crypto

$XRP
Matt Hogan, Chief Information Officer at Bitwise, says:
"Exchange-traded funds for XRP have received a much larger reception than Ethereum."
This statement is not an opinion; it is a direct institutional acknowledgment from one of the largest digital asset managers in the United States.
🧠 What does this actually mean?
We are not talking about community noise or individual speculation. We are talking about:

Hey everyone! If you blinked yesterday, you might have missed some absolute chaos in the crypto world. Let me break down everything that went down in the last day because honestly, it's been wild.
The AAVE Drama That Has Everyone Talking
So here's the tea: Things got seriously heated in the Aave community. Ernesto from bgdlabs just called out Aave Labs publicly, and I mean really called them out. Apparently, his governance proposal about brand asset control got rushed to a Snapshot vote without him even knowing about it. Yeah, you read that right—without his approval or knowledge.
He didn't hold back either, calling the whole situation "disgraceful" and saying it completely undermined the community conversations that were happening. Trust broken, tensions high, and oh yeah—AAVE tokens dropped 11% during all this mess. When internal drama hits a DAO this hard, you know something's seriously wrong.
Hyperliquid Goes Big on Lighter Protocol
Meanwhile, Hyperliquid just announced something pretty interesting. They've launched LIT-USDC perpetuals, which means you can now trade the Lighter token before it even officially launches. We're talking up to 3x leverage for both long and short positions. Pre-market trading is always a gamble, but for those who like living on the edge, this one's for you.
Coinbase Making Major Institutional Plays
Coinbase isn't slowing down. They just announced they're acquiring The Clearing Company—a prediction markets company that's been pushing boundaries in regulated, onchain markets. Their vision? Becoming the "Everything Exchange." With this acquisition, they're bringing in serious expertise to scale prediction markets on their platform. Big ambitions, bigger moves.
Strategy Keeps Stacking Bitcoin
Michael Saylor's Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) just added another $748 million to their USD reserves. They're now sitting on $2.19 billion in cash and 671,268 Bitcoin. Say what you want about their strategy, but they're committed to it. They keep buying, markets keep watching.
JPMorgan Enters the Crypto Conversation
Here's something I didn't see coming: JPMorgan Chase is reportedly exploring crypto trading services for institutional clients. According to Bloomberg sources, they're looking at both spot and derivatives products. Why now? Rising client demand and friendlier regulations under the Trump administration seem to be shifting their perspective. This is still preliminary, but if JPMorgan enters the space properly, that's a signal traditional finance is paying serious attention.
Mezo Network Drops Tokenomics Details
Mezo Network revealed their tokenomics for MEZO, with a total supply of 1 billion tokens. The breakdown: 40% for the community, 30% to investors, 20% to Thesis, and 10% for the foundation. They're positioning themselves as a way to make Bitcoin productive through their MUSD stablecoin, veBTC, and veMEZO systems. If you're into Bitcoin DeFi, this one's worth watching.
Aster DEX Launches Aggressive Buyback Program
Aster DEX kicked off their Stage 5 buyback program today. They're allocating up to 80% of daily platform fees to buy back ASTER tokens. The split: 40% goes to automatic daily buybacks for consistent support, while 20-40% sits in strategic reserves for when the market gets volatile. Everything's on-chain and verifiable, which is always nice to see.
Espresso Systems Opens Airdrop Registration
If you've been active in the crypto space, check Espresso Systems' airdrop portal—it's live. They're checking eligibility across 33+ different criteria, including mainnet users and hackathon participants. Claims open in early 2026, and they're adding more criteria, so even if you're not eligible now, continued activity might get you qualified later.
BitMine Immersion's Massive Ethereum Holdings
BitMine Immersion Technologies shared their crypto holdings update, and the numbers are staggering: 4,066,062 ETH valued at around $2,991 each (via Coinbase pricing), plus 193 Bitcoin, a $32 million stake in Eightco Holdings, and $1 billion in cash. Their ETH holdings represent 3.37% of the entire Ethereum supply. That's institutional-level accumulation.
ETHZilla Sells Big to Handle Debt
ETHZilla just moved 24,291 ETH—about $74.5 million worth—at an average price of $3,068 per token. The reason? They're redeeming outstanding convertible notes with redemptions scheduled for December 24 and 30. Even after this sale, they're still holding roughly 69,800 ETH (worth over $200 million), and they're pivoting their focus toward real-world asset tokenization revenue.
Hong Kong Moves Forward on Crypto Regulations
Hong Kong's Insurance Authority is proposing a framework that would allow insurers to invest in digital assets, but with strict conditions. They're applying a 100% risk charge, meaning every dollar of crypto exposure requires a dollar of capital backing. Public consultation runs from February to April 2025, with legislative submissions expected later in the year. This could open doors for institutional crypto adoption across Asia.
Kalshi Launches Research Initiative
Kalshi announced Kalshi Research, offering internal platform data to academics studying prediction markets. Their first study showed something interesting: Kalshi's markets beat Wall Street consensus on inflation forecasts with 40% lower average errors over 25 months from February 2023 to mid-2025. Prediction markets consistently outperforming traditional forecasts? That's worth paying attention to.
What This All Means
Look, the last 24 hours show us exactly where crypto is heading. We've got traditional finance giants like JPMorgan testing the waters, major institutional holders accumulating massive positions, regulatory frameworks developing in Asia, and yes—plenty of internal drama reminding us that DAOs are still figuring things out.
The space moves fast. Controversies spark, tokens move, institutions position themselves, and innovation never stops. Whether you're deep in DeFi, watching institutional adoption, or just trying to keep up with the news, staying informed is everything.
What's your take on all this? Which story caught your attention the most?

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