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Bitcoin and Ethereum turned volatile after new U.S. inflation data showed consumer prices rose less than expected, briefly lifting hopes for future interest rate cuts. Both cryptocurrencies jumped before U.S. markets opened, with Bitcoin nearing $89,000 and Ethereum approaching $2,980, before pulling back as trading began. Despite weekly declines, both assets remained slightly higher on the day, reflecting a mixed reaction as traders balanced softer inflation signals against broader market uncertainty.
The inflation report showed prices rising 2.7% year over year in November, below expectations and marking the slowest annual pace since July, while core inflation eased to 2.6%, its lowest since early 2021. Analysts noted that seasonal tax-related selling may be muting the positive impact of the data, even as lower inflation supports the case for rate cuts further out. Expectations for a near-term Fed rate cut edged higher, and optimism around potential regulatory progress and lower borrowing costs was seen as particularly supportive for Ethereum in the months ahead. Source
Aptos has proposed adding an optional post-quantum signature scheme to its blockchain, citing long-term risks that advances in quantum computing could pose to current cryptographic systems. While existing signature methods remain secure against classical computers, researchers warn that future quantum machines could potentially forge today’s signatures and compromise account security, even retroactively. Aptos argues that quantum computing is no longer a distant concept, pointing to progress by major technology firms and the release of post-quantum cryptography standards by US regulators as reasons to prepare early.
The proposal, known as AIP-137, would introduce support for SLH-DSA, a hash-based signature scheme standardized as FIPS 205, allowing users to create post-quantum-secure accounts on an opt-in basis. Existing accounts would remain unchanged, giving users flexibility in adoption, while positioning Aptos among the first production blockchains to support post-quantum accounts natively. The move reflects a broader industry trend, with other networks like Solana and segments of the Bitcoin community exploring similar protections, even as some prominent figures argue that practical quantum threats to blockchains remain years away. Source
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded $457 million in net inflows, marking the third-largest single-day total since early October and underscoring strong institutional demand despite cautious broader crypto sentiment. BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC led the inflows, while Grayscale’s GBTC posted modest outflows. Bitcoin traded near $88,700, showing resilience and holding key support levels, which analysts said reflects a consolidation of capital into the most liquid and institutionally accessible crypto asset amid macro uncertainty.
In contrast, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs saw continued outflows, extending a multi-day streak of redemptions and signalling weaker near-term confidence in altcoins. Market observers described the divergence as a flight to quality rather than capital exiting crypto altogether, with investors selectively favouring Bitcoin while remaining cautious on riskier assets. This positioning suggests medium-term optimism for Bitcoin, though lower holiday liquidity could still amplify volatility in the short term. Source
SoFi Technologies has launched SoFiUSD, a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin issued by its banking subsidiary, SoFi Bank, and backed one-to-one by cash held at the institution. The token is redeemable on demand and is designed to support low-cost payments and settlement across banks, fintechs and enterprise platforms. SoFiUSD will initially run on Ethereum, with plans to expand to additional blockchains, and can be used for card networks, retail payments, remittances through SoFi Pay and transactions on its Galileo platform, though it is currently live for internal settlement only.
The launch comes as SoFi expands its crypto offerings and benefits from clearer US regulation following the passage of the GENIUS Act, which has prompted broader interest in stablecoins among major banks. Institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America have signalled plans to explore dollar-backed digital tokens for payments and settlement, while acknowledging regulatory and deposit-related concerns. Despite debate over yield-bearing stablecoins, momentum is building around bank-issued tokens as tools to improve settlement efficiency and reduce costs, a trend reflected in SoFi’s rising share price and recent crypto trading rollout. Source
U.S. federal prosecutors in Michigan, working with international partners, have seized the online infrastructure of a cryptocurrency laundering service called E-Note and unsealed charges against its alleged operator, Russian national Mykhalio Petrovich Chudnovets. Authorities allege that since at least 2017, E-Note facilitated the movement of more than $70 million in illicit proceeds tied to ransomware attacks, account takeovers, and other cyber-enabled crimes, including operations targeting U.S. healthcare systems and critical infrastructure. Chudnovets, 39, is charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, an offence that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
According to prosecutors, Chudnovets began offering money laundering services to cybercriminals as early as 2010 and later scaled the operation into a formal online business that enabled cross-border transfers and conversion of cryptocurrency into fiat currencies using money mules. Law enforcement agencies seized E-Note’s servers, mobile applications, and multiple websites, along with historical server data containing customer and transaction records expected to support further investigations. The takedown reflects a broader U.S. crackdown on crypto-related crime amid rising global losses, with billions of dollars stolen this year and a growing volume of cryptocurrency investment fraud complaints reported to federal authorities. Source
Brazil’s main stock exchange, B3, announced plans to launch a tokenization platform for traditional assets along with its own stablecoin for settlements starting in 2026. According to B3 vice president Luiz Masagão, the initiative will begin with stock market offerings and aims to integrate tokenized assets seamlessly into the existing financial ecosystem. The stablecoin is intended to support token trading, allowing buyers and sellers to interact without distinguishing between tokenized and traditional assets, while benefiting from shared liquidity across both markets.
The move comes amid broader regulatory developments in Brazil, including a recent central bank decision to classify stablecoin transactions as foreign-exchange operations for crypto companies, though it remains unclear how this will affect stock exchanges. Beyond tokenization, B3 is expanding its digital asset strategy by planning weekly options for Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana, as well as event-based contracts similar to those on prediction platforms. B3 has historically moved faster than U.S. exchanges in offering crypto exposure through ETFs, listing multiple crypto-linked funds since 2021 and adding a spot XRP fund earlier this year. Source
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit alleging that certain third-party Bitcoin mining services qualify as securities offerings, charging Philadelphia-based entrepreneur Danh C Vo, founder of Bitcoin mining firm VBit, with selling unregistered securities. According to the complaint, VBit sold customers mining rigs alongside a hosting service that allowed buyers to purchase a share of the company’s mining operations while relying entirely on VBit to operate and control the equipment. The SEC argues that customers were led to expect profits based on the efforts of Vo and his team, making the arrangement an investment contract under securities law.
The regulator also accused Vo of misleading investors by selling more hosting agreements than the company had mining capacity to support, resulting in significant customer losses. Additionally, the SEC alleged that Vo misappropriated $48.5 million in customer funds for personal use, including cryptocurrency trading, gambling, and expensive gifts to relatives. The case stands out as a continuation of enforcement activity across administrations, with an investigation that began in 2021 now moving forward under the Trump-era SEC amid growing bipartisan concern in Congress over the rise of crypto-related scams. Source
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Crypto prices have fallen despite a year filled with seemingly bullish developments, leaving analysts questioning whether deeper structural problems are holding the market back. Increased liquidity, more favorable US regulatory signals, multiple ETF launches, institutional investment, and strong performance in traditional assets have all failed to translate into sustained gains. Instead, total crypto market capitalization has dropped sharply from its October peak and is set to end the year lower than it began, prompting concerns that persistent selling pressure, heavy leverage, and unresolved market mechanics are overpowering positive catalysts.
Some analysts believe the market is undergoing a painful but necessary reset driven by mass liquidations, lingering fear from past cycles, and long-term holders exiting positions, while others argue that a full bear market has already taken hold. At the same time, industry leaders point out that underlying fundamentals remain strong, highlighting regulatory progress, government adoption initiatives, growing stablecoin supply, and expansion of tokenized real-world assets. From this perspective, 2025 is seen less as a failed bull market and more as a foundational year that could support durable growth once structural issues are resolved. Source
Intuit has entered a multi-year strategic partnership with Circle to enable the use of the USDC stablecoin across its product ecosystem, including TurboTax, QuickBooks, and other services. The agreement establishes a framework for integrating dollar-backed stablecoins into everyday financial workflows, with Intuit highlighting potential use cases such as tax refunds and payments that can move faster and at lower cost than traditional payment rails. The companies said the initiative is designed to introduce programmable, digital money into consumer and business finance in ways that are not possible through legacy systems.
While specific technical details have not yet been disclosed, including which blockchain USDC will operate on within Intuit’s products, both firms said more information will be shared in 2026. Circle described the partnership as positioning Intuit to explore stablecoins as both a payment method and a store of value within its platform, leveraging Intuit’s scale to expand USDC’s role in everyday transactions. The announcement comes as USDC remains predominantly issued on Ethereum and as both companies signal long-term commitment to building more efficient digital financial infrastructure. Source
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or CLARITY Act, is scheduled for Senate markup in January, moving the long-delayed bipartisan crypto bill closer to potential passage. The legislation aims to define crypto securities and commodities while clarifying the regulatory roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and other agencies. Proponents argue that the bill will reduce regulatory uncertainty for crypto firms, provide clear compliance pathways, foster innovation, and strengthen investor protections, addressing long-standing concerns in the digital asset market.
Progress on the CLARITY Act has been slowed by external factors, including a 43-day US government shutdown, though regulators maintained engagement with key crypto firms to keep momentum. The House passed the bill in July, and the Senate’s markup will allow debate and possible amendments before a full vote. If amendments are made, the legislation must return to the House for final approval before reaching the president for signature, with Senate leadership needing a supermajority to ensure it does not stall indefinitely. Source
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson criticized President Donald Trump’s personal crypto ventures, including his meme coin and World Liberty Financial project, as harmful to the U.S. cryptocurrency industry’s long-term prospects. Hoskinson argued that these actions politicized crypto, turning what had been a fragile bipartisan effort in Congress into a partisan issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He also noted that the lack of clear policy frameworks surrounding Trump’s initiatives, such as the proposed U.S. crypto reserve, created market disruptions and risked undermining trust in the industry, while others in the space were reluctant to speak openly about these concerns for fear of losing access to policymakers.
Hoskinson emphasized that government involvement in selecting specific cryptocurrencies for reserves blurs the line between policy and personal interest, creating risks of market favoritism and long-term disruption. He criticized the timing of Trump’s launches, saying regulatory frameworks should be established before introducing new crypto products, and expressed particular concern over the inclusion of altcoins in a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Despite the fallout and the controversy his comments might stir, Hoskinson stated he did not regret speaking out, valuing integrity and transparency over access to political influence. Source
Synthetix, the perpetuals trading platform, is returning to Ethereum’s mainnet after migrating to layer-2 solutions due to previous network congestion and high gas fees. Founder Kain Warwick explained that Ethereum now has the capacity to support high-frequency trading and critical financial infrastructure, with gas fees significantly lower than a year ago. This shift follows Synthetix’s expansion to Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base, as well as other platforms like dYdX moving to layer-2 networks, which had become necessary when transaction costs made mainnet operations impractical.
Warwick anticipates other perpetual decentralized exchanges will follow Synthetix back to Ethereum, citing the network’s improved scalability and the concentration of liquidity, assets, and margin on mainnet as key advantages. He highlighted that Ethereum’s development has accelerated in 2025, creating a more favorable environment for builders and potentially marking the strongest year for the network since the Merge in 2022. Source
Solana and Aptos are implementing measures to protect their networks from the potential future threat of quantum computing, which could undermine current cryptographic systems. Solana, in collaboration with Project Eleven, deployed a quantum-resistant testnet to evaluate post-quantum digital signatures and ensure transactions can run securely without disrupting the network. This initiative builds on prior efforts such as the Solana Winternitz Vault, an optional wallet feature using a hash-based signature scheme to generate new keys for each transaction. The network aims to maintain long-term security and resiliency, preparing for decades ahead even though quantum computers are not yet capable of threatening blockchain systems.
Aptos is pursuing similar precautions through AIP-137, a proposal to introduce an optional post-quantum signature scheme called SLH-DSA that would not require a network-wide migration, allowing users to opt in for enhanced quantum protection while retaining the existing Ed25519 scheme. These efforts reflect a broader industry focus on proactive, long-term planning against quantum threats, even as experts consider the short-term risk minimal. Both blockchains aim to balance security and efficiency, recognizing that quantum-resistant cryptography currently comes with larger signatures and slower verification times, but could be crucial for safeguarding digital assets in the future. Source
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin mining company VBit and its founder, Danh Vo, claiming that the company’s hosted mining agreements qualify as securities under the Howey test. The SEC alleges that VBit misappropriated around $48 million from investors between 2018 and 2022 by selling more hosting agreements than the number of available mining rigs. According to the agency, investors relied on VBit’s efforts to generate profits, had no control over the mining rigs, and were affected by the performance of a pooled mining operation controlled by VBit, making the agreements investment contracts.
Industry experts have argued that the SEC’s classification does not reflect standard practices in hosted Bitcoin mining. Mitchell Askew of Blockware Intelligence said legitimate hosted mining involves clients purchasing their own equipment and electricity without pooling capital or relying on a promoter for returns, which would not meet the Howey test criteria. While the SEC’s lawsuit highlights potential regulatory scrutiny, most hosted mining providers operate outside these disputed practices, and the broader industry is unlikely to be affected. Source
The US Senate has confirmed Mike Selig as chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and elevated Travis Hill to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, both seen as crypto-friendly appointments. Selig, with prior experience at the CFTC and SEC, has pledged to prioritize crypto regulation and will serve until April 2029, taking over from acting chair Caroline Pham. Hill, who had been acting chairman, will lead the FDIC for the next five years and has spoken against the debanking of companies due to crypto associations. Their appointments come amid broader legislative efforts to give the CFTC more oversight of crypto markets and the FDIC a role in stablecoin regulation.
Industry reaction has been positive, with experts highlighting Selig’s regulatory experience and familiarity with digital assets as a potential boost for clear and fair governance of the crypto sector. Hill’s leadership at the FDIC is expected to influence how banks interact with crypto firms, providing guidance for the industry’s banking practices. These confirmations mark a notable shift in US crypto oversight, raising expectations for more structured and informed regulatory approaches. 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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