Coinbase-backed x402 V2 links Base, Solana and cards for AI-native payments

The UAE is emerging as a significant hub for cryptocurrency as Coinbase and Ripple align their strategies to capitalize on the region's growing market. This collaboration signals a shift in market gravity towards the Gulf, highlighting the UAE's commitment to becoming a global leader in digital finance.

Twenty One Capital, a newly public company on the New York Stock Exchange, has made headlines with its significant Bitcoin treasury of nearly $4 billion, positioning itself as a major player in the cryptocurrency market. CEO Jack Mallers predicts that Bitcoin's market could expand from its current $2 trillion to between $20 trillion and $200 trillion, suggesting a potential shift towards Bitcoin as a global reserve asset.

Standard Chartered and Coinbase announced an expanded collaboration on December 12, 2025, aimed at developing a suite of services for institutional investors, focusing on trading, prime services, custody, staking, and lending. This partnership is expected to enhance the infrastructure for cryptocurrency transactions and services tailored to institutional needs.

Coinbase is preparing to launch new prediction markets and tokenized equities on December 17, which could reshape the landscape of on-chain finance and trading. This initiative follows a series of developments aimed at diversifying its offerings in the cryptocurrency space. Additionally, a solo Bitcoin miner has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully mining a block against odds of 30,000-to-1.

Standard Chartered and Coinbase are expanding their partnership to enhance trading, custody, and financing services tailored for institutional crypto clients. This collaboration aims to build a robust infrastructure that supports the growing demand for cryptocurrency solutions among large-scale investors.

Bitcoin's price has been fluctuating between $89,000 and $93,000, indicating a struggle between bullish and bearish market forces. Recent on-chain data suggests that this sideways movement is linked to the uneven distribution of Bitcoin's total supply, with analysts like Darkfost highlighting the potential for a decline below $80,000.

The XRP ecosystem has made a significant advancement with the launch of Wrapped XRP (wXRP) on the Solana and Ethereum blockchains, enhancing its interoperability and credibility within the cryptocurrency market. This integration allows XRP to leverage the strengths of these major platforms, potentially increasing its utility and adoption.

Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have recorded a seven-day inflow streak, despite a recent slump in the price of Solana (SOL). The first SOL ETF was launched in July, followed by Bitwise’s SOL ETF in October, which achieved $57 million in trading volume on its first day. This trend indicates a sustained interest in Solana ETFs amid fluctuating market conditions.