🌍 Ghana's Gold Sector Transformation: Blockchain Implementation by 2026

🔄 Ghana is set to transform its gold sector with a blockchain-powered track and trace system by the end of 2026. This initiative aims to ensure the full traceability and certified origin of all gold purchased and exported from the country. The announcement was made by Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, during the 2025 Dubai Precious Metals Conference.

🛠 The introduction of this system is part of comprehensive reforms aimed at cleaning up the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector and eliminating illegal mining from the gold supply chain. Despite being operational for only seven months, the Gold Board is moving forward with the deployment of the Track and Trace system. This system will verify the legitimate and sustainable origin of every gram of processed gold and will include compliance audits to prevent licensed mines from being used for illegal operations.

🚫 Gyamfi emphasized that this initiative is crucial for curbing gold smuggling, strengthening regulatory oversight, and promoting anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) measures. The deployment of the blockchain-based system is not just a policy goal but a legal requirement under Section 31X of the Gold Board Act (Act 1140).

🔴 The timeline for the system’s launch has been extended to the end of 2026 to allow for comprehensive procurement and deployment processes. Gyamfi highlighted the pivotal role of ASM in Ghana’s economic recovery, noting that it contributed 90 tonnes of gold, representing about 53% of the country’s total gold exports, and generated over $9 billion in foreign exchange.

⚠️ However, unregulated and illegal mining continues to pose significant threats to Ghana’s environment and public health. To combat this, the Gold Board has launched a dedicated task force to address illegal trading and is investing in an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified assay laboratory to modernize gold testing within the ASM value chain.

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📉 Peter Brandt's Bitcoin Cycle Theory: 75% Drawdowns as a Precursor to Bull Runs

🗣 Veteran trader Peter Brandt recently shared insights on Bitcoin's historical bull runs, emphasizing that each one was preceded by significant drawdowns of over 75%. He stated,
there are “no exceptions,” urging traders to have strong reasons if they wish to challenge this pattern.

📊 A week ago, Brandt posted a chart of CME Bitcoin futures illustrating a dip to $86,000 in November 2025 before a potential rebound. He humorously added a cat meme referencing the “dead cat bounce” phenomenon. Following this, he raised a question about the possibility of a “dead cat bounce” being over, while also noting that support levels range from the mid-$40s to below $70K.

🔍 In a subsequent analysis, Brandt used a log-scale chart to dissect Bitcoin's five historical bull cycles, showing that every break in parabolic trendlines was followed by substantial drawdowns. He reiterated,
there are “NO EXCEPTIONS!! You better have a great reason to bet against this pattern,”
highlighting the current situation as potentially troublesome.

💬 This assertion sparked debates among users, with some pointing to a less severe current parabola and macro indicators like the copper-gold ratio rebound as counterarguments. However, Brandt remained steadfast in his belief, stating that the pattern holds until proven otherwise.

📉 Critics of Brandt's perspective argue that markets are evolving and that strict adherence to historical patterns can obscure new signals. They cite shallower drawdowns and previous chart breaches as evidence that the current cycle may not mirror past ones.

💎 Kraken Launches Exclusive VIP Platform for Ultra High Net Worth Individuals

🚀 On December 4, 2025, Kraken launched its invitation-only VIP program, tailored for sophisticated traders and strategic capital allocators. To qualify, members must maintain an average platform balance of $10 million or an annual trading volume of $80 million. The program offers clients dedicated relationship managers, global experiences, and access to a private network of crypto industry leaders.

🌟 Key benefits of the program include 24/7 support, direct access to Kraken’s experts, and early insights into new products.

Ultra high-net-worth clients don’t come to us for speed alone — they come to us because they expect a partner who matches their ambition,”

said Kraken Co-CEO Arjun Sethi. The service also provides exclusive experiences such as Formula 1 events and private cultural gatherings, positioning itself as a comprehensive premium crypto platform.

⛔️ Joining the Kraken VIP program requires qualification based on financial criteria. The program is unique due to its dedicated relationship management and exclusive global experiences. It is indeed invitation-only, with an application review process and select referrals. Members also enjoy additional benefits like early product access, strategic analyst sessions, and valuable network connections.

🟡 Bitcoin's Price Struggles Below $90K: A Technical Analysis

📉 Bitcoin's price is currently trapped in a tight range between $88,990 and $89,473, just below the crucial $90K level. With a market cap of $1.78 trillion and a 24-hour trading volume of $21.62 billion, Bitcoin remains the dominant player in the crypto space. However, its recent performance shows signs of caution.

Since sliding from a lofty high of approximately $111,129 to a trough near $80,537, bitcoin has been treading water in the $90K territory,

the article states. The daily chart reveals a downward drift meeting uncertain consolidation. Key support is found in the $80,500 to $82,000 range, while resistance is strong around $95,000 to $96,000.

🔍 The 4-hour chart shows a decline after a previous climb from $84,045 to $94,172. Bitcoin has shifted to a lower-highs structure, indicating a decrease in bullish enthusiasm. Price now fluctuates between $88,500 and $90,000. A breakdown below $88,500 could lead to further declines towards the $86,000 area.

Lower highs and shallow bounces suggest not accumulation but distribution;

the article notes. This indicates that someone may be quietly offloading their positions while retail investors remain hopeful for a rally.

⚖️ The oscillators are sending mixed signals. The relative strength index (RSI) is neutral at 43, as are the Stochastic and commodity channel index (CCI). However, the momentum indicator suggests a more bearish sentiment with a reading of -1,894.

Should bitcoin reclaim and sustain levels above $95,000 with strong volume and bullish conviction,

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📌 American Bitcoin Corp. Increases BTC Reserves Amid Stock Decline

📈 American Bitcoin Corp. has boosted its bitcoin reserves to 4,783 BTC as of December 8, according to recent company disclosures. This marks an increase of 416 BTC since the last update on December 2. The company emphasized that its total holdings include both mined and strategically purchased bitcoin.

With our bitcoin reserve now at 4,783, we continue to scale at an exceptional pace,

said Eric Trump, the company's co-founder and chief strategy officer. He also noted that the company's Satoshis Per Share (SPS) metric, which tracks the amount of bitcoin associated with each outstanding share, has risen over 17% since November 5, reaching 507 satoshis per share.

🚀 Trump highlighted that American Bitcoin Corp. has established itself as one of the largest and fastest-growing bitcoin accumulators since its Nasdaq listing about three months ago. He mentioned the company's cost structure and margin considerations as factors contributing to this progress.

Next: Gamestop,

Trump remarked on X, indicating that the company was approaching a milestone of surpassing Gamestop in the bitcoin treasuries arena. Following the recent addition of bitcoin, American Bitcoin Corp. has officially overtaken Gamestop in this regard.

📉 However, despite the increase in reserves, ABTC's stock has not performed similarly. The company's shares have declined by over 2% on the day, more than 11% over the past week, and over 50% in the past 30 days. This disparity between treasury growth and share price performance reflects broader investor caution in the mining and accumulation sector, which has experienced uneven trading recently.

🔗 American Bitcoin Corp. stated that it will continue to provide updates on its reserves and SPS through its website and social media channels.

⚖️ Bitcoin's Hashrate Stability Amid Difficulty Cuts and Revenue Pressures

🔒 Bitcoin has experienced its third consecutive difficulty reduction, yet the network's computing power remains robust, staying above the 1.1 zettahash per second (ZH/s) mark. As of this weekend, the total hashpower is steady at 1,125.48 EH/s, following a slight 0.74% difficulty adjustment at block height 927360.

📉 Despite facing three difficulty decreases since November 12, which total 5.06%, this has not surpassed the 6.31% increase noted on October 29. The hashrate remains resilient, contributing to accelerated block production with an average block interval of 9 minutes 25 seconds as of December 13.

🔔 Looking ahead, the next difficulty epoch is anticipated to trend higher, although it is still some way off, with only 18% of the 2,016 blocks completed so far. This leaves room for the final adjustment to differ from the current projection of over a 6% increase. Notably, this elevated hashrate and quicker block intervals are occurring despite thin miner revenues.

💰 The hashprice, representing the expected value of a single petahash of hashrate, has dropped by 9.85% over the past month, from $42.70 per petahash per second (PH/s) to $38.49 today. This decline reflects lower bitcoin prices and the fact that onchain fees now constitute only a small portion of the block reward.

📊 Recent data shows that onchain fees have fallen well below the 1% threshold, accounting for just 0.54% of a block reward in the past 24 hours. Despite these challenges, miners are demonstrating resilience, reminding us that they are familiar with such pressures. The coming months will reveal whether conditions for miners will improve or if further strain is on the horizon as 2026 approaches.

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💰 Redotpay Secures $107 Million in Series B Funding for Stablecoin Payments Expansion

🚀 Redotpay, a fintech company based in Hong Kong, has successfully raised $107 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total capital raised in 2025 to $194 million. The funding round was led by Goodwater Capital and saw participation from Pantera Capital, Blockchain Capital, and Circle Ventures, along with support from existing investors.

🌍 As of November, Redotpay boasts over 6 million registered users across more than 100 countries. The company reported an annualized payment volume exceeding $10 billion, with payment activity nearly tripling year over year. Notably, over 3 million users joined the platform in 2025 alone.

💳 Redotpay offers a range of payment services centered around stablecoins, including card-based spending, cross-border payouts, and peer-to-peer transfers. The platform allows users to store digital assets while spending in local currencies, which is particularly relevant in regions facing currency instability or limited banking access.

📈 The company also reported generating over $150 million in annualized revenue and remains profitable under its current operating structure. The newly raised capital will be used for acquisitions, strengthening compliance operations, obtaining regulatory licenses, and expanding engineering and product teams.

🌐 Redotpay plans to expand its geographic footprint while continuing to develop payment infrastructure that connects digital assets with traditional financial systems. This funding comes at a time when stablecoin usage is increasingly shifting from trading to payments, remittances, and settlements, positioning Redotpay within a growing segment of the global payments market.

📊 As of December 16, the stablecoin economy is valued at $309.55 billion, with settlement volumes rising into the trillions. The stablecoin sector continues to expand its presence and legitimacy through widespread adoption and increasing regulatory clarity from governments.

📈 Draftkings Enters U.S. Prediction Markets with New App

🚀 Draftkings has officially launched its standalone predictions app, Draftkings Predictions, marking its entry into the expanding U.S. prediction markets sector. This new platform allows eligible users to trade contracts based on real-world outcomes, including sports and financial events, and operates under federal commodities law rather than state gambling regulations.

📱 The app, which is separate from Draftkings' traditional sportsbook and casino services, is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is registered as an introducing broker with the National Futures Association. This regulatory framework positions it uniquely in the market, enabling it to offer event-based contract trading.

Draftkings Predictions is a significant milestone and reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering products that tap into the passion of our customers,

said Corey Gottlieb, Draftkings’ chief product officer. He added,

We believe we are uniquely positioned to lead this space over the long term.

📊 At launch, Draftkings Predictions connects to CME Group for access to various event contracts, including global benchmarks and economic indicators. The company plans to expand its market offerings by connecting to multiple exchanges over time. This rollout follows Draftkings' acquisition of Railbird Technologies, which is expected to enhance the platform's market capabilities and support future product development.

🏆 Draftkings enters a competitive landscape with established players like Kalshi, which offers a CFTC-regulated exchange for contracts on various outcomes, and Polymarket and Myriad, which operate crypto-based prediction platforms. These competitors have reported significant trading volumes and have expanded into sports and political markets.

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🪙 Record Highs for Gold and Silver Amid Geopolitical Tensions

📈 Gold and silver prices soared to record levels on Sunday night as investors reacted to anticipated interest rate cuts in 2026 and heightened geopolitical risks due to the U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil. Gold futures surpassed $4,440, while silver exceeded $69 per ounce.

Analysts have rationalized this rise, linking it with two different events: the expectation of two interest rate cuts and the ongoing hostilities between the U.S. government and Venezuela.

📉 Despite Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack's recent statement that further cuts were unnecessary due to inflation concerns, the market anticipates at least two rate cuts in 2026. Additionally, the confiscation of Venezuelan oil tankers adds uncertainty to crude oil prices, as China, Venezuela's main oil buyer, may need to find alternative sources.

🔍 Traditional factors driving up precious metal prices include central bank demand, scarcity, and increased technological use. Gold and silver can thrive even when interest rates decrease because they do not yield returns.

🌟 Silver is having a particularly strong year, with analysts predicting it could reach three-digit prices in the medium term. Gold has also been performing well, achieving several record highs throughout the year.

🔔 Argentina's New Congress and the Role of Stablecoins in Economic Stabilization

💬 Deputy Martin Yeza of Argentina's new Congress has emphasized the potential of stablecoins to play a crucial role in the country's payment system. He advocates for allowing the central bank to hold cryptocurrency and for state-owned companies to engage in crypto mining. This perspective aligns with local analysts who support the idea of “tetherization” of the economy.

🗣 In an interview with Iproup, Yeza mentioned that the government plans to reassess its approach to dollarization by considering stablecoins and cryptocurrencies as alternatives to the US dollar. He acknowledged the potential resistance to such reforms in Congress but expressed a desire to see stablecoins integrated as a payment method.

📉 One of President Milei's key campaign promises was to eliminate the central bank and fully dollarize the economy to reduce inflation. However, Rocelo Lopez, a local crypto entrepreneur, argued for a “tetherization” approach, which would not require U.S. approval and could offer advantages like traceable and low-cost transactions.

🏦 Recent reports suggest that Argentine banks are preparing to provide crypto services to customers, and the central bank is drafting measures to facilitate private banks' entry into the cryptocurrency market. This indicates a shifting landscape where cryptocurrencies may become more integrated into the financial system as the new Congress navigates these critical issues in 2026.

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💰 Peter Schiff Predicts Silver Will Surpass $100 Next Year Amidst Macroeconomic Challenges

📈 Economist Peter Schiff recently expressed a strongly bullish outlook on silver, suggesting that macroeconomic factors and market conditions are aligning for a potential rise above $100 next year. Despite acknowledging the possibility of temporary pullbacks, he believes that

this time it is different

when it comes to silver's price trajectory.

🔄 Responding to skepticism from a fellow user on social media, Schiff stated,

Silver can easily pull back, but it’s unlikely it gets near $50 again.

He emphasized that regardless of any potential corrections, the price should break above $100 next year.

📉 Schiff linked his optimistic view to deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, explaining that

recession is bullish for gold and silver as it results in larger federal budget deficits, interest rate cuts, expanded QE (meaning higher inflation), and a weaker dollar.

This perspective aligns with a broader bullish case for silver, which is supported by rising government debt, persistent fiscal shortfalls, and declining real interest rates.

⚖️ However, while supporters of this thesis point to chronic silver supply deficits and strong industrial demand from sectors like solar and electronics, skeptics highlight silver's extreme volatility and history of sharp corrections. They caution that while silver may present a compelling long-term investment case, it remains risky over shorter time frames.

🚀 Ripple's Optimistic Outlook on Institutional Crypto Adoption

📈 Ripple's Managing Director for APAC, Reece Merrick, recently expressed a positive outlook for the upcoming year, highlighting the rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies by institutions. He pointed to regulatory advancements and the growth of tokenization as key factors driving this momentum. Merrick stated,

We’ve never been in a better position heading into a new year.

🔍 He elaborated on the shift in regulatory perception, noting that clear frameworks are now enabling financial institutions to move from exploration to implementation. This change allows banks and asset managers to fully integrate blockchain-based payments and stablecoin operations into their core financial activities.

We have moved past the idea of regulation being a blocker,

he emphasized.

💰 Merrick highlighted the maturation of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization into a $30 billion industry dominated by major players like Blackrock and Franklin Templeton. He also pointed out the significant increase in stablecoin supply, which has surged by over 50% this year to approximately $310 billion in market capitalization.

Forecasted growth across RWAs and Stablecoins set to move into the trillions in the coming years!

📊 Addressing capital flows, Merrick noted that crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen steady accumulation with about $29.3 billion in net inflows this year. He described this shift as a validation of crypto's role in institutional portfolios, particularly with growing interest in XRP-linked products.

Multiple XRP ETFs launched, showing clear institutional interest, approaching $1B AUM in under a month,

he stated.

🔗 On the topic of enterprise adoption, Merrick explained that financial institutions are looking to incorporate blockchain technology to enhance their existing systems rather than replace them entirely. He concluded by emphasizing Ripple's strategic position at the intersection of crypto, traditional payments, and tokenization.

This current period is a strong moment to be building in the sector,

he said.