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A press release published today claimed that Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, has launched a new platform called “CircleMetals” offering tokenized gold and silver trading. However, according to a statement from the company, these claims are untrue. A press release issued on December 24th claimed that the platform offered 24/7 swap between USDC and so-called gold (GLDC) and silver (SILC) tokens, with transactions supported by COMEX-linked liquidity. It also asserted that users would earn a “1.25% CIRM reward” for swapping. However, it was reported that the CIRM token in question was not listed on big data platforms and could not be verified. Related News Cardano (ADA) Founder Charles Hoskinson Responds to Claims That His New Altcoin Will Replace ADA The website used in the press release invites users to connect their wallets. Experts warn that connecting wallets to unverified sites could lead to malicious actors draining assets. The press release features Circle branding and quotes executives, including CEO Jeremy Allaire. The company’s clear statement read, “It has been confirmed that this is not true.” While the site is still accessible, there is no credible evidence of the existence of the GLDC and SILC tokens, or of any legitimate financial institution being involved in the project. *This is not investment advice. Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!

Key Takeaways Circle introduces GLDC and SILC, allowing users to swap USDC for tokenized gold and silver 24/7 with deep COMEX-based liquidity. Gold and silver have both hit record highs in December, gaining over 70% and 140% year to date, respectively. Share this article Circle announced today that it has entered the tokenized commodities market with the launch of GLDC and SILC, two new digital assets representing tokenized exposure to gold and silver. The offering, available through CircleMetals.com, allows users to instantly swap USDC for tokenized gold or silver at real-time prices, backed by liquidity modeled on COMEX reference markets. Tokens are issued and settled on-chain, with integration into wallets, DeFi apps, and institutional trading platforms. “USDC was built to be trusted, transparent digital cash for the internet economy,” said Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire. “With GLDC and SILC, we’re extending that trust to gold and silver while preserving the speed, accessibility, and composability developers and institutions expect from USDC.” Circle’s expansion comes amid surging interest in precious metals. Gold reached a record high above $4,500 yesterday, now up more than 70% year to date, while silver jumped above $72 this week, capping a 140% rally in 2025. Analysts attribute the momentum to expectations of looser monetary policy in 2026, with markets currently pricing in at least two rate cuts next year. Circle said tokenized commodities are a natural evolution of capital markets and that bringing gold and silver into the same real-time, programmable environment as USDC unlocks new use cases in treasury, settlement, and risk diversification.

In brief Crypto-linked stocks surged early in 2025 as Bitcoin broke $100,000, lifting miners, treasury firms, and crypto-adjacent businesses in a wave of speculative inflows. Midyear volatility exposed sharp divergence, with narrative-driven high-fliers giving back gains as investors shifted focus to funding quality, dilution risk, and underlying asset value. By year’s end, companies with more durable business models held up better, setting expectations that execution and fundamentals, not pure crypto exposure, will drive performance in 2026. Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub. Discover SCENE This year opened with a surge of validation for crypto-linked equities. As Bitcoin again broke above $100,000 in January, stocks linked to digital assets—either as treasuries or via direct crypto businesses and mining firms—reaped the rewards. Hut 8 Corp. (HUT) and Riot Platforms Inc. (RIOT) notched double-digit rallies, leading the charge. Bullish momentum followed Bitcoin's recovery from a late 2024 correction, as the digital asset reclaimed its previous all-time high and set a new peak near $109,000 on January 20, according to CoinGecko data. amp;amp;lt;span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="width:0px;overflow:hidden;line-height:0" class="mce_SELRES_start"amp;amp;gt;amp;amp;lt;/spanamp;amp;gt; This year was marked by validation and volatility for crypto equities. Early euphoria propelled narrative-driven names to astronomical gains, only for a mid-year shift to usher in a phase of sector differentiation. The winners that held their ground by December were those that coupled crypto exposure with more sustainable models, setting the stage for a 2026 market where fundamentals are poised to take the lead. Big start, soft ending The bullish momentum set the stage for a year of extreme divergence, in which narrative-driven bets took center stage. As macroeconomic and geopolitical narratives faltered and turned increasingly defensive, the leaderboard reshaped, tempering market expectations amid increasing uncertainty. The year’s returns highlight a stark divergence, driven by shifting market narratives. Ethereum treasury firm BitMine Immersion (BMNR) was the runaway leader, while Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) significantly underperformed its Bitcoin-proxy peers. The top-performing crypto stocks of 2025 were as follows, as of December 15: BitMine Immersion Technologies Inc. (BMNR): +318% Hut 8 Corp. (HUT): +83% Galaxy Digital Inc. (GLXY): +26% Riot Platforms Inc. (RIOT): +24% Sharplink Gaming Inc. (SBET): +14.7% Metaplanet Inc. (3350): +13% These final figures, however, mask the explosive rallies that defined the first half. By late May, SBET had increased by more than 870%. BMNR soared over 1,800% by early July, and Metaplanet had rallied over 420% by mid-June. The early narrative was powerful: companies amassing Bitcoin treasuries or pivoting to crypto exposure with altcoins were rewarded with speculative, high-momentum inflows. BitMine is the prime example.By late June 2025, the stock was down 41%, but the announcement of an Ethereum treasury sent the stock flying nearly 4,000% from $4.07 to $161 in less than a week. “BMNR and MSTR sit at opposite extremes because the market treats them as very different crypto proxies,” Ryan Lee, chief analyst at crypto exchange Bitget, told Decrypt. BitMine’s surge was fueled by its pivot to a “crypto treasury and yield story,” while Strategy—which acquired over 10,000 BTC in 2025—traded as a pure “leveraged Bitcoin balance sheet,” Lee said. Mid-year, investor attention shifted to mining and infrastructure names such as Bitfarms, HIVE Digital, and Bitdeer Technologies. Their performance was directly tied to the hash price—a measure of mining revenue—which swung with Bitcoin’s own corrections. A sustained rise in network security supported that trend. Climbing the mountain The global Bitcoin hash rate climbed alongside the price from April through October, ultimately hitting a new all-time high of 1.15 quintillion hashes per second on October 20. That peak came roughly two weeks after Bitcoin had reached its cycle high of $126,080 on October 6, showcasing the mining sector’s expansion during the bull run. A major thematic shift toward institutional acceptance, marked by the SP 500’s inclusion of companies such as Coinbase, even as regulatory debates created valuation gaps between crypto-native and traditional tech stocks, was evident in this period. Then, the market’s psychology pivoted decisively in the second half. The shift occurred as Bitcoin entered a new downtrend, falling nearly 30% from its October high to trade below $90,000 for much of November and December. “Early in the year, investors rewarded crypto-linked equities for narrative exposure and rapid balance-sheet expansion,” Lee said. “In H2, as crypto momentum cooled, the focus moved to funding quality, dilution risk, and underlying NAV.” That fundamental repricing hit the early high-flyers. SharpLink Gaming (SBET) and Metaplanet saw their massive gains contract significantly by December. Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) was not immune. Its stock rose by 360% in under three weeks following a successful IPO, reaching a record high of $298 on June 23. The stablecoin issuer's stock has declined 70% from its peak, trading at approximately $79 by December 15. “Circle’s early 2025 rally was driven by strong IPO momentum and optimism around stablecoin adoption. As the year progressed, that enthusiasm gave way to valuation discipline,” Lee noted, pointing to reassessments of its interest-rate sensitivity and USDC growth expectations. Rachel Lin, CEO and co-founder of SynFutures, agreed. “Despite a strong start, the market has re-priced the stock around profitability and cost structure, not growth alone,” Lin told Decrypt. Looking ahead to 2026, analysts predict a continued focus on execution over exposure. “Crypto stocks in 2026 will remain highly sensitive to the direction and volatility of Bitcoin and Ethereum,” Lee said, noting that capital discipline and regulatory clarity will be key. “Execution will matter more than exposure,” Wenny Cai, COO of SynFutures, told Decrypt. “Companies that can translate crypto adoption into predictable revenue and operate within clearer frameworks will be better positioned.”

Cyber adversaries evolved alongside the industry, refining both technical exploits and social engineering techniques. According to industry data, total losses in 2025 reached $3.35 billion, marking a 37% increase compared to $2.45 billion in 2024. The Web3 ecosystem entered 2025 with renewed momentum, buoyed by improving macroeconomic conditions, stronger investor confidence, and a noticeably more supportive political climate in the United States. The new U.S. administration moved quickly to position digital assets as a strategic innovation sector rather than a regulatory anomaly, sending an early signal that blockchain technology would be encouraged rather than restrained. This shift restored confidence among builders, institutions, and venture capital, helping decentralized applications expand deeper into payments, gaming, tokenized assets, identity solutions, and real-world financial use cases. Yet, as activity accelerated across the ecosystem, so did the threat landscape. Cyber adversaries evolved alongside the industry, refining both technical exploits and social engineering techniques. While innovation surged, 2025 became a stark reminder that growth and risk continue to move in parallel within Web3. According to industry data, total losses in 2025 reached $3.35 billion, marking a 37% increase compared to $2.45 billion in 2024. At first glance, the numbers suggest a dramatic deterioration in security conditions. However, a closer look reveals a more nuanced picture. One single incident, the Bybit exploit, accounted for approximately $1.45 billion of the year’s losses. When this outlier is excluded, overall stolen funds would have declined year over year, underscoring a critical shift in attacker behavior. Rather than relying on a high volume of mid-sized exploits, threat actors increasingly concentrated resources into fewer but far more devastating operations. The Bybit incident demonstrated the growing presence of well-funded, highly coordinated adversaries capable of executing complex, long-horizon attacks. This trend suggests that while baseline security hygiene is improving across many protocols, systemic risks remain, particularly at the infrastructure and supply-chain level. When categorizing attack vectors, phishing emerged as the most prevalent threat in 2025. Excluding the Bybit supply-chain breach, phishing accounted for $722.9 million stolen across 248 incidents, surpassing both code vulnerabilities and infrastructure attacks in frequency. Code-related exploits followed closely, resulting in $554.6 million across 240 incidents, although nearly half of those funds were eventually frozen or returned, highlighting improved response coordination and on-chain intervention capabilities. Artificial intelligence played a defining role in shaping this evolving threat environment. On the defensive side, developers increasingly relied on AI-powered tools to generate test cases, identify inefficiencies, enhance formal verification, and streamline audit workflows. Conversely, attackers adopted the same technologies at scale. AI-generated phishing interfaces became nearly indistinguishable from legitimate dApps and wallet prompts, while automated multilingual campaigns expanded reach into previously insulated communities. Threat actors also leveraged AI for reconnaissance, scraping on-chain data and private chat channels to identify high-value targets. Impersonation attacks grew more convincing, with fake founder accounts, synthetic voices, and deepfake videos eroding traditional trust signals. Perhaps most concerning was the speed of exploit replication, as AI tools enabled attackers to copy and deploy successful attack patterns within days or even hours. Regulatory clarity improved significantly throughout 2025, helping stabilize the broader ecosystem. In the U.S., the GENIUS Act established early frameworks for stablecoin oversight and digital asset transparency, while signaling a more cooperative stance toward innovation. Globally, the European Union advanced toward full MiCA implementation, raising standards for disclosures and consumer protection. Meanwhile, jurisdictions such as Singapore and Hong Kong expanded digital asset sandboxes, and countries including Brazil and Colombia progressed toward regulated commodity tokenization frameworks. These developments contributed to more structured governance and influenced how projects approached compliance, architecture, and operational security. As regulations matured, security increasingly became a prerequisite for market access rather than an optional feature. One of the year’s most significant incidents occurred in February, when Bybit suffered the largest crypto theft in history. The attack, attributed to the Lazarus Group, did not exploit Bybit’s internal systems directly. Instead, attackers compromised a developer machine at Safe{Wallet}, a third-party multi-signature wallet provider. Malicious code injected into the wallet interface altered transaction details invisibly, causing authorized signers to unknowingly approve fraudulent transfers. The incident exposed the growing risks associated with trusted tooling and supply-chain dependencies. Beyond large-scale breaches, individual users faced mounting risks. AI-driven phishing, deepfake impersonation, and targeted social engineering attacks surged throughout the year. Many losses went unreported, particularly those linked to off-chain scams such as pig-butchering schemes and investment fraud, suggesting that actual user losses are likely far higher than recorded figures. As 2026 approaches, the trajectory of Web3 security is becoming clearer. Attackers are expected to further refine AI-powered impersonation and phishing campaigns, while supply-chain attacks may grow more sophisticated. At the same time, stronger regulation, real-time monitoring, and AI-assisted defenses offer a path toward reducing preventable losses. 2025 at CertiK 2025 marked a milestone year for CertiK, defined by expanded research, deeper ecosystem integrations, and continued leadership in Web3 security. Below are some of the key achievements that shaped the year: Integrated Token Scan with ChainGPT and Binance Wallet, extending real-time token risk analysis directly into widely used Web3 tools. Published the Skynet Stablecoin Spotlight Report: H1 2025, delivering an in-depth review of the stablecoin landscape, key vulnerabilities, and how the Skynet Security Score can be used to assess stablecoin risk. Released the 2025 Skynet RWA Security Report, providing structured due-diligence criteria and a comprehensive risk review framework for real-world asset (RWA) protocols. Launched the 2025 Skynet Korea Web3 Security Ecosystem Report, offering insights into South Korea’s Web3 market dynamics and profiling leading platforms in the region. Published the 2025 Skynet Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT) Report, introducing the Skynet DAT Security Compliance Framework to evaluate operational integrity beyond surface-level metrics. Released the Skynet U.S. Digital Asset Policy Report, summarizing the legal foundations, market-structure implications, and operational requirements of the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act in the United States. Conducted a full-scale security assessment of the USDCx mint and burn process on Canton Network, including audits of on-chain Daml smart contracts and penetration testing of off-chain infrastructure. Launched CertiK SkyNode, a validator node service designed to improve network security, reliability, and performance across multiple public blockchain ecosystems. Co-published research with Ant Group’s AntChain (Ant Dense Computing) focused on the formal verification of core components within the Asterinas operating system. Introduced the LiDO framework, presented by CertiK Co-Founder Professor Shao Zhong, addressing critical security challenges in Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus mechanisms. Secured two grants from the Ethereum Foundation, reinforcing CertiK’s leadership position in zkEVM formal verification research. Rolled out Skynet leaderboards, a security-focused ranking platform designed to evaluate and compare crypto and Web3 project security. Released ecosystem-specific showcase leaderboards to support strategic Layer 1 growth, including dedicated leaderboards for BNB Chain and SUI.. In this rapidly evolving environment, long-term success will depend on integrating security into every layer of Web3 development. As the largest Web3 security services provider, CertiK continues to play a central role in safeguarding the ecosystem, supporting thousands of projects, and strengthening trust as blockchain technology moves closer to mainstream adoption. share TagsBlockchainexchange

COINOTAG News, reporting on December 24 and citing Decrypt, confirms CircleMetals will broaden its crypto platform into the tokenized precious metals sector. The move broadens on-chain access to bullion, enabling market participants to engage with tokenized gold (GLDC) and tokenized silver (SILC) through a unified workflow, backed by CircleMetals’ liquidity framework and robust custodial rails. The new service enables instant conversion of USDC into GLDC and SILC at real-time market prices, anchored by deep liquidity from the COMEX reference market. The development supports improved price discovery, lower slippage, and broader access to tokenized precious metals for both institutions and retail investors.