On January 9, Tether confirmed a strategic investment in Ledn, a Bitcoin-backed lender, with the deal reported at $40–$50M and valuing the company around $500M. The partnership aims to broaden Bitcoin-collateralized credit, support new products and markets, and improve USD₮ flows across Ledn’s fiat and stablecoin lending.

NextGen Healthcare has agreed to a court-approved settlement that could pay up to $7,500 to patients impacted by a cyberattack in March and April 2023. The incident allegedly allowed a third-party attacker to access sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers, leading victims to claim ongoing costs for credit monitoring and other protective measures. The settlement fund is designated to reimburse verifiable, unreimbursed expenses that victims consider directly linked to the breach.

Venezuela's main stock benchmark, the IBVC, climbed 124% over five trading days last week following the removal of Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. Despite the dramatic move and renewed foreign interest, the market remains very small, with fewer than 40 listed firms and annual stock and bond trading barely exceeding $200,000 in 2026. A new ETF has been filed with the U.S. SEC to target companies linked to Venezuela, even as the bolivar slides and liquidity constraints persist.

On January 9, US spot crypto ETFs recorded $337.22 million in net outflows, led by redemptions in Bitcoin and Ethereum funds. Bitcoin ETFs offloaded 2,750 BTC, about $250 million, while Ethereum products saw 30,205 ETH out, near $94 million. Smaller inflows into XRP, Chainlink, Litecoin, and HBAR signaled selective reallocations.

On 10 January 2026, U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott moved a digital asset market structure bill toward markup, signaling a shift from broad crypto policy debates to concrete regulation. The proposal aims to clarify rules for digital asset markets, reduce legal uncertainty for U.S.-based firms, and lower the risk of sudden regulatory shocks that have historically fueled volatility. Over time, a more predictable framework could support higher liquidity, greater institutional participation, and stronger positioning of the U.S. in the global digital asset landscape.

The U.S. SEC has excluded cryptocurrencies from its 2026 priority-risk agenda, a change highlighted by Changpeng Zhao. Market observers say reduced regulatory focus could ease investor concerns and improve liquidity. Zhao tempered expectations, noting his "supercycle" call might be wrong.

As of January 10, altcoins captured about 50% of total crypto trading volume, while Bitcoin hovered near $90,600 within a $89,000–$94,000 range. Flows rotated toward higher‑beta tokens, with Polygon and Solana's BONK posting outsized weekly gains. On January 9, U.S. spot ETH ETFs recorded $93.82 million in net outflows.

Binance closed 2025 reporting record activity across trading, payments, security, and regulatory integration. The platform processed $34 trillion in total volume, with over $7.1 trillion on spot, passed 300 million registered accounts, and held nearly $163 billion in customer assets; institutional OTC fiat rose over 200%, and Binance Pay reached more than 20 million merchants.