COVID-19 could force the Bank of Canada to launch a CBDC sooner than previously expected. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/canada-could-launch-cbdc-sooner-than-expected-central-bank-exec-says

The Financial Times scorns Nigel Farage for his apparently predictable embrace of libertarian cryptocurrency influencers. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-is-the-ultimate-anti-lockdown-investment-says-nigel-farage

Yearn “acquisitions” dominated headlines this week. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/finance-redefined-what-s-a-defi-merger-anyway-nov-25-dec-2

Hash ribbons tell investors to buy BTC again for the first time in five months as BTC price consolidates below $20,000. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-price-metric-that-called-2020-bull-runs-flashes-buy-again

Potential customers in the U.S. are apparently holding off from using Ripple’s XRP-related services due to regulatory uncertainty. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/95-of-ripple-s-customers-are-not-from-the-us-ceo-garglinghouse-says

Popular crypto data provider Messari has predicted that roll-ups will beat out layer-one alternatives as the dominant scaling solution amid Eth2’s multi-year incubation. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/roll-ups-to-preserve-ethereum-s-defi-monopoly-despite-competitors-messari

Slush Pool encoded a Reuters headline in an apparent nod to the Bitcoin genesis block, which contains a banner from The Times. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/oldest-bitcoin-mining-pool-immortalizes-bullish-reuters-headline

A controversial bill to ban the use of cash for transactions over $10,000 has been voted out by the Australian Senate Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-australian-senate-just-voted-to-kill-the-10-000-cash-ban-bill

Phishers are coming after MetaMask users in increasingly clever ways. Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ciphertrace-warns-of-surge-in-funds-lost-to-metamask-phishers

Joseph Lubin believes Eth2’s development will move quicker than many are expecting, predicting the new protocol will “absorb” Ethereum in “the not too distant future” Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/joseph-lubin-says-insiders-are-very-optimistic-about-how-fast-eth2-will-unfold