According to data from JPMorgan Chase analysts, retail investor investment in the U.S. stock market has increased by 53% year-to-date in 2025, up from $197 billion in the same period last year, and is 14% higher than the peak of $270 billion during the retail trading frenzy in 2021. Meanwhile, another JPMorgan Chase trading statistic shows that retail trading volume accounts for 20% to 25% of total trading volume this year, reaching a record high of approximately 35% in April. Analysts say that with record-breaking retail inflows into the U.S. stock market expected in 2025, individual investors have become the main driver of the stock market rally; supported by expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, this upward trend may continue into next year. (Jinshi)

Odaily Planet Daily reports that while initial jobless claims in the U.S. unexpectedly fell last week, the unemployment rate is likely to remain high in December due to sluggish employment. The U.S. Labor Department reported Wednesday that seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims for the week ending December 20 fell by 10,000 to 214,000. Economists polled by Reuters had expected 224,000. Recent data has been volatile due to challenges in seasonal adjustments ahead of the holiday season. The labor market remains in what economists and policymakers call a “no hiring, no laying off” pattern. While the U.S. economy remains resilient, the labor market is virtually at a standstill. Continuing jobless claims rose by 38,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.923 million in the week ending December 13. This increase is consistent with a survey released Tuesday by the Conference Board, which showed that consumer sentiment toward the labor market deteriorated this month to levels not seen since early 2021. The unemployment rate rose to a four-year high of 4.6% in November, though this was partly due to technical factors related to the government shutdown. (Golden Ten)

According to data from Odaily Planet Daily, the cryptocurrency industry saw a record $8.6 billion in M&A deals in 2025, a significant increase from $2.17 billion the previous year. The largest deal this year was Coinbase's $2.9 billion acquisition of crypto derivatives platform Deribit. Other major acquisitions included Kraken's $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader and Ripple's $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road. Analysts believe that with new compliance rules coming into effect globally, including those surrounding stablecoins and the EU's MiCA framework, financial institutions are acquiring licensed companies to accelerate their entry into the cryptocurrency market. (Financial Times)

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Aave founder Stani Kulechov has recently sparked controversy in the community by purchasing $10 million worth of AAVE tokens. Critics suggest this move may be aimed at increasing his influence in key governance proposal votes. The current controversy centers on a proposal to regain control of the protocol's brand assets, which is accused of being rushed into the voting stage without sufficient discussion. Data shows that the top three voters in the Aave DAO control over 58% of the voting power, raising questions about the fairness of the governance mechanism. (Cointelegraph)

Odaily Planet Daily reports that following the release of initial jobless claims data, spot gold and the US dollar index (DXY) showed little short-term movement, while US stock index futures remained stable. The probability of a 25 basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve next month is 13.3%. (Jinshi)