BlackRock Bitcoin ETF opens today with over $1 billion in trading volume within 2 hours

[Galaxy Research Director Says Bitcoin Imitating Gold to Counter Currency Depreciation May Become a Trend] Galaxy Research Director Alex Thorn stated on the X platform that for Bitcoin to achieve positive returns by 2025, its year-end closing price would need to exceed $93,389. However, investor sentiment is currently relatively low, though some portfolio managers may reassess Bitcoin in January 2026. Despite several favorable developments for Bitcoin this year, its year-end performance has been lackluster. Meanwhile, U.S. Bitcoin ETPs have remained relatively stable, with fund inflows only decreasing by 9% since hitting a historical high of $62 billion in October. Galaxy believes that Bitcoin imitating gold as a hedge against currency depreciation may be driven by large asset allocators and central banks.

[Former Russian Traffic Police Officer Sentenced to 7 Years for Stealing Bitcoin] On December 27, a former traffic police officer from Ufa, Russia, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing approximately 20 million rubles (equivalent to several hundred thousand US dollars) worth of Bitcoin. The incident occurred in 2022, when the officer illegally accessed the mobile phones of two detained individuals while handling a case. Using messaging apps and crypto wallets, he transferred BTC, accompanied by acts of violent evidence collection. The court sentenced him to 7 years in a general-regime prison, ordered him to compensate the victims approximately 20 million rubles, and stripped him of his police rank.

[Yuga Labs Acquires Improbable Unreal Engine Creation Platform] BAYC co-founder Garga.eth announced on the X platform that Yuga Labs has acquired the Improbable Unreal Engine creation platform and reached a permanent licensing agreement with Improbable for Otherside's high-concurrency technology. Improbable's engineers and developers will join Yuga Labs, with the specific acquisition amount yet to be disclosed. Yuga Labs plans to expand Improbable's software and tools in 2026 to accelerate the delivery of new Otherside gaming experiences.

[Bitmine Adds 79,296 ETH to Staking, Total Staked Amount Reaches 154,176 ETH] According to Onchain Lens data, Bitmine has added 79,296 ETH to staking, valued at approximately $232 million. Its total staked amount has now reached 154,176 ETH, valued at approximately $451 million.

On chain data shows that Bitmine has added 79300 ETH as collateral, worth approximately $232 million; Previously, 74800 ETH have been pledged, with a total pledged amount of 154200 ETH and a total value of approximately 451 million US dollars. （Onchain Lens）