Tokenized gold has exceeded $4 billion in market value, with products such as PAX Gold and Tether Gold increasingly used for savings and wealth protection in regions facing currency devaluation and limited banking access, according to CoinGecko data. New partnerships and platforms in Africa, Asia, and Sub‑Saharan markets are enabling fractional gold ownership, faster cross‑border transfers, and FX swaps. At the same time, regulatory uncertainty, custodial risk, and limited user education remain major obstacles to wider adoption.

On December 11, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, HAI Group announced CORE.3, a Web3 risk intelligence platform built around a Probability of Loss (PoL) metric for digital asset projects. The initial release covers 50 projects, with plans to scale to over 1,000. The platform uses more than 100 data points to quantify security, operational, financial, and compliance risks.

On December 10, Norges Bank said it will not for now recommend launching a digital krone, arguing that Norway’s existing payment system already delivers secure, efficient and low‑cost transactions. After several years of trials on both retail and wholesale CBDC models, the bank concluded that the benefits remain uncertain and global standards are not yet ready. It left open the possibility of revisiting a CBDC if international developments or future payment needs change.

Revolut and Trust Wallet rolled out instant crypto purchases for EU users, with assets delivered directly into Trust Wallet for self-custody. The integration supports RevolutPay, debit cards, and bank transfers, with 0% Revolut Pay fees in some cases and possible network or third‑party charges. Supported assets include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDC, and USDT.

At the Breakpoint 2025 event in Abu Dhabi on December 11, Coinbase announced an on-chain feature that will let users trade any Solana token directly through a DEX-style interface without requiring a prior listing. The company is also integrating a new Solana-focused user interface and plans to open early access next week. Coinbase’s recent acquisition of Solana-native platform Vector.fun is intended to expand asset coverage and deepen its participation in the Solana ecosystem.

On 11 December 2025, Coinbase announced a feature that will route trades for Solana tokens through on-chain DEX swaps within its main mobile app. From the week of 15 December 2025, selected users will be able to fund these trades with USDC or fiat and gain access to unlisted SPL tokens, while Coinbase keeps centralised KYC and AML checks in place. The company plans to extend availability globally as it completes regional compliance reviews and technical monitoring.

Bhutan has introduced TER, a physical gold-backed digital token issued via Gelephu Mindfulness City on the Solana blockchain, with custody provided by DK Bank, the country’s first licensed digital bank. Scheduled to launch on December 17, 2025, TER is intended to give global investors on-chain exposure to gold as part of Bhutan’s wider blockchain and economic strategy, according to Bhutan. The project seeks to combine the perceived stability of gold with the mobility and transparency of blockchain-based assets.

On December 10, 2025, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released preliminary findings from a review of debanking practices at nine major national banks. The agency said internal policies in place from 2020 to 2023 imposed inappropriate restrictions on lawful sectors, including digital-asset firms, according to the OCC. It added that supervisory investigations into the banks' practices are ongoing.