At a closed-door World Economic Forum workshop in Davos, Hong Kong Finance Secretary Paul Chan reaffirmed the city's "same activity, same risk, same regulation" framework for digital assets and called for guardrails to match financial innovation. He highlighted Hong Kong's licensing regime for virtual asset trading platforms, upcoming stablecoin licenses in the first quarter and the issuance of $2.1 billion in tokenized green bonds since 2023.

Last week, CNBC vice president of news Jason Gewirtz received a phone call from a San Francisco area code by a man claiming to be Coinbase security, who alleged his account was under attack from Germany. The caller used realistic emails, personal data, and pressure tactics to push him into setting up a so-called Coinbase hard wallet and avoid changing passwords, but Gewirtz later confirmed via an AI chatbot and Coinbase that it was a phishing scam. Coinbase and recovery firm ZeroShadow warn that AI-powered impersonation schemes are rising sharply and emphasize that users should be wary of any request to move funds for "protection."

On January 20, 2026, Bitcoin dropped below the $90,000 mark after repeatedly failing to break through a key resistance band. The decline has coincided with heavy derivatives positioning, a clear reduction in open interest, and a wave of long liquidations that pushed the price into a lower trading range. While the move has sparked debate over whether it marks deeper weakness or a structural reset, current market data points more toward controlled deleveraging than a disorderly sell-off.

On 20 January 2026, privacy-focused blockchain Midnight, which is closely integrated with the Cardano ecosystem, saw its NIGHT token listed for trading on eToro. The move opens access to a wider retail user base beyond crypto-native exchanges, while the network continues to develop zero-knowledge technology for selective data privacy and advances through its 2026 roadmap.

On Tuesday, Bitcoin slipped below $90,000, and multiple analysts warned of sustained sell-side pressure driven by inflows from large holders. CryptoQuant data indicates newer whales (UTXO age under 155 days) now control more realized capital, with a cohort realized price near $98,000 and about $6 billion in unrealized losses, keeping $85,000 in focus.

According to his Washington Post opinion piece, CFTC Chair Michael Selig announced a "Future-Proof" initiative to modernize oversight of digital assets and prediction markets. He was nominated in October 2025, confirmed on December 18, 2025, and sworn in on December 22, 2025, and the agency's four other commissioner seats remain vacant.

Chainlink announced on Tuesday that it is rolling out 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams to supply onchain market data for tokenized stocks and ETFs. The solution, tied to the Chainlink Data Standard integrated with 40 blockchains, will be adopted by platforms such as Lighter and BitMEX to extend trading beyond regular hours.

Trump Media and Technology Group has scheduled February 2, 2026, as the record date for shareholders to qualify for its planned blockchain-based rewards token tied to DJT stock. Only ultimate beneficial owners of at least one full DJT share will be eligible, with additional conditions excluding stock borrowers and potentially complicating access for objecting beneficial owners. The token will offer perks linked to Truth Social, Truth+ and Truth Predict, but will not provide ownership rights, cash value, or profit claims.