On January 18, 2026, Samsung Electronics said it will distribute record performance bonuses as AI-fueled demand lifts profits. Its Device Solutions unit will pay up to 47% of base annual salary this month, while the MX division's OPI reaches 50%. SK Hynix plans to allocate 10% of operating profits to bonuses and pay 80% upfront.

Vietnam police reported arresting several suspects in Da Nang over an alleged cryptocurrency scam that mimicked a Nasdaq investment platform and caused losses of more than VND14 billion ($532,800). Authorities said the group operated from Cambodia, used social media and messaging apps to lure victims with promises of high returns, and converted misappropriated funds into crypto while the investigation remains ongoing.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria has updated its crypto capital rule, raising the minimum capital requirement for firms to two billion naira with a compliance deadline of June 30, 2027. Supporters argue the move will strengthen investor protection and reduce systemic risks, while critics warn it could stifle innovation and push smaller local operators out of the market.

Indian police reported multiple fraud cases in which retirees were targeted through bogus crypto and stock trading applications, with individual losses ranging from tens of lakhs to more than Rs. 1.25 crore. In incidents recorded between late December and mid-January, victims were enticed via WhatsApp groups and fake trading dashboards that showed inflated balances but blocked withdrawals, prompting authorities to urge citizens to seek professional help before investing.

On January 17 2026, Germany and several Holocaust memorial institutions called on major social media platforms to curb the spread of misleading AI-generated Holocaust images. The organizations urged platforms to clearly label such content, proactively remove certain manipulated depictions, and restrict monetization of the fabricated imagery. Experts have also warned that the growing volume of AI "slop" risks distorting historical facts and undermining trust in authentic records.

On January 11, 2026, India's Financial Intelligence Unit announced new KYC rules requiring crypto exchanges to collect customer selfies, geographic coordinates and bank verification via the penny drop method. The guidelines also ban mixing services and anonymous tokens, tighten reporting duties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and require regular KYC updates based on risk. Exchanges must register as reporting entities, obtain PAN and additional ID documents, and use liveness detection software to confirm users' physical presence.

LG AI Research's K-Exaone foundational model has secured seventh place on the Intelligence Index compiled by Artificial Analysis, making it the only Korean entry in a top 10 otherwise dominated by US and Chinese systems. The model, built on a 236 billion-parameter MoE architecture and optimized for A100-class GPUs, topped 10 of 13 benchmark tests in a government-led competition and is available as an open-weight model on Hugging Face with free API access through January 28.

On January 10 2026, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned platform X over reports that its Grok chatbot has been used to generate sexualized and exploitative images. Australia's eSafety Office has seen a recent rise in complaints linked to Grok, while Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has temporarily blocked the chatbot over concerns about non-consensual sexual deepfakes. X has restricted Grok's image tools to paying subscribers, as regulators in both countries push for stronger safety guardrails around generative AI content.

On January 10, 2026, authorities in Louisiana reported recovering $200,000 taken through Bitcoin ATM scams that targeted elderly residents. Police and consumer advocates said the funds were retrieved under a new state law that imposes warning requirements, transaction limits and waiting periods on Bitcoin ATMs. Officials also highlighted a broader rise in such schemes, noting that reported Bitcoin ATM fraud reached $333 million in 2025.