On Tuesday, Tesla's TSLA shares climbed 3.1% to end the session at $489.88, marking a fresh all-time high and the second consecutive record close. The stock is now up 21% for the year after a 36% plunge in the first quarter, while Tesla's market value has reached $1.63 trillion amid excitement over driverless vehicle tests in Austin and ongoing political and sales headwinds.

On December 16 2025, the FDIC board approved the first proposal detailing how insured banks and state nonmember institutions must apply to issue payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. The framework explains subsidiary requirements, filing procedures, evaluation timelines, and an appeal process, while opening a 60‑day public comment period once published in the Federal Register. In parallel, major Wall Street banks have issued over $530 million in Bitcoin‑linked structured notes and have begun offering Ether‑based products to meet growing institutional demand.

On December 16, 2025, the SEC under President Trump concluded a four-year investigation into Aave Labs, a case dating back to 2021. Aave founder Stani Kulechov announced the closure on X, and soon after, a governance proposal urged AAVE holders to assert DAO control over the Aave brand, domains, social channels, and developer gateways.

On December 16, 2025, SRx Health Solutions announced plans to acquire EMJ Crypto Technologies, with Eric Jackson slated to become CEO if the deal closes early next year. Jackson is building a multi‑asset, options‑hedged crypto treasury that may hold Bitcoin, Ether and select stocks, while Keystone Capital Partners pledged up to $1 billion for 2.5 billion shares.

In 2025, UK adult crypto ownership fell to about 8%, down from 12% in 2024, even though Bitcoin briefly reached $126,251 in early October. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, overall awareness stayed at 91% and the share of holders with £1,001–£5,000 in crypto grew, while small accounts under £100 declined. Lawmakers are increasingly engaging with the sector as the FCA consults on a broad rulebook that would introduce licensing from 2026 and full regulations in 2027.

On December 16, 2025, Nasdaq said it will submit an SEC filing to enable 23-hour, five-day trading with new day and night sessions, targeting a second-half 2026 launch. The exchange cites $17 trillion in foreign holdings and rising overnight demand; DTCC’s nonstop clearing is required by end-2026.

Chinese battery and power‑equipment stocks have rallied in 2025 as AI data centers ramp up procurement. CATL shares are up 45% and Sungrow has climbed 130%, while Shenzhen's CSI New Energy index has gained 38%. Export demand and pricing power are lifting profits as domestic competition keeps margins thin.

On December 15 2025, Circle announced an agreement to acquire the entire Interop Labs team along with its proprietary technology, with the transaction expected to close in early 2026. The company plans to use this acquisition to expand its Arc enterprise L1 chain and CCTP cross-chain transfer protocol so that digital assets can move efficiently across more than 100 blockchains. Axelar Network, the Axelar Foundation, the AXL token and their community-led governance will remain independent, while Common Prefix will assume Interop Labs' previous Axelar responsibilities.

On December 15 2025, Tesla's market capitalization climbed to about $1.5 trillion after adding roughly $900 billion in value since April 2025, with TSLA rising around 4% and trading just below its prior $488.54 high. The rally followed viral footage of Robotaxi trials in Austin without a safety driver and renewed optimism from analysts about Cybercab production in 2026 and wider rollout of Tesla's autonomous services. Strong reviews of the latest FSD release further supported expectations for an AI-driven revaluation of the company.