Traditional finance is increasingly moving onto crypto rails as exchanges expand access to forex, commodities, stocks, and indices through crypto-native derivatives rather than direct asset ownership. With tokenized real-world assets nearing $20 billion on-chain and stablecoins approaching $300 billion in value, platforms like BingX are offering USDT-margined perpetuals tied to traditional markets, allowing traders global, simplified access to macro and equity exposure while preserving legacy market structures. The shift reflects a broader industry trend toward accessibility and interoperability, positioning blockchain as a bridge that modernizes—rather than replaces—traditional finance.

On January 8, 2026, Bitcoin briefly dropped to $89,700 before rebounding to around $90,300, while Ethereum traded near $3,120 amid a wider market downturn. Major altcoins including XRP, BNB, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano and others posted losses of up to 7% over 24 hours, as profit-taking, long liquidations and weakening institutional demand weighed on prices.

Russia is expanding use of the central bank‑issued digital ruble across its budget system and banking sector in 2026, ahead of a full launch planned for September 1, 2026. Large banks and major retailers must support digital ruble payments by 2027, with smaller firms following by 2028, while some micro‑businesses remain exempt.

US spot XRP ETFs registered their first net outflow since launch, with about $40.8 million exiting on Wednesday. The reversal came alongside broader selling in crypto-linked ETFs, as Bitcoin products saw $486 million in outflows and Ether funds recorded $98 million the same day. XRP ETFs had previously amassed $1.2 billion in cumulative net inflows.

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis said on Wednesday that the crypto market structure bill, also known as the CLARITY Act, is close to becoming bipartisan legislation, with a Senate markup scheduled for January 15. The proposal would define most crypto assets as commodities overseen by the CFTC, narrow the SEC's jurisdiction to true securities, and add protections for developers, while prediction markets give rising odds that it will become law by year-end.

Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan argued that crypto must clear three major checkpoints before setting new all-time highs in 2026, including post-October liquidation stability, passage of the CLARITY Act in the US Senate and a resilient equity market. He noted that the market has rebounded since the Oct. 10 crash, while other analysts highlighted a supportive macro backdrop despite the Federal Reserve signaling no imminent rate cuts.

In early Asian trading on Thursday, Bitcoin drifted toward $90,000 as regional equities cooled for a second session. Oil prices slid after Donald Trump said Venezuela would supply up to 50M barrels, while Japan's Nikkei fell 1.1% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.3%, with Australia's ASX 200 up 0.2%.

Cambodian authorities arrested Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi in Cambodia and extradited him to China over an alleged $12 billion crypto fraud that used so-called "pig butchering" scams. His network is accused of forcing staff to run cyber-fraud compounds, collecting 127,271 Bitcoin now valued at about $11.6 billion, which has been seized. The case has intensified concerns about how technology and cryptocurrencies are exploited for large-scale criminal activity.