Concerns about code vulnerabilities are fading in the crypto space, but more sophisticated scam tactics are emerging as protocol security improves. Crypto hackers stole $3.3 billion in 2025, but the number of attacks fell sharply as losses became concentrated in fewer, more sophisticated supply-chain exploits, according to new data from blockchain security firm CertiK shared with Cointelegraph. While total losses remained elevated, the decline in incident counts and a drop in median theft sizes suggest that protocol-level security is improving, pushing attackers away from simple code vulnerabilities and toward phishing and infrastructure-level attacks. CertiK said supply-chain breaches emerged as the most damaging threat, accounting for $1.45 billion in losses across just two incidents, including the $1.4 billion Bybit hack in February. Read more
Ethena’s synthetic stablecoin USDe has seen its market cap cut almost in half since the Oct. 10 crash, as investors retreat from leveraged and synthetic collateral models. Ethena’s synthetic dollar USDe has shed about $8.3 billion in net outflows since the major liquidation event on Oct. 10, as confidence in leveraged and synthetic collateral structures continues to weaken. According to a report from 10x Research, the October sell-off marked a turning point for the crypto market, flipping the bull phase into a period of deleveraging. The crash erased an estimated $1.3 trillion in crypto market value, nearly 30% of total capitalization at the time. Ethena USDe (USDe), which relies on synthetic collateral and hedging mechanisms rather than traditional fiat reserves, faced a “sharp loss of confidence” under these conditions, the analysts wrote. Read more
Russia’s central bank has submitted draft that would allow non-qualified investors to purchase crypto, but only under strict conditions. The Bank of Russia put forward a policy proposal that would allow non-qualified investors to buy certain cryptocurrencies. According to a Tuesday announcement, the central bank’s proposal would allow both qualified and non-qualified investors to buy most crypto, but with limitations. Non-qualified investors would be limited to a yet-to-be-defined set of liquid crypto after passing a knowledge test, capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834) a year. Qualified investors would gain broad market access excluding privacy coins, also subject to a knowledge test. Read more
Ethereum is increasingly powering tokenized money, faster settlement and regulated onchain infrastructure — even as institutions avoid naming it outright. Wall Street’s adoption of Ethereum is closely tied to its ability to automate settlement through smart contracts, reducing reliance on slow, manual reconciliation processes. Stablecoins and tokenized dollars now serve as a primary entry point for banks, allowing regulated US dollar transfers to move continuously on Ethereum-based rails. Financial institutions often avoid naming Ethereum directly, instead describing it as neutral blockchain infrastructure that supports compliant financial systems. Read more
South Korean payments giant BC Card has completed a pilot allowing foreign users to pay local merchants via stablecoins. South Korean payments processor BC Card has completed a pilot project that enabled foreign users to pay local merchants using stablecoins. BC Card’s pilot project was announced Tuesday and was conducted with blockchain company Wavebridge, wallet provider Aaron group and cross-border remittance provider Global Money Express. The companies had foreign users convert their stablecoins held in overseas wallets, which were partnered with BC Card, into digital prepaid cards. The company said this pilot was not a short-term project, but part of preparations to implement a stablecoin payment structure. The change is a response to the evolution of South Korean stablecoin regulations, it said. Read more
Polymarket traders price an 86% chance of Lighter’s airdrop by the end of 2025 as the DEX opens wallet allocation forms and redistributes slashed points. Lighter, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) and a major rival to Hyperliquid, is fueling airdrop speculation as Polymarket traders bet on a token launch before year’s end. Sebas, also known as Babastianj, a core contributor to the Lighter DEX, announced on the project’s Discord channel Monday that the platform is finalizing key processes ahead of the highly anticipated token generation event (TGE). “We’re in the final stretch of Season 2 and are running data science to remove Sybil, self-trading, and wash-trading points,” he said, adding that all slashed and removed points are planned to be redistributed to the community. Read more