US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $457 million in net inflows on Wednesday, the largest daily total in more than a month. Fidelity's FBTC took in about $391 million and BlackRock's IBIT added roughly $111 million, lifting cumulative net inflows above $57 billion as institutions adjusted positioning amid changing US rate expectations.

India's competition regulator approved Coinbase's plan to take a minority stake in DCX Global, the parent of CoinDCX, on Wednesday. Coinbase resumed Indian user sign-ups last week after a two-year pause, and its latest funding disclosure was made in mid-October. CoinDCX previously reported a $44.2 million wallet-related breach in July with no customer funds affected.

MSCI is considering excluding companies with large crypto treasuries from its equity indexes, with a final decision expected by Jan. 15 and possible implementation in February 2026. Analysts estimate that passive funds could be forced to sell between $10 billion and $15 billion of crypto-linked exposure, with Strategy accounting for roughly three-quarters of the affected float-adjusted market capitalisation. JPMorgan projects Strategy alone might face $2.8 billion in outflows if removed, potentially adding pressure to already weakening crypto markets.

HashKey, described as Hong Kong’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, began trading on the HKEX main board on Wednesday after completing a $206 million IPO. The deal was sharply oversubscribed across retail and international tranches, but the first trading session saw the share price briefly rise before slipping below the IPO level. The offering, which sold 240 million shares and attracted nine cornerstone investors, is seen as part of a broader lineup of crypto firms targeting public listings in 2025.

On Dec. 17, Aave founder Stani Kulechov outlined a 2026 roadmap featuring the V4 upgrade, Horizon's tokenised real‑world asset lending, and a mobile app push. Horizon deposits are around $550 million after surpassing $50 million by Sept. 1, with a goal above $1 billion. The plan follows the SEC ending its investigation.

Bhutan plans to channel up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves into the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special administrative region launched in 2024. The country holds about 11,286 Bitcoin in total, ranking fifth among national holders, and aims to build the city in phases over 20 years with executive autonomy and legal independence. The project is intended to serve as an economic hub that supports sectors such as finance, tourism, green energy, and technology.

Singapore-based StraitsX plans to extend its XSGD and XUSD stablecoins to Solana by early 2026. The move targets automated payments and onchain SGD–USD exchange, with the pair having processed over $18 billion in onchain transactions. StraitsX operates under MAS oversight and is exploring a consumer pilot with Grab.

According to an SEC filing, the agency has begun reviewing Nasdaq's proposed rule to list and trade tokenized securities alongside traditional shares on the same order book. Settlement would still run through DTCC systems, with blockchain used for operational efficiency, and industry feedback is split as regulators weigh legal and operational risks.

Security researchers report a surge in social‑engineering scams using fake Zoom or Teams meetings to install malware that siphons data and drains crypto wallets. Attackers impersonate known contacts via Telegram, use pre‑recorded video, and push a bogus audio or SDK patch during calls. Losses have topped $300m, with attempts observed on a daily basis across the sector.