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Crypto Bill Stalls Amid Senate Focus On Inflation โ€“ A Quick Look

22 January 2026 at 16:00

Now hanging in uncertainty, a big US cryptocurrency bill meant to set firmer ground for trading platforms, digital tokens and stablecoins lost its urgent status among Congress leaders. Attention shifting elsewhere, several influential senators paused work on it this week. Talks continue behind the scenes, aiming to fix unresolved parts before moving forward.

Lawmakers Focus On Housing

A handful of senators shift attention toward affordable housing plans linked to US President Donald Trumpโ€™s priorities. This move shrinks the chance for quick approval of the cryptocurrency legislation. Time runs short as political energy flows elsewhere.

Now the Banking Committee changed its timeline because of that move, so the expected vote on the bill got delayed for now. This puts a pause on efforts to build one clear system.

Big Industry Pushback

Out of nowhere, Coinbase stopped backing the plan. Its executives said the proposal might limit how stablecoins work, affecting services people rely on. That shift made them step away quietly. Right after, the group in charge paused things as well.

That shift laid bare growing tensions. Not every bank welcomed the rise of stablecoins. Rivalry looms when digital coin returns gain wider reach. Some financial players see threat in that growth.

Industry Response And Market Effects

Fear spread through trading floors. When talks got delayed, digital currencies started falling because people began questioning how much longer the arguing could last โ€“ alongside what kind of outcome might finally emerge.

Useful, perhaps, if waiting brings sharper rules. Still, dragging too long risks confusing banks more, leaving them unsure when to act.

Separate Tracks Emerge

Ahead of the curve, some lawmakers are eyeing a fresh approach where certain digital tokens fall under commodity rules. This version, quietly shared by the Senate Agriculture team, might follow its own path forward โ€“ timing unclear.

While others debate classification, this draft sidesteps the main gridlock and suggests an alternate route through regulatory terrain.

One path might still move forward, even if the Banking Committeeโ€™s proposal gets stuck. Still, running two versions at once brings up concerns โ€“ how will they merge them should both make it to debate?

Crypto Bill: What Might Happen Next

Few believe itโ€™s dead, though time slips fast. Elections loom; attention wanders. Agreement must come soon, or nothing sticks.

Some members of Congress quietly say pushing into late February could kill chances, yet backers still meet out of view to adjust the proposal and pull in more votes.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Iranโ€™s Rial Collapses Against U.S. Dollar โ€” Is Bitcoin Emerging as an Alternative?

12 January 2026 at 16:24

Bitcoin Magazine

Iranโ€™s Rial Collapses Against U.S. Dollar โ€” Is Bitcoin Emerging as an Alternative?

Iranโ€™s national currency, the rial, has completely collapsed against the U.S. dollar as the countryโ€™s economic crisis worsens. The value of one rial is now worth $0.00 right now.

On the open market, one U.S. dollar now trades for roughly 1.4 million rials, a collapse that has erased decades of purchasing power and fueled widespread unrest.

The currencyโ€™s plunge isnโ€™t new, but the pace of decline in 2025 and early 2026 has been dramatic. Sanctions remain severe, oil revenues have shrunk, and political instability has driven investors and ordinary Iranians to seek alternatives to the rial and even to the U.S. dollar.

Inflation is soaring. Prices on food, medicine and basic goods have jumped sharply, forcing many families to spend a larger share of income just to survive. The official inflation rate climbed above 42% late last year, though actual costs for staples may be higher at this point.

The economic strain has spilled into the streets. Bazaar merchants and students have taken part in protests across cities from Tehran to Isfahan and Shiraz, condemning both economic mismanagement and political repression.

In the capital of Tehran, traditional supporters of the theocratic government have openly turned against clerical leadership as conditions worsen.

These protests have led Iran to impose telecom blackouts and jam satellite services, prompting citizens to turn to offline communication tools. Bitcoin focused apps like Bitchat and Noghteha enable secure messaging via Bluetooth and mesh networks without internet access, with Noghteha specifically adapted for Iranian users.

๐Ÿšจ Iran's currency has collapsed and is now officially worth $0.

Iran needs Bitcoin ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท pic.twitter.com/s5GxaXupbt

โ€” Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 12, 2026

Iran needs Bitcoinย 

Against this backdrop, Bitcoinโ€™s profile in Iran has quietly risen. Long before the latest collapse, crypto adoption in the Middle East and North Africa was accelerating, partly as a hedge against unstable local currencies and restrictive financial systems.

In the past weeks, reports, mainly those from blockchain analysis company Chainalysis, have highlighted Bitcoin and cryptoโ€™s role in the unrest. State actors and private citizens alike have moved value through crypto channels, both to preserve savings and to evade the limitations of the rial and sanctioned banking system.

Chainalysis data shows Iranianโ€‘linked services moved more than $4 billion out in 2024, a jump of about 70% year over year. Iranian centralized exchanges swelled with users looking to swap rials for any asset that holds value beyond the border

Industry voices are framing Bitcoin as more than a financial curiosity. Some analysts and executives point to Bitcoin as an โ€œexit optionโ€ for Iranians who see the rialโ€™s collapse as a failure of traditional money. These narratives emphasize Bitcoinโ€™s fixed supply and global liquidity as shields against inflationary policies and external pressure.

Even so, obstacles remain. Iranโ€™s government has maintained strict controls on digital finance, cracking down on unregistered mining and monitoring crypto platforms. Official policies often contradict private behavior, creating legal uncertainty for Iranians trying to use crypto as a safe haven.

Itโ€™s times like these that point to why we need bitcoin as a race. Bitcoin stands out as the tool it was created to be: resilient, borderless, free and censorship-resistant.

This post Iranโ€™s Rial Collapses Against U.S. Dollar โ€” Is Bitcoin Emerging as an Alternative? first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

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