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According to utility records and media reports, Malaysian authorities have begun a nationwide crackdown on illegal Bitcoin mining after state power losses linked to miners topped roughly $1.1 billion between 2020 and August 2025.

The push targets nearly 13,800–14,000 sites suspected of tapping power without paying. Actions have included drone sweeps, meter inspections and on-the-ground raids.

Task Force Launches Drone And Ground Sweeps

Based on reports, a multi-agency task force was formed that includes the national utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), police and other regulators. Drones fitted with thermal cameras and teams with special meters have been used to spot heat signatures and odd power draws in warehouses, shuttered shops and even residential blocks.

Bitcoin mining hardware were seized in several operations and arrests were reported in at least a few cases where evidence of meter tampering was found.

Illegal Bitcoin Mining: Estimated Losses And Numbers

The scale is large. Reports have disclosed losses of about $1.1 billion, which is roughly RM 4.57 billion, and investigators say the number of illicit premises discovered since 2020 is close to 14,000.

Authorities warned that power theft linked to mining has climbed sharply in recent years, with some sources pointing to an increase of about 300% since 2018. Many operators pick low-cost hiding spots and keep moving to avoid detection.

Legal And Policy Questions Loom

While Bitcoin mining itself is not outright banned in Malaysia, stealing power and bypassing meters is illegal under the Electricity Supply Act 1990. Officials are weighing tougher steps. Some lawmakers and energy officials have raised the option of stricter licensing, smarter metering or even temporary bans on certain operations if theft continues.

Based on reports, the effort is meant to protect grid stability and stop long running losses that hit the utility’s bottom line.

Safety Risks And Grid Strain

Beyond the money, authorities say there are safety concerns. Tampered connections and overloaded lines raise the risk of short circuits and fires, and they can damage transformers and other costly equipment.

In some areas, local residents reported flickering lights and unstable supply, which investigators link to abnormal draws found at nearby illegal mining sites. Those technical strains add urgency to enforcement.

What Comes Next

Reports suggest enforcement will rely on a mix of tech—drones, thermal scans, smart meters—and traditional policing. For now, the immediate goal is to shut down rigs, seize equipment and bring legal action against operators who took power without paying. The long term path may include clearer rules for legal miners and tighter monitoring across the grid.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Департамент специальных расследований Таиланда сообщил об изъятии 3642 устройств для майнинга биткоина на $8.6 млн у семи компаний, подозреваемых в финансировании китайских мошеннических групп.

Quick Facts:

• Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse sees Bitcoin potentially reaching $180K by 2026, a scenario that historically favors high-beta infrastructure plays over spot $BTC alone.
• Garlinghouse invokes the pro-crypto regulatory framework, led by the CLARITY Act, as the main driver behind Bitcoin’s coming performance.
• Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) targets Bitcoin’s biggest limitations by using an SVM-powered Layer 2 to bring high-throughput smart contracts and DeFi directly into the $BTC ecosystem.
• The $29M $HYPER presale targets a release date between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 and a 2026 price point of $0.20, with an ROI of 1,395%.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has doubled down on his ultra-bullish view of Bitcoin, telling recent interviews he sees the leading cryptocurrency trading near $180K by the end of 2026.

The statement came during a Binance event, which also hosted names like Solana Foundation’s president, Lily Liu, and Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng.

In Garlinghouse’s view, the main drivers behind Bitcoin’s resilience are the increased regulatory crutches, with the CLARITY Act having the biggest impact.

His thesis leans on improving US regulatory clarity and a steady wave of institutional allocations that still look early compared with traditional assets.

Historically, when Bitcoin sets a new trajectory, the highest beta plays are not spot $BTC itself, but the infrastructure projects sitting closest to its liquidity and narrative.

Within that race, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is positioning itself as a pure bet on Bitcoin’s next chapter: a high-performance Layer 2 that lets $BTC holders tap Solana-style throughput and smart contracts without abandoning Bitcoin’s security model.

For traders hunting asymmetry into the next leg higher, the project’s surging presale is emerging as one of the more aggressive ways to express that thesis.

You can learn more about how to buy Bitcoin Hyper here.

Why Bitcoin’s Bullish Roadmap Pushes Capital Into Layer 2

If Bitcoin does grind toward six-figure territory on the back of ETF inflows, corporate treasuries, and regulatory détente, base-layer capacity will not suddenly expand with it.

Block space is capped, and higher prices historically mean higher fees, making it even less practical to run complex applications directly on Bitcoin.

That is why developers are experimenting across the stack: Lightning for payments, sidechains like Rootstock for EVM compatibility, and a new crop of high-throughput Layer 2s aiming to bring serious DeFi and gaming volume on top of $BTC.

You are seeing a clear market narrative: keep Bitcoin as the settlement root, but move everything else to modular execution layers.

In that emerging field, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) sits alongside other Bitcoin scaling plays, but with a more aggressive performance target.

While some solutions focus on incremental improvements, Bitcoin Hyper is explicitly chasing Solana-class throughput on a Bitcoin-secured stack, giving $BTC holders another way to gain exposure if they believe Garlinghouse’s $180K scenario will demand real transactional capacity.

$HYPER is available for purchase on the presale page.

How Bitcoin Hyper Turns Bitcoin Into a High-Throughput DeFi Base

Where most Bitcoin scaling solutions still struggle with programmability, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) goes straight at the bottleneck: smart contracts and execution speed.

The project runs a modular architecture where Bitcoin Layer 1 acts as the settlement and security anchor, while a real-time Layer 2 powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) handles execution.

By integrating SVM, Bitcoin Hyper can, in principle, match or exceed Solana’s low-latency environment for Rust-based dApps while routing value back to Bitcoin.

Think higher speeds, lower on-chain costs, sub-second finality times, and vastly improved scalability.

The market is already rewarding that thesis.

The Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) presale has raised over $29.M so far, with the token currently at $0.013375, signaling strong demand from traders.

Based on Bitcoin Hyper’s express utility, we expect a sustained post-launch pump.

Our price prediction for $HYPER hints at a potential 2026 target of $0.20 for an ROI of 1,395%. Once the mainstream market buys into the project’s utility proposition, $HYPER could reach $1.50 by 2030, for a return rate of 11,115% or higher.

The project targets a release date between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, meaning timing is of the essence. Read our guide on how to buy $HYPER today to stay ahead of the curve.

Buy your $HYPER on the official presale page.

This isn’t financial advice. DYOR before investing.

Authored by Bogdan Patru, Bitcoinist: https://bitcoinist.com/ripple-ceo-predicts-bitcoin-180k-boosts-bitcoin-hyper-presale.

Финансовое состояние компании Strategy и ее способность избегать продаж биткоинов имеет куда большее значение для цены актива, чем давление со стороны майнеров, заявили аналитики банковского холдинга JPMorgan.

Kraken and Deutsche Börse has announced a strategic partnership that will integrate crypto with traditional market infrastructure.

Kraken And Deutsche Börse Have Partnered Up

As announced in a press release, US-based digital asset exchange Kraken has teamed up with Deutsche Börse Group to bridge crypto and traditional finance and deliver institutional investors access across asset classes.

Headquartered in Frankfurt, Deutsche Börse Group is one of the biggest financial market infrastructure providers in the world. It operates the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, which ranks the 12th largest in market cap globally.

In the first phase of the partnership, Kraken will integrate directly with 360T, a subsidiary of the German multinational corporation that provides foreign-exchange trading services. This integration will provide Kraken clients access to the latter’s foreign-exchange liquidity.

The partnership will go the other way, as well. Via Crypto Finance, another Deutsche Börse subsidiary, and Kraken, Deutsche Börse Group clients will be able to trade cryptocurrencies and derivatives.

The two firms also plan to leverage Kraken Embed, the crypto trading infrastructure solution created by Kraken, to provide institutions in Deutsche Börse Group’s network with digital asset access.

The press release noted:

Together, the companies will develop advanced white-label solutions enabling banks, fintechs, and other financial institutions to offer secure, compliant crypto trading and custody services to clients across Europe and the U.S.

Another thing Kraken and Deutsche Börse Group are collaborating on is integration of xStocks in the ecosystem of 360X, Deutsche Börse’s tokenized trading venue. xStocks is a stock tokenization standard that has been gaining adoption. Kraken announced the acquisition of Backed, the company behind xStocks, just this Tuesday.

Arjun Sethi, Kraken Co-CEO, said:

By linking traditional and digital markets across a wide range of asset classes, we’re building a holistic foundation for the next generation of financial innovation: defined by efficiency, openness, and client access.

The companies are also looking to make derivatives listed on Deutsche Börse Group’s Eurex, the largest futures and options marketplace in Europe, available on Kraken, if regulators provide the nod.

Stephan Leithner, Deutsche Börse CEO, noted:

This collaboration with Kraken is a great strategic fit for Deutsche Börse Group. It underscores our ongoing commitment to shaping the future of financial markets by combining the trust and resilience of our regulated infrastructure with the innovation of the digital asset ecosystem.

Back in October, the German organization also announced another crypto partnership, this one with USDC issuer Circle. The collaboration aimed to integrate the latter’s USD and EUR stablecoins in the former’s infrastructure to boost stablecoin adoption in Europe.

Bitcoin Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $92,500, up 1% over the last week.

Международный валютный фонд (МВФ) опубликовал отчет о стейблкоинах, выразив опасения, что привязанные к фиатным валютам токены могут заменить обычные деньги в странах со слабой кредитно-денежной системой и помешать центральным банкам контролировать поток капитала.

Quick Facts:

• Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan doesn’t believe that Strategy will sell any of its Bitcoins, saying that the company has ‘enough cash to cover interest payments for the foreseeable future.’
• This reinforces the digital gold thesis and supports a longer-term, institution-led $BTC accumulation narrative.
• Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) aims to fuse Bitcoin settlement with SVM-based execution, targeting sub-second, low-fee smart contracts to overcome BTC’s speed, cost, and programmability limits
• $HYPER just reached $29M in presale and targets a potential 1,395% post-launch ROI in 2026.

Institutional conviction in Bitcoin just got a fresh boost.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan has indicated that Strategy has no plans to dump its massive Bitcoin position, easing fears of a forced sell-off and reinforcing the idea that large, regulated players are thinking in halving cycles, not headlines.

Strategy now holds 650,000 $BTC, valued at over $74B, and has just purchased another 130 $BTC on December 1.

For you as a Bitcoin holder, that matters. When big allocators telegraph ‘we’re not selling,’ it stabilizes expectations around future supply and dampens the tail risk of sudden institutional liquidation.

That macro backdrop is exactly why high-upside Bitcoin-adjacent plays are back in focus.

If core $BTC exposure is the conservative base layer, then infrastructure tied to Bitcoin’s success – especially Layer 2 networks – becomes the speculative frontier where upside can be multiples higher if adoption hits.

In that context, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) and its ongoing presale stand out.

Positioned as ‘the fastest Bitcoin Layer 2 with SVM integration,’ $HYPER is pitching itself as a way to turn Bitcoin’s settlement layer into a high-throughput smart contract environment, effectively grafting Solana-grade performance onto BTC’s security model.

Read more about Bitcoin Hyper right here.

Why Institutions Are Forcing a Rethink of Bitcoin Infrastructure

Strategy’s public stance underscores a wider trend: institutional allocators are treating Bitcoin more like digital gold and less like a trade.

Long-term balance sheet positioning, ETF flows, and strategy mandates are tightening the ‘float,’ which is great for price stability but leaves a big question unanswered – what about utility and throughput?

Bitcoin’s base layer still clears roughly single-digit transactions per second, with on-chain fees spiking into tens of dollars during congestion. Lightning helps for simple payments, but it does not solve generalized programmability or DeFi-native use cases.

That gap is why you’re seeing a race among Layer 2 designs targeting Bitcoin: rollups, sidechains, and virtual machine bridges all battling for mindshare.

Projects like Stacks, Rootstock, and various rollup experiments each approach the problem differently, from separate smart contract layers anchored to $BTC to EVM-compatible sidechains.

As markets digest that the ‘digital gold’ thesis is intact, attention naturally shifts to which infrastructure can unlock yield, DeFi, and dApps on top of it – and that’s where Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is starting to enter the conversation alongside more established names.

Read more about Bitcoin Hyper in our guide.

Bitcoin Hyper’s SVM Layer 2 Pitch to Bitcoin Holders

Where Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) differentiates itself is in its technical bet: integrating the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) directly into a Bitcoin Layer 2.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, the project leans on an execution environment already proven to handle thousands of transactions per second with sub-second finality, aiming to exceed Solana’s own performance by optimizing specifically for L2.

The architecture is modular: Bitcoin Layer 1 handles settlement and security, while a real-time SVM Layer 2 processes execution.

A single trusted sequencer batches transactions and periodically anchors state to Bitcoin, while SPL-compatible tokens are adapted for the L2. The Canonical Bridge handles the wrapped $BTC, lowering confirmation times to seconds and improving the network’s scalability dramatically.

Investor interest is already material.

The Bitcoin Hyper presale has jumped over $29M recently, with the token priced at $0.013375, signaling that the market is willing to fund a serious attempt at Bitcoin-native high throughput.

Long-term, $HYPER positions itself as a potential slam dunk. Our price prediction for $HYPER, based on the project’s utility and investor support during the presale, hints at a 2026 target of $0.20. 2030 could push that number to $1.50 once the project breaches into the mainstream.

In terms of raw profit, think ROIs of 1,395% and 11,115% respectively.

For $BTC holders looking to stay within the Bitcoin orbit but earn on a more dynamic asset, that combination of yield, infrastructure exposure, and long-term profit-hunting potential could be compelling.

$HYPER is making an aggressive case that a Solana-grade execution environment, plugged into Bitcoin finality, is one of the more asymmetric ways to express that view. If that sounds appealing, read our guide on how to buy $HYPER today.

More importantly, do it soon, because Bitcoin Hyper has a targeted release window between Q4 2025, which is nearly over, and Q1 2026: time is not your friend.

Buy $$HYPER on the official presale page.

This isn’t financial advice. DYOR before investing.

Authored by Bogdan Patru, Bitcoinist: https://bitcoinist.com/strategy-wont-sell-btc-bitcoin-hyper-presale-reaches-29m.

В 2026 году в центре внимания законодателей будет развитие рынка цифровых финансовых активов (ЦФА), криптовалют и стейблкоинов, сообщил председатель комитета Госдумы России по финансовому рынку Анатолий Аксаков.

ИИ-министр Албании Диелла «подозревается» в получении взятки в размере 14 биткоинов за оптимизацию тендерной документации на строительство дорог. Об этом сообщили в прокуратуре по борьбе с коррупцией и организованной преступностью.

Reports have disclosed a sharp rebound in crypto markets this week, with Bitcoin jumping 8% to trade above $93,000 after sliding from lows under $85,000 earlier in the week.

Traders are watching the Federal Reserve’s December actions closely as they try to gauge how much liquidity will return to markets. The move pushed bitcoin back within reach of a roughly $2 trillion market cap.

Sovereign Funds Building Longer Positions

According to BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink, several sovereign wealth funds have been quietly adding to positions as prices fell from a peak near $126,000.

“There are a number of sovereign funds that are standing by…. and they’re buying ‘incrementally’ as the Bitcoin price has retreated from its $126,000 peak,” Fink said.

He said these buyers are taking a gradual approach — adding over time rather than making quick bets — and treating holdings as multi-year positions.

Reports have disclosed that public funds in Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg have bought into BlackRock’s IBIT bitcoin fund in recent months.

Fink warned that markets remain skewed and that volatility will persist while many players remain highly leveraged.

Tokenization Seen As A Long-Term Story

Fink has been vocal about tokenization as a major theme for the coming years. Based on reports, he wrote in The Economist that tokenization could grow as quickly as the internet did in its early days, noting that Amazon had only $16 million in sales in 1996.

BlackRock, the $10 trillion asset manager he runs, has pushed the idea that a digital wallet could one day hold stocks, bonds and tokenized assets together.

Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong said some of the largest banks are already working with Coinbase on stablecoins, custody and trading services, though he did not name the banks.

On Ownership & Worry

According to remarks made at a DealBook event alongside Andrew Ross Sorkin and Brian Armstrong, Fink described bitcoin in emotional terms: ownership often reflects worries about physical safety or financial security.

He tied demand to concerns over the debasement of financial assets and rising deficits. Reports have also quoted him warning that the US risks falling behind other governments if it does not speed up adoption of tokenization and other digital tools.

US President Donald Trump has similarly warned about competition from China in crypto innovation.

Market Reaction And Risks Ahead

Traders are already pricing in a variety of scenarios. Some are betting on a major development in 2026 that could reshape demand; others remain focused on short-term policy moves from the Fed.

Bitcoin’s recent 8% gain was the largest daily jump since May, but it came after sharp swings that highlighted how quickly positions can reverse.

With significant capital now involved — and big names publicly backing tokenization — the market is likely to see more headline-driven moves.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Гендиректор Ripple Брэд Гарлингхаус (Brad Garlinghouse) на конференции Binance Blockchain Week предположил, что несмотря на сильный откат крипторынка в октябре, к концу 2026 года биткоин достигнет $180 000.

European exchange WhiteBIT announced the inclusion of its native token in major digital asset benchmarks by leading global provider of financial market indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices, marking a significant step for the platform and the region’s crypto infrastructure sector.

WhiteBIT Included In Major Crypto Indices

On Thursday, top crypto exchange WhiteBIT announced that its token, WBT, has been added to the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Market (BDM) Index, curated by S&P Dow Jones Indices (DJI).

The S&P BDM Index is designed to track the performance of crypto assets that meet strict institutional criteria, including liquidity, market capitalization, governance, transparency, and risk controls, and are listed on recognized open digital exchanges.

This marks an important milestone for both WhiteBIT and the broader fintech landscape in Central and Eastern Europe, the exchange noted, as it reinforces “the platform’s growing role in the global crypto economy” and highlights the industry’s move toward regulated, infrastructure-level players.

In a statement, Volodymyr Nosov, CEO of WhiteBIT, affirmed that “being recognized by S&P DJI is more than an index inclusion — it signals that crypto infrastructure from our region has reached global institutional standards.”

The announcement also revealed that WBT was added to the other four S&P Dow Jones digital-asset indices, including the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Asset (BDA) Index, S&P Cryptocurrency Financials Index, S&P Cryptocurrency LargeCap Ex-MegaCap Index, and the S&P Cryptocurrency LargeCap Index.

Notably, index providers have been expanding coverage beyond protocol-layer tokens as the industry matures, acknowledging the systemic role of exchanges and financial infrastructure platforms, positioning these companies within the global map of institutional-grade digital asset providers.

The exchange underscored that the classifications require a remarkable record of liquidity stability, transparent price formation, and consistent market cap behavior. “This is a turning point not only for our company but also for the evolution of compliant crypto services worldwide,” Nosov continued.

WhiteBIT’s Expansion And WBT’s Momentum

The S&P index inclusions follow a strong market performance from WBT, which rallied around 50% over the last three months, despite recent market volatility that sent many leading tokens to multi-month lows in the past few weeks.

In mid-November, the altcoin reached an all-time high (ATH) of $62.96, fueled by last month’s positive developments. As reported by Bitcoinist, WhiteBIT unveiled its entry into the Argentine and Brazilian markets, building on its expansion to Australia, Croatia, Italy, and Kazakhstan.

The move is expected to integrate local fiat providers and add support for local currencies, aiming to further enhance accessibility and convenience for domestic users in the two largest countries in South America.

Moreover, the exchange signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Durrah AlFodah Holding, represented by His Royal Highness Prince Naif Bin Abdullah Bin Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to drive the Kingdom’s development in blockchain technology, digital finance, and data infrastructure.

Under the strategic agreement, WhiteBIT is set to provide technological expertise and infrastructure design. Meanwhile, Durrah AlFodah will facilitate the exchange’s market entry, regulatory engagement, and partnership development across Saudi Arabia.

Now, being part of S&P’s indices offers WBT a clear benchmark, the announcement added, facilitating its use in future financial products and long-term investment strategies.

This expanded representation marks an important shift for WBT: from a utility token into a component integrated into global benchmark structures used by investment firms, ETF/ETN designers, and quantitative research platforms. Its presence in multiple institutional models means that WBT is now incorporated into the analytical frameworks that guide long-term allocation strategies, diversified exposure construction, and risk-adjusted portfolio modelling.

In the late hours of December 3, WBT rallied to a new ATH of $63.05 before stabilizing around the $62 mark, according to CoinGecko data. This represents a 14.5% increase from the recent lows and a 9% surge in the weekly timeframe.

According to on-chain monitors, a wallet linked to TRON founder Justin Sun pulled 100 million TRX from Binance on December 3, 2025. Reports say the same address also moved $5 million USDT around the same time. These large transfers were flagged publicly by Onchain Lens and picked up by multiple crypto news outlets.

Transaction Values And Timing

Onchain tracking shows the 100 million TRX was worth close to $28 million at the time of the move. The USDT transfer of $5 million happened within a minute of the TRX withdrawal, which has led observers to call the action coordinated rather than routine.

Based on reports, the close timing and mixed asset types — token plus stablecoin — drew extra attention from traders and on-chain sleuths.

Data also shows the Justin Sun-linked wallet now holds a much larger TRX balance than just this single transfer. Tracking services report the address sits at about 492 million TRX, a holding with a notional value near $138 million based on market rates at the time. That swelling balance has prompted talk that accumulation of TRX has been steady in recent days.

A wallet linked to Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) withdrew 100M $TRX worth $27.96M from #Binance and also withdrew $5M $USDT.https://t.co/4d2utqwsv0 pic.twitter.com/k40pMUj15d

— Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) December 3, 2025

Market Reaction And Liquidity

Initial market moves were muted. Some exchange data and commentaries noted a mild uptick in TRX price after the news, suggesting traders saw the outflow as removing sell pressure from exchange order books.

Analysts who track exchange liquidity say large withdrawals like this can shrink available sell-side supply and can support price stability if demand holds. Still, any clear price trend will depend on what happens next with the withdrawn tokens.

No Official Word Yet

There has been no public statement from Justin Sun or TRON explaining the transfers. Without confirmation, motives remain speculative. Observers are weighing a few common possibilities: long-term cold storage, staking or protocol use, or internal treasury moves. All of those ideas are possible, but none are confirmed by the team.

What Could Happen Next

If the tokens stay offline, some traders may view the move as bullish since it cuts the floating supply held on big exchanges. If the funds are later sold or used to provide liquidity, the effect could swing the other way.

Reports point out that similar moves by major holders have sometimes been followed by quiet accumulation and other times by large transfers into trading venues — timing and intent matter.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A new report has revealed that a total of $732 billion in capital has flowed into Bitcoin this cycle, more than all other cycles combined.

Bitcoin Has Seen Historic Growth In Realized Cap This Cycle

On-chain analytics firm Glassnode has released its Q4 2025 Digital Assets Report in collaboration with crypto investment firm Fasanara Digital, shedding light on how the market landscape has developed in the fourth quarter of 2025.

One of the things the report has talked about is the trend in the Realized Cap of Bitcoin. This capitalization model calculates the total value of the cryptocurrency by assuming the the value of each individual token is equal to the price at which it was last transacted on the blockchain.

The last transaction of any token is likely to represent the last time it changed hands, so the price at its time could be considered as its current cost basis. As such, the Realized Cap is a sum of the acquisition values of all coins in circulation. In other words, the model represents the total amount of capital that the investors used to purchase the asset’s supply. Considering this, changes in the indicator naturally correspond to the netflow of capital.

Below is a chart that shows how the Bitcoin Realized Cap has fluctuated over the last few years.

As displayed in the graph, the monthly change in the Bitcoin Realized Cap has remained positive over the last couple of years, indicating that the network has been enjoying a sustained expansion in stored capital.

The rate of inflows has varied a lot over the cycle, however, accelerating to high levels during rallies and slowing down during flat or bearish periods. Most recently, the monthly increase in the metric hit a high of $39.8 billion in October, but the bearish momentum since then has meant a cooldown to $15 billion.

Following the continued rise in the Realized Cap, its value has reached a new all-time high (ATH) of $1.1 trillion. The report noted that this marks “a historic milestone that underscores Bitcoin’s continued evolution as a globally held, high-liquidity asset.”

The Realized Cap has clearly witnessed a significant amount of growth this cycle. But how does it stack up against the capital inflows of the past cycles? Here is another chart, this one comparing the cumulative Realized Cap change for each cycle:

In total, the current cycle has attracted over $732 billion in capital. The last cycle saw $388 billion in inflows, and the two cycles before that about $90 billion combined. Thus, the latest cycle has not only outpaced each of the past cycles, but it has in fact seen a higher Realized Cap increase than all of them combined.

BTC Price

Bitcoin’s latest recovery has so far been holding as its price is trading around $92,800.

At Binance Blockchain Week on December 3, Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse argued that a rare alignment of regulatory change, institutional demand and real-world utility is setting up crypto for what he called powerful “macro tailwinds” heading into 2026.

“I personally will echo some of the things Richard said: there are so many macro factors that are continuing to provide tailwinds for this industry that I think as we go into 2026 I don’t remember being this optimistic in the last handful of years,” the Ripple CEO told CNBC’s Dan Murphy, speaking alongside Binance CEO Richard Teng and Solana Foundation President Lily Liu.

Ripple CEO Is Optimistic For 2026: Here’s Why

He framed the latest drawdown not as the start of a structural bear market but as a risk-off interlude against a fundamentally improved backdrop. “Crypto has gone through cycles and when you have risk-on people are excited […] now you have kind of a risk-off moment, there’s uncertainty,” he said. The difference this time, he argued, is that the United States—the largest single economy and roughly “22% of global GDP”—is finally moving away from what he described as years of open hostility toward the sector.

“This is a market that has been really openly hostile to crypto for four or five years or maybe longer, and now you have that that has changed significantly, pretty quickly,” he said. Institutions, in his view, are only beginning to adjust. He pointed to the visible presence of traditional asset managers at the event: “You saw Franklin Templeton on stage here, you saw BlackRock on stage just this week. I think Vanguard has now opened up […] Vanguard historically has said ‘we won’t touch crypto’ and now they’ve had a massive sea change.”

On crypto ETFs, the Ripple CEO rejected the idea that the trade was over-hyped. “Definitely no,” he said when asked whether the ETF “floor” narrative had been exaggerated. He stressed how new these vehicles still are in the United States and highlighted early demand for XRP products. “In the last two or three weeks over $700 million have flowed into XRP ETFs, which is just pent-up demand from institutional investors, from investors who want access because they don’t want to custody themselves,” he said.

He argued that the key metric is crypto’s still-small slice of the overall ETF universe. “The total ETF market—only one or two percent of the total ETF market is crypto. I will bet anybody here that a year from now that will be more than one or two percent,” he said. Short-term outflows from Bitcoin products, he suggested, should be viewed in context: “Over 2026 do we really think crypto ETFs are only going to be one or two percent of the total ETF market? No chance.”

Garlinghouse said Ripple’s own prime brokerage business is already seeing that shift in behavior. Institutions that had remained “on the sidelines” due to regulatory uncertainty or risk aversion are now “getting involved and they’re starting small, and they’re going to walk, then they’re going to crawl—or crawl then walk then run.” Asked directly whether recent volatility had deterred institutional capital, he replied: “Definitely not.”

Stablecoins Will Be A Key Pillar

Stablecoins were another pillar of his 2026 thesis. He agreed that in the latest risk-off phase, capital largely rotated into stablecoins rather than exiting on-chain rails, which he said reflects both utility and trust. “People are recognizing stablecoins can be stable and easier to manage,” he said.

Garlinghouse highlighted that Ripple’s own stablecoin, launched “just over a year ago,” has “just passed about a billion market cap,” is “approved and whitelisted in Abu Dhabi,” and is being used as “good collateral on various platforms from a lending point of view.” For him, stablecoins are an entry ramp to broader adoption, alongside other applications that will be built across Solana, Binance and Ripple ecosystems.

On US policy, he said the trajectory has clearly improved, especially for payment tokens. He cited the GENIUS Act as “regulatory clarity for stablecoins” and linked it to growing corporate interest in on-chain payments. After Ripple’s acquisition of GTreasury, which has visibility into “over 10 trillion dollars of payments,” he said “the number of those customers that are already approaching us interested in leveraging stablecoins […] because of that clarity, people are leaning in.”

The Ripple CEO noted that XRP has already received a form of clarity from US federal courts but said broader legislation is still needed. He referenced the “Clarity Act” for crypto, saying there is “still forward momentum” and predicting that “sometime in the first half of next year we’ll see passage of legislation, which will continue to unlock and create more tailwinds for the whole industry.”

He closed with an explicit price target for the next cycle, acknowledging he was “going out on a limb”: “I’ll say Bitcoin $180,000 December 23rd—or December 31st—2026.”

At press time, XRP traded at $2.15.

Bitcoin has climbed back above $93,000 after enduring days of intense selling pressure, heightened volatility, and widespread market uncertainty. The recovery marks a significant shift in sentiment, but according to a new report from CryptoQuant, one signal stands out as the primary driver behind the rebound: institutional capital is quietly flowing back into the market.

The analysis highlights a key metric— the Coinbase Premium Index, long regarded as a reliable proxy for US institutional demand. Throughout November’s steep correction, the premium plunged deep into negative territory, revealing a stark imbalance: US spot buyers were far weaker than their offshore counterparts.

During this phase, as Bitcoin slid below $90,000, the sharp drop in the premium reflected clear risk-off positioning among US-regulated investors, many of whom stepped back or took profits amid rising macro uncertainty.

Now, with Bitcoin recovering key levels, the data shows early signs of renewed accumulation from US-based institutions. This subtle but meaningful shift suggests that the most conservative segment of the market—professional and regulated capital—may be positioning again after the correction. If this trend continues, the rebound above $93K could evolve into a much broader shift in market structure.

Institutional Catalysts Drive Bitcoin Coinbase Premium Higher

According to the CryptoQuant report, the narrative has shifted decisively. The Coinbase Premium Index has climbed back into positive territory, signaling renewed accumulation from US-based institutional and regulated investors. This shift coincides with a wave of major developments reshaping the global investment landscape.

Most notably, Charles Schwab, a $12 trillion asset manager, announced plans to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in early 2026. This follows Vanguard’s market-moving reversal that opened access to spot crypto ETFs for more than 50 million conservative investors. These firms are not speculative players—they are the backbone of American retirement wealth.

At the same time, a powerful but less publicized catalyst is emerging overseas: Japan is moving toward formal approval of Bitcoin ETFs. Given the size of Japanese investment trusts, pension-linked products, and retail participation, early adoption could inject $3–10 billion of fresh demand. While no single region drives Bitcoin’s valuation alone, combined flows from the US, Europe, and Japan could easily deliver a mid-single-digit percentage uplift to BTC in the early phases of this expansion.

The broader takeaway is unmistakable: Bitcoin is transitioning from a niche risk asset into a globally standardized investment product. The return of a positive Coinbase Premium may be the market’s earliest confirmation that institutions—especially the most conservative ones—are positioning ahead of 2026.

Weekly Structure Shows Early Signs of Recovery

Bitcoin’s weekly chart shows a decisive rebound, with price pushing back above $93,000 after weeks of aggressive selling pressure. The recent wick down toward the green 100-week moving average (100W MA) marked a key moment: buyers stepped in precisely at long-term dynamic support, preventing a deeper breakdown toward the $80,000–$82,000 region.

This reaction confirms that long-term holders and institutional buyers are protecting this level, aligning with the recent return of positive signals from the Coinbase Premium Index.

Despite the rebound, the chart still shows Bitcoin facing overhead resistance. The 50-week MA sits just above the price, creating a supply zone between $97,000 and $102,000. This has historically acted as a trend-determining range; reclaiming it would shift momentum decisively back to the bulls. Until then, the market remains in a mid-cycle consolidation.

Volume behavior also supports the recovery narrative. The huge sell-volume spikes seen in November marked capitulation-like behavior, which often precedes trend reversals. The recent green weekly candle forming on rising buy volume suggests that demand is returning, aligning with improving liquidity conditions on major US and global exchanges.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Solana Mobile’s push into decentralized mobile technology is approaching a new chapter, with the company confirming that its SKR token will launch in January 2026. The token is meant to anchor the Solana Seeker ecosystem, supporting governance, staking, rewards, and developer incentives.

Related Reading: Crypto Gets Legal Recognition: UK Enacts Property Act 2025 For Digital Assets

But this milestone comes at a complicated moment: a newly disclosed hardware vulnerability in the Seeker’s core chip has raised questions about device security just as Solana prepares for broader adoption.

The timing highlights the tension between Solana Mobile’s rapid ecosystem expansion and the security challenges tied to hardware beyond its control.

SKR Set to Power Governance and Rewards Across Solana’s Mobile Ecosystem

The SKR token, with a total supply of 10 billion, will serve as the governance and coordination asset for Solana’s mobile platform. Solana Mobile confirmed that 30% of the supply will go toward airdrops and early unlocks for Seeker users and active dApp participants.

Additional allocations include 25% for ecosystem growth and partnerships, 10% for liquidity, 10% for a community treasury, 15% for Solana Mobile, and 10% for Solana Labs.

SKR is designed to integrate deeply with Solana’s mobile ecosystem. Holders will be able to stake the token with designated “guardians,” including Solana Mobile at launch, and later partners such as Helius, DoubleZero, Jito, Anza, and Triton One.

These guardians will verify device authenticity, moderate apps on the Solana dApp Store, and uphold community standards.

Solana Mobile says SKR will act as the engine behind incentives and ownership across the platform, moving beyond the reward-focused design associated with the earlier Saga model.

Security Flaw in Seeker Chip Raises Concerns

The excitement around SKR’s launch has been met with concern following a report from Ledger security researchers revealing an unfixable vulnerability in the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip used in the Seeker smartphone.

According to the researchers, electromagnetic fault injection during the chip’s boot process can bypass memory protections and give attackers full device control, including access to private keys.

The flaw cannot be addressed through software patches because it is physically embedded in the chip’s silicon. While the likelihood of success per attempt is low, between 0.1% and 1%, the attack can be repeated once per second, potentially allowing a breach within minutes.

MediaTek acknowledged the vulnerability but noted that the chip was not designed to defend against such high-level physical attacks.

Rollout Plans Continue as Security Questions Emerge

Despite the concerns, interest in Solana’s mobile efforts remains strong. The Seeker has reportedly surpassed 150,000 pre-orders, and Solana Mobile plans to reveal full SKR tokenomics and ecosystem updates at the Solana Breakpoint Conference in Abu Dhabi from December 11–13.

As Solana prepares for SKR’s rollout, the company faces a delicate balancing act. This includes advancing its mobile-first Web3 vision while addressing security limitations tied to third-party hardware.

Related Reading: Taiwan Eyes First Stablecoin Debut In 2026 As Regulatory Framework Advances

The coming months will reveal whether the SKR token can accelerate ecosystem growth or if the unresolved chip vulnerability will overshadow the momentum Solana Mobile has built.

Cover image from ChatGPT, SOLUSD chart from Tradingview

With 2025 almost over, the Cardano founder, Charles Hoskinson, and the broader crypto market are looking ahead to 2026 with renewed optimism for the ecosystem and the ADA price. Hoskinson has shared a strategic game plan for 2026 that could significantly transform the Cardano ecosystem and potentially even influence the value of its native token. Although ADA’s price has underperformed other top altcoins so far this year, upcoming developments and shifts in 2026 could create a better environment for a potential recovery. 

Cardano 2026 Game Plan Offers Hope For ADA Price Recovery

In a recent video posted on X, Hoskinson shared his thoughts on Cardano, offering a glimpse into the blockchain’s vision for 2026. According to the crypto founder, Cardano is preparing to enter the new year with a plan to become a powerful and exceptional blockchain network and the most relatable distribution system humanity has ever created. 

Hoskinson emphasized that achieving this vision will require significant time and effort, acknowledging that setbacks are part of building a complex system. He noted that bugs and mistakes are inevitable, but what distinguishes a successful project is how well and fast it responds and recovers. 

The Cardano founder also highlighted the importance of learning from errors and improving processes, suggesting that future obstacles will be overcome more quickly and effectively. While perfection is unattainable, Hoskinson’s statements reflect confidence in Cardano’s approach to problem-solving, adaptability, and its ongoing progress toward becoming a leading blockchain network.

While the blockchain prepares to advance, it remains uncertain if an ADA price recovery will follow. Currently, the cryptocurrency is trading at $0.449, reflecting a 63% decline this year and a 16.6% drop over the past month. Compared to other altcoins like Ethereum and Solana, which reached new all-time highs earlier this year, ADA’s underperformance has been somewhat of a puzzle, especially given its previous ecosystem developments and strong community. 

Analyst Says ADA Price Will Be Mega Bullish If It Breaks This Level

 The Cardano price has been trending downward for months; however, analysts remain bullish on the cryptocurrency. According to crypto analyst ‘Sssebi’, ADA’s next key milestone is the $0.50 resistance level. If the altcoin can successfully breach this threshold, he predicts that Cardano could enter a “mega bullish phase.”

Sssebi’s analysis highlights that despite Cardano’s price being significantly undervalued, its underlying structure still shows hints of bullishness. Breaking $0.50, therefore, could act as a psychological trigger that helps the altcoin overcome current bearishness and signal a much-anticipated recovery.

The analyst suggested that ADA’s current price of $0.44 may represent a bottom level. As a result, he recommends that traders view this low level as a potential opportunity to enter the market ahead of a potential upward surge.

Ethereum is showing notable relative strength as it reclaims the $3,150 level and attempts to push higher, signaling early signs of recovery after weeks dominated by heavy selling pressure, fear, and uncertainty. The broader market rebound has helped restore confidence, but ETH’s ability to outperform key altcoins highlights growing demand and improved sentiment around the asset.

Adding to the renewed optimism, fresh on-chain data from Lookonchain reveals a significant move from one of the market’s most recognized whales. During the rebound, whale 0xdECF deposited another 5,000 ETH—worth approximately $15.52 million—into Binance.

This wallet has become well-known for sending large batches of ETH to exchanges throughout the recent downturn, often coinciding with moments of heightened volatility and capitulation.

Its latest deposit suggests that the whale remains highly active and responsive to market conditions. While such movements can sometimes introduce uncertainty, they also highlight increasing liquidity and engagement from major holders. With price reclaiming key levels and whales repositioning, Ethereum enters a critical phase where sustained strength could confirm a broader shift in market structure.

Ethereum Whale Distribution Highlights Market Caution

According to Lookonchain, whale 0xdECF has sold 25,603 ETH—valued at approximately $85.44 million—across Binance and Galaxy Digital since October 28. Despite this substantial distribution, the wallet still holds 5,000 ETH (around $15.52 million), suggesting that the whale has not fully exited its position but has significantly reduced exposure during the recent market decline.

This pattern of behavior provides important insight into sentiment among large holders: while they are not abandoning Ethereum entirely, they are actively managing risk and responding to volatility more aggressively than usual.

Such persistent selling pressure from a large wallet often acts as a drag on price during periods of weakness, especially when market liquidity is thin. However, the fact that the whale continues to retain a meaningful position indicates an expectation of potential recovery—or at least a desire to remain strategically exposed to future upside.

Ethereum now finds itself in a critical phase. The asset has reclaimed key levels, but its mid-term structure remains highly sensitive to macro conditions and whale behavior. If selling from major holders slows and accumulation begins to outpace distribution, the recent rebound could solidify into a sustained trend. Otherwise, renewed sell flows could place Ethereum at risk of revisiting lower support zones.

ETH Reclaims Short-Term Momentum but Faces Heavy Resistance

Ethereum’s daily chart shows a clear improvement in momentum after reclaiming the $3,150–$3,200 region, but the broader structure remains fragile. The bounce from the $2,750–$2,850 support zone marked a decisive shift in buyer behavior, with strong lower wicks indicating aggressive demand. This rebound has pushed ETH back above key short-term levels, yet the asset still faces a challenging path forward.

Price is now approaching the 50-day SMA, currently sloping downward just above $3,250, which now acts as immediate resistance. This moving average has capped every rally since late October and remains the first major barrier for bulls to reclaim. Beyond it, the 100-day SMA around $3,450 and the 200-day SMA near $3,600 form a tight cluster of overhead resistance that defines the medium-term downtrend.

Volume on the recent bounce is stronger than previous attempts, signaling that buyers are showing more conviction compared to the mid-November attempts to recover. However, the overall trend still leans bearish until ETH can break above the 50-day SMA and begin closing daily candles over $3,300.

Ethereum sits in a critical inflection zone: holding above $3,100 strengthens the case for continued recovery, while rejection from the $3,250–$3,300 band could trigger another retest of the $2,800 region. The next few sessions will determine whether this rebound evolves into a deeper trend reversal.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

The tension between decentralized finance and traditional Wall Street players resurfaced this week after Uniswap founder Hayden Adams publicly accused Citadel Securities of influencing U.S. regulators to impose stricter rules on the DeFi sector.

Adams’ comments, shared across social media, sparked a wide-ranging debate over who should be considered a financial intermediary in blockchain-based markets, and whether the rules of traditional finance should apply to open-source developers.

Adams claimed that Citadel, led by CEO Ken Griffin, has been lobbying the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to classify DeFi developers, validators, liquidity providers and even front-end operators as broker-dealers.

Citadel’s Filing Raises Concerns Over Tokenized Markets

At the center of the dispute is Citadel’s December 2 filing to the SEC. The document argues that many blockchain-based systems effectively bring together buyers and sellers in ways that resemble traditional exchanges.

As such, Citadel says they should be regulated under the same standards, even if those systems operate through smart contracts rather than centralized infrastructure.

Citadel warned that tokenized U.S. equities trading on DeFi platforms could create a “shadow equity market” outside the national market system, reducing regulatory oversight and fragmenting liquidity.

The firm’s letter also rejects the idea that technology differences justify regulatory exemptions, insisting that “the same activity should face the same rules” regardless of whether it is powered by algorithms or legacy systems.

DeFi advocates counter that this perspective ignores the design of decentralized protocols, which can function without centralized control and often rely on open-source contributions rather than corporate governance.

Adams Pushes Back Against “Fair Access” Claims

Adams criticized Citadel’s assertion that DeFi systems cannot provide “fair access,” calling the argument inconsistent with how traditional market makers operate. He argued that open-source protocols can lower barriers to participation, unlike centralized trading venues where access is limited by intermediaries.

Developers and community members echoed this point, noting that the DeFi ecosystem encompasses a broad range of models, from fully permissionless exchanges to platforms that rely on more centralized components.

Some community voices added that regulatory conversations often lack clarity because “DeFi” itself encompasses many different structures.

Regulatory Pressure Builds as SEC Signals Broader Scrutiny

The exchange comes at a time when the SEC has repeatedly taken enforcement action against DeFi teams. The agency has emphasized that it assesses economic realities rather than decentralization labels, citing past cases such as the Rari Capital settlement in 2024.

If regulators adopt Citadel’s framing, entities involved in developing or maintaining DeFi protocols could face registration requirements designed for traditional broker-dealers.

Industry participants warn that such a shift could make open-source projects difficult to operate, raising questions about the future of permissionless finance in the United States.

As the debate continues, the clash highlights a deeper divide between emerging decentralized systems and established financial institutions, one that is increasingly shaping regulatory policy discussions in Washington.

Cover image from ChatGPT, UNIUSD chart from Tradingview