On January 29 2026, Bitget outlined how users can trade Gold pairs such as XAUUSD on its TradFi platform using USDT as the funding currency while trades settle in USD. After completing Level 1 and Level 2 KYC and creating an MT5 account, traders can set leverage up to 500X, place buy or sell orders, and access built-in risk tools and TradingView charting. Bitget is also running a month-long Gold trading competition with a total prize pool of $108,888, split across multiple events including a volume leaderboard and daily credit challenges.

On January 29 2026, Coinbase made its Kalshi-powered prediction markets available to users in all 50 U.S. states through the Coinbase app. Traders can now use USD or USDC from their Coinbase accounts to buy yes/no contracts on real-world events such as sports, politics, and culture, with minimum trades starting at $1. The regulated product is offered via Coinbase Financial Markets, which operates nearly around the clock except for a brief weekly maintenance window.

The White House plans to host cryptocurrency, banking and lobbying representatives on February 2, 2026 to address disagreements over the stalled CLARITY Act market structure bill. Discussions are expected to center on how the legislation handles interest and rewards on dollar-pegged stablecoins, with a Coinbase representative among those set to attend.

Gold jumped 4.4% on Wednesday, adding about $1.65 trillion to its market value and setting a record above $5,500 with a total cap of $38.77 trillion. The single-day gain nearly equaled Bitcoin's $1.75 trillion market cap, while over five years gold has risen 173% versus Bitcoin's 164%. Bitcoin traded down during the move.

On January 29, 2026, President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met in Washington to head off a U.S. government shutdown before the January 31 deadline. According to Polymarket, bettors now assign a 40% chance of a shutdown. Discussions reportedly center on separating Department of Homeland Security funding and considering short‑term appropriations to maintain operations.

Russia plans to finalize a national cryptocurrency regulatory framework for a vote at the end of June, with implementation targeted for July 1, 2027. The rules would open the market to both qualified and non-qualified investors, cap annual purchases of the most liquid coins for retail participants, and keep a domestic payments ban and licensing obligations for service providers in place.

In April 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche dissolved the Department of Justice's National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, a move now contested by six U.S. Senators including Elizabeth Warren. They warn that shutting down the 2021-formed unit, which focused on money laundering and crypto-enabled crime, could heighten illicit digital asset activity and raises concerns about Blanche's personal crypto holdings.

Gold set a fresh record above $5,600 per ounce after a 4% rally that followed a 4.6% surge the prior session, extending weekly gains to over 10%. Spot prices are up 28% year to date, with silver nearly 65%. Bitcoin fell to $88,000 as ETH slipped below $3,000 and SOL declined more than 3%.