1. Trump has reservations about nominating Kevin Hassett as Federal Reserve Chairman.
Donald Trump has expressed reservations about nominating Kevin Hassett as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, citing Hassett's current role as Director of the National Economic Council, a key figure in communicating economic policy, as a potential reassignment would weaken that role. Although Hassett was considered a leading candidate to succeed current Chairman Jerome Powell, the nomination faces obstacles in the Senate. Trump is still evaluating other candidates and has stated he will make a decision in the coming weeks.
2. Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum will systematically correct the regression in self-sovereignty and trustlessness over the past decade by 2026.
In a post, Vitalik Buterin stated that in 2026, Ethereum will systematically correct the regression in self-sovereignty and trustlessness that has occurred over the past decade. Key areas of focus include: lowering the barrier to entry for full nodes using ZK-EVM and BAL; verifying the authenticity of RPC return data through Helios; enabling privacy queries on RPCs using ORAM and PIR; promoting social recovery wallets and time locks to reduce the risk of private key leaks; achieving privacy payments consistent with regular transfers; enhancing privacy and censorship resistance under ERC-4337, future native account abstractions, and FOCIL; and promoting on-chain application UIs based on IPFS to reduce reliance on centralized servers. Vitalik pointed out that node operation, wallets, and block building have been significantly centralized, but "this will no longer be the case in 2026." Ethereum will gradually withdraw the value compromises made to cater to mainstream adoption and rebuild a "world computer" without single points of failure and without a central controller.
3. ZachXBT: A user lost over $282 million in LTC and BTC in a hardware wallet social engineering scam.
According to ZachXBT monitoring, around 23:00 (UTC) on January 10th, a victim lost over $282 million worth of LTC and BTC in a hardware wallet social engineering scam. The attackers then converted the stolen LTC and BTC into Monero through multiple instant exchange platforms, causing a short-term surge in the XMR price. Some BTC was also transferred to the Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin networks via Thorchain. The total amount of stolen addresses is approximately 2.05 million LTC and 1459 BTC.
4. If Coinbase is unable to offer a viable solution and returns to negotiations, the White House may consider withdrawing its support for the Clarity Act.
Journalist Eleanor Terrett, citing sources close to the Trump administration, reported that the White House is considering withdrawing its support entirely from the cryptocurrency market structure bill unless Coinbase returns to the negotiating table and offers a yield agreement that meets the banking industry's needs. A source close to the Trump administration revealed that the White House is furious about Coinbase's "unilateral action" on Wednesday without prior notice, calling it a "sudden change of heart" for the White House and the entire industry. The source emphasized that the White House believes a single company cannot represent the entire crypto industry, stating, "Ultimately, this is President Trump's bill, not Brian Armstrong's."
5. Kazakh President Tokayev signed the new version of the Law on Banking and Banking Activities and its supporting amendments.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new version of the Law on Banking and Banking Activities and related amendments, explicitly including digital financial assets (DFAs) as a new asset class under regulation and allowing their circulation within the country, in order to promote the development of the fintech and crypto industry. The new law classifies digital assets into three categories of secured DFAs: stablecoins backed by fiat currency; asset tokenizations backed by financial instruments, assets, property rights, or commodities; and financial instruments issued electronically on digital platforms. Simultaneously, the law formally regulates unsecured digital assets (such as Bitcoin), permits the establishment of crypto exchage licensed by the central bank, and the central bank will develop a list of tradable crypto assets and strengthen anti-money laundering and investor protection measures.
6. Wu Blockchain Zhou's Picks: Yao Qian accepted 2000 ETH bribes for helping a project list; hardware wallet found in office drawer; South Korea ends ban on corporate crypto investment and Top 10 news items.
Top 10 News Stories This Week
1. Yao Qian accepted a bribe of 2000 ETH for the project.
According to CCTV, Yao Qian, the former director of the Digital Currency Research Institute, was asked by a businessman surnamed Zhang, who was involved in an ICO, to contact an exchange in 2018. The ICO raised 20,000 ETH, and the businessman transferred 2,000 ETH to Yao Qian as a reward. The investigation team found a hardware wallet in a drawer in Yao Qian's office. In 2021, Yao Qian sold some of his ETH to buy a villa. Furthermore, several bank accounts opened by others were found to be Yao Qian's shell accounts. A sum of 10 million yuan, after approximately four layers of transfer, originated from a cryptocurrency exchange's account and was ultimately used to purchase a villa in Beijing. Even after a background check on Yao Qian, the villa was still under renovation.
On the evening of January 14th, CCTV's main channel broadcast the fourth episode of the television documentary "Never Stop, Never Back Down," titled "Technology Empowering Anti-Corruption," featuring Yao Qian, the former director of the Technology Supervision Department of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), as a case study. Zou Rong, a staff member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission stationed at the CSRC, stated: "When virtual currency becomes a real asset, it is easily exposed." Yao Qian, born in 1970 in Anhui Province, graduated from the Department of Information Management and the Department of Computer Science at Nanjing University with a doctorate in engineering. He previously worked at the CSRC, the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, and the People's Bank of China (PBOC), serving as the director of the PBOC's Digital Currency Research Institute. In 2024, Yao Qian was investigated for allegedly accepting huge bribes from multiple companies by abusing his position. He provided assistance to others in information system procurement, involving project contracting, project advancement, fund allocation, and project acceptance. According to CCTV, investigators believed Yao Qian had a relatively long history of work related to digital currency, thus conducting a targeted investigation, ultimately uncovering several large-scale power-for-money transactions involving him, including the acceptance of virtual currency. Jiang Guoqing, a subordinate of Yao Qian, was involved in almost every major power-for-money transaction by Yao Qian, and he was also involved in every virtual currency bribe.
2. The US December unadjusted CPI year-on-year rate was 2.7%, and the unadjusted core CPI year-on-year rate was 2.6%.
The US December unadjusted CPI rose 2.7% year-on-year, below the expected 2.70% and the previous reading of 2.70%. The US December unadjusted core CPI rose 2.6% year-on-year, below the expected 2.70% and the previous reading of 2.60%. The lower-than-expected core CPI caused a sharp rise in US short-term interest rate futures, with traders further increasing their bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut.
3. South Korea ends nine-year ban on corporate cryptocurrency investments .
South Korea's Financial Services Commission has finalized guidelines allowing listed companies and professional investors to invest up to 5% of their equity capital in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on South Korea's five major exchanges. Approximately 3,500 entities are eligible. Whether to include dollar-pegged stablecoins is still under discussion, and transactions will require tiered execution and order size restrictions. Industry insiders criticize the 5% cap as too conservative, noting that the US, Japan, and the EU do not have similar restrictions. The guidelines are expected to be released in January or February, in line with the Basic Law on Digital Assets, and will be implemented for corporate transactions by the end of the year.
4. The CFTC's Innovation Advisory Committee has been restructured, with executives from crypto companies and traditional exchanges included as initial members .
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a restructuring of its Innovation Advisory Committee. The initial members will include several CEOs from the crypto industry, including those from companies such as Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, and Bullish, as well as executives from traditional financial institutions such as Nasdaq, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Cboe Global Markets. New CFTC Chairman Mike Selig stated that the committee will assist in developing "market structure regulations adapted to the new financial frontier" and invited the public to submit suggestions for new members and topics by the end of January.
5. Powell responds to Justice Department subpoena: says threat stems from independent interest rate policy, not presidential preference .
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell issued a statement on January 11, saying that the Justice Department issued a grand jury subpoena to the Fed on Friday, threatening criminal charges against him for his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025, which in part relates to the Fed's historic office building renovation project. Powell stated that the threat was not directed at the testimony or the renovation project itself, but rather at the Fed's independent interest rate setting based on economic assessments rather than following the president's preferences.
6. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the Senate Banking Committee's draft crypto bill has several problems .
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that after reviewing the draft cryptocurrency market structure bill published by the Senate Banking Committee, Coinbase could not support the version of legislation. He pointed out several problems with the draft, including effectively restricting tokenized stocks, imposing prohibitive provisions on DeFi and expanding government access to individuals' financial records, weakening the CFTC's regulatory power and subordinating it to the US SEC, and limiting stablecoin yields through amendments that give banks room to suppress competition.
7. Belarusian President Lukashenko signed a decree formally introducing the "crypto bank" system .
According to BelTA, the official Belarusian news agency, Belarusian President Lukashenko signed a decree in January 2026 formally introducing the "crypto bank" system, allowing qualified institutions to provide token-related financial services while conducting traditional banking and payment businesses. According to the decree, crypto banks must be resident companies of the High Technology Park (HTP) and included in the National Bank of Belarus's register of crypto banks, subject to dual supervision by both financial regulators and park regulators.
8. BlackRock 2026 Global Outlook Report: Stablecoins Will Challenge Emerging Market Sovereign Currencies (link)
BlackRock released its 2026 Global Outlook report, highlighting the "mega-forces" reshaping markets, including artificial intelligence, low-carbon transition, and the future of finance. The report specifically points out that with the surge in stablecoin adoption, emerging market countries face the risk of declining domestic currency usage, as stablecoins are increasingly challenging government control over their currencies. Stablecoins are no longer a niche market; they are becoming a crucial bridge between traditional finance (TradFi) and digital liquidity. Furthermore, BlackRock believes that against the backdrop of high debt and geopolitical fragmentation, investor demand for "alternative stores of value" (such as Bitcoin) may increase, although this is largely implied within the macro narrative.
9. Strategy announced an increase of 13,627 BTC, bringing its total holdings to 687,410 LINK.
Strategy announced the acquisition of 13,627 BTC at a cost of approximately $1.25 billion, with an average cost of approximately $91,519. As of January 11, 2026, Strategy will hold a total of 687,410 BTC, with a total cost of approximately $51.8 billion and an average cost of approximately $75,353.
10. Cathie Wood 2026 Outlook: Bitcoin's supply lock-up outperforms gold as the best risk diversification tool .
In her 2026 outlook, ARK founder Cathie Wood stated that the US economy is in a state of "compressed spring," with a new productivity cycle driven by technologies such as AI and blockchain about to be released. Among these, crypto assets and public blockchain technology are considered one of the five core innovation platforms (AI, robotics, energy storage, blockchain, and multi-omics), which will significantly reduce costs, curb inflation, and boost long-term GDP growth. Wood pointed out that Bitcoin possesses extremely strong asset allocation value: on the one hand, its supply growth is mathematically locked (approximately 0.82% over the next two years, subsequently decreasing to 0.41%), significantly different from the expandable production of gold; on the other hand, since 2020, Bitcoin has had extremely low correlation with mainstream assets such as gold, stocks, and bonds, even lower than the "stock-bond correlation," making it an excellent risk diversification tool.
Key Financing Events
Ripple will provide $150 million in funding to LMAX Group to promote the use of RLUSD in institutional trading.
Stablecoin service provider Meld completes $7 million funding round .
Project Eleven raises $20 million at a valuation of $120 million.
Alpaca announced the completion of a $150 million Series D funding round, valuing the company at $1.15 billion.
Stablecoin financial infrastructure company VelaFi announced the completion of a $20 million Series B funding round.
Stablecoin payment company Rain raised $250 million in its latest funding round .
YZi Labs completed an eight-figure investment in Genius Trading last month.
Project Eleven raises $20 million at a valuation of $120 million.
For more industry funding events, please visit crypto-fundraising.info .
