cripto news https://criptabop.com/ ru cripto news DataLife Engine Hong Kong to issue first batch of stablecoin licenses in Q1, finance chief says https://criptabop.com/analysis/171-hong-kong-to-issue-first-batch-of-stablecoin-licenses-in-q1-finance-chief-says.html https://criptabop.com/analysis/171-hong-kong-to-issue-first-batch-of-stablecoin-licenses-in-q1-finance-chief-says.html admin Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:43:30 +0300

  • Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said authorities plan to issue the first batch of stablecoin licenses in the first quarter, the South China Morning Post reported.
  • The city’s stablecoin licensing regime, passed in 2025, requires issuers to meet strict reserve, redemption and risk management standards.
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  • Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said authorities plan to issue the first batch of stablecoin licenses in the first quarter, the South China Morning Post reported.
  • The city’s stablecoin licensing regime, passed in 2025, requires issuers to meet strict reserve, redemption and risk management standards.

Hong Kong is planning to issue its first batch of stablecoin licences in the first quarter of this year, as the city presses ahead with its push to become a crypto hub.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that Hong Kong's crypto asset framework remains "responsible and sustainable," noting that the authorities plan to grant the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses in the first quarter, the South China Morning Post reported.

Chan said the city aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem covering stablecoins, exchanges, and tokenized assets, framing digital finance as a key pillar of Hong Kong's growth strategy amid intensifying global competition.

The stablecoin framework is seen as a cornerstone of that strategy. Hong Kong's stablecoin licensing regime, passed in 2025, requires fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers to meet strict standards on reserves, redemption, and risk management.

The stablecoin push comes alongside parallel efforts to regulate crypto trading. Hong Kong has already rolled out a licensing regime for crypto trading platforms, under which the Securities and Futures Commission has approved 11 firms so far. Licensed operators include OSL, HashKey, and Bullish, according to the regulator's website.

Hong Kong's crypto drive is also unfolding alongside broader tokenization efforts. In November 2025, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched a pilot under Project Ensemble to test real-value transactions using tokenized deposits and digital assets, involving major banks and asset managers.

Meanwhile, the authorities are seeking public feedback on further proposals to introduce additional licensing regimes for crypto asset dealing, advisory, and management services.

On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professionals Association warned that the proposed changes to virtual asset management rules could deter traditional asset managers from accessing crypto, arguing that stricter licensing thresholds may raise compliance costs and slow institutional adoption.

]]>

  • Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said authorities plan to issue the first batch of stablecoin licenses in the first quarter, the South China Morning Post reported.
  • The city’s stablecoin licensing regime, passed in 2025, requires issuers to meet strict reserve, redemption and risk management standards.

Hong Kong is planning to issue its first batch of stablecoin licences in the first quarter of this year, as the city presses ahead with its push to become a crypto hub.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that Hong Kong's crypto asset framework remains "responsible and sustainable," noting that the authorities plan to grant the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses in the first quarter, the South China Morning Post reported.

Chan said the city aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem covering stablecoins, exchanges, and tokenized assets, framing digital finance as a key pillar of Hong Kong's growth strategy amid intensifying global competition.

The stablecoin framework is seen as a cornerstone of that strategy. Hong Kong's stablecoin licensing regime, passed in 2025, requires fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers to meet strict standards on reserves, redemption, and risk management.

The stablecoin push comes alongside parallel efforts to regulate crypto trading. Hong Kong has already rolled out a licensing regime for crypto trading platforms, under which the Securities and Futures Commission has approved 11 firms so far. Licensed operators include OSL, HashKey, and Bullish, according to the regulator's website.

Hong Kong's crypto drive is also unfolding alongside broader tokenization efforts. In November 2025, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched a pilot under Project Ensemble to test real-value transactions using tokenized deposits and digital assets, involving major banks and asset managers.

Meanwhile, the authorities are seeking public feedback on further proposals to introduce additional licensing regimes for crypto asset dealing, advisory, and management services.

On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professionals Association warned that the proposed changes to virtual asset management rules could deter traditional asset managers from accessing crypto, arguing that stricter licensing thresholds may raise compliance costs and slow institutional adoption.

]]> SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Discusses the Cryptocurrency Market – What Does She Think About Cryptocurrency Legislation? https://criptabop.com/analysis/170-sec-commissioner-hester-peirce-discusses-the-cryptocurrency-market-–-what-does-she-think-about-cryptocurrency-legislation.html https://criptabop.com/analysis/170-sec-commissioner-hester-peirce-discusses-the-cryptocurrency-market-–-what-does-she-think-about-cryptocurrency-legislation.html admin Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:11:57 +0300 SEC member Hester Peirce shared her assessments regarding cryptocurrency law, regulations, and tokenized stocks.

]]> SEC member Hester Peirce shared her assessments regarding cryptocurrency law, regulations, and tokenized stocks.

Peirce explained that creating a clear and workable legal framework for the cryptocurrency market is a long and difficult process, but said that the crypto market structure bill progressing in Congress provides an important foundation in this regard.

Peirce, recalling his previous experience in the Senate, pointed out that drafting and passing such comprehensive legislation through consensus is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, he stated that the bill was positive in that it provided a foundation upon which regulations could be built.

One of the most debated topics on the program was which institution would oversee crypto assets. Peirce stated that even if securities are tokenized, they remain under the SEC’s jurisdiction. “When you tokenize a security, it’s still a security,” Peirce argued, asserting that the SEC’s role remains unchanged.

However, Peirce stated that crypto assets, being commodities, should be regulated by the CFTC rather than the SEC, saying, “This is not our area of expertise, and we don’t want to spend our time there.” Peirce also noted that the majority of crypto assets are not securities and therefore do not fall under the SEC’s regulatory purview.

Peirce stated that companies offering tokenized shares should be subject to the same basic rules as traditional share issuers, but noted that technology necessitates a rethinking of some rules. He said Congress has given the SEC flexible powers in this regard, and that they are working on where the current rule set needs to be adapted.

Peirce stated that fundamental transparency standards must be maintained in transaction and clearing processes, adding that tokenization could alter the way these processes operate and that regulations should reflect this. He also said that the goal is not to have tokenized and non-tokenized versions of the same security traded on separate markets, but rather a single, unified market structure.

The program also addressed news that the NYSE is working on a new blockchain-based platform for 24/7 trading of tokenized stocks and ETFs. Peirce stated that the 24-hour availability of crypto markets is pushing traditional finance in this direction, but that this is a positive development for global investors.

However, he added that in the 24/7 trading world, there are serious operational questions about how to handle issues such as volatility pauses and the market’s need to “breathe” during times of crisis.

Peirce also touched on enforcement policy in the crypto space, stating that the SEC will continue to combat malicious actors within its jurisdiction. However, arguing that lessons should be learned from past mistakes, Peirce said, “Making up and applying rules after the fact is extremely unfair. The right thing to do is to write clear rules first, and then impose sanctions on those who violate them.”

*This is not investment advice.

  • The outspoken crypto supporter spoke about her career at the SEC.
  • She discussed elections, ‘frustration’ in some SEC cases, and Stoner Cats.

Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce is happy to talk crypto innovation.

Just don’t call her crypto mom.

Peirce has earned the affection of the crypto industry — and the sobriquet “crypto mom” — for her support of the industry and blistering dissents from rule proposals and lawsuits levelled at the industry under chair Gary Gensler.

Still, libertarian-leaning Peirce says she approaches crypto as a choice that American consumers should be able to make for themselves.

“I think it’s funny, but at the same time, I do take a little bit of an issue with the term ‘mom’,” the commissioner told DL News in an interview last week.

“I’m not your mom.”

DL News spoke to Peirce about the SEC’s crypto crackdown, crypto exchange-traded funds, and the upcoming election.

A new chair

Some have suggested that Peirce — one of two Republican commissioners at the SEC — could be its next chair if Donald Trump is elected president in November.

That would be a boon to the crypto industry, for whom Gensler has become an iconic enemy.

Gensler’s term runs until 2026, but SEC chairs tend to step down early if a new administration comes in.

“If the president changes, typically the chairman of the SEC will also change in response to that,” Peirce said.

The position is a powerful one.

The chair sets the agency’s agenda, and does so independently of the executive branch — not necessarily the case for all federal regulators.

Asked about succession at the SEC, however, Peirce wouldn’t make predictions.

“It could really be anyone — the president has wide latitude” to choose, she said.

Crypto laws

Some politicians are convinced that crypto voters could swing battleground states in November elections.

By the same token, lawmakers have realised they need to move quickly to pass crypto legislation.

The FIT21 Act — which creates a market structure for crypto — passed out of the House of Representatives in May.

The bill would give the SEC’s sister agency, the Commodity Futures Exchange Commission, more authority over spot crypto markets.

Gensler and his CFTC counterpart Rostin Behnam work closely together. But they clearly disagree over one issue — while Gensler says most crypto are securities, Behnam claims them as commodities.

The SEC and CFTC ‘need to step back and remember that we both serve the American people.’

— Hester Peirce

Peirce said she doesn’t think of the SEC’s relationship with the CFTC as a rivalry, and she was happy to see Congress working on deciding where to allocate authority.

“We need to step back and remember that we both serve the American people, and the American markets. We should be thinking about who is better to do function x or y — as Congress has directed us,” she said.

Legislation of this industry must take into account that potential innovation has nothing to do with crypto’s status as a financial asset, she said.

“There’s a lot going on in crypto that has nothing to do with the financial markets at all,” Peirce said.

Decentralised physical infrastructure, for instance, doesn’t fit neatly into a financial legal framework.

Regs by enforcement

Crypto lobbyists say they want regulation because in its absence, the SEC must turn to enforcement.

The Supreme Court recently gave crypto litigants hope.

In a historic overturning of the so-called Chevron doctrine, the court essentially made it easier for judges to overrule the opinion of regulators in cases where statutes are unclear.

Peirce said the agency was “still processing” what impact the ruling could have on its cases.

She said, however, that she has always focused on following Congress’s intentions.

“We have to hew closely to what Congress told us to do,” she said.

The SEC must ensure that it’s sticking to the authority Congress gave it and not “trying to adopt interpretations that are overly aggressive.”

Peirce didn’t comment on open cases — the agency is currently suing exchanges Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, among others.

But she said the SEC’s court victory against blockchain publishing company LBRY was a low point of her career as commissioner.

“That was a project where really substantial work had been done, and we nevertheless decided to litigate and ended up basically shutting it down,” she said.

The SEC alleged that LBRY had violated securities laws.

“There were no allegations of fraud — it was a registration violation — and that seemed to me problematic,” Peirce said.

A lawsuit against non-fungible token project Stoner Cats, which the parties settled, seemed arbitrary, Peirce said.

“If we had applied similar logic in other contexts, we could be bringing cases against all kinds of non-digital collectible issuers,” she said.

In contrast to Gensler, who has an oft-repeated maxim that crypto businesses just need to “come into the SEC and register,” Peirce said it’s difficult for crypto businesses to access help from the regulator.

“There’s a real hunger for generalised guidance, and we could have put it out and helped both of these projects, as well as many others,” she said.

]]> SEC member Hester Peirce shared her assessments regarding cryptocurrency law, regulations, and tokenized stocks.

Peirce explained that creating a clear and workable legal framework for the cryptocurrency market is a long and difficult process, but said that the crypto market structure bill progressing in Congress provides an important foundation in this regard.

Peirce, recalling his previous experience in the Senate, pointed out that drafting and passing such comprehensive legislation through consensus is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, he stated that the bill was positive in that it provided a foundation upon which regulations could be built.

One of the most debated topics on the program was which institution would oversee crypto assets. Peirce stated that even if securities are tokenized, they remain under the SEC’s jurisdiction. “When you tokenize a security, it’s still a security,” Peirce argued, asserting that the SEC’s role remains unchanged.

However, Peirce stated that crypto assets, being commodities, should be regulated by the CFTC rather than the SEC, saying, “This is not our area of expertise, and we don’t want to spend our time there.” Peirce also noted that the majority of crypto assets are not securities and therefore do not fall under the SEC’s regulatory purview.

Peirce stated that companies offering tokenized shares should be subject to the same basic rules as traditional share issuers, but noted that technology necessitates a rethinking of some rules. He said Congress has given the SEC flexible powers in this regard, and that they are working on where the current rule set needs to be adapted.

Peirce stated that fundamental transparency standards must be maintained in transaction and clearing processes, adding that tokenization could alter the way these processes operate and that regulations should reflect this. He also said that the goal is not to have tokenized and non-tokenized versions of the same security traded on separate markets, but rather a single, unified market structure.

The program also addressed news that the NYSE is working on a new blockchain-based platform for 24/7 trading of tokenized stocks and ETFs. Peirce stated that the 24-hour availability of crypto markets is pushing traditional finance in this direction, but that this is a positive development for global investors.

However, he added that in the 24/7 trading world, there are serious operational questions about how to handle issues such as volatility pauses and the market’s need to “breathe” during times of crisis.

Peirce also touched on enforcement policy in the crypto space, stating that the SEC will continue to combat malicious actors within its jurisdiction. However, arguing that lessons should be learned from past mistakes, Peirce said, “Making up and applying rules after the fact is extremely unfair. The right thing to do is to write clear rules first, and then impose sanctions on those who violate them.”

*This is not investment advice.

  • The outspoken crypto supporter spoke about her career at the SEC.
  • She discussed elections, ‘frustration’ in some SEC cases, and Stoner Cats.

Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce is happy to talk crypto innovation.

Just don’t call her crypto mom.

Peirce has earned the affection of the crypto industry — and the sobriquet “crypto mom” — for her support of the industry and blistering dissents from rule proposals and lawsuits levelled at the industry under chair Gary Gensler.

Still, libertarian-leaning Peirce says she approaches crypto as a choice that American consumers should be able to make for themselves.

“I think it’s funny, but at the same time, I do take a little bit of an issue with the term ‘mom’,” the commissioner told DL News in an interview last week.

“I’m not your mom.”

DL News spoke to Peirce about the SEC’s crypto crackdown, crypto exchange-traded funds, and the upcoming election.

A new chair

Some have suggested that Peirce — one of two Republican commissioners at the SEC — could be its next chair if Donald Trump is elected president in November.

That would be a boon to the crypto industry, for whom Gensler has become an iconic enemy.

Gensler’s term runs until 2026, but SEC chairs tend to step down early if a new administration comes in.

“If the president changes, typically the chairman of the SEC will also change in response to that,” Peirce said.

The position is a powerful one.

The chair sets the agency’s agenda, and does so independently of the executive branch — not necessarily the case for all federal regulators.

Asked about succession at the SEC, however, Peirce wouldn’t make predictions.

“It could really be anyone — the president has wide latitude” to choose, she said.

Crypto laws

Some politicians are convinced that crypto voters could swing battleground states in November elections.

By the same token, lawmakers have realised they need to move quickly to pass crypto legislation.

The FIT21 Act — which creates a market structure for crypto — passed out of the House of Representatives in May.

The bill would give the SEC’s sister agency, the Commodity Futures Exchange Commission, more authority over spot crypto markets.

Gensler and his CFTC counterpart Rostin Behnam work closely together. But they clearly disagree over one issue — while Gensler says most crypto are securities, Behnam claims them as commodities.

The SEC and CFTC ‘need to step back and remember that we both serve the American people.’

— Hester Peirce

Peirce said she doesn’t think of the SEC’s relationship with the CFTC as a rivalry, and she was happy to see Congress working on deciding where to allocate authority.

“We need to step back and remember that we both serve the American people, and the American markets. We should be thinking about who is better to do function x or y — as Congress has directed us,” she said.

Legislation of this industry must take into account that potential innovation has nothing to do with crypto’s status as a financial asset, she said.

“There’s a lot going on in crypto that has nothing to do with the financial markets at all,” Peirce said.

Decentralised physical infrastructure, for instance, doesn’t fit neatly into a financial legal framework.

Regs by enforcement

Crypto lobbyists say they want regulation because in its absence, the SEC must turn to enforcement.

The Supreme Court recently gave crypto litigants hope.

In a historic overturning of the so-called Chevron doctrine, the court essentially made it easier for judges to overrule the opinion of regulators in cases where statutes are unclear.

Peirce said the agency was “still processing” what impact the ruling could have on its cases.

She said, however, that she has always focused on following Congress’s intentions.

“We have to hew closely to what Congress told us to do,” she said.

The SEC must ensure that it’s sticking to the authority Congress gave it and not “trying to adopt interpretations that are overly aggressive.”

Peirce didn’t comment on open cases — the agency is currently suing exchanges Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, among others.

But she said the SEC’s court victory against blockchain publishing company LBRY was a low point of her career as commissioner.

“That was a project where really substantial work had been done, and we nevertheless decided to litigate and ended up basically shutting it down,” she said.

The SEC alleged that LBRY had violated securities laws.

“There were no allegations of fraud — it was a registration violation — and that seemed to me problematic,” Peirce said.

A lawsuit against non-fungible token project Stoner Cats, which the parties settled, seemed arbitrary, Peirce said.

“If we had applied similar logic in other contexts, we could be bringing cases against all kinds of non-digital collectible issuers,” she said.

In contrast to Gensler, who has an oft-repeated maxim that crypto businesses just need to “come into the SEC and register,” Peirce said it’s difficult for crypto businesses to access help from the regulator.

“There’s a real hunger for generalised guidance, and we could have put it out and helped both of these projects, as well as many others,” she said.

]]> Critical Institution CFTC’s New Chairman Speaks About Cryptocurrencies for the First Time https://criptabop.com/analysis/169-critical-institution-cftc’s-new-chairman-speaks-about-cryptocurrencies-for-the-first-time.html https://criptabop.com/analysis/169-critical-institution-cftc’s-new-chairman-speaks-about-cryptocurrencies-for-the-first-time.html admin Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:06:25 +0300 Mike Selig, the new chairman of the US Commodity Futures Commission (CFTC), has announced strong support for the cryptocurrency sector.

]]> Mike Selig, the new chairman of the US Commodity Futures Commission (CFTC), has announced strong support for the cryptocurrency sector.

Selig, appointed by US President Donald Trump, announced a new plan called “Future Protection,” aiming to create a lasting regulatory framework for crypto assets and other financial innovations.

In articles published on both the X platform and The Washington Post, Selig stated that the CFTC will end its long-criticized “enforcement instead of regulation” approach. Accordingly, the institution will develop specific, formal, and sector-tailored rules for emerging markets such as digital assets. Selig argued that this step is critical to protecting the global competitiveness of US financial markets.

The new CFTC Chair stated that the digital asset economy is no longer a “novelty” and has reached a market size of approximately $3 trillion. Selig said that details of the regulations, which have not yet been shared, will become clearer in the coming days, and also announced the establishment of an Innovation Advisory Committee to guide areas such as cryptocurrencies, prediction markets, and perpetual contracts.

Selig also stated that regulations developed through formal rule-making processes are far more stable than informal guidelines and cannot be easily overturned by subsequent administrations. On the same day, the CFTC announced that Michael Passalacqua, a lawyer specializing in crypto law, had joined the institution as an advisor.

*This is not investment advice.

  • Trump’s administration reportedly plans to grant the CFTC oversight of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot markets, curtailing the SEC's role.
  • The move seeks to harmonize regulatory policies, reduce enforcement-driven approaches, and support US crypto growth.
  • While favored by the industry, the CFTC's smaller budget and resources may pose challenges to effective market oversight.

President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly planning to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) expanded oversight over the cryptocurrency market.

The move is aimed at scaling back the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) regulatory influence, potentially positioning the CFTC as the primary regulator for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).

CFTC as the Preferred Crypto Regulator

According to Fox Business, the Trump administration seeks to redefine regulatory responsibilities. Specifically, to give the CFTC jurisdiction over the spot markets for Bitcoin and Ethereum. These two assets alone, valued at approximately $2.24 trillion, comprise 70% of the global cryptocurrency market.

By designating them as commodities, the CFTC’s lighter regulatory touch—traditionally applied to derivatives and commodities markets—may appeal to industry stakeholders seeking reduced barriers to innovation.

Former CFTC Chair Christopher Giancarlo, widely recognized as “Crypto Dad,” has expressed support for the agency’s expanded role.

“With adequate funding and under the right leadership, the CFTC could hit the ground running to begin regulating digital commodities on day one of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Fox Business reported, citing Giancarlo.

The proposal aligns with Republican priorities of fostering innovation and reducing regulatory hurdles. It also reflects dissatisfaction with the SEC’s enforcement-driven approach under outgoing Chair Gary Gensler, whose tenure was marked by aggressive crackdowns on cryptocurrency firms.

Addressing Regulatory Uncertainty

The SEC and CFTC have long debated the classification of digital assets, leading to fragmented and often conflicting oversight. While the SEC views most cryptocurrencies as securities, the CFTC treats Bitcoin and Ethereum as commodities. This inconsistency has created a regulatory gray area, stifling growth and driving crypto businesses to more accommodating jurisdictions.

If implemented, the plan could also mitigate disputes between the agencies. CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam previously asserted jurisdiction over Ethereum. Citing its trading as a futures contract, the agency has already demonstrated an appetite for broader involvement in digital asset regulation.

In tandem with the Trump administration’s push to empower the CFTC, a newly proposed bipartisan initiative—the “BRIDGE Digital Assets Act”—seeks to create a cooperative framework between the SEC and CFTC. Championed by Tennessee Congressman John Rose, this legislation introduces a joint advisory committee composed of 20 private sector representatives.

“The current heavy-handed, regulation-by-enforcement approach isn’t working and is instead encouraging investment in this key innovation overseas,” the bill states.

By fostering collaboration, the committee aims to harmonize regulatory policies and provide a clear path for industry and government partnerships. Such a cooperative approach could resolve past conflicts between the agencies.

For instance, the SEC’s 2023 declaration that all Proof-of-Stake (PoS) tokens were securities clashed with the CFTC’s treatment of Ethereum as a commodity. A unified framework would clarify jurisdictional authority, offering much-needed guidance to crypto firms and investors.

The crypto community has largely welcomed the idea of CFTC-led regulation, perceiving the agency as more accommodating than the SEC.

“The SEC will no longer be able to strangle the crypto market…Its [CFTC] activities are regulated more gently, since the derivatives markets are dominated by sophisticated institutional players who are better able to manage risks,” one user commented.

However, concerns remain about the CFTC’s capacity to handle expanded responsibilities. With an annual budget of $400 million and a staff of 700—substantially smaller than the SEC’s $2.4 billion budget and 5,300 employees—the CFTC would require significant funding and resources to oversee the crypto spot market effectively.

Additionally, some traditional CFTC constituencies, such as agricultural commodity traders, have voiced concerns about the potential spillover effects of the agency’s involvement in digital markets. Legislative language addressing these concerns will be critical to securing bipartisan support.

]]> Mike Selig, the new chairman of the US Commodity Futures Commission (CFTC), has announced strong support for the cryptocurrency sector.

Selig, appointed by US President Donald Trump, announced a new plan called “Future Protection,” aiming to create a lasting regulatory framework for crypto assets and other financial innovations.

In articles published on both the X platform and The Washington Post, Selig stated that the CFTC will end its long-criticized “enforcement instead of regulation” approach. Accordingly, the institution will develop specific, formal, and sector-tailored rules for emerging markets such as digital assets. Selig argued that this step is critical to protecting the global competitiveness of US financial markets.

The new CFTC Chair stated that the digital asset economy is no longer a “novelty” and has reached a market size of approximately $3 trillion. Selig said that details of the regulations, which have not yet been shared, will become clearer in the coming days, and also announced the establishment of an Innovation Advisory Committee to guide areas such as cryptocurrencies, prediction markets, and perpetual contracts.

Selig also stated that regulations developed through formal rule-making processes are far more stable than informal guidelines and cannot be easily overturned by subsequent administrations. On the same day, the CFTC announced that Michael Passalacqua, a lawyer specializing in crypto law, had joined the institution as an advisor.

*This is not investment advice.

  • Trump’s administration reportedly plans to grant the CFTC oversight of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot markets, curtailing the SEC's role.
  • The move seeks to harmonize regulatory policies, reduce enforcement-driven approaches, and support US crypto growth.
  • While favored by the industry, the CFTC's smaller budget and resources may pose challenges to effective market oversight.

President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly planning to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) expanded oversight over the cryptocurrency market.

The move is aimed at scaling back the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) regulatory influence, potentially positioning the CFTC as the primary regulator for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).

CFTC as the Preferred Crypto Regulator

According to Fox Business, the Trump administration seeks to redefine regulatory responsibilities. Specifically, to give the CFTC jurisdiction over the spot markets for Bitcoin and Ethereum. These two assets alone, valued at approximately $2.24 trillion, comprise 70% of the global cryptocurrency market.

By designating them as commodities, the CFTC’s lighter regulatory touch—traditionally applied to derivatives and commodities markets—may appeal to industry stakeholders seeking reduced barriers to innovation.

Former CFTC Chair Christopher Giancarlo, widely recognized as “Crypto Dad,” has expressed support for the agency’s expanded role.

“With adequate funding and under the right leadership, the CFTC could hit the ground running to begin regulating digital commodities on day one of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Fox Business reported, citing Giancarlo.

The proposal aligns with Republican priorities of fostering innovation and reducing regulatory hurdles. It also reflects dissatisfaction with the SEC’s enforcement-driven approach under outgoing Chair Gary Gensler, whose tenure was marked by aggressive crackdowns on cryptocurrency firms.

Addressing Regulatory Uncertainty

The SEC and CFTC have long debated the classification of digital assets, leading to fragmented and often conflicting oversight. While the SEC views most cryptocurrencies as securities, the CFTC treats Bitcoin and Ethereum as commodities. This inconsistency has created a regulatory gray area, stifling growth and driving crypto businesses to more accommodating jurisdictions.

If implemented, the plan could also mitigate disputes between the agencies. CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam previously asserted jurisdiction over Ethereum. Citing its trading as a futures contract, the agency has already demonstrated an appetite for broader involvement in digital asset regulation.

In tandem with the Trump administration’s push to empower the CFTC, a newly proposed bipartisan initiative—the “BRIDGE Digital Assets Act”—seeks to create a cooperative framework between the SEC and CFTC. Championed by Tennessee Congressman John Rose, this legislation introduces a joint advisory committee composed of 20 private sector representatives.

“The current heavy-handed, regulation-by-enforcement approach isn’t working and is instead encouraging investment in this key innovation overseas,” the bill states.

By fostering collaboration, the committee aims to harmonize regulatory policies and provide a clear path for industry and government partnerships. Such a cooperative approach could resolve past conflicts between the agencies.

For instance, the SEC’s 2023 declaration that all Proof-of-Stake (PoS) tokens were securities clashed with the CFTC’s treatment of Ethereum as a commodity. A unified framework would clarify jurisdictional authority, offering much-needed guidance to crypto firms and investors.

The crypto community has largely welcomed the idea of CFTC-led regulation, perceiving the agency as more accommodating than the SEC.

“The SEC will no longer be able to strangle the crypto market…Its [CFTC] activities are regulated more gently, since the derivatives markets are dominated by sophisticated institutional players who are better able to manage risks,” one user commented.

However, concerns remain about the CFTC’s capacity to handle expanded responsibilities. With an annual budget of $400 million and a staff of 700—substantially smaller than the SEC’s $2.4 billion budget and 5,300 employees—the CFTC would require significant funding and resources to oversee the crypto spot market effectively.

Additionally, some traditional CFTC constituencies, such as agricultural commodity traders, have voiced concerns about the potential spillover effects of the agency’s involvement in digital markets. Legislative language addressing these concerns will be critical to securing bipartisan support.

]]> XRP Price Prediction 2026: How XRP Could Reach $8 https://criptabop.com/analysis/165-xrp-price-prediction-2026-how-xrp-could-reach-8.html https://criptabop.com/analysis/165-xrp-price-prediction-2026-how-xrp-could-reach-8.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:28:11 +0300

  • XRP could target $8 in 2026 as Ripple’s global expansion, regulatory clarity, DeFi growth, and rising institutional interest strengthen long-term demand.

  • Analysts say XRP holding above $2 shows accumulation, and a breakout past $3.40 could trigger a strong rally toward $7–$8.50 next cycle.

]]>

  • XRP could target $8 in 2026 as Ripple’s global expansion, regulatory clarity, DeFi growth, and rising institutional interest strengthen long-term demand.

  • Analysts say XRP holding above $2 shows accumulation, and a breakout past $3.40 could trigger a strong rally toward $7–$8.50 next cycle.

    XRP could reach a new all-time high in 2026, with analysts increasingly pointing to the $8 level as a realistic long-term target. While some market commentators continue to promote extreme price forecasts, current market structure, fundamentals, and historical trends suggest that a move toward $8 is a more achievable scenario.

    At present, XRP price is trading near $2, meaning a rally to $8 would still represent a 4x return from current levels.

    Top Reasons Why XRP Price Rally is on Cards

    Ripple’s Expansion Strengthens XRP’s Long-Term Outlook

    One of the strongest reasons for a positive XRP price outlook in 2026 is Ripple’s fast global expansion. Ripple has spent over $4 billion acquiring major financial infrastructure firms. This has turned the company into a full-service digital asset provider.

    Key deals include G Treasury for treasury and liquidity management, Rail for global corporate payments, Palisade for digital asset custody, and Hidden Road, now Ripple Prime, for institutional prime brokerage services.

    Ripple also holds more than 75 global licenses. This makes it one of the most regulated crypto firms in the world. These moves are boosting real-world use of Ripple’s ecosystem. This directly supports long-term demand for XRP.

    Regulatory Clarity Could Boost XRP Price in 2026

    Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently highlighted progress on U.S. crypto market structure legislation, stating that regulatory clarity is better than continued uncertainty.

    Clearer rules could unlock greater institutional participation in crypto markets. For XRP, which has faced years of regulatory pressure, this would remove a major barrier to long-term growth.

    Improved regulation is a key factor behind optimistic XRP price predictions for 2026.

    XRP DeFi Growth Creates New Demand

    XRP is no longer just a trading asset. New DeFi platforms now allow holders to earn 8% to 12% yield by staking XRP on-chain. Earlier, most investors only held XRP on exchanges without earning income.

    These yield options encourage long-term holding, increase on-chain activity, and attract institutional players. As XRP’s real-world use grows, it builds a stronger case for higher prices in the next market cycle.

    Institutional Interest in XRP Products Is Rising

    Futures-based XRP investment products are gaining stronger demand than expected.

    Market analysts note that XRP futures launched after Solana’s but are already seeing higher interest levels, signaling growing institutional confidence.

    While XRP ETFs may not match Bitcoin ETF inflows, steady institutional accumulation can provide long-term price support into 2026.

    How XRP Price Can Reach $8 in 2026?

    Even after early investors sold over 200 million XRP, the price has stayed stable near $2. This shows strong buying interest from long-term holders. It is a classic sign of accumulation. As long as XRP trades between $1.90 and $3.40, analysts believe a solid base is forming for the next major breakout.

    Bitcoin dominance remains high near 58%. This means most capital is still concentrated in Bitcoin. Historically, once Bitcoin finishes a major rally, money rotates into large altcoins. This “altseason” effect has previously triggered strong XRP rallies. If Bitcoin hits new highs in the next cycle, XRP could benefit sharply.

    The $8 XRP price target is based on realistic market math, not hype. If Bitcoin climbs to $175,000 and the total crypto market reaches $5.7 trillion, and XRP captures 8% market share, its valuation supports a price between $7.70 and $8.50. This scenario assumes normal market growth, not extreme speculation.

    Technical Patterns Point to a Major Breakout

    XRP has spent years forming a strong long-term base. A clear breakout above $2.70, followed by a move past the all-time high near $3.40, could open the door for a rally toward $7 to $8.50. This target is based on past price patterns. Long consolidation periods often lead to sharp breakouts once key resistance levels are crossed.

    Short-term volatility and unexpected market events could still push XRP below $1.90 temporarily. However, analysts view deep pullbacks as long-term accumulation opportunities if XRP achieves new highs in 2026.


]]>

  • XRP could target $8 in 2026 as Ripple’s global expansion, regulatory clarity, DeFi growth, and rising institutional interest strengthen long-term demand.

  • Analysts say XRP holding above $2 shows accumulation, and a breakout past $3.40 could trigger a strong rally toward $7–$8.50 next cycle.

    XRP could reach a new all-time high in 2026, with analysts increasingly pointing to the $8 level as a realistic long-term target. While some market commentators continue to promote extreme price forecasts, current market structure, fundamentals, and historical trends suggest that a move toward $8 is a more achievable scenario.

    At present, XRP price is trading near $2, meaning a rally to $8 would still represent a 4x return from current levels.

    Top Reasons Why XRP Price Rally is on Cards

    Ripple’s Expansion Strengthens XRP’s Long-Term Outlook

    One of the strongest reasons for a positive XRP price outlook in 2026 is Ripple’s fast global expansion. Ripple has spent over $4 billion acquiring major financial infrastructure firms. This has turned the company into a full-service digital asset provider.

    Key deals include G Treasury for treasury and liquidity management, Rail for global corporate payments, Palisade for digital asset custody, and Hidden Road, now Ripple Prime, for institutional prime brokerage services.

    Ripple also holds more than 75 global licenses. This makes it one of the most regulated crypto firms in the world. These moves are boosting real-world use of Ripple’s ecosystem. This directly supports long-term demand for XRP.

    Regulatory Clarity Could Boost XRP Price in 2026

    Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently highlighted progress on U.S. crypto market structure legislation, stating that regulatory clarity is better than continued uncertainty.

    Clearer rules could unlock greater institutional participation in crypto markets. For XRP, which has faced years of regulatory pressure, this would remove a major barrier to long-term growth.

    Improved regulation is a key factor behind optimistic XRP price predictions for 2026.

    XRP DeFi Growth Creates New Demand

    XRP is no longer just a trading asset. New DeFi platforms now allow holders to earn 8% to 12% yield by staking XRP on-chain. Earlier, most investors only held XRP on exchanges without earning income.

    These yield options encourage long-term holding, increase on-chain activity, and attract institutional players. As XRP’s real-world use grows, it builds a stronger case for higher prices in the next market cycle.

    Institutional Interest in XRP Products Is Rising

    Futures-based XRP investment products are gaining stronger demand than expected.

    Market analysts note that XRP futures launched after Solana’s but are already seeing higher interest levels, signaling growing institutional confidence.

    While XRP ETFs may not match Bitcoin ETF inflows, steady institutional accumulation can provide long-term price support into 2026.

    How XRP Price Can Reach $8 in 2026?

    Even after early investors sold over 200 million XRP, the price has stayed stable near $2. This shows strong buying interest from long-term holders. It is a classic sign of accumulation. As long as XRP trades between $1.90 and $3.40, analysts believe a solid base is forming for the next major breakout.

    Bitcoin dominance remains high near 58%. This means most capital is still concentrated in Bitcoin. Historically, once Bitcoin finishes a major rally, money rotates into large altcoins. This “altseason” effect has previously triggered strong XRP rallies. If Bitcoin hits new highs in the next cycle, XRP could benefit sharply.

    The $8 XRP price target is based on realistic market math, not hype. If Bitcoin climbs to $175,000 and the total crypto market reaches $5.7 trillion, and XRP captures 8% market share, its valuation supports a price between $7.70 and $8.50. This scenario assumes normal market growth, not extreme speculation.

    Technical Patterns Point to a Major Breakout

    XRP has spent years forming a strong long-term base. A clear breakout above $2.70, followed by a move past the all-time high near $3.40, could open the door for a rally toward $7 to $8.50. This target is based on past price patterns. Long consolidation periods often lead to sharp breakouts once key resistance levels are crossed.

    Short-term volatility and unexpected market events could still push XRP below $1.90 temporarily. However, analysts view deep pullbacks as long-term accumulation opportunities if XRP achieves new highs in 2026.


]]> Bitcoin Price Tumbles as Cryptocurrencies Come Under Pressure Again; Strategy Stock Plunges https://criptabop.com/news/164-bitcoin-price-tumbles-as-cryptocurrencies-come-under-pressure-again-strategy-stock-plunges.html https://criptabop.com/news/164-bitcoin-price-tumbles-as-cryptocurrencies-come-under-pressure-again-strategy-stock-plunges.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:22:42 +0300

  • Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are losing ground Monday, while stocks related to the industry are also slumping.
  • Bitcoin fell sharply in November, as uncertainty in the markets led some investors to shed riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies.

]]>

  • Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are losing ground Monday, while stocks related to the industry are also slumping.
  • Bitcoin fell sharply in November, as uncertainty in the markets led some investors to shed riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies tumbled Monday morning as risk-averse sentiment returned to financial markets.

Bitcoin (BTCUSD), the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, was trading at $84,200 recently, down from a weekend high of around $91,000. Other digital assets, including ether and solana, were also down sharply.

Crypto-related stocks also retreated, with shares of trading platform operators Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD) each dropping more than 6%, making them among the top decliners today in the S&P 500. Shares of Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, plunged 11%, while bitcoin miner Mara Holdings (MARA) fell 8%.

Why This Matters to Investors

Cryptocurrency moves can indicate how investors feel about the broader market. Assets such as bitcoin tend to rise in stable markets when investors are more comfortable taking risks, but can fall sharply when volatility is high and investors have less of an appetite for risk.

The price of bitcoin swung wildly in November—hitting a high near $110,000 early in the month before sliding as low as $82,000 a few weeks later—as volatility gripped financial markets, weighing heavily on assets that are perceived as risky.

Strategy CEO Phong Le said in an interview released last week that the company would consider selling bitcoin to fund things like stock dividends if its mNAV, a metric that tracks the value of its bitcoin holdings to the company's market capitalization, falls below 1.00. Strategy's mNAV was at about 1.1 recently.

“There’s the mathematical side of me that says that would be absolutely the right thing to do, and there’s the emotional side of me, the market side of me, that says we don’t want to really be the company that’s selling bitcoin,” Le said. “Generally speaking, for me, the mathematical side wins.”

Strategy says it's creating a U.S. dollar reserve to pay dividends and cope with volatility

The CEO of the world's biggest bitcoin treasury, Strategy, has laid out a scenario in which the company would consider selling some of its bitcoin holdings.

The biggest corporate holder of bitcoin has announced a U.S. dollar dividend reserve of more than $1 billion, days after its top executive laid out what might force the company to sell some of its $56 billion in bitcoin holdings.

Strategy (MSTR) announced Monday that it will establish a $1.44 billion reserve "to support the payment of dividends on its preferred stock and interest on its outstanding indebtedness." The reserve was funded by sales of its class A common stock, and Strategy plans to keep sufficient reserves to fund its dividends for at least 12 months.

The bitcoin treasury company said that based on an assumed year-end bitcoin price range of $85,000 to $110,000, the company would report, for the full year, between a loss of $5.5 billion and a profit of $6.3 billion.

Since bitcoin peaked on Oct. 6, the cryptocurrency has lost 31%, while Strategy's stock has tumbled 53%. However, the correlation between bitcoin and the stock has increased during the selloff, with the correlation coefficient rising to 0.97 (a correlation of 1.00 means they always move in the same direction) compared with a year-to-date correlation of 0.55. Bitcoin was down by more than 5% on Monday to $86,262.

The latest update from Strategy comes just days after CEO Phong Le said in a podcast that the company would have to sell bitcoin if its multiple to net asset value - a valuation metric known as mNAV that divides the company's market capitalization by the market value of the bitcoin it holds - fell below 1.

"So now, as we're looking at bitcoin winter, as we see our mNAV compressing, my hope is our mNAV doesn't go below 1. But if we did and we didn't have other access to capital, we would sell bitcoin," he told a podcast interview that published Friday. "That would be a last resort."

The mNAV for the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, whose shares are down 38% this year, currently stands at 1.19 but reached as high as 2.5 in 2024 and around 1.7 in June. An mNAV above 1 means Strategy trades at a premium to its bitcoin holdings.

Read: Chanos declares victory in his bet vs. Strategy's Saylor

"We don't really want to be the company that's selling bitcoin," Le said. "We have the most bitcoin. Us selling bitcoin wouldn't be good for the ecosystem. It wouldn't be good for the narrative."

The CEO said he remains optimistic on bitcoin going forward, saying that as long as the crypto can double the performance of the S&P 500 SPX -gaining, say, 30% a year compared with the index's 14% - then "we're going to win."

"I think for the foreseeable future, we're still talking 50% to 40% annualized returns over a four- to five-year period," he said. "It's an amazing technology, it has an amazing store value asset, it's nonsovereign, it has a limited supply."

Bitcoin weakness on Monday came as U.S. stocks were under pressure as they kicked off the last trading month of the year. The two asset classes have been increasingly correlated this year, driving unease for investors when bitcoin runs into selling pressure, as it has in recent weeks.

]]>

  • Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are losing ground Monday, while stocks related to the industry are also slumping.
  • Bitcoin fell sharply in November, as uncertainty in the markets led some investors to shed riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies tumbled Monday morning as risk-averse sentiment returned to financial markets.

Bitcoin (BTCUSD), the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, was trading at $84,200 recently, down from a weekend high of around $91,000. Other digital assets, including ether and solana, were also down sharply.

Crypto-related stocks also retreated, with shares of trading platform operators Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD) each dropping more than 6%, making them among the top decliners today in the S&P 500. Shares of Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, plunged 11%, while bitcoin miner Mara Holdings (MARA) fell 8%.

Why This Matters to Investors

Cryptocurrency moves can indicate how investors feel about the broader market. Assets such as bitcoin tend to rise in stable markets when investors are more comfortable taking risks, but can fall sharply when volatility is high and investors have less of an appetite for risk.

The price of bitcoin swung wildly in November—hitting a high near $110,000 early in the month before sliding as low as $82,000 a few weeks later—as volatility gripped financial markets, weighing heavily on assets that are perceived as risky.

Strategy CEO Phong Le said in an interview released last week that the company would consider selling bitcoin to fund things like stock dividends if its mNAV, a metric that tracks the value of its bitcoin holdings to the company's market capitalization, falls below 1.00. Strategy's mNAV was at about 1.1 recently.

“There’s the mathematical side of me that says that would be absolutely the right thing to do, and there’s the emotional side of me, the market side of me, that says we don’t want to really be the company that’s selling bitcoin,” Le said. “Generally speaking, for me, the mathematical side wins.”

Strategy says it's creating a U.S. dollar reserve to pay dividends and cope with volatility

The CEO of the world's biggest bitcoin treasury, Strategy, has laid out a scenario in which the company would consider selling some of its bitcoin holdings.

The biggest corporate holder of bitcoin has announced a U.S. dollar dividend reserve of more than $1 billion, days after its top executive laid out what might force the company to sell some of its $56 billion in bitcoin holdings.

Strategy (MSTR) announced Monday that it will establish a $1.44 billion reserve "to support the payment of dividends on its preferred stock and interest on its outstanding indebtedness." The reserve was funded by sales of its class A common stock, and Strategy plans to keep sufficient reserves to fund its dividends for at least 12 months.

The bitcoin treasury company said that based on an assumed year-end bitcoin price range of $85,000 to $110,000, the company would report, for the full year, between a loss of $5.5 billion and a profit of $6.3 billion.

Since bitcoin peaked on Oct. 6, the cryptocurrency has lost 31%, while Strategy's stock has tumbled 53%. However, the correlation between bitcoin and the stock has increased during the selloff, with the correlation coefficient rising to 0.97 (a correlation of 1.00 means they always move in the same direction) compared with a year-to-date correlation of 0.55. Bitcoin was down by more than 5% on Monday to $86,262.

The latest update from Strategy comes just days after CEO Phong Le said in a podcast that the company would have to sell bitcoin if its multiple to net asset value - a valuation metric known as mNAV that divides the company's market capitalization by the market value of the bitcoin it holds - fell below 1.

"So now, as we're looking at bitcoin winter, as we see our mNAV compressing, my hope is our mNAV doesn't go below 1. But if we did and we didn't have other access to capital, we would sell bitcoin," he told a podcast interview that published Friday. "That would be a last resort."

The mNAV for the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, whose shares are down 38% this year, currently stands at 1.19 but reached as high as 2.5 in 2024 and around 1.7 in June. An mNAV above 1 means Strategy trades at a premium to its bitcoin holdings.

Read: Chanos declares victory in his bet vs. Strategy's Saylor

"We don't really want to be the company that's selling bitcoin," Le said. "We have the most bitcoin. Us selling bitcoin wouldn't be good for the ecosystem. It wouldn't be good for the narrative."

The CEO said he remains optimistic on bitcoin going forward, saying that as long as the crypto can double the performance of the S&P 500 SPX -gaining, say, 30% a year compared with the index's 14% - then "we're going to win."

"I think for the foreseeable future, we're still talking 50% to 40% annualized returns over a four- to five-year period," he said. "It's an amazing technology, it has an amazing store value asset, it's nonsovereign, it has a limited supply."

Bitcoin weakness on Monday came as U.S. stocks were under pressure as they kicked off the last trading month of the year. The two asset classes have been increasingly correlated this year, driving unease for investors when bitcoin runs into selling pressure, as it has in recent weeks.

]]> How to Use PGP for Enhanced Privacy and Powerful OPSEC https://criptabop.com/learn/163-how-to-use-pgp-for-enhanced-privacy-and-powerful-opsec.html https://criptabop.com/learn/163-how-to-use-pgp-for-enhanced-privacy-and-powerful-opsec.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:04:19 +0300 Your emails aren’t as private as you think. PGP encryption lets you secure messages, protect sensitive files, and keep prying eyes—hackers or governments—out of your business. Here’s how to start using it.

]]> Your emails aren’t as private as you think. PGP encryption lets you secure messages, protect sensitive files, and keep prying eyes—hackers or governments—out of your business. Here’s how to start using it.

In today’s world of constant surveillance and daily data breaches, it’s never been more important to take control of your own privacy. Whether you’re protecting your emails, securing sensitive files, or just trying to keep nosy governments and cybercriminals at bay, one of the most effective tools at your disposal is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). For anyone dealing with bitcoin or any kind of sensitive information, PGP isn’t just useful—it’s essential.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into what PGP is, why you need it, and most importantly, how you can start using it today. By the end, you’ll not only understand PGP but also be ready to use it like a pro.

Why Should You Use PGP?

You might be asking yourself, “Why should I use PGP? I don’t have anything to hide.” But that’s missing the point entirely. Privacy isn’t about hiding things you’re ashamed of—it’s about protecting yourself from those who would misuse your information.

Let’s take a look at some of the key reasons why you should consider using PGP:

1. Emails Aren’t as Private as You Think

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that emails are private, but the reality is far from reassuring. In practice, emails are often weakly protected, and encryption is the only way to ensure that your communications remain private. Imagine your email “security” as a door locked with a cheeto instead of a proper deadbolt—technically locked, but not actually secure.

PGP fixes this by encrypting your emails, ensuring only the intended recipient can decrypt and read them.

2. Protect Yourself From Hackers and Cybercriminals

Cybercrime is at an all-time high. Hackers constantly look for ways to access private communications, personal data, and even financial records. PGP can safeguard your communication about transactions, wallets, and passwords from prying eyes. Even if you’re not dealing with bitcoin, cybercriminals can leverage your personal details in identity theft or blackmail.

3. Keep Your Personal and Professional Life Separate

Whether it’s workplace politics or family drama, you probably don’t want certain people snooping through your private messages. PGP ensures that sensitive information—be it personal or professional—remains private and secure, protecting you from prying eyes.

4. Freedom from Government Surveillance

One of the strongest reasons to use PGP is to protect yourself from government surveillance, as revealed by Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Snowden’s 2013 leaks exposed how agencies like the NSA collect massive amounts of data on everyone—not just criminals—by tapping into tech giants like Google and Facebook. PRISM and other programs made it clear that no one’s data was safe from government eyes.

Julian Assange’s work with WikiLeaks further highlighted how governments use private information against citizens without their knowledge, sparking global concerns over privacy rights. The idea that “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear” is flawed. As Snowden famously said, “Saying you don’t care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is like saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

5. Privacy Is Not a Crime

One of the most common arguments against using encryption tools like PGP is, “Why bother if you’re not doing anything illegal?” But this thinking is dangerous. You shouldn’t have to give up your privacy just because you’re following the law. Privacy is a fundamental human right, and it protects you from a host of dangers—like intrusive governments, malicious hackers, or even people in your own social circle who would use your private information against you.

How Does PGP Work?

Now that you understand PGP’s importance, let’s get into how it actually works. The magic of PGP lies in its use of public-key cryptography, a sophisticated form of encryption that allows secure communication between two parties without them having to share a private key beforehand.

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

  1. Public and Private Keys: When you set up PGP, you generate a pair of keys—a public key and a private key. These two keys are mathematically linked, but while the public key can be shared with anyone, the private key is kept secret and known only to you.
    • The public key is used by others to encrypt messages that are sent to you.
    • The private key is used by you to decrypt those messages.
  2. Encryption: When someone wants to send you an encrypted message, they use your public key to lock the message. Once the message is encrypted, it can only be unlocked by your private key, ensuring that only you (and no one else) can read it.
  3. Digital Signatures: PGP also provides a system for verifying the identity of the person sending a message. This is done through digital signatures. When you send a message, PGP creates a unique signature using your private key. The recipient can then check this signature against your public key to verify that the message is really from you and hasn’t been altered in transit.

A Real-World Example of PGP Use

Imagine you’re a journalist covering a controversial topic (or any topic that’s not government “approved”), and you’re communicating with a confidential source. You don’t want your emails intercepted by hackers or government agencies. By using PGP, you can send encrypted emails to your source, ensuring that only they can read your messages. Additionally, your source can use PGP to send encrypted replies, keeping both sides of the conversation private.

This is precisely the kind of privacy protection that whistleblowers like Edward Snowden have relied on to expose government wrongdoing without fear of immediate detection.

How to Get Started with PGP

Alright, enough theory. Let’s talk about how you can actually start using PGP. There are a few different tools out there that allow you to use PGP, but we’ll focus on two options: Keybase and Kleopatra. Both are great, but they cater to different users.

1. Keybase.io: The User-Friendly Option

If you’re new to PGP and want something simple, Keybase.io is the way to go. It’s a free, easy-to-use platform that integrates PGP encryption with a sleek interface, making it accessible for beginners. Plus, it works on all major platforms—Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux—so you can use it no matter what device you’re on.

Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to Keybase.io and download the version that fits your device.
  2. Install the software and create an account.
  3. Choose a username (this can be anything, so feel free to go anonymous if that’s your style).
  4. Skip adding your phone number and email if you want to maximize privacy.
  5. Set up your public and private keys through Keybase. It’s a seamless process that the software handles for you.

Now you’re ready to encrypt your emails, messages, and files with ease. You can also use Keybase to verify identities through digital signatures, ensuring that any encrypted message you receive really came from the person it says it did.

Pros of Keybase:

  • It’s pretty easy to use.
  • It works on all major platforms.
  • Key management and identity verification are simple to use.

Cons of Keybase:

  • Keybase was acquired by Zoom, which does raise some privacy concerns. Zoom has been criticized for its connections to China and its checkered history with security and privacy issues. While Keybase remains a solid tool, you might want to consider these concerns if you’re extra cautious about your privacy.

2. Kleopatra: The Power User’s Tool

For those who want more control over their encryption, Kleopatra (part of the Gpg4win suite) is an excellent option. While it’s a bit more complex than Keybase, it gives you more granular control over your encryption and is perfect for advanced users.

Setting up Kleopatra is straightforward but requires a bit more manual configuration. Here’s a basic guide to get started:

  1. Download the Gpg4win suite from Gpg4win.org.
  2. Install the software and follow the prompts to generate your public and private keys.
  3. Kleopatra also offers key management, making it easier to import and export keys for your contacts.
  4. You’ll need to manually integrate PGP encryption into your email client, but the security benefits are well worth the effort.

Pros of Kleopatra:

  • More control over your encryption settings.
  • Great for power users who want higher customization.
  • Built-in key management system.

Cons of Kleopatra:

  • Not as user-friendly as Keybase.
  • No mobile support, so it’s best for desktop use.

Why You Should Start Using PGP

PGP isn’t just a tool for technologists or privacy fanatics—it’s for anyone who values their freedom and security in a world where everything is increasingly monitored and vulnerable to attack. With government surveillance at all-time highs and cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated by the day, protecting your communications is no longer optional.

By using PGP, you can take control of your privacy, secure your personal and professional communications, and protect yourself from anyone who might want to use your information against you. Whether you’re a journalist, a bitcoin user, or just someone who values privacy, PGP is a powerful, time-tested tool that should be part of your everyday digital toolkit.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge, set up PGP, and start enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing your communications are safe from prying eyes. Privacy isn’t a crime—it’s your right.

]]> Your emails aren’t as private as you think. PGP encryption lets you secure messages, protect sensitive files, and keep prying eyes—hackers or governments—out of your business. Here’s how to start using it.

In today’s world of constant surveillance and daily data breaches, it’s never been more important to take control of your own privacy. Whether you’re protecting your emails, securing sensitive files, or just trying to keep nosy governments and cybercriminals at bay, one of the most effective tools at your disposal is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). For anyone dealing with bitcoin or any kind of sensitive information, PGP isn’t just useful—it’s essential.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into what PGP is, why you need it, and most importantly, how you can start using it today. By the end, you’ll not only understand PGP but also be ready to use it like a pro.

Why Should You Use PGP?

You might be asking yourself, “Why should I use PGP? I don’t have anything to hide.” But that’s missing the point entirely. Privacy isn’t about hiding things you’re ashamed of—it’s about protecting yourself from those who would misuse your information.

Let’s take a look at some of the key reasons why you should consider using PGP:

1. Emails Aren’t as Private as You Think

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that emails are private, but the reality is far from reassuring. In practice, emails are often weakly protected, and encryption is the only way to ensure that your communications remain private. Imagine your email “security” as a door locked with a cheeto instead of a proper deadbolt—technically locked, but not actually secure.

PGP fixes this by encrypting your emails, ensuring only the intended recipient can decrypt and read them.

2. Protect Yourself From Hackers and Cybercriminals

Cybercrime is at an all-time high. Hackers constantly look for ways to access private communications, personal data, and even financial records. PGP can safeguard your communication about transactions, wallets, and passwords from prying eyes. Even if you’re not dealing with bitcoin, cybercriminals can leverage your personal details in identity theft or blackmail.

3. Keep Your Personal and Professional Life Separate

Whether it’s workplace politics or family drama, you probably don’t want certain people snooping through your private messages. PGP ensures that sensitive information—be it personal or professional—remains private and secure, protecting you from prying eyes.

4. Freedom from Government Surveillance

One of the strongest reasons to use PGP is to protect yourself from government surveillance, as revealed by Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Snowden’s 2013 leaks exposed how agencies like the NSA collect massive amounts of data on everyone—not just criminals—by tapping into tech giants like Google and Facebook. PRISM and other programs made it clear that no one’s data was safe from government eyes.

Julian Assange’s work with WikiLeaks further highlighted how governments use private information against citizens without their knowledge, sparking global concerns over privacy rights. The idea that “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear” is flawed. As Snowden famously said, “Saying you don’t care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is like saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

5. Privacy Is Not a Crime

One of the most common arguments against using encryption tools like PGP is, “Why bother if you’re not doing anything illegal?” But this thinking is dangerous. You shouldn’t have to give up your privacy just because you’re following the law. Privacy is a fundamental human right, and it protects you from a host of dangers—like intrusive governments, malicious hackers, or even people in your own social circle who would use your private information against you.

How Does PGP Work?

Now that you understand PGP’s importance, let’s get into how it actually works. The magic of PGP lies in its use of public-key cryptography, a sophisticated form of encryption that allows secure communication between two parties without them having to share a private key beforehand.

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

  1. Public and Private Keys: When you set up PGP, you generate a pair of keys—a public key and a private key. These two keys are mathematically linked, but while the public key can be shared with anyone, the private key is kept secret and known only to you.
    • The public key is used by others to encrypt messages that are sent to you.
    • The private key is used by you to decrypt those messages.
  2. Encryption: When someone wants to send you an encrypted message, they use your public key to lock the message. Once the message is encrypted, it can only be unlocked by your private key, ensuring that only you (and no one else) can read it.
  3. Digital Signatures: PGP also provides a system for verifying the identity of the person sending a message. This is done through digital signatures. When you send a message, PGP creates a unique signature using your private key. The recipient can then check this signature against your public key to verify that the message is really from you and hasn’t been altered in transit.

A Real-World Example of PGP Use

Imagine you’re a journalist covering a controversial topic (or any topic that’s not government “approved”), and you’re communicating with a confidential source. You don’t want your emails intercepted by hackers or government agencies. By using PGP, you can send encrypted emails to your source, ensuring that only they can read your messages. Additionally, your source can use PGP to send encrypted replies, keeping both sides of the conversation private.

This is precisely the kind of privacy protection that whistleblowers like Edward Snowden have relied on to expose government wrongdoing without fear of immediate detection.

How to Get Started with PGP

Alright, enough theory. Let’s talk about how you can actually start using PGP. There are a few different tools out there that allow you to use PGP, but we’ll focus on two options: Keybase and Kleopatra. Both are great, but they cater to different users.

1. Keybase.io: The User-Friendly Option

If you’re new to PGP and want something simple, Keybase.io is the way to go. It’s a free, easy-to-use platform that integrates PGP encryption with a sleek interface, making it accessible for beginners. Plus, it works on all major platforms—Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux—so you can use it no matter what device you’re on.

Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to Keybase.io and download the version that fits your device.
  2. Install the software and create an account.
  3. Choose a username (this can be anything, so feel free to go anonymous if that’s your style).
  4. Skip adding your phone number and email if you want to maximize privacy.
  5. Set up your public and private keys through Keybase. It’s a seamless process that the software handles for you.

Now you’re ready to encrypt your emails, messages, and files with ease. You can also use Keybase to verify identities through digital signatures, ensuring that any encrypted message you receive really came from the person it says it did.

Pros of Keybase:

  • It’s pretty easy to use.
  • It works on all major platforms.
  • Key management and identity verification are simple to use.

Cons of Keybase:

  • Keybase was acquired by Zoom, which does raise some privacy concerns. Zoom has been criticized for its connections to China and its checkered history with security and privacy issues. While Keybase remains a solid tool, you might want to consider these concerns if you’re extra cautious about your privacy.

2. Kleopatra: The Power User’s Tool

For those who want more control over their encryption, Kleopatra (part of the Gpg4win suite) is an excellent option. While it’s a bit more complex than Keybase, it gives you more granular control over your encryption and is perfect for advanced users.

Setting up Kleopatra is straightforward but requires a bit more manual configuration. Here’s a basic guide to get started:

  1. Download the Gpg4win suite from Gpg4win.org.
  2. Install the software and follow the prompts to generate your public and private keys.
  3. Kleopatra also offers key management, making it easier to import and export keys for your contacts.
  4. You’ll need to manually integrate PGP encryption into your email client, but the security benefits are well worth the effort.

Pros of Kleopatra:

  • More control over your encryption settings.
  • Great for power users who want higher customization.
  • Built-in key management system.

Cons of Kleopatra:

  • Not as user-friendly as Keybase.
  • No mobile support, so it’s best for desktop use.

Why You Should Start Using PGP

PGP isn’t just a tool for technologists or privacy fanatics—it’s for anyone who values their freedom and security in a world where everything is increasingly monitored and vulnerable to attack. With government surveillance at all-time highs and cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated by the day, protecting your communications is no longer optional.

By using PGP, you can take control of your privacy, secure your personal and professional communications, and protect yourself from anyone who might want to use your information against you. Whether you’re a journalist, a bitcoin user, or just someone who values privacy, PGP is a powerful, time-tested tool that should be part of your everyday digital toolkit.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge, set up PGP, and start enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing your communications are safe from prying eyes. Privacy isn’t a crime—it’s your right.

]]> BofA CEO: Legalizing Interest on Stablecoins Will Lead to an Outflow of Up to $6T https://criptabop.com/opinions/162-bofa-ceo-legalizing-interest-on-stablecoins-will-lead-to-an-outflow-of-up-to-6t.html https://criptabop.com/opinions/162-bofa-ceo-legalizing-interest-on-stablecoins-will-lead-to-an-outflow-of-up-to-6t.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:09:08 +0300

  • Brian Moynihan believes that approving interest payments to stablecoin holders will lead to an outflow of deposits.
  • He mentioned an amount of up to USD 6 trillion, about one third of all funds deposited in American banks.
  • The BofA CEO believes that this will directly affect the US economy.
]]>

  • Brian Moynihan believes that approving interest payments to stablecoin holders will lead to an outflow of deposits.
  • He mentioned an amount of up to USD 6 trillion, about one third of all funds deposited in American banks.
  • The BofA CEO believes that this will directly affect the US economy.

Legalizing the payment of interest income on stablecoins will lead to an outflow of up to USD 6 trillion in bank deposits from the American financial sector, which is fraught with risks. This forecast was made by Bank of America (BofA) CEO Brian Moynihan, allegedly referring to a study by the US Treasury Department.

The BofA CEO raised this topic during a conference call on the results of the fourth quarter of 2025. According to him, stablecoins resemble money market mutual funds in their structure, as they also hold reserves in high-yield and liquid assets.

In such a setup, the money is outside the banking system, Moynihan noted. A reduction in the volume of deposits, in turn, will limit counterparties’ ability to provide lending, which will directly affect the US economy.

“If you remove the deposits, then they [the banks] will not be able to issue loans, or they will have to raise funding from other sources, and that will also have its own cost,” Moynihan said.

According to his estimate, legalizing the possibility of paying interest to stablecoin holders will lead to an outflow of up to USD 6 trillion in deposits. This is about one third of all assets deposited in American banks.

It is worth noting that the issue of paying interest to stablecoin holders is one of the key questions in forming the regulatory framework for the crypto market in the US. The banking sector is strongly opposed to legalizing such a mechanism.

It would turn stablecoins into an analogue of deposits with an increased rate, while the requirements for issuers of such assets are lower than for traditional financial counterparties.

Earlier, we covered a statement by Senator Cynthia Lummis, according to which a compromise was reached in developing an interim version of the framework bill. In terms of stablecoins, it provides for a ban on payments for merely holding such assets, but allows rewards for active participation.

However, given that the Senate Banking Committee has put the process of developing its own version of the bill on hold, when exactly the regulatory framework will come into force remains an open question.

In his statement during the conference, Moynihan refers to the U.S. Treasury. However, no such report has been published previously.

]]>

  • Brian Moynihan believes that approving interest payments to stablecoin holders will lead to an outflow of deposits.
  • He mentioned an amount of up to USD 6 trillion, about one third of all funds deposited in American banks.
  • The BofA CEO believes that this will directly affect the US economy.

Legalizing the payment of interest income on stablecoins will lead to an outflow of up to USD 6 trillion in bank deposits from the American financial sector, which is fraught with risks. This forecast was made by Bank of America (BofA) CEO Brian Moynihan, allegedly referring to a study by the US Treasury Department.

The BofA CEO raised this topic during a conference call on the results of the fourth quarter of 2025. According to him, stablecoins resemble money market mutual funds in their structure, as they also hold reserves in high-yield and liquid assets.

In such a setup, the money is outside the banking system, Moynihan noted. A reduction in the volume of deposits, in turn, will limit counterparties’ ability to provide lending, which will directly affect the US economy.

“If you remove the deposits, then they [the banks] will not be able to issue loans, or they will have to raise funding from other sources, and that will also have its own cost,” Moynihan said.

According to his estimate, legalizing the possibility of paying interest to stablecoin holders will lead to an outflow of up to USD 6 trillion in deposits. This is about one third of all assets deposited in American banks.

It is worth noting that the issue of paying interest to stablecoin holders is one of the key questions in forming the regulatory framework for the crypto market in the US. The banking sector is strongly opposed to legalizing such a mechanism.

It would turn stablecoins into an analogue of deposits with an increased rate, while the requirements for issuers of such assets are lower than for traditional financial counterparties.

Earlier, we covered a statement by Senator Cynthia Lummis, according to which a compromise was reached in developing an interim version of the framework bill. In terms of stablecoins, it provides for a ban on payments for merely holding such assets, but allows rewards for active participation.

However, given that the Senate Banking Committee has put the process of developing its own version of the bill on hold, when exactly the regulatory framework will come into force remains an open question.

In his statement during the conference, Moynihan refers to the U.S. Treasury. However, no such report has been published previously.

]]> Daily Crypto Banking Is Coming: Old Glory Targets Full Integration Inside a Chartered US Bank https://criptabop.com/markets/161-daily-crypto-banking-is-coming-old-glory-targets-full-integration-inside-a-chartered-us-bank.html https://criptabop.com/markets/161-daily-crypto-banking-is-coming-old-glory-targets-full-integration-inside-a-chartered-us-bank.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:03:17 +0300 A pro-America digital bank is racing toward Nasdaq with an ambitious plan to fuse traditional banking and crypto, promising faster blockchain access, new lending options, and a stablecoin-powered payments future through a high-profile SPAC merger.

]]> A pro-America digital bank is racing toward Nasdaq with an ambitious plan to fuse traditional banking and crypto, promising faster blockchain access, new lending options, and a stablecoin-powered payments future through a high-profile SPAC merger.

The Banking Disruption Wall Street Feared: Old Glory Targets Daily Crypto Use, Challenging Legacy Giants

A new banking and crypto-focused public company is taking shape through a special purpose acquisition transaction. Pro-America digital lender Old Glory Bank and Digital Asset Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: DAAQ) announced on Jan. 16 that they entered a business combination agreement focused on crypto-integrated banking and public markets access.

The agreement outlines a merger between Old Glory Bank’s bank holding company and Digital Asset Acquisition Corp. to form OGB Financial Company, a Texas corporation expected to list on Nasdaq under the reserved ticker symbol “OGB.” Michael Staw, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Old Glory Bank, stated:

“We intend for Old Glory Bank to be the first chartered bank to fully integrate crypto into daily banking.”

“Today, it’s too confusing, slow, and difficult for regular Americans to move money from a bank account to the blockchain,” the executive added. “At Old Glory Bank, we are an actual bank, so we are confident that, in the future, our customers will have the ability to easily move money on and off chain, as well as instantly deposit crypto into their bank account, by exchanging crypto into fiat utilizing our patent-pending OGB Freedom Offramp.”

The transaction is expected to close near the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder approval and customary regulatory conditions. DAAQ holds approximately $176 million in its trust account while Old Glory Bank carries a $250 million pre-money valuation, with the parties planning to secure at least $50 million in additional PIPE or related financing.

Old Glory Bank operates as a full-service, digital-first, FDIC-insured institution with more than 80,000 personal and business accounts across all 50 states and several countries, alongside a physical branch in Elmore City, Oklahoma. Since launching online banking in April 2023, the bank expanded deposits from $10 million to more than $245 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Leadership figures, including Dr. Ben Carson, Larry Elder, Sean Spicer, John Rich, and Bill Shine, have emphasized opposition to debanking and continued support for industries such as crypto, firearms, oil and gas, and agriculture.

Detailing additional product plans tied to blockchain integration, Staw explained:

“Old Glory Bank intends to offer fast and easy self-service crypto loans for our great customers who do not want to sell crypto, receive a 1099-DA, and potentially be subject to tax.”

“Again, because we are a bank, and we have one of the lowest costs of funds in the industry, we will be able to make consumer crypto loans in all 50 states, with fair interest rates and no garbage fees,” he clarified. The executive continued: “We won’t stop there, and Old Glory Bank intends to issue its own payment stablecoin, OGBUSD, on the ERC-20 standard so that our freedom-loving customers will have the ability to make payments around the world instantly and securely on various blockchains.”

]]> A pro-America digital bank is racing toward Nasdaq with an ambitious plan to fuse traditional banking and crypto, promising faster blockchain access, new lending options, and a stablecoin-powered payments future through a high-profile SPAC merger.

The Banking Disruption Wall Street Feared: Old Glory Targets Daily Crypto Use, Challenging Legacy Giants

A new banking and crypto-focused public company is taking shape through a special purpose acquisition transaction. Pro-America digital lender Old Glory Bank and Digital Asset Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: DAAQ) announced on Jan. 16 that they entered a business combination agreement focused on crypto-integrated banking and public markets access.

The agreement outlines a merger between Old Glory Bank’s bank holding company and Digital Asset Acquisition Corp. to form OGB Financial Company, a Texas corporation expected to list on Nasdaq under the reserved ticker symbol “OGB.” Michael Staw, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Old Glory Bank, stated:

“We intend for Old Glory Bank to be the first chartered bank to fully integrate crypto into daily banking.”

“Today, it’s too confusing, slow, and difficult for regular Americans to move money from a bank account to the blockchain,” the executive added. “At Old Glory Bank, we are an actual bank, so we are confident that, in the future, our customers will have the ability to easily move money on and off chain, as well as instantly deposit crypto into their bank account, by exchanging crypto into fiat utilizing our patent-pending OGB Freedom Offramp.”

The transaction is expected to close near the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder approval and customary regulatory conditions. DAAQ holds approximately $176 million in its trust account while Old Glory Bank carries a $250 million pre-money valuation, with the parties planning to secure at least $50 million in additional PIPE or related financing.

Old Glory Bank operates as a full-service, digital-first, FDIC-insured institution with more than 80,000 personal and business accounts across all 50 states and several countries, alongside a physical branch in Elmore City, Oklahoma. Since launching online banking in April 2023, the bank expanded deposits from $10 million to more than $245 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Leadership figures, including Dr. Ben Carson, Larry Elder, Sean Spicer, John Rich, and Bill Shine, have emphasized opposition to debanking and continued support for industries such as crypto, firearms, oil and gas, and agriculture.

Detailing additional product plans tied to blockchain integration, Staw explained:

“Old Glory Bank intends to offer fast and easy self-service crypto loans for our great customers who do not want to sell crypto, receive a 1099-DA, and potentially be subject to tax.”

“Again, because we are a bank, and we have one of the lowest costs of funds in the industry, we will be able to make consumer crypto loans in all 50 states, with fair interest rates and no garbage fees,” he clarified. The executive continued: “We won’t stop there, and Old Glory Bank intends to issue its own payment stablecoin, OGBUSD, on the ERC-20 standard so that our freedom-loving customers will have the ability to make payments around the world instantly and securely on various blockchains.”

]]> A Wall Street analyst warns that quantum computing could eventually crack the cryptography of bitcoin https://criptabop.com/technical/160-a-wall-street-analyst-warns-that-quantum-computing-could-eventually-crack-the-cryptography-of-bitcoin.html https://criptabop.com/technical/160-a-wall-street-analyst-warns-that-quantum-computing-could-eventually-crack-the-cryptography-of-bitcoin.html admin Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:24:03 +0300

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.
]]>

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

"While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio," Wood said of his recent portfolio change. He added that he believed bitcoin reached its peak in the post-halving cycle at $126,000 last year.

Wood's team has replaced the allocation to bitcoin in the model portfolio with a 10% allocation to gold and gold mining stocks. The portfolio now has a total 45% allocation to physical gold, a 25% allocation to gold mining stocks, and a 30% allocation to Asian equities, excluding Japan.

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

"While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio," Wood said of his recent portfolio change. He added that he believed bitcoin reached its peak in the post-halving cycle at $126,000 last year.

Wood's team has replaced the allocation to bitcoin in the model portfolio with a 10% allocation to gold and gold mining stocks. The portfolio now has a total 45% allocation to physical gold, a 25% allocation to gold mining stocks, and a 30% allocation to Asian equities, excluding Japan.

"Meanwhile, the existential issue raised by quantum as regards Bitcoin can only be long-term positive for gold since it remains the historically stress tested store of value. Meanwhile, gold is also the best hedge, if not the only one, on the ever-rising geopolitical risks," Wood said.

It's been a rough few months for bitcoin, with the crypto tumbling into a bear market in late 2025 amid a broader risk-off move that was exacerbated by weak liquidity and concerns about the yen-carry trade.

Meanwhile, the case for owning gold has only grown stronger since its stunning rally in 2025. The metal saw its best performance since 1979 and continues to hover near a record high as investors seek protection from geopolitical conflict and inflationary pressures.

]]>

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

"While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio," Wood said of his recent portfolio change. He added that he believed bitcoin reached its peak in the post-halving cycle at $126,000 last year.

Wood's team has replaced the allocation to bitcoin in the model portfolio with a 10% allocation to gold and gold mining stocks. The portfolio now has a total 45% allocation to physical gold, a 25% allocation to gold mining stocks, and a 30% allocation to Asian equities, excluding Japan.

  • Christopher Wood, a longtime bitcoin bull, just dumped his portfolio's holdings of the crypto.
  • The Jefferies strategist said he believed quantum computing posed an existential risk to bitcoin.
  • CRQCs, one type of supercomputer, could jeopardize as much as 50% of bitcoin's total supply, one study said.

A longtime crypto bull is ditching bitcoin for gold.

Christopher Wood, the global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, said he just cut bitcoin out of his firm's long-term model portfolio, where the token has accounted for around 5%-10% of the portfolio's allocation for the last five years.

That's because the price of the crypto has likely peaked, but also because there's an existential threat he sees jeopardizing the bitcoin ecosystem: quantum computing.

In a recent note to clients, Wood pointed specifically to CRQCs, or cryptographically relevant quantum computers — supercomputers that could potentially "steal" bitcoin from circulation, he said.

Bitcoin transactions are secured with cryptography, a coding system where transactions are encrypted with public keys, and access to the bitcoin itself is controlled by a private key. It would take supercomputers today "trillions of years" to derive a private key from a public one, given how complex the computations are, Wood said. But CRQCs could potentially reduce that time to something like several hours to several days, he speculated.

CRQCs don't yet exist, but chatter about the potential risks is already spreading across the bitcoin community, Wood said, pointing to a report from ChainCode Labs that estimated as much as 10 million tokens, or 50% of all bitcoin in circulation, could be accessed by a CRQC.

Some in the crypto community are arguing that the risk from CRQCs means "vulnerable coins" in the bitcoin ecosystem should be burned, Wood bited.

"While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio," Wood said of his recent portfolio change. He added that he believed bitcoin reached its peak in the post-halving cycle at $126,000 last year.

Wood's team has replaced the allocation to bitcoin in the model portfolio with a 10% allocation to gold and gold mining stocks. The portfolio now has a total 45% allocation to physical gold, a 25% allocation to gold mining stocks, and a 30% allocation to Asian equities, excluding Japan.

"Meanwhile, the existential issue raised by quantum as regards Bitcoin can only be long-term positive for gold since it remains the historically stress tested store of value. Meanwhile, gold is also the best hedge, if not the only one, on the ever-rising geopolitical risks," Wood said.

It's been a rough few months for bitcoin, with the crypto tumbling into a bear market in late 2025 amid a broader risk-off move that was exacerbated by weak liquidity and concerns about the yen-carry trade.

Meanwhile, the case for owning gold has only grown stronger since its stunning rally in 2025. The metal saw its best performance since 1979 and continues to hover near a record high as investors seek protection from geopolitical conflict and inflationary pressures.

]]> Strategy ($MSTR) Stock Soars 10% Above $189 as Bitcoin Nears $100,000 https://criptabop.com/analysis/159-strategy-mstr-stock-soars-10-above-189-as-bitcoin-nears-100000.html https://criptabop.com/analysis/159-strategy-mstr-stock-soars-10-above-189-as-bitcoin-nears-100000.html admin Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:33:41 +0300 Strategy (MSTR) stock roared above $189 this morning as renewed bitcoin strength and continued corporate BTC purchases drove demand. Shares of Strategy ($MSTR) surged more than 10% Wednesday morning, briefly climbing above $189 per share, as investors piled back into the bitcoin treasury trade.

]]> Strategy (MSTR) stock roared above $189 this morning as renewed bitcoin strength and continued corporate BTC purchases drove demand. Shares of Strategy ($MSTR) surged more than 10% Wednesday morning, briefly climbing above $189 per share, as investors piled back into the bitcoin treasury trade.

The move caps a volatile stretch for the stock following sharp drawdowns earlier this month.

Strategy, which holds the largest bitcoin position of any public company, has seen its equity trade as a high-beta proxy for bitcoin, with gains and losses often magnified relative to spot price movements.

As bitcoin pushed toward the upper end of its recent range near $97,000, MSTR followed with a rapid upside move that outpaced the broader equity market.

The rally builds on momentum that began late last week after Strategy disclosed another large bitcoin purchase, adding more than 13,000 BTC to its balance sheet.

The acquisition lifted the company’s total holdings to roughly 687,000 bitcoin, reinforcing its long-stated approach of accumulating BTC through a mix of operating cash flow, equity issuance, and capital markets activity.

Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has framed the strategy as a long-term bet on bitcoin as a superior store of value and a treasury reserve asset.

Market participants say the size and consistency of Strategy’s purchases have helped re-anchor the bull case for the stock after weeks of pressure tied to bitcoin’s pullback and concerns around dilution.

While critics continue to point to leverage risk and accounting volatility, supporters argue that Strategy’s balance sheet has become one of the most direct institutional on-ramps to bitcoin exposure in public markets.

Sentiment also improved following signs of insider confidence. A recent open-market purchase by a company director marked the first such buy in several years, standing out in a period when insider activity had largely consisted of scheduled sales.

Strategy’s recent MSCI drama

Structural factors added to the rebound. Earlier this month, index provider MSCI opted not to remove bitcoin-focused treasury companies from certain benchmarks, easing fears of forced selling by passive funds.

That decision reduced near-term downside risk for Strategy, which has grown increasingly sensitive to index flows as its market capitalization expanded during bitcoin’s 2024 and 2025 rallies.

Still, Strategy’s model remains closely tied to bitcoin volatility. The company reported large unrealized losses in prior quarters as accounting rules required it to mark down bitcoin holdings during price declines.

Those losses reversed only when prices recovered, creating earnings swings that traditional equity investors often struggle to price.

Wednesday’s jump above $189 highlights the reflexive nature of the trade. As bitcoin strengthens, Strategy’s equity also strengthens and attracts momentum-driven capital seeking leveraged exposure.


]]> Strategy (MSTR) stock roared above $189 this morning as renewed bitcoin strength and continued corporate BTC purchases drove demand. Shares of Strategy ($MSTR) surged more than 10% Wednesday morning, briefly climbing above $189 per share, as investors piled back into the bitcoin treasury trade.

The move caps a volatile stretch for the stock following sharp drawdowns earlier this month.

Strategy, which holds the largest bitcoin position of any public company, has seen its equity trade as a high-beta proxy for bitcoin, with gains and losses often magnified relative to spot price movements.

As bitcoin pushed toward the upper end of its recent range near $97,000, MSTR followed with a rapid upside move that outpaced the broader equity market.

The rally builds on momentum that began late last week after Strategy disclosed another large bitcoin purchase, adding more than 13,000 BTC to its balance sheet.

The acquisition lifted the company’s total holdings to roughly 687,000 bitcoin, reinforcing its long-stated approach of accumulating BTC through a mix of operating cash flow, equity issuance, and capital markets activity.

Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has framed the strategy as a long-term bet on bitcoin as a superior store of value and a treasury reserve asset.

Market participants say the size and consistency of Strategy’s purchases have helped re-anchor the bull case for the stock after weeks of pressure tied to bitcoin’s pullback and concerns around dilution.

While critics continue to point to leverage risk and accounting volatility, supporters argue that Strategy’s balance sheet has become one of the most direct institutional on-ramps to bitcoin exposure in public markets.

Sentiment also improved following signs of insider confidence. A recent open-market purchase by a company director marked the first such buy in several years, standing out in a period when insider activity had largely consisted of scheduled sales.

Strategy’s recent MSCI drama

Structural factors added to the rebound. Earlier this month, index provider MSCI opted not to remove bitcoin-focused treasury companies from certain benchmarks, easing fears of forced selling by passive funds.

That decision reduced near-term downside risk for Strategy, which has grown increasingly sensitive to index flows as its market capitalization expanded during bitcoin’s 2024 and 2025 rallies.

Still, Strategy’s model remains closely tied to bitcoin volatility. The company reported large unrealized losses in prior quarters as accounting rules required it to mark down bitcoin holdings during price declines.

Those losses reversed only when prices recovered, creating earnings swings that traditional equity investors often struggle to price.

Wednesday’s jump above $189 highlights the reflexive nature of the trade. As bitcoin strengthens, Strategy’s equity also strengthens and attracts momentum-driven capital seeking leveraged exposure.


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