ChainCatcher news reports that a survey by GlobalData shows that for consumers in many countries, the services offered by CBDCs are insufficient to motivate them to switch from familiar payment methods to CBDCs, as state-backed digital currencies face issues such as lack of user incentives, privacy concerns, and technical challenges.GlobalData banking and payments analyst Blandina Szalay stated, "In countries where CBDCs have been fully launched—Bahamas, Jamaica, Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, and Nigeria—the acceptance of CBDCs is very limited, which can be attributed to the lack of compelling incentives to encourage consumers to shift from the payment methods they are already accustomed to."Convenience and habit also play a significant role in people's choice of payment methods. According to GlobalData, CBDCs have not yet provided enough benefits to make them a better option. In fact, in places where active CBDC programs exist, users complain that the new system makes payments more complicated and "does not provide sufficient benefits."

ChainCatcher news, Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu commented on Trump's plan to exempt domestic cryptocurrencies from taxes in the United States. He pointed out several issues with the plan: first, most token foundations are registered in Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, or Singapore; second, the origin of Bitcoin is unknown and most mining occurs outside the United States; furthermore, decentralized blockchains inherently possess a borderless nature.Yat Siu emphasized that due to previous SEC regulations, American institutions have almost exclusively issued tokens abroad. He suggested attracting foreign crypto companies to invest and build in the U.S. through inclusive tax incentives to create job opportunities, rather than implementing differentiated tax policies solely based on the location of token issuance.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Movement Labs co-founder Rushi Manche stated in an interview that decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) must overcome the lack of a cohesive narrative to achieve mass adoption.DePIN has such a diverse range of use cases, many of which are highly technical, making it often difficult to market projects to the public or achieve product-market fit.Nevertheless, the outlook for the industry remains bright, citing former President Trump's support for crypto policies as a reason for optimism.

ChainCatcher news, Greeks.live macro researcher Adam posted on social media that after the announcement of Trump's cryptocurrency task force, there were divergent opinions in the group but a cautious bullish outlook, with $105,000 becoming a key support level. Traders are closely monitoring the $103,000-$108,000 range, holding a skeptical view on upward momentum, as the price movement, although volatile, remains within the range.Major trading activity is concentrated in recent options, with significant volume in the January 25 $110,000 call options but ultimately going to zero;Most traders are taking defensive positions, planning to buy call spreads and sell put options at the $102,000-$105,000 price level next week;Concerns are raised about upcoming volatility catalysts, including next week's FOMC meeting and the Lunar New Year (January 29), leading traders to adopt a cautious approach and partially reduce exposure.

ChainCatcher message, Zhao Changpeng stated regarding "Trump will talk to the President of El Salvador" that all presidents will discuss how to adopt cryptocurrency as soon as possible (if they haven't already).

ChainCatcher message, the ethereum.org community has released a periodic roadmap for the ethereum.org website, stating that it is improving its building process. Starting from January 20, it will adopt the Shape Up cycle, focusing on a 6-week build period followed by a 2-week cooldown period.For the first cycle, each of the following projects will be released by the end of February: interactive roadmap, Listen-to-learn, Web3 implementation, Dashboard hub, content updates, translation quality, exploring ways to improve non-English user experience beyond translation, UI component migration, etc.

ChainCatcher News, the American critical metals mining company Critical Metal Corps announced plans to begin allocating its excess reserves to BTC, a decision that has been approved by its board of directors. According to the company's announcement, it may have access to a $500 million funding pool, which will be part of a convertible note financing led by JBA Asset Management, subject to the conditions contained in the transaction documents.The company stated that from the $500 million funding pool, it will initially allocate $100 million to purchase Bitcoin. The coverage ratio for the first tranche of funds is 100%. It also mentioned that the remaining $400 million could be used at the buyer's discretion, with a coverage ratio of 50%.According to the financing conditions, the convertible notes are secured by the cash raised and the underlying BTC acquired. Although the company has not disclosed a strategic Bitcoin purchasing plan, it stated that this move will depend on its cash flow needs and may ultimately modify some conditions of the strategy as it deems appropriate.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the 2025 Crypto Trends Report released by WisdomTree indicates that Bitcoin is no longer a niche investment, and institutional adoption is rapidly growing. The report shows that multi-asset portfolios that include Bitcoin consistently outperform those that do not.WisdomTree expects that due to increased client demand, Bitcoin adoption rates will continue to rise in 2025. The launch of the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF has propelled the mainstreaming of cryptocurrencies, and more countries may approve trading products (ETPs) for altcoins, including SOL and XRP, in the future.The report also highlights Ethereum's significant position in the DeFi, NFT, and Web3 sectors, but its scalability issues remain to be addressed. Stablecoins and asset tokenization are expected to see substantial growth, further driving the application of blockchain technology in the global financial system.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin News, Japanese company Metaplanet has seen its market capitalization close above the $1 billion mark for the first time after adopting Bitcoin as a corporate reserve asset.

ChainCatcher news, according to Globenewswire, Canadian publicly traded company Goodfood Market Corp. (TSX: FOOD) announced a strategic shift in its financial management, with Goodfood adopting Bitcoin investment as a financial reserve asset, joining the global community of forward-looking companies utilizing digital currency. The company has completed an initial investment of approximately $1 million in Bitcoin through a spot ETF and plans to strategically increase its holdings by investing a portion of its future remaining cash flow into Bitcoin.It is reported that Goodfood is a Canadian digital-native food solutions brand.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, leading technology and strategy company BTguru, which specializes in crypto assets, has partnered with Chainlink to expand the adoption of tokenized securities among Turkish institutions.The Chainlink standard will significantly enhance the security, liquidity, and availability of tokenized assets on the BTguru platform.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra stated that allowing the trading of stablecoins and other asset-backed tokens "poses no risk," and urged regulators to legalize online gambling to increase revenue. He pointed out that the Thai government currently loses about $4 billion (100 billion baht) in online gambling tax revenue each year. The Thai Cabinet has approved the draft of the "Entertainment Complex Management Act," aimed at legalizing casinos and the gambling industry.Although Thaksin is not part of the current government, he still holds significant influence in politics through his daughter, current Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. He suggested that the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allow stablecoin trading and proposed Phuket as a pilot area for cryptocurrency payments. He emphasized, "This poses no risk; it's just another currency in the world."

ChainCatcher message, according to a recent report by BlackRock, the adoption rate of Bitcoin has surpassed that of past transformative technologies, including the internet and mobile phones.The report emphasizes that since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has rapidly evolved from a niche innovation to a globally recognized asset, attributing this evolution to demographic trends, economic changes, and the ongoing digital transformation of finance.Compared to Generation X and the Baby Boomers, the younger generation (often referred to as "digital natives") is more inclined to embrace Bitcoin. Their familiarity with technology and preference for digital-first solutions make them the leading demographic for cryptocurrency adoption.Regarding economic shifts, trends such as rising inflation, geopolitical tensions, and concerns about the traditional banking system highlight the value of Bitcoin as a decentralized asset. As the global economy digitizes, BTC is becoming an indispensable part of the evolving financial landscape.

ChainCatcher news, according to crypto.news, the supermarket chain Whole Foods, which is listed on Nasdaq, is currently accepting Bitcoin payments through a third-party application, allowing customers to purchase groceries with cryptocurrency. Although the company does not currently hold cryptocurrency in its treasury, it is reported that its parent company is considering this move.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the globally renowned banking group Santander has highlighted the significant growth of El Salvador's tourism industry in a report, which is closely related to the country's acceptance of Bitcoin.The report details the process of El Salvador adopting BTC as legal tender in 2021 and how it has transformed the country into a unique destination for travelers, especially cryptocurrency enthusiasts.According to Salvadoran authorities, the country welcomed 3.9 million tourists in 2024, a 22% increase from the previous year. The influx of tourists is primarily driven by American visitors, many of whom are attracted by the novelty of experiencing Bitcoin transactions in their daily lives.Santander's analysis links this growth to improvements in safety, noting that the number of homicides in the country has dropped to just 114 in 2024, a significant decrease from the peak of 6,656 in 2015. The combination of declining crime rates and curiosity about Bitcoin has helped El Salvador stand out in the global tourism market.

ChainCatcher news, according to Coingape, Bank of America is using XRP for internal transactions and has filed 83 patents related to XRP.In an interview with FOX Business, Sound Planning Group CEO David Stryzewski revealed that Bank of America has integrated XRP into 100% of its internal transactions, and the bank has also applied for 83 patents around Ripple, making its native token a fundamental component of future finance.

ChainCatcher news, Raafi Hossain, co-founder and CEO of the Middle Eastern fintech company Fasset, which intends to enter the stablecoin space, introduced several examples of customers using stablecoins, including the sale of a $8 million Dubai property, a Tanzanian buyer purchasing Indonesian cooking oil, renting a villa on Palm Jumeirah for $100,000, and private yacht rentals. Fasset is a Dubai-based "super app" focused on markets from Morocco to Malaysia.Dubai's Careem Networks FZ LLC, which provides taxi, food, and financial services, and Abu Dhabi's Astra Tech, which operates the communication app Botim, are also exploring the launch of payment tools supported by stablecoins.Hossain stated that stablecoins provide users with a way to "bypass geographical and institutional barriers to efficiently and quickly execute high-value transactions."Careem Pay Vice President Mohammad El Saadi mentioned that the technology "has the potential to reduce costs, speed up processing times, and improve working capital management for cross-border transfers." The company has opened 8 new fiat payment channels in the UAE over the past 11 months.Meanwhile, Astra Tech's Vice President of Products Rishabh Singh stated that Botim has been experimenting with the AE Coin, which is pegged to the dirham and has been approved by the Central Bank of the UAE.According to data from DeFi Llama, the total market capitalization of all circulating stablecoins has grown from less than $140 billion at the end of 2023 to over $200 billion today.So far, the dominant stablecoin is USDT, whose issuer, Tether Holdings Ltd., recently stated that it expects to achieve over $10 billion in net profit in 2024. According to CoinGecko, the total circulating supply of USDT is close to $140 billion.The use of USDT is concentrated in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa time zones, particularly in the Middle East. (Bloomberg)

ChainCatcher news, according to Globenewswire, the publicly traded company SUNation Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNE) announced that its board of directors has approved the inclusion of Bitcoin in the company's asset management plan. As part of this strategy, SUNation plans to allocate 30% of its excess cash for purchasing BTC based on its projected six-month operating expenses. This allocation will depend on factors such as market conditions and the operational requirements of the company, including supporting its planned expansion strategy.It is reported that SUNation Energy is a provider of sustainable solar and backup power solutions for homes, businesses, and municipal authorities.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, as interest in digital assets continues to grow, the corporate adoption of Bitcoin seems to be entering a new phase, with several publicly traded companies following MicroStrategy's lead by incorporating Bitcoin into their balance sheets.In 2024, multiple companies began to emulate and adopt Bitcoin financial strategies, such as Metaplanet (3350), Semler Scientific (SMLR), and MARA Holdings (MARA). The first company in the second wave is KULR Technology Group (KULR), which is listed on the NYSE.As of January 7, it seems that some publicly listed companies have announced Bitcoin financial strategies but have not yet made any Bitcoin purchases. First is Acurx Pharmaceuticals (ACXP), listed on NASDAQ. Its board approved a Bitcoin purchase plan of up to $1 million on November 20. Since November 19, its stock price has dropped by 35%, but it has risen by 30% year-to-date.Similarly, NASDAQ-listed Hoth Therapeutics (HOTH) also had its board approve a $1 million Bitcoin purchase plan on November 20, but it has not completed the purchase. However, since November 19, its stock price has increased by 2%.The third company is NASDAQ-listed LQR House (YHC). The company announced on November 19 that it would accept cryptocurrency payments and retain up to $10 million in Bitcoin payment funds through policy. To date, its stock price has risen by 56% since November 19.The last one is NYSE-listed SOS Limited (SOS), which approved a $50 million Bitcoin purchase plan on November 27. At the time of the announcement, the price of Bitcoin was $93,000 each. Since November 19, its stock price has dropped by 30%.