Washington's bid to create a single regulatory framework for the US crypto market is losing traction as the White House reassesses whether to support a broad market structure bill. Tensions with Coinbase, including public criticism from CEO Brian Armstrong over issues such as stablecoin yields, tokenized equities, data access and SEC authority, have delayed a Senate Banking Committee vote and left the legislation stalled.

On 17 January 2026, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded more than $1.4 billion in net inflows over the preceding week, pointing to renewed interest from large investors. Ethereum ETFs also saw positive, though smaller, allocations as institutions cautiously rebuilt exposure. Analysts highlight that reduced selling by major Bitcoin holders, combined with ETF demand, is tightening available supply even as volatility persists.

On 17 January 2026 at 14:20, a single self-custody wallet was drained of more than $282 million after the owner disclosed a hardware recovery phrase. According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, no technical exploit was involved. Cybersecurity firm ZeroShadow said about $700,000 was flagged and frozen as the thief moved funds across chains and into Monero.

On 17 January 2026, Goldman Sachs said on its latest earnings call it remains committed to tokenization even as the CLARITY Act’s progress has stalled. The Senate Banking Committee removed the bill from markup, while Coinbase withdrew support over concerns about tokenized equities and stablecoin incentives. Attention is turning to alternative market structure efforts in Congress.

On 17 January 2026, Michael Saylor used an appearance on the What Bitcoin Did podcast to argue that holding Bitcoin is a capital allocation decision comparable to choosing cash, bonds, or buybacks. He contended that even unprofitable companies can strengthen overall balance sheets if Bitcoin appreciation offsets operating losses and criticized what he sees as double standards applied to firms that adopt Bitcoin treasuries.

On January 17, 2026, U.S. officials said Bitcoin seized in the Samourai Wallet case remains unsold and under federal custody, following DOJ confirmation and an executive order permitting retention. The assets will be placed in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, with Bitcoin trading around $94,960 and market cap near $1.9 trillion at the time.

On 17 January 2026, analysts reacted to the latest delay of the CLARITY Act by arguing it reflects timing rather than a reversal of US crypto policy. They say clearer rules, whether through this bill or a later framework, could shift XRP demand toward institutional usage and make it harder for individual actors to steer its price. XRP's recent sideways trading is described as a market waiting for a regulatory signal strong enough to reset expectations.

U.S. District Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen sentenced Utah resident Brian Garry Sewell to three years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors said he defrauded investors of nearly $3 million and ran a cash-to-crypto service that moved more than $5 million; the court ordered more than $3.6 million in restitution.

On 16 January 2026, the XRP Ledger ecosystem was reported to be adding a new prediction market platform called Axiom, with a beta launch scheduled for 19 January using XRP and RLUSD as trading assets. Built on the XRPL EVM Sidechain and supported by infrastructure like Axelar and SquidRouter, the project aims to extend XRPL beyond payments into more diverse, market-driven financial applications.