According to BlockBeats, the Bank of England has lowered its benchmark interest rate from 4.00% to 3.75%. This adjustment aligns with market expectations following the bank's decision to pause its quarterly rate cuts, which had been in effect since August 2024.

قال محلل بلومبرغ جيمس سيفارت إن العديد من طلبات منتجات ETP المشفّرة التي لا تزال بانتظار موافقة هيئة الأوراق المالية والبورصات الأميركية (SEC) ستُطلق في عام 2026، لكن عددًا كبيرًا منها لن يصمد لما بعد عام 2027. source: https://ar.cointelegraph.com/news/many-crypto-etfs-could-get-liquidated-after-launching?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Accenture's first-quarter fiscal 2026 results exceeded expectations with $18. 7 billion in revenue and an adjusted EPS of $3. 94. source: https://tokenist.com/accenture-anc-delivers-solid-q1-results-reaffirms-full-year-outlook/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=accenture-anc-delivers-solid-q1-results-reaffirms-full-year-outlook

United Stables has officially launched its USD stablecoin, U, which is currently deployed on both the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) and Ethereum (ETH) chains and has completed multiple ecosystem integrations. Reportedly, U is based on 1:1 full reserve backing (USD + leading stablecoins), featuring real-time on-chain Proof-of-Reserves (PoR) and monthly audits. Future support will include enterprise-level privacy protection and AI-native payments (EIP-3009/x402). U is the first "unified stablecoin" on the BNB Chain, integrating mainstream stablecoins as usable collateral assets to form a unified liquidity foundation. In terms of ecosystem integration, U has integrated support for mainstream DeFi protocols including PancakeSwap, Aster, Four.meme, and ListaDAO, allowing users to directly trade, stake, lend, and provide liquidity on-chain. Regarding wallet support, Binance Wallet, Trust Wallet, and SafePal have all listed U. In addition to the on-chain world, U is also listed on the centralized exchange HTX. United Stables stated that U will focus on empowering scenarios such as trading, DeFi, institutional settlement, cross-border payments, and AI-driven autonomous economy, and plans to expand to more public chains, DeFi protocols, and trading platforms in the future.

Key TakeawaysBinance Co-CEO Richard Teng addressed the balance between centralized reliability and long-term decentralization during a CEO Connect AMA.Teng said the CeFi vs. DeFi debate oversimplifies a rapidly evolving crypto landscape.Centralized exchanges remain critical entry points for most users today.Binance aims to responsibly bridge CeFi and DeFi through products like Binance Wallet and Binance Alpha.Balancing Reliability and DecentralizationDuring a Co-CEO Connect AMA on Binance Square, Binance CEO Richard Teng responded to questions about Binance’s role as critical infrastructure for the crypto ecosystem, and how the company balances centralization today with a more decentralized future.Teng said the issue ultimately comes down to choice and balance, rather than a strict divide between centralized and decentralized models.“The narrative of DeFi versus CeFi, or DEXs versus CEXes, oversimplifies the landscape,” Teng said, noting that the crypto ecosystem continues to evolve across multiple models at the same time.CEXes as Entry Points for the Crypto JourneyTeng acknowledged that decentralized exchanges and DeFi protocols are growing rapidly and innovating in meaningful ways — a development he described as healthy for the industry and reflective of increasing participation in decentralized finance.At the same time, he said centralized exchanges continue to play a crucial role, particularly for users beginning their crypto journey. CEXes offer easier onboarding, deep liquidity, security infrastructure, and user-friendly access, making them the most practical starting point for many users today and in the foreseeable future.“Our responsibility is to operate that infrastructure safely, transparently, and in a way that earns trust,” Teng said.Supporting a Responsible Transition to DeFiAccording to Teng, decentralization remains a long-term direction for the industry, but the goal is not to force or resist that transition. Instead, Binance aims to help users move between centralized and decentralized environments responsibly and securely.He highlighted products such as Binance Wallet and Binance Alpha as examples of how Binance is working to bridge CeFi and DeFi, enabling users to access decentralized applications while benefiting from centralized security, usability, and infrastructure.CEXs and DEXs as Complementary ModelsTeng concluded by emphasizing that centralized and decentralized platforms are complementary rather than competitive, serving different user needs, risk profiles, and levels of experience.By offering users a range of options, he said, Binance supports sustainable ecosystem growth while maintaining its role as a trusted platform within the broader crypto market.

In his view, a blockchain cannot be fully trustless if most participants are unable to follow how it actually works. source: https://coindoo.com/vitalik-buterin-warns-ethereum-is-becoming-too-complex/

A 180-day deadline gives the U. S. government its tightest mandate yet to build a unified crypto-fraud task force. source: https://ambcrypto.com/9-3b-lost-can-safe-crypto-act-protect-americans-against-scams/

Tether explores tokenizing its stock after a planned $20B share sale, aiming to provide investor liquidity ahead of a potential IPO or buyback options. source: https://catenaa.com/markets/cryptocurrencies/tether-considers-tokenizing-equity-after-20b-share-sale-plan/

سجّلت صناديق البيتكوين المتداولة في البورصة بالولايات المتحدة صافي تدفقات واردة بقيمة 457 مليون دولار يوم أمس 17 ديسمبر، وفقا لبيانات “Farside Investors”، في إشارة إلى عودة شهية المستثمرين بعد موجة عمليات السحب السابقة. وتصدّر صندوق Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (FBTC) التدفقات الإيجابية باستقطابه 391 مليون دولار، لترتفع قيمة أصوله الصافية إلى نحو 12. 4 مليار دولار source: https://arab-btc.net/fidelity-bitcoin-etf/

Ethereum blockspace trading platform ETHGas announced a $12 million raise shortly after ETH co-founder Vitalik Buterin endorsed the idea, promising 50ms transaction times. source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethgas-raised-12m-as-it-launches-buterin-proposed-gas-futures?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Recommended reading tonight: 1. Looking Back at 2025: 18 Milestones in the Crypto Industry; 2. Ethereum Foundation: Ethereum State Evolution Path and Future Challenges; 3. Post-Election Prediction Markets: How to Re-accelerate in 2025;

Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research and ex-girlfriend of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, has been quietly transferred out of federal prison after serving approximately 11 months of her two-year sentence, according to Business Insider.

OpenAI is in early talks to raise up to $100 billion at a valuation of $750 billion. The company is also preparing for a public listing that could value it at around $1 trillion.

Ethereum has grown from a small, experimental network into a key component of the global infrastructure.

Despite strong momentum in 2025, prediction market trading volume still represents only a small fraction of the overall sports betting industry.

Capital A, the parent company of AirAsia, and Standard Chartered Malaysia signed a letter of intent to develop a ringgit-backed stablecoin. The project will be piloted under Bank Negara Malaysia’s oversight, with Standard Chartered as issuer and Capital A testing wholesale use cases.

A Singapore-based entrepreneur has fallen victim to a sophisticated crypto malware scam, losing over $14,000 in digital assets after downloading a seemingly legitimate online game launcher.

A 32-year-old Japanese woman, Yurina Noguchi, held a symbolic wedding with an AI character she created using ChatGPT in Okayama in October 2025. The AI, named Lune Klaus Verdure, followed a personality Noguchi designed, and the ceremony included traditional wedding elements but has no legal recognition.

The SEC's shift in attitude toward cryptocurrencies is boosting RWA's growth, but jurisdictional and revenue restrictions still constrain compliance models.

Researchers from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOG) have accused the Central African Republic's government of exploiting ordinary citizens to push for cryptocurrency in order to further its own political agenda and support criminal activities.