On January 21, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he plans to reengage with decentralized social networks by 2026 and has begun using Firefly.social. He criticized crypto social projects for leaning on speculative tokens and urged community participation to prioritize content and long-term utility. He also signaled optimism toward Lens following its acquisition by Mask Network.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong addressed speculation about the Trump administration's stance on the crypto market structure bill, stating the White House remains engaged in discussions with banks on community-focused solutions. Following Armstrong's criticism of the Senate Banking Committee's draft, which he argued threatens CFTC authority and stablecoin rewards, Senate Chairman Tim Scott postponed further consideration of the bill. Bitcoin traded around $95,132.21 on January 18, 2026, while analysts warned that potential changes to the bill could reshape stablecoin rules and CFTC oversight.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has withdrawn support for the Crypto Markets Structure Act, prompting a public split among U.S. crypto executives over regulatory strategy. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott postponed a markup and seeks to address concerns before month's end, while industry figures urge negotiations to resolve issues around stablecoin yields and DeFi.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on European imports via Truth Social, taking effect on February 1. Rates begin at 10% and could rise to 25% by June 2026, contingent on a Greenland purchase. The EU is preparing an emergency meeting to weigh responses, and countries named include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland.

On January 18, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong denied reports that the White House might withdraw support for a U.S. crypto market structure bill, saying talks remain active. He flagged disputes over stablecoin yields and warned of regulatory capture by banks, while policymakers and industry voices weighed potential market impacts.

Binance will remove USDⓈ-M perpetual futures contracts for BIDUSDT, DMCUSDT, ZRCUSDT and TANSSIUSDT on January 21, 2026 at 09:00 UTC, affecting open derivatives positions in these markets. The exchange states that spot trading for the underlying BID, DMC, ZRC and TANSSI tokens will not be directly impacted, while market reaction from major crypto voices has so far remained limited.

Binance will liquidate and delist the USDⓈ-M perpetual contracts for BID, DMC, ZRC and TANSSI on January 21, 2026. Operations end at 09:00 UTC (17:00 UTC+8), trading stops 30 minutes earlier, and users are asked to close positions manually to avoid forced liquidation.

Binance has enabled USD withdrawals via SWIFT, expanding fiat access across more than 70 countries as of January 2026. The service, facilitated by BPay Global licensed in Bahrain, offers direct USD on- and off-ramps to crypto, with early market feedback described as positive and no public comments from regulators.

On January 17th, Defiance ETFs said it will liquidate its Nasdaq-listed Ethereum ETF (ETHI) together with seven other leveraged products. ETHI’s last trading day is January 26, 2026, with delisting after market close, and cash redemptions at net asset value set for January 30, 2026.