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Bitcoin lost its recent upward momentum over the weekend, dropping below 74,000 after heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran unsettled markets. The cryptocurrency had climbed to over 78,300 late on Friday, its highest level since early February, before retreating to the mid-70,000 range as Iran threatened to disrupt key oil shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The situation escalated further on Sunday when US forces reportedly fired on and seized an Iranian cargo vessel accused of breaching a blockade, prompting Tehran to accuse Washington of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement.
The two-week ceasefire, which had previously supported financial markets and eased oil price concerns, now appears increasingly unstable as Iran has vowed retaliation and pulled out of planned peace talks. Broader markets reacted negatively, with US stock futures declining and oil prices surging above 95 a barrel amid fears of supply disruption. Meanwhile, market sentiment in the cryptocurrency sector remained cautious, with the Crypto Fear & Greed index still indicating fear despite a slight improvement. Source
Kraken’s parent company, Payward, has agreed to acquire the derivatives trading platform Bitnomial in a deal worth up to 550 million in cash and stock, strengthening its position in the US crypto derivatives market. The acquisition will provide Payward with access to a fully licenced domestic infrastructure, as Bitnomial holds all three licences issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission required to operate a comprehensive crypto trading and derivatives business. The transaction values Payward at 20 billion, in line with its valuation following an 800 million funding round announced in November.
The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026 and comes amid broader strategic expansion, including Payward’s launch of a European derivatives offering in 2025 and a confidential filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that signals a potential initial public offering. The move also follows a recent 200 million investment by Deutsche Börse for a minority stake, highlighting growing institutional interest in the firm and the wider digital asset sector. Source
Musician Garrett Dutton, also known as G. Love, has reportedly lost 5.92 Bitcoin, worth around 450,000 dollars, after downloading a fraudulent version of a Ledger wallet app from the Apple App Store. The fake app closely replicated the official Ledger branding and interface, making it difficult even for experienced crypto users to distinguish it from the genuine software. After installation, Dutton was prompted to enter his 24-word seed phrase, which was then captured by attackers who used it to gain access to and drain his long-held Bitcoin holdings.
Crypto commentator Scott Melker highlighted the case, stressing that the incident shows how convincing counterfeit apps can be and how easily trust in official app stores can be exploited. On-chain investigator ZachXBT later traced the stolen funds as they were moved through multiple addresses and laundered via exchanges, with some accounts temporarily frozen as part of an investigation. The incident has been used as a warning about the importance of verifying apps through official sources, never entering seed phrases into devices or software, and treating self-custody security as entirely the user’s responsibility. Source
Poland’s parliament has once again failed to overturn President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of a major cryptocurrency regulation bill, prolonging a political dispute over how digital assets should be governed in the country. Lawmakers fell short of the required majority in a vote on Friday, with 243 MPs supporting the override and 191 opposing it, meaning the president’s veto stands. The legislation, supported by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, was intended to align Poland with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework introduced in 2024, which sets rules for the issuance and custody of crypto assets.
President Nawrocki has repeatedly blocked the bill, arguing that it would impose excessive regulation, reduce transparency, and place unnecessary pressure on smaller businesses. The government, however, warns that continued delay leaves consumers exposed to fraud risks and weak market oversight, with officials describing the current situation as potentially attractive to criminals. The dispute has also drawn in Poland’s largest crypto exchange, Zonda, amid political accusations and concerns about alleged links to illicit activity, which the company has strongly denied. Source
Dogecoin Cash Inc. has announced plans to develop a tokenised gold product called Dogecoin Gold, aiming to link digital tokens to physical gold reserves using blockchain-based tracking and verification. The company said it is considering a framework in which one billion tokens would represent one gram of physical gold, with the goal of combining real-world asset backing with digital transparency. However, the project remains in the early development stage, with no tokens issued and no timeline confirmed for launch.
The move places Dogecoin Cash alongside established players in the tokenised gold market such as Tether and Paxos, which already issue gold-backed tokens measured in ounces and collectively manage multi-billion-dollar market capitalisations. Unlike those firms, Dogecoin Cash has no direct connection to the original Dogecoin project and has a history of rebranding from its previous focus on cannabis and telehealth businesses. The announcement comes amid broader interest in both meme coins and tokenised real-world assets, as gold-backed cryptocurrencies have gained traction alongside rising gold prices. Source
US aluminium producer Alcoa is reportedly in advanced talks to sell its long-idle Massena East smelter in upstate New York to Bitcoin mining firm NYDIG, with the deal expected to close around the middle of the year. The facility has been inactive since 2014 after being shut down due to high energy costs and global competition, but its existing industrial infrastructure, including substations, transmission lines and strong grid connections, has made it an attractive target for energy-intensive computing operations such as Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centres.
The site’s access to hydropower from the New York Power Authority is also seen as a key advantage, offering relatively low-cost and lower-carbon electricity for large-scale computing demand. The potential acquisition reflects a wider US trend in which former industrial facilities are being repurposed for digital infrastructure, with similar conversions already taking place across the country. At the same time, Bitcoin mining firms including NYDIG are increasingly diversifying into AI and cloud computing as pressure on mining margins grows, prompting a broader shift in how these companies use industrial-scale energy assets. Source
Strategy’s shares surged 10% to around 164 on Friday as improving geopolitical sentiment and a rally in Bitcoin pushed the company’s large crypto holdings back into profit. Bitcoin rose to about 77,200 after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to commercial shipping during a temporary ceasefire period, easing market concerns and supporting risk assets. The rebound marked the first time since early February that Strategy’s approximately 781,000 Bitcoin holdings, acquired at an average price of 75,577, were valued above their purchase cost, bringing the total stockpile to roughly 60.5 billion in value.
The company’s share price also climbed to its highest level since mid-January before easing slightly, although it remains significantly lower than its previous highs earlier in the year. Despite the short-term gains, analysts noted that broader crypto market conditions remain fragile, with weak momentum and cautious investor sentiment still weighing on outlooks. Strategy’s large Bitcoin position continues to make it highly sensitive to price swings, with some market observers warning that its scale gives it the ability to influence market dynamics as both a major holder and buyer of Bitcoin. Source
The exploit of the Kelp liquid restaking protocol has raised concerns among crypto industry figures about how tightly interconnected decentralised finance systems can spread risk across multiple platforms. Kelp was hit by a cyberattack on Saturday that led to the pausing of its smart contracts and the draining of around 293 million, prompting warnings that so-called non-isolated lending models expose users to broader contagion effects when one protocol is compromised. Experts highlighted that this type of design, seen in earlier versions of lending systems such as Aave, means collateral assets and linked protocols can be affected simultaneously during an exploit.
Security firms and developers noted that the attack quickly spread beyond a single platform, with at least nine DeFi protocols including Aave, Compound Finance and Euler taking steps such as freezing markets or limiting exposure to the affected token rsETH. The incident has been linked to vulnerabilities in cross-chain bridging infrastructure, which some developers argue increases systemic risk when transferring assets between blockchains. The exploit is part of a wider trend of rising losses in crypto security incidents, with hundreds of millions lost in hacks and scams in recent months, underscoring ongoing challenges in managing risk across interconnected DeFi ecosystems. Source
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The article explains Markethive’s approach to identity verification through its KEY Validation protocol, positioning it as an alternative to traditional Know Your Customer (KYC) systems used in financial and crypto platforms. It outlines how KYC regulations emerged from US banking laws and anti-money laundering efforts, and how they are now widely enforced across centralised crypto exchanges. In contrast, Markethive presents its system as combining user privacy with verification, using a video-based identity check, optional document uploads, and platform-specific authentication methods while claiming to keep user data within its own ecosystem rather than sharing it with external regulators.
It also describes Markethive’s wider ecosystem built around its Hivecoin cryptocurrency and a tiered subscription model of “KEY” levels, ranging from free entry to high-cost premium tiers. Each level offers different features, rewards, and token-based incentives such as bonuses, airdrops, and micropayments, with higher tiers receiving greater benefits and revenue-sharing opportunities. The system is presented as encouraging engagement and long-term participation, alongside promotional features like referral rewards and promo code incentives, while maintaining a mix of anonymity and internal identity verification for users within the platform. Source
The US government has transferred 8.2 Bitcoin, worth over $600,000, that is linked to the 2016 Bitfinex hack. Blockchain data indicates the funds were moved from a government-controlled account to Coinbase Prime, a step that is often interpreted as a potential precursor to a sale, although the government’s intentions have not been confirmed. The Bitcoin is part of a much larger pool of assets connected to the hack, with authorities previously seizing around 94,000 BTC, now valued at more than $7.2 billion.
The funds relate to the massive 2016 Bitfinex theft, where approximately 119,754 Bitcoin, worth about $9.18 billion at today’s prices, were stolen by Ilya Lichtenstein, who later orchestrated the laundering of the assets with his wife Heather Morgan. Both were arrested in 2022, later reaching a plea deal in 2023 that included forfeiting the remaining proceeds, and were sentenced to prison terms for money laundering offences. They have since been released, with Morgan attributing an early release to Donald Trump, although no official confirmation of presidential involvement has been reported, and the Department of Justice has not commented on the latest transfer. Source
Stablecoins are not expected to pose a significant threat to the traditional banking sector in the near term, according to a Moody’s analyst, largely due to current US regulations that prohibit yield-bearing stablecoins and the strength of existing domestic payment systems. Although stablecoin adoption is expanding into areas such as payments, cross-border transactions and onchain finance, their overall impact on banks is still considered limited at this stage of market development. The stablecoin market capitalisation has already exceeded 300 billion, but their use remains relatively constrained compared with established financial infrastructure.
Over the longer term, however, Moody’s suggests that continued growth in stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets could begin to challenge banks by drawing deposits away and reducing lending capacity. This potential shift is already influencing policy debates in the US, particularly around the stalled CLARITY Act, where disagreements over yield-bearing stablecoins and regulatory scope have slowed progress. Lawmakers and industry groups are still attempting to reach a compromise, but the issue remains contentious, with some warning that failure to pass clear legislation could lead to future regulatory crackdowns. Source
US Representative Sheri Biggs has disclosed a new investment of up to 250,000 in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, continuing a position she first opened the previous year. The purchase, reported in a financial filing, could have been as low as 100,000, and adds to a growing trend of US lawmakers gaining exposure to cryptocurrency through regulated investment products rather than holding digital assets directly. Biggs is described as a supporter of crypto, and her investment came alongside other portfolio moves, including buying into a private credit fund and selling a competing product.
The disclosure highlights how crypto-related investments are becoming more common among US politicians, ranging from Bitcoin ETFs to shares in companies heavily tied to Bitcoin accumulation. While Biggs does not publicly emphasise digital assets in her official materials, her trading activity aligns with a broader pattern of political interest in regulated crypto exposure, particularly through institutional products like ETFs that track Bitcoin’s price. Source
Eth.limo, an Ethereum Name Service gateway that provides access to decentralised websites using .eth domains, has confirmed that a recent domain hijacking incident was caused by a sophisticated social engineering attack targeting its domain provider EasyDNS. The attacker reportedly impersonated a member of the eth.limo team and initiated an account recovery process, which allowed them to gain access and change domain settings, including altering nameserver records. This temporarily redirected parts of the service infrastructure, raising concerns that users could have been sent to malicious websites.
EasyDNS has accepted responsibility for the breach, with its CEO describing it as the first successful social engineering attack against a client in nearly three decades of operation. The impact was ultimately contained due to DNS security protections, including DNSSEC, which prevented the attacker from successfully forging cryptographic signatures and fully completing the hijack. Both companies stated that there is currently no evidence of user harm, and EasyDNS has begun strengthening its security procedures while migrating eth.limo to a more enterprise-focused domain management system to reduce future risk. Source
Wrapped XRP (wXRP) has been launched on the Solana blockchain, allowing the Ripple-linked token to be used within decentralised finance applications outside its native XRP Ledger. More than 1.2 million worth of wXRP has already been minted, with the token created through Hex Trust’s custody-backed system that locks native XRP and issues an equivalent 1:1 wrapped version on Solana and other compatible blockchains. This setup enables XRP holders to interact with DeFi protocols across ecosystems that typically offer greater liquidity and activity than the XRP Ledger itself.
The move is aimed at expanding XRP’s utility into areas such as trading and DeFi markets on networks like Solana and Ethereum, which collectively host tens of billions in total value locked compared with the relatively small DeFi presence on XRP’s native network. However, early usage remains limited, with fewer than 60 transactions recorded so far involving the wrapped token. The initiative is still in its early stages, but it signals growing efforts to integrate XRP into broader decentralised finance infrastructure. Source
Coinbase has begun testing AI agents integrated into internal tools such as Slack and email to help employees with day-to-day work tasks, as part of a wider push to embed artificial intelligence across the company’s operations. CEO Brian Armstrong said the firm has already deployed two experimental agents modelled on former executives, with plans for employees to eventually create their own AI assistants for specific teams or functions. He suggested that AI agents could soon outnumber human staff at the company as automation becomes more deeply embedded in workflows.
The two prototype agents include “Fred,” designed to act as a strategic advisor helping with priorities and decision-making, and “Balaji,” positioned as a more creative and disruptive assistant meant to challenge assumptions and encourage innovation. Coinbase has also previously stated its ambition for AI to generate more than half of its code, reflecting a broader industry trend of replacing or augmenting human roles with automation. Armstrong and other crypto industry leaders have also argued that AI agents will increasingly transact on blockchain networks, with expectations that machine-driven activity could eventually exceed human participation in onchain systems. Source
A major exploit involving infrastructure linked to Kelp DAO triggered widespread disruption across decentralised finance markets after attackers reportedly drained around 291 million in crypto via a LayerZero-powered bridge. The stolen assets, including large amounts of rsETH, were then used in activity on Aave, causing liquidity stress in one of its core lending pools. This led to a spike in the utilisation rate to near 100%, meaning most available funds were effectively locked and users were unable to withdraw normally.
The resulting strain on Aave contributed to fears of a broader liquidity crunch, with analysts reporting what appeared to be billions in net withdrawals across the platform as users rushed to react. Some users instead began borrowing against deposits to access funds, further tightening liquidity conditions. The incident also hit market prices, with Aave’s token falling sharply and Ethereum also declining. While investigations are ongoing, early analysis suggests a potential single point of failure in the bridge mechanism may have been exploited, prompting wider concerns about DeFi infrastructure resilience. Source
Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor has signalled that the company may be preparing another large Bitcoin purchase, posting “Think Even Bigger” on social media shortly after the firm disclosed a recent acquisition of around 1 billion worth of Bitcoin. The previous purchase involved 13,927 BTC bought at an average price of 71,902 per coin, continuing Strategy’s pattern of frequent and sizeable accumulation of the cryptocurrency.
The latest hint comes alongside broader discussions from Strategy about changing its dividend structure, including a proposal to move to semi-monthly payments aimed at stabilising share price behaviour and improving investor demand. The company argues that more frequent payouts could reduce volatility and support liquidity. Strategy remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with close to 780,897 BTC on its balance sheet, though it continues to report significant unrealised losses on its holdings. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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