The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

As of Jan 5, AI Monitoring data shows the "7 Siblings" whale group has been accumulating Ethereum (ETH) on-chain since October 2024. Their average entry price is $3,479, with 48,588.72 ETH accumulated so far—valued at ~$169 million. Currently, the 7 Siblings hold 252,000 ETH on-chain (worth over $800 million). They rank 5th among institutional holders, having surpassed the Ethereum Foundation, though their total cost basis remains unknown.

**Bitcoin Development Ecosystem Sees Major Revival in 2025** Bitcoin’s development ecosystem staged a significant turnaround in 2025, with Bitcoin Core activity surging to end years of stagnation dating to the late 2010s. Key metrics: - Mailing list discussion volume jumped ~60% year-over-year, a clear signal of renewed momentum. - 135 independent code contributors worked on protocol optimization, expanding the developer base sharply. On the technical front, 2025 marked Bitcoin’s first-ever third-party security audit—conducted by cybersecurity firm Quarkslab and funded by nonprofit Brink, focusing on the peer-to-peer (P2P) network layer. The audit found no serious or high-risk vulnerabilities, concluding the codebase is “mature and thoroughly tested.” This boosted confidence among institutional and sovereign participants in Bitcoin’s infrastructure. Bitcoin Core v30 rolled out mempool policy updates (including OP_RETURN data size adjustments), driving native Bitcoin app de

On January 5, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) announced it will prioritize updating its foundational accounting framework in 2026 to address challenges posed by the rapid adoption of digital currencies and the growing importance of software and intangible assets to corporate value. Specifically, the IASB plans to advance research on the statement of cash flows to explore gaps in current standards—including the accounting treatment of cryptocurrency transactions, which differ from traditional cash transactions. Additionally, the Board will dive into the recognition and measurement of intangible assets, with a focus on digital assets like software and data. Analysts note this move could significantly impact financial disclosures and valuation practices for the cryptocurrency industry and tech firms.

Binance announced on January 5 that it will launch three new spot trading pairs and enable trading bot support for them to expand spot trading options and enhance user experience. The following pairs will go live at 08:00 UTC on January 6, 2026: - AVAX/USD1 - BCH/USD1 - UNI/USD1 Additionally, Binance will activate trading bot services for these pairs, supporting Spot Algo Orders.

**January 5 – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) CEO Paul Griggs announced the firm will expand its cryptocurrency and digital asset-related services as the U.S. regulatory landscape for crypto becomes more defined.** In an interview with the Financial Times, Griggs cited two key drivers behind PwC’s shift: new leadership at U.S. regulatory agencies and progress on the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin-focused piece of legislation. “Stablecoin rules and legislation will boost market confidence, and asset tokenization trends will keep growing,” Griggs said. “PwC needs to be part of this ecosystem.” As one of the global Big Four accounting firms, PwC currently offers crypto-related services including audit, accounting, cybersecurity, wallet management, and compliance/regulatory consulting. Its clients span crypto exchanges, traditional financial institutions entering the crypto space, governments, central banks, and regulatory bodies. Griggs added that over the past 10–12 months, PwC has st

As of January 5th, Coinglass data indicates that over the past 7 days, centralized exchanges (CEXs) have registered a total net outflow of 10,385.98 BTC. The top three exchanges by BTC outflow are: - Kraken: 6,704.19 BTC outflow - Binance: 4,802.04 BTC outflow - Gate: 640.73 BTC outflow Over the same period, CEXs recorded a total net inflow of 135,000 ETH. The top three exchanges by ETH inflow are: - Binance: 115,900 ETH inflow - OKX: 18,600 ETH inflow - Bitfinex: 6,311.44 ETH inflow