World Liberty has launched World Liberty Markets, a peer-to-peer platform for crypto lending and borrowing that runs on USD1. USD1's market cap stands at $3.4 billion, and the venue supports WLFI, Ether, tokenized Bitcoin, USDT, and USDC. WLTC Holdings filed an OCC application five days ago to create a federal trust bank for stablecoins.

Apple led global smartphone shipments in 2025 with a 20% share and 10% year‑on‑year growth, ahead of Samsung at 19% and 5% growth. In Q4, Apple reached a record 25% share versus Samsung’s 17%, while worldwide shipments rose 2% for the year amid financing plans, marketing, and rising 5G demand.

Ahead of a parliamentary hearing next week, 68 economists warned EU lawmakers that Europe could lose control of its money without a functioning digital euro, according to an open letter. The signatories cite reliance on US payment firms in thirteen euro-area countries and flag the ECB's proposed €3,000 wallet limit as insufficient for a credible store of value.

On Monday morning, global stock futures weakened after President Donald Trump's Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell, breaking a year-long public silence, argued the probe is a consequence of not following Trump's preferences as markets brace for the Federal Reserve's January 28 policy decision and record-breaking moves in gold and silver prices.

On January 11, 2026, Polymarket announced a partnership with Parcl to create prediction markets tied to median home prices in major U.S. cities such as Miami and Los Angeles. The monthly markets, which first settle on February 1 using Parcl's housing index, let users stake money on whether prices will rise or fall as the housing market grapples with high mortgage rates and limited supply. While Polymarket remains largely waitlist-only in the U.S., competitors like Kalshi and Robinhood are already broadly accessible.

According to TRM Labs' 2026 Crypto Crime Report, illicit crypto inflows reached $158 billion in 2025, a 145% rise from $64.5 billion in 2024. The share of illicit activity fell to 1.5% of on-chain volume and 2.7% of VASP inflows, while Russia-linked A757 and A7 saw $72 billion and $39 billion respectively.

U.S. lawmakers are reviving the Clarity Act, a market structure bill that would establish the first comprehensive legal framework for digital assets. Senate Agriculture and Banking Committees plan to hold hearings on Thursday to revise their sections, addressing stablecoin rewards, DeFi liability, and whether public officials like Donald Trump can profit from crypto while in office. The committees aim to merge their drafts and move the combined bill to a Senate vote ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Americans have lost more than $333 million to scams conducted through crypto ATMs, with $240 million disappearing in the first half of 2025. In response, cities like Spokane and Stillwater have passed local bans, while several other states and municipalities are weighing restrictions or tighter oversight. Industry participants and legal experts argue the machines expose deeper gaps in banking access, even as authorities focus on their role in fast, irreversible fraud.

Venezuela's main stock benchmark, the IBVC, climbed 124% over five trading days last week following the removal of Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. Despite the dramatic move and renewed foreign interest, the market remains very small, with fewer than 40 listed firms and annual stock and bond trading barely exceeding $200,000 in 2026. A new ETF has been filed with the U.S. SEC to target companies linked to Venezuela, even as the bolivar slides and liquidity constraints persist.