Linera Launches Babbage Testnet

On December 12, decentralized derivatives protocol Synthetix announced it will relaunch on the Ethereum mainnet on December 17. Synthetix Liquidity Providers (SLP) will go live simultaneously, with access restricted to a whitelist initially—with plans to open to all users as soon as possible.

December 12: Market reports indicate the Bank of Japan (BOJ) sees its rate-hike cycle potentially extending until rates top 0.75%. The BOJ has yet to pin down the exact level of the neutral interest rate, noting its range remains broad.

December 12: Binance Alpha has launched RaveDAO (RAVE). The token currently trades at $0.18 with a market cap of $42 million. Eligible users can claim a 400-RAVE airdrop, worth roughly $72 at current prices.

On December 12, The Raise Network’s team announced at the Solana Breakpoint Conference that its Raise Smart Cards project has selected Solana as the infrastructure to build an on-chain gift card and loyalty ecosystem. The on-chain smart gift card system will support loyalty rewards for brands including Uber and Fanatics, leveraging Solana’s high-performance capabilities.

On December 12, Binance issued an update on its collaboration with Pakistan to advance digital asset innovation and regulatory development. Binance has secured Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration under Pakistan’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) framework— a key milestone toward securing a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license and local registration in the country. As part of a phased rollout, Binance will offer cross-border services under its AML registration prior to securing the full VASP license, while strictly complying with Pakistan’s regulatory roadmap requirements. Binance remains committed to supporting South Asia’s digital economy growth and looks forward to ongoing collaboration with regional regulators and stakeholders to build a robust, transparent, inclusive virtual asset ecosystem.

On December 12, cryptocurrency wallet Phantom announced the launch of Phantom Prediction Markets—a Kalshi-powered prediction market. Users will be able to trade predictions across sectors including sports, crypto, and culture. The service is set to roll out to eligible users next week.