Market Signal Briefing

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Based in Seattle, WaFd (WAFD - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 4.62%. The holding company for Washington Federal Savings Bank is paying out a dividend of $0.27 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.22% compared to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.96% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.37%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.08 is up 0.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, WaFd has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 4.27%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. WaFd's current payout ratio is 40%, meaning it paid out 40% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for WAFD for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $3.06 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 12.50%.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, WAFD is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Meme stock GameStop, once a dominant brick-and-mortar video game retailer, is continuing to close more stores in 2026. 

The retailer, whose business model was threatened by digital adoption in the gaming industry, closed 590 stores nationwide in fiscal 2024 and said that it plans to close a "significant number of additional stores" in its 2025 fiscal year, which ends in January 2026. 

Ticker Security Last Change Change % GME GAMESTOP CORP. 21.42 +0.13 +0.61% The company didn't disclose the number of stores that it was closing in fiscal 2025 or where they were located. However, in recent days, several people on X posted pictures of recently shuttered locations in different states, with one user even linking to an unofficial blog that has been tracking GameStop's closures. 

WILL GAMESTOP SURVIVE? HERE'S WHAT ITS CO-FOUNDER SAYS

FOX Business reached out to GameStop for comment. 

The company warned in early 2025 that it anticipated closing a "significant number" of additional stores and revised its investment policy, paving the way for the video game retailer to invest in Bitcoin. 

 A Gamestop store is seen in Union Square on April 04, 2025 in New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

"The overall goals of the Investment Policy are to provide sufficient liquidity to meet the day-to-day financial obligations of the Company, and to optimize investment returns within the guidelines of the Investment Policy," GameStop said at the time. 

GAMESTOP, AMC MEME REVOLUTION: 1 YEAR SINCE RETAIL INVESTORS TOOK STOCKS ON WILD RIDE

The company has faced financial difficulties since the 2010s as digital game downloads rose in popularity and competition increased from online retailers such as Amazon and big-box chains. A majority of GameStop stores were also located in malls, which faced declining foot traffic. 

A GameStop store in New York, US, on Monday, March 4, 2024.  (Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In its December earnings report, the company reported that revenue continued to decline, falling $39.3 million year over year.

LINKEDIN REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING ADDING GAMING TO ITS REPERTOIRE

It became a fading relic of the mall era before rapidly becoming one of the most famous meme stocks in market history in 2021. 

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In early January, the company granted CEO Ryan Cohen a performance-based stock option award to drive growth. In order for him to cash in, the company's market cap would need to reach $100 billion. It's currently at $9 billion. 

GameStop Chairman Ryan Cohen. (FBN)

In January, retail investors, many of whom were organized on Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets, began aggressively buying the stock, which has lost over 34% during the past 12 months.

GameStop

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National shareholder rights law firm Hagens Berman is issuing a reminder to investors in Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN) that the deadline to move the Court for appointment as lead plaintiff in the pending securities class action lawsuit is January 12, 2026. The firm urges investors who suffered substantial losses in LRN to contact Hagens Berman now to discuss their rights.

The lawsuit seeks to recover investor losses sustained after the purported disclosure of two distinct, alleged fraudulent schemes: inflated enrollment figures (using “Ghost Students”) and a catastrophic technology platform failure. The cumulative impact of these disclosures caused the stock to crash 54% in a single day, leading to a sudden loss of billions in market capitalization.

The complaint details how Stride and its executives allegedly misled investors about core business metrics and operational stability. The subsequent revelation of the severity of the platform upgrade failure—which CEO James Rhyu acknowledged resulted in “poor customer experience”—is alleged to have contradicted prior assurances of strong growth.

For a detailed breakdown of the fraud allegations and operational failures, visit the dedicated Hagens Berman Stride (LRN) Case Page.

“Stride’s alleged conduct in the pending suit is particularly egregious, as the complaint alleges a systematic practice of inflating enrollment figures with ‘Ghost Students’ and maintaining improper student-to-teacher ratios just before revealing a foreseeable technological failure,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm’s investigation. “We are specifically focused on gathering evidence linking these alleged compliance and operational failures to the 54% crash.”

The Alleged Dual Fraud: Claimed "Ghost Student" Scheme and Platform Upgrade Failure

The litigation focuses on how two distinct, undisclosed operational failures corrected the market’s misperception of Stride’s true financial health.

      1.   The Alleged Enrollment Fraud & Compliance Risk:

The Claim: The company allegedly utilized unlawful business practices, including retaining “Ghost Students” (students who never officially started or were absent for extended periods) to artificially inflate enrollment metrics and profit margins.

Financial Impact: The initial disclosure that partially revealed these undisclosed facts led to an 11% stock drop.

      2.   The Alleged Concealed Technology Catastrophe:

The Claim: Stride allegedly failed to disclose severe, known issues with a critical platform upgrade implemented over the summer, which blocked access for an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 enrolled students, stifling growth and requiring costly remediation.

Financial Impact: The alleged revelation of this operational failure forced the company to forecast a dramatically slowed sales growth of only 5% (down from its historical 19%), and triggered the single-day 54% stock crash.

      3.   Alleged Recoverable Damages and the Defined Class:

The complaint seeks to recover losses for investors who purchased LRN securities during the Class Period (October 22, 2024 – October 28, 2025), seeking to hold Stride and certain of its key executives accountable for the alleged misrepresentations regarding core business metrics and operational stability.

Next Steps: Contact Partner Reed Kathrein Today

Hagens Berman is a leading plaintiff litigation firm recognized for securing substantial recoveries for investors in complex securities fraud cases involving operational and compliance failures.

Mr. Kathrein is actively advising investors who purchased LRN securities during the Class Period and suffered significant losses due to the alleged undisclosed facts.

The Lead Plaintiff Deadline is January 12, 2026.

TO SUBMIT YOUR STRIDE (LRN) LOSSES NOW PLEASE USE THE SECURE FORM BELOW:

Submit Your Stride (LRN) Investment Losses NowContact: Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected] Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Stride should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].

About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman’s team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895

Key Takeaways Amarin shares surged 17% after Q4 and FY2025 preliminary revenues came in above consensus expectations.AMRN delivered positive Q4 cash flow earlier than planned on lower operating costs.AMRN ended 2025 with $303M in cash, no debt, and an expanded global reach through Recordati-led partnerships. Amarin’s (AMRN - Free Report) shares surged nearly 17% following the release of preliminary sales numbers for fourth-quarter and full-year 2025, which exceeded expectations.

Amarin’s top line currently comprises product revenues from Vascepa/Vazkepa (Vascepa’s brand name in Europe), complemented by licensing and royalty revenues.

Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) is approved as an adjunct to diet for treating severe hypertriglyceridemia or elevated triglyceride (TG) levels (≥500 mg/dL). It is also approved to reduce cardiovascular risk (CV) in patients with persistently elevated triglycerides on statin therapy for LDL-C.

Q4 & FY2025 Preliminary ResultsAmarin expects preliminary total revenues for the fourth quarter to be in the range of $48 million to $53 million. The preliminary sales came in higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $43 million.

For full-year 2025, preliminary total revenues are expected to be between $212 million and $217 million, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $207 million.

Restructuring costs are expected to range from $37-$40 million for full-year 2025, up from the prior estimate of $30-$37 million.

Amarin has already achieved approximately 50% of its planned $70 million operating expense reductions, with a plan to realize the full benefits by June 2026, supporting a lower operating cost structure and sustainable profitability.

The company achieved positive cash flow in the fourth quarter of 2025, which was earlier than its prior expectation of 2026. This may have also contributed to the stock’s rise on Thursday.

Amarin ended 2025 with approximately $303 million in cash and investments, up from $287 million in the third quarter of 2025 and remained debt-free, which further reduces the company’s financial risk.

Over the past year, shares of Amarin have risen 48.6% compared with the industry’s 19.2% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

2026 OutlookIn June, Amarin signed an exclusive long-term license and supply agreement with Italy-based pharma company, Recordati, to commercialize Vazkepa in 59 countries, mainly across the European Union. The company has signed partnership deals with seven experienced partners providing access to nearly 100 markets. Per management, the fully partnered ex-U.S. business model should help reduce costs and achieve positive annual cash flow in 2026.

Vascepa/Vazkepa is approved in over 50 countries and protected by patents in Europe until 2039.

Amarin’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderAMRN currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD - Free Report) , CorMedix (CRMD - Free Report) and Indivior (INDV - Free Report) , each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Amicus Therapeutics’ 2026 earnings per share have declined from 67 cents to 65 cents. Shares of FOLD have increased 58.3% over the past year.

Amicus Therapeutics’ earnings beat estimates in one quarter and missed in the remaining three trailing quarters with the negative average surprise being 20.21%.

Over the past 60 days, 2026 EPS estimates for CorMedix have risen from $2.49 to $2.88. Shares of CRMD have declined 32.9% over the past year.

CorMedix’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 27.04%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Indivior’s 2026 earnings per share have risen to $2.85 from $2.60. Indivior stock has rallied 199.6% over the past year.

Indivior’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and were in line in the remaining quarter, with the average surprise being 68%.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman is notifying investors in Coupang, Inc. (NYSE: CPNG) that a second securities class action has been filed expanding the Class Period and seeks to represent investors who purchased Coupang securities between May 7, 2025 and December 16, 2025. The Lead Plaintiff Deadline remains February 17, 2026.

The firm is investigating the propriety of Coupang’s statements about its disclosure controls, cybersecurity protocols and controls, and transparency regarding a breach that allegedly allowed a former employee to access massive amounts of sensitive customer data.

Investors who purchased Coupang (CPNG) securities during the expanded Class Period and suffered substantial losses are encouraged to submit your losses now.

The Coupang, Inc. (CPNG) Securities Class Action:

The complaint focuses on the propriety of several of Coupang’s recent assurances to investors.

Beginning on May 6, 2025, after the markets closed, Coupang filed its quarterly report for the period ended March 31, 2025. Within its filing, Coupang assured investors that it designed sufficient disclosure controls and procedures and there had been “[n]o material change in the risk factors” that “could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.”

Then, on June 30, 2025, Coupang issued a privacy notice on its website to Korean customers assuring them and investors that “Coupang has technical and administrative safeguard measures in place to ensure that users’ personal information is not stolen, leaked, forged or damaged while processing the information.”

The next month, on July 15, 2025, the South Korean press quoted Coupang’s Chief Information Security Officer (Brett Matthes) who reportedly said “‘Coupang’s []proactive []security has improved threat visibility and mitigated potential cyber threats in advance[,]”’ and that “‘[a] shift in mindset to focus on the threat actor has significant benefits.’”

The complaint alleges that Coupang gave the same or similar assurances through November 4, 2025, when the company filed its quarterly report for the period ended September 30, 2025.

Investors began to question Coupang’s assurances on November 29, 2025. That day, Coupang announced in a press release that on November 18 it became aware of unauthorized personal data access involving about 4,500 customer accounts but that, pursuant to its subsequent investigation, “the extent of customer account exposure is about 33.7 million accounts, all in Korea.”

Then, on December 16, 2025, Coupang filed an interim report on Form 8-K confirming that it first became aware of “a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to customer accounts[]” on November 18, blamed it on a former employee, and warned that it could face material financial losses from the potential loss of revenue and higher expense, including regulatory penalties.

After the Class Period, on December 29, 2025, Coupang announced a 1.685 trillion won (over $1 billion) compensation plan “to restore customer trust.”

Between the publication of the November 30, 2025, Reuters article and the filing of the suit, over $8 billion of Coupang’s market capitalization was wiped out.

“We are investigating the alleged misstatements and why it allegedly took Coupang weeks to inform shareholders of a breach of this magnitude,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm’s investigation of the alleged claims in the pending suit.

If you’d like more information and answers to additional frequently asked questions about the Coupang case and the firm’s investigation, read more »

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Coupang should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].

About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman’s team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. 

Contact: 
Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895

Key Takeaways XOM signed an MoU with Turkey's NOC to evaluate oil and gas in the untapped Black Sea & Mediterranean areas.Turkey expects its pairing with XOM to boost efficiency and raise the odds of new oil and gas finds.Following Sakarya output in 2023, Turkey hit 9.5M cm/day by 2025 & 75B cm of gas from the Goktepe-3 find. Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM - Free Report) , a leading integrated energy giant, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkey’s national oil company (NOC) for exploration. Turkey's energy minister stated that this deal will enable XOM to evaluate and identify oil and natural gas resources in previously untapped areas of the Black Sea and Mediterranean.

According to the Turkish energy minister, adding ExxonMobil’s expertise with Turkey’s NOC is expected to enhance operational efficiency and increase the chances of finding new oil and gas fields.

Following production from the Sakarya field in 2023, Turkey has stepped up offshore assessment in the untapped areas of the Black Sea. By 2025, the Sakarya field reached a daily production of around 9.5 million cubic meters of gas. Recently, Turkey announced another gas discovery near Sakarya, adding 75 billion cubic meters, a significant new volume of gas from the Goktepe-3 well. With this discovery, the total amount of natural gas discovered in the Black Sea has increased significantly to 785 billion cubic meters.

XOM generates the majority of its earnings from its upstream business, which is exposed to crude price volatility. With the West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices hovering below $60 per barrel, the upstream business remains under pressure.

XOM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Other key players in the integrated oil and gas space whose business models are also vulnerable to crude price volatility are Chevron Corporation (CVX - Free Report) , BP p.l.c. (BP - Free Report) and Eni S.p.A. (E - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #3. 

Chevron, headquartered in Houston, TX, is an integrated energy giant that achieved first oil production from its South N’dola platform in Angola in December.

BP, like CVX, also started early production at the Atlantis Drill Center 1 expansion in the U.S. Gulf of America. BP boosted daily production by about 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent following the launch of its seventh major project in 2025.

Eni, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has a global footprint. Eni engages across the entire energy chain, from hydrocarbons to next-generation energy technologies.

Meteora, the DeFi liquidity protocol operating on Solana, has shared a warning to community members who continue to drag their feet on claiming their MET token airdrops coming up on three months since its token generation event (TGE). 

During the TGE, Meteora distributed about 39% of the total supply to those eligible, according to tokenomics documentation. That was last year in October, and the team is back with another update on the airdrop, which they shared via X.

In 2025, Meteora generated over a billion dollars in platform fees, cementing its position as the top fee-generating platform in the entire DeFi ecosystem, with Jupiter and Uniswap following closely behind.

When is the deadline for Meteora’s airdrop claim? In its tweet earlier today, January 8, the liquidity protocol reminded users that they had already distributed a significant percentage of MET tokens at one go, claiming that they did so to ensure that everyone who played a role in Meteora’s journey would be able to receive their tokens, without locking or vesting.

In line with that plan, the team says it is closing airdrop claims in two weeks, three months after the TGE. This is a new development; initially, the airdrop claim period was scheduled to last for six months.

“This allows the Meteora community, tokenholders, and more to move forward into 2026 alongside the product updates and features that are coming to Meteora,” the post reads.

Those who do not claim their allocation will lose it to the circulating community reserve, which they say will be used for future rewards.

The post ended by urging users to check their wallet eligibility for claiming tokens before January 23, which is the new deadline for claiming.

2025 was a good year for Meteora Last year, the Meteora protocol contributed significantly to the DeFi sector, generating an impressive $1.25 billion in fees, which left no doubt about its position as the premier fee-generating platform in the entire DeFi ecosystem.

The financial milestone is proof of Meteora’s operational scale. However, it also signals a potential shift in the competitive dynamics of on-chain finance as the protocol’s performance notably outpaced that of established giants. It beat the likes of Jupiter, which ranked second with $1.11 billion, and the prominent Uniswap, which followed closely behind with $1.06 billion.

Analysts have noted that the top two DeFi products currently exist primarily on Solana’s infrastructure, while the third, Uniswap, operates on Ethereum, though it also has a multichain function. This is a direct testament to Solana’s rising prominence where high-frequency DeFi activity is concerned.

The diversity between all three entities is also notable; Meteora is famous for its dynamic liquidity AMM, while Jupiter is an aggregator, and Uniswap is no more than a classic DEX, which means they tackle various issues in DeFi.

Meteora’s “Dynamic Liquidity Markets” (DLMs) is one of the things that has helped it maintain its lead above the aggressively expanding Jupiter and the prominent Uniswap, which recently made a historical record for processing about $1.4 million in daily transaction fee capture following gains from the Truebit hack, as reported by Cryptopolitan.

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$3.2 Million Accumulation Offsets Zcash’s Governance Shock — But Can It Save the Price?Zcash price fell over 20%, rebounded 17%, yet a 30% breakdown risk remains active.Whales accumulated 7,286 ZEC worth $3.2 million amid the governance-driven sell-off.Development activity slid from 21.85 to 19.67, keeping recovery fragile despite accumulationZcash faced a sudden governance shock this week that sent its price sharply lower. Panic selling pushed ZEC down more than 20% yesterday alone, briefly dipping near the $380 level before buyers stepped in. Since that low, the Zcash price has rebounded roughly 17% and is now trading back above $440.

While the immediate fear has eased, the sell-off left behind technical damage. At the same time, strong buying emerged underneath the drop. Zcash is now caught between a fragile chart structure and a clear accumulation response.

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Governance Shock Leaves Zcash in a Bearish Structure With 30% Risk Still ActiveThe sharp Zcash sell-off followed reports that its core development team had exited. Markets initially interpreted this as a project-level failure, triggering forced selling and a fast breakdown in price. Later clarification showed the move was a governance restructuring, not a protocol issue, which helped stabilize sentiment and spark the rebound.

Despite that recovery, the chart remains vulnerable. Zcash is trading inside a rising wedge on the 12-hour timeframe, a structure that often carries downside risk if support fails.

At the same time, a bearish EMA setup is forming. An Exponential Moving Average (EMA) is a trend indicator that gives more weight to recent prices, making it useful for spotting momentum shifts. On Zcash’s chart, the short-term 20 EMA is moving closer to the slower 50 EMA. When this bearish crossover forms and eventually confirms, it often signals weakening trend strength.

Bearish Zcash Pattern: TradingViewWant more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

If Zcash breaks below the wedge’s lower trendline, the projected downside sits near 30%. That target is calculated using the vertical distance between the upper and lower trendlines of the structure. The rebound has reduced immediate panic, but it has not removed this risk.

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Whales Step In With $3.2 Million Buying SpreeWhile the chart weakened, on-chain behavior told a different story. Large holders aggressively accumulated during the sell-off, treating the governance-driven dip as an opportunity.

Over the past 24 hours, ZEC whales increased their holdings by 4.49%, lifting their total stash to 8,919 ZEC. That implies roughly 381 ZEC added during the dip. Mega whales were even more active. Their holdings jumped 19.2%, bringing their total to 42,786 ZEC, which translates to about 6,905 ZEC accumulated.

Whale Accumulation: NansenIn total, large holders added roughly 7,286 ZEC. At a spot price, that equals about $3.2 million in fresh buying.

Sponsored

This accumulation coincided with falling exchange balances, suggesting coins were being moved into longer-term storage rather than prepared for resale. That buying pressure explains why Zcash rebounded quickly once the initial panic faded.

Still, accumulation can slow declines and absorb volatility, but it does not automatically reverse a bearish structure.

Falling Development Activity Keeps Zcash Price at a CrossroadsThe final variable is development activity. Data shows Zcash’s development score peaked near 21.85 in late December before sliding steadily to around 19.67. That decline began before the governance headlines and has continued since.

Weak Development Activity: SantimentSponsored

Historically, Zcash’s strongest rallies have aligned with rising development activity. The recent slowdown helps explain why the price struggled even before the panic sell-off. While governance clarity reduced fear, it did not reverse this underlying trend.

📊 Unless you lived under a crypto rock, you likely watched the headlines pour in about Zcash in late 2025. The decade-old privacy coin multiplied its market cap by ~15x between September 22nd and November 16th.

🧑‍💻 However, we have been watching $ZEC's development activity… pic.twitter.com/MORo1sD7ix

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) January 8, 2026 This matters because Zcash remains one of the strongest long-term performers in the market. The token is still up roughly 66% over the past three months and delivered one of the best performances of 2025. For that strength to resume, development activity likely needs to stabilize and turn higher again. That underrated metric can actually save the price.

From a price perspective, Zcash now sits at a decision point. A sustained move above $456 would improve the short-term outlook and reduce breakdown risk. On the downside, a loss of the wedge’s lower trendline would reopen the 30% downside scenario, with $360, $309, and eventually $272 as key levels to watch.

Zcash Price Analysis: TradingViewFor now, Zcash is balanced between heavy accumulation and technical fragility. The governance shock created a sharp discount, whales responded decisively, and the next move depends on whether development momentum and price structure can realign.

Disclaimer

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.

A crypto market participant has outlined a numerical comparison showing how the same investment amount could generate significantly different returns depending on whether it is placed into Bitcoin or XRP. 

The projection, which was shared on X and focuses on price levels and capital growth, shows how XRP has a better upside on a percentage basis compared to Bitcoin at its current valuations.

How The Numbers Favor XRP Over Bitcoin The comparison starts with a $5,000 investment. At current prices, Bitcoin would need to rise to around $180,000 for that initial $5,000 investment to double to $10,000. Interestingly, multiple bullish predictions put Bitcoin reaching a price target of at least $180,000 in the next few months, so this is most likely a guarantee. However, Bitcoin’s position as the largest cryptocurrency works as both an advantage and a constraint.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin has a large market cap of $1.8 trillion. Given Bitcoin’s already large market cap, any move of notable magnitude requires huge capital inflows over an extended period of time. Its recent adoption among institutional traders and role as the largest cryptocurrency provide stability, but its size limits how quickly it can multiply in value. Each incremental gain requires increasingly larger amounts of new capital entering the market.

On the other hand, XRP has a much smaller market cap of $128 billion. Using the same $5,000 investment in XRP produces a much different outcome under the analyst’s assumptions. If XRP reaches a $10 price level, the value of that position would rise to $25,000.

 Therefore, this means that, as it stands, XRP has a much better profit potential than Bitcoin. The argument presented is not that Bitcoin lacks upside, but that the capital efficiency of XRP is higher if both assets move to commonly cited bullish targets.

Risk Profiles And Return Expectations The difference in projection also shows different risk tolerances of both cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is more appealing to investors who prioritize long-term exposure and relative stability. Predictions for Bitcoin range from $150,000 all the way to above $1 million.

XRP, on the other hand, will attract traders who are willing to accept higher volatility in exchange for the possibility of larger returns. The cryptocurrency has been the subject of numerous bullish projections from analysts due to the growing optimism around its role in financial institutions and the recent exposure through Spot XRP ETFs.

The bullish sentiment is so strong that a few analysts are already projecting how XRP has the potential to trade at $100 in the next few years. One analyst, for example, noted that XRP has the potential to reach $100 before Bitcoin reaches $1 million and that it can even hit $1,000 before Bitcoin hits $19 million.

XRP trading at $2.1 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Fri, 9/01/2026 - 16:03

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is just one 60% breakout away from flipping Zcash, Litecoin, Avalanche and four others on the crypto leaderboard: $8.1 billion market cap is all it would take.

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.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is not trying to reinvent itself, but the current setup suggests it may not need to. If the price of SHIB goes up 60% from where it is now, its market capitalization will be about $8.1 billion. That puts it in the same class as Zcash, Litecoin, Avalanche, Dai and a number of other well-known cryptocurrencies, according to CoinMarketCap.

Source: CoinMarketCapRight now, SHIB trades near $0.0000087, with a market cap slightly above $5.1 billion. That puts it in the lower part of the top 20, where the difference between the rankings is much closer than it seems. In this zone, a single directional move is often enough to reorder the table without any wider market rally.

What if?SHIB is bouncing back from recent lows on the weekly chart and is trading close to the lower Bollinger Band. This area has always been more of a reset zone than a breakdown point. The upper band points to the $0.0000139 level, which defines the full 60% scenario and lines up with prior weekly reaction levels from earlier in the cycle.

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Zcash is down double digits this week, Litecoin remains capped below the low $80 area and Avalanche has struggled to attract sustained follow-through after recent bounces. These assets are not falling apart, but they are not getting any better either, which leaves room for new ideas in the rankings.

A validated 60% move will not make Shiba Inu a market leader. It will just pass several of these competitors without needing exceptional volume or hype, taking advantage of how compressed market caps are in this range.

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Polygon (POL) became one of the week’s top gainers after the chain reawakened with increased fees. POL rose by 22% in the past month, on growing prediction pair activity. 

Polygon (POL) started a strong recovery in the past month, boosting the levels of a relatively old token. POL rallied by over 17.2% ahead of the weekend, trading near a one-month high at $0.15. POL also had a small spike in open interest up to $51M. The price action followed the January 5 burn of over 3M POL, leading to the most recent price expansion.

For POL, this was the biggest daily burn in history. Higher daily activity translates into higher burn demand and growing scarcity. POL is required to transact on Polygon as a utility token for gas fees.

POL extended its gains as Polygon showed signs of increased activity. The L2 chain, which was mostly idle after the Web3 boom in 2021, is starting to reflect the effects of Polymarket. 

Polygon fees rise to 14-month peak Chain revenue on Polygon rose to the highest level since November 2024, reaching $1.1M for the past week. The chain revenue reflects raw transactions and their fees, mostly of POL and USDC for utility and placing predictions. 

Polygon saw a spike in chain revenues to levels not seen since November 2024. App revenues also spiked in the past three months to multi-year highs. | Source: DeFi Llama Transactions on Polygon reached 5.3M daily, up from 2.8M at the start of 2025. The chain also recently marked a spike to 1.4M daily active users, based on TokenTerminal data. The recent spike was the highest since the summer of 2025. 

The increased activity has caused only small spikes in gas fees, with most types of transactions requiring less than $0.01 to be completed. Polymarket activity often uses bots and automation, demonstrating that Polygon was capable of carrying the bot-driven traffic.

The chain carries $3.35B in secured value, remaining the most widely used platform as a legacy Ethereum L2 chain.

Polygon sets to become rails for money movements  Polygon’s initial L2 chain has carried several major crypto trends, including NFT, Web3 games, DeFi, and stablecoin transfers. 

Polymarket turned into the topmost liquid app on Polygon, with an estimated $258M in value locked. Polygon also set its own records for activity and fees produced in the past weeks. 

However, the Polygon team aims to go beyond a single app. The chain has ambitious plans to become one of the major payment rails. Recently, the team introduced the Polygon Open Money Stack, catching the trend of on-chain payment infrastructure. 

The next three years will define how money moves over the next thirty years.

The Polygon Open Money Stack will change everything.
• one vertically integrated stack to move all money onchain
• seamless global money movement enabled for anyone, anywhere.
• open, interoperable,… https://t.co/O8oCZKSWVh

— Polygon | POL (@0xPolygon) January 8, 2026

Polygon already carries over $2.9B in stablecoins, offering minimal transfer fees. The Polygon version of stablecoins is widely distributed on exchanges. Despite the chain’s slow periods, Polygon saw $365.8M in netflows for the past three months. Polygon receives most of its liquidity from Ethereum, while serving as a hub for other Layer 2s. The chain remains one of the production-ready networks to attract apps from different narratives and trends.

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Original U.Today article

Fri, 9/01/2026 - 16:13

Does the rate of Bitcoin (BTC) have enough power for a move to the $100,000 zone?

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.

The market is neither bullish nor bearish today, according to CoinStats.

BTC chart by CoinStatsBTC/USDThe rate of Bitcoin (BTC) has gone up by 1.48% since yesterday.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the price of BTC has broken the local resistance at $91,397. If buyers can hold the gained initiative and keep the rate above that mark, the growth is likely to continue to the $92,000 zone tomorrow.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, the picture is less bullish. If bulls want to get back in the game, they need to restore the rate above the resistance at $94,652. 

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If they manage to do that, the accumulated energy might be enough for a test of the $100,000 area.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, the price of the main crypto has bounced off the resistance at $94,652. If the weekly bar closes far from it, there is a chance of seeing the $85,000 range by the end of the month.

Bitcoin is trading at $91,143 at press time.

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Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said he is stepping away from social media, raising questions among investors about whether his reduced public presence could affect interest in the Cardano blockchain and its ADA token.

In a video message, Hoskinson said that as he became more well known, staying highly visible on social platforms became counterproductive. He said his public persona was influencing how people viewed Cardano and related projects, including Midnight, in ways he felt were unfair.

Hoskinson said he plans to uninstall X and move into what he described as “silent mode,” leaving future online communication to curators and artificial intelligence tools. “I have more important things to do,” he said, adding that he no longer felt the need to remain active on the platform.

Debate Over Cardano’s Public ImageHoskinson’s comments triggered debate within the crypto community. Some supporters said his decision could help shift attention away from personality-driven narratives and back toward Cardano’s technology and long-term development.

Others expressed concern that Hoskinson’s visibility played a major role in Cardano’s past growth. Tim Warren, host of Investing Broz, said Hoskinson’s accessibility helped build a loyal following that supported ADA during earlier market cycles.

Warren said many investors bought into Cardano because of Hoskinson’s vision and communication, particularly during the 2021 bull market, when ADA surged to record highs despite limited real-world adoption at the time.

Could ADA Be Affected?Market participants remain divided on whether Hoskinson’s reduced presence will have a lasting impact on ADA’s price. Critics argue that stepping back could weaken investor confidence, especially among retail holders who were drawn to Cardano through Hoskinson’s frequent updates and commentary.

Others say mature blockchain projects should not rely on a single individual and that Cardano’s future should be driven by technology, developers, and real-world use cases rather than personal branding.

Hoskinson did not comment on ADA’s price or market performance. ADA continued to trade in line with the broader crypto market following his remarks, with no immediate reaction linked directly to his announcement.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

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Journalist

Posted: January 9, 2026

Large Bitcoin holders have begun reducing exposure, but on-chain data suggests the broader market is not yet entering a distribution phase.

According to data from CryptoQuant, addresses holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC have reduced their balances by roughly 220,000 BTC year-on-year. This marks the fastest decline since early 2023. 

Source: CryptoQuant

The trend indicates that large investors are no longer accumulating aggressively on dips, even as Bitcoin trades near cycle highs.

Historically, similar rollovers in whale holdings have appeared ahead of major market tops. However, additional on-chain indicators suggest that the current environment differs materially from those of prior late-cycle phases.

Bitcoin whale selling rises, but without panic signals The decline in whale balances reflects a sustained but measured drawdown rather than a sharp liquidation event. While the pace of reduction has accelerated, the data does not point to disorderly selling or forced exits.

In previous cycles, periods of heavy whale distribution were typically accompanied by a sharp increase in spending from long-term holders. That dynamic has not yet emerged.

Long-term holders remain largely inactive Data from Glassnode shows that Bitcoin’s Value Days Destroyed [VDD] Multiple remains firmly in the low band, at around 0.52. 

This metric measures whether older, long-held coins are being spent, a behavior that has historically coincided with market tops.

Source: Glassnode

Low VDD readings indicate that long-term holders are not moving dormant supply. This suggests limited conviction selling and subdued distribution pressure. 

In past cycle peaks, VDD typically surged into elevated zones as older coins re-entered circulation.

The current divergence—falling whale balances alongside muted long-term holder activity—suggests rotation rather than a wholesale exit.

Rotation, not distribution Taken together, the data suggests that some large holders may be trimming exposure, reallocating capital, or adjusting positioning without triggering broader supply release. 

This pattern is consistent with a consolidation phase, where the market digests prior gains rather than outright rejecting higher prices.

Unlike the 2021–2022 cycle, where whale selling coincided with aggressive long-term holder distribution, the present setup shows older coins largely remaining untouched.

That distinction reduces the likelihood that the current drawdown in whale holdings reflects a full-scale top formation.

Market absorbs gains as Bitcoin structure holds Bitcoin’s price has remained resilient despite the pullback in whale accumulation. This reinforces the view that selling pressure is being absorbed by the market. 

As of this writing, BTC was trading at around $91,000, with a slight upside.

With long-term holders largely inactive, the data points to a structurally constructive environment, even as upside momentum cools.

Going forward, analysts will be watching whether long-term holder behavior changes. 

A sustained rise in VDD would suggest a shift toward broader distribution. For now, the on-chain picture indicates that while whales have stepped back, conviction among long-term holders remains intact.

Final Thoughts Bitcoin whale balances are declining, but the absence of elevated long-term holder spending suggests rotation rather than broad distribution. With Value Days Destroyed remaining low, the market appears to be consolidating gains rather than signaling a cycle top.

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Ripple’s XRP is seeing a clear shift in investor behavior, with large on-chain transactions surging to levels not seen in months. With market dynamics turning positive after months of volatility and capitulation, XRP investors are returning to the market with conviction. Transactions valued at $100,000 and above have been recorded with increasing frequency on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), signaling renewed interest and confidence in the cryptocurrency. 

Ripple’s XRP Investors Return As Transactions Surge New data shows XRP whales returning just as the broader market attempts to stabilize after recent pullbacks. According to crypto analytics platform Santiment, XRP Ledger activity spiked sharply at the start of the week. Apparently, transfers valued at $100,000 or more have climbed to their highest level since early October 2025.

The accompanying chart highlights that on January 5, 2026, the XRP network recorded 2,170 whale transactions. Activity spiked even more on January 6, when the count jumped to 2,802 large transactions in a single day. Notably, this surge signals a clear shift in high-value XRP activity, highlighting strong participation from major holders across the network. 

Alongside the increase in large-scale investor activity, XRP price candles on the chart reflect a sharp rebound from recent lows. After a steady decline through late December 2025, XRP’s price action turned upward as transaction counts surged. The timing of this move stands out because XRP had spent weeks trending below $2 before this sudden increase in on-chain movement. 

Source: Chart from Santiment Notably, XRP investors may be returning after earlier declines as market sentiment slowly improves. Lower prices appear to have attracted long-term holders who see current levels as a favorable accumulation zone. Another factor possibly behind the renewed interest could be the perception that downside pressure has weakened. The stabilization seen before the transaction spike likely encouraged large players to reposition capital in the cryptocurrency. 

Although the market appears to be moving away from previous downtrends, Santiment analysts have highlighted rising volatility on the chart. Rapid swings in transaction volume appear alongside sharper price movements, signaling that volatility is likely to remain elevated. 

XRP Reserves On Binance Drop To Yearly Low In other news, data from the blockchain and analytics platform CryptoQuant indicates a major shift in how XRP is held on crypto exchanges like Binance. CryptoOnChain, an analyst at CryptoQuant, published a report announcing that XRP’s reserves on Binance have fallen to 2.6 billion tokens, the lowest level seen since January 2024. 

The analyst highlighted that declining supply often signals reduced selling pressure. He stated that XRP holdings have steadily dropped from nearly 3.25 billion tokens in late 2025, suggesting investors are moving assets into self-custody and potentially adopting a HODL mindset. 

CryptoQuant also noted that this trend reflects a strong accumulation phase that removes liquidity from active trading. With fewer tokens available on the sell side, the platform stated that a demand spike could lead to sharper price moves, creating a favorable setup for XRP in the short- to medium-term.

XRP trading at $2.1 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

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

TL;DR

Ripple obtained an EMI license in the United Kingdom through its local subsidiary, registered by the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations to provide payment services. The authorization allows it to offer payment and electronic money services, but imposes limits: the subsidiary cannot serve retail clients or operate crypto ATMs without prior approval. The license falls within the FCA’s regulatory timeline, which will require full authorization under the FSMA by October 2027. Ripple secured regulatory approval in the United Kingdom through its local subsidiary, which was registered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) and brought under the framework of the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). This enables the company to provide payment services within the UK financial system under regulatory supervision.

The EMI license allows the provision of payment services and the issuance of electronic money, a key element for Ripple’s operating structure, which develops payment infrastructure and issues the RLUSD stablecoin. The authorization fits within the new regulatory calendar set by the FCA, which requires all firms registered under the MLRs to apply for full authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) by October 2027.

Licensed, but with Broad Restrictions The license does not grant full operational freedom. According to official FCA records, Ripple Markets UK operates under specific restrictions while it awaits further approvals. Without prior written consent from the regulator, the subsidiary cannot offer services related to crypto ATMs, launch products aimed at retail clients, or appoint agents or distributors within the United Kingdom.

In addition, the entity is prohibited from issuing electronic money or providing payment services to consumers, micro-enterprises, or charities. These limitations narrow the initial scope of the license and clearly define the market segments in which the subsidiary can operate at this stage.

Registration as an EMI and under the MLRs places Ripple Markets UK within the UK’s regulated perimeter. Beyond the license itself, the regulatory environment reflects a tightening and standardization of rules applicable to the crypto sector. The FCA is moving toward a broader, more structured licensing framework, in which transitional authorizations will be subject to additional reviews and requirements in the coming years.

Ripple Will Remain a Private Company A few days ago, Ripple Labs president Monica Long confirmed that the company has no plans to pursue an initial public offering in the near term. She reiterated that Ripple will continue operating as a private company following a funding round that lifted its valuation to $40 billion.

Ripple did not issue additional public comments on the approval. The FCA authorization will be central to the company’s regulatory expansion through local subsidiaries, aimed at operating within clearly defined legal frameworks across multiple jurisdictions

Key NotesVitalik Buterin said that software developers are targeted for how open-source tools are used, rather than for direct involvement in criminal activity.Buterin framed privacy tools as essential infrastructure, not political or extreme technology, saying they protect individuals from forced data collection.Ahead of his sentencing, Storm has received significant support from the crypto community, with Vitalik Buterin donating 50 ETH and the Ethereum Foundation contributing over $1.25 million. In his recent letter on Jan. 9, Ethereum ETH $3 123 24h volatility: 0.9% Market cap: $377.10 B Vol. 24h: $21.05 B co-founder Vitalik Buterin publicly backed Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm ahead of his upcoming sentencing hearing in the US.

In August 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) sentenced Storm, alleging that his crypto mixer platform, Tornado Cash, helped in laundering more than $1 billion in illicit funds.

However, he has been free on bail after a judge said that he was not a flight risk. But Storm now faces a potential prison term of up to five years.

In his latest letter, Buterin stated that this case raises questions over the criminalization of software development instead of any financial wrongdoing.

https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/2009518473173512379

The Ethereum co-founder called Storm’s prosecution an attempt to hold developers responsible for how open-source tools are used by third parties without any direct involvement in illicit activities.

Buterin stressed the importance of privacy-preserving technologies in protecting individuals from pervasive data collection by both corporations and governments.

He added that he has personally used Tornado Cash to make payments for technical services and to donate to human rights organizations.

Vitalik Buterin Stands Firm as Privacy Tools Face Legal Pressure Buterin’s letter presents a strong argument in Storm’s case, emphasizing that data protection is a fundamental issue rather than a political one.

He stated that control over personal information should be a default right, noting that modern privacy tools mainly aim to preserve protections that existed before widespread digital surveillance.

In the letter, Buterin argued that such safeguards are neither novel nor extreme. Instead, he described them as long-standing protections that historically applied to private communications.

Apart from just verbal support, Buterin has also extended financial support to the victims.

In December 2024, he donated 50 ETH, worth roughly $170,000 at the time, to Storm’s legal defense fund.

The Ethereum Foundation contributed $500,000 in June last year and committed to matching an additional $750,000 in community donations.

In October 2025, the Ethereum Foundation and Keyring jointly launched a dedicated legal defense fund for Tornado Cash developers.

Apart from the Ethereum Foundation, Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm has been receiving support from the rest of the crypto community as well.

According to the defense fund’s website, over $6.39 million has been raised in 2025 alone.

Blockchain privacy researcher Federico Carrone contributed $500,000 to support Storm’s defense.

In August 2025, the Solana Policy Institute also disclosed that it donated $500,000 to support both Storm and Tornado Cash co-creator Alexey Pertsev.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Bhushan is a FinTech enthusiast and holds a good flair in understanding financial markets. His interest in economics and finance draw his attention towards the new emerging Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency markets. He is continuously in a learning process and keeps himself motivated by sharing his acquired knowledge. In free time he reads thriller fictions novels and sometimes explore his culinary skills.

Bhushan Akolkar on X

Fri, 9/01/2026 - 16:46

Canadian mining mogul Frank Giustra has launched a blistering attack on Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood, awarding her "first prize for the dumbest reason to buy Bitcoin.".

Cover image via www.youtube.com Canadian mining mogul Frank Giustra has delivered a scathing rebuke of Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood over her recent Bitcoin price prediction. 

The pro-gold billionaire has awarded her "first prize for the dumbest reason to buy Bitcoin" following her latest prediction. 

During a recent podcast appearance, Wood argued that the White House intends to purchase 1 million Bitcoin for a U.S. strategic reserve specifically to avoid the "lame duck" scenario. 

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Giustra, a longtime skeptic of modern monetary policy and a gold bug, dismissed the theory as absurd. He also took a personal swipe at Wood’s management history by adding that "it’s no wonder she has the worst track record on Wall Street."

Wood's optimistic betAs reported by U.Today, the so-called "strategic Bitcoin reserve" ended up being a massive disappointment since it simply meant that the US would stop selling BTC instead of actually buying new coins. 

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However, Wood believes that the White House will move to acquire secure political power during the 2026 midterm elections.

"Also, it seems as though there's been reticence about actually buying Bitcoin for the strategic reserve. So far, it's confiscated. The original intent was to own a million Bitcoin. So I actually think they will start buying…" Wood said. 

Notably, Wood believes that other governments will have to follow suit. 

"I think if the US actually says, 'Okay, now we're going to buy,' that's going to spur a lot of other governments to think this thing through. Do they want to be hostage to the dollar and US monetary policy? No, they don't. So put some Bitcoin in your reserves," she said during the podcast. 

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TL;DR

Ethereum maintains an accumulation regime based on the realized cost of long-term holders, which has risen steadily since 2020 and is now concentrated between $2,700 and $2,800. During the 2022–2023 correction and the stress episodes of 2025, ETH’s accumulation cost remained stable, unlike altcoins that lack a solid buying base. Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum recorded $42 million in liquidations and absorption flows near the accumulation cost, which continues to act as a structural reference. Ethereum maintains an accumulation regime defined by the realized cost of addresses that consistently buy ETH and do not operate on a short-term basis. This metric tracks the average price at which these holders build their positions and serves as a structural reference within the market.

Since 2020, Ethereum’s accumulation cost has followed an upward trajectory. Even during the 2022–2023 correction, when the spot price fell sharply, the realized cost of accumulation addresses remained stable. This behavior was recorded again during subsequent stress episodes, including those in 2025, without abrupt changes in the cost base.

Long-Term Holders Continue Accumulating Ethereum At present, the accumulation cost sits in the $2,700–$2,800 range. This level concentrates recurring purchases and defines a structural zone where long-term addresses continue adding Ethereum. Across multiple volatility events, price action found demand in this range, without sustained breaks below it.

This contrasts with the broader altcoin market. Since 2022, many alternative assets have failed to develop a comparable accumulation base. Declines occurred without consistent absorption by long-term holders, resulting in deeper drawdowns and limited recoveries. Ethereum, by contrast, maintained an active cost structure throughout the cycle.

The Key Difference Versus Altcoins Recent market activity has reinforced this pattern. Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum recorded liquidations of approximately $42 million, with $26.5 million tied to long positions. Liquidations of short positions, meanwhile, reached $16 million. Subsequent flows showed absorption in areas close to the accumulation cost.

CryptoQuant data indicates that gradually accumulating addresses continue to concentrate ETH in the $2,700–$2,800 range. In late 2025 and early 2026, these addresses added millions of ETH despite market pressure. Trend Research places the average accumulation cost at a higher level, around $3,150, expanding the price range where long-term positions were formed.

ETH Remains in a Sideways Range From a structural standpoint, the current regime holds as long as price trades around or above the accumulation cost. A sustained break below that base would imply a shift in long-term holder behavior, as the realized cost would cease to function as an active buying zone.

In the short term, Ethereum continues to trade within a sideways range and has returned to the December trading area, with price hovering around $3,100. Technical resistance is concentrated near $3,300, while the $2,900 area aligns with prior support levels within the current channel

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VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

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As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) Amazon.com is one of the largest e-commerce providers, with sprawling operations in North America, now spreading across the globe.

AMZN is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. AMZN has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 29.7% for the current fiscal year.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2025, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.01 to $7.17 per share. AMZN also boasts an average earnings surprise of +22.5%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, AMZN should be on investors' short list.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.9% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Carnival (CCL - Free Report) Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Miami, FL, Carnival operates as a cruise and vacation company. As a single economic entity, Carnival Corporation & Carnival plc forms the largest cruise operator in the world. It is the world’s leading leisure travel firm and carries nearly half of the global cruise guests. The company operates in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia.

CCL is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. CCL has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 12.4% for the current fiscal year.

Six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.13 to $2.53 per share. CCL boasts an average earnings surprise of +160%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, CCL should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.9% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Travelers (TRV - Free Report) Established in 1853 and is based in New York, NY, The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States. and select international markets.

TRV is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. TRV has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 14.7% for the current fiscal year.

For fiscal 2025, one analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $24.75 per share. TRV boasts an average earnings surprise of +89.3%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, TRV should be on investors' short list.

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.9% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Quanta Services (PWR - Free Report) Quanta Services, Inc. is a leading national provider of specialty contracting services, and one of the largest contractors serving the transmission and distribution sector of the North American electric utility industry. Quanta has operations in the United States, Canada, Australia and other selected international markets.

PWR is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. PWR has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 18.1% for the current fiscal year.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2025. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.03 to $10.59 per share. PWR boasts an average earnings surprise of +5.8%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, PWR should be on investors' short list.

The Zacks Wireless Equipment industry is poised to capitalize on the healthy demand trends driven by the rapid deployment of 5G and the transition to cloud and fiber networks. However, large-scale investments for seamless 5G evolution, margin erosion due to price wars, higher customer inventory levels and inflated raw material costs owing to a challenging macroeconomic environment, geopolitical conflicts and uncertain business conditions might erode profitability.

Nevertheless, Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI - Free Report) , Ubiquiti Inc. (UI - Free Report) and Clearfield, Inc. (CLFD - Free Report) are likely to profit from solid growth dynamics, supported by the widespread proliferation of IoT, fiber densification and shift to cloud services.

Industry Description The Zacks Wireless Equipment industry primarily comprises companies offering various networking solutions, wireless telecom products and related services for wireless voice and data communications through scalable modular platforms. Their product portfolio encompasses integrated circuit devices (chips) and system software for wireless voice and data communications, analog and digital two-way radio, satellite telecommunications, wireless networking and signal processing and end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions. The firms also provide a broad range of routing, switching and security products, video surveillance and machine-to-machine communication components that secure VPN appliances, enable intrusion detection and thwart data theft. Some firms even provide electronic warfare, avionics, robotics, advanced communications and maritime systems to the defense industry.

What's Shaping the Future of the Wireless Equipment Industry? 5G, Fiber & Cloud Networking at Core: A faster pace of 5G deployment is expected to augment the industry's scalability, security and universal mobility and propel the wide proliferation of IoT. Expansion of fiber optic networks to support 4G LTE and 5G wireless standards, as well as wireline connections, is likely to act as a tailwind. The industry participants are enabling their customers to move away from an economy-of-scale network operating model to demand-driven operations and seamlessly migrate to 5G by offering easy programmability and flexible automation through steady infrastructure investments. The exponential growth of cloud networking solutions is further resulting in increased storage and computing on a virtual plane.

Network Convergence: With operators moving toward converged or multi-use network structures, combining voice, video and data communications into a single network, the industry is increasingly developing solutions to support wireline and wireless network convergence. These investments are likely to help minimize service delivery costs to adequately support broadband competition and expand rural coverage and wireless densification in the long run. The industry players have enabled enterprises to rapidly scale communications functionalities to a vast range of applications and devices with easy-to-use software application programming interfaces. The firms support high user volumes without affecting deliverability and cost-effectively eliminate performance degradation.

Depleting Profit Margins: Although higher infrastructure investments will eventually help minimize service delivery costs to support broadband competition and wireless densification, short-term profitability has largely been compromised. Margins are likely to be affected by the high cost of first-generation 5G products, profitability challenges in China, the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East tensions. Uncertainty regarding chip shortage (albeit to a lesser extent) and supply-chain disruptions owing to tariff wars (leading to a dearth of essential fiber materials), shipping delays and scarcity of other raw materials due to geopolitical unrest are expected to affect the expansion and rollout of new broadband networks. Extended lead times for basic components might also hurt the delivery schedule and raise production costs. High customer inventory levels, owing to a challenging macroeconomic environment and intense market volatility due to higher tariffs, pose another headwind for the companies.

Integrated Services: The majority of the industry participants offer mission-critical communication infrastructure, devices, accessories, software and services that enable their customers to run businesses with increased efficiency and safety for their mobile workforce. These systems drive demand for additional device sales, software upgrades, infrastructure overhaul and expansion, as well as additional services to maintain, monitor and manage these complex networks and solutions. The comprehensive suite of services ensures continuity and reduces risks for constant critical communication operations.

Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bullish Trends The Zacks Wireless Equipment industry is housed within the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #65, which places it in the top 27% of more than 250 Zacks industries.

The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Before we present a few wireless equipment stocks that are well-positioned to outperform the market based on a strong earnings outlook, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock-market performance and valuation picture.

Industry Outperforms S&P 500, Lags Sector The Zacks Wireless Equipment industry has outperformed the S&P 500 composite but lagged the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector over the past year.

The industry has surged 26.4% over this period compared with the S&P 500 and sector’s growth of 21.1% and 28.5%, respectively.

One-Year Price Performance

Industry's Current Valuation On the basis of trailing 12-month Enterprise Value-to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA), which is the most appropriate multiple for valuing telecom stocks, the industry is currently trading at 31.46X compared with the S&P 500’s 18.87X. It is also trading above the sector’s trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA of 19.76X.

Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 35.87X, as low as 6.55X and at the median of 15.67X, as the chart below shows.

Trailing 12-Month Enterprise Value-to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) Ratio

3 Wireless Equipment Stocks to Buy Motorola: Based in Chicago, IL, Motorola is a leading communications equipment manufacturer with a strong market position in bar code scanning, wireless infrastructure gear and government communications. As a leading provider of mission-critical communication products and services worldwide, the company has ensured a steady revenue stream from this niche market. It intends to boost its position in the public safety domain by entering into strategic alliances with other players in the ecosystem. Motorola is witnessing a robust demand for video security products and services and remains well poised to maintain this growth momentum with a diversified portfolio. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current fiscal-year earnings has been revised 3.8% upward since January 2025. This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.1%.

Price and Consensus: MSI

Ubiquiti: Headquartered in New York, Ubiquiti offers a comprehensive portfolio of networking products and solutions for service providers and enterprises. The company maintains a proprietary network communication platform committed to reducing operational costs by using a self-sustaining mechanism for rapid product support and dissemination of information. Ubiquiti aims to benefit from significant growth opportunities in both emerging and developed economies. These include a relentless pursuit by emerging countries to stay connected with the world through the adoption of wireless networking infrastructure, as developed economies aim to bridge the demand-supply gap for higher bandwidth. The stock has gained 52.8% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current fiscal and next fiscal-year earnings has been revised 57.5% and 53.2% upward, respectively, since January 2025. Ubiquiti sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Price and Consensus: UI

Clearfield: Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Clearfield is a leading provider of fiber optic products, deploying more than a million fiber ports each year. The company is benefiting from solid demand in its Clearfield operating segment. Its connected home offerings, such as home deployment kits, which incorporate all necessary equipment for a fiber-to-the-home installation, are witnessing strong momentum. The kit is gaining popularity among service providers because it significantly speeds up the deployment process by reducing the number of truck rolls and boosting technician efficiency. Clearfield is also benefiting from a sharp uptick in regional service provider verticals, backed by an improvement in demand and reduced inventory levels. Regional service providers’ move toward aggressive network build-up can boost Clearfield’s prospects in the upcoming quarters. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a VGM Score of A. The firm delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 92.5%, on average.

Price and Consensus: CLFD