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.

As XRP attempts to climb to higher levels, an analyst affirmed that the altcoin is “doing what it needs to do” to continue its bullish rally, highlighting multiple key structures in key timeframes.

XRP Enters Inflection Point

After retesting the $1.90 area on Friday morning, XRP saw a 4.6% intraday bounce toward the mid-zone of its local range. Over the past five days, the cryptocurrency has been hovering in the $1.85-$2.00 price range, failing to hold the upper zone of this range.

Market watcher ChartNerd pointed out a key reversal pattern that could signal a massive price expansion may be around the corner, noting that the altcoin is at a “critical inflection point” as it retests a macro support zone.

He explained that a running flat ABC correction formation is “a sophisticated structure where the failure of the ‘C’ wave to breach previous lows signals underlying bullish strength.”

XRP has been mirroring the same structure over the past 400 days, which would point “toward a structural breakout, marking the transition from a yearly long base into a new primary uptrend” if it resolves.

As the chart shows, “the wave counts repeating toward the structure are evident in XRP’s price action,” and as long as the macro support holds, around the $1.80 area, the C wave “could be working in the bulls’ defense.”

We could be just building a base above $1.80, marking the C wave in this running flat correction before the major breakout.

ChartNerd added that there could be a scenario in which XRP deviates below its major support before a V-shape recovery. However, he warned that losing this area would not be healthy, detailing that the only way to invalidate the pattern would be for the price to close below the structure’s support, retest it as resistance, and drop to lower levels.

XRP’s Price Defends Macro Support

The analyst emphasized the importance of the $1.80 level, noting that XRP has been defending this territory for over a year and could lead to a new all-time high (ATH) rally.

“This is a macro accumulation zone, and we evidently also have two major levels of descending resistance for XRP,” he detailed, highlighting that when the first multi-month descending resistance broke, the altcoin rallied to a new all-time high.

It’s pretty simple: we have descending resistance on our heads at the moment, and we once had a point of contact on this resistance at the $2.40 high (…) So, at this moment in time, the simplicity tells us: break the descending resistance, and this is where XRP really starts gearing up for further expansion.

Based on this, ChartNerd asserted that if the altcoin defends the $1.80 macro support, then a similar rally is likely. Similarly, he pointed to a bullish reversal structure building below the key $2.70 resistance on XRP’s chart.

Per the post, the cryptocurrency formed a three-month falling wedge pattern that was broken out of during the early January rally. Now, the price is retesting the pattern’s breakout level as support and could be preparing to climb toward the level it started forming.

“So XRP just needs to defend the guard at $1.80, and this is where we could be looking for that sort of major expansion and looking to press back up to the target of $2.70,” before potentially challenging its pre-Q4 range, he concluded.

Dogecoin’s attempt to join the institutional ETF lineup is running into a basic problem: institutions may not want it. In a Jan. 22 conversation on the Crypto Prime podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart and host Nate Geraci who is also the President of NovaDius Wealth Management said spot Dogecoin ETFs have attracted “near zero” demand so far, an outcome they tied to who typically buys DOGE, and how financial advisers think about reputational risk inside client portfolios.

The Dogecoin datapoint landed inside a broader discussion about a crowded crypto ETF pipeline. Seyffart said his running tally of crypto ETF filings has climbed “over 150 unquestionably,” with many products spanning spot and derivatives, income overlays, buffers, and multi-asset structures. The surge, he argued, looks like issuers “throw[ing] the spaghetti at the wall” in 2026.

Dogecoin ETF Reality Check

But volume of filings doesn’t guarantee demand, and Dogecoin is the clearest example offered of that gap thus far. Pressed on which existing products stood out, Seyffart said “nothing really stands out,” before singling out Dogecoin as the exception, precisely because it has not resonated.

“The real honest answer is like nothing really stands out to me […] honestly if I have to pick one thing that kind of stands out, it’s probably that the Doge ETFs have gotten almost no interest whatsoever,” he said. He added that while some newer altcoin products have done “decently well,” Dogecoin has not.

My conversation w/ @JSeyff on current state of crypto ETFs…

We discuss: -Crypto ETF sentiment -150+ crypto-related ETF filings -Morgan Stanley crypto ETFs -BlackRock’s next move -Index & active crypto ETFs -Recent flows -What’s nexthttps://t.co/2TzJAnKXuK

via @CryptoPrimePod pic.twitter.com/mtDuuDirB7

— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) January 22, 2026

Seyffart and Geraci converged on a demand thesis: the marginal buyer of DOGE likely already has the tooling and habit set to buy it directly, rather than through an ETF wrapper.

“I remember talking to the guys at Bitwise. I was like, I don’t think anyone’s going to buy this,” Seyffart said. “But maybe I’m wrong. I’ve been wrong plenty of times before. But I mean, literally no one has bought like the Doge ETFs […] I had pretty low expectations, but I thought maybe they could get to a point where they’re slightly profitable.”

Seyffart pointed to Bitwise’s product—ticker BWOW—as an early scoreboard: “it’s under a million in assets right now,” he said, calling that “near zero demand.” He cautioned the funds are still new, noting the Bitwise product launched at the end of November, but framed the initial traction as “very minuscule.”

Geraci’s explanation was blunter: ”The people who buy that, in general, these are degens and they already know how to access this. They already have digital wallets. They don’t need an ETF to access this […]. And I think that’s going to be a lot of these other coins that are much further down the market cap spectrum.”

Geraci argued Dogecoin faces an additional headwind that doesn’t show up in crypto-native narratives but matters in the ETF market: advisers.

“The other aspect here […] is what I call client statement risk,” Geraci said. “So financial advisors, they’re the biggest driver of ETF flows. And so let’s take Dogecoin as an example […] If you’re a financial adviser and you have a Dogecoin ETF show up on a client statement […] it’s like a flashing red light saying, ‘Please fire me and go find another adviser.’”

That framing matters because the episode repeatedly returned to distribution realities. Seyffart said he’s most excited about basket and index-style crypto ETFs, in part because advisers don’t want to “pick those winners and losers” across a growing long tail of assets. In Geraci’s view, a basket is the “easy button” for professional allocators who want crypto exposure without underwriting each token’s story or defending it to clients.

Seyffart also suggested “what the actual chain is doing” can shape adviser appetite, contrasting niche infrastructure plays such as Chainlink, which he described as connecting DeFi and TradFi, against meme assets like DOGE, which he implied may be less “appetizing” for ETF buyers.

At press time, DOGE traded at $0.12479.

Crypto researcher Axel has provided insights into why the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana prices are still crashing. This comes as BTC continues to see a supply overhang, which threatens to put more downward pressure on crypto prices. 

Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana Prices Are Still Crashing

In a research report, Axel noted that anomalous exchange inflows accompanied the BTC breakdown below the $90,000 zone as sellers prepared in advance. The market is also still at risk of further selling pressure as the 1.0 level of the short-term holders’ SOPR is now acting as a resistance rather than support. As such, there is a possibility that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana prices will decline further. 

Further commenting on Bitcoin netflows into exchanges, Axel noted that between January 20 and 21, almost 17,000 BTC flowed into exchanges, coinciding with BTC dropping to as low as $87,000, while Ethereum and Solana prices also dropped. The crypto researcher explained that these anomalously high values followed a period of predominantly negative netflow in the first half of this month. 

In the context of the falling Bitcoin price, Axel stated that such a spike is more likely to reflect supply preparation than neutral transfers. In other words, the breakdown below $90,000 appears to be structural rather than emotional. Meanwhile, Bitcoin netflow returned to neutral levels yesterday, but the accumulated inflow still creates a supply overhang, which could lead to further declines in the prices of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. 

Axel noted that a signal of improvement would be if netflow turns negative again amid rising prices, which could indicate that the overhang has cleared. However, with the short-term holders’ 7-day SMA SOPR below 0.996, the crypto researcher suggested that BTC faces increased selling pressure on every recovery as these holders look to sell at breakeven. He added that a reversal trigger could be confirmed if the SOPR breaks above 1.0 from below, with the 7-day SMA holding unity for three to five days to filter out false spikes after the selloff. 

Why A Break Above $100,000 Looks Unlikely For Now

In its latest research report, on-chain analytics platform Glassnode explained that a Bitcoin rally above $100,000 looks unlikely for now as the supply overhang persists. They noted how this overhang supply above $98,000 remains the dominant sell-side force capping short to mid-term rebounds. 

Alluding to the Unspent Realized Price Distribution metric, Glassnode noted that the recent BTC rally has partially filled the prior air gap between $93,000 and $98,000, driven by redistribution from top buyers into newer market participants. 

However, the unresolved supply overhang is expected to likely cap attempts above the $98,400 short-term holders’ cost basis and the $100,000 level. A meaningful and sustained acceleration in demand momentum is said to be required for a clean breakout above $100,000 to occur.

21Shares has announced the launch of the first spot DOGE Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) backed by the Dogecoin Foundation, aiming to offer investors regulated, physically backed access to the largest memecoin by market capitalization.

Dogecoin Goes From Memecoin To Wall Street

On Wednesday, financial services company 21Shares announced the launch of its 21Shares Dogecoin ETF (TDOG) on Nasdaq to provide “a new way to gain physically-backed DOGE exposure in traditional portfolios.”

According to the announcement, the firm’s DOGE ETF is the only investment product of its category to be officially endorsed by the Dogecoin Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the ecosystem’s development.

Notably, two other spot DOGE ETFs are live: Grayscale’s GDOG and Bitwise’s BWOW. As reported by NewsBTC, the funds debuted in late November, becoming the first DOGE ETFs in the US market.

TDOG’s launch builds on 21Shares’ collaboration with the House of Doge, the corporate arm of the foundation supporting the ecosystem, to create new opportunities across the Dogecoin ecosystem.

The newly launched product will offer investors direct exposure to DOGE through a fully backed, transparent, and exchange-traded vehicle, holding the asset on a 1:1 basis in institutional-grade custody.

Regarding its decision to launch a DOGE ETF, 21Shares affirmed that the memecoin “captures the spirit of internet culture and continues to evolve in our digital economy.” Moreover, the firm argued that it has “helped onboard many new users to crypto, and for many people, this may serve as their first step into crypto.”

Federico Brokate, 21Shares’s Global Head of Business Development, stated that “Dogecoin is a unique asset with a global community and expanding real-world use cases,” adding that “TDOG offers investors regulated, physically backed exposure to DOGE through an ETF structure they already understand and trust.”

DOGE Prepares For New Rally

Analyst Bitcoinsensus suggested that the leading memecoin “could be on for a massive rally to the upside” based on its performance throughout this cycle. The market watcher explained that the cryptocurrency has been experiencing “mini cycles” since 2023, which have led to “bigger and bigger rallies.”

According to the chart, after its late 2022 pump, Dogecoin consolidated within a tight range before a 190% breakout in early 2024. Similarly, the memecoin repeated the same pattern throughout 2024, accumulating for months before a 480% breakout at the end of that year.

Now, DOGE has been consolidating within the $0.125-$0.280 price range for nearly a year, leading the analyst to believe that a breakout towards a higher target near the $0.750 level is possible.

Meanwhile, Trader Tardigrade also suggested that Dogecoin may be preparing for a massive breakout as it appears to be following its performance between late 2022 and 2024.

At the time, the cryptocurrency had apparently bottomed out but ultimately recorded another local low before reversing. Based on this, the analyst affirmed that the memecoin “might see a slightly lower low” in the coming weeks, before the next massive surge occurs.

As of this writing, Dogecoin is trading at $0.1249, a 1.75% decline in the daily timeframe.

Bitwise Asset Management is arguing that crypto’s current drawdown has the fingerprints of a cyclical low: weak prices alongside strengthening on-chain and business fundamentals, a pattern the firm says last appeared in Q1 2023 before a multi-year rally.

In its Q4 2025 “Crypto Market Review,” Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan frames the quarter as an unusually important inflection point precisely because the signals are not all moving in the same direction. “But sometimes—every once in a while—the charts are mixed,” Hougan wrote. “The last one I remember was Q1 2023. At the time, we were starting to rebound post-FTX, and the data was topsy-turvy; some up, some down, some sideways. In the two years that followed, crypto prices soared.”

Bitwise’s core claim rests on a divergence between market performance and usage metrics in Q4. The firm notes that Ethereum fell 29% over the quarter, even as Ethereum and Layer 2 transactions “soared to new all-time highs (up 24.5%).” Crypto equities also sold off, down 20% in Q4 by Bitwise’s measure while the underlying companies’ revenues were “on pace to grow 3x faster than any other sector of the stock market,” according to the report.

The price tape was undeniably heavy. The Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index fell 26.29% in Q4 and finished 2025 down 10.64% year-to-date; Bitcoin was down 23.48% in Q4 (down 6.26% in 2025), while Ethereum fell 28.59% in Q4 (down 11.03% in 2025).

Yet the report also shows the market retaining scale: total crypto market capitalization stood at roughly $2.78 trillion as of Dec. 31, with bitcoin representing 63.6% and ether about 12.9%.

Where Bitwise sees “green shoots” is in rails and revenue. The executive summary argues that “both stablecoin AUM and stablecoin transaction activity soared to new all-time highs,” presenting that as evidence a durable adoption wave is underway.

Four Crypto Catalysts Bitwise Is Watching In 2026

Bitwise argues the market’s next leg will be shaped less by narrative rotation and more by identifiable catalysts, starting with US market-structure legislation. “All eyes are on the CLARITY Act,” the report says, describing it as a Senate-moving bill that could provide a “strong regulatory foundation” but also carries the risk of a weaker outcome or no bill at all.

The second catalyst is what the firm calls a “stablecoin supercycle,” positioning stablecoins as payment infrastructure that is increasingly decoupled from directional crypto beta. Bitwise writes that 2025 annual stablecoin transaction volume topped $32 trillion, up 73% year-over-year, “more than doubling Visa’s volume through the first nine months of the year,” and says that data “confirm[s] their arrival in the mainstream.”

The third is macro, specifically the coming change at the Federal Reserve. Bitwise notes Chair Jerome Powell’s “looming departure in May,” giving President Trump an opportunity to appoint new leadership. Between named candidates Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett, Bitwise says Hassett is viewed as the more dovish on rates and fiscal policy, adding that a dovish appointment would increase the likelihood of rate cuts and “should drive crypto assets higher.”

The fourth is plumbing: distribution at major US wealth platforms. Bitwise points to “initial wirehouse ETF flows” following Q4 approvals, writing that financial advisors at three of the four major wirehouses gained access to crypto ETFs in Q4 after previously being barred from recommending exposure. Those advisors “control ~$16 trillion in assets,” and Bitwise expects early flows to start slowly in Q1 before accelerating.

Hougan stops short of calling any single variable decisive, but ties the bottom thesis to whether the underlying data keeps improving. He wrote he was drafting the memo on Jan. 16 after crypto had already begun posting strong early-year returns and added: “If the fundamental data in this report stays steady, I think that trend could continue.”

At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $3.00 trillion.

X is rolling out a feature called Starterpacks that will let new users follow ready-made groups of accounts tied to specific interests. It’s designed to make finding people to follow faster, and yes — that includes lists focused on Bitcoin and other crypto topics.

Reports say the company has spent months building these curated sets and plans to launch them in the coming weeks.

Starterpacks Include Crypto And Hundreds Of Categories

According To X’s product team, the feature will span more than 1,000 interest categories so people can join subject feeds without hunting around.

Some packs will pull together prominent Bitcoin commentators, active traders and market watchers so newcomers land in front of the right conversations quickly.

The idea echoes a feature that already exists on rival apps, but X’s lists are picked internally rather than built by users.

Over the last few months, we scoured the world for the top posters in every niche & country

We’ve compiled them into a new tool called Starterpacks: to help new users find the best accounts—big or small—for their interests

Reply below with a topic you’re most interested in… pic.twitter.com/MYIIQAaJaL

— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) January 21, 2026

Why Crypto Is Getting Special Attention

Reports note that crypto chatter on X cooled last year. Posts mentioning Bitcoin fell by a noticeable margin in 2025, according to platform watchers who track engagement.

That slide appears to have pushed product staff to make it easier to surface crypto creators again. The change is meant to reduce friction for users who want to jump into market talk without following dozens of accounts one by one.

A Look At How The Packs Work

Each Starterpack groups a small set of accounts around a theme. Users can accept a pack as a starting point and then add or remove people just like that.

Some packs will be regional, while others target hobbies or professional beats. The lists were assembled by the product team after a global search for active voices in each niche.

In practice, this means a newly joined user could pick a crypto pack and instantly follow a mix of analysts, podcasters and traders.

Community Reaction Has Been Mixed

Crypto users on X had already been vocal about visibility and moderation. A number of creators welcomed any effort that helps their posts reach new readers.

Other people worried that curated packs could favor certain voices over others or steer attention away from smaller accounts. Debate over how feeds are shaped is expected to continue as Starterpacks roll out.

What To Watch Next

Product updates will appear gradually. Reports say the rollout will start in the coming weeks, and X’s team will likely adjust the approach based on feedback.

For people who follow Bitcoin and crypto, Starterpacks could mean quicker discovery and more steady streams of market talk.

For the platform, it’s one more attempt to make joining feel less like starting from scratch.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

ARK Invest’s new roadmap puts a big number on the table, and it’s hard to ignore. Reports say Cathie Wood’s firm’s “Big Ideas 2026” research paints a scenario where the total value of crypto climbs to about $28 trillion by 2030.

Big Ideas Point To A Shift

According to ARK and its public writeups, that $28 trillion is not blind optimism. The firm breaks the future into three main drivers: Bitcoin, decentralized finance, and tokenized real-world assets.

Reports note Bitcoin could make up roughly 70% of that total, which would mean about $16 trillion in Bitcoin market cap by 2030.

DeFi And Tokenized Assets Take The Stage

DeFi platforms and smart-contract networks are expected to grow a lot. ARK’s scenario puts smart money and on-chain services as a major contributor to market value in the run up to 2030.

The firm also projects tokenized real-world assets — things like tokenized bonds, property shares, and other financial products moved onto ledgers — to climb into the trillions, with some reports pointing toward around $11 trillion for tokenization.

How Bitcoin Fits Into The Picture

Given the share ARK assigns to Bitcoin, the math pushes toward very large per-coin prices if that scenario plays out. Reports say ARK’s base case uses a little over 20 million Bitcoins in supply by 2030 and implies a per-coin price that could sit near the high hundreds of thousands — commonly quoted numbers range up to about $950,000 to $1,000,000 in that framework.

Fast Growth Assumptions

To reach $28 trillion, the forecast depends on very steep growth each year. ARK points to an implied compound annual growth rate near 61% from present levels to 2030. That is aggressive. It would mean rapid gains across many segments of the crypto market, not just a single rally.

Reports and industry analysts warn that the path to that future has a long list of hurdles. Regulation must become clearer in many places. Institutional rails and custody tools need to expand and prove reliable.

Market sentiment has to stay positive long enough for major capital flows to arrive. Any of these things going wrong would change the numbers quickly.

ARK’s “Big Ideas 2026” details a robust vision of a $28 trillion ecosystem driven by Bitcoin, DeFi, and tokenization. Although it holds a rather ambitious 61% growth trajectory riddled with numerous regulatory and market obstacles, the vision reinforces the faith of ARK Invest in the transformation of the digital asset space from being a speculative domain to the nucleus of the global finance system.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitwise’s take on the final months of 2025 reads like a careful, hopeful note rather than a loud market call. Momentum on the chains rose even as prices stalled, and that gap is exactly what has traders talking. Some think it marks a bottom. Others say it’s too soon to be sure.

Crypto: On-Chain Activity Surges

According to Bitwise, Ethereum activity and layer-two transactions climbed to new highs, and decentralized trading grew markedly. Stablecoin supplies also swelled, with the total market cap passing the $300 billion mark in Q4.

Reports note that decentralized exchange volumes at times matched or exceeded those of major centralized venues. These are hard numbers. They are signs that real use and liquidity are expanding under the surface.

The latest Bitwise Crypto Market Review just dropped—and it’s the most important one we’ve ever published.

Why? Because it shows a tension in crypto markets that has historically signaled a bear-market bottom (see Q1 2023).

Receipts: During Q4 2025…

– ETH’s price fell 29% ……

— Bitwise (@BitwiseInvest) January 21, 2026

Why Prices Have Lagged

Bitwise’s chief investment officer, Matt Hougan, compared this setup to early 2023 when prices trailed rising fundamentals before a significant rebound took hold over the following two years.

The comparison makes sense on paper. Price can be stubborn. Market psychology often lags behind on-chain realities, and traders sometimes wait for a clearer macro story before committing capital.

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee offers a counterpoint, saying the year could be bumpy until late, with tariffs and political tensions weighing on risk appetite. That view keeps many investors cautious.

Crypto, Stablecoins And DeFi At The Center

According to market data, flows into stablecoins accelerated, and fund inflows to crypto firms outpaced several other sectors in the stock market. DeFi use was no longer a niche metric; it was central to the Q4 narrative.

“That’s the type of divergence you get at the bottom of bear markets, when sentiment is down but fundamentals are up,” Hougan said.

Some infrastructure firms reported rising revenues. At the same time, trading volumes remained muted compared with the peaks seen earlier, which helps explain the mismatch between on-chain strength and sideways price action.

Why This Might Matter For 2026

Bitwise highlighted 10 broad indicators it sees as health signs for the market, ranging from transaction counts to custody and fee trends. Progress on regulatory clarity was also flagged.

Reports say the Clarity Act could change how stablecoins are treated in the US, and a new US Federal Reserve chair could shift policy in ways that matter for risk assets.

Bitwise sees Q4 as a quiet period where things were improving behind the scenes, even if prices didn’t show it. The firm says this kind of gap between price and activity has happened before big rebounds. It doesn’t mean a rally will happen right away, but the market could be setting itself up for a stronger year ahead.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A governance vote at World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi project marketed around the Trump brand, is drawing allegations of “slow” value extraction after a prominent trader claimed affiliated wallets pushed through a proposal while many public holders remained unable to access or vote with their tokens.

DeFi^2 (@DeFiSquared), who describes himself as the #1 ranked trader on Bybit in 2023 and 2024, wrote on X that he was “bringing up an alarming governance vote by World Liberty Fi this month that appears to be the start of a slow extraction of value from WLFI holders by the team.”

World Liberty Fi Hit With ‘Rigged Vote’ Claims

DeFiSquared wrote: “What you see above appears to be a rigged vote, where the majority of top voters are indicated to be team wallets or strategic partner wallets by Bubble Maps. This is in contrast to the real voters lower in the screenshot, who have all been locked from accessing their WLFI tokens since TGE, and unable to vote on an unlock until the team allows it.”

The proposal at the center of the thread is what he calls the “USD1 growth proposal.” He argues it reads as “fairly mundane” on its face, but says the governance sequencing is the tell: “why would the team go out of their way to force this vote through, instead of voting on the WLFI token unlock that the majority of holders are asking for?”

His thesis hinges on WLFI economics. DeFiSquared claims WLFI holders “are not entitled to ANY protocol revenue at all,” and says the project’s “Gold Paper” specifies revenue routing: “75% of protocol revenue goes to the Trump family, and 25% goes to the Witkoff family.” In his framing, that creates a perverse incentive: “It’s actually as crazy as it sounds: the team is forcing a vote to sell WLFI tokens at the expense of locked holders, in order to fund protocol revenue that goes only to themselves.”

He also alleges the vote’s outcome was manufactured late in the process. “This vote was actually failing by the time it reached quorum with a majority of votes rejecting the proposal, until the team / partners forced the vote through,” he wrote, adding token allocation context: “the WLFI team is allocated 33.5% of all tokens and strategic partners another 5.85%, while the public sale was allocated only 20%.”

Post-vote, he points to on-chain flows as corroboration, citing “fresh transfers such as this one of 500 million WLFI tokens to Jump Trading,” while “investor WLFI allocations remain forcibly locked.”

DeFiSquared closes with a valuation and positioning call: “it’s difficult to see the intrinsic value behind a 17 billion dollar token that has no real governance power, no revenue share, and new foundation sell pressure occurring for their own benefit.” He adds he has shorted WLFI “on and off since pre-market prices above $0.34,” and expects continued downside “due to dilution, intentional extraction,” and “other factors related to Trump’s final term in office.”

At press time, WLFI traded at $0.1608.

A year after reaching its all-time high (ATH), Solana (SOL) is trading 54.3% below its $293 2025 milestone, attempting to hold a crucial zone as support. Some analysts warned that the altcoin could risk a deeper correction if the price fails to recover the recently lost ground.

Solana Breaks Below Key Support

On Sunday, Solana recorded an 8% pullback and hit a two-week low of $130. Since losing the $200 phycological barrier in late October, the cryptocurrency has struggled to hold bullish momentum, hovering between the $115-$145 levels over the past three months.

The start-of-the-year rally saw SOL break out of its multi-month downtrend, reclaim the upper zone of its local range, and briefly breach above the key $145 resistance last week. However, Sunday’s market pullback has sent Solana back below key areas.

Amid this performance, market observer BitGuru affirmed in an X analysis that the cryptocurrency “just swept liquidity into a strong demand zone after a clean structure breakdown.”

He explained that the price is attempting to rebound from its local support area, which could trigger a “sharp relief move toward previous highs” if the price can hold the current levels.

Meanwhile, analyst Man of Bitcoin noted that the altcoin’s price broke below its two-week ascending trendline, which had been supporting its 17% surge from its yearly opening. Moreover, it also dropped below the $136 mark, where the price had consistently bounced after the recent breakout.

The market observer pointed out that Solana’s short-term support sits between the $129-$136 area, adding that a breach and sustained breakdown from this area would spell trouble for the cryptocurrency.

According to the chart, if selling pressure persists and Solana fails to reclaim the recently lost ground, the price could see a scenario where it retraces deeper and potentially falls up to 25% to challenge the $100 area.

Analysts Warn Of Head And Shoulder Pattern

Other market watchers highlighted a macro pattern on Solana’s chart, suggesting that a breakdown to new lows could be coming. Notably, the altcoin displays a two-year Head and Shoulders formation in the weekly timeframe.

According to the chart, this bearish pattern has been forming since 2024, with the left shoulder developing during the Q1-Q2 2024 rally and the neckline sitting around the $120 area.

Meanwhile, the pattern’s head formed during its late 2024 and early 2025 bullish run, which led to its ATH of $293 a year ago. Lastly, the right shoulder developed after the Q3 2025 rally and Q4 correction.

Based on this performance, trader Slashology affirmed that Solana is “really looking bad here,” warning that investors should “prepare for the worst” as the price trades near the pattern’s neckline.

He forecasted that a breakdown from this key level could lead to a 35%-40% “bloodbath” toward the $75-$80 levels. On the contrary, market observer Crypto Curb suggested a different outcome could be possible.

In an X post, he compared SOL’s recent performance to the S&P 500 (SPX) price action between 2009 and 2011. Per the post, SPX displayed the same pattern as Solana, but ultimately invalidated the pattern after bouncing from the neckline and breaking above the right shoulder’s peak, eventually reaching new highs.

To the analyst, the altcoin could display a similar performance if it rebounds from the current levels and starts to climb higher.

As of this writing, Solana is trading at $134, a 5.6% decline in the daily timeframe.

Bitcoin slid to $91,920 late Sunday in New York, down 3.8% from roughly $95,500, as a sharp risk-off impulse hit crypto markets and quickly bled into high beta majors. Ether fell as much as 5.3% to $3,177, while XRP and Solana underperformed with drawdowns of 10.4% to $1.847 and 9% to $130, respectively, as leveraged positioning was forced out.

Why Is Bitcoin And Crypto Down Today?

The immediate catalyst was a geopolitics-to-trade headline that landed into a weekend liquidity window: President Donald Trump said the US would impose additional 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland starting Feb. 1, escalating to 25% on June 1 unless a deal is reached for the US to acquire Greenland.

European officials framed the move as coercive and signaled a coordinated response. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel called the threat “blackmail,” adding: “It’s not necessary. It doesn’t help the alliance (NATO).” The targeted countries, many of them NATO allies, issued a stark pushback warning that tariff threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” while EU representatives convened emergency talks over potential retaliation. France’s President Macron threatened EU’s “anti-coercion instrument.”

BREAKING: France’s President Macron calls for the EU to activate its “most potent trade weapon” against the US after President Trump’s tariff threat over Greenland.

Macron is now calling for the use of the EU’s “anti-coercion instrument.”

If used against the US, it would… pic.twitter.com/E47Bpe03lK

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) January 18, 2026

For Bitcoin and the entire crypto market, the significance isn’t the tariff math in isolation; it’s the abrupt repricing of global growth and policy risk. When macro traders de-risk into headlines like this, liquid markets tend to transmit the shock first and crypto, with its 24/7 structure and deep derivatives footprint, often becomes the pressure valve.

On-chain and venue-level indicators suggested the sell pressure was not simply offshore flow. CryptoQuant analyst Mignolet pointed to an elevated “CPG” (Coinbase Premium Gap), a metric tracking the price differential between Coinbase’s USD market and Binance’s USDT market that is often read as a proxy for US-led demand or supply.

“We’re seeing the strongest selling premium (CPG) in recent periods. Since the ETF market was not open at the time, this selling pressure is coming from US whales operating outside of ETFs. It’s one of the traditional selling patterns we’ve seen repeatedly in the past,” Mignolet wrote in a CryptoQuant note.

That framing matters because it implies the move wasn’t driven by ETF creations/redemptions, so the marginal seller was active in spot/OTC and derivatives channels that remain open through the weekend.

Once spot price slipped through key levels, futures mechanics did the rest. Coinglass data showed 249.422 traders were liquidated, the total liquidations coming in at $874.93 million over the past 24 hours. Longs accounted for $787.92 million versus $87.01 million in shorts, an asymmetric wipeout that typically reflects crowded long exposure being force-closed into falling prices.

At press time, Bitcoin recovered to $93,000.

While XRP retests a crucial support area, some analysts have suggested that the altcoin is preparing for a massive expansion in the coming months, as a potential trend reversal begins to form and its 2017 formula repeats.

XRP Gears Up For Massive Expansion

On Friday, XRP reached a 12-day low, falling to the $2.02 area before bouncing. Notably, the cryptocurrency has been trading within the $2.05-$2.35 area for nearly two weeks, moving between the mid and lower zones of this price range for most of this period.

Amid its recent performance, Sjuul from AltCryptoGems noted that the altcoin “is starting to look better, especially after that bullish market structure break with a fresh higher high.” The analyst highlighted that the cryptocurrency has been consistently trending lower since August, exclusively printing lower lows and lower highs.

However, it has broken out of this structure and recorded a higher high for the first time in months after the start-of-the-year rally, setting the stage for a potential reversal. “Now, we have to maintain this bullish structure at any cost and form a higher low on the next dip,” Sjuul warned.

Meanwhile, market observer ChartNerd pointed to a striking similarity between XRP’s 2017 playbook and its current performance. In an X post, the analyst affirmed that the altcoin is repeating its 2016-2017 formula, which led to a massive rally toward its previous all-time high (ATH).

At the time, XRP saw a textbook multi-year symmetrical triangle formation breakout, followed by a multi-month ABC consolidation before its 1,500% mark-up. This time, the cryptocurrency has repeated a similar symmetrical triangle pattern breakout, and it is currently in Wave C of its ABC consolidation period.

To the analyst, a deeper Wave C retracement is possible if the multi-month $1.80 support is lost. Nonetheless, he added that “cycle formula repetition signals XRP is gearing up for expansion towards $8/$13/$27,” which would be a 300%-1,250% increase from the current levels.

Q1 Close To Define XRP’s Future

Despite his bullish forecast, ChartNerd also shared an important warning for the next two months. According to the analyst, “XRP has just over 2 months to invalidate this 3M bearish Heikin-Ashi candle formation,” or it will risk a massive correction.

In a video analysis, he explained that, in the past, whenever the altcoin saw massive rallies followed by a red bearish candle on the three-month timeframe, it would “normally indicate the start of a downtrend or a macro consolidation period.”

In 2014, XRP saw a bearish candle print in the three-month timeframe after a remarkable pump, which was followed by a correction and consolidation “for quite a couple of years,” he explained.

“The same happened again in 2018. We had this massive rally for XRP, and as soon as we printed a three-month bearish candle in the Heikin-Ashi Candle formation, (…) we entered into the bear market,” ChartNerd continued.

Similarly, the cryptocurrency repeated the same performance in 2021. Now, XRP is starting to form a red candle in this timeframe and has approximately 2 months and 16 days to close the quarter on a positive note.

“We have until March before this candle closes. (…) So, what we don’t want to see is this full-bodied three-month Heikin-Ashi Candle, because if we see it, this is where we are likely to see a deeper correction for the next six to nine and even 12 months,” the analyst concluded.

As of this writing, XRP is trading at $2.05, a 1.7% decline in the weekly timeframe.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (COIN) recently retracted its support for the latest iteration of the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, just 24 hours before a crucial markup was scheduled. 

This signals significant concerns about the bill’s alignment with the interests of cryptocurrency firms compared to traditional banking institutions, not only for the exchange but also for broader market participants.

Coinbase CEO’s Concerns Over Fair Competition

On Friday, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong elaborated on the rationale behind the exchange’s withdrawal in an appearance on FOX Business, expressing his frustration with the notion that banks could use regulatory means to stifle competition in their favor. 

“It just felt deeply unfair to me that one industry [banks] would come in and get to do regulatory capture to ban their competition,” Armstrong stated. He also underscored the importance of a level playing field, asserting that competition should thrive without undue interference from powerful financial entities.

Coinbase CEO emphasized that his concerns resonate with “much of the industry,” highlighting his obligation to advocate for customers who he believes are being shortchanged by the provisions of the proposed market legislation. 

“I declined to opine on the exact—whether the hearing, the markup should happen or not… But I did feel like I had to speak up on behalf of our customers and all Americans here,” he articulated.

Debate Heats Over CLARITY Act

Central to the ongoing debate surrounding the CLARITY Act is a critical disagreement between banks and crypto firms regarding the fate of stablecoin holders and whether they should be entitled to receive reward payments. 

Armstrong has previously raised alarms that the bill might prohibit tokenized equities, impose restrictions on decentralized finance (DeFi), and expand governmental access to financial data, thereby compromising individual privacy. 

Furthermore, he warned that the legislation could shift regulatory authority away from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and towards the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), sidelining competition within the crypto space.

Armstrong Critiques Banking Lobbying Tactics

Armstrong noted the irony in the current situation, pointing out that while banks are indeed leveraging the advantages of cryptocurrency, their lobbying efforts seem aimed at restricting competing firms. 

“Many of these banks are actually very smart,” he acknowledged, referencing the commercial side of banking that is increasingly engaging with crypto. “They’re actually doing deals with Coinbase. We’re powering a lot of crypto and stablecoin infrastructure for them on the commercial side.”

Despite his criticisms of the banking sector’s lobbying tactics, Armstrong expressed optimism that legislators could ultimately resolve the outstanding issues within the crypto market structure bill:

And then their lobbying arm comes to D.C. and thinks of it as very zero-sum and is trying to kill the competition. So, I suspect, like many things, if we get the principles in the room, we can actually get this figured out and make a good deal.

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

According to CoinGecko’s annual report, crypto treasury companies were among the year’s biggest buyers even as prices fell. Their balance sheets grew sharply, and their actions left a clear mark on supply and markets. The numbers tell a story of heavy buying, pause, and then corporate moves to protect share value.

Large Treasury Buying Spree

Reports have disclosed that these treasury firms deployed close to $50 billion into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other tokens during 2025. At the start of the year, treasuries held more than $56 billion in crypto.

By January one, 2026, that figure had risen to $134 billion — a gain of 137%. This buying helped push institutional ownership higher, with treasuries holding more than 5% of both Bitcoin and Ethereum supply by year-end.

Public companies alone raised their Bitcoin reserves from about 598,714 coins to more than 1 million, an increase near 500,000 BTC.

Market Drop Came Late In The Year

The broader market did not keep its earlier momentum. Total crypto value fell almost 8% in 2025 and finished the year near $3 trillion. Most of the damage came late.

2025 Annual Crypto Industry Report is now LIVE

Last year marked crypto’s first down year since 2022, featuring a brief $4.4T peak in Q4 before a historic $19B liquidation ended the year at $3.0T.

Here are 7 key highlights you shouldn’t miss pic.twitter.com/HLbI5BrzwN

— CoinGecko (@coingecko) January 15, 2026

The market shed almost a quarter of its value in the last three months, and a liquidation wave near $19 billion in October sped the decline after total market value briefly hit about $4.4 trillion.

Bitcoin slipped roughly 1.4% to near $95,300 at one point as investors weighed policy moves in the US and shifting rate expectations.

Supply Now Held By Treasuries

By the start of 2026, treasuries were holding more than 1 million Bitcoin and 6 million ETH. That concentration matters because assets put on corporate books are less likely to be traded frequently.

When large shares of supply are locked up, price swings can be smaller in calm times, but the effect can flip if selling is forced.

Companies Shifted Strategy When Stocks Fell

When prices fell in the fourth quarter, some treasury firms saw their share prices dip below the value of their crypto holdings. To support their stock, many paused buying and turned to share buybacks.

That action slowed the pace of token purchases. The move was traditional: protect investors’ equity value rather than add more tokens into a weakening market.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

As Iran’s economy continues to strain under heavy sanctions, high inflation, and a weakening currency, many citizens are turning to crypto as an alternative financial lifeline.

Recent blockchain data shows a sharp rise in Bitcoin withdrawals and transfers to personal wallets, particularly during periods of unrest and internet restrictions. For many Iranians, digital assets now serve both as a hedge against currency collapse and a way to move funds beyond government-controlled systems.

The Iranian rial has lost around 90% of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2018, while inflation has hovered between 40% and 50%. In response, crypto usage has grown steadily, with Iran’s total cryptocurrency activity reaching an estimated $7.78 billion in 2025, according to Chainalysis.

Bitcoin Use Rises During Protests and Internet Blackouts

Crypto activity surged during mass protests that began in late December 2025, triggered by rising living costs and currency devaluation. As demonstrations spread, authorities imposed internet shutdowns and tightened financial controls.

During this period, blockchain data showed higher average daily transaction values and a notable increase in transfers from Iranian exchanges to self-custodied Bitcoin wallets.

Smaller withdrawals, often associated with individual users, recorded some of the strongest growth. Medium and large transfers also increased, suggesting that both households and businesses were seeking to move funds out of local platforms.

Bitcoin’s appeal lies in its ability to be stored and transferred without relying on domestic banks or state oversight. For Iranians facing restrictions on access to cash, foreign currency, or international transfers, crypto offers a way to preserve value and maintain some financial mobility.

Crypto’s Dual Role: Citizens and State Actors

While ordinary Iranians are using cryptocurrencies to protect savings, state-linked actors are also active in the digital asset space.

Wallets associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accounted for more than half of the country’s crypto transaction value in the final quarter of 2025. These wallets received over $3 billion during the year, up from around $2 billion in 2024.

Western authorities believe the IRGC uses cryptocurrencies to bypass sanctions, move funds across borders, and support regional operations. Chainalysis notes that these figures likely underestimate the true scale, as many affiliated wallets and networks remain unidentified.

At the same time, spikes in Iranian crypto activity have closely followed major political and security events, including the Kerman bombings in 2024, missile strikes in October 2024, and a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that disrupted Iran’s largest crypto exchange and a major state bank.

A Growing Dependence on Digital Assets

For many Iranians, cryptos have become more than a speculative asset. They are increasingly used as a tool for financial survival in an economy marked by inflation, sanctions, and limited access to global markets. Bitcoin’s censorship resistance and portability make it especially attractive during periods of unrest or capital controls.

As economic pressures persist and geopolitical tensions remain high, blockchain analysts expect crypto usage in Iran to continue rising. Whether as a means of preserving personal wealth or navigating sanctions, digital assets are now a central part of Iran’s financial landscape.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

The market mood in crypto cooled sharply after a quick spike in optimism. According to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, the reading fell by 12 points on Friday, dropping from 61 to 49.

That swing moved the gauge from “greed” into a “neutral” zone in a single session. Bitcoin had jumped about 4.5% earlier in the week to roughly $97,700, which helped push sentiment higher, but the focus shifted toward politics and lawmaking in Washington.

Regulatory Concerns Shake Markets

Based on reports, the main trigger was debate over a Senate version of a long-awaited crypto market structure bill. The measure would set out how US regulators oversee digital assets and includes language that would tighten rules around stablecoin yields.

Several lobbyists and executives raised alarms about those provisions. Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, withdrew his backing, saying the proposal would be worse than the current setup and that a bad law would be harmful.

After the backlash, the Senate Banking Committee cancelled its planned markup and the Senate Agriculture Committee moved its session to late January while lawmakers seek more support.

Social Media Sentiment Shifts As Traders React

According to crypto analytics firm Santiment, the market activity had two different trends at once: larger holders were building positions while smaller, retail traders were selling.

Social chatter began to reflect worry after the regulatory news, even as on-chain data showed accumulation by more experienced wallets.

The index’s peak earlier in the week was the highest since it reached 64 on October 10, the same day a market crash triggered over $19 billion in liquidations. Those past losses still hang in investors’ memories.

Smart Money Buys While Retail Sells

Reports have disclosed that smart money accumulation can support prices, but headlines shape short-term moods. Bitcoin was trading at about $95,642 at the time of publication, down around 0.02% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.

That small move shows market resilience, yet the sentiment measure’s drop demonstrates how fragile confidence can be when policy doubts emerge. Many traders watch Washington closely, sometimes even more closely than charts.

Delay Seen As Chance By Some Industry Players

A segment of the industry read the postponements as constructive.

David Sacks, who advises on crypto matters at the White House, said the pause could help close gaps between stakeholders and bring the bill closer to something workable.

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, kept engaging with lawmakers and described the delay as an opening to improve the text.

Those views contrast with more alarmed voices and help explain the mixed market reaction.

Featured image from The Drive, chart from TradingView

Dogecoin (DOGE) is trying to base on higher timeframes as Cantonese Cat points to a potential inverse head-and-shoulders on the daily, with price compressing just beneath a defined resistance shelf while holding a nearby demand zone.

Dogecoin Breakout Could Target $0.19

In a daily chart (DOGE/USD, Binance) shared via X on Jan. 16, Cantonese Cat overlays an inverse head-and-shoulders schematic: a left shoulder in early December, a deeper “head” into late December near the mid-$0.11s, and a developing right shoulder as price rotates lower after the early-January spike.

The key feature on that daily view is a highlighted “Buy order block” spanning roughly $0.1250 to $0.1350. Price is shown pulling back toward the top of that block after failing to hold the most recent push higher, which places the current trade location in a classic “right shoulder” area if the pattern is going to remain constructive.

Above the current spot price, the chart marks a horizontal grey resistance (“the shoulder”) band at roughly $0.149–$0.152. This is the area DOGE needs to reclaim for the inverse H&S thesis to transition from “forming” to “triggering,” because it has acted as supply on recent tests.

Using Cantonese Cat’s daily inverse head-and-shoulders chart, the measured move is the neckline minus the head low, projected upward from the neckline: the neckline is the grey supply band centered near $0.151 (label on the axis), while the head prints at roughly $0.116. That gives a height of about $0.035, implying a pattern target near $0.186.

Notably, that objective runs directly into the chart’s overhead red supply zone, which begins around $0.175 and extends up toward $0.19, making that area the first obvious region where a confirmed breakout would be expected to meet meaningful resistance.

DOGE 2-Day Bollinger Bands Signal Momentum

Notably, the Bollinger Bands on the 2-day chart support the mid-term bullish thesis. On Tuesday, Cantonese Cat highlighted that DOGE is trading above the Bollinger basis around $0.1343, while the upper band is near $0.1526 and the lower band near $0.1160.

Cantonese Cat summarized the idea succinctly: “Price wanting to hang out at the top part of the Bollinger band? We have a chance here?” In practice, the “top part” framing matters because it’s a momentum tell. After an extended decline, sustained closes above the basis and into the upper half of the bands can signal that sellers are no longer controlling the volatility profile, even before price clears the obvious horizontal resistance.

That said, the 2D view also makes the immediate problem clear: the upper band sits close to the same zone highlighted on the daily as resistance. In other words, the bullish thesis is not just “hold support,” but “prove it” with acceptance above the $0.15–$0.152 region.

If DOGE continues to defend the $0.1250–$0.1350 buy-side block and reclaims the $0.149–$0.152 supply band, the inverse head-and-shoulders thesis gains credibility. The next areas the chart itself flags are the higher supply zones around $0.175 and the upper-$0.18s region, where prior selling pressure was visible.

If price loses the buy order block, the pattern read weakens materially. In that case, the Bollinger structure on the 2D chart points attention back toward the lower band region near $0.1160 and the late-December lows.

At press time, DOGE traded at $0.139.

According to Wintermute’s 2025 Digital Asset OTC Markets report, altcoin rallies last year were much shorter than traders expected, averaging about 19–20 days. That is a steep drop from the roughly 60-day runs seen in 2024.

Market flows tightened, and many smaller tokens saw gains vanish faster than before. The result: capital moved back into the big names — Bitcoin and Ethereum — where liquidity is deeper.

Altcoin Open Interest Drops

Based on reports, one key trigger was a sharp deleveraging on October 10, 2025, which pushed retail traders to reduce risk and rotate out of smaller tokens.

Open interest in many altcoin futures contracts fell, with some coverage noting about a 55% decline in altcoin futures open interest since October.

Trading desks said lower liquidity made it harder for rallies to keep going beyond a few weeks, turning what used to be multi-month moves into short bursts.

Major Coins Reclaimed Center Stage

Institutional flows and product structures played a role. Reports have disclosed that ETFs and other institutional channels helped funnel funds toward Bitcoin and Ethereum. As a result, the market’s attention narrowed.

Where narratives once pushed dozens of tokens into rallies, more capital was now concentrated in the top tier. Traders say they preferred assets where orders could be filled without dramatically moving the price.

Short, Intense Moves Replaced Long Trends

Wintermute’s analysis points to a change in how momentum forms. Rally drivers became more tactical and less about broad, lasting narratives. In practice, that meant memecoin pumps and exchange-themed rallies burned out quickly.

Some traders described these moves as hair-trigger events: quick upswings followed by equally rapid retracements. Liquidity bands tightened and stops were hit sooner than in past cycles.

What Traders And Firms Are Watching

Market participants say the path to a sustained altcoin season now requires a few things aligning. Reports indicate renewed retail interest, clearer institutional support for smaller tokens, and calmer macro markets could help.

Otherwise, rallies are likely to remain short. Execution desks reported that when big buyers reappeared for a token, it could run fast, but keeping that momentum proved difficult without deeper market participation.

Outlook For 2026

Based on the report and market commentary, a broader crypto rebound in 2026 depends on several moving parts: interest from institutions, shifts in macro rates, and retail returning to risk-on strategies.

If those elements arrive, rallies might last longer than the 19–20 day average seen in 2025. If not, traders say the pattern of quick, sharp moves into the majors will continue.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Leading derivatives exchange CME plans to add futures contracts tied to Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) to continue growing its roster of regulated crypto derivatives.

CME Adds New Altcoins To Crypto Derivatives Lineup

On Thursday, Chicago-based derivatives exchange CME Group announced a new expansion of its lineup of regulated crypto derivatives with the upcoming inclusion of Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar futures.

According to the announcement, the new crypto additions are expected to launch on February 9, 2026, although they are still pending regulatory review. In addition, they will offer both micro-sized and larger-sized contracts for the three cryptocurrencies.

For the standard Cardano futures, the contract will cover 100,000 ADA, while the micro-sized ADA futures will consist of 10,000 tokens. In addition, the Chainlink and Stellar’s large-sized futures will be set at 5,000 LINK and 250,000 XLM, respectively, while the small-sized contracts will cover 250 LINK and 12,500 XLM.

The upcoming Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar futures contracts build on the derivatives exchange’s existing crypto suite, which includes four of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

In 2017, CME first launched Bitcoin (BTC) futures, followed by the introduction of Ethereum (ETH) futures in 2021. In the first half of 2025, the Chicago-based exchange added Solana (SOL) and XRP futures to its lineup, introducing options for both cryptocurrencies later in the year.

Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products, highlighted the industry’s expansion and development over the past few years, affirming that “given crypto’s record growth over the last year, clients are looking for trusted, regulated products to manage price risk as well as additional tools to gain exposure to this dynamic market.”

“With these new micro- and larger-size Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar futures contracts, market participants will now have greater choice with enhanced flexibility and more capital-efficiencies,” he added.

Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar Price Reaction

Despite the positive development, the trajectory of ADA, LINK, and XLM remained mostly unchanged, with the three altcoins continuing their intraday correction. Chainlink and Stellar both saw 4% declines from their Thursday highs, falling to the $13.60 and $0.225 levels.

LINK has momentarily lost the $13.80 level as support and is attempting to hold the current area to prevent further bleeding. Similarly, XLM was also rejected from the Wednesday highs and bounced from the $0.230 before continuing its descent toward its two-day low.

Meanwhile, ADA was attempting to reclaim the $0.41 area ahead of the announcement, briefly bouncing from the recent pullback. Notably, Cardano surged over 10% from the recent lows toward the crucial $0.42-$0.43 area.

However, the altcoin was rejected from this zone on Wednesday, retracing nearly 9% from the local highs to retest the $0.40 level. On Thursday morning, the cryptocurrency bounced from this area, but ultimately resumed its correction as the day progressed.

As a result, Cardano has retraced most of this week’s gains, currently trading around the $0.391 mark.