Wallet

On December 20, 2025, a crypto investor mistakenly sent $50 million in USDT to a poisoned address. Within 30 minutes, the funds were swapped to DAI and then 16,690 ETH, with 16,680 ETH routed through Tornado Cash; on-chain timestamps show a 0.005 USDT test and the large transfer minutes apart.

On December 20 2025, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky detailed a new infostealer malware called Stealka that is being distributed through pirated mods and cheats for Roblox and other Windows games. The malware targets browser data, crypto wallet extensions, standalone wallet apps, password managers, 2FA tools, and messaging and VPN clients to capture credentials and digital assets. Kaspersky reported detections mainly in Russia with cases also seen in Türkiye, Brazil, Germany, and India, and urged users to avoid unofficial mods, secure their accounts, and limit sensitive data stored in browsers.

A long-inactive Ethereum pre-mine address holding 2,000 ETH, valued at about $5.9 million, has moved again after more than a decade. The tokens were acquired during the first 14 days of the 2014 sale at a fixed rate of 2,000 ETH per 1 BTC, with the buyer paying exactly 1 Bitcoin (around $600). Other large wallets also reactivated on Dec. 1 and Dec. 10.

On Dec. 19, 2025, Binance Alpha plans to delist nine tokens, including the FROG memecoin, following a recent review that found they no longer meet its standards. The tokens will be removed from the platform's featuring list at 7:00 a.m. (UTC), while eight spot trading pairs on Binance will be delisted at 3:00 a.m. (UTC). Binance has also rolled out Web3 Loan via Binance Wallet and introduced recurring send options for Binance Pay and crypto withdrawals.

Bitcoin does not store encrypted secrets on-chain, so a quantum computer would target signature forgery on revealed public keys rather than "decrypt" the ledger. The near‑term levers are public‑key exposure and wallet behavior, while migration to quantum‑resistant spending paths is a protocol and UX challenge rather than an immediate crisis.

Intercontinental Exchange is in discussions to take a stake in MoonPay as part of a new funding round that could value the crypto payments company near $5 billion. MoonPay has been expanding into regulated custody via a New York Limited Purpose Trust Charter and broadening partnerships, while ICE builds its digital asset footprint through Bakkt, Polymarket and Chainlink.

Kraken said Thursday that xStocks, a tokenized securities platform it backs, is now live on TON Wallet, the self-custodial wallet integrated with Telegram. At launch, the service will be accessible in nearly all markets where TON Wallet operates, but not in the U.S., the European Union, or Australia, according to Egor Danilov.

On December 18, 2025, PeckShield reported a crypto whale’s 1-of-1 multisignature wallet was compromised and about $27.3 million was stolen. Etherscan data showed the drainer moving 4,100 ETH in 100 ETH batches through Tornado Cash, and PeckShield said roughly $2 million in liquid assets remained under the attacker’s control.

Vitalik Buterin argues that Ethereum must simplify its protocol so more people can fully understand how the blockchain works, which he views as key to genuine trustlessness. He says Ethereum should sometimes sacrifice features to make the system clearer, while projects like privacy-focused layer 2 INTMAX echo that complex designs merely shift who users must trust. Ethereum’s roadmap already targets easier node operation, smart contract wallets and a Web2-like user experience to lower barriers for everyday users.

On December 18, 2025, PeckShield reported that a whale's multisig wallet was emptied of about $27.3M following a private key compromise. The drainer pushed roughly $12.6M (4,100 ETH) through Tornado Cash, retained about $2M in liquid assets, and controls a wallet that holds a leveraged Aave position with around $25M in ETH against roughly $12.3M in DAI debt.