Author: John Smith
Leaked files show Binance let $1.7b move through 13 suspicious accounts — including $144m after its $4.3b U.S. plea deal — despite terror‑finance red flags and odd logins. Summary Internal data reviewed by the FT shows 13 suspicious Binance accounts handled $1.7b in crypto, with around $144m in volume after the 2023 U.S. criminal settlement. One Venezuelan slum account moved about $93m, and another tied to a 25‑year‑old woman received $177m while cycling through 647 bank detail changes and 496 accounts. Several wallets received USDT from addresses later frozen by Israel over alleged links to Hizbollah and Iran‑backed Houthis, even…
Gold and silver have reached record highs, but Bitcoin’s history shows crypto often reacts weeks later rather than immediately. Summary Gold and silver have surged to new all-time highs, while Bitcoin remains under pressure near the $86,000–$88,000 range. Past cycles show crypto market often lags gold rallies by several weeks before making stronger moves. If rate cuts effects and liquidity easing continue, crypto could follow metals higher once risk appetite returns. Gold and silver surged to fresh record highs on Monday, Dec. 22, raising questions about how cryptocurrencies may respond as investors shift toward traditional safe-haven assets. According to market…
Ethereum price appears to be consolidating after months of leverage exited the market, easing pressure without yet pointing to a clear direction. Summary Ethereum open interest has fallen about 50% since August, showing widespread position closures by large traders. Binance taker sell volume has dropped to its lowest level since May, pointing to softer sell-side urgency. The chart shows sideways movement below key resistance, with buyers cautious and sellers less aggressive. Ethereum is trading in a calmer market environment after a sharp reduction in leverage, with data showing that open interest across major exchanges has fallen since August. According to…
Aave price slid on Dec. 22 after a large holder moved a sizable block of tokens into the market, setting off a sharp sell-off over a short period. Summary A whale sold 230,350 AAVE worth about $37.6M, pushing price down near $162. On-chain data shows mixed whale behavior, with some large holders still adding positions. The chart shows pressure near the $160–165 zone, with resistance stacked overhead. The move pushed the token down to around $161.70 at press time, with the price slipping back toward levels that have tested buyers several times this month. According to on-chain data, a single…
Ireland fined Coinbase Europe €21.5m after data issues left €173b in transactions unmonitored, with failures undisclosed during its VASP registration and now forcing an exit to Luxembourg. Summary The Central Bank of Ireland fined Coinbase Europe €21.5m after data configuration failures in an outsourced TMS left about 30m transactions, worth roughly €173b, unmonitored between 2021 and 2022. Coinbase Europe did not detect or disclose the issues during its 2022 VASP application, with management only fully briefed in 2023, leading the regulator to brand its oversight of Coinbase Inc. as ineffective. The VASP registration will lapse at end‑2025 as Coinbase Europe relocates…
In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed settlement agreements for Sam Bankman-Fried’s former associates whose testimony secured his conviction. Summary SEC proposed settlements for former FTX executives who testified against Sam Bankman-Fried. South Korean police busted a fake currency ring targeting crypto traders in in-person deals. Poland’s parliament revived comprehensive crypto legislation after an earlier rejection. Additionally, law enforcement in South Korea dismantled a criminal operation using counterfeit currency to defraud cryptocurrency traders and Poland’s parliament revived comprehensive industry legislation. SEC offers settlements to FTX cooperating witnesses The Securities and Exchange Commission…
The UNI price token jumped for the third consecutive day, reaching its highest level since Nov. 20 as the Unification vote started. Summary UNI token price rose for three consecutive days, reaching its highest level since Nov. 20. Most members of the community are voting in favor of the Unification proposal. The vote will see over 100 million UNI tokens incinerated. Uniswap (UNI) token jumped to a high of $6.35, up by 32% above its lowest level this month, bringing its market capitalization to over $5.7 billion. The UNI token jumped as the unification vote started, with most users voting…
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called prediction markets a healthier alternative to traditional investing and social media discourse on emotionally charged topics. Summary Vitalik Buterin says prediction markets force accountability by attaching money to beliefs. Bounded prices between 0 and 1 reduce hype, reflexivity, and pump-and-dump behavior. Buterin argues prediction markets are calmer and more truth-seeking than social media. Writing on Farcaster, Buterin argued that prediction markets tie opinions to financial consequences. This creates an accountability absent from platforms where users gain clout without repercussions for incorrect predictions. Buterin dismissed concerns that prediction markets incentivize harmful behavior. He noted that “small-scale…
New crypto token launches have faced major price declines in 2025, with 84.7% trading below their Token Generation Event valuations. Research by Ash from Memento Research tracked 118 TGE launches this year, finding that 100 tokens have fallen beneath their opening prices. The median token has crashed 71% in fully diluted valuation since launch, with market cap down 67%. Only 15% of 2025 token launches trade above their TGE valuations. “2025 token launches have mostly been a bloodbath,” Ash wrote on X. “This means ~4 out of 5 launches are below their opening valuation.” High-profile cryptos suffer 90%+ crashes from…
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. We are losing. For all the talk of sovereignty, decentralization, and web3 revolutions, the cold reality is that the crypto industry has failed to cross the threshold into everyday life. We have built Byzantine castles in the clouds — protocols and networks of breathtaking beauty and complexity — only to discover that no one outside our Ivory Tower wants to live in them. The “next billion users” aren’t coming, not because they don’t care about decentralization, but…