Cryptopolitan

U.S. stock funds closed 2025 with an average gain of 14.6%, the third straight year above the 10% line.The numbers came from LSEG and covered returns through December 24.

The fourth quarter alone added 2.5%, even as doubts around artificial intelligence kept showing up in market chatter. Many investors stayed skeptical about what AI could really deliver. Most still stayed invested.

The run keeps cooling but refuses to break. Returns hit 21% in 2023, eased to 17.4% in 2024, then slowed again this year. The direction stayed the same. Up. The pace changed. Slower.

The Mutual-Fund Yardsticks data shows three strong years back to back. Each year pulled in less than the one before it. None of them slipped below double digits.

AI-led rallies narrowed after tariffs shook markets

“The biggest surprise in 2025 was how dominant the AI stocks were,” said Ellen Hazen, market strategist at F.L. Putnam Investment Management in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. “Everyone thought the AI trade was over, that the Mag 7 were done, and the market broadening that everyone was eagerly looking forward to was going to happen.”

That idea did not survive April.President Donald Trump, the sitting president in 2025, announced broad tariffs during what he called Liberation Day.

After that point, leadership tightened again. “The market dramatically narrowed again,” Hazen said. “And since that day the Mag 7 has trounced the rest of the market again.”

The gains stayed tied to a small group of names linked to artificial intelligence. The expected spread into other sectors did not arrive. Hazen said the outlook for 2026 remains open.

“There are more yellow flags appearing than disappearing for the AI trade, but they do not yet reach the level that makes me bearish on the markets or bearish on AI,” she said. She added that earnings growth outside technology could still widen returns if it shows up.

Global funds, bonds, and flows reshaped investor behavior

International stock funds outperformed U.S. peers in 2025. These funds posted a 29.8% gain, far above last year’s 4.8% rise. Early tariff turmoil helped drive that result. While U.S. markets pushed to records, investors sent fresh money elsewhere.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times during the year. Bond funds held steady through the moves. Funds focused on investment-grade debt rose 7.3% for the year. The fourth quarter added 1.1% to that total. These funds became a preferred place for new cash.

Fund flows showed a clear split. Investors pulled $391.6 billion from U.S. stock mutual funds and ETFs in 2025, based on Investment Company Institute estimates. Most of that came in July, when tariff fears peaked. Those worries faded later in the year, but the money did not rush back.

At the same time, $102.1 billion flowed into international stock funds. Bond funds attracted $669.4 billion in net inflows as investors leaned toward stability.

Large-cap managers dominated the latest Winners’ Circle rankings of actively managed U.S. stock funds. These managers focused on artificial-intelligence names and other technology holdings.

The top spot went to Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Portfolio (PAGRX), a $376.2 million fund that returned 36.9% over the past 12 months, according to Morningstar Direct. Second place went to PrimeCap Odyssey Growth Fund (POGRX) with a 33% gain.

Four funds from the Alger group landed in the top ten, including Alger Capital Appreciation Portfolio (ALVOX) at 32.9%.

Across the full survey, 1,185 funds with at least $50 million in assets posted an average total return of 11.5% for the year, keeping the long run of positive stock results intact.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi plans to deliver 550,000 electric vehicles in 2026, lifting its target after selling 410,000 units in 2025. The figure points to a 34% increase as the company pushes deeper into China’s crowded EV market and lines up overseas expansion.

Billionaire founder Lei Jun announced the goal during a livestream on Saturday, setting expectations for the next phase of the car business.

The EV unit turned profitable in November, around 18 months after the first electric sedan hit the road. That timeline landed faster than Tesla, which took years to reach the same point. The profit news did little to calm markets.

The stock ranked among the worst-performing Chinese tech names last year as concerns grew around overcapacity, soft demand, and tighter conditions across the EV sector, according to Bloomberg.

Xiaomi faces regulation pressure after SU7 crashes

Two serious accidents involving the Xiaomi SU7 triggered calls for tougher oversight.The incidents pushed regulators to act.China released draft rules and new standards covering advanced driver assistance systems, door handle design, and battery safety.

These changes landed as scrutiny rose around software control and physical build choices in new electric models.

Despite that pressure, attention around the vehicles kept spreading beyond China. Karl-Thomas Neumann, former Volkswagen China chief executive, said the SU7 Ultra performance version was a “crying loud warning sign” for Western carmakers.

Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee also weighed in, calling the sedan’s software integration “awesome.” The comments circulated as the company prepared its next steps outside the domestic market.

Xiaomi expands models as EV growth slows worldwide

Xiaomi also plans to widen its lineup by up to four new launches and refreshes, featuring a five-seat model and a seven-seat extended-range SUV.

Xiaomi’s extended-range vehicles reportedly carry a small gasoline engine that recharges the battery once power runs low, without full reliance on charging stations.

Moreover, in May, Lei announced the Xring O1, a 3-nanometer processor designed for devices such as the Tablet 7 Ultra, promised to target performance levels seen in products from Apple and Qualcomm.

At the same time, Xiaomi has warned of the impact of a shortfall in memory chips on its core smartphone business, forecasting a potential supply crunch this year that would raise the price of its mobile devices.

Meanwhile, the global EV market is cooling, with sales expecting to grow by 13% to 24 million vehicles in 2026, down from a 22% rally last year. The slowdown comes as Chinese demand eases, Europe grows at a slower pace, and the United States contracts. Policy changes are playing a role.

President Donald Trump, back in the White House, ended federal EV tax incentives. The European Union also softened its planned 2035 ban on petrol cars, while China’s growth rate continues to decelerate after years of rapid expansion.

In the United States, EV sales are forecast to drop 29% to 1.1 million units after reaching 1.5 million in 2025.Europe is expected to post 4.9 million sales, up 14% from the prior year.

China remains the largest market, with volumes projected at 15.5 million vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, compared with 13.3 million in 2025. Even at that level, growth trails the surge from 2020 through 2025, when sales jumped from about 1.1 million to over 13 million.

Chinese brands continue to dominate pricing pressure. BYD led the charge with lower-cost models across China and Europe and overtook Tesla in 2025 as the world’s biggest electric-car maker after expanding across overseas markets.

Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.

The Fed enters 2026 under pressure from politics, courts, markets, and its own calendar. The largest central bank on the planet is dealing with leadership uncertainty, public attacks from Donald Trump, and a rate strategy narrowed by steady growth and sticky inflation.

Policymakers are trying to plan for the year ahead after delivering three straight interest rate cuts while facing louder dissent inside the committee and rising attention on how data is gathered and used.

Those three cuts now hang over every 2026 decision.Expectations for solid growth and ongoing price pressures make additional reductions harder to justify.What looks clear is that the turbulence from the prior year did not fade.

Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said the attention will not ease. “There’ll be a big spotlight. There’ll be lots of intrigue,” Kathy said. She added that uncertainty keeps the Fed “in the hot seat too.”

Trump escalates pressure as legal and leadership deadlines collide

The past year pushed the Fed into fights it rarely faces. As Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, he repeatedly threatened to fire Chair Jerome Powell over the pace of rate cuts.

Midyear scrutiny then turned to cost overruns tied to a renovation project at the Fed’s Washington headquarters. Between those episodes, Trump sought to remove Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations that have not been proven and were never filed as formal charges.

All of this unfolded while the administration searched for Powell’s successor.His chair term expires in May, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ran interviews that included as many as 11 candidates.The clock tightens in January.A Supreme Court hearing on Jan. 21 is scheduled to decide whether Trump has authority to remove Lisa.

One week later, the Federal Open Market Committee meets to vote on interest rates. Trump is expected to name his chair pick during the month. Jerome has not said whether he will stay on the Board of Governors, where his term runs until January 2028.

There also have been multiple dissents at recent rate votes, and new regional presidents set to come on board at the FOMC have a hawkish bent, meaning they’re likely to resist additional cuts. “It’s still a tough spot for the Fed,” Kathy said.

Data, labor, and AI complicate rate planning for 2026

Despite the noise, Wall Street expects policymakers to keep working toward a neutral rate near 3 percent. The federal funds rate sits about half a percentage point above where most committee members see it in the long run.

Kathy said Jerome helped guide three consecutive quarter-point cuts and was not blocking action. Future decisions depend on incoming numbers. She expects two cuts, one around midyear and another near year-end.

The committee’s dot plot points to one cut. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, and analysts at Citigroup see labor weakness that could support three. Jerome and his colleagues have said decisions will follow data rather than political pressure.

Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, sees less room. He expects only one reduction. “The winds are really changing for the U.S. economy,” Torsten said in a CNBC interview. He noted that tariffs, inflation, and uncertainty weighed on 2025, while fiscal stimulus and a steadier labor market now support growth. “The tailwinds are beginning to accumulate and making it more difficult for the Fed to cut rates,” he said.

Another variable is artificial intelligence.Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said its impact on productivity and hiring matters for policy communication.“The Fed this year has got a real challenge in terms of communicating their strategy,” Joseph said, pointing to heavy investment in advanced technology.

After a slow start to 2026, the economy grew strongly in the middle quarters and is tracking near 3 percent growth late in the year, based on Atlanta Fed estimates.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.

Spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based in the US recently recorded total trading volume that has surpassed $2 trillion. This record has been achieved almost two years after the introduction of these crypto ETFs in January 2024.

To back this claim, data from a reliable source noted that the $2 trillion achievement was reached on January 2. In comparison, analysts found that the cumulative trading volume reached an all-time high of approximately $1 trillion, recorded on May 6, 2025. This milestone was achieved about 16 months after the launch of the ETFs.

Notably, the surge from $1 trillion to $2 trillion took approximately eight months. This duration is half the time consumed to attain the first trillion. Hence, the situation demonstrates a heightened interest from institutions seeking regulated investments in cryptocurrency-related assets.

Crypto ETFs demonstrate outstanding net inflows

The current cumulative volume encompasses a broader range of assets. To further clarify this point for better understanding, they mentioned that firms introduced spot ETFs that can effectively track Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Hedera, and Chainlink shortly after new generic listing standards received the green light from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 17, 2025. 

Following this approval, reports highlighted that the agency decided to reduce approval times from 240 days to 75 days. Meanwhile, among the listed new offerings, XRP-based products secured ranking among the most outperformed, generating about $1.2 billion in net inflows since they began operating on November 13.  

On the other hand, a review from a reliable source declared that Bitcoin ETFs experienced approximately $21.8 billion in net inflows while other ETFs encountered about $9.8 billion in net inflows.

In the case of BlackRock’s IBIT, it was confirmed that the spot bitcoin ETF owns approximately 70% of the market share by volume with more than $66 billion in assets under management (AUM).  This finding was noted after its volume share hit a high level of 80% in mid-2025. 

James Seyffart, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, weighed in on the situation. He acknowledged that the authorities have approved several crypto ETF filings. However, Seyffart affirmed that there are at least 126 more of these filings pending approval. Nonetheless, he warned that some may halt their operations if they fail to draw in sufficient steady investments.

As the situation becomes more intense, data from SoSoValue claimed that Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs showed significant outcomes at the beginning of the new year on January 2. It is worth noting that this date represented the first trading day of 2026.

BlackRock’s IBIT secures the top ranking in net inflows 

The net inflows of Spot Bitcoin ETFs totaled approximately $471.1 million, with all twelve funds experiencing a surge in positive investments. BlackRock’s IBIT ranks first with $287.4 million. The second on the list was Fidelity’s FBTC, with approximately $88.1 million, followed by Bitwise’s BITB, with about $41.5 million.

As of now, the Bitcoin ETF assets amount to approximately $117.0 billion, accounting for 6.53% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is trading at around $90,602.99, reflecting a 0.73% increase in the past 24 hours, according to reports from CoinMarketCap.

In the meantime, Spot Ethereum ETFs generated approximately $174.4 million, with Grayscale’s ETHE leading the way at $53.7 million, followed by Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust at $50.0 million, and BlackRock’s ETHA at $47.2 million. 

Analysts stated that Ethereum’s total assets reached an all-time high of $19.1 billion, equivalent to 5.06% of the cryptocurrency’s market capitalization. Currently, ETH is trading at $3,133.44, representing a 0.16% increase over the past 24 hours.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

Dogecoin (DOGE) is still struggling to break through the resistance zone of $0.15, and it seems to have limited upside as it is still controlled by sellers. As DOGE awaits an impending breakout, it seems that most of those searching for another new crypto coin to invest in are turning to Mutuum Finance (MUTM), which is already in Phase 7 of its presale and growing in popularity. 

This new crypto coin is still at $0.04 and has managed to raise in excess of $19.5 million. This is set to rise in Phase 8 20% and reach a price of $0.045. This is raising urgency for immediate entry. Those who are investing now are positioning themselves to reap a 500% return on investment in this presale. This is yet another reason why MUTM is quickly emerging as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy that is presently relatively inexpensive in preparation for the next big wave in cryptocurrency.

Dogecoin (DOGE) Looks for Recovery With Major Technical Targets Drawing Near

Dogecoin (DOGE) has pulled back more than 60% from its 30¢ high, and although a bullish divergence has emerged, indicating a possible reversal, traders can’t expect a strong V-shaped rebound. Trading analysts forecast that there could be a small period of consolidation within a month as DOGE processes these losses and finds support around essential levels. The key level to keep an eye on is breaking above 13.5¢, which would signify a strong fundamental shift, thus contributing towards mending the sluggish market cap, paving a way for a possible positive breakout.

MUTM Presale Update: Phase 7 is Live 

Mutuum Finance, whose ticker symbol is MUTM, is actually in presale stage 7, with the price of the token at $0.04, following presale stage 6, in which the price was set at $0.035, showing a 15% rise in price over the previous phase, and is predicted to go up another 20% in presale stage 8, which is predicted to be launched at a price of $0.045 and is nearly the final stage in which one can acquire this new crypto coin at a cheap price. Many investors see MUTM as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy before its public launch.

Currently, the presale has been able to attract more than 18,600 investors, amounting to more than $19.5 million, showing the confidence that they have placed on the platform. The notion that MUTM has dual functionality with its upcoming V1 Sepolia Testnet is what entices investors to invest into this new crypto coin. This makes it a strong contender among the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy for early-stage investment.

Mutuum Finance Infrastructure & Price Discovery

Mutuum Finance employs the use of Chainlink oracles in order to obtain updated as well as accurate pricing information, which refers to the process of querying token prices in relation to very liquid assets such as USD, ETH, Matic, and Avax. Moreover, fallback oracles, aggregation feeds, as well as on-chain data are also employed in this system in order to obtain updated as well as accurate pricing information, which are considered building bricks in relation to the associated functionality related to this new crypto coin, which deals with valuation, risk, and the process of liquidation in this system.

$50,000 Bug Bounty Program

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has launched a bug bounty program, which gives the public the opportunity to receive some share of a pool of rewards that goes up to a total of $50,000. The product has full functionality and can be utilized by the public. This further strengthens MUTM’s position as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy in the current market. The development team has now turned their focus to the service of the MUTM users and investors, in addition to developing the platform.

As Dogecoin is treading the waters around $0.15, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) continues moving upwards, priced at $0.04 during the Presale Phase 7 and moving on to Presale Phase 8, priced at $0.045. More than 18,600 people have already taken the initiative and put money into this new crypto coin, amounting to $19.5 million, solidifying its status as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy for smart investors.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Companies are borrowing more money than ever to build artificial intelligence systems and expand into private credit markets. And that’s pushing corporate bond trading to levels never seen before.

Last year saw an average of $50 billion worth of corporate bonds trade hands every single day. The figure comes from Crisil Coalition Greenwich, which tracks financial market data. That beat 2024’s daily average of $46 billion and set a new record.

Companies are rushing to fund big AI projects right now. Data centers that power these new technologies need a lot of money. Wall Street firms like Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase are predicting record sales of top-rated corporate bonds this year.

A lot of this borrowing happens in private markets. Last year Cryptopolitan reported Meta Platforms and Blue Owl Capital borrowed roughly $27 billion in high-quality debt to build a data center in rural Louisiana. Deals like this are creating more trading opportunities in private credit. Investors there want more options to exit their positions.

Rehan Latif oversees credit trading globally at Morgan Stanley. “I view it very much as the biggest single opportunity coming into 2026,” he said. “Every single time a new market is created, there is a little bit of a lag before the secondary market kicks off. The reality is this is the right time for it to happen.”

Tech companies and utility firms often sell bonds with longer payback periods to finance AI-related projects. Sam Berberian leads credit trading at Citadel Securities. He and Jeff Eason, a senior analyst at the firm, say these longer-term bonds create more trading action.

These bonds see bigger price swings when interest rates change. Hedge funds and active traders like that because they can profit from market moves.

Companies are borrowing more for AI ventures

Investors have to watch their holdings carefully. They don’t want too much money tied up in tech companies and utilities. There’s growing worry about a possible AI bubble too. That’s pushing investors to buy more protection through credit default swaps. Market makers say this is adding even more trading activity.

Bond trading has been climbing for years. New methods like portfolio trading help. Investors can buy or sell large groups of bonds all at once. The market borrowed tools from stock trading. Bond-focused exchange-traded funds, computer-based execution systems, and fast trading strategies all help. More trading generally narrows the gap between buying and selling prices. Bonds become easier to trade.

Investors are moving toward broader strategies now. They use many different financial tools instead of betting on individual companies. Alex Finston helps run credit trading for the United States at Goldman Sachs. He says these changes have cut the cost of trading corporate bonds by up to two-thirds in recent years.

“The scalability by which our clients are able to access liquidity has never been better and I would expect that that will continue to grow over time,” Finston said.

Automated trading keeps expanding but traditional phone-based trading still matters

Grant Nachman started and runs the credit firm Shorecliff Asset Management. He says computer systems can only go so far. They struggle with bonds that don’t trade frequently. Investment firms also risk losing influence if they move too much business away from traditional trading relationships.

“There’s likely a ceiling on how much electronic trading there can be,” he said. Getting allocated bonds in new deals matters. So does receiving market research, gathering market insights, and keeping long-standing business relationships. “It helps to be a relevant voice counterparty to get some of that.”

However trades happen, 2025 was busy across bonds, crypto, and AI stocks. Activity will probably keep growing. Related markets are seeing increased volume too. Credit ETFs and credit derivatives both are.

“We expect trading activity to pick up in 2026,” said Citadel Securities’ Berberian.

Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.

Market participants are monitoring a mix of established cryptocurrencies and early-stage projects when assessing potential opportunities for 2026. Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Mutuum Finance (MUTM) have been cited for different reasons. Solana for its cheap blockchain, Dogecoin for its hype, and Mutuum Finance for its fresh twist to DeFi. MUTM is in presale and has amassed over $19.6 million faster than analysts predicted. Unlike SOL and DOGE that are already far along the maturity tree, MUTM is building its foundation in DeFi with a dual-lending mechanism.

SOL Price Prediction

Solana (SOL) has been volatile in the past year, falling from $290 to below $100 at one point. The price of SOL is now around $124, a strong support level that is set to influence its trajectory in the next cycle. If the price manages to rebound, it could pave way for a potential move towards $300.

Dogecoin Price Analysis

Dogecoin (DOGE) has been shifting within an extremely critical area of support at $0.116-$0.120 after witnessing a sharp correction since its peak levels above $0.16 in mid-December. On the 4-hour chart, DOGE is witnessing lower highs. However, it seems that it is facing critical compression levels. A breakout above $0.124 with increased trading volumes would point towards $0.130-$0.135.

MUTM Presale Rise

While Solana and Dogecoin are decent picks, they lack the strength of Mutuum Finance. The project’s presale has achieved yet another milestone with more than 18,660 participants and a total of $19.56 million collected. The current price of MUTM per token is set at $0.04 during Phase 7. The presale rewards those who buy early. For instance, when MUTM hits $2 like analysts predict, an investment today will deliver a 5000% ROI. However, those who delay and get in during later stages or at $0.06 listing price will only see a 3200% ROI, a massive 1800% ROI difference.

Mutuum Finance also runs a $100,000 giveaway where 10 people participating in the presale get to win $10,000 in MUTM. To qualify, each of the participants needed to buy a minimum of $50 in MUTM, register a valid wallet address on the official site of the giveaway, in order to claim the prizes in case of being picked, as well as undertake quests such as a follow the project on social media. Additionally, there is a $500 award every 24 hours for the top investor buying MUTM. Moreover, the top 50 holders will get rewarded based on their performance on the leaderboard. 

MUTM DeFi Ecosystem

Mutuum Finance is working on a decentralized over-collateralized stablecoin. The stablecoin is pegged 1:1 to the USD. In addition, it is non-algorithmic, saving it from the depeg risks seen in algorithmic stablecoins like TerraUST. 

The project also has a reward system wherein rewards are given based on a buyback program that utilizes a portion of the fees accrued from the borrowing/lending activities on the protocol to purchase the MUTM tokens on the open market; these are then allocated to the stakers of mtTokens. The mtToken is an ERC-20 yield-bearing asset issued to users when they deposit assets in the project to earn interest on lending. The mtTokens will accrue yields based on the protocol’s usage, ranging between 7-10% or higher. A user could for instance deposit 10 ETH in the platform to receive 10 mtETH which will then see an up to 10% interest per year. 

Multi-Chain Deployment

Mutuum Finance is meant to be capable on both EVM and non-EVM blockchain chains, working with a variety of liquidity pools and communities of users. Such an approach strengthens long-term value by broadening the addressed market and increasing liquidity levels.

While Solana (SOL) and Dogecoin (DOGE) continue to make headlines, they face the limitations of market maturity and trading influenced by market sentiment. At $0.04 in Presale Phase 7, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) presents a stronger case with early investor advantage, community rewards, juicy lending yields among other strong features. The project has attracted 18,660 presale participants and $19.56M in raised funds. This is a crucial phase of FOMO and is increasingly being recognized as the top crypto to invest in, while cementing its spot among the best crypto picks for investors looking to diversify in 2026.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The current market price for XRP is below the $2 mark, and the sentiment remains weak, with investors waiting for confirmation of a possible long-term recovery. The market size and maturity of XRP imply a muted rally, which may have to await a positive sentiment drift in the overall market. Conversely, the spotlight has been shifting towards an early-stage DeFi project, Mutuum Finance (MUTM), which is currently in the presale phase. 

MUTM is different from XRP, with its strong DeFi focus, an early-stage advantage and rapidly growing holder-base. In no time, the new crypto has surpassed 18660 token holders and has quickly become among the best cryptos to buy for early adopters.

XRP Price Prediction

XRP’s 2025 was a rollercoaster, with regulatory victories such as the SEC settlement, listing of US-based spot ETFs, and increased engagement with Ripple partners, yet its price declined significantly by 50% from $3.66 to $1.58, failing to reach $5. As XRP embarks on a new year in 2026, technical analysis presents a potential for additional decline if current support levels are broken, although ongoing ETF investments combined with regulatory support might establish a basis for a recovery. While there exists a recovery potential in XRP, its large market and relatively slower pace limits how high it could go compared to Mutuum Finance, which has been termed as the next crypto to explode.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance has moved into Presale Phase 7, where the tokens are priced at $0.04. However, this phase is filling up quickly, and as such, the price will go to $0.045 in Presale Phase 8. So far, the presale event has raised $19.6 million. 

The current token value is 300% higher than Presale Phase 1, at $0.04, and with a projected 50x rally from the current levels, MUTM could touch $2 by the end of the year. In this scenario, a small bet of $500 today could swell to $25,000. Such a growth projection within the first few months makes MUTM the best crypto to buy now and a must-hold in the next bull run. Early investors looking for the next crypto to explode see this as a no-brainer bet.

Next-Generation DeFi Platform

Mutuum Finance is an open lending and borrowing platform that facilitates the creation of yields, lending of assets, and effortless borrowing. The design and functionality of the platform are focused on the principles of secure returns on investment. The platform uses a two-model approach to lending, which involves Peer-to-Contract (P2C) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending.

Peer-to-Contract relies on smart contracts for automating loans, which adjust interest rates according to market trends. In this way, there is predictability and stability in borrowing and lending. On the other hand, Peer-to-Peer lending facilitates direct transactions between lenders and those seeking loans, thereby cutting off third parties. 

Say for instance an investor has $7500 ETH lying in their wallet. If ETH doubles in price over the next one year, this investment will only grow into $15,000. On the other hand, if they choose to deposit it in MUTM’s lending pools, it will deliver an 8-12% APY on top of this growth. The initial $7500 will deliver an extra $900 and the investor does not need to sell their ETH. 

Halborn Security Audit & Sepolia Testnet Launch

The lending & borrowing contracts of Mutuum Finance have been audited for security by Halborn Security, and all suggested patches have been successfully implemented. This adds an extra layer of security to the protocol, ensuring that investors have peace of mind, knowing that their assets are safe. The audit process is over, and the V1 protocol is now set to launch on the Sepolia testnet.

Testnet will consist of a number of key functionalities, which will include Liquidity Pools related to lending and borrowing, mtTokens that will indicate the deposits made as well as the accumulated interest accrued from these deposits, and an Automated Liquidator Bot. This will enable users to test functionality of the system. First, it will focus on ETH and USDT, which will be its key digital currencies to work with when it comes to lending and borrowing. This, however, will soon be upgraded to enable compatibility with other tokens. 

Although XRP is currently trading below $2 with limited potential to go higher due to market maturity, a promising opportunity for early investors lies in the Presale Phase 7 token price of $0.04 in Mutuum Finance (MUTM). For investors asking which is the best crypto to buy, MUTM sets itself apart. Its P2P + P2C lending model appeals to all types of DeFi users and their respective risk profiles. The project will soon go live on the Sepolia tesnet where users will get to test its features. This sets it apart from most other projects that launch with no working tools, but empty promises. As 2026 kicks off, analysts see this as the next crypto to explode. 

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

According to multiple reports, one crypto user lost approximately $1.08 million worth of Aave-wrapped Ethereum LBTC (aEthLBTC), which is a tokenized Bitcoin asset on the Aave protocol, in what is likely a phishing exploit. 

According to ScamSniffer, the user in question had signed a malicious “permit” signature, which was what led to the theft. That signature was an off-chain approval mechanism, and it allegedly allows tokens to be spent without triggering an immediate on-chain transaction. 

ScamSniffer shared screenshots of the transactions. As to how the victim was susceptible to the exploit, they believe the scammers would have gotten the victim to sign the permit via a phishing site or cloned dApp, giving them access to drain the wallet. 

How did the scam happen? 

SlowMist’s founder, Cosine, commented on the haul, pointing out that the specific phishing group behind the attack is not one of the “mainstream” drainer groups, which suggests an emergence of smaller, sophisticated independent attackers. 

They also moved fast, rapidly converting the funds to ETH and then laundering the funds immediately via Tornado Cash. 

The incident was highlighted on January 3 by ScamSniffer via its X page, not long after it dropped its 2025 yearly report. In the report, as reviewed by Cryptoplitan, it revealed there was an overall 83% drop in crypto phishing losses, falling from $494 million to $84 million. 

However, it emphasized that sophisticated wallet drainers still abound. They just seem to be targeting high-value holders with permit-oriented attacks, as is often the case during a bull market. 

Permit-based exploits depend on the user’s trust in routine signature requests that actually authorize token transfers off-chain. Unfortunately for scams like these, recovery is very unlikely as the draining happens on-chain and transactions are irreversible. 

Crypto phishing losses went down, but wrench attacks went up 

While ScamSniffer has confirmed crypto phishing losses went down in 2025, crypto security experts claim the frequency of so-called “$5 wrench attacks” went up. 

Ari Redbord, the global head of policy and government affairs at crypto analytics firm TRM Labs, called 2025 a record year for wrench attacks, with roughly 60 reported physical assaults on crypto holders, up from 41 in 2024 and 36 in 2021. However, Redbord believes the actual number of attacks that have happened is significantly higher. 

“Many incidents are logged simply as robberies or burglaries, with the crypto element omitted, while others are never reported due to victim hesitation or uncertainty about how law enforcement will handle crypto-related crimes,” Redbord claimed.

The cybersecurity risk called the “wrench attack” derives its name from the idea that even the most sophisticated forms of encryption and data security are susceptible to physical coercion — like getting threatened by a “$5 wrench.” 

These attacks are inarguably worse than phishing exploits and protocol hacks as they not only put assets at risk but also lives, increasing the stakes for maintaining proper OPSEC beyond wallet management best practices. 

“No matter how many technical precautions you take or how many factors you authenticate with, no individual is immune to human attack vectors,” Tor Bair, CEO of Hybrid Minds Advisory and former president of the Secret Foundation, said.

Although the true number of wrench attacks is difficult to quantify, there appears to be either a higher risk of victimization or, at least, a greater awareness of the threat.

Last year May, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau spoke up about the rise of crypto-related assaults in the country, which at the time was the site of about one-third of wrench attacks in 2025, including the high-profile kidnapping and torture of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife in January.

Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.

Ethereum has returned to focus following a bullish technical crossover, prompting analysts to evaluate the possibility of a move toward the $4,800 level if momentum continues. The current surge in ETH has continued to boost overall confidence while also underlining a gap that exists between top-level projects that have long existed, as opposed to emerging ones that have been gaining momentum lately.

Amid the rise of Ethereum, investors are also currently taking a keen interest in Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a DeFi-based project that is currently within its presale with undeniable momentum. Thus far, this new crypto coin project has raised more than $19.6 million with more than 18,660 members signing up for its presale, making it a top crypto to buy now for investors looking for early opportunities.

ETH Price Analysis

Ethereum (ETH) has just made a bullish cross-over around $2,900, a pattern that occurred before a situation where it increased by approximately +217% from $1,550 to above $4,950. Currently, it is expected to reach $4,811.71, even $8,557.68, showing its massive structural potential. ETH’s price action points to a much larger issue with crypto markets. While there is established upside in market giants, newer projects like the new crypto coin Mutuum Finance provide higher, more rapid percentage increases.

Mutuum Finance in Early Stage at $0.04

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is still in the initial valuation stage in the ongoing presale. With the token price now set at $0.04, while the launch price is set at $0.06, investors have a great chance to capture meaningful upside even before market launch. The project has managed to raise a cumulative value of $19.6 million, with the support of more than 18,660 investors in the initial seven presale stages. As an emerging new crypto coin, it has already become one of the most talked-about crypto to buy now in the DeFi space and for a good reason. 

Those joining in phase 7 have the potential of enjoying a near 2x jump at launch. This is before a 40x ROI predicted by analysts when MUTM launches. Market strategists have pointed to factors such as passive income streams, community-driven funding, buy-backs and staking as some of the factors that could trigger a 40x climb for MUTM by mid-year. 

This shows just how much the newcomer differs from an asset like Ethereum. ETH is a strong market player, but its days of sharp rises are far behind it. By mid-2026 ETH could soar as little as 100%, yet MUTM is on track for a 3900% jump. In fact, analysts have stated that buying MUTM now is similar to being an Ethereum investor in 2017. This was the year ETH saw its biggest rally. If indeed, MUTM captures similar upside, and fundamentals show it could, a 40x rally past $1.60 could just be the beginning for the newcomer.

Passive Earnings For Users

One of the features of Mutuum Finance is its mtToken concept. mtTokens enable users to accrue passive income immediately while still enjoying liquidity. For instance, a user with an idle 5000 USDT in their portfolio could choose to deposit it in MUTM to earn an interest. The lender will receive mtUSDT, and ERC-20 receipt minted 1:1 to their deposit. The mtUSDT accrues yield, around 8-12% APY without requiring users to sell their assets.

Buybacks & Staking

Mutuum Finance’s buy and distribute and staking solution works to ensure the value of the MUTM token in the long run by pegging its value to the usage of the protocol. Some of the revenue generated from the lending platform is used to buy back MUTM tokens. The purchased tokens are then used to reward the stakers. This means that on top of a 8-12% APY on mtToken deposits, stakers in the project are eligible for periodical dividends. 

Ethereum (ETH) is eyeing $4,800 as it makes progress. However, Mutuum Finance (MUTM), at $0.04 in Presale Phase 7, shows strong potential for growth. Its projected 40x ROI that could launch it past $1.50, juicy APY and periodical dividends are drawing a huge crowd looking for the next DeFi giant and the best crypto to buy now.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The year 2025 ended on a disappointing note for Bitcoin. The top cryptocurrency in the world ended the year with a negative performance of around 5% in value. The cryptocurrency is presently stuck in a narrow band around $88,410. Not many people are pleased with this performance in the market. It has been noticed that they are selling Bitcoin at a discount.

Investors who are looking for actual growth have to come up with a different approach. They are leaving the stagnant coins behind and looking for projects which have the potential to make yields. One such cheap crypto project which smart money is showing interest in is called Mutuum Finance (MUTM) for short. It provides a clear way to a massive profit thanks to a strong DeFi proposition. 

The Problem with a Stagnant Giant  

Bitcoin is considered digital gold and is wonderful for overall stability. However, it misses the strong yield structures exhibited by cheaper cryptocurrency projects. At the current moment, Bitcoin is exhibiting low volatility and a negative return on the year. This is putting the endurance of investors to the test. The constant pressure from selling indicates that investors are looking for alternatives.

A Project Constructed With Value In Mind

While the overall market is struggling, the purchase demand for Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is immense. The presale of MUTM has already raked in over $19.5 million. Over 18,650 individuals have already owned the MUTM tokens. The current phase is Phase 7, and the cost of each unit of MUTM is $0.04. The current price is already 300% higher than that of Phase 1, but according to experts, the best days of MUTM are yet to come.

The chance to acquire at a price of $0.04 will expire soon, at which point Phase 8 will commence at a higher price of $0.045. Acquiring the tokens now, prior to market listing at $0.06, will render an immediate profit for the investor. The possibility of appreciating further will kick off at market listing. 

Accumulate Rewards For Holding MUTM

Mutuum Finance also has a system for rewarding its supporters. The fees generated through lending on the platform are used automatically to buy MUTM tokens from the open market. The tokens are then given out for free as dividends to the people who stake in the system. This is a very powerful feedback loop. The more people using Mutuum Finance, the more fees, and vice versa, the more tokens are bought back. The more buybacks, the bigger the rewards for holders. This ensures that long-term holders receive rewards twice.

Mutuum Finance is almost ready to be launched. The V1 platform of Mutuum Finance is to be launched on the testnet very soon. The trustworthiness of the project has been made sure after the completion of a security audit performed by Halborn. There is also a $50,000 bug bounty program launched to find the bugs present in the platform.

Investors who take proactive steps will see that this presale is their final opportunity before a price hike is introduced. Additionally, with a limited supply of tokens in circulation and a soon-to-be-launched platform, there is sufficient evidence that indicates that its price will appreciate.

A Smart Move for Better Returns

Whereas Bitcoin remains stagnant, shrewd investors are allocating their funds to projects with engines of growth. Mutuum Finance presents an opportunity that leans heavily on the concept of scarcity and utilizes the connection to the success of the platform as the driving factor. The presale phase of the platform is near completion. For those interested in turning market uncertainty into major portfolio growth, membership in the MUTM presale will prove to be an intelligent decision. It’s a choice to join a project intended for use in the future of finance.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Crypto venture capital funding surged 433.2% in 2025 to $49.75 billion from literally just $9.33 billion a year ago, according data from RootData statistics.

December ended with 58 disclosed investment projects, up 3.6% from 56 in November. Monthly funding moved in the opposite direction. Disclosed capital for December totaled $860 million, down 94.1% from $14.54 billion in November.

Crypto deal activity contracts while capital concentrates

The entirety of 2025 saw 898 disclosed investment projects, a 42.1% plunge from 1,551 projects in 2024, meaning few deals are carrying far larger checks across the crypto venture capital market.

According to RootData, DeFi took the largest share at 22.4% of total crypto VC projects, CeFi followed at 13.8%, while AI had 12.7%. RWA and DePIN made up 7.3%, as L1 and L2 projects reached 6%, and NFT/GameFi slipped to 5.3%, matching tools and wallets at 5%.

The year’s largest transaction landed in November when Naver agreed to acquire Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, in an all‑stock deal valued at about $10.3 billion, pushing Naver’s value to 4.9 trillion won and Dunamu’s to 15.1 trillion won.

Crypopolitan had in October reported that Dunamu saw consolidated operating income of 1.19 trillion won for the first nine months of 2025, up 22% year-over-year, with 97.9% of revenue tied to trading platforms, including Upbit.

In May, Coinbase completed a $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit, paying $700 million in cash and the remainder in stock.

Mega financing deals boost corporate balance sheets holding crypto

Corporate issuance drove many of the year’s largest crypto VC raises, starting in July when Strategy raised $2.52 billion through its fourth preferred stock product, Stretch, with net proceeds of about $2.474 billion after fees.

Crypopolitan then reported that Strategy used the funds to buy 21,021 BTC at an average price of $117,256, making its total holdings now 628,791 BTC, or $74 billion. Earlier in February, Strategy had issued $2 billion in zero‑coupon notes due 2030, carrying a 40% to 50% conversion premium and a three‑year put option.

In October, Intercontinental Exchange, parent of the New York Stock Exchange, invested $2 billion in Polymarket at an $8 billion pre‑investment valuation. The deal gave ICE a stake and global distribution rights for Polymarket’s event‑driven data.

In March, Abu Dhabi MGX (funded by the Abu Dhabi government and controlled by the royal family) invested $2 billion in Binance for a minority stake, paid for using stablecoins exclusively, and became the largest crypto‑asset‑only investment recorded.

In September, Forward Industries completed a $1.65 billion private placement using cash and stablecoins to launch a Solana‑based digital asset vault strategy, led by Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital. In March, Kraken acquired NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, securing a CFTC‑registered FCM license to offer futures and derivatives in the United States while expanding in the U.K., EU, and Australia. In August, Galaxy Digital closed $1.4 billion in debt financing to fund the Helios AI data center in Texas under a long‑term agreement with CoreWeave.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

At this very moment, in early 2026, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is appearing to be one of the best cryptos to buy. Phase 7 is the current presale stage, and it has collected nearly $19.6 million. There are over 18,650 MUTM tokenholders. The current price is $0.04- four times more than the price in the first phase $0.01. Phase 7 is selling out fast and this is the final opportunity of making a purchase at 0.04. The next stage will be at $0.045 and the price at an official launch will be $0.06. It means that the investors buying $200 of MUTM now will have $300 even before the token debuts on exchanges. Most analysts believe that MUTM will complete 2026 with a price of more than $5. If this occurs, the $200 investment will explode to $25,000.

Looking at Ethereum’s (ETH) Big Run

Look at Ethereum in 2020 and 2021. ETH was at the lowest of $89 and by the end of 2021 it was nearly 4,900, nearly 55 times in less than two years. Early buyers made huge money. On the other hand, MUTM begins with superior metrics. The amount supplied in it is fixed at 4 billion tokens. New crypto coins will never be minted, and the cryptocurrency will never be available for purchase at $0.04 again. That is why MUTM is better positioned to grow in the long term.

Fast-Moving Presale

Presale phase 7 moves very fast at $0.04. Over 18,650 holders have already joined and the opportunity to purchase this cheaply is in the offing. Phase 8 will be the next one and more expensive. Individuals that wait will spend more. Ideally, a $200 buy now gets 5,000 tokens. However, to get 5,000 tokens at launch you’ll need $100 more. 

Mutuum Finance rewards its presale participants. Every day, the biggest buyer is rewarded with $500 MUTM. The clock on this reward resets at 00:00 UTC. There is also a larger $100,000 giveaway, where 10 presale participants will walk away with $10,000 each. 

Strong Safety First

The issue of safety is important in crypto. Mutuum is also fully audited by Halborn Security, with all the recommended fixes implemented. This is important for this new crypto and its holders. Most new projects get compromised due to failure to do good checks to their security before launch. The attentive work of Mutuum towards security guarantees funds are safe. That fosters confidence, and the more the confidence, the more people will utilize the platform. That contributes to the increase in the price of the token.

Coming Stablecoin Plan

Mutuum Finance will introduce its stablecoin in the nearest future. This coin will be stable in value and will assist the users in borrowing and lending without much concern of massive fluctuations in price. This safe option will draw more people on board. An increase in usage implies additional fees on the platform. These fees repurchase MUTM tokens in the market, and stakers in the project receive additional rewards. This will form actual value in the long run.

Looking Ahead

Having a fixed supply, solid safety, and a new product such as the upcoming stablecoin, Mutuum Finance has a smooth road to a massive growth. Analysts believe that it will be above $5 at the end of 2026. This may be the new giant in DeFi.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Anthropic’s top executive has a message for the technology world, which is rushing to pour billions into artificial intelligence. She says bigger isn’t always better.

Daniela Amodei, who leads the company as president and helped start it, talks often about an idea that shapes everything the business does. She calls it “do more with less.”

That thinking puts Anthropic at odds with what most of Silicon Valley believes right now. The largest technology companies and their financial backers act like size determines who wins. They’re gathering unprecedented amounts of money, buying computer chips years before they need them, and constructing enormous buildings full of servers across middle America. Their bet is simple: whoever builds the biggest operation wins.

OpenAI shows this approach most clearly. The firm has made commitments worth about $1.4 trillion for computing power and related infrastructure. Working with various partners, the company is setting up huge data center facilities and getting hold of advanced chips faster than the industry has ever managed before.

Anthropic thinks there’s a different path. The company believes careful spending, better algorithms, and smarter ways of using technology can keep them competitive without trying to outspend everyone else.

The situation carries extra weight because Daniela Amodei and her brother Dario helped create the very philosophy they’re now working against. Dario runs Anthropic as chief executive and previously worked at Baidu and Google. He was part of the research team that made popular the scaling approach now guiding how companies build AI models. The basic principle says that adding more computing power, more data, and making models larger tends to make them better in ways you can predict.

Scaling laws drive industry economics

That pattern now supports the entire financial structure of the AI competition. It explains why companies running cloud services spend so much money, why chip manufacturers command such high stock prices, and why private investors put huge valuations on companies still losing money as they grow.

But Anthropic wants to show that the next stage of competition won’t be won just by whoever can afford the biggest initial training runs. Their plan focuses on using better quality information for training, techniques applied after initial training that improve how models think through problems, and product decisions that make models cost less to operate and easier for customers to use at a large scale. That last part matters because the computing bills never end once models are actually running.

Anthropic isn’t working with pocket change. The company has around $100 billion in computing commitments and expects those needs to grow if it wants to stay at the leading edge. As reported by Cryptopolitan recently, Amazon powered Anthropic’s Claude model with its new Rainier AI infrastructure featuring over one million Trainium2 chips.

“The compute requirements for the future are very large,” Daniela Amodei told CNBC. “So our expectation is, yes, we will need more compute to be able to just stay at the frontier as we get bigger.”

Even so, the company says the big numbers being reported throughout the sector often can’t be compared directly. Industry-wide confidence about the correct amount to spend isn’t as firm as it appears.

“A lot of the numbers that are thrown around are sort of not exactly apples to apples, because of just how the structure of some of these deals are kind of set up,” she said, talking about how companies feel pushed to commit early so they can get hardware years later.

The larger reality, she noted, is that even people who helped develop the scaling theory have been caught off guard by how steadily performance and business results have grown.

“We have continued to be surprised, even as the people who pioneered this belief in scaling laws,” Daniela Amodei said. “Something that I hear from my colleagues a lot is that the exponential continues until it doesn’t. And every year we’ve been like, ‘Well, this can’t possibly be the case that things will continue on the exponential’, and then every year it has.”

What happens when growth stops?

Daniela Amodei separated the technology trend from the economic trend, an important difference that often gets mixed together in public discussion. Looking at technology alone, she said Anthropic doesn’t see progress slowing based on what they’ve observed.

“Regardless of how good the technology is, it takes time for that to be used in a business or sort of personal context,” she said. “The real question to me is: How quickly can businesses in particular, but also individuals, leverage the technology?”

“The exponential continues until it doesn’t,” Daniela Amodei said. The question for 2026 is what happens to the AI race and the companies building it if the industry’s favorite growth pattern finally stops working.

As the industry grapples with AI compute demand growing 2x faster than Moore’s Law, requiring $500 billion annually until 2030, Anthropic’s bet on efficiency over raw scale may prove prescient, or it may find that in the AI race, there’s no substitute for overwhelming computational power.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

The technical analysis for the end of 2025 has left the Ethereum community in a state of confusion. It is currently trading around $2,970 and shows signs of forming a bearish pattern, anticipating an abrupt fall in the currency. The poor flow of investments in funds and the traditionally weak position in January do not promise good times for 2026. Prudent investors can be seen acquiring investments, but the picture is unclear.

The uncertainty found within the DeFi crypto market at this level prompts savvy investors to look towards new initiatives that have a better understanding of future growth. Investors who look to earn high returns through a properly structured framework will find the presale opportunity available to them through Mutuum Finance (MUTM) to be very attractive. It is a belief of analysts that high returns are a result of a properly structured economic model, and are not just a product of rumors found within the markets.

The Fate of Ethereum

Ethereum is expected to face tough technical situations in 2026. In this period, the token may fall by as much as 44%. In order to resist this fall, it is required that the ETH maintains a support level above approximately $2,760. Although long-term investors are making purchases, their passion looks very modest. It is also required that there are stops in Ethereum’s capital outflow. The adoption in the real-world market should also see significant growth, and this has not happened yet. The current situation poses an opportunity for investors to think about investing in assets such as MUTM. The new cryptocurrency derives revenue from fees, has a small initial supply, and development is less dependent on market volatility.

Expanding on Community Support With MUTM

Mutuum Finance, or MUTM, has chosen to seek funding through a public presale, not through venture capital funds. This is significant. This means that most of these tokens are going to regular people, not institutional investors that would sell out later on. More than 18,650 individuals already hold these tokens.

VC-led funding rounds often leave small investors to deal with a massive plummet in the prices immediately following the initial launch. However, through MUTM’s open presale, your overall stake is tied up with many others who hope for the very best for the long-term future and success of the project as well. The presale has proceeded into phase 7, priced at $0.04 and has already managed to raise $19.52 million.

In-Built Safety for Long-Term Growth

Mutuum Finance also emphasizes safety and risk management. The protocol demands more collateral from borrowers than is loaned. It has very good autonomous systems to protect lenders in cases of falling prices. It also has its own emergency funds to protect against protocol losses. This has been a problem in the DeFi market, which has seen many projects crash and burn.

A secure and stable lending platform will attract more participants and larger investment. The continuous usage, in both good and bad markets, forms the revenue stream which will fuel MUTM’s value. The project mitigates risks that have derailed other projects in the past to build an ecosystem that will yield rewards for participants.

The Automatic Growth Engine

MUTM’s projected growth also lies in its automated buy-and-distribute platform. A share of all the fees paid for using the platform goes for the purchase of the MUTM token on the market. The bought tokens are then distributed to the users as a form of incentive for staking assets in the platform. 

This results in more fees being created, and more fees are linked to increased automatic purchases of MUTM. As the purchases go up, the benefits for the stakers will follow, which will attract more members to the platform and to staking. For stakers, this means that through staking, you get more tokens of MUTM without necessarily lifting a finger. The tokens will appreciate as the performance of the project diminishes the supply of tokens available in circulation. Raising the price from the launch level of $0.06 past $1.50 is considered the next natural step due to the engine driving the economy.

Preparing for Big Growth

Although there may be complications with the future of Ethereum, Mutuum Finance provides a definite roadmap for expansion. The presale offers  early access before listing. Furthermore, its robust security mechanisms promote trust for long-term utilization. The automatic buyback mechanism in Mutuum Finance can convert platform usage into actual tokens. The current price under Phase 7 of $0.04 represents the final investment opportunity before a price hike. Seize the moment while it exists. 

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed that Bitcoin ATM fraud reached new highs in 2025. According to the report, scammers stole close to $33 million from victims. The FBI noted that in most cases, scammers impersonated either a company or a bank to carry out their illicit activities.

The FBI claimed that some bad actors went as far as calling their victims and advising them to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM to protect their funds. The criminals would tell them that their accounts have been compromised, riding on the panic to push them into sending the funds via a Bitcoin ATM for safekeeping.

Instead, the money goes to a wallet or account maintained by the hacker or another person in their network.

Bitcoin ATM fraud hits a new record in 2025

Bitcoin ATMs increased in popularity in the United States, with more than 30,000 machines in the state in 2024. The figure represents 81.27% of the total Bitcoin ATMs in the world, according to Finance Magnates.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) mentioned that more than 10,000 people were victims of Bitcoin ATM fraud in 2025 alone. The agency mentioned that there were over 12,000 complaints from January to December in 2025.

In its statement, the FBI also mentioned that the monetary value lost to criminals reached $333.5 million, an increase compared to the same time span last year.

In 2024, the FTC reported that digital assets scams in particular were more financially devastating than other types of fraud, noting that midway through the year, the median loss reported by individuals related to crypto fraud was $5,400. The median individual loss tied to reports of general fraud stood at $447.

The FBI mentioned that the amount lost to the criminals has been on the rise with each passing year. Data from the FTC showed that Bitcoin ATMs were responsible for $114 million in reported losses in 2023 and $78 million in losses in 2022. This means that the reported losses due to Bitcoin ATM fraud more than doubled in the last two years.

Notably, these are figures of reported losses, with the FTC not accounting for losses that were not reported.

FTC urges users to be cautious

The FTC has advised people to pay close attention to all red flags when making transactions with Bitcoin ATMs. They have also advised people to double-check with their financial officer or banks whenever they are contacted by someone they do not know to deposit funds in a Bitcoin ATM.

The agency also advised individuals to slow down and not allow the other person at the end of the line to rush them into making payments, noting that they should discuss things with people around them before making any payment.

Bitcoin has been one of the few instruments used to carry out fraud, with criminals choosing to use the asset because of its privacy-focused transactions.

The FTC has also warned that government agencies and legitimate businesses will not contact users and ask them to pay for services in Bitcoin. Except otherwise stated, users should not pay for any service or goods using Bitcoin ATMs. In a case where someone is hounding them, they should report to the police.

While fraud does not only affect certain demographics, scammers have been targeting the older generations more. This is because they are susceptible to crypto crimes, the data shows.

In the report, victims 60 and above account for 715 of the reported losses using Bitcoin ATMs during the first half of 2024, losing $46 million according to the FTC. In some cases, the criminals used AI deepfakes of a family member, asking the elderly person to pay Bitcoin in exchange for their release from the police station.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

BitMine Immersion Technologies, a public digital asset company, has expanded Ethereum’s staking system with an additional 82,560 Ether, valued at around $259 million.

This move has contributed to congestion in the network’s validator entry queue, driven by rising institutional demand for staking yields. Regarding the situation, Arkham released recent data reporting several significant deposits made by the Ether treasury firm to Ethereum’s BatchDeposit contract. These deposits were made in the past few hours.

Following the new stake, a report from on-chain analyst Lookonchain revealed that the total number of ETH staked now amounts to 544,064 Ether, worth approximately $1.62 billion, according to current prices. 

BitMine kicks off major ETH staking push

BitMine implemented its decision to stake additional ETH on December 26, 2025, and transferred almost $219 million in ETH into contracts related to staking on the Ethereum network. 

Before carrying out this move, BitMine initially made clear its intentions to begin staking Ether in the first quarter of 2026 in a statement published in November.  The statement also noted that this staking process will take place using the company’s internal infrastructure, known as the Made-in-America Validator Network (MAVAN).

It was also confirmed that BitMine selected three institutional staking providers for a pilot initiative. Apart from this, sources disclosed that the firm intended to deploy a limited amount of ETH meant to evaluate performance, security, and reliability before executing their motive to add new stakes.

Meanwhile, reports highlighted that BitMine’s intensified effort into staking led to Ethereum’s validator entry queue reaching around 977,000 ETH. Due to this congestion, the Ethereum Validator Queue, a blockchain explorer, indicates that new validators are expected to wait approximately 17 days to become active.

On the other hand, analysts conducted research and discovered that the amount of exit activity is relatively low, with slightly more than 113,000 ETH awaiting withdrawal. 

At this point, data from Ethereum’s network showed that more than 35.5 million ETH, which approximately accounts for 29% of the total supply, is currently staked. For the annual staking yield, the report noted that it had amounted to about 2.54%.

Abdul Rehman, who holds the title of Head of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) at the Monad Foundation and leads DeFi at the layer one blockchain Monad, commented on the situation. He shared an X post last week, highlighting that “when the entry and exit queue changed back in June, Ether’s price doubled shortly after.”

Rehman also predicted that 2026 would be an inspiring year.

Lee calls on shareholders to increase BitMine’s shares

BitMine’s decision to stake an additional $259 million in ETH coincided with the Chairman of BitMine, Tom Lee’s proposal to shareholders, urging them to significantly increase the firm’s authorized share count to approximately 50 billion. According to Lee, this move is important for future stock splits in the event Ether’s price enhances the valuation of BitMine.

Lee further explained that the stock price of BitMine keeps pace with ETH and establishes scenarios where Ether could reach an all-time high of $250,000, provided that Bitcoin records a new level of around $1 million. If this happens, the chairman stated that he is certain prices for BitMine shares will be too expensive for many retail investors.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.

As the year begins with strong capital flows into the crypto market, whales have purchased an estimated $3.6 billion worth of XRP tokens, drawing attention to renewed upside potential. At the same time, rising volatility since December has led many XRP holders to rethink strategies that depend solely on price swings. While maintaining long-term exposure to XRP, some investors are adding cloud mining to their portfolios to strengthen cash flow. Through daily settlement structures, platforms such as NAP Hash are being used by some participants to generate steady daily income—often cited at around $17,500 per day—without fully stepping away from the market.

Why NAP Hash Is Gaining Ground in Cloud Mining

NAP Hash stands out in the cloud mining space for its focus on compliance, transparency, and disciplined operations. Registered in the United Kingdom, the platform operates under established regulatory standards, helping build user trust. It follows a cloud-only model with no hardware purchases or maintenance required, using global green-energy computing power within a MiCA-aligned framework. Mining efficiency is improved through automated hash-rate allocation.

The company runs data centers across multiple regions, powered by geothermal, hydropower, wind, and solar energy—supporting lower energy use and costs. Its short mining cycles, typically one to three days, give users more flexibility and faster capital turnover. New users also receive trial hash power worth $20 to $100, allowing them to test performance before committing funds.

With higher energy efficiency and lower operating costs, NAP Hash is able to offer more competitive net returns, reinforcing its position in the cloud mining market.

What Is Cloud Mining?

Cloud mining allows users to mine cryptocurrencies using computing power from remote mining facilities. There is no need to buy mining machines, pay for electricity, or manage maintenance. Users simply purchase a mining contract, while the platform handles operations and costs, then distributes earnings on a daily or scheduled basis.

How to Get Started with NAP Hash in Three Simple Steps

Step 1: Create Your Account
Setting up a NAP Hash account takes less than 30 seconds, and new users instantly receive a starter reward.

Step 2: Choose a Cloud Mining Contract

The platform offers a range of budget-friendly plans suitable for beginners and experienced investors alike. Each contract provides fixed returns with daily payouts, giving users a clear and predictable earning experience.

Popular Contract Earnings Examples

Mining Machine ModelContract PriceDuration (Days)Daily EarningsPrincipal + Total ReturnsBTC Miner A1366L$1002 Days$3$100 + $6BTC Miner A1346$5006 Days$6$500 + 36$GODE Miner DogeII$250020 Days$36$2500 + 725$BTC Miner M60S++$800030 Days$130$8000 + 3888$LTC Miner ANTRACK V1$1000035 Days$172$10000 + 6020$

Please visit the official NAP Hash website to view more contract options.

Step 3: Collect Your Daily Earnings

Mining rewards are credited to your account automatically every day. You can withdraw your earnings at any time or reinvest them to build stronger long-term returns.

Real User Cases

JM, a freelance video editor based in Madrid, works largely on short-term contracts, with income varying by project volume. To reduce cash-flow gaps between assignments, he allocated $2,100 to a cloud mining contract, earning roughly $28 per day. He said the daily payouts help cover basic living costs during slower work periods, without requiring active trading.

AN, a graduate student in computer engineering at a university in Toronto, first tried cloud mining using a small trial allocation. After tracking daily rewards and network changes over several weeks, he committed $2,700 to short-term contracts. He noted that monitoring payouts alongside network difficulty offered practical insight into how blockchain incentives function beyond classroom theory.

SC, a risk analyst working in Zurich, invested about $4,200 in cloud mining as part of a broader digital asset portfolio. She explained that daily settlement structures provide a lower-volatility component that helps balance exposure to more price-sensitive crypto holdings, while keeping capital deployed in the sector.

Taken together, these cases from different regions and professions suggest that cloud mining is increasingly viewed as a supplemental tool—one aimed at improving income stability rather than chasing short-term gains.

Conclusion: A Steadier Option in a Volatile Market

As major cryptocurrencies such as XRP see sharper price swings driven by capital flows and fragile market sentiment, investors are placing greater emphasis on balancing risk control with income stability. Compared with trading strategies that rely heavily on short-term market timing, cloud mining—with its automated operations and clearer payout structure—is increasingly viewed as a supplemental allocation. In this context, platforms like NAP Hash focus on regulatory compliance and sustainable computing power, offering investors an alternative way to add more consistent cash flow while maintaining market exposure.

For more information about NAP Hash, please visit https://naphash.com/ or contact us by email at info@naphash.com

Coinbase chief executive officer Brian Armstrong has defended the economic model of the content and creator coins on Base and Zora. Armstrong doubled down after the model was criticized by a former company engineer who believes that the tokens represent a zero-sum system that benefits early speculators at the expense of later participants.

Hish Bouabdallah, founder of Tribes Protocol and former staff software engineer at Coinbase, does not see the sustainability of the current creator and content coin model being operated by Zora and Base. 

On X, Bouabdallah wrote, “There’s nothing inherently wrong with content or creator coins. The problem is implementation. On @zora and @baseapp today, they mostly miss the point.” He added, “A content coin only has real value if it generates revenue and shares it with holders. Short text posts do not do that. YouTube videos with ads do. Spotify tracks do. Long-form writing does.”

Bouabdallah stated that “If Base cracks revenue sharing, value accrues. If not, content coins are just memecoins with better branding. Creator coins are different. They should represent a claim on a creator’s entire revenue stack. Sponsorships, media, products, future projects. Harder to build, but doable. In many cases, project coins might make more sense than creator coins. All of this is just one slice of what @baseapp could be.”

The criticism comes amid growing backlash following the collapse of YouTuber Nick Shirley’s creator token, which crashed 67% from a peak valuation of roughly $9 million to about $3 million by January 1. 

Armstrong defends content coins 

Armstrong responded directly to Bouabdallah, pointing to the mechanics linking content and creator coins through liquidity pools. “People buying content coins DOES drive economics or demand to the underlying creator coin,” Armstrong wrote. “They are linked through the liquidity pool.”

The system operates through a nested pairing structure on Zora, a decentralized social platform built on Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network. Content coins are paired with creator coins in Uniswap V4 liquidity pools, while creator coins are paired with $ZORA, the platform’s native token. 

According to a technical explanation Armstrong shared, purchases of content coins create buy pressure on creator coins through multi-hop swaps.

Yet Bouabdallah remained unconvinced, stating that the model depends entirely on speculation. 

“For holders to realize gains (or losses), they have to sell. Which means value is zero-sum. The last seller is left holding the bag,” he wrote. “YouTube works because revenue comes from external parties. Advertisers pay when real value is created for viewers.”

Warning signs in the wild

The Shirley case has become the poster child for the challenges facing creator coins. At its peak, the creator coin drew praise from Armstrong, who said that the launch was proof of better on-chain monetization; however, the token’s collapse exposed structural weaknesses. 

On-chain data showed that Shirley earned between $41,600 and $65,000 in creator royalties despite the price decline, while most trading volume came from existing on-chain traders rather than new users.

“If there was ever a time that these content coins, these creator coins, were going to work, it was Nick Shirley right here, right now, in this moment,” said trader and content creator notthreadguy in a widely shared critique. “And it just didn’t work.”

A wider test for SocialFi

The exchange highlights the various emerging views within so-called SocialFi, the sector attempting to merge social media and decentralized finance. 

Most of it has been experimental, with platforms such as Farcaster that have been playing in the social space in the blockchain sector dialing down their social media features to focus more on their crypto wallet and trading features due to their struggles with monetization. 

Those who support SocialFi’s tokenization moves believe it can give creators a new avenue to monetize their work and also give their audiences incentives to earn as well or come closer to their brand by owning a piece of that content. 

However, critics like Bouabdallah counter that many experiments rely on hype and trading rather than durable revenue, which he believes Coinbase has to find a way to provide or solve for.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.