Cointelegraph

US companies moving into Venezuela to extract the country’s enormous crude oil reserves could lower electricity prices for Bitcoin miners and improve their profitability margins, analysts at crypto exchange Bitfinex said.

“Cheaper and more abundant energy would improve miner margins globally and could unlock a new phase of mining expansion, particularly in regions able to secure long-term power contracts,” the Bitfinex analysts said in a note on Monday.

The US started seizing Venezuelan oil tankers in December, and it is expected to start extracting Venezuela's 303 billion barrels worth of crude oil reserves after capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday.

Chevron is the only major US oil company currently operational in Venezuela, but US President Donald Trump is pushing for other big players to move into the country to start producing.

The intervention will have “immediate spillover effects” in the energy markets and second-order implications for Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency market, the Bitfinex analysts said, while adding that only a fraction of Venezuela's oil reserves would need to be tapped to meaningfully impact energy prices. 

Source: The Kobeissi Letter

It could provide much-needed relief for Bitcoin miners, whose profitability has been squeezed by a 25% drop in Bitcoin from its all-time high, rising mining difficulty, and increasing electricity costs.

US may need a decade to make Venezuela a “production powerhouse”

However, “Any meaningful increase in Venezuelan output would take years, not months,” the Bitfinex analysts said, adding that the pace will hinge on how the US handles Venezuela’s political transition and sanctions that linger over the South American country.

It may even take a decade for the US to make the most of Venezuela’s oil reserves, Matt Mena, crypto research strategist at crypto asset manager 21Shares, said in a note:

“While the long-term potential is vast, analysts estimate it would require a decade and over $100 billion in infrastructure investment to restore the country to its former status as a production powerhouse.”

Venezuelan oil production has tanked over the decades 

In the 1970s, Venezuela produced around 3.5 million barrels per day — representing roughly 7% of global crude output — but that figure has since fallen to around 1 million barrels per day and now only accounts for about 1% of global production.

The collapse in economic output has largely occurred under the country’s socialist regime, with the Venezuelan bolívar losing 99.99% of its purchasing power since Maduro took over in 2013, while human rights and political freedoms have been severely repressed.

Related: Bank of America lets wealth advisers recommend Bitcoin ETFs

Crude oil prices fell following the US intervention, with the US benchmark dropping to roughly $58 per barrel, down 3% from December’s high of about $60 — a marginal relief for Bitcoin miners whose electricity costs rely on crude oil.

As for the broader crypto market, the Bitfinex analysts said prices are “likely to be driven less by energy fundamentals and more by shifts in macro risk appetite, volatility and cross-asset positioning.”

Magazine: Quantum attacking Bitcoin would be a waste of time: Kevin O’Leary

The organizers behind nonfungible token (NFT) and real-world asset (RWA) conferences in Paris have cancelled the events with a month’s notice, citing market forces.

In a Monday post, the event’s X account said NFT Paris and RWA Paris, initially set for February, would not be happening as scheduled in 2026. Although the organizers did not explicitly say events would not take place in the future, the message to attendees signaled that they are “clos[ing] this chapter” on conferences.

“The market collapse hit us hard,” reads the post. “Despite drastic cost cuts and months of trying to make it work, we couldn't pull it off this year.”

Source: NFT Paris

Some of the event sponsors reported that they would not be receiving a refund, but NFT Paris said it would refund all the tickets purchased within 15 days. Cointelegraph reached out to the organizers for details on potential future events, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

The NFT market experienced a significant downturn in 2025, with sales falling to about $320 million in November and reportedly even lower in December. According to data from CoinGecko, the total NFT market capitalization was about $2.7 billion as of Monday, representing a 68% year-over-year drop.

NFT marketplace OpenSea moved to ‘trade everything’

OpenSea was the market leader in NFTs in April, but CEO Devin Finzer announced in October that the platform would undergo a “transformation, from ‘NFT marketplace’ to ‘trade everything.’” Finzer told Cointelegraph at the time that the move would allow OpenSea users to trade “tokens, collectibles, culture, digital and physical.”

X2Y2, another NFT marketplace, said in March that it would shut down and pivot to AI. The Rarible platform, also a significant market player, unveiled a new model in September to redistribute tokens to active NFT traders, saying “previous designs […] were not sustainable.”

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

New Years fireworks spark over Neo co-founders battle

Neo co-founders Erik Zhang and Da Hongfei clashed on New Years Eve in a heated public exchange, accusing each other of mismanaging the blockchains treasury and misrepresenting years of internal governance decisions.

Neo is a long-running smart contract network founded in 2014 that rose to prominence during the 2017 bull market, when it was widely dubbed Chinas Ethereum. The nickname reflected its early focus on smart contracts and regulatory-friendly design, similar in ambition to Ethereum but marketed as a domestic alternative for Chinas tech ecosystem.

Zhang said he originally stepped away from Neo leadership after Da argued that joint oversight of the foundation was slowing the project. 

Either you step away, or I do. Im fine with either outcome, Zhang claimed Da told him in a private meeting. Acting in what I thought was Neos best interest, I agreed on the spot that I would step aside.

Neo ends 2025 with a public fallout among its co-founders. (Neo)

Zhang said the decision was not neutral. He claimed Da began developing a separate public blockchain project and said his removal eliminated internal checks, making it possible to leverage Neos resources while building a separate, personally controlled project that directly competes with Neo. He called it a fundamental conflict of interest and said he returned to demand full, verifiable financial disclosure of [Neo Foundations] assets.

Da rejected Zhangs account outright. False, he wrote, saying the dispute stemmed from years of delayed efforts to secure the treasury.

A blockchain projects treasury should be secured by multisig, not by one man after years of launching. It is not negotiable, Da said, accusing Zhang of intentionally stalling the handover.

Zhang claimed the vast majority of Neos assets beyond NEO and GAS had been under Das sole control for years. Da responded that NEO [and] GAS were always the super majority of [Neo Foundations] assets, and then accused Zhang of lying and fabricating facts and pointed to an upcoming financial report.

Neo Foundation distanced itself from the public kerfuffle, stating that the disputes will not affect its operations. It added that financial reports will be released in the first quarter.

Asias major markets are warming up to crypto ETFs

Japan sent a clear signal that cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are moving closer to the regulatory mainstream.

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said in her speech at the New Year opening ceremony on Monday locally known as the daihakkai that 2026 marks a turning point for digital assets, and the first year of full-scale digitalization.

To ensure citizens benefit from digital and blockchain-based assets, the role of exchanges and market infrastructure will be essential, she said, according to a machine translation. In the US, crypto assets are increasingly used via ETFs as inflation hedges, and Japan must also pursue advanced fintech initiatives.

Katayama signals that Japan is prepared for crypto ETFs in her daihakkai speech. (Japan Exchange Group)

Japans messaging and recent developments in South Korea suggest that Asias largest economies are warming to crypto ETFs even as formal approvals lag behind demand.

On Friday, Korea Exchange Chairman Jeong Eun-bo said that the exchange is operationally ready to list crypto ETFs and derivatives, despite regulators still debating whether digital assets qualify as eligible underlying securities.

Read also

Features Despite the bad rap, NFTs can be a force for good

Features Crypto whales like Humpy are gaming DAO votes but there are solutions

Japans regulatory position is already shifting. Crypto assets have been regulated under payment and custody frameworks rather than securities law, limiting their eligibility as ETF underlyings. That is set to change as Japanese regulators are preparing to reclassify crypto as a financial product under securities legislation.

Progress has been more concrete elsewhere in Asia. Hong Kong approved spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs in 2024, allowing products listed on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing to begin trading, albeit with modest inflows compared with US counterparts.

Vietnam approves USDT conversion pilot

Vietnamese authorities in Da Nang city have reportedly approved a pilot allowing a local company to convert USDT stablecoins into Vietnamese dong and back.

This is Vietnams first licensed test of a non-custodial digital assetto-fiat conversion model as the country brings new crypto regulations into force in 2026, according to state-affiliated media H Ni Mi.

The Da Nang City Peoples Committee authorized Dragon Lab JSC to deploy its solution, which intermediates USDT and VND conversions without taking custody of user funds. The trial will run through Dec. 17, 2028 and will be conducted under regulatory supervision at three designated locations in the city.

Vietnams Law on the Digital Technology Industry came into effect on New Years Day to establish a legal framework for crypto assets, licensing and regulatory sandboxes. The reforms form part of Vietnams broader effort to strengthen Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism controls after being placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in June 2023.

Vietnam is a jurisdictions in the FATF grey list. (FATF)

The FATF grey listing often signals deficiencies in a countrys financial crime controls and can raise compliance costs for banks, investors and international counterparties. Countries on the list face increased scrutiny from global financial institutions, which can restrict access to capital and deter foreign investment. 

In a June 2025 recommendation, the FATF urged jurisdictions to accelerate enforcement of its crypto standards, warning that stablecoins now account for most illicit onchain activity. The FATF said jurisdictions continue to struggle with licensing, supervision and identifying crypto service providers, even as criminal use of stablecoins, fraud and cross-border laundering rises.

Read also

Features Dictators turn delegates: Former CEOs grapple with DAO governance

Features How the crypto workforce changed in the pandemic

Indonesia kickstarts Asias crypto tax changes

Indonesia is set to become one of the first Asian jurisdictions to implement the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), allowing the automatic exchange of cryptocurrency and e-wallet data with tax authorities from 2027, covering the 2026 tax year.

New regulations from the Ministry of Finance expands Indonesias financial information reporting regime to include payment service providers, e-wallet operators and crypto service providers.

Payment service providers including non-bank entities are treated as deposit-taking institutions when they manage electronic money. That means e-wallet accounts and transaction data fall within the scope of information reportable to the tax authorities.

Cryptocurrencies are also brought within the reporting perimeter, with exchanges and other service providers required to disclose relevant financial information. The regulation authorizes the taxman to access data reported under CARF.

Japan and South Korea are expected to join Indonesia in 2027. (OECD)

Indonesia is among a group of 48 jurisdictions committed to conducting their first CARF exchanges by 2027, according to the OECDs latest commitment list. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is moving ahead of peers such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, which have indicated plans to begin CARF exchanges from 2028.

CARF extends cross-border tax transparency by requiring jurisdictions to collect and exchange information on crypto transactions. The framework was developed to address gaps in reporting created by the rapid growth of digital assets and electronic payment platforms.

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Parcl and Polymarket have partnered to launch real estate prediction markets that will settle against Parcl’s daily housing price indexes, bringing housing price data into prediction markets for the first time.

Under the partnership announced Monday, Polymarket will list and operate markets tied to movements in housing price indices, while Parcl will supply the index data used to determine market outcomes and settlement values.

Each market will link to a Parcl resolution page showing the final settlement value, historical index data and the methodology used to calculate the index, providing a standardized reference for verifying outcomes once markets close.

The initial rollout will focus on major US housing markets, with contracts structured around whether local home price indexes rise or fall over set periods, as well as threshold-based outcomes tied to published index levels.

The companies said the rollout will occur in phases, beginning with a limited set of high-liquidity US cities and expanding to additional markets and contract types over time.

Parcl, a platform founded during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when housing markets became volatile, publishes real-time housing price indexes and analytics and operates onchain products tied to residential real estate prices, using Solana for settlement.

Parcl’s native token, PRCL, was up about 120% over the past 24 hours at time of writing, according to CoinGecko data.

Source: CoinGecko

Polymarket is a prediction market platform where users trade on real-world events, ranging from sports and politics to forecasts for Bitcoin’s price on a given date.

Prediction markets expand in 2025-2026

After a surge in user activity during the 2024 US presidential election, prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket became a mainstream narrative in crypto in 2025.

Both platforms secured high-profile partnerships during the year, including Kalshi’s deal with CNBC and Polymarket’s partnerships with DraftKings, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and PrizePicks.

In September, Polymarket was reported to be weighing a US launch while seeking new funding at a valuation of up to $10 billion. The discussions followed a reported $200 million raise in June led by Founders Fund, the investment company co-founded by Peter Thiel.

In November, Kalshi was reported to have raised $1 billion, valuing the company at roughly $11 billion, with Sequoia Capital and CapitalG leading the round. The raise followed a $300 million funding round in October.

Polymarket bets. Source: Polymarket

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

Two major cryptocurrency exchanges have contributed more than $21 million to a political action committee (PAC) supporting US President Donald Trump. 

In a Friday filing with the Federal Election Commission, the MAGA Inc. Super PAC reported receiving 1,500,000 liquidated USDC (USDC) from the Gemini Trust Company and two $10 million contributions from Foris Dax, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com. The exchange has deepened ties with Trump’s media company since 2025 as part of a digital asset treasury strategy.

Other contributions related to the crypto and financial industries included $1 million from an executive at payment processing provider Shift4 and more than $4 million from JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. The funds contributed to the PAC’s $294 million stockpile.

Though Trump is not running for reelection in 2026, as his term ends in January 2029, the funds can still be used to support like-minded candidates going into the midterm elections. Control of the US House of Representatives’ 435 seats and 33 seats in the Senate are up for grabs, potentially allowing Democrats to gain control of both chambers from the Republicans.

Among some of the notable races potentially impacting the cryptocurrency industry include Republican and XRP legal advocate John Deaton, seeking the Massachusetts Senate seat held by Ed Markey. Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, an advocate for pro-crypto policies in the chamber, announced in December that she would not seek reelection in 2026, leaving her seat up for grabs as well.

A repeat of 2024 elections?

The 2024 elections saw significant funds from cryptocurrency companies and executives being used to influence federal races. Media buys by crypto-backed PACs and others possibly helped to shift control of the Senate to Republicans, through, for example, $40 million in spending for Ohio’s Senate race.

Last year, a spokesperson for the crypto-backed PAC Fairshake told Cointelegraph that the committee was “keeping [its] foot on the gas” for the midterms. The PAC and its affiliates spent millions of dollars in 2025 on candidates for Virginia’s 11th congressional district seat and Florida congressional seats.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

Key points:

Bitcoin has reacted positively to the US operations in Venezuela, improving investor sentiment.

Several altcoins have risen above their near-term resistance levels, indicating the start of a relief rally.

Bitcoin (BTC) marched higher during the weekend and extended its recovery on Monday, following the US operation in Venezuela. The CoinMarketCap “Crypto Fear and Greed Index” turned neutral on Sunday, indicating improving investor sentiment. Since mid-October, the index has mostly traded in the “fear” or “extreme fear” category.

Another positive factor for the bulls is that BTC has seen only one negative monthly closing in January since 2020. Even in the long term, since 2013, BTC has recorded an average gain of 3.92% in January, according to CoinGlass data. If history repeats itself, BTC may remain positive in the first month of the year.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView

Institutional investors also turned bullish in 2026, with BTC exchange-traded funds recording inflows of $471.3 million on Friday. That is the largest inflow since the $524 million in inflows on Nov. 11, per Farside Investors data.

Could BTC and the major altcoins sustain above their overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out. 

S&P 500 Index price prediction

The S&P 500 Index (SPX) turned down from 6,945 on Dec. 26 but is finding support at the moving averages.

SPX daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

That suggests the bulls view the dips as a buying opportunity. The bulls will attempt to strengthen their position by pushing the price above the 6,945 level. If they manage to do that, the index could climb to the psychological 7,000 level and then to the target objective at 7,290.

The moving averages are the crucial support to watch out for on the downside. A close below the 50-day simple moving average (6,809) could pull the index to 6,720. That suggests the index could consolidate between 6,550 and 6,945 for a while longer.

US Dollar Index price prediction

The US Dollar Index (DXY) rose above the 20-day exponential moving average (98.46), but the long wick on the candlestick shows selling near the 50-day SMA (99.08).

DXY daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The bears will attempt to sink the price below the 98.03 support. If they can pull it off, it suggests that the index could remain inside the large 96.21 to 100.54 range for a few more days.

On the upside, a break and close above the 50-day SMA signals strength. The index may then challenge the stiff overhead resistance at 100.54. A close above the level could start a new up move toward the target objective of 104.87.

Bitcoin price prediction

BTC closed above the 50-day SMA ($89,231) on Friday and continued its upward journey toward the overhead resistance at $94,589.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The moving averages are on the verge of a bullish crossover, and the RSI is in the positive zone, signalling that bulls have the upper hand. If buyers overcome the $94,589 resistance, the Bitcoin price could soar toward the psychological level of $100,000 and subsequently to $107,500.

Conversely, if the price turns down sharply from the overhead resistance and breaks below the moving averages, it suggests that the BTC/USDT pair could oscillate inside the $84,000 to $94,589 range for a while longer.

Ether price prediction

Ether (ETH) has risen to the resistance line of the symmetrical triangle pattern, indicating buying at lower levels.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The moving averages have completed a bullish crossover, and the RSI has jumped above the 63 level, signalling an advantage to the buyers. A close above the resistance line clears the path for a rally to $3,659 and then to $4,000.

The moving averages and the support line are expected to attract buyers on the downside. Sellers will have to pull the ETH/USDT pair below the support line to indicate the resumption of the downtrend. 

XRP price prediction

XRP (XRP) has risen above the moving averages, indicating that the bulls are back in the driver’s seat.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The XRP price could rally to the downtrend line of the descending channel pattern, which is expected to act as a major hurdle. If the price turns down sharply from the downtrend line, it suggests the XRP/USDT pair may remain inside the channel for a few more days.

On the other hand, a short-term trend change will be signalled if buyers achieve a close above the downtrend line. The pair could then rally toward $3. Sellers will have to tug the price below the $1.61 support to seize control.

BNB price prediction

BNB (BNB) continued its march toward the $928 level after breaking above the moving averages on Friday.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Sellers are expected to defend the $928 level with all their might, as a close above it completes a bullish ascending triangle pattern. The BNB/USDT pair could then rally toward the target objective of $1,066.

This positive view will be invalidated in the near term if the BNB price turns down from $928 and breaks below the moving averages. That suggests the pair may swing between $790 and $928 for some time.

Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) closed above the moving averages on Friday, signalling that the bears are losing their grip.

SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 20-day EMA ($128) has started to turn up, and the RSI has risen into the positive zone, indicating that the buyers have a slight edge. The recovery could reach the $147 level, where the bears are expected to step in.

A pullback from the $147 resistance is likely to find support at the 20-day EMA. Such a move suggests that the sentiment is turning positive and the bulls are buying on dips. That increases the likelihood of a rally above $147. The SOL/USDT pair may then ascend to $172.

Dogecoin price prediction

Dogecoin (DOGE) surged above the moving averages on Friday, indicating that the market has rejected the break below the $0.13 level.

DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 20-day EMA ($0.13) has started to turn up, and the RSI has risen into the positive territory, indicating an advantage to buyers. There is minor resistance at $0.16, but it is likely to be crossed. The Dogecoin price may then rally to $0.19.

Any pullback is expected to find support at the 20-day EMA and then at the $0.13 level. Sellers will have to yank the DOGE/USDT pair below the $0.11 level to regain control. The pair may then drop to $0.10.

Cardano price prediction

Cardano’s (ADA) relief rally has risen above the 50-day SMA ($0.40), indicating sustained demand from the bulls.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will strive to push the Cardano price to the breakdown level of $0.50, where the bears are expected to sell aggressively. If the ADA/USDT pair turns down from the $0.50 level but takes support at the 20-day EMA ($0.38), it signals a bullish sentiment. That enhances the prospects of a rally above the $0.50 resistance.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down and breaks below $0.37, it suggests that the bears continue to sell on rallies. The pair may then retest the vital support at $0.33.

Bitcoin Cash price prediction

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) pierced the $651 resistance on Saturday, suggesting the resumption of the uptrend.

BCH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The bears attempted to pull the Bitcoin Cash price back below the breakout level of $631 on Sunday, but the bulls held their ground. That suggests the bulls are attempting to flip the $631 level into support. The BCH/USDT pair could surge to $720, where the bears are expected to mount a strong defense.

Time is running out for the bears. They will have to swiftly drag the price below the 20-day EMA ($605) to weaken the bullish momentum.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Grayscale has declared a staking rewards distribution for its Ethereum Staking exchange-traded fund (ETF), the first time a US-listed spot crypto exchange-traded product (ETP) has scheduled a payout tied to onchain staking activity.

Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE) shareholders will receive about $0.08 per share from proceeds of the sale of staking rewards, with the payout scheduled for Tuesday based on holdings recorded at market close on Monday.

Grayscale activated staking for its Ethereum products on Oct. 6, with staking conducted through institutional custodians and third-party validator providers. The move made ETHE and Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (ETH) the first US-listed spot crypto ETPs to gain exposure to Ether staking.

Staking is the process of locking up cryptocurrency on a proof-of-stake blockchain to help validate transactions and secure the network in exchange for periodic rewards. In the case of Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust ETF, rewards are converted to cash and distributed to investors in dollars rather than being paid out in Ether (ETH).

Grayscale’s funds operate outside the Investment Company Act of 1940, the primary statute governing US ETFs, a structure that permits staking but carries different regulatory protections as traditional US ETFs.

Founded in 2013, Grayscale Investments is a digital asset manager that sponsors crypto investment products, with about $31 billion in assets under management, according to the company. 

The ETF was up around 2% in early-day trading, according to Yahoo Finance data.

Source: Yahoo Finance

US spot Ether ETFs and the push toward staking

While Grayscale is currently the only US-traded fund to issue payouts linked to Ether staking, several spot Ether ETFs from major asset managers are awaiting regulatory approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

In March, Cboe BZX filed a proposed rule change with US regulators seeking approval to add staking to the Fidelity Ethereum Fund. The proposal would allow the fund to stake some or all of its Ether through third-party providers, and followed a similar filing submitted in February for the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF.

In November, BlackRock registered a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund in Delaware, an early procedural step toward launching a staking-enabled product that would sit alongside its existing spot Ether ETF. Its iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), which launched in July 2024, currently does not include staking.

Spot Ether ETFs assets under management. Source: CoinMarketCap

US spot Ether ETFs began trading in July 2024, making 2025 the first full calendar year in which they were available to investors. During the year, the funds attracted $9.6 billion in inflows.

According to CoinMarketCap data, US spot Ether ETFs collectively manage about $18 billion in assets. 

BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) is the largest by market cap at roughly $11.1 billion, followed by Grayscale’s ETHE with about $4.1 billion and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF at around $1.5 billion.

Top five Ether ETFs by market cap. Source: CoinMarketCap

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

Several of the largest financial industry associations in China have reportedly signaled that the country’s regulators could crack down on Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization.

According to a notice shared by Wu Blockchain on Monday, the Asset Management Association of China, National Internet Finance Association of China, the China Banking Association, the Securities Association of China, the China Futures Association, the China Association for Public Companies, and the China Payment Clearing Association will no longer consider RWAs as “new technology” subject to regulatory clarification but rather as a “risky” business model.

The association listed RWAs, stablecoins, ”air coins,” a term for tokens lacking real value, and mining as illegal activities related to cryptocurrencies.

“Real-world asset tokenization involves financing and trading activities carried out through the issuance of tokens or other rights or debt certificates with token-like characteristics,” said the associations, according to a translation provided by Wu Blockchain. “It carries multiple risks, including risks of fraudulent assets, operational failure, and speculative hype. At present, no real-world asset tokenization activities have been approved by China’s financial regulatory authorities.”

The policy change by the industry associations effectively defines involvement with RWAs as “financing and trading activity” prohibited under Chinese law, and putting them at risk of a regulatory crackdown. In October, the People’s Bank of China and another regulatory authority reportedly dissuaded technology giants in the country from pursuing their stablecoin plans, signaling concerns from Beijing. 

“[R]egulators’ message this time is unequivocal: this is not a technology issue, nor a mechanism issue — real-world financial risks overwhelmingly outweigh any technological benefit,” wrote Wu Blockchain. “The document contains no mention of ‘technical pilots,’ ‘tiered regulation,’ or ‘prudential development.’ This clearly shows that the regulatory goal is not to optimize RWA — it is to exclude it entirely from the legal landscape.”

Coinbase exec warns US could lose to China

With the passage of the GENIUS Act by the US government in July, regulators have been making inroads into setting up a federal framework for payments stablecoins in the country. However, banks pressuring lawmakers to address stablecoin rewards has reportedly come amid implementation of the law.

Coinbase chief policy officer Faryar Shirzad said in December that the debate over implementation of the law could weaken the US’ position as China competes for use of its digital yuan for global payments. Commercial banks in China were permitted to pay interest on balances held in digital yuan wallets starting on Thursday.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

Bitcoin (BTC) is attempting to transition into a phase of “strength” after weeks of range-trading between $90,000 and $86,000. While the technical structure has improved, BTC traders debate whether the move has momentum or risks of becoming a bull trap.

Key takeaways:

A Bitcoin indicator flipped firmly bullish as BTC reclaimed a position above $90,000.

Momentum and channel positioning favor continuation, but near-term overbought risks remain elevated.

Onchain accumulation continues to absorb supply, while traders disagree on whether $100,000 marks expansion or exhaustion.

BTC market signals “risk-on” tilt as BTC presses resistance

According to Bitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr, BTC’s structure shift indicator, a composite of channel position, moving-average trend, and directional movement, has decisively reversed. In late December, the signal remained below -0.3, aligning with downside pressure. 

Bitcoin price structure. Source: Axel Adler Jr.

It changed on Jan. 2, when the indicator crossed above 0 and accelerated to +0.73 by Jan. 4. During the same period, BTC climbed from roughly $87,500 to $91,400, confirming a transition toward a positive regime.

Adler Jr noted:

Structural indicators are signaling a synchronized transition from a phase of weakness into a phase of strength.

The indicator moving above +0.5 historically corresponds with an uptrend. The key test now is whether the indicator can hold above 0 while the price challenges resistance at $96,000. A failure back below zero would raise the risk of a false breakout or a bull trap.

Related: Can BTC avoid bull trap at $93K? 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

Likewise, momentum and onchain channel positioning reinforce this view. Momentum has stabilized in the 0.85–0.89 range, indicating returns are running well above the three-month average of 0.5, without reaching extreme levels. 

BTC Momentum and Channel Position. Source: CryptoQuant

At the same time, channel position has reached 0.99, placing BTC near the three-week high above $92,000, with range support near $85,000. While this setup favors a breakout, proximity to the range ceiling also increases the odds of a short-term pullback before continuation.

BTC accumulation continues amid bull trap warning

Data from CryptoQuant continues to show steady absorption of supply. Bitcoin balances held by accumulating address cohorts have reached new all-time highs of 2.28 million BTC ($211 billion), extending a trend that accelerated through 2024–2025.

Retail accumulation is rising more gradually, pointing to growing participation without signs of late-cycle euphoria, while systematic accumulation patterns remain intact. 

BTC balance held by the accumulator address. Source: CryptoQuant

Against this backdrop, BTC traders remain split. Bitcoin Quantile Model creator Plan C argued that BTC is no longer in a downtrend, pointing to nearly six weeks of sideways trading within a clear channel that resembles accumulation. 

The researcher said that time spent consolidating increases the chances that a durable bottom is in place. A break above $94,500 would lead to a “swift move” toward the $100,000 level.

Meanwhile, trader Peter DiCarlo warned that the current rally could be a trap, describing a potential squeeze toward $100,000 not as confirmation of a new bull leg, but as a setup to draw in late buyers before a deeper correction to $70,000.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Bitcoin (BTC) hit new 2026 highs on Monday’s Wall Street open amid concerns over thin market liquidity.

Key points:

Bitcoin joins stocks and gold with early-year gains as geopolitics rewards asset holders.

BTC price analysis sees a “clear-cut breakout” over the next week.

Concerns over a lack of market engagement form the basis for bearish prognoses.

Bitcoin seeks new monthly highs on Venezuela

Data from TradingView confirmed a new year-to-date BTC price peak of $94,026 on Bitstamp.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

US stocks gained at the start of the week, continuing a positive reaction to the US operation in Venezuela.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Indexes were up 1% at the time of writing, while spot gold added more than 2.5%, hitting highs of $4,455 per ounce.

“Asset owners keep on winning,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter wrote in a reaction on X.

XAU/USD one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin itself has built on its highest levels since Dec. 11, passing the 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) and $91,600 and 2025 yearly open at $93,500.

BTC/USD one-day chart with 50EMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

“Good to see $BTC finally showing a bit of strength,” trader Max Rager commented in his latest X analysis.

“Retesting the 2025 yearly open and a major level for Bitcoin price over the past year. Would like to see a break and hold above $94k and then could see a push back over $100k.”

Commentator Exitpump said that further upside would “depend on spot buyers.”

$BTC Market took the opportunity to pump the price at the daily open when large asks got removed hence orderbook based indicators turned green with some chasing bids being added as well. Now continuation will depend on spot buyers. pic.twitter.com/YzqbC7oDlE

— exitpump (@exitpumpBTC) January 5, 2026

“Final hurdle before $100K: that's where Bitcoin is currently at,” crypto trader, analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe added earlier. 

“I wouldn't expect a clear-cut, immediate breakout; however, I do expect to see it happen in the coming week. The year started bullish.”

BTC/USD 12-hour chart with RSI, volume data. Source: Michaël van de Poppe/X

Spotlight on crypto volume crash

Bitcoin also fielded its fair share of nerves and bearish prognoses despite short-term strength.

$BTC 1D

I hate to be the bear of bad news but I wouldn’t get too excited about this recent pump.

We’re coming out of a 2 week long holiday period + volume is substantially low.

We’ve seen time and time again where low volume pumps from holidays get completely retraced. pic.twitter.com/3WZLdyA3gT

— Roman (@Roman_Trading) January 5, 2026

Thin order-book liquidity and low trading volume were a cause for concern for Bitcoin OG Willy Woo.

“I think we get a short term pump for January (starting to see liquidity putting in a local bottom),” he told X followers alongside a chart of mempool size and transaction fees. 

I think we get a short term pump for January (starting to see liquidity putting in a local bottom).

But this chart (transactions and fees) looks long term (macro cycle) bearish, it's a ghost town out there. pic.twitter.com/WnOwNI7Ru5

— Willy Woo (@woonomic) January 5, 2026

Onchain analytics platform Glassnode, meanwhile, reported the lowest crypto spot trading volumes since late 2023.

“This weakening demand contrasts sharply with upside moves across the market, highlighting increasingly thin liquidity conditions behind recent price strength,” it warned on the day.

Aggregate crypto spot trading volume. Source: Glassnode/X

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Strategy, the world’s largest corporate holder of bitcoin, began the new year with its first purchase of 2026 while reporting a steep fourth-quarter paper loss as Bitcoin prices slid late last year.

Strategy acquired 1,283 Bitcoin (BTC) for $116 million, boosting its holdings to 673,783 worth $62.6 billion purchased at an average cost basis of $75,026 per BTC, according to a Monday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The coins were acquired at an average purchasing price of around $90,000 each using proceeds from the sale of shares of MSTR Stock under the company’s at-the-market (ATM) offering.

The company also increased its US dollar reserve by $62 million to reach $2.25 billion, Strategy co-founder and executive chairman Michael Saylor said in a Monday X post. The cash reserve is used to support payments on dividends, preferred stock, and to pay interest on outstanding debts.

Strategy filing with the SEC. Source: Strategy

Related: $11B Bitcoin whale sells $330M ETH, opens massive $748M longs in top cryptos

While the latest purchase is larger than last week’s $108 million buy, it is small compared with some of Strategy’s biggest additions in 2025.

Strategy made its two largest Bitcoin purchases of 2025 on March 31 when it acquired 22,049 BTC for $1.92 billion, followed by a 21,021 BTC for $2.46 billion on July 29, according to data from SaylorTracker.com. 

The latest investment comes two weeks after Strategy added $747.8 million in net proceeds to its cash reserves, obtained from the sale of common stock, Cointelegraph reported on Dec. 22.

Strategy posts $17 billion paper loss for in Q4 2025

Concerns over Strategy’s Bitcoin-focused business model persist as the company posted a $17.4 billion unrealized loss on its Bitcoin holdings during the fourth quarter of 2025, as Bitcoin’s price fell by more than 23%, Cointelegraph data shows.

The company also posted a $5 billion associated deferred tax benefit, which represents a potential future reduction in the company’s income tax liabilities, according to the filing.

MSTR stock price, 1-day chart. Source: google.com/finance

Strategy’s stock price rose 3.88% in pre-market trading on Monday to surpass $157, but it’s down over 58% in the past year, Google Finance data shows.

Strategy’s advocacy for the world’s first cryptocurrency has inspired several companies to adopt Bitcoin-focused treasury strategies, such as Japanese investment firm Metaplanet, which has grown to become the fourth-largest public Bitcoin holder, with 35,102 Bitcoin worth $3.25 million on its books.

BTC in treasuries. Source: BitconTreasuries.net

Led by Strategy, public companies have amassed 1.09 million Bitcoin, or 5.21% of the total supply, according to Bitcointreasuries data.

Magazine: Would Bitcoin survive a 10-year power outage?

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet provider Ledger has clarified a recent data incident involving its e-commerce partner Global-e.

Global-e, a cross-border e-commerce platform integrated by Ledger in October 2023, experienced unauthorized access to order data in its information systems, which affected some Ledger customers.

Ledger told Cointelegraph that the incident was limited to Global-e’s systems and did not involve a breach of Ledger’s platform or its hardware and software.

“Some of the data accessed as part of this incident pertained to customers who made a purchase on Ledger.com using Global-e as a Merchant of Record,” a spokesperson for Ledger said.

Names and contact info leaked

According to social media reports, the Global-e incident resulted in the exposure of some Ledger users’ personal information, including names and contact details.

“We retained independent forensic experts to conduct an investigation into the incident and were able to determine that some personal data to include name and contact information,” Ledger said in a statement to affected customers, shared by users on X.

Source: Pcaversaccio

Ledger highlighted that the breach did not lead to access to any payment information, including payment card or bank account details, and that users’ account credentials or passwords were not affected.

“We would also like to remind you that Global-e does not hold any sensitive personal data — such as gender, date of birth or government ID numbers — to serve our customers,” the company added.

Global-e does not have access to seed phrases

Ledger also reiterated that in line with its wallets’ design and mission, Ledger products are self-custodial, meaning that only the user has access to the private key or the seed phrase, which enables users to access their crypto holdings.

“Global-e does not have access to your 24 words, blockchain balance, or any secrets related to digital assets,” Ledger said in a statement to Cointelegraph, encouraging users to be alert to any potential phishing campaigns.

Source: Ledger

Ledger said it was not the only brand whose customer data was affected. “The unauthorized party gained access to a Global-e cloud-based information system containing shopper order data from several brands,” it stated.

Ledger added that it continues to work with Global-e to ensure impacted users are notified and informed of steps they can take to protect their data.

The incident came just a few months after Ledger warned users of a phishing scam targeting users through physical mail in October 2025.

The latest incident affecting Ledger users is one of many recent data breaches targeting private user information across digital platforms, including crypto services. Previous incidents have led to phishing attacks targeting users of major industry firms such as Coinbase, Binance, and rival hardware wallet provider Trezor.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

Key takeaways:

A convincing “Coinbase support” impersonation campaign was linked by onchain investigator ZachXBT to roughly $2 million in stolen crypto.

The attribution relied on corroboration across multiple signals, including onchain activity and Telegram or social media footprints rather than a single “magic” transaction.

Coinbase says its real support team will never ask for your password or 2FA codes or request that you move funds to a so-called “safe” address.

These schemes are part of a broader fraud wave. The FBI reported more than $16 billion in internet crime losses in 2024 based on 859,532 complaints.

A caller claiming to be “Coinbase support” can sound polished, patient and strangely urgent, which is exactly the mix that makes smart people move too fast. In a recent case, onchain investigator ZachXBT said this kind of impersonation campaign netted an alleged scammer roughly $2 million in crypto from Coinbase users and that the suspect’s own online footprint helped connect the dots.

Indeed, some of the biggest threats in crypto are not smart contracts or zero-day exploits, but routine social engineering. These are the same low-tech pressure tactics appearing across the internet at scale. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says reported cybercrime losses in 2024 exceeded $16 billion, and many schemes begin with nothing more than a convincing message or a spoofed call.

Did you know? In 2024, the FBI said people aged 60 and older were hit hardest overall, reporting nearly $5 billion in losses.

What happened?

The case ZachXBT flagged was an old-school confidence trick dressed up as “customer support.”

According to ZachXBT, an alleged scammer posed as a Coinbase help desk worker and used social engineering tactics to convince victims he worked for the exchange, with losses totaling roughly $2 million over the past year.

ZachXBT said he was able to narrow in on the suspect by cross-referencing Telegram group chat screenshots, social media posts and onchain activity, and by sharing a leaked video that appeared to show the alleged scammer speaking with a victim while offering fake support.

The scam leaned on urgency and authority, including warnings about suspicious access, a so-called “security procedure” and pressure to act immediately.

Coinbase has repeatedly warned that scammers may spoof phone numbers and pose as employees, attempting to push users into “protecting” their funds by moving them. The company says legitimate support will never ask for passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, seed phrases or transfers to a “safe” address or new wallet.

Did you know? ZachXBT also claimed the operator tried to muddy the trail by buying “expensive Telegram usernames” and repeatedly deleting old accounts; however, it was still “easy” to hone in on the individual due to their frequent online gloating and lifestyle posts that ignored basic operational security.

Who is ZachXBT?

ZachXBT is a pseudonymous onchain investigator who has built a reputation by publishing detailed public threads about hacks, scams and suspicious fund movements, often before exchanges or authorities comment.

Major outlets have profiled him as an independent “crypto detective,” and his work has been cited in real-world cases where investigators later moved in on suspects.

This is why a ZachXBT post can race through the industry in hours. When he publishes an attribution claim, it can trigger new victim reports, push platforms to review accounts linked to the activity and shape how the wider market talks about an incident.

Coinbase’s own warnings and the hard truth about “support”

Coinbase’s security guidance on impersonation scams is unusually blunt. If someone contacts you claiming to be from Coinbase and pushes you to act fast, assume it is malicious until proven otherwise.

Coinbase warns that scammers regularly pose as employees and attempt to pressure users into moving funds. The company says no one will ever ask for your password or 2FA codes or request that you transfer assets to a specific or “new” address, account, vault or wallet.

In a dedicated blog post about customer support scams, Coinbase emphasizes the same pattern: Do not share login details or verification codes, do not click third-party links or install software at a caller’s request, and only reach support through official channels, not numbers or links provided to you out of the blue.

Adopt a default reflex to slow down, end the conversation and verify independently. Social engineering works when the attacker controls the tempo. Coinbase’s guidance is designed to break that tempo before money moves.

When data access feeds social engineering

One reason “support” scams can feel so convincing is that criminals sometimes show up with real context, such as a name, phone number, partial identifiers or account hints that make the call feel legitimate.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed an extortion attempt tied to rogue overseas support agents who were allegedly bribed or recruited to pull customer data from internal support systems, specifically to enable social engineering attacks. Coinbase said passwords, private keys and wallet access were not compromised but added that it would reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to attackers.

For impersonation crews, personal data is force-multiplying fuel. It makes the lie easier to sell and hesitation harder to sustain.

“Support” is the attack surface, and stolen context worsens it

When someone reaches out claiming to be “Coinbase support” and tries to rush you into a decision, the safest general assumption is that you are dealing with an impostor.

Coinbase says it will never ask you to move or “secure” funds, request a seed phrase, ask for your password or two-step verification codes, or push you to install software on your device. The company also warns that scammers can spoof legitimate phone numbers, making caller ID a weak signal.

That is why Coinbase’s own consumer protection posts keep returning to the same principle: Break the attacker’s tempo. End the call or chat, then verify independently through official channels rather than using any number, link or “case ID” given to you in the moment.

The uncomfortable reality is that these scams can become far more persuasive when criminals have real personal details to weave into the pitch.

You do not need to be outsmarted onchain to lose money in crypto. In many cases, you only need to be rushed at the wrong moment by someone who sounds credible, and sometimes, that credibility is built on stolen context.

Key takeaways:

XRP’s technical setup is turning bullish, with breakout patterns signaling trend continuation.

Institutional demand is absorbing supply, as ETF inflows and falling exchange balances tighten liquidity.

XRP (XRP) started 2026 on a strong footing, rallying roughly 18.50% in the first five days to reach above $2.16.

The gains mirrored upside moves across the crypto market, wherein the net valuation of all cryptocurrencies, led by top coins, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), jumped 7.30% year-to-date.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

Amid improving fundamentals and technical strength, here are three bullish XRP signals that could drive further price rallies in the coming months.

XRP breaks out of falling wedge

XRP’s daily chart shows a falling wedge breakout, a bullish reversal pattern that typically forms during corrective phases within broader uptrends.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The structure developed over several months as prices posted lower highs and lower lows inside a narrowing channel, signalling weakening downside momentum.

In early January, XRP broke above the wedge’s upper trendline near $2.05–$2.10, accompanied by improving relative strength.

Price is now attempting to reclaim key moving averages, including the 20-day and 50-day EMAs, while the 200-day EMA near $2.35 remains the next technical hurdle.

If confirmed, the breakout opens the door for a move toward the $2.60–$2.70 resistance zone by February, up 25% from current prices.

XRP Wyckoff reaccumulation model hints at $7

XRP’s latest pump occurred inside its prevailing Wyckoff reaccumulation pattern, according to a chart highlighted by analyst Charting Guy.

Reaccumulation is a mid-trend pause that typically appears after an initial rally, allowing large players to absorb supply before the next leg higher.

XRP/USD daily chart. Source: TradingView/Charting Guy

XRP began stabilizing in late 2024 after establishing a base near $1.20, marking Phases A and B of the pattern. Price then spent most of 2025 consolidating below resistance around $1.90-2.00, indicating cooling rather than a general trend reversal.

In late 2025, XRP briefly dipped below $1.70, a classic Wyckoff “spring below,” before quickly reclaiming lost ground, signalling seller exhaustion.

As of early 2026, XRP is attempting to break above the descending “creek” resistance near $2.10-2.15. A decisive breakout would confirm a Jump Across the Creek (JATC) and entry into Phase D.

If sustained, the structure points toward $2.80-3.20, with some analysts projecting longer-term breakout targets near $7, or roughly 230% upside from current levels.

XRP’s institutional adoption raises $8 target odds

US-based spot XRP ETFs continued to attract capital through December, extending their inflow streak to 29 consecutive trading days despite volatile market conditions.

XRP ETFs recorded $13.59 million in net inflows on Friday, lifting cumulative inflows to $1.37 billion since launch, according to data resource SoSoValue.

XRP spot ETF net flows (daily and cumulative). Source: SoSoValue

Total net assets stood at roughly $1.24 billion, even as XRP’s price and the broader crypto market faced month-end selling pressure.

Although daily inflows cooled from early-December peaks of $30–$40 million, XRP ETFs have still drawn about $478 million over the month, underscoring resilient institutional demand.

These sustained inflows indicate institutions are quietly absorbing XRP supply in the background, even as price action remains muted.

At the same time, XRP balances on exchanges have dropped to their lowest level since 2018, signalling reduced sell-side liquidity.

XRP balance on exchanges. Source: Glassnode

These trends point to tightening supply alongside sustained demand, a market setup that has historically preceded stronger upside moves once broader selling pressure begins to fade.

Standard Chartered echoed this view, projecting that XRP could rise to $8 by 2026 as institutional participation and long-term capital allocation continue to increase.

Source: X

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Starknet, a leading Ethereum layer‑2 network that uses zero‑knowledge (ZK) rollups, is experiencing fresh mainnet disruption as the project enters 2026.

In an X post, the Starknet team said the network was facing downtime and that engineers were “actively investigating the issue and working to restore full functionality as quickly as possible,” without immediately disclosing a root cause. At the time of writing, the network had been experiencing downtime for just over two hours.

​Starknet is a ZK‑rollup–based layer‑2 that batches transactions off‑chain and posts cryptographic proofs to Ethereum, aiming to deliver higher throughput and lower fees for smart contracts, decentralized finance, and gaming applications while inheriting Ethereum’s base‑layer security. 

Starknet mainnet is down. Source: Voyager Online

The project has also promoted a Bitcoin DeFi, or BTCFi, arc, pitching itself as infrastructure for bringing Bitcoin‑related financial applications into the Ethereum ecosystem. Despite the network disruption, the STRK token price held steady at the time of writing.

STRK token price remained steady. Source: CoinMarketCap

Not the first time Starknet mainnet is down

​The incident follows a series of outages in 2025 that have put Starknet’s reliability under closer scrutiny. In September, a major upgrade known as Grinta (v0.14.0) led to an extended mainnet disruption in which block production was halted, and two chain reorganizations were required, reverting around an hour of activity and forcing users to resubmit affected transactions. 

That episode followed an earlier multi‑hour outage in 2025 tied to sequencer issues, with external trackers logging multiple incidents of slow or halted block creation across the year.

​A Starknet incident report on the September event said the Grinta‑related downtime lasted roughly nine hours and traced the problems to a sequence of issues, including failures in Ethereum RPC providers and bugs that affected sequencer behavior, prompting the team to commit to architectural changes and expanded monitoring. 

The representative from Starknet told Cointelegraph that the team was working to repair the incident.

Japan appears to be moving to bring cryptocurrencies deeper into its traditional market rulebook, signaling that regulators want digital assets handled through established exchanges and securities-style oversight rather than a parallel system.

The direction was underscored on Monday by Finance Minister and Financial Services Minister Satsuki Katayama, who publicly backed traditional securities exchanges and market infrastructure as the primary gateway for blockchain-based assets. 

Speaking at the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s New Year opening ceremony, Katayama framed 2026 as Japan’s first year of full-scale digitalization. Her remarks echoed a broader regulatory shift that has been steadily aligning crypto with traditional capital markets. 

“To ensure citizens benefit from digital and blockchain-based assets, the role of exchanges and market infrastructure will be essential,” Katayama said during the ceremony, in remarks delivered in Japanese and machine-translated into English, pledging to support stock exchanges’ in “advancing cutting-edge, accessible, and efficient markets.”

Katayama’s comments come as Japan continues to tighten how crypto is accessed domestically, a process that includes stricter registration rules, enforcement against unregistered platforms, and emphasis on regulated rails. 

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama speaking at the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s New Year opening ceremony. Source: JPX

From payments law to securities regulation

Katayama’s remarks build on regulatory groundwork already underway. On Dec. 10, 2025, Japan’s Financial Services Agency outlined plans to move crypto oversight from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, treating crypto assets as financial products rather than payment tools. 

Under the framework, crypto issuance and trading would fall under securities-style regulations, including stronger disclosure mandates, insider trading prohibitions, and expanded enforcement against unregistered overseas platforms. 

Tax policy is also moving in the same direction. On Dec. 2, the Japanese government and ruling coalition backed plans to introduce a flat 20% tax on crypto profits.

This aligns crypto assets with stocks and investment funds and replaces a system that could scale tax to as high as 55%. The reform is expected to be embedded within broader securities law amendments.

The legal and fiscal changes suggest a deliberate effort to standardize crypto’s integration within the existing Japanese financial system rather than regulate it separately. 

Related: Metaplanet has key advantage over US-based Bitcoin treasuries: Analyst

Exchange-led access takes shape

The policy direction has already translated into enforcement. On Feb. 7, 2025, regulators asked Apple and Google to remove apps linked to unregistered crypto exchanges, including Bybit, MEXC, and KuCoin.

This reinforced that access to Japanese users would be limited to platforms compliant with local regulations. 

The regulatory pressure has already reshaped market participation. On Dec. 23, Bybit said it would begin phasing out services for Japanese residents in 2026, citing regulatory requirements and registration rules. 

While other players are moving toward the exit, Japan’s regulators have backed bank-led stablecoin initiatives and explored frameworks that would allow regulated institutions to play a bigger role in crypto asset markets. 

Magazine: Bitcoin treasury crackdown, Asia embraces stablecoins: Asia Express 2025

Crypto investors are being targeted by a new phishing campaign that impersonates MetaMask and tricks users into handing over their wallet recovery phrases, according to the blockchain security firm SlowMist.

The attackers are impersonating a fake two-factor authentication (2FA) security verification flow, which redirects users to fraudulent domains through fake security warnings that request users’ seed phrases.

Once users share their wallet recovery phrase, the funds from the wallet are stolen, warned SlowMist's chief security officer, 23pds, in a Monday X post.

The new wave of scams serves as a stark reminder that decentralized wallet protocols would never ask users for their secret recovery phrase, which enables anyone to take control of the wallet.

Source: 23pds

Related: Bitcoin investor loses retirement fund in AI-fueled romance scam

The phishing email redirects users to fake domains impersonating MetaMask, urging them to enable 2FA within a short period, claiming they would lose access to key wallet features.

The final step of the fraudulent process asks users for their 12-word seed phrase to complete the “security setup.”

Source: 23pds

Crypto phishing scams involve hackers sharing fraudulent links with victims to steal sensitive information, such as crypto wallet private keys.

Phishing scams have been a long-standing issue in the cryptocurrency space, but the decreasing number of incidents signals that investors are becoming wiser to this threat. 

Related: Crypto hack counts fall but supply chain attacks reshape threat landscape

Phishing scams fall 83% in 2025

Losses to phishing scams decreased 83% year-over-year, falling to $83.3 million in 2025, from $494 million stolen through phishing in 2024, according to a report from Web3 security tool Scam Sniffer, published on Saturday.

The number of phishing scam victims also decreased by 68% year-over-year, from 332,000 victims in 2024 to 106,000 in 2025.

Monthly crypto phishing scam losses and victims, 2025 chart. Source: drop.scamsniffer.io

However, losses to phishing attacks peaked in the third quarter of the year, during the market’s most active period, signaling that phishing losses are closely eclipsing market activity.

“When markets are active, overall user activity increases, and a percentage fall victim — phishing operates as a probability function of user activity,” wrote Scam Sniffer in the report.

Phishing scammers often impersonate the most popular brands to build trust with their victims.

MetaMask is the world's leading self-custodial wallet with over 100 million annual users and 244,000 connected decentralized applications, according to its parent company, Consensys.

Magazine: Meet the onchain crypto detectives fighting crime better than the cops

Bank of America is from Monday making crypto a more routine part of its US wealth business, enabling advisers across Merrill, the Bank of America Private Bank, and Merrill Edge to recommend spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to a broader range of clients.

Bank of America’s chief investment office (CIO) has approved four US-listed spot Bitcoin funds for coverage: Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC), and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).

These four ETFs are among the largest and most liquid spot Bitcoin (BTC) products on the market, which makes them easier for the bank to underwrite from an operational and regulatory risk perspective than smaller, more complex, or leveraged vehicles.

Samar Sen, APAC head at institutional trading platform, Talos, told Cointelegraph, “These four names are among the top names running digital asset ETFs due to their experience, assets under management, and track record. They also have invested in complex infrastructure that allows them to risk manage and execute in a highly efficient way.”

Bank of America allows wealth advisers to recommend BTC allocation. Source: Cointelegraph

From client‑led access to adviser‑led Bitcoin allocations

Until now, access to spot Bitcoin ETFs was limited to eligible wealth clients, and advisers were constrained to serving those client‑initiated requests.

The new framework means advisers can now recommend spot Bitcoin ETFs proactively, backed by CIO research and guidance that frames crypto as a roughly 1–4% sleeve for suitable clients, subject to each client’s risk profile and regulatory requirements in their jurisdiction.

CIO research, formal guidance in the form of an allocation guidance paper, and adviser training are being rolled out around these products so that Bank of America’s network of over 15,000 wealth advisers can fold Bitcoin exposure into standard portfolio conversations rather than treat it as an exception request.

​Bitcoin first, and the open question of Ether

So far, all the products covered by Bank of America’s CIO are Bitcoin only, and the bank has not publicly committed to adding Ether or other digital asset ETPs to that list.

That leaves a key open question for the next phase of institutional adoption: whether and when spot Ether ETFs might receive similar treatment inside large US wealth platforms.

Sen told Cointelegraph that any expansion beyond Bitcoin will likely depend on available liquidity, market structure maturity, and the ability to support institutional-grade execution and risk controls at scale.

“We’re already seeing large asset managers explore innovations in this area,” he said, “as well as broader multi-asset ETF structures, such as baskets of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.”

Bank of America had not responded to a request for comment on its plans for Ether (ETH) products at the time of publication.

Cryptocurrency investment products pulled in roughly $47 billion of inflows in 2025, just shy of 2024’s total amid new crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) launches in the US.

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) logged $47.2 billion in inflows last year, just 3% below 2024’s record of $48.7 billion, according to European crypto asset manager CoinShares.

Bitcoin (BTC) inflows fell sharply in 2025, with a 35% drop from $41.7 billion in 2024 to around $27 billion, while Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), and Solana (SOL) ETPs saw substantial gains.

Despite falling short of 2024, global crypto ETP assets under management (AUM) rose to around $180 billion in late 2025, up from about $160 billion the previous year.

Ether, XRP, and Solana led the way in 2025

Ether ETPs posted the strongest gains in 2025, with inflows totaling $12.7 billion, or up 138% from around $5.3 billion the previous year, according to CoinShares head of research James Butterfill.

Solana funds recorded the highest growth rate, surging 1,000% from $310 million in 2024 to $3.6 billion, while XRP investment products rose 500%, from $608 million to $3.6 billion.

Flows by assets in the past five years (in millions of US dollars). Source: CoinShares

“The remaining altcoins saw a decline in sentiment with a fall in inflows YoY of 30%,” Butterfill noted.

The US sees majority of inflows at $47.2 billion

The US attracted the bulk of crypto fund inflows in 2025, totaling $47.2 billion, or a 12% decline from 2024.

By the end of 2025, US crypto funds held $152.6 billion in AUM, representing 84% of all crypto assets managed by global crypto ETPs.

Flows by countries in the past five years (in millions of US dollars). Source: CoinShares

Meanwhile, Germany saw the strongest growth, with inflows jumping from just $43 million in 2024 to $2.5 billion last year. Canada also recorded a notable recovery, rising from $600 million in 2024 to $1.1 billion in 2025.

Week-wise, crypto ETPs kicked off 2026 with $671 million in inflows last Friday, bringing total inflows for the week to $582 million, Butterfill noted.

The gains followed two weeks of selling at the end of December, which saw outflows of $446 million and $952 million, respectively.

Magazine: Grokipedia: ‘Far right talking points’ or much-needed antidote to Wikipedia?

Bitcoin (BTC) launches its first comeback move in months as geopolitics excites world assets.

Bitcoin price gains see a return to $93,000 after a nearly month-long absence, but traders are skeptical.

A key golden cross is almost here on the four-hour chart, paving the way for further market strength.

Venezuela reactions form the key focus for risk-asset traders this week.

US labor-market data is due as expectations of a Fed rate cut this month fade.

Bitcoin whales remain active sellers, upping distribution over the new year.

Bitcoin price breakout or sub-$80,000 next?

Bitcoin is finally giving bulls some relief this week as BTC price action reacts favorably to geopolitical events — will it last?

That question is getting some serious attention from traders and commentators as BTC/USD hits $93,000 for the first time since Dec. 11.

Data from TradingView shows that Bitcoin has gained as much as 6.6% over the past five days.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

“Price will unlikely recover straight from here,” trader CrypNuevo argued in a thread on X.

CrypNuevo likened current price action to October 2019, predicting that the price would continue to hunt nearby liquidity on exchange order books.

“The structure is identical and price did a liquidity run before sweeping the lows, and then pumped,” he continued. 

“I think we'll sweep the lows with or without the liquidity run.”

BTC/USD comparison chart. Source: CrypNuevo/X

That would imply a trip below $80,000 for the first time since last April. On the way down, two “gaps” in CME Group’s Bitcoin futures market could provide initial targets.

“Two CME gaps are sitting below price at $90,500–$91,600 and $88,200–$88,800,” Bitcoin education resource Coin Bureau confirmed.

CME Bitcoin futures four-hour chart. Source: Coin Bureau/X

The latest data from monitoring resource CoinGlass, meanwhile, puts 24-hour crypto short liquidations at $250 million. Liquidity was piled high into the weekly close, with $93,700 bulls’ next upside target.

BTC liquidation heatmap (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

Commenting on data from one of its proprietary trading tools, Keith Alan, cofounder of trading platform Material Indicators, saw more interesting price action next.

A “wall” of sell orders, which previously sat at $100,000, is no longer in place.

“Now the fun begins,” Alan told X followers, with a chart showing increased buying from smaller Bitcoin whales.

BTC/USDT order-book liquidity data with whale orders. Source: Keith Alan/X

Bitcoin golden cross close to confirmation

A 5% BTC price rebound may sound modest by typical crypto market standards, but the trend implications could be significant.

Analyzing simple (SMA) and exponential (EMA) moving averages gives Bitcoin bulls reason for optimism above $90,000.

For the first time since $114k, Bitcoin is trading above its 4-hour 200 moving average cloud.

This is an accomplishment for the bulls.

So long as they can keep price above the MA cloud.

I'll be watching... pic.twitter.com/ntM9nlRO2a

— Caleb Franzen (@CalebFranzen) January 3, 2026

One bullish phenomenon currently playing out is the 50-period SMA crossing above the 200-period equivalent on the four-day chart. This “golden cross” signifies low-timeframe buying momentum, and would undo the “death cross” from mid-October.

BTC/USD four-hour chart with 50, 200SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

On the daily chart, a golden cross is still far from reality after its own death cross hit a month later.

BTC/USD one-day chart with 50, 200SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Taking a longer-term perspective, however, trader SuperBro notes that another pair of trendlines is already flipping green: the weekly 100-period SMA and EMA.

In previous Bitcoin bear markets, the 100-week EMA crossing under the 100-week SMA came at the start of major BTC price downside — but 2026 is proving to be different.

“Historically, the weekly 100 EMA and SMA cross deep in the bear. Each prior cycle saw a 50%+ crash to the cycle bottom within weeks,” SuperBro wrote on X.

“This is an unprecedented bullish deviation from prior cycles.”

BTC/USD comparison chart. Source: SuperBro/X

As Cointelegraph reported, Bitcoin’s 2025 performance has led to increasing claims that the four-year BTC price cycle theory is no longer valid.

Venezuela dictates market moves

All eyes are on risk assets and commodities this week as markets react to the US military move on Venezuela and its consequences.

The surprise headlines hit outside TradFi trading hours over the weekend, leaving crypto to deliver the world’s only real-time response.

The total crypto market cap has added 5% since Friday, retaking the $3 trillion mark.

Total crypto market cap one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

More conspicuous, however, is its return to moving in the same direction as safe-haven assets gold and silver.

XAU/USD was up 2% at the time of writing on Monday, moving toward a rematch with December’s all-time highs of $4,450 per ounce.

At the same time, the implications of a potential US takeover of Venezuela’s oil and gas have sent global prices lower, while US dollar strength nears its highest levels in nearly a month.

US dollar index (DXY) one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

On Sunday, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter predicted that assets across the board would “move” as TradFi traders returned. 

“Energy prices are DROPPING amid a major escalation in geopolitical tensions. This should tell you all you need to know,” it continued on X.

Kobeissi told readers to “keep watching” gold and silver.

XAU/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

A potential bull factor for Bitcoin in particular, meanwhile, comes from Venezuela's BTC reserves — a topic now seeing mounting debate on social media.

While still a matter of speculation, the country is thought to have amassed a considerable Bitcoin stockpile as one way of skirting US sanctions. Figures circulating involve around 600-660,000 BTC ($55-60 billion).

“Prior to 2026, Venezuela's official/on-chain holdings were minimal (e.g., ~240 BTC from seizures/mining reported in some trackers),” crypto analyst and commentator MartyParty noted in an X post on the topic. 

“The $60B figure refers specifically to this alleged off-the-books reserve built to bypass sanctions.”

Fed likely to hold interest rates in January

The first full trading week of 2026 contains some important US macroeconomic data releases for risk-asset sentiment.

⚡️ Key Economic Events This Week:

Monday - Market response to Venezuela developments

Tuesday - December ISM Manufacturing PMI data

Wednesday - December ADP Nonfarm Employment data, November JOLTS Job Openings data

Friday - December Jobs Report, January MI Consumer Sentiment… pic.twitter.com/SDuBtI6wlT

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) January 5, 2026

The focus will be on employment trends, with the numbers coming at a time when the labor market continues to show stress.

This has implications for the Federal Reserve, which must decide on interest-rate changes at its Jan. 28 meeting. For risk assets, another cut would be welcome, but sentiment does not yet support that outcome.

The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool puts the odds of a minimal 0.25% cut at just 17.2%.

Fed target rate probabilities comparison for Jan. 28 FOMC meeting (screenshot). Source: CME Group

Despite this, analysis sees already loose financial conditions continue to support stocks — at least for the first half of the year.

“I anticipate conditions favoring the bull market to persist into the start of 2026, including a growing economy and ample liquidity supporting loose financial conditions.” trading resource Mosaic Asset Company wrote in the latest edition of its regular newsletter, “The Market Mosaic.”

Mosaic warned that resurgent inflation could make the tail half of 2026 very different to the first.

“I believe a major transition will be looming for the stock market, and that a rising money supply will eventually force tighter monetary policy in the world’s major economies,” it wrote.

As Cointelegraph reported, the composition of the Fed continues to shift the balance in favor of officials who support additional rate cuts, as desired by President Donald Trump.

Whales hit the “sell” button

Bitcoin’s rebound from below $90,000 may not be an easy one, thanks purely to crypto market forces.

New data from onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant shows that large-volume traders are already seeking to lock in modest profits and reduce BTC exposure.

The week beginning Dec. 29 saw monthly highs in net inflows to largest global exchange Binance, with the BTC tally alone near $1.5 billion.

“Such sizable transfers of BTC and ETH from private wallets to an exchange typically indicate one of two intentions: preparation for selling or the use of these assets as collateral in derivatives markets,” contributor CryptoOnchain wrote in a “Quicktake” blog post.

Binance Multichain weekly netflows (screenshot). Source: CryptoQuant

CryptoQuant warned that buying power was not matching the inflows, with stablecoin netflows “essentially flat.”

“Most of this activity reflected internal shifts—primarily USDT moving between the ERC-20 and TRC-20 networks—rather than fresh capital entering the exchange,” CryptoOnchain added.

A further QuickTake post revealed active whale selling across exchanges.

The two-week moving average of the exchange whale ratio indicator, which measures the proportion of inflows in the ten largest originating from whale entities, is now at its highest since March 2025. 

“Historically, such movements are a precursor to selling and increased supply pressure,” CryptoOnchain commented.

Bitcoin exchange whale ratio (screenshot). Source: CryptoQuant

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.