On February 3, 2026, Tether Holdings revealed it has built a gold position of about 140 tons worth $23 billion, placing it among the world's largest private bullion holders. The company bought over 70 tons last year for reserves and its XAUT gold-backed stablecoin and is currently adding more than a ton per week, while XAUT has climbed nearly 4% in 24 hours and posted strong weekly and monthly gains.

In January, the ISM Manufacturing PMI climbed to 52.6, the strongest level since 2022, as U.S. manufacturing returned to expansion while Bitcoin traded near $78,000 in its fifth straight month of correction. Spot crypto volumes have fallen to their lowest levels since 2024 alongside $2.56 billion in liquidations and a total market capitalization of $2.58 trillion, as analysts debate whether the macro rebound can revive demand or if structural weakness will dominate.

In 2025 Q3, the IMF reports the renminbi at 1.93% of global FX reserves, about $251 billion within a $13 trillion pool, while the dollar holds 56.92%. Amid capital controls, Chinese traders and exporters increasingly use USDT and Bitcoin, and stablecoins in circulation exceed $305 billion, according to Artemis.

On Monday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a statewide alert after residents lost more than $177 million to crypto ATM scams in 2024, and her office rolled out a new complaint form for victims to report losses within 30 days. The warning coincides with a wider U.S. and international crackdown on crypto kiosks, including state-level transaction caps, lawsuits against major operators, proposed federal rules, outright bans in some regions, and ongoing enforcement actions against firms such as Athena Bitcoin, Crypto Dispensers, Coinme, and Bitcoin Bancorp's expansion plans.

ING Germany, the retail arm of ING Group, is broadening crypto investment access by listing Bitwise crypto ETPs and VanEck crypto ETNs that track Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP and other major tokens. From February, clients can trade Bitwise products on Xetra with no execution fees on orders from 1,000 euros and also use them in fee-free savings plans, while VanEck offers 10 single-asset and two basket ETNs.

FTX customers and Fenwick & West reached a proposed settlement in a fraud lawsuit, with both sides planning to seek approval from a Florida federal court on Feb. 27. The terms were not disclosed, and the parties asked the court to pause deadlines while they finalize the agreement. The case follows the exchange’s collapse in November 2022.

Spot cryptocurrency spot trading volume on major exchanges has slid from about $2 trillion in October to roughly $1 trillion by the end of January, reflecting weaker demand and lower investor participation. Analysts link the contraction to a liquidity squeeze, stablecoin outflows and macro uncertainty, while some argue the pullback is a needed reset to reduce leverage and reassess Bitcoin valuations. Market cycle metrics based on short- and long-term holder realized prices suggest Bitcoin may not yet have reached a definitive price bottom.

ING Deutschland has opened retail access to crypto-linked exchange-traded notes via its securities platform, giving exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The ETNs, issued by 21Shares, Bitwise and VanEck, trade on regulated venues through the Direct Depot service, while the bank highlighted tax alignment and warned of risks including volatility and issuer insolvency.