On January 16, 2026, President Donald Trump signaled he may keep Kevin Hassett in his current role rather than nominate him as Fed chair, shifting attention to former Governor Kevin Warsh. Markets reacted, with the dollar firming and stocks slipping; Polymarket odds moved to 59% for Warsh and 18% for Hassett.

Google filed an appeal challenging U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta's 2024 monopoly finding and moved to pause parts of a 2025 remedies order requiring data-sharing and annual rebidding of default-search deals. The company also requested a stay during the appellate process, which, according to the report, could take about a year from notice to decision.

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.

As the January 2026 FOMC meeting nears, markets assign a 5% chance of a 25 bps rate cut and a 95% likelihood of no change. U.S. inflation cooled to 2.7% at end‑2025, while January 15 initial jobless claims were 198,000 and December added 50,000 jobs. Elevated rates continue to pressure Bitcoin and other crypto.

China's State Taxation Administration has urged residents to self-assess and declare personal overseas income for 2022–2024, according to Xinhua News Agency. Authorities indicate they may recover unpaid taxes and late fees, and pursue legal action in cases of evasion. The notice does not address digital assets, leaving possible cryptocurrency impacts undetermined.

On January 17 2026, the White House was reported to be weighing the withdrawal of support for the Senate Committee's nearly 300-page Clarity Act after Coinbase abruptly pulled its backing. The administration is said to be urging Coinbase to rejoin talks and accept a stablecoin yield framework that aligns with banking interests, after CEO Brian Armstrong argued the bill would harm consumers. The clash has postponed a key Senate vote and underlined Coinbase's growing influence over US crypto legislation.

The Trump administration has intensified its confrontation with the Federal Reserve by supporting a criminal investigation into chair Jerome "Jay" Powell over a $2.5bn headquarters renovation, raising fears of political interference in U.S. monetary policy. Markets have so far remained stable as investors expect the Fed to resist demands for rapid rate cuts, while Republican lawmakers, global central bankers, and Wall Street figures rally in defence of the Fed's independence. The widening backlash is complicating Trump's plans to reshape the central bank as Powell's term as chair nears its end.

On January 17, 2026, President Donald Trump said he is considering an executive action to set a one‑year 10% ceiling on credit‑card interest, with a January 20 deadline. The plan is part of a broader affordability agenda focused on housing and 401(k) down payments, while major banks and trade groups warn the cap could tighten credit and disrupt unsecured lending.