## Crypto Market Roundup: Inflation Data Provides Signal, Uniswap Governance Aims to Burn 100M UNI and Strengthen Fee Mechanism

### The Latest Economic Data Sparks Hope in the Market

Last week brought significant economic indicators from the United States that greatly impacted crypto sentiment. According to financial reports, unemployment claims for the week of December 13 reached 224,000, lower than the expected 225,000. More critically, inflation data—the November year-on-year CPI reading—fell to 2.7%, significantly below the forecasted 3.1%.

These data points sent a positive signal to the crypto community. Included was commentary from a high-ranking US economic official stating that the latest inflation report is "surprisingly positive," opening up broad opportunities for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in the upcoming period. The analysis also highlighted how wage growth is surpassing price increases, which could lead to substantial tax refunds for American households.

### Regulatory Framework: SEC Provides Clarity on Crypto and Blockchain Compliance

The US Securities and Exchange Commission released a comprehensive FAQ aimed at providing guidance to market participants regarding compliance requirements for crypto assets and distributed ledger technology. This guidance covers several critical aspects:

**Broker-Dealer Obligations**: Non-security crypto assets are not covered by existing broker-dealer custody rules, but those classified as "crypto asset securities" must adhere to specific regulatory protocols.

**Customer Asset Protection**: SIPC protection does not apply to non-security crypto assets, so the SEC recommends using the UCC Article 8 framework for stronger legal protection of customer holdings.

**Exchange Trading Flexibility**: National Securities Exchanges and Alternative Trading Systems may offer paired trading between crypto securities and non-security assets, provided this is clearly disclosed in regulatory filings.

**Blockchain Infrastructure**: The SEC has no objection to using blockchain as the primary record ledger, as long as all federal record-keeping requirements are met.

**ETPs and Settlement**: For exchange-traded products with crypto assets, the SEC will continue to support the no-action letter framework from 2006 for commodity-based ETPs.

### Investment and Development Trends

**Bitwise Filing for Sui ETF**: Bitwise Asset Management has submitted Form S-1 to the SEC to launch a spot Sui ETF aimed at tracking the spot price of the Sui token. The assets will be held in custody with a regulated third-party provider, and part of them are planned to be staked for yield generation.

**Tether's Strategic Expansion**: The stablecoin leader continues to grow beyond traditional finance. Recently, they released PearPass, a peer-to-peer password manager designed to protect encrypted user data from cloud-based risks. The CEO announced their next major initiative—the launch of the Pear operating system.

**Uniswap Governance Milestone**: The Uniswap community is conducting a critical governance vote on the "Unification proposal" from December 19 to 25. If approved, the network will undertake three major actions: burn 100 million UNI tokens from circulation, launch the fee switch mechanism for v2 and v3 pools triggering additional token burns, and incorporate Uniswap Labs into the governance framework through a legally binding Wyoming DUNA contract.

### International Banking and Tokenization Initiatives

Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong has teamed up with international fintech partners to launch a tokenized deposit service. The collaboration uses an advanced blockchain treasury platform, allowing businesses to maintain tokenized HKD, RMB, and USD holdings. This solution offers 24/7 real-time fund transfers and more advanced treasury management capabilities.

In the Solana ecosystem, Nasdaq-listed Forward Industries announced the live deployment of their SEC-registered stock on the blockchain. The tokenized shares can be used as collateral for on-chain borrowing, providing a seamless bridge between traditional equity and decentralized finance.

### Major Capital Flows

Intercontinental exchange operators and traditional finance giants continue investing in crypto infrastructure. The parent company of the New York Stock Exchange is negotiating with major crypto payment platforms for strategic investment. This also includes partnerships with public companies— a Nasdaq-listed firm has collaborated with Korean asset managers to raise $300 million for direct Ripple Labs equity acquisition, giving qualified investors indirect exposure to cryptocurrency holdings.

The Solana-based distributed physical infrastructure network project completed a $70 million Series B funding round, led by prominent venture capital firms. The funding valued the startup at $5 billion, reflecting growing confidence in on-chain infrastructure development.

### Market Sentiment and Forward Outlook

The combination of softer inflation data, clearer regulatory pathways, and sustained institutional investment has created a constructive environment for crypto asset development. Governance initiatives like Uniswap's token burn strategy demonstrate maturing market dynamics, where protocol sustainability has become more important than pure speculation. While short-term volatility will likely persist, the medium-term trajectory indicates continued institutional adoption and infrastructure maturation in the industry.