The Fed’s Hawkish Wing Gains Strength
Following December’s rate cut, the hawkish wing within the Fed is expected to gain influence. An increasing number of FOMC members are expressing their reluctance to support a fourth consecutive rate cut. Therefore, it is likely that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged at its January meeting. Although the rotation of voting rights has changed, no significant break in the general interest rate path is expected. Most of the new voting members are also known for their cautious stance.
According to CoinShares data, a total of $952 million flowed out of digital asset investment products last week. This marks the first net fund outflow in the last four weeks. While the majority of the outflows originated in the US, inflows from Canada and Germany partially offset this loss.
There was an outflow of $555 million from Ethereum and $460 million from Bitcoin. In contrast, Solana and XRP continued to see fund inflows.
US “Crypto Queen” Lummis to Retire in 2026
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has announced that she will not seek re-election in 2026. Known as the “Crypto Queen of the Senate” in the crypto sector, Lummis played a key role in digital asset legislation. The GENIUS Act and the Responsible Financial Innovation Act were among her most significant contributions. Meanwhile, the Fed continues to gather feedback on its “simplified main account” plan. The plan aims to provide crypto institutions with direct access to central bank payment systems.
Strategy Did Not Purchase Bitcoin Last Week
Michael Saylor announced that Strategy did not increase its Bitcoin purchases last week. The company increased its USD reserves by $748 million to a total of $2.19 billion. Strategy currently holds a total of 671,268 Bitcoins. Last week, public companies’ net Bitcoin purchases amounted to only $26.35 million. The number of companies making purchases during this period remained quite limited.
Publicly Traded Companies’ Bitcoin Holdings Reach 917,000 BTC
Excluding mining companies, publicly traded companies hold a total of approximately 917,000 BTC. The market value of these holdings is estimated at $82.77 billion. This figure corresponds to approximately 4.59% of the circulating Bitcoin supply. Only two companies made new purchases last week. Strategy and Metaplanet did not make any purchases during this period.
Japan’s largest Bitcoin holding company, Metaplanet, has approved a dividend-priority share issue. This step is intended to strengthen the company’s financing structure. Metaplanet continues to pursue its Bitcoin-focused balance sheet strategy. The new issuance aims to offer investors more stable returns. The company is seen as one of the pioneers of corporate Bitcoin adoption in Japan.
Ghana Passes Bill Legalizing Cryptocurrency
The Ghanaian Parliament has approved regulations legalizing crypto assets. The new law provides for the licensing of crypto platforms and the supervision of their activities. Central Bank Governor Johnson Asiama stated that the regulation will bring clarity to the sector. The goal is to establish a more secure framework for the rapidly growing use of crypto. Previously, regulations were expected to be in place by the end of 2025.
Tether Introduces QVAC Genesis II Artificial Intelligence Dataset
Tether announced its new artificial intelligence pre-training dataset, QVAC Genesis II. The dataset covers a total of 19 different training domains. The new version includes 10 new domains such as chemistry, computer science, and machine learning. University-level physics data has also been reproduced using improved methods. Tether states that this step will improve the quality of open artificial intelligence training data.
Aster Launches Phase 5 Token Buyback Program
Aster announced that it will launch its Phase 5 token buyback program on December 23, 2025. The platform will use up to 80% of its daily fees for $ASTER buybacks. Forty percent of the program will be allocated to daily automatic buybacks. Additionally, 20–40% will be used as a strategic buyback reserve. This move aims to reduce token supply and support price stability.
Litecoin Responds to Claims About Charlie Lee
Litecoin has denied claims that Charlie Lee said, “I regret creating LTC.” The official statement said that the videos in circulation were deliberately edited. It emphasized that when the entire video is watched, the statements are taken out of context. The Litecoin team stated that Lee still has deep commitment to the project. The statement also mentioned that some members of the Bitcoin community were conducting a smear campaign.
Aave Founder: Governance Vote is Legal and Valid
Aave founder Stani.eth announced that the governance vote regarding the $Sky project is legal. He stated that the voting process was conducted in accordance with the framework rules. It was stated that the Snapshot vote met all requirements. It was noted that similar processes had been used by other service providers in the past. Stani.eth called on the community to actively participate in the votes.
