Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

SpaceX has appointed Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley as lead advisers and underwriters as it advances preparations for a possible initial public offering in 2026. Ongoing discussions indicate the company could seek to raise more than $25 billion. Secondary share transactions have driven SpaceX valuation above $800 billion previously, and analysts project a 2026 listing could push market value past $1 trillion. The move highlights growth in SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet business, its Starship heavy-lift rocket program and other long-term projects. No final decisions have been made, but selecting top Wall Street banks signals serious momentum toward one of the largest IPOs in history, potentially eclipsing record fundraising benchmarks.

Bitwise Asset Management and Proficio Capital Partners launched the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF (BPRO), now trading on the NYSE. BPRO provides multi-asset exposure to Bitcoin, gold, silver, other precious metals, and mining equities, targeting a minimum 25% allocation to gold while dynamically adjusting weights based on market conditions. The fund is positioned as a hedge against fiat currency debasement—citing rising deficits and monetary expansion—and combines Bitwise’s crypto expertise with Proficio’s precious-metals experience. BPRO charges an annual management fee of 0.96%. Key figures: Bitwise Asset Management, Proficio Capital Partners, and Bob Haber (CIO at Proficio) endorsing the strategy. Primary keywords: Bitcoin ETF, gold ETF, currency debasement, mining equities, BPRO.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse backed Trump crypto advisor Patrick Witt’s call to pass market-structure crypto legislation quickly, arguing that “let not perfection be the foe of good.” Witt warned that delaying risks Democrats imposing stricter rules after a future crisis and said a CLARITY Act-style bill that assigns SEC vs. CFTC jurisdiction is forthcoming and necessary. Both warned the current favorable window — unified GOP control, crypto-friendly regulators, and industry growth — won’t last. Garlinghouse said regulatory clarity would unlock institutional adoption and resolve long-running uncertainty around XRP’s classification, enabling product launches and partnerships in the U.S. Witt acknowledged the bill isn’t perfect and urged amendments and compromise to secure the 60 Senate votes required. The debate centers on timing: pass an imperfect but enabling law now, or risk harsher regulation later.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is trading just above a key support zone near $0.0000077 — the bottom of prior cycles. A failure to hold this level could trigger a double-digit correction. Momentum is weak after early-January gains, with SHIB giving back most of a near-25% rise. Short-term technicals show lower highs and lower lows, resistance at the 50- and 100-period EMAs, and a subdued RSI, suggesting limited upside. On-chain and derivatives metrics point to low speculative demand, reducing a safety net against selling pressure. Market sentiment is shifting toward utility and DeFi tokens, with traders rotating capital away from meme coins; analysts expect any future SHIB rally to be modest rather than parabolic. Key items for traders: monitor the $0.0000077 support and moving-average resistances, watch on-chain activity and derivatives positioning for signs of renewed demand, and consider the broader altcoin/DeFi appetite that could siphon capital from SHIB. Expect range-bound action unless broader market strength or SHIB-specific catalysts emerge.

On-chain analysis from CryptoQuant (reported by Kripto Mevsimi) shows 2024–2025 recorded the largest release of long-term Bitcoin supply in history. "Revived supply" — BTC dormant for >2 years — moved in greater volumes than during the 2017 and 2021 bull runs. Unlike past cycles, these older coins moved with less market hype, suggesting long-term holders are reassessing positions and selling into newfound, price-sensitive buyers. Revived supply cooled slightly in early 2026 but has not reversed decisively. The shift coincides with BTC trading weakness (around $88,800 at report time), a >30% decline from the October peak near $126,200, and ongoing macroeconomic pressure tied to rising global risk (including U.S. tariff tensions). Key points for traders: large long-term supply unlocking increases available BTC liquidity, may add selling pressure or cap rallies; the buyer base appears more price-driven (shorter time horizons); near-term volatility may persist while on-chain composition adjusts. This is informational, not financial advice.

MicroStrategy disclosed a recent $2.13 billion acquisition of 22,305 BTC at an average price of $95,284, bringing its total holdings to 709,715 BTC with a cost basis near $75,979. Executive chairman Michael Saylor posted on X that he is “thinking about buying more bitcoin,” signaling the company may resume larger-scale accumulation. The purchase was funded by at-the-market equity and preferred stock sales conducted Jan. 12–19, continuing MicroStrategy’s strategy of converting capital raises into bitcoin exposure. Bitcoin has retreated from October 2025 highs (~$126,000) and is consolidating in an $85k–$100k range, trading near ~$88,800 with cooled volumes and range-bound price action amid tighter macro conditions. For traders, Saylor’s hint reinforces institutional demand fundamentals and could be bullish if further purchases materialize, but near-term price impact will depend on execution size, funding sources, and overall market liquidity. Watch for increased buy-side flows, muted immediate reaction to prior purchases, and macro-driven volatility that may keep BTC range-bound until clearer catalysts emerge.

Bitcoin’s role as “digital gold” is under renewed scrutiny after the BTC-to-gold ratio fell to about 18.46 in early 2025, a 55% decline from its December 2024 peak. While spot gold climbed roughly 12% year-to-date to near $4,900/oz, gold returned ~160% over five years versus Bitcoin’s ~150%, highlighting gold’s recent outperformance. Analysts point to slower-than-expected institutional adoption of Bitcoin, higher real interest rates, regulatory uncertainty, and Bitcoin’s higher volatility as drivers of the divergence. Historical BTC-to-gold ratio collapses (77% in 2022 and 84% in 2018) suggest the current slump may continue. The shift forces portfolio managers to stop treating Bitcoin as a direct substitute for gold, prompting recalibration in asset allocation, derivatives pricing, and crypto-linked funds. On-chain metrics, long-term holder behavior, exchange reserves, and tokenized gold products are key indicators to watch. The article concludes that while the short-term narrative of digital gold is weakened, longer-term views differ: some see this as part of Bitcoin’s maturation across cycles, others say the comparison to gold was largely marketing. Traders should consider separating gold (traditional macro hedge) from Bitcoin (high-volatility digital asset) when sizing positions and hedges.

xStocks on-chain transfer volume has surpassed $3 billion, with over $500 million traded on decentralized exchanges and total trading across centralized and decentralized platforms exceeding $17 billion. There are 57,718 unique wallet holders of xStocks tokens, which represent tokenized shares of real-world stocks and ETFs. Leading tokens by holders and assets are TSLAx (Tesla) with 18,350 holders and $53.48M in value, NVDAx (NVIDIA) with 13,816 holders and $19.36M, and CRCLx (Circle) with $17.78M. Other notable tokens include GOOGLx, SPYx, MSTRx, GLDx, QQQx, COINx, AAPLx and METAx. Holdings span blue-chip names, indices, commodities and smaller equities, with many tokens maintaining six-figure assets under management. Separately, the New York Stock Exchange is developing a private-blockchain platform to enable 24/7 trading and real-time settlement of tokenized stocks and ETFs; the NYSE is in talks with the SEC and, if approved, could launch later this year. Key takeaways for traders: growing on-chain liquidity for tokenized equities increases arbitrage and 24/7 trading opportunities (notably via DEXs and CEXs), top tokens (TSLAx, NVDAx, CRCLx, GOOGLx, SPYx) concentrate much of the value, and potential NYSE entry could add institutional legitimacy and deeper liquidity if regulatory approval is granted.

Crypto forensics firm Elliptic reports that the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5—linked to Russian counterparties—processed more than $100 billion in on-chain transfers over about a year and was used to evade international sanctions. Launched in early 2025, A7A5 functioned mainly as a bridge from rubles into USDT (Tether) across public chains such as Ethereum and Tron, enabling sanctioned actors to move value into crypto markets while reducing exposure to wallets vulnerable to Western freezes. Activity concentrated on a small set of venues, including Kyrgyzstan-based exchanges and infrastructure tied to the project, suggesting the token served as a settlement tool rather than broad retail adoption. Volumes peaked near $1.5 billion daily before falling to roughly $500 million after mid-2025. U.S. sanctions in August 2025, exchange compliance actions (for example, Uniswap adding A7A5 to a token blocklist), and reports of frozen USDT deposits traced to A7A5-linked wallets significantly reduced liquidity and usability. The EU formally sanctioned A7A5 on Oct. 23, 2025. Elliptic highlights that non-USD stablecoins can be engineered to facilitate sanctioned trade, but enforcement and exchange controls can materially disrupt such systems. Traders should expect increased regulatory scrutiny, potential delistings, compliance-driven liquidity pressure on ruble-linked instruments, and elevated counterparty risk when trading pairs tied to A7A5 or similar tokens.

Apple has asked the Delhi High Court to block the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from demanding its global financial records as part of an antitrust probe into App Store practices. Apple argues the CCI’s 2024 penalty rules could expose it to fines up to $38 billion if regulators use worldwide earnings to calculate penalties. The CCI says the rules are necessary to rein in multinationals; a court hearing is scheduled for January 27. Separately, Nvidia overtook other tech giants to become the world’s most valuable company with a $4.5 trillion market value, driven by surging demand for AI chips and its new “Vera Rubin” architecture. Apple has fallen to third place, with Alphabet moving to second. The article also notes a leadership change at India’s Eternal (formerly Zomato): founder Deepinder Goyal stepped down as Group CEO to pursue experimental projects, handing control to Albinder Dhindsa of Blinkit. Key implications for traders: potential regulatory risk for Apple in a major growth market (India) that could affect revenue outlook and stock volatility; sector rotation toward AI and chipmakers like Nvidia, which may continue to enjoy investor flow and lift related equities. Primary keywords: Apple, Nvidia, India antitrust, CCI, $38 billion fine, market value, AI chips. Secondary/semantic keywords: App Store rules, penalty regulations, Vera Rubin, regulatory risk, tech sector rankings.

Google has rolled out a new "Personal Intelligence" capability in AI Mode for Search, enabling the system to use data from Gmail, Google Photos, Search history and YouTube history to produce context-aware, personalized responses. Introduced after a prior Gemini app launch, the feature is currently opt-in and available to English-speaking U.S. users subscribed to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra. Google says the system references personal data to answer complex, multi-part queries (for example, pulling flight confirmations or travel photos to tailor trip suggestions) but does not train core models on raw inbox or photo contents. The company emphasizes user control: Personal Intelligence can be toggled on/off in account settings and is meant to improve convenience while addressing privacy concerns. Analysts warn adoption hinges on clear data-use communication and robust privacy controls. The move strengthens Google’s ecosystem advantage versus rivals like Microsoft and Apple and could expand to include Calendar, Maps, and Drive in future phases. For traders, the change signals deeper product monetization of premium AI tiers and a competitive edge that may increase Google’s consumer lock-in and long-term value of its AI services.

Altcoins led a market-wide rally after the Greenland diplomatic crisis eased, driving total altcoin market capitalization back above $1.3 trillion. Major tokens and risk assets rebounded as traders priced in reduced geopolitical uncertainty. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) saw supportive moves, but the largest gains were concentrated in mid- and small-cap altcoins. Short-term trading volumes and open interest climbed, indicating renewed risk-on sentiment. Market participants cited improved risk appetite and position rebalancing following the crisis resolution. Key statistics reported include the altcoin market cap crossing the $1.3T threshold and noticeable upticks in trading volume and derivatives activity. Traders should watch liquidity, volatility spikes, and correlation between BTC and altcoins as leadership can shift quickly in rallies driven by macro or sentiment events.

PEPE has completed a weekly breakout, cleared a long-term descending trendline and successfully retested the $0.0000055–$0.0000060 area, which now acts as key short- to long-term support. Price recovered from a demand zone near $0.0000040–$0.0000042, reclaimed short-term moving averages and moved into the mid-band of the Gaussian channel. Intraday action showed swings between about $0.00000485 and $0.00000531 before a shallow pullback; at one point the token traded near $0.00000490. Technical patterns noted by analysts include a descending-triangle break and a falling-wedge breakout, alongside the weekly retest — all pointing to a bullish structural shift. Short-term resistance is limited up to roughly $0.0000075–$0.0000080, with immediate targets cited near $0.0000068 and $0.0000157 and a broader upside projection toward $0.000028–$0.000030 if momentum and volume expand. Traders should watch volume on any breakout and support at $0.0000048–$0.0000059: a sustained hold above the retest zone could trigger a multi-week/month rally, while a decisive break below would invalidate the weekly breakout and raise downside risk.

Inferact, a startup focused on AI infrastructure, is developing hardware- and software-level systems to support modern large-scale AI models. The company aims to provide optimized compute, networking, and orchestration tools that reduce deployment costs and improve performance for generative AI workloads. Inferact’s stack targets model training and inference efficiency, addressing bottlenecks such as GPU utilization, memory bandwidth, and data throughput. The team emphasizes compatibility with popular ML frameworks and cloud environments to ease adoption. By offering integrated solutions across hardware and software layers, Inferact seeks to attract enterprises and cloud providers looking to lower total cost of ownership for AI services and accelerate time-to-market for AI products. The company is positioning itself in a competitive landscape that includes major cloud vendors and specialized AI-infrastructure firms, highlighting potential for partnerships and customer demand driven by the rapid expansion of generative AI applications.

Ethereum (ETH) stabilized above $3,000 after a ~13% pullback between Jan 19–21 that pushed prices briefly into the $2,900 area and liquidated over $480 million in long positions. On Jan 22 ETH traded near $3,003 (+1.3% 24h). On-chain data show large holders (whales) accumulated roughly 290,000 ETH (~$360M) over two days, suggesting long-term buying interest. Derivatives and options point to caution: perpetual futures funding briefly went negative and demand for downside protection increased following repeated rejections near $3,400. Technicals: ETH is inside a symmetrical triangle with bullish momentum divergence (RSI higher lows vs price lower lows). Key levels to watch — upside: $3,050 (short-term stabilization) and $3,146–$3,164 (dense supply zone, ~3.4M ETH). Downside: triangle lower boundary near $2,910; break could target $2,610. Traders should monitor whale accumulation, funding rates, options skew, and a sustained daily close above $3,050 (bullish confirmation) or a break below $2,910 (bearish confirmation).

Bitcoin fell into a tight range on Jan 22 after US GDP data came in stronger than expected, reducing the odds of Federal Reserve rate cuts this year. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter GDP growth revised to 4.4% (from 4.3%), with expectations for fourth-quarter growth above 5%. Markets pricing on Polymarket showed the probability of three Fed cuts this year fell 11 percentage points to 27%. Concurrent ETF outflows accelerated: SoSoValue recorded over $708 million in outflows on Wednesday (up from $408 million the prior day), with more than $1.5 billion withdrawn over three days. Gold has simultaneously rallied to record highs, with Goldman Sachs lifting a target to $5,400, suggesting investor rotation into perceived safe havens. Technical indicators are bearish: BTC dropped from a YTD high of $97,790 to around $89,300, moved below the ascending-triangle lower boundary and the 50-day MA, and the RSI fell below 50. Key support to watch is $80,485; key resistances are $100,000 and $103,000. Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz warned BTC will remain under pressure unless it clears those resistance levels. Implications for traders: increased macro-driven downside risk, potential continuation of ETF outflows, and a heightened probability of short-term declines toward the $80k support — traders should monitor Fed rate-cut odds, ETF flow data, gold strength, and on-chain/technical levels for entries or protective stops.

President Trump announced the cancellation of planned EU tariffs and proposed a framework for a Greenland deal. Financial markets reacted quickly: S&P futures rose ~0.6% and Nasdaq moved through resistance, driving a broad stock rally. The author notes equities and risk assets rallied while cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, remained muted and failed to follow the stock bounce. The piece frames this divergence as puzzling for traders: bullish fiscal/trade news lifted equities and risk sentiment, but crypto market drivers (liquidity, macro flows, derivatives positioning) did not respond in the same way. Key takeaways for traders: monitor macro headlines (tariff policy) for sudden risk-on moves in equities; expect crypto to lag such macro relief unless accompanied by direct monetary/liquidity signals or crypto-specific catalysts; watch Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) support/resistance and derivatives liquidations for short-term trade setups.

PayPal has agreed to acquire Tel Aviv–based Cymbio, a multi-channel product orchestration platform that helps merchants list and sell products across AI chatbots and conversational agents. Financial terms were not disclosed; the acquisition is expected to close in H1 2026. Cymbio’s technology integrates product data management, inventory sync and order orchestration to enable merchants to distribute catalogs into agentic AI surfaces such as Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity, and PayPal plans integrations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The deal will fold Cymbio into PayPal’s agentic commerce services and power Store Sync, which keeps merchants as the merchant of record while routing orders into existing fulfillment systems. Live retail partners include Abercrombie & Fitch, Fabletics, Ashley Furniture, Newegg and Adorama. PayPal frames the move as accelerating merchant discoverability and sales through AI-driven commerce channels. For crypto traders: this strengthens PayPal’s position in AI-enabled payments and commerce infrastructure, which may increase demand for on‑platform tokenized payment rails or crypto payment integrations in the medium term; however, the announcement is primarily strategic and not directly tied to a specific cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin has entered a deep bear market against gold, with the BTC/gold ratio falling significantly and mirroring prior multi-year downtrends. Historical data indicate that once bitcoin loses ground to gold, the relative weakness can persist for extended periods as capital rotates into perceived safe-haven assets. Key points for traders: the BTC/gold ratio is at levels associated with previous prolonged drawdowns; correlation with macro indicators such as interest rates and risk sentiment appears to be reinforcing the trend; traders should watch on-chain flows, futures funding rates, and gold inflows as near-term signals. The article suggests downside may persist until a clear macro pivot or renewed risk-on environment restores bitcoin’s relative strength. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, gold, BTC/gold ratio, bear market. Secondary/semantic keywords: risk sentiment, safe-haven, on-chain flows, futures funding, macro pivot.

U.S. federal regulators and lawmakers are moving from intent to implementation on crypto oversight, with 2026 emerging as a pivotal year for concrete regulation. Key agencies — the SEC, CFTC, Treasury and OCC — are coordinating policy workstreams addressing custody, securities classification, stablecoins, and crypto firms’ compliance. Congress is considering targeted statutes while agency rulemaking and enforcement continue: the SEC remains active on securities cases, the CFTC pursues derivatives and market integrity, and the Treasury focuses on anti-money-laundering (AML) and sanctions compliance. Industry groups and major exchanges are engaging with policymakers to shape rules around custody, token listings, and stablecoin frameworks. Market implications include heightened compliance costs, potential delistings or product adjustments if tokens are reclassified as securities, and clearer pathways for regulated crypto products like custody services and regulated stablecoins. Traders should watch regulatory milestones in 2025–2026 (rule proposals, congressional votes, and major enforcement decisions) that could trigger volatility in token prices, trading volumes, and derivatives spreads. Primary SEO keywords: U.S. crypto regulation, crypto regulation 2026, SEC crypto, CFTC, stablecoin rules. Secondary keywords: custody rules, AML, crypto enforcement, exchanges.

X (formerly Twitter) will roll out "Starterpacks," curated follow-lists to help new users discover accounts by niche, including dedicated packs for Bitcoin, memecoins and broader crypto topics. Head of Product Nikita Bier said the team built more than 1,000 pre-made packs across categories (economics, politics, fashion, crypto) to reduce onboarding friction and improve account discovery on X’s interest graph. The move follows calls for recommendation transparency; X has open-sourced its Grok-based recommendation code on GitHub after regulatory pressure. Starterpacks let new users follow curated groups instead of manually finding trusted voices. The feature appears as Bitcoin-related posts on X have declined (Jameson Lopp cited a 32% YoY drop to ~96 million mentions in 2025), and as competitors like Bluesky and Threads already offer list-based discovery. Some community members warn Starterpacks could concentrate controversial or promotional figures (e.g., Justin Sun, Changpeng Zhao, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong) into visible entry points, raising the risk that novices see promotional, biased or manipulative content; X has not fully disclosed selection criteria. For traders, Starterpacks may centralise influential crypto accounts at common onboarding touchpoints, altering information flows and potentially amplifying sentiment-driven moves in crypto markets. Primary keywords: X Starterpacks, crypto discovery, Bitcoin mentions, algorithm transparency, memecoin trading.

The Sandbox (SAND) surged to $0.1568, rising ~26.8% over seven days and ~40.3% over 30 days after breaking a multi-month descending channel. The breakout followed consolidation near the $0.11 demand zone and a reclaim of the $0.15 area, prompting higher lows and renewed bullish structure. Exchange data shows net outflows of about $1.34M, suggesting steady supply absorption as buyers removed tokens from exchanges. Trading volume increased alongside outflows, reinforcing the breakout. Derivatives open interest climbed over 8% to roughly $54M, indicating rising trader participation and directional exposure without extreme leverage; funding rates remained stable. Technical setups (falling wedge support and shifting momentum indicators) and forecasts from CoinCodex point to continued short-term upside, with a near-term projection toward $0.1675 and psychological resistance at $0.20. Key trading considerations: hold above the reclaimed breakout zone (~$0.15), watch exchange flows and open interest for confirmation, and monitor broader market weakness (BTC < $90k, ETH < $3k) that could cap gains. Primary keywords: SAND price, SAND breakout, Sandbox token, SAND price prediction.

Shiba Inu team member Lucie posted on X arguing that the SHIB market cycle is not finished, pointing to current market structure and commentary from industry leaders (Binance cofounder Changpeng Zhao, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin and MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor) that suggest a possible extended expansion or coming “supercycle.” Lucie said the absence of euphoria, excess leverage and broad retail participation implies the cycle may be stretched rather than exhausted, and urged the SHIB community to focus on positioning and discipline rather than emotion. SHIB’s price briefly reached $0.00001017 on Jan. 5, then fell to $0.00000743 on Jan. 19; at publication SHIB traded around $0.000007792, down about 61.8% year‑on‑year per CoinGecko. Traders are also watching the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge (PCE) for macro cues. Primary keywords: Shiba Inu, SHIB, supercycle, market cycle. Secondary keywords: Lucie, CZ, Brian Armstrong, Vitalik Buterin, Michael Saylor, PCE, Fed, CoinGecko.

Coinbase Institutional transferred 2,993 BTC (≈$266M) in a single on-chain transaction to a previously inactive address flagged by Whale Alert. Earlier reports noted a different large movement (3,892 BTC) from an unknown HODLer into Coinbase Institutional, but the later and confirmed update shows funds leaving Coinbase Institutional to a new “1P5ZE…” address with no prior history. The transfer used a low fee and was not fragmented, characteristics commonly associated with custody migrations, cold storage transfers or internal rebalancing rather than immediate selling. Market volatility around the event was muted; on-chain metrics point to neutral-to-positive exchange outflow trends. Analysts suggest plausible explanations including migration to third-party cold storage, internal fund reallocation, OTC settlement, or prep for institutional products (ETFs, collateral). Historical context: large Coinbase outflows in 2023–2024 often aligned with accumulation or custody moves rather than sell-offs. For traders: monitor the destination address for dormancy or onward transfers, watch Exchange Net Flow, order-book liquidity, OTC desk activity and derivatives metrics for confirmation. Immediate impact is primarily psychological — reduced exchange-available supply can be mildly bullish — but single transactions rarely trigger sustained price moves absent broader on-chain or macro signals.

Market makers provide continuous buy and sell orders to ensure predictable liquidity across fragmented, 24/7 crypto markets. They earn small margins by capturing bid-ask spreads, benefit from lower fees and low-latency infrastructure, and often operate across centralized and decentralized exchanges. Market makers help price convergence globally through arbitrage and inventory management, but their algorithms can widen spreads or withdraw liquidity during volatility — producing flash crashes, spread blowouts, or temporary mispricing. While traders sometimes accuse market makers of deliberate manipulation, the article argues that most act risk-neutrally, focus on spread capture and inventory limits, and react to market shocks rather than take directional bets. Exchanges offer incentives and preferential access to selected market makers and may remove rogue providers. As crypto institutional flows, ETFs, derivatives and options grow, market makers become more important for price stability and orderly markets. Key keywords: market makers, liquidity, bid-ask spread, volatility, DEX, centralized exchanges.

Bitcoin (BTC) has slipped below the 0.75 supply cost-basis quantile (around $95,000) and has not reclaimed that level after a >4% correction this week that erased prior gains. Glassnode’s supply quantiles model shows the 0.75 line represents the cost basis for 75% of circulating BTC; trading below it means more than 25% of supply is underwater. Historically, a breach of the 0.75 quantile signals a deep correction and increased distribution pressure, though past instances (notably 2023) have sometimes marked cycle bottoms before sustained rallies. To retake the 0.75 quantile BTC needs a roughly 6.2% rise from current prices. Analysts warn macro uncertainty and weak market conditions could keep pressure on price; reclaiming the quantile would ease bearish sentiment. This development increases short-term downside risk for traders while offering a possible accumulation signal if on-chain support holds.

Neurophos, a photonics startup spun from metamaterials research, closed a $110 million Series A led by Gates Frontier with participation from Microsoft M12, Aramco Ventures, Bosch Ventures and others. The company is commercializing metasurface modulators—miniaturized optical tensor-core processors designed for matrix-vector multiplication used in AI inference. Neurophos claims its optical processing unit (OPU) runs at 56 GHz, delivers about 235 POPS while consuming ~675 W, yielding far higher energy efficiency (company-stated ~0.35 POPS/W) versus Nvidia’s reported 9 POPS at 1,000 W (~0.009 POPS/W). Key technical claims include metasurfaces roughly 10,000× smaller than traditional photonic components and compatibility with standard silicon foundry processes, reducing optical–electrical conversion overhead. The firm targets mid-2028 for first chips and will use funds to build datacenter-ready OPU modules, software stacks, and developer hardware; Microsoft is an interested partner. Benefits cited include large reductions in inference energy use and lower carbon footprint for data centers. Challenges remain: manufacturing scale-up, system integration, and competition from established GPU vendors and other photonics firms. For traders, the news signals potential long-term disruption in AI hardware markets and implications for cloud providers, semiconductor stocks, and infrastructure tokens tied to compute demand.

An anonymous, previously inactive Ethereum whale withdrew 5,099 ETH (≈$15.17 million) from Kraken and immediately staked the entire amount through Lido, receiving ~5.1K stETH in the same wallet. Arkham on-chain records show the address (0x761F2F) had been dormant for over three months; its last notable activity involved large USDC transfers with Symbiosis and Hyperliquid. The withdrawal occurred as ETH traded near a local support zone around $2,939, suggesting the whale views current weakness as a buying or long-term staking opportunity. The move converted centralised exchange liquidity directly into staking exposure without DEX swaps, potentially signaling renewed inflows into Lido if other large holders follow. Key figures: 5,099 ETH withdrawn, ~ $15.17M value, immediate conversion to ~5.1K stETH. Primary keywords: Ethereum whale, ETH staking, Lido, Kraken, stETH.

PwC says global crypto regulation is moving from draft proposals to concrete implementation across 2025 and into 2026. Key near-term milestones include the full roll-out of the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime in 2025, advancing U.S. bills (eg. GENIUS and CLARITY), and completed or maturing frameworks in major Asian hubs such as Singapore and Japan. Parallel work by bodies like the Financial Stability Board aims to harmonize cross-border rules on stablecoins, custody, capital and reporting. The shift should accelerate institutional adoption — banks offering custody, asset managers launching regulated products, and payment/clearing integrations — while countries compete to attract crypto capital through clearer licensing regimes. PwC warns of persistent frictions: uneven AML standards, divergent tax and licensing rules, and substantial compliance, operational and tech upgrades for firms. Traders can expect clearer market structure and greater institutional liquidity over the medium term, but transitional risks remain: short-term volatility around implementation deadlines, enforcement actions and jurisdictional fragmentation. Demand for regtech, legal advisory and consulting services is likely to rise as firms prepare for enforcement and harmonized standards.