Wallet

On Friday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released an investor bulletin on crypto wallets and custody, outlining basic practices and key risks. The guide contrasts self-custody with third-party arrangements, flags issues like rehypothecation and asset commingling, and explains hot-versus-cold wallet trade-offs.

YouTube has added PayPal's PYUSD as an opt in payout rail for eligible US creators, according to Fortune. The workflow issues earnings, makes them available via PayPal Hyperwallet, and lets creators cash out to PYUSD, with the stablecoin's market cap around $3.91 billion and YouTube's creator payments exceeding $100 billion in four years.

On December 12, 2025, the front-end of the ZEROBASE zero-knowledge proving network was hijacked, leading to more than 270 users losing over $240,000 in USDT via a phishing smart contract on BNB Chain. One victim alone lost 123,597 USDT, while security teams later identified the malicious contract, blocked related domains and blacklisted approvals to limit further damage.

On 12 December 2025, Save the Children launched a Bitcoin-focused aid fund to accelerate relief delivery. The charity plans to pool donated BTC for up to four years before deployment, with custody and operations handled by Fortris. Pilot programs will test Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital wallets to cut intermediaries and reduce delays.

Tools for Humanity unveiled a major World App update on Thursday in San Francisco, adding end-to-end encrypted World Chat, DeFi yields via Morpho and QR-based payments at more than one million merchants in Argentina. The app also expanded stablecoin support to USDC and EURC and introduced USD virtual accounts in 18 countries powered by Bridge.

On 12 December 2025, ADNOC Distribution is piloting AE Coin payments via Al Maryah Community Bank's AEC Wallet. The rollout spans nearly 1,000 fuel and retail locations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, enabling instant settlement at pumps and stores. AE Coin is licensed by the UAE Central Bank and fully backed by dirhams.

On December 11, 2025, World, Sam Altman's biometric identity project, unveiled an app update adding end-to-end encrypted chat and in-chat crypto payments. The announcement said World Wallet supports USDC, EURC, wrapped Bitcoin and Ethereum, plus 100+ tokens, and introduces virtual accounts for send, deposit and withdraw. Altman and CEO Alex Blania outlined privacy features at a San Francisco event.

On December 11, 2025, World rolled out a major app update adding end‑to‑end encrypted messaging and expanded crypto payments. The release, presented at the company's San Francisco office with Sam Altman and CEO Alex Blania, also introduces virtual bank accounts and peer‑to‑peer transfers that do not require a World ID.

Save the Children announced a Bitcoin Fund on December 11 to hold BTC donations for multiple years and pilot blockchain payment tools where traditional banking falls short. Built with Fortris, the fund allows the NGO to time conversions and run trials using digital wallets, vouchers, and stablecoin distributions. The organization accepted its first bitcoin in 2013 and by early 2024 had raised nearly $8 million.

On 11 December 2025, Klarna began a research collaboration with Privy to explore how a consumer-focused crypto wallet could fit into its long-term financial ecosystem. The Swedish fintech, valued at just over $12 billion, is examining wallet infrastructure and user experience after launching its KlarnaUSD stablecoin with Tempo and Bridge. At the same time, Klarna is expanding Apple Pay support, membership tiers and international retail and travel partnerships to broaden its payments footprint.