US Probes $40M Crypto Heist By Federal Contractor’s Son

Members of the U.S. government are investigating allegations that tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency seized by law enforcement were stolen through insider access at a federal contractor, according to public statements from officials.

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) confirmed to CoinDesk that it is investigating claims that more than $40 million in confiscated digital assets were siphoned from government-linked wallets. 

The allegations center on Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a Virginia-based technology firm contracted by the USMS to manage and dispose of certain categories of seized cryptocurrency.

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT alleged that John…

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39% Of U.S. Merchants Now Accept Crypto, Survey Finds

Crypto is no longer niche bar-talk. It has become a part of mainstream commerce in the United States.

A new survey conducted jointly by the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) and PayPal reveals that nearly 4 in 10 U.S. merchants (39%) now accept digital assets at checkout, with overwhelming consensus that crypto payments will become a standard option within the next five years.

The survey, which polled 619 payment decision-makers across retail, e-commerce, hospitality, luxury goods, and digital gaming sectors, highlights customer demand as the primary driver of adoption. 

Nearly nine in ten merchants (88%) report receiving inquiries from customers about paying with…

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The First Meme To Hit $1? Neither Dogecoin, Nor Shiba Inu, Traders Say

Pudgy Penguins (CRYPTO: PENGU) has traded mostly flat over the past month, even as fundamental developments strengthen the meme coin’s longer-term outlook.

CryptocurrencyTickerPriceMarket Cap7-Day TrendPudgy Penguins(CRYPTO: PENGU)$0.009500$597.3 million-3.5%Dogecoin(CRYPTO: DOGE)$0.1222$20.6 billion-2.5%Shiba Inu(CRYPTO: SHIB)$0.057666$4.5 billion-1.9%

Trader Notes: Altcoin Sherpa said PENGU is not an attractive short at current levels, as it’s trading in a high-volume zone with relatively strong fundamentals.

He favours accumulation in the highlighted buy area, noting that while meme coin hype has cooled, PENGU could outperform when Bitcoin’s trend improves. Sherpa also disclosed he…

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Samourai Letter #3: Notes From The Inside

Dear Reader,

Since my last letter where I tried to explain the underground economy of FPC Morgantown I have been struggling to come up with an idea of what further information you may be interested in.

In modern life on the outside we are all so used to immediate feedback on everything we do. We write and publish an article and almost instantly comments start to roll in. You push to Twitter and the peanut gallery chimes in and has their say, and you as the content creator have an immediate idea of the general sentiment surrounding your work.

It takes some getting used to not having that modern feedback loop, but on the other hand it is quite liberating as well. All that said…

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Tether Launches USA₮ Stablecoin, But Banks May Not Like That, Analysts Warn – Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL)

Tether (CRYPTO: USDT) has launched USA₮, a federally regulated stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, but Standard Chartered warns stablecoins could drain $100 billion from U.S. bank deposits with the market reaching $301.4 billion.

USA₮: Built For The GENIUS Act

Tether launched USA₮ on Monday to comply with the GENIUS Act, the first nationwide framework governing stablecoins sold to U.S. users.

The law requires stablecoins offered to Americans to be issued by federally or state-qualified entities. That locked out USDT, Tether’s flagship token, forcing the company to create a separate U.S.-compliant version.

Bo Hines, former White House Crypto Council Executive Director, leads…

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Trump-Backed American Bitcoin ($ABTC) Now Holds 5,843 BTC

American Bitcoin, a miner backed by members of the Trump family, has increased its bitcoin reserves to roughly 5,843 BTC, placing it among the world’s largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency.

The company said it achieved a bitcoin yield of about 116% from its Nasdaq debut on Sept. 3, 2025, through Jan. 25, 2026. Bitcoin yield measures growth in a firm’s bitcoin holdings over time, including coins mined or purchased, without accounting for capital raises.

With the latest increase, American Bitcoin ranks as the 18th-largest corporate holder of bitcoin, surpassing companies such as Nakamoto Inc. and GameStop Corp., according to company data.

Shares of American…

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Citrea Launches Mainnet, Bringing Lending, Trading, And USD Settlement To Bitcoin

Citrea, a Bitcoin application platform backed by Founders Fund and Galaxy Ventures, announced today the launch of its mainnet, in hopes to unlock lending, trading, and other capital market activity directly on the Bitcoin network.

Alongside the mainnet debut, Citrea introduced ctUSD, a U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoin issued by MoonPay and powered by M0. 

The stablecoin is fully backed by short-term U.S. Treasury bills and cash and is designed to align with the forthcoming GENIUS Act, positioning it as a compliant settlement layer for Bitcoin-based financial activity.

Despite Bitcoin’s roughly $1.3 trillion market capitalization, on-chain data suggests a significant portion of…

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Tether Launches Dollar-Backed Stablecoin For The U.S. Market

Tether, the world’s largest digital asset company by stablecoin circulation, announced Tuesday the official launch of USA₮, a federally regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin designed specifically for use in the United States under the recently enacted GENIUS Act.

USA₮ is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., a federally chartered U.S. bank and one of the first institutions approved to issue payment stablecoins under the new law, Tether said.

The launch marks Tether’s first stablecoin built to operate fully within the U.S. regulated financial system, following years of regulatory scrutiny around offshore-issued dollar tokens.

The debut follows the company’s…

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Silver Volume Surpasses Solana, XRP On Hyperliquid: The ‘Largest Crypto Development Since 2020’

Silver perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid (CRYPTO: HYPE) hit $1.15 billion in 24-hour volume on Monday, surpassing Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) as traders use crypto infrastructure to bet on commodities instead of digital assets.

Silver Dominates Crypto Exchange Volume

The SILVER-USDC contract has become one of Hyperliquid’s most active markets, posting roughly $994 million in 24-hour volume.

Open interest sits near $154.5 million, while funding remains slightly negative—pointing to heavy turnover and two-way positioning rather than a one-directional levered bet. 

That mix looks more like a volatility and hedging market than speculative longs.

What stands out is silver’s…

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Shiba Inu Burn Rate Spikes 2,800% In Single Day: What Is Going On?

Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) is up around 4% over the past month, outperforming the majority of altcoins.

CryptocurrencyTickerPriceMarket Cap7-Day TrendShiba Inu(CRYPTO: SHIB)$0.057645$4.5 billion-2.4%Dogecoin(CRYPTO: DOGE)$0.1225$20.7 billion-2.3%Pepe(CRYPTO: PEPE)$0.054965$2.05 billion-2.3%

Trader Notes: The CryptoBasic, citing TradingView data, noted SHIB is trading in a tight range after a dip-and-bounce.

Technical indicators show the short-term trend remains bearish, with the Supertrend sitting above price near $0.00000887–$0.00000889. A reclaim of this zone is needed to flip bullish.

Key support lies near $0.00000683 (early January base), while resistance remains around $0.00000887.

Benzinga