Market Signal Briefing

Earlier this week, a sweeping US winter storm pushed Bitcoin miners to curtail, pulling a noticeable chunk of computing power off the network in a short window.

Data shows a 40% dip in hashrate between Jan. 23 and Jan. 25, with around 455 EH/s going offline, and block production slowing to around 12 minutes for a stretch.

Graph showing Bitcoin's hashrate from Jan. 20 to Jan. 30, 2026 (Source: CoinWarz)The fact that the sharpest drop came from Foundry USA, the largest mining pool with the largest presence in the US, tells you that the drop was caused by curtailments.

Graph showing the 30-day distribution of Bitcoin's hashrate by mining pools on Jan. 30, 2026 (Source: Hashrate Index)Why can so many miners now shut off quickly? Why would they ever choose to do it, and what do those choices mean for Bitcoin’s security budget, transaction flow, and the politics of plugging a large industrial load into a grid that can get stressed in extreme cold?

Curtailment 101: miners as flexible load, not fragile infrastructureWhile curtailment is simple in definition, it's kind of messy in practice. At the simplest level, it's miners reducing electricity consumption, either partially or fully, because power is scarce, expensive, or contractually more valuable to sell back to the grid than to burn through ASICs.

In the US, and especially in Texas, that choice has matured into a full-blown business model. ERCOT has explicitly created mechanisms meant for “large flexible customers” that can reduce load during peak demand, and it named Bitcoin mining facilities as a core example.

The idea is straightforward: if a load can drop quickly, reliably, and repeatedly, a grid operator can treat it as a pressure-release valve during tight conditions.

In real mining fleets, curtailment tends to fall into three buckets.

The first is purely economic. Miners watch a simple spread: revenue per unit of hash versus the all-in cost of producing that hash. When real-time power prices spike, the cheapest decision can be to just stop hashing.

This is no charity, and it's certainly not some kind of corporate moral stance. It's just your basic unit economics measured minute by minute, especially for miners exposed to wholesale pricing.

The second is contracted. Some miners sign demand-response arrangements where the “off switch” is effectively part of the product they sell.

Texas has offered multiple ways for flexible load to participate in reliability programs, and the last few years have produced plenty of cases of miners profiting during stress events by curtailing or selling contracted power back into the market.

Company disclosures show miners can earn money for not consuming power when the grid is tight. In Riot’s August 2023 update, the company split the haul into two buckets: $24.2 million of “power Credits,” which it describes as power curtailment credits earned by selling contracted power back into ERCOT at market spot prices, plus $7.4 million of something called “demand response credits,” tied to participation in ERCOT demand response programs.

The smaller, routine versions of this show up in almost all of Riot’s monthly reporting. In its November 2025 update, Riot listed $1 million in estimated power curtailment credits and $1.3 million in estimated demand response credits, noting that those demand response credits came from participation in ERCOT and MISO programs and that the combined credits are netted against its all-in power cost.

Iris Energy’s investor update from August 2023 said its Texas site generated about $2.3 million in “power sales,” described as power credits primarily driven by voluntary curtailment under hedge contracts tied to ERCOT real-time prices.

In that setup, a mining site is closer to a hybrid of data center and power trader than the old mental model of a warehouse that just runs ASICs until they break.

The third is emergency or rule-driven. Texas now expects the biggest new loads to be curtailment-ready as a condition of interconnection in grid-emergency scenarios, explicitly naming crypto miners and data centers among the targets.

That matters because it turns curtailment from something nice to have into something that's now built into the operating plan.

What makes this week’s storm useful as a teaching moment is that the incentives line up.

Cold snaps lift heating demand, which tightens reserve margins and often triggers conservation alerts. The storm was seriously disruptive for the US energy system, with price spikes and operational strain reported across regions.

So, if you're a miner sitting on a flexible load arrangement, curtailment is often the cleanest, most rational response to a grid that is suddenly valuing a megawatt more than a terahash.

This is also why the pool-level picture can move fast. When US-heavy operators curtail, their pools register it almost immediately. The week’s curtailment effect was most easily seen through the visible drop in Foundry's hashrate and the knock-on slowdown in blocks.

While the network is global, the marginal hashrate swing can still be regional when enough capacity clusters behind a handful of operators and grid regimes.

Bitcoin’s difficulty timer: why slow blocks are usually a temporary taxA hashrate shock scares people because they map it directly to security. That's true, but in a very narrow sense, because fewer hashes per second means the brute-force cost of attacking the chain is lower than it would be at peak hashrate.

But the more important operational question is what Bitcoin does when hashes disappear quickly. The answer is that Bitcoin has a built-in recalibration mechanism with a built-in delay.

Bitcoin targets one block roughly every 10 minutes, but it doesn't adjust difficulty continuously. It adjusts difficulty every 2,016 blocks based on how long the last 2,016 blocks took to mine.

That structure creates the short-term “storm tax.” If a lot of miners shut off today, blocks will be slow today. However, the difficulty doesn't instantly drop to compensate; the network just produces blocks more slowly until enough of them pass for the next adjustment to reprice the work.

You could see that taking place in real time this week. CoinWarz’s difficulty dashboard showed the network running slower than the 10-minute target, with average block time above target during the window it tracked.

When block production stretched to roughly 12 minutes, it was the lived experience of that lag: fewer blocks per hour, slower confirmations on average, and a mempool that can thicken if transaction demand holds steady.

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But slow blocks aren't Bitcoin “breaking,” they're Bitcoin charging users and miners a time cost for abrupt changes in hash supply.

If the shock fades quickly and miners come back online as prices normalize and grid stress eases, the network may never need a difficulty adjustment. If the shock persists, the next adjustment will lower difficulty and pull block timing back toward the target.

The fee market can also behave in ways that confuse casual observers. A short spell of slow blocks can lift fee pressure if demand is steady, but it can also pass quietly if the mempool wasn't tight to begin with and demand is soft.

The bigger point here is that Bitcoin’s design assumes mining power is opportunistic and sometimes transient. Difficulty adjustment is the protocol’s way of accepting that reality without turning every local infrastructure event into a systemic failure.

Winter storms as repeat stress tests: Uri, Elliott, and what 2026 addsThis isn't the first time winter weather has affected Bitcoin. What changed is the scale of the US footprint and how integrated miners have become in grid programs.

Start with Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, the modern reference point for Texas grid trauma. Uri drove a historic demand surge while generation failed across fuel types, triggering widespread outages and a political reckoning.

Back then, large-scale bitcoin mining was far less intertwined with Texas reliability planning. The industry was smaller in-state, and the “miners as flexible load” concept was almost completely theoretical. That's significantly different than today’s setup, where curtailment is easier to coordinate and far more common.

Uri matters for this story because it sets the political backdrop. After a crisis like that, any large new electricity user gets measured against a simple question: Will you make the next emergency better or worse?

Now jump to Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, the episode that more directly resembles this week’s hashrate pattern. Galaxy’s 2022 mining report described Elliott as a moment when miners curtailed as much as 100 EH of hashrate, framing it as roughly 40% of network hashrate at the time, done to help stabilize the grid.

Separate academic and policy discussions have also cited the same order of magnitude, reinforcing that Elliott was a major curtailment event rather than a blip in hashrate.

Elliott is the clean comparison because it showed two things at once. First, large miners can shut off at scale on short notice during extreme cold. Second, once miners build curtailment into their commercial relationships, those shutoffs become legible and, in some cases, expected.

What does 2026 add? It adds the reality that “flexible load” is no longer mostly about miners, but about a broader class of giant compute loads.

The US Energy Information Administration has described Texas as a center of fast electricity demand growth, explicitly calling out data centers and cryptocurrency mining as major contributors and pointing to ERCOT’s task-force style oversight around large loads.

That matters because the grid politics change when flexible load stops being a niche. Once AI data centers and other compute-heavy facilities compete for the same interconnection capacity and the same public patience, miners lose the ability to argue that they're a special case.

They become one category inside a broader debate about who gets power first during stress, and who pays for the grid upgrades needed to serve everyone.

Bloomberg’s reporting on the storm pointed in the same direction, discussing how large industrial loads, including crypto mines and data centers, reduced power use during the event and how ERCOT’s demand expectations moved as conditions evolved.

That sort of framing from the mainstream media is a reminder that the next decade of mining in the US will be narrated through grid governance as much as through Bitcoin price cycles.

So the hashrate drop this week is best read as a preview. As the US share of mining remains large and as compute loads keep scaling, weather events will keep producing these short-lived network slowdowns. The protocol can handle them. The political environment is less forgiving.

Bitcoin’s difficulty timer makes curtailment survivable for the chain, and flexible-load economics can make curtailment profitable for miners. The open question is whether regulators and residents accept the bargain: a large new load that promises to leave when asked, in exchange for the right to plug in the rest of the time.

Mentioned in this articlePosted in

By Reuters

January 31, 20266:02 PM UTCUpdated ago

Representation of Bitcoin cryptocurrency in this illustration taken September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Bitcoin, the world's ​largest cryptocurrency ‌by market value, was ‌down by 6.53% at $78,719.63 ​at 1748 GMT ‍on Saturday.

On Friday, bitcoin fell to ⁠as ‍low as $81,104, the ‌lowest ‌since November 21, after former ⁠Federal ⁠Reserve ​Governor Kevin Warsh was ‍selected as the next ​Fed chair.

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Sat, 31/01/2026 - 15:48

XRP ETFs have resumed their strong daily performance despite the broad crypto market weakness, signaling resilience among its institutional investors.

Cover image via U.Today The U.S. spot XRP ETFs are showing early signs of recovery after a period of intense selling pressure, recording a net inflow of $16.79 million in a single day as of Jan. 30, according to data from SoSoValue.

The notable inflow seen during the last trading session marks a major recovery for the sector as they have just recorded heavy withdrawals, with over $92 million moved out of the funds in one day.

The renewed demand seen among the XRP ETFs have helped increase their cumulative net inflows to a massive $1.18 billion, while total net assets also increased to $1.19 billion.

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XRP funds regain momentumWhile the fresh capital had flowed in despite the high volatility seen across the crypto market, with the price of XRP trading in the deep red territory, trading activity remained steady with $28.74 million.

Also, it is important to note that most XRP ETFs posted daily declines of around 3% to 4%. However, the inflows occurred despite short-term price pressure.

While the XRP ETFs have pulled the massive inflows from the bearish market trends, it appears that institutions remain keenly convinced about the asset’s long-term prospects.

With the inflow coming just a day after the funds recorded their largest outflow ever, the quick recovery seen in the next day suggests that institutional investors may be using recent price weakness as a buying opportunity rather than an exit signal.

21Shares leads with highest inflowThe data further showed that the massive injection of fresh capital seen on the day was majorly contributed to by the 21Shares XRP ETF.

Notably, 21Shares’ TOXR ETF attracted the largest share of inflow with $8.19 million in daily inflows, followed by Bitwise’s XRP ETF with $3.91 million, Canary’s XRP ETF with $2.79 million and Franklin’s XRPZ ETF with $1.90 million.

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Bitcoin price has entered a cautious phase after failing to hold its recent recovery, with price action gradually tilting back toward the downside. The pullback has been controlled rather than panic-driven, but signs of weakening demand are becoming harder to ignore. Spot buying remains limited, leverage continues to unwind, and sellers are still active beneath the surface. Together, these signals raise the likelihood of Bitcoin revisiting lower support levels, with the $75,000 region now emerging as a key area to watch as early February approaches.

Open Interest: Leverage Steps Back, Not InOpen interest across exchanges has declined sharply, signaling broad deleveraging rather than aggressive dip-buying. This drop suggests traders are closing positions instead of building fresh longs to defend current levels. Importantly, open interest has struggled to recover alongside price, reinforcing the idea that conviction remains weak. 

When leverage exits the market without being replaced, the price often drifts toward the next support zone. This behavior aligns with the broader correction seen on the price chart and adds weight to the bearish near-term outlook.

Exchange Reserves: Spot Supply Gradually IncreasesExchange reserve data shows Bitcoin balances ticking higher after a prolonged period of decline. While this does not point to panic selling, it does indicate that more BTC is becoming available to sell. 

In past cycles, rising reserves during a corrective phase have often coincided with extended pullbacks rather than quick reversals. With spot supply increasing and no clear signs of aggressive accumulation, downside pressure remains a real risk if demand does not improve.

Spot Taker CVD: Sellers Still Have the Upper HandSpot taker CVD reinforces this cautious view. Over the past several months, sell-side market orders have dominated, and while selling pressure has eased slightly, buyers have yet to take clear control. 

The lack of a strong bullish shift in CVD suggests that recent stabilization is more about sellers slowing down than buyers stepping up. Without sustained spot buying, any bounce is likely to remain corrective rather than trend-changing.

Is Bitcoin (BTC) Price Heading to $75,000?Ever since the BTC price dropped below $100,000, it has slipped into extreme bearish conditions. It broke down below the rising wedge, which has been the start of a strong descending trend. 

After breaking the wedge, the BTC price has also completed a small upside correction that resulted in a fresh descending trend. Meanwhile, the weekly RSI is also heading towards the lower threshold, indicating Bitcoin is yet to mark the bottom. Considering the chart structure, the next strong support is just below $75,000, at around $74,500, which could be the range where buyers may take control. 

Conclusion: What Comes Next for Bitcoin?Taken together, price structure, derivatives positioning, and spot market behavior all lean toward further downside exploration. Bitcoin does not appear to be in a capitulation phase, but it also lacks the conditions typically seen at durable bottoms. Unless spot demand strengthens and leverage begins to rebuild alongside rising prices, Bitcoin may continue drifting lower toward the $74,000–$76,000 support zone. A bounce from there is possible, but for now, the data supports caution rather than optimism.

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These XRP Holders Could Stabilise Price Amid Chaotic Global MarketXRP selling pressure eases as MVRV enters opportunity zone signaling potential accumulation.Long-term holders accumulate XRP, reducing supply and supporting stabilization during ongoing drawdown.XRP price recovery depends on reclaiming the $1.81 support; failure risks drop toward $1.54.XRP price has weakened over the past 48 hours as broader market conditions failed to stabilize. The token extended its pullback, reflecting persistent risk aversion across digital assets. 

Despite the decline, XRP is not showing signs of disorderly selling. Current focus has shifted toward stabilization, with certain holder groups working to absorb pressure and support a potential recovery.

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Market sentiment indicators suggest XRP may be nearing a turning point. The Market Value to Realized Value ratio has dipped into the opportunity zone.

A reading below -14% typically signals selling saturation. Historically, such conditions precede accumulation phases as investors seek undervalued entry points.

This setup often attracts buyers willing to absorb excess supply. When MVRV remains depressed, downside momentum tends to slow. Investors frequently step in to capitalize on discounted prices.

Similar behavior is expected in the coming days, which could help XRP form a short-term base.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

XRP MVRV Ratio. Source: SantimentSponsored

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Long-term holder behavior further supports stabilization prospects. XRP’s Liveliness indicator has declined steadily for several weeks. It is now hovering near a four-month low. Liveliness tracks the movement of long-held coins, offering insight into holder conviction.

A declining Liveliness reading indicates accumulation rather than distribution. In XRP’s case, long-term holders appear to be adding exposure instead of selling. This behavior reduces circulating supply and dampens volatility. Sustained accumulation from this cohort often supports price stabilization during extended drawdowns.

XRP Liveliness. Source: GlassnodeXRP Price Downtrend ContinuesXRP price has dropped 10.9% over the past 48 hours, trading near $1.69 at the time of writing. The token is sitting just below the $1.70 support level. Ongoing bearish pressure from a broader downtrend continues to weigh on price action.

The descending trend line has acted as resistance since the start of the year. For XRP to recover, investor participation must increase. Reclaiming $1.81 as support would be a critical step.

Combined with improving sentiment indicators, such a move could push XRP toward the $2.00 level.

XRP Price Analysis. Source: TradingViewDownside risk remains if selling pressure persists. A continued decline could send XRP below the $1.61 support zone. Under that scenario, the price may fall toward $1.54. Such a move would invalidate the bullish thesis and signal prolonged weakness until new demand emerges.

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In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Over the past week, the Bitcoin market experienced new waves of liquidations with prices dropping to around $81,000 on Thursday. Though the premier cryptocurrency has seen a slight rebound since then, bearish sentiments remain dominant with analysts expecting a potential decline to as low as $56,000. Amid this recent correction, a developing on-chain situation has reached a boiling point, putting the Bitcoin market at a critical juncture.

Bitcoin aSOPR Holds Clue To Next Market Phase – Analyst  The Adjusted Spent Output Profit Ratio (aSOPR) is an on-chain metric used to measure whether Bitcoin investors are, on average, selling their coins at a profit or at a loss, while filtering out noise from short-term, low-value movements. In usual market trends, each new price peak is accompanied by higher conviction as investors are willing to hold longer, take profits later, and tolerate larger drawdowns because they expect even higher prices.

However, during Bitcoin’s ascent from around $40,000 in early 2024 to over $100,000, the aSOPR has shown a different pattern as observed by market analyst MorenoDV. Despite a consistent uptrend resulting in multiple price peaks, Bitcoin aSOPR established a downtrend pattern marked by lower highs and lower lows, thereby creating a puzzling market divergence.

Source: CryptoQuant According to MorenoDV, this development suggests that Bitcoin traders were aggressively taking profits with each rally, indicating a lack of long-term market confidence. Considering the descending profit-taking pattern, it can also be inferred that investors were satisfied with smaller and smaller gains, suggesting they were no longer convinced that upside continuation was likely.

The Present Market Debacle  Despite the ongoing divergence, it is still observed that aSOPR respects the general market trend with each high in its descending channel aligning with a local price top, while each retest of the lower boundary coincides with a market bottom. 

Source: CryptoQuant Presently, the aSOPR is retesting this lower boundary, in a fear-ridden market with over 30% of market supply in a loss. Ideally, MorenoDV explains these are accumulation opportunities, especially in further consideration of the negative aSOPR.

However, the analyst warns that a decisive fall below this line could strengthen present bearish sentiments, resulting in an intense market capitulation, as an already fearful set of investors would likely initiate a sell-off. At press time, Bitcoin continues to trade around $83,819, reflecting 0.41% decline in the past day.  Following the recent liquidations, the market leader is now 34% away from its all time high of around $126,100.

BTC trading at $84,072 on the daily chart | Source: BTCUSDT chart on Tradingview.com Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview

17h05 ▪ 3 min read ▪ by Ariela R.

Summarize this article with:

Fidelity launches a digital dollar on Ethereum. This compliant, freezable token controlled by a fiduciary bank could cause banks to lose 500 billion dollars by 2028. A monetary shock during the crypto transformation!

In Brief Fidelity launches a digital dollar on Ethereum, capable of freezing funds and heavily regulated. This stablecoin threatens up to 500 billion dollars of bank deposits by 2028, according to Standard Chartered. A digital dollar on Ethereum controlled by Fidelity The Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD) arrives on the Ethereum blockchain. Created by a regulated banking subsidiary, this stablecoin is intended for Fidelity clients via its brokerage, wealth management, and exchange channels.

The token remains transferable on-chain. Fidelity, however, retains full control. It can therefore freeze wallet funds, monitor transactions, and restrict access.

This heavily regulated architecture makes Ethereum a regulated playground. FIDD holds a reserve composed of cash and US Treasury bonds, with daily publication of net asset value. The idea? To offer a solid, compliant stablecoin suited for institutional markets.

Ethereum becomes the battlefield for bank stablecoins Behind this launch lies a colossal stake: the deposits war. According to Standard Chartered, US banks could lose up to $500 billion by 2028 to stablecoins. As an open infrastructure, Ethereum thus becomes a strategic battlefield.

FIDD does not seek to compete with Circle or Tether, but to establish itself as a on-chain settlement tool for Fidelity clients. Choosing Ethereum rather than a private blockchain also highlights an ambition for interoperability with the DeFi.

This model rests on five levers:

distribution; compliance; redemption rails; portability; treasury strategy. Regulation becomes a competitive advantage here. Fidelity bets on a future where trust, traceability, and integrated monitoring will prevail over anonymity or raw speed.

In any case, FIDD could well become a central token in the future financial landscape. If other institutions follow, Ethereum could crystallize the shift from fiat currencies to supervised digital assets. The question remains whether the public will accept such a level of control!

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Ariela R.

My name is Ariela, and I am 31 years old. I have been working in the field of web writing for 7 years now. I only discovered trading and cryptocurrency a few years ago, but it is a universe that greatly interests me. The topics covered on the platform allow me to learn more. A singer in my spare time, I also cultivate a great passion for music and reading (and animals!)

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A security incident at Step Finance has renewed concerns about treasury protection across decentralized finance. The Solana-based analytics platform confirmed that attackers compromised several treasury and fee wallets. 

On-chain data showsthat a large amount of SOL was unstaked and moved in a short time window. At the time, the transferred assets carried an estimated value of about $30 million. The disclosure triggered immediate attention across the Solana ecosystem due to the size and nature of the outflow.

The team acknowledged the breach through official channels and launched an urgent investigation. Additionally, Step Finance engaged external cybersecurity firms to support forensic analysis. 

The platform stated that it is still reviewing how the wallets were accessed. Consequently, attribution and recovery details remain unavailable. The incident occurred rapidly, which raised questions about prior wallet access rather than automated exploitation.

Large Treasury Outflow Raises Red FlagsBlockchain data showed that roughly 261,854 SOL was unstaked before the transfers occurred. Significantly, unstaking requires direct wallet permissions, which suggests deliberate human interaction. Analysts noted that this sequence often indicates compromised private keys. However, investigators have not confirmed the attack vector.

Besides the treasury wallets, fee-related wallets were also affected. These wallets typically hold protocol revenue, making them valuable targets. Moreover, the destination of the transferred funds remains unknown. No clear recovery timeline has been shared so far.

Despite the scale of the incident, Step Finance clarified that user funds were not exposed. The platform focuses on analytics and portfolio tracking rather than asset custody. Hence, the breach appears limited to protocol-owned assets. Still, the event unsettled the broader Solana DeFi community.

Broader Impact on Solana DeFi SecurityThe breach follows a pattern of treasury-focused attacks seen throughout 2025. Consequently, security teams have increased scrutiny of protocol fund management.

Market observers pointed out that rising treasury balances attract more sophisticated attackers. Additionally, volatile market conditions often accelerate such attempts.

Community responses varied after the disclosure. Some participants requested immediate transparency. Others urged patience until investigators complete their analysis. 

Meanwhile, security experts stressed the importance of layered defenses. Multisignature controls, restricted access, and real-time monitoring reduce single-point failures.

Industry Pressure Builds for Stronger ControlsThe incident highlighted structural risks within decentralized finance treasuries. Moreover, attackers now target institutional wallets instead of individual users.

This shift increases pressure on protocols to strengthen custody frameworks. Consequently, treasury security has become a priority topic across Solana-based projects.

Step Finance, a Solana ecosystem DeFi platform that calls itself "the front page of Solana," disclosed that some of its treasury and fee wallets were compromised and are currently under investigation, according to an announcement from the project.

Onchain data reveals that approximately 261,854 SOL was unstaked and transferred during the incident. At SOL's current price of around $110, the transfers represent roughly $29 million in value, per blockchain security firm CertiK. 

"There has been a breach of security for some of our treasury wallets hours ago and we are currently investigating...More information will be posted at a later stage," Step Finance wrote on X. The platform also asked cybersecurity firms to assist with the investigation. 

Step Finance has not disclosed the root cause of the compromise, whether it resulted from a smart contract vulnerability or access control issue, or whether any user funds beyond the protocol treasury were affected. The project did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Block.

Founded in 2021, Step Finance describes itself as a portfolio visualization platform that aggregates LP tokens, yield farms, and positions across approximately 95% of Solana protocols into a single dashboard. The platform also operates SolanaFloor, a Solana-focused news outlet, and puts on the annual Solana Crossroads conference in Istanbul. In Dec. 2024, the project acquired early-stage startup Moose Capital, since rebranded to Remora Markets, in a bid to bring tokenized trading of major stocks like Nvidia and Tesla to Solana. 

The STEP token, which powers governance and staking rewards for the protocol, is trading at approximately $0.023, after dropping more than 60% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data. Step Finance operates a validator node and directs 100% of validator revenue after operating costs toward STEP buybacks, which are distributed to xSTEP stakers.

The incident adds to a series of exploits and compromises affecting Solana ecosystem projects. In April 2025, lending protocol Loopscale lost $5.8 million to an exploit two weeks after launch, while decentralized credit protocol CrediX suffered a $4.5 million breach in August 2025 after an attacker gained control of an administrator wallet. In November 2025, South Korean exchange Upbit experienced a $37 million hack affecting various Solana network assets.

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reported in December 2025 that cryptocurrency theft totaled over $3.41 billion for the year, with DeFi hack losses remaining suppressed even as total value locked rebounded across the sector.

This is a developing story.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Shiba Inu burn rate drops to zero in 24 hours while SHIB price falls 5.54% to $0.000006853. Whale moves 41B tokens to the exchange amid growing concerns about the burn mechanism's effectiveness.

Newton Gitonga2 min read

31 January 2026, 04:47 PM

The Shiba Inu ecosystem experienced a complete halt in token burn activity over the past 24 hours. Shibburn, the tracking platform for SHIB burns, confirmed zero tokens were sent to dead wallets during this period. The stagnation occurred while the meme coin's price continued its downward movement.

This sudden drop in burn activity stands in stark contrast to recent developments. Just 48 hours earlier, the burn rate had surged by over 500%. A single transaction eliminated 10,491,803 SHIB tokens from circulation. The massive burn had sparked optimism among investors about sustained deflationary pressure.

The cryptocurrency market frequently experiences volatility. The Shiba Inu burn mechanism appears equally unpredictable. Without any new burns in the past day, the circulating supply remains fixed at 585,412,585,102,123 SHIB. An additional 3.83 trillion tokens stay locked in staking protocols. This brings the total supply to 589,245,695,882,238 SHIB.

Burn Mechanism Faces Growing SkepticismToken burns have long served as a cornerstone of the Shiba Inu strategy. The ecosystem relies on this deflationary tool to reduce supply and theoretically increase value. Developers and supporters believe that creating scarcity through burns will drive price appreciation.

However, critics question the practical effectiveness of this approach. Industry analysts point out that trillions of SHIB tokens remain in circulation. The volumes typically burned represent a minuscule fraction of the total supply. Even substantial burn events fail to create meaningful scarcity.

Price Action Reflects Broader Market PressuresShiba Inu currently trades at $0.000006853. The price has declined 5.54% in the past 24 hours. The recent burn of over 10.49 million tokens failed to reverse the bearish trend. SHIB dropped from a daily high of $0.00000736 to its present level.

Trading volume tells a similar story. The metric decreased 18.28% to reach $126.25 million. Lower volume often signals reduced market interest and weaker buying support.

Whale activity has contributed to the selling pressure. One large holder transferred 41 billion SHIB to an OKX hot wallet. Such movements typically indicate preparation for selling. Exchange inflows from whales often precede price declines as supply on trading platforms increases.

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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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Latest Shiba Inu News Today (SHIB)

Tron witnessed expansion in decentralized finance (DeFi), liquidity layers, network activity, and USDT supply.

The Tron network performed relatively well in 2025, recording a trend of high throughput and sustained activity. The year also highlighted the network’s scalability, competitiveness in the industry, user retention, and economic utility.

Analysts at the market research firm CryptoQuant have published a special report reviewing Tron’s journey over the past year. The publication, shared with CryptoPotato, examines the impact of new developments, such as lower fees and TRX’s growth as a native cryptocurrency.

Tron Network Activity Surges According to CryptoQuant, Tron network activity reached structural highs, with peaks in monthly transaction volume and active addresses. Monthly transactions recorded an all-time high (ATH) of 323 million in December, rising 39% from December 2024. On the other hand, monthly active addresses peaked at 35.5 million and ended the year at 31.3 million, a 24% year-over-year (YoY) increase.

The rise in transactions per active address surged to a two-year high of 10.5, up from 9.2 in December 2024. This indicated a rise in user intensity and deeper engagement beyond simple address growth.

Tron implemented a 60% cut in unit energy price in August 2025, slashing average transaction fees by 65% to $0.53, the lowest since September 2023. This caused fee revenues to fall, with monthly figures declining from $399 million pre-cut to $183 million in December. Analysts insist the development reflected a strategic trade-off prioritizing throughput and usage over per-transaction revenue.

Evaluating the ecosystem as a whole, Tron witnessed an expansion in decentralized finance (DeFi) and liquidity layers. DeFi platforms like SunSwap and JustLend averaged billions of dollars in liquidity. The former sustained a monthly average of $3.1 billion in wrapped TRX (WTRX) swap volume, while the latter’s deposits soared 56% YoY to $12.8 billion.

The Dominant USDT Rail Last year, TRX recorded high transfers in USD terms, with the total amount standing at $85.2 billion, a 44% increase from 2024 levels. Analysts attributed most of the growth to the rise in the asset’s price – TRX reached a monthly average ATH of $0.34 in September 2025.

You may also like: Tether Confirms $779M Bitcoin Purchase Despite Weak Market Momentum Report: Tether Blacklists 7,268 Wallets vs. Circle’s 372 Tether Moves to Buy Juventus in Major Historic Football Bid Contrarily, the total TRX transfers in native units amounted to 309 billion, representing a 27% decline from 2024. The decline occurred because more TRX were staked for voting and network security. About 48% of the TRX supply (45.7 billion coins) is currently staked.

Notably, the Tether (USDT) supply on Tron expanded significantly, rising 40% from $58 billion in 2024 to $81 billion last year. USDT bridging volume also jumped 215% YoY to $17.8 billion. Tron is now the dominant USDT transaction rail, having processed more than 825 million USDT transfers last year and ending December with a USDT transaction volume twice that of Ethereum.

Tags:

Journalist

Posted: January 31, 2026

No doubt, the ongoing capital rotation into legacy markets has raised questions about the “hedge” status of risk assets, as the continuing FUD around the falling U.S. dollar has triggered a rush into metals.

Bitcoin [BTC] is showing the trend loud and clear. Back-to-back ETF outflows, with billions moving out week over week, have put its market “hedge” credibility against the falling U.S. dollar under the microscope.

Against this backdrop, Binance dropped an open letter. It announced that it’s converting the Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) fund’s $1 billion stablecoin stash into Bitcoin, aiming to complete the move within 30 days.

Source: Binance

From a technical view, at BTC’s current spot of around $80k, that’s roughly 12,500 BTC on paper. However, Binance isn’t going all-in at once. Instead, the plan is slow, strategic accumulation to avoid shaking the market.

On top of that, if the fund’s value dips below $800 million due to price swings, Binance will rebalance it to keep it at $1 billion. That means the focus isn’t on the exact BTC amount, but on slowly building up Bitcoin.

Taken together, Binance’s move sends a clear signal of confidence in the asset. But timing is key. With capital rotation putting BTC’s “hedge” status under scrutiny, is Binance deliberately trying to steer market sentiment?

Bitcoin move by Binance raises questions  With the market this volatile, Binance’s move has sparked mixed reactions.

Some skeptics are calling the timing “calculative,” pointing to Bitcoin’s 13% dip back to $80k. Put simply, the play seems obvious: Shake the market first, then “buy the dip” to trigger a frenzy and capitalize on the volatility.

On the flip side, many see it as a “much-needed” catalyst. In fact, Tron founder Justin Sun is reportedly looking to add to his Bitcoin holdings following Binance’s move, which only reinforces the bullish sentiment.

Source: TradingView (BTC.D)

Either way, the frenzy has put Bitcoin to the test.

From Binance’s perspective, this move is about building confidence. That means BTC is still seen as the key driver of market flows. In this context, a breakout in BTC.D past 60% could be exactly what this move is aiming for.

If it holds, it could reinforce BTC’s “hedge” status, especially as metals continue to wipeout trillions. If not, a muted impact might show that BTC.D is still fragile, further weakening Bitcoin’s store-of-value case against gold.

Final Thoughts Binance’s SAFU fund conversion aims to strengthen Bitcoin’s role as the main driver of market flows. The market’s reaction will determine if BTC dominance strengthens or remains fragile, affecting its store-of-value case against metals.

Ritika Gupta is a Financial Journalist and Geopolitical Analyst at AMBCrypto, specializing in the critical intersection of world politics, economic policy, and the cryptocurrency markets. Her analysis is informed by her distinguished background, which includes professional experience at major news network. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology from Gargi College, University of Delhi. This academic training provides her with a sophisticated framework for dissecting complex issues such as international regulations, government fiscal policies, and the geopolitical forces that directly influence asset valuations. At AMBCrypto, Ritika applies this expert lens to synthesize macroeconomic data and political developments, offering readers a deeper context for market movements. She excels at explaining not just what is happening in the market, but why it is happening. Her work is dedicated to providing strategic insights that empower readers to understand the complex relationship between global events and their digital assets.

Sat, 31/01/2026 - 17:12

Cardano has seen a 18,966.01% surge in the derivatives market even as the crypto market trades in the red.

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Cardano is trading in the red over the last 24 hours as the crypto market extended its declines on Saturday, compounding an earlier sell-off. The market crash shook out leveraged crypto futures bets worth $591 million in 24 hours.

Crypto prices remained under pressure as a partial government shutdown increased uncertainty in the markets.

In line with this drop, open interest (OI) in futures tied to most major cryptocurrencies has declined, with Cardano's open interest falling 3.68% in the last 24 hours to $597.55 million.

HOT Stories

As Cardano metrics remained in the red, an outlier lies in the derivatives market, with ADA futures volume skyrocketing 18,966.01% on the Bitmex crypto exchange to $285.69 million, according to CoinGlass data.

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Cardano volume has broadly declined in the derivatives market, down 19.6% to $1.41 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Cardano newsThis week, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson announced that USDCx, the non-EVM privacy version of USDC, is coming to Cardano, the latest delivery via Pentad and the community-funded Critical Integrations program.

Cardano's Midnight (NIGHT) token can now be bridged to COTI Network through ChainPort, according to an announcement this week. Pondora launched Echo, the first non-custodial Hydra implementation that transforms smart contracts into Hydra participants.

Pulse, which is believed to be Cardano’s privacy DEX, has gone live on the Midnight public testnet. Fluid Tokens stated it is now in the final stages of completing the Bitcoin Cardano bridge.

Input Output Engineering’s Hydra team and Masumi Network announced a collaboration this week to deploy Masumi, an AI agent on Hydra.

Progress is currently being made toward node v.10.7 integration as Cardano prepares for an intra era hard fork to protocol 11 version.

Professor Aggelos Kiayias, IO chief scientist, was named 2025 Fellow by the Association for Computing Machinery, which is one of the highest honors in computer science.

Related articles

Long-term bitcoin holders are selling at the fastest pace since August, while some industry observers suggest the market may be approaching a bear-market bottom. Jan 31, 2026, 5:14 p.m.

U.S. president Donald Trump’s surprise nomination of former Fed governor Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair boosted the dollar, unwound the precious metals rally, and is bringing bitcoin below a key support level.

Onchain data shared by Glassnode shows bitcoin was consolidating just above key structural support around $83.4K, the lower bound of its short-term holder cost basis model.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

A breakdown below that zone could open the door to a deeper slide toward $80.7K, the so-called True Market Mean.

That breakdown is occurring. Over the past 7-day period bitcoin BTC$83,460.68 lost more than 9.2% of its value and now trades at $81,200.

The broader market, measured via the CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index, lost 12.4% of its value over that period. That has meant the Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped to “extreme fear” over the week.

Glassnode’s report notes that short-term holder supply held at a loss with BTC above that level remained at 19.5%, well below the 55% capitulation threshold, suggesting some resilience despite downside pressure. However, buyer conviction is being tested as price drifts lower.

On the derivatives side, funding rates remain muted, pointing to cautious speculative appetite. Options markets are pricing in greater demand for downside protection, with dealer gamma flipping negative below $90K. That increases the risk of volatility spikes if support breaks.

Taken together, the data paints a picture of a fragile but not yet broken market. Liquidity remains the key variable.

The crypto market may currently be gripped by fear, but that could be a good signal.

According to crypto analytics platform Santiment, sentiment across various cryptocurrency communities has plunged to extreme lows, levels that have historically preceded price recoveries.

In a report, Santiment highlighted the rise in bearish commentary on social media as a rare bright spot in an otherwise downbeat environment.

“While network fundamentals are stagnant, crowd sentiment has hit extreme negativity levels,” the firm wrote. “Historically, this excessive bearishness is a strong contrarian indicator that a local bottom could be near.”

While prices have been dropping throughout the last few months, long-term bitcoin holders are selling at the fastest pace since August. Crypto prices fell over the week, seemingly over the U.S. dollar’s decline reversing.

Some industry observers say the current mood may be short-lived, however.

Bitwise’s CIO Matt Hougan had recently joined CoinDesk’s Markets Outlook, where he said crypto is in the late stages of a bear-market bottom. Historically, crypto markets have tended to move in the opposite direction of the crowd, the report points out.

Swift’s Payment Scheme is in a phased roll-out stage: will ISO 20022 compliant blockchain reap the benefits?

Market Sentiment:

Bullish Bearish Neutral

Published: January 31, 2026 │ 5:11 PM GMT

Created by Gabor Kovacs from DailyCoin

SWIFT, the 50-year old financial conglomerate, are dipping their toes into blockchain-based infrastructure. “We’re taking a bold step toward making cross-border payments as seamless as domestic ones”, – read the blog post about SWIFT’s new standard of consumer-originated transactions.

At Swift, we continue to evolve the cross border payments experience – and adding a blockchain based ledger to our infrastructure stack marks an important step forward in that journey.

Why does embedding a shared ledger matter?

Thierry Chilosi , our Chief Business Officer,… pic.twitter.com/xzSXnNhZ0D

— Swift (@swiftcommunity) January 29, 2026 Aside from recently testing Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) & Ripple (XRP), SWIFT employed more than 40 banks for the Swift Payments Scheme, the new revolutionary system that’s supposed to make international transactions instant. This enforces a new set of rules for qualified banks & institutions.

Do XRP & HBAR Play a Part in SWIFT’s New Scheme?Notably, the implementation of Swift’s Payments Scheme will be covered throughout 2026. This falls in line with SWIFT concluding XRP & HBAR testing for distributed ledger-based payment solutions, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee to deliver a clear winner. SWIFT’s executives are focused on multi-chain functionality.

Sponsored

However, those highly-compatible with the new ISO 20022 gold standard technically gain an advantage over vaguely-regulated counterparts. By the same token, Ripple (XRP), Hedera (HBAR) & Stellar Lumens (XLM), all DLT chains, have active partnerships with banks worldwide.

SWIFT is working with 40+ banks on real-time cross-border settlement.

Their MVP launches H1 2026.

The irony? That's the exact promise crypto made years ago. SWIFT isn't replacing crypto — it's admitting the old model failed. Any asset that can't integrate with modern rails… pic.twitter.com/HgGNc3reci

— Ripple Bull Winkle | Crypto Researcher 🚀🚨 (@RipBullWinkle) January 29, 2026 Blockchain integration is a “natural extension of the world we carry today into the digital era”, said Thierry Chilosi, the Chief Business Officer at SWIFT. Previously conducting business with Linea, a blockchain solution launched by MetaMask’s co-founders, SWIFT also acknowledged the need for instant payment rails during last year’s Hedera conference in Denver.

With this real-time settlement platform still in the works, the strategic shift could take both HBAR & XRP under SWIFT’s umbrella. For Ripple’s native XRP Ledger, the edge is game-tested trading volumes, handling billions of dollars on a regular day. Meanwhile, HBAR tops XRP Ledger in technical capabilities, able to handle up 10,000 transactions per second (TPS).

Discover DailyCoin’s hottest crypto scoops right now:
Cardano Whales Load Up $161M Amid Hoskinson’s Japan Tour
DePIN Hits $10B: Revenue Surges While Tokens Struggle

People Also Ask:What is SWIFT’s new retail payments scheme?

It’s a global initiative to make cross-border payments faster, transparent, and predictable for consumers and small businesses.

Why is this seen as “copying Ripple’s playbook”?

SWIFT’s focus on transparency, predictability, and end-to-end experience mirrors Ripple’s decade-long advocacy for modernizing payments.

When does the scheme launch?

Phased rollout starts with an MVP in the first half of 2026, building on pilots with 40+ banks worldwide.

DailyCoin's Vibe Check: Which way are you leaning towards after reading this article?

Market Sentiment

100% Bullish

This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein shall be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs pose a considerable risk of loss.

Costco is one of the dominant players in the retail sector.

In addition to Walmart and Amazon, Costco Wholesale (COST 1.21%) is one of the leading businesses in the retail sector. It has a global presence with over 900 warehouses in total. And the company has been a great portfolio addition for shareholders.

If you bought $100 worth of this retail stock 10 years ago, how much would you have today?

Image source: Getty Images.

In the past 10 years, Costco has produced a total return of 682% (as of Jan. 27). This means that a $100 starting investment would be worth $782 today. This is a wonderful gain that is much better than what the S&P 500 index would have returned.

It shouldn't be surprising that Costco's investment gains have been driven by strong fundamental performance. The company has far more warehouses today than it did a decade ago, which has resulted in increasing merchandise sales and a much bigger membership base of loyal customers. Consequently, Costco is registering much higher net income these days.

Today's Change

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But investors shouldn't rush to buy the stock just yet. Costco is an expensive investment opportunity today, with shares trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 52. The best move is to wait for a sizable pullback before even thinking about adding Costco to your portfolio.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

HomeDividends AnalysisDividend Quick Picks

SummaryData-Driven Resilience: Manhattan office leasing hit 42.8 million square feet in 2025, the highest since 2019.Tightening Trophy Supply: Availability in Midtown trophy assets has plummeted to a near-record low of 3.7%.SLG Valuation Gap: Management sees an 8.5% implied cap rate versus private sales at much higher prices.VNO Preferred Yields: Vornado preferred series offer secure income streams with yields up to 7.5%.Looking for more investing ideas like this one? Get them exclusively at High Dividend Opportunities. Learn More » Tim Robberts/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Co-authored with Beyond Saving

In investing, as in many other aspects of life, we often let bias cloud our judgment and allow fear of worst-case outcomes to take over.

Recently, there has been heightened anxiety

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SLG, AND VNO PREFERREDS either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Beyond Saving, Philip Mause, and Hidden Opportunities, all are supporting contributors for High Dividend Opportunities. Any recommendation posted in this article is not indefinite. We closely monitor all of our positions. We issue Buy and Sell alerts on our recommendations, which are exclusive to our members.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of META either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Palantir's business is firing on all cylinders, but the stock price leaves no room for error. Here's what investors must understand before buying.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR 3.47%) is delivering explosive growth, expanding margins, and elite AI adoption, but future returns depend on growing into a demanding valuation. I break down what Palantir must deliver next to help investors win.

Stock prices used were the market prices of Jan. 27, 2026. The video was published on Jan. 30, 2026.

Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

Is TSMC still an AI goldmine, or has Wall Street already priced in the upside? Here's what investors need to know right now.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM 2.66%) is dominating the AI chip supply chain with unmatched technology and scale. Exploding demand and strong margins point to long-term upside, but risks remain.

Stock prices used were the market prices of Jan. 26, 2026. The video was published on Jan. 30, 2026.

Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

“Our most recent RepTrak data suggests a new and more favorable narrative is percolating at Starbucks—and we are seeing the early stages of a reputation recovery,” said Stephen Hahn, RepTrak chief reputation and strategy officer. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Dissatisfaction among some Starbucks baristas has been brewing for years, ever since a Buffalo store voted to unionize in December 2021. More stores followed to form the Starbucks Workers United, which claims some 600 stores have joined its ranks—amounting to only 5% of the 11,000 North American stores.

Their frustrations boiled over in Starbuck’s critical first quarter. Seeking maximum impact, the union called a nationwide strike on November 13, Starbucks’s Red Cup Day—one of its most heavily trafficked days, when the holiday drinks menu is introduced, and free collectible cups are given away.

But the strike actions didn’t affect store performance. Starbucks posted its strongest Red Cup Day ever, despite widespread media coverage and support from politicians and labor groups.

And that pattern continued through the quarter. Instead of slowing, Starbuck’s sales accelerated as weeks passed, even as SWU continued to expand the strike through December 18, when the union issued its most recent statement, though it continues to describe the strike as open-ended.

Strike Didn’t Deter CustomersU.S. same-store revenues advanced 4% in the quarter ending December 28, after declining 2% in fiscal 2025. More significantly, the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program hit a record 35.5 million members, with member transactions growing for the first time in eight quarters—and non-member transactions rising even faster. Of note, the 3% increase in transactions this quarter is the first time since the second quarter of 2022 that transaction volume has risen.

The negative publicity surrounding the strike—with photo ops provided by Senator Bernie Sanders and NYC mayor Zorhan Mandami joining picket lines—didn’t turn away customers. While the dispute did initially impact public perception of the company’s fairness and ethics negatively, according to the corporate reputation consultancy RepTrak, Starbucks put that behind it as the season progressed.

MORE FOR YOU

“Our most recent RepTrak data suggests a new and more favorable narrative is percolating at Starbucks—and we are seeing the early stages of a reputation recovery,” said RepTrak chief reputation and strategy officer Stephen Hahn.

And that is owing to the leadership of CEO Brian Niccol, who, about a year-and-a-half into the job, has been restructuring the company under the “Back to Starbucks” strategic plan.

2026 Off To A Flying StartOverall, Starbucks revenue advanced 5.5% year-over-year to reach $9.9 billion in the first quarter, with 74% of sales generated in North America. Comparable same-store sales were up 4% globally, including 4% in the U.S. and North America and 5% internationally. While operating income dipped 21%, from $1.1 billion last year to $891 million this, the company remained focused on driving top-line growth now in order to deliver long-term sustainable, profitable growth later.

“It is clear from our top-line results that our ‘Back to Starbucks’ plan is working and our turnaround is taking hold,” Niccol said during the earnings call.

“We are clear on our long-term vision. We will be the world’s greatest customer service company. We will offer the best job in retail. We will be the community coffee house. Our brand will be visible, relevant and loved everywhere, and we will accelerate growth around the world. And finally, we will deliver on our commitments to shareholder value,” he continued.

Investor Day HighlightsThe day after earnings, Niccol and his senior executive team took the stage for investor day. They chronicled current achievements under the “Back to Starbucks” plan and outlined the financial framework to deliver long-term sustainable growth.

Niccol set the framework of investor day by restating the “Back to Starbucks” mission: a return to what originally made the company great. “Our brand is defined by the intersection of coffee craft, connection and community that comes to life in our coffee houses,” he said.

While the company is drawing inspiration from the past—it will introduce a 1971 dark roast coffee this February to honor the year of the Starbucks’ founding—it is leaning into leading-edge AI technology to manage staffing and orders to improve delivery times across its four access points: café, mobile, drive-thru and delivery. The company’s new chief technology officer, Anand Varadarajan, joins Starbucks after nearly two decades with Amazon.

Green Apron Service In PlayTo enhance the “third-place” coffeehouse experience, the more personalized Green Apron service standard has been rolled out across all 11,000 North American company-owned cafés, ahead of schedule, and the AI-powered Smart Queue algorithm supports baristas to speed orders to customers, no matter where they come from or how delivered. Average delivery times during peak hours for cafés and drive-thrus are now under the four-minute goal. Faster espresso machines are also coming.

Critical to the success of Green Apron service is company support of its 400,000 baristas and support staff. Niccol reiterated his commitment to offering the “best jobs in retail” with competitive pay, industry-leading benefits and career paths to move up.

“When our partners succeed, customers feel the difference and our entire business gets stronger,” he said.

More Inviting Third PlaceAs important as the $10 billion drive-thru business is, some 60% of orders still originate in the store. To enhance that experience, Starbucks has introduced an Uplift program to make cafés warmer, more comfortable and inviting. Some 200 U.S. stores have received the overnight uplift treatment at $150,000 a pop.

More than 1,000 makeovers will be completed by fiscal year-end, adding some 25,000 more comfortable seats to stores. The full U.S. fleet is expected to be uplifted by 2028.

Owning More Of The DayWhen the “Back to Starbucks” plan was first introduced, an initial goal was to own the morning. Niccol announced that milestone has been reached with more than 50% of the business conducted before 11 a.m.

Now he is setting his sights on expanding other dayparts, particularly the afternoon, when customers are looking for a pick-me-up. New protein-enhanced drinks and expanded Refresher offerings will meet that need, as will expanded tea, matcha, chai and food selections. Food now brings in about $6 billion in revenue and receipts have doubled since 2020.

New Rewards A revamped loyalty rewards program will launch in March, adding tailwinds to the current level of membership growth. The program will be tiered with members getting additional rewards as they move up.

The intent is to motivate members to reach higher tiers. The company figures that if only half of active members add just one additional transaction a year, it will reap an additional $150 million in revenue.

For fiscal 2026, the company expects global and U.S. comparable sales to grow by 3% or more, with slightly improved operating margins. Some 600 to 650 new coffeehouses, including company-operated and licensed stores, will come on board, adding to the current 41,000 global coffeehouses.

Looking to 2028By fiscal 2028, net revenue growth is expected to reach 5% or more with comparable global and U.S. store sales holding at 3% or better and between 2% and 3% coming from new stores.

Operating margin will grow from 9% currently to between 13.5% and 15% with earnings per share in the range of $3.35 to $4. Earnings per share on a trailing-twelve-month basis were $1.63 in fiscal 2025.

New store growth will ramp up to 2,000 in 2028, including 400 new company-owned stores and around 200 licensed locations in the U.S., as well as some 1,500 stores internationally.

Starbucks has implemented a new store design model that reduces construction costs by about 20%, improves space use for staff, and creates a more welcoming environment for customers.

While Niccol sees opportunities for licensed store growth in North America—where about 40% its 18,400 locations are licensed—licensings with local partners will be the model going forward internationally. The aim is to grow the share of licensed international stores to 90%, up from 55%.

Currently, it sees significant growth potential in China with strategic partner, Boyu, expanding from the current 8,000 stores to as many as 20,000.

Investors Remain CautiousNiccol and his team hit all the right notes during investor day. “‘Back to Starbucks’ is the strategic currency of our turnaround. It is working and our work is ahead of schedule,” Niccol shared as he stressed comparable sales and transactions are up, brand trust and affinity is growing, consumer connection scores are at record highs, and the innovation pipeline is well stocked.

“Frankly, the shine is back on Starbucks here in the United States and around the world. So I’m confident that this is just the beginning for Starbucks and our iconic brand,” he continued. “We’re building a business that delivers the best of Starbucks for every customer, every partner, and every shareholder. And we’re positioning Starbucks for unrivaled success, global growth, and profitability for many years to come.”

However, investors weren’t convinced. Stocks reached nearly $105 per share after Wednesday’s earnings report, then dropped about 5% as the week has progressed, leaving the stock down roughly 15% year-to-date.

Continued Reputational ChallengesAt the end of January, a shareholder‑rights law firm announced an investigation into whether company officers and directors have breached their fiduciary duties, citing potential mishandling of governance issues.

Adding to the scrutiny, previous restrictions on Niccol’s use of a private jet, which were already generous, were removed due to security risks, and his widely publicized nearly $100 million pay package last year gave him the dubious distinction of having the largest CEO-to-worker pay ratio among the S&P 500.

Meanwhile, Starbucks still faces unfair labor allegations stemming from the SWU strike and as RepTrak data shows, its corporate reputation recovery is a work in progress, not a done deal.

“Starbucks is on the path to a reputation rebound—but the inherent risk is that the goodwill rhetoric becomes nothing more than positive intentions—and not decisive actions,” Hahn stressed. “Taking thoughtful action and not just speaking the words will ultimately shape Starbucks’ reputation recovery.”

Staying On PlanRecent results suggest customers are seeing and feeling the improvements in the “Back to Starbucks” strategy. It’s now up to Niccols and team to keep the positive momentum going—and by all accounts, he and the team intend to do so.

“If you just look at the past 18 months, we really have built a disciplined plan,” he said as he closed his investor day remarks. “We built the plan, we’re working the plan, and I’m happy to say the plan is working.”

See Also:

ForbesStarbucks Strike Drags Into Second Month As Deadlock Deepens And Global Support GrowsBy Pamela N. DanzigerForbesStarbucks To Pay $38.9 Million To Settle Violations Of New York City Labor LawBy Pamela N. Danziger

These monster dividend stocks yielding up to 7.7% are solid buys to generate steady income in 2026.

While growth stocks often steal the headlines, ultra-high-yield dividend stocks with a strong track record of dividend stability and growth are among the most powerful tools for building real wealth. If your goal is to build a secure passive income stream for 2026 and beyond, here are five top high-yield stocks to buy right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Enterprise Products Partners: 6.4% Enterprise Products Partners (EPD 1.10%) is among the largest midstream energy companies in the U.S., with a pipeline spanning 50,000 miles. 2026 is a major inflection point for the pipeline stock. After spending nearly $4.5 billion on organic growth projects in 2025, Enterprise expects its capital spending to drop to $2.5 billion in 2026.

As new projects come online and capital expenditures (capex) taper, Enterprise will have more cash to return to its shareholders. It has already expanded its share repurchase program from $2 billion to $5 billion, and large dividend increases could be next in line. Enterprise has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years.

2. Realty Income: 5.3% yield Realty Income (O +1.07%) pays a dividend every month and has increased it for 113 straight quarters. As a real estate investment trust (REIT), Realty Income is required to distribute at least 90% of its annual taxable income as dividends to its shareholders.

Realty Income owns a highly diversified portfolio of over 15,500 commercial real estate properties across 92 industries. While a triple-net lease structure significantly reduces operating costs, diversification helps Realty Income generate stable cash flows across market cycles and interest rate environments, making it a top dividend stock to buy for 2026.

3. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners: 5% yield Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP 0.55%) owns high-quality assets across utilities, transport, midstream energy, and data sectors, most of which earn predictable income under long-term contracts. The company also sells mature assets periodically to fund new growth opportunities.

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Current Price

$

36.15

In 2025, Brookfield raised $3 billion through capital recycling and is deploying money into high-growth areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Management foresees a strong 2026 and is targeting 5% to 9% annual growth in funds from operations and dividend per share in the long term.

4. Oneok: 5.3% yield Oneok (OKE +0.80%) stock fell by over 25% in 2025 as its debt swelled after back-to-back mega acquisitions of Magellan Midstream, Medallion Midstream, and EnLink Midstream. The acquisitions, however, have significantly expanded Oneok's pipeline capacity and are expected to generate nearly $500 million in synergies in the near term.

Oneok's 4% dividend raise in January 2026 further underscores its ability to reward shareholders despite concerns over debt. With management confident of raising the annual dividend by 3% to 4% in the long term, Oneok is a compelling turnaround high-yield play for 2026.

5. MPLX: 7.7% yield MPLX (MPLX 0.60%) is one of the highest-yielding large-cap stocks in the energy sector. Marathon Petroleum's (MPC +0.26%) backing provides MPLX with predictable revenues from long-term contracts and significant growth opportunities.

MPLX data by YCharts.

MPLX's recent acquisitions and expansions in the Delaware, Marcellus, and Permian basins set the pace for a strong 2026. In the first nine months of 2025, MPLX's net earnings grew by 15%, and it raised its dividend by 12.5%. Investors can expect another big dividend raise later this year, making this monster high-yield stock a top buy.

Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Enterprise Products Partners, and Oneok. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

I'm craving two beverage stocks this month. One is hitting all-time highs while the other just went on sale.

As January 2026 draws to a close, two stocks in the consumer goods sector strike me as particularly strong buys -- for very different reasons. Shares of soft drinks veteran Coca-Cola (KO +1.88%) are setting all-time price records while the rapidly expanding coffee chain Dutch Bros (BROS 5.52%) backed down 34% from last year's peak.

Yes, the investment theses for these beverage stocks could hardly be more different. But there should be room for both approaches in a diversified investment portfolio. So let's see why I'm drooling over Coke and Dutch Bros right now. I mean the stocks, not the drinks (or maybe both, honestly).

Today's Change

(

1.88

%) $

1.38

Current Price

$

74.81

The secret fizz behind Coca-Cola's record highs At first glance, Coca-Cola doesn't look like a record-setting business titan.

CEO James Quincey is stepping down in March after nearly a decade in the CEO seat. Longtime COO Henrique Braun should hit the ground running as his replacement, but Wall Street usually takes a dim view of C-suite transitions.

Sales volumes are holding firm across most product types and geographical markets. Coca-Cola keeps its top-line revenues growing by raising prices.

Health-conscious drink types aren't saving the day, either. Juice, plant-based beverages, and dairy products saw 3% lower revenue in the third quarter.

Yet the stock keeps rising. As of this writing on Jan. 29, Coke's share price is up by a market-beating 17.8% in 52 weeks.

And that makes sense, too. You see, Coca-Cola is making all the right moves.

Replacing Quincey with Braun won't make much of a difference. The two executives have worked together for years, as Braun rose through the ranks under Quincey's leadership. Steady shipping volumes can be an achievement in a rickety global economy. Archrival PepsiCo (PEP +3.32%) saw 2% lower case shipments in the same period, despite raising its prices at a slower pace. And healthy drinks aren't all juices and milk. Water brands like Dasani and Smartwater posted 3% year-over-year growth, and the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar brand saw 14% growth. And Zero didn't undermine the rest of Coke's sugar-free portfolio, as Diet Coke and Coke Light also enjoyed positive shipping volumes. It's invigorating to see a centennial company rising to new heights, despite ever-changing and unpredictable market conditions. Whatever's next, I'm sure Coca-Cola is already preparing for it. So I don't mind buying Coke's stock at a record-high price. It's still inexpensive at 24 times trailing earnings, and the stock looks poised to deliver investor value in 2026 and beyond.

Today's Change

(

-5.52

%) $

-3.17

Current Price

$

54.30

Dutch Bros is brewing up a national takeover Dutch Bros isn't a classic start-up. The company has been around almost as long as Starbucks (SBUX 2.10%), having started as an Oregon coffee stand in 1992. With a unique drink menu, a tight focus on drive-thru windows, and famously friendly service, the company built an empire on the West Coast.

The story changed in 2021. Dutch Bros entered the public stock market with nearly three decades of operating history under its belt. It immediately began a nationwide growth project, which carries on today. The store count has doubled in five years and should double again by the end of 2029.

It's an exciting growth story, made possible by the drive-thru store template's low construction costs and simpler maintenance. The company is currently expanding in my neck of the Florida swamps, with coffee shops in 24 states as of Q3 2025.

Image source: Getty Images.

And the growth story goes beyond just opening more locations. The Q3 store count rose by 14% year over year, while revenues jumped 25% and net income soared 38% higher. America is thirsty for what Dutch Bros is selling, from classic espresso-based coffee concoctions to the Rebel store brand of energy drinks.

It's a profitable growth story with ambitious long-term goals. Dutch Bros also keeps beating analysts' revenue and earnings targets in every quarter. I'll admit that the stock isn't cheap, trading at 115 times trailing earnings today. But the price includes a reasonable premium for Dutch Bros' caffeinated business growth.

The share price is also relatively low, having retreated 34% from the peak in February 2025. If you were looking for a price correction before starting a Dutch Bros position, this could be just the drawdown you asked for.

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The case for gold and gold miners is compelling for two reasons. Firstly, gold can serve as a strategic hedge against inflation. Secondly, some major miners extract silver, copper, and other essential metals for industrial applications, all of which have recently reached all-time highs. Spot gold has surged above the summer 2020 highs and, in 2025, posted its best year since 1979. From a technical perspective, the gold market was showing signs of a potential massive upside breakout before the recent implosion in Gold and Silver. The two precious metals were up an astonishing 80% and 209%, respectively, so while the selling was dramatic, it should come as no surprise given those substantial and remarkable gains. 

Gold remains a compelling investment despite the recent selloff because its core strengths are unchanged. It continues to serve as a proven hedge against inflation and currency devaluation, offers zero counterparty risk, and provides essential portfolio diversification during economic uncertainty. Recent price weakness often creates attractive entry points for long-term investors, especially given that central banks worldwide remain net buyers, underscoring institutional confidence in gold’s enduring value as a store of wealth.

Gold to $10,000

Market veteran Ed Yardeni, one of the most respected voices on Wall Street, noted this when discussing the potential for gold at $10,000 per ounce.

Ed Yardeni stated that if gold continues on its current path, it could reach $10,000 before the end of the decade. More specifically, Yardeni’s key predictions include $5,000 per ounce by 2026 and $10,000 per ounce by 2028. In the long term, analysts expect gold to trade between $10,000 and $16,150 over the next 10 years.

We conducted some research and found that the most powerful structural force is the global shift in reserve holdings. Central bank gold holdings amount to nearly 36,200 tonnes and account for almost 20% of official reserves, up from around 15% at the end of 2023. Diversification away from U.S. dollar reserve holdings, while still moderate, has accelerated in recent years, according to published sources. Central banks continue to increase the percentage of gold in their international reserves, fundamentally reshaping the global economic landscape. This is a potential structural reallocation that creates sustained and immense buying pressure.

We recently noted that the price of Gold has far outpaced the gains for the top miners in the sector. We have five companies that all pay dependable dividends, providing investors with an excellent way to participate in what could be the biggest commodities rally ever. We also have an ETF for investors seeking the ability to own an investment that holds physical gold. All five of the stocks we recommend are also rated Buy by the top Wall Street firm we cover.

Agnico Eagle Mines This top company, one of Wall Street’s most preferred North American gold producers, offers a small 0.74% dividend. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) is a Canada-based senior gold producer with a diversified portfolio of long-life, high-quality assets across Canada, Australia, Finland, and Mexico, supported by a strong pipeline of exploration and development projects that provide meaningful growth optionality.

The company’s cornerstone operations include the Canadian Malartic Complex, Detour Lake, Fosterville, Goldex, Kittilä, La India, LaRonde Complex, Macassa, Meadowbank Complex, Meliadine, and Pinos Altos, complemented by strategic exploration properties such as Barsele, Hope Bay, Hammond Reef, Morelos Sur, and projects in Australia’s Northern Territory.

The Canadian Malartic Complex is strategically located near Malartic, Quebec, approximately 25 km west of Val-d’Or. Fosterville is a flagship high-grade, low-cost underground mine near Bendigo, Australia. The company also controls 100% of its significant Quebec land position (128,680 hectares), which includes promising projects such as Marban Alliance, Horizon, Alpha, Launay, and Peacock.

Citigroup has a Buy rating with a $256 target price.

Barrick Gold This stock, another top contender in the sector, offers a still promising entry point and a 1.20% dividend yield. Barrick Mining Corp. (NYSE: B) and Randgold Resources completed their merger on Jan. 1, 2019, propelling them to the forefront as one of the world’s largest gold companies by production, reserves, and market capitalization. 

The company is a global gold and copper producer engaged in mining, exploration, and development across some of the world’s most significant mineral districts.

Barrick Gold operates a diversified portfolio of gold mines in Argentina, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and the United States, as well as copper operations in Zambia, Chile, and Saudi Arabia.

Key assets include Nevada Gold Mines, Kibali, Loulo-Gounkoto, Pueblo Viejo, Veladero, Bulyanhulu, North Mara, Porgera, Lumwana, Jabal Sayid, and Zaldívar—anchored by large-scale, long-life operations with both underground and open-pit mines.

Jefferies has a Buy rating with a $55 target price objective.

Franco-Nevada Franco Nevada has increased its annual dividend by 0.57% for 18 consecutive years since its 2008 IPO. It operates with a debt-free balance sheet: this top royalty and streaming company profits from gold mining without the operational risks of mine development. Franco-Nevada Inc. (NYSE: FNV) is a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in Latin America, the United States, Canada, and internationally.

The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, including gold, silver, and platinum-group metals, and also sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.

While the company is one of the leading gold-focused royalty and streaming companies, with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow-producing assets, its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to cost inflation. Traits that some of the others don’t offer.

UBS has a Buy rating with a $270 target price.

Newmont Corporation Newmont Corporation is the world’s largest gold mining entity, yielding a modest 0.79%, and is a timely buy for more conservative accounts. Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) is a gold company and a producer of copper, zinc, lead, and silver with operations and/or assets in Africa, Australia, Latin America & Caribbean, North America, and Papua New Guinea.

The Company’s operations include:

Brucejack Red Chris Penasquito Merian Cerro Negro Yanacocha Boddington Tanami Cadia Lihir Ahafo NGM The Brucejack operation includes four mining leases and six core mineral claims, covering 8,169 acres, and 337 mineral claims covering 298,795 acres.

The Red Chris operation includes five mining leases covering 12,703 acres and 199 mineral claims, totaling 164,903 acres. 6 Penasquito includes 20 mining concessions for operations comprising 113,231 acres and 60 mining concessions for exploration of 107,456 acres.

The Merian operation includes one right of exploitation encompassing an area of 41,687 acres.

Raymond James has an Outperform rating with a $130 target price.

Wheaton Precious Metals This precious metals company makes sense for more conservative accounts seeking exposure to the sector and pays a 0.43% dividend. Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE: WPM) is a Canada-based precious metals streaming company with approximately 60% of its revenue from silver sales and 40% from gold sales, and provides upfront financing to miners in exchange for the right to purchase a portion of future production.

The company holds roughly 35 streaming and five royalty agreements, spanning a diversified portfolio of gold, silver, palladium, platinum, and cobalt from 18 operating mines and 28 development projects.

Key operating assets include Antamina, Blackwater, Constancia, Cozamin, Los Filos, Marmato, Neves-Corvo, Peñasquito, Salobo, San Dimas, Stillwater & East Boulder, Sudbury, Voisey’s Bay, and Zinkgruvan.

Bank of America has a Buy rating with a $144 price target.

The SPDR Gold Shares ETF (NYSE: GLD) is one of the best pure plays on Gold for investors. The fund holds physical gold bullion and some cash. Each share represents one-tenth of an ounce of gold. The fund does not pay dividends.

Proper asset allocation should always include a single-digit percentage allocation to precious metals such as gold and silver. Not only do they hedge against inflation, which could be significant now and over the long term, but they can also help if the market enters a correction or bear market, as they tend to trade inversely to declining markets.

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Plug Power's value has nearly evaporated over the past five years as its financial performance has been abysmal. The company has incurred billions in losses during the last 12 months, and its cash burn is also problematic.