In a brief post on X late Thursday, Vitalik Buterin defended his move toward decentralized and privacy‑focused tools, saying 2026 should mark a turning point for digital autonomy. He detailed shifts to Fileverse, Signal, Simplex, Session, ProtonMail, and OpenStreetMap/OrganicMaps, after criticism from some Ethereum investors and developers who warned the changes could limit reach.

Senator Cynthia Lummis urged immediate passage of the CLARITY Act on Thursday as Patrick Witt pressed industry leaders to abandon delay tactics and return to negotiations. The push aims to secure 60 Senate votes before the 2026 midterm window closes, with analysts warning infighting could invite stricter oversight. Shiba Inu traded near $0.000008 on Friday amid attention on Washington.

This guide outlines five licensed crypto casinos that emphasize safer gambling through oversight by recognized regulators, AML/KYC checks, and responsible-gambling tools. The platforms include operators such as CryptoGames, Stake, Yolo, Cloudbet, BC.Game, and Betcoin, many of which have been active since 2013 and support a wide range of cryptocurrencies. While regulation can reduce risks like fraud and money laundering, it does not fully eliminate the possibility of financial loss.

On January 22, 2026, global governments were described as increasingly using blockchain-inspired infrastructure while carefully avoiding crypto terminology. Authorities are adopting distributed ledgers, append-only records, and verifiable credentials for registries, identity, and financial instruments, often through permissioned systems and digital modernization programs. This reframing allows states to gain blockchain's operational benefits while minimizing political, regulatory, and reputational risk tied to public tokens.

On Jan. 17, Donald Trump said on social media he would sue over alleged debanking. According to a Thursday Bloomberg report, he has now filed a complaint in Miami-Dade County seeking $5 billion in damages from JPMorgan and CEO Jamie Dimon; a bank spokesperson said the case lacks merit and accounts aren't closed for political or religious reasons.

On January 22, 2026, Maple said it is live on Base, the Coinbase-incubated Layer 2, extending institutional-grade credit and yield products to the network’s users. According to Maple, it has facilitated more than $17 billion in loans, with "Aave support on the way" and Chainlink enabling secure cross-chain access between Base and Ethereum.

On January 22, 2026, Chainlink announced it acquired FastLane's Atlas and folded its order-flow/OEV recapture stack into Security Verified Revenue. Atlas will now exclusively back SVR, with a migration path for RedStone users. The companies say SVR has processed more than $460 million in liquidations and recaptured over $10 million.

A resident of Russia's Belorechensky District had his cryptocurrency seized and sold to repay around 1.7 million rubles (over $22,000) in overdue child support. The regional Federal Bailiff Service said this is the first time a debt in its practice was fully settled with crypto, noting the "On Enforcement Proceedings" law permits seizure of digital financial assets.