SEC Chairman: Cryptocurrency Could Be a Powerful Tool for Financial Surveillance, But Not at the Cost of Privacy

On December 16, Farside monitoring data indicates the U.S. Bitcoin spot ETF posted a net outflow of $3.576 billion yesterday.

**December 16: U.S. November Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) Report Released Today** Markets broadly expect a modest 50,000 job gain, with the unemployment rate likely rising to 4.4%–4.5%—signaling a weak overall trend. - **FOREX.com**: Any reading below forecasts could push markets to price in earlier Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts. - **MUFG**: If both employment and the unemployment rate worsen simultaneously, downward pressure on the U.S. dollar may persist through year-end. ### Key Note: Incomplete Data (Government Shutdown Impact) Both the NFP report and upcoming CPI are deemed **“incomplete data”** due to: - Missing October historical unemployment data - Uncollected CPI components - Forcibly adjusted November household survey weights - Authorities acknowledging high short-term data variance This erodes individual figure credibility—markets will focus more on *policy direction expectations* and *shifts in risk sentiment* than the exact job gain number. ### Cr

December 16 (Bloomberg) — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has sued the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for at least $100 billion in damages, alleging a misleading edit in a 2023 documentary falsely portrayed him as directly inciting violence during a pre-January 6, 2021, speech to supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Miami. The complaint includes two counts: defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. For each count, Trump’s team is seeking at least $50 billion in damages, plus reimbursement for related costs.

On December 16th, per Onchain Lens monitoring, a whale withdrew 600 BTC from Bybit over the past 24 hours—valued at approximately $52.12 million. Currently, the whale holds a total of 1,099 BTC, with an aggregate value of roughly $94.50 million.

Charu Chanana, Chief Investment Strategist at Shingwa Group, said markets are framing this week as a minor “reset” of the U.S. macro narrative—with employment and inflation data set to drop in a tight window, potentially sparking a rapid repricing of interest rates. The Federal Reserve cut rates last week and is projected to deliver one more cut in 2026, but markets are pricing in at least two additional cuts next year. “If data is mixed or slightly weaker than expected, the soft-landing narrative will hold—but that may not be enough to spark a large-scale risk-on rally. The real risk? A hawkish surprise: Hot inflation or employment prints would push yields higher, with risk assets (especially long-duration growth stocks) first in the firing line.” (FXStreet)

December 16: Top Trump ally John Wosah has emerged as the front-runner to become the next Federal Reserve Chair, with market odds of his appointment now leading past Hassett as of this date. In a recent research report, Deutsche Bank’s Matthew Luzzetti team noted that if Wosah takes the Fed helm, he could back interest rate cuts while pushing forward balance sheet reduction (QT)—though this dual outcome hinges on regulatory reforms that lower banks’ reserve demand, with short-term uncertainty still lingering. A leading candidate to succeed Powell, Wosah earlier this year argued “inflation is a choice,” claiming it stems not from supply chains or geopolitics but Fed policy decisions. He’s called for the Fed and Treasury to stick to their respective mandates (the Fed for interest rates, the Treasury for fiscal accounts) and urged the Fed to reform and refocus on its core price stability mission. Despite criticizing current policy, he’s extremely bullish on the U.S. economy, forecas