Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic reported that Russia's ruble-backed stablecoin A7A5, issued by A7 LLC in January 2025, has cleared over $100 billion in transactions in under a year. The token, backed 1:1 by ruble deposits at Promsvyazbank and running on Ethereum and TRON, has handled nearly 250,000 on-chain transfers across more than 41,000 addresses, though its growth is now showing signs of slowing under Western sanctions.

X is introducing Starterpacks, an onboarding tool that helps new users follow curated crypto and technology feeds. Unveiled Thursday and previewed by Head of Product Nikita Bier on January 21, 2026, the crypto category will feature memecoin trading with real-time trends and sentiment from active traders. A short video showed users selecting interests and following vetted accounts.

The US Senate Banking Committee has postponed work on the crypto market structure bill, with unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg expecting consideration in late February or March. The panel is prioritizing housing legislation after President Donald Trump's affordability push, while industry voices such as Patrick Witt urge swift action on the CLARITY Act.

Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss donated 3,221 ZEC, worth about $1.2 million, to Shielded Labs. Shielded Labs said Tuesday the funds will back protocol-level work to enhance the Zcash network's security, sustainability, and scalability, while the twins publicly reiterated their privacy-first stance on January 20, 2026.

Memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has introduced Pump Fund, a new investment division that will allocate $3 million to 12 early-stage projects via a Build in Public Hackathon. Participants must issue a token and retain at least 10% of its supply, while Pump.fun will prioritize product traction, community presence and long-term viability when selecting winners. Following the announcement, the platform's native token PUMP traded around $0.00256 after a 3.04% daily gain, facing resistance near $0.00274.

Indian security officials said on Sunday that a sophisticated "crypto hawala" network is allegedly channeling funds to support terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation reportedly uses mule bank accounts, private crypto wallets and unregulated P2P traders, while foreign handlers from multiple countries rely on VPNs and avoid KYC checks. Authorities warn the scheme bypasses India's FIU registration rules for Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers and could strengthen separatist elements in the region.

Megatel Homes, a private homebuilder based in Dallas, has introduced a crypto payments and rewards token called MegPrime after receiving a no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The token is positioned for everyday payments rather than as an investment, with users able to earn up to 20% back in rewards and, for renters, potentially apply up to $25,000 of past rent toward a future home purchase.

On January 15, 2026, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said that staking is still unavailable for users in four U.S. states and called on lawmakers to provide clear crypto rules. He backed a market structure bill in Congress and argued that regulatory clarity is needed to balance innovation with consumer protection, while also commenting that AI could create new categories of jobs.

In January 2026, Pakistan signed an agreement with Trump-linked World Liberty Financial affiliate SC Financial Technologies to study using the USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments. Under the deal, World Liberty and Pakistan's central bank aim to integrate USD1 into the country's digital payments infrastructure as the token's circulating supply exceeds $3.5 billion.