Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency

As his flight departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport en route to Kuwait via Istanbul, Canadian crypto fugitive Andean Medjedovic was unaware that his globe-trotting lifestyle would soon be halted. Just two weeks later, on Dec. 11, 2023, Dutch authorities issued a European arrest warrant for the then 21-year-old, alleging he had pulled off a "sophisticated hack" that netted him $48 million US in cryptocurrency.

The Federal Reserve held rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75% on January 28, 2026, and Bitcoin ( ) now faces a critical support test. The Bitcoin price is consolidating near key support levels, with volatility compressing in a way that often precedes sharp moves in either direction. Powell struck a neutral tone, describing the economy as on "firm footing" while noting inflation "remains somewhat elevated."

Bitvocation is a jobs board and resources platform for the Bitcoin job market. They offer a highly curated feed of job offers, as well as career tips, specializing in network-driven hiring. They look to help Bitcoin startups as well as larger companies in the industry. According to a press release shared with Bitcoin Magazine, Bitvocation is not a recruitment agency. "We don't headhunt. We are building a "strategic Bitcoiners reserve" to make hiring more efficient and help startups find the right talent faster."

UBS Group AG is preparing to offer bitcoin trading to a select group of private banking clients in Switzerland. According to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the Swiss banking giant has been in discussions for several months about launching a cryptocurrency trading offering and is currently in the process of selecting external partners. The service would initially be limited to a small subset of Swiss private banking clients, with a broader rollout possible at a later stage.

The country's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed this week that it is preparing comprehensive regulatory guidelines that would allow crypto ETFs to be formally established, crypto futures to trade on the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), and digital assets to be recognized as an official asset class under existing derivatives law. SEC Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul said the new framework is designed to expand access to digital assets while addressing security and custody risks that have historically deterred institutional investors.

As Bitcoin enters 2026 with sustained institutional adoption and price stability following the 2024-2025 bull run, self-custody remains a cornerstone of the asset's sovereignty promise. Yet the landscape has evolved significantly. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have unlocked access to passive investors comfortable with Wall Street's "trust me, bro" brokerage models, while physical attacks on crypto users have surged to record levels, known as "wrench attacks".

Strive, Inc. announced today that stockholders of Semler Scientific, Inc. approved its acquisition by Strive, marking a landmark deal in publicly traded Bitcoin-backed companies. The all-stock transaction includes Semler Scientific's 5,048.1 Bitcoin, significantly expanding Strive's digital asset holdings. In addition, the company said they purchased 123 more Bitcoin for its corporate treasury at an average price of $91,561 per coin, for a total cost of approximately $11.26 million, inclusive of fees and expenses, the company said.

Figure Technology Solutions reported that its loan origination system produced $2.705 billion in volume during the fourth quarter of 2025, up 131% from the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary operating data released Monday. Compared to the prior quarter, the volume increased 9.5%. The volume was driven by the company's consumer loan marketplace, which includes home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) loans and personal loans, as well as third-party loans traded on Figure Connect.

Iran's national currency, the rial, has completely collapsed against the U.S. dollar as the country's economic crisis worsens. The value of one rial is now worth $0.00 right now. On the open market, one U.S. dollar now trades for roughly 1.4 million rials, a collapse that has erased decades of purchasing power and fueled widespread unrest. The currency's plunge isn't new, but the pace of decline in 2025 and early 2026 has been dramatic.

Covered calls, protective puts, and collar strategies that once defined sophisticated Bitcoin trading are now standard tools across the most liquid altcoin markets. This shift marks a turning point in how altcoins are perceived and traded. XRP, SOL, and ETH are no longer just speculative assets for retail traders chasing 10x returns. They're becoming institutional products: vehicles for structured yield generation, volatility management, and portfolio hedging.