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According to Cointelegraph, a recent governance vote at the decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Aave has ignited controversy among key stakeholders. The proposal in question seeks to determine whether Aave (AAVE) token holders should regain control over the protocol’s brand assets, which include domains, social media handles, naming rights, and other intellectual property through a DAO-controlled legal vehicle. Aave founder Stani Kulechov announced that the proposal had been moved to a vote, citing community interest in making a decision. However, some community members argue that the proposal was pushed to a vote prematurely, bypassing established governance norms.

Former Aave Labs chief technology officer Ernesto Boado, identified as the proposal’s author, expressed his disapproval, stating that the vote was escalated without his consent or knowledge. Boado emphasized that the escalation violated the community's trust, as he would not have approved the submission for a vote while discussions were still ongoing. Marc Zeller, leader of the Aave Chan Initiative (ACI), echoed these concerns, stating that the proposal was "unilaterally escalated" despite unresolved questions from delegates and token holders. Zeller criticized the timing and process, noting that it limited community participation and the ability of late-informed participants to mobilize or redelegate.

Zeller further described the situation as a "hostile takeover attempt by Labs," highlighting that the decision to push the vote during a holiday period was flagged by large stakeholders, investors, and institutions as one of the "worst windows" for high-stakes governance votes. In response to the criticisms, Kulechov defended the decision, stating that the discussion had been ongoing for five days with numerous comments, and claimed that the vote complied with all requirements. He argued that moving to a vote was the best way to resolve the issue, emphasizing that governance is ultimately about decision-making.

The dispute has brought to light deeper governance questions for Aave, one of the largest DeFi protocols in the space. While the proposal focuses on "soft" asset ownership, the backlash underscores the significant influence that can arise from control over escalation, timing, and information flow. This situation highlights the complexities and challenges inherent in decentralized governance, where the balance between community input and decision-making processes remains a delicate issue.

According to Foresight News, JPYC, a Japanese yen stablecoin issuer, has announced a partnership with South Korean IT giant ITCEN GLOBAL to conduct joint research on stablecoins. The collaboration aims to explore the future development possibilities of stablecoins between Japan and South Korea. The focus of this partnership will be on sharing policy and practical information to lay the groundwork for future cross-border stablecoin and asset tokenization innovations.

ITCEN GLOBAL, with an annual revenue of approximately 5 trillion Korean won, is advancing its gold Real World Asset (RWA) project, "K-Gold," through its subsidiary Korda. The company has already initiated RWA and Security Token Offering (STO) related business activities in Japan.

According to ChainCatcher, a group of 18 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers has sent a joint letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), advocating for changes to the current tax regulations on cryptocurrency staking. The legislators are urging the IRS to amend the 'double taxation' rule by 2026, proposing that taxes should only be applied upon the sale of staked assets rather than at the moment rewards are received.

Representative Mike Carey emphasized that this initiative aims to ensure fair tax treatment for digital assets and bolster the United States' leadership in blockchain innovation.

According to ChainCatcher, Japan's largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Metaplanet, has approved a comprehensive reform of its capital structure on Monday. The changes will allow the company to raise funds from institutional investors by issuing dividend-preferred shares. The approved proposals include reclassifying capital reserves, doubling the authorized number of Class A and Class B preferred shares, and modifying the dividend structure to introduce both floating and fixed payouts.

Class A preferred shares will feature a monthly floating dividend mechanism, while Class B preferred shares will offer quarterly dividends and be open to international institutional investors. Reports indicate that Metaplanet currently holds approximately 30,823 Bitcoins, valued at $2.75 billion, making it the largest corporate Bitcoin holder in Asia. The company also announced plans to trade on the U.S. over-the-counter market through American Depositary Receipts, aiming to further expand its global market presence.

According to CoinMarketCap data, tThe global cryptocurrency market cap now stands at $3.03T, up by 0.37% over the last 24 hours. Bitcoin (BTC) traded between $87,600 and $89,909 over the past 24 hours. As of 09:30 AM (UTC) today, BTC is trading at $89,583, up by 1.06%.Most major cryptocurrencies by market cap are trading mixed. Market outperformers include POLYX, ANIME, and EPIC, up by 22%, 18%, and 17%, respectively.Top stories of the day:Brazil’s Crypto Activity Jumps 43% in 2025 as Average Investment Tops $1,000 Gold Prices Surge Amid Holiday Season, Analysts Warn of Future Challenges Market Sentiment Shows Cautious Optimism in BTC and ETH Options U.S. Lawmakers Urge IRS to Revise Crypto Staking Tax Rules by 2026 Bitcoin Enters Christmas Trading Window with Bullish Neutrality U.S. Stock Holdings Surpass Real Estate in Historic Shift Federal Reserve to Inject $6.8 Billion into Financial Markets via Repo Agreement U.S. Federal Bank Regulators Approve Legal Cryptocurrency Transactions and Custody JPMorgan Sees BOJ Continuing Rate Hikes to Tackle Yen Depreciation and Inflation Pressures CME FedWatch: January Rate Cut Probability at 21%, March Cut Odds Rise to 47%Market movers:ETH: $3036.89 (+1.45%)BNB: $866.15 (+1.52%)XRP: $1.9177 (-1.27%)SOL: $125.92 (+0.05%)TRX: $0.2878 (+1.12%)DOGE: $0.13233 (-0.15%)WLFI: $0.1357 (+1.72%)ADA: $0.3694 (-0.81%)WBTC: $89371.65 (+1.07%)BCH: $580.5 (-0.99%)

According to BlockBeats, analyst @alicharts suggests that Bitcoin is currently testing a mid-term resistance level at $89,000. If Bitcoin successfully breaks through this level, it could potentially rise to between $91,000 and $93,500. However, if it fails to surpass this resistance, a fallback to $84,600 is anticipated.

According to PANews, U.S. federal bank regulators have announced that banks are permitted to legally engage in the buying, selling, and custody of cryptocurrencies. This decision marks a significant development in the integration of digital currencies within the traditional banking sector, potentially paving the way for broader adoption and acceptance of cryptocurrencies in financial services.

According to BlockBeats, the Federal Reserve plans to inject approximately $6.8 billion into financial markets through a repurchase agreement at 22:00 UTC+8. Over the past ten days, the Federal Reserve has already injected around $38 billion as part of its year-end liquidity management strategy.

Repurchase agreements, commonly known as repos, are a key tool for managing daily financial system liquidity. In a repo transaction, the Federal Reserve provides cash loans to banks, secured by high-quality collateral, typically government bonds. Banks quickly repay the loans to reclaim their assets, usually within a day. This measure aims to address year-end liquidity pressures and recent adjustments to the Federal Reserve's standing repo facility. While officials describe these actions as routine, some cryptocurrency investors view them as a positive signal for risk assets.

According to BlockBeats, data from Coinglass indicates that if Bitcoin surpasses $90,000, the cumulative liquidation intensity of short positions on major centralized exchanges (CEX) will reach $481 million. Conversely, if Bitcoin falls below $87,000, the cumulative liquidation intensity of long positions will reach $514 million.

BlockBeats notes that the liquidation chart does not display the precise number of contracts pending liquidation or the exact value of liquidated contracts. Instead, the chart's bars represent the relative importance of each liquidation cluster compared to nearby clusters, indicating intensity.

Therefore, the chart illustrates the extent to which the target price reaching a certain level will be affected. A higher "liquidation bar" suggests that once the price is reached, there will be a stronger reaction due to a wave of liquidity.

According to Cointelegraph, U.S. lawmakers have introduced a draft proposal aimed at reducing the tax burden on everyday cryptocurrency users. The proposal, presented by Representatives Max Miller of Ohio and Steven Horsford of Nevada, seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code to accommodate the increasing use of digital assets in payments. The draft aims to exempt small stablecoin transactions from capital gains taxes and offers a new deferral option for staking and mining rewards.

The draft specifies that users would not need to recognize gains or losses on stablecoin transactions up to $200, provided the asset is issued by a permitted issuer under the GENIUS Act, pegged to the US dollar, and maintains a stable trading range around $1. The bill includes safeguards to prevent misuse, such as excluding brokers or dealers from the benefit and retaining Treasury's authority to issue anti-abuse rules and reporting requirements.

Beyond payment transactions, the proposal addresses concerns about "phantom income" from staking and mining. It allows taxpayers to defer income recognition on staking or mining rewards for up to five years, rather than being taxed immediately upon receipt. This provision is described as a compromise between immediate taxation upon dominion and control and full deferral until disposition. Additionally, the draft extends existing securities lending tax treatment to certain digital asset lending arrangements, applies wash sale rules to actively traded crypto assets, and permits traders and dealers to elect mark-to-market accounting for digital assets.

In related developments, the Blockchain Association recently sent a letter to the US Senate Banking Committee, signed by over 125 crypto companies and industry groups. The letter opposes efforts to extend restrictions on stablecoin rewards to third-party platforms, arguing that such measures would stifle innovation and increase market concentration in favor of large incumbents. The group compared crypto rewards to incentives commonly offered by banks and credit card companies, warning that banning similar features for stablecoins would undermine fair competition.

According to ChainCatcher, Leon Waidmann shared insights on the X platform, emphasizing Ethereum's evolving role beyond being a smart contract platform. Ethereum has become a crucial settlement layer for global dollar liquidity, processing approximately $90 billion to $100 billion in stablecoin transfers daily. These transactions primarily involve USDT and USDC, used for payments, financial management, and settlement, representing genuine on-chain value flow rather than DeFi cycles or incentive mining.Waidmann noted that while other blockchains are experiencing growth, substantial funds continue to settle on the Ethereum mainnet. Users are willing to pay transaction fees due to the network's settlement certainty and credibility. Stablecoins enhance blockchain utility, while Ethereum provides the reliability needed for stablecoin transactions.

According to PANews, the Japanese government is set to collaborate with the private sector on a significant initiative to develop a national artificial intelligence system valued at approximately 3 trillion yen (around $19 billion). The project is expected to commence in the spring of next year, with SoftBank Group and over ten other Japanese companies forming a new company to create Japan's largest foundational AI model. Spearheaded by SoftBank Group, the new company will bring together around 100 experts selected through corporate competitions, including engineers from SoftBank and developers from Preferred Networks. The Japanese government has highlighted the direct impact of artificial intelligence on industrial competitiveness and national security, noting that excessive reliance on foreign technology poses strategic risks, which is one of the reasons for launching this initiative.

According to ChainCatcher, data from Web3 asset platform RootData indicates that Plasma (XPL) will unlock approximately 88.89 million tokens on December 28 at 12:00 PM UTC+8.

According to ChainCatcher, data from Farside Investors indicates that U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a net outflow of $497.1 million this week. The IBIT ETF experienced a net outflow of $240.3 million, while the FBTC ETF recorded a net inflow of $33.1 million. The BITB ETF had a net outflow of $115.1 million, and the ARKB ETF saw a net outflow of $100.7 million. Additionally, the HODL ETF reported a net outflow of $39.2 million, the GBTC ETF had a net outflow of $27.5 million, and the BTC ETF experienced a net outflow of $7.4 million.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the global cryptocurrency market cap now stands at $2.98T, up by 0.42% over the last 24 hours.Bitcoin (BTC) traded between $86,846 and $89,400 over the past 24 hours. As of 09:30 AM (UTC) today, BTC is trading at $88,334, up by 0.38%.Most major cryptocurrencies by market cap are trading mixed. Market outperformers include SOPH, GIGGLE, and ANIME, up by 45%, 26%, and 25%, respectively.Top stories of the day:Bitcoin ETP Inflows Surpass Gold in 2025, Says Bitwise Executive Japanese Interest Rate Hike Spurs Crypto Market Recovery New York Museum Acquires Eight CryptoPunks NFTs Tom Lee Predicts Bitcoin and Ethereum to Reach New Highs in January U.S. Inflation and Unemployment Rates Show Unexpected Trends in November Global Liquidity Expected to Improve by 2026, Says Delphi Digital Federal Reserve Official Advocates for Interest Rate Cuts Amid Cooling Inflation Goldman Sachs Forecasts 2.8% Global Economic Growth by 2026 U.S. December Inflation Rate Expectations Slightly Higher Than Anticipated Optimistic Outlook for Crypto ETFs as Major Brokers Enter MarketMarket movers:ETH: $2985.48 (+1.08%)BNB: $853.63 (+0.94%)XRP: $1.9424 (+4.17%)SOL: $126.67 (+1.69%)TRX: $0.279 (-0.29%)DOGE: $0.13223 (+3.18%)WLFI: $0.135 (+3.29%)ADA: $0.3783 (+3.33%)BCH: $596.7 (+1.00%)WBTC: $88107.91 (+0.26%)

According to PANews, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju shared insights on Twitter regarding Tom Lee's market stance. Typically a strong bull, Lee maintains a bullish-to-bearish ratio of approximately 10:0. However, when market corrections seem inevitable, he briefly acknowledges the possibility of a downturn, adjusting his risk ratio to about 9:1. This adjustment may be influenced by his position in sell-side research, placing him in a somewhat challenging situation.

Previously, reports from Tom Lee's fund indicated a significant potential correction for BTC and ETH, contrasting with his earlier prediction of new highs by the end of January.

According to BlockBeats, the probability of Kevin Hassett, Director of the U.S. National Economic Council, becoming the next Federal Reserve Chair has significantly increased in prediction markets. On Polymarket, the likelihood has risen to 54%, while on Kalshi, it stands at 51%. Meanwhile, the chances of Christopher Waller and Judy Shelton, both nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump, are ranked second and third, respectively.