squarecreator

About 8.8 billion dollars in Bitcoin and Ethereum options are set to expire today January 30 2026 making it the first monthly options expiry of the year
It shifts attention back to Bitcoin fight to move back above 90000 as the leading crypto keeps moving farther away from that level.
Options market shows a cautious tone as Bitcoin continues to trade well below the $90,000 level.
Most of today’s exposure is in Bitcoin options worth about 7.54 billion dollars while Ethereum options add another 1.2 billion dollars
Bitcoin is trading near 82,761 which is far under the 90,000 max pain level even with the drop market positioning still looks bullish overall.
Call open interest is at 61,437 contracts versus 29,648 put contracts which brings the put to call ratio down to 0.48 total open interest in bitcoin options is 91,085 contracts showing how large the leverage and positioning is before expiry.

But under the hood trader behavior is turning more defensive analysts at Deribit say that even though Bitcoin is stuck in a range demand for downside protection has jumped sharply going into expiry.

Deribit analysts noted that the need for protection against losses has increased, indicating that traders are being careful, even though overall market bets remain mostly optimistic.
They mentioned that as options approach expiry, price movements around important levels could become more pronounced, particularly near the pain zones, since prices often move toward the maximum pain points at that time.

Lower Volatility and Rising Liquidity Risks Shape the Scene for January Options Expiry
On a macro scale, expected market swings are decreasing. Analysts at Greeks.live report that implied volatility (IV) has been steadily dropping, highlighting a wider phase of consolidation in the crypto markets.
Greeks.live stated that today is the first monthly options expiry of 2026, with more than a quarter of all options positions scheduled to expire.
As anticipated, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, and with no significant events coming up, the market stays quite steady, while implied volatility (IV) keeps falling. Bitcoin’s price movements mirror this calm.
Greeks.live observed that Bitcoin has “slipped back into its consolidation zone in the second half of the month,” with $90,000 serving as strong resistance.
The analysts added that no clear triggers seem likely to end this deadlock, implying that the options expiry could be one of the few short-term factors to drive price changes.
However risks are quietly rising. Greeks.live pointed out that recent big institutional withdrawals to exchanges have heightened liquidity pressures in the crypto market.
US crypto-linked stocks have also fallen, adding to a shift in sentiment that is slowly becoming more negative. With ongoing geopolitical tensions and growing fear, uncertainty, and doubt, bearish sentiment has steadily strengthened.
Before the Federal Reserve’s rate announcement, some traders had started buying downside protection to guard against short-term volatility, and this trend has continued even after the central bank decided to keep rates unchanged.
With no obvious macro triggers coming soon, traders seem prepared for possible short-term swings around the options expiry, protecting against losses while anticipating a clear move outside Bitcoin’s $80,000 to $90,000 range.
Bitcoin Grip on $90,000 Fades Ahead of $8.8 Billion Options Expiry first appeared on BeInCrypto.
#Binance #squarecreator

Bitcoin $BTC $87,963 has vastly underperformed gold (XAU) in the past year, dropping by 13.25% compared with the precious metal’s almost 100% rally. Can BTC catch up to gold’s gains?

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million, with about 1 million left to be mined.

Gold miners increase production when prices rise, unlike Bitcoin miners.

Bitcoin’s small size versus gold amplifies any potential upside even from minor reallocations.

Bitcoin supply does not depend on demand.
Bitcoin supply does not increase when prices rise unlike gold.
The network issues new BTC according to a preset schedule that gradually slows through halving events until it reaches the fixed limit of 21 million coins.
Miners can add machines or switch them off, but they cannot change how many coins the network issues.
“The problem with gold as a long-term treasury asset is that it lacks a difficulty adjustment and halving,” said Pierre Rochard, the CEO of Bitcoin Bond Company, adding:
“As gold prices rise, more money flows into new mining projects, which speeds up the increase of the existing gold supply.”

According to the World Gold Council, global gold output has grown significantly over the last 25 years, rising from roughly 2,300 tonnes in 1995 to more than 3,500 tonnes by 2018.
Gold production hit an all-time high of 3,672 tonnes in 2025.
By the end of that year, about 93% of all bitcoins had already been mined, and Bitcoin’s yearly inflation rate stood near 0.81%. Based on Bitbo data, this figure could fall to roughly 0.41% following the next Bitcoin halving expected in March 2028.

Gold’s market cap dwarfs Bitcoin’s
As of January, Bitcoin’s worth was only about 4.30% of gold’s $41.69 trillion market cap.

Even if investors purchase gold for reasons like hard-asset exposure, currency protection, geopolitical risks, or safeguarding long-term purchasing power, Bitcoin can still appeal as an additional, smaller investment option.
Bitcoin only needs a modest share of gold-style demand to rotate into BTC, according to Jeff Walton, chief risk officer at Strive, a BTC treasury company.

With a smaller market cap, that marginal demand can translate into a larger percentage move
Related: Brazil’s largest private bank advises investors to allocate 3% to Bitcoin in 2026
In theory shifting just 5% of gold investments into Bitcoin could bring in over $2 trillion, suggesting a potential 116.25% increase in Bitcoin’s market cap and a price target around $192,000 at current valuations.
#Binance #squarecreator

The market is pulling back today after rising for the past few days.

$BNB/USD
The rate of Binance Coin ($BNB) has fallen by 3.88% over the last 24 hours.

On the hourly chart $BNB is moving lower after breaking below the local support at $893.20. If selling pressure stays strong, the price could test the $850 area by tomorrow.

On the higher time frame, attention should be on the support at $864.64. If it breaks, the built-up momentum could push the price down further to the $830-$850 range.
This scenario could play out through the end of the week.

Looking at the midterm outlook the trend appears more bearish than bullish even though $BNB is still away from major support levels. If the weekly candle closes near or below the current price, we could see a move toward the $800-$820 range next month.
Currently $BNB is trading at $860.56.
#Binance #squarecreator

When people talk about crypto in 2026, one question keeps coming back again and again: Bitcoin or altcoins where is the real risk and where is the real reward?

At first glance, the answer looks simple. Bitcoin feels “safe” and altcoins feel “profitable.” But when you slow down and really study how markets behave, you realize the truth is far more complex.
Bitcoin is no longer just another crypto asset. By 2026, Bitcoin has clearly established itself as the foundation of the entire crypto market. Institutions hold it, governments discuss it, and long-term investors treat it as digital property rather than a quick trade. Because of this, Bitcoin’s risk profile has changed over time. It no longer offers the explosive returns people saw in early cycles, but it also no longer carries the same level of uncertainty.
From my point of view, Bitcoin biggest strength is not price movement it is predictability. Bitcoin moves in cycles that are slow, visible, and widely followed. When Bitcoin drops, the entire market feels it. When Bitcoin recovers, confidence slowly returns. This makes Bitcoin a reference point. You are not guessing what it is; you are observing how the world reacts to it.
Altcoins work very differently. Altcoins are not one category they are hundreds of different experiments. Some are serious infrastructure projects, some are narratives, some are short-term hype, and some exist only because liquidity is available. The reward in altcoins can be much higher than Bitcoin, but that reward is tightly linked to timing, narrative, and survival.

In 2026, the biggest risk with altcoins is not volatility it is relevance. Many altcoins do not die because of bad technology. They die because attention moves on. Liquidity shifts. Narratives change. A strong altcoin in one cycle can become completely invisible in the next. This is something many new investors underestimate.
People often say altcoins are “high risk, high reward,” but that sentence hides an important truth. The reward only exists if you exit correctly. Holding altcoins blindly, hoping they will behave like Bitcoin, is one of the most common mistakes in crypto. Bitcoin is designed to survive cycles. Most altcoins are designed to perform within a cycle.From my experience, Bitcoin rewards patience. Altcoins reward understanding.If you do not understand market timing, liquidity rotation, and narrative shifts, altcoins become pure gambling. Bitcoin, on the other hand, allows you to be wrong about timing and still survive long-term.

Another important difference in 2026 is how the market treats downside risk. When Bitcoin falls, it usually falls in controlled stages. There is fear, but there is structure. With altcoins, downside risk is brutal. A 70–90% drop is not unusual, and recovery is never guaranteed. This is why risk management matters far more in altcoins than in Bitcoin.
From my personal perspective, Bitcoin feels like a long-term asset you build around. Altcoins feel like tactical opportunities you engage with, not something you marry. The real reward in altcoins comes from understanding when they are early, when they are crowded, and when they are finished. Without that understanding, the risk completely outweighs the reward.In 2026, another key factor is maturity. Bitcoin has already gone through multiple cycles of skepticism, regulation fear, and institutional testing. Altcoins are still proving themselves. Some will succeed, many will not. This means Bitcoin carries systemic risk, while altcoins carry project-specific risk. That difference matters.
If Bitcoin fails, the entire market is in trouble.
If an altcoin fails, the market barely notices.
This is why Bitcoin’s reward is smaller but more reliable, while altcoins offer explosive upside but demand precision and discipline. One is not better than the other they simply serve different purposes.
My honest view is this:
In 2026, Bitcoin is where you protect your position in crypto.Altcoins are where you test your understanding of crypto.People who confuse these roles usually lose money. People who respect these differences usually last.The real risk-reward decision is not choosing Bitcoin or altcoins.It is choosing whether you understand why you are holding them.
And in crypto, understanding always pays more than hype even if it takes longer.
#Binance #squarecreator #Write2Earn