Cryptopolitan

US producer price inflation ended December at 3.0%, beating the 2.7% forecast and landing hotter than markets expected. Core producer prices climbed to 3.3%, above the 2.9% estimate, and reached the highest level since July 2025.

This data came in during the first year of Donald Trump’s second term as the 47th president, with price pressure still building inside supply chains.

The monthly jump was driven by services. The final demand services index rose 0.7%, while final demand goods showed no change.

Core producer inflation has now moved higher for eight straight months, showing steady pressure beneath the surface. The measure that removes food, energy, and trade services increased 0.4% in December. That same category rose 3.5% during 2025, after a 3.6% increase in 2024.

Services drive producer prices higher

Final demand services posted their largest gain since July, when prices had climbed 0.9%. In December, two-thirds of the increase came from a 1.7% surge in trade service margins, which track what wholesalers and retailers earn.

Prices excluding trade, transportation, and warehousing increased 0.3%, while transportation and warehousing alone rose 0.5%.

More than 40% of the monthly services rise was tied to machinery and equipment wholesaling margins, which jumped 4.5%. Other areas that moved higher included guestroom rental, food and alcohol retailing, health and beauty retail, optical goods, portfolio management, and airline passenger services.

On the downside, bundled wired telecom services fell 4.4%. Automotive fuel retailing and long-distance motor carrying also declined.

Final demand goods were flat after a 0.8% increase in November. Prices excluding food and energy rose 0.4%, offset by a 1.4% drop in energy prices and a 0.3% decline in food prices. Nonferrous metals rose 4.5%, while residential natural gas, motor vehicles, soft drinks, and aircraft equipment moved higher. Diesel fuel plunged 14.6%. Gasoline, jet fuel, beef, veal, and iron and steel scrap all fell.

Over the full year, headline producer inflation reached 3.0%, while the core measure finished at 3.5%, according to revised data from August through November.

Intermediate demand prices climb across supply stages

Intermediate demand showed uneven moves. Processed goods slipped 0.1%, unprocessed goods jumped 2.3%, and services advanced 0.7%. Processed energy goods dropped 2.4%, while processed food prices fell 1.3%.

Materials excluding food and energy rose 0.7%. Diesel fuel again led declines, down 14.6%, alongside jet fuel and gasoline. Nonferrous mill shapes rose 2.6%, while utility natural gas, electric power, and synthetic plasticizers increased.

Unprocessed goods recorded their largest gain since January, driven by energy materials up 5.5%. Natural gas jumped 34.8%. Raw milk, metal ores, scrap, and livestock prices rose. Slaughter hogs fell 10.1%, while crude petroleum and carbon steel scrap declined. Despite December’s rise, unprocessed goods prices fell 0.3% in 2025 after climbing in 2024.

By production stage, stage 4 prices rose 0.6%, stage 3 increased 0.2%, stage 2 surged 1.4%, and stage 1 advanced 0.5%. Services pushed most gains, while diesel fuel continued to drag.

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The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has opened a formal investigation into US-based gaming platform Roblox, assessing whether it adequately protects minors under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, with child safety and online risk controls at the centre of the probe.

Underage children in the EU are at risk due to the way Roblox has been designed and developed, and that it does not have “appropriate and adequate measures” in order to protect children who use the platform, in accordance with the Digital Services Act. Roblox has a huge following, particularly among younger people; it receives tens of millions of players every day from around the world.

Netherlands examines risks to minors and platform design

Furthermore, the ACM observed that numerous reports had been submitted regarding concerns with Roblox and that the ACM received those reports and has requested information from Roblox as part of a preliminary investigative inquiry during the last couple of months.

The ACM assessed all of the materials received and determined there is enough cause and reason to open and commence an official investigation of Roblox for potential DSA violations.

“ACM, too, has received reports about these issues, and, over the past few months, has requested information from the platform as part of a preliminary investigation,” the regulator said.

“Having assessed this information, ACM sees sufficient reason to launch an official investigation into Roblox for possible violation of the rules.” ACM.

This comes as the EU’s digital Services Act sets high a bar for child protection. The DSA mandates that the platforms must provide, among other things, protection of children’s privacy, safety, and security in a manner that is commensurate with the protection of other adults. The ACM is responsible for enforcement of the DSA in the Netherlands.

The regulator has revealed that the investigation will likely last about 12 months and has also stated that any potential harm from this investigation should be far larger than just financial harm. ACM has also stated that they cannot comment further at this time as the investigation is ongoing.

Roblox is working with the regulator, and Roblox has stated that they are compliant with the EU law. A representative stated that Roblox is “committed to compliance with the EU Digital Services Act.”

Early last year, as reported by Cryptopolitan, ByteDance-owned TikTok introduced new technology for age checks in Europe on the back of rising concerns from regulators about children using social media platforms.

The video-sharing app at the time said it will soon introduce the technology to ensure users under the age of 13 are identified more accurately and removed where necessary.

Roblox defends safeguards and age verification

Roblox said that they have taken measures toward age verification via facial recognition to help to stop communication between children and adults, as recently announced in November.

“We look forward to providing the ACM with additional information about the many policies and safeguards that we have in place to protect children.” Roblox spokesperson.

The company must work on its data protection and age protection such as what Grok did in the Philippines. Grok assured the Philippines authorities of improved safety measures, leading to the country agreeing to restore access to the AI chatbot, but regulators signaled continued tougher oversight.

Authorities in the Philippines said that this decision came after the developer committed to remove image-manipulation features from the platform that triggered concern and prompted a temporary block.

Roblox has also faced several lawsuits in the US and has received significant criticism on a worldwide basis for their inability to protect children on their systems.

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India’s Budget 2026 is widely expected to focus on rationalization and regulatory clarity for cryptocurrencies, rather than introducing harsher tax measures. 

The current tax treatment of Virtual Digital Assets has attracted ongoing criticism for stifling market efficiency and effective local market participation. Against this background, Budget 2026 is seen as a potential inflection point for the Indian crypto framework.

Industry expects rationalization, not expansion

Although the government has not formally outlined any crypto-related proposals. Budget 2026 is likely to focus on simplification and clarity as India’s digital asset market matures. “A major expectation is the rationalization of the 1% TDS under Section 194S,” said CA Mohit Gupta, Partner at PNAM & Co LLP.  He added that the current rate has decreased liquidity, increased bid-ask spreads, and driven trading activity to offshore platforms. 

According to him, the industry is expecting a lower rate or a higher threshold. Under the current structure, losses from VDA transactions are not allowed to be set off against gains from other VDAs or carried forward to other years.

Key budget 2026 expectations 

Aishwary Gupta, Global Head of Payments and RWAs at Polygon Labs, highlighted some areas the industry is looking at for reform in Budget 2026. Key expectations include permitting VDA losses to be offset by VDA gains, lowering the 1% TDS to 0.01%-0.1%. Additionally, permitting transaction costs, such as gas fees, to be included in the cost basis. 

Gupta also pointed to differences between the Indian crypto tax regime and international practices. Countries like the UAE and Singapore impose no tax on individual gains from crypto, while others, like the US, UK, and Germany, have capital gains frameworks that permit offsetting losses or holding-period gains.

India currently levies a flat tax of 30% on VDA gains, with no loss offset or holding-period relief. According to Gupta, the sector hopes the framework will be more balanced, facilitating compliance while limiting capital flight to offshore platforms.

Any transfer of VDAs is taxed under Section 115BBH of the Income-tax Act, 1961, at a flat rate of 30%, plus applicable surcharge and cess. Losses incurred from VDA transactions cannot be set off against any other income or carried forward. Deductions are limited to the cost of acquisition, and no allowance is made for transaction fees or other expenses. Gifting VDAs is subject to tax if their value exceeds ₹50,000. 

What qualifies as a virtual digital asset?

The concept of VDAs was introduced by the Finance Act, 2022, which added Section 2(47A) to the Income-tax Act, 1961. Under this provision, VDAs include any type of information, code, number, or token produced by cryptographic or similar means that represents value and which may be transferred or stored in electronic forms. Indian and foreign currencies are clearly excluded, and the government has the power to notify further such exclusions.

Assets covered under the VDA framework include cryptocurrencies, utility tokens, governance tokens, NFTs (with limited exceptions), and stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. The Indian Digital Rupee (CBDC) is excluded.

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The infamous Canadian mathematician was released after being held in Serbia for 105 days in 2024, but his whereabouts are now unknown, rumored to be somewhere in Bosnia.

Andean Medjedovic, a Hamilton native celebrated for academic brilliance in maths, used his education to swindle over $65 million from crypto projects. Even though Interpol had caught up with him in Europe two years back, the “analytical thief” is nowhere to be found today.

Medjedovic finished high school at 14 and earned a master’s degree in pure mathematics at 18. He then turned to a life of crime, although his international troubles began after a flight departed Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for Kuwait through Istanbul. 

On December 11, 2023, two weeks after boarding the trip, Dutch authorities issued a European arrest warrant for the “kid that carried out a hack” that yielded $48 million in digital assets. Medjedovic was arrested in Belgrade, Serbia, nine months after the warrant was issued. 

Medjedovic used fake aliases, passports in hotels around Europe  

According to records from extradition proceedings at the Belgrade Higher Court, reviewed by investigative journalists, he controlled about $65 million in crypto while on the run. 

No one has been able to trace the exact locations he had visited since 2021, up until his arrest in Belgrade. Medjedovic told reporters he had been in South America, on unnamed islands, and a jail “somewhere in Europe.” Serbian court translations show he traveled through Brazil, Dubai, and Spain after vanishing in late 2021.

“He may be able to live large,” said Kyle Armstrong, a former FBI agent now with TRM Labs. “However, to pay your rent, to buy a car, to travel, there’s not many places that are willing to accept cryptocurrency.” Armstrong believes that if the funds were obscured, the suspect “may have cashed out some of his millions of dollars.”

Medjedovic is very popular in crypto circles because he is alleged to have exploited two platforms. The US DOJ and the Netherlands have linked him to the hack of the Vietnam-based DeFi multichain aggregator KyberSwap.

As reported by Cryptopolitan, Kyberswap suffered a front-end bot exploit in 2023, resulting in the loss of $48 million in user funds. After fraudulently walking away with the assets, the attacker sent a public message to the firm. “Negotiations will start in a few hours when I am fully rested. Thank you.” 

That exchange of words later formed part of a US indictment unsealed in early 2025, supporting the DOJ’s extortion charge. Dutch authorities claimed the Kyber incident was launched from a hotel in The Hague. They say Medjedovic checked in with a false Slovak passport and left the morning after the hack, even though he had paid for a month’s stay.

An Ontario court issued a bench warrant in late 2021 when he failed to appear in a civil case. He also allegedly exploited code vulnerabilities on the Index Finance platform at age 18, racking up $16.5 million.

Where is Medjedovic now? 

According to Dutch police records, he used a Bosnian passport for one flight and a Slovak passport for travel to Sarajevo. Medjedovic told the Serbian court that he holds Bosnian citizenship, not Canadian.

Moreover, Global Affairs Canada confirmed it “was aware of a Canadian citizen detained abroad” in the summer of 2024. 

After traveling to Bosnia in 2023, the Dutch warrant was followed by an Interpol Red Notice. His next confirmed location was the United Arab Emirates. He told the Belgrade court he “was in Dubai for four months,” using the name Lorenzo. He also booked an apartment in Belgrade under that name, leading to his arrest in August 2024.

Medjedovic was held in custody for 105 days, but he was released after the Dutch failed in an extradition attempt. Judges said Dutch prosecutors had not sufficiently proven that he committed the crimes, and that the potential domestic penalties were too light.

A US court filing submitted in January last year revealed the “defendant is believed to be at large in Bosnia.” When CBC’s reporters caught wind of chatter that he was outside Sarajevo, they contacted the building manager where he was allegedly living in the city. However, they were told that although authorities came looking for him, “he was never seen there.”

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A Russian court has ordered the seizure of the property of a former employee of the interior ministry in Moscow, prosecuted for accepting bribes in cryptocurrency worth billions of rubles.

The development in the high-profile case comes as Russian lawmakers prepare to legalize the state confiscation of digital assets as part of criminal proceedings this year.

Former police official loses his property over crypto-funded corruption

The Zyuzinsky District Court in the Russian capital has approved the prosecutors’ claim over the property of a corrupt official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD).

Identified as Georgy Satyukov, the department’s former employee has been convicted for accepting crypto bribes for a record 5 billion rubles (over $66 million at current exchange rates).

The man’s assets will be seized “for the benefit of the state,” a participant in the proceedings told RIA Novosti, which quoted the source as stating:

“The court fully upheld the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office to seize Satyukov’s property.”

The trial was held behind closed doors, the news agency noted in a report on Thursday. In April 2024, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow sentenced Satyukov in absentia.

The ex-specialist in combating financial fraud had fled abroad after the launch of the investigation against him over the massive bribe, the largest in the MVD’s recent history.

He is believed to have been receiving the cryptocurrency in exchange for providing protection to people involved in various financial schemes.

In December of that year, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, revealed his colleagues had seized over 2 billion rubles as part of the same probe.

The whereabouts of one of Satyukov’s subordinates who is also implicated, Dmitry Sokolov, are unknown, too. Both have been placed on an international wanted listed.

Russia to regulate all crypto transactions including state seizure of digital assets

Russian authorities are gearing up to comprehensively regulate all transactions with cryptocurrencies, including investment and trading, by the summer of 2026.

According to the latest regulatory concept proposed by the Bank of Russia in late December, Bitcoin and the like will be treated as “monetary assets.”

Under current Russian legislation, digital currency has been partially recognized as property, at least in some legal acts.

A bill granting it the same status under the country’s Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law was recently approved for final adoption by the legislative committee of the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament.

The draft law introduces effective mechanisms for the seizure of coins by law enforcement agencies and their subsequent confiscation for the state or to secure civil claims.

Earlier in January, Russia’s Constitutional Court upheld the property rights of cryptocurrency owners, including the right to judicial protection.

There have been a number of precedents already in the Russian judicial practice, when crypto holdings have been treated like property.

Last week, media reports revealed that the office of Russia’s Federal Bailiff Service in the Krasnodar Krai region has seized the digital assets of a local resident to settle his child support debt.

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President Donald Trump on Friday announced Kevin Warsh as his choice to chair the Federal Reserve, to replace the outgoing leader Jerome Powell when his term ends in May, pending Senate confirmation. Markets have reacted slightly positively to the news, with both gold and bitcoin gaining 0.5% after a cold start to Friday morning.

POTUS Trump announced his nominee on Truth Social, saying Warsh would be nominated to both serve on the Federal Reserve Board and become its next chair. 

I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.

POTUS Trump.

The 55-year-old banker is a former Fed official with Wall Street experience and a profile investors are well aware of. His selection ends weeks of speculation over who would lead the central bank, as the current administration continues to press Powell on interest rate policy.

US dollar trends upwards, crypto and gold markets still struggle

After Trump made his announcement, the initial response in financial markets saw the US dollar strengthen against other currencies, while yields on the 10-Year Treasury bonds climbed. 

However, gold futures were down 4.1% at $5,177 per ounce, while spot gold had retreated 3.9% from its intraday highs to $5,152 at the time of this publication. The metal logged its largest daily market capitalization swing on record, according to market data tracked by the Kobeissi Letter.

Between 9:30 AM and 10:25 AM Eastern Time on Thursday, gold had shed $3.2 trillion in market value, equating to losses of about $58 billion per minute. From 10:25 AM to 4:00 PM, it regained $2.3 trillion in value, more than three times Bitcoin’s market capitalization over 6.5 hours.

In the early Friday Asian trading hours, bitcoin was consolidating near $82,300. A Fed news-inspired market has pushed the coin above $83,000, though that level is still 5.5% below its value 24 hours ago. All eyes will be on the $80,000 level, following the king coin’s slip below the neckline of a head and shoulders formation on the daily chart. That breakdown implies a possible 12% further decline from the neckline to $75,000 if selling pressure returns. 

Meanwhile, stock markets outside the United States traded unevenly during the early trading hours. Germany’s DAX rose 0.8% to 24,506.41. Paris’s CAC 40 gained 0.4% to 8,107.50. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher to 10,189.05.

In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 2.1% to 27,387.11, the Shanghai Composite index declined 1% to 4,117.95, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1% to 53,322.85 as artificial intelligence-linked stocks retreated. 

Kevin Warsh expected to solidify Fed independence

Kevin Warsh was part of a shortlist that included Rick Rieder of BlackRock, Fed Governor Christopher Waller, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. David Bahnsen of The Bahnsen Group believes not much will change at the central bank if Warsh gets the Senate’s greenlight.

“He has the respect and credibility of the financial markets. There was no person who was going to get this job who wasn’t going to be cutting rates in the short term. However, I believe longer term he will be a credible candidate,” Bahnsen told CNBC.

President Trump had nominated Powell during his first term, then former President Joe Biden later renominated Powell for another term, Cryptopolitan reported. Yet, tensions between Trump and Powell have been public for years. Trump repeatedly bashed the current Fed chair for not lowering interest rates, even after the Fed cut rates three times late in 2025. 

The path to Warsh’s confirmation may be a bumpy one, as some lawmakers, like Republican Senator Thom Tillis, vowed to block Trump’s Fed nominees until the Justice Department probe on Powell for perjury concludes.

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The question “Should I buy Bitcoin now?” usually surfaces during periods of uncertainty. After Bitcoin’s rise from negligible prices to six-figure levels, entry timing has become more consequential, especially during volatile market conditions. For some investors, that uncertainty has led to a wider review of how participation in the Bitcoin ecosystem works beyond buying or selling BTC. Bitcoin Everlight has started to appear in that context.

Entry Timing Uncertainty Is Pushing Broader Evaluation

Bitcoin’s market size and liquidity mean price moves are often driven by macro factors, institutional flows, and leverage. That makes short-term decisions harder to assess, particularly for participants who are not trading actively.

In these conditions, some investors look at surrounding infrastructure to understand what opportunities exist independent of immediate price direction. This does not replace Bitcoin ownership. It reflects a parallel review of systems that operate around Bitcoin and remain relevant across different market phases.

Bitcoin Everlight Sits Alongside Bitcoin, Not in Place of It

Bitcoin Everlight operates as a transaction layer built to function alongside Bitcoin. It does not change Bitcoin’s protocol, consensus rules, or monetary structure. Bitcoin remains the settlement layer and the source of final transaction finality.

Everlight focuses on transaction routing and coordination through a separate node network. Transactions are confirmed through quorum-based agreement among participating nodes, typically within seconds. Transaction batches can be anchored back to the Bitcoin blockchain, creating a reference point for settlement without relying on Bitcoin’s base layer for every interaction.

Presale Access Shapes How the Project Is Evaluated

Everlight’s token, BTCL, is still distributed through a public presale. That distribution stage places infrastructure access earlier than price discovery on secondary markets.

BTCL has a fixed total supply of 21,000,000,000 tokens. Forty-five percent of the supply is allocated to the presale, which is divided into 20 stages. Pricing begins at $0.0008 and increases incrementally to $0.0110 in the final stage. Presale allocations unlock with 20% available at the token generation event, followed by linear vesting over a six-to-nine-month period.

For investors weighing ecosystem exposure during periods of Bitcoin price uncertainty, the presale structure is often assessed on access terms and mechanics instead of short-term market sentiment.

Node Participation Offers an Operational Role

The Everlight network is operated by node participants. These nodes do not mine Bitcoin, produce blocks, or contribute hash power. Their role is limited to routing transactions, maintaining availability, and participating in quorum confirmation within the Everlight layer.

To operate a node, participants stake BTCL. Node performance is tracked using uptime, routing volume, and responsiveness metrics. Participation tiers — Light, Core, and Prime — define routing priority and operational scope. Network rules include a defined commitment period to support stability.

This structure appeals to participants interested in operational involvement without the hardware, energy, or capital requirements associated with mining.

Disclosure and External Review

Infrastructure projects tend to receive closer scrutiny when investors hesitate. Everlight has published third-party security and identity verification materials. Smart contract reviews are available through the SpyWolf Audit and the SolidProof Audit.

Team identity verification is available through the SpyWolf KYC Verification and the Vital Block KYC Validation. Independent commentary has also reviewed the project, including a Crypto Tech Gaming review examining its infrastructure model.

The Roadmap Lays Out How the Network Expands

Bitcoin Everlight follows a phased development roadmap. Early phases focus on protocol finalization, node architecture testing, and economic calibration. Public testnet stages introduce broader node participation and quorum confirmation testing, alongside settlement anchoring simulations.

Later phases include mainnet activation, formal node registry onboarding, and integration with wallets and payment tools. Ongoing development centers on routing efficiency, anchoring refinement, and periodic security review.

Acquire BTCL in the presale to engage with Bitcoin Everlight’s node and transaction routing system.

Website: https://bitcoineverlight.com/
Security: https://bitcoineverlight.com/security
How to Buy: https://bitcoineverlight.com/articles/how-to-buy-bitcoin-everlight-btcl

The Pentagon and Anthropic are in a direct fight over how artificial intelligence can be used by the U.S. military.

The conflict centers on safeguards that would block the government from using AI to target weapons on its own or to run surveillance inside the United States. The disagreement sits inside a contract valued at up to $200 million and has now stalled talks.

This dispute has become an early test of how much influence Silicon Valley really has in Washington after years of tension.

Defense and intelligence officials want freedom to deploy stronger AI tools in combat and security work. Tech leaders want limits. The talks have dragged on for months and have now hit a wall.

Pentagon presses ahead as Anthropic pushes back on weapons use

After long negotiations, the U.S. Department of Defense and Anthropic are stuck. Six people briefed on the talks said neither side has moved. The clash has grown sharper under President Donald Trump’s second term, with disagreements inside the administration now spilling into public view.

In a statement, Anthropic said its technology is “extensively used for national security missions by the U.S. government and we are in productive discussions with the Department of War about ways to continue that work.” At the same time, company representatives told officials they worry the tools could be used to spy on Americans or help weapons strike targets without enough human control.

Pentagon leaders rejected those limits. They pointed to a January 9 memo on AI strategy that says the military should be free to use commercial AI systems as long as the law is followed. Officials said private rules should not decide battlefield choices.

Even so, the Pentagon still needs Anthropic to move forward. The models are built to avoid actions that could cause harm. Company engineers would have to adjust the systems before the military could use them the way it wants.

The standoff puts Anthropic’s defense business at risk during a sensitive moment. The San Francisco startup is preparing for a future public offering. It has spent heavily to win U.S. national security work and to shape federal AI policy from the inside.

Anthropic is also one of only a few firms the Pentagon selected last year. Others include Google, Elon Musk’s xAI, and OpenAI. These companies now sit at the center of U.S. military AI plans.

Caution from Anthropic has caused friction with the Trump administration before. In a blog post this week, CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI should support national defense “in all ways except those which would make us more like our autocratic adversaries.”

Dario has also spoken out on government force at home. After fatal shootings of U.S. citizens during immigration protests in Minneapolis, he described the deaths as a “horror” in a post on X.

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Circle Internet Group says it will devote 2026 to strengthening its underlying infrastructure to enable more businesses and institutions to adopt stablecoins.

Nikhil Chandhok, the firm’s chief product and technology officer, noted in a blog post that the company is trying to bring Arc, its institutional-focused layer-1 blockchain, out of testnet and into the real world. He noted the company will also focus heavily on upgrading stablecoin infrastructure so that companies can adopt stablecoin-based payments and settlements without building their own systems from scratch.

The company also said it will deepen the utility of USDC, EURC, USYC, and partner tokens while extending their presence to new chains.

Arc will serve as Circle’s coordination layer

Circle’s decision follows strong growth in stablecoins, now worth more than $300 billion, along with clearer U.S. regulatory frameworks. Stablecoins became a major focus of the crypto industry in 2025, driven by new U.S. rules and growing interest from banks and institutions.

The plan, Circle says, is to scale applications, including its payments network, so organizations can handle stablecoin payments without managing the technology themselves. Chandhok even noted that Circle will invest in making USDC more seamless across different blockchains, while improving the user and developer experience.

He further stated, “In addition, we will continue to expand our partner and developer ecosystem to build utility and extend global scale and reach to bring the benefits of stablecoin and internet-scale finance to more markets and use cases.”

In the first 90 days of operation, the Arc testnet generated almost 1.5 million wallets that processed more than 150 million transactions, typically settling the transactions in about half a second.

Circle hopes to have Circle Payments Network and StableFX run on Arc

Services like Circle Payments Network and StableFX will in the future operate on Arc, drawing on its institutional-grade architecture to more easily coordinate payments and capital flows, Circle said. Circle also seeks to have Arc lower onchain finance’s barriers to entry by handling behind-the-scenes complexity for regulated organizations.

The platform also comes with developer and interoperability tools to help teams build leading product solutions. For instance, the company’s CCTP has also supported cross-chain USDC, with the stablecoin running across 30 networks by December 2025 and CCTP connecting 19 of them, processing $126 billion in total. Speaking on CCTP, the company even stated in its release that it’s “Going forward, our priority is to make it an even more systemic interoperability layer for USDC so that businesses and users have access to USDC liquidity that moves safely and predictably across blockchains where it’s needed.” 

The firm also recently launched Circle Gateway for chain-agnostic USDC balances, enabling instant cross-chain liquidity for apps without increasing complexity. Currently, it’s infusing Gateway with Arc, CCTP, and x402, preparing the base for USDC-powered micropayments, machine-to-machine transactions, and agentic payment flows across multiple chains.

The firm wrote, “Together with Arc, these interoperability and developer tools will make the idea of an Economic OS more than just a concept, but rather a robust framework that combines a network, interoperability primitives, and tightly integrated tools for developers to build with.”

DeFiLlama data indicates that USDC still holds the No. 2 spot among dollar-backed stablecoins, with a market cap above $70 billion. Meanwhile, USDT remains the largest stablecoin, accounting for more than $186 billion of the $306 billion total market cap.

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Crypto traders switched to precious metals, chasing the upside of gold and silver. Just days after expanding token-based silver markets, the price shifted direction. 

Crypto traders adapted to the underwhelming performance by switching to silver, last year’s big runner. Silver set out for a series of records in 2026 as well, leading to a trading rush to make use of a newly active asset. 

Until recently, only tokenized gold was more actively traded. However, silver turned into an appealing access point, with predictions for an ongoing rally. Crypto platforms adapted, as new markets emerged for silver contracts through Hyperliquid’s HIP-3. 

Precious metal tokens and perpetual futures replaced the sluggish altcoin market with a higher upside and presumably, a more stable price action. 

Traditional assets, even when volatile, rarely had wild price swings within hours. However, silver’s recent breakdown defied this narrative, leading to another round of liquidations for crypto traders. Silver surged by leaps in January, rising up to 20% in days and becoming the new darling of both traditional and on-chain traders. 

Silver reversal led to liquidations

Silver crashed from over $120 per ounce to around $101, affecting both traditional and crypto markets. 

Most of the liquidity for silver was available through HIP-3, and the trading pairs were deployed in the past two weeks. 

One of the major liquidations happened on XYZ: silver, a new perpetual futures pair by an independent deployer. One of the whales had a position for over $8.99B liquidated in a single transaction. 

A Hyperliquid whale got liquidated on a silver position after the precious metal had a rapid downturn. | Source: Hyperliquid.

In total, Hyperliquid saw $11M in silver positions wiped out, as the same whale lost a smaller position of $2.21M. 

An unraveling of this speed has been anticipated for BTC or altcoins. However, the precious metals market has rarely shown this type of price action, especially the highly improbable correction. Silver is still up by 208% in the past year, though crypto traders only caught the latest segment of the pump above $100.

Will silver traders rotate back to crypto?

On-chain silver markets are still in their early stage. Silver itself behaves not unlike volatile altcoins, causing a similar effect. For now, volumes may continue to flow into silver contracts, as HIP-3 is just starting to grow its influence. 

Silver became the top asset on Hyperliquid’s HIP-3, drawing speculative interest as traders moved away from digital assets and into metals. | Source: Dune Analytics.

As of January 27, HIP-3 set another trading record with $1.79B in daily volumes. Silver is also the main driver of the user and fee records in recent days. During the market climb, the market caused a series of short liquidations. 

The other problem is that on-chain silver trading is mostly limited to a single market, concentrating risk. Additionally, on-chain markets may face some confusion on the actual price of spot silver, which has closing hours and does not trade 24/7. The contracts are also not a store of value, since they only offer price speculation and are not a tokenized real asset.

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As Dogecoin (DOGE) fades from the spotlight and price consolidates, analysts are looking for the next big crypto investment. Investors are shifting their focus towards Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a new DeFi crypto token with a current value of $0.04 during presale. The crypto token has been building momentum through increasing holder numbers and the recent V1 protocol launch. Mutuum Finance has raised $20.25 million and attained an 18,930 holding.

Dogecoin (DOGE) Shows Gradual Consolidation

Dogecoin (DOGE) is trading at $0.175, moving steadily along a descending channel formation on the 1-day chart. As can be seen, it has been steadily making lower highs and lower lows since it peaked at $0.27. The descending channel has been acting as a steady resistance level for the token. Currently, it is approaching a support level at $0.14, which, if broken, would likely test the $0.06 level. The RSI is at a neutral level of 41.81, and the trading volume has been steadily decreasing, indicating a consolidation period. Although it is a recognizable token, Dogecoin has a low growth potential, which is why investors are keeping an eye on Mutuum Finance.

MUTM: Positioned for Strong Growth

The presale of Mutuum Finance offers a unique investment opportunity for investors to realize their maximum gains. In Phase 7, the price of the MUTM token is set at $0.04, which will increase to $0.045 in Phase 8. This means that, for example, an investment of $3,000 at a price of $0.04 will result in the purchase of 75,000 MUTM tokens. This investment will be worth $3,375 when the price rises to $0.045, thus providing an instant gain of $375, even before the official launch of the token. The official token launch will be $0.06, leading to even bigger returns. However, the real excitement will begin after the official launch, with up to 20x gains expected. 

The Mutuum Finance Protocol is now live on the Sepolia testnet, allowing users to access various features such as lending, borrowing, and staking. The platform has features, including liquidity pools, mtTokens, debt tokens, and an automated liquidator bot. At the moment, the platform is supporting USDT, ETH, LINK, and WBTC. With the ability to generate yields, crypto holders can benefit from the use of the Mutuum Finance Protocol, making it a prime candidate for the next big crypto in DeFi.

Unlock Liquidity Without Selling Assets

One of the biggest issues that crypto investors face is the ability to access cash without having to sell off their investments and thus forgoing the opportunity to gain from future price appreciation. However, the borrowing mechanism proposed by the MUTM platform addresses this issue. For instance, if an investor puts in 4 ETH, valued at approximately $12,000, the user can then borrow $9,600 in the form of USDT at an 80% LTV ratio. The ETH remains exposed to future price gains in the market while they access instant cash to attend to their pressing needs. 

MUTM’s Reserve Factor: Safety and Stability in Action

The reserve factor is one of the most important factors in the Mutuum Finance (MUTM) protocol, as it helps ensure the long-term stability of the platform, providing safety and stability for both lenders and borrowers. The reserve factor can be thought of as an automatic risk management tool, where a small percentage of the interest paid by borrowers goes into the reserve pool. This reserve pool is essential in maintaining protocol solvency.

To understand this concept, let’s take an example where a user borrows a stable asset. Suppose that the user borrows 10,000 USDC with an APY of 8%. If the USDC asset has a reserve factor of 10%, then the lender could receive 7.2% of the APY, and the remaining 0.8% goes into the reserve pool. However, in the case where the asset is not stable, the reserve factor must be higher. For example, let’s say that the user borrows an asset with an APY of 12% and a reserve factor of 25%. In this case, the lender receives 9% of the APY, and the remaining 3% goes into the reserve pool.

As the popularity of Dogecoin fades, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is becoming the next big crypto. The DeFi crypto token, priced at $0.04, is live with its lending platform, secure borrowing, and high-growth potential, making it one of the best utility-focused DeFi crypto investment opportunities.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/ 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance 

The Central Reserve Bank (BCR) of El Salvador announced on January 303 that it made a new purchase of 9,298 troy ounces of gold, valued at $50 million, on international markets, reinforcing its push to build bullion reserves as gold prices soar.  

This was not the nation’s first distribution in a long time. The purchase comes after 13,999 troy ounces, which were similarly valued at about $50 million at the time, were acquired in September 2025. According to the central bank, the new purchase lifted the country’s total gold holdings to 67,403 ounces, valued at approximately $360 million at the current price.

El Salvador expands gold reserves and Bitcoin holdings

El Banco Central de Reserva realizó una nueva adquisición de 9,298 onzas troy de oro en los mercados internacionales, equivalentes a US$50 millones, como parte de su estrategia de incremento en las tenencias de este metal. pic.twitter.com/1GD7H4Bd0X

— Banco Central de Reserva (@bcr_sv) January 29, 2026

According to the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, “this second acquisition strengthens the country’s long-term assets while maintaining a prudent balance in the composition of the assets that make up the International Reserves,” the bank stated. However, no official target level for future purchases was specified in the statement.

The BRC described gold as a “universally strategic reserve asset” that supports long-term financial stability. It maintained that the metal increases trust among investors and citizens and protects the domestic economy from structural shifts in global markets.

President Nayib Bukele reposted the announcement on X, “We just bought the other dip.” It was unclear if Bukele was cheekily revealing the government’s own bitcoin purchase or celebrating the gold purchase.

The recent gold purchase comes at a time when the nation is making ongoing efforts to increase its exposure to Bitcoin, further solidifying its reputation as a global leader in cryptocurrency. The government has gradually accumulated coins for the national treasury since making Bitcoin legal tender.

On-chain data from Arkham Intelligence revealed that El Salvador has continued to accumulate bitcoin through a succession of one-bitcoin purchases, with recent transactions totaling between $84,700 and $95,400 each. 

The data reflects many additions over the past two weeks alone, including transactions of roughly $88,000–$89,000 on several consecutive days and higher-priced acquisitions above $95,000 earlier this month. The regular inflows are consistent with President Nayib Bukele’s vow for the government to buy one bitcoin each day, strengthening the country’s long-term accumulation strategy.

On-chain data revealed that the country’s stack now stands at 7,547 Bitcoins, worth around $619.54 million at the current price of $82,087, down 6.53%.

Global gold demand drives investors’ purchases

El Salvador’s recent action is taking place amid rising global demand for gold. The metal has rallied nearly 20% year to date, hitting multiple record highs amid intensifying geopolitical and macroeconomic tensions. Building on this momentum, investors globally have moved into safe-haven holdings. 

For instance, on January 20, the National Bank of Poland (NBP) announced plans to increase its gold reserves to 700 tons to lessen its dependence on conventional reserve currencies. Adam Glapinski, the President of NBP, revealed that the bank was the biggest net buyer among central banks in 2025, having bought over 100 tonnes of gold.

While some central banks are transparent about their purchases, China is quietly increasing its gold holdings. According to a Kobeissi Letter report, China is still secretly hoarding gold. Last December, the country made its 14th consecutive monthly purchase of an extra 0.9 tons of the metal. 

The report noted China is reporting 10–11 times less gold than it actually purchases, meaning that the +27 tons of total gold purchases officially reported in 2025 may actually be +270 tons. A Cryptopolitan report dated January 27 noted that China’s projected gold purchases in November exceeded 10 tons, roughly 11 times the amount reported by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC). The report said that China is buying gold as if the world were in a huge crisis.

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A US federal jury found a former Google engineer guilty of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets and sending them to China, according to the Department of Justice’s statement released Thursday.

The 38-year-old defendant, Linwei Ding, has been convicted of seven counts of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets. The US Northern District of California court ruling said that the actions were carried out for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China.

During the trial, Ding was accused of stealing more than 2,000 internal documents from Google’s systems. US Attorneys, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that the files were transferred to his personal Google Cloud account while he was still on the company’s payroll.

The Justice Department first brought the charges in March 2024, but a later indictment added more counts to the allegations, including claims that Ding participated in Chinese AI technology initiatives. 

Former Google engineer sent data center schematics to Beijing

According to the evidence presented in court, the stolen documents contained plans for Google’s advanced computing infrastructure. The material included data center schematics capable of providing sufficient power for large artificial intelligence projects. 

The stolen information also provided information about Google’s internal software for managing computing clusters. That software coordinates thousands of specialized chips into a unified system, which is purportedly central to the company’s AI capabilities.

Jurors heard that the files contained technical details on proprietary hardware, including Google’s Tensor Processing Units and Graphics Processing Units. The data also covered how the software used in those chips communicates and executes several complex tasks.

Another leaked topic was Google’s SmartNIC technology, a specialized network interface card that supports communication within AI supercomputers, cloud networks, and other services.

According to witnesses’ testimonies, the document transfers happened between May 2022 and April 2023. Ding was an employee at Google at the time, while he was also building connections with companies based in China.

Prosecutors said Ding was in talks to become a chief technology officer at a PRC technology startup. By early 2023, he was working to establish his own AI and machine learning company in China as the company’s chief executive.

In presentations to investors, Ding allegedly said he could replicate advanced AI computing systems by adapting Google’s technology. Ding downloaded the material onto his personal computer less than two weeks before his resignation in December 2023, per court records.

Evidence citing Ding’s interactions with the Chinese government showed he applied to a Shanghai-based government-backed talent program in late 2023. 

“Ding’s application for this talent plan stated that he planned to help China have computing power infrastructure capabilities that are on par with the international level. The evidence at trial also showed that Ding intended to benefit two entities controlled by the government of China by assisting with the development of an AI supercomputer and collaborating on the research and development of custom machine learning chips,” the DOJ wrote in its statement.

National security concerns emerge as the AI race continues

US officials said Linwei Ding’s actions and the misuse of AI research pose risks to America’s national security. According to the FBI and DOJ, Silicon Valley is pioneering AI research that would boost the country’s economic growth and improve its security. 

“The theft and misuse of advanced artificial intelligence technology for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China threatens our technological edge and economic competitiveness,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani.

Ding is scheduled to appear at a status conference on February 3, where he will be sentenced. He is facing a potential 10-year sentence for each count of trade secret theft, while each economic espionage conviction could bring up to 15 years in prison.

Meanwhile, China has been investing heavily in AI infrastructure since 2021, directing around $100 billion into AI data centers. However, a recent industry report said the average utilization rate nationwide is just 32%.

In an opinion article published in China Economic Weekly, Rao Shaoyang of the China Telecom Research Institute warned the country against “blindly building intelligent computing centres” and asked planners to look at local demand before launching any new projects.

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The start of 2026 has been a chill to the market of digital assets. Over the years, investors regarded the largest cryptocurrency as an unstoppable power. However, that is changing as the market starts to prefer some utility rather than mere name recognition. Older assets are being quietly put off by large capital holders. They are looking out to the next crypto generation of financial technology that is really ready to be utilized. It is a subtle but rapid shift, and it is the harbinger of a new decentralized financial era.

Bitcoin (BTC) 

Bitcoin trades at a price of around $88,000 and has a market capital of about $1.75T. Although such figures are huge, it is still a substantial decrease compared to the heights of late 2025. The asset has bumped into significant levels of resistance such as the value of $94,000 and $101,000. 

The institutional outflows are also accelerating due to de-risking of the investors. Certain analysts have also made a bleak price forecast of the remaining 2026. They indicate that BTC may not experience a minimal increment of 15% of where it is now. Worst case scenario The price may fall back to around $74,000 as the market dominance may decrease.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

While top crypto giants face a period of deceleration, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is gaining significant technical momentum. The project is focused on building a high-performance decentralized borrowing and lending system designed for maximum capital efficiency. As confirmed by an official announcement on X, the V1 protocol has been successfully activated on the Sepolia testnet, marking a transition from conceptual development to a functional, live product.

This activation represents a major milestone in the project’s roadmap. The V1 environment allows users to interact with live liquidity pools and the proprietary mtToken system, which issues interest-bearing receipts to lenders. Simultaneously, the protocol utilizes debt tokens to provide transparent on-chain tracking for all borrowing activity. 

To ensure ecosystem security, the release includes an automated liquidator bot designed to monitor loan health and maintain solvency during market volatility. This testnet phase provides a real-world setting for participants to verify how they can earn yield or access liquidity against their assets before the full mainnet deployment.

MUTM Growth Since Q1 2025

The MUTM presale has been experiencing an all time demand as the market seeks fresh opportunities. The project has already surpassed almost $20 million and has more than 18,900 holders. The company is in Phase 7 with a token price of $0.04. The 4 billion total number of tokens are allocated to the presale community at 45.5% or 1.82 billion. 

The project has a 24 hour leaderboard to ensure that it is exciting. The highest customer in terms of purchases during the day is given a bonus of $500 in MUTM tokens. To make it as easy as possible, the users can participate in presale with different crypto payments or just direct card purchase.

A Roadmap Built on Security

Mutuum Finance places security at the very center of its architectural design, ensuring that user protection is a foundational pillar rather than an afterthought. The protocol has successfully undergone a comprehensive smart contract security assessment by Halborn Security, a premier cybersecurity firm renowned for stress-testing some of the most prominent platforms in the decentralized finance space. This rigorous review confirmed that the protocol’s core logic—including its lending, borrowing, and liquidation mechanisms—meets high industry standards for safety and reliability.

Complementing this independent audit, the MUTM token has achieved an impressive Token Scan score of 90/100 from CertiK, a global leader in blockchain security analysis. This high trust rating reflects the project’s commitment to transparency and its proactive approach to mitigating common smart contract risks. 

Looking toward the long-term roadmap, Mutuum Finance is set to further enhance its ecosystem with the introduction of a native, over-collateralized stablecoin. This will allow users to access liquidity without being forced to sell their core holdings, while the integration of Chainlink oracles will provide the high-fidelity, decentralized price feeds necessary for accurate collateral valuation and secure liquidation triggers. By combining these advanced financial tools with a multi-layered security stack, Mutuum Finance is positioning itself as a best crypto leader within the 2026 altcoin market.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Apple plans to speed up production of its three most expensive iPhone models set for 2026 while pushing back the release of its basic version, according to a Friday report from Nikkei Asia. The publication spoke with four sources familiar with the company’s plans.

According to Reuters, it could not confirm the information right away. Apple did not respond when Reuters reached out for comment after regular work hours.

Foldable iPhone and upgraded models take priority

The company will concentrate on getting its first foldable iPhone ready along with two regular models that have better cameras and bigger screens, the report said. These phones are scheduled to come out in the second half of 2026. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 18 won’t arrive until the first half of 2027.

Apple is making this change to use its resources better and earn more money from its pricier phones, according to the report. The company also wants to deal with the higher costs of memory chips and other materials. Another reason is to reduce problems that might come up when making the foldable phone, which uses more complicated manufacturing methods.

An executive at a company that supplies parts for iPhones explained the decision to Nikkei Asia. “Supply chain smoothness is one of the key challenges for this year, and the marketing strategy change also played a part in the decision (to prioritize premium models),” the person said.

Strong sales despite production changes

Apple released sales figures on Thursday that were higher than Wall Street anticipated. The corporation sold a lot of iPhones, and its business in China bounced back rapidly. In Apple interview with Reuters, CEO Tim Cook stated that consumers are desperate for the newest iPhones. He called the demand “staggering.”

Additionally, the change helps Apple deal with a lack of memory chips worldwide. The corporation can obtain sufficient parts for its most lucrative devices by concentrating on fewer models. This tactic guarantees that the intricate foldable screens fulfill quality requirements prior to the base models’ 2027 release.

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ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood has stated that the likelihood of a decline in gold prices is increasing. Writing on X, Wood noted historical monetary indicators suggesting that gold may be at the end of a cycle.

Recent market data has fueled that argument. Intraday trading showed that gold’s market capitalization relative to the US money supply (M2) reached a historic extreme. The ratio exceeded levels last seen in 1980, when inflation was double-digit, and interest rates were high. More notably, it also surpassed readings linked to the Great Depression of 1934, when sweeping monetary disruption redefined the U.S. financial system.

Valuation signals a flash warning as dollar conditions shift

Wood emphasized that the current macro context is very different from that in other periods. The American economy is neither in a runaway inflation nor in a deflationary collapse. Meanwhile, financial situations have improved.

The 10-year U.S Treasury yield, which reached close to 5% at the end of 2023, has since dropped to approximately 4.2%. Against that backdrop, Wood maintained that the parabolic rise in gold prices does not appear to be related to fundamentals.

“The US economy today looks nothing like the double-digit inflation-prone 1970s or the deflationary bust of the 1930s. True, foreign central banks have been diversifying away from the dollar for years; yet, the 10-year Treasury bond yield peaked at 5% in late 2023 and is now 4.2%,” Wood wrote.

Wood also emphasized currency dynamics. Although foreign central banks are slowly moving away from the dollar, a renewed appreciation of the U.S. currency could put pressure on gold prices. She quoted the period from 1980 to 2000 when a stronger dollar was accompanied by a long-term decline in gold, wiping off over 60% of its value.

While parabolic moves often take asset prices higher than most investors would think possible, the out-of-this-world spikes tend to occur at the end of a cycle. In our view, the bubble today is not in AI, but in gold. An upturn in the dollar could pop that bubble, a la 1980 to…

— Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) January 30, 2026

The gold-to-M2 framework is not accepted by all market participants. Macro traders retaliated, saying M2 has since stopped being a stable reference point in a post-quantitative-easing, digitally integrated financial system.

Analysts dispute central bank buying narrative

Further skepticism has come from Robin Brooks, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, who was a chief FX strategist at Goldman Sachs. In a Substack post, Brooks debunked claims that central bank demand is driving gold prices higher.

He argued that many charts cited to support that narrative confuse price appreciation and actual buying. As the price of gold rises, the share of gold in central bank reserves rises automatically, even if reserves remain flat. Brooks said there have been no spikes in the volume of official-sector gold, according to International Monetary Fund data. He concluded that recent gains more closely reflect the traits of retail speculation than those of institutional accumulation.

During publication, gold spot prices in United States dollars were down 2.60% at $5,232.81 per ounce, down from a recent all-time high of $5,595.46. The pullback has reopened the debate on whether the rally is over.

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The Democratic Party of South Korea has proposed tabling the Virtual Asset Phase 2 Act ahead of the Lunar New Year, aiming to regulate stablecoins and shareholder limits. Several regulatory debates have arisen since the Framework Act on Digital Assets was introduced over whether banks or tech firms should issue South Korean won-backed stablecoins.

The debate is also focused on whether limiting the ownership of major shareholders in digital asset exchanges to the proposed 15%-20% is appropriate. The South Korean Democratic Party is also proposing that stablecoin issuers should hold a minimum capital of ~$3.46 million (5B Won).

However, South Korea’s industry insiders are concerned that legislation could be delayed if the disagreement rages on, according to local media. They also fear that further delays to the legislation could lead to the South Korean financial markets falling behind global trends.

Meanwhile, ongoing talks about the won-pegged stablecoin issuer have stalled. Representative Ahn Do-geol, a member of the Digital Assets Task Force, disclosed that opinions are split on the proposed shareholding structure regarding whether banks should have a 50% + 1 share of the won-backed stablecoin issuance sector. 

Bank of Korea argues that banks should hold majority stake

The Bank of Korea (BoK) has expressed concerns about maintaining the effectiveness of monetary policy and protecting investors, arguing that banks should hold a majority share and steer issuance. However, the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) believes that allowing private tech companies to issue stablecoins would facilitate faster market entry and ecosystem expansion. The prolonged stalemate has led to several delays in the proposed legislation originally planned for 2025.

Adding to the confusion, South Korea’s industry insiders are reportedly opposed to banks controlling stablecoin issuance, arguing that the won-backed tokens will be more like new-concept deposit products than stablecoins. They believe this will not align with global market trends and may lead to a complete stagnation of stablecoin issuance.  

In particular, South Korean industry insiders note that no other country in the world requires a majority stake in any industry, including banking. They cited countries such as Singapore, the U.S., Japan, and many in Europe that have established regulations allowing government-approved private companies to issue stablecoins alongside banks.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP) has also opposed the SK FSC’s proposal to limit stakes for major crypto exchange shareholders. The PPP argues that limiting these stakes could lead to increased capital flight and confusion.

South Korea’s FSC chair says regulating ownership is necessary 

The SK FSC chairman, Lee Eok-won, recently stated that regulating the ownership of major digital asset exchanges is both necessary and efficient, considering the public infrastructure nature of exchanges. However, one digital asset industry insider noted that the process of major shareholders selling their shares and restructuring corporate governance could take months or even years. It is questionable whether these steps will truly refresh the South Korean digital asset market.

Meanwhile, the BoK is looking into implementing a registration system for domestic institutions to issue won-pegged stablecoins. However, South Korea’s central bank has expressed concerns that won-backed stablecoins could bypass capital controls. 

On the other hand, South Korean regulators are also divided on stablecoin issuance rules. Media reports suggest that external trade threats and exchange rate fluctuations have further escalated tensions. However, the South Korean digital asset market is gaining momentum despite these regulatory challenges. The SK market has also grown exponentially following the recent introduction of KRW-backed stablecoin projects and the legalization of corporate crypto trading.

In the meantime, Korea Digital Asset has partnered with privacy-focused blockchain project Miden to advance crypto infrastructure for institutional adoption in South Korea. The initiative is expected to prioritize regulatory compliance and adherence to South Korean industry standards. The collaboration further seeks to promote the regulated and secure use of digital assets within institutional settings.

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Crypto Twitter has once again revived its frustration with Binance and its former chief executive, months after the exchange allegedly caused a market slump during the unforgettable 10/10 liquidation event.

Over the past five days, Changpeng Zhao has been labeled a “fraud” and “worse than SBF” on several social media platforms. Although the ex-Binance CEO believes the attacks are fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) driven, retail traders are undoubtedly frustrated by the mere fact that the market has not recovered from what happened last October.

CZ bashed for saying ‘buy-and-hold’ is the best investment strategy

It all began when Zhao posted a message on X last weekend, in which he argued that most trading strategies fail to beat a simple buy-and-hold method. In the eyes of the crypto community, his remarks have entirely overlooked the current reality. 

Not the first time, won't be the last time.

Been receiving FUD attacks since day 1. Will address it in the AMA tonight, look below the surface on why and how.

While our (self perceived) "competitors" focus on us, we continue to build and grow. 💪 https://t.co/g7bil6w5Mh

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 30, 2026

Bitcoin is down by a whopping 25% in the last 3 months and is now trading at $82,000, according to CoinGecko. October 10 was the last time the coin was changing hands above $120,000. 

Moreover, according to price charts for tokens listed on Binance in 2025 and 2026, more than 90% of 221 Alpha-listed projects are far below their post-listing highs. That perceived disconnect has made traders lose their trust in Binance listings and what Zhao says.

“CZ I held all the tokens listed on Binance last year. Please advise,” one trader wrote, mocking the former Binance’s head advice.

Zhao addressed the criticism in a follow-up post on Thursday, boasting that “FUD doesn’t hurt his target,” and “his followers increased.” He continued, saying that FUD damages the entire crypto market, and insisted that neither he nor Binance sells tokens in significant amounts.

“I/Binance do not sell in any meaningful amounts. My selling = I swipe my card, and $5 worth of BNB gets converted/sent to the coffee shop. I don’t run Binance anymore, but based on what I know: Binance only converts a portion of its revenue to pay for expenses. They are a large net hoarder,” he explained. 

Zhao also said Binance is under the scope of regulators worldwide, who can review every trade on every account. “Don’t be misinformed. Use your energy on positive improvement for yourself,” the Binance co-founder concluded.

OKX founder and Cathie Wood blame Binance for 10/10 woes

On Wednesday, OKX founder Star Xu wrote that “people had underestimated the impact of the 10/0 incident,” also saying it “caused real and lasting damage to the industry.” The total crypto market capitalization has fallen by more than 20% since the doomsday, dropping to around $3.2 trillion at the time of this publication. 

Binance reported paying about $283 million in compensation caused by de-pegging incidents and related issues. The company said the most severe technical problems happened after prices had already bottomed, and that more payouts were planned for verified losses. 

However, Xu believes Binance caused the volatility by supporting profit takers, insider trading, and Ponzi crypto schemes. Though he did not mention any names in his critique, it was clear to Crypto Twitter that Binance was the platform he was talking about.

“Some chose to pursue short-term gains, launching Ponzi-like schemes, amplifying a handful of ‘get-rich-quick’ narratives, and directly or indirectly manipulating the prices of low-quality tokens, drawing millions of users into assets closely tied to them. This has become their shortcut for attracting traffic and user attention,” the OKX founder claimed. 

In a recent interview with Fox Business, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood revisited the October 10 turmoil. Wood said the ecosystem has been dealing with aftershocks from the forced deleveraging event for the past two to three months.

CATHIE WOOD: THE WORST IS LIKELY OVER FOR BITCOIN

Cathie just laid it out pretty clearly and says the last 2–3 months were basically the aftershock from the Oct 10 flash crash — a Binance software glitch that forced ~$28B of deleveraging across crypto. Bitcoin took the hardest… pic.twitter.com/iOuLCzOHaG

— CryptosRus (@CryptosR_Us) January 27, 2026

She estimated that the unwind erased $28 billion from the industry, and linked the episode to a technical issue at Binance. “October 10th was, what in the crypto world…is the flash crash associated with a software glitch on Binance that deleveraged the system,” she surmised.

In a now-deleted X post, Binance CEO Yi He responded to Wood’s sentiments, saying, “Cathie Wood isn’t a Binance user. We don’t serve US Individuals or entities. No offense.”

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BTC options on Deribit went through their first monthly expiry in 2026, serving as an indicator of market sentiment. Positions point to bearish hedging as BTC unraveled to the $82,000 range. 

On Friday, 91,000 BTC options contracts expired with a put-call ratio of 0.48 and maximum pain at $90,000. The contracts had a notional value of $7.6B. Another $1.19B in ETH contracts expired, with a put-call ratio of 0.68. 

The January expiry is the first big event following the rollover from 2025. The notional options expiring today accounted for 25% of open interest, for a total of $9B. Call options dominated, signaling a bearish ratio with protections from a further downside for BTC and ETH. 

As BTC faces uncertain demand and range-bound trading, the options event further sent out a sentiment indicator of bearish expectations. 

Options bring downside protection to $75,000 per BTC

As BTC and ETH entered another downtrend in the past week, signs of fear once again spread on the crypto market. The early 2026 trading followed the unraveling in Q4 2025. For now, BTC finds support at the $80,000 level, while ETH holds above $2,500. 

In the past month, downside protection positions shifted from $85,000 to $80,000. Contracts for the months ahead point to a higher probability for a shift to $80,000, rather than a run to $120,000.

BTC options showed expanded downside protection, with a lower probability of a hike to $120,000. | Source: CoinGlass.

The most numerous contracts are now at the $80,000 psychological level, and another accumulation of put contracts at $75,000 per BTC. The latest market cycle showed elevated options trading activity, as positions aimed for better protection from a bear market. 

The latest options expiry event saw a higher trading volume, mostly due to the new year rollover. Based on Deribit data, market makers and active traders have significant cash reserves and are ready to use options as a form of bearish hedging. 

Will BTC recover after the options expiry?

Historically, BTC trading often shifted directions following significant options expiry events. Options expiry is often seen as a source of price pressure ahead of the event, as traders try to push the price to a profitable options position. 

Following this week’s expiry, BTC traded at $82,252.43, while ETH sank to $2,717.77. BTC is trading with a sentiment of extreme fear, expecting even lower drawdowns. 

To date in January, BTC is down by 3.35%, in a traditionally slow month during multiple cycles. The asset is now nearly 120 days from its all-time peak, with a 30% drawdown, setting bearish expectations of corrections as low as $40,000.

BTC traders are also noticing BTC is rejecting any attempt to move above $90,000, potentially pointing to deliberate selling. The coin increased its volatility in January, shifting to lower ranges after several liquidation events.

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