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A US-linked crypto startup received a major foreign cash injection this week, stirring questions in Washington about money, access, and transparency.

Reports say a UAE-backed investor paid roughly $500 million for nearly half of the company, a deal that was not widely known when it closed.

UAE Money Enters A Trump-Linked Crypto Firm

According to multiple reports, Aryam Investment 1 agreed to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. Part of that sum — about $187 million — was paid up front to entities connected to US President Donald Trump and other founders.

Executives tied to a major Abu Dhabi tech group were named to the company’s board after the purchase, giving the new backer direct influence over governance.

The transfer was signed in January 2025, just days before a major political transition in the US, and it drew immediate attention because of who the company is linked to.

Trump & Crypto: High-Level UAE Ties

Reports note the investment can be traced to figures close to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a powerful Abu Dhabi official whose interests include technology and national security.

That connection has sharpened scrutiny. Lawmakers and watchdogs say such stakes raise hard questions about foreign influence when an entity tied to a sitting US President is involved.

Some of the transactions and token purchases connected to the project were disclosed later than critics would prefer, which has fed calls for clearer filings and faster public notice.

Political Questions And Oversight

The deal also ties into earlier moves by UAE-linked funds to buy the project’s tokens and promote a stablecoin tied to the company’s ecosystem.

Reports say those earlier investments helped build momentum for the platform, and that a separate, large investment linked to the stablecoin involved Binance and other partners.

Critics argue a big foreign stake in a crypto firm with presidential ties creates both optics and policy concerns, especially as Congress debates tighter rules for stablecoins and foreign investments.

Some members of Congress have asked regulators to examine whether rules on disclosure or foreign influence were sidestepped.

Mixed Reactions

Investors responded with mixed signals. Some welcomed increased funding and new board expertise. Others worried that questions about ownership and governance could undercut confidence in the token and related products.

Important details about the buyer’s full ownership structure remain unclear in public filings. Reports say that transparency gaps are central to why oversight officials are asking for more documents and briefings.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin and the general cryptocurrency market have continued their struggles, as prices took a nosedive this weekend. On Friday, January 31, it seemed like the crypto market was gearing for another slow-action weekend as prices somewhat steadied after Thursday’s bloodbath.

However, the market has completely gone against the trend this weekend, with Bitcoin and the other large-cap digital assets falling by almost double digits on Saturday. Here is a look at the factors behind this steep decline and the immediate outlook for crypto prices.

Why Bitcoin And Crypto Prices Dropped This Weekend

Following Bitcoin’s initial descent to $81,000, different reasons, ranging from geopolitical tensions to the FOMC’s decision to keep the interest rates unchanged, swirled around. However, the continuous decline of prices, even during the typically sluggish weekend, suggests that other factors are at play.

In a new post on the social media platform X, prominent financial markets commentator The Kobeissi Letter weighed in on the possible reasons behind the market-wide downturn in recent days. According to the report, a look at the crypto flow data would shed more light on this market conundrum.

According to The Kobeissi Letter, the recent price decline witnessed by the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is completely a liquidity situation. As shown in the highlighted chart, Bitcoin has witnessed three well-defined liquidation waves, summing up to over $1.3 billion over the past day.

The financial markets commentator also mentioned that the crypto market liquidity has been choppy at best lately. However, sustained levels of extreme leverage in the Bitcoin market have caused the formation of “air pockets” in price.

The Kobeissi Letter added:

Couple this with herd-like sentiment, constantly shifting from extreme bullishness to extreme bearishness, and the swings become even more aggressive.

Unsurprisingly, the market-wide price correction saw the market hit with one of the largest liquidation events in crypto history. Market data shows that about $2.5 billion worth of levered longs have been liquidated in the digital asset market over the past 24 hours, the 10th-largest crypto liquidation event ever.

More notably, over $1 billion worth of levered long positions were forcibly closed within 5 minutes, as the Bitcoin price fell to around $76,000 on Saturday.

Total Crypto Market Cap Down By 7%

As of this writing, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at around $2.725 trillion, reflecting a nearly 7% dip in the past 24 hours.

The Bitcoin market has seen a horrific tale over the week, with the price recording a downturn of more than 12%. As the flagship cryptocurrency tests its $77,000 price support, data from recent on-chain analysis has been put out, which suggests that investors might have more concerns in the near-term.

Network Activity Collapses To 2020 Lows Despite Relatively Higher Prices

In a recent QuickTake post on the CryptoQuant platform, market analyst CryptoOnchain hypothesizes that the Bitcoin price currently stands very little chance of recuperating. On the contrary, the analyst implies that the flagship cryptocurrency could endure a sustained downturn, especially considering other on-chain conditions. 

The market quant’s post revolves around the Bitcoin Active Addresses metric, which reveals how much network activity is ongoing within the Bitcoin market by measuring the amount of unique wallet addresses that are either sending or receiving BTC, over a period of time (in this case, over the past seven days).

According to CryptoOnchain, the active addresses count recently fell to 720,000, marking the lowest levels seen since April 2020. For context, the active addresses were as high as 1.126 million as of November 2024. Hence, the 36% contraction from the November 2024 peak to current readings reflects a significant reduction in on-chain activity.

From the chart shared by the analyst, it is apparent that network participation among retailers significantly declined in the latter half of 2025 and reached 2020 lows early in 2026. Notably, the current downtrend in network activity comes with a growing divergence. CryptoOnchain points out that the Bitcoin price still retains levels significantly higher than those seen in April 2020. But the network usage is still at that low level, reflecting a schism between network activity and price action. 

The analyst concludes that this is a sign of insufficient support (i.e organic demand) from network users. In this case, losing the $83,000 support may have been a fatal blow for the Bitcoin price. The analyst explains that this worsened the risk of further downward movement, as Bitcoin’s growth was already without underlying network support. 

For any recovery attempts to hold, and not end in “bull traps”, there has to be a reversal in the relative inactivity within the Bitcoin network currently unfolding. Better still, CryptoOnchain prescribes the “renewed influx of users on-chain” for a sustainable upside move to gain feasibility.

BTC Price Overview 

As of this writing, Bitcoin is worth about $78,743, with CoinMarketCap data reflecting a 6.39% loss over the past 24 hours. 

OKX CEO Star Xu has publicly accused Binance of being central to the October 10 crypto market crash that wiped out tens of billions of dollars, causing damage that many described exceeded the fallout from the FTX collapse in 2022.

Star Xu: Binance USDe Marketing Responsible For October 10 Crash

In a detailed statement on X, Star Xu said the October 10 sell-off was not a complex or mysterious market event, but the direct result of “irresponsible marketing campaigns,” which now appears to have fundamentally altered crypto market microstructure. On this particular day, Bitcoin experienced a 16.5% flash crash, falling from $121,000 to $101,000. According to Xu, the trigger for such a negative event was Binance’s temporary user-acquisition campaign offering up to 12% APY on USDe, while allowing the asset to be used as collateral on the same footing as USDT and USDC, with insufficient limits. Xu explained that USDe is not a conventional stablecoin but rather a “tokenized hedge fund product,” issued by Ethena, where user capital is deployed into index arbitrage and algorithmic trading strategies before being tokenized. He argued that this design embeds hedge-fund-level risk into an asset that was presented to users as functionally equivalent to low-risk stablecoins.

Notably, users were encouraged to convert USDT and USDC into USDe for yield. But market risk escalated when traders started using this USDe as collateral to borrow more USDT to convert it again into USDe, and repeat the cycle. This leverage loop resulted in outrageous APYs of 24%, 36%, and even over 70%, which many users perceived as low risk simply because they were offered on a major exchange such as Binance. However, a surge in market volatility would cause the USDe to depeg rapidly, triggering massive waves of liquidations. Xu said weak risk management around assets like WETH and BNSOL amplified the shock, resulting in some tokens briefly trading near zero. While insisting he was not assigning blame, Xu emphasized the need for industry leaders such as Binance to prioritize transparency, stronger risk controls, and responsible innovation, warning that short-term yield games undermine long-term trust.

CZ Fires Back

Notably, Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has pushed back on Xu’s narrative. Speaking in a Binance Square AMA on January 31, 2026, CZ said the October 10 sell-off was due to tariff-related macroeconomic news, not to Binance system failures or deliberate actions.

CZ argued that given Bitcoin’s sheer market scale and liquidity, it would be extremely difficult for any single entity to influence prices simply by “dumping.” Binance’s internal post-incident review did reveal technical irregularities that occurred on the day, including temporary transfer or UI display issues and deviations in certain indices, but CZ denied that these played a causal role in the crash.

Managing Partner at Dragonfly, Haseeb, also countered Star Xu’s accusations, stating that the timing of the USDe depegging, which occurred after Bitcoin already bottomed, as well as the isolation of this event on the Binance exchange, offered a strong opposition to such claims.

Coinbase’s legal battle over alleged insider trading hit a new milestone this week when a Delaware judge refused to toss a shareholder suit, keeping alive claims that top executives and directors sold stock while sitting on inside information.

Reports say the ruling does not resolve guilt or innocence. It simply lets the case continue in court.

Court Lets Case Move Forward

According to filings and press reports, the suit — brought by a shareholder in 2023 — accuses CEO Brian Armstrong and board member Marc Andreessen, among others, of selling large blocks of Coinbase stock around the company’s 2021 direct listing.

The complaint alleges those sales totaled close to $3 billion and that the insiders avoided more than $1 billion in losses by acting before negative information reached the market.

The judge’s decision to deny a motion to dismiss rests less on the precise dollar numbers and more on questions about process.

Reports note that a special litigation committee within Coinbase had already looked into the claims and cleared the directors. But the court flagged concerns over whether that committee was truly independent.

Big Names, Big Stakes

Many headlines have highlighted Andreessen’s name because of his profile and past business links. That attention isn’t just about personalities.

Reports say the chief issue for the court was whether the committee’s ties—direct or indirect—might have skewed its review, making the committee’s blessing less persuasive as a legal shield.

Coinbase has pushed back. The company and some defendants argue the sales were legitimate, part of normal liquidity and market mechanics tied to the direct listing, not secret profit-taking based on hidden problems.

Those defenses were noted in the filings the judge considered. Still, the lawsuit will now proceed through discovery and other pretrial steps.

Questions About Committee Independence

Legal observers say this case highlights a recurring issue in corporate suits: when an internal review finds no wrongdoing, courts will still test how, and by whom, that review was done.

If the review looks biased, the court may allow a suit to survive early challenges so the facts can be tested under oath.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Capital is rotating back into high-potential crypto assets, and XRP is emerging as the primary beneficiary of the shift. As liquidity floods back into the market, many believe the altcoin is positioned for a powerful upside move that could dramatically reshape portfolios. 

Why This Capital Inflow Could Change XRP’s Price Forever

XRP is about to make multi-millionaires. An analyst known as Dragon revealed a video on X that RealFi has officially approved Walmart as a vendor. Walmart, a global retail giant with a $800 billion market capitalization and responsible for approximately $680 billion in annual customer transactions, is now live in the RealFi ecosystem. 

This initiative now has the potential to onboard over 342 million Walmart customers annually to the RealFi ecosystem. The XRP Ledger and Real Token powers this RealFi infrastructure.

The market narrative about XRP may be misleading, and the millionaire wallets are rising fast. Crypto trader Skipper has noted that while the token continues to trade below the $2.00 level, it is still attracting serious attention from large investors. The new on-chain data from Santiment shows that 42 new whale wallets holding more than 1 million XRP have been created since the start of the year.

This steady rise in whale accumulation suggests that high-net-worth investors may be preparing for a major upside move. With smart money entering the market, this kind of accumulation trend could support a bullish XRP price prediction in the weeks ahead.

On the technical side, the daily chart shows an interesting pattern that led to a strong recovery the last time this setup occurred. This could be what whales are seeing that most retail investors are missing. 

XRP’s price has been squeezed down into a key support zone, and buying interest is rising. Meanwhile, whales are aggressively accumulating at around $1.75, and if retail participants start to follow whale behavior, the setup could quickly evolve into a short squeeze.

Retail And Institutions Are Watching The Same Asset

According to Xfinancebull, while everyone is arguing over XRP price action and chart patterns, 2 million people are actively tracking the token on CoinMarketCap’s watchlist. That level of interest is not accidental; it reflects broad retail and institutional interest in the same asset. A high watchlist count typically signals positive sentiment and growing anticipation. Even traders and algorithms respond to this rising attention, which often influences short-term trends.

However, the signal here is that the watchlists represent investors who are monitoring closely and waiting for opportunities. A steadily growing watcher base is an early indicator of future buying pressure. When clarity comes or momentum shifts, those 2 million are already positioned to move, rather than starting from scratch.

This high visibility boosts the ecosystem, as increased attention attracts partnerships, adoption, and institutional interest. The feedback loop is real, and the altcoin is no longer a hidden opportunity, but has become one of the most-watched assets in crypto.

Reports say social and on-chain mood around crypto has dropped to a yearly low, a sign that fear is running high among many investors.

Santiment’s social-data read shows negative chatter spiking and the balance of bearish to bullish comments tilting heavily toward fear.

That kind of panic has, at times, been followed by price rebounds in past cycles.

What The Numbers Are Saying

Right now the Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits in “Extreme Fear,” with readings that fell into the teens this week. That scoring reflects widespread caution and a lot of people pulling back from risk.

At the same time, Santiment’s metrics point to unusually negative sentiment on social platforms, which some analysts treat as a possible contrarian buy signal.

Voices From Traders And Execs

Not everyone is ready to call a bottom. Analyst Benjamin Cowen warned that a big shift of money from metals into crypto is not guaranteed in the short run, arguing that the expected rotation may not come.

Company leaders are quieter but watchful. Coinbase’s chief business officer said the “signals are there if you’re paying attention,” pointing out that big legacy firms are still hiring for crypto-related roles.

Bitcoin Price Action Appears Mixed

Bitcoin has been swinging. It dropped back into the $82,000 level and has shown sharp moves tied to macro headlines and flows. Reports note a recent slide near $81,900 amid broader risk repricing, with traders shifting money around as geopolitics and markets change.

At the same time, some traders see dips as buying chances. The nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair by US President Donald Trump was one such macro event that stirred markets and helped prompt short-term moves.

How To Read This Moment

Sentiment is a noisy signal. When fear runs high, downside often becomes limited for a spell. That said, a real, lasting rally usually needs more than sour social mood — it needs firmer liquidity, clearer macro direction, or steady flows from big investors.

Still, Santiment highlighted that the current mood reading is among the rare positive signs for crypto. They added that one bright spot is the intense negativity on social media, where bearish comments far outnumber bullish ones.

Santiment noted that crypto often moves against the crowd. When most investors expect prices to fall, it can create conditions for a potential rebound.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A popular crypto pundit who previously criticized XRP has now changed his tune, acknowledging he was wrong to undermine the cryptocurrency and now calling it “the global currency”. The analyst cited his earlier misconceptions about the altcoin, highlighting developments such as Ripple’s new bank charter as major reasons for his shift in sentiment.  

XRP Critic Reverses Stance On The Cryptocurrency

Crypto commentator Minus Wells has publicly reversed his stance on XRP, admitting he was wrong to be a “hater” and to have consistently criticized the cryptocurrency. In his post on X, Wells asserted that he was a “changed man now,” underscoring his newfound confidence in the token. 

He cited several reasons for his unexpected change of heart, highlighting Ripple’s recent milestone in receiving a bank charter license from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the US and officially becoming a regulated bank. Wells revealed that Ripple had formally sent him their first coin, which could be going into minting soon. He described the cryptocurrency as “the future currency of the world,” indicating that XRP could play a transformative role in the global financial system. 

Wells said that he was astonished by how much he had overlooked XRP’s potential. He admitted that, in light of the recent positive developments surrounding Ripple, he had to step back and acknowledge he was utterly wrong about the cryptocurrency. Pointing to the Ripple coin in his possession, the crypto pundit described it as absolute proof of XRP’s legitimacy and future growth.

He went on to compare XRP to Bitcoin, arguing that the altcoin now has physical coins, whereas BTC does not. Wells dismissed Bitcoin for lacking real substance and questioned its legitimacy, further supporting his argument by asking whether the world’s largest cryptocurrency holds a banking license in the United States similar to Ripple. 

Wells also sought to preempt any future claims that he was acting as an influencer for XRP. He emphasized that he was never paid to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) about XRP during his earlier criticisms. He explained that, in most cases, financial incentives in the crypto space are used to promote digital assets and convince investors of a token’s bullishness rather than criticize it.

According to Wells, criticism of the altcoin is rarely sponsored, as paid efforts typically focus on boosting hype and driving demand. He added that those who fund influencer promotions are not Ripple, but whales who control significant portions of its supply and cannot sell their holdings without crashing the market. To support his claims, the former critic pointed to the sharp flash crash on October 10 as a prime example of the impact of large-scale liquidations. 

No All-Time High For The Token

Although he has backtracked on his previously negative position regarding XRP, Wells remains skeptical about its price potential. He stated that he does not expect the cryptocurrency to climb to $100, dismissing the notion that it could even reach $20.

The crypto pundit emphasized that the altcoin will never hit a new all-time high, and investors would be fortunate to see it ever trade above $5. He urged Ripple supporters to remain cautious and not be swayed by exaggerated predictions or claims from influencers.

Nu, the largest Latin American digital bank, has recently announced a major achievement in securing conditional approval of a national banking charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This development would see the Brazil-based bank expand its operational footprint into the United States, with sights set on potential strategic hubs in Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern Virginia, and the North Carolina Research Triangle.

Related Reading: Capital Rotation Intensifies As Bitcoin Lags Gold and US Equities Nu Establishes Initial Presence, Next Steps In Focus

In a blog post on January 29, Nu shares a business milestone in receiving a conditional approval that would allow the digital bank to extend its product offerings to the US market under the de novo national subsidiary known as Nubank N.A. However, to gain full operational powers of the national bank charter, the digital asset firm is expected to meet several criteria in terms of compliance systems, risk controls, governance, etc. 

In addition, the Nubank N.A. must also obtain all pending approvals from other regulators, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the US Federal Reserve (Fed). The digital bank is also expected to have received all required start-up capital within 12 months and begin operations within 18 months, with its initial service expected to include deposit accounts, credit cards, lending, and digital asset custody. 

Commenting on the conditional approval from the OCC, the founder and CEO of Nu Holdings, David Vélez has expressed much excitement, stating the expansion provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the next level of US banking. 

Vélez said:

This approval isn’t just an expansion of our operation; it’s an opportunity to prove our thesis that a digital-first, customer-centric model is the future of financial services globally. While we remain fully focused on our core markets in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, this step allows us to build the next generation of banking in the United States.

Meanwhile, the Nubank N.A. is expected to be led by co-founder Cristina Junqueira, while former President of the Central Bank of Brazil Roberto Campos will chair the company’s board of directors.

Crypto Market Overview

At the time of writing, the total crypto market cap is $2.84 trillion, following a slight 0.84% decline over the past day. Meanwhile, daily trading volume is now valued at $172.24 billion.  Aside from Nu’s expansion into the US, other recent pro-crypto developments include the Senate Agriculture Committee’s clearance of the Clarity Act and another partnership between the SEC and CFTC on crypto projects.

Featured image from Building Nubank, chart from Tradingview

Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has highlighted that XRP’s use case extends beyond payments, with a focus on tokenization. This comes as experts such as Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg have predicted that the altcoin will be the token of choice for real-world assets (RWAs) tokenization. 

How XRP’s Utility Extends Beyond Payments

In an X post, X Finance Bull drew attention to how XRP’s utility extends beyond payments, alluding to $110 million in tokenized diamonds transactions that were settled on the XRP Ledger. The pundit noted that five diamond collections were tokenized on the network through Ctrl Alt. 

He further remarked that the Ledger is expanding beyond cross-border payments into full RWA tokenization, with XRP, as the network’s native token, being used to settle these tokenized transactions. X Finance Bull added that the playbook is to build the payments infrastructure first, then tokenized assets second, and finally the full financial rails third. 

The crypto pundit declared that the network will be used to settle all types of transactions, aligning with predictions that the altcoin could become the backbone of global finance. Thanks to its expanded utility, X Finance Bull also noted that the narrative that the Ledger is just about payments is officially outdated. 

It is worth noting that prior to X Finance Bull’s revelation, Canary Capital’s CEO predicted that the token would dominate the RWA industry, which is projected to become a trillion-dollar industry at some point. He made the prediction based on Ripple’s moves over the last two years and how the crypto firm has integrated the Ledger into many Wall Street transactions, boosting institutional adoption in the process. This is one of the reasons McClurg is confident that XRP’s price can significantly appreciate in the long term.

What Ripple Treasury Move Means For The Altcoin

X Finance Bull also recently explained what the launch of the Ripple treasury platform means for XRP’s adoption. He noted in an X post that the crypto firm is adding digital asset expertise to the treasury platform, which will drive the altcoin’s integration. Based on this, he declared that the impact of the altcoin is direct. 

First, he stated that corporations will get unified visibility across cash and digital assets. Furthermore, thanks to XRP, settlements become instant, and the cost of FX drops. The move will also unlock more working capital as yield optimization runs 24/7. Lastly, the pundit stated that tokenized assets and programmable payments become native. He believes working on infrastructure that solves real corporate problems is the best way to drive institutional adoption, not through marketing. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.74, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Bitcoin (BTC) prices fell by over 8% in the past week alone, resulting in heightened bearish sentiments across the market. The downtrend, as seen across the broader crypto market, has been largely attributed to institutional repositioning, inflows to precious metals, and the Federal Reserve’s latest decision to leave interest rates unchanged. 

To illustrate how cautious Bitcoin investors are, data from CoinCodex shows that the Fear & Greed Index stands at 16, indicating the market is ravaged by extreme fear. However, recent on-chain analysis shows Bitcoin may be approaching a turning point.

Hold! Bitcoin Market Winter Almost Over — Analyst

According to market analysts Michaël van de Poppe and James Easton, the Bitcoin MVRV Z-Score is flashing a potential end to the bearish market phase seen over the past four months. Notably, after touching the $126,000 price level in early October, BTC has experienced significant selling pressure, resulting in a price twice retesting the $80,000 region. 

For context, the MVRV measures Bitcoin’s current market value to the average price (realized value) at which all coins were last moved. When paired with the Z-Score, it analyses how far market Value deviates from realized Value, expressed in standard deviations. The MVRV Z-Score helps to identify if Bitcoin is overvalued or undervalued; thus, it can be used to highlight potential market bottoms or tops.

Based on the analysis presented by James Easton, Bitcoin’s current Z-Score is lower than that recorded during the bear markets in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2022, indicating that the digital asset is trading at deep levels of undervaluation absent in previous market cycles. Although the decline from the present all-time high has been relatively lower compared to previous cycles, Van De Poppe explains that the MVRV Z-Score data indicate that the bear market has reached its latter stages, with a likely end now in view. 

This postulation suggests BTC could soon produce a significant rebound with potential immediate targets set at $90,000 and $97,500.

More Reasons To Be Bullish — Van De Poppe

In a separate X post, Michaël Van De Poppe shares other developments that point to an impending Bitcoin recovery. One of which was the last time the RSI on the BTC/Gold chart fell below 30, marking the end of the last Bitcoin market.  Furthermore, the gold market appears to have topped out after reaching a new all-time high of $5,600 on January 30. The seasoned analyst also highlights that a crypto mega rally followed the last time such a development happened with the precious metal.

At press time, BTC is valued at $83,645, as its daily trading volume climbs to around $72.31 billion.

Following a brief price rebound from $86,000 to $90,000 early in the week, it appeared that Bitcoin was experiencing its routine movement within the consolidation range. However, the market is on edge with curiosity about what is happening with the flagship cryptocurrency, especially after its swift decline to $81,000. A couple of fresh on-chain perspectives have emerged, delving into the underlying dynamics of the BTC market. 

On-Chain Signals Behind Bitcoin’s Bearish Move

In a recent post on the social media platform X, crypto analytics firm Glassnode outlined a confluence of on-chain events justifying Bitcoin’s impulsive move to the downside. The analysis began with results from the Spent Volume by LTH/STH metric. 

This metric has shown that, over the past 30 days, Bitcoin’s Long-term holders have been heavily distributing their share of BTC. According to Glassnode’s data, over 12,000 BTC per day (on average) has been distributed over the past 30 days — an equivalent of 370,000 BTC per month. Expectedly, distributing large amounts of BTC, in turn, reflected on the price as considerable selling pressure. 

However, distribution among LTHs is not the only event that happened; US spot Bitcoin ETFs also added to the bearish setup, as they have recorded multiple net outflows over the past few weeks. This means that there has been less institutional demand to cushion the LTH sell-off. 

When demand gaps appear amid ongoing LTH-selloffs, the BTC price can be expected to fall freely, especially in the event that bearish momentum enters the market. Hence, this could have played a role in the recent move to the downside.

The long-term holders are not the only ones who sold; the Net Transfer Volume From/To Miners metric shows that Bitcoin’s miner behavior also reinforces the weakness of the market structure. Glassnode reported that miners have been consistently sending their BTC to exchanges, adding to the structural bearish pressure, as positive exchange inflows often signal growing interest in offloading assets.

Derivatives market dynamics also played their role in intensifying the BTC price decline. As the flagship cryptocurrency lost its previous footing, there was a wave of long liquidations that followed suit. Glassnode highlighted that more than $300 million was liquidated in this move. When long positions are forcefully closed, as in this cycle, downside momentum is usually amplified, further pushing prices downwards.

With options market defensive rather than optimistic in their speculation, and spot demand subdued, it is safe to conclude that the Bitcoin market stands at a critical phase. Until significant demand enters the market, it is likely that Bitcoin may face troubles beneath key resistance levels in the days to come.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is valued at $84,095, reflecting an over 1% price jump in the past 24 hours.

US authorities moved on Friday to cut off what they say was a major crypto pipeline used by Iranian actors. Two London-registered platforms were added to the sanctions list and are now subject to blocking measures that bar US persons from dealing with them.

First Ever Exchange Designations

According to US Treasury notices and blockchain analysts, the entries are unusual because they target the exchange infrastructure itself rather than just individuals.

Reports say the platforms — Zedcex Exchange Ltd. and Zedxion Exchange Ltd. — were identified as taking part in financial activity linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Listings Change How Enforcement Looks

Based on reports from on-chain firms, the move follows months of tracing crypto flows that allegedly routed value for Iranian state-linked groups.

One firm reports that Zedcex alone processed more than $94 billion in transactions since it began operations in 2022, a volume that drew close scrutiny from investigators.

Treasury Also Targets Senior Iranian Figures

The sanctions were not limited to crypto firms. US officials added Iran’s interior minister and a set of other senior figures to the blacklist, citing roles in the violent suppression of protests and in laundering or diverting funds.

The listings were announced alongside broader measures that the Treasury said would choke off sources of revenue used to support repressive acts.

What Investigators Found

Reports note that the exchanges appear to have been used as clearing points for transfers tied to Iranian networks.

Blockchain forensics firms and law enforcement agencies say wallets connected to IRGC interests showed links to trades and transfers on these platforms, which helped build the case for sanctions.

Some of the accused companies were also tied to known Iranian business figures.

Impact On Markets And Firms

Markets reacted with caution, though the broader crypto sector did not collapse. Trading on many regulated venues continued, while exchanges that serve global clients began to review ties and tighten compliance checks.

A number of service providers are expected to block traffic associated with the newly sanctioned entities to avoid secondary penalties.

Observers say this action signals a tougher stance on using crypto to dodge financial rules. Based on reports, regulators may press more cases that treat whole pieces of infrastructure as part of an illicit financing chain.

Some analysts warn that the rules will push bad actors to find ever more complex routes, while others expect clearer rules and more cooperation between crypto firms and authorities.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

If there has been any doubt about the arrival of the bear market, the latest drop in the Bitcoin price to around $81,000 somewhat made it more believable. While different triggers, including geopolitical tensions, Microsoft’s earnings miss, and liquidation cascades, have been credited for this drop, the premier cryptocurrency seems to be struggling catch any break at the moment.

Interestingly, the latest decline not only shattered the remains of the Bitcoin price bullish structure but also tilted the on-chain framework towards an even more bearish outlook. With both technical and on-chain data looking less optimistic, the bears appear to be winning the battle for dominance in the BTC market.  

This Metric Changes First, BTC Price Reacts Later: Crypto Founder

In a January 30 post on the X platform, Alphractal’s founder and CEO, Joao Wedson, revealed that the Bitcoin Sharpe Ratio is declining at a rate faster than the BTC price. The relevant indicator here is the Sharpe Ratio, which assesses the risk-adjusted returns of a particular cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, in this case).

This on-chain metric basically tracks the amount of profit an investment offers per unit of risk (considering risk is measured by volatility), with a high value signaling a higher risk-adjusted performance. Meanwhile, a negative Sharpe Ratio indicates that the returns being realized on an investment are not commensurate with the risk being taken.

Wedson wrote in his post on X:

Simply put: the market is taking more risk for less return.

Indeed, the Bitcoin Sharpe Ratio slipped into the negative territory a few days into the new year. However, BTC’s price action still enjoyed an incredible run of form — running to as high as $97,000 — after this shift, placing less significance on the on-chain observation.

What’s more interesting is that the Sharpe Ratio is falling and weakening at a pace faster than the Bitcoin price. Historically, this rate of decline has often coincided with extended periods of momentum loss and sideways price movement. In fact, Wedson concluded that the risk-adjusted metrics need to change before price can react positively.

Bitcoin Price Could Fall To $65,500 If This Happens

In a case where the premier cryptocurrency continues its downward spiral, Wedson has projected a target for the BTC price. In an older post on X, the Alphractal founder had revealed that the Bitcoin price cannot lose the $81,000 level under any circumstances.

The on-chain expert stated that a capitulation phase similar to the one seen in 2022 could unfold if the market leader breaks below the $81,000 level. Based on the Fibonacci-Adjusted Market Mean Price, Wedson identified $65,500 as the next major support level.

The $81,000 came under focus as the Bitcoin price approached this level during its decline on Thursday, January 29. As of this writing, though, BTC has recovered above the $83,000 mark, with the price still down by nearly 8% on the weekly timeframe.

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the co‑founder and former CEO of Binance, has pushed back against ongoing claims that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange was responsible for the sharp market crash that rocked the digital asset sector last October. 

Speaking during a live ask‑me‑anything session hosted on Binance’s own social platform, Zhao described those accusations as “far‑fetched,” arguing that they oversimplify what was one of the most turbulent days in crypto market history.

CZ Rejects Blame For $19 Billion Crypto Liquidations

During the session, Zhao rejected the idea that Binance was the primary force behind the record wave of liquidations seen on October 10, when traders across the industry were hit by sudden price swings, technical disruptions, and liquidity issues. 

That day, an estimated $19 billion worth of leveraged crypto positions were wiped out, marking the largest single‑day liquidation event in the roughly 16‑year history of the crypto market. 

While Binance did experience system glitches and pricing discrepancies during the turmoil, Zhao emphasized that the cryptocurrency exchange was not the cause of the broader market collapse. CZ said: 

There are a larger group who claim the October 10th crash was caused by Binance and wants Binance to compensate everything. If you are living in those world in your head, you are unlikely to be successful in the future.

He added that Binance had already compensated users and businesses affected by platform‑specific issues, ultimately paying out around $600 million following the crash. According to Zhao, customers who lost funds due to Binance’s technical problems were fully reimbursed.

Binance Under Global Regulatory Watch

Zhao also addressed regulatory oversight, noting that Binance operates as a regulated entity in Abu Dhabi, where local authorities have full access to the company’s operational data. 

The former executive further pointed out that the cryptocurrency exchange remains under the supervision of a US government monitorship, reinforcing his argument that the platform’s activities are subject to significant scrutiny.

Although Zhao no longer runs the company, he clarified that his comments were made in his capacity as a Binance shareholder and user. He stepped down as CEO in November 2023 as part of a resolution with US authorities.

Yet, Zhao’s legal situation took another turn in October 2025, when he received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The move reignited public debate and political criticism, particularly from Democratic lawmakers, who questioned both the decision itself and Binance’s alleged political and business connections. 

Addressing those concerns in a separate interview with CNBC, Zhao denied having any business relationship with the Trump family. “There’s no business relationship whatsoever,” he said, adding that the broader narrative surrounding the pardon and the exchange’s supposed ties to Trump had been “misconstrued.”

As of this writing, Binance Coin (BNB), the exchange’s native token, is trading at $847. It has declined by 5% over the past week alone, mirroring the broader digital asset market drop. This puts the token 38% below its record high of $1,369, which was reached last year. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have announced they are relaunching the Project Crypto initiative as a joint policy effort to prepare US markets for the digital era.

SEC-CFTC Joint Efforts For Project Crypto

On Thursday, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig revealed that the regulatory agency is partnering with the SEC on its Project Crypto initiative to bring “coordination, coherence, and a unified approach to the federal oversight of crypto asset markets.”

At a joint event on regulatory harmonization, Selig and SEC Chairman Paul Atkins outlined their plan to advance a clear crypto asset taxonomy, clarify jurisdictional lines, remove duplicative compliance requirements, and reduce regulatory fragmentation through their partnership.

The SEC-CFTC harmonization agenda will focus on the fundamentals, as the chairmen detailed, including aligned definitions, coordinated oversight, and seamless, secure data sharing between agencies. “Harmonization strengthens standards through coherence, predictability, and economic rationality.”

The agencies aim to ensure that “innovation takes root on American soil, under American law, and in service of American investors, customers, and businesses,” Selig affirmed during his opening remarks.

He added that he had directed the CFTC staff to work with the SEC to study “joint codification” of the common-sense crypto asset taxonomy recently laid by Atkins, “as an interim measure while Congress finalizes legislation.”

In a joint statement shared by the CFTC, the pro-industry chairmen explained that Project Crypto was designed to ensure that the US is ready to reinforce its global financial leadership when Congress acts:

At its core, Project Crypto and our broader harmonization efforts reflect a shared philosophy: financial regulation must be precise, not punitive. Rules must be narrowly tailored to address material risks, nimble enough to adapt to technological change and remain anchored in our agencies’ statutory authorities.

Innovation Exemption Timeline Pushed Back

During the panel, Chair Atkins discussed the timeline for the Commission’s long-awaited innovation exemption for the crypto industry, which was initially expected to come before the end of January.

As reported by Bitcoinist, the SEC chair said in December that the regulatory agency could issue innovation exemption rules for crypto firms in early 2026. Notably, the Commission has been studying a rule exemption since July 2025.

The measure would allow crypto firms to quickly launch products by complying with “certain principles-based conditions designed to achieve the core policy aims of the federal securities laws” instead of “burdensome prescriptive regulatory requirements that hinder productive economic activity.”

Atkins affirmed that the agency is still working on the innovation exemption, arguing that they “need to measure twice and cut once.” As he outlined, the agency wants to deliver a rule change that is “fit for purpose that will allow enough people to be able to develop their products, you know, within a predictable ambit of maneuver and then with an end date, an off-ramp, that sort of thing.”

In addition, he noted that last year’s government shutdown delayed progress on crypto regulation, adding that the potential new shutdown could further delay the highly anticipated measure.

Atkins denied that the SEC is waiting on the market structure bill to put out the innovation exemption, arguing that it is within the agency’s authority. However, he emphasized that they are taking the upcoming regulation into account because “there are a lot of moving parts to the situation.”

“I just want to make sure that we keep the train going forward at full speed and for all parties’ sake,” he asserted, but did not offer a new potential timeline for the innovation exemption rollout.

Meanwhile, Chair Selig also shared his plan to explore “ways in which the agency can encourage innovation in software development and support builders as they work toward product market fit.” This includes assessing whether an innovation exemption “may be appropriate in certain circumstances.”

Ripple’s RLUSD stands out from most stablecoins by the way it is designed to operate inside financial markets. Rather than focusing on broad retail usage, its structure and early integrations point toward a role anchored in trading infrastructure, collateral frameworks, and regulated settlement flows. That distinction becomes clearer through recent updates shared on X by Ripple executive Jack McDonald and further expanded on by market commentator Richard, who examined how RLUSD functions as a cash instrument within real market systems.

Why RLUSD Stands Apart From Typical Stablecoins

Many stablecoins focus on expanding circulation and boosting market capitalization, often with retail users as the primary audience. RLUSD follows a different structure. As McDonald highlighted, its priority is institutional readiness. A key part of this is monthly independent attestation, which involves third-party verification that RLUSD’s reserves fully back the supply in circulation.

For institutions, this is essential. Banks, brokers, and trading firms operate under strict compliance and risk rules. Without frequent, independent verification, a stablecoin cannot be treated as usable cash on a balance sheet. Attestations allow RLUSD to be held, transferred, and settled without triggering regulatory or accounting concerns.

This foundation explains why RLUSD has been accepted as core collateral on LMAX’s global trading marketplace. Collateral is what traders post to open and maintain positions. To qualify, an asset must reliably hold value throughout the trading day, move quickly between margin and settlement accounts, and remain dependable during volatile conditions. It must also support rehypothecation, meaning it can be reused across multiple transactions. RLUSD meets these standards.

The same logic applies to decentralized finance. McDonald noted that real-world asset deposits on Aave increased by roughly $400 million over a recent quarter, with RLUSD driving most of that growth. In this context, RLUSD acts as the stable cash component that allows tokenized assets to function smoothly. Institutions need a unit of account that regulators accept and internal systems can recognize, and RLUSD is designed to serve that role.

What RLUSD’s Velocity And Market Access Reveal

RLUSD’s availability on Binance, Ethereum trading pairs, and OSL reflects a focus on broad access rather than volume chasing. The objective is to ensure RLUSD can appear wherever liquidity already exists. Upcoming XRPL support on Binance further expands that flexibility.

Richard also pointed to RLUSD’s high transaction velocity, meaning the same units are moving frequently rather than sitting idle. Velocity is an early signal of real use, especially for settlement and collateral movement. Market capitalization often follows once these functions scale.

This framing clarifies RLUSD’s true target. It is aimed at replacing inefficient structures such as prefunded accounts, trapped collateral, and cross-border balances. Within this model, XRP serves as the bridge asset, compliance leads strategy, and collateral acceptance comes before visibility.

In essence, RLUSD’s purpose is to quietly improve how capital moves and settles across markets. That functional focus is what makes it fundamentally different.

As Bitcoin (BTC) struggles through a prolonged downturn, cryptocurrency exchange Binance has unveiled a new move aimed at reinforcing confidence in the digital asset sector. Amid this, BTC has fallen 34% over the past four months, a slide that has fueled growing debate over whether the market has entered a new bear phase. 

Against that backdrop of heightened uncertainty, Binance said it intends to take concrete steps to support the broader crypto ecosystem rather than retreat during market stress.

Binance Overhauls SAFU Fund

In an open letter released to the community on Friday, Binance reiterated its view that Bitcoin remains the foundational asset of the crypto market and a store of long‑term value, regardless of short‑term price swings. 

Based on that conviction, the company announced plans to overhaul the composition of its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). Binance said it will convert the SAFU fund’s existing $1 billion reserves, currently held in stablecoins, into Bitcoin. 

The conversion is expected to be completed within 30 days of the announcement. Going forward, the exchange plans to actively rebalance the fund by monitoring its market value. 

If fluctuations in Bitcoin’s price cause the SAFU fund to fall below $800 million, Binance said it will step in to replenish the balance and restore the fund’s value to $1 billion.

According to the exchange, the decision forms part of a broader, long‑term strategy to continue investing resources into the crypto industry through both favorable and challenging market conditions. 

2025 Protection Metrics

In the same letter, Binance highlighted a series of initiatives it carried out in 2025 to support users, strengthen compliance, and contribute to ecosystem development. 

The company said it assisted users in recovering funds from nearly 38,648 cases of incorrect deposits during the year, returning a total of $48 million. Cumulatively, Binance noted that it has helped users recover more than $1.09 billion to date.

On the risk management front, the exchange reported that it helped 5.4 million users identify potential threats in 2025, preventing an estimated $6.69 billion in losses tied to scams. 

Binance also pointed to its cooperation with global law enforcement agencies, which it said resulted in the seizure of approximately $131 million in illegally obtained funds.

On transparency, Binance said that by the end of 2025, its proof‑of‑reserves showed user assets totaling about $162.8 billion, fully backed across 45 different crypto assets.

In closing, the exchange said it plans to continue addressing market concerns through tangible actions, maintaining a focus on openness, transparency, and long‑term participation in industry development. 

As of this writing, BTC is trading at $83,336, marking an 8% decline over the past week. Similarly, Binance Coin (BNB), the exchange’s native token, has dropped 5% during the same period and is currently hovering at around $848 per token. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin’s derivatives market is showing clear signs of deceleration. A CryptoQuant analyst highlights that monthly Bitcoin futures trading volume across all exchanges fell to approximately $1.09 trillion in January, marking the lowest level since 2024. This represents a notable slowdown compared to earlier phases of the cycle, when monthly volumes frequently exceeded $2 trillion, reflecting a period of reduced speculative intensity and more cautious positioning among traders.

Despite the broad contraction in activity, liquidity has not dispersed evenly across the market. Instead, futures trading remains highly concentrated on a small number of dominant venues. Binance continued to lead the sector, recording roughly $378 billion in futures volume for the month. It was followed by OKX, with approximately $169 billion, and Bybit, which registered close to $156 billion. Together, these platforms accounted for a significant share of total derivatives activity, underscoring their role as primary liquidity hubs even as overall participation declined.

This concentration suggests that while fewer market participants are actively trading futures, those that remain are operating within established, deep-liquidity venues. Rather than signaling stress or forced deleveraging, the slowdown appears consistent with a phase of consolidation, where traders reassess risk exposure and reduce turnover without abandoning the derivatives market entirely.

Bitcoin Futures Volume Signals Speculative Cooldown

The drop to the lowest monthly futures volume since 2024 reflects a clear reduction in trading intensity compared with earlier stages of the cycle, when aggregate monthly volumes regularly exceeded $2 trillion. This shift points to a moderation in short-term speculative behavior and a pullback in aggressive positioning, particularly among traders who rely heavily on leverage to amplify returns.

As volatility compresses and directional conviction weakens, these participants tend to reduce activity, contributing to lower overall turnover in the derivatives market.

Such phases are not unusual within Bitcoin’s market structure. Historically, periods of declining futures volume often follow extended stretches of heightened volatility, serving as a reset mechanism where traders reassess risk exposure, tighten position sizing, and wait for clearer signals before re-engaging. Rather than reflecting a loss of interest in Bitcoin itself, the slowdown suggests a temporary pause in speculative appetite.

Importantly, the contraction in volume appears orderly rather than abrupt. There are no clear signs of widespread stress, panic-driven exits, or forced deleveraging. Instead, the gradual decline indicates a controlled reduction in participation, with large and professional players selectively scaling back exposure. This behavior leads to lower trading activity without destabilizing price action or triggering disorderly liquidations.

The current environment is more consistent with consolidation than capitulation. Reduced futures volume highlights a market transitioning into a quieter phase, where leverage is unwound methodically and positioning becomes more conservative, setting the stage for a future expansion once volatility and conviction return.

Bitcoin Tests 100-Week Moving Average as Correction Stabilizes

Bitcoin’s weekly chart highlights a market that has transitioned from strong trend expansion into a corrective and consolidative phase. After peaking above the $120K region, BTC entered a broad pullback that erased a significant portion of the prior advance, bringing price back toward the low $80K area. This decline unfolded alongside a clear loss of momentum, visible in the series of lower highs and the rejection from the 50-week moving average (blue), which has now turned into dynamic resistance.

Currently, Bitcoin is trading near $82,800, sitting just above the 100-week moving average (green). This level is technically important, as it often acts as a medium-term trend filter during late-cycle corrections. So far, price has managed to stabilize around this zone, suggesting that selling pressure is no longer accelerating, but buyers have not yet regained control either. The 200-week moving average (red), still rising near the mid-$50K area, remains far below spot price, indicating that the broader macro trend has not broken down despite the correction.

Volume has contracted meaningfully compared to the distribution phase near the highs, reinforcing the idea that this move is corrective rather than panic-driven. Overall, the chart points to a phase of price compression and structural digestion. Bitcoin appears to be searching for acceptance around current levels, with the next decisive move likely dependent on whether the 100-week average holds or fails.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

The US Senate is edging closer to a full vote on the crypto market structure legislation, which could be a turning point for the likes of XRP. The bill, which aims to establish clear federal rules for how cryptocurrencies are regulated and traded, is viewed as a turning point for crypto assets like XRP that have long operated in regulatory gray zones. A yes vote would not just represent a political milestone; it could materially alter how XRP is valued, traded, and adopted across the US market.

What’s Happening With The Crypto Market Structure Bill?

The Crypto Market Structure bill is designed to create a clear federal regulatory framework for digital assets, giving oversight of spot markets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and defining rules for trading platforms, brokers, and dealers. Notably, the legislation has been advancing through committees, most recently the Senate Agriculture Committee. 

At the moment, the bill has cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee along strict party lines, but it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 12-11 along party lines to move its version of the bill forward after weeks of debate and amendment negotiations. All Democrats on the committee opposed it, meaning it passed only with Republican support.

On timing, senators and policy advisers have suggested that a floor vote by the Senate Banking Committee could happen later in the winter or early spring, possibly in February or March 2026. After this, the two committee versions can be reconciled into a single text that both parties can back. However, the full Senate vote on the legislation might not come until sometime around early July.

What Will Happen To The XRP Price?

XRP’s price history has been heavily influenced by regulatory questions and debates over whether it should be treated like a security. The cryptocurrency secured a regulatory victory in 2023 when a judge ruled that XRP was not a security in and of itself.

If the Senate passes the market structure bill, the clearer assignment of oversight to a single regulator would reduce that uncertainty. XRP would be valued more on usage and adoption, and that would remove the regulatory risk that has weighed on its price.

Unsurprisingly, this is the dominant sentiment among XRP investors and other crypto market investors. One XRP commentator, known as Cobb (@Cobb_XRPL) on the social media platform X, noted that XRP is going to pump so hard if the Crypto Market Structure bill passes. Still, the longer-term impact on XRP will depend on how the regulatory framework is implemented and how quickly exchanges, institutions, and developers adapt.

The bill would require the backing of at least seven Democrats in the Senate before it can eventually go to US President Donald Trump for approval.  Republican lawmakers like John Boozman, backing the bill, say it is necessary to create clear rules for digital asset markets. Opposing Democrats say the bill lacks important rules to prevent conflicts of interest involving political figures and crypto holdings. Crypto exchange Coinbase, for one, has pulled its support for the bill.