовую свободу и контроль над своими денежными средствами. Однако, со временем это достоинство перестало быть безусловным — в частности, из-за распространения практики «заморозки» активов.

Global payment giant Visa has announced the launch of stablecoin settlement in the United States using Circle’s USDC on the Solana Blockchain. The expansion follows the company’s ongoing efforts to modernize its settlement layer and be at the forefront of the emerging sector.

Visa Expands USDC Settlement To The US

On Tuesday, Visa unveiled the expansion of its stablecoin settlement service to financial institutions in the US, allowing local issuer and acquirer partners to settle with Visa in Circle’s USDC for the first time.

In the statement, the payments giant highlighted that issuers will benefit from faster fund movement over blockchains, seven‑day availability, and enhanced operational resilience across weekends and holidays “without any change to the consumer card experience.”

Initial participants include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have started settling with Visa in USDC on the Solana blockchain. Meanwhile, a wider rollout in the US is planned through 2026.

In addition, Visa shared its plan to utilize Arc, a new Layer 1 blockchain developed by Circle, which is currently in public testnet, for USDC settlement within its network and to operate a validator node once Arc goes live.

The global payments giant underscored that the launch marks a significant milestone in the company’s stablecoin settlement pilot program and strategy to modernize its settlement layer, which underpins global commerce.

Notably, Visa first experimented with USDC settlement in 2021 and became one of the first major payments networks to pilot stablecoin settlement using USDC in 2023. Now, Visa has reported more than 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programs in over 40 countries.

Last month, the company announced the expansion of its stablecoin settlement in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) with a partnership with crypto infrastructure company Aquanow.

“Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it – they’re preparing to use it,” affirmed Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships, Visa.

“Financial institutions are looking for faster, programmable settlement options that integrate seamlessly with their existing treasury operations. By bringing USDC settlement to the U.S., Visa is delivering a reliable, bank‑ready capability that improves treasury efficiency while maintaining the security, compliance and resiliency standards our network requires,” he added.

Meanwhile, Circle emphasized the importance of integrating fully reserved stablecoins into institutions’ settlement flows. Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Circle, noted that “it helps card-issuing financial institutions modernize treasury and unlock new services while retaining the transparency and trust that USDC is known for.”

Visa’s New Stablecoin Advisory Unit

This week, Visa also announced the launch of its Stablecoins Advisory Practice (SAP) service by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) for insights and recommendations to guide banks, fintechs, merchants, and businesses on market fit, strategy, and implementation.

The new stablecoins advisory unit is set to offer a suite of services “designed to guide strategy and implementation amid the growing prevalence and stability of stablecoin infrastructure and emerging regulatory standards.”

Notably, it will provide training and market trend programs, including a new Visa University course, strategy development, market entry planning, use case sizing, go-to-market planning, and Technology enablement for stablecoin integration.

Visa affirmed that it recorded a $3.5 billion stablecoin settlement volume as of November 30, which has led businesses to its new Stablecoins Advisory Practice for growth opportunities.

Matt Freeman, senior vice president at the Navy Federal Credit Union, stated that “Stablecoins may represent an opportunity to enhance speed and lower cost in payments, so with the support of Visa, we are evaluating how this technology could fit into our broader strategy to deliver meaningful value to our 15 million members worldwide.”

По данным аналитиков Finbold Research, компания Strategy под руководством Майкла Сейлора (Michael Saylor) в 2025 году приобретала в среднем по 641 биткоину в день. Это позволило ей накопить 223 800 BTC за период с 6 января по 15 декабря.

United States President Donald Trump said he would review the case of Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of the Samourai Wallet, and signaled he might consider clemency.

According to reporters present at a White House exchange, Trump said he would “take a look” and asked that the matter be examined by the Attorney General.

The comment came after federal prosecutors secured guilty pleas and later sent Rodriguez to prison.

Statement On A High-Profile Sentencing

According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Rodriguez and a co-defendant, William Lonergan Hill, pleaded guilty to charges tied to running an unlicensed money-transmitting business and related conspiracy counts.

Reports have disclosed that the service was linked to more than $230 million in criminal proceeds. Prosecutors said those transfers were connected in their factual recitation to narcotics trafficking, darknet markets, cyber intrusions, frauds, sanctioned jurisdictions and other criminal activity.

Sentencing And Legal Outcomes

Based on court filings and public notices, the guilty pleas were entered in late July 2025 and sentencing took place on November 19, 2025.

The Department of Justice has also pursued forfeiture tied to the amounts it described in court, and fines were assessed at the time of sentence.

These actions were carried out by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, who handled the investigation and prosecution.

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Rodriguez said “This President knows all about lawfare.”

I have always said that the most challenging aspect of getting a pardon for me and Bill would be getting the attention of @realDonaldTrump. He is very busy with many people competing for his attention. Today, thanks to the journalist at Decrypt, the President is aware of our… https://t.co/lmYljfFax9

— Keonne Rodriguez (@keonne) December 15, 2025

Trump Pardon: How A Presidential Review Might Move Forward

The process for clemency typically involves the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Justice Department, which vets petitions and may seek input from prosecutors and judges.

The president, however, has broad constitutional authority to grant pardons or commutations for federal offenses.

In this case, press accounts say the president asked that the Attorney General examine the matter, which could lead to a formal review of any clemency petition.

Political And Public Reactions

Reports have varied in tone, with some outlets focusing on the scale of the funds prosecutors said were moved — $237 million — and others highlighting the unusual nature of a president publicly saying he would “look into” an active clemency matter shortly after sentencing.

Legal experts note that public comments from a sitting president can speed attention to a case, but they do not guarantee relief.

Opinions among commentators are mixed; some urge careful review while others stress that federal sentences reflect convictions from established court processes.

Featured image from Bloomberg via Getty Images, chart from TradingView