Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin drew a clear boundary around what he considers “real” decentralized finance (DeFi), pushing back against yield-driven stablecoin strategies that he says fail to meaningfully transform risk. In a discussion on X, Buterin said that DeFi derives its value from changing how risk is allocated and managed, not simply from generating yield on centralized assets. Buterin’s comments come amid renewed scrutiny over DeFi’s dominant use cases, particularly in lending markets built around fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC (USDC). While he did not name specific protocols, Buterin took aim…
Category: Bitcoin News
Crypto ETP Outflows Ease as Trading Hits Record $63 Billion
Crypto investment products logged a third straight week of outflows, though the pace of selling eased markedly as digital asset prices steadied after a sharp downturn. Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded $187 million in outflows during the week, a sharp drop from the $3.43 billion seen over the previous two weeks, CoinShares reported on Monday. The slowdown came as Bitcoin (BTC) fell to its lowest level since November 2024, with the price touching $60,000 on Coinbase last Thursday. “While flows typically move in line with crypto prices, changes in the…
Xinbi Handled Nearly $18B in Crypto Transactions After Ban: TRM Labs
A Chinese-language crypto guarantee marketplace known as Xinbi processed nearly $18 billion in onchain transaction volume despite platform bans and United States enforcement actions aimed at dismantling similar services, according to a new report from TRM Labs. The report said recent crackdowns — reshaped but failed to dismantle — a key layer in crypto-enabled laundering infrastructure. TRM’s analysis showed that Xinbi sustained on-chain activity after Telegram banned clusters of Chinese-language guarantee services in 2025. The report attributes Xinbi’s resilience to rapid migration to alternative messaging services and the launch of…
South Korea Prepares Crypto Market Probes Under 2026 Policy Plan
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it will step up scrutiny of suspected cryptocurrency price manipulation in 2026, outlining a slate of planned investigations that target high-risk trading tactics, including “whale” activity and schemes that exploit disruptions at local exchanges, local outlet Yonhap reported Monday. According to Yonhap News Agency, FSS Governor Lee Chang-jin said that the agency will target high-risk trading practices that undermine market order, including coordinated manipulation and schemes exploiting disruptions in exchange infrastructure. The FSS said the probes will focus on tactics that involve large-scale…
Bitcoin Sharpe Ratio Hits Bear Market Lows At Negative 10
The Bitcoin Sharpe ratio, which measures risk/reward potential, is in negative territory that is often associated with the end of bear markets, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost. “The Sharpe ratio has just entered a particularly interesting zone, one that has historically aligned with the final phases of bear markets,” said the analyst on X on Saturday. They added, however, that it is not a signal that the bear market is over, “but rather that we are approaching a point where the risk-to-reward profile is becoming extreme.” The Sharpe ratio has…
ENS Abandons Its planned Namechain L2, Citing Drastically Lower Gas Costs
Ethereum domain name service provider ENS has canceled plans to launch a layer-2 as part of its ENSv2 upgrade, opting instead to launch a revamped protocol directly on Ethereum. In a blog post on Friday, ENS lead developer nick.eth explained that the decision was partly due to a “99% reduction in ENS registration gas costs over the past year” amid a number of important upgrades to the Ethereum network. “Put simply: Ethereum L1 is scaling, and it’s scaling faster than almost anyone predicted two years ago. The recent Fusaka upgrade…
US Treasury Secretary Pushes For Start On Fed Chair Confirmation Hearings
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling on the Senate Banking Committee to proceed with confirmation hearings for Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh, despite a standoff over an ongoing probe into current Fed chair Jerome Powell. Speaking with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Bessent referenced recent pushback from Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who said he plans to stall on the confirmation of the next Fed chair until the Department of Justice probe into Powell is resolved. “Senator Tillis has come out and said he thinks that Kevin Warsh is…
Crypto, Banks Give Input to Fed ‘Skinny Master Account’ Idea
The Federal Reserve has heard arguments from crypto companies and banking associations on a proposal to allow so-called “skinny master accounts,” which would give fintech firms limited access to the central bank’s payments infrastructure. The Fed received 44 comments in response to its proposal, which closed on Friday, seeking feedback on offering a “payment account,” with crypto companies backing the idea and banks urging caution. In opening up comments on the proposal in December, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the new payment accounts were needed due to “rapid developments” in…
Bitcoin Bear Market Comparison Sparks New $50,000 BTC Price Prediction
Bitcoin (BTC) gained up to 3% Sunday, but some traders refused to believe that the BTC price crash was over. Key points: Bitcoin price comparisons warn that new macro lows are due if the 2022 bear market continues to repeat. Moving averages and the cost basis of the US spot Bitcoin ETFs are in focus. Analysis says that a carbon copy of 2022 is not a certainty. Bitcoin capitulation “hasn’t happened yet” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD crossing $71,000, now up 20% versus Friday’s 15-month lows. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source:…
Bitcoin Is Offering ‘New Crack Of The Apple’ To Institutions: Bitwise CEO
Bitcoin’s drop below $70,000 is being seen very differently by long-time holders and institutional investors, according to Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley. “I think long-time holders are feeling unsure, and I think the new investor set, institutions are sort of getting a new crack at the apple,” Horsley said during an interview with CNBC on Friday. Horsley said that institutional buyers are “seeing prices they thought that they’d forever missed.” It was only in October that Standard Chartered’s head of digital asset research, Geoff Kendrick, said he doesn’t expect Bitcoin to…