The warning comes as Hong Kong consults on new virtual asset advisory and management licenses, expanding oversight beyond crypto trading platforms.
Bitcoin has shown early signs of calm, but the mood is fragile. Prices pulled back from a weekend peak and trading has been choppy as investors weigh fresh tariff headlines and slowing growth in parts of Asia. Related Reading: Bitcoin Senses Risk As Trump Balks At Europe With Major Tariffs Spot Market Signals Ease According to Glassnode, spot trading volume has picked up modestly while the net buy–sell imbalance moved above its usual upper band. That shift points to less sell-side pressure, even if demand is still patchy. Reports note that markets are slowly rebuilding after late-2025 profit-taking, with long-term holders less willing to sell every rally. The result is a market that is consolidating rather than breaking down. Derivatives Stress And A Sharp Retest Over the weekend Bitcoin slid by 3.2% from its high, prompting a retest of the $92,000 level that surprised some bulls. That move wiped out about $215 million in leveraged futures longs, a large hit that raised alarms about deeper losses. Source: Glassnode At the same time, weak activity in derivatives markets has flagged a cooling of speculative appetite, which makes it harder for Bitcoin to act as a reliable hedge right now. Nasdaq futures fell after US President Donald Trump announced new tariff proposals aimed at several European countries, and such macro shocks often push traders out of riskier holds. Liquidity Patterns Echo Past Cycles Analysts at Swissblock pointed to a fall in network growth and liquidity that looks similar to conditions seen in 2022. Back then, low liquidity and a pause in growth led to a long consolidation, only for both indicators to surge later and fuel a big price run. Based on reports, the current setup could be the prelude to a similar rebuild if network activity recovers and buy-side momentum strengthens. Network growth has hit lows not seen since 2022, while liquidity continues to drain. Back in 2022, similar network levels triggered a $BTC consolidation phase as network growth began to recover, even while liquidity remained weak and bottoming out. History shows that the… pic.twitter.com/24sC3aoyAD — Swissblock (@swissblock__) January 19, 2026 Institutional Flows And Hedge Narratives Analysts said that ETF flows show institutions buying on pullbacks and that long-term holders are not rushing to sell. Gold has climbed past $4,650, and that safe-haven move, together with softer growth data in China, is nudging some investors to treat Bitcoin as a portfolio hedge rather than a quick trade. A Cautious Outlook Overall, signs point to a slow rebuild rather than a fresh breakout. Buy-side dynamics have improved, but they are not yet strong or broad enough to call a new uptrend. Volatility remains a feature, and geopolitical or policy shocks could push price swings wider. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Fired Up As Saylor Teases ‘Bigger Orange’ After Huge Buy For the time being, the market is steadying while staying watchful — more recovery in liquidity and clearer institutional conviction would be needed to turn this consolidation into a lasting advance. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield has climbed to 4.27 percent, a four-month high that raises borrowing costs across the global economy.
Natural gas prices surged 17.76% on Jan. 19, driven by cold forecasts across Northeast Asia and Europe, tightening liquidity in global LNG markets, and short-covering in European storage inventories sitting 15% points below the five-year average. For most crypto traders, a weather-driven commodity spike registers as irrelevant noise. Something for energy desks to manage, not […]
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Bitcoin failed to break out from its macro trading range, according to analysis, with new BTC price targets including a return to sub-$60,000 levels.
Chainlink (LINK) price has slipped below the $13 mark as broader market sentiment turns defensive and sellers tighten their grip. The drop suggests bulls are struggling to protect key levels, while short-term traders appear to be selling rallies instead of buying dips. With price now trading under an important psychological zone, attention shifts to the …
Glassnode says XRP is slipping back into a cost-basis configuration last seen in February 2022, with newer buyers accumulating at levels that leave a prior cohort “top” increasingly underwater, an on-chain setup that can shape sell pressure around key price zones. In a note shared Monday via X, the analytics firm pointed to a rotation in realized prices by age band. “The current market structure for XRP closely resembles February 2022,” Glassnode wrote. It added that “psychological pressure on top buyers builds over time,” framing the current tape as one where patience is being tested rather than rewarded. What This Means For XRP Price The firm’s core observation is that wallets active in the short-term window, roughly the 1-week to 1-month cohort, are accumulating below the cost basis of holders in the 6-month to 12-month band. In practice, that means newer demand is stepping in at prices that are cheaper than what a meaningful slice of mid-term holders paid. Related Reading: XRP Is Doing Something It Hasn’t Done Since 2021: Here’s Why It Matters That relationship matters because cohorts tend to behave differently when price revisits their cost basis. When spot trades below a cohort’s realized price, that cohort is, on average, underwater. If the market rallies back toward that level, some of that supply can become eager to de-risk into breakeven, creating overhead liquidity that can cap upside until it is absorbed. Glassnode’s “Realized Price by Age” chart (7-day moving average) visualizes this dynamic by plotting cohort realized prices against spot. The standout feature is the gap between shorter-term and 6–12 month cost bases during the most recent consolidation, echoing the firm’s February 2022 comparison. With XRP price again trading slightly below the $2 mark, a post by Glassnode from Nov. 24 2025 also comes back into focus. Glassnode quoted this old X post in which it singled out $2 as the level where this cohort stress has been most visible in flows. “The $2.0 level remains a major psychological zone for Ripple holders,” the firm said. “Since early 2025, each retest of $2 saw $0.5B–$1.2B per week in losses,” a reminder that many holders have been exiting at a loss as price revisits that handle. Related Reading: XRP Longs Get Wiped: Binance Leads $5M Liquidation Wave Those realized loss estimates are a key qualifier: they suggest that $2 is not just a chart level, but a behavior level, where spending decisions change and where capitulation (or forced de-risking) can cluster. Notably, in February 2022, XRP put in a sharp round-trip: after slipping to about $0.6034 on Feb. 2, it ripped higher to the month’s peak near $0.8758 on Feb. 8, then rolled over into the back half of the month as macro risk accelerated. Then, XRP was back around $0.70 by Feb. 23–24 (roughly 20% off the Feb. 8 high), before bouncing into month-end near $0.7856 on Feb. 28. The late-month downdraft coincided with the Russia–Ukraine escalation and the Feb. 24 invasion, which hit risk assets broadly and pushed major crypto lower intraday, consistent with the risk-off impulse seen across the entire crypto market. At press time, XRP traded at $1.9294. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
A Supreme Court decision on Trump’s tariffs is coming up, and it’s rattling markets again. Traders are even pricing in a high chance, around 70%, that the court could rule the tariffs illegal. That uncertainty has led to a pause in the crypto market. The Bitcoin price has already dipped below $92,000, sliding approximately 6% …
Pendle is overhauling its token economics, scrapping multi-year locks in favor of a liquid staking model and a new revenue-driven reward system.
Gold hit fresh record highs on Tuesday as rising geopolitical tensions and trade-war fears continued to push investors toward safe-haven assets.
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has put forward a bold plan to connect the digital currencies of BRICS nations to make international transactions smoother, faster, and less costly. This proposal may become a major talking point at the 2026 BRICS summit, to be hosted by India later this year. RBI Proposes …
A long-dormant Satoshi‑era wallet suddenly moved 909.38 BTC, now worth about $84.6 million, highlighting how dramatically early Bitcoin prices differ from today’s valuations
A major holder’s exit sent White Whale sharply lower on Monday, with the project calling the move a “liquidity event."
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed he is meeting with bank executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos to advance the U.S. crypto market structure bill. The move comes days after Coinbase pulled its support from the Senate’s version of the bill, forcing lawmakers to postpone a planned markup hearing. “We’re going to continue to …
Makina Finance’s DUSD/USDC pool lost approximately $5 million in a flash loan exploit, security firms reported.
Despite the broadly cautious crypto market, MYX price is quietly moving the other way, rising over 5.70% intraday and is trading around $5.50. While many small-cap tokens continued to struggle for direction, MYX Finance has managed to hold firm above key support, displaying inherent strength. That resilience is now shaping the narrative. Rather than reacting …
Bitcoin continues to decline in a downturn triggered by concerns of a potential trade war between the U.S. and the EU.
A Bitcoin whale that had remained inactive for 13 years has moved 909.38 BTC, worth approximately $84.62 million, to a new wallet, according to on-chain analytics. These coins were originally purchased for under $7 each, resulting in a staggering 13,900× increase in value. The transfer was not sent directly to an exchange, indicating the holder may be …
A year after reaching its all-time high (ATH), Solana (SOL) is trading 54.3% below its $293 2025 milestone, attempting to hold a crucial zone as support. Some analysts warned that the altcoin could risk a deeper correction if the price fails to recover the recently lost ground. Related Reading: Ethereum’s 4-Hour Chart Says A Big Dump Is Coming, Here’s The Target Solana Breaks Below Key Support On Sunday, Solana recorded an 8% pullback and hit a two-week low of $130. Since losing the $200 phycological barrier in late October, the cryptocurrency has struggled to hold bullish momentum, hovering between the $115-$145 levels over the past three months. The start-of-the-year rally saw SOL break out of its multi-month downtrend, reclaim the upper zone of its local range, and briefly breach above the key $145 resistance last week. However, Sunday’s market pullback has sent Solana back below key areas. Amid this performance, market observer BitGuru affirmed in an X analysis that the cryptocurrency “just swept liquidity into a strong demand zone after a clean structure breakdown.” He explained that the price is attempting to rebound from its local support area, which could trigger a “sharp relief move toward previous highs” if the price can hold the current levels. Meanwhile, analyst Man of Bitcoin noted that the altcoin’s price broke below its two-week ascending trendline, which had been supporting its 17% surge from its yearly opening. Moreover, it also dropped below the $136 mark, where the price had consistently bounced after the recent breakout. The market observer pointed out that Solana’s short-term support sits between the $129-$136 area, adding that a breach and sustained breakdown from this area would spell trouble for the cryptocurrency. According to the chart, if selling pressure persists and Solana fails to reclaim the recently lost ground, the price could see a scenario where it retraces deeper and potentially falls up to 25% to challenge the $100 area. Analysts Warn Of Head And Shoulder Pattern Other market watchers highlighted a macro pattern on Solana’s chart, suggesting that a breakdown to new lows could be coming. Notably, the altcoin displays a two-year Head and Shoulders formation in the weekly timeframe. According to the chart, this bearish pattern has been forming since 2024, with the left shoulder developing during the Q1-Q2 2024 rally and the neckline sitting around the $120 area. Meanwhile, the pattern’s head formed during its late 2024 and early 2025 bullish run, which led to its ATH of $293 a year ago. Lastly, the right shoulder developed after the Q3 2025 rally and Q4 correction. Based on this performance, trader Slashology affirmed that Solana is “really looking bad here,” warning that investors should “prepare for the worst” as the price trades near the pattern’s neckline. He forecasted that a breakdown from this key level could lead to a 35%-40% “bloodbath” toward the $75-$80 levels. On the contrary, market observer Crypto Curb suggested a different outcome could be possible. Related Reading: XRP To Repeat Its 2017 Playbook? Analyst Forecasts 1,250% Expansion In an X post, he compared SOL’s recent performance to the S&P 500 (SPX) price action between 2009 and 2011. Per the post, SPX displayed the same pattern as Solana, but ultimately invalidated the pattern after bouncing from the neckline and breaking above the right shoulder’s peak, eventually reaching new highs. To the analyst, the altcoin could display a similar performance if it rebounds from the current levels and starts to climb higher. As of this writing, Solana is trading at $134, a 5.6% decline in the daily timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
Data from decentralized trading venues points to potential for a deeper price crash in coming months.
The authorities have launched consultations on introducing new licensing regimes for crypto asset dealing, advisory, and management services.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies, led by Tom Lee and supported by Cathie Wood and Pantera, added 86,848 ETH (around $279 million) to its staking. The company now has 1.77 million ETH staked, worth $5.66 billion, more than 40 % of its treasury. With 36 million ETH (30 % of the network) already locked in staking, this move helps reduce supply on exchanges. Bitmine aims to …
Cryptoquant found that large custody wallets accumulated $53 billion in Bitcoin over 12 months, suggesting that institutional demand for Bitcoin hasn’t gone away.
Tuesday’s crypto tape was steadier after Monday’s tariff-driven wobble, but sentiment remains cautious with altcoins still weaker than bitcoin.
As Ethereum (ETH) kicks off the year with a recovery past the critical $3,000 threshold amid a broader cryptocurrency market rally in early 2026, it continues to struggle against a key resistance level at $3,400. Currently, the second-largest cryptocurrency is entering a consolidation phase below this significant mark. Technical analyst Ali Martinez has suggested that should the buying momentum observed in recent weeks persist, Ethereum could soon embark on a new rally that might bring it closer to reaching all-time high levels. Ethereum Poised For Potential Price Breakout In a recent update shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Martinez pointed to on-chain indicators suggesting a fresh bullish sentiment among Ethereum investors. Notably, daily active addresses on the Ethereum network have surged, doubling to exceed 800,000 in just two weeks. Related Reading: XRP Price Could Surge Another 30% If This Trend Is Confirmed Martinez’s analysis further hints at a potential correlation with the rising demand for Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Since December 29, these investment vehicles have accumulated approximately 158,545 ETH, a sum valued at around $520 million, adding to the positive outlook for the altcoin. This heightened on-chain activity has created substantial support levels for Ethereum’s price action looking ahead, particularly between $2,772 and $3,109 that could prevent a new drop below these key marks. Martinez believes that if these support levels remain intact and buying pressure continues, a breakout above the crucial $3,400 resistance could pave the way for a significant rally toward $4,000—representing an increase of approximately 24.33% from its current trading level of around $3,217. What Lies Ahead For The Altcoin? Other analysts, such as those from BitBull, share an optimistic view of ETH’s price trajectory. The analyst has identified a potential inverse head and shoulders pattern forming in the 10-day chart, which could lead to a bullish price target of $5,000. This projection implies a remarkable 55.48% increase, exceeding last year’s record highs. However, despite these bullish forecasts, Ethereum’s price has fallen by 3% within a 24-hour period, according to CoinGecko data. The cryptocurrency has yet to demonstrate the bullish momentum necessary to meet these targets. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Fired Up As Saylor Teases ‘Bigger Orange’ After Huge Buy Another encouraging factor for investors looking for upward price movement is liquidity. Market expert Ted Pillows recently noted that, following Ethereum’s latest price drop, the maximum pain point appears to lean upward. Historically, large investors and institutions have tended to “hunt” liquidity levels, which helps to reset positioning in the market and evacuate numerous retail investors. With approximately $3.4 billion in short positions at risk if Ethereum successfully breaches the $3,400 mark in the days ahead, the possibility of a significant price movement looms. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Pendle will begin to slowly phase out its governance token vePENDLE and replace it with sPENDLE this month, offering a more flexible model it hopes will boost adoption.
Makina Finance, a non-custodial DeFi execution platform, has been hit by a major exploit that resulted in losses of roughly 1,299 ETH, valued at around $4.2 million. The attack drained a key CurveStable pool, which triggered concerns about fund safety. As of now, there is no update from Makina Finance regarding the hack. Makina Finance …
During the test, users will interact with latency-sensitive gaming applications while the team execute transfers and swaps in the background.
A parliamentary committee said regulators are struggling to keep pace as AI spreads across banks and insurers, urging clearer guidance.
A long-dormant bitcoin wallet moved 909 BTC, now worth more than $84 million, to a new address after over 12 years of inactivity.