Coinbase has introduced prediction markets across all 50 U.S. states through a partnership with Kalshi, extending its services beyond conventional crypto trading. The rollout, announced in a Wednesday X post, allows users to trade contracts on real-world outcomes in areas such as sports, politics, and culture. This move supports Coinbase's long-term plan to develop an "everything exchange" that includes multiple asset classes within one platform.

On Jan. 28, six US senators sent a letter questioning Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's 2025 decision to disband the Department of Justice's national cryptocurrency enforcement team. They highlighted his then-crypto holdings, alleged conflict of interest, and a reported surge in illicit cryptocurrency activity in 2025 to argue the unit should not have been shut down.

Bitcoin is edging toward $90,000 as the US dollar posts its sharpest decline in years and the dollar index hovers near 96, a level linked to earlier crypto bull runs. With the greenback at its weakest since 2022 and policy signals from President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pulling FX markets in different directions, traders are watching whether sustained dollar weakness can reinforce recent gains in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Early Thursday, Bitcoin traded around $88,000 while Asian equities were mixed and momentum in regional tech cooled. Shanghai rose 0.21%, DJ Shanghai added 0.22%, SZSE dipped 0.10%, China A50 fell 0.20%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1.22%. Gold and silver hit fresh highs, and crypto stayed range-bound amid light spot ETF flows and cautious positioning.

On January 29, 2026, the Trump administration restarted CLARITY talks involving U.S. regulators, banks, and crypto firms after a pause marked by regulatory gridlock and institutional caution. The agenda centers on practical coordination between traditional finance and digital asset markets, including custody, tokenization, and jurisdictional boundaries, as participants seek enforceable standards rather than deregulation. Outcomes from these discussions could influence how banks scale crypto services and how firms structure their operations in the U.S. market.

Ahead of a committee vote on a major crypto market reform bill, senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee have filed amendments focused on ethics, consumer protection and national security. Proposals from lawmakers, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, would delay the bill until the CFTC has at least four confirmed commissioners and broaden protections for retail crypto participants.

In January, Santiment's social data shows that discussions about gold and silver frequently surpassed crypto-related chatter as retail traders chased whichever assets were moving the most. Interest in gold spiked in the second week of the month, while search trends highlighted shifting focus between Bitcoin and silver around January 21–22. Santiment also highlighted a sharp intraday swing in silver from above $117 to below $102 as a warning of hype-driven volatility, even as commentators drew parallels between metals and major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and XRP.

XRP is edging back toward the $2 psychological zone as traders weigh whether it can reclaim and hold this level after a prolonged downturn. Ethereum is printing higher lows above $2,800 while Bitcoin attempts to recover from the high-$80,000 area but still faces resistance from the 26 and 50 EMAs.