Must-Watch Events Next Week｜CLARITY Act to Clear Senate Hurdle; December CPI Data to Be Released (1.12-1.18)

marsbitPublished on 2026-01-11Last updated on 2026-01-11

Abstract

Key Events for Jan 12-18: U.S. December CPI data release on Jan 13; Senate Banking Committee to review the CLARITY Act (crypto market structure bill) on Jan 15; multiple Fed speeches scheduled throughout the week. Other notable events: Binance updates cross-margin collateral ratios and lists CharacterX (CAI) on Jan 12; Aster Phase 4 airdrop claims open Jan 14; BSC mainnet Fermi hard fork activates Jan 14; Coinbase supports MKR to SKY migration from Jan 12-14; Semler Scientific and Strive merger vote on Jan 13; BitMine annual shareholder meeting on Jan 15; UK stablecoin regulatory sandbox applications close Jan 18.

Key Events to Watch Next Week

January 13

US December CPI will be released at 21:30 on January 13;

January 14

Aster will open Phase 4 airdrop queries on January 14;

January 15

The US Senate Banking Committee has scheduled the review of the crypto market structure bill for January 15;

BitMine plans to hold its annual shareholders meeting on January 15, 2026, to elect 8 directors and amend the company's articles of association;

Federal Reserve Dynamics

  • January 13 (Tuesday) 01:30, 2027 FOMC voter, Atlanta Fed President Bostic to speak;
  • January 13 (Tuesday) 01:45, 2027 FOMC voter, Richmond Fed President Barkin to speak;
  • January 13 (Tuesday) 07:00, Permanent FOMC voter, New York Fed President Williams to speak;
  • January 13 (Tuesday) 23:00, 2028 FOMC voter, St. Louis Fed President Musalem to speak;
  • January 14 (Wednesday) 05:00, 2027 FOMC voter, Richmond Fed President Barkin to speak;
  • January 14 (Wednesday) 22:50, 2026 FOMC voter, Philadelphia Fed President Paulson to speak on economic outlook;
  • January 14 (Wednesday) 23:00, Fed Governor Milan to speak in Athens;
  • January 15 (Thursday) 01:00, 2026 FOMC voter, Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari to speak; 2027 FOMC voter, Atlanta Fed President Bostic to speak;
  • January 15 (Thursday) 03:00, Fed to release the Beige Book on economic conditions;
  • January 15 (Thursday) 03:10, Permanent FOMC voter, New York Fed President Williams to deliver opening remarks at an event;
  • January 15 (Thursday) 21:35, 2027 FOMC voter, Atlanta Fed President Bostic to speak;
  • January 16 (Friday) 01:40, 2027 FOMC voter, Richmond Fed President Barkin to speak on Virginia's economic outlook;

From January 12 to January 18, more industry events worth watching are detailed below.

January 12

Binance to update cross-margin collateral asset ratios on January 12, 2026

Odaily Planet Daily News Binance Cross-Margin will update the collateral ratios for assets including ARB, ADA, CFX, TRX, ASTER, XPL, ZEC, etc., at 06:00 (UTC) on January 12, 2026. The update is expected to take about 30 minutes. Users should note that adjustments to collateral ratios will affect the margin level in Cross-Margin Pro mode; please monitor closely to avoid potential liquidation risks.

Binance Alpha to list CharacterX (CAI) on January 12

Odaily Planet Daily News Binance Alpha will list CharacterX (CAI) on January 12. Eligible users can claim the CAI airdrop on the Alpha event page using Binance Alpha points after trading begins. Specific rules and more details will be announced separately. Users can follow Binance's official channels for further updates.

Coinbase to support MKR migration to SKY, suspends related services from January 12

Odaily Planet Daily News Coinbase Markets announced that it will support the migration of Maker tokens from MKR to SKY from January 12 to 14, 2026, with a conversion ratio of 1 MKR : 23,520 SKY. MKR trading and transfers will be suspended during this period. Users who do not wish to convert automatically must withdraw MKR to a self-custody wallet before January 12.

January 13

US Bureau of Labor Statistics: US December CPI to be released on January 13

Odaily Planet Daily News The US Bureau of Labor Statistics officially announced that the US December Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released at 21:30 Beijing time on January 13, including the US December unadjusted CPI year-on-year, seasonally adjusted CPI month-on-month, seasonally adjusted core CPI month-on-month, unadjusted core CPI year-on-year, and other data.

Semler Scientific's shareholder meeting for merger with Strive to be held on January 13; merged entity to hold nearly 13,000 BTC

Odaily Planet Daily News Semler Scientific founder Eric Semler posted on X platform that Semler Scientific has proposed its shareholders vote in favor of the merger with Strive. The special shareholder meeting will be held on January 13. Upon approval, SMLR shareholders will receive ASST shares at an exchange ratio of 21.05 times. The merged entity will hold nearly 13,000 BTC, placing it among the top five publicly listed companies with BTC as a primary strategic reserve. This move aims to enhance Strive's financing capabilities in the digital credit field and maximize long-term shareholder value. Eric Semler will join Strive's board.

January 14

BSC mainnet Fermi hard fork upgrade expected to activate on January 14

The BSC mainnet Fermi hard fork upgrade is expected to activate at 10:30 on January 14, 2026. This upgrade will shorten the block interval from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds to improve network throughput and transaction processing efficiency.

Aster to open Phase 4 airdrop queries on January 14

Odaily Planet Daily News The query opening date for Aster Phase 4 airdrop is January 14, 2026, and the claim window opening date is January 28, 2026.

January 15

US Senate Banking Committee schedules review of crypto market structure bill for January 15

Odaily Planet Daily News The legislative landscape for the US cryptocurrency industry has reached a critical turning point. The Senate Banking Committee has officially scheduled the review of the "Digital Asset Market Transparency Act" (referred to as the CLARITY Act, also known as the crypto market structure bill) for January 15, 2026 (Thursday). Committee Chairman Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, announced this decision after a series of intense closed-door meetings in early January. Senator Scott emphasized that the committee will proceed with a formal vote regardless of difficulties. Republican leadership views this deadline as a strategic necessity, racing against time to complete legislative work before the January 30 federal government critical spending deadline, which could otherwise trigger another government shutdown. The committee hopes that through next Thursday's vote, the bill can be submitted to the full Senate for consideration while the current administration maintains a pro-crypto momentum. (financefeeds)

BitMine plans to hold annual shareholders meeting on January 15, 2026, to elect 8 directors and amend articles of association

Odaily Planet Daily News NYSE American-listed Ethereum treasury company Bitmine Immersion Technologies announced that it will hold its annual shareholders meeting in Las Vegas on January 15, 2026. The meeting will elect 8 directors for a one-year term. Additionally, a proposed amendment to the articles of association to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, the 2025 Comprehensive Incentive Plan, and a special performance compensation arrangement for the Executive Chairman are expected to be approved at the annual shareholders meeting. (PRNewswire)

Aster Phase 3 airdrop claim to conclude on January 15

Odaily Planet Daily News Aster posted on X platform that the Phase 3 airdrop is now open for claiming. The claiming period is from 20:00 (UTC+8) on December 15, 2025, to 20:00 (UTC+8) on January 15, 2026.

January 16

None

January 17

None

January 18

UK opens regulatory sandbox for local stablecoin issuers; application deadline January 18

Odaily Planet Daily News The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently opened a regulatory sandbox for local stablecoin issuers wishing to test their stablecoin solutions. The application deadline for this sandbox is January 18.

Related Questions

QWhat is the key date for the US Senate Banking Committee to review the CLARITY Act?

AThe US Senate Banking Committee has scheduled the review of the CLARITY Act (Crypto Market Structure Bill) for January 15, 2026.

QWhen will the US December CPI data be released and what time?

AThe US December Consumer Price Index (CPI) data will be released on January 13, 2026, at 21:30 Beijing Time (UTC+8).

QWhat significant upgrade is expected for the BSC mainnet on January 14?

AThe BSC mainnet Fermi hard fork upgrade is expected to activate on January 14, 2026, at 10:30, which will reduce the block interval from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds to improve network throughput and transaction processing efficiency.

QWhich company's merger, if approved, will result in a new entity holding nearly 13,000 BTC?

AIf the merger between Semler Scientific and Strive is approved at the special shareholders meeting on January 13, 2026, the new entity will hold nearly 13,000 BTC, making it one of the top five public companies holding BTC as a primary treasury reserve.

QWhat is the deadline for applications to the UK FCA's regulatory sandbox for local stablecoin issuers?

AThe application deadline for the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)'s regulatory sandbox for local stablecoin issuers is January 18, 2026.

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