News

According to Odaily, the central bank of Lithuania, Lietuvos Bankas, has issued a warning that starting from January 1, 2026, all institutions providing crypto asset-related services locally must hold a MiCA license, otherwise they will be considered operating illegally. The transition period will end on December 31, 2025. Non-compliant platforms may face fines, website bans, and in severe cases, criminal liability with a maximum sentence of four years in prison. The regulator requires companies that do not intend to continue operations to exit in an orderly manner in advance and properly handle user assets. As of now, among more than 370 registered crypto companies in Lithuania, only about 30 have submitted license applications. (Cryptopolitan)

According to Odaily, Week 52 of 2025 (December 13 - December 25): 1. According to cloverpool, the average Bitcoin network hashrate was 1064 EH/s, with a peak of 1171 EH/s and a minimum of 1017 EH/s, representing a 3.27% increase compared to last week's average hashrate (1030 EH/s). 2. According to cloverpool, mining difficulty was 148.26 T, block height reached 929,376, the average block time was 10 minutes and 40 seconds, and the difficulty increased by 0.04% compared to the last adjustment. 3. According to blockchain.com, the average Bitcoin price was $87,718, with a high of $90,542 and a low of $85,053, representing a 1.22% decrease compared to last week's average price ($88,801). 4. Noteworthy mining industry news includes: (1) Companies related to Tether sold Northern Data's mining business, and Rumble subsequently announced the acquisition of Northern Data; (2) The US SEC accused the founder of Bitcoin mining company VBit of misappropriating $48.5 million in funds and committing fraud; (3) Greenridge Capital gave a certain exchange a "Buy" rating with a target price set at $4.00; (4) The initiator of the HyperFund crypto scam, "Bitcoin Rodney," faced additional charges of wire fraud and could face decades in prison; (5) Hyperscale Data increased its Bitcoin holdings to 515 BTC and allocated $30.5 million for further purchases; (6) Canaan Technology launched a $30 million stock repurchase plan. Data partner: a certain exchange, a Bitcoin mining company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

PANews, December 26 – According to Cryptopolitan, the Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos Bankas) has announced that following the legislation incorporating the EU MiCA into national law, all crypto service providers must submit license applications by December 31. Providing related services without a license will be considered illegal from January 1. Regulatory measures include fines, website blocking, and, in severe cases, criminal charges with a maximum sentence of four years in prison. The central bank requires those ceasing operations to promptly notify clients and complete asset returns and migration. It was disclosed that out of approximately 370 registered institutions, only about 30 have applied, with around 120 actually active. Lithuania aims to serve as a “gateway” for MiCA entry.