Day: 29 January 2026

Quick Breakdown Illicit cryptocurrency volumes reached an all-time high of $158 billion in 2025, a 145% increase from the previous year, primarily driven by sanctions evasion and professionalised fraud. Use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in crypto scams increased fivefold, making fraudulent outreach more convincing and enabling attackers to bypass ...

Quick Breakdown The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released comprehensive guidance confirming that tokenized securities remain subject to federal securities laws regardless of their digital format. Regulators have established a new taxonomy distinguishing between "issuer-sponsored" tokens, which offer direct ownership, and "third-party" synthetic entitlements that carry higher investor ...

Quick Breakdown Hang Seng Investment Management has launched a physical gold ETF (3170.HK) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that includes a novel tokenized share class. HSBC serves as the tokenization agent, utilizing the Ethereum network to represent fund units as digital tokens for enhanced transparency and settlement speed. The ...

Quick Breakdown  Over 750 BTC raised in four months highlights strong institutional demand Fund delivered 8.9% annualised BTC returns in Q4 2025 via market-neutral arbitrage Investors can access liquidity via Lombard loans without selling BTC exposure   Digital asset banking group Sygnum has completed the seed phase of its Starboard ...

Quick Breakdown  XRP wallets holding over 1 million tokens have increased by 42 since January 1, signaling renewed large-holder interest. Smart money XRP accumulation is up 11.55% over the past month, according to Nansen data. Analysts are divided on near-term price action as regulatory and macro uncertainty weigh on altcoins. ...

Quick Breakdown  South Korea will now vet major shareholders, not just executives, when licensing crypto firms. The FIU gains authority to issue conditional licenses and assess firms more holistically. Ownership caps for crypto exchanges are increasingly likely as regulators push tighter controls.   South Korea has approved changes to its ...

Quick Breakdown The World ($WLD) token surged over 27% on Wednesday following reports that OpenAI is building a “humans-only” social network to eliminate AI-driven bots. Sam Altman’s proposed platform seeks to enforce “proof of personhood” using biometric data, potentially through Apple’s Face ID or the iris-scanning World Orb. While no ...

Quick Breakdown  KuCoin Pay has partnered with Sri Lanka-based Web3 firm Ceylon Cash to support crypto payments through its CeyPay platform. The integration enables merchants and users to accept and spend major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins across online and in-person transactions. The move targets real-world crypto adoption in emerging markets, with ...

Quick Breakdown Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev states that tokenizing U.S. stocks is "almost inevitable" to solve structural failures like the 2021 GameStop trading halt. Blockchain-based real-time settlement would eliminate the multi-day waiting periods that force brokerages to post massive collateral during high volatility. The push for tokenization coincides with legislative ...

Quick Breakdown  BitMart opens Pre-Market Trading for Bitway (BTW) Points starting January 30, 2026. Investors can mint PreTokens with USDT and trade before the official token listing. Completed Pre-Market orders will convert to official BTW Token once supply is confirmed   BitMart announced the launch of Pre-Market Trading for Bitway ...