On 21 January 2026, Patrick Witt, executive director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, urged the U.S. crypto sector to accept trade-offs and advance a market structure bill. He cautioned that waiting for a perfect statute could lead to tougher, crisis-era rules later and said the present political alignment offers a rare chance to shape outcomes.

On January 21, 2026, Binance listed Ripple's RLUSD, extending the stablecoin's distribution to one of the largest crypto exchanges. Ripple said RLUSD is currently supported on Ethereum, with XRP Ledger integration planned, and CEO Brad Garlinghouse welcomed the listing as supportive for liquidity and adoption.

On 21 January 2026, Delaware Life Insurance Company introduced a fixed index annuity option that adds the BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% Index to its lineup. The product blends U.S. equities with Bitcoin exposure via the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF while targeting a 12% volatility level and preserving principal. The index is offered within the Momentum Growth, Momentum Growth Plus, and DualTrack Income annuities, extending Bitcoin-linked growth features to retirement planning products.

Bitcoin traded around $89,400–$89,500, down 1.6% on the day and nearly 6% for the week, remaining below the $90,000 threshold. Total crypto market value slipped to roughly $3.02 trillion, while major altcoins such as Ethereum and Solana posted deeper weekly losses, reinforcing risk‑off sentiment.

On 21 January 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the "Future-Proof" initiative to modernize its rulebook for digital assets and prediction markets. The program seeks to replace enforcement-led oversight with clearer, purpose-built regulations tailored to 24/7, technology-driven trading. CFTC Chair Mike Selig said the effort aims to address gaps in a framework built for agricultural futures as the agency prepares for a larger role under the proposed CLARITY Act.

On 21 January 2026, Trend Research was identified as a major buyer of Ethereum during the latest market pullback, building a position of 636,815 ETH valued at about $1.98 billion. The firm is using a leveraged DeFi strategy involving Aave, Binance, and USDT borrowing to expand its exposure, signaling a long-term, cycle-driven view on Ethereum rather than a short-term trade.

On 21 January 2026, Bitcoin fell below $90,000 as broad crypto selling accelerated. According to market data, it reached about $88,200, nearly 4% lower on the day and more than 6% down for the week, while total market capitalization slipped to roughly $3.02 trillion. Altcoins, including Ethereum and Solana, posted sharper weekly declines.

On 20 January 2026, South Korean authorities began reassessing the country's unwritten "one exchange–one bank" model that links cryptocurrency platforms to individual domestic banks. Regulators are concerned that this structure concentrates liquidity, restricts smaller exchanges from accessing Korean won services, and may distort competition as they prepare broader digital asset legislation. The debate is unfolding alongside work on the Digital Asset Basic Act, which also addresses how banks will be involved with won-pegged stablecoins and reserve custody.

On Jan 19, 2026, crypto-linked investment products logged roughly $2.17 billion in weekly inflows, the largest of 2026 to date and the biggest since October, lifting assets under management above $193 billion. Bitcoin-focused vehicles drew about $1.55 billion and Ether nearly $500 million, while a Friday pullback saw nearly $378 million in outflows as geopolitical and policy headlines weighed.