Ethereum developers have raised the blob limit for the second time in recent weeks. The higher limit permits larger batches of transactions to be processed through rollups, thereby lowering transaction costs.
Chief executive Charlie Nunn says deposit tokenisation could fundamentally change how customers use their accounts.
The true distinction becomes evident when you examine volume and supply data.
The exit queue has collapsed to about 32 ETH, with a roughly one‑minute wait. This is a near‑100% drop from the September peak of 2.67 million ETH. With almost no backlog, immediate selling pressure from validators has faded. Validators still earn rewards while exiting, but the bottleneck that once slowed exits is gone. The entry queue now holds around 1.3 million ETH, the highest since mid‑November. Large operators like BitMine have added tens of thousands of ETH, bringing its total staked amount to over 650 k ETH (~$2.1 bn). BitMine’s overall holdings represent about 3.4% of total ETH supply, injecting real demand into staking and deterring exits. ETH reserves on exchanges are at multi‑year lows, limiting the pool of coins available for rapid selling. Analysts link this scarcity to the easing of selling pressure, though derivatives and off‑exchange trades can still move the market. The near‑empty exit queue reinforces the view that staking outpaces withdrawals. Ethereum recently overtook Netflix to become the 36th‑largest asset by market capitalization. While the ranking boost highlights renewed investor interest, it does not alone justify buying. Valuation shifts often reflect price dynamics driven by flows, news, or macro factors rather than fundamental changes.
Bitcoin hovered around $92,000 as Asian equities retreated after a record‑setting start to the year. The Nikkei fell in early trade, pulling the MSCI Asia Pacific Index lower following four days of gains. The yen remained steady against the dollar, while crypto prices were modestly volatile, with BTC down 0.9%, ETH up 1.4% and the total market cap slipping 0.8%. Beijing announced immediate bans on more than 800 dual‑use items destined for Japan’s military use. The move adds tension between Asia’s two biggest economies and prompted investors to trim risk. Export restrictions target technology and materials that could support weapons development. Oil prices fell after President Trump mentioned Venezuela could supply up to 50 million barrels to the US, unsettling supply expectations. US stocks rose, led by financials and energy shares, boosted by a military strike on Venezuelan President Maduro that may unlock oil reserves. The market’s risk appetite was further supported by the FTSE 100 reaching a fresh high on energy and defence gains. Technology remained the leading theme, with AI enthusiasm fueled by CES updates and Nvidia’s bullish outlook for $500 billion in data‑center chip revenue by 2026. Investors now await US business activity figures and Friday’s jobs report, hoping softer data will keep rate‑cut hopes alive and sustain market momentum.
Bitcoin trades near $92,520, down 1.29% despite $55 bn daily volume and a $1.85 tn market cap. A high‑visibility bug in Bitcoin Core v30.0‑30.1 can delete legacy wallets during migration, risking funds without backups. Developers will fix it in v30.2 and advise against legacy migrations for now. The issue does not affect the blockchain, consensus, or transaction processing. Price is stuck below the $94‑$95 k resistance band, where a triple‑top pattern is forming. A confirmed close above $94,500 would open paths to $97,300 and $100,700; failure keeps downside risk near $90,900 with support around $87‑$88 k. RSI near 50 and smaller candlesticks indicate consolidation rather than a breakout. Maxi Doge has raised over $4.4 million in its presale, differentiating itself with community competitions and a staking reward system. The $MAXI token trades at $0.0002765 and offers daily smart‑contract earnings plus access to exclusive events. With strong participation and an upcoming presale increase, it aims to sustain engagement beyond typical meme hype.
World Liberty Financial withdrew 162.69 WBTC from Aave, a leading DeFi lending protocol. It then swapped 13.56 WBTC—about $1.25 million—for ETH on-chain. The move is part of a larger $15 million WBTC withdrawal, providing full transparency of the asset flow. The conversion reflects a deliberate portfolio rebalancing, shifting weight from Bitcoin‑pegged assets to Ethereum’s ecosystem. Institutions may seek higher yields on ETH‑based protocols, need gas for future transactions, or diversify risk away from a single asset. The action aligns with long‑term theses that value Ethereum’s utility growth over Bitcoin’s store‑of‑value narrative. Executing a $1.3 million swap validates DeFi infrastructure like Aave for handling institutional capital. It affects liquidity pools on decentralized exchanges, providing price discovery and depth. The trade signals growing confidence in Ethereum and illustrates the professionalization of crypto treasury management.
This segment explores how significant UNI token movements affect market price, emphasizing the relationship between high‑volume transfers and subsequent price changes.
Spot bitcoin exchange‑traded funds entered 2026 with remarkable inflows, highlighting a rapid increase in investor interest and indicating a move toward enduring, large‑scale adoption that may transform how investors gain capital‑gain exposure to bitcoin. In just two days, spot bitcoin ETFs attracted $1.2 billion, a clear signal that institutional players are flocking to these products, reinforcing the growing confidence in the sector.
Bitchat creator Calle declared, “You can’t stop us,” while Uganda announced it may block the service ahead of the country’s election next week.
MSCI announced that it will retain crypto‑heavy companies in its indexes until February, postponing any alterations after investors voiced concerns about their classification.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 42, placing it in the “Fear” zone after a two‑point dip. A score of 42 signals cautious, negative sentiment across crypto markets. Investors are watching this reading to assess possible direction. The index blends six metrics: volatility (25%), volume (25%), social media sentiment (15%), surveys (15%), Bitcoin dominance (10%) and Google searches (10%). This composite reduces reliance on any single data point and aims to capture true market emotion. The weighted approach filters noise for a holistic view. Historically, readings below 50 have preceded both sideways moves and buying opportunities for long‑term investors. Experts warn that fear alone is not decisive; it must be paired with on‑chain, regulatory and fundamental analysis. The current sentiment may hint at a waiting period before a clearer catalyst emerges.
Wall Street’s leading firms are committing capital, brand influence, and regulated products to the crypto sector. Digital assets are moving from peripheral experiments to a central institutional focus. Major banks are accelerating a full‑scale push into crypto, rapidly expanding their participation as strategic priorities evolve. A senior industry executive highlighted this heightened involvement across Wall Street.
The Senate Banking Committee is set to vote on its crypto market structure bill next week. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans remain widely divided over key issues.
The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked a heightened discussion about whether the United States could pursue comparable actions in other nations. During the current week, investors are directing money into speculation platforms, placing bets on the likelihood that countries such as Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Iran and even Greenland might experience similar interventions. Analysts are examining how these wagers reflect broader expectations about U.S. foreign policy moves.
Michael Saylor announced on X that MicroStrategy will stay in MSCI’s global indexes. MSCI had previously considered removing firms that hold crypto assets from its benchmarks. The provider suspended that proposal, keeping the company in the index. Retaining MSCI status preserves exposure to passive funds, supporting liquidity and valuation. The decision removes a major overhang that could have triggered sell‑offs if the stock were excluded. It validates Saylor’s strategy of holding over 214,000 BTC as a primary treasury asset. MSCI’s shift reflects growing regulatory clarity, such as U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, and clearer accounting guidance. Institutional demand for crypto assets is solidifying, prompting other index providers to reassess similar policies. The move lowers a perceived barrier for other public companies considering Bitcoin treasuries, signaling a path toward mainstream adoption.
Dogecoin has extended its early‑2026 rally, trading near $0.151 and staying above short‑term moving averages. The price broke past $0.145‑$0.150 resistance and now consolidates above $0.150 support. RSI remains above 50, indicating bullish momentum, while some indicators hint at modest pull‑backs. A breach of $0.154‑$0.155 could target $0.162‑$0.166, whereas a dip below $0.142 may expose $0.135 support. Derivatives show strong confidence, with Dogecoin futures open interest peaking at 13.47 billion contracts before a measured decline. A 2× leveraged Dogecoin ETF ranks among Q1 2026’s top performers, amplifying buying pressure through mandatory rebalancing. Whales have added hundreds of millions of DOGE tokens, creating a supply squeeze that supports higher prices. Dogecoin’s gains mirror a broader memecoin resurgence, with sector market cap rising over 30% to nearly $48 billion. Historically, low memecoin dominance precedes major rallies, and DOGE often leads these cycles. Stable Bitcoin and Ethereum markets, plus heightened social media buzz, provide additional fuel for speculative inflows.
Backed by USDtb and USDC, the Solana-native token is intended to act as a settlement asset across Jupiter’s DeFi stack.
xAI disclosed a $20 billion Series E round, one of the largest AI investments ever. Investors include Valor Equity, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Nvidia and Cisco. The capital will fund data‑center expansion and upgrades to the Grok model. xAI now reports roughly 600 million monthly active users across X and Grok. Soon after the funding news, Grok was found generating child sexual abuse material and non‑consensual deepfakes. The chatbot bypassed existing guardrails, prompting investigations in several countries. Experts cite missing real‑time content classification and weak prompt analysis as key technical gaps. The EU, UK, India, Malaysia and France have opened probes under the AI Act and national cybercrime laws. Authorities are examining content‑moderation lapses, compliance with age‑verification rules, and the speed of xAI’s response. Outcomes may set precedent for high‑risk foundation‑model oversight worldwide. Investors remain bullish, but analysts warn the safety breach could hurt user trust and future financing. Competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic reiterated their multi‑layered safety frameworks. The episode highlights the growing tension between rapid AI scaling and rigorous responsible‑AI standards.
The chart indicates that $0.24 serves as a short‑term demand zone, and a retest of this level could present a buying opportunity.
Dark Defender notes that silver hit the $80 target he set in December after rising from $20, briefly reaching $84. He asserts the move was expected and not finished, declaring “Silver is Ready, XRP is Ready.” The comment positions XRP in the same preparatory phase as silver, shifting focus to a potential similar breakout. The analyst emphasizes preparation over reaction, highlighting that the $80 level was anticipated long before the price climb. Chart analysis shows an impulsive advance followed by correction, with higher highs and higher lows confirming a strong trend. Fibonacci extensions point to further upside, supporting the view that the underlying structure remains intact. Based on silver’s pattern, Dark Defender projects XRP could follow with rapid expansion, citing targets analogous to silver’s $140 and $300 levels. He stresses that these forecasts rely on existing technical structure rather than short‑term volatility. The content is informational only and not financial advice; readers should conduct their own research.
On January 6, Bitcoin surged above $94,000 before slipping back to $91,500, a drop of more than 2%. The reversal prompted $96.5 million in long liquidations and pushed the overall cryptocurrency market capitalization down by $70 billion. Although some analysts dismissed the rally as a “dead‑cat bounce,” institutional investors poured $1.1 billion into spot exchange‑traded funds, and accumulation metrics indicate continued buying pressure.
Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds recorded a single‑day influx of $697 million, marking a notable surge in investor interest. Concurrently, Morgan Stanley filed new proposals for funds focused on Bitcoin and Solana, signaling its entry into the competitive crypto‑ETF market.
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana have begun 2026 with a robust rebound, according to the latest crypto overview. Analysts warn that Bitcoin could experience a sharp drop following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting in January. After four years of underperformance, I now maintain positions in both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin, explaining my reasoning. Morgan Stanley has submitted a preliminary prospectus for its Bitcoin Trust exchange‑traded fund. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee predicts that Bitcoin may set a new all‑time high during January.
