According to BlockBeats, on December 19, the US Dollar Index (DXY) climbed to 108, marking its highest level since November 22. The index saw a daily increase of 0.98%, reflecting a significant upward movement in the currency market. This rise in the dollar index indicates a strengthening of the US dollar against a basket of other major currencies, which can have various implications for global trade and economic dynamics. The increase in the dollar index is often influenced by several factors, including economic data releases, monetary policy decisions, and geopolitical events. A stronger dollar can impact international trade by making US exports more expensive and imports cheaper, potentially affecting trade balances. Additionally, it can influence global financial markets, as many commodities and financial instruments are priced in US dollars. Market participants and analysts closely monitor the movements of the dollar index as it provides insights into the relative strength of the US dollar in the global economy. The recent rise to 108 suggests a renewed confidence in the US currency, possibly driven by economic indicators or expectations of future monetary policy actions. As the dollar strengthens, it can also affect inflation rates and interest rates, influencing economic growth and investment decisions worldwide.

According to CoinDesk, Deutsche Bank is advancing its blockchain capabilities by developing a layer-2 rollup network on Ethereum, utilizing Matter Labs’ ZKsync technology. This initiative, confirmed by Matter Labs, marks a significant step for the banking giant in integrating blockchain technology into its operations. The network is described as a 'public and permissioned L2,' allowing transparency while restricting certain actions to authorized participants. This approach reflects a growing institutional interest in blockchain as cryptocurrency prices soar. The project aims to address regulatory compliance challenges associated with public blockchains in the financial sector. By building a layer-2 network on Ethereum, Deutsche Bank seeks to enhance transaction speed and meet compliance requirements. The ZKsync-based rollup offers banks the opportunity to experiment with blockchain technology, enabling them to choose specific validators for the network. Additionally, it provides regulators with 'super admin rights' to monitor fund movements more closely. Memento Blockchain, a participant in the project, announced the layer-2 initiative on November 6, although it initially garnered limited attention. The network is currently in a test environment and is constructed using ZK Stack, a toolkit that allows developers to create customized blockchains based on ZKsync technology. This layer-2 development is part of Dama 2, a multi-chain initiative spearheaded by Deutsche Bank. Dama 2 is also a component of the Singapore Monetary Authority's Project Guardian, which involves 24 major financial institutions exploring blockchain applications for asset tokenization.

On Dec 18, 2024, 19:59 PM(UTC). According to Binance Market Data, Bitcoin has dropped below 103,000 USDT and is now trading at 102,955.476563 USDT, with a narrowed 3.33% decrease in 24 hours.

On Dec 18, 2024, 19:58 PM(UTC). According to Binance Market Data, Ethereum has dropped below 3,800 USDT and is now trading at 3,788.47998 USDT, with a narrowed 3.99% decrease in 24 hours.

OKX market data shows that BTC fell below 103,000 USDT and is now at 102,953 USDT, a 24-hour drop of 3.37%. (This newsletter is generated with the assistance of AI)

OKX market data shows that ETH fell below 3800 USDT and is now at 3799.99 USDT, a 24-hour drop of 3.7%. (This newsletter is generated by AI)

The post BlackRock’s ETF Makes Historic Blockchain-Settled Municipal Bond Purchase appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News As per a latest Bloomberg report, BlackRock’s iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF, also known as MEAR, just made a historic purchase of municipal bonds issued and settled entirely on blockchain. The fund was founded in 2015 and has roughly $750 million in client... source: https://coinpedia.org/news/blackrocks-etf-makes-historic-blockchain-settled-municipal-bond-purchase/

Powell: Some policymakers incorporate forecasts of new (government) policies into their forecasts. (Jinshi)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently sent a Wells notice to CyberKongz, indicating the regulator plans to take enforcement action against the non-fungible token (NFT) project. CyberKongz announced the notice this week and says it plans to “stand up and fight” in response to the SEC’s crackdown. “We have been suffering in silence […] The post NFT Project CyberKongz Vows To... source: https://dailyhodl.com/2024/12/18/nft-project-cyberkongz-vows-to-stand-up-and-fight-after-receiving-wells-notice-from-sec/

Bitcoin investors realized profits as BTC price hit new all-time highs throughout November. Now that the metric has reset, new highs could be in store. source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/double-digit-drop-in-bitcoin-profit-taking-metric-hints-that-btc-is-ready-to-rally-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Netflix shares surged 5.2% in premarket trading on Friday after the streaming giant exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for new subscriber