Top Crypto News of 2025: XRP's ATH, $19 Billion Wipeout, CZ's Pardon and More

Cover image via U.Today Read U.TODAY on Google News 15. Ethereum "Pectra" upgrade live (April 16) 14. Gensler resigns (January 20) 13. Bybit heist (February 21) 12. Strategy's Bitcoin holdings top 500,000 BTC (March 24) 11. FTX repayments begin (February 18) 10. "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" EO (March 6) 9. U.S. passes Genius ACT (July 18) 8. CZ pardoned (October 23) 7. Circle debuts on NYSE (September 18) 6. Spot-based altcoin ETFs approved (November) 5. XRP ATH (July 17) 4. Fed rate cut (September 18) 3. October crash (October 10) 2. SEC and Ripple officially end legal battle (August 22) 1. Bitcoin reaches current ATH (October) Advertisement The last 12 months delivered a classic crypto mix of euphoria and devastation. Long-awaited regulatory clarity in Washington collided with record-breaking hacks and brutal leverage flushes. It was the year the crypto "Wild West" officially ended. In the United States, 2025 saw the resignation of crypto nemesis Gary Gensler, the creation of the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the passing of the GENIUS Act. However, sitting at the big table did not tame crypto. Investors still faced massive hacks and brutal price crashes that tested even the most diamond-hard hands. HOT Stories Top Crypto News of 2025: XRP's ATH, $19 Billion Wipeout, CZ's Pardon and More Morning Crypto Report: Ripple USD Stablecoin Deletes $21,804,950 From Circulation, $100,000 for Bitcoin in January Not Surreal, Bitwise Files for ETF on Zcash (ZEC) Total Number of XRPs Held on Exchanges Revealed Crypto Market Prediction: Ethereum (ETH) Can See $3,000 Right There, This Is Where XRP Recovers, Solana (SOL) on Strongest Support in 2025 Now that we are closing the book on a highly transformative year, let us take a look at the 15 biggest news events of 2025. Advertisement 15. Ethereum "Pectra" upgrade live (April 16) The Ethereum mainnet successfully underwent the Pectra (Prague-Electra) hard fork. This was the most significant technical change since "The Merge." It introduced MaxEB (Max Effective Balance), allowing validators to stake up to 2,048 ETH in a single slot (up from just 32 ETH). You Might Also Like Sat, 10/19/2024 - 12:00 What is Pectra Upgrade on Ethereum: Guide By Vladislav Sopov 14. Gensler resigns (January 20) The most immediate "hard news" of the inauguration was the formal resignation of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, effective precisely at noon on Jan. 20. Advertisement This effectively ended the "regulation by enforcement" era overnight. The XRP and UNI tokens rallied 15% and 12%, respectively, within hours. You Might Also Like Thu, 11/21/2024 - 19:54 Ripple CEO Reacts to Gensler’s Resignation By Alex Dovbnya 13. Bybit heist (February 21) The largest crypto hack in history occurred when North Korean hackers exploited a storage software vulnerability to drain $1.5 billion in Ethereum from Bybit. The enormous theft prompted an immediate market sell-off. The incident dented Ethereum’s liquidity on centralized exchanges for days. Bybit also had to pause withdrawals for 48 hours. You Might Also Like Fri, 02/21/2025 - 15:48 Breaking: Bybit Suffers Massive $1.4 Billion Hack By Alex Dovbnya 12. Strategy's Bitcoin holdings top 500,000 BTC (March 24) On March 23, 2025, Strategy’s holdings exceeded the 500,000 BTC threshold for the first time, hitting 506,137 BTC. It went on to add more than 100,000 coins through the remainder of the year. Earlier this year, the company also dropped "Micro" to simplify its name to Strategy. The new logo features a stylized "B," and the official brand color was changed to orange. You Might Also Like Thu, 02/27/2025 - 15:12 Michael Saylor's Strategy's 500,000 BTC Accumulation Nears: What's Next? By Tomiwabold Olajide 11. FTX repayments begin (February 18) The first wave of cash distributions officially began after over two years of bankruptcy proceedings. Approximately $1.2 billion entered the market in the last week of February. However, the FTX saga is still far from over, and it recently surfaced that former executive Caroline Ellison is set for an early release from federal prison. You Might Also Like Wed, 09/13/2023 - 17:46 Breaking: FTX Allowed to Sell $3.4 Billion Worth of SOL, XRP, ETH, BTC and Other Coins By Alex Dovbnya 10. "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" EO (March 6) In early March, Executive Order 14202 was signed, officially establishing the "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile." It did not authorize new purchases yet, but it immediately halted all U.S. Marshals Service auctions of seized crypto. This was still viewed as a massive disappointment. You Might Also Like Tue, 12/30/2025 - 05:59 Bitcoin Reserve Ends Up Being One of Biggest Fails of 2025 By Alex Dovbnya 9. U.S. passes Genius ACT (July 18) The United States reclaimed its position as the global leader in digital finance with the signing of the "Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act" (GENIUS Act). This landmark legislation officially brought regulatory clarity to the burgeoning stablecoin sector. You Might Also Like Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:20 Circle's Jeremy Allaire on GENIUS Act: 'Internet of Money Has Arrived' By Godfrey Benjamin 8. CZ pardoned (October 23) Former Biannce CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) received a full presidential pardon in late October. CZ had already completed his four-month custodial sentence in 2024. However, the pardon was significant because it expunged his felony conviction record. This effectively removed the legal barriers preventing him from holding executive roles in U.S.-connected financial firms. You Might Also Like Thu, 10/23/2025 - 15:12 BREAKING: Binance's CZ Pardoned By Alex Dovbnya 7. Circle debuts on NYSE (September 18) Circle Internet Financial became the first stablecoin issuer to go public in the United States. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the CRCL ticker. The stock experienced a massive rally, solidifying the crypto IPO boom. You Might Also Like Mon, 06/09/2025 - 17:06 Circle Shares Keep Surging as Ripple Partner Joins Frenzy By Alex Dovbnya 6. Spot-based altcoin ETFs approved (November) Following a rule change that expedited listings for commodity-based trust shares, the SEC allowed the first spot XRP and Dogecoin ETFs to trade (as well as a slew of other altcoin products). This significantly diversified the choice of institutional crypto products. You Might Also Like Sat, 11/22/2025 - 12:35 Three XRP ETFs Ready for Imminent Launch By Tomiwabold Olajide 5. XRP ATH (July 17) XRP finally shattered its previous 2018 record of ~$3.40 following the conclusion of the legal battle with the U.S. This breakout was the culmination of a perfect storm of bullish tailwinds that began in Q1, when the SEC officially dropped its appeal against Ripple. However, XRP still ended up underperforming during the year and finished 2025 in the red. You Might Also Like Sat, 07/19/2025 - 07:18 Ripple CEO Celebrates Historic Day for Crypto as XRP Skyrockets to New ATH By Yuri Molchan 4. Fed rate cut (September 18) The Federal Reserve finally pivoted and cut interest rates by 25 basis points in September. This came after a tense summer, in which inflation data hovered stubbornly high. This was the first easing measure of the year. The rate was prompted by "sufficient cooling" of the labor market. The cut was sufficiently significant to reignite the crypto market rally. You Might Also Like Wed, 12/10/2025 - 18:56 BREAKING: Bitcoin (BTC) Price Reacts to Fed's Latest Rate Cut By Alex Dovbnya 3. October crash (October 10) The brutal deleveraging event in October proved that even in a golden age, the market takes the stairs up and the elevator down. A total of $19 billion worth of leverage was wiped out in 24 hours. The crash was driven by a sudden geopolitical shock that triggered a massive deleveraging event. The crypto market is yet to recover from this flash crash. You Might Also Like Fri, 11/07/2025 - 18:01 Coinbase on Crypto Crash: Reset, Not End By Alex Dovbnya 2. SEC and Ripple officially end legal battle (August 22) After nearly five years of grueling litigation, the SEC and Ripple filed a joint stipulation to dismiss all pending appeals earlier this year. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the United States approved the agreement between the two parties on Aug. 22. The dismissal left the 2023 summary judgment intact (the crucial ruling that programmatic sales of XRP are not securities). Ripple agreed to pay the previously adjudicated $125 million penalty after failing to convince Judge Analisa Torres. You Might Also Like Fri, 08/22/2025 - 16:59 Breaking: Ripple Case Officially Over as Appeals Court Approves Dismissal By Alex Dovbnya 1. Bitcoin reaches current ATH (October) Bitcoin reached its cycle peak of $126,080 in the first week of October. However, the cryptocurrency did not manage to maintain its momentum, crashing by more than 35%. It is still down nearly 30% from the aforementioned lifetime peak. You Might Also Like Wed, 10/15/2025 - 19:57 Bitcoin Having One of Worst Years Ever as 'Uptober' Flops By Alex Dovbnya We enter the new year with a pro-innovation SEC, a publicly traded stablecoin sector and a U.S. government that is officially a Bitcoin holder. The "Wild West" era is over. However, it remains to be seen whether crypto will manage to revive its mojo and regain popularity among retail investors after a brutal Q4. U.Today wishes our readers a happy and prosperous 2026! #Bitcoin Price Prediction #XRP Price Prediction #Changpeng Zhao #Circle News #Ethereum News #Ripple News