On December 11, 2025, dYdX launched its first spot markets, allowing U.S. traders to access Solana-based spot trading for the first time. dYdX Labs said all spot trading fees will be waived for the entire month of December, and the platform cites more than $1.5 trillion in cumulative derivatives trading volume since launch.

On December 11, 2025, Aster said on X it is partnering with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to list the USD1‑denominated RAVE/USD1 pair and launch "Rocket Launch Round 4" with a 1.5x symbol boost in Stage 4 Harvest. The exchange also flagged plans for additional USD1 pairs across its ecosystem, while recent updates include a Brevis zero‑knowledge integration and zero‑fee stock perpetual contracts, according to Cryptopolitan.

LI.FI, a cross-chain bridging protocol for on-chain swaps, has secured a $29 million Series A extension co-led by Multicoin Capital and CoinFund, bringing its total funding to $51.7 million. The company plans to use the new capital to scale operations, build infrastructure for AI agents and stablecoins, and launch an open intent and solver marketplace in Q1 2026.

In November, Brazil's central bank began enforcing a rule that bars Nubank from using the "bank" label in its domestic branding because the country's largest fintech does not hold a banking license. Nubank, which serves 110 million customers and is valued at more than $80 billion, is now considering buying a smaller licensed institution such as Banco Digimais SA to avoid the lengthy licensing process. Regulators have tightened rules as they move to close loopholes and address rising fraud risks in Brazil's fast-growing fintech sector.

Coinbase has selected Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol as the exclusive bridge for its wrapped assets, including cbBTC, cbETH, cbDOGE, cbLTC, cbADA, and cbXRP. The token set is valued at about $7 billion. Launched in beta in 2023, CCIP is designed to streamline deployment of these assets to additional blockchains.

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.

Nexo said it has agreed to acquire Argentina-based Buenbit to support a regulated expansion across Argentina, Peru, and Mexico, with the deal still subject to regulatory approval. Buenbit, which is registered with Argentina’s securities regulator (CNV), has processed more than $2 billion in volume and added over 40,000 active users in the final months of 2025, according to the company. Clients are expected to gain access to Nexo’s savings, credit, and trading products once the transaction closes.

Tokenized gold has exceeded $4 billion in market value, with products such as PAX Gold and Tether Gold increasingly used for savings and wealth protection in regions facing currency devaluation and limited banking access, according to CoinGecko data. New partnerships and platforms in Africa, Asia, and Sub‑Saharan markets are enabling fractional gold ownership, faster cross‑border transfers, and FX swaps. At the same time, regulatory uncertainty, custodial risk, and limited user education remain major obstacles to wider adoption.