In 2025, the U.S. labor market added about 580,000 jobs, the smallest annual increase since the COVID-19 pandemic and far below the 2 million positions created in 2024. Unemployment stood near 4.4% in December 2025, with roughly 7.5 million people jobless and millions more either wanting work or stuck in part-time roles for economic reasons. Analysts point to inflation, tariffs, corporate cost-cutting, AI-driven automation and a low quit rate as key forces behind the hiring freeze, and expect labor conditions in early 2026 to resemble 2025 even if unemployment gradually stabilizes later in the year.

On January 20, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig introduced the "Future Proof" program to overhaul the agency's oversight of digital assets with a focus on minimum effective regulation. The initiative is designed to update decades-old rules for derivatives to better address crypto markets, registration, customer protections, and market surveillance. On the same date in 2026, Bitcoin traded around $89,464.19 with a 3.77% daily decline and a 59.18% market dominance, reflecting broader volatility.

On January 20, 2026, Russia's Constitutional Court ruled that owners of legally obtained cryptocurrencies enjoy the same property and judicial protection rights as holders of other assets. The decision arose from a dispute over 1,000 USDT and invalidated a legal provision that made court protection conditional on prior tax notification, except for coins from mining. The judgment is expected to trigger reviews of previously rejected claims and guide lawmakers in refining digital asset regulations, while keeping mandatory reporting in place for mining-related holdings.

If Donald Trump were to die suddenly or be removed from office, analysts suggest crypto markets could see rapid sell-offs, with altcoins and leveraged positions hit hardest. Under the 25th Amendment, JD Vance would immediately assume the presidency if Trump dies or is removed after conviction, and traders would watch closely for signals that he will maintain Trump-era crypto, SEC, DOJ, and U.S. Bitcoin reserve policies. Market recovery would likely depend on how quickly and clearly the new White House commits to policy continuity and regulatory posture toward digital assets.

Litecoin fell under $70, with market data showing a low of $68.45 during early U.S. hours on January 20, 2026. The drop followed broader crypto weakness amid tensions linked to Greenland, while daily volume shrank 45% to about $413 million. Bitcoin moved toward $90,000 and Ethereum hovered near $3,000.

Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Trump family’s crypto-related holdings have increased by about $1.4 billion, while Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) is changing hands at $14.67 with a 2.81% gain. This valuation, based on World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token economics and other tokenized ventures, comes alongside locked founder tokens estimated at roughly $3.8 billion and modest quarterly revenue for DJT.

On 20 January 2026, South Korean authorities began reassessing the country's unwritten "one exchange–one bank" model that links cryptocurrency platforms to individual domestic banks. Regulators are concerned that this structure concentrates liquidity, restricts smaller exchanges from accessing Korean won services, and may distort competition as they prepare broader digital asset legislation. The debate is unfolding alongside work on the Digital Asset Basic Act, which also addresses how banks will be involved with won-pegged stablecoins and reserve custody.

Tether and Circle expanded the stablecoin float by $1.5 billion within about two hours on January 20, 2026. The mints were executed through several large transactions, indicating a purposeful increase in supply. Such bursts of issuance often align with rising liquidity needs across exchanges and professional counterparties.