👑 DraftKings App, Ethereum’s Next Upgrade, Synthetix Perp DEX

Good afternoon,

Happy Friday! Bitcoin steadies near $88K as traders digest ETF outflows and broader macro signals. DraftKings launches a standalone prediction markets app, Ethereum unveils “Hegota” as its next upgrade, and Synthetix debuts a hybrid perpetual DEX on Ethereum.

More news below! 👇

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News Roundup

Artificial Intelligence

• Agentic AI Brokerages Go Viral, Putting Legacy Trading Platforms on Notice (Forbes)

Decentralized, Centralized, & Traditional Finance

• Lido Proposes $60M Expansion Beyond Liquid Staking (The Defiant)

• Synthetix Launches Hybrid Perpetual DEX on Ethereum (The Defiant)

• Bank of Japan Pushes Rates to Three-Decade High as Confidence Builds (Reuters)

• NY Fed’s Williams Warns November CPI Was Artificially Softened by Data Issues (CNBC)

• World Liberty Spending Plan Sparks Backlash as Most WLFI Tokens Stay Locked (DL News)

• Fed Seeks Input for ‘Skinny Master Account’ For Limited Access (The Block)

• Lido DAO Adopts Whitehat Safe Harbor to Protect $26 Billion in Assets (DL News)

Exchanges

• Coinbase Challenges State Authority Over Prediction Markets (Bloomberg)

• Robinhood Sets Record With Massive Stock Token Deployment on Arbitrum (Arbiscan)

• Hyperliquid Suffers $430 Million Weekly Outflows as AUM Slides (Dune)

• Bybit Re-Launches in the UK via Archax, Offering 100 Spot Trading Pairs (CoinDesk)

Exchange-Traded Funds

• U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs logged $161 million in net outflows on Dec. 18.

• On Dec. 18, U.S. Ethereum spot ETFs saw $96.62 million in net outflows.

• On Dec. 18, U.S. Solana and XRP spot ETFs posted net inflows of $13.16 million and $30.41 million, respectively.

• Ark Invest Adds to Coinbase Bet After ‘Everything Exchange’ Unveiling (The Block)

Infrastructure

• Solana and Aptos Begin Testing Quantum-Resistant Security Measures (Decrypt)

• Ethereum Names ‘Hegota’ as Next Upgrade in 2026 Release Cycle (The Block)

Markets

• Myriad Predictors Sour on Crypto Santa Rally (Decrypt)

• Bitcoin Braces for Turbulence as $23 Billion Options Expiry Looms (Bloomberg)

• Fed Study Finds Dollar Dominance in Global Debt Is Cyclical, Not Fading (Cointelegraph)

• Bitcoin’s Post-CPI Bounce Reverses, Triggering $500M+ in Liquidations (Decrypt)

• U.S. Consumer Sentiment Ticks Higher as Inflation Fears Ease (UMich)

• Bitcoin Holds Near $88,000 as ETF Outflows and Macro Jitters Cap Upside (The Defiant)

• DraftKings Launches Standalone Prediction Markets App (The Block)

Mining

• WhiteFiber Locks In $865 Million AI Data Center Deal With Nscale (CoinDesk)

• Cheap Power Turns Libya Into a Quiet Bitcoin Mining Hub (Cointelegraph)

Politics & Regulation

• Crypto CLARITY Act Heads to Crucial Senate Debate in January (Cointelegraph)

• Senate Confirms Michael Selig as CFTC Chair (The Block)

• CFTC Seeks Feedback on Retail Access to Direct Derivatives Clearing (CFTC)

• Trump Praises Chris Waller as Fed Chair Decision Nears (Cointelegraph)

• Crypto Industry Urges Senate to Block New Curbs on Stablecoin Rewards (The Hill)

• House Republicans Push IRS to Rethink Crypto Staking Taxes Before Deadline (Decrypt)

• SEC Seeks Long-Term Leadership Bans for Former Alameda and FTX Executives (The Block)

Treasuries

• Mangoceuticals Unveils $100M Solana Treasury Strategy With Cube Group (GlobeNewswire)

Other News

• Hoskinson Blasts Trump’s Crypto Foray as Politically Costly for the Industry (Decrypt)

• Terraform Labs Admin Sues Jump Trading Over Alleged Role in Collapse (WSJ)

• IcomTech Promoter Gets Nearly Six Years for Crypto Ponzi Scheme (Decrypt)

• Bomb Threats Target Hyundai Offices in Seoul, Demand Bitcoin Ransom (Sisa)

• South Korean Police Investigate Counterfeit Cash Scheme Targeting Crypto Traders (Decrypt)

• State of the Blockchain 2025 (CoinDesk)

Check This Out!

Hackers made off with $3.4 billion in crypto throughout 2025, with almost 70% of the total stemming from just three large attacks, including a $1.5 billion Bybit incident.

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