U.S. Government Denies The Sale Of Samourai Wallet Bitcoin

Members of the U.S. government have denied reports that bitcoin forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers was liquidated in violation of President Trump’s executive order mandating the retention of government-held bitcoin.

In a brief statement on X on January 16, Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets and Deputy Director at the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital, said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed that the forfeited digital assets “have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated” pursuant to Executive Order 14233. 

According to Witt, the bitcoin will remain on the U.S. government’s…

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Riot ($RIOT) Rockets 13% Following Major Lease With AMD

Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) has completed the purchase of 200 acres at its Rockdale, Texas, site and signed a long-term data center lease with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), marking the first major hyperscale tenant at the location.

The fee simple acquisition replaces Riot’s prior ground lease at Rockdale and was funded entirely through the sale of approximately 1,080 bitcoin from the company’s balance sheet, totaling $96 million. 

The mining company said the purchase secures long-term operational control of the site and opens it for large-scale data center development. 

The property includes a 700 MW grid interconnection, dedicated water supply, and fiber…

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Bank Of America CEO Warns $6 Trillion Could Flee To Stablecoins—Here’s Why Banks Are Terrified – Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan has warned that allowing interest-bearing stablecoins could pull up to $6 trillion in deposits out of banks.

Why Banks Are Fighting Stablecoin Yields

Moynihan said on the bank’s earnings call on Wednesday that stablecoins structured like money market funds would pull deposits out of the banking system, forcing banks to rely on expensive wholesale funding instead of cheap customer deposits.

The issue is simple: if stablecoins offer 4% yield while banks pay 0.1% on savings accounts, depositors will move their money on-chain.

Banks would lose their free funding source and either cut lending or borrow from the Fed at market rates, driving up loan…

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Donald Trump Sends Fed Chair Candidate ‘Kevin’ Surging To 59% On Polymarket — But Which One?

President Donald Trump cast doubt on Kevin Hassett’s Fed Chair bid Friday, saying he may keep him in his current position.

Trump Wants Hassett At NEC, Not Fed

Trump praised Hassett’s television appearance Friday morning and said he’s concerned about losing his communication skills if Hassett moves to the Fed.

“Kevin Hassett is so good. I’m saying, ‘Wait a minute, if I move him—these Fed guys, certainly the one we have now, they don’t talk much.’ I would lose you. It’s a serious concern to me,” Trump said at the White House event.

Trump told Hassett directly: “We don’t want to lose him, Susie, but we’ll see how it all works out,” referencing White House chief of…

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Belarus Creates Legal Framework For Bitcoin Banks

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed Decree No. 19 “On Cryptobanks and Certain Issues of Control in the Field of Digital Tokens,” officially creating a legal framework for bitcoin and crypto banks in the country. 

The decree makes Belarus a hub for financial technology innovation while providing a regulated path for cryptocurrency services.

Under the new law, a crypto bank is defined as a joint-stock company that is a resident of Belarus’ High-Tech Park (HTP) and included in a registry maintained by the National Bank of Belarus. 

These institutions can offer both traditional banking services — such as deposits, loans, and transfers — and activities…

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Bitcoin Approaches $100,000, But Here’s Why That May Be A Bull Trap

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is slowly pushing up to $100,000, but traders warn the zone offers little clarity on near-term bullish or bearish direction.

Bitcoin’s Key Price Zones

Analyzing on-chain data, trader Snow said Bitcoin’s swift rally from roughly $89,000 to $97,000 created a false sense that the market had cleared major resistance.

According to Snow, the move occurred largely because resistance was thin, not because of underlying strength.

The $100,000 area, by contrast, is described as a dense liquidity zone where both long and short positions are frequently trapped. Snow characterized it as a control area designed to generate choppy price action, false breakouts, and stop hunts.

Snow…

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Bitcoin Use Is Surging In Iran As Conflicts Intensify

A new report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis shows that Iran’s crypto ecosystem boomed in 2025, with Bitcoin playing a growing central role for both ordinary citizens seeking financial refuge and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which now dominates much of the country’s on-chain activity.

According to the report, Iran’s crypto economy processed more than $7.78 billion in value in 2025, growing faster for most of the year than in 2024. 

The report found that crypto activity in Iran is closely correlated with major political shocks, regional conflict, and domestic unrest, making blockchain data a real-time barometer of instability inside the… Read more on BitcoinMagazine

West Virginia Lawmakers Want To Invest In Bitcoin

West Virginia lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would authorize the state treasurer to invest a portion of public funds in bitcoin, precious metals, and regulated stablecoins, marking a significant step toward integrating digital assets into state-level finance.

West Virginia Senate Bill 143, introduced by Sen. Chris Rose during the 2026 regular legislative session, would create a new section of state law titled the “Inflation Protection Act of 2026.” The measure permits the Board of Treasury Investments to allocate up to 10% of funds it oversees into gold, silver, platinum, and certain digital assets, subject to existing investment rules.

Under the bill, the…

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Crypto Market Structure Bill Can Still Pass If Coinbase, Banks, Senate Dems Reach A Compromise: Report – Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL)

The Senate Banking Committee has postponed its planned markup of crypto market structure legislation after growing industry backlash and political disagreements stalled progress.

What Happened: Journalist and host Eleanor Terrett on Friday outlined that frustration remains high nearly a day after the GOP-led Banking Committee pulled the markup.

However, insiders believe the bill is not dead.

Industry participants and committee staffers say that if banks, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Senate Democrats can quickly reach a compromise on stablecoin yield, the legislation is likely to move forward again.

Section 505, which addresses tokenized securities, is increasingly viewed as a non-issue.

Benzinga