BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said Bitcoin's chance of setting new all-time highs in 2026 hinges on expanding dollar liquidity, not short-term price swings. He noted 2025's tight liquidity coincided with Bitcoin falling more than 14% while gold rose over 44%. On January 13, 2026, he also flagged a first-quarter trade idea in a tweet.

On January 14, 2026, Eric Adams’ spokesperson denied that the former New York City mayor moved or benefited from funds tied to the newly launched NYC Token, following heavy investor losses. The project attributed sharp post-launch price swings to early market volatility and temporary liquidity "rebalancing," while onchain analysts reported multimillion-dollar withdrawals and estimated that around 60% of roughly 4,300 traders lost money in the token’s first hours.

In 2025, stablecoin payments on fintech platform Revolut were estimated to have risen 156% year over year to roughly $10.5 billion, according to blockchain analysis. Researcher Alex Obchakevich said stablecoins nearly doubled their share of Revolut's total payments, with most activity on Ethereum and Tron and a significant portion of transactions between $100 and $500. Bloomberg figures also show global stablecoin transfers reached $33 trillion in 2025, with USDC leading by transaction volume while USDT kept the largest market cap.

Russia is advancing a draft law that would let non-qualified investors purchase cryptocurrencies, while limiting each individual's exposure to 300,000 rubles. The bill, outlined by State Duma Financial Markets Committee chair Anatoly Aksakov, would remove crypto from a special regulatory regime, support cross-border settlements, and underpin planned exchange-based trading once the broader framework takes effect by July 1, 2026.

During JPMorgan Chase’s fourth‑quarter earnings call this week, CFO Jeremy Barnum cautioned that interest‑paying stablecoins replicate deposit‑like features without prudential oversight. An amended draft of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act released this week would bar interest paid solely for holding a stablecoin while allowing incentives tied to liquidity, governance or staking.

Meta plans to reduce headcount at Reality Labs by around 10%, which could affect roughly 1,500 employees, with an announcement possible as soon as Tuesday, according to the New York Times. The shift aligns with budget moves toward AI and wearables as the metaverse unit faces sizable losses and softer user adoption.

On Monday, US District Judge Aleta Trauger granted Kalshi a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order, blocking Tennessee regulators from enforcing a cease-and-desist while the case proceeds. The SWC's Friday letters ordered Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com to halt sports event contracts, void positions, and refund Tennessee users by Jan. 31, with penalties up to $25,000 per violation.

According to the Dubai Financial Services Authority, revised crypto rules taking effect on January 12 ban privacy coins and anonymity tools, including mixers, in or from the DIFC. The framework narrows "fiat crypto token" status to fiat-pegged, reserve-backed assets and shifts token‑listing accountability from a regulator-maintained list to licensed firms.

On January 8, India's Financial Intelligence Unit issued updated guidelines that classify crypto exchanges as VDA service providers and tighten AML/KYC. Platforms must conduct live ID checks, collect PAN, IP and geolocation data, and verify bank accounts via penny-drop. Exchanges welcomed clearer compliance, while the framework mandates five-year record retention and tools to detect mixers.