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

Jan 17 — Bitwise and VettaFi have jointly released survey data showing U.S. financial advisors’ cryptocurrency allocations hit an all-time high in 2025. Roughly 32% of advisors now include crypto in client accounts, up sharply from 22% in 2024. Additional key findings: - 56% of advisors hold crypto in their personal portfolios (the highest level since the survey launched in 2018). - Among client portfolios with crypto, 64% have allocations exceeding 2% (up from 51% in 2024). - 42% of advisors say they can purchase crypto for client accounts, a big jump from 35% in 2024 and 19% in 2023. Stablecoins and tokenization top advisors’ preferred sectors (30%), followed by digital gold (22%) and crypto-related AI investments (19%). “Advisors have embraced cryptocurrency at an unprecedented rate in 2025,” said Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise.

Jan. 17 – Per CME FedWatch data, traders scaled back expectations for two rate cuts in 2026 after former President Trump hinted he may nominate someone other than National Economic Council Director Hassett to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. As of end-2026, the odds of no additional rate cuts for the full year stand at 11.8%, while the probability of a cumulative 25 basis point (bp) cut is 30.3% and a 50bp cut is 32.1%.

Jan. 17: U.S. Supreme Court Could Issue At Least One Ruling by Jan. 20 (Next Tuesday) (Golden Ten)

On January 17, President Trump said of White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett: “I want him to remain in his current position—we’ll see.” His comment hinted Trump may have another candidate in mind for Federal Reserve Chair, shifting market expectations from a split between Hassett and Kevin Warsh to a clear lead for Warsh. Notably, before Trump’s remarks, Hassett himself noted: “Warsh and Rieder would also make great Fed Chairs”—suggesting he may already have some insight into Trump’s final pick. Polymarket forecasting data shows Hassett’s nomination probability has dropped to 15%—on par with Fed Governor Waller—while Warsh’s odds have risen to over 60%, making him the current front-runner by a wide margin. Unlike Hassett, a close Trump ally viewed as a “definite dove,” Warsh takes a more hawkish stance—but markets expect he would still support rate cuts while advancing balance sheet reduction (QT). Earlier this year, Warsh argued “inflation is a choice,”

On January 17, Federal Reserve Governor Bowman released her "Economic and Monetary Policy Outlook," noting that given current risks, the Fed should not signal an end to its rate-cutting cycle and must be prepared to cut rates again at any time.

Coinbase Global announced on January 16 that it will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results on February 12, 2026, following the close of U.S. stock markets. The company will also host a webcast at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time that same day.