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Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed integrating Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) into the network's staking mechanism. In a post on the Ethereum technology forum ethresear.ch, Buterin explained that introducing native DVT would allow ETH holders to stake without being entirely dependent on a single node. He noted that under the current system, an Ethereum validator can only operate one node and faces penalties if that node experiences downtime. By leveraging DVT, a single validator could distribute its key across multiple nodes, thereby reducing the risk of such penalties.

Binance has announced it will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals on the BNB Smart Chain (BEP20) for wallet maintenance, starting at 6:55 a.m. UTC on Jan. 23.

The tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) has emerged as one of the most prominent topics in the cryptocurrency sector at the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, BeInCrypto reported. The RWA tokenization market recently surpassed $21 billion in value. Discussions on the subject included major industry figures like Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, as well as officials from the European Central Bank. Experts predict that with the regulatory clarity established last year, the market could grow to as large as $16 trillion by 2030.

The South Korean crypto exchange Upbit announced it will list Hey Elsa (ELSA) at 7:30 a.m. UTC on Jan. 22, opening trading pairs against the South Korean won, BTC, and USDT.

Binance has announced it will list spot trading for SENT at 12:00 p.m. UTC on Jan. 22. The token will be listed with a Seed Tag, which is applied to projects that may exhibit higher volatility and risk compared to other listed tokens.

The New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) plan to build a blockchain for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization has been criticized as being superficial and lacking substance. According to Cointelegraph, Omid Malekan, a professor at Columbia Business School, pointed out that the NYSE's announcement failed to specify which blockchain would be used or whether the tokens would be permissioned. He also noted the absence of crucial information such as tokenomics and fee structures. Malekan argued that the NYSE's model is based on a highly centralized structure and that even the most sophisticated technology cannot alter this framework unless the exchange is willing to forgo its numerous existing partnerships and relationships.

South Korean crypto exchange Upbit has announced that it will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for Tezos (XTZ) starting at 9:00 a.m. UTC on Jan. 23. The exchange cited a network upgrade as the reason for the suspension.

A group has been sentenced to prison for laundering approximately 23 billion won (about $17 million) in proceeds for a Chinese online fraud organization, Yonhap News reported. The individuals were convicted of receiving funds from the criminal enterprise, using the money to purchase cryptocurrency on exchanges, and then transferring the assets back to the organization.

The following shows estimated liquidation volumes and position ratios for major crypto perpetual futures over the past 24 hours: - ETH: $238 million liquidated (50.28% shorts) - BTC: $217 million liquidated (55.38% shorts) - HYPE: $16.6 million liquidated (54.33% longs)

The Layer 1 protocol Saga (SAGA) was exploited for $7 million on its SagaEVM chain, The Block reported. The project has temporarily suspended network operations to investigate the damage and complete recovery efforts.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Matt Hougan has suggested that the cryptocurrency market likely hit its bottom in the fourth quarter of 2023. According to Cointelegraph, Hougan noted in a report that the period saw several optimistic trends, including record-high Ethereum and Layer 2 transactions, revenue growth for crypto companies, an all-time high in stablecoin market capitalization, and expanding DeFi adoption. He argued that the current market situation is similar to the first quarter of 2023. At that time, following the collapse of FTX, market data was mixed, but the price of BTC surged over the subsequent two years. Hougan identified several potential catalysts that could drive the market this year, including progress on the U.S. crypto market structure bill (CLARITY Act), the announcement of a new Federal Reserve Chair, and a stablecoin supercycle.

LG CNS and the Bank of Korea have demonstrated an automated payment system for digital currencies powered by agentic AI, Yonhap News reported. The company tested a payment infrastructure on a digital currency platform that uses deposit tokens, in which an AI agent autonomously handled product searches, purchase decisions, and payments. The demonstration is part of the Bank of Korea's Project Hangang, which has been ongoing since last year.

Cryptocurrency custody firm BitGo has set its initial public offering (IPO) price at $18 per share, giving the company a fully diluted valuation of $2 billion, CoinDesk reported. The company is scheduled to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Jan. 21 under the ticker BTGO.

Bybit announced it will list SENT for spot trading at 12:00 p.m. UTC today.

U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs experienced total net outflows of $238.55 million (416.5 billion won) on Jan. 21, marking the second consecutive day of net outflows, according to TraderT. BlackRock's ETHA led the outflows with $283.46 million, followed by Fidelity's FETH with $30.89 million, Grayscale's ETHE with $11.38 million, and VanEck's ETHV with $4.42 million. Grayscale's Mini ETH was the only fund to see inflows, attracting $10.01 million.

U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs experienced a net outflow of $707.3 million on Jan. 21, marking the largest single-day withdrawal in two months and the third consecutive day of outflows, according to data compiled by TraderT. The outflows were primarily driven by BlackRock's IBIT (-$355.23 million) and Fidelity's FBTC (-$287.67 million). Other funds also saw outflows, including Ark Invest's ARKB (-$29.83 million), Bitwise's BITB (-$25.87 million), Grayscale's GBTC (-$11.25 million), and Valkyrie's BRRR (-$3.80 million). VanEck's HODL was the only fund to record a net inflow, adding $6.35 million.

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb announced it will add a KRW trading pair for Seeker (SKR) at 8:00 a.m. UTC on Jan. 22.

Binance has announced that it will delist 20 spot trading pairs at 3:00 a.m. UTC on Jan. 23. The affected pairs are AI/BTC, ALLO/BNB, APE/BTC, AUCTION/BTC, BOME/FDUSD, DYDX/FDUSD, ENA/BNB, FIL/ETH, ID/BTC, KITE/BNB, LDO/BTC, LRC/ETH, NMR/BTC, PENGU/FDUSD, PNUT/BTC, PYR/BTC, STRK/FDUSD, XVG/ETH, YFI/BTC, and ZIL/ETH.

Solana (SOL) co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has outlined three principles he believes can help early-stage crypto projects attract capital. In a post on X, Yakovenko stated that projects should ensure staking is available for long-term holders, unlock more than 20% of the token supply on launch day, and fully vest investor allocations after one year. He added that beyond these points, success depends on achieving product-market fit (PMF).

South Korean blockchain investment firm Hashed has launched Maroo, a new blockchain designed for a Korean won-backed stablecoin, The Block reported. The platform is engineered to combine the openness and scalability of a public chain with the regulatory compliance and privacy features required by traditional financial institutions. While its initial focus is the Korean won, Hashed plans to expand Maroo to support other fiat currencies in line with local regulations. A key feature of the network is that transaction fees are paid directly with the KRW stablecoin, allowing users to interact with the chain without needing to hold a separate native cryptocurrency. Hashed has also established a subsidiary, Hashed Open Finance, to advance projects in stablecoins, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and security token offerings (STOs) within the South Korean financial market.

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee has released a revised draft of its crypto market structure legislation, the CLARITY Act, according to Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America. While specific details of the draft have not yet been made public, Committee Chairman John Boozman said it was unfortunate that an agreement with the Democratic Party could not be reached. He added that he looks forward to a scheduled hearing on the bill at 8:00 p.m. UTC on Jan. 27.

U.S. asset manager Strive is pursuing an additional $150 million fundraising round, The Block reported. The proceeds are intended for purchasing Bitcoin, repaying convertible notes issued by its subsidiary Semler Scientific, and settling debt borrowed from Coinbase Credit. This move follows the company's previous effort last December to issue $500 million in Series A perpetual preferred stock.

Vietnam has started accepting license applications for a pilot program for cryptocurrency exchanges, The Block reported. To qualify, applicants must have a minimum of $400 million in equity capital and meet strict requirements regarding ownership structure, personnel, and infrastructure. Applications are limited to companies based in Vietnam, with foreign ownership capped at 49%.

Lookonchain reported, citing Arkham (ARKM) data, that Bitmine (BMNR) appears to have withdrawn 34,954 ETH, valued at $105.5 million, from Kraken and BitGo over the past two hours. The on-chain data firm noted that Bitmine currently holds approximately 4.2 million ETH.

CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index has climbed four points from yesterday to 32. The index measures whether it is an altcoin season or a Bitcoin season by comparing the price performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies, excluding stablecoins and wrapped coins, against Bitcoin. An altcoin season is declared when 75% of these top coins have outperformed Bitcoin over the past 90 days. A score closer to 100 indicates a stronger altcoin season.