Из жизни альткоинов

Bitcoin has slipped below the $92,000 level after a sharp decline that began on Sunday, signaling that downside pressure is still shaping market conditions. Despite the drop, bulls are trying to defend current levels and regain control, with many traders watching for a rebound that could restore confidence across the broader crypto market. The move comes at a sensitive moment, as risk appetite remains fragile and short-term volatility continues to shake out leveraged positioning.

Top analyst Darkfost highlighted that the market is now 109 days removed from Bitcoin’s last all-time high, placing the current drawdown into a wider cycle context. In previous major corrections, Bitcoin spent far longer in recovery mode, including 236 days between March 2024 and November, followed by another 154-day correction window between December 2024 and May 2025. Compared to those periods, the current pullback may still be early in its timeline, even if price action already feels aggressive.

What makes this correction stand out is the intensity of the pain across the market. Realized losses have stacked up, capitulation has been more visible, and short-term holders appear increasingly stressed, creating the sense that this decline is heavier than past resets. Even so, history suggests Bitcoin can remain in a choppy recovery phase for months without breaking the broader cycle structure.

Capitulation Builds, But the Cycle May Still Be Intact

Bitcoin’s recent decline has not been a “clean” pullback. Realized losses have stacked up, capitulation has looked aggressive, and short-term holders remain under heavy pressure as the market punishes late entries and weak conviction. Liquidation data has also shown how leverage has amplified the downside, with forced selling accelerating drops that might have otherwise played out more gradually. That backdrop is exactly why the correction feels so violent, even compared to past drawdowns.

However, Darkfost argues this phase still fits within the broader rhythm of Bitcoin’s cycle. His key point is that extended corrections are not unusual, even when they feel unusually painful in real time. From that perspective, the market could easily spend more months digesting losses and rebuilding positioning without signaling a full structural breakdown.

Where this cycle becomes more complex is the macro timing. Unlike previous cycles, Bitcoin’s post-bear all-time high and the halving narrative have overlapped with a new variable: ETF-driven demand. That shift changes how drawdowns develop, because deeper pools of institutional capital can absorb supply differently than retail-led rallies. If this institutional trend continues, Bitcoin may be transitioning into a structurally different market regime, with longer consolidations and less predictable “four-year cycle” behavior.

Bitcoin Slips Below Key Averages as Bulls Defend $90K Support

Bitcoin is back under pressure after failing to hold above the $92,000 zone, with the chart showing price sliding toward $91,300 as selling accelerates. The move keeps BTC trapped below major moving averages, reinforcing the idea that this rebound is still fragile and highly reactive to headline-driven volatility. After the January recovery attempt, the rejection near the descending resistance structure highlights that sellers remain active on rallies, limiting bullish follow-through.

Technically, the market continues to trade beneath the 50-day and 100-day trend lines, while the longer-term averages remain overhead, acting as dynamic resistance. This structure suggests BTC is still in a corrective phase rather than a confirmed trend reversal, despite short-term optimism earlier this month. Volume also shows a lack of sustained demand expansion, supporting the view that buyers are defending levels, but not fully regaining control.

The $90,000–$88,000 range now stands out as a critical support area, as it has acted as a base during recent consolidation. A clean breakdown below it could reopen downside risk toward the December lows, while a hold could keep the market building a recovery structure. For bulls, the first step is stabilizing above $92,000 again, then reclaiming the mid-$90,000s to shift momentum back in their favor.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Ethereum’s network has been buzzing. Blocks are full, wallets show new activity, and on-chain counters are ticking up fast. But not all of that motion looks like real people using the chain.

Address Poisoning On The Spotlight

In a recent blog post, researcher Andrey Sergeenkov warned that a recent Ethereum upgrade is being exploited to send tiny transactions that create misleading wallet history entries, a tactic known as address poisoning.

According to the expert, a big slice of the traffic may be the result of “dusting” or address poisoning attacks. Small, almost worthless transfers — sometimes less than a dollar — are being sent to a wide range of addresses.

Record-high Ethereum activity that everyone’s celebrating is an address poisoning attack.

– Over $740K already stolen, and growing – This became possible thanks to the Fusaka upgrade – This attack is ongoing right nowhttps://t.co/cqoEvqttQd

— Andrey Sergeenkov (@Nikopolos) January 19, 2026

These tiny transfers create fake-looking entries in a wallet’s history. People who skim their recent transactions or copy addresses from a short list of past contacts can be tricked into sending funds to a scammer by mistake. It is a basic trick that gets more power when fees fall.

Why It Happened

Reports say that after recent updates and lower average gas costs, sending millions of tiny transactions became affordable. When fees drop, attackers can spray dust across large numbers of wallets and run follow-up scams at scale.

The tactic uses two steps: first, make a history entry that looks like a real counterparty; second, hope a user copies that wrong entry. Some attacks aim to deanonymize users, while others are pure bait to steal funds later.

 

Simple Mistakes With Big Consequences

An Ethereum wallet owner might glance at a list and use the wrong address. Or they might be prompted by a message that seems to match a past transfer. Either way, if funds are sent to the attacker, those funds are usually gone.

Reports estimate that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been siphoned from victims who fell for different versions of this trick. The sums are not always massive per case, but they add up when many victims are targeted.

Small Transfers From Strange Addresses

Look for small incoming transfers from addresses you do not recognize, especially when those transfers appear in large batches. Watch for identical token amounts or for many transfers with the same memo or pattern.

Wallets that show sudden clusters of tiny token receipts are worth extra caution. Security tools and some wallets can hide tiny transfers or warn users about unusual incoming dust. Use those features if they are available.

What Experts Advise

Based on reports, researchers urge people to verify the full address they are sending to, not just the start or end of it. Use address book features, QR codes, or trusted contacts to confirm destinations.

Avoid copying addresses from a short recent-history view. If you receive a small, unexpected deposit, take it as a warning sign, not an invitation.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed plans for the country’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), coinciding with a sharp decline in BTC and the overall cryptocurrency market. 

All Seized Bitcoin To Be Held In Strategic Reserve

In a discussion about the government’s approach to BTC and the recent seizures of the cryptocurrency, Bessent reassured the public that the administration would cease all sales of seized Bitcoin. 

Instead of auctioning off these assets, the government plans to add the seized Bitcoin to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which was set up in March last year by President Donald Trump’s administration. 

This decision, however, did little to mitigate BTC’s plummet on Tuesday, as the lack of any plans to purchase additional coins from the market contributed to continued downward pressure on prices. 

Bessent elaborated that the initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at fostering digital asset innovation within the United States while maintaining federal oversight of confiscated cryptocurrencies. 

“This administration’s policy is to add seized Bitcoin to our digital asset reserve,” Bessent stated, marking a decisive shift in the government’s handling of Bitcoin assets.

Political Climate Leads To $215 Billion Crypto Market Dip

Bitcoin has experienced a decline of nearly $5,800—coinciding with political tensions after President Trump hinted at a 10% tariff on the European Union (EU) in an attempt to compel Denmark to sell Greenland. 

This geopolitical maneuver has not only affected Bitcoin but has also resulted in a staggering loss of approximately $215 billion in total market capitalization across the crypto sector.

Market analyst Ted Pillows warned that BTC must maintain its position above the $89,000 mark. He expressed that failing to hold this level would signal the end of the short-term upward trend, further complicating an already tumultuous condition for the cryptocurrency.

When writing, BTC still holds above the key level outlined by Pillows at $89,497, but has declined by 3.7% in the last 24 hours. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin’s dominance over the broader crypto market has become the main reference point for traders trying to determine when an altcoin season will finally take shape. At the moment, Bitcoin still controls close to 60% of the total market, and this has so far kept any meaningful altcoin breakout at bay.

However, according to a Bitcoin analyst, history suggests that once this balance begins to shift, the transition into altcoin season tends to happen quickly, often playing out within a tight one-to-two-month timeframe.

Why Bitcoin Dominance Matters For Altcoin Season

In his analysis, the analyst explained that Bitcoin dominance, also known as BTC.D, is an important factor in determining when capital begins rotating into altcoins. BTC dominance measures Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market capitalization, and declines in this metric have historically coincided with explosive altcoin rallies. At the time of writing, CoinMarketCap puts the Bitcoin dominance at 59%.

Looking back at 2017, the BTC.D chart shows Bitcoin’s dominance falling very quickly from around 96% in early March to about 60% by mid-May. That drop was the playout of one of the most aggressive altcoin rallies the market has ever seen. 

A similar pattern played out in 2021, when BTC dominance fell from about 60% in early April to near 40% by mid-May. That move coincided with another powerful altcoin expansion, pushing Ethereum and several other major altcoins to new all-time highs. Many of those peaks, particularly among meme coins such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, are unbroken to this day.

The most important takeaway from both cycles, according to the analyst, is the speed of the move. In each case, it took just one to two months for a full-blown altcoin season to unfold once Bitcoin dominance began rolling over decisively.

BTC’s Next Move Could Decide Everything

The analyst notes that many investors underestimate how quickly this transition can happen. After waiting through multiple years of accumulation and consolidation, market participants often grow impatient just before the final stage. Historically, however, altcoin season has tended to play out very quickly once conditions align, not gradually over many months. Therefore, investors waiting for an altcoin season can still hold on for that move and not lose focus.

He also pointed to macro signals supporting a risk-on environment, referencing strength in assets such as small-cap equities, gold, and silver hitting all-time highs. These conditions are lining up for capital flowing into higher-beta assets once confidence returns.

Nonetheless, altcoins cannot sustain a true breakout without BTC first making a convincing move. If Bitcoin fails to push to a new all-time high, altcoins may see only short-lived relief rallies. On the other hand, a new Bitcoin all-time high could act as the deciding factor that brings retail traders back into the market and eventually leads to FOMO plus a breakout altcoin season.

In the current market structure, the Ethereum price continues to move in a separate direction from its network’s performance and fundamentals. While ETH’s price struggles to initiate a major rally, the network is performing at a remarkable pace, breaking past prior all-time highs in most aspects of the blockchain, such as staking.

More Ethereum Getting Locked Away

Even in the ongoing crypto volatile landscape, the supply dynamics of Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency asset, are undergoing a quiet but meaningful shift. Currently, ETH staking is experiencing exponential growth, leading to a tightening supply as more ETH gets locked away.

Milk Road, a market expert, stated that ETH is becoming intentionally harder to access in the midst of the strong growth in its staking ecosystem. The chart shared by Milk Road shows that ETH staking has now hit a new all-time high, with millions of the altcoin presently scheduled to be locked away.

While more tokens are being locked into validator contracts, an increasing percentage of Ethereum’s total supply is essentially taken out of daily circulation. The supply of ETH taken by staking has never been this high, snatching over 30% of the entire supply in circulation. 

This points to growing confidence in staking as a yield strategy in the long term and a deeper commitment to the security offered by the network. Meanwhile, the Ethereum network is now secured by approximately $120 billion worth of staked ETH.

In addition to being removed from active circulation, Milk Road highlighted that this supply is also taken off crypto exchanges. When staking rises, and supply shrinks, Mlik Road stated that this trend is a positive signal for price appreciation in the long term, reinforcing the expert’s conviction in ETH to move higher. 

A Sharp Rise In ETH’s Network Activity To New Highs

On-chain activity has experienced a similar growth, rising to historical levels. Crypto Tice reported that Ethereum network activity is at an all-time high, highlighting the blockchain’s rising function as the layer of settlement for cryptocurrency and financial operations.

The network growth is observed among new wallet addresses, of which more than 393,000 new wallets were created in a single day, reaching the highest level ever recorded for the 7-day average of daily wallet creation. Such an increase in activity is noteworthy not only for its magnitude but also for its tenacity, occurring despite the continued volatility of the market.

It is worth noting that these types of growth are subtle as they do not show up at the tops, and momentum is gradually picking up again. However, when it does show up, it is accompanied by a quiet spike in adoption beneath the surface; a clear instance of how increasing demands follow an expansion in usage.

At the time of writing, the ETH price was trading at $3,119, demonstrating a nearly 3% decline in the last 24 hours. Its trading volume is also showing bearish performance, dropping by more than 16% over the past day.

Crypto market expert, ChartNerd, has said that XRP’s recent flash crash could be a “blessing in disguise.” According to the analyst, the drawdown has placed the cryptocurrency at the exact sell-side liquidity the analyst mentioned in previous reports, increasing the potential for a bullish takeover even as market dynamics remain uncertain and weak. 

Why The XRP Crash Could Be A Blessing In Disguise

In an X post on January 9, ChartNerd suggested that the recent sell-off that saw the XRP price crash by more than 4.6% this week could end up working in the market’s favor. He said the decline may be a “huge” blessing in disguise, as it has sent the price directly into a long-anticipated sell-side liquidity zone. 

The analyst shared a chart highlighting the sell-side liquidity pocket around the $1.8 level on the monthly heatmap. Rather than signaling weakness, ChartNerd indicated XRP’s latest move aligned with areas where bulls have consistently shown interest. He noted that this liquidity zone had acted as a key support area for the altcoin for approximately 13 months, with bulls repeatedly stepping in to prevent deeper downside. 

Notably, XRP experienced a major flash crash this week, sending its price tumbling from above $2 to below $1.95. Following its earlier January high near $2.49, the cryptocurrency also declined sharply, now settling into this highlighted liquidity band. On the heatmap, the area around $1.80 appears to be the most intense and concentrated, reflecting strong historical engagement and repeated price reactions. 

ChartNerd has characterized XRP’s retest of sell-side liquidity as a “clarity response” rather than a structural breakdown. Typically, a decline of this magnitude can trigger fear and uncertainty in the market about a cryptocurrency’s next move. However, ChartNerd has said that he is now closely monitoring how the market responds to this new reaction. His analysis offers hope that the recent crash may ultimately benefit investors by establishing a clearer directional bias, rather than simply being a destructive sell-off that undermines its broader structure.  

While the analyst’s report adds significant context to XRP’s latest move, community members have responded with their own forecasts. Some believe that the recent crash into sell-side liquidity could trigger another breakdown to $1.20, which would represent a more than 38% drop from current levels around $1.96. Others, however, remain relatively bullish, opting to wait and see how the market reacts. 

Price Stabilizes After Crash

This week, XRP gave up gains that had fueled a major recovery earlier this year. While hovering around $2, XRP repeatedly tested upper resistance levels but failed to break out to the upside. Although the recent decline pushed it back underneath $2, its price has since stabilized and is now consolidating above $1.95. 

Interestingly, the pullback has been accompanied by a significant increase in trading volume. Recent reports reveal that XRP’s trading activity spiked across several markets despite its struggling price. 

Crypto pundit Wimar has claimed that crypto exchanges are manipulating the Bitcoin price, causing it to crash from its 2026 high. This comes amid recent developments with the Trump tariffs, which have caused the flagship crypto to also decline. 

Crypto Pundit Accuses Crypto Exchanges Of Manipulating Bitcoin Price

In an X post, Wimar asserted that crypto exchanges are manipulating the Bitcoin price. He noted how BTC just dumped from $95,500 to $91,900 with no news. The pundit claimed it is the same script, over and over again, as the flagship crypto rose from $89,000 to $95,000 and has now fallen to $91,000, just as it did when it rose from $85,000 to $88,000 and then fell to $84,000. 

Wimar claimed that this is a liquidity hunt, alluding to the flows to prove that the Bitcoin price is manipulated. He noted that within minutes, Wintermute, Binance, Coinbase, and ETF-linked wallets were all active simultaneously. Large blocks were said to have moved from exchange to exchange, with huge market buys hitting thin books, and then, just as fast, these tokens were dumped.  

The crypto pundit also highlighted Arkham data, noting that the flows tell the real story. Wimar claimed that coins move into exchanges right after the pump, which he stated is not a coincidence. The pundit further remarked that these crypto exchanges wait for a setup where liquidity is low, leverage is high, and funding is stretched. 

Wimar asserted that these crypto exchanges run the same play every time, where they first pump the Bitcoin price fast on thin books to trigger FOMO and then liquidate shorts. Retail investors then see green candles and open long positions because the price action appears to be a breakout, but they fall into the trap, according to the pundit. 

Wimar stated that once enough people are stuck in leverage, the coins hit crypto exchanges and selling starts, leading to a Bitcoin price crash. The pundit accused these exchanges of dumping into the demand they just created, forcing fresh longs to get liquidated and farming both long and short traders with no news. 

BTC’s Current Price Action Isn’t Based On Headlines

Wimar doubled down on his accusation of crypto exchanges being responsible for the Bitcoin price crash, stating that BTC doesn’t move like this because of headlines. He claimed that it moves like because leverage piles up, and someone decides it is “payday.” As such, the pundit suggested that the Trump tariffs fears aren’t what is sparking this recent market crash.

Trump had announced fresh tariffs on France, the U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Norway over the weekend. The Bitcoin price had remained unchanged following the announcement, but began to crash following reports that the European Union (EU) was considering retaliatory tariffs. 

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $90,900, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

С момента инаугурации президента США Дональда Трампа, состоявшейся год назад, его семья заработала около $1,4 млрд на криптовалютных проектах. Это примерно пятая часть совокупного капитала семейства, выяснило агентство Bloomberg.

Ripple’s UK & Europe policy director Matthew Osborne is urging central banks to stop treating stablecoins as an external threat and instead fold well-regulated issuers into core safeguards, arguing that oversight plus access to official infrastructure can make stablecoins a net stabiliser for payments and settlement.

Writing for the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum on 19 January 2026, Osborne said stablecoins have moved well beyond a niche experiment, citing a market value “in excess of $300bn” and annual transaction volumes that he wrote now surpass Visa and Mastercard combined. He argued momentum could accelerate in the US after the Genius Act, which he said would introduce federal rules and allow banks to issue stablecoins.

The Ripple exec framed the shift as already visible among central banks themselves. He pointed to the European Central Bank’s recent recognition of stablecoins’ benefits for cross-border payments and its view that tomorrow’s financial system will host multiple forms of money. He also cited the Bank of England’s stance that stablecoins could support “faster, cheaper retail and wholesale payments” as part of a “multi-money” system underpinned by central bank money.

Ripple Exec: Bring Stablecoins Into The Safety Net

At the centre of his case is the claim that stablecoins should be treated as an incremental evolution rather than an adversarial replacement. “Regulated stablecoins could play a key role in financial markets alongside other forms of money,” Osborne wrote. “First, stablecoins are more likely to complement the existing financial system than replace it. This is evolution, not revolution.” He then added: “The solution lies in central banks channelling stablecoin momentum, not fighting it.”

Osborne argues central bank money will remain essential as a risk-free settlement asset and safe store of value, but its relative role could shift in digital markets. He pointed to atomic settlement, where legs of a transaction settle simultaneously and conditionally, as reducing the traditional need to use central bank money purely to mitigate settlement risk.

Where stablecoins could be structurally preferred, he wrote, is in cross-border flows and multi-chain markets. “Cross-border payments are one example, given that stablecoins can move value anywhere in the world in seconds,” the Ripple exec said.

“In contrast, central bank money is likely to be less suitable for cross-border payments given access may be geographically limited and adoption of on-chain central bank money is far from universal around the world.” He also argued stablecoins are likely to exist across more blockchain networks than central bank money, making same-chain settlement between tokenized assets and cash more achievable while interoperability remains uneven.

Central banks have repeatedly warned that stablecoins could pull funds from bank deposits, weakening bank credit creation and potentially amplifying stress events. Osborne pushed back, arguing the risk is overstated because markets already accommodate instruments backed by highly liquid assets, money market funds, e-money, and “narrow banks”, without causing sustained deposit runs.

His bigger point is that regulation, while necessary, is insufficient without a backstop. “But regulation alone is not enough,” Osborne wrote. “Stablecoin issuers lack access to the safety net that gives bank deposits their resilience. Without it, even well-managed stablecoins are more vulnerable to shocks – as seen when USDC temporarily lost its peg following exposure to Silicon Valley Bank in 2023.”

He argued central banks should consider extending elements of that safety net, including allowing well-regulated stablecoin issuers to hold part of their backing assets in central bank accounts, offering liquidity insurance against market-wide shocks, and granting more direct payment-system access to reduce tiering risk.

The Ripple exec closed by positioning the choice for central banks as strategic: resist stablecoins and risk the market scaling beyond official influence, or “bring them inside the tent,” shaping development through prudential oversight and infrastructure access as tokenized settlement rails mature.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.9216.

Основатель Cardano Чарльз Хоскинсон (Charles Hoskinson) раскритиковал американский законопроект о структуре крипторынка CLARITY, разделяющий полномочия по надзору за криптовалютами между Комиссией по ценным бумагам и биржам (SEC) и Комиссией по торговле товарными фьючерсами (CFTC).

Компания Strategy, крупнейший публичный корпоративный держатель биткоинов, с 12 по 18 января приобрела 22 305 BTC, увеличив свой запас первой криптовалюты до 709 715 монет.

Всплеск активности в сети Эфириума может быть связан со спам-атаками криптопылью (address poisoning), мошеннической схемой, цель которой — заставить пользователя ошибочно перевести средства на адрес злоумышленника.

Конституционный суд разрешил россиянам защищать свои права на цифровую валюту, даже если она не задекларирована в налоговой службе. Однако суд постановил устранить пробел в законодательстве, из-за которого подавать сведения о крипте должны только майнеры.

Майнинговые компании Грузии втрое нарастили потребление электричества за последний год, сообщила Национальная комиссия по регулированию энергетики и коммунальным услугам (GNERC). Больше всего электричества потратили промышленные дата-центры.  

Pump.fun, the memecoins launchpad, has opened an investment arm called Pump Fund and kicked off a public hackathon to seed early projects. It put $3 million on the table to back a batch of new teams. Twelve winners will get $250,000 each at a $10 million valuation as part of the first program.

Market Driven Hackathon Model

Under the new plan, funding won’t come from pitch rooms or closed-door panels. According to the platform, projects will be chosen largely by market activity and community traction — real token demand will be the main signal.

That means teams are expected to build in public, mint tokens, and show early user interest instead of relying on traditional venture checks. Mentorship from Pump.fun’s founders is also part of the package.

Today, we announce Pump Fund

It will advance the startup ecosystem on pump fun by aligning itself with projects long-term.

The fund’s first initiative is the BiP Hackathon which will fund 12 projects with $250k @ $10m val, giving mentorship with pump fun’s founders & much more

— Pump.fun (@Pumpfun) January 19, 2026

The Rules And The Playbook

Reports say participating teams must issue a token and disclose development steps openly. Some posts list specific mechanics: projects are asked to keep a share of token supply public and to let the market judge their momentum.

The hackathon format is meant to make fundraising faster and more visible. This is an approach that puts a lot of power into trading activity, which supporters say can reveal what people actually want.

Moving Beyond Memecoins

Pump.fun is signaling a shift. What began as a factory for memecoins has been steered toward funding broader startup ideas. The move is being framed as a way to back early-stage projects both inside and outside the token world, while still keeping a strong role for token mechanics.

But the platform has a past that colors this announcement: earlier coverage flagged security incidents and legal worries tied to memecoin launches and platform mechanics, which some observers say could make this venture-style push controversial.

What Critics Note

Some critics worry the model may reward short-term hype over slow, steady product building. Market-driven selection can amplify excitement, and excitement can fade fast.

Questions have been raised about how traction will be measured and whether token-driven signals can consistently point to long-term, sustainable projects. Governance and transparency are already on watch lists.

Applications are open for teams that want a shot at the $3 million pool, with timelines given by Pump.fun for selection and the first cohort to be chosen quickly after submissions close.

The memecoins platform says it will supply capital plus hands-on support to winners, and the community will have a big role in helping decide which ideas rise.

Featured image from PYMNTS, chart from TradingView

Мемкоин WhiteWhale, созданный на блокчейне Solana, резко обвалился, потеряв за пять минут 60% рыночной стоимости. Обвал произошел после того, как крупнейший держатель WhiteWhale продал свои токены на сумму $1,3 млн всего за одну транзакцию.

Португальская Служба регулирования и инспекции игр, SRIJ, дала блокчейн‑платформе прогнозов Polymarket двое суток на прекращение работы в стране. Формальной причиной названо отсутствие у Polymarket лицензии на букмекерские услуги.

Jefferies strategist Chris Wood has removed Bitcoin from his long-term model portfolio, citing quantum computing as a risk that weakens Bitcoin’s store-of-value framing for pension-style allocations. VanEck head of research Matthew Sigel flagged the change on X, calling it a notable “downgrade” from one of the Street’s most widely followed global strategists.

Veteran Strategist Chris Wood Exits Bitcoin

Wood wrote that he is not positioning for an imminent price shock, but that the long-duration mandate is where the quantum question bites. “While GREED & fear does not believe that the quantum issue is about to hit the Bitcoin price dramatically in the near term, the store of value concept is clearly on less solid foundation from the standpoint of a long-term pension portfolio,” Wood wrote. “For that reason, GREED & fear will remove the 10% allocation to Bitcoin this week with 5% reallocated to gold and 5% reallocated to gold-mining stocks.”

The move is framed as risk management rather than a retrospective performance critique. Wood noted that despite gold’s recent outperformance versus Bitcoin, Bitcoin remained well ahead since his model first added it: Bitcoin had risen 325% since December 17, 2020, while gold bullion was up 145% over the same period.

In a note dated January 15, 2026, Wood described how the quantum discussion has moved from abstract theory into something asset allocators are being asked to underwrite. “GREED & fear is no pure mathematician,” he wrote, adding that he has found himself pulled into conversations about “elliptic curves” because of “the growing focus in recent months on the threat posed to the Bitcoin system by the arrival of quantum computing.”

His core claim is that the perceived timeline is compressing. He referenced rising concern that cryptographically relevant quantum computers could arrive “a few years away rather than a decade or more,” and argued that any credible threat to Bitcoin’s security model is “potentially existential” because it undermines the store-of-value concept that underpins the “digital alternative to gold” narrative.

Wood’s mechanism is straightforward: what is computationally infeasible today could become tractable under CRQCs. He wrote that the current asymmetry, easy to derive a public key from a private key, effectively impossible to reverse, could collapse, with the time to derive a private key from a public key shrinking to “mere hours or days.”

Wood said the industry is already debating potential responses, including whether to “burn” quantum-vulnerable coins to protect system integrity or to do nothing and accept the possibility that vulnerable coins could be stolen by entities with CRQCs. He presented the dispute as a conflict between preserving Bitcoin’s property-rights ethos and avoiding a policy choice that looks confiscatory, adding that one computer scientist he spoke with described the do-nothing stance as a “suicidal delusion.”

Wood said his thinking was informed by discussions with knowledgeable parties and pointed to a Chaincode report as background reading, without treating it as a near-term trading trigger.

VanEck’s Sigel Responds

Sigel’s takeaway was less about whether quantum risk exists and more about how different systems respond. When one user argued that quantum would wipe out bank accounts, email, and brokerage systems as well, Sigel dismissed that as “not a sufficient take anymore,” drawing a sharp distinction between upgrade paths and reversibility.

“Banks upgrade top-down; BTC requires years of consensus,” Sigel wrote. “Banks have an ‘undo’ button; BTC is finality-first.”

Sigel also linked the debate to a familiar fault line inside Bitcoin governance. Asked how representative Wood’s view might be, Sigel said that in the “Adam Back vs. Nic Carter” debate he is “on Nic’s side,” and described Wood’s decision as supporting evidence. At the same time, Sigel emphasized process: he met Wood in New York before the note was published and said that although he disagreed with the conclusion, Wood “came to it honestly.”

On positioning, Sigel said he has “added quantum exposure” previously to VanEck’s Onchain Economy ETF (NODE) and made small hedges, with a preference for “diversified” AI miners over “DATs / leveraged BTC,” while keeping spot BTC via an ETF as the largest holding. He framed the quantum issue as “solvable” and akin to a “wall of worry like blocksize wars,” rather than a thesis-breaker.

At press time, BTC traded at $90,941.

Цена биткоина на децентрализованной бирже Paradex, использующей сеть Starknet, на короткое время упала до нуля. Прежде чем котировки успели вернуться к рыночным значениям, тысячи сделок были завершены.

Канадский миллиардер Фрэнк Джустра (Frank Giustra), инвестирующий в горнодобывающую промышленность, назвал биткоин рискованным активом, а золото — безопасной гаванью, поскольку драгоценный металл гораздо сложнее изъять, чем криптовалюту.