ChainCatcher news, Ripple's Chief Technology Officer David "JoelKatz" Schwartz recently stated on social media, "Ripple can, will, and should prioritize its own interests. Investors should not expect Ripple to act in a way that harms the company and its shareholders for the benefit of investors." This implies that Ripple has the right to sell XRP tokens to raise operational funds, raising concerns among cryptocurrency investors.This statement is a response to the criticism from Pierre Rochard, Vice President of Research at Riot Platforms, who warned investors that "they are not investing in Ripple the company, but merely acquiring tokens that were created out of thin air. XRP is not a security because Ripple does not actually owe you 'utility' or anything else."Previous news, ZachXBT disclosed on his personal channel that Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen still holds over 2.7 billion XRP, worth approximately $7.18 billion.

ChainCatcher news, according to Caixin, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on December 20 local time to pass an emergency funding bill to prevent a government "shutdown." The new bill will continue to provide operating funds for the U.S. government until March of next year, thereby avoiding a "shutdown" of certain federal agencies after midnight on the 21st Eastern Time.It is reported that the latest bill is almost identical to the one that failed to pass on the 19th, but it removed the section regarding the debt ceiling, leaving three main parts: a short-term extension of government spending, billions of dollars in disaster relief funds, and additional assistance for farmers.

ChainCatcher News: The Bitcoin L2 network Stacks has announced the establishment of an Asian Foundation, which will lead the growth and development of the Stacks ecosystem in Asia. Organizations including DeSpread, Spartan Group, and SNZ will become its strategic partners. The foundation will initially secure $15 million in funding from private holders of Stacks for regional operations, with the possibility of obtaining more grants in the future.

ChainCatcher news, the decentralized lending market Clearpool announced its recent operational status on Twitter. Clearpool stated that it has not had direct contact with FTX and Alameda, and its treasury and operational funds are stored in Hex Trust cold wallets. Users providing lending funds to Clearpool have withdrawn nearly $91 million in liquidity since Monday, while borrowers including Amber, Nibbio, and LedgerPrime have repaid their loans, and BlockTower and Jane Street have agreed to close their licensed pools.The loans from the Alameda licensed pool remain unpaid, with funding for that pool provided by Compound Capital and Apollo Capital. Clearpool stated that the team is still focused on the next phase of its ecosystem growth, including the development of a range of new products such as licensed pool v2, term pools, and diversified pools. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, CBOE Digital President John Palmer stated that to protect user funds and assets, CBOE Digital completely separates customer assets from its operating funds. Customer assets are held in a specially designated account at a bank, and the company has established strict policies to ensure the safety of customer funds.It is reported that the Chicago Options Exchange CBOE announced in May this year the completion of its acquisition of U.S. digital asset spot market operator Eris Digital Holdings, LLC (ErisX), and renamed it CBOE Digital. (The Block)