Author: Bitxjournal Team

Mining Sector Faces Continued Pressure After Record-High Difficulty in 2025 Bitcoin’s mining network has recorded its first difficulty adjustment of 2026, marking a modest decline after a year defined by rising competition and shrinking miner margins. The change reflects shifting network conditions following an exceptionally challenging period for the global mining industry. The Bitcoin network’s mining difficulty decreased slightly to 146.4 trillion, representing the first downward adjustment of the year. Mining difficulty measures the computational effort required to validate a new block and plays a central role in regulating block production across the decentralized network. Despite the dip, average block…

Bitcoin, Stablecoins, ETFs, and Tokenization Expected to Drive Next Growth Cycle Crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin has outlined six major trends it believes will define global cryptocurrency markets in 2026. The outlook points to accelerating institutional adoption, expanding regulatory clarity, and new onchain use cases transforming digital assets from speculative tools into core financial infrastructure. One of the most notable projections is bitcoin’s growing role as a store of value. Mercado Bitcoin estimates that bitcoin could reach 14% of gold’s total market capitalization by the end of 2026. With bitcoin currently near 5.65% of gold’s value, this scenario implies a price…

High-Net-Worth Individuals Use Digital Assets to Purchase Property Across Europe A growing number of high-net-worth individuals are using cryptocurrency to purchase residential real estate across Europe, signaling a shift in how digital wealth is being deployed into traditional assets. The trend highlights crypto’s increasing integration into established financial and property markets. Hundreds of affluent investors are now leveraging cryptocurrency holdings to buy European property, with transactions concentrated in markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Malta, Cyprus, and Andorra. These purchases typically range from $500,000 to $2.5 million per transaction, reflecting demand at the premium end of the housing market.…

Unauthorized Notification Mimics Scam Tactics Targeting Bitcoin and Ether Holders Digital investment platform Betterment has issued a warning to customers after an unauthorized message circulated claiming to offer unusually high returns on cryptocurrency deposits. The company urged users to ignore the notification, emphasizing that it did not originate from an approved internal system. The message, which appeared on Friday, encouraged recipients to transfer up to $10,000 in Bitcoin or Ether to specified crypto wallet addresses. It falsely promised that any funds sent would be “tripled” and returned within hours, a claim widely associated with crypto-related fraud. Several users reported receiving…

Senate Vote Could Determine the Future of U.S. Crypto Market Structure in 2026 The future of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, commonly known as the CLARITY Act, now depends on whether lawmakers can secure enough bipartisan backing in an upcoming Senate vote. Analysts warn that failure at this stage could significantly delay comprehensive crypto regulation in the United States. Advancing the CLARITY Act through the Senate typically requires at least 60 votes, meaning Republican lawmakers must attract support from seven to ten Democratic senators. Early indicators suggest that success in the Senate Banking Committee is especially crucial.…

New legislation aims to prevent insider advantage and conflicts of interest in rapidly growing political betting markets A group of Democratic lawmakers, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is backing new legislation designed to stop elected officials from profiting through political prediction markets. The proposal follows renewed scrutiny of betting activity linked to sensitive geopolitical events, raising concerns about insider access to nonpublic government information. The proposed legislation, formally titled the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, was introduced by Representative Ritchie Torres of New York. The bill would prohibit federal elected officials, executive branch employees, political…

Investor Risk Appetite Weakens Amid Macro and Geopolitical Pressure Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) opened 2026 on a weaker footing, recording significant net outflows as investors shifted toward a more cautious, risk-off stance driven by global uncertainty and changing monetary policy expectations. During the first full trading week of the year, spot Bitcoin ETFs posted cumulative outflows of $681 million, reversing strong inflows seen at the start of January. The decline was marked by four consecutive days of net redemptions, with the sharpest single-day withdrawal reaching $486 million midweek. Additional heavy outflows followed, signaling sustained selling pressure. This reversal came…

Platform shifts incentives toward traders as memecoin activity rebounds heading into 2026 Solana-based memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has announced a major overhaul of its creator-fee structure, responding to shifting market dynamics as daily token launches climb to their highest level since September. The update signals a strategic pivot aimed at improving long-term market health and rebalancing incentives between creators and traders. The platform concluded that its previous Dynamic Fees V1 system, introduced last year, benefited organized project teams but had limited impact on typical memecoin deployers. While the model helped attract builders and boost onchain activity, it also reduced trading risk…

Stablecoin issuer expands strategic holdings in crypto financial services and bitcoin Tether, the issuer of the largest dollar-pegged stablecoin USDT, has invested between $40 million and $50 million in Ledn, a crypto lender offering fiat and stablecoin loans backed by bitcoin collateral. The transaction values Ledn at approximately $500 million, marking another step in Tether’s growing strategy of acquisitions and strategic investments. The November 2025 investment gives Tether a stake in Ledn, a platform enabling both retail and institutional users to borrow, earn yield, and manage digital assets. Ledn, registered in the Cayman Islands, recently shifted to a bitcoin-only lending…

Advertisements urge citizens to pressure Senators to exclude DeFi from crypto legislation A new campaign by an anti-DeFi advocacy group is calling on Americans to contact their Senators ahead of the CLARITY Act markup, urging the removal of decentralized finance provisions. The effort highlights the growing tension between traditional banking interests and the evolving crypto ecosystem. The group, identified as Investors For Transparency, reportedly aired ads on Fox News instructing viewers: “Tell Your Senator: Pass Crypto Legislation Without DeFi Provisions.” Ads also warned against DeFi “stalling innovation” and promoted a hotline for citizens to voice concerns directly to lawmakers. According to…