Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss announced that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had officially closed its investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange and would not be pursuing enforcement action.
This decision comes nearly two years after the probe began and over nine months after Gemini received a Wells Notice.
SEC Closes Gemini Case
In his latest tweet, Winklevoss described the SEC’s decision as a milestone in what he called “the end of the war on crypto,” pointing to similar recent developments, such as the SEC’s withdrawal of its lawsuit against Coinbase and the closure of investigations into OpenSea, Robinhood, and Uniswap.
However, he argued that these outcomes do little to compensate for the financial and reputational damage inflicted on the

Bitcoin’s price plunged below $90,000 immediately after US President Donald Trump announced his planned 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. During periods of high volatility, investors tend to liquidate crypto assets first to cut down on their overall financial risk.
Amidst increasing concerns of a steeper decline, the latest data depicts a notable shift in Bitcoin whale and shark activity.
Investors Dump Millions in BTC
According to the data shared by Santiment, wallets holding 10 or more BTC have collectively offloaded approximately 6,813 BTC over the past week, representing the largest drop in holdings since July. This also coincided with a 16% decline in Bitcoin’s price, which was observed in the last seven days.
The on-chain platform found a direct correlation between

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially closed its investigation into Uniswap Labs without taking any enforcement action.
The decision to drop the investigation solidifies a shift in the SEC’s approach under its current leadership, which has been reassessing enforcement actions across the crypto industry.
SEC Ends Uniswap Probe
During Gary Gensler’s tenure as SEC chair, the agency took a hardline stance against crypto and asserted that most tokens qualified as securities. The Biden-appointed former Goldman Sachs executive led multiple legal actions against crypto firms, accusing them of selling unregistered securities. Since his resignation on January 20, the SEC has rapidly abandoned many of these lawsuits.
Uniswap Labs welcomed the latest

A disturbing trend emerges in the demographic profile of pig butchering scam victims. While older adults have historically been the main targets of financial fraud, these scams now focus on younger, tech-literate individuals.
The latest data reveals that those aged 30 to 49 represent the majority of reported cases.
Pig Butchering Scams
A 2024 study by Cyvers analyzed 150 major crypto platforms, including exchanges, payment service providers, and banks, with a focus on the Ethereum blockchain. The research uncovered over 200,000 cases of Pig Butchering scams, which resulted in more than $5.5 billion stolen across 1.15 million fraudulent transactions.
The impact of these scams varied significantly among platforms. While some exchanges and service providers saw extensive

Rosseti Group, Russia’s power grid company, reported losses exceeding 1.3 billion rubles – which is worth around $14.2 million – in 2024 due to unauthorized cryptocurrency mining operations, also known as “black” mining firms.
As per a report by state-owned news agency TASS, damages were widespread across the company’s electrical networks.
Illegal Mining Strains Russia’s Energy Grid
The most significant impact was recorded in the North Caucasus region, which amounted to over 600 million rubles. The Novosibirsk grid suffered losses of 400 million rubles, while the Center and Volga region suffered damages amounting to 120 million rubles.
The company highlighted the largest individual case in Novosibirsk, where an operator ran approximately 3,200 mining devices, illegally

The use of cryptocurrency for payments has seen significant growth, as evidenced by Binance Pay’s expanding user base and transaction volume in 2024.
According to data provided by Binance and analyzed by CryptoQuant, the number of Binance Pay users tripled from the previous year, reaching 41.7 million. This rapid adoption highlights the increasing role of crypto in everyday transactions.
Stablecoins Lead the Charge
The total transaction volume processed through Binance Pay in 2024 stood at $72.4 billion, the report found. This is a notable rise from $2.5 billion in 2021.
Stablecoins, particularly Tether (USDT), dominated Binance Pay transactions as it accounted for 80% of the total payment volume, which equated to $57 billion. Top crypto assets such as Bitcoin (BTC),

Ho Kai Xin, a former payroll processing staff member at WeChain Fintech Singapore, has been sentenced to nine years and 11 months in jail for embezzling over $5.7 million.
WeChain Fintech Singapore, which was contracted to manage payroll for Bybit Fintech, employed Ho as a payroll processing staff member. Ho, who was responsible for processing salaries for approximately 900 ByBit employees, exploited her position by manipulating Microsoft Excel files to divert company funds into her own accounts.
Bybit Payroll Scandal
According to a report from ‘The Straits Times,’ her fraudulent activities began in May 2022 when she altered payroll data to reflect unauthorized payments. She initially stole over $117,000 from WeChain. Encouraged by the absence of detection, she escalated

Sam Bankman-Fried, the once crypto wunderkind turned convicted fraudster, appears to have found a new investment thesis – hitching his legal fate to the political winds.
After years of playing the role of a prolific Democratic donor, the former FTX CEO is now parroting grievances against the Department of Justice, the judiciary, and the very system that held him accountable for one of the most spectacular financial implosions in recent history.
Despite being sentenced to 25 years in prison on March 28, 2024, speaking to the New York Sun, Bankman-Fried offered a novel legal defense – denial. “I don’t think anyone was guilty,” he said, in what might be his boldest (or most delusional) bet yet – that simply wishing away a verdict would somehow erase the billions in customer

Altvest Capital Limited has become the first publicly traded company in Africa to adopt Bitcoin as a strategic treasury asset.
The company announced its initial investment in Bitcoin (BTC) as part of a broader treasury management strategy, which aims to strengthen financial resilience, preserve shareholder value, and gain direct exposure to the world’s largest crypto asset.
Bitcoin as Treasury Asset
The company cited Bitcoin’s characteristics as its motive behind the announcement. This includes its scarcity – capped at 21 million BTC – which positions it as a hedge against inflation and currency debasement, particularly relevant given the depreciation risks associated with the South African Rand.
Additionally, Bitcoin’s decentralization and censorship-resistant nature

Ethereum Layer 2 platform, Abstract, has released an initial post-mortem on a security incident that resulted in the compromise of approximately $400,000 worth of ETH across 9,000 wallets interacting with Cardex, a blockchain-based game on its network.
The report clarified that the breach stemmed from vulnerabilities in Cardex’s frontend code rather than an issue with Abstract’s core infrastructure or session key validation contracts.
Cardex Wallet Compromise
The incident revolved around the misuse of session keys, a mechanism in the Abstract Global Wallet (AGW) that allows for temporary, scoped permissions to improve user experience.
While session keys themselves are a well-audited security feature, Cardex made a critical error by using a shared session signer wallet for

Chainlink’s (LINK) sharp 40% decline over the past month now raises questions about a potential rebound. The downturn coincides with a network contraction, indicating reduced activity.
The token is currently trading at a little over $18. However, certain factors signal that a rebound might just be on the horizon.
Comeback For LINK
According to the latest findings by popular crypto analyst Ali Martinez, the MVRV Ratio, which measures trader profitability, reveals that those who purchased LINK in the last 30 days are at an average loss of 16%, a level historically linked to selling exhaustion. Additionally, whales are showing confidence despite the dip.
In fact, these entities accumulated over $20 million worth of LINK tokens in the past 24 hours alone, which demonstrated

Bubblemaps, in collaboration with popular YouTuber Stephen Findeisen a.k.a. Coffeezilla, has identified pseudonymous crypto trader Naseem as the likely account that profited over $100 million trading the official TRUMP meme coin.
While the research does not definitively prove Naseem is behind the trading activity, Bubblemaps stated that there are “too many connections to ignore.”
Blockchain Clues or Insider Edge?
According to Bubblemaps’ update, an address labeled 6QSc2 executed an early trade on January 18, 2025, which sniped TRUMP at launch for $1.09 million before distributing the funds across multiple wallets. This move eventually netted a whopping $109 million in profits.
On-chain data revealed that after the initial acquisition, the tokens from 6QSc2 were transferred

Last week saw $308 million in inflows into digital asset investment products, although this was overshadowed by a major outflow of $576 million on December 19th. The last two days of the week saw total outflows of $1 billion.
The recent price declines led to a $17.7 billion drop in the total assets under management (AuM) for Digital Asset ETPs, which is likely influenced by the hawkish stance of the Federal Reserve’s dot plot published on Wednesday.
Bitcoin Posts Strong Inflows
While these outflows are significant, it is also important to note that the figures represent only 0.37% of total AuM and rank as the 13th largest single-day outflow in history, according to the latest edition of CoinShares’ Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly Report.
In comparison, the largest

Corporate Bitcoin investor MicroStrategy has announced a Special Meeting of Shareholders to address proposals that aim to advance its Bitcoin-focused 21/21 Plan while simultaneously streamlining capital-raising efforts.
In a letter from the Executive Chairman, the company outlined three major agenda items to be decided during the meeting, which will be conducted virtually.
MicroStrategy’s New Proposals
The first proposal seeks to amend the company’s Second Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized Class A shares from 330 million to 10.33 billion. This would facilitate potential future capital-raising activities.
The second involves increasing authorized preferred shares from 5 million to 1.005 billion and offering expanded financing options

Litecoin has had an impressive rally this year, surging by almost 50%. The latest market crash, however, briefly dragged the altcoin below $87. The selling pressure has since subsided as Litecoin currently trades above $107.
Underpinning its price trajectory is the strong network growth.
Litecoin Network Engagement Soars
Litecoin’s network activity has witnessed a notable surge. In fact, data compiled by IntoTheBlock revealed that the average daily active addresses rose to 401,000 compared to 366,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, network activity peaked in early January, reaching an impressive 1.37 million active addresses in a single day – surpassing the daily activity of both Bitcoin and Ethereum at the time.
This spike demonstrated the protocol’s growing utility and user

After a 9.8% drop in Bitcoin’s value over the past week, investors are showing signs of caution, worried about the potential for further declines. Despite this, Japan-based Metaplanet has reaffirmed its confidence by buying nearly 620 BTC.
Interestingly, the latest acquisition marks its largest Bitcoin purchase to date.
Metaplanet’s Largest Single BTC Acquisition
According to the company’s official press release, the acquisition, executed as part of its Bitcoin Treasury Operations, involved the purchase of 619.7 BTC, worth around $60.6 million. This latest transaction brings Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin holdings to 1,761.98 BTC, which is valued at almost $168 million.
Over the past six months, Metaplanet has leveraged multiple capital market activities, including stock

The growing speculation surrounding a potential presidential pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has been fueled by high-profile figures and shifting political tides.
A major Trump ally, Elon Musk, for one, will be “shocked” if US President Joe Biden does not grant an early pardon to the disgraced former CEO of FTX.
Crypto, Politics, and Pardons
Bankman-Fried, who was convicted in November 2023 on seven charges, including fraud and embezzlement, is currently serving a 25-year sentence for his role in the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange. However, rumors of a pardon have gained traction, partly due to his significant political connections.
As one of the largest donors to the Democratic Party, Bankman-Fried’s ties to key political figures, particularly Biden, have led

Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, from Springfield, Virginia, was convicted on December 13, 2024, for providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations and others.
The charges stemmed from his actions between October 2019 and October 2022, during which he raised funds to assist female ISIS members in Syria.
Guilty of Financing ISIS Operations
In an official press release, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Chhipa’s efforts included financing the escape of women from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. He also collected funds through various online social media accounts, receiving electronic transfers, and physically gathering money by traveling

Kim Nam-guk, a former South Korean lawmaker from the Democratic Party, is under legal scrutiny for allegedly concealing substantial cryptocurrency holdings in his 2021 and 2022 asset declarations.
He is accused of omitting millions in crypto profits and transferring assets to bank accounts.
Hidden Crypto Profits
A local news outlet, Donga, prosecutors have requested a six-month prison sentence for Kim, claiming he concealed 9.9 billion won, worth approximately $6.8 million, in crypto assets. The accusations include deliberate omissions of key financial details, such as crypto profits of 1.2 billion won in 2021 and 990 million won in 2022, valued at $835,000 and $689,000, respectively.
To cover up these discrepancies, Kim is accused of transferring some of his crypto

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned two individuals and one entity involved in a network laundering millions of dollars in illicit funds for North Korea.
Lu Huaying and Zhang Jian, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), used a UAE-based front company to facilitate money laundering and cryptocurrency conversion, funneling the proceeds back to Pyongyang.
OFAC Imposes Sanctions
In its official press release on December 17th, the OFAC stated that North Korea continues to rely on agents and proxies to access the global financial system for illicit activities. The agency added these operations are part of the country’s broader efforts to destabilize international security, now extending to Europe with increasing military

After agreeing to curtail its ambitious Bitcoin initiatives, El Salvador has reached a $1.4 billion loan arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The agreement, which needs the approval of the IMF Executive Board, aims to support El Salvador’s reform agenda, boost fiscal and external sustainability, and create conditions for stronger, inclusive growth.
IMF Loan Agreement with El Salvador
According to the official press release, the program is expected to catalyze additional financial support from the World Bank and regional development banks, bringing the total financing package to over $3.5 billion during the program period.
As part of El Salvador’s $1.4 billion deal with the IMF, the government has agreed to scale back its ambitious Bitcoin policies to

Osprey Funds, LLC, a U.S.-based crypto investment firm, has announced that the Osprey BNB Chain Trust is now publicly quoted on the OTCQX® Best Market.
Interestingly, the fund happens to be the first in the US to provide exposure to BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem. It aims to offer a way for investors to access the cryptocurrency through traditional brokerage and IRA accounts.
BNB Gains US Accessibility
In its official press release this week, Osprey highlighted that BNB underpins various decentralized applications, DeFi protocols, and smart contracts, and while it remains unavailable on centralized exchanges in the US, the latest fund would provide a means for investors to gain exposure using USD.
Following the development, Greg King, CEO of Osprey Fund,

A federal judge in California has denied BiT Global Digital Ltd.’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent crypto exchange Coinbase from delisting wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) from its platform.
US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín ruled Wednesday that BiT Global failed to present sufficient evidence to demonstrate “imminent irreparable harm” if the delisting proceeds.
Coinbase Cleared to Delist wBTC
The judge also criticized the speculative nature of BiT Global’s claims and noted the company’s delay in filing the complaint following Coinbase’s delisting announcement. The ruling was a setback for BiT Global, which manages wBTC – a token pegged to Bitcoin’s value that facilitates decentralized finance (DeFi) activities on blockchain networks like

Ohio State Representative Derek Merrin has introduced House Bill 703, known as the Ohio Bitcoin Reserve Act, in a bid to authorize the state treasurer to invest public funds in BTC.
The latest initiative is announced as part of Merrin’s broader vision to leverage innovative financial solutions. The legislation provides the framework for Ohio to incorporate Bitcoin into its state treasury portfolio.
Ohio Bitcoin Reserve Act
Merrin highlighted concerns about the ongoing devaluation of the US dollar, positioning Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset to preserve state funds’ value and supplement the existing financial framework. While the bill does not mandate the purchase of Bitcoin, it gives the State Treasurer the authority and flexibility to make such investments as part of

Bitcoin’s (BTC) climb to record levels has lifted the crypto market, and as the year wraps up, it’s sparking strong bullish sentiment for the future.
In the backdrop, there has been a significant surge in Tether (USDT) inflows to exchanges. This stablecoin movement aligns with the ongoing crypto bull rally, which has been underway for more than two months now.
USDT’s Daily Inflows to Exchanges
According to the latest data compiled by Santiment, there has been an average net inflow of approximately $40 million per day USDT to cryptocurrency exchanges over the past eight weeks. These inflows have acted as critical ‘fuel’ for many historic crypto price pumps, contributing to the positive sentiment and liquidity in the market.
With 2024 nearing its final stretch, the

Ethena Labs officially launched USDtb, a new stablecoin backed by BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), on December 16th.
Developed in partnership with Securitize, USDtb is designed to operate like existing fiat-backed stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, with reserves invested in cash or cash-equivalent assets to maintain a 1:1 value ratio.
USDtb Debuts
According to the official blog post, the stablecoin’s primary reserve asset, BUIDL, makes up 90% of USDtb’s overall backing, positioning it as the highest BUIDL-backed stablecoin to date. USDtb is independent of Ethena’s USDe, thereby providing users with an alternative stablecoin offering a distinct risk profile.
Additionally, USDtb is expected to improve USDe’s resilience in volatile market

The Avalanche Foundation has launched its most significant network upgrade to date, Avalanche9000, introducing the Etna upgrade to its mainnet. It marks a fundamental shift in the Avalanche ecosystem by simplifying the process of launching Layer 1 blockchains, removing the complexities of the previous Subnet model.
AVAX’s price remained largely unfazed despite the major overhaul.
Avalanche9000: The Network Overhaul
According to the official website, Etna replaces the existing Subnet model, which had been criticized for its high staking thresholds and operational costs for validators. With Avalanche9000, developers can now spin up Layer 1 blockchains more quickly and independently, benefiting from drastically reduced costs – 99.9% lower L1 deployment expenses and a 96% drop

Lido, the prominent liquid staking protocol, has announced the discontinuation of its liquid staking protocol on Polygon, marking the end of its operations over the coming months. Following extensive discussions on the DAO forum and a community vote, LDO token holders officially approved the decision to phase out Lido on Polygon.
The process is set to begin shortly.
Lido’s Exit from Polygon
Initially launched in 2021 through a proposal by Shard Labs, Lido on Polygon faced challenges such as limited user adoption, insufficient rewards, and high resource maintenance demands, according to the official blog post. Additionally, the evolving DeFi space – specifically the growing focus on zkEVM solutions – has reduced the demand for liquid staking on Polygon PoS, which hindered

The stablecoin market has experienced remarkable growth in 2024, driven by rising cryptocurrency adoption and a surge in institutional participation. All eyes are now on Ripple’s newly approved stablecoin, Ripple USD, a.k.a. RLUSD.
But Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, addressed concerns over potential price anomalies for the asset as it prepares to launch.
Speculative Hype Around RLUSD Unnecessary
In a detailed statement on X, Schwartz explained that while Ripple USD (RLUSD) is designed to maintain a stable $1 peg, there could be temporary price fluctuations due to supply shortages during the initial launch phase. His comments were prompted by reports of RLUSD displaying an exorbitant price of $1,200 per unit on the Xaman trading platform, which stirred

Whales are making huge profits amidst another market-wide rally, with a recent PEPE transaction demonstrating the staggering potential of meme coin investments.
Lookonchain revealed that the PEPE whale fetched an extraordinary return on investment. After being dormant for 600 days, the entity transferred all 2.1 trillion PEPE tokens, which are worth around $52 million, to a new address.
What makes this move interesting is the initial investment: the whale spent a mere 0.0135 ETH (approximately $27 at the time) to acquire the tokens. This translates to an incredible 1,900,000x return. This transfer raises questions about the whale’s next move, whether it’s a sign of profit-taking or a strategic reshuffling of assets.
PEPE, based on the beloved internet meme Pepe the Frog,