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Circle Internet Group has unveiled an aggressive 2026 roadmap centered on Arc, its Layer-1 blockchain designed to serve as an “Economic Operating System” for global finance.

The company aims to push Arc from testnet toward production while scaling its Circle Payments Network and StableFX applications to capture enterprise market share in stablecoin-powered settlement.

The strategy comes as Circle faces mounting competition from Tether, which generated $5.2 billion in revenue during 2025 and now controls 60.1% of the $311 billion stablecoin market through USDT.

Circle’s USDC holds 24.2% market share at $72.4 billion circulation, trailing significantly despite 108% year-over-year growth.

We’re building toward an internet financial system through Arc, USDC, Circle Payments Network, and our interoperability services that connect them.
The goal is simple: make money movement and value exchange efficient, programmable, and accessible worldwide. Read our product…

— Nikhil Chandhok (@chandhok) January 29, 2026

Arc Testnet Processes 150M Transactions

Arc’s public testnet has processed more than 150 million transactions since launching in October 2025, with close to 1.5 million transacting wallets and average settlement times around 0.5 seconds, according to Circle’s latest product update.

The network attracted over 100 institutional participants, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, Société Générale, and Visa during its first 90 days.

Circle Chief Product & Technology Officer Nikhil Chandhok said the company is working toward production readiness by “evolving the validator set toward greater distribution” and “standing up a governance model that aligns with institutional risk and compliance expectations.“

The blockchain uses USDC as its native gas token and provides deterministic sub-second finality specifically designed for regulated financial operations.

The company has integrated Arc with its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol, which now connects 19 blockchains and has processed $126 billion in cumulative volume as of December 2025.

Circle introduced Gateway, a chain-agnostic system that unifies USDC balances across networks, and launched Build, a suite of AI developer tools alongside App Kits, to accelerate application development.

Source: Circle

Tether’s Dominance and Federal Push Pressure Circle’s Market Position

Circle’s enterprise offensive unfolds as Tether expands beyond stablecoins into traditional finance, recently accumulating 140 tons of gold worth $23 billion and launching USAT, a federally regulated stablecoin under America’s new GENIUS Act framework.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino told Bloomberg that the company is “soon becoming basically one of the biggest, let’s say, gold central banks in the world,” while buying more than a ton per week.

Tether emerged as the most profitable crypto entity in 2025, capturing 41.9% of all stablecoin-related revenue and maintaining its position as the third-largest digital asset globally at $186.8 billion market value.

Source: Coingecko

The company holds more U.S. Treasuries than Germany, South Korea, or Australia, cementing its role as a macroeconomic participant.

Meanwhile, Circle’s Circle Payments Network has enrolled 29 financial institutions since launching in May 2025, with 55 undergoing eligibility reviews and 500 in the pipeline.

The network operates across eight countries and reached $3.4 billion in annualized transaction volumes, partnering with Binance, Corpay, FIS, Fiserv, and OKX.

Major Financial Institutions Signal Blockchain Settlement Shift

BlackRock is staffing up for its next crypto expansion phase, posting digital asset roles across New York, London, and Singapore with managing director positions offering up to $350,000 annually.

The asset manager accepted its tokenized BUIDL fund as collateral at Binance and identified Bitcoin exposure as a core portfolio building block for 2025.

Visa also announced in December 2025 that it will allow U.S. financial institutions to settle transactions using USDC on Solana, offering “seven-day availability and improved resilience during weekends and holidays.“

Initial participants, Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, are already settling with Visa in USDC, with a broader U.S. rollout planned through 2026.

“Financial institutions are preparing to use stablecoins as part of their treasury operations,” said Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships.

The payments giant is serving as a design partner for Arc and plans to operate a validator node once the blockchain launches.

Visa Inc. is set to allow stablecoin-based settlement across its US payments network, expanding its suite of crypto-related services.$USDC #Visa https://t.co/i6vVCqWAiH

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 16, 2025

Circle’s partnership strategy extends to Asia, where the company signed a memorandum of understanding with LianLian Global in December 2025 to explore stablecoin-backed payment infrastructure for international merchants.

The collaboration will assess how USDC can “support faster and more resilient transactions especially in high-volume international payment flows,” according to the announcement.

The company’s tokenized money market fund, USYC, expanded more than 200% since June 2025 to approximately $1.6 billion in assets as of January 2026, while StableFX launched on Arc testnet to enable 24/7 institutional stablecoin foreign exchange trading.

Circle reported $214 million net income for Q3 2025 as USDC circulation surged to $73.7 billion.

Chandhok emphasized that Arc and the broader platform aim to make “value moves with the same openness, reliability, determinism, and speed as information,” positioning Circle to compete as stablecoins become “the connective tissue of the global digital economy.“

The post Circle Targets Banks With New Enterprise Blockchain — Can It Win? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto markets opened Friday in a darker mood as the Crypto Fear and Greed Index slid to 16, back in “Extreme Fear” territory and down from 26 a day earlier.

The gauge last printed 16 on Dec. 19, 2025, suggesting sentiment has slipped to a one-month low.

Bitcoin dropped about 7% to around $82,000 as traders digested fresh US political noise, including reports that President Donald Trump will nominate former Federal Reserve Board member Kevin Warsh to replace current Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

@kev_warsh has emerged as the clear favorite to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, with prediction markets pricing his odds above 90%.#Trump #Fedhttps://t.co/nLtMjjh40N

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 30, 2026

Trump said late Thursday he would name his nominee on Friday morning, a day after lambasting Powell and the Fed for not choosing to reduce rates.

Long Liquidations Surge As Leverage Unwinds Across Crypto

The sell-off also forced a broad unwind in leveraged positions. CoinGlass data showed $1.80B of liquidations over the past 24 hours, dominated by longs at $1.68B versus $117.30M in shorts, with 280,430 traders wiped out in total.

Linh Tran, senior market analyst at XS.com, said Bitcoin is facing direct competition from traditional defensive assets, most notably gold.

“As geopolitical uncertainty and policy-related risks intensify, markets tend to favor assets with a long-established role in risk hedging,” she said.

“This precious metal has recorded a series of strong consecutive gains and has recently set a new all-time high around 5,600 USD/oz. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is still largely classified as a high-risk asset within the asset allocation frameworks of most institutional investors.”

Liquidity Conditions Keep Bitcoin Trailing Gold

Meanwhile, the CoinSwitch markets desk said the leverage flush could steady the near-term tape if spot demand follows through.

“However, a decisive break below $82K could expose $79K–$80K, while sustained upside requires acceptance above $88,500, supported by improving spot demand and ETF flows,” they said.

Kraken’s global economist, Thomas Perfumo, said Bitcoin’s lag versus precious metals has tested investor patience.

“At first look, the macro backdrop is supportive: falling interest rates and rising geopolitical uncertainty historically favor an asset viewed as a hedge against currency debasement and political instability,” he said.

“Yet despite rate cuts, global liquidity, the factor with the greatest influence on crypto market performance remains tight, underscoring that interest rates are only one component of overall liquidity conditions. By contrast, gold historically benefits from a weakening US dollar.”

The post Crypto Market Mood Weakens With Fear Index At Lowest Level Since December appeared first on Cryptonews.

Binance disclosed a $90.52 million crypto fund secured for GOFi victim compensation while accelerating its expansion through GOPAX, the South Korean exchange now under its control, as the company prepares to support institutional adoption and build payment infrastructure in 2026.

The move follows years of regulatory delays after Binance acquired a 67% stake in GOPAX in February 2023, with authorities finally approving the ownership change in October 2025 amid broader efforts to position Korea as a global crypto hub.

The expansion push comes as Korean regulators gradually lift shadow restrictions on crypto integration in traditional finance, recently ending a nine-year ban on corporate crypto investments and drafting the Digital Asset Basic Act targeted for passage this year.

Binance aims to establish infrastructure for institutional treasury management and cross-border stablecoin settlement, with payment capabilities for overseas visitors representing a key focus despite domestic restrictions on crypto-backed transactions.

@Binance has received final regulatory approval to complete its acquisition of South Korean exchange Gopax after a two-year delay.#Binance #Cryptohttps://t.co/aMUjiyesxu

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 16, 2025

Institutional Growth and Payment Rails Drive 2026 Strategy

SB Seker, head of Asia-Pacific at Binance, emphasized institutional momentum during a video interview with The Korea Times on Friday.

“Twenty-three percent of last year’s global growth came from institutional adoption,” Seker said.

“We think the same will happen if (regulatory) development takes up in Korea. The uptake will be similar, if not more.“

Beyond core spot trading and digital asset products, Binance expects Korean firms to begin allocating crypto to their balance sheets once regulations are clear.

The exchange is exploring partnerships with licensed local payment providers to enable inbound transactions from overseas visitors, a move Seker hopes will set a precedent for regulators as domestic payment restrictions remain in place.

The institutional focus aligns with Binance’s September 2025 launch of Crypto-as-a-Service, a white-label infrastructure solution providing banks and brokerages with back-end trading, custody, settlement, and compliance tools.

The platform followed July’s Institutional Loans rollout, offering verified corporate clients up to 4x leverage through cross-collateralized credit lines across multiple accounts.

Binance Rolls Out Crypto-as-a-Service – Internalized Trading, Custody, Compliance

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has announced the launch of Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS), a white-label infrastructure solution designed to help regulated…

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 3, 2025

GOFi Compensation Faces Final Administrative Hurdles

GOPAX disclosed the compensation wallet on Thursday after securing regulatory approval for Binance’s executive change filing last October.

The crypto holdings total approximately 130 billion won, marking progress on obligations tied to the GOFi interest-paying product that froze roughly 1,000 bitcoins following FTX’s 2022 collapse.

“What we’ve done is to demonstrate transparency and confidence in the market that our intention is there,” Seker said.

However, Korean law requires repayment through GOPAX’s balance sheet, forcing Binance to first capitalize the company before distributions begin.

Execution costs associated with converting crypto to fiat and back may cause final distributions to fluctuate with market liquidity and asset prices, though Binance is working to minimize these costs for GOFi creditors.

“It’s taken us three years to get a change of control. We still have a few hoops to jump through,” Seker noted, adding that full shareholder approval from minority shareholders remains pending before the firm can “move forward at full speed with the business.“

Regulatory Framework Takes Shape Amid Market Consolidation

Korea’s crypto regulatory architecture is rapidly evolving in the wake of Binance’s return.

The Democratic Party’s Digital Asset Task Force recently confirmed that the forthcoming Digital Asset Basic Act will require stablecoin issuers to maintain a minimum capital of 5 billion won ($3.5 million), aligning the requirements with those of electronic money firms.

Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eog-weon said earlier this week that the regulator is also reviewing 15-20% ownership caps for major crypto exchange shareholders, part of a shift from a notification system to permanent authorization status.

The proposal has drawn pushback from exchanges including Upbit and Coinone, where controlling shareholders hold stakes exceeding 28% and 53%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Korea lifted its nine-year corporate crypto ban this month, permitting listed companies to invest up to 5% of equity capital in top-20 cryptocurrencies.

South Korea has launched guidelines, allowing listed companies and professional investors to invest up to 5% of their equity capital crypto.#SouthKorea #CorporateCryptoInvestment #CryptoInvestmenthttps://t.co/d55u3TDsBF

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 12, 2026

At the same time, the National Assembly also passed legislation creating a legal framework for the issuance and trading of tokenized securities, scheduled to take effect in January 2027.

For now, market expansion continues by exchanges as Coinbase also weighs an investment in Coinone, while Naver Financial agreed to acquire Dunamu, the operator of Upbit.

The post Binance Unveils $90M GOFi Fund, Targets Korea Payments — What’s Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Nearly a decade after one of crypto’s most defining crises, unclaimed Ether from the 2016 hack of The DAO is being repurposed to support Ethereum’s security, reviving a project whose collapse once threatened the network’s survival.

This time, its backers say, the goal is not experimentation but strengthening Ethereum’s defenses using resources left behind by the event that first exposed its vulnerabilities.

This week, Ethereum developer and longtime communal member Griff Green announced that hundreds of millions of dollars in Ether that went unclaimed following The DAO hack will be initiated into a new security-centered funding initiative.

Source: Unchained

In an appearance on the Unchained podcast, Green asserted that huge amounts of ETH are trapped in contracts that were made to compensate victims of the exploit, but they never actually claimed them.

Instead, he said, that money will now be used to generate a staking income and fund security work throughout the Ethereum ecosystem.

Inside the DAO Hack and Ethereum’s Historic Fork

In early 2016, the DAO was initiated as a decentralized venture capital, which permitted tokenholders to make decisions on a shared basis about the allocation of capital. It collected over $150 million in ETH, the biggest crowdfunding project at the time.

In June 2016, an attacker used a vulnerability in its smart contracts, called a reentrancy vulnerability, to empty its smart contracts of around 3.6 million ETH into a second contract.

The hack caused an existential crisis in Ethereum and a controversial hard fork that refunded most of the stolen money to the investors.

That ruling divided the community and formed two blockchains: Ethereum and Ethereum Classic.

While the fork restored the majority of funds, the recovery process was not clean. Green said around $6 million was set aside to handle complex cases involving investors who were unable to claim their ETH through standard mechanisms.

He joined a multisignature wallet established to manage those cases. Over time, more than 80% of that balance was claimed, but the remainder, now worth around $200 million at current prices, was left untouched.

DAO Hack Era Funds Revived for Network Security

According to Green, those unclaimed funds will form the backbone of what is being called The DAO Security Fund. The plan involves roughly 70,500 ETH held in an ExtraBalance Withdrawal contract, along with about 4,600 ETH and DAO tokens from the original curator multisig.

The capital will be staked, with yield directed toward funding security efforts rather than distributed as a one-time payout. The initiative is being coordinated alongside the Ethereum Foundation and aligns with its broader “Trillion Dollar Security” push.

Green said the fund will operate using decentralized allocation methods rather than top-down grants. Proposed mechanisms include quadratic funding, retroactive public goods funding, ranked-choice voting, and other DAO-style distribution models.

Oversight will involve well-known figures from the Ethereum security community, including Vitalik Buterin, MetaMask co-founder Taylor Monahan, Jordi Baylina, and members of the SEAL 911 response group.

Giveth, a public goods funding platform co-founded by Green, is also expected to play a role in administering allocations.

Ethereum’s Long Road From Early Hacks to Billion-Dollar DAOs

The move comes as Ethereum security has become a central concern for both developers and institutions.

The DAO hack itself helped give rise to the modern smart contract audit industry, which barely existed before 2016.

Ethereum Smart Contract Framework Updated to Combat Security Concerns

Ethereum sees significant exchange outflows as investors potentially eye long-term holds.#CryptoNews #newshttps://t.co/39LzGh5vMy

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 18, 2023

Since then, Ethereum has grown into the backbone of decentralized finance, NFTs, and tokenized assets, with billions of dollars regularly secured by smart contracts.

The revival of the DAO name also reflects how far decentralized governance has evolved since its early days.

By 2025, decentralized organizations collectively managed more than $24 billion in treasury assets, with major protocols like Uniswap, Arbitrum, and Optimism overseeing billion-dollar balances.

The post Ethereum’s $100M Ghost Fund Rises From the 2016 DAO Collapse — This Time Different? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Binance announced it will convert its $1 billion SAFU fund from stablecoins to Bitcoin reserves within 30 days, responding to mounting community criticism that intensified after prominent Wall Street investor Cathie Wood publicly attributed recent market weakness to a Binance-related deleveraging event.

The exchange pledged to maintain the fund’s value at $1 billion through regular rebalancing, replenishing it with additional Bitcoin if price fluctuations push the fund below $800 million.

The move comes as Binance faces its most significant reputational challenge since the October 10 crash, with critics across English and Chinese-speaking communities demanding that the exchange use profits to build Bitcoin reserves and support the broader industry.

While Binance has faced criticism since its inception, the current backlash escalated dramatically after Wood’s television appearance and has expanded to encompass concerns about token listing quality, market structure, and platform transparency.

An open letter to the crypto community

During periods of market volatility and pressure, the impact felt across the industry is naturally also felt by Binance.

As a global industry leader, we hold ourselves to elevated standards and continually improve based on feedback from… pic.twitter.com/HvWEQYjuKZ

— Binance (@binance) January 30, 2026

Cathie Wood’s Remarks Ignite Pent-Up Community Anger

ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood appeared on Fox Business on January 26, explaining Bitcoin’s recent weakness by stating that “on October 10 last year, Binance experienced a software glitch that triggered massive automatic deleveraging, forcing liquidations totaling approximately $28 billion.“

Cathie Wood: $28 Billion Bitcoin Deleveraging Caused Heavy Losses

On January 26, 2026, speaking on Fox Business, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood explained that Bitcoin's recent pullback was caused by a $28 billion deleveraging event triggered by a Binance software glitch on October… pic.twitter.com/CVODMnv3D8

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 27, 2026

The comment from one of Wall Street’s most prominent Bitcoin advocates resonated across crypto communities, particularly as ARK had purchased over $20 million in Coinbase stock that same week.

Binance co-founder He Yi quickly responded with a post noting, “Cathie Wood isn’t a Binance user. We don’t serve U.S. Individuals or U.S. entities. No offense,” but deleted the message shortly after.

The deletion appeared to signal internal recognition that the remark had opened floodgates to accumulated frustrations dating back three months.

Wood’s comment tapped into anger that had been building since October, when Binance’s limited public explanations about the crash left many users dissatisfied.

According to BlockFlow analysis, the criticism now ranges from operational concerns to serious accusations about platform management, with some voices comparing the situation to previous exchange failures.

Even competitors joined the criticism, with OKX founder Star Xu posting on January 28 that “the incident caused real and lasting damage to the industry,” though he avoided naming Binance directly.

People have underestimated the impact of 10/10. The incident caused real and lasting damage to the industry.

An industry-leading company should focus on strengthening core infrastructure, building trust with global users and regulators, and protecting the long-term interests of… https://t.co/DIU57u8utU

— Star (@star_okx) January 28, 2026

Criticism Concentrates on October Crash and Token Listings

The October 10 event saw approximately $19 billion in forced liquidations across crypto markets, though analysts later clarified actual trader losses represented just 5% to 15% of that headline figure, translating to between $950 million and $2.85 billion in real losses according to Kaia DLT Foundation chairman Sam Seo.

Binance provided $283 million in compensation to affected users, maintaining that its systems functioned as intended during what it described as extreme market conditions.

Community frustration centers partly on this compensation, which represents roughly 1% of total liquidations, with questions persisting about system vulnerabilities and market maker activity.

Technical failures during extreme volatility prevented users from managing orders, while system overloads, pricing display errors, and asset depegging contributed to the chaos.

Separate controversies surround Binance Alpha, the exchange’s early-stage token platform, where critics claim most listed projects follow patterns of sharp initial gains followed by steep declines.

CZ I held all the tokens listed on Binance last year

Please advise https://t.co/rM7YS0c62I pic.twitter.com/qzKgO8UP7e

— Wazz (@WazzCrypto) January 26, 2026

User-generated statistical analyses suggest that 9 out of 10 Alpha tokens fail to maintain value, leading some to question whether listings provide unfair advantages to insiders while retail buyers absorb losses.

Exchange Commits Bitcoin Reserves Amid Institutional Optimism

Binance detailed its 2025 achievements in its open letter accompanying the SAFU announcement, noting it recovered $48 million in misdeposited assets across 38,648 cases, prevented $6.69 billion in potential scam losses by assisting 5.4 million users, and collaborated with global law enforcement to combat illegal activities involving $131 million.

The exchange maintained proof-of-reserves covering approximately $162.8 billion across 45 crypto assets while listing projects across 21 public blockchains.

Founder Changpeng Zhao addressed what he termed “twisted FUD” around recent market commentary, emphasizing that “Binance only converts a portion of their revenue to pay for expense. They are a large net hoarder.“

FUD doesn't hurt the target. My followers increased.

FUD hurts the market (ie everyone).

I/Binance do not sell in any meaningful amounts.

My selling = I swipe my card and $5 worth of BNB gets converted/sent to the coffee shop.

I don't run Binance anymore, but based on what I…

— CZ BNB (@cz_binance) January 30, 2026

He noted the exchange operates under global regulatory oversight that can review every trade on every account.

Despite platform-specific controversies, broader institutional sentiment remains constructive.

A recent Coinbase Institutional and Glassnode survey of 148 global investors found 70% of institutions view Bitcoin as undervalued despite its drop from above $125,000 to around $90,000, while 62% of institutions maintained or increased crypto allocations since October.

Separately, a Bitwise and VettaFi poll found 32% of financial advisors allocated to crypto in client accounts during 2025, up from 22% in 2024.

The post Binance Converts $1B SAFU Fund to Bitcoin Following Criticism — Is a Rally Coming? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin’s recent pullback is less about crypto-specific weakness and more about a sharp contraction in dollar liquidity rippling through global markets.

Key Takeaways:

Arthur Hayes links Bitcoin’s pullback to a $300B contraction in U.S. dollar liquidity rather than crypto-specific factors.

The USDLIQ index has fallen nearly 7% in six months, reflecting tighter financial conditions.

Hayes says government cash buildup and reduced liquidity are pressuring Bitcoin and other risk assets.

In a post on X, the former BitMEX chief executive pointed to a roughly $300 billion drop in U.S. dollar liquidity over the past several weeks, driven largely by a $200 billion increase in the Treasury General Account (TGA).

Hayes suggested the U.S. government may be rebuilding cash buffers to fund spending in case of a potential shutdown, effectively pulling liquidity out of the financial system.

Dollar Liquidity Index Falls 7%, Weighing on Bitcoin

The contraction is visible in the USDLIQ index, which tracks broad dollar liquidity conditions.

The index has fallen nearly 7% over the past six months, sliding from highs near 11.8 million in August to around 10.88 million at the end of January, according to market data shown in Hayes’ post.

Bitcoin’s price weakness over the same period, Hayes argued, should not come as a surprise.

“$BTC falling not a surprise given the fall in $ liquidity,” Hayes wrote, linking the move directly to macro forces rather than sentiment shifts within the crypto market itself.

Roughly $300bn fall in $ liq over past few weeks driven mostly by $200bn rise in TGA, gov could be raising cash balances to fund spending in case of shutdown. $BTC falling not a surprise given the fall in $ liquidity. pic.twitter.com/ctPjWd8188

— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) January 30, 2026

Liquidity conditions have long been a key driver for Bitcoin and other risk assets, with periods of expanding dollar supply often coinciding with strong rallies.

Conversely, when cash is absorbed by government accounts or tighter financial conditions, speculative assets tend to struggle as leverage unwinds and risk appetite fades.

Hayes’ comments come as Bitcoin has failed to regain momentum after recent pullbacks, even as some investors look for catalysts such as interest rate cuts or renewed inflows into spot ETFs.

Instead, the focus is shifting toward macro plumbing, including Treasury cash management and broader dollar availability, as a near-term headwind.

Bitcoin Slides as Fed Caution, Geopolitics Sap Risk Appetite

Bitcoin has fallen back below $89,000 after a short-lived rebound, pressured by tighter financial conditions and rising geopolitical stress that have weighed on risk assets.

According to XS.com analyst Samer Hasn, a Federal Reserve stance that remains neutral to hawkish, combined with tensions in the Middle East, has reduced demand for speculative investments across crypto markets.

Market data points to weakening conviction among traders. CoinGlass figures show crypto futures open interest is down 42% from record highs, with attempted breakouts quickly reversed by sharp sell-offs.

At the same time, capital has rotated toward traditional havens such as gold and silver, leaving digital assets struggling to attract fresh inflows as volatility persists.

With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaling little urgency to cut rates and geopolitical risks pushing investors toward tangible assets, analysts say Bitcoin remains a higher-risk trade until either policy eases or global tensions cool.

The post Arthur Hayes Says $300B Liquidity Drain Is Driving Bitcoin Lower appeared first on Cryptonews.

US President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, with an official announcement anticipated Friday morning.

Key Takeaways:

Kevin Warsh has emerged as the clear favorite to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, with prediction markets pricing his odds above 90%.

Markets have reacted to the prospect of a more hawkish Fed, with the dollar strengthening and Treasury yields rising.

Warsh’s comparatively positive view of Bitcoin could signal a shift in tone at the Fed toward digital assets.

Multiple media outlets, including Bloomberg, have reported that Warsh has emerged as Trump’s pick to replace current Fed chair Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May.

Reuters earlier reported that Trump met with Warsh on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the discussion who said the former Fed governor made a strong impression.

Warsh Emerges as Clear Fed Chair Favorite as Prediction Odds Surge

Warsh served on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011 and has remained an influential voice on monetary policy since leaving the central bank.

Prediction markets quickly reflected the shift. On Polymarket, Warsh’s odds of being nominated surged from around 30% to 95%, while former frontrunner Rick Rieder of BlackRock saw his chances fall sharply.

Similar dynamics played out on Kalshi, where Warsh was priced at 93%, far ahead of economist Kevin Hassett and Rieder.

Warsh is widely viewed as a more hawkish candidate who would favor fiscal discipline, a tougher stance on inflation and a continued move away from quantitative easing.

Anticipation of his nomination has already rippled through markets, with the US dollar strengthening and Treasury yields ticking higher as investors adjusted expectations for future monetary policy.

Unlike Powell, who has often downplayed Bitcoin’s role in the US financial system, Warsh has expressed a more receptive view of the cryptocurrency.

NEW IN: Trump confirms his Fed Chair nomination will be announced tomorrow, as Kevin Warsh's odds of receiving the nomination soar to 88%. pic.twitter.com/LEdYrP45Mp

— Polymarket Money (@PolymarketMoney) January 30, 2026

In a July interview with the Hoover Institution, he argued that Bitcoin does not threaten the Fed’s authority and could instead act as a form of market feedback.

“Bitcoin doesn’t trouble me,” Warsh said at the time, adding that it can “provide market discipline” and serve as “a very good policeman for policy.”

His comments have resonated with crypto market participants who see Bitcoin as a hedge against policy missteps.

If confirmed, Warsh’s appointment would mark a notable shift in tone at the Fed, with potential implications for risk assets as well as the broader debate over the role of digital currencies in the US economy.

Fed Standoff Keeps Rates on Hold as Bitcoin Struggles for Momentum

US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Jerome Powell, including threats of a criminal investigation, but the Federal Reserve has again held interest rates steady, citing solid growth and still-elevated inflation.

Powell declined to comment on the investigation and defended the Fed’s independence, warning that politicizing monetary policy would undermine the institution’s credibility.

The rate decision weighed on Bitcoin, which slipped after the announcement and has repeatedly failed to break above $90,000.

Analysts say the lack of near-term rate cuts is limiting demand for risk assets, even as equities and gold hit record highs.

Prediction markets and Wall Street forecasts now point to a low probability of cuts before mid-year, with expectations pushed toward the back half of 2026.

The post Trump Expected to Nominate Bitcoin-Friendly Kevin Warsh as Next Fed Chair appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin’s value relative to gold has slipped close to levels last seen nearly a decade ago, reigniting debate over the cryptocurrency’s long-term performance as a store of value.

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin’s value against gold has fallen near 2017 levels, reviving doubts about its role as a long-term store of value.

Peter Schiff says gold and silver have outperformed Bitcoin as investors seek safety.

Analysts note shifting investor behavior as demand grows for assets outside government control.

Economist and long-time crypto critic Peter Schiff said Bitcoin is now worth about 15.5 ounces of gold, down 57% from its 2021 peak and only around 10% above its 2017 high when measured against the precious metal.

In a post on X, Schiff argued that despite years of promotion and growing acceptance on Wall Street, Bitcoin has failed to outperform traditional safe havens.

Schiff Says Gold and Silver Outshine Bitcoin as Safe Havens

He said most current holders would have been better off owning gold or silver instead, pointing to strong gains in precious metals over the same period.

Schiff’s comments come as gold and silver continue to attract inflows amid geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over interest rate policy, while Bitcoin has struggled to regain momentum after recent pullbacks.

“Most people who now own Bitcoin would have been better off buying gold or silver instead,” he wrote.

As reported, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan has said that gold’s surge past $5,000 an ounce and mounting uncertainty around US crypto legislation are shaping a critical moment for digital asset markets.

Hougan said the combination of rising demand for assets outside government control and fading confidence in near-term regulatory clarity could influence both crypto adoption and price action in the months ahead.

Bitcoin is now worth just 15.5 ounces of gold, down 57% from its 2021 high and just 10% above its 2017 high. Despite all the hype and support from Wall Street and the Trump administration, most people who now own Bitcoin would have been better off buying gold or silver instead.

— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) January 29, 2026

Hougan pointed out that roughly half of gold’s dollar-denominated value has been created in just the past 20 months, despite its thousands-of-years-long history as a store of value.

He argued the move reflects the long-term effects of expansive monetary policy, rising debt levels, and currency debasement, but also a deeper shift in investor behavior.

“It shows that people no longer want to keep all of their wealth in a format that relies on the good graces of others,” Hougan wrote.

He also flagged growing uncertainty around the Clarity Act, legislation aimed at cementing a pro-crypto regulatory framework in the US.

Bitcoin Slides as Fed Caution, Geopolitics Sap Risk Appetite

Bitcoin has fallen back below $89,000 after a short-lived rebound, pressured by tighter financial conditions and rising geopolitical stress that have weighed on risk assets.

According to XS.com analyst Samer Hasn, a Federal Reserve stance that remains neutral to hawkish, combined with tensions in the Middle East, has reduced demand for speculative investments across crypto markets.

Market data points to weakening conviction among traders. CoinGlass figures show crypto futures open interest is down 42% from record highs, with attempted breakouts quickly reversed by sharp sell-offs.

At the same time, capital has rotated toward traditional havens such as gold and silver, leaving digital assets struggling to attract fresh inflows as volatility persists.

With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaling little urgency to cut rates and geopolitical risks pushing investors toward tangible assets, analysts say Bitcoin remains a higher-risk trade until either policy eases or global tensions cool.

The post Bitcoin’s Value vs Gold Nears 2017 Levels Despite “Hype,” Peter Schiff Says appeared first on Cryptonews.

Solana (SOL) experienced an 8% decline, tumbling from a $125.34 daily open to $115.39 lows following macro uncertainties stemming from the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates unchanged at the benchmark 4.25–4.50% range.

Despite the price decline, today’s Solana price prediction suggests bulls could mount a recovery toward $135 if the surging decentralized exchange volume translates into positive momentum for the SOL token.

Solana Surpasses Ethereum, Base, And BNB In DEX Activities

According to data from DefiLlama, Solana recorded the highest on-chain volume across all blockchains in the past 24 hours, approaching $4 billion, significantly outpacing rival chains including Ethereum ($1.74B), BNB Chain ($1.68B), and Base network ($1.16B).

Source: DefiLlama

Concurrently, active addresses have increased substantially, with over 2.7 million active wallets engaging in on-chain interactions this week.

This surge is particularly driven by memecoins, which are displaying renewed signs of vitality.

Since the October lows, memecoin activity has exploded.

Solana launchpad tokens went from 113,772 to 239,127

– That’s roughly +110%.

Launchpad graduations climbed from 575 to 1,796

– That’s around +212%.

Creation is up. Graduations are up even more.

Now fr, are memecoins… pic.twitter.com/U4Q0vr7oyQ

— Solana Sensei (@SolanaSensei) January 28, 2026

The SOL token now needs to catch up and reprice accordingly.

Over the past 12 months, the token has declined by almost 50% and has lost considerably more since reaching its peak of $294 in January last year.

Analysts at Multicoin Capital believe Solana should be valued at least double its current $115 price, citing the network’s superior technology for payments, exceptional user experience, and near-zero transaction fees.

This perspective aligns with recent statements from Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko in an interview on the Impact Theory show:

“What I care about is that we’re delivering consumer value that can be captured by the protocol. Those captures are future cash flows.”

Solana Price Prediction: SOL Faces Critical Support Test at $116

The daily SOL/USDT chart reflects a market that remains structurally bearish, with recent price action reinforcing downside pressure rather than signaling a confirmed reversal.

Solana is trading around $116–$117 after a sharp rejection from the $133–$135 region, an area now established as key overhead resistance.

This zone aligns closely with the 50-day Exponential Moving Average and prior breakdown structure, indicating that sellers continue defending rallies aggressively.

From a trend perspective, price remains firmly below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs, all of which are sloping downward.

Source: TradingView

This moving average alignment confirms the broader trend remains bearish, with recent rebounds appearing corrective rather than impulsive.

The failure to reclaim even the 50-day EMA suggests bullish momentum is weak and lacks follow-through volume.

The $116 level represents critical support and is currently being tested. This zone has previously functioned as a demand area, but repeated tests have increased breakdown risk.

A clean daily close below $116 would likely open the door toward the next support around $110, and potentially lower if selling accelerates.

On the upside, any recovery attempt would need to first reclaim $134 with strong volume to shift short-term structure, which could then expose the $156–162 region as a higher recovery target, though that scenario currently appears less probable.

70% APY Staking: Maxi Doge Raises $4.47M as Memecoins Revive

If SOL reclaims the $134 level and resumes a bullish trajectory, presale projects like Maxi Doge (MAXI) could attract capital from investors pursuing high-ROI opportunities in the expanding memecoin sector.

Maxi Doge represents an early-stage memecoin following the Dogecoin playbook that generated over 10x returns during the 2023-2024 breakout cycle.

The presale has established an alpha channel enabling traders to share strategies and ideas, mirroring community-building tactics from early Dogecoin days.

The MAXI presale has raised over $4.5 million, offering participants 70% annual staking rewards at the current $0.0002801 price point.

Interested investors can participate by visiting the official Maxi Doge website and connecting a crypto DEX wallet like Best Wallet.

You can purchase $MAXI tokens using USDT, ETH, or a direct bank card for immediate access.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The post Solana Price Prediction: SOL Drops 8% Despite $4B in DEX Volume — Can Bulls Reclaim $135 Support? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The US Department of Justice has completed the forfeiture of more than $400 million in assets tied to Helix, a darknet cryptocurrency mixer that authorities say was widely used to launder proceeds from illegal online marketplaces.

Key Takeaways:

US authorities seized over $400M in assets tied to the Helix crypto mixer.

Helix laundered about $300M in bitcoin for darknet markets, prosecutors say.

The case underscores growing regulatory pressure on crypto privacy tools.

In a statement released Thursday, the US Department of Justice said a final court order issued last week granted the government legal title to a range of seized assets, including cryptocurrencies, real estate and financial accounts linked to Helix’s operations.

The forfeiture marks one of the largest recoveries connected to a crypto mixing service to date.

Helix Laundered $300M in Bitcoin for Darknet Users, Prosecutors Say

According to prosecutors, Helix processed at least 354,468 bitcoin between 2014 and 2017, worth roughly $300 million at the time.

The service was designed to obscure the origin of funds and was marketed to users seeking anonymity, including vendors and customers on illicit darknet markets.

Helix was operated by Larry Dean Harmon, who pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Harmon was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.

Authorities said the forfeited assets were directly connected to the laundering activity carried out through the mixer.

Government Forfeits Over $400 Million in Assets Tied to Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency Mixer https://t.co/cE1WYFSPTX

— U.S. Department of Justice – International (@USDOJ_Intl) January 29, 2026

The case comes as crypto mixers remain under heightened scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators, with debate intensifying over how privacy-focused tools should be treated under existing financial crime laws.

In December, President Donald Trump said he was reviewing a potential pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of the Samourai Wallet mixing service who was convicted on money laundering and unlicensed money transmission charges and sentenced to five years in prison.

Attention has also focused on the prosecution of Roman Storm, a developer linked to the Tornado Cash protocol, who was convicted last year on money laundering and sanctions-related charges and is awaiting sentencing.

The case has drawn criticism from parts of the crypto community, including Vitalik Buterin, who has argued that privacy tools should not be treated as criminal simply because they can be misused.

Crypto Crime Hits Record $154B in 2025, Chainalysis Says

The forfeiture comes as crypto-related crime remains a growing concern. According to Chainalysis, illicit cryptocurrency addresses received a record $154 billion in 2025, a sharp increase from the year before.

In another case, US prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, with stealing roughly $16 million in cryptocurrency from around 100 Coinbase users through an alleged phishing and social engineering scheme.

According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Spektor posed as a Coinbase employee and contacted victims claiming their funds were at immediate risk, pressuring them to transfer crypto to wallets he controlled.

Authorities said the scheme relied on panic tactics rather than technical hacks. Operating under the online alias “lolimfeelingevil,” Spektor allegedly warned victims of imminent theft to override skepticism and force quick decisions.

The post US DOJ Finalizes $400M Forfeiture Linked to Helix Crypto Mixer appeared first on Cryptonews.

The US derivatives watchdog is preparing a new rulebook for prediction markets, as platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi pull in billions in activity by letting traders bet yes or no on everything from politics to pop culture.

In his first public remarks as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Thursday, Michael Selig said the agency will move toward clearer standards for event contracts, a category the CFTC has overseen for more than two decades.

“It is time for clear rules and a clear understanding that the CFTC supports lawful innovation in these markets,” Selig said in prepared remarks. “Consistent with my commitment to fostering responsible innovation in crypto asset markets, I will continue to support the responsible development of event contract markets.”

Remarks of @ChairmanSelig on the Next Phase of Project Crypto: Unleashing Innovation for the New Frontier of Finance. https://t.co/6AUd6GqPHj

— CFTC (@CFTC) January 29, 2026

Polymarket Emerges As A Liquidity Hub For Politics And Real-Time Events

Prediction markets have surged in visibility as crypto-native venues and regulated US firms compete for traders seeking round-the-clock exposure to headlines.

Polymarket, in particular, has built deep liquidity in politics and current events, with some markets drawing tens to hundreds of millions in volume.

Selig framed his broader agenda as a push for regulatory clarity and inter-agency coordination, positioning the CFTC as a forward-looking regulator that can adapt rules without freezing innovation.

He also used the speech to set a pro-innovation tone for crypto market oversight, calling the moment a generational opportunity to modernize how the US regulates digital finance.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the CFTC,” he said, adding the agency will sharpen its focus on “regulatory clarity, inter-agency coordination, and permissionless innovation.”

Event Contracts Move Closer To A Formal Rulebook

He said he is partnering with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Project Crypto, an effort he described as a way to bring coherence to federal oversight by clarifying jurisdictional lines, reducing fragmentation, and developing a clearer taxonomy for crypto assets.

“And thanks to the leadership of President Trump, “Operation Chokepoint 2.0” is history, regulation by enforcement is dead, the GENIUS Act is law, Congress is on the cusp of passing market structure legislation, and the U.S. is now the crypto capital of the world,” Selig said.

On prediction markets specifically, he laid out immediate steps before the larger rewrite. He said he has directed staff to withdraw the 2024 event contracts rule proposal that would prohibit political and sports-related event contracts, along with a 2025 staff advisory that cautioned registrants about offering sports-related event contracts amid litigation.

“Second, looking ahead, and in the spirit of markets that trade on expectations, I have directed CFTC staff to move forward with drafting an event contracts rulemaking,” he said, arguing the current framework has proven difficult to apply and has left market participants operating with too little certainty.

He also said the agency will reassess its participation in pending court matters and work with the SEC on a joint interpretation tied to Title VII definitions, aiming to draw clearer lines between commodity and security options, CFTC-regulated swaps, and SEC-regulated security-based swaps.

The moves land as activity rises even as some state gaming regulators push back on the spread of event-based trading. For the CFTC, Selig’s message was that prediction markets are no longer niche products, and the next phase will hinge on whether Washington can deliver rules that keep these contracts onshore, lawful, and easier to navigate.

The post CFTC Signals New Rulebook For Prediction Markets Like Polymarket And Kalshi appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto market suffered another sharp sell-off over the past 24 hours, with total liquidations surging to $1.681 billion, dominated by $1.574 billion in long positions, according to Coinglass data. More than 270,000 traders were liquidated globally, with the largest single order, an $80.6 million BTC-USDT position, a recorded on HTX. The broader downturn pushed total crypto market capitalization below $3 trillion, shedding over 5% in a day. Bitcoin dipped to $83,000, while Ethereum fell to $2,754. Losses spilled into equities, with U.S.-listed crypto stocks sliding sharply, led by near-10% drops in Strategy and BitMine.

But what else is happening in crypto news today? Follow our up-to-date live coverage below.

The post [LIVE] Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for Jan. 30, 2026 – $1.68B Liquidations Crush Crypto as Bitcoin Slumps to $83K, Ether to $2.8K appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin slid 7% to around $82,000 on Friday as Asian markets opened to volatile trade, after President Donald Trump endorsed a bipartisan deal to avert a fresh US government shutdown and said he has decided who he will nominate to lead the Federal Reserve.

The crypto move came with a wave of forced unwinds. CoinGlass data showed $1.75B of liquidations over the past 24 hours, with long positions accounting for $1.65B and shorts at $105.63M, as 276,308 traders were liquidated.

Bitcoin dominated the damage on the heatmap, with $826.63M of liquidations tied to BTC over 24 hours, while Ether followed with $428.48M. XRP and Solana also showed sizable hits at $72.35M and $70.34M.

Market snapshot

Bitcoin: $81,935, down 7%

Ether: $2,737, down 7.6%

XRP: $1.75, down 7%

Total crypto market cap: $2.88 trillion, down 5.9%

Risk Appetite Softens As Futures Slip Across Markets

Stocks moved unevenly. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.2%, while S&P 500 e-mini futures fell 0.4% and Nasdaq e-mini futures slipped 0.5%.

Traders carried a cautious tone from Wall Street, where stocks fell on Thursday after soft earnings from Microsoft stirred worries about whether its artificial intelligence spending would deliver the returns investors want. The S&P 500 ended down 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.7%.

Microsoft sank 10% on Thursday, wiping more than $350 billion in market value after its cloud business failed to impress. Meta gained 10% as its AI investments boosted ad targeting and supported a stronger first-quarter forecast, while Apple projected revenue growth of up to 16% for the March quarter, helped by iPhone demand and a rebound in China.

Megacap Moves Add To Uneven Market Mood

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 held flat after data showed Tokyo core consumer prices rose 2.0% in January from a year earlier, matching the Bank of Japan’s target. In currencies, the dollar index rose 0.3% to 96.441 after Trump said he would unveil his pick to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell on Friday.

Within US megacaps, Tesla fell 3.5% after outlining plans to more than double capital expenditure to a record level. Technology lagged across the S&P 500’s sector board, while communication services outperformed on Meta’s rally, and IBM added to the mixed tone after a fourth-quarter beat lifted its shares about 5%.

For crypto traders, the liquidation split told the story of positioning. Longs accounted for the bulk of the damage across the last 24 hours, and the lack of balance between long and short liquidations left the market hunting for a steadier footing as macro headlines kept risk appetite on edge.

The post Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Tumbles 7%, Stocks Swing as Trump Signals Fed Pick And Shutdown Deal appeared first on Cryptonews.

The U.S. asset management firm WisdomTree just expanded users’ access to its portfolio of tokenized funds to the Solana blockchain.

As more Wall Street firms like this start to embrace the network, this adds fuel to bullish Solana price predictions.

WisdomTree’s decision reflects growing interest in Solana’s low transaction costs and high settlement speeds.

WisdomTree tokenized funds are now live on @Solana

WisdomTree Prime and Connect users can access regulated money market, equity, fixed income, and multi-asset funds natively on Solana, with the ability to hold them in self-custody wallets.

Read the Press Release:… pic.twitter.com/sgmolzWsZK

— WisdomTree Prime® (@WisdomTreePrime) January 28, 2026

Users will now be able to use their Solana-based USDC tokens to buy WisdomTree’s tokenized funds through the firm’s Connect and Prime solutions.

Solana is already an important player in the real-world assets (RWAs) market. Data from RWA.syz indicates that the network has $1.3 billion in assets at the time of writing. This makes it the fourth-largest blockchain in this segment with a 5.6% market share.

As network adoption accelerates among big players on Wall Street, demand for SOL could surge – how high can Solana go?

Solana Price Prediction: SOL Breaks Out of Price Channel – $145 Next?

Solana recently broke out of a bullish falling channel pattern and faced resistance at the $128 level.

It now looks ready to retest the channel’s upper bound to see where it goes next.

Source: TradingView

The $120 level is the key support to watch at the time. This has been a strong demand zone in the past few days.

The 4-hour chart shows that momentum has stalled for the time being, as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dived below the signal line.

If we get a strong bounce off $120, SOL could easily rally to $130 first and then to $145 if positive momentum gains traction.

Paired with positive news on the institutional front, this could set the stage for a broader recovery in the mid-term for SOL.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s growing interest in blockchain technology benefits top crypto presales like SUBBD ($SUBBD). SUBBD leverages the power of AI to create new revenue streams for content creators who use its top-notch decentralized platform.

SUBBD Presale Lets Users Make Money with AI Characters and Crypto

The content creation industry is shifting, but creators are still held back by high fees, strict rules, and fragmented tools.

SUBBD ($SUBBD) is changing the landscape by launching an all-in-one platform where Web3 meets AI.

Instead of jumping between different apps to generate, edit, and post videos, creators can now manage their entire workflow in one place.

This ecosystem even allows users to mint and monetize AI influencer personas, creating brand new ways to earn in the digital economy.

At the heart of this revolution is the $SUBBD token, which simplifies everything from subscriptions to governance.

The project has already experienced a strong wave of positive momentum, with over $1.2 million raised as it taps into a network of 2,000 creators and 250 million fans.

To join the $SUBBD presale, visit the official website and connect a wallet like Best Wallet.

You can swap ETH or USDT, or use a bank card to get your tokens in seconds.

Visit the Official SUBBD Website Here

The post Solana Price Prediction: Wall Street Just Moved Billions Onto SOL – Is This the Most Bullish News of the Year? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Hyperliquid price has dipped by 5% in the past hour, with its jump to $33.84 coming as the crypto market’s total cap slips to $3.054 trillion.

While crypto prices as a whole continue to struggle (despite rising stock markets), Hyperliquid has fared much better than other major coins recently, posting an impressive 50% gain in a week, as well as a 42% increase in a year.

This has followed from the steady growth of Hyperliquid as a layer-one network, with its total value locked rising to $1.5 billion on the back of tokenization adoption.

It has also benefitted from the news yesterday that Coinbase has added it to its listings roadmap, something which could boost its market considerably over the coming months.

Assets added to the roadmap today: Hyperliquid (HYPE) https://t.co/lyEugQo7Cv

— Coinbase Markets (@CoinbaseMarkets) January 28, 2026

And with it having much better momentum that coins such as BTC, ETH, BNB and XRP, it could continue to outperform for a while yet, making for a hugely positive Hyperliquid price prediction.

Hyperliquid Price Prediction: HYPE Just Blew Past XRP and BNB – Is This the Altcoin That Flips Solana Next?

As we can see from the Hyperliquid price chart below, HYPE broke out of a medium-term trading range a couple of weeks ago.

However, it may be very close to correcting, given that its technical indicators are in overbought position.

Source: TradingView

For example, its relative strength index (yellow) reached 70 a couple of days, but now looks as though it’s on its way down.

We also see that HYPE’s MACD (orange, blue) has reached its highest level since late October, another sign of overbuying.

On the other hand, we can also see that neither indicator is as high as it was back in September, when the Hyperliquid price reached an all-time high of $59.30.

As such, we could see HYPE rally even further, especially when traders had heavily oversold it between October and the end of January.

one is not like the others

hyperliquid pic.twitter.com/fQzsII43jQ

— HYPEconomist (@HYPEconomist) January 29, 2026

It has the momentum to reach $40 in the next few weeks, while it could break the $60 barrier in Q2, before topping $70 soon after.

SUBBD Is About to Revolutionize Content Creation: How to Buy Early

If some traders are concerned that HYPE may be close to peaking, they may prefer to diversify into newer tokens, which can show the potential for above-average returns.

One of the more interesting new coins coming to the market soon is SUBBD ($SUBBD), an Ethereum-based token that has now raised over $1.46 million in its ongoin presale.

This is an encouraging figure for a new project, and what’s most bullish about SUBBD is that it’s launching an adult content creation that will provide users with hugely productive AI tools.

Its AI features can help creators generate ideas, images, videos and also performers, enabling them to release content at a much faster rate than ever before.

What’s also exciting about SUBBD is that it has already amassed over 38,000 followers on X, a sign of its burgeoning community.

Investors can join the SUBBD presale by visiting its official website, where the coin currently sells for $0.057485.

Visit the Official SUBBD Website Here

The post Hyperliquid Price Prediction: HYPE Just Blew Past XRP and BNB – Is This the Altcoin That Flips Solana Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee voted by a narrow margin to advance its own proposal of the long-awaited crypto market structure bill, bringing the overall CLARITY Act process a step further toward a full Senate test.

Under Chairman @JohnBoozman’s leadership, the Senate Ag Committee advanced crypto market structure legislation. This is a big move for consumer protection and innovation. pic.twitter.com/w0KpL2WXWM

— Senate Ag Committee Republicans (@SenateAgGOP) January 29, 2026

After a markup session that lasted a little more than an hour, the committee voted on the bill, 12–11, in a party-line vote.

The amendments put forward were all voted down, mostly along partisan lines.

Clarity Bill Draws Lines Between the SEC and CFTC

The bill is intended to shift the U.S. crypto regulations from an enforcement-first model to more explicit statutory guidelines.

It would have the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with primary supervision over digital commodity spot markets of digital commodities like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but leave the Securities and Exchange Commission the authority to regulate the sale of digital assets as investment contracts.

Proponents state that the bill would make clear which regulator regulates what, create registration rules on intermediaries, and add protection of consumers, such as asset segregation and disclosure rules.

HAPPENING NOW: The @SenateAg Committee is convening to mark up its portion of the CLARITY Act, with Chairman @JohnBoozman kicking off proceedings. He says the markup is the culmination of months of bipartisan work and that while conversations were cordial and substantive,… pic.twitter.com/BgDDu0JlkM

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) January 29, 2026

Throughout the markup, the Democrats insisted on ethics provisions and increased engagement among the parties.

Senator Cory Booker said legislators could not afford to develop rules to criminalize software writing by mistake, yet self-custody and open-source codes were necessary components of a viable scheme.

Booker also complained that the current version of the draft was not quite the same as a bipartisan version to be negotiated with Committee Chairman John Boozman at the end of last year, blaming political pressure and White House involvement for complicating talks.

A number of amendments directed towards ethical issues did not take off.

A motion to prohibit elected officeholders from possessing or making money on digital property during their term was suggested by Senator Michael Bennet and was voted down 12-11.

A provision proposed by Senator Dick Durbin seeks to prevent federal agencies from providing financial assistance to crypto intermediaries that enter bankruptcy.

The same amendment was also turned down, as Boozman cites that the bill does not give authority to bailouts in the first place.

CLARITY Act Advances, but Final Senate Deal Remains Elusive

The vote of the partisan committee, however, is a milestone in a process of legislation that has spanned several congressional sessions.

With a supermajority vote of Republicans and Democrats in the House, its version of the CLARITY Act was passed in July 2025, but stalled once the bill got to the Senate.

U.S. Crypto Week pushes digital assets into the legislative spotlight as key bills and industry leaders shape the path toward regulation. #CryptoWeek #Regulationhttps://t.co/6lXm38TRNN

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 17, 2025

The committee that would review the legislation was divided between the Agriculture Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, and it was an indication of overlapping authority on commodities, securities, and financial institutions.

Even though the Agriculture Committee now has its version developed, the work in the Banking Committee is still pending.

A proposed markup in the early months of this year was delayed due to disagreements and industry opposition, including objections to the provisions on the basis of limiting yield on payment stablecoins.

Coinbase CEO @brian_armstrong said the exchange cannot support the Senate’s crypto bill as written, warning it would hurt tokenized equities, DeFi and privacy while weakening the CFTC.#Coinbase #CryptoPolicy https://t.co/kMbxepaWYk

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 15, 2026

Banking lawmakers must still finalize and approve their text before the two Senate versions can be merged into a single bill.

The next step will most probably conclude the fate of the bill since once the Senate committees have a consensus in their versions, the package will be taken to the Senate floor.

If the bill passed by the Senate is not the same as the House version, it would then be subject to a conference committee to resolve differences and sent back to both chambers to be voted on.

After the vote, it goes to the president, who can either sign, veto, or pocket-veto the bill.

The post U.S. Senate Advances Crypto Market Structure Bill – What’s Next CLARITY Act? appeared first on Cryptonews.

XRP could be gearing up for a breakout year, with fresh XRP price predictions by Wall Street hinting at a major move by the end of 2026.

Since the year started, XRP has booked a 1.7% gain, currently trading at $1.87 per token.

However, a new report by 21Shares puts XRP’s potential year-end target as high as $2.69, putting the token within striking distance of a new all-time high if momentum accelerates.

Here our own XRP predictions for 2026:

Base case – $2.45 (50%)
Bull case – $2.69 (30%)
Bear case – $1.60 (-16%)

Here's why: https://t.co/yzrZQyAb6z pic.twitter.com/Qikzf9aPso

— 21shares (@21shares) January 28, 2026

ETF inflows have already surged past $1.4 billion, showing that Wall Street’s appetite for XRP is far bigger than expected.

And while short-term volatility has capped recent rallies, analysts believe a mix of clearer regulation and rising institutional demand could finally unlock the kind of explosive growth XRP fans have long been waiting for.

If momentum keeps building, that $2.69 target might just be the beginning, especially as regulatory clarity improves and Wall Street bets bigger on XRP’s long-term role in cross-border payments.

XRP Price Prediction: Clearing the 200D EMA Could Push XRP Back to $3

The daily chart shows that XRP has struggled to clear the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) multiple times in the past few months.

Source: TradingView

This is the key resistance to watch if the price bounces off the $1.80 support once again.

This line sits near 21Shares’ baseline target, at $2.25.

Meanwhile, if XRP climbs above this mark, we could expect a move to $3.10, meaning a 66% upside potential. In contrast, a drop below $1.80 could result in a move to $1.40 shortly.

As Wall Street firms see XRP rising for what remains of the year, top crypto presales like Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) should continue to attract the attention of investors.

This project has raised $31 million already to launch the first real Bitcoin L2, bringing Solana’s high speeds and low transaction costs to the top crypto’s blockchain.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) Presale Unlocks New Use Cases for BTC Using Solana

BTC is famous for its security, but its slow speeds and high fees have prevented its ecosystem from growing any further.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a new presale that is bringing Solana’s near-instant transaction settlements and low fees to the Bitcoin ecosystem for the first time.

This isn’t just about moving money faster; it’s about making Bitcoin “programmable”, so it can finally support smart contracts, decentralized apps, payment platforms, and a vibrant DeFi ecosystem.

The project has already gained massive momentum, raising over $31 million in a short period as investors rush to back this vision.

As more developers use $HYPER to power their apps, the demand for this token is expected to rise.

To buy $HYPER at its presale price, just head to the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect any compatible wallet like Best Wallet.

You can swap USDC, USDT, or ETH in your wallet, or use a bank card to complete the transaction in seconds.

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

The post XRP Price Prediction: Wall Street Giant Reveals XRP Forecast for 2026 – How High Can it Go? appeared first on Cryptonews.

BTC price is dumping again, and this time it might really be going toward $80,000. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $89,500 and is down 4% on the day.

Bitcoin continues to look weak as stocks and gold break to new all-time highs. Altcoins like XRP and Ethereum are passengers in this move and are suffering alongside Bitcoin after a tough 2025 overall. Below is how their prices may play out through 2026.

Bitcoin (BTC)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Bitcoin Price Prediction: You Definitely Can’t Be This Bad? $80,000 Could Be Next

Source: Bitcoin ETF Net Flow Chart / CMC

As of today, January 29, Bitcoin has completed 7 consecutive days of ETF outflows, marking the longest streak since its debut.

This did not come out of nowhere. Ongoing uncertainty has made risk assets struggle, and while gold and stocks are surging, investors are clearly not waiting around.

All this has led to Bitcoin breaking down from a rising wedge that had been squeezing the price for weeks.

In this context, that is not a great look. The pattern formed after a sharp selloff, which already leaned bearish to begin with. The key level was the rising lower trendline, and once the price closed below it and failed to reclaim it, the setup was basically done.

This breakdown suggests buyers are losing control and that the move higher was more of a corrective bounce than a real trend reversal.

As long as BTC stays below the broken support and cannot get back above the mid $90,000s, any rallies are likely just relief moves, with downside liquidity around the low $80,000s standing out as the next obvious magnet.

Ethereum Price Prediction: ETH Takes The Passenger Seat And Drops Harder

Ethereum’s next move still depends heavily on Bitcoin holding up and overall risk appetite improving, while ETF and tokenization narratives remain more medium-term drivers than immediate catalysts.

Ethereum price has dropped 6% in the last 24 hours and is currently testing the lower edge of a descending wedge around the $2,750 to $2,850 support zone. That area has been defended multiple times already, making it a key level if ETH wants to stay in consolidation instead of rolling into another sharp leg lower.

The upper trendline is still capping every bounce around the $3,300 to $3,400 area, where repeated rejections show there is still plenty of supply overhead.

Short term, that keeps the bias bearish. RSI is sitting near 37, which tells us that downside momentum is fading, but there is no clear bullish divergence yet.

A clean break above the wedge resistance would be the first real signal that structure is shifting, opening the door toward $3,400 initially.

The bigger $4,000 to $4,200 supply zone only comes into play if that breakout actually gets confirmed. If support fails instead, $2,500 becomes the next level to watch, with the deeper $2,100 area acting as major macro demand.

XRP Price Prediction: Losing 12 Months’ Support Could Get Things Ugly Really Fast

XRP has been holding above the $1.80 support for more than 12 months now. Price has bounced from this level multiple times, and it is now retesting it again, with many analysts expecting it to finally give way.

XRP is still stuck in a persistent descending channel, with price now pressing right up against the lower boundary around the $1.80 support zone.

Structurally, this is still a bearish setup. XRP keeps printing lower highs, and every bounce so far has been shut down around the $2.20 to $2.30 area, which lines up with channel resistance and heavy supply.

If we get a daily close below $1.80, that is a clean break of support and likely sends the price down toward the $1.60 zone, where the next real demand sits.

On the other hand, as long as $1.80 holds, a short-term relief bounce is still possible. That said, for things to actually look better, XRP needs to get back above $2.20. Without that, any bounce is just a bounce, not a trend change.

Can Bitcoin Hyper Actually Save You From This Bear Market?

As Bitcoin slips toward the low $80,000s and altcoins like Ethereum and XRP lose key support levels, the same structural issue keeps showing up.

Bitcoin still dominates the market, but it remains slow, expensive to use, and hard to build on when volatility hits.

Bitcoin Hyper is built around that weakness. It is a Bitcoin-focused Layer 2 aiming to bring Solana-level speed and low-cost transactions to the Bitcoin ecosystem. And it keeps Bitcoin’s security intact. Instead of replacing Bitcoin or competing with altcoins. Bitcoin Hyper is designed to extend Bitcoin’s functionality with smart contracts, dApps, and fast payments. All anchored to BTC.

Interest in the project has been growing despite broader market weakness. The Bitcoin Hyper presale has raised over $31,000,000 so far, with $HYPER priced at $0.013635 before the next increase. Staking rewards of up to 38% are also being offered. It gives early participants exposure to the yield that Bitcoin itself still does not provide.

Bitcoin Hyper has completed audits by Consult. It is building out a wider ecosystem that includes wallets, bridges, staking, explorers, and on-chain tooling. The underlying bet is simple. If Bitcoin continues to struggle during periods of stress, infrastructure that improves usability and speed could become increasingly relevant.

In a market where Bitcoin is breaking down, and altcoins remain reactive, Bitcoin Hyper is positioning itself around fixing Bitcoin’s limitations rather than chasing short-term price moves.

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

The post Crypto Price Prediction Today 29 January – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum appeared first on Cryptonews.

When guided by well-crafted prompts, Anthropic’s AI model Claude delivers eye-popping price forecasts for XRP, Shiba Inu, and Pepe over the next eleven months.

According to the model, a prolonged crypto bull market combined with clearer, more favorable regulatory policies in the United States could propel leading digital assets to new all-time highs (ATHs) in the months ahead.

So, below is Claude AI’s outlook on three cryptocurrencies it believes could post unexpectedly strong performances this year.

XRP ($XRP): Claude AI Predicts XRP Could Surge to $8 by 2027

Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) began 2026 with gusto, gaining 19% in the opening week of the year. Now trading near $1.83, Claude AI estimates that a sustained bull market could send XRP as high as $25 by the end of 2026. That scenario represents potential upside of around 1,200%, or more than thirteen times its current price.

Source: Claude

XRP ranked among the strongest-performing large-cap cryptocurrencies last year. In July, it reached its first new ATH in seven years, climbing to $3.65 after Ripple secured a decisive legal victory against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The ruling sharply reduced regulatory uncertainty surrounding XRP and eased concerns about broader enforcement pressure across the altcoin market.

From a technical perspective, XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits near 43, suggesting more selling pressure in the midst of the current downturn. However, price action since early January has been consolidating into a bullish flag pattern. Supportive macroeconomic trends and clearer regulatory signals could spark a breakout consistent with Claude’s $8 target.

Strengthening the bullish outlook, newly approved spot XRP ETFs in the U.S. are beginning to draw interest from traditional investors, echoing the capital inflows seen following the launch of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.

Shiba Inu (SHIB): Claude AI Projects 817% Returns for 2026 SHIB HODLers

Shiba Inu ($SHIB), introduced in 2020 as a playful challenger to Dogecoin, has evolved into a major crypto ecosystem with a market capitalization of around $4.3 billion.

Trading at approximately $0.000007283, Claude AI suggests that a clean breakout above resistance between $0.000025 and $0.00003 could ignite a powerful rally, potentially pushing SHIB to $0.0000668 by the end of the year.

That move would translate to roughly 817% upside from current levels and would place the token slightly below the ATH of $0.00008616, set in October 2021.

On the fundamentals side, Shiba Inu now offers more than meme-driven hype. Its Layer-2 solution, Shibarium, provides faster transaction speeds, reduced fees, enhanced privacy, and improved tooling for developers, helping distinguish SHIB from meme coins with little real-world utility.

Pepe ($PEPE): Claude AI Explores a 2,000% Bullish Scenario

Pepe ($PEPE), which launched in April 2023, has become the largest meme coin outside the doge meme category, with a market capitalization of roughly $2 billion.

Inspired by Matt Furie’s “Boy’s Club” comics, PEPE’s instantly recognizable imagery and cultural resonance have kept it constantly in the spotlight on social media.

Despite intense competition within the meme coin sector, PEPE’s loyal community and the legion of copycats it has inspired have kept it among the subsector’s consistent leaders.

Occasional cryptic posts from Elon Musk on X have additionally ignited speculation that PEPE could sit alongside DOGE and BTC in his personal holdings.

PEPE currently trades near $0.0000047, about 83% below its December 2024 all-time high of $0.00002803.

Under Claude’s most optimistic assumptions, PEPE could rally by exactly 2,000%, rising to around $0.0000987 and smashing its previous record high.

Maxi Doge (MAXI): A Meme Coin Built for Extreme Swings

Finally, outside of Claude’s ken, Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has quickly become one of January’s most discussed meme coin presales, raising more than $4.5 million ahead of its initial exchange listings.

The project presents itself as Dogecoin’s undeniably brash, gym-obsessed cousin, leaning heavily into exaggerated meme culture and embracing the wild comic energy that originally made meme coins popular.

Maxi Doge aims to rally a community intent on overtaking Dogecoin, appealing to traders attracted by high-risk speculation, community-driven hype, and unapologetically degen humor.

MAXI is issued as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, giving it a smaller environmental footprint compared with Dogecoin’s proof-of-work design.

At this time, presale buyers can stake MAXI for yields of up to 68% APY, with rewards gradually tapering as participation increases. The token is currently priced at $0.0002801, with automatic price increases scheduled at each presale milestone. Purchases are supported via MetaMask and Best Wallet.

Move over, Dogecoin. Maxi Doge is the top dog in Memesville now!

Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.

Visit the Official Website Here

The post Leading AI Claude Predicts the Price of XRP, Shiba Inu and PEPE By the End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Shiba Inu lead ambassador Shytoshi Kusama has revealed that the key components for a thriving ecosystem may already be in place, giving credit to bullish Shiba Inu price predictions.

Speaking metaphorically about the current state of the ecosystem in an X thread, Kusama likened the meme coin to a “crazy hard puzzle that took years.”

You ever start a huge puzzle, like one of those 1000 piece ones? You know what to do first right, the corners- that's Shib… the rest of the outline— thats Shib Bone Leash Treat Bad Shy Shifu etc. Okay in place. Then comes the hard part, the inside. That's the ecosystem…

— Shytoshi Kusama (@ShytoshiKusama) January 28, 2026

He described tokens like SHIB, BONE, LEASH, and TREAT as the first stage of that puzzle: the outline. The structure exists, but it has yet to be fully filled in.

According to the dev, this is the hard part, but he may have found a solution in AI, hinting at a way to “build it faster, more efficiently.”

This mirrors recent commentary, where, after a month-long silence, Kusama urged the Shiba Inu community to reread an AI paper he published in July 2025.

In it, Shytoshi Kusama gave a breakdown of AI’s role in the ecosystem and asked for patience for an upcoming “reveal” which could outline its application.

To the wise and the patient, I advise you re-read my Ai paper and understand where we are in the evolution of Ai since I wrote that back in July. This reveal will take many days, there is much to discuss when talking about technology that is beyond crypto & designed to help

— Shytoshi Kusama (@ShytoshiKusama) January 26, 2026

The Shibarium ecosystem has remained quiet in recent months, with no major partnerships or announcements leaving SHIB sidelined from the ongoing meme coin narrative.

This potential pivot could be what the Shiba Inu price needs to give it the fundamental rails for long-term appreciation instead of the current social-driven short-term speculative trading.

Shiba Inu Price Predicition: AI Pivot Could Trigger Price Boom

A stronger fundamental footing could give Shiba Inu the foundation it needs to finally escape the ten-month consolidation that has held it in a descending channel pattern.

Pressure has been building towards a breakout for weeks, and momentum indicators show it.

Source: TradingView

The RSI continues to compress against the 50 neutral line with a series of higher lows forming an uptrend. This bullish pressure could soon slip into an explosive move.

The MACD suggests this could come soon, showing the early signs of a fresh uptrend as it closes in on a potential golden cross above the signal line.

A sustained breakout push likely hinges on key psychological resistance around $0.00001. If it can once again flip to support, it would represent a higher and firmer footing for a pattern retest.

If fully realised, the pattern eyes a potential return to early 2025 bull run highs around $0.000024, marking a 215% rise.

However, with meaningful ecosystem expansion, a real use case that attracts sticky addition could pave the way for a much higher 560% move to the $0.00005 milestone.

Maxi Doge: A Play For When Bullishness Returns

When meme coins reach Shiba Inu’s size, social momentum just doesn’t cut it anymore. Fundamentals are needed to carry price action.

It’s no surprise that capital always finds its way to a new Doge meme token instead.

History makes the pattern clear: Dogecoin ran first, Shiba Inu was next in 2021, followed by Floki, Bonk, Dogwifhat, and Neiro. Every bull cycle, capital eventually rotates into a new Doge-inspired frontrunner.

This time around, Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is tapping into that same playbook with a community built around sharing early alpha, trading ideas, and competitive engagement.

Participation is at its core. Weekly Maxi Ripped and Maxi Pump competitions reward top performers with leaderboard recognition, incentives, and bragging rights.

The hype is already showing in the numbers. The $MAXI presale has raised almost $4.5 million, while early backers are earning up to 69% APY through staking rewards.

For those who missed the Doge wave before, Maxi Doge could be the next chance to catch a meme coin before it enters the mainstream.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The post Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Lead Dev Shytoshi Finally Breaks Silence – Is This the Master Plan SHIB Holders Have Been Waiting  For? appeared first on Cryptonews.