Crypto Short News

JPMorgan has frozen accounts of stablecoin startups Blindpay and Kontigo, both backed by Y Combinator, after spotting suspicious activity linked to high-risk regions like Venezuela. The firms, which processed payments through Checkbook, reportedly saw rising chargebacks and weak identity checks. JPMorgan said the move was a compliance measure tied to sanctions rules, not a ban on all crypto clients. Both startups were growing fast in Latin America’s digital payment sector before the freeze.

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Robinhood has rolled out a “Hood Holidays” countdown event, giving users a chance to share $500,000 worth of Dogecoin by joining an in-app countdown at 8:30 PM ET. Every eligible participant on the countdown screen receives a DOGE reward, turning the promo into a mass airdrop-style giveaway. Alongside Dogecoin, Robinhood is also offering high-end prizes, such as Rolex watches and Apple AirPods, to keep users engaged during the festive campaign.

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Japan’s FY2026 tax reform outline proposes reclassifying crypto assets as financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, cutting the tax rate on gains from up to 55% to a flat 20.315%. Spot, derivatives, and ETF profits would face separate taxation with up to a three-year loss carryforward, aligning with stocks. Staking, lending, and NFTs likely stay under miscellaneous income at progressive rates, pending 2026 legislation.

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Today marks the largest crypto options expiry in history, with nearly $28 billion worth of BTC and ETH contracts settling on Deribit. Roughly 267,000 Bitcoin options expire with a put/call ratio of 0.35 and a max pain level near $95,000, while 1.28 million Ethereum options expire with a put/call ratio of 0.45 and max pain around $3,100. Traders have been repositioning ahead of settlement, and quarterly contracts now dominate open interest, highlighting increased derivative influence on price action.

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Gemini, the third-largest U.S. crypto exchange, has announced the launch of trading and custody support for BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem. Originally issued by Binance in 2017, BNB is widely used for paying trading and network fees. With this move, Gemini joins Kraken in supporting BNB, while Coinbase has placed the token on its listing roadmap but has yet to start trading. The listing expands Gemini’s asset offerings amid growing multi-chain adoption.

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Trust Wallet has confirmed a serious security breach affecting version 2.68 of its browser extension, which hackers exploited to drain funds from hundreds of users’ wallets across Bitcoin, Solana, and EVM networks. Initial on-chain analysis showed losses exceeding $6 million, with total impact around $7 million. Users are urged to disable the compromised extension and upgrade to version 2.69 immediately. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said Trust Wallet will cover the losses and that user funds are SAFU while the investigation continues.

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Crypto veteran Arthur Hayes has deposited another 682 $ETH ($2M) into Binance, continuing his strategy of selling Ethereum to invest in high-quality DeFi tokens. Over the past week, Hayes sold a total of 1,871 $ETH ($5.53M) and acquired 1.22M $ENA ($257.5K), 137,117 $PENDLE ($259K), and 132,730 $ETHFI ($93K), signaling a strong shift toward DeFi opportunities.

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Spain will fully enforce key EU crypto rules, MiCA and DAC8, in 2026 to boost oversight and transparency. From January 1, 2026, crypto platforms must collect detailed transaction, balance, and fund‑flow data and report it under DAC8 to EU tax authorities, with exchanges exchanging information by September 2027. Under MiCA, all crypto-asset service providers must obtain full CNMV authorization by July 1, 2026, or cease operations. Spain’s tax authorities can act on tax debts, but self‑custody wallets remain outside reporting rules.

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Author Robert Kiyosaki has highlighted a serious warning from legendary investor Warren Buffett, saying an Artificial Intelligence–driven stock market bubble and rising global debt could become the biggest threat investors have ever faced. According to Kiyosaki, Buffett believes the risk is even greater than the dotcom crash. Kiyosaki urged people to listen closely to Buffett’s talks and podcasts, stressing that markets are entering dangerous times and that wisdom from experienced investors is crucial for navigating the future.

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Bybit, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, will start phasing out services for Japanese residents in 2026 to align with Japan’s strict regulatory rules. The platform plans gradual account restrictions, including limits on new registrations and trading features, rather than an abrupt shutdown, giving users time to withdraw funds and close positions. The move follows mounting pressure from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, which has tightened oversight of unregistered overseas exchanges.

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Two crypto wallets lost a total of $2.3 million in USDT in a rapid on-chain theft. The attacker swiftly swapped the stolen stablecoins for 757.6 ETH and funneled the funds through privacy mixer Tornado Cash within minutes, making tracking extremely difficult. The swift laundering move underlines how fast criminals can exploit DeFi tools to hide funds and again exposes how fragile wallet security and transaction monitoring can be in today’s crypto markets.

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Strategy added $748 million to its cash, reaching $2.19 billion while keeping 671,268 Bitcoins steady. No Bitcoin buys happened from December 15-21 as they build cash from stock sales. Michael Saylor posted the update on X on December 22, ready for big buys in market dips. This builds on a $1.44 billion reserve from late November amid ups and downs. Shares climb as investors back the huge Bitcoin plan.

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Aster is launching Phase 5 of its ASTER buyback program on December 23, committing up to 80% of daily platform fees to repurchasing tokens. Forty percent will drive automated on-chain buybacks to maintain steady market demand, while the remaining 20%-40% will focus on strategic opportunities in favorable market conditions. This balanced approach aims to stabilize prices, enhance liquidity, and strengthen long-term value and investor confidence in the ASTER ecosystem.

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Ghana’s parliament has passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, officially legalizing cryptocurrency trading and creating a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and service providers. The new law gives the Bank of Ghana power to license and oversee exchanges, wallet providers, and other crypto platforms while enforcing consumer protections and anti-money-laundering rules. This move aims to reduce risks like fraud, bring oversight to a fast-growing market used by millions of Ghanaians, and support innovation and financial inclusion. Read More

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Tokyo-listed Metaplanet, holding 30,823 BTC worth $2.75 billion, approved issuing preferred shares without affecting common stock. Following MicroStrategy’s approach, the company doubled its Class A (MARS) and Class B (MERCURY) shares, added floating-rate and quarterly dividends, and targeted institutional investors. Recently, it raised $150 million through MERCURY shares and $250 million via credit for Bitcoin purchases. The stock jumped 18% to 451 JPY as investors anticipate further Bitcoin accumulation and bigger holdings.

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Binance launches ADA/USD1, ASTER/USD1, ZEC/USD1, LUNA/USDC, and LUNC/USDC spot pairs on December 24 at 08:00 UTC, with full Trading Bots support, including spot algo orders. USD1 from World Liberty Financial packs a $2.72 billion market cap as Treasury backed USD stablecoin under BitGo custody. Terra Classic fans celebrate LUNC/USDC as a big win after years of recovery, with leader VegasMorph calling it a sign of their resilience and a festive boost.

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Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority is proposing new rules that could let insurance companies invest in cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and infrastructure projects, a first-of-its-kind in Asia. Under the draft plan, crypto assets would carry a 100% risk capital charge, meaning insurers must hold capital equal to the full value of such holdings. Stablecoins would face risk charges tied to the fiat currency they’re pegged to. The proposal is scheduled for public consultation in early 2026, before being presented to lawmakers. Read More

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A crypto user lost nearly $50 million in USDT after falling for an address-poisoning scam. The victim accidentally copied a look-alike wallet address from their transaction history and sent 49,999,950 USDT to the attacker. After receiving the funds, the scammer converted the USDT into ETH, split it across multiple wallets, and moved part of it into Tornado Cash to hide the trail. The incident highlights how small mistakes can lead to massive losses in crypto transfers.

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Eight CryptoPunks NFTs have been added to the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), marking a major milestone for NFTs in traditional art. The works were donated through an initiative led by Art on Blockchain, with support from several crypto art collectors. Larva Labs, the original creators of CryptoPunks, also contributed pieces from their own holdings, underscoring the project’s status as a pioneering early NFT art series.

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Bybit has reentered the U.K. after a two-year pause, reopening access to spot trading on about 100 crypto pairs for local users. Instead of operating directly, the exchange is using a structure that aligns with the Financial Conduct Authority’s strict financial promotion rules by routing services and marketing through London-based, FCA-regulated crypto exchange Archax. This partnership lets Bybit regain U.K. exposure without holding its own domestic license while staying within the promotion regime.

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Binance has announced it will delist nine altcoins, $BUZZ, $DARK, $FROG, $GORK, $MIRAI, $PERRY, $RFC, $SNAI, and $TERMINUS, from its platform on December 19, 2025, at 07:00 (UTC). The tokens are being removed for not meeting Binance’s listing standards. While they will no longer be available for trading on the main Binance platform, users can still sell these tokens on Binance Alpha, allowing continued access for managing their holdings.

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A solo Bitcoin miner scored a huge win by mining block 928351 after renting under $100 of hashpower on NiceHash’s EasyMining service. The miner captured the full 3.152 BTC block reward, worth roughly $271,000, with Bitcoin trading around $86000.  The score highlights how rented hashpower can still let small players compete with industrial farms, though such solo hits remain extremely unlikely in today’s high-difficulty network.

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Coinbase Global Inc. sued Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut, challenging their attempts to regulate prediction markets as gambling. The crypto giant argues that only the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction over these event contracts. This comes after Coinbase partnered with Kalshi to join the $27.9 billion market on elections, sports, and economy. Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal noted that states have targeted Kalshi, Robinhood, and others, seeking court blocks on the grounds of interference.

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Kraken is launching its xStocks product on the TON blockchain, now available through Telegram’s TON Wallet. This integration lets users trade tokenized stocks directly within Telegram, offering a simple and familiar interface. By combining Kraken’s robust trading platform with TON’s fast blockchain and Telegram’s large user base, the move aims to make digital assets more accessible, streamline the trading experience, and promote wider adoption of tokenized stock trading in the crypto space.

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The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November will be released today at 8:30 AM ET, following the cancellation of the October report due to the government shutdown. Analysts anticipate a 3.1 % headline CPI and 3.0 % core CPI, with month-over-month growth around 0.3 %. With no monthly CPI data available, investors are closely watching the annual figures to assess inflation trends and potential impacts on Federal Reserve policy decisions.

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Travel Retail Norway has become the first duty-free chain in the world to accept Bitcoin for Click and Collect purchases at Oslo Airport arrivals. Customers can pay easily using QR codes and Lightning Network wallets with no extra fees. Payments are displayed in Norwegian kroner, settled in real time, and issued with standard receipts, demonstrating a modernized payment experience and real-world crypto adoption for international travelers.

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Coinbase revealed major expansions at its December 17 System Update event in San Francisco, launching stock trading for major U.S. stocks and ETFs with 24/5 access and zero fees, along with perpetual futures starting early next year for users outside the U.S. Prediction markets will launch through a Kalshi integration, offering thousands of regulated event contracts settled in USDC. The app will also embed Solana’s Jupiter DEX aggregator to enable efficient on-chain token swaps, positioning Coinbase as an all-in-one exchange.

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Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research and ex-girlfriend of Sam Bankman-Fried, was transferred on October 16 from the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, to community confinement. This could include home confinement or a halfway house, though she remains under federal custody. Ellison has served roughly 11 months of her sentence. According to prison records, her projected early release date is February 20, 2026, marking a significant step toward completing her sentence outside a traditional prison setting.

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Binance has announced the delisting of several spot trading pairs due to low liquidity and trading volume. Effective December 19, 2025, at 03:00 UTC, the affected pairs include AI/FDUSD, BICO/BTC, DOLO/BNB, MITO/BNB, MITO/FDUSD, MOVE/BTC, NEWT/BNB, and OM/BTC. Spot Trading Bots for these pairs will also be terminated, and users are advised to update or cancel them to avoid losses. Tokens remain tradable via other available pairs on Binance.

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Visa is opening its US payments network to stablecoin settlement, letting American banks and fintechs settle card transactions in Circle’s USDC over the Solana blockchain instead of only using traditional wire transfers. Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are the first institutions live on the system, with wider rollout planned through 2026, and Visa will also support Circle’s high-speed Arc blockchain as a design partner once it launches.

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PancakeSwap is co-incubating Probable, a new on-chain prediction market protocol on BNB Chain developed with YZI Labs. Probable will host markets on sports, politics, crypto, and macro events, letting users deposit a wide range of tokens that are automatically converted into USDT for placing bets. Market resolution will rely on UMA’s Optimistic Oracle, aiming to deliver fast, tamper-resistant, economically secure outcome verification as BNB Chain pushes into next generation prediction markets.

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Grayscale’s 2026 Digital Asset Outlook highlights that, although quantum computing represents a long-term threat to blockchain cryptography, Bitcoin and the broader crypto market are unlikely to face price or valuation impacts in 2026. The report notes that most public blockchains will eventually require post-quantum cryptography upgrades. However, experts estimate that a quantum computer capable of breaking Bitcoin’s public-key cryptography and forging digital signatures is unlikely to emerge before 2030, keeping Bitcoin secure in the near term.

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PayPal submitted applications to the FDIC and Utah regulators for an industrial loan company charter called PayPal Bank. The goal is to expand small business lending, building on over $30 billion provided to 420,000 accounts since 2013, with interest-bearing savings and FDIC insurance if approved. CEO Alex Chriss aims to reduce third-party reliance and fuel US economic growth under lighter regulations.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said he’ll review pardoning Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet Samourai. “I’ve heard about it, I’ll look at it,” Trump stated during a Monday Oval Office Q&A with journalists. Rodriguez was sentenced last month to five years for running a mixer that laundered over $237 million in illicit funds, sparking crypto privacy debates. This follows Trump’s pardons of figures like Ross Ulbricht. 

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Startale Group and SBI Holdings signed an MOU on December 16, 2025, to launch a regulated Japanese yen stablecoin by Q2 2026. The stablecoin will be a Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument, allowing transfers and balances above the ¥1 million limit. Startale will provide blockchain technology and security, while SBI will handle compliance through its trust bank and exchange. The project aims to support domestic and cross-border payments, tokenized assets, and AI-based finance under Japan’s updated payment laws.

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The Rex-Osprey Spot XRP ETF is set to launch today, September 12, becoming the first spot XRP ETF in the United States. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the fund after completing its 75-day review without objections. This ETF offers investors direct exposure to XRP tokens through traditional brokerage accounts, simplifying crypto investing. The launch positions XRP alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum in the regulated ETF market, potentially boosting institutional and retail interest.

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Charles Parks III, a known crypto influencer, was sentenced to one year in prison for orchestrating a $3.5 million cryptojacking operation. The scheme involved illegally mining cryptocurrency using victims’ devices without consent, resulting in Parks netting around $1 million in profits. This case highlights the serious consequences of cybercrime in the crypto space and serves as a warning to those engaging in illegal activities online.

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Robinhood is preparing to list the TRUMP meme coin, which has already gained traction on platforms like Bitget, KuCoin, and Kraken. On-chain data reveals that the token boasts a market cap exceeding $7.6 billion, with trading volumes around $15 billion. Adding to the hype, crypto giants Coinbase and Binance have also announced plans to list the TRUMP token. These developments are expected to fuel further interest in the meme coin, positioning it as a rising star in the crypto space. The growing support from leading exchanges highlights the TRUMP token’s increasing popularity and market potential.

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