Core Viewpoint - NetBrands Corp. is focusing on strategic growth through joint ventures, mergers, and technology-driven partnerships in blockchain infrastructure, cryptocurrency mining, and Web3 markets [1] Group 1: Strategic Initiatives - The company is actively pursuing multiple opportunities aimed at accelerating scale and expanding geographic reach [1] - The initiatives are designed to enhance long-term shareholder value through disciplined capital deployment and operational synergies [1]

South Korea is moving closer to passing a new crypto bill that would require stablecoin issuers to hold a minimum of 5 billion won ($3.5 million) in capital, as lawmakers seek to formalize oversight of the virtual asset market. According to local reports, the Democratic Party’s Digital Asset Task Force, led by Chairman Lee Jeong-moon, convened its second plenary session on January 28 at the National Assembly Members’ Hall to discuss legislative directions based on the bill’s provisions. Representative A ...

Group 1 - Tether plans to allocate 10%–15% of its investment portfolio to physical gold [1] - The CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, stated that this allocation adds to the bullion that already backs some of its products [1]

Group 1 - Benjamin Cowen dismisses the idea of a rotation from precious metals into digital assets, challenging the narrative that gains in gold and silver could benefit Bitcoin and Ethereum [1][2] - Cowen draws parallels with past market behavior, stating that there was no rotation from Bitcoin to alternative cryptocurrencies, indicating skepticism about the current market dynamics [2] - Peter Schiff criticizes Bitcoin's performance, noting it has underperformed against gold since its peak in November 2021, with Bitcoin down over 50% when priced in gold [3][4] Group 2 - Tom Lee from Fundstrat presents a contrasting view, suggesting that the rally in precious metals may be overshadowing strengthening fundamentals in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum [5][6] - Lee emphasizes that financial institutions are increasingly viewing Ethereum as a core settlement and tokenization layer, indicating a positive outlook for its future [6] - Despite Bitcoin and Ethereum trading below their all-time highs, Lee maintains a long-term bullish forecast for both cryptocurrencies [8]

Core Insights - Tether has accumulated approximately 140 tons of gold valued at around $24 billion, positioning itself as one of the largest bullion holders globally [1] - The company is purchasing between one and two tons of gold weekly to enhance its reserves and support its gold-linked cryptocurrency [1] Group 1: Gold Holdings and Market Impact - Tether purchased over 70 tons of gold in the past year, surpassing the reported acquisitions of all central banks except Poland, contributing to a 65% rally in gold prices [3] - Gold recently reached a record price of over $5,000 per ounce, increasing by 15% since January 1 [2] Group 2: Strategic Goals and Operations - Tether's CEO described the company's strategy as functioning like a "gold central bank," aiming to diversify profits from its USDT stablecoin into physical assets [4] - The firm stores its gold in a former nuclear bunker in the Swiss Alps and has hired senior gold traders from HSBC to enhance its trading operations [5] Group 3: Trading and Revenue Strategies - Tether plans to actively trade gold to exploit arbitrage opportunities between futures prices and physical metal costs, in addition to holding the metal [6] - The company has acquired stakes in royalty companies to capture mining revenue streams [6] Group 4: Future Projections - The circulation of Tether's XAUT gold token is expected to reach between $5 billion and $10 billion soon [7] - S&P Global Ratings has downgraded USDT to "weak" due to the increased risk associated with holding volatile assets like gold and Bitcoin [7]

Morning Minute is a daily newsletter written by Tyler Warner. The analysis and opinions expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Decrypt. Subscribe to the Morning Minute on Substack. GM! Today’s top news: Crypto majors green as dollar dips; BTC at $90k HYPE pops 50% in 2 days, now at $33+ on back of HIP3 growth Tether introduces USAT at first Genius-compliant stable aimed at US Ethereum announced ERC8004 aimed at AI agents and agentic commerce Moonbirds launch BIRB token, de ...

Group 1 - Former Bitpanda Chief Legal Officer Oliver Stauber has been appointed as the new CEO of Bitget EU, as the company prepares to receive its Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulatory approval from Austria in the second quarter of 2026 [1][3] - Bitget applied for a MiCA license in Austria in 2025 and plans to establish its new European headquarters in Vienna, but it cannot offer services in the European Economic Area (EEA) until approval is secured [3] - Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, expressed confidence in Stauber's ability to lead the EU operations, citing his experience and regulatory fluency, and emphasized that only tokens aligning with MiCA standards will be listed [4] Group 2 - KuCoin has also made a similar strategic appointment by bringing in Sabina Liu, a former London Stock Exchange Group executive, to lead its EU operations in Vienna [5] - KuCoin received a MiCAR license from Austrian authorities in November, indicating a trend among crypto firms to support the regulatory framework established by MiCA [6]

🔥 UPDATE: Crypto industry recorded $33T in stablecoin transaction volume in 2025. https://t.co/9wg0ZKlUol ...

Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, has been buying physical gold at a pace of up to two tons a week as it builds one of the world’s largest bullion stockpiles. The company’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, told Bloomberg that Tether intends to continue purchasing gold at that rate for at least the next few months. At current prices, that equates to more than $1 billion in buys every month. The purchases are delivered to a high-security former nuclear bunker in Switzerland, which Ardoino desc ...

Threat actors move quickly and scale globally. This Crypto ISAC integration emphasizes continuous, automated sharing so intelligence is timely, high-confidence, and operationally usable, enabling faster detection, stronger prevention, and more effective response across security operations and fraud teams. NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crypto ISAC and Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) today announced an expanded integration that enables Coinbase to continuously share select, high- confidenc ...