Invest ideasNews
28 Jan 2026, 11:23
Bitwise Says Crypto Has Until 2029 to Prove Its Worth – Can It Deliver?
Crypto markets face a critical three-year window to demonstrate real-world utility as legislative uncertainty threatens to derail industry momentum, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. The stark timeline emerged as the CLARITY Act’s passage odds tumbled from 80% to roughly 50% following recent setbacks, including public criticism from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who called provisions in the current draft “ catastrophic .” Hougan warned that failure to pass comprehensive regulation would force digital assets into what he described as a “ show me ” period. Crypto would need to become indispensable to everyday Americans and traditional finance by 2029 or risk punitive legislation under future administrations. Three Years to Prove Crypto’s Real-World Value The urgency stems from crypto’s fragile regulatory foundation, which Hougan said could crumble without legislative protection. He pointed to historical precedents in which disruptive technologies bent regulations through mass adoption, citing Uber and Airbnb as examples that became so popular that lawmakers could not block them. “ If, at the end of three years, we’re all using stablecoins and trading tokenized stocks, we’ll get positive crypto legislation regardless of who is in charge, ” Hougan wrote in Monday’s client note. “ But if crypto is instead still operating on the edges, a change in Washington could be a huge setback. “ The warning carries weight as Congressional momentum has stalled across multiple committees. Senate Banking postponed its CLARITY Act markup indefinitely after Armstrong withdrew Coinbase’s support , pivoting instead to housing legislation following President Trump’s affordability push. Meanwhile, Senate Agriculture pressed forward with alternative legislation despite failing to secure Democratic backing, scheduling a markup for Thursday that now faces disruption from Washington’s looming government shutdown deadline. Senate Agriculture Committee advances crypto bill for January 27 markup without Democratic support as Banking delays CLARITY Act over stablecoin disputes. #ClarityAct #Stablecoin https://t.co/Wjz1vpYh5d — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 22, 2026 Senator Roger Marshall agreed not to offer a controversial amendment to the credit card swipe fee during Thursday’s Senate Agriculture Committee markup, removing a threat that had jeopardized Republican support for the underlying crypto bill. The Kansas Republican had filed an amendment seeking to force payment networks to compete on swipe fees, pitting the finance industry against major retailers. White House officials became directly involved in preventing the amendment’s consideration, with sources confirming it would have “jeopardized” passage of legislation the administration is pressing to advance. Gold’s Surge Signals Deeper Shift in Institutional Trust Hougan linked crypto’s regulatory challenges to gold’s stunning rally past $5,000 per ounce, arguing both reflect eroding confidence in centralized institutions. Gold gained 65% in 2025 and another 16% in 2026, with roughly half its dollar value created in just 20 months despite thousands of years as a store of value. Source: Bitwise “ It shows that people no longer want to keep all of their wealth in a format that relies on the good graces of others ,” Hougan wrote, noting central banks doubled annual gold purchases after the US froze Russia’s treasury assets in 2022. German economists recently urged repatriation of gold held at the New York Federal Reserve, while a Norwegian government panel warned sovereign wealth funds face “ increased taxation, regulatory intervention and even confiscation ” in the current geopolitical climate. Crypto’s core features could become increasingly valuable as institutional trust declines. Assets like Bitcoin enable ownership without centralized intermediaries, while networks like Ethereum and Solana operate under rules no single authority can alter. If CLARITY passes, Hougan expects markets to rally sharply as investors price in guaranteed growth for stablecoins and tokenization. Source: Bitwise Failure would trigger a “ wait and see ” market where optimism wrestles with prolonged regulatory uncertainty. Just like many others, Investment bank TD Cowen has warned legislation could slip to 2027 as lawmakers position for midterm elections, with full implementation potentially delayed until 2029. Despite legislative turbulence, market fundamentals appear solid. Bitwise’s Q4 2025 report identified signs of a bear-market bottom , citing record Ethereum transaction volumes, surging stablecoin market capitalization above $300 billion, and Uniswap processing more volume than Coinbase. A Coinbase-Glassnode survey also found 70% of institutions view Bitcoin as undervalued despite fourth-quarter volatility that erased nearly a third of its value from peaks above $125,000. The post Bitwise Says Crypto Has Until 2029 to Prove Its Worth – Can It Deliver? appeared first on Cryptonews .
28 Jan 2026, 11:14
Tether emerges as big winner of gold rally
More on Tether Whale's Digital Asset View: Invest In Stablecoins - Part 2 Tether proposes to buy Exor's majority stake in Juventus Football Club Tether's ability to maintain dollar peg downgraded to 'weak' at S&P Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Tether USD Financial information for Tether USD
28 Jan 2026, 11:00
Steak ’N Shake Boosts Bitcoin Holdings After 18% Rise In Store Sales
Steak ’n Shake said this week that it quietly beefed up its Bitcoin stash as in-store sales jumped. The chain added $5 million in BTC to what it calls a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, bringing total crypto holdings to roughly $15 million. Reports say the company pointed to crypto payments as one of the reasons same-store sales rose by 18% so far in 2026. Steak ’N Shake’s Bitcoin Move According to the brand’s social posts, every crypto payment made at its restaurants goes straight into that reserve instead of being cashed out. This has let the reserve grow both from customer purchases and from occasional treasury buys. The latest post announced the $5 million top-up after an earlier disclosure that the reserve had been boosted by $10 million in January. Steak n Shake’s Burger-to-Bitcoin transformation continues. Today we increased our Bitcoin exposure by $5,000,000 in notional value. All Bitcoin sales go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Our self-sustaining system — improving food quality that grows same-store sales that… — Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) January 27, 2026 What The Numbers Mean On paper, $15 million is small next to big corporate treasuries that hold BTC. Still, for a restaurant chain, it is a visible bet. Reports note the company began accepting crypto across some locations in May 2025, and it claims that the payment option helped draw a certain kind of customer and cut payment fees. That combination, the company says, helped lift traffic and sales. Eight months ago today, Steak n Shake launched its burger-to-Bitcoin transformation when we started accepting bitcoin payments. Our same-store sales have risen dramatically ever since. All Bitcoin sales go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Today we increased our Bitcoin… — Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) January 17, 2026 Employee Bonuses And Publicity The crypto story has also been used in staff talk. Steak ’n Shake announced a small BTC bonus plan for hourly workers, paid in BTC and subject to vesting rules. That move created headlines and some debate, since paying workers in crypto raises practical and legal questions. The chain has been clear about wanting the reserve to support company goals rather than be a quick trading play. A Practical Experiment This is not a tech fad. The company has been running a simple experiment: accept BTC, keep the crypto, and see if it helps sales or loyalty. Some outlets reported the same-store sales gains as double digits in various quarters last year, and the company’s narrative ties those gains to the crypto program. Independent audits or formal filings that fully confirm the sales-to-crypto link are not yet public. How Observers See It Analysts and market observers have treated the move as an interesting case study. Some see a marketing win; others call it a small but symbolic treasury play. There are risks: BTC price swings can change the value of the reserve quickly, and operational issues around crypto pay can create friction at the counter. Still, the chain appears committed for now, and that consistency matters in a crowded retail field. Featured image from NSU Dining Services , chart from TradingView
28 Jan 2026, 10:21
SpaceX targets blockbuster $50B IPO
SpaceX is planning to go public in mid-June, with Elon Musk choosing the date to match up with an unusual sky event and his own birthday, according to five sources close to the matter. The rocket company wants to time its stock market debut with a rare planetary alignment when Jupiter and Venus will appear extremely close together for the first time in over three years. The company hopes to bring in up to $50 billion through the offering, which would put its total worth at around $1.5 trillion. If successful, this would break records as the biggest initial public offering ever seen, easily beating the $29 billion that Saudi Aramco raised back in 2019. However, sources war n th ese numbers could still change before any final decisions are made. Planetary alignment and personal significance The Financial Times reported last week that SpaceX has selected Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley to handle the major deal. During June 8 and 9, Jupiter and Venus will sit “within a little more than 1 degree of each other in the sky, about the width of a thumb held at arm’s length,” The Planetary Society explained. Mercury will join them in a diagonal line several days afterward. Musk’s birthday falls on June 28, giving him another reason to pick that month for the listing, the sources said. This unusual scheduling shows how much Musk personally shapes SpaceX’s big decisions. The billionaire’s own views and interests often guide the company’s direction, from setting aggressive production goals to using management styles that break from tradition. Musk has made jokes about business choices before. Back in 2018, he posted on social media about taking Tesla private at $420 per share. Many people thought the number referred to April 20, a date linked to marijuana culture. More recently, after arguing online about Ryanair purchasing Starlink internet service for its aircraft, Musk said this mont h he might buy the low-cost airline and replace its boss Michael O’Leary with someone named Ryan. Concerns over timeline and funding goals Not everyone thinks a June launch makes sense. Some bankers and investors say the schedule seems too rushed. They point out that SpaceX still needs to submit a Form S-1 document to the Securities and Exchange Commission announcing its plan to list shares. The company also needs to organize a worldwide roadshow to pitch the stock to potential buyers. Market conditions add more uncertainty. President Donald Trump keeps threatening new tariffs and trying to influence Federal Reserve decisions on interest rates, making it harder to predict how investors will respond, these sources noted. Bret Johnsen, who serves as chief financial officer, has been meeting and video calling with current private investors since mid-December to discuss a possible mid-2026 public offering. Both large institutions and regular individual investors are expected to show strong interest in buying SpaceX shares . These groups have not been able to purchase stock before because the company stayed private. Musk wants to take SpaceX public partly because the company needs more money to build its Starship rocket system, which aims to reach Mars, some sources explained. SpaceX has told investor s it is working on technology to set up data centers in space . These would connect through its network of 9,400 Starlink satellites. Musk thinks this capability is necessary if his group of companies wants to compete in artificial intelligence against rivals like Google and OpenAI. In December, the rocket company discussed a private share sale that would have valued it at $800 billion. This represented more than double its earlier value of nearly $400 billion. Last year, SpaceX put $2 billion into xAI, another business owned by Musk. He combined xAI with social media platform X in March. The billionaire has also mentioned wanting his electric car company Tesla to invest money in xAI. Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.
28 Jan 2026, 10:02
Top Investment Manager Says U.S. Could Revalue Bitcoin to $1M in Radical Monetary Reset
Investment manager Lawrence Lepard outlines a scenario in which the Trump administration could execute a dramatic monetary reset centered on Bitcoin and gold. He shared this view on a recent episode of the What Bitcoin Did podcast. Visit Website
28 Jan 2026, 09:54
Bitcoin May Break Out If Fed Steps In to Rescue Japan Bonds
Bitcoin BTC might finally see movement after weeks of trading flat if the US Federal Reserve steps in to support Japan’s bond market , according to BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes.
