Binance has formally applied for a MiCA license in Greece, with the review reportedly on an expedited track under the Hellenic Capital Market Commission. A spokesperson said the filing was made in Athens and that the exchange is in active discussions with the regulator.

European Union institutions and allied policymakers are supporting a €500 million initiative to launch W, a regulated social platform positioned as an alternative to Elon Musk's X. The beta is expected by February, with mandatory identity checks, strict moderation, and EU-based data hosting among core requirements. The public rollout is planned for later in the year, according to the project's leaders.

In a brief post on X late Thursday, Vitalik Buterin defended his move toward decentralized and privacy‑focused tools, saying 2026 should mark a turning point for digital autonomy. He detailed shifts to Fileverse, Signal, Simplex, Session, ProtonMail, and OpenStreetMap/OrganicMaps, after criticism from some Ethereum investors and developers who warned the changes could limit reach.

World, the crypto and digital identity project co-founded by Sam Altman and previously known as Worldcoin, has deleted biometric data collected from Kenyan citizens. Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner confirmed the erasure, which followed a High Court order issued in May. The case stems from iris-scanning drives in September 2023 and alleged gaps in data protection compliance.

On January 22, 2026, Thailand’s securities regulator said it is preparing new rules to channel digital asset demand into regulated products. According to Bangkok Post on Thursday, the SEC’s framework will cover crypto ETFs, futures trading, and tokenized instruments, with guidance noting risk-tolerant investors could allocate around 4 to 5 percent.

Evernorth plans to expand its XRP holdings beyond 1 billion dollars in gross proceeds and collaborate with t54 Labs to deploy AI-based agentic finance on the XRP Ledger. The firm aims to generate yield via lending, liquidity provision, and DeFi activity, while preparing a Nasdaq listing through a SPAC merger under the ticker XRPN in early 2026. The treasury already holds 473.2 million XRP and is backed by investors including Ripple, SBI, Pantera Capital, Kraken, and GSR.

According to the Dutch central bank, indirect holdings of crypto-linked securities in the Netherlands reached about $1.4 billion by October 2025, up from $94 million in 2020 and equal to 0.03% of total securities. Exposure is concentrated in ETFs, ETNs, and crypto treasury shares, with households and pension funds among the largest holders.

Vietnam has started a five‑year pilot licensing framework for crypto asset trading platforms, introducing its first structured oversight of an industry that has grown for years without clear regulation. Under the program, exchanges must meet strict capital, ownership and operational standards, while both domestic and foreign investors will be required to trade through licensed providers using regulated VND accounts.

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI launched Horizon1000, a $50 million initiative to deploy AI across African health systems, starting in Rwanda. The program aims to support up to 1,000 primary clinics by 2028 and address severe staffing gaps, with an AI health hub already established in Kigali. Experts welcome potential benefits but flag risks around errors, privacy, bias, and language barriers.