Be the first to see our newest insights and key updates across all datasets Build and test your own strategies, using Quiver's Congressional trading datasets Build and test your own strategies, using Quiver's Institutional holdings datasets Our video reports and analysis, with early access to exclusive, subscriber-only videos Senator Husted supports Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act: On January 12, 2026, Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) announced his backing of the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act alongside several Republican senators. The proposed legislation aims to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which Husted argues would infringe on financial privacy. Concerns regarding governmental oversight: Husted stated, “The Federal Reserve has no business monitoring the transactions of Ohioans or any other law-abiding American.” Other supporters, like Senator Ted Cruz, emphasized that a CBDC could impose surveillance threats and undermine individual financial freedom. They collectively expressed the need to protect citizens from potential governmental overreach. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. Jon Husted recently disclosed $1.2M of fundraising in a Q3 FEC disclosure filed on October 15th, 2025. You can see the disclosure here, or track Jon Husted's fundraising on Quiver Quantitative. Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Jon Husted:

Mezo's "Bring Bitcoin Home" initiative targets billions in wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum, offering MEZO token rewards to participants who migrate BTC liquidity back to its home network. NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mezo, a Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure protocol, today announced the allocation of up to 2.5% of the total MEZO token supply to incentivize early depositors in its "Bring Bitcoin Home" pre-deposit vaults. Starting today, users can deposit tBTC, cbBTC, WBTC, or USDT into Ethereum-based vaults. At the end of January, assets migrate automatically to Mezo's Bitcoin-native infrastructure—fixed-rate borrowing, a fully Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, and yield from real onchain activity. "Sixteen years ago today, Hal Finney ran the second Bitcoin node and began articulating a vision of Bitcoin-backed banks—an entire financial system built on hard money," said Matt Luongo, CEO of Thesis, the venture studio behind Mezo. "Mezo is a Bitcoin-first system designed to support borrowing, saving, and yield directly against BTC, without custodians, wrappers, or variable-rate markets." No reliance on wrapped token custodians or variable-rate markets The system reflects early Bitcoin design principles, including concepts proposed by Hal Finney around Bitcoin-backed banking and redeemable digital currency. Rewards are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Mezo is the on-chain Bitcoin banking experience controlled by its users. It offers familiar traditional financial services, such as borrowing, lending and saving, delivered through DeFi-native products powered by its Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, MUSD. Bitcoin holders now have a self-custodial banking solution tailored to their needs. Thesis is a pioneering venture studio dedicated to building on Bitcoin. Since 2014 Thesis* has committed to building solutions focused on empowering individuals and communities through creation of market leading products including Fold, Mezo, tBTC, Acre and Taho in its core portfolio of brands. ContactAssociate Account ManagerAndrew HeibeckM Group Strategic Communicationsaheibeck@mgroupsc.com

Seventy European economists have called on EU lawmakers to prioritize public interest over private-sector lobbying in shaping the digital euro, warning that poor design choices could leave Europe dependent on foreign payment systems and dollar-backed stablecoins. The academics argue that Europe's payment infrastructure has become dangerously concentrated in non-European hands, with thirteen euro area countries now relying entirely on international card schemes for basic retail transactions. “This dependence on foreign (US) payment providers exposes European citizens, businesses, and governments to geopolitical leverage, foreign commercial interests, and systemic risks beyond Europe's control,” the letter states, adding that U.S.-backed private digital currencies are gaining ground while Europe deliberates. The digital euro must function as “the backbone of a sovereign, resilient European payment infrastructure based on domestic providers adopting the highest privacy standards,” serve as “public digital money accessible to all Europeans, supporting financial inclusion,” and offer “a credible store of value through a generous and gradually rising holding limit.“ “If a large part of European companies is excluded or allowed to refuse it, or if holding limits remain so low that citizens cannot use it as a serious store of value, then the digital euro will fail to realise its potential,” they write. Lane argued that structural changes, including geopolitical shifts, digitalization, and climate change, represent common shocks best handled through monetary union, with the digital euro providing “retail central bank money in digital form” as transaction systems evolve. Lane also addressed Europe's shortage of safe assets, noting that the German Bund alone cannot meet global demand for euro-denominated securities. He outlined potential solutions, including expanded common bonds for European public goods and the “blue bond/red bond” reform, where member states would ring-fence tax revenues to back jointly issued securities. Last month, the EU Council also agreed on its negotiating position, establishing a framework that includes both online and offline payment options. Public acceptance remains uncertain, with recent ECB surveys showing many Europeans see limited need for the new payment option despite official assurances. Get dialed in every Tuesday & Friday with quick updates on the world of crypto Get dialed in every Tuesday & Friday with quick updates on the world of crypto The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and investing carries risks. This website provides entertainment content, and using it means you accept out terms. We may include partnership links, but they don't affect our ratings or recommendations.

Log in to comment on videos and join in on the fun. Watch the live stream of Fox News and full episodes. Reduce eye strain and focus on the content that matters. SEC chairman Paul Atkins joins 'Varney & Co.' to discuss a report that Venezuela has a $60 billion stash of bitcoin, the role of stablecoin in the future as well as crypto legislation. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All market data delayed 20 minutes.

He argues that an improvement in Ethereum's prospects relative to Bitcoin means the price ratio between the two assets could return to its 2021 high. Standard Chartered's prediction highlights how traditional financial firms are growing more and more bullish on stablecoins and tokenisation — taking real world assets such as stocks, bonds or real estate, and conferring ownership of them digitally on a blockchain. Ethereum is currently the biggest blockchain for tokenisation, hosting more than $10 billion worth of crypto and real world assets. It also hosts the majority of all stablecoins, which are often backed by US Treasury bonds. Bitcoin, on the other hand, was not designed to accommodate programmable smart contracts, and therefore has a comparatively tiny onchain ecosystem. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts stablecoins could grow into a $3 trillion industry by 2030. The value of all tokenised assets on blockchains could surpass $19 trillion by 2033, according to an April report from Ripple and Boston Consulting Group. Onchain finance isn't the only reason Standard Chartered sees a brighter future for Ethereum than Bitcoin. Investment through exchange-traded funds and digital asset treasuries is less important for Ethereum's price performance than Bitcoin's, the bank said. Investors have pulled over $1.9 billion out of Ethereum ETFs since November, according to DefiLlama data. Even so, while crypto ETF flows have weakened overall, “they are more constructive for ETH than for BTC at present,” Kendrick wrote. If they're successful, this should also give Ethereum a sizable boost. Finally, passage of the US' Clarity Act, a proposed crypto market structure bill, also bodes well for Ethereum and the vast onchain ecosystem it accommodates. The bill, should it get signed into law, will provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for decentralised finance, giving traditional financial firms more confidence to integrate blockchain technology into their offerings. To be sure, the bank is still bullish on Bitcoin, too. The note reiterated its Bitcoin price prediction of $500,000 by 2030, while also lowering its near-term Ethereum price targets for 2026 from $12,000 to 7,500, and from $18,000 to $15,000 for 2027. “We expect Clarity Act passage, along with solid US equity-market performance, to push BTC to a fresh all-time high in H1, defying fears of further price declines at this stage of the Bitcoin ‘halving' cycle,” Kendrick said.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the network should eventually become more independent, arguing that the blockchain should remain usable and resilient even without constant updates. In an extended X post today, Buterin framed this as a long-term test of Ethereum's durability, calling it the “walkaway test,” and noting that Ethereum is “meant to be a home for trustless and trust-minimized applications, whether in finance, governance or elsewhere.” As Buterin explained, Ethereum should host applications that work more like tools, “the hammer that once you buy it's yours,” rather than like services that stop functioning if the vendor abandons them. He added that the network should reach a point where it can “ossify if we want to,” meaning the network's core rules could remain stable for years without requiring constant upgrades. “We do not have to stop making changes to the protocol, but we must get to a place where Ethereum's value proposition does not strictly depend on any features that are not in the protocol already,” Ethereum's co-founder wrote. To reach that milestone, Buterin outlined several technical priorities, including quantum-resistant cryptography, a scalable architecture using zero-knowledge proofs, and a proof-of-stake model that “can last and remain decentralized for decades.” He added: “Ideally, we do the hard work over the next few years, to get to a point where in the future almost all future innovation can happen through client optimization, and get reflected in the protocol through parameter changes.” Josh Swihart, the now-former CEO of ECC, said in an X post that the team was “constructively discharged” after a majority of the Bootstrap board changed employment terms. He added that the changes made it impossible for the team to carry out its work “effectively and with integrity.” Despite the fact that the entire team announced it would continue to work on Zcash, just as part of a new company, the price of ZEC dropped by 20% in a day. Know what matters in Crypto and Web3 with The Defiant Daily newsletter, Mon to Fri

TAMPA, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / January 12, 2026 / Wellgistics Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:WGRX), a health information technology leader, integrating proprietary pharmacy dispensing optimization artificial intelligence (‘AI') platform EinsteinRx™ into its patented blockchain-enabled smart contracts platform PharmacyChain™, today provided an update on its strategic licensing partnership with DataVault AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:DVLT), a Pioneer in AI-driven data valuation, monetization, and secure tokenization within Web 3.0 environments. DataVault AI's industry-leading platform, including its patented Information Data Exchange® (IDE) and expertise in securely attaching physical assets to immutable blockchain metadata, provide the foundational intellectual property that enables this tokenization. By leveraging DataVault AI's robust, regulatory-compliant technology, Wellgistics can create tokenized digital representations of pharmacy chain elements – from prescription fulfillment to supply chain provenance – facilitating seamless smart contract execution, real-time data integrity, reduced intermediaries, and new avenues for efficient, trustless transactions across its network of over 6,500 pharmacies. “Partnering with DataVault AI represented a crucial step forward for Wellgistics as we prepare to deploy out technologies in our efforts to modernize the U.S. prescription drug ecosystem,” said Prashant Patel, RPh, President & Interim-CEO of Wellgistics Health. Datavault AI's cloud-based platform provides comprehensive solutions serving multiple industries, including HPC software licensing for sports & entertainment, events & venues, biotech, education, fintech, real estate, healthcare, energy and more. Wellgistics Health (NASDAQ: WGRX) is a health information technology leader, integrating proprietary pharmacy dispensing optimization artificial intelligence platform EinsteinRx™ into its patented blockchain-enabled smart contracts platform PharmacyChain™ to optimize the prescription drug dispending journey. Wellgistics provides end-to-end solutions designed to restore access, transparency, and trust in the U.S. prescription drug market for independent pharmacies. Additional factors are discussed in Wellgistics Health's filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases@xpr.media Turning Any Medication into a Precision AI-Combo Drug through Simple QR-Code Integration LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Mahoney brings deep market expertise to guide biotech and pharmaceutical occupiers BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / January 07, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE – Hydro Heroes, a Southwest Washington-based water damage restoration company, has deployed emergency response teams throughout the region following the… The performance-based lead generation company provides agents with exclusive, high-intent buyer and seller leads in Across Europe, access to outpatient healthcare remains one of the most persistent challenges in private and travel ALLENTOWN, PA – January 12, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE – PJ MAC HVAC Air Duct Cleaning announced the launch of a new Magical Waxing, a Metro Atlanta–based beauty services brand, has announced the expansion of its franchise program as FINDLAY, OH – January 07, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE – As organizations enter Q1 planning amid rising executive burnout and FDA feedback supports 505(b)(2) filing in H2 2026; No additional studies required beyond current planned 32-subject January 06, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE – Arrowhead Clinic Chiropractor Garden City continues to address the critical need BUFFALO GROVE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / January 12, 2026 / PPC Flex, a leading North American flexible packaging Fast-Growing Rental Company Honored for Supply Chain Excellence Supporting Hospitals HOUSTON, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire /

Iwa Salami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. A notification popped up on my LinkedIn the other day. Africans were doing a traditional celebratory dance at the Africa Stablecoin summit in Johannesburg. Those problems prompt some people to adopt US dollar-denominated stablecoins for saving, hedging and remittances. Part of their appeal is that they can be moved across borders more quickly, cheaply and efficiently than conventional assets. In South Africa, a well developed regulatory and financial infrastructure has increased institutional confidence, expanding stablecoin use beyond retail into business payments, remittances and other business-to-business transactions. Their stability is usually achieved through reserves, collateral, or algorithmic mechanisms that prevent large price swings. I raised concerns about their potential impact on emerging economies, including African countries, in 2019 and 2020. A recent International Monetary Fund paper has echoed these concerns. Stablecoins emerged in 2014 to reduce the volatility of crypto-assets for crypto-holders who wanted to cash out of a high-value crypto-asset before it crashed. Crypto-asset values crash easily because they are highly speculative, sentiment-driven, and can be sold instantly at scale, allowing fear to trigger rapid sell-offs. During this period, there were no disclosure requirements governing these crypto-assets. As not all are subject to regulation, criticisms abound regarding the quality and opaque nature of the assets backing them and their robustness to withstand redemption runs or large cash redemption by holders of stablecoins. These criticisms arise as it is often unclear exactly how liquid, safe, and transparent the assets backing stablecoins are, raising doubts about whether unregulated issuers could meet large, sudden redemption demands without stress. This matters because the stablecoin market is worth approximately US$300 billion, so a loss of confidence could trigger mass redemptions and cause disruption well beyond the crypto-asset sector. To avert this problem, African authorities and central banks would first need to be prepared to impose restrictions or limits on the amounts of these US dollar or foreign-denominated stablecoins that can circulate within their economies at any given time. Secondly, African economies should also be prepared to put in place sound policy frameworks through which they can build credibility for their currencies and, therefore, avoid the risk of dollarisation. Thirdly, they can consider launching their own stablecoins. To prevent capital flight from the economies, these stablecoins can be backed by a commodity or a basket of commodities, from Africa's wealth of natural resources and minerals such as precious stones, gold, diamonds, crude oil and cobalt. Since the proposed African backed stablecoin would be a local currency with a US dollar value, it could be used to settle domestic, regional and global transactions without the need for US dollars, whose backing assets are held outside the country and in the US. Fourthly, they could also consider issuing their own retail central bank digital currency, as this would have exactly the same effect as fiat but in digital form. It would have the same credibility status as fiat, which would need to be built to avoid the risk of dollarisation. Dollarisation already exists and is widespread across Africa. Stablecoins make dollar-denominated liquidity instantly accessible on a mobile phone, bypassing banks, foreign exchange restrictions and domestic currency infrastructure. They become “digital dollars”, circulating outside the supervisory perimeter of central banks. It guarantees that US dollar-denominated stablecoins will be safe, liquid and institutionally backed, making them more attractive than many African domestic currencies, especially in inflationary environments. Consequently, what was once an informal hedge becomes a formal, globally credible digital alternative to local currency, accelerating capital flight, weakening deposit creation, and undermining domestic monetary policy. This has direct monetary sovereignty implications for countries such as Nigeria and Kenya. In Kenya, where digital finance is already deeply embedded through M-Pesa, US dollar-stablecoins offer a hedge against the shilling, bypassing local credit creation and weakening the Central Bank of Kenya's monetary transmission mechanism. In both cases, the US Genius Act effectively shifts monetary authority away from African central banks and towards US regulators and private issuers – not by design, but through market incentives. Stablecoins thus do not merely mirror existing dollarisation; they legalise it at scale, embedding it into Africa's digital financial systems. In summary, stablecoins can truly advance financial inclusion in Africa, but heavy reliance on foreign-denominated stablecoins risks deepening dollarisation and weakening monetary sovereignty. To deal with these risks, African economies need stronger policy frameworks to build currency credibility and reduce the risk of dollarisation. This means that the fiscal deficit must be contained – meaning that governments must not spend far more than they earn. My take on this issue is that central banks should be at the forefront of these developments, and this could also involve issuing their own central bank-issued tokenised money or digital currencies. This can co-exist alongside stablecoins rather than allowing privately issued, foreign-denominated stablecoins to become the dominant digital currency in circulation in a state. So, while the dance at the stablecoin summit was commendable, I am concerned that only one dimension, looking at the benefits of stablecoins to facilitate payments and financial inclusion, is being put forward. Policymakers must clearly articulate the implications of foreign-denominated stablecoins and prepare appropriate responses.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has just experienced one of its biggest crashes this year, as on-chain data shows that activity on the Ripple blockchain has dropped by 99%. While this might look like a major red flag, the decline has yet to significantly impact the XRP price, suggesting that the situation may not be as alarming as it seems. Over the weekend, XRP Ledger transaction activity dropped sharply, falling by approximately 99% within 48 hours. This is because many institutional traders and market makers reduce their trading or stop entirely on weekends, leading to thinner liquidity and lower payment volumes on the ledger. Notably, on-chain data from XRPScans revealed that XRPL's payment volume between accounts declined from over 1.09 billion on Thursday, January 8, to 166.99 million on Saturday. In addition to volume decline, the number of transactions executed on the XRP Ledger during that time frame also reduced. This decline in both volume and transfers shows that even small reductions in participation by large accounts or institutional users can significantly affect network metrics. It's worth noting that the XRP price is still trading above $2 and remains somewhat unaffected by the recent decline in network activity. Interestingly, just days before the crash, the XRP Ledger recorded a major increase in whale transactions, each valued at $100,000 or more. This suggests that, despite temporary network fluctuations, the XRP network continues to experience substantial activity and engagement from major holders. Vet, an XRPL dUNL validator and developer, has shared a new update on the XRP Ledger, revealing that a large batch of fixes and amendments is now nearing its activation timer. This marks a critical step for the blockchain network, promising to enhance functionality and security for developers and users. Vet has stated that the upcoming changes cover several important features, including TokenEscrow, AMMClawback, Multi-Purpose Tokens (MPT), and Price Oracle. He added that the team is also working diligently to ensure all features operate smoothly, independent of XRP's current market price. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published updated guidance on data subject access requests (DSARs), reflecting both changes brought in by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUA Act) and recent case law developments. Timed to coincide with the DUA Act's latest set of commencement regulations expected later this month (and which should include the changes relating to DSARs), the new guidance clarifies several practical aspects of DSAR management for organisations. Key DUA Act changes reflected in the ICO guidance Other changes reflected in the ICO guidance Overall, the updated guidance balances new operational flexibilities against stricter transparency requirements. On the one hand, clarifications aligned with the DUA Act should improve the day-to-day management of DSARs. On the other hand, the case law-driven requirement to disclose specific recipients by default raises the bar for transparency and record-keeping. Organisations may need to invest in adapting their processes, for example by mapping data disclosures accurately and updating transparency and exemption frameworks, but doing so is likely to make DSAR handling more predictable and defensible in the longer term. Many thanks to Sarah Woodburn for her assistance in preparing this post. Show less One Bunhill RowLondonEC1Y 8YYUnited Kingdom Square de Meeûs 401000 BrusselsBelgium 2903/2905 China World Office 2No.1 Jianguomenwai AvenueBeijing 100004China 47th Floor, Jardine HouseOne Connaught Place, CentralHong KongChina

He has worked with leading publications, delivering insightful coverage on the latest industry trends, tournaments, and exclusive interviews. Unfortunately, his reporting skills don't quite translate to in-game success—he's still stuck at Epic in MLBB and around 4,000 trophies in Clash Royale. The network includes Anichess, a chess-based game backed by Chess.com and Magnus Carlsen. As part of this, Team Secret is set to launch a Web3 membership NFT pass, which will unlock many engagement opportunities for fans. “At Team Secret, we've always been about striving for excellence and innovation,” said John Yao, CEO of Team Secret. “Joining Checkmate Ecosystem is a game-changer for digital engagement.” Holders of this NFT will have access to VIP ticket opportunities, community tournaments, and AMA sessions with Team Secret's players across Dota 2, VALORANT, and Rainbow Six Siege X. “By launching our Membership Pass NFT and adopting the CHECK token, we are moving toward a future where our fans have a direct stake in our ecosystem, from immediate utility in merchandise to unprecedented access to our players and global events,” added Yao. This means that fans will be able to purchase merchandise with it and also participate in paid tournaments. In a release, the Checkmate Ecosystem said that Team Secret will also be hosting ‘high-profile' Anichess tournaments. “Anichess and Team Secret are not just looking at a one-off campaign; we are building a long-term infrastructure for fan empowerment through membership NFTs and tokenised rewards that will redefine the esports experience for years to come,” said Chevan Tin, Head of Anichess. Anichess is like traditional chess, but incorporates a new twist with several magical spells. Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Majuro, Marshall Islands, MH96960

TechFlow APP 革新风气 发现价值 专注Web3行业深度报道，洞察潮水流动的方向 风险提示：本网站所有内容不构成投资建议，且无任何带单、引导交易服务；根据央行等十部委发布《关于进一步防范和处置虚拟货币交易炒作风险的通知》请读者提高风险意识。联系我们 / support@techflowpost.com 琼ICP备2022009338号 $FRNT 最具颠覆性的部分可能是它开创的先例，即“公共资金”可以在本地积累。 撰文：Andjela Radmilac 编译：Luffy，Foresight News 多年来，稳定币一直是加密领域最实用的发明，却也是最尴尬的存在。说它实用，是因为它将区块链变成了全天候运转的美元支付通道；说它尴尬，是因为尽管其愿景简单直白，想要建立信任却绝非易事。 对非加密领域的人来说，一枚价值恰好等于 1 美元的数字代币听起来似乎十分可靠，直到有人追问：背后的美元储备究竟在哪里？ 如今，美国怀俄明州打算用最古老的 「信用背书妙招」 来回答这个问题：州政府印章。 Frontier Stable Token（FRNT） 是怀俄明州推出的可兑换美元的全新稳定币，依据州成文法框架发行，该稳定币由怀俄明州稳定代币委员会监管。这同时也是一份直白的政治声明，只不过用的是采购规则、公开会议、储备金要求这类毫无噱头的官方语言。硅谷向来擅长用光鲜的话术描绘未来，而怀俄明州却偏偏选择用 「附带委员会会议记录」 的方式推出稳定币。 按照该委员会的说法，这款代币的核心定位是公共效用：实现更透明的资金流转、更快速的交易结算，打造一套不依赖于某一任州长的个人热情、也不依附于某家企业商业模式的可持续发展的稳定币。同时，他们也希望通过这一设计，回应外界对稳定币最强烈的诟病：透明度不足。 这是官方的营销说辞，但更值得深究的问题是：正当美国联邦政府仍在纠结 「数字美元该有怎样的形态」 时，这款代币揭示了货币经济与货币政治的哪些深层变化？ 怀俄明州的 FRNT 采用 100% 储备金制度，受州成文法管辖，且与美联储发行的任何数字货币完全脱钩。2025 年，该州通过了《HB0264 法案》，进一步强化了这一立场：禁止州政府机构接受央行数字货币用于州级支付，也不得动用公共资金支持央行数字货币的测试或落地。 这一界定至关重要，因为央行数字货币如今已成为两种社会焦虑的代名词。一种是经济层面的焦虑：如果人们可以直接持有央行发行的货币，商业银行将何去何从？另一种是文化层面的焦虑：监控、管制，以及一种愈发强烈的预感，你名下的所有资金，或许都将被附上 「使用许可」的标签。 怀俄明州显然更看重文化层面的诉求。其出台的央行数字货币禁令中，包含了立法机构的调查结论，明确警示了央行数字货币可能带来的监控风险与消费限制问题。即便你不认同这一前提，也能看清其背后的战略考量。 怀俄明州想要传递的信号是：如果民众想要在本州使用数字美元，那必须通过州政府可监督、可诉诸法律、且能在月度公开会议上被讨论的机制来实现。 委员会工作人员对 FRNT 的定位表述十分谨慎，他们称：「FRNT 与央行数字货币有着本质区别，因为它采用 100% 储备金制度，且并非由央行发行。」 这一点绝非无关紧要。该委员会表示，FRNT 的治理过程全程公开，关键决策均在月度会议上做出，相关机构规则的制定也必须经过法定的公众意见征集阶段。 在加密领域，治理往往意味着凌晨 3 点在 Discord 社群里的投票。而怀俄明州则提供了一种更贴近传统的模式：行政法框架下的治理，这种模式利弊共存。 这一治理逻辑也决定了 FRNT 可被用于任何合法用途，州政府机构不会因政治风向的变化，就限制代币的合法使用场景。 他们解释称，任何对代币使用的干预措施，都必须基于法院指令等合法授权，而非主观的道德评判。这一立场既符合公民自由原则，也具备现实操作性：带有 「使用限制清单」 的货币注定会成为政治攻击的目标，而遵循现有法律程序的货币或许显得平淡无奇，但恰恰是这种平淡，才具备规模化推广的可能。 接下来，便是这款代币融入现代金融体系的创新点：发行与流通渠道。 委员会表示，FRNT 的设计兼顾了零售与机构用户的需求。零售端的应用场景很好想象，尤其是与 Rain 这类平台的整合，让稳定币可以像借记卡一样被使用。如果用户能在所有支持 Visa 支付的场所消费这款代币，那么区块链以及其他加密领域的专业术语就变得无关紧要。 而机构与公共部门的使用场景，更能体现怀俄明州的特色。委员会希望公共机构通过使用 FRNT，提升资金流转的透明度与效率。 他们举例称，2025 年 7 月，怀俄明州曾通过其数字货币系统，向政府承包商完成了近乎即时的付款测试。该州称，这一功能在灾难发生时将展现出巨大优势。毕竟在这类场景下，支付速度与资金流动性至关重要。 或许你会觉得这只是一个小众应用场景，但要知道，所有新的支付通道最初都是从小众场景起步，直至成为主流。 一款能服务于交易者的稳定币，只是入门级的要求；而一款能用于薪资发放、承包商付款与应急响应的稳定币，已然具备了基础设施的属性。 稳定币往往被宣传为一种支付技术，但其经济逻辑却更贴近银行：吸纳美元存款，持有低风险资产，赚取利息收益。 怀俄明州毫不避讳地表明了对这笔利息收益的规划。在其发布的《情况说明书》中，委员会详细描述了法定的储备金结构：其中包含超额抵押要求，而超出储备金要求所产生的投资收益，将被用于公共福利事业，包括资助该州的教育基金。这才是此举中被低估的政治意义所在。 该州试图将稳定币的「铸币税」转化为公共福利：这笔资金利息将助力教育事业发展。 如果你关注过美国联邦政府关于稳定币的争论，就会明白这一举措的重要性。关于 「谁有权发行稳定币」 的整个争论，本质上就是一场 「谁能掌控这笔浮息收益」 的争夺战：银行、金融科技公司、加密发行方，或是政府。 怀俄明州则给出了一个全新的答案。公共机构完全可以辩称，其使命是实现公共利益，而非为股东创造回报。 这也是联邦政策与州级试验产生碰撞的地方。委员会表示，他们预计 FRNT 将与联邦稳定币规则共存，并援引《天才法案》中对 「个人」 的定义，辩称公共机构不在该法案的管辖范围内。 他们更核心的主张则上升到了哲学层面：由私人实体在联邦监管框架下发行的稳定币，与由公共机构发行的稳定币，遵循的激励机制截然不同。 当被问及联邦规则是否会将他们排除在外时，委员会的回应显得颇为轻松：「我们预计双方将共存。」 他们的论据是，公共发行方处于不同的赛道：「依据《天才法案》发行的私人稳定币，其使命是为股东创造利润；而公共机构发行的稳定币，使命是实现公共利益。」 美国联邦政府最终是否会接受这种清晰的界限划分，仍是一个未知数。议员们向来厌恶漏洞，尤其是带有州政府标志的漏洞。但委员会的立场，恰恰揭示了美国联邦制的核心矛盾：各州本是政策试验的实验室，可一旦这个实验室开始打造看似具备货币属性的产品，一切就都变了。 此外，稳定币讨论中还有一个很少被提及的矛盾点：发行与流通的话语权。 一款稳定币的生死，取决于其获取与使用渠道。如果它能在主流加密交易所上线，就会融入更广泛的加密流动性体系；如果它能像借记卡一样被使用，就有机会改变消费者的支付习惯；如果它能跨多个区块链网络流通，就会成为开发者与机构的优选资产。 怀俄明州稳定代币委员会对流通渠道的规划，显然兼顾了两类受众：加密领域的受众关注流动性与可获得性，公共部门的受众则看重抗风险能力与可审计性。一方追求速度，另一方则看重可追溯的交易记录。 怀俄明州承诺将同时满足这两类需求，这一目标固然宏大，也略带矛盾。 但这份宏大的野心，恰恰是问题的关键。怀俄明州向来有争当先行者的传统：从早期推动女性投票权扩张，到以亲商法律环境闻名，皆是如此。 这款稳定币，正是这种先锋精神在数字时代的延续：利用小州的灵活优势，试水那些因政治风险过高、联邦机构不敢触碰的领域。 如果其他州纷纷效仿，美元体系将迎来全新的层级。 最大的问题，并非怀俄明州是否有能力运营一款稳定币，其技术实力与对创新的历史追求，早已给出了肯定的答案。真正的问题是：如果该州让 「地方发行公共货币」 这一理念变得清晰可落地，其他州会作何反应？ 委员会表示，希望其他州如果计划发行州级稳定代币，能与怀俄明州展开合作，并强调互操作性将是首要原则。这种执念，或许会带来最具价值的成果。 如果 50 个州各自发行的代币无法互通，最终将形成一个个相互隔绝的 「围墙花园」，每个州的代币都有自己的规则、合作方与政治雷区。而互操作性，将是让州级试验产生网络效应的关键，也将让州级稳定币从 「小众的地方项目」，转变为 「全国性的谈判筹码」。 怀俄明州正明确欢迎其他州效仿，只是附带了一个条件：「我们希望其他州能与怀俄明州开展合作。」 委员会向 CryptoSlate 表示，并补充称，代币与区块链网络之间的互操作性应被视为优先事项。 不妨想象这样一个近未来：数个州都发行了自己的稳定代币，均以公共福利项目为名义，均将美国国债作为储备资产，均具备某种形式的链上可审计性，均通过交易所与银行卡支付网络进行流通。届时，两种结果将变得可能。 第一种结果是市场竞争。私人稳定币发行方面临新的行业标杆：公开会议、信息披露，以及州政府用实际行动证明 「公共机构也能建立信任」 的尴尬象征。即便怀俄明州的代币从未发展成主流，这一竞争也将推动整个市场朝着更高的透明度迈进。有时候，竞争威胁本身，就是最有价值的产品。 第二种结果则关乎政治博弈，而且是最直白的政治博弈。如果稳定币被广泛用于支付与结算，那么代币的发行方，将成为货币金融体系的核心利益相关者。一款能将收益注入公共基金、或实现公共资金快速拨付的州级稳定代币，必将赢得支持者，也会招来批评者。 支持者会称其为创新，批评者则会指责这是 「披着金融科技外衣的政府越权」；而双方的观点，在各自的立场上都站得住脚。 怀俄明州的这一举措，也悄然重塑了央行数字货币的争论框架。在美国，关于央行数字货币的讨论，似乎总在两个极端之间摇摆：要么认为 「央行数字货币等同于监控」，要么认为 「央行数字货币是金融现代化的必然」。 而怀俄明州则提出了第三条道路：由州政府发行数字美元，受成文法管辖，通过私人渠道流通，且受公共程序约束。这一模式让联邦政府退出了发行环节，却仍让政府置身于数字货币的赛道之中。 这给美国联邦政府出了一道难题：如果美国民众终究要接纳数字美元，那么真正的核心问题，就变成了 「由哪些机构构建支付通道，由哪些法律设定监管约束」。 联邦政府可以选择禁止、认可或监管；各州可以选择自主打造；企业则会竞相抢占流通渠道。最终的赢家，很可能不是技术最先进的一方，而是那些能协调各方利益、赢得公众信任，并能熬过下一轮选举周期的主体。 怀俄明州押下了三重赌注：公共利益可以成为一种具备竞争力的商业模式，透明度可以成为一种流通策略，而稳定币的价值，远不止于交易工具。该州也深知其中的讽刺之处：加密技术最不浪漫的应用场景，或许恰恰是让它真正产生社会价值的场景。 一枚刻有牛仔徽章的数字美元代币，或许无法一夜之间改写金融体系，但它将做出更具颠覆性的举动：让美元的未来更本土化、更具争议性，并且出奇地贴近生活。 欢迎加入深潮TechFlow官方社群 Telegram订阅群：https://t.me/TechFlowDaily Twitter官方账号：https://x.com/TechFlowPost Twitter英文账号：https://x.com/BlockFlow_News 新技术催生新产业，而新产业的崛起往往会对传统产业构成威胁。 加密与 AI，在闲鱼买到一切。 在人工智能时代，声誉的重要性将愈发凸显，它不仅是区分人类与机器的关键，也是确保生态健康发展的基石。 美国股票的表现显著落后于非美国股市和黄金，黄金是表现最好的主要市场。 在特朗普的推动下，会计准则制定者将于 2026 年深入研究加密货币。 主动、个性化的财富管理将变得普及化。 稳定币有望彻底改变金融产品的经济模型。 隐私将成为加密领域最重要的护城河。 这将是艰难的一年，也将是伟大的一年。 稳定币更快、更便宜，并且可以进入传统金融科技需要多年努力才能触及的市场。

Data protection legal insight at the speed of technology The ICO has kicked off 2026 with sharing its early thoughts on the data protection implications of agentic AI in its ICO tech futures: Agentic AI report. It signals potential challenges and compliance obligations under the UK GDPR that continue to apply, but does not look to set out detailed or prescriptive thoughts on mitigations at this stage. The ICO also looks to encourage opportunities for innovation within agentic AI that support data protection and information rights. Agentic AI's opportunities arise from being able to connect systems, tools, and data, and being adaptable to a range of tasks. However, these characteristics could also present challenges from a data protection perspective. These issues would raise concerns around transparency, fairness, purpose limitation, and data minimisation. Similarly, the complexity of data flows may mean that it is challenging to identify data about a particular individual or amend it, meaning that it is difficult to comply with individual rights requests. Hallucinations or other inaccurate information could ‘cascade' across tools, databases, and other agents, presenting challenges with complying with the accuracy principle. It would like to identify, encourage, and support opportunities for innovation within agentic AI that support data protection and information rights. It notes that Data Protection Officers and governance teams are likely to face an evolving and challenging role as organisations experiment with agents. It suggests that organisations may need a standalone monitoring system to monitor logs, interpret them, and intervene if necessary. Agentic AI could even lead to ‘virtual employees' supporting the human DPO. How agentic AI could be adopted and the impact on risks The ICO flags that high adoption is not inevitable. Similarly, there is a wide spectrum of capabilities we might see in practice. At one end, we might see AI agents that are not much more sophisticated than current chatbots and ADM tools. At the other, we might see highly capable agents that can handle more complex problems, act with more autonomy, and in a wider range of contexts. Under scenario two (low capability, high adoption – just good enough to be everywhere), the ICO emphasises the potential for harms around failures of agentic AI or ill-considered deployment. In scenario four (high capability, low adoption), harms could arise from agents working as intended, for example, accessing large amounts of personal and special category data, and loss of privacy where agents search for and collate information from multiple sources. Marcus is a communications, media and technology lawyer based in London. More than a news source, the Data Protection Report provides thought leadership on emerging privacy, data protection and cybersecurity issues, and helps its readers proactively address risks and anticipate next steps in this crucial emerging field.

12 January 2026 - Checkmate Ecosystem, the gaming network for next-generation, community-owned strategy games utilizing blockchain technology, today announced that the global esports organization Team Secret™ has joined Checkmate Ecosystem. Holders of the NFTs will gain exclusive gate-access to community tournaments, VIP ticket opportunities for global esports tours, and private Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions with Team Secret players across its Dota 2, VALORANT, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X rosters. Chevan Tin, head of Anichess, added: “Team Secret, a titan in the global esports scene, joining the Checkmate Ecosystem is a massive step in showcasing how CHECK can serve as a foundational utility token in high-level competitive gaming. Anichess and Team Secret are not just looking at a one-off campaign, we are building a long-term infrastructure for fan empowerment through membership NFTs and tokenized rewards that will redefine the esports experience for years to come.” Team Secret™ is a world-renowned global esports brand founded in 2014. Committed to bringing together the best players to compete on the world's biggest stages, Team Secret fields successful rosters across major competitive titles, including Dota 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X, and VALORANT. The Checkmate Ecosystem is dedicated to cultivating a global movement of strategic and competitive thinkers by supporting next-generation, community-owned games through blockchain technology. Its native token, CHECK, underpins in-game economies, facilitates the purchase of in-game and real-world assets like merchandise, and supports decentralized governance for platform partners. The ecosystem's launch partner is Anichess, a Web3 evolution of chess created by Animoca Brands and backed by Chess.com and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen. It has received broad industry and market recognition including Fortune Crypto 40, Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2025, Financial Times' High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific, and Deloitte Tech Fast. Animoca Brands is recognized for building digital asset platforms such as the Moca Network, Open Campus, and The Sandbox, as well as institutional grade assets; providing digital asset services to help Web3 companies launch and grow; and investing in frontier Web3 technology, with a portfolio of over 600 companies and altcoin assets. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok. Hong Kong, China: 28/F, Landmark South, 39 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang

The institutions that navigate today's ambiguity while building for tomorrow's clarity will light blockchain's path from pilot programs to production-grade platforms. Regulation is the key that will turn tokenization pilots into production-grade products. Institutions are building operating models that turn regulatory complexity into a manageable roadmap, but to unlock adoption at scale, gaps in regulatory clarity must be resolved. Complete the form below for free, unlimited access to all our Data Studies, Trackers, and PYMNTS Intelligence reports. It explores the trust architecture emerging where policy and technology converge. It also looks at the implementation challenges that continue to complicate progress. Regulatory clarity is not arriving all at once, but it will ultimately determine how quickly blockchain moves from experimentation to widespread deployment. MiCA's phased rollout, entering into force in 2023, adding stablecoin obligations in 2024 and implementing full applicability by December 2024, means the framework is now actively shaping product design, compliance architecture and cross-border scaling decisions. Regulators are advancing formal legal definitions of tokens, property rights and control. The United Kingdom Law Commission's “data objects” work and PwC's commentary show why these definitions matter: They clarify settlement finality, custody responsibilities and bankruptcy treatment. The U.K., Singapore and Hong Kong are advancing sandboxes or targeted digital-asset frameworks. Even as strategies diverge, common threads appear: stronger reserve rules, clearer custody requirements and increasingly explicit consumer-protection standards. Yet while regulatory promulgation is progressing at a rapid pace, the practical implementation of these rules is a challenge all its own, one that increasingly shapes how institutions approach tokenization and digital-asset design. Regulation is the key that will turn tokenization pilots into production-grade products. These provisions influence how banks design tokenized deposits and digital cash, shifting experimentation into regulated production environments aligned with prudential expectations: in other words, regulatory and risk-management requirements. Designing a token without understanding its legal category is no longer possible. Classification (whether security, eMoney, utility or other digital asset) determines which license applies, how capital rules are triggered and what investor protections are required. PwC's “digital assets in law” guidance underscores that this classification is increasingly the starting point, a design brief around which product, custody and operational controls are built. Banks must reconcile tokenized-asset design with rules governing asset segregation, client-fund protections, operational resilience and record-keeping. Decisions about whether books and records are maintained on-chain, off-chain or in hybrid models directly affect regulatory compliance. As a result, technology, risk and legal teams are embedding regulatory interpretation into architecture decisions from the outset. Institutions are building operating models that turn regulatory complexity into a manageable roadmap, but to unlock adoption at scale, gaps in regulatory clarity must be resolved. Clarity gaps reflect a regime maturing in real time, but perceived opacity limits the exact benefit MiCA was designed to deliver: a unified European market that accelerates compliant innovation and reduces operational friction across borders. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and national regulators are steadily issuing technical standards, Q&As and supervisory guidance intended to formalize how MiCA operates in practice, from stablecoin governance to liquidity management to CASP obligations. This progress should, in theory, unlock broader institutional participation by reducing compliance uncertainty. Yet industry reporting shows persistent inconsistencies across EU jurisdictions, including divergent interpretations of token classifications, transitional periods and the determination of liable entities. These gaps reflect a regime maturing in real time, not regulatory failure. Still, perceived opacity limits the exact benefit MiCA was designed to deliver: a unified European market that accelerates compliant innovation and reduces operational friction across borders. Full adoption will depend on synchronized implementation and harmonized enforcement. Global firms must reconcile EU MiCA rules with U.K. frameworks, U.S. enforcement-led approaches and Asia-Pacific (APAC) sandboxes. Banks are forming cross-functional “regulatory design squads” that combine legal, risk, product and technology functions. Institutions aim to build infrastructure that respects local licensing, disclosure and reserve rules while enabling cross-border digital-asset interoperability. The upcoming challenge is to design platforms that satisfy national differences but run on shared digital rails, a core theme for multinational financial institutions (FIs). Regulation is redefining the blockchain conversation from disruption to design. As global authorities formalize standards for tokenization, custody, stablecoins and digital identity, FIs have an opportunity to turn compliance into competitive advantage. Those that treat MiCA/MiCAR and similar regimes as blueprints, building for transparency, interoperability and resilience by design, will be best positioned to scale blockchain safely. But to unlock that future, institutions must anticipate, and strategically navigate, the remaining pockets of regulatory ambiguity. Citi's mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress. We have more than 200 years of experience helping our clients meet some of the world's toughest challenges and potentially embrace their greatest opportunities. This multilingual team has conducted original data collection and analysis in more than three dozen global markets for some of the world's leading publicly traded and privately held firms. If you have questions or comments, or if you would like to subscribe to this report, please email us at feedback@pymnts.com.

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