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Bitcoin is struggling to maintain strength above the $90,000 level after once again failing to break through the critical $94,000 resistance zone. What initially appeared to be a recovery attempt has gradually lost momentum, leaving BTC trapped in a broad consolidation range that has persisted since late November. Each push higher has been met with selling pressure, reinforcing the idea that bulls are losing control of the short-term trend.

Market sentiment remains fragile. Volatility has compressed, directional conviction is weak, and price action increasingly reflects indecision rather than accumulation. While long-term holders appear largely inactive, the absence of aggressive dip buying suggests that confidence across the broader market is still muted. This environment has created fertile ground for sharp reactions, but not yet for a sustainable trend reversal.

Crucially, on-chain data shows that retail investors are still missing in action. Measures tracking retail demand indicate continued weakness, highlighting that the recent stabilization in price has not been driven by renewed participation from smaller investors.

Historically, strong Bitcoin advances tend to coincide with rising retail involvement, as fresh demand reinforces upside momentum. Without that cohort returning, current price support looks increasingly vulnerable.

Retail Demand Remains Absent

According to data shared by Maartunn, Bitcoin’s 30-day change in Retail Investor Demand remains deeply negative, underscoring a critical weakness beneath the surface of current price action. In simple terms, the crowd has not returned to the market—at least not in a meaningful way.

Retail investors historically play a crucial role in sustaining bullish trends. They provide incremental demand, amplify momentum, and often arrive after periods of consolidation or early recoveries. When retail demand is expanding, price advances tend to be more durable. The opposite is also true. A persistently negative 30-day retail demand metric signals that smaller investors are either staying on the sidelines or continuing to reduce exposure.

This helps explain why Bitcoin’s recent attempts to reclaim higher levels have struggled. Without fresh retail inflows, upside moves rely almost entirely on larger players absorbing supply. That dynamic can support temporary bounces, but it often lacks the depth required for a sustained breakout.

From a risk perspective, weak retail participation also increases fragility. If price rallies into resistance without new demand entering the system, it becomes more vulnerable to pullbacks triggered by profit-taking or external shocks.

Until retail demand begins to recover and shift into positive territory, Bitcoin’s price action is likely to remain range-bound, with rallies facing structural headwinds rather than broad-based support.

Bitcoin Consolidates Below Key Resistance

Bitcoin’s lower-timeframe structure highlights a market that remains fragile despite recent recovery attempts. On the 4-hour chart, BTC is trading just below the $90,000 level after failing to sustain momentum above the $94,000–$95,000 zone earlier this month. That rejection marked a clear lower high, reinforcing the broader corrective structure that has been in place since late November.

From a trend perspective, price is oscillating around its short- and medium-term moving averages, with the 50-period and 100-period averages acting as dynamic resistance rather than support. Each push higher has been met with selling pressure, suggesting that upside liquidity is still being used as an exit rather than as confirmation of renewed demand. The 200-period moving average on this timeframe remains overhead, capping rallies and defining the upper boundary of the current range.

Structurally, Bitcoin is consolidating between roughly $87,000 and $92,000. This range reflects indecision rather than strength. While buyers have defended the lower boundary multiple times, the lack of follow-through above resistance signals exhaustion. Volume has also compressed compared to the November sell-off, indicating reduced participation and a lack of conviction on both sides.

Unless BTC can reclaim the $92,000–$94,000 region with strong volume and hold it as support, the current move remains a corrective bounce. A breakdown below the $87,000 support would likely reopen downside risk toward deeper liquidity levels, keeping short-term risk elevated.

Reece Merrick, Senior Executive Officer and Managing Director for the Middle East & Africa at Ripple, has revealed what’s coming for the ecosystem, highlighting developments that could have potential implications on the XRP price. Although XRP is rebounding and trading above $2, further improvements in its market dynamics and institutional engagement could strengthen its momentum and drive prices higher. 

Ripple Executive Reveals What’s Ahead For XRP

In an X post on Wednesday, Merrick gave a detailed perspective on where XRP is heading and why its role in global finance is expanding. The Ripple executive highlighted XRP’s continued role as a bridge asset connecting real-world finance with emerging digital markets. 

He stated that XRP is actively supporting stablecoins, Real-World Assets (RWAs), and institutional payment flows at scale. He also noted that these use cases show the cryptocurrency moving beyond theory and into practical financial infrastructure. 

In his post, Merrick emphasized that growing momentum in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) is amplifying institutional participation in XRP. He said that more corporate treasuries are now exploring the cryptocurrency as a reserve asset, signaling that adoption is still in an early phase. 

Merrick indicated that all these developments lay the foundation for XRP’s price outlook. By positioning the cryptocurrency at the center of global settlement and liquidity, increased institutional demand can drive stronger market dynamics that push the XRP price higher over time. Moreover, the Ripple executive believes these developments are just the beginning, suggesting more growth ahead for XRP. 

Notably, Merrick’s statements were issued in response to a broader discussion initiated by RippleX, the developer-focused arm of the crypto company. The thread explained XRP’s functional design and its role in global financial systems. RippleX emphasized that XRP is purpose-built for settlement and liquidity, not speculation. 

The team described the cryptocurrency as a neutral bridge that enables value movement across payment rails, stablecoins, tokenized assets, and collateral worldwide. RippleX also noted that XRP is among the few digital assets with clear regulatory standing in the United States and ranks within the top three cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. 

RippleX further highlighted that XRP has achieved its first institutional treasury through Evernorth, which has secured more than $1 billion in commitments. It also noted support from multiple spot ETF issuers, including Bitwise, Canary Capital, Franklin Templeton, and Grayscale.

How These Developments Could Drive The XRP Price

In his post, Merrick highlighted several bullish factors for XRP, including ETFs, settlements, institutional adoption, and RWAs. Each of these developments could support the XRP price in different ways. 

Firstly, ETFs could drive prices higher as investors buy more products to gain exposure to XRP without the typical security and regulatory risks. Analysts also theorize that a supply shock could occur, leading to a subsequent price spike as institutions absorb significant portions of XRP’s available supply. 

Institutional adoption through global settlements could also rapidly increase demand, possibly influencing price action. RWAs and stablecoins also create a new demand market for XRP, supporting potential upward price movement.

Speculation regarding a potential presidential pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former CEO and co-founder of crypto exchange FTX, intensified since former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao received clemency from President Donald Trump last year. 

However, a recent report by The New York Times indicates that Trump has firmly rejected the idea of pardoning Bankman-Fried, alongside other high-profile figures.

No Clemency For FTX Co-Founder

When questioned about the possibility of issuing presidential pardons for individuals such as Sean Combs, Nicolas Maduro, and Bankman-Fried, Trump made it clear that he had no intentions of granting clemency to these individuals. 

This news comes as the former crypto mogul continues to seek relief from his 25-year sentence for one of the largest financial frauds in modern history.

Bankman-Fried’s parents are reportedly working behind the scenes to lobby for a reduction in their son’s sentence. Despite these efforts, the extensive fallout from FTX’s collapse appears to have swayed Trump’s thinking against issuing a pardon.

In November 2023, Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven criminal counts, including fraud and conspiracy, resulting in a 25-year prison sentence and a mandate to repay $11 billion to FTX customers. 

His legal team stated back in November 2025 that their client had been “unfairly convicted,” claiming he was denied a fair opportunity to defend himself amid intense media scrutiny and prosecutorial pressure. 

“Sam Bankman-Fried was never presumed innocent,” they argued in their appeal. “He was presumed guilty—before he was even charged.”

 Bankman-Fried Pursues Legal Remedies

The situation drew further comparisons to Zhao’s case when, on October 23, the White House announced Trump had pardoned the Binance co-founder, who had previously pleaded guilty to charges two years earlier. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that the President was exercising his constitutional authority in pardoning Zhao, who faced prosecution by the Biden Administration amidst its regulatory actions against cryptocurrency.

However, the circumstances surrounding FTX’s dramatic collapse suggest that a pardon for the former FTX CEO is unlikely at this time. As it stands, Bankman-Fried remains focused on his legal options.

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

In a devastating blow for Ripple’s XRP, global asset management firm WisdomTree has announced the withdrawal of its Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) application. Notably, this move comes as XRP ETFs experience significant demand in the highly competitive ETF market. Moreover, the news has triggered a substantial decline in the altcoin’s price, which just recently began to recover from previous lows. 

Ripple’s XRP Declines As WisdomTree Abandons ETF 

XRP has faced a significant setback in its recent rally, as WisdomTree formally withdraws its registration for an ETF. Filed just over a month ago in December 2024, the asset manager has now requested the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to cancel its ETF application.

The news likely triggered the sharp decline in XRP’s price, erasing significant gains made earlier this week. WisdomTree’s filing with the US SEC confirmed that its planned ETF product would not proceed, despite months of coordination with regulators and exchanges and substantial costs invested in the project. 

Notably, the filing cited Rule 477 of Regulation C under the Securities Act of 1933 and clarified that no shares had been sold under the original registration. This means the planned product was effectively halted before it reached the market. 

Initially, WisdomTree’s XRP ETF was designed to provide regulated exposure to the token through shares listed on Cboe BZX. This structure followed a model similar to the asset manager’s previous Bitcoin ETF. Given that WisdomTree’s Spot Bitcoin ETF is among the most prominent and widely adopted US-based crypto products, its decision to withdraw its XRP ETF comes as a surprise. 

This move highlights the underlying difficulties of launching new crypto investment vehicles, even for firms with an established reputation and a track record of success in related products. Currently, competition in the XRP ETF market is fierce, and this could have been a contributing factor to WisdomTree’s exit. 

Several firms, including Grayscale, Canary Capital, Franklin Templeton, and Bitwise, are already capturing the majority of inflows, vying for liquidity in an increasingly crowded space. By stepping away from its XRP ETF plans, WisdomTree not only avoids this congestion but also strategically positions itself to recalibrate its next move in the crypto space. 

XRP ETFs See First Outflow Since Launch

Following WisdomTree’s withdrawal of its XRP ETF application, data from SoSovalue revealed significant outflows across four of the five available products. Daily total net inflows turned negative on January 7, recording an outflow of approximately $40.8 million. 

This marks the first outflow since XRP ETFs launched in Q4 2025, ending a streak of over 35 days of consistent inflows. Canary Capital, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and 21Shares all experienced major outflows. Only Grayscale recorded positive flows of about 0.13%, roughly $1.69 million. 

Cumulative net inflows into the XRP ETF also reached $1.25 billion on January 6, 2026. However, as of writing, this figure has fallen to $1.2 billion, reducing the market value by approximately $5 billion.

XRP is attempting to stabilize around the $2.10 level after suffering a sharp 12% retrace from its recent local highs. The pullback has cooled momentum and left the market searching for direction, with bulls struggling to regain control amid broader uncertainty across the crypto sector. While downside pressure has eased for now, price action remains indecisive, reflecting a fragile balance between buyers defending support and sellers taking advantage of recent strength.

Adding important context to this consolidation, a recent CryptoQuant analysis highlights a notable shift in XRP’s on-chain flow dynamics. Data tracking XRP movements to Binance shows that whales have continued to dominate exchange inflows, accounting for roughly 60.3% of total transfers, compared with 39.7% attributed to retail participants.

However, despite whales still representing the majority, their relative participation has been steadily declining since mid-December. This marks a clear change from November and early December, when whale activity peaked above 70% of total flows.

Historically, elevated whale inflows to exchanges are often associated with distribution or increased selling pressure. The gradual reduction in whale dominance suggests that large holders may be easing back from aggressive positioning following the recent correction.

Whale Flows Ease as XRP Searches for a Base

The CryptoQuant report highlights that the recent decline in whale flows to Binance has unfolded alongside a clear price correction in XRP. After peaking near the $3.20 area in late 2025, the average price has retraced toward the $2.26 zone, cooling speculative excess built during the prior rally. Historically, heavy whale inflows to exchanges tend to signal preparation for selling or redistribution. In that context, the gradual reduction in these flows suggests that large holders are, at least for now, stepping back from aggressive distribution.

This shift becomes more meaningful when contrasted with retail behavior. Data show that retail flow percentages have remained relatively stable since mid-December, with no sharp spike in exchange transfers. That stability implies an absence of panic selling among smaller participants, even as the price corrected. When both whales and retail investors refrain from escalating sell pressure simultaneously, market conditions often transition away from impulsive downside moves.

Taken together, this dynamic points toward a potential re-accumulation phase following XRP’s strong advance earlier in the cycle. While whale activity remains elevated in absolute terms, its declining share reduces the probability of a sudden, disorderly sell-off in the near term.

That said, this balance remains fragile. Any renewed surge in whale flows to Binance would quickly alter the outlook, serving as an early warning that distribution may be resuming and that downside risk is increasing again.

Price Struggles To Stabilize After Deep Retracement

XRP price action on the daily chart reflects a market still searching for balance after a sharp correction from late-2025 highs. Following the rejection near the $3.30–$3.40 region, XRP entered a sustained downtrend, printing a series of lower highs and lower lows. This structure remained intact through November and December, confirming persistent bearish pressure as price slipped below key moving averages.

Recently, XRP has attempted to stabilize around the $2.10 area, which is acting as a short-term demand zone. The bounce from sub-$1.90 lows suggests sellers are losing momentum, but the recovery remains technically weak. Price is still trading below the 50-day and 100-day moving averages, both of which are sloping downward and now represent dynamic resistance near the $2.40–$2.60 range. As long as XRP remains capped below these levels, upside moves are likely to face selling pressure.

Volume during the rebound has been relatively muted compared to the sell-off, indicating a lack of strong conviction from buyers. This supports the view that the current move is corrective rather than the start of a new trend. Structurally, XRP would need to reclaim and hold above the $2.50 zone to invalidate the broader bearish setup.

The chart suggests consolidation risk remains elevated. Failure to defend $2.00 decisively could reopen downside toward prior liquidity zones, while a clean break above moving-average resistance would be required to signal a meaningful shift in momentum.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Despite the recent pullback, the price of Bitcoin has managed to hold above the $91,000 level as the market shifts towards a volatile state once again. While BTC continues to face sideways movements, short-term holders remain underwater. However, a sharp bounce above a specific level could be a game-changer for these investors.

A Make-Or-Break Point For Bitcoin STHs Is Fast Approaching

Following the brief bounce on Monday, Bitcoin is closing in on a pivotal price zone that could reshape the sentiment and behavior of short-term BTC holders. This objective was disclosed by Alphractal, an advanced investment and on-chain data analytics platform, after examining the BTC Short-Term Holder NUPL (Net Unrealized Profit/Loss).

Related Reading: Bitcoin Value Days Destroyed Reaches Lowest Point Of The Current Cycle, A Structural Calm?

As the market approaches this threshold, On-chain measures indicate a change in attitude, with speculative capital starting to reevaluate risk, spending patterns shifting, and unrealized profits and losses constricting. The level signifies the zone where feeble hands may capitulate or re-enter the market with conviction.

According to the platform, the Bitcoin short-term holder NUPL has started to rise again and is currently heading toward the 0 level. Such a move toward the level indicates that the holders are moving to a break-even zone and are close to lowering their unrealized losses.

It is important to note that the area around the 0 level has historically served as a resistance for the short-term holder NUPL metric. However, a move into positive territory is only expected to occur if BTC breaks above and holds the $99,000 mark, which currently represents the short-term holder realized price.

Until that happens, the platform highlighted that the majority of short-term holders continue to operate at a loss. Interestingly, this will keep the market sensitive to volatility spikes and defensive profit-taking, especially from the group.

Whether the $99,000 level serves as a launchpad or a stress test, it is clear that Bitcoin’s path to this crucial area might completely change the near-term environment for both traders and short-term investors. 

BTC’s Bullish Movement Is Weak Because Of Investors’ Demand

Bitcoin quickly lost its renewed bullish momentum, and several reasons have been linked to why this happened. However, one of the key reasons that stands out strongly is the demand for the flagship crypto asset.

In a CryptoQuant Quicktake research, Caueconomy, a market expert and author, revealed that the demand for BTC is still weak and needs to recover. Despite the price of BTC recently rising to the $93,000 level, the expert noted that apparent on-chain demand is still low and requires a stronger comeback to sustain a return to $100,000.

Currently, demand for a return to on-chain movement has not yet shown clear signs of improvement due to the market’s low trading volume and still conflicting attitude. However, Caueconomy stated that this could happen now, with the end of the holiday period, as many investors are likely to reduce trading.

JPMorgan has moved its blockchain strategy into a new phase after confirming plans to deploy its proprietary digital dollar token on a public blockchain network. The development is part of how major banks are increasingly comfortable using public blockchain infrastructure, provided it can be adapted to meet institutional and regulatory requirements. 

Although the XRP Ledger ticks all the boxes required, JPMorgan’s leadership has gravitated toward Cronos as the environment best suited for expanding the real-world use of its in-house digital asset.

JPM Coin Steps Onto Public Blockchain Infrastructure

Digital Asset and Kinexys by J.P. Morgan, the global banking heavyweight, disclosed that its USD-backed deposit token, known as JPM Coin, will now be deployed on a public blockchain framework. 

JPM Coin is the first bank-issued USD-denominated deposit token fully backed by US dollar deposits held at the bank. The coin is designed for wholesale payments and settlements between institutional clients, and this provides the ability for transfers to be completed far faster than traditional banking rails.

Moving JPM Coin onto a public blockchain means that JPMorgan sees long-term value in shared infrastructure, especially as tokenized assets and on-chain settlement gain traction across global markets. The bank’s approach centers on efficiency and interoperability while still preserving strict controls around who can access and use the token.

Interestingly, J.P. Morgan’s leadership aligned around Cronos as the most suitable option for the deployment of JPM Coin on a public blockchain. Cronos offers compatibility with existing smart contract standards, established tooling, and an ecosystem already familiar to institutions experimenting with tokenized assets and payments. 

According to the press release, by bringing JPM Coin natively to Canton, Digital Asset and Kinexys by J.P. Morgan are laying the foundation for regulated, interoperable digital money that can move quickly across financial markets. 

Under the terms of the collaboration, Digital Asset and JPMorgan plan a phased integration through 2026, starting with the technical and operational groundwork needed to support the issuance, transfer, and near-instant redemption of JPM Coin directly on Canton. Later phases may include introducing additional products, including J.P. Morgan’s Blockchain Deposit Accounts, to expand the offerings.

Direction Of Bank-Led Blockchain Adoption

JPMorgan’s recent move shows how major financial institutions are selectively embracing public blockchains, and this is a reflection of the growth of the entire crypto ecosystem. Interestingly, this blockchain expansion comes against the backdrop of growing internal discussions at JPMorgan about deeper involvement in digital assets. 

Recent reports show that the bank is already evaluating whether its markets division should begin offering cryptocurrency trading services to institutional clients. 

The internal review reportedly includes potential spot trading as well as derivatives exposure tied to digital assets, pointing to a wider reassessment of how crypto fits into JPMorgan’s business. Although the company is already involved in crypto-related initiatives, this would be the first time it will be directly involved.

The explosive rise of Solana meme coins has reshaped speculative crypto trading, but a growing segment of analysts now argues that a similar — and potentially more efficient — rotation could be forming around the XRP Ledger. In a recent market commentary, one analyst went further by pointing to select XRP meme coins as potential high-beta opportunities, particularly for investors looking to amplify exposure without rotating into already overheated assets.

Why Analysts Foresee An XRP Meme Coin Takeover

On January 6, 2026, the analyst outlined an investment approach for XRP meme coins that prioritizes capital efficiency and market dynamics, highlighting tokens where strategic positioning can maximize potential returns. He cited the Solana meme coin surge as a reference point, where low transaction costs, rapid execution, and strong community-driven momentum allowed small-cap tokens to deliver outsized returns within compressed timeframes.

The argument now shifts to the XRP Ledger, which offers similar transactional advantages but with a critical distinction: XRPL-based meme coins remain far less crowded and are still trading at comparatively lower valuations. This imbalance, according to the analyst, creates a potential window for capital rotation into ecosystems with room for rapid price expansion.

As XRP’s spot price appreciates, many retail participants find it increasingly difficult to accumulate large positions. The proposed workaround is strategic rotation — reallocating smaller XRP holdings into XRPL-native meme tokens that historically exhibit sharper percentage moves during speculative phases. In such conditions, XRPL meme coins can act as leveraged proxies to broader XRP sentiment, allowing traders to synthetically increase exposure without additional capital.

Best XRP Meme Coins To Invest In

The analyst’s approach focuses on capital efficiency rather than long-term token holding. He argues that during active meme cycles, reallocating a relatively small XRP position into select XRPL meme coins can significantly increase exposure. In practical terms, he suggests that pushing roughly $2,000 into a basket of high-momentum XRPL meme tokens could realistically scale into $10,000 if meme liquidity turns aggressive. The objective is not to hold meme assets indefinitely, but to convert short-term price acceleration back into a larger XRP position.

The analyst went further to spotlight a handful of XRPL meme coins that currently combine visibility, liquidity, and community traction — factors that tend to matter more than fundamentals in speculative markets. $DROP stands out as an early and recognizable XRPL meme, often attracting liquidity first when sentiment shifts. $ARMY relies on strong community coordination, which can accelerate price movement during hype-driven phases. $FUZZY benefits from simple, character-based branding that appeals quickly to retail traders, while $PHNIX leverages a resurgence narrative that aligns with broader optimism around the XRP Ledger.

By investing in these XRP meme tokens, the analyst believes investors can amplify their XRP exposure. The opportunity lies in timing and execution, leveraging momentum to potentially turn smaller capital allocations into significantly larger positions, rather than relying on gradual large-cap price appreciation.

As the year begins, Ethereum has displayed notable bullish performance. However, the recent strength of ETH is not only reflected in its price action. On-chain data also shows that the ETH network has sharply picked up pace this new year, with adoption and usage reaching historical levels.

Ethereum Crosses Major TVL Landmark

The Ethereum network is making a powerful statement across the dynamic cryptocurrency and blockchain sector just a few days into the new year. A recent report from Leon Waidmann, a market expert and On-Chain Foundation’s head of research, has outlined a new milestone for the leading blockchain network.

As seen in the chart, the network has crossed a significant landmark in application Total Value Locked (TVL), which reflects its expanding role as a foundation for Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Web3 innovation. ETH’s total application TVL has now surpassed the $300 billion mark.

This new increase in TVL is likely due to fresh investment in DeFi protocols, liquid staking systems, and on-chain apps that are based on Ethereum’s strong infrastructure. A figure of this magnitude signals a surge in user confidence, growing utility, and a maturing ecosystem that is steadily attracting both developers and institutional investors. 

With the latest milestone in app TVL, the Ethereum network is not only demonstrating present strength but also solidifying its standing as a major hub for value creation and on-chain activities. According to the expert, this figure matters more than it may seem. It is a sign that capital is actively used within unchain applications.

Ethereum’s growth in DeFi, stablecoins, Real World Assets (RWAs), and staking indicates real economic activity, surpassing other major networks. Waidmann highlighted that liquidity often follows depth, and yet the deepest pools are found in ETH.

Developers follow composability, and the network is becoming the hub for the richest set of developers. Furthermore, institutions that follow predictability are heavily found in the ETH network. Lastly, Ethereum has become the center for new apps, which follow users and capital.

A New Level Of Network Activity For ETH

Ethereum’s performance has picked up pace, and the main network activity has experienced a dramatic surge. In another X post, Waidamann disclosed that the activity of the ETH main network is at a new all-time high, signaling renewed confidence across the ecosystem.

Data shared by Waidmann shows that the daily transactions conducted on the network on a daily basis has now reached 2 million. At the same time, the total number of active wallet addresses per day on the blockchain rose sharply, reaching between 500,000 and 600,000.

In addition to demonstrating Ethereum’s supremacy as a leading smart contract platform, this surge in transactions and active addresses also shows expanding practical use at a time when network principles are more important than ever.

Should the network maintain the substantial wave of adoption, the expert believes that this renewed conviction could extend toward ETH’s price action. “It’s just a matter of time until the price catches up,” Waidmann stated.