Italy’s securities regulator shared ESMA’s finfluencer factsheet, warning social media promoters that EU rules on investment recommendations and advertising apply to crypto.
As Bitcoin price consolidated, altcoins are approaching the make-or-break moment as the capital is quietly rotating beneath the surface. The breadth is improving, dips are getting bought faster, and risk is shifting from defence to positioning. This is when the divergence in the altcoin market cap becomes a strong signal of the rising dominance of …
US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins is confident that a long-awaited crypto market structure bill could find its way into US President Donald Trump’s office for signature before the end of the year. The SEC chief highlighted ongoing efforts during an interview with Fox Business to clarify rules around digital asset trading and said the bill could provide much-needed guidance to investors and trading platforms. Related Reading: Crypto Products Post $454M Weekly Outflows On Fed Jitters Atkins Expresses Confidence Atkins, who was confirmed by the Senate in April 2025 in a 52-44 vote, said tokenization and faster settlement systems are part of the next phase for US markets. He argued that a market structure law would give firms and investors clearer signals about which rules apply to trading in digital assets. Reports have disclosed that the chair sees the bill as fitting the administration’s push to make the US more competitive in crypto. This is a big week for crypto – Congress is on the cusp of upgrading our financial markets for the 21st century. I am wholly supportive of Congress providing clarity on the jurisdictional split between the SEC and the @CFTC. pic.twitter.com/NtDWRW85kL — Paul Atkins (@SECPaulSAtkins) January 12, 2026 Atkins discussed the regulatory forecast for crypto this year during an interview with Fox Business. Source: Paul Atkins Lawmakers’ Calendar And Odds Based on reports from financial analysts, the path to passage is not guaranteed. One market note put the chance of the bill clearing Congress in 2026 at roughly 50-60%, and warned that delays could push final action into 2027. Other analysts have suggested a longer road, saying implementation of final market structure rules might not be settled for years if political dynamics change. What Is Being Negotiated The draft measures under discussion aim to define which federal agency supervises different types of digital instruments, establish standards for trading venues that list tokens, and create clearer reporting rules for market participants. Reports have disclosed that committee markups are expected before any Senate floor vote, and those sessions will shape the bill’s final text. Industry Reaction, Market Talk The optimism expressed by Atkins has been welcomed by industry associations, as they see that clear guidance could lead to more institutional capital flowing into the onshore crypto trading space. On the other hand, the sentiment from many companies is that there is still a level of caution surrounding future regulations. Although regulators continue to show a level of agreement regarding overall regulation, the details of custody, custody provider(s), and oversight split between various regulatory agencies must be agreed upon by Congress before any definitive progress can be made. This back-and-forth between Congress and regulatory agencies has caused the markets to react in a pattern of quick positive movements followed by corresponding negative movements due to legislative inaction. Related Reading: CZ Fuels Optimism As Binance Coin’s $1,000 Target Trends Political Timing Could Matter The midterm and committee calendars are being watched closely. If the Senate delays key votes, support that exists now could wane or be reshaped by other priorities. Some commentators argue that fast action would lock in regulatory clarity; others say a rushed law could leave gaps that require later fixes. The debate over speed versus detail is active in Washington. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
The Kraken-backed SPAC aims to raise $250 million in an IPO, targeting companies building infrastructure and services for the digital asset ecosystem.
Grayscale expanded its asset review list on Jan. 12, naming 27 tokens across AI, DeFi, and consumer sectors.
The Solana Policy Institute urged the SEC to distinguish non-custodial DeFi code from exchanges, warning that current rules could chill innovation.
JPMorgan predicted the Federal Reserve will hold rates unchanged this year, followed by a hike next year.
ZKsync plans to focus on real-world adoption in 2026, with the expansion of its existing products — Prividium, ZK Stack, and Airbender.
Thailand reportedly plans tighter reporting, Travel Rule enforcement, and a national data hub to track illicit flows across both traditional and digital assets.
With majors cooling after a quick rebound, the crypto market is stuck in a tight range as traders wait for the next macro trigger. Bitcoin hovers near $91,800 while Ethereum holds above $3,130, with spot demand still steady even as risk appetite stays cautious. Total crypto market cap sits around $3.13T, while 24-hour volume is …
Standard Chartered has set a new long-range target of $40,000 for Ethereum (ETH) by end-2030, while cutting its end-2026 forecast sharply, arguing that Ethereum’s relative setup is improving even as Bitcoin-led weakness has weighed on absolute crypto price targets. In a research note, the bank’s digital assets analyst Geoff Kendrick framed 2026 as a potential inflection point for Ethereum versus bitcoin, despite revising down its medium-term ETH-USD path. “We think ETH’s prospects have improved. We therefore expect the cross to gradually return to its 2021 highs,” Kendrick wrote, pointing to a rebound in the ETH/BTC relationship as the core expression of his thesis. Standard Chartered Recasts Ethereum Outlook Standard Chartered now expects ether to end 2026 at $7,500, down from its prior $12,000 estimate, before rising to $15,000 in 2027 (cut from $18,000) and $22,000 in 2028 (cut from $25,000), with $30,000 penciled in for 2029 (raised from $25,000) and $40,000 by end-2030. Related Reading: This Ethereum Triangle Breakout Puts Price Above $24,000, Here’s The Path “I think 2026 will be the year of Ethereum, much like 2021 was,” Kendrick writes. The bank attributes the near-term markdown to Bitcoin’s drag on dollar-denominated crypto performance, with Kendrick noting that weaker BTC action has “weighed on the outlook for digital assets priced in dollars,” forcing lower absolute targets through 2028 even as Ethereum’s relative fundamentals strengthen. Kendrick highlighted a set of Ethereum-specific supports that, in his view, are more likely to show up in relative performance than in immediate spot-price upside. He pointed to continued accumulation by Bitmine Immersion Technologies, which the note described as the largest Ethereum-focused digital asset treasury company, at a time when ETF inflows have “temporarily stalled” and broader corporate treasury buying has cooled. Related Reading: Ethereum Long-Term Cost Basis Holds Firm: Structural Floor Forms Near $2.8K He also cited Ethereum’s centrality to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and DeFi as structural demand drivers, and emphasized execution on plans to increase Ethereum layer-1 throughput by roughly 10x over the next two to three years. “Analysis shows that higher throughput translates into higher market cap,” Kendrick wrote. Regulation was flagged as a further potential tailwind. Kendrick pointed to the US CLARITY Act as a development that could be supportive for the sector and “particularly ETH” if it helps unlock another phase of DeFi activity. The US Senate is due to review the bill on Jan. 15 with possible passage in Q1. For traders, the framework implies that Standard Chartered’s highest-conviction expression is less about pinning an exact ETH-USD level in the next 12 months and more about whether Ethereum can reclaim relative ground versus bitcoin as throughput, stablecoin-heavy activity, and policy clarity compound into 2026 and beyond. At press time, ETH traded at $3,126. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
The bill seeks to bar digital asset providers from paying interest just for holding a stablecoin, but would allow activity-based rewards.
Bitcoin price stayed range-bound, trading between $91,200 and $91,400 as investors awaited the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. Ethereum remained above $3,100, while Solana hovered near $140. Outside crypto, gold grabbed attention, holding above $4,600 at record highs, reflecting growing uncertainty ahead of inflation data. U.S CPI Data Today Set to Drive Crypto Market …
A revised Senate CLARITY Act draft would allow activity-based stablecoin rewards tied to payments, wallets and staking, while barring interest paid solely for holding tokens.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) entered 2026 with mixed momentum as fresh on-chain signals paint a nuanced short-term outlook for the memcoin favorite. After kicking off the year with a modest rebound from deep consolidation, Shiba Inu price has lost its recent gains and slipped back toward the key support zone of $0.000008300 around the 20 day …
The ETP offers physically backed exposure to bitcoin and gold in a single investment vehicle.
Ex-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, known as the pro-crypto “Bitcoin Mayor,” launched the $NYC token on January 12, 2026, in Times Square via X. He pledged 70 percent of the token supply to a reserve wallet to support causes like fighting antisemitism, anti-Americanism, HBCUs, and youth scholarships. The memecoin quickly reached a $600 million …
After months of negotiation, Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott released the text of the nearly 280‑page Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, a bipartisan proposal to bring clarity to U.S. crypto regulation. The bill draws a clearer line between SEC oversight for early‑stage tokens and CFTC control for ‘digital commodities’, aiming to resolve …
The US Senate Cynthia Lummis has unveiled a draft bill aimed at setting clear rules for the crypto market. The proposal is an amendment to H.R. 3633 and is titled the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The bill is expected to be marked up on January 15, 2026. If passed, the legislation could reduce regulatory …
Bitcoin and ether traders are betting on low volatility and reduced near-term risks despite resilient dollar index and tepid demand for spot ETFs.
On-chain data shows the Bitcoin long-term holder outflows have been declining recently, a potential sign that selling pressure may be fading. Bitcoin Long-Term Holder Netflow Is Getting Less Negative In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has talked about the latest trend in the netflow associated with the Bitcoin long-term holders (LTHs). The LTHs refer to BTC investors who have been holding onto their coins for a period longer than 155 days. Related Reading: Solana Price Jumps, But Network Adoption Remains Weak Statistically, the longer an investor holds onto their coins, the less likely they become to sell them at any point. As such, the LTHs with their long holding time are considered to include the resolute hands of the market. Though, while these HODLers tend to be patient, they have shown several phases of distribution during the last couple of years. Below is the chart shared by Glassnode that shows the trend in the monthly netflow of the Bitcoin LTHs. As is visible in the graph, the Bitcoin LTHs observed streaks of net outflows during both the bull rallies of 2024, suggesting that the diamond hands of the market participated in profit-taking. A short phase of distribution also appeared in mid-2025, indicating that the LTHs were doing yet another wave of profit realization. This selling was followed by a brief period of net inflows for the cohort, which was then followed by another wave of distribution in late 2025. This last phase of distribution is still ongoing, as the monthly netflow associated with the LTHs remains negative. The latest selloff has been a bit different from the last three, however, as it has occurred alongside bearish momentum in the cryptocurrency, not a price jump. While the distribution has continued, its intensity has been dropping lately as the netflow of the Bitcoin LTHs has been becoming less negative. As the analytics firm explains: Net outflows have rolled over from extreme levels, indicating that the market is progressively absorbing long-held supply and that a large portion of overhead supply may now be largely worked through. The decline in net outflows has come alongside a drop in the Realized Profit of the group, as Glassnode has pointed out in another X post. The Realized Profit here is an indicator that measures the total amount of profit that LTHs are realizing through their transactions. From the chart, it’s apparent that the profit-taking from the cohort was elevated earlier, but recently, the Realized Profit has dropped to a low level. Related Reading: Bitcoin Risks Drop To $69,000 If Pennant Support Breaks, Analyst Warns The analytics firm noted: Such conditions are often associated with heightened uncertainty and tend to emerge during mid-bull market pauses or the early stages of deeper bear markets. BTC Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $91,800, down almost 3% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, Glassnode.com, chart from TradingView.com
Nigeria is taking a firm step to bring cryptocurrency activity under its tax system through the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025. The new law allows tax authorities to track crypto transactions by linking them to real-world identities using Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) and National Identification Numbers (NINs). This is a major shift for Nigeria, …
Traders are focused on short-term levels, with resistance near $2.10 and support around $2.04.
Iran’s national currency, the rial, has fallen to levels many citizens describe as practically worthless. The collapse is not the result of a single event. Economists say it reflects years of high inflation, weak growth, sanctions, and limited access to foreign currency. What is failing now is something more fundamental: trust in money itself. As …
Monero (XMR), the flagship privacy coin has surged to a fresh all-time high, gaining strong bullish momentum as investors rotate capital into privacy-focused assets. As uncertainty deepens around rival privacy-focused projects-particularly following key developers exit in Zcash, market attention has swiftly rotated toward Monero. Following the capital rotation into XMR, Monero price posted fresh highs …
Analysts suggest macroeconomic conditions and stabilizing prices could support crypto markets in the medium term, with bitcoin potentially reaching $120,000 if sentiment improves.
VanEck predicts investors will be more confident in Q1, citing improved fiscal visibility and monetary clarity, though the jury is still out on how Bitcoin fits into this picture.
January 13, 2026 06:10:29 UTC Trump Impose 25% Tariff on Countries Trading With Iran President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping 25% tariff on any country that continues doing business with Iran, escalating efforts to economically isolate Tehran. The policy forces nations to choose between access to the U.S. market and trade ties with the …
Monero (XMR) is leading the crypto market bounce by breaking out of a macro resistance level and breaching above the $600 barrier for the first time. A legendary trader has suggested that the cryptocurrency is mirroring silver’s historical breakout and could see a massive price discovery rally. Related Reading: Bitcoin Tops $92,000 As DOJ Subpoenas Escalate Trump-Powell Fight Monero Soars To New Highs On Monday, Monero outperformed the rest of the market, surging nearly 21% toward its new all-time high of $611.01. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency has been leading the start-of-year market rally, experiencing a 43% increase over the past seven days. XMR’s rally has been fueled by renewed interest in privacy tokens and redirected liquidity toward the project, which has driven its market capitalization to $10 billion for the first time. Amid this performance, veteran trader Peter Brandt drew a parallel between Monero and Silver’s long-term charts, suggesting that the cryptocurrency could be near a massive breakout. In an X post, Brandt compared Monero’s current rally to silver’s historical breakout, which led to a massive run toward new highs. Silver saw a multi-decade price setup in which its price accumulated below and retested a macro ascending resistance trendline. According to the chart, its price formed its long-term resistance during its 2011 peak, when it reached a slightly higher ATH of $49.83 before correcting. During its Q4 2025 rally, silver finally broke above this key level, nearly doubling its price toward its latest ATH of $86.23. Similarly, Monero has been forming its multi-year ascending trendline in the monthly timeframe since its 2017 high. In 2021, the cryptocurrency retested this area, also hitting a slightly higher ATH before retracing. Now, XMR has broken out of its ascending resistance and could see a similar path to silver’s recent breakout into price discovery, the post suggested. XMR to See 50% Breakout Or Breakdown Next? Market observer TraderSZ recently shared an optimistic outlook for Monero once it broke through its crucial resistance area and turned this level into support. To the trader, the cryptocurrency could reach three main price targets if momentum continues. Per the post, the initial breakout level could reach the $685 area, a more than 30% rally from the resistance level. Moreover, it could surge between 50% and 80% toward the $790 and $900 levels, like silver’s recent price discovery progression in the monthly chart. Analyst 0xMarioNawfal also highlighted XMR’s performance as “price continues to trend aggressively higher, breaking through previous resistance levels with strong momentum and minimal pullback.” To him, the structure remains bullish, with buyers stepping in and “no clear signs of distribution yet.” As a result, he forecasted potential volatility but added that as long as the price holds above recent breakout levels, the trend will remain intact. Related Reading: Solana Price Jumps, But Network Adoption Remains Weak Nonetheless, Ali Martinez posted a more concerning forecast for the cryptocurrency, suggesting that a significant correction may be around the corner. According to the chart, Monero has been forming a multi-year rising wedge pattern since 2017, with the price bouncing between the upper and lower boundaries. Based on this, XMR could likely fail to turn the macro resistance into support and begin a long-term 50% decline toward the $300 area, where the pattern’s lower boundary is currently located. As of this writing, Monero is trading at $597, a 47.5% increase in the monthly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
US President Donald Trump opened the door for cryptocurrencies to be included in 401(k) retirement plans in August last year with an executive order.