On Monday, options activity in the U.S. Treasury market surged as traders built large March positions tied to the 10-year note, with one structure carrying about $80 million in premium and open interest climbing 300% to 171,153 contracts. These trades target a move in the 10-year yield toward roughly 4%, while the 10-year benchmark closed near 4.171% and other Treasury maturities also inched higher as fresh auctions approached. Market volatility stayed subdued, with a key Treasury volatility gauge dropping to its lowest level in more than four years.

Italy's Competition Authority (AGCM) imposed a €98.6 million ($115 million) fine on Apple after a probe launched in May 2023, citing App Store policies tied to App Tracking Transparency. The 199-page ruling orders Apple to halt the conduct and report compliance within 90 days, while the company says it will appeal.

Venezuelan economist Asdrubal Oliveros said in a recent podcast that the country now collects roughly 80% of its crude oil export revenue in Tether's USDT and other stablecoins. PDVSA has required USDT payments for spot oil sales since March 2024, while Caracas struggles to convert growing stablecoin balances due to currency controls and sanctions. Despite these constraints and U.S. measures including a 25% tariff and tanker seizures, Venezuela's GDP reportedly increased from $102.38 billion in 2023 to $119.81 billion in 2024.

On December 22, 2025, Ghana’s parliament approved the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, effectively legalizing cryptocurrency-related activities under a new regulatory framework. The Bank of Ghana will license and oversee exchanges, wallets, and custody providers, while crypto remains non-legal tender and the cedi stays the only official currency. The move follows rapid growth in Ghana’s crypto usage and aligns the country with other Sub-Saharan African markets advancing formal regulation.

On 22 December, analysts pointed to XRP, Solana and Ethereum as standout crypto opportunities ahead of a potential 2026 uptrend, with technical gauges showing oversold or corrective conditions. XRP has corrected around 50% from its peak, SOL trades well below Ethereum's valuation despite higher reported revenue, and ETH remains significantly off its 2025 highs while holding key support zones.

Russia's Urals crude fell to about $34 a barrel on Friday, with Baltic loadings at $34.82 and Black Sea cargoes at $33.17, according to Argus Media. The slide widened the gap to Dated Brent near $61 as U.S. sanctions introduced in October made trade more difficult and pushed deeper export discounts.

US-focused digital asset funds logged $952 million in weekly outflows, with most withdrawals concentrated in Ethereum and Bitcoin products as the CLARITY Act faced fresh delays. Solana and XRP funds bucked the trend with tens of millions of dollars in inflows, even as total crypto ETP assets under management fell compared to the same point in 2024. Lawmakers now expect the Senate markup for the CLARITY Act in January 2026, pushing back earlier hopes the bill would be signed by the end of 2025.

In 2025, the Indian rupee has turned into Asia's weakest-performing currency as it dropped from 85.64 to 89.6 against the U.S. dollar, with some forecasts pointing to 92 by the end of March. Heavy foreign portfolio outflows, high U.S.-bound tariffs and uncertainty over a trade agreement with Washington have pressured the currency, even as the central bank has reportedly intervened to slow the decline. Analysts argue the rupee looks undervalued and see potential benefits for exports, but warn that prolonged weakness, policy uncertainty and investor caution could keep it under strain.