Ark Invest added 161,513 Circle (CLCR) shares across ARKK, ARKW and ARKF on Tuesday, a purchase valued at $16.34 million based on the $101.17 close. Circle shares slid 20% during the session amid several developments seen as potential headwinds for its USDC business, then rose 1.5% in after-hours trading.

Balancer Labs, the corporate entity behind the Balancer DeFi protocol, will wind down operations following a Nov. 3, 2025 exploit that drained an estimated $128 million. Co-founder Fernando Martinelli said the protocol will keep running through a restructured, "lean" model, with core contributors expected to move to a new entity, Balancer OpCo, pending a governance vote.

South Korea's main opposition party has proposed eliminating a crypto income tax that is scheduled to take effect in 2027, framing the move as a fairness issue for investors. The plan would have imposed a maximum 22% levy on crypto trading profits above 2.5 million won (about $1,665).

Spot bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. recorded net inflows of $199.4 million on Tuesday, led by BlackRock's IBIT with $169 million and Fidelity's FBTC with $24.4 million. The seven-day inflow streak, the longest since October 2025, coincides with new SEC and CFTC guidance that an analyst expects will draw more institutional capital into crypto ETFs.

Crypto.com has entered into a partnership with KG Inicis, described as South Korea's largest payment gateway and value-added network provider, as stated in a Tuesday press release. The firms intend to integrate Crypto.com Pay so that foreign tourists can use digital assets to pay for local goods and services, while merchants receive instant settlement in either fiat or crypto.

Hana Financial Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Standard Chartered Group to cooperate on digital asset initiatives, including stablecoin-related projects. The South Korean financial conglomerate aims to use the partnership to broaden its global traditional and digital finance footprint, building on previous crypto custody ventures and record net income results.

Bitcoin traded around $72,800 on Sunday night after climbing 2.5% over the previous 24 hours in a relief rebound supported by renewed spot ETF inflows and liquidations. Other major cryptocurrencies, including ether, XRP and Solana, also advanced as analysts cited bitcoin's perceived role as a macro hedge amid geopolitical tensions. Traders are now watching support near $70,000 to $71,000 and resistance in the $73,000 to $75,000 band, with some analysts highlighting upside potential toward $80,000 if inflows persist.

BlackRock's iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) recorded more than $15.5 million in first-day trading volume, after launching with over $100 million in assets. The fund stakes the majority of its ether, distributes around 82% of rewards to holders, and charges a 0.25% annual sponsor fee, temporarily reduced to 0.12% on the first $2.5 billion for its first year.

U.S. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said at an Investor Advisory Committee meeting that staff are crafting a more limited innovation exemption to permit restricted trading of certain tokenized securities. The IAC had urged the commission to avoid a broad blanket exemption and instead pursue rule-by-rule reforms, arguing that tokenized securities should remain fully subject to core investor protections.