Token swaps let users exchange crypto assets on decentralized platforms using smart contracts and liquidity pools. They underpin DeFi activities including lending, staking, yield farming, and governance while giving beginners wallet‑based control without intermediaries. Swaps provide instant access across tokens, keeping liquidity flowing and making participation permissionless.

Indonesia's Financial Services Authority has published an official whitelist of 29 licensed crypto exchanges and platforms operating in the country, alongside stricter rules for digital asset derivatives. Under Regulation No. 23/2025, exchanges must avoid unapproved assets, use segregated margin mechanisms and require users to pass a knowledge test before trading derivatives, aiming to improve transparency and investor protection. The new framework is designed to give compliant platforms a competitive edge while supporting a more standardized and secure crypto market.

Hong Kong's Insurance Authority is assessing a proposal to permit insurers to hold cryptocurrencies and invest in infrastructure while applying a 100% capital charge. The review forms part of an overhaul of the risk‑based capital framework, with industry feedback under consideration and a public consultation expected. The high charge is intended to enable diversification while tightly containing risk.

In 2025, adoption of artificial intelligence has been linked to approximately 54,695 job cuts across the United States, with major technology companies driving much of the reduction. U.S. employers reported 71,321 layoffs in November alone and more than 1.17 million year-to-date, while firms such as Amazon and Microsoft have cited AI and broader restructuring as key factors in reshaping their workforces.

A crypto user reportedly lost close to $50 million in USDt in an address poisoning scam after copying a deceptive wallet address from past transactions, marking one of 2025's largest on-chain fraud losses. The victim had earlier sent a small test transfer to the correct address before mistakenly sending 49,999,950 USDt to the spoofed one. In reaction to rising crypto-related hacks and scams, U.S. lawmakers introduced the bipartisan SAFE Crypto Act to form a federal task force focused on curbing digital asset fraud and improving coordination among regulators and law enforcement.

U.S. lawmakers unveiled a discussion draft to exempt small stablecoin payments from capital gains reporting and defer taxation on staking and mining rewards. The plan sets a $200 threshold and allows up to five years of deferral, with safeguards such as price-band limits, exclusion of brokers and dealers, and Treasury oversight. It aims to align everyday digital asset use with established tax rules.

The Walt Disney Company agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and signed a three-year licensing arrangement that makes it Sora's first major content partner. The deal enables AI‑generated short videos and images featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, while Disney adopts OpenAI's APIs and rolls out ChatGPT for internal use.

On December 15, 2025, a New York federal judge allowed plaintiffs in the class action against Pump.fun and Solana to file a second amended complaint based on newly submitted evidence. The suit targets investors who bought tokens launched on Pump.fun from March 2024 and alleges an unfair market structure, securities law violations, RICO violations, and unjust enrichment. Plaintiffs say thousands of chat messages from a reestablished confidential source link individuals associated with Pump.fun, Solana Labs, Jito Labs, and others, and the court found the proposed amendments sufficient to move forward.

This explainer outlines the core terms new creators should learn before minting NFTs, covering wallets, smart contracts, royalties, gas fees, and token standards. It clarifies marketplace concepts like listings and floor price, plus safety topics such as phishing and rug pulls. Understanding this vocabulary helps first-time projects avoid costly missteps and launch with confidence.