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Negotiations in the U.S. Senate over a long-awaited crypto market structure bill are increasingly likely to extend into January as lawmakers head toward the holiday recess with key issues unresolved.

The legislation, viewed by the digital asset industry as its top policy priority, remains under active discussion but has not yet reached consensus among Democrats, Republicans, the White House and industry stakeholders.

The United States has taken a landmark step in financial regulation after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted conditional approval for five leading crypto companies to operate as national trust banks.

Ripple, Circle, Paxos, BitGo and Fidelity Digital Assets are now set to enter the federal banking system, marking one of the most significant regulatory endorsements of the digital asset sector to date.

Strategy retained its position in the Nasdaq 100 following the index’s annual rebalancing, marking its first successful review since joining the benchmark in December last year and signalling continued acceptance by major equity indices.

The company, formerly known as MicroStrategy, stood out during the rebalance due to its unconventional balance sheet, which is heavily weighted towards Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) rather than traditional operating assets.

Robert Kiyosaki has warned that a prolonged global economic downturn could reset asset valuations and shift wealth towards those who are financially prepared and positioned outside traditional monetary systems.

The Rich Dad Poor Dad author shared his views on social media platform X, arguing that economic crashes should be approached as strategic opportunities rather than purely destructive events.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued new guidance aimed at helping retail investors understand how custody choices can determine the safety of their crypto holdings.

The Investor Bulletin was released on December 12 by the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance as part of broader efforts to raise awareness of crypto-related risks.

Market focus has shifted to the Federal Reserve’s January 28, 2026 meeting after last week’s rate cut, with traders strongly signalling expectations of no further change.

Futures markets indicate policymakers are likely to hold the target federal funds rate steady rather than pursue another adjustment.

The global stablecoin market reached a new all-time high in the second week of December, surpassing $310 billion as fiat-pegged tokens regained momentum.

Data from DefiLlama shows the stablecoin sector peaked at approximately $310.09 billion on Saturday, marking its strongest level to date.

Google Trends data indicates that search interest in “bitcoin” has remained steady over the past year, even as market attention appears quieter heading into year-end.

On a 12-month view, bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) searches have moved in measured waves rather than collapsing, suggesting sustained baseline interest rather than fading relevance.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) has recorded a third straight reduction in mining difficulty, yet the network’s total computing power continues to hold firmly above the 1.1 zettahash per second level.

Despite ongoing revenue pressure across the mining sector, aggregate hashrate has remained resilient, signalling continued confidence among operators.

Federal prosecutors in the United States have filed a superseding indictment against crypto promoter Rodney Burton, widely known as “Bitcoin Rodney”, expanding the case linked to the alleged $1.8 billion HyperFund investment scheme.

The new indictment, submitted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, adds multiple charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) continued to trade firmly above a key technical support zone, as analysts point to signs of renewed confidence from large investors and institutions.

Market observers said ETH has been consolidating below the $3,200 level, a price area widely viewed as critical for determining its next major directional move.

Do Kwon has been handed 15 years in prison after his Terra ecosystem imploded, wiping out an eye-watering $40 billion in investor wealth.

Bybit and DL Research released the World Crypto Rankings 2025, analysing crypto adoption across 79 countries using 28 metrics and 92 data points.

Singapore ranked first due to strong regulation, institutional participation and high levels of public engagement, with more than 11% of residents owning crypto.

Crypto markets saw a mild recovery after the US Federal Reserve executed its third consecutive interest rate cut this year, totalling 0.75% between September and December.

Analysts noted that despite long-term bullish implications, each cut triggered short-term sell-offs consistent with a “buy the rumour, sell the news” pattern.

Ether (CRYPTO:ETH) traded near $3,200 after being rejected from the $3,650–$3,350 supply zone, with the move aligning with the 200-day EMA, which reinforced overhead resistance.

Spot ETH ETF inflows increased from $16.8 billion to $21.5 billion since 21 November, marking a 28% rise and signalling early demand recovery.

Ether (CRYPTO:ETH) and Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) are the only cryptocurrency tokens mentioned in the article, with no reference to Australia and a clear focus on ETH/BTC price trends.

Analyst projections suggest Ether could rally by more than 80% against Bitcoin in 2026 if a long-term inverse head-and-shoulders structure confirms.

The SEC has granted the Depository Trust Company a three-year No-Action Letter enabling it to mint and burn blockchain-based tokenised entitlements representing securities held in custody.

The approval allows DTCC to run a blockchain recordkeeping system for the first time, covering eligible assets such as Russell 1000 equities, US Treasurys and major index ETFs.

Save the Children has unveiled a first-of-its-kind Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) Fund in partnership with digital asset firm Fortris to modernise humanitarian aid.

The fund allows the organisation to hold Bitcoin donations for up to four years under a “hodl” strategy to maximise long-term value.

Mexico's central bank has issued a new financial stability report warning that stablecoins may pose significant risks to the financial system due to rapid growth, traditional-finance exposure and inconsistent global regulation.

The report highlights stablecoins’ dependence on short-term US Treasuries and the high market concentration in which two issuers control 86% of supply, increasing vulnerability during market stress.

Binance has deepened its integration with World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin by adding new zero-fee trading pairs and incorporating USD1 as collateral backing its own BUSD stablecoin.

The exchange introduced fee-free USD1 pairs for Ether (CRYPTO:ETH), Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) and BNB (CRYPTO:BNB), expanding on its existing Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) pair and increasing the stablecoin’s visibility across major markets.

Bitcoin has vaporised more than US$800 billion in its latest crash and sucked US$1 trillion out of the broader crypto market.

With nearly US$2 trillion in market value and rising allocations from Wall Street firms, ETFs, pension funds, and insurers, Bitcoin is increasingly woven into traditional finance.