Donald Trump has said he will not grant a presidential pardon to Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief executive of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, making clear that the disgraced entrepreneur will continue to serve his prison sentence if Trump returns to the White House. Speaking in an interview, Trump dismissed speculation that he might intervene on behalf of Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in federal […]
Binance has revised how it presents proof of reserves data, changing the display to show a clearer one-to-one backing of customer balances after incorporating platform-held assets and liabilities into its calculations. The update addresses long-running questions from users, analysts and regulators about how reserve ratios are derived and whether headline figures accurately reflect the exchange’s ability to meet withdrawals under stress. The crypto exchange said the revised […]
Meme-themed cryptocurrencies have overtaken all other altcoins in attracting large holders, with blockchain analytics pointing to sustained whale concentration and trading momentum since the start of the year. Data compiled by Santiment shows that wallets holding significant balances have been more active in meme coins than in decentralised finance tokens, layer-two networks, or gaming-focused assets, underscoring a sharp shift in speculative behaviour across the digital asset market. […]
SharpLink has moved $170 million worth of Ether into restaking arrangements on Linea, using Anchorage Digital as its custody and staking partner, signalling a calculated effort to extract yield from a growing corporate Ethereum treasury while leaning on regulated infrastructure to manage risk. The deployment represents a defined slice of SharpLink’s wider Ethereum holdings, which the company has disclosed at about $2.7 billion in value. By placing […]
Solana Mobile plans to distribute its long-awaited SKR token on January 21, marking a significant step in the company’s effort to build a self-contained mobile ecosystem around blockchain applications. The token will be airdropped to users of the Seeker smartphone and to developers participating in Solana Mobile’s app environment, according to an announcement made on Wednesday. The launch places Solana Mobile at the centre of a growing […]
Fireblocks has agreed to acquire crypto accounting and compliance specialist TRES Finance in a transaction valued at about $130 million, a move that brings together one of the industry’s largest digital-asset infrastructure providers with a fast-growing financial intelligence platform serving institutional investors. The deal, confirmed by people familiar with the matter, folds TRES Finance’s reporting and compliance tools into Fireblocks’ custody, settlement and tokenisation stack as competition […]
Ripple has no plans to pursue a public listing in the near term, its president Monica Long has said, pushing back against market speculation that the blockchain payments company could tap equity markets following a surge in private valuations and growing institutional interest. Long said the San Francisco-based firm is focused on building products and expanding its global payments footprint rather than preparing for an initial public […]
Bitcoin failed to sustain momentum above the $95,000 level as heavy selling pressure from exchange-traded funds weighed on prices, reinforcing concerns that institutional appetite has cooled after months of aggressive inflows. The world’s largest cryptocurrency slipped back after multiple attempts to break through the psychological resistance, with total spot bitcoin ETF outflows amounting to about $243 million over several trading sessions, according to market data compiled from […]
RAKBANK has secured in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to issue an AED-backed payment token, marking one of the clearest signals yet that regulated stablecoins are moving from concept to execution within the federation’s banking system. The Ras Al Khaimah-based lender said the approval allows it to proceed with development and testing of a dirham-denominated digital token designed for payments and settlement, subject to […]
Speaking at a New Year gathering at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Satsuki Katayama, a prominent member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party known for her advocacy of financial innovation, outlined a vision in which tokenised assets and crypto-linked exchange-traded products operate alongside equities and commodities. While Katayama does not hold the finance minister portfolio, her remarks reflected broader policy debates underway in Tokyo over how far Japan should go in embracing digital finance within its tightly regulated markets.
The comments arrive as global asset managers press Asian regulators to open the door to crypto exchange-traded funds, following approvals in the United States and growing institutional interest in Europe. Japan has long taken a cautious stance after high-profile exchange failures earlier in the past decade, but officials now argue that clearer rules and stronger custody standards make broader participation possible without undermining investor protection.
Within government circles, 2026 is being framed as a symbolic inflection point. Lawmakers and regulators have increasingly referred to the year as a moment when legacy systems and digital infrastructure converge, particularly in capital markets settlement, identity verification and cross-border payments. Katayama described it as the start of a “digital era” for finance, a phrase that has been echoed in policy discussions tied to Japan’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Regulatory authority for any crypto-linked listings ultimately rests with the Financial Services Agency, which oversees exchanges and approves new financial products. The agency has already moved to modernise rules for security tokens and stablecoins, creating a framework that allows banks and trust companies to issue yen-backed digital currencies under strict supervision. Officials familiar with the discussions say the same principles—segregation of client assets, disclosure standards and market surveillance—would apply to crypto ETFs or similar instruments.
Market operators have begun preparing for that possibility. The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s parent group has invested heavily in trading and clearing systems capable of handling tokenised securities, while major brokerage houses are expanding digital asset teams to service institutional clients. Commodity exchanges have also explored how blockchain-based contracts could streamline settlement and reduce counterparty risk, particularly for energy and metals trading.
Japan’s interest in crypto-linked exchange products also reflects competitive pressure from regional peers. Hong Kong has positioned itself as a hub for virtual asset trading, approving spot crypto ETFs and encouraging global issuers to list in the city. Singapore, while more conservative on retail access, has built a reputation for regulatory clarity that attracts institutional capital. Policymakers in Tokyo are wary of ceding ground, especially as domestic pension funds and insurers look for diversified investment options in a low-yield environment.
Still, scepticism remains within Japan’s policy establishment. Some lawmakers and consumer groups warn that crypto markets remain volatile and vulnerable to manipulation, arguing that wider access through stock exchanges could expose unsophisticated investors to sharp losses. Regulators have responded by stressing that any approved products would likely be limited initially to professional investors, with strict marketing controls and suitability requirements.
Industry executives counter that regulated exchange-traded products may actually reduce risk by shifting activity away from offshore platforms toward transparent, supervised venues. They point to Japan’s experience with security tokens, where pilot issuances have proceeded without major incidents under a clear legal framework.
The debate has also revived questions about taxation and accounting. Crypto gains in Japan are currently taxed as miscellaneous income, a structure critics say discourages long-term investment and innovation. Government panels have been reviewing whether a shift toward capital gains treatment is warranted, particularly if digital assets become embedded in mainstream portfolios through ETFs and listed funds.
MEXC has launched a month-long promotional campaign aimed at boosting user engagement and trading volumes, unveiling its “Galaxy Quest” trading event with rewards of up to 1,000 USDT for eligible participants. The initiative, which began on January 2 and runs until January 29, 2026, underscores intensifying competition among global digital asset exchanges seeking to retain active traders amid shifting market conditions. The campaign offers users the chance […]
U. S President Donald Trump intensified geopolitical tensions by openly warning of possible military action against Colombia following a dramatic U. S. operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro. Trump made the comments aboard Air Force One, accusing Colombian President Gustavo Petro of presiding over a “sick” government and suggesting Colombia could be targeted if illicit drug and security concerns were not addressed, […]
Dogecoin advanced about 4% during early trading on Wednesday, outperforming several large-cap digital assets as speculative interest returned to the memecoin segment and a short-term “golden cross” signal emerged on technical charts. The move followed a broader rally across smaller tokens, driven by renewed retail participation and heavier trading volumes that analysts said could sustain gains if key price levels hold. The token, created as a parody […]
Bitcoin surged beyond the $91,000 mark as a broader rally lifted ether and dogecoin, with traders pointing to political developments tied to Venezuela and signals of possible United States involvement as catalysts for volatility across digital asset markets. The move underscored how geopolitical risk, alongside liquidity conditions and investor positioning, continues to shape price action in cryptocurrencies that are increasingly sensitive to macro and political cues. The […]
Bitcoin has flashed a weekly “death cross”, a technical pattern that has coincided in earlier market cycles with deep drawdowns, prompting traders to reassess downside risk even as longer-term adoption narratives remain intact. The signal, formed when a shorter-term moving average slips below a longer-term one on a weekly chart, has historically preceded declines of 50% to 60% from local highs, according to widely tracked market data […]
XRP has moved back into the top tier of digital assets by market value, overtaking Binance-linked BNB to reclaim fourth place among cryptocurrencies as trading momentum gathered pace and regulatory signals from Washington shifted. Data from major market trackers show the token’s market capitalisation pushing past that of BNB, leaving only Bitcoin and Ethereum ahead when stablecoins are excluded. The advance follows a sharp rally that lifted […]
Bitcoin is trading within a narrow band at the start of 2026 after pulling back from the $110,000 zone, yet blockchain data and market activity point to mounting pressure beneath the surface. Large holders are adding to positions, exchange balances are thinning and derivatives markets are showing renewed engagement, a combination that has fuelled expectations of a potential double-digit move if key technical levels give way. The […]
Ilya Lichtenstein, the convict at the centre of one of the largest bitcoin thefts in history, has walked free from federal custody ahead of his full sentence, publicly attributing his early release to the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform law enacted in 2018 under President Donald Trump. Lichtenstein’s abrupt return to civilian life after serving about 14 months of a five-year term for laundering nearly […]
Iran has signalled that it is prepared to accept cryptocurrency as payment for advanced military hardware, a move that underscores Tehran’s efforts to widen its financial options under sanctions while raising fresh concerns among regulators and security analysts about the use of digital assets in global arms markets. Information published on a government-linked defence export website indicates that prospective buyers could settle contracts using cryptocurrencies for a […]
Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have recorded an unprecedented $4.57 billion in net outflows over a two-month period, marking the sharpest withdrawal since spot products were approved and underscoring a shift in investor positioning after a steep correction in the digital asset’s price. The reversal follows a roughly 20% drop in bitcoin over the same window, testing the durability of institutional demand that had powered inflows earlier in the […]
More than $110 billion in digital assets moved out of South Korea during 2025 as stringent trading restrictions and policy uncertainty pushed investors and firms to seek friendlier jurisdictions, according to estimates compiled from blockchain analytics, exchange disclosures and regulatory briefings. The scale of the outflows has sharpened debate in Seoul over how to balance market oversight with competitiveness at a time when global crypto activity is […]
XRP has moved ahead of BNB to claim the position of the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, marking a sharp shift in the digital-asset rankings during a period of heightened market activity. The token’s valuation has climbed to about $123 billion after prices advanced to the $2.02–$2.03 range, reflecting an intraday rise of roughly 8 per cent and outpacing gains among several large-cap peers. The change […]
Coinbase has said a former customer-support agent has been arrested in India following an investigation into a security breach that exposed limited user data on the US-based cryptocurrency exchange, marking a significant step in efforts to trace accountability for one of the platform’s most closely watched incidents. The exchange said the individual, who had worked for a third-party support contractor, was taken into custody by law-enforcement authorities […]
Britain has begun enforcing a far-reaching set of crypto tax disclosure rules, marking one of the most significant shifts in oversight of digital assets to date. From 1 January 2026, authorities started applying the OECD’s Cryptoasset Reporting Framework, a global regime designed to close gaps that allowed gains from crypto trading to fall outside conventional tax reporting. The new framework requires cryptoasset service providers operating in or […]
