President Trump’s tariffs enacted in 2025 and possible expansions in 2026 are adding macroeconomic uncertainty that can increase volatility across cryptocurrency markets. Higher import duties have disrupted global trade and supply chains, raising inflation fears and prompting central banks to consider tighter monetary policy. For traders, this creates a near-term risk-off environment: Bitcoin (BTC) may fall with equities when investors seek safety but could regain interest as an inflation hedge; Ethereum (ETH) is likely to show larger swings as liquidity tightens and higher rates weigh on DeFi activity and capital flows, though staking and network growth offer support; XRP (XRP) could benefit over time due to its payments-focused utility if cross-border trade frictions increase. Overall, expect short-term sell pressure and amplified price swings, with the potential for renewed demand for crypto as an alternative store of value if inflation or currency instability persists. Key SEO keywords: Trump tariffs, crypto volatility, Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, inflation, monetary policy, trade tensions.
Trust Wallet has restored its Chrome browser extension after a December supply‑chain attack that led to roughly $8.5 million stolen from about 2,520 wallets. Attackers pushed a malicious extension (v2.68) on December 24; most thefts occurred December 25–26. Trust Wallet links the compromise to the November Shai‑Hulud npm registry breach and says attackers prepared infrastructure as early as December 8. White‑hat defenders deployed DDoS countermeasures that helped limit further losses. The incident affected only the Chrome extension; Trust Wallet’s mobile apps were not impacted. Trust Wallet identified 2,596 affected addresses but received more than 5,000 reimbursement claims, prompting a stricter verification process. The restored extension (v2.71.0) adds a verification‑code feature to authenticate claimants and reduce duplicates/fraud. CEO Eowyn Chen and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao confirmed plans to reimburse verified victims. Users are advised to remove any suspicious Trust Wallet extensions, update only from the official Chrome Web Store listing, and take standard wallet safety steps (use hardware wallets for large balances, avoid browser extensions for custodial keys).
Aave Labs founder Stani Kulechov announced the firm will share revenue generated outside the Aave protocol with AAVE token holders following weeks of community disputes over control and profit allocation. The clash began when a token holder questioned why frontend fees were routed away from the Aave DAO. A December proposal to transfer brand assets, domains and social media into a DAO-controlled entity — combined with unclear terms for Aave Labs’ future role — triggered debate and a roughly 10% drop in AAVE’s price to about $160. Kulechov said Aave Labs will submit a formal proposal detailing revenue-sharing structures and aims to align the company with the DAO. He also pushed for expanding Aave beyond core DeFi into real-world assets, consumer lending and institutional markets while allowing independent teams to build on the permissionless protocol. The move is positioned to resolve branding and ownership issues and to clarify how centralized development work and innovation will be compensated.
On March 21, 2025, Whale Alert recorded that Circle’s USDC treasury minted $250 million USDC after receiving and verifying equivalent U.S. dollars. USDC remains pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar; the mint increases available stablecoin liquidity but does not alter parity. Large mints typically reflect institutional demand from exchanges, OTC desks, DeFi protocols or corporate treasuries and can precede significant on-chain or off-chain capital movements. Traders should monitor on-chain flows to centralized exchange wallets, OTC activity, DeFi lending pools and derivatives order books to infer how the supply will be deployed. Immediate effects may include improved exchange liquidity (reduced slippage), expanded DeFi lending capacity (downward pressure on borrowing rates) and more stable peg dynamics. Regulatory frameworks — including upcoming U.S. rules and Europe’s MiCA — require transparency and attestations; Circle publishes reserve attestations and the mint will appear in its next report. Key takeaways for traders: this mint signals sizeable operational demand for dollar liquidity, could enable larger OTC trades or lending activity, and may temporarily affect liquidity metrics and funding rates, but it is not a direct directional price signal for risk assets. Monitor exchange inflows and DeFi deposits for actionable signals.
Rivian Automotive reported 42,247 EV deliveries in 2025, an 18% decline from 2024 and slightly below analysts’ forecast of 42,500. Q4 deliveries were 9,745 versus estimates of 10,050, while production at its Normal, Illinois plant was 10,974 units for the quarter. The shortfall follows an industry-wide slowdown after the $7,500 US federal EV tax credit expired in September 2025, which reduced consumer demand and effectively raised prices. Rivian is cutting costs and simplifying components at its Illinois facility to improve efficiency and move toward profitability. Investor focus is on the lower-priced R2 SUV, expected to begin deliveries in the first half of 2026 and compete with Tesla’s Model Y. Rivian also plans to publish full 2025 financial results on Feb. 12, 2026, and has announced upgrades to its autonomy suite (Universal Hands‑Free / Autonomy+), which will be monetized starting February 2026. The report underscores near-term sales pressure for premium EV makers but highlights product expansion (R2) and cost measures as key catalysts to watch.
Caroline Crenshaw, a long-serving SEC commissioner noted for a cautious stance on crypto and investor-protection advocacy, formally left the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 2, 2026. Her departure follows a failed renomination effort and ends a decade-plus tenure at the agency. The exit temporarily shifts the five-member commission to a 3-0 Republican majority because two Republican nominees from President Trump are in place and no Democratic replacement has been announced. The change comes amid broader staffing shortfalls across US financial regulators — including vacancies and leadership churn at the CFTC — which officials say has constrained agencies’ capacity to respond to rapid market developments and prompted a focus on larger macro enforcement actions while smaller matters receive less attention. Crenshaw has not disclosed post-SEC plans. For crypto traders: expect a possible near-term change in SEC enforcement and rulemaking priorities under the current majority. Monitor nominations to restore partisan balance and watch for faster movement on approvals, enforcement posture, and policy shifts that could affect digital‑asset listings, ETF approvals, enforcement risk, and market sentiment.
Whales accumulated roughly $3.6 billion worth of XRP (about 3 billion tokens) between Dec. 31 and early January, raising their holdings to 27.47 billion XRP, Santiment data shows. Large holders (over 1 billion tokens) are increasing positions while smaller whales have been trimming. XRP price rose about 2.5% in 24 hours, trading near $2.02 with low volume (~1.5% of circulating market cap). Technicals show the 14-day RSI moving above its average, described as a bullish flip; key resistance sits at $1.90 — a sustained move above that level would invalidate the recent bearish structure and could open a path toward $3. Seasonality (January strength for altcoins) and concentrated accumulation by large holders are cited as reasons bulls may control near-term direction. The article also references unrelated presale promotion for Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) but the core market signal is whale accumulation and a bullish RSI flip for XRP. Primary keywords: XRP price prediction, whales, XRP accumulation, bullish flip. Secondary/semantic keywords: $1.90 resistance, RSI, trading volume, altcoin seasonality, whale buying.
Turkmenistan has enacted a law legalizing cryptocurrency mining and trading under civil law while explicitly stating digital assets are not legal tender, payment instruments, or securities. The legislation creates a licensing and registration regime for miners, exchanges and crypto operators, with oversight assigned to state bodies including the central bank. Officials present the move as cautious economic diversification away from heavy reliance on natural gas and toward controlled tech investment. Practical adoption is likely to remain limited: strict state control of internet access, tight capital-flow management and explicit prohibitions on using crypto for payments mean activity will probably be concentrated among licensed operators rather than broad retail participation. The law increases regulatory visibility — addressing licensing, anti-fraud and AML concerns — but preserves state control over payments and online access, so on-chain economic integration is expected to be gradual. Primary SEO keywords: Turkmenistan crypto law, crypto mining legalization, virtual assets regulation, crypto licensing, central bank oversight.
Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov responded to a contentious governance vote that rejected transferring Aave’s brand assets and IP to the DAO by outlining a broader strategic plan. Kulechov urged the community to move beyond core DeFi lending and pursue real-world assets (RWAs), institutional lending and consumer-facing products. He said Aave Labs will distribute non-protocol revenue to AAVE tokenholders and will refile a governance proposal addressing intellectual property and brand rights after community pushback. The dispute originally concerned control of fees from token swaps routed through services such as CoW Swap and whether those revenues should accrue to the Aave DAO or remain with Aave Labs. The vote followed scrutiny over Kulechov’s personal purchase of roughly $15 million in AAVE — which he called a conviction buy, not an attempt to sway governance. Aave remains one of the largest DeFi protocols, with TVL previously above $45 billion; Kulechov highlighted RWAs as a potential $500 trillion opportunity. Key entities: Aave, Aave Labs, Aave DAO, CoW Swap; key token: AAVE.
Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is advancing through a staged presale and is trading at $0.04 in Phase 7 after launching at $0.01 in Phase 1. The project reports roughly $19.45–$19.55 million raised and about 18,650 registered participants. Later presale phases have tightened available supply and implied strong early-stage appreciation versus initial buyers; the project targets a public listing near $0.06. Mutuum positions itself as a DeFi lending protocol (not a meme token) using dual lending markets and mtTokens to represent lending shares. Security work cited includes a Halborn audit with recommended fixes implemented and a CertiK scan score of 90/100; a $50,000 bug bounty is in place. Product features highlighted include card payments and a daily participation leaderboard. Phase 7 is timed ahead of the planned V1 mainnet release, which will enable core lending functionality. Analysts in prior coverage model aggressive upside scenarios (for example, hypothetical multi-dollar targets by 2026–2027) but those are speculative and lack independent on-chain usage metrics. For traders, the immediate implications are: potential near-term bullish interest driven by presale momentum and supply tightening, but significant downside risk remains typical of early-stage tokens — outcomes will depend on V1 delivery, real user adoption, tokenomics post-listing, and any lockup or vesting schedules. Key data points for traders: current presale price $0.04 (Phase 7), cumulative presale raise ≈ $19.45–$19.55M, ~18,650 holders registered, planned listing ~ $0.06, Halborn audit completed and CertiK scan 90/100. Monitor V1 launch updates, on-chain activity after listing, and token allocation/vesting details before sizing positions.
PeckShield data shows crypto hack losses fell about 60% in December to ~$76 million, down from $194 million in November. The firm tracked roughly 26 major exploits — fewer dollars were lost rather than fewer attacks. The largest single incident (~$50M) was an address‑poisoning scam that tricked users into sending funds to a lookalike address. Other major losses included a $27.3M multisig wallet drain tied to a private‑key leak, ~ $8.5M from a Trust Wallet exploit (browser‑extension weakness), ~$22M at babur.sol, and ~$3.9M related to Flow protocol issues. PeckShield attributes the monthly drop mainly to faster detection, improved monitoring and filters, and quicker responses from exchanges and wallets, while warning attackers remain adaptive and address‑poisoning scams persist. For traders, the report signals modestly improved security confidence but continued vulnerability in key vectors — private keys, multisigs and address lookalikes — so ongoing on‑chain monitoring, strict risk controls and cautious handling of wallet/browser integrations remain essential.
Canadian mining investor Frank Giustra warned Bitcoin (BTC) may trade lower if corporate BTC treasuries unwind, saying he’d wait for a deeper discount before buying. Corporate treasuries (led by Michael Saylor’s Strategy with ~672,497 BTC) hold about 4.9% of supply; ETFs hold ~7%. Two main risks could trigger treasury selling: a potential MSCI index exclusion that may force redemptions (Polymarket places a ~75% chance of MSCI delisting by Q1 2026) and compressed mNAV valuations that could compel firms to liquidate BTC or raise debt. Grayscale counters this view, noting Strategy has a reserve fund and forecasting that treasury firms are unlikely to be a major source of selling pressure in 2026; market-implied odds that Strategy will dump BTC were under 30% at the time of reporting. Trader Cryp Nuevo suggested BTC’s correction may find support near $74,000 — a historical level aligned with past mining-cost-driven pullback floors. Implication: a treasury unwind could produce a buying opportunity, but downside may be limited if support around $74k holds.
Ilya Lichtenstein, who pleaded guilty in the Bitfinex theft that moved nearly 120,000 BTC, has been released from federal custody after roughly 14 months of a five-year sentence. His early release and transfer to home confinement were granted under the 2018 First Step Act, which allows eligible inmates to earn reduced time or home confinement based on behavior and risk assessments. Lichtenstein was sentenced in November 2024; federal records show an official release date of February 9. His wife, Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan, who pleaded guilty to laundering stolen funds and received an 18‑month sentence, was also released early and publicly acknowledged clemency-related relief. The case remains significant for traders: authorities recovered roughly 94,000 BTC from the hack, leaving a materially reduced outstanding supply from the original ~119,754 BTC theft. Prosecutors have pursued returning recovered BTC to Bitfinex, and legal actions around asset restitution continue. Key SEO keywords: Ilya Lichtenstein, Bitfinex hack, First Step Act, early release, home confinement, Bitcoin, BTC.
Binance removed nine spot trading pairs, including FLOW/BTC, and added FLOW plus three other tokens to its monitoring tag after recent token reviews following a $3.9 million exploit on the Flow blockchain. The monitoring tag signals higher volatility and a risk of failing listing standards. Flow Foundation released a preliminary post‑mortem and said it was concerned about an unnamed exchange’s AML/KYC lapse that allowed hackers to deposit stolen FLOW, convert some to BTC and withdraw funds. Flow scrapped a proposed chain rollback, continued parallel recovery steps to restore Cadence and EVM functionality, and aimed to complete ecosystem restoration and a full post‑mortem within the week. Binance did not explicitly cite the exploit in its notices and had not commented at publication. Key keywords: Binance, Flow, FLOW, exploit, delist, monitoring tag, BTC, hack, blockchain recovery.
South Korean crypto investors have moved roughly KRW 160 trillion (about $120–140 billion depending on rate) in cryptocurrency to overseas exchanges, driven by regulatory pressure and restrictions at domestic platforms. The outflows intensified after stricter local compliance rules, bank-crypto account delistings and heightened scrutiny by regulators. Traders and institutions cited concerns over domestic transaction limits, rising compliance costs, and potential enforcement actions as reasons for shifting assets abroad. Market observers warn the flows could reduce domestic liquidity, increase volatility on Korean exchanges, and route more trading volume through larger international venues. No single coin was identified as dominant in the transfers; activity encompassed major tokens traded on South Korean platforms. The movement highlights regulatory arbitrage — users seeking more flexible trading, yield and custody options offshore — and may prompt policy responses or adjustments by domestic exchanges to retain users.
Bearish
South KoreaCapital flightCrypto exchangesRegulationLiquidity
Crypto markets spend far more time consolidating within ranges than moving in sustained trends. The article attributes this to three structural drivers: market auction theory (continuous global value discovery leads to value areas where price oscillates between a Value Area High and Low), leverage cycles (heavy use of perpetual futures and options builds leverage that eventually liquidates and halts directional moves, forcing consolidation), and institutional behavior (large participants prefer to accumulate or distribute inside ranges to avoid slippage). Trends occur quickly and are statistically rare, typically emerging only when value is rejected or liquidity has been absorbed during a range. For traders, the piece advises aligning expectations with a market that is usually range-bound, using strategies suited to consolidation, and recognising that sharp breakouts are often the result of leverage resets or completed institutional positioning.
BitMine chairman Tom Lee has proposed raising the company’s authorized share count from 50 million to 50 billion — a 1,000x increase — to allow future stock splits as Ether’s (ETH) price could push the company’s per-share valuation to levels unaffordable for retail investors. Lee says BitMine’s share price closely tracks ETH and modeled a scenario where ETH reaches $250,000 if Bitcoin (BTC) hits $1 million; that would imply BitMine shares near $5,000 each. To keep shares affordable (around $25), Lee proposes a potential 100:1 stock split, which would require a much higher authorized share limit (current outstanding shares: ~426 million). Lee framed the change as addressing unit bias and preserving retail access; critics on X argued the move risks dilution and mistrust. BitMine converted from a Bitcoin mining/holding company to an ETH treasury strategy in 2025, retaining some BTC operations. Separately, BitMine recently bought tens of thousands of ETH (32,938 ETH) and has crossed a 4 million ETH treasury milestone, with staking begun to earn yield. Primary keywords: BitMine, authorized shares, stock split, Ether, ETH. Secondary/semantic keywords: Tom Lee, unit bias, dilution, BTC, staking, treasury.
Bitcoin dominance has dropped sharply as a broad altcoin rally lifts XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Ethereum (ETH). BTC trades near $89,600, up about 1.7% on the day but underperforming major altcoins. XRP is up roughly 6% in 24 hours and nearing $2, DOGE posted a 10.5% gain to $0.139, and ETH climbed about 4.4% to $3,114. Smaller-cap meme tokens including SHIB are also benefiting from the meme-coin momentum. The shift has pushed Bitcoin’s share of total crypto market capitalisation toward a 59% level, reviving “altcoin season” narratives. Key market metrics cited include BTC price ~ $89.6k, DOGE +10.51% (to $0.139), ETH +4.36% (to $3,114), and XRP +6% (24h). Traders should watch capital rotation patterns, meme-coin volume spikes, and whether flows sustain beyond short-term speculative moves.
International stocks outperformed U.S. equities in 2025, delivering roughly 33% returns to U.S. investors versus the S&P 500’s ~18%. An ETF tracking the MSCI All-Country World ex-U.S. returned about 33%, covering roughly 85% of non-U.S. investable equities. A weaker dollar — down roughly 9% on a currency basket — boosted dollar returns, but Goldman Sachs found most major foreign markets outpaced the S&P 500 even excluding currency effects. Notable country performances included Japan’s MSCI (~25% with a flat yen), South Korea’s benchmark (about 100% in dollar terms), and Spain (over 60% in euros). Valuation shifts drove much of the gains: international price/earnings-growth (PEG) gaps narrowed by about a third, though U.S. stocks still trade at a premium more than double the 2005–present average. Analysts including Yardeni Research and Goldman recommend reconsidering a U.S.-heavy stance; Yardeni said it “no longer makes much sense” to overweight U.S. equities. The MSCI ex-U.S. index is bank- and finance-heavy, but its top five stocks are tech names (TSMC, ASML, Alibaba, Tencent, Samsung), prompting calls for diversification within tech rather than assuming overseas markets simply replicate U.S. tech exposure. Risks remain: a stronger dollar, weaker foreign earnings, or U.S. valuation shifts could change outcomes in 2026. Key SEO keywords: international stocks, MSCI ex-U.S., foreign markets, S&P 500, dollar weakness, valuations, global diversification.
Neutral
International stocksMSCI ex-USGlobal diversificationCurrency/dollar movesValuations
Bear markets prune speculative altcoins and reward projects with real utility. Tokens backed by ongoing on‑chain demand — such as DeFi infrastructure, oracles, payments, and real‑world asset integrations — sustain baseline demand even when speculative capital flees. Key survival factors are: persistent utility that creates non‑speculative demand; active developer commitment and ecosystem growth during downturns; and sound tokenomics that control supply, align incentives, and generate fees. Tokens designed primarily for hype or price-driven rallies typically lose volume and relevance when liquidity tightens. For traders, this means capital will likely reallocate to projects that continued building through the bear phase once markets recover. Primary keywords: utility tokens, altcoins, bear markets. Secondary keywords: tokenomics, developer activity, DeFi infrastructure, real‑world assets.
Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) jumped more than 13% in 24 hours, becoming one of the top daily performers behind PEPE as memecoins outpaced broader altcoins. PENGU broke a tight consolidation range (roughly $0.00855–$0.00965) and bulls must hold $0.009646 on the 4‑hour chart for the breakout to sustain. Momentum flipped positive and On‑Balance Volume exceeded $36 billion, signaling fresh capital inflows. CoinGlass data showed futures and spot activity concentrated on Binance, Bybit and OKX, and roughly $265k in shorts were liquidated—over ten times the value of long liquidations. On‑chain metrics from Dune Analytics indicate selling has sharply declined (sales fell to 878 from a peak of 39,160), suggesting accumulation. MacroCRG reports the memecoin sector rose ~11% overall. Analysts caution the move could be reversed if Bitcoin remains weak; memecoins are highly volatile and can amplify rallies or downturns. Key takeaways for traders: monitor PENGU support at $0.009646 and $0.01 resistance, watch BTC direction as a market risk factor, track futures open interest and exchange flows on Binance/Bybit/OKX, and consider tighter risk management due to potential rapid reversals.
Aave Labs announced a proposal to distribute off‑protocol revenues to AAVE token holders via an upcoming governance vote, prompting AAVE to jump over 5% and trade above $161. Founder Stani Kulechov framed the move as part of broader strategic efforts to align tokenholders with the protocol’s growth and to explore opportunities beyond DeFi — including real‑world assets (RWAs) — to expand addressable markets. The proposal is slated for evaluation through 2026 and aims to formalize revenue‑sharing structures. Kulechov also warned that while Aave has strong DeFi performance, long‑term growth requires prioritizing expansion outside crypto‑native markets as TradFi institutions enter the space. The announcement may increase demand ahead of a governance vote, while the article notes the usual crypto risk disclaimer.
Cardano (ADA) jumped about 8% in the past 24 hours amid a broad crypto market rally that pushed total market capitalization higher. The move followed the expiry of roughly $2.2 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options, which reduced short-term derivatives pressure and allowed spot markets to rally as trading desks reopened after the holidays. ADA reclaimed the key $0.38 zone, which now acts as short-term support. Immediate resistance sits at $0.40; a clean break above that level would likely confirm a bullish trend shift and open targets near $0.44–$0.46. Momentum indicators show strong buying pressure but point to short-term overbought conditions that could trigger consolidation. Key levels: support $0.38, resistance $0.40, downside support $0.34–$0.35. Traders should watch Bitcoin stability and wider market liquidity—holding $0.38 and a $0.40 breakout would favor further upside for ADA in the near term.
Ripple released 1,000,000,000 XRP from escrow on January 1, 2026, in three transactions: 300M and 200M to the Ripple (28) wallet and 500M to the Ripple (9) wallet. The total on-paper circulating supply rose by about $1.84 billion in value at time of release (roughly $552M + $368M + $920M). XRP had closed December 2025 down 14.8%, the first December monthly red close since 2022, raising concerns about short-term sell pressure. On-chain data shows Ripple’s historical pattern held: within 24 hours, about 700M XRP was placed back into escrow (500M + 100M + 100M across Ripple (15) and Ripple (14) escrows). This relocking reduces immediate supply impact and suggests controlled liquidity management rather than a large-scale dump. Key takeaways for traders: monitor exchange inflows of the remaining unlocked balance, watch short-term liquidity and order book depth, and track price reaction — relocking often mutes prolonged downward pressure but exchange-directed transfers can trigger volatility. Primary keywords: XRP, Ripple, escrow release. Secondary keywords: relocking, circulating supply, on-chain data, sell pressure.
Analyst Steph (@Steph_iscrypto) highlights that XRP’s current extended consolidation (approximately 393 days) closely mirrors the 2016–2017 sideways phase (~395 days) that preceded a surge from $0.006 to $3.84. The article argues this long low-volatility compression is a classical accumulation pattern that can store latent volatility and precede decisive directional moves once key support or resistance is broken. Technical fractal analysis and on-chain indicators—alongside ecosystem developments such as institutional adoption, rising on-chain activity, and RLUSD corridor initiatives—are cited as catalysts that could amplify a breakout if liquidity and volume increase. The piece emphasizes that while historical parallels are not guarantees, the setup increases the probability of a significant upside move for XRP, making it a setup traders may want to monitor for breakout signals and volume confirmation. Disclaimer: this is informational and not financial advice.
Physical crypto theft has shifted from online hacks to violent home invasions in the US, with a single organized gang linked to multiple armed robberies, kidnappings and torture targeting ordinary investors since 2020. Bloomberg reports more than 215 physical crypto attacks worldwide since 2020, with incidents nearly doubling in 2025. Gang leader Jarod Seemungal (known as “Meow”) and associates allegedly executed raids to seize phones, laptops, and hardware wallets and coerced victims into transferring funds or opening exchange accounts. Victims include middle‑class holders, retirees, teachers and other ordinary workers; documented cases include abduction, beatings, burning with hot irons, and threats involving family members. Several perpetrators received lengthy prison sentences after FBI intervention. The wave of violence exposes limits in exchange protections: Coinbase’s insurance covers server breaches but not coercion, and its fraud systems may block some but not all illicit transfers. The story warns traders to reassess physical security for seed phrases and devices, limit on‑device private key exposure, enable withdrawal protections, and consider custody choices. Related continuing risks include thefts tied to credential breaches (e.g., LastPass) where exposed vaults have led to wallet drains. Keywords: physical crypto theft, home invasions, hardware wallet security, exchange protections, Coinbase, LastPass breach.
Bitcoin (BTC) is trading near $89,900, up ~2% over 24 hours, as 24-hour volume jumped roughly 120% to over $44 billion. Price action has compressed into a symmetrical triangle bounded by highs near $93,500 and a rising base around $85,800–$87,000. BTC is holding above the 50-EMA and 100-EMA cluster (~$88,500–$89,000) and RSI sits in the high-60s, indicating building upside momentum without being overbought. A confirmed close above triangle resistance near $90,500–$90,900 would project a measured move first to $93,500 and then potentially to $96,000 if momentum accelerates. Downside risk increases on sustained acceptance below $87,000, exposing support near $85,800. Market indicators: market cap ~ $1.79 trillion, total crypto market cap ~ $3.06–3.20 trillion, circulating BTC supply just under 20 million, Fear & Greed Index near 34 (fear). Altcoin participation is muted (Altcoin Season Index ~24), keeping the market Bitcoin-led. Key implications for traders: rising volume with price compression suggests a higher-probability directional breakout; traders may watch for a decisive close above $90.5K for bullish entries and place stops below $87K to manage risk.
Bitcoin consolidated around $90,000 after failed bearish attempts to push it below $80,000, suggesting a possible short-term uptrend. Strong ETF inflows are cited as a supporting factor. Altcoins led gains: Avalanche (AVAX) led the rally, returning to December 11 price levels with potential to test $14.75 and target $15.94 if momentum continues; XRP reclaimed $1.98 as support and is eyeing $2–$2.28 amid cumulative ETF inflows exceeding $1.24 billion; Chainlink (LINK) jumped ~6%, holding a $12 floor with targets of $13.6 and $14.8 if buying persists. The article notes AVAX’s slower unlock rate and ~75% circulating supply, implying reduced near-term supply pressure. Traders should watch key technical levels ($90K for BTC; $13 for AVAX support; $1.98 for XRP; $12 for LINK) and ETF flow data for signs of sustained moves. Disclaimer: not investment advice.
This roundup lists the 13 most shocking, disruptive or headline-making events in crypto during 2025 that traders should watch. It covers major hacks, exchange outages, high-profile regulatory actions, sudden token collapses, major protocol exploits, notable bankruptcies and surprising VC or corporate moves that influenced liquidity and sentiment. Key themes include security failures (exploits and bridge hacks), regulatory pressure in major jurisdictions, exchange solvency and withdrawal freezes, volatile token delistings, and unexpected on-chain governance outcomes. Each incident moved price, altered liquidity, or reshaped counterparty risk — prompting sharp intraday volatility and longer-lasting shifts in trading volumes and funding rates. Traders should treat these episodes as reminders to monitor exchange custody risk, smart-contract audits, regulatory headlines, on-chain metrics (TVL, active addresses), and funding/futures open interest. Primary trading implications: higher short-term volatility, increased basis/funding premium on perpetuals during distress, periodic liquidity droughts around centralized-exchange events, and rotation into perceived safe-haven tokens and BTC/ETH during contagion. Suggested trader actions: tighten risk management, reduce concentrated leverage near headline events, hedge with options or inverse futures, and follow on-chain indicators for liquidity and whale movement.