How a Third-Party Leak Fueled Phishing Against Ledger Users

Key takeaways A breach at a commerce partner can expose customer order data even if wallet systems remain secure. Real order context, such as product, price and contact or shipping details, can make phishing attempts appear legitimate and harder to detect. Treat inbound “support” messages as untrusted until they are verified through official Ledger resources. In early January 2026, some Ledger customers were notified that personal and order information related to Ledger.com purchases had been accessed during a security incident involving Global-e, a third-party e-commerce partner that acts as the…

Bitcoin Sellers Drive BTC Below $90,000 in Tariff Aftermath

Bitcoin sellers entered at the Wall Street open to drive BTC price action below $90,000, but a six-figure price target stayed in play. Bitcoin (BTC) narrowly avoided major losses at Tuesday’s Wall Street open as US markets reacted to EU trade-war fears. Key points: US markets offer their first reactions to the EU trade war over Greenland with $90,000 BTC price support on the line. Gold and silver continue to top all-time highs while stocks panic. Bitcoin can still hit $100,000 again if support here holds, a popular trader says.…

Coinbase Argues the Real Divide is Brokered vs. Unbrokered

A new Coinbase Institute report argues that the most important divide in global finance is no longer rich versus poor, but between those who have direct access to capital markets and those who do not, which it describes as the “brokered” versus the “unbrokered.” The report estimates that traditional intermediated rails exclude roughly four billion unbrokered individuals from owning productive assets or raising capital at scale. Closing this gap, it argues, will require rebuilding core market infrastructure so smaller investors and issuers can participate directly rather than through layers of…

US Lenders Dip Their Toes in Crypto Mortgages

On Jan. 16, Pennsylvania-based lender Newrez announced plans to accept certain cryptocurrency holdings when considering mortgage applications. The change, which the company said will take effect in February, will apply to loans for homes, refinancing and other investment properties. For Newrez, the plan comes on the tailwinds of directions from the US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) last year. In June 2025, the FHFA ordered Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) to develop plans for recognizing crypto in loan applications. In doing…

South Korea Reviews Exchange–Bank Model in Crypto Competition Study

South Korea’s financial regulators are reviewing a long-standing practice that effectively ties each cryptocurrency exchange to a single banking partner, as part of a broader examination of competition in the country’s crypto market, according to local media. Business outlet, the Herald Economy, citing government officials familiar with inter-agency discussions, said a review effort is being coordinated between the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Fair Trade Commission as policymakers evaluate whether existing practices contribute to market concentration.  Although the “one exchange–one bank” model is not explicitly codified in South Korean…

WLFI Faces Backlash After ‘Team Wallets’ Dominate USD1 Growth Proposal Vote

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is facing criticism following a governance vote that approved a USD1 growth proposal, despite objections from the community over the lack of voting access for locked WLFI holders. Onchain voting data shows that the largest “FOR” votes were cast by top wallets flagged as team-linked or strategic partner addresses, according to pseudonymous crypto trader and researcher DeFi^2. The top nine wallets accounted for about 59% of total voting power, giving a small cluster of big holders effective control over the outcome of the USD1 growth proposal.…

Hungary and Portugal Move to Block Polymarket Access

Hungary and Portugal have taken steps to restrict access to the crypto-based prediction market Polymarket, adding to mounting regulatory pressure on the platform across Europe. Hungary’s regulatory authority, Szabályozott Tevékenységek Felügyeleti Hatósága, has temporarily blocked access to Polymarket’s domain and subdomains, citing the “forbidden organization of gambling activities.” According to an official notice released Friday, the restriction will remain in place until the authority completes its review. Users reported being unable to access the platform using their Hungarian IP addresses, which now displays a warning message from the country’s regulator.…

BTC Bulls Defend $90K as Hash Ribbons Signal Long-Term Buy Opportunity

Bitcoin’s (BTC) leading indicators flashed buy signals as bulls fought to keep the price above $90,000. Key takeaways: Bitcoin Hash Ribbons flashed a “buy” signal amid miner capitulation recovery, an occurrence that has historically preceded strong rallies. The Fear and Greed Index’s “golden cross” signals improving market sentiment and a potential BTC rally ahead. Bitcoin must hold $90,000 to avoid a bear market scenario.  Bitcoin Hash Ribbons, sentiment index flash “buy” Bitcoin miner performance is still telling market participants to buy as sentiment begins to shift across the market. Hash…

Hong Kong Group Warns SFC ‘Hard Start’ Could Disrupt Crypto Firms

The Hong Kong Securities & Futures Professionals Association (HKSFPA) warned that the city’s proposed rollout of new crypto licensing regimes could unintentionally force compliant crypto managers to cease activities if regulators proceed without transitional arrangements.  The warning centers on what the group described as a potential “hard start,” under which existing firms would be required to be fully licensed by the commencement date of the new rules or cease regulated activities while their applications are under review.  Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission and the Financial Services and the Treasury…

A Dormant BTC Wallet Just Moved After 13 Years

A dormant Satoshi-era Bitcoin wallet came back to life after 13 years, transferring its entire 909.38 BTC balance, worth about $84.6 million at current prices, into a fresh BTC address.  Onchain data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence shows that the address first received Bitcoin (BTC) in 2013, when one coin was trading at less than $7.  By comparison, if, instead of buying 909.38 BTC, worth about $6,400 in 2013, the same amount had gone into a low‑cost S&P 500 index fund, it would be worth $37,000 today, after a…