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South Korea Supreme Court: Bitcoin on Exchanges Can Now Be Seized
🇰🇷 South Korea Supreme Court: Bitcoin on Exchanges Can Now Be Seized In a landmark ruling on December 11, 2025, South Korea's highest court declared that Bitcoin held on crypto exchanges is legally seizable property. The Case: Police seized 55.6 BTC (~$413,000) from a suspect's exchange account during a money laundering probe. The suspect argued Bitcoin isn't physical and can't be confiscated. The Supreme Court disagreed. Court's Verdict: "Bitcoin is an electronic token with independent manageability, tradability, and economic value, qualifying as seizable property under criminal law." Why It Matters: → 16M+ South Koreans hold crypto on exchanges → Upbit & Bithumb hold $33B+ in crypto assets → Sets precedent for all future investigations What's Next: Authorities are now reviewing PRE-EMPTIVE account freezes, blocking withdrawals BEFORE court orders. Exchange crypto = Seizable with warrant Self-custody = Much harder to access Not your keys, not your coins.
Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs just released their crypto outlook report and they're expecting big things for Bitcoin this year.
Here's what they Highlighted:
CLARITY Act Could Pass The crypto market structure bill has 50-60% chance of becoming law in first half of 2026. Senate markup confirmed for January. This would finally end the SEC vs CFTC turf war and give clear rules for the industry.
Institutions Are Ready to Deploy Capital
Goldman's survey found: → 35% of institutions say unclear regulations are their biggest barrier → 71% plan to increase crypto exposure in next 12 months → Only 7% currently allocated — massive room for growth
Bitcoin ETFs Breaking Records → Total AUM now $118 billion → January 5 saw $697M inflow, largest since October → BlackRock's IBIT alone pulled $372M in one day → Morgan Stanley just filed for their own #BTCETFS
Macro Tailwinds Building Fed rate cuts (even if just 1-2 this year) create better environment for risk assets. Quantitative tightening ended December 1.
First net-positive liquidity backdrop since early 2022.
Key Risk: November midterm elections could delay legislation if political landscape shifts.
The regulatory uncertainty that kept big money on sidelines is finally clearing. 2026 could be the year institutions go from "interested" to "invested."
While Retail Panic-Sells, Institutions Are Building Long-Term Exposure: 🔹 14 Of The Top 25 U.S. Banks Are Developing Bitcoin Products 🔹 1,179+ Institutions Now Hold Bitcoin ETFs 🔹 Banks And Corporations Control ~6.2% Of $BTC Supply 🔹 U.S. Bitcoin ETF AUM Reached $134.6B
Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, And Morgan Stanley All Have Exposure. PNC Bank Even Offers Direct Bitcoin Trading.
Banks See Bitcoin As A Long-Term Strategic Asset, Not A Short-Term Trade.
🇬🇧 BREAKING: Ripple Secures Major UK Regulatory Approval
#Ripple Markets UK has received both an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license and Cryptoasset Registration from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority.
What $XRP Can Now Do: → Provide licensed cross-border payment services using digital assets → Work directly with UK banks and institutional clients → Issue e-money in one of the world's top financial hubs
Why It Matters: Nearly 90% of crypto firms fail FCA approval due to strict anti-money laundering requirements. Ripple passing this shows strong compliance standards.
Ripple's Recent Wins: ✅ UK FCA approval (Jan 2025) ✅ US OCC trust bank conditional approval ✅ RLUSD approved in Abu Dhabi ✅ SEC case fully behind them
Note: Current approval is for institutional services only, retail services require additional FCA consent.
London has been Ripple's largest office outside the US since 2016. This approval strengthens their position as a regulated bridge between traditional finance and crypto.