On 15 January 2026, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev warned the United States risks falling behind as Senate committees postponed action on a crypto market bill. He highlighted strong user interest in staking and tokenized equities, while Coinbase withdrew support over concerns about DeFi, tokenized stocks, stablecoin incentives, and SEC authority.

On January 15, 2026, London Stock Exchange Group introduced a Digital Settlement House, according to Bloomberg. The platform aims for instant settlement across independent payment networks while interoperating with traditional systems. Built on LSEG’s Digital Markets Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure, it targets the trade‑to‑settlement lag that typically spans one to three days.

On January 15, South Korea's National Assembly approved amendments to the Capital Market Act and the Act on the Electronic Registration of Stocks and Bonds to formally recognize security token offerings. The new rules introduce a blockchain-based framework with issuer custody accounts and OTC oversight, with implementation targeted for early 2026 and potential expansion of tokenized real-world assets.

Chinese state television reported on January 14 that former digital yuan architect Yao Qian allegedly received more than $8 million in cryptocurrency bribes while serving in top financial regulatory roles. Investigators traced 2,000 Ethereum and other funds through hardware wallets, shell accounts, and exchange transfers, linking the assets to a Beijing villa purchase and broader corruption involving business favors and recruitment decisions.

Global Settlement Network announced a pilot to tokenize eight government-contracted water treatment sites in Jakarta, according to a Wednesday statement. The plan aims to raise up to $35 million for upgrades and to test rupiah‑stablecoin settlement rails, with a target to scale to $200 million in tokenized assets across Southeast Asia over the next 12 months.

The Senate Banking Committee pulled its planned markup and vote on a comprehensive crypto bill after support eroded midweek. Chair Tim Scott announced the postponement Wednesday night; Coinbase withdrew backing, citing treatment of stablecoin yield, tokenized equities and DeFi. A new hearing date has not been set.

On 15 January 2026, Visa began piloting stablecoin funding and payouts on Visa Direct through BVNK. The program lets select businesses send or receive transfers in stablecoins alongside fiat, with Visa Direct handling around $1.7 trillion annually and BVNK processing more than $30 billion in stablecoin transactions each year. The rollout is limited to approved markets.

DeFi Education Fund has raised concerns over eight CLARITY Act amendments submitted by several U.S. senators, arguing they would undermine DeFi technology, software developers, and self-custody. The group is urging lawmakers to reject proposals from Senators Reed, Kim, Cortez Masto, and Warren that would expand Treasury and FinCEN authority, as the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees prepare January 15, 2026 hearings on the bill.