Ethereum developers have named the next upgrade after Glamsterdam "Hegota."

On Friday, December 19, New York Fed President William said some "technical factors" may have distorted November’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, pushing it below actual levels. Williams noted: "There are special real-world factors tied to difficulty collecting data in October and the first half of November. As a result, I believe certain category data has been distorted, which may have depressed the CPI by roughly 0.1 percentage point." He also stated the U.S. economy is currently in "solid shape" and hinted he expects to eventually see a rate cut. However, he stressed he’s not rushing to adjust monetary policy. (FXStreet)

On December 19, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire posted: "Who wants to predict stablecoin development trends for 2026? I think 'BOOM' sums it up best."

On December 19, Federal Reserve’s William stated that the Fed has not yet implemented quantitative easing through asset purchases. (FXStreet)

On December 19, Federal Reserve’s Williams stated the Fed’s current policy is in a good place, allowing for more information gathering. Employment data aligns with a gradual cooling in the labor market, and there’s no sense of urgency for further action right now. His personal view is the neutral real interest rate is slightly below 1%. (Source: FXStreet)

**Glassnode: Bitcoin Set for Largest-Ever Options Expiry ($23.58B) on Dec 26** On December 19, crypto analytics firm Glassnode issued a statement noting Bitcoin is poised for the biggest options expiry in its history: roughly $23.58 billion worth of Bitcoin options will expire on December 26, while the spot price remains locked in its recent trading range. Over the past month, Bitcoin options trading activity has cooled, with fund flows dropping sharply—typically a sign of fading market confidence in upside potential—though demand for downside protection via put options still holds. The implied volatility (IV) curve has seen broad declines, signaling reduced recent demand for hedging and upside leverage as the market absorbs more controlled price moves. Currently, at-the-money (ATM) IV across all maturities hovers around 44%, down more than 10 volatility points from recent highs. The 25% skew (put IV minus call IV) remains positive, meaning put options are still priced higher

December 19 — Traders are betting on a short-term Bitcoin rebound, per a Cointelegraph report, as the cryptocurrency’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits in an extremely oversold state — hitting its lowest level in nearly three years. Bitcoin has dropped 36% from its all-time high of $126,000 to $80,500, weighing heavily on its long-term RSI. On the weekly chart, the indicator fell from a September local high of 64 to its current reading of 35. The last time RSI reached this level was January 2023, when Bitcoin traded between $15,500 and $17,000. Analyst Jelle noted: “Historically, when the weekly RSI touches this level, it’s worth watching. Either we’re near a bottom, or a bigger downward move is coming soon.” In a Friday X post, Mister Crypto pointed out Bitcoin’s Stochastic RSI is at its deepest oversold level on record. “The chance of a short-term rebound is very high,” he said.