"Ethereum was not created to make finance more efficient or applications more convenient. It was created to give people freedom."

According to ChainCatcher, South Korea's Financial Services Committee (FSC) has shifted its stance to support the Bank of Korea's (BOK) proposal for stablecoin regulation. The proposal mandates that stablecoins be issued by bank-led consortia, with banks holding more than 50% of the shares to maintain control. While technology companies can be the largest single shareholder, their shareholding must remain below the total held by banks. However, this plan faces opposition in the National Assembly from lawmakers, including those from the ruling Democratic Party, highlighting divisions between the ruling party, financial regulators, and the central bank. The proposal also imposes stricter requirements on cryptocurrency exchanges, such as higher IT stability standards, mandatory compensation for hacking losses, and fines of up to 10% of annual revenue.

According to PANews, Jake Ostrovskis, head of over-the-counter trading at Wintermute, has indicated that $13 million has been invested in Bitcoin call options with strike prices ranging from $98,000 to $100,000. This suggests a potential increase in Bitcoin's price during the first quarter.

According to Odaily, Wintermute's OTC trading head Jake Ostrovskis shared options market data on X, noting ongoing bets on upward movement. Overnight, $13 million was invested in call options expiring on February 27 at $100,000 and January 30 at $98,000. As the new year begins, the market is establishing new positions, with price trends suggesting a potential relief rally in the first quarter. Odaily explains that a relief rally typically occurs after sustained negative pressure, panic, or declines, driven by easing negative sentiment.

HabitTrade announced on the X platform that it has completed a nearly $10 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Newborn Town Inc., with participation from Bright Venture Capital, StableStock, and other investors. This funding marks HabitTrade's entry into the next phase, from infrastructure development to large-scale expansion. HabitTrade will use the funds to expand its regulated brokerage infrastructure globally and accelerate the integration of traditional capital markets with on-chain finance.

According to BlockBeats, on January 8, several mainstream and emerging blockchain platforms have experienced a substantial decrease in their DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL) compared to their peak values. Notably, Tether's stablecoin blockchain, Stable, saw its DeFi TVL plummet to an astonishing $29,231, sparking widespread discussion within the community. Eclipse and Berachain also witnessed a dramatic reduction in TVL, losing approximately 95% from their peak values.Among established blockchains, Ethereum's DeFi TVL is currently reported at $72.773 billion, marking a decline of over 25% from its peak of $97.3 billion in August 2025. Solana's DeFi TVL stands at $8.86 billion, down about 33% from its September 2025 peak of $13.22 billion. Bitcoin's DeFi TVL is at $7.01 billion, reflecting a drop of over 23% from its October 2025 peak of $9.12 billion. BNB Chain's DeFi TVL is reported at $6.797 billion, a decrease of over 25% from its October 2025 peak of $9.15 billion. Base's DeFi TVL is currently $4.745 billion, showing a decline of over 12% from its October 2025 peak of $97.3 billion.Emerging blockchains have also faced significant declines. Stable's DeFi TVL has reached an unexpected low of $29,231, previously exceeding $100 million. Eclipse's DeFi TVL is reported at $2.72 million, down approximately 95% from its February 2025 peak of $4,900, with Eclipse's official account previously stating, "We have no users." Plasma's DeFi TVL is at $3.205 billion, a reduction of about 50% from its October 2025 peak of $6.36 billion. Monad's DeFi TVL is currently $283.72 million. Berachain's DeFi TVL stands at $174.11 million, down approximately 95% from its May 2025 peak of $3.306 billion.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is introducing a special promotion exclusively for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to celebrate the new year. This promotion allows EEA users to earn up to 20% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on USDC for a period of 10 days. The offer includes a 19% Bonus Tiered APR in addition to Real-Time APR rewards. The promotion period is set from 2026-01-08 00:00 (UTC) to 2026-02-05 23:59 (UTC).Eligibility for this promotion is limited to EEA residents who purchase USDC through Binance's Buy Crypto feature during the specified period. Participants can subscribe to Simple Earn USDC Flexible Products to benefit from the offer. The subscription process involves navigating to the Buy Crypto page on the Binance website or app, completing the purchase, and subscribing to the Simple Earn USDC Flexible Products. It may take up to 48 hours for eligible users to access the special offer, which is available on a first-come, first-served basis.The reward structure includes a Bonus Tiered APR, which is distributed daily to users' Spot Accounts, starting the day after accrual begins. Real-Time APR is accrued and accumulated in users' Earn Accounts every minute. The special offer is valid for up to 10 days, and users can enjoy both Real-Time and Bonus Tiered APR rewards during this period. However, redemption within the 10-day period will terminate the accrual of Bonus Tiered APR rewards. After the promotion ends, only Real-Time APR rewards will be available. Binance reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of the promotion at its discretion.

According to PANews, the Indian Income Tax Department (ITD) has raised concerns during a parliamentary finance committee meeting about the difficulties in tracking crypto income due to foreign exchanges, private wallets, and DeFi tools. These factors are complicating tax enforcement efforts. Despite India imposing a fixed 30% tax rate on crypto profits and a 1% TDS on transfers, the anonymity of cross-border transactions makes it nearly impossible to reconstruct transaction chains. The official stance remains cautious, even as local adoption continues to rise.

According to PANews, the address 'pension-usdt.eth' has closed its leveraged Ethereum short position, securing a profit of $2.75 million. As of now, the total profit accumulated by this address amounts to $22.3 million.

Polymarket faces backlash after refusing to settle bets on a US invasion of Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/polymarket-refuses-pay-us-would-venezuela/

Bitcoin shrugs off ETF and MSCI updates as market FUD persists. source: https://ambcrypto.com/bitcoin-heres-why-btcs-90k-dip-signals-caution-not-strength/

Many of his fellow villagers believe that if Chen Zhi hadn't been involved in "European and American trading," he wouldn't have gotten into trouble so quickly.

The market in 2025 proved only one thing: all market movements were merely trading opportunities, and exit windows were fleeting. The market has lost its firm faith in any token.

Rumble has launched a built-in crypto wallet that lets viewers tip creators directly using bitcoin, USDT, and Tether Gold, without banks or payment processors. The wallet is fully non-custodial, meaning users keep control of their funds while payments move straight between viewers and creators.

As we enter 2026, the crypto market is undergoing a profound structural transformation.

Crypto.com has partnered with Stripe to let users pay with cryptocurrency at online stores, with payments instantly converted to the merchant’s local currency. Merchants benefit from easy settlement and protection from crypto price changes, while customers can use digital assets like stablecoins directly at checkout.

2025 will mark a turning point for Ethereum: infrastructure upgrades will be completed, institutional proof-of-concept projects will surge, and the regulatory paradigm will shift. 2026 will witness the "Internet moment" for the global financial system. And all of this will unfold on Ethereum.

Babylon enables Bitcoin to be used natively in DeFi without asset wrapping or custody.

USD1 has experienced explosive growth over the past three months. Previously, WLFI suffered from numerous failed projects due to its delayed app launch. Will its resurgence be more successful this time?

Germany is integrating crypto-asset activities into its existing regulatory and tax governance framework in a more systematic way.