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Bitcoin pushes past $94K after inflation data lands in line with expectations, boosting market sentiment. Meanwhile, ETHGas launches its GWEI token and airdrop campaign, and a draft of the U.S. crypto market structure bill sparks a brewing battle over stablecoin rewards.

Let’s dive into the latest! 👇

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News Roundup

Artificial Intelligence

  • Google Unveils Universal Commerce Protocol to Power Agentic Shopping (Google)

  • Venice AI Bets on Privacy and Tokens to Rethink How Users Access Generative AI (Decrypt)

Decentralized, Centralized, & Traditional Finance

  • Kraken-Affiliated SPAC Files for $250M Nasdaq IPO (The Block)

  • Hong Kong Urges Caution on Gold-Backed Stablecoins (Cointelegraph)

  • Singapore Gulf Bank Joins JPMorgan Network, Launches 24/7 USD Clearing (SGB)

  • ZKsync Pivots Toward Real-World Infrastructure in 2026 Roadmap (The Block)

  • Grayscale Expands Watchlist as It Weighs New Crypto Investment Products (Grayscale)

  • Banks Prevail as Senate Crypto Bill Curbs Stablecoin Interest (Decrypt)

  • Russian Pensioners Ask for Crypto Payouts as Bitcoin Interest Grows Among Boomers (DL News)

  • Polygon Labs Buys Coinme and Sequence in $250M Push Into Global Payments (The Block)

  • Euler CEO Steps Aside as DeFi Lender Pivots Toward Institutions (The Defiant)

  • Franklin Templeton Makes Money Market Funds Blockchain-Ready (The Block)

  • Ethena and Safe Partner to Drive USDe Adoption With Gas-Free Transfers and 10x Rewards (The Block)

  • TD Bank Eyes ‘Terrific Opportunities’ in Tokenized Deposits (The Defiant)

  • Old Glory Bank to Go Public via SPAC Merger, Targeting Crypto-Integrated Banking (Globe Newswire)

Exchanges

  • South Korean Crypto Exchanges Push Back Against Proposed Ownership Limits (The Block)

  • OKX Freezes $40K After User Admits Account Circumvention (Cointelegraph)

  • Korbit Accepts $2M AML Fine as Ownership Transition Looms (DL News)

Exchange-Traded Products

Infrastructure

  • Trojan Launches Browser-Based Onchain Trading Terminal for Solana Traders (Trojan)

  • BNB Chain Set for 40% Speed Boost With Fermi Upgrade (DL News)

Markets

  • Bakkt Shares Jump on Planned Acquisition of Stablecoin Infrastructure Firm (The Block)

  • Lighter’s LIT Token Slides as Airdrop Farmers Chase New Perp DEX Incentives (The Defiant)

  • U.S. December Unadjusted CPI YoY: 2.7% (exp. 2.7%, prev. 2.7%) (BLS)

  • U.S. December Unadjusted Core CPI YoY: 2.6% (exp. 2.7%, prev. 2.6%) (BLS)

  • Bitcoin Options Overtake Futures, Signaling a More Stable BTC Market (CoinDesk)

  • Altcoin Fringe Sees $40B Exodus as Speculation Shifts Elsewhere (Bloomberg)

  • Bitcoin Climbs Above $93K as Inflation Data Meets Expectations (Decrypt)

  • Polymarket Breaks Into Prime Time With Golden Globes Odds (The Block)

Meme Coins

  • Eric Adams Hit With Rug-Pull Claims After Liquidity Pulled From NYC Token (CoinDesk)

  • NYC Token Team Denies Rug Pull After Eric Adams–Linked Memecoin Crashes 82% (DL News)

  • Lawsuit Claims Pump.fun Exec Admitted Most Memecoin Traders Lose (DL News)

Politics & Regulation

  • Dubai Bars Privacy Tokens From Regulated Exchanges Over Compliance Risks (The Defiant)

  • CFTC Launches Innovation Panel to Shape Rules for AI and Blockchain (Cointelegraph)

  • Senators Push Developer Protections as Crypto Market Structure Bill Nears Vote (The Block)

  • Senate Agriculture Committee Delays Crypto Bill Markup to Preserve Bipartisan Support (Eleanor Terrett)

  • Warren Pressures SEC as Trump Moves to Open 401(k)s to Crypto (Decrypt

  • Thai PM Escalates Crackdown on ‘Grey Money’ Across Gold and Digital Assets (The Nation)

  • Nigeria Mandates Identity-Linked Crypto Reporting Under New Tax Law (TechCabal)

  • Democrats Roll Out BlueVault to Rebuild Crypto Donor Support Ahead of Midterms (Decrypt)

  • Trump Presses Big Tech to Cover Data Center Power Costs as U.S. Demand Surges (Cointelegraph)

  • Vietnam Moves to License Pilot Crypto Exchanges Under Regulatory Sandbox (Cointelegraph)

  • Crypto First Movers Warn of Being Shut Out as South Korea Formalizes STO Market (Cointelegraph)

  • Judge Pauses Tennessee Crackdown on Kalshi’s Sports Prediction Markets (The Block)

  • Charles Hoskinson Warns Trump’s Crypto Push Has Politicized the Industry (CoinDesk)

  • Draft Crypto Bill Would Put XRP, Solana and Dogecoin on Par With Bitcoin (Decrypt)

  • Senate Crypto Bill Triggers Fight Over Stablecoin Rewards (The Block)

Token Generation Events

  • ETHGas Unveils GWEI Token and ‘Genesis Harvest’ Airdrop Ahead of TGE (ETHGas Foundation)

  • Zama to Launch Onchain Token Sale With $55M FDV Floor via CoinList (The Block)

Treasuries

  • Strive Wins Shareholder Approval to Acquire Semler Scientific and Its Bitcoin Treasury (Globe Newswire)

Venture Capital

  • YZi Labs Backs Privacy-Focused DeFi Trader Genius as CZ Joins as Advisor (The Block)

Other News

  • Wave of Violent ‘Wrench Attacks’ Intensifies Against Crypto Holders in France (Decrypt)

  • CoinGecko Explores Potential Sale at $500M Valuation (CoinDesk)

  • South Korean Drug Kingpin Jailed 20 Years for Laundering Millions With Bitcoin (DL News)

Check This Out!

A total of 88 new yield-bearing stablecoins launched in 2025, according to Stablewatch.

Source: Stablewatch

Meme of the Day

Source: naiivememe

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