Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss donated 3,221 ZEC, worth about $1.2 million, to Shielded Labs. Shielded Labs said Tuesday the funds will back protocol-level work to enhance the Zcash network's security, sustainability, and scalability, while the twins publicly reiterated their privacy-first stance on January 20, 2026.

Memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has introduced Pump Fund, a new investment division that will allocate $3 million to 12 early-stage projects via a Build in Public Hackathon. Participants must issue a token and retain at least 10% of its supply, while Pump.fun will prioritize product traction, community presence and long-term viability when selecting winners. Following the announcement, the platform's native token PUMP traded around $0.00256 after a 3.04% daily gain, facing resistance near $0.00274.

Indian security officials said on Sunday that a sophisticated "crypto hawala" network is allegedly channeling funds to support terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation reportedly uses mule bank accounts, private crypto wallets and unregulated P2P traders, while foreign handlers from multiple countries rely on VPNs and avoid KYC checks. Authorities warn the scheme bypasses India's FIU registration rules for Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers and could strengthen separatist elements in the region.

Megatel Homes, a private homebuilder based in Dallas, has introduced a crypto payments and rewards token called MegPrime after receiving a no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The token is positioned for everyday payments rather than as an investment, with users able to earn up to 20% back in rewards and, for renters, potentially apply up to $25,000 of past rent toward a future home purchase.

On January 15, 2026, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said that staking is still unavailable for users in four U.S. states and called on lawmakers to provide clear crypto rules. He backed a market structure bill in Congress and argued that regulatory clarity is needed to balance innovation with consumer protection, while also commenting that AI could create new categories of jobs.

In January 2026, Pakistan signed an agreement with Trump-linked World Liberty Financial affiliate SC Financial Technologies to study using the USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments. Under the deal, World Liberty and Pakistan's central bank aim to integrate USD1 into the country's digital payments infrastructure as the token's circulating supply exceeds $3.5 billion.

On January 12, 2026, former New York Mayor Eric Adams launched NYC Token, a memecoin he framed as a tool against antisemitism and anti-Americanism. The token briefly hit a $580 million market cap before crashing 80% amid allegations of a rug pull and multimillion-dollar liquidity removal, with critics also warning about its highly concentrated ownership.

In February 2025, South Korea's FSC set a three‑phase plan and is now moving to end a nine‑year corporate crypto ban. According to a local media report, new guidelines let listed companies and professional investors trade top‑20 tokens on five major exchanges with an annual cap of 5% of equity capital. The final phase could open access to roughly 3,500 entities while stablecoin eligibility remains under review.

Bloomberg, citing Artemis Analytics, reported on Friday that global stablecoin payment flows totaled $33 trillion in 2025, a 72% year-over-year increase. USDC led by transaction value at $18.3 trillion, while USDT handled US$13.3 trillion and remained the largest by market cap at $187 billion. Artemis also noted Q4 2025 volumes reached $11 trillion versus $8.8 trillion in Q3.