Here’s what happened in the cryptocurrency market today, covering updates in crypto regulation, asset management, institutional tools, and government oversight efforts.
Poland’s President Blocks Crypto Law Over Civil Freedom Risks
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has refused to sign into law a bill that would impose tighter controls on the crypto market. The proposed Crypto-Asset Market Act aimed to increase regulatory oversight but was met with resistance from both the crypto industry and civil rights advocates.
Nawrocki said the bill “genuinely threatens the freedoms of Poles, their property, and the stability of the state.” One part of the law would have allowed authorities to block websites related to crypto trading, a clause critics warned could lead to misuse.
“Domain blocking laws are opaque and can lead to abuse,” said a statement from the president’s office.
The president also raised concerns about the bill’s complexity and length, saying it could create confusion rather than clarity. Compared to shorter crypto rules already in place in nearby countries like Slovakia and Hungary, Poland’s bill was viewed as overly complicated. The move was welcomed by crypto advocates, while some lawmakers accused Nawrocki of allowing regulatory gaps to persist.
CME Launches Bitcoin Volatility Index to Support Market Transparency
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has released new tools for institutional crypto traders. The company announced a set of cryptocurrency benchmarks, including the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index. This new index measures expected volatility over a 30-day period, based on pricing from Bitcoin and Micro Bitcoin Futures options.
The index is not tradable but is intended to serve as a reference point.
“The index gives traders a consistent view of the 30-day volatility outlook,” said a statement from CME.
It functions similarly to the VIX index used in equity markets.
Alongside Bitcoin, the new benchmarks cover Ether, Solana, and XRP. The goal is to give institutional participants better pricing tools and clearer insights as trading activity continues to grow across the crypto sector.
Vanguard Opens Platform to Crypto ETFs, Reverses Previous Stance
Asset manager Vanguard will now allow clients to trade crypto-related ETFs and mutual funds through its brokerage platform. The move gives more than 50 million users access to digital asset investment products, following a period of rising demand from both retail and institutional investors.
The company confirmed the change in a public statement.
“We serve millions of investors who have diverse needs and risk profiles,” a Vanguard spokesperson said.
The platform will now offer third-party crypto ETFs in the same way it offers access to gold ETFs.
Vanguard said it will not launch its own crypto funds and ruled out any support for memecoins. The shift marks a notable policy update for the world’s second-largest asset manager, which had previously stayed away from the digital asset market.
U.S. Lawmakers Renew Push for Crypto Regulation Clarity
Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have renewed their push for clear rules around crypto and digital asset regulation. In a report released Monday, members of the House Financial Services and Oversight Committees said that regulators under the previous administration had used informal pressure to restrict crypto companies’ access to banking services.
The report claims that federal agencies applied vague rules and discretionary enforcement to discourage banks from working with digital asset firms. Lawmakers compared these efforts to past government actions known as “Operation Choke Point.”
To prevent future overreach, lawmakers are backing the CLARITY Act, part of a wider digital asset market structure proposal.
“Congress must enact digital asset market structure legislation,” the report said.
The bill passed the House earlier this year and is under review in the Senate.
Senator Tim Scott, Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, said in November that the final version of the bill could be ready by early 2026. The proposed law would define which agencies—such as the SEC and CFTC—have oversight over specific types of digital assets, aiming to set a clear path for legal crypto activity in the U.S.
