Cointelegraph.com
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Cointelegraph.com - 14:00 Jan 13, 2026
By integrating WalletConnect Pay, Ingenico is testing whether stablecoins can function as a practical alternative to card networks in everyday commerce. Payments terminal provider Ingenico has partnered with WalletConnect Pay to enable in-store stablecoin payments across its point-of-sale (POS) systems, marking one of the clearest pushes yet to bring cryptocurrency payments into everyday retail checkout. In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph, Ingenico said the integration allows customers to pay using stablecoins including USDC (USDC), EURC (EURC) and USDt (USDT) directly from their WalletConnect-compatible mobile wallets without relying on traditional card networks. Supported wallets include MetaMask and Trust Wallet. Transactions are initiated at the terminal and are settled through WalletConnect Pay’s infrastructure. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:00 Jan 13, 2026
Franklin Templeton is amending institutional money market funds to support stablecoin reserves and onchain cash use without launching new crypto-native products. Franklin Templeton has amended two Western Asset institutional money market funds (MMFs) to plug directly into the emerging US stablecoin regime and tokenized cash infrastructure rather than launching new crypto native products. According to a release shared with Cointelegraph, Franklin Templeton is adapting the two long‑running Western Asset institutional funds so they can be used more directly in US GENIUS‑aligned stablecoin reserve structures and blockchain‑enabled distribution channels, without changing their status as Securities and Exchange Commission‑registered 2a‑7 MMFs. The changes are designed to allow the funds to serve as regulated, government-backed collateral for payment stablecoins and other tokenized cash uses without altering their core regulatory status. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:40 Jan 13, 2026
Crypto experts say political pressure on the US Federal Reserve could drive volatility, but also shift flows toward Bitcoin and gold in the long run. Global central bank leaders have rallied behind US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, warning that political pressure on the Fed risks undermining financial and economic stability worldwide. In a joint statement released Tuesday, governors from 11 major central banks said they “stand in full solidarity with the Federal Reserve System and its Chair Jerome H. Powell,” stressing the importance of central bank independence. The statement comes after US authorities opened a criminal investigation into Powell over a $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters, a move that has intensified tensions between the central bank and the Trump administration. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:19 Jan 13, 2026
ZKsync’s 2026 plan shifts focus from experimentation to production-ready infrastructure designed for banks, enterprises and regulated financial systems. Layer-2 network ZKsync released a 2026 roadmap that puts privacy, deterministic control and native interoperability at the center of its strategy for institutional digital asset adoption. Its plan, published by Matter Labs co-founder and CEO Alex Gluchowski, frames zero-knowledge technology as a foundational infrastructure for regulated finance. The roadmap follows a year of infrastructure delivery. In 2025, the network rolled out core components including Atlas, Prividium and Airbender. According to Gluchowski, these systems were designed to meet operational realities faced by banks, enterprises and governments, where confidentiality and performance are critical requirements. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 12:19 Jan 13, 2026
BNB Chain’s Fermi hard fork goes live on Wednesday, cutting BSC block times from 0.75 seconds to 0.45 seconds and tightening fast-finality rules. BNB Chain’s Fermi upgrade, which goes live Wednesday, will cut BNB Smart Chain (BSC) block times from 0.75 seconds to 0.45 seconds and push transaction finality to “around one second,” positioning the network as one of the fastest major Ethereum Virtual Machine chains. The hard fork completes the final phase of BNB Chain’s “short block interval” roadmap and is framed as a performance and reliability upgrade rather than a cosmetic tweak. With Fermi, BSC validators will produce blocks every 0.45 seconds, almost halving the time it takes for transactions to be confirmed onchain. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:51 Jan 13, 2026
The 21Shares Bitcoin Gold ETP allocates two-thirds to gold and one-third to Bitcoin and trades in pounds sterling and dollars on the London Stock Exchange. 21Shares, a major global exchange-traded product (ETP) provider, has expanded access to its investment product that combines exposure to Bitcoin and gold. The 21Shares Bitcoin Gold ETP (BOLD), which tracks both Bitcoin (BTC) and gold, debuted trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on Tuesday, according to an announcement. “Now that retail investors in the UK have access to crypto ETPs, 21Shares is dedicated to delivering a wider selection of innovative regulated products,” 21Shares CEO Russell Barlow said. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:38 Jan 13, 2026
Truebit lost $26 million after a smart-contract overflow bug let an attacker mint tokens at near-zero cost, sending the TRU price down 99%. A $26 million exploit of the offline computation protocol Truebit stemmed from a smart-contract flaw that allowed an attacker to mint tokens at near-zero cost, highlighting persistent security risks even in long-running blockchain projects. Truebit suffered the $26 million exploit that resulted in a 99% crash for the Truebit (TRU) token, Cointelegraph reported on Friday. The attacker abused a loophole in the protocol’s smart-contract logic, which enabled them to mint “massive amounts of tokens without paying any ETH,” according to blockchain security company SlowMist, which published a post-mortem analysis on Tuesday. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:33 Jan 13, 2026
The move adds Ukraine to a growing list of countries, including France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Thailand and Australia, where Polymarket is already restricted. Ukraine has blocked access to the prediction market platform Polymarket, classifying its activities as unlicensed gambling under national law. The decision was issued by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) on Dec. 10, 2025, under Resolution No. 695. The ruling requires internet service providers to restrict access to online resources that organize, conduct or facilitate gambling without a valid license. As part of the enforcement, the domain polymarket.com has been added to Ukraine’s public register of blocked websites, effectively cutting off local access to the platform, local news outlets reported on Monday. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:04 Jan 13, 2026
Nigeria’s tax overhaul pulls crypto exchanges into identity-based reporting, reshaping how digital assets are brought into the traditional economy. Nigeria is rolling out a new approach to cryptocurrency oversight that relies on tax and identity systems rather than blockchain surveillance, as part of a sweeping reform of its tax regime. Under Nigeria’s newly implemented tax reforms, crypto service providers are required to link transactions to Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) and, where applicable, National Identification Numbers (NINs). The framework, which took effect on Jan. 1, is embedded in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025 and marks one of the country's most sweeping tax overhauls. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 09:53 Jan 13, 2026
Italy’s securities regulator shared ESMA’s finfluencer factsheet, warning social media promoters that EU rules on investment recommendations and advertising apply to crypto. Italy’s securities regulator, the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa (CONSOB), has amplified a new factsheet from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), warning social media finance influencers, or “finfluencers,” that European Union rules on investment recommendations and advertising apply fully to crypto and “get rich quick” content. In a Monday communication, CONSOB highlighted ESMA’s finfluencers document, published on Thursday, which warns creators that “promoting a financial product or service isn’t like promoting shoes or watches.” Pushing contracts for difference (CFDs), forex, futures, certain crowdfunding products and volatile cryptocurrencies can, according to the communication, mean losing 100% of invested capital, and influencers remain legally responsible for what they post, even if they are not f... -
Cointelegraph.com - 01:48 Jan 13, 2026
Bitcoin rallied to $92,000 as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell spoke about a potential DOJ investigation into the Fed. Will BTC's strength hold? Key takeaways: Institutional investors selling Bitcoin is visible through the Bitcoin ETFs recording $1.38 billion in net outflows across four trading sessions. BTC futures data shows a neutral 5% basis rate, well below the 10% level that typically defines a true bullish breakout. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 00:09 Jan 13, 2026
The CFTC is looking to invite Tyler Winklevoss, Shayne Coplan, Kris Marszalek, and other crypto leaders to assist its approach to regulating the blockchain industry. US Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair Mike Selig has unveiled the agency’s new innovation committee, aimed at guiding the regulation of emerging technologies like blockchain and AI, which are transforming financial markets. The Innovation Advisory Committee replaces the Technology Advisory Committee and is looking to bring top crypto voices into the CFTC’s process to shape practical, forward-looking market regulations, Selig said on Monday. The new committee will advise the CFTC on the “commercial, economic, and practical considerations of emerging products, platforms, and business models in the financial markets so that it can develop clear rules of the road for the Golden Age of American Financial Markets,” Selig said. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:56 Jan 12, 2026
Several blockchain analysts said they were unable to verify whether the Latin American nation held $60 billion in the cryptocurrency. Paul Atkins, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), didn’t rule out the possibility of authorities seizing Venezuela’s reported Bitcoin holdings after US forces unseated and captured the country’s president. In a Monday interview with Fox Business’ Stuart Varney, Atkins responded to reports claiming that Venezuela holds up to $60 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC), though several analysts said they were unable to verify these claims. The SEC chair said it “remains to be seen” what action, if any, the US would take if it had the opportunity to seize the reported 600,000 BTC. “I leave that to others in the administration to deal with — I’m not involved in that,” said Atkins in response to a question on whether the US would “take those Bitcoin off ‘em.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:46 Jan 12, 2026
Fitch said sharp Bitcoin price swings could quickly erode collateral backing these securities, increasing the risk of losses for lenders and investors. Credit rating company Fitch Ratings has flagged a high degree of risk associated with Bitcoin-backed securities, a warning that could complicate the expansion of crypto-linked credit products among institutional investors. In a Monday assessment, Fitch said Bitcoin-backed securities, financial instruments typically structured by pooling Bitcoin (BTC) or Bitcoin-linked assets and issuing debt against that collateral, carry “heightened risks” that “are consistent with speculative-grade credit profiles.” The agency said such characteristics could place the products in speculative-grade territory, a designation associated with weaker credit quality and a higher likelihood of losses. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:23 Jan 12, 2026
OKX user issues desperate plea after funds frozen. Hong Kong hasn’t ruled out gold-backed stablecoins, but says it’s too early. Asia Express. An OKX user trying to get around restrictions on Chinese users has become desperate after the crypto exchange froze funds saying the money was needed to cover urgent family medical expenses. The user, who shared a lengthy personal appeal on X, said about $40,000 in crypto became inaccessible after OKXs risk controls locked multiple accounts linked to identity violations. The user admitted the accounts were acquired from third parties to access promotions that were unavailable to mainland China users. In the post, the user said all funds transferred into them originated from their verified personal account. They described the funds as life-saving money needed for a family members surgery. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:23 Jan 12, 2026
OKX user issues desperate plea after funds frozen. Hong Kong hasn’t ruled out gold-backed stablecoins, but says it’s too early. Asia Express. -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:22 Jan 12, 2026
The latest purchase lifted the company’s Ether holdings to about 3.4% of the token's circulating supply, as Bitmine's chairman, Tom Lee, aims to accumulate 5% of the total outstanding supply. Bitmine Immersion Technologies expanded its Ether holdings over the past week as its chairman urged shareholders to approve a proposal that would allow the company to further build its crypto treasury and staking operations. The company said it purchased 24,266 Ether (ETH) over the past week, lifting its total crypto holdings to about 4.17 million ETH, or 3.4% of the token’s circulating supply. According to Monday’s announcement, the company reported about $14 billion in combined crypto and cash holdings, including $988 million in cash. In addition to ETH, it holds 193 Bitcoin (BTC) and a $23 million stake in Eightco Holdings. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:45 Jan 12, 2026
ETH’s recent rally was driven by spot demand and a healthy use of futures market leverage, potentially setting Ether up for a follow-up move to $4,000. Ether’s (ETH) futures and spot markets are sending mixed signals as futures positioning builds, but the altcoin’s price fails to make new highs. Data suggested that ETH traders are adding to their exposure even as spot buying underpins the recovery. Key takeaways: Ether’s estimated leverage ratio fell to 0.67 by Sunday from an all-time high of 0.79 on Jan. 2, despite rising open interest. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:59 Jan 12, 2026
With Bakkt's share price surging following the announcement, the stock deal could be worth about $178 million. Cryptocurrency infrastructure platform Bakkt Holdings announced an agreement to purchase Distributed Technologies Research, a stablecoin and fiat payments infrastructure provider. In a Monday notice, Bakkt said the agreement will have the company issue more than nine million shares of its Class A common stock to Distributed Technologies Research shareholders. At the time of publication, the price of shares of Bakkt Holdings (BKKT) on the New York Stock Exchange was $19.54, having surged more than 20% in the previous 24 hours, which would would make the deal worth more than $178 million. “The acquisition will allow Bakkt to consolidate a critical piece of its stablecoin settlement infrastructure and prepares the company to launch its neobanking strategy with multiple distribution partners in the coming months,” said Mike Alfred, the director and member of the special committee of Bakkt’s board. Read ... -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:15 Jan 12, 2026
Bitcoin whales sold $286 million of BTC in January, but a slowdown in the distribution and accelerating bullish momentum could send BTC to $100,000 before the end of the month. Bitcoin (BTC) onchain data shows BTC whales are active as the price attempts to extend its breakout from the $90,000 level. Key takeaways Bitcoin whale spending surged to $286 million, the largest spike since early November. Read more
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