Vitalik Buterin recently discussed the advantages of open-source applications in a post. According to Foresight News, Buterin shared his experience of needing to verify the signers of his multi-signature address this morning. Without the Safe app installed on his phone, he was able to retrieve the necessary information by using the 'Read Contract' feature on Etherscan. Buterin emphasized that the additional user experience benefits provided by open-source applications or wallets can be unexpectedly helpful, surpassing the capabilities of traditional websites. He further noted that privacy concerns might eventually limit this workflow. To achieve a privacy-focused equivalent workflow, Buterin suggested that users could save a 'view key,' an extended version of their address containing additional privacy information. Block explorers could support this by placing privacy information in the hash tag section of the URL, keeping it client-side. However, he acknowledged the risk of encouraging users to paste any type of secret information into URLs or web pages. Ultimately, he stressed the need for wallets to perform more operations directly.

According to Onchain Lens monitoring, a newly created address (0x9D2) deposited another $36.15 million into Hyperliquid, bringing the total deposits to $45 million. This whale has now purchased 277,100 HYPE tokens, worth $9.478 million.

U.S. gold futures rose more than 4%, hitting a record high of $5,288 per ounce. (Jinshi)

Tether is projected to generate approximately $15 billion in profit by 2025. How did Tether manage to make so much money?

BlockSec released an analysis of a major closed-source contract vulnerability, detecting a series of suspicious transactions targeting SwapNet and Aperture Finance contracts deployed on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and BSC, resulting in total losses exceeding $17 million. Fundamentally, both incidents stemmed from a simple vulnerability: the victim contracts suffered from insufficient input validation, leading to arbitrary call vulnerabilities. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to abuse existing token authorization, thereby using transferFrom to steal assets. While the SwapNet and Aperture Finance incidents affected different protocols and blockchains, the underlying problem remains uncomplicated: user-controlled underlying calls and insufficient input validation within contracts holding token authorization.

Gold futures have reached an unprecedented level, surpassing $5,300 per ounce for the first time in history. The Kobeissi Letter posted on X, highlighting that this marks a significant increase of 21% this month. This surge in gold prices reflects ongoing market dynamics and investor sentiment. The rise in gold futures is being closely watched by market analysts and investors, as it may indicate broader economic trends and potential shifts in investment strategies. The increase comes amid various global economic factors influencing commodity markets. As gold continues to climb, stakeholders are evaluating the implications for both short-term and long-term financial planning.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform has unveiled new offerings in its Yield Arena, providing users with opportunities to earn rewards through various products. These include Simple Earn, ETH Staking, SOL Staking, and Dual Investment. The latest offers are designed to cater to a wide range of users, with different subscription limits and annual percentage rates (APRs). **Earn Spotlight Limited-Time Offers** Eligible users holding at least 0.01 USDe for 24 hours can enjoy a 4.5% APR from 2026-01-23 00:00 (UTC) to 2026-01-29 23:59 (UTC). Additionally, from 2026-01-21 00:00 (UTC) to 2026-02-09 23:59 (UTC), users subscribing to ETH Flexible Products can receive a 5% Bonus APR and a chance to share $30,000 in SXT. Furthermore, from 2026-01-26 00:00:00 (UTC) to 2026-02-25 23:59:59 (UTC), eligible users completing a crypto purchase via P2P Buy or Buy Crypto can earn up to 20% APR for 7 days on USDT Flexible Products. **Dual Investment and Product Offerings** From 2026-01-09 01:00 (UTC) to 2026-01-31 23:59 (UTC), users participating in Dual Investment and the Monthly Leaderboard program can earn up to $5,888 in rewards. The offerings include Flexible Products with real-time APRs and bonus tiered APRs for USDT, USDC, USD1, ETH, SOL, and LINEA. Locked Products such as SKY and NIL offer fixed terms with higher APRs. ETH and SOL Staking provide dynamic APRs, while Dual Investment offers high-yield structured products with multiple settlement dates. Binance reserves the right to adjust APRs without prior notice, and offers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Users can view their assets under the Earn section and may choose early redemption for Simple Earn Locked Products. Rewards from ongoing Launchpools are automatically received by users holding BNB Flexible or Locked Products. Additionally, users subscribing to BNB Simple Earn products can receive airdropped tokens via HODLer Airdrops.

Ethereum whales have significantly increased their holdings by around 430,000 ETH, valued at $1.3 billion, following the introduction of the AI-focused ERC-8004 standard. According to NS3.AI, despite this accumulation and technical indicators suggesting stabilization, market sentiment remains notably weak compared to previous major upgrades such as Pectra. A crucial obstacle to a sustained rally is the Smart Money Index, which continues to be below essential levels, indicating that broader smart investor involvement and sentiment recovery are yet to occur.

Morgan Stanley is actively recruiting for numerous positions in the cryptocurrency sector, signaling a significant expansion in its digital asset initiatives. BitMine Chair Tom Lee posted on X that the financial giant is simultaneously launching new projects, including the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust. This move reflects Morgan Stanley's commitment to strengthening its presence in the rapidly evolving crypto market. The firm aims to leverage its expertise to explore new opportunities and enhance its offerings in digital currencies. This strategic expansion comes as the financial industry increasingly recognizes the potential of blockchain technology and digital assets.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has postponed its final decision regarding the licensing of over-the-counter (OTC) security token exchanges. According to NS3.AI, two consortia, led by Korea Exchange (KRX) and Nextrade, received preliminary approval. However, the exclusion of Lucentblock's consortium has sparked criticism over fairness. Despite completing its review process, the FSC did not discuss the applications during its meeting on January 28.

Binance Alpha will list Moonbirds (BIRB), with Alpha trading officially commencing on January 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC. Users with at least 230 Binance Alpha Points can claim an airdrop of 200 BIRB tokens on a first-come, first-served basis. If the reward pool is not fully distributed, the points threshold will automatically decrease by 5 points every 5 minutes. Please note that claiming the airdrop will cost 15 Binance Alpha Points. Users must confirm their claim on the Alpha event page within 24 hours; otherwise, they will be considered to have forfeited their claim.

U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins are emerging as a major threat to traditional banking deposits, with a new analysis from Standard Chartered estimating that as much as $500 billion could be siphoned from U.S. bank coffers by the end of 2028 if current adoption trends continue.

Bitcoin and major cryptocurrencies fell sharply as investors shifted money into gold and silver, which hit record highs during market uncertainty. Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus mocked the move with a meme, highlighting how many traders mistimed the switch.

Bitcoin is evolving into a self-contained macro asset, decoupling from the crypto market. Protocols that can truly capture fees are consistently outperforming the market; narratives alone are no longer sufficient. Stablecoin infrastructure is becoming the bridge connecting the crypto world to everything else.

South Korean blockchain leader Wemade has brought Chainlink Labs into its Global Alliance for KRW Stablecoins (GAKS), bolstering the technical backbone for Korean won–pegged stablecoins at a time when regulatory clarity in the country remains unresolved.

In today's world, the most important thing you can do is practice thinking.

Arizona lawmakers advanced two bills to exempt cryptocurrencies from property taxes, with one proposing a constitutional amendment for voter approval in November. The measures aim to clarify crypto taxation despite previous vetoes from Governor Katie Hobbs.

The wheels of history are relentlessly grinding against the crypto world—that once-hidden "tax haven" is about to face its reckoning.

Standard Chartered says U.S. banks could lose more than $500 billion in deposits to dollar-backed stablecoins by the end of 2028, with regional banks most at risk. The shift is driven by faster, easier stablecoin payments and growing demand for yield, which is pulling money away from traditional bank accounts.

A former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer has publicly backed Ripple’s argument that speculation alone should not automatically subject cryptocurrencies to federal securities laws, weighing in on a growing regulatory battle as lawmakers debate the CLARITY Act and the future of U.S. crypto oversight.