On 9 January 2026, BNY announced a blockchain-based system that lets institutional clients move bank deposits on-chain and use them around the clock for collateral, margin, and payments. Early adopters of the tokenized deposit platform include Intercontinental Exchange, Citadel Securities, DRW, Ripple Prime, Baillie Gifford, and Circle. The bank positions these deposits as a regulated settlement layer for tokenized assets and always-on markets.

On 9 January 2026, Asheesh Birla outlined how crypto is evolving from speculative trading toward serving as financial infrastructure, with XRP positioned for institutional use. He argued that XRP’s design for cross-border settlement, liquidity, and programmable treasuries aligns it with emerging regulatory standards and enterprise-grade tooling. In this view, long-term adoption will favor networks that integrate quietly into global financial systems rather than those driven by retail hype.

World Liberty Financial is seeking a U.S. national trust bank charter through WLTC Holdings LLC, with its filing to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency aimed at placing stablecoin operations under federal oversight. The plan would transform WLFI into a regulated trust institution focused on USD1 issuance, reserves, and custody rather than consumer banking. Since 2024, the project has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and its bid has triggered intense political debate.

On 8 January 2026, Florida lawmakers advanced a new effort to create a state-level strategic cryptocurrency reserve, with eligibility rules that currently restrict holdings to Bitcoin. House Bill 1039, backed by Representative John Snyder and companion Senate bills SB 1038 and SB 1040, would establish the reserve and a trust fund to manage digital assets, using a $500 billion average market capitalization requirement over 24 months as the key filter. Supporters pitch the move as a diversification tool following federal action in 2025, while critics highlight Bitcoin's sharp price swings and unresolved regulatory questions ahead of a conditional effective date of July 1, 2026.

On 7 January 2026 at 23:15, Coindoo reported a shift from opposition to alignment as banks and crypto-native firms build tokenized money rails. Stablecoins and deposit tokens are being used for real-time settlement and liquidity, while the competitive focus is moving to interoperability and integration speed across payment networks.

On 7 January 2026, Deutsche Bank released research projecting tokenized real‑world assets to reach about $1.5–$2 trillion by 2030 and roughly $3–$4 trillion by 2035. The study says adoption will be gradual, with liquidity and regulation as key constraints, and suggests the United States could strengthen dollar dominance by leading tokenized market infrastructure.

On January 5, 2026, Ethereum showed contrasting signals: Alphractal reported on January 3, 2026 that sell-side pressure remains dominant, while Leon Waidmann said Q4 2025 saw roughly 8.7 million smart contracts deployed. The split underscores a market-wide de-risking regime alongside record builder activity.

On-chain data indicates that large Bitcoin wallets accumulated roughly 270,000 BTC over the past 30 days, about 1.3% of the total supply. In dollar terms, nearly $23 billion shifted into longer-term holdings, the strongest net buy from this cohort in roughly 13 years. Short-term metrics still show selling pressure, reducing the odds of an immediate breakout.

On 1 January 2026, on-chain readings signaled a balanced Bitcoin market, with selling absorbed rather than driving a breakdown. SOPR sat near 0.994 and the Coinbase Premium Index around -0.09, while recent exchange netflows near -1,600 BTC suggest coins are moving to long-term custody.