Vietnam's crypto sector has cooled as the market retreated from October's record, with industry figures citing closures, layoffs, and relocations. In January, authorities began taking applications for licensed exchanges with a 10 trillion VND ($400 million) capital threshold, while executives say weak sentiment and unclear rules are keeping users and new ventures on the sidelines.

Ledger and Trezor hardware wallet users are being targeted in a postal QR code scam that attempts to steal their recovery phrases. Criminals are mailing fake compliance letters with a February 15 deadline, pushing users to scan QR codes that lead to phishing sites and submit their seed phrases. The fraudulent sites impersonate official domains and warn of lost wallet functionality to pressure victims into handing over full access to their funds.

SBI Holdings announced plans to acquire Coinhako, seeking a majority stake via capital injection and purchases of shares from existing holders. The transaction involves an MoU between SBI Ventures Asset and Holdbuild Pte and will proceed subject to regulatory approval, aligning with SBI's push to expand its digital asset footprint across Asia.

Virginia has advanced a bill to regulate cryptocurrency ATM kiosks statewide, with approval from both the Senate and House and delivery to the governor’s desk. The measure sets operator rules, daily and monthly transaction limits, a 48-hour hold for new users, ID checks, fee caps, and clear fraud warnings, and bars marketing the machines as ATMs. Delegate Michelle Maldonado cites scams, including losses of $15,000 and up to $250,000.

Samsung Electronics plans to begin shipping HBM4 later this month, with initial batches scheduled after the Lunar New Year, according to industry sources. Shipments to Nvidia could start in the third week of February, and the memory is expected to power the Vera Rubin accelerators at GTC 2026. Samsung targets 11.7 Gbps speeds and up to 3 TB/s bandwidth per stack.

After Bitcoin dropped about 50% from its October high, wiping out roughly $2 trillion in value, the role of cryptocurrencies in the $12.5 trillion US 401(k) retirement market is under renewed scrutiny. Supporters cite earlier policy moves and argue Bitcoin can fit alongside other assets, while critics warn that highly volatile tokens are unsuitable for long‑term savings and could expose plan sponsors to legal risks.

Security firm Socket reported that attackers have compromised official dYdX-related packages on npm and PyPI, stealing wallet seed phrases and other credentials from developers and users. The malicious code allegedly enabled complete wallet takeover, crypto theft, and remote execution of additional malware by communicating with a typosquatted domain linked to dYdX services.

On February 1, 2026, India's Union Budget kept the existing crypto tax regime unchanged, including a 30% flat tax on virtual digital asset gains and 1% TDS on each transaction. The budget instead introduced new penalties for non-reporting and inaccurate reporting of crypto statements, set to take effect from April 1, 2026. Industry executives say the lack of broader reforms may continue to weigh on liquidity and participation, even as they welcome clearer compliance enforcement.

On January 31, 2026, the FBI seized both the clearnet and darkweb domains of the RAMP forum; banners on the sites cite coordination with the Southern District of Florida and DOJ's CCIPS. A user known as "Stallman", described as an owner, acknowledged the takedown, while industry analysts cautioned the long‑term impact may be limited.