According to Odaily, the Office of the National Financial Supervision and Administration has released the "Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of Digital Finance in the Banking and Insurance Industries." This initiative aims to enhance financial services through digital technology and data-driven approaches. The plan emphasizes strengthening credit support for the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector. It advocates for the use of big data and blockchain technologies to develop supply chain finance, facilitating the financing needs of enterprises across the industrial chain. Additionally, the plan encourages financial institutions to explore innovative applications of cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing, Beidou satellite technology, and virtual/augmented reality in the financial sector.

A massive hack has struck Trust Wallet, one of the most widely used crypto wallets, resulting in estimated losses exceeding $6 million.

The General Office of the State Financial Regulatory Commission recently issued the "Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of Digital Finance in the Banking and Insurance Industries," aiming to drive improved quality and efficiency in financial services through digital technology and data elements. Regarding services to advanced manufacturing, the plan requires strengthening credit support for the digital transformation of manufacturing, utilizing big data, blockchain, and other technologies to standardize the development of supply chain finance, and actively connecting with the financing needs of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain. Simultaneously, the plan requires financial institutions to actively explore innovative applications of cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing, BeiDou satellite technology, and virtual reality/augmented reality in the financial field.

According to ChainCatcher, data from Arkham reveals that at 17:56, a total of 1029.53 BTC was transferred from one anonymous address (17mTkRHptC9sArDvENtqmVBKFns6h1b9y8) to another anonymous address (1JJqMwoBdV1JS6CngsZT8xAUC51ALnehRG).

Rather than rolling everything into a single upgrade, Ethereum’s evolution is being split into two distinct protocol milestones, each addressing […] The post Ethereum Plans Major Network Upgrades for 2026 – Here is What You Need to Know appeared first on Coindoo. source: https://coindoo.com/ethereum-plans-major-network-upgrades-for-2026-here-is-what-you-need-to-know/

Solstice issued an update on the USX de-anchoring event on the Solana chain on the X platform, stating that USX is recovering after experiencing volatility, liquidity has been injected, collateral is sufficient and intact, and USX is neither an algorithmic stablecoin nor a reset base token. The price drop in the secondary market was caused by selling pressure from Orca and Raydium exceeding available liquidity. Solstice will continue to increase liquidity as needed to ensure secondary market stability. eUSX and YieldVault are unaffected. Assets held in Solstice's custody are unaffected and have a collateralization ratio exceeding 100%. A third-party certification report has been requested immediately for further verification.

BTC and ETH options had the largest historical expiry event at the end of December, with over $28B in notional value. source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/btc-eth-markets-year-end-options-expiry/

According to ChainCatcher, the city of Lugano in Switzerland has made significant progress with its 'Plan ₿' initiative, allowing residents to pay various municipal bills, including taxes, parking fines, and tuition fees, using Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT). Launched in 2022 in collaboration with Tether, the project aims to establish a decentralized financial infrastructure. Currently, over 350 merchants in Lugano accept cryptocurrency payments, with transaction fees via the Bitcoin Lightning Network typically below 1%, significantly lower than the approximately 3% charged by traditional credit cards. To encourage adoption, the city government provides merchants with free smart POS terminal devices. Lugano has also developed a circular economy system through the MyLugano app, where users can earn up to 10% cashback in LVGA tokens when spending cryptocurrency at participating stores. These tokens can be used for municipal services, public parking, and childcare fees. The initiative has attracted over 110 crypto-related startups to the region. The fourth Plan ₿ Forum, scheduled for October 2025, is expected to draw 4,000 participants from 64 countries, marking a 140% increase since the project's inception.

null source: https://x.com/wublockchain/status/2004493245905359213

OKX launches spot margin trading in Europe, offering up to 10x leverage on BTC and ETH with cross-margin support under MiCA regulations. source: https://catenaa.com/markets/cryptocurrencies/okx-launches-spot-margin-trading-in-europe-with-10x-leverage/

According to ChainCatcher, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the United States is interested in utilizing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe's largest nuclear facility, for cryptocurrency mining. The facility has been under the control of Russian forces since March 2022.

Italy’s competition authority has ordered Meta to allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp while investigating possible abuse of its dominant position. Meta plans to appeal, saying the policy protects its systems, but regulators worry it could limit competition and innovation in the AI market.

Nvidia has announced a $20 billion acquisition of Groq’s core assets, a landmark move that strengthens its already commanding position in the artificial intelligence chip market and reshapes the competitive landscape for AI infrastructure.

Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of Samourai Wallet, began serving a five-year federal prison sentence and shared a personal account of his first days, describing the intake process and adjusting to prison life just before Christmas.

The Philippines has escalated its crackdown on unlicensed cryptocurrency platforms, with internet service providers beginning to block access to major global exchanges, signaling a decisive shift toward stricter enforcement of local crypto regulations.

Pudgy Penguins projected its animated characters on the Las Vegas Sphere for a week-long holiday campaign, promoting its physical products rather than NFTs. The display helped the crypto-born brand reach mainstream audiences, supporting merchandise sales and boosting recognition despite a struggling NFT market.

Kraken has officially launched the Krak Card, a Mastercard crypto debit card for residents living in the EU countries and the United Kingdom. The Krak card would allow users to spend more than 400 cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies seamlessly.

Trust Wallet confirmed a security incident affecting version 2.68 of its Chrome extension after users reported unauthorised wallet drains following a recent update. The company told users to disable the extension and upgrade immediately, saying its mobile app and other versions were not affected while the investigation continues.

Kyrgyzstan has taken another step toward embedding digital assets into its financial system after cryptocurrency exchange Binance listed the country’s first som-pegged stablecoin, a move that signals growing state-level confidence in blockchain-based payments and infrastructure.

A 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, stands accused of orchestrating a sophisticated phishing scheme that drained $16 million from Coinbase users. Prosecutors say Spektor, using the online alias “lolimfeelingevil,” targeted unsuspecting victims by posing as an official Coinbase support agent, warning them that their crypto holdings were at risk of theft.