Bitwise files 11 more crypto ETF applications with the SEC
On December 30, Bitwise increased its efforts to introduce more digital assets into regulated markets by submitting applications for 11 new cryptocurrency ETFs to the U.S. SEC. Key elements, such as fees and trading symbols, are still pending, but the proposed funds would obtain exposure through a combination of direct token ownership, crypto-linked ETPs, and derivatives.
The Securities and Exchange Commission stated that the primary goal of the Fund is to provide capital appreciation.
According to the filing documents, the ETFs focused on tokens include $AAVE, $CC, $ENA, $HYPE, $NEAR, $STRK, $SUI, $TAO, $TRX, $UNI, and $ZEC. The report revealed that the products are expected to take effect on March 16, 2026.
Bitwise ETFs outline crypto allocation strategy
In terms of investment strategy, the aforementioned ETFs intend to allocate roughly 60% of their assets directly to the corresponding cryptocurrency. According to the SEC report, the remaining 40% would be invested in exchange-traded products (ETPs) that track the same asset, with potential additional exposure gained through derivative instruments.
The report revealed that Fund may invest in derivatives contracts that use an Applicable Token or an Applicable Token ETP as the reference asset, such as futures contracts and swap agreements (“Applicable Token Derivatives”). The report further stated that each Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings in an Applicable Token, Applicable Token ETPs, and Applicable Token Derivatives under typical market conditions.
Additionally, Derivative contracts will be valued at their notional value to comply with this investment policy.
SEC noted that each Fund shall buy and sell an Applicable Token on digital asset trading platforms. The report revealed that the buying and selling of Applicable Token would also occur through over-the-counter transactions with specific, independent third-party trading counterparties (referred to as “Trading Counterparties”).
The recent filing comes at a time when U.S. regulators are closely examining and gradually approving ETFs. In January 2024, the SEC approved eleven spot Bitcoin ETFs, setting a significant framework. The SEC had previously proposed that several cryptocurrencies could be classified as securities, extending beyond Bitcoin.
Earlier this year, the SEC granted fast-track approval for Bitwise’s spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF). The fast-track approval drastically reduced the typical review period. Bypassing the customary 240-day process, approval was granted within 45 days of filing.
On January 30, 2025, the SEC accepted NYSE Arca’s 19b-4 filing, allowing Bitwise’s ETF to be listed and traded. According to the report, the Fund consisted of Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with cash reserves, allocating assets according to their respective market capitalizations.
The SEC claimed that the ETF qualified for rapid approval because it resembled previously authorized spot cryptocurrency ETFs. The Commission declared that it has good reason to adopt the proposal before the 30th day after the date on which the notice of Amendment No. 126 was published in the Federal Register.
This ruling followed the approval by the SEC in December 2024 of Hashdex and Franklin Templeton’s first-ever combined Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
On July 22, 2025, the SEC approved Bitwise’s attempt to convert its Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund (BITW) into a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF). Notably, the approval was abruptly halted, creating new questions about the agency’s requirements for cryptocurrency ETFs.
In the same month, the SEC released a letter stating that “the Commission will review the delegated action,” which is the same message Grayscale received when its ETF was put on hold.
The SEC initially approved Grayscale’s Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC), a comparable product that tracks BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and ADA. However, the government then changed its mind and halted the launch of the fund.
In a statement, a Grayscale representative said that the SEC’s suspension “was unexpected” but “reflects the dynamic and evolving nature of the regulatory landscape surrounding a first-of-its-kind digital asset product like GDLC.”
The Grayscale’s 8-K filing stated that the company remains committed to listing the Fund on NYSE Arca and is working closely with key stakeholders to secure approval of the application.
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Next Cryptocurrency to 30x? This $0.04 DeFi Altcoin Could Lead 2026
When investors are in demand for the next crypto to blow out of proportion, they often fail to realize that there is no screamer about it very often. Rather than hype, strong candidates generally tend to have consistent funding, definite product plans and increasing participation.
With the debate on the most successful crypto to invest in today once more spreading the proliferation of conversations, the market analysts reckon that there are DeFi projects selling under $0.05 worth looking into. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is the name of one of such altcoins that received that attention.
Presale Momentum
Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is now valued at $0.04, and it has clearly risen to the group of potential best cheap cryptos to buy at the early stage among many investors. The presale system is determined by stages, and every stage has a fixed number of tokens allocated at a predetermined price. With more demand, the phases will close more rapidly and the pricing also will rise.
Until now, Mutuum Finance has accumulated $19.5M, had 18,700 holders, and sold over 820M tokens. Out of the total 4B MUTM, 45.5% are distributed to the presale. This implies that much of it remains in distribution though pricing has already gone out.
The presale began at $0.01 in early 2025. Early investors have also already MUTM appreciation as the token is currently priced at $0.04. Its price at the time of official launch is formulated at $0.06 which most observers consider to be a major psychological point.
To the investors, who are comparing the cannot be made the same prices of crypto today, there is a difference between the price at $0.04 and those nearer to the launch. A $2,000 entry now secures 50,000 MUTM. This would only purchase a lot fewer tokens in the launch pricing.
What Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is Creating
Mutuum Finance is developing a lending protocol which is decentralized. The protocol enables users to provide assets and or raise yield or borrow based on collateral in a designed manner. The system will have a gradual scaling structure, where the rules will be adjusted to the market demand, not predetermined incentive.
Assets are provided by users and they are rewarded with mtTokens. Such tokens are reflective of their status and increase in worth as borrowers pay up interest. This directly correlates protocol usage to user returns.
The system adopted by Mutuum Finance is also buy-and-distribute. MUTM bought on the open market is redistributed to users who post mtTokens in the safety module. This is binding token demand onto real activity rather than short-term trade. Other observers think such an arrangement will encourage more healthy pricing over the long term.
Security has been a priority. Mutuum Finance is rated at 90/100 CertiK Token Scan and the Halborn Security audit is complete, awaiting final update. Audits would also significantly help to weed out serious and risky projects to investors as they seek to know what crypto to invest in next.
Price Outlook and Design
The issue of comments revolves around stablecoins which form the basis of lending schemes since they make them less volatile and encourage a stable demand to borrow. Mutuum Finance is highly engaged in the use of stablecoins, which may fund the protocol even in the time when crypto charts may appear shaky.
The protocol is meant to be based on sound oracle infrastructure, and the plans consist of Chainlink price feeds, fallback options, and aggregated data sources. Pricing of liquidations and collateral management requires appropriate pricing. The protocols with good oracle systems are said to be more resilient when markets move fast, therefore, industry speculation.
On this basis, certain observers think that the progression of Mutuum Finance may be cautious to a bullish trend. In a measured case, the MUTM could protrude its initial launch price as the adoption increases. Under a bullish case, it is projected that in the long term of usage and revenue upsurge, a 10x to 15x improvement can be achieved.
Whale Interest and V1 Launch
The timeline of Mutuum Finance development is another factor why it is becoming one of the top crypto companies to watch. The team is getting ready in the V1 of the lending protocol, and it is expected to run on the Sepolia testnet. This enables the community to experience such features as liquidity pools, mtTokens, and liquidation logic with ETH and USDT.
Phase 6 of the presale was quickly sold which channeled an evidence of an increasing demand. Large individual allocations have also been witnessed in recent updates on funding. Inclusion of whales is usually relevant since it implies trust in prolonged results instead of exchanges in the short-term.
The investor activity in the first quarter shows that there is a shift in capital flow between better-developed tokens and newer projects in DeFi that have noticeable achievements. This change is significant to the crypto beginner who wants to purchase a crypto that has the potential to grow over time.
When a protocol shifts further in its life cycle past presale to live testing, the story shifts usually to performance. As MUTM continues to sell under $0.1, its presale continues, and a beta launch is on the cards, Mutuum Finance is gaining growing popularity as a next cryptocurrency.
For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:
Funding cuts under Trump threaten consumer safeguards at CFPB
President Donald Trump has officially started gutting funding at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), killing off rules that were invented with a mission to stop Wall Street and other lenders from screwing over Main Street.
But now, under Trump’s second term, that protection is getting axed, as his budget director Russell Vought, who also runs the place, wants to shut it down completely.
Investigations are being pushed over to the Justice Department, which wasn’t built to chase credit card scams or payday loan schemes.
Trump, speaking about his decision at the White House, said, “It’s very important to get rid of the agency,” claiming that Senator Elizabeth Warren used it “as her little personal agency to go around and destroy people.”
Elizabeth, who helped create the CFPB in 2010, fired back almost immediately, saying that she will fight back because “this is about enforcing the law as it is written, so that billionaires and billionaire corporations don’t cheat American families.”
White House tries to fire workers and reroute enforcement
The Trump administration is trying to fire as many as 90% of CFPB employees and stop the agency from getting more money. Vought, in an October podcast appearance, said he has no plans to keep it running.
The Federal Reserve, which funds the CFPB, was told it needs to return to what the administration calls “profitability” before more money can be requested. That argument got tossed out by a federal judge this week, who called it legally baseless. But that hasn’t stopped the machine. In July, Congressional Republicans cut the CFPB’s max funding limit.
Since then, a decade of consumer finance rules have been dismantled. We’re talking protections around student loans, credit card fees, mortgages, and overdraft charges. Most of the watchdog’s pending actions have either been paused or dropped altogether.
Insiders are quitting. Oversight is crumbling. The agency has basically stopped checking in on the very industries it was made to watch.
People who rely on the CFPB have noticed. Reuters spoke to lawyers, counselors, and broke Americans who said they’re scared. The agency was their only help against creditors who play dirty. With it fading, people with medical bills, job losses, or bad luck say they’ll be left alone with financial predators.
Elizabeth Warren warns no other agency protects consumers first
Elizabeth, reflecting on her time as a bankruptcy law professor, said the system used to be chaos. “I was stunned by the number of people in financial trouble who had lost a job or got sick but who had also been cheated by one or more of their creditors,” she said.
She said no other agency put consumer protection first. Most agencies, she said, treated it as an afterthought, somewhere between fifth and tenth on the priority list.
With no CFPB, people getting scammed have no backup. The agency used to go after shady lenders and hold them accountable. Now, Trump’s team wants that job shifted elsewhere, which critics say means nowhere.
Meanwhile, over in China, the government is doing the exact opposite; pumping money into consumer protections. Xinhua, the country’s state media, reported that 62.5 billion yuan in long-term bond funds is being given to local governments to support a 2026 subsidy program.
The plan gives Chinese citizens cash back when they swap out old fridges, TVs, and even bikes or cars. The country launched this scheme in 2024 to fight sluggish demand. It’s now being expanded.
Li Chao, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission, said the money is already going out to support the Spring Festival and New Year holiday spending. Buyers get 15% back when they replace appliances like washing machines or smartphones, capped at 500 yuan per item.
If they trade in old cars, they can get 12% of the price of a new electric vehicle, up to 20,000 yuan. If they’re just upgrading to a newer clean vehicle, they still get 8%, maxing out at 15,000 yuan.
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Bitcoin stuck between $85,000 and $95,000 as 2025 draws to an end
Digital currency holders are trying one more time to turn around losses before the year closes as Bitcoin climbed toward the $90,000 mark for the second day in a row on Tuesday before the increase stopped.
The largest cryptocurrency has been moving between roughly $85,000 and $95,000 after a drop in October that could result in its first yearly decline in three years. Since last December, the currency has fallen about 5%. Earlier in the year, it had risen around 30% and reached a record high in early October.
BTC/USDT 4-hour price chart. Source: TradingView
Jasper De Maere, who works as a desk strategist at Wintermute, said traders should expect big swings on low trading volume through New Year’s. He wrote on Tuesday that people should not read too much into very short-term patterns until normal market activity returns.
Trump policies shake crypto markets
The currency started 2024 with gains as people felt positive about the Trump administration’s support for digital currencies. However, concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which shook worldwide markets, hurt Bitcoin’s value. While other risky investments like American stocks bounced back, Bitcoin stayed down after Oct. 10, when a record amount of borrowed positions were cleared out.
Exchange-traded funds focused on Bitcoin have seen money flowing out, putting pressure on prices. These funds lost $6 billion in the final three months of the year as Bitcoin stayed under $90,000, based on Bloomberg Intelligence numbers.
Open interest surges despite low trading
As reported by Cryptopolitan previously, despite a 40% drop in trading during December, Open Interest in digital currencies jumped $2.4 billion in the same month. Data shows Bitcoin and Ethereum futures contracts grew from $35 billion to $38 billion, a 7% rise in borrowed trading.
Bitcoin Open Interest climbed from $22 billion to $23 billion this month. Ethereum’s Open Interest added $1.4 billion, going from $13 billion to $15 billion. CryptoQuant analysts pointed out that this happened with Bitcoin near $88,000 and the Fear Index at 37.
Big exchanges like Binance, OKX, and Bybit kept building positions through December. CryptoQuant says this shows traders are staying optimistic instead of throwing in the towel.
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