Crypto Index Funds Set to Explode in 2026 as Investors Seek Broad, Simple Market Exposure

The post Upbit to Raise Cold Wallet Ratio to 99% Amid Liquidity Concerns appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, announced plans to increase its cold wallet storage ratio to 99%, following a major security breach last month. The announcement comes as part of a comprehensive security overhaul following hackers’ theft of approximately 44.5 billion won ($31 million) in Solana-based assets on November 27. Upbit Strengthens Security After Second November 27 Breach According to operator Dunamu, Upbit currently maintains 98.33% of customer digital assets in cold storage as of late October, with only 1.67% held in hot wallets. The exchange stated it has completed a full wallet infrastructure overhaul and aims to reduce hot wallet holdings to below 1% in the coming months. Dunamu emphasized that customer asset protection remains Upbit’s top priority, with all breach-related losses covered by the company’s reserves. Sponsored Sponsored The breach marked Upbit’s second major hack on the same date six years ago. In 2019, North Korean hacking groups Lazarus and Andariel stole 342,000 ETH from the exchange’s hot wallet. This time, attackers drained 24 different Solana network tokens in just 54 minutes during the early morning hours. Under South Korea’s Virtual Asset User Protection Act, exchanges must store at least 80% of customer assets in cold wallets. Upbit significantly exceeds this threshold and maintains the lowest hot wallet ratio among domestic exchanges. Data released by lawmaker Huh Young showed that other Korean exchanges were operating with cold wallet ratios of 82% to 90% as of June. Upbit Outpaces Global Industry Standards Upbit’s security metrics compare favorably with those of major global exchanges. Coinbase stores approximately 98% of customer funds in cold storage, while Kraken maintains 95-97% of its funds offline. OKX, Gate.io, and MEXC each keep around 95% of their funds in cold wallets. Binance and Bybit have not disclosed specific ratios but emphasize that the majority of…

The post Tidal Trust Files For ‘Bitcoin AfterDark ETF’, Could Off-Hours Trading Boost Returns? appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Tidal Trust has filed for the first Bitcoin AfterDark ETF with the U.S. SEC. The product looks to capture overnight price movements of the token. What Is the Bitcoin AfterDark ETF? Tidal Trust has filed with the SEC for its proposed Bitcoin AfterDark ETF product. It is an ETF that would hold the coin only during non-trading hours in the United States. This filing also seeks permission for two other BTC-linked products managed with Nicholas Wealth Management. Source: SEC According to the registration documents, the ETF would buy Bitcoin at the close of U.S. markets and then sell the position the following morning upon the reopening of trading. In other words, it will effectively hold BTC only over the night “The fund trades those instruments during U.S. overnight hours and closes them out shortly after the U.S. market opens each trading day,” the filing said. During the day, the fund’s assets switch to U.S. Treasuries, money-market funds, and similar cash instruments. That means even when the fund has 100% notional exposure to Bitcoin overnight, a substantial portion of its capital may still sit in Treasuries during the day. Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst cited earlier research and said, “most of Bitcoin’s gains historically occur outside U.S. market hours.” If those patterns persist, the Bitcoin AfterDark ETF token will outperform more traditional spot BTC products, he said. Source: X Balchunas added that the effect may be partly driven by positioning in existing Bitcoin ETFs and related derivatives activity. The SEC has of late taken an increasingly more accommodating approach toward crypto-related ETFs. This September, for instance, REX Shares launched the first Ethereum Staking ETF. It represented direct ETH exposure and paid out on-chain staking rewards.  Also on Tuesday, BlackRock filed an application for an iShares Staked Ethereum ETF. The filing states…

The post Tempo Testnet Goes Live with Stablecoin Tools and Expanded Partners appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. The Tempo testnet, developed by Stripe and Paradigm, is now live, enabling developers to run nodes, sync the chain, and test stablecoin features for payments. This open-source platform emphasizes scale, reliability, and integration, paving the way for instant settlements on a dedicated layer-1 blockchain. Tempo testnet launches with six core features, including stablecoin-native gas and fast finality, optimized for financial applications. Developers can create stablecoins directly in browsers using the TIP-20 standard, enhancing accessibility for testing. The project has secured $500 million in funding at a $5 billion valuation, with partners like Mastercard and Klarna driving adoption; Klarna launched a USD-pegged stablecoin last month. Discover the Tempo testnet launch by Stripe and Paradigm: test stablecoins, run nodes, and explore payment innovations on this layer-1 blockchain. Join developers in shaping the future of crypto payments today. What is the Tempo Testnet? Tempo testnet represents a pivotal milestone in the development of a specialized layer-1 blockchain for payments, created through a collaboration between Stripe and Paradigm. This public testnet allows participants to run nodes, synchronize the chain, and experiment with essential features tailored for stablecoin operations and financial transactions. By focusing on instant settlements and low fees, it addresses key limitations in traditional blockchains for real-world payment use cases. Source: Patrick Collison The Tempo testnet builds on the project’s foundation, which was first announced four months ago, with an emphasis on developer-friendly tools. It supports a range of functionalities that prioritize reliability and scalability, making it an ideal environment for testing before the mainnet rollout. As per the official announcement from Tempo, this phase will involve ongoing enhancements, including new infrastructure partnerships and stress tests under simulated payment volumes. One of the standout aspects of the Tempo testnet is its open-source nature, inviting broad community involvement. This approach not only accelerates development…