Cryptocurrency News Weekly Summary: Notable Articles on "Exchange Withdrawal, XRPL, Unauthorized Outflows, Market Predictions"

Source: Bittimes Original Title: Cryptocurrency News Weekly Summary “Bybit Exit・XRPL・Unauthorized Outflow・Predictions” and Other Highlights Original Link: https://bittimes.net/news/215434.html We present a summary of cryptocurrency (virtual currency) and blockchain-related news from December 21 to 27, 2025. Here are the most notable topics of the week.

Major Exchange Withdraws from Japanese Market, Phased Restrictions Starting January 2026

A major cryptocurrency exchange officially announced on December 22 that it will cease providing services to Japanese residents. The company had already stopped accepting new registrations for Japanese users as of October 31 of the same year, and this announcement follows that measure. The company cited increased regulatory enforcement by Japanese financial authorities as the reason for withdrawing from the Japanese market and urged users to take necessary actions promptly.

RWA Tokenization “A Digital Media-Level Shock”

Keith Grossman, President of a US cryptocurrency payment company, stated on December 22 that RWA (Real World Assets) tokenization could transform the financial industry at a faster pace than digitalization transformed the existing media industry. He referenced Bank of America’s outlook that banks will increasingly move on-chain over the next few years, noting that ideas once considered radical are now seen as an inevitable trend.

XRP Ledger Lending Proposal Sparks Discussion

Crypto analyst Brad Kimes urged XRP investors on December 23, “Now is not the time to sell XRP.” This statement is related to a proposed new lending feature on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), the decentralized ledger underlying XRP, suggested by Ripple engineer Ed Herron. The protocol is said to offer clear contractual terms and stable yields sought by institutional investors. Kimes advocates for holding XRP and using it as collateral under this strategy.

Large-Scale Unauthorized Outflow from Trust Wallet “Approximately 900 Million Yen”

Prominent crypto researcher ZachXBT reported on December 26 that funds were illicitly drained from hundreds of users of the popular self-custody wallet Trust Wallet, with total damages reaching at least $6 million (about 940 million yen). The breach reportedly occurred immediately after an update to the Trust Wallet Chrome extension, with assets possibly moving across multiple chains including Bitcoin (BTC), EVM-compatible chains, and Solana (SOL). The official Trust Wallet statement indicated that “version 2.68 of the browser extension is affected,” and users are advised to disable the extension immediately and update to the latest version 2.69.

“12 Winners” Leading the Cryptocurrency Market in 2025

On December 24, US crypto media CryptoSlate published an analysis article highlighting the “12 winners” that achieved remarkable success in the crypto space in 2025. The article attributes the success to factors such as the shift in US regulation, the rise of spot ETFs, rapid growth of Solana (SOL), and Ripple’s victory in the lawsuit against XRP, from the perspectives of regulation, projects, and market structure.

Financial Services Agency Clarifies Taxation and ETF Regulations

On December 26, the Financial Services Agency announced key points of the 2026 tax reform outline. It explicitly states that cryptocurrency ETFs can be formed “based on amendments to the Investment Trust Law Enforcement Ordinance.” The outline also includes provisions that income from cryptocurrency ETFs will be subject to separate declaration taxation, indicating a pathway for domestic formation of crypto ETFs and a review of the tax system.

Bitcoin “Recreating the Bullish Pattern of 2020”

Renowned analyst KALEO stated on December 24 that Bitcoin (BTC) is in a phase similar to the bullish pattern seen in late 2020. According to him, after the COVID-19 shock in 2020, the recovery phase saw prices stabilize after losing key support levels and forming a new range. Subsequently, BTC entered a clear upward trend, and he believes the current price movement is also “similar to that period.”