Author: Ethan Carter
Ethan is a seasoned cryptocurrency writer with extensive experience contributing to leading U.S.-based blockchain and fintech publications. His work blends in-depth market analysis with accessible explanations, making complex crypto topics understandable for a broad audience. Over the years, he has covered Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, and emerging blockchain trends, always with a focus on accuracy and insight. Ethan's articles have appeared on major crypto portals, where his expertise in market trends and investment strategies has earned him a loyal readership.
As reported by South Korean broadcaster KBS, Binance has only frozen a fraction of the funds linked to a hack on Nov. 27 that affected Upbit, one of the largest crypto exchanges in South Korea.KBS reported on Friday that investigators had requested Binance to freeze approximately 470 million Korean won ($370,000) in Solana (SOL) tokens thought to be connected to the incident. The exchange ultimately blocked about $55,000 (around 17% of the requested sum) after a delay of 15 hours.The report stated that Binance required additional verification in response to the police request.Following the hack, Upbit experienced unauthorized withdrawals of…
TIX, a settlement layer aimed at the live-events sector, has stepped out of stealth mode to implement decentralized finance (DeFi) lending and on-chain settlement into an industry that has traditionally behaved like a private credit market.Thus far, the TIX network has enabled over $8 million in ticket sales and produced around $2 million in venue financing. This activity has been executed through KYD Labs, with TIX planning to debut on the Solana mainnet by mid-2026, the company disclosed to Cointelegraph.TIX, which is led by veterans from Ticketmaster and Buildspace, acts as the foundational settlement and financing layer for KYD Labs,…
The price of Bitcoin remains above $92,000 as long-term holders absorb the supply, while new on-chain data indicates a tightening market poised for a possible breakout. Summary Bitcoin approaches $93K as long-term holders accumulate assets. Binance data reveals a notable divergence marked by record withdrawals and low deposits. Technical analysis suggests a tightening volatility pattern that could signal a breakout. As of the latest update, Bitcoin was priced at $92,534, reflecting a 2.5% increase over the last 24 hours. The weekly trading range is between $88,202 and $94,267, with the asset still 26% lower than its all-time high of $126,080…
The Phantom crypto wallet application has teamed up with the regulated prediction market Kalshi to integrate event-based trading within its wallet interface, indicating a closer integration between onchain finance and real-world outcome betting.The companies announced on Friday that this integration will enable Phantom users to explore trending events, monitor live odds, and place bets directly from their wallets.A new feature named Phantom Prediction Markets will permit users to trade tokenized positions linked to Kalshi’s event markets encompassing politics, economics, sports, and culture.“By integrating a layer of tokenized positions referencing Kalshi’s regulated event markets with Phantom, users can trade what they…
Ripple has faced a long and challenging journey. After a protracted dispute with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the blockchain-based payments and infrastructure company is moving forward with ambitious plans to integrate custody, treasury, and prime-brokerage services, all supported by blockchain technology and stablecoins.Despite the intense legal struggles and the reputational impact, Ripple has managed to secure support from several major players on Wall Street.This week’s Crypto Biz examines how Ripple achieved an impressive $40 billion valuation, and why some of its investors are quietly betting on a rise in XRP (XRP).In other news, WisdomTree launched a new options-income…
According to John Ameriks, the global head of quantitative equity at Vanguard, Bitcoin is predominantly a speculative asset, comparable to a collectible toy. “I find it challenging to regard Bitcoin as anything beyond a digital Labubu,” Ameriks stated during Bloomberg’s ETFs in Depth conference in New York City. Labulus are plush collectible toys that depict animals with human-like traits. Despite his critiques, Ameriks mentioned that Bitcoin (BTC) could, under certain conditions, hold value beyond mere financial speculation in the future. He pointed out that the cryptocurrency might discover practical applications outside of market speculation, especially in times of significant fiat…
Institutional investment and well-defined regulations are establishing a solid groundwork for the broader cryptocurrency sector as we enter 2026.Key figures in the industry, such as Anthony Scaramucci, Kristin Smith, Eli Ben-Sasson, Ian Rodgers, Reeve Collins, and Joseph Chalom, shared their positive perspectives for the upcoming year following a series of favorable developments, particularly in the United States.Cointelegraph’s recent LONGITUDE event showcased discussions centered on Solana’s expansion, growing interest in privacy protocols, and insights gained from security breaches in 2025. From left, Solana Policy Institute president Kristin Smith, Cointelegraph journalist Ciaran Lyons, and SkyBridge founder Anthony Scaramucci.“There’s been an extraordinary amount…
Bitcoin mining firms are increasingly adopting renewable energy sources to cut costs in the wake of a historically low hash price, a key indicator of miner profitability, which has fallen below the $40 threshold that signifies the breakeven point for mining operators.The hash price, representing the expected profitability for miners per unit of computing power utilized to successfully add a block, currently stands at approximately $39.4 per petahash second per day (PH/s/day), according to mining data provider Hashrate Index.Sangha Renewables, a Bitcoin (BTC) mining and renewable energy enterprise, launched a 20 megawatt (MW) solar-powered mining facility in Ector County, Texas,…
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has launched version 3.0.0 of its reference server software, rippled. This update includes a comprehensive range of amendments, bug fixes, and internal modifications designed to enhance accounting precision, developer tools, and long-term adaptability of the protocol.XRPL server operators must upgrade to this version to ensure network compatibility, as stated by RippleX, the division responsible for the ledger’s core software development.Although this release lacks major user-facing features, it emphasizes correcting subtle inconsistencies in the ledger, refining API functionality, and restructuring code in anticipation of future protocol upgrades. This is crucial as the network increasingly focuses on tokenization,…
Young Hoon Kim — the social media figure who claims the “IQ 276” record — just provided the XRP community with some exciting news. “From now on, I’m buying XRP,” Kim posted on X this past Friday, marking his first direct endorsement of XRP after a series of posts focused on Bitcoin. I buy #XRP from now on. — YoungHoon Kim, IQ 276 (@yhbryankimiq) December 12, 2025 What’s Behind the XRP Endorsement?