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The Grisliest Bitcoin and Crypto Wrench Attacks That Grabbed Headlines in 2025 – Decrypt

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The Grisliest Bitcoin and Crypto Wrench Attacks That Grabbed Headlines in 2025 – Decrypt



In brief

The amount of documented wrench attacks has increased in 2025 amid Bitcoin’s price rise.
At least 65 have been tracked in a public database, with many more expected to be unreported.
Some of the most grisly crimes include murder, severed fingers, and sexual assaults.

Crypto’s growing mainstream presence has not been all good news for investors. 

Alongside Bitcoin’s price rise, a growing list of wrench attacks—that is, physical attacks meant to coerce a victim to hand over access to their crypto holdings—have taken place over the course of 2025. 

According to a publicly available database of wrench attacks from Jameson Lopp, CTO of security firm Casa, at least 65 wrench attacks have been documented this year, with the expectation that many others go publicly unreported. 

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Below we’ll walk through some of the most gruesome, high-profile wrench attacks that grabbed headlines this year, 

Ledger co-founder kidnapped

Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped from his home and held for ransom in a wrench attack that took place in France in January. 

Balland and his wife were taken from their home to a nearby town and held for around 24 hours before they were freed by French authorities. 

At the time, French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the assailants severed one of Ballard’s fingers and sent it to his associates as a way to try and lure ransom payments. 

In June, French police arrested a French-Moroccon national alleged as the ringleader for Balland’s kidnapping scheme, as well as other May kidnapping plots in France. 

Waterboarding, sexual assault in Canada

A family in British Columbia, Canada were victims to a gruesome wrench attack that took place in 2024, but prompted headlines upon sentencing of a perpetrator in November.

Two attackers gained entry to the house under the guise of postal workers before providing access to another two assailants. Once inside, the crew waterboarded the husband and wife and threatened to cut off the husband’s genitals while attempting to gain access to their crypto accounts. 

Their daughter was sexually assaulted and forced to record videos, in which she exposed her genitalia and was forced to recite explicit phrases. The men made off with around $1.6 million in crypto, nearly draining the victim’s accounts. 

In November, one of the four men was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Abducted, drugged in fake Uber

A U.S. resident visiting London was lured into the wrong vehicle when waiting for an Uber outside a nightclub, and ultimately fell victim to the theft of his cryptocurrency. 

Jacob Irwin-Cline from Portland, Oregon was then tricked into smoking a cigarette believed to have been laced with scopolamine, a sedative that can cause blackouts while keeping victims conscious and suggestible.

While under the influence, Irwin-Cline inadvertently provided access to his crypto accounts, leading to the loss of around $72,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin. After the attackers gained access to his accounts, he was abandoned in an unfamiliar part of London. 

Kidnapped, tortured in NYC

Two New York men were charged in a crypto case in which they allegedly lured an Italian businessman into a residence under false pretenses. 

Once there, the man was allegedly bound, beaten, and drugged in an attempt to retrieve his password to accounts containing cryptocurrency. 

The attackers are said to have employed medieval-style torture methods, including electric shocks, alongside threats to murder the victim’s relatives, in an affair that lasted multiple weeks. 

However, in a twist, lawyers for the defense presented video footage that claims the alleged victim was enjoying himself voluntarily. 

The two men—John Woeltz and William Duplessie—were arrested, but ultimately pleaded not guilty. The pair were released on $1 million bail in July as the proceedings unfold. 

Vienna man tortured, set on fire

In one of the most gruesome attacks of the year, a 21-year old student in Vienna was beaten and burned beyond recognition in November.

Danylo K., son of the deputy mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, was ambushed by two men in a hotel garage and forced to drive his car to a different location. 

He was then beaten badly enough that his teeth fell out, and was left to suffocate in the backseat as they doused him in gasoline and set him on fire. 

Though a motive was not immediately clear, withdrawals from his crypto wallets were later detected. The assailants, two Ukrainian nationals, were apprehended and arrested in Ukraine after they fled across the border following the crime.

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Generator Rental Market is Going to Boom | Major Giants Aggreko, Denyo, Generac | Web3Wire

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Generator Rental Market is Going to Boom | Major Giants Aggreko, Denyo, Generac | Web3Wire


Generator Rental Market

HTF MI just released the Global Generator Rental Market Study, a comprehensive analysis of the market that spans more than 143+ pages and describes the product and industry scope as well as the market prognosis and status for 2025-2033. The marketization process is being accelerated by the market study’s segmentation by important regions. The market is currently expanding its reach.

Major Manufacturers are covered: Aggreko, Caterpillar, Cummins, Kohler, FG Wilson, Atlas Copco, Himoinsa, United Rentals, SDMO, Generac, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Power Solutions, Denyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Pramac

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HTF Market Intelligence projects that the global Generator Rental market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.40% from 2025 to 2032, from 8.5 Billion in 2025 to 17.5 Billion by 2033.

Our Report Covers the Following Important Topics:

By Type:Diesel generators, Portable generators, Industrial generators

By Application:Construction sites, Events, Power backup, Mining, Remote locations

Definition:Generator rental services provide temporary power solutions through diesel, petrol, or gas generators for construction sites, events, or emergency use. Adoption is driven by power backup requirements, industrial operations, and events management. Features include capacity, fuel efficiency, and safety.

Dominating Region:North America

Fastest-Growing Region:Middle East & Africa

Market Trends:Hybrid battery-diesel systems trending, Fuel-efficient generators rising, Remote monitoring technology increasing, Silent generators gaining popularity, Modular scalable units evolving.

Market Drivers:Increasing power outages drive rental demand, Construction sites require temporary power, Events and outdoor activities boost usage, Industrial shutdowns create backup requirements, Remote projects rely on rental generators.

Market Challenges:Fuel cost variability, Emission regulation compliance, Noise restrictions in urban areas, Logistic challenges in remote locations, Maintenance complexity.

Market Opportunities:Opportunities in telecom tower backup, Growth in mining and oilfield operations, Expansion in rural electrification projects, Demand from data center maintenance, Potential in emergency relief operations.

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The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:

In-depth analysis of Generator Rental market segments by Types: Diesel generators, Portable generators, Industrial generators

Detailed analysis of Generator Rental market segments by Applications: Construction sites, Events, Power backup, Mining, Remote locations

Global Generator Rental Market -Regional Analysis

• North America: United States of America (US), Canada, and Mexico.• South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil.• Middle East & Africa: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and South Africa.• Europe: the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Nordics, BALTIC Countries, Russia, Austria, and the Rest of Europe.• Asia: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines & Vietnam, etc.) & Rest• Oceania: Australia & New Zealand

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Generator Rental Market Research Objectives:

– Focuses on the key manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years.– To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks).– To analyze the with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market.– To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.– To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies.

FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: Five forces analysis-the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the threat of competition, and the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers-are carried out to better understand market circumstances.• Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies)• Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates)• Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles)• Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development)• Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions)• Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability)

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Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Generator Rental Market:

Chapter 01 – Generator Rental Executive SummaryChapter 02 – Market OverviewChapter 03 – Key Success FactorsChapter 04 – Global Generator Rental Market – Pricing AnalysisChapter 05 – Global Generator Rental Market Background or HistoryChapter 06 – Global Generator Rental Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application)Chapter 07 – Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide Generator Rental MarketChapter 08 – Global Generator Rental Market Structure & worth AnalysisChapter 09 – Global Generator Rental Market Competitive Analysis & ChallengesChapter 10 – Assumptions and AcronymsChapter 11 – Generator Rental Market Research Methodology

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia or Southeast Asia.

Contact Us:Nidhi Bhawsar (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedPhone: +15075562445sales@htfmarketreport.com

About Author:HTF Market Intelligence is a leading market research company providing end-to-end syndicated and custom market reports, consulting services, and insightful information across the globe. With over 15,000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, value research report, opportunities, and cope with the most critical business challenges, and transform businesses. Analysts at HTF MI focus on comprehending the unique needs of each client to deliver insights that are most suited to their particular requirements.

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Why Pudgy Penguins Turned to This Toy Guru to Reach the Masses – Decrypt

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Why Pudgy Penguins Turned to This Toy Guru to Reach the Masses – Decrypt



In brief

Pudgy Penguin’s approach to consumer packaged goods is changing.
A veteran of the toy industry is behind the NFT project’s shift.
He wants to strike strategic deals with big-box stores.

If the Pudgy Penguins brand was an island like Hawaii, then it would be toward the beginning of a years-long phase, where molten lava erupting from the ocean’s floor has started cooling and forming newly habitable land.

That’s according to Steve Starobinsky, at least. With decades of experience in the toy-making world, Starobinsky was tasked in March with refining Pudgy’s approach to consumer packaged goods. But he acknowledged in a recent interview with Decrypt that Honolulu’s iconic beaches didn’t form overnight.

As Pudgy’s director of business development and partnerships, Starobinsky said his newest role requires a relatively methodic approach to the reactionary sprints that many crypto-native projects embark on, especially when dealing with big-box stores.

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For example, he said the purchase orders that will put goods in front of consumers during the next holiday season have already been signed, following a Los Angeles-based event that takes place annually in September for manufacturers and retailers.

“They saw the boxes, they saw the licenses, they saw the piece counts,” Starobinsky said. “But if you miss that September cycle, you have missed [the following year’s] Christmas.”

Pudgy Penguins has managed to establish itself as a leader in the once-hyped NFT space since the project was acquired by CEO Luca Netz in 2022. But as the company searches for dollars beyond the cryptosphere, it’s placing more power in Starobinsky’s toy-making hands—and betting on his ability to navigate an industry that’s foreign to most of his peers.

The company’s push with consumer packaged goods currently involves collaborations with name brands like Bearbrick, PEZ, and book publisher Penguin Random House, but Starobinsky said the company’s bet will appear bigger next year.

“Most of my efforts will showcase themselves in 2026,” he said. “We have a lot of physical merchandise that’s available for this Christmas, but it’s nowhere where I think we can be, considering the amount of eyeballs that we capture.”

As of December, Pudgy Penguins’ namesake NFT collection was the third most-valuable overall, with a market capitalization of around 47,000 ETH, worth $159 million, according to NFT Price Floor. It has also released two other collections worth more than $50 million combined. 

In addition to that, Pudgy released a token on Solana last year called Pengu. The token was recently valued around $818 million, according to CoinGecko. The company has also released a blockchain-based mobile game in tandem with Mythical Games.

That’s a far different world than plushies and keychains.

Starobinsky described himself as “a kid at heart,” with experience on teams that crafted goods for brands like Paw Patrol and Minecraft. He said he also worked on the team that launched PopSockets, the collapsible phone accessories that come in countless colors.

In that sense, he said he’s familiar with how Pudgy’s playful, hand-drawn look can resonate with younger generations and adults alike. Accordingly, the children’s book released this year is targeted at readers aged four through eight.

“Playful brands are dominating pop culture,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to work on a lot of intellectual property right at that moment where it goes from niche to mass.”

Winter is coming

Then again, Starobinsky and Netz, whose real name is Luca Schnetzler, have been friends for years. The two worked alongside each other at a company called Gel Blaster, where Netz served as chief marketing officer. Satorbinsky worked as the company’s head of sales.

“We created a new category, something between Nerf guns and paintball,” he said. “The hottest thing on the internet—Luca was a huge part of that, driving that narrative.”

Starobinsky’s work hinges on Pudgy’s ability to make inroads with the physical world, but at this point, the company is no stranger to shopping carts across the country.

Pudgy Penguins began selling toys in 2023, and its products have been available in several stores, including Walmart, Target, and Walgreens. As of last October, the company said that it had generated more than $13 million in total sales across over 1 million units.

This year, Starobinsky said “a proper refresh of new goods at retail” wasn’t achievable, chalking it up to the company’s lack of experience regarding physical goods.

Looking to 2026, a Pudgy spokesperson told Decrypt that the firm is aiming for over $20 million in retail sales between licensed and self-sourced products. They added that Starobinsky currently oversees six people, who work in business development, events, and public relations.

Starobinsky has been impressed by Pudgy’s foray into physical goods, but he said the company can do more to compete with established names. That involves spending money on marketing and advertising at a time when competitors usually would not, he explained.

Starobinsky said that manufacturers typically help retailers advertise their toys during the final months of the year, but that commitment often ends on Dec. 26, as stores markdown costs to motivate shoppers and make room for fresh inventory. From his perspective, that creates a 45-day “dead zone” that Pudgy can capitalize on as a winter-themed brand.

Starobinsky said that striking deals with retailers, with the prospect of bigger advertising commitments, can help it bridge the gap between the New Year and Valentine’s Day. Moving forward, he said one of the Pudgy’s’s biggest goals is to “own winter.”

For example, Pudgy could go to a retailer, commit to running an extra month-and-a-half of advertising, and as a result, stores might not have to “take a price reduction,” Starobinsky said. He floated the prospect of bigger bonuses at retailers for employees that improve margins.

“We thematically make sense to be marketing during the time when others would feel like a price play,” he said. “That is a deep strategic advantage for our brand.”

In the last two months of 2023, hobby, toy and game stores generated 26.2% percent of their annual sales, compared to 18% across all categories, according to Statista. But it’s not about avoiding the holiday season, Starobinsky said—it’s about extending it.

“Whenever you’re building go-to-market strategies, it’s a lot better when you don’t have to ram up against some competition,” he said. “When you’re actually attacking white space, you have much more likelihood of success.”

Allowing companies to plan promotions around Pudgy’s products is key, he added, as the company devises its own campaigns that stack on top of each other. Still, Starobinsky underscored that post-New Year’s and Valentine’s Day will stay as priorities.

“The way to win at retail—how to go from good to great—is to win promotional space,” he said. “Thats how you go from millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars in retail sales.”

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RewardLion Trademark Expands AI-Powered Operating System and Certified CAPSS Trademark Talent to Scale Business Growth | Web3Wire

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RewardLion Trademark Expands AI-Powered Operating System and Certified CAPSS Trademark Talent to Scale Business Growth | Web3Wire


Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 2, 2025 – RewardLion is scaling its platform and support ecosystem through the continued development of RewardLion Trademark OS, an AI business operating system, alongside its network of Certified AI-Powered Solution Specialists (CAPSS Trademark ) Talent. Together, these systems support business automation by replacing fragmented tools and disconnected execution with a unified, enterprise-grade ecosystem.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/c17de152fd4116e3c6b49601e63bed7b.jpg

RewardLion empowers businesses to scale smarter with AI-powered infrastructure, certified specialists, and proven growth systems.

RewardLion Trademark OS functions as an all-in-one AI business operating system that integrates CRM automation, sales funnels, business automation workflows, and performance analytics into a single operational environment. The system centralizes business data and processes, allowing companies to automate repetitive tasks, support lead generation, and analyze performance metrics through a single interface. The platform also leverages AI-driven features to streamline operations, optimize workflows, and support data-informed decision-making across departments.

According to RewardLion, many growing businesses struggle to scale due to disconnected software platforms and external vendors that operate without unified visibility or accountability. RewardLion Trademark OS addresses this gap by providing enterprise-level infrastructure typically reserved for larger organizations, while remaining accessible to small and mid-sized businesses.

Completing this operating system is RewardLion’s CAPSS Trademark Talent. These specialists deliver implementation, optimization, and ongoing execution across marketing, sales automation, CRM management, and AI-enabled workflows. Rather than functioning as external contractors, these professionals operate as an extension of a client’s internal team, providing consistent execution aligned with their business objectives.

“Most businesses don’t fail because of bad ideas,” said Mike Ibrahim, RewardLion CEO. “They fail because their systems don’t scale. RewardLion Trademark OS provides the infrastructure, and CAPSS Trademark delivers the execution, giving businesses the ability to grow with confidence.”

RewardLion currently supports more than 60 industries and now serves over 160 businesses in the US, enabling them to modernize operations and improve scalability. The platform’s industry-agnostic architecture allows it to support companies across healthcare, e-commerce, education, marketing, and other sectors requiring integrated growth infrastructure.

By combining AI-powered software with certified execution talent, RewardLion aims to reduce operational complexity while improving efficiency, visibility, and scalability for growing businesses. The company continues to expand its ecosystem as demand increases for unified systems that align technology, data, and execution under a single operational framework.

For more information, please visit https://www.rewardlion.com/.Media ContactCompany Name: RewardLionContact Person: Mike IbrahimEmail: Send Email [http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=rewardlion-expands-aipowered-operating-system-and-certified-capss-talent-to-scale-business-growth]Phone: +1 800-876-8984Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.rewardlion.com/

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13 WTF Moments of the Year: 2025 Crypto Edition – Decrypt

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13 WTF Moments of the Year: 2025 Crypto Edition – Decrypt



The story of cryptocurrency’s rise to mainstream popularity is one of the most bizarre in history. Created by an anonymous, shadowy figure named Satoshi Nakamotowho’s now among the richest people in the worldthe technology is now a darling of finance bros, altruistic lefties, white supremacists, Balkan political dissidents, West African entrepreneurs, and Redditors convinced that Satoshi was in fact an alien.

So it’s hardly surprising that 2025 began with U.S. President Donald Trump launching a meme coin just days before his inauguration. And it only got weirder from there, from college kids betting on whose sperm was the fastest to betting on which competitive dancer can twerk the hardest.

Let’s raise our glasses and pour one out for the 13 biggest WTF moments of this surreal year in crypto.

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1. Literal shit coins

Crypto devs will pay you for anything these days, even your poop.

In August, a new app appeared that paid users in Solana-based POOP tokens in exchange for pictures of their bowel movements. The ostensible idea was that by documenting peoples’ caca, the app would be able to provide actionable insights and advice on how to improve their gut health.

Of course, since this is crypto, the app had to make money, and its alleged goal was to sell your data to research institutions, insurance firms, or health supplement companies. The app hoped that it could amass the largest and most detailed fecal dataset in the world, which could help push forward the next phase of crap science.

2. A token dinner

President Donald Trump launching a meme coin would’ve been enough to make this list. Trump then hosting a dinner for the top holders of that meme coin would’ve also made the cut. But someone creating another meme coin inspired by that dinner? 

OK, sure, why not? An anonymous attendee of the Trump meme coin dinner created a Solana meme coin from his phone, and shared videos from inside the exclusive event on Telegram. In that chat, the meme coin creator showed Trump dancing to the famous gay anthem “YCMA,” Justin Sun posing for a photo, and, of course, the food.

Sadly, the DINNER token failed to gain much traction. It topped at a measly $450,000 market capitalization before it crashed and burned, becoming one of the millions of meme coins that became yet another dog’s dinner.

3. A token for your twerks

A dude from California created a crypto-fueled competitive twerking competition.

Viewers could vote by sending gifts that were purchasable via crypto, as well as bet via a crypto sportsbook. Though the initial heats were more like popularity contests than sporting events, the founder of Twerk From Home said his goal is to make the contest a legitimate sports league akin to the UFC.

Congratulations to dancer Laura Cintron, who won the competition and took home a $10,000 cash prize.

4. Chill House not so chill

Absurdist Pump.fun-created meme coin Chill House went on a rampage across social media, cussing out all of the biggest founders and influencers in the space in October—which somehow managed to pump the token.

The X account tagged Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, prominent Solana builder Mert Mumtaz, as well as Coinbase executive and Base network head Jesse Pollak, just to say “fuck you” and ridicule their projects.

Biting the hand that made the pumping fun possible, Chill House even called Pump.fun co-founder Alon Cohen a “cuck.” Naturally, some took the bait, including Pollak, who sparred with the account—while others, including Buterin, ignored the troll.

5. The Jack Off 500

Two college students provided samples of their sperm, which were then raced against each other in what is one of the most viral and disgusting moments of the year. It almost goes without saying that people could gamble on the race via a crypto sportsbook.

Clearly not weird enough, the event was such a success that a second Sperm Racing event was sponsored by major blockchain Solana, with top livestream influencer iShowSpeed in attendance.

But was the spunk junk? It turns out that the race that was broadcast was actually a dramatic computer-generated visualization, not the actual loads. Which, come to think of it, was probably for the best.

6. Dumpster diving for dollars

James Howells took one of the biggest losses of the year when his local Welsh council rejected his bid to buy a landfill for $3 million at the beginning of the year. Why did he want to take the dump? Well, 12 years ago, his then-girlfriend, now very much his ex-girlfriend, threw away his hard drive containing a crypto wallet with 8,000 Bitcoin in it—worth over $774 million at the time of the council’s rejection.

In April, Los Angeles-based production company Lebul bought exclusive rights to tell his story via a documentary. And as the summer came to an end, Howells quit his decade-long pursuit of recovering the hard drive.

Now he’s trying to launch a Bitcoin layer-2 network that would be backed by his legal ownership of the funds, despite not having access to them. Is it crazy enough to work? Anything is possible in crypto.

7. Getting Buzz and influencing people

A little-known X user known as Buzzlamic Jihad helped pump the price of Aptos in February, after months of spamming Aptos-related memes. His catchphrases “Aptos looking good here,” “motion not priced in yet,” and “sidelined?” quickly became major crypto memes this year.

As the influencer turned into a mascot for the network, Aptos decided to bring him onboard as an official advisor

It turns out that Buzz was always more than just a shitposter. He told Decrypt that he had a growth marketing business, specializing in Facebook advertising, and claimed to have made millions in the venture. The cherry on top is that his mentors during this period were none other than Chase Herro and Zak Folkman, who went on to co-found the Trump-backed World Liberty Financial.

8. You too can create a treasury

Amid the digital asset treasury trend—or bubble, depending on who you ask—a lingerie mixed fighting league created its own crypto treasury. It started with $2.23 million worth of Bitcoin; later approximately $65,000 worth of Dogecoin was added to the coffers.

“Is it jumping on a trend a little bit? Of course,” Shaun Donnelly, founder and CEO of Lingerie Fighting Championships, told Decrypt, adding that  “we need to get in the game now while we still can, because if some of the projections come true, there might be a point where you just can’t get into the market anymore.”

9. Lone Star cops lasso a Bitcoin ATM

Texas law enforcement used power tools to crack open a Bitcoin ATM to recover $32,000 after a local family said they were scammed out of funds. Yeah, you read that right: The family was tricked into paying some hackers $32K, but instead of trying to figure out who the actual thieves were, the cops smashed open a BTC ATM, grabbed the funds, and repaid the victims. 

Bitcoin Depot, the owner of the ATM, said that the “rogue law enforcement officers” were just “creating another victim” by damaging the company’s property and taking their money. Weirdly, the long arm of the law has been making similar moves in Arkansas, Iowa and elsewhere, apparently believing that by facilitating the transactions, Bitcoin Depot is liable. The courts, however, disagree

10. Melania bolognia

Move over, Donald. Not to be outdone by her husband, in January U.S. First Lady Melania Trump launched her own meme coin. But in a twist, her venture spiraled into a legal and technical farce involving Argentine President Javier Milei, a class-action lawsuit, and a million-dollar “oopsie.”

The drama began when Melania’s token was swept into a massive fraud and racketeering lawsuit filed in April (and amended in October). Investors claimed Meteora co-founder Benjamin Chow was secretly puppeteering a “constellation of scam tokens,” using high-profile figures like Melania and Milei as bait to lure in buyers.

Things got weirder still in October. Just days after the lawsuit accused Chow of running a “pump-and-dump” scheme, his own platform, Meteora, accidentally airdropped $1.2 million worth of tokens directly to the wallets at the heart of the scandal.

11. BOOM headshot

Has crypto learned its lesson to not play with fireworks? Apparently not.

Controversial British content creator Sam Pepper fired a Roman candle-style firework into a crowd during the Diwali festival in New Delhi, India. “HEADSHOT,” someone screamed from behind the camera, as a young girl was apparently hit directly in the eye and was rushed to the hospital.

Pepper claimed to have sent someone with the victim to the hospital to pay for her hospital fees, although travel YouTuber Raj Chauhan claims the family hasn’t seen any of that money.

12. Dogwifhat, but not wif Sphere

Popular Solana meme coin Dogwifhat confirmed, retracted, and then implied that it was going to be advertised on the Las Vegas Sphere via social media, prompting the token to jump double digits in a single day. “Officially confirmed. Viva hat Vegas,” a now-deleted X post read, accompanied by a photo of the mascot wearing the Sphere as a hat.

But after Decrypt wrote about the post, Sphere PR reached out to say that, actually, there was no deal to advertise Dogwifhat on the Sphere. Indeed, the venue’s team was “distressed” the meme coin was using its name for “fraudulent purposes.”

The Dogwifhat team quickly retreated from their position and refunded everyone who had helped raise $700,000 for the hopeful advertising campaign.

13. Yu gotta be kidding

Jeff Yu, the creator of an AI musician, faked his death and created a supposedly posthumous legacy coin, or legacoin, accompanied by a lengthy blog post. The token soared to a $105 million market cap before it crashed 87% in just an hour.

Just days later, Yu was found alive at his parents’ house.

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SEO in the AI Era: Lithos Digital Earns Hall of Fame Status in the UK | Web3Wire

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SEO in the AI Era: Lithos Digital Earns Hall of Fame Status in the UK | Web3Wire


Lithos Digital has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the London & South East England Prestige Awards 2025-2026 after winning SEO Agency of the Year for multiple consecutive years. The agency says the recognition reflects sustained performance in the UK market as AI reshapes how brands earn search visibility, including through emerging approaches like Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).

ATHENS, GREECE / ACCESS Newswire / January 2, 2026 / Lithos Digital has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the London & South East England Prestige Awards 2025-2026, after receiving the SEO Agency of the Year distinction for multiple consecutive years, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. This recognition reflects long-term performance in one of the most demanding digital markets, at a time when search visibility is being reshaped by Artificial Intelligence.

As AI-powered tools increasingly influence how users discover and evaluate brands, SEO has evolved beyond traditional organic rankings. Visibility today depends not only on search engine performance, but also on how effectively websites are structured, understood, and recommended by AI-driven systems, accelerating the rise of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).

About Lithos Digital

Lithos Digital is an international, performance-driven digital marketing agency with active operations in Greece, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The agency focuses on search-led growth strategies, combining technical SEO, content structure, and GEO to help brands maintain visibility across both traditional search results and emerging AI-powered discovery environments.

Operating for years in the highly competitive UK market, Lithos Digital has built its approach around long-term strategy rather than short-term tactics. The Hall of Fame distinction highlights a consistent track record of delivering measurable results through research-led execution, careful testing, and clearly defined methodologies designed to remain resilient as search technologies evolve.

“AΙ has changed how visibility is earned, but it hasn’t changed the fundamentals,” said Andreas Mexis, CEO of Lithos Digital. “Search engines and AI systems still reward clarity, structure, and credibility. Our focus has consistently been on building SEO strategies that adapt to how search works in practice and now perform across both traditional organic search and AI-driven discovery. This recognition confirms that strategy, consistency, and disciplined execution continue to win.”

For more information about Lithos Digital’s SEO and GEO capabilities, visit https://lithosdigital.com/

Media Contact

Organization: Lithos DigitalContact Person Name: Andreas MexisWebsite: https://lithosdigital.comEmail: [email protected]Address: Vouliagmenis Avenue 501, 16341City: AthensCountry: Greece

SOURCE: Lithos Digital

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Crypto Crystal Ball 2026: Will Ethereum Finally Start Going Parabolic? – Decrypt

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Crypto Crystal Ball 2026: Will Ethereum Finally Start Going Parabolic? – Decrypt



In brief

Ethereum insiders say 2026 could finally spark major ETH value growth as institutions pile in.
Tokenization is expected to shift toward yield-bearing, DeFi-integrated assets, bringing substantial new capital on-chain.
ETH may begin its path toward store-of-value status, though the token would still be well behind Bitcoin’s trajectory.

It’s never easy being an Ethereum maxi. True, ETH did hit a new all-time high this year; but relative to the Ethereum network’s numerous recent technical and economic triumphs, such price action still seems rather insufficient to many.

Ethereum has always been an anomaly, sitting somewhere between Bitcoin’s golden store-of-value legitimacy and every other crypto token in existence. It’s certainly in a league of its own compared to most other tokens—but hasn’t had its Bitcoin moment quite yet.

At the start of every new year, Decrypt investigates the questions and themes likely to define the next 12 months. We’ve already asked whether crypto will finally pass a market structure bill, whether Wall Street will become the industry’s next nemesis, and if 2026 is likely to devolve into a crypto winter.

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Today, we ask, if we dare: will 2026 finally be the year Ethereum starts to significantly grow in value? 

Some are saying yes.

“It’s now,” Vivek Raman, co-founder of Ethereum-focused Wall Street firm Etherealize, told Decrypt of the network’s long-anticipated mass adoption moment. “And I don’t say that lightly.”

Raman has seen Wall Street giants flock to Ethereum this year in droves, and anticipates that ETH will soon become the “default asset” of an increasingly on-chain traditional economy.

After 10 years of waiting, that “hockey stick adoption moment” is finally here, he said.

As tokenized assets become increasingly mainstream, and institutions become increasingly sophisticated in engaging with them, such developments could unlock additional billions of dollars in value within the Ethereum ecosystem.

“Tokenizing a Treasury bill was 2024,” James Smith, the Ethereum Foundation’s head of ecosystem, told Decrypt. “Making it work inside DeFi is 2026.”

Smith predicts assets tokenized merely as a novelty will fade next year, as “assets that generate yield or serve as DeFi collateral attract capital.”

Such developments could dramatically increase the amount of capital flowing through Ethereum—and thus, ETH’s value as the engine of a network underpinning not just DeFi, but greater portions of the traditional economy.

While that process could begin next year, though, don’t expect ETH to catch up to BTC by next Christmas—or anything close to such an outcome.

“ETH, in the end, is going to elevate to becoming a store of value alongside Bitcoin,” Etherealize’s Raman said. “But it’s basically five years before where Bitcoin’s inflection point was.”

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Coinbase Targeting Stablecoin Growth, Onchain Adoption in 2026: Brian Armstrong – Decrypt

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Coinbase Targeting Stablecoin Growth, Onchain Adoption in 2026: Brian Armstrong – Decrypt



In brief

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has said that the exchange is aiming to scale up its offerings in stablecoins and payments in 2026.
Armstrong also declared that Coinbase is aiming to become the biggest financial app in the world, and that it wants to expand blockchain adoption globally.
Industry commentators suggest that such aims may be unrealistic within a single year, but that Coinbase has a key role to play in onboarding newcomers to crypto.

Crypto exchange Coinbase is aiming to scale up its stablecoin offerings and increase onchain adoption worldwide in 2026, according to CEO and founder Brian Armstrong.

In New Year’s Day tweet, Armstrong declared that the company’s overarching aim is to make Coinbase “the #1 financial app in the world.”

The post unpacked how Coinbase aims to move closer to this goal in 2026, with the company focusing on scaling stablecoins and payments, while also expanding its presence globally in crypto, equities, prediction markets and commodities.

Armstrong also affirmed that the exchange will be making “major investments” in automation and product quality, and that it will harness its Ethereum layer-2 network Base and Base App to “bring the world onchain.”

The post follows a similar New Year’s Eve update from David Duong, Coinbase’s Global Head of Investment Research, who argued that regulatory clarity and institutional adoption “are converging to make crypto part of the financial core.”

Duong also highlighted the role of spot crypto ETFs, stablecoins and tokenization in driving growth and adoption, suggesting that these factors will combine in 2026 “as ETF approval timelines compress, stablecoins take a larger role in delivery-vs-payment (DvP) structures, and tokenized collateral is recognized more broadly across traditional transactions.”

These remarks also come a couple of months after Coinbase posted better-than-expected Q3 financial results, which reported a 26% quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue, at $1.9 billion.

September also brought news that the exchange is considering launching a native token for Base, although it clarified that there is no definite timeline for any such potential launch.

How achievable are Coinbase’s goals?

While Coinbase did have a positive 2025, some industry commentators suggest that Brian Armstrong’s latest tweet may have been intentionally hyperbolic, and should be taken perhaps more as a long-term strategy than as goals for this year.

“Coinbase’s aims are directionally sound but overstate near-term feasibility; true adoption hinges on solving real problems, not just moving users onchain for its own sake,” said Anndy Lian, an intergovernmental blockchain advisor and currently the Chief Digital Advisor at the Mongolia Productivity Organization.

Speaking to Decrypt, Lian agreed that Coinbase is a “critical onramp” for retail and institutions, but that its stated aim of ‘bringing the world onchain’ oversimplifies the drawn-out process of adoption.

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Coinbase’s strengths lie in infrastructure such as custody and fiat rails, rather than “building these vertical applications,” he said, adding that the exchange’s aims “are realistic only if they enable others’ use cases—not lead them.”

Having said that, Lian’s prediction for the wider cryptocurrency industry is that there will be a reemphasis on “user-centric utility” in 2026.

“After the speculative excesses of previous cycles, 2026 will prioritize relatable, non-speculative applications,” he explained, pointing to examples such as travel platforms using crypto for seamless cross-border rewards, supply chain tracking for ethical sourcing, and healthcare data interoperability via permissioned chains.

Lian also suggested that 2026 will see enterprise adoption mature in finance (e.g. tokenized assets), healthcare (e.g. secure patient records) and supply chains (e.g. provenance verification), but that, ultimately,  success depends on interoperability and regulation.

Coinbase has been contacted for comment.

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WeTrade Supports UNICEF to Improve Children’s Wellbeing in Indonesia | Web3Wire

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WeTrade Supports UNICEF to Improve Children’s Wellbeing in Indonesia | Web3Wire


KINGSTOWN, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES / ACCESS Newswire / January 2, 2026 / WeTrade, the leading global financial broker, has announced a corporate fellowship with UNICEF to advance efforts that empower children across Indonesia. A symbolic handover of the donation took place between WeTrade and Gibthi Ihda Suryani, Head of Corporate Partnerships of UNICEF Indonesia. This support will contribute to UNICEF’s efforts in Indonesia, particularly in areas such as nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and child protection.

“Children deserve every chance to learn, stay healthy, and feel safe,” said George Miltiadous, EU WeTrade’s CEO. “We look forward to supporting UNICEF’s work for children in Indonesia and contributing to meaningful and lasting change.”

Children in Indonesia continue to face challenges in accessing essential services. UNICEF works with partners to support programmes that advance children’s rights and well-being, so every child can survive, thrive, and achieve their full potential.

This initiative reflects WeTrade’s broader commitment to social responsibility and community support, which includes disaster relief efforts, children’s welfare programmes, and the construction of a school and support in underserved areas.

About WeTrade

Founded in 2015, WeTrade is a globally recognised financial broker offering innovative online trading services across a diverse range of CFD instruments. With robust client protection measures, ultra-low spreads, and award-winning loyalty programmes, WeTrade is dedicated to making trading both successful and rewarding.

Media Contact

Organization: WeTradeContact Person Name: CHONG PEI ZHOUWebsite: https://www.wetrade.com/Email: [email protected]City: KingstownCountry: Saint Vincent And The Grenadines

SOURCE: WeTrade.

About Web3Wire Web3Wire – Information, news, press releases, events and research articles about Web3, Metaverse, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Cryptocurrencies, Decentralized Finance, NFTs and Gaming. Visit Web3Wire for Web3 News and Events, Block3Wire for the latest Blockchain news and Meta3Wire to stay updated with Metaverse News.



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The Most Anticipated Games of 2026 – Decrypt

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The Most Anticipated Games of 2026 – Decrypt



This year is already shaping up to be a killer one when it comes to games, and not just because that one game we’ve all been waiting for is probably going to come out, finally.

There’s a ton of other stuff already on the docket for 2026, and this list, for obvious reasons, doesn’t even cover the stuff we don’t know about yet. 

If we get even two-thirds of this list in our hands by the end of the year, then we have a lot to look forward to.

Editor’s note: All of the games on this list are traditional “Web2” games without crypto or blockchain integrations. But you might enjoy ’em anyway!

Resident Evil: Requiem

Release Date: February 7, 2026

After two solo games, Resident Evil is once again a dual-protagonist game. 

You’ll play as Grace Ashcroft and series stalwart Leon S. Kennedy as they investigate a series of mysterious deaths in a hotel in Raccoon City. 

This game is set 30 years after the original games. Grace’s story will be more of a survival horror story as she tries to evade the villain Gideon and other monsters, while Leon’s will be an action story complete with jump kicks. 

Games like Resident Evil 2 have made an excellent case for multi-protagonist Resident Evil games, while Leon’s most recent appearance was in Resident Evil 6, a widely disliked entry in the series for critics and fans alike.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Release Date: May 29, 2026

Wait, don’t go! Legacy of the Dark Knight is a LEGO game about Batman, but it’s not a LEGO Batman game in the sense we’ve seen. 

This one is for Batman fans—people who love the Animated Series and the Nolan films and every part of Batman. This is an open-world game with a proper combat system and an homage to all the different versions of Batman over the years.

The game will draw on ideas from various films and stories. Clips shown in trailers have featured Batman walking the Joker into Arkham, like in the original Arkham Asylum game; fighting mimes à la the 1989 Batman; meeting Batman Returns’ Catwoman; and training with Ra’s Al Ghul in the mountains from Batman Begins. 

If you’ve ever been a Batman fan, this is the LEGO Batman game to watch.

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Phantom Blade 0

Release Date: September 9, 2026

This stunning game is from the Chinese studio S-GAME. 

You play as an elite assassin named Soul, using a combat style influenced by Wuxia action movies. Still, the gameplay loop isn’t yet clear. 

The studio says the game will feature interconnected regions, with gameplay more like Ninja Gaiden than a Soulslike (despite the main character’s name). 

With Black Myth Wukong still in our memories and Phantom Blade 0 having tons of potential, Chinese studios are making a name for themselves as a great source of single-player action games.

Grand Theft Auto VI

Release Date: November 19, 2026

It’s going to come out this year, surely. 

Three delays sound about right for a Rockstar game. If Grand Theft Auto 6 lives up to the legacy of GTA5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, then this will be a stunningly realized version of Vice City (aka Fake Miami), down to specific details that only locals will know, with tons to do before you even get to the main storyline. 

And that’s not even counting what a hit GTAVI Online will probably become. This game is going to sell like crazy and is likely to be the biggest entertainment launch of any kind, ever.

Marvel’s Wolverine

Release Date: Fall 2026

Insomniac Games proved with Marvel’s Spiderman that someone out there could make a good Marvel game, and brought us the best web-slinging action to date with a new story that felt like it would fit right into the comics. 

Now they’ve turned their sights onto Wolverine, the loner X-Man. This game promises to be much more violent and darker–Logan spills more blood and stabs more faces in the two-minute gameplay trailer than Spidey did in two entire games. We get glimpses of classic Wolverine foes like Omega Red and Mystique, and shots of Logan fighting both in and out of his suit. 

This game promises to be a very different beast from the Spider-Man games, though we’re still hoping Insomniac will connect the two in some meaningful way.

Control Resonant

Release Date: 2026

Remedy has a lot to work on right now, with both the Max Payne remake and Control Resonant, a sequel to Control, on the way. 

A follow-up to the 2019 game, you’ll take on the role of Dylan Faden, the formerly comatose brother of Jesse Faden, as he searches for his missing sister. 

The game takes place in the city around the Oldest House, and you’ll be able to roam around, explore the city, and fight enemies. 

Dylan will be a melee fighter, with his own shapeshifting weapon called the Aberrant. We’re incredibly excited to see how weird Remedy can get with this entry.

Forza Horizon 6

Release Date: 2026

Much like with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, fans of Forza Horizon have been begging for a game set in Japan for years. 

Japan has a legacy of street racing, drift racing, and tuner culture that makes it a perfect setting for a game about racing your fantasy cars through winding mountain passes and along busy highways. 

We’re just hoping they do it right—there’s a time and place for lap-based racing, but a lot of the coolest racing happens point-to-point, whether it’s from the top of a mountain down or through a stretch of highway. 

And mountains have to be a big part of it, too. This one can’t be mostly flat, as some of the previous titles are.

Max Payne 1+2 Remakes

Release Date: 2026

Remedy is best known these days for Alan Wake and Control, but the bullet-time action shooter Max Payne is how the studio got its name in front of us. 

The studio developed Max Payne 1 and 2 before licensing the franchise to Rockstar for Max Payne 3. 

The studio is working with Rockstar on these remakes, which could disrupt the schedule, but otherwise, Remedy appears to be on track to release this in 2026. 

While voice actor James McCaffrey has passed away, his voice work in the original games remains iconic, and no one has quite replicated the series’ trademark gunplay inspired by The Matrix and the works of director John Woo.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

Release Date: 2026

We’re excited about next year’s entirely new Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: Catalyst. 

In the meantime, though, we can look forward to the first game from Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Studios, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. 

This game builds on the story of the original 1996 game to create an entirely new action game, rendered in Unreal Engine 5. It’s both familiar and fresh. 

It appears to be a great mix of combat and puzzles. And yes, there’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Honorable Mentions

Release Dates: 2026, we hope!

We’re looking forward to a bunch of games this year, and we couldn’t fit them all here. 

Other games we’re looking forward to include 007: First Light, a James Bond origin story from the team behind the Hitman series. If they draw on their experience, this could make for a genuinely unique spy game. 

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a great-looking samurai action game that continues the series, but puts you in the shoes of legendary kensei (sword saint) Musashi Miyamoto. Capcom worked with the estate of the late Toshiro Mifune to secure the beloved actor’s likeness for the game as the face of Musashi. 

Galactic Racing? Now that’s pod racing! We haven’t had a good pod racing game in decades, and the trailer for this one looks absolutely killer. 

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a vampire-themed RPG from some of the people behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. 

Fable from Microsoft should finally come out this year, though we’ll believe it when we see it. 

Meanwhile, Ontos is a spiritual successor to the excellent horror game SOMA, from Frictional Games, the team behind SOMA and the Amnesia series.

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