The White House plans to host cryptocurrency, banking and lobbying representatives on February 2, 2026 to address disagreements over the stalled CLARITY Act market structure bill. Discussions are expected to center on how the legislation handles interest and rewards on dollar-pegged stablecoins, with a Coinbase representative among those set to attend.

Tether Holdings has accumulated around 140 tons of gold after buying over 70 tons last year, CEO Paolo Ardoino said. The firm adds more than a ton weekly and stores bullion in a Swiss bunker; its gold-backed XAUT rose 3.99% in the last 24 hours and logged weekly and monthly gains.

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation said it uncovered an illegal Bitcoin mining network tied to four senior Provincial Electricity Authority officials. On January 19, officers seized 3,642 mining rigs under "Operation Copperhead," and investigators also confiscated thousands of rigs linked to an assistant PEA governor with cash deposits worth 19 million baht ($612.9K).

On Tuesday, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said the Federal Court ordered Gold Coast-based BPS Financial to pay AU$14 million ($9.6 million) in penalties for unlicensed conduct and misleading statements tied to its Qoin Wallet. The court had found in 2024 that BPS engaged in unlicensed conduct for almost three years while issuing the Qoin token and promoting a linked non-cash payment product.

On Tuesday, a long-dormant Ethereum address sent 85,000 ETH—nearly $250 million—to Gemini. EmberCN and Arkham report the wallet 0xb5a…168d6 amassed 135,000 ETH via Bitfinex in 2017 at $90 and later moved its remaining coins over roughly a day, implying around $381 million in profit and a 32x return.

Japan's Financial Services Agency is weighing the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in spot ETFs, with initial listings possible in 2028. Nomura Holdings and SBI Holdings have prepared ETF proposals awaiting Tokyo Stock Exchange approval, including a plan that allocates 49% to Bitcoin in a Gold and Crypto Assets ETF. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has dubbed 2026 the "digital year."

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic reported that Russia's ruble-backed stablecoin A7A5, issued by A7 LLC in January 2025, has cleared over $100 billion in transactions in under a year. The token, backed 1:1 by ruble deposits at Promsvyazbank and running on Ethereum and TRON, has handled nearly 250,000 on-chain transfers across more than 41,000 addresses, though its growth is now showing signs of slowing under Western sanctions.

X is introducing Starterpacks, an onboarding tool that helps new users follow curated crypto and technology feeds. Unveiled Thursday and previewed by Head of Product Nikita Bier on January 21, 2026, the crypto category will feature memecoin trading with real-time trends and sentiment from active traders. A short video showed users selecting interests and following vetted accounts.

The US Senate Banking Committee has postponed work on the crypto market structure bill, with unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg expecting consideration in late February or March. The panel is prioritizing housing legislation after President Donald Trump's affordability push, while industry voices such as Patrick Witt urge swift action on the CLARITY Act.