DeFi pioneer loses $50K Ethereum guess, crypto phishing falls: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 21 – Jan. 3

High Tales of The Week

‘A whole bunch’ of EVM wallets drained in mysterious assault: ZachXBT

An attacker has drained “a whole lot” of crypto wallets on Ethereum Digital Machine (EVM) chains, siphoning small sums from every sufferer in what onchain investigator ZachXBT described as a broad however low-value exploit.

The losses seem restricted on a per-wallet foundation, with every sufferer dropping lower than $2,000, in accordance with ZachXBT. The exercise has affected wallets on a number of EVM-compatible networks, indicating a widespread incident reasonably than it being remoted to a single blockchain.

A fraudulent e mail disguised as respectable communication from Web3 pockets MetaMask may have been the car for the assault, stated cybersecurity researcher Vladimir S., who cited a clue left by one other pseudonymous X person.

“This appears to be like like automated, wide-net exploitation,” cybersecurity supplier Hackless stated, warning customers to revoke sensible contract approvals and proceed monitoring their wallets.

Coinbase bets on stablecoins, Base and ‘every little thing alternate’ for 2026

Coinbase intends to prioritize stablecoins, its Ethereum layer-2 Base and constructing out its alternate merchandise previous cryptocurrencies all through 2026, in accordance with CEO Brian Armstrong.

In a New Yr’s social media submit, Armstrong reaffirmed Coinbase’s “every little thing alternate” technique, which incorporates merchandise like prediction markets, equities and commodities.

At its year-end convention in December, Coinbase launched inventory buying and selling and prediction markets as a part of its push. The corporate has additionally rebranded its pockets app as an “every little thing app,” including social networking and onchain options.

Coinbase isn’t alone in broadening its product suite. Rival crypto exchanges are more and more bundling providers in a bid to turn out to be “tremendous apps.”

No, whales are usually not accumulating large quantities of Bitcoin: CryptoQuant

Hypothesis that Bitcoin whales are engaged in an enormous reaccumulation part has been considerably overstated, suggesting the digital asset market construction has not materially modified, in accordance with onchain knowledge from CryptoQuant.

The favored narrative that giant holders are aggressively shopping for Bitcoin is deceptive, stated Julio Moreno, head of analysis at CryptoQuant. A lot of the publicly shared “whale accumulation” knowledge is distorted by exchange-related exercise reasonably than real investor habits.

Cryptocurrency exchanges routinely consolidate funds from many smaller wallets into fewer massive ones for operational and regulatory causes. This course of artificially will increase the variety of wallets holding very massive balances, main onchain trackers to misclassify the exercise as whale accumulation.

BitMine chairman proposes 1,000x improve in firm’s licensed shares, to 50B

Tom Lee, chairman of publicly listed Ether treasury firm BitMine, urged shareholders to again a proposal to dramatically improve the corporate’s licensed share rely to 50 billion from 50 million, citing the potential want for future inventory splits as Ether’s value drives the corporate’s valuation.

Lee stated BitMine’s share value carefully tracks the value of Ether, and that he modeled potential future valuations utilizing the ETH/Bitcoin ratio. In accordance with Lee, ETH may attain $250,000 if Bitcoin climbs to $1 million, a situation that may push BitMine’s share value to ranges he stated can be inaccessible for many retail traders.

BitMine shifted from working as a Bitcoin mining and holding firm to an ETH treasury technique in 2025, nevertheless it nonetheless retains a few of its Bitcoin operations.

SEC’s Crenshaw set to depart, leaving US monetary watchdog all Republican

Caroline Crenshaw, the only real Democratic member main the US Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) as commissioner, can be departing the company this week after serving greater than 5 years.

Crenshaw is anticipated to depart the SEC by Saturday, marking 18 months after her time period resulted in June 2024. Commissioners are permitted to proceed work on the company, offered the Senate has not confirmed a substitute.

Crenshaw, who was sworn into workplace in August 2020, has usually been vital of the company’s method to digital belongings. She spoke out towards the SEC settling its enforcement case with Ripple Labs and warned that weakening laws on digital belongings may result in “important market contagion.” 

Trump Media plans 1:1 blockchain token rewards for shareholders

Trump Media and Expertise Group, operator of US President Donald Trump’s Reality Social platform, stated Wednesday it plans to roll out a blockchain token for shareholders that entitles them to perks and rewards.

The DJT token can be launched in collaboration with crypto alternate Crypto.com, and the distribution to current shareholders set at a 1:1 ratio, or one token per share owned, in accordance with the announcement from the corporate.

The token “might” embody rewards and perks for DJT shareholders, together with reductions on the Reality Social media platform, the Reality+ media streaming platform, and prediction market Reality Predict.

Nonetheless, the token shouldn’t be a tokenized inventory and doesn’t entitle holders to shareholder rights or a declare on the corporate’s future earnings, Trump Media confirmed to Cointelegraph.

Winners and Losers

On the finish of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $90,029, Ether (ETH) at $3,107 and XRP at $2.00. The full market cap is at $3.07 trillion, in accordance with CoinMarketCap.

Among the many largest 100 cryptocurrencies, the highest three altcoin gainers of the week are MYX Finance (MYX) at 89.50%, Pepe (PEPE) at 48.55% and Canton (CC) at 41.12%.

The highest three altcoin losers of the week are Lighter (LIT) at 4.66%, Monero (XMR) at 4.52% and Mantle (MNT) at 4.50%. For more information on crypto costs, be certain that to learn Cointelegraph’s market evaluation.

Most Memorable Quotations

“If you wish to see it in a optimistic method, from the all-time excessive, the drawdown is admittedly not as excessive as we’ve got had in earlier bear markets when we’ve got had drawdowns of 70%, 80%. This can be similar to a 55% from the all-time excessive.”

Julio Moreno, head of analysis at CryptoQuant

“Decentralization erodes not by seize, however by comfort.”

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum

“We’re seeing quantitative easing mild proper now. The Fed is beginning to purchase its personal bonds. I feel demand for presidency debt goes to fall considerably subsequent 12 months, together with decrease charges. All of this bodes nicely for all belongings, together with Bitcoin.”

Invoice Barhydt, CEO of Abra

“The Market Has New Gamers, crypto isn’t 2016 or 2020 anymore. ETFs, establishments, and company steadiness sheets don’t commerce like hype-driven retail.”

Armando Pantoja, unbiased investor

“If we preserve transferring at this velocity in 5 years, Pakistan would be the crypto chief, one of many crypto leaders on this planet.”

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance

“The market exhibits indicators of restoration as holders specific satisfaction in income and continued dedication. Occasions and giveaways increase engagement, reflecting optimism regardless of latest challenges.”

Santiment, crypto sentiment platform

High FUD of The Week

Crypto phishing losses fell 83% in 2025, however drainer ecosystem ‘stays energetic’

Crypto phishing assaults tied to pockets drainers dropped sharply in 2025, with whole losses falling to $83.85 million, down 83% 12 months over 12 months from practically $494 million in 2024.

The variety of victims additionally declined considerably to 106,000, a 68% drop from the earlier 12 months, Web3 safety platform Rip-off Sniffer stated in its new report analyzing signature-based phishing throughout Ethereum Digital Machine chains.

Regardless of the steep fall, the report warned that phishing exercise has not disappeared. As an alternative, losses carefully adopted market cycles, rising during times of upper onchain exercise and easing as markets cooled.

The third quarter of 2025, which coincided with Ether’s strongest rally of the 12 months, recorded the very best phishing losses at $31 million, with August-September accounting for practically 29% of annual losses.

DeFi pioneer coughs up $50K after making unhealthy guess on Ether

Crypto government Kain Warwick, the founding father of Synthetix and Infinex, is about to pay up $50,000 after betting that Ether would hit $25,000 in 2025, becoming a member of certainly one of many market individuals who overestimated the velocity of Ether’s restoration after its dip in October.

Ether ended Dec. 31 buying and selling at roughly $2,980, round 13.7% decrease than the place it began in the beginning of the 12 months, in accordance with CoinMarketCap.

A part of it was as a result of a $19 billion crypto market liquidation on Oct. 10 that triggered a downtrend, pushing Ether as little as $2,767 earlier than it slowly crept upward once more.

The guess got here from an alternate between Warwick and Multicoin managing accomplice Kyle Samani in November. Samani doubted the probabilities that Ether may get well and hit $25,000 by the top of the 12 months. 

Warwick disagreed, betting at 10:1 odds that it had an opportunity. 

Crypto sentiment shifts off excessive worry, however ‘combined feelings’ persist

A extensively used crypto market sentiment indicator has shaken off its “excessive worry” ranking as of Friday, returning to its highest ranges in 21 days regardless of nonetheless buying and selling below $90,000.

The index, which measures total crypto market sentiment, recorded a “worry” rating of 29 in its Friday replace, climbing out of the “excessive worry” zone to its highest stage since Dec. 12. 

The worth of Bitcoin is $88,995 on the time of publication. 

The rise in sentiment is a optimistic sign for the crypto neighborhood, and a few analysts say the lengthy stretch in “worry” or “excessive worry” territory may point out the market is primed for potential good points. “Threat/Reward is one of the best it has ever been,” crypto entrepreneur Brian Rose stated in an X submit on Dec. 28, stating that the index has been in fearful territory for eight weeks.

High Journal Tales of The Week

How crypto legal guidelines modified in 2025 — and the way they’ll change in 2026

The US handed stablecoin laws and EU noticed the primary 12 months of MICA. What’s subsequent for crypto legal guidelines in 2026?

9 weirdest AI tales from 2025: AI Eye

The AI revolution is popping out to be lots weirder than anybody anticipated. Right here’s 9 high quality examples.

Subscribe

Essentially the most partaking reads in blockchain. Delivered as soon as a
week.

Ciaran Lyons

Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He is additionally a standup comic and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Venture.