On Wednesday, Lighter said users must stake LIT to deposit into its Lighter Liquidity Pool, with a 1:10 ratio allowing 1 LIT to unlock up to 10 USDC. The change takes effect immediately for new participants, while existing depositors have a two‑week grace period ending Jan. 28; fee waivers kick in at 100 LIT staked.

The Senate Banking Committee pulled its planned markup and vote on a comprehensive crypto bill after support eroded midweek. Chair Tim Scott announced the postponement Wednesday night; Coinbase withdrew backing, citing treatment of stablecoin yield, tokenized equities and DeFi. A new hearing date has not been set.

On January 15, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee called off a scheduled meeting on the Market Structure Act after Coinbase withdrew its backing for the bill. The exchange objected to proposed limits on passive yield for stablecoins, putting an estimated $355 million in quarterly stablecoin revenue at risk and raising concerns over future crypto regulation. Market data shows USDC trading at $1.00 with a $75.77 billion market cap and $19.58 billion in volume as of January 15, 2026.

Litecoin's price recently retreated from a high of $84 to near $75 before rebounding around $78, while large on-chain transactions have climbed to their strongest level in five weeks. Data shows the number of LTC transfers above $100,000 surged to 503, the highest whale activity reading since December 10, a zone that previously aligned with local price tops. It is still unclear whether the latest spike will precede renewed selling pressure or signal a potential bottom for the altcoin.

In late December 2025, DZ BANK, Germany's second-largest financial institution, obtained MiCAR approval from BaFin and on 14 January this led to the launch of its "meinKrypto" platform. The bank has integrated Bitcoin and Ethereum trading into the existing VR Banking App for millions of retail savers, as crypto markets trade near a $3.2 trillion valuation with Bitcoin around $95,000 and Ethereum at $3,300.

On January 15, 2026, TD Cowen lowered Strategy's 12-month price target to $440 from $500, citing dilution from ongoing share issuance. In the week ending January 11, 2026, the firm raised around $1.25 billion by selling approximately 6.8 million common and 1.2 million STRC preferred shares to buy 13,627 Bitcoins; analysts project roughly 155,000 BTC in fiscal 2026 with a 7.1% yield.

On January 15, 2026, multiple crypto firms including Ripple, Circle, a16z and the Digital Chamber voiced support for Senate Republicans' crypto market structure bill, while Coinbase and its CEO Brian Armstrong opposed it. The bill centers on regulatory clarity for DeFi and stablecoins such as USDC, which is priced at $1.00 with a $75.78 billion market cap and $19.84 billion in 24-hour volume, and industry participants are calling for amendments to balance innovation with oversight.

US Senator Cynthia Lummis reportedly expects the Senate Banking Committee to postpone its markup of the CLARITY Act after Coinbase withdrew its backing over DeFi and stablecoin reward provisions. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said the current draft, which ends stablecoin rewards and raises concerns about tokenized stocks and financial privacy, would be worse than existing rules and could materially affect the firm's revenue.