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Japan is reportedly likely to approve and list its first wave of crypto-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the next two years as the country’s financial authorities work on rule changes that allow the investment products.

Japan To Join Global Crypto ETF Race In Two Years

On Monday, news media outlet Nikkei Asia reported that Japan’s first crypto ETFs could be listed as early as 2028, offering retail investors easier access to Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets.

This would mark a major shift in the country’s regulatory approach to digital asset-based products. Japanese regulators have been cautious about crypto funds, with the Financial Services Agency (FSA) repeatedly expressing its reservations about the investment products.

The FSA plans to amend the Investment Trust Act’s enforcement order to include cryptocurrencies in the list of specified assets for ETFs. Additionally, the agency will propose stronger safeguards to protect investors, Nikkei added without detailing its sources.

Ahead of the regulatory changes, Japanese giants Nomura Holdings and SBI Holdings are preparing to develop the country’s first crypto ETFs. In August, SBI filed to launch an ETF linked to both BTC and XRP, as well as a Digital Gold Crypto ETF, which would allocate 51% to gold and 49% to digital assets to mitigate investment risks.

As reported by Bitcoinist, Japan’s Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama highlighted earlier this month that US crypto ETFs have expanded as “a means for citizens to hedge against inflation.”

In her New Year’s address at the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s (TSE) Grand Opening Ceremony, Katayama supported a potential launch of crypto-based investment products, suggesting that similar initiatives to those of the US would be pursued in Japan.

Notably, the US approved the first wave of spot crypto ETFs in 2024, based on Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH), leading pension funds, endowment funds for major universities such as Harvard, and government-affiliated investors to include them in their portfolios.

As of January 23, BTC funds’ total net assets amount to approximately $115.8 billion, according to SoSoValue data. Nikkei noted that Japan’s asset management industry has estimated that Japanese crypto ETFs could eventually reach 1 trillion yen, worth around $6.4 billion.

Authorities Prepare For Japan’s ‘Digital Year’

Japanese authorities have been reviewing their regulatory system over the past few years to develop customer fund safety policies and allow innovation in a more reliable environment.

Last year, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party published their upcoming FY2026 Tax Reform. The tax reform is set to introduce significant changes to the existing taxation system, addressing the categorization and regulation of crypto assets, and reclassifying them as financial products.

The reform signals a shift from the regulators’ previous treatment of digital assets as speculative. Moreover, authorities are also exploring introducing a separate taxation system for crypto income, with a flat 20% tax similar to the stock system.

During her New Year’s address, Finance Minister Katayama also recognized the country’s efforts to integrate digital assets and blockchain technology into the local financial markets. She expressed her support of Japan’s development as an asset management nation, affirming that “there is still room for growth.”

Katayama declared that 2026 would be the “Digital Year” for Japan, asserting that this year “is a turning point” in overcoming deflation. Ultimately, she emphasized the importance of stock exchanges in supporting the transition to a growth-oriented economy that opens public access to crypto assets.

The Senate’s effort to advance the crypto market structure bill (CLARITY Act) has hit another delay, as severe winter weather disrupts congressional scheduling and deepens uncertainty around the bill’s path forward.

Following the stalled and ultimately delayed markup of the bill by the Senate Banking Committee, attention had shifted to the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees digital asset markets through its jurisdiction of commodities. 

That committee had planned to move ahead with its own markup earlier this week, but the vote has now been postponed to January 29 due to weather-related disruptions.

Snowstorm And Partisan Gridlock Stall Crypto Bill’s Markup

Journalist Eleanor Terrett of Crypto In America reported on Monday that heavy snowfall and icy conditions prompted the Senate to preemptively cancel Friday’s voting session. As a result, committee members are not expected to return to Washington until Tuesday afternoon. 

Although the markup is currently scheduled for 3 p.m., widespread flight delays and cancellations across the country raise questions about whether all members will be able to arrive in time for the vote, which adds to existing political uncertainty surrounding the bill. 

Despite two additional weeks of bipartisan negotiations—which had already pushed back an earlier planned markup from January 15—the legislation remains divided along party lines. At this stage, only Republican members of the committee have publicly voiced support for the bill.

Nevertheless, Terret reported that the broader crypto industry responded positively to the latest draft of the bill released by the Agriculture Committee last Wednesday, January 21, ahead of the scheduled vote. 

Optimism Grows Around Senate Ag’s Draft  

Industry participants have praised the bill’s draft for offering clear protections to noncustodial software developers and blockchain infrastructure providers. The language narrowly targets intermediaries, rather than protocols or end users, a distinction many in the sector view as critical to preserving innovation. 

The draft also notably excludes provisions regulating stablecoin yields, a choice that carries particular significance after Coinbase withdrew its support for the Senate Banking Committee’s version of the bill last week over that very issue.

Despite lingering disagreements with Democrats over key policy elements, the Agriculture Committee’s chair, John Boozman, emphasized last week that progress should not be stalled indefinitely. 

Acknowledging the lack of a final agreement, the chair said the collaborative process had strengthened the legislation and stressed the importance of advancing the bill, expressing optimism about proceeding with the markup in the coming week.

However, even as optimism builds around the Agriculture Committee’s version of the crypto market structure framework, the overall legislative timeline remains unclear. 

Bloomberg has reported that the Senate Banking Committee is expected to delay consideration of its portion of the bill, a move that could push broader negotiations into late February or even March.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Data shows Foundry USA, the biggest Bitcoin mining pool in the world, has lost a significant portion of its Hashrate to the US winter storm.

Foundry USA Has Seen A Bitcoin Hashrate Decline Of 200 EH/s

The United States is currently experiencing an extreme weather event, with a powerful winter storm sweeping across much of the country. The Arctic air accompanying the storm has brought with it a severe drop in temperatures, causing widespread disruptions to travel and power infrastructure.

Thousands of flights have been canceled nationwide, while the strain on the power grid has left more than 800,000 homes without access to electricity, according to a report from the BBC. Amid all this chaos, the Bitcoin blockchain has also faced a noticeable blow; the cryptocurrency’s Hashrate has sharply gone down as American miners have curtailed power consumption to ease pressure on the grid.

A mining pool that has been significantly affected by the storm is Foundry USA. On Friday, the pool had a total computing power of around 340 exahashes per second (EH/s), while as of Monday, that figure has reduced to just 139 EH/s, according to data from MiningPoolStats.

Before the storm disruption, Foundry’s pool was the largest in the world by some distance, but after the Hashrate drop of almost 60%, its power has come in line with the second-largest Antpool. Due to Foundry being so big, its miners pulling back on power has had a real effect on the total network Hashrate, as data from CoinWarz shows.

Before the weekend, the Bitcoin Hashrate was floating around 1,118 EH/s, but on Sunday it dropped to a low of just 668 EH/s. The metric has seen a rebound on Monday, but its latest value of 776 EH/s is still down more than 30%. The result? The blockchain is processing each block in an average interval of 12.28 minutes, which is 2.28 minutes slower than the expected rate of 10 minutes.

While the storm has impaired Bitcoin for now, the network won’t take long to bounce back. Even in the scenario that Foundry USA’s downtime remains prolonged, BTC will correct for the absence of American miners in the next Difficulty adjustment. Satoshi Nakamoto programmed BTC so that the network always targets a block time of 10 minutes. If miners diverge from this rate, the network adjusts a metric known as the “Difficulty” just enough that miners get back to the desired speed.

Given the scale of the latest Hashrate drop, a sustained disruption would mean that the Bitcoin blockchain would be forced to ease up its Difficulty by a significant factor. Currently, the next network adjustment is estimated to reduce Difficulty by 18%.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $87,700, down 5.7% in the last week.

Crypto investment vehicles dumped cash last week in a move that startled many market watchers. According to CoinShares, crypto exchange-traded products saw about $1.73 billion of outflows — the largest weekly withdrawal since mid-November 2025.

The pullback came after a recent stretch of inflows, which left some investors caught between hope and caution. Reports say fading hopes for quick interest rate cuts, weak price momentum, and a sense that crypto has not yet played the inflation hedge role many expected helped drive the exit.

Flows Reverse Sharply

Big names felt the hit. BlackRock’s iShares led issuers with roughly $950 million leaving its coffers. Fidelity lost close to $470 million, and Grayscale saw withdrawals near $270 million.

In the regional front, the US accounted for the bulk of the movement, with nearly $2 billion exiting from that market alone.

Some managers did attract fresh capital — groups focused on volatility or niche strategies posted modest gains — showing that investors are shifting tactics rather than abandoning the sector entirely.

Who Pulled Money Out

Bitcoin and Ether were the largest contributors to the outflows. Combined, they comprise most of the $1.73 billion. Based on reports, Ether funds lost roughly $1.10 billion while Bitcoin-focused products shed about $630 million.

That split shows a renewed skepticism about large-cap tokens even as traders weigh macro signals. Smaller tokens told a mixed story: Solana drew about $17 million in inflows, while XRP and SUI saw withdrawals of a little over $18 million and $6 million, respectively.

Bitcoin Price Action

Meanwhile, price moves matched the money flow. Bitcoin traded in a choppy range and slipped below $90,000 at one point as risk appetite evaporated. But it did not cave in.

Periodic buying returned, and shorts were put under stress when prices bounced back. Traders are watching macro cues; weakness in sentiment has been paired with bouts of institutional interest, creating a seesaw battle that keeps volatility up.

What This Means For Traders

Market behavior suggests that confidence is unsettled, not totally evaporated. Reports note that investors are recalibrating timeframes and tools. Some are rotating into altcoins that look cheap to them, while others beef up hedges or step back from leveraged positions.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ripple has signed a partnership with Jeel, the innovation and technology arm of Riyad Bank, to explore blockchain applications across cross-border payments, digital asset custody, and tokenization in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration positions Ripple inside a regulated testing environment as the Kingdom accelerates its Vision 2030 digital transformation agenda.

Ripple Expands In Saudi With Riyad Bank

Jeel announced the tie-up on X: “We are pleased to announce in Jil our partnership with Ripple to explore advanced applications aimed at enhancing the speed and efficiency of payments. This partnership focuses on studying use cases for the custody of digital assets, alongside developing prototypes within Jil’s regulatory sandbox, in support of the objectives of Vision 2030.”

In a press release dated January 26, 2026, Jeel said the partnership will evaluate how blockchain can improve the “speed, cost efficiency, and transparency of cross-border payments,” while also exploring digital asset custody and tokenization use cases. The firms plan to develop proofs-of-concept within Jeel’s sandbox to test Ripple’s technologies “in a controlled, compliant environment,” with an emphasis on scalable and interoperable infrastructure for financial services across the Kingdom.

Jeel CEO George Harrak positioned the sandbox as the core mechanism for turning blockchain concepts into regulated experimentation. “This partnership with Ripple reflects our strategy of using the Jeel Sandbox to responsibly explore next-generation financial infrastructure,” Harrak said. “By combining regulated experimentation with global blockchain expertise, we are building the foundations to evaluate scalable use cases that enhance cross-border payments and digital asset capabilities in line with the Kingdom’s long-term digital ambitions.”

Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, Reece Merrick, described the work as an effort to integrate enterprise blockchain into Saudi financial architecture, explicitly tying it to the Vision 2030 roadmap.

“Saudi Arabia’s visionary leadership has established the Kingdom as a forward-thinking global hub for digital transformation,” Merrick said. “It is against this progressive backdrop that Ripple has signed an MOU with Jeel to explore integrating secure, efficient blockchain solutions into the national financial architecture. We are committed to demonstrating how Ripple’s enterprise-grade digital assets technology can unlock significant efficiencies in areas like cross-border payments, aligning directly with Saudi Arabia’s goal of building a world-leading, competitive fintech ecosystem.”

Merrick echoed that messaging in a separate post, saying the partners will explore use cases spanning “cross-border payments, digital asset custody, and tokenization,” and adding that he is “excited to help shape the future of Saudi Arabia’s financial infrastructure.”

For Jeel, the partnership is pitched as a step beyond conventional fintech acceleration into “regulated blockchain experimentation,” extending its innovation mandate while supporting Riyad Bank’s ambitions to evaluate next-generation digital financial services. For Ripple, Jeel’s sandbox and institutional network offer a pathway into the Kingdom’s fast-growing fintech landscape, with the press release noting that the arrangement creates a venue to showcase Ripple’s infrastructure in a “highly regulated and innovation-driven environment.”

At press time, XRP traded at $1.90.

The crypto market is facing a critical stress test as Bitcoin and Ethereum lose ground, signaling a broader shift in global risk appetite. After weeks of choppy consolidation, downside pressure is intensifying, and traders are watching closely to see whether this move develops into a deeper correction or stabilizes into a new base. At the same time, capital flows are becoming more selective, with crypto struggling to attract conviction while money rotates toward assets perceived as more stable in the current macro environment.

The global risk map is being redrawn. What feels like an earthquake in financial markets is revealing a historic capital migration—one that is actively reshaping what investors define as safety versus danger. While the traditional pillars of the US economy show visible strain and the dollar’s dominance as an unquestioned refuge begins to weaken, the market’s response has not been a rush into digital alternatives. Instead, the immediate bid has been distinctly traditional.

Gold and silver are now commanding attention as the primary destinations for defensive capital. Their record-breaking rallies reflect more than speculation—they represent a renewed demand for tangible, scarce assets in an environment where confidence is being tested. Meanwhile, US equities continue absorbing liquidity on the strength of structural demand and benchmark allocation, leaving crypto caught in the middle.

As metals surge and crypto cools, the message is clear: in today’s market, the safe-haven trade is wearing a metallic face.

Capital Rotates To Metals As Crypto Turns Into The Risk Asset Again

A CryptoQuant report argues that current market flows reflect a desperate search for solid ground, and the numbers highlight how sharply investor behavior is shifting. Silver has broken its historical barrier, surging to $100 per troy ounce, while gold continues its vertical climb toward the $5,000 milestone, trading near $4.9K after posting a weekly gain of almost 8%. This type of synchronized breakout across precious metals signals a powerful flight-to-safety impulse, especially at a time when investors are questioning the stability of traditional macro anchors.

CryptoQuant notes that the US dollar is also under pressure, experiencing its steepest weekly devaluation since May of last year, when markets were still adjusting to the shock from Donald Trump’s extreme tariff hike in April. The timing is not random. When confidence in the dollar weakens, part of that capital often rotates into gold first, reinforcing metals as the default refuge.

The crypto side of the equation tells a different story. The flight is selective: US Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.33 billion in weekly outflows, the largest since February 2025. Yet Bitcoin has not collapsed, supported by miner resilience as they remain in a zone of operational neutrality. The conclusion is clear: in the short term, capital is prioritizing the classic refuge over innovative risk.

CryptoQuant frames this as a paradigm inversion—money is no longer defaulting to Treasuries, but to metals, even as volatility risk in gold and silver rises.

Bitcoin Weekly Structure Tests Key Support

Bitcoin is trading around $87,900 on the weekly chart, attempting to stabilize after a sharp corrective leg that followed the late-2025 peak. The market has shifted from expansion to consolidation, with BTC struggling to regain momentum after breaking down from the $100K region. While price has not collapsed into a full capitulation phase, the weekly structure shows that sellers remain active on rallies and buyers are increasingly forced to defend key levels.

From a trend standpoint, BTC is now compressed between major moving averages. The 50-period moving average (blue) is still above price near $101,000, acting as strong overhead resistance and marking the level the market must reclaim to restore bullish momentum. Meanwhile, the 100-period moving average (green) is rising toward price near $87,500, becoming a critical dynamic support zone. As long as BTC holds above this rising trend reference, the pullback can still be interpreted as a corrective phase within a broader uptrend rather than a full structural breakdown.

The 200-period moving average (red) continues to slope upward far below price near $58,000, highlighting that long-term trend conditions remain positive despite the current volatility. Volume has been elevated during the recent selloff compared to prior weeks, reflecting forced deleveraging and defensive positioning.

For bulls, the key objective is reclaiming $90K and building acceptance above that level. If support fails near the green average, downside risk opens toward the low-$80K range before the market finds stronger demand.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Entropy, a startup that tried to build a safer way to hold and move crypto, is shutting down and sending most money back to investors.

The company’s leader said the business could not reach the size investors wanted. Reports say the team will return roughly $25–$27 million that had been put into the project.

What Happened To Entropy

According to reports, Entropy began with tools for decentralized custody aimed at big holders who wanted more control.

Over time the group changed course and tried to build automation features that would make crypto workflows easier.

The company raised capital from well-known backers, including Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase Ventures. It ran for about four years and weathered two rounds of layoffs as the team tested different ideas.

In a Saturday post on X, Entropy founder and CEO Tux Pacific said the crypto automation platform has reached the end of the road after years of trying to find a workable future.

I am winding-up Entropy.

After four years, several pivots, and two rounds of layoffs, I’ve decided to wind-up Entropy and return capital to our investors.

For the latter half of 2025, the Entropy team was hard at work on a crypto automations platform (basically n8n/zapier/etc…

— tux pacific (@__tux) January 24, 2026

Decision To Return Capital

Two clear facts pushed the move. First, buyers and customers did not grow fast enough for the kind of return venture backers expect.

Second, the team struggled to find a steady, repeatable business model that could support rapid growth and hire plans.

Leaders tried product tweaks and new directions, but the pace of change stayed slow and revenue did not climb as hoped. In some cases the product was kept alive by small wins; in others it felt stalled.

Investors will get back most of the money they put in. That makes this shutdown cleaner than some collapses where user funds were at risk.

Reports say refunds will be handled through formal steps and planners are working out the details.

The company’s founder has suggested they may shift their career focus away from crypto, possibly into fields like medical research, though that path is not certain.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin has slipped below the $87,000 level, extending its pullback as selling pressure and macro uncertainty keep traders on the defensive. After multiple failed attempts to regain key resistance zones, BTC is now trading in a fragile range where momentum remains weak, and liquidity conditions can amplify short-term moves. With risk appetite fading, the market is once again questioning whether this decline is a temporary shakeout or the start of a deeper corrective phase.

At the same time, the US dollar has been weakening, reigniting a familiar debate across financial markets: Does a softer dollar automatically lift Bitcoin? The answer is not that simple. A falling dollar can support BTC, but only under the right macro conditions. The driver is not the dollar itself, but why it is falling, and how investors interpret that shift in terms of risk.

In inflation-driven environments, dollar weakness can push capital toward hard assets, allowing Bitcoin to behave more like a “digital gold” narrative. In liquidity-driven cycles, rate cuts and easier financial conditions can also push investors into higher-beta assets like crypto.

But when the dollar declines due to stress, intervention fears, or escalating uncertainty, capital often rotates into traditional safe havens instead—leaving Bitcoin to trade like a risk asset alongside equities.

A Weak Dollar Isn’t Automatically Bullish For Bitcoin

A CryptoQuant report argues that the relationship between a falling US dollar and Bitcoin is indirect and conditional, not mechanical. In other words, a weaker dollar can support BTC, but only under specific macro regimes. The key variable is not the dollar move itself, but the underlying driver behind that devaluation and the broader risk environment investors are reacting to.

CryptoQuant outlines three scenarios. First, if dollar weakness reflects persistent inflation and a growing search for protection, Bitcoin can benefit as investors treat it like a form of “digital gold.” Second, if the decline is driven by rate cuts and excess liquidity, risk assets typically outperform, and cheaper capital can rotate into crypto as investors seek upside in higher-beta markets. In both cases, the dollar weakness aligns with conditions that can lift Bitcoin.

The third scenario, however, is the most important for the current market. If the dollar is weakening due to a confidence shock and extreme risk aversion—such as the present episode tied to rumors of yen intervention—crypto tends to fall alongside equities. In that environment, the weak dollar is only a backdrop, not a bullish engine.

The conclusion is clear: the market is rotating from the dollar into gold, while Bitcoin ETFs see heavy outflows, showing that in panic, investors still choose the traditional refuge. For Bitcoin to thrive, dollar weakness must come from risk appetite, not fear.

Bitcoin Rebounds Keep Failing Below Key Moving Averages

Bitcoin is trading around $87,900 after a volatile decline that dragged price below the $90,000 psychological level and kept bulls under pressure. The chart shows BTC is still trapped in a corrective structure that began after the late-2025 peak, with the downtrend accelerating into November before transitioning into a choppy consolidation phase. Even though price has stabilized above the mid-$80K area, rebound attempts continue to lose strength, suggesting demand remains cautious.

From a trend perspective, Bitcoin is now trading below its major moving averages, reinforcing bearish momentum across multiple timeframes. The 50-period moving average (blue) has turned sharply downward and sits well above the price, acting as dynamic resistance and capping short-term rallies.

The 100-period moving average (green) is also sloping lower, confirming that the broader recovery structure has weakened since BTC failed to sustain moves above $95K. Meanwhile, the 200-period moving average (red) remains the highest overhead level near the low-$100K range, highlighting how much upside would be required to shift the market back into a stronger macro trend.

The recent bounce toward the low-$90K region was rejected quickly, and the price has slipped back into its compression zone. For bulls, reclaiming $90K and then breaking above $92K–$95K is necessary to rebuild momentum. If BTC fails to hold the $87K–$88K region, downside risk remains open toward $84K and potentially the low-$80K zone.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Discussions are still rampant about which cryptocurrencies could outperform Bitcoin as the entire industry looks ahead to what 2026 has to offer. According to a recent commentary on X, X Finance Bull noted that XRP, HBAR, and Litecoin are a few cryptocurrencies that can outpace Bitcoin. 

The crypto commentator pushed back against claims that XRP and Hedera have lost relevance, arguing instead that both are increasingly positioned as foundational blockchain infrastructure. These are based on recent events that have seen both the XRP Ledger and Hedera leading crypto enterprise infrastructure.

XRP, HBAR, And Litecoin Are Coins To Watch In 2026

According to the commentary shared by X Finance Bull, XRP, Hedera, and Litecoin are a few of the top cryptocurrency ecosystems to watch in 2026. Notably, the crypto commentator grouped XRP and Hedera (HBAR) in the same group to watch due to their growing presence in financial infrastructure. This means these two cryptocurrencies are increasingly leaving the realm of pure speculative assets and are now being considered as important players in financial rails. 

Based on this, investors can expect upside divergence from Bitcoin in 2026 as these coins start to go on bullish momentum on their own. This view is based on the investor outlook shown in the image below, which identifies financial infrastructure as an important area of focus for 2026. XRP and HBAR anchor the infrastructure structure, while Litecoin is in the privacy-assets category.

Litecoin’s optional privacy features place it alongside established privacy-focused networks like Monero and Canton. As it stands, you can easily argue that privacy assets are currently underappreciated, especially now that regulatory clarity and digital payments growth are bringing attention to data protection. Based on this context, Litecoin is another top coin to look forward to upside divergence from Bitcoin in 2026. 

Interestingly, tokenization platforms and stablecoins are other important themes for 2026. Ethereum and Solana are the primary networks for tokenized assets, while newer platforms such as Sui, Sei, and Injective are beginning to see higher adoption. At the same time, stablecoin supply has grown to over $300 billion, with USDT, USDC, USDE, and RLUSD expanding due to maturing payments infrastructure around stablecoins.

XRP Ledger’s Institutional Appeal

X Finance Bull supported his XRP outlook in a separate post by pointing to the XRP Ledger’s cost structure. The Ledger charges just 0.00001 XRP per transaction, and this places total daily fees across the entire network at around 650 XRP. Furthermore, the Ledger has maintained low and predictable fees since 2012, even during periods of heavy activity, which is in contrast to Ethereum’s variable gas fees and Bitcoin’s congestion pricing.

All transaction fees generated by the Ledger are permanently burned, and this adds a deflationary element to the network. According to the crypto commentator, this combination of speed, low cost, and reliability is what makes its infrastructure the best for long-term institutional use.

Старший стратег платформы Bloomberg Intelligence Майк Макглоун (Mike McGlone) предположил, что вероятность падения эфира до $2000 гораздо выше, чем уверенный прорыв за рубеж $4000.

Индикатор спроса на биткоин показывает снижение активности с «зеленого уровня» середины 2025 года до «красного» в январе, отражая рост давления продавцов, сообщили аналитики платформы CryptoQuant.

With the market flipping into a bearish state, XRP is experiencing conflicting signals in on-chain activity. While some metrics are showing bullish action, other key metrics are starting to demonstrate negative trends, which brings the leading altcoin to a crucial moment that could play a key role in shaping its next price direction.

Derivatives Activity Expands On XRP

Amid the ongoing pullback in the price of XRP, the altcoin is now showcasing a notable divergence in market signals. Specifically, XRP Open Interest (OI) appears to have transitioned into a bullish state while several other key metrics have flipped into bearish territory.

After analyzing multiple metrics, Cryptoinsightuk, a market expert and investor on the social media platform X, highlighted that open interest continues to rise significantly. The rise in derivatives positioning is a clear signal that traders are becoming more leveraged and engaged in the market.

Cryptoinsightuk stated that this significant open interest rise coincides with heavily negative performance in XRP’s Funding rates and Premium. This kind of setup often precedes heightened volatility, especially as on-chain data and broader momentum hint at weakening market conditions. According to the expert, the divergence indicates that the move down is being artificially created by leveraged players. 

Currently, XRP seems to be at a crucial stage when positioning, rather than spot demand, may determine its next significant move as leverage builds against a more cautious environment. However, the expert noted that spot volume has also witnessed a spike. 

Interestingly, the rise in spot volume comes as the market saw a sweep of the recent wick into the year-long support, which led to the creation of a Bullish Divergence on the 4-hour time frame chart. 

Based on the hourly liquidity pools, the market might still have some room to grow. However, the expert is confident that a bounce from the current position is likely to take place. When the bounce occurs, it is expected to be quite violent and will spur a short squeeze back to the upside.

Investors Are Leaning More Towards Long Positions

Despite waning price action, investors seem to be eyeing a potential reversal toward the upside as they increase their bets. This bullish action is evidenced by a sharp uptick in the high-leverage long positions as reported by CW, a data analyst and crypto investor.

Positioning is getting more crowded as more money enters leveraged bets on the upside, increasing the stakes for the upcoming price surge. CW highlighted that high leverage XRP long positions are accumulating around the $1.85 mark, reflecting the significance of the level and the growing appetite for risk among investors. 

However, CW noted that whales are likely to liquidate these positions again. In another post, CW has confirmed that large orders from whales are already flooding the market. At the same time, these high-net-worth investors on the Coinbase platform have now formed a selling wall at $1.96.

The recent market downturn has not deterred analysts from maintaining a bullish outlook on the Bitcoin price. New reports from these market watchers suggest Bitcoin may be entering a new parabolic phase, potentially signaling the end of its prolonged correction. While one analyst points to BTC’s correlation with gold as a signal of a possible ATH, another applies an Elliott Wave analysis to set a new price target for the leading cryptocurrency. 

Bitcoin Price Prepares For $245,000 Parabolic Move

A recent technical analysis by Crypto Tice suggests that gold has taken the lead, while Bitcoin currently stands at a transition point. The analyst presented a weekly price chart tracking both assets, and showing how gold’s price movement could be used to determine Bitcoin’s next parabolic move to a $245,000 all-time high. 

The chart tracks gold and Bitcoin’s price action from 2016 through projected moves into 2026, showing a repeating pattern where uncertainty peaks in gold first. After which, capital flows into the precious metal, its price then breaks out and ranges, and then money rotates into BTC. Crypto Tice has said that this rotation phase has repeated in every market cycle.  

In the first cycle, from July 2017 to Q4 2018, gold climbed to an all-time high before trading in a narrow range, signaling broader trend exhaustion rather than a breakdown. Shortly afterward, Bitcoin launched a strong rally, reflecting a rotation of capital from the precious metal into a higher-risk asset. 

The same pattern appeared during the 2020-2021 cycle. Gold reached a new peak and stalled in a tight range, while Bitcoin followed with a powerful breakout to the upside. That surge aligned with another green profit rotation zone on the analyst’s price chart. 

On the far right side of the chart, Crypto Tice has revealed that gold has once again reached a record high in the current cycle and is consolidating inside a red range. At the same time, Bitcoin has already moved sharply higher and is now experiencing a modest pullback. The analyst calls this overlap a “transfer window” between the two assets.

Crypto Tice noted that this recent pause mirrors the same pattern seen in past cycles before Bitcoin staged a major price rally. The analyst has predicted that if BTC continues to follow this historical trend, it could soon enter a new parabolic phase, potentially triggering a price surge above $245,000.  

Elliott Wave Analyst Shares Next BTC Price Target

In a separate analysis, crypto market expert Merlijn the Trader has shared a video chart analysis showing a repeating Elliott wave structure that could indicate Bitcoin’s next potential bullish target. From late 2024 to mid 2025, BTC formed a five-wave pattern, creating higher lows and building a base that led to a significant price rally. 

According to Merlijn the Trader, Bitcoin is repeating this five-wave pattern in the current cycle. Waves 1 through 3 are already complete, showing higher lows, while Waves 4 and 5 are forming a base following a massive price crash. Once this stage completes, the analyst predicts BTC could rally strongly from its current price above $87,900 toward $124,000.

Один из ранних крупных инвесторов в эфир, так называемый кит, активизировался после девяти лет спячки и переместил 50 000 ETH (около $146 млн) на кошелек криптобиржи Gemini, показали данные аналитиков Arkham Intelligence.

Компания Strategy, крупнейший публичный корпоративный держатель биткоинов, с 20 по 25 января увеличила свои запасы на 2 932 BTC. Средняя цена покупки составила $90 061 за монету,

Владелец контрольного пакета крупнейшей по объему торгов криптобиржи Binance Чанпэн Чжао (Changpeng Zhao) заявил, что компания больше не нуждается в его управлении.

Профессор экономики из Университета Джонса-Хопкинса Стив Ханке (Steve Hanke) назвал биткоин «золотом дураков», заявив, что первая криптовалюта не может быть средством сохранения накоплений.

Over the weekend, volatility observed across the broader cryptocurrency market intensified, causing the price of Bitcoin to fall back to the $86,000 mark once again. Even with the bearish price action in the past few days, buying activity continues to pick up pace in the market, especially among large BTC holders.

Bitcoin’s Largest Wallets Show Conviction

Bitcoin’s price may have been struggling with heightened volatility as a result of the broader market bearish market action, but bullish sentiment remains present among investors. In the weakening condition, large BTC whales or deep-pocket investors’ sentiment turns positive and are steadily reentering the market.

Data from Santiment, a popular market intelligence and on-chain data platform, suggests that these major investors are building positions at an encouraging and steady pace, even though the broader momentum is demonstrating weakening conditions. In the past, long-term whale accumulation has typically happened in uncertain times when prices don’t accurately reflect underlying confidence.

Santiment noted that the buying activity is spotted among wallet addresses holding over 1,000 BTC. After months of consistent buying, the group has now collectively acquired about 104,340 BTC, which represents a more than 1.5% rise. 

As a result of the recent purchase, the investors’ overall holdings are currently sitting at 7.17 million BTC, marking their largest level since September 15, 2025. These wealthy investors are subtly consuming available supplies rather than distributing into recent market swings, indicating confidence in Bitcoin’s medium- to long-term potential. 

While buying pressure is growing among large Bitcoin holders, the number of whale transactions has also experienced a massive upswing. Santiment added that the amount of +$1 million daily transfers has exploded, reaching a 2-month high level.

A Continued Drop In BTC Open Interest

A continued drop in Bitcoin’s Open Interest is coinciding with the ongoing drop in price. Darkfost, a market expert and CryptoQuant author, highlighted that open interest is steadily declining, which does not support the emergence of a new trend as seen on the weekly change basis.

Since November, the metric has remained broadly negative, suggesting that the drop has continued for several weeks. Although there was a brief improvement earlier this month, it was followed by a price reaction. 

Overall, when open interest rises, Darkfost stated that it mostly signals trend continuation to even a trend reversal, triggered by an influx of long positions. Furthermore, this is confirmed with funding rates, but this is what happens in most cases.

On Sunday, as BTC displays a steady correction, deleveraging also increased. While this is bearish in the short term, these phases simultaneously aid in cleaning the market of excessive leverage. Thus, it is critical to remember that futures are still the primary source of volume, making keeping an eye on developments there an essential move.

Аналитики платформы CryptoRank заявили, что росту альткоинов в этом году препятствует несколько причин. Главный — размывание капитала.

Управляющая компания ETHZilla, создавшая собственный резерв эфира, частично избавилась от накопленной криптовалюты и вложилась в два авиационных двигателя.