Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Pakistan’s central bank regulator has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a crypto business linked to W.L. Fintech International (WLFI) to pilot stablecoin-based cross-border payment solutions. The agreement aims to explore use of stablecoins for remittances and international settlements, improving speed and reducing costs for cross-border transfers. The MoU formalises collaboration on regulatory compliance, technology integration, AML/KYC measures, and pilot testing frameworks. Key points include joint development of a pilot program, data-sharing provisions for oversight, and commitments to prevent misuse. No firm launch date or specific stablecoin was announced. The deal highlights Pakistan’s cautious openness to crypto-enabled payment rails while maintaining regulatory controls; it could shorten remittance times and lower fees if pilots succeed, but regulators emphasise compliance and risk mitigation.

A single whale wallet transferred 2,015 ETH to HTX (formerly Huobi) after a three-month dormancy, according to Onchain Lens. At current prices the deposit is worth roughly $6.67 million. The same address previously withdrew the tokens at an approximate value of $8.73 million, implying a realized loss of about $2.04 million on the position. The on-chain move highlights continued whale activity and potential selling pressure toward centralized exchanges; however, no immediate large-scale sell-off or timed liquidation was reported. Traders should watch HTX inflows, order-book changes and related stablecoin conversions for signs of further distribution or market impact.

Ethereum (ETH) experienced a brief intraday drop below the $3,300 level, trading at $3,296.68 on OKX according to the latest price feeds, while recording a daily gain of 3.53%. Earlier reporting showed ETH briefly trading under $3,000 on OKX, reflecting short-term volatility across the session. Both reports present market information only and do not constitute investment advice. No additional projects, metrics, or broader market catalysts were cited. Traders should note heightened short-term price swings for ETH around key technical levels — notably the $3,000 and $3,300 thresholds — which may affect intraday positioning and stop-loss placement.

Billy Markus (Shibetoshi Nakamoto), co‑founder of Dogecoin, posted a sarcastic message on X saying crypto "is doing good" but he does not expect Bitcoin or Ethereum to hit new all‑time highs (ATHs) soon. Markus, who publicly respects only a few top tokens including BTC, ETH and DOGE, reiterated his skeptical view of crypto trading and NFTs — likening trading to gambling or a mental affliction. The piece notes Bitcoin’s last ATH on Oct 6 at $126,198 and that BTC currently trades roughly 25% below that level, near $95,000 following recent geopolitical and regulatory developments in the US. The article also references Markus’s separate tweet lamenting the impact of AI on younger workers. Key keywords for SEO: Dogecoin, Billy Markus, Bitcoin ATH, Ethereum, crypto market, crypto trading skepticism.

Stellar (XLM) remains positioned as a payments-focused blockchain whose native token Lumens (XLM) is used for settlement and anti-spam. Combining the two reports, analysts give a cautious near-term outlook and a conditional long-term path to $1. 2025 forecasts range broadly but concentrate in a conservative band (~$0.18–$0.35 to $0.25–$0.55 depending on scenario). For 2026–2027 modeled scenarios show gradual growth (roughly $0.25–$0.85 in 2026 and $0.30–$0.95 in 2027 across conservative to optimistic cases). The 2028–2030 window could see XLM reach $1 — or exceed it in very optimistic scenarios (up to $2.50+ in tail cases) — but only with substantial adoption, major institutional or government partnerships (CBDCs, remittance corridors), successful protocol upgrades (e.g., Soroban smart contracts, improved interoperability), and favorable macro and regulatory conditions. Key on-chain adoption metrics to watch are daily active addresses, transaction volume and value settled. Primary catalysts: enterprise/CBDC partnerships, protocol improvements and visible settlement use-cases. Primary risks: regulatory uncertainty, competitive payment rails, technological hurdles and crypto market volatility. Traders should treat these multi-year scenarios as conditional planning tools: focus on adoption signals, partnership announcements, protocol development milestones and macro/regulatory shifts rather than short-term price noise. This analysis is informational and not investment advice.

XRP has reclaimed the $2 level after buyer interest since late December, establishing it as key support. The near-term upside target and primary resistance sits at $2.40. Weekly RSI shows a bullish cross above its moving average, indicating a shift toward bullish momentum, though confirmation requires the RSI to move above 50. Trading volume remains subdued, with lower highs in buy volume; a decisive breakout to $2.40 — and beyond — may require increased buying activity. Key levels for traders: support $2.00, resistance $2.40. Primary implications: potential bullish continuation if $2 holds and volume rises; risk of a failed retest if price loses $2.

Wall Street trading firms are creating dedicated prediction-market desks to exploit price differences across platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. Firms including DRW, Susquehanna, Tyr Capital, Jump Trading, Flow Traders and others are aggressively hiring traders with arbitrage, event-modeling and quantitative skills — DRW’s listing advertises up to $200,000 base pay. Monthly prediction-market volume surged from under $100 million in early 2024 to over $8 billion by December 2025, driven by sports and election-related contracts. Market participants focus on cross-platform arbitrage and relative-value trades rather than speculative novelty contracts. Market-makers (e.g., Susquehanna) already receive preferential terms from venues like Kalshi. Liquidity remains a constraint: most large hedge funds remain cautious because prediction markets are small relative to traditional markets. Regulatory and integrity concerns have appeared after high-profile suspicious wins (e.g., a $400k windfall on a Nicolás Maduro capture market) and lawmakers have proposed bans on insider trading in prediction markets. Overall, the move signals growing institutionalization and professionalization of prediction-market trading, with implications for liquidity, pricing efficiency and new trading strategies.

A draft U.S. Senate crypto market-structure bill would grant the Treasury Department broad new surveillance, sanctions and enforcement authorities, including a crypto-specific “special measures” power and a formal temporary transaction-freeze mechanism. The special measures authority would let Treasury designate foreign jurisdictions, financial institutions or whole classes of digital-asset transactions as primary money‑laundering concerns and impose restrictions or conditions on related crypto fund flows. The temporary-hold framework would permit Treasury—or covered agencies—to request stablecoin issuers and digital-asset service providers to freeze related transactions for up to 30 days without a prior court order, with possible extensions. The draft also explicitly brings web-hosted blockchain interfaces and DeFi front‑ends under sanctions and anti‑money‑laundering (AML) rules, requiring wallet screening, blocking sanctioned activity and implementing risk‑based AML controls. Provisions could extend Bank Secrecy Act obligations to parties that retain meaningful control over protocol functions or access. Stakeholders including Galaxy Digital flagged the measure as the largest expansion of financial oversight since the USA PATRIOT Act; industry groups say they are reviewing the text and engaging with lawmakers. The Senate Agriculture Committee has delayed markup to seek broader bipartisan support. Traders should watch regulatory risk to offshore venues, stablecoins, DeFi front‑ends and cross‑border rails, and prepare for higher compliance costs and possible disruptions to transaction flows if the bill advances.

Monero (XMR) surged to an all-time high above $690 on Jan 13, 2026, up about 262% from ~ $200 a year earlier despite intensified regulatory pressure and delistings by major centralized exchanges. PANews analysis finds on-exchange spot and derivatives volumes did not show a corresponding surge: recent spot volumes largely stayed between tens of millions and $200M, with the contract-volume peak occurring on Nov 10. Open interest rose mostly because price increased, not from massive new positions, suggesting exchanges are not the primary price-setting venue. Supply-side signals point to miner-driven dynamics: Monero mining difficulty climbed sharply from late 2024 through 2025, with volatility after a September 2025 51% hashpower claim by Qubic that triggered an 18-block reorganization and miner migration to SupportXMR. That episode and subsequent difficulty/reward shifts indicate consolidation of mining power and early accumulation by resilient large miners. Demand-side evidence includes rising average on-chain fees: fees moved from < $0.1 historically to peaks above $0.3 by Dec 11, 2025, implying increased urgency for transactions. Fee spikes often coincide with price jumps, showing a feedback loop between real chain usage and market sentiment. PANews frames the rally as having two sides: a "white" side—real privacy demand strengthened by regulatory limits (e.g., VARA’s Dubai ban on privacy-coin trading and custody)—and a "black" side—information asymmetry and concentrated capital enabling outsized moves with limited transparent volume. For traders, that combination creates high volatility and potential for sharp drawdowns as seen in prior privacy-coin spikes (e.g., ZEC).

Bitcoin (BTC) broke above the key $94,500 horizontal resistance and the top of an ascending triangle on Jan 13–14, 2026, confirming the breakout and establishing $94,500 as near-term support. Short-term structure includes a prior mini bull flag with a measured move to about $97,500; the larger ascending-triangle measured target lies near $108,400. Analysts note a possible intermediate target around $100,000–$102,000 if momentum holds. Technical caveats: daily RSI has not yet made a higher high (risk of short-term bearish divergence) and a weekly bear-flag pattern could remain if price stalls below ~$101,000. Positive signals include a weekly MACD turning up and Fear & Greed moving back toward neutral. For traders: key levels to monitor are support at $94,500 (retest risk), resistance cluster from $100K–$108K, RSI divergence on daily, and potential MACD crossover on the weekly. The article frames the move as either a relief rally within a bear market or the start of a fresh bull leg should the bear-flag be invalidated and $BTC push past major resistance.

Bitcoin is trading in a tight consolidation that analysts compare to the 2020 pre-breakout structure. Derivatives open interest is rising while spot flows show net outflows, indicating cautious accumulation in futures alongside defensive holding in spot. Key short-term technical levels cited: resistance near $92,300 and support between $90,900–$91,200 with a critical pivot at $90,500; breaches below could target ~$89,200 or $86,300. Market commentators argue the compression suggests a likely expansion phase rather than structural weakness, potentially rewarding early-positioned traders if history repeats. Concurrently, capital is rotating into utility-focused PayFi projects. The article highlights Remittix (token ticker RTX) which has raised over $28.8 million by selling ~701 million tokens at $0.123 each. Remittix’s wallet is live on iOS with Android pending, and it plans a crypto-to-fiat PayFi launch on February 9, 2026 to enable transfers directly into bank accounts. The project emphasizes real-world payments and remittances rather than value storage, and a promotional RTX2026 allocation is noted. For traders: the piece frames a dual play — maintain Bitcoin exposure for a possible breakout while selectively allocating to payment-focused utility tokens that may outpace during a usage-driven cycle.

Ripple has received preliminary approval from Luxembourg’s financial regulator, the CSSF, for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license. If finalized, the EMI license will allow Ripple to issue e-money and offer regulated digital payment services in CSSF jurisdictions, including digital wallets, prepaid cards, payment processing and money transfers. The development complements Ripple’s recent UK anti-money-laundering registration with the FCA and follows other regulatory wins as the company pursues compliance under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework and a future crypto-asset service provider (CASP) license. Ripple says the move supports real-time settlement, global on/off-ramps and managed last-mile payouts for European customers, improving institutional access to stablecoins and cross-border payments. The approval is a preliminary “green light” that brings Ripple closer to full authorization and EU passporting — enabling services across member states once remaining conditions are met. For traders: the news strengthens Ripple’s regulatory footing in Europe, increases the probability of broader institutional use of XRP-linked payment rails and stablecoin flows, and reduces regulatory uncertainty that has weighed on market perception.

21Shares has launched a Bitcoin–Gold exchange-traded product (ETP) called BOLD on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 13 January 2026. BOLD pairs physical gold with bitcoin to provide regulated BTC exposure with lower volatility than holding bitcoin alone. The ETP trades like a stock and is available to U.K. retail investors via standard broker accounts and tax-advantaged wrappers such as ISAs and SIPPs. The listing follows the Financial Conduct Authority’s October 2025 decision to lift a four‑year ban on retail crypto exchange-traded notes, which reopened the U.K. market and helped drive renewed product launches and trading (crypto ETNs on the LSE recorded roughly $280m in volume in December 2025). BOLD is 21Shares’ third U.K.-approved crypto product and competes with offerings from BlackRock, Bitwise and WisdomTree. The product is marketed as a hedge that captures bitcoin upside while using gold for stability and inflation protection. For traders, the listing may broaden regulated access to BTC, attract institutional and retail flows into a blended BTC/gold vehicle, and increase liquidity for bitcoin-linked products on the LSE. Key SEO keywords: Bitcoin, gold, ETP, London Stock Exchange, FCA regulation.

Google has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a coalition of publishers who allege the company’s AI-generated search summaries reproduce their copyrighted content and harm news businesses. The publishers claim Google’s summary feature extracts and displays publishers’ reporting, reducing traffic and ad revenue. Google argues the claims fail legally — saying the summaries are fair use, protect user experience, and that publishers cannot show the required copyright harms. The case centers on whether AI search snippets that synthesize news content from indexed pages infringe copyrights or are lawful search features. No final ruling yet; the court will decide on the motion to dismiss before the matter proceeds. Key themes: AI-generated search summaries, copyright claims by publishers, fair-use defence, potential impact on newsroom traffic and ad revenue.

BVNK has partnered with Visa to enable stablecoin-funded payouts on Visa Direct, allowing approved businesses to pre-fund and disburse payments in digital dollars (stablecoins) instead of fiat. Recipients can receive stablecoin payouts directly into compatible digital wallets, supporting payroll, contractor payments, platform earnings and cross-border transfers — including on weekends and bank holidays. BVNK will provide the infrastructure to process and settle these stablecoin transactions within approved markets; the firm currently handles over $30 billion in stablecoin payments annually across 130+ countries. Visa Direct, which processes roughly $1.7 trillion in annual volume, will integrate BVNK’s settlement flows beginning in high-demand regions and expand based on customer uptake and local regulation. The deal follows Visa Ventures’ earlier investment in BVNK and Visa’s recent US stablecoin settlement work with Circle (USDC). CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers frames stablecoins as an upgrade to legacy rails. For traders, the integration signals growing institutional adoption of stablecoin rails and may accelerate real-time, cross-border fiat-replacement flows where speed and availability matter.

A draft Senate CLARITY Act would treat tokens included in a regulated exchange-traded product (ETP/ETF) by January 1, 2026, as non-ancillary commodities rather than securities. The proposal explicitly targets tokens such as XRP, SOL, DOGE, LTC, HBAR and LINK, putting them in the same regulatory bucket as Bitcoin (and, by extension in related coverage, Ethereum) once they meet the ETF condition. The change follows reduced regulatory uncertainty after the Ripple v. SEC decision and is intended to move US policy from enforcement-driven actions toward clearer rule-making, protecting developers and easing compliance for exchanges, funds and institutions. Markets showed muted immediate price reaction because the text is a draft and must clear committee and Senate votes; thus near-term price moves are uncertain. For traders, the provision would lower long-term legal risk for qualifying tokens, potentially boosting institutional inflows, liquidity and market legitimacy if enacted — but timelines, possible amendments and political hurdles mean this is not a guaranteed or immediate price catalyst.

Crypto markets rallied after U.S. December CPI matched expectations, lifting risk assets and sending Bitcoin above $95,000, Ether to about $3,333 and XRP above $2.15. Total crypto market cap topped $3.2 trillion with a 24-hour gain >3%. Headline CPI rose 2.7% YoY and core CPI 2.6% YoY, easing fears of tighter policy and boosting rate-cut odds for April. Short liquidations accelerated during Bitcoin’s breakout, closing roughly $408 million in short positions and adding upward momentum. Large-cap altcoins (ETH, XRP, SOL, BNB, LINK, ADA) tracked BTC’s move; NFTs outperformed (≈+8.3%) as speculative appetite returned. U.S. equities hit record highs (S&P 500 ~6,986 intraday), and regulatory progress — the Senate advancing a draft CLARITY Act — added institutional confidence. Key takeaways for traders: monitor BTC price/volume for confirmation of breakout, watch short-liquidation risk and funding rates, follow Fed messaging and CPI/macro prints for rate-cut expectations, and track CLARITY Act progress for potential institutional inflows.

Analysis of bitcoin intraday returns shows North American hours have become the strongest return window, reversing a trend observed in late 2025 when other sessions outperformed. The report compares hourly return patterns across global trading sessions and finds elevated BTC returns during U.S. market hours (overlapping New York trading). The shift reflects changing liquidity, regional order-flow concentration, and evolving trader behavior, with implications for intraday strategies and volatility timing. Key details: the strongest hourly returns now occur during North American trading windows; the change reverses late‑2025 patterns when returns were stronger in other sessions; drivers cited include concentrated institutional activity, liquidity migration, and timing of macroeconomic news. Traders should note higher return potential and likely elevated volatility during U.S. hours, consider adjusting position sizing, intraday entry/exit schedules, and liquidity-aware order placement. Primary keywords: bitcoin, BTC, North American hours, U.S. trading hours, intraday returns. Secondary/semantic keywords included: liquidity, order flow, volatility, institutional activity, trading strategies.

A payments firm affiliated with Ripple has obtained preliminary approval from Luxembourg regulators to pursue a payments institution licence as part of its European expansion. The move signals the company’s intent to establish licensed operations in the EU, using Luxembourg as a regulatory foothold. The licence process in Luxembourg is known for being streamlined and eurozone-friendly, making it a common choice for crypto and payments businesses seeking EU market access. The approval is an early step rather than full licensing, meaning the firm must still meet regulatory, compliance and capital requirements before full operations begin. For traders, the development underscores continued regulatory progress for Ripple-linked entities in Europe, which may influence market sentiment around XRP and related services as firms secure clearer legal pathways for cross-border payments and euro-denominated operations.

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has published a new promotional video featuring World Cup winner Julián Álvarez to illustrate its UEX (panoramic exchange) strategy. The campaign uses football imagery — a stylized sports shop where crypto assets, tokenized stocks, gold and forex are represented as balls, shin guards and boots — to communicate a one-stop platform for global asset trading and simplified capital allocation across asset classes. Bitget Chief Marketing Officer Ignacio Aguirre said UEX provides seamless multi-asset access, emphasizing asset coverage, execution efficiency and operational flexibility as advantages over traders who must switch between platforms. The piece is positioned as brand marketing and market information, not investment advice.

HashKey Exchange announced it will launch XDC/USD spot trading at 16:00 (UTC+8) on January 15. The platform has already opened XDC deposit and withdrawal services. The new trading pair is restricted to professional investors. In conjunction with the listing, HashKey Exchange launched an interactive XDC knowledge campaign with a total prize pool of HKD 40,000. The announcement includes a disclaimer that the content is for market information and not investment advice.

South Korea’s largest crypto exchange Upbit will list Ethena’s synthetic stablecoin USDe with KRW, BTC and USDT trading pairs starting 18:00 KST on January 14. Deposits and withdrawals will be supported only via the Ethereum network and will open about 90 minutes after the listing announcement. To limit initial volatility, Upbit will enforce temporary order rules: buying restrictions in the opening minutes, limit-orders-only for a set period, and rejection of sell orders below predetermined thresholds versus the previous day’s close. Reference prices for limits will use CoinMarketCap data. Ethena’s USDe differs from traditional collateralized stablecoins by using a delta-neutral model that pairs spot crypto collateral with equal-value perpetual short positions to hedge price exposure, aiming to reduce liquidation risk. Ethena also uses automated hedges, off-exchange custody and reserve structures. Upbit warned users to confirm contract addresses and network compatibility before transfers, noting that funds sent from unsupported networks may not be processed promptly. The listing increases USDe’s accessibility in South Korea and may affect liquidity and hedging flows for related markets.

Crypto analyst and developer Bird (@Bird_XRPL) forecasted that 5,000 XRP will be worth 1 Bitcoin in 2026, implying an XRP price near $18.24 if BTC trades at $91,200. Bird framed this as a confident projection rather than speculation, highlighting a valuation benchmark that would place XRP in double-digit territory. Current exchange rates imply roughly 44,500 XRP per BTC, so Bird’s ratio suggests significant appreciation for XRP relative to Bitcoin. Community responses ranged from enthusiasm to speculative scenarios, including tokenization use cases and debates over whether XRP could flip Bitcoin. Supporters argued that a higher XRP price would deepen on-chain liquidity and help tokenization of real-world assets. Bird emphasized the importance of on-chain XRP availability for creating liquidity pools between XRP and tokenized assets. The article notes this is opinion, not financial advice.

A coalition led by the Bitcoin Policy Institute and including Bitcoin Voter, Blocks, Crypto Council, Digital Chamber, MoonPay and River has sent a letter to House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith and Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo asking Congress to expand tax exemptions for crypto payments beyond dollar-pegged stablecoins to Bitcoin and large network tokens. They argue the GENIUS Act’s limited tax relief for compliant payment stablecoins undermines broader crypto use because current IRS rules treat crypto as property, making everyday purchases taxable events that require capital gains tracking. The groups propose extending cash-like de minimis relief to network tokens meeting a $25 billion market-cap threshold, capping individual tax-free transactions at $600 and annual tax-free use at $20,000. They cite Federal Reserve data that about 45 million Americans hold crypto (mostly Bitcoin), roughly 7 million used Bitcoin-like tokens for payments in 2024, and some 3,500 U.S. merchants accept Bitcoin. The coalition warns recent broker reporting rules (Form 1099-DA) increase reporting burdens and audit risk without calibrated de minimis relief. Major backers and prior political efforts (including Senator Cynthia Lummis and Block’s Jack Dorsey) are referenced as part of ongoing efforts to make Bitcoin practical for everyday payments.

Meta this week announced a fresh round of job cuts that follow a year of substantial workforce reductions across the tech sector. The company’s latest reduction is part of continued cost-cutting and restructuring as Meta refocuses on core priorities and efficiency. Compared with recent large-scale layoffs at other major tech firms, Meta’s cuts are notable but broadly consistent with an industry trend driven by slowing revenue growth, tighter ad spending and a shift away from earlier aggressive hiring. Analysts view the moves as aimed at preserving margins and redirecting capital to priority products. Market implications include increased investor scrutiny on tech earnings and guidance, potential short-term volatility in related equities, and renewed attention from regulators and talent markets. Key themes: job cuts, tech sector layoffs, corporate restructuring, fiscal impact and investor reaction.

France’s regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), will begin ordering suspension of crypto-asset service providers that lack an EU MiCA licence from July 2025. The AMF identified roughly 90 firms formerly registered in France; about 40% have said they will not apply for MiCA, ~30% have not responded, and the remainder report applications in progress — implying up to 70% risk suspension. To date the AMF has granted full MiCA licences to only a small number of applicants. MiCA requires client asset segregation, transparent disclosures (whitepapers), fit-and-proper governance, cybersecurity and AML controls. Regulators across the EU (including ESMA) have warned unauthorised firms to prepare orderly wind-down plans; the European Commission has proposed centralised supervision under ESMA, which could change enforcement dynamics. For traders: expect short-term service interruptions and reduced liquidity on non‑compliant, smaller venues; verify providers on the AMF register and plan for higher market concentration as trading flows centralise to licensed, better-capitalised platforms. Primary keywords: MiCA, AMF, France regulation, crypto compliance. Secondary keywords: licence suspension, market consolidation, liquidity risk.

AAVE is trading around $176–$177 with recent 24h gains (~4%). Technical indicators show mixed signals: price sits above the short-term EMA20 ($171.32) and MACD histogram is positive, but RSI (~68) is nearing overbought and Supertrend remains bearish on higher timeframes. Key pivot is $180.00 — a decisive breakout above $180 with rising volume (target >$300M) would aim for $182.63, $188.27 and $206.74; failure at $180 with low volume and RSI divergence would open a downside toward $175.23, $167.69 and $158.52. Multi-timeframe analysis highlights resistance concentration on weekly charts, increasing rejection risk. Traders should watch volume, RSI divergence, MACD histogram width and Supertrend flips; daily closes and BTC correlation are also important. Scenario-specific invalidations: close below $175.23 invalidates the bullish case; close above $180 invalidates the bearish case. This technical-dominant outlook favors tactics around breakout confirmation, volume-led entries, and tight invalidation-based stops.

Monero (XMR) faces a mixed 2026–2030 outlook driven by strong privacy fundamentals and rising regulatory scrutiny. Core strengths include mandatory privacy (ring signatures, stealth addresses, confidential transactions), RandomX ASIC-resistant mining, predictable tail emission, and ongoing protocol upgrades improving transaction efficiency and scalability. These technical factors support long-term demand for financial privacy, especially in regions with capital controls or currency instability. Headwinds stem from coordinated regulatory actions and exchange delistings following global AML/CFT guidance, which can depress short-term liquidity and price in regulated markets. Institutional interest is growing—some funds include privacy coins for diversification—and academic work highlights societal privacy benefits, which may soften future regulation. Key price drivers to watch: international regulatory developments, protocol advances (including potential zero-knowledge integrations), geographic adoption patterns, macro conditions (inflation, currency instability), and competition from optional privacy solutions (e.g., ZEC or privacy layers on transparent chains). Overall, Monero’s resilience and dedicated community suggest continued relevance, but traders should expect volatility around regulatory news and changing exchange access. This analysis is informational and not trading advice.

New York’s newly inaugurated mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters he does not hold cryptocurrencies and will not buy former mayor Eric Adams’ commemorative “NYC Token.” Adams launched the token as a fundraising initiative for education and social causes, but shortly after launch there were reports that the project removed liquidity, causing multimillion-dollar losses for some investors. Nansen analyst Nicolai Søndergaard said the liquidity removal resembled a rug pull, trapping traders and forcing sales in low-liquidity conditions. Mamdani — who campaigned on affordability and previously backed stronger consumer protections for stablecoin issuers while on the city council — distanced his administration from Adams’ pro-crypto stance. His comments signal a policy and tone shift at City Hall and add to public scrutiny of the NYC Token’s tokenomics and market behavior. For traders, the story raises heightened reputational and regulatory risk for municipal-linked tokens, suggests potential increased scrutiny or regulatory responses in New York, and implies continued price vulnerability for NYC Token amid low liquidity and negative sentiment.