Latest Updates on December 9, 2025

Community data shows Solana’s active validators have dropped from over 2,500 in March 2023 to about 800 today, a fall of nearly 68%. Some believe this is positive, saying weak or fake nodes were removed. Others, including infrastructure teams, argue many real validators quit due to high costs and technical pressure. Experts say the real risk to decentralization depends less on raw numbers and more on how evenly stake and voting power are spread among remaining validators.

Data from SoSoValue shows that on December 8 (ET), U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $60.48 million. This came despite BlackRock’s IBIT leading the day with $28.76 million in inflows. In contrast, spot Ethereum ETFs saw $35.49 million in net inflows. Spot Solana ETFs added $1.18 million, while spot XRP ETFs posted strong inflows of $38.04 million, showing shifting investor interest across crypto funds.

Terra (LUNA) is seeing a sharp price rise as renewed market optimism and heavy trading push the token higher. Traders are betting on upcoming network upgrades, which has lifted short-term confidence. LUNA also broke important price levels, attracting momentum buyers and boosting activity on social platforms. Trading volume has jumped sharply, helping fuel fast moves. However, the rally looks mostly driven by speculation rather than long-term progress, so price swings are likely. Still, the move shows LUNA can react strongly when market focus returns.

Do Kwon’s case has reached a key moment. U.S. prosecutors are seeking a 12-year sentence, while his lawyers want five years, pointing to time already spent in custody. The final decision could shape how regulators worldwide respond to major crypto failures. Meanwhile, LUNA is seeing short-term price swings driven by speculation, not real progress. The bigger takeaway for crypto is clear: rules are tightening, accountability is rising, and legal outcomes will play a major role in future market trust.

Terra (LUNA) surged over 20% in the last 24 hours, driven by a mix of news and market signals. Traders are watching Do Kwon’s Dec 11 sentencing, which many see as closing the 2022 collapse chapter. LUNA also gained support from a major v2.18 network upgrade backed by Binance. On charts, the price broke a key level, with strong momentum indicators and a sharp rise in trading volume. Optimism is high, but post-event moves remain key to watch.

DAS Research says XRP and Ripple are shaping up as global payment infrastructure, offering fast and low-cost transfers with growing interest from institutions. However, they face tough competition from stablecoins and ongoing regulatory pressure. Future growth depends on RippleNet partnerships, the expansion of stablecoins like RLUSD, and possible ETF approvals. While adoption is rising, DAS notes that direct on-chain usage by banks is still limited, leaving real-world payment volume as a key test ahead.

Acting CFTC Chairman Caroline Pham announced a new pilot program that allows Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC to be used as collateral in U.S. derivatives markets. The move supports the use of digital and tokenized assets in regulated trading. Along with this, the Market Participants Division withdrew Staff Advisory 20-34, saying it is no longer relevant. Officials said recent progress in digital assets and new laws like the GENIUS Act made the old guidance outdated.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation earlier paid too little attention to the network layer, focusing more on economics, consensus, and blocks. He admitted that peer-to-peer networking skills were lacking before. However, Vitalik said this has changed now. He highlighted the strong performance of PeerDAS as proof, praising Raul Victor and Ethereum Foundation contributors for their “heroic” work. The new roadmap aims for faster data sharing, better stability, and improved network privacy.