Goldman Sachs Significantly Reduces Holdings in Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs In the fourth quarter of 2025, Goldman Sachs substantially decreased its positions in spot Bitcoin and Ethereum Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), according to a report by The Block. The firm's holdings in spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a reduction of 39.4%, while its stake in spot Ethereum ETFs was cut by 27.2% compared to the previous quarter. Filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveal that as of December 31, 2025, Goldman Sachs held approximately 21.2 million shares of spot Bitcoin ETFs, valued at $1.06 billion, and about 40.7 million shares of spot Ethereum ETFs, worth roughly $1 billion. Both positions represented a notable decline from the third quarter. Concurrently, Goldman Sachs initiated new positions in spot XRP and Solana ETFs during the same quarter. By the end of last year, the firm held $152.2 million in XRP ETFs and $108.9 million in Solana ETFs. The firm's strategic adjustments in its ETF portfolio indicate a rebalancing of its digital asset exposure during the fourth quarter of 2025. The introduction of XRP and Solana ETF holdings suggests a diversification strategy alongside the reduction in its more established Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF investments. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Interactive Brokers Launches Coinbase Derivatives Micro Futures for Bitcoin and Ether Interactive Brokers announced the launch of Coinbase Derivatives' micro Bitcoin and micro Ether futures contracts on its platform. This move provides clients with a 24/7 trading channel for managing cryptocurrency exposure within a regulated framework and at a low cost. The newly available contracts include both monthly expirations and perpetual futures. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Worldcoin Parent Company Faces Executive Exodus Amid Regulatory Scrutiny Tools for Humanity, the parent company behind Worldcoin and led by Sam Altman, is experiencing a significant wave of high-level departures. Business Insider reports that Adrian Ludwig, the company's Chief Architect and Security Officer, along with Chief Legal and Privacy Officer Damien Kieran, have recently resigned. This exodus has continued with leaders from the company's protocol, people, talent, and product departments also leaving. Internal communications indicate that CEO Alex Blania has appointed interim executives to cover critical functions. Former employees have cited issues with company culture and leadership style as contributing factors to the staff turnover. This period of executive departures coincides with Worldcoin facing regulatory headwinds in Kenya and parts of Europe regarding its biometric data collection practices. #crypto #blockchain #news

Galaxy Digital Deposits 245 BTC Worth $16.91 Million to Binance According to on-chain data monitored by The Data Nerd, Galaxy Digital transferred 245 Bitcoin (BTC), valued at approximately $16.91 million, to Binance approximately one hour ago. This recent deposit follows a substantial accumulation of 1,680 BTC, worth around $148.58 million, by the firm over the past seven months. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Grayscale Report: Bitcoin's Correlation Shifts to Tech Stocks, Not Gold Grayscale's latest research indicates a strong correlation between Bitcoin's recent price movements and technology stocks, diverging from its typical behavior with safe-haven assets like gold. Analysis over the past 12 months reveals a close link between Bitcoin's performance and high-valuation software companies. Notably, Bitcoin experienced declines mirroring tech stock sell-offs, which were driven by concerns over artificial intelligence impacting traditional software services. This suggests investors currently perceive Bitcoin more as a growth asset, influenced by market sentiment and risk appetite, rather than a "digital gold" capable of withstanding market volatility. While Grayscale acknowledges Bitcoin's long-term store-of-value characteristics, such as limited supply and decentralized networks, the report emphasizes that the 17-year-old asset is still in its nascent stages of proving its utility as a global monetary asset when compared to gold's millennia-long history. Grayscale believes that while Bitcoin possesses the fundamental characteristics of a long-term store of value, including a limited supply and a decentralized network, its journey to establishing itself as a global monetary asset is still in its early phases, especially when contrasted with gold's established track record of thousands of years as a monetary history. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

North Korean Hackers Leverage AI, Deepfakes in Sophisticated Attacks on Crypto Sector Google's security team, Mandiant, has issued a stark warning regarding a new wave of targeted cyberattacks orchestrated by North Korea-linked hacking groups. These sophisticated operations are employing AI-generated deepfake videos and deceptive Zoom conferences to compromise cryptocurrency and fintech firms. The report details how a group identified as UNC1061 (also known as CryptoCore) recently infiltrated a fintech company. By hijacking a Telegram account, the attackers initiated a fraudulent Zoom meeting, presenting fabricated deepfake videos of prominent crypto executives to establish credibility. Under the guise of an "audio malfunction," they prompted victims to execute malicious commands. This tactic ultimately led to the deployment of seven distinct malware families within the compromised systems, aimed at stealing credentials, browser data, and session tokens. #crypto #blockchain #news

US House Votes to Allow Full Vote on Trump's Tariffs, Dealing Blow to Speaker The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly rejected an attempt by Speaker Mike Johnson to block a vote on a resolution challenging former President Donald Trump's tariffs. The procedural motion failed by a vote of 217 against to 214 in favor, with three Republican lawmakers siding with all 214 Democrats. This outcome significantly impacts Johnson's leadership and opens the door for lawmakers to formally critique Trump's signature economic policy. The vote means that Democrats will be able to bring the resolution challenging Trump's tariff policies to a full House vote, with proceedings potentially beginning as early as Wednesday. While Trump retains the power to veto any resolution that reaches his desk, the passage of this vote would represent a public repudiation of his tariff policies and is likely to provoke a strong reaction from the White House. #crypto #blockchain #news

Bitwise CIO Attributes Bitcoin's Downturn to the "Four-Year Cycle" Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, has identified the cryptocurrency market's historical "four-year cycle" as the primary driver behind Bitcoin's recent decline. This phenomenon has occurred three times previously in crypto history, according to Hougan. He cautioned against attributing the downturn to a single cause. Beyond the cyclical impact, Hougan noted that shifts in investor capital towards other attractive assets such as gold and AI stocks, concerns surrounding Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh, and amplified quantitative risks have all contributed to the bear market. Despite the prevailing bearish sentiment, Hougan emphasized that Bitcoin's fundamental characteristics remain unchanged. Its inherent scarcity has not been altered by financialization, and demand in the derivatives market ultimately requires fulfillment through the spot market. The core principles underpinning Bitcoin's value proposition, such as its limited supply, remain intact even amidst market volatility. The interplay between derivatives and spot markets also continues to be a crucial dynamic. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Uniswap Victorious in Bancor Patent Dispute Uniswap founder Hayden Adams announced on the X platform that the decentralized exchange has successfully won a patent lawsuit filed by Bancor. Last May, Bancor initiated legal action against Uniswap, alleging that the DEX's smart contract technology infringed upon its patents. #crypto #blockchain #news

Solana Foundation Chairman Envisions "Internet of Capital Markets," Highlighting Blockchain's Financial Potential Lily Liu, Chairman of the Solana Foundation, recently articulated a vision for an "internet of capital markets" at the Consensus Hong Kong 2026 event. Liu emphasized that blockchain technology's core strength lies in its application within financial and market infrastructure, rather than in broader Web3 experiments. She asserted that the true value of blockchain resides in its ability to foster open, tokenized capital markets, thereby democratizing access to global assets and facilitating their formation. Liu advocates for the digitization of all world assets onto the blockchain. This integration, she believes, would enable seamless execution of everyday transactions and high-frequency trading within a unified global market. Furthermore, it would empower non-crypto projects and businesses worldwide to access capital more efficiently. Asia has been identified by Liu as a "core market" for the cryptocurrency sector. She highlighted the region's established influence from early Bitcoin adoption, its vast user base, and its deep talent pool as key factors contributing to its central role in the industry. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

SkyBridge Capital Founder Continues Aggressively Buying Bitcoin Amid Market Downturn Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital, announced at the Consensus Hong Kong conference that he is actively accumulating Bitcoin during the current market slump. He referred to former U.S. President Donald Trump as the "Crypto President." Scaramucci revealed that SkyBridge Capital has been consistently increasing its Bitcoin holdings at various price levels, including approximately $84,000, $63,000, and more recently, at lower price points. He likened the strategy of buying Bitcoin during a declining market to "catching a falling knife." Scaramucci believes Trump's actions in the cryptocurrency space have been more beneficial than those of his predecessors, noting that Trump opposed digital asset-related legislation even when it might have been detrimental to his own interests. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Coinbase CEO's Wealth Plummets, Dropping Out of Global Top 500 Brian Armstrong, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has seen his net worth fall out of the top 500 richest individuals globally, as crypto prices continue their downward trend. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Armstrong's fortune has decreased by over $10 billion in the past seven months, shrinking from a peak of $17.7 billion to approximately $7.5 billion. Armstrong's wealth is heavily concentrated, with about 90% tied to his 14% stake in Coinbase. The company's stock has experienced a significant decline, dropping around 60% from its high on July 18 of last year. The stock saw a further 2.8% dip on Tuesday. This downturn is not unique to Armstrong, as other prominent figures in the cryptocurrency space have also experienced substantial wealth erosion. For instance, the Winklevoss twins, co-founders of Gemini, have seen their net worth fall from $8.2 billion in October to $1.9 billion each. #crypto #blockchain #news

Hong Kong to Bolster Digital Asset Community, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee States Hong Kong is committed to becoming a global hub for digital asset innovation, according to a statement by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee at the opening of the Consensus Hong Kong conference. Lee highlighted the government's ongoing efforts to establish a robust regulatory framework to foster the steady and sustainable growth of the Web3 ecosystem. Lee emphasized Hong Kong's unique position, able to leverage the advantages of the evolving cryptocurrency sector while benefiting from its established ties to mainland China and broader financial markets. He referenced key initiatives, including last year's digital asset regulatory policy statement and progress on stablecoin regulations. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to building Hong Kong into a global innovation and technology hub for digital assets. As such, over the past few years, Hong Kong has been actively building a regulatory framework to promote the robust and sustainable development of the Web3 ecosystem. #crypto #blockchain #news

Galaxy Digital CEO Predicts End of Crypto Speculation Era, Shift to Real-World Assets Mike Novogratz, the CEO of Galaxy Digital, has indicated that the era of speculation in the cryptocurrency market may be drawing to a close. Speaking at a digital finance forum on Tuesday, Novogratz suggested that the industry is poised to transition towards a phase characterized by real-world asset integration and more modest returns. According to Novogratz, the current market correction is indicative of a fundamental structural shift within the industry, rather than being attributable to a single event. He specifically highlighted a large-scale liquidation of leveraged positions in October 2025, which he believes "cleared out a significant number of retail investors and market makers," thereby exerting sustained downward pressure on prices. With the increasing participation of institutional investors who exhibit lower risk appetites, the industry is expected to gradually move away from expectations of high multiples towards the broader adoption of global financial services built on blockchain infrastructure. #crypto #blockchain #news

Stablecoin Infrastructure Startup Levl Secures $7 Million in Seed Funding Led by Galaxy Ventures Levl, a startup focused on stablecoin infrastructure, has announced the successful completion of its $7 million seed funding round. The investment was led by Galaxy Ventures, with participation from Protagonist, Deus X, and Blockchain Builders Fund, according to a report by Fortune. The company provides stablecoin payment infrastructure for digital wallets and fintech firms. Levl currently serves over 20 clients, facilitating an annualized transaction volume exceeding $1 billion. Founders state that their platform enables clients to achieve instant cross-border payments at a reduced cost, eliminating the need for in-house system development. Levl plans to double its team size and strategically expand into Latin American and African markets. #crypto #blockchain #news

Fairshake PAC Spends $5 Million in Alabama Senate Primary The cryptocurrency industry's political action committee, Fairshake, has committed $5 million to support Barry Moore, the incumbent Republican Senatorial candidate in Alabama, marking the PAC's official entry into the 2026 U.S. midterm election cycle. Fairshake and its affiliated committees have amassed a significant war chest of $193 million, surpassing most other industry PACs. The PAC stated that these funds will be utilized for "independent expenditures" to fund advertisements supporting Moore. These ads will not involve direct coordination with Moore's campaign. The advertising strategy will emphasize Moore's endorsement from former President Trump, while deliberately omitting any mention of cryptocurrency-related issues. This substantial investment by Fairshake underscores the growing influence and financial power of the crypto industry in political landscapes, as it seeks to shape electoral outcomes through targeted spending. #crypto #blockchain #news

Japan's Financial Giants Pilot Stablecoin-Based Securities Trading Nomura Holdings and Daiwa Securities, in collaboration with Japan's three major banks – MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Bank – are moving forward with a pilot project for stablecoin-based securities trading. This initiative aims to enable 24-hour real-time settlement on the blockchain. The project plans to tokenize various assets, including stocks, government bonds, corporate bonds, investment trusts, and ETFs. Once an investor places an order through a brokerage, the transaction will be settled in real-time using a Japanese yen stablecoin jointly issued by the three major banks. Ownership rights will be transferred to the buyer concurrently with the settlement. The pilot is expected to commence as early as this month, following notification to financial regulators. Future expansion may see additional financial institutions join the initiative. The project leverages the immutable nature of blockchain technology to support round-the-clock trading, extending trading hours and shortening settlement cycles. The ultimate goal is to invigorate the markets for stocks, bonds, and investment trusts. #crypto #blockchain #news

Crypto Market Sees Broad Decline; Bitcoin Falls Below $70,000, Ether Down Over 4% The cryptocurrency market has once again experienced a widespread downturn following a brief rebound, according to SoSoValue data. Bitcoin (BTC) saw a 24-hour decrease of 1.93%, slipping below the $70,000 mark. Ethereum (ETH) also declined, dropping 4.51% to hover around the $2,000 level. While the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) sector registered a 3.81% loss, the cryptocurrency River (RIVER) defied the trend, marking its second consecutive day of gains with a notable 29.23% increase in the last 24 hours. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Galaxy Digital CEO: The "Speculative Era" of Crypto May Be Ending Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital, stated on Tuesday that the current phase of cryptocurrency's development, characterized by speculation, may be nearing its conclusion. He anticipates a future industry landscape focused on real-world assets and more moderate returns. Novogratz indicated that the recent market corrections are indicative of a structural shift within the industry, rather than being attributable to a single event. He specifically cited a large-scale liquidation of leveraged positions in October 2025, which he believes "cleared out a significant number of retail investors and market makers," thereby exerting sustained downward pressure on prices. As institutions with a lower risk appetite increasingly enter the market, Novogratz expects the industry to transition from an emphasis on high multiple returns to the widespread adoption of global financial services built on blockchain infrastructure. #crypto #blockchain #news

Stripe Unveils Preview of Machine and AI Agent Payments Supporting USDC and X.402 Standard Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire announced on X that Stripe has launched a preview of its machine and AI agent payments feature. This new capability supports payments made with USDC and integrates the X.402 standard. #crypto #blockchain #news