BlackRock named its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) one of three primary investment themes for 2025, alongside short‑term Treasurys and US mega‑cap technology stocks. Despite a roughly 9.6% year‑to‑date decline and Bitcoin's pullback of about 30% from its October peak, IBIT has drawn more than $25 billion this year, with total net inflows since launch near $62.5 billion per Farside Investors.

Bitcoin slipped below $90,000, with a price snapshot at $89,756.05 after a run toward $120,000. Persistent macro uncertainty, a 2.7% CPI print, and a 10‑year Treasury yield near 4.17% are weighing on risk appetite, while uneven liquidity and growing ETF participation continue to shape institutional flows.

According to an investigation by the Financial Times, Binance let accounts flagged for suspicious activity process transactions even after its November 2023 US plea agreement tied to a $4.3 billion settlement. The newspaper reviewed data for 13 accounts that handled $1.7 billion, with about $144 million occurring post‑settlement; Binance said it enforces strict controls.

In a draft dated Dec. 4, Hong Kong's Insurance Authority outlined a capital framework permitting insurers limited crypto exposure while imposing a 100% risk charge on unbacked assets. A public consultation is expected between February and April. Regulated stablecoins would face tiered charges linked to fiat backing, with participation likely constrained by high capital demands.

A bipartisan bloc of 18 members of the US House of Representatives has asked the Internal Revenue Service to revise how crypto staking rewards are taxed before 2026. Their letter argues that current rules amount to double taxation, discouraging staking participation and potentially undermining both blockchain security and US leadership in digital assets.

US Representatives Max Miller and Steven Horsford have released a discussion draft of the Digital Asset PARITY Act that would create a limited tax safe harbor for certain stablecoin payments. The bill would exempt regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin transactions under $200 from capital gains tax and offer an optional five-year deferral on staking and mining rewards. It also seeks to extend several existing securities tax rules to crypto assets and is slated to apply the stablecoin exemption to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

On Friday, Santiment founder Maksim Balashevich said in a YouTube video that Bitcoin could slide toward $75,000, arguing social media sentiment is still overly confident for a lasting bottom. BTC traded near $88,000 at the time, according to CoinMarketCap, implying roughly a 15% downside, while Japan's 0.75% rate hike may add short-term pressure.

Prosecutors charged 23-year-old Brooklyn resident Ronald Spektor with stealing roughly $16 million in cryptocurrency from about 100 Coinbase users. He allegedly impersonated a Coinbase representative and used social engineering to pressure victims to transfer funds, with a judge setting bail at $500,000. Authorities reported asset seizures and said recovery efforts continue.

On December 19, 2025, Blockstream CEO Adam Back publicly challenged Nic Carter's warnings that quantum computing poses an imminent threat to Bitcoin. Back said developers are quietly preparing, while Carter cited Castle Island Ventures' investment in Project Eleven and an Oct. 20 Substack disclosure to argue the risk is real and underappreciated.