GSPlatformCo Inc., a digital payments operator, says attackers accessed a customer-data system in April of last year. The company discovered the intrusion in November and filed notices with regulators, including Maine's Attorney General, in January. Breach disclosures state 537,877 U.S. individuals were affected, with exposure limited to basic personal details and account/transaction metadata.

According to the analysis, QNT rose 12.33% over the past 36 hours as daily volume tripled since Friday, 16 January. The study highlights weekly support near the 78.6% retracement at $75, a short-term invalidation on a 4‑hour close below $72.5, and overhead supply at $90–$110, while BTC's defense of $94.5k could allow a push toward $100k.

On January 18, 2026, Chartbeat data covering 2,756 news sites, including 797 in the U.S., showed a sharp year-over-year drop in Google search referrals: down 33% worldwide and 38% in the United States. The analysis also flagged declines from Google Discover, Facebook, and X, while Google disputed the methodology and highlighted recent product adjustments.

In the first week of the year, XRP jumped from under $1.90 to $2.40 before slipping below $2.10. ChatGPT expects consolidation above $2.00 and beneath $2.30, while Grok warns a close under $2.00 could revisit under $1.90. Perplexity and Gemini see scope to reclaim $2.20–$2.25 and potentially retest the $2.40 peak on January 6.

Steak 'n Shake has disclosed a $10 million Bitcoin purchase for its corporate treasury, its first public Bitcoin allocation since enabling crypto payments in May 2025. The 91-year-old burger chain has formalized a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that channels all customer Bitcoin payments into long-term holdings, linking reserve growth to same-store sales performance.

On 18 January 2026, Moldova's finance leadership said the country is preparing its first nationwide crypto framework, targeting completion by the end of 2026. The draft will be modeled on the EU's MiCA, aiming to clarify rules for issuance, trading, and service providers while enhancing investor protection and market oversight.

The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that 57.55 BTC forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers will stay on the U.S. government balance sheet under Executive Order 14233, instead of being auctioned. Valued at about $6.3 million, this Bitcoin is designated for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, highlighting a shift in federal digital asset management.

Several EU states sending troops to Greenland prompted the US president to unveil new tariffs on those countries starting February 1, with a possible hike on June 1. While EU officials called an emergency meeting and US Democrats prepared legislation to counter the measures, Bitcoin's price held steady at just above $95,000 during the weekend. Analysts who reviewed Trump's tariff strategy over 12 months view this as step four in the broader trade confrontation and expect traditional markets to open lower as events unfold. Bitcoin, which previously dropped sharply during the April 2025 trade war, has so far shown greater resilience in the current Greenland-related dispute.