Author: James Wilson

A long-awaited decision in Washington is now set to reshape leadership at the U.S. derivatives regulator. Summary The U.S. Senate has confirmed Michael Selig as the 15th CFTC chairman. Selig brings prior experience from both the CFTC and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. His leadership comes as Congress debates expanding the CFTC’s role in crypto markets. A leadership change at a key U.S. market regulator is now set. Michael Selig was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 18 and will soon be sworn in as the 15th chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ending nearly a year of…

Synthetix Network has returned to Ethereum mainnet, betting that scaling upgrades make layer-1 viable again for perps. Summary Synthetix has relaunched its perpetual futures decentralized exchange on Ethereum mainnet. The return follows a two-year period operating across Layer-2 networks. The protocol is using offchain matching with onchain settlement to scale trading. Synthetix has brought its core trading product back to where it’s original home. In a blog post published on Dec. 19, the protocol announced the launch of its canonical perpetual futures DEX on Ethereum (ETH) mainnet, marking its first return since migrating away to layer-2 networks in 2022. Perpetual…

A new lawsuit has reopened scrutiny around the collapse of one of crypto’s most damaging failures. Summary Terraform Labs’ bankruptcy estate is seeking $4B in damages from Jump Trading. The lawsuit alleges undisclosed deals tied to TerraUSD and LUNA’s stability. The case could expose new details about Terra’s collapse through discovery. The legal fallout from the Terra collapse widened again this week. The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 18 that the court-appointed administrator overseeing Terraform Labs’ bankruptcy has filed a $4 billion lawsuit against Jump Trading and two of its senior figures in U.S. federal court. Claims tied to…

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is reportedly eyeing an investment in crypto payments firm MoonPay, which is targeting a $5 billion valuation in its latest funding round. Summary Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the NYSE, is in talks to invest in crypto payments firm MoonPay. The company, which facilitates fiat-to-crypto conversions, has acquired multiple startups this year and launched a stablecoin business. The investment reflects growing institutional interest in digital assets, with crypto venture funding hitting nearly $19 billion so far in 2025. MoonPay, which helps users hop between dollars and digital coins, has been…

Bitcoin is hovering just above $85,000, barely batting an eyelash at the softer-than-expected, highly scrutinized U.S. inflation numbers. Summary Bitcoin remains around $85,000 with little reaction to softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data, as $504M in liquidations hit the market in the past 24 hours. Notable analysts on X are weighing in on Bitcoin’s ongoing price struggles. Traders brace for volatility with the Bank of Japan’s upcoming decision and Bitcoin facing key resistance at $88K while support holds near $85.4K. Trader insights Crypto chart guru Ali Martinez notes that Bitcoin is still stuck in a box on lower timeframes, facing resistance just…

Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research and one-time confidante of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, has quietly left federal prison after serving about 11 months of her two-year sentence. The move marks a lower-security chapter in one of crypto’s most infamous legal sagas—less “Orange Is the New Black,” more “Supervised and Structured.” Summary The former Alameda Research CEO and ex-partner of Sam Bankman-Fried was transferred from Danbury Federal Prison to home confinement. She pleaded guilty to conspiring in the $11 billion FTX-Alameda fraud and served as a key government witness in Bankman-Fried’s trial. Ellison’s projected release is February 20,…

Lido DAO, the decentralized organization operating the largest liquid staking protocol in decentralized finance, has outlined plans to expand beyond its core Ethereum staking business in 2026, according to a proposal published by the organization. Summary Lido DAO has proposed a $60 million budget for 2026 to diversify beyond its Ethereum liquid staking focus. The plan aims to position Lido as a multi-product organization, expanding its offerings to create new revenue streams and enhance protocol resilience. The proposal, titled “2026 Ecosystem Grant Request (EGG): Executing GOOSE-3,” requires approval from Lido DAO token holders. The proposal, titled “2026 Ecosystem Grant Request…

Hyperliquid price falls below $26 and enters oversold territory, but bearish structure remains intact, increasing the risk of a deeper correction toward lower support levels. Summary Hyperliquid price loses critical $26 support, confirming bearish continuation. RSI enters oversold territory without structural reversal signals. Downside risk increases toward the $19 high-time-frame support. Hyperliquid (HYPE) price is showing increasing technical weakness after losing the critical $26 support level, pushing price into oversold conditions while maintaining a firmly bearish market structure. Although oversold readings can sometimes precede short-term bounces, current price behavior suggests that sellers remain firmly in control. With structural support now…

Over the past 24 hours, the XRP price has been volatile, bouncing between $1.83 and $1.98 as market nerves remain high. With losses of around 4.5% this week and nearly 11.3% over the month, short-term confidence has taken a hit. Even so, XRP hasn’t slipped out of focus, as it’s hovering near important technical levels that could shape its next move. Current market scenario Ripple (XRP) is hovering around $1.92 as of December 18, down roughly 0.04%. The $2 level, once support, is now acting as resistance, and rallies toward it are quickly rejected. Sellers are still active. XRP 1-day…

Pepe Coin price has continued its freefall since May this year, and this trend may accelerate as whales begin to capitulate.  Summary Pepe Coin price continued its freefall this week. Whales and smart money investors have dumped their tokens. The supply of Pepe tokens in exchanges has continued rising. Pepe (PEPE) token fell to a low of $0.000003745, its lowest level since Oct. 10, and about 78% below its highest point in May this year.  On-chain data shows that whales have started capitulating in the past few days. Whales hold 4.51 trillion Pepe tokens, down from this month’s high of…