Из жизни альткоинов

В 2026 году ситуация складывается так, что криптоинвестор не знает, откуда еще ждать удар. Иран, Гренландия, Венесуэла, Куба, Канада — кто еще придет в голову Дональду Трампу? Неуверенность в завтрашнем дне нависает на криптоинвесторами и усиливает нервозность. Результат — падение криптовалют.

Криптоаналитик и блогер Бенджамин Коуэн (Benjamin Cowen) призвал владельцев биткоинов набраться терпения, так как нисходящий тренд криптовалюты может оказаться более длительным, чем хотелось бы.

Сооснователь Эфириума Виталик Бутерин заявил, что пожертвовал 16 384 эфиров (около $43 млн) на развитие сообщества сети второй по капитализации криптовалюты.

Чистый отток капитала из американских спотовых биржевых фондов (ETF) на биткоин за четверг, 29 января, составил $817 млн, говорят данные платформы SoSoValue.

Шесть сенаторов-демократов направили письмо заместителю генерального прокурора Тодду Бланшу (Todd Blanche), раскритиковав его решение о роспуске Национального подразделения по обеспечению соблюдения правил в отношении криптовалют (NCET), созданного в 2022 году Министерством юстиции США.

Основатель медиаплатформы Bankless и криптофонда Mythos Capital Райан Шон Адамс (Ryan Sean Adams) посоветовал владельцам криптовалют не иметь прямой доступ к активам из собственного дома и со смартфона, чтобы избежать нападения преступников.

Объем предложения стейблкоинов к началу года достиг почти $300 млрд, но рост практически остановился. До сих пор сказывается октябрьский обвал криптовалютного рынка, объяснили аналитики компании ARK Invest.

22-летняя жительница Минска потеряла 23 000 белорусских рублей (около $8 000 долларов), попытавшись обналичить криптовалюту, рассказали в Октябрьском районном управлении внутренних дел столицы Республики Беларусь.

Крупнейшая по объему торгов криптобиржа Binance объявила о переводе страхового фонда защиты своих клиентов SAFU (Secure Asset Fund for Users) со стейблкоинов USDC в биткоины.

Технический директор компании Ripple Дэвид Шварц (David Schwartz) постарался убедить своих читателей в соцсети Х, что в долгосрочной перспективе выпускаемая его компанией криптовалюта XRP может иметь шанс достичь $50 и даже $100.

Суд округа Колумбия вынес решение об отчуждении $400 млн в виде криптовалют, недвижимости и денежных активов у создателя криптомиксера Helix Ларри Дина Хармона (Larry Dean Harmon). Эти активы должны считаться конфискованными в пользу государства.

Дочерняя организация Нацбанка Казахстана, «Национальная инвестиционная корпорация» (НИК), получила из золотовалютных запасов страны $350 млн на криптоинвестиции, объявила заместитель председателя Национального банка Казахстана Алия Молдабекова.

Аналитик и бывший гендиректор криптобиржи BitForex Гаррет Джин (Garrett Jin) заявил, что биткоин застрял в фазе затяжной консолидации из-за ухода с рынка множества мелких спекулянтов.

За последние сутки биткоин обвалился на 7,4%, упав ниже $82 150 и вернувшись к минимальному за последние девять месяцев уровню цены. Основные криптовалюты тоже ушли в красную зону, а общая капитализация крипторынка снизилась на 6,7%.

Russia is preparing to roll out its long‑awaited regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, with lawmakers and regulators moving closer to defining how digital assets will be treated within the country. 

According to Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, the relevant legislative package is expected to be finalized by the end of June of this year. 

Beginning July 1, 2027, the new rules are set to introduce liability for illegal activity by intermediaries in the crypto market, with penalties comparable to those applied for unlawful banking operations.

Russia’s Central Bank Outlines Upcoming Crypto Rules

The groundwork for the reforms has been in development for months. Local media reports disclosed that the Central Bank submitted its proposals for changes to cryptocurrency regulation to the government in December last year. 

In its concept paper, the regulator classifies digital currencies and stablecoins as currency values that may be bought and sold, while maintaining a ban on their use as a means of payment within Russia.

Under the proposed system, retail investors with limited experience would be allowed to purchase only the most liquid cryptocurrencies, and only after passing a suitability test. 

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) would almost certainly be included, while assets such as Solana (SOL) or Toncoin (TON) could also make the list due to their popularity in Russia. All other digital assets would be reserved exclusively for qualified investors.

Even qualified investors, however, would face additional requirements. They would be required to pass mandatory testing to demonstrate an understanding of the risks associated with crypto transactions. 

Once approved, they would be allowed to buy digital assets in unlimited amounts, with one major exception: anonymous cryptocurrencies would be prohibited. 

The Central Bank has made clear that assets which conceal transaction recipients will not be permitted, as they cannot meet anti‑money laundering standards. Coins such as Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC) and Dash (DASH) fall into this category.

First Reading Looms Next Month

Legislative work on the initiative is already underway. Aksakov said the State Duma is moving toward formalizing the proposed changes in law. The initial focus will be on establishing clear rules for the issuance, mining and circulation of cryptocurrencies, as well as reaffirming the ban on their use as a domestic payment method. 

He indicated that the bill could reach its first reading as early as next month. The law is also expected to introduce administrative, financial and potentially criminal penalties for illegal activity in the digital asset market. 

The regulatory push follows a significant legal development earlier this year. On January 20, 2026, Russia’s Constitutional Court issued a ruling that effectively resolved a long‑standing legal gap affecting thousands of crypto holders. 

Featured image from OpenArt, Chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin is struggling to regain the $88,000 level as market uncertainty persists and precious metals continue to rally aggressively. Gold’s strength has reignited a familiar narrative: that capital is leaving Bitcoin to finance the move into traditional safe havens. However, a recent report by CryptoQuant challenges this assumption, suggesting that the current market dynamics are being misinterpreted.

On-chain data indicates that Bitcoin sell-offs are not directly funding the surge in gold and other metals. Instead, liquidity appears to be pausing rather than fleeing the crypto market altogether. This behavior is reflected in the Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR), a metric designed to measure the purchasing power of stablecoins relative to Bitcoin’s market capitalization. The SSR offers insight into whether capital is already deployed into BTC or sitting on the sidelines, waiting for clearer conditions.

A lower SSR implies higher latent buying power, meaning stablecoins hold significant capacity to re-enter the market. Conversely, a higher SSR signals that liquidity has largely been committed to Bitcoin. Current readings suggest that capital remains in stablecoins, indicating caution rather than outright risk aversion.

In this context, Bitcoin’s weakness below $88K reflects hesitation, not abandonment. While metals benefit from defensive positioning, on-chain signals point to liquidity waiting for a renewed catalyst in crypto, rather than rotating decisively away from it.

Stablecoin Liquidity Signals a Pause, Not a Capital Exit

The report adds important context by outlining key Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR) levels and how they frame Bitcoin’s current market structure. Historically, the SSR has oscillated within well-defined ranges. Readings above 15–16 indicate that stablecoin purchasing power is low, meaning liquidity has largely been deployed into Bitcoin.

Values between 10 and 15 represent a neutral zone, commonly associated with consolidation phases. When the SSR drops below 10–11, latent purchasing power is high, a condition that has often preceded bullish phases. Importantly, these thresholds provide structural context rather than precise timing signals.

At present, the SSR stands at 12.57, down sharply from recent highs in the 18–19 range. This decline signals a transition from fully deployed liquidity toward capital sitting on the sidelines. Despite price weakness, Bitcoin remains structurally stable, suggesting that capital is not exiting the crypto market but waiting for clearer conditions before re-entering.

Crucially, the ongoing rally in gold should not be interpreted as a direct consequence of Bitcoin selling. Large allocators typically operate within diversified, multi-asset frameworks, maintaining exposure across equities, precious metals, digital assets, and stablecoins simultaneously. The lower SSR confirms that capital is not rotating out of Bitcoin into gold, but reallocating risk while remaining within the crypto ecosystem.

Bitcoin Price Remains Below Key Moving Averages

Bitcoin continues to trade under pressure, with price slipping back toward the $87,500–$88,000 zone after another failed attempt to regain momentum above the short-term moving averages. On the daily chart, BTC remains decisively below the 50-day and 100-day averages, both of which are now sloping downward and acting as dynamic resistance. The 200-day moving average, still trending higher above $100,000, reinforces the idea that the broader cycle has shifted from expansion to consolidation or correction.

Structurally, the market is locked in a wide range following the sharp breakdown in November. Since then, price action has been characterized by lower highs and choppy rebounds, suggesting reactive buying rather than sustained demand. The recent bounce toward the mid-$90,000s was rejected precisely at the descending moving average cluster, confirming that sellers continue to defend rallies.

Volume behavior supports this interpretation. The largest spikes remain associated with sell-offs, while recovery attempts occur on relatively muted volume, pointing to limited conviction from buyers. This imbalance keeps downside risk active, even as price holds above the December lows.

In the near term, the $86,000–$87,000 area remains a key demand zone. A clean breakdown would expose lower structural supports, while holding this level keeps Bitcoin trapped in a prolonged consolidation. Until BTC reclaims its short- and mid-term averages, the chart favors caution rather than trend reversal.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Scammers used new tools to widen their reach and to seem more real. According to TRM Labs, the use of large language models in scams jumped fivefold in 2025, helping fraudsters write believable messages, run many conversations at once, and trick people in different languages.

AI Tools Helping Con Artists Build Trust

Reports say AI images, voice cloning, and deepfakes are cutting the cost of making fake people who look and sound legit. These tricks have fed a pattern where criminals first make a target feel safe and then ask for money.

In some cases, a romance angle is used to win trust, and that trust is later turned into fake investment offers or bogus tax demands. This staged approach has let scams run longer and capture bigger sums from fewer victims.

A Rise In Industrial-Scale Fraud

Behind many of these schemes are groups that act like small companies. They hire people, sell tools, and reuse scripts to run campaigns in many places.

Some providers now sell phishing kits or offer AI-as-a-service to automate messages and replies, lowering the bar for new fraudsters and making scams easier to copy and spread.

Deepfake Calls And Targeted Hacks

Reports note that attackers have even used fake video calls to trick crypto workers into installing malware. In several incidents, victims were invited to what looked like normal Zoom meetings, only to find AI-generated faces on the screen.

When the meeting “needed a patch,” victims were urged to install what was actually malicious software. These methods have been linked to North Korea–connected groups and were flagged by security researchers last year.

Crypto Price Action Enters The Story

While the scams became more sophisticated, the market evolved too. Bitcoin was trading in the range of $88,000 to $90,000 in late January 2026 as investors considered macro news and policy developments.

This market context is important: as prices increase, the urgency and authenticity of crypto scams may seem more plausible, and the risks for both victims and law enforcement may be higher.

Scam Proceeds Compared To Illicit Flows Overall

Illicit inflows to crypto assets reached a record high of $158 billion, a substantial increase due to improved monitoring that brought more illicit activity to light.

Meanwhile, scam-related wallets saw a slight decrease in proceeds to around $35 billion in 2025, from $38 billion in the previous year.

However, the total volume of criminal activity increased substantially, even as the portion attributed to scams increased marginally.

It appears that scam-detecting technology is improving, but scams are evolving rapidly. The increasing use of AI-based tools makes generic advice less helpful, as the scams now sound more authentic.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Michael Saylor’s Strategy has reignited a long-running Bitcoin custody debate after co-founder and CTO of Casa Jameson Lopp challenged whether the firm can know its holdings aren’t being rehypothecated by third parties. Saylor’s blunt response — “We buy real bitcoin. We don’t rehypothecate.” — quickly turned into a broader argument about what “proof” looks like for a public company warehousing BTC at institutional custodians.

The exchange landed as Strategy’s accumulation narrative is accelerating in early 2026. On Jan. 26, Saylor posted that Strategy bought 2,932 BTC for roughly $264.1 million at an average price near $90,061 per bitcoin. He added that, as of Jan. 25, the company held 712,647 BTC acquired for about $54.19 billion at an average cost of roughly $76,037 per coin.

That disclosure sparked commentary from Jesse Myers, who framed Strategy’s pace as structurally supply-tightening. Myers said the company has acquired 40,150 BTC so far in 2026, against 11,700 BTC mined year-to-date. “Eventually, the BTC price must go higher. Much higher,” he wrote, leaning on a simple imbalance: one large buyer absorbing more than new issuance.

No Paper Bitcoin?

Lopp pushed back on the implicit assumption that all of those purchases translate into unencumbered, uniquely owned UTXOs. “Your thesis is sensible… under the assumption that he’s buying real bitcoin,” Lopp wrote. “Does Strategy actually verify that their bitcoin only belongs to them and isn’t rehypothecated? I’m skeptical.”

Saylor responded with a short, definitive denial: “We buy real bitcoin. We don’t rehypothecate.” But Lopp widened the aperture from Strategy’s own behavior to the incentives and opacity of intermediaries. “But how do you know your custodians don’t? Presumably they put your BTC in segregated addresses you can monitor,” he wrote. “People ask for proof of reserves since they don’t even know what monitoring / assurances you put in place. Multiple layers of trusted black boxes make folks nervous.”

We buy real bitcoin. We don’t rehypothecate.

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) January 28, 2026

As the thread grew, some users demanded Strategy publish addresses. One account wrote, “Prove it then. Show us the addresses.” Others argued that transparency cuts both ways. “Ever considered that TradFi could be extremely frightened if Strategy were to do this, given that it opens up multiple attack Vectors?”

Defenders leaned on the mechanics of public-company controls rather than on-chain visibility. Attorney Jesse Kobernick from Miller Nash LLP argued that Strategy’s filings describe steps auditors take to verify balances and control, and that multiple third parties touch the process, including the separation between BTC purchases and the equity sales and cash proceeds that fund them. Lopp rejected that comfort. “Trusted third parties are security holes…” he replied.

Bitcoin OG Adam Back, meanwhile, pointed to mainstream custodianship norms as a reason to discount “paper bitcoin” fears. “Think about it. Their custodians are I think Fidelity and Coinbase,” Back wrote, adding that large auditors take verification and key-control standards seriously.

Lopp remained unconvinced that outside observers can know what, exactly, is being verified. “Are these auditors spinning up nodes, verifying balances at addresses, ensuring that no clients hold claims to the same BTC?” he wrote. “I’m skeptical, but ultimately we just don’t know – it’s a black box.”

Later on Jan. 28, Saylor reposted the message more broadly, escalating from denial to prescription: “We buy real bitcoin. We audit our custodians. We don’t rehypothecate.” He added: “You shouldn’t either.”

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $88,001.

On-chain data shows the XRP addresses holding over a million tokens have seen a reversal in behavior with some population growth in January.

Millionaire XRP Wallets Have Been Growing In Count Recently

As pointed out by on-chain analytics firm Santiment in a new post on X, large XRP wallets have seen growth during the past month. The indicator of relevance here is the “Supply Distribution,” which tells us, among other things, the total number of addresses that belong to a given coin range.

In the context of the current topic, the range of interest is the one with 1 million tokens as the lower bound and no upper bound. Currently, the cutoff for the range converts to $1.87 million, so the only investors who would qualify for it will be those with substantial holdings.

As the below chart for the cohort’s Supply Distribution shows, these whales saw their population shrink between October and December.

This decline in the indicator came as the cryptocurrency sector as a whole went through a bearish shift. In total, the XRP network saw the exodus of 784 millionaire wallets during this window, a significant amount. Since the start of January, however, the trend has flipped. “XRP’s price is down a modest 4% since the start of 2026, but its number of ‘millionaire’ wallets is rising for the first time since September,” noted Santiment.

So far, the increase in addresses holding more than 1 million tokens hasn’t been anything too notable, though, with just 42 wallets of this size popping back up on the blockchain. That said, the fact that big-money investors are no longer leaving the network could still be a meaningful development.

A network that has seen a development related to whales that’s not so positive is Dogecoin. Citing data from Santiment, analyst Ali Martinez has highlighted in an X post how the memecoin has faced a 94.6% plunge in whale transaction activity during the last few weeks.

As displayed in the above graph, whale-sized XRP transactions numbered at 109 four weeks ago, but today, that figure has dropped to just 6. This suggests that the large entities have shifted their attention away from Dogecoin.

This could reflect the risk-off behavior in the wider sector, where the big-money investors are choosing to pull back as uncertainty surrounds the market.

XRP Price

XRP is trading around $1.87 right now, down 22% compared to its top from early January.

Ethereum (ETH) is extending its influence in the AI industry as developers aim to integrate AI with decentralized technology. Building on this, new reports have revealed that ETH developers are preparing to roll out an AI-focused update that could see AI agents work and engage directly on the blockchain network.

Ethereum Prepares To Launch New AI Agent Standards

Ethereum is getting ready to launch a major update that could transform how artificial intelligence interacts with blockchain. The new upgrade, called ERC-8004, uses blockchain to find, select, and work with AI agents across different organizations without pre-existing trust, enabling open-need agent economies. 

On January 27, the Ethereum team made an official announcement revealing that ERC-8004 will go live soon, opening the door for projects to integrate with AI in a decentralized way. Marco De Rossi, one of the primary authors of ERC-8004 and the AI lead at MetaMask, stated that development of the protocol has been frozen, as the team prepares to deploy it on the mainnet, with a likely launch around 9 AM ET on Thursday, January 30. 

The proposal was initially submitted in August 2025 and has since undergone multiple rounds of community review and revision before reaching its final implementation stage. Early adopters have also tested the system to explore new applications for autonomous AI agents. 

The new ERC-8004 protocol is designed to give AI agents on Ethereum unique identities and verifiable reputations, enabling autonomous systems to interact without relying on centralized platforms. Each AI agent will receive a unique ERC-721 NFT as its on-chain ID, serving as a digital passport. The system also supports ENS domains, allowing agents to have readable names and securely delegate control when needed. 

ERC-8004 also introduces on-chain mechanisms for reputation and validation, enabling AI agents to record feedback and prove task execution outcomes. The protocol also allows agents to record their actions and performance on the blockchain, so other AI agents and users can verify their interactions and build trust quickly. 

Importantly, the AI Lead at the Ethereum Foundation has also shared his thoughts on the new ERC-8004 standard. He said that Ethereum is now uniquely positioned to be the platform that “secures and settles AI-to-AI interactions.”   

ETH’s Deep Dive Into The AI Industry 

Ethereum is explaining its role in artificial intelligence, building on earlier efforts to connect the industry with decentralized technology. While the upcoming ERC-8004 standard for AI agents has gained massive attention, it is not Ethereum’s first move into AI. The network has been exploring ways to support blockchain and AI development for years, laying the groundwork for a broader ecosystem.

For instance, the Ethereum Foundation previously established a dedicated AI team, known as the dAI Team. This group is tasked with creating infrastructure that allows Ethereum to act as a coordination and settlement layer for autonomous systems.