Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong denied reports that the White House is upset with Coinbase or ready to withdraw support for the CLARITY Act. Armstrong said the White House has been "super constructive" and asked Coinbase to negotiate with community banks on the stalled market-structure bill. Coinbase paused its support after raising concerns the bill’s latest draft would harm DeFi, ban tokenized stock trading, and prohibit sharing stablecoin yield with users. The Senate Banking Committee postponed the bill’s markup to allow further industry-lawmaker discussions; Armstrong expects a new markup in a few weeks. The dispute centers on stablecoin yield and provisions critics say favor banks over crypto innovation. Key figures: Brian Armstrong; context: CLARITY Act, US Senate Banking Committee, community banks. Primary keywords: Coinbase, CLARITY Act, Brian Armstrong, stablecoin yield, DeFi.

ZKP has launched a public presale that distributes 200 million ZKP tokens each day via a single 24-hour on‑chain auction with a single clearing price. The model removes private rounds, staged discounts and special tiers — all tokens are available only through the same public auction. An anti‑whale cap (about $50,000 per wallet) limits large single‑wallet purchases. The project says it pre‑funded core network infrastructure with more than $100 million before public sale and runs a live preview testnet supporting zk‑SNARKs/zk‑STARKs, EVM and WASM compatibility, and combined consensus elements (Proof of Intelligence and Proof of Space/Storage). Incentives include a $5 million rewards pool split into ten $500,000 prizes; winners must participate in the standard auction and there are referral bonuses (20% to referrer, 10% to referred) that do not change supply. Compared with prior coverage, the later update clarifies daily supply (200M), the explicit anti‑whale cap, and that referral incentives are additive to outreach but not to token issuance. For traders: primary variables to monitor are the daily 200M token issuance, auction clearing prices (price discovery), anti‑whale limits that shape participant distribution, and the referral/reward mechanics that may temporarily boost demand. These factors compress early private‑round style pricing windows and can increase short‑term volatility around each daily auction; longer‑term price direction will depend on post‑sale unlocking, circulating supply dynamics after 2026 market phase, and real network adoption.

Multiple newly launched XRP ETFs have accumulated about 800 million XRP since trading began, triggering substantial on‑market purchases by issuers and materially reducing XRP held on exchanges and in custody. Early reports showed single‑day ETF buying of tens of millions of XRP (one report cited ~79M in a day) and continued inflows from major issuers such as Franklin Templeton. With a total supply near 100 billion XRP but an estimated tradable float of only ~2–2.5 billion XRP, ETF demand has removed a meaningful share of available exchange liquidity — estimates put one‑day ETF absorption at roughly 1–4% of exchange float. The tightening float creates a classic supply shock: when ETF and institutional buy pressure outpace available sell‑side liquidity, price moves can be amplified and short‑term volatility may rise. Traders should monitor ongoing ETF filings and inflow reports, exchange balances, custody reports, order‑book depth and trading volumes. Key risks that could relieve pressure include a slowdown in ETF inflows, large unlocks of held XRP, or regulatory developments involving Ripple. Primary keywords: XRP ETFs, ETF inflows, XRP scarcity. Secondary keywords: exchange balances, institutional demand, price impact. This is market commentary, not investment advice.

Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) protocols are enabling a new data marketplace that lets creators tokenize datasets and sell controlled access without exposing original files. The platform mints on-chain tokens representing ownership while storing large files off-chain (e.g., IPFS) with CIDs as pointers. ZKP cryptography verifies ownership and dataset properties (record counts, date ranges) on-chain without revealing content. A tiered access model (metadata, sample layers, full access for verified holders) enforces permissions via smart contracts. A DAO governs listings and quality control using privacy-preserving ZKP voting to approve datasets and maintain reputation. Transactions use cryptographic proofs and an on-platform coin (ZKP Coin) to act as escrow: buyers verify proofs, then swap tokens for access. The model aims to restore control and monetization to data creators, reduce reliance on centralized platforms, and create a privacy-first economy for reusable data assets. Primary keywords: zero-knowledge proof, ZKP, data marketplace, tokenization, privacy. Secondary/semantic keywords included: IPFS, CID, DAO governance, smart contracts, data monetization.

Bitcoin-monitoring bots instantly drained a compromised SegWit wallet after detecting two small BTC deposits sent to an address whose private key was derived from a public coinbase txid (block 924,982). On-chain data shows the wallet received 0.00020305 BTC in two inputs; bots swept the funds within minutes using signed transactions and aggressive replace-by-fee (RBF) bidding. One spend used ~12.8 sat/vB, another used 4.8 sat/vB, and competing RBF replacements caused sudden sat/vB jumps in the mempool as bots outbid each other. The result: the wallet ended with zero balance and most of the deposited value consumed by fees. Analysts note the attack vector is predictable or low-entropy private keys (e.g., using txids or block hashes as seeds). Bots precompute addresses from public data, monitor the mempool, and immediately send higher-fee RBF transactions to ensure miner inclusion. Traders should note this incident highlights operational risks (funds sent to predictable addresses can be lost instantly) and demonstrates how automated RBF competition can burn deposited value. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, RBF, mempool, private key compromise, bots. Secondary/semantic keywords: fee war, sat/vB, address sweep, low-entropy keys. Actionable takeaways for traders: avoid sending funds to unfamiliar or nonstandard addresses without verification; custodial and self-custody providers should ensure seed entropy and avoid deriving keys from public block data; expect occasional mempool fee volatility when automated sweeps occur.

Michael Saylor, chair of MicroStrategy’s parent company Strategy, defended corporate Bitcoin treasuries on the What Bitcoin Did podcast. He argued that for companies with excess cash or weak operating results, allocating capital to Bitcoin is a rational alternative to holding low-yield cash or Treasurys or executing buybacks. Saylor said Bitcoin’s fixed supply and inflation-hedge properties can offset operating losses and improve financial outcomes. He also highlighted a perceived double standard in scrutiny: firms holding cash or bonds face little criticism whereas those adding Bitcoin receive outsized pushback. Strategy began accumulating BTC in 2020 and remains the largest corporate holder; public companies now hold roughly 1.1 million BTC combined (about 5.5% of circulating supply), with MicroStrategy alone holding the largest share. The coverage notes that corporate adoption accelerated earlier but that many corporate treasuries experienced NAV declines in 2025, which constrained capital raising and slowed new adoptions late in 2025. For traders: the story reinforces sustained corporate demand as a structural Bitcoin demand signal, while also flagging that treasury-level unrealized losses can limit near-term fresh corporate buying.

Federal Reserve transcripts released from 2020 show Chair Jerome Powell pushed for explicit, forceful forward guidance in September 2020 to keep interest rates near zero until two conditions were met: maximum employment and inflation reaching and staying above 2%. The guidance replaced the Fed’s prior reactive approach and aimed to support a lengthy post-COVID recovery. At the time, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge was 1.3% and the median projection did not expect 2% until 2023. Several regional Fed officials privately warned the strong commitment could constrain future policy moves; two members (Dallas’s Rob Kaplan and Minneapolis’s Neel Kashkari) dissented. Inflation later surged to 7.2% in mid-2022, and critics say the strict guidance delayed rate hikes. Powell later expressed regret for tying liftoff to both jobs and inflation. The transcripts also record Powell raising COVID risks as early as March 2, 2020, prompting swift rate cuts. Key facts: September 2020 meeting, policy tied to employment and 2% inflation, inflation was 1.3% then, peaked at 7.2% in 2022, two dissents, several officials privately opposed. Primary keywords: Fed transcripts, Powell, forward guidance, interest rates, inflation.

Monero (XMR) surged to an all-time high after a coordinated social-engineering campaign siphoned roughly $282 million worth of cryptocurrency, temporarily boosting demand for privacy-focused coins. The scam involved targeted manipulation of wallets and exchanges, redirecting funds into Monero to obfuscate transaction trails. Following the inflow and rapid price appreciation, XMR hit new highs but quickly stalled as exchanges and privacy advocates flagged suspicious activity and trading venues limited flows. Authorities and blockchain analytics firms began tracing the funds, prompting sell-side pressure and heightened regulatory scrutiny. Key figures in the incident remain under investigation; the case underscores how illicit capital flows can create short-lived market distortions in privacy coins. Traders should note elevated volatility, potential exchange delistings or withdrawal restrictions, and increased chain-analysis attention on XMR-related transactions.

Husky Inu AI (HINU) completed a small pre‑launch price step, raising its pre‑sale price from $0.00025248 to $0.00025344 as the project continues fundraising ahead of a planned launch within roughly three months. The team began its pre‑launch on April 1, 2025 and is holding periodic reviews to set the final launch date. Across crypto markets, conditions were mildly weaker over the past 24 hours: BTC traded near $95k, ETH around $3.3k, several altcoins showed mixed moves, total market cap slipped and 24‑hour volume fell notably. Separately, political and regulatory risk increased after reports that the White House may withdraw support for the CLARITY Act following Coinbase’s exit from negotiations over stablecoin yield provisions. Earlier reporting also flagged dropped SEC enforcement actions and related political concerns. Key takeaways for traders: the HINU step is a micro‑level fundraising mechanic with limited direct price impact on broader markets; lower volume and modest market weakness increase short‑term volatility risk; and regulatory uncertainty — especially around stablecoin rules and US enforcement actions — raises political tail‑risk that could affect sector sentiment, liquidity and risk premia. Primary keywords: Husky Inu AI, HINU, pre‑launch, CLARITY Act, Coinbase, stablecoins, crypto market volatility.

Axie Infinity’s governance token AXS led a renewed GameFi rally, jumping about 64–65% intraday to roughly $2.02 and rising over 100% on the week. The surge accompanied a sharp rise in trading activity: 24‑hour AXS volume topped ~$997 million, futures volume exceeded $500 million and open interest was around $44 million, indicating short coverings and new positions. The broader GameFi sector market cap sits near $7 billion, up 6.3% in 24 hours, with other winners including RON, SAND, SLP, MANA and ILV. Market observers link the rally to improved investor appetite for high‑volatility GameFi assets, futures activity and protocol changes at Axie Infinity — notably staking adjustments and a planned Axie Score rewards experiment that will introduce bAXS (bonded AXS), a 1:1 backed app token designed for in‑game spending and staking. Project communications stress structural supply changes for 2026 and incentives tied to Axie Score tiers (which may reduce seller fees). Key trading takeaways: AXS’s spike is accompanied by heavy volume and derivatives flows, suggesting an elevated short‑term volatility trade; protocol tokenomics changes (bAXS, staking) create medium‑term fundamental drivers for on‑chain demand and supply adjustments. Traders should monitor volume, futures open interest, Axie announcements about bAXS structure, and sector momentum to inform position sizing and risk management.

Coinbase has publicly denied reports that the White House threatened to withdraw support for bipartisan U.S. legislation favorable to the cryptocurrency industry. The exchange said the story — which alleged pressure from the administration that could derail the crypto bill — was inaccurate and based on anonymous sources. Coinbase stressed it remains engaged with lawmakers and regulators on the bill and broader industry policy. The report had raised concerns among crypto stakeholders about potential political obstacles to legislation that aims to provide clearer rules for digital assets and exchanges. Coinbase’s rebuttal seeks to reassure markets and lawmakers that advocacy and legislative progress continue, while emphasising transparency in communications about regulatory developments.

German and Ukrainian law enforcement, supported by Europol and police from the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, carried out coordinated raids in western Ukraine targeting alleged members of the Black Basta ransomware gang. Searches in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and earlier in Kharkiv recovered computers, storage devices and undisclosed amounts of cryptocurrency. Authorities identified two Ukrainian nationals as “hash crackers” who converted stolen data into login credentials. Germany named 36-year-old Russian national Oleg Nefedov as the suspected ringleader; he has been placed on Interpol’s wanted list and is believed to operate from Russia under aliases including “tramp,” “gg” and “Washingt0n.” Investigators say Black Basta has been active since early 2022 and used double-extortion tactics—encrypting files and stealing data—to extort victims. The group is linked to high-profile targets including ABB and US healthcare provider Ascension, and is alleged to have extorted roughly €20 million from about 100 German victims, with total damages across Europe and the US reaching into the hundreds of millions of euros between 2022–2025. Law enforcement also connected the probe to a violent crypto-related murder in Austria, where suspects allegedly forced a victim to surrender wallet passwords before killing him. Authorities described the raids as a significant international disruption to a ransomware-as-a-service operation and urged improved cross-border intelligence sharing. For crypto traders: seizures of undisclosed crypto assets and increased scrutiny of crime-linked wallets may lead to tightening of privacy around illicit flows, heightened monitoring of wallet activity, and potential law-enforcement-driven sell pressure on coins traced to criminal proceeds.

Monero (XMR) surged to a new all-time high of $799 on Jan 14, 2026, before dropping 13.5% in 24 hours to around $625, with daily volume down about 25%. Analysts link the sudden rally to a Jan 10 hardware wallet social-engineering attack that saw an estimated $282M+ in BTC and LTC stolen and converted into XMR via instant exchanges, temporarily driving demand. Technical indicators show XMR trading at a premium with nearest established demand zones near the prior ATH ~$518 and $400–$440. A crypto analyst warned of overheated retail futures activity—similar signals preceded deep pullbacks in ZEC and DASH—and suggested a likely retracement toward the 61.8% Fibonacci level near $447, where the 50-day moving average also sits. Traders are advised that fresh long entries carry elevated risk and that waiting for a pullback may be prudent. Key keywords: Monero, XMR, ATH, hardware wallet attack, retail futures, Fibonacci retracement, demand zone.

Steak ’n Shake said its corporate Bitcoin (BTC) holdings rose by a $10 million notional after the fast‑food chain began accepting BTC payments in May 2025 and routing all Bitcoin sales into a strategic BTC reserve. The company reported stronger same‑store sales following the rollout — with quarter‑over‑quarter gains of 11% in Q2 2025 and 15% in Q3 2025 — which it attributes in part to Bitcoin acceptance and related promotional effects. The chain expanded BTC payments to El Salvador later in 2025 and has framed the approach as a self‑reinforcing ‘flywheel’: BTC payments increase sales, which grow the BTC reserve and support further marketing and adoption. Steak ’n Shake’s U.S. footprint has contracted since 2018 (from a peak of 628 locations to about 394 by 2026), but the announcement places the chain among a small group of merchants rolling out nationwide BTC payments and using Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset. For traders, the key points are direct corporate buy‑in to BTC, the promotional boost to retail demand that may affect short‑term sentiment, and the longer‑term signal that more merchants could treat BTC as a treasury instrument — a development with potential structural implications for BTC demand.

West Virginia is moving toward formal Bitcoin adoption with the introduction of Senator Bill 143 (Inflation Protection Act of 2026) by State Senator Chris Rose. The bill would allow the state Board of Treasury Investment to allocate up to 10% of public funds into precious metals and qualifying digital assets that meet a market-cap threshold. The statute sets a one-year average market-cap requirement of at least $750 billion, which currently only Bitcoin meets, and permits regulated stablecoins only if approved by federal or state regulators. Investments must be made through qualified custodians, ETFs, or other secure frameworks. The article notes growing local Bitcoin literacy and cites institutional price forecasts (average 2026 target ~ $150,000; long-term VanEck forecast much higher) and prediction-market ranges ($110k–$130k). Trading context: BTC was shown near $95,118 on the 1D chart. Key keywords: Bitcoin adoption, state Bitcoin investment, SB143, inflation hedge, public funds, custody, spot ETF inflows.

Uniswap (UNI) top-100 wallets accumulated roughly 12.41 million UNI over eight weeks, signaling notable whale accumulation while price consolidated around $5–$5.6. On-chain data (Santiment) shows concentration of buying by large holders and outflows from small wallets, suggesting distribution to stronger hands. Protocol-level supply reductions (UNIfication, activation of protocol fees, token burns and a 100M UNI treasury burn) add a structural bullish element. Technically, UNI trades below the 20- and 50-day EMAs and the 200-period MA remains overhead; RSI sits near 45, indicating mixed momentum. Key levels: support near $5 (psychological) and a long-term ascending trendline from June 2023 (~6.5% below current price); resistance cluster at $6.5–$7.0, with a decisive daily close above $7 expected to shift sentiment sharply bullish and open a possible path toward $10. Spot volumes and perpetual futures open interest (~$380–420M) are subdued, showing weak retail participation and lower leverage, which reduces immediate liquidation risk but may limit momentum. Traders should watch whale accumulation, volume spikes, a reclaim of $5.60–$6.3 for short-term bullish confirmation, daily close above $7 for a stronger breakout, and Bitcoin direction as an amplifying factor. Risk management is advised around the 20/50 EMA zone and beneath the ascending trendline—breach of those supports could accelerate declines toward sub-$4 levels.

JPMorgan Chase is facing a potential lawsuit after closing accounts tied to former President Donald Trump, his political allies, and certain organizations. The closures follow scrutiny of transactions and relationships; affected parties allege the bank acted improperly or politically. JPMorgan says it periodically reviews relationships and takes action for compliance or business reasons. The dispute escalates after high-profile account terminations, drawing attention to banking access for politically exposed persons and organizations. Legal threats claim possible violations of contractual or regulatory duties and raise concerns about discrimination and political bias. The episode has sparked public debate over banks’ risk-management policies, de-banking practices, and the balance between compliance, reputation risk, and customers’ rights. Traders should note that while the story centers on a major bank and politics rather than crypto firms directly, it highlights regulatory and institutional risk themes that can influence market sentiment and liquidity—particularly for politically connected assets and sectors sensitive to de-banking or counterparty access.

Spot Bitcoin ETF flows have become a primary directional signal for Bitcoin as the price trades between $90,000 and $100,000. U.S. spot ETF flows showed high intraday volatility — a roughly $394 million net outflow on Jan 16 followed by a >$100 million inflow the previous day — but weekly cumulative inflows still reached about $1.4 billion. CryptoQuant identifies Fidelity’s FBTC and Ark Invest’s ARKB as more tightly correlated with BTC price than aggregate ETF headlines; their cumulative flows provide clearer signals of institutional demand. Both funds display weakening momentum: FBTC has not hit a new high since March 2025 and ARKB has trended lower since July, suggesting reduced upside unless ETF flows reverse. BlackRock’s IBIT remains the largest spot ETF (~$74.5B AUM) and acts as a stabilizer during steep moves, but much IBIT activity occurs OTC and recent IBIT outflows point to broad-based slowing. Aggregate ETF and on-chain holdings have fallen to levels last seen in May 2024. Delayed expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut are weighing on risk assets and may keep institutional crypto appetite muted near term. For traders, the key actionable signals are FBTC and ARKB flow prints, IBIT liquidity patterns (including OTC activity), and macro cues from Fed rate guidance: continued ETF outflows or weak demand would likely cap BTC rallies and raise consolidation or downside risk, while sustained, growing inflows—especially into FBTC and ARKB—would be needed to fuel a durable breakout.

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich and Bitmine Immersion Technologies chairman Tom Lee outlined aggressive corporate crypto strategies as both firms expand treasury holdings. Metaplanet bought 5,419 BTC (~$632.5m) in January 2026, bringing its total to 25,555 BTC and becoming the world’s fifth-largest public corporate Bitcoin holder. The company’s “555 Million Plan” targets accumulating 210,000 BTC (≈1% of supply) by end-2027 and has launched Metaplanet Income Corp. to pursue “bitcoin income generation” using derivatives and yield strategies. Bitmine (BMNR) holds roughly 4.1–4.2 million ETH (about 3.45% of supply) and aims to reach 5% of Ethereum’s supply under its “Alchemy of 5%” plan. Bitmine projects $402–$433 million in annual pre-tax staking income via its Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN), launching Q1 2026, and is investing $200m into Beast Industries to integrate DeFi services. The report notes broader market context: Strategy (MicroStrategy) holds ~687,410 BTC and TD Cowen forecasts ~155,000 BTC in 2026 acquisitions; U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged a single-day inflow of $843.6m with total ETF inflows above $58bn, while Ethereum ETFs added $175m in a day. As of Jan 17, 2026, BTC traded near $95,000 and ETH near $3,367. Key trading takeaways: large corporate accumulation and staking monetization increase institutional demand and on-chain concentration, likely supporting higher price floors over the medium term; however, concentrated holdings and derivative/yield strategies introduce new issuer-specific risks and potential volatility.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin says 2026 will emphasize reclaiming user self‑sovereignty, privacy and long‑term security across the protocol. Key measures include broader adoption of social‑recovery wallets and account abstraction (EIP‑7702), short timelocks to enable transaction reversals, and improvements to make self‑custody easier and less reliant on centralized RPC providers. Infrastructure priorities are easier local full‑node operation via ZK‑EVM and BAL, stronger privacy tooling such as the Kohaku wallet framework, ERC‑4337 and FOCIL, and diversification of stablecoins to reduce centralized dollar‑peg dependence. Buterin also urged preparation for quantum threats by accelerating quantum‑resistant cryptography adoption and listed longer‑term goals: full quantum security, scalable ZK‑EVM and PeerDAS, sustainable state model, full account abstraction, DoS‑resistant gas pricing, durable decentralized PoS, and censorship‑resistant block building. For traders, these changes could lower custody risk, shift developer priorities toward privacy and zk‑tech, and influence stablecoin dynamics and on‑chain activity; adoption timelines span multiple releases and are likely to affect medium‑to‑long‑term Ethereum fundamentals more than immediate price moves.

XRP has compressed inside a six‑month descending wedge and is trading around $2.07, roughly 15% below the wedge’s upper resistance near $2.38. Crypto analyst Bird (@Bird_XRPL) highlighted the pattern and said a single strong green candle above the wedge could flip structure to bullish and accelerate a move toward the 2018 all‑time high of $3.84. The wedge shows classic signs of weakening selling pressure: lower highs/lows, contracting ranges and reduced volatility. Confirmation requires a decisive breakout above $2.38 accompanied by rising volume. Since late 2025 XRP has consolidated near $2.00, with January 2026 rallies to $2.34 reinforcing the breakout thesis. On‑chain activity and accumulation indicators are cited as supportive. If resistance holds, price may remain rangebound inside the wedge; a confirmed breakout could attract retail and institutional buyers, amplifying upside momentum. This article is informational and not financial advice.

This week saw several notable corporate deals across technology, healthcare and industrials that matter to market participants. Micron Technology agreed to acquire a chip fabrication site in Taiwan from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation for $1.8 billion in cash, a strategic capacity play amid semiconductor supply and demand dynamics. Other reported transactions included moves involving TransDigm, Worthington Steel, Boston Scientific, CrowdStrike and additional corporate M&A across sectors. The deals highlight continued consolidation in semiconductors and defense-adjacent suppliers, ongoing strategic acquisitions in healthcare devices, and cybersecurity sector M&A activity. Key takeaways for traders: Micron’s $1.8B fab purchase may affect memory supply expectations and capital allocation for competitors; sector peers in semiconductors, industrials, medical devices and cybersecurity could see short-term price reactions around deal-related guidance, and merger news may shift risk sentiment and liquidity flows into related equities. Primary keywords: Micron, Powerchip, chip fabrication, M&A, semiconductor deal.

Crypto analyst Justin Bons warns Bitcoin could face a systemic security crisis within 7–11 years driven by shrinking miner incentives, fixed governance and limited on‑chain capacity. Bons argues repeated halvings reduce block subsidies and miner revenue unless offset by outsized price appreciation or persistently high fees—both unlikely to hold long term. As miner revenue falls, the economic cost to mount attacks such as 51% reorgs or large-scale double-spends declines even if hashrate and hardware efficiency rise. Bons models indicate a one‑day profitable attack could cost below $3 million in that timeframe, making exchange-targeted double-spend vectors economically attractive to criminals or state actors. He also flags Bitcoin’s ~7 transactions-per-second on‑chain limit: under mass adoption or stress, mempool backlogs could extend weeks to months, prompting withdrawal panics, rapid price falls, miner exits and slower block times—creating a reinforcing cycle that further weakens security. Governance inertia inside Bitcoin Core and prior block-size conflicts make protocol changes unlikely; controversial fixes like increasing post-21 million BTC inflation would risk chain splits. For traders this raises medium-term liquidity and tail-risk concerns: potential exchange reversals, heightened volatility, and contagion that could trigger abrupt price drops and shifts in market structure. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, miner incentives, halving, network security, double-spend.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood said bitcoin can serve as a useful source of portfolio diversification for investors seeking higher returns. Speaking publicly about the role of bitcoin within diversified allocations, Wood emphasized its potential to improve risk-adjusted returns, positioning BTC alongside other assets rather than as a direct substitute for equities or bonds. Her comments reinforce Ark Invest’s long-standing bullish stance toward bitcoin and digital assets, and may influence institutional and retail interest in crypto allocations amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.

Former President Donald Trump announced tariffs on goods from eight NATO countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland—starting at 10% on February 1 and rising to 25% on June 1 unless Denmark agrees to a “complete and total purchase of Greenland.” He framed the move as a national-security measure tied to troop deployments and Arctic strategic control and said the allies have benefited from U.S. security for decades. European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, rejected the tariffs as hostile and reiterated Greenland is not for sale. Two U.S. senators, Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), traveled to Copenhagen to de-escalate and called NATO activity in Greenland constructive. Trump said he would use emergency economic powers to impose the tariffs; those powers may face imminent Supreme Court review. Traders should note heightened geopolitical risk, elevated trade friction with major European economies, potential legal challenges, and the possibility of escalation if tariffs are implemented or upheld—factors that could drive short-term market volatility and risk-off flows across equities, FX and crypto assets.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a DeFi lending-and-borrowing protocol, is in an active multi-phase presale that has progressed from early $0.01 rounds in 2025 to $0.04 in Phase 7, with Phase 8 expected at $0.045. The presale has attracted substantial participation and capital, and the project markets itself as a utility-first alternative to meme coins such as Shiba Inu (SHIB) after SHIB entered an accumulation phase in 2026. Mutuum’s product pitch centers on a dual lending model: Peer-to-Contract automated liquidity pools with variable APYs (project examples cite 8–12% on ETH deposits) and Peer-to-Peer lending where users can set custom rates. The protocol plans a V1 testnet on Sepolia in Q4 2025 and initial support for ETH and USDT, along with ERC‑20 mtTokens, debt tokens, an automated liquidator and Layer‑2 scalability ambitions. Tokenomics cite a fixed 4 billion MUTM supply with roughly 45.5% allocated to presale and >800 million already sold across phases. The project promotes community incentives (daily buyer bonuses, a $100,000 giveaway), security audits by Certik and Halborn, and a buyback-and-distribute mechanism that would use protocol profits to buy MUTM for staking rewards. Media pieces cite aggressive upside scenarios (presale-to-listing gains and multi‑x price targets), but also emphasize this is a promotional press release and advise independent due diligence. For traders: the news raises short-term speculative interest around MUTM presale momentum and initial listing expectations; product milestones (testnet, audits) and actual on-chain activity will be critical catalysts to validate utility and sustain longer-term value.

Cardano (ADA) saw an extreme surge in derivatives activity across BitMEX and broader markets as institutional interest in ADA futures increased. CoinGlass data showed dramatic spikes in BitMEX futures volume (reports vary: ~5,310% to $64.6M and ~10,654% to $40.0M), accompanied by mixed open interest readings—one snapshot showed an 8.4% decline to about $791M, another a modest 0.12% rise to $792.6M. The volume surge occurred amid short-term market volatility and liquidation events after U.S. regulatory and legislative uncertainty impacted sentiment. Price traded near $0.38–$0.395 (recent low $0.379), with technicals highlighting key levels: resistance/short-term breakout points around $0.423–$0.438 (a confirmed close above these could target ~$0.50–$0.517) and supports near $0.38, $0.33 and an extended low near $0.27. Crucially, CME Group announced plans—pending regulatory approval—to list ADA futures (100,000 ADA) and Micro ADA futures (10,000 ADA) with a planned Feb. 9 launch, which market participants tie to concentrated institutional flows and leverage resets that may have driven the derivatives volume spikes. For traders: expect elevated near-term volatility around large derivatives volume spikes and product listings; declining or mixed open interest amid volume surges can signal deleveraging or position churn rather than clean directional conviction; a confirmed technical breakout above the noted resistance would increase bullish momentum, while failure to hold the $0.38 support risks deeper downside.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a 2026 vision to restore Ethereum’s core principles—self‑sovereignty, trustlessness, privacy and better user experience. Buterin said recent years saw “serious backsliding” in areas including UI/UX, privacy UX, wallet social recovery and growing centralization of block building. He argued those compromises, made for mainstream adoption, should be reversed in 2026. Planned improvements include easier node operation from personal computers and rollout of private payments. Institutional privacy is a stated roadmap priority for the year. On retail privacy, Railgun has seen notable growth: TVL rose from $11M to $106M since 2024, showing strong demand for privacy layers and compliant alternatives to mixers like Tornado Cash. On decentralization, client diversity has improved since the Merge: Geth’s execution client market share fell from over 80% pre‑2022 to about 41% today, with Nethermind at 38% and Besu at 16%, reducing single‑point‑of‑failure risk. Buterin emphasises Ethereum will “no longer compromise” trust and sovereignty to chase adoption. Key takeaways for traders: renewed focus on privacy and decentralization could drive demand for ETH and privacy tooling, increase developer activity, and influence staking/validator distribution dynamics.

The stablecoin market reached a new record of about $310 billion at the start of 2026, reflecting continued demand for fiat-pegged digital assets. The growth was driven by increased on-chain activity, higher stablecoin issuance, and demand for liquidity in crypto trading and decentralized finance (DeFi). Tether (USDT) and USDC remain dominant in market share, while algorithmic and smaller fiat-pegged tokens saw mixed performance amid regulatory scrutiny. The expansion highlights traders’ preference for capital preservation and quick on/off ramps during volatile market conditions. Key metrics include the all-time total market capitalization of stablecoins (~$310B) and relative market-share shifts among top issuers. This trend may support trading volume and liquidity across spot and derivatives markets, while drawing attention from regulators and institutional participants.