Lithuania will treat any crypto business operating without an EU MiCA authorization as illegal starting 1 January 2026, with no grace period after the transition ends in 2025. Regulators indicate that, although hundreds of entities are registered, only about thirty have applied for licenses, and enforcement may include fines, website blocks, service shutdowns, and potential criminal referrals. Authorities are pushing non-compliant companies to exit in an orderly way, return client assets, and leave a smaller but more regulated market focused on credibility and investor protection.

Alabama Cardiology Group agreed to a $2.225 million settlement over a July 2024 breach that exposed sensitive personal, medical and financial data of more than 280,000 individuals. Eligible claimants may receive up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses, plus a pro rata cash payment and two years of credit monitoring. Claims are due by March 6th of 2026, with a final approval hearing on March 20th of 2026.

On December 26, the analysis reviews Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hype. ETH is steady above $2,870 with resistance at $3,345, while XRP lost the $2 support and ended the week down 1%. ADA slipped 3% after losing 40 cents; BNB was rejected at $900; HYPE gained 2% but faces $26 resistance.

On December 24, U.S. spot crypto ETF flow data showed capital moving out of Bitcoin and Ethereum products while rotating into Solana- and XRP-linked funds. Bitcoin ETFs logged about $175 million in net outflows and Ethereum products saw just over $50 million in redemptions, while XRP funds attracted nearly $12 million in inflows. The pattern points to tactical reallocation among digital assets as year-end approaches rather than an across-the-board exit from crypto exposure.

On December 24, 2025, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs registered about $175 million in net outflows, according to Farside Investors. Over the past five trading days, outflows totaled roughly $826 million, with December 17 the lone session of net inflows at more than $457 million. Institutions remained cautious into year-end.

The Moscow Exchange and St. Petersburg Exchange say they are ready to begin regulated cryptocurrency trading once the Bank of Russia finalizes its framework, expected by mid-2026. Under the experimental regime, access targets highly qualified investors, including individuals holding over 100 million rubles in securities and deposits or earning more than 50 million rubles annually.

In 2025, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization became the leading crypto narrative as RWA tokens delivered average returns of 185.8%, with Chainlink acting as a key proxy for tokenized stocks. Over the same period, major L1 chains like Ethereum and Solana, along with memes, AI agents, GameFi, and DePIN tokens, generally posted significant losses despite periods of high activity and popularity.

2025 delivered a series of watershed crypto events on defined dates: a $1.4 billion Bybit theft on Feb. 24; macro-driven lows in early April; and the July 18 GENIUS Act for payment stablecoins. September ETP listing standards preceded October's brief move above $125,000 and more than $19 billion in liquidations.