Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

VanEck launched the first U.S. spot Avalanche (AVAX) ETF but the debut showed virtually no investor demand: zero reported inflows and only $330,000 in trading volume on launch day. The muted reception contrasts sharply with recent altcoin ETF debuts — Bitwise’s SOL ETF recorded $69M in inflows and $58M in volume at launch, Canary Capital’s XRP ETF logged $245M in inflows, and Grayscale’s LINK ETF drew $41M. Market sentiment for AVAX remained negative during the ETF listing; the altcoin’s Fear & Greed Index dropped to 20 (extreme fear) and later improved only to 29. Open interest (OI) in AVAX futures has collapsed since October 2025, falling from nearly $1B to under $200M, signaling low speculative appetite. Price action was muted, a roughly 2% bounce that kept AVAX trading near its late-2025 $11–$15 range; failure below that range could open a deeper correction toward sub-$10. Analysts note this may reflect broader weak demand for altcoin ETFs and investor preference for index products, leaving questions about whether AVAX’s ETF will attract flows over time or remain a subdued debut.

Tether, issuer of the USDT stablecoin, booked a roughly $5 billion gain after the sharp rise in gold prices increased the value of its gold-backed reserves. The windfall stems from revaluation gains on Tether’s holdings tied to gold and related instruments that the company holds as part of its reserve mix. The report prompted renewed scrutiny of stablecoin reserve transparency and the composition of assets backing USDT. Traders should note that the gain is an accounting revaluation rather than cash revenue, and that reserve composition and market-value swings in commodities like gold can materially affect perceived backing for stablecoins. Key points: Tether (USDT) recorded about $5bn in revaluation gains; the move was driven by a rapid increase in the gold price; the gain raises questions about reserve valuation methods and transparency; this is an unrealised accounting gain tied to reserve assets, not necessarily additional liquidity for markets.

Coach JV, a prominent XRP commentator, argues that silver’s historic breakout may foreshadow sudden, sharp moves in Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP. While gold has climbed above $5,100/oz and silver exceeded $110/oz—driven by geopolitical risk, central-bank demand, and tight supply—crypto markets remain in consolidation. BTC trades near $88,212 (down ~30% from its October peak of ~$126,200) and XRP around $1.89 (about 50% below its 2025 high of $3.66). Coach JV warned that “paper markets suppress price… until reality breaks them,” suggesting that when suppression ends, repricing will be abrupt rather than gradual. Analysts model that a silver-like 52% year-to-date gain applied to XRP could lift it toward ~$2.89; applying similar gains to BTC could push it toward new highs (~$134,750), while a gold-like 17% gain would place BTC near ~$103,200. No timelines were provided. The article is informational and not financial advice.

On-chain data shows more than 700 billion Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens were withdrawn from centralized exchanges in recent days. CryptoQuant reported about 250 billion SHIB left exchanges after a quiet trading week, followed by an additional ~450 billion withdrawn on Monday, totaling over 700 billion. Arkham Intelligence flagged a notable whale round-trip: an unidentified wallet deposited then withdrew 61.6 billion SHIB through Coinbase (about $500,000). Despite the outflows, SHIB price moved only slightly — near $0.00000773, down ~0.33% in 24 hours. Large exchange withdrawals can reduce immediate sell pressure and may indicate long-term accumulation or increased holder confidence, but they are not definitive signals of a rally. Traders should monitor exchange reserves, whale on-chain behavior, order-book liquidity, derivatives open interest, and broader market drivers such as BTC and ETH to confirm directional conviction and manage risk.

Farcaster co-founder Dan Romero revealed on social media that he had wanted to issue a token for Farcaster but never found the right timing to do so. The disclosure came in response to a prompt about things that could be shared only after an acquisition. Romero’s comment is brief and contains no details on token design, supply, distribution, or any planned timeline. The post does not indicate whether the team still intends to pursue a token in future, nor does it describe involvement from investors or partners. For traders, the key takeaway is that token issuance was considered at the project level but remains uncertain; any future announcement would be a material event potentially affecting market sentiment for related Web3/social tokens and projects.

CoinJar’s Onchain column reviews recent sell-offs and exits across crypto: (1) Crypto social projects are changing hands — Aave is stepping back from Lens while Mask Network will steward SocialFi; Farcaster was acquired by infra provider Neynar after founder DWR announced the sale, prompting heated criticism on X despite the team returning investor funds. (2) TradFi moves into tokenized securities — the New York Stock Exchange disclosed plans for a tokenized securities platform promising 24/7 trading, instant settlement and stablecoin funding for US equities and ETFs, but provided few technical or fee details and referenced "private blockchains." (3) Controversial auditor Certik may go public — Certik’s co-founder said an IPO is under consideration despite the firm’s poor reputation in crypto auditing and past controversies. Takeaways for traders: social-layer M&A can shift token utility and user activity; NYSE tokenization signals institutional interest in tokenized securities but lacks clarity on execution and fees; regulatory and reputational risk around auditors like Certik could affect trust in security assessments. Primary keywords: crypto social, tokenized securities, auditor IPO. Secondary/semantic keywords: SocialFi, Farcaster, Lens, NYSE, private blockchains, Certik, tokenization, market sentiment.

Standard Chartered’s digital assets team warns that rising stablecoin adoption could pull up to $500 billion of deposits from U.S. banks by end-2028, with regional, small and mid-sized banks most exposed. The analysis focuses on pressure to banks’ net interest margin as deposit outflows reduce low-cost funding that underpins fractional-reserve lending. Regulatory and reserve-management choices are key: the GENIUS Act bans issuers from directly paying interest but allows third parties (exchanges, platforms) to offer yields on stablecoins, a perceived “loophole” that could accelerate deposit migration. Geoff Kendrick notes the impact depends on where stablecoin issuers park reserves — major issuers such as Tether and Circle hold large shares in U.S. Treasuries rather than bank deposits, which may limit direct recycling into bank funding. The report follows product developments including Tether’s US A₮ launch and continued USDC dominance. For traders, potential effects include downward pressure on bank equities and wider credit spreads, higher demand for dollar stablecoins (USDC, USDT variants), increased volatility during regulatory debates, and possible shifts in payment rails and core banking activity toward crypto platforms. Monitor regulatory updates, stablecoin yield products offered by exchanges, and regional bank funding metrics for near-term trade signals.

U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded a sudden net outflow of $63.85 million on January 27, 2025, reversing the prior day’s inflows. TraderT data show BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) led withdrawals with $59.29 million, Grayscale’s ETHE saw $14.55 million of outflows, while Grayscale’s lower-fee Mini fund attracted $9.99 million of inflows. This continues a recent pattern of rotation observed in earlier reports, where investors favored lower-fee products and some legacy funds experienced withdrawals. Analysts attribute the one-day reversal to short-term profit-taking, portfolio rebalancing, and broader macroeconomic news affecting risk assets. Technical drivers cited include ETF creation/redemption mechanics, arbitrage, fee structures and liquidity provision — all of which can amplify ETF flows’ impact on spot ETH. Concentrated outflows from a large distributor like BlackRock drew particular attention because of potential spot-market pressure if authorized participants are forced to liquidate holdings. While single-day flows do not determine long-term trends, sustained outflows could signal weakening institutional demand; conversely, inflows into lower-fee products suggest fee sensitivity and possible product migration. Traders should monitor daily ETF flow reports, authorized-participant activity, ETF premium/discount to NAV, on-chain exchange flows, and ETH price action to gauge whether this reversal is a tactical reallocation or a broader sentiment shift.

Ripple’s XRP is gaining traction as an institutional payments rail while RLUSD, a US trust‑regulated, asset‑backed stablecoin issued on the XRP Ledger and expanding across EVM chains, is positioning as an on‑ramp for institutional fiat liquidity. The combined narrative: XRP provides fast on‑ledger settlement rails and bridge‑asset utility for cross‑currency and cross‑chain transfers; RLUSD offers regulatory comfort and price stability for banks, custodians and businesses that need compliant, production‑grade settlement tokens. Recent updates emphasize RLUSD partnerships and product integrations to deliver on‑chain access to fiat‑backed liquidity where institutions operate. For traders, this may translate into increased institutional flows, higher on‑chain transaction volume, and greater demand for XRP liquidity — even when institutions do not hold XRP on balance sheets — as firms adopt the Ripple settlement stack. Market watchers should also expect heightened regulatory scrutiny as tokenized fiat and bank‑compatible rails expand. Primary keywords: XRP, RLUSD, institutional adoption, stablecoin, on‑chain settlement. Secondary/semantic keywords: regulated stablecoin, XRP Ledger, EVM bridges, settlement rails, institutional liquidity.

Bitwise Asset Management has filed paperwork registering a new trust named the "Bitwise Uniswap ETF Trust," an early administrative step that commonly precedes a formal ETF registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The filing does not itself constitute an ETF application or confirm ticker, launch date, or structure, but it signals Bitwise is preparing for a potential Uniswap (UNI) exchange-traded fund. Bitwise previously launched single-asset and crypto-related ETFs and is an established ETF issuer in the digital-asset space. Traders should note that an official SEC filing, review timeline, and approval are still required before any UNI ETF could trade. Market implications include increased institutional demand potential for UNI, greater regulatory scrutiny during SEC review, and possible price volatility around formal filing and approval milestones. Primary keywords: Uniswap ETF, Bitwise, UNI; secondary keywords: ETF filing, SEC review, crypto ETF approval.

Bitcoin remains stuck below $90,000 after failing to clear heavy sell-side liquidity near $89,500; BTC gained roughly 0.8% in the last 24 hours and is trading sideways. The broader market moved up less than 1% as traders await a decisive BTC breakout. Ethereum (ETH) rose about 1.7% and trades near $3,000. DeFi led today’s gains: Hyperliquid (HYPE) surged ~27.8% and Jupiter (JUP) also recorded notable advances. Market rotation toward AI and high-yield protocols is diverting institutional flows from GameFi and DePIN, contributing to mixed sector performance. Key short-term drivers are BTC liquidity around $89.5k, institutional allocation shifts, and on-chain developments such as Ethereum’s announced ERC-8004 standard for portable reputation for AI agents. Traders should monitor Bitcoin’s ability to reclaim $90k, DeFi momentum (notably HYPE and JUP), ETH near-term strength, and any institutional flows into AI/high-yield protocols that could reshape short-term leadership.

Rodeo, an iOS-first social NFT marketplace launched in March, announced it will shut down after failing to reach sustainable scale. CEO and co‑founder Kayvon Tehranian said the product found a loyal but small user base and did not grow enough to support continued operations. Rodeo will stay fully operational through late January–early February, switch to read‑only on Feb. 10, and fully close on March 10. The company will provide migration tools: media and metadata can be exported to Arweave, and an asset‑migration assistant will guide transfers from Rodeo’s smart contracts. Tehranian also disclosed that Foundation marketplace ownership will transfer to digital art platform Blackdove. The closure follows similar wind‑downs in the NFT sector — notably Nifty Gateway, which extended asset withdrawal deadlines to April 23 and added batch withdrawal tools and Arweave migration support. The announcements underline the extended slump in NFT demand since 2022 (Ethereum NFT volume fell from nearly $5bn at the 2022 peak to roughly $159.2m in Jan 2026). For traders, the news signals ongoing consolidation in NFT marketplaces, potential on‑chain activity spikes as users withdraw or migrate assets, and continued low primary trading volumes that weigh on marketplace tokens and NFT liquidity.

Citrea launched its mainnet on Jan. 27, debuting a Bitcoin-native ZK-rollup application layer designed to enable on-chain trading, lending and settlement anchored to BTC. Key components at launch include cBTC — a Bitcoin-backed asset using zero-knowledge proofs and BitVM-style verification to minimise custodian trust — and ctUSD, a Bitcoin-native stablecoin issued by MoonPay on M0’s open stablecoin infrastructure. Citrea claims fraud attempts can be challenged on Bitcoin mainnet if at least one honest party exists, aiming for stronger security than earlier bridge models. The network launched with more than 30 Bitcoin-secured applications (DEXs, liquidity tools, early lending and privacy services) and a user dashboard to manage assets and activity. ctUSD is available in the US (excluding New York) and 160+ countries and targets institutional compliance. Citrea says future priorities include growing BTC-denominated financial activity and increasing miner incentives via higher on-chain usage. Traders should note the introduction of Bitcoin-native liquidity (cBTC/ctUSD), early DEX and lending activity, and potential increases in on-chain transaction volume tied to mainnet adoption.

Solana’s network reliability is under renewed scrutiny after repeated outages and security concerns prompted institutional participants to prioritise Ethereum for high‑value activity. Joe Chalom, CEO of SharpLink, told Coinbase that Solana is “faster than secure,” arguing institutions require trust, liquidity and proven infrastructure for stablecoins and tokenized assets. Ethereum currently hosts over 65% of stablecoin activity and has tokenized assets roughly ten times larger than Solana. Market reaction has been modest: SOL traded near $121.81, down about 0.85% over 24 hours and 3.07% over the week. Traders remain cautious, with technical commentary pointing to consolidation and support near $118.85. Key takeaways for traders: institutional flows are favouring Ethereum (ETH) over Solana (SOL) due to security and downtime history; this dynamic may limit large capital inflows into Solana and increase volatility for SOL; watch on‑chain metrics, stablecoin distribution, and institutional announcements for directional cues.

MELANIA, a celebrity-linked meme token launched alongside the TRUMP token before the January 2025 inauguration, rallied about 13% to $0.1645 after a private White House screening of Brett Ratner’s documentary about Melania Trump and related social media promotion by former President Trump. Coinglass data show MELANIA derivatives open interest rose roughly 17% in 24 hours, signaling increased leverage and speculative activity. Despite the short-term spike, MELANIA remains down about 98% from its January 2025 all-time high; TRUMP is down roughly 93% and trading near $4.75. Critics including Anthony Scaramucci call these “gambling tokens” and warn that tying crypto projects to political figures raises reputational and regulatory risks. A Forbes report linked part of Trump’s reported net-worth increase to crypto ventures, including meme coins. Key takeaways for traders: event-driven publicity can produce rapid, short-lived price moves; rising open interest increases liquidation risk and volatility; both tokens show extreme long-term drawdowns and remain high-risk, speculative instruments.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will speak tomorrow at the first FOMC-related event of 2026. Traders are focused on commentary about interest rates, forward guidance and inflation. Key points: a rate cut hint would likely be bullish for risk assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum; hawkish or tightening language would tend to pressure crypto prices. Market-moving items to watch: interest rate decision signals (hold/cut/hike), forward guidance on the months ahead, inflation assessment, and the Fed’s economic outlook. For traders this implies elevated volatility around the announcement — some prefer to wait for the reaction, others may attempt to front-run guidance. The article emphasizes liquidity as the main transmission channel between Fed policy and crypto: cheaper borrowing typically supports risk-on flows into altcoins and BTC, while tighter policy reduces speculative demand. No new data or Fed decision is announced in the article; it is a preview advising traders to monitor tone and specific language for clues to future monetary policy.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $146.05 million net outflow on January 27, 2025, reversing the prior day’s inflows and signalling renewed investor caution. The withdrawals were highly concentrated: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) accounted for about $101.49 million (≈69%) and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) for roughly $44.56 million (≈31%). Other issuers including ARK Invest, Bitwise and Grayscale saw minimal flows. TraderT provided the data. Analysts note daily ETF flows are routine and typically represent a small slice of assets under management, but consecutive large redemptions could force authorised participants (APs) to redeem for cash and prompt funds to sell spot Bitcoin, adding near-term selling pressure. The outflow occurred amid market volatility — shifting rate expectations, mixed on-chain signals and ongoing regulatory scrutiny — and should be viewed as a short-term institutional sentiment indicator rather than a definitive trend reversal. Traders should monitor multi-day ETF flows, AP behaviour, fund-level metrics (tracking error, spreads, fees, liquidity) and Bitcoin spot liquidity. Sustained outflows across days may increase selling pressure and impact price; isolated daily swings more often reflect AP liquidity operations or tactical reallocations between providers.

Official data from South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service shows the number of cryptocurrency trading participants on the country’s five largest exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Streami, Korbit) rose 70.3% from 5.82 million in 2023 to 9.91 million in 2025. Combined trading volume jumped from 1,122.22 trillion KRW in 2023 to 2,411.32 trillion KRW in 2024 (+114%), then corrected to 2,139.89 trillion KRW in 2025. Drivers include clearer regulation (KYC/AML, real-name bank accounts, investor-protection rules), improved exchange security and onboarding, broader institutional interest, high smartphone penetration, and blockchain adoption by major Korean firms. The data suggests widening retail participation—almost one in five adults—while 2025’s volume pullback points to profit-taking and market consolidation rather than falling interest. For traders: expect greater market depth and potentially lower volatility over time, with future growth depending on ETF/institutional product developments, DeFi integration under compliance, macro conditions, and BTC/ETH performance.

Intel shares rose over 3% in after-hours trading amid reports that NVIDIA is exploring a manufacturing partnership to diversify away from sole reliance on TSMC. DigiTimes, citing supply-chain sources, said NVIDIA may have Intel produce its Feynman architecture I/O die using Intel’s 18A or 14A process nodes, with mass production targeted around 2028; the main compute die would remain with TSMC. The story follows renewed speculation that Apple could resume using Intel as a contract manufacturer for lower-end M-series chips (potentially on Intel 18AP by 2027), comments previously highlighted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. These dual-foundry moves aim to satisfy U.S. “Made in America” goals, reduce tariff exposure, and lower dependence on TSMC without disrupting high-volume, high-end production. Key actors: Intel (INTC), NVIDIA (NVDA), TSMC, Apple. Main keywords: Intel, NVIDIA, TSMC, chip manufacturing, 18A/14A/18AP, Feynman, contract manufacturing. Traders should watch partnership confirmations, capex or foundry guidance from Intel and TSMC, and potential supply-chain timelines toward 2027–2028 for market-moving updates.

InvestingLive analyst Eamonn Sheridan says US President Donald Trump could announce his nominee to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as early as this week, potentially timing the announcement to coincide with the January Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy meeting. The FOMC will release its rate decision on Thursday (US time), making the meeting particularly sensitive amid renewed scrutiny of central-bank independence. Analysts suggest the White House may use a concurrent announcement to shape the policy narrative—especially if the Fed holds rates steady—by redirecting market attention toward future leadership and policy direction. The analyst expects the administration may reveal the nominee during the meeting or within the following weeks. (Note: This content is for market information only and not investment advice.)

OP (Optimism) is consolidating near $0.30 inside an overall downtrend. Key short-term levels: primary support at $0.2989 (strength 76/100) and nearest resistance at $0.3042 (strength 81/100). Price trades below EMA20 (~$0.31) with RSI ~46 and a bearish Supertrend; volume is low, indicating potential liquidity hunts. A daily close above $0.3042 shifts bias bullish toward $0.3271 and $0.4279 (targets), while a break below $0.2989 opens $0.2769 and, if further invalidated, $0.1577. Analysts highlight strong multi-timeframe confluence at support zones, on-chain accumulation around $0.28, and high correlation with BTC (correlation ~0.85). Recommended trading rules: long bias after daily close > $0.3042 (stop < $0.2989), short on break < $0.2989 (target $0.2769), risk per trade 1–2% and R/R ≥1:2. This analysis is technical only and not investment advice.

Citi has raised its 12-month silver price target to $150 per ounce after spot silver surged well past prior forecasts at record speed. The bank cited accelerating investment demand and constrained physical supply as drivers for the rapid move. Citi’s upward revision reflects heightened price momentum and growing safe-haven and industrial interest in silver. The note warns of continued volatility but expects a material re-rating of silver’s risk premium over the coming year. Key figures: new 12-month target $150/oz (previous target not stated in article), rapid record-paced price appreciation in spot silver. Traders should watch liquidity in physical markets, ETF flows, industrial demand data, and macro indicators (inflation, real rates, USD strength) that will influence silver’s path.

Market intelligence firm Santiment reports that social-media discussion among retail traders has recently shifted from cryptocurrencies to precious metals, with silver and gold generating more online chatter during January rallies. Gold dominated social traffic between Jan. 8–18, crypto briefly led Jan. 19–22, and silver surged to become the most discussed asset after setting a new intraday high above $117 before dropping sharply within hours. Santiment warns that the spike in retail interest and FOMO around silver often signals price tops. Google Trends data for the same period show strong search interest in crypto and Bitcoin (peaks at 100), while silver’s search interest also hit 100 on Jan. 22. Key takeaways for traders: heightened social and search attention toward silver and gold may presage short-term profit-taking or volatility in both metals and correlated crypto assets; retail rotation into the latest “hype” sectors (memecoins, AI tokens, precious metals) can amplify rapid moves and mean-reversion risk.

Whale Alert and on-chain observers reported a large OKX withdrawal: 866,006,205 USDT (≈$865M) on the Tron (TRC-20) network on March 15, 2025. The transfer cleared in a single block with sub-$1 fees and the receiving address has no known institutional links. Earlier reporting cited a different large USDT movement from OKX (~$325M), but the later alert consolidates activity into the single $865M outbound. Such large stablecoin transfers typically reflect exchange treasury operations, withdrawals to cold storage, market-maker liquidity repositioning, or preparation for OTC trades or DeFi deployment. OKX’s routine security practices (proof-of-reserves, multi-sig, manual approvals and AML checks) make an authorized withdrawal the most likely explanation. Historical analytics show transfers above $500M can precede elevated volatility within 72 hours, though many are routine and do not move markets. For traders: monitor exchange flows, on-chain activity from the destination address, order-book depth and derivatives skew (put/call open interest). A confirmed shift of these USDT back onto exchanges or into liquidity pools could supply significant buying or selling power; conversely, a move into cold storage or dormant addresses reduces circulating stablecoin liquidity. Keywords: USDT whale transfer, OKX USDT withdrawal, Tron TRC-20 stablecoin move, large stablecoin transaction.

AINFT, a Web3-AI platform built on the Tron blockchain, published a MiCA-compliant white paper outlining a regulatory and technical framework for decentralized AI services in the European market. The white paper, released after AINFT’s full platform launch, documents alignment with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules on transparency, consumer protection, market integrity and token disclosures. Key technical features include separation of AI processing and on-chain settlement layers, integration with TronLink wallet, support for TRX and stablecoin microtransactions, a multi-model API (access to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini), immutable usage tracking, zero-knowledge proofs for privacy-preserving verification, and formal smart contract audits. The paper defines token economics, on-chain payment compliance checks, and governance mechanisms designed to keep the platform decentralized while meeting MiCA licensing and disclosure obligations. Analysts say this positions AINFT for first-mover advantages in Europe, may attract enterprise and institutional users previously wary of unregulated solutions, and could serve as a template for other Web3 AI projects. For traders, the white paper reduces regulatory uncertainty around AINFT token economics, highlights Tron’s high throughput and low fees as enablers of microtransaction-based AI services, and signals potential increased institutional demand for compliant blockchain-AI integrations. This development is likely to influence market sentiment for projects combining AI and regulated crypto infrastructure, especially those on Tron.

DASH (DASH/USDT) price action shows an ongoing uptrend but with weak market participation. Daily volume (~$276M) is 15–20% below the 7‑day average and failed to rise during a 2.16% intraday drop, indicating low conviction. The 30‑day Point of Control sits at $58–$62, with immediate support at $59.67 — a critical level where rising volume (target >$300–350M) would be needed to confirm accumulation. Technicals: RSI ~51, price near EMA20, MACD histogram bearish on higher timeframes, multiple resistances around $70–$79. Distribution signals dominate: low-volume rallies and low-volume drops suggest smart‑money distribution rather than strong buying. BTC correlation (~0.85) raises downside risk if Bitcoin breaks key levels (~$88.4k–$84.7k). Trading implications: short‑term bearish bias unless volume on up moves increases above ~350M; break below $59.67 could trigger deeper downside targets. Monitor volume at the $59.7 support and BTC price action for trade confirmation. (Keywords: DASH trading volume, DASH accumulation, DASH distribution, DASH support $59.67.)

Ethereum will deploy ERC-8004 to mainnet this week, introducing a standard that gives autonomous AI agents on-chain identities, peer-to-peer value and data transfer, and verifiable reputation. ERC-8004 formalizes metadata for agent identity, discovery endpoints and trust assertions, and pairs with on-chain payments and NFT-based identity primitives to enable programmable transactions, escrow and dispute resolution without human intervention. The standard completed development after reviews and testing; MetaMask AI lead Marco De Rossi announced completion and the Ethereum account confirmed a coordinated early-Thursday launch. Co-authored by Ethereum core developer Davide Crapis and Google’s Jordan Ellis, the proposal positions Ethereum as infrastructure for an emerging AI-agent economy. Use cases include autonomous DeFi arbitrage, dynamic portfolio management, prediction-market agents and self-managing supply-chain AIs. MetaMask and other wallet/infrastructure providers are preparing UI and compatibility updates, and security firms are auditing agent-to-agent contract risks. Key considerations for traders: possible increases in on-chain transaction volume driven by machine-to-machine traffic, greater demand for layer-2 scalability and ETH for gas, regulatory uncertainty around autonomous economic actors, and potential emergent behaviors from agent interactions. Short-term market impact will depend on adoption speed, audit findings and regulatory responses; longer-term effects could be higher ETH usage if agents scale across industries.

South Dakota Rep. Logan Manhart reintroduced House Bill 1155 on Jan. 27, 2026, proposing that the State Investment Council may allocate up to 10% of state-managed public funds into Bitcoin (BTC). The bill is largely a refile of a similar 2025 proposal that stalled and would permit exposure via direct Bitcoin holdings or regulated exchange-traded products (ETPs). Direct custody would require qualified custodians—federally or state-chartered banks or trust companies—while ETPs must be approved by U.S. regulators such as the SEC, CFTC or South Dakota’s Division of Banking. Based on prior estimates of the state’s investment pool (~$16–17 billion), a full 10% allocation could imply multi‑billion-dollar Bitcoin exposure. Manhart frames Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and long-term currency risk. The measure remains in an early legislative stage and faces recurring objections raised during the 2025 effort—volatility, valuation complexity and regulatory uncertainty—with state officials previously expressing reservations. If enacted, South Dakota would join a small group of U.S. states that have allowed limited Bitcoin exposure under custody and regulatory safeguards. For traders: the bill represents potential incremental institutional demand for BTC if passed, but timing, scope (direct holdings vs. ETPs) and legal/regulatory hurdles make any immediate price impact uncertain.

Bitcoin’s BTC/XAU ratio has fallen below a long-term power-law trend and the 200-2W EMA once linked to BTC/USD cycle bottoms, raising doubts that the ratio can reliably signal dollar-denominated Bitcoin lows. The move coincided with a strong gold rally—driven by safe-haven flows amid yen intervention concerns and US shutdown fears—that pushed gold above record levels (around $5,000 in January). Major banks including Citi and Bank of America forecast further gold upside into 2026, with some scenario calls for gold reaching $6,000 by year-end. The newer coverage highlights that BTC/XAU hit fresh historical lows and that failure to reclaim the 200-2W EMA could mean deeper BTC downside in USD terms or a delayed cycle bottom for Bitcoin. Conversely, strategists note that a reversal in macro drivers—higher real US yields, a firmer dollar, or returning risk appetite—could stall gold’s rally, relieve downward pressure on BTC/XAU and reopen bullish paths for BTC, including prior $140k+ scenarios. For traders: monitor gold momentum, US real yields and FX moves closely; continued gold strength implies more downside risk for BTC/USD while a macro pivot would likely be supportive. This report is market analysis and not investment advice.