Ethereum Security Crisis, Shiba Inu Giant Moves, and Japan's Crypto Lending Surge Drive Market Dynamics

Ethereum Multisig Drained for $27.3 Million: Private Key Compromise Exposes Custody Risks

A significant security incident has rocked the Ethereum whale community as a multisig wallet fell victim to a sophisticated attack. Following a private key compromise, an Ethereum whale’s multisig suffered a $27.3 million drain, with attackers systematically laundering funds through mixing protocols.

According to security firm PeckShield’s analysis, the attacker has successfully funneled approximately $12.6 million—around 4,100 ETH—through Tornado Cash while maintaining roughly $2 million in liquid holdings. The on-chain evidence reveals a methodical approach rather than a panic withdrawal: the attacker’s address repeatedly transferred 100 ETH chunks to laundering services, suggesting a premeditated execution schedule rather than opportunistic theft.

What amplifies the concern is that the attacker now controls the victim’s multisig, which maintains an active leveraged Ethereum position. According to Aave protocol data, the compromised wallet holds approximately $25 million in supplied Ethereum against $12.3 million in DAI borrowed, maintaining a health factor around 1.68. While this position remains viable, any significant ETH price decline could trigger liquidation cascades.

Japanese Shiba Inu Whale Resurfaces After Year of Dormancy, Moving 53.6 Billion SHIB

The Shiba Inu ecosystem witnessed a dramatic moment as a long-dormant, Coinbase-linked whale awakened from roughly twelve months of complete on-chain silence. The wallet “0x1b1” received 53.59 billion SHIB from a Coinbase hot wallet approximately 20 hours ago—a transaction carrying a current market value of around $415,000.

This awakening carries historical weight. The same wallet had previously liquidated positions a year ago, transferring 43.6 billion SHIB and 9.1 billion SHIB back to Coinbase deposit addresses before disappearing from on-chain activity. Three years prior, this Japanese Shiba Inu whale had actively cycled holdings, moving between 1.8 billion and 109.4 billion SHIB across multiple market cycles.

The timing warrants attention: Shiba Inu has spent 2025 unwinding losses rather than establishing bullish structures. The token opened above $0.00002 then experienced aggressive selling through January and February, depressing prices into the $0.000012-$0.000015 band by spring. The whale’s reemergence arrives as meme coin valuations face resistance near yearly lows.

SBI Holdings Expands XRP Lending Infrastructure With New Recruitment Round

Japan’s financial institution SBI Holdings, through its cryptocurrency subsidiary SBI VC Trade, has launched a new recruitment phase for its “Rent Coin” lending platform—signaling deepened institutional commitment to cryptocurrency financial services.

Beginning December 18, 2025, at 20:00 JST, the recruitment window opened for users seeking to generate yield on idle digital assets. The platform currently supports lending across 34 assets, including XRP (trading at $1.97), Bitcoin (BTC at $93.02K), Polkadot (DOT at $1.98), Dogecoin (DOGE at $0.13), and Ethereum (ETH at $3.22K). This diverse asset menu contrasts sharply with traditional financial instruments—crypto wallets typically generate zero yield, while this service converts dormant holdings into productive income streams.

Unlike standard cryptocurrency storage, the “Rent Coin” service enables holders to earn returns comparable to bank interest or stock dividends. SBI VC Trade pioneered this offering in November 2020, initially supporting only Bitcoin with a 0.1 BTC minimum and 1% interest rate. Current operations remain competitive: participants face first-come-first-served approval processes, with popular assets like XRP and DOT frequently reaching capacity limits and triggering waitlists.

The expansion reinforces SBI Group’s status as Ripple’s primary institutional partner, expanding XRP’s utility within Japan’s regulated financial ecosystem.