US Oil (USOR), a new token on Solana, jumped more than 150% in 24 hours and briefly exceeded a $40 million market cap as traders latched onto a Venezuelan oil narrative. Despite claims of being an oil-backed on-chain reserve index tied to US interests, the project offers no verifiable proof of reserves or official links, and trades mainly on Solana DEXes. On-chain observers highlight concentrated holdings in a small cluster of wallets and suspicious trading patterns, warning that the structure could enable a potential rug pull.

The New York Stock Exchange, backed by Intercontinental Exchange, is developing a blockchain-based platform for on‑chain trading and settlement of tokenized US equities and ETFs, designed to operate around the clock. The system will merge the NYSE Pillar matching engine with blockchain post-trade processes, support stablecoin-funded fractional orders, and rely on tokenized deposits from banks such as BNY and Citi to maintain continuous collateral. Its rollout coincides with the US move to T+1 settlement and a macro backdrop where lower interest rates and the rise of tokenized US Treasuries and Bitcoin spot ETFs are reshaping institutional liquidity management.

Dash is showing three caution flags as the privacy coin rally unfolds. In November 2025, long-dormant coins were reactivated and CDD spiked, while the top 100 addresses now hold over 41% of supply. Open interest stands above $180 million even with price near $150, heightening liquidation risk.

On 10 January 2026, an investor lost more than $282 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin in a social engineering scam tied to a fake Trezor support channel. The attackers allegedly obtained the victim's recovery seed phrase, drained 1,459 BTC and 2.05 million LTC, and then laundered funds via instant exchanges, Thorchain and Monero, while Monero's price jumped 36% in seven days.

On 15 January, CME Group announced plans to introduce futures on Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM), with trading scheduled to start on 9 February subject to regulatory review. The contracts will come in standard and micro sizes and build on CME's record 2025 crypto derivatives volumes, positioning these altcoins more firmly within regulated institutional markets. The move has already prompted new ETF filings tied to these assets, highlighting growing demand for diversified digital asset exposure.

Chainalysis reports Iran's crypto ecosystem reaching $7.78 billion by 2025 as inflation, protests and internet shutdowns drive adoption. On-chain volumes increased and funds moved to self-custody, with withdrawal growth across several brackets. The report also notes IRGC-linked wallets received over $3 billion in 2025, highlighting dual use by citizens and the state.

Polymarket is under scrutiny over large bets tied to Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which critics say may blur the line between forecasting and market manipulation. One wallet reportedly turned a $30,000 position on Maduro's removal into more than $400,000, while other trades speculated on a US strike on Iran and Khamenei's potential loss of power. These activities have sparked debate about "information laundering" and prompted a proposed US bill to restrict officials from trading on prediction markets using non-public information.

Monero (XMR) has set a fresh all-time high above $797 after a weekly surge of more than 50%, lifting its market capitalisation beyond $13 billion and briefly into the top 15 cryptocurrencies. The move is being linked to tightening global financial surveillance rules, capital rotation from Zcash and political debates like the US CLARITY Act, which are pushing investors toward privacy-focused digital assets.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission has set guidelines to let listed companies and professional investors trade cryptocurrencies, with corporate exposure capped at up to 5% of equity annually. Final guidance is due between January and February, with implementation tied to the Digital Asset Basic Act in Q1 2025 and market participation targeted by end‑2026.