Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has made Tether's USDT central to the country's economy, with state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela using the stablecoin to navigate sanctions and settle oil transactions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 11. A Tether spokesperson said the company complies with all applicable U.S. and international sanctions and works closely with U.S. authorities, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control, adding that it regularly assists law enforcement in freezing addresses linked to illegal activity or sanctions violations.

The US Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on cryptocurrency market structure and vote on the CLARITY Act at 10:00 a.m. ET on January 15, BlockBeats reports. The bill aims to curb wash trading, deceptive practices and fake trading volume, and mandates proof-of-reserves disclosures to address regulatory issues in the digital asset sector. Some analysts said the legislation, if enacted, could reduce market manipulation by 70% to 80% and accelerate institutional capital entry into cryptocurrencies in 2026. If approved by the committee, the measure will proceed to a full Senate vote, then return to the House for final approval before being sent to President Trump for signature.

Binance founder CZ flagged a possible super cycle after retweeting a post on Jan. 10 stating the U.S. SEC removed crypto assets from its 2026 key risk list, BlockBeats reports. The post suggested the change, if accurate, would be positive for the crypto market.

Investors For Transparency aired television ads on Fox News on Jan. 10 urging the public to press their state senators to support crypto market structure legislation that excludes DeFi, BlockBeats reports. The messaging aligns with bank lobby concerns that the CLARITY Act could permit stablecoin issuers to offer interest-bearing products resembling deposits, and the U.S. Treasury estimated in April that as much as $6.6 trillion could leave the traditional banking system if stablecoins are widely adopted. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee announced a Thursday (Jan. 15) 10 a.m. ET session to review amendments to the CLARITY Act, while Uniswap Labs CEO Hayden Adams criticized the group for opposing DeFi without disclosing its members or funding.

Ripple announced on Jan. 9 that its subsidiary Ripple Markets UK Ltd. received registration approval from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority under the country's anti-money-laundering regulations, CoinDesk reports. The registration allows the company to carry out certain crypto-related activities in the UK.

Nasdaq and CME Group announced on Jan. 8, 2026 that they are relaunching the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index (NCI™), BlockBeats reports. The index is designed to serve as a transparent benchmark for institutions seeking exposure to digital asset investments.

Crypto asset service providers in the UK must obtain full authorization before new regulations take effect in October 2027, the Financial Conduct Authority said on January 9, Cointelegraph reports. The FCA expects to open the authorization application window in September 2026, with all firms offering regulated crypto services required to secure approval under the Financial Services and Markets Act. Entities already registered under anti-money laundering regulations will not be grandfathered and must reapply. Firms that fail to submit applications on time will face transitional restrictions, being allowed only to maintain existing products and barred from launching new business lines.