The Australian Federal Court fined BPS Financial $9.7 million for operating 
its Qoin Wallet without a license and making misleading claims about its 
functionality. Permanent Ban on Qoin Promotion The Australian Federal Court 
has ordered digital currency payments provider BPS Financial to pay total 
pecuniary penalties of $9.7 million (AUD$14 million) following a lengthy legal 
[…]

Australian Federal Court Slams BPS Financial With Heavy Fine for Crypto Misrepresentation

Pi Network has launched Tether USD transaction capabilities on its testnet, 
enabling users known as Pioneers to test decentralized finance features.

Pi Network introduces Tether USD transactions on testnet platform

OpenAI launches Prism, a GPT5.2-powered scientific writing tool aimed at 
streamlining research collaboration and workflows.
The post OpenAI launches Prism, a free LaTeX-native AI workspace powered by 
GPT‑5.2 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

OpenAI launches Prism, a free LaTeX-native AI workspace powered by GPT‑5.2

The US Marshals Service confirmed “the matter is under investigation” 
following claims that millions in government-seized crypto was stolen.

US Marshals confirm probe into $40M theft claims involving seized crypto

The Ethereum price has struggled to regain momentum amid a persistent 
downtrend. After closing the last four months in the red, the world’s second- 
largest cryptocurrency is showing no signs of relief in January 2026. On-chain 
data shows that Ethereum’s current trajectory mirrors past cycle downturns, 
raising the possibility of further price declines and prolonged bearish 
sentiment. Ethereum Price Nears Fifth Consecutive Month Of Losses Ethereum has 
been in a prolonged slump, marking its fourth straight month of losses in 
2025. As the market navigates the final week of January, the cryptocurrency is 
poised to potentially close a fifth consecutive month in the red, a streak 
that would reinforce the ongoing bearish trend. Related Reading: Analyst Says 
You’re Not Bullish Enough On Ethereum – What Does He Mean? On-chain data from 
CryptoRank shows that throughout 2025, Ethereum saw more red months than green 
ones. The cryptocurrency began the year with four consecutive months of 
decline from January to April, followed by a brief recovery in May, only to 
fall again in June. After this, ETH posted two months of gains, finishing July 
and August in the green. However, this recovery was short-lived, and since 
then, the cryptocurrency has been in a downtrend. During its most recent four- 
month decline, CryptoRanks reported that Ethereum closed September down by 
5.59%. The downtrend accelerated at the end of November, with the 
cryptocurrency crashing by 22.2%, more than four times the decline of the 
previous monthly close. December 2025 saw another month in the red, though the 
drop was much smaller, at just 0.83%. Now, in January 2026, Ethereum is still 
in a downtrend. On-chain data indicates the cryptocurrency has already fallen 
1.78% this month, and shows no sure signs of a bullish reversal. Moreover, at 
the time of writing, ETH is trading above $2,900, reflecting a roughly 5.95% 
decline over the past week. What A Red January Could Mean For ETH The last 
time Ethereum closed five consecutive months in the red was in 2018. That 
year, Ethereum significantly underperformed, recording gains in only 3 of 12 
months. The cryptocurrency had posted continuous monthly losses, with November 
marking its steepest monthly decline at 42.5%. Related Reading: Ethereum 
Funding Rates Pushing Towards Negative: What’s Going On? After the four-month 
closing streak, Ethereum’s downtrend persisted for another two months before 
experiencing a sharp but brief recovery in December 2018. Despite this 
temporary rebound, the cryptocurrency closed January 2019 in the red, falling 
20%. If history were to repeat itself in the current cycle, Ethereum could end 
January in a decline, similar to its 2018 performance. Interestingly, 
historical data shows that February has often been a bullish month for ETH. 
However, 2025 has seen declines from January through to April; it’s uncertain 
if Ethereum will follow past bullish patterns. For now, what is certain is 
that ETH’s price is down and would need a significant boost in its bullish 
momentum. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Cryptocurrency price in PHP