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Global central bank leaders moved fast after the Justice Department under Donald Trump, now the 47th U.S. president, opened a criminal probe tied to Powell. The central bankers said the independence of central banks must stay protected and warned against political pressure on the Federal Reserve and Powell. The letter said central bank autonomy sits at the center of price control, financial stability, and economic order. It stressed respect for law and democratic oversight while rejecting interference. The signatories said Powell carried out his role with focus on the Fed’s mandate and commitment to the public interest. They described him as a professional colleague trusted by peers who worked with him. Lawmakers and officials react as political pressure around Powell grows The letter carried signatures from Christine Lagarde for the European Central Bank Governing Council, Andrew Bailey of the Bank of England, Erik Thedéen of Sweden’s Riksbank, Christian Kettel Thomsen of Denmark’s Nationalbank, Martin Schlegel of the Swiss National Bank, Ida Wolden Bache of Norges Bank, Michele Bullock of Australia’s central bank, Tiff Macklem of the Bank of Canada, Chang Yong Rhee of South Korea’s central bank, and Gabriel Galípolo of Brazil’s central bank. The letter also included François Villeroy de Galhau and Pablo Hernández de Cos from the Bank for International Settlements. All said they stood in full solidarity with the Federal Reserve and Powell. In Washington, Republican Senator Thom Tillis reacted first. Tillis sits on the Senate Banking Committee that reviews Federal Reserve nominees. He called the probe a huge mistake and said he would block any Trump pick to the Fed, including a successor to Powell, until the legal issue ends. Senator Kevin Cramer backed that view the next day. Senator Lisa Murkowski also weighed in on X. She wrote that the stakes were too high and warned that markets and the broader economy would suffer if the Fed lost independence. Even Senator Cynthia Lummis, who is often critical of Powell and gets along nicely with Trump, said the Justice Department’s use of a criminal statute looked like a heavy lift. But then added she saw no criminal intent. Senator John Kennedy meanwhile, ever the comic relief on Senate floors, told reporters:- “We need this like we need a hole in the head.” Treasury-linked tensions also surfaced. Axios reported that Scott Bessent told Trump late Sunday that the investigation into Powell had made a mess. Yesterday, Trump stubbornly denied knowing about the probe. He of course still criticized Powell, saying he was not very good at the Fed and not very good at building buildings. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

Nvidia says it never told Chinese companies to pay the full amount before receiving its H200 chips. The company responded after an article earlier claimed it had set harsh new payment terms. In a written statement, a spokesperson said the company “would never require customers to pay for products they do not receive.” A source allegedly told Reuters that while advance payment was already part of Nvidia’s terms in China, buyers usually got the option to place a deposit instead of paying in full. That changed for the H200 chip. Nvidia got stricter this time. The same person said the company started demanding full payment from Chinese clients because it wasn’t clear whether Beijing would approve the shipments. So if buyers agreed, they’d be risking their money without knowing if they’d even get the product. China looks to approve H200, but blocks military and state buyers Chinese officials are now planning to allow some imports of the H200 within this quarter, according to people with knowledge of the situation. They said the chip would be approved only for select commercial use , not for the military, sensitive government offices, state-run firms, or critical infrastructure. If any of those organizations want the chip, their applications will be reviewed one by one. The rule is similar to China’s other restrictions. Apple devices and Micron chips have faced the same treatment. No official has made a public announcement yet. But people involved in the talks said the internal decisions are already moving forward. The H200 is not a top-tier chip. It came out in 2023 and began shipping in 2024. It belongs to Nvidia’s Hopper generation, and it’s behind both the Blackwell and Rubin chips. That made it acceptable under U.S. policy. In early December, President Donald Trump reversed a previous ban and approved the export, but slapped on a 25% surcharge. That gave Nvidia a shot at getting back into the world’s largest chip market. China’s local companies show high demand for Nvidia’s advanced chips amid geopolitical uncertainties Last year, Alibaba and ByteDance told Nvidia they want to order more than 200,000 units each, according to a person close to the talks. Other companies, like DeepSeek, are also interested as they’re all trying to build faster models to compete with OpenAI and other U.S. tech companies. But there’s still a problem. Beijing hasn’t said which buyers count as part of “critical infrastructure.” That term isn’t defined clearly, and companies like Alibaba or Baidu often work with state clients, just like Amazon or Microsoft do with U.S. federal agencies. So even if they’re private, they might still get blocked depending on how China sees it. Nvidia hasn’t spoken directly to Chinese regulators. Executives at the CES tech show in Las Vegas said they’re waiting for answers. They confirmed that license requests have already been filed in Washington, and they’re just waiting on final U.S. approval. They also said demand from China is strong, but no shipments will happen until both governments give the green light. Back in 2025, China’s government told companies to stay away from Nvidia’s H20, a weaker AI chip that the U.S. had allowed. China’s cyberspace agency also told Alibaba to stop buying Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D, a workstation chip that could be used for AI systems. At the same time, Beijing started pushing for local chip production and offered $70 billion in new subsidies to boost its industry. Huang, who runs Nvidia, said the rules set by U.S. policymakers cut the company’s market share in China from 95% to zero. But he added that the company still expects to grow overall. Back in October, Nvidia said it would make $500 billion from its data center chips by the end of 2026. This week, the company said it’s now likely to beat that estimate. Nvidia is the top supplier of AI accelerators, the chips that train and run large AI systems. The H200 is still being used, even though it’s not the latest. Local Chinese chipmakers like Huawei and Cambricon grew fast during Nvidia’s absence. Both companies now say they plan to expand production in 2026. Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.

In 2025, crypto exploits started off slow, but ended up accumulating a record sum of over $4B. Based on PeckShield alert data, the year set a new record and a shift in the types of exploits. Crypto exploits and hacks accelerated in 2025, leading to a record-breaking year for crypto theft. The past 12 months were marked by highly directed attacks against systemic vulnerabilities on both centralized exchanges and smart contract protocols. The other approach to stealing crypto included malware, social engineering, and targeting individual holders. PeckShield estimates the total losses for the past year at $4.04B, up 34.2% year-on-year. For 2024, the final estimate was for $3.01B in losses. The biggest addition to the 2025 bottom line was the Bybit hack , which led to over $1.4B in losses, mostly from ETH thefts. In total, crypto hacks stole $2.67B, rising by 24.2%. The rise in scams was even more dramatic, stealing $1.37B, up 64.2% against the previous year. Tracking and freezing tokens managed to salvage only $334.9M, down from $488.5M in 2024. North Korea takes up to 52% of the Web3 haul DPRK hackers continued targeting Web3 projects, taking 52% of the haul from those types of projects, based on Hacken’s data. DeFi exploits accelerated significantly in the second half of 2025, with attacks against new DEXs. This time around, there were fewer bridging attacks, as bridges were not as important to ecosystems. Crypto exploits were more diverse in 2025, with a high share of access control attacks. | Source: Hacken . DeFi exploits in 2025 could rely on much more robust systems to swap or hide funds. Tornado Cash remained the go-to mixed for ETH, while hackers also relied on standard DEX routing to quickly swap funds. Smart contract vulnerabilities made up around 12.8% of all exploits, and the theft depended on the amount of value locked in various protocols. Even small vaults or contracts were targeted when a known and relatively easy vulnerability was spotted, as some of the Web3 projects were cloned from previous contracts. Crypto exploits target Web3 developer teams Instead of broad attacks with malicious links, threat actors are targeting high-value wallet holders directly. Web3 teams are often selected for access to high-value vaults and token wallets. One of the recent vectors of attack is legitimate-sounding projects, which then set out ads to hire Web3 developers. The interviewing process then relies on malware to infect both personal and corporate computers, gaining access to wallets. The malware is usually downloaded through a legitimate meeting link, allowing it to access existing private keys on the infected machine. The attackers can often access the machines of Web3 projects or exchanges, gaining access to wallets or admin rights to change smart contracts. Access control was one of the major sources of exploits, with up to 53% of hacks ascribed to some form of direct access to multisig wallets. The remaining thefts depended on user error, as well as smart contract vulnerabilities, especially unauthorized DeFi token mints, withdrawals, or bridging. The first big hack for 2026, on TrueBit protocol, used a similar model, where the hacker minted and withdrew unauthorized amounts of tokens, stealing up to $26M. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

Key Takeaways : POL price faces bearish pressure toward $0.15. Polygon price prediction for 2026 expects the price of POL to surge toward $0.28. By 2032, we expect the POL price to record a maximum price of $1.19. Polygon, an Ethereum side chain and layer two scaling solution, has experienced substantial uptake by enterprises and industries in the last year. Consequently, numerous analysts eagerly anticipate the future valuation of its native cryptocurrency, POL. This raises the question: Can POL’s price reach $1? This forecast for Polygon’s price examines factors such as ecosystem trends, adoption rates, underlying technology, and technical analysis to project the POL price prediction from 2026 to 2032. Overview Cryptocurrency Polygon Ticker Symbol POL Rank 58 Current Price $0.152 Price change 24H -3% Market cap $1.27 Billion Circulating supply 10.56 Billion POL Trading volume 24h $72.25 Million (+26.4%) All-time high $1.29, March 14, 2024 All-time low $0.098, January 1, 2026 POL price prediction: Technical analysis Metric Value Current Price $ 0.15217 Price Prediction $ 0.1248 (-4.07%) Fear & Greed Index 26 (Fear) Sentiment Bearish Volatility 6.60% (High) Green Days 13/30 (43%) 50-Day SMA $ 0.1242 200-Day SMA $ 0.2038 14-Day RSI 57.59 (Neutral) Polygon technical analysis: POL price faces bearish pressure toward $0.15 POL price analysis shows bearish trend toward $0.15 Resistance for POL is present at $0.1573 Support for POL/USD is present at $0.1435 The POL price analysis for 13 January confirms that POL faces decreasing volatility as it declines toward $0.15. Currently, the bears are aiming for further declines. POL price analysis 1-day chart: Polygon faces selling pressure around $0.15 POL price is facing a surge as sellers pushed the price toward $0.15. POL price is aiming for a hold around the immediate support channels. The 24-hour volume dropped toward $24.19 million, showing declining interest in trading activity. The POL price is trading at $0.152, declining over 3% in the last 24 hours. POLUSDT chart by TradingView The RSI-14 trend line has dropped from its previous level but hovers above the midline at around 62, showing that buyers are aiming to control price momentum. The SMA-14 level suggests volatility in the next few hours. POL/USD 4-hour price chart: Bears aim for a hold below EMA trend lines The 4-hour POL price chart suggests POL continues to experience bearish activity around EMA lines, creating a negative sentiment on the price chart. As the price continues to face resistance near the Fib level, bears prepare for a domination by holding the price below the EMA20 trend line. POLUSDT chart by TradingView The BoP indicator trades in a negative region at 0.1, hinting that sellers are trying to build pressure near resistance levels and boost a downward correction. Additionally, the MACD trend line has formed red candles below the signal line, and the indicator aims for a negative momentum, strengthening bearish positions. POL technical indicators: Levels and action Daily Simple Moving Average (SMA) Period Value Action SMA 3 $ 0.1582 SELL SMA 5 $ 0.1318 SELL SMA 10 $ 0.1203 BUY SMA 21 $ 0.1161 BUY SMA 50 $ 0.1242 SELL SMA 100 $ 0.1615 SELL SMA 200 $ 0.2038 SELL Daily Exponential Moving Average (EMA) Period Value Action EMA 3 $ 0.1153 BUY EMA 5 $ 0.1268 SELL EMA 10 $ 0.1547 SELL EMA 21 $ 0.1881 SELL EMA 50 $ 0.2111 SELL EMA 100 $ 0.2201 SELL EMA 200 $ 0.2504 SELL What to expect from POL price analysis next? The hourly price chart confirms that bears are making efforts to prevent the POL price from an immediate surge. However, if POL’s price successfully breaks above $0.1573, it may surge higher and touch the resistance at $0.1870. POLUSDT chart by TradingView If bulls cannot initiate a surge, POL’s price may drop below the immediate support line at $0.1435, resulting in a correction to $0.1119. Is POL a good investment? POL token can be a good investment option in the long run as the project develops a roadmap for its Polygon 2.0 version. Polygon collaborates with diverse industries to enhance adoption, focusing on NFT solutions and Ethereum scalability. Partnerships include Starbucks for an NFT loyalty program and collaborations with Adidas, Prada, and Disney to develop NFT offerings. Why is the POL price down today? Following overall volatility in the market, POL price faced increased selling pressure around the $0.15 level. As a result, sellers are aiming for a breakdown. What is the POL price prediction for 2026? The Polygon price prediction for 2026 expects the POL price to record a maximum level of $0.28. Will POL price touch $1? Yes, POL price might touch the $1 milestone by the end of 2032. However, this depends on the future market sentiment and buying demand. Will POL Price Reach $10? If everything remains good and POL gains regulatory recognition, its price might surpass $10 by 2040. Is POL a good long-term investment? As Polygon continues to expand its offerings, it gains a significant position in the altcoin market. Hence, POL can be a good long-term investment option. Recent news/ Opinions on POL Telcoin’s Nebraska-chartered bank issued $10M eUSD on Polygon, marking the first U.S.-regulated stablecoin natively on a public chain. POL price prediction January 2026 Analysts expect a steady surge in crypto market prices in January. We expect POL to record a minimum price of $0.1 and a maximum price of $0.17, with an average of $0.15 in January. POL Price Prediction Potential low Potential average Potential high POL Price Prediction January 2026 $0.1 $0.15 $0.17 POL price prediction 2026 Ethereum fees increase dramatically during a bull market, making it too expensive for regular cryptocurrency users. That’s why Polygon became popular during the last bull market. But this time, in 2026, Polygon has tougher competition from Arbitrum, Optimism, and Starknet. However, Polygon’s Proof of Stake (PoS) chain can handle up to 65,000 transactions per second (TPS) and is cheaper than chains like Arbitrum and Optimism. Hence, increasing adoption might drive up its price in 2026. In 2026, the price of Polygon is forecasted to reach a minimum level of $0.1. It’s anticipated to achieve a maximum level of $0.28, with an average price of $0.22 throughout the year. POL Price Prediction Potential low Potential average Potential high POL Price Prediction 2026 $0.1 $0.22 $0.28 POL Price Predictions 2027-2032 Year Minimum Price Average Price Maximum Price 2027 0.23 0.25 0.3 2028 0.32 0.37 0.42 2029 0.43 0.49 0.56 2030 0.57 0.64 0.72 2031 0.72 0.81 0.96 2032 0.96 1.07 1.19 Pol price forecast for 2027 Polygon has made Polygon zkEVM available to everyone, making it one of the first ZK Rollups to do so. This is a big step forward for Polygon and gives it an advantage. With its growing use by businesses, innovative technology, and past success, Polygon could reach a new all-time high in 2027. According to the forecast and technical analysis, Polygon’s price is expected to hit a minimum of $0.23 in 2027. The maximum price projection is $0.30, with an average value of $0.25. Polygon (POL) price prediction 2028 In 2028, one Polygon is anticipated to reach a minimum price of $0.32. The maximum projection for POL price is $0.42, with an average price of $0.37 for the year. Polygon price prediction 2029 For 2029, the price of Polygon is predicted to attain a minimum value of $0.43. The maximum value could rise to $0.56, with an average trading price of $0.49 throughout the year. Polygon price prediction 2030 In 2030, Polygon’s price is forecasted to bottom out at $0.57. The maximum possible level for POL price could hit $0.72, with an average forecast price of $0.64. Polygon (POL) price prediction 2031 Looking ahead to 2031, Polygon’s price is expected to reach a minimum of $0.72. The maximum projection is $0.96, with an average trading price of $0.81. Polygon price prediction 2032 For 2032, the price of Polygon is predicted to attain a minimum value of $0.96. The maximum value could rise to $1.19, with an average trading price of $1.07 throughout the year. POL price prediction 2026-2032 POL price prediction by experts Firm Name 2026 2027 Coincodex $0.3294 $0.2629 CoinDCX $0.42 $0.5 Cryptopolitan’s POL price prediction Cryptopolitan is bullish on POL’s future market potential. In 2026, the price of Polygon is forecasted to reach a minimum level of $0.1. It’s anticipated to achieve a maximum level of $0.28, with an average price of $0.22 throughout the year. By the end of 2032, the price of POL is anticipated to surge toward the high of $1.19, with an average trading price of $1.07 POL historic price sentiment POL price history | Coinmarketcap POL debuted in 2019, initially valued below a cent. Maintained a steady level of around $0.02 for the following two years. POL’s rebranding to Polygon in 2021 fueled growth, surpassing $1 in May and peaking at an all-time high of $2.92 on December 27. In 2022, POL struggled, falling below $1 in May, under $0.50 in June, briefly rebounding above $1 in August, and ending the year at $0.7585, down 70%. In the following year, 2023, Polygon saw mixed performance, breaking $1 in February but dropping to $0.5593 in June after Crypto.com news. It peaked at $0.8775 in July, fell to $0.4946 in September, and recovered to $0.9789 by November. POL rose from $0.8514 in January to $1.4 in March but declined below $0.8 by May and hit lows near $0.4 in June and July. It consolidated between $0.4 and $0.6 in August and September, briefly surging above $0.45. In October, it dipped to $0.39 but surged to $0.63 in November following Donald Trump’s victory, ending December bearish at $0.477. At the start of January 2025, POL opened the market at $0.4511; in February, it hovered between $0.3068 – $0.3455. However, by the end of February, the price of POL dropped toward $0.25. In March, the price of POL declined heavily as it dropped below the crucial $0.2 level. In April, the POL price continued to hover below $0.2. However, as the trade war between the US and China eased, POL price jumped above resistance levels and made a high at $0.26 near the end of April. In early May, the price of Polygon declined slightly, reaching the ground at $0.21. However, it later surged toward the high of $0.27 in mid May. In early June, the price of POL sharply dropped toward the $0.2 low. By the end of June, POL declined toward $0.17. In July, POL surged toward $0.26 but declined sharply toward $0.19 in early August. The price of POL surged toward $0.26 in August. But it later consolidated around $0.25 in September. In early October, the price of Polygon surged toward the high of $0.25. POL price ended the month on a bearish note at around $0.17. By the end of November, the price of POL declined toward $0.12. POL price ended 2025 on a bearish note as it declined toward $0.1.

Japan’s stock market opened with a bang Tuesday after a three-day slump, as the Nikkei 225 surged by up to 3.6% to hit 53,549.16, its highest level in history. Traders piled in fast after reports said the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is preparing to dissolve the Lower House later this month and call a snap election in February. NHK broke that news, and markets took off. The rally brought back the so-called “Takaichi trade,” named after Takaichi Sanae, whose economic push for big stimulus and slower rate hikes has become a favorite for bullish investors. The Topix Index also jumped 2.13%. Chip stocks exploded. Advantest was up 8.99%, and Tokyo Electron climbed 8.31%. Even SoftBank gained nearly 5%. Yields jump and yen hits 158 as pressure grows on Tokyo Bond traders didn’t sit this one out. Japan’s 10-year bond yield rose to 2.15%, up more than 5 basis points, while the 20-year yield climbed 8 points to 3.137%. This all tracks with fears that Takaichi’s $135 billion stimulus plan would flood the bond market with more government debt. The yen has crashed to 158.25 per dollar, which is the weakest it’s been in almost a year and also dangerously close to the ¥160 zone that triggered four interventions in 2024. Food and energy prices are already rising, and many in Japan blame the falling yen. The Bank of Japan’s rate hike in December to 0.75% hasn’t helped. Economists still expect more hikes this year, but traders don’t seem convinced it’ll stop the currency from sliding. Finance minister Satsuki Katayama flew to Washington and met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday. After the meeting, Katayama said they discussed the situation directly: “I expressed my concerns about the one-way weakening of the yen. Secretary Bessent shares those concerns.” She reminded reporters that she still had a “free hand” to step into the currency market if needed. Not everyone is convinced the snap election will happen. Some traders think Takaichi might hold back if the LDP’s support stays low. But the market clearly doesn’t care right now. It’s trading like the election is already locked in. Asian stocks follow Japan rally while oil and U.S. futures drift Other Asian markets tried to catch the wave, and the South Korea’s Kospi added 0.62%, while the Kosdaq dropped 0.30%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped by 0.73% to 26,803.00, and Australia’s ASX 200 climbed 0.56% to 8,808.50, but the Shanghai Composite didn’t join the party, falling 0.64% to 4,138.759. In commodities, the Brent crude gained 1.52%, reaching $64.30 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 0.44% to $59.76 as of 7:34 a.m. in Singapore. Back in the U.S. , futures were in the red. Dow futures slipped 65 points. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.3%. Investors there are waiting for consumer inflation numbers and bank earnings, but all eyes are still on Japan for now. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

Hong Kong, China, January 13th, 2026, Chainwire HashSTACS.HK, a global digital asset infrastructure provider, today announced that it has been named to the “KPMG China 2025 FinTech 50” list, in recognition of its continued innovation and regulatory leadership in the financial technology sector. Official KPMG announcement: https://kpmg.com/cn/zh/home/campaigns/2026/01/re-china-fintech-50-2025.html HashSTACS.HK was also recognized as a representative company in the Real-World Asset (RWA) liquidity infrastructure category among this year’s awardees. The KPMG China FinTech 50 program evaluates companies across multiple dimensions, including technological capability, innovation, market recognition, and governance standards, with the objective of identifying institutions that are driving the digital transformation of the financial industry. HashSTACS.HK was listed alongside leading industry players such as WeBank, HashKey Group, and OSL Group, underscoring its industry-leading capabilities in financial security, compliance standards, and institutional-grade services. Core Technology Strengths Driving Financial Infrastructure Modernization KPMG defines financial technology as the application of technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of financial services. Through its proprietary distributed ledger technology (DLT) and trading systems, HashSTACS.HK addresses long-standing inefficiencies in cross-border investment, trading, and settlement of traditional financial assets. Leveraging Hong Kong’s well-established regulatory framework, the company has built a high-standard compliance-oriented infrastructure designed to deliver secure and scalable digital financial solutions for institutional clients. Its inclusion in the FinTech 50 list reflects not only recognition of its in-house technology development, but also its growing role as a critical infrastructure connector between traditional finance and digital asset markets. Advancing RWA and Stablecoin Infrastructure via RWALinks From an operational perspective, HashSTACS.HK remains focused on the stablecoin and RWA sectors, which are strategic priorities within Hong Kong’s digital asset development agenda. The company’s flagship platform, RWALinks, is designed to establish a compliant and scalable bridge between high-quality real-world assets and global on-chain liquidity. To date, RWALinks has achieved notable milestones: Scale: Cumulative transaction volume has exceeded USD 2 billion within months of launch; Market Activity: Average daily trading volumes continue to grow steadily, reflecting sustained institutional demand for RWA products; Ecosystem Connectivity: Through standardized interfaces, RWALinks has connected with multiple licensed financial institutions and major stablecoin issuers, significantly reducing friction in asset tokenization and trading. Looking Ahead: Building a Sustainable Digital Finance Ecosystem “Being recognized in the KPMG China FinTech 50 list represents a meaningful validation of our compliance-first and infrastructure-driven strategy,” said Eric Mob for HashSTACS.HK. “As a global digital asset hub, Hong Kong provides a strong foundation for the development of RWA and stablecoin ecosystems.” Looking forward, HashSTACS.HK will continue to advance RWALinks as its core platform, further enhancing infrastructure performance and regulatory alignment to improve capital efficiency and support the development of a globally competitive digital finance ecosystem in Hong Kong. About HashSTACS.HK HashSTACS.HK is a leading fintech infrastructure provider based in Hong Kong, focusing on trusted blockchain technology, stablecoin and RWA solutions. With a commitment to compliance and innovation, the company delivers institutional-grade services to global financial partners, empowering the development of digital finance ecosystems. ContactCOODaisyHashSTACS.HKbusiness@hashstacs.hk Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.

Leverage has been flushed, and spot demand remains soft, keeping bitcoin range-bound while token unlocks and thin liquidity drive sharp, narrative-led moves in select altcoins.

South Korea is lifting its long-standing restrictions on corporate cryptocurrency investments, signaling a major policy shift that could reshape the country’s digital asset landscape. After nine years of limitations and regulatory caution, authorities are now preparing to allow listed companies and professional investors to allocate a portion of their equity into top-tier cryptocurrencies traded on the nation’s major regulated exchanges. NEWS: South Korea has ended its nine-year ban on corporate crypto investing, allowing listed companies and professional investors to allocate up to 5% of equity into the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap on the country’s major crypto exchanges. pic.twitter.com/TWjMiA5hYs — SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) January 12, 2026 The move, reported by Seoul Economic Daily, marks the most significant reversal of crypto policy since the government’s 2017 ban on institutional participation. South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) is finalizing new guidelines that will open the door to controlled, legally supervised crypto exposure across the country’s corporate sector. Government Reverses 2017 Restrictions The decision reflects a notable shift in the government’s approach to virtual assets. In 2017, South Korea prohibited companies from engaging in cryptocurrency investments due to concerns about money laundering, high market volatility, and a surge in speculative trading. Authorities feared that unchecked institutional involvement could amplify financial risks in an already unstable market environment. Now, the FSC confirms it is revising those guidelines, preparing to officially reauthorize corporate participation. A senior FSC official stated that the regulatory changes are nearing completion, with the full framework expected to be released in January or February. Once implemented, the revised rules will allow legal entities, including publicly listed companies and professional investment institutions, to buy, hold, and manage cryptocurrency positions as part of broader financial and treasury strategies. The shift signals a maturing regulatory environment and growing confidence in South Korea’s ability to supervise virtual asset markets. New Guidelines Introduce Controlled Investment Limits The updated framework introduces a strict boundary for risk management. Companies will be permitted to allocate up to 5% of their equity capital into cryptocurrency investments. This cap is designed to prevent overexposure while still giving corporate entities meaningful access to digital asset markets. The FSC emphasizes that the 5% threshold is intentionally conservative. Rather than encouraging aggressive investment, it aims to provide companies with enough flexibility to diversify their holdings and participate in the growth of digital finance, without compromising balance sheet stability or inviting liquidity risks. Under the upcoming rules, virtual asset exposure will be treated similarly to other high-volatility financial instruments, ensuring that corporations maintain responsible risk assessments and follow standardized accounting and auditing practices. Only Top 20 Cryptocurrencies Qualify Under New Rules To further limit systemic risk, South Korea will restrict corporate investments to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by global market capitalization. This criterion ensures that companies interact only with assets that demonstrate strong liquidity, broad market adoption, and well-established trading histories. The policy effectively excludes smaller, more volatile tokens that may not meet reliability standards or regulatory scrutiny. By focusing on major assets, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other high-cap tokens, the FSC aims to minimize exposure to speculative projects, rug pulls, or manipulative trading activity. This tiered approach aligns with South Korea’s broader digital asset strategy, which prioritizes consumer protection, transparency, and structured market development. It also positions the country alongside other jurisdictions that allow institutional crypto participation under strict asset eligibility rules. Corporate Access Restricted To Regulated Domestic Exchanges All corporate cryptocurrency transactions must be conducted through South Korea’s five largest licensed and regulated crypto exchanges. These platforms include the nation’s most compliant operators, which already follow strict anti-money-laundering (AML) procedures, transaction monitoring, and asset custodial standards. By requiring corporate investors to use authorized exchanges, the FSC ensures that institutional trading activity remains traceable, secure, and fully aligned with national financial surveillance protocols. This measure is intended to: prevent illicit transactions ensure transparent reporting reduce counterparty risk strengthen oversight The requirement also prevents companies from interacting with unregulated offshore platforms, which may lack adequate security or compliance safeguards. Market Implications And Strategic Goals The reopening of corporate crypto investment access comes at a time when global financial markets are increasingly adopting digital assets as part of diversified investment strategies. South Korea appears eager not to fall behind international competitors, where corporations are already integrating cryptocurrencies into treasury operations, asset portfolios, and blockchain-based initiatives. The new policy could bring several measurable outcomes: 1. Increased institutional liquidity across Korean exchanges 2. Stronger legitimacy and market confidence within the domestic crypto sector 3. Greater innovation as companies explore blockchain use cases 4. Improved financial diversification for listed firms The FSC stresses that the goal is not simply to stimulate speculative trading but to build a stable and secure environment where digital assets can coexist with traditional financial systems. South Korea’s measured approach indicates that regulators recognize the economic potential of digital assets while maintaining strict oversight to reduce systemic vulnerabilities. A New Era For South Korea’s Digital Asset Economy With the nine-year ban now set to end, South Korea is preparing for a new chapter in its digital finance evolution. Corporate investors, once completely excluded from crypto markets, will soon have regulated, clearly defined pathways to participate in the country’s growing blockchain and virtual asset economy. The upcoming guidelines represent a balance between innovation and caution. They reintroduce institutional participation but within a framework designed to protect the financial system from excessive risk. The 5% equity limit, top-20 asset filter, and regulated-exchange requirement collectively create a controlled environment where companies can test strategies, diversify portfolios, and engage with high-cap cryptocurrencies responsibly. South Korea is signaling that it is ready to modernize its financial sector, and this regulatory shift marks one of the strongest policy reversals in its digital asset history. Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services. Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news !

The funding will support expansion of enterprise payment and settlement services across Latin America, the United States and Asia.