Stocks

Santiment said on Tuesday that Bitcoin is underperforming gold and the S&P 500 since early November, with gold up 9%, the S&P 500 up 1%, and BTC down 20%. Analysts noted BTC was around $88,000 as of Wednesday, and believe 2026 could present an opportunity for crypto to narrow the gap.

In December, the Federal Reserve's dot plot showed disagreement on 2026 policy, while the Dec. 10 move lowered the target range to 3.5%–3.75%. According to CME Group, investors see a 20% chance of a 25 bp cut in January and 45% in mid-March, with analysts debating one to two cuts and potential impacts on crypto flows.

On December 31, 2025, the China EV landscape was described as consolidating amid intensifying price competition. In 2025, Tesla’s sales fell 7.4% and BYD’s declined 5.1%, with BYD’s November down 26.5%. Analysts highlighted market concentration and prolonged discounting, while Geely, BYD and Volkswagen accelerated overseas expansion and local development plans for 2026.

Prenetics Global said it stopped adding Bitcoin to its treasury as of Dec 4 and will keep its existing 510 BTC, valued at about $45 million. Announced on Tuesday, the board is prioritizing its IM8 nutrition brand, which reached $100 million in recurring revenue within 11 months and is projected at $160–$200 million in 2026.

On Tuesday, Bitcoin traded around $88,224, up 1.12%, while Ethereum hovered near $2,967 as major altcoin volumes slid to their lowest levels of 2025. Over the weekend, BitMine Immersion Technologies staked 342,560 ETH, worth about $1 billion, tightening Ethereum's validator entry queue. At the same time, a proposed 5% annual tax on net wealth above $1 billion in California, including unrealized crypto gains, has raised concerns about capital outflows from the state's digital asset sector.

On December 30, the New York Stock Exchange listed five America-first Truth Social-themed ETFs managed by Yorkville America Equities under Trump Media & Technology Group Corp.'s Truth.Fi brand. Built on MarkerVector indexes and focused on U.S. strength and "Made in America" priorities, the lineup includes tickers TSSD, TSFN, TSIC, TSES, and TSRS.

Chinese authorities now require chip manufacturers to prove that at least 50% of their production equipment is domestically made before approving new plant construction or expansion. According to people familiar with the process, this unwritten rule is enforced through procurement reviews and has accelerated since U.S. export controls tightened in 2023, pushing fabs toward local suppliers and boosting sales at firms such as Naura and AMEC.

Prenetics Global Limited paused its Bitcoin treasury purchases on Dec. 4 and will not add more BTC as it reallocates capital to grow IM8. The firm retains 510 BTC and over $70 million in cash; IM8 has topped $100 million in annualized recurring revenue within 11 months. Prenetics' shares fell 3.32% Tuesday, per Google Finance.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve's December 9-10 meeting show a 9-3 vote for a 0.25% rate cut to a 3.5%-3.75% target range, but reveal sharp divisions over the pace of future easing. Some officials viewed the move as a finely balanced choice and favor holding rates while inflation remains elevated, while others point to rising unemployment and softer price data as reasons to move toward further cuts.

On December 29, seven digital yuan–linked stocks saw net inflows above 100 million yuan, as investors added over $188 million, according to Securities Times. The move follows the PBOC's plan to allow e-CNY wallet interest beginning January 1, 2026, with Lakala leading at 371 million yuan. Top shareholders in related firms now hold 1.89 billion yuan in market value.