The top news in the cryptocurrency world is dominated by market volatility tied to U.S. political tensions, significant regulatory shifts, and major institutional expansions.
1. Market Reaction to Trump-Powell Conflict
Bitcoin’s Mixed Performance: Bitcoin rose above $92,000 early in the session but later retreated below $91,000.
Safe-Haven Shift: Assets like Bitcoin and gold (which hit record highs near $4,600) are increasingly treated as "shields" amidst a Department of Justice investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Privacy Coin Rally: Privacy-focused coins like Monero (XMR) have seen significant gains, with researchers predicting they may outperform Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2026 due to rising global regulation and demand for anonymity.
2. Global Regulatory Tightening
Dubai Privacy Token Ban: Dubai’s DFSA has officially banned privacy-focused assets, citing incompatibility with global compliance norms.
India’s Stricter KYC: Indian regulators have imposed new, stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for all crypto users to combat money laundering.
South Korea Corporate Caps: Authorities in South Korea are proposing a 5% cap on corporate cryptocurrency investments for listed firms.
3. Institutional & Ecosystem News
Morgan Stanley & E*Trade: Morgan Stanley's retail platform, E*Trade, is reportedly preparing to officially launch spot cryptocurrency trading for its users.
Vitalik Buterin's Ethereum Vision: Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a new post on the importance of the blockchain passing a "can exit at any time" test, stressing that the network must be able to function securely even without continuous developer maintenance.
Tether Asset Freeze: Tether has frozen $182 million in USDT across five Tron addresses tied to suspected illicit activity.
Binance Listing: Binance announced it will list United Stables (U) and launch a zero-trading fee promotion for the asset starting January 13.
