SEC will develop a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework. Silk Road founder was pardoned.

Headline

▌U.S. SEC: New Cryptocurrency Task Force to Develop Comprehensive and Clear Regulatory Framework

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that the new cryptocurrency task force will work to develop a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets. Senior advisers Gabbert and Asher serve as the task force's chief of staff and chief policy adviser, respectively.  

Previously reported, U.S. SEC Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda announced the establishment of a new crypto task force.

▌Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht received a pardon from President Trump

According to Aggr News, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht received a pardon from President Trump.

Market

As of press time, according to Coingecko data:

BTC's latest transaction price is $105,979, with a daily increase or decrease of +3.9%;

ETH's latest transaction price is $3,327.67, with a daily increase or decrease of +1.8%;

BNB's latest transaction price is $691.59, with a daily increase or decrease of +1.4%；

SOL's latest transaction price is 249.01 US dollars, with a daily increase or decrease of +3.3%；

DOGE's latest transaction price is 0.3718 yuan, with a daily increase or decrease of +5.5%；

XPR's latest transaction price is 3.17 US dollars, with a daily increase or decrease of +2.1%。

Policy

▌Crypto Market Maker CLS Global Pleads Guilty Following FBI Sting Operation and Investigation

According to Reuters, CLS Global, a cryptocurrency financial services company based in the United Arab Emirates, agreed on Tuesday to plead guilty to U.S. charges that it provided services to assist in market manipulation involving a digital token created at the request of the FBI to uncover fraud in the cryptocurrency industry. CLS Global was one of three companies and 15 individuals prosecuted by federal prosecutors in Boston last year following an undercover investigation called Operation Token Mirrors, which marked the first time the FBI personally directed the creation of digital tokens and set up fake cryptocurrency companies to entrap fraudsters.  

Prosecutors noted that CLS was one of three market makers that provided illegal trading services to cryptocurrency companies and agreed to assist in manipulating the market for the FBI-backed NexFundAI token (which runs on the Ethereum blockchain) during the sting operation. CLS admitted in court documents that it agreed to provide services, including fake trading, for the NexFundAI token.  

On Tuesday, prosecutors announced that CLS will plead guilty to two charges of fraudulent manipulation of cryptocurrency trading volumes and pay a fine of $428,059. In addition, CLS will be prohibited from participating in cryptocurrency trading on trading platforms available to U.S. investors or providing services to U.S. cryptocurrency customers. CLS Global also pledged to conduct annual certifications of its business practices and agreed to settle related civil charges filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

▌EU regulators urge countries to ensure compliance with stablecoin rules as soon as possible

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said in a statement that it has asked the 27 EU member states to ensure that crypto asset service providers (CASPs) comply with its stablecoin rules "no later than the end of the first quarter of 2025."  

ESMA said: “In practice, this means that CASPs operating crypto-asset trading platforms are expected to cease trading all crypto-assets that meet the ART and EMT conditions but whose issuers are not authorized in the EU (“non-MiCA compliant ARTs and EMTs”). ARTs are asset reference tokens, while EMTs are e-money tokens. 

According to ESMA’s statement, exchanges registered in the EU, such as Gemini and Coinbase, must delist unauthorized stablecoins. Coinbase previously announced that it would delist all such tokens by December last year.

▌Hester Peirce to lead the newly established cryptocurrency working group at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Mark Uyeda, acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), established a cryptocurrency task force “dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for cryptocurrency assets.” Commissioner Hester Peirce Peirce will lead the working group. The working group will focus on helping the Commission draw clear regulatory boundaries, provide a practical registration path, develop a reasonable disclosure framework, and deploy enforcement resources wisely.

▌Kenya proposed law requires digital asset companies to set up local offices

The Kenyan government is drafting a law that would require virtual asset service providers to set up local offices to strengthen regulation of the fast-growing digital asset industry.  

The proposed policy does not apply to businesses that cannot be traded on a closed platform Assets transferred, traded or used for payments and investments outside the ecosystem, while aiming to address gaps in the legal and regulatory framework in the virtual asset sector and address issues such as consumer protection, governance, data privacy and cybersecurity. Kenya introduced a 3% income tax on digital asset transactions in 2023, but has yet to establish a comprehensive industry regulatory framework. The government hopes to fill the regulatory gap through this move while addressing industry risks such as money laundering, terrorist financing, tax evasion, fraud and cybercrime. TD Cowen: Trump's meme token poses a risk to bipartisan crypto legislation Investment bank TD Cowen said that US President Donald Trump's memecoin Official Trump (TRUMP) could hinder the progress of bipartisan crypto market structure legislation.  

“Democrats will demand details on whether foreign governments and business interests used token purchases to curry favor with Team Trump, jeopardizing the ability of a cryptocurrency bill to gain the bipartisan support it needs to become law,” TD Cowen’s Washington research group, led by Jaret Seiberg, wrote in a Tuesday note. 

TD Cowen’s Seiberg said the launch of memecoins makes it difficult for Congress to agree on a bipartisan crypto market structure bill that would be critical to addressing legal uncertainties that constrain crypto’s investor base. One potential workaround could be to separate the memecoin investigation from cryptocurrency legislation, letting other Democratic leaders lead the inquiry and provide cover for those who support the bill, the analysts suggested.

▌The U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted to approve the nomination of Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury

On January 21, local time, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee approved the nomination of Scott Bessent as the Secretary of the Treasury of the Trump administration with 16 votes in favor and 11 votes against, and submitted the nomination to the Senate for a final confirmation vote. If approved, Bessent will become one of the important spokespersons for the new U.S. government in economic policy, with great influence on fiscal policy, financial supervision, international sanctions and overseas investment.

Blockchain Application

▌Meta plans to launch "Oakley" smart glasses and explore the development of smart watches and headphones

Meta is working to upgrade its popular smart glasses and is exploring new wearable devices such as watches and headphones with cameras, aiming to embed its artificial intelligence capabilities into more products. According to people familiar with the matter, the effort includes the development of Oakley-branded smart glasses for athletes this year. Meta's device division, Reality Labs, also plans to release new high-end glasses with built-in displays in 2025, people familiar with the matter said. Other products under development will compete with Apple's smartwatch and AirPods, people familiar with the matter also said. In addition, the company is working on its first true augmented reality product, which is scheduled to be released around 2027.

▌Bank of America CEO: We already have hundreds of blockchain patents and we know how to enter the field

Bank of America (BoA) CEO Brian Moynihan told CNBC in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that if proper regulation makes crypto payments "a reality," then "the banking system will take a tough approach to transactions."  

In this case, crypto transactions will simply be seen as another type of payment alongside credit cards, debit cards and Apple Pay. , Brian Moynihan said: "We already have hundreds of blockchain patents, we know how to enter the field." He said that if there are appropriate rules, U.S. banking institutions are willing to adopt cryptocurrency payments, which shows that the financial industry is still waiting for clearer signals from regulators before taking action.

Cryptocurrency

▌Trump responded to the issuance of coins: I don't know much about it, I heard it is very successful

Trump responded to the issuance of coins and said: "I don't know if it (TRMUP coin) is profitable. I don't know much about it. I just know that I launched it. I heard it is very successful."

▌Crypto company Smart Valor is conducting a strategic review and may sell its business

Smart Valor, a cryptocurrency exchange and AI-led investment company, is exploring the possibility of selling all or part of its business.  

Its CEO and co-founder Olga Feldmeier said the company is conducting a strategic review after receiving a series of inquiries from large global exchanges, cryptocurrency platforms, and traditional financial (TradFi) institutions including banks and trading platforms.  

Two people familiar with the matter said that the advisers are conducting an auction with a deadline of January 24 for bids. Several companies are expected to bid for the regulated exchange business, and several companies have completed due diligence and may also participate in the auction.

▌Bitcoin ETF holds more than 1.1 million BTC one year after its launch, accounting for about 5.7% of the current supply

COINMETRICS data shows that Bitcoin ETF holds more than 1.1 million BTC one year after its launch, accounting for about 5.7% of the current supply.

▌Robinhood Crypto Now Available to Users in Spain

Robinhood Crypto announced on Tuesday that Spanish users can now use the platform's trading, staking and investing services. This is the company's latest expansion in Europe following the implementation of the European Union's crypto asset market regulations.

Last year, the US-based trading platform unveiled a plan to expand its services to the European Union, the United Kingdom and Asia. "The EU is as big as the United States in terms of total potential market. It's definitely an interesting market for us," said Johann Kerbrat, general manager of Robinhood's cryptocurrency division at the time. In October last year, Robinhood Crypto launched a cryptocurrency transfer service for European customers, enabling them to deposit and withdraw about two dozen tokens, which became "one of the most popular features in the region."

▌80% of short-term holders are back in profit after BTC rebounded above $100,000

According to Checkonchain, an on-chain Bitcoin analysis program, 80% of short-term holders (STH) are back in profit after BTC rebounded above $100,000. Earlier this month, before Bitcoin rebounded, STH's loss rate had fallen to 65%.

Important Economic Dynamics

▌The probability of the Fed keeping interest rates unchanged in January is 99.5%

According to CME's "Fed Watch", the probability of the Fed keeping interest rates unchanged in January is 99.5%, and the probability of a 25 basis point rate cut is 0.5%. The probability of maintaining the current interest rate unchanged by March is 73.6%, the probability of a cumulative 25 basis point rate cut is 26.3%, and the probability of a cumulative 50 basis point rate cut is 0.1%.

▌Factors such as easing inflation concerns, milder-than-expected tariffs, and dovish comments from the Federal Reserve are driving market optimism

10x Research posted on the social platform that gold and Bitcoin are entering a critical moment in the market. As gold rebounded to near its historical high, Bitcoin continued to show bullish momentum, and macroeconomic factors such as easing inflation concerns, milder-than-expected tariffs, and dovish comments from the Federal Reserve have driven market optimism.  

In late October, just a week before Trump's election, gold prices stopped their upward momentum and entered a consolidation phase. This is attributed to the potential inflationary pressures brought about by Trump's proposed immigration and tariff policies, as well as his promise to refill the strategic oil reserves, all of which economists expect to push up inflation expectations.  

 The announced tariffs are milder than expected, and the dovish tone taken by Fed Governor Waller last week are solid macroeconomic reasons to support gold's climb back to its all-time highs and Bitcoin's continued rise. These factors, coupled with last week's CPI data, are key considerations that make us more optimistic about the current market outlook.

▌Trump: Several companies will invest $500 billion to build AI infrastructure

US President Trump announced at the White House on the 21st that three companies, Japan's SoftBank Group, the US Open Artificial Intelligence Research Center and Oracle Corporation, will invest $500 billion to build infrastructure in the United States to support the development of artificial intelligence (AI).  

Trump said at the White House that day that the three companies have joined forces to create a project called "Stargate" and plan to build data centers in the United States to support the development of AI. He said this is the "largest" AI infrastructure investment project in history. According to U.S. media reports, the initial investment in the project is $100 billion, and it is planned to expand to $500 billion in the next four years. The first data center to be built will be located in Texas, USA, and will then be expanded to other states. (Jin Shi)

Golden Encyclopedia

▌What is a teardrop attack in encryption?

In the cryptocurrency environment, teardrop attacks often target the decentralized nature of blockchain platforms. Even if they do not target the encryption algorithm of the blockchain, disrupting the underlying peer-to-peer network infrastructure on which cryptocurrencies rely can lead to service interruptions, loss of funds, and decreased user trust. Attackers can interfere with the consensus process, transaction verification, or node-to-node communication by focusing on specific nodes or servers. This may lead to network fragmentation, processing delays or even complete suspension of operation.

Disclaimer: As a blockchain information platform, Golden Finance publishes articles for information reference only and is not intended as actual investment advice. Please establish the correct investment concept and be sure to increase risk awareness.