The church pictured is the famous black Búðakirkja, located in Búðir on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, West Iceland. It stands isolated in a lava field and is a popular photography spot due to its unique appearance and dramatic landscape setting.
via architecture.bsky.social
NYSE Tokenization: Crypto's Death Knell?
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is launching a tokenized securities platform offering 24/7 trading of stocks and ETFs, instant settlement, stablecoin funding, and full dividend/governance rights—features long touted as crypto exclusives. This move, developed by NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange using its Pillar matching engine and private blockchains, seeks regulatory approval for a potential 2026 rollout.
Bears argue it erodes crypto's core appeal, especially for perpetual DEXs like Hyperliquid, onchain trading, and RWA sectors, potentially undermining smart contract platforms such as Ethereum and Solana. Hyperliquid faces particular pressure as NYSE tokenized stocks could siphon demand from leveraged futures trading on such platforms.
Yet, opportunities emerge: compliant stablecoins like USDC may boom from stock market integration, unlocking arbitrage and top-tier asset inflows to crypto.
Bitcoin Reserves: A Rare Strategy Beyond the US
As of January 2026, only a handful of nations follow the US in adopting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. President Trump's 2025 executive order established the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, holding seized assets worth billions. El Salvador leads with its pioneering law, stacking over 5,800 BTC, while no other country matches this commitment.
EU central banks, led by ECB President Christine Lagarde, firmly reject Bitcoin for reserves, citing volatility and risks. China’s PBOC bans crypto trading, focusing on its digital yuan instead. At most, one or two outliers like the Czech Republic experiment minimally, but official adoption remains improbable elsewhere.
🇪🇺 ECB RULES OUT BITCOIN RESERVES
Christine Lagarde says Bitcoin will not be included in any EU central bank reserves.
“Reserves must be liquid, secure, and safe, and not linked to money laundering or criminal activity.”
European allies including France and Germany are coordinating a response in case the United States moves to take control of Greenland, according to Reuters. 👍
The EU’s DAC8 law, effective January 1, 2026, ends crypto privacy by requiring exchanges and service providers to report all user data, transactions, and wallet transfers to tax authorities, ensuring full traceability and compliance.
Never Trust Crypto Predictions - Arthur Hayes
Ethereum has dropped 37% from its August high of $4,800 to around $3,050, defying bullish analyst forecasts. Ethereum whales sold $360 million in ETH last week, reducing holdings from 5.73 million to 5.61 million, while spot ETFs saw $660 million in net outflows.
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, who predicted ETH at $10,000-$20,000 in August and bought 1,500 ETH, sold over 1,100 ETH worth $3.3 million on Dec 19-20, shifting to DeFi tokens like Ethena (ENA), Pendle (PENDLE), and ether_fi (ETHFI). He still holds 3,842 ETH valued at $11.7 million, highlighting how even experts flip-flop, proving crypto predictions are unreliable.
