Polymarket Odds Of January US Gov’t Shutdown Surge To 77%

Polymarket betters are pricing in a 77% chance that the US government will shut down again before the end of January, marking a 67% increase over the past 24 hours. It comes as the CLARITY Act, a significant crypto bill aimed at providing more clarity around regulations, is still making its way through Congress, with previous delays largely blamed on the record 43-day US government shutdown in October and November. Political commentator Collin Rugg highlighted the surging Polymarket odds in an X post on Saturday, noting that it came shortly…

Current Tax Policies Are the Biggest Obstacle to BTC Payments: Crypto Exec

The biggest obstacle to Bitcoin (BTC) being used as a payment method is tax policy, not scaling technology that reduces settlement times and transaction costs, according to Pierre Rochard, a board member for Bitcoin treasury company Strive.  “Here’s a metaphor: the best athlete can win against the worst athlete 100% of the time, if the best athlete plays. It drops to 0% if he doesn’t play and lets the weak athlete win,” Rochard said about BTC’s current lack of use as a method of payment. Source: Pierre Rochard In December…

Stablecoin Yield Bans Under CLARITY Act Could Push Capital Offshore

The proposed restrictions on stablecoin yields under the US CLARITY Act risk driving capital out of regulated markets and into offshore, opaque financial structures. Colin Butler, head of markets at Mega Matrix, said banning compliant stablecoins from offering yield would not protect the US financial system, but instead sideline regulated institutions while accelerating capital migration beyond US oversight. “There’s always going to be demand for yield,” Butler told Cointelegraph, adding that if compliant stablecoins can’t offer it, capital will simply move “offshore or into synthetic structures that sit outside the…

Democrats File Amendments to Crypto Market Structure Bill

US Democratic Senators working on crypto market structure legislation filed several amendments on Friday, including measures to address conflicts of interest with US officials profiting from the crypto industry. The ethics-focused amendments were filed ahead of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup for the crypto market structure legislation this Tuesday, which seeks to give greater clarity on federal rules for digital assets, define agency oversight, and bring regulatory certainty to investors and market participants. One of the most notable amendments was Senator Michael Bennet’s purported inclusion of the Digital Asset Ethics Act…

OCC Proceeds With Trump-backed WLF Bank Charter Application

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said no political or personal financial ties will impact the procedural review of World Liberty Financial’s bank charter application. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has knocked back US Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bid to pause the review of World Liberty Financial’s application for a national trust bank charter, a move she sought until US President Donald Trump divests his stake in the crypto platform.   The OCC’s Jonathan Gould confirmed on Friday that WLF’s application will be evaluated under existing regulatory…

Binance Hints at Offering Tokenized Equities after Five Years

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has confirmed plans to bring tokenized equities back to its platform, returning to stock-linked digital assets for the first time since 2021. In a statement to Cointelegraph on Friday, a spokesperson for Binance said “exploring the potential to offer tokenized equities is a natural next step” for bridging traditional finance and crypto. Should the exchange reintroduce digital versions of stocks for companies, it would represent a significant change in Binance’s offerings since it announced “ceasing support for stock tokens” in July 2021. “Binance is committed to bridging…

Paradex Refunds $650K After Maintenance Bug Triggers Liquidations

Onchain derivatives platform Paradex refunded $650,000 to about 200 users after a maintenance-related software error triggered unintended liquidations across multiple markets. According to a Friday post-mortem shared on X by Paradex, the incident occurred during a planned 30-minute database upgrade on Monday, when a “race condition” caused corrupted market data to be written onchain. Paradex said the issue was operational and not the result of a hack or security breach. In response, Paradex temporarily disabled access to the platform, canceled all open orders except take-profit and stop-loss orders, and rolled…

BitGo Stock Slides After IPO as Crypto Listing Volatility Returns

Shares of digital asset custodian BitGo Holdings (BTG) have swung sharply since the company’s public debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, with early gains quickly reversing as initial IPO enthusiasm cooled and investors moved to lock in profits. BitGo priced its initial public offering at $18 a share and it jumped about 25% in its first day of trading, reflecting strong early demand. While the stock closed only modestly higher in its first full session, the rally proved short-lived. Shares have since fallen below their IPO price,…

Prediction Markets Bet Bitcoin Won’t Reach $100K Before June

Bitcoin (BTC) may remain pinned below $100,000 for the first half of 2026 as the market lacks bullish catalysts amid macroeconomic uncertainties.  Key takeaways: BTC price has a less than 10% chance of retaking $100,000 before Feb. 1, according to prediction markets. Traders predict that Bitcoin is unlikely to see $100,000 before June. Bitcoin’s price will likely drop below Strategy’s cost basis. Less than 10% chance BTC hits $100,000 before February The majority of traders on Polymarket and Kalshi don’t expect Bitcoin to return to a six-figure price over the…

How Will It Affect Bitcoin Price?

BTC price faces pressure as markets brace for a sustained rise in long-term yields driven by economic deficits, particularly in Japan. The gap between the US’s longer-dated and shorter-dated bonds has widened to its highest level since 2021, signaling potential trouble for Bitcoin (BTC) in 2026. Key takeaways: A wider gap means long-term yields are rising, which can pressure Bitcoin. Japan’s long-bond selloff is driving the move and pulling US yields higher. Rising yield gap can hurt equities (and Bitcoin) Bitcoin’s market outlook looks increasingly bearish, if an assessment made…