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Ethereum is struggling to push above critical supply levels after a brief surge above $3,300, as the market attempts to stabilize following weeks of sustained selling pressure. While the rebound has sparked renewed optimism, price action remains fragile, with bulls still needing clear confirmation before a broader recovery can take hold. Still, the fact that ETH is holding near key levels has led some analysts to start calling for higher prices, arguing that the market may be entering a new phase after the recent downtrend.

Supporting this view, a CryptoQuant analyst highlighted Ethereum Exchange Netflow spot data showing persistent ETH outflows from spot exchanges during price pullbacks, while inflows during upward moves remain relatively limited. This pattern suggests a more disciplined supply environment, where holders are reluctant to sell into weakness and are not aggressively distributing during rallies.

In other words, sell-side pressure appears to be easing, even as Ethereum remains capped below major resistance. If demand returns, this type of netflow structure can support sharper upside moves, as fewer coins are available on exchanges to meet new buying interest. For now, Ethereum is caught between fading fear and unfinished recovery, with the next breakout attempt likely to define the short-term trend.

ETH Supply Tightens As Exchange Outflows Persist

Ethereum’s recent Exchange Netflow behavior suggests that the latest pullbacks have been met with holding and accumulation rather than broad-based distribution. Instead of rushing to send ETH onto exchanges during weakness, many participants appear willing to sit through volatility, reducing the immediate sell pressure that typically accelerates downtrends. This supports the idea that supply is gradually stepping back, even as price remains capped below key resistance zones and market sentiment stays cautious.

However, Exchange Netflow alone is not enough to define direction. A favorable supply structure can still fail if demand remains weak, or if macro conditions deteriorate and force investors back into risk-off positioning. In that scenario, downside continuation cannot be ruled out, even if exchange balances remain constrained.

That said, in the absence of major systemic stress, the current netflow profile offers a constructive backdrop for upside. The lack of supply expansion during drawdowns and the restrained profit-taking during rebounds imply that sellers are not in control. If demand rotates back into Ethereum, price could respond more efficiently because there is less readily available liquidity sitting on exchanges.

In this sense, the on-chain data is not signaling an immediate breakout. Instead, it highlights a market structure that appears increasingly prepared for upward price action once broader conditions align and buyers regain conviction.

Ethereum Bulls Fight Structural Resistance

Ethereum is attempting to stabilize above the $3,300 zone after a sharp rebound from the December lows, but the chart shows bulls are still battling heavy overhead supply. Price recently pushed into the $3,300–$3,400 band, a level that has repeatedly acted as a pivot point during this downtrend. While momentum has improved, ETH is still trading below key moving averages, reinforcing the idea that this move may be more of a recovery leg than a confirmed reversal.

The blue moving average overhead continues to slope downward and sits above current price, highlighting that the broader structure remains pressured. At the same time, the green moving average is flattening near the $3,300 area, adding to the resistance cluster and making this zone difficult to reclaim cleanly.

From a market structure perspective, ETH has shifted from a clear downtrend into a tighter consolidation, with buyers stepping in on dips and building higher lows since early January. However, volume remains relatively muted compared to the October and November selloffs, suggesting that conviction is still developing.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

A few days ago, the price of Bitcoin experienced a bounce after weeks of trading below the $91,000 mark. However, this renewed momentum appears to be gradually fading as the crypto market slowly shifts toward a bearish state, with large and retail BTC investors moving in a distinct direction.

What’s Happening Behind The Bitcoin’s Rise

Bitcoin may have slightly pulled back from its most recent bounce, but the price is still holding strong above the $95,000 level. Meanwhile, the latest jump has attracted significant attention in the broader cryptocurrency market, with the move being increasingly viewed as well-justified rather than speculative.

Currently, on-chain and market data are showing a clear divergence in who is driving the ongoing move. Santiment, a leading market intelligence and on-chain data analytics platform, disclosed that itcoin’s surge to a high of $97,800 on Wednesday seemed more than warranted due to the behavior of large and retail investors.

Institutions, long-term investors, and big wallets, together referred to as smart money, have been discreetly accumulating while retail traders have been gradually lowering their exposure and selling into strength. With the rotation of supply from weaker hands to more conviction-driven investors reducing selling pressure, the rally’s foundation is being strengthened.

When whales are buying more BTC, and retail investors are dumping, it reflects a very bullish market outlook. Since January 10, whales and sharks, particularly wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC, have been amassing BTC, collectively scooping up more than 32,693 BTC. This massive purchase represents a +0.24% rise to their collective holdings.

On the other hand, retail or shrimp holders, those holding less than 0.01 BTC, have collectively offloaded over 149 BTC since January 10. Data shows that the dump represents a 30% decline in their holdings altogether.

Santiment highlighted that the key signal underneath the action is that smart money is finally buying consistently, while micro money bows out. Furthermore, it is considered an ideal setup for a bull run. However, how long retail doubts the formed tiny rally will determine how long it lasts, and the “Very Bullish” green zone is still in place for the time being.

Ongoing FUD In The Market Set To Propel BTC’s Price

Even with the recent recovery, Bitcoin is seeing negative interactions from crypto enthusiasts and analysts on social media platforms. This behavior implies that the crowd is not entirely confident in the BTC rally that occurred on Wednesday. Although the development may seem present itself as negative, it is actually a good sign that the rally might extend.

Social data reveals that commentary toward BTC across social media platforms has sharply leaned to a bearish outlook as prices have bounced this week. With markets often moving in the opposite direction of retail sentiment, Santiment noted that the most FUD in 10 days is likely to propel BTC to its first return above the $100,000 mark, which was last seen on November 13, 2025.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has commented on the latest CPI data, which shows that inflation has remained steady in the U.S. Garlinghouse highlighted the potential impact that the pro-crypto policies may have had on the soft inflation data. 

Ripple CEO Highlights Crypto Impact On CPI Data

In an X post, the Ripple CEO noted that the latest CPI data shows a 3.5% reduction in financial services costs for consumers. He then raised the possibility that this decline could be partly due to the Trump administration’s pro-crypto policies. The administration has created a regulatory environment for the crypto industry that may have made financial services more accessible, reducing their cost.   

Notably, the CPI data came in line with expectations, which was a positive for Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. The CPI came in at 2.7% year-over-year (YoY), in line with expectations. The core CPI came in at 2.6% YoY, lower than expectations of 2.7%, signaling that inflation in the country has remained steady. 

Following the release of the CPI data, Bitcoin broke $92,000 and since surged to a new yearly high above $97,000. Major altcoins like Ethereum, Ripple-linked XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin have also recorded significant gains. The inflation data is bullish for the market as it could, in the long run, influence the Fed to make more rate cuts if inflation holds steady rather than trends upwards. 

Polymarket data show an increase in the number of rate cuts the Fed could make following the release of the CPI data. There is now a 27% chance of three rate cuts this year, while a 21% chance of two. Previously, crypto traders were betting on only two rate cuts this year. Trump is also expected to nominate a rate-cut advocate as the next Fed chair, which would be positive for lower interest rates. 

Ripple CEO Also Comments On Crypto Legislation

The Ripple CEO also commented on the CLARITY Act’s markup, just before its postponement. He noted that the markup was long overdue, but that it is a massive step forward in providing workable frameworks for crypto while continuing to protect consumers. Garlinghouse further remarked that he and his company know firsthand that clarity beats chaos and that the bill’s success is crypto’s success. 

The Ripple CEO also mentioned that they will continue to move forward with a fair debate and remain optimistic that issues can be resolved through the markup process. The Senate Banking Committee has since postponed the markup after Coinbase withdrew its support for the bill due to concerns about DeFi and stablecoin yield provisions. Meanwhile, Garlinghouse has yet to comment on the postponement, while Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong believes that progress with the bill hasn’t stalled despite the setback. 

Nexo, a crypto lending platform, agreed to pay a $500,000 penalty after California regulators said it made thousands of loans without the proper state license.

According to the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, the actions involved loans backed by crypto assets and raised concerns about how the company evaluated borrowers.

California Action On Unlicensed Loans

The DFPI found that Nexo issued at least 5,456 consumer and commercial loans from July 2018 through November 2022 to residents in California.

Reports have disclosed that the company did not adequately check whether borrowers could repay the loans, leaving consumers exposed to risky lending. The agency called those practices unlawful under state consumer finance rules.

Nexo Must Move California Funds To Licensed Affiliate

As part of the remedy, Nexo will be required to transfer funds held for Californians to its US-based affiliate that holds a valid license, Nexo Financial LLC, within 150 days.

The move is meant to ensure customers’ money is under a properly regulated entity. The DFPI also required other compliance steps to prevent similar problems in the future.

A Pattern Of Regulatory Scrutiny

This is not the first time Nexo has faced enforcement. Based on reports, the firm previously reached settlements that included roughly $45 million in penalties during actions taken in 2023.

Regulators around the country have been paying closer attention to crypto lending, and this decision signals they expect the same consumer protections that apply to traditional lenders to apply to platforms using digital assets.

Consumers who took loans secured with crypto may now see their accounts handled differently while the transfer takes place. Some borrowers might face changes in terms or servicing.

Industry observers say this kind of oversight can push companies to tighten underwriting and documentation. At the same time, some users worry that more rules could limit their access to certain crypto services.

Regulators Emphasize Borrower Protections

According to the DFPI, California law requires lenders to assess a borrower’s capacity to repay loans and to hold the right licenses before they are allowed to do business with state residents.

By labeling the conduct unlawful, the agency signaled that loan decisions driven primarily by crypto collateral do not exempt a lender from basic checks on repayment capacity. The penalty and the corrective measures aim to close gaps that might have allowed risky loans to go through.

A Cautious Road Ahead

The $500,000 fine is modest compared with the scale of the broader crypto market, yet regulators say penalties are only one tool. They added that transfers to licensed entities and stronger internal controls are key to protecting consumers.

Featured image from unsplash, chart from TradingView

The Ethereum Foundation has published a step-by-step plan to let Ethereum’s main chain validate blocks using zkEVM proofs, reducing the need for validators to re-run every computation themselves. The proposal, shared via X on Jan. 15 by Tomasz K. Stańczak, Co-Executive Director at the Ethereum Foundation, lays out the engineering work needed across Ethereum’s execution and consensus clients, plus new proving infrastructure and security processes.

zkEVM on L1 – the planhttps://t.co/KLz7PoH6q9

— Tomasz K. Stańczak (@tkstanczak) January 15, 2026

Ethereum L1 Moves Toward zk Proof-Based Validation

Already in July last year, the Ethereum Foundation announced its “zk-first” approach. Today, Ethereum’s validators typically check a block by re-executing the transactions and comparing results. The plan proposes an alternative: validators could verify a cryptographic proof that the block’s execution was correct.

The document summarizes the intended pipeline in plain terms: an execution client produces a compact “witness” package for a block, a standardized zkEVM program uses that package to generate a proof of correct execution, and consensus clients verify that proof during block validation.

The first milestone is creating an “ExecutionWitness,” a per-block data structure containing the information needed to validate execution without re-running it. The plan calls for a formal witness format in Ethereum’s execution specifications, conformance tests, and a standardized RPC endpoint. It notes that the current debug_executionWitness endpoint is already “being used in production by Optimism’s Kona,” while suggesting a more zk-friendly endpoint may be needed.

A key dependency is adding better tracking of which parts of state a block touches, via Block Level Access Lists (BALs). The document says that as of November 2025, this work was not treated as urgent enough to be backported to earlier forks.

The next milestone is a “zkEVM guest program,” described as stateless validation logic that checks whether a block produces a valid state transition when combined with its witness. The plan emphasizes reproducible builds and compiling to standardized targets so assumptions are explicit and verifiable.

Beyond Ethereum-specific code, the plan aims to standardize the interface between zkVMs and the guest program: common targets, common ways to access precompiles and I/O, and agreed assumptions about how programs are loaded and executed.

On the consensus side, the roadmap calls for changes so consensus clients can accept zk proofs as part of beacon block validation, with accompanying specifications, test vectors, and an internal rollout plan. The document also flags execution payload availability as important, including an approach that could involve “putting the block in blobs.”

The proposal treats proof generation as an operational problem as much as a protocol one. It includes milestones to integrate zkVMs into EF tooling such as Ethproofs and Ere, test GPU setups (including “zkboost”), and track reliability and bottlenecks.

Benchmarking is framed as ongoing work, with explicit goals like measuring witness generation time, proof creation and verification time, and the network impact of proof propagation. Those measurements could feed into future gas repricing proposals for zk-heavy workloads.

Security is also marked as perpetual, with plans for formal specs, monitoring, supply-chain controls like reproducible builds and artifact signing, and a documented trust and threat model. The document proposes a “go/no-go framework” for deciding when proof systems are mature enough for broader use.

One external dependency stands out: ePBS, which the document describes as necessary to give provers more time. Without it, the plan says the prover has “1–2 seconds” to create a proof; with it, “6–9 seconds.” The document adds a two-sentence framing that captures the urgency: “This is not a project that we are working on. However, it is an optimization that we need.” It expects ePBS to be deployed in “Glamsterdam,” targeted for mid-2026.

If these milestones land, Ethereum would be moving toward proof-based validation as a practical option on L1, while the timing and operational complexity of proving remain the gating factors.

At press time, ETH traded at $3,300.

Despite facing a significant setback with the delay of the crucial vote on the crypto market structure bill, cryptocurrency adoption continues to gain momentum across the United States. Tennessee is now looking to follow Texas’s lead by introducing a new bill, HB1695, aimed at establishing its own Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

Tennessee’s Bitcoin Reserve Proposal 

According to reports on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the proposed legislation would authorize the state Treasurer to invest up to 10% of state funds in Bitcoin. This initiative includes mandates for secure custody protocols and restricts holdings exclusively to Bitcoin, designed as a strategy to hedge against inflation.

Texas has set a precedent in this area, making headlines last November as the first state in the US to integrate cryptocurrencies into its treasury strategy by purchasing $10 million worth of Bitcoin. 

This move, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025, was sponsored by State Senator Charles Schwertner and garnered bipartisan support, with a Senate vote of 25-5 in March and a House vote of 101-42 in May.

Now, the proposed Bitcoin reserve bill in Tennessee will need to undergo similar legislative scrutiny to potentially join Texas in making significant strides toward state-level Bitcoin investments. 

Crypto Reserves In The Works

Tennessee and Texas are not alone in their pursuit of cryptocurrency reserves. West Virginia has also introduced its own proposal under bill SB143, which would allocate 10% of state funds for its cryptocurrency reserve. 

This bill empowers the Treasury to invest in Bitcoin and gold as an inflation hedge, essentially making BTC the sole digital reserve asset while additionally allowing for staking.

Missouri, on the other hand, has seen greater progress recently advancing its own proposal to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Fund. The bill, known as HB 2080, has successfully passed its second reading and now moves towards further consideration in the House. 

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

West Virginia lawmakers have taken a step toward letting the state put a slice of its cash into gold, stablecoins and very large cryptocurrencies. Senate Bill 143, introduced on January 15, 2026, is being called the Inflation Protection Act and was filed by State Senator Chris Rose.

Inflation Protection Act Details

According to the proposal, the State Treasury Board could place up to 10% of certain treasury accounts into a limited list of nontraditional assets.

Those assets would include precious metals like gold and silver, regulator-approved stablecoins, and digital currencies that meet a very high market-cap test. The bill sets that threshold at US$750 billion averaged over the prior calendar year.

The Market Cap Door Is Narrow

Based on reports, only the largest cryptocurrencies would clear that bar. At the moment, that effectively names Bitcoin as the sole qualifying digital asset, given the US$750 billion requirement. That choice was framed as a way to limit exposure to volatile or fringe tokens.

How The State Could Hold These Assets

The bill does not demand one custody model. Instead, it allows the treasury to hold metals or crypto directly, to use exchange-traded products, or other approved custody setups. The language also contemplates tools like staking or ETPs as options for generating returns, but it attaches rules intended to reduce operational and security risks.

A Policy Shift At The State Level

Rose and backers present the move as a hedge against inflation and a way to diversify reserves beyond bonds and cash. Opponents are likely to press on fiduciary duty, volatility, and the risks of adopting assets with rapid price swings.

The debate taps into a wider trend: several US states have been exploring ways to create strategic reserves that include precious metals or crypto.

What Happens Next

SB 143 has been assigned to the Committee on Banking and Insurance, with further review expected before any vote. Lawmakers will weigh technical safeguards, reporting rules, and how to audit and insure holdings before moving the measure forward.

If implemented, the plan would let West Virginia place a modest, capped portion—10%—of qualifying funds into a narrow set of assets aimed at preserving buying power.

Supporters argue it is a cautious experiment; critics say the risk profile of crypto still demands care. Either way, the proposal will force a detailed policy discussion in Charleston about how public money should be managed when new financial tools are on the table.

Featured image from Corcoran, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin (BTC) is holding above the $95,000 level after a recent pullback from two-month highs, as U.S. regulatory uncertainty and softer risk sentiment weigh on the broader crypto market.

Related Reading: Ethereum Treasury Bitmine Makes $200M Bet On MrBeast’s Company

The pause follows the U.S. Senate Banking Committee’s decision to delay markup on a proposed crypto market structure bill, a move that has cooled enthusiasm after Bitcoin briefly approached $97,000 earlier this week.

Despite the setback, analysts largely view the price action as consolidation rather than a reversal. Trading volume has declined, open interest has eased, and liquidations have risen, suggesting that some leverage is being cleared from the market.

Bitcoin ETF Flows Remain Supportive

Institutional demand through U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continues to provide a key source of support.

According to Farside Investors, Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $100 million in net inflows on January 15, marking four consecutive days of positive flows. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the day with $315.8 million in inflows, while Fidelity’s FBTC and Grayscale’s GBTC saw outflows.

Since the start of the year, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted nearly $1.5 billion in net inflows. Analysts say this pattern suggests that institutional buyers have absorbed much of the selling pressure that followed Bitcoin’s breakout above $88,000.

Regulatory Delays Add Uncertainty

The delayed Senate vote followed public opposition from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who criticized parts of the proposed bill related to decentralized finance, tokenized equities, and regulatory oversight. Lawmakers postponed discussion of the bill, leaving questions about the future regulatory framework for digital assets.

The lack of clarity has contributed to short-term caution across crypto markets. Shares of crypto-related companies such as Coinbase and Strategy also fell after the news. Analysts note that while clearer regulation could support long-term adoption, uncertainty in the near term can pressure prices.

Is $100,000 Still in Play?

Technical analysts say Bitcoin has reclaimed the $95,000 zone, with the next major resistance around $97,500, near the 50-week exponential moving average. Some market watchers believe a push toward $100,000 remains possible if Bitcoin can hold above current support levels and ETF inflows continue.

Related Reading: LMAX Group Adds Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin For Global Exchange After $150 Million Deal

For now, the market appears to be in a cooling phase rather than a downturn. Whether Bitcoin can regain momentum will likely depend on regulatory developments, institutional flows, and broader risk sentiment in global markets.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart on Tradingview

Исторически в январе биткоин обычно прибавляет почти 10%. За первые две полные недели 2026 года первая криптовалюта выросла более чем на 9%. Да и другие крупные цифровые монеты не отстают. Что движет инвесторами?

Индустрия майнинга биткоина проходит через стадию очищения: слабые игроки, не имеющие доступа к дешевой электроэнергии, покидают рынок, а крупные компании наращивают присутствие, заявили эксперты американского банковского холдинга JPMorgan.

Swift has completed a new set of digital asset interoperability trials with BNP Paribas Securities Services, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Société Générale’s tokenization unit SG-FORGE, extending work that also includes Chainlink and UBS Asset Management as the messaging network pushes deeper into tokenized capital markets workflows. The project matters because it targets the hardest part of institutional tokenization: getting assets, cash, and operational processes to move cleanly across multiple platforms without forcing banks to abandon existing rails.

Swift Hits Tokenized-Asset Interoperability Milestone

Chainlink posted via X on Jan 15: “As part of Swift’s work with Chainlink & UBS Asset Management, Swift completes landmark interoperability milestone with BNP Paribas, Intesa Sanpaolo, & Société Générale.”

The trial, which Swift described as a “landmark” milestone, focused on the “seamless exchange and settlement of tokenized bonds,” with payments supported in both fiat and digital currencies. Swift said the work covered delivery-versus-payment settlement and key lifecycle events including interest payouts and redemption, with participants taking on familiar market roles such as paying agent, custodian and registrar.

Swift framed the outcome as a step beyond point integrations. It said this was “the first time we have demonstrated our ability to orchestrate tokenized asset transactions as a single, coordinated process across both blockchain platforms and traditional systems,” positioning Swift as a neutral coordinator in a market that is rapidly splintering across chains, protocols, and settlement stacks.

A key element of the project ran through SG-FORGE’s infrastructure. Swift said the trial “harness[ed] their digital asset and EURCV stablecoin” to enable DvP settlement for tokenized bonds using both fiat and stablecoins, while also supporting the bond lifecycle events tested in the exercise. BNP Paribas Securities Services and Intesa Sanpaolo acted as paying agents and custodians, and Swift argued the settlement flows executing “over Swift” showed tokenized bonds can leverage existing infrastructure rather than forcing institutions into bespoke blockchain plumbing.

The network also highlighted standards alignment, saying the initiative showcased integration of ISO 20022 messaging with “blockchain-native platforms,” a detail that speaks directly to operational adoption for firms already running ISO-native post-trade and payments processes.

Thomas Dugauquier, Swift’s tokenised assets product lead, cast the effort in institutional terms: “This milestone demonstrates how collaboration and interoperability will shape the future of capital markets. It’s about creating a bridge between traditional finance and emerging technologies.”

Chainlink’s Role

While the bond trial involved European banking counterparts, Swift explicitly tied the work to a broader sequence of pilots, including “bridging tokenized assets with existing payment systems with UBS Asset Management and Chainlink.” In that earlier UBS pilot, Swift, UBS Asset Management and Chainlink tested a model for settling tokenized fund subscriptions and redemptions while keeping cash settlement compatible with existing fiat rails carried over Swift’s network footprint.

Swift also pointed to other recent experiments spanning fiat and digital currency settlement with Citi, digital asset transaction exchange with Northern Trust and the Reserve Bank of Australia, and ISO 20022-based blockchain interoperability with HSBC and Ant International.

Beyond technology, Swift said it has submitted proposed market practice guidelines to the Securities Market Practice Group, arguing that innovation in digital assets should not come “at the expense of systemic stability” and that clearer practices can reduce onboarding complexity for institutions.

With the trial series “now complete,” Swift said it is focused on adding “a blockchain-based ledger” to its infrastructure stack, starting with real-time, 24/7 cross-border payments “designed in collaboration with over 30 banks worldwide.”

At press time, Chainlink (LINK) traded at $13.78.

Окружной прокурор Манхэттена Элвин Л. Брэгг-младший (Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.) и сенатор-демократ от штата Нью-Йорк Зеллнор Майри (Zellnor Myrie) представили законопроект CRYPTO, предусматривающий уголовную ответственность за ведение криптовалютного бизнеса без лицензии.

The XRP price is pulling significant attention on low timeframes, but not for the reason many investors might expect. While exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the token continue to attract steady inflows, the price of XRP has moved in the opposite direction.

Over the past 24 hours, the asset slipped toward the $2.07 level, extending a short-term pullback that has puzzled traders watching strong institutional demand in the background.

This divergence between ETF activity and price performance reflects a mix of broader market weakness, technical resistance, and profit-taking after XRP’s earlier rally from the $1.80 area. Rather than reacting to negative headlines, the token’s recent decline appears driven by short-term trading dynamics.

ETF Inflows Remain Strong, But XRP Price Lags

XRP ETFs have continued to record consistent inflows since their launch. Data shows that these products have accumulated more than $1.26 billion in net inflows, with no recorded outflow days so far. On January 15 alone, XRP ETFs attracted about $17 million, outperforming Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana ETFs.

Institutional interest also appears stable beyond ETFs. Exchange-held XRP balances have fallen below 2 billion tokens, down from over 4 billion in late 2025. This suggests fewer tokens are readily available for selling, a trend often associated with longer-term accumulation.

Despite these supportive factors, XRP’s price has struggled to gain momentum. The token reached $2.39 earlier in January but has since slipped back toward the $2.00–$2.10 range. Over the past week, it is down roughly 3%, even as ETF inflows remain steady.

Key Resistance at $2.13 Caps Upside

Short-term technical levels are playing a major role in the XRP price behavior. The $2.13 area has acted as a strong resistance zone, with traders repeatedly selling into rallies near that level.

During the latest session, XRP fell from around $2.15 to $2.07 after being rejected near $2.13 on above-average volume. A brief spike in selling pushed the XRP price to a low near $2.059 before buyers stepped in, leading to a modest rebound.

Market structure shows a series of lower highs and lower lows, a pattern that reflects short-term bearish control. As long as XRP remains below $2.13, rallies are likely to attract selling rather than sustained buying.

Broader Market and Technical Signals Weigh on XRP

The wider crypto market has also been under pressure, with the global market cap recently shedding tens of billions of dollars in a single day. In this environment, traders tend to reduce risk, even in assets with strong institutional inflows.

Adding to the cautious tone, some technical indicators have turned less supportive. On the weekly chart, the XRP price has moved below its SuperTrend line, a signal often interpreted as a shift toward bearish conditions. This has contrasted with renewed “super cycle” talk circulating on social media.

While XRP’s long-term outlook may benefit from regulatory progress in Europe and continued ETF demand, short-term price action remains driven by technical resistance and profit-taking. For now, the token appears to be consolidating rather than starting a new upward trend.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

Interactive Brokers, один из крупных американских брокеров с рыночной капитализацией $124,9 млрд, разрешил клиентам пополнять брокерские счета стейблкоинами.

Iran’s on-chain crypto activity surged to about $7.80 billion in 2025, driven in large part by mass protests that began in late December 2025.

According to Chainalysis, the rise reflects both ordinary people moving assets out of banks and state-linked actors shifting funds on blockchain networks.

The shift was sharp and sudden; many withdrawals moved from local exchanges into personal wallets as people looked for ways to safeguard savings.

Iran Protests Push People Toward Bitcoin

Based on reports, Bitcoin withdrawals from Iranian exchanges rose noticeably during the unrest. Some transfers happened in short, intense bursts when internet access was still available.

Many Iranians chose self custody — sending crypto to private wallets rather than keeping it on exchanges — as the rial lost value and access to traditional finance tightened.

Inflation in the country was reported at about 40–50% in recent months, which helped push more households to seek alternatives for storing value.

State Actors And Civilian Use Diverge

Chainalysis data shows complexity in the flows. Addresses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were tied to roughly half of the total crypto volume received in Iran during Q4 2025.

That does not mean ordinary use did not rise — it did. But the numbers point to crypto serving different roles at once: it can be a shelter for households when local currency collapses, and it can be a channel for state-linked actors to move funds. Analysts warn that these two uses can mask one another in on-chain tallies.

Daily crypto transfers and total transaction volumes have jumped sharply during periods of unrest in Iran. Source: Chainalysis Economic Fear Meets Practical Steps

People acted quickly. When banks and payment systems were uncertain or blocked, crypto offered a way to move value across borders without the usual banking rails.

Some transfers were small. Others were larger, tied to families or businesses trying to protect capital. According to the sources, these spikes in activity coincided with other significant occurrences involving geopolitical crises and specific cyber attacks that contributed to the erosion of faith in the local infrastructure.

Internet Blackouts Drive Self Custody

The Iranian government has imposed internet blackouts in response to the escalating protests. By controlling the online access, Iranians resorted to the windows of opportunity to transfer money. The transfer of money to private accounts became a common practice during the online windows.

That pattern — brief but intense bursts of withdrawals — shows how people adapt quickly to changing conditions. It also explains why on-chain volume readings jumped so high in 2025.

What The Numbers Suggest

The $7.78 billion number measures on-chain crypto volume tied to Iranian activity over the year, not the market value of holdings inside the country. Based on reports, that figure captures a mix of ordinary transfers, commercial activity, and movements linked to sanctioned entities.

Featured image from Stringer/Via Reuters, chart from TradingView

Окружной суд американского штата Юта приговорил 54-летнего Брайана Гарри Сьюэлла (Brian Garry Sewell) к трем годам тюрьмы и еще трем годам условно за нелицензированный обмен денег и криптомошенничество, из-за которого инвесторы потеряли более $2,9 млн.

Один из крупнейших частных банков Бельгии, KBC, сообщил, что с 16 февраля запустит торговлю биткоинами и эфиром для розничных инвесторов через собственную онлайн-платформу Bolero.

Evernorth CEO Ashish Birla said the firm is preparing for a Q1 2026 IPO on Nasdaq, pitching the listing as a simplified, public-markets route for institutions to gain exposure to XRP without building the custody, compliance, and security stack themselves.

Speaking on Nasdaq’s Live from MarketSite on Jan. 15 with host Kristina Ayanian, Birla framed the planned offering as a response to what he described as growing institutional readiness and a shifting regulatory backdrop. Ayanian said: “Evernorth is gearing up for a Q1 2026 IPO.”

Birla responded: “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I’ve been in blockchain since 2013,” Birla said. “The timing couldn’t be more perfect. We have the right kind of regulation. We have the right kind of administration and institutions are ready to adopt.”

XRP Gets A Wall Street Wrapper

At the center of Evernorth’s pitch is the XRP treasury strategy, which Birla described as “the digital asset underpinning Evernorth’s digital asset treasury.” In Birla’s telling, Evernorth’s equity is meant to function as an exposure vehicle for investors who prefer traditional market rails over direct token custody.

“Prior to Evernorth … you would have to go in, you know, custody digital assets on your own. You would have to worry about compliance. You’d have to worry about security,” he said. “But a large lion’s share just wants to buy a public stock. So we made it as easy as buying a public stock. And we’ll figure that stuff out for you.”

Birla also suggested Evernorth intends to brand that exposure explicitly through its stock identity, referring to “XRPN as the Evernorth stock,” and repeating that the proposition is to “just buy the stock … and we’ll take care of all that heavy lifting for you.” For investors, the value proposition is less about novel financial engineering than operational outsourcing: Evernorth claims it can package custody, compliance, and blockchain participation behind a public equity wrapper.

The executive tied the timing of Evernorth’s public-market push to what he described as rising demand for regulated exposure. Asked about “XRP ETFs … making a big splash,” Birla said the category had seen “a record breaking last few weeks,” arguing that it signaled appetite from traditional investors. “That shows that there is the demand from the public markets to gain exposure to XRP,” he said, adding that Evernorth intends to go beyond simple spot exposure by supporting the broader ecosystem.

That “beyond” hinges on yield generation and active treasury management. Birla said Evernorth expects to “be generating yield as well on the XRP asset,” and that the proceeds would be recycled into the treasury: “We’ll use [it] to go and buy more of the digital asset for the treasury. So we’ll be actively out there.” He positioned the company as an active participant in product development on-chain, saying Evernorth will “help develop that XRP ecosystem, help bring financial products to the blockchain.”

Pressed on what separates durable “digital asset treasury” strategies from the rest, Birla emphasized scale and activity. “One, you have to have scale. And Evernorth as of today is by far the largest XRP digital asset treasury out there,” he said. The second criterion, he argued, is avoiding a purely passive posture. “They can’t be passive. They have to be active stewards of helping the ecosystem flourish and develop,” Birla said, adding that he plans to continue “helping the XRP ecosystem develop” and that Evernorth could “generate yield for the for the treasury as well.”

Big move for XRP! @evernorthxrp CEO @ashgoblue on @NasdaqExchange sharing details on their Q1 2026 IPO – unlocking institutional XRP exposure like buying any public stock. No more custody hassles, just seamless access to XRP. https://t.co/Z7F4uTyH5g

— Leonidas (@LeoHadjiloizou) January 15, 2026

For prospective institutional buyers and public-market investors, the message was blunt: the company sees the last missing piece as capital access, and it is building a listed vehicle around it. “You’ve got regulation, you’ve got the products, and now you’ve got institutional capital,” Birla said. “I think timing is right to adopt blockchain for financial products.”

At press time, XRP traded at $2.07.

Департамент финансовой защиты и инноваций Калифорнии (DFPI) наложил на криптокредитора Nexo Capital штраф $500 000 за выдачу займов без оценки платежеспособности клиентов и отсутствие лицензии на ведение деятельности в штате.

В пятницу, 16 января, президент Беларуси Александр Лукашенко подписал указ о криптобанках. Деятельность таких организаций будет регулироваться по особым правилам.