Cryptocurrency News

January, 2026

• 22 January

  BitGo Makes NYSE Debut, Starts Trading Under Ticker BTGO

  

  **BitGo Holdings, Inc.** made its public market debut on the **New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)** on **January 22, 2026**, trading under the ticker symbol **BTGO**. The Palo Alto-based digital asset infrastructure company, a pioneer in institutional crypto custody, priced its initial public offering (IPO) at **$18 per share**—above the marketed range of $15–$17—raising approximately **$212.8 million**. This marks the first …
• 22 January

  Binance’s CZ Confirms Talks With Government to Tokenize National Assets On-Chain

  

  **Binance** co-founder and former CEO **Changpeng Zhao (CZ)** confirmed on **January 22, 2026**, during a panel at the **World Economic Forum** in Davos, that he is in discussions with “probably a dozen governments” about tokenizing national assets on blockchain. The talks focus on representing state-owned assets—such as infrastructure, real estate, commodities, or public investments—as digital tokens to enable fractional ownership, …
• 19 January

  K33 Launches Crypto-Backed Loans, Letting Users Borrow Against Bitcoin

  

  Nordic digital asset brokerage K33 AB (publ), listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market, announced the launch of its crypto-backed lending product on January 19, 2026. The service allows eligible clients—primarily institutional and high-net-worth individuals—to unlock liquidity without selling their holdings by using Bitcoin (BTC) and/or Ether (ETH) as collateral to borrow USDC or other agreed digital assets. According to …
• 19 January

  Bipartisan Senators Warn Crypto Bill May Undermine Money Laundering Enforcement

  

  A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), has warned that key provisions in the Senate Banking Committee’s proposed cryptocurrency market structure legislation—known as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act)—could undermine anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement and hinder prosecutions of illicit finance. In a letter dated …
• 19 January

  Customs Authorities Nab Major $101.7M Crypto Fraud in South Korea

  

  South Korea’s Korea Customs Service (KCS) has dismantled a major cryptocurrency-based money laundering operation, seizing assets valued at approximately **150 billion won** ($101.7 million), officials announced on January 19, 2026. The crackdown targeted a cross-border scheme that exploited crypto exchanges to disguise and transfer illicit funds, highlighting intensified efforts to combat financial crimes in the country’s booming digital asset sector. …
• 19 January

  India’s Central Bank Proposes BRICS CBDC Link-Up to Reduce Dollar Dependence

  

  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended that BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—link their central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to streamline cross-border trade and tourism payments, according to sources cited in Reuters reports on January 19, 2026. The proposal, if approved by the Indian government, would be formally presented for the first time at the 2026 …
• 19 January

  Ethereum Hits Transaction Record as Fees Drop to Multi-Year Lows

  

  Ethereum’s mainnet has set a new all-time high in daily transaction volume amid remarkably low costs, underscoring the success of recent scaling upgrades and widespread Layer-2 adoption. On January 16, 2026, the network processed a record **2,885,524** transactions—the highest single-day count in its history—surpassing previous peaks from 2021 and late 2025, according to Etherscan and reports from CoinDesk, The Block, …
• 19 January

  Bitcoin Hashrate Hits September Low as Miners Pivot Toward AI

  

  Bitcoin’s network hashrate has dropped to its lowest level since mid-September 2025, dipping below the 1,000 exahash per second (EH/s) threshold—or 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s)—for the first time in four months. As of January 19, 2026, the seven-day moving average stands around **993 EH/s**, down nearly **15%** from its October 19, 2025, peak of approximately **1,157 EH/s**, according to …
• 19 January

  Indian Agencies Flag ‘Crypto Hawala’ Network Linked to Terror Funding in Kashmir: Report

  

  Indian security and intelligence agencies have identified a sophisticated “crypto hawala” network allegedly funneling untraceable foreign funds into Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to support terror activities and revive separatist elements, according to reports published January 18, 2026. The hybrid system mirrors traditional hawala by blending informal cash transfers with cryptocurrency anonymity. Foreign handlers—based in countries including China, Malaysia, Myanmar, and …
• 19 January

  Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Slips 3% as Trump Tariff Threat Shakes Global Markets

  

  Bitcoin opened the Asian trading session on January 19, 2026, down approximately **3%**, dipping below the **$93,000** level to trade near **$92,500** (with brief lows around **$92,000**–**$92,300**). The broader crypto market mirrored the weakness, with total capitalization falling roughly **2.8–3%** to hover around **$3.13–$3.22 trillion**, as geopolitical uncertainty dominated early flows. The catalyst was President Donald Trump’s weekend announcement imposing …