WEEX proudly sponsors and attends Lisbon CCCC2025

On December 16, Circle—issuer of the USDC stablecoin—announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary intellectual property (IP). The acquisition is expected to close in early 2026. Circle aims to advance interoperability in the blockchain space, aligning with its vision of an open, interconnected, and scalable chain-based economy. Interop Labs has been a key contributor to Axelar, a leading cross-chain communication and token transfer framework, collaborating with the open-source community to drive Axelar’s core development. Integrating Interop Labs’ talent and technology into Circle will accelerate two core initiatives: - **Arc**: Circle’s enterprise-focused layer designed to become an economic operating system for the blockchain internet; - Cross-chain transfer protocols. Notably, the transaction only covers Interop Labs’ team and proprietary IP. The Axelar network, foundation, and AXL token will continue operating independently

On December 16th, per Coinglass data, total cryptocurrency network liquidations hit $330 million over the past four hours—with $307 million in long positions and $23.2 million in short positions liquidated. Notably, when Bitcoin (BTC) fell to $86,025.37, a $11.5819 million long position was liquidated on Binance, marking the largest single liquidation in the past 24 hours.

On December 16, Coindesk reported that Anchorage Digital—a federally chartered crypto bank—has acquired the "Securitize For Advisors" business unit from Securitize. The unit is a crypto wealth management platform tailored specifically for registered investment advisors (RIAs). Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The deal formalizes the existing partnership between the two firms. Notably, Anchorage Digital Bank already holds 99% of the client assets for Securitize For Advisors, and the business unit has been operating on Anchorage’s infrastructure.

On December 16, Federal Reserve President John Williams said the cooling labor market and easing inflation risks underpinned the Fed’s rate cut last week—his first public comment on the decision. He added he’s increasingly confident price gains will keep slowing. While inflation is currently “stuck” above the Fed’s 2% target, Williams noted it could keep falling next year as the broader economy absorbs tariff impacts. Separately, he noted the labor market hasn’t sharply deteriorated but is gradually cooling—seen in official data, consumer surveys and business polls. Overall, Williams said shifts in pressures on the Fed’s dual mandate (maximum employment, stable prices) backed last week’s rate cut. (FXStreet)

**December 15** Per CNBC, citing sources familiar with the situation, Kevin Hassett—a former market favorite for Fed chair—has recently been questioned by senior officials with direct sway over former President Trump’s decisions. The irony: Once viewed as the top pick to replace current Chair Powell because of his tight ties to Trump, Hassett now faces pushback for being “too cozy with the president.” That pressure may explain why candidate interviews were initially canceled in early December, then rescheduled (interviews for at least Kevin Warsh wrapped last week). Trump had earlier told reporters he’d picked a Fed chair, but in a Friday *Wall Street Journal* interview, he named former Fed governor Kevin Warsh as a finalist alongside Hassett— a surprise to markets. Kalshi’s prediction market saw Hassett’s election odds plummet. “Both Kevins are excellent,” Trump said. As of Monday, Hassett still leads on Kalshi at 51% probability— but that’s a steep drop from his early-m

On December 15, Federal Reserve Governor Milan reiterated that the Fed’s current policy stance is overly tight for the economy. He noted the favorable inflation outlook, while warning signs have emerged in the labor market. Milan projected housing inflation will ease as rent hikes fall from their COVID-19 pandemic peak to normal levels. He added that cooling in the labor market means upward pressure on service-sector inflation is unlikely. Some drivers of service-sector inflation—like portfolio management fees—reflect statistical quirks, not actual price changes consumers perceive. On the labor market, Milan warned: “History shows labor market deterioration can happen quickly, is nonlinear, and is hard to reverse.” “Part of the reason: monetary policy acts with a lag of several quarters. That’s why, as I’ve argued, faster policy easing would appropriately bring us closer to a neutral stance.” (FXStreet)