Weekly Recap | Japan Raises Rates as Expected, CLARITY Act Nears Review, Echobit Christmas Campaign
2025.12.22
Weekly Overview (Dec 15 – Dec 21)
Last week, following the December rate decision that confirmed the current tightening cycle has reached its conclusion, market attention gradually shifted back to fundamentals. The crypto market remained in a low-range consolidation phase. Bitcoin showed limited rebound momentum, while downside support remained fragile. Trading volume failed to expand meaningfully, with BTC largely oscillating around the $89,000 level amid ongoing liquidity tightening.
As year-end approaches, institutional settlements, portfolio rebalancing, and macroeconomic data volatility may further amplify short-term market fluctuations. This recap highlights the key developments from the past week and outlines the major trends and events to watch in the week ahead.
Market Pulse
Tether CEO confirmed the development of an AI-integrated mobile crypto wallet
Citigroup forecast that Bitcoin could reach $143,000 over the next year
Terraform Labs’ bankruptcy administrator filed a $4 billion claim against Jump
The Bank of Japan raised interest rates by 25 basis points as expected
Bitwise submitted an S-1 registration statement to the U.S. SEC for a SUI ETF
Ethereum is expected to raise its gas limit to 80 million in January 2026
Funding & M&A
A total of 18 funding and M&A deals were completed last week, with total disclosed value exceeding $290 million, primarily concentrated in DeFi, AI, and infrastructure:
ETHGas completed a $12 million seed round led by Polychain Capital
Stablecoin payments platform RedotPay raised $107 million in a Series B round led by Goodwater Capital
Swedish investment firm Hilbert Group acquired high-frequency trading platform Enigma Nordic for $32 million
Singapore-based digital trade platform Olea raised $30 million in a Series A round
Fuse Energy secured $70 million in Series B funding, reaching a $5 billion valuation
DePIN project DAWN completed a $13 million Series B round led by Polychain
Policy & Compliance
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers drafted a crypto tax proposal addressing stablecoin exemptions and deferred taxation for staking and mining income
The crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, is expected to be submitted to the Senate for review in January
The U.S. SEC issued a statement on broker-dealer custody of crypto asset securities
Standard Chartered launched a blockchain-based tokenized deposit solution
The Bank of Canada announced it will only approve high-quality stablecoins backed by central bank money
The U.S. FDIC proposed a stablecoin application framework to advance implementation of the GENIUS Act
UK regulators launched a consultation on new crypto asset regulatory rules
Echobit Highlights
The NIGHTUSDT futures trading campaign is now live, offering a total of $20,000 USDT in double rewards
December Trading Competition progress update released, with stage rankings and rewards disclosed
The Christmas Airdrop Gift Rain has officially launched, featuring limited-time rewards including MacBook Pro prizes
Week Ahead (Dec 22 – Dec 28)
Aster will launch Phase 5 of its airdrop on December 22, allocating 1.2% of total supply
MetaPlanet will hold an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on December 22 to discuss future preferred share issuance
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will release Q3 GDP data on December 23
Approximately $23 billion in Bitcoin options will expire on December 26, potentially increasing market volatility
Major token unlocks are scheduled for H, XPL, JUP, and others
Echobit will continue to track global crypto developments, focusing on market dynamics, regulatory trends, and funding activity—helping you navigate market cycles and stay ahead of the curve.