Chinese Meme Coins on the BSC Chain are all rallying against the trend, with the "Hakimi Coin" seeing a 24-hour price increase of about 20%.

December 18th, per The Block, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Danh C. Vo—founder and CEO of Bitcoin mining firm VBit—with embezzling $48.5 million, some of which he used for gambling and gifting to family members. The SEC says Vo and VBit Technologies Corp. collectively raised over $95.6 million from roughly 6,400 investors. Related charges are laid out in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The regulator noted Vo made false statements to investors about VBit’s Bitcoin mining operations and how investment funds would be used. Vo also told investors VBit would offer an “all-in-one solution” for everyday people, letting them earn passive income via Bitcoin mining without the hassle of managing mining rigs themselves.

December 18th — Per HTX market data, Bitcoin briefly fell below $88,000 and is currently trading at $88,081, with its 24-hour gain narrowing to 0.8%.

On December 18, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said the digital euro is nearing a pivotal moment and has now become a top priority for the ECB’s Governing Council and the European Parliament, according to FX168.

December 18 — White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated the Federal Reserve still has substantial room to cut interest rates and needs greater transparency. (Xinhua News Agency)

On December 18, Bloomberg reports the Federal Reserve has released a staff manual for regulating large banks—part of the agency’s push to reshape the bank regulatory framework and boost transparency. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a Thursday statement: “Boosting regulatory transparency lets us hold ourselves to a higher standard and ensure we meet our regulatory duties soundly and equitably.”

On December 18, official statements confirm that U.S.-listed Bitcoin treasury firm KindlyMD (NAKA) announced its board of directors has approved a share repurchase program for outstanding common stock. Under the newly approved program, KindlyMD may repurchase shares from time to time via open market purchases, privately negotiated deals, block trades, and/or other legally allowed methods. Repurchases may also occur under a 10b5-1 trading plan and will comply with the modified Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management will determine the timing, amount, and method of any repurchases based on factors including market conditions, share price, trading volume, capital needs, regulatory considerations, and other relevant factors. The program does not require the company to repurchase a specific number of shares, and the board may amend, suspend, or terminate it at its discretion at any time. Previously, KindlyMD faced delisting risk from Nasdaq after its share pr