Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated on Wednesday that the exchange cannot back the latest US Senate crypto bill in its current form, arguing it would be worse than existing rules. He warned the draft could amount to a ban on tokenized equities, restrict DeFi and privacy, weaken the CFTC relative to the SEC, and curb stablecoin rewards, just as lawmakers prepare for a key Senate Banking Committee phase.

Bitpanda is preparing for a Frankfurt listing in 2026, seeking a valuation of €4–5 billion. The Austria-based platform is reportedly working with Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank, and could launch as early as the first quarter. Recent European approvals, including a MiCA license in Germany and FCA clearance in the UK, bolster its case.

On January 15, 2026, crude prices pulled back after President Donald Trump signaled no immediate U.S. military action against Iran. Benchmarks surrendered a recent rally, with Brent and WTI down about 2–3% in after-hours trade. The move reflected a swift fade in geopolitical risk premiums amid Middle East unrest.

On Thursday, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered a 61 "greed" reading, one day after moving to 48 neutral and the first such signal since October. Bitcoin's seven‑day rally took it from $89,799 to a two‑month high of $97,704 on Wednesday. The index had sunk to low double digits in November and December after Oct. 11's $19 billion liquidation.

On January 15, 2026, U.S. financial stocks came under pressure as markets reacted to President Donald Trump's push for a 10% federal ceiling on credit card interest rates. Major issuers including Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup saw share prices decline amid fears the plan could reduce interest income, trigger legal challenges, and force banks to rethink lending and rewards strategies.

Bitcoin traded close to $96,000 on Thursday, while major Asian equity benchmarks moved in different directions following another tech-led decline on Wall Street. BTC open interest has dropped more than 31% from its 2025 high to around $10B, pointing to a broad deleveraging even as spot volumes approach $60B and total crypto market capitalization sits near $3.34 trillion.

On January 14, 2026, Hong Kong fintech WeLab raised $220 million with participation from HSBC and Prudential. The funding will support product expansion and regional growth as the firm builds on its virtual banking and consumer credit businesses. The deal also signals renewed confidence in Hong Kong’s digital finance sector.

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.