The crypto world is buzzing with hot news this weekend, friends. Let’s dive right in.
Hot News Alert: 17 Years of Hal Finney’s Legendary “Running Bitcoin” Post
Exactly 17 years ago, on January 10, 2009, cypherpunk legend Hal Finney dropped two simple words that changed everything forever.
That tweet marked the moment the network went live beyond just Satoshi, with Finney becoming the first guy to receive a Bitcoin transaction straight from the creator himself.
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Born in 1956, this cryptography genius jumped on the Bitcoin whitepaper early and helped kickstart what we now know as the trillion-dollar revolution.
Today, the Bitcoin community is out in full force celebrating this milestone, with the annual Running Bitcoin Challenge in full swing with thousands running or walking in Hal’s honor to raise funds for ALS research (he battled the disease himself).
Spot Bitcoin ETFs lose $681M in first week of 2026 in Hot News
Hot news doesn’t stop there.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs just wrapped a not-so-great first full week of 2026, seeing massive outflows totaling $681 million as investor risk appetite cooled off fast.
After strong early inflows (like $471 million on Jan 2 and nearly $700 million on Jan 5), things flipped hard with four straight days of redemptions.
It was further hit with a massive $486 million dump on Wednesday, then $399 million on Thursday, and $250 million Friday.
Spot Ether ETFs followed suit, bleeding about $69 million for the week.
And if that’s not enough drama, here’s more hot news shaking things up.
Anti-DeFi groups are running riots with ads
A mysterious group called Investors For Transparency is posting prime-time ads on Fox News, urging people to call their senators and demand crypto market structure legislation without any DeFi provisions.
Yes. Really!
The ads scream, “Pass Crypto Legislation Without DeFi Provisions,” and warn, “Don’t Let DeFi Stall Innovation,” clearly echoing big bank worries that DeFi (especially interest-bearing stablecoins) could suck trillions out of traditional deposits.
With the CLARITY Act markup coming soon, this lobbying push has the whole crypto crowd talking, with many calling it out as straight-up anti-decentralization.
And that’s a wrap, friends.
From Hal’s enduring legacy to ETF rollercoasters and political battles, this is the kind of hot news that reminds us why crypto never sleeps.
