Do XRP’s 16,000 Active Addresses Justify The $115B Market Cap? No Way, Says Mike Novogratz

Mike Novogratz warns the16,703 active addresses holding XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) can’t justify its $115 billion market cap, but social media chatter is nevertheless debating major institutional accumulation.

What Happened: Galaxy Digital (TSX:GLXY) founder and CEO Mike Novogratz challenged XRP and Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) to demonstrate genuine utility beyond loyal communities as the cryptocurrency market matures from hype-driven narratives to fundamentals-focused assets.

“Can Ripple hold it together? Can Cardano hold it together?” Novogratz said during a conversation with Galaxy’s Head of Research Alex Thorn on Friday.

He highlighted that while XRP and Cardano boast resilient fan bases,…

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FASB’s Crypto Accounting Focus In 2026: A Turning Point For Institutional Adoption? – Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) (ARCA:BTC)

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is tackling cryptocurrency accounting challenges that have plagued institutional investors for years. Two major digital asset projects on its 2026 technical agenda could finally deliver the clarity mainstream financial institutions have been demanding.

A New Era Of Transparency Began In 2024

The accounting profession’s approach to digital assets underwent a major transformation when FASB released Accounting Standards Update 2023-08 back in December 2023. Taking effect for fiscal years starting after December 15, 2024, this guidance introduced fair value measurement requirements for cryptocurrency holdings, with valuation adjustments hitting the…

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Bitcoin May Have Had A Bumpy Ride In 2025, But Long-Term Patterns Show Apex Crypto’s Resilience, Strength Against Major Assets

Alt: Bitcoin Saw Turbulence Through 2025, But Long-Term Trends Point to Resilience, Outperformance Versus Key Assets

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is poised to close the year lower (unless there’s a miracle), as bullish momentum faded into bearish dread in the last quarter of 2025. Yet, on zooming out, the leading cryptocurrency’s growth trajectory appears impressively strong.​

Bitcoin’s 2025 Plunge

Bitcoin’s 2025 journey has been like a roller coaster, with its price tumbling from an October peak of $126,000 to a low of $80,000 and currently consolidating in the $86,000-$90,000 range.

The apex cryptocurrency erased all of its 2025 gains in the latest meltdown, and currently trades more…

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‘Asia’s MSTR’ Metaplanet Buys $451M In Bitcoin, But Its Chart Spells Danger

Metaplanet Inc.(OTC:MTPLF) acquired 4,279 BTC for $451 million in Q4 at an average price of $105,412 per Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) as the stock sits at the critical $2.5 price point.

Fourth-Largest Public Bitcoin Holder By Volume

The Tokyo-listed company now holds 35,102 BTC acquired for $3.78 billion at an average purchase price of $107,607, making it the fourth-largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder behind Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR), Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ:MARA), and Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT).

Metaplanet achieved BTC Yield of 568.2% year-to-date in 2025 and targets owning 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027—currently worth approximately $18.5 billion at current prices.

The…

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Andreessen Horowitz’s Web3 Arm Says Privacy-Focused Chains Will Be ‘Most Important Moat’ In Crypto

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz emphasized Monday the growing importance of privacy in the cryptocurrency sector, suggesting it could be a key differentiator in the future.

Privacy To Shape Crypto Dominance?

a16z crypto, the Web3 arm of the venture firm, posted on X, “Privacy will be the most important moat in crypto,” reiterating a point from their earlier report on exciting blockchain trends for 2026.

The narrative by Ali Yahya, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, stressed that, unlike public blockchains, where users can easily transact with others regardless of the chain, private blockchains create a “winner-take-most” dynamic.

“When users are on private…

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Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun-Backed Coin Outshines Bitcoin, Ethereum With A 12% Rally In 2025 — Here’s What Worked For TRON – TRX Gold (AMEX:TRX)

Tron (CRYPTO: TRX) defied the negatives plaguing the more popular cryptocurrencies to emerge as one of the market’s top performers in 2025.

TRX’s Resilience Amid Market Turmoil

The Layer-1 blockchain token has lifted over 12% year-to-date, making it the tenth-largest cryptocurrency gainer this year.

TRX, currently valued at over $27 billion, surged to its yearly high of $0.36 in late August before sliding to $0.28 in the broader crypto downturn in the last quarter.

Yet, the token was not nearly as badly impacted as blue-chip currencies such as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), which traded down 6.54% and 11.64%, respectively, year-to-date.

AssetYTD Gains +/-Price (Recorded… Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin Price Can’t Break $90k As One-Month Battle Continues

The bitcoin price continued to swing around the $90,000 level during thin holiday trading, rising and falling in sharp moves that lacked any volume needed for a sustained breakout.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency rose about 2.6% during low-liquidity sessions and held above $86,000 over the week, but was unable to sustain its $90,000 level in Monday’s Asian trading hours, according to market data. 

At time of writing, the bitcoin price was trading at $87,465 on Tuesday, with a 24-hour volume of about $52 billion and little change over the past day. 

The cryptocurrency sits roughly 3% below its recent day high of $90,230, with a market capitalization of about $1.75…

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Individual Jailed For Bitcoin Espionage Tied To North Korea

A South Korean crypto exchange employee was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to recruit a military officer to sell classified secrets to North Korea in exchange for Bitcoin, the Supreme Court ruled on December 28. 

The ruling also imposes a four-year ban on the employee from financial sector activities.

Court documents revealed that North Korean hackers paid the exchange staffer $487,000 in Bitcoin to recruit a 30-year-old army captain, who received $33,500 in Bitcoin in return, according to the South Korean media outlet Dailian.

The staffer approached the officer through a Telegram chat, offering cryptocurrency for access to sensitive military data.

The…

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