Weekly Recap | Korea’s Crypto Trading Activity Cools, Echobit Launches 10 BTC Campaign, FTX Fourth P
2025.12.29
Weekly Review (Dec 22 – Dec 28)
Last week, amid shifting macro sentiment and tightening liquidity conditions, the crypto market remained under pressure, with total market capitalization declining by approximately 4.03%. While rate-cut expectations and marginally weaker economic data provided some support for risk assets, the market lacked strong upside momentum, keeping overall buying activity cautious.
Bitcoin has entered a phase of structural consolidation, with prices fluctuating within key ranges as traders wait for clearer directional signals. As the calendar turns to 2026, a series of macro policies and regulatory measures are set to take effect, potentially introducing new variables into the crypto market.
This report reviews the key events of the past week and highlights major developments to watch in the week ahead.
Market Pulse
BlackRock deposited over $114 million worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum into Coinbase
Ethereum is scheduled to undergo the Glamsterdam and Hegota hard forks in 2026
Uniswap’s fee switch proposal UNIfication passed with overwhelming support
Metaplanet plans to increase its Bitcoin holdings to 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027
A Bank of Korea report shows a noticeable cooling in domestic crypto trading activity, with investors increasingly taking profits
Polymarket confirmed a security incident caused by a third-party authentication vulnerability, impacting some user funds
Upexi filed with the SEC to raise up to $1 billion to support Solana-related initiatives
UXLINK proposed a plan to buy back at least 1% of its tokens monthly and add them to strategic reserves
Funding & M&A
A total of 10 funding rounds were completed last week, raising over $400 million, primarily across DeFi, AI, and infrastructure sectors:
Thiel-backed digital bank Erebor raised $350 million, doubling its valuation to $4.35 billion
Architect Financial Technologies, founded by the former president of FTX US, raised $35 million
Nasdaq-listed iPower secured $30 million via convertible notes, officially launching its DAT strategy
Web3 social platform Crypto Life raised $20 million to redefine data ownership and value distribution
HashKey Capital completed the first close of its fourth fund with $250 million raised
Policy & Compliance
U.S. Q3 GDP initial estimates exceeded expectations, while core PCE met forecasts
The Russian central bank plans to open crypto investment channels under a new investor classification framework
Indian authorities dismantled a major crypto fraud network, with money laundering activities traced back to 2015
Hong Kong plans to introduce new policies to guide insurance capital into crypto assets and related infrastructure
Echobit Highlights
The Christmas Puzzle Treasure Hunt launched, offering rewards and a shared prize pool
The Christmas Trading Competition went live, kicking off a 10 BTC year-end campaign
The CYSUSDT futures trading event launched, with traders sharing $20,000 in double rewards
The December Futures Trading Competition continued with updated rankings and rewards
The Christmas Miracle Festival launched with festive airdrops and rewards
Santa’s Airdrop Gift Rain went live with limited-time surprise drops
The Echobit Christmas Giveaway continued, delivering ongoing holiday rewards
The Find The Hats Christmas interactive event launched with festive prizes
The Coolest Christmas Tree sharing event went live, rewarding creative entries
New Echobit emojis were released with interactive rewards
The Christmas in a Frame creative event launched to capture festive moments
The New Year’s Magic Giveaway kicked off with year-end rewards
Echobit $1,000 Giveaway Episode 2 officially launched
Week Ahead (Dec 29 – Jan 4)
Lighter’s TGE and airdrop will take place in 2025, with 25% of total supply allocated
HYPE will unlock approximately 9.92 million tokens, valued at around $251 million
A Trump-themed crypto mobile game is set to launch on the Apple App Store
Blockchain game ChronoForge will shut down on December 30
The Federal Reserve will release the minutes from its December policy meeting
The U.S. will publish initial jobless claims data for the week ending Dec 27
StarkWare launches a $1 million OP_CAT research fund
FTX’s fourth creditor payout is expected to begin in January 2026
Turkmenistan’s crypto asset regulation law will take effect on January 1
The EU’s digital asset tax transparency regulation will take effect on January 1
Switzerland’s crypto tax information exchange framework is expected to be implemented in January 2026
The UK will enforce new crypto tax regulations starting January 2026
Echobit will continue to monitor global crypto developments, focusing on market trends, regulatory shifts, and funding opportunities to help users navigate market cycles with confidence.