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Redefining Manufacturing’s Tomorrow
12th February 2026, Riyadh Marriott Hotel

Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector is entering a pivotal phase of transformation, driven by rapid advancements in smart factory technologies, AI-led automation, industrial IoT, robotics, and data-driven operations—all aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. These innovations are reshaping how factories produce, optimize, and scale, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to build a globally competitive, technologically advanced, and future-ready industrial ecosystem. Simultaneously, this accelerated shift brings new priorities to the forefront, including cybersecurity for interconnected factories, strong data governance, resilient supply chains, and a highly skilled workforce capable of operating next-generation manufacturing systems.

Case Study: Advancing Smart Manufacturing in Saudi Arabia

A major Saudi-based manufacturing enterprise implemented a strategic Industry 4.0 transformation to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance supply chain resilience in alignment with Vision 2030 industrial objectives. Facing increasing global competition and legacy production constraints, the organization introduced a phased smart manufacturing roadmap across its facilities.

IoT-enabled sensors and industrial data platforms were deployed across production lines, providing real time visibility into equipment performance, energy usage, inventory flow, and quality metrics. AI-driven predictive maintenance significantly reduced unplanned downtime and improved asset utilization, while automation and robotics standardized repetitive tasks and accelerated production cycles.

A hybrid cloud and edge computing architecture supported low-latency shop-floor data processing and improved coordination between engineering, operations, and quality teams. Industrial cybersecurity controls were strengthened, alongside a workforce upskilling initiative focused on automation, digital maintenance, and smart manufacturing analytics.

This transformation reflects the rapid advancement of Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector—progress that will be highlighted at the 31st Edition of the Future Industry Summit – Saudi Arabia 2026, where leaders will gather to explore advanced technologies and shape the future of manufacturing across the Kingdom.

Event Overview:

The 31st Edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 will bring together leading industry visionaries, manufacturing innovators, and technology strategists to explore the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape. With focused discussions on smart factories, AI-driven automation, industrial IoT, robotics integration, supply chain digitization, and next-generation production excellence, the conference will deliver actionable insights and real-world strategies to accelerate manufacturing transformation across Saudi Arabia.

Date: 12th February 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Riyadh Marriott Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Strategic Partners:

● The Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 is proud to have the support of Invest Saudi as its Strategic Partner, reinforcing the event’s mission to advance industrial growth, attract global innovation, and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a leading hub for manufacturing excellence under Vision 2030.

● The event is also supported by the Saudi Arabia Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR Saudi Arabia) as a Strategic Partner, underscoring a shared commitment to accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption, fostering advanced manufacturing technologies, and driving digital transformation across the Kingdom’s industrial ecosystem in line with Vision 2030.

Meet the Visionaries:

This edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show will feature some of the Kingdom’s most influential industrial and technology leaders, who will share their expertise on smart manufacturing, supply chain transformation, advanced production technologies, and the future of Saudi Arabia’s industrial ecosystem. Below are a few of the distinguished speakers joining us at the 31st Edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 — along with many more renowned experts, policymakers, and industry innovators:

● Khalid AlKhousan
General Manager of Metallic Industries Development
Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Howard Wu
Executive Director of International Investments, Innovation & Manufacturing, Oxagon NEOM
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Khaled Al-Hajeri
Vice President – Building Materials
National Industrial Development Center (NIDC)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Musaed AlShammari
Cyber Operations Director
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Ahmed Ghazal
Vice President of Engineering & Projects
Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company (Luberef)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Key Topics to Be Covered:

● Industry 4.0 Integration: AI, robotics & automation for next-gen manufacturing.
● Sustainable Manufacturing: Clean energy adoption & green production models.
● Industrial Workforce Development: Enabling job creation & advanced skills.
● AI-Driven Smart Factories: Real-time insights, process optimization & efficiency.
● Digital Sustainability: Reducing waste, improving energy use through tech.
● AI in Warehousing & Procurement: Practical automation for operations.
● Smart Factory Cybersecurity: Securing interconnected industrial systems.
● Big Data & IoT: Enhancing visibility & operational control.
● Digital Twins: Predictive simulation for performance optimization.
● Predictive Maintenance: Reducing downtime with AI-driven insights.
● Autonomous Robotics: Automating complex, high-precision tasks.
● AI in Supply Chain Optimization: Improving agility & responsiveness.

About Exito:
Exito stands for “success” — a value embedded in every experience we create. As a global B2B events and media company, Exito delivers 240+ high-impact conferences annually, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and solution providers worldwide. Backed by deep industry research, our events enable business growth through strategic learning, brand visibility, and powerful networking opportunities.

For more details on the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026, visit:
https://manufacturingitsummit.com/ksa/

For Media Enquiries, please contact:
Prakruthi Nayaka

Media and PR Executive, Exito Media Concepts
Email: prakruthi.nayaka@exito-e.com

The post Exito Media Concepts Presents the 31st Edition of the Future Industry Summit – Saudi Arabia 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Redefining Manufacturing’s Tomorrow
12th February 2026, Riyadh Marriott Hotel

Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector is entering a pivotal phase of transformation, driven by rapid advancements in smart factory technologies, AI-led automation, industrial IoT, robotics, and data-driven operations—all aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. These innovations are reshaping how factories produce, optimize, and scale, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to build a globally competitive, technologically advanced, and future-ready industrial ecosystem. Simultaneously, this accelerated shift brings new priorities to the forefront, including cybersecurity for interconnected factories, strong data governance, resilient supply chains, and a highly skilled workforce capable of operating next-generation manufacturing systems.

Case Study: Advancing Smart Manufacturing in Saudi Arabia

A major Saudi-based manufacturing enterprise implemented a strategic Industry 4.0 transformation to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance supply chain resilience in alignment with Vision 2030 industrial objectives. Facing increasing global competition and legacy production constraints, the organization introduced a phased smart manufacturing roadmap across its facilities.

IoT-enabled sensors and industrial data platforms were deployed across production lines, providing real time visibility into equipment performance, energy usage, inventory flow, and quality metrics. AI-driven predictive maintenance significantly reduced unplanned downtime and improved asset utilization, while automation and robotics standardized repetitive tasks and accelerated production cycles.

A hybrid cloud and edge computing architecture supported low-latency shop-floor data processing and improved coordination between engineering, operations, and quality teams. Industrial cybersecurity controls were strengthened, alongside a workforce upskilling initiative focused on automation, digital maintenance, and smart manufacturing analytics.

This transformation reflects the rapid advancement of Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector—progress that will be highlighted at the 31st Edition of the Future Industry Summit – Saudi Arabia 2026, where leaders will gather to explore advanced technologies and shape the future of manufacturing across the Kingdom.

Event Overview:

The 31st Edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 will bring together leading industry visionaries, manufacturing innovators, and technology strategists to explore the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape. With focused discussions on smart factories, AI-driven automation, industrial IoT, robotics integration, supply chain digitization, and next-generation production excellence, the conference will deliver actionable insights and real-world strategies to accelerate manufacturing transformation across Saudi Arabia.

Date: 12th February 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Riyadh Marriott Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Strategic Partners:

● The Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 is proud to have the support of Invest Saudi as its Strategic Partner, reinforcing the event’s mission to advance industrial growth, attract global innovation, and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a leading hub for manufacturing excellence under Vision 2030.

● The event is also supported by the Saudi Arabia Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR Saudi Arabia) as a Strategic Partner, underscoring a shared commitment to accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption, fostering advanced manufacturing technologies, and driving digital transformation across the Kingdom’s industrial ecosystem in line with Vision 2030.

Meet the Visionaries:

This edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show will feature some of the Kingdom’s most influential industrial and technology leaders, who will share their expertise on smart manufacturing, supply chain transformation, advanced production technologies, and the future of Saudi Arabia’s industrial ecosystem. Below are a few of the distinguished speakers joining us at the 31st Edition of the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026 — along with many more renowned experts, policymakers, and industry innovators:

● Khalid AlKhousan
General Manager of Metallic Industries Development
Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Howard Wu
Executive Director of International Investments, Innovation & Manufacturing, Oxagon NEOM
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Khaled Al-Hajeri
Vice President – Building Materials
National Industrial Development Center (NIDC)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Musaed AlShammari
Cyber Operations Director
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

● Ahmed Ghazal
Vice President of Engineering & Projects
Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company (Luberef)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Key Topics to Be Covered:

● Industry 4.0 Integration: AI, robotics & automation for next-gen manufacturing.
● Sustainable Manufacturing: Clean energy adoption & green production models.
● Industrial Workforce Development: Enabling job creation & advanced skills.
● AI-Driven Smart Factories: Real-time insights, process optimization & efficiency.
● Digital Sustainability: Reducing waste, improving energy use through tech.
● AI in Warehousing & Procurement: Practical automation for operations.
● Smart Factory Cybersecurity: Securing interconnected industrial systems.
● Big Data & IoT: Enhancing visibility & operational control.
● Digital Twins: Predictive simulation for performance optimization.
● Predictive Maintenance: Reducing downtime with AI-driven insights.
● Autonomous Robotics: Automating complex, high-precision tasks.
● AI in Supply Chain Optimization: Improving agility & responsiveness.

About Exito:
Exito stands for “success” — a value embedded in every experience we create. As a global B2B events and media company, Exito delivers 240+ high-impact conferences annually, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and solution providers worldwide. Backed by deep industry research, our events enable business growth through strategic learning, brand visibility, and powerful networking opportunities.

For more details on the Saudi Manufacturing Show 2026, visit:
https://manufacturingitsummit.com/ksa/

For Media Enquiries, please contact:
Prakruthi Nayaka

Media and PR Executive, Exito Media Concepts
Email: prakruthi.nayaka@exito-e.com

The post Exito Media Concepts Presents the 31st Edition of the Future Industry Summit – Saudi Arabia 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

It’s often been said that Donald Trump runs his White House like a reality TV competition — and the current race to find the next Federal Reserve chair provides a perfect illustration of that.

Last year, five “finalists” were revealed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. As we reported at the time, all of them are pro-Bitcoin, and many hold the view that interest rates should be much lower than they currently are.

That would immensely please the president, who has been fiercely critical of Jerome Powell refusing to slash the cost of borrowing — a move that would also reduce the expense of servicing America’s national debt.

Early on, it appeared that Kevin Hassett, the current director of the National Economic Council, was a favorite for the role. But a new frontrunner has since emerged, and it appears that he’s highly rated on Wall Street.

Rick Rieder is BlackRock’s chief investment officer of global fixed income. For years — and long before Donald Trump jumped on the bandwagon — he’s spoken positively about Bitcoin’s potential.

Back in 2020, he revealed that BlackRock had started to dabble in Bitcoin. He told CNBC that investors were looking for assets that could appreciate against a backdrop of rising inflation.

The world’s biggest cryptocurrency was trading at a mere $51,000 at the time, and Rieder argued it could be a powerful way of diversifying a portfolio. Those who heeded his advice at the time would have doubled their money at the very least.

Fast forward to now, and BlackRock is the largest provider of exchange-traded funds tracking Bitcoin’s spot price in the US. The iShares Bitcoin Trust has cemented itself as an undisputed market leader in this still-nascent space. The latest figures from SoSoValue show it currently holds close to $70 billion in net assets.

Rieder has been shown to stick to his convictions during challenging market conditions — especially back in 2022, when the crypto industry was roiled by a number of high-profile bankruptcies. At the time, he argued that the crash was akin to the early days of the internet, when the dot-com bubble burst. Even though a number of startups went out of business at the time, the technology’s value endured and continued to build.

The Wall Street veteran has also argued that BTC could be a more effective store of value than gold — not least because it’s much more portable than the precious metal, with a known finite supply.

“I think digital currency and the receptivity — particularly millennials’ receptivity — of technology and cryptocurrency is real. Digital payment systems are real, so I think Bitcoin is here to stay.”

Those comments were made in 2020. Of course, BTC’s role as a store of value is being questioned right now — with gold surging dramatically in light of geopolitical instability as this digital asset stagnates.

While the arrival of a pro-Bitcoin Fed chair may be welcomed by many in the industry, some may have reservations. A common frustration among Bitcoiners centers on those who fail to separate BTC from crypto more widely. In their eyes, this decentralized digital asset should not be placed in the same basket as altcoins founded by named developers.

Rieder’s belief that interest rates should be lower could help make Bitcoin more attractive — and while this does align with Donald Trump’s worldview, the financier insists that the Fed’s independence should be protected. Given that the prospect of political meddling in the central bank has spooked the markets of late, this is a reassuring sign.

Poseidon Partners recently argued that choosing Rieder could even serve as a positive catalyst for Bitcoin’s price, writing:

“A Rieder nomination would be the most market-friendly on first reaction, reflecting strong confidence in his understanding of financial markets and policy transmission. Risk assets and crypto would likely respond positively in the near term, and bonds could benefit from expectations of pragmatic easing.”

However, it does anticipate potential challenges on the horizon, which could include “friction” during the confirmation process, and questions over whether his appointment would amount to a conflict of interest.

The Trump administration is expected to make its preference known soon. But with the president describing Rieder as “very impressive” during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, it’s little wonder that he’s become the favorite on the prediction markets.

The post Rick Rieder: The Bitcoin-Friendly Frontrunner for Next Fed Chair appeared first on Cryptonews.

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token has returned to the center of market attention after the project sharply reduced its monthly team token unlocks, a move that renewed discussion around whether the token could revisit the $50 level seen during its previous peak.

The team has presented the change in the unlock schedule as a way of dilution reduction and alleviation of the pressure on the supply at a point when competition in the perpetual futures market is still high.

NEW: HYPERLIQUID TEAM ANNOUNCES "140K TOKENS FROM HYPERLIQUID LABS WILL BE UNSTAKED TODAY TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO TEAM MEMBERS ON FEB 6"

SOURCE: https://t.co/E9AIfajG4y pic.twitter.com/hTia9lg9VK

— DEGEN NEWS (@DegenerateNews) January 29, 2026

Information provided by the Hyperliquid team indicates that the February 2026 group of Hyperliquid was reduced to approximately 140,000 HYPE tokens, compared to approximately 1.2 million released in January, which constitutes nearly 90% of monthly team releases.

Core contributors were allocated around 23.8% of HYPE’s 1 billion maximum supply, subject to a one-year cliff and a 24-month vesting period, with distributions now confirmed to take place on the 6th of each month.

HYPE Rallies 55% in a Week as Hyperliquid Tightens Token Supply

The decision comes as Hyperliquid navigates softer decentralized exchange revenue and growing competition among perpetual DEX platforms.

By slowing the pace of team unlocks, the project has reduced near-term sell pressure, a factor that market participants have closely watched since HYPE’s launch via a community airdrop in November 2024.

More than 61% of the total supply remains locked, while the circulating supply currently stands at roughly 238 million tokens.

HYPE was trading around $33.9 at the time of writing, up modestly on the day but posting a weekly gain of more than 55%.

Source: Coingecko

The token is still about 43% below its all-time high of $59.30, reached during a surge last year, with the market capitalization climbing to just over $8 billion.

At the same time, overall protocol usage metrics have not shown a dramatic shift.

The company announced this week that HIP-3 open interest (OI) hit a record $790 million, fueled by a recent surge in commodities trading. HIP-3 OI has been setting new weekly highs, up sharply from $260 million just a month ago.

Additionally, the platform founder, Jeff Yan, said Bitcoin futures liquidity on Hyperliquid had surpassed Binance in certain order book comparisons.

Hyperliquid has quietly achieved an important milestone of becoming the most liquid venue for crypto price discovery in the world. See below for side by side comparison of BTC perps on Binance (left) and Hyperliquid (right).

With HIP-3 teams leading the way, Hyperliquid has also… https://t.co/xu41eTqPfI pic.twitter.com/aJCFYjMoxV

— jeff.hl (@chameleon_jeff) January 26, 2026

Hyperliquid has processed more than $25 billion in cumulative trading volume since launch, according to Flow Scan data, with the majority coming from futures markets built by third-party teams using the HIP-3 framework.

Hyperliquid’s total value locked stands near $4.6 billion, with annualized protocol revenue estimated at roughly $714 million, a portion of which is used for buybacks and burns that remove HYPE from circulation.

HYPE Reclaims 50-Day Moving Average After Months Below

From a technical perspective, analysts have highlighted a key change in HYPE’s price structure.

After months of trading below its 50-day moving average on the three-day timeframe, the token recently broke above that level, ending a sequence of lower highs that had defined the downtrend since November.

The area between roughly $28 and $29, which previously acted as resistance, is now being watched as potential support.

Source: X/Batman

If that zone holds on a retest, technicians see room for continuation toward the mid-$30s and low-$40s.

Going back to $50 would take a much bigger move, which would be an increase of approximately 80% of the previous support area.

This rally would rely on a sustained volume and a sustained defense of the reclaimed moving average and the overall market conditions being favorable.

Analysts have observed that failure to overcome the 50-day average will nullify the bullish setup, and HYPE will be prone to a fall to lows around the $20s.

The post HYPE Price Target Hits $50 as Hyperliquid Slashes Team Token Unlock by 90% — Is the Rally Sustainable? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin’s recent movement isn’t driven by hype, but by supply factors. On-chain data shows BTC inflows to Binance are at their lowest in almost four years, a pattern that often comes before big, volatile price changes. With Bitcoin steady near $88,000, traders are wondering if the next big move will be upward.

Binance Inflows Signal a Supply Squeeze

Recent on-chain analytics show that monthly Bitcoin inflows to Binance now average about 5,700 BTC, a level last seen during the 2020 to 2022 accumulation periods. Fewer coins moving to exchanges usually means less intent to sell, which tightens supply while demand stays strong.

This is important because Binance is the biggest spot trading platform. When inflows to exchanges stay low, there is less selling pressure and a higher chance of sharp price increases if demand picks up. Even though spot Bitcoin ETFs saw short-term outflows of about $147 million, long-term holders seem unaffected and are keeping their coins off exchanges.

Recent price moves show this cautious approach. Bitcoin briefly went back above $90,000 on January 28 before dropping again, bringing its market cap close to $1.78 trillion. This pullback did not cause panic selling, which supports the idea that investors are still accumulating.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Price Holds $88K as Triangle Tightens

Technically, Bitcoin price prediction is seems bearish as BTC is compressing. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin’s price is tightening. On the 4-hour chart, BTC is trading around $87,900 and holding a clear support zone between $87,500 and $88,000. The price has formed a descending triangle, with lower highs set by a downward trendline from the January peak near $97,500. is easing:

RSI has recovered from oversold conditions near 30 to around 45–50

Candles near support show long lower wicks, signaling dip-buying interest

Selling volume has failed to expand on recent pullbacks

Bitcoin Price Chart – Source: Tradingview

However, BTC is still trading below the 50- and 100-period EMAs, which are near $90,000 to $90,500. This means short-term risks remain until there is a confirmed breakout.

Breakout Levels That Could Trigger $100K Momentum

The market looks close to making a decisive move. If Bitcoin breaks above the descending trendline and the EMA cluster, momentum could quickly shift upward, opening the way to:

$93,300, then

$95,700, with momentum extension potential beyond

If Bitcoin fails to stay above $87,500, this outlook would be delayed and the price could fall toward $86,100 and $84,100, where there is more buying interest.

Key levels traders are watching:

Support: $87,500 → $86,100

Resistance: $90,500 → $93,300

As long as Bitcoin keeps making higher lows above $86,000 and exchange inflows stay low, the market is more likely to see a period of tight trading before a big move, rather than widespread selling. When supply gets this tight, breakouts often happen quickly and can catch late traders off guard.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $31 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013645 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

Click Here to Participate in the Presale

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Binance Inflows Just Hit a 4-Year Low – Violent Move Above $100K is Next appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin is approaching a historically important support zone near $62,000, as a long-tracked reserve-cost indicator tied to Binance signals that BTC could see more pain ahead.

The $62k reserve cost level has not been tested since the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, raising fresh questions over whether the current drawdown marks a deeper bear phase rather than a routine correction.

The warning comes as multiple technical and on-chain indicators turn bearish simultaneously, even as parts of the market remain positioned for a renewed bull cycle in 2026.

Binance Reserve Cost Shifts the Post-ETF Floor

The Binance Reserve RP, which tracks the average acquisition cost of Bitcoin reserves on the exchange, has historically acted as a dividing line between bull and bear markets.

According to data shared by crypto analyst Burak Kesmeci, that level now sits at $62,000, a sharp rise from pre-ETF norms.

Source: CryptoQuant

Before spot ETFs were approved, the indicator hovered around $42,000, reflecting a different market structure dominated by retail and offshore flows.

Since January 2024, institutional participation has altered price behavior, lifting the reserve cost and redefining what constitutes downside support.

“Bitcoin has never tested this level since Spot ETF approval,” Kesmeci said, noting that the price spent the entire bull run well above the $62,000 zone.

In his view, price action this year will determine whether $62,000 holds as a structural floor or breaks.

On-Chain Metrics Point to Early Bear Structure

Beyond exchange-based indicators, on-chain data is also flashing caution.

Bitcoin’s Supply in Loss has begun trending higher again, a shift that has historically marked the early stages of bear markets.

In past cycles in 2014, 2018, and 2022, the metric turned upward before prices reached their eventual lows.

Source: CryptoQuant

During those periods, losses gradually spread from short-term holders to longer-term participants as prices continued to weaken.

At present, Supply in Loss remains well below levels seen during full capitulation phases.

CryptoQuant’s head of research, Julio Moreno, has pointed to a similar clustering of bearish signals that emerged in early November and have yet to reverse.

He argues that the market may still be in the process of locating a durable bottom.

How Low Could Bitcoin Go?

Using Bitcoin’s realized price, which reflects the average cost basis of current holders, Moreno estimates a potential bear market low below the $62,000 reserve cost.

His projected range sits between $56,000 and $60,000 over the next year.

Source: CryptoQuant

Historically, prolonged downturns have seen Bitcoin drift back toward realized price after overshooting during bull markets.

A move into that zone would imply a drawdown of roughly 55% from Bitcoin’s all-time high above $125,000.

While substantial, Moreno views such a decline as relatively modest compared with prior bear markets.

Previous cycles often produced losses of 70% to 80%, frequently amplified by cascading failures across the crypto sector.

Bitcoin Technicals Clash With Bullish Narratives

Technical indicators are also adding pressure to the bearish case.

A crossover of the 21-week and 50-week exponential moving averages, often referred to as the Bull Market EMA crossover, has recently appeared.

Source:X/RektCapital

Historically, similar crossovers preceded deeper bear phases in Q4 2014, late Q3 2018, and early Q2 2022.

If the current Bitcoin phase is indeed a bear market, it would challenge expectations that 2026 will deliver another strong growth phase for Bitcoin.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has promoted the idea of a Bitcoin “supercycle,” while Grayscale researchers have questioned the relevance of the traditional four-year cycle.

@Grayscale predicts Bitcoin could set a new all-time high in early 2026 as institutional demand builds and investors lean harder into alternative stores of value.#Grasycale #BitcoinPricePrediction https://t.co/AAdSK63MvJ

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 16, 2025

Bernstein has also maintained a $150,000 target for 2026, describing the current environment as an “elongated bull market.”

Whether those forecasts hold may depend on Bitcoin reclaiming its 50-week moving average, currently near $100,988.

Until then, analysts say the market remains focused on downside risk management.

With more than $4.5 billion in realized losses recorded since BTC fell below $90,000, the next support test could define the cycle’s true low.

The post Bitcoin’s Historical Bottom Indicator Points to $62K – Could BTC Fall That Low? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Donald Trump has threatened Jerome Powell with a criminal investigation — but it hasn’t stopped the Federal Reserve chair holding firm on interest rates, in a move that’ll affect Bitcoin.

On Wednesday night, it was confirmed that the cost of borrowing will be left unchanged yet again, despite the president calling for drastic cuts.

In a statement, the US central bank said economic growth is expanding “at a solid pace,” but inflation remains at an elevated level.

As you might expect, there were two dissenting voices within the Federal Open Markets Committee. One of them was recent Trump appointee Stephen Miran. The other was Christopher Waller, who is currently on the shortlist to succeed Powell when his term expires in May.

During a news conference, Powell refused to comment on the criminal investigation, which is related to the testimony he made surrounding a multi-year upgrade to the Fed’s headquarters. But earlier this month, he claimed the threat of charges was because he had refused to follow the president’s whims when setting interest rates.

The escalating row has cast an unwelcome spotlight on whether the Federal Reserve’s independence is in jeopardy. Powell told reporters:

“The point of independence is not to protect policymakers, it just is that every advanced democracy in the world has come round to this common practice … Monetary policy can be used through an election cycle to affect the economy in a way that will be politically worthwhile … It’s a good practice, it’s pretty much everywhere among countries that look at all like the United States, and if you lose that, it will be hard to restore the credibility of the institution.”

Powell’s advice for the person who ends up taking his job was simple: “Stay out of elected politics.”

Trump had little to say about the Fed’s latest interest rate decision on Truth Social — however, he did share a link to a CNBC article that suggests the central bank is yet to comply with grand jury subpoenas related to that controversial criminal investigation.

Interest rate cuts could be necessary to give Bitcoin a shot in the arm. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency has repeatedly failed to meaningfully break through $90,000 in recent days — and fell in the hours following Powell’s announcement. Generally speaking, lower rates tend to attract investors to riskier assets as returns from savings accounts dwindle.

So far, 2026 has proven especially challenging for Bitcoin. While the S&P 500 has managed to vault beyond 7,000 points for the first time — with gold smashing through $5,000 per ounce and hitting record highs — the crypto markets appear to be stagnating.

Bitcoin (BTC)

24h7d30d1yAll time

As things stand, analysts now expect that further interest rate cuts before Powell’s term expires look unlikely — and are pencilling in reductions towards the back end of this year. (Incidentally, a recent study found that forecasts by the prediction market Kalshi are “roughly consistent” with those made on Wall Street.) At present, there’s seen to be less than a 30% chance of a reduction come March or May, rising to 65% by June.

Speculation about who Trump might nominate is mounting, with rumors that an announcement could be made as early as this week. Rick Rieder has overtaken Kevin Hassett as favorite for the role — a Wall Street veteran who currently serves as BlackRock’s chief investment officer for fixed income.

Rieder has publicly called for interest rates to be much lower than where they are currently. He argues that, instead of exacerbating inflation, it could actually cool prices down by making house prices more affordable. That being said, the executive isn’t regarded as someone who would dance to Trump’s tune — and he’s recently argued that the Fed’s independence is essential. He told CNBC:

“I think that anybody who is in that seat, that is an independent seat. You report to, I would argue, your constituents, which is the country … Whoever is in the role is going to make the decisions that are the right thing for maximum employment and price stability.”

Rieder has said that he believes a target rate of 3% amounts to “equilibrium” — and given we’re currently in a range of between 3.5% to 3.75%, that would indicate there is some room for maneuver.

For now though, interest rates — and Bitcoin’s price — remain in a holding pattern.

The post What Federal Reserve’s Interest Rate Decision Means for Bitcoin appeared first on Cryptonews.

OSL Group, one of Asia’s leading digital asset platforms, has announced a $200 million equity financing round as it accelerates its expansion across stablecoin trading and digital payments.

The Hong Kong-listed firm said the capital raise equivalent to HK$1.56 billion and is intended to strengthen its financial position, support acquisitions and advance its strategy in the stablecoin and payments sectors.

$200M Financing Targets Global Expansion

OSL Group said the proposed equity financing will provide resources to capture emerging opportunities as stablecoins become more integrated into cross-border payments and digital financial markets.

The company said the net proceeds will be directed toward strategic acquisitions, global business expansion in payments and stablecoins continued investment in product and technology infrastructure, and general working capital.

The announcement comes as digital asset firms increasingly look to scale compliant payment rails and settlement systems that connect fiat and blockchain-based networks.

In July, the firm announced it had raised $300 million through an equity financing round, marking the largest publicly disclosed capital raise in the region’s crypto space to date.

OSL Group, one of Asia’s leading digital asset platforms, has raised $300 million through an equity financing round.#HongKong #Cryptohttps://t.co/2WdP6ebjV7

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 25, 2025

Building a Compliant Stablecoin System

OSL Group said it has focused heavily on developing a regulated stablecoin trading and payments positioning compliance as a pillar of its long-term strategy.

The company highlighted several milestones from 2025, including its acquisition of Banxa, a Web3 payment service provider which strengthened its presence in crypto-enabled payments infrastructure.

OSL also launched OSL BizPay, a business-to-business payments solution designed to serve corporate and institutional clients and support real-economy use cases for stablecoin settlement.

Executive Highlights Acquisition Strategy

Ivan Wong, chief financial officer of OSL Group, said the financing round reflects market validation of the company’s positioning in stablecoin trading and payments.

“This financing round will allow us to welcome more like-minded strategic and long-term investors,” Wong said, adding that the funds will strengthen OSL’s capital base and diversify its shareholder structure.

He notes that the company plans to pursue acquisitions of licensed trading and payment entities globally aiming to expand its regulated footprint and reinforce its first-mover advantage as stablecoin adoption grows.

Stablecoin Payments Gain Momentum

The financing announcement comes amid broader momentum in stablecoin-based payments, as financial institutions and fintech platforms explore blockchain settlement as a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional rails.

OSL Group said its mission is to provide compliant and efficient digital financial infrastructure services that enable enterprises, financial institutions and individuals to exchange, pay, trade and settle between fiat and digital currencies.

Grounded in its values of “Open, Secure and Licensed,” the company said it is working to build an ecosystem that connects global markets and enables instant, seamless and compliant value movement worldwide.

The post Hong Kong-Based OSL Group Launches $200M Equity Raise for Stablecoin and Payments Push appeared first on Cryptonews.

Solana has seen a steep decline in the number of validators securing the blockchain, a trend that industry participants say is being driven by rising costs for smaller operators.

Key Takeaways:

Solana has lost 68% of its validators as rising costs push smaller nodes out.

Network concentration is increasing, with the Nakamoto Coefficient falling to 20.

On-chain activity is still growing, driven by AI-related token launches.

Data from Solanacompass shows that the number of active Solana validators has fallen 68% over the past three years, dropping from a peak of 2,560 nodes in March 2023 to just 795 as of this week.

Validators play a central role in the network, proposing and confirming blocks and ensuring transactions are processed correctly.

Rising Costs, Not Just “Zombie” Nodes, Drive Validator Decline

Some of the reduction reflects the cleanup of inactive or so-called “zombie” nodes, but operators say that alone does not explain the scale of the drop.

Instead, they point to rising operating expenses and fee competition that has made it difficult for independent validators to break even.

An independent validator who posts under the name Moo said on X that many smaller operators are considering shutting down.

“Many small validators are actively considering shutting down (including us). Not due to lack of belief in Solana, but because the economics no longer work,” Moo wrote.

According to the post, large validators offering zero-fee services are squeezing margins and forcing smaller players out of the market.

The Solana validator count has fallen to sub-800, down from ~2,500 at its peak. That is a ~70% drop.

Some KOLs have argued this is simply “zombie” validators being flushed out by @SolanaFndn. That is partly true, and the cleanup IS healthy. But it only explains part of what is… pic.twitter.com/Pousxs5QKm

— Moo | Elemental (@moothefarmer) January 28, 2026

The result, critics argue, is a network increasingly secured by a smaller number of large operators.

“We started validating to support decentralization. But without economic viability, decentralization becomes charity,” Moo added.

The shift raises questions about whether retail validators can continue to play a meaningful role in securing Solana over the long term.

Nakamoto Coefficient Signals Concentration

The fall in validator numbers has been mirrored by a decline in Solana’s Nakamoto Coefficient, a commonly used measure of decentralization.

Solanacompass data shows the coefficient has dropped 35%, from 31 in March 2023 to 20 this week.

The metric estimates the minimum number of independent entities required to disrupt the network, with a lower number indicating greater concentration.

The slide suggests that stake and influence are becoming more clustered among fewer validators.

Rising costs appear to be a major factor. Excluding hardware and server expenses, operators need to commit at least $49,000 worth of SOL tokens to cover their first year, largely due to voting fees required to participate in consensus.

Validators must submit a vote transaction for each block they approve, a process that can cost up to 1.1 SOL per day, according to technical documentation from Solana’s validator client.

Meanwhile, Solana has seen a pickup in on-chain activity even as SOL prices ease, driven by rising interest in AI-focused tokens across the network.

The post Solana Loses Two-Thirds of Validators as Smaller Nodes Exit, Raising Centralization Concerns appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto market is down today. After a single day of increases, it fell 1.7% over the past 24 hours to the current $3.06 trillion. Also, 90 of the top 100 coins fell in this period. The total crypto trading volume stands at $124 billion.

TLDR:

Crypto market cap is down 1.7% on Thursday morning (UTC);

90 of the top 100 coins and 9 of the top 10 coins have gone down;

BTC decreased by 1.7% to $87,820, and ETH fell 2.5% to $2,942;

The drop follows economic stress, lack of fresh capital, and geopolitical pressure;

‘This period of consolidation allows for a necessary reset’;

Rate cuts are unlikely until later in the year;

This environment could reinforce BTC’s and ETH’s ‘roles as hedges against medium-term monetary pressures and dollar debasement narratives’;

Markets are set up for a holding pattern, not a policy pivot;

This period of consolidation allows for a necessary reset;

Sygnum raised 750 BTC for the Starboard Sygnum BTC Alpha Fund;

US spot BTC ETFs posted outflows of $19.64 million, and spot ETH ETFs saw $28.1 million in inflows;

Crypto market sentiment saw a minor increase within the fear zone.

Crypto Winners & Losers

On Thursday morning (UTC), 9 of the top 10 coins per market capitalisation have seen their prices decrease.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 1.7%, the same amount it had gone up yesterday, currently trading at $87,820. This is the smallest green percentage in the category.

Bitcoin (BTC)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Ethereum (ETH) is down 2.5%, changing hands at $2,942.

The highest drop in this category is Dogecoin (DOGE)’s 4.5% to $0.1214.

It’s followed by Solana (SOL)’s 3.4% fall to the price of $122.

Binance Coin (BNB) saw the smallest drop, 1%, now trading at $896.

At the same time, the only increase among the top 10 is 0.8% by Tron (TRX), now trading at $0.2945.

Furthermore, of the top 100 coins per market cap, 90 have posted price decreases today.

Pump-fun (PUMP) fell the most, with the only double-digit drop of 10% to $0.003001.

River (RIVER) is next, having dropped 7.3% to the price of $50.56.

On the green side, Worldcoin (WLD) appreciated the most in this category. It’s up 5.4% to $0.4898.

PAX Gold (PAXG) is next, rising 4.7% to $5,540.

The day’s decrease follows a hawkish-leaning US Federal Reserve, lack of fresh capital, and geopolitical stress.

Bitcoin has slipped below $89,000 as a hawkish-leaning Federal Reserve and Middle East tensions sap risk appetite.#Bitcoin #Cryptohttps://t.co/4mmQhy93nE

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 29, 2026

Reinforcing Consolidation

Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, commented on the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady at 3.50%–3.75% during its first policy meeting of 2026. This was as expected and consistent with market pricing, Chen says.

Moreover, rate cuts are unlikely until later in the year, provided there’s no clear weakness in economic data.

A rate-hold preserves existing liquidity and supports risk assets without tightening financial conditions further – so it could be constructive for the crypto market in the near term. Maintaining stability while monitoring incoming data supports Bitcoin’s and Ethereum’s resilience and “broader crypto adoption under a macro regime that has yet to signal aggressive tightening.”

Currently, BTC and ETH have traded “relatively flat, holding key psychological levels as traders reassess risk appetite and positioning rather than immediately reacting to a policy shift.”

Per Chen, “Bitcoin is likely to keep consolidating in the $88,000–$91,000 range, with attempts to break out toward the $95,000 psychological level.”

But both of these coins could benefit from the steady US policy, she argues. This environment could “help sustain risk appetite” and reinforce BTC’s and ETH’s “roles as hedges against medium-term monetary pressures and dollar debasement narratives – particularly if future data points suggest easing later in 2026.

Jimmy Xue, co-founder and COO of Axis, commented that a signal that Quantitative Tightening (QT) will persist at current levels, despite political pressure, could act as a ceiling for risk assets.

The ‘debasement trade’ would remain the primary driver. And “any perceived loss of Fed independence amid ongoing DOJ scrutiny may ironically provide the floor that crypto needs, even if interest rates remain higher for longer,” Xue says.

Providing Necessary Market Reset

Fabian Dori, CIO at Sygnum Bank, says that markets are set up for a holding pattern, not a policy pivot. This was confirmed by the FOMC meeting.

The meeting outcome was “always more likely to reinforce consolidation than trigger a directional break. The next thing to watch is whether the growing political overhang around Fed independence starts to show up more explicitly in Fed communication, and in how markets price policy risk.”

Meanwhile, Nic Roberts-Huntley, CEO and co-founder of Blueprint Finance, argued that “the underlying market structure for digital assets is arguably healthier than it was during the leverage-fueled peaks above $125,000.”

Importantly, this period of consolidation allows for a necessary reset, he says.

Per Nic Roberts-Huntley, “shifting the focus from speculative froth back to long-term fundamentals and the potential for a renewed rally once macro clarity improves. Looking ahead, the interplay between fiscal policy and the central bank’s eventual pivot will remain the primary driver for risk-asset sentiment through 2026.”

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing on Thursday morning, BTC was changing hands at $87,820. The day began at $90,315, but the coin has gradually dropped below the $90,000 level and to the intraday low of $87,653.

Over the past week, BTC fell 2.4%. It traded between $86,319 and $90,475 during this period.

Failing to stay above $86,000 would take BTC back to $85,300 and then to the $83,000-$84,000 zone.

Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: TradingView

At the same time, Ethereum was trading at $2,942. Earlier in the day, the coin stood at the intraday high of $3,036. It then decreased below the $3,000 zone and to a low of $2,934.

ETH is down 2.2% over the last seven days. It moved in the $2,801-$3,034 range.

The coin couldn’t hold the $3,000 level. Additional drops would take ETH to $2,890, $2,790, and $2,650.

Ethereum (ETH)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Meanwhile, the crypto market sentiment posted a small increase since this time a day ago. It’s again standing on the verge between fear and neutral zones, but still standing in the former.

The crypto fear and greed index currently stands at 38, compared to 34 recorded yesterday.

This level indicates a minor rise in optimism among the market participants, which followed the equally minor rise in the crypto market cap. It will not see a significant move upwards without a notable market rally.

Source: CoinMarketCap

ETFs Post Mixed Results

The US BTC spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) closed the Wednesday session with negative flows. They recorded $19.64 million in outflows on 28 January. The total net inflow decreased to $56.33 billion.

Looking at the twelve ETFs, we find one green and three red ones. Fidelity posted inflows of $19.45 million.

BlackRock let go of $14.18 million, followed by Bitwise’s $12.61 million and Ark & 21Shares’ $12.3 million in outflows.

Source: SoSoValue

On the other hand, the US ETH ETFs posted minor inflows during the Wednesday session, with $28.1 million. The total net inflow increased to $12.38 billion.

Of the nine ETH ETFs, two saw inflows, and none saw outflows. BlackRock recorded $27.34 million in positive flows, followed by Fidelity’s $752,030.

Source: SoSoValue

Meanwhile, in the first four months, digital asset banking group Sygnum raised 750 BTC for the Starboard Sygnum BTC Alpha Fund from professional and institutional investors.

“The strategy captures pricing dislocations across major crypto markets by leveraging arbitrage opportunities between spot and derivatives instruments,” the company says, while maintaining “a market-neutral exposure that seeks to limit reliance on Bitcoin’s day-to-day price movements.”

News: Sygnum and Starboard Digital raise over 750 BTC for BTC Alpha Fund

Over 750 BTC raised from professional investors in first four months, validating institutional demand for yield-generating Bitcoin strategies
First regulated bank globally to offer market-neutral… pic.twitter.com/1PTHym83RW

— Sygnum Bank (@sygnumofficial) January 29, 2026

Quick FAQ

Did crypto move with stocks today?

The crypto market cut the latest brief green streak, decreasing over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the US stock market closed the previous session relatively unchanged. By the closing time on Wednesday, 28 January, the S&P 500 was down 0.0082%, the Nasdaq-100 increased by 0.32%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.025%. This came after the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady.

Is this drop sustainable?

A drop is typical and was expected, and minor decreases tend to be healthy for the market. The crypto market is still trading in a consolidation range, and it will likely continue doing so in the short term.

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(LIVE) Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for January 29, 2026

The cryptocurrency market remains under pressure, with losses spreading across most major tokens and sectors as the broader correction continues. Data from SoSoValue shows Bitcoin down 0.80%, trading below $89,000, while Ethereum has fallen 0.62% to under $3,000. Earlier gains in the AI, real-world assets (RWA), and centralized finance (CeFi) sectors proved short-lived and had largely faded by the time of writing, leaving market sentiment broadly negative. While select tokens such as...

The post Why Is Crypto Down Today? – January 29, 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Hong Kong is expanding investor access to gold through the launch of the Hang Seng Gold ETF, a physically backed fund that also outlines future plans for tokenized unit classes.

The Hang Seng Gold ETF (03170.HK) went live on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier today providing investors with exposure to gold prices through a locally stored physical structure.

Physically Backed Gold ETF Launches in Hong Kong

The Hang Seng Gold ETF is backed by physical gold bars with all bullion held in designated vaults located in Hong Kong. The fund aims to deliver investment results that, before fees and expenses, closely correspond to the performance of the LBMA Gold Price AM benchmark.

The gold custodian is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings, underscoring the role of major financial institutions in supporting the product’s infrastructure.

Hang Seng Investment said the fund’s physical gold bars will be stored through arrangements involving HKIA Precious Metals Depository Limited and Brink’s Hong Kong Limited, ensuring that the underlying assets remain within the city’s financial system.

Listed and Tokenized Unit Structure

Beyond its listed ETF units, the fund structure also includes tokenized and non-tokenized unlisted unit classes. The Hang Seng Gold ETF comprises Listed Class Units, Tokenized Unlisted Class Units, and Non-Tokenized Unlisted Class Units, though switching between these categories will not be available.

The tokenized units are not yet open for subscription and will only become available subject to relevant regulatory approvals. Hang Seng said disclosures regarding tokenized units are currently provided for reference only.

Earlier this month the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), part of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) unveiled plans to develop a platform for trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities, marking a step toward digitizing core market infrastructure.

Risk Disclosures Highlight Blockchain and Custody Challenges

Hang Seng warned that investors face a range of risks across all unit classes, including gold market concentration risk, tracking error risk, currency risk, custody and insurance risk, and reliance on gold dealers.

Additional risks apply specifically to listed units, including trading risks, market maker reliance, and potential differences in trading hours between the Hong Kong exchange and the London gold market.

Tokenized unlisted units carry further risks associated with blockchain technology, including cybersecurity threats, digital asset security issues, regulatory uncertainty, operational challenges, and potential cryptographic risks tied to future advances such as quantum computing. Non-tokenized unlisted units are subject to redemption and currency hedging risks where applicable.

Tokenization Signals Evolving Gold Investment Access

The launch comes as Hong Kong continues to position itself as a hub for both traditional finance and regulated digital asset innovation.

By combining a conventional physically backed gold ETF with the potential for tokenized unit classes, Hang Seng Investment is offering a structure that bridges established commodity investment products with emerging blockchain-based formats.

Gold’s Bull Run Isn’t Over

Gold’s rally is showing little sign of slowing as global markets head into 2026 with investors increasingly looking for refuge in traditional safe-haven assets amid geopolitical uncertainty.

Gold prices were trading higher on Jan. 29, with spot gold rising about 1.8% on the day. According to Kitco data, the metal was quoted at around $5,513 per ounce.

Gold’s surge past $5,000 an ounce and uncertainty around US crypto legislation are shaping a critical moment for digital asset markets.#Gold #Cryptohttps://t.co/DzRjcDdpfY

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 27, 2026

The post Hong Kong Broadens Gold Market Access Through Hang Seng Gold ETF and Tokenized Units appeared first on Cryptonews.

The future of the equity market infrastructure has once again been debated by Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, who believes that tokenized stocks are the best way to avoid trading halts such as those experienced during the GameStop frenzy in 2021.

In a post on X, Tenev referred to the incident as one of the most apparent failures of modern equity markets, but not due to misconduct by the broker and instead due to the old settlement mechanics, which could not survive extreme volatility.

https://t.co/ZczWF8rMrs

— Vlad Tenev (@vladtenev) January 28, 2026

Five years prior, Robinhood and several other brokerages had to limit purchases in a limited list of the most actively traded meme stocks, most notably GameStop.

The action went off a market backlash by retail investors who felt sidelined in the market at a pivotal time.

Tokenized Stocks Could Replace a Broken Settlement System, Tenev Says

Tenev attributed the pause to clearinghouse risk-management regulations that were related to the two-day settlement cycle of U.S. equities, which was then considered as the standard.

Since trades were not settled on the spot, brokers had to leave a huge amount of collateral to handle counterparty risk.

As the trading volumes and price movements increased exponentially, those deposit demands jumped icily, and firms could do little but restrict the activity.

Robinhood has since advocated more rapid settlement, which also helped to effect the industry-wide T+2 to T+1 settlement in the United States.

Although the change alleviated some of the pressure, Tenev indicated that the fundamental issue was not resolved.

Practically, a T+1 system may nonetheless extend into days around weekends and holidays, leaving markets vulnerable to the fast-flowing news and social-media-based trading.

It is against this background that Tenev remarked that tokenization is a type of structural substitute and not a peripheral solution. Tokenization involves issuing stocks as blockchain-based tokens that settle in near real time.

With atomic or instant settlement, trades no longer carry multi-day counterparty risk, reducing the need for clearinghouses to demand large collateral buffers and lowering the likelihood of sudden trading restrictions.

Tenev also pointed to additional features such as continuous, 24-hour trading, native fractional ownership, and a transparent ledger of ownership as potential advantages.

Robinhood Bets on Tokenized Stocks as Regulators Clarify Rules

Robinhood has already tested this model outside the U.S. In Europe, the company offers more than 2,000 tokens representing U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds, giving investors exposure to price movements and dividends.

On-chain data cited by tokenization trackers shows that Robinhood has minted nearly 2,000 such stock tokens with a total value just under $17 million, a relatively small figure compared with other tokenization platforms whose offerings exceed $500 million.

Source: Entropy Advisors

In the coming months, Robinhood has stated that it will continue to build these products, including around-the-clock trading and decentralized finance, including self-custody and lending.

The shift comes as tokenization in traditional finance gains momentum, with the New York Stock Exchange in January preparing to construct a digital platform to trade and on-chain settle tokenized securities, subject to regulatory approval.

The @NYSE plans to launch a platform for trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities.#NYSE #Tokenization https://t.co/Aklx0Cy1RP

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 19, 2026

Nasdaq has also prioritized tokenized equities; it has submitted a rule change application whereby on-chain representations of listed stocks can be traded according to existing market structure rules.

On their part, regulators have emphasized that tokenization has no impact on the legal status of a security.

The SEC once again confirmed that tokenized securities are subject to the federal securities laws, whether stored on a blockchain or a conventional ledger.

Pivotal December was followed by the SEC announcing a rare no-action letter against the Depository Trust Company, creating a pilot to tokenize 2026 U.S. Treasuries, significant ETFs, and Russell 1000 stocks.

The post GameStop 2.0? Why Robinhood’s CEO Claims Tokenization Is the Only Fix for Trading Halts appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Thursday that it has approved first US dollar-backed stablecoin – dubbed USDU, enabling compliant settlements for cryptos and derivatives.

According to a press release, the stablecoin maintains 1:1 reserves backing, safeguarded in onshore accounts at partner banks. The token is issued and managed by a regulated entity, Universal Digital.

Universal’s banking partners include Emirates NBD and Mashreq, with monthly independent attestation. Meanwhile, Mbank serves as strategic banking partner.

Further, Aquanow, a crypto infrastructure firm, serves as a global distribution partner. It also supports professional clients’ access to USDU outside the UAE wherever permitted.

“Being the first Foreign Payment Token registered by the UAE Central Bank – and supported by leading UAE banks – gives institutions the clarity and confidence they have been waiting for,” said Juha Viitala, CEO at Universal Digital.

USDU Stablecoin Addresses Institutional Demand

The stablecoin addresses institutional demand for regulatory transparency in digital assets, the release said.

USDU potentially reduces cross-border settlement costs, enhancing MENA’s competitiveness in the global stablecoin market.

Stablecoins have been gaining significant traction across the Middle East region. The Central Bank of the UAE granted in-principle approval for AED stablecoin in 2024. Under the new Payment Token Services Regulation, the dirham-pegged AE Coin functions as both a local trading pair and a widely accepted payment method for everyday transactions within the UAE.

The post Central Bank of the UAE Approves First USD-Backed Stablecoin appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin has slipped back below the $89,000 level after failing to hold onto a brief recovery, as tighter financial conditions and geopolitical stress continue to weigh on risk assets.

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin has slipped below $89,000 as a hawkish-leaning Federal Reserve and Middle East tensions sap risk appetite.

Trader conviction is fading, with futures open interest down 42% and rallies quickly met by sharp sell-offs.

Institutional investors are turning cautious, as ETF outflows rise and expectations for near-term rate cuts fade.

The pullback comes amid growing caution from the US Federal Reserve and fading investor appetite across crypto markets, according to Samer Hasn, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com.

In a note shared with Cryptonews.com, Hasn said market sentiment has been pressured by a central bank stance that remains neutral to hawkish, alongside rising tensions in the Middle East that have dampened demand for speculative assets.

Crypto Loses Momentum as Capital Dries Up and Traders Pull Back

While gold and silver have attracted renewed interest, digital assets are struggling to draw fresh inflows. “The crypto space is seeing its speculative fire extinguished by a lack of fresh capital,” Hasn said.

Derivatives data points to a clear loss of conviction. According to CoinGlass, crypto futures open interest is down 42% from record highs, signaling reduced risk-taking.

Attempts at bullish breakouts have been met with sharp sell-offs, with traders “quick to exit at the first sign of trouble,” suggesting a fragile market structure.

Institutional behavior has also turned defensive. Data from SoSoValue shows Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds recorded $160 million in outflows over the past three trading sessions.

US Spot Bitcoin ETFs are facing their first real test after the top October 2025 inflows of $72.6B.

Since then, we have seen just over $6B in outflows. pic.twitter.com/kyrNU0Feu3

— Rand (@cryptorand) January 29, 2026

Rather than stepping in on weakness, larger investors appear to be waiting on the sidelines as volatility persists.

The policy backdrop remains a key drag. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently signaled little urgency to cut rates, with benchmark rates held in the 3.5% to 3.75% range.

Former Fed economist William English said officials are likely to remain on hold unless there is a significant shift in labor market conditions.

“The internal friction at the Fed, highlighted by two dissenting votes from Trump appointees, adds a layer of political uncertainty that markets rarely enjoy,” Hasn said.

Geopolitical Tensions Drive Investors Away From Bitcoin

Political and geopolitical factors are adding further uncertainty. Internal divisions at the Fed, combined with leadership questions and rising tensions following a US naval deployment toward Iran, have pushed investors toward traditional havens.

“This flight to safety is bypassing Bitcoin entirely in favor of tangible commodities. Until the geopolitical dust settles or the Fed turns the liquidity taps back on, Bitcoin remains a high-risk play in a world looking for a bunker.

As reported, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan has said that gold’s surge past $5,000 an ounce and mounting uncertainty around US crypto legislation are shaping a critical moment for digital asset markets.

Hougan said the combination of rising demand for assets outside government control and fading confidence in near-term regulatory clarity could influence both crypto adoption and price action in the months ahead.

He also flagged growing uncertainty around the Clarity Act, legislation aimed at cementing a pro-crypto regulatory framework in the US.

The post Bitcoin Retreats as Hawkish Fed and Outflows Pressure Market: Analyst appeared first on Cryptonews.

Japanese Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet Inc. has approved a capital raise of approximately $137 million through a third-party allotment of newly issued shares and stock acquisition rights, according to a company filing.

*Notice Regarding Issuance of New Shares and 25th Series Stock Acquisition Rights through Third-Party Allotment* pic.twitter.com/upB0YnvaXT

— Metaplanet Inc. (@Metaplanet) January 29, 2026

The Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed firm said its board resolved to issue ordinary shares alongside its 25th Series Stock Acquisition Rights as part of a broader fundraising initiative. The move is intended to strengthen Metaplanet’s capital base and support its strategic growth plans.

New Shares and Stock Acquisition Rights Issuance

Under the fundraising plan Metaplanet said it will issue 24,529,000 newly issued common shares at an issue price of JPY 499 ($3.35) per share. The total issue amount for the share placement is expected to reach JPY 12.24 billion ( $82 million).

The company will also issue 159,440 stock acquisition rights each representing the right to acquire 100 ordinary shares. The exercise price for the rights has been set at JPY 547 ($3.70) calculated at 115% of the closing price on the trading day immediately preceding the resolution date.

The allotment and payment date for both the share issuance and the stock acquisition rights is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2026.

Earlier this week, Metaplanet reported a 104.6 billion yen ($680 million) impairment on its Bitcoin holdings, reflecting the impact of last year’s market downturn on the value of its digital asset portfolio. The company said the impairment was recorded as a non-operating expense and does not affect cash flows or day-to-day operations.

Fundraising Size and Potential Dilution

Metaplanet said the amount of funds to be raised through the stock acquisition rights totals approximately JPY 8.80 billion ($59 million), bringing the combined fundraising to around JPY 21 billion ($137 million).

If fully exercised the stock acquisition rights could result in the issuance of up to 15,944,000 additional shares, increasing the company’s outstanding share count and potentially diluting existing shareholders. The company notes that the total funds raised may decrease if the rights are not exercised within the period or are cancelled.

Overseas Third-Party Allotment Structure

The fundraising will be conducted through a third-party allotment, described as an overseas offering. Metaplanet said the securities will be allocated to scheduled allottees as set out in supporting documentation.

The purchase agreement governing the issuance includes conditions requiring the company to remain in compliance with its representations, warranties and contractual obligations.

Broader Market Context

Third-party allotments are commonly used by Japanese listed firms seeking to raise capital efficiently, particularly when targeting overseas investors. Metaplanet’s fundraising comes as companies across the region explore new financing options amid evolving market conditions.

The company did not disclose further details on the intended use of proceeds beyond supporting its corporate strategy.

The post Japan’s Metaplanet Announces $137M Capital Raise Through Third-Party Allotment appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bybit, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, announced plans to launch dollar-denominated banking accounts through partnerships with licensed financial institutions.

The Dubai-based platform will introduce “MyBank” accounts equipped with International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) in February 2026, pending regulatory approvals, allowing customers to hold balances in US dollars and 17 other fiat currencies.

The move positions Bybit to operate more like a neo-bank, reversing the typical trajectory of firms like Revolut and Robinhood that added crypto trading after establishing banking services.

According to Bybit CEO Ben Zhou, the accounts will enable seamless conversion between fiat and digital assets. “The moment that your pound or US dollar arrives, you can choose to transfer it to crypto. That’s a huge update,” Zhou told Bloomberg.

Source: Bybit Livestream

Banking Infrastructure Meets Crypto Trading

Bybit’s MyBank initiative will launch with support from partner banks, including Pave Bank, a Georgia-licensed startup lender, according to Zhou.

The accounts will support transfers across 18 currencies, and users must pass “know your customer” checks conducted by both Bybit and its banking partners before accessing services.

The exchange emphasized that this represents a natural expansion beyond its existing ventures into commodities and stock trading through Contracts for Difference derivatives.

Zhou highlighted Bybit’s operational reach as a competitive advantage during a January 29 keynote address titled “BUIDLing a New Financial Era,” where he outlined the company’s 2026 roadmap.

The platform currently operates in over 200 jurisdictions, with partnerships spanning close to 2,000 banks that support its infrastructure, providing a foundation for the banking product rollout.

The CEO stressed that “Crypto is the infrastructure for the new financial system,” positioning the accounts as a bridge between traditional finance and digital assets.

#KeynoteWithBen is LIVE!

A new financial era begins. See what’s next for Bybit traders in 2026.

Watch Now: https://t.co/EIbHFpodeB https://t.co/4hgA9zosD8

— Bybit (@Bybit_Official) January 29, 2026

Institutional Push and US Market Ambitions

Beyond retail banking services, Bybit plans to launch a custody product targeting institutional investors, particularly banks and large investors involved in tokenizing real-world assets like property or stocks on blockchains.

The move aligns with Zhou’s keynote emphasis on achieving “dominance in RWA trading, prediction markets, and on-chain capital” as a defining 2026 milestone.

However, the exchange will avoid prediction markets despite their recent popularity, with Zhou citing “a lot of compliance challenges” that have kept centralized exchanges from entering the space.

US expansion looms as a strategic priority under President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto administration, though Bybit would need to partner with a licensed operator to enter the market.

Zhou confirmed the company is “looking into” American expansion and described a US public listing as a “long-term goal,” adding: “We are getting more and more prepared.“

The CEO disclosed that Bybit is currently in discussions with major banks about potentially advising on a listing effort.

Navigating Global Growth After Crisis

The banking product launch follows a tumultuous 2025 that included a $1.5 billion hack attributed to North Korea, forcing Bybit to borrow from other platforms and deploy treasury funds to replace approximately 515,000 stolen tokens, primarily Ether and its derivatives.

During the January keynote, Zhou reflected on handling the incident with “radical transparency,” confirming the exchange maintained zero downtime and repurchased nearly $300 million in tokens to ensure no user losses.

The platform’s growth accelerated despite the setback, reaching over 82 million registered users globally, according to Zhou.

Source: Bybit Livestream

Bybit has secured regulatory licenses across multiple jurisdictions, including a full Virtual Asset Provider Organization license in the United Arab Emirates and compliance with Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in the European Economic Area through its Vienna-based entity.

The exchange’s asset inflows surged from $1.3 billion in Q3 2025 to $2.88 billion in Q4, according to company data.

Looking forward, MyBank accounts show Bybit’s bet that offering traditional financial services can accelerate mainstream crypto adoption by eliminating friction between fiat and digital asset ecosystems.

Broader Industry Consolidation

Bybit’s banking push came amid an intensifying competition among major crypto exchanges as they merge digital assets with traditional financial products.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, confirmed on January 23 that it submitted a Markets in Crypto-Assets license application in Greece as platforms rush to secure regulatory approval before June 2026 transitional deadlines expire.

Binance is also exploring plans to reintroduce stock trading four years after discontinuing the feature, according to The Information, while it secured three Abu Dhabi licenses in December 2025 covering exchange, clearing, and broker-dealer activities for Binance.com operations.

The post Bybit to Launch Dollar Accounts With Partner Banks – Can Crypto Go Mainstream? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto no longer lives on a single chain. Bitcoin dominates store-of-value narratives, Ethereum remains the center of DeFi, and Solana has carved out a role as a high-speed execution layer. But as activity spreads across these ecosystems, capital itself becomes fragmented. Liquidity that should be deep and efficient is instead split into isolated pools, forcing users and developers to navigate complexity that never seems to go away.

This fragmentation is no longer just an inconvenience. It shapes how capital moves, how DeFi products are built, and how risk accumulates across the market. As more value flows between chains, the infrastructure supporting those flows starts to matter more than the individual blockchains themselves.

LiquidChain (LIQUID) enters this game as a Layer-3 liquidity and execution layer designed to sit above Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. Instead of competing with them, it says it aims to unify how liquidity is accessed and settled across all three. The project positions itself as infrastructure for a multi-chain reality that already exists, rather than one that still needs to be invented.

At a time when cross-chain usage continues to grow, LiquidChain’s core idea is simple: liquidity should not be locked behind ecosystem boundaries. Whether that idea can scale is the question the market is now watching.

The Huge Problem in Crypto LiquidChain Aims to Fix

Liquidity fragmentation creates inefficiencies that compound over time. Capital is spread across different chains, wrapped into multiple representations, and bridged through systems that introduce delays, fees, and additional trust assumptions. For traders, this often means worse execution. For developers, it means building the same product multiple times just to reach different user bases.

Bridges were meant to solve this problem, but they introduced new risks instead, says the team. High-profile bridge exploits have highlighted how fragile cross-chain infrastructure can be, especially when it relies on custodial components or complex verification mechanisms. Even when bridges work as intended, they add friction that limits how freely capital can move.

From a developer’s perspective, fragmentation creates redundancy. Teams often deploy separate versions of the same application across multiple chains, each with its own liquidity, user base, and operational overhead. This slows innovation and dilutes network effects that DeFi relies on to grow efficiently.

LiquidChain’s strategy starts with the idea that liquidity itself should be unified at the execution layer. It proposes a shared liquidity environment where assets from different chains can interact securely and atomically under a single settlement framework.

What Exactly Is LiquidChain and the LIQUID Crypto Presale?

LiquidChain is designed as a global settlement and execution layer for DeFi. It combines a high-performance virtual machine with trust-minimized cross-chain verification to allow Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana assets to be represented and used together without traditional wrapping or bridging models, says the team. The goal is to create deep, fungible liquidity markets that feel native, regardless of the underlying chain.

At the execution level, LiquidChain uses a Solana-class performance model optimized for real-time DeFi activity. This allows complex, multi-chain operations to settle quickly while maintaining verifiable state proofs from each connected ecosystem. Bitcoin UTXOs, Ethereum account states, and Solana accounts are all verified through cross-chain proofs and messaging.

Alongside the technical buildout, the LIQUID crypto presale has got attention. Nearly $500,000 has been raised so far, with the token price increasing gradually as new phases progress. The structure shows a slow-burn approach rather than a single high-pressure fundraising event, which aligns with the project’s infrastructure-first narrative, it says.

Staking plays a central role in the current phase. High APY incentives are available early, and they decrease over time as participation grows. More than 27 million LIQUID tokens are already staked, signaling early interest while naturally pushing yields lower as the network matures.

Wrap-Up: Why LiquidChain Is Being Watched Closely

LiquidChain does not present itself as “another blockchain” competing for attention. Its positioning is closer to middleware infrastructure, sitting above major ecosystems rather than inside them. That distinction matters in a market increasingly defined by cross-chain activity.

The project’s tokenomics reflect this long-term focus. With a fixed total supply of 11,800,000,100 LIQUID, allocations are spread across development, ecosystem growth, rewards, and operational needs. A significant portion is reserved for ongoing development, which mirrors the technical scope of building and maintaining a Layer-3 execution environment.

Whether LiquidChain succeeds will depend on adoption by developers and liquidity providers, not just presale numbers. Unified liquidity only works if it is actually used. Still, the growing attention around cross-chain inefficiencies indicates the problem LiquidChain is targeting is not going away anytime soon.

As capital continues to fragment across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, solutions that reduce friction rather than add to it are likely to stay in focus. LiquidChain’s attempt to unify liquidity under a single execution layer places it squarely in that conversation, which makes it a project many in the DeFi space are now watching closely.

Explore LiquidChain:

Website: https://liquidchain.com/

Social: https://x.com/getliquidchain

Whitepaper: https://liquidchain.com/whitepaper

The post As Capital Fragments Across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, LiquidChain Tries to Fix a Growing Liquidity Problem appeared first on Cryptonews.

Six US senators have challenged Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s decision to order the closure of the DOJ-specific unit dealing with crypto enforcement in April at the time he personally possessed substantial cryptocurrency holdings.

Senators Mazie Hirono, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Christopher Coons, and Richard Blumenthal criticized Blanche in a letter dated Jan. 28, 2026, concerning his April 2025 announcement that he was disbanding the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, or NCET.

Source: Mazie K. Hirono

The senators said the decision came at a time when Blanche had a direct financial interest in cryptocurrencies, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and potential violations of federal ethics law.

Did Crypto Conflicts Kill DOJ Enforcement? Lawmakers Demand Answers

In 2022, under the administration of President Biden, the NCET was established to lead the complicated cryptocurrency crime investigations in the Justice Department.

The unit was at the center of a number of high-profile cases, including the investigation of Binance and its founder, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who in 2023 admitted to breaking anti-money-laundering laws in the United States.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Still Worth $15 Billion Despite Guilty Plea: Forbes

Former @binance CEO @cz_binance, is still worth $15 billion despite recently pleading guilty to federal money laundering charges.#CryptoNews #Binancehttps://t.co/V8dyDdD5A4

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) November 23, 2023

In April 2025, several months after Donald Trump was inaugurated, Blanche ordered the unit disbanded, and his campaign included an insistence on backing the digital asset industry.

The senators noted that Blanche disclosed crypto holdings valued between $158,000 and $470,000 in January 2025, largely in Bitcoin and Ethereum, just days before Trump’s inauguration.

On Feb. 10, he agreed to divest those assets “as soon as practicable.” However, the lawmakers noted that Blanche was confirmed as deputy attorney general on March 5 and issued the sweeping policy memo on April 7 scaling back crypto enforcement.

They added that he did not begin disposing of his crypto holdings until late May, with sales or transfers completed between May 31 and June 3.

The senators reported in their letter that Blanche could have breached the 18 U.S.C. 208(a) provision that generally prohibits executive authorities of the executive branch officials from taking part in making decisions that influence their own financial gain.

According to them, the issue is now under a complaint to the Office of the Inspector General of the DOJ, and they requested Blanche keep the documents and give a comprehensive account of how the issue was reported, responded to, and ultimately cleared by the ethics officials.

Senators had earlier raised concerns over Blanche’s decisions

The April 7 memo, titled “Ending Regulation by Prosecution,” marked a significant shift in how the Justice Department approaches digital assets.

Blanche argued that the DOJ is not a financial regulator and said prior enforcement efforts amounted to “regulation by prosecution.”

The new policy instructed the prosecutors to pursue individuals who directly victimize crypto investors or use digital assets in crimes (including terrorism, narcotics, organized crime, and human trafficking) and avoid pursuing cases involving exchanges, mixers, and other forums as their users may perpetrate crimes.

The memo also instructed that investigations that were not in line with the new priorities be shut down and NCET be officially dissolved.

Lawmakers said they warned Blanche last year that scaling back enforcement would have serious consequences. In their latest letter, they pointed to data showing illicit cryptocurrency activity surged in 2025, with TRM Labs estimating $158 billion in illegal transactions, up nearly 145% from the previous year.

A new report by @trmlabs indicates that crypto-related crime reached $158 billion in 2025, while the proportion of illicit activity dropped to 1.2%.#Crime #CryptoHack https://t.co/70N8QeYDGu

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 28, 2026

They said the increase was driven in part by sanctioned entities but noted that most categories of crypto crime rose, including violent crime and human trafficking. Criminals stole an estimated $2.87 billion through nearly 150 hacks during the year.

The post US Senators Slam DOJ Over Crypto Crime Unit Shutdown Amid Personal Holdings Conflict appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Optimism Collective approved a proposal directing 50% of Superchain revenue toward monthly OP token buybacks with 84.4% support.

The 12-month program starting in February transforms OP from a pure governance token into one directly tied to sequencer revenue generated across Base, Unichain, Ink, World Chain, Soneium, and OP Mainnet.

Based on the 5,868 ETH collected over the past twelve months, the initiative would deploy approximately 2.7k ETH, or roughly $8 million at current prices, into open-market purchases executed through an OTC provider.

Purchased tokens flow back to the collective treasury, where they may eventually be burned, distributed as staking rewards, or deployed for ecosystem expansion as the platform evolves.

Source: Optimism

Revenue Mechanism Ties Token Demand to L2 Growth

The Foundation will partner with an OTC provider to execute monthly ETH-to-OP conversions within predetermined windows, regardless of price, beginning with January’s revenue in February.

According to the proposal, conversions pause if monthly revenue falls below $200,000 or if the OTC provider cannot execute under maximum allowable fee spreads, with any paused allocation rolling over to the following month.

All trades will be reported publicly through Optimism’s stats dashboard or the governance forum for transparency, with the Foundation publishing an execution dashboard tracking fills, pacing, pricing, and balances.

The remaining 50% of ETH revenue stays flexible for development, ecosystem growth, and shared infrastructure across the Superchain’s 30+ partners, reducing governance overhead that historically limited active treasury management.

While the program starts small, it scales with Superchain expansion, where every transaction across participating chains expands the buyback base and creates structural demand for OP tokens.

The mechanism operates on collected sequencer revenue from chains that contributed the full 5,868 ETH to a treasury managed by Optimism governance over the past year.

Happy new year everyone! In November last year, I wrote about the changes we were making to refocus the team on what comes next for crypto.

Today, the @Optimism Foundation is proposing a token buyback. The goal is to unify the broader ecosystem outside of just our internal…

— Optimist Prime (@jinglejamOP) January 8, 2026

Foundation Sees Buybacks as First Step in Token Evolution

Optimism Foundation Executive Director Bobby Dresser framed the approval as a turning point for the token’s economic role.

“Governance approval of the buyback proposal marks an exciting first step in expanding the role of the OP token,” Dresser said.

“Optimism’s OP Stack is becoming the settlement layer for the next generation of financial systems, and this program will help align the OP token’s value with the success of the Superchain ecosystem.“

Speaking with Cryptonews, Dresser explained the strategic rationale behind the shift. “The goal of this proposal is to align the OP token directly with the success of the Superchain,” he said.

“Optimism earns real, growing revenue from Superchain usage, but historically, the OP token has only been used for governance. Buybacks create a direct link between Superchain demand and OP, making OP the shared instrument of the ecosystem.“

When asked what success looks like at the program’s conclusion, Dresser emphasized long-term infrastructure over short-term price action.

“Success to us means building an ecosystem that will last, which means putting the right infrastructure in place to create a new paradigm for Optimism and the OP token,” he said. “Ultimately, the governance community will decide if this should become a long-term mechanism.“

Implementation Begins Despite Governance Concerns

The proposal faced initial scrutiny from delegates concerned about bundling buyback authorization with expanded Foundation treasury discretion into a single vote.

GFXlabs urged splitting the two policy decisions, arguing that combining them prevented proper evaluation of each component and created risks that delegates might approve treasury management authority primarily because of expected price appreciation from buybacks.

Delegates also raised concerns about the OTC execution strategy, with critics arguing that off-chain purchases lack transparency, create corruption risks, and signal that Optimism cannot support basic trading activity on its own DeFi infrastructure.

Source: Optimism Governance Platform

Some community members proposed that on-chain execution would better align with the network’s decentralized ethos and provide necessary transparency to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

Despite these concerns, the proposal passed Special Voting Cycle #47 under Joint House approval at the required 60% threshold, clearing the way for immediate implementation.

Initial operations will be executed by the Foundation under predetermined parameters, eliminating discretion, with the mechanism potentially moving increasingly on-chain through Protocol Upgrade 18, which ensures all sequencer revenue from OP Chains gets collected without Foundation involvement.

Notably, the program comes as buyback mechanisms proliferate across crypto, though with mixed results.

Jupiter recently questioned whether to continue its $70 million buyback program after JUP fell nearly 90% from early-2024 highs, while Helium halted HNT buybacks despite generating $3.4 million in monthly revenue, with both projects finding that supply dynamics consistently overwhelmed demand.

The post Optimism DAO Passes OP Buyback Proposal With 84% Approval – What’s Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitpanda Technology Solutions (BTS), the digital asset infrastructure arm of European crypto platform Bitpanda, has partnered with digital financial services super-app Ribbon Plc, to launch a digital asset investment offering for the UK market.

In a press release shared with CryptoNews, the firm said the partnership will see Ribbon integrate Bitpanda’s infrastructure to provide end-to-end services covering crypto trading, custody and execution.

The move reflects growing demand among fintech platforms for regulated digital asset capabilities as more institutions explore crypto-related products.

Partnership Targets UK Digital Asset Demand

Under the agreement, Ribbon will use Bitpanda’s technology stack to support the rollout of a new digital asset investment service designed for UK customers.

The platform will also provide secure access to crypto markets while enabling Ribbon to expand its product suite in line with its broader roadmap.

BTS, the B2B infrastructure arm of European crypto platform Bitpanda, provides digital asset services to banks, brokers and fintechs seeking to embed crypto functionality into their offerings.

The companies did not disclose a timeline for the launch or provide financial terms of the partnership.

Full Suite of Crypto Services Planned

The planned UK offering will include buy and sell functionality, staking, swaps, savings plans, open-loop crypto transfers and omnibus custody, according to the announcement.

Bitpanda said the platform will be supported by its infrastructure and liquidity, allowing competitive pricing across more than 600 crypto assets. The partnership is expected to allow scalable deployment as Ribbon develops additional digital asset services.

Nadeem Ladki, global head of Bitpanda Technology Solutions, said the agreement reflects shifting expectations among institutions. “This partnership reflects how institutional expectations around digital assets are evolving,” Ladki said, adding that financial firms are increasingly seeking infrastructure partners capable of supporting long-term strategies “with scale, resilience and operational maturity.”

Ribbon Focuses on Migrants and Cross-Border Finance

Ribbon Plc positions itself as a digital financial super-app serving global economic migrants, offering multi-currency IBAN accounts, cross-border remittances, analytics tools and debit cards.

Ashesh Jani, co-founder and CEO of Ribbon, said the company aims to build a trusted platform for customers moving across borders. “By combining strong regulatory foundations with scalable technology and responsible innovation, we are creating a financial ecosystem that enables people to move, work, and build their lives across borders with confidence,” Jani said.

Infrastructure Partnerships Grow Across Europe

The partnership comes as digital asset infrastructure providers increasingly work with fintechs and financial institutions seeking compliant access to crypto services.

Firms such as Bitpanda have expanded their B2B offerings as demand rises for custody, execution and token-based investment products within regulated frameworks.

Banco BS2 Taps Bitpanda Crypto Infrastructure

In December, Bitpanda Technology Solutions entered into a partnership with Banco BS2, becoming its first banking partner in Latin America.

Brazil’s Banco BS2 has tapped Bitpanda Technology Solutions to power its institutional crypto infrastructure.#Bitpanda #Brazilhttps://t.co/uKdH58kawZ

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 18, 2025

The agreement allows Banco BS2, a Brazilian digital bank focused on corporate and institutional clients, to integrate institutional-grade crypto infrastructure as it expands its digital asset offerings.

The post Bitpanda and Ribbon Plc to Roll Out Crypto Trading, Custody and Staking for UK Users appeared first on Cryptonews.