Market Signal Briefing

Investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Amtech Systems (ASYS - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Computer and Technology peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Amtech Systems is one of 613 companies in the Computer and Technology group. The Computer and Technology group currently sits at #1 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Amtech Systems is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASYS' full-year earnings has moved 400% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that ASYS has returned about 27% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Computer and Technology companies have returned an average of 24.4%. This means that Amtech Systems is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Computer and Technology sector, MKS (MKSI - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 31.8%.

The consensus estimate for MKS' current year EPS has increased 4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Amtech Systems belongs to the Semiconductor - General industry, a group that includes 7 individual stocks and currently sits at #18 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 32.2% so far this year, so ASYS is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, MKS belongs to the Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry. This 35-stock industry is currently ranked #66. The industry has moved +42.6% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to track Amtech Systems and MKS. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One company to watch right now is Clipper Realty (CLPR - Free Report) . CLPR is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 8.37 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 15.91. Over the past year, CLPR's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.24 and as low as 6.80, with a median of 9.54.

Finally, investors should note that CLPR has a P/CF ratio of 9.82. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 15.78. Over the past year, CLPR's P/CF has been as high as 10.70 and as low as 5.23, with a median of 8.52.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Clipper Realty is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, CLPR feels like a great value stock at the moment.

Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Hecla Mining (HL - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Basic Materials sector should help us answer this question.

Hecla Mining is one of 253 companies in the Basic Materials group. The Basic Materials group currently sits at #2 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Hecla Mining is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HL's full-year earnings has moved 54% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, HL has returned 47.2% so far this year. At the same time, Basic Materials stocks have gained an average of 45.7%. This means that Hecla Mining is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Basic Materials sector, Silvercorp (SVM - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 46.8%.

For Silvercorp, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 33.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Hecla Mining is a member of the Mining - Silver industry, which includes 9 individual companies and currently sits at #36 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 261.3% so far this year, so HL is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Silvercorp belongs to the Mining - Miscellaneous industry. This 73-stock industry is currently ranked #45. The industry has moved +48.6% year to date.

Going forward, investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to Hecla Mining and Silvercorp as they could maintain their solid performance.

The Retail-Wholesale group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Williams-Sonoma (WSM - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Williams-Sonoma is one of 194 individual stocks in the Retail-Wholesale sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #9 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Williams-Sonoma is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WSM's full-year earnings has moved 1.8% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, WSM has gained about 15.3% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Retail-Wholesale group have gained about 9.8% on average. This shows that Williams-Sonoma is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Boot Barn (BOOT - Free Report) is another Retail-Wholesale stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 10.7%.

The consensus estimate for Boot Barn's current year EPS has increased 11% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Williams-Sonoma belongs to the Retail - Home Furnishings industry, which includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #185 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 10.2% so far this year, meaning that WSM is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Boot Barn, however, belongs to the Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry. Currently, this 38-stock industry is ranked #46. The industry has moved -3.9% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Retail-Wholesale stocks should continue to track Williams-Sonoma and Boot Barn. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One company value investors might notice is MONDI PLC UNS (MONDY - Free Report) . MONDY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.64. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 13.14. Over the past 52 weeks, MONDY's Forward P/E has been as high as 17.55 and as low as 10.30, with a median of 12.82.

Investors should also recognize that MONDY has a P/B ratio of 1.02. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. MONDY's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.84. Within the past 52 weeks, MONDY's P/B has been as high as 1.47 and as low as 0.97, with a median of 1.18.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that MONDI PLC UNS is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, MONDY sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Carnival (CCL - Free Report) . CCL is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 13.58, while its industry has an average P/E of 16.30. CCL's Forward P/E has been as high as 20.07 and as low as 8.45, with a median of 13.45, all within the past year.

We also note that CCL holds a PEG ratio of 0.61. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. CCL's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.02. Over the last 12 months, CCL's PEG has been as high as 0.86 and as low as 0.37, with a median of 0.60.

Another notable valuation metric for CCL is its P/B ratio of 3.56. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 3.99. CCL's P/B has been as high as 3.79 and as low as 2.09, with a median of 3.05, over the past year.

Finally, our model also underscores that CCL has a P/CF ratio of 8.05. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. CCL's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 12.67. CCL's P/CF has been as high as 8.64 and as low as 4.49, with a median of 7.39, all within the past year.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Carnival's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, CCL looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One company value investors might notice is Grupo Financiero Banorte (GBOOY - Free Report) . GBOOY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 8.19. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 22.43. Over the last 12 months, GBOOY's Forward P/E has been as high as 8.47 and as low as 5.98, with a median of 6.98.

GBOOY is also sporting a PEG ratio of 0.98. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. GBOOY's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.19. Over the last 12 months, GBOOY's PEG has been as high as 1.02 and as low as 0.61, with a median of 0.78.

Another notable valuation metric for GBOOY is its P/B ratio of 2.15. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. GBOOY's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.23. Over the past 12 months, GBOOY's P/B has been as high as 2.22 and as low as 1.32, with a median of 1.56.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. GBOOY has a P/S ratio of 1.29. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.34.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that GBOOY has a P/CF ratio of 8.61. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 16.56. Over the past year, GBOOY's P/CF has been as high as 8.90 and as low as 4.42, with a median of 6.16.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Grupo Financiero Banorte is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, GBOOY feels like a great value stock at the moment.

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One company to watch right now is Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP - Free Report) . PNFP is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.

Investors should also recognize that PNFP has a P/B ratio of 1.16. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. PNFP's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.80. PNFP's P/B has been as high as 1.64 and as low as 1.04, with a median of 1.32, over the past year.

Finally, we should also recognize that PNFP has a P/CF ratio of 9.92. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 18.34. Over the past year, PNFP's P/CF has been as high as 17.68 and as low as 8.90, with a median of 13.08.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Pinnacle Financial Partners is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, PNFP sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Northeast Community Bancorp (NECB - Free Report) . NECB is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 6.68 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 9.71. Over the last 12 months, NECB's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.12 and as low as 6.28, with a median of 7.47.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is NECB's P/B ratio of 0.89. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 1.14. Over the past 12 months, NECB's P/B has been as high as 1.41 and as low as 0.84, with a median of 1.02.

Finally, our model also underscores that NECB has a P/CF ratio of 6.39. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 12.69. Over the past 52 weeks, NECB's P/CF has been as high as 8.35 and as low as 5.95, with a median of 6.71.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Northeast Community Bancorp's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, NECB looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

January 21, 2026 10:42 ET  | Source: Alexander's, Inc.

PARAMUS, N.J., Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE: ALX) today announced that it will file its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and issue its fourth quarter and full year earnings release on Monday, February 9, 2026, before the New York Stock Exchange opens.

Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO), the manager which conducts Alexander’s operations, announced it will host its quarterly earnings conference call and an audio webcast on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). On the call, information concerning Alexander’s may be discussed.

The conference call can be accessed by dialing 888-317-6003 (domestic) or 412-317-6061 (international) and entering the passcode 2775277. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on Vornado’s website at www.vno.com in the Investor Relations section and an online playback of the webcast will be available on the website following the conference call.

Alexander’s, Inc. is a real estate investment trust that has five properties in New York City.

CONTACT:
GARY HANSEN
(201) 587-8541

Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our future results, financial condition and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of these and our other forward-looking statements are beyond our ability to control or predict. Currently, some of the factors are interest rate fluctuations and the effects of inflation on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, operating performance and the effect that these factors have had and may continue to have on our tenants, the global, national, regional and local economies and financial markets and the real estate market in general. For further discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section.

In mid-January, the financial markets witnessed a notable anomaly. While Bitcoin's ($BTC) price faced significant downward pressure, dropping toward $91,000 due to rising geopolitical tensions, Riot Platforms NASDAQ: RIOT shares moved sharply in the opposite direction. The stock jumped by more than 16% in a single trading session, closing at $19.24. This divergence pushed Riot’s year-to-date gains over the 50% mark, which significantly outperforms the broader digital asset sector.

Riot Platforms Today

$18.14 +0.04 (+0.23%)

As of 10:42 AM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$6.19▼

$23.93P/E Ratio49.03

Price Target$24.50

This split in performance signals a fundamental shift in how investors view the company. For years, Riot was treated primarily as a proxy for cryptocurrency prices; if Bitcoin went up, the stock went up; if Bitcoin fell, the stock followed. 

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However, the heavy trading volume of 53.62 million shares (more than triple the average daily volume) suggests that institutional investors are re-rating the stock. The market is beginning to value Riot not just as a miner, but as a critical infrastructure landlord capable of servicing the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) and High Performance Computing (HPC) sectors.

Proof of Concept: How Riot Secured a Blue-Chip Tenant The driver behind this market enthusiasm is the confirmation of a major lease agreement with semiconductor giant Advanced Micro Devices NASDAQ: AMD. This partnership marks the first major validation of Riot’s Power First strategy, demonstrating that the company’s electrical infrastructure can meet the rigorous demands of high-tier technology firms.

The deal centers on Riot’s Rockdale, Texas, facility. Under the terms of the agreement, AMD will lease power and facility capacity for an initial 10-year term. The specifics of the deal highlight why investors are optimistic:

Capacity: The deployment begins with 25 Megawatts (MW) of capacity, with an option to scale operations up to 200 MW. Revenue: Analysts estimate the initial term will generate $311 million in contract revenue. Potential: If all expansion options are exercised, the total contract value could exceed $1 billion. However, it is essential to note that this deal did not just materialize out of thin air. It was enabled by a critical strategic move executed earlier in January 2026: the purchase of the land itself. Riot acquired the 200-acre site underlying its Rockdale operations for $96 million, transitioning from a ground lease to fee-simple ownership. 

This ownership is vital for data center development. Unlike modular Bitcoin mining rigs, which can be deployed in basic structures, AI hyperscalers like AMD require permanent, custom-built Tier 3 data centers with redundant cooling and power systems. By owning the land, Riot eliminated long-term lease risks and gained the full autonomy required to build this specialized infrastructure.

The Scarcity Premium: Valuing 1.7 Gigawatts of Power The pivot to HPC hosting fundamentally alters Riot's financial profile by introducing revenue stability. Historically, Bitcoin mining revenue has been highly variable, dependent on fluctuations in token prices and the global network difficulty. In contrast, the AMD lease provides a fixed-income floor, ensuring predictable monthly cash flow regardless of the crypto market cycle.

Riot Platforms Stock Forecast Today12-Month Stock Price Forecast:
$24.50
34.90% Upside

Moderate Buy
Based on 16 Analyst Ratings

Current Price$18.16High Forecast$31.00Average Forecast$24.50Low Forecast$17.00Riot Platforms Stock Forecast Details

Riot’s analyst community has responded quickly to this shift. Following the announcement, Needham raised its price target for Riot to $30, while Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an Overweight rating with a $31 target. These upgrades reflect the scarcity value of access to power. In the current energy market, AI data centers require gigawatts of power immediately. However, securing grid connections and building substations can take years of permitting and construction.

Riot currently holds approximately 1.7 Gigawatts (GW) of secured, energized power capacity. This immediate availability creates a massive competitive moat. Furthermore, the company continues to demonstrate operational efficiency. In the third quarter of 2025, Riot reported net power costs of approximately 3.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), achieved through its unique power strategy and participation in ERCOT demand response programs. By combining low-cost power with high-margin hosting contracts, Riot is positioning itself to bridge the valuation gap between lower-multiple crypto miners and premium-valued data center operators.

Mitigating Risk: How Vertical Integration Secures Delivery While the Rockdale facility serves as the initial AMD deployment site, the company’s Corsicana facility is its long-term growth engine. With a total planned capacity of 1 GW, Corsicana is being developed with a dual-purpose design to accommodate mining and high-performance computing.

Riot has formally initiated development of 112 MW of Core & Shell infrastructure in Corsicana, specifically designated for future hyperscale tenants. Construction on these dedicated buildings is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2026. This speculative build (construction starting before a tenant is signed) indicates management’s confidence in the demand pipeline for AI and cloud computing hosting.

Transitioning from mining sheds to complex data centers carries execution risk, but Riot has taken steps to mitigate these challenges through vertical integration. The company’s Engineering segment, ESS Metron, provides internal control over the supply chain for critical electrical components, such as switchgear and power distribution units. This capability reduces dependence on third-party vendors and helps ensure delivery timelines are met. Additionally, the appointment of specialized leadership, including Chief Data Center Officer Jonathan Gibbs, adds necessary technical expertise to the executive team.

The Best of Both Worlds: Crypto Upside and Infrastructure Revenue Riot Platforms has successfully executed a strategic pivot that many in the industry have attempted, but few have realized. By leveraging its massive Bitcoin treasury, holding over 18,000 Bitcoin, to fund land acquisitions and the development of permanent infrastructure, the company has diversified its revenue stream without abandoning its core business.

The AMD deal serves as a blueprint for the future. Riot offers investors a unique value proposition: continued exposure to the potential upside of the cryptocurrency market, anchored by the stability and long-term growth of critical digital infrastructure. As demand for AI compute continues to outpace power supply, Riot’s portfolio of energized assets positions it as a key enabler of the next generation of technology.

Should You Invest $1,000 in Riot Platforms Right Now?Before you consider Riot Platforms, you'll want to hear this.

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01/20 update below. This post was originally published on January 19

01/21 update below. This post was originally published on January 19

Bitcoin and gold have split in recent months as gold soars and the bitcoin price plummets—with U.S. president Donald Trump’s tariff trade war again threatening to weigh on the U.S. dollar.

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The bitcoin price has fallen sharply overnight, dropping from almost $96,000 per bitcoin to just over $90,000 in a matter of minutes, while gold hit a fresh all-time high after Trump threatened to escalate tariffs on eight Nato allies unless Denmark agreed to a deal for Greenland.

Now, as Bank of America’s chief executive issues a stark $6 trillion crypto warning, traders are braced for this week’s inflation reading to be higher than previously expected—triggering warnings of “unprecedented stagflation.”

01/20 update: Billionaire investor Ray Dalio, the founder of hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates, has warned the latest weakness in the U.S. dollar shows his long predicted collapse in the dollar as the world’s reserve currency is “happening now.”

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“The existing fiat monetary order, the domestic political order, and the international geopolitical order are all breaking down, so we are at the brink of wars,” Dalio posted to X.

Last year, the U.S. dollar lost almost 10% as measured by the U.S. Dollar Index, with further losses expected alongside huge gains for gold, silver and the bitcoin price this year.

“It all is happening because of the big cycle that is driven by the five big forces," Dalio wrote, referring to the forces he laid out in his book Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, which are economic cycles, domestic disorder, great power conflicts, acts of nature and technological development.

Dalio pointed to a video that shows the era of U.S. and dollar dominance giving way to a new China-led cycle.

“When a new rising power gets strong enough to compete with the dominant power that is having domestic breakdowns external conflicts most typically wars take place,” Dalio said in the 2023 video. “Out of these internal and external wars come new winners and losers that then the winners get together to create the New World Order and the cycle begins again.”

Meanwhile, as the U.S. dollar is set for its largest daily fall ​in over a month, the bitcoin price has slipped under $90,000, giving up almost all of its 2026 gains, just as gold hits a fresh all-time high.

“Bitcoin is taking a double hit from tariffs,” Alex Kuptsikevich, FxPro chief market analyst, said in emailed comments.

“Donald Trump’s intention to turn the U.S. into the world’s crypto capital has made crypto a kind of American asset. Therefore, the return of the ‘sell America’ trade quickly pulled the rug out from under the bitcoin bulls.”

01/21 update: Speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum, Dalio has warned the political standoff over U.S. president Donald Trump’s bid for control of Greenland could lead to a new phase of global financial conflict.

“On the other side of trade deficits and trade wars, there are capital and capital wars,” Dalio told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “If you take the conflicts, you can’t ignore the possibility of the capital wars. In other words, maybe there’s not the same inclination to buy at U.S. debt and so on.”

As trust is eroded, Dalio warned that countries holding large amounts of U.S. dollars and Treasurys may opt to not finance U.S. deficits, which have ballooned in recent years to push the U.S. national debt to over $38 trillion.

“When you have conflicts, international geopolitical conflicts, even allies do not want to hold each other’s debt,” Dalio said, pointing to the soaring gold price that's now approaching the $5,000 per ounce level. “They prefer to go to a hard currency. This is logical and it’s factual, and it’s repeated throughout world history.”

The surging gold price, which has continued its record-breaking 2025 run into this year, is being viewed as a warning signal by some who are concerned the U.S. is losing its reserve currency status.

"The gold price is telling us we are losing reserve currency status at an accelerating rate," billionaire crypto investor Mike Novogratz posted to X shortly after it was revealed he'll launch a $100 million crypto hedge fund in the coming months and alongside a prediction the bitcoin price will bounce back "in time."

Bitcoin’s performance over the last week has sapped confidence in the cryptocurrency as an emerging safe haven, with the bitcoin price looking at risk at falling further as the crisis continues.

"Bitcoin is behaving like a risk asset, not a safe haven," Carolane De Palmas, analyst at ActivTrades, said in emailed comments.

"When tariff fears pushed U.S. equity futures lower, gold and silver surged to record highs, while bitcoin fell sharply. That’s the opposite of what you would expect from ’digital gold.’ Over the past year, institutional investors have largely confirmed viewing bitcoin as a risk-on asset, closer to high-beta tech than a hedge.

"The next key technical zone to watch is the $90,000 to $87,000 range. A sustained hold there, ideally followed by a bounce supported by rising volume, would point to a corrective move rather than the start of a deeper drawdown—though volatility is likely to remain elevated."

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Forbes‘Serious Concern’—Trump Just Quietly Revealed A Bitcoin Price Game-ChangerBy Billy Bambrough

U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell grappled with the so-called debasement trade that boosted gold and the bitcoin price last year.

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Economists at Barclays and Morgan Stanley have increased their December U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) forecasts to 2.8% or 2.9%, while BNP Paribas’s Andy Schneider wrote in a note seen by Reuters that the reading will be "significantly" higher than last week’s 2.7% consumer price index (CPI).

The latest PCE data, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation that excludes volatile food and energy prices, will be released on Thursday, potentially reviving fears of so-called stagflation that sees sluggish economic growth combined with soaring prices.

“A coming collapse in the dollar will send consumer prices soaring,” Peter Schiff, a gold investor who is typically bearish on the dollar and critical of bitcoin, posted to X. “Get ready for unprecedented stagflation.”

Ahead of the latest inflation reading, the U.S. dollar has weakened as last year’s so-called debasement trade—which saw investors bet against the dollar and pile into scarce assets like bitcoin, gold, silver and copper alongside stocks—returned.

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ForbesThe Dollar ‘Will Fall’—Serious Fed ‘Crisis’ Warning Predicted To Blow Up The Bitcoin PriceBy Billy Bambrough

The bitcoin price rally this year has been threatened by the latest Trump trade war that's also hit the U.S. dollar and boosted gold.

Forbes Digital Assets

"President Trump’s fresh tariff threat to his trading partners and Nato allies over Greenland led to a U.S. dollar selloff," David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation, said in emailed comments. “The Dollar Index snapped sharply lower to trade back under 99.00, having hit a six-week high at the end of last week.”

Gold and silver have both hit record highs as the U.S. dollar declined, with David Wilson, director of commodities strategy at BNP Paribas, telling Bloomberg that gold at $5,000 per ounce “looked like a big target” not that long ago, but is now within sight.

Meanwhile, traders are betting bitcoin price weakness continues due to the geopolitical uncertainty weighing on risk appetite.

“From here, it’s likely we’ll see further downside unless buyers step in, with strong support around $88,000,” Nic Puckrin, digital asset analyst and co-founder of the Coin Bureau, said in emailed comments, adding “the uncertainty and fears around Greenland are likely to get worse before they get better.”

2 mins mins

In Brief Steak ‘n Shake to pay hourly workers $0.21 in Bitcoin per hour starting March 1. Bitcoin bonus will vest after two years, totaling $436 annually for full-time employees. Bitcoin price declines as BTC trades at $88,732, down 6.76% over the past week. Steak ‘n Shake has announced that it will start paying hourly employees a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 for each hour worked, beginning March 1, 2026. 

The company has partnered with Bitcoin rewards app Fold to manage these payouts, marking another step in its strategic shift towards adopting Bitcoin as part of its operations. 

According to CEO Will Reeves, this is a part of the company’s broader vision to “become a real bitcoin company, putting sound money into the hands of working Americans.”

Bitcoin Bonus to Encourage Long-Term Employment The Bitcoin bonus will be paid on top of hourly wages and will not replace standard pay. However, the funds are subject to a two-year vesting period, meaning employees will not be able to access the Bitcoin until they have completed two years of continuous employment with the company. 

Starting March 1, Steak n Shake will give all hourly employees at its company-operated restaurants a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 for every hour worked.

 Employees will be able to collect their Bitcoin pay after a two-year vesting period. Thank you, @Fold_app, for the assist.

 We…

— Steak 'n Shake (@SteaknShake) January 20, 2026 For a full-time worker, this amounts to about $8.40 in Bitcoin per week, or $436 annually, assuming no changes to hours worked.

While the bonus is designed to incentivize long-term employment, it has sparked criticism due to its relatively small value. Critics argue that the $0.21 per hour bonus represents a marginal increase in income for employees already earning minimum wage, and the two-year wait may be impractical given Bitcoin’s volatility.

Despite this criticism, others view the bonus as an innovative way to introduce hourly workers to cryptocurrency. 

The program is also part of a larger strategy that includes the company’s recent $10 million Bitcoin purchase. This aligns with Steak ‘n Shake’s ongoing move towards incorporating Bitcoin into its corporate treasury and operations.

Bitcoin Price Declines Amid Market Pressures Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $88,732.15, down 2.34% over the past 24 hours. The price has dropped by 6.76% in the last week, reflecting broader market volatility. 

With concerns over economic uncertainties and inflationary pressures, Bitcoin’s price continues to experience downward movement, impacting both retail and institutional confidence in the market.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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Bhutan plans to deploy and operate a Sei Network validator in Q1 through a partnership with DHI and the Sei Foundation. The collaboration could expand into payments, tokenization, and digital identity projects. Bhutan continues to build a strong crypto footprint through Bitcoin mining, Ethereum-based digital ID, and now validator infrastructure. The Kingdom of Bhutan will be implementing and operating a Sei Network validator in Q1, which will not only mark the beginning of a new era in the country’s blockchain plans, which are turning out to be quite ambitious, but will also ensure the nation stands out among the visionaries on the digital landscape.

The validator deployment will take place through a collaboration between the Sei Development Foundation and the technology and innovation arm of Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), Bhutan’s sovereign wealth fund and primary holding company. By running a validator, Bhutan will directly participate in securing the Sei Network, validating transactions, producing blocks, and contributing to protocol governance decisions.

Phuntsho Namgay, head of innovation and technology at DHI, framed the move as part of a broader digital transformation agenda. He said the partnership strengthens Bhutan’s role in blockchain innovation while opening new opportunities across data valuation, scientific research, and financial technology. Rather than treating blockchain as a speculative trend, Bhutan continues to integrate it into state-backed infrastructure and long-term planning.

Validators as strategic infrastructure Validators constitute the backbone of proof-of-stake networks, such as Sei. They will keep the network secure, confirm network transactions, and vote on protocol upgrades as part of the on-chain governance process. By running its own validator, Bhutan gets hands-on exposure to blockchain infrastructure while accruing possible staking rewards. More importantly, it builds institutional expertise that can support future public-sector and commercial applications.

This validator initiative fits into Bhutan’s pattern of selective but deep engagement with crypto technologies. The country has avoided loud promotional campaigns, yet it consistently invests in infrastructure-level projects that offer long-term utility.

Tokenization and payments on the horizon Bhutan’s validator operations are far from the only ways that it has been working with Sei. According to Eleanor Davies, science and innovation lead at the Sei Development Foundation, potential future projects could include tokenization, various payments, and different digital identity solutions. She described the partnership as a national-level investment in blockchain adoption that expands Sei’s global validator footprint while laying the groundwork for more advanced use cases.

Tokenization could allow Bhutan to experiment with digitizing real-world assets, financial instruments, or even scientific data. Better payment infrastructure could facilitate faster and more efficient digital transactions, particularly in cross-border contexts. These efforts align with Bhutan’s broader vision of leveraging technology to support sustainable development, rather than purely financial speculation.

Bhutan’s expanding crypto footprint Bhutan has already emerged as a leading advocate for sovereign crypto adoption. The state runs a Bitcoin mining initiative, with hydroelectric power aplenty in the land. Based on estimates provided by Bitbo, Bhutan currently owns about 11,286 Bitcoins, worth over $1 billion. Some of these holdings have been earmarked to support development projects such as the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a planned special administrative region focused on innovation and sustainability.

Beyond Bitcoin, Bhutan also launched a self-sovereign digital identity system powered by Ethereum. Nearly 800,000 residents can use this system to verify identity and access government services, demonstrating a real-world application of blockchain technology at a national scale.

Part of a broader validator trend Bhutan is not alone in viewing validator operations as strategic infrastructure. Major corporations and state-linked entities increasingly run validators across multiple networks. Validators have been launched into blockchains like Injective, Polygon, and Celo by Deutsche Telekom, while Google Cloud joined the validator set for the Cronos blockchain in late 2025.

As Bhutan powers up its Sei Validator, the move cements one thing: blockchain involvement no longer stops at private startups; it’s now stretching into sovereign and institutional domains. For Bhutan, the validator represents both a technical milestone and a stepping stone toward deeper involvement in tokenization and digital finance.

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Bitcoin Cash (BCH) in Tug-of-War Mode: Where Does the Price Go From Here?

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Posted: January 21, 2026

Bitcoin [BTC] pulled back below the $90k mark in the last day, with investors finding comfort in traditional assets at a shaky time. Tariff concerns are also in play, so the drop is more macro nerves than anything crypto-specific.

Still, the difference between impulse and long-term moves is becoming harder to ignore.

Whales buy the dip The pullback is not being treated the same way by all market participants.

Source: Santiment

Large Bitcoin holders have accumulated 36,322 BTC over the past nine days! This increased their holdings by 0.27%, per Santiment data.

In contrast, the smallest wallets, holding less than 0.01 BTC, sold roughly 132 BTC during the same period. That’s a 0.28% decline in supply held.

Retail is reacting on impulse to momentary weakness, while larger players prepare to stay for the long haul. This almost always happens during corrective phases.

Bitcoin is tied to the bigger picture Since 2025, Bitcoin’s pullbacks have happened in tandem with periods of trade tension. A recent report stated that April 2025 saw Bitcoin slide by roughly 12% after tariff announcements caused a global risk-off move.

A similar pattern played out in October 2025, when U.S.-China sparring pushed Bitcoin down over 8%. Now, U.S.-Europe tensions coincided with another decline of around 7%.

Source: CryptoQuant

Brief inflow surges happened during these corrections, but they slowed down soon after. There’s a lot of short-term risk reduction; the broader structure is intact regardless of global happenings.

When buying meets opportunity The contrast in retail and smart money’s reactions will matter when you look at price. Bitcoin’s pullback has brought it closer to a zone long-term investors tend to watch closely.

Source: Alphractal

According to Alphractal, Bitcoin is approaching one of its strongest buying zones—when the price falls below all major daily MAs, from the 7-day to the 720-day.

Source: Alphractal

In past cycles, these have often been favorable long-term entry points. For that full setup to trigger, though, Bitcoin would need to slip below $86,000.

Until then, consolidation is the verdict, especially as large holders continue to stack BTC.

Final Thoughts Bitcoin’s dip below $90K gave whales the perfect buying opportunity. As it stands, BTC will continue to consolidate.

The Kingdom of Bhutan and the Sei Development Foundation announced a strategic partnership to deploy a Sei Network validator in Bhutan, with plans to go live in the first quarter of 2026. The deal aims to strengthen the nation’s blockchain infrastructure and explore tokenization of assets and economic use cases tied to digital transformation efforts.

Bhutan’s sovereign wealth fund, Druk Holding and Investments Ltd. (DHI), through its InnoTech division, will lead the validator rollout. The initiative will build national capacity to support blockchain infrastructure and contribute to emerging digital financial services. Sapien Capital, an investment vehicle focused on science and innovation, is backing parts of the deployment.

Officials from both sides said the collaboration reflects Bhutan’s growing interest in advanced technology to support national priorities. They said it will create new pathways for data valuation, scientific advancement, payments systems, and asset tokenization — a process that could allow real-world assets to be represented and traded on blockchain networks.

National Blockchain Infrastructure and Digital StrategyBhutan is positioning itself as a leader in blockchain and digital asset infrastructure in Asia. The validator project comes amid broader efforts to modernize government technology and support innovative financial frameworks. Bhutan has already used blockchain in national projects, including its digital identity system, which aims to give citizens secure control over personal data and verification processes.

The validator will serve as part of the backbone for the Sei Network, a layer-1 blockchain designed for high-speed and low-cost transactions. In practice, validators verify transactions and secure the network. By hosting a national validator, Bhutan gains direct participation in blockchain operations while potentially enabling domestic digital services that rely on decentralized systems.

Officials from DHI said that the partnership aligns with Bhutan’s long-term vision of technological self-reliance. They highlighted the importance of building expertise within the country and expanding opportunities in financial technology and digital commerce.

Historical Context and Broader InnovationBhutan’s embrace of blockchain is part of a wider digital strategy that predates the Sei partnership. The country has pursued blockchain-based identity systems and explored “internetless” blockchain experiments to overcome connectivity challenges in its mountainous terrain.

Bhutan also has a history of integrating digital assets into national initiatives. For example, local authorities have advanced blockchain components in identity verification and financial systems, while recent projects have included partnerships with global technology firms to test decentralized systems in challenging environments.

Analysts say Bhutan’s approach reflects a larger trend of governments adopting blockchain beyond cryptocurrency speculation, focusing instead on secure data platforms, digital services and tokenized economic models that can support broader economic goals.

The validator project marks a key step in Bhutan’s ongoing innovations and could influence other nations considering sovereign participation in decentralized infrastructure. 

Sui (SUI) was also an underperformer, down 1.6% from Tuesday.

XRP remains in a corrective phase within the broader crypto market, with recent volatility failing to alter the prevailing medium-term downtrend. The price action across both the USD and BTC pairs continues to trade below key moving averages, indicating that strength in early January has so far been contained within a larger distribution structure rather than establishing a sustained trend reversal.

Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair On the XRP/USDT pair, the sharp rejection from the $2.40 resistance block and the declining 100-day and 200-day moving averages have pushed the price back toward the $1.80 demand zone, which has repeatedly acted as a major horizontal support.

The Daily RSI has also cooled from overbought conditions and is now below 50, signalling that momentum has rotated from aggressive short covering back to a negative stance. As long as the price remains capped beneath the confluence of the 100-day MA and the $2 supply region, the broader structure continues to resemble a series of lower highs within a downtrend, with risk of a deeper revisit of the $1.50 area or even lower if the current support cluster fails to hold.

The BTC Pair On the XRPBTC pair, structural underperformance versus Bitcoin persists. The pair has been rejected once again from the 2,400 sats resistance band, where the key 200-day moving average is located and acts as a dynamic overhead supply.

The subsequent sell-off has driven the price back below the 100-day moving average (located around the 2,200 sats mark) and toward the lower half of the multi-month range around 2,000 sats, with a notable downside wick signalling initial dip-buying interest but not yet a confirmed reversal.

Unless the pair can establish a higher low above the major 2,000 sats support level and reclaim the key moving averages, relative strength is expected to remain tilted in favour of Bitcoin, and any bounces on the BTC pair are likely to be treated as corrective within a dominant bearish trend.

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By using preferred equity, MSTR acquired 22,305 BTC in eight days without diluting shareholders — and TD Cowen analyst Lance Vitanza says it's just getting started.

The expansion comes as tokenized real-world assets continue to gain traction across crypto markets.

Delphi Digital is betting that Solana’s next major upgrade cycle will reposition the network as an “exchange grade” environment capable of supporting onchain order books that can realistically contend with centralized venues on latency, liquidity depth, and market structure. In a Jan. 20 post on X titled “2026 is the Year of Solana”, the research firm argued Solana’s 2026 roadmap is its “most aggressive upgrade cycle” yet, one that “overhaul[s] everything from consensus to infrastructure to become the decentralized Nasdaq.”

Why Delphi Digital Calls 2026 “The Year Of Solana” Delphi framed the roadmap less as a grab bag of performance enhancements and more as a capital-markets push: “Solana’s roadmap is about transforming it into an exchange grade environment where a native onchain CLOB can viably compete with CEX latency, liquidity depth, and fairness. Here are all the upgrades making this possible.” In that view, shaving milliseconds matters only insofar as it produces predictable, enforceable execution outcomes for applications like high-frequency trading and central limit order books.

The centerpiece, Delphi wrote, is Alpenglow, a consensus redesign it called “the most significant protocol level change in Solana’s history.” The firm said Alpenglow introduces a new architecture built around Votor and Rotor, with Votor changing how validators reach agreement. Rather than “chaining multiple voting rounds together,” validators would aggregate votes offchain and “commit to finality in one or two rounds,” producing “theoretical finality in the 100-150 millisecond range, down from the original 12.8 seconds.”

Delphi emphasized Votor’s parallel finalization paths as a resilience feature, not just a speed play. If a block gets “overwhelming support (80%+ stake)” it finalizes immediately; if support is between 60% and 80%, a second round triggers, and finality follows if that also clears 60%. The goal, Delphi argued, is to preserve finality even with unresponsive segments of the network.

Alpenglow also introduces what Delphi called a “20+20” resilience model: safety holds as long as no more than 20% of stake is malicious, while liveness persists even if another 20% is offline, “tolerat[ing] up to 40% of the network being either malicious or inactive while still maintaining finality.” Under this design, Proof of History is “effectively deprecated,” replaced by deterministic slot scheduling and local timers. Delphi said the upgrade is expected to roll out in early to mid 2026.

Delphi also pointed to Firedancer, Jump’s C++ validator client, as a structural upgrade aimed at reducing a long-standing operational risk. Solana has historically relied on a single client, now known as Agave, and Delphi described that “monoculture” as a central weakness because client-level faults can cascade into broader network halts.

Firedancer’s objective, Delphi said, is a deterministic, high-throughput engine that can process “millions of TPS with minimal latency variance.” Ahead of full readiness, Delphi highlighted “Frankendancer,” a transitional build that combines Firedancer’s networking and block production modules with Agave’s runtime and consensus components, as a bridge to “substantially” increased client diversity.

On infrastructure, Delphi spotlighted DoubleZero as a private fiber overlay for validators, likening its transmission profile to traditional exchange connectivity: “the same infrastructure traditional exchanges like Nasdaq and CME rely on for microsecond level transmission.” The argument is that as validator sets expand, propagation variance becomes the enemy of tight finality windows. By routing messages along “optimal paths” and supporting multicast delivery, Delphi said DoubleZero can narrow latency gaps across validators—an enabler for both Votor’s quorum formation and Rotor’s propagation design.

Delphi also framed Solana’s block-building roadmap as a market-structure project. It described Jito’s BAM (Block Assembly Marketplace) as separating ordering from execution via a marketplace and privacy layer, with transactions ingested into TEEs so “neither validators nor builders can see raw transaction content before ordering takes effect,” reducing pre-execution behavior like frontrunning.

Harmonic, meanwhile, targets builder competition by introducing an open aggregation layer so validators can accept proposals from “multiple competing builders in real time,” with Delphi summarizing: “Think of Harmonic as a meta-market and BAM as a micro-market.”

Raiku rounds out the thesis by adding deterministic latency and programmable execution guarantees adjacent to Solana’s validator set, using Ahead-of-Time (AOT) transactions for pre-committed workflows and Just-in-Time (JIT) transactions for real-time needs—without modifying L1 consensus.

Delphi ultimately tied the technical roadmap to market demand: Solana’s spot trading gravity, the consolidation of onchain perps toward a handful of venues, and the need to reach performance parity with centralized platforms. It cited expectations for “new Solana native perps like Bulk Trade coming early next year,” and pointed to products like xStocks bringing “onchain equities directly to Solana,” arguing that liquidity and attention are consolidating toward a chain with faster settlement, better UX, and denser capital.

At press time, SOL traded at $127.

SOL remains below the black trendline, 1-week chart | Source: SOLUSDT on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus responds with a single word as $150 billion evaporates from crypto markets. Bitcoin crashes below $90K while gold hits record highs.

Newton Gitonga2 min read

21 January 2026, 02:33 PM

The cryptocurrency market experienced a brutal downturn, with $150 billion in digital assets vanishing in 24 hours. Billy Markus, co-creator of Dogecoin, offered a characteristically terse response to the carnage.

Markus, who operates on X under the pseudonym "Shibetoshi Nakamoto," replied to a Polymarket post documenting the market collapse with a single word: "Oh."

His laconic reaction reflects the sardonic commentary style that has made him a notable voice in crypto circles. The software developer co-founded Dogecoin with Jackson Palmer in 2013, creating what would become the most recognized meme coin.

Bitcoin Crashes as Gold Hits Record HighBitcoin fell below $90,000 during the Tuesday selloff. The leading cryptocurrency had recently reclaimed the $96,000 level before geopolitical tensions in northern Europe triggered a market-wide retreat.

Gold emerged as the primary beneficiary of crypto's struggles. The precious metal surged past $4,800 per ounce, establishing a new all-time high. The divergence between Bitcoin and gold highlighted a flight to traditional safe-haven assets.

Crypto whales initiated massive selling pressure across multiple exchanges. Liquidations cascaded through leveraged positions as prices tumbled. The $150 billion figure represents both liquidations and market capitalization losses.

Market data shows altcoins suffered even steeper declines than Bitcoin. Ethereum, Solana, and other major tokens posted double-digit percentage losses. Meme coins experienced particularly severe drops.

Markus Maintains Distance from Crypto IndustryDespite creating one of crypto's most enduring symbols, Markus holds minimal cryptocurrency investments. He has stated publicly that his holdings consist of less than one Bitcoin and a small amount of Dogecoin.

His skepticism toward the broader crypto market is well-documented. Markus has expressed doubts about altcoins and particularly about the proliferation of new meme coins. His firsthand experience creating Dogecoin informs his critical perspective.

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Newton Gitonga covers cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and digital finance. He specializes in breaking down complex trends with clear, data-driven reporting. His work focuses on market analysis, technical insights, and the evolving role of altcoins in shaping global markets.

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In Brief Nansen integrates AI-driven trading for Solana and Base networks. AI-powered solution merges analytics with trade execution for users. Cross-chain trading and liquidity partnerships enhance market access.
On January 21, 2026, Nansen launched a new AI-powered trading solution across its web and mobile apps. The tool combines on-chain analytics with trade execution, supporting users on Solana and Base networks. The feature allows users to analyze wallet flows and execute trades without leaving the platform. 

According to Nansen, this marks a shift from a pure analytics tool to a comprehensive trading platform. The trading solution offers users a simple and effective interface to manage on-chain trading in a conversational format.

The tool uses Nansen’s proprietary dataset of over 500 million labelled wallet addresses. This enables users to discover trading opportunities, analyze wallets, and execute trades directly within the app. 

We're making Nansen more accessible. Today, @Solana analytics is now available to our free users as well.

Smart Money. Wallets and labels. PnL. Token flow intelligence.

Access it all with just a Free plan.

More details below 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/LNB6uyrJk8

— Nansen 🧭 (@nansen_ai) January 21, 2026 The AI-powered agent delivers recommendations but requires user confirmation for all trades. As a result, the platform maintains control for users while simplifying their trading experience. Nansen also partnered with liquidity providers such as Jupiter for Solana and OKX DEX for Base network swaps, facilitating efficient cross-chain transactions.

Nansen Expands AI Trading with Future Blockchain Plans Nansen’s new AI-driven trading system is available to eligible users, though some jurisdictions like Singapore, Cuba, and Iran are excluded. The AI is powered by the company’s extensive on-chain data, allowing it to outperform general-purpose AI models. 

With cross-chain trading features, the platform plans to expand beyond Solana and Base networks. The AI also integrates with Nansen Wallet, a non-custodial wallet powered by Privy for secure transactions. The move to offer integrated trading marks a milestone in Nansen’s transition from data analytics to full trading functionality.

Solana 24hr Price Perfomance Screenshot | Source : CoinMarketCap Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Solana (SOL) is trading at $128.40, showing a slight 0.86% gain in the last hour. However, the price has dropped by 0.30% in the last 24 hours and is down by 11.46% over the past seven days.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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Strategy continues to dominate as the largest Bitcoin treasury company. This time, the company has expanded its holdings, crossing 700,0000 BTC in the process, and currently holds over 3% of the total Bitcoin supply. 

Strategy Now Holds 3.4% Of Bitcoin Supply As Holdings Top 700,000 BTC Michael Saylor’s Strategy now holds approximately 3.4% of the total Bitcoin supply as the company increased its holdings to over 700,000. In a press release, the company revealed that it acquired 22,305 BTC for $2.13 billion at an average price of $95,284 per Bitcoin last week. It now holds 709,715 BTC, which it acquired for $53.92 billion at an average price of $75,979. 

This purchase was Strategy’s largest weekly announcement since November 2024 and its fifth-largest announcement ever. It also came just a week after the company announced it had acquired 13,627 BTC for $1.25 billion. Meanwhile, this latest purchase has come amid a decline in BTC’s price.  

Bitcoin dropped below $90,000 yesterday for the first time since the start of the year, dragging the Strategy stock with it. MSTR dropped as much as 8% yesterday, falling to around $160. The stock is still up over 3% year-to-date (YTD). However, it is worth noting that Saylor and his company continue to dilute MSTR shares to buy more Bitcoin. The company sold 10.4 million MSTR shares last week to fund most of this latest purchase. 

Reactions To The Latest BTC Purchase Market analyst Rob noted that Strategy no longer highlights BTC yield as a flagship metric. He further stated that even after buying over 35,000 BTC in the first few weeks of this year, the BTC yield achieved is 0.4%, which amounts to an annualized rate of about 6% to 10%. The analyst also remarked that the law of diminishing Bitcoin yield means the ability to deliver a yield decreases as the BTC stack grows. 

With Strategy now holding over 700,000 BTC, Rob explained that it is harder to generate a return. According to him, this means that going forward, the play is more about squeezing the Bitcoin price itself higher rather than increasing the BTC per share. He added that this also explains why MSTR’s mNAV has collapsed to just over 1x. 

Crypto commentator Ran Neuner warned that a company like Strategy buying and holding such a large concentration of a reserve asset is not healthy. He added that right now, Saylor and his company are the only ones really buying Bitcoin. Meanwhile, market expert Bit Paine said it is a market failure that Saylor is allowed to buy this much BTC at prices below $100,000. 

At the time of writing, the BTC price is trading at around $90,000, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

BTC trading at $89,292 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

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Scott Matherson is a leading crypto writer at Bitcoinist, who possesses a sharp analytical mind and a deep understanding of the digital currency landscape. Scott has earned a reputation for delivering thought-provoking and well-researched articles that resonate with both newcomers and seasoned crypto enthusiasts. Outside of his writing, Scott is passionate about promoting crypto literacy and often works to educate the public on the potential of blockchain.

Market watchers say macro factors will continue guiding Bitcoin’s price action in the days ahead.

Market Sentiment:

Bullish Bearish Neutral

Published: January 21, 2026 │ 12:04 PM GMT

Created by Kornelija Poderskytė from DailyCoin

Bitcoin slipped below $90,000 on Tuesday, falling sharply as investors reacted to rising US–EU trade tensions. 

The sell-off wiped billions from the crypto market and triggered a wave of liquidations among leveraged positions, amplifying the move.

Source: TradingView The drop comes as macro-sensitive assets, including equities and bonds, showed increased volatility amid uncertainty over potential tariffs and the timing of related US Supreme Court rulings. 

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The heightened risk-off sentiment spilled into the crypto market, especially one that is sensitive to broader financial conditions.

Leveraged Positions Fuel Volatility Futures data show that traders have been closing large leveraged bets on Bitcoin, reducing the potential for sudden market swings. 

CryptoQuant and CoinGlass reported that total open interest on major exchanges dropped to roughly $62 billion from a peak above $94 billion earlier this month. 

At the same time, liquidations erased more than 183,000 positions, generating over $1 billion in losses in the past 24 hours.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs added to the selling pressure, recording daily net outflows of more than $483.3 million on Tuesday, reinforcing signs that investors were de-risking amid market uncertainty.

Source: SoSoValue Macro Factors Are Driving Prices Market watchers emphasize that this slide reflects broader economic factors rather than crypto-specific developments. 

“Beneath the surface, institutional capital is rotating selectively, favoring operational leverage over spot exposure, while political and regulatory timing risks are becoming increasingly relevant as the U.S. midterms approach. This is not a market for simple narratives or passive positioning,” said 10x Research firm on its X post.

In a major escalation over Greenland, President Donald Trump announced US tariffs of 10% on goods from eight European countries starting February 1, rising to 25% if no deal is reached by June. European leaders held an emergency meeting, with French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly urging the EU to consider countermeasures, including market restrictions and export controls.

On the Flipside Although Bitcoin’s fall below the $90,000 mark is seen as a key psychological level for traders, it follows macro trends, and some analysts say several important conditions point toward an upcoming bullish transition. Bitcoin briefly dropped below $88,000 on Tuesday before rebounding, and as of Wednesday, it trades above $88,900, according to CoinGecko.

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People Also Ask: What role do macroeconomic factors play in Bitcoin’s price?

Broader economic conditions, such as trade tensions, tariffs, and market risk sentiment, often influence Bitcoin, as it tends to track macro trends rather than move independently.

What are leveraged sell-offs?

Leveraged sell-offs occur when traders using borrowed funds are forced to close positions quickly, amplifying price declines in volatile markets.

What is a “psychological level” in Bitcoin trading?

Psychological levels, like $90,000, are price points where traders’ perceptions can trigger increased buying or selling, affecting market momentum.

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