According to Cointelegraph, a group of Republican lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a significant defense spending bill on Wednesday, which did not include a ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) despite previous assurances. GOP Representative Keith Self voiced his concerns on Wednesday, stating that conservatives were explicitly promised that strong anti-CBDC language would be part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a promise that was ultimately not fulfilled. The House approved the NDAA with a 312-112 vote, advancing the $900 billion annual military funding bill to the Senate, aiming for its passage before the year's end. Representative Self had proposed an amendment on Tuesday to reinstate the CBDC ban, which had been removed from the bill. However, the amendment did not progress and was not voted on in the House. Self expressed frustration, noting that Republicans were assured of the inclusion of anti-CBDC language, but were instead presented with a take-it-or-leave-it bill that broke that promise. Without the inclusion of the language, Self indicated his reluctance to support the bill. The extensive bill, spanning over 3,000 pages, is considered essential legislation and often includes non-defense-related amendments that might otherwise face delays or significant revisions if introduced as standalone bills. In July, House Republican leaders reached an agreement with a faction of party hardliners to incorporate a CBDC ban in the defense spending bill after the group refused to advance three crypto bills without such a guarantee. These bills, including the stablecoin-regulating GENIUS Act, were stalled in a record-long nine-hour procedural vote, with U.S. President Donald Trump urging the GOP to expedite their passage. GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday for not upholding the promise of a CBDC ban. Greene, a supporter of cryptocurrency, emphasized her opposition to granting the government the power to control individuals' financial autonomy. An earlier version of the bill, shared in August, had included a CBDC ban before undergoing amendments through various markups and committees. The provision's language aimed to prohibit the Federal Reserve from testing, studying, developing, or issuing any digital currency or asset, and from offering financial products or services directly to individuals. In July, the House passed the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which banned CBDCs, with a narrow vote of 219-210, but it has since stalled in the Senate. Representative Self vowed to continue his efforts in future must-pass bills to ensure a CBDC never materializes, asserting that financial freedom is non-negotiable.

According to Cointelegraph, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has introduced new exemptions to facilitate the distribution of stablecoins and wrapped tokens. Announced on Tuesday, these measures aim to promote innovation and growth within the digital assets and payment sectors. The regulator is providing 'class relief' for intermediaries involved in the secondary distribution of specific stablecoins and wrapped tokens. This development allows companies to operate without the need for separate, costly licenses, enabling them to use 'omnibus accounts' with appropriate record-keeping. The new exemptions build on previous stablecoin relief by eliminating the requirement for intermediaries to hold distinct Australian Financial Services (AFS) licenses when offering services related to stablecoins or wrapped tokens. This move is expected to level the playing field for stablecoin issuers. ASIC highlighted that these omnibus structures are prevalent in the industry, offering efficiencies in speed and transaction costs while aiding entities in managing risk and cybersecurity. Drew Bradford, CEO of Australian stablecoin issuer Macropod, noted that ASIC's announcement provides a clearer, more flexible framework for both new and established players, particularly concerning reserve and asset-management requirements. This change is anticipated to reduce friction and instill confidence in the sector. The previous licensing requirements were burdensome and posed compliance challenges, especially for an industry awaiting broader digital asset reforms. Bradford emphasized that this clarity is crucial for scaling real-world use cases, including payments, treasury management, cross-border flows, and on-chain settlement. He added that the move signals Australia's intent to remain globally competitive while maintaining necessary regulatory safeguards. Angela Ang, head of policy and strategic partnerships at TRM Labs, also welcomed the development, expressing optimism about the future of digital assets regulation in Australia and its potential to drive growth and innovation. Globally, the stablecoin market has experienced significant growth, with a total market capitalization exceeding $300 billion, as reported by RWA.xyz. This represents a 48% increase since the start of the year, with Tether maintaining its position as the dominant issuer, holding a 63% market share. The surge in stablecoin markets continues into 2025, with Tether's dominance remaining unchallenged.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense spending bill on Wednesday, but omitted a ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), despite previous promises to include them. A group of Republicans expressed strong dissatisfaction. “Conservatives were explicitly promised that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would include strong anti-CBDC provisions. But that promise has been broken,” said Representative Self. Representative Self introduced an amendment on Tuesday to include a ban on CBDCs that had been previously removed from the bill, but the amendment failed to pass and did not go to a vote in the House. Self stated that a group of Republicans “were told that the bill would include provisions against CBDCs. However, we were forced to accept a bill that was either accepted or rejected, and that bill violated previous promises. Without those provisions, I would prefer to abandon the bill.” (Cointelegraph)

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has signaled that some of the largest U. S. banks, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup among them, could face penalties for previously restricting or closing accounts tied to politically sensitive industries, including cryptocurrency businesses source: https://www.ethnews.com/us-regulator-warns-major-banks-may-face-penalties-for-debanking-crypto-firms/

According to BlockBeats, Citic Securities anticipates that the Federal Reserve will pause its interest rate cuts in January. There are two remaining meetings chaired by Jerome Powell, with a total of 25 basis points expected to be cut.

According to PANews, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to prioritize the regulation of stablecoins linked to fiat currencies such as the US dollar or British pound. This initiative is part of broader efforts by the UK to stimulate economic growth, which also include the digitization of financial services, enhancing international trade competitiveness, and expanding lending services to small businesses. In a statement to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi outlined the agency's intention to finalize digital asset regulations by 2026 and advance the issuance of a UK pound-backed stablecoin. Rathi emphasized the FCA's commitment to taking greater risks to support economic growth while maintaining consumer protection and market integrity. Rathi also highlighted the agency's focus on advancing artificial intelligence applications and prioritizing the migration of traditional assets to blockchain technology. He noted that the FCA aims to enable the UK's leading asset management industry to tokenize its funds, thereby increasing efficiency and competitiveness.

Australia’s securities regulator has removed licensing requirements for stablecoin intermediaries and approved omnibus accounts, reducing compliance costs. source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/australian-regulator-eases-rules-stablecoins-wrapped-tokens?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Conservatives in the Republican Party are frustrated that a promised CBDC ban didn't make it into a must-pass defense bill that’s now on its way to the Senate. source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/gop-conservatives-angered-defense-bill-no-cbdc-ban?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

1. Bitwise CIO: The idea of ​​banning stablecoins from paying interest is "like making a car slower than a horse"; 2. Greeks.live: Liquidity is weak at the end of the year, and the mainstream expectation in the options market is a slow decline; 3. ETF Store President: The US is still debating whether stablecoins can pay interest, and Tether will earn $15 billion in profits this year; 4. Trump Gold Card officially launched, requiring individuals to pay $1 million, and the "Platinum Card Program" is coming soon; 5. Ondo Finance: The platform's stock token liquidity comes from Nasdaq and NYSE, not AMM pools, and large-scale transactions have near-zero slippage; 6. Framework co-founder: Paradigm, a16z, and other VCs have all liquidated their SKY holdings, and we are the only ones still heavily invested; 7. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Securities and Futures Commission exchanged regulatory opinions on virtual assets and new financial products, and discussed clarifying the role of market makers; 8. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $224 million yesterday, with BlackRock IBIT leading the way with a net inflow of $193 million; 9. Ethereum spot ETFs Yesterday's total net inflow was US$57.5847 million, marking the third consecutive day of net inflows.

According to SoSoValue data, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $224 million yesterday (December 10th, Eastern Time). The BlackRock ETF IBIT saw the largest single-day net inflow with $193 million, bringing its historical total net inflow to $62.604 billion. The Fidelity ETF FBTC followed with a net inflow of $30.5751 million, bringing its historical total net inflow to $12.281 billion. As of press time, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs is $122.431 billion, with an ETF net asset value ratio (market capitalization as a percentage of Bitcoin's total market capitalization) of 6.63%, and a cumulative historical net inflow of $57.932 billion.

The Federal Reserve announced overnight that it would begin purchasing short-term Treasury bonds as needed, and the New York Fed simultaneously announced plans to buy $40 billion in short-term Treasury bonds over the next 30 days. Although the RMP is not QE, the market did not care, and US Treasuries, US stocks, gold and crude oil all rose.

Ken realized that cryptocurrency was nothing more than a casino, not a revolution. But the real answer was: pragmatic optimism was the right attitude.

The gradual print begins.

The Federal Reserve ended the year with a 25 basis point rate cut, but why are internal divisions still intensifying? The dot plot and Powell's press conference were more dovish than the market expected; what are the reasons behind this, and how should we interpret them? Where will the market go from here?

In short: The 25bps rate cut was in line with expectations, but the dot plot and press conference information were more dovish than the market expected.

Powell, Federal Reserve, interest rate cuts, tariffs, inflation; Powell's underlying message: a carefully designed "scapegoating" and farewell. Golden Finance: Will there only be one interest rate cut next year?

美联储,降息,鲍威尔,货币政策,2025年12月美联储议息会议实录：RMP来了 金色财经,美联储RMP来了。

The UAE has a very clear macroeconomic strategy: to accelerate its transformation from a past oil-based economy to a future-oriented fintech hub. The crypto industry is a key sector for this leapfrog development, and it is currently in a relatively advantageous position.

Jinse Finance launches its daily cryptocurrency and blockchain news bulletin, "Jinse 8 AM," issue 2905, providing you with the latest and fastest news on the digital currency and blockchain industry.

SEC, Trump, Trump to hold "final interviews" for Fed Chair Hassett not yet a done deal, Golden Finance, Is Bessett still a potential successor?