1. Powell: The Federal Reserve is not allowed to hold Bitcoin and does not consider including Bitcoin in its balance sheet.
According to USA Today, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell stated that the Federal Reserve does not intend to include Bitcoin in its balance sheet. 'We are not allowed to hold Bitcoin. (The Federal Reserve Act) specifies what the Federal Reserve can own, and the Federal Reserve is not seeking to change that. This is a matter for Congress to consider, but the Federal Reserve does not wish to amend the law.'
2. MicroStrategy plans to focus on fixed income securities and raise funds to purchase Bitcoin in the first quarter of next year.
According to Bloomberg, MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor, when asked about the source of funds for future cryptocurrency purchases, stated that after the current fundraising plan concludes, the company will focus more on fixed income securities to raise funds for cryptocurrency purchases. Saylor warned that MicroStrategy's level of deleveraging may be excessive, thus the company plans to focus more on fixed income securities like convertible bonds in the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, he declined to comment on whether he would meet with elected President Trump, stating that if invited, he would consider serving as a member of the advisory committee.
3. IMF reaches a $1.4 billion loan agreement with Salvadoran authorities to assist in reforms related to digital assets.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced a $1.4 billion loan agreement with Salvadoran authorities to support government reforms. In terms of digital assets, the agreement will aid legal reforms to allow the private sector to voluntarily accept Bitcoin, while public sector participation in Bitcoin-related activities will be restricted. Taxes will only be payable in US dollars, and the government's participation in the cryptocurrency electronic wallet (Chivo) will be gradually phased out. The IMF stated that the transparency, regulation, and supervision of digital assets will be strengthened to ensure financial stability, consumer and investor protection, and financial integrity.
4. BlackRock ETF purchases municipal bonds issued based on a blockchain platform in Massachusetts.
According to Bloomberg, BlackRock's actively managed ETF iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active has purchased municipal bonds issued in Quincy, Massachusetts, in April based on the JPMorgan blockchain platform.
5. The former vice president of finance at Delphi Digital was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling company assets.
According to Cointelegraph, former vice president of finance at Delphi Digital, Dylan Meissner, was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of probation for embezzling nearly $4.5 million in company cryptocurrency assets.
According to court documents and statements, Meissner loaned 50 Ethereum (worth approximately $170,000) to Delphi Digital in January 2022 to avoid personal cryptocurrency investment losses. However, he did not repay this loan until his dismissal in November 2022. Instead, during his tenure, Meissner misappropriated approximately $4.46 million in assets and made false financial records on the books. Currently, US District Judge Michael P. Shea has ordered him to repay the misappropriated funds and the outstanding loan.
6. Yesterday, the total net inflow of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the US was approximately $275 million, marking the 15th consecutive trading day of net inflows.
According to iChainfo data, as of December 18, Eastern Time, the total net inflow of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the US was approximately $275 million, marking the 15th consecutive trading day of net inflows.
BlackRock ETF IBIT had a net inflow of approximately $360 million in a single day; Grayscale ETF GBTC had a net outflow of approximately $35.94 million in a single day; Bitwise ETF BITB had a net outflow of approximately $16.56 million in a single day; Ark & 21Shares ETF ARKB had a net outflow of approximately $6.58 million in a single day; Invesco Galaxy ETF BTCO had a net outflow of approximately $25.17 million in a single day; Fidelity ETF FBTC, Grayscale Micro ETF BTC, VanEck ETF HODL, Franklin ETF EZBC, Valkyrie ETF BRRR, WisdomTree ETF BTCW, and Hashdex ETF DEFI had no net inflow or outflow.
7. Yesterday, the total net inflow of Ethereum spot ETFs in the US was approximately $2.45 million, marking the 18th consecutive trading day of net inflows.
According to iChainfo data, as of December 18, Eastern Time, the total net inflow of Ethereum spot ETFs in the US was approximately $2.45 million, marking the 18th consecutive trading day of net inflows.
BlackRock ETF ETHA had a net inflow of approximately $81.91 million in a single day; Grayscale ETF ETHE had a net outflow of approximately $49.2 million in a single day; Grayscale Micro ETF ETH had a net outflow of approximately $15.64 million in a single day; Bitwise ETF ETHW had a net outflow of approximately $14.62 million in a single day; Fidelity ETF FETH, 21Shares ETF CETH, VanEck ETF ETHV, Invesco ETF QETH, and Franklin ETF EZET had no net inflow or outflow.
8. Cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask launches a pilot program for a cryptocurrency payment card in the United States.
MetaMask tweeted that it has launched a pilot program for the cryptocurrency payment card MetaMask Card in the US, allowing users to use their cryptocurrencies held in the MetaMask wallet in physical stores and online. Through this limited-time pilot program, US users can use cryptocurrencies for everyday purchases anywhere that accepts Mastercard. The company stated that the card functions similarly to a crypto debit card.
Users can link their digital wallets to Apple Pay or Google Pay to use their cryptocurrencies. The official announcement states that eligible currencies include USDC, USDT, and WETH on the Linea network. Currently, the MetaMask Card is not available to users in New York or Vermont.
9. Alchemy Pay joins Visa's 'Ramp Provider' program to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency payments.
Alchemy Pay announced that it has joined Visa's 'Ramp Provider' program, which is effective in multiple regions including the Asia-Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Brazil), the US, and Canada. This program provides a framework for third-party agents (TPA) to exchange fiat currencies for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This is an important step in Visa's broader strategy to strengthen the adoption of digital currencies and facilitate seamless transactions in its global network, further accelerating the adoption of cryptocurrency payments.
10. Cango, a Chinese car company listed on the NYSE, becomes the third largest Bitcoin mining enterprise.
According to Atlas21, Chinese automotive company Cango Inc. (ticker CANG), listed on the NYSE, has become the third largest Bitcoin mining enterprise. The company announced on November 15 that it acquired $256 million worth of ASIC Antminer miners with a total hash rate of 32 EH/s, accounting for about 4% of the Bitcoin network's total hash rate.
The initial purchases were entirely from the Antminer S19 XP model, currently hosted in facilities managed by Bitmain in the United States, with a significant presence in Georgia. In November, Cango mined 363.9 Bitcoins, valued at approximately $38.76 million at current prices.
After this acquisition, Cango's stock price has risen by 75% in the past week and by 692% since the beginning of the year. Cango's market capitalization is nearly $600 million.
11. Hong Kong-listed company Lianlian Digital has obtained a license to operate a virtual asset trading platform in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-listed company Lianlian Digital announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary DFX Labs Company Limited has received a set of licenses (VATP license) issued by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission under its virtual asset trading platform (VATP) licensing process.
DFX Labs is authorized under the VATP license to conduct regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance, including Type 1 (securities trading) and Type 7 (providing automated trading services), and has established and operates a compliant VATP in Hong Kong under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance.
