2024 was the year of laying the foundation for the future. As we look ahead to 2025, we expect the industry to mature further. In the meantime, dive into this report to learn about all the exciting developments, breakthroughs, and narratives that shaped the past year.

According to BlockBeats, data from 8marketcap reveals that XRP's market capitalization has reached $163.59 billion. Over the past 24 hours, XRP has experienced a growth of 12.85%, placing it at the 101st position in the global asset market capitalization rankings.

According to BlockBeats, TikTok's leadership has communicated in an internal memo that the company intends to continue paying its U.S. employees, even if the U.S. Supreme Court does not overturn the law mandating the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations or banning the app in the country. TikTok currently employs 7,000 people in the United States.

According to Cointelegraph, Meta has announced changes to its fact-checking features on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, confirming that these adjustments will currently apply only in the United States. This decision was communicated in a letter dated January 13 to Brazil's government, clarifying that the independent Fact-Checking Program is being terminated in the US to test and refine a new community notes feature before considering expansion to other regions. The letter was a response to a 72-hour deadline set by Brazil's Attorney General of the Union (AGU) for Meta to specify the scope of the fact-checking feature's removal. This move follows Meta's earlier announcement on January 7, which stated the removal was part of an effort to enhance freedom of expression on its platforms while aligning with corporate human rights policies. The community notes feature, similar to one used by Elon Musk's platform X, aims to balance freedom of expression with security concerns. Meta acknowledged potential risks associated with increased freedom of expression, such as harmful content, and assured that automated systems are in place to address severe violations, including terrorism, child exploitation, fraud, scams, and drug-related issues. Despite these assurances, Brazil has expressed dissatisfaction with the removal of the fact-checking feature. Brazil's Attorney-General Jorge Messias emphasized the country's stringent laws to protect children, vulnerable populations, and the business environment, stating that Brazil will not allow digital platforms to become chaotic or harmful. This development coincides with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's intention to collaborate with the incoming Trump administration to resist foreign governmental pressures on US companies regarding censorship. Zuckerberg is anticipated to attend Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.

According to Odaily, a report released on Monday indicates that President-elect Trump's second inauguration could be the most militarized in U.S. history. National security agencies have warned that, despite no specific credible threats at present, the inauguration is a potential target for violent extremists. The event may attract individuals, particularly those dissatisfied with the election results, who might view the inauguration as a last opportunity to influence the outcome through violence. A group of intelligence and law enforcement agencies highlighted these concerns in an unpublished threat assessment. Citing U.S. officials, The Daily Telegraph reported that nearly 7,800 soldiers will patrol Washington, D.C., alongside a similar number of police officers to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. The report also disclosed that two FBI field offices, numerous drones, and at least 30 miles of fencing will be deployed to protect Trump and attendees from various potential threats, including global leaders and senior lawmakers from across the United States.

The Financial Information Analysis Unit (FIU) of the Financial Services Commission of South Korea plans to hold a sanctions review committee against Upbit on January 21. This is due to the previous on-site inspection of the renewal registration of virtual asset service providers (VASPs) that found related issues of violations of customer identification (KYC) obligations. The review results may involve the determination of the penalties for Upbit employees and the amount of fines. It is understood that the FIU has been conducting on-site inspections of Upbit since the end of August, and in the process found at least 500,000 to 600,000 cases of suspected violations of KYC obligations. This includes cases where accounts are opened even when the names or registration numbers on the ID cards verified by customers are blurred and unrecognizable. However, it is not clear whether these cases actually constitute KYC violations. The extent of the fine is also expected to vary depending on Upbit's explanation. The key is the relationship between KYC violations and money laundering. Industry insiders expect that after this sanctions review, the renewal registration process for virtual asset service providers will be gradually promoted. Upbit's registration renewal, which was originally scheduled to be completed in October last year, was delayed due to the incident and is still awaiting the results of the processing. (etnews)

According to Odaily, Nature's Miracle Holding Inc. (NMHI), a company listed on Nasdaq, has received a delisting notice for failing to meet the minimum stockholder equity requirement as per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). The notice indicates that trading of the company's common stock and warrants will be suspended on Nasdaq, effective from the market opening on January 15, 2025. In December of last year, NMHI announced the acquisition of a 90% fully diluted stake in Bitcoin mining company J&Y Marigold Ltd. for a total purchase price of $5.32 million. J&Y Marigold Ltd. is currently constructing a 14-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility, which is expected to become operational in the first half of 2025. The first phase of the project, comprising 9 megawatts, is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, while the second phase, consisting of 5 megawatts, is projected to finish in the second quarter of 2025.

According to Odaily, Andrew Kang, co-founder of Mechanism Capital, shared a segment from a BlockNew interview where Raoul Pal criticized aixbt. Kang expressed on Platform X that "aixbt_agent will become a major winner, underestimated by most but consistently ahead of everyone."

According to a post by Matrixport on the X platform, as a cyclical and trend-driven asset, the trend of Bitcoin can be judged by the 21-week moving average (about 147 days). When the price is above this moving average, it is suitable to hold long positions; when the price is below the moving average, it is necessary to be cautious. Historical data shows that this moving average has successfully captured major market trends many times, including the bull markets in 2020 and 2023, and the bear market in 2022. The current moving average is about $85,000. As long as the price of Bitcoin remains above this level, the market can be considered to be in a bull market.

Thailand’s SEC is considering allowing local bitcoin ETFs to advance in line with the global crypto adoption trend, according to Bloomberg. source: https://www.theblock.co/post/334667/thailand-considers-approving-local-bitcoin-etfs-amid-global-competition-bloomberg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Blockchain oracle provider Chainlink has just upgraded its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) providing a boost for native token prices. source: https://cryptopotato.com/chainlink-launches-cross-chain-token-cct-standard-link-adds-6/

Elon Musk is being sued by the SEC for failing to disclose his large purchase of Twitter stock on time, which allowed him to buy shares at lower prices. The SEC claims this delayed filing caused harm to other investors and is seeking civil penalties and the return of Musk's profits.

Rumours has been spreading that the Chinese officials are discussing a possible option that involves selling at least a portion of the US version of TikTok to Musk's X, after reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. The discussions, if they were true, would mark a stark reversal in China's stance on a Tiktok sale just days before the ban in the United States would come into play.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued Elon Musk, saying the world's richest man failed to disclose that he acquired "beneficial ownership" of Twitter in early 2022 so he could buy shares at a lower price.

As my country's strength continues to increase, the United States' various strategic deployments are aimed at China. Scott Bessent, who is about to be appointed as the US Treasury Secretary of the Trump administration, commissioned the Bitcoin Research Institute to produce this 46-page analysis report.

Despite raising $650,000 for the Dogwifhat mascot campaign, Zion Thomas and his team have failed to display it on the Las Vegas Sphere. Ten months on, they’ve provided no proof of communication with the Sphere’s marketing team, raising concerns about the legitimacy and future of the stunt.

Cryptocurrencies are a unique high-volatility alternative asset class that may help improve risk-adjusted returns when added to traditional investment portfolios.

Thaksin Shinawatra has called for legalising online gambling and adopting cryptocurrencies in Thailand to boost government revenue and modernise the economy. The Thai government is already exploring cryptocurrency payments in Phuket and conducting trials of a central bank digital currency.

“With Gary Gensler in the dumpster in Washington, we have a golden opportunity to ensure that the future of digital assets is American-led,” Emmer said.

The U.S government is asking American citizens not to give their personal data to a Chinese company, but citizens are replying to the government's plea with a middle finger. As the country is waiting for the TikTok ban to go into effect on Jan 19, Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu (colloquially known as Red Note) has become the most downloaded app overnight.