Author | Wu Blockchain
The content of this article is solely for information sharing and does not promote or endorse any business or investment activities. Readers are strictly required to comply with the laws and regulations of their respective regions and not participate in any illegal financial activities.
Top 10 News of the Week
1. US President Signs Crypto Executive Order, Establishes Working Group to Strengthen Digital Finance Leadership link
The US President has officially signed an executive order on cryptocurrencies, establishing a Presidential Digital Assets Market Working Group to strengthen the US's leadership in the digital finance sector. The working group will develop a federal regulatory framework, including stablecoin regulation and the feasibility assessment of a national digital asset strategic reserve. Led by the White House AI and Crypto Technology Coordinator David Sacks, the group includes the Treasury Secretary, SEC Chair, and heads of relevant departments. The order requires federal agencies to review existing regulations and provide recommendations to the working group, while prohibiting agencies from promoting or issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Additionally, the order revokes the previous administration's digital asset-related executive orders and the Treasury Department's international framework, stating that they have stifled innovation and undermined the US's economic freedom and global leadership.
According to the White House website, the executive order aims to protect and promote fair and open access to banking services for all law-abiding citizens and private sector entities; and prohibits the establishment, issuance, circulation, and use of CBDC within US jurisdiction. The order requires relevant agencies to identify all regulations, guidance, orders, or programs impacting the digital asset sector within 30 days, and submit recommendations on whether to revoke, modify, or incorporate them into regulations within 60 days. Within 180 days, the working group must submit a report through the APEP to the President, proposing regulatory and legislative recommendations to advance policies. The national digital asset reserve may potentially be sourced from cryptocurrencies legally seized by federal law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, Trump stated in a speech at the World Economic Forum that the US will become the world capital of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. He also called for immediate interest rate cuts.
2. Trump Responds "I Don't Know Much" About TRUMP Token, Causing Price to Drop Nearly 30% link
On January 18, Trump posted on his Truth Social account announcing the launch of a personal Meme coin called TRUMP, with users needing to visit the website "gettrumpmemes" to obtain the Meme token. GMGN data shows that in less than 30 minutes of opening, the TRUMP market cap had reached around $800 million. The top-ranked address holds 80% of the Tokens, and the top 5 addresses hold over 90% of the Tokens. On the same day, Trump retweeted the news on his Twitter account. According to the latest Coingecko data, the "Trump Meme Coin" TRUMP FDV has surpassed $20 billion, with the latest TRUMP price at $33.94, reaching a high of $77.24, and an FDV of $34 billion.
According to the GetTrumpMemes website, Trump Memes aims to express support and participation in the unique understanding and belief in the ownership of the "TRUMP" symbol and related artworks, and is not intended to be an investment opportunity, investment contract, or any type of securities-themed project. GetTrumpMemes.com is not involved in politics, any political campaign activities, or any political office or government agency. The Trump Group's subsidiaries CIC Digital LLC and Fighter Fight LLC jointly own 80% of TRUMP, but are subject to a 3-year unlocking plan. The owners of Fighter Fight LLC, CIC Digital LLC and Celebration Cards LLC, will receive the transaction revenue generated from TRUMP trading activities. Additionally, 200 million TRUMP will be available on the first day, and it is expected to reach 1 billion TRUMP within three years. The distribution of each batch will be released on its own timeline over the next 3 years.
Furthermore, Trump reposted on his Truth Social account about his wife Melania Trump launching an official token called $MELANIA. According to Conor's tweet, the just-launched Melania token (worth billions of dollars) has a different structure than the TRUMP token. The seed funds come from a wallet that previously traded on PumpFun, and no multi-sig mechanism has been found so far (TRUMP had set up multi-sig before launch). The current Melania market cap is around $2.7 billion.
On Wednesday, Trump responded to his new Meme token in a press conference, saying: "I don't know much about it, I just know it's mine. I heard it's been very successful, but I haven't looked into it." This news caused TRUMP's price to drop nearly 30% that day.
Cathie Wood, in an interview with Bloomberg, stated that TRUMP is a Meme coin, and she has not purchased it, only holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. However, she believes the coin is not entirely without value and may symbolize a new stage in the cryptocurrency revolution, potentially having some utility in the future.
3. Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder link
US President Trump has pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, revoking his life sentence. Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 for operating the Silk Road website, which facilitated the sale of drugs and other illegal goods through Bitcoin transactions. Trump responded on his social media, stating that he has signed a "full and unconditional pardon" for Ross Ulbricht, citing his support for the libertarian movement and criticizing those involved in his conviction as representatives of the government's weaponization. Trump also called Ulbricht's trial "ridiculous" and the people who convicted him "crazy." On the day of the pardon, Trump also called Ulbricht's mother to personally inform her of the news.
Elon Musk shared Trump's message on social media, saying: "I was honored to be present in the Oval Office when @realDonaldTrump signed this order tonight."
4. US Government Efficiency Department Replaces Website Logo, No Longer Uses Dogecoin Symbol link
On Tuesday, the DOGE government website was launched, using the Dogecoin logo as the header.
On Wednesday, the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) replaced its official website logo, removing the Dogecoin symbol but retaining the Shiba Inu element. The new logo design was previously shared by Musk on the X platform.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) launched its first reform initiative after President Trump's inauguration. It plans to quickly initiate actions to reduce federal spending, announcing the closure of the Federal Diversity Executive Council (CDOEC) under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The council was previously responsible for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies in the federal government. Musk shared the news, stating: "The action has begun." Previously, Trump had promised to completely terminate illegal DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs and cut $1 trillion from the budget.
5. US SEC Establishes Crypto Working Group to Advance Regulatory Framework link
SEC Acting Chair Mark T. Uyeda announced the establishment of a Cryptocurrency Working Group on January 21, 2025, with the aim of developing a clear regulatory framework for crypto assets. The group will be led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, with Richard Gabbert and Taylor Asher serving as Chief of Staff and Chief Policy Advisor, respectively. The working group will collaborate with the SEC's internal departments, the public, and other federal and international agencies to clarify regulatory boundaries, provide registration pathways and disclosure frameworks, and optimize enforcement resource allocation.
6. Trump's Son Eric Trump: Now is the Best Time to Bet on the Crypto Sector and Invest in America link
Eric Trump, the son of former President Trump, posted on X platform: "I believe now is the best time to invest in America. Bet on our markets, energy, technology and Altcoins, bet on a country that has broken free of its shackles and has potential. There is no doubt that Biden has left a mess, but this mess will be corrected, and the next four years will be glorious. Transformative wealth will be created, and I hope everyone can enjoy this journey."
ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin posted on X that "to my knowledge, the Trump family will be building one or more mega-enterprises on Ethereum. They will also be doing something on other chains like Bitcoin and Solana." He also emphasized that "the Trump administration will do things that are beneficial to America, which will involve Ethereum. Consider how America can support the largest decentralized protocol ecosystem Ethereum to benefit America, and they may eventually use Ethereum technology in government activities just as they currently use the internet and network protocols."
7. Ethereum core developer Eric Conner announces his departure from the Ethereum communitylink
Ethereum core developer Eric Conner posted on X platform, announcing his departure from the Ethereum community, "I am no longer a '.eth'. Perhaps one day, those in leadership roles will realign with the community, but for now, I'm out." Conner had previously criticized the Ethereum Foundation (EF) for its lack of transparency and disconnect from the community, believing the Foundation could cut 80% of its budget without impacting Ethereum's development. Conner said he will focus his efforts on the intersection of Crypto and AI, as he believes crypto technology is crucial for building an open, trustworthy and fair AI future.
8. MicroStrategy acquires 11,000 Bitcoins in early 2025, totaling 461,000 Bitcoinslink
MicroStrategy acquired 11,000 Bitcoins in early 2025, worth approximately $1.1 billion, at an average price of around $101,191 per Bitcoin. As of January 20, 2025, MicroStrategy holds a total of 461,000 Bitcoins, with a total investment of approximately $29.3 billion and an average purchase price of $63,610. The company's Bitcoin returns since 2025 have been 1.69%.
9. Nasdaq's official Twitter account temporarily hacked to promote a fake meme tokenlink
Nasdaq's official Twitter account was hacked on January 22, with the hackers using a fake associated Twitter account as a Nasdaq subsidiary to retweet posts promoting a new Altcoin called STONKS. The STONKS token appears to be a clone of a Solana ecosystem token, and according to DEXscreener data, the fake STONKS token's market cap skyrocketed to $80 million within hours before crashing. The offending tweets have since been deleted, and the fake account has been suspended.
10. Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio reveals he holds a "small amount" of Bitcoinlink
Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio stated that he holds a "small amount" of Bitcoin. Previously, Dalio had said at the Abu Dhabi Finance Conference that he would invest in "hard currencies" like gold and Bitcoin to avoid debt assets, as major economies face high debt levels and potential debt crises.
Key Funding Events
- SOON raised $22 million through an NFT sale, with Hack VC leading the investment link
- Phantom raised $150 million, reaching a valuation of $3 billion link
- GTE raised $10 million, planning to launch a decentralized exchange based on MegaETH link
- Crypto wallet provider Keplr announced a $5 million seed round funding link
- Aviation DePIN startup Wingbits announced a $5.6 million funding round link
- Critical Metals launched a Bitcoin treasury strategy, planning to acquire up to $500 million in BTC through financing link
- Hybrid crypto exchange GRVT raised $5 million, with Further Ventures leading the investment link
- Crypto AI company Reppo Labs secured $2.2 million in funding link
- Open-source economic infrastructure Merit Systems completed a $10 million seed round link
- Web2.5 infrastructure company Torram announced a $710,000 pre-seed funding closure link
- Digital advertising platform EarnOS announced a $5 million seed round funding link
- Solana social graph protocol Tapestry completed a $5.75 million Series A funding round link
- Hyve Labs raised $2.75 million to drive the development of Web3 gaming infrastructure link
For more industry funding events, please visit crypto-fundraising.info.
