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23 Jan 2026, 09:10
Bitcoin is infrastructure now. Why does the UK still regulate it like a speculative risk?
If you look at how Bitcoin is actually being used in 2026, the reality is very practical, even mundane. Bitcoin today isn’t about volatile trading or “going to the moon.” It is increasingly used as financial infrastructure. Through the Lightning Network, Bitcoin has quietly evolved into a high-speed, low cost settlement layer. It operates in the background of checkout systems and consumer apps, letting users pay in one currency while merchants receive another, with near instant settlement. When platforms like Square, Strike, or Cash App integrate these rails, most end users are barely aware that Bitcoin is involved at all. They just know the transaction’s been completed. Yet, in the UK, it’s still treated like a risky speculative asset rather than core infrastructure. The “crypto” trap The UK’s regulatory approach struggles with a category mismatch. Bitcoin continues to be grouped with the broader “crypto” label, meaning rules designed for speculative tokens are applied to decentralized payment software. The distinction is important. Most “crypto” assets have issuers, governance structures, and marketing designed to generate returns. Bitcoin has none of these. It is an open-source network with no central authority and no promised profit. Treating a decentralized payment rail like a speculative investment creates unnecessary friction. In the UK, a startup looking to use Bitcoin to settle a micropayment or a loyalty reward faces the same compliance requirements, investor classification tests, and risk disclosures as a high-risk investment product. This approach makes it challenging to build low-value, high-volume payment applications efficiently, as the compliance costs per transaction can exceed the transaction itself. Innovation is portable This rigid approach is already having economic consequences in the UK. While the country debates how to handle “crypto,” other jurisdictions are moving ahead with frameworks that recognize the difference between an asset and a rail. The European Union’s MiCA regulation creates a clear framework for payment tokens and decentralized assets. The United States is approving Exchange Traded Products and distinguishing between commodities and securities. These frameworks are far from perfect, but they offer something the UK currently lacks: nuance. For founders, it’s a simple calculation. If you are building payment infrastructure, you go where the rules understand payments. We’re seeing businesses that could be based in the UK instead choose Europe or the US, where regulation is more proportionate. They still follow standard anti-money-laundering and safeguarding rules, but they aren’t treated like high-risk investment products, giving them the freedom to build practical payment solutions. The economic stakes Financial and insurance services underpin roughly 8% of the UK’s GDP. The country’s economic strength relies heavily on its reputation as a global hub for financial innovation. If the future of payments is real-time and internet-native, the UK can’t afford to treat the infrastructure that enables it like a speculative gamble. By regulating Bitcoin the same way as high-risk crypto tokens, the country risks missing out on the next generation of payment networks. Regulation that matches the risk Fixing this doesn’t require a complete rewrite of the law. It requires proportionality. In traditional finance, we don’t regulate a coffee purchase with the same scrutiny as a high value stock trade. We scale the rules based on risk, custody, and exposure. The UK needs to apply that same logic here. If a business is using Bitcoin purely for settlement, and the consumer isn’t holding the asset for speculation, the rules should reflect that. We need a framework that focuses on activity rather than technology. The tools to make this happen exist, and the talent is ready. But unless the UK updates its definition of Bitcoin, that economic value will simply move elsewhere. Disclosure: Ben Cousens is CEO of Antidote, a London-based Bitcoin-focused incubator, and Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD, a payments company that uses Bitcoin’s Lightning Network as part of its infrastructure. His views are informed by professional experience in financial technology and payments.
23 Jan 2026, 09:10
Kansas Eyes Bitcoin Reserve Fund Through Unclaimed Property Law
Kansas lawmakers are considering new legislation that would formally bring Bitcoin and other digital assets under state management. Specifically, the proposal aims to establish a government-controlled reserve fund using cryptocurrency that enters state possession under laws governing unclaimed property. Visit Website
23 Jan 2026, 09:07
US drops case against ex-OpenSea executive in NFT insider trading probe
The US Department of Justice has formally closed its case against Nathaniel Chastain, the former OpenSea executive at the centre of the first insider trading prosecution involving non-fungible tokens. Prosecutors will not pursue a retrial after his conviction was overturned last year. In a filing submitted to a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, prosecutors said they had reached a one-month deferred prosecution agreement with Chastain. Once that ends, charges will be dismissed. Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton, who also previously served as SEC Chair, noted in a letter to the court that the government’s decision factored in Chastain’s partial completion of his original sentence. The former OpenSea manager served three months in federal custody and had to forfeit 15.98 ETH, valued at roughly $47,000, which prosecutors claim represented the proceeds from his NFT trades. Chastain also agreed not to challenge that forfeiture. According to Clayton, “the interest of the United States will be best served” by ending the prosecution at this stage, rather than seeking a retrial. What happened? Chastain was initially convicted in May 2023 of wire fraud and money laundering after federal prosecutors accused him of using advance knowledge of which NFT collections would be spotlighted on OpenSea’s homepage to purchase them in secret before flipping them for profit. The jury found that Chastain used anonymous wallets and burner accounts to make at least 15 such trades between June and September 2021, earning around $57,000 from the scheme. He served his time later that year while preparing to appeal. But in July 2025, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the conviction, siding with Chastain’s defence team, which had long argued that the NFT placement data he accessed didn’t meet the legal threshold for “property” under federal wire fraud statutes. The appellate court ruled that the jury had been misdirected, effectively convicting Chastain for ethical lapses rather than for fraud tied to misappropriated property with clear commercial value to his employer. Judge Steven Menashi, who was overseeing the case, concluded at the time that deceptive behaviour alone does not constitute criminal fraud without a demonstrable property interest at stake. Chastain was later released from court supervision and is now eligible to seek the return of the $50,000 fine and $200 special assessment he paid after his 2023 conviction. At one point, prosecutors also looked into whether OpenSea itself might be on the hook for Chastain’s conduct. However, it later concluded that the company had acted swiftly to investigate the misconduct, requested Chastain’s resignation, and cooperated with investigators throughout. US regulators rollback crypto enforcement cases Since late 2024, the US regulatory agencies have steadily backed away from their most aggressive crypto cases, as they pivoted away from their regulation-by-enforcement approach under new leadership. For instance, the Securities and Exchange Commission ended its yearlong investigation into OpenSea last year, which had stemmed from the same events. The commission had issued a Wells Notice against OpenSea , alleging that OpenSea was offering NFTs as unregistered securities. However, after the change in agency leadership and priorities, the case was dropped. The post US drops case against ex-OpenSea executive in NFT insider trading probe appeared first on Invezz
23 Jan 2026, 08:50
TikTok finalizes U.S. operations deal following long standoff
TikTok and its Chinese parent, ByteDance Ltd., have secured their future in the U.S. after finalizing a deal that shifts parts of its U.S. operations to American investors, ending a nationwide ban and resolving a prolonged standoff over national security and data privacy concerns. Earlier, it was reported that the social media company would establish a U.S. entity with American investors, including Oracle Corp. On Friday, the social media company announced it has officially established the U.S. entity “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC” in accordance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. The new venture will allow 7.5 million businesses and more than 200 million Americans to continue exploring, producing, and prospering as members of TikTok’s dynamic global community and experience. The USDS Joint Venture’s mission is to protect user data, apps, and algorithms in the United States by implementing comprehensive cybersecurity and data protection measures. The business will be governed by a seven-member, majority-American board of directors: Timothy Dattels, Mark Dooley, Egon Durban, Raul Fernandez, Kenneth Glueck, and David Scott. Shou Chew, as the seventh, will continue running TikTok as Chief Executive Officer. Adama Pressers, who served as Head of Operations, Trust and Safety in the social media company, is now with the new U.S. entity and will helm the USDS Joint Venture as Chief Executive Officer. New US venture takes control of TikTok operations Under the new U.S. ownership structure, existing and new investors will each own 50%. For existing investors, ByteDance will own 19.9%, while affiliates of confident ByteDance investors will own 30.1%. Regarding the new investors, Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will each own 15% of TikTok, while the Unknown investors will own only 5%. The new U.S. venture will be liable for moderating content on the social media platform and protecting U.S. users’ data. Oracle, a longtime cloud computing partner of the social media firm, will serve as a security guard, ensuring it complies with the law. Third-party cybersecurity specialists will assess and certify the Joint Venture’s extensive data protection and cybersecurity procedures. The program will adhere to important industry standards, including ISO 27001 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CSF and 800-53. Furthermore, the program shall comply with the Security Requirements for Restricted Transactions issued by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). However, critics have contended that the arrangement does not follow the U.S. national security law passed in 2024 under the former U.S. president Biden administration that forced a spinoff. According to the law, ByteDance and US TikTok cannot operate together. As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, the law cited concerns that the Chinese government may misuse U.S. user data or utilize the program to promote Beijing-friendly narratives. TikTok retaliated, stating that neither had occurred, and that the joint venture was formed in accordance with Trump’s executive order from September 25 of last year. The White House’s proposal permits ByteDance to lease a copy of its content algorithm to the upcoming U.S. TikTok company, retraining the algorithm using user data from the U.S. Additionally, ByteDance is anticipated to keep control over important aspects of its U.S. TikTok business, such as its advertising section and rapidly expanding e-commerce arm TikTok Shop. Canadian court blocks government effort to restrict TikTok TikTok is also celebrating a victory in Canada, where a federal court ruled that the Canadian government’s attempts to drive the company out of the local market on national security grounds are invalid. In 2024, the Canadian government ordered TikTok to shut down its Canadian operations, citing national security concerns. Francois-Philippe Champagne, the Canadian Innovation Minister at the time, stated that the decision was predicated on “national security risks,” with a particular emphasis on the operations “conducted in Canada by TikTok at their offices.” Canadian authorities offered no further clarification. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.
23 Jan 2026, 08:36
Tesla’s California sales crash while Austin gets driverless robotaxis
Tesla saw its slice of California’s car market drop sharply last year, marking a significant setback for the electric vehicle company in one of its most important markets. The carmaker’s slice of new vehicle registrations in California fell to 9.9% in 2025, down from 11.6% the previous year, based on numbers from Experian that were shared by the California New Car Dealers Association. This drop pushed Tesla down to third place among all car brands sold in the state. Just a year before, the company held second place, behind only Toyota. The decline was more than three times larger than the drop experienced by Dodge, which is owned by Stellantis. Tesla’s troubles in California mirror challenges the company faces worldwide. The vehicle maker is dealing with an older product lineup and a Cybertruck that hasn’t sold well . At the same time, traditional automakers are rolling out newer electric vehicles that compete directly with Tesla’s offerings. The end of federal tax credits for electric vehicle buyers has also hurt sales, which were already weakening. On top of these business challenges, some customers have turned away from the brand because of CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in politics. The actual number of Tesla vehicles registered in California came in at fewer than 180,000 last year, a drop from almost 203,000 in 2024. This decline played a part in California’s overall electric vehicle market pulling back, with total zero-emission vehicle registrations falling by roughly 7,300 cars to just over 378,000. Despite these losses, Tesla’s best-selling models still ranked high on the state’s list. The Model Y sport utility vehicle held onto its position as California’s top-selling electric vehicle and became the number one light truck across all types. The Model 3 sedan came in as the state’s second most popular passenger car, finishing just behind the Toyota Camry. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is now asking for $200 million to bring back tax rebates for people buying electric vehicles in the state. The goal is to help boost demand for these cars. Robotaxi service goes driverless In separate news, Tesla has started offering robotaxi rides without human safety drivers in Austin, marking a major step forward for the company. The service, whic h la unched seven months ago, previously required people to sit in the front seats to monitor the vehicles. Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car. Congrats to the @Tesla_AI team! If you’re interested in solving real-world AI, which is likely to lead to AGI imo, join Tesla AI. Solving real-world AI for Optimus will be 100X harder than cars. https://t.co/OnP8gredWD — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2026 Musk announced the developmen t Th ursday on X, posting a video from a former Tesla artificial intelligence engineer. Last month, the CEO had revealed that testing without anyone in the cars was underway. Ashok Elluswamy, who leads Tesla’s AI efforts, explained in another post that “a few” vehicles in the robotaxi fleet would operate without supervision. He added that the number of vehicles running without safety monitors would grow over time. Musk has been talking more about Tesla’s AI work and robotaxi plans as the company deals with falling vehicle sales. While offering rides without human backups might improve public perception of the driving technology, Tesla told regulators that its small group of cars operating in Texas’s capital city were involved in eight crashes over six months last year. Tesla’s stock price jumped after the announcement, rising as much as 4% by 2:30 p.m. in New York. Shares of Uber Technologies and Lyft dropped more than 3% during the day before recovering somewhat. Missed predictions and limited reach Throughout 2025, Musk repeatedly promised that Tesla would offer unsupervised rides before the year ended. Some of his other predictions missed by a wider margin. In July, he suggested that half of Americans might be able to access autonomous Tesla rides by the end of the year. Austin remains the only city where Tesla provides robotaxi rides. The company began a taxi service in the San Francisco Bay area last year but hasn’t requested permission to test self-driving vehicles without safety drivers in California. Tesla’s playing catch-up with Alphabet’s Waymo, which got driverless rides going in Phoenix back in late 2018. Waymo’s now charging passengers for driverless rides across thousands of vehicles in Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
23 Jan 2026, 08:34
Dark Defender to XRP Holders: Everything Is Unfolding In Front of Our Eyes
Crypto commentator Dark Defender has conveyed that developments discussed within the XRP community for many years are now unfolding in real-time. In his recent remarks, he implied that the gap between expectation and execution is narrowing, arguing that conditions long anticipated by supporters are becoming visible across regulation, market structure, and usage. His message has a clear tone of validation for those who placed confidence in XRP over traditional fiat systems, while also urging remaining observers to reconsider their position as circumstances evolve. Although Dark Defender did not outline specific examples, his statement reflects a belief that the current phase marks a shift from theory to observable progress. Rather than presenting the moment as speculative, his wording suggested that tangible indicators now support arguments that were previously dismissed as premature or unrealistic. Folks, everything is unfolding in front of our eyes. All the things we discussed for many years, now come into reality. If you have trusted #XRP over fiat, then I salute you! If you haven’t yet? Ring ring ring! — Dark Defender (@DefendDark) January 21, 2026 Regulatory Clarity Changes the Landscape One of the most significant developments aligning with this outlook is the conclusion of the SEC’s legal case against Ripple in August 2025, with both sides withdrawing their appeals. This outcome removed a long-standing source of uncertainty that had restricted institutional involvement. With legal clarity established, regulated financial products linked to XRP entered the market, including spot XRP exchange-traded funds . These approvals signaled a change in how traditional financial entities can access exposure, reinforcing the idea that XRP has moved into a more stable regulatory environment. This shift has had practical implications. Financial institutions that previously remained cautious have gained the certainty required to engage more directly, supporting the view that regulatory resolution was a necessary step before wider adoption could occur. Institutional Usage and Expanding Utility Institutional activity has continued to increase, with hundreds of financial institutions now connected through RippleNet for cross-border payments. This progress supports the long-held position that blockchain-based settlement can offer faster processing and lower costs than legacy systems. At the same time, the XRP Ledger has seen accelerating interest in real-world asset tokenization. During 2025, value locked on the network rose sharply as platforms committed to issuing regulated assets on-chain, with further expansion expected into mid-2026. These developments suggest that usage is diversifying beyond payments alone, reinforcing arguments that the network’s role could extend across multiple financial functions. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Market Structure, Supply, and Community Perspectives Changes in supply dynamics have also become a focal point. Exchange-held XRP declined to multi-year lows by early 2026, prompting renewed discussion around tighter availability and increased responsiveness to demand. For long-term supporters, this aligns with expectations that reduced circulating supply would eventually influence market behavior. Community reactions remain mixed but engaged. One commenter emphasized that success should ultimately be measured through verified on-chain data, transaction volume, and demonstrable reductions in settlement time and cost, rather than announcements alone. Another focused on price action, viewing current market weakness as an opportunity ahead of potential future appreciation. Taken together, these views reflect cautious confidence. Dark Defender’s message resonates with those who believe that structural changes are now visible, while upcoming data and usage metrics may determine whether this phase confirms years of anticipation. 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 advised to conduct thorough 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 X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Dark Defender to XRP Holders: Everything Is Unfolding In Front of Our Eyes appeared first on Times Tabloid .
