Market Signal Briefing

TL;DR

Over $9 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire, anchoring price near the max pain point. Concentration of contracts at nearby strikes makes price more sensitive to hedging flows. Ethereum shows a more fragile risk profile with record leverage and higher demand for puts. Crypto markets confront one of the month’s largest options expirations. More than $9 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts expire this Friday, January 30, creating unusual pressure on price behavior at a time when leverage remains high and spot market momentum loses strength.

Bitcoin accumulates $8.3 billion in options open interest, while Ethereum adds $1.27 billion. The exposure distribution explains why BTC stays anchored near $90,000 without managing to break higher in a sustained manner.

Deribit data shows strong contract concentration between $85,000 and $95,000. The $90,000 level represents the max pain point, where most options would expire worthless. The 0.54 put-call ratio signals net bullish positioning but increasingly covered with defensive hedges.

Futures open interest remains stable according to Deribit, confirming no broad deleveraging event occurs. Exposure migrated toward options-based positions, where traders express their views through complex structures instead of direct leveraged futures.

Ethereum Shows More Fragile Structure With Record Leverage When exposure concentrates around nearby strikes, price becomes more sensitive to hedging flows than to organic spot market demand. Market makers dynamically adjust their hedges on both sides, absorbing momentum on rallies and cushioning drops.

Binance’s 7-day net taker flow remains barely positive for Bitcoin. Buyers are present but without aggression. In previous bullish expansions, taker buy volume expanded decisively and absorbed selling pressure consistently.

Ethereum enters expiry with a more delicate risk profile. Its put-call ratio reaches 0.74, showing higher demand for downside protection compared to Bitcoin. The max pain level sits near $3,100, while price consolidates well below its previous highs.

The options chain reveals wider strike dispersion, with notable put interest accumulating below current levels. Traders show less confidence in ETH’s ability to hold support cleanly and actively hedge against sharper bearish moves.

CryptoQuant reports that Ethereum’s estimated leverage ratio on Binance reached record highs. Elevated leverage is not bearish by itself, but combined with unstable taker behavior it increases the probability of abrupt price dislocations. ETH trades around $2,920 and needs to sustain above $3,080 to trigger a major short covering move.

Crypto markets sharply underperformed traditional assets on Thursday, extending losses even as equities and gold staged partial recoveries. What began as modest overnight declines accelerated into a major selloff during U.S. trading hours, highlighting ongoing weakness across digital assets. Bitcoin fell nearly 6% over the past 24 hours and was trading just above $84,000 at press time, hovering dangerously close to the lower end of its two-month trading range. A breakdown below this level could signal a deeper correction for the world’s largest cryptocurrency.

The broader market backdrop was turbulent. The Nasdaq dropped more than 2% earlier in the session before recovering to close down just 0.7%, while gold plunged almost 10% from a fresh overnight record before rebounding above the $5,400 per ounce mark. Unlike stocks and precious metals, however, crypto prices failed to mount a meaningful bounce and remained near session lows throughout the afternoon.

Major altcoins followed bitcoin lower. Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin were all down roughly 7% over the same 24-hour period, reflecting widespread risk aversion in the crypto market. Crypto-related equities also struggled, with Coinbase, Circle, and bitcoin treasury firm Strategy posting losses ranging from 5% to 10%.

Analysts remain divided on what comes next for bitcoin. Matt Mena, crypto research strategist at 21Shares, said holding above the $84,000 support level is critical. If that level breaks, he sees $80,000 as the next key area of demand, followed by potential support near $75,000, a level tested during the April 2025 tariff-driven selloff. Despite near-term weakness, Mena believes current prices represent a compelling entry point and maintains a bullish outlook, projecting bitcoin could reach $100,000 by the end of the first quarter and potentially climb to $128,000 if macroeconomic conditions improve.

Other market watchers are more cautious. John Glover, CIO at Ledn, views the selloff as part of a broader correction from October’s record highs and warned bitcoin could slide toward $71,000. He noted that investors are currently favoring traditional safe havens such as gold and the Swiss franc, while bitcoin continues to trade like a risk asset alongside equities. Russell Thompson of Hilbert Group echoed the bearish sentiment, suggesting technical support has weakened and a drop toward $70,000 remains possible, even as longer-term fundamentals stay constructive.

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El Salvador has once again made headlines in global finance after its central bank confirmed the purchase of $50 million worth of gold, reinforcing the country’s unconventional yet closely watched economic strategy. The announcement, shared Thursday via an official post on X, revealed that the Central American nation acquired 9,298 troy ounces of gold, increasing its total gold reserves to 67,403 ounces. At current market prices, El Salvador’s gold holdings are now valued at approximately $360 million.

The move underscores El Salvador’s efforts to diversify its national reserves at a time of heightened volatility across global financial markets. While the country is best known for its bitcoin-friendly stance, the gold purchase highlights a parallel strategy of strengthening traditional safe-haven assets alongside digital currencies. President Nayib Bukele amplified attention to the announcement by reposting it on social media with the comment, “We just bought the other dip,” a remark that sparked debate over whether he was referring to gold, bitcoin, or both.

Data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham suggests the comment may have been intentionally ambiguous. On the same day as the gold purchase, El Salvador reportedly added one more bitcoin to its national holdings, consistent with Bukele’s long-standing commitment for the government to buy one bitcoin per day. According to Arkham, the country now holds 7,547 bitcoin, valued at roughly $635 million at current prices, with bitcoin trading just above $84,000.

El Salvador’s dual accumulation of gold and bitcoin reflects a broader strategy aimed at balancing innovation with financial stability. Gold continues to serve as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty, while bitcoin represents a long-term bet on digital assets and financial sovereignty. This combination has drawn both praise and criticism from economists, investors, and international institutions, but it has undeniably positioned El Salvador as a unique case study in modern reserve management.

As global interest in alternative assets grows, El Salvador’s latest gold purchase and ongoing bitcoin accumulation will likely remain under close scrutiny, offering insight into how nations may adapt their reserve strategies in an evolving financial landscape.

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On-chain data shows the XRP addresses holding over a million tokens have seen a reversal in behavior with some population growth in January.

Millionaire XRP Wallets Have Been Growing In Count Recently As pointed out by on-chain analytics firm Santiment in a new post on X, large XRP wallets have seen growth during the past month. The indicator of relevance here is the “Supply Distribution,” which tells us, among other things, the total number of addresses that belong to a given coin range.

In the context of the current topic, the range of interest is the one with 1 million tokens as the lower bound and no upper bound. Currently, the cutoff for the range converts to $1.87 million, so the only investors who would qualify for it will be those with substantial holdings.

As the below chart for the cohort’s Supply Distribution shows, these whales saw their population shrink between October and December.

The trend in the Supply Distribution of the XRP whales over the last few months | Source: Santiment on X This decline in the indicator came as the cryptocurrency sector as a whole went through a bearish shift. In total, the XRP network saw the exodus of 784 millionaire wallets during this window, a significant amount. Since the start of January, however, the trend has flipped. “XRP’s price is down a modest 4% since the start of 2026, but its number of ‘millionaire’ wallets is rising for the first time since September,” noted Santiment.

So far, the increase in addresses holding more than 1 million tokens hasn’t been anything too notable, though, with just 42 wallets of this size popping back up on the blockchain. That said, the fact that big-money investors are no longer leaving the network could still be a meaningful development.

A network that has seen a development related to whales that’s not so positive is Dogecoin. Citing data from Santiment, analyst Ali Martinez has highlighted in an X post how the memecoin has faced a 94.6% plunge in whale transaction activity during the last few weeks.

The whale-sized transfers on the DOGE blockchain have been going down recently | Source: @alicharts on X As displayed in the above graph, whale-sized XRP transactions numbered at 109 four weeks ago, but today, that figure has dropped to just 6. This suggests that the large entities have shifted their attention away from Dogecoin.

This could reflect the risk-off behavior in the wider sector, where the big-money investors are choosing to pull back as uncertainty surrounds the market.

XRP Price XRP is trading around $1.87 right now, down 22% compared to its top from early January.

Looks like the price of the coin has gone down in recent weeks | Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com

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Keshav is a Physics graduate who has been employed as a writer with Bitcoinist since June 2021. He is passionate about writing and through the years, he has gained experience working in a variety of niches. Keshav holds an active interest in the cryptocurrency market, with on-chain analysis being an area he particularly likes to research and write about.

Circle dropped USDCx today. The stablecoin giant rolled out its privacy-focused token on Aleo blockchain January 29, marking a pretty big shift toward confidential crypto transactions that could shake up how people move digital money around.

Aleo’s zero-knowledge proof tech makes it the perfect home for USDCx, basically letting users send payments without broadcasting their business to the world. Circle picked this blockchain for good reason – transaction privacy is becoming a huge deal as more people worry about their financial data getting exposed. The partnership gives users something they’ve been asking for: a way to move dollars digitally without everyone watching. Dante Disparte, Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer, said privacy isn’t just nice to have anymore. “As the digital economy expands, maintaining transaction confidentiality is paramount,” per Disparte. Circle sees this as way more than responding to market demand.

USDCx stays pegged to the dollar. Just like regular USDC.

But here’s where things get interesting – unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum where anyone can trace your transactions, USDCx keeps that stuff private. Circle didn’t reveal exactly when USDCx goes live on Aleo, though the timing seems pretty close based on their announcement. The company chose Aleo specifically because of its privacy infrastructure, which uses advanced cryptography to verify transactions without exposing the details. Jeremy Allaire, Circle’s CEO, has talked before about how user trust depends on privacy. He thinks USDCx could set new standards for how stablecoins work.

The move comes as privacy coins like Monero and Zcash gain more users who want financial confidentiality.

Circle’s betting that regulated privacy beats the wild west approach of existing privacy tokens. The stablecoin market hit $120 billion recently, and Circle wants a bigger piece of that pie. They’re not just maintaining their current spot – they’re going after new users who prioritize private transactions. And there’s a lot of those people out there, apparently.

Aleo founder Howard Wu built the blockchain specifically for zero-knowledge proofs, which basically means you can prove something happened without revealing what actually happened. Pretty clever stuff. Circle’s statement said privacy and security “remain at the core of our mission” as they build what they call a more inclusive financial system.

The crypto world is watching to see how this plays out. Will other stablecoin issuers follow Circle’s lead? Probably, if USDCx takes off. The competitive landscape could shift pretty fast toward privacy-focused solutions, especially as regulatory pressure mounts on traditional transparent blockchains.

Circle didn’t spill details about transaction fees or processing times yet. No word on exactly how USDCx integrates with Aleo’s network either. That’s left traders and institutions guessing about the practical side of things. Some analysts think the lack of specifics means Circle’s still working out the kinks, while others see it as typical pre-launch secrecy.

The regulatory angle gets tricky here. Circle insists USDCx will meet all compliance requirements, but balancing privacy with regulatory demands isn’t easy. Different jurisdictions have different rules about financial privacy, and some regulators get nervous about transactions they can’t track. Circle’s walking a tightrope between giving users what they want and keeping regulators happy.

Market response will tell the real story. If institutions start using USDCx for private transactions, other stablecoin projects might scramble to add privacy features. If it flops, the whole privacy stablecoin concept could stall out. Circle’s reputation is basically on the line here – they’ve positioned themselves as the reliable, compliant stablecoin issuer, and USDCx tests whether they can innovate without losing that trust.

Industry watchers are particularly curious about adoption rates. Privacy-focused crypto users tend to be pretty vocal about what they want, but they’re also skeptical of anything that smells too corporate or regulated. Circle needs to convince both privacy advocates and mainstream users that USDCx delivers real value. That’s not an easy sell, especially when existing privacy coins already serve the hardcore privacy crowd.

The timing seems deliberate. Regulatory scrutiny of crypto transactions is ramping up globally, making privacy features more attractive to regular users who never cared about that stuff before. Circle’s probably betting that mainstream adoption of privacy tools is about to explode, and they want to be ready with a compliant option when it does.

But success isn’t guaranteed. The crypto space is littered with projects that sounded great on paper but failed in practice. USDCx needs to actually work well – fast transactions, low fees, easy integration with existing wallets and exchanges. If the user experience sucks, all the privacy features in the world won’t save it.

Circle’s partnership with Aleo also signals where the company thinks blockchain tech is heading. Zero-knowledge proofs are getting more attention from both crypto developers and traditional finance companies looking for ways to protect customer data while maintaining transaction integrity. Circle’s basically making a bet that this technology becomes standard in digital finance.

The announcement leaves plenty of questions unanswered. How will exchanges handle USDCx deposits and withdrawals? What happens if regulators decide privacy stablecoins are too risky? Will Circle launch USDCx on other privacy-focused blockchains, or is Aleo getting exclusive access? These details matter for anyone thinking about using or investing in the new token.

Circle’s stock jumped 3% after the USDCx announcement, suggesting investors like the privacy angle. But the real test comes when users start actually trying to move money with the new stablecoin. Privacy features don’t mean much if the underlying infrastructure can’t handle real-world transaction volumes.

The Federal Reserve has been studying central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) that could offer similar privacy controls, putting additional pressure on private stablecoin issuers to differentiate their offerings. Circle’s move into privacy tokens positions them ahead of potential government competition in the digital dollar space.

Major cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinbase and Binance have already expressed interest in supporting privacy-enhanced stablecoins, according to industry sources. Their backing could accelerate USDCx adoption among retail traders who currently rely on mixing services or privacy coins for confidential transactions.

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Executives at Optimism Collective have officially passed a proposal that commits 50% of Superchain sequencer revenue to buy back the company’s OP token. 

The buyback strategy will start in February and make use of over-the-counter (OTC) providers to convert the Ethereum from the sequencer into OP.

The Optimism Collective buyback strategy The Optimism Collective has officially passed a proposal that had an 84.4% approval rating. The proposal is called OP-0017 and allows the Optimism Foundation to use half of all net profits generated by the Superchain sequencer to buy back OP tokens. The program is a 12-month pilot scheduled to begin in February 2026.

Under the approved plan, the Foundation will partner with an over-the-counter (OTC) provider to execute monthly conversions of Ethereum (ETH) into OP. These repurchased tokens will be held in the Collective treasury, and their final use, which could be staking rewards, ecosystem grants, or potential future burns, will be determined by community votes.

Cryptopolitan recently reported that the Optimism (OP) token hit a record low of $0.2519 in December 2025, leading to this “revenue-sharing” model.

Over the past year, the Superchain generated approximately 5,868 ETH in revenue. At current market valuations, the 50% allocation would represent roughly $8 million in annual buyback pressure, but conversions will pause if monthly revenue falls below $200,000.

Optimism is scheduled to unlock 31.34 million OP tokens on January 31, which accounts for approximately 1.62% of the circulating supply and is valued at roughly $9 million based on current prices.

Are buybacks effective? By aggregating fees from dozens of chains built on the OP Stack, Optimism is betting that total volume will provide a more stable revenue base than any single network could achieve alone.

The company recently released a 10-year post-quantum roadmap showing its plans to phase out traditional wallet signatures by January 2036 to protect the Superchain against future threats from quantum computing.

Jupiter co-founder Siong Ong recently challenged the protocol’s $70 million buyback, noting that it failed to move the JUP price during the massive 2025–2026 token unlocks. Helium (HNT) also began to focus on operational expansion after finding buybacks ineffective.

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21Shares has launched a Jito-staked Solana exchange-traded product in Europe, offering listed exposure to the SOL token with staking embedded.

The 21Shares Jito Staked SOL ETP will trade under the ticker JSOL in US dollars and euros and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Paris, making it the first Europe-listed ETP backed by JitoSOL, according to the company. The product holds JitoSOL directly and reflects staking rewards in its net asset value.

Issued by the Jito Network, JitoSOL represents SOL (SOL) deposited into a liquid staking program on the Solana network, where staked tokens remain transferable rather than locked. Holding JitoSOL allows investors to earn staking yield through a liquid token, without directly delegating to validators or managing onchain staking operations.

In a series of posts on X on Thursday, Jito said the product offers institutional investors regulated access to JitoSOL while capturing staking and MEV-related rewards. 

Source: Jito_solThe protocol said its European launch builds on last year’s JitoSOL ETF filing from VanEck in the United States and reflects a broader effort to expand institutional access to its liquid staking infrastructure.

21Shares is a Switzerland-based issuer with more than 55 crypto ETPs listed across European exchanges and about $8 billion in assets under management globally, according to the company. It launched its first physically backed crypto ETP in 2018.

Since October, it has operated as a subsidiary of FalconX, while maintaining independent product and investment operations.

Jito Network launched in 2021 and focuses on liquid staking and validator infrastructure on Solana. At the time of writing, its JitoSOL token had a market capitalization of about $1.67 billion, according to CoinGecko data.

Source: CoinGecko Solana staking ETFs launch in US, but liquid staking still up for debateIn the US, regulators have approved several Solana staking ETFs, but liquid staking has yet to receive clearance.

In July, the first Solana staking ETF listed in the country recorded $12 million in net inflows on its first day of trading. In October, Bitwise’s Solana staking ETF launched with more than $220 million in assets. The product provides exposure to Solana alongside staking-derived yield. That same month, Grayscale Investments launched a staking-enabled Solana spot ETF in the US.

US regulators have approved multiple Solana staking ETFs, but continue to bar liquid staking products from the domestic market.

In July, Jito Labs, along with asset managers VanEck and Bitwise, urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission to allow liquid staking in Solana ETPs, arguing it could improve capital efficiency and reduce operational rebalancing.

About a month later, VanEck filed for a US-listed ETF that would hold JitoSOL. At the time of writing, the ETF had not been approved.

Lucas Bruder, CEO of Jito Labs, told Cointelegraph that the company expects JitoSOL-based products to receive approval in the US and is seeing growing interest from markets in Asia and the Middle East.

“The path forward relies on continued education around digital assets, proof-of-stake mechanics, and Solana's infrastructure advantages,” Bruder said.

Magazine: ‘If you want to be great, make enemies’: Solana economist Max Resnick

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Shiba Inu recorded a net outflow of 33,217,400,000 SHIB from exchanges over the last 24 hours, according to onchain data dated today. The negative net flow indicates a higher volume of withdrawals than deposits across centralized platforms.

The outflows were recorded on exchanges such as Binance, Coinbase, and other high-volume platforms. The transfers involved large addresses and retail accounts, with multiple transactions spread throughout the day. No extreme concentration in a single address or isolated events were observed that altered the overall market pattern.

SHIB’s price is trading within a sideways range. The token hovered around $0.00000750 after a 3.95% decline. Trading volume remained stable compared with previous sessions, with no abrupt changes in liquidity. The memecoin maintains a positive performance for January despite the latest correction.

Source: https://cryptoquant.com/asset/shib/chart/exchange-flows

Disclaimer: Crypto Economy Flash News are based on verified public and official sources. Their purpose is to provide fast, factual updates about relevant events in the crypto and blockchain ecosystem.

This information does not constitute financial advice or investment recommendation. Readers are encouraged to verify all details through official project channels before making any related decisions.

In brief A conference for degen traders changed its name at the last minute. Reddit was prepared to enforce its ownership of a trademark. The founder of WallStreetBets sued Reddit in 2023 and lost. A Miami-based conference dedicated to the most reckless traders in finance and crypto underwent a last-minute name change—the latest twist in a yearslong rift between WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski and Reddit.

The three-day event, which was initially promoted as “WallStreetBets Live,” is now being referred to as “[REDACTED] Live.” In a press release, the event’s organizers said the shift was made in light of “legal threats” from the social media platform.

A Reddit spokesperson told Decrypt that it “occasionally trademarks the names of certain communities to protect the creativity and interests of the users,” describing the practice as a way to prevent any single person from exploiting the identity of a broader group.

Reddit’s lawyers sent a C&D to cancel Miami event. They say my presence "falsely suggests their sponsorship."

Let’s be clear: They aren’t sponsoring us. They’re terrified of us.

They fight to survive. We chose to evolve.

[REDACTED] Live kicks off Jan 28. pic.twitter.com/zA3k7HWi5N

— REDACTEDbets (@wallstreetbets) January 26, 2026

Tickets for the event cost as much as $10,000. Jordan Belfort, the former stock broker known as the “Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli are among scheduled speakers. Both were convicted of securities fraud.

The conference is being sponsored by several high-profile crypto firms, including crypto exchange Kraken, prominent crypto-native IP Pudgy Penguins, and NFT marketplace OpenSea, according to [REDACTED] Live’s website. Along those lines, the event bills itself as a place “where degens meet Davos.”

The Reddit forum that Rogozinski created in 2012 was foundational to the emergence of meme stocks, with GameStop’s pandemic-era short squeeze serving as its most explosive and culturally defining moment. Efforts among retail investors to bet big against Wall Street short sellers became tinged with populism and bravado associated with “diamond hands.”

In the press release, Rogozinski evoked those same themes, arguing that Reddit “risks stirring a hornet's nest with a long memory and a track record of collective action” by reaching “into real-world gatherings to police culture it did not create.”

Rogozinski sued Reddit in 2023, claiming he owned the trademark to WallStreetBets and that his ouster as a moderator amounted to a breach of contract. The Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s ruling in November, which sided with Reddit, per Bloomberg Law.

Reddit’s justification for ousting Rogozinski as a community moderator centered on claims that the founder violated company policy by “attempting to monetize a community,” according to Rogozinski’s filed complaint.

When the lawsuit was first brought, a Reddit spokesperson described Rogozinski's claims to Decrypt as "frivolous," noting that his removal preceded GameStop’s cult-like following.

The organizers of [REDACTED Live] received a cease and desist letter on Saturday night via email, according to Moe Levin, who has produced other Miami-based crypto events, such as WAGMI. He told Decrypt that materials for the event had already been printed.

“There's always last minute curveballs,” he said. “We had to change everything to comply.”

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TL;DR

Uniswap launches Continuous Clearing Auctions (CCAs) directly within its web app on February 2. They distribute token supply block-by-block to prevent sniping and early price distortion. Auctions automatically seed a Uniswap v4 liquidity pool at the final discovered price. Uniswap Labs prepares the rollout of a new on-chain auction format inside its main web application. The company has confirmed the launch of Continuous Clearing Auctions (CCAs) on February 2, 2026, introducing a standardized method for token launches built directly into the Uniswap interface. The update adds a dedicated “Auctions” tab within the Explore section, allowing users to find active auctions, place bids, and claim tokens without leaving the platform.

The feature runs across Ethereum, Unichain, Arbitrum, and Base, signaling an effort to establish auctions as a core on-chain mechanism rather than a side experiment. CCAs target persistent issues linked to early liquidity formation and price distortion. 

Instead of concentrating supply in a single high-pressure event, tokens enter circulation gradually, block by block, over a defined period. Each block clears at one unified price, set at the highest level where all tokens allocated to that block sell. 

Participants submit bids with a maximum price and total spend, while the protocol spreads the order across remaining blocks. Execution occurs only when the clearing price stays at or below the bidder’s limit.

Continuous auctions and liquidity formation Once the auction ends, proceeds automatically seed a Uniswap v4 liquidity pool at the final discovered price. The process establishes immediate secondary-market trading and reduces exposure to early bot-driven volatility.

By distributing demand over time, the structure removes the ability to capture supply in a single block, making large-scale sniping structurally impossible. Early bidders gain an advantage, since earlier participation increases exposure to lower prices in initial blocks, while all activity remains fully on-chain, offering transparent, real-time insight into price formation.

Another change lies in standardization. Projects no longer need to design or maintain custom auction interfaces. Uniswap indexes auctions by default and displays them inside the web app, which lowers technical overhead and limits fragmentation across launch venues. The result favors consistency, visibility, and direct access.

21Shares launches JSOL ETP, offering Solana exposure with liquid staking yield, listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Paris.

Izabela Anna2 min read

29 January 2026, 10:16 PM

21Shares has expanded its Solana investment lineup with the launch of a new exchange-traded product tied to liquid staking yields. The firm announced the debut of the 21Shares Jito Staked SOL ETP, trading under the ticker JSOL, offering regulated access to JitoSOL. 

The product allows investors to gain Solana price exposure while capturing staking rewards without managing tokens directly. Consequently, the launch targets institutions seeking yield, liquidity, and operational simplicity through traditional brokerage accounts.

JSOL was listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Paris on January 29, 2026. According to the press release, the ETP carries a total expense ratio of 0.99%. It tracks JitoSOL, the largest liquid staking token on the Solana network. Additionally, investors can access the product in both U.S. dollars and euros through standard market infrastructure.

Yield-Focused Structure Targets Institutional DemandJitoSOL differs from traditional staking instruments through its dual-yield structure. Investors earn standard staking rewards alongside incremental revenue from transaction prioritization. 

Hence, holders retain full Solana price exposure while collecting network-generated yield. This structure removes the need for validator management, lockups, or technical overhead.

Alistair Byas-Perry, VP and Head of EU Investments and Capital Markets at 21Shares, said the product builds on the firm’s Solana strategy. He stated, “The 21Shares JSOL ETP is designed to give investors access to one of the most recognised Solana liquid staked tokens through their existing brokers.” He added, “By launching the world’s first JitoSOL ETP, 21Shares is once again innovating in the space.”

Moreover, 21Shares previously launched the first staked Solana ETP in 2021. That product remains the largest Solana ETP globally. The JSOL launch extends this approach by focusing on yield optimization and liquidity.

Solana Adoption Grows Despite Market PullbackSignificantly, the launch comes as Solana trades lower in the short term. SOL fell to $116.95, posting a 6.52% daily decline and a 9.41% weekly drop. However, analysts continue to track constructive technical signals.

Crypto analyst Satoshi Flipper noted that SOL shows strong chart confluence near key support. He added that buying at these levels could be favorable, as price compression inside a descending wedge signals fading selling pressure. According to his analysis, resistance levels stand near $140 and $180, while a breakout could target $220 to $250.

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Izabela Anna is a knowledgeable freelance journalist, who boasts over five years of experience covering the cryptocurrency market. Her tenure has seen her navigate through the ebbs and flows of multiple market cycles, giving her a deep understanding within. Her journalistic focus lies in dissecting price action dynamics, scrutinizing the on-chain landscape, and providing insights from a technical perspective, making her a trusted voice in the realm of cryptocurrency reporting.

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Latest Solana (SOL) News Today

El Salvador's central bank buys $50 million of gold as government keeps adding bitcoin The bitcoin-friendly nation's central bank now holds over $360 million of the yellow metal, while the government, led by President Nayib Bukele, has bitcoin holdings worth $635 million. Jan 29, 2026, 10:19 p.m.

What to know: El Salvador's central bank added $50 million of gold to its reserves on Thursday.The country also made its usual purchase of 1 bitcoin, bringing the government’s holdings to 7,547 coins, worth $635 million.The central bank of El Salvador, the tiny bitcoin-friendly nation in Central America, added $50 million worth of gold to its reserves, the institution said Thursday in an X post.

The purchase — 9,298 troy ounces — brings the country's total gold holdings to 67,403 ounces, valued at roughly $360 million at current prices

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

President Nayib Bukele reposted the announcement, writing, "We just bought the other dip." Whether Bukele was applauding the gold buy or cheekily announcing the government's own bitcoin buy wasn't clear. Arkham data did show the country adding one bitcoin to its holdings on Thursday, in line with Bukele's ongoing pledge for his government to buy one bitcoin per day.

The country's stack, according to Arkham, now stands at 7,547 bitcoin worth $635 million at bitcoin's currently depressed price just above $84,000.

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Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture

Dec 30, 2025

Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.

What to know:

Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.

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U.S. SEC, CFTC chiefs push united front on paving the way for crypto

4 hours ago

With Commodity Futures Trading Commission head Mike Selig new in the role, the agencies held a "harmonization" event to show they're side-by-side.

What to know:

New CFTC Chairman Mike Selig revealed an ambitious crypto agenda as he and SEC Chairman Paul Atkins held a "harmonization" event to demonstrate a united effort on digital assets.Selig said he'd pursue a number of CFTC policies, including on crypto definitions, tokenized collateral and prediction markets.Top Stories

Pepe Shiba inu XRP

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Tim Hakki

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Tim Hakki

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Last updated: 

48 minutes ago

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

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

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

XRP ($XRP): Claude AI Predicts XRP Could Surge to $8 by 2027Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) began 2026 with gusto, gaining 19% in the opening week of the year. Now trading near $1.83, Claude AI estimates that a sustained bull market could send XRP as high as $25 by the end of 2026. That scenario represents potential upside of around 1,200%, or more than thirteen times its current price.

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

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

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

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

Shiba Inu (SHIB): Claude AI Projects 817% Returns for 2026 SHIB HODLersShiba Inu ($SHIB), introduced in 2020 as a playful challenger to Dogecoin, has evolved into a major crypto ecosystem with a market capitalization of around $4.3 billion.

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

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

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

Pepe ($PEPE): Claude AI Explores a 2,000% Bullish ScenarioPepe ($PEPE), which launched in April 2023, has become the largest meme coin outside the doge meme category, with a market capitalization of roughly $2 billion.

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

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

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

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

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

Maxi Doge (MAXI): A Meme Coin Built for Extreme SwingsFinally, outside of Claude’s ken, Maxi Doge ($MAXI) has quickly become one of January’s most discussed meme coin presales, raising more than $4.5 million ahead of its initial exchange listings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit the Official Website Here

Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation relaunched the Ethereum DAO. They allocated around 75,000 ETH, part of which will be used to improve on-chain security.

The new DAO will feature a $220 million fund. Of that amount, $13.5 million will be assigned to security project grants through member voting. The remaining 69,420 ETH will be staked in the Beacon Chain contract to generate passive income, estimated at up to $8 million annually from block and fee rewards.

The relaunch will use unclaimed ETH from the original DAO, which dissolved after a hack that resulted in a loss of around 3.6 million ETH. The original DAO led to the creation of Ethereum Classic through a hard fork.

Griff Green, co-founder of several Ethereum ecosystem projects, will lead the new structure. The DAO contract and its governance mechanisms are already active.

Source: https://x.com/thedaofund/status/2016898906915811488

Disclaimer: Crypto Economy Flash News are based on verified public and official sources. Their purpose is to provide fast, factual updates about relevant events in the crypto and blockchain ecosystem.

This information does not constitute financial advice or investment recommendation. Readers are encouraged to verify all details through official project channels before making any related decisions

The United States federal government is on track for another shutdown by the end of Friday. The Congressional Democrats have been pushing for changes to ICE policies, thus standing in the way of President Donald Trump. On Thursday, the Senate blocked the House-approved 6-bill spending package with a vote of 45–55.

Crypto Price Prediction Today 29 January – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum Bitcoin Ethereum XRP

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Ahmed Balaha

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Crypto Price Prediction Today 28 January – XRP, Solana, Bitcoin Crypto Price Prediction Today 27 January – XRP, Ethereum, Dogecoin Crypto Price Prediction Today 26 January – XRP, PEPE, Shiba Inu Crypto Price Prediction Today 23 January – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum Crypto Price Prediction Today 22 January – XRP, Solana, Sui Ad Disclosure

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17 minutes ago

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

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

Bitcoin Price Prediction: You Definitely Can’t Be This Bad? $80,000 Could Be NextSource: Bitcoin ETF Net Flow Chart / CMCAs of today, January 29, Bitcoin has completed 7 consecutive days of ETF outflows, marking the longest streak since its debut.

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

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

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

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

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

Ethereum Price Prediction: ETH Takes The Passenger Seat And Drops HarderEthereum’s next move still depends heavily on Bitcoin holding up and overall risk appetite improving, while ETF and tokenization narratives remain more medium-term drivers than immediate catalysts.

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

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

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

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

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

XRP Price Prediction: Losing 12 Months’ Support Could Get Things Ugly Really FastXRP has been holding above the $1.80 support for more than 12 months now. Price has bounced from this level multiple times, and it is now retesting it again, with many analysts expecting it to finally give way.

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

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

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

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

Can Bitcoin Hyper Actually Save You From This Bear Market?As Bitcoin slips toward the low $80,000s and altcoins like Ethereum and XRP lose key support levels, the same structural issue keeps showing up.

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

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

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

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

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

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

Ripple XRP News XRP Price Prediction

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Alejandro is a seasoned financial analyst and adept business expert with over seven years of experience in dissecting complex business topics and vital market trends. His insightful writing, which has...

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Last updated: 

26 minutes ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

XRP Price Prediction: Clearing the 200D EMA Could Push XRP Back to $3The daily chart shows that XRP has struggled to clear the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) multiple times in the past few months.

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

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

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

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

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

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) Presale Unlocks New Use Cases for BTC Using SolanaBTC is famous for its security, but its slow speeds and high fees have prevented its ecosystem from growing any further.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

Journalist

Posted: January 30, 2026

After dealing with the threat of MSCI index exclusion, the pioneer in Bitcoin corporate treasury, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), is facing another FUD. 

Some community members claimed the firm has been buying derivatives or “rehypothecated” coins, also known as paper BTC. 

However, Michael Saylor, founder and chairman of Strategy, dismissed these claims and clarified, 

“We buy real Bitcoin. We audit our custodians. We don’t rehypothecate. You shouldn’t either.”

Strategy faces scrutiny over BTC holdings Currently, Strategy holds 712K BTC, with most of the stash accumulated in the past two years. In 2024, the firm invested about $20 billion in Bitcoin [BTC] and added another $23 billion in the crypto asset in 2025.

So far, in 2026, it has poured close to $4 billion into the crypto asset and acquired over 40K BTC. 

Source: CryptoQuant

Interestingly, the 2026 bid rivaled even the 11,700 BTC mined this year. To some analysts, such as Jesse Myers, this meant the asset would eventually rally amid the supply crunch. 

But the price charts have been muted despite the Strategy’s aggressive multi-billion-dollar BTC bids. 

This got Jameson Lopp, a security researcher and Founder of the BTC custody platform CasaHODL, wondering whether he’s actually buying the real BTC. He posed, 

“Your thesis is sensible (BTC rallying as Strategy buys more)… under the assumption that he’s buying real bitcoin.”

He questioned whether the firm can verify that its holdings aren’t being used by its custodians for other purposes. 

“Does Strategy actually verify that their Bitcoin only belongs to them and isn’t rehypothecated? I’m skeptical.”

Strategy’s +110K BTC untraceable Strategy currently uses three custodians to store its BTC: Coinbase, Anchorage, and Anchorage Digital. About 420K BTC of Strategy stash is held at Coinbase and Anchorage, and is traceable because they use segregated addresses, according to an on-chain analyst. 

In fact, the stash held by these two custodians is also tracked by Arkham, which estimates it at 415K BTC.

Over 183K BTC was reportedly sent to Fidelity Custody, but since it doesn’t separate wallets like Coinbase and Anchorage, it becomes challenging to track these holdings. 

Source: Arkham

That leaves over 110K BTC unaccounted for across these three custodians, noted analyst Sani. In fact, this is the main contention and what critics use to question whether Strategy really holds the entire +700K BTC it claims to own. 

At press time, Saylor didn’t respond to social media calls to share ‘proofs’ of the holdings of the untraceable BTC.

Meanwhile, Strategy’s MSTR stock price slid about 2% to $157.45 at press time. This followed BTC’s 1.5% decline after the FOMC meeting.  

Final Thoughts  Saylor denied claims that his firm has been buying ‘paper BTC’ or rehypothecating its holdings for other purposes.  Over 110K BTC owned by Strategy aren’t traceable, while over 185K BTC held at Fidelity Custody can’t be verified. 

The United States is preparing for an artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure buildout that rivals the scale of World War II mobilization. Alger, a pioneer in growth-equity investing, predicts AI-related spending could reach 5.6% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the decade.

The AI investment cycle could reshape electricity demand, manufacturing capacity, and productivity gains across the economy, according to a recent market commentary from Alger. The projections come as investors increasingly look for ways to capitalize on the AI boom reshaping American industry.

To better understand the scale of this investment wave, during World War II, the U.S. war effort cost $330 billion, which translates to about $6 trillion in today’s dollars. This is close to what the U.S. is expected to invest in AI infrastructure from 2025 through 2030, according to the commentary.

What’s driving these massive investments is the sheer computing power AI requires, according to Alger. A simple AI query requires roughly 10 times more compute than a traditional Google search. A query requiring reasoning may use more than 100 times the compute of a typical search, while an AI agent booking a family trip could use 1,000 times the compute of a Google search.

Power Grid Under Pressure That computing demand translates directly into electricity needs. U.S. electricity demand plateaued from 2005 through 2020 as the economy shifted toward services and outsourced heavy industry.

Looking ahead, U.S. power demand is now projected to grow through 2050, driven by data centers running intense AI workloads, widespread electrification, and domestic industrial manufacturing, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration projections cited in the report.

The investment surge is being reinforced by favorable economic conditions, according to Alger. The Federal Reserve has cut rates by approximately 175 basis points since September 2024, lowering borrowing costs as corporate balance sheets remain strong.

Alger believes the Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (ALAI) is positioned to capture this trend through holdings in companies at the center of the AI buildout. The fund, which launched in April 2024, has returned 43.4% since its inception, as of 12/31/25 according to ETF Database.

ALAI holds NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) at 11.4% of its assets, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) at 9.7%, and Meta Platforms Inc. (META) at 5.7% as of 12/31/25, according to ETF Database. Additionally, the fund charges a 0.55% expense ratio.

For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Artificial Intelligence Content Hub. 

Disclosure Information Click here for standard performance and more information on the Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF.

The following positions represented the noted percentages of ALAI assets as of December 31, 2025: Alphabet Inc.: 9.21%.

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. DUE TO MARKET VOLATILITY, CURRENT PERFORMANCE MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN THE FIGURES SHOWN. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold in the secondary market, may be worth more or less than original cost. Returns less than one year are not annualized. Performance does not reflect the deduction of commissions, which a broker may charge to execute a transaction in Fund shares, and an investor may incur the cost of the spread between the price at which a dealer will buy shares and the price at which a dealer will sell shares. Market performance is determined using the official closing price on the New York Stock Exchange. Market performance does not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. To obtain performance data current to the most recent month end, please visit www.alger.com. Index performance does not represent the fund’s performance. Investors may not invest directly in an index.

Performance shown is net of fees and expenses.

The views expressed are the views of Fred Alger Management, LLC (“FAM”) and its affiliates as of January 2026. These views are subject to change at any time and may not represent the views of all portfolio management teams. These views should not be interpreted as a guarantee of the future performance of the markets, any security or any funds managed by FAM. These views are not meant to provide investment advice and should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell securities. Holdings and sector allocations are subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Risk Disclosures: Investing in the stock market involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks as their prices tend to be higher in relation to their companies’ earnings and may be more sensitive to market, political, and economic developments. Companies involved in, or exposed to, AI-related businesses may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel as they face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence, and many depend significantly on retaining and growing their consumer base. These companies may be substantially exposed to the market and business risks of other industries or sectors, and may be adversely affected by negative developments impacting those companies, industries or sectors, as well as by loss or impairment of intellectual property rights or misappropriation of their technology. Companies that utilize AI could face reputational harm, competitive harm, and legal liability, and/or an adverse effect on business operations as content, analyses, or recommendations that AI applications produce may be deficient, inaccurate, biased, misleading or incomplete, may lead to errors, and may be used in negligent or criminal ways. AI technology could face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the future, which may limit the development of this technology and impede the future growth.  AI companies, especially smaller companies, tend to be more volatile than companies that do not rely heavily on technology. A significant portion of assets will be concentrated in securities in related industries, and may be similarly affected by adverse developments and price movements in such industries. A significant portion of assets may be invested in securities of companies in related sectors, and may be similarly affected by economic, political, or market events and conditions and may be more vulnerable to unfavorable sector developments.  Investing in companies of small and medium capitalizations involves the risk that such issuers may have limited product lines or financial resources, lack management depth, or have limited liquidity. The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified fund” under federal securities laws because it can invest in fewer individual companies than a diversified fund. Private placements are offerings of a company’s securities not registered with the SEC and not offered to the public, for which limited information may be available. Such investments are generally considered to be illiquid. Foreign securities involve special risks including currency fluctuations, inefficient trading, political and economic instability, and increased volatility. ADRs and GDRs may be subject to international trade, currency, political, regulatory and diplomatic risks. Active trading may increase transaction costs, brokerage commissions, and taxes, which can lower the return on investment. At times, cash may be a larger position in the portfolio and may underperform relative to equity securities.

ETF shares are based on market price rather than net asset value (“NAV”), as a result, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund may also incur brokerage commissions, as well as the cost of the bid/ask spread, when purchasing or selling ETF shares. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation and/or redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive less (or more) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. The Manager cannot predict whether shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at NAV. The Fund may effect its creations and redemptions for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. As such, investments in Fund shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that distributes portfolio securities entirely in-kind. Brokerage fees and taxes will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed shares in-kind. Certain shareholders, including other funds advised by the Manager or an affiliate of the Manager, may from time to time own a substantial amount of the shares of the Fund. Redemptions by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

Alger pays compensation to VettaFi to sell various strategies to prospective investors.

Before investing, carefully consider a Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses. For a prospectus and summary prospectus containing this and other information or for a Fund’s most recent month-end performance data, visit  www.alger.com, call (800) 992-3863 (for a mutual fund) or (800) 223-3810 (for an ETF), or consult your financial advisor. Read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing. Distributor: Fred Alger & Company, LLC. All underlying series of The Alger ETF Trust listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. NOT FDIC INSURED. NOT BANK GUARANTEED. MAY LOSE VALUE.

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As the market transitions into a new phase of the economic cycle, VettaFi’s Winter Symposium offered a vital framework for tactical portfolio adjustments. 

Top strategists joined VettaFi on January 29 to provide data-backed forecasts on the trajectory of global interest rates, persistent inflationary pressures, and the resilience of corporate earnings. Advisors came away from the event with the tools needed to mitigate risks stemming from sudden regime shifts while capturing alpha in a fragmented market.

2025 ETF Flow Trends: Key Takeaways for the New Year Ahead Fidelity Investments Head of ETF Strategy  Craig Ebeling joined VettaFi’s Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth and Director of Research Cinthia Murphy to discuss the firm’s fascinating survey data. Ebeling broke down fund flow data by fund fee, and compared flows in equities and fixed income segments.

Why Make Free Cash Flow the Core of a Portfolio? From price-to-earnings ratios to dividend yields, there are various metrics investors can use to identify value in today’s market. One powerful metric worth noting, however, is free cash flow (FCF). VictoryShares and Solutions portfolio manager Michael Mack joined TMX VettaFi in this winter symposium to discuss FCF strategies in 2026. He covered how they can work in different market environments as well as complement various investor portfolios.

Fixed Income in Focus at the Symposium Samarth Sanghavi, head of fixed income products at TMX VettaFi, discussed how the 2026 fixed income market is faring alongside moderator Kirsten Chang, senior industry analyst at TMX VettaFi. Noting that he believes now is the time for folks to move out of cash, Sanghavi highlighted investment-grade credit, intermediate-duration treasuries, and liquid mortgage-backed securities as potential alternatives. Sanghavi also explained how he and his team create differentiated fixed income indexes that stand out.

Nuclear Powers on in 2026 Stacey Morris, head of energy research at VettaFi, and Lauren Hein, client solutions at Exchange Traded Concepts, discussed the recent outperformance of nuclear energy driven by Big Tech demand and bipartisan government support. The panel highlighted the transition of nuclear energy into a high-growth sector, specifically focusing on the potential of small modular reactors (SMRs) and the strategic use of the Range Nuclear Renaissance ETF (NUKZ) to capture the entire global nuclear supply chain.

Hidden in Plain Sight: The AI & Robotics Ecosystem The AI and robotics investment opportunity extends far beyond the mega-cap tech names dominating headlines. That key theme was explored in a discussion led by Roxanna Islam, head of sector and industry Research at VettaFi. The panel featured Rafael Silva, research analyst at VettaFi, and Lauren Hein from Exchange Traded Concepts.

Silva pointed to healthcare robotics as a strong example of this “hidden ecosystem.” He noted that medical robot installations increased by 91% in 2024 and that AI-enhanced imaging has led to “better outcomes” for patients. Meanwhile, Hein emphasized that the real opportunity lies in owning the “entire robotics and automation global supply chain.” She advised investors to look beyond traditional tech staples to capture the full “AI as a disruptor story.”

For more exclusive insights for advisors, watch the replay of, “Winter Symposium: New Year. New Strategy” from Thursday, January 29, 2026. Follow the link here to catch the replay.

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Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights. 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

If you currently own United Natural stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Our firm would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

Why Your Participation Matters:

Shareholder involvement can help improve a company's policies, practices, and oversight mechanisms to create a more transparent, accountable, and effectively managed organization, which can enhance shareholder value.

Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLC
One World Trade Center
85th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.halpersadeh.com

SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights. 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Vestis Corporation (NYSE: VSTS) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

If you currently own Vestis stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Our firm would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

Why Your Participation Matters:

Shareholder involvement can help improve a company's policies, practices, and oversight mechanisms to create a more transparent, accountable, and effectively managed organization, which can enhance shareholder value.

Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLC
One World Trade Center
85th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.halpersadeh.com

SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights. 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFCR) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

If you currently own Lifecore stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Our firm would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

Why Your Participation Matters:

Shareholder involvement can help improve a company's policies, practices, and oversight mechanisms to create a more transparent, accountable, and effectively managed organization, which can enhance shareholder value.

Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLC
One World Trade Center
85th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.halpersadeh.com

SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights. 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

If you currently own Starbucks stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Our firm would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

Why Your Participation Matters:

Shareholder involvement can help improve a company's policies, practices, and oversight mechanisms to create a more transparent, accountable, and effectively managed organization, which can enhance shareholder value.

Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Halper Sadeh LLC
One World Trade Center
85th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.halpersadeh.com

SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Key Takeaways Caterpillar shares rose to close at a record high on Thursday, as the company's fourth-quarter results topped estimates.Demand for equipment and construction machinery to build out AI data centers has boosted Caterpillar's results in recent quarters. America's construction and farming equipment giant Caterpillar has become a big beneficiary of the AI boom.

Shares of Caterpillar (CAT) climbed 3.4% to close at a record high above $665 Thursday, after the company posted quarterly results that topped estimates, thanks in part to strong demand for machinery and equipment to build out AI data centers.

The latest gains extend a blistering rally for Caterpillar's stock that's seen the shares surge 16% in January so far. They've added more than three-quarters of their value over the past 12 months, making Caterpillar the Dow Jones Industrial Average's top performer over the period.

Why This Is Significant Growing demand for equipment used to build out AI data centers has helped offset negative impacts on Caterpillar's margins from the Trump administration's tariffs. Its stock gains illustrate how the AI boom has lifted shares from a wide range of industries, and AI's far-reaching impact on the market.

Caterpillar on Thursday morning reported an adjusted $5.16 per share on a 18% year-over-year rise in revenue to $19.1 billion for the fourth quarter. Both figures topped analysts' projections compiled by Visible Alpha.

Sales in the company's construction industries segment grew 15%, while the power generation portion of Caterpillar's power and energy division that makes large engines and generators used to power data centers saw revenue surge 44%.

CEO Joe Creed said during Thursday's earnings call that Caterpillar expects investments in data centers "will further bolster overall construction spending" this year, according to a transcript from AlphaSense.

Wall Street analysts are somewhat divided on whether Caterpillar's stock has room to rise, however. Though ratings are still in flux, the nine analysts with current ratings tracked by Visible Alpha are split between five "buy" and four "hold" ratings. With Thursday's gains, the stock has climbed past their mean target around $662.

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