Wallet

On January 17, 2026, on-chain observers reported Bitcoin bots aggressively sweeping a wallet whose private key was derived from the coinbase txid of block 924,982. The address received two small BTC deposits totaling 0.00020305 BTC, which were rapidly spent through competing replace-by-fee transactions, leaving no remaining balance and directing nearly all funds to fees. The case highlights how bots precompute addresses from predictable keys and instantly drain any BTC sent to them, exposing the risks of weak or publicly known private key schemes.

On January 10, a high-value crypto wallet was compromised through a social engineering scheme, leading to the loss of more than $280 million in digital assets. The attacker rapidly converted large Litecoin and four-figure Bitcoin holdings via instant swaps, privacy coins such as Monero, and cross-chain bridges like THORChain, causing notable market volatility. Investigators have not linked the theft to any state-backed group, and the victim's identity remains undisclosed.

On 17 January 2026, Megatel Homes detailed plans to launch a blockchain-based rewards program using its MegPrime token after an SEC no-action letter, according to the report. Tokens are earned via rent, mortgage, and everyday spending, and renters could apply up to $25,000 of prior rent toward buying a Megatel home.

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 January 17, 2026, on-chain analytics indicated the top 10 XRP wallets hold 18.56% of circulating coins, addresses ranked 10–50 account for 24.85%, and 56.59% is dispersed among millions of smaller holders. Ripple’s escrow manages 45% of total supply, while operational wallets hold nearly 1%. Major exchanges like Binance and Bithumb each hold about 1.8 billion XRP, and the price stands at $2.06 after a 0.17% dip.

On January 17, 2026, Rokas Baltrusaitis outlined how fatigue undermines crypto security, leading to rushed approvals, skipped checks, and subtle risk judgment errors. The article argues that 24/7 markets and convenience tools intensify decision overload, making attention management a primary defense. It recommends adding review friction, segmenting wallets, and routinely revoking stale permissions.

On January 10, 2026, an on-chain investigator reported that a hardware wallet social engineering scam led to more than $282 million in BTC and LTC being stolen and routed into Monero via multiple instant exchanges. The attacker also bridged a substantial share of the BTC to Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin using THORChain, while Monero's price surged from around $450 to near $800 before later pulling back below $630.

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 January 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that the roughly 58 BTC forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers will be held on the federal balance sheet within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under Executive Order 14233. Earlier reports had suggested a possible sale via SDNY and the U.S. Marshals Service.

On Wednesday evening, bitcoin peaked at $98,000 before sliding in the past 24 hours to just under $94,500 after a rejection near $97,000. XMR jumped more than 50% toward new highs, and the Senate Banking Committee postponed the crypto market structure bill on Thursday as broader market metrics shifted.