GM. Airdrop fever is back as traders bet 86% odds on Lighter’s LIT token launching before year’s end, fueling speculative premarket activity across DEXs.

Meanwhile, Strategy boosts its cash to weather volatility, Justin Sun’s Trump-linked tokens tumble, and Russia inches toward controlled retail crypto access.

Here are the latest crypto headlines. 👇

Lighter Airdrop Fever Builds as LIT Nears Launch

Lighter, a rising perpetual DEX rivaling Hyperliquid, ignited intense airdrop speculation on Monday as Polymarket traders pushed odds to 86% for a token launch before year’s end. The buzz follows Discord confirmation that final pre-TGE processes are underway.

Core contributor Sebas said Lighter is scrubbing Sybil, wash, and self-trading data while redistributing slashed points to the community, closing Season 2. Hyperliquid amplified momentum by listing premarket LIT against USDC on Monday, seeding speculative trading pairs.

Lighter opened an airdrop allocation form letting users split tokens across four wallets, with submissions accepted through Friday. A 250 million LIT transfer, 25% of supply, further signaled an imminent token generation event expected by Dec. 31.

Polymarket shows $9.5 million backing year-end airdrop bets as Lighter’s profile rises after a $68 million Founders Fund-led raise. Founded in 2022, the exchange now ranks second among perp DEXs and sits on Coinbase’s roadmap for listing.

Strategy Boosts Cash to Withstand Crypto Winter

Strategy increased its cash reserve to $2.19 billion after selling shares, according to TD Cowen analysts. The reserve covers interest and dividend obligations for roughly 32 months, improving liquidity during prolonged market downturns. Analysts said the capital buffer reduces insolvency risk while preserving flexibility as Bitcoin price volatility pressures treasury-heavy firms.

TD Cowen reiterated a buy rating, citing Strategy’s 671,268 Bitcoin holdings and continued access to capital markets. Shares traded near $165, down over 43% year to date, reflecting broader pressure on crypto-exposed equities. Analysts estimate that Michael Saylor's Strategy could reach 835,000 Bitcoin by 2027 if capital markets remain accessible.

Justin Sun’s World Liberty Tokens Slide $60 Million

Justin Sun’s locked World Liberty Financial tokens lost $60 million since September, according to blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps. Sun remains blacklisted despite purchasing roughly $175 million in Trump-backed crypto tokens and related projects. Analysts noted the frozen tokens cannot be transferred, compounding losses as WLFI declined over 40%.

Sun said the blacklist was unjustified, claiming he supported the project financially and strategically without wrongdoing. World Liberty froze the address after Sun moved approximately $9 million in WLFI tokens. The project lists President Trump’s three sons as co-founders, heightening scrutiny surrounding governance and enforcement decisions.

Russia Signals Limited Retail Crypto Market Access

The Bank of Russia proposed rules allowing non-qualified investors to buy select cryptocurrencies under strict annual limits. Retail investors would face a 300,000 ruble cap after passing a knowledge test, according to regulators. Qualified investors would gain broader access, excluding privacy coins, also subject to testing requirements.

Residents could purchase crypto on foreign platforms but must report transactions through Russian intermediaries for tax purposes. Officials stressed crypto remains high risk and prohibited for domestic payments. The proposal reflects gradual liberalization amid capital controls and growing retail demand for alternative financial instruments.

Data of the day

Bitcoin captured roughly 70% to 85% of crypto ETF market share throughout 2025, maintaining institutional dominance. Combined Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF inflows reached $31 billion, with allocations heavily skewed toward Bitcoin. Analysts said institutions continue treating Bitcoin as a macro asset rather than part of broader crypto exposure.

Ethereum ETFs' share ranged between 15% and 30%, gradually increasing as institutional comfort improved during the year. Public companies accumulated ETH aggressively, led by a single corporate buyer adding 590,000 ETH this month. Other altcoin ETFs remained marginal due to late approvals and limited institutional appetite.

More breaking news

• Bitcoin is heading for its weakest quarter since 2018, down over 22%, as fading optimism pressures altcoins and signals persistent market fatigue.

• OKX reported a 53-fold surge in regulated-market trading volume this year, fueled by expansion into the US and Europe under MiCA.

• Former FTX US president Brett Harrison raised $35 million for Architect’s AX exchange, offering perpetual futures tied to traditional financial assets.

• The EU Council endorsed the European Central Bank’s digital euro plan, approving both online and offline payment modes for future rollout.

• Bybit will restrict Japanese users starting in 2026 to comply with local regulations, requiring enhanced identity verification before continued access.

• Tom Lee’s BitMine added $88 million in Ethereum, lifting holdings to over 4 million ETH worth $12 billion at current prices.

• Leaked data suggest Binance failed to stop suspicious accounts moving $144 million post-settlement, despite its ongoing FinCEN compliance monitorship obligations.

• Peter Thiel-backed ETHZilla sold $74.5 million in ETH to repay debt, pivoting from a crypto treasury model toward real-world asset tokenization.

• Ethena’s synthetic dollar USDe lost $8.3 billion in outflows since October, reflecting waning confidence in leveraged and synthetic collateral structures.

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