Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

China has instructed local companies to stop using cybersecurity software from more than a dozen U.S. and Israeli firms, citing national security risks and concerns that Western products could collect or transmit sensitive Chinese data. The blacklist includes major vendors such as Broadcom-owned VMware, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Rapid7, McAfee, Mandiant, Wiz, Check Point, Orca Security, Cato Networks, CyberArk and Imperva. Beijing is pushing its “Xinchuang” policy of technological self-reliance and is encouraging firms to adopt domestic providers like 360 Security Technology and Neusoft. Shares of affected U.S. vendors fell after the announcement (Broadcom down >5%, Palo Alto ~1%, Fortinet ~2%). The move echoes past restrictions (e.g., U.S. bans on Kaspersky) and reflects widening tech competition between China and Western countries. Companies with China operations — some with multiple local offices — say they continue doing business in the country. Traders should note potential second-order effects on enterprise software stocks, supply-chain tech ties, and geopolitical risk pricing.

Base App — the consumer product from the Base ecosystem — is shifting to a trading-first business model to drive demand and distribution across the on‑chain economy. Announced by jesse.base.eth and supported by Base CEO Brian Armstrong (who said the product remains in iteration), the app will broaden its feed beyond social tokens to include high‑quality assets across multiple classes and remain multi‑chain with Base as the core. Mini apps will stay part of the product but will receive improved discoverability and performance tooling (leaderboards, onboarding impact metrics). The stated aim is to increase distribution to assets, target retail investors and traders, and support builders by making the app a primary hub for trading and using tokenized assets onchain.

TD Cowen lowered its price target for Strategy from $500 to $440 (a 12% reduction), citing two primary concerns: ongoing share dilution from issuance of common and preferred shares, and weakened Bitcoin profitability driven by price volatility, higher operational costs and rising network hash rates. Analysts say dilution reduces existing shareholders’ ownership and EPS unless capital raised creates strong returns; preferred shares may create future overhangs. TD Cowen’s downgrade reflects stricter, traditional valuation scrutiny being applied to crypto-correlated firms and signals caution for companies reliant on Bitcoin mining, trading or treasury holdings. The report urges investors to reassess Strategy’s capital management, operational efficiency and resilience to Bitcoin cycles. Key figures: previous target $500 → new target $440 (12% cut). Main keywords: TD Cowen, Strategy, price target, share dilution, Bitcoin profitability, crypto-linked equities.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) experienced unusually large on-chain activity with over 652 billion SHIB transferred within 24 hours across exchanges and private wallets. Exchange inflows and outflows both spiked, indicating simultaneous deposit and withdrawal activity rather than a one-sided trend. Large-holder outflows suggest reduced immediate selling pressure for some holders, while elevated inflows point to other participants preparing to trade or rebalance. Net exchange reserves rose slightly, underlining a cautious market posture. Price action reflected this indecision: SHIB rebounded from local support and rose above short-term moving averages but stalled near the 100-day exponential moving average. Trading volume expanded during the recovery, yet momentum indicators (e.g., RSI) hovered near neutral levels. The surge in token transfers raises the risk of heightened short-term volatility; a decisive break above resistance on sustained volume could be bullish, whereas failure to clear resistance may trigger renewed downside. This report is informational and not financial advice.

The Algorand Foundation announced it has relocated its headquarters from Singapore to the United States to deepen engagement with U.S. regulators, financial institutions and developer communities. CEO Staci Warden framed the move as a strategic step to advance real-world blockchain use cases—specifically immediate global payments, broader access to financial products, and economic resilience—by positioning Algorand at the center of U.S. financial infrastructure discussions. The relocation includes the launch of a new board of directors to bring finance, technology and governance expertise. The foundation expects closer collaboration with U.S. research centers and enterprises on areas such as real-world asset tokenization (RWA), central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), DeFi compliance and RegTech. Analysts say the move signals confidence in the evolving U.S. regulatory landscape and could improve institutional investor perception of ALGO, potentially boosting partnerships and developer activity. The core protocol and technical roadmap remain unchanged; the shift is primarily strategic and operational. No specific timelines, funding changes or direct market commitments were disclosed.

Russia has proposed a major revision to its crypto regulatory framework with a draft bill expected to reach the State Duma in spring 2026. Led by Financial Markets Committee chair Anatoly Aksakov, the proposal would remove digital assets from a “special financial regulation” category and create wider market access while imposing investor protections. Key measures include a 300,000‑ruble (≈$3,800) purchase cap for non‑qualified (retail) investors, potential mandatory risk‑awareness testing for retail traders, and continued restrictions on anonymous or privacy‑focused coins. Qualified and professional participants would face no such retail caps. The bill may also enable Russian‑issued digital tokens for international settlements and recognize crypto mining as an export‑related activity to support foreign currency inflows—moves linked to prior steps allowing crypto for certain cross‑border payments amid sanctions. The changes coincide with Russia’s ongoing digital ruble rollout, targeting full state financial system integration by September 2026. For traders, the overhaul signals regulated retail access within clear limits, potential growth in on‑chain cross‑border flows, and continued scrutiny of privacy coins. Market impact depends on implementation details, enforcement, and how exchanges and banks respond.

Senator Cynthia Lummis said the planned Senate hearing on a cryptocurrency market-structure bill may be postponed. Lummis, a leading Republican voice on crypto policy, indicated scheduling uncertainty without providing a new date. The hearing was intended to discuss proposed market-structure reforms for digital assets and related oversight measures. Key stakeholders expected to be affected include exchanges, custodians and institutional investors. The potential delay adds near-term regulatory uncertainty for crypto markets as traders awaited clarification on rules that could affect listings, custody practices and market surveillance. Primary keywords: crypto market-structure, Lummis, Senate hearing, regulatory uncertainty.

An on-chain address widely attributed to Bitmine staked 154,304 ETH (≈$519.8M) within about four hours, lifting its total staked holdings to 1,685,088 ETH (≈$5.65B). Onchain Lens data shows this single entity now controls roughly 1.4% of all ETH staked on the Beacon Chain. The move is among the largest single staking actions of 2025 and continues a multi-quarter accumulation trend noted in earlier reports. Attribution to Bitmine is based on behavioral on-chain analysis rather than official confirmation. Market context: more than 32 million ETH (~26% of circulating supply) is staked on the Beacon Chain; major custodians include Lido and centralized exchanges. Implications for traders: large-scale staking removes liquid ETH from circulation, which can reduce short-term sell pressure and be bullish for ETH price sentiment; it also signals institutional validation of staking services. Risks to monitor include validator centralization, slashing risk, withdrawal queue dynamics, and any regulatory responses. This summary is for information and not trading advice.

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book reports modest-to-moderate economic growth in 8 of 12 Federal Reserve districts, no change in 3 districts, and a moderate decline in 1 — an improvement from recent reporting periods. Most districts expect slight to modest growth in the coming months. Consumer spending rose mildly to moderately for many banks, driven largely by the holiday shopping season. Employment remained largely stable: 8 of 12 districts reported no change in hiring activity. Prices increased at a modest pace in most districts, with only two reporting slight price upticks. A widespread concern across districts is tariff-driven cost pressure: as pre-tariff inventories are depleted, businesses are beginning to pass higher costs onto consumers, signalling renewed inflationary pressure. The Beige Book’s observations suggest a cautiously optimistic near-term outlook for economic activity, with tariffs emerging as a notable upside risk to inflation.

The Zcash Foundation announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded a multi-year investigation—filed under subpoena SF‑04569 in August 2023—and indicated it does not intend to pursue enforcement action. Earlier reporting noted the SEC probe examined governance, funding and whether elements of Zcash could be classed as securities. No settlement, fines, injunctions or public penalties have been disclosed and both parties issued limited public detail. The closure follows a pattern this year of the SEC closing or withdrawing several cryptocurrency and DeFi inquiries. For traders, the development removes a specific regulatory overhang for Zcash (ZEC) and may reduce short-term legal uncertainty for the ZEC market, though broader SEC scrutiny of crypto persists. Market reaction was muted at announcement, with no immediate volatility spike tied directly to the news. Keywords: SEC investigation, Zcash Foundation, ZEC, regulatory update, crypto compliance.

Brazilian police dismantled four clandestine cryptocurrency mining farms in Porto Real do Colégio, Alagoas, after discovering they used illicit power hookups and siphoned river water for cooling. The operation, led by the Alagoas Civil Police with the Directorate of Police Intelligence and Special Resources coordination, seized multiple high-performance mining rigs. Technical tests estimated consumption at about 200,000 kWh per month — equivalent to roughly 1,000 households — causing an estimated financial loss of R$155,000 monthly (around $130,000) and R$750,000 over five months. The unauthorized energy draws reportedly caused regional power outages and damaged household appliances. Authorities are examining seized hardware to trace provenance and identify organizers. The raids follow additional recent shutdowns of energy-theft mining operations in Brazil’s Federal District, highlighting a growing nationwide crackdown on illegal crypto mining. Keywords: illegal crypto mining, electricity theft, mining farms, Brazil, energy theft, crypto crackdown.

The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a public advisory warning that VALTORO SPARTAN CONSULTANCY CORPORATION / VALTORO SPARTAN TRADING is not authorized to solicit investments. Valtoro Spartan markets a DeFi platform (valtoro.app) claiming a “VST MEV” bot and offers “Lock‑in Subscription” investment plans starting at $50 with allegedly outsized returns: 7.5% in 15 days, 30% in 30 days, 135% in 3 months, 360% in 6 months and 912.5% in 12 months. It also runs a two‑tier referral program with a 5% direct referral bonus and 1% multi‑level commissions up to 10 levels. The SEC says the corporation lacks the required secondary license and warned that promoters, brokers, influencers and recruiters who solicit investments may face criminal liability and penalties — up to ₱5 million fine or up to 21 years imprisonment under the Securities Regulation Code and the Financial Consumer Protection Act. The advisory follows similar recent SEC warnings against unlicensed crypto entities (e.g., LS KBS Crypto Trading, KBSEX, EXNESS, HFM/HF MARKET). Key implications for traders: heightened regulatory scrutiny in the Philippines, increased risk of scams promising unrealistic yields, and possible enforcement actions affecting investor funds and market confidence.

OpenAI has agreed a multi‑year, multi‑billion dollar purchase with Cerebras Systems to acquire up to 750 megawatts of low‑latency AI inference compute capacity delivered in tranches through 2026–2028. The deal deploys Cerebras’ wafer‑scale, inference‑focused processors — high‑core, large on‑chip memory chips with very high fabric bandwidth — to reduce latency and accelerate real‑time tasks such as code generation, image creation and AI agents. OpenAI says the capacity will be phased into its inference stack beginning this year and complements broader infrastructure moves including a $500m co‑investment with SoftBank’s SB Energy to build multi‑gigawatt AI data campuses (including a 1.2GW site in Milam County). The agreement aims to diversify OpenAI’s supplier mix away from general‑purpose GPUs and hyperscaler dependence, target inference bottlenecks, and lower per‑inference operating costs over time. Analysts cited in coverage expect significant efficiency gains for inference versus general‑purpose GPUs, and view the deal as validating inference‑specific hardware as a new battleground that could pressure GPU suppliers. Community concerns about data‑centre impacts (water use, noise) are noted; OpenAI and partners plan mitigation steps such as lower‑water cooling, workforce investment and grid upgrades. Primary keywords: OpenAI, Cerebras, AI compute, inference hardware, low‑latency. Secondary/semantic keywords included: wafer‑scale chips, inference efficiency, data centre build, SoftBank, SB Energy, Milam County. (Main keyword "AI compute" appears multiple times for SEO.)

DeFi advocacy groups, led by the DeFi Education Fund, lobbied senators ahead of a Senate Banking Committee markup on the CLARITY Act, urging rejection of at least eight proposed amendments they say would harm DeFi, developers and self-custody rights. Targeted amendments include proposals from Senators Jack Reed and Andy Kim (Amendment 42) to authorize Treasury sanctions on “smart contracts and centralized platforms” and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s Amendment 75 to prohibit transactions with unlawful DeFi protocols. Senator Elizabeth Warren filed more than 20 amendments, including Amendment 104 affecting distribution carve-outs for crypto offerings. The DeFi Education Fund warns amendments would narrow developer protections and expand FinCEN and Treasury authority, potentially burdening code instead of people. The Senate Banking Committee released a “Myth vs Fact” sheet defending the bill as an investor-protection measure that targets illicit actors without criminalizing code. The House passed its version in July 2025 (294–134). The markup and related hearings are scheduled for January 15, 2026, with industry players—such as Coinbase—warning they could withdraw support if stablecoin reward restrictions are added. The outcome is time-sensitive ahead of the November 2026 midterms, which could reshape legislative prospects.

Bitcoin climbed above $95,000 and was trading around $97,200 after a decisive breakout that ended a multi-week consolidation between roughly $88,000 and $94,000. Trading volume rose with the move, indicating participation-backed strength rather than a thin-liquidity spike. On-chain spot metrics show renewed buy-side pressure: CryptoQuant’s 90-day Spot Taker Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) turned positive in January, signalling taker buy dominance, while the Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) indicator rose to a local high (~5.05 million), suggesting sustained inflows. Key near-term support is now the $94k–$95k zone, with psychological resistance at $100,000 the next level to watch. The shift from taker sell dominance in late 2025 to taker buy dominance and rising accumulation implies the breakout is supported by momentum-driven buying and broader market participation, which could increase the probability of follow-through if volumes remain elevated.

Bitcoin trades around $97,100, maintaining a clear daily uptrend supported by EMA20 and rising volume. Key short-term supports are $97,486, $95,505 and $90,982; breach of these could accelerate downside. No major static resistances were detected, though the Supertrend flags a dynamic resistance near $104,025 and the $100,000 psychological level may cap gains. Momentum indicators are bullish overall—MACD positive and EMA structure showing a golden cross—but RSI at ~71 signals overbought conditions and raises the probability of a short-term correction. VWAP and institutional flows support the move. Risk/reward from current levels is roughly symmetrical: upside target near $115,000 (+~18%) and downside risk to $80,000 (−~18%). Traders should watch multi-timeframe support confluence, monitor volume for genuine tests, and manage risk tightly—breaks below the key supports (97,486 and 95,505) would shift bias bearish; a clear break above $100,000/$104,000 would resume bullish extension.

The CME Group will introduce a new silver futures contract amid surging retail demand for physical silver and silver-related products. The launch follows record-level retail purchases and heightened interest from individual investors, who have driven premiums and inventory tightness in the physical market. The new contract aims to improve price discovery, offer greater liquidity, and provide a standardized vehicle for institutions and retail participants to hedge or gain exposure to silver. Market participants expect the contract to help relieve some pressure in spot markets by channeling demand into a regulated futures venue. Key points: high retail silver demand, inventory strains at dealers, premiums on physical silver, CME’s new standardized futures product, anticipated benefits for liquidity and price transparency. Traders should watch the contract specifications, launch date, initial open interest, and liquidity metrics to assess how the new instrument affects silver spot-future basis, funding costs, and short-term volatility.

XRP-based exchange-traded funds (XRP ETFs) have recovered roughly $40 million of early‑January outflows and resumed net inflows, bringing cumulative net inflows to about $1.25 billion since their November 2025 launch. Analytics firm Sosovalue reported $12.98 million of new capital on January 13, completing a multi-day rebound after a $40.8 million withdrawal on January 7. Between January 8 and January 13 the funds drew about $41.67 million, slightly exceeding the prior outflow and suggesting the exit was a short-lived portfolio adjustment rather than a sustained demand drop. Earlier reporting showed XRP ETFs had recorded $483.39 million of inflows in December, lifting total assets under management to roughly $1.24 billion, and that the products logged continuous daily net inflows from launch, reaching $1 billion faster than most recent ETF debuts. Major issuers include Canary Capital, Bitwise, Grayscale, Franklin Templeton and 21Shares; Canary remains the largest holder. The rapid rollback of the January outflow points to continued institutional demand for regulated XRP exposure. Traders should watch for short‑term flow-driven volatility around fund flows and potential regulatory clarity in 2026, which could materially influence future inflows and XRP price momentum.

Chainalysis reports record crypto thefts of about $17 billion in 2025, driven mainly by AI-enabled social-engineering and impersonation scams. Scammers increasingly use deepfake voices, AI-generated messages and cloned social profiles to impersonate exchange staff, influencers, project reps and support agents. Major vectors included deceptive influencer accounts promoting rug pulls, sophisticated phishing that bypasses basic security checks, and impersonation of centralized exchange personnel. Attackers then route stolen funds through mixers and cross-chain bridges to obscure proceeds. Key statistics and trends: $17B total losses in 2025 (record high); a large share attributed to AI-assisted impersonations and social-engineering campaigns; rising use of on-chain laundering tools and mixers. Victims span retail users, CEX customers and DeFi participants exposed to malicious contracts or social-led rug pulls. Trader implications and recommended actions: heightened operational and counterparty risk — traders should tighten KYC and verification, enable hardware wallets or multisig for treasury holdings, avoid clicking unsolicited links and vet influencer endorsements. Use on-chain monitoring and analytics to watch for abnormal outflows; expect increased regulatory scrutiny that may affect exchange onboarding and liquidity. Short-term: expect elevated volatility for tokens tied to projects or influencers implicated in high-profile scams. Medium-to-long term: greater demand for security- and compliance-focused projects and tools. SEO keywords: Chainalysis, AI-enabled scams, impersonation scams, crypto scams, social engineering, deepfakes, phishing, mixers, on-chain laundering, exchange security.

Sui’s Layer-1 blockchain resumed full operation after a 5 hour 52 minute consensus outage that halted transactions and affected more than $1 billion in on-chain value. The Sui Foundation and core developers diagnosed the problem as a stalled consensus process that prevented new blocks from being committed, implemented fixes and coordinated a restart of validators. The incident began being investigated at 14:52 UTC and was resolved at 20:44 UTC. No protocol-level exploit or lost funds have been reported. This is Sui’s second major outage since launch (the prior large incident occurred in November 2024). SUI’s token showed brief volatility — spiking about 4% during the outage and later returning to roughly $1.84 — highlighting short-term market sensitivity. The foundation advised users to refresh apps or browsers if they still experienced issues. For traders, the outage raises reliability concerns for Sui that may prompt validator upgrades or emergency patches; expect possible short-term volatility in SUI but limited long-term fundamental damage given the absence of a security breach.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has opened a formal investigation into xAI’s Grok chatbot over the generation and spread of nonconsensual sexually explicit images. The probe focuses on possible violations of state laws targeting sexually explicit deepfakes and the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images. AI-detection firm Copyleaks reported roughly one problematic image posted to X every minute and samples showing up to 6,700 instances per hour. International regulators have reacted: Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked Grok, India demanded technical fixes, the European Commission ordered preservation of documents, and the UK’s Ofcom launched an investigation under the Online Safety Act. Elon Musk publicly said he is “not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok,” a narrowly worded denial that legal experts note avoids the broader issue of nonconsensual adult imagery. xAI has begun rolling out controls — a premium wall for some image requests, higher refusal rates for sexual prompts, and more generic outputs — but reports indicate inconsistent enforcement and possible preferential treatment for verified adult-content creators. The case tests US laws such as the federal Take It Down Act and recent 2024 California statutes on deepfakes; outcomes could set precedents for developer liability and AI safety obligations. For traders, the investigation raises regulatory risk around platforms tied to Elon Musk and generative-AI firms, highlighting potential reputational, legal, and operational impacts that may influence crypto-related equities and tokens linked to Musk’s ecosystem.

GeeFi (GEE) presale shows strong demand: Phase 3 is reported about 90% sold with more than $2.6 million raised and roughly 3 million $GEE remaining at the current $0.10 presale price. The team added an in‑app purchase portal to its decentralized wallet to streamline $GEE buys. GeeFi’s roadmap emphasizes utility features: a native in‑app DEX, staking for passive rewards, a Cryptocard to enable merchant spending of crypto balances, a 5% USDT referral program, and an early‑supporter bonus system. The presale uses tiered pricing and targets a $0.40 public listing price (implying a 300% uplift from the current presale price); some commentary in the release suggests longer‑term scenarios of up to $3 or higher as the platform scales. The announcement frames GeeFi as utility‑focused to reduce adoption friction and incentivize community growth. Links to the whitepaper, buy portal, app downloads and social channels were provided. This is a paid press release; traders should perform due diligence before investing.

Optimism (OP) led Layer-2 tokens with a 13% price rise over 24 hours, driven by a >140% surge in volume to over $200 million and a volume-to-market-cap ratio near 29%, signaling strong liquidity for traders. On-chain activity on the Optimism Superchain remains robust: daily transactions exceeded 2.5 million and total transactions approached 922 million. OP ranked fifth among top-100 coins by performance during the move and had a fully diluted market cap above $1.3 billion. Technically, OP broke above the neckline of an inverted head-and-shoulders at $0.3388, with bullish MACD and Stochastic RSI readings. A successful retest and hold above $0.3388 could open a move toward $0.45; failure to hold could see a return to $0.28 or $0.25. A proposed 12-month token buyback could further tighten supply and amplify rallies if demand persists. Primary keywords: Optimism, OP token, Layer 2, on-chain activity, buyback. Secondary/semantic keywords included: volume surge, liquidity, inverted head-and-shoulders, breakout, retest, market-cap.

XRP briefly rose above $2.10 and reached $2.41 before pulling back to about $2.05, prompting visible bearish price action and increased retail selling. An X (Twitter) analyst highlighted on-chain divergences: while retail appeared to capitulate, spot XRP ETFs recorded a one-day net inflow of $4.9 million and total ETF holdings climbed as price fell. Additionally, roughly $22 million worth of XRP left exchanges in 24 hours, and exchange-held balances have fallen below 2 billion XRP from over 4 billion in early 2025. The analyst interprets these flows as institutional accumulation and supply tightening — a “transfer of wealth” where larger players add exposure during retail weakness. Traders are cautioned against panic selling; the on-chain data suggests quiet accumulation that could support future upside once retail selling pressure subsides.

A rapid price breakout in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) triggered a cascade of liquidations that wiped out almost $700 million in crypto short positions. The move, described by some traders as a “mechanical” breakout, saw coordinated long-side momentum push both benchmark tokens higher, forcing leveraged short positions across exchanges to be closed automatically. Key statistics: total liquidations approached $700 million, with a large share attributed to BTC and ETH shorts. The event heightened intraday volatility, produced sharp price spikes, and briefly pushed funding rates higher on major derivatives platforms. Traders noted that algorithmic and momentum-driven orders amplified the move, while stop-loss clustering around obvious technical levels accelerated liquidations. Market participants reacted with swift position rebalancing; exchanges recorded elevated volumes and order-book churn during the episode. Implications for traders: expect continued short-term volatility and potential for follow-through rallies if buyers maintain control, but beware of quick reversals as deleveraging completes. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, Ether, BTC, ETH, liquidations, short squeeze, crypto derivatives. Secondary/semantic keywords included: volatility, funding rates, leverage, exchanges, momentum.

Ethereum (ETH) has shown strengthening bullish momentum between Jan 13–14, 2026, rising from about $3,180 to roughly $3,356 and trading volume increasing from ~$15–16B to ~$24–25B. Short-term indicators support further upside: RSI moved from neutral (~57) to ~67, MACD histogram turned positive, and the price sits above the 20-day EMA. Key technical levels: immediate resistances near $3,222 and $3,286 with the primary barrier at $3,437.78 (rounded $3,438); major supports at $3,229.73 (0.618 fib / confluence), $3,123–3,181 (intraday and daily support), $3,081 (near EMA50), and a monthly base around $2,623. Volume and open interest have risen, raising squeeze risk and implying a volume-driven breakout will be needed to carry ETH above $3,438. A decisive daily close and expanding volume above $3,221–$3,438 could push price toward $3,286–$3,437 and, on a strong breakout, a target near $4,000 (~18–19% upside). Conversely, a daily close below the $3,123 area risks testing $3,000 and possibly $2,800. ATR (~3%) signals elevated volatility; traders should manage position sizes and risk (suggested 1–2% per trade) and wait for confirmation via daily closes, volume expansion and MACD/RSI shifts. Macro factors (e.g., Fed decisions) and Bitcoin correlation remain important contextual risks.

Analyst roundup highlights XRP, PEPE and Internet Computer (ICP) as leading altcoin picks for January 2026 amid falling Bitcoin dominance and improving macro outlook. XRP (XRP) — market cap > $130bn — is promoted as a payments-focused token benefiting from institutional adoption and recent spot XRP ETF launches; currently near $2.15 after a record $3.65 in 2025, analysts say further ETF approvals and macro tailwinds could push it toward $5 by Q2 and higher later in the year. PEPE (PEPE) — a top meme coin with ~ $2.8bn market cap — traded around $0.00000665 after a recent 12% one-day rally but remains ~76% below its late-2024 high; RSI near 67 signals possible short-term overbought conditions though strong support sits at $0.000005. Internet Computer (ICP) — positioned as a blockchain for fully on‑chain apps — is trading near $3.82 and has surged ~18% in 24 hours and ~35% in two weeks; reports suggest ICP could rally multiple-fold in a Q1 altcoin recovery, helped by developer activity (eg, Dfinity’s Caffeine AI announcement). The article also profiles presale projects like Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a Bitcoin layer-2 built on the Solana Virtual Machine, which claims $30.5m presale raised and offers staking incentives. Risk note: crypto remains high-risk; article is informational, not financial advice.

Coinbase has withdrawn its endorsement of the Senate’s Clarity Act and requested a postponement of the Senate Banking Committee markup, creating uncertainty around the bill’s near-term progress. The Clarity Act sought to define SEC vs. CFTC jurisdiction, token classification rules, exchange registration and consumer protections. Coinbase — facing an ongoing SEC lawsuit — may have objected to provisions in the latest draft or is recalibrating its regulatory strategy. The withdrawal risks fracturing industry consensus and delaying a bipartisan effort years in the making. Market consequences could include continued regulatory uncertainty that deters institutional investment, potential relocation of crypto innovation to more certain jurisdictions (UK, EU, Singapore, Dubai), and slower product expansion by U.S. firms. Key figures and sources: Coinbase; Senate Banking Committee (markup); reports first flagged by journalist Eleanor Terrett; mention of Chair Tim Scott’s office. Traders should monitor the Committee’s decision to proceed with markup, any revised bill text, and industry lobbying responses — all of which could materially affect regulatory clarity and institutional flows.

The DeFi Education Fund has called on U.S. senators to oppose several proposed amendments in the Senate Banking Committee’s crypto market structure bill markup, arguing they would harm decentralized finance (DeFi) and software developers. Key contested amendments include: Amendment #42 (Senators Reed and Kim) — would authorize Treasury sanctions on smart contracts and centralized platforms tied to illicit activity; Amendment #45 (Sen. Reed) — defines digital assets under the Bank Secrecy Act; Amendment #47 (Sen. Reed) — removes a provision related to federal criminal offense for unlicensed money transmission; Amendments #72 and #73 (Sen. Cortez Masto) — narrow the non-controlling developer definition and expand FinCEN and Treasury authority over blockchain platforms; Amendments #74 and #75 — strengthen money-transmission laws and prohibit transactions involving unlawful DeFi protocols; Amendment #104 (Sen. Warren) — strikes a distribution carve-out for crypto offerings. The fund warns these measures could stifle innovation, constrain developer activity, and expand regulatory reach, potentially disrupting DeFi operations and compliance frameworks. Traders should monitor the Senate Banking Committee markup closely, as changes could affect regulatory clarity for digital assets, counterparty risk for DeFi protocols, and market sentiment toward token projects tied to decentralized applications.