Stocks

Circle obtained authorization from Abu Dhabi Global Market to run USDC-related money services on 9 December 2025. The company appointed former Visa executive Saeeda Jaffar to lead growth across the Middle East and Africa. Abu Dhabi continues licensing firms including Tether, Ripple, Binance and Bybit.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted a net outflow of $60.48 million on Monday, with BlackRock's IBIT taking in $28.76 million while GBTC and FBTC shed $44.03 million and $39.44 million respectively, according to SoSoValue. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded a $35.5 million net inflow the same day. XRP ETFs have amassed more than $900 million since launching last month, including $38.04 million in inflows on Monday.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has ended its multi‑year investigation into New York–based tokenization platform Ondo Finance without bringing enforcement action, removing a major legal overhang for the firm, according to the company. The probe, launched in October 2023 under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler and carried into 2024, examined whether certain tokenized real‑world assets and the ONDO token complied with federal securities laws. With the case now closed, market focus is shifting to how quickly regulators will issue detailed rules that could support large‑scale tokenized equity and bond offerings in the US.

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.

From 2024 through mid‑2025, investors are combining regulated Bitcoin ETFs with self‑custody. Multiple months saw $4B–$6B in spot ETF inflows, with net assets nearing $140B by July 2025, according to SoSoValue. AMBCrypto reported 171 negative days in 2025 and over 1 million BTC held by corporate treasuries.

On Dec. 8, 2025, Strategy said it purchased 10,624 BTC, one of its largest weekly buys in recent months, funded mainly with new MSTR common stock and STRD preferred equity. It now holds 660,624 BTC at an average cost of $74,696 per coin. MSTR trades around $178 near a one‑month low amid continued equity dilution and an upcoming MSCI index decision.

A 43,033 BTC transfer worth about $3.9 billion was flagged on Sunday by Whale Alert and represents settlement capital for Twenty One (XXI), led by Jack Mallers. The funds were moved from escrow into the company’s custody ahead of its NYSE listing on December 9. Bitcoin traded around $92,100 after the move.

Whale Alert flagged an on-chain transfer of 43,033 BTC worth about $3.93 billion, with intelligence dashboards clustering the receiving address to Twenty One. Jack Mallers said the firm plans to start trading on December 9 and will move "over 43,500 Bitcoin out of escrow and into our custody," describing the shift as a custody realignment.

On December 8, 2025, Harvard Management Company signaled a reshaping of its endowment. The allocation puts Bitcoin ahead of gold. BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF is the largest single holding, while exposure to SPDR Gold Shares ranks below major tech stocks. The tilt shows a two-to-one preference for the digital asset.

On December 7, 2025, Robinhood Markets agreed to acquire PT Buana Capital Sekuritas and PT Pedagang Aset Kripto in Indonesia. The transactions are expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to approval by the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK). The move targets a large local retail base, with 19 million capital market investors and about 17 million crypto investors in the country.