negotiation

Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, recently shared her views on the legislative progress of the Clarity Act. She stated that although the bill faces resistance due to the withdrawal of support from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and controversies in the banking sector, its complexity determines the long-term nature of the legislative process. Current negotiations exhibit two new characteristics: first, senior officials from the White House are directly involved, with presidential aides like David Sacks pushing for dispute resolution; second, traditional financial institutions are participating in negotiations for the first time.If the Senate Banking Committee can complete its review of the bill by March or April, there is hope to advance the legislation before the July recess; otherwise, the next window will not open until the fall. Smith, who previously led the Blockchain Association and spearheaded the passage of the Genius Act, believes that despite facing opposition from figures like Elizabeth Warren, the support from key Democrats such as Chuck Schumer and the ongoing pressure from President Trump are changing the odds of the bill's passage. On Wednesday, after Trump urged the banking sector to make concessions in a post on Truth Social, expectations in the market for the passage of cryptocurrency legislation within the year have noticeably increased.

Cryptocurrency journalist Eleanor Terrett stated that several individuals in the crypto industry publicly defended Patrick Witt and the White House's position after anonymous sources claimed a pessimistic outlook for stablecoin yield negotiations.A banking industry insider with direct knowledge of the negotiation progress mentioned that the banking representatives who attended last week's White House meeting (from ABABankers, ICBA, and the Bank Policy Institute) were confused by the statements and did not agree with the anonymous sources' views, and they have provided feedback to the White House regarding the situation.The insider also indicated that both parties are still in ongoing communication regarding the bill's text, and the March 1 deadline is not a decisive cutoff date.

According to the American financial media Semafor, Paypal (PYPL.O) and Stripe are currently not in negotiations. Paypal (PYPL.O) currently has no plans to sell itself. According to insiders, Paypal has been working with bankers for months to prepare for potential activist investor actions or unwanted acquisition offers.Insiders stated that after a significant drop in PayPal's stock price, executives are facing the risk of initiating an acquisition process as a precautionary measure. Bankers began collaborating with PayPal during the tenure of former CEO Alex Chriss, who left on February 3.

Galaxy research director Alex Thorn posted on X platform that U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott has announced the postponement of the hearing on the cryptocurrency market structure bill. It is reported that the issue of stablecoin yields is a key sticking point in the negotiations, with banking lobby groups actively pushing to restrict stablecoin rewards, fearing that interest-bearing stablecoins could siphon off bank deposits and undermine the stability of the banking system. The compromise proposal put forward to gain support from lawmakers was ultimately deemed unacceptable by the stablecoin industry, with some believing that this issue is vital to their survival. Other unresolved issues include restrictions on DeFi and illegal activities, as well as limitations on tokenized securities innovation.In addition, Alex Thorn revealed that although Tim Scott has not announced a new hearing date, the Senate will be in recess next week, meaning the earliest possible time for the Banking Committee to reconvene for the revised hearing could be the week of January 26 to 30. The Senate Agriculture Committee, which handles CFTC-related matters, has also postponed its revised hearing to January 27.

According to reporter Eleanor Terrett, the White House is considering completely withdrawing its support for the cryptocurrency market structure bill unless Coinbase returns to the negotiating table and proposes a yield agreement that satisfies the banking sector. A source close to the Trump administration revealed that the White House is angry about Coinbase's "unilateral" action on Wednesday without prior notice, calling it a "sudden reversal" for both the White House and the entire industry. The source emphasized that the White House believes a single company cannot represent the entire crypto industry, stating, "Ultimately, this is President Trump's bill, not Brian Armstrong's bill."

According to Coindesk, sources have revealed that Senate Democrats have returned to the negotiating table to discuss the best approach for the cryptocurrency market structure bill. They held a conference call with representatives from the cryptocurrency industry, where lawmakers engaged in in-depth discussions about the next steps.This week, the Senate's plan for a first vote on the bill was suddenly postponed, after which Democrats attempted to show that they are still prepared to advance the legislation. The draft bill released this week has sparked significant criticism, and U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase also announced that the company cannot support this version.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Tim Scott, previously stated that a hearing on the cryptocurrency market structure bill will be held on January 15. However, negotiation documents show that there are still four areas of disagreement. The main points of contention include:DeFi: There is a demand for decentralized finance (DeFi) to be supervised similarly to the U.S. Federal Regulatory Financial Corporation, but its basic definitions and issues remain unresolved.Stablecoin Yields: The GENIUS Act stipulates that stablecoin issuers cannot offer interest, but their affiliated companies can provide yields and customer reward programs. The banking sector believes this could threaten their core deposit business, while some Democrats want to limit crypto yields.Ethical Standards: There is a call to prohibit senior U.S. government officials from deriving personal benefits from cryptocurrency activities.CFTC: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will play a leading role in cryptocurrency regulation, but the allocation of seats between the two parties in the CFTC needs to be balanced.

SoftBank Group is in advanced talks to acquire private equity firm DigitalBridge Group, which primarily invests in assets like data centers. According to sources, this Japanese conglomerate may announce the agreement with DigitalBridge as early as Monday.This transaction is part of SoftBank's strategic positioning to capitalize on the AI-driven digital infrastructure boom, with specific terms yet to be disclosed. Sources indicate that a final agreement has not been reached, and details, including the timing, may still change. Representatives for SoftBank and DigitalBridge declined to comment.

According to CoinDesk, on Wednesday, as negotiations on the cryptocurrency market structure bill in the U.S. Senate are set to pause, some leaders in the crypto industry met with key lawmakers. Kara Calvert, Vice President of U.S. Policy at Coinbase, stated after the meeting, "This was a meeting that showcased bipartisan interest and momentum. We will enter the bill amendment phase and need to find areas of compromise to achieve this goal."Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott chaired the meeting, which included industry advocacy groups such as the Blockchain Association, the Digital Chamber of Commerce, and the DeFi Education Fund, as well as Democratic lawmakers, Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). Scott stated in a statement that senators "are thoughtfully and prudently examining the bill text."Participants noted that this is the last opportunity to clarify positions for 2025, such as the defense of software developers' rights in DeFi. They mentioned that while no new issues were resolved, the groundwork was laid for negotiations in January. Cody Carbon, CEO of the Digital Chamber of Commerce, described the meeting: "While there are still several significant policy issues to resolve, we are optimistic that these obstacles can be cleared, as Senate leaders took the time to meet with us before leaving Washington for the holidays, and they are committed to finding consensus to establish rules for digital assets in the U.S."

According to CoinDesk, negotiations in the U.S. Senate regarding the cryptocurrency market structure bill may be delayed until next year due to unresolved points of contention.The legislative text has been circulated privately among industry insiders, and industry executives briefly reviewed the current draft during a White House meeting on Thursday, which was hosted by President Donald Trump's crypto advisor, Patrick Witt. The negotiations involve Senate Democrats, Republicans, the White House, and the crypto industry, with four major points of contention still needing resolution.These points of contention include ethical standards for government officials' involvement in digital assets, particularly the involvement of President Donald Trump, whether stablecoins should be tied to yields, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) jurisdiction over tokens and its authority over decentralized finance (DeFi).Patrick Witt posted on the X platform that the White House and Senate Republicans "are aligned on the need to protect software developers and DeFi." Despite the disagreements, the intensity and pace of the negotiations remain high. Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone stated that there is a genuine desire and motivation among all parties to complete the legislation, with actual progress expected early next year.

According to Jinshi reports, White House National Economic Council Director Hassett stated that Federal Reserve Chairman Powell engaged in extensive negotiations to reach a 25 basis point rate cut decision.

According to The Block, Ohio Republican Senator Moreno stated that negotiations surrounding the cryptocurrency market structure bill have been "quite frustrating," with Democrats and Republicans planning to meet on Tuesday.On Monday, at the Blockchain Association policy summit held in Washington, D.C., Moreno elaborated on the progress of discussions regarding what this broader bill should include. Moreno said, "I am not willing to rush out a bad bill just to show that we passed something. Not doing a deal is better than making a bad deal." The market structure bill versions from both the House and Senate still need to be reconciled. The House passed its version of the Clarity Act in July. Although the Senate's proposal is not significantly different, it is generally more difficult to pass a bill in the Senate than in the House.Previously, Senate Banking Committee Chairman and Republican Tim Scott indicated that the committee would hold a bill revision hearing on December 17 or 18, which is "feasible." However, on Monday, Senator and Democrat Mark Warner revealed that completing the bill revision hearing before the holidays is challenging, as they are still waiting for the White House to weigh in on quorum and ethical issues.

The founder of Slow Fog, Yu Xian, tweeted that the "white hat negotiation" message that appeared on-chain after the Yearn attack is fabricated and is actually a phishing attempt, consistent with the previous Balancer incident.The attacker used the Railgun protocol to hide their identity, prepared a low Gas address 28 days in advance, and completed the exploit, ultimately transferring 1,000 ETH through Tornado Cash. The current attacker address still holds about 6 million dollars in cryptocurrency assets.

ChainCatcher news, the legislation to establish clear regulatory rules for the cryptocurrency industry has encountered obstacles in the Senate, making the path for the bill increasingly unclear.A draft known as the "Preliminary Framework for Decentralized Finance Regulation," submitted by Senate Democrats in early October, was leaked and faced strong opposition from the cryptocurrency industry. Negotiations this month are currently at a standstill, with talks between Republicans and pro-cryptocurrency Democrats derailed. The U.S. Congress is busy dealing with the government shutdown issue, and the likelihood of the bill passing before the end of the year is in doubt.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that President Trump is willing to engage in rational negotiations with China regarding tariffs.Vance urged the Chinese side to "choose the path of reason" in the recently escalating U.S.-China trade war, claiming that Donald Trump has greater leverage. "This will be a subtle contest, largely depending on how China responds," Vance said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."Vance indicated that he spoke with Trump on Saturday and Sunday. He stated that the president "appreciates the friendship he has built with China," but added, "We have a lot of leverage. I hope, and I know the president hopes as well, that we do not have to use this leverage."The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated in its own announcement on Sunday that the U.S. should stop threatening to raise tariffs and urged further negotiations to resolve outstanding trade issues. Over the past week, China announced new export controls and other measures, leading to heightened tensions—although some of these measures will not take effect until November or may not be widely implemented.

ChainCatcher news, according to Crypto in America, negotiations between Senate Republicans and Democrats on cryptocurrency market structure legislation have stalled due to a new proposal from Democrats to regulate DeFi, which has sparked strong opposition within the industry.Republicans are frustrated by their Democratic colleagues' continued disagreements on DeFi issues, and there has been little substantive feedback on the draft discussions. Although both sides have had "productive discussions" in recent weeks, Republicans informed Democrats on Wednesday that negotiations are now paused until an agreement is reached on a revision date—banking committee leaders had originally planned to make revisions by September 30.Multiple sources confirmed that Republicans have been trying to set the revision date for late October, but Democrats are cautious and unwilling to formally set a date, stating they want more time to develop a bipartisan draft. Both sides are blaming each other, and it remains unclear which side will concede first: whether Democrats will agree to a revision date or Republicans will return to the negotiating table.The longer the stalemate lasts, the more likely it is that the bill will be delayed until it reaches President Trump's desk in 2026, by which time Congress will inevitably shift its focus to the midterm elections, and cryptocurrency policy will take a back seat.

ChainCatcher News, U.S. President Trump stated that he is not satisfied with the progress of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations. We will know how things will develop in the next two weeks."I may take this or that approach regarding Russia. I will give Putin a few weeks. A decision will be made on the Russia issue within two weeks. The decision on Russia will be crucial, whether it is sanctions, tariffs, or taking no action at all. If necessary, I may decide to impose sanctions on Russia within two weeks." (Jinshi)

ChainCatcher news, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a video statement saying that he has instructed to immediately begin negotiations to release all Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip and to end the war on "terms acceptable to Israel."In addition, he stated that he has approved the plan

ChainCatcher news, according to White House Press Secretary Levitt, the U.S. military will not be deployed to Ukraine, but can provide assistance in coordination and security. Trump has instructed the national security team to coordinate with Europe.Levitt stated that Trump proposed a solution for NATO to purchase American weapons. Levitt also mentioned that Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky have expressed a willingness to sit down for negotiations, and Trump hopes for direct diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. Currently, arrangements for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin are underway.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the Canadian Trade Minister expressed optimism about the trade negotiations between Canada and the United States. We will not rush into a bad deal, and Canada is firmly committed to protecting long-term economic interests.He also stated that trade negotiations with the United States are still ongoing, but Ottawa will not yield to tariff pressures.