AI Pivot Crowns IREN as Bitcoin Miners Split in 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, it is apparent that there is a story of highly divergent trends within the world of bitcoin mining. Although bitcoin itself was down 7% on the year, mining stocks outperformed or underperformed significantly depending on investment strategy. AI/high-performance computing-related mining companies were up significantly, while pure-play bitcoin mining companies have underperformed.
IREN led all companies in terms of performance with gains of around 300%. The key reason why IREN managed to perform so much better than other players in terms of economics and competitiveness was its significant entry into GPU Cloud and AI infrastructure with major partnerships with Microsoft and others. The next set of players who focused on AI mining also took similar routes. Cipher and Hut 8 showed significant two hundred percent gains.
However, for miners who were concentrating on holding and producing bitcoin, it became difficult to keep pace with these two. Even Marathon Digital, which held the most BTC in public markets on a mining perspective, observed a sharp decline in its shares. CleanSpark and Riot Platforms made modest advances. Bitdeer was one of the notable negatives on the year, making it the biggest laggard for the sector. This was due to delays in its development of its ASICs and its losses. The stock is down about 50% for the year.
One thing is clear from 2025. Mining operators that were able to transform infrastructure into AI and data centers showed significant outperformance, while those focused on bitcoin mining alone have fallen behind.
The growing worries about an impending Bitcoin bubble and artificial intelligence are now sparking new debates about Bitcoin's strength in the upcoming market cycle. As investments and speculations on Artificial Intelligence stocks escalate, there is growing concern about whether the steep market correction may yet affect Bitcoin.
There is concern with growing correlation between Bitcoin and U.S. equities. Heavily valued AI stocks are expected to experience a market reset in 2026. This could result in risk-off sentiment that leads to a decline in the price of Bitcoin. Should this happen, estimates indicate that the market will return to the $60,000 and $75,000 region, which is pegged at the current level of production.
Nevertheless, Bitcoin's market dynamics have shifted considerably from what was observed in previous cycles. There have been more institutional investors, increased levels of liquidity, and more long-term investors in the market. All these elements could ensure a limited fall in the event of macro downward pressure despite its intensification.
Although a correction by AI-powered systems may create short-term turbulence, the increasing significance of Bitcoin as a strategic asset is viewed as a stabilizing factor. Therefore, if the current levels of support around production costs are maintained, a fall due to market turbulence may turn out to be a correction rather than a disaster.
Caroline Ellison to Be Released Early in January 2026
Caroline Ellison, Alameda Research's ex-CEO, will be released early from federal custody on January 21, 2026, a release 10 months earlier than decided upon. Skipped is Caroline Ellison's sentence, which has now been slashed for her full cooperation in the FTX trial that convicted Sam Bankman-Fried.
Ellison had earlier pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges related to the collapse of FTX, which cost investors billions of dollars. Her decision to turn state's witness and to testify against others had helped authorities recover hundreds of millions of dollars for creditors.
Besides the early release, Ellison will be under supervised release, and for a period of 10 years, she will be barred from being an officer or director of any publicly traded company or any cryptocurrency exchange, quite restrictive to her professional life.
The early release in her case reflects some of the merits one should expect from a federal system in terms of cooperation and good behavior during incarceration.
Gold Hits $4,400 as Venezuelan Oil Blockade Sparks Market Surge
Gold prices touched an historic high of $4,400 per ounce due to an oil blockade in Venezuela. The unfulfilled demand for crude oil has had an impact on worldwide trading and raised oil prices. However, gold has become the main safe heaven asset due to concerns regarding geopolitics.
This is because shipping shortages attributable to the blockage of ports have put pressure on oil logistics schedules, with waiting ships in deep waters or turning back, thus contributing to market volatility. Under these circumstances, gold has reaffirmed its function of hedging an investment portfolio amidst uncertainty.
Tokenized gold investments such as Tether Gold (XAU₮) and PAX Gold (PAXG) have also witnessed an increased demand, providing investors with an alternative and electronic form that can be accessed anytime and anywhere instead of physical gold. Investors have been layering their portfolios with a mix of physical gold, tokenized gold, and Bitcoin. While the latter provides liquidity and portability, the former provides sovereignty and decentralization and is thus a hedge stack for volatile markets.
The Venezuelan oil blockade is one example that underlines the changing nature of safe-haven instruments, with conventional gold and digital currencies drawing closer together in the midst of global uncertainties.
Aave Token Holders Reject Proposal to Transfer Brand Assets
The Aave token holders have rejected a governance proposal regarding the transfer of control over brand assets like domains and social media handles to a DAO-managed entity. Currently, 55% of holders rejected it, while 41% abstained, and a meager 3.5% supported it.
This proposed addition was supposed to further decentralize the Aave protocol because the management of the brand would be vested in the hands of the community. This was meant to promote transparency and would help the protocol achieve decentralization. However, the argument that the proposed addition would not solve the governance issues for the protocol was also raised because of the token and equity structure that could trigger misaligned incentives.
The actual process of governance also attracted attention, as the governance proposal was fast-tracked at a time when major token purchases had been made. This made the community wonder if the governance process was fair.
This referendum reflects the underlying conflicts between Aave and ensuring that decentralization and management of the resources on the protocol are in balance and highlights that the opinions of the Aave community are divided on major movements of critical resources.
XRP Price Could Surge as Bullish Chart Signal Emerges
XRP could be due to a dramatic hike, as a seldom-seen technical signal indicates upward momentum. For the first time in its history, the Stochastic RSI on the 3-week chart has reached 0.00, which likely means sellers are fully exhausted and further downside risks are capped. This has also coincided with market bottoms, hinting at the timing of an accumulation period for XRP.
This outlook is supported by institutional interest: XRP ETFs have continued to see positive inflows, netting over $1.1 billion in net assets since mid-November. Flows to XRP ETFs suggest a trend in growing confidence from institutional investors-even while XRP trades below key resistance levels.
The key technical levels are important for the subsequent move. XRP needs to retake the range of $1.95-$1.98 for any potential relief rally to be activated. The resistance levels at these price positions would then unlock the way up to $2.30, $2.70, and probably $3.66, if the momentum remained bullish. On the other hand, a close below $1.95 weekly would likely take the price lower to the $1.60 support level.
At the moment, $XRP is trading at around $1.87, but traders are watching for its breakout, which many believe would be the onset of an XRP epoch-making rally.
With the rapid move towards a more digital finance sector in the world today, the development of cryptocurrencies is actually providing a constantly widening and evolving asset class for the global investing community. This includes Bitcoin and Ethereum and evolving stablecoins and blockchain assets. In current scenario, a lot of people are examining the possibilities of investment in cryptocurrencies under a broader horizon of diversification, innovation, and investment in blockchain technology. Whether brand-new to digital currencies or having familiarity within traditional financial markets, in any case, it will be essential to be familiar with basics. Reasons for investing in crypto coins Cryptocurrencies possess properties which differ among more traditional assets such as stocks and bonds. This implies that they can be beneficial to portfolio diversification because of these different performance-driving factors, which most of the time have links to technology adoption and usage as well as global liquidity. Over the past decade, large digital assets have experienced a period of extreme growth driven by adoption and the continued development of related infrastructure. However, the degree of volatility experienced within the sector is still a factor, thus the need for education. In addition to mere buying and holding, blockchain has brought new financial models: staking, yield instruments, and decentralized applications that enable users to directly interact with financial systems and algorithms. Approach investors usually do. Many investors use a structured way of managing risk. Others use a mechanism where they contribute a fixed amount of money to a specific stock through dollar cost averaging. They do so in disregard for the short-term market movements of such a stock. Others rebalance their portfolios periodically to maintain a certain risk level. Reinvesting returns and discipline over the long term are also strategies that have been publicly disseminated and encouraged, especially for the investor with the objective of being slowly rather than quickly exposed. Security awareness and platform standards Security is one of the key areas of concern with respect to investment in cryptocurrencies. Normally, reputable investment platforms highlight the importance of the following with respect to account protection: methods of protecting investment accounts-two-factor authentication, monitoring, and user controls that can be easily understood. Customer support and transparency regarding their operations are other factors that investors consider to judge whether to invest or not. Web3 and the function of hybrid infrastructure As Web3 continues to develop at a rapid pace, blockchain uses extend beyond the payment model and move on to: decentralized financing, identity on the web, and tokenized assets. In this regard, its influence helps determine how people interact with the digital economy. Within this context, the global digital asset exchanges endeavor to offer access to trading, educational, and asset management resources within an increasingly defined regulatory framework. Future Developments It is a rather dangerous endeavor, but thanks to advancements in technology and infrastructure, investment in cryptocurrencies is an increasingly evolving interest. Those interested in venturing into digital assets should be taking in education and security awareness. Note: One should conduct their own independent research and analysis before investing in cryptocurrencies or any other financial venture.
Hong Kong is pushing ahead with a new regulatory regime that will impose mandatory licensing on crypto traders and custodians from 2026, a move publicly backed by the territory's lawmaker Johnny Ng. The regulations are designed to enhance investor protection through the imposition of robust asset segregation, private key security, and operation transparency requirements. Officials believe such alignment of crypto services with traditional finance regulations will help curb fraud while making markets a safer place for participants. Industry response was dominantly positive, with many seeing clarity as a catalyst for institutional participation and therefore more sustainable growth in Hong Kong's digital asset market.
Rising Inflation Puts Fresh Pressure on the Japanese Yen
The Japanese Yen is again under further downward pressure as inflation is slowly approaching the target of 2% set by Japan's BOJ, which is mainly being driven by increasing wages and a tighter labor market. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has indicated that overall prices are now becoming more persistent, leading to speculations of potential changes in policies sooner rather than later.
The yen is already down to approximately yen 158 per dollar, which is one of its lowest points in a while. While rising wages are boosting spending, they are also rising to become costs for businesses and are thereby increasing prices. The scenario is further escalating worries about possible inflation and its effects on the currency.
International trends are also adding to the pressure. The significantly different level of interest rates between Japan and the U.S. is continuing to make dollar investments more attractive, and thus it is adding pressure on the Japanese yen. Until there is a reduction in inflation rates or until there is a signal regarding changes in monetary policy, the Japanese yen might remain under pressure.
Currently, market participants are waiting to see upcoming inflation and employment numbers to see if there is any sign of BOJ readiness to shift policy to stabilize their yen and maintain economic harmony.
Tom Lee Sees Big Banks Becoming the Next Tech Leaders
Tom Lee of Fundstrat thinks that the power of artificial intelligence or blockchain could shake down the big banking giants, the likes of JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs, to be market leaders in the tech style.
Talking to CNBC in a recent interview, Lee said that these banking giants already have the benefits to trade like technology stocks with reduced use of human force.
Lee believes that AI could simplify decision-making and business operations in financial services, and that blockchain could enhance efficiency and security in financial transactions. Taken together, these technologies have the potential to produce a substantial jump in profitability for early adopters in the bank space to move their market closer to that of leading tech companies.
He also noted the dovish Fed as a supportive environment, which may help renew business confidence, thereby facilitating growth in core sectors. Moreover, the increase in ISM-manufacturing, according to Lee, has always corresponded to positive Bitcoin and Ethereum cycles, which is yet another encouraging factor for digital assets.
Turning the corner into 2026, Lee is encouraged that the usual year-end time frame tends to provide more favorable market performance. With the acceleration of AI and blockchain adoption, he is hopeful that the economic juices may be ready for the tech-based banking and crypto markets to capitalize.
Lithuania will take strong measures against crypto-service providers in the country who do not abide by the requirements of the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework set by the EU. Beginning from January 1, 2026, every crypto-asset service provider operating in Lithuania without a MiCA license will be operating unlawfully, as stated by the Bank of Lithuania.
It is being reported that companies failing to comply with the deadline of December 31st, 2025, could be penalized through fines, blocking their websites, warnings, and even prosecution. Those who engage in illegal activity could be imprisoned for up to four years.
Although more than 370 companies operating in the cryptocurrency sector are registered in Lithuania, only about 120 are in operation, and only 30 out of them have applied for a license under the MiCA legislation. The companies which do not intend to seek a license are encouraged to wind down their operations by the end of the year.
"The enforcement push brings Lithuania in line with wider EU agendas to enhance supervisory controls, enhance transparency, and safeguard investors in the crypto sector", said a press note. Now that the deadline draws near, companies must either conform or get out.
Uniswap Voters Approve Major UNI Token Burn and Fee Shift
The voters of Uniswap ratified a proposal that kickstarts the protocol fees and large scale UNI burns. This is a significant change in the dynamic of value within the ecosystem. The voting process was significant, with over 125 million votes for and only 742 against. There was a unanimous adoption of the move.
The launch brings UNI from being a mere governance token, meaning that usage of the protocol will be tied to the reduction in token supply. Currently, Uniswap handles about 2 billion in daily transaction volume, with annualized fees amounting to about 600 million. So far, all the fees are distributed to liquidity providers, meaning that UNI had no economic tie to the platform.
Under the new system, part of the fee proceeds of the protocol will be channeled to a system on the blockchain where it will burn UNI tokens. Further, there will be a retroactive burn of 100 million UNI tokens from the treasury. This is to approximate the fee charges that would have accrued in case fee charges on the UNI protocol had been active from the time it launched in 2018. With current market rates, it is now over $590 million.
After the voting process was completed, the UNI token increased by 2.5 percent over the last 24 hours and is trading around the value of $5.92.
Trust Wallet users lost more than $7 million after the extension meant for Google's Chrome browser was hacked to install a false software update. The problem was identified on the 25th of December when on-chain sleuth ZachXBT discovered the draining of trust wallet funds after the issuance of a software update for the extension.
The Trust Wallet team has also recently confirmed that there was an issue and said, "The incident was limited to Chrome extension version 2.68. In consideration of your safety, we urge you to refrain from using version 2.68 and instead install version 2.69. Mobile and other browser users are unaffected by the issue".
However, Changpeng Zhao, Binance Co-Founder and parent company of Trust Wallet, was quick to reassure users that they would all be reimbursed. As for now, they are still trying to determine the cause of having such an exploit occur. But it is likely that these attacks occurred right as the update was released.
This episode has brought to light the emerging risk for web browser cryptocurrency wallets, even as cryptocurrency theft is on the rise worldwide. It is recommended to update web browser extensions, verify news about X, and refrain from using cryptocurrency wallets during surprise updates and notifications.