SEC Operations Severely Limited Starting January 31, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to limited operations due to a partial government shutdown. The agency announced it will operate with only essential staff until further notice. This follows standard federal shutdown procedures that activate when funding lapses. Most divisions—including Corporation Finance, Trading and…
The Weekend Shutdown That Wasn’t Supposed to Matter I’ve been watching this government shutdown situation unfold, and honestly, it’s a bit confusing. The Senate actually voted for a funding package on Friday evening. But here’s the thing – the House isn’t in session this week. They won’t be back until Monday. So even though the…
Committee vote reveals political divisions The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee voted 12-11 on Thursday to move forward with its version of the CLARITY Act. It was a straight party-line vote, with all Republicans supporting it and all Democrats opposed. This marks the first time a crypto market structure proposal has actually made it past a…
SEC Issues Clear Guidance on Tokenized Securities The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has put out new guidance about tokenized securities, and I think it’s pretty straightforward. They’re saying that just because you put a security on a blockchain or turn it into a digital token, that doesn’t change what it is. The format might…
Crypto’s regulatory crossroads Matt Hougan, the investment chief at Bitwise, has laid out what I think is a pretty stark choice for the crypto industry. He says if Congress doesn’t pass that market structure bill everyone’s been talking about, crypto needs to become something people can’t live without. Otherwise, a change in administration could really…
Binance founder’s book release confirmed Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, says his memoir will be available in late February or early March. He made the announcement on social media, promising to share details he couldn’t discuss during his recent Davos Forum interview. “There is nothing to hide. More details in the upcoming book,” CZ…
Key Legislative Hearing Scheduled for Next Week A significant legislative development is coming up next week that could shape how cryptocurrency markets are regulated in the United States. According to Galaxy Research Director Alex Thorn, the Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, January 27, to consider amendments to what’s being called the…
Ethics Amendments Target Official Crypto Profits US Democratic Senators filed several amendments to crypto market structure legislation on Friday, with a particular focus on preventing government officials from profiting from the cryptocurrency industry. The amendments come ahead of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup session scheduled for this Tuesday. One of the most significant proposals comes…
Political Influence in Crypto Exchange Competition South Korean authorities are looking into allegations that a senior lawmaker used his position to target cryptocurrency exchange Upbit. The investigation centers on Kim Byung-kee, a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who allegedly began attacking Upbit after his son secured employment at rival platform Bithumb. Kim,…
Federal Bitcoin Sale Sparks Legal Questions Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, along with the Department of Justice, are facing some serious questions right now. They’re accused of selling millions of dollars in seized Bitcoin, and this move might have directly violated an Executive Order from former President Donald Trump. It’s about…
