Category: crypto

ZKsync will retire its Lite network in 2026, keeping Ethereum mainnet withdrawals open. Launched in 2020, Lite has been surpassed by ZKsync Era and Elastic Network. Security incidents in 2025 prompted a Vitalik Buterin endorsement. Tradable, Deutsche Bank, and UBS conducted asset-tokenization pilots on ZKsync. Withdrawal functions to Ethereum mainnet will continue during the transition.

Bitcoin experienced a breakout after a week-long range due to Fed rate cut bets and a $150 billion increase in the crypto market cap, leading to a short squeeze with altcoins outperforming BTC. This was fueled by increased risk appetite, institutional adoption announcements, and forced liquidations of short positions.

Andrew Tate questioned why Strategy’s 10,624 BTC purchase did not cause a major price spike in Bitcoin. Changpeng Zhao explained that buying a small fraction of BTC’s market cap does not significantly impact prices due to market depth from ETFs, institutional rebalancing, miner flows, and arbitrage. Bitcoin’s liquidity allows for large purchases with minimal price…

XRP exchange reserves dropped by $1.32 billion in a month as the price fell below key moving averages, signaling lower liquidity and a weak trend. Trading near $2.08, XRP’s reserves on exchanges decreased from $7.03 billion to $5.70 billion, impacting market liquidity and potentially increasing price volatility.

Standard Chartered-backed Aleo Network Foundation is launching USDCx, a privacy-preserving stablecoin on its testnet using Circle xReserve. USDCx will run on Aleo’s zero-knowledge infrastructure while remaining backed by USDC reserves. The initiative aims to combine privacy with compliance for secure, scalable, and interoperable digital payments.

Twenty One Capital, a cryptocurrency treasury firm backed by Tether and Bitfinex, went public via Cantor Fitzgerald SPAC amid a Bitcoin drawdown. With over 43,500 BTC, the company faces scrutiny to prove it offers more than just a Bitcoin treasury, with plans for future credit and lending products but lacking a clear roadmap. Investors are…

Texas Rep. Keith Self is pushing to ban a U.S. CBDC in the 2026 defense bill, following Trump’s order halting CBDC work. Republicans aim to prevent future administrations from reversing the ban. Concerns about surveillance and erosion of GOP support for the defense bill if the CBDC ban is not included.

Binance co-CEO Yi He’s old WeChat account was hacked on Dec. 9, promoting a memecoin called MUBARA. On-chain data showed coordinated buying before the scam posts and profit-taking during the surge. CZ and Yi He warned users to ignore the messages and avoid the token, highlighting security risks on social platforms.

Bitwise’s $1.25 billion 10-asset crypto fund has received SEC approval to trade on NYSE Arca as a regulated exchange-traded product. The fund tracks the top cryptocurrencies by market cap and liquidity, with monthly rebalancing. This move allows institutions to gain index-style exposure to the crypto market alongside other traditional ETPs like Grayscale’s multi-asset fund.

Stripe-backed Tempo blockchain has launched a public testnet with partners Mastercard, Klarna, UBS, and Kalshi. The network aims to enable sub-cent stablecoin payments for mainstream finance, targeting low-fee transactions and instant finality. This move marks a step towards stablecoin payments for everyday financial use and competition in the stablecoin infrastructure space.