On January 26, US President Donald Trump said on X he would raise tariffs on South Korean imports to around 25%, citing Seoul’s legislature for not honoring a trade deal. The plan, covering sectors like cars, lumber and pharmaceuticals, contrasts with a current 15% rate and, analysts warned, could hit major firms.

On January 23, 2026, ARK Invest executed its first crypto-linked equity trades of the year, purchasing Coinbase (COIN), Circle (CRCL), and Bullish (BLSH) shares for a total of $21.88 million. The firm acquired 42,179 COIN, 129,446 CRCL, and 88,533 BLSH, signaling continued conviction in crypto-exposed equities amid market volatility.

On January 26, 2026, silver plunged about 12% in under four hours, wiping out an estimated $800 billion in market capitalization and marking one of its steepest short-term declines in recent years. The leveraged unwind and spike in trading volume raised questions over whether some capital could eventually rotate toward crypto assets such as Bitcoin. While the move underscored how fragile momentum trades can be, any potential shift into digital assets still appears dependent on broader liquidity and risk appetite.

US lawmakers and regulators are expected to revisit crypto market structure on Thursday, 29 January, after winter storms delayed federal activities. The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a 10:30 a.m. ET markup on the Digital Commodities Intermediary Act, while the SEC and CFTC plan a 2:00 p.m. ET harmonization session, with amendments ranging from ethics rules to national security and consumer protection likely to shape the bill's final scope.

As markets approach the January 28 FOMC meeting, futures pricing indicates around a 97% chance the Federal Reserve will keep the federal funds rate at 3.75%. Inflation near 3.0%, robust fourth-quarter growth and only modest labor market cooling support expectations for a pause, while rising political pressure and a 2026 leadership horizon add uncertainty to the longer-term rate path.

On 26 January 2026, Binance announced it will introduce a Tesla-linked TSLAUSDT perpetual futures contract, scheduled to go live on 28 January 2026 at 14:30 UTC. The instrument will mirror Tesla's Nasdaq share price, trade 24/7 with up to 5x leverage, settle in USDT and offer a minimum position size of 0.01 TSLA with a notional starting from 5 USDT.

On January 26, 2026, CoinShares reported institutional outflows of $1.73 billion from digital asset investment products over the latest week, the largest since mid-November 2025. Bitcoin saw $1.09 billion in outflows, with Ethereum at $630 million, while Solana recorded $17.1 million in inflows. The US led with nearly $1.8 billion exiting, as Switzerland, Canada and Germany posted inflows.

As of January 26 2026, BlackRock's Global Fixed Income CIO Rick Rieder has moved into pole position on Polymarket and Kalshi for the role of Federal Reserve Chair, ahead of Jerome Powell's term ending in May. Rieder's probability has climbed sharply, overtaking former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, as traders respond to his recent meeting with Donald Trump and favorable public comments from the former president and economic advisor Kevin Hassett.