The calls of a potential Bitcoin supercycle in 2026 intensified over the past week after former Binance CEO Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao — yet another prominent voice in crypto — laid out his predictions for the new year. However, a popular analyst on the social media platform X has released an opposing view, predicting a deep bottom for the BTC price this year.

BTC Price At Risk Of Further 65% Decline

In a January 25th post on the X platform, prominent crypto trader Ali Martinez said, in a sarcastic tone, that “the super cycle is super cycling.” In what seemed like a response to the buzz around CZ’s Bitcoin supercycle projection, the market pundit tempered the expectations with a $31,000 price bottom call for the premier cryptocurrency in 2026.

This bearish prediction is based on the appearance of price fractals on the BTC chart. For context, fractals are repeating patterns in price charts that can help map and project potential price movements for a particular cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, in this scenario).

As observed in the chart above, the price of BTC is currently following a similar movement pattern as in 2022. The premier cryptocurrency, after initially setting a then all-time high around $67,000 in early 2021, witnessed a nearly 55% correction to just above the $30,000 level by mid-July.

While the price of Bitcoin recovered and went back to set a record high of above $69,000 by the end of 2021, the market leader spent the majority of the following year in a downward trend. Exacerbated by the various bearish events of 2022, BTC ended the year at a low of around $15,500.

Martinez believes that the Bitcoin price is undergoing a similar movement pattern, having experienced an over 32% decline before climbing to the current all-time high of $126,080. The market pundit postulates that the premier cryptocurrency is currently witnessing the extended decline that saw its price reach $15,500 in 2022.

However, it is worth mentioning that the target this time around lies at $31,800, nearly 65% drop from the current price point. Hence, if the historical patterns highlighted by Martinez are to go by, there seems to be a higher likelihood of the Bitcoin price embarking on an extended downward trend rather than a supercycle.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $88,528, reflecting an over 1% decline in the past 24 hours.

Small shops and some bigger chains in Las Vegas are now taking Bitcoin for everyday buys. People scan a QR code, pay from a phone, and the merchant gets paid. According to local reports, owners are trying this out to cut the cost of credit card processing and to attract customers who prefer crypto.

Merchants Cut Costs With Bitcoin

Reports say the move is largely about fees. Credit card processing often takes away 2.5–3.5% of a sale. For many small operators, that is painful. Payment tools that accept Bitcoin — often routed over the Lightning Network or through services that can convert crypto to cash — have lowered that burden for merchants.

According to FOX5, more businesses across Las Vegas are now accepting Bitcoin payments, from chains like Steak ’n Shake to small shops and medical practices. Merchants said Bitcoin helps attract new customers and cut costs, while Square has enabled about 4 million U.S. merchants…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 24, 2026

Square’s program, which lets millions of US merchants enable Bitcoin checkout with no processing fee through 2026, helped speed up adoption in the area.

Stores Report Real Transactions

Business owners are reporting real use, not just experiments. Juice stands and cafes have processed payments. Some larger outlets are listed on public payment maps so customers can find them.

This has meant more foot traffic from people who travel with crypto or who prefer to keep their cards for other uses. Reports note both new customers and savings on fees as clear benefits.

Lightning Network Speeds Up Payments

The Lightning Network is being used to make payments faster and cheaper at the cash register. It moves small Bitcoin payments quickly without the long wait a base-layer transfer can cause.

Merchants scan a code or show one on a screen. The payment is then sent from the buyer’s wallet and settled almost instantly. This technical fix has made in-person Bitcoin payments workable for the first time at many spots.

How Owners See It

Owners are balancing savings against new risks. Some keep crypto for a short time, then sell it for cash. Others leave part of their receipts in Bitcoin. Chargebacks, a problem with cards, are reduced when crypto is used.

A few places say small boosts in sales followed their switch to crypto, yet long-term patterns are still being watched. Reports have disclosed these mixed outcomes as part of a slow but clear shift.

Customers Find New Ways To Pay

Shoppers are adapting. Tourists who carry crypto find these spots useful. Locals who are curious try the method at least once. Payment apps and merchant directories make the process easier for everyone.

For those who like simple steps, scanning a QR code and approving a payment on a phone works fine. For others it is a novelty that might stick.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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“Bitcoin is the digital gold” is one of the most popular narratives in the cryptocurrency industry, reiterating BTC’s growing status as a formidable store of value. However, while the premier cryptocurrency has floundered over the past months, gold and the metals market have largely witnessed explosive growth.

These contrasting performances have led to conversations about capital rotation between Bitcoin and gold, as the crowd expects one to always outperform the other at any given time. Recent data, however, suggests that the relationship between the BTC and gold price action is overrated.

Capital Flow Link Between BTC And Gold Overestimated 

In a January 24 post on the X platform, on-chain analyst with the pseudonym Darkfost weighed in on the discourse surrounding capital rotation between gold and Bitcoin. According to the market pundit, the idea that investor funds flow from gold to Bitcoin is somewhat overblown.

To highlight this overestimation, Darkfost shared a chart showing periods where BTC outperforms or underperforms depending on gold’s trend. This chart typically provides two signals: positive (BTC above the 180-day moving average [MA] and gold below the 180-day MA) and negative (BTC below the 180-day moving average and gold below the 180-day MA).

As observed in the chart above and stated by Darkfost, the relationship between Bitcoin and gold does not appear to be fully substantiated. The on-chain analyst revealed that there have been as many positive periods as the negative ones, suggesting that the flagship cryptocurrency moves independently of gold.

Darkfost wrote:

This suggests that BTC continues to evolve independently, without clear evidence of a sustained capital rotation from gold.

Furthermore, Darkfost noted that a positive signal does not necessarily mean that capital is flowing out of gold into Bitcoin. According to the on-chain analyst, it is simply not possible to determine whether there is a capital flow relationship between the world’s largest cryptocurrency and gold.

Bitcoin & Gold Price Overview

While Bitcoin started the new year on a pretty strong note, the bullish momentum has pretty much waned over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the gold price has continued to flourish this year, recently reaching a new all-time high above $4,900 per ounce.

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,230, reflecting no significant movement in the past 24 hours. According to data from CoinGecko, the flagship cryptocurrency is nearly 30% adrift its all-time high above the $126,000 level.

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.

Early Tests And Community Involvement

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

While Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao made the headlines following his interview at the just-concluded World Economic Forum, where he called a Bitcoin supercycle in 2026, his crypto counterpart and Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong, has come forward with feedback from the global event held in Davos, Switzerland.

Coinbase CEO Praises Trump-Led White House As Most Crypto-Forward Government 

In a January 24 post on the social media platform X, Armstrong shared a few key “themes and takeaways” from the latest edition of WEF. After admitting that the conference offered a productive time of meeting people one-on-one, the Coinbase CEO revealed that the major focus was on pushing crypto adoption globally.

Starting his list of takeaways, Armstrong highlighted that everyone was talking about tokenization, which is beginning to expand to every asset class in the world. The crypto leader said to expect some major progress in the tokenization sector in 2026, especially as the Fortune 500 business leaders continuously lean in.

Secondly, the Coinbase CEO shared that crypto legislation and the CLARITY Act were another area of focus, as the government of the day looks to make the United States the crypto capital of the world. According to Armstrong, most of the bank CEOs he met at the WEF in the past week are actually pro-crypto.

Armstrong wrote on X:

One CEO of a top 10 global bank told me crypto is their number one priority, and they view it as existential.

Furthermore, the Coinbase CEO lauded the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government in the world at the moment. Armstrong acknowledged their progress with the crypto market structure, stating that these clear rules are crucial for global competitiveness and will put money back in people’s pockets.

In what seemed like a cheeky tone, Armstrong mentioned that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) topics didn’t come up throughout the forum. According to the crypto founder, the week felt productive, as it centered around real, global progress — all thanks to BlackRock CEO and new WEF co-chair Larry Fink.

The Coinbase leader touted crypto and AI (artificial intelligence) as the most talked-about technologies in today’s world. Highlighting their compatibility, Armstrong stated that AI agents will eventually default to using stablecoins for payments, as they cannot be KYC’d like human beings.

Finally, Armstrong revealed that the Coinbase, Circle, and Bermuda partnership to build a fully on-chain economy was announced at WEF Davos 2026. “Excited to make progress on this and create a compelling case study for other nations to follow,” the crypto CEO concluded.

Total Crypto Market Cap At $3.09 Trillion

As of this writing, the global cryptocurrency market has a total capitalization of $3.086 trillion, with Bitcoin retaining its spot as the world’s largest cryptocurrency.

Nifty Gateway, the marketplace that once helped bring NFT drops to a wider audience, will stop running its marketplace on February 23, 2026. The company put the site into a withdrawal-only mode the same day it made the announcement, and users were told they must move any remaining funds and NFTs off the platform before that date.

Withdrawal Window Opens

According to the company, withdrawal tools are available now. Reports note users can pull USD or ETH balances through a linked Gemini Exchange account or send funds to their bank via Stripe.

Emails with step-by-step instructions will be sent to account holders, and a shutdown notice already appears on the Nifty Gateway homepage. The aim, as described by the owner, is to let people retrieve what they own before the platform goes dark.

Today, we are announcing that the Nifty Gateway platform will be closing on February 23, 2026. Starting today, Nifty Gateway is in withdrawal-only mode.

Nifty Gateway was launched in 2020 with the vision of revolutionizing digital art. Since launching, Nifty supported dozens of…

— Nifty Gateway Studio (@niftygateway) January 24, 2026

A Decision To Reassign Resources

Based on reports from Gemini, the closure is meant to let the parent firm concentrate on building one bigger app for customers. The move highlights how interest and trading activity in many NFT markets have cooled from the highs seen in earlier years.

Some collectors and artists are left scrambling to rehome items they once sold or stored on Nifty Gateway.

End Of An Early Player

Nifty Gateway helped make buying NFTs easier for people who preferred credit cards and familiar checkout flows. It launched as a high-profile marketplace and hosted major drops from well-known creators.

The platform supported hundreds of millions in sales at its peak and played a clear part in bringing NFT art into mainstream headlines. Its exit marks the end of an important chapter for that wave of marketplaces.

What Owners Must Do Now

Owners should check their inboxes for the official instructions, confirm where their tokens are stored, and move assets before the deadline. If NFTs are stored in custodial wallets on the site, they will need to be transferred out.

USD and ETH balances should be withdrawn or moved into a connected Gemini account if that option suits the owner. Waiting past the closure date will reduce options.

A Quiet Turning Point

For many collectors, this will feel like another sign that the early boom years have passed. For creators, the change raises questions about where drops and secondary sales will happen next.

Gemini says it will keep supporting NFTs through its other products, including the Gemini Wallet, but the specific ways that creators and buyers reconnect with those audiences will depend on new tools and services that arrive in the next months.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

US-based spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds pulled funds for a fifth straight trading day, and the totals added up quickly. According to Farside data, about $103.5 million left on Friday, bringing the five-day sum to roughly $1.72 billion.

Bitcoin was trading near $89,160 at the time of these reports — still well below the $100,000 mark it last reached on November 13. This movement has sent a clear signal: many investors are stepping back right now.

ETF Flows And Who Is Selling

Reports note that ETF flows are often on the radar as a quick read on investor mood, but the picture is not always simple. Large outflows can reflect institutional rebalancing or tactical moves by funds, not only mass retail selling.

The US market had a four-day trading week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, which may have concentrated trades into fewer sessions and amplified the numbers. Still, losing more than a billion dollars in a few days will get attention.

Market Mood And Metals

The wider mood has soured. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered an Extreme Fear score of 25, and sentiment trackers have been flashing caution. Reports say Santiment believes retail traders are pulling back while attention drifts toward more traditional assets.

Meanwhile, metals have been strong. Reports disclose that with gold trading near $5,000 and silver approaching $100, some market players feel Bitcoin has been left out of a rally that lifted metals, which has weighed on confidence in the crypto market.

Bitcoin Price Action

Bitcoin has struggled to find a steady rhythm over the past week. Prices slipped below the $89,000 to $90,000 range as traders reacted to fresh geopolitical tension and renewed trade worries, before stabilizing as nerves eased.

This was driven higher after some soft political indicators around tariff threats, only to substantiate the idea that markets rarely react to conflict but rather to changes in tone and expectations.

Signals That Could Matter

These movements illustrate how Bitcoin behaves more like a risk asset rather than an asset shelter, falling in tandem with equities when unexpected financial shocks hit the globe, before rebounding when the fever subsides to gather fresh buyers.

Current price patterns indicate caution, where traders are weighing short-term political risks against medium- and long-term macro patterns, as well as institutional interests.

There are some quieter indications that the rout could be losing steam. To this effect, there are assertions suggesting that supply distribution on-chain and social chatter can be circumstantial evidence showing there is less selling pressure.

Featured image from Money; Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

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

Africa is seeing a quiet shift in how people send and hold value. Mobile phones are central. According to Vera Songwe, a former UN under-secretary-general, millions who lack bank accounts can use stablecoins to protect savings and move money faster. That access matters in places where inflation has been high and bank fees are steep.

Use By Businesses And Everyday People

Reports have disclosed that stablecoins now make up around 43% of all crypto transaction volume in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria alone processed nearly $22 billion in dollar-linked stablecoin activity over a recent 12-month span.

That money is used for remittances, payroll and business settlements. Firms and market traders are among the biggest users, but many everyday people are joining in too.

In countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa, demand is driven by volatile local currencies and rules that limit access to dollars. Mobile money networks help push adoption along.

Stablecoins Speed Up Cross-Border Payments

Traditional remittances can be costly. At a World Economic Forum panel in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Songwe noted that sending $100 through traditional money transfer services in Africa often costs around $6, making cross-border payments both slow and costly.

Stablecoins cut those costs and shorten wait times from days to minutes for many transfers. Small payments and wages can be settled quickly, and that speed changes how businesses plan cash flow.

Local Rules Are Changing Fast

Governments are reacting in different ways. Ghana passed a Virtual Asset Service Providers law to bring trading into a formal framework. On January 13, Nigeria required crypto platforms to link transactions to tax ID numbers, a move meant to bring activity into official records.

South Africa’s central bank has warned that stablecoins and other tokens could pose risks to financial stability as use grows. Policy is being written while users and tech firms keep pushing ahead.

Risks And The Road Ahead

High inflation remains a core reason people are turning to stablecoins. Reports say inflation has exceeded 20% in 12 to 15 countries since the pandemic, and that reality pushes people to look for alternatives to local notes.

Everyday Use, Measured Change

What started as a tech niche has grown into a practical tool for many across the continent. For small and medium businesses, the benefit is clear: faster settlements and lower costs.

For people without bank accounts, a smartphone can now open a route to store value in currencies less tied to local inflation. Adoption will likely keep rising, but how quickly it becomes part of mainstream finance will depend on stronger rules, better safeguards, and the continued spread of simple mobile services that people trust.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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XRP has spent most of the past few months trading with lower highs since July 2025, frustrating traders and compressing price action into an increasingly tight range. 

However, a technical breakdown shared by crypto analyst ChartNerd argued that what looks like stagnation may actually be the final preparation phase before a historic move. The price structure suggests something far bigger that sends XRP on its most aggressive rally in eight years, but the implications only become clear when the full setup is examined.

A 400-Day Rectangular Reaccumulation Still Holding Structure

According to technical analysis done by ChartNerd, XRP’s price action has been locked inside a rectangular reaccumulation zone for about 400 days, and this has led to the formation of what looks like a rectangular bull flag on a macro timeframe. The technical chart shows a strong impulsive move from July 2024 to December 2024 acting as the flagpole, right when XRP peaked at the $3.4 price zone back then.

This impulsive flagpole has been followed by a long period of sideways trading where XRP’s price has repeatedly respected a clearly defined support around $1.8 and resistance boundaries around $3.6. This type of structure is associated with reaccumulation within the support and resistance zones, especially when it is playing out after a sharp expansion move and holding for this length of time.

Each dip into reaccumulation support has been absorbed, preventing any sustained breakdown and keeping the broader pattern intact. ChartNerd noted that the rectangular flag will be valid as long as this support level is defended, and this will activate the expansion journey.

XRP Price Chart. Source: @ChartNerdTA on X

Macro Breakout Projection Puts XRP Price Target At $23

According to ChartNerd, bearish participants are increasingly pressured by the fact that this fractal is still holding despite repeated attempts to invalidate it. The longer XRP’s price action is trapped inside the rectangle without breaking down, the more likely it becomes that the eventual resolution favors the dominant trend that preceded the consolidation. In this case, that trend was bullish, which strengthens the case for an upside breakout once resistance is cleared.

If the rectangular bull flag resolves to the upside as projected, the chart outlines a breakout trajectory that would carry XRP into double-digit territory, with a long-term target region near $23. This price target projection is derived from the height of the flagpole extended from the top of the reaccumulation range.

ChartNerd labelled this possible move as one of the most aggressive rallies XRP could see in seven to eight years. At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.92, meaning a move toward the $23 region would represent a gain of over 1,000% from current levels, which is a type of percentage expansion XRP has played out well in the past.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped its lawsuit against Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Trump backers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

GameStop moved its entire Bitcoin stash into Coinbase Prime this month, according to blockchain trackers that monitor large transfers.

The wallet associated with the company sent a large deposit to the institutional arm of Coinbase, a platform used by big traders and companies.

Analysts watching on-chain flows immediately flagged the move as a likely setup for a sale, though no confirmed sell orders have been announced.

Big Move To Coinbase Prime

According to on-chain reports, GameStop holds 4,710 BTC that it bought last year, and that full balance was shifted into Coinbase Prime.

The company first bought the coins in May 2025 at prices that averaged near $107,900 per BTC, a buy that cost roughly $504 million at the time.

Moving a corporate treasury from cold storage to an active institutional account is often read as a step toward execution — to sell, hedge, or rebalance — but it is not the same as a sale itself.

GameStop throws in the towel?

Their on-chain wallets just moved all BTC holdings to Coinbase Prime, likely to sell.

Between May 14–23, 2025, they bought 4,710 BTC at an avg. price of $107.9K, investing ~$504M.

Now selling for around $90.8K, potentially realising approximately… pic.twitter.com/Bp7MwRVQ43

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) January 23, 2026

What Analysts Are Saying

Reports say the math is simple and stark: selling now, with Bitcoin trading closer to the $90,000 area, would lock in a sizable loss versus the initial purchase price.

Several analytics firms put that figure near $76 million if the whole lot were sold at recent market levels. Some market watchers suggest the company could be doing tax-loss harvesting or trimming volatile assets on its books.

Others view it as a pragmatic adjustment to reduce treasury exposure to crypto swings. Still, defenders of the move point out that GameStop’s Bitcoin stake was never a core retail play; it was a treasury experiment meant to diversify.

How Much Has Already Moved

Not all outlets agree on timing or size of day-by-day transfers. Reports note that some transfers earlier this month added up to about half of the original position — roughly 2,396 BTC moved in smaller tranches before the full deposit was flagged.

On-chain sleuths track each shift, and those staggered movements can mean many things: a staged sale, an internal reorganization, or simply routing through a trusted custodian before any trades.

Market And Shareholder Reaction

Share action around GameStop has not mirrored the crypto chatter. While Bitcoin watchers focused on the wallet move, investors were also reacting to company news on other fronts, including fresh share purchases by CEO Ryan Cohen.

Featured image from PeterPhoto, chart from TradingView

A large investor shifted funds into tokenized gold this week, and Bitcoin felt the impact. Prices dipped while a whale quietly bought millions in XAUT, a gold-backed token, signaling a short-term move toward traditional hedges.

Whales Move Into Tokenized Gold

According to on-chain trackers, one address moved $1.53 million in USDC into Hyperliquid to buy XAUT. Reports note that the same wallet had earlier bought about 481 XAUT, a purchase worth roughly $2.38 million.

The address still holds close to $1.44 million in USDC, which suggests more purchases could follow. These moves were picked up on public blockchains and then flagged by analysts watching large transfers.

This kind of action can matter. When big players shuffle cash, smaller traders often take notice and hedge their bets. The shift is not proof of a long-term trend, but it shows that, at least for now, some large holders prefer gold exposure over extra crypto risk.

Whales are buying gold, not crypto.

~30 mins ago, whale 0x6B99 deposited 1.53M $USDC into Hyperliquid to buy $XAUT again.

He has already bought 481.6 $XAUT($2.38M) and still holds 1.44M $USDC, which may be used to buy more $XAUT.https://t.co/0uV2kNEiD0 pic.twitter.com/rYA09b1OEn

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 23, 2026

Gold And Silver Hit Fresh Highs

Reports say gold has been moving sharply higher, with spot prices climbing close to $5,000 per ounce in global trading this week. Silver also rose above $100 per ounce, with intraday gold prints near $4,988 before settling.

Traders tie the surge to geopolitical tensions and the idea that interest rates may ease, which encourages money into metal-based stores of value.

A weaker dollar has also helped. Market chatter points to increased demand as investors seek steadier places to park capital while global politics and policy choices create more worry.

Bitcoin’s Price Action And Market Mood

Bitcoin traded around $88,653 at one stage, slipping about 1% on the day and nearly 30% below its prior cycle top. That gap is large. It has market participants questioning whether BTC will stay the go-to hedge during times of high stress. Some long-term holders remain confident. Others are watching liquidity and macro signals more closely.

Reports have disclosed renewed criticism from economist Peter Schiff, who argued that Bitcoin has underperformed versus gold since 2021.

He highlighted the opportunity cost for investors holding BTC while metals climb to record prices. Schiff wrote on social platforms that precious metals are outperforming and that this weak run for Bitcoin weakens its role as a store of value in the eyes of some.

What This Means For Crypto Investors

Short-term rotations like this often reflect risk preferences rather than permanent shifts. Some funds and wealthy individuals seek lower-volatility assets when headlines grow louder and policy paths look uncertain.

Others still view Bitcoin as a long-term play tied to scarcity and network effects. The current picture is a mix: metals are strong, tokenized gold is drawing attention, and crypto markets are reacting.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin (BTC) is mirroring the same setup from its 2022 bull cycle, which led to a massive price crash to $20,000. According to market expert Crypto Bullet, this recurring structure could signal another major correction for BTC ahead. However, this time the leading cryptocurrency could give up almost a quarter of its current value. 

2022 Bitcoin Chart Pattern Signals Over 20% Crash

In his technical analysis released on X, Crypto Bullet revealed that Bitcoin is currently repeating a 2022 structure that could lead to a more than 20% decline in its value. To support his bearish outlook, the analyst presented a parallel chart comparing Bitcoin’s price action from 2023-2022 and 2025-2026, highlighting similar technical patterns, price behavior, and Moving Averages (MA). 

During the 2022 cycle, Bitcoin experienced a similar pattern, beginning with a test of the 100-day Moving Average (MA100), highlighted as the blue trendline on the chart. After facing rejection at that level, the price pulled back to a nearby support zone inside a rising channel. From there, BTC staged a sharp rally, surging to fresh highs around $48,500, where it aligned with the 200-day Moving Average (MA200), marked in orange. 

However, the recovery proved short-lived. Bitcoin soon reversed course and failed to reclaim the MA200 as support. Once the cryptocurrency’s price structure was lost, downside momentum accelerated, pushing the price into a much deeper correction toward the $20,000 level. 

According to Crypto Bullet, Bitcoin is repeating this exact pattern in 2026. It has already retested the MA100, gotten rejected, and moved lower into a support zone within a similar ascending channel. The chart also showed that in both cycles, BTC reached a “market cycle top,” first around December 2023 and then again in November 2025, before breaking down and entering a consolidation phase. 

Given how closely Bitcoin is mirroring its 2022 setup, Crypto Bullet has forecast another dramatic price crash, predicting a more than 23.5% drop from its current price near $89,500 to $68,450. Before this decline happens, the analyst expects BTC to experience a short-term recovery, potentially climbing back above the $100,000 psychological level to reach $102,000. 

Bitcoin Could Still Rally To $92,000

Crypto analyst Tyrex has stated that Bitcoin has been consolidating for the past 48 hours, with price holding above $89,000 for most of that period. Despite the muted price action, he believes that BTC could soon rally to $92,000. The analyst also noted that the broader market is in a state of fear, with many traders anticipating further declines in Bitcoin.

However, the analyst cautions that this expected drop may be a trap. He points out that an ascending channel is forming on Bitcoin’s chart, prompting him to adopt a more bullish outlook despite the prevailing bearish sentiment and sideways price movement.  

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Reports say Swiss banking giant UBS is planning to let a small group of its private bank clients buy and sell major cryptocurrencies. The step would open access to Bitcoin and Ethereum for people who have worked with the bank for years, not for every customer.

Private Clients First

According to a Bloomberg report, the service would start in Switzerland and be offered only to select private banking clients, with any wider rollout dependent on rules and demand. The move is careful and measured. It is being tested with a narrow set of clients before any wider push is considered.

How It Would Work

Reports note that UBS has been talking with outside firms about providing the trading, custody and compliance pieces needed to make crypto trading run smoothly.

Partners would likely handle technical tasks while UBS keeps the client relationship front and center. Those talks have been going on for months, and no final deals are said to be done yet.

Why Now

Wealthy clients have been asking for ways to own digital assets safely. UBS has run pilots on tokenized funds and has worked on blockchain payments before.

The bank’s size and reputation mean it can offer a more cautious path into crypto than many smaller players. At the same time, changes in regulation and the broader market have made the plan more realistic than it might have seemed a few years ago.

Based on reports, the initial offering would focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum. More coins could be added later, but that would depend on which assets meet the bank’s risk and compliance checks.

UBS will reportedly decide what custody model to use and whether it needs third parties for trade execution. No launch date has been set.

A Broader Trend

Banks from different countries are slowly giving rich clients more ways to touch crypto, but each does it in its own style. Some offer ETFs and funds. Some go further and let clients trade coins directly.

UBS’s cautious design fits a pattern where big banks move slowly, testing the systems before widening access. A handful of recent moves by other institutions show the same pattern.

What Comes Next

Reports note that regulators and client interest will help decide how fast this goes. If rules in the US and other places stay friendly and clients respond, the offering could broaden beyond Switzerland.

If not, the bank could keep the plan tightly limited. For now, the idea remains a plan under discussion rather than a product on the market.

UBS’s steps reflect growing demand from wealthy investors for safer ways to hold crypto through trusted firms. The bank’s careful progress shows how traditional finance is testing the waters without rushing in.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU‑IND) has launched a fresh anti‑money‑laundering crackdown aimed at privacy‑focused cryptocurrencies. The move targets Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC), and Dash (DASH), which together represent the largest and most widely used privacy coins globally.

India Tightens Crypto Oversight

Details of the action were shared on Friday by market analyst MartyParty on social media platform X (previously Twitter), who notes that FIU‑IND has issued a directive to crypto exchanges registered in India, instructing them to immediately suspend deposits, withdrawals, and trading activity for Monero, Zcash, and Dash. 

At the heart of the regulator’s concerns is the technology underpinning these assets. Privacy coins rely on advanced cryptographic techniques designed to obscure transaction details, wallet balances, and user identities. 

Monero uses ring signatures to hide the sender and receiver, Zcash allows shielded transactions that conceal transaction data, and Dash offers optional privacy features. 

While these tools are valued by users seeking confidentiality, regulators argue they make it difficult for exchanges to meet know‑your‑customer (KYC) and transaction‑monitoring obligations. The regulator views these features as posing elevated risks related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion. 

The latest directive applies to all cryptocurrency exchanges registed in the country, which currently includes crypto platforms operating in compliance with Indian regulations. They have been instructed to stop supporting the assets, including delisting, blocking all deposits and withdrawals, and disabling any associated trading pairs.

Monero, Zcash, And Dash Show Mixed Market Reaction

The latest action builds on a broader regulatory push by Indian authorities. In October 2025, FIU‑IND ordered internet service providers to block access to 25 offshore crypto exchanges that failed to register. 

By contrast, only a handful of exchanges currently remain fully registered and compliant in the country. Binance, Mudrex, Coinbase, CoinSwitch (CoinSwitch Kuber), and ZebPay continue to operate legally in India.

Despite the regulatory pressure, market prices for the targeted privacy coins showed short‑term resilience. Over the past 24 hours, all three assets posted gains after recovering from sharp losses earlier in the week. 

Monero was trading at $524 at the time of writing, up 3.5% on the day. Zcash also rebounded modestly, rising 2.2% to trade at $372. Dash recorded the strongest daily performance, jumping 11.6% during the same period.

However, the broader trend remains negative. According to CoinGecko data, Monero, Zcash, and Dash are still down sharply on a weekly basis, with losses of approximately 21%, 8%, and 20% respectively over the past seven days. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP has given back all of its early‑year gains, sliding toward the $1.90. Despite the pullback, several on‑chain and market indicators are pointing to a possible breakout from current levels, driven largely by a sharp decline in XRP held on exchanges. 

XRP Exchange Balances Slide To 1.5B

Market analyst Sam Daodu notes that over the past months, a substantial portion of XRP has steadily moved off centralized trading platforms and into long‑term storage and institutional custody. 

On‑chain figures indicate that XRP exchange balances dropped from roughly 4 billion tokens in early 2025 to about 1.5 billion by late December. This 57% decline represents the steepest annual reduction in XRP exchange supply on record.

Data from CryptoQuant reinforces this trend, showing shrinking XRP reserves on major trading platforms such as Binance, where balances continued to fall into early 2026. At the same time, wallet accumulation has increased, particularly among institutional custody accounts. 

Daodu argues that with fewer tokens available on exchanges, buying pressure that previously moved XRP only marginally can now drive gains of 10% to 15% within days. 

When combined with approximately $1.37 billion in XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows recorded since November 2025, Daodu believes the conditions favor a potential breakout toward the $4 to $5 range, rather than another rally that stalls below $3.

Bullish, Base, And Bearish Scenarios

Looking ahead, Daodu outlines three broad price paths for XRP, each tied to how exchange balances and ETF inflows evolve. In a bullish scenario, the altcoin could move into the $4 to $5 range if monthly ETF inflows average $300-$500 million and exchange balances fall below 1.5 billion tokens. 

A more neutral outcome would see XRP trading between $2.50 and $3.50. This scenario assumes ETF inflows slow to roughly $50 million to $70 million per week and exchange balances continue to decline at a steadier pace. 

The bearish case hinges on the possibility that the supply contraction thesis proves overstated. If rapid transfers refill exchange order books, escrow releases increase selling pressure, or ETF demand slows due to tighter macroeconomic conditions, XRP could lose support. 

In that scenario, prices may fall below $2.00 and revisit the $1.60 level during periods of risk aversion. Prolonged uncertainty could see XRP trading between $1.50 and $2.00 for much of 2026, according to the analyst. 

At the time of writing, the altcoin was trading at $1.94. This represented losses of 4% and 8% over seven and fourteen-day periods, respectively. This positions the fifth-largest cryptocurrency in terms of market cap 46% below the current all-time high of $3.64 reached back in July of last year.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Ledger, the French maker of hardware wallets for crypto assets, is reportedly moving ahead with plans for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in New York, signaling continued momentum in public market interest for digital asset companies. 

The listing would place Ledger among a growing group of crypto firms seeking access to US capital markets, following the recent public debut of BitGo earlier this week.

Ledger Taps Wall Street Giants For US IPO

The move comes amid a broader initial public offering wave that gained strong traction throughout 2025, when several major crypto-native companies either went public or began laying the groundwork to do so. 

Firms such as Circle (CRLC), Bullish (BLSH), eToro (ETOR), Figure (FIGR), and Gemini (GEMI) have already gone public in the US, while Grayscale and Kraken remain part of the renewed IPO push, with filings submitted and preparations still underway.

According to a report by the Financial Times, Ledger has engaged investment banks including Goldman Sachs and Barclays to advise on its initial public offering in the United States. 

People familiar with the matter say the offering could value the company at more than $4 billion. While the IPO could take place as soon as this year, sources cautioned that the plans remain subject to change.

Ledger’s reported IPO ambitions come as BitGo opened trading on Thursday with its shares jumping 24.6%, giving the company a valuation of approximately $2.59 billion. 

BitGo and several of its existing shareholders sold 11.8 million shares priced above the initially marketed range of $15 to $17, raising $212.8 million in the process.

BitGo Sets Tone For 2026 Crypto IPOs

Market experts have pointed to BitGo’s performance as an important signal for the broader crypto IPO landscape. Lukas Muehlbauer, an IPOX research associate, described BitGo’s listing as the first major test of investor demand for crypto-related offerings in 2026. 

He noted that while Gemini went public near the peak of the crypto market last year, BitGo entered the market during a period of recent selloffs, making its reception particularly telling. 

Muehlbauer added that BitGo’s positioning as a profitable and regulated “digital asset infrastructure company,” rather than a business tied directly to token price movements, helped insulate it from “Bitcoin’s (BTC) day-to-day volatility.”

Beyond Ledger, expectations are building that the pipeline of crypto IPOs will continue to grow. In addition to Kraken and Grayscale, industry experts believe the coming year could bring an even larger number of crypto-related IPOs in the US. 

“2025 marked the professionalization of crypto, and the public markets noticed,” said Mike Bellin, a partner at PwC who leads the firm’s US IPO practice. 

Some offerings, however, have faced delays. Elliot Han, chief investment officer at C1 Fund, said that the fourth quarter could have seen an even higher number of IPOs. 

He pointed to the federal government’s prolonged shutdown as a key factor that pushed several listings into the first quarter of 2026. Han also noted that heightened stock market volatility toward the end of the third quarter added further complications.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

XRP has begun attracting attention again after months of sideways trading. The coin has risen slightly over the past day, though it remains down for the week. Traders are pointing to familiar chart patterns, suggesting the quiet period may be nearing an end.

Traders Spot A Familiar Price Pattern

A fresh take on XRP came from DonWedge, who posted a half-day chart on TradingView. Though he kept it short – just “XRP looks good” – the message carried weight.

Instead of bold predictions, his analysis leaned on patterns. A downward-sloping channel draws the eye, much like one seen months before.

Shape echoes past rhythm. What stands out is how closely current movement tracks earlier behavior. The image tells part of the story; context fills in the rest. Time will show whether history bends toward repetition.

That old rise in XRP moved fast. Following that climb, it slipped into a steady decline lasting around half a year. Once sellers slowed their pace, the price jumped again without warning.

$XRP looks good pic.twitter.com/OnyChRVzNp

— Don (@DonWedge) January 21, 2026

Fresh lows in XRP’s path hug the bottom stretch of a familiar range, pressure easing – some watchful eyes guess what comes next might climb.

Volume And Resistance Are Key

According to reports, the next major hurdle is a multi-month trendline resistance near $2.10. A clean daily close above this line, combined with rising volume, could signal the start of a new uptrend.

DonWedge projects that if the breakout occurs, XRP could aim for $4. From current levels, this would require a little over a 100% increase. Traders note, however, that moves without volume confirmation can fail, leading to false breakouts and extended consolidation.

Market Expert Projects A Telling Year

Based on reports, analyst ChartNerd says 2026 will be a “telling year” for XRP. He expects the coin either to confirm a strong breakout with fresh momentum or to fall below the structure it has defended for over a year.

After a macro breakout in Q4 2024, $XRP has been accumulating above its prior 2021 highs for over a year. The whole of 2025 was sideways, boring, and a test of even the most durable minds. 2026 is going to be the telling year. Compression typically leads to expansion. Buckle up. pic.twitter.com/QJb7JAmIkL

— ChartNerd (@ChartNerdTA) January 18, 2026

Lately, the sideways grind has worn thin for some investors – yet hints of resilience still flicker through the numbers. Breaking past $2.10 with force might spark what comes next, lining up with the pattern DonWedge laid out on his chart. Patience now may quietly pay off later.

A Breakout Might Shift What Happens Next

A sudden jump in price might push XRP toward $4 fast, provided it finishes above the trendline with strong movement. Higher goals are possible, yet reaching them means buyers keep stepping in without pause.

So far, things look cautious rather than certain. Traders will probably keep an eye on activity levels, holding back bigger moves until signs become clearer. What happens next might show if XRP surges again or just drifts sideways some more.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The XRP price may be preparing for a long-overdue recovery, as a crypto analyst has just highlighted a critical area that could flip the cryptocurrency’s downward momentum into a bullish one. According to the market expert, XRP must reclaim the Ichimoku Base before it can resume its upside to new levels. 

XRP Price Recovery To Resume Above Ichimoku Base

Market analyst Xaif Crypto took to X this Thursday to deliver a fresh weekly update on XRP as the cryptocurrency enters a pivotal technical area after months of downside pressure. The accompanying chart shows price retreating from a prior peak in late 2024 and sliding back into a clearly marked demand zone in the blue box. 

According to the analyst, the recent retreat follows a clear downtrend, with lower highs pushing price back toward a previous consolidation zone. This blue-box area represents the main battleground, as prior trading activity built a base that could act as support if XRP revisits that level. 

So far, XRP appears to be stabilizing within this demand zone. Candles on the chart show hesitation and reduced selling pressure. The chart also draws attention to an Ichimoku structure, with XRP attempting to reclaim its Ichimoku Base. According to Xaif Crypto, this base will determine XRP’s next big move.

The analyst has suggested that reclaiming this level could signal a potential shift in market sentiment. He disclosed that a strong close above it could favor upside continuation, weakening the ongoing downtrend and giving buyers more room to target upper resistance levels. Conversely, Xaif Crypto predicts that a break below the Ichimoku Base would likely lead to a deeper correction for XRP, as support would be lost and selling could accelerate. 

For now, XRP sits at a make-or-break level that could decide whether it recovers from its current slump. Xaif Crypto’s chart has outlined potential targets if the cryptocurrency manages to reclaim and hold above the Ichimoku Base. Currently hovering around $1.95, XRP faces potential bullish targets at $2.09, $2.20, $2.31, and $2.45. The analyst has also highlighted that traders and investors should closely watch the weekly close for confirmation of a sustained recovery.  

Analyst Says XRP Is Planning A Major Reversal

Despite dropping below $2 earlier this week, analysts remain optimistic about XRP’s price outlook. According to market expert Crypto GVR, XRP could be attempting a major price reversal from the $1-$1.5 range. Based on his chart analysis, the analyst predicts that XRP could decline first from its current price around $1.95 to roughly $1.13 before rebounding sharply to new highs.

He has set a bullish target at $3.25. marking the next upside for XRP. If XRP were to crash to $1.13 and then surge to $3.25, this would represent a staggering 187% increase in value.