Questions are already surfacing over whether Bitcoin is still in the expansion phase that many market participants assume it is. However, a crypto expert opted for a conservative stance, arguing that when Bitcoin is analyzed through traditional cycle theory and macroeconomic indicators, the primary cycle may already be complete. This crypto expert, Tony Severino, challenged popular bullish claims from “snake oil salesmen” and instead pointed to economic data and historical patterns that show the Bitcoin cycle has already transitioned into a different phase. PMI And ISM Datan Shows Where Bitcoin Is According to Tony Severino, Bitcoin’s bullish cycle is already over, and analysts saying otherwise are pushing a fairy tale that may or may not come true. Severino’s outlook is based on the U.S. ISM Purchasing Managers’ Index, which he views as a reliable macro gauge for cyclical behavior. Related Reading: Global Liquidity Says Bitcoin Is Extremely Undervalued – Here’s The ‘Real’ Figure The PMI data shown in the chart below highlights a clear pattern of lower highs and lower lows, which is a signal of a weakening manufacturing environment. According to Severino, real cycles are measured from trough to trough, not from speculative projections of future upside. From that perspective, the current PMI structure means that the cycle has already peaked and is now rolling over. At the time of writing, this index is sitting around 47.9. Severino warned that a sustained move below the 46 level would change the PMI from a local pullback into a more pronounced intermediate downtrend. A drop beneath 41.6 would carry even more serious implications, as that level would fall below the COVID-era low. Such a move would leave only extreme historical comparisons, including conditions last seen during the 2007-2009 Great Financial Crisis or the stagflation period of the 1970s and early 1980s. Therefore, this macro backdrop directly challenges the idea that Bitcoin is on the verge of a guaranteed new bullish phase. Severino also took direct aim at popular Bitcoin valuation models that compare BTC to gold or rely on long-term projections detached from economic reality. The current reality is that Bitcoin is lagging behind gold and silver, which are attracting consistent inflows in contrast to Bitcoin’s show of fatigue around $80,000. Bullish Conviction To Bearish Targets Severino’s current stance is notable because it is a significant difference from his outlook before the current cycle began, when he was very bullish on Bitcoin. His recent analysis, shown in the chart below, shows Bitcoin breaking below a moving average on the monthly candlestick timeframe. This is notable because similar breakdowns in previous years were followed by drawdowns averaging around 50%. Related Reading: Analyst Reveals How Far Bitcoin Price Will Crash If The Uptrend Doesn’t Continue The chart highlights multiple instances where Bitcoin suffered declines of 40% to over 60% after losing this type of technical support. Based on that historical behavior, Severino has floated a downside target of at least $45,000 before another bullish reversal. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
President Donald Trump on Friday formally announced the nomination of former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, confirming weeks of speculation over who would succeed Jerome Powell. “I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Kevin Warsh to be the Chairman of the …
Gold and silver prices retreated after scaling record highs as traders moved to lock in profits following an extended rally. The weakness spilled into equities, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and technology stocks sliding sharply. Market sentiment turned cautious after earnings from Microsoft raised concerns around slowing AI-related spending. Crypto markets mirrored the broader risk-off …
Gold and silver prices retreated after scaling record highs as traders moved to lock in profits following an extended rally. The weakness spilled into equities, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and technology stocks sliding sharply. Market sentiment turned cautious after earnings from Microsoft raised concerns around slowing AI-related spending. Crypto markets mirrored the broader risk-off …
The broader crypto market is under heavy pressure today, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP posting sharp losses as a broad selloff sweeps across digital assets. Bitcoin has fallen nearly 6%, while Ethereum and XRP are down close to 7%, marking one of the most aggressive downside moves in recent weeks. The decline has rapidly shifted …
Bitcoin is struggling to avoid a fourth consecutive monthly decline as the cryptocurrency market grapples with a fundamental shift in momentum that has left most investors underwater. Data from CryptoSlate indicate that the largest digital asset declined by nearly 7% over the last 24 hours to $82,513. According to CoinGlass data, long traders speculating on […]
The post Bitcoin ready to record fourth straight red month and the $81,000 floor is suddenly everything appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The Bitcoin price crashed to a new two-month low, near $83,000, its weakest level since November. From its recent rebound high near $98,000, Bitcoin has now fallen by almost $14,700, a decline of about 15% in just over two weeks. The steady selling pressure suggests this move may be more than a short-term dip. Even …
Bitcoin slid sharply this week, hitting just above $82,000 in early US trading and triggering a wide purge of crowded positions. Based on data from Coinglass, roughly 270,000 accounts were wiped out across exchanges in the past day, and close to $1.70 billion in total liquidations was recorded. Many of the losses came from traders who had bet that prices would keep rising. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment Liquidations And Market Shock The move was fast. Long bets were the hardest hit. Reports say over 90% of the liquidated contracts were long positions, mostly in Bitcoin and Ether. The market was shaken quickly as stop orders were pulled and margin calls were forced. Price gaps showed up on some platforms and volatility spiked. This kind of clearing event can leave prices unstable for a bit, even after traders calm down. Geopolitics And Policy Pressure Reports note heightened tensions in the Middle East added fuel to the selloff. A US warship deployment and renewed public statements from US President Donald Trump put risk assets on edge. At the same time, an executive action linked to tariffs on goods tied to certain oil deals raised fresh concern among global traders. Risk appetite cooled as investors mulled how those moves might affect energy flows and trade. Tech Earnings And Investor Mood Microsoft’s earnings miss was another note in the mix. Some big tech names fell hard after results that showed rising costs and slower growth in cloud services. That made investors question the near-term outlook for AI-driven growth stories. With confidence wobbling in both stocks and crypto, many reduced exposure. The market atmosphere turned cautious and buying dried up in minutes. Bitcoin price action, risk aversion and volatility amid conflict headlines were both feeding into the selling. News feeds were full of sharp alerts. Traders who follow headlines closely found themselves adjusting positions quickly. Support Test And Wider Market Drops Bitcoin is trading near a higher-timeframe support area that mattered in recent months. Weekly closes have been caged between roughly $94,000 and $84,000 for several weeks, and that structure faces another test now. If buyers do not step in, deeper weakness could follow. Reports say the wider crypto market lost around $200 billion in value across tokens during the worst of the move. What Traders Are Saying Some analysts called the reaction overblown and noted that prices had already been falling since October. Others warned that a longer correction could be in play if macro pressures persist. Related Reading: Banks And Crypto Firms Back At The Table As CLARITY Talks Restart Benjamin Cowen warned that Bitcoin may continue to act weak compared with stocks, suggesting any hoped-for rapid flip from gold or silver into crypto might not happen fast. According to Trading Economics, gold and silver have climbed to record levels, with gold reaching $5,608 per ounce and silver rising to $121.60. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Crypto markets faced a sharp leverage-driven reset as crypto liquidations accelerated across futures markets, wiping out more than $1.1 billion in leveraged positions. The liquidation wave swept through Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the broader altcoin market, exposing how fragile positioning had become after weeks of compressed volatility. Crucially, this move was defined by derivatives liquidations rather …
Today, gold and silver prices crashed nearly 10%, wiping out over $3 trillion in value, an amount equal to the entire crypto market cap. The sudden fall quickly spread to crypto, pulling Bitcoin down nearly 7% as leveraged positions were wiped out. What began as a sharp sell-off in metals soon turned into a broader …
Binance's shift to Bitcoin reserves may enhance user trust but also increases exposure to crypto market volatility, impacting fund stability.
The post Binance to convert $1B SAFU fund into Bitcoin reserves appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju revived the “Bitcoin equals energy” thesis on Wednesday, arguing that proof-of-work is becoming the settlement layer for an AI-driven economy where power, not narratives, is the binding constraint. In a post on X, Ju framed Bitcoin as a digital instrument that can price energy with precision in a way commodities can’t. “Energy is money. Bitcoin precisely measures the value of energy,” Ju wrote. “Gold also embeds energy, but it cannot be measured accurately because it is not digital. Bitcoin is the money of an AI-accelerated energy economy.” The Link Between AI, Energy And Bitcoin Ju’s comments were posted alongside a long-form X post by Hashed CEO Simon Kim titled Monetizing Energy: Redefining Bitcoin’s Role in the AI Era, which argues that the old “energy waste” critique is being overtaken by an AI data center buildout that is rewriting the value of mining infrastructure. Kim’s core claim is that the debate has shifted from morality to grid economics and industrial pragmatism. “The oldest criticism of Bitcoin has always been about energy,” he wrote. “Claims that it ‘wastes electricity,’ ‘destroys the environment,’ and ‘competes with data centers for power’ have been repeated for over a decade, solidifying into conventional wisdom. But in 2026, this debate no longer resides in the realm of moral condemnation.” The thread points to capital flows as a tell. Kim highlighted Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala’s $437 million allocation to BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF in Q4 2024, followed by a partnership with Oman’s sovereign wealth fund to back Crusoe Energy and launch the Middle East’s first flare-gas mining operation. In October 2025, Mubadala co-led Crusoe’s Series E with a $1.375 billion check, pushing the company’s valuation above $10 billion—at which point Crusoe said it would divest its Bitcoin mining division and focus fully on AI infrastructure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Death Cross That Last Preceded A 66% Drop Is Back Kim’s thesis is that miners have already done the hard, unglamorous work AI now needs: securing power, mastering high-density thermal management, and building operational muscle around flexible load. He also leaned on an Elon Musk quote from a November 2025 podcast: “Energy is the true currency. This is why I say Bitcoin is based on energy. You can’t just pass a law and suddenly have a lot of energy.” A recurring theme in Kim’s post is that electricity’s constraints (locality, immediacy, and transmission losses) make flexibility economically valuable. He cited early examples like Sichuan hydropower curtailment exceeding 20 billion kWh by 2020, and argued that miners became a buyer of last resort for energy that couldn’t be stored or sold. Globally, he claimed curtailed renewable energy exceeds 200TWh annually, representing more than $20 billion in economic losses, positioning Bitcoin mining as an instant monetization path for surplus generation. In Texas, Kim pointed to ERCOT’s classification of mining as a controllable load resource, citing Riot Blockchain cutting power usage by 98–99% during the 2022 winter storm and receiving $31.7 million in power credits during an August 2023 heatwave, more than it would have earned mining that month. The framing is less “miners versus data centers” and more “premium uptime workloads versus interruptible demand that stabilizes the grid.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Won’t Break Out Until The Fed Steps Into Yen/JGB Chaos: Arthur Hayes Kim also argued the environmental critique is changing on the margin as the industry’s energy mix shifts. He claimed more than half of mining now comes from sustainable sources, exceeding 52%, while coal dependence fell from 36% to under 9%. On methane, he described flare-gas mining as an emissions arbitrage: methane has “80 times” the greenhouse effect of CO2, flaring combusts 93% with 7% escaping, while using gas for mining combusts over 99%, cutting CO2-equivalent emissions by over 60% versus flaring. The forward implication of Ju’s framing is that if AI accelerates the premium on reliable power and buildout speed, Bitcoin’s value proposition may increasingly be argued in the language of energy markets: measuring, monetizing, and transporting scarcity. Kim’s closing challenge was explicit: shift the question from consumption totals to system outcomes, suggesting the next phase of the debate will center on where miners sit in the stack of AI-era infrastructure, not whether they exist: “AI operates where continuous uptime is essential; Bitcoin operates where flexibility has value. Governments can print money, but they cannot print energy. Bitcoin’s proof-of-work is the mechanism that brings this physical reality into the digital economy. It’s a technology that takes energy from one place and transports it anywhere.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $86,779. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price started a major decline below $86,500. BTC is down nearly 10% and might soon test the $80,000 support zone. Bitcoin failed to remain above $86,500 and started another decline. The price is trading above $85,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $83,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip further if it trades below the $81,000 and $80,000 levels. Bitcoin Price Dips Again Bitcoin price failed to continue higher above the $88,000 zone. BTC started a major decline below the $87,200 and $86,500 levels. The bears were able to push the price below $85,000. It spared major bearish moves, pushing the price below $82,000. A low was formed at $81,000 and the price is still signaling more downsides. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $83,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $83,200 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $80,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $82,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $83,200 level or the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $90,438 swing high to the $81,000 low. A close above the $83,200 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $85,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $85,700 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $90,438 swing high to the $81,000 low. The next barrier for the bulls could be $87,000 and $87,500. More Losses In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $83,200 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $81,000 level. The first major support is near the $80,500 level. The next support is now near the $80,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $77,000 support in the near term. The main support sits at $75,000, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $81,000, followed by $80,000. Major Resistance Levels – $82,000 and $83,200.
Washington is trying again to clear a path for federal crypto rules. Talks that had stalled are being pulled back into the open as lawmakers and industry players head to a White House meeting. The plan, based on reports, brings bank executives and crypto company leaders to the same table with officials from the administration of US President Donald Trump. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment White House Steps In Reports say the meeting is scheduled on Monday, and is meant to smooth over clashes that have held up a draft known as the CLARITY Act. About 10 bank and crypto leaders are expected to attend. Conversations have been quiet for weeks, but bringing them into a formal room raises the chance of a fresh compromise. What happens there may not be made public right away, and details could still change. Banks Have Real Concerns Lenders want limits written into law to stop certain token features from acting like bank deposits. They argue that reward-style payments on stablecoins could siphon money from traditional accounts. That worry has pushed them to demand clear language that keeps customer deposits in the conventional system. Strong guardrails are being sought so balance sheets and consumer protections do not get muddled. Crypto Firms Push Back Crypto companies say those same rules would clip useful features and slow innovation. They point out that users expect to earn yields in some crypto services and that strict limits would change how people use digital assets. Several firms stepped away from the current bill draft after saying it would harm parts of the market. That pullback helped stall the process and forced negotiators to rethink priorities. Markets Signal Mixed Views Bitcoin has reacted to the back-and-forth. Prices moved up on some headlines and fell on others. Traders are watching for clear rules; many feel long-term clarity would help markets. Short-term moves, though, have been choppy as investors digest each new report. The mood is cautious, and that caution has been visible in trading volumes and in how quickly prices bounce. Political Timing Matters The Senate calendar is tight. Lawmakers who support the bill want something to show before deadlines and committee work closes. That pressure could spur faster drafting if both sides give some ground. But politics will shape what language survives. Some aides say compromise is still possible, while others expect more delay. Related Reading: Record Pain: Bitcoin Investors Suffer $4.5B Loss, Most In 3 Years A Narrow Window For Action If those at the meeting signal flexibility, a revised draft could go back to committee in the weeks ahead. If no common ground appears, the CLARITY effort may be parked again. Either outcome will leave the industry watching how regulators handle stablecoins, custody, and who has oversight between agencies. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Solana is rapidly positioning itself as a core hub for tokenized finance following WisdomTree’s deployment of fund infrastructure on the blockchain. The move reflects growing confidence among traditional asset managers in SOL’s ability to support large-scale, regulated financial products with the speed and cost efficiency required by modern capital markets. How Traditional Asset Managers Expand On-Chain Operations WisdomTree’s deployment of $159 billion in fund infrastructure on Solana marks a turning point for how regulated money moves. A research and news site, Genfinity, revealed on X that regulated money market funds are now settling natively on SOL, which means institutional cash flow assets no longer require traditional banking rails. One of the clearest signals is the Government money market digital fund, which already holds around $730 million in on-chain assets. Direct minting eliminates synthetic exposure with real Treasury-backed settlement. This allows retail investors to access institutional-grade financial products with blockchain speed and low costs. The multi-chain deployment is proof that financial institutions prioritize performance over narrative. Currently, SOL is processing the same regulated funds that previously required correspondent banks and a 3-day settlement. The gap between on-chain infrastructure and traditional finance products has just collapsed. An industry-leading commentary on the global capital markets, The Kobeissi Letter, reported that Coinbase has announced it is integrating with Jupiter Exchange directly into its on-chain trading stack. With this move, millions of Solana-based tokens can now be traded on Coinbase for the first time, all through Jupiter on-chain liquidity. Instead of relying on the slow manual process of listing assets on a centralized order book, Coinbase is currently using on-chain infrastructure to provide instant access to Solana-native markets. Under the new integration, users can deploy existing Coinbase balances and payment methods to trade tokens from a self-custodial wallet. “Even the centralized exchanges are moving on-chain,” The Kobeissi Letter noted. Why Liquidity Grabs Often Precede Reversals According to Larskooistra, the local context on Solana is fairly conducive to building a structure. The Price has already completed a Model 2 accumulation schematic, and grabbed all buy-side liquidity while taking the range high and broke market structure back to bearish, creating a supply in the process. Related Reading: Solana Structure Suggests One Final Test Before Bulls Can Step In From a higher-timeframe perspective, this gives a bearish context on BTC whenever accumulation models complete themselves and break the market structure, and then turn back to bearish afterwards, which shows a full reversal towards the lows. Larskooistra expects the equal lows acting as the next liquidity target to be taken out, and is looking for distribution schematics on the current move up. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
Bulls kept a collapse from happening this week when Bitcoin found buying interest above the mid-$80,000s. Prices bounced off a key range, and that breathing room has traders watching the market’s plumbing — not just the headline price. Reports note that the path to a lasting recovery is likely to go through improved liquidity, with market watchers pointing to on-chain measures as the real signal to watch. Related Reading: Record Pain: Bitcoin Investors Suffer $4.5B Loss, Most In 3 Years At Center Stage: Market Structure And Liquidity Glassnode and other analysts have flagged a tight snapshot of supply stress: roughly 22% of circulating Bitcoin is sitting below its purchase price, which raises the chance that outsized selling could kick in if support fails. That’s a nontrivial share of coins that could change hands under pressure. Any meaningful transition back toward a strong market rally should be reflected in liquidity-sensitive indicators such as the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio (90D-SMA). A sustained rise above ~5 has historically signalled a renewal of liquidity inflows into the market.… https://t.co/ct0FhOLFXh pic.twitter.com/JqbfdlRk2b — glassnode (@glassnode) January 28, 2026 The specific metric now being watched is the realized profit/loss ratio on a 90-day basis. Historical episodes of steady recoveries have tended to line up with this ratio moving above about 5, which many analysts treat as a sign that real money is rotating back into the market. A repeat of that pattern would make rallies more durable; until then, rallies look vulnerable to being trimmed. According to a post shared on X, Glassnode said focus has moved toward liquidity after Bitcoin managed to defend the $80,700 to $83,400 support zone. Reports note that any move toward a lasting rally would need to show up in liquidity-based signals, with close attention on the 90-day moving average of the realized profit and loss ratio. Bitcoin Price Action And Geopolitics Midweek trading left Bitcoin in a cautious band near the high-$80,000s. Geopolitical headlines have been shaking risk appetite, nudging some traders into safer assets and prompting short bursts of volatility. That has kept follow-through buying muted even when prices test higher levels, and it helps explain why some short-term bets are focused on a squeeze toward the low-$90,000s before profit-taking reappears. Flows Into Exchanges Still Low Exchange inflows, a rough barometer of selling pressure, remain subdued. Data shared by market trackers shows monthly BTC inflows to Binance at levels far below the long-term average — only a fraction of what was typical in past years — suggesting many holders are choosing to keep coins off exchanges rather than move them for sale. That reduces immediate downside risk, but it does not prove that buyers will step in en masse. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment Futures And The Risk Of A Liquidity Grab Futures markets and options positioning hint at a possible short-term liquidity grab near the low-$90,000s, where stops and leverage cluster and can be pulled into a quick move. Such moves are often violent and brief. They can create the impression of a breakout, only for spot markets to settle back once the extra liquidity is consumed. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
The United States federal government is on track for another shutdown by the end of Friday. The Congressional Democrats have been pushing for changes to ICE policies, thus standing in the way of President Donald Trump. On Thursday, the Senate blocked the House-approved 6-bill spending package with a vote of 45–55. This is after the …
The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture has narrowly passed its portion of the Clarity Act. After a similar bill from the Senate Banking Committee was delayed earlier this month, this different version will be discussed on the floor of the house. Moreover, the Senate will seek to harmonize its bill with the one passed …
Bit Digital entered the bitcoin mining business in 2020 and was an early diversifier into the HPC/AI sector.
Bitcoin (BTC) continued to slide on Thursday, extending the downward trend seen throughout the week and briefly falling below the closely watched $85,000 level, despite progress on long-awaited US crypto legislation failing to lift market sentiment. Crypto Prices Fall Despite Regulatory Progress The decline came on the same day the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its portion of the proposed crypto market structure legislation, known as the CLARITY Act. While the committee’s action was widely viewed as a positive development for the digital asset industry, it did little to support prices in the short term. Related Reading: White House To Host Crypto And Banking Leaders In Push To Break Regulatory Deadlock Instead of triggering a rally, the news coincided with a sharp market sell‑off. Bitcoin dropped by roughly $2,700 in a short period, setting off a wave of liquidations that erased an estimated $356 million in long positions. Data from Coinglass further shows that total liquidations across the crypto market reached about $803 million over the past 24 hours, including roughly $693 million in long liquidations and $109 million in short liquidations. Bitcoin Hovers Near Breakdown Levels As earlier reported by Bitcoinist, the CLARITY Act cleared an important procedural hurdle earlier on Thursday when the Senate Agriculture Committee approved its section of the bill during a scheduled markup. The legislation aims to establish a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States. With the Agriculture Committee’s approval secured, lawmakers must merge the provisions that expand the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) role with parallel sections overseen by the Senate Banking Committee, which address the Securities and Exchange Commission’s jurisdiction. At the same time, legislators will need to determine whether bipartisan backing can still be achieved for a measure that could significantly reshape crypto regulation in the US. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Loss Begins To Rise, Raising Early Bear Market Concerns From a technical perspective, market analyst Rekt Capital said that in the near term, Bitcoin needs to prevent the former range low around $86,000 from turning into resistance on lower time frames. He added that a weekly close above that level would be necessary to avoid a deeper breakdown. According to his analysis, a decisive break below the roughly $86,000 area could open the door to another test of the macro triangle bottom near $82,500. A further drop below that level, he cautioned, would signal an acceleration of bearish momentum. As of now, the market’s leading cryptocurrency has only briefly recovered to $85,135. However, it is still far from reaching the critical level outlined by the analyst. Therefore, Friday’s price action will be crucial in determining Bitcoin’s next move. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Cryptocurrency markets have shown limited momentum this week, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum lingering in narrow price ranges. This price action comes on the heels of the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged. Traders and investors appeared to have taken a wait-and-see approach, leaving the largest digital assets stuck in consolidation without any breakout in either direction. Fed Policy And Market Expectations The Federal Reserve chose to hold benchmark interest rates at 3.50-3.75% in its latest policy meeting on Wedensday, a decision that was largely anticipated by markets. Still, this meeting marked the first pause in policy easing since July 2025, ending a stretch where the central bank cut rates three times last year while assessing how the economy was responding to President Donald Trump’s combative fiscal and trade policies. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Following The 2022 Fractal? Here Was The Previous Outcome By choosing to step back from further cuts, policymakers have now taken a more cautious stance before adjusting rates again. However, two governors dissented, preferring a quarter-point cut. Stephen Miran, as well as Christopher Waller, advocated for a 25-basis-point cut. The pause is continued caution about inflation and economic data, suggesting further easing won’t come without clear evidence of weaker economic conditions. In its statement, the Federal Reserve noted that the Committee is strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2% objective. This kind of higher-for-longer message can dampen risk appetite, and cryptocurrencies, which are viewed as risk assets, are feeling the impact. Bitcoin And Ethereum Locked In Tight Consolidation Recent price action across Bitcoin and Ethereum continues to indicate a market stuck in indecision. Bitcoin briefly tested the psychological $90,000 level but failed to establish acceptance above it, slipping back into a narrow range around $87,000 to $89,000. Related Reading: Analyst Says You’re Not Bullish Enough On Ethereum – What Does He Mean? A recent rejection at $90,000 has limited upside follow-through and has kept both buyers and sellers cautious, as neither side has been able to take control. This lack of momentum is also reflected in steady outflows from Spot Bitcoin ETFs, which witnessed $28.1 million in outflows in the past 24 hours. Ethereum has mirrored Bitcoin’s behavior almost step for step. The price broke above $3,000 very briefly in the past 24 hours, but it has since rejected and is back to trading around $2,900. This movement puts it oscillating within a tight band without delivering a decisive breakout or breakdown. Interestingly, Spot Ethereum ETFs, on the other hand, had $28.10 million in inflows in the past 24 hours. Although on-chain indicators like increasing wallet participation show underlying engagement, those signals have yet to translate into a sustained bullish momentum. Profit-taking near the $3,000 resistance and uncertainty have continued to restrict short-term gains. As it stands, both Bitcoin and Ethereum seem likely to remain confined to their current ranges until a stronger catalyst emerges. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Analysts agree only a subset of bitcoin would be vulnerable in a future quantum scenario, though estimates and timelines vary widely.
A report from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has highlighted how transitions into strong upside phases have historically required liquidity to hold above a key threshold. Bitcoin Rally Could Require Realized Profit/Loss Ratio To Rise Above 5 In its latest weekly report, Glassnode has talked about liquidity conditions present on the Bitcoin network as the asset’s price has gone through a drawdown following its failed recovery attempt earlier in the month. Related Reading: Bitcoin Death Cross That Last Preceded A 66% Drop Is Back “Any meaningful transition back toward a sustained rally should objectively be reflected in liquidity-sensitive indicators such as the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio (90D-SMA),” explained the analytics firm. The Realized Profit/Loss Ratio refers to an indicator that, as its name suggests, compares the realized profit and loss that BTC investors realize from their transactions. When the value of this metric is greater than 1, it means the holders as a whole are realizing a higher amount of profit than loss. On the other hand, the indicator being under the threshold suggests loss-taking is dominant on the network. Naturally, if the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio is exactly equal to 1, the average holder can be assumed to be just breaking even on their selling, with profits and losses being harvested on the blockchain exactly canceling each other out. Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the 90-day moving average (MA) of this Bitcoin indicator over the past decade: As displayed in the above graph, the 90-day MA Bitcoin Realized Profit/Loss Ratio hit a peak during the second half of 2025 as investors exited with gains in the bull run. Since this high, however, the indicator has seen a sharp decline. At the peak, the metric’s value reached close to 20, indicating profits outweighed losses by nearly 20 times, but recently, it has slipped all the way down to a level less than 2. Profit-taking is still dominant in the sector from the perspective of the indicator, but profits are less than double the losses now. According to Glassnode, transitions into strong upsides have historically required this metric to rise and hold above a value of 5. Currently, the metric’s trajectory is still pointing down, so it’s uncertain whether it will see any improvement in the near future and if it does, whether it will climb back above this threshold. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Loss Turns Upward—Early Bear Market Signal? That said, twice in this cycle alone, Bitcoin liquidity has gone under this level and managed to return above it. Though in both of those instances, it found a bottom at levels noticeably above the current value. BTC Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $87,800, down 2.4% over the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Texas' increased investment in Bitcoin reflects growing institutional acceptance, potentially influencing other states and pension funds to follow suit.
The post Texas’ largest pension fund boosts stake in Bitcoin treasury Strategy appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin price has once again been trading under pressure after failing to sustain higher levels, leaving the broader crypto market cautious. The pullback below $85,000 comes at a time when risk appetite has weakened across global markets, with investors showing hesitation toward volatile assets. While the move has sparked concerns about a deeper correction, the …
Bitcoin is trading in a tight range as the crypto market heads into the first monthly options expiry of 2026, according to data shared by GreeksLive. More than 25% of all open options positions are set to expire tomorrow, but so far, price action has remained relatively calm. Analysts say this is largely because there …
The crypto market is under pressure today, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP all trading lower as selling activity picks up across major tokens. The total crypto market cap has slipped to around $2.97 trillion, down about 2.4% in the past 24 hours. Market sentiment has also weakened, with the Fear and Greed Index falling to …
Metaplanet's capital raise could significantly influence Bitcoin's market dynamics and corporate treasury strategies globally.
The post Metaplanet targets $137M capital raise to expand Bitcoin holdings appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are approaching a critical inflection point as one of the largest options expiries of the month collides with fragile on-chain market structure. More than $8.3 billion in Bitcoin options and $1.2 billion in Ethereum options are set to expire on January 30, placing unusual pressure on price behavior at a time when …