In 2025, payment companies secured $6.2 billion in funding, surging from $540 million in 2024 as investors backed blockchain-based settlement infrastructure. Circle's $1.05 billion June IPO at a valuation of $8.06 billion, alongside major raises by Figure, Ripple, Tempo and Rapyd, accounted for over half of the total. Additional late-year rounds, including RedotPay's $107 million Series B, highlighted strong demand for stablecoin payment platforms and related networks.

Net flows for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have stayed below zero for more than six weeks, signaling softer institutional participation and tighter market liquidity. Daily prints show a – $142.19 million net outflow in BTC products and a $84.59 million inflow in ETH products, alongside lower AUM and prices.

Bybit will phase out services for users classified as Japanese residents starting in 2026, following formal warnings from Japan's Financial Services Agency in March 2023 and November 2024 over unlicensed operations. The exchange, currently the second-largest globally by trading volume, has already stopped new registrations from Japan and is asking users to complete Identity Verification Level 2 by January 22, 2026 to confirm their residency status.

Upexi has submitted a $1 billion shelf registration to the SEC to support a long-term Solana treasury strategy while ending its unused equity line of credit. The Nasdaq-listed firm holds about 2.0–2.03 million SOL, valued near $250 million and ranking it among the top four public-company holders. Management says any capital raised under the shelf will only be used if it increases adjusted Solana exposure on a per-share basis.

The Central Bank of Russia outlined a framework to classify cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as currency assets and to widen investor access. Retail participants would face testing and a 300,000 rubles annually limit via one intermediary, while qualified investors could buy most tokens except anonymous coins. Draft laws are targeted by July 1, 2026, with additional liability rules by July 2027.

Shiba Inu derivatives data showed open interest at $75.76 million over the last 24 hours, an increase of nearly 8%. XRP led weekly fund flows with $62.9 million of inflows while Cardano’s Midnight (NIGHT) advanced about 20% to near $0.1054. On Dec. 19, U.S. spot XRP ETF data recorded $13.21 million in daily net inflows.

On December 19, 2025, Bybit activated an updated insurance fund framework for USDT perpetual contracts, allocating at least $8 million to a new pool for fresh listings. The model replaces single-pair buffers with pooled coverage, aiming to increase loss absorption per contract by more than 200% and curb ADL events, with roll-out scheduled in phases over the following two months. Contracts are grouped by liquidity and risk, and traders can track fund reserves and drawdown-based ADL triggers in real time via API tools.

On 23 December 2025, the Bank of Russia unveiled a draft framework enabling retail participation in crypto under tight conditions. Non-qualified buyers would need a knowledge test and face a 300,000-ruble annual cap, while qualified investors gain wider access. Residents could transact via foreign platforms through Russian intermediaries if they notify tax authorities.