PA Daily | Bitcoin ETF shifts from 7 days of net outflows to net inflows; Bitwise submits applications for 11 crypto ETFs

Today’s Top News Highlights:

Trump Mobile, a subsidiary of the Trump Group, delays the launch of its gold-colored smartphone originally scheduled for this year.

Delin Holdings: Delin Securities approved to provide virtual asset trading services, upgrading to a Category 1 license.

Bitcoin spot ETF saw a total net inflow of $355 million yesterday, reversing seven days of net outflows to net inflow.

NEO’s two main founders publicly split: Da Hongfei and Zhang Zhengwen accuse each other of monopolizing financial control and lacking transparency.

Bitwise submits applications for 11 new cryptocurrency ETFs to the US SEC, covering tokens like AAVE, UNI, and others.

Macro

Trump Mobile, a subsidiary of the Trump Group, delays the launch of its gold-colored smartphone originally scheduled for this year.

According to Bloomberg citing the Financial Times, Trump Mobile, a mobile phone company launched by the Trump Group, has postponed its plan to deliver the gold-colored smartphone scheduled for the end of this year. The company initially promised to launch a US-made smartphone priced at $499 this year to compete with mainstream devices like Apple and Samsung, but has since lowered its target. Trump Mobile’s customer service team stated that the delay was caused by the US government shutdown. They added that it is “highly likely” the device will not ship this month. The “T1” device announced in June and the $47.45 monthly plan are among the measures launched by the Trump family business to leverage his return to the White House.

Binance exposes scam: a user falsely claims to be scammed by a “Binance executive,” forges screenshots, and attempts to induce customer service statements.

Binance customer service agent sisi disclosed a new scam tactic on X platform, warning everyone to be vigilant about fund security. A user complained that they were scammed out of money by a “Binance executive” who promised to help resolve the issue, but after transferring the money, there was no further contact. Further investigation revealed several suspicious points: first, the scam was very simple; chat screenshots and transfer records provided by the user showed that the “executive” did not verify any details, yet the user “absolutely trusted” and transferred the funds directly; second, the transfer record was abnormal; the claimed scam address was likely the user’s own address; third, chat records “disappeared,” with the user claiming the other party enabled privacy mode, providing only “post-incident questioning” screenshots; fourth, the user questioned the real account of the supposed executive, who was unaware of this. The investigation concluded this was a self-directed scam targeting Binance and its users. The user forged chat and transfer records (using a third-party escrow platform for transfers), then claimed the chat history was deleted, and approached the real executive account for questioning to create two sets of “executive” screenshots. Then, they used the genuine high-level account conversation to contact customer service, attempting to induce responses and threatening to pressure via social media if not helped. sisi stated that the purpose of sharing publicly is to raise awareness and prevent various new scams. They also warn scammers and speculators that any attempts to frame Binance or confuse the public through forgery or deception will be firmly exposed and legally pursued. Binance reminds users that the platform will not contact users through unofficial channels nor ask for transfers to designated addresses or any payments.

Delin Holdings: Delin Securities approved to provide virtual asset trading services, upgrading to a Category 1 license.

According to Gelonghui, Delin Holdings(01709.HK) issued a notice that on December 29, 2025, its subsidiary Delin Securities(Hong Kong) Limited(“Delin Securities”) received conditional approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to provide virtual asset trading services under a comprehensive account arrangement, pending acceptance of certain conditions related to its existing Category 1(Securities Trading) regulated activity license. On December 29, 2025, Delin Securities accepted these conditions and will commence virtual asset trading services upon receiving formal approval from the SFC. The company is committed to upgrading Delin Securities’ Category 4(Securities Advisory) regulated activity license; the SFC is currently finalizing approval, and the company will make an appropriate announcement upon receiving the relevant approval.

Federal Reserve meeting minutes reveal dissent over rate cuts: most officials expect continued easing, but timing and magnitude are uncertain.

According to Jinshi, the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on December 9-10 show that most Fed officials believe further rate cuts are appropriate as inflation declines over time. However, there are still disagreements on when to cut and by how much. The minutes highlight the difficulties policymakers faced during the recent decision. The decision slightly reinforced market expectations that the Fed will keep rates unchanged when it meets again in January 2026. The minutes state: “Some officials supporting a rate cut at this meeting described the decision as a ‘delicate balance,’ or that they could also support maintaining the target range.” The minutes also show some officials believe “it may be appropriate to keep the target range unchanged for a period after this rate cut.” Although the median of the official rate forecasts released after the meeting points to a 25 basis point cut in 2026, individual forecasts vary widely. Investors expect at least two rate cuts in the next year. Additionally, the minutes reveal significant disagreement among policymakers about whether inflation or unemployment poses a greater threat to the US economy. The minutes note: “Most participants indicated that moving toward a more neutral policy stance would help prevent a significant deterioration in labor market conditions.” However, the minutes also state: “Several participants highlighted the risk of entrenched high inflation and suggested that further rate reductions amid high inflation readings could be misinterpreted as a weakening of policymakers’ commitment to the 2% inflation target.” Due to the government shutdown lasting through October and nearly half of November, officials lacked usual economic data. However, they noted that new data could help in the coming weeks. Since the meeting, newly released data have done little to resolve internal Fed disagreements. The November unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest since 2021, while consumer price increases were below expectations. Both data points support rate cuts. However, the Q3 annualized economic growth rate was 4.3%, the fastest in two years, which could heighten inflation concerns among officials opposing a December rate cut.

Viewpoints

Arthur Hayes: Cryptocurrency market liquidity may have bottomed in November; it’s time to start rising.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes stated that liquidity in the crypto market may have bottomed in November and is slowly recovering, and it’s time for cryptocurrencies to start rising.

Strategy executive: Continuing to increase Bitcoin holdings will benefit company shareholders, seeking untapped capital.

Strategy Vice President Andrew Kang said in a recent interview: “If we keep increasing our Bitcoin holdings, it will benefit our shareholders. We are looking for untapped capital and areas that can drive demand for digital credit. Bitcoin still has a long way to go.”

Tom Lee comments on crypto market dynamics: Many institutional investors tend to exit the market during the year-end holiday period.

Fundstrat co-founder and BitMine chairman Tom Lee posted on X: “Typically, during these final holiday trading periods, many institutional investors exit the market, algorithmic trading programs and bots dominate, and there are tax-motivated sell-offs, which shape the market dynamics in the last days of December.” Previously, in BitMine’s announcement of acquiring 44,463 ETH last week, Tom Lee mentioned that market activity tends to slow down as the year enters its final weeks. Year-end tax-related sell-offs often depress prices of cryptocurrencies and related stocks, with the most significant impact between December 26 and December 30, prompting them to adjust market strategies accordingly. Earlier today, Bitmine pledged an additional 118,944 ETH and increased holdings by 32,938 ETH.

Project Updates

NEO’s two main founders publicly split: Da Hongfei and Zhang Zhengwen accuse each other of monopolizing financial control and lacking transparency.

Today, NEO’s two core founders clashed publicly, fiercely exchanging accusations over project fund control and governance. Da Hongfei first accused co-founder Erik Zhang of long-term personal control over most NEO/GAS assets, violating promises to transfer assets to multi-signature wallets, and unilaterally controlling the protocol governance using financial dominance. Da Hongfei stated that he had remained silent to maintain community confidence but now must disclose this matter, promising to release financial reports in Q1 2026 and to recover control of the treasury by all means. In response, Zhang Zhengwen quickly countered, claiming the core issue is the “black box” of finances. He pointed out that all assets outside of NEO/GAS have been under Da Hongfei’s control for a long time, with no auditable disclosures to the community or third parties. Zhang emphasized that his insistence on holding NEO/GAS is for “minimal risk control,” to prevent these core assets from being entangled in Da Hongfei’s opaque operational structure, as otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.

Binance will remove spot trading pairs ARKM/BNB, BARD/BNB, etc.

According to official announcement, based on recent reviews, Binance will delist and cease trading the following spot trading pairs at 11:00 (UTC+8) on January 2, 2026: ARKM/BNB, BARD/BNB, EGLD/RON, LISTA/FDUSD, SCR/FDUSD, and ZKC/BNB.

Bitwise submits applications for 11 new cryptocurrency ETFs to the US SEC, covering tokens like AAVE, UNI, and others.

Bitwise has submitted 11 new cryptocurrency ETF applications to the US SEC on December 30, including Bitwise AAVE Strategy ETF, Bitwise UNI Strategy ETF, Bitwise ZEC Strategy ETF, Bitwise CC Strategy ETF, Bitwise ENA Strategy ETF, Bitwise Hyperliquid Strategy ETF, Bitwise NEAR Strategy ETF, Bitwise STRK Strategy ETF, Bitwise SUI Strategy ETF, Bitwise TAO Strategy ETF, and Bitwise TRX Strategy ETF. Trading codes and fees are not yet announced. These ETFs aim to invest 60% of assets directly in related underlying cryptocurrencies, 40% in investment products holding those cryptocurrencies, and may also use derivatives to gain exposure.

Zama Protocol is now live on mainnet, with the first cUSDT transfer completed on Ethereum.

Open-source cryptography company Zama announced that the Zama protocol is now live on mainnet, with the first cUSDT transfer completed on Ethereum. In June, Zama raised $57 million in Series B funding at a valuation of $1 billion, led by Pantera Capital. Earlier this month, Zama announced it will launch a public auction on January 12, 2026, to sell 10% of its ZAMA tokens.

Stablecoin pre-deposit activity phase two now open for withdrawals.

Hourglass announced early this morning that phase two of the Stable pre-deposit activity has ended, and deposits are now available for claiming. All users allocated in phase two can now claim funds via Merkl, and users with excess refunds can also claim via the Merkl dashboard. Users not approved for phase two can withdraw their USDC at any time through the app or directly from the underlying smart contract.

Grayscale files preliminary S-1 registration statement with the US SEC for Bittensor ETF.

According to Cryptobriefing, Grayscale announced it has filed an S-1 registration statement with the US SEC to convert its Bittensor trust fund into an ETF. If approved, this will be the first TAO ETF in the US. Grayscale launched the Grayscale Bittensor Trust last August. The company believes Bittensor will be a key driver of decentralized AI development. They plan to list the product on NYSE Arca under the ticker GTAO and rebrand it as an ETF. The trust aims to reflect the value of TAO but will be restricted from pledging unless certain future conditions are met.

Coinbase to launch spot trading for Lighter (LIT).

According to official announcement, Coinbase will launch spot trading for Lighter (LIT), with trading pairs available in regions where liquidity conditions are met. Lighter (LIT) will be available on coinbase.com, Coinbase app, and Coinbase Advanced. Institutional users can access Lighter (LIT) directly through Coinbase Exchange. Note: Coinbase’s announcement refers to the token as LIGHTER, but the official token name from Lighter is LIT.

Important Data

Arthur Hayes receives 4.85 million ENA from Galaxy Digital again, worth about $985,000.

According to Ai Aunt monitoring, Arthur Hayes received 4.85 million ENA from Galaxy Digital again, worth approximately $985,000. Since December 20, Hayes has accumulated 10.905 million ENA, with a total value of about $2.227 million, at an average cost of approximately $0.2042 per ENA.

Bitcoin spot ETF saw a total net inflow of $355 million yesterday, after seven days of net outflows.

According to SoSoValue data, yesterday (December 30, US Eastern Time), Bitcoin spot ETFs had a total net inflow of $355 million. The ETF with the largest single-day inflow was Blackrock’s IBIT, with $144 million. Currently, IBIT’s total net inflow is $62.192 billion. Next was Ark Invest and 21Shares’ ETF ARKB, with a single-day inflow of $110 million, bringing its total net inflow to $1.71 billion. As of before press time, the total net assets of Bitcoin spot ETFs were $114.439 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market cap relative to total Bitcoin market cap) of 6.52%, and a cumulative net inflow of $56.961 billion.

Three whale/institution addresses have withdrawn a total of $15.9 million worth of DeFi tokens from exchanges in the past two days.

According to Lookonchain monitoring on December 31, over the past two days, three whales/institutions withdrew DeFi tokens from exchanges worth $15.9 million, including: 7.39 billion PUMP (worth $13.77 million); 8.02 million CLOUD (worth $621,000); 9.06 million KMNO (worth $539,000); 1.33 million JTO (worth $521,000); 3.05 million DRIFT (worth $479,000).

Meme coin TRUMP’s deployment address transferred a total of 94 million USDC to Coinbase over the past three weeks.

According to on-chain analyst Yu Jin, over the past three weeks, Trump’s Meme coin TRUMP’s deployment address transferred 94 million USDC to Coinbase. These USDC originated from their unilateral liquidity sales of TRUMP on Meteora (adding liquidity by only providing TRUMP, not USDC, and selling TRUMP into USDC within set price ranges). Their main cash-out method for Meme tokens (TRUMP and MELANIA) is through unilateral liquidity sales, ultimately converting into USDC and flowing into Coinbase. It is likely operated by the same team.

( Institutional Holdings

Trump Media received 260 BTC from Coinbase, worth $21 million.

According to Emmett Gallic, from last night to early this morning, Trump Media received 260 BTC from Coinbase, worth $21 million. Last week, they deposited 560 BTC into Coinbase.

Bitmine again pledges 118,944 ETH and increases holdings by 32,938 ETH.

According to Onchain Lens, Bitmine further staked 118,944 ETH, valued at $352.16 million. So far, they have staked a total of 461,504 ETH, worth $1.37 billion. Additionally, a newly created wallet received 32,938 ETH from FalconX, worth $97.8 million, likely belonging to Bitmine.

Beckham-supported Prenetics Global announces abandonment of Bitcoin purchase strategy.

According to The Block, Prenetics Global, a health supplement brand invested in by football legend David Beckham, canceled its Bitcoin accumulation plan less than three months after raising $48 million to build a crypto reserve. The company announced on Tuesday that it would no longer pursue Bitcoin acquisition strategies and would instead refocus on “seizing the rapid growth opportunities of its consumer health brand IM8.” In October, the Nasdaq-listed company raised $48 million through oversubscribed equity financing to accelerate its Bitcoin reserve strategy and expand the health supplement brand IM8. Besides Beckham, other investors include Kraken, Exodus, GPTX, DL Holdings, and American Ventures. Currently, Prenetics Global holds 510 BTC and over $70 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Cypherpunk acquires 56,418.09 ZEC for about $29 million, increasing holdings to 290,000 ZEC.

According to Cypherpunk Technologies Inc., the company recently purchased 56,418.09 ZEC for approximately $29 million at an average price of $514.02, increasing its total holdings to 290,062.67 ZEC, about 1.76% of Zcash’s circulating supply. Cypherpunk stated its goal is to accumulate 5% of the network’s ZEC supply to advance its privacy technology strategy.

Global 368 crypto vaults total over $185 billion, with corporate holdings accounting for over 70%.

According to Sentora (formerly IntoTheBlock), there are currently 368 entities holding crypto assets in vaults, totaling over $185 billion. Of these, publicly listed companies hold 59.3%, private companies 13.7%, totaling 73%; government agencies hold 25.6%. DAOs, non-profits, and other categories account for a small share.