🪙 USDU: The First USD-Backed Stablecoin Registered by the UAE Central Bank

🌍 Universal Digital Intl Limited has made a significant announcement regarding its stablecoin, USDU. On January 29, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, it was revealed that USDU is now registered by the Central Bank of the UAE as a Foreign Payment Token under the Payment Token Services Regulation (PTSR). This milestone makes Universal the first Registered Foreign Payment Token Issuer in the UAE. The reserves for USDU are held on a 1:1 basis in safeguarded onshore accounts at Emirates NBD and Mashreq, with Mbank serving as a strategic banking partner. Additionally, Aquanow has been appointed as the global distribution partner, facilitating USDU–AECoin conversion to support domestic settlement mechanisms.

💼 The significance of this development lies in USDU's provision of a regulated, USD-denominated settlement option for digital assets in the UAE. In this region, payments for digital assets and derivatives must be conducted in either fiat currency or a Registered Foreign Payment Token. This regulatory framework supports institutional uptake, enhances transparency through monthly reserve attestations, and promotes interoperability where permitted by local regulations. Juha Viitala, CEO of Universal, emphasized that

USDU sets a new benchmark for regulated digital value.

However, the availability and use of USDU are subject to UAE regulatory requirements and necessitate integrations with institutional partners and market infrastructures.

📅 Key FAQs regarding USDU include its regulatory status as the first USD-backed stablecoin registered by the Central Bank of the UAE, its local launch date on January 29, 2026, the holding and attestation of reserves at Emirates NBD and Mashreq on a 1:1 basis with monthly independent attestations, and the role of Aquanow as the global distribution partner enabling institutional access across the UAE and other regulated markets.

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❓ US adds 130,000 jobs in January, beating forecasts despite massive payroll revisions

‼️ The Labor Department reported Wednesday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 130,000 last month, well above economists’ forecasts of 70,000 and a sharp acceleration from December’s downwardly revised gain of 48,000. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.3% from 4.4%, defying expectations for a steady reading.

🔔 However, the report also included significant benchmark revisions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics erased roughly 898,000 jobs from payroll estimates covering April 2024 through March 2025. As a result, total nonfarm employment growth for 2025 was revised down substantially, from 584,000 to 181,000.

🔖 The revisions suggest the labor market was considerably weaker over the past year than previously reported, even as January’s headline figures point to renewed hiring momentum at the start of 2026.

📉 Analyst Predicts Potential XRP Dip Below $1 Amid Market Weakness

🌐 A cryptocurrency analyst has warned that XRP could drop below the $1 mark, with a potential decline to $0.85 as downside pressure intensifies and the broader crypto market shows signs of weakness. The analyst, Tara, shared her insights on social media platform X, indicating that deeper macro support near $0.87 remains in play amid the ongoing correction.

📊 Tara outlined a short-term rebound scenario but cautioned that broader market weakness could trigger another leg lower. She identified $1.30 as potential interim support and $1.65 as resistance during a retrace before renewed downside risk emerges. In response to a question about a possible double bottom in the $1.20-$1.30 range, she stated:

This could bring XRP down to ~$1.30 as short-term support with another wave up expected as high as the .5 at $1.65- now turned resistance.

However, she also warned:

A new low is still possible as far down as $.85.

🔗 Linking XRP’s outlook to Bitcoin’s projected move, Tara explained that a decline in BTC to $52,200 support would likely push XRP down to its .786 Fibonacci support level near $0.87. At the time of writing, XRP was trading at $1.36, below the price level at which it was trading when the analyst issued the prediction.

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🚀 XRP Surges as Ripple CEO Joins U.S. Regulatory Committee

📈 XRP has experienced a significant price increase, trading at $1.52609, up 8.09% in the last 24 hours. This rise follows Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse's appointment to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) Innovation Advisory Committee. The committee advises on blockchain, AI, and digital asset policy, indicating increased regulatory engagement with industry leaders.

During XRP Community Day, Garlinghouse described XRP as the "North Star" of Ripple’s strategy

and suggested that 2026 could be a pivotal year for crypto markets. This aligns with recent developments such as Binance's integration of RLUSD on the XRP Ledger, which has boosted the stablecoin's market capitalization to $1.5 billion.

📊 Technical indicators show strong momentum for XRP, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 81.87, indicating overbought conditions that may require consolidation. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) also reflects bullish momentum. However, trading near the upper Bollinger Band suggests a potential cooling phase if momentum fades.

If XRP continues to hold above the $1.48–$1.47 support band defined by the moving averages,

the technical structure remains constructive with $1.54240 as the immediate upside reference. A decisive break above this level would reinforce bullish continuation. Conversely, a downturn in RSI or a contraction in the MACD histogram could signal waning momentum.

🔼 Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Sees Significant Increase Amid Low Revenue

📈 Bitcoin's mining difficulty experienced a sharp increase of 14.73% on Thursday, reversing a previous decline of 11.16% that occurred two weeks earlier. This adjustment, which took place at block height 937440, highlights the volatile nature of the mining landscape where rapid changes are common.

📉 The earlier decrease in difficulty was the most significant since 2021 and was partly due to an Arctic storm that affected operations in the United States. Miners had to reduce their activities to alleviate pressure on the power grid. However, once conditions improved, they resumed operations with greater intensity, leading to the recent spike in difficulty.

⚡️ The network's hashrate surpassed 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s), resulting in shorter block intervals and setting the stage for the difficulty adjustment. This latest recalibration not only reversed the previous drop but also exceeded it, marking a notable shift in the mining environment.

📊 This adjustment is reminiscent of past significant increases, such as the 21.53% rise in May 2021. Since then, there have been several notable gains, but Thursday's increase stands out due to the current low revenue levels for miners. Despite the rise in hashrate and accelerated block production, miner revenue has decreased further, with earnings currently at $29.30 per petahash per second (PH/s).