Gold's move beyond $4,800 has coincided with a surge in tokenized gold, with XAUT and PAXG drawing elevated activity. A CEX.io report says trading in these assets totaled $178 billion in 2025, including $126 billion in Q4, placing the segment behind only GLD by volume among U.S.-listed funds.

On 21 January 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the "Future-Proof" initiative to modernize its rulebook for digital assets and prediction markets. The program seeks to replace enforcement-led oversight with clearer, purpose-built regulations tailored to 24/7, technology-driven trading. CFTC Chair Mike Selig said the effort aims to address gaps in a framework built for agricultural futures as the agency prepares for a larger role under the proposed CLARITY Act.

Crypto assets fell on Tuesday alongside major U.S. equity indexes after President Trump's latest tariff threats against European countries reignited trade war concerns. Bitcoin briefly broke below $88,000 before rebounding near $89,752, while the total crypto market value slipped to $3.03 trillion and Ethereum and Solana posted steeper losses. As investors rotated into gold, silver and U.S. Treasuries, Bitcoin and major altcoins continued to trade in tight ranges, reflecting cautious positioning ahead of Trump's World Economic Forum engagements in Davos this week.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026, that the U.S. economy is robust and could expand by more than 5% at the start of 2026, with potential to top 6% if interest rates fall. He argued that currently high borrowing costs are constraining business and household spending and urged the European Union to avoid retaliatory measures if the United States proceeds with tariffs linked to Greenland, warning this could reignite a damaging tariff spiral.

By mid-January 2026, daily cryptocurrency payment-card transactions neared 60,000, marking a 22x rise from December 2024. The cards processed close to $4 million in spending each day, while cumulative activity surpassed 7.3 million transactions and $804 million in volume, supported by about 150,000 active users.

Galaxy Group plans to launch a $100 million crypto hedge fund in Q1 2026, allocating up to 30% to tokens and the balance to financial services stocks. The strategy is designed to harness volatility and separate "winners and losers" as digital asset infrastructure evolves, with leadership by Joe Armao and outreach to family offices and institutions.

U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR), a Solana-based crypto token, has surged more than 660% in a week, driven by oil-themed narratives and speculative momentum. While USOR is a real, actively traded token, claims that it is oil-backed or government-verified remain unproven, positioning it as a high-risk, narrative-driven asset rather than a fundamentals-based investment.

After the October 10, 2025 crypto crash, Hyperliquid (HYPE), one of the largest decentralized exchanges, saw sharp drops in trading volume and open interest as it moved into 2026. A recent study by GLC shows volume falling from $10.17 billion to $5.66 billion and open interest declining from $14.75 billion to $9.48 billion, even as year-to-date data and new features such as portfolio margin point to a gradual recovery. The HYPE token is now trading around $21.84, about 63% below its all-time high of $59.30.