Cointelegraph.com
Source:
https://cointelegraph.com
Found 6844 news
-
Cointelegraph.com - 22:11 Jan 02, 2026
Following a rejected governance vote, Stani Kulechov laid out a plan to expand beyond DeFi lending and reshape how tokenholders capture value. Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov has outlined a broader strategic vision for the protocol following a contentious governance vote that rejected a proposal to transfer control of Aave’s brand assets and intellectual property to its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The failed vote has prompted renewed debate within the Aave community over the protocol’s long-term direction and governance structure, an issue Kulechov addressed directly. In a post published Friday on the Aave governance forum, Kulechov argued that the protocol must evolve beyond its core decentralized finance (DeFi) lending business to pursue opportunities in real-world assets (RWAs), institutional lending and consumer-facing financial products. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:03 Jan 02, 2026
The largest crypto exchange by trading volume announced two moves related to the FLOW token following the project's foundation updating users on a $3.9 million exploit. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced a change in its policies related to trading and monitoring following a $3.9 million exploit of the Flow blockchain last week. In a Friday announcement, Binance said it would remove nine spot trading pairs from the exchange beginning on Saturday, including one for Flow (FLOW)/Bitcoin (BTC). In a separate notice, the company included FLOW and three other tokens on its monitoring tag list. The tag is featured in tokens exhibiting “notably higher volatility and risks compared to other listed tokens,” the exchange said, noting that tokens with the monitoring tag are at a high risk of no longer meeting listing standards. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:55 Jan 02, 2026
Being able to strategically raise capital by having shares ready to issue was one of the secondary reasons Lee gave for the proposal. Tom Lee, chairman of publicly listed Ether treasury company BitMine, urged shareholders to back a proposal to dramatically increase the company’s authorized share count to 50 billion from 50 million, citing the potential need for future stock splits as Ether’s price drives the the company’s valuation. Lee said BitMine’s share price closely tracks the price of Ether (ETH), and that he modeled potential future valuations using the ETH/Bitcoin ratio. According to Lee, ETH could reach $250,000 if Bitcoin (BTC) climbs to $1 million, a scenario that would push BitMine’s share price to levels he said would be inaccessible for most retail investors. BitMine shifted from operating as a Bitcoin mining and holding company to an ETH treasury strategy in 2025, but it still retains some of its Bitcoin operations. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:00 Jan 02, 2026
Onchain data shows Bitcoin whale accumulation is overstated as exchange activity skews metrics, while long-term holders quietly turn bullish. Speculation that Bitcoin whales are engaged in a massive reaccumulation phase has been significantly overstated, suggesting the digital asset market structure has not materially changed, according to onchain data from CryptoQuant. The popular narrative that large holders are aggressively buying Bitcoin (BTC) is misleading, said Julio Moreno, head of research at CryptoQuant. Much of the publicly shared “whale accumulation” data is distorted by exchange-related activity rather than genuine investor behavior. Cryptocurrency exchanges routinely consolidate funds from many smaller wallets into fewer large ones for operational and regulatory reasons. This process artificially increases the number of wallets holding very large balances, leading onchain trackers to misclassify the activity as whale accumulation. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:00 Jan 02, 2026
Bitcoin bears might have the upper hand at the yearly open, but charts suggest bulls will fiercely defend these key price levels. Key points: Bitcoin is bearish in the short term and could plunge to $50,000 if the $74,508 level is breached. The short-term trend is likely to turn bullish above $100,000, opening the doors for a rally to $126,199. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:08 Jan 02, 2026
The incident is potentially related to December's Trust Wallet hack, which left users drained of $7 million in cryptocurrency. An attacker has drained "hundreds” of crypto wallets on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chains, siphoning small sums from each victim in what onchain investigator ZachXBT described as a broad but low-value exploit. The losses appear limited on a per-wallet basis, with each victim losing less than $2,000, according to ZachXBT. The activity has affected wallets on several EVM-compatible networks, indicating a widespread incident rather than isolated to a single blockchain. A fraudulent email disguised as legitimate communication from Web3 wallet MetaMask could have been the vehicle for the attack, said cybersecurity researcher Vladimir S., who cited a clue left by another pseudonymous X user. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 18:30 Jan 02, 2026
Crenshaw’s exit leaves the SEC without Democratic representation as the agency and other US financial regulators face leadership gaps. Caroline Crenshaw, the sole Democratic member leading the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will be departing the agency this week after serving more than five years. Crenshaw is expected to depart the SEC by Saturday, marking 18 months after her term ended in June 2024. Commissioners are permitted to continue work at the agency, provided the Senate has not confirmed a replacement. The Democratic commissioner, who was sworn into office in August 2020, has often been critical of the agency’s approach to digital assets. She spoke out against the SEC settling its enforcement case with Ripple Labs, and warned that weakening regulations on digital assets could lead to “significant market contagion.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:31 Jan 02, 2026
BitVentures has launched a US-based crypto mining operation weeks after rebranding, marking its first operational move into digital assets after years of losses. BitVentures Limited has entered the cryptocurrency mining sector, launching a new digital assets business less than two weeks after rebranding to reflect its new focus on blockchain-related ventures. The Hong Kong–based technology company said it has acquired fleets of mining hardware from Bitmain, including three types of Antminer machines, to mine Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE), according to a Friday report from Investing.com. The company said the acquisition includes 0.5 megawatts of power capacity across data centers in the United States, with deployment of the mining equipment expected later this month. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:51 Jan 02, 2026
The company’s energy operations will become “100% North American” following the sale of the Paraguayan site. Bitcoin mining company Bitfarms announced a complete exit from the Latin American market following a $30 million sale of a Paraguayan facility. In a Friday notice, Bitfarms said it had reached an agreement with the Sympatheia Power Fund for its 70 megawatt (MW) facility in Paso Pe, Paraguay. Under the deal, the power company will acquire shares of the Bitfarms subsidiary that holds the assets for the facility, with the crypto miner receiving $9 million in cash in the first quarter of 2026 and $21 million over the next 10 months. According to Bitfarms CEO Ben Gagnon, the company’s energy operations would become “100% North American” following its exit from Latin America, with cash from the deal reinvested into AI and high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure this year. The company said it had 430 MW capacity under development in the US, with 2.1 gigawatts as part of a multi-year plan for North Ame... -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:05 Jan 02, 2026
Crypto regulations are changing around the world in 2026, as several jurisdictions adopt crypto and stablecoin policy frameworks. Crypto laws around the world are changing in 2026, building on the momentum from 2025, which will impact crypto users in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a US banking regulator, published a proposal in December outlining a pathway for banks to be able to issue dollar-pegged stablecoins under the GENIUS stablecoin framework passed by Congress in mid-2025. Under the proposal, banks must issue the stablecoins through a subsidiary, with both institutions subject to FDIC reviews and audits for financial soundness. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 15:29 Jan 02, 2026
Bitcoin could be getting ready for a rally toward $94,500, but higher levels are expected to attract selling by the bears. Key points: Bitcoin’s tight range trading is expected to culminate with a range expansion in the near term. Some major altcoins are showing signs of strength and may start a relief rally in the short term. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:20 Jan 02, 2026
Axie Infinity will take more risks in 2026, Illivium’s working on a new risk-to-earn deathmatch, and Yat Siu’s thoughts on Trump: Web3 Gamer. One of the best known Web3 games, Illuvium, is taking a gamble on the emerging risk-to-earn gaming model, and wants players to help craft the rules of its mysterious new game. The game is meant to be simple, easy to understand, and full of risk, which, in turn, creates excitement and, ideally, viral, streamable moments, Illivium founder Kieran Warwick said in a recent X post. Warwick explained that 100 players will enter with their illuvials, which are creatures in the Illivium world, and fight to the death. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:02 Jan 02, 2026
Experts say the digital euro’s outcome hinges on a political compromise with parties fighting for the limits of privacy and online functionality. Trade-offs between local institutions are expected to shape the digital euro’s final form, as debates continue over holding limits and privacy features. The EU Council recently announced that it is backing the European Central Bank’s digital euro design, which includes both online and offline functions. According to Apostolos Thomadakis, head of the financial markets and institutions unit at the European Policy Studies think tank, "cash-like privacy” with anti-money laundering rules is among the digital euro’s “hardest political tradeoffs.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:00 Jan 02, 2026
Crypto exchanges are preparing their 2026 playbooks around licenses, stablecoins and tokenized assets, and OKX’s Haider Rafique argues that a tamer, macro‑driven Bitcoin is the backbone of that shift. The cryptocurrency industry is growing under tighter rules, as large exchanges shape their next cycle around licenses and products built to withstand regulatory scrutiny. Instead of chasing explosive growth through speculative listings and high-leverage trading, the focus for 2026 is shifting toward sturdier foundations, such as tighter fiat ramps, compliant derivatives in more jurisdictions and building out stablecoin and tokenization rails. Cointelegraph spoke with Haider Rafique, global managing partner at OKX, to unpack how major exchanges are preparing for the year ahead. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:49 Jan 02, 2026
Onchain data from Nansen showed Solana, BNB Chain, Base, Tron and NEAR handled the most transactions in 2025, as users looked for high‑throughput, low‑fee networks. Onchain analytics firm Nansen ranked Solana, BNB Chain, Base, Tron and NEAR Protocol as the busiest blockchains in 2025. Solana led the pack with 23.01 billion transactions, while BNB Chain followed with 3.89 billion. Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 Base handled 3.29 billion for third, as Tron trailed with 3.22 billion and NEAR came in fifth with 1.89 billion. Even as 2025 was marked by institutional adoption, retail-focused use cases continued to dominate transaction volumes, particularly on blockchains with low fees and high throughput. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:15 Jan 02, 2026
Memecoins added $3 billion in market cap in one day, led by PEPE’s 23% surge and the buzz around the MemeMax_Fi DEX, hinting at a possible "meme season" underway. Memecoins like Pepe (PEPE), Bonk (BONK), and Dogecoin (DOGE) were among the best-performing cryptocurrencies on Friday, posting significant gains as the market geared up for 2026. Key takeaways: Memecoin market cap surged 8% to $39.45 billion, a two-week high, signalling strong demand. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:00 Jan 02, 2026
India is urging other countries to develop CBDCs, and China is expanding the use of its digital yuan, allowing banks to offer interest on e-CNY wallets. Russia’s Ministry of Justice has proposed new fines for unregistered cryptocurrency miners. This comes after the finance minister raised concerns about the rise in unauthorized mining activities. A draft bill proposed by the ministry would impose a fine of 1.5 million rubles (about $19,000) and up to two years in a labor colony. Illegal mining involving “outsized profits” could see a maximum of five years in prison, 480 hours of forced labor and a fine of up to 2.5 million rubles. Unregistered miners are a growing problem in Russia, where only 30% have registered their operations as of June 19, according to Deputy Minister of Finance Ivan Chebeskov. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 12:30 Jan 02, 2026
Bitcoin faced familiar $90,000 BTC price resistance into the year's first Wall Street open as gold made a comeback from local lows. Bitcoin (BTC) approached $90,000 into the first Wall Street open of 2026 with a new CME futures gap in focus. Key points: Bitcoin attempts a breakthrough at $90,000 as markets brace for the first US trading session of the year. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:33 Jan 02, 2026
Coinbase's "everything exchange" includes an all-in-one platform as competition intensifies among crypto firms chasing the super app model. Coinbase intends to prioritize stablecoins, its Ethereum layer-2 Base and building out its exchange products past cryptocurrencies throughout 2026, according to CEO Brian Armstrong. In a New Year’s social media post Armstrong reaffirmed Coinbase’s “everything exchange” strategy, which includes products like prediction markets, equities and commodities. At its year-end conference in December, Coinbase launched stock trading and prediction markets as part of its push. The company has also rebranded its wallet app as an “everything app,” adding social networking and onchain features. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 09:04 Jan 02, 2026
With trading-hour extensions and digital finance upgrades underway, Korea Exchange is positioning for crypto ETFs while approvals remain stalled. South Korea’s securities and derivatives exchange operator, Korea Exchange (KRX), plans to increase its new investment products, including crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and derivatives, as part of a broader push to modernize capital markets. Speaking at the first trading day ceremony of the new year, KRX chairman Jeong Eun-bo signaled the exchange was operationally prepared to support crypto ETFs, even as regulators continued to deliberate whether such products could be approved under existing securities regulations. Jeong framed the move as part of South Korea's efforts to move beyond the “Korea discount,” a phenomenon where domestic stocks trade at lower valuations than global peers. The dynamic is different in crypto, where Bitcoin often trades at a premium on local exchanges compared with overseas platforms. Read more
6844 items