Stablecoin

Barclays announced an investment in U.S.-based stablecoin platform Ubyx, aiming to strengthen regulated digital money connectivity. The move was reported on January 7 and, according to the report, follows Ubyx's $10 million seed funding in June, with executives emphasizing interoperability and the role of digital wallets.

Chainalysis told CryptoSlate that in 2025 stablecoins comprised 84% of the $154 billion in illicit crypto transaction volume, overtaking Bitcoin as the preferred asset for criminal use. The report also highlights DPRK-linked hacks totaling $2 billion and Russia’s ruble-backed A7A5 token moving $93.3 billion within its first year, while illicit activity remained under 1% of the crypto economy.

On 9 January 2026, Nexo launched Zero-interest Credit (ZiC), a fixed-term borrowing product at 0% interest for users pledging Bitcoin or Ethereum. The framework sets predefined price thresholds, removes liquidation risk during the loan term, and lets borrowers settle at maturity in stablecoins or via collateral, with an option to renew under updated terms.

Nexo introduced "Zero-interest Credit", a fixed-term borrowing product for Bitcoin and Ether holders with no interest. Borrowers set size and duration upfront, face no liquidation before maturity, and can settle in stablecoins or with collateral; the structured model previously facilitated over $140 million in 2025 via private and OTC channels.

Temple Digital Group has introduced a private institutional trading platform on the Canton Network, offering round-the-clock access to cryptocurrencies and stablecoins through a non-custodial, central limit order book model. The live venue supports asset managers, market makers and financial institutions, with support for tokenized equities and commodities targeted for 2026. Recent activity on Canton also includes tokenized US Treasury financing trials and plans to bring JPM Coin and tokenized Treasurys onto the network.

On Jan. 7, the full developer team at Electric Coin Company, which leads work on the Zcash protocol, resigned following a conflict with its parent nonprofit board and said it will launch a new firm and wallet. U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded their first daily net outflows on Wednesday, with $47.3 million leaving 21Shares' TOXR and contributing to a 5% XRP price drop to about $2.13, while Bitcoin, Ethereum, prediction markets, stablecoins, and onchain crime trends also moved markets.

Investment bank B. Riley forecasts a move by 2026 in which digital assets shift from speculation to utility within financial infrastructure. Key drivers include stablecoin regulation and tokenization of real-world assets. Per CoinMarketCap, BTC stood at $91,132.33 with $1.82 trillion market cap as of January 8, 2026.

South Korea's Digital Asset Basic Act has been delayed as the Bank of Korea and the Financial Services Commission disagree over who should be allowed to issue won-pegged stablecoins. The central bank favors bank-led consortia with at least 51% bank ownership, while regulators and lawmakers warn this could constrain competition and innovation. With the dispute expected to push the bill into 2026, banks, fintech platforms and crypto firms are already preparing to launch or distribute local stablecoins once a framework is finalized.

On January 8, the Financial Action Task Force recognized the T3 Financial Crime Unit as a model of public-private collaboration for policing illicit blockchain activity. Launched in September by TRON DAO, Tether and TRM Labs, the unit has supported freezes over $250 million, and the partners report more than $300 million across five continents.

On January 8, 2026, Polygon Labs introduced the Open Money Stack to support regulated stablecoin payments and connect wallets, fiat access, compliance and onchain settlement. The stack targets fragmentation with a single integration for cross-chain transfers and on/off-ramps. Polygon cited a three-year high $3.3 billion stablecoin supply and more than $2 trillion in transfers over six years.