Stablecoin

Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad cautioned U.S. lawmakers that restricting interest rewards on U.S.-issued stablecoins could hand China and other rivals a strategic edge. He linked his warning to China's plan for commercial banks to pay interest on e-CNY from January 1, 2026, and to the rapid growth in digital yuan transactions. Shirzad argued that tokenization and competitive incentives are critical if the U.S. dollar and U.S. financial system are to maintain their global primacy.

China's PBOC will permit commercial banks to pay interest on e‑CNY balances, with the framework taking effect Jan. 1, 2026. In the US, banks and crypto firms split over enforcing the GENIUS Act's ban on stablecoin yields, and Dec. 18 letters intensified the dispute. A Coinbase executive warns restrictions could weaken the dollar's digital competitiveness.

Binance will remove FDUSD cross- and isolated-margin pairs on January 6, covering ADA/FDUSD, AVAX/FDUSD, LINK/FDUSD, BCH/FDUSD, TAO/FDUSD, LTC/FDUSD and SUI/FDUSD. The exchange did not provide a reason. Cardano fell 3.5% on December 30, while other non-stablecoin assets showed limited immediate reaction.

The United States, under President Trump, is moving toward a pro‑crypto framework, with a Senate hearing on the Crypto Market Structure Act expected in January 2026 and California's Digital Asset Act slated for July. A potential Fed chair change on May 15 and the stablecoin GENIUS Act deadline on July 18 could shape compliance and liquidity. BTC is $88,413.97, per CoinMarketCap.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission plans to cap individual voting-share ownership at 15–20% for Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit, with mandatory divestments above the limit. Updated December 30, 2025 at 9:50 PM UTC, the proposal would affect stakes such as Song Chi-hyung's ~25% in Dunamu and Bithumb Holdings' 73%. Industry groups warn of market and property-rights concerns.

On 30 December 2025, Russia's central bank outlined a tiered framework for domestic digital financial assets, according to Coindoo. Non-qualified retail investors will face an annual cap of 600,000 rubles starting in 2026, with limited access to macro-linked instruments. Regulators also signaled potential issuance on public blockchains to attract foreign capital.

TRON's native token traded above $0.28 after Tron Inc. said it secured an $18 million strategic equity investment from founder Justin Sun via Black Anthem Limited at $1.3775 per share. As of December 30, 2025, TRX ticked above $0.286 with over $560 million in 24-hour volume, while market sentiment remained volatile.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Ethereum's onchain development hit an all-time high with 8.7 million new smart contracts deployed, according to Token Terminal. The surge was primarily linked to real-world asset tokenization, stablecoin usage and infrastructure projects, even as Ether's price hovered near $3,000 after retreating from levels close to $5,000 earlier in the year. Ethereum also continues to dominate RWA deployments and hosts more than half of the $307 billion stablecoin supply in circulation.

World Liberty Financial's WLFI token has bounced 8% over the past week after a month of declines, with traders now eyeing a potential 2026 breakout toward the post-launch ceiling at $0.245. The renewed optimism is tied to fresh adoption efforts for the USD1 stablecoin, including up to 20% APR on Binance Earn and a community vote to allocate 5% of the project's digital asset treasury to incentives. Technical indicators such as a symmetrical triangle pattern, RSI strength, and a supportive $0.13 demand zone underpin the bullish scenario, while some investors also look to Maxi Doge as an alternative high-risk 2026 play.

The People's Bank of China plans to allow commercial banks to pay interest on digital yuan (e-CNY) wallet balances starting January 2026, marking a shift from a pure "digital cash" model toward a deposit-like framework. The updated CBDC design adds value storage and cross-border payment features, which could enhance domestic adoption and position the digital yuan as a more versatile instrument in international finance. Analysts note that these interest-bearing wallets may compete with traditional bank deposits while still requiring strong public trust and cybersecurity safeguards.