Coursera said on Wednesday it will acquire Udemy in an all-stock transaction valuing the combined group at $2.5 billion. Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 Coursera shares per share, with Reuters estimating Udemy’s implied value at about $930 million and $6.35 per share. Coursera rose about 4% and Udemy jumped nearly 22%; the deal is targeted for the second half of next year, pending approvals.

On December 16, 2025, MP Raghav Chadha urged India's government in the Rajya Sabha to introduce a Tokenization Bill enabling fractional ownership of real estate, infrastructure, and intellectual property. In November, Maharashtra's chief minister said digitizing asset transfers could unlock an estimated ₹50 trillion in idle capital, while regulators continue limited pilots and caution.

On Dec. 17, Bitcoin’s failure to hold above $90,000 and persistent selling near intraday highs have prompted a reassessment of targets across major cryptocurrencies. Analysts are watching support around $81,500 for BTC and key resistance or breakdown levels on ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, DOGE, ADA, BCH, HYPE and LINK. Technical signals point to continued pressure, with several coins at risk of deeper pullbacks unless buyers reclaim moving averages and critical resistance zones.

On December 17, Ripple and AMINA Bank unveiled a partnership to integrate Ripple Payments for 24/7 real-time cross-border settlement, with AMINA described as the first European bank to adopt the service. The collaboration seeks to reduce correspondent-banking friction and improve stablecoin settlement capabilities for crypto-native enterprises.

Pudgy Penguins’ PENGU token has dropped about 80% from its peak near $0.04 and slid 20% to below $0.0097 after reports that the SEC sued Shima Capital and founder Yida Gao. The price has since bounced, but with PENGU down 66% over the past 2.5 months and memecoins historically weak in December, analysts say it must hold key support near $0.0093 and reclaim $0.013 to signal a more convincing recovery.

Bitwise Asset Management's 2026 outlook predicts U.S.-listed crypto ETFs could collectively buy more than 100% of newly issued BTC, ETH, and SOL in 2026. It cites flow trends since spot ETF launches in 2024 and activity on 16 December, when volumes stayed high despite net outflows, as evidence of persistent institutional demand.

On December 17, Bitcoin spiked about $3,300 in 30 minutes and then fell $3,400 within 45 minutes, triggering widespread liquidations. More than 120,000 traders saw nearly $400 million wiped out in 24 hours, including $310 million over the last 4 hours. The move ranged from $87,100 to $90,300.

BlackRock announced on Wednesday that it will give eligible U.S. employees $1,000 per child, mirroring the federal "Trump accounts" seed funding under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The national program, starting July 4, 2026, allows parents to contribute $5,000 a year and employers to add $2,500 tax free for children born between 2025 and 2028. Bank of New York Mellon and major donors including Michael Dell, Susan Dell, and Ray Dalio have also pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support these child investment accounts across the United States.