On January 16, 2026, President Donald Trump said he is reconsidering Kevin Hassett as his choice for Federal Reserve chair because he does not want to lose him from his White House economic post. After Trump's remarks, the two-year Treasury yield rose to 3.61%, while markets reduced expectations for multiple Fed rate cuts in 2026. Hassett also publicly downplayed the criminal probe into Jerome Powell over $2.5 billion in renovation cost overruns at the Fed.

A wide-ranging U.S. bill to regulate the cryptocurrency sector could be finalized within weeks, according to Galaxy CEO Michael Novogratz, who argues it does not need to be flawless to proceed. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has withdrawn support from the current draft, warning it would hurt several of the exchange's product lines and stablecoin rewards. Senate Banking Committee efforts to mark up the more than 270-page market structure bill were postponed after dozens of amendments and pushback from industry stakeholders.

Crypto exchange Toobit has entered into a partnership with Spanish football league LALIGA to roll out the Elite Championship trading campaign, featuring a total prize pool of $800,000. Running from Jan. 15 to Feb. 28, 2026, the event combines trading-based rewards, community activities, and football-themed prizes, and is open to participants across all skill levels.

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.

On January 16, Donald Trump indicated he would like Kevin Hassett to continue serving at the White House National Economic Council while also weighing him as a possible Federal Reserve Chair. Speculation over potential successors to Jerome Powell has driven notable shifts in prediction market odds, particularly for Hassett. At the same time, Ethereum is trading at $3,270.86 with a market cap of USD 394.78 billion and a 24‑hour volume of USD 23.24 billion, highlighting crypto’s sensitivity to interest rate expectations.

XRP's performance against Bitcoin is showing a bullish technical pattern, with the XRP/BTC pair eyeing a potential 50% to 55% upside move after rebounding from the midline of the monthly Bollinger Bands near 0.00001988 BTC. This setup challenges XRP's historically weak track record versus Bitcoin in February, where its median return has been negative while Bitcoin's has been positive. If the current pattern plays out, analysts suggest it could mark the start of a rare XRP/BTC supercycle similar to the 2017-2018 phase.

Amid sanctions, high inflation, and a weakening rial, Iranians turned to crypto for savings and transfers in 2025. According to Chainalysis, activity totaled an estimated $7.78 billion, and IRGC-linked wallets comprised more than half of value in Q4 2025, receiving over $3 billion versus around $2 billion in 2024. Usage spiked during late December 2025 protests and internet restrictions.

On January 16, 2026, State Street (NYSE: STT) fell 3.5% to $131.48 as of 10:20 AM EST, down from a $136.20 prior close, despite topping Q4 EPS and revenue estimates. Investors focused on $226 million in repositioning charges and a 2026 expense outlook of 3–4%, above Visible Alpha's 1.6% consensus, alongside a low single-digit net interest income guide.