Bitcoin Breaks $90K, Bybit Says Goodbye to Japan
Welcome to the FINAL 2025 edition of your favourite weekly news round-up…from Coinigy
From bull runs to regulatory battles, and from meme coins to institutional adoptions, you've been here with us through it all, and we just wanna say “Thank you”. We couldn't have asked for a better community to ride the wild wild west of crypto with.
And in classic end of the year fashion, geopolitical tensions are heating up, peace talks are cooling down, and the king of crypto is doing what it does best, thriving in uncertainty, which reminds us exactly why decentralized money matters. Classic crypto move, thriving when traditional markets get nervous.
Speaking of nervous, Bybit's packing its bags and leaving Japan in 2026 after getting rugged by Japanese regulators while one of Coinbase's support agent was out there thinking customer data was their personal ATM.
Here are the Highlights:
- Bitcoin tops $90,000, oil rises as Russia-Ukraine peace hopes falter
- Bybit to Exit Japan in 2026 over regulatory compliance Issues
- Coinbase claims arrest in the $355 million insider extortion scheme that targeted nearly 70,000 customers
- Andrew Tate’s cry to wallets tied to $30 Million money laundering trail
Bitcoin tops $90,000, oil rises as Russia-Ukraine peace hopes falter
Bitcoin rose on Monday as dampened hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal pushed oil prices higher. BTC, the leading cryptocurrency by market value, jumped over 2% to trade above $90,000, bringing cheer to the broader market. Major alternative cryptocurrencies such as ether ETH, XRP and solana gained 3% or more, according to data source CoinDesk. In traditional markets, prices for the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased by 1% to $57.24 per barrel. Brent crude rose 0.80% to $60.81 per barrel. Asian stocks traded tentatively as year-end holidays kept volumes and market liquidity thin.
Bybit to Exit Japan in 2026 over regulatory compliance issues
Bybit has announced that it will discontinue services for Japanese residents and gradually implement account restrictions starting in 2026 as part of its efforts to comply with local regulations. The exchange, currently the world’s second-largest by trading volume, notified affected users via email and urged those who believe the classification is incorrect to complete Identity Verification Level 2 by January 22, 2026, or face being deemed a Japanese resident. The decision follows months of mounting regulatory pressure from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, which has intensified oversight of unlicensed crypto platforms operating in the country.
Coinbase claims arrest in the $355 million insider extortion scheme that targeted nearly 70,000 customers
Coinbase said a former customer support agent was arrested in India as investigators probe a breach tied to insider bribery and customer data theft. Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong said on Dec. 27 that the arrest involved a former support agent and thanked Hyderabad Police for assistance in the ongoing investigation. The update puts attention on the operational side of exchange security, including who can access support tooling, how exceptions are handled, and how outsourced teams are supervised. Coinbase has described the incident to regulators as an extortion attempt built on insider access.
Andrew Tate’s crypto wallets tied to $30 million money laundering trail
A December 27 report by a pseudonymous on-chain investigator, Specter, alleges that Tate’s digital asset activities extend beyond speculative trading into potential money laundering. The analysis claims that specific blockchain addresses allegedly linked to Tate received approximately $1.2 million. The funds reportedly came from wallets named in a Texas lawsuit tied to a $5 million investment scam. According to Specter, court documents from a March 2025 filing in Texas identify a network of wallets used to launder money stolen from victims between January 2023 and February 2025.
Other Highlights Worth Mentioning
Russia’s central bank unveils new crypto rules to be adopted in 2026- Coindesk
Binance’s Trust Wallet to reimburse users following $7m Christmas hack - Yahoo Finance
Russian cybercrime networks tied to $35 Million LastPass Crypto Laundering - BeInCrypto
Hong Kong targets 2026 legislation for virtual asset dealer and custodian rules - Whale Alert
COINIGY FACT OF THE DAY.
On this day in 2023, PancakeSwap CAKE tokenomics proposal was approved
On December 29, 2023, the PancakeSwap community passed a governance proposal to cut the maximum supply of its native CAKE token from 750 million to 450 million tokens, with nearly 97.88 % of votes in favor. This major shift in tokenomics was aimed at reinforcing a more deflationary model and signaling a strategic pivot away from hyperinflationary emissions
COINIGY MEME OF THE WEEK
