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S&P Global Ratings has downgraded its assessment of Tether's USDT stablecoin, citing concerns about its stability. The downgrade reflects S&P's assessment of the risks associated with Tether's exposure to Bitcoin and the overall volatility of the cryptocurrency market. This action suggests increased uncertainty surrounding Tether's ability to consistently maintain its peg to the US dollar. The implication is that investors should be aware of the potential for USDT's value to fluctuate away from its intended $1 value.

Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin, has become the largest independent holder of gold in the world, surpassing private institutions and hedge funds. This means Tether now has more gold reserves than any non-government entity. This move is intended to stabilize USDT and increase trust in the stablecoin, especially during market instability. The increase in gold reserves is seen as a way to protect USDT from potential redemption waves or speculative attacks. Analysts believe that Tether may be moving towards a balance sheet similar to a central bank, which could change how stablecoins are viewed and regulated globally. Tether's position as a major gold holder also gives the company influence beyond the cryptocurrency market, blending traditional and digital finance.

21Shares has received SEC approval to launch its XRP ETF under the ticker TOXR this coming Friday. Other XRP ETFs have already launched this month. The Bitwise XRP ETF has seen significant inflows, with over $135 million in the first three days. XRP's consistent positive ETF inflows suggest strong institutional interest. XRP's 8-day inflow streak totals over $620 million. One analyst predicts XRP could reach $3 if ETF demand continues and market volatility decreases. Another analyst suggests XRP may target $2.60 before attempting to break above $3. A presale project called Maxi Doge has raised over $4.2 million and offers 73% APY for staking.

Polygon CEO Sandeep Nailwal is considering reverting the network's ticker from POL back to its original ticker, MATIC, due to community feedback that MATIC was more recognizable. While the network has already migrated to POL, Nailwal acknowledges the familiarity and history associated with MATIC, especially among local businesses and users outside the crypto Twitter community. He doubts exchanges would agree to the change, and some crypto figures suggest focusing on better marketing POL instead, including relisting on Robinhood. Polygon upgraded from MATIC to POL in September 2024, claiming 99% completion, and the Polygon Portal offers a 1:1 migration. POL is currently trading at $0.1367, down roughly 1% in the last 24 hours, and has decreased more than 2.61% in the past 7 days and nearly 33% in the past 30 days.

XRP has bounced back from a low point in its price channel, leading to short-term optimism. It recently traded around $2.20, showing a roughly 16% gain in 24 hours after defending the $2.00-$2.14 support level. Analysts are watching if XRP can reach $2.60. Key levels to watch are $2.14 as immediate support, and $2.21, $2.28, and $2.35 as potential resistance points. However, XRP still faces downward pressure from a longer-term trendline and trades below major moving averages. Spot outflows have been significant, and futures open interest has declined. The price remains sensitive to ongoing regulatory developments. To move higher, XRP needs to stay above $2.14 and break through the $2.37-$2.52 range. If it fails, the price could drop to $2.00 or even $1.88.

Monad's mainnet launch on November 24th triggered a significant surge in social media activity, as measured by LunarCrush. The platform recorded a top-ten AltRank and a Galaxy Score in the mid-50s, with approximately 31,970 mentions generating about 17.62 million engagements, averaging around 551 interactions per post. Following the launch, the price of MON, Monad's token, increased by 60% to approximately $0.046, resulting in a market capitalization of around $500 million. The increase in social engagement was directly linked to official announcements and early integrations, such as the ability to deposit and swap MON within Telegram's wallet and Polymarket's support for MON and USDC on Monad. These integrations provided verifiable updates and practical endpoints for users, contributing to sustained conversation and interest.

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, recently purchased $536,000 worth of Pendle (PENDLE) tokens, specifically 218,000 tokens. This happened as the price of PENDLE was around $2.54, showing a 5% increase over the previous week. The Pendle protocol, which is the foundation for the token, has a strong total value locked (TVL) of over $4.6 billion and consistently generates substantial fees and revenue. Pendle is showing signs of recovery after a period of weakness, and analysts are watching to see if it can break through the $2.70 resistance level. Trading volumes are also increasing, suggesting renewed interest in PENDLE. Bloomberg recently added Pendle protocols to TradFis most established benchmark indices, the Bloomberg Galaxy DEFI index.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are experiencing price increases. Bitcoin's price rose approximately 3% to over $90,000, and Ethereum's price increased above $3,000. This has led to a 1.2% increase in the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, bringing it to $3.04 trillion. The rise is attributed to renewed demand from institutional investors following a period of selling. BlackRock's IBIT saw a net inflow of $130 million, and a large investor withdrew 6,000 ETH from Binance. Additionally, technical analysis indicates positive momentum for Bitcoin. A potential weakness in the gold market, where investors are taking profits, is contributing to capital flowing into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The expectation of a potential Federal Reserve rate cut in December and upcoming Quantitative Easing are also factors supporting the positive outlook for crypto.

Hyperliquid's HYPE token is showing signs of a potential price increase, currently trading around $33-$35. Technical analysis suggests that if HYPE breaks through the $35-$36 resistance level, it could move towards a $38-$41 target range. This positive outlook is supported by strong usage of the HyperliquidX platform, which leads the perpetuals DEX market in trading volume and open interest. While large investors (whales) have slightly reduced their long positions, they aren't heavily betting against HYPE. However, failure to break the $35-$36 resistance could lead to a price pullback towards $31-$32. Overall, analysts are cautiously optimistic, pending a confirmed breakout above the current resistance.

The Indian government has approved an $815 million incentive program to boost domestic production of rare-earth permanent magnets. The plan aims to establish five manufacturing units, each capable of producing up to 1,200 tonnes annually, targeting a total production capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum. The program will run for seven years, including a two-year setup period followed by five years of production incentives. The goal is to significantly reduce India's reliance on imported rare-earth magnets, which totaled 53,748 metric tonnes in fiscal year 2024-25. This initiative responds to global supply chain disruptions and aims to support India's self-reliance policy, mirroring similar efforts in other countries like Australia, Saudi Arabia, and France to diversify rare-earth magnet production.

Bitcoin's price has recovered to around $87,555, a 1.34% increase over the last 24 hours, after dipping to around $80,000 earlier in the week. This recovery is supported by increased trading volume. However, Bitcoin is facing strong resistance between $88,000 and $90,000, a level it needs to break through to continue its upward trend. A 'death cross' pattern, where the 50-day moving average falls below the 200-day moving average, suggests potential slowing momentum, but its impact is uncertain. Short-term charts show a bullish ascending channel forming, suggesting continued buying pressure. Analysts are watching the $88,519 level as the next target. The broader market environment is mixed, with some indicators suggesting caution.

Ethereum (ETH) is currently trading around $2,900, showing slight gains over the last day but a 6% drop over the past week. Key support is identified at $2,622, with analysts suggesting that holding above this level could pave the way for a potential rise towards $9,000-$10,000. Failure to maintain this support could lead to a decline towards the $2,256-$1,821 range. Resistance is noted around $2,950-$3,000; breaking above $3,000 with strong volume might trigger a move towards $3,400. The MVRV Z-Score, an indicator comparing market value to realized value, is at 0.29, approaching a level historically seen as a potential buying opportunity.

According to a Gemini executive, the UK's recent budget and regulatory changes indicate increased oversight of the crypto industry, moving towards a more traditional finance-style regulation. The budget does not include any increases in tax rates on crypto transactions, which is viewed positively. Crypto in the UK is currently subject to capital gains tax between 18% and 24%, depending on income. While taxes are unchanged, the UK government is focusing on improving compliance and transparency, with increased scrutiny from HMRC and the upcoming CARF framework in 2026 which will give the government greater visibility of crypto transactions. The aim is to close tax loopholes and raise compliance standards. A stronger regulatory framework could allow regulated platforms like Gemini to integrate into mainstream UK finance and build user trust. The UK aims to be a leading jurisdiction for digital assets by maintaining favorable tax conditions and aligning regulations with other global markets.

XRP's price has recently increased, trading around $2.24. Despite community excitement and predictions of significant price increases, an analyst believes XRP will not reach $100 by the end of 2025. The analyst states that for XRP to reach $100, its market capitalization would need to be $6 trillion, which is more than double the current total crypto market size. While a minor dip to around $2.12 or even $2.06 is possible, a recovery is expected if the overall market remains stable. The next potential upside targets for XRP are approximately $2.41, and possibly $2.51 if momentum increases.

Bitcoin is experiencing price volatility around $68,000, and a divergence is appearing between large Bitcoin holders (whales) and retail investors. Whales are increasing their long positions in the Bitcoin derivatives market, suggesting they anticipate a price increase. This is occurring at levels historically associated with local bottoms, hinting at a potential trend reversal. Simultaneously, retail investors are reducing their positions, either hedging against further price drops or exiting the market. The number of whale wallets holding at least 100 BTC is increasing, while the number of smaller wallets holding 0.1 BTC or more is decreasing. Retail investors capitulating is generally considered a positive sign for cryptocurrency prices in the long run.

Crypto strategist Chad Steingraber predicts XRP could potentially increase 100-fold to $225 per token due to increasing ETF activity. Steingraber maps out a series of milestones from a fivefold rise to $11.25, tenfold to $22.50, twentyfold to $45, fortyfold to $90, sixtyfold to $135, and ultimately a 100-fold increase to $225 based on demand and supply assessments. He suggests that as ETFs acquire more XRP, the price will rise, which will balance the accumulation rate. While XRP's price has recently declined, Steingraber believes that long-term demand from ETFs and institutional investors will create a supply-demand imbalance, driving the price up substantially. He estimates that with current acquisition rates, major funds are accumulating XRP at a rate of $33.6 billion annually, which could lead to rapid scarcity and necessitate a price increase to maintain market equilibrium.

Bitcoin has recovered to $86,966 after dropping close to $80,000. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reached a low of 23 before the price rebound. Outflows from Bitcoin ETFs, which totaled around $4 billion, have slowed down. Analysis of wallet data indicates that holders of 1,000 Bitcoins recently sold off their assets, while larger holders, or 'whales,' have been accumulating more Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve's potential halt to quantitative tightening could increase market liquidity, but the risk of inflation persists.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto token connected to Donald Trump's family, spent roughly $8 million to buy back 46.56 million of its own tokens at an average price of $0.1674. This was done to reduce the token's supply and potentially increase its value after a market downturn in October reduced the company's token holdings value by about $1 billion. A previous buyback in September involved burning $1.43 million worth of tokens. A governance proposal to reduce the token supply through buybacks and burns was almost unanimously approved. Following the buyback, the token's price increased by 13% over the past week, although it remains significantly below its initial launch price. However, a study raises concerns about the sustainability of these buybacks, suggesting that they could deplete the company's treasury and potentially affect services like borrowing and lending. The study also points out that the company's reliance on a single custodian, Jump Crypto, for its USD1 stablecoin could increase market volatility.

House Democrats have released a report alleging that former President Trump used his position to benefit his family's wealth through cryptocurrency ventures. The report claims Trump's crypto policies were influenced by personal financial gain, specifically through investments in companies like World Liberty Financial Inc., and that his actions may have allowed foreign actors to influence U.S. policy. Democrats accuse Trump of securing hundreds of millions in wealth for his family through crypto-related activities during his first year in office. The White House defends Trump's crypto policies, arguing that they aimed to foster innovation and benefit all Americans, denying any conflicts of interest and stating that policies like the GENIUS Act are designed to promote economic opportunities. The report raises concerns about potential corruption and the influence of bad actors and foreign nationals on U.S. policy through Trump's crypto connections. The investigation could impact future discussions on the crypto industry's role in the U.S. economy and the regulation of digital assets.

Bolivia is embracing cryptocurrencies and stablecoins to combat high inflation, a dollar shortage, and a struggling economy. The government is now allowing banks to offer crypto services like savings accounts and loans, effectively integrating stablecoins like USDT into the financial system. This is a reversal of previous bans on crypto. Businesses are already using stablecoins to price goods, particularly as access to US dollars is limited due to currency controls. The state-owned energy company is also exploring crypto payments for energy imports. These crypto initiatives are part of a broader economic plan that includes seeking over $9 billion in financing for infrastructure and other projects, along with tax reforms to attract investment. Bolivia is also planning to reduce public spending, aiming for a market-oriented economic approach.

Metaplanet, a Japanese company that shifted from hotel operations to Bitcoin accumulation, faces a crucial period to determine the viability of corporate Bitcoin strategies. The company currently holds over 30,000 Bitcoin, acquired at an average price of $108,036 per BTC, resulting in a substantial unrealized loss of $651 million given Bitcoin's current trading price around $87,500, and contributing to a significant drop in the company's stock price. Despite the unrealized losses, Metaplanet's recent financial statements show substantial revenue and net income increases. To raise capital without further impacting its stock, Metaplanet launched a perpetual preferred equity instrument called MERCURY, requiring a shareholder vote on December 22 to approve roughly 21.25 billion of the capital to keep the project alive. This situation is unfolding amid regulatory scrutiny in Japan and volatility in the Bitcoin market, making Metaplanet a key test case for how listed companies manage crypto assets on their balance sheets. The company's future depends on the outcome of the MERCURY vote, Bitcoin's price movement, and regulatory actions in Japan.

The first Dogecoin ETF (GDOG) launched on November 24th but only achieved $1.4 million in trading volume on its first day, significantly less than the $12 million that was initially predicted. Experts believe the lower-than-expected interest is because Dogecoin is not as closely related to Bitcoin as other cryptocurrencies and because it's considered a memecoin, making it riskier. This launch performance also lags behind recent XRP and Solana ETF launches, which saw much higher first-day trading volumes. The price of Dogecoin remained relatively stable after the ETF launch. Market conditions, including a downturn in the crypto market and investor concerns about riskier assets, may have also contributed to the subdued launch. Other recently launched altcoin ETFs have performed better, indicating a preference for cryptocurrencies with stronger institutional backing and real-world applications.

The U.S. Senate is aiming to hold a session on December 8 to refine a proposed law that would establish a framework for regulating cryptocurrency markets. This action suggests increasing agreement between different political parties regarding how to oversee digital assets. The progress indicates a potential move towards clearer rules for the crypto industry in the United States.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) shut down a large illegal Bitcoin mining farm in the Chelyabinsk Oblast region. The operation was stealing electricity worth over $1.3 million from local utility companies. Four suspects, including Maxim Yatsun, a businessman and son of a former politician, have been detained and face up to 10 years in prison for large-scale fraud related to falsifying electricity consumption reports. This is part of a larger effort by Russian authorities to crack down on illegal crypto mining, as many mining operations are not properly registered and paying taxes. Authorities are using advanced methods like tracking internet traffic and thermal vision drones to find these illicit mining facilities. Several regions in Russia have banned crypto mining due to electricity shortages.

Ethereum's price has bounced back from a support level around $2,650-$2,750, and technical charts suggest it might rise towards a resistance point near $3,650. This potential increase is indicated by patterns like a megaphone and contracting triangle on the price chart. One large holder, BitMine Immersion Technologies, possesses about 3% of all Ethereum in circulation, signaling institutional confidence. Key levels to watch are support around $2,800-$2,900, which could trigger selling if broken, and resistance at $2,980-$3,000 initially, then potentially $3,180-$3,250, and ultimately $3,550-$3,650 if the upward trend continues. However, this prediction is conditional on market factors and regulations.

Nasdaq ISE has filed to upgrade the options trading limits for BlackRock's IBIT, a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), to a higher tier. This essentially means that traders will be able to hold and trade more options contracts on IBIT. The move to increase the options limits signifies growing confidence and demand for trading options on BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF.

Bitcoin has risen back above $90,000 after trading below that level for almost a week, recovering about 12% from a low of around $80,000 last Friday. Despite this recovery, Bitcoin is still down 3% for the week, 21% for the month, and remains 28% below its all-time high of $126,000. Market analysts note that Bitcoin's volatility has decreased, and trading volumes are expected to be lower due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Options traders are largely predicting that Bitcoin will stay within a tight range of $85,000 to $90,000, with limited expectations for a significant price increase or decrease.

Cryptocurrency markets experienced a rally on Wednesday, November 26th, recovering from previous losses. This increase coincided with the release of U.S. unemployment claims data, which showed the lowest figures since mid-April. Bitcoin increased by 4% reaching $89,800. Ethereum rose by 5% to $3,030. Other cryptocurrencies also saw gains: XRP increased by 4% to $2.24, Solana surged 7% to $144, and BNB gained 5% to $894.

House Democrats released a report highlighting former President Trump's connections to the cryptocurrency industry, labeling it a 'new age of corruption.' The report focuses on potential conflicts of interest arising from Trump's reported involvement with crypto ventures and their potential influence on policy. Specific details on the financial connections and potential market implications were not explicitly outlined in the provided information.

Solana's price has decreased by over 30% this month, causing retail investors to sell off their holdings. Open Interest has also decreased by 30% to $7.06 billion, indicating reduced speculative demand. However, institutional investors (TradFi) are buying into Solana, with $121 million flowing into Solana ETFs this week, continuing a 29-day inflow streak. Technical indicators suggest a potential bullish trend, with a key breakout threshold around $205. If this level is reclaimed, Solana's price could potentially reach $300 and even $500. The article also mentions a new project, PepeNode ($PEPENODE), which allows users to mine meme coins through a mine-to-earn game, with the presale already exceeding $2.2 million.

Texas has begun establishing a Bitcoin reserve by initially purchasing $5 million worth of BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF (IBIT). This move is enabled by Senate Bill 21, which allows the state to accumulate Bitcoin if its market capitalization averages above $500 billion over 24 months. A second $5 million allocation is planned for direct Bitcoin acquisition once the state finalizes its custody and liquidity framework. The initial investment via IBIT serves as a temporary solution while Texas develops its own self-custody infrastructure, which will include qualified custodians, cold storage, and independent audits. This approach mirrors the actions of other large institutions like Harvard University and Abu Dhabi Investment Council, which have also invested in IBIT. Several states, including New Hampshire and Arizona, have similar Bitcoin reserve laws, potentially leading to further state-level Bitcoin acquisitions. Direct self-custody of Bitcoin by states reduces the circulating supply, potentially stabilizing prices and increasing price sensitivity.

The price of XRP increased by 1.15% in the last 24 hours, reaching $2.22. Its market capitalization is now $133.79 billion. Trading volume for XRP also rose significantly, up by 36.3% to $3.86 billion. Throughout the day, XRP's price varied between $2.14 and $2.22. Analysts suggest that XRP bounced off a low point and is now moving upwards towards a midpoint around $2.60, indicating a potential for further gains.

JPMorgan has introduced new structured notes linked to BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF, signaling growing institutional interest in Bitcoin. These notes allow investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin's price movements without directly holding the cryptocurrency. The notes have an early-call feature in 2026 to limit JPMorgan's risk if Bitcoin's price rises sharply, while extending to 2028 to give buyers more upside. JPMorgan hedges its exposure through derivatives and ETF positions, avoiding direct Bitcoin custody. This move reflects Bitcoin's increasing acceptance as a long-term, institution-friendly asset, joining other asset classes like equities, oil, and gold in structured financial products. The notes are designed to capture demand for Bitcoin volatility, targeting institutional investors seeking regulated crypto access, with expectations of continued Bitcoin volatility through 2028.

Tether, a major player in the crypto world known for its stablecoin USDT, has become a significant buyer of gold, surpassing many central banks. By the end of September 2025, Tether held approximately 116 tonnes of gold, valued at around $14 billion. This gold is used to back both USDT and its tokenized gold product, XAUt. Approximately 7% of Tether's reserves, or $13 billion, are now in precious metals. This move is happening despite a new US law, the GENIUS Act, which discourages stablecoin issuers from holding gold as reserves. While Tether has announced a new token compliant with the GENIUS Act that avoids gold, it has continued to increase its gold holdings for USDT. This large gold accumulation raises questions, especially if a sudden decrease in stablecoin demand forces Tether to sell its gold, potentially impacting the gold market.

Binance has launched Binance Prestige, a new VIP service aimed at attracting wealthy traditional finance investors to cryptocurrency. This service provides a high-touch, professional approach to managing crypto assets, catering to family offices, private funds, and other asset allocators. There is no minimum asset holding size to qualify for Binance Prestige, but it is likely to cater to investors with around $10 million in assets under management. The service includes onboarding, fiat access, structured products, capital financing, custody, insights, and reporting. Binance is also exploring incorporating inheritance planning into the service. This move follows an increase in institutional trading volume on Binance and a growing interest in digital assets among wealth management professionals, with a report indicating a significant rise in crypto millionaires and high-net-worth individuals holding crypto assets.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is testing a new system to make the crypto market more transparent for investors. They've admitted Eunice, a RegTech platform, into their Regulatory Sandbox to trial a framework created with input from major crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken. This framework involves standardized disclosure templates, aiming to give investors clear information about risks before they buy crypto. This initiative is part of the UK's broader plan to regulate crypto, with final rules expected in 2026. The FCA is also considering applying traditional financial standards to crypto firms, while also considering some exemptions, and seeking feedback on whether its Consumer Duty principle should extend to digital assets. Separately, the FCA has approved ClearToken to offer institutional settlement for crypto and tokenized assets. Analysts predict the UK crypto market could grow by 20% in the next year because of clearer regulations and improved infrastructure. The UK Treasury is also exploring blockchain technology for digital gilts and tokenized sterling deposits with major banks.

Bitcoin's price has surpassed $90,000, marking a deviation from historical price trends typically observed in the period leading up to Thanksgiving. This increase indicates a strong performance for Bitcoin, moving against the usual seasonal patterns. The specific factors driving this upward movement are not detailed, but the price increase itself is the primary focus.

The World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token, backed by the Trump family, has seen its price fall nearly 50% since its launch. In response, the WLFI platform spent $7.7 million buying back its own tokens at roughly $0.16 each in an effort to stabilize the price by reducing the available supply. This follows an earlier $1.06 million buyback. While these buybacks provided a temporary boost, the token remains significantly below its launch price. The Trump family's crypto wealth, largely tied to WLFI and other crypto ventures, also took a hit, dropping over $1 billion after a market crash from $7.7 billion in early September to $6.7 billion by the end of November.

Uniswap's price has decreased, falling below important support levels, while Pi coin is showing signs of a potential price increase as the amount of Pi coins on exchanges decreases. A new cryptocurrency called Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is launching a daily auction where 200 million tokens will be distributed every 24 hours. This auction aims to create fair access for investors and set a price for the token. Uniswap's price is currently around $6.17, down 13.7% over the past week. Pi coin has reached $0.25, up 18% but still far from its all-time high. The ZKP auction will allow participants to contribute ETH, USDC, USDT, and BNB, and tokens will be distributed based on how much each person contributes to the total pool each day. The price from each day's auction will be used to determine rewards for 'Proof Pods,' which validate tasks on the network. A total of 90 billion ZKP coins, representing 35% of the total supply, will be allocated to the presale.

XLM, the cryptocurrency associated with the Stellar network, experienced a price increase of 2.6%, reaching $0.25. This price movement occurred as a U.S. bank is testing a stablecoin pilot program. The article suggests a connection between the two events but doesn't clarify what kind of connection it is.

Crypto researcher Murad Mahmudov predicts a long-term conflict between AI's centralizing forces and crypto's decentralizing nature, shaping future economic systems. He anticipates AI agents using blockchain for transactions and humans using it to protest potential AI-driven job displacement. Mahmudov highlights increasing wealth inequality, disproportionately affecting younger generations facing job losses. Recent data shows crypto venture funding surged to $4.65 billion in Q3 2025, with significant investment in AI-driven crypto tools. Coinbase Ventures plans to prioritize AI-powered on-chain development tools and decentralized physical infrastructure networks for robotics data collection in 2026. Mahmudov views this as an arms race between centralization and decentralization, extending to tokenizing intangible aspects like community and ideology, with current developments just the beginning of a decades-long trend.

XRP is potentially facing a price drop. Crypto analyst Umair points out a "death cross" pattern forming on XRP's daily chart, which previously led to a 15% crash. He suggests that if XRP fails to stay between $1.90 and $2.08, it could fall to $1.50. However, briefly dipping below $1.82 before rebounding could signal a bottom. Another analyst, CasiTrades, predicts that XRP might drop to around $1.65 before finding support and then starting a bullish trend alongside Bitcoin. Currently, XRP is trading around $2.17, down over 3% in the last 24 hours.

Kevin Hassett is now the leading candidate to become the next Federal Reserve Chair, potentially replacing Jerome Powell when his term ends in May 2026. President Trump reportedly favors Hassett, and an announcement is expected before Christmas. Hassett's appeal stems from his support for faster and deeper interest rate cuts, contrasting with Powell's more cautious approach. He also has ties to the crypto industry, including holding Coinbase stock and advising Coinbase and chairing White Houses digital asset working group. While these connections raise potential conflict-of-interest concerns, many crypto analysts view his potential appointment as a positive development for the digital asset market, expecting a more supportive stance from the Fed under his leadership. The markets are anticipating a potentially significant shift in monetary policy and crypto regulation depending on the final decision.

The launch of Grayscale's Dogecoin ETF (GDOG) has had a weak start, recording only $1.8 million in inflows within the first 48 hours. This is significantly lower than expected, especially when compared to the launch of Canary Capitals HBAR ETF (HBR) which saw $2.2 million on its first day despite Hedera having a smaller market cap than Dogecoin. The limited investor interest suggests that the ETF hasn't generated the anticipated excitement. Dogecoin's Network Value to Transactions (NVT) ratio has also increased, indicating that its valuation is rising faster than its transaction activity, which is considered a bearish sign. Dogecoin is currently trading around $0.149, struggling to break above the $0.151 resistance level and a persistent downtrend. The price may drop to $0.142 if selling pressure increases, unless fresh demand pushes it above $0.162, potentially leading to $0.175.

Nasdaq is increasing the cap on options contracts for BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), which could lead to larger investments from institutional investors. This change allows institutions to trade a greater volume of options related to IBIT, potentially attracting more significant capital flows into the Bitcoin market through this ETF. The increased options capacity gives institutions more flexibility in managing their Bitcoin exposure and could signal growing confidence in Bitcoin as an asset class among these large investors.

Thailand has ordered Sam Altman's World project to halt operations and permanently delete iris scans collected from 1.2 million individuals, citing violations of the country's Personal Data Protection Act. This action follows a determination by the National Economic and Social Development Board that the project's iris-for-token model breached regulations regarding the collection, storage, and disclosure of sensitive biometric information. The decision comes after a raid on a World-linked iris scanning center in Bangkok, which resulted in arrests related to an unlicensed digital asset exchange handling WLD tokens. World Thailand has paused verifications and removed Thailand from its list of active Orb locations in response, stating they had complied with local regulations. Thailand joins other nations like Kenya, Spain, and Indonesia that have raised concerns or taken action against the project over its handling of biometric data. Despite regulatory pressure, World's global footprint continues to grow, with the World App having more than 37 million users and over 100 million verifications completed across 160 countries.

Hedera's price increased by 1%, surpassing the $0.143 resistance level. This indicates a potential upward movement in its market value.

The UK government is considering increasing the issuance of Treasury bills through its Debt Management Office (DMO) to attract more investors and strengthen the sterling currency markets. This move comes as stablecoin issuers are showing increased demand for low-risk, liquid assets like Treasury bills. The DMO plans to launch a consultation in January to explore expanding the market for short-term debt, following a Bank of England (BoE) report suggesting that the current UK bill market might not be able to meet potential demand from stablecoin issuers. Currently, the UK issues bills with maturities of one, three, and six months, with approximately 108 billion outstanding as of October. The government aims to diversify its investor base while considering the costs and risks associated with any changes. The UK and the US are both developing regulatory frameworks for stablecoins, but they differ in approach. The UK is focusing on financial stability and consumer protection with strict rules, while the US prioritizes innovation and federal uniformity, offering a more permissive environment for issuers. Initial feedback on the UK's proposed regulations has been negative, with concerns about strict caps on stablecoin holdings. The BoE has softened its stance on stablecoin regulation, but concerns remain that the UK may struggle to compete with the more relaxed regime in the US.

Texas has become the first US state to invest in Bitcoin by purchasing shares in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF. This move signals growing acceptance of Bitcoin by institutions through regulated investment products. However, while ETFs provide exposure to Bitcoin's price, they don't offer the potential for higher returns that some crypto investors seek. This has renewed interest in Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions like Bitcoin Hyper, which aims to improve Bitcoin's functionality with faster transaction speeds, lower fees, and smart contract capabilities. Bitcoin Hyper utilizes the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) to enable high-throughput smart contracts on a Bitcoin-secured layer 2. It has already raised $28.5 million in its presale with tokens priced at $0.013335, indicating market interest in its potential to bring DeFi and gaming applications to Bitcoin. The project seeks to allow users to participate in fast swaps, lending, staking, and gaming activities using Bitcoin.

Upexi is raising up to $23 million through a private placement to increase its holdings of Solana and support its business operations. The funding includes an initial $10 million and potentially an additional $13 million from warrants exercisable at $4.00 each. The unit price for the offering is $3.04, which Upexi says is above its at-the-market value according to Nasdaq rules. Upexi currently holds over 2 million SOL tokens, making it a significant corporate holder of Solana. The company intends to file a registration statement with the SEC within five days to allow for the resale of the stock and shares related to the warrants. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is the placement agent for the offering, and Upexi plans to use the net proceeds for working capital, general corporate purposes, and its Solana investment strategy.

The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) market experienced a significant decrease of $55 billion. The article suggests that despite the large number, this drop isn't as negative as it might initially seem. It focuses on the fact that market dips are expected and that the entire DeFi sector isn't necessarily in complete turmoil because of this particular loss.

U.S. lawmakers have proposed the AI Fraud Deterrence Act to combat the surge in AI-powered fraud, particularly in financial and crypto markets. The bipartisan bill introduces stricter penalties for crimes committed using AI, including up to 30 years in prison and $2 million in fines for bank fraud. AI-assisted wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering could face fines up to $1 million and 20-year terms. Impersonating federal officials using AI would carry a three-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine. The proposal follows incidents where AI was used to impersonate government officials. This legislation arrives amidst a significant increase in AI-based scams, with U.S. citizens losing $9.3 billion to crypto scams last year and a 456% rise in AI-facilitated scams in 2024. AI-enabled crypto scams caused an estimated $4.6 billion in losses in 2024. The bill aims to address the use of deepfakes, cloned voices, and automated schemes in fraud, which are rapidly evolving and difficult to track.

Grayscale has filed with the SEC to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot Zcash ETF, which would be the first of its kind in the U.S. This move comes as Zcash has seen a significant increase in value this year, rising over 1,000%, and a surge in the use of its privacy features, specifically shielded transactions. Approximately 30% of all ZEC transfers now use shielded pools, and a substantial portion of the Zcash supply is held in encrypted addresses. Zcash has also surpassed Monero in market capitalization. The creation of a Zcash ETF would provide a regulated avenue for institutions and retail investors to invest in Zcash without directly managing the cryptocurrency or its privacy tools.

Whales are buying a cryptocurrency in anticipation of a $314 million unlock event. This activity is fueling speculation that the price of the cryptocurrency could reach $50.

Bitcoin Depot is facing significant legal challenges related to its Bitcoin ATM business. A Canadian arbitration tribunal has awarded $18.47 million to Cash Cloud, a bankrupt ATM operator, due to alleged defects in ATM systems supplied by BitAccess, a company Bitcoin Depot acquired. Cash Cloud claimed these defects caused substantial financial losses due to ATM inoperability. Bitcoin Depot's BitAccess intends to challenge the ruling. Additionally, Bitcoin Depot faces a lawsuit in U.S. Bankruptcy Court filed by Cash Cloud seeking the same $18.47 million in damages. Bitcoin Depot considers the U.S. case without merit and states that they plan to defend against it. These legal issues occur despite Bitcoin Depot reporting increased revenue and net income in the third quarter, although these figures declined compared to the previous quarter. The company operates over 9,000 ATMs across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

S&P Global Ratings has lowered its stability rating for Tether's USDT stablecoin from 'constrained' to 'weak'. The downgrade reflects concerns about USDT's exposure to riskier assets, including Bitcoin, gold, secured loans, and corporate bonds. S&P highlighted that Tether has increased its Bitcoin holdings as part of its reserves, now representing 5.4% of total reserves, up from 3.6% previously. The agency worries that a significant drop in Bitcoin's value, combined with declines in other high-risk assets, could potentially lead to USDT being undercollateralized. While Tether claims to hold a significant portion of its reserves in low-risk US T-bills, S&P also expressed concerns about the limited transparency regarding Tether's custodians, counterparties, bank account providers, and the lack of direct redemption channels for USDT, unlike some competitors. Currently, USDT remains stable and has not de-pegged, even with Bitcoin's price fluctuations, as Bitcoin is not the primary asset backing USDT.

S&P has lowered its assessment of Tether's USDT stablecoin, pointing to potential risks stemming from declines in Bitcoin prices. The downgrade indicates increased concerns about the stability and reserves backing USDT, particularly in the event of significant cryptocurrency market downturns.

Recent crypto market discussion centers around a timeline suggesting banks might be strategically shifting capital from MicroStrategy (MSTR), a company holding significant Bitcoin, into BlackRock's IBIT, a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. The timeline highlights events starting in May with Jim Chanos revealing a short position on MSTR. It continues with JP Morgan increasing margin requirements for MSTR trading in July, followed by JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley introducing new investment products linked to IBIT in August, October and November. This coincided with events impacting MicroStrategy, including reports of frozen share transfers. Some analysts believe these actions indicate a coordinated effort by banks to drive investment towards IBIT and away from MSTR. The effect of these actions are being evaluated by market participants.

U.S. tax refunds in 2026 are projected to be the largest ever, with an average increase of $1,000 per filer due to President Trump's working-families tax cuts. These reforms are expected to provide $191 billion in net new tax relief, with $91 billion returned as refunds and $30 billion kept in paychecks through reduced withholdings. Middle-class taxpayers are expected to benefit the most, potentially receiving an average tax cut of $1,780. The tax package makes permanent several provisions from the 2017 tax law, including the doubled standard deduction and reduced tax brackets, while also eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security income. The Child Tax Credit will increase to $2,200 and be indexed to inflation, with additional benefits for child care, paid leave, and education and health savings accounts. This influx of funds could provide additional liquidity to the U.S. economy.

Ethereum's network capacity has doubled in the last year, reaching a 60 million gas limit per block. This increase allows for more transactions and complex operations on the blockchain. While further growth is expected in 2026, it will be more targeted, focusing on specific operations like creating new storage or calling contracts with large code sizes. This strategic approach aims to improve efficiency without compromising the network's decentralization. These changes are part of Ethereum's plan for gradual scaling, alongside other upgrades like proto-danksharding, to prepare the network for future applications.

Recent analysis shows Injective (INJ) facing selling pressure, with the price dropping and testing support around $6.00. XRP is holding steady around the $2.00 to $2.06 support level, potentially forming a pennant shape for a possible upward move to $2.64. Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is launching a presale using an auction system where 200 million coins are available daily. Participants can use ETH, USDC, or ZUSD, and the price is set by dividing total contributions by the coin supply. To ensure fairness, there's a $50,000 daily limit per wallet. ZKP's partnerships with the Dolphins and FC Barcelona have increased interest in the project.

CME Group announced that spot-quoted futures for XRP and Solana are planned to launch on December 15, pending regulatory approval. These futures contracts are designed to mirror the real-time prices of XRP and Solana. The move signifies growing institutional interest in altcoins beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, offering large investors a regulated avenue to trade these assets more directly. CME aims to provide smaller, more accessible contracts and eventually offer 24/7 trading by early 2026. XRP is currently trading above $2.20, and Solana has surpassed $140. The launch is pending regulatory clearance, and traders anticipate potential positive impacts on the price and institutional interaction with XRP and Solana if approved.

Bytedance, the owner of TikTok, is reportedly in discussions to sell its gaming studio, Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., to Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group. This potential sale comes after Bytedance reduced its game creation efforts, shifting focus to e-commerce. Despite this, Moonton's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang game has seen significant success, becoming the most-watched game in Esports World Cup history. Separately, Bytedance's valuation has increased to approximately $480 billion after an auction of its shares. However, Chinese regulators have restricted Bytedance from using Nvidia chips in new data centers, pushing the company to use domestically-made AI chips instead, as China aims to reduce reliance on US technology.

SpaceComputer, a startup focused on satellite-based secure computing for blockchains, has secured $10 million in a seed funding round. The funding, co-led by Maven11 and Lattice, with participation from several other firms and individual investors, will be used to develop and launch SpaceComputer's initial satellites and the associated secure computing hardware. These satellites, known as SpaceTEE units, will be designed to execute blockchain and cryptography tasks securely from space.

Strategy, associated with Michael Saylor, moved approximately $5.1 billion worth of Bitcoin (58,390 BTC) from Coinbase to Fidelity over the past two months, as part of a larger custody transition. This transfer placed a total of 165,709 BTC (about $14.5 billion) under Fidelity's custody. The move sparked speculation about a potential sell-off, especially as Bitcoin's price declined, reducing Strategy's unrealized profits. However, Arkham, a blockchain analytics firm, clarified that these transfers were custody migrations, not sales, and Strategy has continued to buy Bitcoin, accumulating 9,839 BTC since October, bringing its total holdings to 649,870 BTC. Despite the decreased unrealized profit, Strategy maintains that its financial position remains strong, with assets significantly exceeding the value of its debt, even if Bitcoin's price were to fall substantially.

XRP has recovered to above $2 after a recent dip, but its price movement is currently stable. While it's up 51% since November 2024, it's also down over the last week, two weeks, and month. The cryptocurrency market, including Bitcoin, is generally in a phase of consolidation. XRP's earlier surge was fueled by the resolution of the SEC lawsuit and a new all time high. The launch of XRP spot ETFs could potentially drive the price up by increasing demand. However, broader economic factors like slow economic growth, persistent inflation, and strong jobs data are delaying potential interest rate cuts, which could limit overall crypto market gains.

The meme coin Pepe (PEPE) has decreased in value by 37% over the past month and is currently trading around $0.000004478. One analyst suggests it could drop another 60% to $0.0000015 due to a potential head and shoulders pattern and increased volatility. This bearish outlook is supported by recent exchange inflows exceeding outflows, suggesting some investors are preparing to sell. However, other observers believe PEPE could be gearing up for a rally, with potential breakouts to $0.00000550 or even new all-time highs. PEPE's price is currently 84% below its all-time high from December 2024 when it reached approximately $0.00002803.

Cryptocurrency exchange inflows are decreasing as the market undergoes a correction. Binance recorded the highest trading volumes, with $25 billion in spot trading and $62 billion in perpetual futures trading in the last day. Crypto.com and OKX followed. Total spot trading volume has fallen from a peak of $150 billion on October 10 to $65 billion recently, while perpetual futures trading is down from $360 billion to $170 billion. Binance's stablecoin reserves reached a record $51.1 billion this month, surpassing Coinbase in stablecoin inflows. Altcoin inflows were also recorded. Increased selling pressure is noted, with $40 billion in BTC and ETH flowing into exchanges last week. Bitcoin is trading at $86,940, down 4.8% in the past week and 25% in the last month. Ethereum is at $2,927, down 4.55% in the past week and nearly 30% in the last month. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw inflows of $128.7 billion, while Ethereum ETFs recorded inflows of 78.6 billion on November 25.

Cryptocurrency market sentiment remains very negative, with the Fear and Greed Index at 15, only slightly up from a record low of 10 last week. Bitcoin is trading below previous highs due to liquidations and concerns about global economic growth. Despite this, some altcoins are showing positive movement. Dash increased by approximately 20% due to a new partnership with Zebec, focusing on payments and settlements. SPX6900, a meme-driven token, also rose by about 19%, potentially due to traders seeking familiar speculative assets. Monad increased by 19% following new access points like Telegram support and Polymarket availability. Despite these gains, a full altcoin season is unlikely in current conditions, with gains concentrated in specific coins due to particular news or features rather than a broad market recovery.

According to a technical analyst, Dogecoin is currently forming a falling wedge pattern on its 12-hour chart, suggesting a potential breakout. If Dogecoin breaks above the resistance level around $0.15, it could trigger a rally of approximately 80-90%. This upward movement could potentially push the price of Dogecoin into the upper $0.20 range, specifically targeting around $0.27. Currently, Dogecoin is trading between the resistance level near $0.15 and support above $0.13. The analyst notes that the breakout is conditional, as the upper wedge line hasn't been broken yet. As of the time of the article, Dogecoin's price was $0.14988.

Spain is considering a new tax plan that could significantly increase taxes on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The proposal aims to move crypto gains into a higher tax bracket, potentially reaching 47%. Additionally, the plan would classify all cryptocurrencies as attachable assets, making them subject to seizure. This has raised concerns within the crypto industry, with experts suggesting it could be difficult to enforce and might encourage residents to move elsewhere. Some also worry about the administrative burden on crypto service providers, particularly regarding assets they don't support. Separately, there's a proposal for a Bitcoin-specific tax system with lower rates, but the overall direction of Spain's crypto tax policy is still under debate as lawmakers evaluate the potential effects.

The XRP community has been waiting for specific industry events, such as the activation of ISO 20022, expecting these events to automatically increase the value of XRP. However, the ISO 20022 event has already occurred, and there hasn't been a significant change in XRP's value.

The cryptocurrency market experienced a split in performance among decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens after October 10th. Some DeFi tokens demonstrated resilience and maintained their value, while others faced significant declines. This divergence highlights the varied risk profiles and investor sentiment within the DeFi sector, indicating that not all DeFi projects are performing uniformly.

JPMorgan has filed paperwork to launch a new investment product related to Bitcoin. This product is a leveraged structured note, meaning it aims to amplify investment returns based on the performance of BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). The filing indicates JPMorgan's renewed involvement in offering Bitcoin-related investment opportunities.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $87,000, and according to Alphractals CEO Joao Wedson, whether it can surpass $88,800 is crucial for its next move. This $88,800 level represents the average cost basis of active Bitcoin investors. If Bitcoin stays below this price, it could lead to more investors selling off their holdings due to uneasiness. Conversely, if it rises above $88,800, it could signal renewed confidence and reduce selling pressure. In addition, wallets holding at least 100 BTC have increased since November 11, while smaller wallets have decreased, a pattern often associated with long-term price increases. Another indicator, the Puell Multiple, suggests Bitcoin may be trading below its fair value, which historically has been a sign of a potential market rebound.

A viral claim that JPMorgan Chase was heavily shorting shares of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), potentially leading to a financial crisis if the stock rallied, was proven false. SEC filings show JPMorgan held no short position in Strategy. While JPMorgan did reduce its Strategy holdings by 24.54% and held some put options, these were a small part of its total assets and likely represented standard hedging. The broader short interest in Strategy was 9.74% of the float, significantly smaller than the GameStop situation. Meanwhile, Harvard University increased its holdings in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) by 257%, making it their largest equity holding. Al Warda Investments increased its IBIT stake by 230%, and Emory University increased its holdings in Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust by 91%. Total inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. have reached $60.8 billion since January 2024.

The article discusses a potential risk to Bitcoin's price stemming from the possibility of treasury companies selling off their Bitcoin holdings. The concern is that if a significant number of these companies decide to sell their Bitcoin at the same time, it could flood the market and cause a substantial price decrease, potentially leading to a market crash.

The Shiba Inu ecosystem announced a partnership with TokenPlay AI. This collaboration aims to provide SHIB holders with real-world token utility. The Shiba Inu community was alerted to this development via the official Shib X account, highlighting the potential benefits for SHIB token holders.

JPMorgan has filed paperwork to offer structured notes tied to the performance of Bitcoin. These notes are investment products that derive their value from an underlying asset, in this case, Bitcoin. Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital, has reacted positively to this development. The filing indicates that JPMorgan is exploring ways to offer clients exposure to Bitcoin through more traditional financial products.

Blockrise, a Dutch Bitcoin company, has obtained a MiCA license, which allows it to offer regulated Bitcoin services throughout the European Union. This license enables the company to expand its Bitcoin-focused platform across Europe and cater to growing demand for regulated Bitcoin options from corporate and institutional clients. As part of its expansion, Blockrise is launching a new Bitcoin-backed credit service for corporate clients, enabling them to borrow funds while retaining ownership of their Bitcoin. To further fuel its growth plans, Blockrise is planning to raise 15 million euros in a Series A funding round, seeking investors who support regulated Bitcoin products.

Bank of America predicts the US economy will grow by 2.4% in 2026, but JPMorgan warns of potential issues like tariffs and tensions with China. The key factor for Bitcoin isn't the exact growth number, but whether inflation-adjusted yields, also known as real yields, go up or down. Bitcoin tends to do well when real yields are low because investors look for riskier assets like Bitcoin. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) now play a big role, with large daily inflows and outflows affecting Bitcoin's price based on how real yields move. If the economy grows as Bank of America expects, with easing inflation, Bitcoin could benefit. However, if JPMorgan's concerns materialize and real yields stay high due to tariffs and other problems, Bitcoin might struggle as investors stick with safer investments like Treasury bonds. Tariffs could keep inflation around 3.2% and yields high complicating the Federal Reserve's easing path, so the ultimate direction of Bitcoin depends on how real yields react to these economic forces and how investors react to those forces through the bitcoin ETFs.

Cardano (ADA) has been recognized as compliant with the ISO 20022 standard by CoinMarketCap. This standard is used globally by banks and financial institutions for payments and transactions. This recognition places Cardano among a select group of cryptocurrencies meeting this standard, including XRP, Chainlink, Stellar, Hedera, Algorand, and XDC Network. Being ISO 20022 compliant signals potential for greater integration of Cardano with traditional finance, as the network is well-positioned to work with institutions and governments adopting the ISO 20022 standard.

The price of Ethena (ENA) has recently increased, but on-chain data suggests this rally may be short-lived. Despite the recent price increase, large holders of ENA, often referred to as whales, have reduced their holdings by approximately 100 million ENA, equivalent to about $28 million. Additionally, the On-Balance Volume (OBV) indicator shows that the price increase is not supported by a corresponding increase in buying volume, which is a sign of weakness. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) also indicates bearish momentum. If ENA fails to break above $0.29, it could potentially drop to $0.24, a roughly 13% decrease from its current price. A further decline below $0.24 could lead to a price of $0.21. For the rally to continue, ENA needs to close strongly above $0.29, driven by a breakout in OBV, and then surpass $0.35. Until these conditions are met, the downtrend for ENA is expected to persist.

The cryptocurrency market maker Portofino Technologies is reportedly experiencing further staff departures. This follows previous reports of employees leaving the firm. The article suggests potential instability within a company that is a key player in providing liquidity in the crypto market. Fewer employees at a crypto market maker could impact trading volumes and market stability.

On Wednesday, the Financial Times (FT) published three negative reports concerning Bitcoin, potentially signaling a market bottom. The confluence of negative news could indicate that the market sentiment has reached a point of extreme pessimism, often seen before a price reversal. While the specific details of each FT report are not provided, the overall message suggests increased bearishness surrounding Bitcoin.

DDC, a company that holds Bitcoin as part of its assets, saw its stock price increase by 22%. This happened because the company bought an additional 100 Bitcoin during a period when the Bitcoin market was declining. Essentially, DDC took advantage of lower prices to increase its Bitcoin holdings, which investors seemed to react positively to, driving up the company's stock value.

Grayscale has filed for a ZCash Trust, labeled ZCSH, following a significant price increase in ZEC. This trust, an exchange-traded product, will initially be available only to accredited investors who meet specific income and net worth requirements. Grayscale intends to list ZCSH on NYSE Arca after it begins trading on the OTC market. The fund will issue shares in baskets of 10,000, readjusting daily to reflect ZEC's price, with the goal of arbitrage until the shares trade at net asset value. Reliance Global Group also announced a new ZEC position, making it the primary digital asset for their treasury. ZEC's price has shown volatility, with over a 100% gain against BTC in the last month.

Reliance Global Group has moved its entire digital asset treasury into Zcash (ZEC) after conducting a strategic review. The company sold all previous digital assets and used the proceeds to purchase ZEC. The decision was influenced by Reliance's Crypto Advisory Board, which emphasized Zcash's long-term potential, particularly its focus on privacy, its Bitcoin-based structure, and its suitability for institutional use. Reliance values Zcash's optional privacy features, allowing for both transparent and shielded transactions. They believe this provides flexibility while maintaining auditability and regulatory compliance. Reliance also noted Zcash's price increase of over 1,200 percent in the past 90 days as a sign of growing demand for privacy-focused assets. Upgrades to Zcash's zero-knowledge cryptography were also a significant factor in the decision.

Grayscale, a cryptocurrency investment firm, has applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to convert its Grayscale Zcash Trust into a spot ZEC exchange-traded fund (ETF). The proposed ETF, if approved, would be listed on NYSE Arca under the ticker ZCSH. Coinbase Custody is slated to be the custodian, Coinbase the prime broker, and The Bank of New York Mellon the transfer agent and administrator. As of November 25th, the Grayscale Zcash Trust held approximately 394,400 ZEC, which is equivalent to around $199.2 million based on current market prices.

AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group, along with Swiss banking partners, have successfully tested a system for faster financial transactions using Google Cloud's Universal Ledger platform (GCUL). The pilot program demonstrated near-real-time, 24/7 settlement of fiat transactions between regulated Swiss banks, maintaining existing security and compliance standards. This new system aims to speed up settlement processes without creating new digital currencies or changing current regulations. Crypto Finance Group acted as the Currency Operator, ensuring compliance, while banks integrated GCUL to provide clients with faster settlement and transparency without disrupting existing banking services. The next steps involve expanding the platform, including more financial institutions, and moving towards live operations, with future goals including cross-border payments and point-of-sale (POS) integration. This initiative aims to position Switzerland as a leader in modern payment infrastructure.

As Thanksgiving 2025 approaches on November 27th, online casinos are preparing to offer festive-themed slot games and holiday bonuses. Several Thanksgiving-themed slots are highlighted, including Hot Turkey by Thunderkick with a 94.13% RTP and a maximum payout of 10,000x, Duck Hunters by Nilomit City with a 96.05% RTP and potential for 30,000x payouts, and Big Rich Turkeys by Red Tiger with a 96.07% RTP and a maximum payout of 21,648. Other slots include More Turkey by Big Time Gaming (96.50% RTP), Wild Turkey Megaways by NetEnt (96.05% RTP), Baba Jam by Popiplay, Chase the Turkey by Dragon Gaming, 1 Reel Thanksgiving by Spinomenal, Happy Thanksgiving by KA Gaming, and Turkey Royale by FlipLuck. The article also lists various online casinos where these games can be played, along with their corresponding bonus offers, which include deposit matches, free spins, and rakeback rewards. The promotions will likely extend into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period.

Cardano (ADA) is currently facing resistance after a recent price drop. After hitting a high of approximately $0.47 on November 20th, the price of Cardano fell to around $0.39 the following day. The article highlights that ADA needs to overcome a certain resistance level before it can attempt to reach its highest price in the last three months.

Vitalik Buterin outlined a plan for Ethereum to optimize network performance by increasing the gas limit fivefold while also increasing gas costs fivefold for specific operations that consume significant resources. These operations include creating new storage slots, certain storage modifications, precompiles (excluding elliptic-curve ones), calls to large contracts, complex arithmetic instructions, and calldata. The goal is to allow more transactions per block, boosting overall network throughput, while discouraging inefficient coding practices that can overload the network. Ethereum is currently running with a 60 million block gas limit, a 2x increase in a single year. Ethereum also reached a new peak of 31,083 transactions per second. The network is undergoing several upgrades to enhance transaction efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.

Bolivia's Economy Minister Jos Gabriel Espinoza announced plans to integrate stablecoins into the country's financial system. This initiative was revealed as part of Espinoza's first major policy announcement since Rodrigo Paz became president, signaling a move towards financial modernization in Bolivia.

Aramco and Pasqal have launched a 200-qubit quantum computer in Saudi Arabia, sparking debate about the potential threat to Bitcoin's security. While current quantum computers are not powerful enough to break Bitcoin's cryptography, concerns exist about a future 'Q-Day' when they might be. Experts like Vitalik Buterin suggest this could happen as early as 2028, while others, like Michael Saylor, believe Bitcoin will upgrade its security protocols in time. IBM aims for a 100,000-qubit computer by 2033. Recent market movements have seen Bitcoin decline by 24% in the last 30 days, partly due to quantum computing fears and concerns raised by Ray Dalio. In contrast, privacy coins like Zcash, which use advanced cryptography, have seen a 40% increase in the same period, though Zcash has declined 18% in the last week to $507.80.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has approved Eunice to test its crypto disclosure templates within the FCA's regulatory sandbox. These templates, developed with major crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken, aim to improve transparency for UK consumers by providing clear information about crypto assets before purchase. The trial will assess how the templates work in real-world conditions and help the FCA develop future crypto disclosure policies, which are part of a broader plan to finalize crypto regulations in 2026. The FCA believes clearer disclosures will reduce user confusion, improve market safety, and assist firms with compliance.

In Spain, the Sumar party has suggested a significant alteration to crypto tax regulations. The proposal involves increasing capital gains taxes on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to 47%. This change is currently under debate within the country's political sphere.

Michael Saylor's company, Strategy, has moved a significant amount of Bitcoin, specifically 58,390 BTC valued at approximately $5.1 billion, away from the Coinbase exchange over the last two months. These Bitcoin holdings were transferred to Fidelity Custody, indicating an increased reliance on Fidelity's custodial services for storing their digital assets.

Berachain's CEO, Smokey The Bera, is disputing a report about a deal offering one of its major investors, Nova Digital (a fund within Brevan Howard's BH Digital), the option to get a refund on their $25 million investment in BERA tokens after one year. The report, published by Unchained, claims Nova Digital received this special right as part of Berachain's Series B funding round, which Nova Digital co-led with Framework Ventures. Smokey The Bera argues that the report is incomplete and inaccurate but has not provided specific details to clarify the actual terms of the agreement.

The stock market is up for the fourth consecutive day as the holiday week begins. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 286 points, the S&P 500 went up by 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.6%. Nvidia shares recovered, increasing by 1%, and Microsoft also grew by over 1%, boosting positive feelings about technology companies. Alphabet's stock reached a new high because of reports that Meta might use its TPU chips in the future.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is increasing its work on central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programs. They have appointed Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli as the new head of the BIS Innovation Hub, starting March 1, 2026, for a five-year term. He will lead collaboration across the Hub's seven global centers, focusing on digital money infrastructure, tokenized deposits, and the future of central bank technology. This includes projects involving over 200 central bank experts to examine digital currency models. The BIS Innovation Hub's centers in various global locations will support experiments connecting policy goals with real-world testing, ensuring continuous work on CBDC pilots and tokenized deposits during the leadership transition.