On January 31, 2026, a partial U.S. government shutdown extending into the weekend raised questions about how prediction platforms Polymarket and Kalshi define such events. Contracts tied to shutdown outcomes showed high implied probabilities, yet their resolution rules hinge on specific U.S. Office of Personnel Management notices. Traders flagged ambiguous wording around what counts as a shutdown and how many days it would last, especially with different time-based conditions.

On January 30 in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin indicated she is inclined to grant OpenAI's motion to dismiss xAI's trade‑secret lawsuit for lack of sufficient allegations. The case centers on claims that former xAI employees took source code and other confidential information to OpenAI, while a separate suit by Elon Musk over OpenAI's for‑profit shift seeks about $134.5 billion and is set for trial from April 27.

On January 30, 2026, at CFTC headquarters, SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig announced Project Crypto, a joint initiative to harmonize U.S. cryptocurrency regulation. The project seeks to create a unified framework for trading, custody, and clearing, aiming to reduce investor confusion and improve market efficiency. Analysts expect clearer oversight and codified token classifications to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in global digital asset markets.

On January 5, 2026, Santiment published data ranking the most actively developed projects in the Ethereum ecosystem over the previous 30 days. The list is led by MetaMask USD, followed by Starknet, Chainlink, Radworks, Safe, Ethereum, Decentraland, Worldcoin, Status, and Cartesi, highlighting a focus on infrastructure, scaling, and governance rather than short-term price moves.

On 31 January 2026, U.S. crypto leaders highlighted that tokenized equities are nearing broader issuance and trading as regulatory attitudes evolve. Executives pointed to recent SEC actions and a tokenized securities market cap of about $1.74 billion as evidence that on-chain representations of real-world assets are gaining traction. They suggested the United States could strengthen its role as a central venue for compliant tokenized finance if current trends continue.

On January 30, 2026, SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig launched Project Crypto at CFTC headquarters to harmonize cryptocurrency regulation. The initiative seeks to align rules on trading, custody, clearing, and risk management while reducing investor confusion and compliance burdens. Analysts also note the move comes as Bitcoin trades at $83,365.96 with a 24.75% price decline over the past 90 days and a market cap of $1.67 trillion.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon confronted Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong over Armstrong's comments that banks are quietly working to derail a US crypto market structure bill. The clash, centered on whether stablecoin issuers should be allowed to offer yield or rewards, comes as the legislation has passed the House but stalled in the Senate amid political and industry pushback. Coinbase later sought to play down tensions with banks, even as the Senate Banking Committee postponed a markup following Armstrong's stance that the bill is unacceptable in its current form.

On Friday, Bitcoin fell up to 4% to $81,045, its lowest since November, before trading near $83,651. The move followed U.S. President Donald Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair and coincided with three straight months of spot ETF net redemptions. Traders debated support near $85,000–$90,000 amid a lingering risk-off tone.