Crypto exchange Kraken has successfully raised $800 million across two funding rounds, elevating its valuation to $20 billion. This funding includes a significant $200 million investment from Citadel Securities, marking a notable move from traditional finance into the crypto space. With this capital, Kraken is reportedly gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO), although no official announcement has been made yet. The funding was primarily led by institutional investors, including Jane Street and DRW Venture Capital, indicating strong confidence in Kraken's growth potential.
Bitcoin has fallen below $90,000, marking a seven-month low, with a 4.5% decline over the past 24 hours. Analysts suggest that if bearish trends continue, Bitcoin could test support levels around $82,000 to $85,000, driven by significant outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs totaling $2.59 billion in November. Market sentiment remains cautious, with approximately $1.2 trillion in crypto value evaporating over the past six weeks. This downturn has been exacerbated by recent movements from Mt. Gox wallets, which transferred nearly $1 billion worth of Bitcoin, contributing to selling pressure.
Recent outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have intensified, with Bitcoin ETFs experiencing a staggering $523 million in withdrawals in a single day. This marks the largest outflow since the fund's inception, reflecting a broader trend of investor caution amid declining prices. Ethereum ETFs also faced significant pressure, with outflows reaching $1.42 billion. These movements indicate a shift in investor sentiment, as many are reallocating their portfolios in response to market volatility and uncertainty regarding future monetary policy.
The current market environment remains volatile, with Bitcoin's price action indicating potential further declines. Analysts suggest that if Bitcoin fails to hold above $87,500, it may face additional selling pressure, particularly as liquidity conditions remain weak. Despite the bearish sentiment, institutional interest persists, as evidenced by Kraken's recent funding and the ongoing development of new ETFs. This duality of institutional backing amidst retail caution could shape future market dynamics as investors navigate these turbulent waters.
Bitcoin miner Bitfury started up in 2011 and has now pivoted to tech investing, planning to invest $1 billion into ethical AI and crypto startups.
Crypto exchange Kraken has raised $200 million from Citadel Securities at a $20 billion valuation, enhancing the exchange's position ahead of a planned stock market listing. This funding follows a separate $600 million financing round closed in September at a $15 billion valuation, bringing Kraken's total recent funding to $800 million.
0xbow has raised $3.5 million in a seed round for its Privacy Pools project, which is backed by the Ethereum Foundation and is based on research by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin.
Grab has made a significant move into the digital asset space by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with StraitsX, a Singapore-based stablecoin issuer. This partnership aims to develop a Web3-powered settlement layer within Grab's super-app, allowing users to hold and spend stablecoins directly. If regulatory approval is granted, this integration could facilitate smoother cross-border payments across eight Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The initiative marks a shift from previous small-scale crypto experiments to a more robust implementation of stablecoin payments, potentially transforming the payment landscape in one of the world's fastest-growing digital economies.
Cardano is currently positioned in an 'Extreme buy' zone as it prepares for the launch of its new project, NIGHT. This development comes at a time when Cardano has experienced fluctuations in its market performance, indicating a potentially favorable environment for investors looking to capitalize on upcoming advancements. The anticipation surrounding the NIGHT launch suggests that Cardano could see increased activity and interest, which may impact its ecosystem positively as it aims to enhance its utility and user engagement.
The Filecoin Foundation and FilOz have unveiled a decentralized cloud aimed at building more resilient and customizable applications. This launch coincided with a major outage of Cloudflare, highlighting the need for decentralized solutions in the crypto space. By providing a decentralized cloud infrastructure, Filecoin aims to enhance the reliability and flexibility of applications, which could attract developers seeking alternatives to traditional cloud services. This initiative underscores the growing trend of decentralization in technology and its implications for application development.
Brazil is considering implementing a tax on cryptocurrency transactions used for international payments, potentially applying its financial transaction tax, known as the IOF, to these operations. This proposal follows a reclassification by the central bank, which now categorizes certain crypto transactions as foreign-exchange transactions. Currently, crypto transactions are exempt from the IOF, although capital gains above a monthly threshold are subject to income tax. The government aims to close regulatory gaps rather than raise new revenue, but the measure could enhance public finances amid fiscal challenges, especially as the crypto market in Brazil reached 227 billion reais (approximately $42.8 billion) in the first half of 2025, marking a 20% increase from the previous year.
Notably, two-thirds of this volume involved USDT, a stablecoin, highlighting its role in international payments for Brazilians. The reclassification is seen as a necessary step to prevent regulatory arbitrage in the foreign-exchange market.
El Salvador has recently acquired 1,090 BTC, valued at over $100 million, which has sparked concerns regarding its compliance with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan agreement that aims to limit the country's exposure to Bitcoin and associated fiscal risks. This significant purchase raises questions about the sustainability of El Salvador's Bitcoin strategy and its implications for the country's financial stability, particularly in light of the IMF's previous warnings about the risks posed by cryptocurrency investments.
South Korea's finance minister, Koo Yun Cheol, announced a commitment to take action aimed at stabilizing the foreign exchange and bond markets. This statement was made during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers Meeting. The focus is on a $350 billion investment pledge rather than a currency swap, indicating a strategic approach to bolster market confidence and address potential volatility in these sectors.
Balancer released a comprehensive post-mortem detailing how coordinated emergency responses recovered $45.7 million of the $121.1 million stolen in the 3 November exploit.
Prosecutors charged Firas Isa, founder of Virtual Assets LLC, with operating a money laundering conspiracy tied to at least $10 million. The indictment said Isa converted fraud and narcotics proceeds into cryptocurrency and sent the assets to other wallets.
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