Circle gains full ADGM approval to offer regulated USDC payment services

  • The ADGM license allows Circle to offer fully regulated USDC stablecoin services in the UAE.
  • Circle is expanding its reach with institutional payment and settlement rails.
  • UAE has strengthened its position as a hub for compliant digital-asset activity.

Circle has secured a major foothold in the Middle East after receiving full regulatory approval from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to operate USDC services under comprehensive oversight.

The approval marks one of the company’s most significant international expansions and reinforces the UAE’s fast-growing role as a hub for regulated digital assets.

A strategic license with wide reach

Circle’s new Financial Services Permission, granted by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, authorises the company to operate as a fully regulated Money Services Provider within Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone.

The approval provides Circle with a formal operating base in one of the world’s most active jurisdictions for digital asset regulation.

The license allows Circle to offer payment, settlement, and digital-asset services tied to USDC directly to businesses and financial institutions.

By operating under a clear regulatory framework, Circle can now support wholesale payments, cross-border settlement rails, and custody-linked services with institutional-grade compliance standards.

This also deepens ADGM’s growing reputation as a safe and predictable regulatory environment for digital-asset firms.

A boost for the UAE’s digital-asset ambitions

The UAE has been pushing to attract companies building fiat-referenced tokens, tokenised financial services, and enterprise-grade payment infrastructure, and Abu Dhabi, in particular, has positioned itself as a leading centre for compliant crypto activity, and Circle’s arrival reinforces that strategy.

The UAE has carved out a reputation for offering clear rules for stablecoins and digital-finance companies, which has become a major draw for global platforms seeking regulatory certainty.

Circle’s expansion also arrives as stablecoins gain more formal regulatory footing worldwide since the passage of the GENIUS Act in the United States, which created a federal framework for the issuance and supervision of fiat-backed tokens.

The GENIUS Act triggered a wave of stablecoin initiatives from major US financial institutions, creating renewed demand for licensed, enterprise-ready providers such as Circle.

The UAE’s dual financial zones are also aligning around stablecoin oversight.

Earlier this year, Dubai recognised USDC and EURC under the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s crypto token regime, giving Circle regulatory support across the country’s two main jurisdictions.

Tether’s USDT has also been recognised as an approved fiat-referenced token across multiple blockchains, while Binance recently obtained full authorisation to operate its flagship platform under ADGM oversight.

These approvals reflect a deliberate shift toward a more organised and transparent digital-asset market in the UAE.

 Circle strengthens regional strategy with senior leadership appointment

Circle sees immediate opportunities in enabling faster corporate payments, treasury operations, and trade settlements since it can now provide these services to regional businesses under a recognised regulatory structure.

For companies in the Middle East, this means the ability to settle transactions in seconds instead of days and do so through a trusted, licensed issuer.

And as part of its regional push, Circle has appointed Dr Saeeda Jaffar as Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa.

Dr Jaffar, currently serving as a senior executive at Visa, will guide Circle’s strategy, develop institutional partnerships, and work to expand the use of USDC in business payments and financial infrastructure.

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Crypto ETFs diverge: Bitcoin suffers $60M outflows; ETH, SOL, XRP funds in green

  • BTC ETFs recorded $60.48M withdrawals on December 8.
  • Ethereum funds extended their latest momentum with $35.49M inflows.
  • XRP and Solana ETFs ended yesterday with gains amid prevailing demand.

The digital tokens space remains choppy ahead of the December 10 Federal Reserve decision on interest rates.

Crypto exchange-traded funds, which have become vital in gauging institutional appetite in these risk assets, confirm the current uncertainty.

Bitcoin ETFs suffer outflows despite IBIT’s gains

Interest around BTC ETFs remained negative yesterday, with the products recording net outflows amounting to $60.48 million (SoSoValue data).

The significant withdrawals came as investors reacted to the weekend’s sluggish performance across the crypto landscape.

Bitcoin failed to break $92,000 again, currently trading at $90,150.

However, Monday was not gloomy for all BTC ETF issuers.

BlackRock proved its resilience and dominance as its IBIT attracted $28.76 million in inflows.

While funds like Graycale’s GBT (-44.03M) and Fidelity’s FBTC (-39.44M) saw substantial withdrawals on December 8, IBIT’s steadiness indicates that profit taking, not a shift in interest, likely triggered the mixed flows into Bitcoin.

Ethereum ETFs flip positive

While Bitcoin bled on December 8, Ethereum exchange-traded funds turned positive with $35.5 million inflows.

Notably, the funds recorded substantial exits in the previous two sessions, on December 4 (-41.5M) and December 5 (-75.2M).

Indeed, Ethereum has been on the investor radar lately following its Fusaka upgrade, which targets enhanced speed, scalability, and lower costs for Ether-based Layer 2 platforms.

Moreover, the inflows indicate that investors are viewing Ethereum as a legitimate token for portfolio diversification beyond Bitcoin.

Indeed, the second-largest crypto by value is experiencing renewed interest from institutional participants.

For example, BlackRock is seeking the SEC’s authorization for a new staked Ether trust ETF – the ETHB.

The proposed product differs from BlackRock’s popular ETHA trust in that the staking Ether trust will track Ethereum’s performance and include incentives gained from the trust’s staked Ether.

ETH is trading at $3,124 after gaining more than 10% the past seven days.

Solana ETFs see steady demand

Solana spot products closed the previous day with $1.2 million inflows.

While the figure remains modest, it reflects consistent demand for SOL ETFs.

Monday’s inflows have extended their winning streak to three days, demonstrating appetite for these products despite broader turmoil.

Solana exchange-traded funds have attracted roughly $639 million since their late October debut.

Meanwhile, SOL price is hovering at $133, down 2% the past 24 hours.

XRP ETFs steal the show

Ripple’s crypto asset stood out on December 8, with a net inflow of $38.04 million, eclipsing peers for the day.

Grayscale led as its GXRP drew over $810K in fresh capital on Monday.

Also, Canary, Bitwise, and Franklin’s XRP exchange-traded funds recorded notable daily gains.

Regulatory clarity and XRP’s unique utility in cross-border transactions have elevated the altcoin’s appeal among institutional investors.

Nevertheless, the December 8 ETF performance sends a clear message.

Investors are now diversifying into other cryptos beyond Bitcoin.

Altcoin ETFs are gaining traction for their added advantages, as the crypto industry gains increased acceptance in mainstream finance.

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Aave price could explode above $200: here’s the forecast

  • Aave price jumped to highs of $200 as cryptocurrencies recorded an uptick on December 8, 2025.
  • While market sentiment is weak, bulls could dominate price action toward $300.
  • Decentralized finance and overall bullish conditions will be key to the AAVE price.

Aave is in the green on the day as the decentralized finance heavyweight’s token captures renewed investor attention.

On Monday, AAVE traded at $193 at the time of writing, having touched highs of $200 and reflecting a robust recovery from recent dips.

With bullish forecasts for Bitcoin and the broader market, it appears gains position AAVE for a potential explosive growth.

AAVE price gains amid altcoin surge

AAVE has been in a downtrend for over three months and remains constrained.

However, the DeFi token has posted a slight uptick over the past week, and current prices are well above the lows of $147 reached on November 21, 2025.

On Monday, the token climbed to highs of $200 before paring gains to around $193.

The Aave token’s uptick coincides with a broader altcoin bounce on Dec. 8.

As Bitcoin showed resilience above $90k, Ethereum broke above $3,100, Solana touched $136, and Chainlink advanced above $13.

For Aave, gains over the week stood at 17%, coming amid major stablecoin transfers and increased buzz around DeFi growth.

On Dec. 5, the Aave lending pools witnessed huge USDT transactions, moves that highlight increased borrowing demand and liquidity.

Analysts see this and whale activity as potential catalysts for further gains.

AAVE price forecast

The current market outlook for cryptocurrencies aligns with broader risk asset and seasonal trends.

December has historically delivered notable gains for investors amid “Santa rallies”.

Aave’s 17% surge in the past week mirrors this outlook, even if it’s still early days.

Investors are also eyeing the Federal Reserve’s anticipated rate cut this week.

Bulls could sparkle above the $200 mark. However, volatility remains a concern, and support levels could be much lower.

From a technical point of view, key indicators point to short-term advantage for Aave bulls.

Price is above the critical resistance and support level at $178.

As can be seen on the chart below, buyers breached this level as the AAVE price pumped to highs of $385 between May and August 2025.

However, declines from the year-to-date peak also saw bears plunge the token’s value past $178 to lows of $147 in November. Prior to this, AAVE had crashed to $128 on October 10, 2025.

This means the token is in a descending channel.

AAVE Price Chart
Aave price chart by TradingView

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading currently hovers at 52. It’s upsloping and indicative of likely further room for upside movement. Bulls can do this without immediately entering the overbought territory.

Notably, the token recently broke above its 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) as bulls rallied.

This happened as part of a classic bullish confirmation move that has historically preceded significant upside action.

Aave’s daily chart shows the 50EMA is at $201.

Bearish risks, such as a Bitcoin correcting below $90,000, could cap gains at this mark.

However, bulls riding an upward wave could break higher, with $227 and $320 key levels.

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Injective (INJ) jumps over 5% as price nears $6 amid volume surge and market rebound

  • Injective price is up by over 5% in the past 24 hours, trading to an intraday high of $5.85.
  • Bulls could gain towards $10 but that is contingent on breaching $6 resistance.
  • INJ will ride broader market conditions and key network developments.

Injective’s native token is among the altcoins to post gains on December 8, 2025, rising more than 5% to highs of $5.85 as investor attention shifts ahead of a big week for risk asset markets.

INJ price looked to rise in a sharp rebound to $6, a level that provided the latest downward pressure on Dec. 4.

Notably, Injective’s surge arrives amid heightened trading activity.

Injective price rises to near $6 amid volume spike

Injective’s price trajectory has been in a downtrend since its all-time high of $52.75 in March 2024. As such, the token is $89% since that peak and 25% down in the past month.

However, the latest gains across the market have helped bulls, and INJ has rebounded from support around $5.

INJ traded at $5.71 at the time of writing, up more than 5% in the past 24 hours.

Bulls reached highs of $5.85 as they came close to the $6 psychological barrier. Trading volume also surged to $67 million, increasing by over 52% in the last 24 hours.

Why is Injective price up?

The token’s price gained alongside Bitcoin’s push to above $92,000, and Ethereum’s rebound above $3,100.

A similar uptick for the broader crypto market seems to have bolstered Injective.

Analysts have also attributed the spike to Injective’s recent integration with DexTools, exposing the chain to 15 million users for real-time asset monitoring.

Key appears to be momentum from Helix, a major decentralized spot and derivatives exchange for the INJ ecosystem.

The DeFi app’s upgrade that enabled gas-free, 24/7 trading of stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies recently went live.

Meanwhile, the community has responded positively to a governance proposal and approval of a mechanism for on-chain equity pricing.

Moreover, traction across stablecoin deployments and real-world asset (RWA) initiatives has played a huge role.

INJ price forecast

Although the 24-hour high of $5.85 saw bulls flirt with $6, the technical picture is currently mixed. The broader price trajectory remains in a downtrend. An extension of this could spell doom for buyers.

Injective Price Chart
Injective price chart by TradingView

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers at 44 and below the neutral level.

However, the indicator is upsloping and signaling a potential breakout. On the other hand, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) shows weak bullish momentum. The indicator flashed a bullish crossover recently.

Looking ahead, INJ’s path bifurcates between bullish breakouts and cautious consolidation.

In the short term, a breakout above $6 will allow bulls to target $8.22 and then $10. Conversely, a dip below $5.05 could spell danger for buyers.

 

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Zcash surges 12% as Monero slips: privacy coins diverge ahead of Fed meeting

  • Zcash (ZEC) has surged into positive territory with double-digit advances over the past 24 hours.
  • As ZEC hovers above $380, the privacy coin Monero (XMR) is down 2% at $372.
  • XMR price earlier dropped to lows of $360.

Zcash and Monero, two top privacy coins, have witnessed differing price movements on Monday as the overall cryptocurrency market remained largely subdued.

Bitcoin hovered just above $92,000 ahead of the highly anticipated Federal Reserve meeting, while BNB, Solana, and XRP all looked to mirror Ethereum’s slight gains.

Nonetheless, bulls’ failure to ignite a widespread rally sees many altcoins hover well off recent peaks, including Zcash and Monero.

Zcash price sees double-digit gains

Zcash posted gains of over 12% as the token’s value jumped from around $334 to near $400.

Per data from CoinMarketCap, the privacy coin reached highs of $398 across major crypto exchanges, extending gains above $380.

While current prices of $383 are well off the recent peaks above $700, buyers may fancy new momentum as ZEC benefits from the sentiment that saw it switch from a laggard into a top-20 cryptocurrency by market cap.

A surge in shielded transactions, with Zcash positioned as a private alternative to Bitcoin, highlights the confidence. Open interest in Zcash futures sits at over $783 million, down from $1.3 billion in November.

However, robust speculative engagement is intact as seen in the past 24 hours, with liquidations hitting over $10 million.

Coinglass data shows 80% of 24-hour liquidations for ZEC are shorts, likely caught off guard amid the sudden price jump.

Should Zcash breach the $400 resistance, bulls may push toward $500 and target the year-to-date peaks. On the flipside, a breakdown below $370 could give sellers an upper hand.

Monero price risks fresh losses

In contrast to Zcash Monero has dipped in the past 24 hours.

The privacy coin fell to lows of $360 earlier in the day, and now faces an uphill battle after fresh rejections around the $380 mark.

XMR price is currently around $372 and shows a decline of nearly 2% in the past 24 hours and 10% in the past week.

Comparatively, the ZEC price is up more than 11% in the same seven-day period.

Losses for Monero extended to four consecutive bearish daily candles on December 7, 2025. Bulls are therefore looking to prevent a fifth red candle.

Monero Price Chart
Monero price chart by TradingView

Yet, as bears have recently erased most of November’s gains to highs of $470.

The dip to $360 thus leaves Monero vulnerable to further erosion if support falters. As with other altcoins, the primary drivers of Monero’s malaise revolve around macroeconomic pressures.

XMR also trades in a broadening wedge pattern, and the area around $400 has proved key to bears.

Elsewhere, futures open interest has contracted to $54 million, down from $67 million on December 1, 2025, and from a recent peak of $98 million on November 10,2025.

The token has also dropped amid a double-top formation at $435, which means a short term dip to support in the $335 region looms.

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