Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed eliminating the modular exponentiation precompile (modexp), a feature he originally designed. The precompile creates verification bottlenecks up to 50 times worse than standard operations during zero-knowledge proof generation, Buterin stated on X. The proposal aims to address technical obstacles hindering adoption of zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine infrastructure.

A trader known as "Anti-CZ Whale" has accumulated over $21 million in unrealized profit from shorting ASTER token following Binance founder Changpeng Zhao's November 2, 2025 disclosure of purchasing approximately 2 million tokens. The whale operates two Hyperliquid wallets with combined leveraged short positions totaling $48.91 million against ASTER. The trader's broader portfolio includes profitable short positions on DOGE, ETH, XRP, and kPEPE, bringing total unrealized gains across Hyperliquid to nearly $100 million.

Large XRP holders sold approximately 900,000 tokens between late October and November 4, data show. Wallets containing 100 million to 1 billion XRP reduced their positions during this period. The token declined to around $2.27, falling more than 6% in 24 hours and over 15% across seven days.

Berachain Foundation deployed an emergency hard fork binary to validators following a $12 million exploit on its native decentralized exchange BEX. The network suspended operations after a Balancer V2 vulnerability affected multiple blockchains. Validators are implementing the upgrade to prevent further asset transfers before resuming block production.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are seeking maximum five-year prison sentences for Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill. Both pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Prosecutors allege the platform facilitated at least $237 million in criminal proceeds between 2015 and April 2024.

Solana fell 8.3% on Monday, breaking below its three-month support at $175 for the first time since August and reaching a local low of $165. Analyst Ali Martinez warns the token could decline 30% to $115 if it fails to reclaim $180. Some traders view the pullback as a healthy retest of long-term support levels.

Bitcoin investors are increasingly taking short positions in Ethereum as a hedging strategy. Ethereum has underperformed Bitcoin by 50% in Q4, prompting traders to favor Bitcoin's structural stability over altcoin exposure. The approach reflects shifting market dynamics as institutional narratives around Ethereum weaken.

BitMine Immersion Technologies purchased 82,300 ETH over the past week, bringing total holdings to approximately 3.4 million ETH valued at $13.25 billion, according to a company announcement. The acquisition solidifies the firm's position as the world's largest corporate Ethereum holder, controlling 2.8% of the asset's circulating supply. The company's total crypto and cash reserves now stand at $13.7 billion.