🎯Today's Crypto Pulse
Updated 1h agoWhat's happening: Bitcoin ETF Custody Concentrates Power, Raising Systemic Risk
Spot Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds now hold over $54 billion, roughly 1.5 million BTC. The ETF structure places the underlying coins in a trust controlled by a handful of custodians, with Coinbase identified as the dominant custodian, creating a single point of operational failure.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Pepeto raises $7M in token presale
News•Jan 12, 2026
Bitcoin Loses to Gold as Debasement Trade with BTC at 2-Year Lows: Analysis
Precious metals have surged to new all‑time highs while Bitcoin stalls, slipping below 20 ounces of gold and reaching its lowest BTC/XAU ratio in two years. Analyst Karel Mercx argues that the long‑standing “debasement trade” narrative is broken, positioning gold and silver as the true hedges against fiat dilution. Meanwhile, the S&P 500’s weakening against gold adds pressure to the crypto market, with several commentators declaring Bitcoin’s four‑year cycle dead. The shift suggests investors are preferring traditional hard assets over the digital experiment.
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Wall Street Broker Benchmark Says This Could Be a Pivotal Week for Digital Assets
Wall Street broker Benchmark says the Senate’s upcoming market‑structure vote could finally codify how digital assets are regulated in the United States. By moving from political debate to legislative execution, the bill aims to end years of regulatory uncertainty that...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
BitMine Adds 24,000 Ether, but Warns Accumulation May Slow without Shareholder Approval
BitMine Immersion Technologies increased its Ethereum holdings by 24,266 ETH, bringing total assets to 4,167,768 ETH – roughly 3.45% of the circulating supply. The firm aims for a 5% stake but faces a funding ceiling after its $500 million equity authorization is exhausted....
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
Ethereum Set for 95% Copycat Rally Against Bitcoin
Ethereum’s Ether could post a near‑doubling rally versus Bitcoin if the ETH/BTC pair breaks decisively above the 0.042 BTC neckline. The move would complete an inverse head‑and‑shoulders pattern that previously delivered a 95% upside between 2019 and 2021. Analysts, including Michael...
By Cointelegraph
Blog•Jan 12, 2026
Buterin Calls for Ethereum Updates to Ensure Blockchain Outlasts Its Developers
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin urged the network to become self‑sustaining, coining a "walkaway test" that measures resilience when core developers step back. He argues the protocol should remain usable and secure without constant upgrades, relying on stable core rules. To...
By Camila Russo
News•Jan 12, 2026
Crypto Custody Company BitGo Seeks up to $201 Million in US IPO
BitGo Holdings filed an S‑1 to launch an IPO of 11.8 million Class A shares, targeting a price between $15 and $17 per share. The offering could raise up to $201 million and would value the crypto‑custody firm at roughly $1.96 billion. BitGo currently...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Strategy Makes Biggest Bitcoin Purchase Since July 2025, Adds $1.25B in BTC
Corporate Bitcoin investor Strategy announced a $1.25 billion purchase of 13,627 BTC, the largest acquisition since July 2025. The buy brings its total holdings to 687,410 BTC, valued at roughly $51.8 billion, with an average cost basis of $75,353 per coin. Funding...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Solana (SOL) Gains 3.1% as Index Trades Flat
The CoinDesk 20 index closed flat at 2,882.46 points on Tuesday, while Solana (SOL) surged 3.1% to become the day’s top performer. Ethereum (ETH) added a modest 0.9% gain, joining SOL among the leaders. Litecoin (LTC) and Hedera (HBAR) lagged, falling...
By CoinDesk
Social•Jan 12, 2026
Better UX Unlocks Zcash Privacy Adoption
The interest in ZEC and Privacy seems like it came out of nowhere, but more likely, it’s the result of a few elements coming together. One of the key elements is UX and accessibility: Zashi wallet and Near Intents made it easier...
By Eli Ben-Sasson
News•Jan 12, 2026
Two Major Crypto Events Canceled After City Hit by 18 Violent Physical Attacks on Crypto Holders Amid Market Downturn
NFT Paris and its sister event RWA Paris 2026 announced cancellation, citing the crypto market collapse and unsustainable cost cuts. The decision comes as France experiences a wave of 18 violent attacks targeting crypto holders, adding safety concerns for participants....
By CryptoSlate
News•Jan 12, 2026
Charles Hoskinson Doubts CLARITY Act Timeline, Says Trump Crypto Czar Should Quit
Charles Hoskinson warned that the US Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act is unlikely to clear Congress this quarter, citing the risk of a post‑midterm shift in House control. He called for Trump‑appointed crypto adviser David Sacks to step down if...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Bank of Italy Models Ethereum Risks if ETH Value Collapsed
The Bank of Italy released a research paper that simulates Ethereum’s security and settlement capacity if Ether’s price fell to zero, treating the blockchain as critical financial infrastructure rather than a speculative asset. The model shows that a sharp price...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Standard Chartered Said to Plan Crypto Brokerage, Trims ETH Forecast
Standard Chartered is in early‑stage talks to launch a crypto prime‑brokerage platform through its venture arm, SC Ventures, although no launch date is set. The bank recently trimmed its medium‑term Ether price forecast to $7,500 for end‑2026, down from $12,000,...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Vitalik Buterin Lays Out 'Walkaway Test' For a Quantum Safe Ethereum
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin introduced a "walkaway test" requiring the blockchain to remain secure and functional even if core developers cease major upgrades. He placed quantum resistance at the top of the agenda, urging cryptographic safeguards that last decades. Scalability targets...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
VelaFi Raises $20 Million in Series B to Expand Stablecoin Payments Infrastructure
VelaFi announced a $20 million Series B round led by XVC and Ikuyo, bringing its total capital raised above $40 million. The funding will accelerate the company’s expansion from Latin America into the United States and Asia, targeting enterprise customers seeking faster, lower‑cost...
By CoinDesk
Blog•Jan 12, 2026
Tether Freezes $182 Million in USDT on Tron
Tether froze roughly $182 million worth of USDT on the Tron network, blacklisting five addresses in a single‑day action. The amount exceeds the total USDC ever frozen by Circle, marking a historic enforcement move on Tron. Tether said the freeze responded...
By Laura Shin
News•Jan 12, 2026
Crypto Funds Bleed $454M in Outflows as Fed Rate-Cut Hopes Fade
Crypto exchange‑traded products (ETPs) recorded $454 million in outflows last week, with Bitcoin alone accounting for $405 million. The pullback follows waning expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in March, prompting investors to retreat from crypto exposure. Despite the weekly net...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
OKX Founder Defends Asset Freezes After User Admits Buying KYC Accounts
OKX founder and CEO Star Xu defended the exchange’s decision to freeze roughly $40,000 worth of USDG stablecoins after a user admitted purchasing four KYC‑verified accounts to sidestep mainland China restrictions. The accounts, originally registered to other individuals, triggered OKX’s risk...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Dubai Bans Privacy Tokens, Tightens Stablecoin Rules in Crypto Reset
Dubai’s Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has banned privacy‑focused crypto tokens, including Zcash and Monero, across the Dubai International Financial Centre effective Jan 12, 2026. The regulator also prohibited the use of mixers, tumblers and other obfuscation tools, citing AML and FATF...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
Bitcoin Treasury Firms Linked to Adam Back Sign Preliminary Agreement to Combine
Two Adam Back‑backed firms, Sweden’s H100 Group and Zurich’s Future Holdings AG, have signed a letter of intent to merge. H100, which already holds 1,046 BTC, aims to acquire Future, which recently raised $35 million to develop an institutional Bitcoin treasury platform....
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
SEC Delays PENGU and T. Rowe Crypto ETFs as Grayscale Seeks Options Green Light
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has extended its decision deadline on two crypto‑related exchange‑traded funds, the Canary PENGU NFT‑focused ETF and the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF, using the 19b‑4 rule‑change process. The extension gives the agency up to an additional...
By Cointelegraph
Podcast•Jan 12, 2026•32 min
#508: Irina Chuchkina, Chief Growth Office at Wallet In Telegram, on Super-Apps, Wallets, Tokenized Stocks, and Finance Inside Messaging Apps
In this episode, Irina Chuchkina, Chief Growth Officer of Wallet in Telegram, explains how the integrated wallet transforms Telegram into a super‑app by merging messaging, payments, identity and tokenized assets. She contrasts Telegram’s wallet with standalone crypto wallets, outlines the...
By CryptoNews Podcast
News•Jan 12, 2026
Tether’s Role in Venezuela, Iran Highlights the Duality of Stablecoins
Tether’s USDT has become both a financial lifeline and a sanctions‑evasion tool in Venezuela and Iran. In Caracas, citizens use the stablecoin for everyday payments, while PDVSA reportedly settles 80% of its oil revenue in USDT. Tehran’s protesters hedge against...
By Cointelegraph
Social•Jan 12, 2026
Starknet’s Infrastructure Powers Higher Perps Volume Than Ethereum
Thank you for your attention to this matter. It's telling that Starknet has more Perps Volume than what you'll find on Ethereum and Solana. That's surprising. You would have that that the massive liquidity and user base of those networks...
By Eli Ben-Sasson
Social•Jan 12, 2026
Senate Chair Booz
NEW: 🚨 Senate Agriculture Chair Boozman may delay the Jan. 15 crypto market structure markup to allow more progress in bipartisan talks. Both Agriculture and Banking Committees plan hearings and votes that day, with DeFi provisions still a key sticking point. Sources:...
By Wendy O
News•Jan 12, 2026
Most US Debanking Cases Stem From Government Pressure, Report Says
A new Cato Institute report finds that most U.S. debanking incidents stem from government pressure rather than banks’ own policies. The study categorizes debanking into religious, political, operational, and governmental types, highlighting direct actions like FDIC letters and indirect regulatory...
By Cointelegraph
Social•Jan 12, 2026
User UX and Builder Account Abstraction Drive Blockchain Mainstreaming
Mainstreaming blockchain to users will go through good UX. Mainstreaming blockchain to builders will go through native account abstraction.
By Eli Ben-Sasson
Social•Jan 12, 2026
BTC EMAs Near Crossover, Expect Short‑Term Overextension
#BTC The two Bull Market EMAs (green 21-week and purple 50-week) are on track to crossing over in the very near future Historically, Bitcoin has managed to briefly overextend beyond these two EMAs before failing to retest them as support $BTC #Crypto...
By Rekt Capital
News•Jan 12, 2026
South Korea to Lift Ban on Corporate Crypto Investment: Report
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission is set to overturn a nine‑year ban on corporate crypto investment, allowing listed firms and professional investors to allocate up to 5 % of their equity capital to digital assets. The new guidelines restrict purchases to...
By Cointelegraph
Social•Jan 12, 2026
Aave Beats ECB Rates, Driving Euro Deposits Up
Euro deposits are growing on Aave, and it’s no surprise. Over the past year, @aave has consistently beaten European Central Bank rates. DeFi will win. https://t.co/XZdAAibbPE
By Stani Kulechov
Social•Jan 12, 2026
UAE Turns Surplus Energy Into Low‑Cost Bitcoin Storage
UAE's peak energy demand are 3 days in the summer. Their capacity covers that. For the rest of the year, they have a surplus of energy, (some of) which gets converted to bitcoin. Durable store of value with lowest storage...
By Changpeng Zhao
News•Jan 12, 2026
Top UK Labour Lawmakers Push to Ban Political Donations Made in Crypto
Seven senior Labour MPs have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging a ban on cryptocurrency‑based political donations, arguing the assets obscure donor identities and invite foreign interference. The letter, signed by committee chairs including Liam Byrne, calls for transparent,...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 12, 2026
Bitcoin Rises 1%, Nasdaq Futures and Dollar Drop as Trump-Powell Feud Escalates
Bitcoin rose 1% to roughly $92,000 on Monday, breaking its usual correlation with U.S. equity futures as Nasdaq contracts slipped 0.8% and the dollar index fell to 99.00. The price move occurred amid an intensifying public feud between President Donald...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 12, 2026
Privacy Tokens Rally as XMR Breaks All-Time High
Monero (XMR) surged to a fresh all‑time high of $579, up more than 20% in a single day, leading a rally among privacy‑focused tokens such as Zcash. The move came as Bitcoin remained flat around $90,600, highlighting a rotation into...
By CoinDesk
Social•Jan 11, 2026
Privacy Poised to Dominate Crypto Trends Through 2026
Will the privacy meta endure in 2026⁉️ @AvgJoesCrypto says “privacy is probably in a super trend” 👇 https://t.co/23bXwWb4mm
By Laura Shin
Social•Jan 11, 2026
Structural Shift May Revive Select Altcoins After 2025 Crash
After a brutal 2025 for altcoins, is there any reason for optimism? @perkinscr97 explains the one structural shift that could give select alts a second life 👇 https://t.co/90ffNnmMPF
By Laura Shin
News•Jan 11, 2026
JPMorgan Downplays Stablecoin Threat as Local Bankers Warn of $6.6 Trillion Risk
Community bankers, led by the ABA, warned that up to $6.6 trillion of deposits could shift to stablecoins if yield incentives remain unchecked, urging tighter enforcement of the GENIUS Act. JPMorgan, however, downplayed the systemic risk, framing stablecoins as a complementary...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 11, 2026
Elon Musks's X Teases Crypto-Aware ‘Smart Cashtags’ Just Day After Community Backlash
Elon Musk’s platform X is testing “Smart Cashtags,” a crypto‑aware tagging system that lets users attach specific digital assets or smart contracts to their posts and view real‑time price data and related conversations. The feature, highlighted by Solana Labs, will...
By CoinDesk
Social•Jan 11, 2026
Beyond Coinbase and Robinhood: A Dark Horse Super‑App Contender
The race to create the ultimate “super app” or “everything app” is on, with Coinbase and Robinhood widely seen as the main contenders. But there may be an overlooked dark horse, @yeak__ says 👀 https://t.co/nph1JQtO5g
By Laura Shin
News•Jan 11, 2026
Monero's XMR Hits $500 for the First Time Since 2021 as Rival Zcash Fumbles
Monero (XMR) surged past $500 on Sunday, its first breach of that level since May 2021, gaining over 6% in a day and 20% weekly. The rally coincided with a governance crisis at rival privacy coin Zcash, where the Electric Coin...
By Cointelegraph
Social•Jan 11, 2026
X Adds Crypto Charts Amid Ongoing Content Suppression
X announced the launch of Smart Cashtags so that users can see charts and price data. This is very much a crypto feature. Crypto content is being suppressed. 6+7 = 69 https://t.co/Z70cQiekKt
By Wendy O
Social•Jan 11, 2026
New
Opinions: - ZK Rollups > Optimistic Rollups - STARKs > SNARKs - Cairo > Solidity - Native AA > added AA Do any of the above need explanation?
By Eli Ben-Sasson
News•Jan 11, 2026
Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Warns Decentralized Stablecoins Still Have Deep Flaws
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin warned that decentralized stablecoins remain fundamentally flawed, citing reliance on a US‑dollar peg, vulnerable oracle designs, and hidden costs from staking yields. He argued that tying stablecoins to a single fiat currency limits resilience to macro‑economic...
By CoinDesk
Social•Jan 11, 2026
Ethereum's Idealism May Undermine Its Practical Success
Is Ethereum's idealism standing in the way of its success? 👀 @intangiblecoins worries that the network may be building for a vision that never comes 😬 https://t.co/VrBK9hfIc6
By Laura Shin
News•Jan 11, 2026
Ethereum’s Future Hinges on Zero-Knowledge Proofs, EF Director Says
Ethereum Foundation co‑executive director Hsiao‑Wei Wang announced that zero‑knowledge cryptography is moving from rollup layer‑2 solutions to a native protocol feature in Ethereum’s mid‑term roadmap. Recent breakthroughs in zk‑proof efficiency make a native zkEVM feasible, promising lower verification costs and...
By CoinDesk
News•Jan 11, 2026
Russians Ask Government Hotlines Whether Pensions Are Paid in Crypto
Russians are increasingly calling the Social Fund to ask if pensions can be paid in cryptocurrency, prompting officials to reiterate that all benefits are disbursed in rubles. The surge in crypto‑related queries coincides with Russia becoming Europe’s largest crypto market,...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 11, 2026
CryptoQuant Founder Slams X for Penalizing Crypto Content Instead of Bots
CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju accused X of suppressing legitimate crypto content while a flood of automated posts swamped the platform, noting a spike to 7.7 million crypto‑related posts in a single day—a 1,200% increase. He blamed X’s algorithmic crackdown and a paid...
By Cointelegraph
News•Jan 11, 2026
Bitcoin’s $25 Billion Legacy Exodus Secretly Cemented Wall Street’s Grip on Liquidity Within 2 Years
In January 2024 the SEC approved the first U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, instantly delivering $4.6 billion of trading volume and opening a mainstream distribution channel. Over the subsequent two years the ETF complex has amassed $56.63 billion of net inflows, with BlackRock's...
By CryptoSlate
News•Jan 11, 2026
Deep Dive: Inside Circle’s Payments Network
Circle launched the Circle Payments Network (CPN), an open, stablecoin‑based infrastructure that lets banks and fintechs settle cross‑border payments in near‑real‑time using USDC. The network acts as a coordination layer, handling FX quoting, AML/KYC data, and on‑chain token transfer while...
By Finextra
News•Jan 11, 2026
Samson Mow Tips Elon Musk Will ‘Go Hard’ Into Bitcoin in 2026
Samson Mow, co‑founder of Bitcoin mining firm, warned that Elon Musk will "go hard" into Bitcoin in 2026, signaling a potential shift in the billionaire’s stance after Tesla’s 2021 pull‑back. Mow also projected Bitcoin’s price could soar to $1.33 million, a...
By Cointelegraph