Tether froze roughly $182 million in USDT within 24 hours on Jan. 11, targeting five Tron wallets with balances from about $12 million to nearly $50 million. The tokens were locked at the contract level. Since 2023, over $3 billion has been frozen, and stablecoins now dominate illicit-activity metrics.

Crypto markets were largely unchanged over the weekend, then firmed Monday in Asia with Bitcoin up 1.7% to $92,000 and Ether near $3,150. From Jan. 12 to 16, investors will watch U.S. December CPI, November PPI, housing data, jobless claims, and bank earnings, alongside reaction to a proposed 10% cap on credit card rates.

On 12 January 2026, Coinbase signaled it could withdraw support for a forthcoming U.S. crypto market structure bill if it imposes strict limits on stablecoin rewards for users. The exchange argues that proposals reserving rewards for licensed banks would undercut a key revenue stream tied to USDC interest and disadvantage non-bank crypto platforms. The dispute has reopened divisions in Congress and may jeopardize the broader legislation's progress.

Viewership for cryptocurrency videos on YouTube has fallen to its weakest level since early 2021, reflecting a broader pullback in retail engagement with digital assets. Commentators including Benjamin Cowen and Tom Crown say social interest has dropped across major platforms, consistent with bear-market behavior and fatigue from poor returns and scams. At the same time, on-chain indicators suggest Bitcoin sentiment is stabilizing around the $90,000 area, even as Ethereum signals stay mixed and long-term bulls maintain optimistic price targets for 2026.

Seven Labour MPs who chair UK parliamentary committees have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer asking for a ban on political donations in cryptocurrency to be written into an upcoming elections bill. They argue that crypto-based funding can obscure the source of money, enable undisclosed micro-donations and increase the risk of foreign interference, a move that could particularly impact Reform UK's previously announced plans to accept crypto.

On Sunday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell condemned a new criminal investigation into the Fed's headquarters renovation as politically driven and linked to President Donald Trump's push for lower interest rates. The probe, centered on whether Powell misled Congress about the project, comes months before his term ends in May 2026 and as Trump prepares potential successors more supportive of rate cuts. Heightened political pressure on U.S. monetary policy is adding to volatility in traditional markets and crypto, where assets like Bitcoin often react sharply to Fed rate signals.

On Monday morning, global stock futures weakened after President Donald Trump's Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell, breaking a year-long public silence, argued the probe is a consequence of not following Trump's preferences as markets brace for the Federal Reserve's January 28 policy decision and record-breaking moves in gold and silver prices.

On Thursday, 15 January, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote on the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive crypto market structure bill. The proposal would clearly define digital commodities and digital assets, grant the CFTC control over digital commodity spot markets, and leave securities-like oversight with the SEC. If approved, it could tighten rules on market manipulation, require stronger transparency from exchanges, and potentially draw more institutional capital into U.S. crypto markets.