News and developments from the cryptocurrency industry.
Sen. Roger Marshall is backing off a swipe fee amendment that threatened to complicate a key crypto market structure bill. The move reflects growing pressure from the White House and party leaders to keep the legislation on track. Even without the amendment, the bill still faces a tight timeline and significant political hurdles.
Bitcoin job listings rose 6% in 2025, driven largely by non-technical roles as companies mature and scale. Product, operations and leadership hires now dominate, while demand for Bitcoin-aligned talent remains stronger than supply.
Matcha Meta users were urged to revoke approvals after a SwapNet contract exploit drained up to $16.8 million on Base, with security firms tracing the attack to a smart-contract flaw that allowed approved funds to be transferred, highlighting ongoing DeFi risks that are increasingly being exposed with the help of AI tools.
Coinone is exploring the sale of major shareholder stakes, fueling takeover speculation as consolidation accelerates in South Korea’s highly active crypto market, with Coinbase rumored to be assessing a strategic entry despite no deal being confirmed.
Japan’s financial regulator is exploring rule changes that could allow crypto ETFs as early as 2028, signaling intent rather than approval, as major financial groups prepare for potential launches.
The UK’s financial watchdog has opened final consultations on 10 proposed crypto rules, aiming to apply traditional finance-style standards while acknowledging the sector’s inherent risks, with a new licensing regime for crypto firms expected to open applications in 2026.
Changpeng Zhao says he has no plans to return to Binance despite being legally able to do so after a presidential pardon, arguing the exchange is thriving under new leadership, while predicting Bitcoin could enter a supercycle in 2026 that may break its traditional four-year pattern.
Kansas lawmakers are considering a state-managed Bitcoin and digital asset reserve funded through unclaimed crypto rather than direct purchases, a proposal that mirrors federal plans to rely on forfeited assets, builds on earlier Kansas crypto initiatives, and reflects a broader trend of governments cautiously testing Bitcoin’s role in public finance.
Thailand’s SEC plans to introduce crypto ETF and futures regulations as institutional interest grows, with digital assets set to be recognized as an official asset class alongside portfolio limits and tighter rules for financial influencers, even as regulators step up enforcement, including the temporary suspension of KuCoin Thailand’s operations.
The Bank of Italy says banks and central institutions will anchor digital money, with Governor Fabio Panetta arguing stablecoins rely on fiat pegs and can only play a supporting role despite efficiency benefits.
New SEC submissions spotlight rising tensions over self-custody and DeFi regulation, as industry groups push for clearer dealer rules while warning against weakened investor protections during ongoing CLARITY bill negotiations.
Chainalysis has launched a new automation feature that lets non-technical teams run onchain investigations without writing code, aiming to help compliance and investigators keep up with increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven fraud, even as data shows hacking losses fell sharply toward the end of 2025.
Messari says insider trading can only be meaningfully curbed on prediction markets that enforce KYC, warning anonymous platforms face major limits in detecting abuse as regulatory scrutiny rises after high-profile geopolitical bets.
Senate Judiciary leaders are pushing to remove crypto developer protections from a market structure bill, warning the language could weaken enforcement against unlicensed money transmission and illicit finance, complicating efforts to secure bipartisan support amid growing industry pushback.
Bitcoin futures open interest has rebounded around 13% in January following a sharp Q4 deleveraging, with analysts pointing to a cautious return of risk appetite even as positioning remains well below October highs. At the same time, options open interest has overtaken futures, signaling a shift toward more structured and risk-managed trading strategies.
Bitcoin’s hashrate has slipped below 1 zetahash per second for the first time in four months, falling nearly 15% from its October peak, as analysts say miners are increasingly diverting power toward AI and high-performance computing for better margins, even as mining difficulty falls and profitability improves.
Jefferies strategist Christopher Wood has cut Bitcoin to zero in his Greed & Fear portfolio, citing quantum computing risk. He replaced the position with gold exposure, arguing that quantum breakthroughs could challenge Bitcoin’s store-of-value case. Developers counter that quantum threats are decades away and say Bitcoin has time to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography.
Trump said a Venezuela “leaker” has been jailed, comments that have refocused attention on suspiciously timed prediction market bets. Several Polymarket accounts tied to Venezuela wagers have gone inactive, while one continues betting on Iran. The episode adds momentum to calls for tighter oversight and insider trading rules for political prediction markets.