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.

On 17 January 2026, BlackRock was observed shifting more than $1.24 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum across several days, involving withdrawals rather than direct liquidation. On-chain tracking indicates these flows are linked to portfolio and custody rebalancing, while BlackRock continues to hold hundreds of thousands of BTC and millions of ETH, maintaining significant exposure to both assets.

On 16 January 2026, Jefferies global head of equity strategy Christopher Wood removed Bitcoin from his model portfolio over long-term security concerns tied to quantum computing. He shifted the former 10% Bitcoin allocation into physical gold and gold-mining stocks, reflecting a preference for assets with long historical resilience as debate grows over whether future quantum advances could challenge Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations.

FTX Recovery Trust has set February 14 as the creditor record date and, pending court approval to trim reserves for disputed claims, plans to begin cash distributions on March 31. The estate is also pursuing litigation against Genesis Digital Assets, alleging over $1 billion in improper transfers, while urging claimants to complete KYC and onboarding with approved partners.

On 13 January 2026, US officials were reported to be grappling with how to handle alleged Venezuelan state Bitcoin reserves following the removal and capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro. Unverified claims suggest Venezuela may control up to 600,000 BTC, raising unresolved legal and policy questions over ownership, seizure authority, and how digital assets fit within existing sanctions and national security frameworks.

On 12 January 2026, Solana's price hovered just under a key resistance zone around $145 after briefly touching the mid-$140s. Network data shows weekly new wallet creation has dropped from about 30.2 million at its November 2024 peak to roughly 7.3 million, raising doubts about the strength of the current move. Traders are watching whether a rebound in on-chain activity and speculation over a potential X integration can support a sustained breakout.

On 12 January 2026 at 10:55, major asset managers were described as shifting tokenization from pilots to core market infrastructure. BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized treasury fund reached $500 million, while Hamilton Lane has tokenized more than $2.1 billion across private equity and credit. Firms are deploying multi-chain products on Ethereum, Stellar, and Polygon, with established custody support also in place.

On 12 January 2026, South Korea's Financial Services Commission finalized guidance to restore corporate access to crypto trading, reversing a 2017 prohibition. Eligibility will be limited to listed companies and licensed professional investors, with tight exposure caps and execution controls. Roughly 3,500 entities are expected to qualify once the rules take effect.

Ethereum is consolidating around $3,000 as tokenized assets on its network scale, with stablecoins near $190 billion and other segments measured in the billions. On January 10 and 11, 2026, Merlijn The Trader and Ted Pillows flagged a potential ETH rotation and a possible move toward $3,500–$3,600 if the $3,000 support holds.