Historical data shows that the S&P 500 index tends to rise in the last week of December and the first two trading days of January. A repeat of this pattern could alleviate Bitcoin's current predicament, as it is experiencing its toughest fourth quarter since 2022. Market statistics show that since 2005, the S&P 500 has risen 15 times and fallen only 5 times during the "Christmas rally," with an average gain of 0.58%. However, Bitcoin's "Christmas rally" history has been volatile, with strong rebounds of 33% and 46% in 2011 and 2016 respectively, while other years have seen weak performances, such as a 14% drop in 2014 and a 10% drop in 2021. (CoinDesk)

NYSE-listed Shift4 announced the launch of a stablecoin settlement platform supporting DAI, USDT, USDC, and other stablecoins. The platform allows for 24/7 fund transfers without being restricted by traditional bank hours or other limitations. Currently supported stablecoins include USDC, USDT, EURC, and DAI, covering blockchain networks such as Ethereum, Solana, Plasma, Stellar, Polygon, TON, and Base. (Businesswire)

Federal Reserve Governor Milan stated that there is a significant upward bias in the annual CPI, and without policy adjustments, the risk of recession will increase, ultimately leading to a reduction in policy interest rates. (Jinshi)

Binance Blog published a new article, highlighting the company's advancements in compliance measures within the digital asset industry. The article emphasizes the importance of detection, reporting, and cooperation with law enforcement to achieve measurable outcomes in combating illicit activities. Binance's compliance program, recognized as one of the most advanced in the industry, has demonstrated significant progress, reducing its direct exposure to major illicit flows categories by 96% between January 2023 and June 2025. Over the years, Binance has invested heavily in building a robust compliance framework, incorporating world-class talent, advanced monitoring technology, and strong partnerships with regulators and law enforcement agencies globally. The company's controls and processes are designed to meet and often exceed the standards applied to traditional financial institutions. This commitment has resulted in a sharp decline in exposure to illicit activities, while enhancing capabilities to detect, report, and disrupt financial crime. The article addresses external narratives that may misrepresent Binance's compliance progress, emphasizing the importance of transparent communication about ongoing efforts and achievements. Binance's compliance program is characterized by strong onboarding and KYC controls, advanced transaction monitoring systems, and effective cooperation with law enforcement. The company employs over 600 dedicated compliance professionals and invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually to strengthen its compliance measures. Binance's collaboration with law enforcement agencies is a crucial aspect of its compliance strategy. The company processes tens of thousands of law-enforcement requests each year, assisting in confiscating significant amounts of ill-gotten funds. Partnerships with agencies such as Europol, INTERPOL, and Homeland Security Investigations have led to successful operations against ransomware groups, darknet markets, and financial-fraud rings. Despite external criticism, Binance remains committed to its compliance obligations, continuously improving its systems and processes. The article calls for responsible reporting that reflects the measurable reduction in illicit exposure and the recognition from global law-enforcement agencies. Binance's journey in compliance is one of ongoing improvement, aiming to build a safer and more transparent financial system for all users. Feedback from reporters, researchers, and independent investigators is welcomed to further strengthen the compliance program and enhance the safety of the crypto industry.

According to ChainCatcher, the USD/JPY currency pair experienced a short-term drop of 50 points, briefly reaching a low of 156.84.

According to PANews, as of December 22, 2025, data from SoSoValue indicates that the net purchase of Bitcoin by global publicly listed companies, excluding mining firms, amounted to $26.35 million last week. Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, announced on December 22 that it did not acquire any additional Bitcoin last week. Similarly, Japanese company Metaplanet did not purchase Bitcoin during the same period. In contrast, two other companies made significant Bitcoin acquisitions. Japanese fashion company ANAP invested $1.74 million on December 16, purchasing 18.6424 Bitcoin at a price of $93,138.2 each, bringing its total holdings to 1,218.8424 Bitcoin. Additionally, digital health and sales development company CIMG invested $24.61 million on December 17, acquiring 230 Bitcoin at $107,000 each, increasing its total holdings to 730 Bitcoin. Metador Technologies, a company specializing in Bitcoin financial products, signed a revised secured convertible note financing agreement with ATW Partners, allowing for up to $100 million in funding. The initial financing of $10.5 million is earmarked for Bitcoin purchases. Furthermore, AI data center company Hyperscale Data announced the launch of an at-the-market (ATM) common stock offering plan, aiming to raise up to $50 million, with a significant portion allocated for Bitcoin acquisitions. As of the report's release, the total Bitcoin holdings of the surveyed global publicly listed companies, excluding mining firms, reached 916,750 Bitcoin, with a current market value of approximately $82.77 billion, representing 4.59% of Bitcoin's circulating market value.

The LazAI Alpha mainnet is now officially launched, running on enterprise-grade infrastructure, employing the QBFT consensus mechanism, and implementing METIS-based settlement on networks based on the Metis SDK (including Hyperion). The Alpha mainnet achieves real-time anchoring and assetization of AI interaction data—all user conversations and interactions with AI agents such as Lazbubu and SoulTarot will be minted into unique "Data Anchor Tokens (DAT)," which, through the METIS settlement layer and PoS verification mechanism, can be converted into on-chain assets with transparent traceability and profit attribution. These become on-chain assets that users can hold and verify, establishing a trustworthy foundation for the AI ​​economy. Developers can now deploy verifiable AI agents through LazAI Docs and the Alith framework. At the same time, LazAI will launch a developer incentive program with a total prize pool of 10,000 METIS, covering support at all stages from early prototypes (Ignition Grants) to mature applications (Builder Grants), and providing multi-level ecosystem empowerment including cross-social channel promotion and user growth funding pools.

As of December 21, Eastern Time, BitMine's total cryptocurrency, cash, and "moonshot" holdings amounted to $13.2 billion. BitMine held 4,066,062 ETH (an increase of 98,852 ETH from the previous week); 193 BTC; $38 million in shares of Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS); and $1 billion in uncollateralized cash. (PRNewswire)

Billionaire Bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor’s company Strategy Inc. has increased its U. S. dollar reserves by $748 million, bringing total USD liquidity to $2. 19 billion, according to a regulatory filing. source: https://cryptonews.com/news/billionaire-michael-saylors-strategy-boosts-usd-reserves-by-748m-to-2-19b/

Bittensor (TAO) is showing early signs of stabilization after a prolonged and orderly decline. Recent price action, combined with structural signals visible on both the GainMuse macro chart and the TradingView 4-hour chart, suggests the market has shifted from aggressive downside continuation into a compression phase. source: https://www.ethnews.com/bittensor-tao-stabilizes-after-deep-pullback-is-a-reversal-coming-next/

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Recommended reading tonight: 1. Looking back at 2025: A review of crypto attacks this year, including North Korean hackers' "glorious achievements"; 2. Coinbase: Crypto market outlook for 2026; 3. Bitcoin outlook for 2026: From data indicators to three scenario predictions;

The statement from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will not turn the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) into a fully-fledged spot cryptocurrency exchange tomorrow.

Hong Kong’s insurance regulator plans to allow insurers to hold cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, with strict capital rules. The proposal also offers incentives for insurers investing in local infrastructure projects.

The Marshall Islands have begun testing a crypto-based universal income system, distributing payments to citizens through a yield-generating digital token built on the Stellar blockchain.

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Looking back at the actual trend in 2025, price level predictions generally overestimated the strength and sustainability of the rise, while judgments related to regulation and industrial structure were relatively easier to realize.

Bitcoin developers have shown unusual indifference to the ever-approaching risks of quantum computing.

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