[WSJ: The Trump Era Gave Rise to the 'Pardon Trading' Industry, CZ Was Pardoned] According to lobbyists close to Trump, the lobbying market price for securing a presidential pardon was $1 million. CZ reportedly obtained a pardon during Trump's second term through informal channels. It is said that some wealthy individuals or lobbyists with political connections could bypass traditional pardon procedures. Lobbyist Ches McDowell stated that Donald Trump Jr. did not assist in seeking a pardon for CZ, but a week later, Trump signed the pardon order, drawing attention in Washington. CZ's lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén, claimed the pardon was entirely fair and unrelated to business decisions. A Binance representative stated that the company’s involvement in World Liberty Financial-related products was limited to contractual terms.

[Ministry of Commerce Opposes U.S. Imposition of Section 301 Tariffs on Chinese Semiconductor Products] On the 25th, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian stated that China has lodged a stern protest with the U.S. through the Sino-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, firmly opposing the U.S. imposition of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese semiconductor products. He Yongqian pointed out that the unilateral tariffs imposed by the U.S. violate WTO rules, disrupt global industrial and supply chains, and harm the interests of U.S. businesses and consumers. China is willing to resolve concerns through equal dialogue and consultation, but if the U.S. insists on harming China's interests, China will take necessary measures to safeguard its own rights and interests. (Xinhua News Agency)

On December 24th, the SOL spot ETF had a net inflow of $1.48 million, while the XRP spot ETF had a net inflow of $11.93 million; The net outflow of BTC spot ETF was $175.29 million, and the net outflow of ETH spot ETF was $52.7 million. （Cointelegraph）

On December 25, Coinbob monitoring data revealed that the 'Altcoin Air Force Leader' has recently adjusted its short-selling strategy, shifting focus from aggressive shorting to a more defensive approach. The address has closed short positions on multiple tokens, including ASTER, UNI, and PUMP, and used the released margin to purchase HYPE spot positions and open corresponding short positions for hedging. The hedging position has increased to approximately $7.8 million. Additionally, the address cleared its holdings of MON, ZEC, TRUMP, and other tokens this week, withdrawing approximately $2 million within the past 24 hours. The total holdings amount to approximately $23.08 million, primarily consisting of ETH short positions (around $4.94 million), ASTER short positions (around $3.78 million), and UNI short positions (around $3.04 million). This address has closed 10 short positions this month, with profits of approximately $7.1 million over the past 30 days, and historical cumulative profits reaching $82.85 million.

XRP remains in a $1.85–$1.91 range, with strong selling near $1.90 and consistent bids near $1.86, suggesting a potential decisive break ahead. What to know : XRP fell to $1.86 as traders sold into rallies, despite steady demand for spot ETFs and a rise in total ETF-held assets to $1.25 billion. Institutional investors are increasingly using exchange-traded funds for XRP exposure, adding $8.19 million recently, indicating a preference for structured products. XRP remains in a $1.85–$1.91 range, with strong selling near $1.90 and consistent bids near $1.86, suggesting a potential decisive break ahead.