Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Kansas Senator Craig Bowser introduced Senate Bill 352 to create a state-run "Bitcoin and digital assets reserve fund" by amending the state’s unclaimed property law. The bill treats digital property left unclaimed after three years as eligible for the reserve. Custodial digital assets must be delivered to a qualified custodian within 30 days of reporting; custodians may stake assets and receive airdrops, and staking/airdrop proceeds that remain unclaimed after three years flow into the reserve. The Kansas State Treasurer would administer the reserve and hold assets with licensed custodians, including chartered banks and trust companies. SB 352 explicitly prohibits depositing Bitcoin into the state general fund — Bitcoin holdings must remain segregated — while requiring that 10% of each non-Bitcoin digital-asset deposit be transferred to the state general fund. The measure focuses on custody and use of already-collected unclaimed digital property rather than authorizing direct state purchases of crypto. The bill was referred to the Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance for review. SB 352 follows similar unclaimed-property reserve models in other states and adds to a growing trend of U.S. states exploring Bitcoin reserves; Kansas previously saw related proposals such as SB 34 to permit pension exposure to Bitcoin ETFs. Key SEO keywords: Kansas, Bitcoin reserve, unclaimed property, digital assets, staking, airdrops, custody.

X is rolling out "Starterpacks," roughly 1,000 algorithm-curated follow-lists (with plans to expand toward 3,000) that group influential accounts by topic and region so new users receive an immediate, personalized feed. Product head Nikita Bier says the packs map authoritative voices across categories—including Bitcoin and broader crypto—and aim to reduce onboarding friction by letting users follow ready-made groups instead of hunting for accounts. The feature follows regulatory pressure and transparency moves (X open-sourced its Grok recommendation algorithm) and arrives as Bitcoin-related posts on X have declined year-on-year amid competition from Bluesky and Threads. Community members warn Starterpacks could concentrate visibility on prominent crypto figures (e.g., major exchange founders and protocol leads), raising risks that new users may be exposed to promotional or manipulative accounts; X has not fully disclosed selection criteria. For traders, Starterpacks may amplify on-platform narratives by concentrating influential crypto voices in early discovery flows, potentially increasing sentiment-driven short-term volatility in BTC. Macro drivers and policy remain primary long-term price determinants, but tighter concentration of visible crypto accounts could quicken market reactions to social narratives and announcements.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed adding native Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) to the protocol to reduce single-node risk and simplify ETH staking. In a January 21 post, Buterin outlined a design where each validator can create up to 16 virtual identities (keys) that are secret-shared across multiple nodes and use threshold signatures so a minimum subset can sign on-chain actions. The group appears as a single validator on-chain, lowering slashing and downtime risk from single-machine failures and client bugs. Buterin argued protocol-level DVT would be simpler and more secure than current middleware solutions (for example Obol and SSV) that often rely on partial off-chain coordination. Native DVT could lower operator uptime requirements, cut operational and insurance costs for custodial services, encourage solo and collective self-custodial staking, and support greater decentralization of staking and liquid staking token (LST) markets. Implementation will require multiple EIPs, extensive testing, and community consensus; challenges include avoiding added latency, preserving a simple validator UX, and deciding whether DVT is optional or mandatory. For traders: the proposal reduces systemic staking risk, may increase staking participation and LST issuance over time, and could gradually strengthen ETH staking fundamentals—an incremental bullish factor for ETH. Next steps: technical research, specification drafting, EIPs, and community discussion ahead of any future hard fork.

Galaxy Digital, led by Mike Novogratz, plans to launch a $100 million long/short hedge fund in Q1 2026 that will trade both crypto tokens and fintech/financial-services equities. Joe Armao will manage the fund, which targets up to 30% allocation to cryptocurrencies (including major altcoins) and roughly 70% to traditional financial and fintech stocks. Family offices, high-net-worth investors and some institutions have committed about $100 million; Galaxy will provide seed capital but has not disclosed the precise amount. Management framed the strategy as suited to higher volatility and a market moving beyond an “up-only” phase — aiming to profit from both rising and falling prices. Novogratz described Bitcoin’s present price as “disappointing,” saying BTC would need to revisit roughly $100k–$103k to resume a stronger uptrend. The reports note short-term volatility for Bitcoin (intraday moves from about $95k down to ~$87.9k then recovery near $89.4k), reinforcing the rationale for a multi-directional approach. Galaxy is also expanding its ecosystem, having completed a tokenised collateralised loan obligation on Avalanche and financing roughly $75 million in loans, and gaining approval to expand power at its Helios data centre to support mining and high-performance computing.

Grayscale Investments filed a Form S‑1 (dated Jan 20, 2026) with the U.S. SEC to convert its existing NEAR Protocol Trust into a spot NEAR ETF to be renamed Grayscale Near Trust ETF and, if approved, listed on NYSE Arca under ticker GSNR. The filing moves the product from OTCQB to a national securities exchange and names key service providers: CSC Delaware Trust Company (trustee), BNY Mellon (administrator and transfer agent), Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company (co‑transfer agent), Coinbase (prime broker) and Coinbase Custody Trust Company (custodian). The ETF would track NEAR spot prices using the CoinDesk NEAR CCIXber Reference Rate and may allow staking via vetted third‑party providers, with staking arrangements and fee details to be disclosed in later filings. After the filing, NEAR experienced a short intraday price rebound (roughly $1.44 → $1.80) and a surge in spot volume (~$316M 24h); open interest in NEAR futures also rose, though the token remains below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages and is down year‑on‑year. The conversion is part of a broader trend of legacy crypto trusts being repurposed as regulated spot ETFs (other issuers have filed or are exploring altcoin ETFs), reflecting a more permissive U.S. regulatory backdrop. For traders, ETF approval could attract institutional and retail inflows, improve liquidity, and create new regulated demand for NEAR; a staking‑enabled ETF design could also introduce yield dynamics uncommon in traditional spot ETFs. However, existing technical resistance and macro risks may limit near‑term upside despite increased derivatives activity.

Injective (INJ) voters approved IIP-617 — the “INJ Supply Squeeze” — with 99.89% support, implementing a tokenomics overhaul that reduces ongoing INJ issuance and accelerates existing buyback-and-burn mechanisms. Injective says roughly 6.85 million INJ have already been burned since mainnet, and the new framework is intended to “double the rate of deflation,” pairing lower issuance with faster community buybacks to shrink circulating supply over time. The vote passed amid weak price and network activity: INJ is down markedly over the last 12 months and was trading near $4.64 at reporting, while Injective’s TVL has dropped from >$60M in 2024 to about $18.7M. The move is positioned as a long-term structural bullish driver if execution persists, though near-term volatility is likely given low TVL, subdued on‑chain activity and poor sentiment. Potential upside catalysts cited include interest from institutional products (staked-INJ ETF filings) and renewed ecosystem growth, but traders should weigh sustained burn/buyback follow-through against liquidity constraints and macro pressure.

Canaan Inc., a cryptocurrency mining-hardware maker, has received a Nasdaq deficiency notice after its American Depositary Shares traded below the $1.00 minimum bid requirement. Nasdaq’s notice starts a 180-calendar-day cure period: Canaan must achieve a closing bid of at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days to regain compliance. The company may request an additional 180-day extension if it presents a credible plan to cure the deficiency. The share decline follows weak orders and reduced demand for mining rigs, plus buyer interest shifting toward AI compute hardware, which has pressured revenues. Management options include pursuing a reverse stock split to raise the per-share price, improving sales and cash flow, or seeking other capital measures — each option has trade-offs for shareholders. Trading will continue while Canaan attempts to regain compliance; failure to do so could prompt Nasdaq delisting procedures. Traders should monitor Canaan’s stock (micro-/small-cap risk), company filings about restructuring or finance measures, and bitcoin market moves that affect miner revenues.

Bloomberg reporting shows the Trump family’s $6.8 billion net worth has been meaningfully reallocated toward cryptocurrency-related assets, now representing roughly 20% (~$1.4 billion) of the portfolio. The shift—led by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.—centers on three primary vehicles: World Liberty Financial (WLFI), Trump-branded memecoins (TRUMP and MELANIA), and a stake in American Bitcoin Corp. (a Bitcoin mining company). WLFI reportedly sold $550 million of tokens, producing about $390 million for the family, and later launched a dollar-pegged stablecoin whose market value exceeded $3 billion; Bloomberg estimates WLFI’s business value above $300 million. The memecoins generated roughly $280 million in proceeds. Eric Trump holds about 7.4% of American Bitcoin (≈$114 million), though that equity has plunged from its September highs. Bloomberg excluded locked WLFI founder tokens valued at about $3.8 billion from its calculations. Analysts cited diversification, liquidity needs and perceived institutional acceptance of crypto as drivers; offsets include volatility in Trump Media and wider crypto market cycles, leaving limited net-worth growth so far. For traders: concentrated, high-profile allocations to memecoins, WLFI-linked tokens and Bitcoin-mining equity increase headline risk, market attention and potential volatility for those tokens and related markets. Expect higher scrutiny and possible liquidity squeezes in token markets tied to the Trump brand, and watch for regulatory or disclosure developments that could rapidly move prices.

Binance will temporarily suspend THORChain (RUNE) deposits and withdrawals starting 22 January 2025 at 20:00 UTC to support a scheduled THORChain protocol upgrade. Spot trading for RUNE will remain active during the maintenance window. Binance says the pause — typically 2–8 hours but dependent on network stability checks — is required to upgrade nodes and avoid funds getting lost or stuck during the chain transition. The upgrade is expected to occur automatically once the target block height is reached; deposits and withdrawals will resume only after Binance verifies network stability. Users are advised to complete pending deposits or withdrawals before the deadline, check transaction histories, and follow Binance’s official channels for the resumption notice. The upgrade is part of THORChain’s roadmap to improve cross-chain liquidity, security and interoperability. Historically, exchange pauses for chain upgrades are routine but can cause short-term volatility in RUNE markets, so traders should prepare for possible price swings and liquidity changes during and shortly after the maintenance window.

US mortgage lenders are starting to accept certain cryptocurrency holdings—predominantly Bitcoin—when underwriting purchase, refinance and investment-property loans, but adoption is limited and carries valuation and regulatory risks. Pennsylvania-based Newrez said it will recognise some crypto assets from February after the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop plans to consider crypto in mortgage applications. FHFA guidance requires assets to be held on US-regulated exchanges and calls for risk-mitigation measures; it does not force lenders to accept crypto. Expect most market acceptance to concentrate on BTC, with other tokens facing limited uptake. Lenders are likely to apply significant haircuts to crypto valuations to buffer volatility, which reduces borrowers’ effective collateral. Many crypto-backed mortgages may remain in private-label or jumbo channels rather than being securitised into Fannie/Freddie pools. The policy change has political dimensions, with proponents arguing it expands homeownership for younger holders and critics warning of conflicts of interest and systemic risk. Legislative efforts to codify guidance remain stalled. For traders: monitor institutional mortgage products tied to BTC, potential downward pricing pressure from forced liquidations or valuation discounts on crypto used as collateral, and regulatory developments that could affect BTC liquidity and volatility. Key keywords: crypto mortgages, BTC collateral, FHFA guidance, valuation haircut, private-label mortgage.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly attacked Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse for supporting the current draft of the US crypto market-structure bill (the CLARITY Act). Hoskinson argues the bill is flawed and risks locking in rules that favor banks and incumbent finance, expand SEC power, and impose AML and compliance burdens on decentralized protocols — potentially constraining DeFi and permissionless innovation. Garlinghouse responds that pragmatic engagement is necessary: he supports seeking workable regulatory clarity now and addressing remaining issues during the Senate markup and reconciliation process. The dispute reflects a wider industry split between those prioritizing immediate legal certainty to avoid enforcement and regulatory arbitrage and those fearing short-term compromises will entrench long-term disadvantages for decentralized projects. Traders should watch upcoming procedural steps — including delayed Senate markup and committee reviews — because outcomes could shift incentives toward centralized institutions (boosting incumbent-backed stablecoins and intermediaries) or preserve DeFi competitiveness. Key trading implications: elevated regulatory uncertainty for tokens tied to DeFi and stablecoins (e.g., ADA, XRP), potential volatility around markup votes and amendments, and sector rotation between centralized platforms and permissionless projects depending on legislative changes.

India’s Reserve Bank (RBI) has proposed linking central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) among BRICS members to build an interoperable payment corridor for trade, remittances and travel. The plan would connect CBDCs issued by participating central banks to reduce reliance on correspondent banking, lower costs and speed settlement across member countries. Implementation would require technical and regulatory coordination on interoperability, AML/sanctions compliance, privacy, governance and operational resilience; details on timelines, exact participating currencies and settlement rails remain unclear. The proposal supports broader international use of India’s digital rupee (e‑rupee) and reflects rising interest among major emerging economies in CBDC-based cross‑border rails. Market implications for traders include potential reduced demand for correspondent banking services and some fiat-backed payment intermediaries, shifts in FX settlement corridors, and longer‑term central bank–controlled liquidity replacing some private payment token flows. Watch for pilot outcomes, policy details and any BRICS agreement (for example at the 2026 summit) for effects on FX flows, settlement times and demand for stablecoins and crypto liquidity.

Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) has launched a 450‑day fixed presale auction that applies time‑based scarcity to token pricing. Each day has a unique, permanently locked price tier and a per‑wallet daily cap of $50,000 to prevent capital pooling and whale domination. The auction updates prices daily based on participation, creating continuous price discovery: lower demand lowers price, sustained participation pushes prices higher, and once a day closes its price tier is gone forever. The structure favors early timing over large single‑day commitments and intentionally compresses upside over time — each passing day reduces theoretical maximum returns as cumulative participation raises subsequent prices. Project materials and cited models present possible returns ranging from roughly 100x–10,000x in the earliest theoretical scenarios, with later press coverage narrowing analyst projections to roughly 200x–700x under steady adoption and up to 1000x in optimistic cases. The team positions a “middle phase” between the initial rush and final scramble as a strategic entry window with an efficient cost basis. Links on the presale page point to the project website and official channels; the announcement includes standard non‑investment disclaimers. Relevant keywords: ZKP presale, time‑based scarcity, token auction, presale ROI, tokenomics.

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.

BitMine, one of the largest Ethereum treasuries (~200,000 ETH), has agreed to a $200 million equity investment in Beast Industries, the media and commercial arm founded by YouTuber MrBeast. The deal may include future collaborations to integrate DeFi and financial services into MrBeast’s platform. BitMine’s large ETH holdings and this high‑profile consumer-facing partnership are framed as a diversification move and an institutional endorsement of Ethereum. At publication, ETH is trading around $3,286 (up ~7% this week, ~13% month-to-date, ~33% below its all-time high). Analysts cited Ethereum’s on‑chain dominance — roughly 58% of crypto TVL (excluding L2s) and about $25.26bn in ETH ETFs/digital funds — to argue the investment supports bullish sentiment; some price forecasts in the coverage suggest ETH could reach $4,000 by end of Q1 and $5,000 by H2. The transaction still faces corporate governance steps at BitMine (share‑authorization vote) before closing. For traders: the news is a macro-level positive signal for ETH demand and institutional interest; it may boost risk-on flows into Ethereum and related assets in the short term, while creating potential longer‑term tailwinds for ETH liquidity and retail on‑chain activity. Risk‑sensitive traders may prefer scaling position size or using derivatives; those seeking higher upside may look at smaller presale tokens mentioned in coverage as speculative plays.

California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) fined crypto lender Nexo $500,000 after determining the firm made at least 5,456 consumer and commercial crypto-backed loans to California residents from July 2018 through November 2022 without the required state license. The DFPI found Nexo failed to adequately assess borrowers’ ability to repay—skipping credit checks, income and debt assessments—violating California Financing Law and the California Consumer Financial Protection Law. As part of the remedy, Nexo must transfer funds held for California customers to its U.S.-licensed affiliate, Nexo Financial LLC, within 150 days and adopt stronger underwriting, disclosure and control measures. The enforcement follows earlier regulatory actions and settlements against Nexo, increasing scrutiny on crypto lending practices. Traders should note the decision raises regulatory risk for crypto lenders, may prompt tighter underwriting and reduced loan availability, and could affect liquidity and user access to crypto-backed borrowing services. Primary keywords: Nexo, crypto lending, California DFPI, crypto regulation, consumer protection.

Former New York City mayor Eric Adams has denied any involvement or personal profit from the recently launched NYC Token after the token plunged roughly 80% within an hour of its Jan. 12 launch. Adams’ spokesperson Todd Shapiro said on Jan. 14 that “no funds were removed” and that claims Adams profited are “false and unsupported by evidence,” attributing the crash to normal volatility in new token issuances. Blockchain analysts estimated about $3.4 million in on-chain investor losses. The NYC Token team’s official X account earlier said it had “rebalanced the liquidity” and later reported adding funds to the liquidity pool — statements that appear to conflict with Adams’ denial and raise questions about the team’s liquidity operations. Separately, security firms reported a vulnerability in Truebit’s code that was exploited to mint approximately $26 million in new tokens, highlighting broader smart-contract and minting risks. For traders: watch on-chain liquidity movements, verified contract calls, and token mint events; expect heightened regulatory and reputational scrutiny for celebrity- or municipality-linked token launches; and factor elevated smart-contract exploit risk into position sizing and entry timing.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin’s muted 2025 performance was largely due to a contraction in US dollar credit and Federal Reserve quantitative tightening, not intrinsic weakness in BTC. In his essay “Frowny Cloud,” Hayes argues shifts in reserve demand (including sovereign gold purchases and restrictions on Russian reserves) helped gold and the Nasdaq outperform Bitcoin despite BTC reaching a $126,000 intrayear high. Looking to 2026, he expects US dollar liquidity to expand via Fed balance-sheet growth, Reserve Management Purchases (RMP) or mortgage-backed securities purchases, and renewed bank lending — a combined effect he estimates could inject roughly $40 billion per month into markets. Hayes believes this renewed fiat liquidity would lower rates, support risk assets and create conditions for a Bitcoin rally. He highlights leveraged equity plays for BTC exposure (e.g., MicroStrategy, Marathon/Metaplanet) and says he is accumulating Zcash (ZEC) despite developer changes. Traders should monitor US dollar credit metrics, Fed balance-sheet moves, mortgage rates and key Bitcoin price levels (range noted around $87k–$95k in late 2025, resistance near $110k).

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index moved into the ’greed’ zone after Bitcoin rallied to a two‑month high, driven by gains across major tokens, rising investor optimism and inflows into spot Bitcoin products. Bitcoin (BTC) led the advance, with Ethereum (ETH) and several altcoins also posting notable upticks. Sentiment improvement follows a period of fear after large market liquidations, but on‑chain data show mixed signals: retail holders reduced positions across several days while exchange BTC reserves fell to multi‑month lows, lowering immediate sell pressure. Market activity and volatility have increased, creating short‑term trading opportunities but also raising the risk of pullbacks. For traders: the shift to ’greed’ signals higher risk appetite and possible further upside in BTC and correlated altcoins, yet recent retail outflows and historical sharp drawdowns caution that volatility and rapid reversals remain likely. Primary keywords: Crypto Fear & Greed Index, Bitcoin price, market sentiment; secondary keywords: exchange reserves, retail selling, market volatility.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support for the Senate Banking Committee’s Digital Asset Market Structure Act after reviewing the draft, calling it “materially worse than the current status quo.” Coinbase identified four dealbreakers: language that would create a de facto ban on tokenized equities (hurting RWA issuance); sweeping DeFi provisions that could extend Bank Secrecy Act obligations into developer and non‑custodial layers and give regulators broad access to user financial records; clauses that would weaken the CFTC’s authority in favor of more confined SEC control; and amendments that would eliminate or restrict stablecoin yield programs (threatening revenue sources tied to stablecoin rewards). Armstrong posted his objections publicly hours before a scheduled committee markup, a move credited with delaying the vote indefinitely and causing betting odds of passage to fall. Market participants treated Coinbase’s withdrawal both as a substantive policy stance and a possible negotiating tactic; commentary from industry figures such as Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz urged calm while talks continue. For traders, the key implications are heightened legislative uncertainty, potential long‑running constraints on tokenized equities and DeFi activity, and possible downward pressure on crypto sectors tied to stablecoin utility and RWA issuance if the bill (or similar language) advances. Primary keywords: Coinbase, Digital Asset Market Structure Act, Senate crypto bill. Secondary/semantic keywords: tokenized equities, DeFi regulation, stablecoin rewards, CFTC, RWA.

Bitcoin open interest across derivatives markets has fallen roughly 30–31% since October 2024, a large deleveraging event that suggests traders are closing positions and reducing leverage. Total BTC derivatives OI has dropped from an estimated peak near $90bn to about $65bn. Deribit options show a notable bullish skew (largest OI at the $100,000 strike, ~ $2.2bn notional). Analysts describe this contraction as a ‘deleveraging signal’ that historically precedes market bottoms and can reset the market for a more sustainable rally if accompanied by supporting indicators. Key signals traders should monitor: funding rates, liquidation volumes, exchange reserves, trading volume, on-chain accumulation by long-term holders, and institutional inflows. Context matters — voluntary position closures (healthy deleveraging) differ from forced liquidations (which can extend downside). Historical parallels include ~40% OI declines in 2018–19 and ~35% in March 2020 before sizable recoveries. Derivatives providers caution that reduced OI alone does not confirm a sustained bull market; this looks like a reactive reset rather than a confirmed trend change. For traders, falling OI amid price rallies can indicate short-covering and reduced selling pressure (making rallies more durable), while continued price weakness could further shrink OI and extend the correction. Monitor macro and regulatory developments and whether exits are voluntary or liquidation-driven to assess risk and opportunity.

Ethereum saw a record surge in new wallet creation and active addresses following the December Fusaka upgrade. Analytics firm Santiment reported a one-day peak near 393,600 new wallets and a seven-day average of roughly 327,100 daily new addresses, while ETH-holding addresses rose to about 173 million. Analysts attribute the growth to lower on-chain costs and improved UX from the Fusaka upgrade, which made Layer-2 data posting cheaper and encouraged renewed activity in DeFi, NFTs and stablecoin transfers—particularly USDC. DeFiLlama shows over $76 billion worth of ETH locked in DeFi protocols, and custodians/exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase together hold more than 6 million ETH for users. The reports note increased stablecoin settlement activity in late 2025 and quote ecosystem optimism (including comments from Vitalik Buterin) about progress on long-standing design challenges. For traders, higher wallet creation and stablecoin flows signal rising retail engagement, on-chain liquidity and potential for increased volatility in ETH and Ethereum-based tokens, though some new addresses may be bots or inactive and price appreciation is not guaranteed.

Figure Technologies has launched the On-Chain Public Equity Network (OPEN), a blockchain-native platform that enables issuance, trading and peer-to-peer lending of actual public-company shares directly on-chain. OPEN-listed shares will trade on Figure’s FINRA-regulated Alternative Trading System (ATS) via a continuous limit order book and support on-chain lending through Figure’s Democratized Prime protocol, reducing reliance on traditional prime brokers, DTCC workflows and intermediated custody. Figure plans to be the first issuer on OPEN, having filed a registration for a non-dilutive secondary offering, and will make OPEN shares exchangeable with its Nasdaq-listed stock to allow cross-market liquidity. Market participants preparing support include Jump Trading (market making) and BitGo (qualified custody/signing). The launch builds on Figure’s previous tokenization work — including public debt tokenization, an SEC-registered yield-bearing stablecoin and blockchain lending products — and follows growing interest in tokenized equities as on-chain trading volumes and on-chain stock lending markets expand. Proponents argue OPEN can lower capital and compliance costs, enable self-custody/self-settlement and streamline settlement and transparency; critics warn of regulatory, custodial and market-risk questions for tokenized public equities. Key SEO keywords: on-chain equity, tokenized stocks, Figure OPEN, ATS, on-chain lending.

Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with SC Financial Technologies, an affiliate of World Liberty Financial (WLFI), to study and potentially pilot the USD1 dollar-pegged stablecoin within national and cross-border payment rails. The agreement — announced during WLFI CEO Zachary Witkoff’s visit to Islamabad — tasks Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Pakistan with technical dialogue, regulatory coordination, feasibility and compliance assessments, and knowledge sharing before any implementation. Officials emphasise the pilot’s objectives: modernise remittances (a key FX source), cut costs, speed settlement, reduce cash reliance, improve transparency and enhance liquidity management. The move is presented as part of Pakistan’s broader push toward crypto-friendly infrastructure: a newly formed Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, authorised operations for platforms such as Binance and HTX, a state-backed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and plans to use surplus power for mining and AI data centres. Traders should note the focus on a USD1 stablecoin and cross-border payment rails, the involvement of WLFI/SC Financial, and active central bank engagement — all factors that could affect stablecoin adoption, remittance flows, onshore liquidity and regulatory clarity in Pakistan.

21Shares has launched a Bitcoin–Gold exchange-traded product (ETP) called BOLD on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 13 January 2026. BOLD pairs physical gold with bitcoin to provide regulated BTC exposure with lower volatility than holding bitcoin alone. The ETP trades like a stock and is available to U.K. retail investors via standard broker accounts and tax-advantaged wrappers such as ISAs and SIPPs. The listing follows the Financial Conduct Authority’s October 2025 decision to lift a four‑year ban on retail crypto exchange-traded notes, which reopened the U.K. market and helped drive renewed product launches and trading (crypto ETNs on the LSE recorded roughly $280m in volume in December 2025). BOLD is 21Shares’ third U.K.-approved crypto product and competes with offerings from BlackRock, Bitwise and WisdomTree. The product is marketed as a hedge that captures bitcoin upside while using gold for stability and inflation protection. For traders, the listing may broaden regulated access to BTC, attract institutional and retail flows into a blended BTC/gold vehicle, and increase liquidity for bitcoin-linked products on the LSE. Key SEO keywords: Bitcoin, gold, ETP, London Stock Exchange, FCA regulation.

Monero (XMR) has sustained a sharp uptrend, extending gains to near $690 with daily moves of ~8% and over 50% weekly upside. Price action is printing higher highs and higher lows and has flipped prior resistance around $500–520 into support. Volume and social attention expanded with the rally, reflecting strong retail interest and FOMO. Demand is being supported by growing flows into privacy coins amid regulatory scrutiny and weakness in rival privacy projects. However, derivatives metrics point to elevated risk: futures volume and CryptoQuant’s futures “overheating” signals show repeated leverage-driven spikes, open interest and funding rates indicate momentum is being amplified by margin positions, and technicals are overbought (daily RSI in the mid-80s; price pressed to the upper Bollinger Band). Development activity has softened relative to recent averages, which tempers the on-chain bullish signal. Traders should expect elevated volatility and the potential for rapid deleveraging — a leveraged unwind could see quick pullbacks to the $620–600 liquidity band or deeper toward trend support. Key trade actions: monitor futures open interest and funding rates, watch spot volume and dev activity, use tighter risk controls, consider scaling entries and position sizing to account for higher short-term correction risk while keeping a bullish medium-to-long-term view on Monero’s privacy-led value proposition.

Polygon Labs has agreed to acquire U.S. crypto payments firm Coinme and wallet infrastructure provider Sequence in deals totaling over $250 million. The acquisitions give Polygon Coinme’s U.S. money-transmission license network (covering 48 states), its retail cash-to-crypto footprint (50,000+ locations and ATMs), and compliance infrastructure, plus Sequence’s embedded smart-wallet, cross-chain payment routing and Trails coordination layer. Polygon says the combined businesses and its network have processed more than $1 billion in off-chain sales and over $2 trillion in on-chain transfers, and held about $3.3 billion in stablecoins on-chain at end-2025. Management frames the move as building a regulated "Polygon Open Money Stack" that unifies blockchain rails, compliant fiat flows and wallet infrastructure to enable large-scale on-chain stablecoin payments and settlement. Polygon did not disclose deal mechanics or a breakdown of the $250M figure. The acquisition positions Polygon to compete with incumbents and fintech projects (eg. Stripe’s Tempo, PayPal/PYUSD, Visa, Mastercard) as tokenized-dollar adoption grows. For traders: this is a strategic infrastructure play likely to increase Polygon’s utility for payments and enterprise use, which could raise on-chain activity and demand for Polygon-related assets over time; however, immediate price impact is uncertain and will depend on market conditions, integration progress and regulatory developments.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) remains in a bearish market structure after failing to sustain a breakout above the key high-time-frame resistance near $27. Price has closed back below the Point of Control and key moving averages, which have flipped to overhead resistance. Recent retests at the $27–$28 zone produced rejections and weak buying pressure, confirming lower highs and increasing the probability of a downward rotation toward the major support near $19–$19.70. Value-area lows are only marginally defended, and a close below them would heighten downside risk. Traders should treat rallies beneath the $27–$28 zone as corrective unless HYPE decisively reclaims and closes above the Point of Control and moving averages. Short-term implication: elevated probability of a move to ~$19–$19.70; confirmation requires a break and close below value-area low or continued inability to reclaim overhead resistance. A clear reclaim and close above the Point of Control and moving averages would be needed to flip the bias bullish.

Investors For Transparency is running prime‑time Fox News advertisements urging viewers to contact senators to support a version of the CLARITY Act that excludes DeFi‑specific provisions and certain stablecoin rules. The ads warn that allowing stablecoin issuers to offer interest‑like yields could shift roughly $6.6 trillion from traditional bank deposits — a US Treasury estimate frequently cited by proponents of tighter DeFi limits. The campaign includes phone hotlines and a website for immediate outreach and precedes a Senate Banking Committee markup scheduled for January 15, 2026. Industry figures have pushed back, calling the ads misleading and questioning who funds the group; no single donor has been publicly identified. Critics say excluding DeFi from the law would increase regulatory uncertainty and harm US competitiveness, while supporters argue narrower rules protect bank deposits and limit systemic risk. The debate coincides with broader industry expectations that stablecoin payment products (such as stablecoin‑backed cards) could be a notable development in 2026.