SIFMA and crypto representatives held a closed-door meeting on Jan. 9 on a U.S. crypto market structure bill, BlockBeats reports. SIFMA opposes DeFi exemptions and, with banking lobbies, pushes curbs on yield-bearing stablecoins. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott plans to advance review next week.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates on Jan. 8, CNBC reports. He said lower rates are the missing element for stronger economic growth and predicted 2026 would show returns from President Trump's America First agenda.

Chainalysis reported on Jan. 8 that it tracked at least $154 billion in illicit cryptocurrency transactions in 2025, a 162% increase from the prior year, driven primarily by a 694% surge in funds received by sanctioned entities. The firm said nation-state actors now operate large-scale on-chain infrastructure to support transnational criminal networks and launder crypto proceeds, with stablecoins accounting for 84% of all illicit transaction volume. Chainalysis added that even excluding the jump in sanctioned entity inflows, 2025 would still mark a record year for crypto-related crime, as most illicit activity categories increased.

The SEC became entirely Republican after Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw left on Jan. 8, BlockBeats reports. The three sitting Republican commissioners are Chair Paul Atkins, Hester Peirce ("Crypto Mom") and Mark Uyeda, with two vacancies creating a single-party roster described as "unprecedented" by U.S. economic policy experts. BlockBeats said the Trump administration is exerting unprecedented control over administrative agencies, and an all-Republican SEC is expected to accelerate pro-crypto policy in 2026 with internal opposition said to have disappeared.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission extended the review period for a Nasdaq ISE proposal to raise position and exercise limits on iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) options from 250,000 to 1,000,000 contracts, BlockBeats reports. The rule change, filed January 8, now faces a February 24, 2026 deadline as the SEC evaluates potential market impact.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission endorsed the Bank of Korea's plan to restrict stablecoin issuance to bank-led consortia on Jan. 8, BlockBeats reports. The draft regulation requires banks to hold over 50% equity in issuing entities and sets a minimum paid-in capital of 5 billion won for issuers. The rules tighten exchange compliance with fines reaching up to 10% of annual revenue.

A criminal adjudication seminar on virtual-currency cases was co-hosted by the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court and Renmin University of China Law School on January 8, BlockBeats reports. The discussion summary stated that in money-laundering cases involving virtual assets, determination of "subjective knowledge" should be made through holistic evaluation to prevent objective attribution, and that the offense is complete once concealment conduct is carried out. For illegal business offenses connected to virtual currency, the summary noted that conduct consisting only of personal coin holding or speculative trading generally is not recognized as illegal business. Those who knowingly assist others in illegal foreign-exchange trading by converting via virtual currency, in serious circumstances, should be treated as accomplices to illegal business operations.

Plaintiffs submitted an amended complaint in federal court on Jan. 8 accusing PumpFun operator Baton Corp, Solana Foundation, Solana Labs and certain executives of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), BlockBeats reports. The filing outlines updated allegations against these entities and individuals in the U.S. federal judicial system.