Daily Crypto Briefing – December 28, 2025

The crypto market wraps up 2025 with a mix of technical developments, security incidents, and regulatory progress as Bitcoin hovers near $88K and institutional activity continues to shape the landscape.

Top Stories

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Records Final 2025 Adjustment

Cointelegraph reports that Bitcoin's mining difficulty completed its last adjustment of 2025, with forecasts pointing to further increases in January. The rising difficulty ensures network decentralization but creates additional challenges for miners as operational costs continue to climb.

Flow Network Plans Controversial $3.9M Exploit Rollback

The Block reveals that Flow's planned rollback to address a $3.9 million exploit has caught some partners off guard. The hacker has already bridged the stolen tokens to other chains, meaning the rollback won't affect the attacker's ability to access the funds.

Coinbase Announces Arrest in $355M Insider Extortion Case

CryptoSlate reports that a former Coinbase customer support agent was arrested in India in connection with a massive insider extortion scheme. The breach involved customer data theft and bribery, affecting nearly 70,000 users and totaling $355 million in damages.

Bitcoin Outperforms Precious Metals Over Decade

Cointelegraph analysis shows Bitcoin significantly outperformed gold and silver over the past 10 years. However, critics note the comparison becomes less favorable when examining shorter time horizons, particularly during recent market volatility.

Technology & Development

Ethereum Accelerates Upgrade Timeline

• CoinDesk reports Ethereum's "Hegota" upgrade is now scheduled for late 2026
• The upgrade will follow "Glamsterdam," expected in the first half of 2026
• CryptoSlate analysis highlights validator risks in the 2026 roadmap expansion plans

Quantum Computing Developments

• Decrypt's year-end analysis identifies quantum computing as 2025's defining tech trend
• Advances clarified timelines and forced reassessment of Bitcoin's future security measures

Markets & Trading

Mixed Performance Across Assets

• Bitcoin trades near $88K with limited directional movement
• CoinDesk notes altcoins outpaced Bitcoin as precious metals rallied
• CryptoPotato reports selective capital flows highlight market fragmentation

Institutional Activity

• CryptoBriefing reveals Tom Lee's BitMine staked $1 billion in Ethereum over two days
• CoinDesk analysis suggests three key areas will dominate 2026 crypto markets

Security & Exploits

Trust Wallet Compensation Process

• The Block reports Trust Wallet launched compensation for $7 million browser extension hack victims
• The company pledged to compensate all affected users after malicious code was injected into its Chrome extension

Flow Network Recovery

• CryptoBriefing updates that Flow validators deployed fixes and prepared for network restoration
• The incident highlights critical security needs in blockchain networks

Regulation & Policy

2025 Regulatory Progress

• Bitcoin.com News summarizes landmark crypto bills driving regulatory shifts
• Congress set stablecoin rules and embraced regulated digital finance
• CryptoSlate maps major 2025 regulation changes and their wallet protection implications

International Developments

• CoinCodeCap reports Mirae Asset Group in advanced talks to acquire Korean exchange Korbit for $100M
• Bitcoin.com News notes Sberbank issued Russia's first crypto-backed loan

Quick Hits

• ETF Performance: Decrypt reviews 2025 crypto ETF success with Bitcoin, Ethereum thriving and XRP, Solana joining
• Uniswap Milestone: CoinCodeCap reports historic 100 million UNI token burn worth $596 million
• Derivatives Growth: CryptoPotato notes crypto derivatives hit $85.7 trillion in 2025
• Search Interest: CryptoNews reports Google searches for "crypto" hit 1-year low
• XRP Analysis: [NewsBTC warns](https://www.newsbtc.com/xr