Quantum Computers Killing Bitcoin? '$1 Million BTC' Advocate Samson Mow Says No Need to Worry

Dogecoin cofounder Billy Markus, who goes by the alias "Shibetoshi Nakamoto" on X, says that the most interesting thing about cryptocurrency is not the tech, the price or even the utility but rather what it reveals about human psychology.

Psychology in literal terms means the mental characteristics or attitude of a person or group and the study of the mind and behavior.

According to the Dogecoin cofounder, an interesting part about cryptocurrencies is what it reveals about one's mental attitude and behavior.

This brings to mind the crucial role sentiment plays in the cryptocurrency market, influencing price movements and volatility, and sometimes overshadowing traditional fundamental or technical factors in the short term.

Dogecoin marks 12 years

The insight from the Dogecoin cofounder comes just days after Dogecoin celebrated its 12th anniversary, having launched on Dec. 6, 2013.

Markus shares truths about the crypto market in a witty, humorous character, aligning with Dogecoin's positioning as a fun cryptocurrency.

In a tweet where he celebrated Dogecoin's 12 anniversary, Markus wrote: "12 years ago i made something stupid and then a bunch of even stupider stuff happened and now i am posting about it on the internet to 2.15 million followers. happy 12th genesis day, dogecoin."

Originally created as a joke, Dogecoin currently ranks as the ninth largest cryptocurrency, with a market capitalization of $23.07 billion, trading at $0.142 at press time.

The majority of cryptocurrencies are trading in the green on Monday as the market anticipated a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut on Wednesday, with the probability of a 25-basis-point cut standing at around 87%, according to CME data.

Despite crypto market gains, sentiment remains cautious, with the potential for further declines in the absence of fresh catalysts and liquidity.

Ondo Finance said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has closed a confidential, multi-year investigation into the company without filing charges, marking what it described as a "major step forward for tokenized securities in the United States."

The probe, initiated under the Biden administration during a period of heightened digital asset scrutiny, examined whether Ondo's tokenization of real-world assets complied with federal securities laws, and whether the native ONDO token itself should be treated as a security.

According to a blog post from Ondo on Monday, the company fully cooperated and maintained throughout the inquiry that its approach to tokenization aligns with investor protection principles. The firm said the formal SEC notice represents a "meaningful milestone not just for Ondo, but for the broader tokenization industry."

The investigation began in 2024, when the U.S. regulatory environment for digital assets was characterized by crypto exchange failures, speculative tokens, and what Ondo described as "occasionally overbroad enforcement actions." At that time, Ondo had emerged as one of the few firms tokenizing publicly listed equities at scale and was experiencing growing adoption from global investors. "Being early and being successful came with scrutiny," the firm said.

With the probe now concluded, Ondo said it will continue to prioritize innovation, compliance, security, and investor protection.

Ondo's token is up around 5% on Monday following the news, according to The Block's ONDO price page.

The Block reached out to the SEC for comment.

Washington's tokenization shift

Ondo framed the outcome as part of a broader shift in Washington, where regulators are reassessing approaches to digital asset oversight and reversing or softening several of the prior administration's more aggressive actions.

Tokenization has also moved onto the SEC's formal agenda, with its Investor Advisory Committee evaluating how blockchain-based systems could modernize the issuance, trading, and settlement of public equities.

Ondo also pointed to accelerating market adoption as another sign of momentum, noting that tokenized U.S. Treasuries have become one of the fastest-growing onchain asset categories, and recently launched tokenized equities are showing similar traction.

The company plans to outline the next phase of its roadmap at the Ondo Summit in New York on Feb. 3, 2026, where regulators, policymakers, and traditional finance executives will discuss the firm's vision for what it calls a "new era of onchain finance."

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

By Nate Wolf

Strategy, the world's largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, snatched up nearly $1 billion worth of the cryptocurrency last week — a welcome sign for frustrated shareholders.

In a securities filing Monday, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy disclosed that it had bought 10,624 tokens from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7 at an average purchase price of $90,615. The $962.7 million haul brings Strategy's total Bitcoin holdings to more than $60.6 billion.

Strategy stock was up 1.9% to $182.38 in premarket trading Monday.

The purchases mark a turnaround from the previous two weeks. Strategy added just 130 tokens in the period from Nov. 17 to Nov. 30, opting to sit on the sidelines amid a dramatic pullback in Bitcoin. The flagship cryptocurrency rose to $91,611 on Monday, but remains down 27% from its October all-time high above $126,000.

The filing Monday indicates Strategy and its executive chairman, Michael Saylor, are now buying the dip, which may be good news for the struggling stock.

As of Friday's close, Strategy shares have tumbled 61% from their July record high. Its so-called mNAV, the multiple the company trades at relative to its Bitcoin holdings, also has deteriorated.

But Strategy buying up Bitcoin signals the company is confident its purchases can expand that mNAV premium.

"MSTR's model is to acquire Bitcoin when it is accretive to do so, irrespective of Bitcoin's price," wrote Cantor Fitzgerald analysts Brett Knoblauch and Gareth Gacetta in a research note last week, before the filing Monday. The firm reiterated an Overweight rating but cut its price target to $229 from $560.

The purchases also indicate Strategy remains bullish about the direction of Bitcoin itself. As investors have learned this year — for better or worse — wherever Bitcoin goes, Strategy stock goes with it.

Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has officially dropped its investigation into the New York-based tokenization platform Ondo Finance, which it initiated in 2023.

Ondo Finance has received formal notice that a confidential, multi-year SEC investigation into the platform has been closed without any charges, the company announced on Monday.

“The probe examined whether Ondo’s tokenization of certain real-world assets complied with federal securities laws as well as whether the ONDO token was a security,” the statement said.

The SEC’s decision to end the investigation reflects a broader shift in the US policy regarding real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, bringing it on the authority’s formal agenda, Ondo noted.

A new chapter of tokenization in the US

According to a report by Crypto in America, the SEC initially opened the probe in October 2023 under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who was known for his stringent stance toward the crypto industry.

However, since Paul Atkins took over as SEC chair, the agency has closed a number of crypto-related cases involving major companies, including Coinbase, Ripple and Kraken.

“When the inquiry began in 2024, the US regulatory environment for digital assets was defined by caution, confusion, and occasionally overbroad enforcement actions,” Ondo Finance said in its blog post.

The slump in cryptocurrencies last month might signal the fragility of positive risk sentiment and increased investor wariness over speculative assets, according to the BIS quarterly review. Risk taking has met a bit of choppiness, BIS economic advisor Hyun-Song Shin says in a call with reporters. November saw a recoiling from risk after strong risk appetite in October, he says. "If the market gets ahead of itself, we may see a repeat of what we saw in November," he says. A key factor influencing risk sentiment next year will be how strong the real economy is and so far activity has been surprisingly resilient, he says. The impact of tariffs has been smaller than many had feared, he says. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

Tensions between blockchain platform Mantra and crypto exchange OKX are rising after Mantra accused the exchange of posting incorrect information about its token migration.

In a Monday X post, Mantra CEO John Patrick Mullin urged users of centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX) OKX to withdraw their Mantra (OM) tokens and cut their “dependency” on the platform.

“Users should consider withdrawing their OM tokens from OKX[...]. Avoid OKX Exchange Dependency: Complete migration without relying on potentially negligent or malicious intermediaries,” said Mullin.

His warning came in response to a Friday announcement from OKX about supporting the incoming OM token migration.