Shield: The KiloEx Attacker Tagged Address has returned approximately 1.4 million USDT to KiloEx

January 16 — Per ChainInfo, a crypto whale or institutional investor that converted BTC to ETH two days prior has continued its activity today, swapping 404 BTC (valued at ~$38.84 million) for 11,533 ETH via cross-chain exchange THORChain. Over the past two days, the entity has exchanged a total of 686.1 BTC (~$65.17 million) for 19,631 ETH, with an average ETH purchase price of ~$3,302.

On January 16, Binance-backed crypto wallet Meme Rush announced it now supports the Flap protocol, allowing users to discover and trade the new Flap token via its website and mobile app, per official sources. Flap is a one-click social fair launch and trading platform focused on enabling fair, simple token distribution, unlocking community potential, and boosting widespread token adoption, according to the announcement.

January 16 – DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSEAMERICAN: DDC) announced the completion of its first 2026 Bitcoin purchase, acquiring 200 BTC to bring its total cryptocurrency holdings to 1,383 BTC. The U.S.-listed firm’s average cost basis for the digital asset is $88,998 per BTC.

January 16 — Per Bitcoin Magazine, Belgium’s second-largest bank KBC Group announced it will offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading to retail customers via its online investment platform Bolero, making it the first bank in the country to provide such services. The service is set to launch the week of February 16 and will operate under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. KBC noted it has filed a full notification with regulators to act as a crypto asset service provider. The service will follow an “execution-only” model, meaning customers must make their own trading decisions and pass a risk knowledge and experience test prior to trading. To mitigate fraud and money laundering risks, the platform will use a closed-loop system: customers can only buy and sell crypto on Bolero, cannot transfer assets to external wallets or exchanges, and the bank will provide custody services for their holdings.

On January 16: Amid ongoing domestic protests and a deepening economic crisis in Iran, Iranian citizens are accelerating Bitcoin withdrawals from exchanges to personal wallets to hedge against inflation and financial censorship risks. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis notes that from December 28, 2025—when the protests erupted—to January 8 (during Iran’s internet shutdown), BTC outflows from Iranian domestic exchanges to unknown individual wallets surged significantly. This indicates people are more inclined to directly control their crypto assets amid turmoil. The analysis suggests this behavior is a rational response to the collapse of the Iranian Rial (IRR). Data shows the IRR-to-USD exchange rate has plummeted from around 42 at the end of last year to over 1,050 this week, nearly collapsing purchasing power. Bitcoin—with its decentralization, censorship resistance, and cross-border transferability—is seen as a key tool to combat currency devaluation and political uncert

**Berachain Community Proposes 8%→5% BGT Annual Inflation Cut (Jan 16)** The Berachain community has put forward a proposal to reduce the annual inflation rate of its BGT token from 8% to approximately 5%. The measure aims to boost the network’s long-term economic sustainability, improve emission efficiency, and align with inflation levels of mainstream Layer 1 (L1) blockchains. Notably, the proposal will not alter Berachain’s existing Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL) reward mechanism, treasury allocation logic, or validator incentive functions—it only adjusts annual BGT issuance via a cut to the “reward rate” parameter. Proposal analysis notes lower inflation will reduce yields for BGT and BERA holders but enhance BERA’s relative scarcity. Total incentives for validators, decentralized applications (dApps), and liquidity providers will also decrease. Berachain’s team has set a long-term goal: to further trim inflation to levels closer to Ethereum’s between 2026 and 2027. The propo