Fed Q1 2026 Outlook and Its Potential Impact on Crypto Markets

Key takeaways: Fed pauses could pressure crypto, but “stealth QE” may cushion downside risks. Liquidity matters more than cuts, shaping the direction of BTC and ETH in Q1 2026. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times in 2025, largely in the final quarter, as unemployment ticked higher and inflation showed clearer signs of…

Fed Q1 2026 Outlook and Its Potential Impact on Crypto Markets

Key takeaways: Fed pauses could pressure crypto, but “stealth QE” may cushion downside risks. Liquidity matters more than cuts, shaping the direction of BTC and ETH in Q1 2026. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times in 2025, largely in the final quarter, as unemployment ticked higher and inflation showed clearer signs of…

Crypto Derivatives Hit $86T in 2025 as Binance Dominates Volume

Cryptocurrency derivatives trading volume surged to almost $85.7 trillion in 2025, averaging about $264.5 billion a day, according to a report by liquidation data tracker CoinGlass. Binance led the market with roughly $25.09 trillion in cumulative derivatives volume, or about 29.3% of global trading, meaning nearly $30 of every $100 traded ran through the exchange,…

NFT Market Slides to 2025 Lows as Buyers and Sellers Pull Back

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) extended their year-end slide in December, with total market valuations falling to their lowest level in 2025. According to data from CoinGecko, the overall valuation of the NFT sector fell to $2.5 billion in December. This represented a 72% decline from a peak of $9.2 billion in January.  The decline came as…

Ethereum Options Expiry Shows Risks Below $2,900

Ether (ETH) has been unable to sustain prices above $3,400 for the past 40 days, raising concerns among traders that bears may remain in control longer. Key takeaways: $6B in Ether options will expire on Friday, with call (buy) bets outnumbering put (sell) instruments by 2.2 times. Bears hold the advantage unless ETH price breaks…

Hong Kong to Roll Out New Licensing Requirements

Hong Kong regulators will proceed with legislating licensing regimes for crypto dealers and custodians after wrapping up consultations, as part of a broader push to tighten oversight. In a Wednesday announcement, the city’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said that they had concluded consultations on proposed…

Bitcoin ETFs See $175 Million Outflows on Christmas Eve

Bitcoin (BTC) institutional outflows continued into Christmas as the US gained the title of biggest BTC seller. Key points: Bitcoin ETF netflows stay negative for Christmas Eve as the institutional investment vehicles lose another $175 million. Tax obligations and the quarterly options expiry are blamed for the poor performance. Hope remains for a broad rebound…

Bitcoin and ether ETFs see $200 million outflows ahead of Christmas

Spot bitcoin and ether ETFs saw another round of outflows on Dec. 24 as traders moved into the Christmas break with reduced liquidity and a weaker appetite for risk. SoSoValue data showed bitcoin spot ETFs posted $175 million in net outflows on Wednesday, while ether spot ETFs showed $57 million in outflows. The biggest single-day…

ETH Whales Accumulate as Supply Tightens Near $3K

Ether (ETH) has experienced renewed accumulation from large whales over the past few days, despite the price being compressed under $3,000. However, recent onchain and futures data indicate growing pressure for a potential breakout.  Key takeaways: Large whales added over $2 billion worth of ETH in recent days despite muted price action. Exchange supply is…

How to Protect Your Crypto From Social Engineering in 2026

The majority of crypto exploits in the coming year won’t be caused by a zero-day bug in your favorite protocol, say crypto security experts. It’s going to be caused by you.  That’s because 2025 has shown that the majority of hacks don’t start with malicious code; they begin with a conversation, Nick Percoco, chief security…