Stocks

On January 19, 2026, the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System disclosed holding 17,900 shares of Strategy (MSTR), providing indirect exposure to Bitcoin. The position was valued at approximately $3.2 million, and the fund manages roughly $15.6 billion in assets.

Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh has moved to the top of prediction markets for the chair position after recent comments by President Trump. Jerome Powell’s term ends on May 15, and the announcement of a successor is expected this month. Silver rose over 4% and gold gained 2% while markets weighed potential policy changes.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump announced tariffs on eight European countries tied to Greenland, starting at 10% on February 1 and rising to 25% by June 1. Within 24 hours, crypto liquidations reached $875 million and Bitcoin slid about 3% to $92,000 as traders cut leveraged exposure.

On January 15, the China Securities Regulatory Commission outlined steps to curb speculation and, last week, lifted margin funding requirements on all mainland exchanges to 100% from 80%, with the change effective on Monday. The adjustment covers only new contracts and follows early‑2026 gains led by AI and space themes, with mainland tech shares trading about 40% above Nasdaq 100 peers.

On 19 January 2026, at 09:31, Washington's CLARITY Act stalled, a development some analysts frame as a constructive pause. Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe argues the draft risked locking in restrictive rules. Coinbase withdrew support, and CEO Brian Armstrong flagged tokenized equities, yield-bearing stablecoins, and DeFi user data access as unacceptable provisions.

Vanguard Group has reported, via regulatory filings, an approximately $505 million position in Strategy, a public company whose balance sheet is dominated by Bitcoin. The $12 trillion asset manager issued no formal announcement, opting to access Bitcoin's upside through listed equity rather than direct holdings.

At 01:45 market open, Bitcoin dropped nearly $4,000 in one hour to $92,000 amid a $500 million liquidation of leveraged longs. Gold surged to a record $4,660 per ounce and silver reached $94 as traders sought havens. A 10% tariff on eight EU countries begins February 1 and rises to 25% in June.

Vanguard Group, overseeing about $12 trillion in assets, disclosed via routine filings a new position of roughly $505 million in shares of Strategy. The move offers indirect Bitcoin exposure through a public equity and marks Vanguard's first known allocation to a Bitcoin treasury company as of January 18, 2026.

Ripple received preliminary approval for an EMI license in Luxembourg after a recent UK authorization. SHIB formed a short-term bullish crossover with a potential 22% path to $0.00001054. XRP saw $45.8 million weekly inflows, up 428%, while Strategy bought 13,627 BTC for about $1.25 billion.

On January 18, 2026, Kevin Hassett said on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing that he is comfortable remaining in the White House, effectively taking himself out of consideration to lead the Federal Reserve. Trump had publicly told him last week he preferred he stay in the West Wing, while the shortlist now centers on Christopher Waller, Kevin Warsh, and Rick Rieder.