XRP is closing 2025 in a paradoxical position: it is the best-performing institutional crypto asset by fund inflows while simultaneously showing one of the weakest spot price charts among the top 10 coins. CoinShares data shows XRP investment products attracted roughly $70.2 million in the final week of December and over $424 million for the month, even as the XRP price fell around 15% to about $1.87.

Aave founder and Aave Labs CEO Stani Kulechov has denied allegations that he bought $15 million worth of Aave (AAVE) tokens to sway a contentious decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) governance vote. Responding to criticism from the DeFi community, Kulechov stated that the tokens were not used in the recent vote and emphasized that his substantial personal stake reflects long-term conviction in the Aave protocol and its ecosystem.

Hong Kong is expanding its crypto licensing regime to cover a broader range of virtual asset dealers and custodians, marking a major step in tightening oversight of its digital asset market. Following months of consultation, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) confirmed that firms offering virtual asset dealing or custody services in Hong Kong will be required to obtain licenses under a new framework.