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

Federal Reserve Chair Waller said, "We do not want to get involved in bailout operations; we aim to maintain a stance where we do not have to bail out any entity, and the crypto industry is no exception."

Federal Reserve Chair Wash stated that even if Donald Trump criticizes him, he will take action based on data.

UK tax authorities have confirmed that depositing crypto assets into DeFi lending protocols and liquidity pools will no longer be classified as taxable disposals moving forward. This means investors will not be required to pay capital gains tax until an actual economic disposal of the assets occurs. The adjustment is outlined in a UK government policy document, set to take effect on April 6, 2027, and will amend the Taxable Benefits Act 1992. The policy change will impact approximately 700,000 individuals and trust trustees who use crypto lending and liquidity pool services.

US President Donald Trump posted a statement on social media that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels, with the exception of Iran, as their "lying leadership" is leading the country down a path to total destruction.

According to BIT (bit.com) market data, U.S. software and IT services stocks plunged, as International Business Machines (IBM)’s earnings that missed analysts’ expectations reignited market concerns about the sector’s outlook. During Tuesday’s U.S. pre-market trading, IBM’s stock plummeted by as much as 26%—if the decline holds through the close, it would mark its worst single-day performance since at least 1968. IBM attributed the underperformance to customers shifting capital expenditures away from its products toward chips and servers. The broader software sector came under pressure: Microsoft fell 2%, Workday Inc. dropped 6.3%, Salesforce Inc. declined 3.2%, Autodesk Inc. was down 2.4%, and SAP SE fell 3.4%. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF, which tracks the software sector, fell as much as 2.7% before paring its losses.

SK Hynix's American Depositary Receipt (ADR) options began trading on U.S. options exchanges on Tuesday. As of 10:25 a.m. New York time, trading volume for the options hit around 33,000 contracts, with over two-thirds concentrated in short-dated options expiring this Friday. The most actively traded was the $185 strike call option, with volume of roughly 2,900 contracts, followed by the $145 strike put option. Additionally, the $200 strike call option expiring in August was also popular, with volume exceeding 1,500 contracts. Daniel Kirsch, head of options at Piper Sandler, noted that traders are expected to actively position for short-term bets on SK Hynix ADRs continuing to rise this week. "We expect demand for short-dated, bullish options to be very strong, especially call options expiring this Friday, and retail investors are likely to quickly flock to this product," he said.