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“Despite what we hear on the news… the great story of our era is that we are witnessing the greatest improvement in global living standards ever to take place.”

— John Norberg

As years go, 2025 was a pretty good one, I think.

Derek Thompson goes so far as to say it was “an exceptional year for America,” citing, among other things, huge declines in traffic deaths, drug overdoses and suicides, the largest-ever drop in murder rates, and dramatic advances in healthcare.

“This seems to be the first period on record when every major cause of premature death — overdose, auto…

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A quiet crypto promotion is giving some people in the U.S. a surprisingly easy way to pick up $10 worth of Bitcoin or Ethereum — and unlike many sign-up bonuses, this one doesn’t demand ongoing trading, referrals, or long-term commitment.

For eligible first-time users, it’s essentially a short window where opening and verifying a new investment account unlocks free crypto that can be converted to cash almost immediately.

There’s no strategy involved, no hoops to jump through, and no expectation that you keep using the platform afterward. If your goal is simply to grab $10 in crypto and move on, that’s very much on the table here.

How the $10 Free Crypto Offer Actually Works

The promotion…

Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin spiked above $90,000 heading into the first weekend of 2026, even as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs recorded net outflows this week.

Notable Statistics:

Coinglass data shows 105,578 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $381.05 million.        

SoSoValue data shows net outflows of $348.1 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $72 million.

In the past 24 hours, top losers include Pepe, Floki and Pudgy Penguins.

Notable Developments:

Trader Notes: CryptoCon said Bitcoin has opened the year with a Pi Cycle “death cross,” a signal that historically gains relevance later in the cycle.

According to halving-cycle…

Read more on Benzinga

Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) executive chairman Michael Saylor says Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) makes the stock “interesting,” but Polymarket traders bet 76% the company gets booted from MSCI by March 31.

Options Activity Dwarfs Mega-Cap Peers

Saylor on Frida pointed to MSTR’s options interest-to-market cap ratio, which now sits at 86.2%—far exceeding derivatives exposure at Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) at 22%, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) at 10.4%, and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) at 7.2%.

Tech giants like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) cluster much lower around 3-4%, highlighting how extreme MSTR’s…

Read more on Benzinga

Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) recorded 1.87 million daily transactions on Dec. 31 but remains trapped under resistance as another failed breakout attempt dashed bulls’ hopes.

Network Activity Explodes To Record Highs

Ethereum’s 7-day moving average of daily transactions hit 1.87 million on Dec. 31, surpassing the previous ATH of 1.61 million from May 2021 during the NFT and DeFi mania according to The Block.

The network also logged 728,904 active addresses—the highest since May 12, 2021—and added 270,160 new addresses in a single day, the biggest daily surge since early 2018.

Nick Ruck, director of LVRG Research, credited the spike to network upgrades that slashed fees, boosted scalability,…

Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) continues to struggle below $90,000, leaving investors uncertain whether 2026 will begin with prolonged consolidation or a decisive macro-driven move.

What Happened: According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin has entered the new year stuck in a volatile range rather than a clearly defined bull or bear trend.

The on-chain analytics firm outlined three potential scenarios for 2026:

High probability — Range-bound (“twisted range”): Bitcoin trades broadly between $80,000 and $140,000, with $90,000–$120,000 acting as the core zone. This outcome would be driven by uneven capital flows, ETF-driven trading, and derivatives activity.

Medium probability — Macro shock: A… Read more on Benzinga