Circle has announced the launch of the Arc Developer Fund

On December 18, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) shared updates on BNB Chain during a year-end AMA, emphasizing significant growth for the blockchain this year. “BNB Chain was somewhat overlooked in past years, but it’s finally gained more attention in 2023,” he said. “We’ve poured more effort and resources into its development, and the growth is really clear.” CZ highlighted key metrics: the chain’s annual transaction volume has jumped around 600% (a 6x increase), while daily active unique addresses have exceeded 2 million—his last disclosed figure was roughly 2.4 million. “The actual number of users may be a bit lower, but it’s very close to 2 million,” he added. “That’s really exciting.” “BNB Chain’s transaction volume is now pretty high; I think it’s among the top chains, though I haven’t closely tracked other networks’ data,” he noted. CZ also encouraged developers to build more on the chain, saying he follows BNB Chain’s Twitter to stay updated on its latest metrics.

On December 18, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) spoke during a year-end Q&A session, sharing: “The past few years have clearly been a roller coaster. Getting a pardon was definitely a good thing — at minimum, it’s brought a sense of psychological freedom and a sign of recognition, I think. But honestly, not much has changed in practical terms; my daily schedule is pretty much the same as before. I’m focusing most of my time on four areas: 1. Giggle Academy — a project I’m personally dedicated to that brings me joy. 2. YZi Labs: I’m involved here, mainly connecting with founders to support builders and entrepreneurs. My role is more mentor or coach, which is also really interesting. 3. Supporting the BNB ecosystem — I’ve put a lot of time into this. 4. Advising on national-level crypto strategy: sharing insights on how to bring the industry to different countries, what steps to take, and what to avoid.”

December 18 (Bitcoin News) — Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison has been transferred from a federal prison to an open correctional facility. Ellison was sentenced to two years in prison in November 2024 for defrauding FTX investors, and completed the transfer in October 2025 after serving 11 months of her term. She remains in custody—likely under home confinement or supervision at a rehabilitation facility—and is scheduled for release in February 2026, nine months earlier than her original sentence.

On December 18, ChainInfo reported that a crypto whale spent just 37.8 ETH (roughly $13,700) in 2020 to acquire 1.03 quadrillion SHIB tokens—representing 17.4% of the total supply at the time. Forty-five minutes ago, the whale transferred 464.3 billion SHIB tokens (valued at approximately $3.48 million) to OKX. As of now, the whale still holds 962.2 trillion SHIB tokens (worth around $718 million), accounting for 16.3% of the total SHIB supply.

On Thursday, December 18, the Bank of England announced a rate cut, with the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voting closely on the decision. The central bank also signaled that its current, already gradual pace of rate cuts could slow further. Data released this week showed a sharp drop in inflation. After Bank of England staff predicted economic growth would stagnate by the end of 2025, five MPC members voted to lower the UK’s benchmark rate from 4.0% to 3.75%—marking the fourth rate cut since 2025. The other four members opted to hold rates steady, citing concerns that UK inflation may still remain too high. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey shifted his stance to support the cut, reversing the committee’s prior voting dynamic. In a statement, Bailey said: “We still expect rates to be reduced gradually. However, it has become increasingly hard to gauge how much further we can cut after each reduction.” (Source: FXStreet)

December 18 — The Bank of England cut its benchmark interest rate from 4.00% to 3.75%, matching market expectations. The central bank had earlier paused its quarterly rate cuts, which had been in effect since August 2024. (FXStreet)