Kyrgyzstan’s USDKG Shows How Gold-Backed Stablecoins Are Evolving

Key takeaways Kyrgyzstan has launched USDKG, a USD-pegged stablecoin that the project says is backed by physical gold rather than cash and short-term US Treasurys. The token was first deployed on Tron with a reported initial issuance of 50 million units, with plans to expand to Ethereum. This article explains why gold-reserve narratives and state-linked…

ECB Hands EU a Pro-Privacy CBDC Design: Will It Survive?

The European Central Bank plans to allow blockchain-based settlement in central bank money next year and is preparing to issue a digital euro, but its privacy safeguards will ultimately depend on approval from EU lawmakers. ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone said in a Friday statement that the institution will “make it possible to settle…

Need more evidence before lowering rates further, says Fed’s Hammack

It’s no secret that Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack has staked out a spot as perhaps the most hawkish member of the U.S. Federal Reserve since her appointment in 2024 after a career at Goldman Sachs. Next year, however, she will be in a more prominent position to advance those views. The Fed’s Federal Open…

Crypto Industry Reacts To US Sen. Lummis Stepping Down

The crypto industry has rallied in support of pro-crypto US Senator Cynthia Lummis after she announced she will not seek reelection in 2026.  Lummis, who is a vocal advocate for digital assets, played a significant role in US crypto policy discussions over the past few years and earned widespread respect across the crypto industry. Venture…

Brazil Crypto Activity Jumps 43% as Average Investment Tops $1,000

Crypto activity in Brazil expanded sharply in 2025, with total transaction volume climbing 43% year over year as average investment per user crossed the $1,000 mark, according to a new report from crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin. The report, titled “Raio-X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais 2025,” claimed that the Brazilian crypto market is no longer…

US Senate Confirms Crypto Friendly Leaders to Head CFTC and FDIC

The US Senate has confirmed crypto-friendly lawyer Mike Selig as the new chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and has elevated Travis Hill to chair the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The two confirmations were included in a package of nearly 100 other nominees that the Trump administration had selected for various roles across the…

Brazil Crypto Activity Jumps 43% as Average Investment Tops $1,000

Crypto activity in Brazil expanded sharply in 2025, with total transaction volume climbing 43% year over year as average investment per user crossed the $1,000 mark, according to a new report from crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin. The report, titled “Raio-X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais 2025,” claimed that the Brazilian crypto market is no longer…

US Lawmakers Propose Stablecoin Tax Break, Staking Reward Deferral

US lawmakers have introduced a discussion draft that would ease the tax burden on everyday crypto users by exempting small stablecoin transactions from capital gains taxes and offering a new deferral option for staking and mining rewards. The proposal, introduced by Representatives Max Miller of Ohio and Steven Horsford of Nevada, seeks to amend the…

Brazil Crypto Activity Jumps 43% as Average Investment Tops $1,000

Crypto activity in Brazil expanded sharply in 2025, with total transaction volume climbing 43% year over year as average investment per user crossed the $1,000 mark, according to a new report from crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin. The report, titled “Raio-X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais 2025,” claimed that the Brazilian crypto market is no longer…

UNI Surges after voting opens on proposal to turn on protocol fees

Uniswap’s UNI token rallied about 19% over the past 24 hours as on-chain voting began on a major governance proposal that would activate protocol fees and introduce a long-discussed UNI burn mechanism. UNI began climbing shortly after the voting period opened at 03:50 UTC on Dec. 20, according to Uniswap governance data. A one-day UNI-USD…