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Tennessee’s sports betting regulator has ordered Polymarket, Kalshi, and Crypto.com to cease offering sports betting contracts, bringing focus to the regulatory landscape of event contract exchanges. The agency accused the three major prediction market platforms of violating state gambling laws by operating in Tennessee without the required licenses.

Polymarket, Others Threatened With Fines For Offering Sports Event Contracts

On Friday, January 9, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) issued cease-and-desist letters to Polymarket, Kalshi, and Crypto.com’s Derivatives Exchange. In the letters, the state regulator asked all three prediction market firms to stop offering sports event contracts to the residents of Tennessee.

The state’s SWC also demanded that the three firms void all pending contracts entered into by Tennessee residents, and refund all customer deposits by January 31, 2026.

SWC Executive Director, Mary Beth Thomas, wrote in the letter to Polymarket:

The sports events contracts offered on Polymarket’s exchange are not compliant with these [Tennessee state consumer] protections (and many others) and are an immediate and significant threat to the public interest of Tennessee.

The language in the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council letters to Kalshi and Crypto.com was quite similar to Polymarket’s cease-and-desist letter. This comes despite all three platforms being registered as designated contract markets with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), allowing them to offer event-based derivatives contracts nationwide.

Despite this CFTC designation, these prediction market firms have had regulatory run-ins with different states in the US. In December 2025, the state of Connecticut sent a trio of cease-and-desist orders to Robinhood, Kalshi, and Crypto.com. The firms based their defense at the time on receiving the CFTC’s approval to operate in the United States.

This Tennessee cease-and-desist order seems to be the first state-level regulatory issue faced by Polymarket, which currently only offers sports event contracts in the United States. In the letters, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council threatened a range of penalties for any of the firms’ failure to comply.

One of the letters further read:

Failure to comply with the SWC’s demand will result in the imposition of fines pursuant to the Act, which states that the SWC shall impose a fine against any person offering wagers in Tennessee without a license in the amount of $10,000 for the first offense; $15,000 for a second offense; and $25,000 for a third or subsequent offense. ‘ Moreover, failure to comply with the SWC’s demand will result in the SWC seeking injunctive relief.

Prediction Markets Facing Increased Regulatory Scrutiny

The prediction markets, which gained prominence during the 2024 US elections, have continued to enjoy interest from users and institutional investors. However, the regulatory scrutiny faced by the industry has seen a similar surge lately.

For instance, a Polymarket trader reportedly netted record gains of over $400,000 from predicting the recent US military action in Venezuela, prompting talks of introducing a bill to prevent insider trading. As Bitcoinist reported, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce a bill that would ban all government-affiliated individuals from participating in state-related events in the prediction market.

Основатель компании Jan3 Самсон Моу (Samson Mow) заявил, что глава Tesla и SpaceX Илон Маск в наступившем году может серьезно повлиять на цену биткоина.

A recently ratified law in the state of  Louisiana has helped seniors recover $200,000 following a Bitcoin ATM-related scam operation. This development represents a fine example of government protecting users’ interests even while encouraging digital asset adoption.

Louisiana Law Presents Major Hurdle For Crypto Scammers

According to a report by local media 7KPLC, a group of scammers recently targeted senior citizens in Louisiana and Texas in a sophisticated scheme resulting in at least four known victims. It was gathered that the scammers usually deceived the unsuspecting seniors into believing their bank accounts had been compromised and falsely implicated them in child pornography charges.

Thereafter, these bad actors would proceed to threaten the elderly citizens with arrest unless they were obliged to pay lump sums of money. Eventual victims were guided to Bitcoin ATMs, which allow users to swap cash for cryptocurrency, to process these fraudulent transactions to anonymously owned wallets.

According to data from Bitcoin ATM Map, there are 288 resident Bitcoin ATM/Tellers in Louisiana, representing the Southeastern state’s friendliness towards the crypto industry. However, a recently passed legislation in Louisiana introduced several measures to combat crypto scams. These include mandatory signage on all Bitcoin ATMs, which states that no government-affiliated person or entity would ever demand cash deposits into these machines. 

Furthermore, the machines are also programmed to display warning messages to users during transactions. In particular, users are advised to stay alert to scams, especially when provided with a QR code or wallet ID by someone else. In addition, the new regulations include a $3,000 daily limit on deposits and a 72-hour waiting period for all transactions to potentially detect all malicious fund transfers and scams. 

According to KPLC, these new regulations allowed authorities to recover $200,000 for four targeted senior citizens. Other victims of this scam are admonished to reach out to the AARP Louisiana branch, a large nonprofit, nonpartisan US organization focused on supporting and advocating for people 50 years and older and their families.

Bitcoin ATM Scam: The Next Menace?

While Louisiana has recently formulated laws to tackle scams involving the Bitcoin ATMs, Bitcoinist reported that the Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway had recently started an investigation into companies operating these machines, citing concerns around deceptive fee structure and fraudulent use by bad actors.

As seen in Louisiana, Hanaway claimed to have received reports of new scam operations involving the key use of Bitcoin ATMs, thus resulting in the statewide probe. Notably, companies under the AG’s investigation include GPD Holdings, Rockitcoin, Bitcoin Depot, Athena Bitcoin, and Byte Federal.

Иранский Корпус стражей исламской революции (КСИР) использовал для обхода международных санкций две криптовалютные биржи, зарегистрированные в Великобритании. Итого через две биржи за примерно два года властям Ирана удалось перевести около $1 млрд, сообщили аналитики компании TRM Labs.  

The Bitcoin Spot ETFs have experienced a turbulent start to 2026 after early inflows were wiped out by four consecutive days of withdrawals. Amid Bitcoin’s recent failure to sustain its market recovery above $94,000, institutional investors are seeking more stability, especially considering the falling chances of a possible interest rate cut.

Bitcoin Spot ETFs See Market Weakness Extend Into 2026 

According to data from the ETF tracker site, SoSoValue, the Bitcoin ETFs registered $681 million in net outflows in the first full trading week of 2026. Notably, these investment funds had commenced the year on a positive note, notching $697.2 million in net deposits on January 5 after an initial $471.1 million inflow on January 2.

However, a combined net outflow of $1.378 billion between January 6-9 soon cleared out all positive momentum driven by the earlier inflows.  In analyzing individual ETF performance, Fidelity’s FBTC experienced the largest net redemptions valued at $481.32 million. Following closely was Grayscale’s GBTC, which recorded a net outflow of $171.79 million. 

Meanwhile, Ark/21Shares’ ARKB also had a sizable contribution to the overall weekly negative performance as its withdrawals exceeded deposits by $45.34 million. Other Bitcoin Spot ETFs with red performances include Grayscale’s BTC, Bitwise’s BITB, and VanEck’s HODL, with net outflows varying between $3 million and $22 million. 

On the other side of the spectrum, BlackRock’s IBIT recorded the largest net inflow of the week, valued at $25.86 million. The BlackRock flagship crypto ETF continues to dominate with a remarkable cumulative net inflow of $62.41 billion, as its total net assets climb to $69.88 billion. 

Other ETFs with a positive performance include Invesco’s BTCO, Franklin Templeton’s EZBC, Valkyrie’s BRRR, and WisdomTree’s BTCW, which also attracted net investments between $1 million and $15 million. Meanwhile, Hashdex’s DEFI stood alone as the only ETF with a zero netflow. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin Spot ETFs boast a cumulative total net inflow of $56.40 billion. Meanwhile, their total net assets are valued at $116.86 billion and represents 6.48% of the Bitcoin market cap.

Ethereum ETFs Mirror Bitcoin Counterparts

Interestingly, the Ethereum Spot ETFs produced a similar weekly performance. Initial net deposits of $282.87 million between January 5 and January 6 were followed by three consecutive days of heavy withdrawals, resulting in a net outflow of $68.57 million. The Ethereum ETFs now hold $18.70 billion in total net assets, representing 5.04% ofthe  Ethereum market cap. 

At the time of writing, Bitcoin exchanges hands at $90,422 as price movement over the last week resulted in a minor 0.17% decline. Meanwhile, Ethereum is valued at $3,088 while its daily trading volume crashes by 63.46%. 

Featured image from Forbes, chart from Tradingview

A new wave of political ads is pushing a sharp message into living rooms and phone banks: tell your senator to back crypto legislation only if decentralized finance, or DeFi, is left out.

According to broadcast logs and industry reports, the spots have been running on Fox News and include a call line for viewers to contact senators directly. The group behind the campaign identifies itself as “Investors For Transparency.”

Ad Campaign Targets Lawmakers With Hotlines And Numbers

According to reports, the ads warn of broad risks if DeFi is folded into federal law. They cite a figure — $6.6 trillion — that has been used in public discussion about how much in bank deposits might be affected if stablecoins gain wide acceptance with interest-like features.

The ads urge people to call Senate offices and push senators to strip DeFi provisions from the CLARITY Act ahead of a scheduled markup on January 15, 2026. Phone numbers and a web address are shown in the ads, encouraging immediate contact.

A new advocacy group, ‘Investors For Transparency,’ is running prime-time ads on @FoxNews, urging viewers to oppose DeFi provisions in the upcoming crypto market structure bill just a week before senators are due to cast votes on it in relevant committees next week. The treatment… pic.twitter.com/jsZ3GcDuVX

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) January 10, 2026

Senate Timetable And Political Pressure

Based on reports, the CLARITY Act is set for consideration by the Senate Banking Committee, and committee members are getting calls from both sides. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott has said he expects the committee to move on crypto legislation, and senators are weighing how to balance investor protections with innovation.

Outside groups and industry players have ramped up outreach. Some hope the bill moves quickly, while others see the political heat as likely to slow progress.

Crypto: Industry Response And Questions About Funding

Crypto firms and DeFi supporters have pushed back. Hayden Adams, CEO of Uniswap Labs, publicly criticized the group’s name as misleading and questioned who is funding the ads.

Based on public filings and media reporting, no clear single donor has been identified that explains the scale of the TV buy. Industry leaders say that a campaign attacking DeFi while claiming to speak for investors should disclose its backers.

The ads’ emphasis on bank-deposit risk has been called overstated by some market watchers, who argue that the figures are speculative and depend on many assumptions.

What The Campaign Wants And What It Means

Reports say that the ads want senators to approve a version of the CLARITY Act without language covering decentralized finance platforms or new stablecoin rules that could allow interest-like yields.

Supporters of that view say the rules would protect the traditional banking system from a sudden outflow of deposits. Opponents say excluding DeFi would lock in regulatory uncertainty and hurt US competitiveness in an area where developers and users already operate globally.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

There is ongoing speculation in the crypto community that Ripple, the crypto payments company, and Amazon, the global tech giant, may soon enter into a partnership. While some claims indicate that an alliance has already been formed, others suggest it may be in the works. Whatever the case, no confirmation has yet been issued to verify the rumor’s validity. 

Rumors Swirl About A Potential Ripple And Amazon Deal

Rumors about a possible connection between Ripple and Amazon are quickly gaining attention in the crypto community. Prominent analysts and influential XRP supporters are speculating that the crypto payments company and the tech giant may be heading into a possible partnership. 

While there has been no concrete evidence to support such claims, advocates like Stellar Rippler, who has over 24,000 followers on X, alleged that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse had hinted years ago that Amazon might use XRP for payments and settlement. The supporter argued that previous nondisclosure agreements were not just speculation, but part of a broader plan. Moreover, he believes that recent developments are increasingly aligning with those earlier hints as new details surface. 

Abdullah Nassif, host of the Good Evening Crypto show, also weighed in on the widespread speculation. He said Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Ripple are looking at using Amazon Bedrock AI with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to speed up system log analysis from days to just minutes. Crypto expert John Squire added that AWS had previously shown interest in XRP for payments. He claimed the company even assigned a team member to explore XRP’s use cases, which has now grown into talks about combining Amazon Bedrock with XRPL. 

Despite the growing rumors about the company, Amazon, and XRP, neither the crypto company nor the tech giant has officially confirmed any partnership or future collaboration. 

Amazon Web Services Adds The Firm To Partner Profile Page

It could be argued that one of the major reasons rumors of a potential Ripple and Amazon partnership are growing is the crypto payments company’s recent appearance on the AWS Partner Profile page. On its official site, Amazon Web Services highlights the firm’s evolving role in the financial sector, positioning it as a key infrastructure provider for global payments. 

It showcased the company’s core features and products, including real-time payments, On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), and the ability to send international payments through a single integration. AWS also described RippleNet as a decentralized network of banks and payment providers that enables real-time messaging, clearing, and settlement of financial transactions. According to the cloud computing platform, the payment firm connects banks, digital asset exchanges, and corporations through RippleNet to facilitate global money transfers. 

AWS also disclosed several RippleNet use cases, including e-invoicing, real-time cash pooling, global currency accounts, international P2P payments, real-time remittances, and more. The cloud computing network has revealed that Ripple has collaborated with more than 100 financial institutions. Many of these organizations are based in different regions outside the US.

Despite shifting market dynamics and evolving macro signals, Bitcoin keeps its long-term trend, while its deeper narrative is beyond headline price movements. This divergence between surface-level price action and underlying structure suggests that the BTC long-term thesis remains intact even as the forces shaping its next phase become more complex and more mature.

Why Bitcoin Trend Strength Persists Despite Cooling Momentum

Bitcoin remains firmly aligned with its long-term uptrend, but the more important signal is not showing up in price. CryptoELITES revealed on X that liquidity has been quietly tightening, and one of the clearest signals is TOTAL/BTC, which continues to bleed while BTC holds its structural levels. 

This kind of setup does not leave the market in panic; it just needs patience. If liquidity conditions begin to ease while the BTC trend continues to hold, the response won’t be instant. However, it will emerge gradually through rotations first, but not headlines. “How are you reading this phase right now?” CryptoELITES ask.

The recent dip in Bitcoin doesn’t change the broader setup unfolding across the market. While BTC has chopped lower over the past few days, meme coins across the board have been quietly forming some of the cleanest corrective structures seen in this cycle. Crypto analyst 0xBossman highlighted that these meme coins have been reacting strongly to even modest BTC bounces and holding their structure during flash dips.

In combination with the tight corrective structures, overwhelming bearish sentiment across major assets has swung bearish again. At the same time, meme coins continue to act as the leading edge of this broader rally, which will lead to an explosion soon. From 0xBossman’s perspective, this setup suggests that 2026 is where many of these meme coins will fully express their upside. The signals are already visible for anyone paying attention.

From Downtrend Pressure To Structural Relief

According to Ardi, one of the more constructive developments for Bitcoin over the past week has been the reclaim and hold of the 200 Simple Moving Average (200-SMA) on the 4-hour chart, a level that has acted as a reliable trend filter throughout this cycle. When this move slopes downward, price action will struggle to maintain local higher highs, and downside flushes will continue to appear.

However, when the price regains the level and begins to turn up, the market will transition into a phase of sustained momentum. What stands out is that this is the first reclaim and hold of the BTC 4-hour 200-SMA since the October crash. This doesn’t automatically signal that the bull run is back, but it would give BTC a better chance to continue pushing through the $94,500 level.

The price of Bitcoin ended the past year in the red despite reaching multiple all-time highs above the six-figure valuation mark. While the market leader has made a solid start to 2026, concerns are still swirling around about BTC’s prospects over the coming months, especially in relation to the four-year cycle theory.

Why $65,000 Could Be Crucial In This Cycle

In a recent post on the X platform, Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity, weighed in on the current structure of the Bitcoin price. The market expert said that the premier cryptocurrency has taken a breather in the past few months and lagged compared to other assets, like gold, in 2025.

Timmer revealed that Bitcoin is drifting away from the historically steep power law trajectory and instead following the internet S-curve. This structure shift also opened the door to the ongoing conversation about Bitcoin’s typical cyclical behavior.

According to several pundits, the traditional Bitcoin four-year halving-driven cycle is now dead, and a new structural upward wave seems to be taking root in the market. Proponents of “Bitcoin four-year cycle is dead” often state institutional adoption and spot exchange-traded funds as evidence of the new bullish market structure.

While Timmer agrees that the relevance of the BTC halving event is decreasing, the Fidelity Director of Global Macro rejected the idea that the premier cryptocurrency would no longer see bear markets. “I’m skeptical, not about the waning power of the halving cycle (with which I agree), but the idea that bear markets are no longer going to happen,” Timmer said.

Speaking from a technical point of view, Timmer identified $65,000 — around the previous cycle high — as a crucial level for the price of Bitcoin. Meanwhile, the next most important level lies around $45,000, the power law trendline.

For context, the power law is a mathematical model that suggests that Bitcoin’s growth follows a predictable and consistent trajectory. This metric, often used to identify key levels in price analysis, shows the correlation between the value of BTC and time.

Timmer noted that while the power law trendline is far from the current price of BTC, it could move to $65,000 if the flagship cryptocurrency enters a prolonged consolidation phase for the next year. This could make the $65,000 level an even more important zone for the Bitcoin price.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $90,520, reflecting no significant movement in the past 24 hours.

The Bitcoin price looks to be off to a great start, having spent most of the new year above the psychological $90,000 mark. While the premier cryptocurrency has slowed down in recent days, there has been a display of significant bullish intent in the market so far in 2026.

Now, this latest show of optimism somewhat contradicts recent predictions that the Bitcoin price might be at the start of a bear market. This begs the question — could the bull run be nearing a restart, or is the price of BTC only witnessing a relief rally?

BTC’s Recent Bounce A Mere Bear Market Relief Rally — Analyst

In a January 9 post on the X platform, crypto analyst Maartunn shared interesting data points to answer the question of whether Bitcoin’s latest price bounce is meaningful or just a relief rally. The market pundit anchored their answer on both on-chain and technical price data.

Firstly, Maartunn acknowledged that the recent jump was only bound to happen, as the Bitcoin price found support around the ETF Realized Price at $85,000. This price level represents the average cost basis of BTC ETF investors, and as expected, the buyers defended their positions — leading to the price bounce.

This phenomenon is spotlighted by another on-chain metric, the Coinbase Premium Gap, which measures the difference between the Bitcoin price on Coinbase and global exchanges. According to Maartunn, the metric started to rise right after New Year’s Eve, signaling renewed buying activity from US-based investors.

Furthermore, the spot exchange-traded funds started seeing strong capital inflows days after this uptick in the Coinbase Premium Gap. “This looks more like strategic buying/portfolio rebalancing (new quarter, new year) than emotional FOMO,” Maartunn added.

However, the crypto analyst noted that the rally only saw the Bitcoin Price climb to the range high at $94,000 before getting rejected. In essence, this suggests that the flagship cryptocurrency does not possess the bullish strength to breach that resistance.

Additionally, Maartunn mentioned that Bitcoin is still trading beneath crucial on-chain levels like the Short-Term Holder Realized Price and Whale Realized Price, both of which are acting as significant overhead resistance.

The on-chain analyst noted that the on-chain observations suggest that this recent bounce is merely a bear market relief rally, not a trend continuation — even though the price is up by about 10%. Only a clean break and sustained close above the $94,000 would indicate the Bitcoin price’s strong intent to rebuild a bullish structure, Martunn concluded.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at $90,360, reflecting an almost 1% decline in the past 24 hours.

In an exciting development, the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has set a markup date for the CLARITY Act, representing a significant advancement in the creation of a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrency use and operations in the United States.

Time To Move Crypto Legislation Forward – Sen. Banking Committee Chair 

The CLARITY Act was introduced in May 2025 and passed by the House of Representatives in July. It is a landmark US crypto market-structure bill designed to define regulatory responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC, clarify asset classifications, and establish compliance pathways for digital asset markets. The bill has since been moved to the US Senate for consideration, commencing with a revision by the relevant Senate Committee. In an X post on January 10, Fox Reporter Eleanor Terrett stated the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, led by Republican Chairman Tim Scott, has set the markup session for the CLARITY Act at 10 am EST on Thursday, 15 January, 2026.  For context, the markup represents a key legislative process whereby the lawmakers in relevant committees review, debate, amend, and rewrite a proposed bill before it is presented to the full chamber. Commenting on this development, Chairman Tim Scott explained the potential importance of the CLARITY Act, emphasizing its role in transforming the US into the crypto capital of the world. The Republican said:

This legislation is about making America the crypto capital of the world – so the next generation of jobs and innovation is built here, not overseas. When we set clear rules, we give entrepreneurs the confidence to start companies, hire workers, and grow right here in the United States. We also make it harder for criminals and foreign adversaries to use new technology to rip off Americans or undermine our financial system. After months of serious, bipartisan work, it’s time to move this forward and deliver real results for the American people.

Notably, the Banking Committee’s announcement has received many positive reactions from crypto enthusiasts. This is because the CLARITY Act is expected to bring regulatory clarity and also introduce the needed guardrails that would encourage more mainstream digital asset adoption among individuals and institutions alike.

Related Reading: Senate Update On Crypto Market Structure Bill—Here’s What’s Happening Now CLARITY Act To Pass Into Law By March

In other developments, Eleanor Terrett predicts the CLARITY Act could be ratified in the next two months on a conservative basis. The Fox reporter explains the bill will likely be advanced next week, following the slated markup to be merged with the portion of the Agricultural Committee before being read to the Senate floor for voting. Upon approval, it is sent back to the House of Representatives and finally to President Donald Trump’s desk for ascent. Considering these processes and their respective length, Terrett expects the CLARITY Act to gain full approval by March at the earliest.

В первую полную неделю нового года у спотовых биржевых фондов (ETF) на биткоин и эфир произошел резкий отток капитала. Привязанные к биткоину ETF потеряли $681 млн за семь дней, говорят данные SoSoValue.

Dogecoin has taken another step in its objective to become a widely accepted and decentralized global currency as its corporate arm, House of Doge, announced a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the Dogecoin ecosystem into Japan. 

The initiative, which was disclosed in a press release on January 8, proposed a collaborative framework with Japanese firms abc Co., Ltd. and ReYuu Japan Inc. to pursue real-world asset initiatives and compliant digital infrastructure in Japan.

House Of DOGE Sets Framework For Expansion In Japan

According to the press release, House of Doge has entered a tripartite partnership with abc Co., Ltd. and ReYuu Japan Inc. 

Each party brings a defined role to the table, with abc contributing expertise in token-economy design, smart-contract development, and regulatory alignment, while ReYuu Japan is tasked with local business development and market execution. House of Doge, meanwhile, will act as the coordinating body that guides ecosystem strategy and alignment with Dogecoin’s broader objectives.

A main focus of the partnership is the exploration of real-world asset initiatives, including support for regulated token structures and the promotion of asset-backed digital instruments like gold asset-backed stablecoins. Furthermore, the partnership is looking to establish a joint fund within the Dogecoin ecosystem.

According to the announcement, the partnership is also looking to promote democratization of next-generation Web3 through real-world use cases. Although it does not attach an extensive list of specific products or launch timelines, it highlights interest in frameworks that could support stablecoin-related activity and other regulated financial use cases.

The partnership framework spotlights cooperation within Japan’s established regulatory structure, particularly around compliant tokenization models. Japan’s increasing positivity towards cryptocurrencies and strong technology adoption make it a suitable environment for exploring blockchain-based financial products tied to real-world assets. 

“This partnership reflects our continued focus on supporting thoughtful, real-world expansion of the Dogecoin ecosystem,” said Marco Margiotta, CEO of House of Doge. 

Japan’s Rising Crypto Adoption

The timing of the partnership also aligns with expanding crypto adoption trends within Japan itself. Overall, the number of registered crypto accounts in the country has continued to rise, with a report showing 12 million users in February 2025, representing a 3.5-fold increase over the past five years. More recent estimates place the figure above 13 million registered accounts.

Regulatory developments may further support this trajectory. The Government of Japan has been weighing changes to its crypto tax framework, including a proposal to introduce a flat 20 percent tax rate on crypto-related gains. The revision is reportedly targeted for fiscal 2026 and is aimed at encouraging investor participation in the crypto industry.

Therefore, the partnership comes in an environment that could benefit the Dogecoin ecosystem and its usage in japan, which in turn could benefit its price action in the coming years.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Гендиректор американской криптобиржи Coinbase Брайан Армстронг (Brian Armstrong) назвал стейблкоины главным вариантом использования криптовалют, выходящим за рамки спекулятивного трейдинга.

Over the past week, Bitcoin (BTC) finally broke out of a longstanding consolidation phase, moving decisively above the $90,000 mark. During this time, the leading cryptocurrency traded as high as $94,700 before a sudden rejection that has since forced prices to move within the $90,000-$92,000 range. Amid this mini-consolidation, a market analyst with the username OnChain has identified clear signs of a structural market weakness supporting the possibility of a bear market.

Bitcoin On-Chain, Technical Indicators Combine To Paint Bear Picture

In a QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, OnChain explains that Bitcoin is showing early signs of structural weakness on the weekly chart, similar to what happened in 2021–2022. The analyst confirms this theory by consulting a combination of price-based technical indicators and on-chain demand metrics to determine the right market situation. These include: 4 Anchored VWAPs (2021 ATH, 2025 ATH, 3rd halving, and 4th halving), the SMA50, Realized Price – UTXO Age Bands (6-12 months), and Bitcoin Apparent Demand.

The application of these indicators to the Bitcoin weekly chart highlights areas of similar price structure in the present market and in 2021/2022. Notably, in Areas 1, as seen in the chart below, it is observed that Bitcoin for the first time simultaneously trades below the average price since the last all-time high (anchored VWAP), the SMA50, and also the realized price of coins held for 6–12 months. In the previous cycle, when BTC first fell below all these levels together, it marked the start of a broader weakening phase, rather than a brief correction. In Areas 2, OnChain reports that in both cycles, Bitcoin finds support at the anchored VWAP to its last halving for the second time in each cycle. Following the price correction halt, BTC attempted a mini-rebound in 2022 but faced strong resistance at all indicators from Areas 1, before slipping into a multi-month downtrend.

According to the market analyst, the indicators highlighted in Areas 1 are presently positioned around the $98,000 – $101,000, presenting the next point of major resistance. Meanwhile, all this reported price action is occurring as Bitcoin Apparent Demand continues to crash suggest a visible lack of buying pressure. OnChain notes another concerning similarity as Apparent Demand is also nearing the negative territory, similarly to 2021-2022.

BTC Market Overview

At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades at $90,500 following a minor price decline of 0.58% in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, its monthly loss stands at 1.9%, indicating the bulls continue to struggle for market control. While there are alarming signs of growing market weakness, there are also potential positive developments. One of which is the Clarity Act, as highlighted by OnChain, the potential impact of which, following enactment, largely remains unknown. 

Crypto and tech just got a major boost. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has closed on just over $15 billion in fresh capital, a fundraising round that will be split across multiple new vehicles aimed at a range of tech areas. According to reports, the move marks the firm’s biggest raise yet and gives it a much bigger hand in where venture dollars flow next.

Fund Sizes And Targets

The new money is divided into several named pots. The largest is a growth fund of $6.75 billion. Two funds of about $1.7 billion each will back apps and infrastructure. An American Dynamism fund, aimed at defense, supply chains and similar projects, totals about $1.176 billion.

https://t.co/1Hdgrkd7WL

— a16z (@a16z) January 9, 2026

A Bio + Health vehicle holds roughly $700 million, and roughly $3 billion is earmarked for other venture strategies. These figures were published by the firm in a post explaining why it raised the cash and how it plans to invest. Reports have disclosed that the haul represents over 18% of all venture capital invested in the US in 2025.

Why The Money Matters

Based on reports, company leaders framed this raise as more than just an investment play. They say the goal is to keep the US competitive on key technologies such as artificial intelligence and crypto, which they called central to the country’s technological standing for decades ahead. The firm has long backed major web and crypto names, and this raise signals continued bets on those sectors.

A Bigger Crypto, Tech Player In A Shrinking Market

The timing stands out. US venture fundraising weakened in 2025, with totals well below prior years, yet a16z pulled in a very large share of available capital. Market watchers say that a firm with this much firepower can shape which startups get funded and which priorities rise to the top. The raise also pushes the firm’s assets under management to figures reported around $90 billion, giving it extraordinary reach across early and late stage deals.

Investors and rivals noted how big funds can move markets. Some see positives: more capital for AI labs, for chip design, for crypto infrastructure. Some warn of concentration, where a handful of large firms steer too much of the startup ecosystem. News outlets pointed to comparisons with past large funds and noted the unusual scale of this single announcement relative to a weaker overall fundraising year.

Featured image from Disruption Banking, chart from TradingView

Сооснователь Эфириума Виталик Бутерин поддержал разработчика криптомиксера Tornado Cash Романа Шторма, осужденного в августе 2025 года за эксплуатацию нелицензированного сервиса денежных переводов. Бутерин заявил, что создание обеспечивающих конфиденциальность сервисов — это не преступление.

Венчурная компания Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), специализирующаяся на технологических и криптовалютных стартапах, объявила о привлечении более $15 млрд для инвестиций в «лидирующие позиции США».

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

XRP To Gain Greater Adoption Through Ripple’s FCA Approval

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

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

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

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

XRP Remains The Heartbeat Of Ripple’s Vision

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

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

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

Основательница и гендиректор компании ARK Invest Кэти Вуд (Cathie Wood) в подкасте Bitcoin Brainstorm заявила, что власти США могут начать пополнять резервы биткоинов за счет прямых покупок перед промежуточными выборами в ноябре.