Ether risks a deeper sell-off toward $2,500–$2,200 as MVRV support weakens and a bearish pennant threatens to break lower. Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), extended its downturn into December after falling roughly 30% over the past three months, raising worries about how much further the sell-off could run by year’s end. Key takeaways: ETH could slide toward $2,500–$2,200 if MVRV support and the pennant break down. Read more
Concordium has added ID checks to stablecoin payments, enabling AI systems to purchase restricted goods and services online. Update (Dec. 2, 16:20 UTC): This article has been updated to clarify that x402 was initially incubated by Coinbase and is not owned by the exchange. Concordium’s identity and age-verification system has added support for x402 in a move aimed at enabling AI agents to make automated stablecoin payments. Announced Tuesday, the integration is designed to allow AI-powered applications to pay for goods and services that require identity verification, including travel bookings, online content, video games and other age-restricted services. Read more
Spot XRP ETFs recorded inflows for 11 consecutive days as the RSI formed a bullish divergence on the price charts, early signs that a rally was in the cards. Spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued to attract investors, recording their eleventh straight day of inflows, underscoring institutional demand. But is this enough to keep the XRP (XRP) price above $2 and trigger a sustained recovery? Key takeaways: Spot XRP ETFs have attracted over $756 million in inflows since their launch. Read more
Russia’s central bank is considering scrapping its strict requirements for crypto transactions as sanctions make it hard for Russians to transact internationally. An official from the Bank of Russia suggested easing restrictions on cryptocurrencies in response to the sweeping sanctions imposed on the country. According to a Monday report by local news outlet Kommersant, Bank of Russia First Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin said the regulator is discussing easing regulations for cryptocurrencies. He explicitly linked the rationale for this effort to the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Chistyukhin said that easing the crypto rules is particularly relevant when Russia and Russians are subject to restrictions “on the use of normal currencies for making payments abroad.” Read more
Crypto gaming could thrive if the US Clarity Act passes Congress, but the sector should broaden beyond crypto-only models: Web3 Gamer Crypto will start to become adopted by multibillion-dollar gaming giants after the CLARITY Act advances through US Congress, according to Robbie Ferguson, founder of Immutable. I expect to see a ton of companies to come out of the woodwork with ultimately programmable loyalty and incentive schemes that are far more efficient than whatever their existing system is using, Ferguson said during an interview on TradeTalks on Wednesday. Were already in conversation with mult-billion dollar public gaming companies who are considering launching tokens as incentives for their end players, but what they need is complete clarity and certainty on how they can do that in a lawful way, Ferguson said. Read more
Bitwise Onchain Solutions discusses how Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade trades big‑bang hard forks for faster, targeted changes that make the network more strategic. Ethereum’s upcoming Fusaka upgrade on Wednesday is being framed as just another scaling step, but it marks a shift in how the network ships change. Instead of massive, multi‑year overhauls, Fusaka is the first proof that Ethereum can deliver focused, high‑impact upgrades in something closer to six months. At the center of Fusaka is Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)‑7594, Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS), the technical headline that changes how Ethereum handles data from rollups without forcing node operators to buy data‑center hardware or compromise on decentralization, in line with the roadmap the Ethereum Foundation laid out for the next 12 months. “Ethereum is now trying to be more strategic in what it’s delivering and how quickly it’s delivering it,” Chris Berry, head of onchain engineering at Bitwise Onchain Solutions, one of the longes...
Bank of America’s wealthiest clients will gain access to Bitcoin ETFs, while its network of over 15,000 wealth advisers can recommend crypto exposure for the first time, Yahoo reported. More big-name financial institutions are opening the door to Bitcoin exposure, signaling a growing institutional appetite for regulated digital asset products. Bank of America, the second-largest US bank, reportedly recommended a 1%–4% cryptocurrency allocation to its wealth management clients through the Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank and Merrill Edge platforms, according to a statement shared with Yahoo Finance on Tuesday. “For investors with a strong interest in thematic innovation and comfort with elevated volatility, a modest allocation of 1% to 4% in digital assets could be appropriate,” said Chris Hyzy, chief investment officer at Bank of America Private Bank, in the statement shared with Yahoo. Read more