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Visa Launches Stablecoin Settlement For US Financial Institutions With Circle’s USDC
Global payment giant Visa has announced the launch of stablecoin settlement in the United States using Circle’s USDC on the Solana Blockchain. The expansion follows the company’s ongoing efforts to modernize its settlement layer and be at the forefront of the emerging sector.
Visa Expands USDC Settlement To The USOn Tuesday, Visa unveiled the expansion of its stablecoin settlement service to financial institutions in the US, allowing local issuer and acquirer partners to settle with Visa in Circle’s USDC for the first time.
In the statement, the payments giant highlighted that issuers will benefit from faster fund movement over blockchains, seven‑day availability, and enhanced operational resilience across weekends and holidays “without any change to the consumer card experience.”
Initial participants include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have started settling with Visa in USDC on the Solana blockchain. Meanwhile, a wider rollout in the US is planned through 2026.
In addition, Visa shared its plan to utilize Arc, a new Layer 1 blockchain developed by Circle, which is currently in public testnet, for USDC settlement within its network and to operate a validator node once Arc goes live.
The global payments giant underscored that the launch marks a significant milestone in the company’s stablecoin settlement pilot program and strategy to modernize its settlement layer, which underpins global commerce.
Notably, Visa first experimented with USDC settlement in 2021 and became one of the first major payments networks to pilot stablecoin settlement using USDC in 2023. Now, Visa has reported more than 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programs in over 40 countries.
Last month, the company announced the expansion of its stablecoin settlement in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) with a partnership with crypto infrastructure company Aquanow.
“Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it – they’re preparing to use it,” affirmed Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships, Visa.
“Financial institutions are looking for faster, programmable settlement options that integrate seamlessly with their existing treasury operations. By bringing USDC settlement to the U.S., Visa is delivering a reliable, bank‑ready capability that improves treasury efficiency while maintaining the security, compliance and resiliency standards our network requires,” he added.
Meanwhile, Circle emphasized the importance of integrating fully reserved stablecoins into institutions’ settlement flows. Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Circle, noted that “it helps card-issuing financial institutions modernize treasury and unlock new services while retaining the transparency and trust that USDC is known for.”
Visa’s New Stablecoin Advisory UnitThis week, Visa also announced the launch of its Stablecoins Advisory Practice (SAP) service by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) for insights and recommendations to guide banks, fintechs, merchants, and businesses on market fit, strategy, and implementation.
The new stablecoins advisory unit is set to offer a suite of services “designed to guide strategy and implementation amid the growing prevalence and stability of stablecoin infrastructure and emerging regulatory standards.”
Notably, it will provide training and market trend programs, including a new Visa University course, strategy development, market entry planning, use case sizing, go-to-market planning, and Technology enablement for stablecoin integration.
Visa affirmed that it recorded a $3.5 billion stablecoin settlement volume as of November 30, which has led businesses to its new Stablecoins Advisory Practice for growth opportunities.
Matt Freeman, senior vice president at the Navy Federal Credit Union, stated that “Stablecoins may represent an opportunity to enhance speed and lower cost in payments, so with the support of Visa, we are evaluating how this technology could fit into our broader strategy to deliver meaningful value to our 15 million members worldwide.”
Finbold Research: В 2025 году Strategy покупала по 641 биткоину ежедневно
Trump Signals Possible Pardon For Convicted Samourai Wallet Co-Founder
United States President Donald Trump said he would review the case of Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of the Samourai Wallet, and signaled he might consider clemency.
According to reporters present at a White House exchange, Trump said he would “take a look” and asked that the matter be examined by the Attorney General.
The comment came after federal prosecutors secured guilty pleas and later sent Rodriguez to prison.
Statement On A High-Profile SentencingAccording to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Rodriguez and a co-defendant, William Lonergan Hill, pleaded guilty to charges tied to running an unlicensed money-transmitting business and related conspiracy counts.
Reports have disclosed that the service was linked to more than $230 million in criminal proceeds. Prosecutors said those transfers were connected in their factual recitation to narcotics trafficking, darknet markets, cyber intrusions, frauds, sanctioned jurisdictions and other criminal activity.
Sentencing And Legal OutcomesBased on court filings and public notices, the guilty pleas were entered in late July 2025 and sentencing took place on November 19, 2025.
The Department of Justice has also pursued forfeiture tied to the amounts it described in court, and fines were assessed at the time of sentence.
These actions were carried out by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, who handled the investigation and prosecution.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Rodriguez said “This President knows all about lawfare.”
I have always said that the most challenging aspect of getting a pardon for me and Bill would be getting the attention of @realDonaldTrump. He is very busy with many people competing for his attention. Today, thanks to the journalist at Decrypt, the President is aware of our… https://t.co/lmYljfFax9
— Keonne Rodriguez (@keonne) December 15, 2025
Trump Pardon: How A Presidential Review Might Move ForwardThe process for clemency typically involves the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Justice Department, which vets petitions and may seek input from prosecutors and judges.
The president, however, has broad constitutional authority to grant pardons or commutations for federal offenses.
In this case, press accounts say the president asked that the Attorney General examine the matter, which could lead to a formal review of any clemency petition.
Political And Public ReactionsReports have varied in tone, with some outlets focusing on the scale of the funds prosecutors said were moved — $237 million — and others highlighting the unusual nature of a president publicly saying he would “look into” an active clemency matter shortly after sentencing.
Legal experts note that public comments from a sitting president can speed attention to a case, but they do not guarantee relief.
Opinions among commentators are mixed; some urge careful review while others stress that federal sentences reflect convictions from established court processes.
Featured image from Bloomberg via Getty Images, chart from TradingView
Why Bitcoin’s Current Weakness Is Structural, Not Emotional
Bitcoin has lost the critical $90,000 level and is now hovering near the $86,000 area, a zone that is quickly becoming the last meaningful support in the current structure. The recent decline has unfolded with little resistance from buyers, as bullish participation has largely disappeared from the market. Momentum-driven demand has faded, spot buying remains weak, and rallies are consistently being sold. As a result, a growing number of analysts are openly shifting their outlook toward a bear market scenario.
According to a recent report by on-chain analyst Axel Adler, conditions beneath the surface reinforce this pessimistic view. Derivatives positioning remains firmly negative, indicating that short sellers continue to dominate short-term market dynamics.
At the same time, market sentiment metrics have fallen to levels historically associated with major capitulation phases. Fear is widespread, confidence is fragile, and risk appetite across crypto markets is clearly deteriorating.
The combination of negative futures positioning and extreme investor fear creates a challenging environment for Bitcoin. Rather than signaling an immediate bottom, these conditions suggest that selling pressure remains structurally embedded in the market.
Futures Positioning And Sentiment Signal Deep StressAdler explains that the Bitcoin Positioning Index provides a clear view of who controls the derivatives market. The indicator aggregates changes in open interest and funding rates to identify the dominant direction of futures positioning.
At present, the index sits at -4, firmly in negative territory. This reading corresponds to a bearish regime and aligns with an active downtrend signal. Visually, the chart is dominated by purple bars over the past four weeks, highlighting sustained pressure from short positions and a lack of bullish conviction in derivatives markets.
Negative positioning combined with falling prices confirms that bears remain in control of short-term market dynamics. According to Adler, a meaningful regime shift will only occur if the index returns above zero and the price consolidates above local resistance levels. Without that confirmation, downside risk remains elevated.
The Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index reinforces this bearish backdrop. The index, which tracks market sentiment from extreme fear to extreme greed, has fallen deep into the extreme fear zone and well below the 25th percentile.
The 30-day SMA has dropped to 20, while the 90-day SMA sits near 32, signaling persistent sentiment deterioration since September. While extreme fear alone does not guarantee a reversal, its alignment with negative futures positioning suggests that selling pressure is structural rather than purely emotional.
Bitcoin Tests Critical Support As Downtrend PersistsThe chart shows Bitcoin trading under sustained technical pressure after failing to reclaim higher levels. Price has decisively broken below the medium-term moving averages and is now consolidating around the $87,000–$88,000 zone, a level that previously acted as support during the mid-cycle advance. The rejection from the blue moving average signals that bullish momentum has weakened significantly, while the downward slope confirms a loss of trend strength.
More importantly, Bitcoin is now hovering just above the red long-term moving average, a level that historically acts as a key structural support during broader corrections. The recent bounce from the $85,000–$86,000 area suggests that buyers are still present, but the response lacks conviction. Volume remains muted compared to earlier distribution phases, indicating hesitation rather than aggressive accumulation.
Structurally, the sequence of lower highs since the $120,000 peak remains intact. Until Bitcoin can reclaim the $92,000–$95,000 range and hold above the declining mid-term average, downside risks persist. A clean loss of the long-term support could expose deeper retracement levels toward the low $80,000s.
In the short term, this price behavior reflects a market in repair mode. Bitcoin is no longer trending, but it has not yet shown the strength required to invalidate the corrective structure.
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Will Quantum Computing Suppress Bitcoin Prices In 2026? Grayscale Answers
Quantum risk has been getting louder in the Bitcoin conversation over the past few months. The question is whether that noise translates into price pressure in 2026.
Grayscale’s answer, in its updated 2026 Digital Asset Outlook: “Dawn of the Institutional Era” (last updated Dec. 15), is essentially no. Quantum belongs on the risk register and in the research pipeline, not on the list of themes the firm expects to steer Bitcoin’s valuation next year. In its view, it’s not “likely to move prices” in 2026.
Why The Quantum Computer Threat Won’t Move Bitcoin Price In 2026That call matters because the quantum debate arrived while the market is already looking for new failure modes — everything from “the four-year cycle is dead” to renewed anxiety about large holders distributing supply. Grayscale’s framing is simpler: the threat is real in theory, but the relevant timelines don’t line up with a 2026 trading horizon.
The firm lays out the core concern in plain terms: “Theoretically, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive private keys from public keys, which could then be used to create valid digital signatures to spend users’ coins. Therefore, Bitcoin and most other blockchains — and virtually everything else in the economy that uses cryptography — will eventually need to be updated for post-quantum tools.”
The key word is eventually. Grayscale points to expert estimates suggesting a machine capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography is “unlikely before 2030 at the earliest.” That pushes 2026 into a preparedness bucket: more research, more coordination, more work on mitigation — but not a year where markets suddenly apply a quantum discount because a lab headline hit the wires.
Grayscale makes that explicit. “However, expert estimates suggest a quantum computer powerful enough to break Bitcoin’s cryptography is unlikely before 2030 at the earliest. Research on quantum risk and community preparedness efforts will likely accelerate in 2026, but this theme is unlikely to move prices, in our view,” the firm writes.
In the report’s taxonomy, quantum sits closer to “high attention, low near-term impact” than to a true 2026 catalyst. Grayscale groups it with other heavily discussed trades that may not drive returns on a one-year view, including the digital-asset-treasury (DAT) narrative that had its Michael Saylor copycat phase in 2025.
The broader outlook is firmly “institutional era” in tone. Grayscale expects 2026 to extend structural shifts in how digital assets are owned and allocated, driven by macro demand for alternative stores of value and an improving regulatory backdrop that reduces frictions for large investors. In that context, the firm is calling for Bitcoin to set a new all-time high in the first half of 2026, while arguing the classic four-year halving cycle is becoming less dominant as spot ETPs and slower-moving portfolio allocation play a bigger role.
That’s also why quantum looks like a mismatch for the 2026 price question. If the marginal buyer is an allocator working through due diligence checklists, the market’s response function changes. Those investors do not ignore tail risks — but they also tend not to liquidate positions on long-dated, low-probability scenarios unless the timeline becomes immediate.
Grayscale highlights one other, quieter point that fits the institutional framing: Bitcoin’s supply schedule. The report notes investors can be “highly confident” the 20 millionth bitcoin will be mined in March 2026 — a predictable, verifiable milestone that speaks to the protocol’s rule-based issuance.
So will quantum computing suppress Bitcoin in 2026? Grayscale’s base case is no — not because the problem is imaginary, but because it isn’t close on the timeline markets usually need before they reprice risk. For next year, the firm expects the bigger drivers to look familiar, even if they arrive in more institutional packaging: rates, regulation, ETP plumbing, and steady absorption of BTC into mainstream portfolios.
Quantum remains a theme to track. Just not, in Grayscale’s view, the theme that sets the price in 2026.
At press time, Bitcoin traded at $87,184.
Smart Money Outflow: 14,000 Ethereum Hit the Market As Two Major Holders Exit Positions
Ethereum is trading below the $3,000 level as selling pressure continues to weigh on the broader crypto market. After weeks of unstable price action, ETH has failed to reclaim key psychological and technical levels, reinforcing a fragile market structure.
Sentiment remains decisively bearish, with fear and even apathy starting to dominate trader behavior. Volatility has compressed, participation has thinned, and many analysts are increasingly pointing toward a prolonged bear market scenario extending into 2026.
This lack of conviction is not limited to retail participants. According to data shared by Lookonchain, two large whales dumped a combined 14,000 ETH, worth approximately $40.82 million, in just the past two hours. Such aggressive selling during already weak conditions adds pressure to an asset that is struggling to attract sustained demand.
While isolated whale activity does not define the broader trend on its own, timing matters. Large distributions during periods of low liquidity often amplify downside moves and reinforce negative sentiment across the market.
Ethereum Whale Selling Meets Long-Term ConvictionArkham data shared by Lookonchain reveals fresh evidence of large-scale selling as Ethereum trades under sustained pressure. Address 0x2802 sold 10,000 ETH, worth approximately $29.16 million, at an average price of $2,915.5 through decentralized exchanges.
Shortly after, another whale, 0x4c0A, offloaded 4,000 ETH, valued at around $11.66 million, distributing the sale across multiple centralized venues, including OKX, Binance, KuCoin, and Gate. The timing and coordination of these moves reinforce the current bearish tone, particularly as liquidity remains thin and broader market sentiment leans defensive.
In the short term, such activity adds to downside pressure and fuels uncertainty among smaller investors, who often interpret whale selling as a signal of deeper weakness ahead. However, price action and sentiment do not tell the full story. Despite the drawdown, Ethereum’s fundamentals continue to strengthen at a pace rarely seen before. Institutional adoption is accelerating, not slowing.
Most notably, JP Morgan recently announced the use of Ethereum to launch its first tokenized money-market fund, a milestone that underscores growing confidence in Ethereum as a settlement and financial infrastructure layer. While markets may remain bearish in the near term, the divergence between price sentiment and fundamental progress is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Ethereum Price Struggles to Hold Key Weekly SupportEthereum continues to trade under pressure on the weekly chart, with price now sitting around $2,950 after a sharp rejection from the $3,200–$3,300 region. This area previously acted as a key pivot zone and has now clearly flipped into resistance. The inability to reclaim it confirms that sellers remain in control of the medium-term structure.
From a trend perspective, ETH is consolidating around its 200-week moving average (red line), a historically important level that often determines whether corrections remain cyclical or evolve into deeper bearish phases. So far, this moving average is acting as dynamic support, preventing a more aggressive breakdown. However, momentum remains weak, and upside follow-through is limited.
The 50-week and 100-week moving averages (blue and green lines) are beginning to flatten and converge, reflecting indecision and reduced trend strength. Volume also remains muted compared to prior expansion phases, suggesting that neither strong accumulation nor capitulation is taking place at current levels.
Structurally, ETH remains in a wide consolidation range between $2,500 and $3,300. A weekly close below the $2,800–$2,900 area would expose downside toward the lower end of that range. Conversely, reclaiming $3,300 is required to reestablish bullish momentum. Until then, Ethereum remains technically fragile despite its long-term fundamentals.
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Market Pullback Accelerates After Senate Postpones Long-Awaited Crypto Framework Bill
The market entered a sharper pullback this week after the Senate confirmed that a long-anticipated crypto structure legislation will not advance before the end of the year.
Related Reading: Crypto Market Structure Bill Stalled: Senate Banking Committee Pushes Markup To Early 2026
What many investors had hoped would be a closing act for regulatory clarity in 2025 instead became another extension of uncertainty, triggering risk-off behavior across digital assets and related investment products. The delay arrived at a fragile moment for markets grappling with growing sensitivity to policy signals from Washington.
Bitcoin slid below the $86,000 level, while the broader digital asset market shed roughly $140 billion in capitalization within hours. The total market value has fallen to around $2.93 trillion, its lowest level in several weeks, as traders reassessed regulatory timelines that now extend into early 2026.
Senate Pushes Crypto Market Structure Talks Into 2026The Senate Banking Committee confirmed it will not hold a markup hearing on the crypto market structure billbefore Congress adjourns for the holidays.
While committee leadership says bipartisan negotiations are progressing, lawmakers acknowledged that time has run out to move the bill forward in 2025. Chairman Tim Scott’s office reiterated that discussions with Democratic counterparts are ongoing, with a markup now expected in early 2026.
The proposed legislation is designed to clarify how digital assets are regulated in the U.S., including defining the respective roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Under current drafts, the CFTC would oversee spot crypto markets, while securities laws would be more clearly applied to token issuers and intermediaries. Parallel efforts in the Senate Agriculture Committee, which also oversees the CFTC, have yet to reach a markup stage, further slowing the process.
Market Reaction Highlights Fragile SentimentThe legislative setback quickly translated into market pressure. Bitcoin fell from near $90,000 to the mid-$85,000 range, while Ethereum dropped below $3,000. Additionally, the average crypto RSI fell to around 32, indicating that the market is within oversold territory.
Analysts pointed to elevated derivatives positioning and heavy open interest around key price levels as factors amplifying downside moves. Exchange-traded products reflected the shift, with Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs recording significant outflows as institutional investors reduced exposure.
Some market observers noted that unrealized losses have risen sharply, while funding conditions and leverage remain stretched, making prices more vulnerable to negative catalysts such as policy delays.
Regulatory Uncertainty Persists Despite Agency ActionsDespite the legislative pause, regulators have continued to act within existing frameworks. The SEC has issued staff guidance and hosted public discussions on how current securities laws apply to crypto activities, while the CFTC has taken steps to expand supervised spot market participation.
However, industry participants say these measures fall short of the comprehensive clarity the market structure bill is meant to deliver.
Related Reading: Terra Founder Do Kwon Could Face 30-Year Sentence In Potential South Korean Trial
The Senate’s decision reinforces a familiar pattern for crypto markets: policy delays translating into heightened volatility. With negotiations set to resume in early 2026, investors will be left to navigate another extended period where regulatory questions remain unresolved.
Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart on Tradingview
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