U.S. auto safety regulators opened a defect investigation into Tesla Model 3 emergency door releases, focusing on 179,071 sedans from the 2022 model year. The review follows a petition by owner Kevin Clouse, who says he escaped a 2023 fire by breaking a rear window, and will assess whether the manual lever is hidden or unlabeled.

On December 22, 2025, Metaplanet shareholders unanimously approved equity measures at an extraordinary meeting to pursue a 210,000 BTC treasury by end-2027. At current prices, the target is about $18.5 billion, supported by new Class A and Class B shares featuring floating rates, quarterly dividends, and buyback mechanisms intended to fund additional Bitcoin acquisitions while deferring immediate dilution.

Initial U.S. jobless claims came in at 214,000 for the week ending Dec. 20, down 10,000 from the prior period and below a 224,000 forecast, according to the Labor Department. Continuing claims rose to 1.92 million, while the Conference Board said December consumer confidence fell to 89.1 from 92.9, marking a fifth consecutive monthly decline.

In March, Lip-Bu Tan became Intel's CEO and by August had turned a Truth Social attack from President Donald Trump into a $5.7 billion U.S. government equity investment that made the country Intel's largest shareholder. Tan, a veteran investor with extensive China ties, used endorsements from major tech leaders, agreed to an equity-for-CHIPS structure, and simultaneously launched aggressive internal cost cuts and new chip manufacturing strategies. These moves reshaped Intel's political leverage in the global chip race and lifted its share price significantly since his appointment.

By December 24, 2025, US regulators under the Trump administration and Paul Atkins' SEC had begun expanding retail access to crypto and private credit, including within retirement plans. New spot crypto ETFs and interval funds are being fast-tracked, with expectations that more than 100 additional crypto ETFs could launch by 2026, raising concerns among advisors that everyday investors may not understand the complex risks and liquidity issues involved.

US exchange-traded funds amassed $1.4 trillion of net inflows in 2025, with more than 1,000 new products debuting and trading activity reaching annual highs. On December 23, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $189 million net outflow, led by BlackRock’s IBIT at $157 million, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw $95.52 million exit.

On December 24, 2025, Oracle, Meta, xAI, and CoreWeave were channeling more than $120 billion of AI data center spending off balance sheet through SPVs. Highlights include Meta's $30 billion Hyperion vehicle in October and Oracle's packages of $13 billion, $38 billion, and $18 billion for sites in Texas, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, with assets leased back to the firms.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump said anyone who rejects his approach to interest rates and the broader U.S. economy would not be chosen to lead the Federal Reserve. In a Truth Social post, he argued strong markets should not trigger hikes and cited 4.2% GDP, while Kevin Hassett pressed for quicker easing after the Fed's Dec. 10 quarter‑point cut.

On Tuesday, global oil benchmarks inched higher, with Brent crude at $62.13 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $58.03, following a sharp rally the previous day. Prices were constrained as concerns over disruptions from Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure clashed with forecasts of excess supply into early 2026. President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. will retain or possibly sell seized Venezuelan oil tankers, while U.S. gasoline prices fell to their lowest December levels since 2021 amid an expected record holiday travel season.