On January 21, 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told CNBC he expects 2026 to be crypto's strongest year, citing regulatory progress and institutional adoption. According to market data, roughly $1.8 billion in BTC liquidations hit in the last 48 hours, while XRP trades near $1.88, below its January 5 peak of nearly $2.40.

In 2025, the U.S. labor market added about 580,000 jobs, the smallest annual increase since the COVID-19 pandemic and far below the 2 million positions created in 2024. Unemployment stood near 4.4% in December 2025, with roughly 7.5 million people jobless and millions more either wanting work or stuck in part-time roles for economic reasons. Analysts point to inflation, tariffs, corporate cost-cutting, AI-driven automation and a low quit rate as key forces behind the hiring freeze, and expect labor conditions in early 2026 to resemble 2025 even if unemployment gradually stabilizes later in the year.

As of January 2026, the Iranian rial trades near 1.5 million per U.S. dollar after a late‑2025 plunge. With inflation persistently above 40% and sanctions limiting trade, many residents have turned to dollar‑pegged stablecoins, while a September 2025 rule caps annual purchases at $5,000 and holdings at $10,000.