Singapore's largest money laundering case suspect Wang Shuiming may be extradited to China, with his accomplice being the mastermind behind the Hong Kong crypto platform scam AAX.

Galaxy Digital announced on December 5 that it has acquired development firm Alluvial Finance from Liquid Collective, becoming Liquid Collective’s new development arm. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Galaxy noted the deal advances its goal of providing end-to-end services for on-chain operations. The firm will take full responsibility for protocol development and maintenance, and has already begun integrating Alluvial’s engineering team and tech stack. Liquid Collective will continue operating independently under the leadership of the Liquid Foundation. Liquid Collective, which partnered with Alluvial in 2023, launched an institutional-grade liquidity staking protocol. By 2025, its Total Value Locked (TVL) had doubled to roughly $1 billion. In June 2025, Galaxy and Liquid Collective entered a strategic partnership. Shortly after that announcement, Liquid Collective rolled out Liquid Staked SOL (LsSOL).

December 5 — Sources familiar with the matter say Bank of Japan (BOJ) officials are ready to raise interest rates at this month’s upcoming policy meeting, provided the economy and financial markets don’t see a significant impact in the interim. If economic conditions pan out as expected, the BOJ will also signal openness to further rate hikes while staying cautious about the ultimate peak for rates. This hike will push Japan’s policy rate to its highest level since 1995. The market’s main focus is how the BOJ will clearly signal additional rate increases. Separately, sources note the BOJ will keep reviewing the latest data and information right up until the final moment before making its formal policy decision. With real interest rates remaining negative and the financial environment set to keep supporting the economy, officials view this hike as an adjustment to monetary easing—not a tightening move. (Kinshi)

On December 5, decentralized AI infrastructure startup DeepNode announced it has raised a total of $5 million in funding—including a $2 million seed round (completed at a $25 million valuation) and a $3 million strategic round (valued at $75 million). The seed round included participation from community members, while strategic round backers include Blockchain Founders Fund, Side Door Ventures, and others. Built on Ethereum’s Layer 2 network Base and leveraging the PoWR mechanism, DeepNode plans to launch its mainnet by the end of Q1 2026. (Source: Decrypt)

December 5 — Renowned American digital artist Mike Winkelmann, professionally known as Beeple, unveiled his "Flesh Machine Dogs" animal-themed series at Miami Beach’s Art Basel exhibition recently. These robotic dogs sport silicone masks depicting celebrities like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, drawing throngs of art enthusiasts and media attention. The installations continuously snap photos, with images recorded on the blockchain—Beeple aims to reinterpret the world through these public figures’ perspectives. All seven of the celebrity-themed machine dogs have been sold to private collectors, each fetching $100,000. In an interview, Beeple noted that while the robots’ appearance may seem unusual or bizarre, his intent was not to offend the celebrities. A legend in the art world, Beeple made history in 2021 when Christie’s auctioned his *Everydays: The First 5000 Days*—the first purely digital artwork sold as an NFT—for a staggering $69.34 million. The sale set a new record fo

**Dec 5 Update: Polymarket Puts 72% Probability on Strategy’s MSCI Index Removal** As of Dec 5, Polymarket data shows the probability that Strategy will be removed from the MSCI Index has climbed to 72%. Michael Saylor previously noted Strategy is in communication with MSCI about a potential removal decision. The index provider will announce its call on Jan 15. A JPMorgan report last month warned that if other index providers follow suit with removals, outflows could reach up to $8.8 billion.

Pulse Night Dubai, hosted by OOKC Group, wrapped up successfully in Dubai on the evening of December 3, 2025, running from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM. As a key social event of Dubai Blockchain Season, the gathering drew over 400 attendees—including Web3 project teams, investment firms, developers, entrepreneurs, and community members from across the globe. The event buzzed with nonstop interactions, highlighting the vibrancy and cohesion of Dubai’s Web3 ecosystem. Co-hosted by Delta3, Marina Protocol, CAT Terminal, TAU, OneCloud, and AWS, the night had strong backing from Innovation City. Additionally, partners like OpenEden, World Mobile, BCH Ecosystem Fund, BCH Club, CESS Network, NeuroMesh, and LADT joined forces to make Pulse Night a highly anticipated industry social during Blockchain Season. During networking sessions, builders across various tracks dived into deep discussions on industry trends, infrastructure development, ecosystem collaboration opportunities, and 2026’s narrati