Cryptopolitan

BTC options on Deribit went through their first monthly expiry in 2026, serving as an indicator of market sentiment. Positions point to bearish hedging as BTC unraveled to the $82,000 range. 

On Friday, 91,000 BTC options contracts expired with a put-call ratio of 0.48 and maximum pain at $90,000. The contracts had a notional value of $7.6B. Another $1.19B in ETH contracts expired, with a put-call ratio of 0.68. 

The January expiry is the first big event following the rollover from 2025. The notional options expiring today accounted for 25% of open interest, for a total of $9B. Call options dominated, signaling a bearish ratio with protections from a further downside for BTC and ETH. 

As BTC faces uncertain demand and range-bound trading, the options event further sent out a sentiment indicator of bearish expectations. 

Options bring downside protection to $75,000 per BTC

As BTC and ETH entered another downtrend in the past week, signs of fear once again spread on the crypto market. The early 2026 trading followed the unraveling in Q4 2025. For now, BTC finds support at the $80,000 level, while ETH holds above $2,500. 

In the past month, downside protection positions shifted from $85,000 to $80,000. Contracts for the months ahead point to a higher probability for a shift to $80,000, rather than a run to $120,000.

BTC options showed expanded downside protection, with a lower probability of a hike to $120,000. | Source: CoinGlass.

The most numerous contracts are now at the $80,000 psychological level, and another accumulation of put contracts at $75,000 per BTC. The latest market cycle showed elevated options trading activity, as positions aimed for better protection from a bear market. 

The latest options expiry event saw a higher trading volume, mostly due to the new year rollover. Based on Deribit data, market makers and active traders have significant cash reserves and are ready to use options as a form of bearish hedging. 

Will BTC recover after the options expiry?

Historically, BTC trading often shifted directions following significant options expiry events. Options expiry is often seen as a source of price pressure ahead of the event, as traders try to push the price to a profitable options position. 

Following this week’s expiry, BTC traded at $82,252.43, while ETH sank to $2,717.77. BTC is trading with a sentiment of extreme fear, expecting even lower drawdowns. 

To date in January, BTC is down by 3.35%, in a traditionally slow month during multiple cycles. The asset is now nearly 120 days from its all-time peak, with a 30% drawdown, setting bearish expectations of corrections as low as $40,000.

BTC traders are also noticing BTC is rejecting any attempt to move above $90,000, potentially pointing to deliberate selling. The coin increased its volatility in January, shifting to lower ranges after several liquidation events.

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Microsoft Research rolled out a new robot control system in late January 2026 that lets machines work with their hands while processing spoken commands and physical feedback. The system, called Rho-alpha, marks the company’s entry into foundation models designed for robots that use two arms at once.

The technology will first reach select groups through an Early Access Program before Microsoft makes it available more widely on its Foundry platform. Companies can then adapt the system to their specific needs using their own data.

Adding touch to robot intelligence

Factories and warehouses are looking for robots that can handle changing conditions rather than repeating the same programmed motions forever. Hospital settings need machines that adjust to different situations. Production lines where items vary from batch to batch create problems that old-style automation can’t solve efficiently. Microsoft built Rho-alpha to fill this need by processing what robots see and hear alongside what they physically feel through sensors.

Most robot systems today rely on cameras and microphones to understand their surroundings and take instruction. Rho-alpha adds another layer by treating touch as equally important. When a robot gripper has pressure sensors built in, the system gets information that cameras miss entirely. This matters when trying to plug something into a socket or fit parts together where sight alone doesn’t provide enough detail about whether things are lining up correctly.

Microsoft showed off these abilities using two Universal Robots UR5e arms equipped with sensors that detect pressure and contact. During tests with a task set called BusyBox, people told the robot to do things like put a tray inside a toolbox and shut the lid. The system turned those words into coordinated movements between both arms and made adjustments based on what the sensors felt. When attempts to insert a plug didn’t work on the first try, a human operator could guide the robot using a 3D input device, and the system learned from those corrections.

Getting enough training data remains the biggest challenge in building capable robots. Language models can learn from massive amounts of text available online, but robot training requires actual physical demonstrations that take time and money to record. Microsoft addressed this by training Rho-alpha on three types of information: recordings of real physical demonstrations, simulated practice tasks, and large datasets of images with questions and answers from the web. The company uses Nvidia Isaac Sim running on Azure servers to create realistic synthetic scenarios through a reinforcement learning process.

This simulation setup produces physically accurate practice situations that supplement the real demonstrations. The combined approach lets the model encounter unusual cases and failure situations that would otherwise require thousands of hours of real-world operation to capture.

The training method follows patterns other companies in robotics are using. Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics system, Figure AI’s Helix model for humanoid robots, and Physical Intelligence’s Pi-zero all take similar approaches to work around the data shortage problem. The technique helps these systems learn general manipulation skills without needing specific demonstrations for every single task they might face.

Competing in a maturing market

Microsoft joins a robotics foundation model market that has grown considerably over the past year and a half. Nvidia released GR00T N1.6 aimed at humanoid robots, focusing on whole-body control and understanding context. Google DeepMind expanded Gemini into robotics with abilities ranging from folding paper into origami shapes to handling playing cards. Physical Intelligence presents Pi-zero as an all-purpose system trained across different robot types.

Rho-alpha stands out in three ways. First, the emphasis on tactile sensing tackles situations where systems relying only on vision struggle. Second, the model comes from Microsoft’s Phi series, which the company has tuned to run efficiently on regular consumer hardware. This background suggests it could run on local devices without needing constant connection to cloud servers. Third, the focus on learning from human corrections during actual operation sets it apart from models that need complete retraining to pick up new behaviors.

Microsoft’s business approach also differs from competitors. The company plans to offer Rho-alpha through its Foundry platform as infrastructure that manufacturers and system integrators can customize with their own proprietary information. This mirrors the company’s approach with Azure OpenAI Service and targets organizations wanting to create specialized versions rather than using a generic model.

For manufacturers and logistics companies, the immediate chance lies in spotting repetitive handling tasks where current automation comes up short. Quality inspection stations, operations that assemble kits of items, and small-batch assembly lines represent situations where Rho-alpha’s mix of language understanding and touch sensing could cut down on programming requirements.

The early access program Microsoft announced gives organizations a way to test whether the system fits their needs before investing in deployment infrastructure. Companies should enter these evaluations expecting that human supervision will be necessary and should plan for workflows where operators correct and guide the robots through initial learning periods.

Physical AI represents a shift from robots as programmed tools to robots as flexible collaborators. That shift will take years rather than months, but the foundation models coming from Microsoft, Nvidia, and Google establish the basic patterns that will define enterprise robotics for the next ten years.

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Solana’s growth has been marred by uncertainty as major companies reduce their holdings. This has brought about a level of doubt in investors’ minds, especially those interested in DeFi gains. On the other hand, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) provides a clear and timely opportunity for investors. The current presale provides investors with a chance to access a complete lending protocol prior to the public launch. In this regard, investors consider MUTM as the best crypto to buy now in pursuit of actual DeFi gains from a working protocol rather than speculation. 

Solana’s Growth Faces Uncertainty

Solana’s crypto price has shown a lot of volatility. Although it has managed to recover from some of the lowest points, it still has a lot of uncertainty. In addition, a top investment company has been selling Solana. This has brought about a level of doubt in investors’ minds. In some instances, Solana has been plagued by outages. These are some of the challenges that make it difficult to attain DeFi gains. In light of this, investors consider another token as the best crypto to buy now, which has a working and audited product, a clear reward system, and a live product.

The Mutuum Presale: A Final Chance For Maximum Entry

Mutuum Finance is in Phase 7 of the presale, which is currently at $0.04. This phase is selling fast. In no time, the price will move to $0.045. This way, the biggest presale gains go to investors who buy the earliest. The project has managed to accumulate over $20,250,000 from more than 18,930 holders, showing the high level of confidence in the project. 

The Mutuum Finance V1 protocol is already working on the Sepolia testnet. This shows that the DeFi protocol is more than just a presale and promises. Investing in the best crypto to invest in at an early stage is a powerful move. For instance, a $1,000 investment in the crypto now can result in 10x gains in the near future. In light of this, MUTM qualifies as the best crypto to buy now.

The Reserve Factor

One of the important aspects for achieving long-term gains in DeFi is safety. The Mutuum Finance protocol offers a safety net through the Reserve Factor. A portion of the interest earned is kept in a reserve account. In case of a volatile market, the reserve account acts as a safety net for the lenders. For example, if you are earning 12% APY on a $5,000 deposit, the reserve account will ensure that you receive the full $600 reward even during periods of market volatility.

Live Protocol Built for Real Yield

The Mutuum Finance protocol is not a promise of future performance. Version 1 of the protocol is fully live on the Sepolia testnet. This means that you can interact with the protocol right now. The platform has the complete lending and borrowing features for the top assets such as ETH, USDT, LINK, and WBTC. This is a critical factor for an investor. It shows that the team has delivered a product that works. Interacting with the testnet is a great way for you to experience the potential of the DeFi gains that the platform has to offer.

Bug Bounty Reward

Mutuum Finance also has a $50,000 bug bounty program in partnership with Certik. The program rewards experts and the public to identify potential vulnerabilities within the MUTM token smart contract. These rewards vary depending on the seriousness of the vulnerability, including up to $2,000 for critical bugs and $200 for less critical ones.

Other rewards include a $100,000 giveaway that will award $10,000 to 10 presale participants and an ongoing $500 MUTM bonus to the biggest MUTM buyer at the end of every day, resetting at 00:00 UTC. 

Why MUTM Delivers Superior DeFi Gains

Mutuum Finance offers the complete package when it comes to DeFi gains. The presale offers the advantage of a low entry point with great growth potential. The Reserve Factor ensures the security of your passive income, and the Bug Bounty Program ensures the longevity of the platform. When you consider the uncertainty that currently exists with the Solana platform, MUTM offers a clear and calculated entry. With the working product and reward system in place, Mutuum Finance stands out as the best crypto to invest in for DeFi gains.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/ 
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now seriously warried about the impact of the weaker U.S. dollar on his country’s export-oriented economy.

The head of the federal government also urges for the rapid launch of the digital euro which, in his view, should reduce Europe’s dependence on America’s fiat.

Germany’s Merz warns of weak dollar effects on German business

The leader of the executive power in Berlin, Friedrich Merz, has joined voices warning about the negative impact of the depreciating dollar on the Bundesrepublik’s economy.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of a meeting with his coalition partners in the German capital on Wednesday, the Chancellor stated, quoted by Reuters:

“I have watched the dollar rate with concern, for some time. The dollar course is a considerable extra burden for the German export economy.”

Among those expressing “great concerns” regarding the steep decline of the Greenback against other major currencies, is the head of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA).

“A strong euro makes German products more expensive on world markets and makes competitivity problems more severe,” Dirk Jandura told the news agency, elaborating:

“Especially for mid-sized exporters with narrow margins, it’s a serious risk because they often can’t dampen exchange risks.”

Germany’s economy, which is heavily reliant on exports, has faced significant challenges over the past few years. It barely started to grow in 2025 after hovering in recession territory for the previous two years.

German exporters have been dealing with stiffening competition from Chinese companies, while taking a hit from the euro rise against the dollar. The latter has dropped to a four-year low amid growing global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

In early January, the BGA revealed Germany’s exports to both the People’s Republic and the United States have fallen sharply in 2025, by 10% and 7% respectively, as reported by Cryptopolitan. The German economy also stalled at the start of the new year.

Meanwhile, European concerns over the dollar’s rate are obviously not shared by the current administration across the Atlantic, with President Donald Trump describing the value of the American currency as “great.” A dollar buys less than 0.84 euro at the time of writing.

U.S. dollar to euro exchange rate. Source: Google Finance.

Merz convinced digital euro will solve the issue with dollar dependence

Friedrich Merz’s comments were also relayed by German crypto media, which highlighted the Chancellor’s statements on the digitalization of the eurozone’s single currency.

“The significant fall in the price of the U.S. dollar is causing unrest in the federal government,” BTC Echo noted in a report on Friday, informing readers about his concerns.

According to Merz, the solution to the problem with the weak dollar lies in the digital euro, the publication pointed out in an article looking for answers explaining his position.

Indeed, the head of the cabinet in Berlin and his Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil both called for reaching a swift agreement over the establishment of a digital euro.

The German officials believe the digital incarnation of the common European fiat will help consolidate its position in global markets. Quoted again by Reuters, Merz insisted:

“We want to push for the euro to be accepted as a leading currency in the world next to the dollar. That would also reduce our dependence on the dollar rate.”

Europe and its economic powerhouse have been trying to emancipate themselves from the American ally in more than one context and sense.

A top German representative in the European Parliament, the chair its defense committee, recently urged Berlin to repatriate over 1,200 tons of gold, which the Bundesbank currently keeps in vaults of the Federal Reserve in New York, citing the United States’ “unpredictable” behavior under Trump.

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White-collar crime convict Sam Bankman-Fried is trying to convince the internet that he has been a GOP supporter since the Biden administration. The holder of the former FTX chief’s X account wrote a thread late Thursday, in which he explained the reasons for backing Republicans in 2022. 

Before the fall of FTX in late 2022, Bankman-Fried attended a dinner in Washington’s Wharf district. He met Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell during a fundraising period ahead of the midterm elections. 

McConnell was seeking financial support as Republicans fought for Senate control, and Bankman-Fried supposedly wanted to expand his influence as the US Securities and Exchange Commission was breathing down his neck. 

1) Why I became a Republican in 2022. pic.twitter.com/otNVWmzvya

— SBF (@SBF_FTX) January 30, 2026

In August, he reportedly sent $10 million to a McConnell-aligned political group named One Nation. Although the payment was not publicly disclosed at the time, it may be the largest single Republican-directed donation from an FTX executive. 

He later told crypto creator Tiffany Fong that “all his Republican donations were dark” because “reporters freak the fuck out if you donate to a Republican” and that he “didn’t want to have that fight” with “super liberal” journalists.

“I grew up in a liberal household and gave five million to Dems in 2020. In 2022, I gave tens of millions to Republicans,” the former beleaguered exchange CEO wrote on X.

SBF blames regulators and justice officials for 25-year jail term

On social platform GETTR, Bankman-Fried told the public that he moved from center-left to centrist views earlier in the year of FTX’s collapse. He mentioned that a “high-ranking” Democratic official at a conference said his priority was the employment of people with intellectual disabilities in all state agencies. That was supposedly the first reason he gave for taking his donations to the GOP.

6) Insane Dem woke policies.

I was at a conference once. A high-profile Dem said his biggest priority was employing people with intellectual disabilities at every state agency. pic.twitter.com/jkAf91N6VE

— SBF (@SBF_FTX) January 30, 2026

Bankman-Fried also bashed the actions by regulators under former President Joe Biden, arguing that federal agencies were “unfair and aggressive” on the crypto industry during Biden’s tenure.

“I was a centrist, and privately donated tens of millions to Republicans. Weeks later, Biden’s anti-crypto SEC/DOJ went after me. They had me arrested weeks before the crypto bill I was working on was set for a vote. And the night before, I was set to testify before Congress. Biden bungled crypto. He didn’t have to; plenty at the party had reasonable thoughts! But he chose Gensler for SEC chair,” the former billionaire asserted.

He also said his case was similar to that of businessman Miles Guo, alleging that the SEC, SDNY, and bankruptcy system were “weaponized to take over Guo’s companies and put him behind bars.” 

Is SBF planning for a political comeback?

According to court filings released after Bankman-Fried’s conviction, the former CEO had been drafting ideas from jail to “rebrand his image.” In a personal Google document, he wrote one entry that read, “Go on Tucker Carlsen, come out as a republican.”

He also planned to criticize legal professionals handling bankruptcy cases, which is likely an effort to show he was targeted by the legal establishment. He intended to argue that public donation records told only part of the story.

“I had a good relationship, probably better with Republicans in DC, as with Democrats, by that point in time. Although that wasn’t public. It wouldn’t have been easy to see that from the outside.” 

Last year, the New York Intelligencer revealed a document displaying Bankman-Fried’s strategy to distance himself from Democrats. It described his plan to say public records were different from which political party he was supporting and oppose what he called a “liberal progressive agenda.”

Bankman-Fried also expressed support for President Donald Trump, writing that the POTUS was “right for crypto.” Trump has granted clemency to several white-collar crime defendants he viewed as over-prosecuted. 

Last year, the US President pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and dark web crypto marketplace Silk Road developer Ross Ulbricht. Despite those pardons, Trump told The New York Times he does not plan to pardon Bankman-Fried.

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Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, says it plans to convert the SAFU Fund’s $1 billion stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin over the next 30 days. 

The decision, communicated in an open letter to the crypto community. The platform highlighted that it sees Bitcoin as a core part of the crypto ecosystem and values its long-term prospects, stating that it is ready to navigate market uncertainty and support the asset’s growth.

Binance said it will monitor the SAFU Fund and Bitcoin in case of value decline

Binance’s Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), created in 2018 to shield users from extreme events, is moving away from stablecoins and into Bitcoin, demonstrating the company’s broader trust in crypto as an asset.

The exchange asserted that in the future, it will monitor the SAFU Fund and, if Bitcoin volatility pushes its value below $800 million, it will replenish it with Bitcoin to bring it back to $1 billion. It stated, “This initiative is part of Binance’s long-term commitment to the industry, and we will continue to advance related work and gradually share more progress with the community.”

Additionally, it asserted that moving forward, it will respond to market challenges while promoting industry growth, guided by principles of transparency, openness, and long-term commitment. 

It also noted that crypto platforms globally are under greater pressure to manage risks, govern effectively, and act responsibly. It also listed some of its achievements in risk control, compliance, and ecosystem development last year, including the recovery of 38,648 misdeposited assets totaling US$48 million. The company also helped millions—5.4 million users—detect risks and prevent nearly $6.69 billion in fraud-related losses.

Moreover, it collaborated with global authorities to fight illicit activity involving approximately $131 million. Furthermore, as of late 2025, the platform had verified around $162.8 billion in user assets through its Proof of Reserves, covering 45 asset classes.

Ripple CEO believes Binance could return to the US market

Recently, Ripple’s CEO suggested that Binance would return to the U.S. market soon. Binance left the U.S. market in 2023 following a settlement in which former CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to criminal charges tied to lapses in anti–money laundering controls, as part of a $4.3 billion deal with the DOJ.

Nonetheless, Zhao’s pardon by President Donald Trump last October has since sparked speculation that the company might be planning a comeback to the U.S. market. Speaking to reporters, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng also said the exchange is adopting a cautious “wait-and-see” strategy on reentering the U.S., calling it a key marketplace.

Not long after, Garlinghouse said that he expects Binance to return, emphasizing that the U.S. is a large market and that Binance was once an important player there. He said, “I think they’ll come back because they’re a capitalistic, innovative company that wants to solve … larger markets and continue to grow.” 

He further argued that a Binance comeback would intensify competition and help draw more users into the space. He noted, “I think it will actually have the positive impact of bringing more people into the market, in part because it’ll reduce pricing. Today their [Binance] pricing is lower on a global basis than what we see here in the U.S.”

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On January 29, Nu Holdings, a digital financial services platform, announced that it received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to form a new national bank in the U.S. The new U.S. national bank will operate under the name Nubank, NA.

Factually, Nu Holdings filed its application with the OCC on September 30 of last year.

According to the announcement, Nu is now in a bank organization phase, a stage that requires the corporation to meet specific standards set by the OCC, as well as to secure pending approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve.

During this phase, the financial services firm announced it will aim to fully capitalize the institution within 12 months and launch the bank within 18 months, as needed by authorities.

Nu Holdings advances U.S. expansion with conditional bank approval

Nu stated that the conditional approval marks a significant milestone in the company’s long-term plan to increase its operating footprint and product line in the U.S. Following full approval, the financial services platform stated that the national bank license will enable it to function within a fully regulated government framework, allowing the introduction of credit cards, deposit accounts, loans, and digital asset custody.

Cristina Junqueira, a co-founder of Nu who moved to the U.S. to lead the bank’s long-term development and expansion, will be in charge of the U.S. organization. Roberto Campos Neto, former president of the Central Bank of Brazil, will serve as Chairman of the Board.

Junqueira commented regarding this conditional bank approval. She said that obtaining federal approval for a national bank license is a significant step toward the company’s goal of becoming a regulated, strong, and competitive institution in the U.S.

Junqueira also revealed that the company is eager to provide prospective American clients with clear, compelling financial experiences.

“This approval is not just an expansion of our operations; it’s an opportunity to prove our thesis that a digital, customer-centric model is the future of financial services globally.”

–David Vélez, founder and CEO of Nu Holdings.

Vélez went on to say that this step will allow the company to establish the next generation of banking services in the U.S., while remaining entirely focused on its core markets in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia.

Nu Holdings also highlighted that navigating the U.S. regulatory process is a key component of its previously disclosed plan to create strategic hubs in Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern Virginia, and the Research Triangle of North Carolina.

Nu Holdings strengthens global presence through regulatory milestones

The conditional approval to form a national bank in the U.S. strengthens Nu’s track record of meeting regulatory requirements across several nations. In April of last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reported that the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) authorized Nu’s subsidiary, Nu Mexico, to become a banking institution.

Following CNBV approval, Nu Mexico became the first Popular Financial Society (SOFIPO) to obtain authorization to change into a bank. This approval also brought the company closer to expanding its product portfolio, including the introduction of a payroll account. However, as of January 29, Nu Mexico is still seeking final operational certification.

In Brazil, the financial services firm has functioned as a fully regulated financial institution since 2016. On December 2 of last year, the digital platform announced its intention to acquire a banking license in Brazil.

Nu Holdings mentioned that the inclusion of a banking institution in the conglomerate is consistent with Joint Resolution No. 17, issued by the National Monetary Council and the Central Bank of Brazil. This resolution standardizes the use of brand names by regulated institutions. As a result of this move, Nubank will completely integrate into Brazil’s regulated banking system while maintaining its brand and visual identity.

Notably, Nubank has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2021 under the symbol NU.

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A lot of traders used to believe that big altcoins such as Ripple (XRP) were a sure investment of future wealth. Nevertheless, recent facts indicate that there is a significant change in the flow of money in the crypto world. Some of the top cryptocurrencies are also struggling to maintain their value, whereas others are experiencing huge gains due to the fact that they provide new money utilization methods. This transformation is leading to a rethinking of the plans of many people as far as the next year is concerned.

Ripple (XRP) 

Ripple (XRP) is now trading at about $1.80 and this is a very big deviation as compared to its recent highs. Many predicted the coin to skyrocket after a protracted legal wrangle with the SEC came to an end in 2025. It did experience a rapid rise to a high of $3.65 with the people celebrating the court victory. But this excitement was soon over. The market cap of XRP has reduced approximately by 50% within the past 6 months. 

The future of the XRP in 2026 and 2027 is now looking very bad. Some of the analysts even say that the price may decline to approximately $1.00 by the year-end. The issue is that most banks do not necessarily have to utilize the XRP token to access the payment system at Ripple. This is causing investors to be concerned that even the token itself may lack demand. The price is highly stressful without any new motivations to purchase and hold XRP.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

As Ripple suffers, everyone is looking at a new cheap crypto Mutuum Finance (MUTM). This project is still going through its presale period and is only costing $0.04. It has already raised a value of above $20.1 million USD and holds a total of above 19,000 investors. 

Mutuum Finance is developing a decentralized hub for lending and borrowing that allows individuals to access liquidity without being forced to sell their core digital holdings. This architecture is centered on a dual-market system to support a wide variety of assets and risk profiles.

In the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) market, users contribute assets like ETH or USDT into shared liquidity pools, where interest rates adjust dynamically based on the supply and demand of the protocol. 

The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) market provides a more flexible alternative for niche or higher-volatility assets that may not fit into the standard liquidity pools. This environment allows lenders and borrowers to negotiate their own custom terms directly, including specific interest rates and loan durations. 

The Reason Why Investors are Shifting Their Funds

Investing in XRP to MUTM is like the investors are shifting their funds to a utility that is actual. XRP has demonstrated its weaknesses in the recent past. It also heavily depends on the features of the old partnership and old news as opposed to the new features. That is the reason behind its reduction of half of market cap within the past 180 days. 

On the other hand, Mutuum Finance has just released its V1 protocol. This translates to the fact that the technology is already on the work and individuals can test it immediately.

The V1 protocol has Liquidity Pools in which you can deposit assets such as ETH, USDT, LINK and WBTC. It is also based on the use of mtTokens that are similar to interest-bearing receipts that increase in value as time passes by. 

Debt Tokens are also used to track loans and a Liquidator Bot is used to ensure the entire system is safe. These instruments demonstrate that Mutuum Finance is prepared for the future of finance.

Price Prediction Contrast

The outlook of the price of these two altcoins is quite dissimilar. XRP may continue to fall below the level of $1.80, but analysts are optimistic about MUTM. The official price of MUTM is fixed at $0.06 that is already 50% up from the current price. Certain analysts are optimistic that MUTM may be priced at $0.15-$0.30 by the year 2026. This would translate to 10x-20x MUTM appreciation as long as the protocol follows the roadmap and analysts expectations.

Safety is another significant factor that makes people have more trust in MUTM. The project has already undergone a complete security check by Halborn Security. It is one of the best companies that ensure that the code is secure against hackers. 

Mutuum Finance is a potential best crypto opportunity to investors who are fed up with losing money in stagnanting cryptocurrencies. It has a working v1 beta protocol, great audits, and a good growth strategy, which is why it is fast being picked as a top crypto choice in 2026 by many investors.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The cryptocurrency sector has come a long way since its inception over a decade ago. Despite adoption taking place, the passage towards gaining crypto exposure remains harder than it should be for everyday users. Centralized exchanges have played a major role in onboarding millions by offering an easier to understand user experience but this often comes with trade-offs. Lengthy account setups, fragmented access across networks and custody structures that requires the end user to hand over control of their private keys. For complete newcomers, this can feel overwhelming. 

At the same time, the broader web3 ecosystem has grown to become increasingly multi-chain which, in turn, has created new challenges around asset management. Swapping between networks, investing in new tokens or moving funds around quickly requires users to handle several wallets, bridges and multiple platforms. Without proper due diligence and safeguards, this in itself can carry separate risks. As a result, platforms like ChangeNOW that address the gap between crypto’s ethos of self custody and everyday usability is gaining traction among many users. 

What is ChangeNOW? 

Established in 2017 with over 8 million users globally, ChangeNOW is a non-custodial crypto management platform that offers simple and transparent instant crypto swaps and services. By design, the platform allows users to retain complete control over their assets and private keys as no funds are stored on the platform itself. The onboarding process is another key point here. Unlike many centralized crypto platforms that require lengthy onboarding journeys, ChangeNOW abstracts this complexity by offering an account free experience. This means users can simply access the platform, send their assets to a unique address and receive the swapped asset in return to their self custodial wallet. 

Notably, ChangeNOW is no longer just an instant crypto swap platform. It has branched out into a fully fledged web3 ecosystem supporting fiat on and off ramps, crypto loan services and a wider toolkit approach that caters to both retail users and businesses building on top of crypto rails. On the enterprise side, the platform now offers white-label wallet infrastructure, Warm Wallets for more secure yet operational fund management and a Market Info API that gives real time pricing and market rates. This shows a big shift in the platform from a single consumer facing product to a variety of services that enable a broader B2B stack. 

From a consumer facing perspective, ChangeNOW’s simple interface and crypto native philosophy makes it ideal for a combination of users. First and foremost, those entering crypto for the very first time will find the instant swap feature without any sort of complex order types and books easy to grasp. That said, a base understanding of how crypto wallets work is a must for this cohort. 

At the same time, seasoned crypto users or traders who value privacy with limited data collection and those who prioritize self-custody will appreciate the ease of this platform. Lastly, users with an array of digital assets spanning across various networks will find the platform’s cross chain swaps particularly useful. 

Key Features Explained 

Massive Asset & Network Coverage

Apart from it being a non-custodial platform, the ChangeNOW exchange currently supports over 1500 digital assets across 110+ blockchains. Given the large number of tokens available, users have access to leading cryptocurrencies across several sectors such as L1/L2’s, DeFi, AI, GameFi, RWA, DePIN, Privacy Coins and memecoins. 

Cross-chain Swaps Made Simple

One of the more practical challenges in today’s multi-chain crypto environment is moving value across different blockchains efficiently. In many cases, this requires users to interact with third-party bridges, manage multiple transactions, and remain exposed to additional smart-contract and execution risks. For non-custodial users in particular, this process can be both time-consuming and error-prone. 

ChangeNOW simplifies this workflow by enabling cross-chain swaps in a single, continuous flow. Instead of manually bridging assets or coordinating multiple steps, users select the asset they want to exchange, choose the destination asset and network, and provide the receiving wallet address. ChangeNOW’s underlying routing and liquidity integrations then handle the intermediate steps automatically, reducing complexity while keeping the user in control of their funds throughout the process.

Weekly New Listings

New projects and tokens enter the crypto ecosystem on a continuous basis. While many don’t pass the stress test with competition across sectors ramping up, some early-stage tokens can bring upside opportunities. Recognizing this, ChangeNOW regularly updates its supported asset catalog. This is done after evaluating and adding tokens that meet technical and liquidity criteria. This way, users can gain access to emerging projects alongside established tokens. 

Speed, Rates and Reliability 

Speed, transparent rates and platform reliability are central to the ChangeNOW user experience. When it comes to speed, the average time it takes to complete a swap is between 1-2 minutes. Adding to this, the fees and the estimated rates are clearly mentioned on the terminal before any swaps are initiated. According to available platform data, roughly 98 % of transactions succeed at rates that either match or deviate by less than 0.5 % from the estimated quote, and over half of users receive outcomes that are better than the initial estimate. 

The entry barrier is also extremely low. Users can swap assets from as low as $2 and no upper limits on transaction size. 

This combination of speed, upfront pricing, and high success rates underpins ChangeNOW’s reliability for everyday swaps, helping users execute transactions confidently without needing to monitor complex order books or worry about hidden fees. 

User Experience and Interface 

ChangeNOW is available across multiple touchpoints including web, IOS and Android and even a telegram bot. This versatility enables users to swap, buy and sell crypto from their preferred interface, whether that’s a desktop app, mobile device or a chat app. 

Another thoughtful UX feature is the permanent swap address. This feature allows users to send assets to the same deposit address each time which reduces the chances of any errors when copying and pasting different addresses for repeated transactions. 

Fiat On-Ramps and Global Access

Apart from the instant swapping functionality of the platform, ChangeNOW is known for its extensive and reliable On-ramp support. For many users across the globe, exchanging local fiat currency to buy cryptocurrencies can often be a friction point due to limited payment options or regional restrictions. 

ChangeNOW addresses this hurdle by aggregating trusted fiat on and off ramp partners directly into its interface. These include the likes of industry leading web3 payments infra providers like Transak, Simplex and Guardarian. 

Currently, ChangeNOW supports buying and selling crypto 70+ fiat currencies and payment methods include familiar options via Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA, ACH, Pix and Revolut. 

Customer Support and Trust Signals 

Trust and reliable support are critical levers to keep in mind when choosing a cryptocurrency platform. These factors become even more crucial in a non-custodial environment where initiated transactions are irreversible. Keeping this in mind, ChangeNOW offers 27/7 live support to help users resolve issues ranging from delayed transactions to more complex swap related questions. For users initiating their first few crypto transactions, this level of support adds an important layer of reassurance. 

This reputation of solid customer assistance is highlighted by the positive user feedback. The platform has an average rating of around 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot, based on more than 13,000 user reviews, with many highlighting quick responses, clear communication, and effective issue resolution. 

ChangeNOW Pro: For Power Users 

The ChangeNOW exchange is a great platform for its simplicity and accessibility for everyday users. ChangeNOW Pro builds on this foundation by offering a host of enhancements specifically meant for more frequent traders and pro users. One of the core benefits here is that users can earn cashback on swaps, starting at around 0.1% of the transaction value and enjoy reduced exchange fees compared to the standard exchange. This effectively helps more active users get additional value from their regular trades. 

Pro users also have access to advanced tools that go beyond basic swap history. This includes detailed transaction records with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) address checks. This helps users screen wallet addresses for risk, adding another layer of security and peace of mind. 

In addition to these features, pro users can utilize unlimited crypto loans. This means high frequency or volume traders can unlock liquidity from their holdings without having to sell their assets. It’s important to note that these pro features are completely optional upgrades. Account free basic swaps remain open to all users. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

Non-custodial control

Extremely wide asset coverage

Fast swaps with high success rate

Transparent pricing

Account-free experience

Strong reputation & partnerships

Cons

Not a trading terminal (no order books)

Fixed-rate swaps may cost slightly more in volatile markets

Advanced perks require Pro subscription

Final Verdict 

Having been in the web3 ecosystem for nine years, ChangeNOW is a mature, reliable and simple entry point for those looking to participate in the crypto space. Over the years, the ChangeNOW exchange has evolved from a swapping service to an end-to-end crypto management platform with a priority on self-custody, wide asset support, transparent pricing and always-on customer support. As on-chain usage continues its upward trajectory and more users get accustomed to managing wallets, ChangeNOW offers a practical alternative to traditional centralized exchanges. 

March 2013 nearly broke Cyprus apart. Banks suddenly shut down, cash machines froze solid, while people found themselves locked out of their own accounts. Big deposits took a sudden hit, and funds were slashed without delay. Trust did not erode quietly. Instead, it shattered completely at that moment.

Out of nowhere, banks in Cyprus began struggling. Cash stopped moving as it once had. Restrictions appeared quickly, transfers were delayed, funds got stuck, and paperwork piled up. Sending money overseas became uncommon. What once felt manageable now dragged on without end. Firms found it hard to follow through on their promises.

The shock hit hard when people realized that bank money could disappear without warning. Digital tokens started making sense to more than a few, simply because of that fear. Time moved on, perspectives shifted slowly, until what had once seemed odd now looked like an option.

Change arrived in Cyprus once crypto use grew. Owning your keys felt right; meanwhile, moving funds without paperwork proved smooth. Over time, local regulations on digital cash began to take shape, quietly aligning the island with Europe’s main crypto hubs and preparing it for the implementation of MiCA Cyprus standards. That shift sparked talk of turning the island into a global Cyprus Web3 hub.

The 2012-2013 Cyprus Banking Crisis Crypto Narrative: A Shock to Depositor Confidence

Trouble started piling up in Cyprus well before 2012. The island’s banks owned large chunks of Greek government debt while also pouring money into loans to Greek companies and state ventures. Once Greece altered how it would pay back what it owed, chaos moved quickly. The fallout jumped nations, striking Cypriot lenders without warning.

A bank called Laiki ceased to exist. The Bank of Cyprus stood its ground, though its customers paid the price. If someone had over €100,000 saved, nearly half vanished from their account. That cash did not vanish into thin air. Instead, it became stock, suddenly making everyday customers part-owners of a troubled bank, whether they wanted to be or not. Getting cash meant dealing with the capital controls Cyprus enforced and needing a green light for overseas transfers. That needed a green light first. Companies froze, stuck without payments to vendors. Frozen by doubt, families stood in line at cash machines. Month after month, securing funds meant waiting for approval.

Something shifted for the EU right then. People saw that cash sitting in banks might as well have been miles away. Just because numbers showed up didn’t mean they could access them.

Without fanfare or quick wins, people began thinking differently, and this mindset steered the early stages of crypto adoption that Cyprus witnessed. It also nudged the island toward Europe’s growing Web3 scene. Into that space, MiCA eventually settled.

Capital Controls Cyprus as a Catalyst for Alternative Finance

Still feeling the hit long after Cyprus bailed itself out, the grip tightened slowly, almost unnoticed. Rules about money seeped into regular life. Getting cash meant working within set amounts every time. Sending money out required a green light from someone official. Swiping cards past borders now costs extra, that is,  if it worked at all.

Then came stress, sudden and sharp. Bills piled up for companies that relied on imports. Workers waited longer for paychecks. Contracts froze, buyers ready, sellers too, yet nothing moved forward. People still believed in each other. The need remained strong. Approval just stopped moving through the channels. People who lived overseas ran into similar problems. Money made beyond Cyprus often failed to reach its destination. Transfers crawled through delays, sometimes vanishing without a trace. This pattern set the pace of existence.

Banks froze when decisions shifted. For years, Cyprus welcomed foreign funds, then conditions tightened without warning. Funds locked in place. Withdrawals stopped dead. Confidence slipped slowly, like water through fingers.

Frozen accounts made people look elsewhere. It wasn’t flashy, just reliable when traditional systems stalled. Money sat still in banks, yet flowed easily through crypto. Permission? Never needed. Waiting? Didn’t happen. Power remained where it began – with the person using it.

Something was missing before crypto came along. Control shifted when people started managing their own funds; it just worked. Even after limits disappeared, the lesson held on. That shift influenced Cyprus’s path with digital assets and its move into Web3. MiCA arrived later, fitting right in without surprise.

Early Crypto Curiosity → Practical Adoption (2013- 2016)

From 2013 to 2016, cryptocurrency quietly reached Cyprus. It spread without announcements, driven by people trying to solve practical problems, one small step at a time.

When banks closed, everyday tasks became difficult. Cash was restricted. Transfers slowed or failed. Profits didn’t matter anymore. People just wanted to know whether payments would go through. Delays that once felt routine began to feel intentional. That frustration drove the crypto adoption Cyprus saw long before price speculation entered the picture.

While digital money was still unfamiliar across Europe, Cyprus moved early, informal meetups formed in cafés and shared offices. Coders compared notes. Business owners listened. These loose groups focused on storage, key management, and early trading tools. It wasn’t refined, but it worked.

Universities helped anchor the shift. When the University of Nicosia accepted Bitcoin for tuition in 2013 (being the first university globally to do so), crypto felt legitimate. Courses followed, and for those already using it out of necessity, that support mattered.

Cyprus’s background in online trading filled the gaps. Skills transferred. Systems adapted. Early exchanges appeared. Memories of bank failures lingered, keeping skepticism alive, but utility-guided decisions. Over time, structure formed, activity grew, and the island naturally evolved into a specialized Cyprus Web3 hub.

Regulation Without Hostility: Cyprus’ Strategic Middle Ground

When cryptocurrency began gaining traction, Cyprus faced a decision, one heavily colored by recent events at home. Fresh memories of the financial crash lingered, making people cautious; confidence remained fragile. A rash step might’ve shaken things further. Being part of the European Union meant rules limited their options. Spontaneity wasn’t possible, nor were quick fixes. That structure, though limiting, ended up helping.

Starting slowly, officials leaned on old frameworks rather than drafting new ones. The framework of Cyprus crypto regulation took shape by sticking to current statutes while promoting the advancement of blockchain technology. Alerts went out; requirements gradually came into focus. When ventures followed finance-wide benchmarks, access remained open. Experimentation found space, though limits stayed firm.

That equilibrium stood firm. Not pushing itself as an escape hatch, Cyprus also avoided painting crypto as a threat to be crushed. Fresh from enduring capital restrictions, its outlook on danger carried weight – careful, yes, yet never hostile. Hesitation lingered, though never hardened into refusal.

Slowly, trust in cryptocurrency grew in Cyprus. Clear rules gave founders confidence to build. Companies gradually adapted their services. Stability began shaping a real community online. This space earned respect across Europe’s digital finance centers. When new EU rules came through, they fit naturally into what was already there.

The Web3 Influx: Startups, Talent, and Capital (2017-2022)

By 2017, crypto in Cyprus felt different. It was no longer a side experiment. Companies formed. Capital arrived in measured waves. Teams looked for a stable footing inside the EU, somewhere predictable. Cyprus quietly became a preferred Cyprus Web3 hub for startups seeking stability.

ICOs reshaped how startups launched. Firms wanted jurisdictions where setting up was simple and issuing tokens felt legally clear, a goal reflected in the global crypto hub bill. Cyprus stood out for familiar laws, English-speaking professionals, and steady rules. There was no hype. Reliability became the draw. Planning was easier when surprises were rare.

Being in the EU mattered. From Cyprus, companies could operate across the continent, competing effectively with other major EU crypto hubs. Lower taxes eased costs as teams grew. The balance attracted businesses seeking stability without pressure.

Elsewhere, Malta moved fast and grabbed attention. Estonia tightened controls after rapid growth. Portugal worked well for individuals but proved harder for firms. While other EU crypto hubs moved faster, Cyprus took slower steps, focused on execution.

Experienced lawyers, accountants, and compliance teams anchored the shift, providing deep insight into the fintech landscape in Cyprus. Many came from trading or banking and understood financial systems. With their support, curiosity turned into real operations, giving Cyprus a lasting foothold in Europe’s Web3 landscape.

MiCA and the Maturation Phase (2023-Present)

When MiCA took effect, Cyprus was already adjusting. The shift hadn’t been sudden. Years of gradual change came first. MiCA mainly removed guesswork across Europe, setting clearer expectations. What felt abrupt elsewhere unfolded more smoothly here.

That wasn’t accidental. Regulators had long overseen high-risk finance, ensuring the regulatory landscape of Cyprus was consistent and audit-ready. Crypto rules had quietly aligned with what MiCA later required, so when MiCA Cyprus compliance became mandatory, work simply continued under a shared structure.

As the space matured, focus changed. Short-term efforts faded. Infrastructure mattered more. Custody and compliance took center stage. Growth continued without chasing attention. Stability became the priority, supported by rules that didn’t keep shifting. Cyprus met that need without overpromising.

The Web3 scene grew quietly. Some firms adapted and stayed. Others arrived, looking for an EU base where MiCA meant routine work, not disruption. Across the island, crypto became more structured and forward-looking. MiCA didn’t create that shift. It organized what was already there.

Why Cyprus Still Attracts Web3 Teams Today

Cyprus still attracts Web3 teams for practical reasons. Not promises, but how the pieces fit together without strain. Those quiet advantages continue to draw builders.

EU membership matters most. A license in Cyprus opens access across the region, creating significant crypto market opportunities for regulated firms. That simplicity helps teams stay focused on building and hiring.

Costs follow. Compared to places like London or Berlin, operations are easier to manage. Rent is lower. Salaries are more reachable. Legal and compliance support doesn’t drain resources. Over time, those savings support steady progress.

Predictability keeps teams grounded. Progressive Cyprus crypto regulation allows planning without guesswork. Oversight exists, but sudden changes are rare. For long-term builders, that consistency matters more than incentives.

Memories of restricted bank access still shape attitudes. They make self-custody feel familiar rather than extreme. That history, combined with smooth integration, explains the appeal. Not big visions, just a place where Web3 works within everyday reality.

Limitations & Risks: Why Cyprus Isn’t a Silver Bullet

Cyprus has real strengths, but it also has limits. Those limits matter more as teams grow and plans move past the early stage.

A small domestic market

Small size defines Cyprus. A few people live there, which naturally limits how much locals can consume. Builders in the Web3 space rarely aim at homegrown markets. Their eyes stay fixed on broader audiences across Europe or worldwide.

That setup works, but it changes how teams plan from the start. Testing big product rollouts fails when only the locals are involved, and hiring locally works best for certain roles rather than entire teams.  As companies grow, expansion almost always depends on expanding internationally, which requires greater coordination and higher costs over time.

For early-stage teams, most teams handle this without much trouble. For later-stage companies, it requires a clearer structure, more hiring abroad, and tighter operations. Cyprus works well as a base, but it rarely works as a launch market on its own.

Regulation that moves carefully

Cyprus crypto regulation has been steady, and many teams value that stability. The trade-off is speed. Bigger nations, such as Germany or France, move faster simply because their regulatory offices are larger. More staff means quicker responses, and the island is still trying to catch up.

This doesn’t mean Cyprus blocks activity. It means some areas stay unclear longer than founders might expect. Topics like DeFi, staking, or newer token models can remain in gray zones for long periods, leaving teams to rely on legal advice rather than written guidance.

When fast results matter, waiting seems tough. Some teams find comfort in taking their time. What works hinges on whether getting there quickly matters most or knowing each step is steady.

Banking friction is still real

Banking remains one of the most common pain points, and it hasn’t disappeared. Even compliant crypto companies often struggle to open or keep local bank accounts.

This caution has its roots in the banking crisis and the years that followed. Local banks lowered risk tolerance, and pressure from abroad further tightened standards. That mindset still shapes how banks deal with crypto-related businesses today.

So most Web3 firms in Cyprus end up using overseas payment services or e-money platforms. Things keep moving, yet more layers keep popping up.  Payroll, local expenses, and daily operations take more effort than many teams expect. While Cyprus works well as a strategic fintech gateway at the regulatory level, the banking layer still lags.

Reliance on EU Decisions

Cyprus operates inside the EU framework. That brings access and credibility, but it also limits independence. Major policy changes come from Brussels, not Nicosia.

A good case in point: the transition to MiCA Cyprus standards. Preparation in Cyprus was solid, yet rulemaking wasn’t theirs to decide. Updates on reporting, custody, and even how markets operate – those still arrive from Brussels. Adapting and oversight? That’s within reach. Going ahead independently or picking another route? Not an option.

A different path might seem limiting if you’re after total independence. Yet, some pick Cyprus precisely because it follows Europe’s rules.

Taken together, these limits don’t erase Cyprus’s advantages. They define them.

Cyprus suits teams who regard it as a stable base, not a shortcut. It enables careful expansion, compliance-focused work, and long-term planning. It’s not for teams that require immediate scale, rapid rule changes, or hassle-free local banking from day one. Cyprus is a case study in how financial stress can induce caution without freezing progress. It also shows that no hub removes trade-offs. Teams that realize those limits early tend to make better use of what Cyprus can realistically offer.

Conclusion: Crisis as a Long-Term Adoption Engine

What made the island emerge as a Cyprus Web3 hub wasn’t just ambition. It happened because things unfolded in ways nobody could’ve imagined. When banks collapsed, so did the belief in steady financial safety. That moment rewired people’s thinking about value, exposure, and control. Stability returned later, but the mindset stuck around, quietly guiding choices ever since.

What started in Cyprus wasn’t faith – it was frustration. People knew the sting of frozen accounts, the hollowness when banks fail them. New tools showed up, quiet at first, not shouting promises but solving problems. Trust came later, only after someone tried sending cash without asking permission. Real life has tested everything. Ideas meant nothing if the system crashed when needed most.

Change in Cyprus rarely seemed sudden because of this gradual movement. Instead of vanishing, older ways stayed present. Alongside them emerged new methods that addressed weaknesses revealed under pressure. What took shape was not a clean break, but a shift guided by what people lived through.

Times like these show up elsewhere, too. Slowly, confidence slips away. Controls grow stricter. What was easy before becomes harder. Not many walk away from what they know right when things shift. Instead, they gather alternatives step by step.

Crisis changes people, even when no one is watching. Cyprus proves it.

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Despite a deep correction today, Bitcoin still remains rangebound in the consolidation pocket between $80.5K and $95k for the 11th week running. From tariff escalations to geopolitical friction, these macro headwinds have weighed heavily toward a risk off sentiment and discouraged any early momentum we saw during the start of the year. 

This sentiment has seemingly spilled over into the institutional side. Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. have seen a pickup in sell side pressure since January 16th, with sustained outflows culminating in last week marking the second largest weekly net outflows to date. Despite the heavy outflows, ever since the deleveraging event on October 10th last year, Bitcoin has weathered this sell side pressure adamantly so far and continues to hold its broader consolidation range. 

The question that bears answering now turns to what is propping up the price for BTC at the moment. For traders and investors, this is an important question to ask because prolonged consolidation in the face of constant macro headwinds and ETF outflows suggest that underlying demand is coming from somewhere more structural than short term speculation. Identifying current demand also gives perspective on any future price moves as it allows you to assess the quality and durability of any swings. 

It’s clear that Bitcoin at the moment is looking for clear and decisive directionality. The lack of a breakout, however, does not imply a lack of demand. The sell side pressure from the ETFs are currently being absorbed by three pronged dynamic: demand from corporate treasuries, specifically Strategy, a cohort of whales continuing to accumulate and a quieter derivatives market. 

Corporate Treasuries Providing a Bid 

Bitcoin is currently around 13% down from the top of its consolidation zone it’s been in since November 16th. Within this timeframe, BTC Spot ETFs have seen a negative net flow of -$3.34 Billion. At current prices (~$83K), this equates to roughly 40.241 BTC of sell-side pressure, with the important caveat that ETF outflows occurred across multiple price levels, making this a BTC-equivalent approximation. 

U.S. BTC Spot ETFs net daily flows from November 16th to 29th January. Source: SoSoValue

Source: The Block

On the other hand, since November 16, data from the block shows that cumulative Bitcoin holdings of treasury companies rose from 809.02k BTC to 881.04k BTC, an increase of 72,020 BTC, representing a roughly 8.9% growth over the period. In net terms, treasury buying alone exceeds ETF-driven selling by around 1.8x, helping explain why BTC remains constricted in a zone rather than breaking down in the face of consistent macro and outflow driven news. 

Long Term Holder Net Position Change 

Source: Checkonchain

Another key data point that explains why Bitcoin remains range bound for now is that selling pressure among long term holders has now dried up and in fact flipped positive since the start of the month. In on-chain analysis, Long Term Holders (LTH) are typically referred to as wallets holding Bitcoin for 155 days or longer. The chart seen above tracks the 30-day net change in LTH supply over BTC’s price. In simple words, it shows us whether patient, higher conviction holders are adding or removing exposure to their positions. 

After a long period of LTH selling that accelerated after November last year, this dynamic has started to shift. The 30-day net position change has now flipped into the positive territory, standing at +177.08K BTC, meaning these holders, over the past month, have added that much to their collective holdings. 

This not only marks a clear change from distribution to accumulation but also signals that coins sold into weakness are now being reabsorbed by holders with longer term outlook. What’s more is that, historically, positive shifts in LTH supply change have acted as a leading indicator of broader trend reversals. 

That said, it’s important to be wary of the fact this is not a bottom signal or call for an immediate breakout. LTH accumulation can persist but macro conditions still play a crucial role in shaping short term price action and subsequent reactions from this group. 

Derivatives Pressure Being Released 

Source: The Block 

Another important factor helping explain Bitcoin’s consolidation is the steady release of derivatives pressure. Over the last year, aggregate open interest in Bitcoin futures across the top 15 centralized exchanges peaked at approximately $64.52 billion on October 7, showing a heavily leveraged market with elevated speculative positioning.

However, following the liquidation event that unfolded after October 10, open interest fell off a cliff and has continued to go lower. As of now, aggregate open interest stands at around $37.53 billion, representing a sizable reduction in leverage across the system.

This decline in open interest suggests that excess leverage has been systematically flushed out, reducing both forced liquidations and reflexive momentum-driven moves. In such an environment, price action tends to compress: without aggressive long positioning to fuel upside or crowded shorts to trigger squeezes, Bitcoin is more likely to trade sideways as spot flows absorb residual supply.

In that sense, the current rangebound behavior is not necessarily a sign of indecision alone, but rather a reflection of a market that is resetting positioning and rebuilding from a cleaner base, where directional moves are more likely to emerge once leverage and conviction begin to re-accumulate.

What the Range is Actually Signalling

Bitcoin is currently correcting sharply to the downside. The fact, however,  is that we still remain in a long term market structure. The market is still in a period of testing acceptance, albeit under increasing downside momentum, rather than resolving direction.  

That said, there is the ETF realized price currently sitting at 86.6k, which is a key level that Bitcoin needs to reclaim. This zone has historically acted as a stabilization and accumulation area. A prolonged period below this zone will likely add sell side pressure as ETF holders are net underwater. 

OpenAI has revealed plans for an IPO in Q4 2026 as the race to a public listing against rival Anthropic enters the final stretch. The AI company has been quietly growing its finance team ahead of the IPO, including hiring Ajmere Dale as the chief accounting officer and Cynthia Gaylor as the corporate business finance officer, who will oversee investor relations.

OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, is also likely to delegate some of his responsibilities in taking the company public to former Instacart CEO Fidji Simo. Simo is currently leading the product and business teams as OpenAI’s CEO of Applications. 

Meanwhile, Altman does not seem excited about the AI company going public, based on his remarks on the Big Technology podcast last December. He actually thinks it would be really annoying. However, 2026 is expected to be a blockbuster year for stock-market debuts after the recent drought, according to the WSJ. 

OpenAI executives express concern about Anthropic’s competition

Despite Altman’s half-hearted support for OpenAI’s public listing, the company’s executives have expressed concerns about losing to Anthropic in the race for an IPO. Part of the reason OpenAI’s executives are this worried is that Anthropic was founded by former OpenAI leaders, and it has already told its financial partners it is open to a public listing by the end of the year. 

Both OpenAI and Anthropic are also competing with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is also aiming for a Summer IPO. SpaceX is hoping to raise over $1 trillion in the IPO, while OpenAI aims to raise over $100 billion in a pre-IPO round that would value the AI firm at $830 billion. 

Meanwhile, Softbank is also discussing investing nearly $30 billion in OpenAI, and Amazon has already held talks with the AI company for an investment of up to $50 billion. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy are personally steering the negotiations. Other companies reportedly considering investing up to $40 billion in OpenAI include Microsoft and Nvidia.

On the other hand, Anthropic is in the process of raising a funding round that is likely to surpass its initial $10 billion target. The company has also held discussions with banks interested in helping with its IPO. 

Anthropic follows OpenAI’s covert finance hiring

Similar to OpenAI’s strategy, Anthropic has also made several finance department hires behind the scenes in preparation for the anticipated end-of-year IPO. Anthropic has hired Andrew Zloto to lead capital markets and Blackstone investor Kevin Chang, whose employment has not been officially announced.

However, media reports suggest that both Anthropic and OpenAI are losing billions of dollars annually as they work to power existing products and build new AI models. Meanwhile, Anthropic is expected to break even for the first time in 2028, approximately two years ahead of OpenAI. 

Therefore, whichever company lists first will probably benefit from a large number of public market investors. Individual investors seeking exposure to generative AI companies are also expected to participate in large numbers. 

“We’re going to get into a period of potentially unprecedented I.P.O. deal sizes…But we are confident they’re executable given the scale of these companies and the investor interest.”

–Eddie Molloy, Global co-head of equity capital markets at Morgan Stanley 

Molloy also believes that these listings could trigger a “feeding frenzy” among public market investors who have been waiting to gain from the AI boom. His sentiment is supported by Jeremy Abelson, an investor at Irvin Investors, who notes that it is the first time in 20 years that private companies have been this impactful and meaningful. 

Meanwhile, Renaissance Capital observes that IPOs have been in a slump since 2021, when nearly 397 companies in the U.S. raised over $142 billion. It also notes that roughly 202 companies went public in the U.S. in 2025, raising $44 billion. However, this momentum has been affected by the uncertainty around tariffs.

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Tokenization company Securitize announced an 841% increase in revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, as it gets closer to going public through its planned merger with Cantor Equity Partners II (CEPT). 

In the announcement, Securitize and Cantor Equity Partners II have publicly filed a Form S-4 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This filing follows Pubco’s secret submission of a draft registration statement on Form S-4, which was previously revealed on November 13, 2025.

Securitize merger highlights rising tokenization trend

Securitize announced that the registration statement includes a combined proxy statement relating to the proposed business combination. It also includes Securitize’s most recent historical financial data up until September 30 of last year.

For the nine months ending September 30 of last year, Securitize reported total revenue of $55.6 million, an 841% increase from $5.9 million for the same period in 2024. Revenue increased by 129% to $18.8 million for the entire year ending December 31, 2024, from $8.2 million in 2023.

However, Securitize confirmed that the registration statement remains under SEC review. The leading platform went on to say that the completion of the proposed merger is subject to customary closing conditions, such as approval by CEPT shareholders and the registration statement becoming effective, after which Securitize Holdings is expected to list publicly.

If approved, Securitize would go public and start trading on Nasdaq under the SECZ ticker.

This deal between Securitize and Cantor Equity Partners II occurs at a time when tokenization is becoming more popular in traditional finance. Tokenized assets are becoming increasingly popular among international banks and asset managers such as JPMorgan and BlackRock. 

BlackRock, JPMorgan highlight accelerating institutional tokenization adoption

On January 21, Investment giant BlackRock identified bitcoin and tokenization as the “themes driving markets” in 2026. In its 2026 Thematic Outlook, the investment firm pointed out that tokenization, or the digital representation of physical assets like stocks and real estate, is becoming more popular.

According to BlackRock, this adjustment is part of a shift in how investors access markets. A stablecoin, like one backed by the U.S dollar, is an early example of a tokenized asset.

Against this backdrop, BlackRock’s tokenized U.S. dollar money market fund (BUIDL), issued by Securitize, is increasingly used in decentralized finance (DeFi) and has nearly $2 billion in assets under management.

“In our view, as tokenization continues to rise, so will the opportunity to access assets beyond cash and U.S. Treasuries via the blockchain,” the report stated.  Meanwhile, a Cryptopolitan report noted that BlackRock specifically identified the Ethereum blockchain as a potential beneficiary of tokenization expansion given its extensive use in creating decentralized applications and token infrastructure.

Institutional momentum is also building elsewhere. On December 15, JPMorgan Chase announced the launch of a tokenized money-market fund on Ethereum in response to increasing demand from institutional clients. The move represented JPMorgan’s first tokenized money market fund, making it the largest GSIB, or Global Systemically Important Bank, to construct such a vehicle on a public blockchain.

“Tokenization can fundamentally change the speed and efficiency of transactions, adding new capabilities to traditional products,” Donohue said in a statement.

Looking further ahead, the market for tokenized financial instruments, or real-world assets (RWAs), could reach $18.9 trillion by 2033, according to a joint analysis by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and payments-focused digital asset infrastructure company Ripple.

That projection represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 53%, falling between the report’s cautious estimate of $12 trillion in tokenized assets over the next eight years and its more optimistic estimate of $23.4 trillion.

The joint report outlined tokenized government bonds, specifically U.S. Treasuries, as an early success for tokenization. These products will enable corporate treasurers to easily transfer stalled capital from digital wallets into tokenized short-term government bonds without the need for middlemen, maintaining liquidity continuously and in real time.

Beyond sovereign debt, BCG and Ripple noted that private credit is another sector attracting attention.

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Microsoft shares got hammered on Thursday, falling 10% and slicing off $357 billion in value in what is now the biggest one-day drop for the company since the world went into lockdown in March 2020.

By the end of Thursday trading session, Microsoft’s total value landed at $3.22 trillion, down from just under $3.6 trillion the day before.

The selloff came right after Microsoft’s earnings report hit the wire. A lot of traders weren’t impressed. The reaction was brutal. Software-focused investors ran for the exit, dragging the iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF down 5%.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.7%. Meta stock didn’t get caught in the mess. It actually shot up 10% after solid earnings and upbeat guidance the day before. But the heat stayed on Microsoft, and every weak spot in its numbers got picked apart.

Traders unhappy with cloud growth, Windows forecast, and lower margins

The biggest problem was Azure. The growth rate for Azure and other cloud services came in at 39%, just under the 39.4% Wall Street had expected. Not a huge gap, but enough to rattle confidence. On top of that, the company predicted $12.6 billion in revenue for its Windows and hardware business, officially called the More Personal Computing segment. That’s well below the $13.7 billion expected. The new quarter’s profit margin also came in lighter than some analysts hoped.

CFO Amy Hood tried to explain why cloud growth wasn’t stronger. She said if they’d handed more GPUs to Azure instead of keeping them for internal use, the numbers would’ve looked better. “If I had taken the GPUs that just came online in Q1 and Q2 and allocated them all to Azure, the KPI would have been over 40,” Amy said.

Ben Reitzes from Melius Research told CNBC the real issue is infrastructure. “I think that there’s an execution issue here with Azure, where they need to literally stand up buildings a little faster,” Ben said, pointing at Microsoft’s slow data center rollout.

AI spending raises concerns as Copilot fails to boost revenue

Some analysts are now raising questions about how Microsoft is spending on artificial intelligence. Karl Keirstead and his team at UBS said they weren’t seeing much traction with Microsoft 365 Copilot, the paid AI add-on tied to the Office suite. “M365 revs growth is not accelerating due to Copilot,” the team wrote, adding that many of their usage checks didn’t show strong demand. “We think Microsoft needs to ‘prove’ that these are good investments.”

Others on Wall Street took a more patient view. Mark Moerdler’s team at Bernstein said the company made a conscious choice to think long-term, not just chase quarterly pops. “Investors need, we believe, to understand that management made a cognizant decision to focus on what is best for the company long term,” the note said. But that didn’t stop the selloff.

Amy also mentioned that capital expenses would tick down slightly this quarter. That was one of the few soft landings in a report that knocked Microsoft off balance in a big way.

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized the seizure of more than $400 million in cryptocurrencies and related assets tied to the now-defunct darknet cryptocurrency mixer Helix.

Before the DOJ’s involvement, Helix worked to combine cryptocurrency from various users and pass it through numerous transactions to obscure its origin, destination, and ownership.

Earlier, federal authorities had already seized control of assets belonging to Larry Dean Harmon, who managed Helix as it moved more than $300 million in crypto from 2014 to 2017. In August 2021, Harmon admitted to conspiring to launder money. He was sentenced in November 2024 to 36 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and the forfeiture of funds and property.

Helix had managed over 350000 BTC for customers

Court records show Helix was among the most widely used darknet mixers, especially popular with online drug sellers looking to clean their illegal earnings. The mixer handled close to 354,468 BTC on behalf of users, which at that time was about $300 million. Much of the digital currency was linked to illegal drug platforms on the darknet, and Harmon made money by taking a share of each transaction.

Helix and Grams were built to connect with most darknet marketplaces, including the infamous AlphaBay, with Helix’s API making it easy for platforms to route withdrawals through the mixer. Investigators later traced large sums totaling tens of millions of dollars to the service. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) played a central role in cracking the case.

Regarding the Helix asset forfeiture, a federal prosecutor specializing in cybercrime cases said the focus wasn’t solely on punishment but on dismantling the economic networks behind crime. He added, “The inclusion of real estate and traditional financial assets shows investigators are following the money wherever it goes.” 

The U.S. Treasury had earlier sanctioned Tornado Cash, but later removed the sanctions

Earlier, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash, a platform that has facilitated the movement of billions in virtual currency for illicit purposes.

Over $455 million of the laundered total was stolen funds from the Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-backed hacking organization sanctioned by the U.S. The mixer also helped launder more than $96 million from the Harmony Bridge hack on June 24, 2022, and at least $7.8 million from the Nomad hack on August 2, 2022, according to the DOJ records.

In 2025, however, the Treasury Department said it had lifted sanctions on Tornado Cash, after the Trump administration examined the unique legal and policy challenges involved. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted, “Digital assets present enormous opportunities for innovation and value creation for the American people. Securing the digital asset industry from abuse by North Korea and other illicit actors is essential to establishing U.S. leadership and ensuring that the American people can benefit from financial innovation and inclusion.”

At the time, some crypto executives welcomed the decision, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. He argued, “No one wants to see bad folks use crypto. But privacy is an important feature for many law-abiding citizens, and you can’t sanction open source code.” 

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Donald Trump told reporters he would name the new Federal Reserve chair on Friday morning, but the thing is, he already has.

“It’s going to be somebody that lot of people think could have been there a few years ago,” he said. That somebody is Kevin Warsh. None of the other nominees (Rick Rieder, Chris Waller, and Kevin Hassett) fit that description, because Trump considered Kevin eight years ago before picking Jerome Powell.

For those of us obsessed with Wall Street, Kevin is a name that has been very well-known for at least 2.5 decades, especially after the 2008-09 financial crash when he worked behind closed doors trying to keep markets stable.

Kevin’s path from Wall Street to the Fed’s inner circle

Before the Fed, Kevin worked at Morgan Stanley from 1995 to 2002, rising to executive director in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions unit.Then he made the jump to the White House.

From 2002 to 2006, he was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Executive Secretary of the National Economic Council.

Kevin focused on domestic finance, banking rules, and consumer protection. He was also the main bridge between the White House and independent financial regulators.

By January 2006, President George W. Bush nominated Kevin and Randall Kroszner to fill two open seats on the Federal Reserve Board. At just 35, Kevin became the youngest person ever nominated to the Fed, which somehow triggered criticism.

Preston Martin, a former Fed vice chair, said it was “not a good idea” and that he’d vote no if he could. Bernanke later wrote, “His youth generated some criticism… but Kevin’s political and markets savvy and many contacts on Wall Street would prove to be invaluable.”

During his confirmation hearing in February 2006, Kevin leaned on his market background. “I hope that my prior experience on Wall Street, particularly my nearly 7 years at Morgan Stanley, would prove beneficial to the deliberations and communications of the Federal Reserve,” he said.

By March 2006, he attended his first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

Warsh warned of liquidity risks and was early critic of long-term stimulus

Less than a year before Bear Stearns collapsed, Kevin spoke about market liquidity. In March 2007, he told the FOMC:-

“The benefits of greater liquidity are substantial… But markets can become far less liquid due to increases in investor risk aversion and uncertainty. While policymakers and market participants know with certainty that these episodes will occur, they must be humble in their ability to predict the timing, scope, and duration.”

As 2009 came, unemployment hit 9.5%. The Fed was still trying to help the economy recover. But Kevin said it might be time to stop. “If policymakers insist on waiting until the level of real activity has plainly and substantially returned to normal… they will almost certainly have waited too long,” he warned.

Kevin pointed to high bank reserves and excess liquidity. “There is a risk… that the unusually high level of reserves… could fuel an unanticipated, excessive surge in lending.”

That surge never came. Tim Duy, an economics professor, fired back. He said the Fed seemed “more willing to use unconventional monetary policy to support Wall Street than Main Street.” Still, Kevin kept raising doubts about the Fed’s approach.

In November 2010, the Fed planned to push down long-term interest rates in a second round of quantitative easing (QE2). Unemployment was near 10%, but Kevin was not on board. He only agreed to vote yes “out of respect” for Bernanke. “If I were in your chair, I would not be leading the Committee in this direction,” he said. “And frankly, if I were in the chair of most people around this room, I would dissent.”

He continued, “I think we are removing much of the burden from those that could actually help reach these objectives… and we are putting that onus strangely on ourselves rather than letting it rest where it should lie.”

Kevin didn’t want monetary policy to cover for weak action from Congress. It was rare for a Fed governor to suggest holding back support to push other parts of government to do their job.

Exit from the Fed and what comes next for monetary policy

Ben Bernanke, in his memoir, wrote about the QE2 debate. He said, “Kevin Warsh had substantial reservations… Now that financial markets were functioning more normally, he believed that monetary policy was reaching its limits… and that it was time for others in Washington to take on some of the policy burden.”

Bernanke said Kevin voted in favor “as he had promised,” but soon after, he gave a speech in New York and published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. In it, Kevin said the Fed couldn’t fix everything alone and called for tax and regulatory reforms to grow the economy. Bernanke agreed that infrastructure spending and other government actions would help more. But none of those things happened.

The Fed, Bernanke wrote, “was the only game in town.” Three months later, Kevin left. He had said from the start he’d stay about five years. Bernanke added, “We remain close to this day.”

Kevin sent his resignation letter to President Obama on February 10, 2011. His exit became official around March 31 that year. CNBC’s Larry Kudlow reacted by calling him a “hard money hawk,” a label often used for people who don’t like easy money policies.

Trump passed over Kevin once. He didn’t a second time. And now in 2026, Kevin finally runs the Fed. This is a full-circle moment for a man who’s spent years criticizing the institution he now leads. His record is packed with dissent, sharp comments, and refusal to go along with popular policies just to fit in.

Gold plunged $300 in just two hours, breaking back below $5,200 an ounce. It’s now sitting at $5,100, with volatility matching 2008 levels.

Bitcoin dropped over 6% in the last 24 hours, now hovering at $80,477, wiping out nearly $5 billion in open interest just today.

Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and BNB all sank 5–8%, while memecoins and AI tokens took double-digit hits, with HYPE down 8.5%.

The Trump family and organization are suing the IRS and the US Treasury Department for $10 billion, alleging that they failed to protect their confidential records.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a Miami federal court, the tax data was shared in 2019 and 2020 by a former contractor who worked with the IRS and then published in the news media.

Trump accuses the IRS and Treasury of failing to protect tax records.

According to the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury Department ignored critical safeguards for private tax information, allowing anyone to access or share it without authorization.

Trump and other plaintiffs claim they were unable to implement mandatory safeguards to prevent the theft or sharing of tax information, as strict rules govern its confidentiality. Because of these flaws, a former IRS contractor was able to access and leak tax information for 2019 to 2020.

The plaintiffs allege that oversight gaps enabled Littlejohn to access confidential data. Without proper monitoring, details emerged in outlets including ProPublica and the New York Times.

They also say that once the tax information was in the public domain, it spread quickly and reached millions of people, making its disclosure difficult to contain. According to the Trumps, the leaks damaged their reputation and portrayed them in a negative light, prompting people to question their business practices.

The complaint also states that the published reports hinted at misconduct and raised the possibility of fraud, even though the plaintiffs argue that the tax records do not substantiate these allegations.

Therefore, the lawsuit argues that the agencies’ failure to protect the data created a false impression and damaged the plaintiffs’ personal and business reputations.

Former IRS contractor admits to leaking tax information

A 40-year-old man, Charles Littlejohn, faces charges linked to the incident. Once employed by the IRS as a contractor, his position involved work on sensitive financial platforms.

Access to internal tax databases came through duties assigned during his tenure there. That level of entry appears connected to actions now being examined. Details continue emerging about how responsibilities tied to the role may have played a part.

From his role at Booz Allen Hamilton, access began. The company had an active contract with the US Treasury just as the tax records surfaced. That link opened the door – no separate path needed. Work ties in place, then made it possible.

In exchange for his guilty plea and testimony, Littlejohn confessed to disclosing President Trump’s tax returns to The New York Times. He also admitted to sharing tax information about other rich individuals with ProPublica, an investigative news organization.

In a 2024 deposition, Littlejohn testified that the shared information included tax returns for all of President Trump’s ventures, the lawsuit says.

Trump’s lawyers said the leaks were the actions of a politically motivated employee and pointed out that millions of people viewed the documents after they were leaked, which widened the initial breach and made the damage harder to contain.

The Treasury Department was swift in its response before the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent terminated the contract between the Treasury Department and Booz Allen Hamilton after learning of the leaks from the company.

This shows, as the lawsuit claims, that the government admits to oversight failures.

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The cryptocurrency market is entering a period of revived optimism due to the increased search of high-growth assets. Although the bigger market is indicative of a bullish market, the line is becoming distinctly drawn between old and new technology. It is becoming increasingly apparent to many investors that the iconic pieces of the old are starting to have a hard time dragging their own weight. 

These top altcoins have serious challenges and a new crypto is emerging with more robust growth indicators. This change will be a transition of coins being fueled by social media hype to protocols being made of sound financial frameworks. The market does not merely want a low price anymore, the market wants a resolution to the issues that continue to suspend older coins higher.

Shiba Inu (SHIB)

Shiba Inu is also one of the most famous in the category of low-cost cryptocurrencies. It had initially become known because of its huge price spikes and a culture that was able to make their small fortunes out of big fortunes. 

SHIB is currently trading at very low decimals with a market capitalization that remains in the billions. The challenge posed by this huge size is now its greatest challenge. The market cap is already very high, which means that a small percentage change in price will take an amazing amount of new money to push the token.

This is what is referred to as a liquidity problem. The coin was the favorite of early investors as it rose and fell very quickly, however, the chart has been illustrating a slow movement and the failed breakout attempts recently. Whenever the price attempts to increase, it starts facing a wall of sell orders by those who want to leave. 

Pepecoin (PEPE) 

The same thing happened to Pepecoin, which burst into the market with tremendous hype and a steep adoption curve. It attracted the internet news and became an instant star in the meme coin industry. PEPE, however, is now experiencing a narrative problem. 

The initial enthusiasm that helped it to rise is slowly disappearing and community demand is also displaying some weakness. The token does not have an obvious use case other than on the social media in jokes, and it cannot identify a reason to have a long-term recovery.

The trend is on the negative side and its future price is not optimistic by most analysts. In comparison to the projects that have a real utility, PEPE is completely dependent on the purchase of the story by new people. 

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is coming out to be the solution to the issue with SHIB and PEPE. It does not take huge amounts of liquidity to induce a shift in its price, and its expansion is pegged on actual financial action as opposed to internet euphoria. 

This protocol is developing a dual-market lending system which can enable instant pool based loans as well as bespoke peer-to-peer agreements. With the mtTokens, the platform will connect the value of the token to the interest paid on the protocol. This predictable form of lending will keep the system stable and operational even in the face of a change in market moods.

The project is now experiencing an epic influx at its infantile stages. It has generated more than $20.1 million funds using a sum of above 19,900 investors. In the present stage, MUTM is selling out at $0.04, and 1.82 billion tokens will be distributed during the initial phase. 

More than 835 million tokens are already sold proving that the community is rushing to find their place. This framework offers a proper growth path that is facilitated by real money that is entering the system.

Roadmap Catalysts and Price Prediction

Mutuum Finance has officially moved from a development-heavy phase into testing utility with the launch of its V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet. This milestone is essential because it allows the global community of over 19,000 holders to verify the lending mechanics and security features in a live, risk-free environment. 

The V1 protocol on Sepolia serves as the foundational engine for decentralized lending and allows users to interact with several advanced financial tools. You can supply assets like ETH, USDT, LINK, and WBTC into shared liquidity pools to provide liquidity. When you deposit these assets, the protocol mints mtTokens, which act as interest-bearing receipts that grow in value automatically as borrowers pay interest back into the system. 

Users can also post collateral to borrow liquidity, with the system issuing debt tokens to track the principal and the interest accrued over time. To keep the platform secure, an automated liquidator bot is active to monitor collateral ratios and manage risk during market swings.

The current MUTM entry price of $0.04 offers a final 50% discount. The crypto market change is evident, and many analysts believe MUTM is set to be a top option in the new bullish cycle. While established meme coins like PEPE and SHIB are mature assets that may see steady growth of 15% to 30%, analysts suggest MUTM has the potential for a much faster repricing. Current predictions indicate that MUTM could realistically climb to the $0.40 to $0.50 range as V1 attention accelerates and the mainnet follows. This would represent an increase of roughly 900% to 1,200% from the current phase.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance