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Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has explained what Ripple’s FCA approval means for XRP and cross-border payments in the U.K. This comes as the altcoin continues to gain adoption through Ripple’s efforts, with XRP notably at the centre of the crypto firm’s cross-border payment services.

XRP To Gain Greater Adoption Through Ripple’s FCA Approval

In an X post, X Finance Bull stated that U.K. institutions are now cleared to send cross-border payments using XRP and the XRP Ledger. He noted that this is now possible as Ripple has secured FCA approval to scale its payment platform in the U.K. In line with this, the pundit declared that adoption is accelerating and urged the XRP army to stay on alert, as they are still early. 

Meanwhile, X Finance Bull also admitted that the company’s regulatory headway in the U.K. makes partnerships easier. That way, the crypto firm can easily partner with institutions to advance XRP’s adoption and the use of its stablecoin, RLUSD, in cross-border transactions.  

In its press release, Ripple announced that it had secured approval of its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence and Cryptoasset Registration from the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The firm further noted that these permissions will allow it to expand its licensed payments platform, thereby enabling U.K. institutions to send cross-border payments using XRP and other digital assets. 

The payment firm also highlighted its ties to XRP in the release, noting that it contributes to and builds its products on the XRP Ledger, which uses XRP as its native token for fast, low-cost settlement of value across borders. It is worth noting that this development comes amid other bullish developments for XRP, including Ripple-backed Evernorth’s strategic collaboration with Doppler to explore ways to deploy XRP at scale. 

XRP Remains The Heartbeat Of Ripple’s Vision

In an X post, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse assured that XRP has been and will continue to be the heartbeat of Ripple’s vision to enable the Internet of Value. This came as he highlighted the firm’s success last year, including two major acquisitions, Ripple Prime and GTreasury, which he noted greatly accelerated and expanded their ability to deliver on this vision.  

Garlinghouse further remarked that they are poised to make 2026 even more consequential with the most comprehensive licensing portfolio, having added the U.K.’s EMI license. He noted that building and using crypto infrastructure, updating their global financing plumbing, and rethinking legacy systems don’t happen overnight. As such, they plan to continue taking the long view of what crypto-based assets such as XRP and RLUSD can do rather than chasing cycles and hype.

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.09, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) has taken a significant step forward in the cryptocurrency and digital asset space by introducing tokenized deposit capabilities specifically for institutional clients. 

Tokenized Deposits Launch At BNY Mellon

According to reports on the matter, the new system operates on a private, permissioned blockchain. Traditional deposit balances will still be recorded in the bank’s conventional systems, offering clients both security and flexibility.

BNY Mellon expressed that the introduction of tokenized deposits could facilitate significant improvements in efficiency. According to Carolyn Weinberg, the bank’s Chief Product and Innovation Officer: 

Tokenized deposits provide us with the opportunity to extend our trusted bank deposits onto digital rails—enabling clients to operate with greater speed across collateral, margin, and payments, within a framework built for scale, resilience, and regulatory alignment.

The launch is part of a broader initiative to bridge traditional banking with emerging digital infrastructures, including stablecoins and tokenized money market funds. 

In the long run, BNY Mellon envisions that tokenized deposits will support rules-based, near real-time cash movements, further easing settlement processes and enhancing liquidity for institutional clients.

Yuval Rooz, co-founder and CEO of Digital Asset, welcomed the opportunity to partner with BNY Mellon, highlighting how this initiative represents a practical, institution-ready approach to tokenization. 

He noted that bringing deposit balances on-chain could significantly enhance asset mobilization and unlock liquidity across critical workflows.

Major Financial Players Join

Market expert MartyParty provided insights into the implications of this launch, stating that tokenized deposits create an on-chain digital representation—a “wrapper”—of actual client cash balances held in traditional BNY accounts. 

He emphasized that the real money remains secure within the regulated banking ecosystem, accruing interest and remaining a direct liability of BNY Mellon, designated as a globally systemically important bank (G-SIB).

Unlike stablecoins or other crypto assets, tokenized deposits represent programmable bank money on a private blockchain, synchronized with core banking records. 

The benefits are substantial, enabling 24/7 operations, instant or near-instant transfers, and programmable payments that execute under specific conditions. 

This advancement is also expected to reduce the friction associated with legacy systems and significantly improve liquidity efficiency, even outside of traditional banking hours.

The list of initial participants in this initiative  includes the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Citadel Securities, DRW Holdings, Ripple Prime, Circle (the issuer of USDC), Anchorage Digital, Galaxy, Invesco, and Baillie Gifford. 

These institutions will be testing real workflows such as collateral management and high-value settlements, further validating the effectiveness of BNY Mellon’s new offering.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

In a significant development, Ripple has expanded its footprint in regulated markets after gaining regulatory approval from the UK’s financial authorities to provide payment services.

Ripple Obtains FCA Approval

On Friday, Ripple secured a major regulatory victory in the UK by officially obtaining its registration approval with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) through its subsidiary Ripple Markets UK Ltd.

According to the FCA’s official records, the company obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license under the country’s Money Laundering Regulations (MLR). Therefore, it will be able to conduct certain crypto-related activities in the UK.

The EMI registration will allow Ripple to provide payment services and issue electronic money, according to the FCA website. However, it will remain subject to key restrictions without the financial authority’s approval.

First, “Ripple Markets UK Ltd will not, without the prior written consent of the Authority, provide the following services: 1. The firm will not operate a machine which utilises any automated processes to exchange cryptoassets for money or money for cryptoassets 2. Offer or commence any services to retail clients,” the records read.

In addition, the company cannot appoint any agents or distributors, and “will not issue electronic money, or provide payment services, to a consumer, micro-enterprise or charity.”

Ripple’s regulatory approval comes amid the authorities’ efforts to develop a comprehensive financial services regulation that integrates crypto assets into the existing framework, positioning the UK as a global crypto hub.

As reported by Bitcoinist, the UK Treasury is set to extend existing laws to cover crypto firms, moving exchanges, wallet providers, and other crypto service companies from the current anti-money-laundering registration to the regulatory regime of banks and brokers.

FCA To Start New Registration Regime In September

Ahead of the new rules’ implementation, set to take effect in October 2027, the FCA recently unveiled a timeline for crypto firms to comply with the new registration regime, which could affect Ripple’s recent victory.

On January 8, the financial regulator published a notice informing that it expects to open the application period for crypto firms requesting authorization in September 2026.

Notably, firms seeking to undertake any of the new crypto asset regulated activities will need new approvals to undertake those activities authorized by the FCA under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA).

Therefore, crypto companies operating in the UK must secure approval or a variation of the existing permission. The FCA emphasized that “firms that are registered with us under the MLRs should note that there will be no automatic conversion and that they will need to secure authorisation by us under FSMA prior to the commencement of the new regime.”

Based on this, Ripple’s UK subsidiary will need to reapply in September to continue conducting regulated crypto activities under the new regime. Firms that apply during the established window are expected to receive a decision before the rules take effect. Nonetheless, companies that have not received approval by October 2027 will be allowed to continue operating until a decision is made.

Meanwhile, companies that miss the application period or are not authorized before the new rules are enacted will enter a “transitional provision.” This will allow them to continue fulfilling existing contracts, but they won’t be able to conduct new regulated crypto activities in the UK until they are authorized.

Bitcoin is struggling to hold above the $90,000 level as uncertainty continues to dominate market sentiment. After weeks of consolidation and failed recovery attempts, price action reflects a fragile balance between cautious buyers and persistent selling pressure. While traders focus on technical levels and macro signals, an often-overlooked component of the Bitcoin ecosystem is quietly sending important warnings: miner behavior.

Top analyst Darkfost explains that mining activity comes with variable and rising costs, including energy, hardware, and operational expenses. When miners begin operating at a loss, they are typically left with two main options, which are often used in combination. The first is to sell BTC to cover expenses and remain operational. The second is to reduce or shut down activity by turning off machines, effectively lowering their exposure to unprofitable conditions.

At its core, Bitcoin mining consists of solving cryptographic problems using computational power. The network is engineered so that one block is mined roughly every 10 minutes. When block times drift higher or lower, the protocol automatically adjusts mining difficulty every 2,016 blocks to restore equilibrium. These adjustments, combined with miner profitability, are directly reflected in the network’s hashrate.

Currently, the hashrate is declining, signaling mounting stress across the mining sector. This suggests miners are scaling back operations, a dynamic that often coincides with heightened market fragility and elevated sell-side risk for Bitcoin.

Miner Pressure Eases as Difficulty Adjusts Lower

Today, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty is beginning to adjust, offering early signs of relief for a sector that has been under sustained pressure. The latest adjustment shows a decline of approximately 2.6%, and current projections suggest the next difficulty change could also move lower by around 1.88%. While these figures may appear modest, they carry meaningful implications for miner behavior and broader market dynamics.

A downward difficulty adjustment reduces the computational effort required to mine new blocks, effectively lowering operational stress for miners. As a result, profitability conditions improve at the margin, even if Bitcoin’s price remains range-bound.

This easing of pressure helps stabilize mining activity and, critically, reduces the urgency for miners to sell BTC simply to cover operating costs. Historically, periods when miner stress begins to unwind have often coincided with declining sell-side pressure from this cohort.

These dynamics are implicitly captured by the Hash Ribbons indicator, which tracks short- and long-term moving averages of the network hashrate to identify miner capitulation and recovery phases. Darkfost notes that Hash Ribbons is still flashing a buy signal, indicating that the market remains in a post-capitulation environment where miner selling pressure has largely been absorbed.

However, this signal is now starting to fade. As difficulty adjusts downward and conditions normalize, miners are likely to gradually return to full operational capacity. As machines come back online, the hashrate should trend higher, marking the transition out of the stress phase and signaling that the window of miner-driven relief may be narrowing.

Price Action Remains Range-Bound Below Key Averages

Bitcoin continues to trade in a broad consolidation range after the sharp sell-off from the October highs, with price currently hovering around the $90,000–$92,000 zone. The chart shows BTC attempting to stabilize after reclaiming the red long-term moving average, but upside momentum remains limited as price is still capped below the blue and green mid-term moving averages, which are now acting as dynamic resistance.

The recent bounce from the $85,000–$87,000 area suggests that buyers are defending this demand zone, which has repeatedly attracted bids since late November. However, the structure remains corrective rather than impulsive. Each recovery attempt has produced lower highs, signaling that sellers continue to distribute into strength. Volume also remains relatively muted compared to the sell-off phase, reinforcing the idea that this move is a consolidation rather than a trend reversal.

From a structural perspective, Bitcoin remains trapped between strong resistance near $95,000–$98,000 and key support around $85,000. A decisive reclaim of the 100-day and 200-day moving averages would be required to confirm a bullish regime shift. Until that happens, price action favors continued sideways movement or another test of lower support.

Overall, the chart reflects a market in balance: sellers are no longer in full control, but buyers lack the conviction needed to push Bitcoin back into a sustained uptrend.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

As the US Congress gears up to mark up the long-awaited crypto market structure bill on January 15, industry representatives are actively engaging in discussions regarding the critical elements of this legislation. 

Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association, highlighted important points concerning the state of the bill and the ongoing negotiations among lawmakers in a recent social media post on X (formerly Twitter).

Key Points For Crypto Market Structure Bill

Mersinger described the upcoming markup as a pivotal moment for digital asset legislation, emphasizing the significance of the moment for US leadership in the crypto space. 

While she expressed gratitude to Senate leadership for their efforts, she underscored the necessity of addressing several “non-negotiable issues” to ensure that the bill remains durable, workable, and supportive of innovation.

One of the primary concerns Mersinger raised was the need for developer protections. She argued that the builders of peer-to-peer (P2P), open-source technologies should not be classified as financial intermediaries, making it essential for the inclusion of the BRCA (Blockchain Regulatory Compliance Act) in the market structure bill. 

Additionally, Mersinger highlighted the need to amend “outdated laws,” which she alleges poses risks of meritless criminal prosecutions for developers simply writing code for non-custodial technologies.

Another critical point made by Mersinger is the preservation of decentralized finance (DeFi). She emphasized that DeFi must not be legislated out of existence, stating that open and decentralized innovation is vital for US competitiveness in the global market. 

She stressed that more than 110 organizations and companies have voiced similar sentiments, as illustrated by an August 2025 letter sent to the Senate advocating for developer protections.

Bipartisan Compromise On Stablecoins At Risk

Stablecoin policy also emerged as a significant topic in Mersinger’s remarks. She urged Congress to safeguard a bipartisan compromise established in the GENIUS Act, warning against measures that would impose yield bans, which could constrain lawful rewards and favor large banking institutions over new entrants to the market. 

Mersinger stressed that market structure reforms should facilitate competition between emerging players and legacy institutions, rather than entrench existing advantages.

Mersinger’s statement comes on the heels of insights shared by crypto journalist Eleanor Terret who recently disclosed that the Senate Banking Committee plans to pass the bill next week, after which it will be merged with the Senate Agriculture Committee’s portion before heading to the Senate floor for a full vote. 

Should this process proceed smoothly, the bill could reach President Trump’s desk for signing, with Terret estimating that this could happen as early as March. However, she cautioned that if the House decides to make amendments to the Senate’s version, the timeline could extend into the summer.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Ethereum is once again attempting to reclaim the $3,100 level after several days of speculation, hesitation, and mixed signals across the broader crypto market. While price action has shown signs of stabilization, conviction remains limited, keeping traders cautious as Ethereum hovers near a key inflection zone. Bulls are trying to regain control, but the market is still searching for confirmation that the recent pullback has fully played out.

According to an analysis published on CryptoQuant, derivatives data offers important context for this phase of consolidation. Open Interest across Ethereum markets currently sits around $7.8 billion, while price trades near $3,100. This positioning is notable because it reflects a balanced environment: Open Interest is neither at extreme lows, which would signal mass position unwinding, nor at overheated highs typically associated with excessive leverage and fragility.

Instead, the data suggests that market participants are largely maintaining existing positions rather than aggressively exiting or entering new trades. This behavior points to a compression phase, where traders are waiting for a clearer directional catalyst before committing further capital. Such conditions often precede sharp moves, as volatility tends to expand once the price breaks out of consolidation.

As Ethereum tests this critical level, the interaction between price stability and sustained Open Interest will be key. Whether this balance resolves into a bullish continuation or a renewed downside move will likely define Ethereum’s short-term trajectory.

Rising Open Interest Signals Breakout Risk for Ethereum

The report explains that Ethereum’s recent price behavior is increasingly constructive when viewed alongside derivatives data. Over the past sessions, price has been trending modestly higher while Open Interest has continued to rise. This combination is important: it suggests that new positions are being opened without a meaningful reduction in existing exposure. In practical terms, market participants are engaged rather than sidelined, and positioning is building rather than unwinding.

At the same time, volatility is beginning to expand after a prolonged period of compression. This type of environment often precedes a decisive move, as price and positioning tighten into a narrower range. Notably, Open Interest has now recovered above its SMA(30), SMA(50), and SMA(100) moving averages. This shift signals a renewed willingness to take risks in the leveraged market and confirms that traders are gradually increasing exposure instead of reacting impulsively.

If Ethereum can continue to hold above the $3,000 level and Open Interest rises steadily—rather than through abrupt spikes that typically precede liquidations—the setup favors a controlled, spot-driven advance. Under these conditions, price could extend toward the $3,700 area, which represents a natural upside objective for this structure.

Ethereum appears to be preparing for an imminent breakout. With Open Interest climbing and demand improving, a sharp move is increasingly likely. The market will either resolve through a clean upside break above the $3,324 resistance or be flushed via liquidations. The bias remains for a positive breakout toward $3,700, followed by a reassessment within the broader downtrend.

ETH Consolidates at a Critical Long-Term Pivot Zone

Ethereum’s price action on the weekly chart shows a market caught between structural support and unresolved bearish pressure. After failing to sustain momentum above the $4,000–$4,200 zone in 2025, ETH entered a broad corrective phase that pushed price back toward the $3,000 area, where it is currently consolidating. This region has become a pivotal battleground, acting as a medium-term equilibrium between buyers and sellers.

From a trend perspective, ETH is trading near its long-term moving averages, with the 200-week moving average providing dynamic support around the mid-$2,000s. The ability to remain above this level suggests that the broader uptrend from the 2022 lows is not yet invalidated. However, price remains capped below declining shorter-term averages, highlighting that bullish momentum is still weak and rallies continue to face supply.

Structurally, the market is forming a wide consolidation range between roughly $2,700 and $3,400. A sustained hold above $3,100 keeps ETH in range-bound conditions, but does not confirm trend reversal.

For bulls, reclaiming and holding above the $3,300–$3,400 resistance zone would be the first signal of renewed strength and a potential path toward higher levels. Until then, Ethereum remains vulnerable to further downside volatility if support near $2,800–$2,700 is revisited.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

South Korea has announced plans to introduce Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2026 as part of broader digital asset reforms.

South Korea Using US & Hong Kong Crypto Spot ETFs As A Reference

South Korea revealed in its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy plans to allow spot digital asset ETFs this year, according to Wu Blockchain, citing local media outlet News1.

Spot ETFs are investment vehicles that allow traders to gain exposure to an underlying asset without having to directly own it. Such vehicles trade in the traditional markets, so investors of a spot ETF tied to a cryptocurrency never have to interact with blockchain components like wallets and exchanges.

Instead, the funds buy and custody the assets on behalf of investors. In recent years, spot ETFs tied to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have gained adoption in different regions of the world as DeFi and TradFi intersect.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved spot ETFs for Bitcoin in January 2024 and Ethereum in July 2024, while the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) allowed both in April 2024. Approvals related to altcoins like Solana followed in 2025.

Now, it would appear that South Korea is also looking to join the fray. Per the report, the country’s government has explicitly cited the digital asset spot ETF markets active in the US and Hong Kong as key reference points. Plans related to spot ETFs aren’t all that South Korea has announced. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the country is also accelerating the next phase of its digital asset legislation, which will establish a framework for stablecoins.

In the East Asian bloc, other governments have already made progress on stablecoins. Hong Kong enacted its stablecoin legislation in August, while Japan saw the launch of its first yen-backed token in October. While South Korea has set a timeframe of 2026, it’s unknown when exactly spot ETFs could be introduced. As such, it only remains to be seen what plans the government will reveal next and which assets besides Bitcoin will be covered.

Speaking of spot Bitcoin ETFs, these funds have been facing outflows in the US recently, as data from SoSoValue shows.

From the chart, it’s visible that the Bitcoin spot ETF weekly netflow has mostly been negative since the cryptocurrency’s decline started in October. There were a few weeks that saw a positive value, but the scale of net inflows remained limited.

The netflow for the latest week has stood at a negative $431 million, meaning that the US funds are continuing to bleed.

BTC Price

Bitcoin has erased some of its recent gains as its price has retraced back to $90,500.

A day after the Electric Coin Company’s breakup, the team behind Zashi said it is spinning out into a new Zcash-focused company and launching a new wallet built from the existing Zashi codebase. The move is framed as an effort to “scale Zcash to billions,” while keeping the group’s work narrowly centered on the Zcash stack.

In a message signed by Josh Swihart, the developers said the new wallet is code-named “cashZ” and will reuse the codebase originally built for Zashi. The team also opened a waitlist for early access, telling existing Zashi users that “all you need to do is join the waitlist” and that a migration will be designed to feel as seamless as the current Zashi experience once cashZ is live “in a few weeks.”

The announcement attempted to answer what it expects will be the community’s first question after an organizational breakup: whether the engineers are still committed to Zcash. “The entire team that worked at Electric Coin Company and built Zashi is still 100% focused on full-stack Zcash development,” the post said. “We aren’t launching any new coins, we’re just scaling Zcash. To do that, it required that we leave and start a new Zcash-focused company.”

Why Zcash’s Core Builders Are Starting A New Company

The team said the decision to form a new company came down to three ideas: Zcash’s cypherpunk roots, governance and incentive alignment, and a need to scale.

In the longest section, the developers cast the past decade of crypto regulation as a kind of prolonged stress test for privacy, describing it as “a decade of compliance theater.” The post argued that privacy-preserving tools are not merely a technical preference but a civil-liberties issue that requires a more assertive posture from the organizations building them.

“This effort was not simply about complying with unjust laws. Of course, we must abide by the law, or else be thrown in a cage,” the message said. “But when the law is unjust, we have a moral imperative to work to change the unjust law. One tool for that is code.”

From that premise, the team connected Zcash’s mission to mainstreaming privacy online, positioning the protocol as “a peaceful global reform movement” and saying that a structure bogged down by internal friction would be poorly suited to that fight. “To do this, we need an organization that has courage,” it added, arguing for “cypherpunk leadership” and a governance model that “can’t cut through red tape.”

A second argument centered on what the post described as chronic misalignment when nonprofits and venture-style startups are intertwined. The team cited recent commentary from Andreessen Horowitz to bolster the idea that crypto’s “foundation era” is ending, while distinguishing the Zcash Foundation as an example of a standalone nonprofit that can do effective work.

The critique was not subtle: “Nonprofits are about rule-lawyering, while tech startups are about rewriting the rules,” the statement said, adding that nonprofit boards often lack the accountability mechanisms of corporate boards. The team also pointed to heightened scrutiny of US nonprofits and the risk of tax exemptions being challenged, arguing there is “no benefit in keeping a fast-growing technology company under a nonprofit when the substance of the organization is a for-profit.”

The final section placed the wallet launch inside a bigger ambition: to make Zcash large enough that privacy becomes difficult to marginalize. It framed the strategic choice as binary: “to be so small they can’t see you, or so big they can’t stop you.”

The post claimed that Zcash has undergone “a complete rebirth” over the past two years, crediting an ecosystem-wide effort and naming contributors including Sean Bowe, genzcash, and Shielded Labs, alongside “many more who prefer to remain unnamed.” That resurgence, it argued, changes the operating environment: “We are no longer so small they can’t see us. Everyone can see us. We now need to get so big they can’t stop us.”

For now, the tangible deliverable is cashZ, with the team promising more details later and signaling that execution will be the message. “Actions will speak louder than words,” Swihart wrote, urging users to join the waitlist as the developers “boot up” the new wallet and push toward what they describe as “onboarding billions to Zcash.”

At press time, the ZEC price recovered some losses from yesterday’s crash and traded at $436.

As the US Senate delves into the highly anticipated crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, optimism is building ahead of the January 15 markup that could see the legislation advance to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Senate Reviews Crucial Crypto Bill

On Friday, Senator Cynthia Lummis, a prominent advocate for pro-crypto policies, shared insights on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), indicating that the Senate is engaging in a “light reading” of the bill. 

This step follows extensive negotiations involving not only bipartisan discussions between Democrats and Republicans but also interactions among lobbyists from both the cryptocurrency and traditional banking sectors. 

Key provisions, including stablecoin incentives outlined in the GENIUS Act, are proving pivotal for the bill’s potential success, as reported by Bitcoinist over the past few weeks.

Market expert MartyParty also chimed in, providing updates on social media regarding the Senate’s ongoing review of the long-awaited legislation that builds on the House-passed Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. 

Path To Passage

MartyParty noted that the review is especially timely, as it aligns with the upcoming markup sessions scheduled for the Senate Banking Committee, chaired by Senator Tim Scott, as well as discussions in the Agriculture Committee. 

He clarified that these sessions aim to take place around January 15, 2026, although some reports suggest that they might occur as late as January 16. The markups will provide an opportunity for amendments, debates, and committee-level votes on the bill’s language.

If the bill successfully advances out of both committees, the expert stressed that the drafts will be reconciled before moving to a full Senate floor vote. Achieving this step will require securing at least 60 votes to overcome any potential filibuster, emphasizing the need for bipartisan support.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

The idea of an altcoin season rolling in is still active, and early signals are starting to surface. These signs are not through price moves but through changes in on-chain behavior and trader activity. 

At the center of these observations is Ethereum, the leading altcoin, which has always led previous altcoin seasons. However, other interesting behavior is showing up in other large-market-cap cryptocurrencies, which implies any altcoin season from here might be different from previous ones.

Ethereum Usage Holds Even With Price Consolidation

On-chain signals linked to an altcoin season are beginning to appear across several large-market-cap cryptocurrencies, which implies that any rotation into altcoins may not be driven by Ethereum alone this time. That said, Ethereum is still exhibiting a set of familiar traits that have always placed it at the center of past altcoin cycles.

Related Reading: Ethereum Enters Overbought Levels With Weekend Pump, Why A Crash Could Be Coming

For example, on-chain data shows Ethereum maintaining activity levels close to cycle highs even as its price continues to move sideways, fluctuating above and below $3,000. In previous market periods, consolidations of this nature were typically paired with a noticeable decline in network usage as traders lost interest and speculative activity cooled. 

This time, that pullback in engagement has not materialized. Active addresses and transaction activity are still high, with the recent numbers coming in around 472,000 active addresses. In previous altcoin cycles, similar conditions appeared just before Ethereum began to outperform Bitcoin and led the rotation into altcoins. Now, history might be repeating itself.

XRP, Solana, And BNB Reflect Early Altcoin Season Positioning

In addition to Ethereum, behavior across other large-cap altcoins adds context to the setup of an incoming altcoin season. Notably, on-chain data tied to XRP shows that whales are not sending tokens to exchanges after recent price moves. The current lack of sustained inflows from XRP whales into crypto exchanges means that larger holders are holding their positions, which is a behavior more consistent with anticipation than profit-taking.

Related Reading: Altcoin Season In Q1? Bitcoin, Ethereum Breakdown Maps Out Performance

At the same time, Solana is also beginning to see a return of retail participation. Trading activity is picking up, but the data is still far below the levels typically associated with euphoric phases. Historically, this stage has appeared before momentum expands, when interest starts to grow, not at the end of it.

Another piece of the on-chain activity comes from BNB, where average spot order sizes have been large and consistent despite relatively uneventful price action. BNB’s price action looks boring on the outside, but average spot order sizes are at levels similar to those seen before the altcoin season in 2021, and this can be taken as a sign of something interesting brewing beneath the surface.

Taken together, these on-chain signals reinforce the idea that if Ethereum does drive the next altcoin season, the course of events might be much more collective and differ from the previous altcoin seasons.

Dogecoin didn’t ease into 2026 quietly. Following several weeks of drifting and bearish price action at the end of last year, the memecoin suddenly picked up speed, jumping in the first few days of January and briefly reclaiming levels above $0.15.  However, on-chain data shows that Dogecoin’s mega whales did not have a hand in the rally. These large Dogecoin holders have mostly stayed on the sidelines, avoiding both heavy buying and selling.

Dogecoin’s Whales Quiet During Recent Price Action

Dogecoin began the week with a quick burst of upside that carried the price from below $0.12 into mid-$0.15. Trading activity picked up during the move, and there was genuine buying interest. During this period, Dogecoin’s trading volume nearly tripled those seen during the last days of December, with notable examples of $3.56 billion trading volume on January 2 and $2.34 billion on January 4. 

This intense trading activity briefly placed the Dogecoin price above $0.15 on January 5, a price level that has served as a resistance level that stopped the meme coin’s price action throughout December 2025. However, an interesting detail from recent on-chain analysis is how little large holders reacted to the price rally. 

According to data from on-chain analytics platform Santiment, Dogecoin addresses holding 100 million to 1 billion DOGE saw their collective holdings increase into January 4, peaking around 35.8 billion DOGE, before a decline beginning on January 5. 

Starting on January 5, this group began trimming exposure, and even as Dogecoin’s price action continued climbing to the $0.15 level, their combined holdings fell to roughly 34.59 billion DOGE by January 6. Since then, balances in this cohort have largely remained flat.

Dogecoin Large Holder Distribution. Source: Santiment

Sharks Doing Most Of The Bullish Work

On the other hand, Dogecoin sharks, i.e., wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million DOGE showed a much stronger appetite. After a brief pullback between January 2 and January 4, this group returned to accumulation during Dogecoin’s push higher. That buying trend has continued through the rest of the week, lifting their collective holdings to about 17.63 billion DOGE at the time of writing.

Smaller large holders in the 1 million to 10 million DOGE range followed a similar pattern, though with more hesitation early on. Activity in this group increased at the start of the week, followed by a dip around January 7. That decline was short-lived, however, as balances rebounded on January 8 and 9, rising to roughly 10.9 billion DOGE at the time of writing.

As it stands, Dogecoin’s price action seems to be taking a pause from the rally and is back to facing resistance at $0.15. The meme coin is now trading at $0.1424, and the lack of clear commitment from large whales is also keeping the outlook uncertain. 

Despite the price of XRP holding above the $2 mark following a brief rebound earlier this week, sentiment across the market has not fully recovered. On-chain data shows that short-term holders are closing their positions and exiting the market, which reflects growing caution.

A Dip In XRP Short-Term Holder Exposure

XRP may have gained brief upward traction, but short-term holders’ sentiment appears to be moving into a cautious state. From an on- chain standpoint, these key investors are currently stepping back, trimming their positions after several weeks of choppy price action and weakening momentum.

As observed in the XRP HODL Waves chart shared by Steph is Crypto, a market expert and investor, short-term holders have begun to reduce their exposure in the leading altcoin. This shift in sentiment is present among wallet addresses that purchased the token over the past week and month.

Such a development points to a cooling of speculative zeal, with supply held by these addresses known for their high turnover rate showing a discernible decline. Given the altcoin continues to face sideways price action, this shift strongly resembles profit-taking from the cohort in order to manage risk and cut their losses.

Steph is Crypto highlighted that the share of the total XRP supply held by these investors has fallen from 5.75 to 4.9% in just 7 days. While the pullback may seem small, the shift has the potential to reshape sentiment around the altcoin and its price dynamics in the upcoming weeks.

This is due to the fact that these investors are often one of the most reactive groups in the market. Once positions start to move into profit territory, the cohort tends to sell off their coins at a swift rate. With short-term holders going on a selling spree, the focus now is on whether institutional players and longer-term holdings will withstand the sell-side pressure.

However, while short-term players are exiting, large holders, also regarded as whales, are stepping back in at a significant rate. This implies that deep-pocket investors are exhibiting renewed conviction in the altcoin’s long-term prospects.

According to the report from Steph is Crypto, whales, particularly wallet addresses holding between 1,000,000 XRP and 100,000,000 XRP, recently acquired an additional 60 million XRP in a single day. After a period of relative quiet, the cohort seems to have moved back into accumulation mode. 

Leading The Charge In Asia

Demand for XRP is growing in the Asian region, as a report from X Finance Bull shows that the altcoin dominated Bitcoin in South Korea. Data from Upbit reveals that the token was the most traded asset of 2025 across the most active retail market on Earth. 

This is beyond price speculation. It is a testament to the altcoin’s increasing volume, liquidity, and usage. The XRP/KRW was ranked in the top spot most of the year, with Upbit executing over $1 trillion in trades.  According to the expert, this is an important landmark because real markets reveal truth, and South Korea interacts with trades that work. 

Ripple’s XRP is seeing a clear shift in investor behavior, with large on-chain transactions surging to levels not seen in months. With market dynamics turning positive after months of volatility and capitulation, XRP investors are returning to the market with conviction. Transactions valued at $100,000 and above have been recorded with increasing frequency on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), signaling renewed interest and confidence in the cryptocurrency. 

Ripple’s XRP Investors Return As Transactions Surge

New data shows XRP whales returning just as the broader market attempts to stabilize after recent pullbacks. According to crypto analytics platform Santiment, XRP Ledger activity spiked sharply at the start of the week. Apparently, transfers valued at $100,000 or more have climbed to their highest level since early October 2025.

The accompanying chart highlights that on January 5, 2026, the XRP network recorded 2,170 whale transactions. Activity spiked even more on January 6, when the count jumped to 2,802 large transactions in a single day. Notably, this surge signals a clear shift in high-value XRP activity, highlighting strong participation from major holders across the network. 

Alongside the increase in large-scale investor activity, XRP price candles on the chart reflect a sharp rebound from recent lows. After a steady decline through late December 2025, XRP’s price action turned upward as transaction counts surged. The timing of this move stands out because XRP had spent weeks trending below $2 before this sudden increase in on-chain movement. 

Notably, XRP investors may be returning after earlier declines as market sentiment slowly improves. Lower prices appear to have attracted long-term holders who see current levels as a favorable accumulation zone. Another factor possibly behind the renewed interest could be the perception that downside pressure has weakened. The stabilization seen before the transaction spike likely encouraged large players to reposition capital in the cryptocurrency. 

Although the market appears to be moving away from previous downtrends, Santiment analysts have highlighted rising volatility on the chart. Rapid swings in transaction volume appear alongside sharper price movements, signaling that volatility is likely to remain elevated. 

XRP Reserves On Binance Drop To Yearly Low

In other news, data from the blockchain and analytics platform CryptoQuant indicates a major shift in how XRP is held on crypto exchanges like Binance. CryptoOnChain, an analyst at CryptoQuant, published a report announcing that XRP’s reserves on Binance have fallen to 2.6 billion tokens, the lowest level seen since January 2024. 

The analyst highlighted that declining supply often signals reduced selling pressure. He stated that XRP holdings have steadily dropped from nearly 3.25 billion tokens in late 2025, suggesting investors are moving assets into self-custody and potentially adopting a HODL mindset. 

CryptoQuant also noted that this trend reflects a strong accumulation phase that removes liquidity from active trading. With fewer tokens available on the sell side, the platform stated that a demand spike could lead to sharper price moves, creating a favorable setup for XRP in the short- to medium-term.

US spot XRP ETFs recorded their first-ever net outflow on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, breaking a 36-day streak of continuous inflows since their launch in Q4 2025. The shift immediately raised a critical question for the market: Does this change in ETF flow direction signal a deeper downside for XRP’s price, or is it a short-term reset within a still-intact structure? Recent price action and broader market context suggest the answer is more nuanced than a simple bearish continuation.

First Ever Red Day For XRP ETFs

The net outflow for XRP ETFs totaled roughly $40.8 million, driven entirely by a $47.25 million redemption from 21Shares’ TOXR, as Canary Capital, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and 21Shares all recorded notable outflows during the period. This heavy selling pressure was partially offset by limited inflows into select products, with Canary’s XRPC attracting $2.32 million, while Grayscale’s GXRP stood out as the only fund to post positive flows, adding about 0.13% or roughly $1.69 million, according to SoSoValue data.

Despite this single day of outflows, XRP ETFs continue to hold significant assets, roughly $1.53 billion, just over 1% of the cryptocurrency’s overall market capitalization. The cumulative fund flow since launch remains strongly positive, indicating institutional demand has not disappeared. 

Following the red ETF print, XRP’s price declined around 7%, slipping below $2.10 after failing to overcome resistance near $2.26. This move occurred within a broader short-term market pullback and did not immediately unwind earlier gains from sustained ETF accumulation. Short-term price response is more likely tied to traders reacting to ETF data and simultaneous weakness in broader crypto markets, rather than an isolated loss of confidence in the altcoin itself.

Broader ETF Outflows Reflect Market-Wide Risk Rotation

The first red day for XRP ETFs coincided with heavy outflows across other major crypto ETFs, highlighting a broader risk-off shift in institutional positioning amid ongoing regulatory recalibration. This came as WisdomTree quietly exited the spot XRP ETF race, withdrawing its SEC filing without any shares issued. Spot Bitcoin ETFs simultaneously recorded withdrawals totaling roughly $486 million, marking one of the largest single-day outflow prints in early 2026.

Spot Ether ETFs also turned negative, with about $99 million in net outflows reported, representing the first net exit day for ETH products this year. Together, these synchronized moves suggest the pressure was not isolated to XRP instruments, but part of a wider rotation across crypto-linked funds as capital reassessed exposure.

Such market-wide ETF weakness tends to amplify short-term price volatility and drive correlated moves across digital asset prices. While prior inflows still provide a degree of support, the combination of fund redemptions and issuers stepping back from new launches raises questions about whether this session marks a temporary pause or the start of a more cautious phase for regulated crypto exposure.

The Solana network is still demonstrating notable activity and performance in a volatile market state, with its price facing sideways movements. With a recent uptick in user participation and demand, the SOL network remains a dominant force in the blockchain sector, ramping up substantial DEX volume over the past few weeks.

Resilient DEX Volume Keeps Solana At The Top

As the cryptocurrency market cools, the Solana network is showing signs of strength. This strength is seen in the network’s on-chain liquidity, which appears to be leading the charge across the dynamic blockchain sector. Solana Daily’s post reveals that Solana’s position at the forefront of on-chain liquidity keeps growing, with Decentralized Exchange (DEX) activity on the network exhibiting notable resilience despite broader market conditions fluctuating.

The chart from Solana Daily shows that the network is processing $6.7 billion in DEX volume. Interestingly, this figure surpasses that of all other layer 1 and layer 2 solutions, reflecting SOL’s strong trading volumes, deep liquidity pools, and sustained user engagement. 

As SOL improves in these areas, it expands its lead over competing layer 1 and layer 2 ecosystems. With active market makers, robust DeFi protocols, and high transaction throughput, the network’s liquidity infrastructure seems to be maturing rather than withering after previous spikes in activity.

Another notable development highlighted by Solana Daily is the rise in SOL’s derivatives market as open interest broadens. At the time of the report, the altcoin’s open interest had reached a staggering $3.35 billion, indicating a fresh wave of trader engagement and risk-taking around the asset.

Increasing open interest usually indicates a new capital inflow into futures and perpetual markets, and in SOL’s case, it coincides with growing on-chain activity and a resurgence of speculative activity. 

A Milestone In On-Chain Performance Into 2026

In another X post, Solana Daily reported that the SOL network closed 2025 with record on-chain performance, reflecting steady growth in real economic activity across applications, liquidity, and users. Traders, developers, and capital are not just testing Solana. They seem to be committing to the network, cementing its position as one of the most active centers in the cryptocurrency field.

This rise in on-chain performance underscores strong revenue metrics, increasing stablecoin supply, and growing institutional participation, which outline an evolving ecosystem heading into the next cycle. As the network further advances into 2026, narratives about Real World Assets (RWAs), payments, AI-native finance, and privacy infrastructure are beginning to emerge throughout the robust ecosystem.

SOL is slowly becoming an on-chain finance prodigy, which is indicated by the surge in stablecoin supply on the network. The Kobeissi Letter has outlined SOL’s stablecoin growth following a supply spike of over +$900 million in 24 hours. 

According to the leading commentary, this is a result of Jupiter, the world’s largest on-chain platform, launching its on-chain focused stablecoin. During the period, Morgan Stanley also filed for a Spot Solana Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF). These moves point to a resurgence in crypto flows.

Crypto pundit NoLimit has drawn attention to a government research paper, which he described as extremely bullish for XRP in the long term. He also highlighted how what is being built on the XRP Ledger will ensure that the altcoin gains real-world adoption, which could eventually boost its value.  

Pundit Draws Attention To Government Paper Highlighting XRP’s Potential

In an X post, NoLimit highlighted a U.S. space and defense research paper published between 2018 and 2019, noting that the content made a bullish case for XRP. He explained that the paper made a very clear distinction between blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT). On the one hand, blockchain is treated as just one implementation, and DLT is treated as the broader category that governments actually care about. 

The research paper gave examples, noting that Bitcoin and Ethereum are open, permissionless systems. Meanwhile, NoLimit mentioned that the paper also highlighted permissioned, trusted ledgers used for banks, payments, identity, and regulated environments, which he claimed explicitly points to Ripple’s architecture, which involves XRP. 

The pundit stated that the research paper matters because the use cases highlighted in the paper aren’t crypto-native at all. Instead, they border on identity management, access control, certification, regulated data sharing, and settlement between institutions that require compliance built in. Based on this, the altcoin’s utility could well expand beyond the crypto space. 

The Ledger As The Required Tool To Achieve This Framework

NoLimit noted that the research paper was written for governments trying to modernize infrastructure without breaking existing rules. He then mentioned that what is quietly being built on the Ledger lines up almost perfectly with those requirements. The pundit remarked that back in 2018, the paper could only describe the framework because the tooling wasn’t ready yet. 

However, NoLimit believes that is no longer the case, stating that XRP sits where real adoption happens, which is inside regulated systems that don’t appear overnight. He claimed that this is why the token keeps showing up in places most people aren’t even looking. Notably, the pundit’s statement comes just weeks after Ripple’s former CTO David Schwartz explained how the Ledger will take over the world. 

Schwartz highlighted tokenization as one area where the Ledger was gaining ground, noting that firms such as Ondo Finance and Franklin Templeton wereissuing products on the network. It is also worth mentioning that the Ripple-backed Evernorth just secured a strategic collaboration with Doppler to advance institutional liquidity and treasury use cases on the XRPL. Both firms are also working together to explore structured frameworks for deploying the token at scale. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.13, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Evernorth, an XRP-focused digital asset treasury backed by Ripple and SBI Holdings, said Thursday it has entered a strategic relationship with Doppler Finance to explore institutional liquidity and treasury use cases on the XRP Ledger, a tie-up pitched as an onchain bridge between one of the largest public XRP treasury firms and a core infrastructure provider.

The two companies said the work will center on designing and piloting “institutional liquidity and treasury use cases on XRPL,” with an emphasis on structured liquidity deployment, potential treasury management strategies, and what they described as building the commercial, operational, and technical foundation needed for sustained institutional engagement.

XRP Institutional Push Accelerates With The Partnership

In the press release, the partnership is framed around how large pools of XRP capital might be deployed on-chain at scale. Evernorth and Doppler said they are evaluating “onchain products and mechanisms for deploying XRP capital at scale,” and exploring liquidity deployment frameworks intended to support treasury management activities on the XRP Ledger. The release positions Doppler’s “institutional-grade architecture” as the enabling layer for structured participation by institutional capital, paired with disciplined risk frameworks.

“The next phase of XRPL adoption will be driven by institutions that demand clarity, structure, and real economic utility,” said Asheesh Birla, CEO of Evernorth. “By collaborating with Doppler, we are advancing practical frameworks for deploying institutional XRP liquidity onchain, with the goal of setting a higher standard for how XRP is used, managed, and scaled across global markets.”

Doppler’s institutional lead framed the relationship as a step toward making XRP behave more like a balance-sheet asset with an onchain yield profile that can meet institutional requirements. “Working with Evernorth represents a meaningful step forward in expanding institutional participation across the XRP Ledger,” said Rox, Head of Institutions at Doppler Finance. “By aligning institutional liquidity with robust infrastructure and disciplined risk frameworks, we aim to unlock XRP’s full potential as a scalable, yield-generating asset for global markets.”

The announcement also highlights go-to-market aspects of institutional adoption, not just the plumbing. Evernorth and Doppler said they plan coordinated strategic communications and market-facing initiatives, including joint announcements, publications, and offline engagements, alongside global market expansion efforts that target both institutional and retail participants. The stated objective is to accelerate adoption and “reinforce confidence in XRPL-native financial infrastructure.”

Evernorth’s positioning is notable in the context of the growing category of crypto treasury vehicles that pitch equity-like exposure to a single asset. The company said it expects to become a publicly traded digital asset treasury following the closing of a business combination agreement with Armada II.

Evernorth says it aims to provide investors exposure to the token “through a regulated, liquid, and transparent structure,” while differentiating itself from ETFs by seeking to “actively grow its XRP per share” using a mix of institutional and DeFi yield strategies, ecosystem participation, and capital markets activities.

At press time, XRP traded at $2.11.

House of Doge, the corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation, says it has struck a partnership framework with two Japan-focused firms to explore localized Dogecoin adoption and real-world asset (RWA) initiatives, putting Japan at the center of its next ecosystem expansion effort.

Dogecoin Plots Japan Expansion

In a Thursday press release dated Jan. 8, House of Doge said it has agreed a tripartite cooperation framework with abc Co., Ltd. and ReYuu Japan Inc. The arrangement is framed as a roadmap for “future collaboration,” rather than a single product launch, but it spells out several lines of work that point toward regulated tokenization and payments-style integrations tailored to the Japanese market.

“This partnership reflects our continued focus on supporting thoughtful, real-world expansion of the Dogecoin ecosystem,” Marco Margiotta, CEO of House of Doge, said in the release. “Japan represents a natural and culturally aligned market for DOGE given its strong embrace of digital innovation and we are pleased to explore opportunities alongside abc and ReYuu Japan that support responsible innovation, real-world utility, and long-term ecosystem growth.”

House of Doge said the agreement outlines potential cooperation areas designed to “leverage the strengths of each party” in support of  ecosystem growth. The framework highlights efforts around promoting and adopting gold asset-backed stablecoins, as well as regulatory-oriented work connected to listing RWA tokens under Japan’s “green list” framework. It also references establishing a joint fund within the Dogecoin ecosystem and pushing “next-generation Web3” through real-world use cases.

The inclusion of a “green list” pathway is notable because it foregrounds compliance and market-structure considerations rather than the meme-driven branding that has historically defined DOGE in the public imagination. At the same time, the release does not specify which assets would be tokenized, what a gold-backed stablecoin would look like in practice, or whether any on-chain issuance would be directly tied to Dogecoin versus adjacent infrastructure.

The partners are positioned as complementary: ReYuu Japan is described as supporting business development and localization in Japan, while abc is presented as bringing “token-economy design, smart-contract development, and regulatory alignment,” with a focus on RWA and compliant Web3 integration. House of Doge’s role is framed as ecosystem coordination and infrastructure investment, with the press release casting the partnership as part of a broader international strategy.

Together, the companies say they intend to support “localized and responsible” expansion of Dogecoin-related initiatives in Japan, though the release stops short of naming specific merchants, financial institutions, pilot programs, or timelines.

House of Doge used the announcement to reinforce its broader narrative: that Dogecoin’s next phase is about practical utility; payments, financial products, and tokenization rather than purely cultural relevance. “House of Doge is the official corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation, committed to advancing Dogecoin as a widely accepted and decentralized global currency. By investing in the necessary infrastructure to integrate Dogecoin into everyday commerce, House of Doge is building secure, scalable, and efficient systems for real-world use.”

It adds that its scope spans “payments and financial products to real-world asset tokenization and cultural partnerships,” arguing this is “the next era of crypto utility, where Dogecoin goes beyond the meme.”

At press time, DOGE traded at $0.14276.

A report from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has revealed how Bitcoin profit realization saw a reset ahead of the recent price surge.

Bitcoin Realized Profit Has Gone Down Recently

In its latest weekly report, Glassnode has talked about the latest trend in the Realized Profit of Bitcoin. This on-chain indicator measures the total amount of profit that investors on the BTC network are realizing through their transactions.

The metric works by going through the transfer history of each coin being moved or sold on the network to see what price it was transacted at prior to this. If the last transaction price of the token was less than the spot price it’s now being sold at, then the sale is considered to realize some net gain.

The exact amount of profit involved in the transfer is equal to the difference between the two prices. The Realized Profit sums up this value for all profit transactions on the blockchain.

A counterpart indicator known as the Realized Loss takes care of the sales of the opposite type. That is, the moves involving a cost basis higher than the latest transfer price.

Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the 7-day moving average (MA) of the Bitcoin Realized Profit over the last few years:

As displayed in the above graph, the 7-day average Bitcoin Realized Profit was above the $1 billion level for much of the fourth quarter of 2025, with a particularly large spike of nearly $3 billion coming in November that coincided with the cryptocurrency’s bottom.

In December, however, the metric saw a sharp decline to a value of just $183.8 million. “This deceleration in realized gains, particularly among longer-term holders, signalled an exhaustion of distribution-side pressure that had been anchoring price action in the prior quarter,” noted Glassnode.

What followed this cooldown in profit-taking was BTC’s climb above $94,000 during the first week of 2026. “As sell-side intensity eased, the market was able to stabilize, regain composure, and support a renewed upside impulse,” said the analytics firm.

The Realized Profit and Realized Loss deal with the profit/loss being realized by the investors, but what about the unrealized profits or losses? An indicator called the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) Ratio contains the information related to that.

In the report, Glassnode has specifically discussed about this indicator for the short-term holders (STHs), representing the low-conviction side of the market (holding time of 155 days or less).

From the chart, it’s visible that the Bitcoin STH MVRV has been below the 1 level recently, implying that the new market entrants have been holding a net unrealized loss.

BTC Price

Bitcoin fell under $90,000 earlier in the day, but the asset has since rebounded to $90,900.

Coinbase (COIN), the US-based cryptocurrency exchange, has recently garnered a positive forecast from Bank of America, one of Wall Street’s leading financial institutions, which has upgraded its rating to “buy.” 

This shift comes after a thorough evaluation of Coinbase’s strategic positioning, as the company prepares for a potentially successful 2026. This follows a 2025 in which major acquisitions were made to significantly expand the range of services offered beyond mere trading.

Bank Of America Upgrades Coinbase’s Prospects 

Research analyst Craig Siegenthaler from Bank of America highlighted several factors contributing to this optimistic outlook. He noted that Coinbase’s ongoing product expansion, strategic pivots, and an appealing valuation create a solid foundation for the company’s performance in the coming years. 

Siegenthaler specifically attributed the bank’s revised stance on Coinbase’s stock, COIN, to an acceleration in product velocity and a pullback in the stock price observed during the second half of 2025.

Recent market data shows that the cryptocurrency exchange’s shares have fallen approximately 40% from their peaks of $445 reached back in July of last year, making this a more attractive entry point for investors. 

The exchange is also diversifying its offerings, looking beyond cryptocurrency to include stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and prediction markets. According to Siegenthaler, this expansion brings Coinbase closer to realizing its vision of becoming the “everything exchange.”

Price Target Of $340 For COIN

A significant factor in Bank of America’s bullish assessment is the crypto firm’s Base, a Layer-2 (L2) network built on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain. The analyst views Base as a pivotal step in Coinbase’s evolution from merely a trading platform to a comprehensive crypto infrastructure provider. 

The anticipated launch of a native token in the future could serve as a major catalyst, potentially raising billions and further enhancing the platform’s capabilities.

Another initiative that piqued Bank of America’s interest is Coinbase Tokenize. This feature integrates issuance, custody, compliance, and access to the exchange’s client base, positioning the company as a leader in the tokenization market.

From a valuation perspective, Bank of America observed that Coinbase’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has significantly compressed since mid-2024, improving the stock’s risk-reward profile. 

This adjustment in valuation, coupled with a more favorable regulatory environment expected under President Donald Trump, could provide “sizable tailwinds” for the crypto firm as the industry matures.

Looking ahead, Bank of America envisions Coinbase solidifying its dominant role across trading, infrastructure, and tokenization as the next phase of cryptocurrency adoption unfolds. 

The bank has reiterated its price target of $340 for Coinbase’s stock, reflecting its confidence in the company’s long-term prospects. This suggests that the company’s stock price could potentially recover by 38% in the near-term if materializes.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com