According to ChainCatcher, some policymakers at the Bank of Japan are contemplating an earlier-than-expected interest rate hike, potentially as soon as April, due to the ongoing depreciation of the yen which could exacerbate inflation pressures. The policymakers face the challenging task of increasing borrowing costs that have been low for years, amidst global economic headwinds, while Japan's economy is just beginning to recover from prolonged deflation. The central bank raised rates to a thirty-year high in December and is expected to maintain them at the upcoming January meeting. However, insiders suggest that many policymakers see room for further hikes, with some not ruling out action in April, which would be earlier than the market's expectation of a rate increase in the latter half of the year. Sources indicate that if sufficient evidence emerges showing Japan can consistently achieve its 2% inflation target, some within the Bank of Japan may consider acting sooner.

Nearly 24 hours after the GOP-led markup on the Senate Banking Committee’s bill was pulled, industry insiders, lawmakers, and staffers are still processing the fallout—and many remain frustrated by the process, according to Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett).Sources tell Terrett that hope remains for the legislation if banks, Coinbase, and Democratic lawmakers can reach a deal on yield in the coming days. “All is not lost,” said one insider.The contentious tokenized securities provision, Section 505, now appears less of a roadblock. Tokenization firms suggest the language Coinbase objected to was taken out of context, while stakeholders—including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong—say a significant amendment or removal of the section is possible.Ethics concerns remain unchanged, and talks between the White House and Senate are ongoing.Questions also persist about whether the Banking Committee’s shifted markup will affect the Agriculture Committee’s timeline. Sources tell Terrett the order may not matter: if Agriculture secures a bipartisan deal, it could ease the Senate Banking process. This mirrors last summer’s House experience, when the Agriculture Committee passed its portion of the Clarity Act 47-6, encouraging the Financial Services Committee to move forward even with less Democratic support.As negotiations continue, both the industry and Congress are watching closely to see if a compromise emerges to revive the bill.

According to PANews, data from SoSoValue indicates that on January 15 (Eastern Time), XRP spot ETFs experienced a total net inflow of $17.06 million. The Grayscale XRP ETF GXRP led with a single-day net inflow of $7.2 million, bringing its historical total net inflow to $287 million. Following closely, the Bitwise XRP ETF XRP recorded a single-day net inflow of $7.16 million, with a historical total net inflow reaching $310 million. As of the time of reporting, the total net asset value of XRP spot ETFs stands at $1.51 billion, with an XRP net asset ratio of 1.21% and a cumulative historical net inflow of $1.27 billion.

According to ChainCatcher, spot silver prices have fallen by more than 3.00% during the day, currently trading at $89.53 per ounce.

According to OnchainLens monitoring, after closing out his ETH long position with a profit of $739,400, trader "pension-usdt.eth" has now opened a BTC long position with 3x leverage, totaling 1,000 BTC, worth approximately $95 million. The opening price was $95,614.5, and the liquidation price was $60,578.1.

Sources say some within the Bank of Japan believe that an interest rate hike may come sooner than the market expects. (Jinshi)

Three House Democrats are urging the SEC to explain its crypto enforcement retreat and the pause in the Justin Sun case. source: https://www.theblock.co/post/385864/house-democrats-press-sec-justin-sun-case?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

According to PANews, Moldova's Finance Minister Andrian Gavriliță has announced plans to implement cryptocurrency regulations by 2026. As a candidate for European Union membership, Moldova is required to adhere to the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. The forthcoming regulations will clarify the legality of holding, trading, and converting cryptocurrencies for citizens and authorize specific institutions to conduct related activities. However, cryptocurrencies will not be permitted for payments of goods or services. While holding cryptocurrencies will not be taxed, profits from transactions will incur a 12% income tax. The regulations will also include stringent anti-money laundering and security risk management measures. Gavriliță emphasized that the government's aim is to legalize the sector while preventing the use of cryptocurrencies for illegal financing and money laundering activities.

According to Lookonchain monitoring, an address deposited 3 million USDC into Hyperliquid and used maximum leverage to short 18,261 ETH (worth $60.32 million) and 1,845 XMR (worth $1.27 million). The liquidation price for this address's ETH position was $3,380.

Key topics include the role of stablecoins, the challenges of cross-border payments, and the future of decentralized finance. source: https://www.blockhead.co/2026/01/16/blockcast-83-jito-foundations-marc-liew-on-why-institutions-are-turning-to-solana/

Bybit is launching Byreal, a new decentralised trading platform on Solana, with a testnet set for 30 June and mainnet in Q3 2025. It aims to combine the speed and liquidity of a centralised exchange with the fairness and openness of DeFi, using hybrid features like RFQ and CLMM routing.