Из жизни альткоинов

Ветеран криптоиндустрии, трейдер и гендиректор компании 10T Holdings Дэн Тапиеро (Dan Tapiero) заявил, что в рамках текущего рыночного цикла курс биткоина может достичь $180 000. Причина — растущий спрос и изменения в глобальной денежно-кредитной политике.

Национальный банк Беларуси считает, что первый криптобанк заработает в республике через шесть месяцев. Именно столько понадобится правительству, чтобы доработать законодательство для функционирования таких организаций.

Хакеры взломали официальный Х-аккаунт Международного аэропорта имени генерала Митчелла неподалеку от Милуоки и стали публиковать в нем криптоконтент. Многие материалы на взломанной странице были репостами с аккаунта @Bitcoin.

House Democrats have accused the SEC of abandoning many high-profile investigations, including its legal battle with Ripple, which has brought attention back to the agency’s handling of crypto enforcement. 

The claims, which were outlined in a January 15 letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, raised questions about why several cases were dropped after favorable court rulings and whether political relationships played any role in those decisions. However, according to crypto attorney Bill Morgan, these cases are wrapped up, done, and dusted.

Lawmakers Say SEC Walked Away From Major Crypto Cases

In a January 15, 2026 letter addressed to Atkins, House Democrats accused the agency of dramatically scaling back crypto enforcement since early 2025. The lawmakers claimed the SEC has dismissed or closed more than a dozen major crypto-related cases, including actions against Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and Ripple, despite having received favorable court rulings in some of those matters. 

According to the letter, companies whose cases or investigations were dismissed donated at least $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration. This raises concerns about an unmistakable inference of a pay-to-play scheme, investor protection and market integrity at a time when digital assets are starting to become deeply intertwined with capital markets.

Much of the letter’s criticism was focused on the SEC’s decision to seek and maintain a stay in its case against Justin Sun, which has now been in place for about 11 months now. Unlike all the other cases, the SEC’s case against Justin Sun has not yet been dismissed. Democratic Lawmakers claimed this move sends a dangerous signal that political connections may influence enforcement outcomes. 

The letter explicitly referenced Sun’s reported financial ties to businesses linked to Donald Trump. One of which was Sun’s reveal in September 2025 that he was purchasing an additional $10 million worth of $WLFI tokens from World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump family business. 

According to the democrats, such circumstances could undermine public trust in the SEC’s independence. The Letter also seeks information related to the SEC’s knowledge of Sun’s ties to the People’s Republic of China and any CCP-affiliated persons or entities.

Crypto Lawyer Pushes Back On Ripple Lawsuit Talk

The letter by House Democrats brings into focus whether political pressure could lead to a new action against Ripple and other firms. However, according to Morgan, this is not possible.

Morgan dismissed the idea that the SEC could simply relaunch cases it has already litigated or closed on the same grounds, pointing to the legal doctrine of res judicata. Under that principle, once a matter has been conclusively decided between the same parties, it cannot be retried on identical issues.

“Too bad the SEC can’t go against those companies again on the same matters. Res Judicata baby. Live with it fools,” he said.

Still, one unresolved question hangs over the broader controversy. Unlike the other crypto cases cited in the lawmakers’ letter, the SEC’s action against Justin Sun has not been formally dismissed and can be revisited anytime.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Reports say Moldova will roll out its first full crypto law by the end of 2026. The move aims to copy much of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets rules. This is not a sudden idea. It comes as Moldova continues to line up its laws to match EU standards while it works on closer ties with the bloc.

Moldova Will Mirror EU Rules

According to the finance minister, the plan is to shape a law that looks a lot like MiCA, the EU rulebook for digital assets. That means platforms will need licenses, and services will face rules on how to protect users and stop dirty money.

People in Moldova will be allowed to hold and trade crypto, but using crypto to pay for everyday goods and services will be kept off the table.

What This Means For People And Firms

Reports note the legislation will clarify which firms can convert crypto to the local currency and which cannot. Local authorities say they want to reduce risk for ordinary savers while also giving firms a clear path to operate legally.

Banks and regulators will have a role in writing the details, which will include how exchanges report to tax and anti-money-laundering units.

A Slow Step Toward Openness

Some see this as a cautious opening. By legalizing ownership and trading under tight rules, Moldova hopes to attract clearer investment flows without making crypto a substitute for money.

Reports also mention stricter AML/KYC checks and transparency measures to prevent illicit flows. These parts of the plan are meant to reassure both local users and international partners.

The law is expected to be drafted with input from the finance ministry, the central bank, market regulators, and anti-money-laundering officials.

That mix of voices could slow the process, but it also makes it likelier that the rules will fit the country’s wider financial system. Drafting will be followed by debate and possible revisions before anything becomes final.

A Regional Signal

Based on reports, Moldova’s choice to follow EU templates sends a clear message to neighboring states: align with the EU’s standards and you get legal certainty.

For citizens who trade crypto today in informal ways, the change could mean safer options and official channels to move money. For companies, it means new compliance costs — but a path to operate openly.

Featured image from Reuters/Vladislav Bachev/File Photo, chart from TradingView

Spot Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds) in the United States have had a relatively positive start to the new year after a wobbly ending to 2025. In this spirit of market positivity, the crypto-linked investment products have just recorded their best weekly performance since early October.

This latest weekly inflow of capital signals the return of demand among the US institutional investors, with the price of Bitcoin also reacting positively in the same period. Over the past week, the premier cryptocurrency saw the return of bullish momentum, surging to as high as $97,500.

Bitcoin ETFs Record $1.42B In Weekly Inflows

According to the latest market data, the US spot Bitcoin ETFs registered a total net inflow of $1.42 billion in the past week. As earlier mentioned, this round of capital influx marked the strongest weekly performance by the crypto-linked investment products in nearly three months.

This $1.42 billion weekly performance also stands in stark contrast to the Bitcoin ETFs’ previous week record of over $681 million in withdrawals. Before this renewed investor attention, the BTC exchange-traded funds had pulled in approximately $1.26 billion in capital since the week ending 17th October, 2025.

On Friday, January 16, though, the US-based Bitcoin ETFs saw a total of $394.64 million in net outflow, ending a mini 4-day streak of capital influx. Leading the outflows was Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), with $205.22 million of value withdrawn  on the day.

This was followed by Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), which posted a total net outflow of $90.38 million on Friday. Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) were the only other exchange-traded funds that recorded a negative daily net outflow ($69.42 million and $44.76 million, respectively) to close the week.

It is worth mentioning that BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) tried absorbing some of the shock from the withdrawals with its lone $15.09 million inflow on Friday. This daily performance added to the leading ETF’s weekly $1-billion positive inflow performance.

Similar to the Bitcoin ETFs, Ether exchange-traded funds also saw positive activity over the past week, including its largest single-day performance since launch. According to data from SoSoValue, the ETH ETFs recorded nearly $480 million in positive capital inflows over the past week.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As inferred earlier, the BTC price and Bitcoin ETFs moved in tandem over the past week, as demand seemingly returned to the market. While the flagship cryptocurrency had crossed the $97,000 mark earlier in the previous week, it is now trading slightly above the $95,000 level following a minor dip in recent days.

Ethereum’s validator exit queue has dropped to zero, a shift that on-chain watchers say could change how the market views sell pressure. According to on-chain metrics and recent reports, validators who once waited weeks to withdraw are no longer lining up. That alone removes a large, visible source of potential ETH flowing back into markets.

Ethereum Exit Queue Clears

The queue once held millions of ETH. Now it is empty, data from Ethereum Validator Queue shows. This means validators who choose to exit can be processed almost immediately, rather than being forced to wait. The backlog that worried traders in late 2025 has gone.

A change this clear removes an obvious supply overhang and it shifts the balance between how much ETH stays locked versus how much can be spent.

Supply Tightening And Market Noise

Based on reports, staking inflows have been strong enough to pull a big share of circulating ETH out of active markets. With fewer validators lined up to leave, sudden large dumps tied to emergency exits become less likely.

That does not make prices certain, but it lowers one kind of downside risk. Traders tracking on-chain flows now weigh staking behavior alongside spot and derivatives activity when forming short-term views.

Staking Demand Grows

Entry requests to stake ETH are rising fast. Reports note that the entry queue — ETH waiting to become active validators — has climbed to high levels once seen only in big onboarding periods.

Wait times for new activations have stretched into many weeks in places. Institutions and staking services are part of this push, according to market observers, and their moves tend to lock up larger sums for longer.

Security, Yield, And Real Effects

More ETH locked for staking helps the network’s security because more validators are actively participating. It also creates yield opportunities for holders who prefer steady returns over trading.

That said, the presence of large staking pools and services means some risks are concentrated. If one big provider faces trouble, the effects will be felt widely. Reports say regulators and product issuers are watching closely as staking becomes easier to access through mainstream channels.

What Traders Are Watching

Price action will depend on many things beyond exit queues. Derivatives positions, ETF flows, and macro headlines still matter. Still, analysts point out that when a visible outlet for mass withdrawals disappears, the narrative around “forced selling” weakens.

Liquidity conditions can shift quietly — and then rapidly — if any of those other levers move. Market participants are therefore watching withdrawal metrics alongside exchange balances and futures open interest.

Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

2026 got off to a disastrous start for one crypto user, who fell victim to one of the largest social engineering attacks in digital asset history, losing over $282 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin.

How Crypto User Fell Victim To $282M Theft 

According to prominent blockchain sleuth ZachXBT, the crypto theft occurred on January 10, 2026 at around 11:00 pm UTC. Around 2.05 million Litecoin (worth roughly $153 million) and 1,459 Bitcoin (equivalent to around $139 million) was drained from the victim’s hardware wallet after they were tricked into sharing their seed phrase.

The exploiter swiftly transferred the funds across multiple networks to obscure the trail after gaining full control of the crypto wallet. As revealed by ZachXBT, the attacker first began converting the stolen crypto assets into Monero’s native token, XMR, through multiple instant exchanges, leading to a surge in the price of XMR.

Furthermore, the exploiter bridged significant amounts of the stolen Bitcoin across Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin through THORChain, a decentralized cross-chain platform that enables users to swap crypto assets between different blockchain networks. Unsurprisingly, this move reignited the debate around the use — or abuse — of censorship-resistant cross-chain protocols, especially during security breaches.

After the news of the attack made it to social media, conversations around the entity or persons behind $282 million theft started, with many linking it to a state-sponsored hacking group. However, ZachXBT categorically stated that “it’s not North Korea,” potentially exonerating the infamous state-backed Lazarus Group.

In a post on LinkedIn, security firm ZeroShadow described the victim as a Bitcoin wallet “belonging to an individual who had been tricked into sharing their seed phrase by an actor impersonating Trezor ‘Value Wallet’ support.” The firm claimed that it was able to track and flag parts of the stolen funds in real time after being alerted by blockchain monitoring teams.

According to ZeroShadow, roughly $700,000 worth of crypto assets were reportedly frozen before they could be fully swapped into privacy-focused assets. This latest incident sheds light on how the digital asset industry is still being targeted by malicious actors.

XMR Price Rallies To New High Following Security Incident

As described by ZachXBT, the attacker, after gaining control of the victim’s wallet, began converting the stolen crypto assets into Monero’s native token, XMR, through several exchanges. In the background, this activity pushed the price of the privacy-focused XMR to a new all-time high around $800 over the past week.

According to data from CoinGecko, the XMR token rallied almost 80% to $797.73 from a weekly low around $450 following the crypto theft. As of this writing, XMR is valued at around $588, reflecting a nearly 25% drop in the past few days.