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20 Jan 2026, 13:00

Ray Dalio warns U.S. debt and tariffs may open door to replace dollar as global reserve asset

Ray Dalio thinks 2026 is the year the dollar finally cracks and loses its world reserve currency. Wonder what could replace it? Perhaps the world’s current best-performing currency; the Russian ruble . Back in April 2025, Ray warned that the global monetary system was starting to break. At the time, the U.S. national debt was already above $36 trillion, and Uncle Sam was neck-deep, drowning in interest rate payments on the debt. The warning came before markets fully reacted. Since then, pressure has built from every direction. U.S. debt has kept rising. Trade tensions have not cooled, thanks to Mr. Donald Trump. Ray Dalio links US national debt stress to gold and crypto demand In an interview with the Financial Times, Ray was asked if deregulation threatened the dollar’s reserve role. He said no. He pointed instead to debt. “I do see the dollar and the other reserve currency governments’ bad debt situations as threatening to their appeals as reserve currencies and storeholds of wealth,” Ray said. He added that this is what has been pushing gold and cryptocurrency prices higher. Ray was also asked about stablecoins holding U.S. Treasuries. He said he did not see that as a systemic risk. “I don’t think so,” he said. But he did flag a separate issue. “I see a fall in the real purchasing power of Treasuries as being a real risk.” He said stablecoins should avoid wider problems if they are well regulated. When asked if crypto could replace the dollar, Ray said crypto now works as an alternative currency. “Crypto is now an alternative currency that has its supply limited,” he said. He explained that if dollar supply rises or demand drops, crypto becomes more attractive. He also said most fiat currencies with large debts struggle to store value. Ray pointed to history. He said this played out in the 1930s and 1940s and again in the 1970s and 1980s. Sanctions and market stress push dollar’s reserve status doubts deeper Gold and silver prices have both hit record highs as the U.S. dollar weakened. David Wilson from BNP Paribas spoke to Bloomberg about the gold rally. He said gold at $5,000 per ounce once sounded extreme. “It looked like a big target,” David said. He added that it is now within sight. Bitcoin has sadly not shared that momentum. Traders are betting price weakness continues. Geopolitical tension is hurting risk appetite. Nic Puckrin from Coin Bureau said pressure could remain. “From here, it’s likely we’ll see further downside unless buyers step in,” Nic said. He pointed to strong support near $88,000. He also said fears tied to Greenland could get worse before easing. VanEck tied the reserve currency debate to earlier crises. The firm said concern became real after repeated monetary and fiscal support during the global financial crisis. It intensified after the U.S. sanctioned Russia’s central bank reserves. VanEck said this forced a rethink of what reserve assets actually mean. They said they began reviewing this issue in August 2012 after studying the financial crisis in detail. At the time, the crisis was described as a rare event. Later analysis showed deeper structural flaws. VanEck pointed to work by Laurence Kotlikoff and reporting by Mark Pittman and Bob Ivry, who sued the Federal Reserve for documents and won. VanEck said the Fed and Treasury backstopped the global system in 2008. The same approach returned during the 2020 lockdowns. That confirmed monetary support was no longer temporary. Sanctions added urgency. Freezing central bank reserves raised the risk of total asset loss driven by politics. Economists described that move as a form of default. VanEck said this is the opposite of what reserve managers want. Sanctions were imposed by countries with heavy financing needs, showing how far policymakers are willing to go. That shift pushed gold higher again. For reserve managers, doubts around the dollar are no longer theoretical. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

20 Jan 2026, 12:51

Gold +70% Since Last Year Near ~$4,736 — Can Bitcoin’s 2026 Rally Catch Up?

Gold prices climbed to a fresh record on Jan. 20, 2026, extending a months-long rally and setting a new all-time high near $4,736 per ounce , according to market data shown on the chart. The move capped a steady advance that accelerated in the final quarter of 2025 and continued into the new year. The latest surge pushed gold decisively above prior resistance levels seen in November and December, when prices briefly pulled back after sharp gains. By mid-January, buying pressure resumed, lifting the metal through successive highs and into record territory. At the peak, prices traded just under $4,736 before easing slightly. Over the past year, gold has risen from the $2,700 range, marking a gain of more than 70% from the 52-week low near $2,703. The chart shows a long period of consolidation during mid-2025, followed by a strong breakout starting in early autumn. That breakout defined the current cycle and carried prices to repeated highs. The new record also stands far above gold’s all-time low of about $866, recorded in April 2009. Since then, the metal has logged a cumulative increase of more than 440%, reflecting a prolonged upward trend across multiple market cycles. Market data on the chart indicates relatively low volatility near 2.3% at the time of the peak, alongside a bullish sentiment reading. Gold’s total market capitalization was shown near $17.85 trillion as prices hovered close to the record level. While prices edged slightly below the intraday high after setting the record, gold remained near its cycle high, signaling that the broader uptrend stayed intact at the time of the reading. Exness Flags Safe Haven Bid as Gold Ranges Near Record High Gold rose as investors weighed trade conflict concerns, which lifted demand for safe haven assets, according to broker Exness. In an X post, Exness said XAUUSD held in a narrow 4,655 to 4,680 range near record levels while price action stayed consolidated. Gold XAUUSD Four Hour Chart. Source: Exness On the 4 hour chart shared by Exness, candles repeatedly tested the 4,680 area without a clean break, while support held closer to 4,655. That back and forth kept gold pinned near the top of its recent advance instead of triggering a sharp reversal. Exness said a move above 4,680 could open the way toward 4,720, which it marked as the 161.8% Fibonacci extension level.

20 Jan 2026, 12:40

USDC Minted: The Strategic 250 Million Dollar Injection Reshaping Crypto Liquidity

BitcoinWorld USDC Minted: The Strategic 250 Million Dollar Injection Reshaping Crypto Liquidity On-chain analytics platform Whale Alert reported a significant transaction on March 21, 2025, drawing immediate attention from the global cryptocurrency community. The data confirmed that 250 million USDC, the world’s second-largest stablecoin, was minted at the official USDC Treasury. This substantial issuance represents a pivotal liquidity event with potential ramifications for decentralized finance (DeFi), institutional adoption, and broader market stability. Consequently, analysts are scrutinizing the move for signals about capital allocation strategies and underlying demand in the digital asset ecosystem. Understanding the 250 Million USDC Minted Event The process of minting stablecoins like USDC is fundamentally different from mining proof-of-work cryptocurrencies. Instead, it involves the issuer, Circle, creating new digital tokens in response to verified deposits of U.S. dollars. When a qualified institution deposits $250 million with a regulated banking partner, Circle’s smart contracts then generate an equivalent amount of USDC on supported blockchains. This mechanism ensures each token remains fully backed by cash and short-duration U.S. Treasuries. Blockchain explorers show the minting transaction originating from the designated USDC Treasury address. The freshly created tokens typically move to intermediary addresses before reaching exchanges, institutional desks, or DeFi protocols. This specific 250 million USDC minted event follows established compliance frameworks. It highlights robust demand for dollar-pegged digital assets, especially as traditional finance continues integrating blockchain solutions. The Role of Treasury Operations Circle’s treasury operations function as the central hub for managing USDC’s supply. The team coordinates with a consortium of global financial institutions to process redemptions and mint new tokens. A mint of this scale usually indicates one of several scenarios. First, a major trading firm or corporation may be preparing to enter crypto markets. Second, a DeFi protocol could be securing liquidity for a new lending pool. Finally, it might signal strategic reserves being established ahead of anticipated market volatility. Historical Context and Market Impact of Large Stablecoin Mints Historically, large-scale stablecoin minting events have preceded periods of increased trading activity and capital inflows into cryptocurrency markets. For instance, similar USDC and USDT mints in early 2021 correlated with bullish market momentum and expanding DeFi total value locked (TVL). Analysts monitor these events because they represent new, liquid capital entering the ecosystem, ready for deployment. The immediate impact of the 250 million USDC minted is multifaceted. Primarily, it increases the overall liquidity available for trading pairs across centralized and decentralized exchanges. This enhanced liquidity can lead to tighter bid-ask spreads, reducing costs for large traders. Furthermore, it provides essential fuel for DeFi lending platforms like Aave and Compound, where USDC is a cornerstone collateral asset. Enhanced Market Depth: Large mints improve order book depth on exchanges. DeFi Yield Opportunities: New USDC often flows into yield-generating protocols. Institutional Signal: Such moves can signal institutional preparation for asset allocation. Market data from the past 24 hours shows a slight increase in USDC lending rates on major platforms, suggesting active borrowing of the new supply. However, the stablecoin’s peg to the U.S. dollar has remained exceptionally stable, trading within a 0.1% band, which underscores the efficiency of arbitrage mechanisms. Comparison to Previous Issuance Cycles Date Amount Minted Subsequent Market Context (30-Day) Jan 2023 500M USDC Preceded a 22% rise in total crypto market cap. Jul 2024 180M USDC Coincided with a surge in institutional DeFi activity. Mar 2025 250M USDC Current event; analysts monitoring for similar patterns. Expert Analysis on Stablecoin Liquidity and Regulation Financial technology experts emphasize the systemic importance of transparent stablecoin operations. Dr. Anya Sharma, a blockchain economist at the Digital Finance Institute, notes that mints of this magnitude are now routine. “The 250 million USDC minted is a sign of maturation,” she stated in a recent research brief. “It reflects predictable demand from regulated entities rather than speculative fervor. The market now interprets these events through the lens of infrastructure growth and compliance.” Regulatory clarity in key jurisdictions, including the EU’s MiCA framework and evolving U.S. guidelines, has provided a more stable operating environment for issuers like Circle. This regulatory progress encourages traditional financial institutions to utilize stablecoins for settlement and treasury management. Consequently, large mints are increasingly linked to real-world asset (RWA) tokenization projects and cross-border payment corridors, not just crypto trading. Moreover, the transparency of the minting process, verified on public blockchains, aligns with 2025 standards for financial auditing and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Every unit of the 250 million USDC minted is traceable from inception, providing an audit trail superior to many traditional financial instruments. Conclusion The report of 250 million USDC minted by the Circle Treasury is a significant liquidity event with deep implications for the cryptocurrency market. It underscores the growing demand for regulated, dollar-denominated digital assets from both institutional and decentralized finance participants. This mint enhances market liquidity, supports DeFi ecosystems, and signals continued integration between traditional and digital finance. As stablecoins like USDC become more embedded in global finance, transparent operations and sizable, compliant minting events will remain critical indicators of ecosystem health and capital flow trends. FAQs Q1: What does it mean when USDC is “minted”? Minting USDC refers to the creation of new tokens by the issuer, Circle. This process occurs when a verified partner deposits an equivalent amount of U.S. dollars into reserved accounts. The new tokens are then issued on a blockchain, expanding the total circulating supply. Q2: Who requested the 250 million USDC to be minted? Circle does not publicly disclose the specific entity behind individual mint requests due to commercial confidentiality. However, the requester is always a verified institutional client or partner that has undergone strict compliance checks and deposited the corresponding fiat currency. Q3: Does minting new USDC cause inflation? No, it does not cause monetary inflation in the traditional sense. Each USDC token is programmatically backed 1:1 by cash and short-term U.S. Treasury holdings. The minting process simply creates a digital representation of an existing dollar deposit, not new fiat currency. Q4: How does this mint affect the price of Bitcoin or Ethereum? While not directly correlated, large stablecoin mints increase available on-chain liquidity. Historically, this liquidity often facilitates trading and investment into major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, potentially providing support for their prices by making it easier to execute large buys. Q5: Is my USDC safe after a large minting event? Yes, the safety of USDC is based on the full reserve backing and regulatory compliance of Circle, not on the size of a mint. The reserves are attested to monthly by a major independent accounting firm. A large mint is a standard operational process that does not affect the redeemability or peg stability of existing tokens. This post USDC Minted: The Strategic 250 Million Dollar Injection Reshaping Crypto Liquidity first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

20 Jan 2026, 12:22

UK Regulators “Exposing Consumers to Serious Harm” as AI Oversight Gaps Widen — Committee Warns

The regulators in the U.K. are being cautioned that their existing approach to artificial intelligence in financial services may expose consumers to severe harm, as loopholes in regulation increase when AI is taking off more rapidly in the industry. The Treasury Select Committee has issued this warning, saying the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and HM Treasury have been over-reliant on a wait-and-see strategy when AI is already in the heart of financial decision-making. In a report published on January 20, the committee said the pace of AI adoption has outstripped the regulators’ ability to manage its risks. Approximately 75% of financial services companies in the UK are currently employing AI, with the most intense adoption amongst insurers and major global banks. Although MPs admitted that AI is able to enhance efficiency, accelerate customer services, and enhance cyber defenses, they concluded that all that is being compromised by unaddressed risks to both consumers and financial stability. Lawmakers Say UK’s AI Approach in Finance Is Too Reactive Currently, there is no specific AI legislation for financial services in the UK. Rather, regulators use pre-existing rules and claim they are flexible enough to include new technologies. The FCA has pointed to the Consumer Duty and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime as providing sufficient protection, while the Bank of England has said its role is to respond when problems arise rather than regulate AI in advance. The committee rejected this position, saying it places too much responsibility on firms to interpret complex rules on their own. AI-driven decisions in credit and insurance are often opaque, making it difficult for customers to understand or challenge outcomes. Automated product tailoring could deepen financial exclusion, particularly for vulnerable groups. Unregulated financial advice generated by AI tools risks misleading users, while the use of AI by criminals could increase fraud . A 2024 @chainalysis report reveals that cryptocurrency scams defrauded victims of at least $9.9 billion, with AI-powered fraud and pig butchering scams surging by 40%. #CryptoScams #CryptoFraud #AI https://t.co/Mt5c5XXmOL — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) February 13, 2025 The committee said these issues are not hypothetical and require more than monitoring after the fact. Regulators have taken some steps, including the creation of an AI Consortium and voluntary testing schemes such as the FCA’s AI Live Testing and Supercharged Sandbox. However, MPs said these initiatives reach only a small number of firms and do not provide the clarity the wider market needs. Industry participants told the committee that the current approach is reactive, leaving firms uncertain about accountability, especially when AI systems behave in unpredictable ways. AI Risks Rise as UK Regulators Lag on Testing and Oversight The report also raised concerns about financial stability, as AI could amplify cyber risks, concentrate operational dependence on a small number of US-based cloud providers, and intensify herding behavior in markets. Despite this, neither the FCA nor the Bank of England currently runs AI-specific stress tests. Members of the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee said such testing could be valuable, but no timetable has been set. Reliance on third-party technology providers was another focus. Although Parliament created the Critical Third Parties Regime in 2023 to give regulators oversight of firms providing essential services, no major AI or cloud provider has yet been designated. This delay persists despite high-profile outages, including an Amazon Web Services disruption in October 2025 that affected major UK banks. Multiple major platforms — including Snapchat, Amazon, Coinbase, — went down early Monday due to an AWS outage. #AWS #Outage https://t.co/tsgRVsx830 — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 20, 2025 The committee said the slow rollout of the regime leaves the financial system exposed. The findings land as the UK continues to promote a pro-innovation, principles-based AI strategy aimed at supporting growth while avoiding heavy-handed regulation. The government has backed this stance through initiatives such as the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Safety Institute . However, MPs said ambition must be matched with action. The post UK Regulators “Exposing Consumers to Serious Harm” as AI Oversight Gaps Widen — Committee Warns appeared first on Cryptonews .

20 Jan 2026, 12:05

World Economic Forum Makes Big Statement On Ripple (XRP) Usage By Banks

Global payment systems still rely on infrastructure built decades ago. Banks continue to route funds through multiple intermediaries, creating delays, high costs, and operational risk. As financial institutions search for efficiency, past evaluations of blockchain-based payment rails such as Ripple are gaining renewed relevance. That renewed attention followed a post by crypto researcher SMQKE on X, which referenced a World Economic Forum document examining Ripple’s technology. The post resurfaced institutional commentary that assessed Ripple’s protocol from a practical banking perspective rather than a speculative one. This context has renewed discussion about Ripple’s long-standing role in payment modernization. World Economic Forum’s Early View on Ripple The document highlighted by SMQKE originated from a 2015 World Economic Forum report focused on the future of financial services. In that report, the WEF evaluated distributed ledger technologies with the potential to improve interbank payments. It identified Ripple’s protocol as a viable system for real-time payment and settlement between banks. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM DOCUMENT NAMES RIPPLE AS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE RAIL TO TRADITIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS “If usage of the Ripple protocol were to expand to other banks, it could be EASILY used for real-time payment and settlement BETWEEN these institutions with NO automated… pic.twitter.com/VISQFbBtHs — SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) January 19, 2026 The report emphasized that broader bank adoption could allow institutions to transact directly. This structure would remove the need for automated clearing houses and correspondent banks. The WEF framed Ripple as infrastructure capable of reducing friction across global payment flows. Institutional Testing Through Fidor Bank The World Economic Forum supported its analysis by referencing Fidor Bank’s internal use of Ripple’s protocol. According to the report, Fidor successfully tested the system for internal transfers. This example demonstrated that Ripple’s technology could function within regulated banking environments. This case study strengthened the WEF’s assessment because it showed operational usage. It confirmed that blockchain-based settlement could integrate with existing banking systems without compromising compliance or oversight. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Implications for Cross-Border Banking The report outlined structural inefficiencies in correspondent banking. Traditional models depend on multiple intermediaries, pre-funded accounts, and delayed reconciliation. Ripple’s protocol offered a direct alternative that enabled real-time settlement and greater transparency. These efficiency gains remain relevant today. Banks still face pressure to reduce costs and settlement times, especially in cross-border transactions. The WEF’s analysis suggested that technology, rather than regulation, drives many existing limitations. Why the Assessment Still Matters Today Although published in 2015, the WEF’s conclusions continue to resonate. Ripple has since expanded enterprise adoption and refined its payment solutions. Regulatory clarity has also improved across key markets. The document’s significance lies in its source. The World Economic Forum evaluated Ripple before widespread crypto adoption and before today’s market narratives. That early institutional validation reinforces Ripple’s position as a payments-focused network designed to solve real banking challenges, not a concept built on speculation. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are urged to do in-depth research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post World Economic Forum Makes Big Statement On Ripple (XRP) Usage By Banks appeared first on Times Tabloid .

20 Jan 2026, 11:30

Bitcoin Axed By Top Wall Street Strategist On Quantum Fears

Jefferies strategist Chris Wood has removed Bitcoin from his long-term model portfolio, citing quantum computing as a risk that weakens Bitcoin’s store-of-value framing for pension-style allocations. VanEck head of research Matthew Sigel flagged the change on X, calling it a notable “downgrade” from one of the Street’s most widely followed global strategists. Veteran Strategist Chris Wood Exits Bitcoin Wood wrote that he is not positioning for an imminent price shock, but that the long-duration mandate is where the quantum question bites. “While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio,” Wood wrote. “For that reason, GREED & fear will remove the 10% allocation to Bitcoin this week with 5% reallocated to gold and 5% reallocated to gold-mining stocks.” The move is framed as risk management rather than a retrospective performance critique. Wood noted that despite gold’s recent outperformance versus Bitcoin, Bitcoin remained well ahead since his model first added it: Bitcoin had risen 325% since December 17, 2020, while gold bullion was up 145% over the same period. In a note dated January 15, 2026, Wood described how the quantum discussion has moved from abstract theory into something asset allocators are being asked to underwrite. “GREED & fear is no pure mathematician,” he wrote, adding that he has found himself pulled into conversations about “elliptic curves” because of “the growing focus in recent months on the threat posed to the Bitcoin system by the arrival of quantum computing .” His core claim is that the perceived timeline is compressing. He referenced rising concern that cryptographically relevant quantum computers could arrive “a few years away rather than a decade or more,” and argued that any credible threat to Bitcoin’s security model is “potentially existential” because it undermines the store-of-value concept that underpins the “digital alternative to gold” narrative . Wood’s mechanism is straightforward: what is computationally infeasible today could become tractable under CRQCs. He wrote that the current asymmetry, easy to derive a public key from a private key, effectively impossible to reverse, could collapse, with the time to derive a private key from a public key shrinking to “mere hours or days.” Wood said the industry is already debating potential responses, including whether to “burn” quantum-vulnerable coins to protect system integrity or to do nothing and accept the possibility that vulnerable coins could be stolen by entities with CRQCs. He presented the dispute as a conflict between preserving Bitcoin’s property-rights ethos and avoiding a policy choice that looks confiscatory, adding that one computer scientist he spoke with described the do-nothing stance as a “suicidal delusion.” Wood said his thinking was informed by discussions with knowledgeable parties and pointed to a Chaincode report as background reading, without treating it as a near-term trading trigger. VanEck’s Sigel Responds Sigel’s takeaway was less about whether quantum risk exists and more about how different systems respond. When one user argued that quantum would wipe out bank accounts, email, and brokerage systems as well, Sigel dismissed that as “not a sufficient take anymore,” drawing a sharp distinction between upgrade paths and reversibility. “Banks upgrade top-down; BTC requires years of consensus,” Sigel wrote. “Banks have an ‘undo’ button; BTC is finality-first.” Sigel also linked the debate to a familiar fault line inside Bitcoin governance. Asked how representative Wood’s view might be, Sigel said that in the “Adam Back vs. Nic Carter” debate he is “on Nic’s side,” and described Wood’s decision as supporting evidence. At the same time, Sigel emphasized process: he met Wood in New York before the note was published and said that although he disagreed with the conclusion, Wood “came to it honestly.” On positioning, Sigel said he has “added quantum exposure” previously to VanEck’s Onchain Economy ETF (NODE) and made small hedges, with a preference for “diversified” AI miners over “DATs / leveraged BTC,” while keeping spot BTC via an ETF as the largest holding. He framed the quantum issue as “solvable” and akin to a “wall of worry like blocksize wars,” rather than a thesis-breaker. At press time, BTC traded at $90,941.