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The global head of equity strategy at Jefferies has removed Bitcoin from his model portfolio, citing the potential threat of quantum computing as his reasoning.

Why Market Strategist Cut 10% BTC Exposure

Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, has dropped a 10% allocation to Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, from his model portfolio. In his latest “Greed & Fear” newsletter release, the market strategist highlighted the rise of quantum computing as the reason behind this move.

Wood highlighted his fears that the advances in quantum computing could threaten Bitcoin’s place and reputation as a dependable store of value, especially in the long term. As the expert said in his newsletter, the market is currently riddled with the fear that quantum computing could be just a few years away.

This growing concern borders on quantum computers being hypothesized to have the capacity to breach the Bitcoin network’s cryptographic technology. It is believed that these computers can enable attackers to reverse-engineer private keys from public ones, thereby tampering with the integrity of blockchain transactions.

Wood, who was an early institutional supporter of BTC, initially added the premier cryptocurrency to his model portfolio in December 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2021, the Jefferies global head of equity strategy expanded this Bitcoin allocation to 10%.

However, the market expert appears to now be viewing the flagship cryptocurrency with a little bit of skepticism, as he believes that the Quantum threat is potentially existential, undermining its status as a store of value and “digital alternative to gold.” Hence, Wood refocused his model portfolio on older assets, splitting the 10% BTC allocation equally between physical gold and gold mining stocks.

While there is no clear timeline for when quantum computers will reach the market, Wood is not the only one who has recently expressed concerns about the Quantum threat. In the past week, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards has also discussed how Bitcoin has decoupled from global liquidity due to the quantum threat.

Edwards wrote on X:

The timeframe to a non-zero probability of a quantum machine breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography is now less than the estimated time it will take to upgrade Bitcoin. Money is repositioning to account for this risk accordingly.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $95,370, reflecting a 0.3% dip in the past 24 hours.

XRP has just achieved a major milestone, officially surpassing Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Dogecoin (DOGE) in terms of trading volume. According to a new report, the altcoin has become the most traded asset in all of South Korea, highlighting strong adoption, demand, and liquidity. This latest development underscores the token’s growing dominance in one of the world’s most active crypto markets, even as broader conditions remain volatile. 

XRP Outpaces Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin As Most Traded Asset

XRP has posted a notable win in one of the world’s most active crypto markets. New data from Upbit, one of South Korea’s largest crypto exchanges, shows the asset outpacing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin in trading volume throughout 2025. Market analyst XFinanceBull highlighted this new achievement in a recent X post after reviewing Upbit’s trading data for 2025. 

According to the analyst, the altcoin was confirmed as the most traded digital asset on Upbit. The ranking was based on volume, liquidity, and actual usage rather than price movement. XRP trading pairs consistently led the platform, with the XRP/KRW pair taking the number one position for most of the year. Bitcoin followed in second place, Ethereum ranked third, USDT came fourth, and Dogecoin placed fifth by trading volume. 

Notably, the figures were officially verified by Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, on January 2, 2026. On a year-over-year basis, Upbit processes more than $1 trillion in trading volume and accounts for more than 70% of South Korea’s total crypto market. This positions Upbit as the country’s largest crypto exchange and makes it a reliable indicator of usage trends and real retail and institutional demand. 

XFinanceBull emphasized that South Korea tends to trade assets with clear real-world use cases and strong liquidity. Because of this, steady trading volume indicates a cryptocurrency is actively being used in the market, not just driven by short-term speculation. The analyst added that XRP’s continued use creates a pull effect, drawing in more capital as liquidity improves. 

In established markets like South Korea, assets that perform well are more likely to attract consistent, long-term participation, which can positively impact prices. Following the recent development, XFinanceBull reinforced his bullish stance on the altcoin and stated he plans to accumulate even more of the cryptocurrency.  

Upbit’s Report On XRP’s Performance

Upbit’s 2025 data shows that the altcoin consistently accounted for between 15% and 22% of the exchange’s daily trading activity, across a total annual trading volume of $1 trillion. As mentioned before, XRP/KRW was ranked the top trading pair for that year. Its daily volume peaked at $1.22 billion in July 2025, demonstrating sustained retail-driven liquidity and stable support. 

In terms of liquidity, XRP outperformed BTC and ETH multiple times. By year-end, Korean exchanges had accumulated around 570 million XRP, reinforcing the token’s role as a primary transactional and economic asset in the country. User data also shows Upbit serves about 13.26 million users, almost one in four people in South Korea. The largest age group is users in their 30s, making up approximately 28.7% of the exchange.

Canary Capital’s CEO, Steven McClurg, has predicted that XRP will be the leading token in real-world assets (RWAs), which is projected to be a trillion-dollar sector. This came as he highlighted recent developments that put the altcoin on course to dominate the industry.

Canary Capital CEO Predicts XRP Will Dominate RWAs

During an interview, the investment manager opined that XRP will be the leading token for real-world assets, based on Ripple’s moves over the last two years. He noted that the crypto firm has done a great job of integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into many transactions and into Wall Street, which has led to institutional adoption.

The Canary Capital CEO further noted that the XRP Ledger is moving assets such as stablecoins, including Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, and other tokenized real-world assets. Notably, Ondo Finance has also tokenized its U.S. treasury fund (OUSG) on the XRPL, while Ripple has partnered with Securitize to add RLUSD access for BlackRock’s BUIDL fund. 

Furthermore, Ripple partnered with Archax and UK-based asset manager abrdn to introduce the first tokenized money market fund on the XRP Ledger. There are also plans for the network to get a tokenized gold upgrade, even as demand for precious metals rises. It is also worth noting that Ripple has previously predicted that the XRP Ledger could dominate the real-world assets industry, putting XRP at the heart of the industry, as McClurg has also predicted. 

Interestingly, McClurg’s prediction comes as the XRP ETFs draw institutional investors into the altcoin’s ecosystem. These ETFs have been a success since their launch, recording only one net outflow since November. Coincidentally, McClurg’s Canary Capital is currently the largest XRP ETF issuer, with $374 million in total net assets, according to SoSoValue data. 

New Features To Onboard TradFi Onto The XRPL

Ripple and XRP Ledger developers continue to work on introducing new features on the network to attract traditional finance (TradFi) institutions. XRPL validator Vet recently revealed that compliance features for TradFi are coming to the network. This includes on-chain compliance tools such as KYC, AML, and other credentials, which will be used by lending protocols, as well as the XRPL DEX and the Permissioned DEX.

Meanwhile, Ripple developers also described Permissioned Domains, which are part of the amendments, as a game-changer for the XRP Ledger because they will bring institutional-grade controls to a public network, without sacrificing the trade-offs of a private chain. The developers further noted that this will set the stage for financial institutions to engage in permissioned flows on a fast, scalable, and resilient blockchain network such as the XRPL. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.06, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

According to a senior White House crypto adviser, the Bitcoin tied to the Samourai Wallet forfeiture was not liquidated by federal authorities. The assets will remain held by the government under its strategic reserve plan, the adviser said on social media.

White House Advisor Confirms No Sale

Reports have disclosed that about 57.55 BTC — roughly $6.3 million at recent prices — moved through addresses that some observers tracked, which sparked claims the coins had been sold.

The White House adviser, Patrick Witt, stepped in to clear up the matter, saying the Department of Justice confirmed there was no sale.

The coins will be kept in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in line with Executive Order 14233, signed in March 2025 by US President Donald Trump. That order directs that seized Bitcoin be held rather than auctioned off.

UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8

— Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026

Movement Of Coins Triggered Questions

Based on reports from blockchain analysts, a transfer to a Coinbase Prime address led to speculation about a disposal. Market watchers noticed the trail and raised alarms because a sale could have put extra downward pressure on prices.

Some traders reacted quickly to the noise. But officials explain that transfers between custody systems do not always mean liquidation. In this case, the DOJ and related agencies say the transfer was an internal custody step and not a sale to private buyers.

Background On The Case

The legal action against the Samourai Wallet developers centered on charges tied to running an unlicensed money-transmitting service and aiding money laundering through mixer tools.

Those charged pleaded guilty. The forfeiture order followed those convictions, and the Bitcoin in question became part of the assets the government controls after the court rulings.

How the government manages such holdings has been a fast-moving policy issue since Executive Order 14233 was issued, which set new rules for seized crypto.

Policy And Market Effects

According to officials, holding seized Bitcoin in a national reserve is meant to avoid sudden market shocks that could follow large government sales.

Some critics argue the reserve gives the government a powerful financial tool, while supporters say it prevents volatile swings.

The announcement eased some short-term market worries because uncertainty about a possible sale had been cited as a potential pressure point for crypto prices.

Reactions From Industry Observers

Based on reports and social posts from crypto advocates, opinions remain split. Some welcomed the clarification as stabilizing.

Others want more transparency on how the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be run and when, if ever, coins might leave it.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle may ask for hearings or written briefings to get clearer answers about custody practices and future plans.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView