Vitalik Buterin said on Monday that Ethereum must reach a "walkaway" state where its core value endures even if developers cease active work on the protocol. He highlighted the need for long-term cryptographic safety, quantum resistance, scalable tools like ZK-EVM and PeerDAS, and a block-building model resistant to centralization and censorship to help Ethereum remain robust for a century. Buterin also called for more decentralized, diversified-asset-backed stablecoins to reduce dependence on any single national currency.

On Monday, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced a new Innovation Advisory Committee to guide oversight of blockchain and AI. Chair Mike Selig plans to nominate 12 CEO Innovation Council participants as charter members. Additional nominations are open until Jan. 31, 2026.

Vitalik Buterin said in a post on X on Sunday that Ethereum needs more resilient decentralized stablecoins, highlighting risks from USD pegs, oracle attacks, and staking incentives. He floated reducing staking yields to around 0.2% and redesigning staking to avoid slashing, while the stablecoin market reached $311.5 billion in 2026.

US exchange Coinbase may reconsider support for the CLARITY Act if it restricts stablecoin rewards offered via exchanges. A Senate Banking Committee markup is set for Thursday, while Coinbase's Q4 stablecoin revenue totaled $247 million alongside $154.8 million from blockchain rewards, underscoring the potential impact on crypto platforms.

On Sunday, X's head of product Nikita Bier outlined a "Smart Cashtags" feature that will show real-time prices for cryptocurrencies and stocks, with a public rollout targeted for February. The concept includes smart contract data and asset "mentions," and one mockup hints at in-app trading with Buy and Sell buttons.

Investors For Transparency reportedly aired Fox News ads urging viewers to contact senators and remove DeFi provisions from the CLARITY Act. The Senate Banking Committee scheduled a markup for Thursday, Jan. 15 at 10:00am Eastern Time. In April, the US Treasury estimated $6.6 trillion in bank deposits could exit if stablecoins see broad adoption.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) said on Friday it raised over $15 billion to invest in technologies it views as critical to America's future, naming crypto and AI as priorities. The firm outlined allocations to Growth ($6.75 billion), Apps and Infrastructure ($1.7 billion each), American Dynamism ($1.18 billion), Bio and Healthcare ($700 million), plus $3 billion for other strategies.

In 2026, Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi expects stablecoin payment cards to become a major theme in global crypto adoption, following Rain's $250 million funding round that valued the firm near $2 billion. Rain has rapidly expanded its stablecoin card base and payment volumes while supporting assets like USDT and USDC across multiple blockchains. Analysts project that stablecoin transaction volumes could reach tens of trillions of dollars by 2030, though some investors remain skeptical about their impact in developed markets.

Stablecoin payment flows could reach $56.6 trillion by 2030, rising from $2.9 trillion in 2025. The path implies roughly an 81% compound annual growth rate over five years, supported by broader institutional use and greater reliance in economies facing inflation and instability.