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Central Bank of Cyprus Data Highlights Robust Growth in December 2025

Overview Of December Financial Trends

Recent data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) underscores a strong performance in the nation’s monetary market. The report, detailed in the CBC’s Monetary and Financial Statistics January 2026 edition, shows that the annual growth rate for deposits reached 6.50 percent while loans increased at an annual rate of 10.70 percent in December 2025.

Deposits Performance And Seasonal Influences

Total deposits witnessed a net increase of €877.10 million in December 2025, a notable rise from the €330.80 million increase recorded in November 2025. The aggregate deposit base reached €58.70 billion by year’s end. This growth, which recorded an annual rate of 6.50 percent—the slight downbeat from November’s 6.70 percent—is largely attributed to seasonal influences. Notably, Cyprus residents contributed a significant increase of €948.30 million, with household deposits rising by €622.30 million. Deposits by non-financial corporations and other domestic sectors added €51.20 million and €274.80 million, respectively.

Robust Expansion In Loan Portfolios

The loan segment demonstrated an even more vigorous performance. Total loans saw a net increase of €587.20 million in December 2025, compared to just €71.50 million in November. This surge boosted the outstanding loan balance to €27.10 billion, while the annual growth rate edged up to 10.70 percent from 10.50 percent the previous month. Disaggregated data indicates that loans to Cyprus residents increased by €250.50 million. Specifically, household loans grew by €113.00 million, and lending to non-financial corporations expanded by €150.10 million, albeit with a modest overall decline of €12.60 million in loans to other domestic sectors.

Implications For The Monetary Landscape

The findings illuminate a dynamic and evolving monetary landscape in Cyprus, where both deposit and lending activities are moving in tandem with economic cycles influenced by seasonal trends. This robust financial performance not only reflects increased confidence among households and businesses but also sets the stage for a more resilient banking sector moving forward.

Meta’s Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT In Early Mobile Adoption, New Data Suggests

Meta’s new AI app, Muse, may be emerging as one of the company’s strongest consumer launches to date. Fresh estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia suggest the app has outperformed ChatGPT in early mobile traction, at least in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads in its first 12 days on the market than ChatGPT did during the comparable period after its mobile debut. The comparison, limited to the U.S. and Canada, puts Muse’s iOS downloads at 1.8 million versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT over the same initial window.

A Strong Early Start Across Platforms

In total, Muse has reached 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days, according to the firm. The app’s momentum also appears to be holding. After debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. App Store, Muse has since climbed to No. 1, surpassing ChatGPT, according to reporting from Business Insider. Appfigures had previously estimated that Muse crossed 1 million downloads shortly after launch.

That early rise matters because app-store performance in the first days after launch often signals whether a product can sustain consumer attention beyond initial curiosity. In Meta’s case, the data suggests Muse is not simply benefiting from novelty; it is gaining ground quickly enough to challenge the category leader.

Daily Users Show Similar Momentum

Apptopia’s estimates point to another favorable comparison for Meta: daily usage. In the U.S. alone, Muse is said to have 642,000 daily active users, well above the 231,000 ChatGPT had at the same stage of its mobile rollout.

To make the comparison fairer, Apptopia also narrowed the analysis to iOS only, since ChatGPT launched on iPhone before expanding more broadly. Even under that tighter lens, Muse still comes out ahead, with 359,000 daily active users on iOS compared with ChatGPT’s earlier figure.

Why Meta Has An Advantage

Third-party estimates are not the same as internal company data, and Apptopia cannot see Meta’s proprietary numbers. Still, even directional data suggests Muse may be on track to become a meaningful consumer product for Meta.

That possibility is strengthened by Meta’s distribution advantage. The company has already demonstrated how powerful its ecosystem can be with Threads, which surpassed 500 million users after heavy promotion across Instagram and Facebook. Muse is likely to receive a similar boost, especially because it can connect across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Apptopia does not track Meta’s internal promotion strategy, but its data indicates that more than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while 63% are Instagram users. That overlap underscores how effectively Meta can move users across its products when it chooses to prioritize a launch.

The Strategic Test For Meta

For Meta, the early signal from Muse is less about one app’s download count than about whether the company can turn its scale into durable AI adoption. The first test is attention. The harder one is retention.

If Muse can convert early downloads into habitual use, Meta may have found a new front door into its AI ambitions. If not, the app risks becoming another example of how easily mobile hype can spike before settling back down.

Meta, which was asked for comment, has not yet released public figures on Muse’s early adoption.

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