On January 31, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco denied consumers' effort to recover $2.36 billion and to impose a permanent injunction on certain Google ad practices. A jury had found Google liable for invasion of privacy in September, awarding about $425 million, while court documents say plaintiffs argued the $2.36 billion reflected alleged profits.

On January 30, Lighter announced a collaboration with Axiom to introduce Lighter EVM, an Ethereum-compatible rollup designed to extend the platform into a wider DeFi ecosystem. The system uses Axiom's OpenVM 2.0 and SWIRL proof method to deliver ZK-verified, low-cost, high-throughput execution while enabling rapid interoperability with Lighter's markets. Axiom has also strengthened fiat-to-crypto access via earlier integrations with Onramper and MoonPay, allowing users to fund trading with a broad range of payment options.

Over the last 24 hours, the crypto market's total capitalisation has dropped by 6%, with Bitcoin and Ethereum falling to two‑month lows and pressure spreading to related equities. Strategy shares closed at $143.19, down 9.63% and at their weakest level since September 2024, while BitMine ended the session at $26.70, losing 9.89% and touching its lowest point since November 2025. Both companies, which hold large Bitcoin and Ethereum reserves, now face mounting scrutiny over treasury strategies that are highly sensitive to market volatility.

On January 31, 2026, a partial U.S. government shutdown extending into the weekend raised questions about how prediction platforms Polymarket and Kalshi define such events. Contracts tied to shutdown outcomes showed high implied probabilities, yet their resolution rules hinge on specific U.S. Office of Personnel Management notices. Traders flagged ambiguous wording around what counts as a shutdown and how many days it would last, especially with different time-based conditions.

On January 30 in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin indicated she is inclined to grant OpenAI's motion to dismiss xAI's trade‑secret lawsuit for lack of sufficient allegations. The case centers on claims that former xAI employees took source code and other confidential information to OpenAI, while a separate suit by Elon Musk over OpenAI's for‑profit shift seeks about $134.5 billion and is set for trial from April 27.

On January 30, 2026, at CFTC headquarters, SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig announced Project Crypto, a joint initiative to harmonize U.S. cryptocurrency regulation. The project seeks to create a unified framework for trading, custody, and clearing, aiming to reduce investor confusion and improve market efficiency. Analysts expect clearer oversight and codified token classifications to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in global digital asset markets.

On January 5, 2026, Santiment published data ranking the most actively developed projects in the Ethereum ecosystem over the previous 30 days. The list is led by MetaMask USD, followed by Starknet, Chainlink, Radworks, Safe, Ethereum, Decentraland, Worldcoin, Status, and Cartesi, highlighting a focus on infrastructure, scaling, and governance rather than short-term price moves.

On 31 January 2026, U.S. crypto leaders highlighted that tokenized equities are nearing broader issuance and trading as regulatory attitudes evolve. Executives pointed to recent SEC actions and a tokenized securities market cap of about $1.74 billion as evidence that on-chain representations of real-world assets are gaining traction. They suggested the United States could strengthen its role as a central venue for compliant tokenized finance if current trends continue.