The crypto market is down today again. The cryptocurrency market capitalisation decreased by 0.8% over the past 24 hours, now standing at $3.05 trillion. At the time of writing, 93 of the top 100 coins recorded price drops. The total crypto trading volume stands at $139 billion.

Crypto Winners & Losers

We started the new week very much in the red. As of Monday morning (UTC), all top 10 coins per market capitalisation have posted price drops over the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.7%, currently trading at $87,860. This is the smallest drop on the list,

Bitcoin (BTC)

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Ethereum (ETH) decreased by 1.5%, changing hands at $2,892.

The highest fall among the top 10 is Solana (SOL)’s 3.3% to the price of $122.

It’s followed by Dogecoin (DOGE)’s drop of 1.6%, now trading at $0.1213.

At the same time, Tron (TRX) fell the least: 0.4% to $0.2953.

Moreover, of the top 100 coins per market cap, 93 have seen their price drop today.

MYX Finance (MYX) fell the most. It’s down 14%, now trading at $5.86.

Monero (XMR) follows, with a decrease of 5.4%, currently standing at $466.

Of the green coins, River (RIVER) stands at the top, having jumped by 43% to the price of $84.7.

The next on the list is Algorand (ALGO), which saw an increase of 2.3% to $0.1189.

The rest are up 1.3% and less per coin.

Macro uncertainty triggered over $550 million in crypto liquidations as BTC and ETH came under pressure.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) moved into the final stage of consultations on a set of proposed crypto regulations. The FCA said it is seeking feedback on 10 proposed rules, describing this as the “final step” in the consultation process.

“These proposals continue our progress towards an open, sustainable and competitive crypto market that people can trust,” the regulator said.

BTC May See Belated Reaction

Gadi Chait, Investment Manager at Xapo Bank, commented that recent weakness in Bitcoin follows a brief recovery last week, “set against a backdrop of macroeconomic developments that have influenced risk assets broadly.”

A convergence of factors drives volatility across markets. These include heightened geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts. Renewed focus on US strategic positioning toward Greenland and Donald Trump’s address at Davos “added to an already unsettled global environment.”

Regulatory uncertainty, especially in the US, and macroeconomic pressures add to this. “Central bank policy divergence, including expectations around further tightening by the Bank of Japan and the continued reduction of liquidity by the US Federal Reserve, continues to shape market behaviour.”

Chait says that, “amid this uncertainty, traditional commodities have rallied, while Bitcoin has underperformed. The reasons for this divergence are not yet clear, though such sequencing across asset classes is not without precedent.”

“It remains possible that Bitcoin’s response emerges later, particularly as volatility subsides. For long-term participants, however, short- to medium-term price fluctuations remain a familiar feature rather than a signal of impaired fundamentals,” Chait concluded.

Moreover, Petr Kozyakov, Co-Founder and CEO at Mercuryo, argued that as a speculative asset, BTC has come under sustained selling pressure, and altcoins have followed suit.

“While the fortunes of the digital asset space will always be viewed through a lens fixated on token prices, the bigger picture is one of continued stablecoin adoption and the steady development of payment infrastructure,” he says.

He continues: “The evolution of the digital token space is being driven by merger and acquisition activity, alongside the inherent efficiencies of blockchain-based technology and its ability to operate around the clock, at speed and at lower cost.”

“This reality is increasingly unavoidable for financial institutions still reliant on technology that dates back to the 1960s. Away from daily price movements, a quiet revolution is most definitely afoot,” Kozyakov concluded.

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing on Monday morning, BTC was changing hands at $87,860. While the coin begun the day at the intraday high of $88,800, it relatively swiftly dropped to the low of $86,126. It has recovered somewhat since.

Over the past seven days, BTC decreased by 5.1%, trading in the $86,319–$93,252 range. It’s now 30% away from its all-time high of $126,080.

Failing to hold the current level risks additional pullbacks towards the $85,000 level, followed by $84,300 and $83,800.

At the same time, Ethereum was trading at $2,892. Earlier in the day, it traded at the intraday high level of $2,941. However, it then plunged to the intraday low of $2,787. It managed to shift course and move higher following this drop.

In a week, ETH fell 9.2%, moving between $2,801 and $3,222. Moreover, it decreased 41% from its ATH of $4,946.

Currently, the price risks a fall toward $2,670 and $2,520 in the near term.

Ethereum (ETH)

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Additionally, according to Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Commodity Strategist Mike McGlone, it is more likely that ETH will revisit the $2,000 level than push upwards and above $4,000.

ETH has been stuck in the $2,000–$4,000 range since 2023. However, it is leaning toward the lower end of this range.

Meanwhile, the crypto market sentiment exited the neutral zone a week ago, and it has continued falling lower within the fear zone since.

The crypto fear and greed index decreased further over the weekend, currently standing at 29, compared to 34 seen over the weekend.

Unsurprisingly, given the market conditions, the sentiment reflects the overall worry and caution. It is now possible that the metric will drop further.

ETFs Continue The Red Streak

The US BTC spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted another day of outflows on Friday, totalling $103.57 million. This is the fifth consecutive day of negative flows.

The total net inflow has pulled back yet again and now stands at $56.49 billion.

Of the twelve ETFs, two recorded outflows, and none saw inflows. BlackRock let go of $101.62 million, and Fidelity followed with $1.95 million in outflows.

Moreover, the US ETH ETFs posted outflows as well on 22 January, with $41.74 million – a similar level as the day earlier. With this fourth consecutive red day, the total net inflow now stands at $12.3 billion.

Of the nine funds, two ETH ETFs posted outflows, and two saw inflows. BlackRock recorded $44.49 million in outflows, followed by Grayscale’s $10.8 million.

At the same time, Grayscale Mini Trust took in 9.16 million, followed by Fidelity’s $4.4 million in inflows.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Financial Services Agency is reportedly planning to add cryptocurrencies to the list of assets eligible for spot ETF products.

Japan would likely approve its first set of spot crypto ETFs as early as 2028, ending the agency’s ban on spot crypto ETFs.

Quick FAQ

1. Did crypto move with stocks today?

The crypto market has seen yet another drop over the past day. Meanwhile, the US stock market closed the week with a mixed picture. That said, it also posted a second consecutive red week. By the closing time on Friday, 23 January, the S&P 500 was up 0.033%, the Nasdaq-100 increased by 0.34%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.58%. Due to high volatility, investors are shifting their money into safe-haven assets, particularly gold.

2. Is this drop sustainable?

For now, the drops may continue in the near- to mid-term, pushed by macroeconomic developments. Occasional smaller and brief jumps are expected, intersecting the current trend.

The post Why Is Crypto Down Today? – January 26, 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ethereum whale deposits 50,000 ETH into Gemini after 9 years, signaling strategic profit-taking amid market weakness.

The post Ethereum OG whale wakes up after nine years, deposits 50K ETH into Gemini appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has publicly walked back a position he held for nearly a decade, showing Ethereum’s renewed stance about self-sovereignty, verification, and the future role of cryptography.

In a recent post on X, Buterin said he no longer agrees with a 2017 statement in which he dismissed the idea of users fully validating blockchains themselves as a “weird mountain man fantasy,” arguing that both technology and real-world experience have reshaped his view.

The comment revisits a long-running debate in blockchain design that dates back to Ethereum’s early years.

What Changed Since 2017? ZK Proofs Rewrite a Classic Blockchain Argument

In 2017, Buterin sparred publicly with blockchain theorist Ian Grigg over whether blockchains should store full state, such as account balances and smart contract data, directly on-chain.

Grigg argued that chains only needed to record transaction ordering, with state reconstructed locally and discarded.

Buterin was a vehement opponent of such a design at the time, citing that such a design would require users to constantly rerun the whole transaction history or utilize third-party RPC services to get the current state.

At the time, Buterin claimed that Ethereum was better compromised with the design where state roots are pegged to block headers.

Using Merkle proofs and an honest majority assumption for proof-of-work or proof-of-stake, users would be able to check a certain value without going through a single intermediary.

Making the entire chain completely self-validating, he said, was in theory attractive but computationally impractical to ordinary users, unless the network grossly constrained its capacity.

The difference, as explained by Buterin, is the maturation of zero-knowledge cryptography, specifically zk-SNARKs.

These cryptographic evidences enable a user to prove that a group of calculations has been done right without re-running all the processes or showing the data behind the scenes.

Why Vitalik Buterin Now Sees ZK-SNARKs as Ethereum’s Safety Net

To him, it is like finding an inexpensive, one-size-fits-all solution after years of trade-off disputes. He claimed that with zk-SNARKs, Ethereum could obtain the security of full verification without necessarily subjecting users to prohibitive costs.

Buterin said this advance allows Ethereum to revisit trade-offs that were once accepted reluctantly, especially around scalability, decentralization, and verification. He also acknowledged that his earlier thinking relied too heavily on idealized assumptions.

In practice, he noted, networks experience outages, latency spikes, service shutdowns, and regulatory or social pressure that can push intermediaries to censor applications or users. In those moments, reliance on third parties or developer intervention can become a single point of failure.

That perspective underpins his renewed support for what he described metaphorically as the “mountain man’s cabin,” a fallback option that allows users to directly interact with the chain when everything else breaks.

Inside Ethereum’s Growing Push Toward ZK-Based Scaling

There has been a growing focus on Zk-SNARKs in the roadmap of Ethereum, especially in the form of zero-knowledge rollups.

These layer-2 networks reduce fees significantly by offloading thousands of transactions and making a single cryptographic proof to Ethereum.

Even projects like zkSync, StarkNet, Scroll, and others are already based on these methods, but with various trade-offs in the size of the proof, transparency, and the cost of calculation.

Mid-2025 community proposals stated that off-chain personal data and using cryptographic proofs might be a solution to align Ethereum with European rules on data protection.

ZK-SNARKs were mentioned as a method of enabling validators to verify that data is correct without access to it, minimizing on-chain access.

On the protocol layer, Buterin has additionally admitted that there are certain remnants of legacy design that now pose a bottleneck to Ethereum’s ambitions to go zero-knowledge.

In late 2025, he proposed removing the modular exponentiation precompile, a feature he originally introduced, after it proved to be a major bottleneck for generating zk proofs.

The post Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Reverses Stance: Why ZK-SNARKs Are Now Ethereum’s ‘Magic Pill’ appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ethereum is more likely to revisit the $2,000 level than stage a decisive move back above $4,000, according to Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Commodity Strategist Mike McGlone.

In a recent post on X, McGlone pointed to persistent range-bound trading and rising macro risks weighing on the asset.

He said Ether has remained trapped in a $2,000–$4,000 range since 2023, but momentum appears to be shifting toward the lower end.

Rising Market Volatility Could Keep Ethereum Below $2,000

McGlone argued that the risks of Ethereum staying below $2,000 are greater than the chances of a sustained breakout above $4,000, especially if volatility in global equity markets rebounds.

His accompanying chart highlights repeated failures near the upper boundary of the range, alongside multiple tests of support closer to $2,000.

McGlone’s view contrasts with a more optimistic narrative circulating among crypto-focused analysts.

BullifyX, a widely followed market commentator, recently compared Ethereum’s long-term price structure to that of gold.

According to BullifyX, Ethereum is undergoing an extended accumulation phase characterized by gradual higher lows and compressed price action, a pattern that historically preceded strong rallies in traditional safe-haven assets.

The analyst described Ethereum’s current behavior as a period of quiet positioning rather than fading demand, suggesting that prolonged consolidation could ultimately lay the groundwork for a sharp upside move once conditions shift.

Meanwhile, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has framed 2026 as more than a technical milestone.

In a recent post, he said the community is entering a phase focused on restoring personal autonomy and improving user experience, arguing that earlier compromises made in pursuit of adoption no longer need to define the network’s future.

“2026 is the year that we take back lost ground in terms of self-sovereignty and trustlessness,” Buterin said in an X post.

Together, record activity, falling fees, and rising participation suggest Ethereum is entering a new phase, one where scale no longer comes at the expense of accessibility.

Ethereum Foundation Makes Quantum-Resistant Security a Strategic Priority

As reported, the Ethereum Foundation has elevated post-quantum security to a core strategic focus, forming a dedicated Post Quantum team and committing $2 million to the effort.

Announced by Ethereum researcher Justin Drake, the initiative will be led by Thomas Coratger alongside Emile, a contributor to leanVM.

Drake said the foundation has been working on quantum-resilience research quietly for years, dating back to early discussions in 2019, before formally making it a top-level priority.

The foundation’s plan spans research, development, and ecosystem coordination.

This includes new developer calls focused on user-facing security, two $1 million cryptography prize programs, active multi-client post-quantum testing networks, and a series of global workshops aimed at accelerating collaboration and readiness across the Ethereum ecosystem.

The post ETH More Likely to Hit $2,000 Than Reclaim $4,000: Analyst appeared first on Cryptonews.

The cryptocurrency market faced a sharp correction in the early hours of January 26, with BTC erasing its entire monthly progress. After peaking at $97,000 on January 14, Bitcoin slid approximately 10.9% to briefly dip below the $87,000 mark. This volatility has pushed the January return to -0.5%, reflecting a broader “risk-off” sentiment across the digital asset space. The pullback is being attributed largely to rising uncertainty around U.S. government shutdown, alongside broader risk-off sentiment across global markets.The GameFi sector bore the brunt of the sell-off, dropping nearly 5%, led by double-digit losses in Axie Infinity (AXS). While Ethereum fell below $2,900, some assets showed resilience; notably, River (RIVER) surged 30% and Beam (BEAM) rose 19%, suggesting that despite the macro-level decline, specific project catalysts continue to drive isolated pockets of growth.

But what else is happening in crypto news today? Follow our up-to-date live coverage below.

The post [LIVE] Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for Jan. 26, 2026 – BTC Slumps 11% From Monthly High Below $87K Amid Market Wide Slump appeared first on Cryptonews.

XRP price extended losses and traded below $1.880. The price is now consolidating and might decline further if it remains below $1.920.

• XRP price started a fresh decline below the $1.90 zone.
• The price is now trading below $1.90 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.
• There is a key bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.885 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken).
• The pair could continue to move down if it stays below $1.90.

XRP Price Dips Further

XRP price failed to stay above $1.950 and started a fresh decline, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price declined below $1.920 and $1.90 to enter a short-term bearish zone.

The price even spiked below $1.850. A low was formed at $1.810, and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a recovery wave above $1.850. The price cleared the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.963 swing high to the $1.810 low, but the bears remained active.

The price is now trading below $1.90 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.8850 level and the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.963 swing high to the $1.810 low. There is also a key bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.885 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair.

The first major resistance is near the $1.90 level. A close above $1.90 could send the price to $1.950. The next hurdle sits at $2.00. A clear move above the $2.00 resistance might send the price toward the $2.050 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.120 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $2.20.

Downside Break?

If XRP fails to clear the $1.90 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.840 level. The next major support is near the $1.820 level.

If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.820 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.780. The next major support sits near the $1.750 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.70.

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone.

Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now near the 50 level.

Major Support Levels – $1.840 and $1.820.

Major Resistance Levels – $1.8850 and $1.90.

Ethereum price extended losses and traded below the $2,865 zone. ETH is now consolidating losses and might aim for a recovery if it clears $2,920.

• Ethereum remained in a bearish zone and traded below $2,950.
• The price is trading below $2,900 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.
• There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2,920 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken).
• The pair could start a fresh increase if it stays above the $2,800 zone.

Ethereum Price Dips Further

Ethereum price failed to remain stable above $2,950 and extended losses, like Bitcoin. ETH price declined below $2,880 and $2,865 to enter a bearish zone.

The bears even pushed the price below $2,840. The price finally tested $2,800 and is currently consolidating losses. There was a minor upside above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward wave from the $3,067 swing high to the $2,784 swing low.

Ethereum price is now trading below $2,900 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls can protect more losses below $2,800, the price could attempt another increase.

Immediate resistance is seen near the $2,920 level. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2,920 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The first key resistance is near the $2,960 level or the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward wave from the $3,067 swing high to the $2,784 swing low. The next major resistance is near the $3,000 level. A clear move above the $3,000 resistance might send the price toward the $3,065 resistance.

An upside break above the $3,065 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,120 resistance zone or even $3,150 in the near term.

More Losses In ETH?

If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,920 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,840 level. The first major support sits near the $2,800 zone.

A clear move below the $2,800 support might push the price toward the $2,780 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,720 region. The main support could be $2,650.

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the bearish zone.

Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone.

Major Support Level – $2,800

Major Resistance Level – $2,920

Reports say the Ethereum Foundation has started a new team to prepare the network for possible quantum computer attacks. These machines could one day break the math behind wallets and signatures. The team’s work is moving from research into practical tests and experiments, which has drawn attention across the crypto community.

Ethereum Launches Post-Quantum Team

Based on reports, Thomas Coratger will lead the effort. The team includes cryptographers and engineers already testing new systems on devnets. Some work ties into a project called leanVM and a researcher named Emile, who focuses on building simple quantum-safe tools. The goal is to test new algorithms in real software while keeping current transactions running smoothly.

Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy.

We’ve formed a new Post Quantum (PQ) team, led by the brilliant Thomas Coratger (@tcoratger). Joining him is Emile, one of the world-class talents behind leanVM. leanVM is the cryptographic…

— Justin Drake (@drakefjustin) January 23, 2026

$2 Million In Prizes Encourage Development

A $1 million prize has been set for improvements to the Poseidon hash function. Another $1 million prize supports broader post-quantum research. In total, roughly $2 million are being offered to labs and independent developers to design and test quantum-resistant solutions. Reports say this funding is meant to speed up work and show what can realistically replace current signatures.

Multi-client devnets are already active. Developers are experimenting with new signature types to see what works and what fails. Biweekly sessions led by researchers like Antonio Sanso let teams share results and update code. A Post-Quantum Day is scheduled for March 2026 before ETHCC, with a larger event planned in October 2026 to show progress and plan next steps.

Quantum computers could, in theory, break the ECDSA and secp256k1 schemes used today. That risk is not immediate but serious enough that Ethereum is acting now. Reports note users should watch for official guidance, follow wallet updates, and avoid reusing addresses once upgrades roll out.

Community reaction has been mixed. Some online discussions praised the careful planning, while traders noticed a small dip in ETH price. Others questioned how upgrades would reach millions of wallets and what happens to old keys. The Foundation’s approach is to test solutions early so users and services are better protected when changes happen.

This step is part of Ethereum’s long-term plan for safety. Tests will continue, standards will be debated, and progress will be shared publicly. By acting now, Ethereum aims to reduce risk and make future transitions smoother for everyday users and the network as a whole.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

For most of the week, the Ethereum price has remained in a range-bound spell, putting in no significant movement outside of the $3,000 and $2,880 price boundaries. Amid rising speculations, an on-chain analysis has recently been put out, which provides an answer to the question.

Open Interest Across Exchanges Falls To $17 Billion

In their latest QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, analytics platform Arab Chain reveals that there has been a fall in active Ethereum derivatives contracts across major exchanges, as indicated by data from the Ethereum: Open Interest-All Exchanges, All Symbol metric. Typically, rising Open Interest (OI) across exchanges indicates that more traders are entering leveraged positions. On the other hand, falling OI reflects more exits of leveraged positions, and by extension, reduced aversion to risk.

In the Quicktake post, Arab Chain highlights that open interest across exchanges has dipped to about $16.9 billion, marking the lowest level reached since mid-December last year. This, in turn, reflects an overall reduction in risk appetite across the Ethereum derivatives market. Because there is less speculative activity, there are also reduced risks of liquidations. Hence, the Ethereum price stands a higher chance of consolidating.

What’s Happening On Binance?

While exchanges in general are recording significant pull-outs from the derivatives market, Binance has shown an outlier performance. Arab Chain highlights that the world’s largest exchange by trading volume has instead recorded about $7.5 billion in Open Interest. Interestingly, this reading slightly exceeds the December average range of $6.8–$7.4 billion. 

The divergence between the Open Interest values across all exchanges and that of Binance suggests that, while market participants are reducing their risk exposure, there is still liquidity in the derivatives market. Rather than a blatant exit, it has been repositioned toward the deeper and more liquid venue.

Arab Chain also explains that this behavior indicates a change in market operations from a higher-risk trading environment to one more price and risk efficient. In conclusion, the large traders are yet to make their exits but are merely reducing their exposure, while holding high-quality positions on Binance.

In addition, Ethereum’s proximity to the $3,000 price — especially as OI declines — shows that the market has been absorbing the deleveraging events while showing little selling pressure. Ultimately, Binance’s OI retaining levels above December’s support the idea that the market still has strong derivatives backing. Hence, the broader picture remains bullish. As of this writing, Ethereum trades at $2,958, reflecting a 0.33% growth since the past day, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com

The Bitcoin Spot ETFs continue to witness a volatile start to 2026, with back-to-back weeks showing sharply contrasting performance. After netting a staggering $1.42 billion in weekly netflows on January 16, market momentum soon swung the opposite way in line with a Bitcoin decline, forcing a net outflow of $1.33 billion over the last week. A similar phenomenon was seen in the first two weeks of the year, after an initial net deposit of $458.77 million by January 2 was followed by a net outflow of $681.01 million by January 9. This investor behavior suggests a highly reactive market with little long-term confidence.

No Positive Performance In Bitcoin Spot ETF Market Onslaught

In analyzing the most recent wave of withdrawals in the Bitcoin Spot ETF market, data from SoSoValue shows that the fourth trading week of January recorded no single day with a positive netflow. The heaviest outflows totaled $708.71 million on January 21, followed by the smallest daily outflow of $32.11 million on January 22.

Looking at individual funds, BlackRock’s IBIT, the market leader, suffered the largest net outflows valued at $537.49 million. As usual, Fidelity’s FBTC ranks a close second with redemptions surpassing deposits by $451.50 million. Other Bitcoin Spot ETFs with heavy net outflows also included Grayscale’s GBTC, Bitwise’s BITB, and Ark Invest’s ARKB, which suffered losses estimated at $172.09 million, $66.25 million, and $76.19 million, respectively. 

Meanwhile, VanEck’s HODL, Valkyrie’s BRRR, and Franklin Templeton’s EZBC also experienced net outflows between $6 million and $11 million. Notably, Grayscale’s BTC, Invesco’s BTCO, WisdomTree’s BTCW, and Hashdex’s DEFI recorded the least activity with zero netflows. At press time, total net assets for the Bitcoin Spot ETFs stand at $115.88 billion, with BlackRock’s IBIT accounting for over 54% of these holdings, as the undisputed market leader. Meanwhile, total cumulative net inflow is presently valued at $56.49 billion.

Related Reading: Monero, Zcash, And Dash Prohibited In India Amid Money-Laundering Crackdown

Ethereum Spot ETFs Register $611M Outflows In Market Bloodbath

According to more data from SoSoValue, the Ethereum Spot ETFs also witnessed massive levels of redemptions in the last trading week, resulting in a net outflow of $611.17 million. Similar to its Bitcoin counterpart, the BlackRock ETHA also produced the largest net withdrawals valued at $431.50 million. Presently, the total net assets for the Ethereum Spot ETFs are valued at $17.70 billion, representing 4.99% of Ethereum’s market cap. Meanwhile, the cumulative total net inflow is valued at $12.30 billion.

Ethereum is trading in the $2,930–$2,950 range as of January 25, 2026, consolidating after a broader pullback from January highs above $3,400. The move lower reflects near-term macro caution and heavy ETF-related selling rather than a breakdown in network fundamentals.

With Bitcoin hovering near $89,000 and risk sentiment mixed, ETH has shifted into a range-bound phase where price is lagging underlying activity.

ETF Pressure Weighs on Price, Not Structure

Short-term pressure has largely come from spot ETH ETF outflows, which exceeded $600 million between January 20–23, led in part by a single-day $250 million exit from BlackRock’s ETHA. This selling has cooled momentum and kept ETH capped below the $3,000 handle.

However, the flow data points more toward rotation and profit-taking than institutional abandonment. On-chain tracking shows whales accumulating roughly $1 billion worth of ETH during the recent correction, while funding rates and open interest have reset from crowded long conditions. That combination suggests leverage is being flushed, not confidence.

On-Chain Activity Tells a Different Story

Beneath the price, Ethereum’s network activity remains strong. Daily active addresses have climbed toward 1.3 million, while transaction counts are holding between 1.9 million and 2.2 million per day.

Validator behavior reinforces this trend: exit queues are near zero, entry queues are rebuilding, and staking participation continues to rise, tightening circulating supply.

Low fees and improved efficiency post-upgrades are also driving sustained DeFi and app usage, reinforcing a “price weak, fundamentals firm” dynamic that has historically preceded larger trend moves.

Ethereum Rises Despite U.S.-Iran Tensions

On the geopolitical front, the tensions are rising between the U.S. and Iran as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns it is “more ready than ever” amid U.S. warships moving toward the Middle East. The warning comes after Iran’s recent crackdown on protests, which left thousands dead, and Trump has set strict red lines for military action, including preventing mass executions and violence against civilians.

Despite these geopolitical tensions, Ethereum (ETH) continues to rise. This shows that investors remain confident in Ethereum’s growth, likely supported by strong developments like the Ethereum Foundation prioritizing post-quantum security.

Ethereum Price Prediction: Compression Builds Near $2,950 as ETH Eyes Its Next Leg

Technically, Ethereum price prediction is bearish as ETH is holding above $2,850–$2,900, a key support zone aligned with prior demand and Fibonacci confluence. RSI remains subdued near 35–40, signaling caution but not capitulation.

A reset toward support followed by a reclaim of $3,060 would reopen upside toward $3,190–$3,400, while a clean break below $2,800 would risk a deeper retracement toward $2,700.

Looking ahead, Ethereum’s 2026 roadmap adds weight to the longer-term case. The upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade and later Hegota phase focus on scalability, efficiency, and sustainability, building on blob infrastructure progress and accelerating Layer-2 adoption.

With over 8.7 million new contracts deployed entering the year, analysts increasingly view 2026 as a potential breakout period if macro conditions stabilize.

Ethereum (ETH/USD) Trade setup: Accumulate near $2,850–$2,900, target $3,190–$3,400, invalidation below $2,700.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the BTC ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.9 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013635 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

The post Ethereum Price Prediction: $3,000 Rejected, But On-Chain Data Tells Another Story appeared first on Cryptonews.

A growing number of analysts believe Ethereum’s current price action is being misunderstood. Although frustration is growing due to Ethereum’s inability to hold above $3,000, some technical analysts are quick to point out that the structure forming beneath the surface tells a very different story. According to one analyst, the real risk right now is not being bullish on Ethereum and trying to short in anticipation of a downside breakout.

Higher Lows And A Structure That Keeps Tightening

The analyst’s technical view on Ethereum is focused less on short-term momentum and more on the structure developing on the chart, which he argues is even clearer than what is currently visible on Bitcoin’s chart.

Notably, Ethereum’s price action is carving out a series of higher lows on the daily candlestick timeframe chart to form a tightening triangular pattern since December 2025. This kind of behavior shows that each pullback is being absorbed at progressively higher levels, which is how strong trends reset before continuation.

Ethereum needs to avoid a breakdown below key support zones in order for this trend continuation setup to still be valid. According to the analyst, a dip under $2,860 would begin to weaken the pattern, while a close below $2,780 would invalidate the higher-low structure. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading around $2,950, which is dangerously close to the lower boundary of this setup. Therefore, some traders will be tempted to short Ethereum at this level, but the analyst called it the dumbest thing to do here.

As long as those levels ($2,860 and $2,780) hold, the analyst sees no technical justification for betting against ETH, especially near the lower boundary of the channel where buyers have repeatedly stepped in. 

If support holds, the next move would be a gradual return to the upper trendline of the channel, which is just below $3,340. A move into that region would bring price back into direct contact with overhead resistance and set the stage for a breakout if buying pressure continues to increase.

Ethereum Price Chart. Source: @Tryrexcrypto on X

The Bigger Picture Behind Ethereum’s Price Action

Ethereum is entering 2026 without clear bullish momentum, a reality that has dampened sentiment across the spot and derivatives markets. Spot ETF inflows into Ethereum and Bitcoin have slowed down, and issuers have been highlighted with consistent days of outflows.

Nonetheless, major asset managers are still holding huge amounts of Ethereum and are working on diversifying their activities on Ethereum. BlackRock, for example, filed with the SEC in December to launch a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund, a move that will bring in more institutional investors into the Ethereum ecosystem.

Speaking of staking, BitMine Technologies recently amped up its ETH staking to over $5.71 billion worth of Ethereum. On-chain data from Arkham Intelligence shows that the firm has staked an additional 171,264, worth $503.2 million, pushing its total stake to over 1.94 million ETH.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Swiss banking giant UBS, with assets under management (AuM) of up to $7 trillion, is set to launch Bitcoin trading for some of its clients. This comes amid predictions that regulatory clarity and broader adoption could send the BTC price to as high as $200,000. 

UBS To Offer Bitcoin Trading To Some Wealth Clients

Bloomberg reported that UBS is planning to launch crypto trading for some of its wealth clients, starting with its private bank clients in Switzerland. The bank will reportedly begin by offering these clients the opportunity to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum. At the same time, the crypto offering could further expand to clients in the Pacific-Asia region and the U.S.

The banking giant is currently in discussions with potential partners, and there is no clear timeline for when it could launch Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for clients. This move is said to be partly due to increased demand from wealth clients for crypto exposure. UBS also faces increased competition as other Wall Street giants are working to offer crypto trading. 

Morgan Stanley, in partnership with Zerohash, announced plans to launch crypto trading in the first half of this year, starting with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The banking giant may soon also be able to offer its crypto products, as it has filed with the SEC to launch spot BTC, ETH, and SOL ETFs. 

Furthermore, JPMorgan, another of UBS’ competitors, is considering offering crypto trading to institutional clients, although this plan is still in the early stages. The bank already accepts Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral from its clients. Last year, it also filed to offer BTC structured notes that will track the performance of the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF.

Can Bank’s Entry Trigger A BTC Rally To $200,000  

Kevin O’Leary predicted that Bitcoin could rally to between $150,000 and $200,000 this year, driven by the passage of the CLARITY Act. His prediction came just as White House Crypto Czar David Sacks said banks would fully enter crypto once the bill passes. As such, there is a possibility that BTC could reach this $200,000 psychological level in anticipation of the amount of new capital that could flow into BTC from these banks once the bill passes. 

BitMine’s Chairman, Tom Lee, also predicted during a CNBC interview that Bitcoin could reach between $200,000 and $250,000 this year, partly due to growing institutional adoption by Wall Street giants. Meanwhile, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said that a BTC rally to $200,000 is the “most obvious thing in the world” to him.

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $89,600, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

The Ethereum Foundation has officially elevated quantum resistance to a top strategic priority with the formation of a dedicated Post Quantum team backed by $2 million in funding.

The new initiative comes as blockchain networks face mounting pressure to defend against quantum computing threats that industry experts increasingly warn could materialize within years rather than decades.

Ethereum researcher Justin Drake announced the team formation on Friday, revealing that Thomas Coratger will lead the effort alongside Emile, a core contributor to leanVM.

“After years of quiet R&D, EF management has officially declared PQ security a top strategic priority,” Drake said, adding that the foundation has been developing its quantum strategy since a 2019 presentation at StarkWare Sessions.

Foundation Commits Resources Across Multiple Fronts

The Ethereum Foundation is launching comprehensive defensive measures spanning research, development, and infrastructure testing.

Antonio Sanso will kick off bi-weekly All Core Devs Post Quantum breakout calls next month, focusing on user-facing security, including dedicated precompiles, account abstraction, and transaction signature aggregation with leanVM.

The foundation announced two $1 million prize competitions to strengthen cryptographic foundations.

The newly launched Poseidon Prize targets the hardening of the Poseidon hash function, while the existing Proximity Prize continues to drive hash-based cryptography research.

“We are betting big on hash-based cryptography to enjoy the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations,” Drake stated.

Multi-client post-quantum consensus development networks are already operational, with pioneer teams including Zeam, Ream Labs, PierTwo, Gean client, and Ethlambda working alongside established consensus clients Lighthouse, Grandine, and Prysm.

Weekly post-quantum interop calls, coordinated by Will Corcoran, are managing collaborative technical development across these diverse implementation teams.

The foundation will host a three-day expert workshop in October, bringing together top specialists from around the world, building on last year’s post-quantum workshop in Cambridge.

An additional dedicated post-quantum day is scheduled for March 29 in Cannes, ahead of EthCC, to create multiple forums for advancing research and coordination across the global Ethereum development community.

Industry Voices Split on Timeline Urgency

The quantum threat has divided blockchain leaders on both timeline predictions and strategic priorities.

Independent Ethereum educator sassal.eth called quantum computing “a very real threat for blockchains” that is “coming sooner than most people think,” praising the foundation’s defensive preparations.

Pantera Capital General Partner Franklin Bi predicted that traditional financial institutions will struggle with the transition to post-quantum cryptography.

“People are over-estimating how quickly Wall Street will adapt to post-quantum cryptography,” Bi said, adding that blockchain networks possess unique capabilities for system-wide upgrades at a global scale.

He argued that successful quantum resistance could transform select blockchains into “post-quantum safe havens for data and assets,” particularly as traditional systems face prolonged periods of vulnerability due to single points of failure.

Bitcoin community assessments remain sharply contested. Vitalik Buterin previously shared Metaculus data showing a median 2040 timeline for quantum computers breaking modern cryptography, with roughly a 20% probability before the end of 2030.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back has dismissed near-term concerns, claiming practical threats remain decades away and accusing critics of creating unnecessary market alarm.

Project ZKM contributor Stephen Duan acknowledged transition challenges while calling quantum resistance “inevitable,” noting that his team will soon upgrade multiset hashing to a lattice-based construction.

ZKsync inventor Alex Gluk also said the network’s Airbender prover is already “100% PQ-proof,” highlighting Ethereum’s unmatched ability to adapt to emerging threats while maintaining its position as the global financial settlement layer.

Foundation Plans Comprehensive Roadmap Release

The Ethereum Foundation will publish detailed strategic guidance on pq.ethereum.org covering full transition planning to achieve zero loss of funds and zero downtime over the coming years.

Drake highlighted recent artificial intelligence breakthroughs in formal proof generation, noting that specialized mathematics AI recently completed one of the hardest lemmas in hash-based SNARK foundations in a single eight-hour run costing $200.

The foundation is developing educational materials, including a six-part video series with ZKPodcast and enterprise-focused resources through EF Enterprise Acceleration.

Ethereum now has representation on the post-quantum advisory board, Coinbase announced this week, bringing together leading cryptography researchers to assess long-term blockchain security risks as quantum computing capabilities advance across government and private-sector development programs.

The post Ethereum Launches $2M Quantum Defense Team as Threat Timeline Accelerates appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ethereum has slipped below the critical $3,000 level, adding fresh pressure to a market that is already showing clear signs of hesitation. After weeks of choppy price action, ETH is now entering a more fragile phase where failed recoveries are starting to shift sentiment. With sellers gaining control and bullish momentum fading, several analysts are warning that this breakdown could open the door for a deeper correction if demand does not return quickly.

The timing is important. Ethereum is moving through a pivotal zone where short-term price direction could shape the broader narrative for 2026. If ETH continues to trade below $3,000 and lower support levels fail to hold, the market may transition into a prolonged risk-off regime. On the other hand, a fast recovery back above this psychological threshold could signal that the breakdown was only a liquidity sweep, setting up a rebound toward higher resistance.

Despite a weakening price structure, on-chain activity suggests large players remain active. Market data shows that Bitmine staked another 171,264 ETH, worth roughly $503.2 million, just a few hours ago. The move adds to the firm’s growing exposure and reinforces the idea that institutional-scale actors are still positioning aggressively, even as Ethereum faces one of its most decisive moments of the year.

Bitmine’s ETH Staking Signals Long-Term Conviction Despite Short-Term Weakness

According to data from Arkham, Bitmine has now staked a total of 1,943,200 ETH, worth roughly $5.71 billion, marking one of the most aggressive Ethereum accumulation and yield-positioning moves currently visible on-chain.

Staking at this scale removes a significant amount of ETH from liquid circulation, effectively shifting supply away from exchanges and into long-term validator positions. In practical terms, it suggests Bitmine is not positioning for a short-term flip, but rather treating Ethereum as a strategic asset that can generate native yield while potentially appreciating over time.

This activity stands out because it is happening while Ethereum is under pressure after losing the $3,000 level. At the moment, the market is stuck in a fragile, risk-sensitive phase, where traders are reacting quickly to breakdowns and failed recoveries. Momentum has weakened, liquidity remains thin, and analysts are increasingly warning that a deeper correction could unfold if key supports continue to fail.

However, Bitmine’s staking expansion provides a counter-signal: large players appear willing to keep committing capital even as sentiment deteriorates. That divergence highlights the current split in the market—short-term participants are defensive, while longer-term allocators are still building exposure. If price stabilizes, this kind of staking-driven supply reduction can become a structural tailwind.

Ethereum Downtrend Pressure Builds

Ethereum is trading near $2,940 after losing the key $3,000 psychological level, putting the market back into a fragile position. The chart shows ETH has been trending lower since the October peak, with a clear sequence of lower highs and heavy sell-side volatility that accelerated into November. Although ETH managed to stabilize into a broad consolidation range between roughly $2,850 and $3,250, the most recent breakdown suggests buyers are struggling to defend support when momentum fades.

From a trend perspective, Ethereum remains capped beneath its major moving averages. Price is trading below the green long-term average and the blue mid-term average, both of which are sloping downward and acting as dynamic resistance.

The recent rebound attempt toward the $3,300–$3,400 zone failed right under the green line, reinforcing that sellers are still controlling rallies. Meanwhile, the red long-term average sits higher near the mid-$3,000s, highlighting that ETH remains far from reclaiming a macro bullish structure.

Volume has increased on the sharp red candles compared to the slower grind higher, which often signals distribution rather than healthy accumulation. If ETH cannot reclaim $3,000 quickly, downside risk opens toward the $2,850 range floor. A clean recovery back above $3,150–$3,250 would be needed to reduce bearish pressure and reset the near-term trend.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Wearing a pair of interesting sunglasses, Binance founder CZ said that Bitcoin could enter a supercycle in 2026. If that happens, altcoins like XRP and Ethereum could explode.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $88,000 after getting rejected near the $98,000 level for the second time.

Fundamentally, nothing has gone wrong. Bitcoin, XRP, and ETH continue to improve over time. Technically, though, these coins are still in a weak phase. Below is how things could play out for the three as we head into 2026.

Bitcoin (BTC)

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Bitcoin Price Prediction: What If BTC Just Broke Out?

BTC is starting to tighten up inside a squeezing structure, with rising support pushing price into a descending resistance line. It is basically a classic compression setup.

The main level to watch is the $96,000–$98,000 resistance zone, which has shut down every bounce so far. A daily close above that area would be a big deal and could open the door for a move toward $102,000, then $105,000.

On the downside, rising support from the recent lows in the low $80,000s has held up well, keeping higher lows intact and stopping a deeper breakdown.

Momentum is neutral but slowly improving. For now, Bitcoin is stuck in consolidation after the recent drop, and this is a patience game.

Ethereum Price Prediction: ETH Holds Support but Lacks Conviction

Ethereum spot ETFs continue to record outflows. However, the recent outflows are low compared to past days’ outflows, which is a good sign. ETH spot ETFs recorded $42 million in outflows

ETH price is trying to hold its structure after a rough pullback, with price riding along rising support but struggling to break through the $3,400–$3,500 resistance zone.

That area has rejected price multiple times, which is why ETH keeps stalling instead of trending higher. As long as the rising support around the high $2,600s to $2,700 zone holds, the bigger structure stays constructive, and this move looks more like consolidation than a full breakdown.

A clean break above $3,500 would be the first real sign of strength and could open the door for a push toward $4,300, with $5,000 as the larger upside target.

Momentum is still weak but starting to stabilize. RSI needs to push back above 50 to support a stronger bullish move.

XRP Price Prediction: XRP Tries to Escape the Downtrend, Is $2.50 Next?

XRP is still stuck inside a well-defined descending channel, which explains why rallies keep getting sold into instead of turning into real trend reversals.

Price recently bounced from the $1.80 area, which is acting as a key demand zone and the main bullish invalidation level.

As long as XRP holds above that level, this bounce remains technically valid, but the structure is still weak overall. The first real test for buyers sits around the $2.40–$2.50 zone, where the price previously broke down and where the upper channel resistance lines up.

A clean break and daily hold above that area would be the first sign that momentum is shifting, opening the door for a move toward the $3.00 target zone.

Momentum is still mixed. RSI is sitting around 42. Notice something? All three are sitting at the same point waiting for the major move.

Holding above $1.80 keeps the bullish scenario alive, while a break below that level would invalidate the setup and likely send XRP back toward lower support

Bitcoin Hyper Is Loading While the Market Sleeps

With Bitcoin compressing under $100,000, Ethereum stuck below major resistance, and XRP still fighting its downtrend, the market is clearly in a waiting phase. That is usually when attention quietly shifts to projects that do not need a confirmed breakout to start moving.

That is where Bitcoin Hyper is starting to stand out.

Bitcoin Hyper is being positioned as a high-beta play built specifically for volatility cycles like the one CZ is hinting at. When Bitcoin enters a supercycle, capital does not just flow into majors. It spills into smaller, faster-moving narratives that offer asymmetric upside, especially while the big names are still consolidating.

The project has already raised over $30.9M, showing strong early conviction even while the broader market remains cautious. On top of that, Bitcoin Hyper offers staking rewards around 39% APY, giving holders an incentive to stay locked in instead of trading short-term noise.

Historically, the biggest winners of new cycles are rarely the assets that break out last. They are the ones accumulated quietly while Bitcoin ranges, Ethereum chops, and XRP frustrate traders. Bitcoin Hyper is clearly targeting that window.

If Bitcoin really does enter a supercycle in 2026, the projects built and accumulated during this compression phase are often the ones that move first and hardest once momentum returns. Bitcoin Hyper is shaping up to be one of those names traders keep an eye on.

The post Crypto Price Prediction Today 23 January – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum appeared first on Cryptonews.

Recent remarks from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink have pointed toward the need for a single, unified blockchain for tokenized markets, and have intensified the focus on platforms capable of handling institutional-scale liquidity, compliance, and settlement. With its long track record in smart contracts, extensive developer ecosystem, and growing role in regulated financial products, Ethereum is now emerging as the most likely candidate to serve as the settlement layer for tokenized capital markets.

Why Asset Managers Prefer Familiar Infrastructure

In an X post, the Ethereum Daily shared a video in which BlackRock CEO Larry Fink made it clear that tokenization is necessary. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Fink said the financial system must move rapidly toward digitization, adding that a single, common blockchain could reduce corruption and improve transparency across the global markets.

While Fink did not name a specific network, the most plausible candidate could be ETH, based on BlackRock’s own initiatives and public statements that emphasized the role of ETH in asset tokenization. The firm has consistently highlighted ETH as a core platform for its on-chain strategy. Meanwhile, BlackRock launched its BUIDL tokenized money market fund directly on ETH, a product that has already grown to over $2 billion in total value locked. “There’s no second best,” Ethereum Daily noted.

In the staking space, Bitmine has turned Ethereum staking into a multi-billion-dollar business. An analyst known as Milk Road has revealed that the company now has 1.83 million ETH staked, worth roughly $6 million at current prices, and plans to scale that figure toward 4.2 million ETH over time. Over the past months, Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc. (BMNR) has accounted for nearly 50% of all new ETH entering the staking queue.

Staking at this scale is important because it removes ETH from the liquid supply and locks it into long-term infrastructure rather than keeping it for short-term trading. When one player is willing to commit billions of dollars worth of ETH to staking, it reflects confidence in ETH’s future economic prospects. A lower liquid supply, combined with sustained network demand, will create structural pressure over time.

How Support Built Through Multiple Market Cycles

Analyst Milk Road has also highlighted that Ethereum is holding near a critical support zone around $3,000, hovering just above the lower boundary of its long-term rising structure, an area that has acted as a stress test for ETH throughout the cycle. Historically, when ETH drifts into this area, the market will need to decide whether the weakness is temporary or structural.

The $2,750 level remains the key line because it has repeatedly stopped downside pressure after macro-driven or narrative-driven pullbacks, making it a reliable floor for the broader trend. As long as ETH holds above that level, the broader multi-year uptrend will remain intact.