While Coinbase said that the crypto market structure bill would essentially ban tokenized securities, companies in that sector say that's not the case.
Zcash (ZEC) is back on investors’ radar after U.S. regulators ended a long-running investigation into the Zcash Foundation without enforcement. The decision removes a key source of uncertainty that had followed the privacy-focused cryptocurrency since 2023. Related Reading: XRP Price Is Approaching A Key Decision Zone, But Structure Is Still Firmly Bullish Markets reacted quickly, with ZEC posting double-digit gains in some sessions and stabilizing above the $400 level. While regulatory clarity has helped improve sentiment, questions around governance and long-term development remain. ZEC's price trends sideways after a violent move upwards on the daily chart. Source: ZECUSD on Tradingview SEC Closes Two-Year Zcash Investigation The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed it has concluded its review of the Zcash Foundation, which began with a subpoena issued on August 31, 2023. The inquiry focused on potential securities law concerns tied to Zcash’s funding model, governance structure, and token distribution. According to the foundation, the SEC does not intend to recommend enforcement action, fines, or operational changes. This outcome marks a notable shift for privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, which have often faced heightened regulatory scrutiny due to concerns about illicit use. The decision suggests that Zcash’s privacy features alone were not deemed sufficient grounds for action under existing securities laws. The closure also aligns with a broader trend of the SEC withdrawing from several high-profile crypto investigations in recent months under new leadership. For Zcash, the end of the probe removes a regulatory overhang that had weighed on investor confidence for nearly two years. Market Reaction and Price Projections Following the announcement, ZEC surged between 5% and 14% across major exchanges, briefly testing the $440–$450 resistance zone. Currently, the token is trading around $427–$442, holding above the $400 psychological support level. Technically, ZEC remains in a consolidation phase after falling from its January high near $535. Resistance is clustered around $450–$470, while support sits near $400, with a deeper floor around $350 if sentiment weakens. Some analysts point to a symmetrical triangle pattern on longer timeframes, often viewed as a continuation structure after strong rallies. A confirmed breakout above the upper trendline could open the door toward higher levels, including a potential retest of the $1,000 mark later in 2026. Governance Uncertainty Clouds the Outlook Despite the regulatory win, internal challenges persist. Earlier this month, the full development team at Electric Coin Company (ECC), which has led core Zcash development, resigned following a dispute with its nonprofit board. Former ECC leaders cited deteriorating working conditions and have since announced plans to launch a new privacy-focused wallet, cashZ, based on Zcash technology. Related Reading: Arthur Hayes Bets On MSTR, Metaplanet And Zcash As Bitcoin Liquidity Turns The Zcash Foundation has stated that network operations and protocol stability remain unaffected by the personnel changes. Still, the departures have raised concerns about governance stability, development continuity, and long-term coordination within the ecosystem. Cover image from ChatGPT, ZECUSD chart from Tradingview
Cake offers a suite of privacy tools, including Bitcoin PayJoin transactions, though it is often associated most with Monero.
An emerging ETH futures trend is predicting an Ether price rally to $4,100, but other data says the altcoin is overdue for a slight correction.
The legislation would allow the state‘s treasury to hold digital assets with a market capitalization of more than $750 billion, which applied only to Bitcoin as of January.
KBC Group (Euronext Brussels: KBC) will begin offering crypto trading services on February 16, 2026. The second largest bank in Belgium, which has more than $300 billion in assets under management (AUM), is the first bank in the country to offer regulated crypto trading services. KBC Bank to Offer Crypto Trading Services Via Bolero Platform …
Institutional investment managers increased their allocations to US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during the fourth quarter of 2025, despite the asset suffering a sharp price correction that shaved nearly a quarter off its market value. The divergence between rising share counts and falling asset values presents a complex picture of institutional behavior during a period […]
The post Why Wall Street refuses to sell Bitcoin – and actually bought way more – even while losing 25% of its value appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin is starting to emerge from its consolidation phase, suggesting that a decisive move may be underway. After holding above the former resistance, the market is starting to show early signs of confidence returning. The spotlight now shifts to the $107,000 level, where the strength of this breakout will be truly tested. Holds Firm Despite A Weak Start To The Session Bitcoin Meraklsi, in a recent BTC market update, outlined a largely positive outlook despite the day beginning with some downside pressure. While early trading showed red across the board, the analyst emphasized that the broader structure remains healthy, with Bitcoin still trading comfortably above the $96,000 region. Related Reading: BTC Breaks Higher as Record Bitcoin ETF Inflows Trigger Wave of Bearish Liquidations A major technical development highlighted in the update is Bitcoin’s breakout above the long-watched $94,800 resistance level, which previously capped upside moves, and is now acting as support. So far, price action suggests that buyers are stepping in on pullbacks, reinforcing the strength of this level and reducing the risk of an immediate reversal. As long as BTC continues to hold above $94,800, the bullish roadmap remains unchanged. The next clear upside target sits at $107,300, a level that could mark the next phase of expansion if momentum continues to build. The analyst also addressed why altcoins have yet to respond meaningfully to Bitcoin’s strength. In the view, the wider market is still waiting for confirmation and confidence from BTC itself. That confidence is more likely to emerge once Bitcoin reaches the $107,300 region. At that point, improved sentiment and risk appetite could spill over into altcoins, setting the stage for a stronger, more synchronized market move. Bitcoin Tests The Upper Boundary Of A Long-Standing Range According to Crypto Candy, Bitcoin appears to be transitioning out of a prolonged consolidation phase after spending considerable time moving sideways. At the time of the post, price was challenging the upper boundary of the $94,000–$96,000 range, signaling a potential shift in market momentum as buyers attempt to regain control. Related Reading: Wall Street Analyst Is Still Bullish On Bitcoin, Predicts Price Recovery BTC is now trading above it, but it must continue to hold above the range, which serves as a crucial validation zone. Sustained strength above this area would confirm bullish intent and increase the probability of a continued advance, with the $107,000 region standing out as the next major upside objective in the weeks ahead. However, the setup is not without risk. If Bitcoin fails to maintain its position above $94,000, the current move could quickly lose traction and be labeled a false breakout. Such a development invites renewed selling pressure, potentially dragging the price back toward lower support zones as the market reassesses direction. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Untagged Bitcoin blocks sparked solo-miner speculation before NiceHash confirmed they were mined during internal testing, highlighting limits of onchain attribution.
Armstrong told CNBC that his firm pulled support for a sweeping digital assets bill after finding provisions that could have harmed consumers and stifled competition.
The company's Brian Steele suggests the industry giant aims to redefine the limits of tokenization in capital markets.
Baidu's ERNIE-5.0-0110 ranks #8 globally on LMArena, becoming the only Chinese model in the top 10 while outperforming GPT-5.1-High.
Brian Armstrong posted to social media late on a Wednesday saying Coinbase couldn't “support the bill as written,“ potentially leading to a postponement in consideration.
Interactive Brokers now accepts USDC for 24/7 funding via Ethereum, Solana, and Base, with RLUSD and PYUSD coming next week.
The post Interactive Brokers adds USDC funding, with Ripple and PayPal stablecoin support next week appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
In an earnings call transcript shared on X, BofA CEO Brian Moynihan pointed to studies suggesting yield-bearing stablecoins could draw trillions from the banking system.
A call is being planned to discuss the state of the legislation that's now been postponed in the Senate Banking Committee, sources say.
US and Taiwan reportedly finalize a trade deal lowering tariffs and unlocking $500B in semiconductor investments for US operations.
The post US and Taiwan agree to 15% tariff cap and $500B chip investment deal appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin (BTC) price has gained significant bullish sentiment, despite its 2% retrace on Thursday, January 15, to trade at about $95.4k At press time. The flagship coin has cooled down from its bullish momentum gained in the past few days following the bipartisan delay of the Clarity Act. Bitcoin Price Eyes $99k After Its Rebound …
The integration is powered by Zerohash, a B2B crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider backed by Interactive Brokers.
Ethereum is back to trading just above $3,300 per ETH in a slow bullish extension over the past week. After months of wide swings and failed follow-throughs above $3,000, the structure on the monthly timeframe chart is beginning to look bullish in a way that traders should take seriously. A recent technical breakdown shared by Merlijn The Trader on X shows that Ethereum is approaching a moment where consolidation could give way to forceful expansion, with $5,000 as the most important inflection point. Bullish Pennant Says Bullish Momentum About To Be Unlocked The chart showing the technical analysis from Merlijn shows a bullish pennant forming on Ethereum’s monthly timeframe. This bullish pennant shows that price action has been compressing between a rising support line and a descending resistance line, and this has created a narrowing structure since 2021. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Prices Are Surging Today Ethereum briefly pushed above the upper boundary of this pennant in 2025, rallying to just under the $5,000 mark before momentum faded and corrective moves followed. Since then, price action appears to be gravitating back toward the former resistance line, now acting as a key area of interest. As it stands, Ethereum is now retesting the upper trendline of this bullish pennant for a final upward move. Based on this projection, the first major barrier for Ethereum to break is around $3,300. A clean break above that level would likely open a path toward $3,600, an area that previously acted as a turning point during past rallies. The most consequential zone, however, is around the August 2025 all-time high of $5,000. A break above this zone would unlock bullish momentum based on the bullish pennant and play out in the majority of 2026. How Can This Breakout Play Out? Merlijn’s chart doesn’t stop at the breakout trigger once it breaks above the upper trendline of the pennant. It sketches a full road map for how the move could unfold once Ethereum leaves the pennant. The first step in that projection is a push above $3,600 before a more meaningful test around $5,000. Once Ethereum is able to break above $5,000, then the door is open for new price highs. Related Reading: Why The Ethereum Price Could Bounce Above $3,500 Soon However, the breakout is expected to come with volatility and retests, not a straight line upward, but still resolves higher if the pennant thesis holds. From $5,000, the projection turns into a two-stage expansion. The first stage shows a force move, where Ethereum goes on a rally to as high as $6,000, then chops through another sharp dip to $4,000 and another recovery sequence before the larger leg higher. The larger leg, higher projected on the chart, points to $8,400 as the final price target zone for Ethereum. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Citrea launches ctUSD, a Bitcoin-native stablecoin backed 1:1 by T-bills and fiat, issued by MoonPay and powered by M0.
The post Citrea rolls out ctUSD stablecoin as native liquidity layer for Bitcoin ecosystem appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Market expert Bird has recently issued a bold forecast for XRP, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency, suggesting that it could experience a major upside of 800% within this year. If this prediction holds true, XRP could reach a new all-time high of $18.40 per coin. Forecast Indicates XRP Might Rival Ethereum Bird’s forecast hinges on the XRP/BTC ratio, which he predicts will reach 1:5,000 by the end of 2026. This means that 5,000 XRP would be equivalent to 1 Bitcoin (BTC). Currently, the XRP/BTC ratio trades at approximately 0.00002235. Related Reading: Crypto Market Bill Draft Criticized For Allowing Continued Developer Prosecution For Bird’s envisioned target to materialize, the ratio must increase to 0.0002 BTC per token, representing a substantial gain of around 794% from current levels. With a total supply of 100 billion coins, this price projection implies an overall valuation of approximately $1.84 trillion for XRP. Such a figure would place the cryptocurrency in close competition with Ethereum—and striking distance of Bitcoin’s market cap. Additional Price Scenarios For The Altcoin Market expert Sam Daodu also outlined alternative scenarios for XRP’s future performance. In a base case, where the altcoin garners continued institutional support but doesn’t close the gap with Bitcoin’s market capitalization, the price could range between $3 and $4. This outcome would depend on exchange traded funds (ETFs) attracting a “few billion in assets” while Bitcoin’s dominance falls to the 40–50% range during a broader altcoin rotation. Related Reading: Zcash Foundation Investigation Closed: SEC Decision Sparks 12% Jump In ZEC Price Conversely, there exists a bear case where macroeconomic challenges or obstacles within the crypto ecosystem could hinder XRP’s price growth. Factors such as geopolitical instability could redirect capital back to Bitcoin and gold, while banks might opt for private ledgers and established stablecoins instead of adopting XRP. Monthly escrow releases from Ripple of 1 billion coins, accompanied by a potential diminishing exchange-traded fund demand, might cap any potential upside action for the cryptocurrency, leaving it to trade around its current trading prices of $2. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
SEC Chair Paul Atkins told Fox Business in December that he expects US financial markets to move on-chain “in a couple of years.” The statement landed somewhere between prophecy and policy directive, especially coming from the architect of “Project Crypto,” the Commission's formal initiative to enable tokenized market infrastructure. However, what does “on-chain” mean when […]
The post SEC Chair predicts 2-year timeline to put US fully on chain but the real $12.6 trillion opportunity isn’t equities appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Increasing Bitcoin whale balances highlight reaccumulation, aligning with renewed spot BTC ETF inflows. Will $100,000 become support soon?
Bitcoin rose back above $97,000 this week as more money flowed into US spot Bitcoin ETFs, according to market data and analysts. However, BTC price is now slipping back toward the $95,000 level after the US Senate Banking Committee delayed a bill focused at setting rules for the crypto market. Bitcoin Declines As Crypto Bill …
The firm is exploring how these technologies can fit into its business and has met with prediction market platforms.
Three House Democrats warned that leaving the SEC's case against the Tron founder unresolved could ”undermine investors’ confidence” in the financial regulator.
Despite the postponement of a hearing that could have advanced crypto legislation, lawmakers insist the effort is far from dead.
The latest push to establish a comprehensive U.S. crypto market structure framework hit a snag this week, but leaders in DeFi don’t seem alarmed by the collapse.