On December 9, 2025, a post on X claiming BlackRock had filed an S-1 for a staked ASTER ETF sparked speculation and short-lived price volatility before key figures debunked the rumor as fake. ASTER had previously been the subject of similar ETF rumors involving Grayscale, and recent trading has also been shaped by buybacks and a DEX token unlock that released $9.47 million worth of tokens. Developers criticized parts of the community for spreading false ETF headlines, warning that such behavior undermines the project’s long-term growth.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia has ordered the forfeiture of approximately $1 million in cash, gold, and luxury items tied to QuadrigaCX co-founder Michael Patryn. The assets—seized in 2021 under an Unexplained Wealth Order—will now be liquidated after Patryn withdrew his legal response, marking a significant step in the province’s civil action linked to the infamous crypto exchange’s collapse.

Argentina's central bank is considering reversing its 2022 decision that barred banks from offering crypto trading and custody services for assets such as Bitcoin and stablecoins. A policy shift would move away from a stance tied to IMF debt restructuring commitments and could bring crypto activity into regulated banking channels as Argentines use digital assets to navigate inflation and currency controls. Private banks face rising delinquencies and tighter monetary conditions, while the government seeks more dollar liquidity to manage reserves and the peso's trading band.

At the start of the week, Bitcoin, Ether, XRP and other large-cap altcoins rose more than 2% as traders positioned for a widely expected 25 basis-point rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s final 2025 meeting. Bitcoin and Ethereum climbed 3.5% and 2.8% over 24 hours. XRP, Solana, BNB and Cardano also advanced, while on-chain and derivatives indicators pointed to lingering caution and weak liquidity. Analysts said Bitcoin’s pullback-and-rebound pattern echoes earlier cycles, with futures open interest at yearly lows and some research flagging potential medium-term support from pending U.S. retirement account rule changes.

Harvard University raised its Bitcoin exposure via BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust to more than $442 million in the third quarter of 2025. Subsequent market volatility has left that position about $40 million lower. Over the same period, Harvard increased its gold ETF allocation from $102 million to $235 million. Other Ivy League and state institutions, including Brown University and major U.S. pension funds, reported growing stakes in Bitcoin and Ethereum investment products.

Cloudflare experienced a service disruption on December 5, 2025, affecting major websites including government portals, LinkedIn, and cryptocurrency platforms such as Coinbase. The company deployed a fix within 10 minutes after detecting elevated error rates in Workers scripts at 09:38 UTC. Solana-based protocols including Jupiter Exchange and Raydium reported user interface failures, though backend systems remained operational.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse projected Bitcoin will reach $180,000 by the end of 2026, speaking at Binance Blockchain Week. He cited improved U.S. regulatory clarity and strong macroeconomic tailwinds as primary drivers. Bitcoin currently trades at $93,465 following recent market volatility.

Strategy chairman Michael Saylor has initiated direct engagement with MSCI as the index provider considers excluding the company from its indices, with a final determination scheduled for January 15, 2026. Removal from MSCI indices could trigger outflows of approximately $2.8 billion, according to JPMorgan analysis. Strategy's shares have declined 37% this year, and the company warned it could face a $5.5 billion loss in 2025 if Bitcoin fails to recover before year-end.

Digital asset treasury firms acquired 370,000 ETH in November 2025, down 81% from August's 1.97 million tokens, data show. BitMine Immersion leads public holders with 3.73 million ETH valued above $10 billion. Analysts suggest sustained declines in corporate buying could reduce structural market support, though staking yields may help maintain treasury sustainability.