Jonathan Gould of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said on December 8 that cryptocurrency and fintech firms seeking federal bank charters should be evaluated using the same criteria as conventional banks. He pointed to recent OCC approvals of crypto-focused trust banks and a sharp increase in charter applications, according to the OCC. Banks and financial industry groups remain uneasy about supervision, while Argentina’s central bank is considering whether to let local banks offer cryptocurrency trading.

Tether has invested roughly $81.6 million in Italian humanoid-robotics firm Generative Bionics as part of a €70 million funding round, marking another major step in its expanding AI and robotics strategy. The company is also pushing deeper into commodities lending as it channels stablecoin-driven profits into diversified sectors.

Former People’s Bank of China monetary policy adviser Liu Shijin has urged China to increase imports and settle more foreign trade in yuan over the next five years to narrow its trade surplus and boost offshore yuan liquidity. He also called for more yuan-denominated financial products to be launched in overseas markets, according to his recent remarks. At the same time, China’s top leadership has outlined plans to prioritize domestic demand from 2026. The comments come as the European Union, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, signals the possibility of strong measures over trade imbalances.

On December 9, 2025, Fitch Ratings cautioned that U.S. banks expanding into crypto and digital-asset services face reputational, liquidity, operational, and compliance risks that could weigh on their ratings. The report cited initiatives at large institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. It highlighted that rapid stablecoin growth may threaten financial stability and affect U.S. dollar and Treasury markets. Moody's has likewise flagged systemic risks if USD-linked stablecoins see widespread adoption.

U.S. senators are negotiating a comprehensive crypto framework that would clarify the oversight roles of the SEC and CFTC. On December 8, Senator Bernie Moreno criticized the talks at a Washington, D.C. policy summit, and sources said Democrats and Republicans plan to meet on December 9. Committee leaders are considering a markup as early as December 17–18, though the schedule remains uncertain.

A public court filing dated Monday, December 8, shows US District Judge Paul Engelmayer seeking detailed information on the charges and potential sentences Do Kwon faces in South Korea and Montenegro. Kwon is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, December 11, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy. Defense attorneys have asked for a sentence of five years, while prosecutors are seeking at least twelve years.

On December 9, 2025, the CFTC launched a pilot program that allows Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC to be posted as margin collateral in U.S. derivatives markets, limiting their use to collateral for the first three months, according to the agency. The CFTC also cleared spot crypto trading on CFTC‑registered venues, and Bitnomial plans to introduce leveraged spot products this week.

Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority has granted three full licenses to Binance entities for an exchange, a recognized clearing house with custody, and a broker-dealer under Abu Dhabi Global Market, according to a Binance announcement. Binance expects to begin regulated operations on January 5, 2026, while retaining its Dubai virtual asset service provider license obtained in April 2024 and a $2 billion investment from MGX.

BitMine Immersion Technologies purchased $199 million worth of Ether in two transactions, expanding its total holdings to approximately $11.3 billion. The firm now controls 3.08% of all ETH in circulation and continues advancing toward its 5% ownership target.