While the spotlight has wandered from non-fungible tokens ( NFTs), Bitcoin-based NFT sales are closing in on the $6 billion threshold, with the network quietly claiming third place among blockchains by total NFT sales and moving past Ronin. At the same time, Ordinal inscriptions on the Bitcoin blockchain have crossed the 100 million milestone.

Bitcoin stalled near $97,000 despite $843 million in exchange-traded fund inflows and strong institutional demand.

Amid ongoing debate over the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a long-standing critic of the cryptocurrency industry, is being accused by members of the crypto community of trying to derail the legislation. Reports indicate that Warren attached 38 amendments to the bill, a move many argue would merely reinforce the dominance of traditional banks.

On Thursday, CME Group said it plans to expand its regulated cryptocurrency derivatives lineup with futures tied to cardano, chainlink, and stellar, targeting a Feb. 9 launch pending regulatory review.

State Street Corp., a massive Boston-based custody bank overseeing more than $4 trillion in assets, is stepping further into digital assets with plans to roll out a suite of tokenized financial products aimed squarely at institutional clients.

X moved to curb incentivized posting on Jan. 15, revoking developer API access for so-called InfoFi apps in a bid to clean up artificial intelligence (AI)-generated spam and reward-driven reply farming.

Key U.S. crypto legislation faces new uncertainty as Senate negotiators delay action, signaling intensifying political and industry clashes over how digital asset markets should be regulated and who should control the future of tokenization and DeFi.

Ripple’s institutional push accelerates as RLUSD lands at the center of a major global trading venue, signaling deeper integration between regulated finance and digital assets while reshaping how institutions manage liquidity, collateral, and multi-asset exposure.

Bitcoin traded between $95,916 and $96,137 per unit on Jan. 15, 2026, at 9:40 a.m., placing its market cap at $1.93 trillion with 24-hour trading volume totaling $67.65 billion. The session produced a wide intraday range of $94,887 to $97,704, reflecting heightened activity after this week’s aggressive advance. Price action remains pinned just below recent highs, leaving bitcoin in consolidation mode as the market digests gains rather than extending them.

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Bitcoin climbed above $95,000 amid renewed risk appetite, strong ETF inflows, and stable macro conditions, while ethereum staking reached a fresh all-time high near 30% of supply. Broader market sentiment is turning bullish, though key data releases and geopolitical factors still pose risks.

Crypto ETFs extended their hot streak for a third consecutive session as bitcoin absorbed another wave of institutional demand. Strong inflows across ether, XRP, and solana reinforced a clear risk-on tone across digital asset funds.

Crossmint obtains MiCA authorization from Spain’s CNMV to provide wallets, exchanges and cross‑border services across the EU.

Spain’s Bankinter invests in Bit2me, joining a $34.9 million (€30 million) funding round to pursue technological synergies and EU expansion.

DZ BANK secures BaFin MiCAR approval for its “meinkrypto” platform, enabling cooperative banks to offer crypto trading.