BlackRock said in its 2026 Global Market Outlook on Jan. 2 that stablecoins will challenge governments' control of fiat currencies, BlockBeats reports. The firm warned surging adoption could shrink fiat use in emerging markets; in October, Standard Chartered said stablecoin popularity may drain over $1 trillion from EM bank deposits. BlockBeats also noted pressure in U.S. banking as the "Genius Act" signed in July lets crypto firms offer yield-like products banned for traditional banks.

More than 160 trillion Korean won (about $110 billion) in crypto assets moved from South Korea's domestic exchanges to offshore platforms last year amid local regulatory constraints, according to a joint report released Friday by Coingecko and Tiger Research. South Korea's Digital Asset Basic Act (DABA) has been delayed since December due to disagreements among regulators over stablecoin issuance, while the Virtual Asset User Protection Act that took effect in 2024 does not cover leverage or derivatives trading. Aju Press reported in November that the number of large accounts held by Korean investors on overseas exchanges more than doubled in a year. The study found that crypto has become a major investment class in South Korea with 10 million investors and revenues at platforms such as Upbit and Bithumb reaching several trillion won, yet growth at local exchanges has stalled as activity shifts toward overseas venues like Binance and Bybit.

The OECD-led Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) will take effect in 2027, BlockBeats reports. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the first 48 jurisdictions will require local crypto service providers to collect user wallet and transaction data to prepare for cross-border tax information exchange; covered institutions include centralized exchanges, some decentralized platforms, crypto ATMs and brokers. A further 27 jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada and Switzerland, will begin collecting data in 2027 and join the exchange mechanism in 2028. CARF aims to enhance tax transparency and combat cross-border tax evasion and money laundering to ensure taxpayers meet obligations wherever they trade, the OECD said.

The United Kingdom and more than 40 other countries began enforcing new cryptoasset tax reporting rules under the OECD’s Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF) on January 1, according to the Financial Times as cited by Wu Blockchain. Under the rules, major crypto exchanges must collect and report UK users’ transaction data and tax residency information to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The UK is among the first 48 jurisdictions to adopt CARF, and from 2027 HMRC is expected to share this data with other participating jurisdictions, as a total of 75 countries have committed to implementing the framework.

Senator Cynthia Lummis said the Responsible Financial Innovation Act of 2026 would allow major U.S. banks to offer digital asset custody, staking, and payment services under regulatory supervision, according to Cointelegraph. Lummis described the legislation as aiming to connect traditional banking with blockchain-based services following years of debate over U.S. cryptocurrency regulation, Cointelegraph reported.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Selig has appointed Amir Zaidi as chief of staff, according to The Block. The outlet reported that Selig cited Zaidi’s prior work at the CFTC, including his role at the agency during the 2017 approval of CME Group’s bitcoin futures contracts.

David Duong, head of investment research at Coinbase, said on Dec. 31 that crypto is in a transformative phase driven by faster institutional adoption, BlockBeats reports. He cited clearer regulatory frameworks, including U.S. stablecoin and market-structure clarity and Europe's MiCA. Duong said this is boosting operational readiness, enabling product innovation and market maturation, and embedding crypto rails in payments and settlement.