New readings show inflation still above the Fed’s 2% goal, with November wholesale prices up 3% and December core CPI at 2.6%. Policymakers are assessing implications for 2026, and rates are widely expected to remain at 3.5%–3.75% later this month amid differing views on how quickly to cut without exacerbating pressures on lower‑income households.

According to Chainalysis, crypto theft totaled at least $14 billion in 2025, surpassing $12 billion in 2024. AI-enabled operations earned over $3.2 million per scheme, with daily income of $4,838 versus $518 without AI. In July and December 2025, separate reports and charges highlighted deepfake tactics and a $16 million case involving Coinbase users.

Betterment said attackers used a social engineering scheme on January 9 to access its systems and obtain customer names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates. The firm said accounts and passwords were not compromised, is working with a cybersecurity provider, and warned users about fraudulent messages urging $10,000 crypto transfers.

On January 12, 2026, Qatar is scheduled to sign the Pax Silica agreement, with the UAE set to follow on January 15, joining a U.S.-backed alliance focused on AI and semiconductor supply chains. The initiative groups nine countries in a "coalition of capabilities" to strengthen technology networks and reduce reliance on rival powers. Plans for 2026 include expanding membership, launching strategic projects and aligning policies to protect critical infrastructure and advanced technologies.

A proposed trade pact between Kenya and China has been paused after the United States raised objections, affecting cabinet, parliamentary, and presidential approval steps. The deal would remove Chinese tariffs on Kenyan farm exports, while the expiry of AGOA on September 30, 2025 exposes over $600 million in U.S.-bound apparel exports to tariffs of up to 28% and threatens more than 66,000 jobs. Kenya now faces pressure over whether to prioritize its long-standing security ties with Washington or its largest creditor, Beijing.

On January 10 2026, leading Chinese AI researchers in Beijing said China could produce a world-leading AI company within three to five years, even though the US still dominates computing power. They warned that the main obstacle is the lack of advanced chipmaking tools, with a prototype extreme-ultraviolet lithography machine not expected to yield working chips until 2030. Investors have shown strong interest as MiniMax and Zhipu AI made notable debuts on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, while local firms experiment with running large AI models on smaller, cheaper hardware under tight budgets.

Handwritten notes on €5 bills found in a 2021 Spanish cocaine raid led Europol and Albania's SPAK to a cross-border crypto laundering network linked to the Çopja group. Authorities seized over €35 million, while case files cite Binance, Tron/USDT flows, and a Milan front that bought about $40 million in crypto between October 23, 2024 and July 9, 2025.

Morgan Stanley investment analysts project that the Chinese yuan could firm to 6.85 against the US dollar by the first quarter of 2026, supported by China's evolving global investment approach. The forecast comes as outbound investment from Chinese firms now exceeds inbound foreign capital and the country pivots from fast, investment-heavy expansion toward higher-quality growth. The bank also anticipates that a narrowing interest-rate gap between the US and China, alongside domestic policy measures, could further underpin the currency.

Apple’s stock has fallen for eight consecutive trading days through Friday, closing at $257.07 and marking a 6.1% decline over that span. Evercore ISI kept its Outperform rating and raised its price target to $330 ahead of Apple’s January 29 earnings report, citing robust iPhone demand despite rising memory costs and mixed regional performance.