Crypto News Daily

WhatsApp Lawsuit Draws Skepticism From Cryptographers, Privacy Lawyers

A proposed class action accusing Meta of accessing WhatsApp messages is drawing early skepticism from experts, claiming it lacks evidence.

Bitcoin climbs above $89,000 as U.S. dollar tumbles on President Trump's remarks

The president said he isn't concerned about the dollar's recent declines, sending the greenback plunging even lower.

Panic selling Bitcoin on Coinbase triggers a Binance price gap that reveals a “messy” institutional market failure

Coinbase's Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped below competing exchanges this week, and the gap continues to widen. CoinGlass reported on Jan. 26 that its Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index, which tracks the price difference between Coinbase's BTC/USD and Binance's BTC/USDT, turned sharply negative, indicating ...

SEC task force responds to Ripple CLARITY Act concerns, floats new classification

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force backed Ripple’s view that speculation alone should not trigger securities laws, responding to concerns over the CLARITY Act.

Ethereum’s massive fee shock: New post-quantum signatures are 40x larger, threatening to crush network throughput and user costs

Ethereum elevated post-quantum cryptography to a top strategic priority this month, forming a dedicated PQ team led by Thomas Coratger and announcing $1 million in prizes to harden hash-based primitives. The announcement came one day before a16z crypto published a roadmap arguing that quantum threat...

Tether introduces USAt under new US stablecoin rules

Tether’s new US-regulated stablecoin, issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and backed by Cantor Fitzgerald reserves, launches on major exchanges under the US GENIUS Act.

Tether debuts federally regulated USAT stablecoin via Anchorage Digital

The new token is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and designed to comply with the GENIUS Act, targeting institutional demand for a U.S.-regulated digital dollar.

Crypto payments network Mesh reaches unicorn status after $75 million Series C led by Dragonfly

New capital from Dragonfly, Coinbase Ventures, and other backers has pushed Mesh's total funding over $200 billion at a $1 billion valuation.

Mesh joins crypto unicorn ranks with $75M Dragonfly-led Series C

The crypto payments company plans to expand its network across Latin America, Asia and Europe following the latest funding round.

Mesh becomes unicorn, raises $75 million for crypto payments infrastructure

The investment round was led by Dragonfly Capital and included participation from Paradigm, Moderne Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and SBI Investment.

US Marshals confirm probe into $40M theft claims involving seized crypto

The US Marshals Service confirmed “the matter is under investigation” following claims that millions in government-seized crypto was stolen.

North Korea–Linked Hackers Use Deepfake Video Calls to Target Crypto Workers

Hackers are using AI-generated video calls to impersonate trusted contacts and trick crypto workers into installing malware.

ZK-powered Bitcoin Layer 2 Citrea launches mainnet

Citrea uses a zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine to inscribe its chain history on the Bitcoin base layer.

UK banks’ anti-crypto stance intensifies even as regulatory process moves forward

A crypto lobby group said it found "increased hostility" from British banks, casting a shadow over the global cryptocurrency leadership the country said it is vying for.

Crypto Payments Startup Mesh Hits $1 Billion Unicorn Valuation

Mesh, which lets businesses take crypto payments across networks, added $75 million to its war chest, achieving “unicorn” status in the process.

ASIC wins $9.3M penalty against BPS Financial over misleading Qoin Wallet

Australia's Federal Court ordered BPS Financial to pay $1.3 million for unlicensed conduct and $8 million for misleading and deceptive representations.

South Korea’s central bank flags FX risks as lawmakers debate stablecoin issuance

South Korea’s stablecoin debate remains stalled as the central bank raises concerns over capital flows, issuer oversight and US dollar-linked risks.

Trading 212 let UK retail trade crypto ETNs without FCA approval: FT

In October 2025, the FCA stressed that companies must hold the correct permissions and comply with strict marketing and consumer protection rules before offering crypto ETNs.

Arizona Lawmakers Advance Bill to Exempt Crypto From Property Taxes

The legislation would place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot as the state attempts to establish a crypto-friendly policy.

Crypto money laundering balloons to $82B as Chinese-language services dominate, Chainalysis says

Chinese-language networks now handle a disproportionate share of global crypto money laundering flows, according to a new Chainalysis report.

Bitcoin faces slide to $60,000 if impending US shutdown triggers a statistical blackout

Bitcoin traders are aggressively positioning for a US government shutdown that could begin Jan. 31 if Congress fails to extend funding that expires Jan. 30. The urgency of the setup is visible in prediction markets, where odds changes have become tradable headlines in their own right. Shutdown contr...

BNB rises 2.5%, nears $900 mark as prediction market growth signals utility expansion

A new physically backed BNB exchange-traded product launched on Nasdaq Stockholm, adding to existing investment options.

Vitalik Buterin admits his biggest design mistake since 2017 – so is your Ethereum at risk?

Vitalik Buterin said he no longer agrees with his 2017 tweet that downplayed the need for users to personally verify Ethereum end-to-end. This week, he argued the network should treat self-hosted verification as a non-negotiable escape hatch as its architecture gets lighter and more modular. Buterin...

Nomura-backed Laser Digital seeks US bank charter amid crypto banking push: Report

If approved, the move would let the company bypass state-by-state licensing and offer federally regulated crypto trading without taking deposits.

Chinese National Gets 46 Months in Prison for $37 Million Crypto Scam Targeting Americans

A Chinese national was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in a $37 million crypto scam that claimed American victims.

Man sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in $37 million crypto laundering scam

A man was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for his role in laundering almost $37 million in illicit digital-asset proceeds.

Whale wallet moves $397 million in ETH to Gemini this week, breaking nine-year dormancy

The wallet bought ether in 2017 at around $90 each, implying a profit of roughly $385 million after holding the asset for nearly a decade.

Russia effectively bans WhiteBIT crypto exchange over Ukraine ties

WhiteBIT said on its website that it has donated over $11 million to support the Ukrainian army and civilian population.

Australia Puts Crypto Oversight Gaps on 2026 Risk List

The warning comes as Canberra moves to close digital-asset regulatory gaps through long-awaited licensing legislation.

Senator Marshall to shelve card fees provision in crypto bill markup: Report

US Senator Roger Marshall filed an amendment last week that would have forced companies to compete on swipe fees.

Bitcoin‘s ‘most accurate’ bullish signal hints at BTC price reversal

Traders spotted multiple signals that suggest Bitcoin could be gearing up for another bull run, but onchain data still highlights weakness in the market.

Japan’s regulator seeks public input on bonds eligible for stablecoin reserves

Japan's FSA has opened a consultation on draft rules defining which bonds are eligible for stablecoin reserves under 2025 law amendments.

Stablecoins are a real threat to bank deposits, says Standard Chartered

Stablecoin growth could drain bank deposits, with regional US banks most exposed, Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick warned.

Australian regulator secures $9.7 million penalty against BPS Financial over Qoin Wallet violations

Australia’s Federal Court ordered BPS Financial to pay $14 million AUD after ASIC proved unlicensed and misleading conduct tied to Qoin Wallet.

Australia’s ASIC flags crypto as ‘regulatory perimeter’ risk alongside AI, payments

Australia’s securities regulator has bundled digital assets with AI and payments in its 2026 outlook, warning that companies exploiting licensing gray areas will be a top priority this year.

Standard Chartered warns stablecoins could drain $500 billion from U.S. bank deposits by 2028

Standard Chartered has estimated that up to $500 billion could exit U.S. bank deposits for stablecoins by 2028.

What’s Next for the UK FCA's Cryptoasset Regime

The regulator is seeking feedback as part of a broader push to bring crypto under the UK’s financial regulatory perimeter.

UK dodges ‘US malaise’ as regulator finalizes crypto rules

The UK is bringing its multi-year rulemaking process for crypto to a close and, in doing so, may surpass the US, which is currently bogged down trying to resolve the CLARITY Act.

USDCx appears on Aleo as privacy-focused blockchains seek stablecoin access

The integration underscores how privacy-first networks are adapting to a stablecoin-dominated crypto economy.

Nomura-backed Laser Digital seeks US banking charter amid crypto firms’ push onshore

Laser Digital’s application places it alongside a growing group of crypto firms seeking federal trust bank status in the US.

Morgan Stanley taps veteran Amy Oldenburg to lead digital asset strategy amid crypto push: Bloomberg

The new hire comes amid Morgan Stanley also seeking to hire for several other crypto-related roles as firm leans into digital asset adoption.

Bitcoin and ether volatility trading gets easier with Polymarket's new contracts

Polymarket has launched new prediction markets tied to Volmex's bitcoin and ether 30-day implied volatility indices.

As bitcoin miners cut unprofitable production, Hash Ribbon metric points to BTC price rebound

The hashrate shock from extreme weather in the U.S. revives a historically bullish onchain indicator.

Bitcoin’s Falling Price Puts Miners on Edge

Data from the CBECI suggest that any miner paying at least $0.10 per kWh for energy will be making a loss on each Bitcoin mined.

Animoca, RootstockLabs partner to bring Bitcoin DeFi to Japanese institutions

The partnership targets Bitcoin treasury management for Japanese companies using Rootstock-based tools, including rBTC and RIF.

US ‘crypto capital’ claim tested by developer prosecutions

The Trump administration is celebrating the GENIUS Act and its pro‑crypto agenda, yet Tornado Cash and Samourai prosecutions fuel doubts that US developers are truly in the clear.

Standard Chartered says U.S. regional banks most at risk in $500 billion stablecoin shift

The delay of market structure legislation highlights a growing threat to domestic lenders as digital dollars begin to cannibalize traditional bank deposits.

Stablecoins Are a Bigger Threat to US Banks Than Regulators Admit: Standard Chartered

Half a trillion dollars could flow from banks to stablecoins by 2028, threatening regional lenders' primary revenue source, analyst warns.

Bitcoin ETFs Turn Positive After Five-Day $1.7B Losing Streak

Bitcoin ETFs saw a modest $6.8 million in net inflows Monday, putting an end to a five-day streak of outflows.

Crypto market weakness persists, but Ethereum metrics hint at rally to $3.3K

Rising Ethereum layer-2 activity and a notable bump in network fees may be an early sign that ETH is on the verge of a recovery.

Circle faces first major 'threat' for institutional dollars from Tether’s USAT

While Circle's USDC has operated without a "credible domestic competitor," Tether's USAT has the potential to shake up the landscape, analysts said.

Ether price gained 200% the last time this global liquidity signal flashed

ETH whale accumulation and its alignment with a rare global liquidity signal could be a sign that Ether price is gearing up for another triple-digit rally.

EU Investigates X Over Alleged Failures to Curb Illegal Grok AI Content

The probe will examine whether the platform adequately assessed risks tied to Grok’s rollout and complied with its obligations under EU law.

Bitcoin remains coiled under $88,500 as gold tops $5,000, silver gives back gains

Bitcoin traded lower alongside most major tokens as investors favored gold and silver ahead of the Federal Reserve decision and a heavy week of Magnificent Seven earnings.

60% of top US banks are geared up for Bitcoin: River

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of crypto exchange Coinbase, said a takeaway from his time at the Davos forum was that most of the bank CEOs he met were pro-crypto.

Australia's corporate regulator flags risks from rapid innovation in digital assets

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has flagged digital assets and AI risks in its annual report.

KuCoin taps former LSEG exec Sabina Liu to lead MiCA expansion in Europe

Former London Stock Exchange Group executive Sabina Liu will lead KuCoin EU’s MiCA-era expansion from Vienna, as the exchange pivots toward a compliance-first European strategy.

Bitcoin holds below $90K as markets remain cautious ahead of Fed decision: analysts

Analysts flag ETF outflows, defensive positioning, and macro uncertainty as reasons behind bitcoin's range-bound price action.

Wemade taps Chainlink for Korean won stablecoin infrastructure

Wemade added Chainlink to its Korean won stablecoin alliance to strengthen oracle and data infrastructure as South Korea debates stablecoin regulation.

Strategy Now Holds $63 Billion in Bitcoin—These Are Its Biggest Buys

How did Michael Saylor's firm amass a record stash of Bitcoin? Here's a look back at how Strategy made such massive gains.

Privacy-focused Miden, Korea Digital Asset agree to build crypto infrastructure for institutional adoption

The partnership focuses on privacy, compliance and standards for regulated digital-asset adoption in South Korea.

Ethereum already ‘20%’ of the way toward quantum resilience: Interview

Ethereum has a “clear plan” for post-quantum security involving major upgrades to execution, consensus and even data blobs, explains researcher Antonio Sanso.

Tether officially launches ‘Made in America’ USAT stablecoin as mass TradFi adoption looms

Bo Hines, a former crypto policy advisor to the White House, will help oversee the launch of Tether's new stablecoin.

Bitcoin price due sub-$80K bottom this week, hints new Wyckoff forecast

Bitcoin price analysis said that the Wyckoff "spring" event was due before the end of the month, with sub-$80,000 levels on the radar.

Tether Launches US-Regulated USAT Stablecoin Issued By Anchorage Digital

Tether debuted USAT in partnership with Anchorage Digital, representing the El Salvador-based firm's first GENIUS Act-compliant product.

Nasdaq, NYSE and Cboe vet joins Securitize as VP working with public and private market issuers

Giang Bui, who most recently worked on equities and ETF operations at Nasdaq, will join as Securitizes new vice president of issuer growth.

Crypto payments adoption spearheaded by large businesses, PayPal survey finds

Four in 10 surveyed merchants already accept crypto at checkout, with roughly three-quarters reporting an increase in crypto sales last year.

Public companies quietly grow Bitcoin holdings as prices stay flat

Despite Bitcoin trading about 12% lower than a year ago, corporate accumulation shows no sign of slowing in 2026.

Gold demand breaks into the crypto whale market as it hits a rare extreme last seen over a decade ago

Crypto whales are reaching for gold as Bitcoin stalls, but the trade may be less of a verdict on crypto than a hedge for a specific macro window. On Jan. 27, blockchain sleuth Lookonchain flagged three addresses that collectively withdrew about $14.33 million in tokenized gold from centralized excha...

Hyperliquid HIP-3 open-interest hits $793M on commodities surge

Hyperliquid's HIP-3, also known as "Builder Deployed Perpetuals," lets anyone who stakes 500,000 HYPE to create a new perpetual futures market on the Hyperliquid blockchain.

Is the Bitcoin-versus-gold chart completely broken?

Bitcoin dropped below levels that historically marked cycle bottoms versus gold and preceded major rallies in dollar terms.

WH advisor Patrick Witt: Davos 2026 was ‘turning point’ for global crypto normalization

White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt said stablecoins are the “gateway drug” for global finance and that Washington is racing to deliver regulatory clarity.

Anthony Scaramucci-linked AVAX One tumbles 32% on uncertainty around shareholder sales

The firm, which holds AVAX tokens and related Avalanche ecosystem assets, registered roughly 74 million shares held by insiders.

Crypto faces fork in the road as Clarity Act support wavers, Bitwise says

The asset manager argued that without federal legislation, the industry has three years to become indispensable before political winds potentially shift.

Nifty Gateway promises permanent NFT hosting in shutdown update

Some NFTs minted in 2021 or earlier rely on metadata tied to Nifty Gateway’s own servers, which the company says it will continue to host.

Stablecoin Outflows Signal Capital Exit as Bitcoin Trades Flat

Top stablecoins have shed $2.2 billion in 10 days, in a sign investors are cashing out to fiat instead of waiting to buy the dip.

Kalshi bolsters US lobbying efforts with new DC office

Kalshi, a federally-approved entity, has been battling state-level enforcement actions over its sports event contracts.

Bitcoin, ether stall as metals steal spotlight in low-liquidity trade: Crypto Markets Today

Bitcoin and ether traded little changed on weak liquidity as gold and silver rallied, highlighting a risk-off rotation that’s also lifting niche crypto tokens.

Bitcoin trend line cross mimics 2022 amid ‘insane’ BTC vs. silver breakdown

Bitcoin saw two long-term moving averages cross over for the first time since April 2022 in a fresh BTC price bear market warning.

Theo launches yield-bearing tokenized gold built to ‘work in DeFi’

The launch comes as tokenized gold hits a record high market cap, with most existing products still offering only passive price exposure.

Galaxy Digital leads $7M investment in Tenbin to build improved tokenized gold and FX markets

Tenbin plans to bring gold and foreign exchange currencies to blockchain rails using CME futures for faster and better tokenized asset trading.

How the SEC is Handling Crypto Cases 12 Months Into Trump's Presidency

A year into the second Trump presidency, the SEC has pulled back from major crypto cases and changed its priorities.

From Sand to Stone: Two GCs on the New Legal Foundation Shaping Crypto’s Future

GCs from Ava Labs and Plume break down how the Senate bill cements crypto’s legal foundation and what it means for next-gen builders.

Bitcoin breaking above $100k silently broke its positive adoption curve as usage craters

Bitcoin Is Being Bought, Not Used For most of Bitcoin’s history, price and usage told broadly the same story. When price moved higher, more people showed up. More wallets became active. More transactions hit the chain. The relationship was never perfect, but it was stable enough to treat price as a ...

Kalshi expands political footprint with DC office, Democratic hire

The predictions market platform announced two new hires related to state policy efforts and relations with the federal government.

Bitcoin miners surge higher as Anthropic's fundraising efforts boost AI spirits

Anthropic is set to raise $20 billion in its latest funding round, double the amount it initially targeted, according to the FT.

American Innovation Project launches fellowship to bring crypto expertise to Capitol Hill

The American Innovation Project is launching a new fellowship program for recent college graduates to work alongside lawmakers.

Polymarket strikes prediction market deal with major US soccer league

Polymarket will be the prediction market partner for the US Major League Soccer with the plan to offer “ways to engage more deeply with the game.”

Bitcoin to silver ratio nears levels last seen during the FTX capitulation

Volatility, historical timing, and relative value signals raise questions around a potential blow off top for silver.

Trump family-backed American Bitcoin lifts bitcoin holdings to nearly 5,900 coins

HYPE token surges 24% as silver futures volume soars on Hyperliquid exchange

Silver futures on the crypto derivatives exchange are currently showing $1.25 billion in volume and $155 million in open interest.

Stablecoin market fall shows flight to gold, not Bitcoin: Santiment

Bitcoin has fallen nearly 30% since a major market crash in October, while gold and silver have soared to new highs.

Silver nears $1 billion in volume on Hyperliquid as bitcoin remains frozen: Asia Morning Briefing

Silver perps have more volume on Hyperliquid than SOL or XRP.

Viral AI assistant 'Clawdbot' risks leaking private messages, credentials

A security vulnerability in the Clawdbot AI assistant has exposed hundreds of servers, leaking API keys and other sensitive information due to misconfigured proxies, cybersecurity professionals warn.

Gold’s surge above $5,000 and Clarity Act limbo frame contrasting futures for crypto markets, Bitwise CIO says

Gold's breakout above $5,000 and Clarity Act uncertainty are putting crypto's next market move to the test, Matt Hougan said.

Bitcoin bullish bets now a bargain as 7% weekly loss underlines bearish trend

Your day-ahead look for Jan. 27, 2026

Bitcoin miners HIVE, Bitfarm and Bitdeer downgraded as analyst warns on AI shift

KBW's Stephen Glagola said that turning business models toward AI and HPC may take longer to pay off than the market expects.

CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Gains 2% While Index Declines

Polygon (POL) fell 3.1% and Internet Computer (ICP) dropped 3%, leading index lower.

Rick Rieder, a rising favorite for Trump's Fed chair pick, sees bitcoin as new gold

As Trump mulls the next leader of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the BlackRock executive has caught a surge of online wagers, and he'd bring a pro-crypto view.

Here’s why traders say $10K Ethereum price is still on the table

Traders said Ether was preparing for a breakout to new all-time highs, with $10,000 ETH price target in sight.

The Daily: Tether launches ‘Made in America’ USAT stablecoin, what gold’s surge and Clarity Act limbo mean for crypto, and more

The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

South Dakota lawmaker takes another run at Bitcoin reserve bill

The state representative introduced similar legislation shortly after taking office in 2025, but the bill was deferred and not signed into law.

AI data centers hit same local resistance that slowed Bitcoin mining

AI data center expansion is facing growing local opposition over power, infrastructure and costs, echoing the resistance that once slowed Bitcoin mining.

'Forgotten Runiverse' on Ethereum Network Ronin Is the Latest Crypto Gaming Casualty

Forgotten Runiverse, a free-to-play role-playing game on Ethereum scaling network Ronin, is shutting down its servers until further notice.

Bitcoin hashrate briefly drops to mid-2025 levels amid US winter storm

Bitcoin mining data platform Hashrate Index estimates the United States contributes the largest amount of the world’s mining power, with nearly 38% of the global hashrate.

Meta exec denies having access to WhatsApp chats amid privacy lawsuit

Plaintiffs in a US district court lawsuit accused Meta of having backdoor access to WhatsApp chats, impacting the privacy of its more than 3 billion users.

Zcash Sentiment Ticks Up as Privacy Coin's Price Jumps 9%

Sentiment among traders on prediction market Myriad is thawing towards the privacy coin, after flipping bearish last week.

OpenAI is too big to fail, and that's the point

AI’s foundational role in knowledge work means monopolies can’t be broken like social media or browsers. Alternatives to centralized AI systems must be built now.

Tucker Carlson presses Peter Schiff on Bitcoin as new global reserve currency

In his latest interview, American media personality Tucker Carlson challenged Peter Schiff on whether Bitcoin can fix the declining US dollar system.

Morning Minute: Anthropic’s CEO Warns AGI May Be 1-2 Years Away

Anthropic's CEO is raising awareness of some potentially dark realities around the corner as AI undergoes a step-change in capabilities.

Benchmark sees 80% upside on Galaxy Digital, flags Helios AI expansion as underpriced potential

Benchmark sees nearly 80% upside to GLXY even before factoring in potential monetization of the expanded Helios capacity.

Take away the violent weekends and Bitcoin’s bull run is still alive while the dollar continues to fall

Bitcoin’s 2026 problem is the weekend I keep coming back to this line because it feels brutally true in the way only markets can be true. The only thing worse than buying Bitcoin this year was not buying Bitcoin. If you held dollars, you got quietly taxed. The dollar has been sliding, and the mood a...

Bitwise to launch onchain vaults via Moprho

The first vault strategy targets 6% annual percentage yield via over-collateralized lending pools, managed by Bitwise.

Bitcoin’s real ‘Uptober’ moment might start in February: Here’s why

Data shows February tends to be one of BTC’s best performing months, leading Bitcoin network economist Timothy Peterson to dub it the real “Uptober” event. Will history repeat itself next month?

TikTok Backlash Fuels Sudden Surge in Little-Known Australian Social App

Upscrolled surged into the top 10 free apps after users accused TikTok of suppressing political content, straining UpScrolled’s servers.

From marginal experiment to global market infrastructure: Tokenization is rewriting finance

The following is a guest post and opinion from Laura Estefania, Founder and CEO of Conquista PR. The past decade of digital assets has been shaped as much by debacle as by innovation. High-profile collapses, sensational headlines, and regulatory whiplash distorted public perception, leaving technolo...

Exodus from Cambodian Scam Compounds Creates 'Humanitarian Crisis': Amnesty

Thousands of foreign nationals who escaped or were released from online scam operations are stranded in Cambodia.

Nick Shirley token highlights Base’s Zora-driven surge and vanity metric issue

Zora's content coin mechanism enables near-zero-cost token deployment, allowing creators to mint tokens with minimal friction.

Fundstrat’s Lee sees a crypto comeback once precious metals cool

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee said crypto markets are being overshadowed by record gold and silver prices, but predicts a surge will come once precious metals' rally takes a pause.

Bitcoin job listings rise 6% in 2025, led by non-technical roles

The most in-demand, non-developer Bitcoin job openings included product manager, executive assistant, marketing manager, director and product designer.