Bitfinex operations head Jesse Knutson expects emerging markets to lead real‑world asset tokenization in 2026, citing the ability to leapfrog legacy plumbing and use stablecoin settlement. He projects the sector could reach several trillion dollars over the next decade, with growth hinging on major issuers moving from pilots to commercial products.

On December 26, 2025, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a former customer service agent in India was arrested over a May 2025 data breach linked to a $20 million ransom demand. Remediation could reach $400 million, and the incident did not compromise cryptocurrencies or customer funds.

On 27 December 2025, Kazakhstan's central bank approved three digital asset pilots: tokenized gold, QR-enabled crypto payment tests, and a tenge-pegged stablecoin. The projects proceed while direct crypto payments remain prohibited, and may use automatic crypto-to-fiat conversion at checkout. A Solana-based tenge stablecoin initiative, Evo, is included in the trials.

On December 27, 2025, Pakistani authorities said they dismantled a $60 million international crypto fraud network and arrested more than 34 suspects. The NCCIA targeted schemes promoted on social media that routed proceeds through bank accounts before conversion to digital assets. The action coincides with PVARA's licensing rollout, including NOCs for Binance and HTX.

Kazakhstan’s central bank has approved three pilots, including tokenizing refined gold and testing crypto payments via QR codes, with a third focused on a tenge-pegged stablecoin. The nation plans a $1 billion crypto reserve, with $300 million earmarked, and gold holdings increased by at least 32 tonnes this year. A regulator stated cryptocurrencies cannot be used for payments.

On December 27, 2025, the FBI named Sim Hyon-sop, an alleged cryptocurrency launderer linked to North Korea, as a wanted fugitive and announced a $7 million reward for information leading to his capture. Investigators say he helped move stolen digital assets for the regime through shell companies, brokers, and international banks to buy goods while evading sanctions. Sim, accused of bank fraud, money laundering, and sanctions violations, is believed to have operated from the Middle East before his residency in the UAE was revoked in 2019.

Since December 24, Grubhub users have received fraudulent emails from the b.grubhub.com subdomain promising to 10x any Bitcoin sent to a listed wallet. A Grubhub spokesperson called the issue isolated and under investigation, while the FBI recently warned of heightened holiday scams, including non-delivery and non-payment schemes.

Attackers have exploited a vulnerability tied to Trust Wallet's Chrome browser extension, affecting hundreds of users and draining about $6.77 million to $7 million in assets. Trust Wallet has urged users of Browser Extension 2.68 to upgrade to 2.69 and pledged to fully reimburse all impacted accounts, while on-chain analysts track roughly $5.5 million already routed through swap services and exchanges.