CFTC forms innovation committee to help shape rules for crypto, AI
US Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair Mike Selig has unveiled the agency’s new innovation committee, aimed at guiding the regulation of emerging technologies like blockchain and AI, which are transforming financial markets.
The Innovation Advisory Committee replaces the Technology Advisory Committee and is looking to bring top crypto voices into the CFTC’s process to shape practical, forward-looking market regulations, Selig said on Monday.
The new committee will advise the CFTC on the “commercial, economic, and practical considerations of emerging products, platforms, and business models in the financial markets so that it can develop clear rules of the road for the Golden Age of American Financial Markets,” Selig said.
“Innovators are harnessing technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing to modernize legacy financial systems and build entirely new ones.”
Blockchain is changing finance by enabling faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions in markets that can run 24/7/365, while AI more efficiently analyzes data sets to optimize trading and risk management, among other things.
Source: Mike Selig
The CFTC’s latest move follows in the footsteps of the Securities and Exchange Commission by adopting a more tech-friendly approach to regulation to attract innovators.
Industry leaders to shape the views of CFTC
Selig will sponsor the new committee and intends to nominate the 12 CEO Innovation Council participants as its charter members.
Among them are top crypto executives, including Gemini CEO Tyler Winklevoss, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour, Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi.
From the traditional financial firms, executives, including Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeff Sprecher, Cboe Global Markets CEO Craig Donohue, and Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, are also part of the list.
Selig is also seeking nominations for additional IAC membership, with applications open until Jan. 31, 2026.
The CFTC stated that it would also consider the viewpoints of regulatory bodies, academia, and public interest groups.
US government, private sector must share common goal: A16z
Tech-focused venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) said last Friday that crypto innovation will be critical to securing America’s future and winning the next century.
Related: Crypto custody company BitGo seeks up to $201 million in US IPO
A16z said alignment between the US government and the private sector is crucial to defend American interests, warning that failure could cost the country its dominance:
“If America fails to win technologically, it will lose economically, militarily, geopolitically, and culturally. And the entire world will lose as well.”
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
3 ETH price charts predict a sharp move to $4K is brewing
Ether’s (ETH) futures and spot markets are sending mixed signals as futures positioning builds, but the altcoin’s price fails to make new highs. Data suggested that ETH traders are adding to their exposure even as spot buying underpins the recovery.
Key takeaways:
Ether’s estimated leverage ratio fell from an all-time high of 0.79 on Jan. 2 to 0.67 by Jan. 11, despite rising open interest.
Aggregate spot CVD increased with the rally, indicating spot-led demand with a bullish positioning bias.
Ether open interest rebounds, but the price lags
Aggregated open interest (OI) for Ether futures has returned to levels seen before its 38% drawdown in Q4 2025, while ETH still trades roughly 27% below its October 10, 2025, opening price. This divergence suggests traders are rebuilding exposure.
Ether open interest and price. Source: X
Supporting this view, Ether’s estimated leverage ratio peaked at 0.79 on Jan. 2 before falling to 0.67 by Jan. 11. While OI continues to rise, the decline in leverage pointed to healthier positioning and a lower risk of cascading liquidations.
Meanwhile, the latest rally has been driven by rising spot cumulative volume delta (CVD), rather than the futures CVD. This indicates net market buying in the spot market, which is typically associated with more durable price moves. The long/short accounts ratio holding near 2.66 reflects a bullish skew, without signs of traders aggressively jumping into the market.
ETH price, spot CVD, futures CVD, and long/short ratio. Source: Coinalyze
Related: Standard Chartered said to plan crypto brokerage, trims ETH forecast
ETH Staking flows, and macro signals add tailwinds
Onchain data shows growing long-term conviction. Lookonchain reported that BitMine staked 110,000 ETH worth $340 million on Jan. 12, bringing its three-week total to roughly $3.7 billion. At a 2.8% yield, this could generate nearly $95 million in ETH annually for the company.
From a market structure point of view, Max, CEO of BecauseBitcoin, noted that the Russell 2000 has historically led ETH into price discovery. With the index hitting a new all-time high at 2,664, conditions may favor expansion for ETH in the coming weeks.
Russell 2000 and ETH historical price comparison. Source: Max/X
Echoing that view, crypto investor Jelle said Ether turning a major weekly resistance into support “feels pretty big,” adding that a strong higher low after last year’s crash leaves $4,000 as the key hurdle. Above it, ETH “could finally have its moment,” noted the investor.
Related: Bank of Italy models Ethereum risks if ETH value collapsed
Bitcoin ‘OG whales’ sell $286M, but odds of $100K BTC remain high
Bitcoin (BTC) onchain data shows BTC whales are active as the price attempts to extend its breakout from the $90,000 level.
Key takeaways
Bitcoin whale spending surged to $286 million, the largest spike since early November.
Momentum indicators are bullish, but volatility is likely this week.
Data from Capriole Investments indicated that OG Whale spent value, i.e., Bitcoin moved after remaining dormant for more than seven years, jumped to roughly $286 million on Jan. 10. This marked the strongest resurgence in old-coin activity since November 3, 2025, when the metric spiked near $570 million and coincided with BTC’s market correction.
BTC OG Whale Spent Value. Source: Capriole Investments
While such movements often raise fears of distribution, the OG whale activity reflects strategic profit-taking rather than panic selling.
Despite this, onchain data suggested Bitcoin remained in a better position to absorb this supply. According to Glassnode, long-term holder distribution has decelerated sharply with net outflows rolling over from previously extreme levels, signaling that much of the overhead supply from older coins may already be worked through.
A recent report from Cointelegraph also highlighted multiple signals pointing to a slowdown in long-term selling pressure, which could lead to price expansion. Likewise, accumulator addresses, wallets that consistently buy without distributing, have continued to add BTC in 2026, amassing nearly 136,000 BTC in just 11 days this month.
Related: Fed rate cuts under fire: 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week
Bullish signals flash for BTC, but volatility remains in play
From a technical standpoint, Bitcoin’s momentum structure continues to improve. BTC’s 5-day MACD has flipped bullish, a setup last seen near the 2022 bear market bottom. Previously, this signal preceded a rally of more than 430%, noted by crypto commentator Myles G.
BTC’s 5-day MACD bullish reversal analysis. Source: X/Myles G
However, traders cautioned that near-term pullbacks remain part of Bitcoin’s price action. BTC trader Killa noted that for seven consecutive months, BTC has averaged a 5% dip below the 14th weekly open candle, a pattern that could briefly drag price toward the $86,000 to $87,000 zone.
Meanwhile, crypto analyst OSHO highlighted improving order book dynamics. Aggregated liquidity data shows buyers gaining the upper hand, with bid-side liquidity outweighing asks across spot and futures markets. Liquidity is also clustering between $89,200 and $89,700, setting a critical pivot after the New York session.
Bitcoin liquidity levels. Source: X
If demand holds, Bitcoin’s ability to absorb OG whale supply could still fuel a push toward the $100,000 psychological level. That move may first require a liquidity sweep below $89,000, with price acceptance in the $89,000 to $87,000 range acting as the key signal.
A strong rebound from that zone would indicate passive bids have been filled, opening the door to a $100,000 test as early as next week. Failure to do so increases the risk of a deeper pullback toward $86,000, with external liquidity near $84,000 as the longer-term target.
Related: Strategy makes biggest Bitcoin purchase since July 2025, adds $1.25B in BTC
Trump-linked World Liberty brings $3.4B stablecoin into crypto lending markets
World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance project linked to the family of US President Donald Trump, has entered the cryptocurrency lending market, highlighting renewed interest in onchain credit as regulatory clarity improves.
The new product, called World Liberty Markets, launched on Monday and allows users to borrow and lend digital assets, according to a Bloomberg report. The platform is built around USD1, World Liberty’s US dollar–backed stablecoin, alongside its governance token, WLFI.
Users can post collateral, including Ether (ETH), a tokenized version of Bitcoin (BTC) and major stablecoins such as USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT). The platform is designed to support both lending and borrowing activity within a single onchain marketplace.
World Liberty co-founder Zak Folkman told Bloomberg that additional collateral types will be added over time, potentially including tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). He also said the company is exploring partnerships with prediction markets, cryptocurrency exchanges and real estate platforms.
World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) has grown rapidly, with a market capitalization of $3.4 billion. Source: CoinMarketCap
The lending rollout follows World Liberty’s recent application for a national trust bank charter with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The company has said the charter would support broader adoption of USD1, which is already being used for cross-border payments and treasury operations.
As digital assets move further into the financial mainstream, demand for crypto-based borrowing and lending is picking up again, as investors seek new ways to unlock liquidity without selling their holdings.
This renewed interest is emerging alongside clearer regulatory frameworks and a more mature industry infrastructure. Importantly, many of the most damaging failures from previous market cycles, including the collapse of BlockFi and Celsius, stemmed from centralized business models, opaque risk management and excessive leverage, rather than from blockchain infrastructure itself.
Market participants argue that improved transparency, onchain risk controls and regulatory oversight may help prevent similar breakdowns.
Activity across DeFi lending protocols has surged in recent years, peaking in October. Source: DefiLlama
Crypto lending is now re-emerging in multiple forms. Digital asset lending firm Nexo, for example, offers zero-interest borrowing products that allow Bitcoin and Ether holders to take out loans against their assets, reflecting continued demand for collateralized credit.
Activity is also increasing within decentralized finance. Babylon recently received $15 million from a16z Crypto to expand its Bitcoin-native lending infrastructure. The funding underscores growing investor interest in building lending markets that operate directly on blockchain networks rather than through centralized intermediaries.