Category: crypto

In the first week of 2026, cryptocurrency funding saw a total of $763.5 million spread across six projects. Rain led with a $250 million Series C round, followed by BlackOpal and Tres Finance. Other projects like Babylon, HabitTrade, and ZenChain also secured new capital.

NFT sales volume dropped by 27.65% to $62.58 million, with Ethereum leading in sales. Market participation has decreased significantly, with buyers and sellers dropping by over 75%. Top collections include CryptoPunks, YES BOND, and Panini America. Ethereum remains strong while Bitcoin sales have plummeted.

Bank of New York Mellon is introducing a blockchain-based service that turns traditional bank deposits into on-chain tokens. This move towards 24/7 operability is part of a larger trend in global markets. The service will allow institutional clients to move money on digital rails, signaling the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is advocating for a lighter sentence for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, stating that privacy tools like Tornado Cash serve lawful purposes and that publishing open-source code should be protected under the First Amendment. Storm, facing up to five years in prison, has received support from Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly moved $1 billion in cryptocurrency through two UK-registered exchanges over the past two years, according to TRM Labs. The funds were routed using Tether on the TRON blockchain. This highlights how cryptocurrency can be used to circumvent financial controls and evade sanctions.

Rain, a stablecoin payments company, raised $250 million in a Series C funding round led by ICONIQ, valuing the company at $1.95 billion. The funding will support expansion into key markets globally. Rain’s platform enables businesses to launch stablecoin cards, wallets, and payouts, processing over $3 billion annually for 200+ partners.

House Democrats introduced a bill to prevent federal officials from participating in prediction markets, following concerns of insider trading. The legislation aims to stop officials from using nonpublic information to profit from bets on platforms like Polymarket. Critics argue that this could exploit privileged knowledge, while proponents support blocking insiders from participating.

Pump.fun is updating its creator-fee system after realizing Dynamic Fees V1 incentivized low-risk coin creation over active trading. The platform will now allow teams to split fees, transfer ownership, and assign fee percentages post-launch. Future updates will let traders determine if token narratives justify creator fees, rebalancing incentives for 2026.

Pi Coin’s trading volume is increasing as the token trades around $0.21, just above major support at $0.1952. Technical indicators show a potential rebound setup, with bullish divergence in PPO and RSI. Analysts suggest a breakout above $0.21 could target the 200-day exponential moving average. Market data indicates increased investor interest in Pi Coin amid…

BlackRock transferred $276 million in Bitcoin and $83 million in Ethereum to Coinbase during a market downturn. The moves coincided with outflows from U.S. Bitcoin ETFs and Ethereum ETFs, raising speculation about potential liquidations. The transfers occurred ahead of key U.S. labor data releases that could impact Fed policy and market sensitivity for BTC and…