Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

HesabPay, an Afghan fintech startup, has developed a blockchain-based cash-transfer platform using digital wallets and stablecoins to deliver humanitarian aid in conflict-affected and banking-constrained regions. The company holds a formal Afghan financial license and runs more than 650,000 wallets (about 50,000 active), moving roughly $60 million per month in Afghanistan-anchored afghani stablecoins. Since February 2025 the UNHCR has used HesabPay to distribute nearly $25 million to about 86,000 Afghan households. Mercy Corps also uses the platform to send aid to recipients in Syria and is developing programs for Sudan and Haiti. Benefits cited include lower fees, faster disbursements, improved traceability and real-time monitoring via dashboards and automated compliance checks that flag suspected fraud, AML and sanctions risks. Risks remain: wallets and payment rails can be blocked for political or sanctions reasons, and locally pegged stablecoins carry currency and regulatory risk. For traders, the story highlights growing institutional adoption of stablecoins for cross-border payments and aid disbursements, emphasizes demand for dollar-backed stablecoins in fragile states, and underscores regulatory and sanction-related operational risks that can affect token flow and on-chain liquidity.

South Korea’s ’AI Basic Act’ came into force on 22 January 2026, establishing a national legal framework to boost AI competitiveness while enforcing safety and transparency for high-impact and frontier AI systems. Passed in December 2024 and enacted January 21, 2025, the law creates an AI control tower, an AI safety institute, and the Korea AI Promotion Association. Key business obligations target AI systems that could significantly affect human life, safety, or fundamental rights: mandatory AI risk assessments, local representative designation, and verification/certification before offering high-impact AI. The Ministry of Science and ICT signalled a one-year grace period prioritizing consultation and education over sanctions. The law pairs regulation with support measures — R&D, standardization, training data infrastructure, data centres, SME and startup promotion — and follows increased 2026 AI budget commitments. Government officials emphasised the law is a foundation for further policy development rather than a final rule. Primary keywords: South Korea AI Act, AI regulation, AI safety, high-impact AI. Secondary/semantic keywords: AI Basic Act, AI control tower, AI safety institute, risk assessment, verification, AI investment.

The global crypto market lost roughly $100 billion as fears of a US government shutdown surged. Political disputes over Department of Homeland Security funding — led by Senate Democrats threatening to block appropriations — pushed prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket) to price a ~78–80% probability of a shutdown by Jan. 31, up sharply from under 10% three days earlier. Over about 24 hours, Bitcoin fell ~3.4% and Ether declined ~5.3%; exchanges reported more than $360 million in leveraged positions liquidated, with approximately $324 million in long positions closed. Broader geopolitical pressures — including tariff threats and US military movements in the Middle East — added to risk-off sentiment, helping safe-haven assets outperform crypto. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped to extreme fear (20). Traders recalled last year’s 43-day shutdown when BTC fell from about $126k to below $100k, underlining how political and macro shocks can amplify crypto volatility. Key near-term implications for traders: elevated political risk is triggering rapid deleveraging and large liquidations, increasing short-term volatility and downside pressure on BTC and ETH until political clarity returns. Primary keywords: crypto market, US government shutdown, Bitcoin, Ether, liquidations. Secondary keywords: market capitalization, prediction markets, DHS funding, geopolitical tensions, tariffs.

Aperture Finance disclosed a vulnerability exploitation affecting its V3 and V4 contracts. The team has disabled core functionality on the frontend to prevent additional approvals and is investigating the root cause with security partners. Users are urged to immediately revoke approvals to the address 0xD83d960deBEC397fB149b51F8F37DD3B5CFA8913 on Ethereum mainnet to protect wallets. Independent monitoring from BlockSec reported the incident and estimated losses of roughly $3.67 million. Aperture’s statement focuses on containment, user safety, and collaboration with security firms; no further operational details or a full loss breakdown were provided. This is primarily a smart-contract exploit incident with direct implications for affected users and potential short-term negative sentiment in related DeFi markets.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened its final consultation on ten proposals to bring crypto firms under traditional financial conduct rules. The consultation, running until 12 March 2026, covers business conduct and consumer duty obligations, credit or buy‑now‑pay‑later purchases of crypto, regulatory reporting, asset safeguarding, handling of retail collateral, and related supervisory powers. As part of the UK government’s crypto roadmap, the FCA expects to open applications for crypto-asset service provider (CASP) licences around September 2026 (subject to confirmation). If adopted, the regime will require firms to obtain FCA authorisation to operate in the UK and face stricter compliance, reporting and customer-protection requirements. Traders should note this narrows the regulatory uncertainty for UK market access, could raise operational costs and compliance burdens for exchanges and custodians, and may change product disclosures, retail access to certain crypto credit products, and asset custody practices — all factors that can affect liquidity and counterparty risk in UK trading venues.

A senior US lawmaker declared that the United States is entering a “golden age” driven by pro-crypto policy and broad economic momentum. The lawmaker highlighted recent regulatory clarity, legislative proposals favorable to digital-asset innovation, and increasing adoption by financial institutions and corporations as key drivers. They argued that clearer rules and supportive policymaking are encouraging investment, job creation, and infrastructure development across the crypto sector. The comments emphasized coordination between federal agencies, Congress, and private industry to reduce uncertainty and accelerate product launches, custody services, and capital inflows. While the lawmaker did not provide precise timelines or quantitative forecasts, the message stressed sustained growth potential and long-term competitiveness for US crypto markets amid global competition. The remarks are positioned as politically significant signals likely to influence investor sentiment and institutional activity in the near term.

ETHZilla, an Ethereum-focused treasury company, purchased two CFM56-7B24 commercial aircraft engines for $12.2 million in cash through a new unit, ETHZilla Aerospace LLC. The engines include existing lease agreements with a major airline, producing immediate rental income. The acquisition follows ETHZilla’s strategic pivot from holding large Ether reserves toward building revenue-generating real-world asset (RWA) businesses and tokenization pipelines — a direction announced by CEO McAndrew Rudisill. ETHZilla previously sold Ether to fund operations and still holds roughly 69,802 ETH (~$198.5M), but its stock (ETHZ) has plunged from August highs (~95% drop to $5.24), reflecting investor skepticism and broader market weakness. The deal includes purchase credits for prior deposits, an economic closing date through Sept. 30, 2025, and buyback options priced at $3M per engine after lease expiry. ETHZilla has partnered with regulated broker-dealer Liquidityio to tokenize RWAs, targeting Q1 2026 rollouts starting with aircraft engines, auto loans and home loans. Aero Engine Solutions (Avean) will service the engines under a management agreement and collect monthly fees. For crypto traders: the ETH sales by an Ether treasury holder represent increased ETH supply sold from a notable holder (potential downward pressure); the pivot to RWA tokenization introduces a new institutional narrative that could attract institutional flows if executed; and the sharp collapse in company equity signals execution risk and investor doubt. Monitor ETH price reaction to further treasury sales, updates on tokenization launches, and any secondary selling by other treasury holders — critical near-term resistance around $3,000 for ETH was noted by market commentators.

Michael Saylor warned that internal protocol changes driven by "ambitious opportunists" pose a greater threat to Bitcoin (BTC) than external attacks, reigniting a long‑running ideological clash in the Bitcoin community over preserving Bitcoin’s monetary primacy versus expanding on‑chain capabilities. Some interpreted Saylor’s comments as criticism of developers and projects pushing non‑monetary uses (NFTs, on‑chain images), reviving debate over BIP‑110 — a previously proposed temporary soft fork to filter non‑monetary data — and the ongoing "spam data" disputes. Responses were mixed: Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz called Saylor’s stance “cancerous,” arguing software must evolve; Justin Bechler and other maximalists framed the remarks as defending sound money; investor Fred Krueger and Nic Carter flagged quantum computing as a separate existential risk requiring post‑quantum upgrades; Adam Back said post‑quantum preparations are being researched quietly and warned against alarmism. For traders, the episode highlights governance risk and potential protocol‑level conflicts that could affect developer coordination and market sentiment. Key takeaways: (1) governance disputes over on‑chain data and BIP‑110 could increase short‑term volatility around BTC if debates escalate into concrete proposals or client splits; (2) discussion of post‑quantum upgrades is ongoing but has not yet moved markets materially; (3) monitor developer signals, major custodians, and large holder behavior for indications of consensus or fracturing.

Coinbase’s Q1 2026 Charting Crypto survey (Dec–Jan) of 75 institutional and 73 independent investors found roughly 71% of institutional respondents viewed Bitcoin as undervalued when it traded in the $85,000–$95,000 range — the price band Bitcoin largely occupied during the survey and where it sits near $87,600 (about 30% below its October all-time high). About 25% of institutions saw Bitcoin as fairly valued and 4% as overvalued. Since October’s leveraged-driven correction, crypto prices have mostly trended sideways while gold and silver rallied. Institutional conviction remains high: over 60% have held or increased positions since October, and 80% said they would hold or add exposure if markets fell another 10%, suggesting institutions could provide downside absorption on deeper pullbacks. The report also flags macro tailwinds — steady US fundamentals and market expectations of two Fed rate cuts in 2026 — that could support risk assets including crypto. For traders, the survey highlights potential institutional buy-side support on dips, persistent long-biased positioning, and macro factors that may lift risk appetite; these are relevant when sizing risk, planning entries on pullbacks, and assessing demand at $85k–$95k.

A trader identified as 12G9iW sold their entire PENGUIN holdings yesterday, realizing a profit of $109,400, according to on-chain monitor Lookonchain. Shortly after, the trader spent $4,500 to buy 721,033 GHOST tokens and now holds 1,080,000 GHOST (valued around $7,600 at time of reporting). GHOST has rallied more than 300% from its recent bottom. The moves were publicized by PANews and sourced from on-chain data. This report provides market information and is not investment advice.

Monsterblockhk and Solana Name Service (SNS) will co‑host “Bing Sutt Side Night,” an informal networking event during Consensus Hong Kong on Feb 10, 2026 (18:00–21:00) at Swiss Bing Sutt in Central, Hong Kong. Sponsored by BTCC Ventures with special support from KIRAPAY and additional sponsors including MEXC Ventures, Lavarage, Access Protocol and OKX Wallet, the event is designed to bring local Hong Kong tea‑house (bing sutt) culture into the Solana ecosystem. The meetup emphasizes casual networking (no panels), on‑site Hong Kong food, and a Lucky Draw with sponsor prizes. Organizers say attendees can meet Solana projects, exchanges, VCs, KOLs and Hong Kong Web3 communities. Monsterblockhk is presented as a leading Hong Kong Web3 media and community platform; SNS provides readable .sol names and identity/use cases on Solana; BTCC Ventures is the investment arm of exchange BTCC. KIRAPAY is noted as a non‑custodial cross‑chain payments gateway supporting ~70% of major chains via SDK/API and offering low fees and instant settlement. Registration link provided; spots are limited. Primary keywords: Consensus Hong Kong, Solana, SNS, Monsterblockhk, BTCC Ventures, KIRAPAY, networking event.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) warned that rapid AI adoption could eliminate millions of jobs and urged people to consider crypto as a financial hedge, saying crypto can help provide financial independence for displaced workers. Speaking on X and at Davos, CZ reiterated this view while clarifying it is not financial advice. He also disclosed ongoing talks with more than a dozen governments about tokenizing state-owned assets — including bonds, commodities and public real estate — framing tokenization as the next phase of crypto adoption after exchanges and stablecoins. CZ highlighted tokenization benefits: fractional ownership, 24/7 trading, faster settlement and automated payments, which could broaden investor access and speed capital formation for local development. He pointed to moves by traditional markets, such as the NYSE’s plan for tokenized stocks and ETFs, as positive signals for wider integration and rising institutional demand. Traders should note CZ’s continued bullish macro stance on crypto adoption and a potential crypto “supercycle” outlook for 2026, balanced by his reminder of market risks. Primary keywords: crypto, tokenization, AI job losses. Secondary keywords: job cuts, government-backed tokens, stablecoins, NYSE tokenized securities.

On-chain data shows wallet 0xd4d received 465,000 HYPE tokens from Galaxy Digital OTC, valued at about US$10.32 million. The same wallet previously received 56.12 million ENA from Ethena Lab Wallet roughly 2.5 months earlier; that ENA holding was valued at US$24.76 million at receipt but is now worth about US$9.32 million, representing an unrealized loss of approximately US$15.44 million. The transfers were detected by Onchain Lens. No trading guidance was provided.

MoonPay, a crypto payments firm, has signed a three-year, multi-million-dollar naming-rights sponsorship with the X Games. Under the deal the new team-based competition will be branded the “MoonPay X Games League” and launches in March in Los Angeles. The league will field regional clubs selecting 150 athletes and offers participants a $30,000 base annual salary plus travel and health insurance stipends to shift athletes away from prize- and sponsor-dependent income. MoonPay said the partnership will also give exposure to decentralized finance (DeFi) projects it works with. The move increases MoonPay’s consumer and brand visibility through sports sponsorship and signals another mainstream marketing play by a crypto company.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong argued that current capital markets suffer structural flaws—companies stay private for too long, early profits flow to private investors, and IPOs often underperform because early-stage valuations lack liquid markets. Armstrong predicts companies will eventually complete IPOs fully on-chain, reducing costs, lowering friction and broadening access. He cited a banker’s view that crypto has become a top priority and said roughly 4 billion adults lack brokerage access to high-quality investments, a gap tokenization could close. Traditional exchanges are responding: the NYSE launched an around-the-clock tokenized trading platform supporting stablecoin trading and instant settlement, while Nasdaq has filed to allow tokenized securities on its main board, potentially by Q3 2026. Trading volume in tokenized stocks jumped 76% in the past month to about $2.46 billion, per RWA.xyz. Asset managers including BlackRock, J.P. Morgan and Franklin Templeton are exploring tokenization, and consultants forecast global asset tokenization could reach $16.1 trillion by 2030. Armstrong also plans a 2026 “universal exchange” integrating crypto, equities, prediction markets and commodities, positioning Coinbase as a bridge between traditional finance and crypto. With clearer regulation and improving infrastructure, on-chain IPOs may arrive sooner than expected.

Bitcoin fell amid rising fears of a U.S. federal government shutdown, trading down roughly 1.25% to $87,781 in the reported period as political uncertainty weighed on markets. Analysts attribute the move to increased risk aversion rather than crypto-specific issues; Presto Research’s Rick Maeda noted political uncertainty is now a primary driver of sentiment. Market indicators showed higher correlation between Bitcoin and traditional risk assets, increased volatility during congressional negotiations, liquidity shifts into safe havens, and rising put-option volumes in derivatives markets. Historical comparisons cited include a ~12% Bitcoin decline during the 2018–2019 shutdown and an -8.2% drop around the May 2023 debt-ceiling episode. Prediction markets (Polymarket) placed shutdown odds near 75%. Experts identify transmission channels: institutional portfolio rebalancing, retail sentiment shifts, and regulatory uncertainty. Altcoins saw larger swings, often 2–3x Bitcoin’s percentage move. Traders responded with increased selling pressure on exchanges and hedging via options. Short-term implications include elevated volatility, potential further downside, and heavier hedging demand; longer-term implications point to stronger correlation with traditional markets as institutional participation grows. The report urges traders to monitor political developments, liquidity metrics, derivatives skew, and cross-asset correlations when positioning around U.S. budget negotiation windows.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to add cryptocurrencies to the list of assets eligible for exchange-traded funds, potentially allowing spot crypto ETFs to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as early as 2028. The move would let retail and institutional investors gain regulated, exchange-traded exposure to Bitcoin and other major digital assets without direct custody of private keys. Domestic financial groups including Nomura Holdings and SBI Holdings are cited as likely early issuers, subject to formal approval from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and accompanying investor-protection rules. Policy proposals under consideration include classifying Bitcoin and Ether as financial products, permitting banks and brokerages to hold and trade crypto, and cutting crypto tax to a flat 20%. The proposal follows strong inflows into U.S. and Hong Kong spot Bitcoin ETFs since 2024 and regional momentum — Hong Kong launched BTC and ETH spot ETFs in 2024, and South Korea is progressing a digital asset framework that could enable spot ETFs by 2026. The FSA says approvals will be paired with tighter custody and investor-protection measures. For traders, approval could broaden liquidity and institutional participation in Japan, shift custody and trading into regulated broker channels, and expand product variety (spot ETFs for BTC, ETH and potentially other large-cap tokens). Monitor formal TSE rule changes, custody requirements, tax updates, and issuer filings (Nomura, SBI) as catalysts for listing and flows.

Coinbase told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos that institutional interest in tokenization is growing and urged clearer U.S. regulatory guidance through the proposed CLARITY Act. The company said financial institutions and asset managers are increasingly exploring tokenized securities, stablecoins and blockchain-based custody, citing momentum from recent pilot programs and conversations with global banks. Coinbase executives argued that the CLARITY Act would provide necessary legal certainty by distinguishing payment stablecoins from securities and creating a framework for custody and trading of digital assets. They warned that without clearer rules, innovation could move offshore and institutions may hesitate to onboard clients. The remarks come amid broader industry efforts to accelerate tokenization of real-world assets and ongoing debate over U.S. crypto regulation. Key themes: rising institutional tokenization interest, call for regulatory clarity via the CLARITY Act, risk of regulatory-driven capital flight, and potential expansion of custody and trading services.

New analysis of market structure indicates a major, market-wide altcoin bull run is unlikely in 2026. Key headwinds include capital dilution from rapid token proliferation (tracked cryptocurrencies have grown to over 10,000), liquidity fragmentation across many exchanges, and investor overwhelm when researching projects. High Fully Diluted Valuations (FDV) on many launches create predictable selling pressure as locked tokens unlock, while institutional capital concentrates in liquid large-caps (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP), limiting capital flow to smaller projects. Speculative retail capital is also diverting to memecoins and leveraged perpetual futures, further fragmenting demand for spot altcoins. Analysts interpret these trends as market maturation: broad 100x style gains may be less common, but fundamentally strong projects with sustainable tokenomics and real utility could still outperform. Regulatory clarity remains a key wildcard that could either broaden institutional participation or reinforce top-heavy capitalization. Traders should prioritize selective due diligence, manage expectations for broad-based altcoin rallies, and monitor FDV schedules, liquidity metrics, memecoin flows, and derivatives volumes.

A cybersecurity researcher discovered an unsecured 96GB database containing 149,404,754 unique login credentials spanning social, streaming, email, financial and government accounts. The leak — found and reported by Jeremiah Fowler via ExpressVPN — included 17M Facebook, 6.5M Instagram, 780K TikTok, 3.4M Netflix, 420K Binance and 100K OnlyFans credentials. Email breaches were dominated by Gmail (48M) and Yahoo (4M), plus 1.4M academic (.edu) accounts and multiple .gov addresses. The database lacked encryption or password protection and remained reachable for weeks despite repeated reports to the hosting provider. Infostealer malware and poorly configured cloud storage are the likely causes. Security recommendations: use antivirus, enable two‑factor authentication, employ password managers, use unique passwords, and monitor login attempts and connected devices. The exposure raises spear‑phishing and national‑security risks due to compromised government and institutional credentials.

Gold surged to a record above $5,000 (peaking at $5,080) and silver rallied past $107/oz as geopolitical and trade tensions intensified, while Bitcoin slipped below $86,000, widening the divergence between precious metals and crypto. Gold is up roughly 17% year-to-date and about 83% year-on-year; silver is up ~48% YTD. BTC has retreated roughly 30% from its October peak of $126,000 and is about 17% down year-on-year; Ether has fallen under $2,800 and remains well below its August high. Drivers include renewed US tariff threats, the risk of a US government shutdown, and investors favoring gold over US Treasuries amid political uncertainty. Strong US economic and jobs data have cemented expectations of a steady Fed funds rate, reducing Treasury-driven safe-haven flows but leaving geopolitical risk as the main catalyst for metal buying. For crypto traders: expect increased capital rotation into gold and silver, rising risk-off sentiment that can pressure high-beta assets like BTC and ETH, and heightened volatility. Key trading actions: monitor macro headlines (trade tariffs, US government funding), gold and silver price action, shifts in BTC-gold correlation, liquidity events and funding rates that could amplify short-term moves.

Avantis (AVNT) has seen a strong multi-day rally, with recent reports showing a 27–73% gain in 24 hours to a week-long surge depending on the snapshot. The move is supported by rising on-chain activity (daily transactions >1,461 on BaseScan; average transfers >200K AVNT) and growing user adoption (65,000+ users, integration in ~25 wallets). Total Value Locked (TVL) climbed above $100M (reported $104M–$111M), driven by synthetic asset trading and new composable yield products on Base Chain, which reportedly holds ~75% of Avantis’ derivatives market share. Exchange listings (Binance, Upbit, Coinbase) and heavy Asian trading — Upbit accounting for a large share of volume — have pushed daily trading volumes into the hundreds of millions, fueling speculative flows. Technically, AVNT broke a month-long falling wedge and shows improving momentum (expanding MACD bars, RSI near midrange, Choppiness Index <40), but indicators are mixed: Chaikin Money Flow in earlier notes remained below zero and there are warnings of hidden bearish divergence. Key levels: resistance around the yearly-open near $0.36 and psychological targets at $1.00, $1.32 and $2.66 on clean breakouts; downside support near $0.57 and $0.46 if the rally fails to hold. Short-term bias is bullish given on-chain and technical momentum, but traders should watch the $0.36–$0.57 zone closely — failure to sustain these levels risks sharp reversals amid speculative volume.

Bitcoin futures on CME reopened Monday around $86,560, roughly $2,940 below Friday’s settlement near $89,500, after weekend spot selling created a noticeable downside gap. The CME gap — a result of the exchange’s limited trading hours versus continuous spot trading — is now a key technical level traders are watching. Short-term support is between $86,000 and $88,000; a recovery above $95,000 would signal renewed momentum, while a break below current support could push prices into the low $80,000s. Analysts are split: some view the pullback as a pause after mid-month gains and expect the gap to be filled if buying returns; others warn repeated losses of key levels could extend downside. Longer-term bullish drivers cited include ETF demand, institutional adoption and stablecoin usage, while regulatory developments (eg, the CLARITY Act) remain potential risks. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, CME gap, Bitcoin futures, support and resistance. Secondary/semantic keywords: weekend spot selling, CME reopening, ETF demand, institutional adoption, regulatory risk.

A large on-chain whale that earlier this month swapped long-held WETH for WBTC has reversed course. On Jan 3 the wallet converted 14,145.93 WETH into 492.16 WBTC (≈$44.2M) at an ETH/BTC rate of 0.03479. On Jan 26 the same address converted 578.66 WBTC back into 17,706.74 WETH (≈$50.33M) at an ETH/BTC rate of 0.03268. The round-trip increased the whale’s WETH balance by 6.45%. After the trade the wallet holds roughly 17,707 WETH and 195.49 WBTC, with an estimated combined value of $67.38M. The activity highlights active portfolio rebalancing between ETH and BTC pegged tokens (WETH/WBTC) by large holders and may signal tactical responses to short-term price moves or liquidity opportunities. This report is informational and not investment advice.

LBank Labs, the venture arm of LBank exchange, published a detailed “Comprehensive Outlook for the 2026 Cryptocurrency Market” report outlining seven structural investment themes set to shape digital assets. Released with data partners CoinGecko and CoinGape, and backed by academic collaborations (UC Berkeley, Stanford), the report highlights macroeconomic and regulatory forces—central bank policy and evolving rules like MiCA and US classification debates—as primary market drivers. The seven themes are: macroeconomic & regulatory evolution; Real-World Assets (RWA) tokenization converging with DeFi; the rise of stablecoins and PayFi (payments + DeFi); prediction markets for corporate hedging; the AI Agent Economy; Decentralized Physical AI (DePAI); and a machine-native economy (M2M transactions). The report emphasizes stablecoins as a bridge to traditional finance, using LBank’s partnership with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) and the USD1 stablecoin (with a reward-point model) as a case study. It forecasts AI agents maturing first in digital asset management (portfolio rebalancing, yield farming) before extending to physical infrastructure via DePAI, enabling machine-to-machine commerce. The document positions these themes as trend-based frameworks—not short-term price calls—and stresses institutional adoption opportunities driven by legal clarity and product innovation. For traders, the report signals potential capital flows into RWA, stablecoin-linked payment rails, and AI-enabled DeFi strategies, while regulatory developments and macro policy remain key volatility drivers. Disclaimer: not trading advice.

An Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) researcher explained that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) face different risks from future quantum computers, challenging common assumptions. The researcher argued that Bitcoin’s UTXO model and typical usage patterns make it less vulnerable to near-term quantum attacks on signatures than often claimed, while Ethereum’s account-based model and smart-contract interactions could expose certain addresses and contracts to different quantum-threat vectors. The analysis distinguishes between risks to stored funds versus risks to transaction privacy and signature reuse, and emphasizes that practical quantum threats remain distant but merit proactive mitigation. Recommended responses include accelerating post-quantum cryptography research, updating wallet and protocol designs to reduce signature reuse, and prioritizing critical smart contracts for cryptographic upgrades. The piece highlights that the timeline and attack surface differ across chains, so risk assessments and migration plans should be chain-specific rather than one-size-fits-all.

HTX has expanded its Earn product lineup with targeted, high-yield promotions and optimized flexible products to attract depositors and extend holding periods. From Jan 21–28 (UTC), the “HTX Earn for Hot Cryptos” campaign offers additional APY incentives on select newly listed and privacy-focused assets — including XMR, ZEC, DASH, FHE, ZKP and DUSK — pushing total APY up to 20%. Separately, HTX launched a RIVER Flexible product with a 10% APY (live from Jan 19) and boosted AXS Flexible APY to 20%. Earnings compound hourly and are credited in real time; flexible redemptions return principal instantly to Spot accounts. HTX positions these moves as responses to a recovering privacy sector and rising institutional interest in zero-knowledge and related cryptographic technologies, aiming to convert market momentum into trading and holding incentives. Products are available on HTX platforms on a first-come, first-served basis. Key trading implications: higher yields may increase demand and short-term inflows into highlighted tokens, extend holding durations via Earn incentives, and improve liquidity on HTX, while risk remains tied to asset volatility and platform-specific allocation limits.

Quidax, a Nigerian crypto exchange participating in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme, has halted its peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace five months after launch. The platform removed P2P ads, merchant chats and related features while keeping instant swaps and order-book trading active. The decision follows intensified SEC scrutiny over opaque off-platform bank settlements, exchange-rate manipulation and foreign P2P operators. Quidax had introduced stricter merchant controls — Level‑3 KYC, two‑factor authentication, manual merchant reviews, activity minimums and merchant badges — and delisted about 35 higher‑risk tokens (including meme, gaming and Worldcoin‑related assets). Nevertheless, regulators have raised capital and compliance thresholds (new minimum capital requirements for platforms and intermediaries and tax ID collection for users), paused some licence approvals and signalled a preference for more transparent, on‑platform settlements. For traders, the move reduces access to informal P2P liquidity, may tighten local token availability and premiums in Nigerian markets, and shifts trading volume toward regulated on‑platform order books and swaps. Monitor Nigerian regulatory updates and order‑book liquidity for potential short‑term price impacts and longer‑term market structure changes.

Clawdbot is an open-source, locally deployable AI agent developed by Peter Steinberger that recently surged in popularity among developers and tech enthusiasts. Running on devices such as Mac mini or inexpensive cloud VPS, Clawdbot connects to messaging apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram) and can call large models (Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT) while keeping long-term local memory. It has filesystem and shell access, can run scripts, automate tasks, and proactively notify users. Demonstrations include automating a tea business (scheduling, inventory, customer support), weather-driven home heating control, large-scale social media scraping for content creation, and replacing paid automation tools like Zapier by writing and executing local code. The project has gained strong community traction on GitHub (≈9.2k stars, 1.2k forks) and spurred increased Mac mini demand, though the developer says it also runs on VPS or older hardware. Estimated monthly running costs are roughly $25–$150 (VPS $5–50; model/API $20–100). Adoption requires modest technical skill to install and configure, but the community is simplifying setup. For crypto traders, the relevance is indirect: Clawdbot accelerates automation, data collection and alerting workflows (e.g., automated scraping of social feeds, price/watch alerts, trade-related task automation) at low cost and with local data control—tools that can speed research and execution but also enable faster dissemination of info that may amplify market moves. Primary keywords: Clawdbot, personal AI assistant, Mac mini, local AI agent. Secondary/semantic keywords included: automation, long-term memory, VPS, Claude, ChatGPT, cost estimate, GitHub.