Thursday December 18, 2025
Crypto Platforms Deep Into Wall Street Waters
The line between crypto platforms and traditional capital markets is continuing to blur. What started with tokenized equities now moves decisively into full scale stock trading. In 2025, crypto firms evolved from niche infrastructure providers into credible financial competitors, pairing global distribution with rapid product execution.
This shift sets the stage for 2026, where incumbents will face real pressure from crypto native platforms that move faster, operate continuously, and attract a new generation of investors. Expect consolidation to accelerate as acquisitions become the fastest path to licenses, liquidity, and scale. The market structure playbook is changing, and the next phase centers on who controls distribution, order flow, and trust.
◾ Coinbase $COIN reveals stock trading + prediction markets (CNBC)
◾ Hut 8 $HUT signs $7B lease for AI data center (Hut8)
◾ Sen Sanders (D-MA) calls for moratorium on data center construction (X)
Government & NGO Actions
◾ Fed withdraws crypto restrictions (FederalReserve.gov)
◾ SEC issues crypto custody guidance (Sec.gov)
◾ Southern Siberia to ban crypto mining in 2026 (Kommersant)
◾ Sens Slotkin (D-MI) + Moran (R-KS) introduce crypto scam crack down bill (Senate.gov)
◾ Sens Blumenthal (D-CT) + Blackburn (R-TN) flag risks from AI toys (Senate.gov)
◾ CA Gov launches AI council (DesertSun)
◾ CA Gov labels CZ + Ross Ulbricht as Trump criminal cronies (Gov.ca.gov)
◾ NOAA rolls out AI weather models (Noaa.gov)
Financial Notices & Public Company Releases
◾ Operation updates:
CIMG $IMG + 230 BTC | BTC held 730 (PRNewswire)
Restructuring, Hacks, Losses & Legal Updates
◾ Former FTX-CEO Caroline Ellison set for early release (Bop.gov)
Crypto Protocols, Applications & Business News
◾ Securitize to launch tokenized stock trading (Securitize)
◾ DTCC plans tokenized custodied Treasury securities (DTCC)
◾ Coinbase $COIN to take stake in India’s CoinDCX (X)
◾ Coinbase $COIN rolls out tokenization platform (X)
◾ Binance in talks to trim CZ’s stake (Bloomberg)
◾ Valour $DEFT launches leveraged BTC + ETH ETPs on Spotlight (PRNewswire)
◾ World Liberty Financial plan stablecoin treasury buy (WorldLibertyFinancial)
AI Models, Applications & Developments
◾ Blue Owl $OWL skips backing Oracle’s $ORCL $10B MI data center (FT)
◾ Amazon $AMZN AI chief exits (CNBC)
◾ Tencent $TCEHY names ex OpenAI researcher as Chief AI Scientist (Bloomberg)
◾ FTC probes Instacart $CART over AI-pricing tool (CNBC)
◾ Hollywood insiders form creators coalition on AI (HollywoodReporter)
The Attention Economy, Gaming & Interactive Shifts
◾ FIFA to return on Netflix $NFLX (Netflix)
◾ Unity $U plans $250k+ annual fee for enterprise users (MobileGamer.biz)
◾ The 2029 Oscars shift from Disney $DIS to YouTube (CNBC)