源聚合

Руководитель отдела исследований цифровых активов банка Standard Chartered Джеффри Кендрик (Geoffrey Kendrick) снизил собственные ожидания от курса SOL — с $310 до $250 на конец 2026 года. Однако повысил долгосрочный прогноз на криптовалюту: $2000 к концу 2030 года.  

The fight for prediction market supremacy just took a bizarre, domestic turn.

With weekly volume smashing past $400 million, platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are getting aggressive.

We’re talking user acquisition strategies that include sweepstakes for free groceries. It’s a massive pivot for crypto derivatives: they aren’t just selling niche political bets anymore; they’re targeting the very real anxiety of the average consumer, inflation and household costs.

Polymarket has effectively owned offshore betting volume for ages (especially around the U.S. election). But Kalshi’s recent regulatory wins in the States have forced a change in tactics. By gamifying economic indicators, basically letting you hedge the price of eggs, these platforms are trying to bridge the gap between crypto-native speculators and mainstream retail users.

That matters. The explosion in prediction markets proves retail capital is actively hunting for high-engagement, gamified products rather than passive investment vehicles.

Simple ‘hold’ strategies? Boring. Investors demand participation, competition, and immediate feedback loops. This hunger for high-stakes finance is spilling over from binary markets into the meme coin sector.

That’s exactly where projects like Maxi Doge ($MAXI) are stepping in to rethink how retail handles volatility.

Buy your $MAXI here.

Retail Craves The Grind: Gamifying Leverage and Volatility

Prediction markets validate a core thesis: traders are looking for a gym, not a bank. Maxi Doge ($MAXI) leans hard into this behavioral shift, positioning itself as the ‘Leverage King’ of the meme sector. Unlike traditional meme tokens that rely on vague vibes, $MAXI embodies the 1000x leverage mindset, branding itself as a ‘240-lb canine juggernaut’ designed for traders who love the grind.

Frankly, this solves a major headache for retail. Small traders usually lack the conviction (and capital) of whales, making big returns tough without insane risk. Maxi Doge fixes this by institutionalizing the hustle. Through Holder-Only Trading Competitions, the project gamifies market participation.

Top ROI hunters compete for leaderboard rewards, turning the solitary act of staring at charts into a community spectator sport.

The ecosystem backs this up with a ‘Maxi Fund’ treasury dedicated to liquidity and strategic partnerships. By tapping into viral ‘gym-bro’ humor, ‘Never skip leg-day, never skip a pump’, the project speaks the same language as the crowd currently flocking to high-frequency prediction markets.

It’s a pivot from passive community building to active financial combat, appealing to users who want their tokens to work as hard as they do.

Explore the Maxi Doge presale.

Smart Money Rotation and Whale Accumulation Data

While the big platforms fight over grocery giveaways, on-chain data shows sophisticated capital is quietly positioning itself in early-stage assets that offer yield alongside speculative upside.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has seen substantial inflows, with the official presale raising over $4.5M to date. Right now, the entry price sits at $0.0002802, a level early backers are locking in before the broader market potentially reprices risk assets post-election.

This consolidation suggests that whales are hunting for exposure to projects that mix meme virality with sustainable tokenomics, like the Maxi Doge staking protocol.

The project offers dynamic APY through a daily automatic smart contract distribution (funded by a reserved 5% staking pool). This mechanism encourages long-term holding even while the culture screams ‘trade aggressively,’ creating a balance between velocity and stability.

As the ERC-20 token preps for the wider market, the convergence of high-leverage culture and verified whale accumulation points to a project effectively capturing the current ‘high-risk, high-reward’ energy.

Visit the $MAXI presale page.

The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments, including meme tokens and prediction markets, carry high risks. Always conduct your own due diligence.

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee just stepped into the line of fire. His mission? Defending Bitmine’s staggering $6.6B unrealized loss on Ethereum. While that figure is startling, roughly the GDP of a small nation, Lee argues it’s not capitulation. It’s a ‘technical and time-based bottom.’

Basically, he sees this massive drawdown as a lagging indicator of the bear market we’re leaving behind, not a warning of what’s ahead. Why does this matter? When veterans like Lee defend underwater positions, it usually signals a shift from ‘risk-off’ to aggressive accumulation.

The market seems to have absorbed the worst liquidation shocks. But let’s be honest, that $6.6B hole highlights a glaring structural weakness: liquidity fragmentation. Big players often get stuck in siloed environments, unable to move capital efficiently without getting hit by massive slippage. It’s a mess.

While legacy giants weather the valuation storm, new infrastructure is emerging to fix the rigidity trapping their capital. As the market recovers, eyes are turning to Layer 3 (L3) protocols designed to stitch these fractured ecosystems back together.

That’s where LiquidChain ($LIQUID) comes in, a project aiming to dissolve the walls between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

Buy your $LIQUID here.

Unifying Liquidity in a Fragmented Market

The headache plaguing DeFi (and hurting portfolios like Bitmine’s) is simple: you can’t trade seamlessly across chains. Moving value from Bitcoin’s vault to Solana’s high-speed racetrack usually involves risky bridges, wrapped assets, and counterparty exposure.

LiquidChain isn’t just another bridge; it’s positioning itself as a ‘Cross-Chain Liquidity Layer’ to cut through that friction.

The project uses a ‘Single-Step Execution’ model. Instead of forcing you to lock assets on Chain A to mint synthetics on Chain B, the protocol fuses liquidity from BTC, ETH, and SOL into one environment. For traders, that means accessing deep liquidity without the nightmare of managing five different wallets or trusting centralized middlemen.

Under the hood, the architecture relies on ‘Verifiable Settlement.’ Execution happens instantly on the LiquidChain L3, but finality is anchored securely. By creating a unified venue for liquidity staking, LiquidChain tackles the capital inefficiency leaving billions dormant in isolated silos.

Explore the LiquidChain ecosystem.

The Developer Advantage: Write Once, Deploy Everywhere

But liquidity is only half the battle. Long-term survival depends on devs. Right now, cross-chain development is a grind, teams have to juggle Rust (Solana), Solidity (Ethereum), and Bitcoin Script.

That fragmentation kills innovation and creates massive security blind spots.

LiquidChain solves this with a ‘Deploy-Once Architecture’ powered by a Cross-Chain VM. Developers can build apps that interact with assets across all chains without rewriting smart contracts for every environment.

Imagine a DeFi protocol that taps into Bitcoin’s trillion-dollar capital base and Solana’s sub-second speeds simultaneously. That’s the goal.

This shifts the focus from bridging assets to bridging applications. If Tom Lee is right and we’re at a technical bottom, the next cycle will be defined by interoperability plays that actually reduce friction. LiquidChain wants to be the engine room for that era, backing developers ready to build on unified infrastructure.

$LIQUID is available here.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Crypto assets are high-risk; always conduct independent due diligence before investing.

Elon Musk’s xAI is seeking people who know crypto markets well to teach its machines how to think about money on blockchains. The role is aimed at bringing real market know-how into AI training, a move that mixes finance skills with data work.

Reports note the job is remote and will focus on helping models learn about trading patterns, on-chain signals, and risk steps traders use every day.

XAI Hires Crypto Specialists

According to multiple reports, xAI listed a “Finance Expert — Crypto” role that asks for deep market experience. Applicants are expected to explain complex events in plain terms, mark up real examples, and create training material the AI can learn from.

The work will include reviewing model answers and pointing out where the model missed the point. Some tasks may be audio or video explanations, while others will be written notes and annotated datasets.

Why The Move Matters

Based on reports, this is more than hiring a consultant. xAI wants people who can break down how liquidity shifts, how on-chain flows matter, and how traders behave under stress.

That kind of expertise is rare, so the company is casting a wide net. Reports say pay could range from about $45 to $100 per hour depending on experience and the exact duties. This shows xAI is willing to pay for usable market knowledge, but the pay band has already sparked talk online.

A Broader Push Into Finance

Reports have disclosed xAI’s timing is tied to bigger plans inside Musk’s orbit. The company recently moved closer to the space side of his companies through a deal that was reported as large and strategic.

Observers point out that combining compute, data, and market know-how could let models handle finance questions better than before. That does not mean the model will give trading tips on demand, but it does mean the AI could be taught to read complex signals and explain them in a way a human might.

How Experts Might Work With The Model

Those hired will likely spend time sorting real trades, flagging outliers, and teaching the AI to spot when markets are moving for structural reasons versus short-term noise.

The tasks will rely on a mix of market charts, on-chain evidence, and plain speech. In some cases an expert’s take will be used to label training examples so the AI learns to weigh clues correctly.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Экономист, профессор Нью-Йоркского университета Нуриэль Рубини (Nouriel Roubini), получивший прозвище «Доктор Дум», заявил, что криптовалютный рынок ждет апокалипсис. Преподаватель назвал крипторынок инструментом преступности и коррупции, не имеющим реальных сфер применения.

The rumor mill regarding Nvidia potentially directing up to $20 billion toward OpenAI represents more than just a boardroom handshake. It signals a fundamental shift in how the market values artificial intelligence infrastructure.

While the exact figures of ongoing funding rounds fluctuate, OpenAI recently closed a massive round valuing the company at $157B with Nvidia’s participation, the headline numbers underscore a critical reality. The ‘AI Supercycle’ is fully capitalized.

Smart money, however, is looking past the hardware layer. That matters because massive infrastructure spending historically precedes an explosion in the application layer.

Think back to the dot-com era: fiber optic cables laid the groundwork, but the apps built on top captured the user base. Nvidia’s chips are effectively paving the way for consumer-facing AI platforms.

This disparity between trillion-dollar infrastructure valuations and nascent AI-crypto projects suggests a repricing event is imminent, especially for protocols that can successfully bridge these two worlds.

Here’s the bottleneck: monetization. While Big Tech controls the models, the creators using them are often stifled by centralized platforms taking cut-throat fees. This disconnect has created a vacuum for decentralized solutions that merge AI utility with Web3 incentives.

As capital rotates from infrastructure to application, projects like SUBBD Token ($SUBBD) are emerging to capture the spillover, offering a decentralized alternative that empowers the $85 billion content creation industry.

Buy $SUBBD here.

Democratizing The $85 Billion Creator Economy With AI

The intersection of AI and the creator economy is fertile ground for disruption. Why? Because the incumbent model is frankly broken.

Platforms like OnlyFans or Patreon charge fees ranging from 20% to 50%, while retaining the right to ban creators arbitrarily. SUBBD Token ($SUBBD) addresses this friction by integrating Web3 sovereignty with high-end AI tools, effectively lowering fees while upgrading the creator’s toolkit.

What distinguishes SUBBD from generic AI tokens? It’s the laser focus on workflow automation. The platform integrates an AI Personal Assistant to handle automated interactions and uses proprietary models for AI Voice Cloning and AI Influencer creation.

This allows creators to scale their output without increasing their workload, a ‘force multiplier’ effect that centralized platforms usually charge premiums for.

Tokenomics-wise, the utility is direct. The ecosystem uses $SUBBD for token-gated exclusive content, tipping, and PPV (Pay-Per-View) access. By anchoring the token to actual platform revenue, subscription models, NFT sales, and AI tool access, the project moves beyond speculative value.

For the content creator facing de-platforming risks or excessive fees, SUBBD offers a sanctuary that combines the censorship resistance of Ethereum with the cutting-edge capabilities of generative AI.

Explore the SUBBD Token ecosystem.

Presale Data Points To Shift Toward Utility-First AI Assets

Market sentiment is shifting. Traders are favoring projects that offer tangible yields over governance-only tokens. The internal metrics for SUBBD Token reflect this appetite for utility. The project has successfully raised over $1.47M in its ongoing presale, a figure that suggests significant retail and whale interest despite broader market volatility.

Currently priced at $0.05749, the token offers an entry point that stands in stark contrast to the inflated valuations of established AI protocols. But the most compelling data point for long-term holders might be the staking structure. The protocol offers a fixed 20% APY for the first year to users who lock their tokens.

This incentivizes supply shock dynamics early in the token’s lifecycle. Ideally, this reduces sell pressure once the token lists on public exchanges.

Beyond the raw yield, staking unlocks tier-based benefits, including XP multipliers and access to exclusive ‘HoneyHive’ governance events. This gamified approach to liquidity retention aligns with the broader trend of ‘Sticky DeFi,’ where users are rewarded for duration rather than just volume.

As Nvidia and OpenAI continue to drive the macro narrative for AI adoption, the micro-cap opportunities lie in platforms like SUBBD that successfully productize that technology for the end user.

Visit the $SUBBD presale page.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrencies, particularly presale tokens and AI-related assets, are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always perform your own due diligence.

Гендиректор Bitcoin Bond Company и ведущий подкаста Bitcoin for Corporations Пьер Рошар (Pierre Rochard) назвал альткоины «бравадой и клоунадой», призвав власти США сосредоточиться исключительно на развитии биткоина.

As negotiations continue in Washington over the crypto market structure legislation known as the CLARITY Act, New York’s top law enforcement officials are now turning their attention to a bill that has already become law. 

Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a group of senior prosecutors is raising concerns about the GENIUS Act, the first major US crypto law focused on regulating stablecoins.

Alleged Regulatory Gaps In Crypto Law 

According to a report from CNN, James joined four district attorneys, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in warning lawmakers that the GENIUS Act fails to adequately protect victims of financial crime. 

In a letter to Congress, the prosecutors argue that the law gives what they describe as an “imprimatur of legitimacy” to stablecoins, while allowing issuing companies to sidestep critical regulatory obligations needed to combat terrorism financing, drug trafficking, money laundering, and, in particular, cryptocurrency fraud.

A central concern for the prosecutors is not what the GENIUS Act includes, but what it leaves out. They argue that the law does not require stablecoin issuers to return stolen funds to victims of fraud. This omission, they say, risks encouraging harmful behavior. 

In their view, the lack of a clear legal obligation could embolden stablecoin companies to retain stolen assets rather than cooperate fully with law enforcement efforts to make victims whole. The prosecutors warned that this gap may effectively provide legal cover for firms that choose to keep control of stolen funds.

Tether Rejects Allegations

The letter singles out the two largest stablecoin issuers, Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC), claiming both have hindered efforts to seize and return illicit funds, while continuing to profit from activity that prosecutors say remains widespread in stablecoin markets. 

The prosecutors allege that the company has used this power inconsistently and primarily in coordination with federal law enforcement, rather than in response to state or local actions.

As a result, they argue, many victims have little chance of recovering stolen funds once assets are converted into USDT. The letter states that funds moved into USDT are often never frozen, seized, or returned, and that Tether currently decides on a case‑by‑case basis whether to assist in recovery efforts.

Tether responded to CNN by strongly rejecting the suggestion that it tolerates illicit activity. The company said it takes fraud, consumer harm, and misuse of USDT extremely seriously and maintains a zero‑tolerance policy toward criminal behavior. 

Circle Faces Sharper Scrutiny

The prosecutors’ criticism of Circle, the second‑largest stablecoin issuer, is even sharper. Circle is publicly traded and based in New York, and the letter acknowledges that the company presents itself as a partner in the fight against financial crime. 

However, the prosecutors argue that Circle’s policies are “significantly worse than those of Tether” when it comes to helping victims recover stolen funds.

They allege that even when Circle agrees to freeze assets linked to fraud, it typically retains control of those funds rather than returning them to victims or law enforcement. 

By holding the underlying reserves, the prosecutors say, Circle continues to earn interest, creating what they describe as a “crystal clear” financial incentive to delay or deny fund returns. 

Circle pushed back against these claims in a statement to CNN. Dante Disparte, the company’s chief strategy officer, said Circle has consistently prioritized financial integrity and the advancement of strong regulatory standards in the US and globally. 

He argued that the crypto law clearly requires stablecoin issuers to follow applicable rules to combat illicit activity while also strengthening consumer protections. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Руководитель отдела исследований компании Bitwise Райан Расмуссен (Кyan Rasmussen) заявил, что биткоин сможет продемонстрировать новый исторический максимум цены уже к концу года.

После запуска обновления Fusaka в сети Эфириума объем «криптопылевых транзакций» со стейблкоинами вырос в два–три раза, сообщили аналитики компании Coin Metrics. Они проанализировали более 227 млн обновлений кошельков с USDC и USDT с ноября по январь.

В США ищут 84‑летнюю мать телеведущей программы Today Саванны Гатри (Savannah Guthrie) по имени Нэнси (Nancy Guthrie). Пожилая женщина пропала, а спустя несколько дней неизвестные прислали сообщение с требованием многомиллионного выкупа в биткоинах за освобождение похищенной.

XRP has entered a critical phase after losing the $1.80 level and sliding toward the $1.60 zone, where price is now attempting to find short-term support. The move comes amid broader weakness across the crypto market, but XRP’s structure shows an additional layer of stress that goes beyond spot price action. According to a recent report from CryptoQuant, the derivatives side of the XRP market is undergoing a sharp contraction in leverage, signaling a meaningful shift in trader behavior.

Data shows that open interest across all XRP derivatives platforms has fallen to roughly 902 million, marking its lowest level since 2024. This is a stark contrast to conditions seen during 2025, when open interest consistently hovered between 2.5 and 3.0 billion. The magnitude of this decline suggests that leverage is being actively unwound rather than merely rotating between exchanges, pointing to a broader risk-off adjustment.

Such contractions often reflect a market that is de-risking after extended volatility. With fewer leveraged positions in play, price movements tend to become slower but more deliberate, as speculative excess is flushed out. As XRP tests the $1.60 area, analysts are closely watching whether this leverage reset lays the groundwork for stabilization—or signals deeper downside still ahead.

Leverage Reset Signals a Potential Base-Building Phase

The report adds important color by breaking down where the leverage reduction is taking place. On Binance, open interest in XRP derivatives has fallen to around 458 million. While this figure remains above the levels observed last December, it still represents a sharp contraction from the highs seen earlier in the cycle.

Crucially, this decline on Binance mirrors what is happening across other major trading venues, reinforcing the view that the market is undergoing a broad deleveraging phase rather than a simple migration of positions between exchanges.

From a structural standpoint, this matters. When open interest compresses simultaneously across platforms, it typically reflects traders actively reducing risk and closing leveraged exposure. This kind of environment often precedes periods of price consolidation, as the market digests prior volatility and searches for a new equilibrium. In past cycles, these phases have frequently led to the formation of base structures, particularly when selling pressure fades and volatility compresses.

Looking ahead, analysts note that any recovery in open interest will be critical to monitor. A rebound in leverage that coincides with improving price momentum could serve as an early signal that a new trend is developing.

For now, however, the drop in open interest to its lowest level since 2024 points to a clear market cleanup. While this reset may appear quiet on the surface, it can provide a healthier foundation for future moves—provided risk management remains front and center in the next phase of XRP’s market evolution.

XRP Price Showing Weakness

XRP price action continues to reflect structural weakness as the asset trades decisively below its key moving averages and tests the $1.60 zone for support. The chart shows a clear transition from a prior uptrend into a sustained downtrend, marked by lower highs and lower lows since the October peak near the $3.50–$3.60 region. Momentum has steadily deteriorated, with each rebound failing below the declining short- and medium-term moving averages, signaling persistent seller control.

The loss of the $1.80 level is technically significant. This zone previously acted as a consolidation base and demand area, but the clean breakdown suggests that buyers have stepped aside rather than aggressively defending the price. XRP is now trading below the 50-day and 100-day moving averages, while the 200-day moving average above continues to slope downward, reinforcing a bearish medium-term structure.

Volume remains relatively muted compared to earlier distribution phases, which aligns with the derivatives data showing a contraction in leverage rather than panic-driven liquidation. This supports the view that the current move is more of a controlled unwind than a capitulation event.

As long as price holds the $1.55–$1.60 region, XRP may attempt to stabilize and form a base. However, a failure to hold this area would expose the market to a deeper retracement toward prior demand zones near $1.30–$1.40.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Cardano’s ADA token has slipped out of the crypto top 10 by market capitalization, a symbolic shift as newer platforms attract attention and capital.

Related Reading: Hong Kong Prepares To Grant Limited Batch Of Stablecoin Licenses In March – Report

While ADA struggles with price pressure and political controversy around crypto regulation, Hyperliquid’s HYPE token has surged sharply, underscoring how quickly market leadership can change in the current cycle.

The contrast accentuates diverging narratives, one centered on governance and ideology, the other on rapid product expansion and trader demand.

Hyperliquid Rally Fueled by New Market Design

HYPE jumped more than 20% after the HyperCore team backed HIP-4, a proposal that introduces “outcome trading” to the protocol. The move pushes Hyperliquid beyond its core perpetual futures offering into event-based contracts, a category that includes prediction markets and bounded outcome instruments.

Following the announcement, HYPE reached its highest price since late November 2025, with trading volume climbing to around $1 billion. Open interest on the platform has also expanded, reflecting rising participation.

The proposal is currently live on testnet and is expected to launch with fully collateralized contracts that avoid leverage and liquidations, differentiating them from traditional derivatives.

The timing aligns with broader growth in prediction markets. Industry data shows monthly trading volume in the sector hit a record in January, driven by platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.

Cardano (ADA) Faces Price Pressure and Political Headwinds

While Hyperliquid gains momentum, Cardano has faced a different set of challenges. ADA dropped around 7% following public comments from founder Charles Hoskinson criticizing the proposed US “Clarity Act,” which aims to define regulatory oversight between the SEC and CFTC.

Hoskinson argued the bill favors banks and centralized custodians, warning it could undermine decentralized finance. These remarks reignited debate over Cardano’s positioning as a values-driven project at a time when parts of the industry are moving closer to traditional finance.

Although Cardano continues to emphasize research-led development, decentralized governance, and long-term infrastructure upgrades, market sentiment has been less forgiving in the short term.

Shifting Rankings Reflect Changing Priorities

ADA’s exit from the top 10 does not signal the end of the project, but it does reflect changing investor priorities. Tokens tied to fast-growing use cases and near-term trading activity are gaining ground, while slower-moving platforms face tougher scrutiny.

Related Reading: Strategy Announces New Buy Even As Crash Threatens Cost Basis: 855 Bitcoin Added

Currently, Hyperliquid’s rise and Cardano’s slide illustrate a market increasingly driven by execution speed and product relevance rather than legacy status alone.

Cover image from ChatGPT, ADAUSD chart on Tradingview

Ripple says more than AED 1 billion (over $280 million) of certified polished diamonds held in the United Arab Emirates have been tokenized on the XRP Ledger, in a deal that ties a high-value physical inventory to on-chain issuance, custody, and (eventually) secondary-market rails.

The initiative, announced Tuesday by Billiton Diamond and Ctrl Alt, is pitched as an end-to-end tokenization effort for certified polished diamond inventory in the Dubai market, one that is designed to make provenance, grading, and ownership history verifiable before a transaction, while compressing settlement and operational workflows that have historically relied on offline certification and paper-heavy transfer processes.

XRP Ledger Powers Dubai Tokenization Push

According to the companies’ press release, Ctrl Alt has already tokenized more than AED 1 billion in diamonds, with tokens minted on the XRP Ledger. The partners said the network was selected for “fast settlement, low fees, and scalable architecture,” while the tokenized assets are secured through Ripple’s “enterprise-grade custody technology.”

Reece Merrick framed the move as a proof point that custody and auditability are central to institutional-grade commodity tokenization. “This initiative shows how Ripple’s technology can bridge the gap between physical assets and the digital economy, utilising our enterprise-grade custody solution to secure high-value diamond assets with unrivalled trust and security,” Merrick wrote on X.

He added that the firms were “providing the infrastructure needed to move physical commodities on-chain at scale,” calling it “a significant leap forward for the future of commodities tokenization.” Notably, the firms first announced their partnership in July last year.

Billiton, which the release describes as a leader in rough diamond auctions using a Vickrey auction model, said the collaboration is intended to expand into tokenized polished diamond sales phases. The planned platform would embed real-time inventory management and certification data on-chain, enabling verification of origin, grading, and ownership history before trades.

The firms also pointed to future “secondary market readiness” workstreams: custody, transfer, and market participation, implying the tokens are being structured not just as a digitized record, but as infrastructure for distribution.

The press release said the next stages are subject to regulatory approval by Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) prior to launch. That detail matters: the partners are explicitly positioning the effort as compliant market infrastructure, not a one-off proof of concept.

Jamal Akhtar argued the core unlock is liquidity and time-to-cash in a market where diamonds have traditionally been operationally complex to finance and transfer.

“This partnership transforms polished diamonds from a traditionally illiquid asset class into a transparent, investable digital asset that supports manufacturers, brands, and investors alike,” Akhtar said. “Tokenization introduces an unprecedented level of transparency, unlocking the potential for new liquidity, shortening working capital cycles for manufacturers and traders, and opening the door to seamless global participation in Dubai’s growing luxury ecosystem.”

The announcement also credits DMCC with connecting stakeholders and helping build the ecosystem for diamond tokenization, with Ahmed Bin Sulayem describing DMCC as a “bridge between commodities, capital and next-generation digital markets,” and pointing to coordination with VARA as part of the framework underpinning the rollout.

Ctrl Alt’s Robert Farquhar said: “‍Billiton needed robust, institutional-grade infrastructure to handle the complexity and scale of its polished diamond supply. Our proven tokenization expertise and technology provide a clear, secure, and compliant route for diamond ownership to move on-chain, from asset origination to digital market participation. This establishes a more accessible and operationally efficient model for commodity investment in the UAE.”

At press time, XRP traded at $1.60.

A surprise uptick in a key factory gauge has traders rethinking risk, while crypto watchers debate whether Bitcoin will ride a fresh wave higher or stay stuck in a drawdown.

The ISM Manufacturing PMI rose into expansion territory in January, and that single data point has set off a flurry of takes from market strategists and crypto analysts alike.

ISM Manufacturing Signals Shift

According to the Institute for Supply Management, the PMI clocked in at 52.6 for January. That number crosses the line that separates contraction from growth.

For investors who watch signals closely, a move like that can mean money starts flowing back into assets seen as higher risk.

“Past breakouts in 2013, 2016, and 2020 served as key catalysts for Bitcoin’s major bull runs,” Strive vice president of Bitcoin strategy, Joe Burnett, said.

The Fed will notice. A stronger manufacturing print changes the debate about inflation and rate policy. Traders price in the chance of tighter policy when growth looks solid.

At the same time, some economists point out manufacturing is only one piece of the puzzle. Services, employment, and consumer demand also matter. Reports note the index reading was the best since August 2022, which makes it notable on its own.

One of the longest ISM Manufacturing PMI contraction periods in U.S. history ended this morning with a breakout to 52.6, up 4.7 points from December.

Past breakouts in 2013, 2016, and 2020 served as key catalysts for Bitcoin’s major bull runs.

This ends 26 consecutive months of…

— Joe Burnett, MSBA (@IIICapital) February 2, 2026

Bitcoin Price Action And Market Mood

Bitcoin’s price has been choppy. After hitting a high above $125,000 late last year, it tumbled and then bounced into the $78,000 area. Reports say the drop followed a major liquidation event and a string of macro shocks that pushed investors toward safe assets.

Some buyers are taking the dip as an entry point. Others remain on the sidelines. Correlations with stock tech names have been strong, which means Bitcoin has behaved more like a risk asset than a digital gold in recent months.

A few traders argue rising PMI readings often precede “risk-on” periods, when speculative bets return. Still, this link is not ironclad. Bitcoin’s moves are shaped by liquidity flows, ETF money in and out, geopolitical flare-ups, and crypto-specific events. The market is being pushed from several directions at once.

Whom To Trust On Forecasts

Institutional voices are splintered. Based on reports from various firms, estimates range from cautious to wildly optimistic. One firm projects a post-crash rally that could send prices well above current levels by year-end.

Another research house warns of more retracement before any sustained upswing. A large institutional player declined to peg a number at all, calling the environment too chaotic to forecast with confidence.

That kind of range tells a clear story: uncertainty rules. Analysts who tie Bitcoin to macro cycles are gaining followers, while those who treat it as an independent asset argue for a different playbook.

Why This Matters

Short-term traders will watch economic prints and liquidity data closely. Longer-term holders will weigh Bitcoin’s role relative to gold and equities. Reports say market structure—who’s buying, who’s selling, and where ETFs are seeing flows—will likely matter as much as any single economic release.

The ISM rise may be the start of a healthier risk tone for global markets, but it will not on its own guarantee a steady climb for Bitcoin. Risk is back on the table, in a manner of speaking, and the path forward will depend on how policy makers, big investors, and retail traders react in the next several weeks.

Featured image from unsplash, chart from TradingView

US Lawmakers have called for better anti-corruption measures over the $500 million deal between an Abu Dhabi-backed entity and World Liberty Financial Invest (WLFI), the main crypto venture of the Trump family.

Congressmen Question WLFI’s UAE-Backed Deal

On Monday, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticized the recently unveiled deal involving United Arab Emirates (UAE) investors and a US President Trump-linked crypto company, World Liberty Financial.

In an X post, the congressman expressed his concerns over the deal, warning that it had broken “decades of national security precedent” and constituted “brazen, open corruption” that Americans “shouldn’t pretend it’s normal.”

The concern follows a Wall Street Journal report alleging that Aryam Investment, a UAE-backed entity linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, an Abu Dhabi royal tied to the emirate’s state investment machinery, purchased 49% stake of WLFI for $500 million just days before Trump’s inauguration.

As reported by Bitcoinist, the news media outlet claimed that the buyers paid half of the sum upfront, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter, with around $187 million paid to entities connected to the Trump family.

Meanwhile, at least $31 million was reportedly directed to entities affiliated with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East and one of WLFI’s co-founders, who was questioned by US senators last year.

Months after the WLFI-UAE deal, the Trump administration approved expanded access for the UAE to advanced US-made AI chips despite restrictions from the Biden administration over concerns about potential diversion to China.

“This is a case where they knew it was so outrageous, it was so wrong that they did it in private,” Murphy affirmed, noting that the payments could be considered “the elements of a bribe.”

What we are talking about here is stunning. It’s a secret payment (…), and then, soon after, a gift of national security secrets to the UAE, that up until those two secret payments, every American president had refused to give. This is corruption (…). This is potentially criminal conduct.

Moreover, the senator asserted that “the rule of law may be suspended today,” but declared that it “is coming back, and when it does, everyone who has greased their palms off government services, trading government favors for cash, and violating the laws of this nation are going to jail.”

Similarly, House of Representatives member Greg Landsman also deemed the World Liberty Financial deal “blatant corruption,” affirming that “Trump gets $500 million in cash then approves the deal sending advanced AI chips to the UAE (…). He gets richer every day. You get poorer. That’s his presidency.”

The congressman called for new leadership in his X post, urging “massive anti-corruption reforms” to avert future secret deals.

Trump Denies Conflict Of Interest Concerns

President Trump denied any involvement in the UAE-backed investment into WLFI during a press conference on Monday at the White House, asserting that he was unaware of the $500 million stake deal.

He explained that he is not involved in WLFI’s day-to-day operations, as his sons oversee the crypto firm. “Well, I don’t know about it. I know that crypto is a big thing, and they like it. A lot of people like it,” the US president said. “The people behind me like it. My sons are handling that. My family is handling it. And I guess they get investments from different people. But I’m not.”

Notably, President Trump and his administration have been repeatedly questioned about potential conflicts of interest and corruption concerns. Democrats have pressed multiple government officials, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s former acting chairman and the head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), about Trump’s crypto ventures.

In November, US senators expressed concerns about potential national security risks in a letter, demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Treasury Department investigate WLFI over token sales allegedly linked to illicit actors.

They argued that World Liberty Financial and its token “lack adequate safeguards to prevent bad actors from moving funds or gaining influence over its governance,” raising the alarm over a potential conflict of interest.

Bitcoin’s price action over the past 24 hours has changed from outright selling pressure to a cautious rebound. After falling into the mid-$75,000 region, the cryptocurrency found support around $75,400. That support has since carried BTC back toward $79,000, with the price now pushing higher, and momentum can rebuild toward the important $80,000 price level. 

Although the bounce has eased immediate downside pressure, a technical analysis shared on X shows that the move may be occurring within a much larger bearish structure that could still have enough time to develop.

Elliott Wave Structure Points To A Wave 3 Crash

Technical analysis shows that the recent Bitcoin sell-off and crash below $80,000 fit squarely within a larger Elliott Wave structure that still points to additional downside ahead. The Bitcoin technical chart outlines an extended decline that’s been playing out from the $126,000 peak in October 2025.

TheBitcoin Historical Performance Shows How Low The Price Will Go Before A BottomBitcoin kicked off a five-wave downward impulse move after it peaked at $126,000 in October. From the October 2025 high near $126,000, Bitcoin has already fallen roughly 41%, a drawdown the analyst claims aligns closely with prior warnings of a 40% to 50% crash in the early phase of a bear market.

According to the analyst, Bitcoin completed its Primary Wave 4 near the $97,900 region before rolling over into Primary Wave 5. This Primary Wave 5, which is a downward wave, is divided into smaller impulse waves. Within that larger decline, Bitcoin is now said to be deep inside Intermediate Wave 3, which is typically the most aggressive and damaging leg of an Elliott Wave move. 

Where The Analyst Sees The Bottom Forming

Bitcoin is expected to transition into Intermediate Wave 4 after Wave 3 is completed, which may offer temporary relief or consolidation. However, that pause is expected to be followed by Intermediate Wave 5, a final leg lower that could push the Bitcoin price to new cycle lows before the entire wave structure reaches completion.

Looking ahead, the analysis outlines a potential bottoming zone between $60,000 and $63,000 for Wave 5. However, the analyst noted that Bitcoin could even briefly probe lower and fall to the 200-week moving average around $58,000, before finally exhausting selling pressure. In this framework, the current rebound from the $75,000 area is viewed as a pause within the downtrend, not confirmation that the lows are in.

Once that low is established, the next outlook is that a sizeable bear-market rally will follow. The chart projects a recovery back toward the 200-day moving average, with upside targets stretching into the $90,000 to low-$100,000 range. That move was described by the analyst as a counter-trend rally before what could be the next major leg lower later in the cycle.

After losing the $80,000 price mark, the price of Bitcoin has made several attempts to recover this level, but each one was capped by this resistance zone, which was once a key support. Interestingly, this continued bearish pressure is beginning to reflect on multiple crucial areas of the market, such as Spot trading.

Lack Of Spot Bitcoin Buyers Extends

The broader cryptocurrency market was left in awe when the Bitcoin price experienced a sharp pullback during the weekend. Even after a strong decline, the ongoing correction is showing signs of becoming more entrenched, as evidenced by weak spot trading.

A glimpse into research from Darkfost, a popular market expert and author at CryptoQuant, shows that spot demand is steadily drying up. This suggests that fewer buyers are choosing to enter the market to absorb sell-side pressure, leaving BTC’s price highly vulnerable to even modest outflows.

In addition to the fading spot demand, the market is set to enter into its fifth consecutive month of downside pressure. Since fewer buyers have entered the spot market, selling activity has had a disproportionate effect on price, which in turn is extending the decline.

Darkfost highlighted that this correction has been largely driven by the October 10th, 2025, event. During the period, there has been a massive destruction of liquidity, particularly in the Futures market. In a single day, BTC’s Open Interest (OI) fell by more than 70,000 BTC, representing over $8 billion wiped out. However, the expert stated that this is not the only factor at play.

The chart shows that overall market liquidity is also under pressure, which is indicated by stablecoin outflows from crypto exchanges. At the same time, there was a roughly $10 billion decline in stablecoin market capitalization over the period. However, developments in spot market volumes are as instructive.

Spot Trading Volume Slips Into Two After Fresh Decline

Since October 2025, about half of Bitcoin’s entire spot volume has gone, with Binance, the leading crypto platform, still holding the largest share at $104 billion. In contrast, volumes on Binance had almost hit $200 billion in October, against the $53 billion on Gate.io and $47 billion on Bybit.

According to Darkfost, the market has returned to some of its lowest levels since 2024 as a result of this volume decrease. Meanwhile, this suggests a definite disengagement from investors in the crypto market and, consequently, weaker demand.

In the meantime, the current state of the environment remains uncertain and does not encourage investors to take risks. For a sustainable recovery to take place, the expert noted that it is vital to persistently monitor this trend and, above all, to see spot trading volumes return to the upside. 

At the time of writing, the price of BTC was $78,640, up nearly 3% in the last 24 hours. Its trading volume is moving in the opposite direction, falling by over 16% in the past day.

Инвестиционный директор управляющей криптоактивами компании Bitwise Мэтт Хоуган (Matt Hougan) заявил, что происходящий на крипторынке спад — не краткосрочная коррекция цен, а полноценная криптозима.

Сын президента США Эрик Трамп заявил, что его семья никак не связана с криптопроектом Patriot Token, вызвавшим шумиху в соцсетях из-за намеков на деятельность, связанную с недвижимостью под брендом Дональда Трампа.