According to CertiK, physical coercion of crypto wallet holders increased sharply in 2025, with 72 verified cases worldwide and an approximate 75% rise from 2024. Confirmed losses reached $40.9 million, while France tallied 19 incidents and Europe accounted for about 40% of global cases. The firm warned this threat now sits at the center of ecosystem risk.

On Jan. 29, US senators on the Agriculture Committee opened a markup session on the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, a long-debated crypto market structure bill. Lawmakers are set to vote on 11 amendments, including measures on CFTC leadership, ethics rules and foreign interference, as they work to clarify federal oversight of digital asset markets.

US lawmakers are set to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday after weather delays. On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture Committee will mark up the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, while one amendment proposes the law not take effect until at least four CFTC commissioners are Senate-confirmed. The Banking Committee's markup was postponed after Coinbase withdrew support.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said the committee shifted its markup of the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act from Tuesday to Thursday. The CFTC also moved a joint digital-asset oversight event with the SEC by two days to Thursday. The schedule changes followed a winter storm that closed the Senate and other federal offices.

French authorities opened a preliminary probe into a breach at crypto tax platform Waltio that may have exposed users' personal data. The group known as Shiny Hunters reportedly demanded a ransom and claimed possession of information from about 50,000 users, mostly in France. Officials warned affected users could face attempts to manipulate them into moving digital assets.

On Jan. 17, Donald Trump said on social media he would sue over alleged debanking. According to a Thursday Bloomberg report, he has now filed a complaint in Miami-Dade County seeking $5 billion in damages from JPMorgan and CEO Jamie Dimon; a bank spokesperson said the case lacks merit and accounts aren't closed for political or religious reasons.

United States President Donald Trump used his World Economic Forum speech in Davos on Wednesday to explain that his backing of the GENIUS Act in July was driven both by political appeal and worries over China's position in crypto and stablecoins. He warned that the U.S. must prevent China from gaining control of the sector, while also suggesting he could sign the CLARITY Act on digital asset market structure soon, even as Senate work and industry debates around stablecoin yields remain unresolved.

Riot Platforms' share price climbed about 11% to $18.80 after the miner disclosed a $96 million purchase of 200 acres in Rockdale, Texas, funded entirely by selling roughly 1,080 Bitcoin. The company also signed a 10-year data center lease and services agreement with AMD that could generate up to $311 million in revenue, with the potential to reach $1 billion if multiple extensions are exercised, while further pivoting its data centers toward AI and high-performance computing.

On Wednesday, West Virginia State Senator Chris Rose introduced the Inflation Protection Act to let the state's Board of Treasury invest up to 10% of assets in precious metals, select digital assets and stablecoins. The bill would restrict crypto holdings to tokens with a market capitalization above $750 billion in the previous calendar year, a threshold met only by Bitcoin as of January, and has been sent to the Committee on Banking and Insurance for consideration.