Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

XRP was the most traded cryptocurrency on South Korea’s largest retail exchange, Upbit, in 2025. Upbit processed more than $1 trillion in XRP trades during the year, with XRP/KRW frequently accounting for a large share of daily volume (often exceeding $95 million) and episodic hourly spikes that drove deep short-term liquidity. Upbit reported about 13.26 million users trading XRP in 2025 and added roughly 1.1 million new users that year, with a user base skewing toward people in their 30s and 40s. Price action saw XRP peak around $3.66 in July 2025, decline roughly 50% by year-end to near $1.80, and trade near $2.02–$2.04 as of mid-January 2026. Institutional demand also rose, with over $1.5 billion flowing into XRP ETFs and notable inflows to products such as the Bitwise XRP ETF. Global exchanges (Binance, Coinbase, Bybit, Crypto.com, OKX) and some local platforms reported spikes in XRP pairs, suggesting Upbit’s concentrated XRP/KRW liquidity is influencing broader XRP pricing. However, on-chain indicators on the XRPL showed declining DEX volume and stablecoin activity, raising questions about real-world on‑chain adoption despite growing financial demand. For traders, key takeaways are heavy retail participation, deep KRW orderbook liquidity, recurrent volume surges, significant institutional ETF flows, and persistent price volatility — factors that affect execution risk, slippage, and position sizing when trading XRP.

XRP (XRP) dropped to $2.05, about 15% below its 2026 peak, as technicals and flows point to further downside. Weekly charts show a large double-top at $3.4045 with a neckline at $1.6140 and a dragonfly doji — both bearish signals. XRP has slipped below the 50-week and 100-week EMAs and the Supertrend, reinforcing a bearish bias. On-chain and market-flow indicators also weakened: spot XRP ETF inflows fell to $107m in January from $500m in December and $666m in November, while futures open interest declined from $4.5bn on Jan 6 to $3.9bn. Political and regulatory noise — notably the Senate Banking Committee withdrawing the Market Structure Bill after Coinbase objections, and Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse urging regulatory clarity — added to market uncertainty. Near-term targets: first support at the December low $1.7712; a break below that increases odds of a move toward the double-top neckline near $1.6140 (about 22% below current). Traders should note weakening momentum, falling ETF demand and lower futures OI as catalysts for increased volatility and selling pressure.

Solana’s Real‑World Assets (RWA) total value locked (TVL) surpassed $1 billion on January 16, 2026, marking an all‑time high driven largely by institutional issuance. RWA TVL rose from under $100M in early 2024 to about $1.1B by mid‑January 2026, with particularly steep gains from September 2024 and between June–September 2025, indicating stepwise capital injections from institutional players. The surge coincides with accelerating stablecoin usage and on‑chain settlement: B2B flows expanded fastest while monthly card‑linked stablecoin spending grew from ~$100M in Q1 2023 to over $1.5B by end‑2025. Solana’s technical advantages — high throughput (900–5,000 real TPS), sub‑$0.001 fees and ~12.8s finality — are cited as key competitive edges versus chains like Ethereum (15–30 TPS, higher fees, slower finality) for institutional finance and payments. The article positions the $1B RWA milestone as a signal of sustained institutional adoption and a durable role for Solana as a low‑cost settlement layer, noting a 25% 30‑day increase in RWA TVL and Solana ranking third globally in RWA TVL. Key data points: ~$1.1B RWA TVL (16 Jan 2026), 25% month growth, stablecoin YoY payment volume growth >137%, monthly card spending >$1.5B by end‑2025.

A crypto analyst known as The Real Remi Relief argued on X that understanding what you hold matters for XRP investors, highlighting a scenario where 1,000 XRP could be worth $10 million if XRP reached $10,000. The story notes increased institutional interest and improved regulatory clarity for XRP, citing speculative claims that bodies like the Bank for International Settlements, the World Economic Forum and some central banks have discussed price frameworks favoring large repricing. Analysts quoted in the article caution that such multi‑figure price targets depend on broad adoption, regulatory alignment, and macroeconomic conditions rather than speculation alone. The piece stresses XRP’s growing role in payment rails and compliance-ready infrastructures and urges holders to balance optimism with realistic adoption curves. Disclaimer: this is informational and not financial advice.

CME Group plans to list cash‑settled futures for Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM) on Feb. 9, 2026, pending regulatory approval. Listings will include both standard and micro contract sizes to broaden access: ADA 100,000 and Micro ADA 10,000; LINK 5,000 and Micro LINK 250; XLM 250,000 and Micro XLM 12,500. The move expands CME’s crypto derivatives suite beyond BTC, ETH, XRP and SOL and aims to offer regulated exposure, hedging and improved price discovery for large‑cap altcoins. CME reported average daily crypto futures and options volumes of 278,300 contracts (~$12bn notional) and record open interest of $26.4bn in 2025. Micro contracts are targeted at smaller traders and institutions testing altcoin exposure, improving capital efficiency and lowering entry barriers. While past CME futures launches have supported long‑term liquidity and market structure (notably for BTC and ETH), they are not guaranteed immediate price catalysts; listings tend to mature markets and can moderate volatility over time.

PNC Bank CEO Bill Demchak warned on Jan 16, 2025 that stablecoins cannot safely serve both as payment instruments and interest-bearing investment products without creating systemic risk. Speaking during PNC’s quarterly earnings call from Pittsburgh, Demchak compared interest-bearing stablecoins to money market funds and argued such structures would require comprehensive regulatory oversight similar to traditional finance. His comments highlight the “dual-use” dilemma—mixing payment functionality and investment returns—and come amid global efforts (MiCA, FSB/BIS coordination, national laws) to clarify stablecoin rules. The piece notes industry responses: greater reserve transparency from issuers (e.g., USDC, USDT), segregation of payment vs. investment products, and enhanced compliance. Potential market effects include increased institutional adoption if rules are clarified, possible consolidation among stablecoin issuers, and tighter interoperability with banks. Regulators including the Fed stress that appropriately regulated stablecoins could help payments but need federal oversight. Key keywords: stablecoins, regulation, payment vs investment, reserve transparency, systemic risk.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) futures open interest (OI) remained elevated at about 13.07 trillion SHIB (~$108.9M) despite a modest 0.93% 24‑hour decline, indicating sustained derivatives activity and liquidity. Spot price weakened — SHIB fell roughly 3.08% to $0.000008182 — while spot trading volume dropped more than 40% to about $93.5M, suggesting short‑term selling pressure. Derivatives concentration is pronounced: Gate.io holds ~39.13% of SHIB OI (~5.22T SHIB, ~$42.6M) and OKX about 10.3% (~1.37T SHIB). Earlier reporting showed a larger OI fall on some platforms (Gate.io down ~4.21% in one snapshot), and smaller exchanges like Coinbase saw OI increases but account for a tiny share. Analysts interpret the modest overall OI pullback as a potential near‑term sentiment flip rather than full bearish capitulation because large OI implies available liquidity and room for leveraged moves. Traders should watch exchange‑level OI flows, funding rates, and spot volume for signs of momentum change or liquidation risk; concentrated OI on Gate.io increases exchange‑specific systemic risk for large leveraged positions. Primary keywords: Shiba Inu, SHIB open interest, Gate.io, futures, OKX, derivatives liquidity.

Ether (ETH) outperformed peers as crypto investment products recorded their fourth consecutive day of net inflows. According to on-chain and fund flow trackers, ETH-focused funds saw notable demand, while Bitcoin (BTC) products experienced smaller inflows. Overall crypto fund inflows suggest renewed investor appetite after recent volatility, with traders rotating into ether ahead of expected network and ecosystem catalysts. Market indicators showed rising spot interest in ETH, modest gains in altcoins, and stable-to-positive sentiment among institutional products. Key statistics: four straight days of net inflows for crypto funds, stronger relative flows into ETH products versus BTC, and short-term price strength for ETH. The development may reflect positioning ahead of protocol updates and DeFi activity boosting ether utility.

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz predicts a legislative compromise on the CLARITY Act is likely and necessary for the sustainable growth of the US crypto industry. The CLARITY Act aims to clarify jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and CFTC and set rules for tokenized assets, DeFi, and stablecoins. Major industry pushback—most visibly Coinbase withdrawing support—centers on four concerns: an effective ban on tokenized stocks, restrictive DeFi language, a shift of authority from the CFTC to the SEC, and limits on stablecoin reward features. Novogratz argues that imperfect initial legislation that provides regulatory certainty is preferable to continued fragmentation, enabling institutional participation and broader market development. Observers note the bill may be amended to address technical issues; international regulatory moves (EU MiCA, UK, Singapore, UAE) add urgency as firms weigh jurisdictional advantages. Clear rules could unlock institutional capital, improve liquidity and consumer protections, and accelerate applications like cross-border payments and tokenized finance, while overly restrictive language risks pushing innovation offshore.

Polygon Labs has cut about 30% of its workforce as it shifts from an infrastructure-first Layer-2 focus to a payments-first strategy centered on regulated stablecoin rails. CEO Marc Boiron said the layoffs are structural (role consolidation), not performance-related. The move follows acquisitions of U.S. crypto-payments provider Coinme and wallet/cross-chain infrastructure firm Sequence in combined deals exceeding $250 million. Coinme brings U.S. money-transmitter licenses (licensed in 48 states), fiat on/off ramps and access to 50,000+ retail locations (including Coinstar kiosks). Sequence contributes embedded wallet tech and cross-chain payment orchestration to reduce user friction. Polygon expects overall headcount to be similar after integrating acquired teams but with a new composition focused on stablecoin payments, banking and fiat infrastructure. POL token dropped following the disclosure, reflecting short-term selling pressure as markets revalue Polygon from a general-purpose Layer-2 to a payments utility. Traders should watch: (1) resource reallocation toward U.S. regulated stablecoin rails and payments partnerships; (2) potential near-term volatility from repeated layoffs and strategic pivot; and (3) longer-term implications for stronger on-chain fiat rails, increased merchant distribution, and possible growth in Polygon-native payment use cases. Primary keywords: Polygon, stablecoin payments, Coinme, Sequence, layoffs, fiat on/off-ramp.

This explainer clarifies the practical difference between coins and tokens for crypto traders. Main keyword: coin vs token. A coin is the native currency of its blockchain (e.g., BTC, ETH, BNB), used as the base asset, to pay network fees (gas) and to secure the chain via mining or staking. Tokens are created on existing blockchains through smart contracts and serve varied roles — utility, governance, asset-backed (including stablecoins), and NFTs. Quick checklist: if an asset has its own blockchain it’s likely a coin; if it lives on another chain it’s a token. Traders should note that coins are often correlated with blockchain usage (higher activity → more fee demand), while tokens depend on project fundamentals, tokenomics and product adoption. Understanding the distinction helps avoid miscommunication (e.g., “new coin” that’s actually an ERC-20 token), assess risk, and evaluate market drivers. SEO keywords included: coin vs token, native coin, ERC-20 token, stablecoin, NFTs.

Bitcoin (BTC) has entered its deepest undervaluation versus gold (XAU) on record, according to the BTC/XAU Z‑score developed with Power‑Law bands. The Z‑score measures deviations from the long‑term BTC–gold ratio; a reading below −2 indicates the ratio is more than two standard deviations under its historical mean. Historically, past dips toward the −2 band preceded major Bitcoin bottoms followed by prolonged rallies — for example, an undervaluation signal in November 2022 preceded ~150% BTC gains over the next year, and a March 2020 signal was followed by a 1,170% rise one year later. Analysts behind the model say gold’s rally and Bitcoin’s current discount suggest BTC could “massively outperform” gold in the coming months, supporting bullish price projections for 2026, with some analysts forecasting targets between $200,000 and $300,000 by year‑end. The pattern observed historically also notes that Bitcoin’s largest parabolic phases tended to begin after gold had already moved decisively above its long‑term trend. This analysis is not investment advice; trading carries risk.

US inflation data showing a sharp decline has increased expectations for multiple Fed rate cuts in 2026, improving liquidity and creating a favorable macro backdrop for risk assets — including crypto. Major institutions are deepening crypto efforts: Goldman Sachs confirmed work on crypto, stablecoins and tokenization, and sovereign/state-level interest is rising, with West Virginia proposing to allocate 10% of state funds to Bitcoin. Regulatory progress stalled short-term after Congress delayed crypto market-structure legislation, which weighed on crypto equities (e.g., Robinhood, Coinbase). Geopolitical noise from renewed US tariff threats adds hedging demand for Bitcoin and gold. Technical and liquidity comparisons suggest Bitcoin may be lagging other liquid assets and could stage a catch-up rally if rate-cut expectations and institutional adoption continue. Key trader watchlist: confirmation of Fed rate cuts or liquidity expansion, Bitcoin reclaiming critical resistance levels, and continued institutional/sovereign adoption signals. Overall, the article positions Bitcoin to lead a market rotation into risk assets, with selective altcoin moves once trend direction is confirmed.

Belarus has enacted Decree No. 19 to create a legal framework for “cryptobanks” — joint‑stock companies authorised to offer digital token systems alongside traditional banking and payment services. Eligible operators must be residents of the High‑Tech Park (HTP) and register with the National Bank’s special registry. The decree builds on 2017’s Decree No. 8, which legalised mining, smart contracts and crypto trading, and extends HTP tax advantages (no VAT, profit tax or personal income tax on crypto operations) through at least 1 January 2025. Authorities intend to bring blockchain payments, token services and financial management into a supervised financial channel, prevent an unregulated parallel crypto market, and attract tech startups and cross‑border activity. The rules place cryptobanks under non‑bank credit and financial institution regulations and HTP oversight, centralise operational standards and a registry to bolster transparency and customer fund security. Recent enforcement actions — including limits on certain foreign crypto platforms for advertising breaches — underscore Minsk’s aim to concentrate crypto use in licensed channels. Market context: Statista projects about 855,000 crypto users in Belarus by 2026 (roughly 9.6% of the population). For traders, the decree signals a push toward regulated on‑ and off‑ramp liquidity within Belarus, potential growth in local crypto banking services, and lower legal risk for compliant HTP firms — while access restrictions for non‑compliant platforms could shift regional flows toward licensed providers.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Dogecoin (DOGE) remain high-profile memecoins but technical signals point to weakening short-term momentum, reducing conviction for a continued 10x run. Over the past 30 days SHIB rose ~10% (from ~$0.0000080 to >$0.0000085) while DOGE climbed from ~$0.13 to ~$0.15. TradingView momentum indicators for both are showing sell signals and rising volume, suggesting elevated reversal risk. Market influencers have speculated on further upside—SHIB support at $0.0000080 and resistance at $0.0000087; DOGE support near $0.139–$0.14 and a potential target of $0.16—but failure to hold supports could prompt pullbacks to ~$0.000007x for SHIB and ~$0.12 for DOGE. Digitap (TAP) is gaining trader attention as an alternative with real-world utility. The project markets an “omnibank” mobile app that supports management, conversion and spending of 100+ fiat and crypto assets, and claims sponsored bank partnerships with SWIFT and SEPA access. Digitap targets financial inclusion for an estimated 1.4 billion unbanked people. TAP is in a presale (round three) that the article says has delivered early buyers ~241% gains and raised over $4 million; reported metrics include 120,000+ wallet connections and 190+ million tokens sold. TAP’s current presale price quoted at $0.0427 with an expected launch price of $0.14 is presented as implying sizable upside if adoption and token economics hold. For traders: memecoins still carry headline risk and short-term volatility; momentum indicators argue caution on fresh SHIB/DOGE longs. Utility-led presales like TAP may attract speculative capital, but risks include presale marketing bias, token unlocks, centralized token allocation, and execution risk in onboarding millions of users. Traders should weigh technical signals, liquidity, tokenomics and regulatory exposure before taking positions.

Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) let a prover demonstrate a statement is true without revealing underlying data. zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge) produce very small (≈288 bytes), non-interactive proofs that cryptographically confirm knowledge without sharing inputs. Heavy computation to generate proofs runs off-chain; blockchains perform quick on-chain verification (milliseconds), keeping gas costs low and enabling verification on low-power devices. Real-world use cases include privacy-preserving checks for healthcare, finance and decentralized networks; hardware “Proof Pods” can help distribute proof-generation work and secure the network. For traders, ZKP and zk-SNARK advances mean privacy-first blockchains and layer-2 solutions can scale with low fees, potentially increasing demand for projects that adopt or enable ZK technology. Key SEO keywords: zero-knowledge proof, zk-SNARK, on-chain verification, privacy, gas fees, scalability.

Bitcoin (BTC) has stalled around $96,000–$97,000 after a brief mid-January surge driven by roughly $1.7 billion of ETF inflows over three days. Analytics firm Ecoinometrics warns that these short bursts of demand supported a temporary price bounce—from under $90K to about $96K—but did not repair the broader cumulative ETF flow drawdown, which fell from roughly $18 billion to under $10 billion. At the time of reporting BTC traded near $95,400 with a 24‑hour decline of ~1.4% and 24h volatility at 1.9%. Analysts say several weeks of sustained clustered inflows are needed to offset outflows and stabilize a sustained uptrend. Institutional buyers such as Strategy and Twenty One Capital have increased allocations, but wider retail and institutional participation is required for durable momentum. The article also notes a separate presale update: Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) has raised about $30.7 million at $0.013585 per token and offers high staking APYs, though this is a high‑risk presale and unrelated to BTC ETF flow dynamics. Key keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, ETF inflows, cumulative flows, institutional demand, presale HYPER.

US President Donald Trump said a person who leaked sensitive Venezuela information is “in jail,” prompting renewed scrutiny of large, well-timed bets placed on Polymarket predicting Nicolás Maduro’s ouster. Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain identified three wallets that placed sizable wagers hours before Maduro’s arrest; two went inactive shortly after authorities acted and one (SBet365) remains active and has since placed other political bets. Reported gains include turning a $5,800 stake into roughly $75,000 and a $34,000 stake into more than $400,000 across the wallets. Lookonchain noted the wallets were created and funded days before the event, fueling concerns about insider information flowing into prediction markets. Legal experts warned that leaking classified or material nonpublic government information can trigger severe US penalties, including under the Espionage Act. The episode follows earlier controversy over Polymarket’s refusal to settle $10.5m in wagers on whether the US would “invade” Venezuela, which increased calls for clearer rules and enforcement. Lawmakers are responding: Representative Ritchie Torres proposed the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 to bar federal officials and appointees from trading prediction contracts while holding material nonpublic information. For crypto traders, the key takeaways are heightened regulatory and enforcement risk for on-chain prediction markets, possible reductions in liquidity or user access on controversial platforms, and increased compliance scrutiny that could change how political-event markets operate.

Bitfinex outlines why the Liquid Network — a Blockstream-built Bitcoin federated sidechain — is becoming the preferred infrastructure for regulated tokenisation of financial assets. Liquid supports pegged L-BTC, confidential transactions, one-minute blocks and two-minute settlement finality, and protocol-level compliance via AMP (transfer restrictions, KYC, whitelists). RWA.xyz ranks Liquid as the world’s third-largest blockchain for real-world assets, with TVL above $5 billion and Bitfinex Securities having issued over $250 million in assets on Liquid, including tokenised US Treasury bills, microfinance bonds and the Blockstream Mining Note. The article argues that institutional demand for Bitcoin exposure, improving regulatory clarity, and network effects make Bitcoin-native tokenisation on Liquid likely to grow. For traders, the key takeaways are increased institutional liquidity on Bitcoin rails, greater compliance-ready issuance activity, and stronger on-chain liquidity for L-BTC and Liquid-listed securities — factors that may shift order flow toward Bitcoin-native instruments and related custody/exchange services.

A dormant Ethereum wallet (0xde6d...ceee8) received a large simultaneous transfer from Coinhako’s hot wallet: 472,302,979,093 SHIB (about $4 million) and 2,122 ETH (about $7 million), according to blockchain analytics firm Arkham. The SHIB deposit now makes the address an instant Shiba Inu billionaire and accounts for over 32% of the wallet’s total value; the wallet’s aggregate holdings are reported at roughly $12.2 million. The address has held smaller-cap tokens (ASTER, ONDO, BASED) over the past year, but the synchronized ETH–SHIB injection suggests a strategic shift toward accumulating Ethereum-based assets. Coinhako is a Singapore exchange, so on-chain provenance points to a likely Singapore-based high-net-worth entity, though the specific owner remains unknown. Traders should note that the deposit’s size and timing could signal whale accumulation, strategic reallocation, or custody movements by an exchange. Key market details: SHIB price near $0.000009, recent golden cross between the 23- and 50-day moving averages, next clear resistance cited at $0.00001102. Primary keywords: SHIB, Coinhako, whale, Ethereum, Arkham.

Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone said on X that Bitcoin may have peaked amid a pronounced “gold‑oil disparity” in 2025. Gold rallied roughly 65% to above $4,000 as investors sought safe havens against inflation and economic slowdown, while crude oil fell about 20% to near $60 on weak demand and oversupply. McGlone noted that historically sharp gold strength often coincides with weakness in risk assets, implying Bitcoin’s recent rally toward $97,000 could be unsustainable and vulnerable to a correction. The article also notes Bitcoin’s October 2025 high near $126,198, a drop to about $84,000 in the past 30 days, and a recent price around $95,076 with lower trading volume (down ~25%) and rising market supply after miners’ selling. Other voices cited include longtime skeptic Peter Schiff urging selling, and Bitwise’s Mat Hougan who remains bullish if ETF demand continues. Key trade considerations: potential increased sell pressure, price rejection near $96,000, support near $93,000, and Bitcoin dominance at ~59%.

Ripple has proposed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopt a ‘lifespan’ regulatory framework for digital assets, using XRP as the lead example. Under the proposal, tokens would face stricter oversight during early-stage fundraising and token sales, then progressively lighter, commodity-style treatment as they mature and achieve market adoption. Ripple argues this would create predictable, stage-specific rules, reduce retroactive enforcement risk, and avoid treating XRP as a one-off exception after recent court rulings that largely found XRP not to be a security on exchanges. The company is also expanding commercial activity — partnering with LMAX Group to promote institutional stablecoin use via RLUSD and pursuing preliminary EMI approval in Luxembourg to grow European cross-border payments. Ripple says a lifespan rule would bring regulatory clarity for XRP and could set a U.S. precedent affecting classification and institutional confidence across the crypto market.

XRP fell about 2% on January 16 and is trading near local support around $2.05. Hourly charts show immediate support at $2.053; a break could push XRP toward the $2.03–$2.04 range and potentially test $2.00 by tomorrow. On the daily timeframe, the key level to watch is $2.045: a close below that could release downward momentum toward $1.80. The article notes sellers are stronger than buyers at week’s end and that XRP was trading at $2.0462 at the time of publication. Traders should monitor the $2.045–$2.05 zone closely for short-term bias confirmation.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly supports the CLARITY Act—a proposed U.S. crypto bill aiming to define SEC/CFTC roles, create registration paths for exchanges, and clarify when tokens are securities—arguing that imperfect legislation is preferable to continued regulatory uncertainty. He says legal clarity will reduce “market chaos,” keep capital and talent in the U.S., and enable businesses to plan and invest. The industry is split: Coinbase withdrew support, warning the draft could effectively ban tokenized securities, overreach on DeFi, shift power toward the SEC, and restrict stablecoin features. The disagreement highlights divergent priorities—Ripple’s urgency after prolonged SEC enforcement versus Coinbase’s concern about long-term innovation constraints. Supporters argue the bill will restore competitiveness as jurisdictions like the EU, UK, Singapore and Switzerland have enacted clear frameworks (MiCA implemented in 2024), prompting capital and developer migration. Critics fear burdensome registration, limits on DeFi, data-access clauses, and restrictions on tokenization and stablecoin utility. The CLARITY Act’s committee process will likely yield amendments, but its passage or failure will strongly influence U.S. market structure, legal risk for firms,DeFi development, and whether the U.S. reclaims leadership in crypto. Key figures: Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple), Coinbase policy team. Key datapoint: a 2024 Chamber of Digital Commerce estimate that regulatory uncertainty deterred roughly $120 billion in potential blockchain investment since 2020. This is not trading advice.

Bitcoin (BTC) slipped about 1–2% on January 16, trading near $94,500 after breaching local support at $95,135. Hourly and daily chart signals show bearish momentum: a close well below $95,135 could trigger a move toward the $94,000 area tomorrow, while mid‑term weakness on the weekly bar versus the $95,938 level may hand initiative to bears and open a path to $90,000–$92,000. The report highlights that most coins are in the red and cautions traders to watch daily and weekly closes to confirm further downside. Key on‑chain or macro drivers are not discussed; the analysis focuses on technical support/resistance and price action.

HR and payroll platform Gusto has partnered with crypto custody and settlement firm Zerohash to pilot using USDC stablecoins for faster cross-border employee payouts. The collaboration aims to reduce settlement times and fees compared with traditional banking rails, enabling near-instant conversion and transfers in select corridors. Zerohash will provide custody, on/off ramp liquidity and settlement infrastructure; Gusto will integrate stablecoin payouts into its global payroll workflow for eligible employers and employees. The pilot targets remittance corridors where local banking is slow or costly and will initially focus on regulatory-compliant USDC settlements. Both firms emphasize compliance and AML controls. This move reflects broader industry trends where businesses use stablecoins to lower transaction costs and speed international payroll and payouts.

A global race among governments and private firms to create and adopt stablecoins is delivering short-term benefits to customers — lower fees, faster cross-border payments and greater choice — but experts warn those gains may be temporary. Public and private initiatives, from central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to dollar-backed and algorithmic stablecoins, are intensifying. Regulators worldwide are debating rules on reserve transparency, issuer liability and cross-border interoperability. Major themes include competition for payment rails, the push for regulatory clarity, and the strategic use of stablecoins in trade and sanctions evasion. Analysts say competition has spurred innovation and improved consumer offerings, but fragmentation, regulatory divergence and experiments with risky reserve models could undermine trust. Traders should watch regulatory announcements, reserve audits, and adoption metrics — including on-chain flows and stablecoin market share — as these factors will drive volatility and liquidity in crypto markets. Primary keywords: stablecoin, CBDC, stablecoin regulation. Secondary keywords: cross-border payments, reserve transparency, market share, stablecoin liquidity.

Riot Platforms’ shares rose ~10% after the company bought 200 acres at its Rockdale, Texas site for $96 million (funded via sale of ~1,080 BTC) and signed a 10-year Data Center Lease and Services Agreement with AMD. AMD will take 25 MW of critical IT load starting January 2026 with a second-phase delivery in May 2026; the initial 10-year deal is valued at $311 million with three optional five-year extensions that could raise the total contract value to about $1 billion. The agreement includes options for a 75 MW expansion and a right of first refusal on an additional 100 MW, meaning AMD could ultimately occupy up to 200 MW at Rockdale. Riot has begun retrofitting an existing building and budgeted $89.8 million capex (~$3.6M per MW). The Rockdale purchase unlocks a site with 700 MW grid interconnection, water and fiber; combined with Riot’s Corsicana holdings, the company now controls >1,100 acres and 1.7 GW of capacity in Texas. Riot remains a major Bitcoin holder (18,005 BTC). The move signals a strategic pivot toward AI and high-performance computing infrastructure amid surging demand for data-center power and land.

Kraken has listed VeThor (VTHO) for trading and deposits as of January 16, 2026. VTHO is the utility token used to pay transaction fees and smart contract execution costs on the VeChainThor blockchain; it acts as network gas and is generated from staking VET via VeChain’s StarGate platform. Kraken notes deposits must use networks it supports to avoid loss, and trading via the Kraken app and Instant Buy will activate once sufficient liquidity arrives. Geographic restrictions may apply. Kraken also reminded users that listings policy details remain confidential until shortly before launch and that crypto investments carry risks.