Invest ideasNews
17 Jan 2026, 08:00
Altcoin season odds – Some promise, but look out for THESE volatility risks!
High long/short ratio of many altcoins, including large-cap assets, might be a warning sign for buyers.
17 Jan 2026, 08:00
South Korea Advances Tokenized Securities Framework Amid Crypto Regulation Push
As South Korea intensifies its push for crypto regulation, lawmakers have advanced a bill to establish a legal framework for issuing and trading security token offerings (STOs) using distributed ledger technology (DLT). Lawmakers Amend Framework For Tokenized Securities On Thursday, South Korea’s National Assembly passed key amendments to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act, creating a legal framework for the issuance and distribution of tokenized securities. According to an official government release , the revised rules define tokenized securities as a broad category that extends to both debt and equity products, and recognize them as legitimate financial instruments. The amendments to the Electronic Securities Act will allow qualified issuers to launch tokenized securities using distributed ledger technology. Meanwhile, the Capital Markets Act changes will enable the products to be traded as investment contract securities on brokerages and other licensed intermediaries. Notably, the existing Capital Markets Act prohibited the distribution through securities firms, deeming investment contract securities “unsuitable for distribution due to their non-standard characteristics.” The changes are “expected to enhance accessibility to investments and improve the provision of investment information for these securities,” the official government release stated. After legislative approval, the bill will be submitted to the State Council, followed by official presidential promulgation. Therefore, the legislation is expected to be enacted one year after being signed into law, tentatively in January 2027. Moreover, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is set to lead the implementation, forming a joint “Token Securities Council” with relevant agencies to ensure seamless preparatory work, including the development of supporting infrastructure and enhanced safeguards. The consultation body will comprise the FSC, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Korea Securities Depository, the Financial Investment Association, industry participants, and experts. South Korea’s Crypto Regulatory Push Continues This major step follows South Korea’s efforts to develop and establish clear, comprehensive rules to regulate the local crypto industry. Last week, the government shared its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, which included a plan to open its market to Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) this year. Crypto-based ETFs have been banned in South Korea since 2017. In 2024, the country’s regulator reaffirmed its stance after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the investment products. However, it has now cited the success of the US and Hong Kong’s crypto funds as a key factor for their shift. The FSC will also accelerate the next phase of its digital asset legislation this quarter to establish a clear regulatory framework for stablecoins. As reported by Bitcoinist, South Korea’s Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act was delayed until the start of 2026 due to an ongoing disagreement between the FSC and the Bank of Korea (BOK). The financial authorities have been clashing for months over rules related to the issuance and distribution of stablecoins, disagreeing on the extent of banks’ role in the issuance of won-pegged tokens. Nonetheless, the main policies of the crypto framework have been decided, set to include investor protection measures, such as no-fault liability for crypto asset operators and isolation of bankruptcy risks for stablecoin issuers. Moreover, the country is lifting its long-standing ban on institutional crypto trading, which is anticipated to begin later this year. According to local reports, the FSC is considering a rule to limit corporate cryptocurrency investments at 5% of a company’s equity capital. Under the latest proposal, eligible firms would be able to allocate up to 5% of equity capital per year to digital assets, limited to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The final draft version could be released as early as January or February.
17 Jan 2026, 07:45
DOJ Did Not Sell Forfeited Samourai Bitcoin, White House Crypto Advisor Says
A White House crypto advisor said the US government has not sold any Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case, pushing back against market rumors sparked by recent on-chain activity. Key Takeaways: The DOJ confirmed it has not sold any Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case. The clarification follows scrutiny over a 57.5 BTC transfer that sparked sale rumors. The forfeited Bitcoin will remain part of the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as accumulation plans continue. Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said he received direct confirmation from the US Department of Justice that the assets were neither liquidated nor earmarked for sale. “We have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated,” Witt wrote on X on Friday , adding that the Bitcoin would remain part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. 57.5 BTC Transfer Sparks Questions Over US Government Bitcoin Sales Questions first surfaced in November after blockchain analysts flagged a transfer of 57.5 BTC from a government-controlled wallet to a Coinbase Prime deposit address. The movement prompted speculation that US authorities may have sold or planned to sell the funds, drawing criticism from market participants who pointed to Executive Order 14233. Signed by President Donald Trump in March, the order requires that any Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture “shall not be sold” and instead be retained for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Some observers accused the US Marshals Service of violating the directive, allegations now denied following the DOJ clarification. Public data suggests the US government remains one of the world’s largest Bitcoin holders. Figures from Bitcoin Treasuries show federal authorities control 328,372 BTC, valued at more than $31 billion at current prices. UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8 — Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026 That total includes 127,271 BTC forfeited in October from a Cambodia-based entity accused of running a so-called pig-butchering investment scam. Witt reiterated that expanding the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve remains a policy priority. In a recent interview, he said progress depends on coordination between the Treasury and Commerce departments to address outstanding legal and operational issues. Legislative efforts are also underway. A bill sponsored by Cynthia Lummis proposes accelerating reserve accumulation, targeting the acquisition of up to 1 million Bitcoin over five years. The proposal emphasizes budget-neutral methods, with officials saying any accumulation would avoid costs to taxpayers. Trump Signals Possible Pardon for Samourai Wallet Developer Two developers behind Samourai Wallet were sentenced to prison in November after prosecutors said the privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet processed more than $237 million in criminal proceeds. Keonne Rodriguez received a five-year sentence on Nov. 6, while his co-developer, Hill, was sentenced to four years on Nov. 19. Both were also ordered to forfeit roughly $6.3 million in fees earned through the platform. The case took a political turn in December when Donald Trump said he would consider pardoning Rodriguez. Speaking to reporters during an Oval Office event on Dec. 16, Trump said he had “heard about it” and instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the case. Rodriguez later welcomed the remarks, arguing on social media that the prosecution reflected “lawfare” and a weaponized Justice Department under the Biden administration. Trump has previously pardoned Ross Ulbricht and Changpeng Zhao in related crypto cases, and has raised optimism of a similar pardon for Rodriguez. The post DOJ Did Not Sell Forfeited Samourai Bitcoin, White House Crypto Advisor Says appeared first on Cryptonews .
17 Jan 2026, 07:44
Buterin says 2026 will mark Ethereum’s push to reclaim privacy
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin has proclaimed 2026 as the year the network will actively reverse what he describes as a decade of “backsliding” in self‑sovereignty, decentralization, and privacy. Buterin made the declaration in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the Ethereum community will focus on reclaiming user autonomy and trustlessness that have eroded over time due to design trade‑offs in pursuit of mainstream adoption. “2026 is the year that we take back lost ground in terms of self‑sovereignty and trustlessness,” Buterin wrote, signaling a renewed emphasis on empowering users over third‑party intermediaries He added that the transformation will take time to materialize fully, noting that not all goals will be achieved in the next Kohaku release or even in subsequent hard forks. Nevertheless, he argued that the gradual progress will ultimately shape Ethereum into an ecosystem worthy not only of its current standing, but of a far greater role in the broader blockchain landscape. Vitalik says they hope to introduce social recovery wallets and timelocks Over recent years, Ethereum’s developers have quietly put the pieces in place for the needed enhancements. For starters, earlier this year, the Ethereum founder had noted that the ZK-EVM had progressed to alpha status, achieved production-level benchmarks, and shifted its focus to security. In his latest post, he explained that the network will now prioritize a setup that allows users to run nodes locally and independently verify the chain using ZK-EVM and BAL. He also asserted that users on the network can move away from trusting RPCs by default and toward actively verifying the data they deliver. Additionally, he shared that their plan to improve the user experience includes introducing social recovery wallets and timelocks — wallets that prevent losing everything if a seed phrase is lost. Buterin has backed social recovery wallets since at least 2021, and that vision began taking shape last year with the launch of EIP-7702 in Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade. In the last few months, he has also been increasingly vocal about the importance of privacy at both the user and protocol level. In a Friday post, he said privacy-focused design should let users send private payments as easily as standard transactions. So far, even the Foundation has stepped up its privacy agenda, refocusing internal teams and initiating development of the Kohaku wallet framework. It also introduced ERC-4337 and FOCIL, which could enhance the system’s resistance to censorship. Buterin also emphasized that users should be able to access dapps without relying on servers that might become unavailable or compromised. Buterin stressed the need for quantum-resistant cryptography On Monday, the Ethereum founder also stressed the urgent need to implement quantum-resistant cryptography for long-term security. In his earlier post, Buterin expressed his concerns about delaying quantum resistance for the sake of efficiency. He stressed that Ethereum should be able to pass the walkaway test, underlining its purpose as a home for trust-minimized apps. He also outlined the network’s main goals: ensuring complete quantum security quickly; building a scalable system for ZK-EVM and PeerDAS; maintaining a sustainable state model; implementing full account abstraction; designing a DoS-resistant gas pricing system; creating a durable decentralized PoS model; and developing a censorship-resistant block-building method. He argued that completing these infrastructure enhancements over the coming years would be essential for Ethereum’s enduring technological and community strength. He further noted, “Being able to say ‘Ethereum’s protocol, as it stands today, is cryptographically safe for a hundred years’ is something we should strive to get to as soon as possible.” Before, the crypto mogul had also insisted that the network should focus more on decentralization and resilience over efficiency and convenience. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
