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

Jan. 17 — Per Coinglass data, total crypto liquidations across the network over the past 24 hours hit $78.792 million, with $30.397 million in long liquidations and $48.394 million in short liquidations. Over the same 24-hour window, 68,643 traders were liquidated globally. The largest single liquidation totaled $1.3055 million, occurring on the Hyperliquid xyz:AMZN-USD pair.

Jan. 17 — Trader James Wynn, who once teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, took to social media to say: “Ethereum looks pretty strong. The cycle we’ve been waiting for might be unfolding now.” Many are still on the sidelines; others have already stepped away—returned to their day jobs, or moved back in with their moms. But this time, it might actually be here. As I noted earlier, Q1 will be a bull market. Watch for ETH, PEPE, DRB, and BYTE.

On January 17, U.S. fast-food chain Steak 'n Shake announced it allocated $10 million to Bitcoin this week, formally adding BTC to its balance sheet. The move builds on its crypto-friendly push over the past eight months, during which all U.S. locations began accepting Bitcoin payments. The company framed the decision as part of a "self-reinforcing loop": Consumer adoption of Bitcoin payments boosts sales, and related revenue is reinvested into its Bitcoin reserves (SBR) to fund operational investments—like ingredient upgrades and store renovations—without raising menu prices. Since May 2025, Steak 'n Shake has accepted Bitcoin at all U.S. stores via the Lightning Network, targeting lower credit card transaction fees and younger, crypto-native customers. It reported Q2 2025 same-store sales rose more than 10% year-over-year, with Bitcoin payments cutting processing costs by roughly 50%. The latest purchase equals ~105 BTC (at current prices), marking Steak 'n Shake’s most dire

Per Coinglass data as of January 17th, Ethereum (ETH) recorded a total net outflow of 1105.77 ETH from centralized exchanges (CEXs) over the past 24 hours. The top three CEX outflows were: - Bybit: 619.64 ETH - Binance: 456.22 ETH - Coinbase Pro: 438.73 ETH Additionally, Bithumb led inflows among CEXs with 351.85 ETH deposited.

Binance Wallet announced on January 17 that its Fourth Pre-TGE Prime Sale will feature Sentient (SENT). **Key Details:** - Time: January 19, 2026, 12:00–14:00 UTC - Eligibility: Exclusive to Binance Alpha Points holders Full Pre-TGE rules and the event entry page will be released shortly. Stay tuned for updates.

On January 17, 2026—with Bitcoin prices nearing $100,000 early that year—U.S. President Trump’s latest remarks on the Federal Reserve Chair nominee were viewed by markets as a potential "price inflection point." Per Reuters, Trump recently told reporters at the White House that while White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett was widely expected to replace current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, he “leans more toward keeping Hassett in his current role” and views a potential reassignment as a “serious concern.” The comment quickly cooled market expectations that Hassett would take the Fed’s top job. As a result, Hassett’s projected win probability on prediction platform Polymarket plummeted, while that of his top rival—former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh—jumped to nearly 60%. Market analysts note that Hassett is viewed as the more dovish candidate: his Fed Chairmanship would likely boost expectations of 2026 rate cuts, supporting Bitcoin and risk assets. Warsh, by contrast, is more hawki