On January 31 2026, the UK Financial Conduct Authority released Consultation Paper CP26/4 setting out how its handbook will apply to newly regulated cryptoasset activities, including Consumer Duty, safeguarding, and complaints handling. The proposals would bring issuers, trading platforms, lenders, custodians, and international firms serving UK clients under stricter governance and client asset rules, with most global firms expected to use a UK legal entity. The consultation runs until 12 March 2026, with final rules expected later in 2026 and the regime due to take effect in October 2027 after an authorization gateway planned for September 2026.

On January 30, 2026 (UTC), industry participants said India's Budget 2026 is expected to prioritize clearer crypto rules and lower tax friction. Expectations include reducing the 1% TDS under Section 194S and allowing VDA loss offsets, while the current 30% flat tax, no deduction of transaction costs, and gift tax above ₹50,000 remain in force.

On January 30, 2026, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood said gold appears stretched at late-cycle levels and could retreat if the U.S. dollar strengthens. She cited a gold-to-M2 ratio at historic extremes and U.S. 10-year yields around 4.2%. Robin Brooks argued central bank buying is overstated and recent gains look like retail-driven speculation.

Australian-based lawyer Bill Morgan said on January 18, 2026 that res judicata blocks the SEC from re-litigating whether XRP is a security and Ripple's 2013–2020 sales. He cited Judge Analisa Torres's July 2023 ruling that XRP itself is not an investment contract, adding that any future action would be limited to post-2020 sales and constrained by issue preclusion.

On January 14, 2026, Deribit introduced USDC-settled options for Avalanche (AVAX) and Tron (TRX). According to Deribit, the contracts are available to users in eligible jurisdictions, settle 100% in USDC, and come in call and put variants with sizes of 100 AVAX and 10,000 TRX per contract. AVAX and TRX deposits are not accepted for margin offsets, with USDC required for margin and settlement.

On January 14, 2026, Visa announced a partnership with BVNK to add stablecoin payout capabilities to the Visa Direct platform, enabling pre-funded transfers to digital wallets in selected global markets. The integration allows instant settlement beyond traditional banking hours for use cases such as payroll, remittances, and gig economy payments, while remaining subject to local compliance requirements.

Updated January 7, 2026, DriveElectric projected UK electric car registrations to reach 580,000 in 2026, equal to 29% of new sales. The firm cited a baseline of 473,348 registrations and a 23.4% share in 2025, with December 2025 at 32.2%, and expects electric van registrations to grow 50% to around 45,000.

On January 7 2026, Blink Charging Co.’s stock closed at $0.8066, up 12.43%, and later traded at $0.8280 in pre-market trading. The move followed the company’s launch of USDC crypto payments at select Blink-owned DC fast-charging locations in Florida, with plans to expand the option to more sites by 2026. The company recently completed a $20 million equity offering and secured a £1.41 million EV charging project in West Yorkshire, supporting its broader growth plans.

Grayscale’s Ethereum Staking ETF (ETHE) will distribute $0.083178 per share to holders of record on January 5, 2026, with payment scheduled for January 6, 2026. The payout reflects staking rewards accumulated between October 6 and December 31, 2025, marking the first U.S.-listed spot Ethereum ETP to pass through realized staking income.