Aave Reaches Out, Memecoins Rip, Banks Shift

Welcome to our Crypto news in 10, a daily podcast bringing you the latest news about crypto in under 10 minutes.

It's Saturday, January third, 2026 — here's what's moving crypto.

Aave Labs extends an olive branch to its community. BitMine pushes for a massive share authorization — and gets a stock pop. Bank of America opens the door for advisors to recommend crypto exchange-traded products as soon as Monday. Vietnam's new crypto law takes effect. And memecoins surge — PEPE out front — while Bitcoin consolidates around ninety thousand and Ether holds above three thousand.

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Let's start with Aave. After weeks of tense governance back and forth, founder Stani Kulechov says Aave Labs is ready to share non-protocol revenue with AAVE token holders to realign incentives. Think income from products built by Aave Labs outside the core lending protocol.

He called it an olive branch — arguing the protocol should capture upside through usage, while independent teams build on top. It's a bid to cool a public dispute over fees and brand control that had some delegates calling it a hostile takeover attempt. Expect a formal proposal on the mechanics next, according to The Block.

A little context on the governance scuffle. In December, an AAVE holder even floated a kind of poison pill that would have forced the DAO to absorb Aave Labs' intellectual property and equity. That did not proceed — but it underscored the strain over who controls brand assets, front-end fees, and long-term revenue sharing. Kulechov's new revenue-sharing signal is meant to reset the tone heading into 2026. Reporting via The Block.

On to public markets. BitMine Immersion Technologies — which calls itself the largest Ethereum digital asset treasury — asked shareholders to approve a dramatic increase in authorized shares, from five hundred million to fifty billion. Chairman Tom Lee said the move would give the company flexibility for financing, M and A, and stock splits if Ether appreciates materially.

Investors seemed to like the optionality — the stock climbed about fourteen percent Friday to around thirty dollars and ninety-three cents after Lee's video pitch. The vote runs through January fourteenth. BitMine also disclosed it recently added more than forty-four thousand Ether, bringing total holdings to just over four point one one million Ether. That's via The Block.

If you're tracking big-bank posture shifts, circle Monday. Bank of America says advisors at the Private Bank, Merrill, and Merrill Edge can start recommending crypto exchange-traded products on January fifth. It's a step up from execution-only. The bank suggested allocations in the one to four percent range for clients who can stomach volatility — another signal that mainstream wealth platforms are normalizing crypto exposure in portfolios, per Reuters.

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To policy. Vietnam's long-awaited Digital Technology Industry Law took effect January first and is now live heading into the first trading week of 2026. The law recognizes crypto as property under civil law and lays out categories — security-like tokens, payment tokens, utility tokens, and mixed tokens.

It pairs recognition with incentives like tax breaks and special visas to keep builders onshore — alongside clearer anti-money-laundering expectations. Vietnam already ranks high on grassroots adoption... the question now is whether legal clarity converts that usage into compliant, homegrown businesses. Reporting via The Block.

And markets... the first meme-heavy rally of the year is here. PEPE led a broad pop across memecoins Friday — sprinting more than thirty percent on the day as traders rotated into high-beta names after the holidays. Analysts pointed to the classic January effect — assets that lag late in the year can rip early — and to rising open interest across meme perpetuals venues. The sector's market cap ticked to a two week high around the same time.

All this played out while majors consolidated — Bitcoin hovered near ninety thousand and Ether held above three thousand — suggesting traders are using the pause in the leaders to punt on riskier pockets. As always, quick upside can unwind just as fast... so size accordingly. Source: The Block.

Quick recap. Aave Labs floated revenue sharing to mend fences with its DAO — watch for a concrete vote. BitMine sought a hundred times boost to authorized shares and rallied on the news. Bank of America's advisors get the green light to recommend crypto ETPs starting Monday. Vietnam's crypto-property law is now in force. And memecoins stole the early-year spotlight with PEPE in the lead while Bitcoin and Ether consolidated.

We'll be back tomorrow with the next wave of headlines.

Thanks for listening and see you tommorow!