United States President Donald Trump announced on Friday a 10% global tariff under alternative trade statutes and on Saturday raised that rate to 15% with immediate effect. While critics argue these laws cap both the duration and scope of his tariff powers, major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin around $68,000 and Ether showed little reaction.

The cryptocurrency market has reversed most gains achieved after the 2024 U.S. election, now roughly 40% below its October 2025 peak. Total3 rose more than 91% to $1.16 trillion by December 2024 before slipping toward about $713 billion, while Bitcoin and Ether also saw drawdowns of over 50% and about 60%, respectively.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court curtailed President Donald Trump’s IEEPA tariff authority, and he later announced a new 10% global tariff. Lawmakers and analysts argued the measures function as taxes on families and small businesses, while Bitcoin rose about 3% and broader crypto gauges showed little movement after the announcement.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the Executive Branch lacks authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. President Donald Trump criticized the decision and said he would seek "other alternatives" to restore tariffs. A 100% China tariff announced on Oct. 10, 2025 previously sent Bitcoin from about $122,000 to about $107,000 within minutes.

Monthly Lightning Network volume reached an estimated $1.1 billion in November 2025 across 5.2 million transfers. The report notes 2025 transaction counts trail 2023’s peak of 6.6 million and projects new growth as individuals and businesses test AI-driven payment agents, alongside rising institutional use and a capacity of 5,606 BTC in December 2025.

Dash said it will bring Zcash's Orchard shielded pool to the Dash Evolution chain, a smart contract layer, with activation planned after cybersecurity audits and an expected March launch. The first phase will enable basic ZEC transfers, with later updates adding Orchard-based privacy for tokenized real-world assets.

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao argues that insufficient onchain privacy is preventing broader use of cryptocurrencies for payments, saying transparent payrolls and expenses deter enterprises. He previously told All-In Podcast host Chamath Palihapitiya that such openness can pose physical security risks. Avidan Abitbol and Eran Barak contend that business confidentiality needs and advancing AI make privacy tools increasingly essential.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said in an X post that prediction markets are tilting toward "unhealthy" short-term speculation and should evolve into hedging platforms that stabilize consumer prices. He proposed onchain markets, guided by local LLMs, to build personalized baskets of contracts tied to household expenses.

The government of the Marshall Islands launched a Universal Basic Income program in November 2025 that delivers quarterly payments to citizens via a mobile wallet linked to its USDM1 tokenized bond. Hong Kong, Thailand and the Marshall Islands are also testing tokenized government debt and onchain social benefits to cut settlement delays and fees, while experts warn that AML, sanctions and KYC rules remain major hurdles.