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.

Major US exchange Coinbase has withdrawn its support for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act after CEO Brian Armstrong warned it would leave the domestic crypto sector worse off than the current rules. Armstrong argued that the draft bill, released on Jan. 21 with a markup hearing scheduled for Jan. 27, could curb tokenized equities and DeFi, boost SEC authority over CFTC, and undermine stablecoin rewards while expanding government access to financial data.

JPMorgan expects institutional participation in crypto to expand in 2026, following nearly $130 billion of inflows in 2025—a roughly one-third rise from 2024. Analysts cite new rules, including the Clarity Act, and track flows via ETFs, CME futures, venture fundraising, and Digital Asset Treasuries. They also note weaker CME futures activity and mixed venture funding trends.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has publicly opposed the current draft of a U.S. cryptocurrency bill scheduled for a vote by the Senate Banking Committee, arguing it is worse than the existing regulatory framework. He raised concerns over privacy, DeFi oversight, stablecoin yields and the balance of authority between the CFTC and SEC, while USDC trades at $1.00 with a $75.75 billion market cap and $20.17 billion in 24-hour volume. The broader crypto industry remains split, with some stakeholders favoring further amendments to address divisive provisions.

On January 15, 2026, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said the company has withdrawn support for the US Senate's crypto market structure bill after a 48-hour review of the Banking Committee draft. According to his post on X, the text would ban tokenized equities, constrain DeFi, expand SEC authority, weaken CFTC oversight, and curb stablecoin rewards.