Crypto News

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.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is drawing attention from traders as Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) show reduced volatility and upside. MUTM is a DeFi lending protocol offering two lending markets (pooled mtTokens and isolated borrowing with collateral/liquidation) and a protocol revenue mechanism that will buy MUTM on the open market and reward stakers in a safety module. The presale is in phase seven at $0.04 per token, raising about $1.98–1.98M in that phase and reporting over 830–850 million tokens sold (of a 4 billion supply) with 18,800+ holders. The project says its supply is fixed and highlights security reviews (CertiK ~90/100 and a Halborn code review) and a V1 testnet planned for Q4; roadmap items include stablecoin borrowing and a layer‑2 deployment to lower fees. Analysts cited in coverage project upside — an example target of $0.36 by 2027 (~9x from the presale price) — arguing that MUTM’s potential is driven by protocol buy pressure and staking rewards rather than meme-driven hype. The coverage notes whale interest from early DOGE/SHIB backers and advises readers this is a press release; perform your own due diligence before trading.

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).

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.

The U.S. Senate has postponed markup of a major crypto market-structure bill to the final week of January 2026 to allow more time to build bipartisan support and resolve outstanding issues. Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman cited the need to finalize details; Democrats, including Senator Cory Booker, remain engaged in negotiations. Key sticking points include stablecoin regulation (including proposed yield/ staking restrictions), tokenization rules and illicit-finance measures. Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has said the bill text is ready, but leaders are wary of moving forward without sufficient Democratic votes — cloture on the Senate floor requires 60 votes, so premature action could doom passage. The Senate Banking Committee still controls securities-related provisions and must align its text with the Agriculture Committee before the bill can advance. Industry groups and exchanges have flagged concerns about measures such as limits on staking rewards tied to stablecoin holdings and other technical provisions; 66 organizations earlier urged clearer regulatory frameworks. Traders should expect continued legislative uncertainty and possible further delays, which may keep volatility elevated for crypto assets exposed to regulatory risk while investors await clarified rules for stablecoins and tokenization.

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.

MicroStrategy purchased 13,627 BTC for about $1.25 billion (avg. ~$91,519), raising its corporate holdings to roughly 687,410 BTC (total cost ≈ $51.8 billion, avg. ≈ $75,353). The buy was funded via an at‑the‑market sale of 1,192,262 shares of its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock. This is MicroStrategy’s largest single purchase since July 2025 and marks the third consecutive week of additions in early 2026. The transaction followed MSCI’s February 2026 decision not to exclude digital-asset treasury companies (DATCOs) from its global investable market indexes, removing a near‑term technical risk of forced selling by passive index funds. Separately, U.S. regulatory progress continues: the CLARITY Act is advancing in the Senate to clarify SEC vs. CFTC oversight of digital assets. At publication Bitcoin traded near $91.7k (+1% 24h). For traders: the combination of continued MicroStrategy accumulation, MSCI’s inclusion decision and advancing regulatory clarity reduces immediate index‑driven sell pressure and signals sustained institutional demand. These factors may support Bitcoin price floors and market sentiment, while MicroStrategy’s large, recurring purchases can influence liquidity and create short-term volatility around execution timing.

Bitcoin’s network difficulty fell to about 146.4 trillion in the first difficulty adjustment of 2026 after average block times ran ~9.88 minutes, slightly faster than the 10-minute target. Trackers (CoinWarz) project the next recalculation on Jan 22, 2026, which could raise difficulty to roughly 148.2T if block times revert to the target. The easing gives miners short-lived relief from margin pressure caused by the April 2024 halving, softer miner hash price and heavy 2025 hardware spending. Miner hash price — daily revenue per unit of hashrate — fell as low as $35/TH/s/day in November and has recently been near $40/PH/s/day, squeezing profitability and prompting some operations to pause. Additional headwinds include elevated energy and equipment costs and U.S. tariff exposure that may cause supply-chain shortages. Difficulty remains below its November peak (~155.9T) despite late-2025 gains. Traders should monitor Bitcoin difficulty, miner hash-price trends, BTC price moves and upcoming difficulty recalculations: isolated dips can briefly improve miner margins, but sustained changes in difficulty or hash rate are needed to materially affect miner sell-side pressure and BTC supply dynamics.

Colombia’s tax authority DIAN issued Resolution 000240 in late December, requiring crypto exchanges, custodial platforms and other crypto service providers to collect and report detailed user identity and transaction data for the 2026 tax year. The rules mirror the OECD’s Crypto‑Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and apply to both domestic and foreign platforms serving Colombian taxpayers. Platforms must gather identifying information and comprehensive annual records — ownership, transaction volumes, transfers between accounts, balance changes and asset market prices across Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins and memecoins — so DIAN can match crypto activity to individual tax filings. The first full reports covering 2026 transactions are due by the last business day of May 2027. DIAN’s move shifts reporting responsibility from individual self-declaration to structured platform reporting, strengthens cross-border transparency and signals Colombia’s participation in automatic information exchange under CARF. For traders and platforms, the change implies earlier system updates, expanded KYC/data-collection, greater compliance costs, and increased scrutiny of cross-border crypto flows; exchanges will have time to adapt before the 2027 filing deadline.

Rain, an enterprise-grade stablecoin payments infrastructure provider, raised $250 million in a Series C round led by ICONIQ at a $1.95 billion valuation, bringing total funding to over $338 million. Additional investors include Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Bessemer, Lightspeed, Galaxy Ventures, FirstMark, Norwest and Endeavor Catalyst. Rain’s platform enables businesses to issue compliant stablecoin cards, wallets and payouts, convert fiat to stablecoins, and integrate with payment rails (Visa-linked cards, ACH, SEPA) to enable crypto-to-fiat conversions. The company processes roughly $3 billion in annualized transaction volume for 200+ partners such as Western Union, Nuvei and KAST, and claims reach to 2.5 billion potential users. Rain plans to use the capital to accelerate international expansion (North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa), strengthen its payments stack, pursue strategic acquisitions and develop new products. Recent acquisitions include rewards platform Uptop and currency conversion provider Fern. The raise follows rapid prior rounds and comes amid a surge in stablecoin activity — 2025 stablecoin transaction volume jumped significantly, led by USDC and USDT — underscoring strong investor appetite for regulated stablecoin rails and growing retail use for remittances, salaries and payments. For traders: this funding strengthens Rain’s ability to scale stablecoin-to-fiat flows and card-based spend, which may increase on-chain stablecoin velocity and retail payment volume over time, supporting demand for major dollar-pegged stablecoins.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a crypto licence portal as the sector transitions from AML registration under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) to full Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) authorisation ahead of a comprehensive regulatory regime taking effect on 25 October 2027. HM Treasury finalised the FSMA (Regulation of Cryptoassets) 2025, clarifying definitions and exclusions. Firms currently registered under the MLRs, those authorised under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 or Payment Services Regulations 2017, and businesses using s.21 approvers for advertising must obtain FSMA authorisation or apply for a variation of permission before the new regime begins. The FCA expects to open the formal application window in September 2026; applications will run for at least 28 days and close at least 28 days before the October 25, 2027 start date. A draft Treasury Statutory Instrument creates a temporary “savings” provision allowing firms that apply on time to continue offering cryptoasset services while the FCA decides applications; firms must notify the FCA when they enter or exit this facility. Firms that miss the gateway face narrower transitional options: existing products may continue but launching new services will be restricted until full authorisation is granted. The FCA also admitted RegTech Eunice into its Regulatory Sandbox to pilot standardised crypto disclosure templates with industry partners including Coinbase, Crypto.com and Kraken; results will inform future disclosure requirements and investor transparency standards. Key SEO keywords: FCA crypto licences, FSMA authorisation, crypto licence portal, Money Laundering Regulations, Regulatory Sandbox.

Cambodian authorities arrested and extradited billionaire Chen Zhi to China after his January 6 detention amid a months‑long probe into a global crypto fraud network run through his Prince Group. Chen, 37, is accused of orchestrating large‑scale “pig‑butchering” scam factories across Cambodia that used social media and dating apps to groom victims, then coerced them via forced labour and trafficking into investing in fake crypto platforms. U.S. prosecutors previously charged Chen with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and sought seizure of roughly $11–15 billion in Bitcoin linked to the operation — one of the largest BTC forfeiture actions in DOJ history. Authorities allege stolen proceeds were laundered through crypto and spent on luxury assets including private jets and yachts. The network reportedly operated multiple guarded compounds where victims worked 12–18 hour days under coercion. International enforcement actions include asset seizures, FBI investigations, and sanctions from the UK and South Korea on Prince Group leadership. For crypto traders, the case underlines: large on‑chain BTC seizures that can tighten supply, heightened regulatory and cross‑border enforcement risk, continued use of crypto for money‑laundering and fraud, and possible short‑term market volatility around major forfeiture announcements. Key keywords: Chen Zhi, Bitcoin seizure, pig‑butchering scam, crypto fraud, asset forfeiture.

Florida Republican lawmakers filed bills on January 7, 2026, to create a state-run Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Fund and trust infrastructure to hold sovereign digital assets. House Bill 1039 (Rep. John Snyder) and companion Senate bills SB 1040 and SB 1038 (Sen. Joe Gruters) would establish an independent Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Fund plus custody and management trusts. The bills set a strict eligibility rule requiring a crypto asset to average at least $500 billion market capitalization over the prior 24 months — a threshold that currently only Bitcoin (BTC) meets (reported market cap ~ $1.8 trillion), excluding Ethereum (ETH, ~ $380 billion). The proposal follows prior Florida and multi-state initiatives (Texas, New Hampshire, Arizona) and echoes a 2025 federal executive order on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Sponsors frame the recent pullback in BTC (cited near $90,000 versus an Oct 2025 high ~ $124k) as a buying opportunity. Supporters argue the reserve would diversify state holdings and hedge inflation; critics warn of sovereign exposure to crypto volatility and geopolitical risk (including reports and speculation about large Venezuelan BTC holdings). The bills target a July 1, 2026 start date and await committee review and floor votes. For traders: passage would formalize a state-level sovereign custody pathway for BTC, could raise expectations of incremental institutional or state demand for Bitcoin, and reinforces continued state-level momentum on crypto custody even amid ongoing federal custody debates.

Polymarket has struck a partnership with Dow Jones to embed its prediction-market data in Dow Jones properties, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. The data will appear in dedicated on-site data modules and selected print placements. Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour said the integration aims to help readers interpret market sentiment and assess risk; Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said it pairs journalistic context with real-time market probabilities. Founded in 2020, Polymarket is a leading prediction-markets platform that attracted attention for accurately pricing outcomes in the 2024 U.S. presidential race. The company disclosed and fixed a December security issue tied to a third-party authentication provider and has faced prior regulatory scrutiny after a settled market related to a foreign leader prompted calls for oversight. The announcement follows broader industry moves linking crypto and traditional markets — for example, exchanges and firms (including Coinbase) exploring ties with prediction platforms such as Kalshi. For traders: wider mainstream distribution of Polymarket signals could increase the visibility and influence of prediction-market probabilities on investor sentiment and news-driven flows; monitor on-chain activity, liquidity on Polymarket markets, and any regulatory developments that could affect market access or counterparty risk.

MSCI has paused a proposed reclassification that would have removed Digital Asset Treasury Companies (DATCOs) — firms with 50%+ of assets in crypto — from its major global indexes. The reversal, prompted by investor feedback, removes an immediate technical risk of forced selling by passive funds that track MSCI indices and likely reduces near-term selling pressure on crypto-treasury equities. The announcement sparked gains in firms with large token treasuries (notably Strategy/former MicroStrategy), though token price moves (e.g., Bitcoin) trimmed some gains. MSCI said the decision is temporary and it will continue studying classifications; it may grandfather existing DATCOs already in indexes. Context: DATCO strategies expanded in 2025 as public companies accumulated BTC, ETH, SOL and other tokens, creating volatile equity proxies for crypto. Traders should note the decision lowers the chance of imminent index-driven outflows and could support BTC-linked equities and institutional flows in the short term, but classification, accounting and regulatory uncertainty remain — meaning these stocks still behave as highly leveraged Bitcoin proxies and can be volatile if MSCI revisits eligibility.