Blockchain-based tokenized commodities have climbed to a combined market value of $3.94 billion, supported by record-breaking moves in gold and other precious metals. Gold-backed tokens such as Tether Gold and Paxos Gold dominate the segment, while Ethereum remains the leading network for real-world asset tokenization by onchain value.

In a 2026 outlook, Clear Street's Owen Lau named Coinbase a top fintech pick alongside Nasdaq and S&P Global, reiterating a Buy rating and a 12‑month price target of $415. During a post‑Christmas selloff, Coinbase shares traded around $234.50, down roughly 1.2%, but Lau argued the pullback does not change his longer‑term thesis.

Polymarket now assigns a 38% chance of a U.S. government shutdown as Congress left Washington for the Christmas recess without a budget deal. With a January 31 funding deadline and lawmakers not due back until January 5, the timeline is compressed, raising uncertainty for federal operations and risk assets.

As US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs approach their second anniversary, Galaxy Digital's 2026 outlook projects net inflows into US spot crypto ETFs will climb above $50 billion after recording $23 billion in 2025. The firm also expects more than 100 new crypto ETF products, over 15 US IPOs or uplistings by crypto firms, and notes Bitcoin trading around $87,480 and Ethereum near $2,930 with both still below prior all-time highs.

CoinGecko's 2025 report identifies Real-World Assets as the year's leading crypto narrative, with an average 185.8% YTD return across tokens including Figure Heloc, LINK, XLM, XAUT, and BlackRock's BUIDL. Keeta Network climbed 1,794.9% YTD, while L1s averaged 80.3%. Memecoins and AI lagged, with -31.6% and -50.2% average returns.

A former Coinbase customer support agent in India has been arrested in Hyderabad after being tied to a major breach that began in May, involving hackers who bribed overseas staff to obtain user data and demand a $20 million ransom. Coinbase’s security chief said access for those leaking data was cut off once detected, but the company now faces up to $400 million in costs from the incident and broader scrutiny over internal security and political influence.

According to a report updated on December 27, 2025, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a CNBC interview the U.S. will return to the moon during President Donald Trump's second term and outlined an "orbital economy" plan. He cited Artemis work with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing, noting a $9.9B boost from Trump's bill. The piece also described SpaceX buying over 1,000 Cybertrucks amid weak Tesla sales.

Since 11 December, Ethereum ETFs have seen $853.9 million in net outflows, with a single rebound of $84.6 million on 22 December, according to Farside Investors. ETH traded around $2,964 at press time, with $2,500 flagged as a key level if redemptions persist. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.538 billion in outflows over the same span, despite brief inflows on 12 and 17 December.