* A list of amendments has circulated that would make potential changes to the crypto market structure legislation that's planned for consideration in a Senate Banking Committee hearing this week.
* The amendments would tackle more than a hundred items, including stablecoin yield, government corruption and software developer protections.

* Hoskinson criticized the Trump administration for launching meme coins and politicizing crypto.
* He said mismanagement and lack of clear regulation undercut bipartisan progress on legislation.
* Hoskinson warned crypto now risks being seen as corrupt and linked to partisan agendas.

* Brighty customers are using cryptocurrency to purchase real estate in destinations such as the UK, France, Malta, Cyprus, and Andorra.
* The size of these transactions varies from around $500,000 to a maximum of about $2.5 million, thus far.

* JPMorgan plans to expand its JPM Coin deposit token to multiple blockchain networks, including the privacy-focused Canton Network.
* The bank aims to create a regulated, interoperable digital money system for near-instant institutional payments.
* JPM Coin, representing U.S. dollar deposits, is currently available to institutional clients on the Ethereum Layer 2 network Base.

* Crypto yields have compressed due to deeper liquidity and arbitrage, with ETH staking and USDC lending returns now similar to traditional financial products.
* Bitcoin and Ether saw slight declines as Asia's trading day began, while gold prices fell due to technical selling pressure.
* Flowdesk suggests future opportunities in crypto may lie in complex financial products like bespoke credit and hybrid structures.

* Bitcoin's correlation with the Japanese yen has reached a record high.
* Both BTC and the yen took a beating in final months of 2025, with sell-offs in both running out of steam after mid-December.
* The tight correlation weakens BTC's appeal as portfolio diversifier.

* Tom Lee of Fundstrat Global Advisors predicted Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high by the end of January 2026.
* Lee forecasted a volatile but ultimately positive year for crypto markets in 2026, with a strong second half.
* He projected the S&P 500 to hit 7,700 by the end of 2026, driven by resilient corporate earnings and AI-driven productivity gains.

* In 2025, mainstream media coverage of Bitcoin became more balanced, with neutral reporting surpassing negative stories.
* The shift in narrative was driven by the exhaustion of earlier critiques rather than increased enthusiasm for Bitcoin.
* AI emerged as the dominant topic in media, overshadowing Bitcoin and driving more significant sentiment swings.

* Fed officials have grown increasingly focused on whether the financial system has sufficient cash to function smoothly, even if interest rates remain steady.
* The December FOMC minutes show concern that short-term funding stress can emerge quietly and trigger sudden volatility.
* The minutes outline steps aimed at preventing cash shortages before seasonal pressures intensify in early 2026.

* Representative Maxine Waters, the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, called for a hearing with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins to discuss his crypto moves and other topics.
* Her party has a strong chance to take back the House of Representatives majority in 2026, potentially moving her back into the spot as committee chair.

* Coinbase Institutional argues that the crypto market’s behavior is being reshaped by structural forces rather than traditional boom-and-bust cycles.
* The firm highlights several fast-growing areas where activity is accelerating despite tighter financial conditions.
* Coinbase believes these shifts could define how crypto markets function in 2026 and beyond.

* Hong Kong plans to introduce legislative proposals to regulate virtual asset dealers and custodians in 2026.
* The proposals aim to create a licensing framework under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance.
* The SFC is consulting on extending oversight to virtual asset advisers and managers, with comments due by Jan. 23.

* A fake press release claimed that Circle, the issuer of USDC, had launched a new platform called CircleMetals, offering tokenized gold and silver trading.
* The release, distributed on Christmas Eve, used Circle branding and quoted executives, but was later confirmed to be fake by the company.
* The fake platform, which remains live, appears to be a scam, with links to a swap platform and promises of rewards, but there is no evidence to suggest that the tokenized gold and silver tokens actually exist.

* Aave's community members and participants have become sharply divided in a debate over control of the protocol’s brand and related assets, intensifying an ongoing dispute over the relationship between the DAO and Aave Labs.
* The debate has drawn outsized attention because it cuts to a central question facing many of crypto’s largest protocols: the tension between decentralized governance and the centralized teams that often drive execution.

* Coinbase is acquiring The Clearing Company, a startup with experience in prediction markets, to help grow its newly introduced platform.
* The deal brings in a team with specialized experience building event-based trading systems, including veterans from Polymarket and Kalshi.
* The acquisition is part of Coinbase's plan to become an "Everything Exchange", offering a wide range of trading options, including novel cryptocurrencies, perpetual futures contracts, stocks, and prediction markets.

* Galaxy Research, the research arm of Galaxy Digital (GLXY), says overlapping macroeconomic and market risks make bitcoin unusually difficult to forecast in 2026.
* The firm says that options pricing and volatility trends indicate that bitcoin is maturing into a more macro-like asset, rather than a high-growth trade.
* Galaxy maintains a long-term bullish outlook, projecting that bitcoin could reach $250,000 by the end of 2027.

* Bitcoin and ether surged past key technical levels, driven by gains in Asian equities and easing global financial conditions.
* Japan's interest rate hike to a three-decade high was smoothly absorbed by markets, boosting Asian stocks and weakening the yen.
* Softer U.S. inflation data bolstered risk sentiment, with expectations rising for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts.

* Grayscale says the crypto asset class remains in a sustained bull market heading into 2026, supported by macro demand and regulatory clarity.
* The firm outlines 10 investing themes spanning stablecoins, tokenization, DeFi lending, staking and next-generation blockchain infrastructure.
* Grayscale does not expect quantum computing or digital asset treasuries to have a material influence on crypto markets next year.

* The Senate will not hold a market structure markup hearing this month, pushing any progress toward a new crypto law to next year.
* It's unclear how quickly lawmakers might be able to resume negotiations in the new year.
* Sticking points from Democrats include concerns about financial stability, market integrity and ethics.

* Barclays forecasts lower crypto trading volumes in 2026, with no clear catalysts to revive market activity.
* Spot market slowdowns pose revenue challenges for retail-focused platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood, the bank said.
* Regulatory clarity, including pending market structure legislation, could shape long-term market growth despite near-term headwinds.

* Democrats shared a response to Republicans outlining their continuing priorities for a crypto market structure bill, which they said was intended to "reach an agreement and proceed towards a mark-up."
* The document laid out concerns with financial stability, market integrity and public officials' ability to trade and profit off of crypto, echoing concerns laid out in a framework Democrats shared in September.
* The Senate is running out of time in the Congressional calendar to hold a markup hearing — a key step toward progressing the bill — before 2025 ends.

* Bitcoin soared back over $94,000 in morning U.S. action Tuesday.
* The gains came one day of the Federal Reserve's expected rate cut.
* One analyst took note of "deeply defensive" positioning by traders as possibly setting the stage for the bounce.

* Bitcoin steadied near $90,400 after a turbulent November, with Europe leading the sell-off.
* Strategy acquired 10,624 BTC, increasing its holdings to 660,600 BTC, amid concerns of potential index removal.
* The broader market held its recent rebound, though liquidity remained thin ahead of Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision.

What to know:

* Impending BOJ rate hike largely priced in; Japanese bond yields near multi-decade highs.
* Speculators maintain net bullish positions in the yen, limiting scope for sudden yen strength.
* BOJ tightening may contribute to sustained upward pressure on global yields, impacting risk sentiment.

What to know:

* A new bridge connecting Base, the layer 2 incubated by Coinbase, and the Solana blockchain is now live on mainnet, enabling asset transfers between the two ecosystems.
* The bridge, secured by Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, allows users to trade and interact with Solana-based tokens on Base-based decentralized applications.
* The open-source bridge on GitHub enables developers to integrate cross-chain support, marking a step toward interconnected blockchains and "always-on" capital markets, with more chains expected to be linked in the future.

What to know:

* Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor’s teased a switch from orange dots to green dots in what's become his routine Sunday X post.
* The move suggests possible new news coming on Monday — the day when the company typically announces the previous week's bitcoin purchases.
* Strategy CEO Phong Le earlier this weekend said the company could sell bitcoin if mNAV falls below 1 to fund dividends on its perpetual preferred equity.

What to know:

* Upbit has suspended digital asset withdrawals after detecting irregular activity involving Solana network tokens.
* Approximately $40 million worth of tokens were transferred to unauthorized wallets, but Upbit will cover all losses.
* The exchange is working with law enforcement and has frozen assets worth about 12 billion won related to the incident.

What to know:

* Amazon announced a $50 billion investment in AI and supercomputing infrastructure in the U.S.
* Markets are rallying across the board, with bitcoin retaking the $87,000 level and the Nasdaq rising more than 2%.
* Bitcoin miners, many of whom have shifted business models to focus on AI/HPC, are surging double-digit percentages in some cases.

What to know:

* Strategy (MSTR) stock has dropped 43% as institutional crypto investors use it to hedge losses amid limited on-chain options.
* Tom Lee of Bitmine Immersion says MSTR acts as a proxy for bitcoin due to its liquidity and large BTC holdings, making it the market’s preferred hedge.
* Crypto market liquidity remains weak post-October crash, forcing traders to short MSTR in the absence of robust crypto-native hedging tools.

What to know:

* Nvidia posted strong third quarter earnings alongside better than expected fourth quarter guidance.
* For the moment, the news has calmed jittery markets, with bitcoin climbing back over $90,000 from the day's low near $88,000.
* AI-linked crypto tokens surged as Nvidia reinforced its role at the core of the artificial intelligence boom.

What to know:

* Kraken has raised $800M to expand blockchain-based financial services, with $200M from Citadel Securities.
* The raise values Kraken at $20B and signals deeper ties between crypto firms and traditional finance giants.
* With fresh capital, Kraken plans global expansion and new products spanning trading, payments and tokenized assets.

What to know:

* BitMine Immersion Technologies acquired over 54,000 ether worth approximately $173 million, bringing its total holdings to nearly 3.6 million ETH.
* The company increased its cash reserves to $607 million.
* Chairman Thomas Lee attributed the current crypto price weakness to reduced market liquidity following the October crash, but argued the cycle hasn't topped yet.

What to know:

* Jeff Dorman said Strategy’s structure makes forced bitcoin sales unlikely, citing Saylor’s board control and debt terms.
* Peter Schiff predicted Strategy will “eventually go bankrupt” and challenged Saylor to debate him publicly.
* Strategy shares are down 33.42% year to date, compared with a 0.4% gain for bitcoin, and trade near a diluted mNAV multiple of 1.06x, according to StrategyTracker.

What to know:

* Self raised $9M from Greenfield Capital, SoftBank and others.
* The protocol provides zero-knowledge powered, privacy-preserving identity verification.
* The company introduced a points program rewarding verified user activity.

What to know:

* Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan said he launched the platform alone and with little money, using blockchain to build a global market from his bedroom.
* He argued that prediction markets offer better information than polls or sportsbooks by pricing real-world outcomes through peer-to-peer trading.
* Coplan sees future use cases for Polymarket in public policy, insurance, and AI-driven forecasting, calling it a new format for understanding risk and uncertainty.

What to know:

* Former BlackRock executive and co-CEO of Sharplink, Joseph Chalom, says Ethereum has the trust, security, and liquidity that Wall Street needs.
* At Sharplink, Chalom is staking billions in ETH and testing restaking strategies to unlock additional yield.
* He sees Ethereum as the long-term infrastructure for global finance, not just a blockchain for crypto assets.

What to know:

* The Senate Agriculture Committee published its draft crypto market structure bill, a necessary step as the Senate inches toward its own version of the House's Clarity Act.
* That committee's bill will need to be combined with its Senate Banking Committee counterpart before the Senate can advance the legislation, a process which may yet take months.

What to know:

* Ledger, a French company known for cryptocurrency hardware wallets, is considering an IPO in New York or a private financing round next year, according to Financial Times.
* CEO Pascal Gauthier emphasized New York's importance for crypto financing, citing increased hacking incidents as a driver for secure custody solutions.

What to know:

* X will keep Chat inside theX app, but will also ship a standalone X Chat in the coming months.
* Musk compared X Chat's peer-to-peer (P2P) encryption approach to bitcoin and said there are no advertising hooks.
* In-app Chat is currently in beta for Premium X users, offering text messaging, as well as file and media sharing. Audio and video calls are planned for future release.

What to know:

* Ripple, Mastercard, WebBank and Gemini are piloting stablecoin-based settlement for credit card transactions using RLUSD on the XRP Ledger.
* The test could mark one of the first times a regulated U.S. bank uses a public blockchain and stablecoin to settle fiat card payments.
* RLUSD has surpassed $1 billion in circulation and is regulated under New York’s Trust Charter.

What to know:

* Donut Labs raised $22 million across pre-seed and seed rounds in just six months, backed by BITKRAFT, Makers Fund, Sky9 Capital and Hack VC.
* The firm is developing Donut Browser, an AI-driven "agentic" browser that automates crypto trading, risk analysis and on-chain strategy execution.
* The product has attracted over 160,000 users on its waitlist, signaling strong demand for AI-native trading tools amid rising DeFi volumes.

What to know:

* Bitcoin's price drop from $112,000 to below $106,000 led to over $1.27 billion in leveraged futures liquidations.
* Long traders accounted for nearly 90% of the liquidations, with $1.14 billion in bullish bets erased.
* The largest liquidation was a $33.95 million BTC-USDT long on HTX, as Hyperliquid led platforms with $374 million in forced closures.

What to know:

* BitMine Immersion Technologies increased its ether holdings to nearly 3.4 million tokens, representing 2.8% of the total supply.
* The company's total crypto, cash, and equity holdings are now valued at $13.7 billion.
* BitMine's acquisition comes amid a challenging period for digital asset treasuries, with many firms' stock struggling to maintain their asset values and pivoting to buyback.