The cryptocurrency market today saw institutional signals, regulatory tightening, and shifting on-chain dynamics. From Vanguard’s Bitcoin exposure to compliance changes in India and record activity in decentralized derivatives, the developments highlight how crypto is increasingly intersecting with mainstream finance and state oversight.
Regulatory filings show that Vanguard holds around $505 million worth of shares in Strategy, whose balance sheet is heavily weighted toward Bitcoin.
The move came without any public announcement, commentary, or marketing push. Instead, it appeared quietly in routine filings.
Rather than holding Bitcoin directly or launching a crypto-linked product, Vanguard has chosen exposure through traditional equity markets.
Strategy acts as a de facto Bitcoin proxy, holding hundreds of thousands of BTC and pursuing an explicit long-term accumulation strategy.
Data from Tokenomist shows that over $1.05 billion worth of tokens are scheduled to unlock between January 19 and January 26, 2026, spanning 19 projects.
Cliff unlocks dominate the schedule, led by Bitget’s BGB token. A one-time release of 140.56 million BGB, valued at $528.51 million, represents 7.76% of the adjusted circulating supply, making it the largest single unlock of the week.
LayerZero’s ZRO follows with a $43.19 million cliff unlock, while other notable releases include RIVER, PLUME, H, and MBG.
In total, cliff unlocks account for around $751 million, with the remainder coming from linear vesting schedules across projects such as Solana and RAIN.
The Financial Intelligence Unit - India has rolled out stricter Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering rules for crypto platforms, formally classifying exchanges as Virtual Digital Asset service providers.
Under the new framework, platforms must conduct live identity verification, capture geolocation data, and collect technical identifiers such as IP addresses, device IDs, wallet addresses, and transaction hashes.
Users must submit a PAN card along with a secondary government ID and verify bank accounts through a penny-drop mechanism.
The rules also mandate heightened scrutiny for high-risk transactions, politically exposed persons, and users in FATF-flagged jurisdictions.
Also Read: Top 10 Crypto Exchanges in India: Features, Fees & Reviews
Kazakhstan has taken a step to tighten crypto oversight. The new law signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sets the framework for licensed crypto exchanges while giving the Central Bank the power to decide which digital assets can be traded.
With the new law, the digital financial assets get a new classification, and the stablecoins are given a separate status from other tokens, while the cryptocurrency exchanges are subject to direct control by the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
Only approved coins will be permitted for circulation, with trading limits imposed to protect investors.
The move aligns with Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a regulated regional crypto hub, following its earlier adoption of stablecoin payments and Bitcoin ETFs.
Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $1.42 billion in net inflows last week, according to SoSoValue. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $1.035 billion in weekly inflows, bringing its cumulative total to $63.44 billion.
Fidelity’s FBTC added $194 million, while Grayscale’s GBTC saw modest outflows.
Total assets held by Bitcoin spot ETFs now stand at $124.56 billion, representing 6.53% of Bitcoin’s total market value.
Also Read: Bitcoin Price Slips to $92,600 Amid Liquidations and Crypto Market Pressure
Hyperliquid has strengthened its hold on the decentralized perpetual exchanges market by processing around $40.7 billion in weekly trading volume and holding $9.57 billion in open interest.
That open interest exceeds the combined total of several major competitors, including Aster and Lighter.
While incentive-driven activity has faded at rival platforms following airdrops, traders continue to concentrate risk on Hyperliquid.
The divergence highlights a broader trend: liquidity may chase incentives initially, but sustained dominance depends on where traders are willing to park leveraged positions.
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