Regulatory clarity for digital assets remains a priority in Washington as the White House prepares a key meeting and Congress mulls the market-structure framework. On Jan. 29, 2026, SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Mike Selig spoke on CNBC's Squawk Box about the CLARITY Act, in a segment linked here: discuss . The measure has cleared the House but is stalled in the Senate as Agriculture and Banking committees hash out provisions. The debate centers on stablecoin yields and how they should be regulated. Coinbase's withdrawal of support highlighted industry concerns. Atkins framed the dialogue as a path to a workable compromise, while Selig noted that, due to the GENIUS Act, stablecoin policy sits largely outside the agency’s remit, shifting the focus to securities and tokenized assets. A White House meeting with financial and crypto leaders on Monday adds momentum to the negotiations. SEC Chair Paul Atkins (middle) and CFTC Chair Mike Selig (right) on CNBC’s Squawk Box. So...

US lawmakers opened a key markup session Thursday morning on a long-awaited crypto market-structure bill, signaling a pivotal step in clarifying how digital asset markets will be overseen in the United States. The Senate Agriculture Committee is scrutinizing the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, a proposal that has spanned months of debate as lawmakers and industry stakeholders press for a framework that moves beyond enforcement-only approaches. The session centers on 11 amendments addressing leadership at the CFTC, ethics provisions, and concerns about foreign influence in U.S. markets. Notably, Senator Roger Marshall’s card-swipe-fee amendment remains on the docket, though reports suggest he may not push for it this time around. As the markup unfolds, the balance of bipartisan support and potential flashpoints will help define the bill’s fate. Key takeaways The Senate Agriculture Committee is prepared to vote on 11 amendments to the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, testing...

Introduction ProBit Global has announced a comprehensive wind-down of its exchange operations amid a shifting regulatory landscape and ongoing strategic restructuring. The notice maps a staged termination, beginning with a halt on new sign-ups and culminating in a full service shutdown by early spring 2026. For users, the priority is to move assets within defined withdrawal windows and prepare for migration to an Asset Return System. The move underscores the tightening global regulatory environment and the need for proactive asset protection during platform closures. Key Takeaways: Spot trading ends on 28 January 2026 at 04:00 (UTC+4); all open orders are canceled and deposits are restricted thereafter. Standard withdrawal period runs until 26 February 2026 at 03:59 (UTC+4); withdrawals are allowed without admin fees, mobile app access is suspended, web access only remain. February 26, 2026 to March 1, 2026: Asset Return System migration; marketable assets may be converted to ...

Bitwise has rolled out its new Chainlink exchange-traded fund (ETF), trading under the ticker CLNK on NYSE Arca. This move offers investors a regulated route to gain exposure to Chainlink (LINK) without directly holding the tokens. The approval of the ETF provides institutional investors with a convenient and secure way to add LINK to their portfolios through standard brokerage accounts. The fund, tracking the spot price of Chainlink, aims to simplify access for those looking to invest in digital assets through traditional financial vehicles. The ETF comes with a 0.34% management fee, but it waives this fee for the first three months or until the fund reaches $500 million in assets. As part of its security measures, Bitwise has partnered with Coinbase Custody to store the Chainlink tokens in segregated institutional cold wallets. The fund’s net asset value is based on the CME CF Chainlink-Dollar Reference rate, ensuring it aligns with commodity indices used by regulated crypto ETFs. In...

Bitwise is awaiting a key regulatory decision from the US Securities and Exchange Commission on eleven proposed altcoin exchange traded funds, with a final ruling expected by mid-March 2026. The filings arrive at a time of mixed signals across the broader crypto market, as investors closely monitor regulatory developments. Bitcoin is currently trading above $91,000, while Ethereum remains above $3,100. Despite these strong price levels, overall crypto market capitalization dipped slightly over the past 24 hours, reflecting a cautious stance among investors awaiting regulatory clarity. Trading volumes remained stable across major exchanges. Meanwhile, institutional interest continues to show resilience. On January 12, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net inflows of approximately $170 million. Ethereum spot ETFs also posted positive inflows, alongside renewed capital allocations into Solana and XRP-related products. Together, these flows have helped sustain growing institutional attention towa...

Flow Network Recoveres After Protocol Exploit The Flow Foundation has disclosed details of a security breach that compromised the blockchain on December 27, resulting in approximately $3.9 million in confirmed losses. The incident stemmed from a flaw in the network’s Cadence runtime, which allowed an attacker to duplicate tokens without draining user accounts or bypassing supply controls. In its technical post-mortem, the Foundation explained that the attacker exploited a vulnerability that enabled asset duplication rather than actual minting, creating counterfeit tokens that temporarily flooded the network. The development team responded swiftly—validators coordinated a network halt within six hours of the malicious activity, switching the system into a read-only state to contain the problem and prevent further asset duplication. Collaborating with exchange partners and security teams, most counterfeit tokens were frozen before they could be liquidated. The network recovery plan invol...

Binance has confirmed that it has suspended direct fiat withdrawals to Visa ( NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) bank cards for its users in Ukraine, effective from December 29, 2025. The suspension follows the termination of services by the exchange's fiat payment provider, Bifinity UAB, which is set to cease its operations on December 31, 2025, as a result of the changes in regulations in the region. The exchange made it known that the suspension will only affect customers from and within the Ukrainian territory who were using Bifinity services for their fiat payments. And has notified affected customers on the 15th of December, 2025, citing changes in regulations in Europe. A Binance spokesperson said, "The announcement regarding changes to payment methods applies exclusively to users from Ukraine who previously used Bifinity services." And further added that the changes are "not related to the National Bank of Ukraine." Basic operations on cryptocurrencies,...

Introduction Lighter, a prominent player among perpetual decentralized exchanges, has recently revealed its tokenomics for the new Lighter Infrastructure Token (LIT), generating varied reactions within the DeFi community. The structure of the token distribution, alongside its recent launch, has sparked debates on transparency and investor incentives. Key Takeaways 50% of LIT supply allocated to the ecosystem, with the remaining split between team and investors, featuring vesting schedules. Approximately 25% of LIT was airdropped during its first season, with additional allocations planned for future growth initiatives. Community divided over the tokenomics, with some critics deeming the insider-heavy allocation as excessive, while supporters cite long-term investor backing as a stabilizing factor. Whale activity shows conflicting sentiment, with large players betting against LIT through leveraged short positions, yet others demonstrating conviction by increasing long positions despite ...

Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) has reached an agreement to acquire The Clearing Company, a startup working to provide on-chain, compliant infrastructure for prediction markets.  The financial terms of the acquisition were not made public but are expected to close in January 2026, making it Coinbase’s tenth acquisition in 2025. The Clearing Company's team is expected to join Coinbase to help scale its recently launched prediction markets offering.  The announcement follows Coinbase’s recent launch of prediction markets on its exchange in partnership with Kalshi, which allows users to trade event contracts on politics, economics, sports, culture, crypto, derivatives, and equities. "The Everything Exchange will be the unified place where people can trade every asset class," as stated in Coinbase’s blog post announcing the deal. "Prediction markets are a natural fit for this vision." Max Branzburg, Coinbase's vice president of product management, described prediction m...

USDT Connects Traders to Traditional Assets It allows traders to use USDT for forex and gold trades without opening broker accounts or using banks. Hence, crypto-focused users can enter traditional markets through one interface. All transactions execute within the same environment as spot and futures crypto trading. Users no longer manage multiple accounts or funding sources across different financial platforms. The forex market records trillions of dollars in daily volume across global currencies. Consequently, Bitget aims to simplify participation by offering stablecoin-funded access to this highly liquid market. Users can move capital between crypto holdings and forex or gold positions without conversion delays. Additionally, the TradFi service operates under regulation from the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius. Bitget provides institutional-grade liquidity for these traditional instruments alongside narrow spreads. Moreover, this structure supports efficient pricing simil...

SBI VC Trade, a leading cryptocurrency exchange and subsidiary of SBI Holdings, has announced the opening of a new recruitment round for its Rent Coin lending service. The recruitment period is set to begin on December 18, 2025, at 20:00 JST. This service allows users to lend their cryptocurrencies, including XRP, Bitcoin (BTC), and Dogecoin (DOGE), to the exchange for a set period, generating income in the form of "usage fees." Crypto Lending for Profits The Rent Coin service is a significant development for cryptocurrency holders looking to generate passive income. Users can lock up their crypto assets, such as XRP, for a fixed duration, ranging from a week to 28 days. In return, they receive interest payments in the same cryptocurrency they lend, turning idle holdings into revenue-generating assets. This offering is beautiful as it contrasts with traditional investments, where stocks offer dividends, and banks provide interest. With this lending model, crypto holders now h...

Dispute Erupts Within Aave Over Fee Routing and Governance A contentious debate is unfolding within the Aave decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) concerning the distribution of fees generated from its recent integration with the decentralized exchange aggregator CoW Swap. The conflict underscores ongoing tensions between the DAO and Aave Labs, the core development entity behind the protocol’s initiatives. Key Takeaways Fees from coin swaps via CoW Swap are allegedly routed to Aave Labs-controlled addresses, bypassing DAO oversight. DAO members express concern over lack of transparency and equitable revenue sharing from this integration. Aave Labs maintains that front-end components and development funding fall under its jurisdiction. The dispute highlights broader governance challenges faced by decentralized protocols. Tickers mentioned: N/A Sentiment: Uncertain / Tense Price impact: Neutral — The controversy centers on governance and fee distribution, not immediate price mov...

Bitwise has officially launched its new cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the NYSE Arca, providing investors with an accessible and regulated product to gain exposure to leading digital assets. The ETF, trading under the ticker BITW, offers a diversified basket of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Litecoin, Sui, Avalanche, and Polkadot. With $1.25 billion in assets under management, the Bitwise ETF stands as the largest crypto index fund globally. Transition from Index Product to Fully-Traded ETF Previously, Bitwise’s crypto fund operated as an index product. However, after completing its transition, it now offers a fully exchange-traded structure. This move marks a significant development for Bitwise, as it overcomes previous obstacles faced during the SEC's review process. The launch of the ETF reflects the company’s years of effort to provide wider access to digital assets in a regulated environment. Bitwise’s Chief Invest...

Key Highlights: GetAgent AI boosts speed and accuracy, giving traders clearer insights with fewer steps. Upgrade expands daily query limits, offering deeper research tools across all membership tiers. New AI Trading Camp shows real-time strategy performance, strengthening decision-making skill Bitget’s GetAgent AI Upgrade Expands Research Tools for Traders Bitget declared a big GetAgent AI upgrade which is meant to widen availability of high-tech automated research tools. The platform positioned this update as a response to rising demand for real-time guidance in a fast-moving market that often shapes global crypto news. The new system now adjusts its concise answers based on each request, which helps traders gain clearer insights with fewer steps. A major upgrade to GetAgent – your AI trading assistant – is now live. You can enjoy smoother conversations, sharper insights, and more concise answers. Best part? It’s now FREE for everyone to use. Find out more 👇 https://t.co/LV...

Key Insights: Bitget’s GetAgent now customizes responses based on query complexity, offering both quick answers and in-depth market analysis. The platform has increased daily query limits, allowing users at all levels to benefit from AI-assisted trading tools. Bitget’s interface redesign and new AI avatars aim to simplify strategy development and improve overall user experience. Bitget has launched a significant upgrade to its AI-powered trading assistant, GetAgent, aimed at enhancing its speed and effectiveness for traders at all levels. The update brings faster response times and a more personalized approach to trading insights, allowing users to get quick, concise answers or more in-depth analysis depending on their needs. With the improved capabilities, Bitget hopes to deliver more value to both novice and experienced traders. Tailored AI Responses for Faster Trading Decisions The latest upgrade focuses on customizing the user experience by providing responses based on the...

In a landmark move toward transforming its economic landscape, Binance and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 26 November 2025 to accelerate the development of the Vietnam International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC–HCMC). The ceremony, held on the sidelines of the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, was attended by high-profile figures. #Binance CEO @_RichardTeng met with H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh in the UAE, where both sides exchanged views on blockchain and digital asset development as part of #Vietnam ’s International Financial Center initiative. We look forward to sharing expertise and… pic.twitter.com/yBZFue5uCT — Binance (@binance) September 25, 2025 Partnership Goals: Crypto, Investment, and Innovation Under the agreement, Binance and the city’s Department of Finance will collaborate across several core areas. First, Binance will help attract international investors, financial institutions, and invest...

Binance has announced that it will temporarily pause Ontology (ONT) deposits and withdrawals starting at 7:00 a.m. UTC on December 1, 2025. The exchange says the move is meant to support an upcoming upgrade on the Ontology Network and ensure that user funds remain safe while the changes go live. ONT trading on the platform won’t be affected, so users will still be able to buy and sell the token as usual. What the Upgrade Involves Ontology is preparing to launch its v3.0.0 MainNet update, which brings a number of technical improvements to the network. The upgrade comes shortly after a smaller update on November 27 that focused on consensus adjustments and gas-limit refinements. The December 1 upgrade, however, carries the bigger changes—especially to the network’s long-term token structure and overall performance. ONTOLOGY ENTERS A NEW ERA OF PERFORMANCE Big news from Ontology: The MainNet v3.0.0 upgrade is scheduled for Dec 1 2025, with an intermediate roll-out (v2.7.0) on Nov 27 2025...

Crypto exchange KuCoin has launched its operations in Australia, opening a regional headquarters in Sydney to tap into one of the world’s fastest-growing crypto markets. The new office marks a significant step in the exchange’s global expansion, following its earlier entry into Thailand this year. The Sydney office will serve as the base for KuCoin's operations in Australia and will focus on strengthening its presence in the local digital asset landscape. The company has appointed James Pinch, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the Australian financial sector, as the managing director to lead these efforts. Pinch brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous roles at firms such as OKX, CMC Markets, and Vantage. Targeting Australia's Growing Crypto Market Australia's cryptocurrency market is rapidly growing, with projections indicating a near 20% increase to US$1.2 billion by 2026. KuCoin is positioning itself to capitalize on this growth by offering a combin...