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Former London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) executive Sabina Liu has been appointed to head KuCoin’s European business. She will perform her duties from the office in Vienna. This comes only two months after the cryptocurrency exchange bagged an EU-wide Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation license in Austria.

MiCAR as Guardrails for Growth

In November 2025, Austria gave Seychelles-based crypto exchange KuCoin a MiCAR license.

This means that it can provide its regulated services to the 30 countries across the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). Sabina Liu will now steer this MiCAR expansion from Vienna in the capacity of a Managing Director at KuCoin EU.

Notably, the exchange officially applied for a MiCAR license in Austria at the beginning of 2025. The authorities in the region did not approve it until two months ago.

Before coming to KuCoin, Liu had spent over ten years at the LSEG working with global investment banks and cross-border trading clients. She was also in charge of running KuCoin’s institutional business.

Speaking on the recently bagged license, the KuCoin EU’s Managing Director noted that it is a major milestone, which provides guardrails to support long-term growth.

Liu attested that MiCAR presents the exchange with a unified regulatory framework. KuCoin gets to serve in a region with mature and diverse finance. Significantly, this is crucial to increasing crypto use and provides “significant room” for further adoption across stablecoins, payments, and wealth products.

KuCoin Bags Other Key Deals

Furthermore, Liu noted that KuCoin does not perceive compliance as a trade-off against profitability. Rather, it sees it as the basis for sustainable business and consumer protection.

To complement its MiCA push, the exchange obtained regulatory approval to operate in Australia with fiat on-ramps in November 2025.

This license permits the Seychelles-based exchange to offer fiat on-ramps. As a result, Australian users can purchase digital assets through local banking rails and AUD-denominated payment methods.

Around the same time, this exchange had integrated with Pix, an instant payment platform, to enter Brazil with its crypto services. This gave Brazilians the avenue to spend up to 50 cryptocurrencies at merchants that accept Pix QR codes. In addition, it bridged the gap between digital assets and everyday usage.

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Tether, the global leader in the digital asset ecosystem, has officially announced its long-anticipated entry into the United States market with the launch of USA₮. Unlike its global counterpart USDT, USAT is an onshore stablecoin designed from the ground up to be fully compliant with federal regulations and the recently enacted GENIUS Act.

While Tether’s USDT USDT $1.00 24h volatility: 0.0% Market cap: $186.30 B Vol. 24h: $72.38 B has long dominated international markets, it has frequently operated outside the direct oversight of US federal regulators. USAT is intended to bridge that gap, offering American institutions and retail users a digital dollar that adheres to the strictest domestic standards.

Strategic Leadership and “Made in America” Vision

To lead this new venture, Tether has appointed Bo Hines as the CEO of Tether USAT. Hines, a former White House official and executive director of the White House Crypto Council, brings a wealth of political and regulatory expertise to the role.

To ensure the stablecoin meets the rigorous requirements of the GENIUS Act, Tether has forged two critical partnerships.

It works with Anchorage Digital Bank. As the only federally chartered digital asset bank in the US, Anchorage will serve as the official issuer of USAT.

The second important partner is Cantor Fitzgerald. The Wall Street giant will serve as the designated reserve custodian and preferred primary dealer, overseeing the high-quality liquid assets (primarily US Treasuries) that back the coin 1:1.

Challenging the Status Quo

The launch of USAT sets the stage for a major showdown in the domestic stablecoin market, currently dominated by Circle’s USDC. Industry analysts view this as a defense and expansion strategy. It will allow Tether to maintain its global dominance with USDT while aggressively competing for US banking, fintech, and corporate clients.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized that the launch of USAT is the next natural step for the company:

“USAT offers institutions an additional option: a dollar-backed token made in America. USDT has proven for more than a decade that digital dollars can deliver trust, transparency, and utility at a global scale. USAT extends that mission by providing a federally regulated product designed for the American market.”

Availability

USAT will utilize Tether’s Hadron platform, a specialized technology for real-world asset tokenization. It is expected to launch on major blockchains, including Ethereum and Solana, by the end of the year.

The company has committed to providing real-time transparency and regular third-party audits for USAT reserves, aiming to set a new standard for accountability in the digital asset industry.

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Cryptocurrency payments network Mesh has successfully closed a $75 million Series C funding round led by Dragonfly Capital with participation from Paradigm, Moderne Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, SBI Investment, and Liberty City Ventures. The firm has reached unicorn status with a valuation of $1 billion and more than $200 million raised to date.

According to a Jan. 27 press release, the Series C funds will go towards creating a universal crypto payments network and expanding the firm’s operations throughout Latin America, Asia and Europe.

🎉 Mesh has closed a $75M Series C at $1B valuation. 🦄

This is more than a funding round–it’s the beginning of the end for legacy payments.

For too long, global commerce has been stuck with systems that are slow, siloed, and expensive for both merchants and users. That era is… pic.twitter.com/obUnVp3uYS

— Mesh (@meshpay) January 27, 2026

Mesh CEO Bam Azizi, in a press statement, described the cryptocurrency space as “crowded by design,” highlighting the steady emergence of new tokens and protocols and decrying the resultant fragmentation.

Azizi said Mesh is focused on “building the necessary infrastructure now to connect wallets, chains, and assets, allowing them to function as a unified network.” He added that the Series C funding “validates that the winners of the next decade won’t be those who issue the most tokens, but those who build the network of networks that makes traditional card rails obsolete.”

A Universal Crypto Payment Network

Mesh described the legacy payment system as a product of a bygone era in a post on X.com, stating that the funding round represented “the beginning of the end for legacy payments.”

The company cites its “any to any” advantage, where users can pay with any crypto asset they hold and merchants are able to seamlessly receive payment in the stablecoin of their choice.

As Coinspeaker recently reported, many within the industry expect stablecoins to continue their explosive rise in popularity from 2025 throughout the year. Ripple President Monica Long, for example, recently predicted crypto treasury holdings would surge to $1 trillion by the end of 2026.

In testament to the growing popularity of stablecoins, at least some of the $75 million raised over the Series C round was settled using stablecoins. Mesh says this was to demonstrate that stablecoins and the infrastructure supporting them “are ready for high-stakes, real-world use” and provide definitive proof that global institutions are now comfortably relying on blockchain-native settlement.

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Axie Infinity’s AXS token jumped nearly 9% in the past 24 hours and is up more than 200% over the last 30 days. Price is trading near $2.53 at the time of writing as AXS remains down roughly 98% from its all-time high near $165.

Also, CoinGlass data shows AXS futures open interest rising to $189.52 million over the weekend, up from less than $14 million on January 1. At the time of writing, open interest remains elevated near $174.23 million, levels last seen in May 2022.

The rally marks one of the strongest GameFi moves of the year so far. After months of low volume and persistent sell pressure, AXS is now once again back making headlines.

bAXS Announcement

The rally follows an earlier announcement from Axie Infinity founder Jeffrey Zirlin, who revealed bAXS, an app-based version of the AXS token that will replace AXS across gameplay rewards and ecosystem activity.

https://twitter.com/Jihoz_Axie/status/2011338453385113939

The new bAXS token introduces a variable sell fee paid to the Axie treasury. The fee scales down for users with higher Axie scores, directly incentivizing long-term engagement while discouraging short-term selling.

At the same time, Axie halted SLP reward emissions which removed a major source of constant token inflation. Together, these changes reduced short-term supply pressure and locked a portion of circulating tokens.

AXS Breaks Out from Long-Term Base

On the daily chart, analysts point out that AXS has completed a clear cup-and-handle structure after sweeping downside liquidity below the $2 region. Price has reclaimed the 200-day EMA near $1.80 and is holding above the $2.25 resistance, now acting as support.

$AXS perfectly Cup and Handle chart pattern made at 1D timeframe and downside liquidity swept now moving to the upside my target will be 3.5$ $AXS #AXS #CryptoCommunity pic.twitter.com/ht4tmuE6xh

— AH (@CCR028) January 26, 2026

Additionally, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has pushed above 60 after spending months in bearish territory. Volume expanded sharply during the breakout, confirming increased demand for the token.

The next upside resistance sits near $3.50, the measured move target from the cup-and-handle pattern. This level is also a prior distribution zone from mid-2022. A clean break above $3 would keep bullish control intact.

On the other hand, failure to hold the $2.25-$2.30 zone would open the door to consolidation. Below that, the 200-day EMA near $1.80 remains the key level bulls need to defend to avoid a deeper reset.

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Bitwise Asset Management, a top crypto management firm, has inked a collaboration with Decentralized Finance (DeFi) lending protocol Morpho.

The crypto firm announced the development on X, stating that both companies plan to launch non-custodial on-chain vaults targeted at generating yield.

Bitwise Demonstrates Interest in On-Chain Vaults

According to the announcement on X, Bitwise acknowledged that vaults are an integral part of finance, which is fast-moving on-chain.

It noted that the first vault will focus on securing an annual percentage yield of 6%.

Bitwise says it plans to invest in overcollateralized lending pools to achieve this percentage of APY.

“Finance is moving onchain. Vaults are a key part of that, offering investors a transparent way to earn digital yield on their assets,” Bitwise explained.

As part of the terms of their agreement, Bitwise is responsible for the deployment of multiple strategies across vaults on Morpho.

In addition, the “curation, strategy, and risk management” will be led by Jonathan Man, Bitwise portfolio manager and head of multi-strategy solutions.

Finance is moving onchain. Vaults are a key part of that, offering investors a transparent way to earn digital yield on their assets.

Today, we’re excited to announce that Bitwise is launching non-custodial vault strategies as a curator on @Morpho.

The quick details:

-… pic.twitter.com/pUz9Upk4lV

— Bitwise (@BitwiseInvest) January 26, 2026

In recent weeks, Bitwise has shown an interest in vaults, describing them as “onchain investment funds.”

Based on its report, users can simply deposit assets into a vault, while a third party manages the assets and utilizes them to generate yield across DeFi.

Bitwise cited that on-chain vaults or ETFs 2.0, as they are called, would see up to a 100% surge in assets under management (AuM) this year.

Bitwise Expands Its Crypto ETF Footprint

Amid this achievement, Bitwise has been actively involved in the crypto ETF space.

The spot digital asset issuer has rolled out several altcoin funds, joining other top asset managers in the ETF race.

In mid-January, it launched the Bitwise Chainlink ETF on NYSE Arca under the ticker CLNK. This was the second fund in the U.S. to offer direct ownership of LINK tokens.

At the time, its closest competitor was Grayscale’s existing GLNK product.

The fund has a 0.34% management fee, but the sponsor decided to waive the entire fee for three months on the first $500 million in assets.

More recently, it also launched the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF on NYSE Arca. This is a fund that combines BTC with gold and other precious metals, in addition to investing in mining stocks.

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The U.S. crypto market structure bill is back in the spotlight ahead of a possible U.S. government shutdown starting Jan. 31.

Recent developments over the past weekend suggest the legislation has gained traction.

During the upcoming markup sessions, scheduled for Jan. 29, Democrats have reportedly agreed not to raise any major objections, potentially smoothing the bill’s path forward.

Crypto Market Bill Markup on Radar

A recent report from Politico notes that senior Democratic senators have indicated they do not intend to block the crypto market structure bill during the upcoming markup on Jan. 29.

The report cites lawmakers including Roger Marshall and Dick Durbin. It states that Senator Marshall agreed over the weekend to withdraw his objections.

He had introduced an amendment last week aimed at forcing payment networks to compete on fees, a move that had raised concerns it could derail the progress of the crypto market bill.

Marshall and Durbin have worked for months on credit card policy. The two lawmakers have also explored related provisions associated with the crypto market bill.

However, Marshall ultimately agreed not to bring the amendment forward during the markup scheduled for Jan. 29.

Other amendments remain unresolved, including proposals related to crypto ATM fraud protections and restrictions on potential bailouts of crypto issuers.

Sources cited by Politico said White House officials intervened, warning that Marshall’s amendment could jeopardize the entire crypto market structure bill.

Making a Move Before U.S. Shutdown

The report also noted that some Republicans were prepared to back Marshall’s credit card proposal.

This situation could further delay the legislative process. The Senate Agriculture Committee is now under pressure to resolve outstanding issues ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown, with a deadline of Jan. 30.

Market participants have largely priced in the risk that a funding bill may not be finalized in time.

This has prompted increased lobbying efforts by lawmakers as discussions over the crypto market structure bill intensify.

Some sources familiar with the matter said the crypto bill could be delayed further until March.

According to Polymarket data, the odds of a U.S. government shutdown on Jan. 31 have risen to 80%.

Chances of a U.S. government shutdown spike to 80%. | Source: Polymarket

Amid this development, the broader crypto market has also been on the edge.

Analyst Crypto Tice said that a shutdown will force the U.S. Treasury to rebuild its Treasury General Account (TGA), a process that usually drains liquidity from financial markets.

🚨 BIG WARNING

The biggest threat to crypto is back.

🇺🇸 A U.S. government shutdown by Jan 31 is now being priced at ~80% up from ~10% yesterday.

Shutdown means Treasury rebuilds TGATGA rebuild means liquidity pulled from marketsLiquidity drain means crypto gets hit first… pic.twitter.com/tK0qdhxe0c

— Crypto Tice (@CryptoTice_) January 26, 2026

He warned that liquidity withdrawals tend to hit crypto assets first.

In previous shutdown-related episodes, crypto markets experienced brief relief rallies followed by sharp pullbacks as liquidity tightened.

Bitcoin BTC $87 746 24h volatility: 0.3% Market cap: $1.75 T Vol. 24h: $39.85 B and altcoins corrected by 20-25% during those periods.

Tice noted that liquidity conditions are already thin this time, increasing the risk that any further withdrawals could have an amplified impact.

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Top prediction markets platform Kalshi has expanded its presence by setting up a new office in Washington, D.C. The move is targeted at strengthening its policy efforts with the United States. Precisely, this move is aimed at boosting Kalshi’s strategic lobbying effort with the US government.

Kalshi Recognizes Prediction Markets Volume Surge

In a press release, Kalshi admitted that it has hired John Bivona to be the company’s first Head of Federal Government Relations. He will be working from the new office.

Bivona is a political strategist who boasts of more than 20 years of experience. During Biden’s administration, he had previously worked as the first White House liaison at the Department of Homeland Security.

Blake Bee, a former Senior Manager of State and Local Public Policy at Amazon, was also brought in to lead Kalshi’s state policy efforts. While at Amazon, Bee engaged with state attorneys general. This comes some weeks after CNN chose Kalshi as its official prediction markets partner.

The recent expansion move reflects a recognition of the surging volume in the broader prediction territory. For context, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission-regulated platform is ranked the world’s largest prediction market. As of December, it recorded a monthly volume of $6.58 billion. Meanwhile, Polymarket reported only $2.28 billion, although it reported $3 billion in volume and 338,000 unique traders in October.

Kalshi was not left out, as it also secured a notable percentage of the prediction market growth. In the first four days following the US National Football League kickoff last year, it recorded about $441 million in volume.

Kalshi Remains Neck-deep in Legal Chaos

Meanwhile, Kalshi’s success is not without some legal hurdles in several jurisdictions. It has even encountered state-level pushback on its sports event contracts. US states like Arizona, Tennessee, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have taken enforcement actions against the prediction market platform.

Last November, Kalshi was accused of illegal sports gambling and market manipulation. The class action suit claimed that it paraded itself as a “legal sports betting” even though it does not possess any gaming license in any US state. As a result, states like Tennessee have placed a ban on Kalshi.

However, Kalshi’s response to the cease-and-desist letter sent by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council was to sue the state.

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Tom Lee’s BitMine Technologies (NASDAQ: BMNR) has continued staking its Ethereum ETH $2 904 24h volatility: 0.3% Market cap: $350.82 B Vol. 24h: $24.51 B holdings.

As per the latest on-chain data, the firm staked an additional 209,504 ETH on Jan. 27.

In his latest interview, Lee said that cryptocurrencies could make a comeback after a massive gold rally.

Tom Lee’s BitMine Doubles Down on ETH Staking

In a fresh move, Nasdaq-listed BitMine Technologies staked an additional 200,000+ ETH worth over $610 million.

With this transaction, BitMine’s total staked Ether reached 2,218,771 ETH, valued at about $6.52 billion, representing more than 52% of its total ETH holdings.

Tom Lee(@fundstrat)'s #Bitmine staked another 209,504 $ETH($610M) today.

In total, #Bitmine has staked 2,218,771 $ETH($6.52B), over 52% of its total holdings.https://t.co/P684j5YQaG pic.twitter.com/TsIk5f0x6e

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 27, 2026

Last week, Tom Lee’s firm BitMine acquired a total of 40,302 Ethereum.

This marks BitMine’s largest purchase in 2026 so far, bringing the company closer to holding 5% of Ethereum’s total supply.

After the latest acquisition, BitMine holds 4,243,338 ETH, valued at approximately $12.05 billion. This accounts for 3.52% of Ethereum’s total circulating supply of 120.7 million ETH.

As of now, BitMine is the largest corporate Ethereum treasury firm. It has further consolidated its position with aggressive purchases made over the past year.

Crypto Set to Catch Up as Precious Metals Rally Pauses, Says Tom Lee

Precious metals like gold and silver have recently attracted the majority of capital, causing digital assets to underperform.

However, Tom Lee believes that once profit-taking begins in the gold and silver markets, capital is likely to rotate back into cryptocurrencies.

Speaking on CNBC’s Power Lunch on Jan. 26, Lee said crypto assets would typically benefit from a weaker U.S. dollar and an easing Federal Reserve.

However, he noted that the sector is currently lacking a leverage-driven tailwind after a period of deleveraging.

Lee added that as long as gold and silver continue to rise, investors’ fear of missing out is flowing into precious metals.

This further led to delays in the broader crypto rebound.

“Because when gold and silver take a break, then and in the past, that would lead to a Bitcoin and Ethereum surge afterwards. I think the precious metal move has sucked a lot of the oxygen out of the room. So, I think crypto prices aren’t quite keeping up with fundamentals, but as you know, when fundamentals go up, and to the right, prices eventually follow,” he added.

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Financial markets are up as the first U.S. Federal Open Market Committee meeting of the year gets underway on Jan. 27 and 28.

Investors are also closely watching multiple earnings reports from major tech companies.

The Fed’s interest rate decision, which is widely expected to remain unchanged, is likely to have a notable impact on financial markets, including cryptocurrencies, according to Yahoo Finance.

Interest rates affect borrowing costs for both companies and consumers. If the Fed signals lower rates, which can be seen as a form of economic support, volatile assets are likely to rise.

On the other hand, keeping the rates steady would pressure the markets to remain in the bearish consolidation zone due to the broader macro uncertainty.

For example, US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats triggered a trade deal between the EU and India, BBC reported on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The Big Tech Effect

In addition to the Fed’s rate decision, financial market participants are also waiting for the earnings reports of Microsoft, Meta and Tesla, which are expected to be published on Jan. 28.

Apple will post results a day later, according to Yahoo Finance.

While Apple, Meta, and Microsoft saw gains of 2.97%, 2.06%, and 0.93% over 24 hours, respectively, Tesla fell 3.09%.

Strong earnings reports from the tech giants will likely push their stocks higher. They could also impact the crypto market since digital assets usually move in the same direction as volatile tech stocks.

Diving Head-First Into Digital Gold

Gold has rallied past the $5,000 mark per ounce on Jan. 25, due to the increasing macro tensions between the US and the EU.

With gold’s rise, many crypto whales have started accumulating Tether Gold (XAUT) and Pax Gold (PAXG), according to data from Lookonchain.

Many whales are accumulating gold!

0xbe4C withdrew 1,959 $XAUT($9.97M) from #Bybit and #Gate.

0x0F67 withdrew 559 $XAUT($2.83M) from #MEXC.

0x1b7D withdrew 194.4 $XAUT($993K) and 106.2 $PAXG($538K) from #MEXC.https://t.co/P1IvyVIBuAhttps://t.co/2BeknSmJ2I… pic.twitter.com/t8uE1xuPIe

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 27, 2026

 

The X post shows that three wallets withdrew a combined $14.33 million in XAUT and PAXG tokens from leading crypto exchanges Bybit, Gate and MEXC.

Both XAUT and PAXG recorded new all-time high market caps of $2.45 billion and $2.08 billion on Jan. 26, respectively.

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Base co-founder Jesse Pollak publicly stated that the Base core team does not support token prices behind the scenes.

His comments followed an X post around the recent price surge of the Cat Own Kimono (COK) meme coin.

Pollak said the Base team will not coordinate private buying or selling to push the price of any asset.

He stated that such actions are not sustainable, would hurt other tokens, conflict with open market rules, and may break the law.

just to say it out loud: the @base core team will not "support the chart behind the scenes" — if what you mean is privately / behind the scenes coordinating and deploying capital to actively drive the price of an asset up in an attempt to get to a specific outcome. this would:

-…

— jesse.base.eth (@jessepollak) January 27, 2026

Pollak added that Base focuses on visibility and access for strong apps and tokens, not price action.

He said Base aims to bring more users, capital, and attention to the network while keeping markets fair.

COK Token Draws Attention as Activity Rebounds

COK had struggled for months after December 2024. However, the cat-themed meme token recently saw a sudden surge in activity.

The token jumped more than 200% in the past week, with trading volume reaching $5 million on Jan. 23.

COK also moved into the top trending list on DEX Screener. Popular crypto commentator and host of the Late Night on Base podcast, Bill, commented on the surge.

He said Base does not push projects to large market caps and suggested shifting focus to other chains.

It’s clear to see base does not have what it takes (or cares to) push a project to tens to hundreds of millions

So with that being said time to focus on other chains

All eyes on $cok for me@BaseJunkie_ believes in it and is their spaces host-first cat on solana-been out… https://t.co/VZgjo8YYlw

— Bill- Late Night on Base (@latenightonbase) January 26, 2026

 

Another X user replied that the issue affects all meme coins, not just Base. However, the host said Base has the chance to back one strong coin but has not done so, even as traders wait for a breakout token on the network.

No it’s a base problem

They have every opportunity to get a coin the chain can rally on

Especially a chain that’s starving for a runner $DRB is a perfect example

— Bill- Late Night on Base (@latenightonbase) January 26, 2026

Meme Coin Rugpull Cases

Speculative trading has helped many meme coins gain large market caps. In Jan. 2025, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump launched their own meme coins during the inauguration period.

This surge has also increased losses and rugpull cases in the market. The HAWK token collapsed after reaching a $5 million market cap.

Similarly, the LIBRA token collapsed after reaching a market capitalization of around $100 million. The project had been linked to Argentine President Javier Milei.

Some exchanges now review meme coins more closely before listing them, although many have faced disputes of their own.

Base also faced criticism in April last year when a meme token surged and crashed after a Base post.

Coinbase later clarified that the token was created automatically through Zora and was not backed by Base or Coinbase.

Rugpull schemes usually rely on paid promotion, false ties to known brands, or planned price manipulation. Pollak said Base will not take part in any such activity.

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Silver posted one of the most violent trading days on record on Jan. 26. The metal saw nearly $2 trillion in market cap shifting hands within 14 hours.

According to data from The Kobeissi Letter, on Jan. 26 between 9:00 AM ET and 1:00 PM ET, silver gained roughly $500 billion in market value.

It then dropped about $950 billion over the next three hours, before recovering another $500 billion by 10:30 PM ET.

At multiple points during the session, silver’s moves matched the full market cap of Bitcoin BTC $87 776 24h volatility: 0.0% Market cap: $1.76 T Vol. 24h: $40.19 B within hours.

The Kobeissi Letter believes that the current silver price action will be studied for decades to come.

This is absolutely insane:

Silver just swung nearly $2 TRILLION of market cap in 14 hours.

Between 9:00 AM ET and 1:00 PM ET, silver added +$500 billion of market cap.

Then, between 1:00 PM ET and 4:30 PM ET, silver lost -$950 billion.

Then, between 4:30 PM ET and 10:30 PM… pic.twitter.com/ync4MVQ9pP

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) January 27, 2026

 

This major activity comes as spot silver prices recently surged to record levels, trading between $110 and $117 per ounce.

The rally came amid a weaker US dollar, global tensions, and broader market stress.

Bitcoin Lags, Metals Lead

During the same time, Bitcoin failed to regain momentum. The cryptocurrency is down about 3% over the past week and remains below the key $90,000 level.

BTC reached a market cap of $2.49 trillion during the early Oct. 2025 rally but later dropped. Bitcoin’s market cap is currently around $1.76 trillion.

ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that over a 20 year span, investors holding gold and silver would have earned about 10.6% per year.

As of last year, silver was returning only 4.5% per year, before closing that gap within 12 months.

This is the inverse situation to Bitcoin which went on tear two years ago, gold silver, stocks playing catch up, but flat lately. With these metals and cryptos, I think you have to understand you get five or 10 years’ worth of returns in one or two years you just have to wait for…

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) January 26, 2026

He added that metals and crypto often deliver years of gains in short bursts, suggesting investors to be patient.

Oil, Rates, and Super Wednesday

Markets are now focused on Jan. 28, dubbed “Super Wednesday” by many in the trading community.

Investors are closely watching U.S. crude oil inventory data and the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, both of which could influence inflation expectations, liquidity, and overall risk appetite.

WTI crude futures last traded at $60.73 per barrel, down 0.72% on the day.

Volume stood at 136,057 contracts, while open interest fell by 21,771 contracts to 2,016,566. Bitcoin gained 5.08% over the same week, but crude oil rose just 0.01%.

A CryptoQuant contributor pointed to a slight negative link between the two assets, along with falling oil open interest.

This suggests reduced risk exposure ahead of Super Wednesday, meaning the crypto market could remain relatively flat until the events unfold.

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An alleged insider trader—known as “Trump Insider Whale” or BitcoinOG (1011short)—has just capitulated from Bitcoin BTC $88 080 24h volatility: 2.0% Market cap: $1.76 T Vol. 24h: $52.63 B and Ethereum ETH $2 924 24h volatility: 4.6% Market cap: $352.86 B Vol. 24h: $32.53 B long positions. Closing these longs resulted in nearly $10 million in losses, signaling a now bearish or more cautious stance.

Onchain data reported by Lookonchain shows the address 0xb317d2bc2d3d2df5fa441b5bae0ab9d8b07283ae closed positions sized at 427.29 BTC, worth $37.5 million, and 30,588 ETH, worth $88.63 million, taking $9.73 million (0.77%) in losses. The report also noted a 20 million USDC withdrawal from Hyperliquid, deposited to a Binance account. Everything happened on Jan. 26, 2026.

This #BitcoinOG(1011short) has capitulated and cut his losses.

He closed 427.29 $BTC($37.5M) and 30,588 $ETH($88.63M) positions, taking a $9.73M loss.

He then withdrew 20M $USDC from #Hyperliquid and deposited it into #Binance.https://t.co/8cChdRN8iPhttps://t.co/GY2k5pRwce pic.twitter.com/6LMzPYgkCN

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 26, 2026

Interestingly, however, the account still has open positions of nearly $160 million in “perp equity” at unrealized losses superior to $50 million, according to onchain data Coinspeaker retrieved from HyperDash. The realized PnL of the so-called BitcoinOG sums to $31 million.

0xb317d2bc2d3d2df5fa441b5bae0ab9d8b07283ae (BitcoinOG) position on Hyperliquid as of Jan. 26, 2026 | Source: HyperDash

BitcoinOG, the “Trump Insider Whale”

The address entered onchain analysts’ radar following the Oct. 10-11 unprecedented liquidation event. Notably, the mysterious entity behind this account demonstrated excellent timing accuracy while shorting Bitcoin moments before the crash, raising suspicions of insider trading activity.

Arkham Intelligence called the entity “Trump Insider Whale,” as Coinspeaker reported a few days past the incident.

BREAKING: TRUMP INSIDER WHALE IS NOW SHORT $340M $BTC

The HyperUnit Bear Whale who shorted $700M of $BTC and $350M of $ETH right before Friday’s market crash (making ~$200M total) just deposited $40M USDC to HL and shorted another $127M $BTC.

He is now short $300M $BTC and has… pic.twitter.com/b2rpzmkofZ

— Arkham (@arkham) October 13, 2025

Later in October, the also-called “BitcoinOG” added more size to a BTC short, reportedly of $140 million. The whale then flipped to a bullish stance opening large-size long positions on the two leading cryptocurrencies and has most of these positions still open despite closing part of it on Jan. 26, 2026.

Thus, the recent capitulation sends a message of a more cautionary risk-management strategy, instead of a full shift to bearish. Nevertheless, the market and copy traders remain monitoring the address’s activity on Hyperliquid, looking for insights on the next direction both Bitcoin and Ethereum could take in the following days.

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BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE AMERICAN: BMNR) acquired 40,302 ETH last week, marking its biggest Ethereum ETH $2 924 24h volatility: 4.6% Market cap: $352.86 B Vol. 24h: $32.53 B purchase in 2026 as the company accelerates toward owning 5% of total supply.

The firm now holds 4,243,338 ETH, valued at $12.05 billion, representing 3.52% of Ethereum’s 120.7 million token supply, according to its January 26 announcement, and it’s confirmed by Coingecko data.

BitMine remains the world’s largest corporate Ethereum treasury, a position it has held while executing an aggressive accumulation strategy throughout 2025 and into early 2026.

The company’s total crypto and cash holdings reached $12.8 billion, including 193 Bitcoin BTC $88 080 24h volatility: 2.0% Market cap: $1.76 T Vol. 24h: $52.63 B , $682 million in cash, and $219 million in strategic investments, based on its press release.

🧵BitMine provided its latest holdings update for January 26th, 2026:

$12.8 billion in total crypto + "moonshots":– 4,243,338 ETH at $2,839 (@coinbase)– 193 Bitcoin (BTC)– $200 mllion stake in Beast Industries @MrBeast – $19 million stake in Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: $ORBS)…

— Bitmine (NYSE-BMNR) $ETH (@BitMNR) January 26, 2026

Positive Reactions From Davos, and Future Plans

In the company’s press release, they add selected nine positive mentions of different global leaders like Donald Trump and the CEO of BlackRock, Larry Fink, about digital assets, showing a positive sentiment around crypto, like Ethereum at the World Economic Forum in Davos, prompted Lee to state, “Ethereum remains the most widely used by Wall Street today and most reliable blockchain with zero downtime since inception”.

This new acquisition follows BitMine shareholders’ January approval to increase authorized shares with 81% support, enabling continued treasury expansion.

Also, the company has staked 2,009,267 ETH, worth $5.7 billion, generating an estimated $374 million in staking fees annually at the 2.81% Composite Ethereum Staking Rate (the average yield across major staking providers). The company plans to launch its Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN) staking infrastructure in Q1 2026 to enhance returns.

BMNR Stock Shows Muted Gains Despite High Trading Volume

NYSE American-listed BMNR stock traded at $28.63 on January 26, fluctuating between $27.60 and $28.74 during the session with an average volume of 44 million shares, according to Yahoo! Finance. The stock maintains its position as the 91st most actively traded in the US, averaging $1.2 billion in daily volume over the past five days, despite lacking much upward momentum in 2026.

BitMine’s purchase led, again, the trend of corporate Ethereum accumulation in 2026, with Hong Kong-based Trend Research acquiring 41,500 ETH for approximately $126 million using decentralized borrowing through Aave, rather than traditional equity sales. The BitMine strategy positions it nearly 70% toward its goal of controlling 5% of Ethereum’s supply, as the corporate Ethereum treasury trend accelerates in early 2026.

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Strategy disclosed the purchase of additional Bitcoin BTC $88 198 24h volatility: 1.0% Market cap: $1.76 T Vol. 24h: $58.52 B during last week’s market decline, reinforcing its long-standing accumulation strategy. According to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company acquired 2,932 Bitcoin for approximately $264.1 million. The purchases were executed at an average price of $90,061 per coin, as Bitcoin prices fell sharply from recent highs.

The acquisition increased Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings to 712,647 BTC, accumulated at a total cost of about $54.2 billion. The company’s average purchase price now stands near $76,000 per Bitcoin, positioning Strategy as the world’s largest corporate holder of the asset by a wide margin. The latest buying activity occurred as Bitcoin briefly dropped below $87,000 amid broader risk-off sentiment across global markets.

January Buying Accelerates after Months of Slower Activity

Strategy’s recent purchase was smaller than its two earlier January acquisitions but remains notable in aggregate. Earlier this month, the firm disclosed buys of 22,305 BTC and 13,627 BTC in successive weeks, reflecting a sharp uptick in accumulation.

In total, Strategy has added roughly 40,100 Bitcoin so far in January. This exceeded its combined purchases from August through December 2025.

The accelerated pace suggests a tactical shift following several months of restrained activity.

While co-founder Michael Saylor has previously stated a willingness to buy Bitcoin at any price level, recent patterns indicate a preference for smaller, incremental purchases during periods of market stress.

Equity Sales Fund Bitcoin Purchases

The latest Bitcoin acquisition was primarily financed through equity issuance rather than operating cash flow. The SEC filing shows that Strategy sold approximately 1.7 million shares of its Class A common stock, raising about $257 million. In addition, the company sold more than 70,000 shares of its Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock, generating roughly $7 million in net proceeds.

Strategy’s reliance on equity markets to fund Bitcoin purchases continues to tie its balance sheet closely to both crypto prices and investor sentiment. Shares of Strategy were trading near $163 following the disclosure, down from January highs, reflecting broader pressure on crypto-linked equities.

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Global investment firm BlackRock has filed an S-1 application form with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch an iShares Bitcoin BTC $88 198 24h volatility: 1.0% Market cap: $1.76 T Vol. 24h: $58.52 B Premium Income ETF.

While not yet approved, the new ETF product would consist primarily of Bitcoin, with shares of iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and cash premiums. According to the S-1 filing, it would function as a yield-bearing product whose performance will be based on the price of Bitcoin “while providing premium income through an actively managed strategy of writing (selling) call options on IBIT shares.”

BlackRock just dropped the official S-1 for it's upcoming iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF.. no fee or ticker yet. The strategy is to "track performance of the price of bitcoin while providing premium income through an actively managed strategy of writing (selling) call options… pic.twitter.com/CZDahm4mNj

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) January 26, 2026

The Bitcoin Income Strategy

The S-1 document, a preliminary filing, is dated Jan. 23 with no clear timeline for approval. Typically, SEC approvals for S-1 documents can take months due to the necessity for issuance and potential rule changes in support of the filing. If approved, however, the new ETF would trade on the NASDAQ exchange under an as-yet-to-be-named ticker. A space on the form where the firm could have indicated a preferred or requested ticker was left blank.

While similar products exist in the form of the Grayscale Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, launched in April 2025, and the YieldMax Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF, which launched in April 2024, BlackRock’s represents the largest to date and signals a greater shift away from the tradfi view of Bitcoin as a passive store of value.

These ETFs are actively managed by institutional traders who monitor markets in real-time. Investors’ funds are held in Bitcoin itself and, in BlackRock’s case, also in shares of its Bitcoin Spot ETF product. Fund managers are able to write call options against these holdings which, under optimal circumstances, results in cash premiums from selling these options.

This allows investors to treat Bitcoin as both a store of value and a yield-bearing asset that provides monthly income. This could serve as a bulwark against cryptocurrency volatility, but it also means investors could see income capped if Bitcoin skyrockets while direct holders benefit.

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Kraken rolled out DeFi Earn on Jan. 26, offering users a straightforward way to access decentralized finance yields directly in the Kraken app.

According to official communication from a thread on X and Kraken’s DeFi Earn landing page, users deposit cash or stablecoins, which convert to USDC if needed, then select one of three vault strategies: Balanced, High, or Advanced, offering up to 8% APY. The system automatically allocates funds to lending protocols and rewards accrue without further input.

We’re making DeFi rewards simple.

Meet DeFi Earn, powered by @Veda_labs, @SentoraHQ and @ChaosLabs.

Earn up to 8% APY on your assets all within the Kraken app experience you already know & trust.

No complicated setup. No technical steps. Just start earning ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/qD9UnwYkus

— Kraken (@krakenfx) January 26, 2026

Notably, the feature relies on embedded wallet infrastructure from Privy, eliminating the need for seed phrases or manual transaction signatures. Vaults are built by Veda Labs on the Ink Network—Kraken’s Ethereum  Layer 2 (L2)—with risk oversight from Chaos Labs and Sentora.

Rewards come from actual borrower demand on known DeFi platforms like Aave, Morpho, Tydro, and Sky Ecosystem, a FAQ section in the landing page explains. There are no token subsidies or temporary boosts. Kraken charges a 25% fee on rewards only. Moreover, withdrawals are typically instant, though brief delays can occur if protocol liquidity is low.

DeFi Earn launches in 48 states of the US, Canada, and the European Economic Area, with more regions planned.

Kraken Moves Into DeFi

The product fits into Kraken’s broader push to combine traditional and decentralized finance. In November 2025, the exchange introduced Auto Earn for simple passive yields on crypto holdings with no lock-ups, as covered by Coinspeaker. Earlier moves include commission-free stock and ETF trading in select US states in April 2025 and the Krak Card for unified crypto banking in December.

Kraken also continues development on its own blockchain, Ink, originally announced for expanded DeFi access.

Data from DefiLlama shows the L2 is already ranking 14th by TVL, featuring side by side with leading L1 blockchains like Sui, which ranks 13th. Ink currently goes with $534 million in total value locked and has $595 million in stablecoin market cap, with a 43% dominance by Circle’s USDC.

Ink DeFi data as of January 26, 2026 | Source: DeFiLlama

Overall, the ecosystem went through significant growth in early October last year, backed by Kraken’s user base and market share. This new product could boost this growth even more with easier onboarding and a better user experience.

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Major corporate Bitcoin BTC $88 089 24h volatility: 0.6% Market cap: $1.75 T Vol. 24h: $52.26 B holder Metaplanet recently released the earnings update for fiscal 2025 and early forecasts for 2026.

The update follows a major accounting loss that the firm faced last year due to Bitcoin price drop.

Metaplanet raised its full year revenue and profit outlook for 2025 and said its core operations performed better than expected.

Management said the Bitcoin drawdown does not change its long term plan.

*Notice Regarding Revision of Full-Year Earnings Forecast for Fiscal Year Ending December 2025, Recording of Bitcoin Impairment Loss, and Announcement of Full-Year Earnings Forecast for Fiscal Year Ending December 2026* pic.twitter.com/VIKYRYb981

— Metaplanet Inc. (@Metaplanet) January 26, 2026

 

Metaplanet, the fourth largest corporate Bitcoin holder worldwide, currently holds 35,102 BTC. One year ago, the firm held just 1,762 BTC.

In Q4 alone, the Japan-listed company acquired 4,279 Bitcoin, as per the CEO Simon Gerovich’s previous X post.

メタプラネットは、2025年12月期第4四半期を通じて4279 BTCを約698.55億円で取得（1BTCあたり約1633万円）し、2025年の年初来BTCイールド568.2%を達成しました。2025年12月30日現在、当社の保有量は35,102 BTCで、約5597.26億円（1BTCあたり約1595万円）で取得しています。 pic.twitter.com/R041V9UNa4

— Simon Gerovich (@gerovich) December 30, 2025

 

The large balance led to accounting pressure when Bitcoin prices fell in Q4 2025. As a result, Metaplanet recorded an impairment loss of roughly 104.6 billion yen in its holdings during this quarter.

This led to an expected net loss of 76.6 billion yen for fiscal 2025.

However, a weaker yen boosted the value of U.S. dollar assets and cut the net reduction in Bitcoin asset value to about 82 billion yen.

The company explained that this is a non-cash loss under accounting rules and does not affect daily operations or Bitcoin holdings.

Metaplanet Raises 2025 Earnings Forecast

Despite the impairment, Metaplanet raised its fiscal 2025 earnings forecast. Revenue guidance increased from 6.8 billion yen to 8.905 billion yen, while operating profit was revised up to 6.287 billion yen.

The improvement was driven by the company’s Bitcoin income generation business, which leverages options linked to Bitcoin markets. In the fourth quarter, earnings exceeded expectations as the firm expanded its funding base.

2026 Outlook Remains Aggressive

For fiscal 2026, Metaplanet forecast revenue of 16 billion yen and operating profit of 11.4 billion yen.

Most of the growth is expected to come from its Bitcoin income business, supported by its ambitious BTC balance goal for this year.

Metaplanet aims to accumulate 100,000 BTC by the end of 2026. The firm said it will continue building Bitcoin per share and remains committed to its balance sheet approach.

Final fiscal 2025 results are scheduled for release on Feb. 16.

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The broader cryptocurrency market has experienced another scam, resulting in a loss of $16.8 million.

These funds were withdrawn from Matcha Meta, a decentralized exchange aggregator. Several blockchain security firms, including PerkShield, have flagged the incident.

Matcha Meta Yet to Confirm Crypto Losses

Matcha Meta reported the security incident on Jan. 25, citing that it impacted its SwapNet integration.

Although the aggregator has not made any official statements attesting that users’ funds were lost, some analysts say it was a multi-million dollar drain of user funds.

However, the protocol immediately temporarily disabled SwapNet contracts.

We are aware of an incident with SwapNet that users may have been exposed to on Matcha Meta for those who turned off One-Time Approvals

We are in contact with the SwapNet team and they have temporarily disabled their contracts

The team is actively investigating and will provide…

— Matcha Meta 🎆 (@matchametaxyz) January 25, 2026

 

In addition, direct aggregator allowances were removed on Matcha Meta. According to PerkShield, the attacker has swapped about $10.5 million in USDC out of the estimated $16.8 million in assets that were stolen.

The attacker swapped Base for roughly 3,655 Ethereum ETH $2 918 24h volatility: 0.3% Market cap: $347.78 B Vol. 24h: $32.75 B , after which he began bridging the funds to Ethereum.

Blockchain security firm CertiK had initially reported a smaller estimated loss of around $13.3 million in USDC on Base.

In this case, the attack was identified as an “arbitrary call” vulnerability in the SwapNet contract, which gave the attacker the leverage to transfer funds approved to it.

“Users who have disabled One-Time Approval and have set direct allowances on individual aggregator contracts assume the risks of each aggregator,” Matcha Meta wrote in its X post.

South Korea Authorities Fall Victim to Crypto Scam

In related crypto scam news, South Korean prosecutors recently recorded a significant loss in their seized Bitcoin.

The funds were targeted in a phishing attack, resulting in an estimated loss of about 70 billion won, or roughly $48 million.

The loss was discovered by the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office during a routine inspection of confiscated crypto assets.

With cybercriminal activity on the rise, crypto firms are collaborating with law enforcement and industry partners to combat scams.

On Jan. 9, stablecoin issuer Tether announced a joint initiative launched with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

This is a measure to counter organized crime, corruption, terrorism, and illicit financial flows through analytic and technical cooperation.

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The US Dollar Index has fallen to around 97.17, with the latest 24‑hour change near minus 0.4%. In past cycles, this kind of move often helped Bitcoin, but this time, it has not. Bitcoin BTC $88 089 24h volatility: 0.6% Market cap: $1.75 T Vol. 24h: $52.26 B is trading near $87,000, down more than 6% in the last seven days.

According to CryptoQuant analysts, the reason is simple. The dollar drop comes from fear, not from growth or easy money. Data shows that as the dollar slipped, gold attracted flows while Bitcoin ETFs saw large outflows. Capital did not rotate into risk assets, but it moved into safety.

When the dollar weakens due to stress and policy rumors, such as talk of yen support actions, Bitcoin trades like stocks, not like gold.

Risk Mood Overrides the Dollar Signal

The Bitcoin Dollar Pulse chart shared by CryptoQuant analysts shows that during 2024 and early 2025, Bitcoin rose with a firm or stable dollar. The rally pushed BTC above $100,000 and later near $120,000 while DXY stayed near or above 100. The current phase is different because when DXY breaks down, Bitcoin also pulls back.

BTC dollar pulse chart | Source: CryptoQuant

Analysts claim that the link is not direct and the driver is risk mood. A weak dollar only helps Bitcoin when inflation fear or easy liquidity pushes investors to take risk.

Right now, the move in FX markets is sending money to gold, not to crypto. A weak dollar is only the background and the market is missing risk appetite, added analysts.

Spot Demand in the US Is Still Missing

The Coinbase Premium Index stays deep below zero as Bitcoin continues to trade at a discount on Coinbase versus offshore exchanges. This points to steady sell pressure from US spot flows.

Even during short bounces, the discount holds which means institutions and long‑term US buyers are not active. In past cycles, a long negative premium indicated weak spot demand and capital moving away from US venues.

Bitcoin Coinbase premium index | Source: CryptoQuant

Without a turn back to positive, upside moves rely on futures and short‑term trades, not on strong accumulation.

Below the 21‑Week Line

Matrixport pointed out that Bitcoin is below its 21‑week moving average, a level near $96,000. This line has defined bull and bear phases for years. When price holds above it, trends stay strong. When price falls below it, deeper pullbacks often follow.

📊Today’s #Matrixport Daily Chart – January 26, 2026 ⬇️

Below the Line: Why Bitcoin Remains in Correction#Matrixport #Bitcoin #BTC #CryptoMarkets #BitcoinAnalysis #TechnicalAnalysis #MovingAverage #RiskManagement pic.twitter.com/xiLJaeh2u6

— Matrixport Official (@Matrixport_EN) January 26, 2026

 

In late 2025, Bitcoin broke under this level and later tried to reclaim it but failed. This rejection keeps Bitcoin in a corrective phase. According to the research firm, the broader range for BTC is between $121,000 in the bullish case and $70,000 zone if stress continues.

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Japanese financial regulators are considering easing restrictions on cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Sources familiar with the matter said 2028 could be the earliest timeline for approval, following billion-dollar inflows into U.S. Bitcoin BTC $88 089 24h volatility: 0.6% Market cap: $1.75 T Vol. 24h: $52.26 B and Ethereum ETH $2 918 24h volatility: 0.3% Market cap: $347.78 B Vol. 24h: $32.75 B ETFs in 2025.

Japan Reviews Rules for Crypto ETF Approval

According to Nikkei, citing people familiar with the matter, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is planning to amend its regulatory framework to allow cryptocurrencies to be treated as eligible ETF assets.

With institutional interest in digital assets continuing to grow, regulators are increasingly reviewing whether existing crypto-related restrictions should be relaxed.

Country’s top financial groups such as SBI Holdings and Nomura Holdings will be the first to explore crypto ETFs.

Major players are positioning themselves ahead of an anticipated policy shift from regulators.

Earlier in January, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government supports cryptocurrency trading through regulated stock and commodity exchanges.

If implemented, the reforms would lower barriers for Japanese retail investors seeking regulated exposure to Bitcoin and other digital assets through traditional brokerage accounts.

The move would also bring Japan closer in line with markets such as the United States and Hong Kong, which approved spot crypto ETFs in 2024.

Shift in Regulatory Outlook

The ongoing discussions reflect regulatory intent rather than a finalized policy decision.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has not confirmed any timeline, and any change would require regulatory amendments and formal public consultations.

While regulators continue to refine their broader approach to digital assets, spot crypto ETFs remain outside the current framework.

Nikkei estimates that Japan’s crypto ETF market could eventually reach around 1 trillion yen, or roughly $6.4 billion.

By comparison, the U.S. market has already surpassed $150 billion in assets under management.

SBI Holdings has previously expressed interest in launching a crypto ETF in Japan.

On August 6, 2025, the firm disclosed plans for a Bitcoin-XRP dual ETF and a gold-crypto product, noting that any launch would depend on regulatory approval.

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