[IMPORTANT] Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Zcash Face Over $3 Billion in Liquidation Risks Amid Market R...
The cryptocurrency market shows early signs of recovery after recent declines, but investor skepticism remains high. Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Zcash have specific catalysts that could trigger substantial short squeeze liquidations if their prices rebound this week. Positive developments such as low exchange reserves, bullish technical patterns, and notable endorsements may increase liquidation risks totaling over $3.1 billion.
Forbes reports that Binance holds about 87% of the circulating supply of WLFI's USD1 stablecoin, amounting to $4.7 billion out of $5.4 billion total. This concentration raises concerns over the exchange’s influence on the stablecoin project. Additionally, Binance's founder pleaded guilty in 2023 to AML program failures but was later pardoned.
Ripple Aims to Bridge DeFi and Institutions with XRPL, Yet Liquidity Challenges Persist
Ripple is advancing a vision to integrate decentralized finance (DeFi) with regulated institutions using the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as a compliant and controlled infrastructure. While key components like stablecoin settlement and identity layers are live, XRPL’s liquidity remains thin compared to major DeFi platforms. The outcome hinges on whether permissioned markets and tokenized collateral workflows can attract institutional volume, with XRP’s network utility depending on its role in value routing rather than mere token burns.
Piper Sandler Remains Bullish on Stocks Amid AI Bubble Concerns and Soft Labor Market
Piper Sandler's chief investment strategist, Michael Kantrowitz, expresses optimism about equities despite concerns of an AI-driven bubble and weak labor market data. He highlights that the equity market is experiencing its first broadening in four years, supported by improving macroeconomic indicators and earnings data. Reduced interest rates, lower mortgage and oil prices, alongside fiscal stimulus, contribute to a constructive investment environment.
Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan, founders of Farcaster, have left the crypto social media space. They joined Tempo, a startup focused on global payments using stablecoins. Their move follows Neynar's acquisition of the Farcaster social protocol.
Eleven violent attacks known as 'wrench attacks' targeting cryptocurrency holders have been reported this year, mainly in France. These attacks aim to forcibly steal private keys from individuals rather than hacking digital systems. Recent incidents, including a data breach at a crypto tax service and insider leaks, have increased risks for direct crypto holders.
Wrench Attacks Persist as a Growing Threat to Crypto Investors Early 2026
Violent wrench attacks targeting crypto investors and their families have surged with eleven incidents recorded just in January 2026. Many attacks stem from leaked personal data and the rising value held in individual digital wallets, making physical assaults a preferred method for criminals bypassing technical safeguards. In response, both physical security measures and innovative technical solutions like timelocked wallets are emerging to help protect investors from coercion.
[IMPORTANT] Bitcoin Recovers From $60K Low, Targets $74,500 Resistance Ahead
Bitcoin recently dropped sharply to a capitulation low around $60,000 but rebounded strongly to about $70,300. Key resistance levels to watch are at $71,800 and $74,500, with support firmly holding above $60,000. Market sentiment remains bearish, but technical indicators suggest a possible short-term reversal if the price sustains gains above these resistance levels.
[IMPORTANT] Chiliz Reveals Strategic Plan to Expand Fan Tokens Ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
Chiliz has introduced a detailed three-phase roadmap to accelerate Fan Token growth tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The plan includes re-entering the US market, launching national team Fan Tokens, moving to an omnichain model to enhance liquidity and DeFi integration, and implementing new tokenomics with CHZ buybacks linked to fan activity. Looking beyond 2026, Chiliz aims to tokenize broader sports assets to transform Fan Tokens into a globally traded sports asset class.
MrBeast's Beast Industries Acquires Fintech Firm Step to Enter Financial Services
Beast Industries, founded by YouTuber Jimmy 'MrBeast' Donaldson, has acquired Step, a fintech company focused on financial literacy and money management. The acquisition marks Beast Industries' entry into the financial services sector. Step aims to make financial education and tools accessible to a broad audience.
Strategy Fails to Sell Preferred STRC Shares Despite Costly X Ad Campaign
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) ran an advertising campaign on X to promote its preferred share STRC but did not successfully sell any during the first weeks of 2026. The company continues to dilute common shares (MSTR) via its at-the-market offering while struggling with a slowing Bitcoin accumulation rate per share. Strategy's Bitcoin purchase costs remain significantly above current market prices, causing negative returns on its large BTC investment.
Oracle's Stock Faces Mixed Wall Street Views Amid Sharp Decline and Cloud Growth Ambitions
Oracle's stock dropped over 19% in the past month, causing divided sentiment among Wall Street analysts. DA Davidson upgraded Oracle to Buy with a $180 price target, citing improved valuation after a strong sell-off and a renewed OpenAI relationship. Despite some bearish concerns on the software sector downturn and Oracle's debt for cloud expansion, most analysts remain optimistic with price targets above $300.
Federal Reserve Governor Waller Reports Stalemate in Crypto Market Structure Bill Negotiations
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller revealed that negotiations around the crypto market structure bill, known as CLARITY, have reached a stalemate. This indicates a pause in progress toward regulatory clarity in the cryptocurrency space. The impasse may impact investor confidence and delay legislative efforts for crypto regulation.
[IMPORTANT] Morgan Stanley Rates Cipher Mining and TeraWulf Overweight, Cautions on Marathon Digital
Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on three bitcoin miners, giving Overweight ratings to Cipher Mining and TeraWulf while assigning an Underweight rating to Marathon Digital. The bank values miners transforming into data center infrastructure with long-term leases as stable cash flow assets, like REITs, over traditional bitcoin mining bets. The analysis highlights a sector shift where miners are increasingly focusing on data center and AI workloads due to shrinking mining margins and revenue pressures.
[IMPORTANT] Solana’s Price Rebound Hits Key Resistance at $96 After 30% Recovery
Solana recovered strongly by over 30% from a low near $67, supported by dip buyers and cautious re-entry from long-term holders. Despite this rally, SOL remains below critical resistance at $96, where sustained buying is needed to confirm a recovery. Short-term holders are still facing large losses, keeping price volatility and downside risk high until this level is decisively cleared.
Morgan Stanley Rates Bitcoin Miners with Mixed Outlook, Prefers Infrastructure-Focused Firms
Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on three Bitcoin mining companies, assigning overweight ratings to Cipher Mining and TeraWulf, and an underweight rating to Marathon Digital Holdings. The bank emphasized viewing mining firms more as infrastructure investments with reliable cash flow rather than direct Bitcoin plays. Price targets were set at $38 for Cipher Mining, $37 for TeraWulf, and $8 for Marathon Digital, reflecting differing growth expectations.
[IMPORTANT] Bitcoin Investment Products Face $264M Outflows Amid Altcoin Inflows and Market Rebound
Bitcoin funds experienced $264 million in outflows last week, marking their third consecutive week of negative flows, while altcoin funds like XRP, Solana, and Ethereum saw notable inflows. Despite ongoing outflows, overall crypto fund withdrawals have slowed significantly, coinciding with a recovery in Bitcoin prices following a recent selloff. Market analysts remain cautious about Bitcoin's near-term prospects and altcoin strength, though some long-term bullish investors maintain optimistic price targets.
Farcaster Founders and Merkle Team Join Paradigm-Backed Tempo Blockchain
The founding team of Farcaster, including Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan, along with the Merkle team, have joined the Tempo blockchain, which is backed by Paradigm. This move follows the recent sale of Farcaster to ecosystem developer Neynar announced just over two weeks ago. The integration aims to bolster Tempo's development and ecosystem growth through experienced leadership.
U.S. Government Not Planning Bitcoin Purchases Despite Rumors
Contrary to rumors circulating in the media, including statements by CNBC's Jim Cramer, the U.S. government does not currently have any plans to create or fill a bitcoin reserve. While there was a claim that President Donald Trump ordered such a reserve, it has not been established. The speculation that federal authorities will begin purchasing bitcoin once it hits $60,000 is unfounded.
Morgan Stanley Initiates Coverage on Bitcoin Miners, Rates Cipher Mining and TeraWulf as Buys, Ma...
Morgan Stanley has started coverage on bitcoin mining companies, viewing some mining sites as infrastructure assets. As a result, Cipher Mining and TeraWulf stocks were rated as buys, while Marathon Digital Holdings was rated as a sell. The coverage reflects differing fundamentals and investment prospects within the bitcoin mining sector.