Day: December 23, 2025

Crypto Hack Counts Fall but Supply Chain Attacks Reshape Threat Landscape

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Crypto hackers stole $3.3 billion in 2025, but the number of attacks fell sharply as losses became concentrated in fewer, more sophisticated supply-chain exploits, according to new data from blockchain security firm CertiK shared with Cointelegraph. While total losses remained elevated, the decline in incident counts and a drop in median theft sizes suggest that protocol-level security is improving, pushing attackers away from simple code vulnerabilities and toward phishing and infrastructure-level attacks. CertiK said supply-chain breaches emerged as the most damaging threat, accounting for $1.45 billion in losses across just…

Ethena’s USDe Loses $8.3 Billion After October Crypto Crash

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Ethena’s synthetic dollar USDe has shed about $8.3 billion in net outflows since the major liquidation event on Oct. 10, as confidence in leveraged and synthetic collateral structures continues to weaken. According to a report from 10x Research, the October sell-off marked a turning point for the crypto market, flipping the bull phase into a period of deleveraging. The crash erased an estimated $1.3 trillion in crypto market value, nearly 30% of total capitalization at the time. Ethena USDe (USDe), which relies on synthetic collateral and hedging mechanisms rather than…

Russia’s Central Bank Signals Shift Toward Retail Crypto Access

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The Bank of Russia put forward a policy proposal that would allow non-qualified investors to buy certain cryptocurrencies. According to a Tuesday announcement, the central bank’s proposal would allow both qualified and non-qualified investors to buy most crypto, but with limitations. Non-qualified investors would be limited to a yet-to-be-defined set of liquid crypto after passing a knowledge test, capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834) a year. Qualified investors would gain broad market access excluding privacy coins, also subject to a knowledge test. Russian residents will also be able to acquire crypto…

Lighter Airdrop Fuels Polymarket Bets, Hyperliquid Lists LIT

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Lighter, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) and a major rival to Hyperliquid, is fueling airdrop speculation as Polymarket traders bet on a token launch before year’s end. Sebas, also known as Babastianj, a core contributor to the Lighter DEX, announced on the project’s Discord channel Monday that the platform is finalizing key processes ahead of the highly anticipated token generation event (TGE). “We’re in the final stretch of Season 2 and are running data science to remove Sybil, self-trading, and wash-trading points,” he said, adding that all slashed and…

Bitcoin Munari Announces $0.015 Final Presale As Countdown to Official Launch Begins

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The Bitcoin Munari presale has reached a point where questions about structure and fundamentals are largely settled. The parameters of the token distribution are defined, the timing of the public launch is disclosed, and the participation mechanics are published. The result is that the final presale window functions less like an introduction and more as a closing step before the public market trading starts. Investors are already aware of what will happen during this phase. Allocations, pricing ceilings, and post-presale mechanics are no longer hypothetical. This allows assessment to move…

How Wall Street Is Using Ethereum as Financial Infrastructure

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Key takeaways Wall Street’s adoption of Ethereum is closely tied to its ability to automate settlement through smart contracts, reducing reliance on slow, manual reconciliation processes. Stablecoins and tokenized dollars now serve as a primary entry point for banks, allowing regulated US dollar transfers to move continuously on Ethereum-based rails. Financial institutions often avoid naming Ethereum directly, instead describing it as neutral blockchain infrastructure that supports compliant financial systems. Tokenized funds and real-world assets use Ethereum as a distribution and administration layer, while the underlying investments remain traditional financial products.…

South Korea’s BC Card Completes Stablecoin Payments Pilot for Foreigners

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South Korean payments processor BC Card has completed a pilot project that enabled foreign users to pay local merchants using stablecoins. BC Card’s pilot project was announced Tuesday and was conducted with blockchain company Wavebridge, wallet provider Aaron group and cross-border remittance provider Global Money Express. The companies had foreign users convert their stablecoins held in overseas wallets, which were partnered with BC Card, into digital prepaid cards. The company said this pilot was not a short-term project, but part of preparations to implement a stablecoin payment structure. The change…

Bank of Russia moves to open crypto access to retail investors

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Key Takeaways The Bank of Russia proposes rules allowing both qualified and non-qualified investors access to crypto assets with different restrictions. New regulations would recognize digital currencies and stablecoins as assets, but not allow their use for domestic payments in Russia. Share this article The Bank of Russia has proposed a new crypto regulatory framework that would widen access to the crypto market while maintaining strict safeguards. Under a concept released by the central bank on Tuesday, both retail and professional investors would be allowed to acquire digital assets, subject…

VALR Reflects on a Transformative 2025 for Crypto and Finance

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[PRESS RELEASE – Johannesburg, South Africa, December 23rd, 2025] South Africa has been on the forefront of crypto innovation and has produced one of the leading regulatory frameworks across the world. Since April 2024, over 300 crypto asset service providers have obtained a licence. VALR, which was among the first to obtain such a crypto licence in South Africa, also recently obtained an Over-the-Counter Derivatives Provider (ODP) licence from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This enables VALR to provide a range of over-the-counter derivatives, including Contracts for Difference (CFDs),…

Amplify launches first-mover ETFs focused on stablecoins and tokenization

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Key Takeaways Amplify launched the first ETFs specifically targeting stablecoin and tokenization technologies. These ETFs offer exposure to companies and crypto assets driving the stablecoin and tokenization markets. Share this article Amplify ETFs, which oversees over $16.6 billion in assets, has launched two new exchange-traded funds, the Amplify Stablecoin Technology ETF (STBQ) and the Amplify Tokenization Technology ETF (TKNQ). Billed as first-of-their-kind offerings, the ETFs provide targeted exposure to companies and digital assets supporting the expansion of stablecoins and tokenized finance ecosystems, according to a Tuesday announcement. STBQ targets firms…