Gold prices hit a historic high of $4383

The Federal Reserve is seeking public opinion on the "payment account," which aims to allow cryptocurrency and fintech companies to directly access the central bank system without typical approval. （Cointelegraph）

[18 U.S. Representatives Urge IRS to Resolve Double Taxation on Crypto Staking Before 2026] A bipartisan group of 18 members of the U.S. House of Representatives is pushing the U.S. tax authority to review cryptocurrency staking tax regulations before the start of 2026. Led by Republican Representative Mike Carey, the lawmakers sent a letter on Friday to Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent, requesting a review of the burdensome crypto staking tax laws and an update to the guidance. Carey stated that the letter aims to request fair tax treatment for digital assets, and ending the double taxation of staking rewards is an important step in the right direction. The letter suggests adjusting the timing of tax collection on staking rewards to the point of asset sale, ensuring that stakers pay taxes based on their actual economic gains.

[Upbit Announces Airdrop Trading Product] Upbit will airdrop trading products, with the airdrop scheduled for 2025-12-20 05:00 (UTC+8). Notes: - The airdrop will only be distributed to users who have completed identity verification; funds will not be credited before verification is completed. - The airdrop distribution is expected to be completed within 24 hours. - Snapshot time is from 21:00 to 22:00 on December 19, 2025.

[Hong Kong Insurance Authority Proposes New Regulations to Guide Insurance Funds into Crypto Assets and Infrastructure] The Hong Kong Insurance Authority has proposed new regulations to guide insurance funds into the crypto assets and infrastructure sectors. According to a presentation document dated December 4, a 100% risk capital requirement is proposed for crypto assets, while investment requirements for stablecoins will depend on the fiat currency pegged by Hong Kong's stablecoin regulations. The proposal is expected to undergo public consultation from February to April next year, followed by legislative submission. Additionally, the new regulations propose capital incentives for investments in infrastructure projects linked to Hong Kong, mainland China, or Hong Kong-based projects. As of 2024, the total premium income of Hong Kong's insurance industry is approximately HK$635 billion.

[Suspected early Ethereum holder 0xBilly stakes 3,598 ETH to Etherfi] Monitoring data from The Data Nerd shows that a suspected early Ethereum holder, 0xBilly, has staked 3,598 ETH (approximately $10.8 million) to Etherfi. This address has held these ETH for as long as 9 years.