Category: crypto

Following a criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s conduct, the Department of Justice has issued subpoenas related to his testimony on renovation costs. Powell argues that the probe is politically motivated due to disagreements over interest rate policy, raising concerns about Federal Reserve independence and political pressure on monetary policy.

Coinbase’s support for Washington’s upcoming major crypto bill may be in jeopardy due to a dispute over stablecoin rewards. The exchange relies on rewards tied to USDC for revenue and may withdraw support if restrictions are imposed. This could delay Congress’ market structure legislation, impacting the stablecoin market and Coinbase’s business.

Tether has frozen around $182 million in USDT on the Tron network across five wallets in a single-day enforcement action on January 11, 2026. This action, linked to U.S. law enforcement, highlights the centralized control of stablecoins and the differences between stablecoins and decentralized assets like Bitcoin.

Bitmine aggressively increased its Ethereum staking, with holdings now at 1,080,512 ETH valued at $3.33 billion. The company, led by Tom Lee, aims to own 5% of the Ethereum supply. Staking yields could generate 33,700 ETH annually. Bitmine rapidly accumulated ETH, with over $1 billion staked in the first 10 days of January 2026.

Ethereum’s current social media sentiment is as negative as it was before the 2025 price rally that pushed the asset to new all-time highs. Analysts believe that rising staking and network growth could lead to a bullish trend for ETH. Despite recent market downturns, there is potential for an upside in sentiment based on past…

Bitcoin spot ETFs experienced $249.99 million in net outflows on January 9, continuing a multi-day trend of redemptions. BlackRock’s IBIT led the withdrawals, with a total of $251.97 million leaving the fund. Ethereum ETFs also saw $351 million in redemptions over three days, while Solana ETFs remained flat and XRP ETFs attracted fresh inflows.

Fasial Tariq, co-founder of Paradox Metaverse, was tied to the world’s largest seizure of illegal weight-loss drugs in the UK. Authorities seized £250K worth of drugs from a facility linked to Tariq’s businesses. Tariq’s crypto gaming project was previously labeled a Ponzi scheme by Coffeezilla. No charges have been filed against Tariq.

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.