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Pump.fun has introduced a new feature in its mobile app that allows users to share creator fees directly to GitHub accounts. This new function was announced on platform X and aims to enhance social platform integrations. Additional social platform integration features are planned for future releases.

Ramil Ventura Palafox, CEO of Praetorian Group International (PGI), received a 20-year prison sentence for running a Bitcoin Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 90,000 investors. The operation raised more than $201 million from 2019 to 2021, promising unrealistic daily returns of up to 3%. Investor funds were misappropriated to buy luxury assets, revealing large-scale fraud and significant losses totaling at least $62.692 million.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins highlighted that while the agency can provide regulatory clarity through rulemaking, these rules lack long-term adaptability and risk reversal by future administrations. He stressed the necessity for solid legislative foundations to prevent setbacks in crypto regulation. Senator Mark Warner remains optimistic about advancing the stalled Senate crypto bill to establish a more stable regulatory framework.

The South Korean Finance Minister declared an intention to strengthen regulations in the cryptocurrency market. This move signals potential increased oversight and stricter rules affecting crypto trading and operations within South Korea. The announcement reflects growing governmental focus on controlling risks associated with the digital asset space.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has established an Innovation Advisory Committee composed of 35 members, including prominent crypto industry CEOs and traditional finance leaders. Notable appointees include executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Robinhood, Uniswap Labs, and major firms like Nasdaq and CME Group. The committee aims to guide the CFTC on financial innovation and support regulatory modernization efforts.

The Altcoin Season Index by CoinMarketCap increased by five points to 33, reflecting rising altcoin strength relative to Bitcoin. The index measures the price performance of the top 100 non-stablecoin, non-wrapped cryptocurrencies against Bitcoin. An altcoin season is identified when 75% of these coins outperform Bitcoin over 90 days, with 100 indicating maximum altcoin dominance.

Chainalysis reveals an 85% rise in cryptocurrency transactions associated with suspected human trafficking activities in 2025, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. The report highlights transaction patterns involving escort services, labor recruitment scams, and child sexual abuse material, noting Bitcoin, stablecoins, and privacy coins like Monero as common payment methods. The findings emphasize crypto’s dual role in facilitating illicit activities and enhancing transparency for law enforcement and advocacy.

Coinbase posted a $667 million net loss in Q4 2025, missing revenue expectations amid crypto market weakness. However, the full year showed robust growth, with trading volume up 156% and trading market share doubling to 6.4%. Coinbase remains optimistic about its 'Everything Exchange' strategy and looks forward to recovery and innovation in 2026.

Microsoft's AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman forecasts that most white-collar professional tasks could be fully automated by AI within the next 12 to 18 months. He highlights that AI is nearing human-level performance in office-based roles and emphasizes Microsoft's investment in in-house AI development for resilience. The article discusses concerns about workforce displacement, economic impacts, and the need for controlled and safe AI systems.

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted an individual for wire fraud and money laundering related to a cryptocurrency investment scheme. The accused falsely represented himself as a professional crypto investor to solicit investments. Instead of investing, he reportedly gambled away one million dollars of the investors' funds.

Bitcoin options worth $2.5 billion are scheduled to expire today at 8:00 a.m. UTC, with a put/call ratio of 0.72 and a max pain price of $74,000. Ethereum options valued at $420 million will also expire simultaneously, featuring a put/call ratio of 0.85 and max pain price of $2,100. These expiries on major crypto derivatives exchange Deribit could impact short-term price action for both BTC and ETH.

Polymarket has introduced a feature allowing users to bet on Bitcoin price movements every five minutes, responding to increased demand for real-time crypto sentiment data. The platform's short-term betting options capitalize on heightened Bitcoin volatility and growing trading volumes across various cryptocurrency prediction contracts. However, there are concerns that this focus on price betting could divert attention and capital from cryptocurrencies' fundamental use cases and long-term value.

Alphabet’s autonomous ride service Waymo aims to surpass one million weekly paid rides by 2026, expanding rapidly across the US and targeting international cities like London and Tokyo. Waymo’s growth and market leadership in robotaxi services have recently supported Alphabet's stock gains, especially as Tesla faces regulatory scrutiny. However, a recent bearish warning from investor Michael Burry about Alphabet's issuance of a 100-year bond has contributed to short-term selling pressure on GOOGL shares.

Coinbase experienced a quarterly net loss of $667 million in Q4 2025 as cryptocurrency prices, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, saw sharp declines. Despite reduced transaction revenues, Coinbase's stablecoin business grew significantly, alongside plans to expand into tokenized stock trading. CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized ongoing stock buybacks and platform development, aiming to become a comprehensive financial super app.

Bitcoin's average funding rate has turned strongly negative for the first time since late 2022 and early 2023, signaling overheated bearish bets. Analysts suggest this could represent a market bottom and set the stage for a potential short squeeze rebound if BTC holds the $58,000 support level. However, the recent $2.87 billion drop in USDT market capitalization raises concerns about liquidity necessary to fuel such a rebound.

Decibel, a trading engine built on the Aptos blockchain, is launching its own stablecoin named USDCBL to serve as collateral for on-chain perpetual futures. The stablecoin will be backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, with revenue generated from these assets benefiting the protocol. The project is also planning to launch its mainnet within the current month.

DraftKings, a Nasdaq-listed sports betting company, plans a significant expansion of its prediction market platform, DraftKings Predictions, within the year. CEO Jason Robins highlighted the company's intention to invest substantial capital aimed at acquiring millions of new users. This move signals DraftKings' confidence in the growing potential of prediction markets.

The US Federal Reserve has suggested classifying cryptocurrencies as a distinct asset class in uncleared derivatives trading due to their high volatility. The Fed recommends higher margin requirements and differentiated risk weights for volatile cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum compared to stablecoins. Additionally, it proposed a benchmark index combining volatile cryptos and stablecoins to better assess market volatility and risk.