By the end of 2025, assets tied to metal and mining ETFs worldwide exceeded $750 billion, with precious metals driving most of the expansion. Gold ETFs held over $500 billion and silver ETF assets tripled to about $75 billion, while NYSE Arca and London together hosted roughly three-quarters of sector ETF capital. ETF structures and listing venues are reshaping capital flows and the physical supply–demand balance for key metals.

On 17 January 2026, BlackRock was observed shifting more than $1.24 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum across several days, involving withdrawals rather than direct liquidation. On-chain tracking indicates these flows are linked to portfolio and custody rebalancing, while BlackRock continues to hold hundreds of thousands of BTC and millions of ETH, maintaining significant exposure to both assets.

Binance will auto‑settle and delist USDⓈ‑M perpetual contracts for BID/USDT, DMC/USDT, ZRC/USDT and TANSSI/USDT at 09:00 UTC on January 21, 2026. New positions will be blocked from 08:30 UTC, with liquidations in the last hour handled via single IOC orders and possible Auto‑Deleveraging if margin is insufficient. Binance also warned of higher volatility and may adjust leverage, margin or funding rates under extreme conditions.

As of January 17, 2026, U.S. officials, tech firms, and miners are focusing on Greenland's rare earths, lithium, and graphite for AI, defense, and electronics supply chains. A bipartisan bill last week seeks a $2.5 billion rare earths reserve, while a July Department of Defense–MP Materials deal and fresh remarks by top leaders highlight the push.

On January 17th, Defiance ETFs said it will liquidate its Nasdaq-listed Ethereum ETF (ETHI) together with seven other leveraged products. ETHI’s last trading day is January 26, 2026, with delisting after market close, and cash redemptions at net asset value set for January 30, 2026.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria has updated its crypto capital rule, raising the minimum capital requirement for firms to two billion naira with a compliance deadline of June 30, 2027. Supporters argue the move will strengthen investor protection and reduce systemic risks, while critics warn it could stifle innovation and push smaller local operators out of the market.

On January 17 2026, California's financial regulator ordered Nexo to pay a $500,000 penalty for issuing more than 5,456 crypto-backed loans in the state without a license. The action requires the company to transfer California customer funds to a licensed U.S. affiliate within 150 days and has cast doubt on Nexo's plans to resume operations in the American market.

On January 10, 2026, an investor reportedly lost more than $282 million in Litecoin and Bitcoin after attackers accessed a hardware wallet through a social engineering scam around 23:00 UTC. The stolen coins were quickly moved across multiple blockchains, with a large share allegedly converted into Monero via instant exchanges, coinciding with a sharp XMR price surge over the following four days.