On January 2, 2026, Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang Yong said South Korea's economy remains solid despite the won's slide and vowed to resist US-bound investments that could unsettle FX. Authorities rolled out support measures last week as the won neared 1,500 per dollar, and the policy rate was held at 2.5% in late November.

Bitcoin hovered around $88,000 as 2026's first trading session began, with holiday-thinned volumes and gains led by Hong Kong and South Korea. S&P 500 futures added 0.29% and Nasdaq futures rose 0.36%, while a Mudrex analyst highlighted $89,500 resistance, $87,000 support, and a potential path toward $100,000.

On Friday, a widely tracked Crypto Fear & Greed Index climbed from "extreme fear" to a "fear" reading of 29, marking its highest level since Dec. 12 while Bitcoin remained below $90,000 at around $88,995. Some market commentators argue that the index's roughly eight-week stay in fearful territory suggests a potentially favorable risk-reward setup, even as analytics firms describe sentiment heading into 2026 as marked by mixed emotions.

Crypto service providers in 48 participating jurisdictions are required from Jan. 1 to begin collecting detailed transaction data ahead of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework's rollout. The OECD framework will see the first batch of countries record transactions in 2026 for information exchange in 2027, while a second group has until Jan. 1, 2027, to start gathering data.

Turkmenistan's Law on Virtual Assets took effect on January 1, 2026, after parliamentary approval in November and presidential assent in late 2025, creating a legal regime for crypto mining, trading, and exchanges under central bank oversight. The framework keeps crypto use under tight control, bans it for payments, and is expected to support only gradual, limited industry growth, while leveraging excess natural gas for mining and mirroring cautious regulatory trends also seen in Russia's recent mining reforms.

On January 2, 2026, Financial Times reporting said central banks are transacting gold at unprecedented rates as illicit exports erode revenues and foreign exchange reserves. Madagascar's governor said up to 20 tonnes a year, worth about $2.8 billion, leave outside official channels, prompting domestic buying programs across Ghana, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Mongolia.

On Dec. 30, Bitwise filed with the US SEC for 11 single-token "strategy" ETFs tied to Aave, Uniswap, Zcash, NEAR, Starknet, Sui, Bittensor, Tron, and others. Each proposes about 60% in the underlying asset with the remainder in related ETPs and derivatives, targeting a March 16, 2026 effective date. Markets saw limited reaction amid generic SEC listing standards.

Turkmenistan has adopted a "Law on Virtual Assets" that legalizes cryptocurrency mining and exchange activity under central bank oversight, following its signing in late November and implementation on January 1, 2026. The framework introduces licensing, KYC/AML rules, and a ban on anonymous wallets, while keeping cryptocurrencies from being used as legal tender or for domestic payments despite the country's ample but grid-constrained electricity supply.