This week, mining produced 133.9 BTC, bringing the total Bitcoin holdings to 6,119.3.

- S&P downgraded Tether's USDT to "weak," citing 5.6% Bitcoin exposure and opaque reserves, sparking debate among Chinese traders reliant on the stablecoin for illicit activities. - Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino dismissed the downgrade, highlighting $181.2B in reserves including $9.9B in Bitcoin and $12.9B in gold , while framing criticism as resistance to decentralization. - BitMask's RGB20 protocol enabled Bitcoin-native programmability, with Tether planning stablecoin issuance on the network to inject $174.4

- Astar Network's Astar 2.0 (2025) introduces Tokenomics 3.0, capping ASTR supply at 10.5B to create scarcity-driven value aligned with institutional ESG priorities. - The upgrade enhances cross-chain interoperability via Plaza platform, enabling seamless asset transfers across Ethereum , BSC, and Polkadot ecosystems. - Strategic partnerships with Sony , Toyota , and Japan Airlines demonstrate blockchain's real-world utility in logistics, entertainment , and enterprise integration. - Governance reforms and

In Brief December brings significant developments for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, including critical altcoin upgrades. REZ Coin's team confirmed regular coin burns to positively impact their community. VeChain's Hayabusa upgrade introduces innovative NFT-based staking and governance changes.

- Grayscale files first U.S. Zcash (ZEC) spot ETF application with SEC, seeking to convert its Zcash Trust into a tradable fund. - ZEC has surged 1,000% YTD, with over 30% of transactions now processed via privacy-focused shielded pools, signaling growing institutional interest. - The ETF would align ZEC with major cryptocurrencies in tradable product availability, potentially boosting adoption amid broader crypto market struggles. - Analysts highlight ZEC's outperformance vs. BTC/ETH and regulatory progre