Bitcoin has attracted a new generation of hodlers in the last three years, as resilient investors are steadfastly holding onto their assets.
Data from the widely used HODL Waves metric reveals that individuals who purchased Bitcoin in late 2020 have chosen to retain their coins without selling.

Long-Term Holders Continue to Accumulate Bitcoin
Despite the 2023 bull run that has propelled Bitcoin prices to their highest levels in over a year, long-term holders (LTHs) of Bitcoin are showing no inclination to reduce their exposure. The positive momentum in Bitcoin’s price has been attributed, in part, to the anticipation of the first U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The HODL Waves metric, which categorizes the Bitcoin supply based on the time elapsed

Cryptocurrency short sellers experienced a turbulent year in 2023, grappling with mark-to-market losses amounting to $6.05 billion.
These losses were primarily driven by the remarkable performance of Bitcoin and other digital currencies since the beginning of the year.

Crypto Prices Soar in 2023, Short Sellers Feel the Heat
According to a report published on December 5 by research firm S3 Partners, traders who have taken a bearish stance on publicly traded crypto firms, including Coinbase, MicroStrategy, and Marathon Digital, face losses amounting to $6.05 billion.
Since its recent low in September, the price of Bitcoin has shown a significant increase of +58% and a staggering +157% year-to-date, according to data from Coingecko. As the industry demonstrates its strength,

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Anatoly Legkodymov, the co-founder of Bitzlato, a Hong Kong-registered virtual currency exchange, has entered a guilty plea for money laundering charges.
Initially arrested in Florida, Legkodymov’s case was transferred to New York.

Bitzlato Founder Pleads Guilty
In a press release dated December 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) disclosed that Legkodymov is responsible for “transporting and transmitting” more than $700 million in illicit funds. The DoJ alleges that Bitzlato served as a major service provider for participants in dark markets and provided a “safe haven for ransomware criminals.”
As part of the plea agreement, Legkodymov will dismantle Bitzlato, relinquishing any claim

Ethereum median gas price has surged to 55.3 Gwei this month, almost doubling in a month and reaching its highest point since mid-May this year.
Ethereum is trading at 2,230, up 10% over the last week and 81.3% over the last year, remaining the second most popular crypto after Bitcoin.

Ethereum Gas Fees Increase
As revealed by an analysis on Dune, Ethereum gas fees have surged over the last month. In October 2023, Ethereum experienced a notable reduction in gas fees, reaching a new low. The decline was attributed to decreased activity in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and various Telegram bots.
Major gas spenders, including industry giants like Binance and Coinbase and Layer-2 networks such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, reduced their spending

ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, made a significant move by selling $33 million worth of Coinbase (COIN) stock on Tuesday, following the crypto exchange’s shares reaching a 19-month high, driven by the recent surge in Bitcoin’s (BTC) price.
The global asset manager, known for actively adjusting its portfolio in response to cryptocurrency market dynamics and broader fintech trends, executed the sale at the day’s closing price.
ARK Invest Offloads Coinbase Shares
The ARK Invest sale involved 237,572 COIN shares across three different exchange-traded funds (ETFs): Innovation (ARKK), Next Generation Internet (ARKW), and Fintech Innovation (ARKF).
Additionally, ARK Invest sold 168,127 shares in Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), amounting to approximately $5.9 million. GBTC

Cryptocurrency trading volumes on Robinhood experienced a significant increase in November by approximately 75% above the levels recorded in October, based on early results disclosed by the company.
However, equity trading volumes and options contracts traded in November remained relatively consistent, aligning with the levels observed in October, according to a Form 8-K filing submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 4.
Robinhood Reverses Earlier Declines
The surge in crypto trading volumes signifies a reversal for Robinhood, which had reported a 55% decline in cryptocurrency notional volumes over the year in its Q3 results filing.
The boost in crypto trading activities could contribute to a more profitable fourth quarter for

Ki Young Ju, the co-founder and CEO of CryptoQuant, has provided insights into the behavior of whales in the cryptocurrency market, specifically focusing on their preparations for market growth towards the end of 2023.
The latest highlights came after his October post, where he noted that Bitcoin whales were adopting a “risk-on mode,” indicating a bullish market sentiment, sending BTC to derivative exchanges.
Whales Actively Opened Long Positions in August
In his recent post, Ju highlighted that whales, significant holders in the cryptocurrency market, have been actively opening long positions, predominantly when Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at $29,000. He observed that this accumulation phase was initiated in early August 2023.

1/ Whale traders opened giga long positions at

A phishing scam targeting the Stargate Snapshot platform resulted in significant financial losses.
A Discord Moderator of LayerZero, the underlying network of Stargate, revealed that a scammer effectively carried out a deceptive proposal vote, utilizing a phishing link to manipulate users into staking STG tokens.
Scammer Misleads Token Holders in Fake Proposal Vote
The scam unfolded on the Stargate platform, governed by its token holders, who participate in voting on various proposals concerning the protocol. The scammer exploited this process by creating a fake proposal, misleading over 1,000 users into participating in the vote.
Following the incident, the scammer was able to profit over $43,000. This figure was confirmed by PeckShieldAlert, a security entity, after

The individuals accused of orchestrating the $8.5 million hack of Platypus Finance, an Automated Market Maker (AMM) protocol on Avalanche in February 2023, have been cleared of criminal charges by a French court, according to Le Monde.
The defendants, identified as Mohammed and his brother Benamar M., were arrested approximately one week after attacking the platform.
Defendants Assert ‘Ethical Hacker’ Defense
Following the February hack of Platypus Finance, the efforts of crypto investigator ZachXBT and assistance from Binance helped French authorities identify the brothers. Subsequently, the 22-year-old Mohammed faced multiple charges related to the attack, as reported by Le Monde. His brother, Benamar M., was charged with receiving stolen goods.
Prosecutors initially

Itau Unibanco, Brazil’s largest bank, has officially entered the cryptocurrency exchange market, launching a trading service for its investment platform clients.
The service debuted on Monday and enables users to trade Bitcoin and Ether, the two most popular cryptocurrencies.
Itau Expands Crypto Trading with Diverse Portfolio
According to a Reuters report, Guto Antunes, the head of digital assets at Itau, revealed that the bank plans to expand its offerings to include other cryptocurrencies in the future.
“Our strategic plan is to broaden our crypto assets portfolio, keeping a close eye on the country’s regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies,” Antunes stated.
Itau Unibanco’s venture into crypto trading positions it as a direct competitor to local crypto exchanges like

The global media giant Forbes announced the launch of its esteemed Under 30 list on the Ethereum blockchain.
This initiative represents a milestone, combining conventional media’s reputation with blockchain technology’s transformative power.
Ethereum-Based Under 30 List Fuses Media with Web3 Tech
The Under 30 list, famous for highlighting the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders, now takes a monumental leap. By utilizing the Ethereum blockchain, this initiative ensures that the remarkable accomplishments and narratives of these extraordinary individuals will be preserved for eternity.
“Forbes stands at the intersection of traditional media and cutting-edge technology. The introduction of the Under 30 list on the Ethereum blockchain is more

The Dogecoin-funded SpaceX ‘Doge-1’ Moon Mission is moving closer to launch after securing key regulatory approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
The clearance is a significant step toward obtaining the final Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, which will specifically address the X-Band and S-Band communications for the satellite, marking a crucial milestone for the mission.
DOGE-1 Satellite Project Receives Approval
The DOGE-1 satellite project is being developed by space technology company Geometric Energy Corporation. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Samuel Reid, the CEO of Geometric Energy Corporation, has confirmed the approval of DOGE-1 X-Band by the National

A recent report from Grayscale Investments revealed an unexpected diversity in Bitcoin (BTC) ownership, with 74% of addresses holding less than 0.01 bitcoin, equivalent to approximately $380.
Grayscale’s research dispels the inaccurate public belief that Bitcoin is predominantly owned by a few individuals, revealing around 40% of BTC’s supply is concentrated among institutions like exchanges, miners, governments, public companies, and long-term holders.
Bitcoin’s Widespread Ownership
As of November 6th, 2023, 74% of Bitcoin addresses hold less than 0.01 BTC, equivalent to approximately $380 at the time of writing.
The statistic highlights the accessible nature of Bitcoin, contrasting with traditional high-risk, high-return assets like private equity and venture capital,

The investment firm Tiger Global has reportedly reduced the valuation of its holdings in Bored Ape Yacht Club and OpenSea. Per a Bloomberg report, the company marked down the value of its investment in Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) by 69% and its stake in the NFT marketplace OpenSea by 94%.
The move follows Tiger Global’s decision to write down its $38 million investment in FTX to zero.
Tiger Global Investors Experience Losses
The Tiger Global’s Private Investment Partners 15 fund, with nearly $13 billion in assets, has also reportedly devalued AI-powered email company Superhuman by 45% and reduced the valuation of the privacy-focused search engine platform DuckDuckGo by 72%.
According to anonymous sources, investors in the Private Investment Partners 15 fund experienced an

Trust Wallet, a leading self-custody and multi-chain wallet boasting over 70 million users, is experiencing issues with its Bitcoin nodes.
The heightened transaction volume has reportedly led to instability among various node providers, causing technical difficulties for Trust Wallet users relying on these nodes for their Bitcoin transactions.
Trust Wallet Experiences Bitcoin Node Issues
According to the post on X, the primary impact experienced by Trust Wallet users is potential issues related to the disappearance of transaction history within the Bitcoin-block book chain, along with instances of failed transactions. The post also highlighted that Trust Wallet’s platform team is actively monitoring the situation and working on implementing measures to address and resolve

The bankrupt estate of FTX has made a bold move to challenge the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking court approval to reduce a $24 billion claim against it to zero.
According to FTX, this move is crucial to prevent the IRS claims from derailing the progression of its bankruptcy proceedings.
FTX Seeks to Nullify IRS’s $24 Billion Claim
Earlier this year, the IRS imposed a massive tax bill on FTX and its associated Alameda groups of companies, amounting to approximately $44 billion, prioritizing the claims of customers who suffered financial losses due to the exchange’s collapse.
The IRS’s claims included two substantial amounts: a $20.4 billion and a $7.9 billion claim against Alameda Research LLC. These figures stem from allegations of unpaid partnership

Velodrome, the second-largest DEX on the Optimism network, and its fork, Aerodrome, the leading DEX on Base, have reported a compromise in their respective frontend systems.
Following the incident, both platforms urged users through their social media channels to refrain from interacting with their platforms for the time being.
Velodrome and Aerodrome Urge Caution Amid Security Breaches
“Our frontend is currently compromised. Please do not interact with Velodrome for the time being. The team are investigating and will communicate more here when we have it,” the post stated. A similar notice was shared through Aerodrome’s official account on X.
Some users have also reported encountering suspicious transaction suggestions upon connecting their wallets to the exchanges.

Stay

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has outlined the next steps in evaluating the proposed Franklin Templeton and Hashdex spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications.
Observers speculate that the SEC’s actions may set the groundwork for potential approvals of spot Bitcoin ETFs in early January 2024, following earlier delayed decisions on applications from two potential issuers.
SEC Seeks Public Comments
A filing on November 28 reveals that the SEC has invited written comments on the proposals of Franklin Templeton and Hashdex regarding the approval or denial of their Forms 19b-4.
Form 19b-4, distinct from Form S-1, serves as a public disclosure sanctioned by the SEC’s Trading and Markets Division. In contrast, the Form S-1 is the offering

Electric Capital, a prominent venture capital firm, has warned about a sophisticated scam operation targeting potential investors.
Avichal Garg, Co-Founder and General Partner of Electric Capital, revealed in a recent post the alarming tactics being employed by scammers.
Electric Capital Exposes Sophisticated Crypto Scam
According to Garg, the fraudsters are masquerading as representatives of Electric Capital, orchestrating meetings and deceitfully persuading individuals to send money in advance of investments.

Unfortunately, scammers are pretending to be @ElectricCapital, setting up meetings, and asking people to send them money before investing.
Electric Capital will *never* ask you to send money before receiving an investment.
We will never reach out cold via Telegram.

SBI Holdings, Inc., a leading Tokyo-based financial services firm, has announced its strategic partnership with Circle Internet Financial, the USD Coin (USDC) issuer.
This collaboration aims to increase the circulation of USDC and promote the use of Circle’s cutting-edge Web3 services in Japan while establishing a banking relationship.
SBI and Circle’s Partnership
This agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paves the way for enhanced adoption of USDC and innovative Web3 services across Japan.
Jeremy Allaire, CEO and co-founder of Circle, expressed enthusiasm about this partnership, stating, “Our collaboration with SBI sets new standards in Japan’s financial sector. We are united in our vision for the future of digital currency.”

Circle and SBI

An X user recently identified discrepancies in Binance’s BRC-20 ORDI balances caused by inconsistent indexing.
On the UniSat indexer, Binance possesses 7.239 million ORDI, while the Ordiscan index reflects a holding of 2.293 million ORDI. This variance amounts to approximately five million.
Discrepancies in BRC-20 ORDI Balances on Binance
BRC-20 ORDI, an experimental token built on the Ordinals protocol, has sparked debate due to varying balance reports from indexers.
Dumpster_DAO uncovered this issue during their investigation, exposing a discrepancy of approximately five million ORDI between two indexers. According to UniSat, an indexer used by Binance, the exchange holds 7.239 million ORDI. However, the Ordiscan index reports a lower figure of 2.293 million ORDI.
The

Paradigm, a leading crypto venture capital firm, openly criticized the marketing and execution strategy of Blast, a startup in which the former is a seed investor.
Dan Robinson, Paradigm’s Head of Research, voiced his concerns over Blast’s approach, stating it sets a troubling precedent for other projects in the blockchain space.
Dan Robinson’s Critique of Blast
In a statement released on X, Robinson expressed Paradigm’s disagreement with Blast’s decision to launch a bridge before its Layer-2 (L2) network and the choice to restrict withdrawals for three months.

There are a lot of components of Blast that I’m excited about and would be interested in engaging with people on. That said, we at Paradigm think the announcement this week crossed lines in both messaging and

The renowned Spanish football club Atletico Madrid is reportedly gearing up to take legal action against WhaleFin, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange.
The dispute centers around a breach of contract involving unpaid sponsorship fees amounting to €40 million ($44 million).
Atletico Madrid Seeks $21 Million in Damages in Lawsuit
Atletico Madrid, the esteemed Spanish football club, is preparing for a legal battle with WhaleFin, a Singaporean cryptocurrency exchange, over a €40 million unpaid sponsorship deal.
The club, which entered a five-year agreement with WhaleFin for the 2022/23 season, claims the company has breached the contract terms by not fulfilling payment obligations. In response, Atletico Madrid is seeking €20 million in damages.
The backdrop to this legal

The e-commerce industry is a powerhouse in today’s marketplace, using technology to meet the changing demands of consumers seamlessly. At its core, the success of e-commerce is intricately tied to the harnessing of vast data sets, a phenomenon commonly known as Big Data.
In today’s ever-changing environment, Big Data is crucial, guiding businesses to comprehend customer behavior better. The significance of Big Data lies in its unparalleled ability to extract actionable insights, providing a panoramic view of consumer preferences and patterns. That, in turn, fuels the engine of personalized experiences, propelling e-commerce enterprises to new heights of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The Rise of Big Data in E-commerce
Big Data has swiftly ascended as the cornerstone of

CoinGecko, a prominent independent cryptocurrency data aggregator, has recently announced its acquisition of Zash.
This strategic move is set to increase CoinGecko’s cryptocurrency services by incorporating Zash’s NFT information into its API, offering users a holistic perspective of fungible and non-fungible tokens.
CoinGecko Announces Its Acquisition of Zash
CoinGecko announced earlier this week the strategic purchase of Zash, a front-runner in the NFT data infrastructure and intelligence space. The acquisition of Zash will enable the seamless integration of fungible and NFT data, which aligns with CoinGecko’s dedication to reliable cryptocurrency data, advancing its goal of empowering a decentralized future.
In its announcement, TM Lee, CEO and Co-founder at CoinGecko,

In a move to modernize its financial infrastructure, South Korea is set to embark on a pioneering project involving digital currency.
Commencing in the fourth quarter of 2024, the nation will start a pilot program involving the participation of 100,000 citizens, signifying a significant stride towards the nationwide implementation of digital currencies.
South Korea to Pilot Digital Currency with 100,000 Citizens
In an upcoming pilot program jointly managed by the Bank of Korea (BOK) and financial regulators, 100,000 South Korean citizens will be able to use deposit tokens based on the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The BOK, alongside the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, unveiled these plans after Agustin Carstens, the

Following the conclusion of the extensive investigation and pursuit of cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance, reports suggest that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) now intends to pursue other platforms that violate trading laws.
Despite experiencing a significant unforeseen event, the cryptocurrency industry has effectively mitigated the impact and is now observing signs of price recovery.
CFTC to Intensify Crypto Crackdown
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, settled with the US Department of Justice earlier this week without admitting guilt, but it had to pay a large fine of $4.3 billion. In this same case, the former Binance head Changpeng Zhao also pled guilty to the charges against him, including breaching the anti-money

British investment managers have received approval to create tokenized funds, marking a shift towards using blockchain technology in mainstream asset management.
The country’s trade body gave the green light on Friday, allowing funds to be split into smaller digital tokens backed by blockchain technology.
UK Investment Managers to Launch Tokenized Funds
The Investment Association announced that funds authorized by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) can begin creating tokenized funds. However, the Investment Association has stipulated these funds must invest in mainstream assets with unchanged valuation and settlement processes.
Michelle Scrimgeour, CEO of Legal & General Investment Management and the chair of a pivotal working group, expressed enthusiasm for the

In his latest remarks, Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell spoke about the current state of the cryptocurrency industry amidst a backdrop of significant regulatory actions.
Powell’s comments came shortly after a settlement between Binance and the U.S. Department of Justice, resulting in a $4.3 billion fine for Binance.
Jesse Powell Critiques Regulatory Landscape
In a recent post on X, Powell expressed his thoughts on the $4.3 billion fine settlement between Binance and the U.S. Department of Justice. Powell noted that this development makes the competitive landscape “feel a bit more fair today.”
“The last 12 months have answered 2 nagging questions from shareholders: 1. How are they going so fast? 2. How are they getting away with it?” Powell wrote. “It’s hard to keep faith

Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International announced its plan to offer cryptocurrency trading services to its retail customers.
This pioneering step will commence by the end of January 2024, marking a new era in the bank’s 97-year history.
Raiffeisen Bank to Launch User-Friendly Crypto Trading Services
Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank, headquartered in Vienna, has announced its plan to offer crypto trading services to its retail customers throughout the European Union and Eastern Europe.
The launch of these services is set for January 2024 and will be offered in collaboration with the crypto exchange Bitpanda. The initial rollout will be in Vienna, home to approximately a quarter of Austria’s population.
Curt Chadha, the Head of Innovation at Raiffeisen Bank, highlighted the