A crypto user reportedly lost close to $50 million in USDt in an address poisoning scam after copying a deceptive wallet address from past transactions, marking one of 2025's largest on-chain fraud losses. The victim had earlier sent a small test transfer to the correct address before mistakenly sending 49,999,950 USDt to the spoofed one. In reaction to rising crypto-related hacks and scams, U.S. lawmakers introduced the bipartisan SAFE Crypto Act to form a federal task force focused on curbing digital asset fraud and improving coordination among regulators and law enforcement.

U.S. lawmakers unveiled a discussion draft to exempt small stablecoin payments from capital gains reporting and defer taxation on staking and mining rewards. The plan sets a $200 threshold and allows up to five years of deferral, with safeguards such as price-band limits, exclusion of brokers and dealers, and Treasury oversight. It aims to align everyday digital asset use with established tax rules.

The Walt Disney Company agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and signed a three-year licensing arrangement that makes it Sora's first major content partner. The deal enables AI‑generated short videos and images featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, while Disney adopts OpenAI's APIs and rolls out ChatGPT for internal use.

On December 15, 2025, a New York federal judge allowed plaintiffs in the class action against Pump.fun and Solana to file a second amended complaint based on newly submitted evidence. The suit targets investors who bought tokens launched on Pump.fun from March 2024 and alleges an unfair market structure, securities law violations, RICO violations, and unjust enrichment. Plaintiffs say thousands of chat messages from a reestablished confidential source link individuals associated with Pump.fun, Solana Labs, Jito Labs, and others, and the court found the proposed amendments sufficient to move forward.

This explainer outlines the core terms new creators should learn before minting NFTs, covering wallets, smart contracts, royalties, gas fees, and token standards. It clarifies marketplace concepts like listings and floor price, plus safety topics such as phishing and rug pulls. Understanding this vocabulary helps first-time projects avoid costly missteps and launch with confidence.

Major Wall Street institutions, including JPMorgan and Bank of America, have reportedly begun issuing loans secured by Bitcoin at around 65–70% loan-to-value ratios. These BTC-backed products can generate 2–4% annual returns for banks on potentially tens of billions in credit while giving investors liquidity without selling their holdings, underscoring the deeper integration of crypto into traditional finance.

British cybercrime suspect Danny Khan, also known as Danish Zulfiqar, has reportedly been detained in Dubai after authorities allegedly seized $18.58 million in cryptocurrency tied to transfers of about 3,670 ETH, according to on-chain investigator ZachXBT. He has been linked to a $243 million theft from a Genesis creditor in August 2024 and to the 2023 Kroll SIM swap incident that exposed creditor data and allegedly led to losses exceeding $300 million. Investigators have followed the funds across multiple exchanges and blockchains, but authorities have not yet issued formal confirmation of his arrest.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said Strategy will not be forced to sell its Bitcoin as MSCI reviews digital asset treasury companies. He cited JPMorgan, which estimates index funds could sell up to $2.8 billion of MSTR if Strategy is excluded. MSCI's final decision is set for January 15, he said. Hougan added debt service is covered by $1.4 billion in cash, with the first maturity in February 2027.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority set out retail investment reforms, replacing EU PRIIPs disclosures with a Consumer Composite Investments framework and revising client classifications. The CCI rules, covering products held by about 12.5 million UK adults, will take effect in June 2027. Professional clients will lose consumer duty protections, while individuals with at least £10 million ($13.3 million) in cash may opt out.