The "Buddy" continued to accumulate ETH and enter long positions on HYPE during the downturn, increasing the total position value to $25.2 million

Dec 29: Spot gold briefly fell below $4440/oz, tumbling more than 2% intraday, and has now rebounded to $4445.03/oz.

The 6th issue of 2025 (total issue 18) of *Digital Rule of Law*—an authoritative journal overseen by China’s Supreme People’s Court—has recently been published. This issue centers on digital transactions, electronic currency, virtual assets, generative AI, and data factor governance. Multiple articles tackle institutional foundational issues surrounding blockchain and crypto assets head-on, sending a clear signal to accelerate the refinement of digital asset rule of law. In the “Overseas Observation” section, one article systematically reviews the 2022 update to the U.S. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), zeroing in on debates around electronic contracting, electronic currency, distributed ledger-based virtual assets, and the new property right form known as “controllable electronic records.” The piece notes that the UCC’s institutional design for virtual currency—covering circulation, control, collateralization, and good-faith acquisition—holds significant reference value for China’

**Bitcoin Hits $90k but Momentum Fades Amid Weak Demand, Cooling On-Chain Activity** As of December 29, Bitcoin rebounded to $90,000 heading into year-end—but momentum has slowed amid insufficient demand and weakening on-chain activity. Analysts note a new uptrend in early 2026 is only possible if BTC reclaims $90,000 and demand recovers. Data shows Bitcoin’s **apparent net demand** (market buy volume minus new sell supply) has turned negative, dropping to ~-3,491 BTC—its lowest level since October. This reflects risk aversion in the market during the year-end period. Meanwhile, the Coinbase Premium Index (a gauge of U.S. investor sentiment) has fallen to -0.08, signaling U.S. selling pressure hasn’t subsided yet. Analysts warn long positions should stay cautious until this indicator improves. On the institutional front, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw **net outflows of ~$782 million last week**, further confirming a pullback in institutional risk appetite. The market views a return to

December 29 — South Korean financial giant Mirae Asset is reportedly in talks to acquire a 92% stake in local crypto exchange Korbit, with the deal potentially valued at up to 140 billion won ($97 million), per *The Korea Times*. Headquartered in Seoul, Mirae Asset operates across asset management, wealth management, investment banking, and insurance, making it a key player in South Korea’s traditional finance sector. If the acquisition closes, it would mark the firm’s first direct foray into crypto-related business. Mirae Asset founder Park Hyeon-joo has repeatedly emphasized exploring opportunities to integrate traditional and digital assets in recent years. Industry insiders note that while Korbit has a modest market footprint, its years of financial experience could support differentiated growth. Korbit ranks fourth among South Korea’s six compliant crypto exchanges by trading volume, with a 24-hour volume of roughly $11.8 million — well below leaders Upbit ($1.2 billion),

December 29, 2025 — Data shows the Real World Assets (RWA) sector has emerged as one of DeFi’s fastest-growing segments this year. Per DefiLlama, RWA now ranks as the fifth-largest DeFi category by Total Value Locked (TVL), having overtaken decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Currently, RWA TVL stands at ~$17 billion, up sharply from ~$12 billion in Q4 2024. DefiLlama notes RWA wasn’t even in the top 10 DeFi sectors at the start of 2025, marking its rapid shift from experimental niche to core DeFi infrastructure. Kronos Research CIO Vincent Liu says RWA’s growth is driven primarily by balance sheet demand, not conceptual experimentation. In a “higher rates for longer” environment, tokenized U.S. Treasuries and private credit have become attractive on-chain yield assets—while clearer regulation has also cut friction for institutional entry. Structurally, Ethereum remains the primary network for RWA issuance and settlement, with public chains like BNB Chain, Avalanche, Solana, Polyg

On December 29, a U.S. SEC filing reveals Intel sold 214.8 million shares to NVIDIA, with the transaction valued at $5 billion. Intel noted the issuance and sale were completed under a securities purchase agreement signed September 15, 2023 (per Jinse Finance). As previously reported by BlockBeats, NVIDIA announced on September 18, 2023, it would invest $5 billion in Intel (INTC.O) to support the struggling U.S. chipmaker—but did not grant Intel key chip manufacturing orders. The agreement also includes plans for the two firms to co-develop PC and data center chips, a potential risk to TSMC (TSM.N). Currently, TSMC manufactures NVIDIA’s flagship processors. NVIDIA, the world’s most valuable company, could eventually shift this portion of its business to Intel. Meanwhile, AMD—Intel’s rival in the data center chip supply space—may also incur losses due to NVIDIA’s backing of Intel.