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Solana spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have witnessed a $220 million spike in trading volume. Here’s what this could mean for the asset.

Solana Spot ETF Volume Has Shot Up

In a new insight post on its website, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has discussed what spikes in the spot ETF trading volume mean for Bitcoin and Solana. Spot ETFs refer to investment vehicles that allow traders to gain indirect exposure to an underlying asset. In the context of cryptocurrencies, they allow investors an off-chain route into digital assets that doesn’t require them to deal with exchanges and wallets; the fund buys and custodies the tokens on their behalf.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first Bitcoin spot ETFs back in January 2024. Ethereum funds got the green light in July of that year, while Solana obtained its approval in October 2025. Thus, while BTC and ETH spot ETFs have been around for some time now, SOL products are relatively new. As the chart shared by Santiment shows, SOL spot ETFs observed a burst of trading volume during the initial launch hype.

Solana spot ETF volume rose to a high of $122 million on October 28th, but excitement was quick to run out as the metric fell to a much lower level soon after. This record wasn’t broken for the rest of the year, but six days into 2026, SOL ETFs finally saw activity surpassing that of the launch period.

From the chart, it’s visible that SOL volume hit $220 million on January 6th, significantly higher than the October 28th spike. The uptick in the cryptocurrency’s investment vehicles has come as its price has enjoyed a rally, and Morgan Stanley has filed for its first Solana and Bitcoin ETFs.

As for what the volume surge could mean for the asset, it’s hard to say from the data of SOL ETFs alone, as they are still quite young. Bitcoin ETFs, on the other hand, have been around for two years now, so some interpretations can be made from their data.

As the analytics firm has highlighted in the chart, Bitcoin has seen two types of surges in the ETF volume: a healthy, sustained rise that supports price moves, and sudden spikes that mark local reversals.

Solana’s latest spike could be of the latter type, but since its spot ETFs still have a small sample size, the pattern with them is yet uncertain. The sharp surge could be an anomaly, or it could just be the start of a new normal (which, if so, would put the spike in the former category).

SOL Price

At the time of writing, Solana is trading around $138, up more than 9% over the last week.

Ethereum is attempting to stabilize above the $3,200 level as the broader crypto market shows early signs of relief following weeks of volatility and corrective pressure. While price action remains cautious, bulls are working to defend this zone as a potential base for further recovery. Against this backdrop, on-chain data is beginning to paint a more constructive picture for Ethereum’s underlying fundamentals.

A recent CryptoOnchain analysis using CryptoQuant data highlights a notable acceleration in Ethereum network activity. The 7-day moving average of the total transfer count has climbed to approximately 870,000 transactions, a sharp increase from the roughly 600,000 average recorded in the weeks leading up to December 29. This nearly 45% rise in activity suggests a meaningful surge in network usage rather than a short-lived anomaly.

The increase in transfers points to growing engagement across the Ethereum ecosystem, including decentralized applications, DeFi protocols, and broader value transfers. Importantly, this expansion in activity is occurring while price consolidates, a dynamic that often signals strengthening fundamentals beneath the surface.

When sustained, rising on-chain usage can precede periods of improved market confidence, as demand for block space and ETH as a utility asset increases.

Network Activity Establishes a Higher Usage Baseline The report explains that the current expansion in Ethereum network activity began on December 29, when the daily total transfer count surged to a peak of roughly 1.06 million transactions. While activity has cooled slightly since that extreme reading, the pullback has been notably shallow. Daily transfer counts have remained consistently elevated, fluctuating near the 900,000 level. This persistence is an important signal, as it suggests the initial spike was not driven by a single event or temporary speculation, but instead marks the formation of a higher structural baseline for network usage.

From an interpretation standpoint, a sustained increase in transaction volume is one of the clearest indicators of network health and organic demand. It reflects growing engagement across Ethereum’s ecosystem, including decentralized applications, DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and simple value transfers.

Unlike price-driven metrics, transaction activity captures real usage, making it particularly valuable during consolidation phases.

Historically, periods of rising and stable on-chain activity have often preceded positive price developments. Increased transaction counts imply stronger demand for ETH as a utility asset, since it is required to pay gas fees and interact with protocols.

With ETH currently consolidating around the $3,200 level, the durability of this elevated activity will be critical. If sustained, it could provide a solid fundamental foundation for Ethereum’s next directional move higher.

Ethereum Consolidates as Bulls Defend the $3,200 Zone

Ethereum’s weekly chart shows a market attempting to stabilize after a volatile correction, with price currently holding just above the $3,200 level. This zone has become a key short-term pivot, acting as a battleground between buyers seeking continuation and sellers defending higher supply. After the sharp rebound from the $1,800–$2,000 region earlier in the cycle, ETH entered a broad consolidation phase, reflecting cooling momentum rather than outright trend reversal.

From a structural perspective, Ethereum remains above its long-term moving averages, with the 200-week MA trending upward and providing a solid macro support base well below the current price. However, the 50-week and 100-week moving averages are now converging near the $3,300–$3,500 region, reinforcing this area as a critical resistance cluster.

Trading activity has normalized after prior expansion phases, indicating reduced speculative intensity rather than aggressive distribution. This aligns with a market digesting previous gains while awaiting a new catalyst.

If bulls manage to reclaim and hold above the $3,500 level, the structure would favor a renewed push toward higher highs. Conversely, a loss of $3,200 could expose ETH to a deeper retracement toward the $2,800–$3,000 demand zone, where buyers are likely to re-emerge.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

The Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem is facing a mix of structural progress and market uncertainty. On one side, developers are pushing forward with a series of scalability upgrades aimed at lowering fees and expanding capacity across the network.

Related Reading: South Korea Explores Crypto Account Freezing Measure To Prevent Market Manipulation

On the other hand, large holders are using recent price strength to reduce exposure, introducing short-term selling pressure. Together, these opposing forces are building Ethereum’s near-term outlook as ETH trades above the $3,200 level.

The contrast is clear, while the protocol is absorbing more capital through staking and infrastructure improvements, parts of the market are testing how much supply and demand can absorb during a renewed rally.

Scalability Roadmap Moves Forward

Ethereum developers activated the second Blob Parameter-Only (BPO) hard fork this week, raising the blob limit from 15 to 21 and increasing the blob target from 10 to 14.

Blobs are temporary data containers used primarily by rollups to batch transactions more efficiently. With each blob holding 128 kilobytes, the network can now process roughly 2.6 megabytes of blob data per block.

The upgrade is part of a broader effort to scale Ethereum through layer-2 networks rather than pushing all activity onto the main chain. Since the first BPO fork in December, transaction fees on Ethereum have shown reduced volatility, reflecting lower congestion as rollups move data off-chain.

Developers are already discussing additional changes, including raising the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million, and later up to 200 million under the planned Glamsterdam hard fork in 2026. That upgrade is expected to introduce parallel transaction processing, further increasing throughput.

Ethereum’s (ETH) Staking Growth Tightens Liquid Supply

At the same time, staking activity is reshaping Ethereum’s supply dynamics. Institutional participation has increased, highlighted by BitMine’s latest deposits, which pushed its total staked ETH close to 780,000 tokens, worth over $2.5 billion.

Network-wide data indicates that more than 1.3 million ETH are waiting to enter staking, while the validator exit queue has dropped to zero. This imbalance suggests that fewer validators are choosing to exit, even amid market volatility.

As more ETH is locked into consensus contracts, circulating supply on exchanges continues to decline, potentially limiting downside pressure over the medium term.

Whale Selling Adds Near-Term Pressure

Despite these fundamentals, large holders have recently turned into net sellers. Whale wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million ETH sold roughly 300,000 ETH over three days, valued at about $970 million.

This selling coincided with ETH’s breakout from a multi-week descending wedge, indicating that some whales are using the rally to take profits.

Related Reading: Scudo Announced: Tether’s Newest Crypto And Gold Unit – Here’s The Breakdown

While long-term holders remain largely inactive, helping to stabilize the broader structure, continued distribution by whales could slow upside momentum. Ethereum now sits at a crossroads, balancing protocol-level progress against market-driven supply pressure as traders assess whether demand can sustain the next leg higher.

Cover image from ChatGPT, ETHUSD chart from Tradingview

Bitcoin is holding above the $90,000 level after briefly testing resistance near $94,000, a move that has provided short-term relief but stopped short of confirming a renewed uptrend. While price action suggests buyers are defending key psychological support, momentum remains fragile, and analysts are increasingly focused on on-chain signals to assess whether this consolidation can evolve into a sustainable recovery.

According to top analyst Darkfost, one of the most informative indicators in the current environment is the Short-Term Holder Spent Output Profit Ratio (STH SOPR).

To avoid misleading short-term fluctuations, Darkfost emphasizes the importance of monitoring the 30-day moving average of STH SOPR rather than the raw daily readings. This smoother view helps isolate structural shifts in behavior.

At present, the indicator is recovering from a cycle low near 0.982 and is gradually approaching the neutral threshold of 1.0. That level marks the point at which short-term holders move from realizing losses to breaking even.

This recovery suggests selling pressure from recent buyers may be easing. However, whether SOPR can reclaim and hold above neutral will likely determine if Bitcoin’s current consolidation resolves higher or gives way to renewed downside pressure.

Short-Term Holders Still Under Pressure, Trend Confirmation Pending

This metric tracks whether short-term holders—market participants who typically control a large share of daily trading volume—are realizing profits or losses when they move coins. Because these holders tend to react quickly to price changes and often provide exit liquidity, their behavior plays a decisive role in short-term market direction.

According to Darkfost, short-term Bitcoin holders are still operating at a loss, despite the recent price stabilization above $90,000. This detail is critical for interpreting the current market phase. When STHs are underwater, selling pressure tends to persist in waves, but it also marks the zone where attractive risk-reward conditions often begin to form—provided broader structure holds.

Historically, durable bullish trends do not emerge while short-term holders are consistently realizing losses. For momentum to shift decisively, this cohort must return to profitability. Once STHs move back into profit, behavior changes materially: panic selling fades, holding periods extend, and the market becomes less reactive to minor pullbacks. When this transition follows a capitulation phase, it has often preceded stronger upside continuation.

However, Darkfost highlights a clear risk scenario. If STH SOPR approaches the neutral level around 1.0 and is rejected, it may signal that short-term participants are using break-even levels to exit positions.

This behavior reflects lingering uncertainty rather than renewed confidence. Prolonged rejection below neutral has historically aligned with bear market conditions, where rallies fail to gain traction and sellers dominate rebounds.

In this context, Bitcoin’s ability to sustain STH profitability becomes a key confirmation signal. Until that occurs, the market remains in a fragile balance—poised between recovery and renewed downside.

Bitcoin Holds Key Support As Structure Remains Cautious

Bitcoin is currently trading near the $92,000 area after rejecting higher levels, and the chart highlights a market attempting to stabilize following a sharp corrective phase. Price remains well below the prior cycle highs above $120,000, confirming that the broader trend has shifted from expansion into consolidation and distribution.

From a technical perspective, BTC is trading below the short- and medium-term moving averages, which are now sloping downward. This configuration reflects persistent overhead supply and reinforces that rallies are still being sold into. The recent bounce from the $85,000–$88,000 zone shows that buyers are defending this area, but the lack of strong follow-through suggests demand remains fragile.

The 200-day moving average continues to act as structural support below the price, currently near the mid-$80,000 range. As long as BTC holds above this level, the broader market structure avoids a deeper breakdown. However, price is also capped below former support around $95,000–$97,000, which has now flipped into resistance.

Volume dynamics further support a cautious outlook. While sell pressure has moderated compared to the October breakdown, buying volume remains muted, indicating limited conviction from bulls. For momentum to improve meaningfully, Bitcoin would need a sustained reclaim of the $96,000–$100,000 zone. Until then, price action suggests a range-bound environment with elevated downside risk if support fails.

Barclays has made its first direct move into the stablecoin sector, taking an equity stake in Ubyx, as global banks quietly position themselves for a future where digital settlement becomes more common.

While the investment is modest in disclosed detail, it signals how traditional lenders are approaching stablecoins not as speculative assets, but as infrastructure that could reshape payments and treasury operations if regulation allows.

Ubyx, founded in 2025, operates a clearing and settlement layer for stablecoins, digital tokens typically pegged one-to-one with fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar. Its goal is to reduce market fragmentation by allowing stablecoins from different issuers and blockchains to be settled and redeemed in a more standardized manner.

The Case for Regulated Tokenized Cash

Barclays said the investment aligns with its broader work on “new forms of digital money,” emphasizing that any development would sit within existing regulatory boundaries.

The bank did not disclose the size of its stake or Ubyx’s valuation. However, the decision places Barclays among a growing list of large financial institutions seeking exposure to stablecoin rails without directly issuing tokens or operating outside compliance frameworks.

The bank’s interest is not new. In October, Barclays joined a group of global lenders, including Goldman Sachs and UBS, to explore the issuance of a jointly backed stablecoin by G7 currencies.

It has also participated in tokenized deposit pilots and other distributed ledger initiatives, reflecting a cautious but consistent approach to blockchain-based settlement.

Ubyx’s Role in a Crowded Infrastructure Layer

Ubyx positions itself as an intermediary between stablecoin issuers and regulated banks or fintech firms. Its platform supports what it calls universal redemption, allowing businesses to deposit stablecoins from multiple issuers directly into existing accounts at face value.

The startup raised $10 million in seed funding in mid-2025, with backing from Galaxy Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Founders Fund, and Paxos. Barclays’ entry adds a major UK banking name to that list, blending traditional finance interest with crypto-native capital.

Regulation Support for the Competitive Market

Stablecoins already play a central role in the crypto market’s liquidity, led by Tether, which has approximately $187 billion in circulation.

However, most usage remains inside trading venues. Regulators, including the Bank of England, continue to weigh limits and safeguards to prevent risks such as deposit flight during periods of stress.

That tension defines the current stablecoin race. Banks want faster, programmable settlement. Regulators want control and clear accountability. Infrastructure providers like Ubyx are betting that standardized, compliant clearing can bridge the two worlds, and Barclays’ backing suggests that major lenders are watching closely.

Cover image from ChatGPT, ETHUSD chart from Tradingview

Ripple has attracted widespread attention after transferring 300 million XRP, valued at roughly $652 million, to an unidentified wallet, a transaction flagged by Whale Alert. Because the destination is not linked to any major exchange, holders and community members are speculating on what this move might reveal about whale activity and market positioning. Moreover, moving such a large portion of XRP out of circulation has intensified debate over its potential impact on liquidity and broader market dynamics in the weeks ahead.

Massive XRP Transfer Redirects Supply: What’s Next?

On January 5, 2026, Whale Alert reported that 300,000,000 XRP, worth about $652.6 million, was transferred from a Ripple-associated wallet to an unidentified address. The recipient address is not tied to any major exchange, suggesting the tokens are being held privately rather than prepared for immediate trading. 

This distinction is important within XRP’s supply framework. Of the fixed 100 billion XRP supply, approximately 60.7 billion tokens are in circulation. Transfers of this size from Ripple-linked wallets can materially alter liquidity by shifting tokens out of the active trading pool. Even without an increase in demand, a reduction in immediately accessible supply can change how the market prices risk and availability.

With the transferred XRP not appearing in exchange-linked wallets, it remains outside the open market. This limits its short-term impact on liquidity while leaving longer-term intentions — whether strategic allocation or future market deployment — open to speculation. What happens next will depend on whether these tokens continue to be held privately or are gradually introduced into exchanges, a factor that could influence liquidity, pricing, and broader market dynamics in the weeks ahead.

Ripple’s Whale Activity And Exchange Flows 

Recent XRP transfers show that not all large holders are taking the same approach. Four days before the Ripple-linked transaction, 30,274,147 XRP, valued at roughly $60 million, was moved from an unknown wallet to Coinbase. Unlike the January 5 transfer, this flow placed XRP directly into an exchange environment, keeping it readily available for trading or risk management.

The contrast between these two movements highlights a split in whale behavior. Some large allocations are being removed from visible liquidity, while others are positioned for flexibility. Despite this, XRP’s market structure remains stable. The asset is currently trading at $2.24, with a market capitalization of about $138.4 billion and daily trading volume near $6.6 billion, suggesting that liquidity remains sufficient to absorb large reallocations.

With a market cap-to-fully diluted valuation ratio of 0.61, a substantial portion of the supply remains outside circulation. As a result, where large transfers ultimately settle carries more weight than the transfers themselves. For now, the $650 million movement points toward consolidation of ownership rather than distribution, leaving future exchange flows as the key factor that will clarify what comes next.

The Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP ETFs are seeing renewed institutional interest to start the year, providing a bullish outlook for the crypto market. This development comes amid BTC’s rally above $90,000, with the flagship crypto now targeting new 2026 highs. 

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP ETFs See Over $800 Million In Inflows

SoSoValue data shows that the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP ETFs saw over $800 million in daily net inflows on January 5. The BTC ETFs took in $697.25 million, led by BlackRock and Fidelity’s fund. This inflow was notably the largest since the October 10 crypto crash, marking a huge positive for the Bitcoin price. Notably, BTC has reached a 2026 high above $94,000 amid these inflows, with sustained demand likely contributing to higher prices. 

Furthermore, the Ethereum ETFs recorded daily net inflows of $168.13 million, building on the $174.43 million inflows on January 2. The net inflows recorded on January 2 were the largest since December 9. These inflows of the ETH ETFs come as ETH staking demand rises, with the staking entry queue now over 200x larger than the staking exit queue. This is significant as the institutional and staking demand could both contribute to a supply shock for the ETH price. 

Meanwhile, just like the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, the XRP ETFs also recorded significant inflows on January 5. These funds took in $46.10 million on the day, marking their highest flows in the last month. It is worth noting that these XRP funds have not recorded daily net outflows since they launched in November. 

This has likely contributed to XRP’s outperformance following Bitcoin’s rally above $90,000 to start the year. The altcoin currently boasts a year-to-date (YTD) gain of just over 20%, outperforming all crypto assets in the top 10 ranking except Dogecoin.

“Coming Into 2026 Like A Lion”

In an X post, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas stated that the Bitcoin ETFs are coming into 2026 like a lion. This came as he noted that they had taken in over $1.2 billion in the first two trading days of the year, with every fund seeing considerable flows. Based on this, the Bloomberg analyst noted that they are on pace to take $150 billion in inflows in 2026. “If they can take in $22b when it’s raining, imagine when the sun is shining,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Balchunas stated that the total 2026 flows for these Bitcoin ETFs will depend on price. Although he noted it wasn’t a formal prediction, the Bloomberg analyst mentioned that they could take in between $20 and $70 billion in inflows if the BTC price underperforms. On the other hand, if BTC rises to around $130,000 and $140,000, Balchunas believes that the ETFs could record up to $70 billion in inflows this year. 

A Coinbase research lead has warned that advances in quantum computing could pose wider risks to Bitcoin than simple wallet theft.

According to David Duong, the company’s global head of investment research, future quantum machines might be able to break the cryptographic signatures that secure transactions and could also give quantum-powered miners a big speed edge — two separate threats that would touch both user funds and Bitcoin’s economic model.

Quantum Risk Moves Beyond Keys

Duong said about one-third of the Bitcoin supply may be structurally exposed because their public keys are already visible on the blockchain. That figure is close to 33%, or about 6.51 million BTC, held in address types where public keys are revealed and could, in theory, be derived into private keys by a powerful enough quantum computer. Reports have highlighted that this exposure comes mostly from address reuse and older wallet formats.

Experts Say Two Main Technical Threats Exist

One threat is to signatures. Quantum algorithms such as Shor’s could, at scale, recover private keys from public keys, letting attackers sign transactions and drain funds.

The second is a possible mining problem: a sufficiently fast quantum miner might find proofs of work much faster than classic rigs, upsetting incentives and block production. Duong and others stress the signature risk is nearer-term in theory, because it only requires cracking signatures tied to revealed public keys.

What The Industry Is Doing

Based on reports, the conversation has already reached fund managers and standards bodies. Some institutional filings have started to flag quantum risk, and NIST and other bodies are pushing work on post-quantum cryptography for broader systems.

Engineers in the crypto space are looking at migration paths that would swap in quantum-resistant schemes, though any such change to Bitcoin would be complex and would require wide agreement.

A Long-Term Problem, Not An Immediate One

Duong and other commentators note that today’s quantum machines are far too small and noisy to crack Bitcoin’s cryptography. The warnings are about a possible future point often called “Q-day,” when a machine large and stable enough could run Shor’s and related algorithms at scale. Timelines vary widely among experts; some expect decades, others say the gap is shrinking faster than many predicted.

According to industry sources, coins that remain in addresses that have already allowed vulnerability of public keys are the most exposed if a well-architectured quantum machine is deployed. That makes best practices — like avoiding address reuse and moving old balances to fresh, quantum-resistant addresses once those are available — sensible steps. But there is no simple, one-click fix for the whole ecosystem, experts say.

Featured image from Peter Hansen/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin Core developers issued an urgent notice after discovering a wallet migration bug in versions 30.0 and 30.1 that can, in rare cases, delete wallet files on the same node, turning a routine upgrade step into a potential funds-loss event for users without backups.

In a Jan. 5 statement, the Bitcoin Core Project warned on X that “under rare circumstances, migrating a legacy (BDB) wallet can delete all wallet files on the same node. If those wallets aren’t backed up, this can result in a loss of funds.”

The team said a fix is slated for Bitcoin Core 30.2 and advised users not to migrate legacy wallets using 30.0 or 30.1 until that release is available. “Only the legacy wallet migration process is affected. All other uses are unaffected. You can continue using Bitcoin Core normally, including existing wallets and running a node without wallets.”

Bitcoin Community Divided Over Severity

The disclosure caps a simmering thread of reports and frustration among users tracking the issue on GitHub. One X user, posting under the handle @B__T__C, claimed “several users had been reporting it for over two weeks” and argued the bug proved difficult for maintainers to reproduce, linking to a public issue thread.

Another account, Greg Tonoski (@GregTonoski), pointed to earlier warnings ahead of the v30 release and suggested the episode reflects a broader disconnect between developers and users. “Users had warned @bitcoincoreorg (@achow101) a month before the v30 release,” he wrote, adding: “I am starting to doubt if Bitcoin is still catering to the Bitcoin user’s needs.”

The sharpest debate, however, has been over how “rare” translates into real-world risk, especially given the migration path that v30 users may face. @barackomaba argued the impact is being understated because Bitcoin Core v30.0 “explicitly stopped loading or creating BDB legacy wallets,” leaving affected users with a practical next step: migrate.

“People are acting like legacy wallet migration is some obscure edge case,” the account wrote. “But v30.0 explicitly stopped loading or creating BDB legacy wallets, so anyone who upgraded to v30 and still had a legacy wallet in Bitcoin Core effectively had only one path forward: migrate.”

‘Legacy wallets’ were the default wallet type until April 2022 (before 23.0, new wallets were ‘legacy’ by default). Also, the migration needs to fail. This won’t be the majority of migrations obviously, but there are many plausible ways to trigger this.”

He then described one such scenario: a user pruning their node while the wallet wasn’t loaded, which can cause the migrated wallet load step to fail, sending the process down a “cleanup path” that deletes the entire wallet directory and “everything in it,” including other wallets and even rollback backups created during migration.

Not everyone agreed the incident merits alarm. @w_s_bitcoin pushed back by emphasizing adoption and observed impact, arguing that Core v30 “currently” accounts for “1/5th of all the Bitcoin nodes” and that “reportedly only one single user was affected by this bug.” Wicked characterized it as “a shitty bug,” but added that it “didn’t result in any known bitcoin losses,” and said the fix is welcome.

What is not in dispute, based on Bitcoin Core’s own notice, is the practical guidance: users running 30.0 or 30.1 should avoid migrating legacy (BDB) wallets until 30.2 ships, and ensure wallet files are backed up before attempting any migration at all.

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $91,717.

An analyst recently suggested that the current market period could be the final opportunity for investors to accumulate what he considers a sufficient XRP position. In a post shared on X by The JWK Show and later expanded in a YouTube video, the analyst stated that anyone holding fewer than 50,000 XRP may not have enough exposure if the asset enters another strong upside phase. 

His comments were presented as a personal opinion based on price predictions and the level of capital he believes is needed to meet long-term financial goals.

50,000 XRP As Threshold For Long-Term Security

XRP has started 2026 on a good note, and bullish momentum is starting to creep back in for its price action. The price is now up by about 24% from its January open, and the price action is giving a tease of what to expect in 2026. Now, a few enthusiasts are of the notion that this might be the last chance for crypto traders to buy XRP at a premium.

One such enthusiast is an analyst who operates The JWK Show on social media platforms. In his original post on the social media platform X, The JWK Show argued that holding fewer than 50,000 XRP is not enough, and this month might be the last chance to buy. 

Expanding on the idea in a video on YouTube, he proposed that holding fewer than 50,000 of the altcoin may leave investors underexposed if the asset enters another parabolic phase similar to previous rallies. He tied this view to discussions among longtime commentators and insiders like BG123 that have predicted that the altcoin is lining up for another aggressive expansion phase, reminiscent of the sharp upside move seen in late 2024. 

Based on his explanation, the figure of 50,000 tokens is linked to the purchasing power required to preserve wealth across generations, especially given the fact that inflation and rising living costs have steadily eroded the real value of money.

Generational Wealth And The Math Behind 50,000 XRP

The analyst broke down how different price scenarios would translate into actual wealth outcomes. He argued that even a move to $20 per XRP would leave a 50,000-token holder with only about $1 million before taxes, which is insufficient for what can be defined as true generational wealth. 

In his view, the conversation changes only if the token reaches triple-digit valuations. He referenced long-standing speculative targets circulated by figures such as BG123, including $100 or as high as $589, then that even smaller holdings, such as a 10,000-token holder, could theoretically achieve generational wealth. 

However, considering the fact that predictions put the current bull run peaking sometime in 2026, this leaves a narrow window for accumulation before the price moves out of reach for the accumulation of such massive amounts.

With bullish sentiment returning to the market, Bitcoin is demonstrating renewed upward momentum, allowing it to retest the $94,000 price level last seen in early December 2025. Despite the recent rebound in BTC’s price, several key metrics are down, showing that on-chain activity is trending in a different direction.

Cycle-Low Bitcoin VDD Hints At Minimal Coin Movement

Bitcoin’s price is gradually undergoing a recovery, but its on-chain action is moving into an unusually subtle phase. This divergence is observed in the recent performance of the Bitcoin Value Days Destroyed (VDD) metric, which has fallen sharply.

It is worth noting that the BTC VDD is a method of measuring long-term holders’ activity similar to the BTC Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) metric, but including a valuation component. In other words, it allocates a value based on the price of Bitcoin at the time the UTXO is spent, in addition to the number of holding days lost.

In this case, VDD is expressed as a ratio to evaluate its velocity in relation to its annual average. Furthermore, the ratio between the annual average and the monthly average helps to position current activity in relation to the annual norm.

After examining the BTC VDD metric, Darkfost, a market expert and CryptoQuant author, noted that the metric has fallen to historical low levels for this market cycle. According to the expert, this shift comes following a period of heavy long-term holder distribution that has now significantly declined.

As seen in the chart, the market is now entering a period in which the VDD has dropped sharply and is now at extremely low levels relative to its annual average. This trend indicates a huge decline in selling pressure from long-term BTC holders.

With the metric at 0.55, the current VDD is roughly twice the annual average. Such levels have repeatedly been observed following significant corrections in the ongoing cycle. Interestingly, this suggests that long-term holders are presently choosing to hold onto their coins at current price levels.

BTC’s Upward Trend Is Still Intact

The price of Bitcoin experienced a brief pullback as Tuesday drew to a close, which raised questions about its price stability. Amid this discussion, Milk Road, a crypto and macro researcher, has offered insights into BTC’s current price action, highlighting that the market is still bullish.

Milk Road’s objective is based on a multi-year Ascending Channel pattern. According to the expert, BTC has been moving inside the upward channel since 2022, making higher highs and higher lows.

While the recent drop pushed BTC’s price toward the bottom of the upward channel, the support line held strong, leading to a bounce. Following the bounce, Bitcoin formed another higher low, which is the line that is keeping the upward trend intact. Therefore, unless BTC goes below that range, the larger pattern is still heading higher despite the fact that the price has been sideways for months.

A crypto market expert has predicted a strong altcoin season in the first quarter of 2026, pointing to recent price action for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as key indicators. The analyst noted that Bitcoin’s steady consolidation and Ethereum’s recovery from price dips are laying the groundwork for a bullish shift in the altcoin market. 

Bitcoin And Ethereum Trends Signal Altcoin Season In Q1 2026

A market analyst identified as ‘ChainHub’ on X has announced that the crypto market is showing signs of an altcoin season in Q1 2026. He shared a detailed breakdown of Bitcoin and Ethereum setups that indicate and support a strong altcoin performance in February and March this year. 

Compared to 2021, which saw the last altcoin season, this cycle’s rally has been delayed by three months, pushing a potential altseason into Q1 after Bitcoin completed its distribution phase. ChainHub notes that BTC’s price bottom came a little earlier than expected. He highlighted that refined lower-time-frame cycles initially suggested a bottom would form between mid-January and early February in 2026. However, BTC bottomed out by late December 2025. 

Notably, the analyst disclosed that while Bitcoin remains extremely bearish, this creates an ideal opportunity for altcoins to lead when BTC dominance weakens. Due to its ongoing bear market, ChainHub has predicted that BTC is unlikely to reach a new all-time high soon. He estimates that the cryptocurrency’s next price top could be around $107,000 to $108,000, representing a more than 15% decline from its ATH above $126,000. 

While BTC’s slow performance supports an altcoin season in 2026, Ethereum is showing mixed signals. ChainHub disclosed that on shorter timeframes, the ETH price is less bullish, but longer-term charts point to the potential for a new all-time high near $5,000-$5,500. He revealed that Ethereum bottoming around $2,600- $2,700 is not a reliable indicator of an upcoming altseason. However, its overall bullish nature supports long-term upward momentum. 

The analyst also noted that the ETH/Silver ratio points to a rotation from precious metals into cryptocurrencies, signaling renewed investor interest in alts after October 2025’s missed rotation expectations. According to ChainHub, these developments suggest a strong altcoin season in Q1, especially as BTC’s dominance declines and demand for alts rises.  

Analyst Sees Alt Rally As Market Strengthens 

ChainHub has remained bullish and confident that an altseason will occur in Q1, after setups in Q4 2025, such as Dogecoin and SUI, successfully reversed and found their bottoms. He revealed that Total3 and others are the primary focus of the pump. Because of this, he is targeting filling gaps from October 10, though the altcoin sector’s strength could push prices beyond these levels. 

According to ChainHub, some altcoins may even reach their extreme highs from summer 2025, with bullish continuation providing opportunities to buy during price dips. The analyst noted that, since Bitcoin and Ethereum are not performing as well as alts in the current market, he expects a pivot by mid-January. He says this pivot could act as a retest, which could be even more bullish for alts and provide additional fuel for upward moves.

Solana’s recent bounce may be a result of the sharp spike in the network’s adoption and activity over the past few months. During the bullish period, on-chain data shows that SOL’s network has been performing at an unprecedented level as transactions noticeably increase in numbers.

A New Era Of Peak Performance For Solana

After a substantial growth in transaction activity, Solana appears to be pushing its network capabilities to new thresholds. The Solana Daily on the social media platform X has shared interesting data that reveals that the network was a leader in terms of transactions per second executed in 2025.

From transaction throughput and confirmation speed to sustained uptime under severe load, the network is exhibiting a level of efficiency that highlights its design focus on high-speed execution. As seen from the report, the SOL network performance metrics are climbing to historical levels. 

Data shows that Solana averaged over 1,100 Transactions Per Second (TPS) in 2025, marking a new performance milestone for the blockchain. This performance boost is more than just a technical achievement. It is also a sign of expanding practical use and establishes Solana as a frontrunner in the competition for scalable blockchain infrastructure.

According to Solana Daily, the transaction figure represents a 34% increase year-over-year from 2024. Such a rise indicates a continued improvement in the efficiency and throughput of the SOL network. 

Throughout 2025, SOL has demonstrated its leadership in on-chain activity, solidifying its standing as one of the most popular blockchain networks. In a broader outlook, the network remains at the forefront of the total number of transactions executed in 2025. The report from Solana Daily reveals that the network saw a staggering 121 billion overall number of transactions in 2025, surpassing other major chains such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, Near, Aptos, among others. 

A large transaction count of this weight highlights that SOL’s high throughput, low fees, and real usage continue to set it apart as the most active blockchain in the entire cryptocurrency space today. These key features keep attracting investors, developers, and users at a large scale, reinforcing its robust ecosystem.

Trading Volume Of SOL is Higher Than Other Chains

With its massive adoption and robust user base, Solana is making a powerful stand across the crypto space. Amid this surge in transaction activity, the network has also experienced a substantial rise in trading volume.

SolanaFloor on X reported that the blockchain recorded nearly $1.6 trillion in trading volume in 2025, outpacing every leading Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions. When compared to major centralized exchanges, SOL also saw more trading volume within the year than the likes of Bybit, Coinbase Global, and Bitget.

Only Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, was ahead of the network. At this rate of volume acceleration, SOL is no longer solely competing on performance. It is now establishing the standard for on-chain transactions throughout the whole blockchain sector.

On-chain data shows the large Bitcoin investors have been accumulating recently, while retail investors have been exiting from the market.

Bitcoin Investors Have Been Diverging In Behavior

In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has discussed about the latest behavior in the Bitcoin supply of the retail investors and that of the sharks and whales.

Retail investors here refer to the smallest of entities on the network, carrying less than 0.01 BTC ($923) in their wallets. The sharks and whales, on the other hand, are groups that correspond to the investors with notable holdings.

The range for these large investors is defined as 10 to 10,000 coins, which converts to $923,000 at the lower end and $923 million at the upper one. Because of their massive holdings, the sharks and whales are considered to carry some influence in the market. Naturally, the whales, which include the much more massive investors of the two, are regarded as the more important group.

Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Bitcoin supply held by the two sides of the network over the last few months:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin sharks and whales have been in a phase of accumulation since December 17th. During this window, they have added a total of 56,227 BTC ($5.2 billion) to their holdings. “This marked crypto’s local bottom,” noted the analytics firm.

In the same period, the retail side of the market has also participated in net buying. BTC initially consolidated while this accumulation occurred, but in the last few days, its price has witnessed some recovery.

Interestingly, the investor cohorts have diverged since this breakout, with retail traders turning to distribution while the sharks and whales have continued to add. This is a potential sign that the small hands believe the new rally to be a bull’s trap, so they are exiting with their profits while they can.

Santiment considers this setup to be a bullish one. According to the analytics firm, selling from sharks and whales that coincides with retail buying tends to be “very bearish,” while both buying at the same time (or retail being sideways) is “bullish,” and whales accumulating/retail selling is a “very bullish” combination.

In the chart, the last of these zones is highlighted in green. “Entering into a green zone now, we have a higher probability than usual to continue to see market cap growth throughout crypto,” explained Santiment.

It now remains to be seen whether the divergence in the Bitcoin market will continue to grow or if the sharks and whales will flip and start harvesting profits.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $92,600, up over 5% in the last week.

South Korea’s financial authorities are reportedly considering introducing a system that allows regulators to conduct pre-emptive crypto account freezes to stop digital asset price manipulation.

FSC Mulls Crypto Account Freezing System

On Tuesday, a local news media outlet reported that the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is discussing introducing a system to prevent suspects from hiding or withdrawing unrealized profits from market manipulation related to crypto assets.

In a January 6 meeting, the regulators revealed that they have been discussing the matter since November, exploring the proposal for prosecution measures against suspects of crypto asset price manipulation.

According to Newsis, some officials consider that there’s a need “to complement the current Virtual Asset User Protection Act by implementing measures for the confiscation of criminal proceeds or the preservation of recovery funds in advance.”

The measure would restrict fund outflows such as withdrawals, transfers, and payments from a crypto-related account suspected of obtaining illicit gains through typical market manipulation tactics, including pre-purchasing, repeated trades via automated trading, buying at inflated prices, and profit-taking.

Under the current rules, authorities must obtain court warrants to freeze assets linked to crypto manipulation, which leaves no means to act quickly and prevent asset concealment beforehand. One committee member reportedly referenced the payment suspension system for stock price manipulation, which was introduced through the revision of the Capital Markets Act in April.

This system saw the first domestic case of preemptively freezing accounts suspected of unfair trading last September, when the Joint Task Force for Eradicating Stock Price Manipulation imposed these measures on 75 accounts involved in a KRW 100 billion stock price manipulation case by a group of wealthy individuals.

Some FSC officials allegedly emphasized that this system is necessary for crypto assets, arguing that they are easier to conceal once transferred to personal wallets, with one noting that “currently, only exchange deposits and withdrawals are blocked, while withdrawals to financial institutions remain possible. Blocking those withdrawals would help swiftly prevent concealment.”

Another FSC member affirmed that “payment suspension is a step before recovery preservation; it would be good if we could implement it proactively,” while others asked whether provisions related to unfair trading in the Capital Markets Act can be partially replicated in the Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act.

Second Phase of SK’s Virtual Asset Push

South Korea’s Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act was expected to be submitted at the end of 2025. However, it has been delayed until the start of 2026 due to an ongoing disagreement between the FSC and the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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

The central bank has pushed for a consortium of banks owning at least 51% of any stablecoin issuer seeking approval in the country. The FSC has shared concerns that giving a majority stake to banks could reduce participation from tech firms and limit the market’s innovation.

Despite the delay, the main policies of the crypto framework have been reportedly decided. Notably, the FSC’s draft will include investor protection measures such as no-fault liability for crypto asset operators and isolation of bankruptcy risks for stablecoin issuers.

The bill is expected to require crypto asset operators to comply with disclosure obligations as well as terms and conditions. In addition, “impose strict liability for damages on digital asset operators in accordance with the Electronic Financial Transactions Act in cases of hacking or computer system failures.”

On Thursday, Tether, the powerhouse behind the widely used stablecoin USDT, announced the introduction of Scudo, a new unit of account designed to enhance the usability of Tether Gold (XAU₮). 

This move comes amid a historic rally in gold prices, driven by geopolitical tensions and economic shifts, making the commodity a focal point for investors looking for stability.

Tether’s New Unit

In its press release, Tether emphasized that the Scudo unit aims to revive gold as a practical medium of payment accessible to all. Year-to-date, gold has soared nearly 70% in value, currently trading at approximately $4,482 per ounce. 

In addition to Scudo, Tether introduced a new platform named WDK. This framework allows developers, companies, and even artificial intelligence (AI) agents to create, deploy, and manage self-custodial wallets that are compatible with any device and operating system, further supporting XAU₮, stablecoins, and Bitcoin (BTC).

However, Tether recognized a significant barrier that remained: for everyday transactions or pricing goods, working in fractions of an ounce can become cumbersome. 

Long decimal values are often unintuitive and challenging for practical use. Scudo seeks to solve this issue by providing a simpler unit of account, akin to how smaller denominations enhance traditional currencies as functional money.

One Scudo is defined as 0.001 troy ounce of gold—1/1000 of one XAU₮—which makes it easier to price and transfer gold-backed values. This approach allows users to transact in whole or partial Scudo units instead of dealing with complex decimal fractions of XAU₮. 

Paolo Ardoino On Scudo

Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s chief executive officer (CEO), commented on the significance of this development for investors, stating: 

Gold is once again proving its role as the ultimate store of value alongside Bitcoin. XAU₮ makes gold digital, and now with Scudo, we are lowering the barrier to entry so that anyone can own, easily price, and transact even the smallest fraction of the historical world’s most trusted asset. 

With Scudo, Tether aims to make gold a reliable store of value and a more intuitive medium of exchange, thereby promoting financial inclusion for its global user base. The firm made the following statement: 

Tether Gold remains fully backed by physical gold held in secure vaults, with ownership verifiable on-chain via Tether’s asset-tracking tools. Scudo does not change the structure or backing of XAU₮, but provides a simpler way to measure and transact gold value, particularly as prices continue to climb.

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

South Korea’s push to grow crypto services hit a hard pause last year, as regulators moved slowly and approvals dried up. Trading and custody firms found themselves waiting longer. Investors and startups are watching closely.

South Korea: Approvals Drop Sharply

Based on reports, the Financial Intelligence Unit approved only two new Virtual Asset Service Providers in 2025. The firms cleared were Happy Block, for exchange services, and Blosafe, for transfer and custody. Approval times lengthened too — the average rose from 11 months in 2024 to about 16 months in 2025. Some applicants endured waits of more than 600 days.

Inspections And Penalties Increase

Regulators have tightened checks on existing operators. Upbit’s parent, Dunamu, was hit with a fine of 35.2 billion won after authorities flagged anti-money laundering lapses. Other big names such as Korbit, Bithumb, Coinone and Gopax have faced warnings or sanctions in recent months. Reports have disclosed suspicious transaction filings totaling roughly 9.56 trillion won since 2021, a figure that regulators cite when explaining their tougher stance.

Joint ventures and bank-linked projects are not immune. Bit Korea, a planned tie-up with Hana Bank, is still waiting for clearance and cannot begin operations until it gets the green light. That blockage keeps several services off the market and delays plans that would have broadened options for ordinary users.

Regulatory Changes And Legal Delays

Lawmakers have debated a wider Digital Asset Basic Act meant to set clearer rules for stablecoins, custody and market conduct. That law is now delayed until 2026, which leaves many questions unresolved. At the same time, travel rule requirements and tighter identity checks have been expanded to close loopholes on small transfers. The result: paperwork is heavier and compliance costs are higher for firms seeking approval.

South Korea: Market Effects And Business Choices

Fewer new VASPs and slower approvals can push entrepreneurs to look outside Korea for faster onboarding and lighter red tape. Some existing platforms appear to be slowing product launches while they focus on meeting the stronger rules. Based on reports, this has also put pressure on competition — potential entrants have postponed or shelved plans because of the uncertain timeline and higher operating costs.

Industry groups argue that stricter oversight will reduce crime and protect consumers. Regulators say they want safer markets. Both views matter. With only two approvals in 2025 and key legislation postponed to 2026, the market’s next moves will depend on how quickly rules are clarified and how firms adapt to heavier compliance demands.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

On Tuesday, Morgan Stanley, one of Wall Street’s premier banking institutions, announced that it has submitted preliminary filings for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL). 

These filings are now awaiting approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has recently adopted a more favorable stance toward cryptocurrencies under Chair Paul Atkins, appointed by President Trump last year.

Morgan Stanley’s Latest Filings

In the submitted filing, Morgan Stanley outlined its plans for a Bitcoin Trust and a Solana Trust, each designed to hold the respective cryptocurrencies. 

Notably, the Solana product will include an allocation for staking, a process that enables holders to earn rewards by allowing their tokens to be used to support the blockchain network. These trusts will be sponsored by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., according to the filings.

This latest move by Morgan Stanley follows its decision in October 2025 to empower its financial advisers to offer crypto investments to clients across various account types. 

In a paper published by the bank’s Global Investment Committee, a recommendation emerged suggesting that clients consider a maximum crypto allocation of 4%. 

The committee characterized cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, as a speculative yet increasingly popular asset class, likening Bitcoin to a scarce resource akin to “digital gold.”

Growing Institutional Interest

The launch of the Bitcoin and Solana exchange-traded funds is a significant move toward expanding Morgan Stanley’s presence in the cryptocurrency industry, which is widely regarded by traditional financial institutions as a financial sector with tremendous growth potential. 

This development comes two years after the Securities and Exchange Commission approval of the first US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange traded fund, propelling institutional interest in digital assets.

The backdrop of growing regulatory clarity under US President Donald Trump has further encouraged traditional finance companies to diversify into digital assets, which were previously viewed primarily as speculative investments. 

The recent appointment of Paul Atkins, a pro-crypto advocate, as head of the SEC, alongside the agency’s recent regulatory moves towards digital assets, suggests that the approval process for these new crypto ETFs could be favourable and timely.

Additionally, in December, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted banks the ability to act as intermediaries for cryptocurrency transactions. This regulatory shift suggests a narrowing divide between the conventional financial sector and the burgeoning world of digital assets.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin has managed to hold onto the gains seen on Monday, when it briefly surged towards a two-month high of $94,800. Currently, the market’s leading cryptocurrency is attempting to consolidate at $93,920. 

Similarly, Solana has climbed back above $142, marking a significant 14% increase over the past seven days. However, this still leaves the altcoin 51% below its all-time high of $293 reached last year. 

Featured image from Reuters, chart from TradingView.com 

CryptoQuant’s head of research has highlighted how the recent high levels of Bitcoin HODLer selling were inflated by internal exchange moves.

Recent Bitcoin Long-Term Holder Selling Hasn’t Been At True Record Levels

In a new post on X, CryptoQuant head of research, Julio Moreno, has talked about the recent selloff from the Bitcoin long-term holders (LTHs). The LTHs refer to investors who have been holding onto their coins for a period longer than 155 days. Statistically, the longer an investor keeps their tokens dormant, the less likely they are to sell them at any point. As such, the LTHs with their long holding times are considered to include the resolute hands of the market that are unlikely to part with their coins.

That said, there are times when these diamond hands do take to selling. One major such selloff occurred in November of this year, as the chart shared by Moreno shows.

At the height of the Bitcoin LTH distribution in November, the 30-day sum of spending hit a record high of 1.55 million BTC. The analyst has pointed out, however, that this figure doesn’t tell the entire story.

The value of the LTH distribution doesn’t exclude sources that don’t correspond to economic transactions. For example, internal wallet moves. It turns out that such transfers skewed the market picture notably this time around. “A significant portion of LTH spending was due to exchange internal transactions,” explained Moreno.

According to CryptoQuant data, at least 0.65 million of the “HODLer selling” actually corresponded to internal wallet shuffling from cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. Thus, the distribution from the group didn’t quite reach the levels that could be considered as new records.

This wasn’t the first time that internal exchange transactions exaggerated LTH selling. As is visible in the chart, there was a sharp spike in Coinbase’s internal transfers of LTH-aged coins back in December 2018 as well.

While adjusting for internal Coinbase shuffling lessens the scale of the latest diamond hand selloff, it doesn’t quite eliminate it. The monthly LTH spending still hit a notable level of 0.9 million BTC at the peak in November.

The only time in the current cycle that the metric exceeded this mark was in December 2024. In fact, as the chart below displays, this selloff was the fifth highest on record.

The record for the highest amount of Bitcoin LTH selling is still maintained by August 2017, which witnessed 1.4 million BTC in movements from the cohort.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $93,800, up almost 7% in the last seven days.

Bitcoin opened the year trading above the $93,000 level, offering bulls a brief sense of relief after weeks of heavy consolidation and persistent selling pressure. The move higher suggests that buyers are still active at key demand zones and willing to defend prices above the psychological $90,000 mark. Short-term momentum has improved, and price action is stabilizing after the sharp drawdown seen late last year. However, despite this early show of strength, the broader market structure remains fragile.

Many analysts continue to warn that the dominant trend is still tilted to the downside. Bitcoin remains below several critical structural levels, and upside attempts have yet to invalidate the broader corrective phase. In this context, renewed volatility should not be ruled out, especially as liquidity conditions and on-chain behavior remain mixed.

Adding to this cautious outlook, top analyst Darkfost highlights a notable on-chain development: Galaxy Digital has moved more than 3,200 BTC in recent transactions. Large transfers from institutional entities often attract close scrutiny, as they can signal portfolio rebalancing, liquidity management, or preparation for market activity. While such movements do not automatically imply imminent selling, they tend to increase short-term uncertainty when the market is already sensitive.

Institutional Exchange Inflows Raise Short-Term Supply Risk

According to Darkfost’s analysis, a portion of the Bitcoin recently moved by Galaxy Digital has already reached major centralized exchanges, including Binance, Bybit, and Coinbase. Notably, roughly 560 BTC—worth close to $50 million—were transferred to exchanges in a single day. In on-chain terms, this type of movement is significant because transfers to exchanges typically increase the probability that coins are being prepared for sale, hedging, or liquidity provision.

In the current market context, these flows carry added weight. Bitcoin is attempting to stabilize above key psychological levels, but overall sentiment remains cautious, and liquidity conditions are still tight. When large holders send coins to exchanges during such phases, it often introduces short-term supply risk, as even partial selling can weigh on price if spot demand is not strong enough to absorb it.

However, it is important to avoid overinterpreting a single data point. Institutional entities like Galaxy Digital manage large, diversified strategies that can include OTC sales, derivatives hedging, or internal reallocations. Not all exchange inflows result in immediate spot selling. That said, the timing is notable: these transfers are occurring while Bitcoin is still struggling to reclaim major resistance levels.

From a market perspective, this behavior reinforces a cautious stance. It suggests that some large players may be taking advantage of the recent rebound to reduce exposure or manage risk, rather than aggressively accumulating. As a result, continued monitoring of exchange inflows and follow-through selling pressure will be critical in assessing whether this rebound can sustain or faces renewed downside pressure.

Bitcoin Consolidates As Bulls Test Structural Resistance

Bitcoin’s weekly chart shows a market attempting to stabilize after a sharp corrective phase, with price now consolidating around the $93,000–$94,000 zone. The recent rebound has allowed BTC to reclaim territory above the weekly 50-period moving average, which currently acts as short-term dynamic support. This recovery signals that buyers are still active, particularly after the late-2025 sell-off pushed price toward the $85,000–$88,000 region.

However, the structure remains mixed. Bitcoin is still trading below the declining weekly 100-period moving average, a level that has historically acted as a trend-defining resistance during transitional phases. The failure to reclaim this moving average on a weekly close suggests that bullish momentum, while improving, is not yet strong enough to confirm a full trend continuation.

The 200-period moving average remains far below the current price, reinforcing that the broader macro uptrend is intact, but near-term conditions remain fragile.

Volume has increased modestly during the rebound, indicating participation, though not at levels typically associated with strong breakout phases. This supports the view that the move higher may still be corrective rather than impulsive.

Bitcoin appears to be in a consolidation-to-recovery phase. Sustained acceptance above the $95,000–$100,000 zone would be required to shift the structure decisively bullish. Until then, price action suggests cautious optimism rather than confirmation of a renewed uptrend.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com