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1. U.S. Unadjusted CPI Annual Rate Stands at 2.7% and Core CPI at 2.6% in December link
The U.S. unadjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7% year-on-year in December, matching both the expected 2.70% and the previous reading of 2.70%. The unadjusted core CPI (excluding food and energy) climbed 2.6% year-on-year, falling short of the 2.70% forecast and remaining unchanged from the prior 2.60%. As core CPI undershot expectations, U.S. short-term interest rate futures surged sharply, with traders further increasing their bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
2. South Korea Lifts Nine-Year Ban on Corporate Cryptocurrency Investments link
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has finalized guidelines allowing listed companies and professional investors to allocate up to 5% of their equity capital to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on the country’s five major exchanges. Approximately 3,500 entities qualify, while the inclusion of USD-pegged stablecoins remains under discussion. Exchanges must implement staggered execution and order size limits to mitigate market risks. Industry critics argue the 5% cap is overly conservative, as the US, Japan, and the EU impose no such restrictions. The guidelines are expected to be released in January or February, aligned with the Digital Asset Basic Act, with corporate trading set to launch by the end of 2026.
3. CFTC Restructures Innovation Advisory Committee, Including Executives From Crypto Firms and Traditional Exchanges in First Batch of Members link
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced the restructuring of its Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC), which replaces the former Technology Advisory Committee. The initial charter members will include CEOs from major crypto firms such as Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, and Bullish, as well as senior executives from traditional financial institutions like Nasdaq, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Cboe Global Markets. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig stated that the committee will assist in formulating “market structure regulations tailored to the new financial frontier” and invited the public to submit recommendations for additional members and discussion topics by the end of January.
4. Powell Responds to DOJ Subpoena: Threats Stem From Independent Interest Rate Policy Rather Than Presidential Preferences link
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated on January 11 that the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with a grand jury subpoena on Friday, threatening to file criminal charges over his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025, part of which concerned the years-long renovation project of the Federal Reserve’s historic office building. Powell said the threat was not aimed at the testimony or the renovation project itself, but at the Federal Reserve’s practice of setting interest rates independently based on economic assessments rather than following the president’s preferences.
5. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Says Senate Banking Committee’s Crypto Bill Draft Has Multiple Issues link
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that after reviewing the draft of the Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act released by the Senate Banking Committee, Coinbase cannot support this version of the legislation. He pointed out that the draft has multiple flaws, including de facto restrictions on tokenized stocks, the imposition of prohibitive provisions on DeFi and the expansion of government access to personal financial records, the weakening of the CFTC’s regulatory authority and subordination of the agency to the U.S. SEC, as well as the restriction of stablecoin yields through amendment clauses and the granting of room for banks to suppress competition.
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6. Belarusian President Lukashenko Signs Decree to Officially Introduce “Cryptocurrency Bank” System link
BelTA, Belarus’ official news agency, reported that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree in January 2026 to formally introduce a “crypto banking” system, allowing eligible institutions to provide token-related financial services while conducting traditional banking and payment operations. Under the decree, crypto banks must be resident companies of the High-Tech Park (HTP), be included in the crypto banking registration list maintained by the National Bank of Belarus, and be subject to dual supervision by financial regulators and the Park’s authorities.
7. BlackRock 2026 Global Outlook Report: Stablecoins to Challenge Sovereign Currencies in Emerging Markets link
BlackRock released its 2026 Global Outlook Report, focusing on “megaforces” reshaping the market, such as 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, and stablecoins are gradually challenging governments’ control over their national currencies. Stablecoins are no longer a niche market; they are becoming a critical bridge between traditional finance (TradFi) and digital liquidity. In addition, BlackRock argues that against the backdrop of high debt levels and geopolitical fragmentation, investors’ demand for “alternative stores of value” (such as Bitcoin) may increase, but this is more implicitly reflected in the macro narrative.
8. Strategy Announces Increase in Holdings by 13,627 BTC, Total Holdings Reach 687,410 BTC link
Strategy announced an additional purchase of 13,627 BTC, spending approximately $1.25 billion at an average cost of about $91,519 per coin. As of January 11, 2026, Strategy held a cumulative total of 687,410 BTC, with an aggregate cost of roughly $51.8 billion and an average cost of around $75,353 per coin.
9. Cathie Wood’s 2026 Outlook: Bitcoin Supply Lock-up Outperforms Gold as the Best Risk Diversification Tool link
Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, stated in her 2026 outlook that the U.S. economy is in a “coiled spring” state, and a new technology-driven productivity cycle fueled by innovations such as AI and blockchain is on the verge of unfolding. Among these, crypto assets and public chain technologies are regarded as one of the five core innovation platforms (AI, robotics, energy storage, blockchain, and multiomics), which will significantly reduce costs, curb inflation, and boost long-term GDP growth. Wood pointed out that Bitcoin possesses exceptional asset allocation value: first, its supply growth is mathematically capped — approximately 0.82% over the next two years, then declining to 0.41% — a stark contrast to gold, whose supply can be expanded. Second, since 2020, Bitcoin has exhibited extremely low correlation with mainstream assets like gold, stocks, and bonds, even lower than the “stock-bond correlation,” making it an excellent tool for risk diversification.
10. Era of Banking “Deregulation”: Large-Scale Stablecoins and Crypto Assets Threaten Deposit and Lending Markets link
Forbes cited Accenture’s 2026 Banking Trends Report as stating that the banking industry is entering an era of “Unconstrained Banking”, where stablecoins, crypto assets and tokenized deposits are moving from pilot programs to large-scale applications, posing substantive competition to traditional banks. The report noted that stablecoins are competing head-on with bank deposits; crypto and payment companies obtaining banking licenses, private credit impacting the loan market, coupled with AI-driven financial agents, are exposing banks to potential restructuring risks involving over $200 trillion in deposits and loans. Accenture predicted that by the end of this decade, approximately $13 trillion in transaction volume may shift to alternative payment methods, and banks may lose billions of dollars in fee income if they fail to respond adequately.
Fundraising
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Ripple will provide $150 million in financing to LMAX Group to drive the adoption of RLUSD in institutional trading. link
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Stablecoin service provider Meld has completed a $7 million financing round. link
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Project Eleven has raised $20 million at a $120 million valuation.link
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Alpaca announced the completion of a $150 million Series D financing round, with a valuation reaching $1.15 billion. link
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VelaFi, a stablecoin financial infrastructure firm, has announced the completion of a $20 million Series B financing round. link
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Rain, a stablecoin payment company, raised $250 million in its latest financing round. link
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YZi Labs made an eight-figure plus investment in Genius Trading last month. link
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Project Eleven has raised $20 million at a $120 million valuation. link
Learn more, check out crypto-fundraising.info.
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