Category: crypto

The US Department of Justice has finalized the forfeiture of over $400 million in assets seized from Larry Dean Harmon, the operator of the darknet crypto mixing service Helix. Harmon processed over 354,000 Bitcoin between 2014 and 2017 to launder funds from darknet markets. Harmon was sentenced to three years in prison in 2024 for…

CNBC briefly displayed XRP at $126 due to an error, sparking discussion among traders. The glitch, caused by a ticker mistake pasting Solana’s price, added to XRP’s history of price anomalies. Despite the display error, XRP’s real price remained around $1.90, highlighting the speculative nature of the crypto market.

Micro-cap tokens Bi An Ren Sheng, Sentient, and Oasis Network’s ROSE surged up to ~16% on strong volumes and low-float squeezes. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana traded sideways after a sharp sell-off and $1.7b in forced crypto liquidations. Traders see micro-caps as optionality on the next risk-on leg, echoing prior ETF-driven cycles.

Crypto regulators are urging Congress to pass market structure laws quickly as the SEC and CFTC relaunch Project Crypto to align oversight of on-chain trading. The plan aims to harmonize definitions, reduce duplicative registrations, and keep innovation in the U.S. amid global competition by using a minimum-effective-dose regulatory approach.

Bitcoin dropped sharply, causing many liquidations, especially in long positions. Middle East tensions, Trump’s statements, tariff talks, weak Microsoft earnings, and tech stocks declining affected risk assets, including crypto. Analysts predict BTC testing a key range as gold and silver hit new highs. Microsoft’s poor earnings impacted investor sentiment.

The Ethereum Foundation has adopted a five-year “mild austerity” plan, reallocating 16,384 ETH to focus on core protocol, privacy, and open, verifiable systems. Vitalik Buterin confirmed the withdrawal of funds to support Ethereum’s long-term development goals, prioritizing scalability, security, and decentralization while maintaining financial sustainability.

Bitcoin experienced a significant drop in October due to a Binance glitch and $28 billion in deleveraging, but Cathie Wood believes the worst is over. She sees institutional demand for Bitcoin growing and predicts the asset will consolidate before moving higher. Wood’s ARK Invest targets a $16 trillion market value for Bitcoin by 2030.

Sony Ventures has invested an additional $13 million in Startale Group through the Sony Innovation Fund. Startale is a spin-off from the Astar Foundation and supports the development of Soneium, an Ethereum layer 2. This investment follows previous funding rounds and brings Startale’s total capital raised to $20 million. Soneium has processed over 500 million…

Fairshake and other crypto PACs raised $193 million from companies like Ripple and Coinbase, aiming to support pro-crypto candidates in the 2025-2026 elections. Congressional debates over U.S. digital asset rules are ongoing, with a comprehensive bill potentially being delayed until 2027-2029 due to election politics.

Russia is set to vote on a strict cryptocurrency bill by June that will license exchanges, cap retail purchases, and ban privacy coins. The bill also allows stablecoins for cross-border trade but prohibits domestic crypto payments. The Central Bank will decide which cryptocurrencies can be traded legally by 2027.