BlockBeats News, December 20 — Yesterday at a press conference, Trump stated that the sales of the Trump Gold Card have reached $1.3 billion, describing it as "a hot seller." However, the prediction platform Polymarket added a note to its related forecast indicating that only data explicitly referring to quantities that have been finally approved and supported by completed payments count. Trump's statement on December 19 regarding the Gold Card sales, as well as Howard Lutnick's claim that "sales worth $1.3 billion have been made in just a few days," do not meet the standard of "finally approved and supported by completed payments." As of press time, the probability of the forecast on Polymarket that the "Trump Gold Card" sales this year will be zero remains as high as 89%. The Trump Gold Card is a

Netflix announces the acquisition of the metaverse identity platform Ready Player Me, with the specific amount not disclosed. The platform will cease operations in 2026, and the team will join Netflix. Ready Player Me has previously received approximately $72 million in funding.

The U.S. Department of Justice released investigation documents related to the Epstein case, showing that his $850,000 donation to MIT indirectly supported cryptocurrency projects. Email records reveal secret meetings between Epstein and Bitcoin developers and investors, reflecting his early interest in Bitcoin, but do not indicate any substantial influence on Bitcoin development.

PA News December 20th - According to The Block, Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis's term will end in January 2027, but she has stated she will not seek re-election. She posted on X platform on Friday that the upheavals of last fall have left her physically and mentally exhausted. Senator Lummis is the chair of the Senate Banking Committee's Digital Assets Subcommittee, and over the past few years, she has been actively involved in various efforts to regulate the cryptocurrency industry in Congress. She has worked closely with Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York to advance comprehensive legislation aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for digital assets, including clarifying regulatory responsibilities among agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. After multiple meetings, the Senate Banking Committee has been actively pushing this legislation, with participants including Democrats, Republicans, representatives from the cryptocurrency industry, and traditional financial sector stakeholders.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that the Federal Reserve has announced it will seek public comment on "payment accounts." Eligible financial institutions can use these accounts for limited payment clearing and settlement. Payment accounts are different from main accounts, do not accrue interest, and cannot access Federal Reserve credit. They will also be subject to limits such as balance caps. Main accounts are the accounts financial institutions currently use to access Federal Reserve payment services. It is understood that this public consultation aims to promote innovation in payment accounts while ensuring the security of the payment system.

Federal Reserve's Williams stated that the November Consumer Price Index data was distorted by technical factors and may be below the actual level. He believes these distortions led to a roughly 0.1 percentage point decrease in the CPI, and he mentioned that the U.S. economy is currently doing well, implying that future interest rates might decline, but he is not in a rush to adjust monetary policy.

BlockBeats News, December 19, according to official sources, CPChain has been officially listed on the EVM network navigation platform ChainList. This is not only a high recognition of CPChain's technical strength and network stability but also a step forward for CPChain's globalization.

Ahead of the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision announcement today, the crypto market has seen attention-grabbing whale movements. A large on-chain trader held approximately $717 million in crypto long positions at a key macro juncture, sparking market vigilance for short-term volatility. Despite current unrealized losses reaching $54 million, the whale has not reduced its position, demonstrating strong confidence in macro event-driven market trends. From the position structure, this whale primarily allocates mainstream crypto assets through Hyperliquid exchange, including about 203,000 ETH, 1,000 BTC, and over 300,000 SOL, showing a clear macro liquidity betting strategy. These assets are typically highly sensitive to interest rate policies and risk appetite changes, and diversified holdings also reduce risks associated with single-coin volatility.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino recently stated that the artificial intelligence (AI) bubble could become one of the major risk factors affecting Bitcoin price trends by 2026. As AI becomes a focal point for global capital pursuit, he believes that the rapid expansion in this field is accumulating potential instability in financial markets and could transmit through sentiment and liquidity to the cryptocurrency market. Ardoino pointed out that the investment boom in the artificial intelligence industry has driven rapid valuation increases in the short term, but if a bubble bursts in the future, it could trigger risk aversion on a global scale. Bitcoin, as a risk asset, often reacts to sudden macro shocks and market panic, and may be under pressure in extreme cases. However, he also emphasized that this does not mean artificial intelligence will weaken Bitcoin's long-term value fundamentals.

After the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to a nearly 30-year high, Bitcoin prices did not fall but instead rose, reaching as high as $88,000 on Friday, sparking widespread market attention. Data from Cointelegraph Markets and TradingView show that Bitcoin increased approximately 2.5% compared to the opening price on that day and moved in tandem with US stock index futures. This reaction is notably different from previous rate hike cycles, where risk assets typically came under pressure. The Bank of Japan raised its interest rate to about 0.75%, officially ending its long-standing "super-low interest rate" policy. Against the backdrop of major global central banks generally leaning towards easing, Japan's tightening stance stands out. In theory, rate hikes usually suppress risk assets like cryptocurrencies, but the market has evidently already priced in this expectation, instead choosing to believe that "bad news is fully priced in."

Against the backdrop of sharp short-term fluctuations in Bitcoin prices, Litecoin (LTC) has recently performed noticeably weaker. On December 18, Bitcoin briefly rebounded to $89,500 before quickly falling back to around $84,500, causing market sentiment to turn cold. As a result, Litecoin dropped approximately 7.5% within just 5 hours, hitting a low of $72.64, marking a new stage low. Currently, the price has rebounded above $75, but the overall trend remains under pressure. From a medium-term perspective, Litecoin has lost the key long-term support zone of $80–$84. Previously, the market generally regarded this range as a bullish defense line, but over the past two weeks, buying momentum has continued to weaken, and the bulls have failed to effectively hold their position. Even with Litecoin being included in the Bitwise 10 Largest Cryptocurrency Index ETF (BITW), it has not reversed its downward trend, indicating that market confidence remains insufficient.

Synthetix Network officially announces that its classic perpetual contracts DEX has returned to the Ethereum mainnet. This marks Synthetix's first return to Ethereum Layer-1 since migrating to Layer-2 networks in 2022 due to Gas cost issues. The team believes that with the ongoing Ethereum scalability upgrades, the mainnet is once again capable of supporting perpetual contract trading. According to the official announcement released on December 19, Synthetix Perps has launched on the Ethereum mainnet but is currently still in internal testing. This version supports perpetual contract trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, with leverage of up to 50x. Initially, it is only open to 500 users, mainly contributors, stakers, and experienced traders. The deposit limit for a single account is 40,000 USDT, and withdrawals are not supported during the initial phase of the mainnet launch. It is expected to open within about a week after the team completes on-chain fund monitoring.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Gate founder Dr. Han mentioned proof of reserves (PoR) during a conversation with Wu on the Shuō Podcast, stating that the industry still has significant room for improvement in transparency. Dr. Han pointed out that when the industry reaches maturity, transparency becomes a competitive advantage; companies that refuse to disclose pricing are essentially avoiding scrutiny. He further emphasized that the true moat is not traffic, but whether one can withstand audits; if a company is afraid of being audited, then there's no point in talking about long-termism.

Ontology Official Announced that the ONG Token Economy Model has completed key adjustments, and the maximum and total supply of ONG has officially been reduced from 1 billion to 800 million. The proposal has been approved through community governance voting and has taken full effect with the mainnet upgrade, being regarded as one of the decisions with the highest community consensus in Ontology's history. According to disclosed information, in the on-chain voting held from October 28 to 31, 2025 (UTC), Triones nodes cast approximately 117 million approval votes with no opposition votes, successfully passing the ONG token cap adjustment plan. This result is not only a technical upgrade but also signifies an important shift in Ontology's governance philosophy and long-term development direction.

Citi Macro Report points out that the Bank of Japan's rate hike is not surprising, and further tightening of policy may occur in the future. The Bank of Japan's confidence in its ability to withstand economic uncertainties and corporate profit outlooks has strengthened. It is expected that upcoming economic and inflation data will exceed expectations, and the ultimate interest rate may reach 1.75% by 2027.

In Q4 2025, Bitcoin experienced a cumulative correction of about 30% after falling below $90,000. Historically, this magnitude is not uncommon in a bull market cycle, but what makes this decline special is that the price has broken through multiple key technical support levels, sparking widespread discussions in the market about whether a "bear market has already arrived." Anonymous analyst Jackis believes that even if Bitcoin further drops to $70,000, it does not necessarily mean entering a typical bear market, but rather a volatile adjustment within the macro range of 2025. He pointed out that this round of decline is not driven by macro risks or deteriorating fundamentals, but mainly results from position battles between seasoned investors and institutional investors, representing a temporary stagnation within the trend.

Libyan authorities have stepped up their crackdown on cryptocurrency mining, prosecuting 9 individuals mining at a steel plant, sentencing them to three years in prison and confiscating their equipment. Despite the central bank's ban on crypto trading, mining activities still persist. Legal experts believe that mining itself does not constitute a crime; the issue lies in the illegal activities associated with it.

As Bitcoin prices retreat to around $84,800, the crypto market sentiment quickly shifts to pessimism. On social media platforms, retail investors' panic-driven comments have noticeably increased, with negative opinions far surpassing bullish sentiment in discussion popularity, drawing widespread market attention. Santiment, an on-chain data analysis firm, points out that the current social sentiment structure shows a clear imbalance. A large number of retail investors are expressing concerns, bearish views, and even panic-driven expectations after the price drop, creating an extreme emotional reaction. According to their long-term tracked historical data, this phenomenon is often not a sign of trend continuation but may instead indicate the possibility of a short-term price rebound.

Real Vision founder and well-known macro investor Raoul Pal recently stated that the recent sharp rise in privacy cryptocurrency Zcash is more likely due to capital rotation in the market rather than a confirmed structural bull market. He emphasized that caution and observation are still necessary at this stage. Pal pointed out in the podcast "When Shift Happens" that determining whether Zcash has truly entered a long-term upward trend depends on whether the overall market is strengthening and maintaining the trend, not just quick shifts of funds between different sectors. "Only when the overall market continues to rise, rather than just rotating, can we confirm the trend is established," he said. Data shows that Zcash has had an astonishing increase this year. According to CoinMarketCap data, Zcash is currently priced at approximately $385, with a cumulative increase of over 690% since the beginning of the year. However, in the past month, its price has experienced a significant correction, with a decline of about 37% over 30 days, indicating that upward momentum has weakened.

Trader Eugene Ng Ah Sio stated that he successfully avoided the market turbulence of the past month, believing that most altcoins have entered Phase 5, and recommends starting to observe and place buy orders. Mainstream coins are still in Phase 4, and the rebound has not yet arrived. He is optimistic about the future, believing that 2026 will be better.

Gate News Bot message, December 19th, according to CoinMarketCap data, as of press time, BCH (Bitcoin Cash) is trading at $585.72, up 7.47% in the past 24 hours, with a high of $589.18 and a low of $520.35. The current market capitalization is approximately $11.696 billion, an increase of $813 million compared to yesterday. Bitcoin Cash is committed to providing better monetary solutions worldwide. The token features no overdraft limits, no border restrictions, no refund restrictions, and funds are not frozen. It supports individual users to participate through wallets, exchanges, and other channels, while also providing full node support for mining pools and exchanges. Developers can utilize related tools for development and construction.

Japanese financial industry executives are dissatisfied with the progress of cryptocurrency tax reform, stating that the reform process is slow and may be delayed until 2028. The current tax system requires cryptocurrency gains to be reported at a rate of up to 55%, and does not allow loss deductions. The Financial Services Agency of Japan hopes to reclassify cryptocurrencies to implement a lower tax rate.

Canadian citizen Jarett Dunn sentenced to six years in prison for $2 million Solana scam. He admitted to the crime on social media and transferred the funds to random addresses in an attempt to claim himself as a whistleblower. The court did not accept his defense, and Dunn was ultimately convicted of abuse of power and transferring criminal assets.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that according to an official announcement, healthcare and Bitcoin treasury company KindlyMD (NASDAQ: NAKA) announced that its board of directors has approved a share repurchase plan, allowing the company to repurchase its outstanding common stock on an irregular basis in the future. KindlyMD stated that the plan aims to enhance capital allocation flexibility and reflects management's confidence in the company's long-term value and Bitcoin-related business layout. The announcement said that repurchases may be conducted through open market transactions, private negotiations, block trades, or other lawful means, and may also be implemented under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The specific timing, scale, and method of repurchase will be determined by management based on market conditions, stock price, trading volume, and capital needs. The plan does not constitute a mandatory repurchase commitment, and the board of directors may adjust, suspend, or terminate it at any time. KindlyMD will complete the repurchase by August 2025.

CZ mentioned in the "2025 Year-End Q&A AMA" that stablecoins are still in phase 1.0, and phase 2.0 has not yet developed. Despite a relatively open regulatory environment, BNB Chain has not launched a native stablecoin and welcomes more related projects to explore.

ChainCatcher reports that, according to CriptoNoticias, Argentine authorities have successfully dismantled a large-scale fraud and money laundering case involving cryptocurrencies, with the amount involved exceeding 1.8 trillion Argentine pesos (approximately $1.2 billion USD). The main victims are agricultural enterprises. The criminal organization opened accounts at banks by forging documents, obtained loans, and immediately transferred the funds to cryptocurrency trading platforms, then converted them into virtual assets and transferred them into digital wallets. To conceal their tracks, the organization used third-party personnel to simulate cryptocurrency arbitrage transactions. Investigations show that the involved individuals were not registered in the virtual asset service provider registration system required by the Argentine National Securities Commission. The operation was jointly executed by the Argentine National Security Department and the Federal Police, with 8 searches conducted, 3 men arrested, and 2 others notified. During the operation, cash, mobile phones, and storage devices were seized.

Latest research shows that the decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket performs outstandingly in user retention, surpassing 85% of cryptocurrency platforms. The study was jointly released by data analytics platform Dune and market maker Keyrock, providing a systematic analysis of user behavior in the crypto industry. The results indicate that even when compared to mainstream DeFi protocols, crypto wallets, and centralized exchanges, Polymarket still exhibits stronger user stickiness. As a prediction market, Polymarket allows users to trade around real-world events, including election results, macroeconomic data, sports events, and social hot topics. These products combine information, judgment, and trading, making users not only speculators but also information participants. Data from Dune and Keyrock shows that Polymarket users are more inclined to revisit the platform repeatedly and continue participating in market trading, with an active cycle significantly longer than most crypto applications.

Silver reaches a historic milestone. On December 17, 2025, the silver price broke through $66 per ounce, with an intraday high of $66.52, and the global market capitalization rose to approximately $3.7 trillion, officially surpassing Google's parent company Alphabet to become the fourth largest asset worldwide. Just prior to that, on December 11, silver had just overtaken Microsoft, crossing multiple tech giants within a few days, highlighting a significant shift in its position in global asset allocation. Since the beginning of this year, silver prices have increased by approximately 127%, not only demonstrating its inflation hedge properties but also reflecting a structural surge in modern industrial demand for silver. On a macro level, the divergence between US employment and inflation data, along with market expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged, has driven capital flows into precious metals and other alternative assets; on a fundamental level, industrial demand has become the core driving force behind silver's rise.

Brazilian Securities Exchange B3 is accelerating the development of digital asset infrastructure, planning to tokenize real-world assets (RWA), issue Brazilian Real stablecoins, and launch derivatives related to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, thereby officially integrating crypto assets into the country's mature stock market system. These initiatives are seen as a significant milestone in the deep integration of Brazil's traditional financial system with blockchain technology. According to information released by B3, the exchange plans to launch a complete tokenization platform by 2026. This platform will support the issuance and trading of real-world assets on-chain, initially focusing on tokenized stocks, while maintaining connectivity with the existing B3 market infrastructure. This means that tokenized assets will not operate independently but will be interconnected with traditional clearing, settlement, and liquidity systems.

In the context of frequent hot topic chasing in the crypto market, Avalanche is choosing a completely different development path. Ava Labs Chief Business Officer John Nahas recently stated that Avalanche is not driven by short-term narratives or market sentiment, but instead makes long-term bets on sovereign and specialized blockchain architectures, aiming to build large-scale, implementable infrastructure for finance, artificial intelligence, and enterprise-level scenarios. In an interview, John Nahas pointed out that overemphasizing short-term trending topics on social media often leads projects to remain in a "trend-following" state, while truly valuable long-term blockchain development requires patience and continuous investment. Avalanche's growth is not driven by short-term hype, but relies on its underlying architectural advantages and the design philosophy of customizing blockchains for specific application scenarios.

Cardano (ADA) price has recently been consolidating around $0.38, a level regarded by the market as the short-term support and resistance threshold. Although there has been a slight rebound intraday, the overall technical structure remains weak. Analysts generally believe that once the key support is broken, ADA faces the risk of further retracement to $0.29. From a technical perspective, the $0.38–$0.36 range is an important recent support zone, where buying interest has historically appeared multiple times. However, the current price has broken below the previous consolidation zone, and demand has not yet significantly increased. If buyers cannot effectively defend this area, the downward pressure on Cardano's price will significantly intensify. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez pointed out that the SuperTrend indicator on higher timeframes for ADA has turned bearish. Historical data shows that after similar reversals, Cardano often enters a prolonged retracement phase. This signal further reinforces market caution regarding the short-term outlook.

Polymarket data shows that the probability of Trump announcing the Fed Chair pick before December 31, 2025, has risen to 91%. The winning probabilities for potential candidates Kevin Hassett, Chris Waller, and Kevin Warsh have decreased to 4%, 3%, and 2%, respectively, indicating that the appointment process may be delayed.