On December 16, 2025, Grayscale said in its 2026 Digital Asset Outlook that quantum computing is a long‑term challenge and will not threaten Bitcoin or broader crypto markets in 2026. The firm added that adoption, regulation, and capital flows will drive performance, while machines capable of breaking Bitcoin's cryptography are unlikely before 2030.

As of December 16, 2025, President Donald Trump's preferred candidate for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Hassett, is meeting resistance from senior advisers, lawmakers, and markets. According to reports, concerns over Fed independence have coincided with Kalshi odds shifting: Hassett at 51% versus more than 80% earlier this month, while Kevin Warsh has risen to 44% from around 11%.

On December 15, 2025, MetaMask introduced native Bitcoin support, enabling users to hold, buy, send, and swap BTC inside the wallet. The company said SegWit is supported with Taproot planned, and users may earn reward points under a $30 million community program. Purchases can be made via credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, or bank transfers.

Since early September, trading in credit default swaps linked to major US technology firms has risen by 90%, reflecting investor concern over bond-funded AI projects. Oracle has become a focal point, with its CDS costs climbing to their highest level since 2009 and its AI and data center debt load exceeding $100 billion. As companies such as Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Oracle turn from cash to borrowing to finance infrastructure, more investors are using single-name and basket CDS to hedge potential AI-related credit stress.

From 2027, the UK plans to bring crypto markets within a framework comparable to mainstream financial products under FCA oversight. The UK Treasury said legislation extending current financial services rules to crypto firms will be tabled in Parliament in the coming months. Ministers are also pursuing a proposal to outlaw political donations made in cryptocurrency.

Chinese automakers are cutting EV prices in Thailand to gain share, with BYD reducing the Seal by up to 38% and SAIC trimming the MG4 by about 27%. Subsidies launched in 2022 can reach 150,000 baht per vehicle, while EV deliveries rose more than 20% in October and November amid dealer margin pressure and cautious, delay-prone buyers.

Offshore yuan bond issuance has reached about 870 billion yuan ($123 billion) in 2025, marking a new annual peak after eight straight years of expansion. Issuers are increasingly selling long‑dated dim sum bonds to lock in China's relatively low interest rates, while investors rebalance away from dollar assets amid yuan appreciation. Policy measures such as the July expansion of Southbound Bond Connect are also supporting wider participation and sustained demand for yuan-denominated debt.

On Saturday, a social media discussion examined what might happen if a future quantum computer cracked Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin wallets holding about 1.1 million BTC and forced those coins onto the market. Participants highlighted that older pay-to-public-key addresses, including Satoshi's, reveal full public keys on-chain and are therefore more exposed to a quantum attack. Several experts argued Bitcoin likely has decades to move to quantum-safe addresses, suggesting the greater risk is a sharp price shock if large legacy holdings were suddenly spent.

On December 14, 2025, a report said President Donald Trump narrowed candidates for the next Federal Reserve chair to Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett. According to the report, betting venues and crypto‑linked prediction markets lifted Warsh’s implied odds from roughly 12% to above 38%, as traders anticipate a chair inclined toward faster rate cuts.