South Korea is moving toward reopening its crypto market to corporate participation after nearly a decade of restrictions, signaling a structural shift in how digital assets may be traded domestically. According to draft guidelines from the Financial Services Commission, listed companies and registered professional investor corporations would be allowed to invest corporate funds into crypto again, following a ban that has been in place since 2017. The framework is deliberately conservative, capping annual investments at 5% of a company’s equity and limiting eligible assets to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with the inclusion of dollar-based stablecoins still under debate.
The proposal also introduces market structure safeguards, including rules on order execution and price limits, aimed at preventing sudden liquidity shocks as corporate money enters the market. While the opening is modest, the scale of corporate balance sheets means even small allocations could translate into meaningful spot demand for major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. At the same time, regulators are aware that allowing corporates in also means allowing them out, creating a new, policy-driven source of supply during periods of stress.
More broadly, the move reflects South Korea’s effort to modernize its financial market infrastructure and attract global capital, alongside initiatives such as extending foreign exchange trading hours. The ultimate impact on Bitcoin liquidity will depend on the final details of eligibility, asset selection, stablecoin treatment, and banking rails, which will determine whether this becomes a steady new source of institutional demand or a cautious pilot with limited market influence.
World Liberty Financial、新しい貸出プラットフォーム「World Liberty Markets」をリリース 分散型金融企業であるWorld Liberty Financialは、ドナルド・トランプ大統領とその息子たちの支援を受けて、月曜日にWorld Liberty Marketsのリリースを発表しました。このプラットフォームでは、ユーザーが資産を貸し出し、利子を得たり、ステーブルコイン、イーサリアム(ETH)、cbBTCを使ってポートフォリオを担保に借入できるようになります。 多チェーンDEXプロトコル「Dolomite」を活用するこのプラットフォームは、World LibertyのネイティブトークンWLFI、ステーブルコインUSD1、USDC、USDT、イーサリアム、コインベース・ラップドビットコイン(cbBTC)など、さまざまな資産をサポートしています。World Liberty Marketsは、トークン化金融の未来を支援し、実世界資産製品へのアクセスを提供するとともに、すべてのWLFIアプリケーションにおけるUSD1の利用を拡大することを目指しています。 リリース以降、プラットフォームには約2000万ドルの資産が供給され、その大部分はUSD1です。USD1は1000ドル以上を預けるユーザーに対して27%のインセンティブレートとUSD1報酬ポイントを提供しています。WLFIの共同創業者兼COOであるザック・フォルクマン氏は、「World Liberty Marketsは大きな一歩であり、USD1ユーザーに新たな方法でステーブルコインを活用できる機会を提供します」と述べました。 現在、プラットフォームはウェブアプリとして運用されており、今後WLFIモバイルアプリへの統合が予定されています。資産のサポートやインセンティブ構造は、ユーザーとWLFIトークン保有者による分散型ガバナンス投票によって決定されます。 World Liberty Financialは昨年3月に複数のブロックチェーン上でUSD1をリリースし、現在では流通量が34億ドルを超える7番目に大きなステーブルコインとなっています。同社のネイティブガバナンストークンWLFIは9月にリリースされ、約0.17ドルで取引されており、過去2週間で18%上昇していますが、過去最高値の0.33ドルからまだ49%下回っています。 同社はまた、米国通貨監督局(OCC)に国家銀行特許の申請を行っており、昨年12月に承認を受けたコインセールやリップルなど、他の暗号資産およびステーブルコイン企業と並んでいます。
Markets reacted sharply after Fed Chair Jerome Powell revealed legal and political pressures on the Fed, raising concerns over central bank independence. Gold surged, the dollar dropped, and Bitcoin and Ethereum initially rose as investors reassessed risk. The episode highlights a new macro risk: governance and independence risk. If investors believe Fed policy can be influenced by political or legal pressure, it affects dollar credibility, bond term premiums, and market liquidity, creating a new volatility channel for crypto. For Bitcoin in 2026, three channels are key: Dollar credibility: pressure on Fed weakens USD and boosts gold/Bitcoin as safe assets. Term premium: uncertainty pushes long-term yields higher, signaling risk to markets and crypto. Liquidity and rates volatility: rising MOVE and tighter risk budgets can trigger forced deleveraging, impacting Bitcoin short-term. Three scenarios may unfold: Shock absorbed: Fed maintains independence, markets stabilize, Bitcoin trades on liquidity and growth. Chronic pressure: Ongoing governance risk leads to repeated repricing, volatility remains high. Policy shift priced in: Markets anticipate Fed can be influenced, driving term premium and cross-asset volatility higher; Bitcoin acts as a credibility hedge but faces short-term drawdowns. Key dates in 2026—Powell’s term ending and legal cases—make independence risk tradable. Crypto traders should track USD, term premiums, MOVE, and gold vs. Bitcoin for signals.
Crypto YouTube viewership sinks to lowest level since 2021
Viewership of crypto-related content on YouTube has fallen to its lowest level since January 2021, following a sharp pullback over the past three months.
ITC Crypto founder Benjamin Cowen shared data showing a 30-day moving average of views across multiple crypto YouTube channels trending lower. He noted that the decline is not limited to X due to algorithm changes, but reflects a broader drop in engagement across platforms. Crypto YouTuber Tom Crown added that social interest has “collapsed across all platforms” since October and has effectively been in a bear market since 2021.
Several creators say retail investors are exhausted after years of scams and pump-and-dump schemes. TikTok creator Cloud9 Markets said repeated “ponzi” altcoin cycles have worn retail down, while others noted that viewership during the 2021 peak has never been matched since.
The trend supports the idea that institutions have been driving this market cycle, with retail participation taking a back seat. Some observers also argue that investors have shifted toward macro assets and precious metals in search of returns, following a difficult 2025 for crypto.
Despite the broader decline, Santiment said social sentiment toward Bitcoin is gradually improving, with the $90,000 level seen as critical to keeping retail confidence intact. Sentiment toward Ethereum, however, remains scattered with no clear trend emerging.