Hassett’s Message on Customs Duties
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said that if the US Supreme Court rules against it, Trump could immediately impose a 10% customs duty. Hassett downplayed the federal criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying he did not expect it to be a significant problem. He said the investigation was merely a simple request for information and that the relevant information would be provided soon. He also expressed hope for more transparency regarding cost overruns in renovating the Fed’s headquarters.
U.S. May Eliminate Tax Exemption
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to amend Section 892 of the tax code. The proposal envisages taxation by redefining certain direct investments of sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds as “commercial activities.” Direct lending, debt restructuring, and joint investments may fall under this scope. It is stated that the regulation could steer funds toward more passive investment strategies.
Vanguard’s flagship mid-cap index fund, VMCIX, purchased Strategy ($MSTR) shares for the first time. According to BitcoinTreasuries.NET data, the fund purchased approximately 2.91 million shares, increasing the value of MSTR shares in its portfolio to $505 million. Vanguard’s total market value is reported to be approximately $12 trillion. The purchase drew attention in terms of institutional investor interest.
Trump Card and Housing Reforms
The White House is working with major banks to introduce a new credit card product called the “Trump Card.” The administration is considering allowing 401(k) retirement accounts to be used for home down payments to alleviate high housing prices. Steps to limit corporate investors’ purchases of single-family homes are also part of the plans. These policies are expected to be announced in Davos.
Strategy Financial Results Date
Strategy announced that it will report its fourth quarter 2025 financial results on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The announcement will be made after the close of U.S. markets, followed by an online conference call at 5:00 p.m. The company currently holds 687,410 Bitcoin in its portfolio. The market value of this position is stated to be approximately $66.47 billion.
CME New Micro Futures
CME Group plans to simultaneously launch Cardano ($ADA), Chainlink ($LINK), and Stellar ($XLM) micro futures. The products are expected to be launched on February 9, while the regulatory approval process is ongoing. CME Group also shared technical details about the relevant contracts. The new products are intended to offer investors the opportunity to take smaller positions.
- ADA: Standard contract 100,000 $ADA, micro contract 10,000 $ADA
- LINK: Standard contract $5,000 LINK, micro contract $250 LINK
- XLM: Standard contract $250,000 XLM, micro contract $125,000 XLM
24/7 Crypto Trading from CME
CME Group published updated FAQs regarding crypto futures. It was announced that spot-priced $XRP (QXRP) and $SOL (QSOL) futures are now available for trading. It was also announced that 24/7 non-stop electronic trading services for crypto options and futures will be launched soon. It was noted that current trading hours are 23 hours a day, every weekday.
Ethereum ACDE Meeting Summary
The postponement of EIP-7843 was the main agenda item at the Ethereum Execution Layer Core Developers meeting. It was stated that the decision was postponed because the proposal affects both consensus and the execution layer. The inclusion of seven EIPs in Glamsterdam was rejected. Under EIP-7954, increasing the contract size from 24KB to 32KB was evaluated.
Sharps Technology Lock Agreement
Solana treasury company Sharps Technology ($STSS) signed a 90-day share lock agreement with $SOL Markets. Under the agreement, the sale of advisory warrants and related shares will be restricted for 90 days. The regulation will take effect on January 16, 2026. The company had previously approved a share buyback program of up to $100 million.
Dreamcash Launches RWA Contracts
Mobile platform Dreamcash announced that it has launched USDT0-collateralized RWA perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Tether and Selini Capital. The products offered include the HIP-3 perpetual contract markets series. It was stated that USDT0 will be used as collateral.
AlphaTON Capital Raises Funds
TON treasury company AlphaTON Capital, listed on Nasdaq, raised $15 million through a registered share offering. The company announced that it issued 15,000,000 common shares, each priced at 1 US dollar. HC Wainwright & Co. acted as the sole placement agent for the offering. It was stated that the proceeds will be used to expand Cocoon AI GPU distribution and for general corporate purposes.
