2026-01-18 12:35:11

Recent developments in the cryptocurrency industry are facing multiple dynamic changes. The U.S. "Clarity Act" hearing originally scheduled has been postponed to January 27, with stablecoin interest rules becoming the focus. The banking sector has expressed concerns about deposit outflow risks, while the crypto industry points out that certain provisions of the bill could exacerbate compliance uncertainties. Meanwhile, South Korea has made a breakthrough—officially establishing a framework for the issuance and circulation of security tokens and lifting a nine-year ban on corporate crypto asset investments, allowing companies to invest up to 5% of their capital annually. In Belarus, the president has signed a decree to promote the construction of crypto banks, providing policy support for infrastructure upgrades in the industry.

On the technological innovation front, good news has also emerged. Babylon has just released the BABE protocol, reducing the verification cost of Bitcoin Groth16 zero-knowledge proofs by over a thousand times, which is significant for Bitcoin privacy and scalability applications. Polygon announced a major layoff affecting nearly 30% of its staff, but its strategic direction remains largely unchanged—shifting focus from DeFi to prioritizing payment scenarios. Bakkt is also accelerating its efforts by acquiring crypto payment infrastructure provider DTR to strengthen its payment layout.

In market applications, Argentine Lemon Exchange has launched an innovative product—a Bitcoin-backed VISA credit card. Users can pledge 0.01 BTC to get a credit limit of about 1 million pesos, opening new possibilities for users without bank accounts or credit histories. Overall, the total market capitalization of crypto assets is approximately $3.21 trillion, with a slight decrease of 0.04% in the past 24 hours. Bitcoin is priced at $95,189 (down 0.14%), but there are bright spots—AXS up 37.91%, BERA up 34.46%, leading the market.

Notably, HyperLiquid donated 10,000 HYPE tokens (approximately $254,000) to on-chain security analyst ZachXBT, marking his second-largest donation received.

On the security front, vigilance is required. ZachXBT recently disclosed a serious scam: on January 10, a user lost about $282 million due to social engineering fraud involving a hardware wallet, including 2.05 million LTC and 1,459 BTC. Some of the stolen assets have been transferred via cross-chain operations and even exchanged for Monero, making recovery extremely difficult.

BTC-4,41%

AXS-6,19%

BERA-4,89%

HYPE4,87%

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WalletDoomsDay

· 01-21 08:01

$282 million stolen? Hardware wallets are no longer safe—how can we continue in this industry? --- South Korea finally lifts the ban on corporate investments. Things are getting interesting; institutional funds are coming in. --- Babylon's thousandfold optimization is impressive without hype; Bitcoin privacy is the real demand. --- Lemon's BTC credit card idea is good, but it needs to genuinely help the unbanked starting from 0.01 BTC. --- Why is AXS BERA surging so fiercely? Bitcoin is still hesitating; is a rotation coming? --- The Clarity bill is delayed again. Compliance issues are always up in the air—when will it finally be implemented? --- Polygon is cutting 30% and shifting to payments. Is DeFi really cooling off? Or should we switch to a different track to survive? --- Bakkt acquires DTR. Another wave of payment narrative—seems like everyone is focusing on payments this year. --- Belarus is launching a crypto bank? The story of regulation and innovation is really exciting. --- Hardware wallets were phished for 1,459 BTC. Everyone, stay vigilant—no matter how secure something is, fools can still be tricked.

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FrogInTheWell

· 01-21 04:27

South Korea has lifted the ban, Belarus is also getting involved, and the US is still dithering... The pace is just too outrageous. Polygon cut 30% but still adjusted its direction; I have to say, this move is impressive. Bitcoin privacy optimization by a thousand times is also quite remarkable, but I'm worried about the $282 million scam case... Can hardware wallets be social engineered? Brothers, you still need to be cautious.

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GweiTooHigh

· 01-21 02:24

South Korea has truly awakened with this move. After a 9-year ban was lifted, companies can now invest 5%, which is much better than the slow-moving US legislation. Polygon's 30% cut and still claiming no significant change in strategy? Ha, that sounds pretty ridiculous. $282 million lost, and when Monero was exchanged, it just vanished into thin air. That's why I still prefer keeping my assets in a cold wallet and sleeping soundly. The idea of an Argentina BTC-backed credit card is good, but whether it truly improves financial inclusion depends on how it's implemented later. HyperLiquid's recent donations are indeed generous, but these days, who knows if it's genuine or just money laundering? Bitcoin's hard cap at 95,000 feels like a repeated test. When will it truly break through 100k? The cost of zero-knowledge proofs has dropped by a thousand times. It sounds impressive, but practical application still needs to be seen. I'm optimistic about Babylon's protocol update. Privacy and scalability need someone to push them forward. Belarus is directly creating a crypto bank—this country really wants to make a move. The Clarity bill has been postponed to the 27th. US regulators are increasingly conflicted over stablecoins. The rise of AXS and BERA is unmatched; while these two jump around, everyone else is just sleeping.

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LiquidityNinja

· 01-18 13:04

South Korea lifts ban on corporate crypto investments, traditional finance is about to panic --- BTC drops below 95, the decline is manageable, but I'm worried about too many FOMO buyers during the rebound --- That Bitcoin credit card in Argentina is truly awesome; people without bank accounts finally have a way out --- Polygon layoffs 30% and shifting towards payments... Is this a forced detour or a sign that the DeFi ceiling has been reached? --- That $282 million scam case is really terrifying; hackers even managed to steal hardware wallets, what can we do? --- With South Korea's nine-year ban lifted, this wave of benefits is likely to be aggressively exploited by institutions --- BABE protocol reduces costs by a thousand times? If it's really that powerful, Bitcoin privacy applications will take off --- Stablecoin interest rules become the focus... Are banks doomed? Haha --- Bakkt acquires DTR to strengthen its payment strategy; it seems everyone is fighting for this piece of the cake

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LiquidationAlert

· 01-18 13:03

South Korea lifts ban on corporate crypto investments, has this wave of regulation really turned? BTC's current price, I feel like I should wait a bit longer. $282 million stolen, hardware wallets are not foolproof... still risky. Polygon lays off 30% but shifts strategy, is this an all-in move on payments? Babylon's BABE protocol reduces costs by a thousand times, this will be hot. Argentina's VISA card is doing well, targeting unbanked users. Clarity Act postponed again, but at least it gives the industry a breather. HyperLiquid donates to ZachXBT, is this about whitewashing or genuine support? The surge in AXS and BERA is outrageous, is this a real opportunity or a trap to harvest retail investors? Belarus is developing a crypto bank, this country really knows how to do it.

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TheMemefather

· 01-18 13:00

South Korea is playing its cards well; finally, a country that knows the game. --- Another victim of social engineering. Hardware wallets are not safes, everyone. --- Polygon layoffs of 30% and still boasting about payments? Looks like they are out of money. --- That credit card in Argentina is interesting—0.01BTC for 1 million pesos. What is it benchmarking against... --- The stablecoin hearing keeps getting postponed, and the Americans are still dithering. --- $282 million lost. Switching to Monero was a brilliant move; can't even chase it back. --- Babylon's thousandfold cost reduction... quite a hype, but let's see if it can actually be implemented. --- BTC down 0.14%, and they're still opening champagne? Laughing out loud. The vision of the AXS crowd is impressive. --- Belarus has started building crypto banks, while the US is still bickering. Truly ironic. --- ZachXBT was donated again; this guy has become a channel, for sure.

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SchroedingerGas

· 01-18 12:51

Is the 9-year ban in South Korea lifted? Now companies are really going all in... --- That thousandfold optimization of Babylon sounds exaggerated, but can it really move the BTC ecosystem? --- $282 million lost? Hardware wallets can also be targeted by social engineering? Oh my, everyone stay alert. --- Polygon cuts 30% but still pushes the narrative of forced payments; this pace is a bit awkward. --- Argentina's Bitcoin credit card is a clever idea; people without bank accounts can really use it. --- The prolonged debate over stablecoin interest rules suggests US regulators haven't really figured it out yet. --- Belarus is launching a crypto bank? Is this news a bit ahead of its time? --- Bakkt acquires DTR, the payment sector is about to get competitive again... --- ZachXBT received a $250,000 donation—that's incredibly lucky. --- Bitcoin at 95,000 didn't drop but instead stabilized; it feels like a bottom consensus is forming.

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fren.eth

· 01-18 12:36

That BTC credit card in Argentina is really awesome, you can use it without a bank account? Now that's adoption.

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