Bloomberg, citing Artemis Analytics, reported on Friday that global stablecoin payment flows totaled $33 trillion in 2025, a 72% year-over-year increase. USDC led by transaction value at $18.3 trillion, while USDT handled US$13.3 trillion and remained the largest by market cap at $187 billion. Artemis also noted Q4 2025 volumes reached $11 trillion versus $8.8 trillion in Q3.

On January 8, 2026, Bitmine staked 109,504 ETH valued at $344.44 million, according to Onchain Lens. The move followed an earlier 19,200 ETH stake and brought the firm's total to 908,192 ETH worth $2.95 billion. Bitmine began staking on Dec. 26 and says it aims to acquire 5% of circulating ETH.

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.

Japan's 2026 tax reform blueprint introduces a flat 20% levy on qualifying crypto asset gains, replacing current rates that can reach up to 55%. The change will apply only to "specified crypto assets" handled by businesses listed in the Financial Instruments Business Operator Registry and will add a three-year loss carryover system from 2026.

The People's Bank of China issued an action plan to upgrade the digital yuan's management and infrastructure, with a next-generation CBDC framework slated to launch on January 1, 2026. Deputy Governor Lu Lei said the central bank will provide technical support and oversight, and banks operating digital yuan wallets will pay interest based on customers' balances.

Vladimir Putin said the United States and Russia are discussing joint management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, claiming Washington is interested in using its electricity for Bitcoin mining. Ukraine and international bodies have rejected any arrangement excluding Kyiv as illegal.

Trust Wallet reported a security issue affecting its browser extension v2.68 on December 25 and urged users to disable it and update to v2.69. Hundreds of accounts saw unauthorized outflows totaling over $6 million across SOL, BTC, and EVM tokens. Funds moved through multiple addresses, while mobile-only users were not affected.

According to Binance exchange data, Bitcoin plunged to about $24,111 on the BTC/USD1 pair and snapped back to $87,000 within seconds, a dislocation isolated to USD1. Analysts say BTC is consolidating in a descending triangle below the 21MA, with a decisive breakout or breakdown needed to confirm the next direction.

On December 24, 2025, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan confirmed that the som-backed stablecoin KGST has been listed on the global crypto exchange Binance and operates on BNB Chain. The token, backed 1:1 by the national currency, is expected to support the country's cross-border payments and expand its footprint in the digital asset market, alongside a new gold-backed USD-pegged stablecoin USDKG.