Из жизни альткоинов

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

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

Правоохранители Бухарской области Республики Узбекистан арестовали жителя Андижана и вменили ему нелегальные операции с криптоактивами на сумму свыше 18 млрд сумов (более $1,3 млн). В Узбекистане считают нарушителями закона людей, которые торгуют на не имеющих в стране лицензии площадках вроде Binance и Bitget.

Японская управляющая компания Metaplanet, один из крупнейших держателей биткоина, зафиксировала убыток на сумму $680 млн из-за падения стоимости первой криптовалюты.

Блокчейн-детектив ZachXBT связал кражу криптовалюты на $40 млн из американских правительственных кошельков с сыном руководителя компании, обслуживающей конфискованные властями США цифровые активы.

Одна из самых первых площадок для запуска невзаимозаменяемых токенов (NFT) Nifty Gateway собирается прекратить свою деятельность 23 февраля, сообщила материнская компания, криптобиржа Gemini.

Биткоин с его нынешней ценой в диапазоне $85 000–$95 000 70% крупных инвесторов считают недооцененным, так как первая криптовалюта отстает от динамики фондового рынка и драгметаллов, сообщили аналитики американской криптобиржи Coinbase.

Две новые хакерские атаки на криптопроекты привели к краже почти $34 млн. Об атаках стало известно благодаря специалистам по безопасности PeckShield и BlockSec.

Инвестиционная компания Grayscale подала заявку в Комиссию по ценным бумагам и биржам США (SEC) на запуск биржевого фонда (ETF), отслеживающего цену криптовалюты Binance Coin. Если регулятор одобрит заявку, фонд намерен торговаться под тикером GBNB на бирже Nasdaq Stock Market.

Агентство финансовых услуг Японии (FSA) готовит документ, разрешающий запуск криптовалютных биржевых инвестиционных фондов (ETF). Первые заявки будут одобрены в 2028 году, выяснило информационное агентство Nikkei Asia.

Крупнейший в мире майнинговый пул Foundry USA фиксирует падение хешрейта на 60%. Если вечером в пятницу, 23 января, показатель достигал 340 экзахэшей в секунду, то к утру понедельника, 26 января, хешрейт снизился на 200 Эх/с.

В первые дни нового года на крипторынке наблюдалось воодушевление. Цифровые активы росли в цене. Однако уже во второй половине января-2026 запал криптоинвесторов иссяк. Как отреагировали ценные бумаги криптокомпаний?

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

Merchants Cut Costs With Bitcoin

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

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

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 24, 2026

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

Stores Report Real Transactions

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

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

Lightning Network Speeds Up Payments

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

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

How Owners See It

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

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

Customers Find New Ways To Pay

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

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

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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

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

Capital Flow Link Between BTC And Gold Overestimated 

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

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

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

Darkfost wrote:

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

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

Bitcoin & Gold Price Overview

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

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

Reports say the Ethereum Foundation has started a new team to prepare the network for possible quantum computer attacks. These machines could one day break the math behind wallets and signatures. The team’s work is moving from research into practical tests and experiments, which has drawn attention across the crypto community.

Ethereum Launches Post-Quantum Team

Based on reports, Thomas Coratger will lead the effort. The team includes cryptographers and engineers already testing new systems on devnets. Some work ties into a project called leanVM and a researcher named Emile, who focuses on building simple quantum-safe tools. The goal is to test new algorithms in real software while keeping current transactions running smoothly.

Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy.

We’ve formed a new Post Quantum (PQ) team, led by the brilliant Thomas Coratger (@tcoratger). Joining him is Emile, one of the world-class talents behind leanVM. leanVM is the cryptographic…

— Justin Drake (@drakefjustin) January 23, 2026

$2 Million In Prizes Encourage Development

A $1 million prize has been set for improvements to the Poseidon hash function. Another $1 million prize supports broader post-quantum research. In total, roughly $2 million are being offered to labs and independent developers to design and test quantum-resistant solutions. Reports say this funding is meant to speed up work and show what can realistically replace current signatures.

Early Tests And Community Involvement

Multi-client devnets are already active. Developers are experimenting with new signature types to see what works and what fails. Biweekly sessions led by researchers like Antonio Sanso let teams share results and update code. A Post-Quantum Day is scheduled for March 2026 before ETHCC, with a larger event planned in October 2026 to show progress and plan next steps.

Quantum computers could, in theory, break the ECDSA and secp256k1 schemes used today. That risk is not immediate but serious enough that Ethereum is acting now. Reports note users should watch for official guidance, follow wallet updates, and avoid reusing addresses once upgrades roll out.

Community reaction has been mixed. Some online discussions praised the careful planning, while traders noticed a small dip in ETH price. Others questioned how upgrades would reach millions of wallets and what happens to old keys. The Foundation’s approach is to test solutions early so users and services are better protected when changes happen.

This step is part of Ethereum’s long-term plan for safety. Tests will continue, standards will be debated, and progress will be shared publicly. By acting now, Ethereum aims to reduce risk and make future transitions smoother for everyday users and the network as a whole.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Мемкоин The Nietzschean Penguin, запущенный в сети Solana, 24 января резко подорожал на 564% после того, как в официальный аккаунт Белого дома в соцсети Х запостил твит с надписью Embrace the penguin («Обними пингвина»).

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

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

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

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

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

Armstrong wrote on X:

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

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

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

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

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

Total Crypto Market Cap At $3.09 Trillion

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

Блокчейн‑исследователь ZachXBT обнаружил криптокошелек, который связан с биткоинами, изъятыми американскими властями в рамках расследования взлома криптобиржи Bitfinex.

Эмитенты стейблкоинов заработали за прошлый год $8,3 млрд. Лидером рынка стала компания Tether, которая выпускает привязанные к американскому доллару токены USDT, подсчитали аналитики CoinGecko Research.

In a major development, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a joint stipulation with defendant Gemini Trust Company, LLC to terminate its long-running civil enforcement action with prejudice, effectively ending the three-year legal battle over the Gemini Earn crypto lending program.

SEC Vs Gemini

In January 2023, the SEC instituted one of the most controversial crypto-related lawsuits against Gemini Trust Company and its partner, Genesis Global Capital LLC, accusing both parties of illegally offering and selling unregistered securities through the Gemini Earn lending program, a financial product that operated between 2021 and 2022, which allowed customers to lend crypto for interest at 7.4% per annum. 

Following the FTX crash in 2022, Genesis, which had a significant financial exposure to the now-defunct crypto exchange, halted withdrawals on the Gemini Earn Program, effectively locking up $940 million in investor assets. Since then, a series of events has unfolded, including Genesis entering bankruptcy proceedings, and through that process, all Earn investors ultimately recovered 100 percent of their crypto assets in kind. In addition, Gemini has settled related matters with state and federal regulators, paying over $50 million in civil fines. 

In the joint stipulation filed this week, the SEC noted that its decision to seek dismissal “in the exercise of its discretion” took into account the full investor recovery and those regulatory settlements. The dismissal is with prejudice, preventing the SEC from re-filing the same claims, and represents the formal end of one of the most high-profile enforcement actions in the US crypto industry.

US Crypto Regulatory Turnaround

The dismissal of the Gemini case comes amid a broader recalibration of the US crypto regulatory approach under the Donald Trump administration. Several high-profile SEC actions against major platforms, involving Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance, have been dropped or paused, reflecting a shift from a forceful regulatory approach seen under the former chairman, Gary Gensler. 

At the same time, Congress and the White House continue to pursue pro-crypto legislative and policy initiatives. In July 2025, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, a landmark bill establishing a comprehensive federal framework for stablecoins, aimed at boosting consumer protection and supporting broader adoption of digital assets.

Alongside the GENIUS Act, the highly anticipated Clarity Act, passed by the US House, aims to delineate regulatory responsibilities between agencies like the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) based on how digital assets function. The US Senate Agriculture Committee is set to observe a markup session of the bill on January 27, indicating steady progress despite recent concerning events, including public outrage by Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong and the Banking Committee’s continued postponement of its own hearing session.