The new rules allow banks to combine token activity with payments and 
financial services under central bank and tech park oversight.

Belarus creates legal framework for ‘cryptobanks’ in new presidential decree

Korea University’s Blockchain Research Institute has partnered with Injective, 
joining its global ecosystem as a validator to strengthen ties between 
academia and the blockchain industry. Validator Participation and Network 
Security Korea University’s Blockchain Research Institute has partnered with 
layer 1 blockchain, Injective, formally joining the global Injective ecosystem 
in a move that strengthens ties between […]

Korea University Blockchain Institute Partners With Injective as Validator in Global Ecosystem

The strategist&#8217;s exit highlights growing concerns over quantum computing&#8217;s 
potential to disrupt Bitcoin, influencing institutional investment strategies.
The post Top Wall Street equity strategist exits Bitcoin over quantum 
computing threat appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Top Wall Street equity strategist exits Bitcoin over quantum computing threat

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you click a link and 
make a purchase or sign up for a service, Bitcoin.com may receive a 
commission. Our editorial content is independent and based on objective 
analysis. As 2026 begins, the top crypto exchanges are setting a strong tone 
for the year ahead, continuing to raise […]

Best Crypto Exchanges of 2026 So Far – Mid-January Market Leaders

Ethereum’s on-chain activity has jumped sharply, driven by a wave of first- 
time users and heavier transaction flow across the network. According to 
Glassnode, new activity retention roughly doubled this month — rising from 
about 4 million to around 8 million addresses — a move that points to a fresh 
cohort of wallets interacting with Ethereum rather than just repeat users. 
Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What 
Miners Produced Surge In New Users Daily transactions hit a record high of 2.8 
million on Thursday, a figure that is up 125% from the same period last year. 
Based on reports from Etherscan, active addresses have more than doubled year- 
over-year, moving from roughly 410,000 accounts to over 1 million as of Jan. 
15. Those numbers suggest real, broad-based engagement is increasing, not 
merely short-lived spikes. Ethereum’s Month-over-Month Activity Retention 
shows a sharp spike in the “New” cohort, indicating a surge in first-time 
interacting addresses over the past 30 days. This reflects a notable influx of 
new wallets engaging with the Ethereum network, rather than activity being… 
pic.twitter.com/h8Zw7hXOSX — glassnode (@glassnode) January 15, 2026 
Transaction Boom And L2 Effects Observers link the transaction growth in part 
to rising stablecoin activity and lower fees. Reports have disclosed that many 
transfers are migrating execution to Layer 2 networks while settlement stays 
on Ethereum’s main chain, which keeps finality secure and helps push down gas 
costs. Staking has also climbed, reaching nearly 36 million ETH, adding 
another layer to the network’s tightening supply dynamics. At the same time, 
market behavior remains careful. Strength in US equities has helped stabilize 
crypto prices, yet money flowing into Ethereum looks selective rather than 
broad. It seems that positioning is rather conservative; traders prefer 
waiting for more accurate signals regarding ETH prices instead of attempting 
to predict a breakout. In turn, ETH is consolidating around a correction, but 
there is not enough momentum-driven buying. Analyst Views &amp; Price Movement 
There were also those who cited optimism based on improvements to on-chain 
fundamentals. For instance, LVRG Research reported that the increasing number 
of transactions and staking activities encouraged a positive network. Some 
traders argue the compression in price action could precede a breakout. Ether 
traded near a two-month high of $3,400 on Wednesday and was around $3,300 in 
early trading on Friday, reflecting the tug of war between renewed demand and 
persistent caution. Despite the stronger metrics, technical hurdles remain. 
Reports and recent analysis suggest the market is in a repair phase, not a 
confirmed uptrend. Overhead supply still constrains sustained advances, and 
many market participants want to see ETH reclaim key long-term resistance 
levels, such as the 200-day EMA, before committing large-scale capital. That 
explains why short-term traders operate inside a defined range while longer- 
term players hold back. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels 
As Buterin Urges Builders To Deliver Real Apps What This Means For Traders And 
Investors Network health has improved materially — more users, more 
transactions, and higher staking — but price action has not yet matched those 
gains. Based on the data presented, cautious optimism is reasonable. Traders 
may find chance to trade the range, while investors looking for conviction 
should wait for cleaner technical confirmation before assuming a sustained 
rally. Featured image from Blockzeit/EthBurn, chart from TradingView

Cryptocurrency price in BMD