The crypto world had a dramatic week, with unlikely wins for solo Bitcoin miners, a massive social engineering hack that rattled markets, and Strategy making its biggest Bitcoin purchase in months. From record-breaking investments to regulatory updates and growing real-world crypto adoption, here’s a clear look at the biggest stories you may have missed.
Solo Bitcoin miners beat the odds
Against all probability, two independent Bitcoin miners struck gold this week by successfully mining blocks on their own. Each miner earned rewards worth close to $300,000, a rare feat in an industry dominated by massive mining pools.
One miner found a block early Thursday, earning 3.157 BTC including transaction fees. Earlier in the week, another solo miner pulled off a similar victory, taking home roughly $295,000. These wins highlight that while solo mining is extremely risky, it can still pay off in extraordinary circumstances.
$282 million stolen in social engineering hack
One of the week’s most alarming events was a $282 million crypto theft linked to a hardware wallet social engineering attack. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported that the hacker stole 2.05 million Litecoin (LTC) and 1,459 Bitcoin (BTC).
The stolen funds were quickly converted into the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero. Following the January 10 attack at around 23:00 UTC, Monero’s price surged by nearly 70% over the following days, showing how major security incidents can quickly impact market behavior.
Seized Samourai Wallet Bitcoin heads to national reserve
In a notable policy development, White House officials confirmed that nearly $6.4 million worth of Bitcoin seized from Samourai Wallet creators by federal law enforcement will not be sold. Instead, the BTC will be added to the national Bitcoin reserve, signaling a shift in how seized digital assets may be handled in the future.
Strategy makes a massive Bitcoin bet
Strategy grabbed headlines with its largest Bitcoin purchase in five months. Over the past week, the firm bought approximately 13,600 BTC, spending more than $1.2 billion.
This purchase pushed Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings to around 687,400 BTC, valued at over $62.8 billion. The Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company continues to reinforce its long-term conviction in Bitcoin as a treasury asset.
Crypto cards and corporate moves
Crypto card usage is booming. According to Artemis research, monthly crypto card payment volumes jumped from about $100 million in early 2023 to more than $1.5 billion by late 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in digital payments.
Meanwhile, Polygon Labs reduced its workforce by 60 employees following its acquisitions of Coinme and Sequence, which together cost over $250 million. The layoffs came as the company pivots toward payment-focused blockchain infrastructure.
Elsewhere, crypto lender Nexo signed a four-year sponsorship deal with the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team, gaining category exclusivity for digital assets. BitMine also made waves by investing $200 million into Beast Industries, the company behind YouTube star MrBeast.
Regulation and global expansion
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly opposed a Senate Banking Committee crypto bill, saying it would be worse than the current regulatory situation. On the regulatory front, the SEC officially closed its investigation into the Zcash Foundation without taking enforcement action.
Ripple continued its European expansion, securing preliminary Electronic Money Institution license approval in Luxembourg shortly after gaining similar approval in the UK. Pakistan also explored crypto innovation, signing an agreement to examine stablecoin use for cross-border payments.
Overall, the week showed just how fast-moving and unpredictable the crypto space remains—mixing risk, reward, regulation, and rapid growth all in one cycle.
Also Read: XRP Builds Double-Bottom as ETF Inflows Surge 47%
