<h2>Cross-Chain Trading Infrastructure Draws Strategic Capital Amid DeFi Execution Shift</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>YZI Labs made a multi-eight-figure investment in Genius Trading, confirming CZ as an advisor.</li><li>Genius reported over $160 million in trading volume across 10 blockchains before its public debut.</li><li>The deal reflects rising demand for cross-chain execution tools as on-chain trading volumes expand.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>YZI Labs disclosed a multi-eight-figure&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/yzilabs/status/2011076096457130108">strategic investment</a> in Genius Trading on January 13, 2026, marking one of its most visible bets on decentralized trading infrastructure. The funding places Genius among a growing group of execution-focused platforms attracting capital as on-chain activity increasingly rivals centralized venues.Genius Trading entered the spotlight with claims of more than $160 million in cumulative trading volume processed before its public debut. The platform supports spot trading,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/understanding-crypto-perpetual-futures">perpetual</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/futures-contracts">futures</a>, and copy trading across at least 10 blockchains, positioning itself as a unified terminal rather than a single-chain&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/Decentralized-Crypto-Exchange-dex">DEX</a> or liquidity pool.Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a> and head of YZI Labs, joined Genius as an advisor as part of the deal. The advisory role signals deeper strategic involvement, not just financial backing, at a time when experienced exchange operators are increasingly influencing&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a> tooling design.YZI Labs framed the investment around structural changes in how traders execute large orders on public blockchains. Transparent ledgers, while foundational to DeFi, expose trade intent and can weaken execution quality, especially during volatile&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> swings reflected across the crypto price index and broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> movements.Genius has addressed this challenge through features such as its “Ghost Order” system, which splits and routes trades across multiple wallets to reduce visibility while remaining non-custodial. The company positions this approach as an attempt to replicate centralized exchange execution standards without sacrificing on-chain settlement.Leadership at Genius described the partnership as alignment beyond capital, emphasizing development support and operational insight. The company plans to accelerate privacy and routing features, with a broader access rollout targeted for late 2026, according to statements accompanying the announcement.Market data cited by YZI Labs highlights why execution infrastructure has become a focus. Decentralized exchanges expanded their share of spot trading volume from 6% in early 2021 to over 21% by November 2025, peaking near 37% during mid-2025 market surges tied to crypto price volatility.YZI Labs manages roughly $10 billion as a family office and has backed more than 300 companies across&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/web3-companies-projects">Web3</a> and emerging technologies. The Genius investment fits within its broader strategy, including a $1 billion fund dedicated to builders, as trading activity increasingly migrates on-chain alongside shifts in the global coin market cap.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

YZI Labs reinforces Genius Trading as crypto price infrastructure matures

YZI Labs Backs Genius Trading With Multi-Eight-Figure Investment as CZ Joins as Advisor

<h2>Acquisitions and prediction markets reshape Polygon’s revenue and payments narrative</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Polygon Labs committed over $250 million to acquire Coinme and Sequence, anchoring a U.S.-focused payments strategy.</li><li>Polymarket’s 15-minute prediction markets pushed Polygon’s January fees above $1.7 million, a 14-month high.</li><li>Network activity surged alongside fee burns, lifting daily transactions above 5.3 million and active users to 1.4 million.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/polygon-ecosystem-token-pol">Polygon</a> Labs has repositioned itself beyond scaling infrastructure with more than $250 million spent&nbsp;<a href="https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/polygon-labs-acquisition-coinme-sequence-stablecoin-strategy/">acquiring</a> Coinme and Sequence, two U.S.-based crypto firms central to its Open Money Stack vision. The move signals a clear push into regulated payments, stablecoin rails, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> infrastructure, placing Polygon closer to fintech territory traditionally dominated by Stripe-like platforms.Coinme brings licensed cash-to-crypto on-ramps and U.S. money transmission coverage, while Sequence adds wallet and transfer infrastructure designed for high-volume consumer payments. Executives framed the acquisitions as foundational, emphasizing payments as crypto’s most practical use case rather than a speculative extension of decentralized finance.Revenue momentum arrived quickly from another angle. Polymarket’s expansion of 15-minute crypto prediction markets triggered a sharp rise in Polygon’s fee generation during January, lifting total network fees beyond $1.7 million. Short settlement windows and higher taker fees amplified transaction frequency, turning prediction trading into a meaningful revenue engine.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.45%;"><img alt="tweet_2010758743848599637_20260114_081119_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010758743848599637_20260114_081119_via_10015_io_1229d5e72e.webp"></figure>Daily fee data showed Polymarket alone contributing over $100,000 within single-day periods, reflecting how fee design can reshape network economics. Polygon’s weekly revenue approached $1.1 million, marking the strongest performance since late 2024 and highlighting a shift toward application-driven fee sustainability.Network usage scaled alongside revenues. Daily transactions climbed to roughly 5.3 million, while daily active users reached about 1.4 million, the highest levels since mid-2025. Throughput improvements following recent upgrades supported heavier loads without visible congestion.Rising activity also accelerated token burns. Estimates suggest more than 12.5 million&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/polygon-ecosystem-token-pol">POL</a>, valued near $1.5 million, were removed from circulation during the surge, with base fee burns nearing one million POL on peak days. Sustained usage at current levels could meaningfully alter long-term supply dynamics.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Polygon token burns reflect increased on-chain economic activity

Polygon Bets $250M on Payments as Polymarket Drives Network Fees Past $1.7M in January

XRP has continued its market rally by recently surging past the $2.12 mark. This rally comes as a tightening supply on central exchanges met a revived market demand. The latest growth marks one of XRP’s strongest rallies in months, taking the token to a value that had constantly held back gains during previous attempts. Trading volumes have also spiked with XRP’s growth, highlighting growing conviction among both spot buyers and speculative traders.XRP’s growth comes at a time when the broader crypto market sentiment is starting to improve after a prolonged period of downturn. Amidst this improvement, the appetite for speculative risk-taking seems to be returning after a conservative consolidation period. While other coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum are not showing similar rebounds, XRP has become a standout performer among large-cap altcoins, driven by structural supply dynamics rather than short-term hype alone.<h2>Shrinking Exchange Supply Points to Accumulation</h2>A notable factor driving the increase in XRP’s price has been the decline of the token’s supply held on centralized exchanges. On-chain data shows XRP balances have been lower for weeks, which indicates that holders are moving their tokens into self-custody rather than keeping them on centralized exchanges for sale.This kind of behavior is generally seen as a sign of accumulation, which indicates that investors are positioning themselves to take advantage of higher sale prices in the future. Similar strategies could be seen during the early days of Bitcoin, when HODLers stored their Bitcoins off-chain with the hopes that the future price would soar, which it of course did. This strategy and environment are attractive prospects for traders seeking&nbsp;<a href="https://99bitcoins.com/cryptocurrency/high-risk-high-reward-crypto/">high risk high reward crypto</a> assets, as reduced liquidity can amplify price movements when demand picks up again.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>XRP’s Breakout Above a Key Resistance Level</h2>Breaking above $2.12 carries technical importance for XRP, as $2.10 had acted as a point of resistance that the coin has not been able to break through in recent months. This physical barrier has been reinforced as a psychological barrier for those watching the altcoin for speculative reasons. The latest move has proved to be important because it not only breaks that barrier, but it<a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/why-xrps-latest-move-making-traders-nervous-interested-1768643">&nbsp;restores investor interest</a>. Now that the cap has been passed, buyers and sellers of XRP know the altcoin can grow beyond it.With the clearing of the $2.10 cap, XPR’s market momentum has turned bullish, with short-term trend structures turning to the upside. For traders, this kind of breakout means that market control is moving from sellers to buyers, especially when it aligns with supportive on-chain and supply-side data.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Supply Squeeze Dynamics Take Hold</h2>XRP appears to be experiencing a supply squeeze, which is seeing fewer XRP tokens being available to sell. This shortage can result in the altcoin’s price being affected by even light buying pressure. The reason for this is a market that becomes more sensitive to demand changes as the exchange balances continue to decrease.Short sellers have as much a role to play in this rally as long-term players. Buying pressure has been further increased as some bearish positions were forced to close as a result of the price moving above resistance.<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/29/crypto-end-of-year-fall-cuts-trump-optimism">&nbsp;These liquidations</a> have fueled XRP’s breakout, accelerating moves and reinforcing its growing short-term momentum.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>On-Chain Metrics Support the Bullish Narrative</h2>Looking past exchange supply, other on-chain indicators have strengthened the case for XRP’s rally. There has been a rise in active address counts, which suggests increased network participation and transaction activity. While this has been happening, large-value transfers have increased, indicating a renewed interest from whales and high-net-worth holders.An important point to note is that these large transactions have not been accompanied by any major influx of XRP coins, giving credence to the notion that selling pressure remains limited. Long-term holders seem to be happy sitting on their positions, reducing the chances of sudden distribution as prices climb.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Broader Market Conditions Favor XRP</h2>The broader crypto asset environment has been mostly supportive for XRP’s breakout.<a href="https://coin360.com/news/strategy-bitcoin-liquidity-buffer-144b-market-impact">&nbsp;Risk sentiment has improved</a> as a more favorable outlook for digital assets looms on the horizon. Bitcoin’s recent stabilization has also contributed to XRP’s rise by causing increased capital rotation into altcoins.Thanks to these market factors, XPR’s liquidity and market presence have made it an<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/altcoin">&nbsp;appealing altcoin</a> for traders seeking to diversify their portfolio beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. Focus has once again been placed on XRP’s ability to outperform during periods of improving sentiment, especially as supply-side constraints set it apart from other large-cap tokens.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Institutional and Trader Interest Picks Up</h2>Data from derivatives indicate an uptick in open interest in XRP futures. The growth of open interest, together with rising spot prices, can often signal broader investor confidence rather than excessive speculation, especially when funding rates remain relatively balanced.There has also been a renewed interest from institutions, brought in by XRP’s liquidity profile and the clarity provided by recent market developments. The combination of tightening supply and improving technical structure has presented convincing trading opportunities for large players, even amid ongoing market volatility.&nbsp;

Ripple coin in hand with trading chart

XRP Surges Past $2.12 in Recent Price Hike

<h2>Fed Policy Doubts Trigger Sharp Reversal in Crypto Investment Flows Despite Stable Industry AUM</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Crypto exchange-traded products recorded $454 million in weekly outflows as optimism around near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts faded.</li><li>Bitcoin and Ether products drove the bulk of withdrawals, while select altcoins such as XRP and Solana still attracted inflows.</li><li>U.S. investors accounted for the majority of outflows, even as total assets under management across crypto ETPs remained broadly stable.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Crypto investment products faced a decisive shift in sentiment last week as investors pulled $454 million from digital asset exchange-traded products, reversing early-year inflows and underscoring how tightly&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> behavior remains linked to macroeconomic expectations.&nbsp;Data compiled by CoinShares&nbsp;<a href="https://researchblog.coinshares.com/volume-268-digital-asset-fund-flows-weekly-report-a555a6e169c1">showed</a> that the drawdown unfolded over four consecutive days, nearly erasing the roughly $1.5 billion in inflows recorded during the first two trading days of the year. Market participants pointed to growing skepticism over the likelihood of a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate cut, particularly after fresh macroeconomic data reduced confidence in a March easing cycle, prompting a rapid reassessment of risk exposure across crypto-linked instruments.<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> investment products absorbed the largest share of the selling pressure, with approximately $405 million exiting&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a>-focused ETPs over the week.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ether</a> products followed with $116 million in outflows, reinforcing a broader risk-off tone among the two largest digital assets by coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a>.&nbsp;Even short-Bitcoin products were not immune, posting about $9 million in outflows, a signal that investors were not aggressively positioning for further downside but were instead trimming exposure across the board. Multi-asset crypto products also saw $21 million in withdrawals, reflecting weakness beyond single-asset strategies as uncertainty rippled through the crypto price index and related benchmarks.Despite the broad pullback, flow data revealed notable pockets of resilience.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a>-linked products recorded around $46 million in inflows, while&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> attracted roughly $33 million and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/sui-sui">Sui</a> about $8 million, suggesting selective rotation rather than a uniform retreat from digital assets.&nbsp;These inflows indicated that some investors continued to favor specific narratives and ecosystems even as headline crypto price moves softened. Geographically, the divergence was stark. U.S.-listed products accounted for roughly $569 million in net outflows, making the United States the clear epicenter of the sell-off. Germany, Canada, and Switzerland moved in the opposite direction, collectively posting tens of millions of dollars in net inflows, highlighting regional differences in risk appetite and macro interpretation.Issuer-level data added further nuance to the picture. BlackRock’s iShares crypto products and Profunds Group were among the few to register net inflows, each drawing in roughly $180 million, while Fidelity Investments and Grayscale Investments experienced significant redemptions of about $454 million and $360 million, respectively.&nbsp;Even with the heavy outflows, total assets under management across crypto ETPs edged higher week over week to $181.9 billion from $181.3 billion, suggesting that longer-term holdings and underlying crypto price stability helped cushion the impact. CoinShares research head James Butterfill summarized the mood succinctly, noting that the turnaround in sentiment appeared largely driven by investor concerns over diminishing prospects for a Federal Reserve rate cut following recent economic data, a reminder that macro expectations continue to shape crypto price dynamics as much as on-chain developments.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Selective flows reshape coin market cap despite broader ETF outflows

Crypto ETPs Shed $454 Million as Rate-Cut Expectations Cool and U.S. Investors Lead Withdrawals

<h2>Corporate Crypto Treasuries Deepen as Bitcoin and Ethereum Accumulation Accelerates</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Strategy added 13,627 bitcoin for $1.25 billion following MSCI index inclusion, reinforcing its long-term Bitcoin treasury strategy.</li><li>Bitmine expanded its Ethereum holdings to over 4.16 million ETH, pushing combined crypto and cash reserves to roughly $14 billion.</li><li>Both moves highlight diverging but maturing corporate approaches to crypto price exposure, treasury construction, and balance-sheet strategy.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Strategy moved deeper into&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> accumulation with the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/saylor/status/2010698959426105389">purchase</a> of 13,627&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a> for approximately $1.25 billion, a transaction disclosed shortly after the company’s inclusion in a major MSCI index. The timing underscored how index recognition and balance-sheet strategy are increasingly intertwined, as inclusion in widely tracked benchmarks broadens passive institutional exposure while simultaneously amplifying scrutiny of treasury decisions.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.29%;"><img alt="tweet_2010698959426105389_20260113_033722_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010698959426105389_20260113_033722_via_10015_io_9990ecf432.webp"></figure>The acquisition implies an average purchase price near $91,700 per bitcoin and lifted Strategy’s total holdings to well above 190,000 BTC, further cementing its position as the largest publicly known corporate holder of the asset. Market participants viewed the scale and timing of the buy as a signal that index-related inflows are not diluting the company’s Bitcoin-first thesis, but rather reinforcing it by channeling additional capital toward a balance sheet already dominated by digital assets.The purchase also reinforced Strategy’s long-articulated view of Bitcoin as a long-duration treasury reserve rather than a short-term trade tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> fluctuations. By acquiring bitcoin directly and holding it on the corporate balance sheet, the company continues to remove a substantial quantity of supply from liquid markets, a dynamic often cited as structurally supportive during periods of tightening issuance.&nbsp;Analysts tracking the crypto price index and broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> trends noted that such corporate buying differs materially from ETF-driven demand, as these coins are typically locked away with no immediate intent to rotate or rebalance. The move came as Bitcoin trading remained sensitive to macro liquidity conditions, yet Strategy’s actions suggested a willingness to add exposure regardless of near-term crypto price volatility.<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>, meanwhile, saw its own large-scale corporate endorsement as Bitmine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/bitmine-immersion-technologies-bmnr-announces-eth-holdings-reach-4-168-million-tokens-and-total-crypto-and-total-cash-holdings-of-14-0-billion-302658230.html">disclosed</a> that its treasury had expanded to more than 4.16 million&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a>, pushing the firm’s combined crypto and cash holdings to approximately $14 billion. The disclosure, released on January 12, 2026, positioned Bitmine among the largest known corporate holders of Ethereum and highlighted a treasury philosophy distinct from Bitcoin-only strategies. Rather than emphasizing scarcity alone, Bitmine’s approach reflects confidence in Ethereum’s role as programmable financial infrastructure, particularly as staking, stablecoin settlement, and tokenized assets continue to expand across global markets.Bitmine’s growing Ethereum allocation also points to a broader evolution in how corporations assess crypto price exposure and balance-sheet utility. Holding ETH offers potential access to staking yields and participation in on-chain economic activity, features increasingly viewed as relevant for treasury optimization rather than speculative upside alone. The firm’s decision to maintain significant cash reserves alongside crypto suggests a hybrid treasury model designed to manage volatility while preserving flexibility as market conditions shift. Observers noted that Ethereum’s evolving issuance dynamics and its central role in decentralized finance have strengthened the case for long-term holding, especially as total coin market cap growth becomes more closely tied to on-chain activity rather than pure price momentum.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Crypto treasuries solidify as coin market cap institutionalizes globally

Strategy’s $1.25B Bitcoin Buy and Bitmine’s $14B Ethereum Treasury Signal a New Phase of Corporate Crypto Balance Sheets

<h2>Algorithm Tweaks, Bot Noise, and a Sharp Drop in Retail Attention Converge Across X and YouTube</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Crypto creators are reporting reduced visibility on X amid algorithm changes, bot overload, and disputes over how content is ranked and surfaced.</li><li>Crypto YouTube viewership has fallen to its lowest level since early 2021, signaling deep retail disengagement.</li><li>Analysts and creators increasingly view the trend as a broader market fatigue issue rather than a single-platform problem.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Crypto-focused creators and analysts are raising alarms over a noticeable collapse in social media engagement, as disputes around algorithmic visibility on X intersect with a steep decline in crypto YouTube viewership. Reports published in mid-January 2026 describe a landscape where crypto content is harder to find, retail interest appears exhausted, and platforms are struggling to balance noise, bots, and relevance at scale.Tension around X’s recommendation system intensified after users&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/egragcrypto/status/2010601730468139471">reported</a> seeing far less crypto-related content in their feeds, replaced by politics, general-interest posts, and engagement-driven material. Several long-time community members said the shift marked a sharp break from earlier years when topic-based networks reliably surfaced posts from within crypto circles. One market participant described crypto now accounting for roughly 10% of their feed, arguing that the platform’s once-cohesive topical communities had effectively dissolved.The debate escalated after X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, addressed the complaints in a series of posts that were later deleted. Bier argued that the platform’s feed mechanics are constrained by scale, noting that users are shown only about 20 to 30 posts per day on average, making it mathematically impossible to surface everything from every followed account. He also warned that repetitive, low-value engagement such as short greeting replies can reduce reach and that quoting certain posts may influence recommendation patterns for as long as three to six months. His assertion that “Crypto Twitter is dying from suicide, not from the algorithm” triggered immediate backlash, with critics&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CryptoKaleo/status/2010091376831062092">accusing</a> the platform of quietly suppressing legitimate discourse and incentivizing creators to post less.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.1%;"><img alt="tweet_2010019757022642341_20260113_015026_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010019757022642341_20260113_015026_via_10015_io_74775f2538.webp"></figure>Concerns were further amplified by&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/dogeofficialceo/status/2010423070763487323">allegations</a> of conflicts of interest tied to Bier’s advisory role within the crypto sector, though supporters pushed back, arguing that X’s broader priorities extend well beyond digital assets. Some creators countered suppression claims by pointing to individual posts reaching tens of thousands of views, suggesting that critical or investigative content can still break through. Others framed the issue as less about censorship and more about signal overload.<figure class="image"><img alt="7c893f2f924f4ec38d26beb4f3f65380.jpg" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/7c893f2f924f4ec38d26beb4f3f65380_f25d3dda74.jpg"></figure>Data cited by industry figures points to a dramatic rise in automated activity complicating the picture. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ki_young_ju/status/2010133579268067351">reported</a> more than 7.7 million crypto-labeled bot posts appearing in a single day, representing a 1,224% surge. According to Ju, paid verification failed to deter spam, allowing bots to flood the platform and forcing algorithmic defenses that may inadvertently penalize genuine users. He argued that the inability to reliably distinguish humans from bots has become a structural problem affecting visibility across the board.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.36%;"><img alt="tweet_2010133579268067351_20260113_015613_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010133579268067351_20260113_015613_via_10015_io_1c4a3a2780.webp"></figure>Parallel trends are playing out on YouTube, where crypto content viewership has dropped to levels last seen in early 2021. View data tracked over recent months shows a sustained decline rather than a short-term dip, reinforcing the view that retail interest has materially weakened. Analysts such as Benjamin Cowen&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/intocryptoverse/status/2010432836986364077">highlighted</a> 30-day moving averages across multiple channels that reveal a broad-based contraction in attention, mirroring engagement losses seen on X.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.07%;"><img alt="tweet_2010432836986364077_20260113_015709_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010432836986364077_20260113_015709_via_10015_io_ad0df11d03.webp"></figure>Creators have openly acknowledged the shift. YouTuber Tom Crown described the collapse as platform-wide and accelerating since October, while&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> investor Polaris XBT characterized current engagement as consistent with bear market social interest. Several commentators attributed the pullback to audience exhaustion after years of scams, failed projects, and repeated losses, arguing that retail participants are simply tuning out.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.19%;"><img alt="tweet_2010457101827760399_20260113_015919_via_10015_io-imageonline.co-merged.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2010457101827760399_20260113_015919_via_10015_io_imageonline_co_merged_ea1d56e6fa.webp"></figure>Market context appears to reinforce that narrative. Observers have noted that institutions are increasingly dominating trading activity while retail participation fades, a pattern reflected in both price performance and social metrics. Broader asset trends, including underwhelming returns for Bitcoin relative to certain commodities during 2025, have also weighed on sentiment. Despite the gloom, some analytics suggest early stabilization, with improving sentiment around Bitcoin even as interest in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a> remains fragmented. Analysts continue to point to key price thresholds as potential inflection points for retail re-engagement, but for now, the data underscores a crypto discourse ecosystem under strain from both technical and psychological fatigue.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Retail fatigue reshapes crypto social media engagement across platforms

Crypto Engagement Slides on X and YouTube as Algorithm Disputes and Retail Fatigue Hit Social Platforms

<h2>Bank plans custody, financing, and market access services&nbsp;</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Standard Chartered is planning a crypto prime brokerage under its SC Ventures unit, targeting institutional clients with custody, financing, and market access services.</li><li>The structure is designed to reduce Basel III capital constraints, positioning the bank to scale digital asset services more efficiently.</li><li>The move builds on existing infrastructure such as Zodia Custody, Zodia Markets, and recent institutional crypto trading and partnership expansions.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Standard Chartered is preparing to expand deeper into institutional crypto services by developing a dedicated crypto prime brokerage within its innovation and venture arm, SC Ventures, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-12/stanchart-said-to-prepare-crypto-expansion-with-prime-brokerage">reports</a> published on January 12, 2026. The initiative remains at an early planning stage, with no official launch date disclosed, but the direction signals a strategic push to consolidate custody, financing, and trading access for professional crypto clients under a structure designed to manage regulatory and capital constraints more efficiently. By situating the business inside SC Ventures rather than the core banking entity, Standard Chartered is seeking to reduce balance-sheet exposure and mitigate the punitive capital treatment imposed by Basel III on unlicensed crypto assets, which can carry risk weightings as high as 1,250%.The planned prime brokerage is expected to deliver a full institutional service stack, including digital asset custody, access to crypto markets, and financing solutions tailored to hedge funds, asset managers, and other professional investors. Reporting indicates that the effort will draw on existing SC Ventures-backed platforms such as Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, suggesting the bank is layering new brokerage functionality on top of infrastructure it already controls or supports. Zodia Custody has been positioned as an institutional-grade custody provider, while Zodia Markets operates as a regulated digital asset brokerage and exchange platform, particularly in the UK and European markets, giving Standard Chartered a foundation for scaling prime brokerage services without starting from scratch.The strategic logic behind the move reflects both regulatory realities and shifting institutional demand. Capital rules under Basel III have made it expensive for traditional banks to hold or directly intermediate crypto assets on their balance sheets, pushing firms to explore alternative structures that preserve compliance while enabling growth. Housing the prime brokerage within SC Ventures allows Standard Chartered to pursue digital asset expansion with greater flexibility, a model that could become more common across global banks as they seek exposure to crypto markets without absorbing disproportionate capital costs. Coincu’s reporting notes that this approach could lower barriers for other financial institutions considering similar services, potentially accelerating institutional participation across the sector.Standard Chartered has already taken several steps that frame the prime brokerage plan as part of a longer-term digital asset strategy rather than a standalone experiment. During 2025, the bank became the first global systemically important bank to offer deliverable spot&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ether</a> trading to institutional clients, marking a significant shift in how traditional lenders engage with crypto markets. The bank also expanded its partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> in December 2025 to cover trading, custody, staking, lending, and prime services, further embedding itself in the institutional crypto ecosystem. Additional collaborations, including work with FalconX on global banking and settlement services, underscore a pattern of building infrastructure and partnerships ahead of a broader brokerage rollout.Executives at SC Ventures have repeatedly emphasized long-term conviction in digital assets, framing crypto infrastructure as a structural evolution in financial markets rather than a short-term trading opportunity. A representative cited in the reporting said digital assets remain a “high conviction theme” for SC Ventures, pointing to its portfolio of crypto-native ventures and investments as evidence of sustained commitment. While financial projections, asset targets, or revenue expectations for the prime brokerage have not been disclosed, the planned expansion aligns with a period of renewed institutional interest driven by clearer regulatory frameworks, expanding spot crypto products, and growing demand for bank-grade custody and financing solutions. For Standard Chartered, the move represents another step toward positioning itself as a bridge between traditional finance and digital assets, using regulatory-aware structures to compete in a rapidly professionalizing market.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

SC Ventures builds crypto prime brokerage services for institutional crypto clients

Standard Chartered Prepares Crypto Prime Brokerage Under SC Ventures 

Coin360 weekly crypto news, cryptocurrency updates, market movement

Coin360 weekly crypto news

Coin360 Weekly Dispatch | Crypto Market Updates & Highlights | January 4 - 10, 2026

<h2>Wall Street heavyweight accelerates digital asset strategy with ETF filings, staking exposure, and a planned in-house wallet</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Morgan Stanley filed S-1 registrations for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana ETFs in early January 2026, including staking-enabled structures for ETH and SOL.</li><li>The bank is preparing a proprietary crypto wallet and direct crypto trading via E*TRADE, signaling a shift from indirect exposure to full-stack infrastructure.</li><li>The move comes as institutional demand strengthens, with U.S. spot crypto ETFs surpassing $2 trillion in cumulative trading volume.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Morgan Stanley has taken one of its most decisive steps yet into digital assets, filing for a suite of cryptocurrency exchange-traded products while simultaneously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/advisor/articles/morgan-stanley-digital-assets-workplace-private-markets-c96cb2ff">preparing</a> to roll out a proprietary crypto&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> and expanded trading services. The filings, submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/morgan-stanley-bitcoin-solana-ethereum-staking-etf-filings">outline</a> proposed spot&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> trusts, with the latter two incorporating staking mechanisms that would allow the funds to earn yield in addition to tracking underlying&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> movements. Together, the filings and infrastructure plans mark a clear evolution in how one of Wall Street’s largest institutions is approaching crypto, shifting from cautious client exposure toward building and controlling its own regulated product stack.The Bitcoin Trust described in the filings is structured as a spot vehicle designed to hold Bitcoin directly, tracking price movements without leverage or derivatives. Custody arrangements emphasize institutional safeguards, with the majority of assets expected to be held in cold storage and limited hot wallet exposure reserved for operational needs. While structurally conservative compared with more experimental crypto products, the Bitcoin ETF reflects Morgan Stanley’s intent to compete in a market that has already seen explosive growth, with U.S. spot crypto ETFs collectively surpassing $2 trillion in cumulative trading volume and drawing more than $1.1 billion in net inflows during the first two trading days of 2026 alone.More notably, the Solana and Ethereum filings introduce staking into an ETF framework, a feature still rare among traditional asset managers. The proposed Solana Trust would hold&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">SOL</a> on a spot basis while delegating a portion of its holdings to third-party validators, allowing staking rewards to accrue to the fund’s net asset value. A similar structure is outlined for the Ethereum Trust, with staking yield incorporated into the overall valuation rather than distributed directly to investors. These designs aim to blend passive exposure with proof-of-stake economics, effectively layering yield on top of price appreciation while introducing new operational considerations such as validator performance, lock-up periods, and protocol-level risks.The ETF filings arrive as part of a broader digital asset push that extends well beyond fund products. Morgan Stanley is preparing to launch its own crypto wallet in 2026, with current plans pointing to a second-half rollout. The wallet is expected to serve institutional and high-net-worth clients initially, offering secure custody for cryptocurrencies and eventually supporting tokenized real-world assets such as equities and private market instruments. By developing an in-house wallet rather than relying solely on third-party custodians, the bank is positioning itself to integrate on-chain assets directly into its existing wealth management and portfolio infrastructure.Alongside custody, Morgan Stanley is also preparing to introduce spot crypto trading through its E*TRADE platform, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana expected to be available to clients in the first half of 2026. This would mark a significant expansion from earlier phases of the bank’s crypto involvement, which largely limited direct exposure to select clients and products. Crypto trading access was broadened in October 2025 to all Morgan Stanley client account types, setting the stage for a more comprehensive offering that spans trading, custody, and investment vehicles under a single institutional umbrella.Taken together, the strategy reflects a deliberate attempt to capture multiple layers of the digital asset value chain at a time when institutional interest continues to deepen. Morgan Stanley, which oversees roughly $1.8 trillion in assets, appears intent on positioning crypto not as a niche alternative investment but as an integrated component of modern portfolio construction. The inclusion of staking within ETF structures also signals a willingness to engage with blockchain-native mechanics rather than limiting products to simplified price tracking tools that mirror traditional commodity funds.Market context has played a crucial role in enabling this expansion. Regulatory conditions in the United States have become more accommodating toward spot crypto products, reducing barriers that previously constrained large banks from launching such offerings. At the same time, institutional benchmarks like the crypto price index and broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> metrics have gained legitimacy as reference points for asset allocation discussions, reinforcing demand for regulated vehicles that align with traditional compliance standards. Morgan Stanley’s move places it among a growing cohort of financial giants seeking to internalize crypto capabilities rather than outsourcing them, reflecting a belief that digital assets are transitioning from experimental exposures to durable components of the global financial system.Rather than framing the initiative as a speculative bet, the bank’s filings and infrastructure plans read as an operational roadmap. Bitcoin remains the anchor, but Ethereum and Solana’s inclusion — particularly with staking — suggests that institutional portfolios are beginning to differentiate between blockchain networks based on functionality, yield, and long-term relevance. As crypto price volatility continues to shape market narratives, Morgan Stanley’s approach underscores a parallel trend: large financial institutions are building quietly, methodically, and with an eye toward permanence rather than hype.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Institutional crypto wallet infrastructure anchored by Morgan Stanley systems

Morgan Stanley Files Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana Staking ETFs as It Prepares a Proprietary Crypto Wallet and Trading Expansion

<h2>Regulation, ETFs, and DeFi Signal a Structural Shift for XRP Beyond Short-Term Price Action</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Ripple secured UK FCA approval for regulated crypto-fiat payment rails, reinforcing its bank-first strategy while XRP price reaction remained muted.</li><li>WisdomTree exited the spot XRP ETF race as rivals captured early volume, even as total XRP ETF assets neared $1.4 billion.</li><li>XRP’s utility expanded through DeFi via Flare’s FXRP and Hyperliquid, broadening use cases beyond payments.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">Ripple</a>’s latest regulatory breakthrough in the United Kingdom underscores how far the company has leaned into infrastructure and compliance rather than chasing speculative momentum tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> movements.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Ripple/status/2009654752955801686">Approval</a> from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority allows Ripple to operate a regulated digital payment system that supports both crypto and fiat transactions under a single licensed framework. That authorization enables banks and financial institutions in the UK to access cross-border payments using digital assets without directly handling blockchain infrastructure or crypto custody, a design that directly addresses institutional risk and compliance constraints. Despite the significance of the approval,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a>’s market response remained restrained, highlighting the disconnect between long-term infrastructure developments and short-term crypto price behavior.Ripple’s regulatory posture has increasingly differentiated it from peers focused on retail trading activity. The company now holds more than 70 licenses worldwide, positioning itself as a regulated intermediary that absorbs operational complexity on behalf of banks. Legal analyst John E. Deaton noted that even long-standing skeptics have been forced to acknowledge Ripple’s resilience, pointing to its ability to expand internationally despite prolonged regulatory pressure in the United States. Deaton estimated Ripple’s enterprise valuation at roughly $40 billion, a figure that aligns with pricing from private secondary market transactions rather than public market hype. Transaction data around the time of the UK approval reflected the same dynamic, with large XRP transfers briefly spiking to 433 on January 6 before dropping sharply to 33, suggesting limited speculative follow-through.That emphasis on fundamentals rather than market theatrics also explains Ripple’s stance on going public. The company has&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/ripple-no-ipo-xrp-etf-withdrawal-flare-fxrp-defi">reiterated</a> that it has no immediate plans for an initial public offering, following a $500 million secondary share sale completed in November 2025 that valued the firm at approximately $40 billion. Institutional investors including Fortress and Citadel participated in that round, reinforcing Ripple’s access to private capital. President Monica Long said the company’s balance sheet strength removes any urgency to pursue an IPO, allowing management to focus on integrating four acquisitions completed during 2025 and expanding regulated payment infrastructure rather than catering to public market expectations.Market structure dynamics around XRP investment products have evolved in parallel. WisdomTree withdrew its S-1 registration for a spot XRP ETF in early January, a move widely interpreted as a response to intensifying competition rather than declining institutional interest. Other issuers had already established an early lead, with Canary Capital’s spot XRP ETF generating nearly $59 million in trading volume on its first day. Combined assets across competing XRP ETF products were approaching $1.4 billion at the time of the withdrawal, indicating that demand for regulated XRP exposure remains strong even as late entrants reassess their positioning. The episode illustrated how timing and distribution matter in ETF launches, with product-level decisions feeding back into broader crypto price index calculations and coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> fluctuations.Beyond traditional finance, XRP’s functional scope has begun to widen through decentralized finance integrations. The&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/flare-flr">Flare</a> Network launched a spot XRP market on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/hyperliquid">Hyperliquid</a> using its FAssets protocol to mint FXRP, a fully backed on-chain representation of XRP. FXRP allows holders to bridge XRP into&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a> environments while maintaining a one-to-one backing with the native asset, enabling spot trading, hedging, and more advanced on-chain strategies through an order-book-based venue. The FXRP mainnet launch in late September 2025 capped initial minting at 5 million tokens, and early activity has already drawn millions of dollars’ worth of XRP into decentralized vaults.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ripple robot secures UK compliance milestone shaping institutional crypto infrastructure

Ripple Deepens Institutional Footprint With UK Regulatory Approval as XRP ETF Momentum Shifts and DeFi Use Cases Expand

<h2>A revamped benchmark signals a deeper push by traditional market giants into diversified, institution-grade crypto exposure</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Nasdaq and CME Group have jointly relaunched the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index in early January 2026, rebranding Nasdaq’s existing crypto benchmark and tightening its institutional governance.</li><li>The index tracks a diversified basket of major digital assets and is designed to support regulated products such as ETFs, structured notes, and actively managed funds.</li><li>CF Benchmarks will calculate the index, while Nasdaq and CME oversee governance, aiming to meet rising institutional demand for transparent, regulated crypto exposure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Nasdaq and CME Group have deepened their long-standing partnership by relaunching a joint digital asset benchmark, positioning the newly branded Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index as a foundational tool for the next generation of regulated crypto investment products. The update,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/nasdaq-and-cme-group-deepen-partnership-advance-new-era-crypto-investing">announced</a> in early January 2026, reflects growing institutional interest in diversified crypto exposure and signals how traditional market infrastructure providers are moving beyond single-asset products toward broader, index-based strategies. The relaunch rebrands Nasdaq’s existing Nasdaq Crypto Index while adding new layers of governance, pricing oversight, and market credibility through CME’s involvement.The Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index is designed to track the performance of a basket of major digital assets rather than focusing solely on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a>, aligning the crypto market more closely with how equities, bonds, and commodities are accessed through benchmarks. Before the rebranding, the underlying index included assets such as Bitcoin,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/cardano-ada">Cardano</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/chainlink-link">Chainlink</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/avalanche-avax">Avalanche</a>, with weightings determined by&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market capitalization</a> and liquidity. Historical data from late 2025 showed Bitcoin accounting for more than 70% of the index, followed by Ethereum at roughly 15%, while the remaining assets made up smaller but meaningful portions, reflecting the market’s concentration while still offering diversification.Calculation of the index will now be handled by CF Benchmarks, a move intended to strengthen pricing transparency and align the benchmark with standards expected by institutional investors and regulators. CF Benchmarks aggregates pricing data from multiple vetted trading venues, reducing reliance on any single exchange and addressing long-standing concerns around data quality in crypto markets. Oversight of the index will be shared by Nasdaq and CME through a joint governance framework, with publicly available methodology outlining eligibility rules, rebalancing schedules, and criteria for adding or removing assets. The index is rebalanced quarterly and applies strict requirements around custody support and trading availability, mirroring the controls commonly seen in traditional financial benchmarks.Executives from both firms have framed the relaunch as a response to changing investor behavior. Nasdaq has pointed to increasing demand for index-based exposure as investors seek to move beyond directional bets on individual tokens toward portfolio-style allocations. CME, which has played a central role in regulated crypto markets since launching reference rates and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/futures-contracts">futures</a> tied to Bitcoin nearly a decade ago, brings derivatives expertise and risk-management credibility to the partnership. Together, the companies are positioning the index as infrastructure rather than a product, a benchmark that asset managers and issuers can use as the basis for exchange-traded funds, structured products, and actively managed strategies.The timing of the relaunch comes as regulated crypto products gain traction globally. Nasdaq has previously licensed its crypto indices to products managing more than $1 billion in assets across multiple regions, illustrating that institutional appetite already exists for benchmark-driven exposure. Market participants view the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index as a way to standardize that demand, offering a transparent reference point that can be used consistently across jurisdictions and product types. Nasdaq has also highlighted that even small portfolio allocations to crypto, often cited in the range of one to five percent, represent significant capital flows when applied across institutional balance sheets.Operationally, the transition to the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index is scheduled to be reflected across Nasdaq’s global index data feeds later in January 2026, ensuring continuity for existing licensees while signaling a clear shift in branding and governance. The relaunch underscores how traditional exchanges are embedding themselves deeper into digital asset markets, not by replacing crypto-native infrastructure, but by wrapping it in familiar frameworks of oversight, transparency, and index construction. As regulatory clarity improves and institutions continue to explore diversified exposure, the new joint index is being positioned as a bridge between legacy finance and an increasingly mature crypto market.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Crypto ETFs advance as Nasdaq CME index supports diversification

Nasdaq and CME Group Relaunch Joint Crypto Index to Power the Next Wave of Regulated Digital Asset Products

<h2>Extradition of Prince Group Founder Triggers Largest Crypto Seizure Ever and Regional Financial Fallout</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Authorities linked to the case seized about 127,271 Bitcoin worth roughly $15 billion, the largest crypto seizure on record.</li><li>Chen Zhi, founder of Prince Group, was extradited from Cambodia to China as part of a sweeping crackdown on transnational crypto fraud and forced labor scam networks.</li><li>Cambodia ordered the liquidation of Prince Bank, marking a rare and severe response to systemic risks tied to alleged crypto-enabled financial crimes.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>A sprawling international crypto fraud case reached a critical inflection point in early January 2026 after Cambodian authorities extradited Chen Zhi, the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group, to China, setting off a chain reaction that included the largest cryptocurrency seizure in history and the forced&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/understanding-liquidation-crypto-trading-guide">liquidation</a> of a licensed bank. The case centers on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/cambodian-scam-tycoon-wanted-by-u-s-extradited-to-china-b483e24c">allegations</a> that Chen oversaw a global network of crypto-related scams, money laundering operations, and forced labor compounds that collectively generated billions of dollars in illicit proceeds, while exploiting volatility in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> movements and investor trust across borders.U.S. prosecutors disclosed that law enforcement agencies seized approximately 127,271&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a>—valued at around $15 billion at the time—from wallets allegedly controlled by Chen and his associates. The seizure, executed in October 2025 but publicly detailed as the case unfolded, dwarfs all previous crypto confiscations and underscores how blockchain transparency can still intersect with large-scale criminal finance. Investigators said the funds were tied to long-running “pig-butchering” scams, a form of fraud where victims are groomed over weeks or months, often through social media or messaging apps, before being persuaded to transfer crypto assets under the guise of investment opportunities. Victims reportedly tracked fake dashboards showing manipulated crypto price data and fabricated gains designed to mirror legitimate crypto price index movements, creating an illusion of credibility while funds were quietly siphoned away.Court filings and law enforcement statements described Chen as the central figure behind a transnational criminal organization operating across Asia, North America, and Europe. U.S. authorities charged him with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, alleging that hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide were defrauded, including more than 250 Americans. Individual losses ranged from tens of thousands of dollars to more than $400,000 per victim, with total damages estimated in the multibillion-dollar range. Investigators also linked the network to forced labor operations, where trafficked workers were allegedly confined in guarded compounds in Cambodia and coerced into running online scams targeting global investors, often during periods of heightened market volatility reflected in shifting coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> figures.The fallout extended beyond crypto wallets and courtrooms into the traditional financial system. Following Chen’s extradition, Cambodia’s central bank ordered the liquidation of Prince Bank, a regulated lender founded by Chen that had operated as part of the broader Prince Group ecosystem. Regulators said the decision was taken to safeguard financial stability and protect depositors after the bank became entangled in international investigations. Liquidators were appointed to oversee the process, with authorities emphasizing that depositors could still access funds subject to verification, while borrowers remain obligated to repay outstanding loans. The move sent shockwaves through Cambodia’s financial sector, highlighting the risks that can emerge when conventional banking structures intersect with opaque crypto-linked capital flows.Chen’s extradition itself reflected complex geopolitical and legal calculations. Despite being indicted in the United States, he was deported to China after Cambodia revoked his citizenship in late 2025, citing cooperation in combating transnational crime. The decision effectively bypassed U.S. extradition efforts, as Cambodia lacks a formal extradition treaty with Washington, and underscored the growing role of regional law enforcement coordination in tackling crypto-enabled fraud. Chinese authorities have indicated that further prosecutions and asset recovery efforts are underway, while U.S. agencies continue to pursue related cases against associates and facilitators across multiple jurisdictions.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Robot guides extradition process shaping global crypto crime accountability

Global Crypto Fraud Empire Exposed as Authorities Seize $15B in Bitcoin and Cambodia Shuts Prince Bank

<h2>Explosive Growth in Stablecoin Infrastructure Meets a Trillion-Dollar Payments Forecast</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Rain raised $250 million in a Series C round at a $1.95 billion valuation, reporting 30× growth in active cards and 38× growth in annualized payment volume.</li><li>The company now processes more than $3 billion in annualized transactions and operates Visa-compatible stablecoin cards across 150+ countries.</li><li>Bloomberg Intelligence projects stablecoin payment volumes could surge from $2.9 trillion in 2025 to $56.6 trillion by 2030, implying roughly 81% annual growth.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Rain has&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/raincards/status/2009589894234939576">closed</a> a $250 million Series C funding round that values the stablecoin-powered payments company at $1.95 billion, marking one of the largest capital raises in the digital payments infrastructure sector so far in 2026. The round, announced on January 9, was led by ICONIQ Capital and joined by Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Bessemer Venture Partners, Galaxy Ventures, FirstMark, Lightspeed, Norwest, and Endeavor Catalyst. With this raise, Rain’s total funding now exceeds $338 million, and its valuation represents more than a seventeenfold increase compared with levels reported roughly ten months ago, reflecting the pace at which institutional capital has moved toward stablecoin-based payment rails.<figure class="image"><img alt="Screenshot 2026-01-10 062802.png" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2026_01_10_062802_ef843d0a96.png"></figure>Rain’s leadership framed the funding as a response to accelerating real-world usage rather than speculative enthusiasm. Chief executive and co-founder Farooq Malik said&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a> are rapidly becoming a core mechanism for modern payments, but widespread adoption depends on products that feel indistinguishable from traditional payment tools. That focus on usability is reflected in the company’s recent metrics. Over the past year, Rain reported a thirtyfold increase in its active card base and a thirty-eightfold jump in annualized payment volume, signaling that adoption has scaled alongside infrastructure. The platform now facilitates more than $3 billion in annualized transaction volume, underscoring that stablecoin payments are already moving substantial economic value rather than remaining confined to pilot programs.The company operates a full-stack payments platform that allows enterprises to issue Visa-compatible cards funded by stablecoins, manage&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> infrastructure, convert between fiat and digital dollars, and run payouts and rewards through a single integration. Rain’s cards are accepted in more than 150 countries, and the company holds Visa Principal Member status, a credential that enables direct participation in global card networks. Its ecosystem includes more than 200 partners, with integrations spanning payments firms and financial infrastructure providers such as Western Union, Nuvei, and KAST. The Series C capital is expected to support geographic expansion across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, alongside product development and potential acquisitions aimed at deepening Rain’s payments stack.Investors backing the round emphasized the combination of regulatory readiness and scale as a key differentiator. ICONIQ Capital partner Kamran Zaki described Rain as one of the few platforms pairing full-stack technology with compliance capabilities that can support global enterprises at meaningful volume. Legal counsel for the financing was provided by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz, a detail that reflects the institutional profile of the transaction. The speed of Rain’s fundraising cycle, moving through multiple rounds within a year, has become a signal of how quickly capital is consolidating around payment infrastructure that bridges stablecoins and traditional financial rails.Rain’s growth story is unfolding against a broader macro backdrop that suggests stablecoin payments could expand far beyond current levels. Bloomberg Intelligence, in analysis cited on January 9, projects stablecoin payment volumes could reach approximately $56.6 trillion by 2030. That forecast compares with an estimated $2.9 trillion in stablecoin payment flows recorded in 2025, implying a compound annual growth rate of about 81% over the second half of the decade. Such a trajectory would position stablecoins among the most significant payment mechanisms globally, rivaling or exceeding volumes seen in many legacy systems.Data cited in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-08/stablecoin-transactions-rose-to-record-33-trillion-led-by-usdc">Bloomberg analysis</a> shows that total stablecoin transaction volume reached roughly $33 trillion in 2025, with the vast majority of activity concentrated in the two largest dollar-backed tokens.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">Tether</a> remained dominant by&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market capitalization</a> at $186.9 billion, while Circle’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> recorded an estimated $18.3 trillion in transaction volume during the year, surpassing&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">USDT</a>’s $13.3 trillion in on-chain activity, particularly within decentralized finance use cases. The overall stablecoin market was estimated at around $312 billion in total value, a figure expected to grow alongside clearer regulatory frameworks.Regulation has emerged as a recurring theme in projections for stablecoin adoption. Bloomberg pointed to legislative developments such as the U.S. GENIUS Act, signed into law in July, as well as parallel regulatory efforts in the United Kingdom and Canada, as catalysts that could unlock broader institutional usage. These frameworks are designed to provide clarity around issuance, reserves, and compliance, addressing long-standing concerns that have limited enterprise participation. Legacy financial institutions are already testing these waters. Western Union, for example, has announced plans to roll out a stablecoin settlement system on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> in early 2026, aiming to reduce costs and settlement times in cross-border remittances.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Stablecoin payments expand rapidly as Rain infrastructure supports massive transaction volumes

Rain Secures $250 Million Series C at $1.95 Billion Valuation as Stablecoin Payments Are Forecast to Reach $56 Trillion by 2030

<h2>Old-Line Banking Meets Always-On Markets as BNY Mellon Pushes Cash On-Chain</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>BNY Mellon has gone live with tokenized bank deposits on a permissioned blockchain, targeting 24/7 settlement, collateral, and margin use cases.</li><li>Early participants include Citadel Securities, Intercontinental Exchange, Ripple Prime, Circle, DRW, and Baillie Gifford.</li><li>The move reflects a broader institutional shift toward always-on market infrastructure as regulators signal openness to continuous trading.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>BNY Mellon has formally launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-09/bny-launches-tokenized-deposits-in-digital-assets-expansion">tokenized deposit</a> product that moves traditional bank deposits onto blockchain rails, marking one of the most concrete deployments yet by a global systemically important bank. The initiative places real depositor claims issued by BNY Mellon onto a permissioned distributed ledger, allowing institutional clients to use on-chain representations of cash for payments, collateral movements, and margin requirements. With $57.8 trillion in assets under custody, the bank’s decision signals that blockchain infrastructure is no longer confined to pilot programs but is increasingly being treated as core financial plumbing.The tokenized deposits are issued on BNY Mellon’s own permissioned blockchain, where participation is restricted to approved institutional entities rather than the public. This design keeps the assets squarely within the regulated banking system, distinguishing them from&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a> that circulate on open networks and rely on reserve backing. According to the bank, the deposits can accrue interest and function as direct claims against BNY Mellon’s balance sheet, while enabling programmable transactions that can execute automatically when predefined conditions are met.Early adopters of the platform include Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange; Citadel Securities, one of the world’s largest market makers; proprietary trading firm DRW; asset manager Baillie Gifford; Circle; and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">Ripple</a> Prime, Ripple’s institutional liquidity arm. Their participation underscores the focus on capital-markets use cases, particularly the need for faster settlement and more efficient collateral management in trading and clearing operations that increasingly run across time zones and outside traditional market hours.BNY Mellon has framed the launch as a response to institutional demand for infrastructure that supports continuous operation rather than end-of-day batch processing. Carolyn Weinberg, the bank’s chief product and innovation officer, described the effort as a way to connect trusted banking institutions with emerging digital rails in a format that large financial firms are comfortable adopting. The emphasis on trust and control reflects why the bank opted for a permissioned system, prioritizing governance and compliance over open access.The rollout arrives as regulators signal a willingness to rethink the structure of financial markets. Recent proposals and public statements from U.S. regulators have pointed toward the possibility of 24/7 trading and settlement, a shift that would require banks and market operators to modernize their infrastructure. Tokenized deposits are increasingly viewed as a key building block for that transition, allowing cash to move with the same speed and programmability as tokenized securities.BNY Mellon’s move fits into a wider industry pattern. JPMorgan has expanded use of its&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/jpmorgan-jpm-coin-canton-network-multichain">JPM Coin</a> for institutional settlement, HSBC has announced plans to extend tokenized deposit services to the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and Barclays has backed infrastructure startups focused on clearing tokenized bank money. Market-infrastructure providers such as Swift have also been developing blockchain-based settlement layers, suggesting that the race is underway to re-engineer how money moves behind the scenes.Rather than positioning tokenized deposits as a replacement for existing payment systems, BNY Mellon is presenting them as an institutional upgrade, designed to reduce friction, improve transparency, and unlock liquidity trapped by slow settlement cycles. With major trading firms and exchanges already onboard, the launch highlights how traditional finance is incrementally absorbing blockchain technology, not as a speculative asset class, but as a tool to rebuild the mechanics of global markets.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Institutional settlement flows visualize tokenized deposits on BNY Mellon blockchain

BNY Mellon Launches Tokenized Deposits on Permissioned Blockchain, Tapping Citadel, ICE and Ripple Prime

<h2>Regulators and Courts Align as Seoul Redefines Crypto’s Legal and Financial Role in 2026</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>South Korea plans to finalize stablecoin legislation in Q1 2026, requiring full reserves, issuer authorization, and guaranteed redemptions.</li><li>Authorities confirmed plans to allow spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2026, signaling a shift toward institutional crypto adoption.</li><li>The Supreme Court ruled Bitcoin held on exchanges is legally seizable, classifying it as property with enforceable economic value.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>South Korea is entering a decisive phase in its approach to digital assets, pairing forward-looking financial reforms with judicial clarity on crypto enforcement. Regulatory authorities have outlined plans to pass stablecoin legislation by the first quarter of 2026 while opening the door to spot&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> exchange-traded funds later in the year. At the same time, the country’s Supreme Court has delivered a landmark ruling confirming that Bitcoin held on centralized exchanges can be seized under existing criminal law. Together, these developments mark one of the most comprehensive recalibrations of crypto policy seen in a major Asian economy since the fallout from the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/terra-luna">Terra</a> collapse.Financial regulators, led by the Financial Services Commission,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.korea.kr/briefing/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156739086&amp;pWise=sub&amp;pWiseSub=J1">revealed</a> that the upcoming stablecoin framework will form the core of the government’s so-called Digital Asset Phase 2 initiative. The legislation is designed to place stablecoin issuers under formal licensing requirements, forcing them to meet capital thresholds, maintain reserves equal to 100% of outstanding tokens, and guarantee redemption at face value. Officials have explicitly framed these safeguards as a response to the 2022 Terra-Luna implosion, which erased roughly $40 billion in market value and exposed the risks of undercollateralized and algorithmic&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>. The new rules are intended to eliminate ambiguity around issuer obligations and provide legal certainty to users who rely on stablecoins for payments, transfers, and settlement.Beyond private issuers, the government is preparing to experiment with blockchain-based “deposit tokens” tied to traditional bank deposits. Pilot programs are scheduled for the first half of 2026, beginning with public-sector use cases such as subsidies for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. According to official planning documents, authorities aim to expand these tokenized payment rails gradually, with a long-term target of handling up to 25% of national treasury disbursements via blockchain systems by 2030. Amendments to the Bank of Korea Act and the National Treasury Act are expected by the end of 2026 to provide statutory backing for these initiatives, signaling that digital assets are being integrated directly into state financial operations rather than treated as fringe instruments.Parallel to the stablecoin push, regulators have confirmed intentions to approve spot crypto exchange-traded funds in 2026, starting with Bitcoin. Domestic rules previously prevented such products by excluding digital assets from the list of eligible underlying assets for ETFs. That position has now shifted, aligning South Korea more closely with jurisdictions that already allow spot crypto ETFs and potentially unlocking demand from institutional investors, including asset managers, pension funds, and corporate treasuries that have been barred from direct crypto exposure.Judicial developments have moved just as decisively. On January 9, 2026, South Korea’s Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/01/08/EOXRNC4QQBERDNOUGJV7HQQIGM/">ruled</a> that Bitcoin held in exchange-custodied accounts qualifies as seizable property under Article 106 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The decision stemmed from a money laundering case dating back to 2020, where prosecutors seized 55.6 Bitcoin—valued at approximately 600 million Korean won at the time—from an exchange account linked to the defendant. Lower courts upheld the seizure, but the case escalated to the Supreme Court after the defense argued that cryptocurrencies, as intangible assets, fell outside the scope of property subject to confiscation.The court rejected that argument, concluding that Bitcoin constitutes electronic information with independent economic value, manageability, and transferability. Judges emphasized that exchange-held crypto remains effectively controlled by the account holder, satisfying the legal criteria for seizure. The ruling builds on earlier decisions that recognized Bitcoin as intangible property but goes further by removing lingering uncertainty over law enforcement’s authority to confiscate crypto assets during criminal investigations.Legal analysts note that the decision carries significant implications in a country where more than 16 million people maintain accounts at domestic crypto exchanges. While the ruling directly addresses custodial holdings rather than self-custodied wallets, it reinforces the principle that cryptocurrencies are no longer operating in a legal gray zone. Enforcement agencies now have explicit backing from the highest court to treat exchange-held digital assets similarly to other forms of property in criminal proceedings.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

South Korea crypto regulation balances innovation, enforcement, and institutional growth

South Korea Moves to Legalize Stablecoins, Open Crypto ETFs, and Greenlight Bitcoin Seizures Under Supreme Court Ruling

<h2>A regulated ADGM framework, USDT settlement, and 24/7 trading put traditional commodities onto crypto rails</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Binance has launched USDT-settled, regulated gold and silver perpetual contracts under ADGM oversight, starting January 2026.</li><li>Gold and silver massively outperformed crypto in 2025, with gains of roughly 67% and 152%, respectively.</li><li>The move signals a deeper convergence between traditional finance and crypto derivatives infrastructure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a> has officially entered the regulated precious metals derivatives market, unveiling&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">USDT</a>-settled&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/understanding-crypto-perpetual-futures">perpetual</a> contracts for gold and silver under the supervision of Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority. The rollout, disclosed on January 8, 2026, marks the first time a major global crypto exchange has launched fully regulated traditional finance perpetual contracts using a stablecoin settlement model. The products are issued through Nest Exchange Limited, a Binance-affiliated entity licensed in ADGM, positioning the exchange at the intersection of conventional commodities trading and crypto-native market structure.The initial listings went live earlier in the month, with the gold perpetual contract (XAUUSDT) launching on January 5, followed by the silver contract (XAGUSDT) on January 7. Both instruments are structured as perpetual&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/futures-contracts">futures</a>, meaning they do not expire and allow continuous exposure to underlying price movements without physical delivery. Contracts are margined and settled in USDT, aligning the products with Binance’s existing crypto futures ecosystem and allowing traders to deploy familiar risk management tools, leverage settings, and fee structures already used across the platform’s derivatives suite.These precious metals contracts trade around the clock, a notable departure from traditional commodity markets that operate within fixed trading hours. To manage pricing integrity during periods when underlying spot markets are closed, Binance applies a dual pricing system combining a real-time index during active market hours and a smoothed mark price mechanism outside those windows. Exponential weighted moving averages and deviation limits are used to prevent excessive divergence and reduce the risk of cascading liquidations during thin liquidity conditions. According to Binance’s disclosures, deviation thresholds for commodity contracts such as gold are capped around 3%, reflecting a more conservative risk framework compared with crypto-native assets.The timing of the launch closely follows an exceptional year for precious metals. Gold prices surged approximately 67% in 2025, reaching an all-time high above $4,549 per ounce on December 26, while silver recorded an even sharper rally of roughly 152%, peaking near $83 per ounce on December 28. Over the same period,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> ended the year modestly lower, underscoring a performance gap that has renewed trader interest in commodities as inflation hedges and macro risk assets. Binance’s decision to introduce regulated metals exposure through perpetual contracts appears calibrated to that shifting market narrative.Company executives framed the move as part of a broader strategy to merge traditional finance instruments with crypto infrastructure. Jeff Li, Binance’s vice president of product, described the launch as a meaningful step toward bridging conventional markets and digital asset innovation, emphasizing that round-the-clock access and stablecoin settlement could allow users to manage diversified portfolios more efficiently. The exchange has highlighted ADGM’s regulatory clarity as a key enabler, suggesting that similar frameworks could support future expansions into other traditional asset classes.Industry observers note that while several crypto exchanges already offer gold and silver derivatives, Binance’s approach stands out due to its regulated structure and formal oversight. Competitors such as&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/bybit">Bybit</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/mexc">MEXC</a>, and others provide commodity-linked contracts, but typically without the same regulatory positioning or under different jurisdictional models. By anchoring the products in ADGM, Binance appears to be signaling a long-term commitment to compliant derivatives offerings that appeal to institutional and cross-market participants.The launch also aligns with a broader trend toward tokenized and crypto-accessible real-world assets, a sector that surpassed $1 billion in on-chain value by late 2025. While Binance’s gold and silver contracts do not represent tokenized bullion, they extend that convergence by embedding traditional price exposure into crypto-native perpetual structures. Analysts see this as a potential blueprint for future regulated offerings, ranging from additional commodities to equity-linked derivatives, as exchanges increasingly function as hybrid venues connecting traditional finance and digital markets under a single trading interface.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Precious metals outperform crypto on Binance regulated futures platform

Binance Rolls Out Regulated Gold and Silver Perpetual Contracts as Precious Metals Outpace Crypto in 2025 Rally

<h2>Institutional ETH staking accelerates as firms chase yield, supply control, and balance-sheet efficiency</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Bitmine has staked another 109,504 ETH worth $344.4 million, lifting its total staked holdings to 908,192 ETH, or about 3.43% of Ethereum’s circulating supply.</li><li>SharpLink Gaming has staked roughly $170 million in ETH on Linea, advancing a previously announced plan to deploy up to $200 million into layered Ethereum yield strategies.</li><li>Both moves highlight a growing trend among crypto-native treasury firms to actively stake and deploy ETH rather than hold it passively amid shifting crypto price dynamics.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>’s role as an institutional treasury asset continued to expand in early January 2026, with two separate disclosures underscoring how large crypto-focused firms are leaning deeper into staking and yield optimization strategies. Bitmine, chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, reportedly staked an additional 109,504&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a> valued at approximately $344.4 million, while SharpLink Gaming confirmed it had deployed about $170 million worth of ETH into staking and yield products on the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/linea-linea/markets">Linea</a> Layer-2 network. Together, the moves point to an increasingly active approach to Ethereum treasury management as firms seek to extract returns while tightening circulating supply.Bitmine’s latest staking transaction was&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/OnchainLens/status/2009131293397696663">disclosed</a> between January 8 and January 9, following another ETH stake of roughly 19,200 tokens, worth about $60.8 million, earlier the same day. The back-to-back deployments brought Bitmine’s total staked Ethereum holdings to 908,192 ETH, a position valued at around $2.95 billion based on prevailing&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> levels at the time of reporting. That total represents roughly 3.43% of Ethereum’s circulating supply, placing Bitmine among the largest known single entities participating directly in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake system. Company statements emphasized that despite slower overall crypto activity toward the end of 2025, Bitmine still accumulated 32,977 ETH during the final week of the year, signaling sustained conviction regardless of short-term crypto price index fluctuations.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.53%;"><img alt="tweet_2009131293397696663_20260109_222909_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2009131293397696663_20260109_222909_via_10015_io_f35727416b.webp"></figure>Tom Lee characterized Bitmine as “the largest fresh money buyer of ETH in the world,” framing the strategy as both a long-term bet on Ethereum and a structural contribution to network security through staking. Beyond its Ethereum exposure, Bitmine reported holding 192&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a> valued at roughly $17.3 million, a $25 million investment tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/worldcoin-wld">Worldcoin</a>-linked treasury firm Eightco, and approximately $915 million in liquid assets as of January 4, 2026. Analysts following the company noted that its stated ambition is to reach control of about 5% of Ethereum’s circulating supply by the end of 2026, a goal that, if achieved, would further concentrate staked ETH among institutional players and potentially influence broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> dynamics.SharpLink Gaming’s disclosure&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SharpLink/status/2009264108022243671">arrived</a> on January 8, when the company confirmed it had staked roughly $170 million worth of ETH on Linea, a Layer-2 network built to scale Ethereum. The deployment forms part of a broader treasury plan first outlined in October 2025, when SharpLink said it intended to stake up to $200 million in ETH using a combination of native staking, restaking, and Layer-2 incentive structures. The Linea allocation is designed to stack multiple yield sources, including Ethereum staking rewards, restaking mechanisms associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/eigenlayer-eigen">EigenLayer</a>, and additional protocol incentives offered by Linea and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ether.fi-ethfi">EtherFi</a>.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.61%;"><img alt="tweet-2009264108022243671.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2009264108022243671_86534bcbf5.webp"></figure>Custody for SharpLink’s staked ETH is handled through Anchorage Digital, reflecting an institutional focus on regulated, enterprise-grade asset protection. At the time of reporting, SharpLink’s overall Ethereum treasury stood at approximately 864,800 ETH, placing its total holdings in the low-to-mid billions depending on crypto price movements. While Linea’s total value locked has fallen sharply—by about 89% from its peak—the company’s decision to deploy capital there suggests confidence that targeted incentives and infrastructure upgrades can offset broader declines in activity. SharpLink’s publicly traded shares under the SBET ticker rose about 1.4% following the announcement, though the stock remained down roughly 37% over the prior six months, indicating that equity markets have yet to fully reprice the firm’s yield-focused crypto strategy.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ethereum supply commitment supports stability across global coin market cap

Ethereum Treasury Strategies Deepen as Bitmine Stakes $344M More ETH and SharpLink Deploys $170M on Linea

<h2>Developers Quit, Markets React, and the Foundation Pushes Back as Zcash Enters a Defining Moment</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Zcash’s entire core development team resigned in early January 2026 following a governance dispute, triggering a double-digit drop in ZEC and a surge in trading volume.</li><li>Departing developers announced plans to continue Zcash development independently and to launch a new wallet, cashZ, built from the Zashi codebase.</li><li>The Zcash Foundation insists the network remains fully operational and decentralized despite record selling pressure and declining development activity.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/zcash-zec">Zcash</a> entered 2026 facing one of the most consequential internal upheavals in its history, as governance tensions boiled over into the resignation of its entire core development team and sent shockwaves through markets tracking the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> index. On January 7, 2026, Electric Coin Company CEO Josh Swihart&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/zcash-governance-crisis-developers-resign-zec-price-falls">confirmed</a> that roughly 25 ECC staff members, including senior engineers and Chief Scientist Chelsea Komlo, had stepped down simultaneously, describing the situation as a case of “constructive discharge.” Swihart said changes imposed by a majority of board members at Bootstrap, the governance body overseeing ECC, fundamentally altered working conditions and created what he characterized as an untenable environment for continuing Zcash’s original mission. He specifically named Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai as board members whose direction he said no longer aligned with the project’s founding principles.News of the resignations rippled quickly across trading desks and social channels, translating governance uncertainty into immediate market stress.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/zcash-zec">ZEC</a> recorded a steep sell-off, falling as much as 17.6% at its intraday low to roughly $382 before recovering part of the losses to trade near $401 by the time initial reports circulated. Daily trading volume surged to around $780 million, roughly 12% higher than the prior session, signaling heightened speculative activity and forced repositioning. Technical indicators cited by market analysts pointed to growing bearish momentum, with short-term averages rolling over and sentiment gauges reflecting caution as ZEC’s crypto price struggled to stabilize amid the headlines. However, subsequent price action showed a partial rebound, with ZEC later recovering above the $428 level, indicating that some buyers stepped back in after the initial wave of panic selling.<figure class="image"><img alt="Screenshot 2026-01-09 212420.png" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2026_01_09_212420_c8c2e7aac2.png"></figure>Despite the severity of the market reaction, multiple observers stressed that the turmoil was organizational rather than technical. Zcash’s blockchain continued producing blocks normally, with consensus, privacy features, and cryptographic guarantees intact. Still, the optics of a mass departure from a long-standing privacy-focused project weighed heavily on sentiment, especially as on-chain analytics showed development activity dropping to its lowest levels since 2021. That decline, attributed largely to the sudden exit of the core engineering team, raised concerns about the pace of future upgrades, including work related to advanced zero-knowledge proof systems such as Halo-based implementations, even as the protocol itself remained live.Developers who resigned moved quickly to clarify their next steps, aiming to reassure users and contributors unsettled by the split. Swihart and former ECC engineers announced plans to form a new independent company dedicated to continuing Zcash development outside the existing governance structure. As an early signal of execution, the group&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jswihart/status/2009323099154747639">revealed</a> a forthcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> called cashZ, built on the existing Zashi codebase. The wallet is positioned as a continuity product rather than a fork, with no new token planned and a migration path for current users through a waitlist system. The announcement framed cashZ as a way to accelerate user adoption and maintain momentum while broader governance questions play out, though its launch also underscored the fragmentation now visible within the Zcash ecosystem.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.39%;"><img alt="tweet_2009323099154747639_20260109_203826_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2009323099154747639_20260109_203826_via_10015_io_b8a9272923.webp"></figure>Pressure intensified further as the Zcash Foundation&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/zcashfoundation/status/2009321847582502988">stepped in</a> publicly on January 9, 2026, seeking to draw a clear line between organizational conflict and network health. Foundation representatives emphasized that Zcash was designed so that no single team or institution controls its operation, arguing that decentralization is precisely what allows the protocol to endure moments like this. Statements highlighted that the network remained secure and functional, even as high selling pressure pushed ZEC lower on price charts and affected its standing within the broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> rankings. The Foundation acknowledged the drop in visible development activity but urged observers to avoid conflating governance disputes with systemic failure, framing the episode as a stress test rather than an existential threat.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.57%;"><img alt="twittershots-zcashfoundation-2009321847582502988.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/twittershots_zcashfoundation_2009321847582502988_e28283761e.webp"></figure>Community reaction has been divided, reflecting deeper questions about how decentralized projects balance nonprofit oversight, corporate development teams, and long-term stewardship. Critics argue that leadership vacuums and public disputes risk delaying upgrades, complicating audits, and weakening external confidence, regardless of whether the chain itself keeps running. Others counter that the developers’ decision to regroup independently could ultimately streamline decision-making and reduce political friction, potentially benefiting innovation over the long term. For now, those debates remain largely theoretical, while markets focus on immediate signals, price levels, and liquidity conditions.What remains clear is that Zcash’s early-2026 crisis has fused governance, development, and market dynamics into a single narrative. A governance clash escalated into a mass resignation, that resignation fed into sharp ZEC price swings tracked across the crypto price index, and the resulting volatility forced both developers and the Foundation to publicly articulate their visions for the project’s future. As traders watch the crypto price stabilize or slide further and analysts reassess ZEC’s place within the evolving coin market cap landscape, Zcash finds itself at a crossroads where organizational decisions may prove as influential as code in shaping its next chapter.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Zcash governance split shakes crypto price stability worldwide

Zcash Governance Crisis Triggers Developer Exodus, Wallet Spin-Out, and Sharp ZEC Price Volatility in Early 2026

<h2>Leadership rupture rattles one of crypto’s oldest privacy networks, leaving governance questions and market volatility in its wake</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Zcash’s entire core development team resigned following a governance dispute, raising continuity concerns despite the network remaining operational.</li><li>ZEC’s crypto price fell 17.6% to about $401, briefly rebounding after dropping to $382 when the news broke.</li><li>Markets reacted with sharp volatility, reflecting governance risk rather than any technical failure of the protocol.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/zcash-zec">Zcash</a> entered one of the most turbulent chapters in its history after the full core development team at Electric Coin Company resigned, setting off a governance crisis that quickly spilled into markets. The departures, disclosed on January 8, 2026, stemmed from a deepening dispute between the developers and the nonprofit body overseeing Zcash governance, known as Bootstrap.&nbsp;Former Electric Coin Company chief executive Josh Swihart&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jswihart/status/2008987228429799621">described</a> the situation as a case of constructive discharge, arguing that unilateral governance changes by a majority of the Bootstrap board created working conditions that made it impossible for the team to carry out its mandate “effectively and with integrity.” Board members cited in public statements included Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai, though the board itself rejected claims of bad faith.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.45%;"><img alt="twittershots-jswihart-2008987228429799621.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/twittershots_jswihart_2008987228429799621_6a4e34e9e9.webp"></figure>The resignations were framed by departing developers as a principled stand rather than a technical breakdown. Swihart said the team chose to leave collectively to protect Zcash’s founding mission of building what he called “unstoppable private money,” contending that recent governance actions threatened to derail that objective. Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox acknowledged the split while emphasizing that the dispute does not compromise the blockchain’s cryptography, consensus, or day-to-day network operations. He expressed confidence in the integrity of the nonprofit’s leadership even as the ecosystem digested the shock of losing its long-standing development steward. The protocol continues to run as open-source software maintained by miners, validators, and community contributors, but the sudden absence of its core engineers has raised questions about future upgrades, audits, and long-term roadmap execution.Markets reacted swiftly.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/zcash-zec">ZEC</a> experienced heavy volatility as the governance news circulated, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> dropping sharply to around $382 when the resignations became public. A modest rebound followed, but losses persisted. At the time of writing, ZEC was down 17.6%, trading near $401, reflecting a brief recovery rather than a full stabilization. The move contrasted with a strong rally late last year that had pushed prices substantially higher, underscoring how governance risk can weigh on a crypto price index even when underlying technology remains intact. Trading desks and analysts noted that the sell-off appeared tied to uncertainty around leadership continuity and development capacity, not to any reported exploit or protocol flaw.<figure class="image"><img alt="Screenshot 2026-01-08 200813.png" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2026_01_08_200813_21f334a674.png"></figure>The episode has revived broader debates about governance structures in decentralized projects, particularly those that rely on nonprofit oversight alongside independent development teams. Community observers warned that leadership vacuums can delay security reviews, slow feature development, and complicate coordination with partners, even if the chain itself remains live. Former Electric Coin Company members indicated plans to form a new, independent firm to continue working toward Zcash’s privacy goals, though details around funding, timelines, or formal ties to the protocol have yet to be disclosed. For now, Zcash’s coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> reflects a project at a crossroads: technically operational, philosophically divided, and navigating the market consequences of a rare and highly public governance rupture.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Core developers exit Zcash as coin market cap reacts

Zcash Governance Crisis Triggers Full Developer Exit as ZEC Slides 17.6%

<h2>Bank-Issued Digital Cash Moves Onto Privacy-Focused Public Blockchain as 2026 Rollout Begins</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>JPMorgan plans to bring its U.S. dollar-backed JPM Coin (JPMD) natively to the Canton Network in a phased rollout through 2026.</li><li>The move extends JPMorgan’s multi-chain strategy following the token’s earlier deployment on Base, targeting regulated, near-real-time institutional settlement.</li><li>Canton’s privacy-enabled public blockchain is positioned as infrastructure for synchronized settlement across tokenized assets and digital cash.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>JPMorgan is moving deeper into public blockchain infrastructure by announcing plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/jpm-coin-heads-to-canton-network">deploy</a> its JPM Coin, a U.S. dollar-denominated deposit token, directly onto the Canton Network. The initiative, disclosed in early January 2026, marks a significant step in the bank’s multi-chain strategy and underscores growing institutional demand for regulated digital cash that can operate alongside tokenized assets on shared blockchain rails. The rollout is expected to take place in phases throughout 2026, focusing first on enabling issuance, transfer, and redemption of JPM Coin natively on Canton rather than through bridges or mirrored representations.JPM Coin, branded as JPMD, differs structurally from conventional&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>. Each token represents a direct claim on U.S. dollar deposits held at JPMorgan, positioning it as bank-issued digital cash rather than a reserve-backed or algorithmic instrument. By extending JPMD to Canton, JPMorgan aims to align on-chain cash settlement with institutional workflows that increasingly rely on tokenized securities, collateral, and other digital assets. The bank previously expanded JPM Coin beyond internal systems in November 2025 by launching it on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a>’s Base network for institutional clients, a move that signaled its intention to operate across multiple public blockchains rather than committing to a single ecosystem.Canton Network, developed by Digital Asset, is designed as a public, permissionless Layer-1 blockchain optimized for financial institutions. Its architecture emphasizes configurable privacy, allowing transaction data to remain visible only to authorized counterparties while preserving shared settlement logic across the network. Supporters argue this model addresses a long-standing barrier to institutional blockchain adoption by combining regulatory compliance and confidentiality with the benefits of synchronized, real-time settlement. The network has attracted participation from major financial firms and market infrastructure providers, reinforcing its positioning as an institutional settlement layer rather than a retail-focused chain.Executives involved in the project framed the JPM Coin expansion as a step toward modernizing legacy payment and settlement rails. Yuval Rooz, co-founder and chief executive of Digital Asset, said the collaboration reflects a broader effort to bring regulated digital cash “to the speed of markets” while maintaining privacy and trust. JPMorgan executives emphasized operational efficiency, noting that on-chain cash capable of settling around the clock could reduce liquidity frictions tied to traditional cut-off times and batch processing. Naveen Mallela, global co-head of Kinexys by JPMorgan, described JPM Coin as combining the security of bank deposits with near real-time blockchain transactions, an approach the bank believes can unlock new efficiencies for institutional clients.The Canton deployment is expected to begin with core payment functionality before expanding to additional Kinexys Digital Payments offerings, including blockchain-based deposit accounts. JPMorgan has indicated that the phased approach reflects the need to establish technical, legal, and operational frameworks suitable for large-scale institutional use. Rather than treating the launch as a token listing event, the bank is positioning it as infrastructure development designed to support complex financial workflows across asset classes.Market participants view the move as part of a wider trend in which traditional financial institutions are experimenting with on-chain settlement while maintaining regulatory guardrails. As&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> index providers, crypto price benchmarks, and coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> metrics increasingly reflect activity driven by tokenized assets and institutional participation, the role of regulated digital cash is gaining prominence. JPMorgan’s decision to place JPM Coin on a privacy-focused public blockchain highlights how major banks are attempting to bridge traditional finance and blockchain technology without sacrificing compliance, signaling a gradual but deliberate evolution of institutional on-chain finance.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

JPM Coin opening regulated access to public blockchain settlement infrastructure. 

JPMorgan Expands JPM Coin to Canton Network, Deepening Multi-Chain Strategy for Institutional On-Chain Settlement

<h2>From Election Odds to Housing Prices, Polymarket Broadens Its Reach</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Polymarket struck an exclusive data partnership with Dow Jones in early January 2026, bringing live prediction market probabilities into major financial media products.</li><li>The platform expanded into U.S. real estate prediction markets using daily housing price indices, while also introducing taker fees on short-term crypto markets.</li><li>These moves signal a shift toward positioning prediction markets as a mainstream data and sentiment tool rather than a niche crypto product.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Polymarket is taking a decisive step toward the financial mainstream after securing an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107511213/en/Polymarket-and-Dow-Jones-Publisher-of-The-Wall-Street-Journal-Announce-Exclusive-Prediction-Market-Partnership">exclusive agreement</a> with Dow Jones to distribute its prediction market data across some of the most widely read financial news platforms in the world. Announced on January 7, 2026, the partnership will see real-time Polymarket probabilities integrated into digital products operated by Dow Jones, including outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, and Investor’s Business Daily. The arrangement is designed to surface market-implied expectations directly alongside traditional reporting, offering readers a continuous read on what traders are collectively betting will happen next across politics, economics, and corporate events.Dow Jones executives have framed the move as a way to help audiences better interpret sentiment and risk by complementing conventional analysis with live probability data. The integration is expected to include new editorial and data features, such as earnings-related tools that reflect prediction market pricing rather than analyst consensus alone. Polymarket founder and chief executive Shayne Coplan described the collaboration as a blend of journalism and real-time market signals, positioning prediction markets as a new layer of information rather than speculative novelty. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the deal marks Polymarket’s most prominent media partnership to date and reflects growing institutional interest in prediction markets following their high-profile performance during recent election cycles.At the same time, Polymarket has been widening the scope of what users can trade on its platform. During the first week of January 2026, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/polymarket-real-estate-housing-prediction-markets-crypto-fees">rolled out</a> real estate prediction markets tied to U.S. housing prices, marking a notable expansion beyond its core political, sports, and macroeconomic offerings. These contracts are settled using daily housing price indices supplied by Parcl, an on-chain real estate data provider that aggregates transaction records and public filings to produce city-level price benchmarks. The use of daily data represents a departure from the slower, monthly cadence typical of traditional housing indicators, allowing markets to resolve with greater transparency and speed.The initial real estate markets focus on major U.S. metropolitan areas with sufficient data depth, asking traders to predict whether local home price indices will rise or fall over specified periods or reach defined thresholds. Polymarket executives have emphasized that clear and independently verifiable data is central to making such markets viable, particularly in asset classes where ambiguity has historically complicated outcome resolution. While the platform has stopped short of promoting these contracts as direct hedging tools, the structure points to a broader ambition to turn real-world economic indicators into tradable expressions of sentiment.Alongside the launch of housing markets, Polymarket has also adjusted its fee structure in a move that further aligns the platform with conventional exchange mechanics. Taker-only fees were introduced on the platform’s 15-minute cryptocurrency prediction markets covering assets such as&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a>. The fees, which can reach roughly 3% at certain probability midpoints, are used to fund liquidity rebates for market makers, with the aim of tightening spreads and improving depth. Deposits and withdrawals in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> remain free aside from external on-ramp costs, signaling that the changes are targeted at active short-term traders rather than casual participants.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Crypto fee adjustments reflected through robotic control of market rails

Polymarket Pushes Prediction Markets Into the Financial Mainstream With Dow Jones Data Deal and Real Estate Expansion

<h2>Private Capital, ETF Competition, and Cross-Chain DeFi Redefine XRP’s 2026 Trajectory</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Ripple ruled out near-term IPO plans after a $500 million secondary share sale valuing the company at about $40 billion, signaling confidence in private capital and long-term growth.</li><li>WisdomTree withdrew its spot XRP ETF filing despite rising interest in XRP-based exchange-traded products, highlighting intensifying competition among issuers.</li><li>Flare expanded XRP’s decentralized finance footprint by launching FXRP spot trading on Hyperliquid, enabling non-custodial, cross-chain exposure with institutional-grade infrastructure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">Ripple</a>’s leadership moved decisively to shut down speculation around a public listing after closing a&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/ripple-raises-500m-at-40b-valuation-fortress-citadel">$500 million</a> secondary share sale in November 2025, a transaction that valued the blockchain payments company at roughly $40 billion and brought heavyweight investors such as Fortress and Citadel into its cap table. President Monica Long&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-01-06/ripple-touts-november-fundraise-no-plans-for-ipo-video">said</a> the company has no immediate plans to pursue an IPO, emphasizing that Ripple’s balance sheet and access to private capital eliminate the need to tap public markets. She described 2025 as a strong operational year, noting that Ripple completed four acquisitions and is now focused on integrating those businesses into its core offerings.&nbsp;The company’s strategy centers on building regulated digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, including stablecoin payments, compliant on- and off-ramps, and expansion into new regulatory frameworks, supported by more than 70 licenses obtained globally. Discussions around potential U.S. banking charters remain exploratory, reinforcing Ripple’s preference for regulatory depth over market theatrics, even as shifts in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> and broader sentiment continue to influence its flagship token.Parallel to Ripple’s corporate positioning, the exchange-traded fund race around&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a> took an unexpected turn when asset manager WisdomTree&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2046791/000121465926000171/f15250rw.htm">withdrew</a> its S-1 registration for a spot XRP ETF with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early January 2026. The filing, initially submitted in December, was pulled despite growing momentum in the XRP ETF segment, where combined assets across competing products approached $1.4 billion.&nbsp;WisdomTree cited a decision not to proceed at this time, a move widely interpreted as a response to market saturation after rivals such as Canary Capital and Bitwise captured early share. Canary Capital’s spot XRP ETF alone recorded nearly $59 million in trading volume on its first day, underscoring how timing and distribution can shape outcomes in a crowded field. The withdrawal coincided with short-term weakness in XRP’s crypto price, illustrating how product-level developments can ripple through the coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> landscape and influence benchmarks tracked by the crypto price index.While ETF dynamics played out in traditional markets, decentralized finance developments pushed XRP into new territory.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/flare-flr">Flare</a> Network launched a spot XRP market on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/hyperliquid">Hyperliquid</a> using its FAssets protocol, enabling FXRP—an on-chain, one-to-one representation of XRP—to trade against&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> on a professional orderbook. The integration allows holders to bridge XRP from its native ledger to Flare without relinquishing custody, then deploy it in spot trading and advanced strategies such as hedging and cross-venue exposure.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.68%;"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/twittershots_Flare_Networks_2008949552259248575_dd4987de19.webp" alt="twittershots-FlareNetworks-2008949552259248575.webp"></figure>Flare’s leadership framed the launch as a step toward expanding XRP’s functional scope while preserving the XRP Ledger as the canonical settlement layer. FXRP, which debuted on mainnet in late September 2025 with an initial minting cap of five million tokens, attracted early liquidity through incentive programs and partnerships, drawing millions of dollars’ worth of XRP into&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a> vaults. The move reflects a broader shift in how XRP is used, positioning it not only as a payments asset but also as a building block in a multi-chain financial ecosystem that increasingly shapes market structure alongside movements in crypto price and institutional demand.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ripple rejects IPO amid shifting crypto price index dynamics

Ripple Rejects IPO Speculation as XRP ETFs Reshape Market While DeFi Expands Utility Through Flare and Hyperliquid

<h2>Wall Street heavyweight signals deeper commitment as SEC filings outline spot exposure, staking yield, and custody safeguards</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Morgan Stanley filed S-1 registrations on Jan. 6, 2026, for spot Bitcoin, spot Solana, and staking-enabled Ethereum ETFs.</li><li>The proposed products emphasize passive tracking, institutional custody standards, and yield generation via staking for ETH and SOL.</li><li>Filings arrive as U.S. spot crypto ETFs surpass $2 trillion in cumulative trading volume, reshaping institutional access to crypto price exposure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"></div><hr>Morgan Stanley moved decisively into the regulated crypto investment arena on January 6, 2026, submitting S-1 registration statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for three&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/morgan-stanley-spot-bitcoin-solana-etf-filings">exchange-traded funds</a> tied directly to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a>. The filings outline a spot Bitcoin trust, a spot Solana trust with staking functionality, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2103976/000110465926001436/tm2534146d1_s1.htm">spot Ethereum trust</a> designed to generate staking yield, collectively representing the bank’s most comprehensive push yet into exchange-listed crypto products. For a global investment manager overseeing roughly $1.8 trillion in assets, the move signals a strategic escalation from earlier advisory and distribution roles toward full product sponsorship at a time when institutional appetite for transparent&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> exposure continues to mature.The proposed Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust is structured as a straightforward spot vehicle, holding&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a> directly and tracking the underlying crypto price without leverage, derivatives, or speculative trading strategies. Filings emphasize that the fund would not attempt to enhance returns by actively buying or selling Bitcoin, instead mirroring price movements to provide clean exposure aligned with the broader crypto price index used by institutional allocators. Custody arrangements described in the registration documents highlight a security-first approach, with most private keys expected to be stored in cold wallets and a smaller operational balance maintained in hot storage, reflecting standards that have become baseline expectations following the rapid growth of spot crypto ETFs in the U.S.More nuanced design elements emerge in the Solana and Ethereum proposals. The Morgan Stanley Solana Trust is positioned as a spot&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">SOL</a> ETF but with the added dimension of staking, allowing a portion of the fund’s holdings to be delegated to third-party staking providers. Any rewards earned would be retained by the trust and reflected in its net asset value, effectively layering yield generation on top of pure price tracking. A similar structure underpins the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust, which is framed as the bank’s third crypto ETF filing of the day and explicitly incorporates&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a> staking as a core feature. The documents state that staking rewards would accrue to the fund rather than being distributed separately, reinforcing the intent to maintain passive exposure while capturing native network yield.These filings arrive against a backdrop of accelerating institutional normalization. U.S. spot crypto ETFs have now recorded more than $2 trillion in cumulative trading volume, a figure frequently cited by market participants as evidence that digital assets have moved beyond experimental status within traditional finance. Early 2026 data showed strong momentum continuing into the new year, with spot Bitcoin ETFs drawing approximately $1.1 billion in inflows over the first two trading days alone. Analysts note that such flows increasingly correlate with movements in the broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> rather than isolated speculative bursts, underscoring crypto’s growing integration into diversified portfolios.Strategically, Morgan Stanley’s decision to include Solana alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum stands out. While Bitcoin remains the dominant institutional benchmark and Ethereum the leading programmable asset, Solana’s inclusion reflects a calculated assessment that select alternative networks have reached sufficient scale, liquidity, and regulatory visibility to justify spot ETF treatment. The addition of staking functionality further differentiates these products from earlier generations of crypto funds, aligning them more closely with how long-term holders participate in proof-of-stake ecosystems rather than treating tokens solely as price instruments.Regulatory timing also plays a critical role. The filings follow incremental shifts in U.S. oversight during 2025, including clearer SEC pathways for spot crypto ETFs and broader acceptance of staking disclosures within registered products. Morgan Stanley had already laid groundwork by expanding crypto fund access through its wealth management platform in prior years, gradually lowering barriers for advisors and clients. With nearly 19 million wealth management customers globally, approval of these ETFs could significantly broaden institutional and high-net-worth exposure to crypto price movements through familiar, regulated wrappers tied closely to recognized crypto price index benchmarks.Approval is not guaranteed, and the S-1 process typically involves rounds of amendments and extended SEC review. Still, the breadth and specificity of Morgan Stanley’s filings underscore a long-term strategic bet rather than a tactical experiment. By combining spot exposure, staking yield, and institutional-grade custody within exchange-listed vehicles, the bank is positioning itself at the intersection of traditional asset management and an increasingly systematized digital asset market. As crypto price dynamics continue to influence global portfolios and the coin market cap becomes a mainstream reference point, these filings mark another step in the ongoing convergence of Wall Street and crypto infrastructure.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ethereum staking ETF visualized through institutional crypto price mechanics

Morgan Stanley Files Bitcoin, Solana, and Staking-Enabled Ethereum ETFs, Marking a New Phase of Institutional Crypto Expansion

<h2>Rapid revenue expansion collides with token exposure and a risk-averse IPO environment reshaping how investors price crypto-adjacent companies</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Telegram generated $870 million in revenue in the first half of 2025 and is aiming for $2 billion for the full year, but crypto write-downs pushed the company into a net loss of more than $220 million.</li><li>Heavy reliance on Toncoin-related revenue and asset sales amplified exposure to crypto price swings during a period of sharp market drawdowns.</li><li>A weak and uneven 2025 IPO cycle, particularly for crypto-linked listings, raises the bar for Telegram’s public market ambitions.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"></div><hr>Telegram’s financial trajectory in 2025 reflects a company growing fast while absorbing the risks that come with deep exposure to digital assets. During the first half of the year, the messaging platform generated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/36a37387-cb71-4851-a56f-de2571d520d8">$870 million</a> in revenue, representing growth of roughly 65% compared with the same period in 2024. Management has internally and externally framed this performance as putting Telegram on track for a $2 billion full-year revenue target, a milestone that would position it among the most profitable consumer technology platforms still operating as a private company.That topline strength has been driven by multiple levers. Advertising continued to scale as Telegram expanded its reach across emerging and developed markets, while paid subscriptions posted strong gains, benefiting from new premium features and a growing base of power users. At the same time, a significant portion of revenue came from crypto-linked arrangements. Around $300 million of first-half revenue was tied to exclusivity deals and partnerships connected to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/toncoin-ton">Toncoin</a>, the digital asset most closely associated with Telegram’s ecosystem. In addition, the company sold more than $450 million worth of Toncoin during the year, monetizing holdings that had accumulated through earlier agreements.Those same crypto activities, however, became the main source of financial strain as market conditions deteriorated. Toncoin’s price fell by roughly 69% over the period, forcing Telegram to mark down the value of its remaining holdings. As a result, the company reported a net loss exceeding $220 million for the first half of 2025, despite generating close to $400 million in operating profit before write-downs. The contrast underscores how sensitive earnings can be for companies whose balance sheets are exposed to token valuations, particularly when the broader&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> index is under pressure and shifts in crypto price sentiment ripple quickly across the coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a>.Beyond market volatility, geopolitical factors have complicated Telegram’s financial structure. Approximately $500 million in bonds remain frozen in Russia’s National Settlement Depository due to sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. Telegram has stated that it does not rely on Russian capital and that its more recent $1.7 billion convertible bond issuance excluded Russian investors, yet the frozen funds highlight how sanctions risk can linger even when companies attempt to distance themselves from affected jurisdictions. The situation adds uncertainty around debt servicing mechanics and investor perception ahead of any public listing.All of this is unfolding against a difficult backdrop for initial public offerings in 2025, particularly for businesses with direct or indirect exposure to crypto markets. IPO data from across U.S. exchanges show a sharply uneven year. While a handful of large listings delivered respectable gains, the average IPO underperformed major equity benchmarks, reflecting cautious investor sentiment and tighter scrutiny of fundamentals. Crypto-related IPOs stood out for their volatility: several debuted with strong first-day rallies only to give back most of those gains as digital asset prices weakened later in the year.Market participants have described 2025 as a&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/mixed-year-ipos-crypto-pulls-down-2025-ipo-performance">reset year</a> for IPOs, where valuation discipline returned after earlier cycles of speculative enthusiasm. Mid-sized offerings, especially those in the $500 million to $1 billion range, struggled to attract sustained demand, while larger, more established companies fared better. Analysts noted that investors increasingly penalized business models seen as overly dependent on token prices or trading activity, favoring predictable cash flows and clearer paths to long-term profitability.Telegram’s IPO ambitions sit squarely within that context. The company has acknowledged that ongoing legal matters involving founder Pavel Durov in France must be resolved before any listing can proceed, but market conditions may prove just as decisive. With crypto-linked IPOs facing skepticism and public investors demanding resilience against swings in crypto price and sentiment, Telegram will likely need to demonstrate that its core messaging, advertising, and subscription businesses can stand on their own, regardless of fluctuations in token markets.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Token sales reshape Telegram’s exposure to coin market cap

Telegram Targets $2B Revenue as Crypto Volatility, Sanctions, and a Fragile 2025 IPO Market Complicate the Outlook

<h2>From Daily Home Price Indices to Fee-Funded Liquidity, Polymarket Signals a Maturing Market Structure</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Polymarket launched real estate prediction markets tied to daily U.S. housing price indices through a partnership with onchain data provider Parcl.</li><li>The platform also introduced taker-only fees on its 15-minute crypto markets, with proceeds redistributed to market makers via a liquidity rebate program.</li><li>Together, the moves highlight Polymarket’s shift from event-driven speculation toward broader economic data and more structured market incentives.</li></ul><hr>We’ve just launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"></div><hr>Polymarket has expanded its product scope beyond politics and sports by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/01/05/3212881/0/en/Polymarket-and-Parcl-Announce-Partnership-to-Launch-Real-Estate-Prediction-Markets-Powered-by-Parcl-Indices.html">rolling out</a> real estate-focused prediction markets, allowing traders to speculate directly on housing price movements across major U.S. cities. The new markets, launched on January 5, 2026, are powered by a partnership with Parcl, an onchain real estate data platform that supplies daily, city-level housing price indices. These indices serve as the settlement reference for Polymarket’s housing contracts, replacing traditional monthly or quarterly housing data with more frequent updates designed to reflect near-real-time market dynamics.The initial release targets what the companies describe as high-liquidity U.S. housing markets, with plans to expand coverage gradually based on user demand. Each market settles against Parcl’s publicly verifiable indices, which the data provider positions as an independent “source of truth” built from public property records, county registrars, verified transaction data, and other housing-related inputs. Polymarket has framed the product as a simpler way to trade housing outcomes by standardizing market templates that ask whether a city’s home price index finishes higher or lower over a defined period, such as a month, quarter, or year, as well as threshold-based outcomes tied to specific index levels.Company executives emphasized that clear, verifiable data is central to making prediction markets function smoothly at scale. Polymarket chief marketing officer Matthew Modabber said the daily indices provided by Parcl allow housing markets to resolve “transparently and consistently,” reducing ambiguity around outcomes. Beyond speculation, the platform suggests the markets could eventually support hedging and price discovery use cases, though the contracts remain firmly positioned as speculative instruments rather than investment products.Alongside its expansion into real estate data, Polymarket has also&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.polymarket.com/polymarket-learn/trading/fees?utm_">adjusted</a> its approach to fees in a move that reflects a more mature market structure. The platform recently introduced taker-only trading fees on its 15-minute crypto markets, which allow users to place short-term “up or down” bets that resolve every quarter hour. These markets currently cover bitcoin, ether, solana, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">XRP</a>, and are designed for rapid turnover rather than longer-term forecasting. Most other categories on Polymarket remain fee-free.Fees collected from these 15-minute markets are used to fund a&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/maker-mkr">Maker</a> Rebates Program, with proceeds redistributed daily in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> to liquidity providers in an effort to tighten spreads and improve order book depth. While Polymarket has not disclosed exact fee levels, its documentation indicates that taker fees can reach up to 3% and scale based on trade size and probability positioning. The highest fees apply near the 50% probability midpoint, declining toward the extremes at 0% and 100%. The platform also confirmed that USDC deposits and withdrawals remain free, aside from any costs imposed by third-party onramps.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Daily housing price indices reshape real estate crypto prediction markets