Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin changed his X profile picture to a Milady NFT, coinciding with the collection's floor price jumping almost 30% within a day. Milady Maker's minimum price climbed to about 1.07 ETH as trading volume and sales spiked, while Buterin also shared a New Year message outlining Ethereum's key technical progress in 2025 and longer-term mission.

Bitcoin miner Cango secured a fresh $10.5 million commitment from Enduring Wealth Capital Limited and saw its shares up more than 3% in pre‑market ahead of its first full trading day. The deal supports Cango's 50 EH/s operations and 2026 AI/HPC expansion, with analysts assigning $3–$4 targets and citing significant undervaluation.

On 2 January 2026, dozens of countries began gathering detailed crypto transaction records ahead of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework's planned data exchanges in 2027. Platforms in 48 jurisdictions must now log wallet activity, trades, and transfers under new tax transparency rules, with the UK enforcing particularly strict reporting duties. A further group of countries is expected to join from 2028, signaling a shift toward cross-border visibility of crypto holdings and gains.

Coinbase plans to emphasize stablecoins, Base and an 'everything exchange' through 2026, per CEO Brian Armstrong. In a New Year's post he reaffirmed the vision, and in December the firm launched stock trading and prediction markets while rebranding its wallet as an 'everything app'.

BlackRock expanded its on-chain exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2025, with the value of its holdings rising from $54.83 billion to $77.35 billion by December 31. Over the year, the position grew by $22.52 billion, or 41.07%, driven by demand channeled through its spot crypto ETFs.

Turkmenistan will legalise cryptocurrency mining and trading platforms starting 1 January 2026 under a strict licensing regime overseen by the Central Bank. The reform, signed by President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, aims to monetise excess gas-fired power capacity and diversify an economy heavily reliant on natural gas exports. While mining and exchanges gain legal status, using cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services remains prohibited, and questions persist over how extensive internet censorship will align with large-scale blockchain operations.

On January 2, 2026, Coinbase Institutional’s head of investment research David Duong argued that stock perpetual futures, or equity perps, are evolving into a primary access point for retail traders. He said these derivatives are moving from niche leveraged tools to core DeFi building blocks and could become a preferred way for global investors to gain 24/7, leveraged exposure to major equity markets.

Shanghai Biren Technology surged 82% in its Hong Kong debut, closing at HK$34.46 after pricing at HK$19.60 and raising $717 million, with retail orders subscribed more than 2,300 times. On January 1, Baidu's AI chip unit Kunlunxin confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO following fundraising that valued the unit at 21 billion yuan.