[U.S. Congressman Keith Self Votes Against the National Defense Authorization Act Due to Concerns Over CBDC] U.S. Republican Congressman Keith Self tweeted that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are the ultimate tool for government surveillance and control over Americans' finances, granting the federal government the power to track, restrict, and even freeze transactions. Keith Self stated that ignoring financial privacy is unacceptable, which is why he voted against the National Defense Authorization Act and will continue to fight to ensure that CBDCs never come into existence.

[Vitalik Says Fileverse Has Reached a Reliable Level for Collaboration After Fixes] Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted on the X platform, expressing his impression of the decentralized open-source encrypted document tool Fileverse. He noted that after monthly bug fixes, it has reached a level where documents can be safely sent for others to comment on or collaborate with minimal issues. He believes there are more well-operated cases than people realize and pointed out that Fileverse has the advantage of being less dependent on network effects.

[U.S. House of Representatives Passes Defense Authorization Act Without CBDC Ban] The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday with a vote of 312-112, but it did not include the previously promised ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Republican Representative Keith Self accused the promise of being broken, as the amendment he submitted failed to advance. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for not fulfilling the commitment. The bill has been sent to the Senate, and Keith Self stated that he will continue to push for a CBDC ban in the next bill.

[Australia ASIC Eases Regulatory Exemptions for Stablecoins and Wrapped Tokens] The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has announced the finalization of a series of exemptions to make it easier for businesses to distribute stablecoins and wrapped tokens. ASIC is granting class exemptions to intermediaries engaged in specific secondary distribution activities, allowing businesses to act as intermediaries without needing individual licenses and to use omnibus accounts under proper record-keeping conditions. The new exemptions remove the requirement for intermediaries to hold a separate Australian Financial Services (AFS) license.

[The UK FCA Lists GBP Stablecoin Payments as a Priority for the New Year] The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that GBP-pegged stablecoins will be a key focus of its work in the coming year. FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi stated in a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the FCA plans to finalize digital asset regulations by 2026 and advance the issuance of GBP stablecoins in the UK. Currently, GBP-pegged stablecoins account for less than $6 million in the market, while the overall stablecoin market has reached $308 billion.