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Bitcoin literacy and community growth are accelerating in West Virginia, and it’s starting to reshape how communities across the state engage with digital finance. What was once viewed as a niche interest among tech enthusiasts is now gaining traction across broader segments of the state’s population. As residents become more curious about digital assets, conversations are shifting from speculation to understanding how BTC works and what it could mean for personal and regional economic resilience.

Bitcoin As A Tool For Regional Economic Growth

West Virginia has been making headlines in the Bitcoin space recently, particularly with fresh legislative moves as of January 2026. MartyParty revealed on X that the biggest current development is Senator Bill 143 (SB143), which was introduced this week by State Senator Chris Rose.

This is officially titled the Inflation Protection Act of 2026, which would allow the state’s Board of Treasury Investment to allocate up to 10% of public funds into precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. The bill requires any qualifying digital asset to have maintained an average market capitalization of at least $750 billion over the prior year, which qualifies only BTC. In addition, the bill also allows for regulated stablecoins, but only the US federal or state regulators can approve the assets.

However, the bill frames this as a hedge against inflation and currency depreciation, and empowering the state treasurer to invest in BTC without directly naming it in most of the statute. Although the purpose section explicitly mentions empowering investment in gold, silver, and BTC. These assets would need to be made through qualified custodians, ETFs, or other secure frameworks.

What Pension Funds And Endowments Think About Bitcoin

The Bitcoin price prediction by funds indicates a bullish outlook for 2026. CryptoRank.io has mentioned that the institutional analysts are pricing in a bullish scenario for BTC in 2026. The average target across the forecasts shown is around $150,000 per BTC, implying roughly 75% upside from current levels.

At the same time, longer-term valuation models assume a more gradual growth path. Popular asset manager VanEck predicts BTC could reach approximately $2.9 million by 2050, which equates to around 15% annualized growth broadly in line with the BTC historical long-term performance as a macro asset.

In contrast to institutional forecasts, prediction markets maintain a more conservative outlook. On Polymarket, the pricing base-case range between $110,000 to $130,000. This consensus could shift toward the institutional targets if spot ETF inflows remain strong and if the US regulatory uncertainty continues to decline, including initiatives such as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act.

The global head of equity strategy at Jefferies has removed Bitcoin from his model portfolio, citing the potential threat of quantum computing as his reasoning.

Why Market Strategist Cut 10% BTC Exposure

Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, has dropped a 10% allocation to Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, from his model portfolio. In his latest “Greed & Fear” newsletter release, the market strategist highlighted the rise of quantum computing as the reason behind this move.

Wood highlighted his fears that the advances in quantum computing could threaten Bitcoin’s place and reputation as a dependable store of value, especially in the long term. As the expert said in his newsletter, the market is currently riddled with the fear that quantum computing could be just a few years away.

This growing concern borders on quantum computers being hypothesized to have the capacity to breach the Bitcoin network’s cryptographic technology. It is believed that these computers can enable attackers to reverse-engineer private keys from public ones, thereby tampering with the integrity of blockchain transactions.

Wood, who was an early institutional supporter of BTC, initially added the premier cryptocurrency to his model portfolio in December 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2021, the Jefferies global head of equity strategy expanded this Bitcoin allocation to 10%.

However, the market expert appears to now be viewing the flagship cryptocurrency with a little bit of skepticism, as he believes that the Quantum threat is potentially existential, undermining its status as a store of value and “digital alternative to gold.” Hence, Wood refocused his model portfolio on older assets, splitting the 10% BTC allocation equally between physical gold and gold mining stocks.

While there is no clear timeline for when quantum computers will reach the market, Wood is not the only one who has recently expressed concerns about the Quantum threat. In the past week, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards has also discussed how Bitcoin has decoupled from global liquidity due to the quantum threat.

Edwards wrote on X:

The timeframe to a non-zero probability of a quantum machine breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography is now less than the estimated time it will take to upgrade Bitcoin. Money is repositioning to account for this risk accordingly.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $95,370, reflecting a 0.3% dip in the past 24 hours.

XRP has just achieved a major milestone, officially surpassing Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Dogecoin (DOGE) in terms of trading volume. According to a new report, the altcoin has become the most traded asset in all of South Korea, highlighting strong adoption, demand, and liquidity. This latest development underscores the token’s growing dominance in one of the world’s most active crypto markets, even as broader conditions remain volatile. 

XRP Outpaces Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin As Most Traded Asset

XRP has posted a notable win in one of the world’s most active crypto markets. New data from Upbit, one of South Korea’s largest crypto exchanges, shows the asset outpacing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin in trading volume throughout 2025. Market analyst XFinanceBull highlighted this new achievement in a recent X post after reviewing Upbit’s trading data for 2025. 

According to the analyst, the altcoin was confirmed as the most traded digital asset on Upbit. The ranking was based on volume, liquidity, and actual usage rather than price movement. XRP trading pairs consistently led the platform, with the XRP/KRW pair taking the number one position for most of the year. Bitcoin followed in second place, Ethereum ranked third, USDT came fourth, and Dogecoin placed fifth by trading volume. 

Notably, the figures were officially verified by Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, on January 2, 2026. On a year-over-year basis, Upbit processes more than $1 trillion in trading volume and accounts for more than 70% of South Korea’s total crypto market. This positions Upbit as the country’s largest crypto exchange and makes it a reliable indicator of usage trends and real retail and institutional demand. 

XFinanceBull emphasized that South Korea tends to trade assets with clear real-world use cases and strong liquidity. Because of this, steady trading volume indicates a cryptocurrency is actively being used in the market, not just driven by short-term speculation. The analyst added that XRP’s continued use creates a pull effect, drawing in more capital as liquidity improves. 

In established markets like South Korea, assets that perform well are more likely to attract consistent, long-term participation, which can positively impact prices. Following the recent development, XFinanceBull reinforced his bullish stance on the altcoin and stated he plans to accumulate even more of the cryptocurrency.  

Upbit’s Report On XRP’s Performance

Upbit’s 2025 data shows that the altcoin consistently accounted for between 15% and 22% of the exchange’s daily trading activity, across a total annual trading volume of $1 trillion. As mentioned before, XRP/KRW was ranked the top trading pair for that year. Its daily volume peaked at $1.22 billion in July 2025, demonstrating sustained retail-driven liquidity and stable support. 

In terms of liquidity, XRP outperformed BTC and ETH multiple times. By year-end, Korean exchanges had accumulated around 570 million XRP, reinforcing the token’s role as a primary transactional and economic asset in the country. User data also shows Upbit serves about 13.26 million users, almost one in four people in South Korea. The largest age group is users in their 30s, making up approximately 28.7% of the exchange.

Canary Capital’s CEO, Steven McClurg, has predicted that XRP will be the leading token in real-world assets (RWAs), which is projected to be a trillion-dollar sector. This came as he highlighted recent developments that put the altcoin on course to dominate the industry.

Canary Capital CEO Predicts XRP Will Dominate RWAs

During an interview, the investment manager opined that XRP will be the leading token for real-world assets, based on Ripple’s moves over the last two years. He noted that the crypto firm has done a great job of integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into many transactions and into Wall Street, which has led to institutional adoption.

The Canary Capital CEO further noted that the XRP Ledger is moving assets such as stablecoins, including Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, and other tokenized real-world assets. Notably, Ondo Finance has also tokenized its U.S. treasury fund (OUSG) on the XRPL, while Ripple has partnered with Securitize to add RLUSD access for BlackRock’s BUIDL fund. 

Furthermore, Ripple partnered with Archax and UK-based asset manager abrdn to introduce the first tokenized money market fund on the XRP Ledger. There are also plans for the network to get a tokenized gold upgrade, even as demand for precious metals rises. It is also worth noting that Ripple has previously predicted that the XRP Ledger could dominate the real-world assets industry, putting XRP at the heart of the industry, as McClurg has also predicted. 

Interestingly, McClurg’s prediction comes as the XRP ETFs draw institutional investors into the altcoin’s ecosystem. These ETFs have been a success since their launch, recording only one net outflow since November. Coincidentally, McClurg’s Canary Capital is currently the largest XRP ETF issuer, with $374 million in total net assets, according to SoSoValue data. 

New Features To Onboard TradFi Onto The XRPL

Ripple and XRP Ledger developers continue to work on introducing new features on the network to attract traditional finance (TradFi) institutions. XRPL validator Vet recently revealed that compliance features for TradFi are coming to the network. This includes on-chain compliance tools such as KYC, AML, and other credentials, which will be used by lending protocols, as well as the XRPL DEX and the Permissioned DEX.

Meanwhile, Ripple developers also described Permissioned Domains, which are part of the amendments, as a game-changer for the XRP Ledger because they will bring institutional-grade controls to a public network, without sacrificing the trade-offs of a private chain. The developers further noted that this will set the stage for financial institutions to engage in permissioned flows on a fast, scalable, and resilient blockchain network such as the XRPL. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.06, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

According to a senior White House crypto adviser, the Bitcoin tied to the Samourai Wallet forfeiture was not liquidated by federal authorities. The assets will remain held by the government under its strategic reserve plan, the adviser said on social media.

White House Advisor Confirms No Sale

Reports have disclosed that about 57.55 BTC — roughly $6.3 million at recent prices — moved through addresses that some observers tracked, which sparked claims the coins had been sold.

The White House adviser, Patrick Witt, stepped in to clear up the matter, saying the Department of Justice confirmed there was no sale.

The coins will be kept in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in line with Executive Order 14233, signed in March 2025 by US President Donald Trump. That order directs that seized Bitcoin be held rather than auctioned off.

UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8

— Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026

Movement Of Coins Triggered Questions

Based on reports from blockchain analysts, a transfer to a Coinbase Prime address led to speculation about a disposal. Market watchers noticed the trail and raised alarms because a sale could have put extra downward pressure on prices.

Some traders reacted quickly to the noise. But officials explain that transfers between custody systems do not always mean liquidation. In this case, the DOJ and related agencies say the transfer was an internal custody step and not a sale to private buyers.

Background On The Case

The legal action against the Samourai Wallet developers centered on charges tied to running an unlicensed money-transmitting service and aiding money laundering through mixer tools.

Those charged pleaded guilty. The forfeiture order followed those convictions, and the Bitcoin in question became part of the assets the government controls after the court rulings.

How the government manages such holdings has been a fast-moving policy issue since Executive Order 14233 was issued, which set new rules for seized crypto.

Policy And Market Effects

According to officials, holding seized Bitcoin in a national reserve is meant to avoid sudden market shocks that could follow large government sales.

Some critics argue the reserve gives the government a powerful financial tool, while supporters say it prevents volatile swings.

The announcement eased some short-term market worries because uncertainty about a possible sale had been cited as a potential pressure point for crypto prices.

Reactions From Industry Observers

Based on reports and social posts from crypto advocates, opinions remain split. Some welcomed the clarification as stabilizing.

Others want more transparency on how the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be run and when, if ever, coins might leave it.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle may ask for hearings or written briefings to get clearer answers about custody practices and future plans.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Гендиректор крупнейшего в США банковского холдинга Bank of America (BoA) Брайан Мойнихан (Brian Moynihan) заявил, что в случае легализации процентов по стейблкоинам с депозитов может уйти до $6 трлн.

Биткоин рискует повторить медвежий сценарий 2022 года и столкнуться с падением, если не сможет закрепиться выше ключевого уровня $101 000, заявили эксперты платформы CryptoQuant.

Команда криптовалютного кошелька MetaMask объявила об интеграции блокчейна Tron. Клиенты получили возможность обменивать токены стандарта TRC-20, в частности USDT.

Крупная американская майнинговая компания Riot Platforms сообщила, что в декабре 2025 года продала 1080 биткоинов. Причина — покупка за $96 млн участка площадью 81 гектаров рядом с дата-центром в Рокдейле, штат Техас.

Криптовалютные карты стали основным драйвером интеграции цифровых монет в реальную экономику, выведя стейблкоины за пределы криптобирж и превратив их в удобный платежный инструмент, сообщили аналитики платформы Artemis.

On-chain data shows the Bitcoin mining Hashrate has declined to its lowest level since October as miners continue to decommission farms.

7-Day Average Bitcoin Mining Hashrate Has Declined Recently

The Bitcoin “Hashrate” refers to an indicator that keeps track of the total amount of computing power that the miners as a whole have attached to the blockchain. This metric may be used as a proxy for the behavior of the network validators.

When the value of the Hashrate goes up, it means new miners are joining the chain and/or old ones are expanding their facilities. Such a trend implies BTC mining is looking attractive to these validators.

On the other hand, the indicator observing a decline suggests some of the miners have decided to disconnect their rigs from the network, potentially because they are finding the cryptocurrency to be unprofitable.

Now, here is a chart from Blockchain.com that shows the trend in the 7-day average value of the Bitcoin Hashrate over the past year:

As displayed in the above graph, the 7-day average Bitcoin Hashrate set a new all-time high (ATH) around 1,151 exahashes per second (EH/s) back in October. Since this record, however, the indicator’s value has gone down.

What’s behind this trend? The answer to that question could lie in the miner revenue. Miners earn their income through two means: block subsidy and transaction fees. Out of these, the former contributes the largest portion to their revenue.

Block subsidy remains fixed in terms of BTC value (outside of Halving events, during which they permanently get slashed in half), but its USD value changes alongside the cryptocurrency’s price. Thus, miner revenue is more-or-less dependent on the asset’s price action.

Back in October, Bitcoin rallied to a new ATH, so miners responded by upgrading their facilities. When the bullish price action didn’t continue, however, the cohort started pulling back. As a result, the 7-day average Hashrate has fallen to around 998 EH/s, its lowest level in more than three months.

Interestingly, the latest continuation of the decline in the indicator has come despite the fact that the cryptocurrency has made some recovery recently. This may be a possible sign that miners aren’t yet convinced by a return of bullish momentum.

A potential consequence of the Hashrate decline may be a drop in the Bitcoin mining Difficulty during the next network adjustment. According to data from CoinWarz, miners have taken an average of 10.6 minutes per block since the last adjustment, which is notably slower than the blockchain’s target of 10 minutes.

To correct for this, Bitcoin could be forced to decrease its Difficulty by 5.6% in the next biweekly adjustment. However, something to note is that there is still about a week to go until this event, so the network’s response could change depending on how the Hashrate behaves in the coming days.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $95,500, up more than 5% over the last seven days.

As South Korea intensifies its push for crypto regulation, lawmakers have advanced a bill to establish a legal framework for issuing and trading security token offerings (STOs) using distributed ledger technology (DLT).

Lawmakers Amend Framework For Tokenized Securities

On Thursday, South Korea’s National Assembly passed key amendments to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act, creating a legal framework for the issuance and distribution of tokenized securities.

According to an official government release, the revised rules define tokenized securities as a broad category that extends to both debt and equity products, and recognize them as legitimate financial instruments.

The amendments to the Electronic Securities Act will allow qualified issuers to launch tokenized securities using distributed ledger technology. Meanwhile, the Capital Markets Act changes will enable the products to be traded as investment contract securities on brokerages and other licensed intermediaries.

Notably, the existing Capital Markets Act prohibited the distribution through securities firms, deeming investment contract securities “unsuitable for distribution due to their non-standard characteristics.”

The changes are “expected to enhance accessibility to investments and improve the provision of investment information for these securities,” the official government release stated.

After legislative approval, the bill will be submitted to the State Council, followed by official presidential promulgation. Therefore, the legislation is expected to be enacted one year after being signed into law, tentatively in January 2027.

Moreover, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is set to lead the implementation, forming a joint “Token Securities Council” with relevant agencies to ensure seamless preparatory work, including the development of supporting infrastructure and enhanced safeguards.

The consultation body will comprise the FSC, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Korea Securities Depository, the Financial Investment Association, industry participants, and experts.

South Korea’s Crypto Regulatory Push Continues

This major step follows South Korea’s efforts to develop and establish clear, comprehensive rules to regulate the local crypto industry. Last week, the government shared its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, which included a plan to open its market to Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) this year.

Crypto-based ETFs have been banned in South Korea since 2017. In 2024, the country’s regulator reaffirmed its stance after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the investment products. However, it has now cited the success of the US and Hong Kong’s crypto funds as a key factor for their shift.

The FSC will also accelerate the next phase of its digital asset legislation this quarter to establish a clear regulatory framework for stablecoins. As reported by Bitcoinist, South Korea’s Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act was delayed until the start of 2026 due to an ongoing disagreement between the FSC and the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The financial authorities have been clashing for months over rules related to the issuance and distribution of stablecoins, disagreeing on the extent of banks’ role in the issuance of won-pegged tokens.

Nonetheless, the main policies of the crypto framework have been decided, set to include investor protection measures, such as no-fault liability for crypto asset operators and isolation of bankruptcy risks for stablecoin issuers.

Moreover, the country is lifting its long-standing ban on institutional crypto trading, which is anticipated to begin later this year. According to local reports, the FSC is considering a rule to limit corporate cryptocurrency investments at 5% of a company’s equity capital.

Under the latest proposal, eligible firms would be able to allocate up to 5% of equity capital per year to digital assets, limited to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The final draft version could be released as early as January or February.

Главное преимущество биткоина в том, что из-за ограниченной эмиссии он является более дефицитным товаром чем драгметалл, заявила основательница и гендиректор управляющей компании Ark Invest Кэти Вуд (Cathie Wood).

On Thursday, a new legislation was proposed in New York that aims to impose additional regulations on digital asset firms. The proposed law, known as the “CRYPTO” Act—short for “Cryptocurrency Regulation Yields Protections, Trust, and Oversight”—would make it illegal for digital asset firms to operate without the necessary licenses. 

The announcement came from Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie, who emphasized the urgency of regulating the cryptocurrency marketplace in the State.

NY’s Proposed Crypto Bill

According to the duo’s press statement, organizations that exchange, trade, or transport cryptocurrencies in New York are required to register for a virtual currency license. Failure to do so has resulted in merely civil sanctions. 

In contrast, the proposed CRYPTO Act would introduce criminal penalties for operating without a license, bringing New York’s regulatory framework closer to that of the federal system, where unauthorized conduct can result in up to five years in prison.

The new Act aims to ensure that digital asset businesses adhere to the same levels of diligence and transparency as traditional money transmitters.

Under the new legislation, unlicensed operations would fall under the category of Unlicensed Virtual Currency Business Activity, leading to a series of graduated penalties based on the value of the transactions involved. 

Offenders could face charges ranging from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony for activities involving $1 million or more within a year, potentially resulting in sentences of 5 to 15 years in state prison.

A “Shadow Financial System” 

District Attorney Bragg expressed concern about the growth of cryptocurrency, describing it as a “shadow financial system” that facilitates money laundering and other criminal activities. “Crypto is the go-to means for bad actors to move and hide the proceeds of crime,” he stated. 

Bragg further urged that the time has come for unlicensed cryptocurrency businesses to face criminal repercussions for not adhering to due diligence requirements.

Senator Myrie echoed Bragg’s sentiments, noting, “As the use of crypto has grown, so has illicit activity.” He emphasized that New York, as a major financial hub, must take seriously its regulatory responsibilities. 

Myrie’s bill aims to align the state with the 18 other jurisdictions that have made unlicensed virtual currency transactions criminal offenses, to enhance consumer protection against potential fraud and scams.

This legislative push coincides with a letter from House Democrats to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins, in which several lawmakers urged the reinstatement of enforcement actions against digital asset firms. 

The letter sent on Thursday and signed by Representatives Maxine Waters, Sean Casten, and Brad Sherman, expressed deep concerns regarding the SEC’s recent retreat from prosecuting violations related to “digital asset securities.”

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

Блокчейн-детектив под псевдонимом ZachXBT сообщил о случае кражи монет LTC и BTC с аппаратного кошелька. Пользователь потерял активы на $282 млн, однако сам кошелек взломан не был ― злоумышленники получили доступ к криптовалютам с помощью социальной инженерии.

Президент Казахстана Касым-Жомарт Токаев подписал закон «О внесении изменений и дополнений в некоторые законодательные акты республики по вопросам искусственного интеллекта и цифровизации», который снимает некоторые ограничения на майнинг и оборот криптовалют в стране.

Belarus took a major step on January 16, 2026, when President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19 to set rules for so-called “cryptobanks.” The move creates a clear legal spot for companies that want to mix token services with classic banking and payment work.

Decree Defines Cryptobanks And Rules

According to the decree, a cryptobank is a joint-stock company that may carry out token operations alongside banking, payment and other financial services.

Reports have disclosed that these firms must be residents of the Belarus High-Tech Park (HTP) and will be listed in a special register kept by the National Bank.

The new document ties cryptobank status to HTP residency, which aims to concentrate activity inside a known tech zone. That requirement also means the HTP’s rules will play a role in daily oversight.

Requirements For Market Entry

Based on reports from regulators, cryptobanks will face dual supervision: oversight from both the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus and the HTP’s governing bodies. This twin structure is meant to let token services grow while keeping closer control of financial risks.

Officials say cryptobanks will follow many of the rules that apply to non-bank credit and financial organizations, including standards for capital, risk controls and anti-money-laundering checks.

That suggests applicants will need to show robust compliance systems before being accepted into the register.

Belarus: Short-Term Business Plans

National Bank officials said that the decree could be followed by real market steps fast. Aliaksandr Yahorau, the First Deputy Chairman of the National Bank, said Belarus could see its first operating cryptobank within six months after laws and rules are aligned.

He added that cryptobanks may be able to issue loans secured by cryptocurrency, provide payment cards linked to crypto accounts, and allow self-employed people to receive salaries in tokens.

What Comes Next For Belarus

The decree builds on earlier efforts to attract tech and crypto business to Belarus, and it clearly signals a state interest in bringing token activity under formal control.

The next steps will include drafting implementing rules, creating the special registry at the National Bank, and deciding capital and licensing thresholds for applicants.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP is in the center of crypto conversations, with social interest on X rising to levels that now rival Bitcoin. Recent data tracking the most searched cashtags on the platform shows XRP consistently appearing among the dominant assets drawing user attention.  Interestingly, this surge in visibility is not happening in isolation but in tandem with a series of regulatory, institutional, and ecosystem developments within the XRP ecosystem.

XRP Surges Into The Top Cashtags On X

Data tracking the most-searched cashtags on the social media platform X shows XRP climbing alongside other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, a closer look at the data shows that XRP has received many more cashtags compared to other cryptocurrencies.

This trend was revealed by Nikita Bier, head of product at X, who shared a visualization chart of recent search behavior on X. The chart data shows that XRP has consistently appeared among the most queried assets on X since December 2025. Throughout the period depicted, top cashtag traffic has been fluctuating with daily rhythm as X users scan the platform and post on X with cashtags.

The share of searches attributable to $xrp slices into a larger portion of the total during days in early January 2026, which indicates extended interest. On some dates, XRP’s presence in the search mix rivals that of $btc and $eth, which are typically the dominant anchors of crypto attention on social media.

The chart also shows how other tags wax and wane alongside XRP’s performance. Some days show greater fragmentation, where interest is spread across stocks such as $iren (IREN), $tesla (Tesla), $gme (GameStop), and $asts (AST SpaceMobile Inc.). Nonetheless, the trajectory for XRP in the first half of January shows a growing base of people actively getting involved in the cryptocurrency.

Top Cashtags Searched On X

Why XRP Is Commanding So Much Attention

Social interest on X is a mix of speculation and ecosystem developments, which XRP is currently sitting at the center of. Behind this spike in attention are tangible developments surrounding Ripple and the XRP ecosystem. 

One recent example is how Ripple secured regulatory approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, obtaining both an Electronic Money Institution license and cryptoasset registration. Ripple’s regulatory buildout is expanding across Europe, with additional approvals in Luxembourg as part of its push to operate on both sides of the continent.

Interestingly, there are also indications of deeper engagement with Ripple’s ecosystem on the institutional side. Rumors and mentions on X indicate that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has started to use Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin (RLUSD) as collateral. However, this move is yet to be confirmed by BlackRock.

These updates, combined with many others, help explain why social interest and cashtag searches for XRP have recently been on the rise on X and other social media platforms.

XRP’s huge circulating supply is always a point of discussion among many market participants. This discussion is always around how it can realistically trade at huge price levels in the double and triple digits with such a huge total supply. However, discussion around its burn rate has resurfaced due to current figures showing a steady reduction in the cryptocurrency’s total supply. 

According to data shared by an expert on X, XRP’s supply has declined by more than 2 million tokens over the past two years, with comments about how the burn mechanism works, what it actually means for long-term supply, and how it fits into discussions about its valuation and use in large-scale payments.

XRP Burns: Millions Are Gone Forever

XRP does not rely on a discretionary burn program or periodic token destruction events. Instead, the XRP Ledger permanently destroys a small amount of the token every time a transaction is processed. This fee is not paid to validators or any network participant. Once it is consumed by the protocol, it is removed from circulation permanently.

According to numbers shared on X by 24HRSCRYPTO, the total supply stood at 99,988,313,728 about 806 days ago. Today, that number is closer to 99,985,726,061. The difference is 2,587,667 XRP that no longer exist, meaning a little over 3,200 of the altcoin is destroyed per day.

That number may not look dramatic compared to its nearly 100 billion maximum supply. However, it shows consistent on-ledger usage leading to a steady reduction in supply. This has led to the cumulative amount of the token burned slowly moving higher over the full lifetime of the Ledger.

Pre-Mined, How Institutions Fit Into The Design

The post by 24HRSCRYPTO also revisits a long-standing aspect of XRP’s structure. The token’s entire supply of 100 billion tokens was created at inception, although not all were released at launch.

Furthermore, its supply has always been fixed, and burns will continue to reduce the total number of the token in existence. This is in contrast to networks like Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana that see their total circulating supply increase over time.

Furthermore, Ripple, which developed the Ledger, has consistently framed the altcoin from a payments and financial infrastructure perspective. This trend is also unlike most other cryptocurrencies, which are built to work in parallel against traditional finance.

24HRSCRYPTO notes that this design reflects an institutional mindset, noting that supply certainty is something banks and large financial players tend to prefer. When trillions start to flow into the altcoin, the circulating supply will continue to decrease. According to the analyst, $100 per XRP is inevitable in this case. This viewpoint is based on the fact that higher price targets for the token are not speculations but a functional requirement for global-scale usage.

Bitcoin is facing a critical test as bulls try to push price above a key resistance zone, hoping to confirm that the recent rebound has real traction. After weeks of choppy trading and repeated rejections, the market is again pressing into levels that could decide whether BTC transitions back into recovery mode or slips into another leg of consolidation. While momentum has improved in recent sessions, the broader structure still reflects uncertainty, with investors split between breakout expectations and caution after the latest correction.

A report from XWIN Research Japan suggests Bitcoin is not currently in a strong directional trend, but instead remains trapped in a consolidation phase defined by range-bound price action and ongoing structural rebuilding. In this environment, the market is attempting to reset positioning after heavy volatility, while supply and demand continue to balance out near major technical levels.

According to the analysis, the bias remains conditionally bullish, meaning upside continuation is still possible if Bitcoin can secure acceptance above resistance and hold it as support. However, the report also warns that short-term overheating risks persist, especially if leverage builds too quickly or price surges without sustained spot demand behind it. With Bitcoin approaching a pivotal inflection point, the next move could be decisive for broader market sentiment.

Whales Take Control as Retail Activity Stays Muted

The report adds that one of the most important shifts in Bitcoin’s current structure is the change in participant quality. CryptoQuant data suggests retail involvement in both spot and futures markets remains muted, while “Big Whale Orders” continue to appear across spot exchanges and derivatives venues.

This points to a market that is being driven less by impulsive speculation and more by larger players gradually positioning through size and patience, shaping liquidity conditions around key price levels.

This trend is reinforced by the 90-day Spot Taker CVD, which has flipped back into Taker Buy Dominant territory. In simple terms, aggressive market buying is increasing again, yet price has not accelerated sharply.

That combination often implies that sell-side pressure is being absorbed, and available supply is being quietly taken off the table at lower levels. Rather than signaling euphoric demand, the behavior aligns more with structural accumulation and controlled risk-taking.

At the same time, futures markets are heating up. Rising volumes and taker buying in derivatives suggest a more speculative layer is returning, raising the risk of short-term volatility if leverage becomes overcrowded. Still, spot flows indicate whales are absorbing supply, meaning futures-driven shakeouts can occur while underlying accumulation continues. The base case remains retail fading as whales take control, unless leverage distorts the structure again.

Bitcoin Faces Heavy Moving Average Resistance

Bitcoin is holding near $95,500 after a sharp recovery rally that began from the late-November lows. The chart shows BTC rebounding aggressively from the $85,000–$88,000 area, forming a clean sequence of higher lows and higher highs into mid-January. This move suggests that buyers have regained short-term control, but the market is now entering a key resistance zone where rallies have repeatedly stalled since the breakdown in November.

The most immediate level to watch is the cluster between $95,000 and $98,000, where price is now pressing into overhead supply. BTC is also approaching the declining medium-term moving averages, which are acting as dynamic resistance and signaling that the broader trend is still recovering, not fully reversed.

A clean daily close above this zone would strengthen the case for continuation toward the $100,000 psychological level and potentially a retest of the $105,000 area.

However, if Bitcoin fails to hold above $94,000–$95,000, the breakout risks turning into another liquidity sweep followed by consolidation. In that scenario, support sits near $92,000, with a deeper pullback targeting the $88,000–$90,000 range where buyers previously stepped in. For now, the trend is improving, but confirmation depends on reclaiming resistance with sustained volume.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com