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The Wall Street Journal published an article pointing out that although the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act are promoting the compliance of stablecoins, the essence of stablecoins still belongs to "private currency," which may pose structural risks to the financial system.The article notes that stablecoins aim to combine the stability of the US dollar with the efficiency of blockchain payments, but because they operate on fragmented, privatized infrastructure, they do not possess the unity of the traditional US dollar system. Although USDT and USDC are pegged to the dollar, their prices may still deviate from 1 dollar.In addition, there is an incentive for stablecoin issuers to enhance returns by allocating high-risk, low-liquidity assets. If the value of these related assets declines, it could trigger de-pegging and concentrated redemption risks. The article cites Chainalysis data stating that stablecoins account for 84% of illegal activities in cryptocurrency, mainly involving sanctions evasion and money laundering, while real economic payment scenarios account for less than 1%.The Wall Street Journal believes that stablecoins are replaying the path of private currency experiments from the "Free Banking Era" in 19th century America, and in the future, they may need to accept stricter regulation like banks and integrate more deeply into the central bank system.

The WSJ reported that Binance is accused of processing approximately $850 million in transactions related to financial networks associated with Iranian sanctions over two years, ultimately flowing to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran. In response, Binance CEO Richard Teng posted on the X platform denying the related reports, stating that the reports are "completely inaccurate," emphasizing that Binance does not allow sanctioned entities to trade, and indicating that the suspicious activities occurred before the involved entities were sanctioned by the U.S.The report mentioned that the key figure is Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani, whose related companies and associated accounts are alleged to have operated through the same device, forming a secret payment network on the Binance platform. The report also stated that Binance's internal compliance system had identified abnormal access from Tehran by the end of 2024, triggering multiple risk control alerts, but the related accounts were not closed in a timely manner. The WSJ further pointed out that the Central Bank of Iran and related entities also conducted fund flows through Binance between 2024 and 2025, including approximately $107 million and other cross-border cryptocurrency transactions.Binance reiterated that its compliance system is "industry-leading" and emphasized that it has continued to strengthen its risk control mechanisms after pleading guilty and paying a $4.3 billion settlement in 2023. Additionally, Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit against the WSJ regarding the related reports and denied that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating it on this matter.

Binance CEO Richard Teng responded on the X platform to reports from The Wall Street Journal, stating that there are "fundamental errors" regarding the facts and Binance's commitment to compliance frameworks in the reports. Richard Teng noted that the relevant transactions mentioned by The Wall Street Journal occurred before the individuals involved were sanctioned, and Binance has not allowed any sanctioned individuals to trade on the platform.He also stated that Binance had proactively investigated the relevant issues before being contacted by The Wall Street Journal and had provided the other party with relevant facts, but this information was not published. Additionally, Richard Teng emphasized that Binance has a "zero tolerance" policy for illegal activities and has established an industry-leading compliance system, and will continue to cooperate with U.S. and global law enforcement agencies to combat financial crime.Previously, it was reported that funds associated with the Iranian regime had transferred over $850 million through Binance in the past two years.

According to the Wall Street Journal, GameStop will offer $56 billion to acquire eBay.It is reported that GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen stated that GameStop currently holds about 5% of eBay's shares and has proposed to acquire eBay with a combination of cash and stock at $125 per share, which is about a 20% premium over eBay's closing price last Friday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Stock Exchange is collaborating with Securitize to develop a tokenized securities platform.

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials stated that the Trump administration plans to announce as early as this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition to provide escort for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. However, discussions are still ongoing about whether these actions should be initiated before or after the end of hostile actions by Iran.The White House declined to comment. Given the associated risks, many countries have remained noncommittal about participating in such escort missions until the hostile actions have concluded.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the two leading prediction markets, Polymarket and Kalshi, are recently in talks with potential investors for funding, with valuations around $20 billion.Last year, it was reported that Polymarket was negotiating funding at a valuation of $12 billion. In December, Kalshi completed a $1 billion financing round, bringing its valuation to $11 billion.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are in talks with potential investors for a new round of financing, with target valuations of around $20 billion. Sources indicate that the valuations of both companies were about half of this level at the end of last year.As competition in the prediction market intensifies, both sides are accelerating their efforts to capture user growth, thereby driving negotiations for the new round of financing.

The development team behind Worldcoin, Tools for Humanity (TFH), is collaborating with Gap, Visa, and Tinder to promote the implementation of its "World ID" human verification product.Reports indicate that some Gap stores in San Francisco have deployed "Orb" devices to collect facial and iris information from users to generate World ID. Meanwhile, TFH plans to launch a payment card related to Visa, allowing users with World ID to spend digital assets. The dating app Tinder is also testing this identity system in Japan to verify that users are real individuals and that their age information is accurate.TFH states that the Orb device will convert facial and iris images into anonymous digital identifiers and store them on the user's device, with the company itself not retaining the original biometric data. Its business model aims to generate revenue by charging applications for verification service fees.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing informed sources, the Federal Reserve is secretly initiating a legal challenge in response to two subpoenas issued by U.S. prosecutor Jeanine Pirro in the criminal investigation against Powell.Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump, launched the investigation to examine whether Powell made false statements to Congress last summer regarding the Federal Reserve building renovation project. This action prompted Powell to respond publicly in an unprecedented manner, stating in a video statement on January 11 that the investigation is a guise for Trump's ongoing pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates and undermine the central bank's independence.In the secret proceedings, the Federal Reserve is requesting the judge to quash the subpoenas to reduce or eliminate its obligation to respond. The specific legal arguments have not been disclosed. In high-profile investigations, it is not uncommon for recipients of subpoenas to challenge prosecutors on the grounds that the requests are overly broad or involve information protected by legal privilege.Due to the confidentiality rules applicable to criminal investigations before grand juries, this legal battle is quietly ongoing and not open to the public.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Tether's role as the world's leading stablecoin has been influenced by Maduro, as Tether serves as an important tool for the Venezuelan state oil company (Petróleos de Venezuela, abbreviated as PdVSA) to evade sanctions, being used as a currency for oil trade settlements and providing an economic lifeline for Venezuelans suffering from the plummeting value of their national currency, the bolívar.A spokesperson for Tether responded that the company complies with all applicable U.S. and international sanctions regulations and works closely with U.S. authorities, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and regularly assists law enforcement in freezing addresses related to illegal activities or sanctions violations upon legitimate requests.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the sell-off in the cryptocurrency market is intensifying. Bitcoin and other digital tokens are facing a broader downturn that is sweeping through all high-risk trades in the market. In recent months, unprofitable tech companies, speculative shell companies, and "Meme" stocks have fallen out of favor. Patrick Horsman, Chief Investment Officer of the crypto financial management firm BNB Plus, stated that as investors grow increasingly pessimistic about the market and economic outlook, they are reducing their risk exposure.Horsman said, "I think we might see Bitcoin drop all the way back to $60,000. We don't think the pain is over."Strong rebounds and nauseating declines have been a constant since the early days of the crypto industry. During the previous "crypto winter," Bitcoin and other major digital assets lost as much as 80% of their value before reversing. Each previous cycle (including the winter of 2022) was, to some extent, triggered by investor concerns over widespread fraud.The current sell-off is both reassuring to some and perplexing to others because there is no new Mt. Gox or FTX—these collapses of crypto firms had previously fueled broader market crashes.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Wall Street Journal, American Bitcoin, a Bitcoin mining and reserve company supported by President Trump's two eldest sons, will go public this Wednesday. American Bitcoin will officially list on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange after completing its merger with Gryphon Digital Mining.Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with mining company Hut 8, will collectively own 98% of the shares of the new entity post-merger, which will retain the name American Bitcoin and trade under the ticker symbol ABTC.Recently, American Bitcoin has also been seeking acquisition targets in Asia to build a Bitcoin asset reserve and has begun discussions with investors regarding potential acquisitions. The company is currently planning to acquire a publicly listed company in Japan and may simultaneously expand into the Hong Kong market. According to insiders, the company intends to emulate the MicroStrategy model by building a cryptocurrency reserve platform through the acquisition of publicly listed companies.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Furlong will leave the government less than five months after being confirmed by the Senate.Furlong was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Treasury Department and briefly served as acting commissioner during a turbulent period in the IRS leadership. He is also the second Senate-confirmed official from the Treasury Department to leave this month, following the earlier departure of former IRS Commissioner Billy Long.During his tenure, Furlong was involved in formulating the tax policies related to the tax and spending legislation signed by Trump.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Wall Street Journal, Ripple is seeking a national bank charter, along with other cryptocurrency companies, to integrate with the traditional financial system.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Wall Street Journal, the upcoming "GENIUS Act" to be passed by the U.S. Congress will incorporate stablecoins into the mainstream financial system, a piece of legislation that has sparked strong interest from startups, banks, and even giants like Walmart.However, under the "GENIUS Act," stablecoin issuers are required to hold reserves in safe assets such as cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, and large issuers must also publish audited annual financial reports. This poses a severe challenge to Tether, which holds a 66% share of the stablecoin market (with a circulation of $156 billion) ------ the company's USDT is currently partially backed by Bitcoin and gold, and it has long refused to fully disclose financial details. Former federal prosecutor Scott Armstrong, who has handled crypto cases, pointed out: "This could lead to Tether being unable to continue operating in the U.S."Tether representatives did not respond to requests for comment. CEO Paolo Ardoino has stated that they may issue localized stablecoins to maintain their U.S. business. The bill sets a transition period for compliance: the Senate version allows a 3-year grace period, while the House's accompanying bill under review requires compliance within 18 months, ultimately needing to be signed into law by President Trump, who supports the bill.

ChainCatcher news, according to the WSJ report, sources revealed that the Trump team is considering issuing an executive order to prohibit banks from closing or denying accounts based on customers' political positions or industries. This measure aims to address Republican criticisms of large banks for implementing discriminatory practices in sectors such as energy and firearms.The report states that several banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America, recently met with Republican state officials to respond to the related allegations. The order may grant federal regulators the authority to penalize the banks involved.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Wall Street Journal, officials say that Israel continues to strike at Iran's military infrastructure but is seeking to end the war with Iran as soon as possible. Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Grossi stated that the U.S. attack on Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment facility is expected to cause "very significant damage."One of the Iranian targets struck by Israel is a prison that holds political prisoners and regime opponents. Tehran's response to the U.S. attack on its nuclear facilities has revealed almost no clues. The clerical leaders of the Iranian regime face a dangerous choice: retaliating against the U.S. could lead to an escalation of war with two militarily stronger adversaries, or returning to nuclear negotiations, during which they may have to make concessions on nuclear enrichment and ballistic missile arsenals—two pillars of national sovereignty.Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in what appears to be his first comments since the U.S. attack, did not mention the U.S. on the X platform but focused on Israel. He stated that Israel has made a "serious mistake" and is "now being punished."Today, the overall sentiment in the cryptocurrency market has slightly improved compared to yesterday, with the fear and greed index at 47 (up from 42 yesterday), indicating a return to "neutral" sentiment in the crypto market. Bitcoin dipped to $98,200 this morning but has since rebounded to $101,359, with the 24-hour decline narrowing to 1.21%.