In a 2026 interview, Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes argued that global liquidity conditions, rather than politics or regulation, were the key forces behind crypto's rally and subsequent turbulence in 2025. He attributed much of that year's momentum to DAT-driven demand and linked Bitcoin's April bottom to market reactions after a Trump administration tariff shock. Hayes keeps an aggressive 2026 base case of $250,000 for BTC and $5,000 for ETH, tied to US deficits, stealth QE, and potential banking rule changes, while warning that most altcoins could trend toward zero as capital rotates into revenue-generating protocols.

Bitpanda will let users trade about 10,000 stocks and ETFs alongside crypto starting Jan. 29, according to an announcement. Stock and ETF orders will cost a flat 1 euro ($1.17) per trade, with access to real stocks across the European Union as the company advances a universal exchange model.

According to the Dutch central bank, indirect holdings of crypto-linked securities in the Netherlands reached about $1.4 billion by October 2025, up from $94 million in 2020 and equal to 0.03% of total securities. Exposure is concentrated in ETFs, ETNs, and crypto treasury shares, with households and pension funds among the largest holders.

Ripple president Monica Long forecasts that by the close of 2026, around half of all Fortune 500 firms will have formal digital asset and blockchain plans, with global balance sheets holding over $1 trillion in crypto. Her outlook includes rapid growth in stablecoin-based settlements, more financial institutions directly custodying cryptocurrencies, and increased integration of AI with blockchain for privacy-preserving risk assessment.

Vietnam has started a five‑year pilot licensing framework for crypto asset trading platforms, introducing its first structured oversight of an industry that has grown for years without clear regulation. Under the program, exchanges must meet strict capital, ownership and operational standards, while both domestic and foreign investors will be required to trade through licensed providers using regulated VND accounts.

On January 21, 2026, CoinGate released its 2025 data report, indicating a structural shift in business crypto usage. The processor handled 1.42 million payments, with Bitcoin at 22.1%, stablecoins at 29.8%, and USDC orders up 1264% year-over-year. Merchant settlements in stablecoins rose to 25.2%, while USDC captured 83.4% of payouts as automation via API became standard.

On 20 January 2026, Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds saw notable net outflows as prices slipped below key thresholds, while Solana ETFs continued to register modest inflows. Over the past week, Bitcoin dropped to around $89,000 and Ether fell below $3,000, whereas Solana traded near $127 despite also posting double‑digit percentage losses. At the same time, risk‑off sentiment tied to geopolitical and trade tensions coincided with rising demand for gold and silver as perceived safe‑haven assets.

On January 21, 2026, Galaxy Digital outlined a $100 million hedge fund targeting returns in both rising and falling markets. According to sources familiar with the plan, it aims to be operational in the first quarter and will allocate roughly 30% to crypto tokens and 70% to equities of financial services firms exposed to digital-asset trends.