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

Open Interest Across Exchanges Falls To $17 Billion

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

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

What’s Happening On Binance?

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

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

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

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

Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com

In the past three days, the price of Bitcoin has moved between $88,000 to $90,000, indicating a rather stable market with little volatility. This ongoing price consolidation comes after the leading cryptocurrency suffered a significant setback in its goal to reclaim its psychological six-figure valuation.

During the week, Bitcoin prices fell from around $96,000 to below $88,000, establishing a new yearly low for 2026. However, amid this discouraging price action, the underlying on-chain data suggests a developing exhaustion among market bears, thus hinting at a highly-anticipated trend reversal.

Market Optimism Despite Negative Reading

In a recent QuickTake post, popular analyst Burak Kesmeci shares insight on a potential bullish reversal in the Bitcoin market following recent changes in the Growth Rate Difference – an on-chain metric that measures variation between the asset’s market cap growth rate and realized cap growth rate. 

For context, the market cap reflects the total market value of an asset, determined by price and circulating supply. Therefore, it’s often a speculative indicator. Conversely, the realized cap measures the actual capital inflows to an asset. It’s a slow-moving, structural metric, and it’s best for ascertaining capital commitment and the underlying market strength.

When the Bitcoin Growth Rate Difference is positive, it indicates a bull market, as speculative demand exceeds actual capital inflows. On the other hand, a negative value suggests that price growth is slower than real money inflows, which are characteristic of a bearish or consolidatory market.

According to Kesmeci, the Bitcoin Growth Rate Difference has been negative since October 30, suggesting investors have been in a bear market over the last three months. During this time, prices have famously crashed by over 17%. 

However, the Growth Rate Difference has also increased from -0.0013 on November 22nd to -0.0009 on January 24, suggesting a budding resurgence in speculation and price growth. Moreover, this development also indicates that bearish fatigue is setting in, paving the way for a bullish market rebound. Nevertheless, a clean break above the 0 midline to confirm entry into bull territory and on-chain support for upside momentum.

Bitcoin Price Overview

At press time, Bitcoin is valued at $89,223, reflecting a minor loss of 0.25% in the last day. Meanwhile, the daily trading volume is down by 58.72,% indicating that most market participants are less willing to engage the market at the moment, thus explaining the sluggish price action. 

The Bitcoin price is showing signs of history repeating itself, as current price action mirrors key patterns from the 2021 cluster. With resistance near $91,000–$92,000 and the macro downtrend looming, traders are watching closely to see if BTC will break higher or face renewed pressure. The coming days could prove decisive in shaping the next major move.

Bitcoin Mirrors 2021 Cluster: History In Motion

Bitcoin continues to mirror the price patterns seen during the 2021 cluster. Crypto analyst Rekt Capital noted that the current market structure is echoing historical behavior, suggesting that similar dynamics are at play. Traders are closely watching these familiar patterns to gauge whether the cycle is repeating itself or if new trends may emerge.

The rules of the game remain consistent. A bearish acceleration would likely be triggered if Bitcoin breaks down from the macro descending triangle base, currently positioned around $82,000. Conversely, a bullish bias would require a decisive break above the macro downtrend, which sits near $100,000. These levels serve as critical decision points for the market, dictating whether bulls or bears gain control in the coming sessions.

So far, Bitcoin has encountered rejection in the high $90,000s, falling just short of the macro downtrend. This mirrors previous market behavior, in which the asset developed a basing structure near the triangle’s base before attempting to push higher toward the downtrend’s upper boundary. It demonstrates that history is repeating itself for now, with the market consolidating and preparing for its next directional move.

If the macro downtrend continues to act as resistance, the triangle’s base may gradually weaken over time. Such a development would increase the risk of further downside, making the reaction at both the base and the downtrend crucial. 

BTC Surpasses $91,000 Before Facing Selling Pressure

In a recent market update by Ted, it was noted that while Bitcoin broke above the $91,000 threshold yesterday, the rally met significant resistance. Sellers entered the market with substantial force at these local highs, effectively capping the momentum and preventing a sustained breakout.

As a result of this rejection, Bitcoin has retreated into the “no-trading zone.” Ted suggests that this period of sideways price action is likely to persist through the next couple of days, largely driven by the typical low-liquidity environment seen during the weekend.

Looking ahead, the outlook remains cautious. Ted emphasizes that any upward movements will likely be short-lived until BTC can decisively clear the $91,000 to $92,000 resistance zone. Meanwhile, such a move must be backed by strong spot demand to prove its validity.

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

UBS To Offer Bitcoin Trading To Some Wealth Clients

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The XRP Ledger has entered a new phase of innovation as Ripple integrates to bring together two of the most powerful technology trends shaping the global economy. Long known for its speed, low transaction costs, and enterprise-grade reliability, the Ledger is now expanding beyond payments to data-driven and automated financial applications. By merging AI with decentralized settlement, Ripple is positioning the Ledger to support smarter workflows and more efficient liquidity management.

How Ripple Is Embedding Intelligence Into On-Chain Systems

An analyst known as SMQKE on X has shared a case study of an AI implementation in the cross-border payment, in which Ripple has successfully combined blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of global transactions.  As a leading provider of real-time cross-border payment solutions, Ripple leverages the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain that enables real-time cross-border settlement. 

Related Reading: Surge In XRP Transactions: 1.45 Million Daily Users Could Signal Price Rally Ahead, Says Expert

What sets this integration apart is the use of AI to optimize transaction flows and routing decisions in real time. Ripple AI-powered systems continuously process large volumes of payment data in real time, allowing financial institutions to make dynamic decisions on the most effective payment paths. 

BlackRock is now using Ripple’s RLUSD as collateral, which is extremely bullish for XRP. JackTheRippler revealed that the altcoin is being positioned as the future infrastructure, which is being built with the potential to hit over $10,000 per coin. With the REAL token launching on January 26th, trillions in global capital could flood into the XRP Ledger. According to JackTheRippler, some projections suggest up to $800 billion could flow into the REAL token on XRP Ledger, potentially sparking a powerful supply shock.

Why The Comeback Feels Different This Time

The rise of the phoenix XRP is here. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull highlighted that Caroline Pham isn’t just another name in crypto. Pham played a role in pushing utility regulation into the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), helping shift policy toward real-world use cases. Currently, she is at MoonPlay and posting about the phoenix on X.

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

Years ago, Brad Garlinghouse drew that same phoenix, and it became one of the biggest pieces of XRP lore. While the market chased narratives, Ripple has been building institutional-grade crypto products for years. Meanwhile, the token, RLUSD, and the XRP Ledger are now live operating, and recognized among the most compliant blockchain assets in the crypto world.

This is the same asset that survived the SEC’s biggest regulatory battles in crypto history, and is now on the other side with legal clarity, growing integration, and increasing relevance to government infrastructure in its favor. Xfinancebull concluded that Caroline has helped clear the regulatory path, Brad and Ripple built what actually runs on that path, and they have been aligning all along, which is how the real adoption happens.

Chainlink remains on standby as daily candles continue to show indecision, keeping traders on edge. The next significant move for LINK largely depends on Bitcoin’s momentum, with bulls and bears waiting for a clear signal before committing. Until then, the market is in a holding pattern, building tension for the breakout or breakdown.

Traders Await Clear Direction For Chainlink

According to an update from CryptoWzrd, the daily candles for both Chainlink and LINKBTC continue to print indecisive price action, reflecting a lack of strong conviction from either side of the market. Despite recent movements, neither buyers nor sellers have been able to establish a clear directional edge, keeping the broader outlook neutral for now.

To gain a reliable directional bias and unlock higher-probability trade opportunities, healthier and more decisive daily candles are required, as price could continue to chop within its current range. Bitcoin is expected to remain the primary driver of the next significant move. In particular, LINKBTC needs to print another bullish daily candle in the coming week to maintain any constructive momentum. 

Failure to do so could shift the balance back in favor of the bears and increase downside pressure. A continuation of weakness would likely result in a break of the daily lower-high trendline, followed by a loss of the critical $12 support level. 

On the bullish side, if Bitcoin provides the necessary support, LINK could attempt a recovery rally toward the $16 resistance zone. Until a clearer higher-timeframe structure emerges, the trading focus remains tactical. Attention will be placed on the lower-timeframe charts, particularly over the weekend, to capitalize on quick, short-term opportunities while avoiding unnecessary exposure to indecisive daily conditions.

Intraday Chart Shows Tight Range, Market Lacks Clear Direction

The analyst concluded that the intraday chart remains choppy, with price action tightly compressed within a narrow range. Such conditions point to persistent market indecision, in which neither bulls nor bears have shown sufficient conviction to drive a sustained move in either direction. As a result, trade setups lack clarity and carry elevated risk.

From a tactical perspective, a retest of the $13 resistance level, followed by clear signs of rejection or fading momentum, could open the door to a short opportunity. However, if price holds above $13 with strong acceptance, that would place the market in more constructive territory and tilt the bias back in favor of the bulls.

Until one of these scenarios plays out decisively, the analyst emphasized the importance of waiting. A more mature and well-defined chart structure is needed before engaging in the next trade, ensuring better confirmation, cleaner entries, and improved risk-to-reward conditions.

A recent statement from an XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer suggests that XRP could be the key to an early retirement shortcut. Unlike steady paychecks or slow-growing investments in traditional assets, cryptocurrencies have the ability to create generational wealth rapidly, due to their penchant for sudden and explosive price moves. Among the thousands of digital assets on the market, the developer highlighted the token as his primary choice for investors seeking substantial returns, even sharing strategies for how the coin can help them retire in a few years. 

XRP Emerges As Shortcut To Early Retirement

A DropCoin XRPL developer, identified as ‘Bird’ on X, announced on Thursday, January 22, that buying and holding XRP at current prices could help investors retire within a few years. The bold claim quickly caught the attention of many in the crypto community, with some asking the developers to elaborate on the strategies involved and the expected timeline for achieving such wealth. 

Related Reading: XRP Price Obliteration Is Not A Matter Of If, New All-Time Highs Are Coming

Not stopping there, Bird claimed that investing in the token could eliminate the need for a job, suggesting that long-term investors may eventually rely on the potential profits from their holdings as a primary source of income. His statements were in response to a post by Watcher.Guru, which the developer directly referenced to support his optimistic long-term outlook. 

In that post, Watcher Guru quoted a statement reportedly made by Binance’s founder ChangPeng Zhao, who also agreed that holding crypto assets over time could make jobs unnecessary and allow investors to retire sooner than planned. The Ledger developer shared a screenshot of Zhao making similar remarks about Artificial Intelligence, suggesting that the Binance founder views both crypto and AI as powerful tools for achieving long-term financial freedom. 

A crypto community member who responded to Bird’s post questioned how long an investor has to hold XRP before retiring early. The developer answered humorously that it could be held indefinitely, adding that some investors could reach early retirement this year, while others may need a few more years. He emphasized that the timeline ultimately depends on how many tokens an investor holds.  

How High The Altcoin Could Rise To Enable Early Retirement

Addressing questions from the crypto community members, Bird shared his outlook on how high he believes XRP’s price could rise, helping investors achieve early retirement. He predicted that within the next few years, the cryptocurrency could rise to $100 and beyond—a significant jump from its current market price of around $1.90. 

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

The Ledger developer suggested that reaching $100 could be a gradual process for the altcoin, forecasting an initial rally to $10 in the First Quarter (Q1) of 2026. Notably, Bird’s remarks reflect a classic buy-the-dip and hold strategy, where investors accumulate during downtrends and patiently wait for the price to rally explosively before taking profits.

Crypto analyst CryptoBull has highlighted targets that XRP could reach as it eyes double digits. The analyst is confident the altcoin could reach these targets, noting that current price action is mirroring the previous bull run. 

XRP Eyes Rally To $11 And Then $70

In an X post, Crypto Bull stated that the next impulse will take XRP to $11 and that the last wave will take the altcoin to $70. This came as he noted that the price pattern is mirroring the previous bull run, with the only difference being time, which he claimed makes sense, as the altcoin needs longer accumulation to reach higher prices. 

The analyst also indicated that it could take a year of accumulation for XRP to reach the $11 price target, meaning the last wave to $70 could take much longer. This prediction comes despite the current decline in the crypto market, with XRP trading below the psychological $2 price level.  

Despite the current bearish sentiment, crypto analyst CW has also declared that the XRP rally is about to begin and that the road to $21.5 is just the beginning. He noted that this is the Phase 4 peak while the first goal is for the altcoin to break its current all-time high (ATH). 

His accompanying chart showed that XRP could reach this $21 target by year-end. Meanwhile, there is the possibility of the altcoin rallying above $100 in the next Phase 1, which could happen next year. Crypto Pundit X Finance Bull recently highlighted the CLARITY Act and Trump’s tariffs as factors that could boost XRP’s demand and lead to higher prices for the altcoin. 

He expects the CLARITY Act to boost XRP’s demand, especially with Trump’s Crypto Czar predicting that more banks will enter into crypto once the bill passes. X Finance Bull predicts that XRP will be the token of choice for these banks based on his belief that Ripple will provide the rails to onboard them. 

XRP Breaking Out Of Multi-Year Triangle

Crypto analyst XForce revealed in an X post that XRP is breaking out of the largest 6+ year triangle in history, yet people are calling it a fakeout. He added that he is not a permabull or permanbear on the altcoin but that he follows trends and plays macro breakout patterns. His accompanying chart indicated that XRP was on the verge of a move to the upside, with a potential rally above $11.50. 

On the lower timeframe, crypto analyst Chart Nerd stated that XRP is currently breaking out of a two-week falling wedge structure. He noted that this is a bullish reversal pattern that could send the altcoin back to $2.40 in the short term, as this is where the wedge formed. He highlighted a key resistance between $2.13 and $2.20, which the altcoin will need to break above to confirm a reversal. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.92, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Based on data from the weekly price chart, Bitcoin is witnessing a significant loss of over 6% following recent widespread market liquidations. Notably, the premier cryptocurrency has taken on a consolidatory stance in the past day, as if to lend credence to growing hopes of some price recovery. However, a recent on-chain analysis points out that Bitcoin’s outward show of resilience might merely be theatrical and that the flagship cryptocurrency could be facing a dark future ahead.

Bitcoin Enters 30-Day Cumulative Realized Loss Phase Since October 2023

In a recent Quicktake post on CryptoQuant, crypto education and research group XWIN Research Japan dissects the present on-chain situation of Bitcoin, with the center of attraction being the Bitcoin Net Realized Profit/Loss metric, which shows the leading cryptocurrency has recorded a net realized loss on a 30-day basis for the first time since October 2023. 

However, the losses seen in 2023 were short-lived and rapidly retraced, unlike the current decline, which is broader and more persistent, suggesting a possible structural shift in market dynamics. At this moment, it appears that investors are less-interested in “buying the dip,” nor are they looking to “HODL” through the Bitcoin price action, and are more willing to accept losses.

For this reason, the market can be more plausibly described as being in a state of caution. It is, however, worth mentioning that the present phase does not necessarily precede a market crash. If anything, it reflects that Bitcoin may be entering a more volatile phase, independent of speculative frenzies.

Realized Profits Signal Late-Stage Of Bull Cycle 

XWIN Research further reinforces the hypotheses by referencing the trend in realized profits. According to the market experts, Realized Profits peaked in March 2024 at approximately 1.2 million BTC, and reduced slightly to 1.1 million in December 2024. 

As of July, 2025, realized profits had sharply dropped to 517,000 BTC, reflecting an increasing exit of profit-taking activity within the market. But this pales in comparison to the lower 331,000 BTC recorded in October. The analytics group explained that this contraction occurred despite a rise in prices, thus suggesting an absence of deep upside momentum.

The group further highlights that this is a telltale sign of a late-stage bull market, one which was seen in 2021-2022. In this period, realized profits slowly dropped before the Bitcoin price flipped bearish. More shockingly, the annual timeframe tells a similar story, with annual net realized profits contracting from 4.4 million BTC to 2.5 million BTC, just within October 2025 and early 2026. This is also similar to the phase that preceded the bear market of 2022.

In essence, Bitcoin is in a transitioning phase, from a mature bull phase to a volatile environment. As of this writing, the Bitcoin price stands at $89,462. 

Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview

As the crypto market suffered a widespread decline, Aave (AAVE) prices dipped by nearly 10%, reaching a local bottom around $153. Presently, the altcoin is trading within a range of $155-$160, but an emerging chart pattern indicates an impending price breakout.

AAVE Falling Wedge Nears Explosion Point, $145 As Key Price Floor 

In an X post on January 23, popular market expert Ali Martinez shares an insightful analysis of the AAVEUSD 4-hour chart, showing the altcoin is approaching a critical market juncture. Notably, a key support zone of $144 sits at the base of a broader descending structure that has defined AAVE’s price action since last year. Martinez’s analysis shows that AAVE is trading within a falling wedge formation, characterized by a series of lower highs capped by a descending trendline and relatively stable support near the $145 region. This price formation often represents a period of consolidation following sustained downside pressure, as sellers gradually lose momentum while buyers defend a key floor.

For context, since topping out above the $350 level earlier in the cycle, AAVE has experienced a steady corrective move, with price stepping down through multiple horizontal levels near $240, $200, and $162. The loss of these zones shifted short-term momentum firmly in favor of sellers, making the current support range even more important. At present, AAVE is trading in the mid $150s, leaving limited room before a direct retest of the $144.93 support. However, this level has already acted as a demand zone multiple times during the current downtrend, reinforcing its significance. 

According to Martinez’s analysis, a clean break below $145 could force an accelerated downside move, with the next major support area set around $125. In that scenario, price acceptance below the wedge structure would likely confirm a continuation of the broader bearish trend. Conversely, holding the $145 support may provide the conditions for a technical rebound.

A successful defense of this level, combined with a break above the descending trendline, could allow AAVE to reclaim higher resistance zones around $162 and potentially $200 over time. While such a move would not immediately invalidate the larger corrective structure, it would suggest improving market balance and decreased selling pressure.

AAVE Price Overview

At press time, Aave trades at $156.99, reflecting a decline of 0.76% in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the daily trading volume is up by 6.07% and valued at $362.59 million. With price compressing toward the apex of the falling wedge, traders should expect increased volatility in the coming AAVE trading sessions. For now, the price moves at $144.93 as a pivotal inflection point for determining the next directional move. 

Featured image from Rootsttrap, chart from TradingView

Over the past week, the price of Bitcoin faced a significant setback in its goal of reclaiming the six-figure threshold. The flagship cryptocurrency has been hovering around the $90,000 mark, as the market can’t seem to make a decision concerning the next price direction.

As Bitcoin faced a mild sell-off, which, in turn, drove its price to fall from its recent highs, specific market participants were under severe pressure, including the miners. Interestingly, a recent on-chain evaluation has raised the possibility that miners’ stress might be ending soon.

Miner Financial Health Flashes Classic Reversal Sign

In a January 23 post on the social media platform X, market expert Axel Adler Jr highlighted that the Bitcoin miners might have started their post-capitulation recovery journey. The relevant indicator here is the Miner Financial Health Index (7D-SMA). 

For context, this metric tracks the balance between miner revenue and miner selling pressure. Hence, it reflects whether miners are net BTC distributors or accumulators. Simply put, the metric shows if Bitcoin miners are under pressure, stable, or even profitable. 

Capitulation events often reflect on the Miner Health Index as a negative value, as the amount of BTC spent surpasses the amount of BTC earned. On the other hand, miners are typically said to be in the recovery phase when the balance between revenue and spending starts to lean away from the negative.

From the chart shared by the analyst, it is apparent that the index has taken on an uptrend, targeting neutral levels on the metric’s charts. History shows that the index does not merely target the neutral mark when it trends upward.

Hence, if history were to repeat itself, the Bitcoin miners could be in for a rewarding ride, having survived the most recent capitulation event. Interestingly, the price of Bitcoin appears to have a directly proportional relationship with the Miner Health Index.

Bitcoin Price Gathers Momentum As Market Condition Shifts

In a separate post on X, Bitcoin Vector highlighted that Bitcoin might be garnering strength for a significant move in the near term. According to the analytics platform, this development coincides with the market exiting what was previously a “high-risk environment.”

Bitcoin Vector explained that this exit from a risky market environment was last seen in April 2025, just before the bull run resumed. The on-chain analytics firm explained that we could be witnessing the late stages of a classic momentum bottoming pattern, which historically leads to large rallies. 

Essentially, there has to be one last push lower in price and, at the same time, a momentum boost to the upside, for the bullish signal to be completely formed. As of this writing, Bitcoin is valued at around $89,830 with no significant movement in the past 24 hours.

Chainlink’s native token, LINK, continues to trade within a clearly defined price channel, reflecting a period of consolidation as the broader crypto market is yet to establish a clear market direction. Meanwhile, renowned analyst Ali Martinez provides some key insights on the LINK market, highlighting the potential price targets for the next breakout.

Chainlink In Compression Phase Between $12-$15 — What Next? 

In a recent X post, Martinez shares an analysis of the LINK 12-hour chart, which shows the altcoin has been range-bound between key support at $11.89 and resistance near $14.64, a structure that has remained intact over multiple trading sessions stretching back to 2025. This price behavior implies that neither bulls nor bears have been able to assert sustained control as each attempt to push higher has been capped near the upper boundary of the channel, while pullbacks have consistently found buyers around the $11.89 support zone. 

From a technical standpoint, the channel highlights a phase of consolidation following earlier volatility. Therefore, this structure may be laying the groundwork for a more decisive move once the price escapes the current boundaries. 

The $14.64 resistance level remains the key hurdle for bullish continuation. A confirmed breakout above this zone, ideally supported by rising volume, could reignite upside momentum with potential targets set at $17.00. On the downside, a loss of the $11.89 support could change the technical outlook, exposing LINK to deeper retracements, with potential around $10.00. For now, however, this support has held firm, reinforcing the validity of the channel and keeping bearish momentum in check.

LINK Market Overview

At press time, LINK trades at $12.21, reflecting a major loss of 10.95% in the last seven days amid a general market downturn. However, the monthly loss of just 1.09% indicates that downside momentum remains relatively contained, suggesting that recent selling pressure may be corrective rather than structural and that many new market entrants could soon return to profit if prices stabilize.

In other news, Chainlink has completed the acquisition of Atlas, the order flow auction protocol developed by FastLane. According to the blockchain team, this move strengthens Chainlink’s value capture stack by expanding the reach of Chainlink SVR into the new DeFi ecosystem, thereby helping improve MEV recapture.  With a market cap of $8.65 billion, Chainlink is ranked as the 13th largest digital asset in the world.

In an interesting development, Grayscale has applied to the United States Securities and Exchange Committee to launch a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) linked to BNB, the Binance Ecosystem’s native token. This move marks a power play by the asset management firm to further establish itself in the cryptocurrency space.

Grayscale Looks To Add To List Of Crypto-Linked ETFs

On Friday, January 23, Grayscale filed an S-1 registration statement with the SEC to launch a spot BNB exchange-traded fund in the US. According to the SEC filing, the proposed Grayscale ETF would hold the Binance ecosystem’s native token directly and issue shares designed to track the token’s market value.

This Grayscale investment product, if approved, would offer US investors exposure to the BNB token without having to own or hold the asset themselves. The asset manager’s registration statement also revealed that the exchange-traded fund would trade on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol GBNB, subject to regulatory approval. 

It is worth mentioning that Grayscale is not the first asset manager to file for a spot BNB ETF, as VanEck applied as far back as April 2025. However, this latest filing reflects the firm’s resolve to expand its list of crypto-linked investment products, especially after the successful launch of the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.

It was always only a matter of time before BNB, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, received extra attention from institutions focused on exchange-traded products. As such, this move by Grayscale has caught the attention of the cryptocurrency market, including former Binance CEO Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao.

In a Friday post on the social media platform X, CZ said that Grayscale’s submission of its S-1 filing to the SEC represents a small step toward making the United States the capital of crypto. “A small step in helping to make America the Capital of Crypto, by giving access to the 3rd largest crypto,” the Binance co-founder wrote on Friday.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg ETF expert James Seyffart concurred that a spot ETF approval could mean that the BNB token will be classified as a commodity rather than a security. This is because the approval of an exchange-traded fund is often an indication that the SEC views the underlying asset as a commodity rather than as a security.

BNB Price At A Glance

After making a play for $900 on Friday afternoon, the price of BNB now stands at around $890. According to data from CoinGecko, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency is down by nearly 5% in the past seven days.

The Bitcoin price had a relatively rough trading period over the past week, as it hovered around the psychological $90,000 mark. The flagship cryptocurrency, which looked set for a return to six-figure valuation barely over a week ago, now seems to have lost all its bullish momentum.

Broadly speaking, these recent struggles put to rest questions around the “relief rallies” to the upside, and correlate more with the current bear market structure. However, the latest on-chain evaluation shows that the Bitcoin price woes could worsen from here on out.

Expert Explains Why $60,000 Is Possible For BTC Price

In a recent post on the X platform, Alphractal CEO and founder Joao Wedson said that the Bitcoin price could still have room to fall below the $60,000 level. This not-so-optimistic prediction is based on the number of days Bitcoin has traded at prices higher than today.

According to Wedson, there have been 355 days when the Bitcoin price has traded at levels higher than today. This figure was derived from the “Days Spent at a Profit” metric, which tracks the number of days in Bitcoin’s history where the market price was higher than the current price.

This indicator measures how much price action — in the past — has occurred above the current price level. From a historical standpoint, an increase in the number of “Days Spent at a Profit” tends to occur during bear cycles or extended periods of sideways movement, implying that different investor groups are holding BTC at a price higher than their cost bases.

As Wedson highlighted, the “Days Spent at a Profit” metric reached around 775 days as the Bitcoin price approached a bottom. Going by this historical context, the current level of this indicator (355 days) suggests that the flagship cryptocurrency is still a distance away from extreme levels often associated with bearish market bottoms.

Ultimately, this deduction means that the price of Bitcoin could still be at risk of an extended decline over the next 300 days. According to the Alphractal, this extended period of price decline could see BTC revisit $60,000, potentially triggering significant liquidations among retail investors and institutional players who entered the market post-ETF.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,900, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. However, the market leader is currently down by over 5% on the weekly timeframe, while nearly 30% adrift its all-time high of $126,080.

In the last week, Bitcoin suffered another correction wave with prices dropping to around $88,000 as the crypto market continues to face a weak investor appetite. While the premier cryptocurrency has experienced some slight relief, an approaching monthly close indicates the market is at a critical juncture that could define its price direction for February.

Bitcoin Market Weighs Rebalance Or Complete Breakdown

According to seasoned analyst KillaXBT, Bitcoin is heading into a pivotal monthly close next week, as recent price action suggests the market is approaching an inflection point. Notably, after sweeping external highs near $94,600 earlier in the month, BTC has since faced firm rejection, pushing price back toward the lower end of its recent range between $88,000-$90,000.

The rejection from these highs resulted in pronounced upper wicks on higher timeframes, a structure that often signals aggressive selling pressure. However, KillaXBT explains that such wicks are frequently partially or fully retraced, due to liquidity. With a full trading week still remaining before the monthly candle closes, the market analyst postulates that there are three primary scenarios that could determine price direction for February.

Firstly, Bitcoin could rise into the end of the month, allowing for a stronger monthly close. Under this scenario, February could begin with price forming the upper portion of the current wick, potentially revisiting the low-to-mid $90,000s before rolling over later in the month toward the $83,800 region.

In the second scenario, Bitcoin closes the month near current levels around $89,000, followed by an early-February move to hunt liquidity in the $91,000–$92,000 range before resuming a downward trend. Interestingly, both scenarios align with the idea that the market may first move higher to rebalance liquidity before resolving lower.

The third scenario presents a more severe outcome that aligns with a potential market breakdown. In this case, KillaXBT forecasts Bitcoin could retrace below the weekly and monthly open at $87,664 and close beneath this level before February. The analyst describes this scenario as “violently bearish”, as it increases the probability of a rapid move towards a lower support in the new month.

Notably, KillaXBT favors the first two scenarios, as the present sentiment being heavily bearish indicates that most investors are least expecting a move to the higher side. However, the analyst also emphasizes that the loss of $83,800 support in any scenario would significantly alter the outlook for any remaining long exposure.

Bitcoin Price Overview

At press time, Bitcoin trades at $89,645 following a minor 1.4% gain in the last day.

The price of Bitcoin registered a hot start to the new year, making a run to reclaim the highly coveted $100,000 level in the early days of January. While the premier cryptocurrency has cooled off over the past few days, optimism has never been this high in the market over the last couple of months. Adding to this optimism is Binance’s co-founder and former CEO, Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, who predicted an extremely positive outlook for Bitcoin in 2026.

BTC Could Abandon 4-Year Cycle Theory In 2026: CZ

In a CNBC interview at the World Economic Forum, CZ said that he has “strong feelings” that the Bitcoin price will enter a supercycle in 2026. This prediction came as a response to the interviewer’s question about Zhao’s Bitcoin price outlook.

In an economic context, a supercycle refers to an extended period characterized by the explosive growth of an asset or sector. Unlike a typical short-term rally triggered by hype and speculation, supercycles signal a significant shift underpinned by strong fundamentals over an extended period.

Zhao explained to the interviewer that the price of Bitcoin moves in a four-year cyclical pattern, spanning periods of all-time highs and cycle lows. However, the former Binance CEO agreed with the ongoing narrative that believes that the premier cryptocurrency will break the four-year cycle theory this year.

When asked about his strategy and current portfolio, CZ mentioned that he doesn’t trade the crypto market but rather accumulates coins with long-term promise. Specifically, the prominent crypto leader said that he keeps accumulating Bitcoin and BNB, the Binance ecosystem’s native token.

In his interview, CZ also talked about life after his four-month stint in jail, mentioning his work with YZi Labs, Giggle Academy, and as a crypto advisor to various governments. Zhao, who received a pardon from United States President Donald Trump in October 2025, clarified the rumors around receiving clemency for violating the US Bank Secrecy Act.

It is worth noting that CZ is not the first personality in the crypto space to speak about the Bitcoin price abandoning the halving-associated four-year cycle for a supercycle. Fidelity Labs managing partner, Parth Gargava, had echoed a similar sentiment about the BTC market earlier in the new year.

Gargava highlighted three drivers as the factors behind the transition from the typical four-year cycle to a supercycle. “Steady buy-in by institutions focused on ETFs, policy, and market maturation and changing correlations,” the Fidelity executive listed as the catalysts behind the shifting market landscape.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $89,460, reflecting no significant movement in the past day.

Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has pushed back against growing scrutiny surrounding his relationship with President Donald Trump, saying his ties to the president and his family have been widely misunderstood following Trump’s decision to grant him a pardon last year.

CZ Rejects Allegations Of Binance’s Political Links

Attention on Zhao intensified after President Trump issued a pardon in October 2025, a move that prompted renewed criticism from Democratic lawmakers and fueled questions about Binance’s alleged political and business connections. 

Addressing the controversy in a recent interview with CNBC, Zhao said claims of a business relationship with the Trump family are inaccurate. “There’s no business relationship whatsoever,” Zhao stated. The former executive added that the narrative surrounding the pardon and Binance’s alleged ties to Trump had been “misconstrued.”

Much of the scrutiny centers on Binance’s connection to the Trump-linked decentralized finance (DeFi) venture World Liberty Financial (WLFI). 

That connection traces back to a $2 billion investment made in March 2025 by MGX, a state‑owned firm based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MGX invested in Binance using USD1, a stablecoin created by World Liberty Financial.

Zhao emphasized that the payment method was chosen by the investor, not Binance. “MGX is the investor. They choose USD1,” he said. “My request to them was they pay us in crypto. I don’t want to deal with banks, really.” 

According to Zhao, the use of the venture’s USD1 stablecoin has been wrongly interpreted as evidence of a deeper relationship. “Many people misconstrued that,” he added.

WLFI Push Back On Political Influence Claims

In a statement, WLFI spokesperson David Wachsman said the company played no role in the pardon process. “As we have stated many times, WLFI is not a political organization and had zero role in the pardon process,” Wachsman said. “To imply otherwise is dangerous and false.”

Trump himself downplayed any personal connection in a November interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. “I have no idea who he is,” the president said of Zhao. Trump added that he had been told Zhao was “a victim, just like I was and just like many other people, of a vicious, horrible group of people in the Biden administration.”

Additional attention has focused on Binance’s lobbying efforts in Washington. NBC News reported during the week of the pardon that Binance had hired Checkmate Government Relations, a lobbying firm led by Charles McDowell, who is a friend of Donald Trump Jr. 

According to disclosures, the firm was paid $450,000 to lobby the White House and the Treasury Department on matters including “executive relief” and digital asset‑related financial services policy.

Zhao denied that any lobbying effort was connected to his pardon. “There is a lot of media saying that there is some deal in place to get me the pardon,” he told CNBC in Davos. “As far as I know, that does not exist at all.”

Binance’s former CEO also said he has never spoken directly with President Trump. “The closest that I got to him was today when he was doing the Board of Peace session,” Zhao said. “I was in the audience, about 30 to 40 feet away from him.”

At the time of writing, Binance Coin (BNB) was trading at $893, having recorded a 4% drop over the previous week. However, it is one of the few cryptocurrencies to have retained gains year-to-date, with an increase of 30% in that time. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

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

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.

On-chain data shows the Bitcoin mining Difficulty has seen a downward adjustment following the decline in the network Hashrate.

Bitcoin Blockchain Has Eased Mining Difficulty

According to data from CoinWarz, the Bitcoin mining Difficulty has gone through a decline in the latest network adjustment. The “Difficulty” here refers to a metric built into the blockchain that controls how hard miners would find it to discover a block.

The indicator’s value automatically changes roughly every two weeks in events called adjustments, based on how miners performed since the last such event. The blockchain follows one simple rule to adjust the Difficulty: miner blockchain production rate should converge to 10 minutes per block.

If miners find the average block in an interval greater than 10 minutes, then the network responds by raising its Difficulty just enough that these validators are slowed back down to the standard rate. On the other hand, this cohort performing slower than needed forces the blockchain to ease things up.

The latest Bitcoin Difficulty adjustment occurred on Thursday, and as the below chart shows, it resulted in a decrease for the metric.

Prior to the change, the indicator had a value of 146.47 trillion hashes. Now, it has dropped to 141.67 trillion hashes, indicating a decrease of 3.28%. This is the second-consecutive reduction in the network Difficulty.

In fact, the indicator has been in a long-term decline since November, with five of the six Difficulty changes that have occurred in the period leading to a drop in its value. Even the one adjustment that didn’t lead to a decrease in the metric had an almost neutral effect, so while the decline didn’t strengthen during it, it didn’t correspond to a change of direction either.

The reason for this long drawdown in the Bitcoin Difficulty lies in the trend witnessed by the Hashrate, a measure of the total amount of computing power connected by the miners to the network.

As data from Blockchain.com shows, the 7-day average value of the Hashrate has been going down during the last few months.

On January 18th, the 7-day average Bitcoin Hashrate fell to 978.8 exahashes per second (EH/s), its lowest level since the first half of September. The indicator has observed a rebound since this low, but its value still remains notably lower than earlier in the month.

Miners’ pace tends to directly correlate with the amount of computing power that they possess, so a decline in the Hashrate usually results in a correction for the Difficulty. The continued downtrend in the former since October is why the latter has also plunged.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $90,000, down more than 5% over the last week.