Daily Report | Bhutan GMC includes BTC, ETH, and BNB in strategic reserves; Musk states there are no plans to use cryptocurrency in X Payments in the near future; Thailand will trial cryptocurrency payments in Phuket

整理：Fairy，ChainCatcher

重要资讯：

• Arbitrum Foundation grants the largest developer subsidy ever to South Korean giant Lotte
• Bhutan's economic zone Greyp Mind City (GMC) announces BTC, ETH, and BNB as part of its strategic reserves
• Kazakhstan regulators have blocked over 3,500 "illegal" cryptocurrency exchanges
• Musk: No plans to use cryptocurrency in X Payments service anytime soon
• Trump's press conference proposes several shocking strategies, responses from multiple countries
• Data: Ethereum Foundation sells 100 ETH
• Thailand to trial cryptocurrency payments in Phuket, allowing foreign tourists to shop with digital currency

"What important events occurred in the past 24 hours"

Thailand to trial cryptocurrency payments in Phuket, allowing foreign tourists to shop with digital currency

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira announced on Wednesday at a seminar by the Thai Marketing Association that Thailand will launch a new cryptocurrency payment project, starting with the popular tourist destination of Phuket. The project will allow foreign tourists to use digital assets for shopping in the tourist city.

Pichai Chunhavajira emphasized that the pilot program will comply with existing legal frameworks to ensure that no laws are violated. The Phuket pilot will allow foreign tourists to register their Bitcoin through Thai exchanges, complete identity verification, and then use cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services.

Previously reported, a former Thai Prime Minister suggested trialing Bitcoin payments in Phuket.

Data: Ethereum Foundation sells 100 ETH

According to Arkham monitoring, 4 minutes ago, the Ethereum Foundation's address 0xd77, used for small high-frequency sales of ETH, sold 100 ETH for 336,000 DAI.

Korean Financial Commission plans to gradually allow corporations to invest in virtual assets

On January 8, the Korean Financial Commission announced its major work plan for 2025, stating that it will gradually allow corporations to open real-name accounts for virtual asset trading through discussions in the virtual asset committee. Although the law does not explicitly prohibit the issuance of real-name accounts for corporations, financial regulators had previously guided banks to avoid issuing such accounts. The Financial Commission plans to start with non-profit corporations and gradually develop specific implementation plans.

In addition, the Financial Commission will promote the "second phase of the virtual asset bill," covering the regulation of virtual asset issuance and circulation. Future discussions will focus on listing standards, stablecoin management, and behavioral rules for virtual asset exchanges, aligning with global regulatory frameworks.

Bhutan's economic zone Greyp Mind City (GMC) announces BTC, ETH, and BNB as part of its strategic reserves

According to the official website of Bhutan's Greyp Mind City (GMC), it has announced the inclusion of BTC, ETH, and BNB in its city strategic reserve assets, becoming one of the first special administrative regions in the world to incorporate digital assets into its strategic reserves.

The official information indicates that BNB was included in the reserve asset list due to its high market value, ample liquidity, and operation on a mature and secure blockchain. One of GMC's future economic focuses is to promote and support the application of blockchain technology, which not only strengthens GMC's economic resilience but also demonstrates its commitment to advancing blockchain technology. In March 2025, GMC will hold a high-level meeting to discuss digital asset strategic reserves and establish an international advisory committee.

Hyperliquid responds to multiple community feedback issues

Hyperliquid posted on X, stating that in response to recent community misunderstandings regarding the validator mechanism, the project team made the following clarifications:

• All validators are qualified based on their performance on the testnet; the claim of "buying a seat" is untrue, and such accusations are unfair to dedicated validators. As the network develops, the validator pool will gradually expand;
• The previously announced foundation delegation plan will support high-performing validators, further achieving network decentralization;
• Anyone can run an API server pointing to any node; although the example client code sends requests to a specific API server, this is not a fundamental requirement of the network;
• The black market trading behavior on the testnet HYPE is unacceptable, and the project team will continue to optimize the user experience on the testnet;
• The current node code is closed source, but it will be open-sourced after development is stable and secure;
• Currently, there is only one binary file; even for mature networks like Solana, most validators run a single client.

Hyperliquid stated that the project will iterate at a faster pace and larger scale, and will continue to listen to community feedback and improve the ecosystem.

Kazakhstan regulators have blocked over 3,500 "illegal" cryptocurrency exchanges

According to Finance Magnates, Kazakhstan's regulatory agency AFM RK announced that authorities have blocked over 3,500 illegally operating cryptocurrency exchanges. This action is the result of a joint effort by the National Security Committee and the Ministry of Culture and Information. Earlier in 2023, authorities also blocked access to Coinbase on suspicion of violating digital asset laws.

In 2024, regulators liquidated 36 illegal cryptocurrency exchanges, with a total trading volume of 60 billion Kazakh tenge (approximately 113 million USD), and froze assets worth 4.8 million USDT. Additionally, authorities uncovered two cryptocurrency pyramid schemes, returning 545,000 USDT to victims and freezing 120,000 USDT held by the platforms.

AFM stated that it is working with international partners to strengthen the regulation of cryptocurrency trading, combat its use for criminal activities, and draft legal amendments to hold digital asset providers accountable for money laundering, while financial institutions' checks on cryptocurrency trading have also been strengthened.

Bithumb to list Deepbook (DEEP)

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb will list Deepbook (DEEP). Deepbook is a liquidity protocol for the Sui ecosystem.

Public company Sol Strategies secures CAD 25 million credit line for investment in SOL and staking business

Public company Sol Strategies (stock code: CYFRF, HODL.CN) announced on Monday that it will invest CAD 25 million in the Solana ecosystem through an unsecured credit facility.

The unsecured revolving credit line will accrue interest at a rate of 5% per annum, compounded daily. Sol Strategies has drawn CAD 4 million in principal and plans to use the "remaining funds to make large-scale purchases of Solana tokens to support its staking operations and acquisitions." According to the statement, it must use the entire credit line by January 6, 2027.

The company, headquartered in Toronto, is the latest initiative of Cypherpunk Holdings, which has rebranded to become one of the main Solana stakers and ecosystem participants.

Backpack Exchange acquires FTX EU for $32.7 million, will be responsible for distributing $55 million in FTX bankruptcy claims

Founded by former FTX and Alameda employees, Backpack Exchange has acquired the bankrupt former European entity of FTX for $32.7 million to expand its derivatives business in the region.

FTX EU is one of the business units that ultimately went bankrupt after FTX's collapse in 2022. As part of the acquisition, Backpack, based in Dubai, will be responsible for distributing approximately €53 million ($55 million) in FTX bankruptcy claims previously approved by the court to FTX EU customers.

FTX's bankruptcy asset managers filed a lawsuit attempting to recover millions from the original owners of FTX EU. The lawsuit was ultimately withdrawn as part of a settlement agreement, which included reselling the unit to FTX Europe's co-founders Patrick Gruhn and Robin Matzke. Backpack purchased the company from the co-founders.

Musk: No plans to use cryptocurrency in X Payments service anytime soon

Musk discussed X platform payment-related topics on X stream, stating: "There are currently no plans to use cryptocurrency in X Payments service; we need a license. We are currently focused on fiat currency and on effectively launching X Payments service."

Trump's press conference proposes several shocking strategies, responses from multiple countries

At a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago, President-elect Trump made several shocking statements in just one hour, escalating remarks about sovereignty issues concerning countries like Canada.

He called for economic means to absorb Canada as part of the United States and did not rule out using force to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland, demanding NATO countries to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. He also vowed that if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages before he took office, "the Middle East will descend into chaos."

Additionally, Trump promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico to "American Gulf." Besides threatening to impose tariffs on uncooperative countries (including Denmark), he did not explain how these seemingly impossible promises would be achieved.

In response, various parties reacted to Trump's remarks. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau stated that Canada could never become a state of the U.S., and the country's foreign minister said they would never back down in the face of threats; the Danish Prime Minister reiterated that Greenland is not for sale; the President of Panama responded that he would not preemptively evaluate Trump's remarks about the Panama Canal before Trump takes office.

Foreign media commented that Trump's remarks align with a bolder stance, suggesting he believes he has the (public and electoral) mandate to speak and act almost at will.

Arbitrum Foundation grants the largest developer subsidy ever to South Korean giant Lotte

According to CoinDesk, Offchain Labs, the developer behind Arbitrum, announced at CES 2025 that the Arbitrum Foundation has granted the largest developer subsidy ever to South Korea's Lotte Group. Lotte Group is a multi-billion dollar South Korean conglomerate known for its shopping malls, media companies, and entertainment assets. A representative from the company declined to disclose the specific amount of the grant "at this stage." According to Offchain Labs, this subsidy solidifies Arbitrum's position as the primary blockchain infrastructure provider for Lotte's metaverse gaming platform, Caliverse.

"What are the must-read articles from the past 24 hours"

Node operators issue open letter questioning, Hyperliquid centralized API sparks controversy again

Editor's note: Node operator Chorus One detailed multiple issues with the Hyperliquid testnet in an open letter on the X platform, including frequent node shutdowns, operational difficulties due to closed-source code, and single point of failure risks from centralized APIs, and proposed several improvement suggestions aimed at enhancing the chain's transparency and decentralization. In response, Hyperliquid founder Jeff replied and emphasized that the validator selection criteria have been explained in the announcement; the official Hyperliquid account also separately posted on the X platform to clarify the issues mentioned in the letter and stated that the node code will be open-sourced when safe.

The following is the original content (edited for readability):

This letter is from Chorus One to the @HyperliquidX engineering team, hoping the team can take the time to review this feedback on Hyperliquid chain management.

Archaeology 2024 "Reappearance" of the top ten Bitcoin whales: highest transfer exceeds 1,000 BTC, lowest cost less than $1

In 2024, the Bitcoin blockchain once again brought unexpected surprises—multiple Bitcoin wallets that had been inactive for over a decade suddenly reactivated. These wallets, which had been silent for years, suddenly transferred large amounts of Bitcoin, sparking widespread attention and discussion in the cryptocurrency field. The market has speculated on why these wallets were reactivated, especially in cases involving large transactions.

Entering 2025, these reactivated wallets not only remind the market of Bitcoin's long-term value but also highlight the unpredictable dynamics that the Bitcoin network can still bring after many years. This article will focus on analyzing the cases of the ten most influential Bitcoin whale wallets reactivating, exploring the various possible reasons behind these activities, and analyzing how they could potentially impact market sentiment, pricing, and the overall dynamics of the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Crypto IQ Curve: Idiots, Mediocre, and Geniuses, who are the real "leeks"?

Intelligence is a broad, relative, and highly subjective variable that humanity has yet to fully quantify. Generally speaking, if an organism is "alive" and "autonomous," we classify it as intelligent life. This abstract vagueness is particularly evident in the cryptocurrency field.

From degens writing papers on the potential value of Fartcoin, to governments exploring strategic Bitcoin reserves, to scholars developing complex useless technologies, the cryptocurrency industry is a vast, paradoxical Pandora's box.

In this crazy world, there are few winners and many losers. The only simple standard that determines the difference between the two is a single, straightforward intelligence metric measured by portfolio performance.

If you want to win in the crypto game, you must stay away from mediocrity. You must either be a Sith Lord with an IQ of 200 (the leader of dark force users in the Star Wars series) or an absolute degenerate ape with an IQ of 20 (a completely brainless speculator); if you fall somewhere in between, you're doomed.

In the crypto world, the greatest insult one can receive is being called "average intelligence" (not to mention the emotional and financial pain that comes with it).

Meme 热门榜

According to the meme token tracking and analysis platform GMGN, as of January 8, 19:40:

In the past 24 hours, the top five Ethereum hot tokens are: PERCY, SPX, CIPHER, POPPY, RAI

In the past 24 hours, the top five Solana hot tokens are: AI21, TRENCH, SONIC, CNJR, CATG

In the past 24 hours, the top five Base hot tokens are: VIRTUAL, AIXBT, CATOF, AKUMA, BRAIN