1. The Federal Reserve's hawkish statements have made Bitcoin traders cautious, halting the post-election surge; Bitcoin recorded its first weekly close down since Trump's victory in early November.
2. The IRS has finalized controversial tax rules requiring 'DeFi brokers' to collect user trading information.
The U.S. Treasury announced on Friday that the finalized rules mean 'DeFi brokers' will follow the same rules as brokers handling securities. This rule-making has drawn criticism from participants in the crypto industry who argue that cryptocurrencies are different from traditional assets. - Original
3. Bitget announced it will burn BGB worth over 5 billion USD, with BGB rising over 5.8% in the short term.
4. Strive Asset Management, co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, a politician from Donald Trump's elected administration, has applied for a Bitcoin Bond ETF.
5. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin 'adopted' the pygmy hippo Moo Deng and donated 10 million Thai Baht to Khao Kheow Zoo.
The stagnation of Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency prices may not bring holiday cheer to traders, but some wealthy individuals are trying to spread goodwill. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated he has accepted an invitation to become the 'adoptive father' of the pygmy hippo Moo Deng after she grew up. He also announced in a post on X that he would donate 10 million Thai Baht (300,000 USD) to the Khao Kheow Zoo near Bangkok, where the five-month-old panda lives. Donations made in Moo Deng's name will be used to upgrade the zoo's overall operations and create a dedicated habitat for the pygmy hippo within the zoo. Buterin stated that these donations are a gesture of 'friendship and respect' for all Thais and a return for the 'warm hospitality' in Thailand during the Ethereum annual developer conference in November. Buterin said in a letter to the zoo: 'What better way to give a Christmas gift to all Thais than through Moo Deng, who has become one of the most unexpected and significant Thai celebrities on the world stage?' Thank you for the warm welcome to this family and for your work for wildlife! I am delighted to be the adoptive father of Moo Deng, and in the next two years, I will accompany her with my love and support through my 10 million Thai Baht donation, perhaps more, as I reserved 88 ETH for + friends. Wishing them long life and prosperity pic.twitter.com/l24vPybhTi. Moo Deng, which means 'bouncing pork' in Thai, became a popular internet meme earlier this year after her photos went viral online. She has two siblings, brother Moo Toon (braised pork) and sister Moo Waan (sweet pork). The meme coin inspired by her, MOODENG, has also gone viral on Solana, reaching a market cap of over 600 million USD after being listed on influential exchanges like Binance and Coinbase in November. MOODENG is the first token themed on an animal other than a dog or cat, achieving significant trading volume and is considered by some to be the first Thai meme coin. However, the token price has fallen 60% from its peak, as Moo Deng's popularity remains concentrated in Thailand and neighboring markets. - Original
6. BlackRock's Ethereum ETF holdings have increased to over 1.065 million ETH.
As of December 26, iShares Ethereum Trust ETF holdings reached 1,065,357.6328 ETH, with a holding market value of 3,539,363,088.48 USD. - Original
7. Grayscale transferred 700 BTC to 2 addresses, worth approximately 67.41 million USD.
8 minutes ago, Grayscale transferred a total of 700 BTC to 2 addresses, worth approximately 67.41 million USD. - Original
8. MetaMask launched the Gas Station feature, allowing users to pay Gas fees with other assets.
MetaMask launched the Gas Station feature, allowing users to pay Gas fees with other assets even when they don't have enough ETH balance. - Original
9. Japan strengthens oversight of unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges, implementing stricter regulations.
Japan has implemented stricter regulations to strengthen oversight of unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges. - Original
10. Bitcoin ETF applications show strong investor interest, with institutional acceptance of Bitcoin accelerating.
The mainstream narrative for cryptocurrencies in 2024 is institutional adoption. From the U.S. approving spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds to more companies committing to purchase the largest cryptocurrency for their treasuries, cryptocurrencies have become a mainstream topic like never before. Bitcoin has risen nearly 130% this year, repeatedly hitting all-time highs. It is currently hovering around the psychological barrier of 100,000 USD. The net inflow of ETFs approved in January was 36 billion USD, accumulating over 1 million BTC. Additionally, the number of public companies indicating they are adding Bitcoin to their treasuries is accelerating. This trend began with MicroStrategy (MSTR) in 2020 and has recently attracted KULR Technology (KULR), a manufacturer of energy storage products for the aerospace and defense industries. This Texas-based company stated it purchased 217.18 Bitcoin for 21 million USD and will allocate up to 90% of its surplus cash to Bitcoin. Now, Bitwise Asset Management, which already has spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, has applied for an exchange-traded fund to track companies holding at least 1,000 Bitcoin in inventory. According to documents submitted on December 26, this fund (called the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Company ETF) includes other requirements such as a market cap of at least 100 million USD, minimum daily liquidity of at least 1 million USD, and public float of less than 10%. The second document submitted on Thursday was filed by Strive Asset Management, co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, a politician from Donald Trump's elected administration. The Bitcoin Bond ETF seeks exposure through derivatives, such as convertible securities from MicroStrategy in actively managed ETFs. These bonds have achieved great success. The 0% coupon bonds maturing in 2027 are priced at 150% of par value and have outperformed Bitcoin since inception. 'Since its inception, Strive has been calling attention to the long-term investment risks posed by the global sovereign debt crisis, inflation, and geopolitical tensions,' said Strive CEO Matt Cole to CoinDesk. 'We firmly believe that there is no better long-term investment to hedge these risks than thoughtfully investing in Bitcoin.' The first of many Bitcoin solutions planned by Strive will democratize access to Bitcoin bonds issued by companies for purchasing Bitcoin. We believe these bonds offer an attractive risk-return exposure to Bitcoin, but most investors are unable to purchase them,' he added. - Original
11. South Korean investors are buying BTC and USDT at a premium of 3-5% to avoid the depreciation of the Korean Won.
CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju posted on social media that 'the exchange rate of the Korean Won against the dollar has fallen to a 15-year low. South Koreans are exchanging the Won for BTC and USDT at a premium of 3-5% on Upbit.' - Original
12. OKX options total open interest fell by 33.4% in nearly 24 hours, indicating decreased market activity.
Currently, the total open interest of OKX BTC options contracts is 20,100.88 BTC, with a decline of 33.4% in the past 24 hours, indicating decreased activity in the options trading market. Data for reference only. Interpretation: Open interest refers to the total number of unexercised options contracts in the market, reflecting the market's view and expectations regarding the future price movement of an underlying asset. Data for reference only. - Original
13. CME FedWatch: The probability of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 50 basis points in September 2024 is 22%.
14. DuckChain releases AI roadmap, accelerating large-scale adoption of blockchain.
DuckChain released a new AI roadmap focusing on integrating AI with EVM technology to create a convenient Web3 ecosystem, promoting the large-scale adoption of blockchain technology. The plan targets Telegram's 1 billion users and is divided into five phases: starting with on-chain AI governance DAO to help users easily participate in on-chain decision-making; followed by the launch of personal AI assistants; then developing AI-driven DeFi tools to support smart financial strategies; then promoting cross-chain interoperability through AI to create a seamlessly connected Web3 ecosystem, etc. Currently, DuckChain has over 20 million users and 1.5 million paying users. The release of this AI roadmap, supported by technologies such as Arbitrum, Bittensor, and Virturals Protocol, will collaborate with partners like CARV and UXLINK to optimize user experience and further promote the popularization and application of blockchain technology. - Original
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