On 18 January 2026, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that growing protocol complexity is a major long-term threat to the network's decentralization. He argued that constant feature additions and reliance on highly specialized cryptography can make users dependent on a small expert class instead of the code itself. Buterin called for an explicit focus on simplification, including removing or offloading rarely used features from the core protocol to preserve Ethereum's trustlessness over decades.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned in an X post that years of protocol complexity and bloat are undermining trustlessness and self-sovereignty. He advocated pruning underused features and slimming core components to restore simplicity, setting 2026 as a year to "take back lost ground."

Ethereum's Proof-of-Stake deposit contract holds 77.85 million ETH, representing 46.59% of supply and nearly $256 billion. The staked balance rose 38.4% year over year, easing near-term sell pressure while exit dynamics still pose volatility risk. Active validators climbed to roughly 977,000–1.04 million, up from about 890,000 at end-2023.

Since January 16 (Friday), Bitcoin slipped into tight consolidation after failing to extend earlier strength. In a January 17 X post, XWIN Finance said the Kimchi Premium has flashed a long signal again, a pattern that preceded a 370% advance in 2023. BTC sits near $95,280 with little 24-hour change.

Shiba Inu closed below its 20-day moving average and the mid-Bollinger Band yesterday, shifting the setup toward a pullback. The lower band near $0.00000718 sits 14.36% beneath the latest $0.00000839 reading, a gap that often narrows unless a swift recovery occurs. Bulls now need to reclaim the 20-day level to avoid further slippage.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has withdrawn support for the Crypto Markets Structure Act, prompting a public split among U.S. crypto executives over regulatory strategy. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott postponed a markup and seeks to address concerns before month's end, while industry figures urge negotiations to resolve issues around stablecoin yields and DeFi.

Silver trades at $90.13 with a 24-hour gain of 0.08% and a 12.92% rise over the past 7 days. Peter Schiff highlighted strength in mining stocks and expects a strong rally, while analysts note support above $88.60 with upside targets near $91.80 and $93.00. The $100 psychological level remains in focus.

On January 18, 2026, Tencent Holdings urged major tech firms to collaborate on improving chatbots and digital assistants for seniors, left-behind children, and other vulnerable users. The company's research team is developing specialized training data and reports that leading Chinese and U.S. models, including Hunyuan, underperform on sensitive topics such as sex education.