Tarek Mansour, CEO of prediction market platform Kalshi, expressed support for the "Public Integrity Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026" promoted by U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, which aims to prohibit insider trading in prediction markets. Mansour pointed out that Kalshi has already implemented measures prohibiting insider trading in its platform rules. The bill would prohibit elected federal officials, political appointees, and executive branch employees from participating in prediction market transactions involving government policies, government actions, or political outcomes. The legislation is related to recent market controversy: accounts on the decentralized prediction market Polymarket bet on Venezuelan President Maduro's impeachment by the end of January, subsequently profiting approximately $400,000, raising concerns about trading using inside government information. Mansour emphasized the need to distinguish between prediction market platforms regulated in the U.S. and unregulated overseas platforms. He stated that Kalshi, as a federally regulated platform, employs insider trading rules similar to those of the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, prohibiting users with access to non-public information from participating in related market transactions. He also pointed out that the bill only applies to regulated platforms within the United States, and the current controversy mainly focuses on unregulated platforms outside the US. Data shows that in December 2025, both Kalshi and Polymarket reached record monthly trading volumes, with Kalshi at approximately $6.26 billion and Polymarket at approximately $2.28 billion. Kalshi has consistently led in trading volume since March 2025. (The Block)

According to PANews, MSCI, a global provider of stock and ETF market benchmarks, has announced that it will not remove the Bitcoin treasury company Strategy from its index. However, a clause stating that 'MSCI will not implement any increases to the Number of Shares (NOS)' has raised concerns within the community. This clause indicates that shares issued by Strategy through an ATM will not be included in the MSCI index weight, nor will they trigger passive fund purchases. While MSCI acknowledges the existence of cryptocurrency reserve stocks, it refuses to support passive funding for ATM share issuances. Consequently, even if Strategy issues more shares, passive funds will not follow suit, cutting off additional funding and disrupting Strategy's cycle of financing Bitcoin purchases through new stock issuances, which are then supported by ETF purchases to maintain stock prices. Other Bitcoin treasury companies potentially affected include Metaplanet and Capital B.

According to BlockBeats, recent rumors suggest that the Venezuelan government may secretly hold up to $60 billion worth of Bitcoin. However, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn and a long-time Bitcoin miner in Venezuela, argues that these claims are largely speculative and based on second-hand information, lacking credible on-chain evidence. The rumors stem from three main sources: a large-scale gold sale in 2018 allegedly converted to Bitcoin, partial oil revenue settlements in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, and government confiscation or theft of mining equipment for Bitcoin mining. Mauricio acknowledges that Venezuela has indeed received cryptocurrency in some oil transactions and that the government has confiscated mining equipment. However, he emphasizes that there is no credible evidence to support the claim that approximately $2.7 billion worth of gold sold in 2018 was converted into Bitcoin. The key figure in this transaction, Alex Saab, who is currently serving as the Minister of Industry and National Production, was detained by the U.S. from 2020 to 2023 and released in a prisoner exchange at the end of 2023. If Saab truly controlled $10–20 billion worth of Bitcoin as rumored, it would starkly contrast with the Venezuelan Central Bank's disclosed official reserve of about $9.9 billion, and no on-chain address has been reliably attributed to Saab or the Venezuelan state. Moreover, even if the Venezuelan regime had acquired cryptocurrency revenue, the extremely corrupt system would likely prevent these funds from entering the national treasury. Mauricio cites the 2023 SUNACRIP corruption scandal, where officials embezzled approximately $17.6 billion through illegal oil transactions between 2020 and 2023, suggesting that cryptocurrency proceeds were likely similarly misappropriated. Regarding the claim of large-scale mining using confiscated equipment, Mauricio also dismisses this notion. He points out Venezuela's long-standing issues with severe power shortages, aging infrastructure, and a significant loss of technical personnel, which hinder the effective operation of core assets like the state oil company PDVSA, let alone the stable operation of large-scale Bitcoin mining farms. "Bitcoin does exist in Venezuela, but it is not in the hands of the regime," he concludes.

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

Regarding recent market rumors that the Venezuelan government may secretly hold hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin, some analysts point out that this claim is largely based on speculation and secondary information, and currently lacks credible on-chain evidence to directly link the funds to state-controlled wallets in Venezuela. The main concerns focus on three potential sources: Bitcoin converted from gold sales in 2018, oil revenue settled in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin mining equipment confiscated by the government. Analysts believe that while some Venezuelan oil transactions have been settled in crypto assets, and there have been instances of government-confiscated mining equipment, there is no reliable evidence that the proceeds from the 2018 gold sales were massively converted into Bitcoin. Furthermore, the analysis points out that Venezuela's long-standing systemic corruption makes it more likely that any cryptocurrency-related proceeds would be embezzled by individuals rather than entering the national reserve system. For example, cases involving the national oil company and regulatory agencies have shown that huge sums of money have been misappropriated over the years without being reflected in official reserve data. Regarding mining, the view is that aging power infrastructure, long-term power shortages, and the government's insufficient management capabilities in complex operations make it difficult to stably operate large-scale Bitcoin mining operations. In summary, there is currently insufficient evidence to support the claim that the Venezuelan government holds a large-scale "secret Bitcoin reserve," and such claims remain speculative. (CoinDesk)

On January 7th, Justin Sun, Global Advisor of Huobi HTX, wrote a letter to users stating, "The past year has been a year of rapid change and structural reshaping for the crypto industry. Huobi HTX does not chase short-term trends, but instead chooses to focus on honing its skills amidst volatility and achieve steady growth. Huobi HTX will continue to strengthen its underlying capabilities, optimize product experience, and always prioritize user needs." According to the "Huobi HTX 2026 Opening Report | Defining the Next Round of Growth with Long-Term Vision" released on the same day, Huobi HTX achieved several steady growth milestones in 2025, including: a global cumulative registered user base exceeding 55 million, with 6 million new users added throughout the year; annual cumulative trading volume of approximately $3.3 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 39%, and net deposits of $608 million. Furthermore, the platform maintained a zero-security incident record throughout the year and was selected for Forbes' "2025 World's Most Trusted Crypto Exchanges" list.

According to Foresight News, data from CoinAnk reveals that the cryptocurrency market experienced liquidations totaling $252 million in the past 24 hours. Long positions accounted for $215 million of the liquidations, while short positions saw $36.82 million in liquidations. Bitcoin liquidations amounted to approximately $61.38 million, and Ethereum liquidations were around $58.95 million.

XRP price failed to gain pace above $2. 320 and trimmed gains. The price is now struggling and faces resistance near the $2. 20 level source: https://www.newsbtc.com/analysis/xrp/xrp-price-gives-back-upside-2-15/

According to Cointelegraph, the crypto markets are poised for potential growth in 2026, but must overcome three significant hurdles to reach new peaks, as outlined by Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan. Hougan emphasized the importance of the U.S. Senate passing a crucial crypto bill, the CLARITY Act, as one of these checkpoints. He noted that while the year has started positively for crypto, with markets gaining 5.6% since the beginning of the year, there are still obstacles to achieving new all-time highs. The crypto market experienced a significant downturn on October 10, which resulted in a $19 billion loss in futures positions in a single day. This event caused investor concerns about potential sales from major market makers or hedge funds, which Hougan described as a "heavy fog" over the market, hindering a rally in late 2025. However, the market has shown signs of recovery, shedding over $1.2 trillion following the crash but rebounding in January. The CLARITY Act, currently progressing through Congress, is a pivotal element for the future of crypto in the U.S. The Senate aims to mark up the bill by January 15, aligning drafts in the Senate Banking and Agriculture committees before pushing it to a vote. Hougan believes that the passage of this act is crucial for establishing core principles into law and providing a foundation for future growth in the crypto sector. Another critical factor is the stability of the broader equity market. Although crypto is not highly correlated with stocks, a sharp decline in the equity market could negatively impact all risk assets, including crypto, in the short term. Hougan expressed optimism that if these milestones are achieved, the momentum seen at the start of 2026 could continue strongly. While Hougan did not specifically address U.S. central bank monetary policy, other experts have highlighted its potential impact on crypto markets. Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity, suggested that a combination of fiscal policy and a dovish Federal Reserve could benefit long-term gains. However, the Federal Reserve has indicated no immediate rate cuts ahead of its next meeting on January 28. Nick Ruck, director of LVRG Research, noted that the current environment supports a risk-on sentiment for crypto markets but also underscores the sensitivity to inflation risks and potential policy pauses that could limit digital asset growth. CME futures markets currently show an 89% probability that rates will remain unchanged at the end of the month.

The official X account tied to meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) celebrated the rescue of a German Shepherd on Wednesday after a community member was init source: https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/26/01/49774024/dogecoin-x-account-touts-people-power-after-community-member-overcomes-challenges-and-adopts-sherman-the-german-shepherd?utm_source=cryptopanic.com&utm_campaign=partner_feed&utm_medium=referral

JasmyCoin rallied to a 2-month high, largely driven by increased demand in the Futures market. source: https://ambcrypto.com/jasmycoin-surges-12-breaks-its-range-can-this-rise-continue/

"Super individuals" are not a product of escaping the cryptocurrency world, but rather an evolutionary path that gradually emerges within the high-pressure environment of the cryptocurrency world.

Can the digital profits from stablecoins flowing into Wyoming, the "cowboy state," mend the cracks in this land?

Cambodia has arrested Prince Group chair Chen Zhi and deported him to China after months of joint investigations into alleged crypto fraud and forced labour scams. US, UK and Asian authorities have also seized and frozen billions of dollars in Bitcoin and assets linked to his network, tightening pressure on one of the region’s largest alleged scam groups.

When capital and labor are permanently separated, when digital competitors flood all markets, and when GDP soars while market sentiment plummets, what can store value for a prosperous future?

The Democrats have a 79% chance of regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026!

The Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), aims to combat cryptocurrency tax evasion globally.

Jinse Finance launches its daily cryptocurrency and blockchain news bulletin, "Jinse at 8 AM," issue 2930, providing you with the latest and fastest news on the digital currency and blockchain industry.

This article discusses a "structural reality" that we have to face—unless you put your Bitcoin in a cold wallet, it is almost impossible not to use shadow Bitcoin.

Jinse Finance launches the "Jinse Web3.0 Daily," providing you with the latest and fastest news on MEME, DeFi, DAO, NFT, and the metaverse industry.