1. Coinbase CEO Reveals 2026 Strategic Priorities: Exchanges, Stablecoins, and On-Chain Integration
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted that Coinbase's priorities for 2026 include: expanding its global one-stop exchange to cover crypto assets, stocks, and commodities, supporting spot, futures, and options; expanding its stablecoin and payment businesses; and driving more users to the blockchain through the Coinbase Developer Platform, Base Chain, and Base App. He also stated that the company will increase investment in product quality and underlying automation.
2. Turkmenistan legalizes cryptocurrency trading and mining.
A new law signed by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow in late November 2025 came into effect on January 1st, officially allowing cryptocurrency mining and crypto exchage to operate. The law stipulates that cryptocurrency mining (including mining pools) is legal in Turkmenistan, and non-Turkmen residents can participate after registration. crypto exchage licenses and must comply with KYC/AML requirements and cold storage regulations. Furthermore, the new law clarifies that cryptocurrency assets are not considered legal tender, a form of currency, or securities in Turkmenistan.
3. Financial Times: Iran plans to accept cryptocurrency for weapons system sales.
According to the Financial Times, Iran's Defense Export Center (Mindex) stated that it has proposed allowing the sale of advanced weapons systems, including ballistic missiles, drones, and warships, to foreign governments over the past year, using cryptocurrency as a payment method, while also accepting barter and Iranian rials. Mindex is Iran's state-owned agency responsible for overseas arms sales, claiming to have clients in 35 countries and listing various types of weaponry on its website. The website is multilingual, and its authenticity has been verified through archived versions, registration information, and technical infrastructure checks.
4. Bithumb discloses over $200 million in dormant crypto assets.
Bithumb, South Korea's second-largest crypto exchage, discovered that approximately 2.6 million accounts held 291.6 billion won (about $201.8 million) of customer assets that had been dormant for extended periods, with some accounts remaining inactive for over 10 years. This disclosure stemmed from an operation to recover dormant assets held by users who had not logged in or traded for more than a year. Bithumb stated that the largest single dormant position was worth approximately $2.84 million, with the longest period of inactivity reaching 4,380 days (nearly 12 years). The exchange stated it will notify eligible users and assist with account recovery.
