Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies are evolving from strict anonymity toward selective disclosure models that let users reveal specific transaction details when needed. This next era aims to balance regulatory compliance, auditability and user privacy by implementing cryptographic tools such as zero-knowledge proofs, selective disclosure protocols and permissioned viewing keys. The shift is driven by intensified regulatory scrutiny, compliance demands from exchanges and institutional custody needs. Projects in the privacy space are prioritizing interoperability, audit-friendly features and governance mechanisms to reduce delisting risks and broaden institutional adoption. Key points: selective disclosure enables controlled transparency without exposing full transaction histories; zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are central technical enablers; exchanges and regulators are primary drivers of change; expected outcomes include improved compliance, greater exchange listing stability and potential increases in institutional interest. Traders should watch announcements about protocol upgrades, wallet features and exchange listings, as these can create short-term volatility and medium-term shifts in liquidity and market access for privacy tokens.

Several major cryptocurrency firms and industry groups have publicly opposed a US congressional bill they previously supported to create a federal framework for digital asset regulation. The legislation—intended to clarify oversight between the SEC and CFTC and to set rules for stablecoins and token custody—has drawn criticism after industry stakeholders said last-minute changes expanded enforcement powers and imposed new compliance burdens. Key objections include broadened definitions that could sweep in previously exempt tokens, tougher anti-money-laundering requirements, and unclear treatment of decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols. Lobby groups and exchanges warned the revisions risk stifling innovation, raising costs for users, and prompting some firms to reconsider US operations. Lawmakers behind the measure argue the changes were meant to close loopholes and protect consumers. The dispute highlights growing friction between regulators, legislators and crypto firms over how prescriptive federal rules should be. Traders should watch legislative text, committee votes, and statements from major exchanges and stablecoin issuers for hints on policy direction and market reaction.

The Ethereum validator exit queue has fallen to zero while the entry queue has surged to 2.6 million ETH — the highest since July 2023 — causing entry wait times to lengthen to about 45 days. Exit requests are being processed within minutes, signaling minimal selling pressure from stakers. Staking inflows are credited with tightening ETH’s supply-demand dynamics and may support upward price momentum. Institutional demand is a major driver; BitMine Immersion Technologies (Tom Lee) has staked over 1.25 million ETH. Around 46.5% of total ETH supply (77.85 million ETH) is now in the PoS deposit contract, and roughly 36.1 million ETH (about 29% of supply) is actively staked, per Santiment and Beaconcha.in. Staking yields are near 2.8% APR. Despite these flows, ETH trades around $3,300, below its $4,946 high from August 2025.

Axie Infinity’s native token AXS surged 39% in 24 hours and about 93% since the start of 2026, leading gaming tokens by volume after three consecutive days above $100M and a daily volume spike to $326M (CoinMarketCap). The rally pushed AXS toward the upper resistance of a multi-month descending channel formed after a four‑year low in December. A decisive break and hold above $1.50 could target roughly $4.70 (over 200% upside), while failure to break may extend the downtrend. Liquidity clusters sit mainly between $1.30–$1.60, with many concentrated above $1.50; recent gains were partly driven by a short squeeze clearing sell orders above price. Supply-side changes may support bulls: Axie cut daily emissions ~90% by disabling SLP rewards in Origin mode, and the community approved staking 9 million ETH from the treasury, signalling stronger institutional-style backing. Key takeaway for traders: watch $1.50 as the pivotal level — a confirmed breakout implies large upside potential, while rejection risks a retracement toward liquidity below the channel.

Dogecoin (DOGE) dropped ~14% from its 2026 high of $0.15 after failing repeatedly to clear that resistance since mid‑November 2025. The memecoin lost about $5 billion in market cap, briefly falling to $0.13 before a quick 9% rebound. On 14 January, WhaleAlert tracked a single transfer of 500 million DOGE to Binance — roughly a $500 million outflow — suggesting large holders may be selling into resistance rather than supporting a breakout. Analysts interpret the move as smart money taking profits and exploiting choppy price action; sustained breakout odds are low unless buyers return with conviction. Key data points: $0.15 resistance, $0.13 short‑term support, 500 million DOGE whale transfer to Binance, ~15% peak decline and ~9% partial recovery. Primary keywords: Dogecoin, DOGE, whale outflow, Binance, resistance breakout.

Jason Atkins, chief commercial officer at crypto market maker Auros, warned that poor market liquidity — not volatility — is the principal barrier preventing large institutional investors from entering crypto. Speaking ahead of Consensus in Hong Kong, Atkins said thin order books and episodic sell-offs (citing the October 10 crash) mean markets cannot absorb substantial institutional flows without severe price disruption. Market makers have shifted from generating demand to fulfilling it; reduced trading activity prompts tighter risk limits, increasing volatility and further shrinking liquidity in a reinforcing cycle. Atkins argued institutions need capital-preservation safeguards and room to execute large trades safely; volatility in thin markets makes hedging and liquidation difficult. He also dismissed claims that capital is migrating en masse from crypto to AI, saying the two sectors are at different development stages. The warning underscores that growing institutional interest alone won’t bring Wall Street participation unless market depth and liquidity provision improve.

Ethereum (ETH) is trading around $3,300 as recent ETF buying has removed substantial supply and boosted institutional demand. Over the past three weeks ETFs accumulated roughly 89,660 ETH (≈$287 million), with BlackRock leading purchases — reportedly buying $14.9 million worth of ETH in a single day. Technicals show consolidation near key levels: a daily close above $3,400 could open a run toward $3,800–$4,000, while a break below $3,200 risks a retest of $3,000. Traders are monitoring volume, order-book depth and support/resistance at $3,000, $3,200 and $3,400. The combination of sustained ETF inflows and increasing momentum suggests a bullish bias, but a confirmed breakout requires consistent daily closes above resistance. Primary keywords: Ethereum, ETH price, ETF inflows, BlackRock. Secondary/semantic keywords: institutional buying, consolidation, breakout, support and resistance, trading volume.

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has partnered with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to form a specialised taskforce targeting cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes and related investment fraud. SEC Director‑General Dr. Emomotimi Agama met with Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to propose a joint SEC‑NPF team combining financial expertise and tactical intelligence to close gaps in identification and enforcement. The move accompanies tighter measures by the SEC, including new minimum capital requirements for previously unregulated virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and a published list of fraudulent crypto and investment businesses. The collaboration follows high‑profile losses such as the April 2025 Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) collapse, which reportedly cost users over N1.3 trillion (~$916 million). Nigeria remains a major crypto market, with TripleA estimating about 22 million Nigerians (10.34% of the population) holding digital assets, underlining the need for stronger investor protection and enforcement.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on eight NATO European countries tied to pressure over Greenland, signaling an aggressive push to secure the island. Trump linked 10% tariffs from Feb 1 (rising to 25% by June 1 if no cooperation) to acquiring Greenland, arguing the island is vital for U.S. national security, rare-earth independence, Arctic shipping control and energy reserves. Key points: Greenland is 80% ice, size ~60× Taiwan, population <60,000; hosts the U.S. Pituffik (Thule) base and advanced radar; believed to contain large undeveloped rare-earth deposits and estimated hydrocarbon resources (~31 billion barrels in northeastern offshore estimates); melting Arctic sea ice opens shorter Eurasia–North America shipping routes. Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory (Denmark handles defense and foreign affairs); since 2009 Greenland controls most domestic matters and receives ~US$600 million annual Danish subsidies (≈1/3 of GDP), complicating full independence. Trump frames a purchase as restoring American strategic advantage and likens it to historic U.S. land acquisitions. The article outlines geopolitical tensions: NATO allies’ likely resistance, Greenlanders’ conflicted desire for independence versus dependence on Danish subsidies, and the growing importance of the Arctic in great-power competition. For traders: the move raises geopolitical risk in the Arctic, potential sanctions/tariff escalations with Europe, and heightened strategic focus on critical minerals and energy — sectors that can influence commodity, defense contractor and resource-extraction equities. Primary keywords: Greenland, Trump, rare earths, Arctic shipping, tariffs.

Georgia’s Department of Banking and Finance ordered unlicensed exchange operator Virtual Assets LLC (also known as Crypto Dispensers) to cease operations after finding the firm violated state money transmission laws. The final cessation order, signed by Commissioner Oscar “Bo” Fears and approved by Deputy Commissioner Dominique Williams on January 16, 2026, follows an initial notice issued December 8, 2025. Regulators concluded Virtual Assets LLC transmitted monetary value and offered custody/transfer of digital assets without the required license under Georgia code 7-1-681. The company did not respond with licensing documentation within the 30-day reply window and has not publicly commented on the enforcement; trading volume on the platform was reportedly low and not tracked by major aggregators. The action underscores strict state-level enforcement of money transmission rules for crypto businesses and signals heightened compliance risk for unlicensed platforms operating in the U.S.

Chris Dixon, managing partner of a16z Crypto, publicly urged U.S. lawmakers to accelerate passage of the CLARITY Act to provide clear, consistent rules for crypto developers. Dixon said bipartisan engagement over recent years — including cooperation between both parties and past administrations with industry participants — has aimed to protect decentralization, support developers and ensure a level playing field for entrepreneurs. He acknowledged the CLARITY Act is imperfect and will likely need amendments before becoming law, but argued that progress has been too slow and now is the time to advance the bill so the U.S. remains a leading place to build crypto infrastructure and applications. The statement was a call to action rather than a legislative roadmap and contained no market data or investment advice.

On-chain analyst Ai monitored that address 0xf12…3739B sold 27.4 billion FLOKI tokens about one hour ago, receiving 340.61 ETH (approx. $135,000). Tracing token provenance shows the tokens originated from Floki’s deployment address three years ago, were distributed to 0xa57…99c19, and subsequently relayed via 0x64c…95527 before reaching the selling address. The sale is flagged as potentially linked to the Floki team. No investment advice is provided; this is market information.

Justin Bons, founder and CIO of Cypher/CyberCapital, warns Bitcoin (BTC) faces structural security risk that could lead to collapse within seven to eleven years as scheduled halvings cut miner revenue. Bons argues miner revenue — the network’s security budget funded by block subsidies and transaction fees — will shrink after two to three more halvings, making sustained high transaction fees or near-exponential BTC price growth the only realistic ways to maintain security. He says rising hashrate alone (from more efficient hardware) does not substitute for falling revenue because attacker costs fall if rewards decline. Bons flags that the security budget as a share of market cap is trending downward, and projects that the cost to mount 51% or double-spend attacks could become economically viable, enabling profitable rollbacks on exchanges. He presents two stark options: (1) raise supply above the 21 million BTC cap (likely a contentious fork), or (2) keep the cap and accept higher attack risk. The thesis has prompted pushback from parts of the Bitcoin community citing layered defenses — sustained hashrate, energy costs, and future protocol or fee-market innovations — but Bons’s note highlights a genuine incentive-design vulnerability that traders should monitor. Near-term market implications include elevated tail risk for custodial exchanges, potential increases in risk premia for BTC, and renewed debate over protocol-level responses to long-term security funding.

Ripple and the University of California, Berkeley are broadening real-world use cases for XRP, testing applications that could increase on-chain demand. Ripple continues to pursue institutional and retail adoption through partnerships, payments tooling, and developer programs; UC Berkeley’s involvement highlights academic and research validation for XRP-based solutions. The initiatives focus on cross-border payments, settlement efficiency, and token utility in decentralized finance and campus-oriented pilots. Market observers say such expansions may reduce circulating supply on exchanges and drive greater on-chain activity, potentially tightening liquidity. Ripple’s legal and regulatory context remains relevant, but operational deployments and academic partnerships strengthen network credibility and use-case adoption. Traders should watch metrics including on-chain transaction volume, exchange outflows, and stablecoin/Rail usage tied to XRP ahead of potential price response.

CoinGecko’s 2025 crypto industry report: global crypto market cap closed 2025 at $3.0T, down 10.4% year‑on‑year, with a Q4 drop of 23.7% after a historic $19B liquidation tied to tariff news. Despite falling prices, on‑chain activity and infrastructure expanded. Key highlights: stablecoin supply jumped 48.9% to $311B (PYUSD notable), daily trading volume hit an annual high of $161.8B, and gold and major equities outperformed BTC (BTC down 6.4%). Institutional Digital Asset Treasury Companies (DATCos) deployed at least $49.7B in purchases during 2025 and now hold over 1M BTC and 6M ETH (>5% of each supply). Prediction markets exploded (+302.7% to $63.5B), with Kalshi overtaking Polymarket in Q4. Perpetual futures volumes reached record highs: centralized perp CEXes +47.4% to $86.2 trillion annual volume; perp DEXes surged 346% to $6.7 trillion. The report signals a market with lower prices but stronger utility, liquidity tools and institutional participation—factors relevant for traders assessing volatility, leverage risk and stablecoin liquidity.

Shiba Inu’s TREAT token has reached its one-year anniversary since launch on the Shibarium Ethereum Layer-2 network. Announced by a Shiba Inu team member on Jan. 17, the milestone highlights TREAT’s role as a utility and governance token within the Shiba Inu ecosystem. TREAT was developed to support rewards, payments and on-chain voting for ecosystem decisions, and to leverage Shibarium’s privacy, security and compliance features. Despite the anniversary, TREAT was trading lower on the day, down about 5.31% and priced at roughly $0.0001646, reflecting short-term market weakness. The story underlines continued ecosystem development around Shibarium and offers context for traders monitoring SHIB-related tokens, governance activity, and Layer-2 adoption.

BitMine (BMNR) controls roughly 75% of Ethereum held in Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) and is pursuing a 5%-of-supply target that equates to nearly $20 billion at current ETH prices. BMNR holds about 4.2M ETH and $1B cash; at a staking yield of ~2.8–3% this produces roughly $402–$433M in pre-tax income. The company plans a $200M investment in Beast Industries (MrBeast’s company) to strengthen its balance sheet and support further accumulation. Analysts draw parallels between Ethereum’s emerging institutional demand and Bitcoin’s 2023–24 ETF-driven institutional wave; some models — citing ETH/BTC ratio setups and historical rallies — project a year-end ETH target as high as $12,000 (≈+240% from $3.5K). Key takeaways for traders: institutional-sized accumulation via DATs can create meaningful supply shocks; BMNR is a dominant buyer whose roadmap and strategic investments may accelerate ETH on-chain demand; technical and macro parallels to Bitcoin’s institutionalization underpin bullish scenarios, though targets like $12K remain ambitious and contingent on sustained institutional flows and broader market conditions.

XRP futures open interest has risen to about $4.03 billion, led by heavy leveraged positions on major venues including Binance and CME. Market analyst Paul Bennett highlighted the jump and noted a perceived floor at $2.10. A $30 million whale long and roughly 10.2% monthly price gain (current price ~ $2.17) are cited as bullish signals. However, spot trading volume has fallen roughly 30%, indicating the rally is driven mainly by derivatives traders using leverage (often up to 20x) rather than broad spot accumulation. Technicals show compressed Bollinger Bands and an RSI that often precedes breakouts, with bulls eyeing a move above $2.15. The report warns that high open interest paired with low spot demand increases liquidation risk — a modest adverse move could trigger mass liquidations and a sharp price drop. Key implications: concentrated derivatives exposure raises short-term volatility risk even as momentum builds.

Two notable Web3 platforms — DeFi lending protocol Morpho and analytics site DefiLlama — announced they are shutting or deprecating public Discord servers and moving community support to on‑platform channels and web‑based help/ticket systems. Morpho will set its Discord to read‑only from Feb 1 and route all official support to its website contact page. DefiLlama confirmed it is also “moving away” from Discord and plans professional user support (on‑platform chat, email ticketing). Projects cite security risks (scams, impersonation via DMs) and bot scraping of user data as primary reasons. Industry figures suggest this continues a longer migration from Discord to Telegram and now to web2 customer‑service tools (live chat, Intercom), driven by fewer retail participants and a focus on institutional users. Key named actors: Morpho and DefiLlama; commentators include Anton Cheng and 0xngmi. Primary implications: community management is professionalizing, security posture is shifting away from open chat platforms, and retail‑focused social engagement may decline.

LiveBitcoinNews lists 10 upcoming crypto projects currently in presale or late-stage sale phases that the article’s analysts believe could deliver asymmetric returns (100x–10,000x) if their roadmaps and market timing align. The highlighted projects emphasize infrastructure, token distribution fairness, and working products rather than pure hype. Key projects: ZKP (Zero Knowledge Proof) — a live, audited 4-layer blockchain and compute/storage stack running a 450-day on-chain auction distributing 200 million tokens daily; BlockDAG (BDAG) — a hybrid DAG layer-1 with $500M+ raised and final presale stages; Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) — a Bitcoin Layer-2 adding smart contracts; IPO Genie (IPO) — tokenized private market access; Nexchain (NEX) — rollup-ready Layer-1 with zk-EVM plans; BlockchainFX (BFX) — multi-asset trading infrastructure; RWA Nexus (RWAN) — real-world asset tokenization; Pepeto — meme-driven community token; Tapzi — skill-to-earn gaming with working prototypes; Blazpay — crypto payments platform in Phase 6 presale. The article stresses that early entry mechanics, controlled distribution, and real utility (working tech, audited systems, integrations) matter more than headline-driven speculation. Traders are advised to prioritize projects with transparent auctions, audited code, and live infrastructure, and to be aware that presale windows close quietly when tokens list or supply tightens.

Steak ’n Shake, the US burger chain, added about $10 million of Bitcoin (BTC) to its balance sheet after enabling Bitcoin payments over the Lightning Network in May 2025. The chain says routing customer crypto payments into a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve cut card processing fees roughly 50%, attracted younger crypto‑savvy customers, and funded food‑quality improvements and restaurant upgrades without raising menu prices. Since adopting BTC payments the company reported stronger same‑store sales — over 15% month‑over‑month in Q4 and double‑digit quarter‑over‑quarter gains earlier — and launched a Bitcoin‑themed menu item that donates part of proceeds to open‑source Bitcoin development. While $10 million is small versus major corporate treasuries, the direct corporate buy‑in and promotional use of BTC underscores continued merchant adoption of Bitcoin as both a payment rail and a treasury asset. Traders should note: (1) the news can boost retail sentiment and short‑term demand for BTC, (2) fee savings and promotional effects may increase payment volume at adopter merchants, and (3) corporate accumulation stories remain a continuing tailwind for Bitcoin’s narrative even if balance‑sheet volumes are modest.

Ripple whales reportedly bought roughly 50 million XRP (~$103M) over the past week, raising whale-held balances from ~3.52B to ~3.58B XRP, peaking near 3.6B before minor outflows, according to Santiment data cited by analyst Ali Charts. Concurrently, exchange reserves (example: Binance) have declined from above 3B XRP before the October 2025 crash to about 2.6B XRP — the lowest in roughly two years per CryptoQuant. Lower exchange reserves and growing whale accumulation can reduce circulating supply and create a potential supply shock that may support higher prices. XRP is trading near $2.05 and remains below key resistance levels; analysts note a decisive break above $2.50 would signal a clearer recovery toward the July 2025 highs above $3.6. While whale accumulation is bullish in principle, wallets’ intentions vary (cold storage vs. trading), so outcomes are uncertain. Key metrics: ~50M XRP added by whales (~$103M), whale holdings ~3.58B XRP, exchange reserves ~2.6B XRP, current XRP price ~$2.05.

Former President Donald Trump denied reports that he offered Jamie Dimon the Federal Reserve chair position, calling the Wall Street Journal story false and saying Dimon “lied.” Trump said the meeting never occurred and called Dimon unfit for the role. He repeated claims that major banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, refused to accept his deposits after January 6, describing the closures as political “debanking.” Trump announced plans to sue JPMorgan within two weeks over account closures and reiterated past policy pushes — including a proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates and an August 2025 executive order barring banks from denying clients for political or religious views. Trump’s family members previously said limited access to traditional banking pushed them toward crypto. Markets reacted: JPMorgan shares fell roughly 5% over the prior week despite strong earnings, and other big bank stocks also dipped after Trump’s ultimatum to banks to comply by January 20. Relevant keywords: Trump, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan, Fed chair, debanking, crypto adoption, bank stocks.

Finance author Robert Kiyosaki warned that silver could surge to $107 following a sudden supply shock. Kiyosaki, known for outspoken market views, cited disruptions in silver availability as a catalyst for a sharp price move. The article frames this claim amid broader market concern over commodity supply constraints and rising demand for safe-haven assets. No specific data source or detailed supply figures were provided. The piece highlights the potential for elevated volatility in precious metals markets and suggests traders consider the implications for hedging, liquidity and position sizing.

Patrick Witt, director of the White House crypto committee, said progress on creating a US Bitcoin strategic reserve is ongoing but slowed by “niche, complex” legal provisions and challenges in cross-agency coordination. The Department of Justice and the Office of Legal Counsel are reviewing legal and regulatory questions; the initiative remains on the administration’s priority list. No timeline or specific policy decisions were announced. Primary keywords: Bitcoin strategic reserve, White House crypto committee, legal hurdles. Secondary keywords: DOJ, OLC, cross-agency coordination, regulatory review. Traders should note this confirms continued executive interest in accumulating or managing Bitcoin at a federal level, but legal uncertainty makes near-term concrete actions or large-scale purchases unlikely.

US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on exports from eight NATO/EU countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland—citing a dispute over Greenland. A 10% tariff takes effect February 1 and will rise to 25% on June 1 unless a “full and complete purchase of Greenland” is agreed. The EU called an emergency ambassadors’ meeting in Brussels and key European leaders rejected the move as hostile; US senators traveled to de‑escalate. The measure uses emergency economic powers and may face legal challenge. For crypto traders: this raises near‑term geopolitical and trade risk, could disrupt transatlantic flows, spur FX volatility (USD/EUR) and influence risk‑on sentiment. Monitor volatility across crypto and macro markets, watch safe‑haven demand, cross‑asset correlations, and on‑chain flows that may reflect capital reallocation or hedging activity.

Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko said Solana must continuously evolve or it will ‘die,’ pushing back on Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin’s ‘walkaway test’ vision of a self-sustaining, hands-off blockchain. Yakovenko argued protocol updates should come from a diverse contributor community rather than a single team, and suggested future Solana network fees could fund AI-assisted development to write and improve the codebase. The piece contrasts Solana’s rapid, feature-driven approach—favored for consumer apps and higher fees—with Ethereum’s emphasis on decentralization, privacy and long-term self-sustainability. Supporters of each view cite trade-offs: faster innovation versus increased security risk and centralization. Key names and keywords: Anatoly Yakovenko, Vitalik Buterin, Solana, Ethereum, SOL, ETH, blockchain upgrades, decentralization, AI-assisted development.

XRP rallied to about $2.30 in early 2026 on optimism around U.S. crypto legislation and ETF inflows, but profit-taking after Senate debate on the Market Structure Bill highlighted persistent political and legal risk. Bulls defend the $2 level; upside toward $3 is possible but limited compared with higher-return small caps. Technical weakness, regulatory sensitivity and limited native income-generation keep XRP vulnerable to volatility. Meanwhile Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is in Phase 7 of its presale at $0.04, having raised roughly $19.8M with about 18,820 claimed holders. MUTM advanced from a $0.01 launch stage (≈300% gain) and plans Phase 8 at $0.045. Tokenomics: 4 billion total supply, 45% allocated to presale and over 850 million tokens sold to date. The project promotes buybacks, staking rewards (example: staking $5,000 yields ~500 MUTM in the safety module), a lending product with ~12% stablecoin yields and ~70% LTV loans against ETH, and an audit by Halborn plus transparency features (top-50 holder leaderboard, daily buyer bonus). For traders: XRP remains sensitive to regulatory headlines and ETF flows — expect elevated short-term volatility and range-bound setups unless XRP clears major resistance. MUTM offers higher speculative upside from a low price and active presale mechanics, but carries typical presale risks (centralization, liquidity, execution, and counterparty risk). Risk-averse traders should limit position size in MUTM presale rounds; tactical traders may watch XRP for volatility-driven entries around $2 support or for breakouts above key resistance toward $3.

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a circular on Jan 16, 2026 raising minimum capital requirements for regulated market entities, including virtual asset service providers (VASPs). Key changes: exchanges and digital asset custodians must now hold N2 billion (~$1.4M), up from N500 million; digital asset offering platforms (DAOP) must hold N1 billion (~$704k); ancillary VASPs (AVASPs) face a N300 million (~$211k) threshold; digital asset intermediaries/platform operators (DAI/DAPO) and other new real-world assets tokenization platforms (RATOP) have minimums ranging from N500m to N1b. The SEC said the measures aim to bolster operational resilience, capital adequacy and market stability, and to bring previously unregulated VASPs into the regulatory perimeter. Firms must comply by June 30, 2027 or risk penalties including suspension or deregistration. The move comes alongside broader government measures — the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (2025) links digital-asset activity to TIN/NIN for taxation, and increased SEC–police cooperation targeting scams. For traders: higher capital requirements may reduce the number of smaller exchanges and custodians over time, potentially consolidating liquidity on larger platforms and affecting onshore access, spreads and fiat-crypto rails. Keywords: Nigerian SEC, crypto regulation, VASP capital requirement, crypto exchanges, N2 billion.