The U.S. SEC and CFTC have jointly relaunched Project Crypto to better coordinate how digital assets are regulated and supervised. In a January 29 statement, the agencies outlined plans to harmonize rules, update surveillance tools, and create clearer compliance pathways for crypto businesses. The initiative aims to support innovation in on-chain trading, clearing, settlement, and custody while maintaining investor protection and U.S. financial market leadership.

On January 30, 2026, KRAKacquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company backed by crypto exchange Kraken, completed a $345M initial public offering and began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker KRAQU. The SPAC, also sponsored by Tribe Capital and Natural Capital, intends to pursue businesses building core infrastructure for the digital asset economy, with observers noting it could potentially offer Kraken an alternative path to going public.

On January 30, 2026, Binance released its analysis of the October 10 crypto market crash, attributing the steep sell-off to a macroeconomic shock colliding with fragile market structure and heavy leverage. The exchange argued that risk-off sentiment, cascading derivatives liquidations, market maker withdrawals, and Ethereum network congestion drove the move, rather than any core platform failure or depeg events. Binance acknowledged limited internal frictions, including delayed internal transfers and irregular token index behavior, but maintained these did not trigger the broader downturn.

In January 2026, crypto venture funding activity fell to a five-year low, with only 67 completed fundraising rounds and a largest single raise of $250M. YziLabs led four deals and Coinbase Ventures backed three, while AI, payments, DeFi, and blockchain infrastructure drew most of the capital. Token sales also cooled, as 37 IDO or ICO events raised $116.9M amid weaker demand for new project tokens.

Gold hit a record $5,594.82 per ounce before slipping to about $5,330, a 4.7% pullback, while Bitcoin fell 7% to roughly $82,381. With volatility climbing as GVZ rose from 30.01 on Jan. 23 to 39.67 on Jan. 28, traders are evaluating whether crowded gold positioning unwinds into Bitcoin or reflects broader macro pressure.

On Thursday, the European Central Bank reduced its key rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%, the fifth straight cut since June. On Friday, the German statistics office said January inflation was 2.1%, up from 2.0% in December, contrary to expectations for a flat reading. Eurozone output improved in Q4 2025, with Germany expanding 0.3% while Spain, France, and Italy also posted gains.

On Jan. 30, Bitcoin stayed under pressure after slipping below $84,000, with sellers testing the $80,600 area and eyed support near $74,508. Several large-cap altcoins also breached key levels, raising downside risks across the market. Some analysts foresee further weakness, while others note potential bottoming patterns if buyers defend supports.

Proof-of-reserves shows that a custodian controlled specific onchain assets at a single moment, but it does not by itself confirm solvency, liquidity or the quality of internal controls. An exchange can "pass" PoR while still carrying hidden liabilities, using encumbered assets or facing liquidity gaps, and many PoR exercises resemble limited agreed-upon procedures rather than full audits. A more reliable trust framework combines PoR with comprehensive liability proofs, governance and control assessments, and clearer disclosures around liquidity and encumbrances.