On January 9, 2026, Ripple secured approval for an EMI license and Cryptoasset Registration from the UK's FCA, enabling expansion of its regulated payments platform in the country. The firm has also received preliminary EMI authorization in Luxembourg via a "Green Light Letter" from the CSSF, positioning it to passport digital asset and stablecoin payment services across the EU once fully licensed.

November producer price inflation rose 3.0% year-over-year versus the 2.7% forecast, marking the strongest reading since July 2025 as Bitcoin trades around $95,000. While monthly PPI printed at 0.2% in line with expectations, the firmer annual figure and recent CPI data above the 2% target reinforce concerns that the Federal Reserve may keep rates elevated through at least Q1 2026. Bitcoin traders are watching key support around $88,000-$90,000 and resistance near $92,000 to $95,000 as they reassess the outlook for rate cuts.

Solana is trading around $144.52 after climbing from $141.30 to an intraday high of $147.31, while historical data show the token has averaged 52.3% growth in January. If this pattern repeats and SOL reaches that average gain from its current level, its price could approach $219, with recent $8 billion growth in open interest and institutional ETF demand adding to the bullish outlook.

In early January 2026, stablecoins’ share of the total crypto market reached an all-time high of 10.19%, with their combined market cap holding above $300 billion for three consecutive months. After fluctuating between 7% and 9.8% in prior growth phases, their dominance rose sharply from mid-2025, alongside a near $400 billion drop in overall crypto value. The latest figures highlight a near doubling of stablecoin market share in under a year and underscore their growing role as a core liquidity and risk-management tool in digital assets.

On January 14, 2026, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari stressed the importance of Federal Reserve independence while addressing a Department of Justice criminal investigation into Chair Jerome Powell and alleged Trump administration pressure on the central bank. Kashkari framed the administration's actions as a monetary policy issue, defended Powell, and noted that while political tensions could add to market volatility, there is no direct, specific impact on cryptocurrencies at this stage.

In the week of January 14, 2026, Meta began eliminating more than 1,000 roles, or about 10% of its Reality Labs workforce, and shutting several VR game studios after the division accumulated over $70 billion in losses since 2020. The company is reallocating billions in spending from VR to AI and Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses, even as it keeps pushing Horizon Worlds toward mobile platforms despite modest user numbers and weak VR headset sales.

Ethereum's on-chain usage has accelerated, with Sunday adding about 393,600 new wallets and the past week averaging roughly 327,000 per day; total non-empty wallets stand near 172.9 million. Amid heightened activity, ETH trades at $3,291, up more than 5% in 24 hours and 2.5% weekly, while SMA levels and a neutral 14-day RSI of 64.58 outline a mixed technical picture.

On January 13, 2026, State Duma Financial Market Committee chair Anatoly Aksakov confirmed that Russian lawmakers have drafted a bill to remove cryptocurrencies from the country's system of "special financial regulation." The proposal would classify crypto as a standard financial instrument, allow non-qualified investors to buy up to 300,000 rubles in digital assets, and expand its role in domestic and cross-border payments. The bill is expected to be a central topic of the State Duma's spring session.