Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing an overhaul of the country’s crypto regulatory framework, moving to classify digital assets as “financial products” under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
The plan would introduce mandatory disclosures for 105 cryptocurrencies listed on domestic exchanges, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), and bring them under insider trading regulations for the first time, according to a Sunday report from Asahi Shinmun.
If enacted, exchanges would be required to disclose detailed information about each of the 105 tokens they list, including whether the asset has an identifiable issuer, the blockchain technology underpinning it and its volatility profile, per the report.
The FSA reportedly plans to bring the new crypto-related law proposal to Japan’s main parliamentary meeting in 2026 for approval.
The FSA is also pushing for a tax overhaul. Japan currently taxes crypto earnings as “miscellaneous income,” meaning high-earning traders can face rates of up to 55%, one of the steepest systems in the world.
The agency now wants gains on the 105 approved cryptocurrencies to be taxed similarly to stocks, at a flat 20% capital gains rate.
Another notable part of the proposal is the attempt to curb insider trading in the local crypto market. Under the bill, individuals or entities with access to non-public information, such as upcoming listings, delisting plans or an issuer’s financial distress, would be prohibited from buying or selling affected tokens.
Last month, it was reported that the FSA is considering allowing banks to acquire and hold cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for investment purposes. Under current rules, banks are effectively barred from holding digital assets due to volatility concerns, but the FSA plans to revisit the restrictions at an upcoming meeting of the Financial Services Council.
The regulator is also reportedly exploring whether bank groups should be permitted to register as licensed cryptocurrency exchanges, enabling them to offer trading and custody services directly to customers.
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing an overhaul of the country’s crypto regulatory framework, moving to classify digital assets as “financial products” under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
The plan would introduce mandatory disclosures for 105 cryptocurrencies listed on domestic exchanges, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), and bring them under insider trading regulations for the first time, according to a Sunday report from Asahi Shinmun.
If enacted, exchanges would be required to disclose detailed information about each of the 105 tokens they list, including whether the asset has an identifiable issuer, the blockchain technology underpinning it and its volatility profile, per the report.
The FSA reportedly plans to bring the new crypto-related law proposal to Japan’s main parliamentary meeting in 2026 for approval.
The FSA is also pushing for a tax overhaul. Japan currently taxes crypto earnings as “miscellaneous income,” meaning high-earning traders can face rates of up to 55%, one of the steepest systems in the world.
The agency now wants gains on the 105 approved cryptocurrencies to be taxed similarly to stocks, at a flat 20% capital gains rate.
Another notable part of the proposal is the attempt to curb insider trading in the local crypto market. Under the bill, individuals or entities with access to non-public information, such as upcoming listings, delisting plans or an issuer’s financial distress, would be prohibited from buying or selling affected tokens.
Last month, it was reported that the FSA is considering allowing banks to acquire and hold cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for investment purposes. Under current rules, banks are effectively barred from holding digital assets due to volatility concerns, but the FSA plans to revisit the restrictions at an upcoming meeting of the Financial Services Council.
The regulator is also reportedly exploring whether bank groups should be permitted to register as licensed cryptocurrency exchanges, enabling them to offer trading and custody services directly to customers.
Upbit operator Dunamu reported a surge in profitability for the third quarter of the year, posting 239 billion won ($165 million) in net income.
The figure marks an increase of more than 300% compared to the same period last year, which stood at $40 million, local news outlet Chosun Biz reported, citing regulatory filings with the Financial Supervisory Service.
The filing reportedly showed strong momentum across all key metrics. Consolidated revenue climbed to $266 million, up 35% from the previous quarter, while operating profit rose 54% to $162 million. Net income also jumped 145% quarter-over-quarter from $67 million.
The company attributed its improved performance to rising trading activity as global digital asset markets rebounded through 2024 and 2025.
Dunamu said investor confidence received a boost following regulatory developments in the United States, including the passage of the Genius Act, the Clarity Act and the Anti-CBDC Bill. These measures, the company said, contributed to renewed institutional participation and steadier market conditions.
Dunamu has faced heightened reporting requirements since 2022, when it was added to the list of corporations subject to external audit due to having more than 500 shareholders.
Notably, several major crypto firms experienced a revenue increase last quarter. Bitcoin mining company TeraWulf and Singapore-based cloud Bitcoin miner BitFuFu doubled their third-quarter revenue from the previous year.
As Cointelegraph reported, Naver Financial, the fintech arm of South Korea’s largest internet company, is preparing to acquire Dunamu. Naver reportedly plans to bring Dunamu in as a subsidiary through a share swap, with board approvals expected soon.
Upbit Korea is the largest crypto exchange in South Korea in terms of trading volume and customer base, according to CoinMarketCap.
AAVE price prediction shows potential 24-36% upside to $226-$246 range as oversold conditions and $25B TVL growth support near-term recovery from current $182 levels.
With AAVE trading at $181.95 after a modest 1.36% daily gain, multiple technical and fundamental factors are aligning for a potential recovery rally. Our comprehensive AAVE price prediction analysis suggests the token is positioned for a significant bounce from oversold territory.
AAVE Price Prediction Summary
• AAVE short-term target (1 week): $205-$215 (+13-18%)
• Aave medium-term forecast (1 month): $226-$246 range (+24-35%)
• Key level to break for bullish continuation: $249 (immediate resistance)
• Critical support if bearish: $172.86 (24-hour low)
Recent Aave Price Predictions from Analysts
The latest AAVE price prediction consensus from leading crypto analysts shows remarkable alignment around the $226-$246 target zone. CoinCodex’s algorithmic model forecasts a 17.08% increase to $226.07 within five days, while Blockchain.News maintains a similar Aave forecast of $226-$246 over 4-6 weeks based on oversold technical conditions.
ABC Money’s analysis adds fundamental weight to the bullish Aave forecast, citing the protocol’s Total Value Locked reaching $25 billion amid governance upgrades. This represents strong underlying adoption despite the recent price weakness, creating a compelling disconnect between fundamentals and price action.
The convergence of multiple independent predictions around the $226-$246 range provides high confidence in this AAVE price target, especially given the current oversold technical setup.
AAVE Technical Analysis: Setting Up for Oversold Bounce
Current Aave technical analysis reveals classic oversold conditions that historically precede significant rallies. With AAVE’s RSI at 38.86, the token sits in neutral territory but has room to run before reaching overbought levels above 70.
The Bollinger Bands positioning tells a compelling story for the AAVE price prediction. At a %B position of 0.0891, AAVE is trading near the lower band at $175.92, indicating potential mean reversion toward the middle band at $209.76. This technical setup has historically provided strong risk-reward opportunities.
MACD momentum remains bearish with a -1.4341 histogram reading, but this negative momentum is showing signs of stabilization. The key catalyst for our bullish Aave forecast will be MACD histogram turning positive, which could trigger algorithmic buying programs.
Volume analysis from Binance shows $27.5 million in 24-hour trading, providing adequate liquidity for the predicted move. The Average True Range of $20.44 suggests normal volatility levels, supporting controlled rather than explosive price movements.
Aave Price Targets: Bull and Bear Scenarios
Bullish Case for AAVE
Our primary AAVE price target of $226-$246 represents a logical extension from current oversold levels. The first resistance cluster sits at $209.76 (SMA 20), followed by the critical $249 level that has acted as immediate resistance.
Breaking above $249 would invalidate the current bearish structure and open the door to testing the $302.19 strong resistance level. This represents our extended AAVE price prediction target for Q1 2026, contingent on broader market cooperation and continued TVL growth.
The technical pattern suggests a potential double-bottom formation if AAVE holds current support levels, with the measured move pointing directly to our $226-$246 Aave forecast range.
Bearish Risk for Aave
Risk factors for our AAVE price prediction include a breakdown below the $172.86 support level, which would target the next major support at $125.30 (52-week low). This bearish scenario would require a broader crypto market selloff or Aave-specific fundamental deterioration.
The distance from the 52-week high of 49.14% creates technical resistance to the upside, but also suggests limited downside if crypto market conditions remain stable. Our stop-loss for long positions would be set at $170, providing a tight risk profile.
Should You Buy AAVE Now? Entry Strategy
Based on our Aave technical analysis, the current levels present an attractive entry opportunity for those wondering whether to buy or sell AAVE. The optimal entry zone spans $175-$185, with the current price of $181.95 sitting in the sweet spot.
For conservative investors, waiting for a break above $190 with volume confirmation would provide higher probability but reduced upside potential. Aggressive traders can enter at current levels with tight stops below $170.
Position sizing should account for AAVE’s volatility, with a maximum 2-3% portfolio allocation recommended. The favorable risk-reward ratio of our AAVE price target makes this an attractive tactical trade rather than a core holding.
AAVE Price Prediction Conclusion
Our AAVE price prediction maintains medium-high confidence in a recovery rally to $226-$246 within 4-6 weeks, representing 24-35% upside potential. The combination of oversold technical conditions, strong fundamental metrics with $25B TVL, and analyst consensus supports this Aave forecast.
Key indicators to monitor for confirmation include MACD histogram turning positive, RSI breaking above 45, and volume expansion on any move above $190. Invalidation would occur on a daily close below $170, requiring reassessment of the bullish thesis.
The timeline for this AAVE price prediction spans 4-6 weeks, aligning with typical oversold bounce patterns in crypto markets. Patience will be required as the setup develops, but the technical foundation appears solid for the predicted rally.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has told his 2.8 million followers on X that he is not selling his Bitcoin or gold despite the sharp decline.
“The everything bubbles are bursting,” he said in a Saturday post, adding that the real reason markets are falling is a global cash shortage. “The cause of all markets crashing is the world is in need of cash,” he added.
Kiyosaki said he expects what he calls “The Big Print,” citing Lawrence Lepard’s thesis that governments will resort to massive money creation to cover mounting debt loads.
“The Bug Print is about to begin… which will make gold, silver, Bitcoin, and Ethereum more valuable… as fake money crashes,” he said. He advised those who do need cash to consider selling some assets, claiming most panic stems from liquidity needs rather than conviction.
In a follow-up post, Kiyosaki doubled down on his long-term stance. “I will buy more Bitcoin when crash is over,” he said, reminding followers of Bitcoin (BTC)’s 21 million supply cap.
He also encouraged users to form “Cashflow Clubs” built around his board game, saying that learning together helps people avoid mistakes.
Meanwhile, crypto influencer Mister Crypto noted that the Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index has plummeted to 16, entering “Extreme Fear” territory, which is historically seen as a potential buying zone.
Mister Crypto noting that Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index has dropped to 16. Source: Mister Crypto
As Cointelegraph reported, Santiment is urging traders to be cautious as social media fills with claims that Bitcoin has already bottomed. The analytics firm said widespread confidence in a market floor often precedes further declines, noting that Bitcoin briefly dipping below $95,000 on Friday sparked a wave of posts suggesting the worst is over.
Historically, Santiment said, bottoms tend to form when most traders expect prices to fall even lower, not when they are calling for a rebound.
Bitcoin softened as tech sector weakness spilled into crypto markets, reducing risk appetite and limiting demand for bullish leverage.
Persistent spot Bitcoin ETF outflows and targeted sales from a 2011 holder exacerbated downward pressure.
Bitcoin (BTC) is down 11% since Monday, falling to a six-month low of $94,590 on Friday. Bitcoin derivatives continue to signal weakness, even as several large tech names posted similar declines during the week. Traders are now asking whether the market has already found a floor and what must happen before confidence returns.
BTC futures aggregate open interest, USD. Source: CoinGlass / Cointelegraph
The pullback erased $900 million in BTC leveraged long positions, equal to less than 2% of total open interest. Despite the size of that figure, the abrupt price move barely dented the broader market. For comparison, the cascading liquidations on Oct. 10, worsened by very thin liquidity, triggered a 22% drop in BTC futures open interest.
Concerns about upward inflation pressure resurfaced after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to cut tariffs to alleviate high food costs. Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz, told Yahoo Finance that recession risks have increased as the “lower ends of the income distribution for households” struggles with the “affordability crunch.” Contagion could spread through the broader economy, El-Erian warned.
BTC 2-month futures annualized fund rate. Source: laevitas.ch
The BTC futures premium held near 4% on Friday, unchanged from the prior week. Although still below the 5% neutral line, the metric moved off the 3% lows seen earlier this month. Demand for bullish leverage remains muted, but that does not mean bears hold strong conviction. To gauge whether professional traders expect more downside, it helps to examine their long-to-short ratios.
Top traders BTC long-to-short ratio. Source: CoinGlass / Cointelegraph
Whales and market makers increased their long positions at Binance since Wednesday, buying the dip as Bitcoin slid below $100,000. In contrast, OKX whales cut their bullish exposure at a loss after the $98,000 support level failed on Friday. Even so, professional traders appear more optimistic now than they were on Tuesday.
AI-sector worries drive correction as traders derisk amid economic uncertainty
Part of the recent risk market correction was driven by worries in the artificial intelligence sector, which had been a major positive force for stocks. Legendary investor Michael Burry questioned whether lengthening depreciation schedules for computing equipment has artificially boosted earnings momentum. Amazon was the only major tech company that recently shortened its depreciation calendar.
The two-day $1.15 billion net outflows in Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US weighed on sentiment, even though the amount represents less than 1% of their assets under management. On top of that, selling pressure from a single 2011 Bitcoin holder added to fear and uncertainty. Analysts noted that the event was isolated and does not reflect a broader trend.
Bitcoin 30-day options delta skew at Deribit (put-call). Source: laevitas.ch
The BTC options delta skew stood at 10% on Friday, nearly unchanged from the prior week. Although above the neutral 6% mark, the market’s options-based fear gauge is still far below the 16% peak from last month. Given that Bitcoin has dropped 24% from the all-time high, one could argue that the options market has shown resilience.
Multiple companies valued at $20 billion or more have posted losses of 15% or greater since Nov. 5, including CoreWeave (CRWV), Ubiquiti (UI), Nebius Group (NBIS), Symbiotic (SYM) and Super Micro Computer (SMCI). The odds suggest traders will continue to derisk and favor cash until there is more clarity on the economic outlook. As a result, Bitcoin’s price may remain under pressure.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
The spot Solana ETFs have recorded inflows for 13 consecutive days.
SOL broke its multi-year uptrend, slipping below a key moving average.
Spot Solana (SOL) exchange-traded funds continued to attract investor interest, recording their thirteenth straight day of inflows, underscoring institutional demand for the network’s native asset.
According to data from SoSoValue, Solana ETFs added $1.49 million on Thursday, bringing cumulative inflows to $370 million and total assets to over $533 million. The Bitwise Solana ETF (BSOL) was the only one that recorded inflows on Thursday, marking the weakest since its launch on Oct. 28.
Solana ETFs inflows. Source: SoSoValue
The weakening SOL ETF inflows reflected the bearish sentiment across the market, with spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recording $866 million in daily net outflows on the same day, the second-worst day since launch.
Spot Ether (ETH) ETFs also posted $259.2 million in outflows, reducing their cumulative inflows to $13.3 billion. The funds shed $183.7 million on Thursday and $107.1 million on Wednesday.
The persistent demand for Solana ETFs has, however, failed to hold SOL above key levels, with the technical setup indicating a potential for a deeper correction.
SOL price breaks key support levels
In line with the waning ETF inflows, SOL’s price action turned sharply bearish last week, falling over 34% over the last two weeks to $142 on Friday, its lowest level since June 23. The correction also broke a 100-week SMA and the multiyear uptrend that began in January 2023, with the $95 level serving as the yearly low.
Solana is currently testing a daily order block around $140, a level with limited support, according to data from Glassnode.
Glassnode’s UTXO realized price distribution (URPD) — a metric that shows the average prices at which SOL holders bought their coins — reveals that there is little clustering of these buy levels below $140. This means there are a few holders who are defending the price there.
SOL: UTXO realized price distribution (URPD). Source: Glassnode
If the price breaks below this level, it could drop toward the 200-week SMA at $100, which represents the last line of defense for SOL price.
Solana’s downside is backed by weakness in the relative strength index, which has hit its lowest level since April 2025.
As Cointelegraph reported, a break below $150 will see the SOL/USDT pair extend the decline to $126 and subsequently to the solid support at $100.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Bitcoin has broken below the psychological support at $100,000, opening the gates for a potential sell-off to $87,800.
Several major altcoins are approaching their support levels but have failed to bounce with strength, increasing the risk of a breakdown.
Bitcoin (BTC) appears weak in the near term as bears pull the price further below the psychological level at $100,000. BTC’s persistent weakness pulled the Crypto Fear & Greed Index into the “extreme fear” category with a score of 15//100 on Thursday, its lowest level since early March.
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said to Cointelegraph that had BTC rallied sharply into the end of 2025 and followed it up with a pullback, it would have fit the four-year-cycle thesis. The failure to do so sets up BTC for a good year in 2026, buoyed by positive underlying fundamentals.
Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView
Another bullish projection came from Santiment, which said in a post on X that the crowd turning negative on BTC suggests the point of capitulation is nearing. An “unexpected November rally” could happen as stronger hands scoop up the cryptocurrencies sold by weaker hands. It added that it was “not a matter of if, but when this will next happen.”
How far lower could BTC and the major altcoins fall? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.
Bitcoin price prediction
Sellers are attempting to seize control by sustaining BTC below the psychological support of $100,000.
The downsloping 20-day exponential moving average ($104,850) and the relative strength index (RSI) near the oversold territory indicate that the path of least resistance is to the downside. Any recovery attempt is likely to face selling at the breakdown level of $100,000. If the price drops below $100,000, it signals that the bears have flipped the level into resistance. That suggests the resumption of the downtrend.
There is support at $92,000, but that could be broken. The BTC/USDT pair may then descend to $87,800. Buyers will have to push the price above $107,000 to indicate a potential trend change.
Ether price prediction
The failure of the bulls to push Ether (ETH) above the 20-day EMA ($3,567) attracted sellers on Thursday, pulling the price below the $3,350 support.
Sellers will strive to build upon their advantage by dragging the Ether price below the $3,050 support. If they can pull it off, the selling may accelerate and the ETH/USDT pair could plunge toward $2,500.
The bulls will have to push and maintain the price above the 20-day EMA to signal strength. The pair may then climb to the 50-day simple moving average ($3,930), where the bears are expected to step in.
XRP price prediction
Buyers again attempted to drive XRP (XRP) above the 50-day SMA ($2.56) on Thursday, but the bears held their ground.
The XRP/USDT pair could challenge the $2.06 support, which is at risk of breaking down. If that happens, the XRP price may plummet to $1.90 and thereafter to the crucial support at $1.61.
Any recovery attempt is expected to face selling at the 50-day SMA and then at the downtrend line. A close above the downtrend line signals that the bulls are back in the driver’s seat. The pair may then ascend to $3.20.
BNB price prediction
BNB (BNB) has been gradually dropping toward the $860 level, which is a critical near-term support level to watch.
The downsloping 20-day EMA ($1,004) and the RSI near the oversold zone suggest that the BNB/USDT pair risks a break below $860. If that happens, the BNB price could tumble toward $730.
Instead, if the price turns up sharply from $860 and breaks above the 20-day EMA, it points to a possible range formation. The pair could swing inside the large range between $860 and $1,183 for a while.
Solana price prediction
Solana (SOL) closed below the $155 level on Wednesday and extended the decline below the $145 support on Thursday.
There is minor support at $137, but it is likely to be broken. If that happens, the SOL/USDT pair could nosedive to $126 and eventually to the solid support at $110, where buyers are expected to step in.
The 20-day EMA ($166) remains the key overhead resistance level to watch out for. Buyers will have to pierce the 20-day EMA to signal a comeback. The Solana price could then rally to the 50-day SMA ($191).
Dogecoin price prediction
Dogecoin (DOGE) has been gradually sliding toward the lower end of the $0.14 to $0.29 range, indicating that selling pressure remains intact.
Buyers are expected to fiercely defend the $0.14 support, as a break below it could start a new downtrend toward the Oct. 10 low of $0.10.
Buyers have an uphill task ahead of them. They will have to swiftly push the Dogecoin price above the 20-day EMA ($0.17) to suggest that the selling pressure is weakening. The DOGE/USDT pair may then rally to $0.21. A close above the $0.21 resistance indicates that the pair may extend its stay inside the range for a few more days.
Cardano price prediction
Cardano (ADA) has dropped to the $0.50 level, where the buyers are expected to mount a spirited defense.
If the price turns up from the current level and rises above the 20-day EMA ($0.58), it suggests that selling pressure is reducing. The ADA/USDT pair could then rally to the 50-day SMA ($0.67) and later to $0.74.
Contrarily, if the price continues lower and breaks below $0.50, it signals the start of the next leg of the downtrend. The Cardano price could collapse to $0.40 and below that to the Oct. 10 intraday low of $0.27.
Both moving averages are sloping down, and the RSI is in the negative area, indicating that the bears hold an edge. If the $35.50 support level cracks, the HYPE/USDT pair could slump to $30.50 and later to $28.
The bulls will have to push and maintain the Hyperliquid price above the 50-day SMA ($42.23) to signal strength. The pair could then rally to $52, where the bears are expected to sell aggressively.
Chainlink price prediction
Chainlink (LINK) has gradually slipped near the vital support of $13.69, indicating a negative sentiment.
Sellers will try to resume the downward move by pulling the price below $13.69. If they succeed, the LINK/USDT pair could fall to $12.73 and subsequently to $10.94. Buyers are expected to defend the $10.94 level with all their might, as a break below it could sink the Chainlink price to $7.90.
The RSI is showing early signs of forming a positive divergence, but the bulls will have to push the price above the 20-day EMA ($16.05) to gain strength. The pair may then rally to the resistance line.
Bitcoin Cash price prediction
Buyers repeatedly attempted to push Bitcoin Cash (BCH) above the 50-day SMA ($529) in the past few days, but the bears did not budge.
The sellers are trying to pull the Bitcoin Cash price to the solid support at $443. If the price turns up from the current level or rebounds off the $443 level, the bulls will again try to clear the hurdle at the resistance line. If they manage to do that, the BCH/USDT pair could start a new uptrend to $580 and then $615.
Alternatively, a break below the $443 level opens the doors for a fall to the support line of the falling wedge pattern.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Cryptocurrency markets have extended their decline despite much-awaited political developments taking place in the US.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the record 43-day US government shutdown, after the bill passed through the Senate on Monday and was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The bill provides funding to the government until Jan. 30, 2026, and gives Democrats and Republicans more time to strike a deal on broader funding plans for the year ahead.
The end of the shutdown failed to lift demand among Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) buyers. Spot BTC ETFs saw a brief resurgence on Tuesday, attracting $524 million in inflows, but outflows quickly resumed, with a whopping $866 million in daily net outflows on Thursday, according to Farside Investors.
Bitcoin fell to a six-month low of $95,900 on Friday, a level last seen in May as its biggest demand drivers continued to lack momentum.
Investments from ETFs and Michael Saylor’s Strategy were the two main vehicles driving demand for Bitcoin’s price this year, according to Ki Young Ju, founder and CEO of crypto analytics platform CryptoQuant.
BTC/USD, one-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph
Bitcoin ETF demand stalls as US shutdown optimism fails to lift sentiment
The lack of demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs is raising concerns about Bitcoin’s prospects for the rest of the year.
On Monday, the US Senate approved the funding bill and brought Congress a step closer to ending the shutdown. The legislation headed for a full vote in the House of Representatives, which occurred on Wednesday.
Bitcoin ETF Flows, US dollars (in millions). Source: Farside Investors
“Despite the US shutdown seemingly ending, and the S&P and Gold bouncing hard, Bitcoin ETFs saw NO bid yesterday,” said Capriole Investments founder, Charles Edwards, adding that this is not a dynamic we want to see continue.
“Risk assets usually see a strong bid in the weeks out of the Shutdown. Still time to turn this ship around, but it needs to turn,” Edwards wrote in a Tuesday X post.
Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows were the primary driver of Bitcoin’s momentum in 2025, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, told Cointelegraph recently.
Bitwise exec says 2026 will be crypto’s real bull year; here’s why
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan is more confident that crypto markets will boom in 2026, particularly as there hasn’t been a late 2025 rally.
Speaking to Cointelegraph at The Bridge conference in New York City on Wednesday, Hougan said a crypto market rally at the end of 2025 would have fit the four-year cycle thesis, meaning 2026 would mark the start of a bear market, similar to 2022 and 2018.
When asked to revise his prediction about whether the crypto market will boom in 2026, Hougan said: “I’m actually more confident in that quote. The biggest risk was [if] we ripped into the end of 2025 and then we got a pullback.”
Hougan said interest in the Bitcoin debasement trade, stablecoins and tokenization would continue to accelerate, while arguing that Uniswap’s fee switch proposal introduced on Monday would reinvigorate interest in decentralized finance protocols in the coming year.
“I think the underlying fundamentals are just so sound,” Hougan said. “I think these earlier forces, institutional investment, regulatory progress, stablecoins, tokenization, I just think those are too big to keep down. So I think 2026 will be a good year.”
Matt Hougan at The Bridge conference in New York City. Source: Cointelegraph
Arthur Hayes tells Zcash holders to withdraw from CEXs and “shield” assets
The privacy coin sector returned to the spotlight after BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes urged Zcash holders to withdraw their assets from centralized exchanges (CEXs).
On Wednesday, Hayes told holders to “shield” their assets, a feature that enables private transactions within the Zcash network. “If you hold $ZEC on a CEX, withdraw it to a self-custodial wallet and shield it,” Hayes wrote on X.
The comments came as Zcash (ZEC) saw sharp price swings in the last few days. The token rallied to $723 on Saturday before dropping to $504 on Sunday. It then surged to a high of $677 on Monday, only to see another sharp decline. At the time of writing, ZEC was trading at about $450, marking a 37% decline from its Saturday high.
Analysts had warned that ZEC might undergo a sharp correction due to its relative strength index (RSI) reaching its highest reading after continuing to rally above its overbought zone.
Vitalik Buterin champions decentralization in “Trustless Manifesto”
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has authored and signed the new “Trustless Manifesto,” which seeks to uphold core values of decentralization and censorship resistance and push builders to refrain from adding intermediaries and checkpoints for the sake of adoption.
The Trustless Manifesto, also authored by Ethereum Foundation researchers Yoav Weiss and Marissa Posner, said crypto platforms sacrifice trustlessness from the first moment that they integrate a hosted node or centralized relayer, explaining that while it feels harmless, it becomes a habit, and with each passing checkpoint, the protocol becomes less and less permissionless.
“Trustlessness is not a feature to add after the fact. It is the thing itself,” the Ethereum Foundation members said in the manifesto published Wednesday. “Without it, everything else — efficiency, UX, scalability — is decoration on a fragile core.”
“When complexity tempts us to centralize, we must remember: every line of convenience code can become a choke point.”
While the manifesto wasn’t aimed at any particular person or company, some Ethereum layer 2s have been criticized for sacrificing decentralization to focus on scalability to speed up adoption.
Sonic Labs pivots from speed to survival with business-first strategy
Sonic Labs, the organization behind the Sonic layer-1 blockchain, announced a major strategic shift as it pivots from emphasizing transaction speed to building long-term business value and token sustainability.
After claiming industry-leading performance last year, Sonic Labs said its next chapter will focus on upgrades that deliver measurable financial outcomes, including new Ethereum and Sonic Improvement Proposals (EIPs and SIPs), token supply reductions and revamped rewards for network participants.
“Every decision we make moving forward will be guided by the principles of building real value, with price, growth, and sustainability always in focus,” said Mitchell Demeter, the new CEO of Sonic Labs.
The focus aims to bring “measurable, lasting value” for builders, validators and tokenholders, wrote Demeter in a Tuesday X post. “Our mission at Sonic is to move beyond hype and build a sustainable business model for a layer one, that creates, captures, and returns real value to tokenholders.”
The new fee monetization upgrade will include a tiered reward system for builders and fixed rewards for validators.
Sonic Labs will also increase the rate of programmatic Sonic (S) token burns, which means permanently removing tokens from circulation to tighten the supply.
Sonic claims to be the world’s fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain, with a “true” finality of 720 milliseconds (ms) — the assurance that a transaction is irreversible, which occurs after it is added to a block on the blockchain ledger.
According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the red.
The privacy-preserving Dash (DASH) token fell 45% to stage the biggest decline in the top 100, followed by the Internet Computer (ICP) token, down over 27% on the weekly chart.
Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlama
Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.
Bitcoin evolves on two clocks: slow, consensus-driven changes at the base layer and fast experimentation at the edges.
Major upgrades (such as Taproot) arrive through cautious soft forks after long review.
Rapid shifts such as Lightning payments and Ordinals happen without changing Bitcoin’s core rules, which is why headlines move faster than the L1.
The “50-year” line is a cue to look at where change occurs, whether in the core protocol or at the edge, before judging whether Bitcoin has truly changed.
On November 10, 2025, Ripple chief technology officer David Schwartz posted a deadpan line on X: “Bitcoin is not the same now as it was 50 years ago.”
The gag works because Bitcoin (BTC) launched in 2009, so the “50 years” is obviously tongue-in-cheek, but it landed because it pointed to a bigger truth about how people talk about Bitcoin’s evolution.
Schwartz’s quip came in a thread arguing that “1 BTC = 1 BTC” and that volatility exists in fiat terms, not in Bitcoin’s own unit of account. This framing often fuels absolutist takes about whether Bitcoin changes at all.
Did you know? Rajat Soni, a critic of XRP (XRP), is a CFA charterholder and a Bitcoin-focused finance commentator active on X.
The joke exposes the timescale confusion
Schwartz’s line works because it highlights a mismatch in how people think about time in crypto.
Headlines make it feel as if Bitcoin changes overnight, but the foundations it stands on were built over decades:
Public-key cryptography (Diffie-Hellman, 1976)
Merkle trees (1979)
Proof-of-work precursors such as Hashcash (1997 and 2002)
Digital-cash sketches such as Wei Dai’s B-money (1998).
Bitcoin’s 2008 design pulled decades of cryptographic work into a single, operational system. Once a protocol with real value reaches scale, change slows because coordination costs rise sharply. Researchers and builders now refer to this dynamic as “protocol ossification.”
That slow pace can look like nothing is changing at all, but that is not the case. A helpful way to think about it is the Lindy effect, which says that the longer a non-perishable technology has survived, the longer it is likely to survive. This is why long-standing building blocks such as public-key cryptography and hash trees continue to support newer systems. But the Lindy effect is only a heuristic, not a promise. It describes survival, not inevitability.
So, when you zoom out, the joke is a reminder that Bitcoin’s evolution runs on two different tempos: the decades-long lineage of its core ingredients and the faster cycles we see in today’s news.
Did you know? Segregated Witness (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 141) activated on Aug. 24, 2017, fixing transaction malleability and enabling capacity and Lightning improvements.
What changes at Bitcoin’s core (and how)
At the base layer, Bitcoin does change, but slowly and only with broad agreement.
Most upgrades are soft forks, which tighten the rules that nodes enforce. Soft forks create coordination risk between different versions of the software. To reduce disruption, the community has spent years refining activation methods such as BIP-9 and BIP-8 version bits.
In practice, a change moves from discussion and specification to testing and, if there is clear support, an activation window where miners and economic nodes signal readiness.
Taproot is the clearest recent example. Proposed years earlier and activated in November 2021, it added Schnorr signatures and a new output type that improves efficiency and privacy without breaking existing rules.
The path from idea to activation required extensive review and a miner signaling period before the rules actually switched on. It shows that upgrades do arrive, but only after patient consensus-building.
Today’s debates, such as reenabling “OP_CAT” or introducing “OP_CTV” (BIP-119), follow the same pattern: incremental programmability proposals undergoing public research, risk analysis and social review before any activation can even be considered.
The process is as much about coordination among maintainers, reviewers, miners and users as it is about code.
Did you know? Bitcoin Script is intentionally not Turing-complete, which limits complexity to keep validation predictable and safe for all nodes.
Where rapid change happens
The pace quickens once you move away from Bitcoin’s base layer.
Payment channels move transactions offchain, route them over a mesh and touch the layer 1 only as a backstop. This is why the Lightning Network iterates far faster than consensus changes. Its core mechanics, including hashed timelock contracts and newer approaches, such as point timelock contracts (PTLCs), let value move across intermediaries without trust.
PTLCs replace hash-based secrets with elliptic-curve points, giving channels better privacy, more flexible routing and the ability to split payments across multiple paths. Because these improvements live in implementations rather than the base protocol, they can evolve without a hard consensus vote.
Ordinals and inscriptions show the same fast-edge dynamic from another angle: new behaviors emerging by using existing rules. Casey Rodarmor’s scheme numbers satoshis and attaches data to them through Taproot-era scripting, creating collectibles without altering Bitcoin’s consensus. This is why the phenomenon could explode culturally, while the base protocol remained unchanged.
Both examples highlight the split tempo the joke points to: Layer 2s and client-side systems can add features, UX improvements and even new markets at high speed, while the base layer changes rarely and deliberately. Headlines tend to follow the edge, such as Lightning upgrades or inscription waves, while the chain’s core advances in carefully staged steps.
The deeper lesson
Schwartz’s “50-year Bitcoin” line sticks because it compresses how crypto really evolves into a single joke: a slow, conservative core that rarely changes and a fast, inventive edge that does.
The slow core is by design. Once a monetary protocol has billions at stake, upgrades move only after lengthy review and broad social consensus, a dynamic widely discussed as protocol ossification.
Yet slow is not the same as stuck. Concrete paths for change exist, such as the soft-fork track for new opcodes like “OP_CAT” and “OP_CTV,” which could expand Bitcoin’s transaction programmability. These follow multi-quarter or multi-year timelines rather than news cycles.
Meanwhile, new behavior can explode at the edges without touching consensus. Ordinals and inscriptions did exactly that by numbering satoshis and attaching data using rules already in place.
Forget the years. Think of the remark as a decoder. If a claim about Bitcoin “changing” does not specify where (base layer or edge) and how (consensus upgrade or emergent use), it is missing the point the joke highlighted.
