Online shopping was the leading real-world use case for crypto among Australians, followed by paying for services such as freelancing and video game purchases. More Australians reported using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services in 2026 compared to the year before, but banking friction has continued to weigh on crypto users, according to a new report by crypto exchange Independent Reserve. The annual survey of 2,000 “everyday Australians” was conducted between Jan. 12 and Jan. 30. It found that the share of Australians using crypto to buy goods or pay for services doubled from 6% to 12%, with the report suggesting “more Aussies are viewing crypto as a practical payment method rather than just a speculative bet.” Read more
The Senate Banking Committee has been looking to advance its crypto market structure bill since postponing a markup in January. US Senator Tim Scott says he expects a possible compromise this week on a stablecoin yield payments provision that has stalled a crypto market structure bill in the Senate. “I believe that this week we will have the first proposal in my hands to take a look at,” Scott, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee that is working to advance the bill, said on Tuesday at a crypto lobby event in Washington, D.C. “If that actually happens before the end of this week, and I think that it will [...] I think we’re going to be in much better shape,” he added. Read more