Prediction market Kalshi predicts a 75% probability that Democrats will win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. Against this backdrop, Maxine Waters, the senior Democratic member of the House Financial Services Committee, has issued sharper criticisms of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins's policies on cryptocurrency regulation. In a letter to the committee's Republican chairman, French Hill, Waters stated that the SEC has terminated or suspended several important enforcement cases targeting the crypto industry, involving companies such as Coinbase, Binance, and Justin Sun. She pointed out that the committee has not adequately examined the SEC's reasons for abandoning these cases, nor how it will prevent fraud and manipulation in markets targeting large retail investors. Waters also claimed that some of the companies involved announced the termination of their cases before the SEC's formal vote and questioned the "unusually active" role played by Atkins' team in the settlement process. She believes that the SEC's recent policy shift, primarily through staff statements rather than informal rules, may circumvent the Administrative Procedure Act, weakening public comment and congressional oversight, and therefore demands that Atkins appear at a hearing to explain. The report points out that since the Donald Trump administration took office and completed its leadership change, the SEC has dropped several lawsuits targeting the crypto industry. Atkins has also repeatedly stated publicly that supporting the development of the US crypto industry is a regulatory priority, a stance that is becoming a focus of continued scrutiny and questioning from the Democratic Party. (CoinDesk)

Vance Spencer, co-founder of Framework Ventures, published an article on the X platform stating that 2025 is not the year the cryptocurrency industry hoped for, but it may be a necessary year for continued development. The industry has now completely moved away from memecoins, NFTs, low-circulation/high fully diluted valuation (FDV) tokens, and consumer projects. He predicts a significant decrease in token issuance in 2026, with market focus shifting to mainstream assets like BTC and ETH, as well as DeFi blue-chip stocks with reasonable value capture mechanisms. Institutional bidding for these assets may exceed expectations. The future of the cryptocurrency space lies in stablecoins, RWA, lending capital markets, and asset management. Reducing redundant operations, improving quality, and pursuing compliance will solve many of the industry's problems. The current outlook is bullish, but opportunities for both upward movement and exit will be highly concentrated.

Eric Semler, founder of Semler Scientific, announced on the X platform that Semler Scientific has proposed a vote to its shareholders in favor of a merger with Strive. A special shareholders' meeting will be held on January 13th, and upon approval, SMLR shareholders will receive ASST shares at a 21.05x exchange rate. The merged entity will hold nearly 13,000 BTC, placing it among the top five publicly traded companies holding BTC as a primary strategic reserve. This move aims to enhance Strive's financing capabilities in the digital lending sector and maximize long-term shareholder value. Eric Semler will join the Strive board of directors.

Short-term charts point to weakness and fading momentum, even as long-term forecasts split sharply between institutional-driven upside and warnings of a deep mean reversion. source: https://www.blockhead.co/2025/12/30/bitcoin-flashes-technical-sell-signals-as-bulls-bears-clash/

Market is mobilizing all resources it has left for a final push in 2025, but it might not succeed. source: https://u.today/crypto-market-prediction-shiba-inus-shib-first-big-test-in-2026-bitcoin-btc-enters-year-end-rally

According to Onchain Lens monitoring, a major whale (0x94d...3814) has added to its 10x leveraged short position in BTC and opened new 10x leveraged short positions in ETH and 20x leveraged short positions in SOL. Its total positions are currently valued at $169 million, comprising 36,281 ETH (worth $106.5 million), 552.25 BTC (worth $48.16 million), and 114,700 SOL (worth $14.13 million).

null source: https://x.com/cointelegraph/status/2005791137802359195

Fartcoin whale accumulates 8. 58 million, valued at $2. 66 million source: https://ambcrypto.com/fartcoin-sees-2-66mln-whale-buying-is-0-36-back-on-table/

As Bitcoin (BTC) maintains a consolidated trading range between $86,000 and $90,000 after experiencing a 30% correction from its all-time high in October, market expectations for the cryptocurrency’s future remain optimistic. Market analyst Dominic Basulto from The Motley Fool believes that despite the persistent challenges seen in the fourth quarter of the year, Bitcoin could soar to $150,000 by 2026, fueled by the newly established US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Is $150,000 Possible For Bitcoin? Historical context supports Basulto’s prediction; Bitcoin’s performance over the years has shown significant recovery potential, with 2015 marking its worst bull market year at just a 36% gain. Significantly, in seven of its years, Bitcoin has achieved triple-digit percentage returns source: https://www.newsbtc.com/bitcoin-news/us-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-key-catalyst-for-potential-surge-toward-150000-next-year/

null source: https://x.com/angrycryptoshow/status/2005790553309597888

Japan is moving forward with a major overhaul of its crypto taxation framework, proposing a flat 20% tax on profits from digital assets under its 2026 tax reform plan. While this marks a significant reduction from the current 55% rate, the new policy currently applies only to a limited set of “specified” crypto assets, leaving many to wonder what that means.

OpenAI is facing lawsuits after a 16-year-old died by suicide, with claims that ChatGPT repeatedly discussed hanging and may have worsened his distress. The company is now introducing stronger teen protections, including safety alerts, age-specific guidance, and parental controls, to prevent harm and ensure younger users have safer, age-appropriate interactions.

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has partnered with LayerZero, a leading interoperability protocol, to enable native connectivity between Stellar and more than 150 blockchain networks. The integration allows assets—most notably USDC and other stablecoins—to move seamlessly across chains without relying on centralized bridges or intermediaries.

Hackers took control of Rainbow Six Siege, giving players billions of in-game credits and rare items, forcing Ubisoft to shut down the servers. The company is rolling back the affected accounts while allowing players to keep any items they used, and is gradually reopening the game.

Bitmine has made one of the most aggressive treasury moves in recent crypto history, committing hundreds of millions of dollars to Ethereum while simultaneously embracing staking as a long-term income strategy.

Mirae Asset Group is in talks to buy South Korea’s fourth-largest crypto exchange, Korbit, in a deal worth about 100 to 140 billion won ($70–$100 million).

Over $35 million in cryptocurrency stolen from LastPass users since 2022 has been traced to Russian cybercriminals using weak master passwords and laundering funds through mixers and Russian exchanges. TRM Labs found the thefts continued for years, showing that even encrypted vaults can be compromised if security practices are weak.

Coinbase has finally made its first arrest of one of the masterminds behind the exchange's customer data breach that exposed nearly 70,000 user accounts.

Global online interest in cryptocurrencies has fallen to its lowest levels as we approach the new year, with Google search data signaling a sharp pullback in retail attention as the market heads into 2026.

The Atlas memecoin, themed around US Vice President JD Vance’s pet dog, has nearly half of its supply controlled by 68 wallets showing signs of coordinated buying and potential insider activity. The token was heavily promoted by the influencer Whale Insider, raising concerns that retail investors could be at risk from price manipulation.