Stablecoin

According to local reports on December 21, the Bank of Korea sent an official document to major banks outlining a second-phase CBDC pilot focused on testing government subsidy payouts in digital currency. The first phase, run with seven banks for three months, was suspended after criticism over limited utility and costs in billions of won.

In 2025, Ethereum has dropped roughly 12% YTD even as its Mainnet settles about $90–100 billion in stablecoin transfers per day. According to OnChainHQ’s Leon Waidmann, most flows are USDT and USDC for payments, treasury moves, and settlement. Charts shared on X indicate whales are adding near the realized price, signaling confidence despite weak price action.

Binance has crossed 300 million registered accounts eight years after its July 2017 launch, supported by deep liquidity, fast listings and diversified stablecoin markets. A Binance report researched by Kaiko highlights how robust infrastructure, structural market improvements, and developments such as Bitcoin spot ETFs and Europe’s MiCA regulation have attracted both retail and institutional traders. Recent data also show Binance processing significantly higher daily volumes than major rivals, with tight spreads and resilient order books during volatile periods.

On Dec. 18, David Sacks said Sens. Tim Scott and John Boozman confirmed a CLARITY Act markup for January 2026. The article notes that key DeFi sections and the definition of "security" remain bracketed in Senate drafts, and most rules would be written over 360 days to 18 months after enactment.

On December 21, 2025 in San Francisco, Gem Wallet announced a unified USDT infrastructure across 10+ chains, adding integrated swaps, bridges, and anti-scam protections. The self-custody, open-source app supports Tron, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and TON, with biometric security and address-poisoning alerts. Availability spans iOS, Android, and web, with fiat on/off-ramps via MoonPay, Paybis, and Transak.

On 21 December 2025, Mercado Bitcoin released a study showing Brazil's average crypto investment per user now exceeds $1,000, with typical holdings around 5,700 Brazilian reais. The report also highlights rising diversification, stronger stablecoin usage, and that digital fixed-income products distributed roughly $325 million to investors in 2025.

On 21 December 2025, a discussion draft from Representatives Max Miller and Steven Horsford outlined proposed changes to how everyday crypto use is taxed in the United States. The plan would exempt up to $200 in qualifying stablecoin payments from capital gains calculations and allow certain staking and mining rewards to be deferred for tax purposes for as long as five years. The draft emphasizes routine payments and reward income rather than speculative trading, while maintaining anti-abuse rules and Treasury oversight.

US Representatives Max Miller and Steven Horsford have released a discussion draft of the Digital Asset PARITY Act that would create a limited tax safe harbor for certain stablecoin payments. The bill would exempt regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin transactions under $200 from capital gains tax and offer an optional five-year deferral on staking and mining rewards. It also seeks to extend several existing securities tax rules to crypto assets and is slated to apply the stablecoin exemption to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

U.S. Reps. Max Miller (Ohio) and Steven Horsford (Nevada) proposed a de minimis tax exemption for stablecoin payments of $200 or less. In July 2025, Sen. Cynthia Lummis advanced a similar $300 threshold that failed to pass. Banks oppose 3%-4% stablecoin yields, while industry leaders, including Tyler Winklevoss, are pushing back.

Ripple is steering the XRP Ledger toward institutional-grade, protocol-native lending focused on fixed-term, fixed-rate facilities with isolated risk. The architecture centers on Single Asset Vaults for assets such as XRP and RLUSD, enabling yield generation tied to payments and trading workflows. Amendments for governance are expected to enter validator voting in late January.