源聚合

Крупнейший корпоративный держатель эфиров, компания BitMine Immersion Technologies впервые разместила в стейкинг 74 880 ETH на сумму около $220 млн. Эфиры были внесены с различных адресов Bitmine в контракт под названием BatchDeposit, выяснили аналитики Arkham Intelligence.

За последнюю неделю инвесторы вывели из спотовых биржевых фондов (ETF) на биткоин $782 млн, показали данные сервиса SoSoValue. Наиболее крупный однодневный отток за этот период зафиксирован в пятницу, 26 декабря, когда из биткоин-ETF было выведено $276 млн.

Against widespread expectations, the second term of Donald Trump as the US President has yielded a positive effect on Bitcoin’s price. While the flagship cryptocurrency has recorded an all-time high since Trump’s inauguration in January, the market has mostly been in consolidation and range-bound phase, with the broader picture still taking on a bearish form. Crypto analysis page XWIN Research Japan recently offered a comparative analysis with the post-election euphoria seen in 2016, to explain why the post-2024 price action is without enthusiasm.

Analyst Explains Why Bitcoin’s Structure Differs Sharply From 2016

In the Quicktake post on CryptoQuant, the research and education institution draws a critical comparison between the 2016 and 2024 post-election periods. Just after Trump’s victory in 2016, the crypto market operated within a low-inflation and low-interest-rate environment, one that is ideal for a market with growing liquidity. Also, the crypto market’s relatively small size allowed for quick accumulation of speculative liquidity. Hence, the market was able to get sufficient capital to serve as fuel for a prolonged, yet powerful, uptrend.

However, early 2025 saw a different market environment and dynamic. The year began and extended into a high-rate period, where financial conditions increasingly became crippling. Also, the larger market size (compared to the post-2016 election market), alongside increased participation among several investors, has structurally reduced the stand-alone importance of political events on price movements. Simply put, policy implementations can barely move Bitcoin’s price alone, especially when encumbered by more liquidity constraints.

LTH-SOPR Ratio Further Reflects Caution

XWIN Research Japan also references data obtained from the Bitcoin SOPR Ratio (LTH-SOPR/STH-SOPR), which reinforces the cautious stance among investors following Trump’s second inauguration. The Bitcoin SOPR Ratio deciphers market sentiment by comparing whether long-term holders are realizing profits more aggressively than short-term holders, serving as an important indicator of whether a price trend is driven by institutional conviction or speculative trading.

According to the research team, Bitcoin’s long-term holders (LTHs) are realizing their limited profits. Short-term holders, on the other hand, are trading within red territory. Historically, this condition is typically found when the market is about to embark on a prolonged journey of demand-supply adjustments.

Based on historical data, it becomes clear that Bitcoin is currently within a fundamentally bearish structure. Although XWIN Research elucidates that “as long as long-term holders maintain relative dominance and short-term holder selling is absorbed, downside may be supported,” but this came with a caveat that upside leadership would likely also remain restricted.

The analytics group further conjectures that a stable growth of Bitcoin ETF inflows, alongside a clear depreciation in LTH distribution, would be pivotal in rescuing BTC from its downward spiral. Until these happen simultaneously, bitcoin might remain in its current state of inertia, or — in the worst case — dive further south. At press time, Bitcoin holds a valuation of about $87,623, recording a slight 0.5% loss since the past week, and a 0.6% ascent since the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data. 

Инвестиционный директор управляющей криптоактивами компании Bitwise Мэтт Хоуган (Matt Hougan) заявил, что ближайшее десятилетие биткоин сможет приносить инвесторам стабильную доходность, однако большой годовой прирост цены маловероятен.

Bitcoin’s 2025 Q4 performance has been marked by heavy market corrections, pushing prices as low as $80,000. As the premier cryptocurrency struggled to resume its bullish trajectory, recent on-chain data has emerged suggesting little potential for a major price move.

Fading Retail Participation Underscores Bitcoin Market Fragility

In an X post on December 27, renowned market analyst Burak Kesmeci explains that retail participation in the Bitcoin market continues to weaken, with on-chain data showing a renewed slowdown in small transaction activity. Notably, demand from investors executing transactions in the $0–$10,000 range has turned negative again on a 30-day change basis, signaling a lack of fresh retail inflows since mid-December.

The $0–$10,000 transaction cohort is widely used as a proxy for retail behavior, and a sustained negative reading typically reflects declining enthusiasm among smaller investors rather than active distribution by large holders. According to Kesmeci, retail demand began deteriorating around December 14, reversing what had been a brief stabilization period.

At the same time, total retail transfer volume has fallen back toward the $375 million to $400 million range. This contraction suggests that while retail investors are stepping away from the market, they are not rushing for the exits. Instead, activity points to apathy rather than fear, with participants choosing to remain on the sidelines amid uncertain price action. Therefore, while there are no new market inflows, there is also no need for investor panic.

Bitcoin Set For Consolidation 

According to Kesmeci, the decline in Bitcoin retail investor demand suggests continuation of the broader consolidation phase currently gripping Bitcoin. Since mid-December, the premier cryptocurrency has consistently moved between $85,000 to $90,000, facing strong opposition to further movement at both extremes.

The absence of new retail buyers reduces upside momentum, as historically strong rallies have required sustained participation from smaller investors to complement institutional or whale-driven flows. However, the lack of panic selling also indicates that downside pressure remains muted for now.

Bitcoin is likely to remain within its present consolidation range, barring the introduction of a market catalyst. Many optimists expect the new year to begin on a positive note, citing expected rate cuts and a potentially bullish capital rotation from a soaring commodities market. 

On the other hand, some analysts push for market caution, referencing capitulation indicators that suggest the corrections that began in October may extend throughout Q1 2026. At press time, Bitcoin trades at $87,401, reflecting a minor 0.3% gain in the past day.

The narrative surrounding XRP has undergone a fundamental transformation, and the token has begun to trade like an asset that has already endured its most punishing tests. Years of regulatory uncertainty, legal scrutiny, and prolonged underperformance have tempered speculation and reshaped its investor base, leaving behind a market that appears more resilient than reactive.

Why XRP No Longer Reacts To Every Negative Headline

XRP is starting to trade like an asset that has already endured its hardest trials after years of regulatory overhang, which forced it to mature earlier than most digital assets. An ambassador at AstraAIofficial, Winny, revealed on X that the ETFs linked to the token are now live, providing traditional investors with regulated exposure without the operational friction of wallets or exchanges.

At the same time, institutional inflows are rising, with managed assets tied to XRP surpassing $1 billion, a milestone that signals growing confidence. The supply on exchanges balances continues to thin, reinforcing the narrative. Long-term fund purchases don’t trade; they sit, which has changed the pressure dynamics, whether participants would admit to it or not. Most importantly, the regulatory clarity is finally improving, something that the altcoin has lacked for years.

Winny concluded that this is about the altcoin graduating into a different market structure. Meanwhile, all this dynamic doesn’t mean the market will explode tomorrow, but it does mean the fundamentals are quietly shifting, and patience pays.

Institutions Are Choosing The Altcoin For A Reason

Crypto analyst Xfinancebull has explained why it will be too late if no one believes in XRP. The narrative was that ETFs were priced in, but the funds became the fastest altcoin ETF in history to hit $1 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM), with no outflows, no red days, and just steady institutional-sized capital moving in with conviction.

The flow data shows that the funds have absorbed over $666 million in November, followed by another +$470 million in December, with no single outflow day. During the same period, Bitcoin and Ethereum saw hundreds of millions in net outflows, while XRP quietly stacked over 30 consecutive green flow days. Currently, 686 million and 740 million XRP are locked, quietly reducing supply in real-time.

However, the reason the altcoin is being chosen is that it solves what institutions actually need, which are complexity-ready settlement, on-chain liquidity, and global transaction speed. XRP’s price is currently down because the entire market is under pressure; that move is macro, not a failure.

In Xfinancebull’s view, institutions are still accumulating the token with patience and intent. The markets often whisper before they move, but this time the data is screaming, and institutions are already stacked.

According to the latest report, a former Coinbase customer service contractor has been arrested in India for their role in a recent data breach incident. This arrest comes after hackers reportedly bribed customer service representatives or contractors to gain access to customer information at the US’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

In May, Coinbase revealed that hackers bribed contractors or the company’s employees outside to steal sensitive user information. While the San Francisco-based crypto firm faced backlash for allegedly disclosing the data breach months after initial discovery, several employees of the US outsourcing firm TaskUs were laid off following the incident.

Former Customer Service Agent Arrested In India

On Friday, December 26, a Bloomberg report stated that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced a former customer service agent had been arrested in India in connection with the data breach that occurred earlier in the year. The crypto exchange estimated at the time of the incident that this information leak could cost as much as $400 million.

Earlier reports suggested that an India-based TaskUs employee was caught taking pictures of her work computer with her phone to sell it to hackers at the start of the year. The suspected employee and an accomplice were providing sensitive Coinbase customer data to malicious actors in return for bribes, Bitcoinist disclosed earlier.

Armstrong said in a post on the social media platform X that the Hyderabad Police have picked up an ex-Coinbase customer service agent, with more arrests still to come. “We have zero tolerance for bad behavior and will continue to work with law enforcement to bring bad actors to justice,” the crypto CEO said.

2026, Start Of A New Coinbase Chapter?

2025 proved to be another challenging year for security across the global cryptocurrency industry, marked by several significant exploits and hacks that rocked the space. As Bitcoinist reported, over $3.4 billion worth of crypto assets were lost to hacks and exploits this year.

However, this latest development would come as a positive step for Coinbase, which largely struggled with platform security in 2025. Earlier in February, an investigative report found that customers lost more than $65 million to social engineering exploits in just two months.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Brooklyn man was indicted on 31 counts for allegedly operating a phishing scheme that defrauded about 100 Coinbase customers of approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency. Going into 2026, the cryptocurrency exchange would be hoping to offer a more secure platform for its users.

According to the latest market data, Ethereum has seen an annual record of speculative trading activity in 2025. Below is how much was traded in the ETH derivatives market in the past year.

Ethereum Futures Trading Hits New Yearly Record

In a December 26 post on social media platform X, pseudonymous analyst Darkfost revealed that Ethereum stood out in one regard despite the mixed performance of altcoins in 2025. 

Darkfost highlighted that derivatives trading volumes continued to dominate the entire crypto market this year. However, Ethereum recorded increased activity in the derivative markets in 2025, setting a new record in terms of futures trading for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

As expected, Binance remained the dominant platform in terms of derivatives trading volume, with its figure further putting things into perspective. According to data highlighted by Darkfost, over $6.74 trillion in ETH futures volume was traded on Binance in the past year, almost double that of 2024, which was already a historical record.

However, this trend was not limited to Binance, as other major exchanges also observed a similar phenomenon. Breaking things down, OKX saw a new record of $4.28 trillion, while Bybit registered $2.15 trillion, and Bitget recorded $1.95T in ETH futures volume.

Darkfost concluded:

All major exchanges therefore converge toward the same conclusion. Ethereum was one of the most traded assets in the world on derivative markets in 2025, highlighting just how strong speculative appetite has been.

What Derivatives Market Dominance Means For Price?

Going further, Darkfost put into perspective the magnitude of futures dominance in the market over the past year. The on-chain analyst revealed that ETH saw $5 in futures trading for every dollar in spot trading, an annual record in the derivatives market.

As observed in the chart above, a spot-to-futures ratio around 0.2 over the year reflects a market heavily tilted toward leverage. According to Darkfost, this trend explains the extreme speculation witnessed in the Ethereum market throughout 2025.

Darkfost noted that a market primarily driven by derivatives tends to be more unstable and less predictable. “Movements tend to be amplified, disorderly, and highly dependent on liquidations, ultimately allowing ETH to register only a marginal new all-time high by just a handful of dollars,” the analyst added.

As of this writing, the price of ETH stands at around $2,932, reflecting an over 1% decline in the past 24 hours. After a mixed performance this year, the altcoin is currently down from its all-time high by more than 40%.

In an important development, a governance dispute within the Aave ecosystem has reignited long-standing concerns around token value capture, operational control, and the blurred lines between decentralized governance and corporate execution. The ongoing debate, which culminated in a highly polarized and controversial DAO vote, highlights broader structural challenges facing DeFi protocols that evolved under restrictive regulatory conditions but now operate at an institutional scale.

Governance Proposal Sparks Heavy Debate Despite Rejection

At the center of the ongoing controversy was a proposal to bring Aave’s brand and front-end assets under direct DAO control, following accusations that Aave Labs redirected protocol-generated fees without prior community approval. Notably, pseudonymous DAO member EzR3aL alleged that fees generated from the DeFi protocol’s integration with decentralized exchange aggregator CoW Swap were routed to a wallet controlled by Aave Labs. 

The critic argued that these fees should have accrued directly to the DAO, drawing an equal opposition from members of Aave Labs. Ultimately, a proposal review was submitted to the DAO seeking complete control of the protocol’s brand assets, such as domains, social media handles, naming rights, etc. Interestingly, more than 55% of voting power opposed the measure, 41% abstained, and just 3.5% voted in favor. 

Commenting on the event, Wintermute CEO Evgeny Gaevoy shared some crucial insights. While recognizing the expectation mismatch between Aave Labs and governance token holders as to who is eligible to what, Gaevoy also criticized the proposal, which he described as premature and lacking critical details. 

The Wintermute boss said: 

I disagree with the forum proposal as it stands now. It makes no sense to commit to a course of action without knowing the specifics. It’s far from obvious how the entity owning the front end and brand would be governed, whether it would be for profit or not, and whether it would actually guarantee value accrual to token holders.

Gaevoy describes value accrual as the “heart of the problem and nudges the Aave Labs to take significant steps in resolving this issue.

Aave CEO’s Response, Vote-Buying Claims, And Path Forward

Following the vote, Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov addressed the controversy, emphasizing that disagreement is a natural feature of decentralized governance. He acknowledged shortcomings in communication and pledged to better articulate how Aave Labs’ products generate value for the DAO and general token holders in the spirit of economic alignment. 

Kulechov also rejected claims of vote manipulation tied to his recent $15 million AAVE purchase, stating that the tokens were not used to influence the governance process, but rather showcase his conviction in the DeFi project. Looking ahead, Kulechov stressed that the Aave ecosystem is large enough to support multiple service providers and is committed to improving transparency and alignment. “$AAVE will win,” he concluded, signaling confidence that the protocol can emerge stronger and unified from the governance controversy.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has criticized legacy finance systems, highlighting that networks like Midnight and XRP are already achieving results 100x beyond the ambitions of these initiatives. His statements seemed to focus on structural design and scalability, suggesting that Cardano and XRP’s advantage lies in their architectures and blockchain capabilities. 

Cardano And XRP Outpacing Legacy Finance

In a post on X, Hoskinson shared pointed commentary on the structural gap between established networks and legacy finance systems connected to Canton, a privacy-focused, interoperable Layer 1 blockchain. He noted how Cardano and XRP are already operating far beyond the ambitions and capabilities of these traditional financial systems attempting to enter Web3. 

The Cardano founder made clear that his assessment had nothing to do with market cycles or speculative price momentum. Instead, they appeared to highlight the thoughtful design behind Cardano and XRP, and why their respective infrastructures continue to set native blockchains apart from institutional imitations. 

Notably, both Cardano and XRP were designed with decentralization and global scalability as core requirements. Hoskinson has stated that these features stand in contrast with legacy finance organizations connected to Canton that attempt to adapt blockchain ideas within tightly controlled environments. He indicated that such constraints prevent these systems from realizing their full Web3 potential. 

A primary example cited by Hoskinson in his discussion is Midnight, a new blockchain developed under his leadership. Midnight is a Layer 1 network designed for programmable privacy, addressing long-standing challenges in data protection and compliance. 

This blockchain network introduces a dual economic model through its native NIGHT token and a separate DUST resource used for transaction execution and predictable cost maintenance. Based on his statements on X, Hoskinson has positioned Midnight as evidence that Web3-native systems can meet real-world requirements at a robust scale. 

XRP also presents another pillar of Hoskinson’s comparison. Launched in 2012, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) was designed for high-speed and low-cost settlement of digital assets across borders. Its long operational history and technical stability set it apart from traditional finance systems. 

Over the years, XRPL has grown significantly, leading to speculation that it could challenge legacy payment rails such as SWIFT. Ripple’s regulatory battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) further tested the blockchain network, with the case’s positive outcome reinforcing its legal and operational standing. All of these factors contribute to Hoskinson’s view of XRP as a mature and battle-tested system operating at a scale 100x that of legacy finance.  

The Real-World Asset Comparison 

Hoskinson further explained why he believes that Midnight and XRP are operating at a scale far beyond the ambitions of legacy finance systems with Canton. He argued that tackling the $10 trillion Real-World Asset (RWA) market requires comprehensive technological solutions, not half measures. 

According to him, only complete end-to-end strategies supported by strong partners and engaged communities can succeed in this tokenization space. He emphasized that Midnight and XRP embody these qualities. Their infrastructure and community support give them a significant edge over traditional finance organizations aiming to enter the Web3 space.