This unfortunate episode merely adds to the ever-growing pile of cryptocurrency thefts, which in January 2026 alone, have siphoned off nearly $400 million-because who doesn’t enjoy a bit of modern Robin Hood in the digital age?
And then, as if a cold iron went through the heart of fortune, the bears rose with the first frost, and the ascent turned into a retreat. The rallies faltered, the graph gnawed its own tail, and BTC slid into a multi‑month trough. With that fall came a heavier thing: the mood of the crowd, a gray cloth pressed over the eyes of many who believed in miracles on a Tuesday.
So, the winter storm-yes, the one that’s been wreaking havoc across multiple U.S. states-has forced several mining operations to power down. Because, you know, saving the grid is so much more important than their precious bitcoins. As of this weekend, the hashrate is lounging at a measly 850 exahash per second (EH/s). Last time it was this low? June 2025. Ancient history, basically.
Su admitted in June 2025 to conspiracy to run an illegal money-transmitting business. The Department of Justice pulled back the curtain far enough to reveal an international network that treated American investors like a buffet on which fraud was the main course. In total, investigators identified 174 U.S. victims who watched their savings evaporate in the same dramatic fashion as a magician’s rabbit.
According to this report, prepared by BDO Advisory Services (you know, the guys who probably charge a fortune for a “point-in-time snapshot”), Tether’s got $192.9 billion in assets and $186.5 billion in liabilities. That’s a cool $6.34 billion in excess reserves. Wow, Tether, you’re practically a charity at this point.
On Thursday, it was reported that Citgo Petroleum, taking a page from the playbook of bold entrepreneurs everywhere, has secured Venezuelan crude for the first time since 2019. This revelation springs forth from two “sources familiar with the matter” (one can only imagine the clandestine whispers over coffee). The backdrop to this development is the recent sale that netted a cool $500 million, as also chronicled by Reuters and CNN, whose sources prefer to remain incognito.
XRP took a sharp nosedive as broader crypto weakness pulled the rug out from under long positions, sending the price crashing below crucial support until buyers cautiously tiptoed in around $1.74, probably hoping they weren’t too late to the party.
In the grand theater of human folly, where the actors are many and the plotlines convoluted, a new drama has unfolded, as absurd as it is predictable. The XRP faithful, with their unwavering devotion, have risen in indignation against the Bitcoin adherents, accusing them of spreading whispers that link Ripple to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein. Ah, the tangled web we weave when ambition and suspicion collide!
According to the proclamations of the US Treasury and the diligent blockchain analysts (those modern-day sleuths), this move is particularly noteworthy as it targets the very exchange infrastructure itself, rather than merely singling out individuals. Oh, the audacity!
Most stablecoins are busy making a splash-raising their market cap, attracting the retail masses, and hoping to become the next big thing in digital piggy banks. RLUSD, on the other hand, adopts a more serious demeanor. As McDonald (whose role undoubtedly involves a good deal of eye-rolling at market antics) points out, this stablecoin’s focus is on “institutional readiness.” Monthly attestations, meaning third-party checks to ensure RLUSD’s reserves aren’t just imaginary friends, keep it respectable and regulatory-friendly.