Market Signal Briefing

Pinterest (PINS - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $26.80, moving -2.51% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.01%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.55%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.44%.

The stock of digital pinboard and shopping tool company has fallen by 1.08% in the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.69% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.86%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Pinterest in its upcoming earnings disclosure. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.68, marking a 21.43% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $1.33 billion, indicating a 15.15% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

PINS's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $1.62 per share and revenue of $4.23 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +25.58% and 0%, respectively.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Pinterest. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.99% upward. Pinterest presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Pinterest is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 14.59. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 25.1.

Meanwhile, PINS's PEG ratio is currently 0.53. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Internet - Software industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.61 as of yesterday's close.

The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 55, placing it within the top 23% of over 250 industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

SkyWater Technology, Inc. (SKYT - Free Report) closed at $27.31 in the latest trading session, marking a -2.67% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.01%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.55%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.44%.

Heading into today, shares of the company had gained 44.86% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.69% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.86%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of SkyWater Technology, Inc. in its upcoming release. The company is predicted to post an EPS of -$0.01, indicating a 125% decline compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $160 million, indicating a 111.95% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $0.05 per share and a revenue of $431.05 million, representing changes of -16.67% and 0%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for SkyWater Technology, Inc. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. At present, SkyWater Technology, Inc. boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

The Electronics - Semiconductors industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 93, which puts it in the top 38% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

In the latest trading session, Comfort Systems (FIX - Free Report) closed at $971.49, marking a -6.15% move from the previous day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.01% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.55%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.44%.

Coming into today, shares of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning company had gained 1.35% in the past month. In that same time, the Construction sector lost 1.55%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.86%.

The upcoming earnings release of Comfort Systems will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $6.77, signifying a 65.53% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $2.28 billion, indicating a 22.29% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $26.31 per share and revenue of $8.74 billion, which would represent changes of +80.21% and 0%, respectively, from the prior year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Comfort Systems. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. Right now, Comfort Systems possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Comfort Systems is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 33.81. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 23.86.

The Building Products - Air Conditioner and Heating industry is part of the Construction sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 178, finds itself in the bottom 28% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

In the latest trading session, Moderna (MRNA - Free Report) closed at $33.86, marking a -5.66% move from the previous day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.01%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.55%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.44%.

Heading into today, shares of the biotechnology company had gained 23.63% over the past month, outpacing the Medical sector's gain of 2.01% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.86%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Moderna in its forthcoming earnings report. On that day, Moderna is projected to report earnings of -$2.79 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 11.6%. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $683.27 million, reflecting a 29.27% fall from the equivalent quarter last year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of -$7.98 per share and revenue of $1.95 billion, which would represent changes of +10.03% and 0%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Moderna. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 4.25% higher. Moderna is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

The Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 107, finds itself in the top 44% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.

Amgen (AMGN - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $330.05, demonstrating a -3.39% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.01%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.55%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.44%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the world's largest biotech drugmaker had gained 8.33% outpaced the Medical sector's gain of 2.01% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.86%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Amgen in its upcoming earnings disclosure. On that day, Amgen is projected to report earnings of $4.74 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 10.73%. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $9.47 billion, showing a 4.2% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

AMGN's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $21.28 per share and revenue of $36.36 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +7.26% and 0%, respectively.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Amgen. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.11% increase. Amgen presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Amgen is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 15.75. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 22.11.

It is also worth noting that AMGN currently has a PEG ratio of 3.11. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.56.

The Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry is part of the Medical sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 107, positioning it in the top 44% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

In the latest trading session, Broadwind Energy, Inc. (BWEN - Free Report) closed at $3.75, marking a +2.46% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.01%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.55%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.44%.

The company's stock has climbed by 3.1% in the past month, exceeding the Industrial Products sector's gain of 0.63% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.86%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Broadwind Energy, Inc. in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of -$0.01, showcasing a 75% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $37.76 million, up 12.53% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $0.26 per share and revenue of $158.37 million. These totals would mark changes of +420% and 0%, respectively, from last year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Broadwind Energy, Inc. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Broadwind Energy, Inc. presently features a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).

In terms of valuation, Broadwind Energy, Inc. is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 66.54. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 22.02, so one might conclude that Broadwind Energy, Inc. is trading at a premium comparatively.

The Manufacturing - General Industrial industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 176, putting it in the bottom 29% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Attempting to lower housing prices, the administration is looking to step up a portfolio that was at the heart of the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Delaware filing signals early positioning as Grayscale explores altcoin ETF products. Key Takeaways Grayscale took an early procedural step toward a potential BNB ETF. BNB has lagged major crypto assets despite renewed interest in ETF products. Grayscale Investments registered a statutory trust for a proposed BNB exchange-traded fund in Delaware on January 8, 2026, according to state records. The filing establishes the legal vehicle typically used before submitting formal ETF applications to federal regulators.

The move comes as BNB is up about 4% since the start of the year, trading around $890 at press time, and underperforming major tokens such as Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, which have each rallied more than 12% over the same period.

Disclaimer

XRP traded rather weakly on Thursday, holding just above $2.10, even after gaining roughly 13% over the past week.

Following an extended period of crypto market quiet, the crypto-asset is emerging as a key focus for investors, with analysts now pointing to a potential major recovery ahead due to various bullish signals.

Notably, data from blockchain analytics firm Santiment highlights that whale wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 XRP have quietly accumulated roughly 26% of the total circulating supply since mid-December.

“The key stakeholders are finally accumulating again, and they now hold the highest proportion of XRP since early November.” The analysts noted in a recent analysis.

This level of accumulation is being interpreted as a strong sign of confidence among institutional and high-net-worth investors, often referred to as whales.

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Santiment further noted that long-term holders are still largely in the red, with average losses around 2.55% as of New Year’s Eve. Notably, this dynamic, in which whales buy heavily while retail traders remain cautious, can often precede significant price appreciation.

“Historically, periods when large stakeholders increase their holdings while smaller traders remain hesitant can set the stage for a bullish move,” they added.

This surge in whale activity is reinforced by data that shows a sharp increase in large XRP Ledger transactions valued at $100,000 or more. The network recorded 2,170 such transfers on Monday, before activity jumped to 2,802 by the following day, marking a three-month high.

Retail sentiment, in contrast, remains largely neutral. Unlike previous rallies where retail fear-of-missing-out drove sharp short-term spikes, XRP’s current momentum appears measured and steady. Analysts see this as a positive factor, as it reduces the likelihood of sudden, unsustainable surges driven by hype.

“While retail traders are still actively purchasing dips, the market’s current steadiness suggests a healthier environment for long-term growth,” one analyst explained.

Technical indicators also appear supportive. On the weekly chart, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has recently broken above its moving average, signaling a potential shift in momentum, as noted by crypto analyst Steph Is Crypto.

“The weekly RSI has broken back above its moving average. This is important because it usually only happens when momentum starts to shift decisively in favor of buyers.” He tweeted on Thursday. 

“Since 2024, every previous RSI break above its moving average on the weekly timeframe led to strong upside and follow-through in price over the weeks that followed.”

Elliott Wave analyst XForceGlobal, a popular Elliott Wave Theory expert, also expressed bullish expectations, citing pattern recognition and market psychology. 

“Here’s PROOF that XRP can easily go to $5 this cycle (and even up to $20+) using pattern recognition from the Elliott Wave Theory,” he said. “Most of the bearish ideas have been invalidated, and we are left with only two options: a bullish scenario and a very bullish scenario.” 

According to him, XRP’s current setup has created a new price floor following previous market consolidations, and a flat pattern is forming, which, once resolved, could propel the token significantly higher.

“The macro is still trading within a tight range that hasn’t been done in the history of XRP’s price action and has created a new price floor that is now, in my opinion, in the validation stage before further upside based on pattern recognition.” He added.

At press time, XRP was trading at $2.128, down 2.31% in the past 24 hours.

TLDR

The partnership seeks to use Amazon Bedrock to analyze massive data logs and detect anomalies in real time. AI technology will reduce network incident investigation times from several days to just 2 or 3 minutes. The system will integrate XRPL’s C++ source code with AI models to provide ultra-precise technical diagnostics. Ripple and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have partnered to propose an ambitious technical initiative that marks a historic achievement in the AI expansion on the XRP Ledger. Sources close to the project state that the companies are integrating the Generative Artificial Intelligence capabilities of Amazon Bedrock to transform how this Layer-1 blockchain is monitored and analyzed.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL), active since 2012, operates through a global network of over 900 nodes that generate a massive volume of data, estimated between 2 and 2.5 petabytes.

 Until now, when a technical incident occurred, engineers had to manually track complex C++ code logs—a process that could span several days.

With the new AI expansion on the XRP Ledger, AWS ensures that this time will be reduced to mere minutes, drastically optimizing the network’s operability.

Amazon Bedrock: The Engine of AI Expansion on the XRP Ledger Basically, the innovation centers on using Amazon Bedrock as an interpretative layer between system logs and human operators. Vijay Rajagopal, Solutions Architect at AWS, explained that AI agents will be able to reason over large datasets, identifying patterns and anomalous behaviors automatically.

This technical workflow not only analyzes logs but also processes the XRPL base code repositories. By linking operational data with server standards, the AI expansion on the XRP Ledger allows models to understand how the protocol should behave, providing precise explanations for connectivity failures or node downtimes.

⚠️AMAZON WEB SERVICES & RIPPLE discussing AMAZON Bedrock for the XRPL🔥

The overview of this video:
XRPL runs on high-performance C++ code (A powerful programming language) .
At scale, C++ systems produce large volumes of cryptic logs (history).
AWS partners with Ripple, using… pic.twitter.com/2bjfT9MOkn

— ProfessoRipplEffect (@ProfRipplEffect) January 7, 2026 In summary, this technological integration—utilizing services such as Amazon S3, AWS Lambda, and EventBridge—positions the Ripple ecosystem at the forefront of blockchain infrastructure. 

The AI expansion on the XRP Ledger not only improves system resilience but also eliminates technical bottlenecks, allowing developers to focus on creating new features rather than manual error resolution.

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In a devastating blow for Ripple’s XRP, global asset management firm WisdomTree has announced the withdrawal of its Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) application. Notably, this move comes as XRP ETFs experience significant demand in the highly competitive ETF market. Moreover, the news has triggered a substantial decline in the altcoin’s price, which just recently began to recover from previous lows. 

Ripple’s XRP Declines As WisdomTree Abandons ETF  XRP has faced a significant setback in its recent rally, as WisdomTree formally withdraws its registration for an ETF. Filed just over a month ago in December 2024, the asset manager has now requested the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to cancel its ETF application.

The news likely triggered the sharp decline in XRP’s price, erasing significant gains made earlier this week. WisdomTree’s filing with the US SEC confirmed that its planned ETF product would not proceed, despite months of coordination with regulators and exchanges and substantial costs invested in the project. 

Notably, the filing cited Rule 477 of Regulation C under the Securities Act of 1933 and clarified that no shares had been sold under the original registration. This means the planned product was effectively halted before it reached the market. 

Initially, WisdomTree’s XRP ETF was designed to provide regulated exposure to the token through shares listed on Cboe BZX. This structure followed a model similar to the asset manager’s previous Bitcoin ETF. Given that WisdomTree’s Spot Bitcoin ETF is among the most prominent and widely adopted US-based crypto products, its decision to withdraw its XRP ETF comes as a surprise. 

This move highlights the underlying difficulties of launching new crypto investment vehicles, even for firms with an established reputation and a track record of success in related products. Currently, competition in the XRP ETF market is fierce, and this could have been a contributing factor to WisdomTree’s exit. 

Several firms, including Grayscale, Canary Capital, Franklin Templeton, and Bitwise, are already capturing the majority of inflows, vying for liquidity in an increasingly crowded space. By stepping away from its XRP ETF plans, WisdomTree not only avoids this congestion but also strategically positions itself to recalibrate its next move in the crypto space. 

XRP ETFs See First Outflow Since Launch Following WisdomTree’s withdrawal of its XRP ETF application, data from SoSovalue revealed significant outflows across four of the five available products. Daily total net inflows turned negative on January 7, recording an outflow of approximately $40.8 million. 

This marks the first outflow since XRP ETFs launched in Q4 2025, ending a streak of over 35 days of consistent inflows. Canary Capital, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and 21Shares all experienced major outflows. Only Grayscale recorded positive flows of about 0.13%, roughly $1.69 million. 

Source: Chart from SoSoValue Cumulative net inflows into the XRP ETF also reached $1.25 billion on January 6, 2026. However, as of writing, this figure has fallen to $1.2 billion, reducing the market value by approximately $5 billion.

XRP trading at $2.11 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

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Nexo has launched a zero-interest crypto lending product that allows Bitcoin and Ether holders to borrow against their assets through fixed-term loans.

According to a company announcement, the product, called Zero-interest Credit, offers fixed-term loans for users who hold Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH (ETH), with repayment conditions set in advance. Loans are settled at maturity and can be repaid using either stablecoins or collateral, depending on market conditions.

The offering expands a structured lending model that had previously been available only through Nexo’s private and OTC channels, where it facilitated more than $140 million in borrowing during 2025, according to the company.

Borrowers choose the loan size and duration up front, with terms that prevent liquidation before maturity and define the repayment range. At the end of the term, loans can be settled using either stablecoins or collateral, with the option to renew under new terms.

Nexo is a crypto financial services company founded in 2018 that offers crypto-backed loans, trading and savings services to users across 150 jurisdictions.

In April 2025, the company said that it would reenter the US market after withdrawing in late 2022 and settling a case with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $45 million in early 2023.

Defi lending grows in 2025Crypto lending has evolved significantly since 2022, when companies such as Celsius and BlockFi were widely blamed for amplifying market contagion and deepening the fallout from the FTX collapse.

In 2025, centralized lenders including Nexo, Ledn, Xapo Bank and Coinbase expanded their crypto lending offerings under more conservative, fully collateralized structures, while decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols also recorded strong growth.

According to DefiLlama data, DeFi lending products grew from about $48.15 billion in total value locked (TVL) on Jan. 1, 2025, to a peak of $91.98 billion on Oct. 7, 2025.

DeFi lending total value locked. Source: DefiLlamaAlthough the market trended lower following the Oct. 10 crypto liquidation event, activity stabilized in November and total value locked (TVL) currently stands at around $66 billion.

The DeFi lending market is led by Aave, with more than $22 billion in outstanding loans backed by over $55 billion in deposited assets, according to DefiLlama data.

“At some point, you have to ask if this is innovation… or just wasted time and opportunity cost,” one X user stated.

Unlike many leading cryptocurrencies, Pi Network’s native token failed to post a substantial uptick in the opening days of the new year.

It has been in a massive downtrend over the past several months, prompting some analysts to be quite bearish about the future. Meanwhile, certain indicators suggest a further pullback could be on the horizon.

‘Hard to Stay Bullish’ PI currently trades at approximately $0.20 (per CoinGecko’s data), representing a minor 2% increase on a weekly scale and a whopping 93% collapse since the all-time high of $3 observed in February last year.

X user pinetworkmembers, who has been quite critical of the project as of late, claimed it’s “hard to stay bullish” on PI at the moment. They noted that the asset had barely moved up when BTC bounced at the start of 2026, outlining several hurdles for the price.

The main ones include the lack of support from a major exchange, “no real open mainnet,” unclear supply, centralized control, locked balances, and others.

“At some point, you have to ask if this is innovation… or just wasted time and opportunity cost,” they added.

The increased exchange supply reinforces the bearish outlook. Almost 1.8 million tokens have been transferred to centralized platforms in the past 24 hours alone, which is often considered a pre-sale step.

As of now, more than 425 million PI are stored on exchanges, with roughly 52% of that amount held by Gate.io. Bitget comes in second with around 148 million coins.

You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Plunges Before the FOMC Meeting, Pi Network (PI) Soars by 15%: Market Watch PI Exchange Reserves, Source: piscan.io Something for the Bulls Some analysts refuse to wave the white flag, arguing that a resurgence could be knocking on the door. X user Vuori Trading claimed that PI has been breaking out from an eight-month downtrend, predicting the price might rise to $0.57 soon.

Prior to that, Aman assumed that the asset had been “consolidating tight under key resistance after trending higher.” The market observer forecasted new peaks should the valuation surge above $0.215.

The upcoming token unlocks also deserve to be observed. Over 130 million PI are scheduled for release in the next 30 days, as today (January 8) is the record day, with 5.3 million coins freed up. The average daily unlock is around 4.36 million, which is less aggressive than in previous months and could provide some short-term price stability.

PI Token Unlocks, Source: piscan.io Tags:

Strange New Chinese AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Dogecoin and Solana By the End of 2026 Dogecoin Solana XRP

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16 minutes ago

As 2026 gets underway, China’s strange new ChatGPT alternative, KIMI AI, has released fresh cryptocurrency price projections for XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin.

The LLM paints an optimistic picture, suggesting those who take positions in the projects today could see returns of 3x or more by the end of the year.

Here’s how KIMI AI expects them to perform if a full-scale crypto bull market ignites in 2026.

XRP (XRP): KIMI AI Predicts Ripple’s Payments Token Reaching $8Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) has started the year on a strong footing, rising roughly 14% over the last seven days to trade at $2.09. According to KIMI AI, sustaining this momentum could propel XRP to the $8 level before the end of 2026.

Source: KIMI AI

XRP dominated headlines last year after rallying to a seven-year high of $3.65 in July, following Ripple’s landmark legal win against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The ruling removed a major regulatory overhang and reignited investor confidence.

Still, XRP spent much of 2025 moving sideways between $2 and $3. A broader market downturn late in the year even dragged the price briefly below $2.

At present, XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) is hovering around 54, a neutral zone that indicates strength at its current level, which was also a strong support level throughout last year.

A move to KIMI’s projected upper target would translate into gains of just under 300% for current holders.

Institutional money will be the key driver here. The recent rollout of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. has already begun attracting large investors, mirroring the early stages of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF inflows. If additional products gain approval, 2026 could become the year XRP goes mainstream.

Dogecoin (DOGE): KIMI AI Predicts an Easy 3xOriginally launched in 2013 as a joke, Dogecoin ($DOGE) has matured into one of the crypto market’s largest assets. With a market cap of almost $24 billion, it now capitalizes half of the $49 billion meme coin sector.

Source: KIMI AI

DOGE formed several constructive chart patterns in late summer and early autumn of 2026, but momentum faded after a sharp market-wide sell-off in October.

Dogecoin’s all-time high of $0.7316 was set during the retail-fueled bull run of 2021. While the Doge Army has its hearts and minds set on a $1 Dogecoin, KIMI AI views that milestone as unlikely in 2026. Instead, the model projects a peak near $0.45, which would still represent a clean 3x increase from the current price of around $0.14.

Despite being a meme coin, Dogecoin is actually a viable tender for many merchants across the globe. Tesla accepts DOGE for select merchandise, and major payment platforms such as PayPal and Revolut have added support for Dogecoin transactions, strengthening its role as a functional digital currency.

Solana (SOL): KIMI AI Targets $400 for SOLSolana ($SOL) enters 2026 as one of crypto’s most dynamic smart contract platforms. The network now supports around $9 billion in total value locked (TVL) and commands a market capitalization close to $75.9 billion, while developer activity and user growth continue to accelerate.

Source: KIMI AI

Recent launches of Solana-focused ETFs by firms such as Bitwise and Grayscale have renewed market enthusiasm, with many investors drawing parallels to the early ETF adoption phases of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

After a sharp correction in the final quarter of 2025, SOL is now back up in a local support zone after rising 8% in the last week to trade at $134. In a highly bullish scenario, KIMI AI estimates Solana could climb to $400 in 2026, a 200% increase from today’s price—well above its previous all-time high of $293 set last January.

Solana also has one of the strongest narratives of any altcoin: growing institutional interest in Solana’s tokenization of real-world assets, driven by major players like Franklin Templeton and BlackRock, reinforces SOL’s long-term upside potential.

Maxi Doge (MAXI): Early-Stage Meme Coin Outside KIMI’s ModelBeyond the classics, pre-launch token sales remain popular among investors seeking opportunities with higher-risk and higher-potential returns. Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is one such project, having raised over $4.4 million as meme coin investors pile in to Dogecoin’s degen successor.

The project revolves around Maxi Doge persona, Dogecoin’s fun, hilarious, and ripped cousin, who has spent the last decade feeling sidelined by his relative’s unprecedented popularity. Now he’s back, having mastered the art of degen trading with 1,000x leverage and no stop loss.

MAXI is issued as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, leveraging Ethereum’s mature developer ecosystem and improved energy efficiency for a more modern meme coin than Dogecoin, which utilizes a consumptive Bitcoin-era proof-of-work design.

The ongoing presale offers staking rewards of up to 70% APY, though yields decline as more participants join. MAXI is currently priced at $0.000277 in its latest presale phase, with automatic price increases scheduled for future rounds. Tokens can be purchased using MetaMask or Best Wallet.

Dogecoin move over, Maxi’s the new top doge in crypto!

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

Visit the Official Website Here

The era of the hooded hacker hoarding Bitcoin in a dark web wallet is over.

In 2025, the center of gravity in the illicit cryptocurrency economy shifted decisively away from the volatility of the original cryptocurrency and toward a dense, dollar-linked shadow system.

According to new Chainalysis data shared with CryptoSlate, stablecoins accounted for 84% of the $154 billion illicit transaction volume last year, marking a clear shift in risk toward programmable dollars.

This structural shift has enabled Chinese money laundering networks to scale “laundering-as-a-service” operations while nation-states like North Korea, Russia, and Iran plugged into these same rails to evade Western controls.

Why criminals ditched BitcoinThe most striking trend in the 2025 data is the displacement of Bitcoin as the primary currency of crime. For over a decade, Bitcoin was synonymous with illicit online activity, but its dominance has eroded steadily since 2020.

As shown in the illicit activity chart below from 2020 to 2025, Bitcoin's share of dirty flows has plummeted year after year, while stablecoins have surged to capture the vast majority of the market.

Stablecoins Dominate Illicit Crypto Activities (Source: Chainalysis)This migration is not accidental. It mirrors trends in the broader, legitimate crypto economy, where stablecoins are increasingly dominant due to their practical benefits: easy cross-border transferability, lower volatility than assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum, and broader utility in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

However, these same features have made stablecoins the preferred vehicle for sophisticated criminal enterprises.

So, the shift away from Bitcoin represents a modernization of financial crime.

By leveraging assets pegged to the US dollar, criminal actors effectively utilize a shadow version of the traditional banking system, one that moves at the speed of the internet and operates outside the immediate reach of US regulators.

This “dollarization” of crime allows cartels and state actors to settle payments in a stable unit of account without exposure to the wild price swings that characterize the rest of the crypto market.

The geopolitical pivotIf the period from 2009 to 2019 was the “Early Days” of rogue niche cybercriminals, and 2020 to 2024 was the era of “Professionalization,” 2025 marked the arrival of “Wave 3”: Large-scale nation-state activity.

In this new phase, geopolitics has moved on-chain. Governments are now tapping into the professionalized service providers originally built for cybercriminals while simultaneously standing up their own bespoke infrastructure to evade sanctions at scale.

Russia, in particular, demonstrated the viability of state-backed digital assets for sanctions evasion. Following legislation introduced in 2024 to facilitate such activities, the country launched its ruble-backed A7A5 token in February 2025.

In less than one year, the token transacted over $93.3 billion, allowing Russian entities to bypass the global banking system and move value across borders without relying on SWIFT or Western correspondent banks.

Similarly, Iran’s proxy networks have continued to leverage the blockchain for illicit finance.

Confirmed wallets identified in sanctions designations show that Iranian-aligned networks facilitated money laundering, illicit oil sales, and the procurement of arms and commodities to the tune of more than $2 billion.

Despite various military setbacks, Iran-aligned terrorist organizations, including Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, are utilizing cryptocurrency at scales never before observed.

North Korea also recorded its most destructive year to date. DPRK-linked hackers stole $2 billion in 2025, a figure driven by devastating mega-hacks.

The most notable of these was the February Bybit exploit, which resulted in losses of nearly $1.5 billion, marking the largest digital heist in cryptocurrency history.

Money laundering industrializationThis surge in volume is supported by the emergence of Chinese money laundering networks (CMLNs) as a dominant force in the illicit on-chain ecosystem. These networks have dramatically expanded the diversification and professionalization of crypto crime.

Building on frameworks established by operations such as Huione Guarantee, these networks have created full-service criminal enterprises.

They offer specialized “laundering-as-a-service” capabilities, supporting a diverse client base that ranges from fraudsters and scam operators to North Korean state-backed hackers and terrorist financiers.

A key trend identified in 2025 is the increasing reliance of both illicit actors and nation-states on infrastructure providers that offer a “full stack” of services.

These providers, which are themselves visible on-chain, have evolved from niche hosting resellers into integrated infrastructure platforms. They provide domain registration, bulletproof hosting, and other technical services specifically designed to withstand takedowns, abuse complaints, and sanctions enforcement.

By offering a resilient technical backbone, these providers amplify the reach of malicious cyber activity. They allow financially motivated criminals and state-aligned actors to maintain operations even as law enforcement agencies attempt to dismantle their networks.

Convergence of digital and physical threatsWhile the narrative of crypto crime often focuses on digital theft and laundering, 2025 provided stark evidence that on-chain activity is increasingly intersecting with violent crime in the physical world.

Human trafficking operations have increasingly leveraged cryptocurrency for financial logistics, moving proceeds across borders with relative anonymity.

Even more disturbing is the reported rise in physical coercion attacks. Criminals are increasingly using violence to force victims to transfer assets, often timing these assaults to coincide with cryptocurrency price peaks to maximize the value of the theft.

Illicit activity remains less than 1% of crypto economyDespite these alarming trends, the broader context remains important. The illicit volumes tracked in 2025 remain less than 1%  of the legitimate crypto economy.

However, the qualitative shift in that 1% is what concerns regulators and intelligence agencies. The integration of nation-states into the illicit supply chain via stablecoins raises the stakes for national security.

As government agencies, compliance teams, and security professionals look toward 2026, the challenge will be disrupting a professionalized, state-sponsored shadow economy that has successfully weaponized the efficiency of modern finance.

Cooperation among law enforcement, regulatory bodies, and crypto businesses will be crucial, as the integrity of the ecosystem now intersects directly with global geopolitical stability.

Mentioned in this article

Recently, VanEck, through analysts Matthew Sigel and Patrick Bush, published a report estimating that the Bitcoin price in 2050 could reach $2.9 million. They claim this valuation is based on a 15% compound annual growth rate, driven by the cryptocurrency’s transformation into a global medium of exchange and a fundamental reserve asset for central banks.

This hypothetical scenario responds to a structural shift called the “Reserve Pivot,” where the loss of confidence in G7 sovereign debt would force financial institutions to seek refuge in decentralized assets. The firm suggests that if “hyper-bitcoinization” occurs, the Bitcoin price in 2050 could even escalate to $53.4 million, surpassing gold as the primary pillar of the international financial system and store of value.

Looking ahead, analysts should monitor the cryptocurrency’s negative correlation with the US Dollar and its capacity to settle international trade. While the base projection is ambitious, VanEck also proposes a bearish scenario of $130,000, emphasizing that the evolution of the Bitcoin price in 2050 will strictly depend on its institutional adoption in the face of global monetary debasement.

Source:https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/blogs/digital-assets/matthew-sigel-vaneck-bitcoin-long-term-capital-market-assumptions/

Disclaimer: Crypto Economy Flash News is prepared from official and public sources verified by our editorial team. Its purpose is to quickly inform about relevant events in the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. This information does not constitute financial advice or investment recommendations. We recommend always verifying the official channels of each project before making related decisions.

Journalist

Posted: January 9, 2026

The Truebit protocol has confirmed a security incident involving one of its smart contracts on 7 January. The on-chain exploit resulted in the loss of more than 8,500 ETH, valued at approximately $26–26.5 million at current prices.

In a statement posted on X, Truebit said it had identified malicious activity linked to the “Truebit Protocol: Purchase” contract at address 0x764C64b2A09b09Acb100B80d8c505Aa6a0302EF2, and urged users not to interact with the contract until further notice. 

The team said it is working with law enforcement and will provide updates through official channels.

Pricing flaw enabled free token mints While Truebit has not yet disclosed technical details of the vulnerability, on-chain analysis indicates the exploit stemmed from a pricing logic failure in the contract’s getPurchasePrice[uint256] function. 

The function reportedly returned a zero price for unusually large mint requests, allowing attackers to mint tokens at no cost.

Using this flaw, the attacker was able to repeatedly mint and sell tokens back into the protocol’s bonding curve, draining ETH reserves through a rapid buy-sell loop. 

One of the primary exploit transactions used a function explicitly labeled “Attack”.

The majority of the stolen funds were consolidated into a single address, with a smaller portion routed to a secondary wallet.

Funds moved through Tornado Cash Shortly after the exploit, roughly half of the stolen ETH was routed through Tornado Cash, according to transaction records. 

The rapid use of mixing services suggests the exploit was deliberate and pre-planned, rather than opportunistic.

Truebit TRU token price collapses The exploit had an immediate market impact. The TRU token fell sharply following the incident. It dropped more than 60%, from around $0.16 to $0.005 in a single 12-hour candle on major exchanges. 

Source: TradingView

The drop reflects traders’ reaction to the scale of the loss and uncertainty around remediation.

Exploit reflects broader trend in crypto crime The Truebit incident comes amid a broader rise in crypto-related crime.

Data from Chainalysis shows that illicit cryptocurrency transactions increased sharply in 2025, primarily driven by stolen funds and activity associated with sanctioned entities. 

The data showed a jump to approximately $154 billion in 2025.

Source: Chainalysis

The trend highlights how economically motivated attacks continue to target weaknesses in smart contract logic, particularly those tied to pricing and token issuance mechanisms.

At the time of writing, Truebit has not announced recovery plans or whether users will be made whole. 

The team has reiterated that updates will be shared via its official communication channels.

Final Thoughts The Truebit exploit highlights how pricing and boundary-condition bugs remain among the most dangerous smart contract risks, even without complex attack vectors. The incident adds to growing evidence that economically motivated exploits continue to scale alongside broader crypto adoption.

Price Prediction Solana Tokenization

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Harvey Hunter

Content Writer

Harvey Hunter

Part of the Team Since

Apr 2024

About Author

Harvey Hunter is a Content Writer at Cryptonews.com. With a background in Computer Science, IT, and Mathematics, he seamlessly transitioned from tech geek to crypto journalist.

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Solana is quietly proving to be Wall Street’s blockchain of choice, carving out a strong foothold in the RWA narrative that could drive bullish Solana price predictions.

The altcoin dominates the tokenised stock trend, hosting roughly 57% of the $1 billion in on-chain stock assets under management (AUM) through its platform xStocks

Tokenised Stock AUM by blockchain ($). Source: Dune Analytics.A lead that only stands to widen with the Alpenglow upgrade expected in early to mid-2026, set to make the network up to 100x faster with sub-second finality.

Solana is preparing a major consensus upgrade called Alpenglow, targeting sub-second finality.

Alpenglow replaces Tower BFT + PoH with two new components:
• Votor (vote aggregation)
• Rotor (stake-weighted block propagation)
Finality latency could drop from 12.8s → 100–150ms.… pic.twitter.com/8llTYRY7qa

— VAYLA (@vaylamanager) January 5, 2026 As a closer match to the throughput demand of traditional finance markets, Solana is uniquely positioned as the infrastructure to bridge TradFi and DeFi. Particularly for high-frequency, compliance-heavy products like tokenised equities.

With regulation pushing tokenization deeper into the mainstream, even capturing a tiny slice of U.S. stock market trading volumes could translate into a meaningful surge in on-chain activity, fees, and long-term demand for SOL as the utility token behind it.

Solana Price Prediction: Hottest Setup in Crypto?As the bull market matures, sticky adoption of tokenised equity could bring the demand needed to finally realise a year-long descending channel.

Still, stubborn multi-month resistance at $145 suggests a breakout move may not be ready just yet, particularly as momentum indicators show exhaustion.

SOL USD 1-day chart, year-long descending triangle. Source: TradingView.The RSI has made a sharp reversal after hitting the 70 oversold threshold, a typical indicator of local tops. The MACD follows with a narrowing gap above the signal line.

Traders should watch closely for a higher low to confirm an uptrend, keeping the historic resistance and key breakout threshold at $210 in focus.

Fully realized, the pattern eyes a potential 280% move to $500.

And if Solana can become the underlying infrastructure for mainstream financial institutions, a 650% move to $1000 could be in the cards.

However, the onboarding of Wall Street will likely be a slow process, making the full price impact of adoption unlikely to be realised over the near-term.

Bitcoin Hyper: Solana Could Have CompetitionThose who chose Solana as their TradFi bet may soon need to reconsider, as the Bitcoin ecosystem finally tackles its biggest limitation: scalability.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bridging Bitcoin’s security with Solana tech, creating a new Layer-2 network that unlocks scalable, efficient use cases Bitcoin couldn’t support on its own.

Just like the Ondo Layer-2 did for Ethereum, Bitcoin Hyper could bring Bitcoin into the RWA conversation.

The project has already raised over $30 million in presale, and post-launch, even a small fraction of Bitcoin’s massive trading volume could send its valuation significantly higher.

Bitcoin Hyper is fixing the slow transactions, high fees, and limited programmability that have long capped Bitcoin’s potential – just as the market turns bullish.

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

Memes are back in top form this week, with some of the top performing major meme coins tacking on upwards of 40% week-over-week (WoW).

TL;DR: Sentiment: market bounce revives risk-on; meme coins regain trader attention. Launchpads: Pump.fun’s PumpSwap accelerates churn; Solana still leads meme issuance. Risks: Shibarium restitution deadline looms; BONK.fun revenue flows reach public markets. With the broader cryptocurrency market seeing a bounce, meme coins are back in vogue this week.

Most popular memes are soaring, but a handful didn’t get the memo.

Here’s the scoop on what went down in the meme coin sector this week 👇

Meme Coin Snapshot Memes are back in top form this week, with some of the top performing major meme coins tacking on upwards of 40% week-over-week (WoW).

Pepe (PEPE) and Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) are leading the charge among the top 10 list, gaining 47.6% and 41.6%, respectively.

But Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led the narrative with a 621% gain on significant trading volume, sending it to a $21.4 million market capitalization (mcap).

As is typical with meme coins, a handful of major names saw contrarian price action—dumping hard.

Some of the worst performers include:

Meme Coin Launchpad Metrics Pump.fun (Solana’s largest meme coin launchpad) continued to outperform Four.meme (BNB Chain’s largest meme coin launchpad) across most major metrics this week, solidifying its position as the most popular launchpad.

Pump.fun currently achieves roughly 10x the number of daily token launches of Four.meme. The monthly graduation rates of the two platforms is ~0.65% vs 0.62%, respectively.

This suggests Solana is still the home for meme coins, at least for now.

Meme Coins vs Other Sectors With the CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index ticking back into neutral territory, speculators are beginning to switch risk-on.

This has resulted in the meme coin sector outperforming most others over the last week.

The meme coin sector was second only to the DePIN sector in terms of its mcap-weighted category performance. The sector saw a seven-day mcap-weighted gain of 14.5%, eclipsing most other sectors.

Source: DefiLlama

Chain Specific Highlights Meme coins across most L1s saw a major recovery this week, fueled by more favorable macroeconomic conditions and a reset of trader sentiment moving into 2026.

Some highlights across prominent L1s include:

Ethereum: Shiba Inu (SHIB) up 22.4% Solana: SPX6900 (SPX) gained 21.7% BNB Chain: Floki (FLOKI) soared by 31% Highlights across major L2s include:

Base: Brett (BRETT) spiked 27.6% Arbitrum: Degen (DEGEN) pumped 26.2% Meme Coin News Roundup Another week, another wave of major developments in the meme coin space. Below, we’ve summarized a handful of the most significant to bring you up to speed.

Pump.fun Expands PumpSwap Beyond ‘Just Memes’: Pump.fun pushed PumpSwap as a broader on-chain venue, highlighting support for select verified partner tokens and detailing how trading fees are allocated.

K9 Finance Sets a Hard Restitution Line: K9 Finance reiterated a Jan. 6, 2026, deadline for victims to be made whole following the Shibarium bridge incident, warning a DAO vote on its future relationship with Shibarium if resolution stalls.

BONK.fun ‘Meme Revenue’ Hits Public Markets: Bonk, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNKK) disclosed a $1M value transfer attributed to its BONK.fun revenue interest (half cash & half BONK), framing it as a “revenue-to-treasury” flywheel.

What You Can Do Now With the meme coin market heating up, here’s how you can stay ahead of the game.

Peep the trending list: Spot narratives early and position accordingly (click here ➜ click trending) Automate your research: Get CMC AI to dive into the projects you’re most excited about. >> That’s all for this recap! Check in next week for more on the latest meme coin news and developments.

This article contains links to third-party websites or other content for information purposes only (“Third-Party Sites”). The Third-Party Sites are not under the control of CoinMarketCap, and CoinMarketCap is not responsible for the content of any Third-Party Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Third-Party Site, or any changes or updates to a Third-Party Site. CoinMarketCap is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by CoinMarketCap of the site or any association with its operators. This article is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. It is important to do your own research and analysis before making any material decisions related to any of the products or services described. This article is not intended as, and shall not be construed as, financial advice. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s [company’s] own and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinMarketCap.

XRP is seeing its first price dip in 2026 amid the broad shift in market sentiments. While the massive rally it saw earlier this year has delivered notable gains to holders, it appears that traders are beginning to take profit.

Amid this declining momentum, on-chain data from CryptoQuant shows that about 2,692,600,000 XRP is currently sitting on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.

Binance users are selling XRPThe surge in the XRP reserve on Binance has flashed warning signs that the ongoing price slump might be prolonged, as holders appear to be selling off their assets.

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Although exchange reserves are key indicators of liquidity and accessibility, they often represent impending headwinds on the concerned asset’s price action, hinting that a major price move, either bad or good, may be coming soon.

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As such, it is important to note that increases in exchange reserves, as seen in the current XRP reserve on Binance, represent an early warning sign for a deeper price drop in the price of the asset.

While nearly 2.7 billion XRP is currently sitting on Binance, the XRP exchange reserve on the platform has increased decently by 0.30% over the last day.

This implies that traders on Binance are increasingly selling off their assets, possibly to take profits after the prolonged Q4 2024 volatility or to hedge against potential market bloodbaths in the new year.

XRP open interest dips 3.61%The bearish trend seen in XRP’s on-chain activity and trading price has also extended to the futures market, as only 1,960,000,000 XRP have been committed in active futures contracts as of January 8.

With the declining momentum, XRP open interest across all supported exchanges has declined by 3.61% over the last 24 hours. This suggests weakening investor confidence as momentum continues to fade.

Source: TradingView Amid the negative market trend, XRP has slumped by 3.28% over the last 24 hours, and it is trading at $2.12 as of writing time.

Bitcoin’s start of year (BTC) rally ran into stiff resistance near $93,000, triggering a pullback that has shifted the market’s focus back to key support levels. While the higher-time-frame (HTF) structure still looks fragile, the lower time-frame (LTF) signal suggests bulls may yet have room to regain control if critical levels hold.

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin rejected at $93,000 for the third time, slipping back toward weekly lows near $89,250.

Rising open interest during the dip suggests shorts are building positions near $90,000.

Strong passive bids around $90,000 could act as a springboard, or fail and open the door to the $86,000 to $87,000 range.

Bitcoin bulls need to hold $90,000After an 8% surge to $93,000, Bitcoin printed a swing failure pattern (SFP) at the same resistance level for the third time. The rejection pushed BTC down to weekly lows near $89,250, reviving the risk of consolidation or bearish continuation in line with the broader HTF trend.

Bitcoin six-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewStill, the LTF structure leaves room for a bullish response. Bitcoin is currently testing a key order block between $89,200 and $90,500, the first area of interest where bulls could attempt fresh long entries if momentum flips positive. 

Adding to this support, BTC continues to hold above the monthly rolling VWAP (volume-weighted average price), which turned bullish again at the start of 2026.

In the near term, Bitcoin could chop sideways into the weekly close. A decisive bullish engulfing recovery above $91,666 would mark the first confirmation of bullish continuation, forming a higher low on the LTF trend and potentially trapping late shorts positioned between $90,000 and $92,000.

Bitcoin open interest and price. Source: CoinalyzeOpen interest data strengthens this setup. As BTC dipped from $92,000 to $90,000, open interest climbed sharply, a sign that short positions are building. If BTC can defend $90,000, a short squeeze becomes likely. A strong daily close above $91,700 would be the first signal, opening the path for another test of $93,000.

However, failure to hold above $89,000 would quickly expose internal liquidity between $86,000 and $87,000, giving sellers a clear downside target.

BTC buyers flood order book with passive bidsData from CoinGlass shows the aggregated order book liquidity delta flashing strong passive bids around $90,000. Over the past two weeks, similar bid absorption has preceded short-term recoveries, a pattern that could repeat if buyers continue to defend this zone.

Bitcoin orderbook liquidity delta chart. Source: CoinGlassThat being said, futures trader Byzantine General cautioned that rising open interest cuts both ways. The analyst said, 

“Liquidations data suggests that there's a good amount of vulnerable longs in there. I could see a little bounce here at 90k, but ultimately it makes sense to me that it takes out those local lows around 86k.”This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Both of these altcoins face formidable long-term challenges.

XRP (XRP 2.32%) and Dogecoin (DOGE 2.97%), both launched in 2013, have turned some of their earliest investors into millionaires. A $10,000 investment in XRP's earliest trade would be worth $3.57 million today, while the same investment in Dogecoin's debut could have grown to about $7 million. However, those investors would have needed to hold their tokens through three crypto winters and one major U.S. recession to experience those gains.

Both tokens also lost their luster over the past 12 months, as XRP declined almost 10% and Dogecoin sank nearly 60%. Let's see why these two altcoins stumbled -- and if either one can generate even more millionaire-making gains over the next decade.

Image source: Getty Images.

The differences between XRP and Dogecoin XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger, was created by the founders of the fintech company Ripple Labs. Its creators pre-minted its entire supply of 100 billion tokens before its launch, so it can't be actively mined like Bitcoin (BTC 0.05%) or staked like Ethereum (ETH 0.89%).

XRP is primarily used as a bridge currency to accelerate financial transactions on Ripple's platform. If a user wants to make a financial transaction across two fiat currencies, they're both instantly converted to XRP (as the "bridge") and back to the target currency. That approach is cheaper, faster, and arguably more secure than traditional interbank SWIFT transfers.

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Dogecoin was created from the open-source code for Litecoin (LTC 0.40%), which was forked (split off) from Bitcoin's (BTC 0.05%) blockchain. Like Litecoin and Bitcoin, Dogecoin can still be actively mined with the energy-intensive (PoW) consensus mechanism.

Yet unlike those two other tokens, which have supply caps, Dogecoin doesn't have a maximum supply and has 168 billion tokens in circulation. Its supporters believe that design will encourage more people to spend their Dogecoins instead of hoarding them.

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Neither the XRP Ledger nor Dogecoin's blockchain natively supports smart contracts, which are used to develop decentralized apps (dApps) and other tokenized assets. However, both blockchains recently added some limited support for Ethereum-compatible apps.

The catalysts and challenges In 2020, XRP faced an existential crisis when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple for selling its own XRP tokens to fund its expansion. The SEC alleged that Ripple was selling the token as an unlicensed security, and its lawsuit prompted the top crypto exchanges to delist XRP. Ripple also lost several of its top financial customers.

Last August, the SEC lawsuit finally concluded with a lighter-than-expected fine for Ripple. The court also ruled that XRP wasn't an unlicensed security when sold to retail investors on public crypto exchanges. That victory prompted the top crypto exchanges to relist XRP, and its first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were approved and launched in late 2025.

Those positive developments stabilized XRP's price, but it could face fierce competition from stablecoins -- including Ripple's own Ripple USD (RLUSD 0.01%) -- which could be more reliable bridge currencies than XRP because they're tightly pegged to the U.S. dollar. XRP also can't be valued by its scarcity, like Bitcoin, or its usefulness to developers, like Ethereum.

Dogecoin initially garnered significant attention from celebrity investors, including Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Snoop Dogg. Musk's unpredictable tweets about Dogecoin often drove its price higher, while several companies -- including Tesla (TSLA +0.90%) -- started to accept Dogecoin as a payment method.

CleanCore Solutions (ZONE +1.14%), a producer of ozone cleaning products, recently announced that it would acquire 5% of Dogecoin's entire circulating supply to build its own "Dogecoin Treasury". The SEC also approved Dogecoin's first spot price ETFs in late 2025, making the meme coin more accessible to retail investors. All of that buzz kept Dogecoin afloat, even though it lacks any clear advantages against Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other mined tokens.

Could XRP or Dogecoin generate more millionaire-making gains? I don't think XRP and Dogecoin can turn a fresh $10,000 investment into $1 million again over the next decade. However, if we stretch the timeline a bit further, I believe XRP has a brighter future and a better chance at generating bigger multibagger gains than Dogecoin.

XRP may not seem particularly impressive on its own, but its integration into Ripple's expanding fintech ecosystem could significantly boost its long-term value. Ripple submitted its application for a U.S. bank charter last July, and its expansion and evolution into a full-fledged bank could drive XRP's price to fresh highs over the next few decades. I'm not as optimistic about Dogecoin, which is still primarily supported by hype and social media buzz instead of any fundamental strengths.

Journalist

Posted: January 9, 2026

XRP’s spot exchange-traded fund [ETF] has recorded its first-ever daily net outflow since launch. The trend breaks a streak of uninterrupted inflows that had persisted since its launch in November 2025.

According to data from SoSoValue, the XRP spot ETF posted a net outflow of approximately $40.8 million on 7 January. 

Despite the outflow, total net assets held by the product remain elevated at around $1.53 billion, underscoring that the move represents a pause in accumulation rather than a broad unwind.

Source: SoSoValue

The outflow comes as XRP’s price retraced from recent highs following a strong rally into the new year.

XRP ETF outflow follows January price rally XRP entered January with renewed momentum, pushing above the $2.40 level earlier this week after weeks of steady gains. 

However, price action has since cooled, with XRP pulling back roughly 9% to trade near $2.14 at the time of writing.

Source: TradingView

Notably, the ETF outflow coincided with this short-term retracement, suggesting the move may reflect profit-taking or portfolio rebalancing rather than a structural shift in investor sentiment.

While ETF flows had previously moved in one direction, the latest data indicates that XRP’s ETF market is beginning to experience two-way flow dynamics, a common feature as new products mature.

Assets remain elevated despite first outflow Even after the outflow, XRP ETF assets remain near cycle highs, highlighting that institutional exposure to the asset has not materially diminished.

Since its launch in November 2025, the product has accumulated more than $1.5 billion in net assets. Also, it has benefited from sustained inflows during XRP’s late-2025 recovery phase. 

The recent outflow represents a single-day adjustment, rather than a prolonged trend of capital exits.

Historically, early-stage crypto ETFs often experience periods of consolidation following strong inflow streaks, particularly after sharp price advances.

Market interprets move as consolidation, not reversal Importantly, XRP’s broader price structure has not shown signs of a breakdown. The token remains well above its December lows, and trading volumes suggest continued market participation rather than capitulation.

The initial outflows are not uncommon once products transition from launch-phase accumulation into more balanced trading environments.

In this context, the latest data point may signal normalization, rather than weakening demand.

What comes next Market attention will now shift to whether ETF flows stabilize or extend into consecutive outflow sessions. 

A return to net inflows could reinforce the view that the current move was driven by short-term positioning. However, sustained outflows may prompt closer scrutiny of institutional appetite at current price levels.

For now, XRP’s first ETF outflow marks a notable milestone, but one that appears consistent with consolidation following a strong rally rather than a decisive change in trend.

Final Thoughts XRP’s spot ETF recorded its first net outflow since launch, ending a period of uninterrupted inflows following a strong price rally. Despite the outflow, total ETF assets remain elevated, suggesting consolidation rather than a broader reversal in institutional demand.

TLDR

Ethereum breaks out of a symmetrical triangle to the upside, projecting a technical target near $3,700. ETH reserves on exchanges have fallen below 16.5 million, reducing immediate selling pressure. The Coinbase Premium Index shows weak institutional demand in the United States, which could stall the rally. Ethereum closed 2025 nearly touching $3,000, but it has started the new year with renewed strength. At the time of writing, the Ethereum price in 2026 managed to break through the $3,200 barrier, showing breakout signals that have captured traders’ attention.

$ETH is about to EXPLODE to the upside.

How?

• The Bollinger Bands are squeezing tightly, meaning that a BIG move is coming soon.

• Last time when 2 of 2 whale colors turned on, $ETH climbed from $1.8K to $4.9K.

Waiting for the pop.
(And the second whale color.) pic.twitter.com/i8lUtZdSVx

— Bryant (@TheSkayeth) January 8, 2026 In this context, technical analysis reveals a “squeeze” in the Bollinger Bands on the three-day chart—a formation that generally precedes major volatility moves, similar to the rallies that previously pushed the asset toward its all-time highs. 

Analyst Ali Martinez noted that ETH has exited a symmetrical triangle on the daily chart. If the asset manages to stay above the support zone between $3,100 and $3,300, the technical target based on the height of this formation places the Ethereum price in 2026 around $3,700. However, if the price falls below these levels, the bullish scenario would be invalidated, shifting base support toward $2,800.

The Duality Between Deflationary Supply and Institutional Demand Despite the optimistic charts, data from CryptoQuant reveals an important duality. On one hand, ETH reserves on exchanges have reached historical lows, sitting below 16.5 million units. 

This supply scarcity is a fundamentally bullish factor for the Ethereum price in 2026, as any increase in buying activity can trigger aggressive upward price movements.

However, the “Coinbase Premium Gap” has fallen to its lowest point since early 2025, moving into negative territory. This indicator, which measures the price difference between Coinbase and Binance, suggests that interest from U.S. institutions is waning. 

Without the backing of U.S. institutional capital, Ethereum might face difficulties consolidating above key resistance levels. 

Despite this scenario, experts like Merlijn The Trader remind investors that ETH typically sees outstanding performance during the first and second quarters, keeping long-term projections of $10,000 alive for this cycle.

The Zcash Foundation has defended the Zcash (ZEC) network as independent from any third party. The Zcash Foundation responded to claims that the core team had dropped out amid onchain data showing notable cash out from the team.

“No single contributor, team, or organization controls Zcash. In fact, Zcash was deliberately designed for resilience,” the Zcash Foundation stated.

Zcash Network Suffers Low Development Activity According to onchain data analysis from Santiment, development activity on the Zcash network has dropped to its lowest level since 2021. The decline in GitHub events from the Zcash team coincided with reports of an exodus of the core developers.

Source: X

On January 7, 2026, the entire team from Electric Coin Company resigned ostensibly due to internal governance conflict. Around 25 ECC team members led by Josh Swihart, the CEO, and Chelsea Komlo, the Chief Scientist resigned.

As such, the Zcash Foundation urged the ZEC community to separate the organizational shift of any single entity from the network. Furthermore, the Zcash Foundation reiterated that the Zcash network is resilient and continues to run smoothly.

What’s Next for ZEC Price?The unfolding event of the team exodus increased selling pressure on the ZEC price today. According to market data from CoinMarketCap, ZEC price dropped over 18% on Thursday to trade below $400, before rebounding towards $431 at press time.

After an impressive bull rally in 2025, catalyzed by the privacy narrative, the ZEC price has faced short-term selling pressure. The loss of key developers raised concerns about the network’s ability to execute crucial updates like Halo 2, a Trustless ZK proof.

From a technical analysis standpoint, altcoin has formed a potential macro reversal pattern, which can only be invalidated if ZEC price rallies above its prior all-time high.

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