Month: January 2026

OKX debuts OKX Card in Europe with zero fees and instant rewards

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Revolutionizing everyday transactions, OKX introduces a fee-free crypto payment solution for European users at familiar retailers. OKX, a global crypto platform, today announced the European launch of the OKX Card, enabling direct stablecoin payments at Mastercard merchants with zero transaction or foreign exchange fees. The card allows users to maintain self-custody of stablecoins until the moment of purchase, when assets convert automatically at checkout with a 0.4% market spread. Users can earn up to 20% back in crypto on eligible purchases during a limited promotional period. “With OKX Card, we’re…

ECB’s Cipollone Says Digital Euro Key to Europe’s Control Over Payments

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Rising geopolitical tensions are strengthening the case for a European-controlled digital payments system, according to European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Piero Cipollone. In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, shared by the ECB on Wednesday, Cipollone described the proposed digital euro as “public money in digital form,” arguing that it was needed to complement cash and address an increasingly fragmented payments landscape in Europe, especially as e-commerce grows.  He noted that cash accounted for around a quarter (24%) of day-to-day transaction value in 2024, down sharply from…

Pundit Explains Why The XRP Price Hitting $100 Isn’t Delusional

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The idea of the XRP price reaching $100 is usually dismissed almost instantly based on arguments of market capitalization and circulating supply. On paper, that math suggests a $100 value would imply a market cap valuation of at least $6 trillion, which is a figure many see as unrealistic when compared to today’s crypto market.  Nonetheless, a few XRP enthusiasts are of the notion that such a framework does not apply to XRP. A crypto pundit on X, known as 24HRSCRYPTO, noted that treating XRP like a static store-of-value asset…

Gold at $5,300 Splits Strategies at Tether and Coinbase

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As gold prices surged to $5,300 this week, Tether and Coinbase — the two companies behind the world’s largest US dollar stablecoins — are taking different approaches to gaining exposure to the precious metal. Spot gold climbed above $5,300 per ounce on Wednesday, posting a record high of $5,311 at 3:30 am UTC, according to TradingView data. Amid the rally, Tether, issuer of USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, doubled down on its gold accumulation, while Coinbase, a key partner in the USDC (USDC) stablecoin consortium, promoted access to gold…

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs in second major layoff round amid AI push

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Amazon is cutting approximately 16,000 jobs across the company, marking its second major round of layoffs in three months as the tech giant works to streamline operations and focus resources on artificial intelligence initiatives. Beth Galetti, who leads People Experience and Technology at Amazon, told employees the reductions were the result of organizational changes that began in October 2025. “We’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” Galetti stated. US-based employees will receive 90 days to search for new roles internally, with severance…

FSC Chair Defends Proposed Crypto Exchange Ownership Caps in South Korea

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South Korea’s top financial regulator said crypto exchanges should face ownership limits similar to those applied to securities markets, signaling a harder public stance on governance reforms under the country’s proposed Digital Asset Basic Act. According to a report by The Korea Times, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chair Lee Eog-weon said licensed crypto exchanges should no longer be treated as ordinary private companies but as entities with public-infrastructure characteristics.  Lee’s comments come as the FSC reviews a proposal to cap major shareholders’ stakes in crypto exchanges at around 15%…

Watch These Bitcoin Price Levels Ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s Speech

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Bitcoin (BTC) is attempting to break the resistance at $90,000 on Wednesday, as traders expect volatile price swings before and after the US policy decision on interest rate cuts.  Key takeaways: The odds of the US Federal Reserve leaving interest rates unchanged today are 100%. BTC price may drop as low as $65,500 if the key support zone between $80,000 and $84,000 is broken. 100% chance interest rates won’t change There is nearly a 100% chance that the current interest rates will remain between 3.5% and 3.75%, according to data…

Bitget Taps Ex-Bitpanda CLO Oliver Stauber to Lead MiCA Push from Vienna

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Bitget has appointed former Bitpanda chief legal officer and prior KuCoin EU head Oliver Stauber as CEO of Bitget EU to lead the exchange’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) expansion and set up its new European headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The entity, which applied for a MiCA license in Austria in 2025, expects regulatory approval in the second quarter of 2026 and will not offer services in the European Economic Area (EEA) until authorization is granted, Stauber told Cointelegraph. He said that Bitget EU will ring‑fence EEA users from…

Wallet Tied to Alleged US Crypto Theft Launches Memecoin

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A cryptocurrency wallet linked by blockchain investigators to an alleged theft of US government-controlled crypto holdings launched a Solana-based memecoin that later collapsed, renewing scrutiny of memecoin launch practices and onchain token distribution risks. The token, called John Daghita (LICK), was created on the Pump.fun launchpad and lost about 97% of its value within its first day of trading, according to onchain data. The token briefly reached a market capitalization of about $915,000 before falling below $25,000 by the time of writing. Leading up to the rally, the token deployer…

OKX Launches Crypto Card In Europe For Stablecoin Payments

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Cryptocurrency exchange OKX is rolling out a payment card in Europe, allowing users to spend stablecoins at merchants accepting Mastercard. The OKX Card is issued through the company’s Electronic Money Institution (EMI) partner, Monavate, OKX said Wednesday in an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. At launch, the card supports spending in stablecoins including Circle’s USDC (USDC) and the Paxos-issued Global Dollar (USDG). The move comes as crypto companies seek to expand the use of stablecoins for everyday payments under Europe’s evolving crypto regulatory framework. “With OKX Card, we’re making it simple…