Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warned that reopening the GENIUS Act would cross a “red line,” accusing banks of lobbying Congress to block stablecoin rewards and limit competition. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said any attempt to reopen the GENIUS Act would cross a “red line,” accusing banks of using political pressure to block competition from stablecoins and fintech platforms. In a Sunday post on X, Armstrong said he was “impressed” banks could lobby Congress so openly without backlash, adding that Coinbase would continue pushing back on efforts to revise the law. “We won’t let anyone reopen GENIUS,” he wrote. “My prediction is the banks will actually flip and be lobbying FOR the ability to pay interest and yield on stablecoins in a few years, once they realize how big the opportunity is for them. So it’s 100% wasted effort on their part (in addition to being unethical),” Armstrong added. Read more
Bitcoin’s resilient basis rate and options data suggest limited downside despite ETF outflows, while BTC waits for a catalyst that can help it reclaim $90,000. Bitcoin (BTC) bulls worry that institutional interest is weakening amid softer demand for BTC futures. However, other metrics suggest that the BTC price could avoid falling below $85,000. Key takeaways: BTC futures open interest fell to $42B, an eighth-month low, signalling a leverage flush rather than bearish bets. Read more
Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine has begun staking Ether after depositing nearly $219 million worth of ETH into Ethereum’s proof-of-stake system. Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine has begun staking its Ether holdings depositing nearly $219 million worth of ETH into Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) system. On Sunday, multiple wallets linked to Bitmine sent large Ether (ETH) transfers to a contract labeled “BatchDeposit,” onchain data from Arkham shows. The transfers totaled 74,880 ETH, a pattern typically associated with institutional staking setups that aggregate funds before validator creation. “The largest Ethereum treasury company Bitmine (BMNR) has finally started attempting to stake its held ETH to earn interest income,” EmberCN said in a post on X. Read more
JPMorgan has reportedly frozen accounts linked to Y Combinator–backed stablecoin startups BlindPay and Kontigo after flagging exposure to sanctioned jurisdictions. JPMorgan Chase has reportedly frozen bank accounts linked to two venture-backed stablecoin startups after identifying exposure to sanctioned and high-risk jurisdictions. The accounts belonged to BlindPay and Kontigo, two stablecoin startups backed by Y Combinator that primarily operate across Latin America, according to a report by The Information. Both companies accessed JPMorgan’s banking services through Checkbook, a digital payments firm that partners with large financial institutions. Per the report, the freezes occurred after JPMorgan flagged business activity tied to Venezuela and other locations subject to US sanctions. Read more
The second half of 2026 will provide “more constructive conditions” for XRP to potentially surge, according to Nansen crypto analyst Jake Kennis. XRP’s price could continue consolidating into the new year, with a stronger upward trend dependent on more bullish catalysts, according to crypto analysts. “We maintain a view that the latter half of 2026 will provide more constructive conditions for risk assets in general, but in the short term, we have a slightly bearish tilt on altcoins until BTC consolidates or forms a bottom,” Nansen senior research analyst Jake Kennis told Cointelegraph. Kennis is holding off on specific price predictions for 2026, but pointed to several catalysts that could drive XRP’s (XRP) price higher, including potential spot ETF approvals, integration with global payment rails, and “increased efforts to make XRP a liquidity or bridge asset.” Read more
Bitcoin reached new all-time highs in October, yet Jan3 founder Samson Mow has described the year as a “bear market” and anticipates a major bull run ahead. Bitcoin could be entering a bull run lasting into 2035, following what may have been a bear market over the past 12 months, according to Jan3 founder Samson Mow. However, other analysts have argued that Bitcoin’s (BTC) all-time high of $125,100 in October marked the cycle high and 2026 could be the start of a new bear market. “2025 was the bear market,” Mow said in an X post on Friday, adding that Bitcoin may be about to record a “decade long bull run.” Mow isn’t alone in his view of the year, with Bitcoin analyst PlanC echoing a similar sentiment. “If you made it through 2025, you made it through the bear market,” PlanC said in an X post on the same day. Read more
A surge in stablecoins, tokenized RWAs and growing sovereign wealth fund interest could drive a major increase in Ethereum’s TVL in 2026, Sharplink’s co-CEO said. Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) may surge ten-fold in 2026 as adoption expands across multiple use cases and institutional investors, according to Sharplink’s co-CEO Joseph Chalom. Sharplink Gaming is the second-largest public Ethereum treasury company, holding 797,704 ETH (ETH), worth roughly $2.33 billion at the time of publication, according to Ethereum Treasuries data. “The stablecoin market will hit $500B by the end of next year,” Chalom predicted in an X post on Friday, as the total stablecoin market capitalization currently sits at around $308.46 billion. A move to $500 billion would represent an increase of about 62%. Read more