Crypto Market Roundup: Impact of inflation on market sentiment, Uniswap governance breakthrough, and institutional blockchain adoption

Impressive data, but inflation effects remain under consideration

US economy shows positive signals on the inflation front

The latest economic reports from the United States have brought relief to the market. Unemployment benefits claims for the week of December 13 have dropped to only 224,000, lower than the expected 225,000. More critically, the unadjusted CPI year-on-year for November decreased to 2.7%, significantly below the 3.1% expected by analysts.

The direct impact of inflation on consumer spending and investment behavior is becoming clearer. Hassett from the White House National Economic Council commented that the economy is showing high growth while prices are falling—a rare combination that looks good for Fed policymakers. “Room for interest rate cuts,” he assessed. This statement has major implications for risk assets like cryptocurrency, as lower rates bring lower cost of capital for innovative projects.

Regulatory clarity: SEC guidance on crypto assets and blockchain

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has released a comprehensive FAQ addressing key concerns of industry participants regarding crypto assets and distributed ledger technology. This guidance covers five critical areas:

Broker-dealer obligations and asset custody: Non-security crypto assets are outside the scope of securities requirements, but if classified as “crypto asset securities,” compliance pathways exist. The SEC does not oppose digital assets that are not paper-based, opening opportunities for more efficient settlement and custody arrangements.

Customer asset protection: When crypto assets are not registered securities, there is no SIPC protection. The SEC recommends treating non-security crypto as “financial assets” under UCC Article 8, providing greater legal certainty during financial stress.

Dual asset trading and regulatory framework: National Securities Exchanges and ATS systems can offer paired trading of crypto securities and non-securities, provided they are compliant and transparent in regulatory filings.

Blockchain ledger recognition: The SEC is positive about using blockchain as the primary ledger, as long as all record-keeping requirements are met—this is a game-changer for operational efficiency of market infrastructure.

ETP and settlement flexibility: For crypto asset ETPs, the SEC still follows the 2006 no-action letter for commodity ETPs, opening pathways for more institutional investment vehicles.

Uniswap governance: A significant governance milestone with direct market implications

Uniswap founder Hayden Adams has submitted a Unification proposal heading to final governance voting. The voting period begins on December 19, 10:30 pm Eastern Time, and ends on December 25. This is one of the most significant governance moments for the protocol.

If the proposal passes, the first 2-day time lock period will be followed by several critical developments. First, 100 million UNI tokens will be burned—a deflationary move directly affecting token supply dynamics. Second, the fee switch for v2 and v3 will be launched on mainnet, initiating UNI token burn from protocol fees, including Unichain revenues. Third, Uniswap Labs will solidify governance alignment through Wyoming DUNA-compliant legal contracts.

Current UNI price is $5.46, with -0.87% 24-hour movement. These structural changes will serve as major catalysts for long-term tokenomics, especially the burn mechanism that will reduce circulating supply over time.

Institutional adoption: Tokenized assets rising to enterprise level

Standard Chartered and Ant International collaboration: HKD, RMB, USD tokenization

Within the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s DLT Regulatory Sandbox, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Ant International have launched a tokenized deposit service. Using Ant’s “Whale Platform” blockchain treasury management system, this partnership tokenizes HKD, RMB, and USD accounts—enabling 7x24 real-time fund transfers between different currencies.

This new model significantly reduces settlement friction and provides instant liquidity for multinational business operations. Mahesh Kini, Global Head of Cash Management at Standard Chartered, highlighted that business dependency on instant liquidity is growing, making 24/7 treasury management solutions critical.

Forward Industries: Nasdaq stock tokenization on Solana

Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company, Forward Industries, has officially gone live with its SEC-registered stock on the Solana blockchain via the Superstate platform. This innovation allows qualified investors to use tokenized shares as collateral for stablecoin borrowing, unlocking on-chain liquidity while maintaining equity exposure.

VivoPower and Lean Ventures: Strategic XRP equity play

NASDAQ-listed VivoPower, through its Vivo Federation digital asset arm, has partnered with Korean asset manager Lean Ventures to raise $300 millions for purchasing Ripple Labs equity. This strategic investment provides indirect exposure to approximately 450 million XRP tokens, with an estimated value of $900 millions based on the current XRP price at $2.06. Approval from Ripple for the purchase of preferred shares has been obtained, and negotiations are ongoing for additional acquisitions from existing institutional holders.

Emerging trends: Tokenization expansion and blockchain infrastructure development

Bitwise SEC filing: Spot Sui ETF coming

Bitwise has submitted Form S-1 to the SEC for a spot Bitwise Sui ETF, which will track the Sui asset value held by the Trust minus fees. Sui holdings are custodyed at Coinbase Custody, with plans for partial staking. The current SUI price is $1.79, and ETF approval will be a significant institutional gateway for the Sui ecosystem.

Fuse Energy: Major DePIN financing milestone

The Solana-based DePIN project Fuse Energy has completed $70 millions Series B financing, led by Lowercarbon Capital and Balderton Capital. This round values the company at $5 billions, demonstrating strong institutional confidence in the DePIN segment.

Tether roadmap: Operating system expansion

Stablecoin giant Tether announced PearPass, a peer-to-peer password manager that eliminates cloud-based encryption leak risks. CEO Paolo Ardoino hinted at the upcoming Pear operating system (Pear OS) launch— a strategic expansion beyond stablecoins into broader infrastructure play.

Market psychology and investment implications

The convergence of favorable inflation data, regulatory clarity, and aggressive institutional adoption creates a compelling environment for crypto market recovery. The ETH price at $3.14K with +1.29% 24-hour gains reflects cautious optimism. The impact of inflation on market psychology is shifting—from fear-driven liquidations to opportunity-driven accumulation by institutional players seeking yield and innovation exposure.

Governance developments in Uniswap, breakthroughs in tokenization in traditional finance, and strategic equity plays by public companies collectively signal that crypto infrastructure has reached a maturity threshold where mainstream institutions are confident to commit significant capital.