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According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has extended the decision period for two cryptocurrency-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and opened public comments on a third crypto fund option. The SEC announced in the Federal Register that it will prolong the consideration of proposals to list the Canary Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) ETF on Cboe BZX and the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF on NYSE Arca. Both applications follow the SEC's standard 19b-4 process, which allows the regulatory body to extend the initial decision window by up to 45 days.

According to BlockBeats, the crypto market is set to experience two significant events on January 15. The first involves the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which will vote on the CLARITY Act. This legislation aims to combat fraudulent and deceptive trading practices, false trading volumes, and mandates proof of reserves, potentially addressing longstanding regulatory issues in the cryptocurrency sector.Additionally, January 15 marks BitMine's shareholder day, where shareholders will vote on a proposal to increase the number of shares from 500 million to 50 billion. If approved, BitMine will secure additional funds to purchase ETH, potentially boosting expectations for ETH prices.

According to Odaily, the South Korean Financial Services Commission has finalized guidelines permitting listed companies and professional investors to trade cryptocurrencies. This new regulation ends a nine-year prohibition, allowing eligible corporate entities to invest up to 5% of their net assets annually in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on South Korea's five major exchanges.The policy shift is expected to grant market access to approximately 3,500 entities, including listed companies and registered professional investment institutions. Regulatory authorities will also require exchanges to implement staggered execution and order size limits. Discussions are ongoing regarding the eligibility of dollar-pegged stablecoins like USDT for investment.

According to ChainCatcher, U.S. President Donald Trump has denied any involvement with the U.S. Department of Justice in filing a criminal case against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Trump stated that the federal court's subpoena to Powell is unrelated to any decisions regarding interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

According to Foresight News, seven Labour MPs who chair parliamentary committees have urged the UK government to prohibit cryptocurrency political donations in the forthcoming Election Bill. The letter, co-signed by Liam Byrne, Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, and six colleagues, highlights concerns that crypto donations undermine the transparency, traceability, and regulatory effectiveness of political funding. The MPs argue that cryptocurrencies can obscure the true source of funds, facilitate numerous small donations below disclosure thresholds, and expose UK politics to the risk of foreign interference. The Electoral Commission has warned that current technology makes these risks challenging to manage.

According to ChainCatcher, Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) has officially approved and issued a license to ICEx, making it the country's second cryptocurrency exchange platform.

According to ChainCatcher, U.S. Republican Senator Thom Tillis has stated that no Federal Reserve nominees, including the chair, will be confirmed until the legal case involving Jerome Powell is resolved.

According to Cointelegraph, India's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has introduced new guidelines aimed at strengthening the onboarding process for users on cryptocurrency platforms. These regulations require crypto exchanges to implement more stringent verification methods, including live selfie pictures and geographic location checks. The Times of India reports that the selfie verification process involves software that monitors users' eye and head movements to prevent AI deep fakes from circumventing the know-your-customer (KYC) protocols. Additionally, exchanges are mandated to collect geolocation data and IP addresses during account creation, along with a timestamp of the account setup. To comply with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements, exchanges must verify user bank accounts by initiating a small transaction. Users are also required to provide additional government-issued photo identification and verify their email and mobile numbers to establish an account with a registered crypto exchange. These measures reflect India's regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies and digital assets, considering the country's vast market potential with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. The influx of Indian users into the crypto space could potentially lead to increased investment opportunities. In related developments, India's Income Tax Department (ITD) officials met with parliamentary lawmakers to discuss the challenges posed by cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance platforms in tax enforcement. The ITD highlighted that decentralized exchanges, anonymous wallets, and the cross-border nature of crypto transactions complicate taxation efforts. Jurisdictional differences in tax regulations further hinder efficient taxation of cryptocurrencies. Under India's Income Tax Act, gains from cryptocurrency sales are taxed at a rate of 30%, with deductions limited to the cost basis against the gains. Crypto traders in India are unable to offset gains with losses from other transactions, as tax loss harvesting is not permitted. These discussions underscore the ongoing complexities in regulating and taxing the rapidly evolving crypto landscape in India.

According to Foresight News, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that while stablecoins have the potential to expand financial services and drive innovation, they also pose risks such as currency substitution and market volatility. Consequently, global regulatory cooperation is deemed essential. The IMF is currently collaborating with the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and other organizations to address regulatory gaps and enhance industry oversight.

According to ChainCatcher, Federal Reserve official Barkin has indicated that inflation data might not fully reflect the current economic situation until April.

Regulatory improvements will be critical to unlocking broader institutional adoption of crypto assets, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs, who pointed to U.S. market structure legislation as a central catalyst.In a report cited by Odaily, a Goldman Sachs research team led by James Yaro said clearer regulation would benefit both buy-side and sell-side financial institutions, while also enabling new use cases for crypto assets beyond speculative trading.Clarity Act seen as pivotal catalystThe analysts highlighted the U.S. Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, commonly referred to as the Clarity Act, which is currently advancing through Congress.According to the report, the legislation is expected to:Establish a clear regulatory framework for tokenized assets and decentralized finance (DeFi)Define the respective jurisdictions of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading CommissionReduce regulatory ambiguity that has constrained institutional participationSuch clarity, Goldman Sachs said, is essential for unlocking institutional capital and allowing compliant engagement by banks, asset managers, and market infrastructure providers.Timing risks tied to U.S. midterm electionsGoldman Sachs cautioned that timing is critical, noting that the Clarity Act would ideally need to be passed by the first half of 2026.Failure to do so could introduce delays linked to the U.S. midterm elections in November, which may complicate legislative momentum and increase political uncertainty around crypto regulation.Senate Banking Committee signals progressEarlier, Tim Scott, the Republican chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said the committee plans to revise the Clarity Act and move it toward a formal vote in the near term.That signal has been viewed by market participants as an important step toward advancing comprehensive crypto market structure legislation.Short-term headwinds, long-term accelerationIndustry experts cited in the report noted that market adjustments toward the end of 2025 may temper short-term adoption, as institutions remain cautious amid volatility and policy uncertainty.However, they argued that successful passage and implementation of the Clarity Act could significantly accelerate genuine institutional entry, shifting crypto adoption from tactical exposure toward deeper integration across payments, settlement, and financial infrastructure.

According to BlockBeats, the Senate Agriculture Committee, led by Chairman Boozman (Republican-Arkansas), is contemplating postponing the vote on a significant cryptocurrency legislation. This decision hinges on the progress of bipartisan negotiations in the coming days.Boozman is currently planning to proceed with the review process of the crypto market regulation bill on January 15. However, he is open to delaying the vote depending on the outcome of discussions with the Democratic lead negotiator, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. If substantial progress is made by the end of the week, Boozman may delay the vote to secure bipartisan support for the bill.

According to BlockBeats, on January 10, U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent stated that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the Trump administration's tariff policies, the Treasury has sufficient funds to cover any tariff refunds.

According to Odaily, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has scheduled an executive session to discuss the H.R.3633 CLARITY Act. The meeting is set for January 15 at 10:00 local time in Room 538 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.The session will focus on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, involving discussions and markup procedures as part of the committee's formal review process. The committee has announced that a live video broadcast will be available once the meeting begins, but no related video content will be provided beforehand.

The future of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, commonly known as the CLARITY market structure bill, depends on securing bipartisan backing within the United States Senate Banking Committee, according to Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy.Speaking to Cointelegraph, Thorn said the legislation will require at least 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to advance, meaning Republicans must secure the support of seven to ten Democratic senators.Democratic support seen as decisiveThorn noted that if Republicans can win over four Democratic members of the Senate Banking Committee, it would significantly improve the bill’s chances.In that scenario, Thorn expects that all 17 Democratic senators who previously supported the GENIUS Act — a stablecoin-focused regulatory framework — would likely align with Republicans to move the CLARITY bill forward.“Without strong bipartisan backing at the committee level, the probability of passage in 2026 drops sharply,” Thorn said.Why market structure legislation mattersA comprehensive crypto market structure framework could provide long-awaited regulatory clarity in the U.S., particularly around:Jurisdictional boundaries between regulatorsToken classificationExchange and custody requirementsSuch clarity could accelerate institutional adoption, as many large investors remain cautious due to regulatory uncertainty and the risk of sudden policy reversals.Limited long-term downside if bill stallsThorn also addressed the potential consequences if the CLARITY Act fails to advance in the Senate. He argued that the structural impact on the crypto industry would be limited, as several major policy goals have already been achieved amid a broader pro-crypto shift in U.S. regulatory posture.However, he cautioned that short-term investor sentiment could suffer, particularly if the bill stalls ahead of a key procedural window.Failure to advance the bill by Jan. 15 could complicate prospects for another vote in 2026, given the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. midterm elections.Midterm elections loom over timingPolicy analysts warn that political dynamics could significantly delay crypto legislation.Investment bank TD Cowen recently cautioned that crypto market structure legislation may not pass until 2027, and could take effect as late as 2029, if Democratic lawmakers succeed in pushing the vote beyond the midterms and regain control of at least one chamber of Congress.Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio has warned that Trump-era regulatory policies benefiting crypto, artificial intelligence, and the broader technology sector could be reversed if Republicans lose control of either chamber in the 2026 midterm elections.OutlookTaken together, the analysis underscores that the CLARITY Act’s fate is less about technical consensus and more about political alignment. While failure would not derail the crypto industry structurally, passage could meaningfully accelerate institutional participation — making the coming weeks a critical test for U.S. crypto regulation.

According to ChainCatcher, Federal Reserve's Barkin stated that the latest employment data indicates moderate job growth, with a persistently sluggish hiring environment. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that employers added 50,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate slightly decreased to 4.4%. Barkin highlighted that the balance between moderate job growth and labor supply continues, but there is a need to monitor the risks of rising unemployment and persistent inflation.

According to Odaily, the first nonfarm payroll report of 2026 reveals that the United States added 50,000 jobs in December, falling short of the anticipated 60,000.

According to BlockBeats, the unemployment rate in the United States for December was reported at 4.4%, which is lower than the anticipated 4.5%. The previous month's rate was 4.6%.

According to Odaily, U.S. Treasury yields have seen a slight increase, while the dollar has strengthened ahead of the release of December's non-farm employment data. Fadi Al Kurdi from FFA Kings highlighted in a report that this data could be crucial in shaping monetary policy expectations for 2026. He noted that any significant deviation from expectations might introduce volatility into the currency and bond markets. Meanwhile, the market is anticipating a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether U.S. President Donald Trump can invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs without congressional approval. The dollar index rose by 0.1%, reaching 99.091, marking a four-week high.

According to PANews, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined a timeline for the implementation of a new cryptocurrency licensing regime. Starting this fall, crypto asset service providers (CASPs) can apply to enter the UK market, with the application period expected to commence in September 2026. The FCA will confirm the exact timeline in due course, and a limited application window will be available before the new system takes effect on October 25, 2027. Under the plan, companies offering regulated crypto asset services in the UK, including those currently registered under anti-money laundering regulations and payment-related frameworks, will need authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA). Firms already authorized by the FCA for other regulated activities must amend their existing permissions before the new regime is implemented. Crypto companies relying on other authorized firms to approve financial promotions will need direct FCA authorization to market their products in the UK. The FCA requires crypto asset service companies to apply within a fixed window, lasting at least 28 days and ending no later than 28 days before the new regime begins. Applications submitted during this period are expected to be decided before the new system is in place. The legislative draft includes 'transitional provisions,' allowing companies to continue operations during the application assessment period. Companies that miss the application window or are not authorized by the time the new regime starts can operate existing products under transitional rules but are restricted from launching new products. Late applicants can still apply, but the FCA warns that the evaluation process may take longer.