Category: crypto

Visa Inc. has partnered with Mercuryo to allow users to convert digital assets to fiat currency and send funds to Visa cards using Visa Direct. This enables fast crypto-to-fiat conversions for Visa debit and credit card users, improving settlement speed, reducing costs, and expanding Visa’s digital asset strategy.

JPMorgan Chase donated to a pro-Trump PAC, then Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against the bank and CEO Jamie Dimon. This follows Trump’s support for the crypto industry and a clash with Dimon at Davos. The lawsuit alleges improper banking relationship termination post-Capitol riot, despite previous political contributions.

World Liberty Financial, linked to President Trump’s family, partners with Spacecoin to bring decentralized finance to satellite-powered internet. The deal includes a token swap and aims to provide financial services in remote areas. World Liberty Financial also applied for a national bank charter and offers a stablecoin and lending platform.

Cryptocurrency markets saw a modest decline on Thursday, with Bitcoin trading near $90,000 despite gains in equities and record highs in precious metals. Ether also declined, even as BitMine Immersion acquired a large amount of ETH. Most major alternative cryptocurrencies remained flat or slightly lower during the session.

Cryptocurrency markets closed 2025 with falling prices, despite surging usage metrics such as transaction volumes, stablecoin usage, and tokenized assets. Ethereum and crypto-related equities declined, while networks like Tron and Uniswap saw increased volumes and revenues. Analysts predict a potential rally in 2026 due to improving fundamentals and supply constraints.

RALPH tokens saw a sharp decline after developer Geoffrey Huntley’s wallet sold a significant amount of tokens within an hour. Huntley described the sales as “de-risking,” sparking debate over token ownership and developer incentives. The incident highlighted the volatility of speculative meme coins and raised questions about trust in such projects.

The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office is investigating the disappearance of multiple Bitcoins seized from government custody in mid-2025. The incident, believed to be caused by a phishing attack, resulted in irreversible transfers of roughly $48-49 million worth of Bitcoin. The incident raises concerns about government cryptocurrency custody practices and South Korea’s legal framework for digital…

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission is working on formalizing regulations to allow residents access to crypto exchange-traded funds. The SEC plans to issue guidelines to support the launch of crypto ETFs early this year. They are also developing a regulatory sandbox for tokenized assets and considering market makers to address liquidity challenges.

Social media platform X is introducing “Starterpacks” to help new users discover accounts based on specific interests like cryptocurrency. This comes as Bitcoin chatter on the platform drops by 32%. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin calls for decentralized social media platforms that prioritize users’ long-term interests over engagement farming.

Gemini’s AI model predicts that XRP will outperform Bitcoin and Ethereum by 2029 due to Trump-era policies, a Bitcoin reserve, and regulatory clarity for XRP. Despite volatility, XRP is seen as the most aggressive investment option, with Bitcoin as the safest bet and Ethereum benefiting from deregulation. The projections are speculative and subject to market…