While we are wrapping up the 2025 year, I do think that it's a good time to take a step back and just look at everything that has happened in 2025. Um, regardless of price action, I feel as if this has been one of the most successful years for Ripple and for the entire crypto environment itself um, in history. And I think that going into 2026, it's going to be even crazier because I feel as if the engagement from institutional players, from even the government sector, I mean, just in general, I feel as if a ...

The US Federal Reserve just did something absolutely insane and we are seeing clear confirmation across the board that marching into 2026, we are leaving the old world behind around crypto and marching into a completely new world. That world is going to be dominated by the biggest players entering the space at scale and tapping into specific networks. Now, before we get to that point, we still need to go over a few things. And the biggest thing that we need to go over is, of course, market structure.Now, we ...

Crypto and US Dollar Strategy - The Trump administration's crypto strategy may aim to strengthen the US dollar by expanding its reach in the digital economy through dollar-backed stablecoins [1] - World Liberty Financial (WLFI), co-founded by Trump's sons, is driving this initiative with its USD1 stablecoin, which is backed one-to-one by US treasuries, dollar deposits, and cash equivalents [1] - USD1 offers regulatory certainty as a US-compliant stablecoin, potentially attracting institutions and individual investors [1] - Stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC) already significantly support the US dollar by holding large amounts of treasury bills [1] - 80% of all stablecoin transactions occur outside the US, effectively increasing the demand for dollars globally [1] - The Genius Act, signed into law in July 2025, sets strict rules for stablecoin issuers, requiring them to be backed by US dollars, cash equivalents, or short-term US treasuries, further supporting the US dollar [22][23] Controversies and Conflicts of Interest - MGX, a UAE-based investment fund, invested $2 billion in Binance using USD1, significantly boosting USD1's market cap [4] - A Trump-controlled entity owns about 38% of World Liberty Financial, raising conflict of interest concerns due to the potential profits generated from USD1's yield [6][7] - Critics argue that the deal invites foreign influence, as foreign parties could potentially buy favor with Trump through investments in World Liberty Financial [15] - Allegations arose that Binance helped write USD1's smart contract code and that CZ sought a presidential pardon from Trump, although both parties denied any quid pro quo [12][13][14]

Why don't we start with the latest news. The idea of crypto regulation, lawmakers meeting with bankers. Is that definitely a tailwind in your mind for the crypto industry.The fact that the big banks and the lawmakers are getting together, uh, it kind of seems contrary to the idea that Bitcoin is about decentralizing finance. >> Bitcoin is about decentralizing finance from the infrastructure perspective. Uh but look, we welcome all builders into cryptocurrency into blockchain and some of those builders are g ...

For years, we've heard all about these use cases within the crypto space that were going to be the killer app, aka the app that creates mass adoption for the space, brings trillions of dollars into the market, and ultimately matures the space in a very positive way to the point where it's on the same scale as global markets. However, over the years that use case has kind of shifted. Everyone thought it was gaming, then it was, you know, the metaverse and this and that.But it always comes back to one thing a ...

Market Trends & Investment Opportunities - Crypto market shows signs of recovery after last week's sell-off, with Bitcoin surpassing $87,000 and Ether rising to $2,863 [2] - Stable coins now constitute 9% of crypto's total market cap, marking a two-year high, driven by factors like clearer regulations and rising institutional interest [2][3] - Investors are increasingly turning to stable coins as a hedge against market volatility, signaling a risk-off approach in the crypto space [3][4] - NASDAQ filed with the SEC to allow for the trading of tokenized stocks and ETPs, aiming to bridge the digital asset world with traditional finance [8][9][11] Regulatory Landscape & Tax Implications - The Genius Act stable coin bill was signed into law, representing the first major crypto regulation in the US [4] - New IRS recordkeeping rules require brokerages to send a 1099-DA form, reporting gross proceeds from crypto sales, with stricter reporting requirements coming in 2026 [5] NASDAQ's Digital Asset Initiatives - NASDAQ aims to integrate tokenized assets into current market structures, arguing that existing securities laws will apply [15] - NASDAQ emphasizes that trading tokenized assets will initially maintain the same order book and investor protections as traditional assets [17][19] - NASDAQ highlights the potential for improved efficiency, enhanced audit trails, and eventually 24/7 trading with tokenized assets [21] - NASDAQ offers spot Bitcoin ETFs, spot Ether ETFs, and altcoin ETFs like Litecoin and Hideera, adhering to its listing rules [27][28] Tokenization Benefits - Tokenization offers near-term process efficiencies on the post-trade side, potentially leading to faster settlement [22] - Tokenization enhances collateral mobility, allowing for more efficient capital use and reducing the need for overcollateralization [23][24] - Tokenization can bring enhanced utility to assets beyond trading, including better access for proxy and improvements in corporate actions [25][26]

Stablecoins and Tokenization - Stablecoins and tokenization are major narratives, with Stellar focusing on payments [1] - Stablecoins are enabling mass adoption of crypto tech [29] - The stablecoin market was reaching $250 billion, now over $300 billion, with over 1 trillion in monthly transaction volume [33] Blockchain Payments Consortium (BPC) - The Blockchain Payments Consortium (BPC) aims to enable frictionless, compliant transactions across networks and borders [6][7] - BPC's mission is to define safe, common standards for better payment experiences [10] - BPC will act as a bridge between blockchain ecosystems, regulators, and traditional financial institutions [12] Stellar's Role and Partnerships - Stellar facilitates billions in payments, proving blockchain's ability to move value efficiently [8] - Stellar is enabling mass adoption through partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal [17][24][25][26][27] - Yrex is settling Visa payments in USDC and Euro on Stellar, serving over 7 million users [23] Mass Adoption and Future of Payments - The future involves front-facing applications tapping into new infrastructure, changing the settlement layer [21][22] - Stablecoins are becoming the next generation of money [34] - Stellar's architecture is optimized for moving value securely and at scale [35]

Market Analysis and Price Targets - Telcoin experienced a significant weekly price surge, breaking a downtrend that started in July [1] - A weekly candle close above $0.0075 (3/4 of a penny) is needed to confirm bullish momentum, with targets set at $0.01 (highs from February) and potentially $0.07 (prior all-time highs), representing a potential 10x increase from the current price [1] - The current fully diluted value of Telcoin is approximately $30 million, with the project ranked 210th, suggesting it is still undervalued [1] Company Updates and Developments - Uphold, a major exchange with over 220,000 followers, listed Telcoin, increasing its exposure [11][12] - Telcoin received final approval in Nebraska for its digital asset bank charter, enabling the connection of US bank accounts to regulated digital cash stablecoins [13][16] - Telcoin launched its digital cash platform, including the digital asset bank and EUSD, the world's first regulated bank-issued digital dollar [13] - Telcoin has secured funding to capitalize the Telcoin Digital Asset Bank and launch EUSD [17] Strategic Vision and Future Outlook - Telcoin aims to transform global finance by combining blockchain with digital banking and telecommunications, providing affordable DeFi services for mobile users worldwide [11] - Telcoin's EUSD is fully backed by US dollar deposits and short-term treasuries held in regulated reserves, aiming to drive consumer and institutional adoption of blockchain-powered finance [21] - Telcoin Digital Asset Bank intends to help community banks adapt to evolving technology, aligning digital assets with a regulated banking framework [24][25] - The company believes it is currently undervalued and anticipates significant growth in market capitalization in the future [27][28] Risk Management and Custody - The report highlights the risks of holding crypto on unregulated exchanges, citing instances of frozen funds [1] - ITR Capital offers a premium custody account with institutional-grade security and 24/7 trading [1]

Market Trends & Government Regulations - Bitcoin price increased over 1% to $15,000 level following Senate's progress towards ending the US government shutdown [2] - The US government shutdown drove consumer sentiment to its lowest level in over three years [4] - The Trump administration is exploring incorporating digital assets into the home lending process [5] Crypto-backed Mortgages - The median sales price for a house in the United States is hovering near all-time highs above $400,000 [6] - The median age for first-time home buyers reached 40 years old, a new record [7] - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy upwards of 70% of US mortgages [8] - Five senators expressed concerns about the volatility of crypto assets in the mortgage market [12] - Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lumis introduced the 21st Century Mortgage Act to codify the initiative into law [14] Bitcoin Market Analysis - The Federal Reserve's liquidity policies and multi-trillion dollar deficits are beneficial for Bitcoin's value proposition [19][20] - Bitcoin's long-term value proposition is as a hedge against currency debasement [21] - Bitcoin treasury companies improve access to Bitcoin for large institutional investors who cannot access spot Bitcoin [23][24] - Bitcoin is increasingly seen as the institutional-grade crypto asset due to its technology, security, and liquidity [26][27][28] - 85% of central banks around the world are cutting rates, making Bitcoin a global asset [30] - Kathy Wood lowered her end-of-decade price target for Bitcoin from 150% million to 120% million because stable coins are taking over some of the payments market [35]

Closing bell market zone. Mackenzie Sagallos is breaking down some big moves in the crypto space. K.Rogers looking at restaurant stocks. They are feeling the heat big time this week and 314's Warren Pies is helping us close down the countdown into the close. Mac, we start with you.>> Scott, crypto markets are rebounding to close out what has been a choppy week of trade that saw Bitcoin slip below that key $100,000 threshold midweek as macro uncertainty weighed on risk assets. Now on the institutional side, ...