On 9 and 10 January 2026, police in Hilir Perak carried out three coordinated operations in Teluk Intan, seizing forty-one machines allegedly used for illegal crypto mining. Investigators believe the sites were stealing electricity from the national grid, and no suspects have been detained as authorities work to identify those responsible. Officials warn that such unlicensed setups can trigger fires, grid instability, and higher power costs for legitimate users.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on January 15 to examine the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act and broader cryptocurrency market structure legislation. Lawmakers including Rep. French Hill, Sen. Tim Scott, and Sen. Cynthia Lummis aim to clarify SEC and CFTC jurisdictions over digital commodities and investment contracts, while analysts note Bitcoin’s recent volatility ahead of the session.

Analysts expect US core CPI to rise to 2.7% year over year in December, slightly above November's 2.6% and still near early‑2021 lows. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said it could not release month‑to‑month amendments to the latest CPI because of the recent government shutdown, complicating readings. The Federal Reserve is seen keeping rates steady as inflation stabilizes and consumer spending stays firm.

Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Council has issued cease-and-desist directives to Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com, requiring them to shut down sports betting contracts in the state and refund users by January 31, 2026. The council argues these unlicensed sports event markets violate state gambling law and could trigger civil penalties or criminal exposure for non-compliance. The decision adds to mounting U.S. regulatory pressure on crypto-based prediction and betting platforms.

Lawmakers are reportedly considering limits on stablecoin yields during bipartisan talks on a U.S. crypto market structure bill set for markup on 15 January. Industry figures including Galaxy’s Mike Novogratz and VC Nic Carter have criticized the idea, with Carter suggesting the sector might be better off without the bill if rewards are curbed. The bill needs support from 7‑10 Democrats to clear the Senate Banking Committee, and a failed vote could make another attempt in 2026 difficult.

On July 2, 2025, Tether Ltd. carried out its largest sanctions-related freeze, blocking 42 cryptocurrency addresses tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and about $1 billion in flows primarily in USDT on Tron through UK-registered exchanges Zedcex and Zedxion. The action, identified and detailed by TRM Labs, is prompting closer scrutiny of sanctions-evasion risks, while USDT continues trading near its $0.999 peg with a market cap of 186,712,276,063 and a sharply lower trading volume.

At the beginning of 2026, major cryptocurrencies and meme coins have rebounded from the prior year's downturn, while retail sentiment has turned more optimistic but remains highly reactive to short-term news. Social and sentiment data indicate that Bitcoin is trading increasingly in line with macroeconomic signals and ETF flows, as Ethereum, XRP and Solana see mixed yet notable shifts in discussion and price action. Meme coins, led by Dogecoin and its leveraged ETF performance, have also attracted renewed interest alongside whale activity and social media hype.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used UK-registered exchanges Zedcex and Zedxion to move about $1 billion between 2023 and 2025. Most transfers involved Tether's USDT on the Tron network, with IRGC-linked activity making up 56% of their volume. The flows accelerated from $24 million in 2023 to $619 million in 2024, then $410 million in 2025.