Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Aptos (APT) has posted a short-term rebound — roughly +1.3% in 24 hours and about +15.8% over the week — yet remains inside a longer-term downtrend. Price is testing resistance around $1.70–$1.72 after an October sell-off that broke prior support near $4.32. Technicals are mixed: RSI has recovered from oversold levels, signaling temporary buying interest, while On‑Balance Volume (OBV) sits near multi-year lows, indicating persistent selling pressure. APT’s price remains closely correlated with Bitcoin (BTC); BTC’s recent ~1.5% rise toward $90k provided altcoin relief, and an upcoming BTC options expiry could increase short-term volatility and possibly lift APT toward $1.90–$2.00 if a broader rally occurs. On-chain and fundamental signals are weak — declining transaction and developer activity and capital flow favoring Solana (SOL) memecoin action — so any durable reversal would require both technical breakout above $1.70 and improving fundamentals. Short-term trading band: $1.56 support and $1.69–$1.72 resistance. Traders should treat the current move as a relief rally: consider range trades (buy near support, short near resistance), manage risk with tight stop-losses, monitor BTC direction, OBV and RSI for conviction, and wait for confirmed breakout (targets $1.90–$2.00) or breakdown below $1.56 for continuation of the bear trend.

Bitcoin is trading near $89k as institutional interest surges: SEC filings referencing blockchain hit about 8,000 in 2025, driven by spot BTC ETFs and asset-manager amendments. Recent US laws — the GENIUS Act (stablecoin rules: 100% reserves, monthly disclosures, AML requirements) and the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act — provided clearer compliance paths, encouraging more institutional participation. Technicals on the 4‑hour chart show a breakout from a descending channel with BTC above the 50 and 100 EMAs and RSI ~57, suggesting short‑term bullish momentum; a hold above $88,319 could open resistance targets at $90,500, $92,650 and $94,675. The article proposes a trade setup: enter above $88,900, stop below $88,061, targets $92,650–$94,675. The piece also highlights growing retail presale activity in meme tokens (example: Maxi Doge) but emphasises Bitcoin as the principal institutional entry point. Key implications: regulatory clarity plus ETF rollouts are driving capital flow into BTC, potentially setting structural conditions for a broader bull phase in 2026, though traders should weigh technical levels, liquidity from options expiries, and speculative altcoin flows.

XRP consolidated around $1.85 after dipping below $2.00, with bulls defending support amid a 30% surge in 24‑hour spot trading volume. CoinMarketCap data showed daily volume exceeded $2 billion, signalling renewed buying interest during post‑Christmas sessions. Bitcoin’s reclaiming of the $88,000 area provided a supportive macro backdrop for altcoins. Technical indicators identify $1.90 as the near-term resistance; a return of liquidity could produce an upside breakout. Institutional demand is notable: XRP spot ETFs have surpassed $1.25 billion in net assets, with recent inflows adding roughly $11 million, highlighting growing professional investor exposure and potential stabilising effects on price. Overall, heightened volume plus ETF inflows suggest short‑term bullish momentum, while market normalisation in early 2026 will determine sustainability.

Arthur Hayes, former BitMEX co‑founder, moved 1.85 million LDO (~$1.03M) from a Binance hot wallet into a Hayes-controlled address on Dec 26, 2025. The transfer coincided with an immediate ~6% short-term LDO price gain and a >200% spike in trading volume versus the weekly average. At the time LDO traded near $0.556; technical levels to watch are support $0.5546 and resistances $0.7126, $0.9416 and $1.24. On-chain metrics and protocol data point to stronger Lido fundamentals: year‑over‑year development activity rose ~690% and weekly protocol revenue reached ~$14.3M, driven by growing adoption of liquid staking derivatives (stETH) across DeFi integrations such as Aave, Curve and MakerDAO. Recent protocol upgrades include triggerable withdrawals and Curated Module v2; governance and the Safe Harbor Agreement (covering ~$26B staked ETH) are also highlighted. Technical indicators are neutral-to-cautious: LDO sits above the 10‑day EMA but below longer-term EMAs, with a 14‑day RSI around 45.7. Traders should monitor on-chain flows, volume, and whether institutional follow‑through preserves the $0.5546 support. Short-term momentum depends on volume and follow-up buys; long-term outlook hinges on Lido retaining liquid-staking market share and successfully delivering upgrades. Actionable tips: track on‑chain wallets (Lookonchain, Etherscan), watch volume and EMA crossovers, set clear entry/exit levels, and consider portfolio diversification to manage risk.

Huma Finance has opened Season 2 airdrop Part 2. Eligible wallets that missed Part 1 can claim allocations in Part 2. Claims close on January 26 at 21:00 (UTC+8). Liquidity providers (LPs) who have moved or withdrawn locked PST and mPST will see their Part 2 allocations reduced accordingly. The announcement reiterates this is market information and not investment advice.

Ethereum (ETH) is trading around the critical $3,000 zone after recent consolidation and mixed flows across spot ETFs and derivatives. Early reports showed a rebound above $3,000 supported by renewed ETF inflows, whale accumulation (~14,618 ETH, ~$185M) and improved technicals, while later updates noted spot ETF outflows, large whale buys (single wallet ~$16.1M; reports of ~220,000 ETH bought in a separate week), and a concentrated $3.8B options expiry with max-pain near $3,000. Open interest rose, increasing leverage and liquidation risk in the $3,100–$3,200 area. Key levels: support $3,000, $2,960, $2,732; resistance $3,200, $3,270 (38.2% Fib), $3,520 (200-day MA) and higher targets toward prior highs if momentum continues. Short-term catalysts traders should monitor: spot ETF flows, whale accumulation and disclosures, options expiries and open interest, and daily closes above/below $3,000. Bull case: sustained daily closes above $3,000 with rising ETF inflows and continued whale accumulation could drive breakouts to $3,200→$3,270→$3,500–$3,520 and beyond toward prior highs. Bear case: failure to reclaim $3,000 or rejection near $3,200 may trigger corrections to $2,960, $2,850 or back to $2,732; a decisive breakdown below $2,732 points to a mid-term bearish trend. Longer-term bullish arguments cite large-scale accumulation and scheduled network upgrades (Glamsterdam and Hegota forks in 2026) as potential catalysts, but traders should weigh heightened volatility from options expiries and elevated leverage when sizing positions.

Prediction markets face a major real-world test during the 2024 U.S. midterm elections. The sector has seen rapid growth and high valuations—Polymarket and Kalshi have been cited as reaching multibillion-dollar valuations—prompting debate on whether these platforms are reliable collective-intelligence data infrastructure or speculative betting venues. Proponents argue markets deliver continuous, incentive-aligned probability signals useful to journalists, pollsters, policy analysts, and investors; critics warn of liquidity limits, manipulation risk, and regulatory uncertainty. Key success factors include high liquidity, diverse participation and clear event resolution. A strong performance in the midterms could accelerate regulatory acceptance, integration into financial/data ecosystems, and wider institutional use; a poor showing could invite scrutiny and slow adoption. The article highlights differences between prediction markets, traditional polling and punditry, and notes the regulatory role of the CFTC and the existence of blockchain-based platforms. No direct trading advice is provided.

Bitcoin is trading tightly around the $89,000 level, a key technical and psychological threshold that could determine near-term direction. Price action shows consolidation after recent gains, with on-chain data and derivatives flows suggesting mixed signals: institutional demand remains present but profit-taking and elevated options open interest increase the chance of volatile moves. Analysts point to $89K as pivotal — a decisive break above could trigger fresh momentum toward new highs, while failure to hold may prompt a sharper correction as leveraged positions unwind. Market participants should watch spot volume, US macro cues, Bitcoin funding rates, and options expiries for clues. Short-term traders may prefer tight risk controls around breakout/failure levels; longer-term holders remain focused on fundamentals such as adoption and ETF flows. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, $89K, breakout, consolidation; secondary keywords included: options open interest, funding rates, institutional demand, volatility.

Dogecoin (DOGE) saw a 76% surge in 24-hour trading volume to $1.01 billion, according to CoinMarketCap, while its price remained weak—down about 0.5% at $0.1254. The hourly chart shows a death cross (short-term moving average crossing below a longer-term average), indicating ongoing selling pressure. RSI sits around 35, suggesting oversold conditions that could precede a rebound. Year-to-date DOGE is down roughly 61% despite recent institutional developments such as a spot Dogecoin ETF and corporate balance-sheet exposures. Traders should watch whale activity, treasury firm movements and Bitcoin’s trend for signals that could pull DOGE back into a bull phase. Key SEO keywords: Dogecoin, DOGE volume, death cross, RSI oversold, meme coin rebound.

Riot Platforms (RIOT) is at elevated downside risk for 2026 driven by a likely Bitcoin bear cycle and the company’s high operational leverage to BTC price moves. Analyst David Zanoni highlights technical bearish signals for both Bitcoin and RIOT — including a head-and-shoulders pattern on RIOT and weak RSI/MACD readings — which suggest further downside toward single-digit share prices. Riot’s fully loaded cost to mine, including depreciation, is cited near $89,000 per BTC, creating potential for material losses if BTC trades below that level through 2026. Near-term capital expenditures (Corsicana facility expansion) and a premium valuation increase the firm’s vulnerability during a BTC downturn. The analyst discloses a beneficial short position in RIOT and recommends selling RIOT until cycle lows are confirmed. Key keywords: Riot Platforms, RIOT, Bitcoin (BTC), mining cost, Corsicana, bear market, technical indicators.

As AI-generated content surpasses human-made media, distinguishing real from synthetic has become a major trust problem. Studies cited in the article report that AI content overtook human content in late 2024 and that over 74% of sampled web pages contained AI-generated material by April 2025. Users report “AI content fatigue,” increasing demand for verifiable human-crafted content. Industry voices, including Adrian Ott (EY Switzerland) and Jason Crawforth (Swear), argue that post-hoc detection is insufficient; instead, certifying authenticity at creation — a “proof of origin” recorded on blockchain — offers a proactive solution. Swear’s blockchain-based video fingerprinting links media to an immutable ledger, enabling verification of originals and detection of alterations; its solution has been recognized by Time magazine in 2025. Current deployments focus on enterprise, security and surveillance (bodycams, drones), with social media integration as a longer-term goal. Regulators appear to favor labeling, but experts warn that labeling can be circumvented and that platforms must provide filtering tools or risk losing users. The article concludes that while a larger inflection point of visibly damaging manipulated media has yet to occur, groundwork for authenticity should be laid now to protect journalism, investigations and public safety.

Large XRP holders (whales) have resumed accumulation despite recent price weakness. On-chain analysis from trader Steph is Crypto shows addresses holding between 100 million and 1 billion XRP increased their combined holdings from 8.11 billion to 8.23 billion XRP — roughly a 120 million XRP net buy, valued at about $150 million. Mid-sized holders (10 million–100 million XRP) also added modestly, rising to ~10.90 billion from 10.88 billion. The renewed buying comes while XRP trades below $2 and nearly half the circulating supply is unrealized loss (profitability around 52%). Steph is Crypto characterizes the buying as cautious repositioning rather than outright bullish conviction, but continued accumulation could precede upward momentum similar to past events (profitability lows like November 2024 preceded major upside). Key takeaways for traders: whale accumulation may signal preparatory positioning ahead of a rally, but elevated supply in loss increases short-term risk of panic selling — monitor whale netflows, exchange balances and price action around the $2 resistance level for confirmation.

A supply‑chain attack on Trust Wallet’s Chrome browser extension (v2.68) was disclosed on 26 December 2025 after an official update injected malicious code that phished seed phrases and drained users’ wallets. Approximately $6.7–7.0 million across Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana was stolen from hundreds of addresses, with individual losses ranging from ~ $50,000 up to $3.5 million. On‑chain investigators (ZachXBT, Lookonchain and others) traced laundering routes through services such as ChangeNOW and FixedFloat and observed funds moving towards exchanges including KuCoin and HTX. Trust Wallet released v2.69 to remove the malicious code, advised users to uninstall v2.68, assume seed compromise and migrate assets to new wallets; mobile Trust Wallet and core private‑key infrastructure were reported unaffected. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao confirmed Binance (owner of Trust Wallet) will fully reimburse verified victims and said core systems remain secure. For traders: expect short‑term sell pressure and heightened caution around browser‑extension custody, possible exchange inflows as attackers cash out, and a spike in on‑chain monitoring activity. Actionable steps: monitor on‑chain movement and exchange deposit flows (KuCoin, HTX), avoid interacting with suspicious extensions, and advise affected counterparties to move funds to new wallets or hardware wallets. Primary keywords: Trust Wallet, Chrome extension hack, supply‑chain attack; secondary keywords: seed phrase theft, Binance reimbursement, wallet security.

RollerCoin was awarded Game of the Year and Best Browser Game at the 2025 Blockchain Game Awards, recognising its sustained growth, accessibility and long-term player engagement. Launched in 2018, the browser-based crypto game lets users earn real cryptocurrency through arcade-style mini-games and virtual mining without downloads or mandatory wallets. The platform reports over 5 million registered players, more than $10 million in distributed rewards and 86 BTC mined across its ecosystem, with payouts in 16+ tokens. Judges highlighted RollerCoin’s retention, usability and longevity as reasons for the dual awards. Key features include free-to-play onboarding, mobile-first browser access, seasonal events, community-driven content and a creator program that integrates user-made miners and mini-games. The award underlines a broader industry shift toward valuing durability and player retention in Web3 gaming.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has surged in derivatives markets, recording higher perpetual futures open interest and trading volumes than Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP over recent sessions. The spike in SHIB derivatives activity was driven by large leveraged positions, increased retail options activity, and concentrated trader interest on major exchanges. Market observers noted that SHIB’s futures funding rates turned persistently positive, indicating sustained long bias among derivatives traders. Exchanges also reported upticks in liquidation events tied to SHIB’s volatility. Analysts warn this type of concentrated derivatives demand can amplify short-term price moves and raise systemic risk in margin markets, even when the underlying spot market remains relatively stable. Key metrics cited include higher relative open interest for SHIB vs. BTC/XRP on selected venues and elevated trading volumes and funding rate differentials. Traders are advised to monitor funding rates, leverage levels, and exchange order books; risk management measures such as lower position sizes and stop-losses are recommended given the heightened volatility in SHIB derivatives.

A sudden Christmas Day price wick showing Bitcoin at $24,111 occurred exclusively on Binance’s low-volume BTC/USD1 order book and did not reflect a market-wide collapse. Analysts, including Shanaka Anslem Perera, confirmed that the main BTC/USDT market (the dominant liquidity pool) never traded below roughly $86,400. The distortion lasted about three seconds before arbitrage bots restored price to ~ $87,000. The incident appears linked to a Binance promotion offering 20% APY on USD1 deposits that encouraged USDT-to-USD1 conversions and drained sell-side liquidity on the BTC/USD1 book. Similar short-lived wicks on the same pair were observed earlier in December. The event highlights risks of trading on thinly traded pairs, the speed of algorithmic arbitrage, and how isolated liquidity vacuums can trigger misleading price signals. For traders, key takeaways are to avoid thin pairs, monitor exchange-specific promotions that can shift on-book liquidity, and rely on primary pairs (e.g., BTC/USDT) for accurate price discovery.

WPA Hash positions itself as a platform that converts Bitcoin (BTC), Ripple (XRP) and Solana (SOL) from passive holdings into income-generating assets via hashrate-based participation. The service tailors strategies to each asset: BTC through long-term low-volatility mining, XRP via high-frequency distribution leveraging liquidity and low fees, and SOL by combining node participation with computing-power collaboration. WPA Hash highlights automated computing-power scheduling, transparent settlement, and multi-layered security (cold/hot wallet separation, real-time monitoring) as technical foundations. The platform describes a user flow: register, deposit (notably XRP promoted), select cloud-mining contract tiers (examples presented from $100 to $8,000 with projected daily returns), then receive daily distributed rewards with options to withdraw or reinvest. The article is sponsored content and includes a disclosure that it is not investment advice. Key SEO keywords: WPA Hash, BTC mining, XRP yield, SOL node, cloud mining, hashrate optimization.

USDC treasury addresses minted 90,000,000 USDC on the Ethereum network, as detected and reported on-chain by monitoring service Whale Alert. Earlier reports noted a 60,000,000 USDC mint; the later update indicates a larger 90M issuance. Reports provide no on-chain context about recipients, purpose, whether the mint corresponds to new fiat backing or internal treasury reallocation, nor any immediate redemptions or transfers. For traders: a sizable USDC mint increases stablecoin supply and on-chain liquidity, which can enable larger flows across DeFi protocols and exchanges. Without accompanying transfer or redemption data, the short-term price impact on USDC is unclear; market effects are more likely to show up as shifts in stablecoin availability and potential changes in lending/borrowing dynamics and stablecoin-based funding across DeFi. This update is informational and not investment advice. Primary keyword: USDC. Secondary keywords: USDC minting, Ethereum, stablecoin supply, Treasury.

Ethereum plans two protocol-level upgrades in 2026: Glamsterdam (mid‑2026) and Heze‑Bogota (late‑2026). Glamsterdam targets throughput and node costs by introducing parallel transaction processing, a major gas‑limit increase (projected ~60M → 200M), and a shift toward ZK-based validation for validators. Early tests show multi-fold throughput gains (developer estimates range from severalx to orders of magnitude), with potential to reduce L2 congestion and lower fees. Heze‑Bogota focuses on privacy, censorship resistance and decentralization by reducing exposed transaction data and limiting reliance on centralized infrastructure while maintaining auditability. The upgrades are sequenced: Glamsterdam first to boost speed and capacity, then Heze‑Bogota to add privacy protections. Market context: ETH traded under $3,000 (~$2.8–$2.9k) at reporting, with $3,000 as immediate resistance; a technical indicator cited suggested a bullish close to 2025 and a strong start to 2026. Traders should monitor developer calls, testnet deployments, gas‑limit changes and ZK validation milestones. Realized benefits and any material price upside depend on successful implementations, testnet results, broader crypto market conditions and potential short‑term bearish pressures.

Bancor Network’s native token BNT faces a conditional recovery path from 2026 to 2030 that depends on protocol adoption, TVL growth, fee generation and successful roll-out of Bancor v3 features (Omnipool, superfluid staking). Analysts tie BNT’s prospects to on-chain metrics—Total Value Locked (TVL), unique liquidity providers, and net mint/burn rates—plus broader macro drivers such as crypto market cycles and layer-2 scaling. Competing AMMs (Uniswap, Curve) set valuation benchmarks: for BNT to materially recover it must outpace rivals in capital efficiency, fee revenue or carve a niche via impermanent-loss protection and single-sided liquidity. Risk factors include execution complexity of v3, historical sustainability questions around impermanent-loss funding, smart-contract risk and regulatory outcomes. Traders should monitor TVL trends, protocol fee income, active liquidity providers, BNT mint/burn flows and development activity to assess short-term momentum and long-term viability. The article stresses recovery is data-driven—sustained utility and fee-driven buy pressure, not short-term volatility, will determine BNT’s price trajectory.

Phemex has upgraded its Retail Price Improvement (RPI) order system through deeper partnerships with institutional liquidity providers, expanding the feature across more than 210 trading pairs. Internal late‑2025 audit results cited by the exchange report material liquidity gains within a ±0.1% band around mid‑price versus top‑tier exchange averages: BTC/USDT ~2x, ETH/USDT ~5x, SOL/USDT ~5.5x, and the top 12 pairs averaging about 3x. RPI treats eligible retail (non‑API manual) orders as maker orders and routes them to dedicated retail‑maker liquidity while excluding high‑frequency API algorithms, aiming to tighten spreads and deliver price improvement beyond the visible order book. Phemex positions the upgrade as an execution and transparency improvement designed to give retail users closer parity with institutional execution quality across spot and derivatives. The announcement is a company press release and not trading advice.

Chainlink (LINK) and Litecoin (LTC) are signalling potential recoveries in early 2026 despite a broadly weak outlook for 2025. Technical analysis shows Chainlink trading inside a long-term compression/triangle between a rising trendline near $12–$14 and a descending resistance; weekly RSI in the mid-30s and an historically low MVRV Z-Score suggest undervaluation and room for a move — analysts point to a possible ~90% recovery toward $23–$24 if selling pressure eases. Litecoin sits near the lower band of an upward channel established since the 2022 bear market, with a historical accumulation zone at $75–$80 and weekly RSI stabilising in the 30s. On-chain indicators such as Pi Cycle Top and the 111-day SMA imply LTC is below normal levels, supporting a potential rebound to $80–$100 in early 2026. Broader tailwinds include rising spot Ethereum ETF volumes and institutional interest in infrastructure-focused projects, plus planned derivative listings on Asian exchanges that may boost liquidity for LTC. Risks remain tied to macro conditions and Bitcoin’s price action. This analysis is informational and not investment advice.

Japan’s ruling coalition has outlined a 2026 tax reform blueprint that proposes a new legal and tax framework for crypto assets. The draft, prepared by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito ahead of the next fiscal year’s tax reform, aims to clarify tax treatment for crypto trading, staking, lending, and decentralized finance (DeFi) activities. Key measures under consideration include clearer classification of crypto income types, revisions to withholding and reporting requirements, and potential adjustments to how capital gains and business income from crypto are taxed. The reform seeks to reduce ambiguity that currently complicates accounting and tax compliance for exchanges, institutional investors and retail traders. Officials expect the blueprint to be finalized during budget and tax deliberations in 2025–2026. Market watchers note the plan could encourage greater institutional participation if it reduces tax uncertainty, but details on rates and specific exemptions remain unresolved. The proposal aligns with global trends toward more explicit crypto tax regimes and aims to balance revenue needs with fostering fintech growth.

APEMARS (APRZ) is spotlighted as an emerging presale memecoin using a 23-stage rollout, strong community incentives, and a referral-based “Orbital Boost” that rewards holders and referrers. The project allocates half of its 70 billion token supply to presale stages with scheduled burns; Stage 1 price is advertised at $0.00001699 with a claimed listing price of $0.0055 (implying a promoted ROI figure). The article compares APEMARS with six other notable altcoins: Sui (SUI) — a high-throughput Layer‑1 focused on speed and developer adoption; Monero (XMR) — a privacy-focused coin with strong community support; World Liberty Financial (WLFI) — a controversial, high‑visibility token tied to media and political narratives; Polkadot (DOT) — an interoperability-focused multi‑chain platform; Hyperliquid (HYPE) — a trading‑infrastructure token linked to a high-performance DEX; and Hedera (HBAR) — an enterprise‑oriented ledger using hashgraph. The piece is promotional in tone (a paid post) and includes investor calls-to-action for APEMARS whitelist participation. Key takeaways for traders: APEMARS is high-risk, narrative-driven presale hype with aggressive ROI claims and referral incentives; SUI, DOT, HBAR and HYPE present utility-based narratives (scalability, interoperability, enterprise, DEX infrastructure) that may attract longer-term interest; XMR remains a specialist play on privacy; WLFI is primarily a speculative, news-driven asset. Verify token economics, contract audits, liquidity plans and regulatory risks before trading presale or meme tokens.

AMT DeFi, a West Yorkshire–based platform founded in 2016, has launched XRP-based yield contracts backed by real-world renewable energy assets (hydro, wind, solar, geothermal). The product ties contract returns to renewable energy output rather than token price speculation or pure hash-rate models. An AI-driven computing management system dynamically allocates computing power based on energy supply, network load and yield parameters to optimize performance. AMT offers tiered contract tiers — entry-level, standard and premium — with daily automated settlements and support for XRP and other major assets. The platform claims service in 180+ countries and over 8 million registered users. Onboarding is simple (account registration, $15 trial credit, select plan, activate). AMT markets the product as ESG-aligned, transparent via smart contracts, and intended for long-term, infrastructure-style yields rather than short-term speculation. Disclosure: third-party partner content; not investment advice.

Ethereum plans a major shift in 2026 to validate blocks via zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs rather than reexecuting every transaction, enabling immediate Layer-1 scaling and a path toward 10,000 transactions per second (TPS). Researcher Justin Drake and others demonstrated real-time proof validation and expect roughly 10% of validators to opt into ZK validation in 2026 (Phase 1 of Lean Execution), rising from the current Phase 0 early adopters. The approach moves heavy computation to block builders and ZK provers while validators perform lightweight proof checks, allowing higher gas limits without raising minimum validator hardware specs. Mid-year protocol changes (e.g., ePBS in the Glamsterdam upgrade) should remove penalties for delayed attestations that currently disincentivize proof validation. Multiple proving systems are being tested; eventual “enshrined proofs” require formal verification (likely post-2030). Performance varies by provider — examples include proving with 24 GPUs in ~7.4s or a single GPU in ~50s (lower security). Debate continues over execution architecture (EVM vs RISC‑V) and client compatibility. Complementary 2026 upgrades include the Ethereum Interoperability Layer (EIL) for trustless cross-L2 messaging and ZKsync’s Atlas/Gateway enabling near-real-time L1↔L2 transfers and direct access to Ethereum liquidity. Expected milestones: Phase 1 (2026) ~10% validator opt‑in; Phase 2 (2027) moves toward mandatory prover-produced proofs. For traders, these upgrades could reduce L1 congestion and bridge friction, improve L2 liquidity access and execution speed, and increase on-chain capacity — factors that may affect gas fees, DeFi throughput, and L2 token activity.

BitMEX co‑founder Arthur Hayes acquired roughly $1.9 million worth of Lido DAO (LDO) tokens and about $973,000 in PENDLE, bringing his DeFi purchases to around $2 million. Data tracked by Lookonchain shows Hayes bought ~1.9 million LDO (governance token for Lido Finance) at an LDO price near $0.56. These purchases follow earlier buys this week of PENDLE, Ethena (ENA) and Ether.fi (ETHFI) funded partly by trimming his Ethereum holdings. Hayes has signaled he expects high‑quality DeFi tokens to benefit from improving liquidity conditions. For traders, the moves highlight concentrated buying by a notable crypto figure into liquid staking and yield‑focused protocols, potentially drawing attention and short‑term volume to LDO and PENDLE while underscoring continued investor interest in DeFi governance and yield projects.

Russia has reversed its stance on crypto within four years, moving from near-total rejection to formally allowing crypto trading on state securities exchanges once new rules take effect on July 1, 2026. The change is driven by three practical factors: sanctions-driven need for diversified payment tools after exclusion from SWIFT and asset freezes (2022); the emergence of a large domestic bitcoin mining industry (Russia is the world’s No.2 miner) that was legalized and taxed in 2024; and an ongoing de‑dollarization policy that treats crypto as part of a non‑dollar financial ecosystem. Under the new framework, only licensed exchanges may offer trading; all participants must complete KYC/AML checks; qualified investors (institutions and high‑net‑worth individuals) have no trading limits; retail users face an annual cap of 300,000 RUB (~USD 3,200). Analysts characterize this as “institutionalized assimilation” rather than liberalization — the state integrates crypto into the financial system under strict controls: licensing, identity verification, transaction limits, tax reporting and traceability. For traders, the move increases on‑chain and legal visibility of Russian flows, concentrates meaningful volume among qualified investors, and raises compliance and counterparty risks for cross‑border dealings. The development aligns with global regulatory divergence (US ETF/compliance route, EU MiCA rules, China’s ban), signaling that the industry will be managed via access rules and monitoring rather than outright prohibition.

Bitcoin (BTC) traded sideways after Christmas amid rising caution and reduced institutional interest. Analyst Doctor Profit said the market remains in a bear cycle, has moved USDT to the bank, holds no liquid crypto, and could see the cycle continue for months with a possible market bottom in September–October 2026. He holds a large short opened near $115k–$125k and a smaller long bought around $85k, and expects a potential short-term rally to about $107k before another downward leg in Feb–Mar. CryptoQuant highlights $100k as key short-term resistance (average cost of new whales ~ $100.5k) and notes Binance spot users’ average cost near $56k as a major support. Long-term whales (holding >155 days) have an average cost ~ $40k, implying risk of deeper retracement if key moving averages fail. Analyst Ali Martinez warns that losing the 50-week SMA historically led to ~54% declines, which would imply a retreat toward ~$40k. The article emphasizes cautious sentiment, low holiday liquidity, and the potential for significant downside if major technical levels are not reclaimed. Disclaimer: not investment advice.