On 9 January 2026, tokenized equities were described as moving from theory into early real-world deployment, hinting at a deeper shift in how stocks might trade and settle through blockchain infrastructure. Two main models are forming, one focused on tightly controlled, compliance-heavy environments and another enabling broader onchain movement and DeFi integration. Despite still modest scale compared with other tokenized real-world assets, market activity in 2025 and ongoing regulatory engagement suggest tokenized stocks could become an important link between traditional markets and digital finance going into 2026.

On 9 January 2026, BNY announced a blockchain-based system that lets institutional clients move bank deposits on-chain and use them around the clock for collateral, margin, and payments. Early adopters of the tokenized deposit platform include Intercontinental Exchange, Citadel Securities, DRW, Ripple Prime, Baillie Gifford, and Circle. The bank positions these deposits as a regulated settlement layer for tokenized assets and always-on markets.

Bank of New York Mellon launched a tokenized deposit service on Jan. 9, enabling blockchain-based payments and collateral for institutional clients. The custodian of $57.8 trillion in assets aims for automated settlement and 24/7 operability, with early users including ICE, Citadel Securities, DRW, Ripple Prime, Baillie Gifford, and Circle.

Rain, a U.S.-based stablecoin infrastructure provider and principal member of the Visa network, has closed a $250 million Series C round at a $1.95 billion valuation to accelerate its international expansion. The company, which saw its active card base grow 30-fold in 2025 and annualized payment volume jump 38 times, plans to use the capital to scale its platform and enter markets across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Existing and new investors, including Iconiq and several major venture firms, joined the round, bringing Rain's total funding to $338 million.

According to TRM Labs, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly used two UK-based exchanges, Zedcex and Zedxion, to route about $1 billion in crypto since early 2023, mostly USDT on the TRON network. Investigators said IRGC-linked flows accounted for 56% of these platforms’ volume between 2023 and 2025 and traced activity across 187 sanctioned wallet addresses.

Rain closed a $250 million Series C, announced January 9, led by ICONIQ, valuing the stablecoin payments firm at $1.95 billion. The company plans to expand infrastructure across five continents, integrate US ACH and European SEPA, and grow Visa-linked stablecoin cards serving 150+ countries. Additional backers include Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, and Bessemer, bringing total funding to over $338 million.

On January 8, 2026, Cyvers alerted to a suspicious on‑chain transfer tied to Truebit Protocol, citing an estimated exposure of about $26 million. The flagged movement involved 8,535 ETH and carried the on‑chain label "Truebit Protocol: Purchase." Truebit's team has not issued an official statement or confirmed any loss at the time of writing.

Poland's Senate approved corrections to the Crypto-Asset Market Act and sent the bill back to the Sejm. Deputies had cut the supervisory fee from 0.4% to 0.1%, but senators scrapped that change; the levy will rise to 0.5% with a €500 minimum. The Sejm passed the law in September, and the president vetoed it in early December.