We have specially compiled noteworthy activities in the crypto field in Hong Kong for January, which will open a window to the future of Web3.

Australia's ASIC lists cryptocurrency regulatory loopholes as a key risk for 2026

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has listed cryptocurrency regulatory loopholes as a key risk for 2026. ASIC stated that rapidly growing crypto, payment, and AI businesses operating on the regulatory edge may expose consumers to unlicensed advice and misleading conduct. Australia is advancing the "2025 Company Law Amendment (Digital Asset Framework) Bill," which aims to establish a regulatory framework for digital asset businesses serving custodial clients and requires relevant platforms to hold an Australian financial services license.

Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong: Considering allowing local institutions to issue virtual assets, controversy remains over the Korean won stablecoin

Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong stated that under market pressure, authorities have allowed Korean residents to invest in virtual assets issued overseas, and financial regulators are studying the establishment of a new registration system to permit local institutions to issue virtual assets. He also mentioned that the Korean won-denominated stablecoin is expected to be mainly used for cross-border transactions, but there is still considerable controversy, with concerns that it may be used to circumvent capital flow management measures when combined with US dollar stablecoins. Lee Chang-yong also noted that Korea's rapid payment system is relatively mature, and the advantages of retail CBDCs are not obvious; the central bank is promoting pilot projects for tokenized deposits and wholesale CBDCs to maintain a dual financial system.

Insider: Senate Agriculture Committee's cryptocurrency market structure bill sees a breakthrough

A Democratic senator's aide stated that after setbacks in negotiations over the "CLARITY Act" in the Senate Agriculture Committee, Democrats are still willing to return to the negotiating table to push for a bipartisan compromise. Reports indicate that Democratic members claim that Republicans drafted a new version without sufficient consultation and had planned to advance the review in mid-January; Democrats hope to communicate with the committee chair and Republican Senator John Boozman's team before a vote this week to seek bipartisan consensus.

Data set of information-stealing malware leaks about 149 million records, including at least 420,000 suspected Binance user login credentials

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered a public database containing about 149 million usernames and passwords, which were allegedly collected by information-stealing malware from infected personal devices. Among them, at least 420,000 login credentials related to Binance users were found. Relevant experts stated that this does not indicate a breach of Binance's system, but rather that the malware extracted and leaked user-saved login information from infected devices; this malware often disguises itself as game cheating tools or modifiers and targets crypto wallets and browser extensions.

Project/Company Updates

Nasdaq-listed RWA company Streamex completes $35 million equity financing

Nasdaq-listed RWA company Streamex issued 11,666,667 shares of common stock at a price of $3.00 per share, completing a total fundraising of $35 million. The company stated that the net proceeds from this issuance will be used to repay prior debts, supplement working capital, and for general corporate purposes. Additionally, Streamex has granted underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,750,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price.

Japan plans to reclassify XRP under stricter financial regulatory framework by Q2 2026

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to reclassify Ripple's XRP as a "regulated financial product" by the second quarter of 2026, moving it from the "crypto assets" category under the Payment Services Act to the regulatory framework of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Reports suggest that this adjustment may bring stricter information disclosure requirements and explicitly prohibit insider trading and market manipulation.

Kalshi establishes new office in Washington, D.C., and appoints federal government relations director to strengthen lobbying efforts

Prediction market platform Kalshi has established a new office in Washington, D.C., to strengthen its government-facing strategic lobbying efforts. Reports indicate that Kalshi has hired John Bivona as the company's federal government relations director; he previously served as the first White House liaison at the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. Kalshi has also hired former Amazon state and local public policy senior manager Blake Bee to oversee state-level policy matters.

South Korean exchange Coinone denies rumors of equity sale negotiations with Coinbase

South Korean crypto exchange Coinone has denied that it is in negotiations with Coinbase for an equity sale, stating that the related rumors are "baseless." Reports mentioned that local media previously claimed that Coinone Chairman Cha Myung-hoon was considering selling part of his shares, and Coinbase executives were scheduled to visit Korea this week to meet with several local platforms. After the news spread, Coinone's second-largest shareholder Com2uS Holdings saw its stock price rise by over 17%. Coinone representatives stated that they are discussing equity investment and other cooperation plans with overseas exchanges and domestic financial institutions, but specific methods have not yet been determined.

Blockchain infrastructure company Zerohash in talks for $250 million financing, valued at approximately $1.5 billion

Blockchain infrastructure company Zerohash is in talks for $250 million in financing, valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The company recently exited acquisition talks with Mastercard, choosing to remain independent; Mastercard is still discussing the possibility of making a strategic investment in Zerohash. Zerohash completed a D-2 round of financing last October, raising $104 million, with a valuation of approximately $1 billion.

BlackRock files S-1 document for iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, fees and trading code not yet disclosed

Eric Balchunas posted on the X platform that BlackRock has released its official S-1 application document for the proposed iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF; fees and trading code information have not yet been disclosed. The ETF strategy aims to track Bitcoin price movements and provide premium income through an actively managed covered call strategy, primarily targeting IBIT stocks and occasionally targeting ETP indices.

Japan's financial group SBI applies to launch a dual-asset ETF combining Bitcoin and XRP

Japan's financial group SBI has applied to launch a dual-asset ETF product combining Bitcoin and XRP.

In-Depth & Outlook

Zerohash in talks for $250 million financing, competition in stablecoin payment sector intensifies

From Stripe's launch of the payment blockchain Tempo and stablecoin issuance platform Open Issuance, to Visa's collaboration with stablecoin payment infrastructure company BVNK, and Mastercard's plans for a strategic investment in Zerohash, these moves reflect the payment giants' upgrade transformation towards infrastructure providers, aiming to dominate in the new round of stablecoin payment competition.

From Fragmented Components to Super Layer

In fact, the integration and consolidation of protocols is not a new phenomenon. Since around 2025, similar patterns have emerged in the Web2 and Web2.5 domains. Wallet providers, crypto payment companies, exchanges, and infrastructure providers are increasingly seeking to integrate adjacent services or pursue acquisitions for vertical expansion, building what is known as the "super layer."

Opinion

January is Coming to a Close: Will Bitcoin Experience "April Declines" Again After Seven Years? Why is the Safe-Haven Aura Dimming?

As the first month of 2026 nears its end, Bitcoin remains in a low-level fluctuation. After dropping to around $86,000 over the weekend, it slightly rebounded to above $88,000 yesterday, but compared to its performance earlier this month, where it rose from about $90,000 to around $98,000, Bitcoin's recent rebound strength is noticeably weak.

Has Silver Become a Meme Stock? JPMorgan Analyst Warns: Silver Prices May Halve This Year

Former JPMorgan Chief Strategist Marko Kolanovic warned that silver prices could fall to half of their current levels later in 2026. Market views suggest that the current significant rise in silver prices resembles the hype surrounding meme stocks.

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