The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission withdrew its 2020 "actual delivery" guidance for Bitcoin and other virtual currencies on December 11, citing market maturity, according to Acting Chair Caroline Pham. Days earlier, the agency cleared spot crypto trading on U.S. futures exchanges. On December 8, it began a pilot allowing Bitcoin, Ether and USDC to serve as derivatives collateral under weekly reporting.

On December 10, 2025, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released preliminary findings from a review of debanking practices at nine major national banks. The agency said internal policies in place from 2020 to 2023 imposed inappropriate restrictions on lawful sectors, including digital-asset firms, according to the OCC. It added that supervisory investigations into the banks' practices are ongoing.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood told Fox Business on Tuesday that large institutional investors are reshaping Bitcoin’s long-term pattern, weakening the historic four-year halving cycle. She said past 75%–90% crashes are giving way to shallower pullbacks as ETFs, corporate treasuries, and other regulated products lock up supply. Analysts are split, with some declaring the cycle "dead" while others present data suggesting the current market structure still lines up with prior multi‑year peaks.

At a Tuesday policy summit, Rep. Max Miller said he expects a comprehensive U.S. crypto tax bill to advance before the August 2026 congressional recess, after circulating a draft among House Ways and Means Committee members. He and Rep. Steven Horsford are developing provisions to simplify reporting, consider small-transaction relief, and align new exchange reporting rules with forthcoming IRS requirements and international standards such as CARF. The IRS has increased warning letters to investors. Centralized exchanges are due to begin issuing 1099-DA forms on January 1, 2026.

Canada’s tax authority has stepped up crypto enforcement by focusing a probe on 2,500 Dapper Labs users linked to about C$72 million ($54 million) in suspected unpaid taxes, according to The Canadian Press. A court approved an “unnamed persons requirement” in September allowing officials to obtain user data. Despite recovering more than C$100 million through crypto audits over the past three years, the agency has not brought criminal charges in any crypto tax case since 2020.

State Representative Kyle Pierce filed House Bill 1042 on Thursday, requiring cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund options in Indiana's public retirement programs. The legislation also bars local governments from imposing unreasonable restrictions on digital asset activities, including self-custody, payments, and mining operations.

On-chain investigator ZachXBT reported on December 5 that a British individual allegedly connected to the $243M Genesis creditor Bitcoin theft may have been apprehended in Dubai. Approximately $18.58M in cryptocurrency has reportedly been seized and held in a single Ethereum wallet. Dubai authorities have not issued official confirmation of any arrest or seizure.

The International Monetary Fund published a comprehensive stablecoin assessment on December 5, 2025, warning that inconsistent national regulations are creating structural obstacles for oversight and cross-border payments. The fund called for harmonized definitions, uniform reserve requirements, and coordinated supervision as the market exceeds $300 billion. Divergent national frameworks allow issuers to operate from jurisdictions with lighter oversight while serving users in stricter markets, undermining authorities' capacity to monitor reserves and compliance.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has authorized spot cryptocurrency trading on federally regulated futures exchanges in the United States. Acting Chair Caroline Pham announced Thursday that registered exchanges can now list spot crypto products, according to guidance from the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. The move follows coordination among U.S. regulators and marks a historic expansion of the agency's oversight to include direct asset purchases and sales.