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22 Jan 2026, 11:00
Danes develop apps to boycott American products over Greenland tension
Mobile apps allowing users to avoid American products have been enjoying growing popularity in Denmark amid cross-Atlantic tensions over the future of Greenland. While it’s yet to be seen if the software will significantly affect consumption of the already rare “Made in USA” goods, it’s certainly giving Danes a chance to vent out a little over President Trump’s appetite toward the Danish territory. ‘WithoutUSA’ app overtakes ChatGPT by downloads in Denmark Applications that help identify American-made items in the supermarket are becoming a hit in Denmark, its national radio broadcaster revealed. Two locally developed apps, “Made O’Meter” and “UdenUSA,” are seeing the most downloads, according to a report by Danmarks Radio (DR) on Wednesday. UdenUSA, or “WithoutUSA” was created by 21-year-old Jonas Pipper and his 22-year-old friend Malthe Hensberg, both from the island of Mors in western North Jutland. It all started last spring when they discovered a Facebook group called “Boykot USA,” which had nearly 100,000 users at the time, Pipper told the radio’s online edition, adding: “Then we thought – that’s funny, there’s no tool to scan a product and find out where it comes from.” Their UdenUSA app is now used for precisely that purpose – allowing Danes to identify the origin of goods, before they put them in the shopping cart, and find alternatives from countries other than the U.S., if they so wish. The application is now trending and has become the fourth most downloaded on Apple’s App Store in Denmark, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT , which is currently fifth, DR Nyheder noted in the post. Its developers claim their software is merely a consumer tool and their intention is not to tell compatriots whether they should actually boycott certain goods. “We’re just providing the opportunity to have a little more clarity, and then it’s up to the consumers what they want to do,” explained Jonas Pipper. Will the boycott actually work beyond venting anger? Gauging the impact of apps of this kind is a difficult task, as these days, it’s not that easy to find truly American-made products on supermarket shelves in Denmark anyway, comment the authors of the report. “When we look at imports, very little comes directly from the U.S.,” remarked Louise Aggerstrøm Hansen, private economist at Danske Bank. While there are examples of popular items, including some wines and almonds, directly imported American foods account for less than 1.2% of the Danish diet. Besides, many of the products offered by American brands are not produced in the United States and may even be manufactured in Denmark itself. However, even if it doesn’t bring down big U.S. corporations, participation in the boycott movement would make Danes feel they are reacting somehow to the current conflict, according to Pelle Guldborg Hansen from the Roskilde University. “A lot of people watch the news and see something they don’t like and get angry about. In this case, it’s about ourselves and Greenland, and then you just want to do something with your anger, no matter how small it is,” the behavioral researcher explained, adding: “More people see changing their consumption patterns as a move they can make. It may not seem like much, but it’s still something. And it’s a way of expressing their anger.” Choices made at the store can redirect consumption, and even if Coca-Cola doesn’t notice it’s selling less in Denmark, a Danish company like the Harboe brewery may feel it, Hansen elaborated. The Trump administration’s renewed push to, one way or another, acquire Greenland for the United States, citing national security reasons, caused heightened tensions between Europe and America in the past weeks. Earlier in January, the U.S. President warned he’s going to impose trade penalties on countries opposing the acquisition and then even threatened NATO member states that don’t agree with his plan with tariffs that may eventually reach 25%. The European Union responded by halting the parliamentary approval of a transatlantic trade agreement with Washington reached last summer. During his participation in the global economic forum in Davos this week, Donald Trump backtracked on his intention to slap tariffs on European nations and ruled out using military force to take over Denmark’s island, an option he had previously left open. Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.
22 Jan 2026, 10:32
Vitalik Buterin Proposes Fix to Ethereum Staking — No More Single-Node Risk
Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has suggested the fundamental alteration to the staking system in the network to eliminate the dependency on one validator node. In a detailed post published Wednesday on the Ethereum Research forum, Buterin introduced the idea of “native distributed validator technology,” or native DVT. Source: ethresear.ch The idea would allow stakers to split validator responsibilities across multiple nodes directly at the protocol level rather than relying on complex external setups. Ethereum’s Staking Boom Brings New Security Questions The proposal comes as Ethereum staking reaches record scale with more than 36 million ETH now staked across nearly one million validators, with the total value of staked assets exceeding $118 billion. Source: ValidatorQueue . While this growth has reinforced Ethereum’s security, it has also amplified long-standing concerns around centralization, operational risk, and the technical barriers faced by solo stakers. For much of Ethereum’s proof-of-stake history , running a validator meant placing 32 ETH behind a single machine and a single private key. Any failure, from a power outage to a software bug or security breach, could result in inactivity penalties or slashing. These risks pushed many users toward large staking providers and liquid staking platforms, concentrating control of consensus among a relatively small group of operators and cloud providers. Buterin’s proposal directly targets that single-node risk, as under the proposed native DVT, a validator with a larger balance would be allowed to register multiple keys, up to a maximum of 16, and define a threshold for signing duties. Validator actions, such as block proposals or attestations, would only be considered valid if a minimum number of those keys signed off together. As long as more than two-thirds of the nodes behave honestly, the validator would continue operating normally without penalties. Buterin’s Native DVT Idea Targets Easier, Safer ETH Staking Unlike existing DVT solutions such as Obol or ssv.network, which rely on external tooling, networking layers, and the linear properties of BLS signatures, Buterin’s design would be embedded directly into Ethereum’s consensus rules. He argued this would dramatically simplify staking operations, reduce setup complexity, and remove dependencies that may not be compatible with future cryptographic upgrades . @VitalikButerin unveils "The Splurge," a bold plan to prepare Ethereum for a quantum future! #Ethereum #QuantumComputing https://t.co/vvRijeahpS — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 29, 2024 From a user perspective, Buterin described the experience as running multiple standard validator nodes with minimal configuration changes. Most of the added complexity would be limited to block production, where one node would act as a temporary leader and others would co-sign its output. The proposal is explicitly aimed at medium- to large-sized ETH holders , including institutions and individual “whales,” who currently face a choice between running fragile single-node setups or outsourcing control to staking providers. By making multi-node staking simpler, Buterin said native DVT could increase client diversity, improve measurable decentralization metrics, and encourage more self-custodial staking. Ethereum Developers Debate Practical Challenges of the DVT model The discussion quickly drew technical feedback from the community. Ethereum developer Alonmuroch raised questions around coordination during block production, the possibility of multiple proposers racing to collect signatures, and the need for protocol-level key rotation to handle compromised keys without forcing validators to exit and re-stake. Buterin largely agreed, noting that instant key changes should be feasible and that reducing operational headaches is central to the proposal’s motivation. The proposal also fits into a broader shift in Buterin’s recent public messaging. Earlier this month, he declared 2026 the year Ethereum would reclaim lost ground on self-sovereignty and trustlessness, calling for fewer compromises in favor of convenience. Days later, he warned that Ethereum risks becoming an “unwieldy mess” if developers continue layering complexity onto the protocol without deliberate simplification. The post Vitalik Buterin Proposes Fix to Ethereum Staking — No More Single-Node Risk appeared first on Cryptonews .
22 Jan 2026, 10:15
OpenAI in talks with Middle Eastern sovereign funds on $50B round
OpenAI is working to raise fresh capital from investment funds controlled by Middle Eastern governments, according to sources who spoke with CNBC this Wednesday. The company hopes to bring in roughly $50 billion through this financing effort, though the final amount may shift since formal agreements haven’t been completed yet. A close source shared these details on the conditio n th eir name not be used because the information remains private. Altman travels to UAE as funding round takes shape Sam Altman, who leads OpenAI as its chief executive, traveled to the United Arab Emirates to take part in the investment conversations, the source confirmed. The company expects to wrap up this funding round during the first three months of the year. OpenAI set off the current wave of interest in artificial intelligence when it released ChatGPT, its conversational AI tool, back in 2022. Since that launch, the company has grown into one of the world’s most rapidly expanding commercial operations. It has pulled in many billions of dollars from backers while working to build larger systems, create improved technology, and add new capabilities. The company completed a $40 billion investment round last year with SoftBank taking the lead role. That deal set a record as the biggest private technology funding ever documented. Microsoft, which has been a central investor for years, joined that round along with Coatue, Altimeter and Thrive. OpenAI also finished selling $6.6 billion worth of shares this past October. That transaction pushed the company’s total value to $500 billion. NVIDIA partnership brings major infrastructure investment The firm recently made another major announcement involving NVIDIA. The two companies said they plan to work together in what they’re calling a landmark arrangement. Under this deal, NVIDIA will provide at least 10 gigawatts of its computing systems for OpenAI’s upcoming AI infrastructure. OpenAI will use these systems to train and operate its next wave of models as it works toward what it calls superintelligence. To make this happen, including building data centers and securing power capacity, NVIDIA plans to put up to $100 billion into OpenAI as the new systems get installed. The first portion of this setup should start running in the second half of 2026 using NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform. “NVIDIA and OpenAI have pushed each other for a decade, from the first DGX supercomputer to the breakthrough of ChatGPT,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “This investment and infrastructure partnership mark the next leap forward — deploying 10 gigawatts to power the next era of intelligence.” “Everything starts with compute,” said Sam Altman. “Compute infrastructure will be the basis for the economy of the future, and we will utilize what we’re building with NVIDIA to both create new AI breakthroughs and empower people and businesses with them at scale.” OpenAI will treat NVIDIA as its main partner for computing and networking as it grows what it calls its AI factory. The two companies will coordinate their plans so OpenAI’s model and infrastructure software work well with NVIDIA’s hardware and software. OpenAI now counts more than 700 million people using its services each week. The company has also seen strong uptake from large corporations, smaller companies and people who build software. This new partnership with NVIDIA should help OpenAI move forward with its stated goal of building artificial general intelligence that helps everyone. NVIDIA and OpenAI said they expect to nail down the remaining details of this new phase of their partnership within the next few weeks. div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> While OpenAI conducts these major negotiations, other American AI companies are putting down roots in the Middle East right now. Verkada, which makes AI-powered security technology for physical spaces, said it’s expanding into the region by opening an office in Dubai and hiring Fred Crehan to run Middle East operations. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
22 Jan 2026, 10:05
Solana platforms roll out “vibe coding” assets with risk warnings
Vibe coding is becoming a new narrative on Solana, tapping the wider trend of creating apps with the help of AI. Vibe-coded apps and platforms are reusing the meme model to speed-run launches, but may remain a risky asset type. Vibe coding on Solana may be the next trend to use the meme token model. The new wave of creations follows a brief period dedicated to creator or content coins, which sought to reward content creators. Vibe coding has launched a series of simple games on Solana, most of which boil down to Ponzi schemes. Those games may have some appeal, at least for those who aim to join early. Vibe coding + AI could of course be used to build fun games, but for now it seems to enable more low-effort grifts on Solana… stay safe out there! Look at this absolutely insane claim on their ACTUAL WEBSITE. Imagine putting that in writing! 😂 https://t.co/aIfXCwgkow pic.twitter.com/SIGZVIxsOL — ian c (@ThirdTimeIan) January 21, 2026 Games also bring additional revenues and boost Solana’s transactions and general activity. However, like previous hype cycles, vibe coding projects may undercut the platform’s credibility. Vibe coding arrives as other meta narratives slow down Vibe coding may become another source of token launches on Solana , bringing a wave of new risky assets. As with other trends, the token trading may obscure the technology in search of easy liquidity. Solana users immediately proposed that vibe-coded apps could launch with their own token to finance development. As with other meta narratives, this approach could easily turn into a series of rug pulls and failed tokens. As with previous meta narratives, an intermediary layer appeared. With AI agents , platforms to launch new agents outperformed individual model launches. With vibe coding apps, platforms to launch new apps and tokens may compete to become the center of the new meta-narrative. Influencers are already presenting some of the first launch platforms for the creation of more vibe-coded apps. The trend has spread to Solana and Base, opening the door to thousands of token launches. IDEARALPH was among the first tokens to launch based on the vibe coding meta, inviting new projects to Base. The token was promoted by influencer Meta Alchemist. Is the vibe coding meta viable? Meta trends remain unpredictable and can lead to both fast gains and steep losses. The AI meta and vibe coding may be a new attempt to bring back ‘trenches’ traders. Vibe coding and renewed AI meta with agents and apps aimed to offer the feeling of intrinsic value. However, several new AI tokens ended up in rug pulls and crashes. The vibe coding meta has already gone through a small boom and bust cycle, but there may be more attempts to build launchpads. The space is entirely unregulated, and most projects can fail or be launched as an excuse for a rug pull. Supporting vibe-coded apps by buying tokens does not give the holders any rights or security that they would benefit from the product. Additionally, most apps are easily built, but may not realistically gain adoption. The AI meta may still give a short-term boost to Solana fees and reported metrics, but it may be another repetition of issuing risky tokens based on hype. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
22 Jan 2026, 08:36
X Rolls out ‘Starterpacks’ for New Users to Discover Crypto, Tech Feeds
X is preparing to launch “Starterpacks,” an onboarding feature for new users to help discover the best accounts and feeds based on interests like crypto and technology. Unveiled Thursday, X will roll out the feature in the coming weeks, Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X, noted. Over the last few months, we scoured the world for the top posters in every niche & country We've compiled them into a new tool called Starterpacks: to help new users find the best accounts—big or small—for their interests Reply below with a topic you're most interested in… pic.twitter.com/MYIIQAaJaL — Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) January 21, 2026 The curated starterpack in the crypto category will comprise memecoin trading with real-time market trends and sentiment from active traders. A short video posted by Bier showed the preview of how starterpacks work. It shows users selecting their interests while onboarding and following the curated list of accounts. Crypto Twitter Backlash – Is X Trying to Revive it? The announcement arrives days after Bier’s comments about crypto Twitter sparked backlash among the community . Crypto users have complained about the declining visibility of crypto content on X. “Crypto Twitter (CT) is dying from suicide, not from the algorithm,” he wrote in response. His response triggered growing frustration within the crypto community, with users believing that the platform is intentionally limiting crypto-related posts. Bier insisted that the issue is not tied to X’s algorithms. On Wednesday, Bitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp wrote that there were 96 million posts on X containing ‘ Bitcoin ’ in 2025, a 32% drop year-over-year . Although the data did not reflect overall crypto engagement, the post triggered concerns about discovery challenges and algorithmic shifts. Vitalik Buterin Emphasized Better Crypto Social Media In a separate post on Wednesday, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stressed the need for better mass communication tools. “We need mass communication tools that serve the user’s long-term interest, not maximize short-term engagement,” he wrote on X. In 2026, I plan to be fully back to decentralized social. If we want a better society, we need better mass communication tools. We need mass communication tools that surface the best information and arguments and help people find points of agreement. We need mass communication… https://t.co/ye249HsojJ — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 21, 2026 Further, he noted that crypto social projects has often been gone the wrong way. “Decentralized social should be run by people who deeply believe in the “social” part, and are motivated first and foremost by solving the problems of social,” he added. The post X Rolls out ‘Starterpacks’ for New Users to Discover Crypto, Tech Feeds appeared first on Cryptonews .
22 Jan 2026, 08:30
What Ripple CEO Garlinghouse Said At WEF Davos 2026
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse used a Davos stage at the World Economic Forum’s 2026 annual meeting to make a pragmatic case for tokenization: stablecoins are already the lead use case, momentum has shifted sharply in the US, and the industry’s job now is to deliver measurable benefits rather than tokenize assets for novelty. Why Ripple Is Building Bridges Between TradFi and DeFi Garlinghouse’s remarks came on a panel titled “Is Tokenization the Future?” after the moderator cited Ripple-linked traction: tokenized assets on the XRP Ledger surged more than 2,200% last year. From there, Garlinghouse largely aligned with the panel’s theme that tokenization is moving from pilots toward mainstream financial plumbing, while drawing a clear boundary around monetary sovereignty. “I do think the first poster child of tokenization is really stablecoins,” Garlinghouse said, arguing that usage growth has been decisive. He cited stablecoin transaction volumes rising from “$19 trillion of transactions on stablecoins in 2024” to “33 trillion in 2025,” describing that as “about 75% growth” and adding that “many in our industry would say that’s going to continue.” Where the discussion turned to a “Bitcoin standard” framing, Garlinghouse emphasized the political reality of state money. “Sovereignty of fiat currencies, I believe, is for many countries sacrosanct,” he said, before invoking a line he attributed to Ben Bernanke from a prior Ripple event: “Governments will roll tanks into the street before giving up monetary supply, giving up the control of monetary supply, which stuck with me as yeah, that makes sense.” That worldview shaped how Garlinghouse positioned Ripple’s strategy. “At Ripple, we very much focused on building the bridges between traditional finance and decentralized finance,” he said, describing work “with a lot of the banks around the world” as the practical path to scale rather than attempting to displace existing monetary regimes. Garlinghouse also framed 2026 as a momentum year, not just a technology year. He argued that the political climate in the US has turned materially more constructive after a period he described as open hostility. “The US, the largest economy in the world, has been pretty openly hostile towards facets of crypto and blockchain technologies,” he said. “And that has shifted dramatically, you know, starting with the White House … [and] helped elect a much more pro-crypto pro-innovation Congress, and you’re seeing that play out.” But the Ripple CEO repeatedly cautioned that narrative tailwinds are not enough. “Part of the tokenization topic is like we shouldn’t tokenize everything just to tokenize something,” Garlinghouse said. “There has to be a positive outcome of efficiency or transparency […] otherwise it’s just like okay it’s a nice science experiment.” On regulation, Garlinghouse reiterated his pragmatic tone , arguing that the push for US crypto legislation should prioritize workable clarity over theoretical perfection. “What’s going on in the US right now is a classic dynamic of when you create new law, it’s never going to be perfect,” he said. “I subscribe to the idea that perfection is the enemy of good.” He pointed to Ripple’s own history: “a five-year battle with the US government being sued because of the lack of clarity” to underline the stakes, adding: “We are very much an advocate of clarity is better than chaos.” When pressed on whether stablecoins should pay rewards, one of the live fault lines in US policy debate , Garlinghouse positioned Ripple as less directly exposed than some peers, while still endorsing competitive symmetry. “Ripple doesn’t have as much of a dog in that fight as others in the industry,” he said, but added that a “level playing field goes two ways,” arguing that crypto firms and banks should face comparable standards when competing for the same activity. Garlinghouse also addressed energy concerns around blockchain-based infrastructure, pushing back on a one-size-fits-all critique. “Not all layer 1 blockchains are created equal,” he said, contrasting proof-of-work systems with proof of stake and other consensus models, and arguing that stablecoin activity is already skewing toward “more power efficient blockchains.” Spirited dialogue during today’s WEF session (to say the least), but one important point of agreement across the panelists was that innovation and regulation aren’t on opposite sides. I firmly believe this is THE moment to use crypto and blockchain technology to enable economic… https://t.co/4d3jNeNC4h — Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 21, 2026 On tokenization’s social and market impact, Garlinghouse reframed a question about speculation as a question about access. He said he sees the opportunity in “the democratization of access to investment less so on the speculation side,” pointing to the idea that smaller investors could gain exposure to assets that are effectively inaccessible at modest ticket sizes today. At press time, XRP traded at $1.9554.
