Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (January 14) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin and Ether price update
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$97,611.39, up by 3.3 percent over 24 hours.
Bitcoin price performance, January 14, 2025.
Chart via TradingView.
Ether (ETH) was priced at US$3,380.29, up by 5.5 percent over the last 24 hours.
Altcoin price update
XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.15, up by 0.6 percent over 24 hours.
Solana (SOL) was trading at US$147.38, up by 2.7 percent over 24 hours.
Today’s crypto news to know
Senate Committee puts crypto bill on January clock
The US Senate Committee on Agriculture has scheduled January 27 for its markup of a sweeping crypto market structure bill aimed at clarifying regulatory oversight of digital assets.
The bill text is due to be released on January 21, giving lawmakers less than a week to review and propose amendments before the committee vote. Committee Chair John Boozman said the compressed schedule is designed to balance transparency with momentum as Congress looks to reduce regulatory uncertainty.
The agriculture committee plays a central role because it oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which would gain expanded authority under the proposal.
If approved, the bill would still need to clear the Senate Banking Committee, pass the full Senate and House and ultimately be signed into law. While momentum has improved compared to last year, unresolved disputes remain around stablecoin yield and decentralized finance provisions.
Polygon to acquire Coinme, Sequence for ‘one-stop shop’ payments
Polygon Labs has entered into definitive agreements to acquire Coinme and Sequence, bringing together licensed fiat on- and off-ramps, enterprise wallets and onchain orchestration in one integrated solution.
Coinme provides licensed cash-to-digital at retail locations, while Sequence has the simplified ‘smart wallet’ technology needed to move that money easily. By acquiring these two companies, Polygon believes it is building a “one-stop shop” for moving money, allowing users to turn physical cash into digital money, and vice versa, at over 50,000 retail locations in the US; they can also create a digital wallet using an email or social media account.
In addition to that, Polygon said the acquisition will allow crypto users to send money across the world in seconds, without the need for complicated background steps.
Figure launches OPEN, a blockchain-based stock exchange network
Figure Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:FIGR) has launched a new system called the On-Chain Public Equity Network (OPEN), providing a new way for companies to list and trade shares using blockchain technology.
According to the announcement, OPEN is a new system where official stock ownership is recorded directly on a public blockchain, meaning the blockchain record is the stock, unlike a digital copy. It allows continuous, peer-to-peer trading via a limit order book, eliminating reliance on traditional banks and clearinghouses that close.
Investors can self-custody their stocks in a digital wallet, which aims to reduce fees and costs.
The network also allows shareholders to use their stocks as collateral for borrowing or lending, a role typically held by prime brokers. Figure said it is planning for these blockchain stocks to be ‘exchangeable’ with Nasdaq-traded stocks, ensuring price parity and liquidity across both markets.
Figure is the first company to use OPEN, and is offering some of its own shares to demonstrate the technology’s viability for large-scale public investing.
CleanSpark expands into AI data centers with Texas acquisition
CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK), a company primarily known for Bitcoin mining, announced an expansion to build data centers for artificial intelligence (AI) with the purchase of 447 acres of land in Brazoria County, Texas.
This is its second major land purchase in the area following a similar deal nearby in Austin County.
The company has secured a long-term deal to get up to 600 megawatts of electricity for this new site, enough power to run hundreds of thousands of homes.
While the company is known for mining Bitcoin, it is now using its expertise in building large “computer warehouses” to support the AI boom. These new sites are being designed as AI factories, places filled with powerful computers that process the complex data needed for things like ChatGPT and other advanced tech.
The deal is expected to close in early 2026. Once finished, CleanSpark will have nearly 1 gigawatt of potential capacity in the Houston area, making it a major player in the infrastructure that runs the modern internet.
Strategy’s US$1.3 billion Bitcoin haul lifts price
Bitcoin climbed back above US$95,000 after Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) disclosed a US$1.3 billion Bitcoin purchase, its largest single acquisition since July.
The purchase pushed Strategy’s shares up about 7 percent, reinforcing its reputation as a high-beta proxy for Bitcoin. The company now holds roughly US$66 billion worth of Bitcoin at an average purchase price near US$75,000.
Strategy funded the purchase by issuing more than US$1 billion in new shares rather than tapping existing cash.
The rally was reinforced by a surge in institutional demand, with US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recording their strongest single-day inflows since October.
European crypto exchange Bitpanda targets 2026 Frankfurt IPO
European crypto exchange Bitpanda is reportedly preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) in the first half of 2026, with a potential valuation of up to 5 billion euros.
Bloomberg reported that the Vienna-based firm is said to be eyeing a Frankfurt listing, positioning itself in one of Europe’s deepest capital markets. Founded in 2014, Bitpanda has grown into a major retail platform with more than 7 million users and a dominant share of Austria’s domestic crypto trading activity.
The company has reportedly engaged major investment banks to advise on the deal, though it has yet to formally confirm its IPO plans. A Frankfurt listing would align Bitpanda with a broader trend of European firms prioritizing liquidity and investor depth over traditional UK venues
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.