According to Cointelegraph, a group of seventy economists and policy experts has urged Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to endorse a digital euro that prioritizes public interest. They argue that such a move is essential for maintaining Europe's monetary sovereignty and ensuring access to central bank money in an increasingly cash-light economy. The open letter, titled “The Digital Euro: Let the public interest prevail!” and published on Sunday, warns that without a robust public option, private stablecoins and foreign payment giants could further dominate Europe's digital payments landscape. The signatories, including José Leandro, former executive board director for the European Union at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and French economist Thomas Piketty, describe the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a public good. They advocate for a euro area-wide digital payment method, issued by the Eurosystem, that is free of charge for basic services and complements rather than replaces cash. The letter cautions that if the EU delays or dilutes the project, European citizens and merchants may become increasingly reliant on private, predominantly non-European card schemes and large technology payment platforms, potentially undermining the resilience and autonomy of Europe’s payment system during times of stress. The intervention comes as the European Central Bank (ECB) is in the preparation phase of the digital euro project, focusing on developing a rulebook, technical architecture, and offline functionality before making any final issuance decisions. The ECB envisions the digital euro as a public, pan-European payment solution that provides cash-like access to central bank money, including offline payments, while maintaining financial stability through mechanisms like holding limits and tiered remuneration. In a speech on January 9, ECB executive board member Philip Lane emphasized that the project aims to balance innovation, privacy, and the continued role of banks as intermediaries in the retail payment system. Despite the potential benefits, the digital euro project has faced skepticism from commercial banks and some policymakers concerned about possible disintermediation of deposits, operational costs, and uncertain user adoption. Consumer surveys indicate that robust privacy protections are crucial for public acceptance of a digital euro. Analysts at BNP Paribas have also noted that the advantages of a digital euro must be weighed against potential funding and profitability pressures for banks, depending on the setting of holding limits and remuneration. In response to Cointelegraph’s inquiries, the ECB declined to comment directly on the economists’ letter but referenced several recent studies. One technical annex examines the financial stability impact of a digital euro with individual holding limits set at 3,000 euros, concluding that no financial stability concerns arise even in adverse scenarios. Another report evaluates how a digital euro would integrate into the existing payment ecosystem, while separate papers explore privacy safeguards and the investment costs for the euro area banking sector.

The DFSA removes its list of recognized tokens and shifts the burden of asset vetting to private firms within the DIFC financial free zone. The post Dubai Purges Privacy, Stablecoins In Strict New Crypto Laws first appeared on The Shib Daily. source: https://news.shib.io/2026/01/12/dubai-purges-privacy-stablecoins-in-strict-new-crypto-laws/

Shares of Tesco traded modestly higher on Monday, January 12, as the UK’s largest supermarket continued to benefit from strong recent trading updates and an active share buyback program. source: https://www.ethnews.com/tesco-shares-hold-firm-as-buybacks-and-christmas-sales-support-price/

According to ChainCatcher, data from Arkham indicates that at 20:08, a total of 497 BTC was transferred from an anonymous address (1Hs5qUjKUeWkEU85JWp5dR7AjnRrdxBAia) to multiple other addresses.

According to PANews, the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a formal investigation into the U.S. social media platform X to assess its compliance with the UK's Cybersecurity Law. This action follows reports that the 'Grok' chatbot account on X has been used to generate and disseminate explicit content involving real individuals, including adult women and minors, raising significant concerns. Ofcom's press release stated that the investigation aims to determine whether X has failed to fulfill its legal obligations under the Cybersecurity Law. The initial phase of the investigation involves gathering and analyzing evidence to ascertain any violations.

OpenAI is asking contractors to submit real work from current or past jobs to benchmark AI performance. Contractors provide actual files or realistic mock-ups of tasks, helping train next-generation AI models. The initiative highlights a contradiction: many roles used to train AI are the same positions companies cite for layoffs in 2025, raising questions about whose work is valued in the age of automation. The post OpenAI Taps Real Freelancer Work to Benchmark AI Office Performance first appeared on The Shib Daily source: https://news.shib.io/2026/01/12/openai-taps-real-freelancer-work-to-benchmark-ai-office-performance/

Digital asset investment products recorded $454 million in net outflows last week, extending a sharp reversal in investor sentiment that has largely erased gains made at the start of the year. source: https://cryptonews.com/news/digital-asset-funds-see-454m-weekly-outflows-as-fed-rate-cut-hopes-fade-coinshares/

TSMC is set to post a sharp jump in fourth-quarter profit as demand for artificial intelligence hardware keeps running hot and smartphone orders stay heavy. Analysts expect net income to rise 27% from a year earlier, pushing results to a new quarterly record. TSMC, which of course remains the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is predicted […] source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/chip-giant-tsmc-forecast-lifts-q4-profit-27/

According to CoinGecko, over 11 million cryptocurrency tokens became inactive or collapsed in 2025 alone. source: https://coindoo.com/meme-coin-factories-trigger-historic-crypto-collapse-in-2025/

Ethereum is undoubtedly the public blockchain with the most bets on ZK in the entire crypto world.

Arbitrum price is hovering near $0. 20 amid a 3% dip in the past 24 hours. The altcoin could dip further as investors await an upcoming $19 million ARB unlock. Overall market sentiment and network milestones will help bulls source: https://coinjournal.net/news/arbitrum-price-forecast-as-investors-ponder-19m-arb-unlock/

For the past eight years, South Korea’s attitude toward crypto assets has been in a state of delicate division.

This podcast discussion revolves around the recent market discussion sparked by "Xiaomi × public chain wallet pre-installation," and delves into the true value, common misconceptions, and long-term positioning of blockchain phones.

Intent computing, intent economics, Jinse Finance: How intent-based systems are emerging on the internet.

Is EIL truly "minimizing trust," or has it shifted trust from explicit relays to a more covert engineering and economic layer?

Viewership across YouTube and social media has sunk to bear-market lows, reflecting retail exhaustion, scam fatigue and a market increasingly driven by institutions.

Tether froze around $182 million in USDT across five Tron wallets on 11 January 2026, locking the funds while keeping them visible on-chain. The move appears linked to US authorities and follows Tether’s policy to halt wallets tied to sanctioned or illegal activity.

One of the defining narratives of 2026 is "privacy." As institutional players gain dominance in the cryptocurrency space, privacy has become a key technological feature connecting blockchain with real-world commerce.

A violent home invasion in southern France shows how cryptocurrency wealth is spilling into the real world — and turning investors into physical targets.

Crypto YouTube viewership has dropped to its lowest level since January 2021 after a sharp three-month decline. The fall reflects wider retail fatigue, with scams, poor returns, and a shift toward traditional assets reducing engagement across social platforms.