Cryptocurrency News Weekly Summary: Notable Articles on "Cardano, XRP, Bitcoin, JPYC" and More

Source: Bittimes Original Title: Weekly Cryptocurrency News Summary “Cardano, XRP, Bitcoin, JPYC” and Other Notable Articles Original Link: https://bittimes.net/news/216229.html We have compiled the news related to cryptocurrencies (virtual currencies) and blockchain from January 11 to 17, 2026. We will highlight the most notable topics of the week.

X “Smart Cache Tag” Implementation, Displaying Cryptocurrency Prices

On January 12, Nikita Bier, Product Lead at X (formerly Twitter), revealed plans to develop a new feature called “Smart Cache Tag.”

According to Bier’s post on X, this feature allows users to tap on ticker symbols (e.g., $BTC, $NVDA) embedded in posts to instantly view real-time prices, price trend charts, and related posts for the respective cryptocurrencies or stocks.

Currently in limited testing, the plan is to gather user feedback to improve the feature, aiming for a public release in February 2026.

Cardano’s 2026 DeFi Strategy, Considering BTC and XRP Integration

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano (ADA), shared a video on X on January 10, outlining plans to expand Cardano’s DeFi infrastructure to be interoperable with Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP.

Hoskinson positions 2026 as the “year of execution” for Cardano’s vision, aiming to evolve from a single-chain DeFi stack to a multi-chain ecosystem spanning multiple blockchains throughout the year.

Whale Acquires 2.5 Billion Yen Worth of XRP, Attention on Large Movements

Crypto analyst Steph Is Crypto announced on January 13 that a whale (large investor) of XRP has acquired approximately 720 million XRP, worth about $1.5 billion (250 billion yen), over the past three days.

In a post on X, the analyst noted the large accumulation of XRP by long-term holders in a short period and questioned, “What do they know?”

Ripple Receives Preliminary Regulatory Approval in Luxembourg

U.S. blockchain company Ripple announced on January 14 that it received preliminary approval for an EMI (Electronic Money Institution) license from the CSSF (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier), Luxembourg’s financial regulator.

This approval will enable Ripple to strengthen its cross-border payment services, “Ripple Payments,” targeting the entire EU, and proceed with full-scale business operations.

Bitcoin, With Elon Musk’s Serious Involvement, Could Reach “1.33 Million Dollars”?

Samson Mow, CEO of Bitcoin technology company JAN3, expressed multiple bullish outlooks for the Bitcoin market on January 11.

In a post on X, he suggested that Bitcoin could reach $1.33 million (about 200 million yen) in 2026.

My Number Card Goes Wallet, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Demonstrates “JPYC Payment”

On January 16, Sumitomo Mitsui Card and Maina Wallet announced the launch of a continuous proof-of-concept program utilizing the My Number Card as a digital wallet to make contactless payments with the Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin “JPYC.”

This initiative positions the My Number Card as a crypto asset wallet, with transactions conducted via “stera,” a payment platform provided by Sumitomo Mitsui Card, to verify the technical and operational feasibility of contactless payments with JPYC.

The first phase of the proof-of-concept is scheduled to take place at the home games of professional basketball team “Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka” on January 23 and 24 at Teruha Sekisui House Arena in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City.

Clarity Bill, Industry Leaders and Democratic Lawmakers to Resume Discussions on January 17

On January 16, it was announced that U.S. Senate Democratic lawmakers will resume discussions with industry representatives on January 17 (Japan time) regarding the “CLARITY” bill, which comprehensively defines the structure of the cryptocurrency market.

This resumption follows the postponement of a key vote scheduled in the Senate Banking Committee, indicating a renewed phase of deliberation on the bill.

The background includes the withdrawal of support for the bill by a major compliant platform, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, leading to the sudden cancellation of the markup scheduled for January 15.