Market Performance
| Asset / Index | Value ($) | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 87,497.0 | +0.31% |
| Ethereum (ETH) | 2,947.29 | +0.45% |
| Bitcoin Spot ETF | -19.30M | Net Outflow |
| Ethereum Spot ETF | -9.60M | Net Outflow |
| Nasdaq (NAS100) | 25,480.2 | -0.20% |
| S&P 500 (SPX) | 6,905.73 | -0.35% |
| Russell 2000 (RUT) | 2,517.2 | -0.07% |
| U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) | 97.655 | +0.03% |
| VIX Volatility Index | 14.20 | +4.41% |
| U.S. 10-Year Yield | 4.11015 | -0.51% |
| Brent Crude Oil (BRENT) | 61.970 | +0.38% |
| LBMA Gold (XAU) | 4,373.52 | +0.96% |
| LBMA Silver (XAG) |
“Prepared at UTC 07.41 am”
Today’s Key Events
- No Events on US President Trump’s Calendar
- FOMC Meeting Minutes
- ADP Weekly Employment Data
- US Chicago PMI
Trump Says He May Announce New Fed Chair Nominee in January
US President Donald Trump stated that he is considering suing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell for incompetence and may announce his successor in January. Trump reiterated his criticism of the Fed building renovation, arguing that Powell is not fit for the job. Emphasizing the “right time” for a new Fed chair, Trump said there is sufficient time to make the decision. The statements reignited the debate over monetary policy independence. Markets are closely watching for signals about who the potential candidate might be.
Precious Metals See Sharp Pullback Led by Silver
Spot silver, after rising about 6% in Asian trading, took a sharp turn and experienced losses exceeding 11% during the day in New York. This decline also dragged down gold and other precious metals. CME announced that it would increase margin requirements for many metal futures, including gold, silver, and lithium, following the close on December 29. The increased margin requirements put additional pressure on leveraged positions. Volatility in the markets is expected to remain high in the short term.
US-China-Taiwan Tension: China’s “Justice Mission-2025” Exercises
Following the US sale of weapons to Taiwan, China began large-scale encirclement exercises around Taiwan called “Justice Mission-2025.” The Chinese military deployed land, sea, air, and missile forces in many areas around the Taiwan Strait and the island. The proximity of the exercise areas to Taiwan was noteworthy. The southern region was reported to be 4.6 nautical miles from Eluanbi. This move signals a significant increase in military tension in the region.
Russia-Ukraine Tensions Escalate Again
Russia announced that Ukraine launched 91 drones at a residence linked to Putin and reported that all of them were destroyed. Moscow described the attack as “state terrorism” and said retaliatory targets had been identified. According to the Wall Street Journal, negotiations have stalled on key issues such as territorial status and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. It is reported that Trump offered Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee, while Kiev demanded 30–50 years. Russia reiterated its condition of withdrawal from Donbas, arguing that a temporary ceasefire would prolong the conflict.
Senator Cynthia Lummis: “Responsible Financial Innovation Act of 2026”
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis said the Responsible Financial Innovation Act of 2026 would make a clear distinction between securities and commodities. According to Lummis, this distinction will both support the development of legal crypto projects and more strongly protect investor rights. Emphasizing that “clear definitions encourage innovation,” the senator said uncertainty is the biggest obstacle for the sector. The draft law aims to establish a fundamental framework for crypto regulations in the US.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Hill Issues Stablecoin Warning
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill stated that the dollar-backed stablecoin bill (Genius Act) alone would not be sufficient. Hill likened stablecoin regulation without a comprehensive market structure bill such as the Clarity Act to a “cell phone without a network.” He emphasized that clear rules are essential for banks, brokers, DeFi developers, and investors. Otherwise, he said, liquidity distribution could be disrupted and adoption could stall.
Bank of America CEO: Signs of Easing in Trump’s Trade Policies
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said they see signs of moderation in the Trump administration’s trade policies. After Trump took office, a 10% import reference tariff and additional taxes on certain sectors were implemented. However, the current global tariff level is expected to stabilize at around 15%. According to Moynihan, companies are now more concerned about labor shortages and uncertainty in immigration policies than tariffs.
SEC Corporate Finance Division Deputy Director LaMothe Retires
The retirement of Cicely LaMothe, Deputy Director of the US SEC’s Corporate Finance Division, has been announced. During her tenure, LaMothe played a role in important steps such as the explanatory statement that meme coins are not securities and the regulatory approach to staking. LaMothe, who joined the SEC in 2002, was influential in shaping registration statement policies. Her retirement is seen as marking the end of an important era in the SEC’s crypto regulation process.
Flow Network Recovery Process: First Phase Completed
The Flow network, in coordination with validators and ecosystem partners, has successfully completed the first phase of the recovery process. The Cadence environment has returned to normal operation, and the network has resumed block production. Over 99.9% of account functions have been fully restored. The EVM environment is temporarily being kept in read-only mode, with full recovery targeted for the third phase.
Token Transfer from ENA Team Address to Centralized Exchange
According to on-chain data, an address associated with the ENA team sent approximately 1.82 million ENA tokens to Binance. The current market value of this transfer is around $400,000. It was noted that the tokens came from another transfer made by the team the day before. This movement is being closely monitored in the market for potential selling pressure.
CME Launches New Indices for Aptos, Bittensor, and Hedera
CME Group has launched USD reference rates and real-time crypto indices for Aptos, Bittensor, and Hedera. The goal is to create a more transparent and reliable pricing infrastructure for crypto assets. The new indices aim to increase institutional investor interest in these assets. The relevant price data is available on CME’s official website.
Vitalik Buterin: Aims to Restore User Freedom to Ethereum
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said that the current cloud-based structure offers convenience at the expense of user autonomy. According to Buterin, today’s computing world creates a structure where users are “implicitly locked in.” He emphasized that Ethereum’s fundamental goal is to reverse this balance. The objective is for users to regain both their technical and economic freedom.
