Ghana has formally legalised Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading after parliament approved the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025, closing a long-standing regulatory gap in the country’s digital asset market.
The legislation establishes a licensing and supervisory regime for crypto businesses under the Bank of Ghana. The central bank will oversee the sector, prioritising consumer protection and financial stability, while unlicensed operators may face sanctions or closure.
Under the new framework, individuals can trade crypto legally, while companies must meet reporting and compliance requirements. Officials say the law responds to fraud and money laundering risks while acknowledging the scale of crypto adoption nationwide.
Around 3 million Ghanaians have used cryptocurrency, with transactions totalling roughly $3 billion by June 2024. Licensing rules will be introduced gradually in 2026, as Ghana aligns with a broader African shift toward formal crypto regulation.
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Visa survey data points to a significant shift in holiday shopping behaviour, with AI now embedded in everyday purchasing decisions. Nearly half of US consumers report using AI tools, mainly to discover gift ideas and compare prices more efficiently.
Digital currencies are also moving closer to the mainstream. More than one in four respondents would welcome cryptocurrency as a gift, while interest among Gen Z rises sharply. Expectations surrounding stablecoins are growing, with many consumers anticipating their wider adoption over the next decade.
Gen Z continues to lead adoption of digital-first commerce, favouring biometrics, social media shopping, overseas purchases and crypto payments.
Digital wallets are gaining parity with physical cards among younger shoppers, signalling a shift in payment method preferences.
Despite enthusiasm for new technologies, trust remains a central concern. Consumers still value human customer service and want clearer insight into how AI uses personal data, while concerns about online scams remain widespread during the holiday season.
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The move follows Governor Greg Abbott signing Senate Bill 21, allowing the comptroller’s office to create a public crypto reserve. states, such as New Hampshire and Arizona, have passed similar bills, but Texas is the first to execute an actual purchase.
The ETF acquisition acts as a temporary measure while the state finalises a contract with a cryptocurrency custodian. Comptroller representatives called the purchase a ‘placeholder investment’ while reviewing bids for a permanent custodian.
Lawmakers have allocated $10 million to the reserve, a small portion of Texas’ $338 billion budget, yet supporters argue it marks an important step for the growing crypto industry.
Bitcoin prices have fluctuated significantly this year, peaking above $126,000 in October before dropping to around $85,000 recently. The state’s purchase at roughly $87,000 per bitcoin reflects ongoing market volatility.
Advocates see the investment as forward-looking, citing potential long-term benefits in job creation, tax revenue, and digital asset adoption.
Critics remain sceptical, warning that public crypto investments carry high risk and may favour industry interests over taxpayers. Some economists criticised the move as conflicting with Texas’ conservative fiscal approach and risky government speculation.
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The United Kingdom has introduced a landmark legal change by formally recognising cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as personal property. The Property Act, which secured royal assent this week, establishes a clear statutory framework for digital ownership after years of fragmented court rulings.
Industry bodies hailed the development as a decisive boost for legal certainty. Groups such as Bitcoin Policy UK and CryptoUK stated that the new rules enhance protection, facilitate token recovery, and clarify uncertainty over ownership and inheritance.
Lawmakers followed guidance from the Law Commission, which urged the creation of a dedicated category for digital assets that did not fit traditional definitions of personal property.
Regulators view the shift as part of a broader effort to reinforce Britain’s ambitions as a digital finance hub.
Ministers are reviewing a possible ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties. They are also assessing reforms to the taxation of decentralised finance, which could prevent users from triggering capital gains when using lending protocols or liquidity pools.
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Bank of America is expanding cryptocurrency access for its wealth management clients, recommending a 1–4% allocation of digital assets across portfolios. The move brings crypto exposure to a broader range of clients, beyond the bank’s previously ultra-wealthy clientele.
Starting January 5, the bank will cover four of the largest Bitcoin ETFs, including Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust, and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which collectively manage over $94 billion in assets.
The recommendation aligns with a broader trend among traditional financial institutions encouraging crypto adoption.
Firms such as Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Fidelity have issued similar guidance in the past year. Vanguard recently opened its brokerage platform to ETFs and mutual funds that primarily hold cryptocurrencies.
Chris Hyzy, Chief Investment Officer at Bank of America Private Bank, said that a modest allocation of 1–4% in digital assets may suit investors who are comfortable with high volatility and interested in thematic innovation.
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A South Tyneside family has spoken publicly after an elderly man lost almost £3,000 to a highly persuasive cryptocurrency scam, according to a recent BBC report. The scammer contacted the victim repeatedly over several weeks, initially offering help with online banking before shifting to an ‘investment opportunity’.
According to the family, the caller built trust by using personal details, even fabricating a story about ‘free Bitcoin’ awarded to the man years earlier.
Police said the scam fits a growing trend of crypto-related fraud. The victim, under the scammer’s guidance, opened multiple new bank accounts and was eventually directed to transfer nearly £3,000 into a Coinbase-linked crypto wallet.
Attempts by the family to recover the funds were unsuccessful. Coinbase said it advises users to research any investment carefully and provides guidance on recognising scams.
Northumbria Police and national fraud agencies have been alerted. Officers said crypto scams present particular challenges because, unlike traditional banking fraud, the transferred funds are far harder to trace.
Community groups in Sunderland, such as Pallion Action Group, are now running sessions to educate older residents about online threats, noting that rapid changes in technology can make such scams especially daunting for pensioners.
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Security researchers have confirmed that the Ultralytics YOLO library was hijacked in a supply-chain attack, where attackers injected malicious code into the PyPI-published versions 8.3.41 and 8.3.42. When installed, these versions deployed the XMRig cryptominer.
The compromise stemmed from Ultralytics’ continuous-integration workflow: by exploiting GitHub Actions, the attackers manipulated the automated build process, bypassing review and injecting cryptocurrency mining malware.
The maintainers quickly removed the malicious versions and released a clean build (8.3.43); however, newer reports suggest that further suspicious versions may have appeared.
This incident illustrates the growing risk in AI library supply chains. As open-source AI frameworks become more widely used, attackers increasingly target their build systems to deliver malware, particularly cryptominers.
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World Economic Forum President Borge Brende has warned that massive investments in AI and cryptocurrencies may create financial bubbles. Speaking in Berlin, he noted that $500 billion has been invested in AI this year, raising concerns about speculative bubbles in AI and cryptocurrency.
Brende described frontier technologies as a ‘big paradigm shift’ that could drive global growth, with potential productivity gains of up to 10% over the next decade. He noted that breakthroughs in medicine, synthetic biology, space, and energy could transform economies, but stressed that the benefits must be widely shared.
Geopolitical uncertainty remains a significant concern, according to Brende. He pointed to rising tensions between the US and China, calling it a race for technological dominance that could shape global power.
He also urged multilateral cooperation to address global challenges, including pandemics, cybercrime, and investment uncertainty.
Despite the disorder in world politics, Brende highlighted the resilience of economies like those in the US, China, and India. He called for patient investment strategies and stronger international coordination to ensure that new technologies translate into sustainable prosperity.
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Norway’s efforts to improve cryptocurrency tax compliance have led to a significant increase in declarations. More than 73,000 residents reported owning digital assets in their 2024 filings, a 30% rise compared with 2023, according to the Norwegian Tax Administration.
Officials attribute the growth to enforcement measures, educational campaigns, and improved digital reporting systems.
The total reported value of these holdings exceeded US$4 billion, with gains of around US$550 million and losses near US$290 million. Tax director Nina Schanke Funnemark said higher participation reflects the success of recent initiatives and increased taxpayer awareness.
From January 2026, Norwegian crypto service providers, including exchanges and custodians, must share client transaction data under a new third-party reporting regime. The measure aims to close oversight gaps and ensure transparency across the sector.
The 2024 declaration figures contrast sharply with 2019, when only 6,470 individuals reported crypto ownership.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund holds indirect crypto exposure through investments in companies such as Coinbase, Metaplanet, and Strategy, representing roughly 7,161 Bitcoin. Other countries are boosting crypto oversight, with the UK’s HMRC sending around 65,000 warning letters to suspected non-compliers.
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Executives behind the $MELANIA cryptocurrency, launched by Melania Trump in January, are accused in court filings of orchestrating a pump-and-dump scheme. The coin surged from a few cents to $13.73 before falling to 10 cents, while $TRUMP dropped from $45.47 to $5.79.
Investors allege the creators planned the price surge and collapse to profit from rapid trading. Court papers allege Meteora executives used accomplices to buy and sell $MELANIA quickly, securing large profits while ordinary investors lost money.
Melania Trump herself is not named in the lawsuit, which describes her as unaware of the alleged scheme.
The $MELANIA allegations are now part of broader legal proceedings involving multiple cryptocurrencies that began earlier this year. Meteora has not commented, while the Trump family reportedly earned over $1bn from crypto ventures in the past year.
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