Gold has surged sharply, breaking above $5,000 and briefly topping $5,100 as investors rushed into a classic safe-haven asset amid rising geopolitical risk, policy uncertainty, and fiscal credibility concerns. The move follows a 64% gain in 2025 and is being reinforced by durable institutional demand, including ongoing central-bank buying and strong gold ETF inflows, alongside a weaker U.S. dollar.

Institutional investors on Wall Street increased exposure to US spot Bitcoin ETFs during Q4 2025 even as Bitcoin suffered a steep drawdown of nearly 25% from its late-year peak. Bitcoin rallied to a new high above $126,000 in October, then reversed sharply amid a large deleveraging event and ended the year below $90,000, yet professional money managers largely treated the volatility as a chance to add positions rather than exit.

Chinese authorities have taken custody of Chen Zhi, a businessman described by U.S. officials as a central figure in a major Bitcoin scam and money laundering operation linked to a record $15B bitcoin seizure. Chen, 38, is the chairman and founder of Cambodia-based Prince Group, a conglomerate that U.S. and U.K. authorities allege was used as cover for transnational criminal activity; Prince Group has denied the allegations.

Strategy Inc. (formerly MicroStrategy) has built a massive $56 billion Bitcoin treasury, holding over 641,000 BTC — nearly 3% of Bitcoin’s total supply — but this aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy is now blocking its path into the S&P 500 index. Fueled by $21 billion in equity, preferred stock, and convertible debt issued in 2025, the company transformed from a traditional software and analytics firm into a de facto leveraged Bitcoin investment vehicle.

Crypto treasury firms are facing a $130 billion “value reckoning” as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs reshape how investors access digital assets. For years, Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) companies like MicroStrategy (now Strategy) and Metaplanet traded at hefty premiums because they offered one of the few regulated ways to gain Bitcoin exposure via corporate balance sheets.

On 17 November, a sharp bout of volatility in the crypto derivatives market triggered more than $70 million in combined Bitcoin and Ethereum liquidations, underscoring how quickly leverage can unwind in a risk‑on environment.

The Czech National Bank (CNB) has quietly purchased around $1 million in Bitcoin (BTC), USD-backed stablecoins, and a tokenized deposit, creating a dedicated “test portfolio” for digital assets. This move comes despite European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde’s firm stance that Bitcoin should not be included in central bank reserves under the ECB’s umbrella.

A massive crypto whale is on the brink of a $190 million Bitcoin liquidation as BTC price surges to within just $357 (0.34%) of the position’s wipeout level at $104,017. According to Arkham Intelligence, the short was placed on Hyperliquid and is now threatened by today’s bullish momentum, with Bitcoin trading around $103,660 after rallying 2.34% from sub-$99,000 lows.

Bitcoin price prediction turned mixed after Galaxy Digital cut its 2025 BTC target to $120,000 from $185,000, citing leveraged liquidations, whale distribution of over 400,000 BTC, and tighter market liquidity. Despite the downgrade, Galaxy’s research head Alex Thorn framed this as part of Bitcoin’s “maturity era,” noting the broader bull market remains intact while BTC holds above the key psychological $100,000 level.

France is weighing two contradictory crypto policies that signal a split vision in Paris: treating digital assets as taxable “unproductive” wealth while pursuing a strategic national Bitcoin reserve. A first-reading amendment in the French National Assembly rebrands the real-estate-focused wealth tax into a broader tax on “unproductive wealth,” explicitly including digital assets.

Asia’s mid-cap corporates are emerging as a structural bid for Bitcoin, layering on top of recurring spot ETF inflows and tightening free float. Japan’s Metaplanet has transformed into a Bitcoin treasury company and now holds over 30,800 BTC after programmatic, rules-based accumulation and ongoing capital raises, while Korea’s Bitplanet launched a supervised daily-buy program targeting 10,000 BTC.

S&P Global Ratings assigned Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy a B- credit rating, placing it firmly in speculative “junk bond” territory while maintaining a stable outlook. The agency cited the company’s narrow business focus on Bitcoin, high BTC concentration, weak risk-adjusted capitalization, and low U.S. dollar liquidity as key weaknesses.

Moon Inc. (HKEX: 1723) has raised roughly HK$65.5 million (about US$8.8 million) to launch a Bitcoin prepaid card in Thailand and South Korea, with broader expansion across Asia under evaluation. The Hong Kong–listed firm, formerly HK Asia Holdings, plans to sell BTC through prepaid card rails at convenience stores, kiosks, and telecom shops—letting users “top up” Bitcoin similar to mobile airtime.

BlackRock has launched the iShares Bitcoin ETP (ticker: IB1T) on the London Stock Exchange, giving UK retail investors regulated, direct exposure to spot Bitcoin for the first time. The physically backed ETP removes the need for self-custody while tracking BTC’s spot price, and debuted at $11.10, rising 5.54% on day one. BlackRock set a temporary total expense ratio (TER) of 0.15% through 31 December 2025, increasing to 0.25% thereafter, and confirmed reserves are held with r

The UK is moving to compensate victims of a massive Bitcoin fraud tied to a 61,000 BTC seizure, but court filings and policy signals suggest the government may retain most of the estimated $7.2 billion haul after restitution. The Home Office is developing a centralized “crypto storage and realisation framework” to manage confiscated digital assets, while civil recovery proceedings determine how funds are distributed.

Bitcoin plunged after U.S. President Donald Trump announced 100% tariffs on China, with BTC briefly crashing to $102,000 on Binance perpetual futures and spot prices hitting $107,000 on Coinbase. The escalation—tied to China’s planned export controls on rare earth minerals critical for semiconductors—sparked fears of a broader trade war, recession risk, and a crypto market sell-off.

Hong Kong-based DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSE: DDC) made its third Bitcoin (BTC) purchase in a week, adding another 100 BTC as it races to build a digital asset treasury targeting 10,000 BTC—roughly $1.2 billion at current prices. The company said it is “accelerating the pace” of acquisitions after laying operational groundwork and partnerships, positioning Bitcoin as a strategic reserve on its balance sheet.

The Bank of England (BoE) plans to exempt crypto exchanges and other operationally critical firms from proposed stablecoin holding limits, a move that could channel significant liquidity into Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). By granting waivers for market-making and settlement operations—and allowing stablecoins for settlement in the Digital Securities Sandbox—the BoE addresses industry concerns that previous caps were unworkable.

South Korean retail investors have poured $6 billion into Ethereum treasury companies like BitMine and SharpLink, mirroring MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy. But critics warn this ETH accumulation boom is driven by influencer marketing rather than fundamentals. With Ethereum underperforming Bitcoin since 2022 and Korean capital heavily concentrated, the risks are mounting. Discover why Samson Mow says "this won't end well" and what the Kimchi Premium reveals about global cryp

Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian said the real estate platform will enable customers to buy homes with Bitcoin and other crypto, replying “We will. Just need to prioritize it” in a post on X. Following the comment, coverage noted Opendoor’s stock ticked higher intraday and highlighted the company’s scale (operating in 44 U.S. markets with a multibillion-dollar market cap).