Stablecoin

On January 17, BlockBeats News reported accelerating adoption of stablecoins in the $900 billion remittance market, highlighting cheaper and faster cross-border payments. With average remittance costs above 6%, stablecoins are positioned to challenge legacy operators and broaden access for low-income senders. Regulatory momentum, including the GENIUS Act, is cited as supporting mainstream use.

Artemis's January 15, 2026 report finds crypto cards processing >$1.5 billion per month, translating to an annualized $18 billion market. The sector grew from ~$100 million monthly in early 2023, with Visa accounting for over 90% of on-chain volume and data tracked through August 2025.

According to ChatGPT, XRP's base-case range by February 1, 2026 is $2.25–$2.60, with upside to $2.60–$3.10 if broader market momentum and regulatory tailwinds improve. A weaker backdrop could push prices toward $1.90–$2.20. At press time, XRP traded near $2.06, up less than 0.1% in 24 hours and down about 1.5% on the week.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin, has urged Senate Banking leaders to reject DeFi developer exemptions in the broader crypto market structure bill that includes the CLARITY Act and BRCA. Lawmakers warned the changes could weaken key criminal code tools used by the Department of Justice, while the bill also faces setbacks after Coinbase withdrew support over issues such as a ban on stablecoin rewards.

U.S. mortgage lender Newrez will begin treating select crypto holdings as qualifying assets in its underwriting, with the change slated for February. Eligible assets include Bitcoin, Ether, spot ETFs tied to those coins, and U.S. dollar‑pegged stablecoins held with U.S‑regulated platforms. Valuations may be adjusted for volatility, and payments remain in USD.

The Senate Banking Committee delayed a planned markup of a U.S. crypto market structure bill after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said on January 14 the company no longer backed the text. The Senate Agriculture Committee postponed its own session and set a new markup date for 27 January 2026.

Anchorage Digital is pursuing a $200 million–$400 million capital raise while weighing an IPO next year. The federally chartered crypto bank is expanding stablecoin, custody and wealth services, and it cited 2025 as a year of scale amid rising institutional demand. The firm previously raised $350 million in late 2021, valuing it above $3 billion.

Journalist Eleanor Terrett reported on January 17, 2026, that the Trump administration is weighing whether to withdraw backing for the crypto market structure bill if Coinbase does not return to negotiations over stablecoin yield terms. Coinbase and CEO Brian Armstrong have criticized bank-driven changes they say restrict stablecoin rewards and tokenized equities, while critics like Citron Research allege the exchange is undermining the bill to fend off competition. The dispute has coincided with the Senate Banking Committee postponing its planned markup of the bill on January 15 without setting a new date.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on Friday that the network has drifted from decentralization, privacy, and user control, and he wants 2026 to mark a course correction. He outlined priorities like easier full-node operation, privacy-preserving payments, and resilient app design, and introduced the walkaway test earlier, on January 12, 2026.

Goldman Sachs is evaluating how the Clarity in Digital Assets Markets Act could affect tokenization and stablecoins. CEO David Solomon highlighted regulatory implications during the company's Q4 2025 earnings call. On May 29, 2025, French Hill introduced H.R. 3633, and NASAA raised concerns about state anti-fraud protections.