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The crypto industry has spent years asking Washington for clear rules. It may be getting closer to an answer. JPMorgan analysts are now predicting that the Clarity Act — a sweeping bill designed to set formal ground rules for how digital assets are regulated in the US — will be signed into law by the middle of this year. If this timeline holds, it could prove to be one of the biggest changes in crypto policy within the US. Related Reading: Bitcoin In The Line Of Fire: Price Dips To $63k As US, Israel Launch Strikes On Iran What The Clarity Act Actually Does At its heart, this is a bill about structure. The reality is that currently, there is a lack of a unified structure or framework regarding how crypto is classified or traded within the US. Different bodies have taken different stances on the issue, leaving businesses to wonder what is or isn’t allowed. The Clarity Act aims to fix that by establishing a clear set of rules that applies across the board — covering everything from how tokens are categorized to which regulatory bodies have authority over them. A JPMorgan Chase report says the U.S. CLARITY Act could pass by mid-year and serve as a second-half catalyst, bringing regulatory clarity, ending “regulation by enforcement,” boosting tokenization, and supporting institutional adoption. Key debates involve stablecoin yield… — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 2, 2026 According to JPMorgan’s team of analysts, led by managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, the bill’s approval could act as a meaningful turning point for the broader crypto market. Reports say the bank believes the legislation may help push prices upward in the second half of 2026, even as sentiment across crypto markets remains negative right now. The bank’s view is that regulatory certainty, once delivered, tends to attract institutional money that has been sitting on the sidelines. But the bill is not there yet. Two unresolved disputes have kept it from moving forward. The first involves stablecoins — digital currencies pegged to traditional assets like the US dollar. Crypto firms want stablecoin holders to be able to earn rewards on their holdings, similar to interest. Banks are pushing back hard, arguing that offering those returns would pull customer deposits away from conventional financial institutions and undermine the broader banking system. A Political Fight Is Slowing Things Down The second obstacle is a bit more political in nature, as democratic lawmakers have been advocating for a clause to be included in the bill, which would prohibit senior government officials, including US President, Donald Trump, and his family, from owning any financial interest in crypto projects. The provision is widely seen as a direct reference to Trump, whose family has been linked to various crypto ventures. The White House has reportedly hosted several meetings to work through these disagreements, but no resolution has been reached. Related Reading: Crypto’s Quietest Month In Nearly A Year — But Hackers Haven’t Gone Away A March 1 deadline that had been floated as a possible target for progress came and went without any meaningful announcement. Reports note that industry observers had already signaled weeks in advance that the deadline was unlikely to produce results, and that turned out to be accurate. Negotiations are ongoing, though the pace has frustrated those who were hoping for a faster resolution. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

XRP has had a rough few months. After touching a high of roughly $3.66 in mid-2025, the token has since pulled back sharply, recently hovering around $1.30. That is a steep drop by any measure. Related Reading: Crypto Mixing Is Back — And Criminals Adapted Faster Than The Rules Did But one widely followed crypto commentator is not backing down from a bold long-term call — and his argument rests entirely on what he sees in the charts. A Chart That Points Higher, Way Higher The analyst, known on X as CryptoBull, posted a monthly XRP/USD chart showing what he described as a multi-year consolidation pattern followed by a fresh breakout attempt heading into 2026. His conclusion was blunt: a move to $50 looks like a “natural and normal” extension of the current structure. “No matter your feelings,” he wrote, “the chart says $50.” Based on reports, CryptoBull has been building this case for some time, and the $50 figure is not pulled out of thin air — it falls squarely within the $28 to $70 target band he had previously laid out using higher timeframe analysis. You can’t tell me that #XRP to $50 is not a very natural and normal looking chart. No matter your feelings, the chart says $50. pic.twitter.com/QHfBOPQ3hg — CryptoBull (@CryptoBull2020) February 14, 2026 At current prices, a run to $50 would mean gains of more than 3,500%. That is a big number. But CryptoBull has been consistent in pushing back against the even wilder figures that circulate in XRP circles. He has publicly rejected price targets of $1,000 or $10,000, calling them unsupported by any credible chart structure. By his own standards, $50 is the measured, reasonable call. For context, a $28 XRP price would put its total market value near $1.7 trillion. At $70, that figure climbs above $4 trillion. Extreme? Yes. But far more grounded than the multi-hundred-trillion valuations implied by some of the more outlandish targets floating around online. History As A Reference Point CryptoBull has also pointed to XRP’s own track record to support his thesis. Reports say he reminded his followers that XRP once surged 3,500% — climbing from $0.11 all the way to $3.65 in a single market cycle. Related Reading: Bitcoin In The Line Of Fire: Price Dips To $63k As US, Israel Launch Strikes On Iran Using that as a baseline, he suggested that a 2,000% expansion from current levels toward $28 is plausible in this cycle. A move to $50 would actually exceed that, coming in closer to the 3,500% range — roughly matching the scale of that earlier historic run. $XRP‘s measured move target above $15 goes unchanged! The breakout that took place in late 2024 hints at another 10X (>900% Increase) being possible to those price levels… pic.twitter.com/dbuZFcVCvj — JAVON⚡️MARKS (@JavonTM1) February 25, 2026 Other analysts have echoed a similarly constructive view. Javon Marks has maintained that his measured price target above $15 remains unchanged, citing the same late-2024 breakout structure that CryptoBull references. Korean Elliott Wave analyst XForceGlobal has also weighed in, saying XRP’s chart looks strong after the token revisited its previous all-time high zone and fully retraced toward the $1 area — a reset he believes can come before a powerful upward move. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP has had a rough stretch. The token is on pace to close its fifth straight month in the red, a run of weakness that has tested the patience of long-time holders and fueled debate about what comes next. Related Reading: Crypto’s Biggest Bull Run Could Come From The Most Unexpected Place: AI Bubble Yet even as the price sits well below its recent peak, a growing number of voices in the XRP community are not backing down from optimistic forecasts. One Analyst Says XRP Will Make People Rich In 2026 A market commentator known as Archie recently posted a chart on X projecting that XRP could climb as high as $83 per token before the end of 2026. At its current price of around $1.44, that would amount to a gain of roughly 5,900% — enough to push XRP’s total market value to an estimated $5 trillion. A holder sitting on 10,000 XRP would be approaching millionaire status at that price. Archie went further, suggesting the token could eventually reach four figures — meaning $1,000 or more per coin. Good morning XRP fam ☀️ Prediction????⬇️ XRP will make a lot of people rich in 2026???????? pic.twitter.com/mat4QMtWjN — Archie ???? (@Archie_XRPL) February 24, 2026 The post drew mixed reactions. Some holders backed the outlook. Others pushed back, with one user arguing that even a three-fold increase would barely move the needle for most people. Reports say some community members also raised concerns that any major price surge would disproportionately reward insiders, pointing to the significant token holdings of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. The 2016 Comparison That Bulls Keep Bringing Up XRP is currently down more than 60% from its recent high. Some analysts are drawing comparisons to a similar flat period the token went through in 2016, before a sharp rally took hold in 2017. The argument is that extended low-price stretches often clear out sellers who have lost conviction, setting the stage for stronger moves ahead. XRPL validator Vet addressed holders directly, saying this is not the time to walk away. Supporters point to greater regulatory clarity in the US, rising institutional interest, and continued activity on the XRP Ledger as factors that could shift momentum. Tokenization Adds A Different Kind Of Fuel The XRP Ledger has seen $1.3 billion in tokenized real-world assets added this year, pushing its total past $2.3 billion. Based on reports, commentator Brad Kimes of Digital Perspectives assembled views from multiple market voices arguing that if institutions tokenized 50% of circulating cash globally and the XRP Ledger captured 10% of that market, the resulting demand could push XRP’s price to triple digits. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red It is an ambitious model, but one tied to a real and growing trend in finance. Where XRP goes from here remains an open question — and the debate around it shows no signs of quieting down. Featured image from Flickr, chart from TradingView

The crypto markets are sitting in a mood that rarely looks like hope. Fear sits very high, and that kind of fear has traders asking whether the worst is already behind them or still to come. Extreme Fear And Market Signals Reports note the Crypto Fear & Greed Index recently hit a low of 11, one of the weakest readings this year. That kind of reading has shown up near big turns before, but it is not a guarantee of an instant rebound. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red Some pieces of market data point to deeper stress — consumer credit trouble, weak housing figures, and loan strain — while other parts of the market, especially certain tech sectors, have kept rising. One analyst warns that what looks like calm at the surface may be hiding pressure underneath. Jesse Eckel argues the broader economy has been dragged forward by gains in AI-driven stocks, even though many everyday measures show strain. His view: investors who want exposure to AI’s upside may find it easier to chase smaller crypto tokens than to buy into giant tech firms. AI Speculation Spreads To Smaller Tokens That logic is simple. Big tech stocks are expensive. Smaller crypto projects promise bigger upside for retail traders who want a quick win. Analysts say this pattern could push money into crypto rails when mania returns, and that retail buyers often prefer instruments that feel close at hand and cheap. Yet there is a difference between wanting a bet and finding a solid reason to make one, and that difference matters to outcomes. A Paid Model’s Bold Numbers Some forecasts backing the bullish case come from an AI model accessed by market participants. The model gave numbers that look dramatic: roughly $155,000 for Bitcoin by the end of 2026 and about $240,000 by 2027. Those figures are treated as directional estimates, not precise promises, and the analyst using the model stressed they should guide thinking rather than dictate it. How This Might Play Out If money does rotate from expensive tech shares into speculative crypto bets, the flow would likely start small and then build as headlines and social chatter amplify the move. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin The Poor Man’s Hedge Against Inflation? Coinbase CEO Thinks So That could lift small tokens first. Big moves often happen after long stretches where few people expect them. But the timing is hard to pin down. Market sentiment can stay negative for a long time even when conditions for a rebound are present. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto investment funds have now recorded a fifth straight week of net outflows, wiping roughly $4 billion from investor coffers over that span. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red That steady removal of capital has been paired with a sharp fall in trading activity, signaling that many holders are standing on the sidelines rather than buying dips. Trading Volume Hits Multi-Month Low According to a CoinShares report published Monday, crypto funds saw $288 million in net outflows last week, bringing the five-week total to roughly $4 billion. Weekly trading volumes also fell to about $17 billion, the lowest level since mid-2025, highlighting a slowdown in market activity even as prices have recently stabilized. Fewer transactions were recorded across major investment products, reflecting a quieter stretch for the market compared with earlier periods of heavier trading. Regional Flows Paint A Split Picture Reports note the US led withdrawals, while parts of Europe and Canada added fresh money. The US recorded $347 million of outflows, while Europe and Canada together showed net inflows of close to $60 million. Digital asset investment products recorded US$288M in outflows last week.@Bitcoin remains the key proponent of this negative sentiment, seeing US$215M in outflows. @ethereum saw the second largest outflows totalling US$36.5M. Minor inflows were seen in XRP @Ripple (US$3.5M),… pic.twitter.com/HFWIxVAZgO — CoinShares (@CoinSharesCo) February 23, 2026 Countries such as Switzerland, Canada, and Germany were among those adding funds. That split shows that not all investors view the market the same way right now. Some see value at lower prices; others are trimming exposure until clearer signs appear. Bitcoin Remains The Main Focus Of Selling Bitcoin accounted for the largest single-asset outflows, with about $215 million removed last week. At the same time, instruments that profit from falling prices received renewed interest, with short-Bitcoin products taking in around $5.5 million. A fair amount of recent liquidations was tied to Bitcoin moves, driven by traders who had large positions and saw prices move against them. Some positions were forced closed. That pushed volatility up in the short term. Ethereum and a handful of other coins also saw money leave, though a few assets attracted small inflows. XRP, Solana, and Chainlink each gained minor sums relative to the overall outflow. These were selective bets rather than broad rotations back into risk assets. Investment managers who moved into specific tokens appeared to be making tactical, not broad, commitments. Sidelined Capital Is Waiting Reports say much of the market’s strength depends on outside cash returning. Right now, many potential buyers are waiting for clearer signals from the macro side — interest rates, big economic reports, and policy hints from regulators. Without sustained buying, price bounces are more likely to be brief technical recoveries than full trend changes. Related Reading: Bitcoin Buying Spree Nears Century Mark, Saylor Hints A Pause More Than A Collapse This is not a market breakdown. It is a pause, according to analysts. Participation has dropped and that creates a fragile environment. If macro sentiment shifts and more buyers step in, flows could reverse quickly. Until then, expect choppy moves, low volume, and a market that reacts strongly to each new piece of news. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

Markets blinked hard this week. According to Checkonchain, a measure tied to recent Bitcoin buyers has dropped into extreme territory not seen since the late 2018 slump. Related Reading: XRP On The Spotlight As Arizona Advances Landmark Digital Asset Bill That metric compares where new buyers paid against price swings, and right now those who bought inside the last 155 days sit well below break-even on average. That creates stress. It can also mark a low if other pieces line up. Short-Term Holder Signal Flashes Again Reports say the Short-Term Holder Bollinger Band reading has pierced its lower band, a statistical cue that recent buyers are unusually underwater. In past cycles that kind of print arrived near major lows — a deep wash-out when selling activity peaked and then buying began to reclaim value. Realized losses among large short-term wallets have not exploded yet, which, based on reports from MatrixPort, hints that heavy hitters may be holding through the pullback rather than throwing in the towel. Reports note that a similar signal appeared before Bitcoin’s historic 1,900% rally from the late 2018 bottom to 2021. While past performance does not guarantee the same outcome, the comparison highlights how extreme stress among short-term holders has previously aligned with major long-term gains. ????Today’s #Matrixport Daily Chart – February 17, 2026 ⬇️ Bitcoin Sentiment Hits Extreme Lows ⁰— Durable Bottom Are Emerging? #Matrixport #Bitcoin #BTC #CryptoMarkets #MarketSentiment #FearAndGreed #RiskManagement #Volatility #CryptoResearch pic.twitter.com/WxJg3xrHSf — Matrixport Official (@Matrixport_EN) February 17, 2026 Price Action And Market Moves Price behavior has been messy. Bitcoin slipped under $67,000–$70,000 as risk-off flows hit markets. Traders point to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the broader pull in risk assets as key drivers of the move. Reports say a note picked up by a popular media and TV firm relayed a Wells Fargo view that a seasonal surge in US tax refunds — the bank’s strategist described a sizable liquidity window — could re-route fresh cash toward risk bets, possibly supporting a rebound by the end of March. Bitcoin STH Bollingers most oversold in 8 years pic.twitter.com/tHyBv3V1Ge — Quinten | 048.eth (@QuintenFrancois) February 17, 2026 What History Can And Cannot Tell Us Looking back offers both comfort and caution. The oversold alarm flashed before a big rally after 2018, and a similar signal showed up ahead of the November 2022 trough that later produced a steep recovery. Reports note those moves unfolded against very different backdrops — money supply conditions, interest rates, and institutional involvement were not the same then as they are now. This time there are ETFs, more derivatives, and a tighter policy regime in some parts of the world. Past wins do not automatically repeat, but patterns can still guide risk-aware decisions. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Rout? Michael Saylor Unfazed, Teases New Accumulation Where This Leaves Traders And Longer-Term Holders Short-term pain may still come. Volatility can remain high while markets reconcile macro news and geopolitical shocks. Yet the stretched readings among recent buyers do improve the odds that a better buying window is near for anyone with a multi-year horizon. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin sits on edge again, trading below the critical $68,000 level after a volatile stretch that erased around 28% from its price in about a month. Prices are swinging hard, and that swing has pushed smart-money talk and wild bets into the same room. Related Reading: Bitcoin Should Be Flying—Instead, Quantum Risk Keeps It Grounded: Analyst Experts Offer Starkly Different Paths According to some investors, a deep bargain is forming. Andrew Parish, a serial entrepreneur and outspoken Bitcoin proponent, argues that mood matters — when retail traders turn gloomy, big buyers can step in and lift markets fast. He put a bold target on the table: $500,000 within a few years if flows and sentiment flip. Ric Edelman, a veteran investor, has a similar headline number but with a slower clock; his math rests on broad wealth moving a tiny slice into crypto over time. Both views hinge on steady inflows and more investors taking small positions in crypto. GM. Bitcoin sub $70K is a gift. Buy more. In three years $BTC will trade above $500K. — Andrew (@AP_Abacus) February 16, 2026 A Bear Case That Cuts Deep On the other side, the warning is loud and clear. Bloomberg macro strategist Mike McGlone has painted a much darker path, saying an 85% drop could be possible and that $10,000 should not be dismissed. Legendary Investor Ric Edelman: “I believe #bitcoin can reach $500,000 by 2030.” ???? pic.twitter.com/XNQFTbuA69 — Altcoin Daily (@AltcoinDaily) February 16, 2026 He points to stronger stock markets, lower market swings, and fading political tailwinds tied to US President Donald Trump as reasons capital might stay away from risky bets. Markets can be moved by big shifts in where money chooses to sit, and moments like this can put a damper on optimism quickly. Collapsing Bitcoin/Cryptos May Guide the Next Recession – “Healthy Correction” is what we should hear soon from stock market analysts (who risk unemployment if not onboard), following collapsing cryptos. The buy the dips mantra since 2008 may be over, here’s why: – US stock… pic.twitter.com/fPPc2fV3EU — Mike McGlone (@mikemcglone11) February 15, 2026 Flows And Sentiment Matter Reports note that exchange-traded funds saw heavy withdrawals recently. On-chain readings flagged hundreds of millions in outflows in a short window. A separate fear-and-greed meter cratered to very low readings, signaling panic among small traders. Those two facts together help explain why price fell so sharply; when many try to leave, price can slip faster than logic expects. That said, outflows can also clear the way for a different type of buyer to move in later. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Rout? Michael Saylor Unfazed, Teases New Accumulation On Institutional Behavior & Lofty Price Targets Meanwhile, institutional behavior will be the key variable. Large managers could buy when retail is jittery, and some market watchers point to companies that have built crypto desks as potential demand anchors. Despite the uncertainty, the $500,000 mark remains the headline grabber for bullish investors. Parish’s call captures attention because it ties sentiment swings to potential market moves, while Edelman’s projections underline how even modest allocations from global wealth could push Bitcoin higher over time. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto markets are leaning toward their quietest mood in years, and some analysts say that could be the signal sellers have run out of steam. According to Matrixport, a slump in investor mood has pushed its measures to levels that have in the past lined up with market turning points. Related Reading: XRP Spotlighted In German Media With Bold $9 Projection Crypto Sentiment At Multi-Year Lows According to Matrixport, its Bitcoin fear-and-greed gauge has the 21-day moving average below zero and starting to turn up, which is the kind of shift that in prior episodes marked the end of broad selling. Reports note Alternative.me’s Fear and Greed Index sits near 10 out of 100, a reading that lines up with what traders call “extreme fear.” Those are blunt, unsightly numbers. They also tend to make a few investors start looking for bargains. Similar Readings From The Past Past moments with similar readings came after steep drops. June 2024 and November 2025 were named by Matrixport as earlier times when market mood hit comparable depths, and each was followed by at least a temporary change in price action. That pattern doesn’t promise a rebound every time, but it does show how deeply negative views can eventually be absorbed by buyers who step back in at lower prices. ????Today’s #Matrixport Daily Chart – February 17, 2026 ⬇️ Bitcoin Sentiment Hits Extreme Lows ⁰— Durable Bottom Are Emerging? #Matrixport #Bitcoin #BTC #CryptoMarkets #MarketSentiment #FearAndGreed #RiskManagement #Volatility #CryptoResearch pic.twitter.com/WxJg3xrHSf — Matrixport Official (@Matrixport_EN) February 17, 2026 Technical Indicators Flash Oversold Signals Frank Holmes of Hive says Bitcoin is about two standard deviations below its 20-day trading norm — a rare reading seen only a few times in five years. Reports note that these extremes have historically produced short-term bounces over the following 20 trading days. Bitcoin itself has been moving sharply: it briefly climbed above $70,000 over the weekend, only to fall back about 2.5%, trading near $68,750 at the time of writing. Other trackers report it dipped close to $60,000, marking one of the deepest drops in several years. Traders are keeping a close eye on US GDP and income data, which could influence risk appetite and the next moves for crypto markets. Selling Pressure May Be Near Exhaustion Reports say Matrixport still warns that prices could move lower before any meaningful bottom is cemented. The firm points to a cyclical link between mood and price — deep pessimism often precedes an inflection, but cycles can be messy and extend. Selling pressure can be exhausted and yet new headlines or data can push prices down further before buyers feel confident enough to stay. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $8,000? Michael Saylor Says Strategy Still Won’t Break What Traders Might Do Next Some investors see present readings as an attractive entry point, while others prefer to wait for clearer confirmation from price and volume. Long-term holders often point to the underlying network metrics and institutional interest as reasons to remain optimistic, and their positions are being watched closely. Short-term players, by contrast, are taking a cautious stance, using stops, scaling entries, or sitting out until signals firm up. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s image as a steady store of value is being tested. What once was talked about as a hedge against uncertainty now moves more like a high-upside, high-risk bet. Related Reading: Jim Cramer Suggests US Government Could Buy Bitcoin Near $60K Signals Of A Growth Asset According to Grayscale, recent trading patterns show Bitcoin tracking closely with shares of software companies rather than with gold or silver. That change in behavior has been noticeable since early 2024, when institutional flows and exchange-traded products pushed crypto into more mainstream hands. Reports say investors who chase growth — many drawn by the AI story — have been selling software names hard, and Bitcoin has followed some of that pressure. Institutional Links And Market Forces Reports note that deeper ties to traditional markets explain part of this shift. Large firms, ETF mechanics and growing institutional holdings mean movements in stock markets can spill into crypto. There has also been active selling from US-based accounts that left Bitcoin trading at a discount on some platforms. That selling happened after a string of big liquidations late in the year and again in recent weeks, which amplified losses for traders who used leverage. Where Price Stands Now Bitcoin is changing hands around $66,900, with clear resistance near $69,900 and support levels slipping under $66,600. The swings are sharp and intraday moves can be wide, reflecting a mood that is cautious and reactive. From its peak above $126,000 in October, the market has pulled back by roughly 50% in several waves, which shows how quickly sentiment can turn against even the most talked-about crypto. Gold, Geopolitics And Risk Appetite Reports point out that bullion has climbed to fresh highs while Bitcoin has failed to mirror those safe-haven flows. Rising geopolitical friction has driven some money into metals and away from riskier bets, including tech shares and crypto. Traders who expected Bitcoin to act like a fortress against turmoil have found that, for now, it behaves more like an asset whose value rises on hope and falls when fear returns. A return of fresh capital would likely be needed to steady prices. ETF inflows could help, and a renewed wave of retail buyers would too. Research suggests that retail interest is currently focused on AI stories and growth narratives, which leaves crypto out of favor for many individual investors. That concentration of attention matters: capital flows are what lift or sink these markets. Related Reading: After Predicting XRP’s Drop, Analyst Says The Bottom May Be In Bitcoin Tracks Tech, But Long-Term Value Still Intact Grayscale says Bitcoin’s recent moves mirror tech stocks, not gold, but its long-term potential as a store of value remains. Short-term swings reflect market integration and investor activity, while future performance will depend on capital flows and broader economic trends. Featured image from ETF Trends, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s market shook hard on a single day of trading, sending prices tumbling to $65,000 and nerves flaring. Reports note the move wiped out a big chunk of recent gains and pushed many recent buyers into loss. Price action this sharp rarely comes without a story behind it — and this one had several threads pulling at once. Related Reading: Polygon Hits $3.50 Billion In Payments As Crypto Activity Expands Bitcoin: Capitulation And Selling Pressure According to Glassnode, the spike in forced sales is one of the biggest seen in about two years. Traders who had used borrowed money were hit first. Liquidations swept through positions, and many coins moved from hands that bought recently to hands that sold quickly. Realized losses climbed to the highest levels since late 2022, with close to $890 million a day recorded on a seven-day average. The sell-off unfolded over roughly 10 hours of intense trading, with panic and program trades both playing a role. The $BTC capitulation metric has printed its second-largest spike in two years, highlighting a sharp escalation in forced selling. These stress events typically coincide with accelerated de-risking and elevated volatility as market participants reset positioning.… pic.twitter.com/mcvVqXJcYq — glassnode (@glassnode) February 5, 2026 Prices Fall Below Buyer Cost Lines Reports say Bitcoin’s market price has fallen under several on-chain cost markers that many investors watch. Short-term buyers who picked up coins in recent months now sit below their purchase price. That creates a kind of pressure where emotional selling can feed into more selling. Active investor costs and broader market averages were all above the spot price, which made the slide feel deeper. When a market drops under the average cost of recent buyers, volatility tends to rise and traders begin hunting for the next reliable support. News Flow And Timing The move comes after a run of strong gains earlier in the year. Price was last at these levels back in November 2024, just before US President Donald Trump won his reelection. That timing put the fall in sharper relief for some observers who had started to see those prior highs as a fresh floor. Headlines and big trades added friction to the market. Social chatter and rapid shifts in order books amplified selling, and some long-term holders did move to lock in gains or cut risk. Related Reading: Russia’s Biggest Exchange To Launch XRP Indices And Futures What The Numbers Tell Us Based on on-chain measures, the recent drop forced a large group of holders to realize losses, not just paper losses but actual transactions where coins left wallets at a lower price than they were bought. That kind of clearing can remove built-up leverage and leave a cleaner market on the other side. It also leaves fewer buyers near current levels, which means rebounds can be choppy and uneven. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Reports have disclosed that Polygon closed the final quarter of 2025 with higher on-chain usage, driven by payments, stablecoin transfers, and tokenized assets. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says While traders watched MATIC drift inside a narrow range, activity on the chain told a different story, one focused on payments, stablecoins, and quiet institutional adoption rather than price momentum. Polygon Payments Use Grows Faster Than Prices According to Messari’s Q4 network review released on January 4, Polygon processed heavy payment traffic as fees stayed low and settlement times remained short. More than 50 apps built for payments handled about $3.50 billion in transfers during the quarter. That figure was 96% higher than the prior quarter and close to four times the level seen a year earlier. Stablecoin-linked cards added another layer of activity. Ten card programs together moved nearly $363 million using Mastercard and Visa rails, with Visa responsible for the larger share. Reports say this growth came from everyday spending rather than one-off events, a sign that Polygon is being used for routine transfers instead of short-term experiments. Beyond card payments, several firms expanded how they move money on the chain. DeCard allowed users to pay with USDC and USDT at a wide range of merchants. Flutterwave chose Polygon for cross-border business payments in 30 African countries. Revolut integrated cheap stablecoin transfers inside its app, while Stripe continued building subscription tools that rely on USDC. None of those moves grabbed market headlines, yet together they pushed steady volume through the network. Tokenized Assets Gain Ground Quietly Away from payments, tokenized real-world assets continued to stack up. Reports note Polygon ended Q4 with nearly $1.10 billion in RWAs, ranking ninth worldwide. Growth was driven less by retail hype and more by regulated structures. Stablecoin supply climbed to nearly 3 billion, led by USDC at $1.34 billion and DAI near $630 million. Latin America stood out as a key region, where non-USD stablecoin volume totaled $1.18 billion. Average daily DEX volume jumped 44% to a little over $200 million. MATICUSD trading at $0.19 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView MATIC Trades Sideways As Activity Builds MATIC’s price action stayed restrained despite the on-chain growth. The token slipped back from short-term resistance during broader market weakness and then stabilized as buyers defended key support zones. Related Reading: Russia’s Biggest Exchange To Launch XRP Indices And Futures Deeper losses were avoided, but strong upside moves failed to appear. Volume has yet to confirm a shift in trend. For now, Polygon shows rising use across payments and tokenized assets, while its token waits for a clearer signal from traders. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Reports say an on-chain analytics account called Rand flagged a new milestone: crypto funds have recorded three straight months of outflows for the first time on record. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says That streak stands out because it breaks the pattern of sporadic withdrawals and inflows that marked earlier market cycles. Many investors are watching closely. Outflows Reach A Historic Turning Point According to market watchers, the run of withdrawals covers both retail and institutional flows. Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US have been a major focus, with inflows that were once enormous now trimming down. Some of the earlier gains that piled into ETFs have been partially reversed, leaving holders with paper losses that many see as painful right now. US ???????? spot #Bitcoin ETF’s recorded 3 months of net outflows in a row. The first time in history that there has been 3 consecutive months of outflows. pic.twitter.com/WusDpXuSSm — Rand (@cryptorand) February 3, 2026 ETF Investors Holding Their Ground Reports say several prominent analysts have pointed out that, while the recent bleed looks alarming, ETF holders haven’t fled. James Seyffart noted that holders remain largely in place despite steep paper losses. Jim Bianco weighed in too, suggesting the average ETF stake is underwater by a meaningful margin yet still being held. This is not a full-scale selloff; it’s a slow retreat for now. Large sums entered the market during the peak months and those inflows dwarf the recent outflows when measured over the longer run. Sentiment has shifted, but conviction has not collapsed. What The Numbers Show Over 30 days, spot Bitcoin’s price slid by a sizable amount, and that drop helped push ETF positions into the red. Reports show some holders face losses around the low 40%, while shorter windows show steeper swings. The math is simple: big gains came fast, and some of that profit has been given back. At the same time, net positions remain sizable and a fair share of the capital that flowed in earlier is still parked in ETFs. Long Term Gains Versus Short Term Pain According to other market commentators, the bigger picture still favors those who kept faith through the rally years. Since 2022, Bitcoin’s cumulative rise outpaced several traditional stores of value, say analysts tracking long-term performance. That record is raised as a counterpoint to the current outflow story. Some investors see the current weak stretch as a pause; others see it as a warning. Related Reading: Russia’s Biggest Exchange To Launch XRP Indices And Futures What Comes Next The three-month outflow run is a sobering marker. It signals caution has spread beyond a handful of traders and reached products that many thought would smooth volatility. Money can return just as quickly as it left, or the slow drip could continue. For now, reports and the data both show a market in a rare place: bruised, but not emptied. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Russia’s Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is moving to broaden which digital assets it tracks and trades. Reports say the exchange plans to roll out new indices and futures tied to XRP, Solana, and Tron this year. That will give traders ways to follow price moves without owning the coins directly. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says New Crypto Indices Planned According to local coverage, Maria Silkina, who runs the derivative products group at the exchange, outlined the expansion on a recent radio broadcast. MOEX already lists benchmarks for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Now the exchange is preparing indices that mirror three more of the bigger, actively traded tokens, and it intends to offer futures contracts based on those indices. Trading interest in these coins has been high elsewhere. Here, such contracts will be cash-settled and follow the Bank of Russia’s rules. Settlements will happen monthly under the current regime. Perpetual Contracts And Options Under Review Reports note the exchange is also thinking about perpetual futures and options for Bitcoin and Ethereum down the line. Perpetuals do not expire. They use funding rates to stay close to the spot market and allow positions to be held for as long as a trader wishes. That differs from the monthly settled contracts MOEX already uses. Some of the new ideas remain under study and will be launched step by step. The approach looks designed to keep the products inside a tightly regulated frame while allowing more sophisticated trading strategies. Russia Pushes Toward Broader Access In 2025 the exchange added a set of crypto-linked futures, and it listed indices connected to Bitcoin and Ether alongside other structured products tied to overseas ETFs. Reports say that trend continued with some big Russian financial firms offering crypto-tied investment options. Sberbank has already rolled out a product that links to Bitcoin’s price. Market access is slowly widening, but access is still likely to be limited to qualified investors at first. That said, more instruments usually bring more liquidity and more ways to manage risk. Related Reading: Trump Says He Was Unaware Of Abu Dhabi Royal’s $500 Million WLFI Investment What This Means For Traders For investors, the shift offers both opportunity and restraint. Cash settlement removes the need for custody of the underlying token, which can reduce some operational hassles. At the same time, the Bank of Russia’s standards mean the products will be boxed in by clearing and reporting requirements. If adopted, these additions could help price discovery for XRP, Solana, and Tron inside Russia and might attract institutional flows that have been sitting on the sidelines. Featured image from The Moscow Times, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s latest slide has pushed prices into territory not seen so far this year, with the market briefly trading near the low $75,000 area. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says Losses have piled up over recent months, leaving the asset well below its record peak and stirring fresh debate about whether the broader uptrend has stalled. The drop did not happen in isolation, though, and the timing points to wider pressure across risk assets rather than a crypto-only shock. Bids Cluster Below $73k Order books show thicker buy interest clustered in a range that stretches from about $71,500 down toward $64,000. According to market feeds, that demand is visible but tentative. When many bids sit on exchange books they can slow a fall, but they can also disappear quickly if sellers accelerate. Liquidations have amplified the slide: forced closures of leveraged longs have been reported in the millions and such events can create short, violent drops even where fundamental demand remains. This model shows current bitcoin price action is still sitting within historical norms at $74,000. Bitcoin is down ~40% from its October high while U.S. equities remain near all time highs, with the S&P 500 down less than 10%. Under those conditions, a possible ~45% bitcoin… https://t.co/E8oiOKD3VE — Joe Burnett, MSBA (@IIICapital) February 3, 2026 Nothing Out Of The Ordinary According to Joe Burnett, vice president of Bitcoin strategy at Strive, the recent downturn still fits within patterns seen in prior market cycles. Burnett said Bitcoin hovering around the mid-$70,000 range reflects a drawdown size that has appeared before during periods of rapid adoption and price discovery. He added that swings of this scale tend to show up when an asset is still being priced by the market, rather than when it has settled into a stable trading range. Tech Stocks Drag On Risk Appetite The pullback in US tech names, particularly those tied to AI infrastructure, has been cited by several market watchers as a linked cause. NVIDIA and Microsoft were among the bigger drags on major indices, and reports note that weak sentiment around earnings and high-cost AI build-outs has left investors more cautious. When big growth stocks wobble, investors often trim other risky positions too, and crypto has been swept up in that flow. Related Reading: Trump Says He Was Unaware Of Abu Dhabi Royal’s $500 Million WLFI Investment Retail dip-buying was visible on some exchanges, and institutional spot purchases were reported as well. According to Burnett, a 45% drawdown is close to historical swings, which suggests volatility like this has precedents. That view does not remove pain for traders, but it does place the drop into a longer pattern rather than labeling it terminal. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin slid to a year-to-date low of $74,500 on Monday, a move that wiped roughly 38% off its peak. Markets reacted sharply, and traders felt the pinch as flows out of big funds accelerated. Related Reading: Bitcoin Suppression? Analyst Claims Single Force Keeping Price Under $90K Fund Flows And Market Mood According to reports, global crypto exchange-traded products saw heavy withdrawals last week. Big US spot ETFs led the selling, and that pushed overall fund flows into deep negative territory. Based on Bitwise’s Weekly Crypto Market Compass report, Bitcoin’s recent drop pushed its two-year rolling MVRV z-score to a record low, a level tied to undervaluation and suggesting fire-sale conditions for the asset. Sentiment gauges fell hard. Reports note that a two-year rolling MVRV z-score — a measure comparing market price to the average cost basis of holders, adjusted for volatility — hit its lowest reading ever. That kind of number points to widespread selling and prices that many investors now view as distressed. Buying Interest On The Spot Market On shorter time frames, signs of buying have appeared. The daily RSI plunged into the low 20s. This is a level that has often been followed by quick rebounds. Spot volume data on major venues such as Binance and Coinbase showed net aggressive buying as Bitcoin bounced back toward about $79,420. Open interest did not spike. Funding rates stayed negative. In plain terms: people were buying on the spot market rather than piling into leveraged long bets, which reduces the chance of a cascade of forced liquidations that can make moves messier. Capitulation And Liquidations Reports say long positions were crushed last week, with close to 2 billion in BTC long liquidations recorded across derivatives markets. That pain can clear the field for fresh entrants. At the same time, there are multiple billions of dollars of short positions clustered near higher price levels, around $85,000, that could be hit if Bitcoin climbs. Short-covering could add fuel to a bounce. Market structure now offers a mix of strong selling behind prices and real buying in front of them. Where Support Might Hold Based on reports, buying interest combined with very low valuation metrics could create an asymmetric trade. That means the potential upside may be larger than the near-term downside, at least for traders willing to accept volatility. Historically, dips into the RSI zone seen last week have led to roughly 10% rebounds most of the time since August 2023, although outcomes vary and nothing is guaranteed. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Investors Pull Nearly $3 Billion, Pushing Average Buy Below Water A Quiet But Real Conclusion Institutional flows remain cautious. Major products such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and the iShares Bitcoin Trust posted sizable outflows, signaling that some big holders stepped back. Yet, on-chain and spot-volume signals hint that bargain hunting has started. The near-term path will probably be bumpy. Traders who want exposure will need to weigh the low valuation readings and pockets of buying against the very real possibility of further weakness if sentiment deteriorates again. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

XRP sits at a crossroads. Trading around the $1.6 area after a steep run higher and a later pullback, the token now rests on a weekly support band that traders are watching closely. According to crypto analyst Scott Melker, this is one of the cleaner risk/reward setups in crypto right now — a small stop can limit losses while a bounce could offer meaningful gains. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Support Zone Holds The Key Based on reports, the zone around $1.55 to $1.60 is important. It lines up with the midpoint of the breakout that began in November 2024 and has acted as resistance before flipping to support. When price briefly dipped toward $1.50 and then closed January above the $1.60 mark, some traders read that as a liquidity sweep that cleared short orders. That kind of action can presage either a bounce or a deeper move, depending on whether fresh buying shows up. What History Shows XRP moved sideways in 2023 and much of 2024 before breaking out from roughly $0.50 to $0.60 in November 2024. A fast advance followed, carrying price toward the $2.00 area and then higher into the $3.66 peak in July 2025. $XRP Crazy chart. Trading exactly at the last meaningful support on the chart before a huge air pocket. For traders, this is about the best risk/reward you get on an asset. Easy to cut loose with a small loss if support fails. pic.twitter.com/wySapwsnT0 — The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) January 31, 2026 Those gains set a higher structure, but they also left large pockets of profit taking above current levels. Reports say that repeated failed attempts above $3.50 marked weakening demand, which helped trigger the current drop back to the $1.6 region. Tight Downside, Open Upside According to Scott Melker, a.k.a. “Wolf of All Streets”, traders can manage risk with a stop between $1.45 and $1.50. That makes the downside measured. On the flip side, a recovery would likely test $2.00 first, then run into supply around $2.50–$2.60, before facing heavier resistance near $3.00 and the old highs. That path is straightforward on paper, but market context changes outcomes. Volume confirmation is absent from many of the bullish takes; a support hold without visible buying on the tape is fragile. Broader liquidity in US markets and risk appetite for crypto will also play a major role in whether the bounce can sustain itself. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Explode: $370 Million Stolen In January Alone: Researchers XRP’s Sweet Spot: Small Risk, Big Upside For Melker, setups like XRP’s current level are rare in crypto right now — a defined support, a tight stop, and clear upside targets create a scenario where the potential reward outweighs the risk. He emphasizes that traders don’t need to predict every twist in the market; instead, focusing on trades with controlled losses and meaningful gains can be the difference between surviving and thriving in volatile conditions. In XRP’s case, the near-term risk is small relative to the possible rebound, making it a setup many are watching closely. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin slid hard over the weekend and stayed low into Monday, leaving traders on edge and pushing many to reduce risk. Prices slipped from roughly $84,000 to about $74,600 in a matter of days, a drop that erased a chunk of recent gains and forced quick reassessments across markets. Nervousness around Federal Reserve leadership, rising job worries, and fresh geopolitical flashpoints all piled up at once. Related Reading: Gold Vs. XRP: One Asset Just Added 20x The Other’s Market Value Average ETF Price Above Market According to Coinglass, the combined assets of US spot Bitcoin ETFs sit near $113 billion, while reports note they hold around 1.28 million BTC. Based on those figures, the typical ETF buying price works out to an average of roughly $87,830 per coin — well above current trading levels. That gap means many ETF positions are showing losses on paper right now. Some funds kept buying earlier and are holding positions that are underwater. BTC is trading below the U.S. ETFs avg cost basis after the 2nd & 3rd biggest outflow weeks ever (last week and week before) (and last week’s outflow will increase after IBIT reports friday’s numbers tomorrow) this means the average bitcoin ETF purchase is underwater pic.twitter.com/XowzrnBaSM — Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) February 2, 2026 Outflows Pick Up Over the last two weeks, investors pulled close to $3 billion from the 11 spot ETFs, with one week seeing $1.50 billion leave and the prior week $1.30 billion, according to CoinGlass. Those moves suggest some market participants are locking in gains or cutting exposure after the recent run-up. At the same time, cumulative ETF inflows remain materially lower than earlier peaks; buying has not fully come back even as some holders remain steady. Technical Signals And Bear Fears Reports note that spot BTC is down roughly 40% from its October peak while ETF AUM has fallen by about 31%. That divergence has analysts warning that sustained weak demand could push Bitcoin into a deeper downtrend. Technical charts show longer-term sell pressure building in certain measures. If demand fails to reappear, momentum could carry prices lower and extend selling across crypto markets. Policy, Politics, And Market Mood Market watchers point to extra uncertainty around monetary policy and geopolitics as fuel for the recent moves. Reports have disclosed that the proposed US Clarity Act stalled in Washington. At the same time, headlines about tensions in the Middle East and trade friction added to a rush for traditional safe havens like gold and the dollar. Even a hint of policy change matters: US President Donald Trump’s choice for the next Fed chair was discussed by investors as another factor shaping expectations. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Liquidity And The Road Ahead Institutional holders have not all capitulated. Many have been described as holding on, which can cushion sharp drops. But when the average cost basis for major ETF holders is above the current market price, confidence can be fragile. Liquidity has thinned in certain windows, and that makes price swings larger. A recovery requires renewed buying from both retail and big investors, otherwise sellers may dictate direction for longer. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The start of this year brought a hard reminder: people remain the weakest link. Reports note that roughly $370 million in crypto were taken in January, a sharp climb from earlier months. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up That surge was driven mostly by one massive social-engineering con that emptied a single victim of about $284 million. Simple lies and well-crafted messages beat code this time. Phishing Dominates Losses According to CertiK, phishing-style scams grabbed about $311 million of the January haul. That means most losses came from attackers tricking users and insiders rather than breaking cryptographic systems. Social pressure, fake links, and impersonation were used to push victims into moving funds. People clicked. Money moved. Accounts were drained. A Bigger Picture Of Monthly Swings Based on reports, January’s total is nearly four times the $98 million stolen in January 2025 and more than triple December’s close to $118 million. The month is the largest since February 2025, when roughly $1.5 billion was taken, most of that tied to the huge Bybit heist. Those big events show how a single breach or scam can tilt an entire month’s tally. Numbers can look calm one month and explosive the next. That unpredictability keeps wallets and treasuries on edge. #CertiKStatsAlert ???? Combining all the incidents in January we’ve confirmed ~$370.3M lost to exploits. ~$311.3M of the total is attributed to phishing with one victim losing ~$284M due to a social engineering scam. More details below ???? pic.twitter.com/uXhi0P6dl5 — CertiK Alert (@CertiKAlert) January 31, 2026 Major Technical Exploits Hit Treasuries PeckShield flagged several large protocol attacks. Step Finance lost nearly $29 million after treasury wallets were compromised and over 261,000 SOL vanished. Truebit suffered a $26.4 million hit when a smart contract flaw allowed near-free minting, which also crushed its token price. SwapNet and Saga were among other victims, with losses around $13.3 million and $7 million respectively. Those hacks were technical, aggressive, and fast. #PeckShieldAlert In Jan. 2026, the crypto space saw 16 hacks totaling $86.01M in losses, representing a slight 1.42% YoY decrease compared to Jan. 2025 ($87.25M) but a notable 13.25% MoM surge from Dec. 2025 ($75.95M). Meanwhile, #phishing remains staggering with losses… pic.twitter.com/pxugbsPcZ7 — PeckShieldAlert (@PeckShieldAlert) February 1, 2026 Why This Matters Now Reports say there were 40 exploit and scam incidents over January, though the bulk of value lost was concentrated in a few cases. That pattern means the raw count of incidents doesn’t tell the whole story; a single, well-executed con can dwarf many smaller breaches combined. Some months will show many small thefts. Other months will be defined by one enormous fraud. What Needs To Change Security teams and project treasuries must tighten both human and technical safeguards. More rigorous wallet controls, staged approvals, and stronger identity checks would blunt social-engineering strikes. At the same time, independent code audits and quicker response plans can limit damage from smart contract bugs. Education programs for staff and users are cheap compared with the cost of a single large loss. Related Reading: Gold Vs. XRP: One Asset Just Added 20x The Other’s Market Value The recent spike is a clear message: attackers are mixing social skill with technical know-how. The playbook now often starts with a message in a chat app or an email, then turns into code-level theft. Patching software helps. Teaching people how to spot scams will stop many attacks before they ever reach the code. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

Tether closed out the year with numbers that turned a few heads in finance circles. Reports say the firm posted net profits above $10 billion for 2025 while the stablecoin USDT grew to roughly $186 billion in circulation — a new high for the token and a sign of how central it has become to crypto markets. Related Reading: Bitcoin Suppression? Analyst Claims Single Force Keeping Price Under $90K Strong Balance Sheet And Big Reserves Reports note that Tether’s balance sheet shows solid backing after dividends and payouts. The issuer reportedly ended the year with several billion in excess reserves and total assets that comfortably outmatched liabilities. That cushion has calmed investors who worry about backing for so much stablecoin. Tether’s cash and short-term holdings are heavy on US Treasury exposure. Based on reports, a large slice of its reserves sits in Treasuries and similar instruments that generate steady interest income. That income helped drive the large profit number, even as the company moved into other assets. The numbers came from Tether’s most recent annual attestation, prepared by independent accountants at BDO, highlighting the company’s status as one of the top earners in the digital asset sector. Gold Buys And A Shift In Mix Reports say Tether has been increasing its holdings of physical gold alongside Treasuries. Recent filings and public comments show roughly 27 tons of gold purchased in the final quarter of the year, and the firm has said it may aim for between 10% and 15% of its portfolio in gold over time. That move is meant to diversify reserves and trim exposure to any single market. Stock And Market Effects The profit and the increase in the USDT supply have spillover effects. Market makers and exchanges usually use Tether as the primary dollar substitute in the crypto market, and the increased USDT supply improves trading and payment liquidity. On the other hand, some rating agencies and analyst firms have pointed out some concerns. There are potential issues with transparency and risk if markets turn against them due to increased allocations to non-Treasury assets. What This Means For Users And Regulators For users, the first thing to note is that the increased supply of USDT in the market typically means improved on-ramps for trading and moving value between platforms. For regulators and big lenders, the numbers underline why stablecoins attract scrutiny. Reports note that watchdogs want clearer, repeatable disclosures to match the scale of these holdings. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech Tether’s recent performance frames a larger story about how crypto handles dollar-like liquidity in practice. The company says its reserves and reporting meet its own standards, while independent commentators push for still greater clarity. Either way, USDT’s role has grown, and the conversation about risk, disclosure, and where those backing assets sit is only getting louder. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

South Dakota has a new bill on the table that would let the state put up to 10% of certain public funds into Bitcoin. Reports say Rep. Logan Manhart filed House Bill 1155 this week, restarting an effort that stalled last year. Related Reading: PayPal Survey: 4 In 10 US Merchants Now Accept Crypto The measure would change state investment rules to give the State Investment Council explicit authority to hold Bitcoin in its portfolio. Lawmaker Files Bill For Bitcoin Reserve According to filings and public posts, Manhart’s proposal mirrors a move he tried in 2025 and keeps a clear cap on exposure: 10% of the moneys made available for investment. The bill text says the limit “may not exceed 10%” and lays out options for how the exposure could be taken, including direct holdings or regulated products. A South Dakota lawmaker is reviving a push to bring bitcoin into state finances. Republican Rep. Logan Manhart introduced House Bill 1155, which would allow the state to invest up to 10% of eligible public funds in bitcoin. It’s a renewed effort after a similar bill stalled… pic.twitter.com/hPBbiSB6zT — Timmy Shen (@timmyhmshen) January 28, 2026 The new push comes after last year’s proposal was deferred in committee. Reports note that HB 1202 was put aside during the 2025 session and did not advance, and Manhart signaled he would try again in 2026. That history matters because it shows the idea has support in some corners but also faces practical and political hurdles. What The Bill Allows Based on reports, the bill not only sets a 10% ceiling but also tries to handle custody and security concerns. It mentions requirements such as using qualified custodians or exchange-traded products, encrypted storage, and multi-signature controls. Those rules are aimed at lowering the risks that come with holding a volatile asset with public money. Supporters say Bitcoin could act as a hedge and add a new type of asset to the state’s mix. Opponents point to volatility and possible legal or accounting issues when state funds are used in this way. Related Reading: Record Pain: Bitcoin Investors Suffer $4.5B Loss, Most In 3 Years The debate will likely hinge on how the State Investment Council evaluates risk and which funds would be considered “eligible” under the bill’s language. Political And Financial Pushback There is practical pushback from fiscal watchdogs and some lawmakers who worry about public perception. Money managed for things like pensions carries duty of care. That duty was stressed last session and will be raised again now that the bill is back. The point has been made plainly and will shape committee hearings. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A rising share of shops in the US are now taking crypto at checkout. That shift is small in some places and big in others, but it is real. Reports say that roughly four in 10 US merchants accept cryptocurrency today, and customer interest is a clear reason why. Related Reading: Record Pain: Bitcoin Investors Suffer $4.5B Loss, Most In 3 Years Merchant Demand Is Rising According to a new survey from PayPal and the National Cryptocurrency Association, about 39% of merchants have added crypto as a payment option. Many of those firms say they hear from buyers about crypto use on a regular basis. Reports note that 88% of merchants have gotten questions about paying with crypto, and 69% say they see demand at least once a month. Also, 84% of respondents think crypto payments will be common within five years, which shows a lot of business leaders expect wider use soon. Who’s Accepting Crypto Adoption is uneven. Big companies with annual revenue above $500 million lead the pack, with roughly 50% accepting crypto. Smaller shops lag at about 34%, while midsize firms sit near 32%. Travel and hospitality, gaming and digital goods, and higher-end retail are among the sectors pushing crypto forward. These markets often sell online or to tech-savvy buyers, so it makes sense they’d move faster. Crypto’s Role In Sales For merchants that already accept digital assets, crypto is not just an occasional trickle. Reports say digital assets account for over a quarter of sales for some of those sellers. Around 72% of current crypto-accepting merchants said their crypto sales grew over the past year. That kind of growth helps explain why firms want to keep the option available. Barriers And Bright Spots A common complaint is that setup is still too hard. Surveys found about 90% of merchants would accept crypto if it were as easy as taking a credit card. Payment tools and integration are top concerns. Merchants list faster payments, the chance to reach new customers, and better buyer privacy as reasons to accept crypto. Younger generations are pushing the trend too — Millennials and Gen Z buyers are often the ones asking to use crypto at checkout. Related Reading: Bitcoin Influencers Get Spotlight In X’s New ‘Starterpacks’ What Merchants Want Next The survey was run in October 2025 and polled about 619 payment strategy decision-makers across retail, travel, and digital goods. PayPal and the NCA put the findings in a public release at the end of January 2026. Many executives say the next step is simpler tools and clearer rules. If merchants get easier on-ramps and reliable rails for settlements, acceptance could spread faster. Featured image from PayPal Newsroom, chart from TradingView

According to the Bitvocation 2025 Bitcoin Jobs Data report, a total of 1,801 Bitcoin-related job openings were posted last year. That number was about 6% higher than the 1,707 listings recorded in 2024. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Sharp Reversal Leaves Over $800 Million Liquidated In 1 Day Many of the new roles were not for engineers. Non-technical positions — like product managers, marketing leads, and executive support — made up roughly 74% of the openings. This points to firms trying to build stronger day-to-day operations as they grow. Hiring Hot Spots And Fast Movers Reports say the US kept its lead with around 500 listings. But Singapore recorded the fastest jump, with job postings rising by close to 160% year over year, pushing it up the rankings. Some smaller markets also stood out: a few countries in Europe and Asia showed sizable gains, while Switzerland saw a sharp drop in opportunities. Companies appear to be spreading hiring across more places, not just the usual tech hubs. Companies And Roles That Stood Out More than 150 Bitcoin-first firms advertised roles in 2025. Miner companies and payment firms were among the busiest hirers, and a handful of names filled a lot of listings. Director-level spots increased dramatically, by a factor of about 10, as teams added senior hires to manage growth. Remote work dipped. The share of fully remote jobs fell from about 53% to 45%, which suggests more roles now need some physical presence or hybrid schedules. A Tough Match For Some Jobs Reports note that specialized technical roles remain hard to fill. Finding developers with deep Bitcoin protocol knowledge and experience with Lightning remains a challenge for recruiters. At the same time, companies say they want people who understand Bitcoin’s culture and can work within a team. That mix is rare. Salaries were not always listed, but some senior positions had clear compensation bands, signaling firms are willing to pay for experience. Related Reading: Crypto’s Q4 Weakness Mirrors Pre-Rebound 2023: Analysts What This Means For Job Seekers For candidates, the market now rewards broader skill sets. People who can write, manage products, or run operations with a basic grasp of Bitcoin found more openings. Recruiters preferred people who could move between tasks and handle multiple responsibilities, because many teams remained small even as hiring increased. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Gold shone brightly today, racing to a new high while crypto took the back seat, and the gap between the two assets opened wide. Related Reading: Money Keeps Leaving: Bitcoin ETFs Shed $1.72 Billion In Just 5 Sessions On Monday, the precious metal moved past the $5,000 mark, registering a price point market sentinels had not witnessed before. Bitcoin, by contrast, failed to keep pace and traded well below its recent highs. Gold Hits Record Levels Safe-haven demand pushed gold sharply higher. Prices were up above $5k an ounce and inked roughly $5,110 at the peak. Silver, for its part, did not go unnoticed, jumping to fresh peaks near $107/ounce. Source: Gold Price Traders pointed to simmering geopolitical friction and talk of tougher trade moves led by US President Donald Trump as fuel for the rally. A weaker greenback made metals more attractive to customers overseas, and central bank buying provided steady backing. Liquidity in some corners were thin as investors rushed to shift cash into things that feel stable when risk elevates. Bitcoin Falls Behind Market numbers show Bitcoin hovering in the mid-$80,000s range, retreating from peaks seen late last year. Reports note the alpha crypto is roughly 30% below the highest level it hit reached in October 2025, leaving some holders quite jittery. Volatility was another factor. Where bullion is being sought for safety, Bitcoin is viewed more as a growth or speculative play, and that difference in investor application becomes clear when markets tighten. Some funds slashed their crypto exposure, signaling a short reroute away from high-risk gambits. Why Investors Are Shifting Analysts and traders described a simple choice: shelter or swing for gains. When headlines push worry, money flows into assets that are widely trusted across markets and governments. Metals fit that ticket. Based on market chatter, fears of a US government funding clash and fresh tariff announcements stacked pressure on stocks and added a sense of urgency to safe-haven acquisition. Options and futures trading hinted at a more cautious perpective, with volatility indexes rising and bond yields behaving in ways that made the yellow metal look more appealing by comparison. Related Reading: XRP Charts Flash Familiar Signal As Analyst Calls For $11, Then $70 What Traders Are Watching Market watchers said eyes will be glued on a few key metrics: The dollar’s path, moves by major central banks, and any sign that US politics escalates could keep metals elevated. For Bitcoin, network activity, large wallet flows, and regulatory headlines will likely set the tone. Some traders expect swings both ways. Others caution that when risk appetite is back, crypto may bounce hard, but that outcome is not a sure thing and will be dependent on a string of policy and macro moves. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

US-based spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds pulled funds for a fifth straight trading day, and the totals added up quickly. According to Farside data, about $103.5 million left on Friday, bringing the five-day sum to roughly $1.72 billion. Related Reading: Crypto Meets Private Banking: UBS Weighs New Offering Bitcoin was trading near $89,160 at the time of these reports — still well below the $100,000 mark it last reached on November 13. This movement has sent a clear signal: many investors are stepping back right now. ETF Flows And Who Is Selling Reports note that ETF flows are often on the radar as a quick read on investor mood, but the picture is not always simple. Large outflows can reflect institutional rebalancing or tactical moves by funds, not only mass retail selling. The US market had a four-day trading week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, which may have concentrated trades into fewer sessions and amplified the numbers. Still, losing more than a billion dollars in a few days will get attention. Market Mood And Metals The wider mood has soured. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered an Extreme Fear score of 25, and sentiment trackers have been flashing caution. Reports say Santiment believes retail traders are pulling back while attention drifts toward more traditional assets. Meanwhile, metals have been strong. Reports disclose that with gold trading near $5,000 and silver approaching $100, some market players feel Bitcoin has been left out of a rally that lifted metals, which has weighed on confidence in the crypto market. Source:  Alternative.me Bitcoin Price Action Bitcoin has struggled to find a steady rhythm over the past week. Prices slipped below the $89,000 to $90,000 range as traders reacted to fresh geopolitical tension and renewed trade worries, before stabilizing as nerves eased. This was driven higher after some soft political indicators around tariff threats, only to substantiate the idea that markets rarely react to conflict but rather to changes in tone and expectations. Signals That Could Matter These movements illustrate how Bitcoin behaves more like a risk asset rather than an asset shelter, falling in tandem with equities when unexpected financial shocks hit the globe, before rebounding when the fever subsides to gather fresh buyers. Related Reading: Gold Becomes The Whale Safe Haven As Bitcoin Takes A Back Seat Current price patterns indicate caution, where traders are weighing short-term political risks against medium- and long-term macro patterns, as well as institutional interests. There are some quieter indications that the rout could be losing steam. To this effect, there are assertions suggesting that supply distribution on-chain and social chatter can be circumstantial evidence showing there is less selling pressure. Featured image from Money; Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

Reports say Swiss banking giant UBS is planning to let a small group of its private bank clients buy and sell major cryptocurrencies. The step would open access to Bitcoin and Ethereum for people who have worked with the bank for years, not for every customer. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Sharp Reversal Leaves Over $800 Million Liquidated In 1 Day Private Clients First According to a Bloomberg report, the service would start in Switzerland and be offered only to select private banking clients, with any wider rollout dependent on rules and demand. The move is careful and measured. It is being tested with a narrow set of clients before any wider push is considered. How It Would Work Reports note that UBS has been talking with outside firms about providing the trading, custody and compliance pieces needed to make crypto trading run smoothly. Partners would likely handle technical tasks while UBS keeps the client relationship front and center. Those talks have been going on for months, and no final deals are said to be done yet. Why Now Wealthy clients have been asking for ways to own digital assets safely. UBS has run pilots on tokenized funds and has worked on blockchain payments before. The bank’s size and reputation mean it can offer a more cautious path into crypto than many smaller players. At the same time, changes in regulation and the broader market have made the plan more realistic than it might have seemed a few years ago. Based on reports, the initial offering would focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum. More coins could be added later, but that would depend on which assets meet the bank’s risk and compliance checks. UBS will reportedly decide what custody model to use and whether it needs third parties for trade execution. No launch date has been set. A Broader Trend Banks from different countries are slowly giving rich clients more ways to touch crypto, but each does it in its own style. Some offer ETFs and funds. Some go further and let clients trade coins directly. UBS’s cautious design fits a pattern where big banks move slowly, testing the systems before widening access. A handful of recent moves by other institutions show the same pattern. Related Reading: Bitcoin Influencers Get Spotlight In X’s New ‘Starterpacks’ What Comes Next Reports note that regulators and client interest will help decide how fast this goes. If rules in the US and other places stay friendly and clients respond, the offering could broaden beyond Switzerland. If not, the bank could keep the plan tightly limited. For now, the idea remains a plan under discussion rather than a product on the market. UBS’s steps reflect growing demand from wealthy investors for safer ways to hold crypto through trusted firms. The bank’s careful progress shows how traditional finance is testing the waters without rushing in. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

According to on-chain trackers, a big wave of old Bitcoin has started moving after long dormancy. Coins that sat untouched for more than two years have been transferred in numbers larger than what was seen during past peaks in 2017 and 2021. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Sharp Reversal Leaves Over $800 Million Liquidated In 1 Day CryptoQuant analyst Kripto Mevsimi said on-chain data shows that 2024 and 2025 marked the largest release of long-held Bitcoin supply ever recorded. He tracks “revived supply,” or coins that stayed dormant for more than two years before being moved. That kind of movement usually means deep-pocketed holders are changing their plans, not small traders chasing a quick gain. A Shift Without A Party Reports say this release of long-held supply arrived with little fanfare. There was no mass retail mania. Prices did not spike in a frenzy. Instead, the transfers came during a stretch when the market has been under steady pressure from broader financial stress. Some of those older coins were likely sold for profit. Some may have been moved for other reasons — custody upgrades, private trades, or to back financial products. On-chain signals show the coins moved, but they do not write the reasons on the blockchain. Long-Term Holders Change Course Based on reports from analysts tracking these flows, the pattern suggests a changing of the guard. Early adopters who held through multiple cycles and pointed to scarcity and self-control have been trimming positions. New buyers are appearing who watch price swings and macro headlines. Institutions, fresh large accounts, and price-driven traders are now shaping much of the market’s short-term activity. Global Risk Pressures Risk Assets Reports have linked recent weakness in Bitcoin to rising global risk. Research ties part of the pullback to tariff moves by US President Donald Trump, which have pushed investors away from risky assets. Tariffs can dent corporate profits, stir up inflation uncertainty, and change how the market views future rates — all of which hits sentiment. When big markets wobble, crypto often follows. That pressure helps explain why long-held coins moved without the usual hype. New Buyers Step Forward According To on-chain and price data, institutions and new “whales” are stepping into the gaps left by sellers. Bitcoin has been trading near the high $80k range, with recent figures around $89,140 as markets test demand. The old holders may have taken gains, but the market did not collapse. That shows there is still appetite, even if it is different from the past. Related Reading: Bitcoin Influencers Get Spotlight In X’s New ‘Starterpacks’ This cycle feels different because selling came without euphoria, and buying looks more tactical. That does not mean the story is over. The market might be shifting toward price-sensitive participants and outside financial forces. Or the recent calm could be a pause before fresh buying. Either way, these on-chain moves matter. They change where the coins sit, and that changes how future price swings may play out. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

ARK Invest’s new roadmap puts a big number on the table, and it’s hard to ignore. Reports say Cathie Wood’s firm’s “Big Ideas 2026” research paints a scenario where the total value of crypto climbs to about $28 trillion by 2030. Related Reading: Trove’s New Token Craters 95%, Sparking Investor Revolt Big Ideas Point To A Shift According to ARK and its public writeups, that $28 trillion is not blind optimism. The firm breaks the future into three main drivers: Bitcoin, decentralized finance, and tokenized real-world assets. Reports note Bitcoin could make up roughly 70% of that total, which would mean about $16 trillion in Bitcoin market cap by 2030. DeFi And Tokenized Assets Take The Stage DeFi platforms and smart-contract networks are expected to grow a lot. ARK’s scenario puts smart money and on-chain services as a major contributor to market value in the run up to 2030. The firm also projects tokenized real-world assets — things like tokenized bonds, property shares, and other financial products moved onto ledgers — to climb into the trillions, with some reports pointing toward around $11 trillion for tokenization. How Bitcoin Fits Into The Picture Given the share ARK assigns to Bitcoin, the math pushes toward very large per-coin prices if that scenario plays out. Reports say ARK’s base case uses a little over 20 million Bitcoins in supply by 2030 and implies a per-coin price that could sit near the high hundreds of thousands — commonly quoted numbers range up to about $950,000 to $1,000,000 in that framework. Fast Growth Assumptions To reach $28 trillion, the forecast depends on very steep growth each year. ARK points to an implied compound annual growth rate near 61% from present levels to 2030. That is aggressive. It would mean rapid gains across many segments of the crypto market, not just a single rally. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Sharp Reversal Leaves Over $800 Million Liquidated In 1 Day Reports and industry analysts warn that the path to that future has a long list of hurdles. Regulation must become clearer in many places. Institutional rails and custody tools need to expand and prove reliable. Market sentiment has to stay positive long enough for major capital flows to arrive. Any of these things going wrong would change the numbers quickly. ARK’s “Big Ideas 2026” details a robust vision of a $28 trillion ecosystem driven by Bitcoin, DeFi, and tokenization. Although it holds a rather ambitious 61% growth trajectory riddled with numerous regulatory and market obstacles, the vision reinforces the faith of ARK Invest in the transformation of the digital asset space from being a speculative domain to the nucleus of the global finance system. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A worrying pattern has formed in the crypto sector. Reports say that about four in five projects hit by major hacks do not fully recover. Money is lost, yes. But the deeper damage is often to trust — and that can be fatal. Related Reading: Saylor Defends Bitcoin Treasury Firms Amid Rising Criticism Trust Erodes Fast When a breach is found, users pull funds quickly. Partners step back. Liquidity dries up. Industry experts, including Immunefi CEO Mitchell Amador, warn that slow or unclear responses can push entire communities away. Some projects try to fix code quietly. That can fail. Silence is sometimes treated as hiding. Panic spreads. Confidence drops. “Nearly 80% of projects that suffer a hack never fully recover,” Amador pointed out. The primary reason, he said, is not the initial loss of funds, but the “breakdown of operations and trust during the response.” How Teams Respond Can Decide Fate Reports note that incident plans are rare and that the absence of a clear playbook hurts more than the bug itself. A quick, honest update can calm people. A slow, confused reaction makes things worse. In many cases, even after the technical flaw is fixed, the project stays damaged because users left and did not return. Some teams are rebuilt under new names. Others never regain attention. The human side of recovery matters a lot. Amador said many protocols freeze once an exploit comes to light. According to him, teams often underestimate how exposed they are and lack the operational readiness needed to handle a serious security breach. Security Problems Are Changing The attacks are not all the same. Smart contract bugs remain a big cause. But now simple human errors, like leaked keys or social tricks, are also common. Reports say that losses in recent years have grown into the billions, with one figure around $3.4 billion lost in a single year. That number shows the scale of the risk. Community Reaction Shapes Outcomes A project can be technically repaired. But the people who used it may have moved on. Communities are fragile. Some founders try to refund users or set up funds to cover losses. That can help. Other teams decide to close down the service and focus on other work. The decision is sometimes made for them when liquidity vanishes and partners cut ties. Recovery is often not just a technical task; it is a rebuild of trust and reputation. Data from Chainalysis shows the $1.4 billion Bybit hack accounted for almost half of crypto losses in 2025. Related Reading: What’s Driving The $1.42 Billion Comeback In Spot Bitcoin ETFs? Huge Damage Crypto hacks jumped sharply in 2025 as attackers hit both large platforms and private wallets. Based on reports, total losses reached $3.4 billion, the biggest annual figure since 2022. Just three breaches were responsible for nearly 70% of that damage by early December, with the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit standing out as the largest. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Michael Saylor’s hint about a “Bigger Orange” has sent fresh energy through parts of the Bitcoin market. It came after Strategy executed a very large buy, and traders took the message as a sign there may be more accumulation ahead. Short bursts of buying have a way of changing tone on trading floors. Related Reading: What’s Driving The $1.42 Billion Comeback In Spot Bitcoin ETFs? Saylor Signals New Buying Spree According to reports, Strategy purchased more than $1.25 billion in Bitcoin in its latest move, adding thousands of coins to its holdings. That stack has pushed the company closer to a massive total that some sources put near 700,000 BTC. Markets reacted quickly. Prices nudged higher in the hours after the news, and shares of Strategy were treated by some investors as a way to get extra Bitcoin exposure. Traders Pounced And Charts Reacted Momentum traders were the first to lean in. They saw the buy as proof that a major corporate buyer still sees value in stacking coins during dips. Options desks showed increased call buying, and volume spiked on spot desks in New York and Asia. Sentiment grew more positive, but caution remained. Big buys can lift short-term prices, yet they don’t always start long, steady rallies. ₿igger Orange. pic.twitter.com/HI47hMCnui — Michael Saylor (@saylor) January 18, 2026 Market Reaction And Investor Moves Retail and institutional players both turned their attention to liquidity. Reports note that when one large buyer moves, other firms often reassess their risk and allocation plans. Hedge funds checked their models. Family offices ran fresh numbers. For some investors, the appeal is simple: owning a scarce asset that an influential buyer keeps adding to can feel reassuring. Corporate Treasuries And Public Perception Corporate cash strategies have been in the spotlight since Strategy first started buying coins. CEOs and boards watch those moves closely, and investors watch boards. For a public company to keep buying, confidence has to be high enough to risk press questions and regulatory attention. That choice is being watched by analysts who say such buys shape public debate about Bitcoin’s role as part of a company’s balance sheet. What Analysts Are Watching Analysts are tracking three things: how many coins are being taken off exchanges, whether accumulation is steady or one-off, and how the market digests more large purchases. On-chain trackers showed notable withdrawals after the reported purchase, which can tighten available supply. Some onlookers cautioned that short-term price jumps can be reversed if selling follows or if macro news turns sour. Related Reading: More XRP Than Cash? “You’re A Genius”, Analyst Says A Cautious Ending Note Based on market chatter, the “Bigger Orange” tease is more than a bit of bravado — it is treated as a strategic signal by many market players. Still, outcomes are far from certain. Buying by a major corporate holder can shift sentiment and squeeze short positions, but markets are shaped by many forces at once. For now, traders, investors, and watchers will keep an eye on any follow-up moves and how price and liquidity respond in the next sessions. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Fresh money poured back into US spot Bitcoin ETFs this week, giving the market a clear jolt after a quiet month. The inflows totaled about $1.42 billion, the biggest weekly pickup since early October. That rush pushed prices higher for a time and pulled a lot of attention back to these regulated funds. Related Reading: Saylor Defends Bitcoin Treasury Firms Amid Rising Criticism Institutional Demand Comes Back Reports say big, familiar investors are rejoining these funds. Managers with large pools of capital are using ETFs to get Bitcoin exposure in a way that fits standard rules and reporting. Some of the buying came through a tight set of funds that have wide reach with big clients. The move is being read as a return of steady, long-term money rather than quick speculative bets. Reports from the Bitcoin macro newsletter Ecoinometrics note that recent jumps in spot Bitcoin ETF inflows usually lead to brief price gains, which often disappear when the inflows ease. Based on data from SoSoValue, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw their biggest inflows midweek, with Wednesday bringing in more than $840 million in a single day and Tuesday following with roughly $754 million. Bitcoin doesn’t need a few good days. It needs a few good weeks. We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly: a short burst of ETF inflows, a quick price bounce, and then momentum fades. That tells us demand still exists, but it’s not persistent enough to change the trend. The chart… pic.twitter.com/6mkv7ye9fW — ecoinometrics (@ecoinometrics) January 16, 2026 BlackRock’s IBIT Tops Flows BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust drew the largest share of the gains. On several days it led all spot ETF flows, with one report showing IBIT accounted for roughly $1.03 billion of the weekly total. A single day during the run saw IBIT pull in amounts measured in the hundreds of millions, underlining how dominant the fund has become in the US market. When big, regulated vehicles buy a lot of Bitcoin, the effect is not just on paper. These ETFs must either create new shares by buying coins or choose to source supply elsewhere. That process removes coins from the pool available to regular traders. At the same time, some data show that large holders eased off selling in recent days, which tightened the coins ready to trade even more. The mix of fresh demand and less selling can lift price quickly. Short Gains, Or The Start Of Something Longer? Some market watchers point out that a single week of big inflows is only part of the picture. Patterns matter. If monthly flows stay strong, then the story is clearer. If the money fades, prices can fall back just as fast. Still, the sudden inflow shows that at least a group of big investors prefers regulated ETF exposure right now. That matters for how traditional funds think about Bitcoin in balanced portfolios. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels As Buterin Urges Builders To Deliver Real Apps Bitcon Price Action Bitcoin has been hovering around $95,000 this week, moving up and down slightly as buyers and sellers test the market. Reports say the price steadied after a small bounce from recent lows. Some updates show Bitcoin briefly rising above $96,800, shaking out short-term traders. Analysts note the swings reflect mixed sentiment, with the market unsure of the next clear direction. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView