Bitcoin's 'miner exodus,' UK bans some Coinbase crypto advertisements: Hodler’s Digest, Jan. 25 – 31

High Tales of The Week

US Senate Agriculture Committee advances crypto market construction invoice

US lawmakers started a key markup session Thursday morning on a long-awaited crypto market construction invoice, marking a pivotal step in Congress’ effort to ascertain clearer guidelines for digital asset markets.

The invoice has been months within the making and follows sustained stress from the crypto business and a few lawmakers to maneuver past enforcement-led regulation.

“The Senate is laser-focused on getting market construction laws proper, and we thank all of the lawmakers and stakeholders from throughout the crypto neighborhood who’ve put within the effort and time to get us thus far,” mentioned Mason Lynaugh, neighborhood director of the digital asset advocacy group Stand With Crypto.

“This invoice would supply CFTC spot market authority for digital commodities, clear guidelines for intermediaries, and strong shopper protections, together with itemizing requirements, disclosure necessities, and safeguards for buyer property,” mentioned Crypto Council for Innovation CEO Ji Hun Kim, referring to the market construction invoice.

US senators quiz deputy AG over DOJ crypto unit shutdown

Six US senators have challenged Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche for shutting down the Division of Justice’s (DOJ) cryptocurrency enforcement crew in April final yr whereas holding substantial quantities of cryptocurrency on the time.

Blanche disbanded the DOJ’s Nationwide Cryptocurrency Enforcement Workforce in April 2025, a number of months after Donald Trump was inaugurated as US president following a pro-crypto marketing campaign.

The duty pressure was created in 2022 underneath the Joe Biden administration and led main investigations, together with the probe into Binance and its founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who pleaded responsible in 2023 to violating US anti-money-laundering legal guidelines.

Blanche argued on the time that the DOJ shouldn’t be a “digital belongings regulator” and the Biden administration used the DOJ to “pursue a reckless technique of regulation by prosecution.”

UK bans Coinbase advertisements that ‘trivialized’ crypto dangers: Report

The UK’s promoting watchdog has reportedly banned a sequence of Coinbase ads, claiming they introduced the crypto trade as an answer to cost-of-living issues whereas making gentle of the dangers of investing in crypto.

The UK Promoting Requirements Authority (ASA) mentioned the advertisements — which included a satirical musical-style video and three posters — have been “irresponsible” and “trivialized the dangers of cryptocurrency,” The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

“We thought-about that utilizing humour to reference critical monetary issues, alongside a cue to ‘change,’ risked presenting advanced, high-risk monetary merchandise as a straightforward or apparent response to these issues,” the ASA mentioned.

Coinbase launched the video commercial in July, however Clearcast, which approves advertisements for TV, rejected it, saying it confirmed crypto as a “potential answer to financial challenges, with out adequate proof for this declare,” The Telegraph reported in August. 

Cere Community co-founder and board face $100M lawsuit over token gross sales

The co-founder and board of crypto infrastructure platform Cere Community are dealing with a $100 million lawsuit that alleges a pump-and-dump scheme tied to the mission’s 2021 token launch.

In a lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal courtroom on Tuesday, Lujunjin “Vivian” Liu, who mentioned she labored for and invested within the firm, claimed Cere co-founder Fred Jin, his brother, his spouse, and the corporate’s board stole $41 million from buyers.

In response to the lawsuit, Jin promised forward of a public token launch for the platform in November 2021 that he and early Cere buyers couldn’t promote their tokens and that they’d be unlocked months later.

“Whereas sure workers and buyers had their Cere Tokens ‘locked’ underneath the vesting schedule, Jin and his accomplices secretly offered over $41 million in Cere Tokens on numerous crypto exchanges and transferred these funds into their private wallets instantly after the tokens went ‘dwell,’” the criticism alleged.

Trump picks crypto-friendly Kevin Warsh as new Fed chair

US President Donald Trump mentioned Friday he’ll nominate former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as chair of the US central financial institution, setting the stage for a high-stakes Senate affirmation battle.

The choice, introduced by Trump on his social media platform, Reality Social, confirmed Thursday stories that Trump would transfer forward with the 55‑yr‑outdated ex–Fed official and former Morgan Stanley banker as his most well-liked candidate.

The president mentioned that he had recognized Warsh for a very long time and had “little question” that he would go down as “one of many GREAT Fed chairmen, possibly the very best.”

Prediction markets and Wall Road commentators had more and more tipped Warsh as Trump’s doubtless selection, with odds rising sharply forward of Friday’s announcement. 

Winners and Losers

On the finish of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $82,869 Ether (ETH) at $2,630 and XRP at $1.68. The entire market cap is at $2.79 trillion, based on CoinMarketCap.

Among the many largest 100 cryptocurrencies, the highest three altcoin gainers of the week are Hyperliquid (HYPE) at 30.04%, Canton (CC) at 25.97% and Secure (STABLE) at 15.71%.

The highest three altcoin losers of the week are River (RIVER) at 39.90%, Story (IP) at 32.15%, and Sprint (DASH) at 28.41%. For more information on crypto costs, be certain to learn Cointelegraph’s market evaluation.

Most Memorable Quotations

“I actually need to see The DAO safety fund come to a spot the place folks really feel that it’s safer to retailer belongings on Ethereum than in a financial institution.”

Griff Inexperienced, Ethereum advocate and co-founder of Quadratic Accelerator

“Regardless of the most important hack Bybit suffered in February, it has clawed its manner again to the highest.”
Shaun Paul Lee, analysis analyst at CoinGecko

“This dialogue of Japanese monetary markets is vital as a result of for Bitcoin to exit its sideways funk, it wants a wholesome dose of cash printing.”

Arthur Hayes, co-founder and former CEO of BitMEX

“Whereas [Chinese-language networks] are in no way the one facilitator of on-chain laundering, Chinese language-language Telegram-based providers now account for a disproportionate share of the attributed international on-chain cash laundering panorama.”

Chainalysis

“Retail is proving to be open to leaping sectors fully, with social information displaying how gold, silver, and even equities are getting increasingly curiosity primarily based on wherever the most recent pumps seem.”

Santiment

“As a result of when gold and silver take a break, then and up to now, that will result in a Bitcoin and Ethereum surge afterwards.”

Tom Lee, co-founder and managing companion at Fundstrat World Advisors

High Prediction of The Week

Bitcoin’s ‘miner exodus’ may push BTC worth beneath $60K

As of January, the estimated common in electrical energy prices to mine a single Bitcoin is $59,450, whereas the online manufacturing expenditure is about $74,300, based on information from crypto-focused hedge fund Capriole Investments.

Many miners can hold working even when the value declines beneath the typical price. The market has room to fall towards the $74,300–$59,450 zone earlier than they really feel actual ache, based on Charles Edwards, the founding father of Capriole Investments.

“This has expanded the potential vary for near-term draw back,” he mentioned, additional citing an ongoing “Bitcoin miner exodus” behind the bearish outlook.

High FUD of The Week

US Treasury sanctions Iran-linked crypto exchanges for first time

The USA Treasury has sanctioned two cryptocurrency exchanges linked to Iran’s monetary system, marking the primary time Washington has immediately focused digital asset platforms as a part of its Iran sanctions program.

In an announcement on Friday, the Treasury Division’s Workplace of Overseas Belongings Management mentioned the sanctions are a part of a wider transfer in opposition to Iranian officers and networks accused of violently suppressing folks at dwelling whereas utilizing various monetary channels to get round worldwide sanctions.

Amongst these sanctioned was Eskandar Momeni, Iran’s minister of the inside, who oversees the nation’s Legislation Enforcement Forces. “Treasury will proceed to focus on Iranian networks and corrupt elites that enrich themselves on the expense of the Iranian folks,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned.

Crypto billionaires deploy $40M to struggle California wealth tax and union energy

Two high-profile crypto figures are making ready to pour tens of tens of millions of {dollars} into California politics, aiming to reshape the state legislature by backing average, business-friendly candidates and countering the affect of labor unions.

The hassle, working underneath the banner of Develop California, is backed by Chris Larsen, a longtime Democratic donor and co-founder of Ripple, and Tim Draper, a enterprise capitalist recognized for his help of Bitcoin, based on The New York Occasions.

“The federal government unions do a fantastic job,” Larsen reportedly advised the outlet. “However that’s going to conflict with a whole lot of the issues which might be going to make California profitable if there’s no counterforce,” he added.

Banks concern stablecoin ‘financial institution run,’ regulators see restricted affect

Banks warn that stablecoins, particularly these paying yield, may pull deposits out of the banking system, however coverage and finance specialists say there’s little proof of that up to now.

Main US financial institution Customary Chartered just lately estimated in a analysis be aware that rising stablecoin adoption may drain financial institution deposits. The report estimates “that US financial institution deposits will lower by one-third of stablecoin market cap,” which stood at $308.15 billion at time of writing, based on DeFiLlama information.

The talk has intensified as US lawmakers weigh whether or not to ban curiosity on stablecoin holdings underneath a proposed model of the crypto market construction invoice, or CLARITY Act, which has been delayed by protests from contained in the crypto business regardless of banking sector help.

Banks argue that permitting yield-bearing stablecoins may speed up deposit flight, whereas critics say the chance stays largely theoretical.

High Journal Tales of The Week

6 weirdest gadgets folks have used to mine Bitcoin and crypto

If it blinks, beeps or whirs, you possibly can guess somebody on the market has tried to make it mine crypto.

Web3 video games shuttered, Axie Infinity founder warns extra will ‘die’: Web3 Gamer

The founding father of Axie Infinity says he’s “not throwing shade on video games” in his main Web3 gaming warning, Scottie Pippen’s new basketball sport options Bitcoin all through, and different information.

Crypto loves Clawdbot/Moltbot, Uber scores for AI brokers: AI Eye

Crypto is obsessive about self-hosted AI assistant Clawdbot/Moltbot, utilizing it to handle portfolios, guess on Polymarket and rip-off folks.

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