Stablecoin Rewards Ban Emerges as Flashpoint in US Crypto Regulation Debate Coinbase is signaling that its support for the proposed CLARITY Act, a major U.S. crypto market structure bill, may be at risk as lawmakers debate provisions that could ban stablecoin rewards offered through exchanges. The dispute highlights growing tension between the crypto industry and traditional banking interests as Congress moves closer to key decisions. According to sources familiar with the situation, Coinbase may reconsider backing the legislation if it restricts stablecoin issuers from offering rewards via crypto platforms. While existing law already bars issuers from directly paying interest to…
Author: Blockto Team
Central Bank Independence in Focus Amid Rising Political Pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has publicly linked a newly launched criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice to his continued refusal to lower interest rates, framing the move as a direct challenge to central bank independence. The remarks intensify tensions between the Federal Reserve and President Donald Trump’s administration. Powell stated that the investigation is “a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on economic evidence rather than presidential preferences.” The probe reportedly centers on renovations to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters and whether Powell misrepresented project details…
Record Token Failures Highlight Market Saturation and Rising Risk The cryptocurrency market endured a difficult year in 2025, with memecoins emerging as the hardest-hit sector. New data shows that more than 11.6 million crypto tokens ceased active trading, marking the highest annual failure count ever recorded and underscoring growing concerns about market quality and sustainability. The sharp rise in failed projects was most pronounced in the fourth quarter of 2025, when 7.7 million tokens stopped trading. A major trigger was the October market crash that liquidated over $19 billion in leveraged positions in a single day, severely impacting speculative assets.…
Corporate Ethereum Staking Strategy Highlights Shift Toward Yield-Generating Crypto Treasuries Ethereum-focused treasury firm BitMine Immersion Technologies has reached a significant benchmark after crossing 1 million staked Ether, reinforcing its position as the largest Ethereum treasury company by holdings. The move underscores a growing trend among crypto-native firms toward yield-generating digital asset strategies. BitMine recently staked an additional 86,400 ETH, bringing its total staked balance to 1,080,512 ETH. At prevailing market prices, this represents roughly $3.3 billion worth of staked Ethereum. The staking activity was executed through multiple transactions, signaling a deliberate and structured deployment strategy. Onchain analysis platform Lookonchain said; At…
Major U.S. Banks See Coinbase Emerging as a Full-Service Digital Asset Platform Shares of Coinbase Global have gained renewed attention after two major U.S. investment banks upgraded the stock to “Buy”, signaling growing confidence in the crypto exchange’s long-term strategy. The upgrades reflect expectations that Coinbase will expand well beyond traditional cryptocurrency trading. Bank of America increased its price target for Coinbase shares to $340, implying roughly 41% upside from recent trading levels. The bank highlighted Coinbase’s evolution toward becoming an “everything exchange,” pointing to plans for stock and ETF trading, as well as prediction markets, which could deepen engagement…
Rising Public Inquiries Signal Growing Role of Digital Assets in Everyday Finance Questions about cryptocurrency are increasingly reaching Russia’s official pension system, highlighting how digital assets are entering mainstream financial thinking. Government call center data shows that citizens are now actively asking whether pensions can be paid in crypto, reflecting broader shifts in public awareness and adoption. In 2025, Russia’s Social Fund handled approximately 37 million calls, mostly related to pensions, benefits, and family support programs. However, operators reported a noticeable rise in non-standard inquiries linked to cryptocurrency. Among the most frequent questions were whether state pensions could be distributed…
Bullish Momentum Builds as RSI Turns Positive Across Multiple Timeframes Bitcoin market indicators are flashing renewed bullish signals, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) suggesting that a short-term rebound toward the $105,000 level may be possible. While price action remains rangebound, technical data indicates that momentum is quietly shifting in favor of buyers. A key development is the weekly RSI breakout that occurred in December, ending a three-month downtrend that began in September. The indicator has since held above its breakout level, historically a sign of sustained upside momentum. Similar RSI behavior earlier in the cycle preceded multi-month price rallies,…
Three Structural Challenges Continue to Limit Long-Term Adoption Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has warned that the crypto sector still lacks a truly resilient decentralized stablecoin, outlining several unresolved structural challenges that must be addressed for long-term sustainability. In a recent post published on January 11, Buterin emphasized that current models remain fragile under macroeconomic and political stress. One of the central issues highlighted is the industry’s heavy reliance on USD price tracking. Buterin argued that true national and systemic resilience requires alternative reference indexes that reduce dependency on a single fiat currency, particularly in a multipolar global economy. Another key…
Stablecoins and Offshore Infrastructure Used to Evade International Sanctions A new investigative analysis suggests that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) moved nearly $1 billion through cryptocurrency exchanges registered in the United Kingdom between 2023 and 2025. The findings raise concerns about how digital assets and stablecoins are increasingly being used to bypass long-standing international sanctions. According to the report, the IRGC relied on two closely connected exchanges, Zedcex and Zedxion, which reportedly operated under different brand names but shared the same underlying infrastructure. Analysis indicates that IRGC-linked transactions made up 56% of the exchanges’ total trading volume during the…
Crypto ETF Flows Diverge Sharply at the Start of 2026 The U.S. crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) market began 2026 with a clear divergence in investor behavior. While bitcoin and ether ETFs recorded nearly $750 million in combined weekly outflows, XRP ETFs stood out with continued inflows and record-breaking trading volume, signaling shifting institutional preferences within digital asset markets. During the first full trading week of 2026, spot bitcoin ETFs posted $681 million in net outflows, marking four consecutive days of redemptions. The largest single-day withdrawal exceeded $486 million, reflecting heightened caution despite strong inflows earlier in the week. Total assets…