Market Signal Briefing

Rocket Lab is surging on massive contracts and backlog growth, but this one factor could decide whether the stock keeps soaring or stalls in 2026.

Rocket Lab (RKLB +6.03%) is gaining momentum with billion-dollar contracts and rapid launch success, positioning it as a serious contender in the space economy. The upside is real, but so are the risks as valuation stretches higher.

Stock prices used were the market prices of Jan. 9, 2026. The video was published on Jan. 13, 2026.

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

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In agilon health To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in agilon health between February 26, 2025 and August 4, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

, /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against agilon health, inc. ("agilon" or the "Company") (NYSE: AGL) and reminds investors of the March 2, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

James (Josh) Wilson, Faruqi & Faruqi Senior Partner (PRNewsfoto/Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP) Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Defendants recklessly issued guidance for 2025 that they knew or should have known was not going to be achieved, given material industry headwinds of which they were aware; (2) Defendants materially overstated the immediate positive financial impact from "strategic actions" taken by agilon to reduce risk; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about agilon's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and/or misleading at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

On August 4, 2025, agilon health issued a press release entitled "agilon health Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results." Commenting on the results, agilon health's Executive Chair stated that "as we progressed through this transition year, it's become clear that the industry headwinds are more acute than previously expected[.]" Further, the release announced that the company was "suspending its previously issued full-year 2025 financial guidance and related assumptions."

On this news, agilon health's stock fell 51.5% on August 5, 2025.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. 

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding agilon health's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the agilon health class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/AGL or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

Choosing between the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) comes down to your opinion on small caps.

If you want broad exposure to the U.S. stock market, two Vanguard ETFs are the clear and obvious candidates: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO 0.08%) and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI 0.06%). While they both do a good job of covering the U.S. equity market, the Total Stock Market ETF covers more ground, including small caps and mid-caps in the mix.

Over the past several years, that added coverage hasn't helped. Large caps have, by a fairly substantial margin, outperformed smaller company stocks, and that's created a performance drag for that fund relative to the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.06%).

As a long-term investment, both are still great options for investors. But you should understand the advantages and disadvantages of each before choosing.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's inside these two ETFs The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF does exactly what the name suggests. It tracks the S&P 500, giving investors exposure to roughly 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. That includes heavy weightings to megacap tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Tesla.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF takes a broader approach. It owns the S&P 500 stocks, but also owns more than 3,500 other stocks across large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies.

Essentially, the decision of which of the two ETFs you'd want to own comes down to whether or not you want small caps in your portfolio.

As is the case with many Vanguard ETFs, investors pay a minimal price to own the funds. Both funds come with expense ratios of just 0.03%, meaning you'd pay only $3 a year in fees for every $10,000 invested.

Today's Change

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-0.08

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Historical performance Over long periods of time, the performance gap between the S&P 500 ETF and the Total Stock Market ETF is likely to be relatively small. Over the past several years, however, that obviously hasn't been the case. The narrow bull market in tech and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks has given large caps a modest performance advantage.

Over the past five years (as of Jan. 13), the S&P 500 ETF has returned an average of 14.45% compared to a 13.05% average annual return for the Total Stock Market ETF. The heavy large-cap exposure of both funds has kept the gap small, but there's little question that small caps have been a drag lately.

The early stages of 2026 have yielded a reversal of this trend. The S&P 500 ETF's performance is trailing by a 2.11% to 1.74% margin year to date.

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-0.06

%) $

-0.20

Current Price

$

341.85

Which ETF is the better buy? For investors who want simple, large-cap U.S. stock exposure, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is an excellent choice. It owns the market's biggest companies and has a long track record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns.

Personally, I think the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is the better buy. I prefer its broader diversification and exposure to smaller companies. The fact that the market is beginning to recognize some of their value and has been out of favor for so long suggests some added upside potential. Even though they've lagged in recent years, their addition to a large-cap-heavy portfolio should spread out some risk and offer the potential to enhance returns long term.

David Dierking has positions in Apple and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Eight NATO members' goods sent to the U.S. will face escalating tariffs "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," President Donald Trump announced Saturday.

The tariffs targeting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will start at 10% on Feb. 1, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

The tariffs will shoot up to 25% on June 1, the president said.

His post suggested that the new tariffs on the European allies were being imposed in response to them moving troops to Greenland. They took that step as the Trump administration has floated utilizing the U.S. military as part of its ramped-up efforts to acquire the Danish territory.

The eight countries "have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown," Trump wrote. "This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet."

A day earlier, Trump hinted that he may pursue a tariff strategy on Greenland similar to the one he used to force foreign countries to change their drug prices.

"I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security," he said at the White House on Friday.

Trump's latest tariff threat puts further strain on NATO, the 32-member military alliance established in the aftermath of World War II. The cornerstone of the alliance is an agreement that an attack on any single member is considered an attack on them all.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In F5 To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in F5 between October 28, 2024 and October 27, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

, /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against F5, Inc. ("F5" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FFIV) and reminds investors of the February 17, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

James (Josh) Wilson, Faruqi & Faruqi Senior Partner (PRNewsfoto/Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP) Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that the true state of F5's security capabilities; notably, that it was not truly equipped to safely secure data for its clients as F5 itself was, for all relevant times, experiencing a significant security breach (the "Security Breach") of some of its key offerings and, further, that the revelation of this breach would significantly impact F5's potential to capitalize on the security market.

On October 27, 2025, F5 announced their fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 results after the market closed, providing significantly below-market growth expectations for fiscal 2026 due in significant part to the Security Breach as the Company announced expected reductions to sales and renewals, elongated sales cycles, terminated projections, and increased expenses attributed to ongoing remediation efforts. Pertinently, defendants also disclosed that BIG-IP, the product that was the subject of the Security Breach, is the company's highest revenue product, elevating the scope of the impact from the original disclosure as F5 does not otherwise provide revenue contributions by product line.

Following this news, the price of F5's common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $290.41 per share on October 27, 2025, F5's stock price fell to $258.76 per share on October 29, 2025, a decline of an additional 10.9% in the span of two days.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. 

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding F5's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the F5 class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/FFIV or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

HIVE Digital Technologies (TSX-V:HIVE, NASDAQ:HIVE, FRA:YO0, BVC:HIVECO) chief financial officer Darcy Daubaras spoke with Proactive about the company’s latest move to expand cloud computing and high performance computing operations in Paraguay, building on the company’s existing Bitcoin mining footprint in the country.

Daubaras explained that securing energy, land, capital, and long-term partners is central to HIVE Digital Technologies’ strategy, and Paraguay has emerged as an attractive jurisdiction as the company continues to scale.

With Bitcoin mining operations already established, the expansion into high performance computing represents a natural progression for the company.

Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom, and joining me now is Darcy Daubaras, Chief Financial Officer of HIVE Digital Technologies. Happy New Year.

Darcy Daubaras: Happy New Year to you too, and all of your followers.

The company has announced an increase in cloud computing in Paraguay. Is this a natural progression?

Absolutely. As a Bitcoin miner, securing energy, land, capital, and partners is key. Paraguay has become a very attractive jurisdiction for us, and with our existing Bitcoin mining facilities, this is a natural extension into high performance computing.

How important is the partnership in Paraguay?

We’ve partnered with one of the largest telecommunications providers in Paraguay. It’s very symbiotic between Bitcoin mining and tier three high performance computing data centres, and energy is at the core. The availability of dark fibre is also critical.

What about demand compared with North America?

There aren’t many tier three facilities in Latin America. Institutions such as research facilities, education providers, and hospitals want data to stay within their jurisdiction, and there’s strong demand for that locally.

Does your existing footprint provide an advantage?

Yes. We’ve been in Paraguay for over a year, built 300MW, and have strong relationships with energy providers and government. That gives us stability and credibility in the ecosystem.

How quickly can this be rolled out?

Working with a major telecom provider allows us to test demand quickly and scale responsibly, converting facilities only when it makes economic sense.

Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Ardent Health, Inc. (NYSE: ARDT) securities between July 18, 2024 and November 12, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), have until March 9, 2026 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Ardent Health class action lawsuit. Captioned Postiwala v. Ardent Health, Inc., No. 26-cv-00022 (M.D. Tenn.), the Ardent Health class action lawsuit charges Ardent Health as well as certain of Ardent Health’s top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Ardent Health class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-ardent-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit-ardt.html

You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Ardent Health owns and operates a network of hospitals and clinics that provide a range of healthcare services.

The Ardent Health class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Ardent Health did not primarily rely on “detailed reviews of historical collections” in determining collectability of accounts receivable nor did “management determine[] [when an] account is uncollectible”; (ii) Ardent Health’s accounts receivable framework “utilized a 180-day cliff at which time an account became fully reserved,” which allowed Ardent Health to report higher amounts of accounts receivable during the Class Period, and delay recognizing losses on uncollectable accounts; (iii) consequently, Ardent Health’s reported financial position was materially false and misleading; (iv) Ardent Health did not maintain professional malpractice liability insurance in amounts “sufficient to cover claims arising out of [its] operations”; and (v) Ardent Health’s professional liability reserves were insufficient to cover “significant social inflationary pressure in medical malpractice cases the past several years,” which had been an “increasing dynamic year-over-year” in Ardent Health’s New Mexico market.

The Ardent Health class action lawsuit further alleges that on November 12, 2025, Ardent Health revealed a $43 million decrease in third quarter 2025 revenue, which resulted from revised determinations of accounts receivable collectability after Ardent Health transitioned to a new revenue accounting system and from purported “recently completed hindsight evaluations of historical collection trends.” Ardent Health also allegedly announced a cut to 2025 EBITDA guidance of $57.5 million at the midpoint, or about 9.6%, from $575 million – $615 million to $530 million – $555 million because of “persistent industry-wide cost pressures,” including “payer denials.” In addition, the complaint alleges Ardent Health recorded a $54 million increase in professional liability reserves “with respect to recent settlements and ongoing litigation arising from a limited set of claims between 2019 and 2022 in New Mexico” as well as “consideration of broader industry trends, including social inflationary pressures.” On this news, the price of Ardent Health stock fell nearly 34%, according to the Ardent Health class action lawsuit.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Ardent Health securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Ardent Health class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Ardent Health investor class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Ardent Health shareholder class action lawsuit. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Ardent Health class action lawsuit.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world’s leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. Our Firm has been ranked #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for four out of the last five years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. In 2024, we recovered over $2.5 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases – more than the next five law firms combined, according to ISS. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the world, and the Firm’s attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.

January 17, 2026 12:20 ET  | Source: Lotus Technology Inc.

Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6.1%, directly benefiting Lotus Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: LOT)—the only mobility provider with Chinese-made EV entering the North American market above the $80,000 price segment.Under the new policy, the planned retail price of the Eletre in Canada is expected to be revised down approximately 50%, with wholesale deliveries projected to achieve exponential growth.Leveraging its North American homologation completed in 2024 and well-established retail network of authorized dealers in Canada, Lotus Tech is well-positioned to capitalize on this market opportunity. NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lotus Technology Inc. (“Lotus Tech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LOT), a leading global intelligent and luxury mobility provider has expressed significant attention and a warm welcome to the new tariff policy announced by the Canadian government. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will allow an initial annual cap of 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles (“EV”) into the Canadian market under a preferential tariff rate of 6.1%. This landmark policy adjustment not only signifies positive progress in China-Canada trade relations but also strongly propels the further development of Lotus Tech in the North American market.

It opens a compelling opportunity for strategic repositioning for Lotus Tech. As the brand's first all-electric hyper SUV, Eletre, with its outstanding product capabilities, successfully completed rigorous North American market homologation in 2024. It stands as the only Chinese-made EV currently entering the North American market in the price segment above US$80,000. This favorable tariff policy is expected to directly reshape the Eletre's pricing strategy in the Canadian market with approximately 50% reduction to its planned retail price. Combined with Lotus’ "For the Drivers" philosophy of delivering an ultimate driving experience, a more competitive pricing strategy is anticipated to drive exponential growth in its sales volume in Canada.

The Company's global strategic layout with 210 regional stores covering 61 countries has laid a solid foundation for seizing this opportunity. Lotus Tech has a well-established retail network across Canada with 6 authorized dealerships, offering a full range of services from classic internal combustion engine models to the latest electric products. Thanks to its pre-established market access homologation and channel development, Lotus Tech is well-positioned to swiftly translate the policy benefits into market share.

Mr. Qingfeng Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Tech, commented: “Canada has always been a strategically vital market within Lotus’ global footprint, where auto consumers possess a high appreciation for performance and driving pleasure. We extend our warm welcome to the new, optimized tariff policy, which creates a more open and fair market environment for international auto brands. Building upon our prior groundwork in the North American market, we will seize this opportunity to enhance investment in Canada to explore any potential tactical advantages and strengthen our footprint in the North American market. We are committed to pursuing growth in a disciplined manner that aligns with market development and creates sustainable value."

About Lotus Technology Inc.

Lotus Technology Inc. has operations across the UK, the EU and China. The Company is dedicated to delivering luxury lifestyle electric vehicles, with a focus on world-class R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. For more information about Lotus Technology Inc., please visit www.group-lotus.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential”, “forecast”, “plan”, “seek”, “future”, “propose” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology although not all forward-looking statements contain such terminology. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Lotus Technology Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Contact Information
For investor inquiries
[email protected] 

A $280 Million Bitcoin Heist Leads to Monero Price RallyA crypto investor lost more than $282 million after scammers impersonating Trezor customer support tricked the victim into revealing their recovery seed.The stolen funds were rapidly laundered through instant exchanges, including Thorchain, and partly converted into privacy-foused crypto token, Monero.The incident highlights a broader shift in crypto crime, with data showing impersonation and social-engineering scams surging dramatically over the past year.A crypto investor has lost more than $282 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin after falling for a social engineering scam involving a hardware wallet.

On January 16, on-chain investigator ZachXBT revealed the massive theft, which reportedly drained the victim’s account of 2.05 million Litecoin (LTC) and 1,459 Bitcoin (BTC).

Sponsored

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Monero Spikes 36% After Hacker Swaps Stolen Crypto Into Privacy CoinCybersecurity firm ZeroShadow confirmed that the attacker executed the heist by impersonating Trezor customer support. Trezor is a major hardware wallet provider with over 2 million users.

The impostors successfully manipulated the victim into revealing their recovery seed phrase, effectively handing over full control of the assets.

Following the breach, the perpetrator immediately began laundering the stolen funds.

ZachXBT reported that the attacker utilized multiple instant exchanges, specifically Thorchain, to bridge the stolen Bitcoin into Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.

On January 10, 2026 at around 11 pm UTC a victim lost $282M+ worth of LTC & BTC due to a hardware wallet social engineering scam.

The attacker began converting the stolen LTC & BTC to Monero via multiple instant exchanges causing the XMR price to sharply increase.

BTC was also…

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) January 16, 2026 Sponsored

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Meanwhile, the attacker’s reliance on Thorchain has drawn sharp criticism toward the decentralized infrastructure provider.

ZachXBT noted that this was not the first time bad actors have leveraged the platform for such purposes. This indicates that it remains a preferred destination for criminals seeking to move stolen wealth.

Simultaneously, the hacker converted a significant portion of the loot into Monero (XMR), a privacy-focused token designed to obscure transaction details.

“ZeroShadow tracked the outbound flows and froze over $1M before it could be swapped into XMR. The activity that could get through is likely increasing XMR’s price,” Zero Shadow stated.

Notably, this aggressive buying spree triggered a significant price increase in the Monero market.

Data from BeinCrypto shows the token surged more than 36% over the seven-day period, reaching a peak of nearly $800. The asset has since corrected to approximately $621 as of press time.

This incident underscores a widening security crisis within the digital asset sector. Attackers are shifting tactics, prioritizing social engineering and brand impersonation scams over technical code exploits to deceive victims.

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis quantified the trend, reporting a 1,400% year-over-year surge in impersonation scams. The firm also said the average financial loss per incident has increased by more than 600%.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Why Trust CoinGape

CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.

The Sui market shifted to a period of stability following a late-2025 decline that was replaced by a steep structural recovery. This came after the mainnet outage that temporarily halted the processing of transactions and caused a confidence shock. 

Despite the interruption, the behavior of the wider market was orderly. Participants aggregated exposure instead of quitting which indicated re-evaluation and not panic. The emphasis is now on whether this stabilization is re-accumulation or a transitory pause in a more general corrective cycle.

January 14 Outage Revealed Consensus Stress, Not Systemic Failure The January 14 mainnet outage originated from an edge-case flaw in how Sui’s consensus engine processed conflicting transactions. Validators could read some transaction states differently, generating incompatible checkpoint proposals. With such inconsistencies permeating the network, the network did not reach the stake-weighted agreement necessary to certify new checkpoints.

When a significant proportion of the validators started signing conflicting checkpoint data, the network automatically stalled. This protection terminated block construction and update of transactions, and did not allow finalization of an unreliable ledger state. Although this mechanism was disruptive, it maintained integrity and prevented more structural damage throughout the chain.

The outage occurred at approximately six hours and during the outage, all transaction submissions timed out, but users could still access read-only data that represented the last certified state. Approximately $1billion of on-chain value was temporarily idle. Nonetheless, there were no rollbacks of any verified transactions and the chain did not experience any fork.

The Sui team discovered the problem and issued a fix to address the consensus commit logic. Validators organized upgrades to enable a normal operation once again. This reaction minimized the uncertainty instead of exacerbating it, and confirmed the belief that this disruption represented a confined case of consensus edge, rather than a systemic security or design failure.

Liquidity Sweep Confirms Re-Accumulation, Targets Stay Intact Community-led SUI price analysis frames recent behavior as structurally driven rather than reactionary. Following a larger timeframe correction, the price swept sell-side liquidity below the preceding weekly lows. The action was in line with the liquidity grab that was pointed out on the chart, and the weak positioning was cleared off prior to the directional participation.

The price was swept into the $1.35-$1.40 demand zone as a result of that liquidity sweep, and that zone overlapped a well-defined bullish order block. Buyers took up residual supply in a vigorous manner, precipitating a sharp turnaround. The recovery closed the surrounding fair value gap which attested to controlled re-entry instead of the short-covering volatility.

The accumulation came in within the range of $1.30-$1.50 where the positioning already provided about a 50% upside response. Price now no longer requires aggressive expansion, with that leg in place. Rather, behavior indicates digestion, as the structure directs expectations as opposed to momentum.

This shift represents an asymmetric-risk weekly arrangement of patience. The long-term forecasts to the $5, $10 and $20 regions are all structurally sound, assuming that the reclaimed demand base remains intact. Ultimately, the focus is on structure, rather than timing.

SUI/USDT Weekly Chart (Source: X) SUI Price Action Maintains a Defined Recovery Path From a daily perspective, SUI price has transitioned from correction into recovery as higher lows replace sell-driven extensions. The exhaustion came with the double bottom rebound at the demand zone of $1.35-1.40 and sparked an impulsive rise that regained the lost ground of $1.75. This level anchors the near-term structure.

At the time of press, SUI market value sits near $1.80, holding above that reclaimed base. Prices now squeeze just below the $1.85-$1.90 zone, which is a sign of consolidation following growth. Such behaviour implies equilibrium and not distribution since buyers will persist in defending pullbacks.

Provided the price stays above $1.76, the main direction of the market is a drive to the psychological and horizontal level of about $2.00. That level is the first significant test of recovery strength, at which responses are probable but not structurally dangerous.

Above $2.00, $2.20 and $2.60 are the intermediate supply areas. A follow-through at $2.60 will lead to continuation towards $3.00. However, a loss of $1.76 would delay upside momentum. Besides, a breakdown below $1.40 would invalidate the broader long-term SUI price outlook.

SUI/USDT Daily Chart (Source: TradingView) Summary  SUI price behavior reflects recovery grounded in structure, not headlines. The disruption of the network did not break the participation or nullify the demand but put the situation into uncertainty. 

Continuation is the prevailing outcome as long as reclaimed support is maintained. The loss of structural support changes that bias. Until then, price direction is observing structure, rather than sentiment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The outage resulted from an edge-case bug in consensus commit handling, which led validators to generate conflicting checkpoint proposals and triggered an automatic safety halt.

Price swept liquidity into a weekly demand zone near $1.35–$1.40, where buyers absorbed supply and forced a structural reversal.

The recovery structure remains valid while price holds above $1.76, with broader bullish bias invalidated only if $1.40 breaks.

National Football League superstar Saquon Barkley, a known Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) enthusiast, was once suggested by Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) founder Michael Saylor to go all-in on the apex cryptocurrency.

Did Barkley Miss Out On A Major Opportunity?Speaking to Boardroom media at Coinbase’s annual State of Crypto Conference on Jul. 22, 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles star reminisced about a “funny” interaction with Saylor about how much to invest in Bitcoin.

“Throw it all in,” Saylor advised. Barkley wasn’t very sure of the idea at the time, but conceded in the interview that he should have probably ‘listened’ to the Bitcoin bull.

Saquon Barkley’s Advice For InvestorsBarkley said that he himself would never tell anyone how much to throw in.

“That’s not just only when it comes to crypto or when it comes to investing. It’s life. You got to educate yourself on stuff before you just step into it,” the Eagles running back said.

Barkley’s Bitcoin connection dates back to 2021, when he decided to receive all his endorsement money in the leading cryptocurrency. The money was converted to Bitcoin via Strike, a Bitcoin payments company.

Interestingly, since this interview, MSTR stock has lost over 60%, while Bitcoin has dropped 20%.

Saylor: From Skepticism To Bitcoin BullSaylor, once a Bitcoin skeptic himself, now leads the world’s largest Bitcoin-holding company, boasting reserves valued at over $65 billion according to bitcointreasuries.net.

He is known for “orange pilling” people and encouraged Eric Trump, executive vice president of The Trump Organization, to mortgage Mar-A-Lago, the Trump family’s luxurious estate, and use the proceeds to invest in Bitcoin.

Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $95,430, down 0.54% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Strategy shares rose 0.90% in after-hours trading after closing 4.70% lower at $170.91 during Thursday’s regular trading session. 

MSTR maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms with a poor Value ranking, according to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.

Photo by Frame Stock Footage via Shutterstock

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Ethereum (ETH) is trading above $3,305, showing signs of recovery after a prolonged bearish stretch. The rebound is supported by improving sentiment, driven in part by founder Vitalik Buterin’s 2026 roadmap, which emphasizes decentralization, privacy, and user control.

His vision reassures investors that Ethereum’s long‑term development remains strong, even as short‑term volatility persists.

Buterin’s Roadmap Builds ConfidenceButerin’s plan focuses on making Ethereum safer and easier to use without reliance on large corporations. Innovations like ZK‑EVM and BAL aim to simplify network participation, while privacy tools such as Helios, ORAM, and PIR are designed to protect user data. Wallet upgrades will reduce risks of fund loss and dependency on third‑party providers.

His acknowledgment of past challenges—complex apps, privacy gaps, and concentrated control—adds credibility. By addressing these issues, Buterin strengthens confidence in Ethereum’s decentralization, which could attract new investors and sustain demand.

ZK‑EVM and BAL simplify network use Helios, ORAM, PIR enhance privacy Wallet upgrades improve security Institutional Demand Fuels GrowthInstitutional appetite for ETH is rising. Spot ETFs in the U.S. recorded $474.6 million in weekly inflows, outpacing new supply. This imbalance reduces available ETH on exchanges, supporting upward price pressure.

$ETH ETFs are back in demand 📈

Spot #Ethereum ETFs just closed five straight days of inflows, pulling in $479M over the week.

That’s the first fully positive week since early October, when inflows hit $1.3B. pic.twitter.com/Gvshb78BD2

— Crypto Admiral (@Crypto_admiral1) January 17, 2026 At the same time, Ethereum’s network activity is surging, with active addresses up 53% and daily transactions reaching 2.9 million.

Ethereum Technical Outlook: Breakout PotentialOn the 4‑hour chart, Ethereum price prediction is bullish as ETH trades near $3,312, holding above the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement at $3,274. Resistance levels sit at $3,347 and $3,405, with a bullish engulfing candle near $3,193 reinforcing momentum. RSI readings around 57 suggest room for further upside.

If ETH breaks above $3,347 with volume confirmation, it could target $3,405 and extend toward $3,500. A pullback toward $3,274–$3,233 remains possible, but strong ETF demand and Buterin’s roadmap provide a supportive backdrop.

With sentiment stabilizing and technicals aligning, Ethereum appears poised for a breakout, offering traders and presale participants a compelling setup heading into Q1 2026.

Bitcoin Hyper: The Next Evolution of BTC on Solana?Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is bringing a new phase to the Bitcoin ecosystem. While BTC remains the gold standard for security, Bitcoin Hyper adds what it always lacked: Solana-level speed. The result: lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation, all secured by Bitcoin.

Audited by Consult, the project emphasizes trust and scalability as adoption builds. And momentum is already strong. The presale has surpassed $30.7 million, with tokens priced at just $0.013585 before the next increase.

As Bitcoin activity climbs and demand for efficient BTC-based apps rises, Bitcoin Hyper stands out as the bridge uniting two of crypto’s biggest ecosystems. If Bitcoin built the foundation, Bitcoin Hyper could make it fast, flexible, and fun again.

Click Here to Participate in the Presale

The year 2025 has recently closed, and the XRP price prediction January 2026 is already in focus, as this blue-chip asset has become fundamentally very strong with time. 

As a result, it’s drawing immense attention, and its on-chain data points clearly reflect that, even hinting at a structural change beneath muted price action.

While XRP price today remains range-bound, whale accumulation, ETF inflows, and derivatives positioning suggest that the market may be transitioning from distribution into a prolonged compression phase with an upward bias.

Whale Accumulation Reshapes XRP Price StructureOn the daily technical chart, despite the XRP price chart facing resistance near its 200-day EMA, on-chain indicators suggest growing structural strength. Over the past 90 days, XRP/USD has remained in a taker buy dominant phase, meaning market buy orders have consistently outweighed sell orders. This prolonged imbalance highlights steady absorption of supply rather than speculative spikes.

The 90-day Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) turning positive and trending higher reflects conviction-driven accumulation. Historically, such sustained CVD expansion often precedes volatility expansion, particularly after extended consolidation phases. 

Large Order Flow Signals Institutional PositioningAlongside rising buy pressure, average spot order size data points to increasing dominance of larger trades. Frequent signals associated with higher-volume orders imply that whale participation is intensifying. 

At the same time, ETF-related flows have added to this narrative. Since November, XRP ETF accumulation has been heavily one-sided, with inflows vastly outweighing outflows. Such behavior typically reflects long-term allocation strategies rather than short-term speculation, tightening circulating supply and reinforcing the longer-term XRP price forecast narratives.

Funding Rates Suggest Asymmetric RiskWhile spot accumulation remains strong, derivatives data paints a complementary picture, too. Current funding rates remain negative, with short positioning dominating leveraged markets. Historically, such conditions showcase the recent pessimistic sentiment rather than overall euphoria.

Moreover, the negative funding environments have often coincided with local bottoms, because excessive short exposure reduces the likelihood of aggressive downside continuation. 

That said, if funding rates gradually normalize or start to flip on the positive side, then XRP price action has a history of reacting towards the upside direction following periods of compression.

Technical Compression Builds for ExpansionFrom a technical perspective, the XRP price chart behavior shows a tightening range between $2.00 – $2.40. The recent rejection from the 200-day EMA confirms this range.

But given XRP’s sentiment and price action, the 200-day EMA band remains a short-term constraint, while on-chain data paints a bullish picture.

Now, if it flips $2.40 again, then it will aim for $2.75 and $3.00 targets, respectively. Failure to hold $2.00 would invalidate the bullish setup.

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Sat, 17/01/2026 - 16:05

1,235,294,117,647 SHIB have exited futures contracts with significant implications for the markets.

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According to on-chain data, Shiba Inu has seen an increase in futures outflows in the last 24 hours. A total of 1,235,294,117,647 SHIB have outflowed from Shiba Inu futures contracts in this time frame.

CoinGlass data indicates 1,235,294,117,647 SHIB or $10.50 million recorded in SHIB futures outflows. This surpasses inflows, which amounted to $8.8 million, with this having implications for the market.

The futures flow metric tracks the capital flow of the cryptocurrency futures market. In the case of Shiba Inu, futures outflows in the last 24 hours were higher, suggesting traders might be reducing their exposure to the dog cryptocurrency.

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This coincides with a price drop in the market, with traders now watching to see what comes next.

What's next for SHIB price?Shiba Inu reversed a two-day drop from a low of $0.00000815 on Friday. At the time of writing, SHIB was up 2.45% in the last 24 hours to $0.000008567. In the last 24 hours, Shiba Inu's trading volume was up 4.39% to $94.53 million.

The next resistance targets for Shiba Inu lie at $0.00001017 and at the daily MA 50 at $0.00001084, which might enable it to reach $0.000015 in the long run.

In a fresh development, Shiba Inu has completed another hourly death cross in 2026, as the hourly MA 50 has fallen below the MA 20.

Shiba Inu will look to convert the daily MA 50 at $0.0000081 into support to sustain its short-term momentum. If this falters, the next support lies at $0.00000732.

In another scenario, Shiba Inu might follow the broader market trend, especially if Bitcoin's price recovers. The chances of range trading remain as signaled by momentum indicators, including the RSI.

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TLDR: Bitcoin ETF holdings have moved sideways since early 2025, signaling stagnation rather than renewed institutional accumulation.  Recent ETF inflows are tactical and short-lived, failing to provide the persistent marginal demand needed to absorb supply.  Weak ETF demand risks clogging OTC desks, increasing the probability of Bitcoin supply hitting open markets.  Crypto ETFs remain under 3% of total U.S. ETF inflows, reinforcing their role as tactical diversifiers, not core allocations.  Bitcoin ETFs are seeing renewed inflows in early 2026, but analysts warn this does not mark a true liquidity recovery.

While short-term buying has returned, on-chain data and ETF holdings show stagnation rather than accumulation. 

As OTC absorption weakens, the market faces a rising risk that excess Bitcoin supply could spill into open exchanges.

Bitcoin ETF Liquidity: From Accumulation to Distribution During the early–mid 2024 launch phase, spot Bitcoin ETFs acted as a powerful liquidity vacuum. They absorbed supply from miners, long-term holders, and OTC desks, driving price appreciation without pressuring public order books. 

That regime has clearly ended. Since March 2025, ETF Bitcoin holdings have failed to reclaim prior highs, moving sideways to lower despite multiple inflow attempts. 

This pattern reflects distribution rather than accumulation. As CryptoQuant analysts note, liquidity is defined by sustained marginal demand—not sporadic green days. 

Is ETF liquidity coming back? No, not yet.

“Short-term inflows may come back, but from a trend perspective, the picture is still negative. If there is no longer enough demand to absorb OTC selling, those coins will eventually flow into the open market.” – By @mignoletkr pic.twitter.com/kt7ki9TdQx

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) January 16, 2026

Today’s ETF flows are reactive, offering fragile support rather than acting as a growth engine. The deeper concern lies beneath the surface. OTC desks function as shock absorbers when ETF demand is strong. 

As that demand fades, excess supply has fewer private channels to move through, increasing the likelihood it reaches open markets and pressures prices directly.

Why Bitcoin ETFs Are Losing the Liquidity Race in 2026 While headline ETF inflows across markets are reaching record levels in early 2026, crypto remains a small and constrained segment. Total U.S. ETF inflows for 2025 are projected at $1.5 trillion. 

Yet only $44 billion flowed into crypto spot ETFs—roughly equal to gold and less than 3% of the total. The real capital winners remain active ETFs and fixed income products, reflecting investor priorities around yield, flexibility, and capital preservation amid macro uncertainty.

 Even recent Bitcoin ETF inflows—such as BlackRock’s IBIT drawing $648 million in a single day—are largely executed via OTC channels, limiting their impact on open-market price discovery.

This positions Bitcoin ETFs as tactical tools rather than structural drivers. Without a broader shift in institutional risk appetite, they are unlikely to recreate the explosive liquidity impulse seen at launch. 

Until sustained accumulation returns, the market may be forced to clear excess supply the hard way—through price discovery on open exchanges.

The performance of U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continues to offer valuable insight into Bitcoin’s [BTC] probable directional bias.

As gateways for institutional participation, ETF flows have become a critical liquidity signal for the broader market.

At press time, Bitcoin traded at a particularly sensitive level, hovering between the $90,000 and $100,000 range. At this midpoint, ETF activity could play a decisive role.

If the bulls regain momentum, they may finally challenge the trend. However, bears have largely controlled price action since October. Their continued pressure could suppress any upside attempts.

ETF flows are becoming Bitcoin’s primary liquidity signal The narrative around Bitcoin liquidity returning through ETF remains complex, marked by alternating periods of accumulation and distribution.

On the 16th of January, the session ended with net outflows of about $394 million, signaling renewed selling pressure. This came just a day after the market recorded a net inflow of $100.18 million.

Despite the day-to-day volatility, the broader picture shows cumulative weekly inflows reaching $1.4 billion for the first time in several weeks.

This ongoing rotation between buyers and sellers makes it difficult to define Bitcoin’s immediate directional bias with certainty.

However, recent analysis from CryptoQuant suggests that Fidelity’s and Ark Invest’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs may offer clearer directional signals than headline ETF flows alone.

According to the report, Fidelity’s FBTC and Ark’s ARKB exhibit a relatively strong correlation with Bitcoin’s price movements.

“Bitcoin’s price has closely followed the cumulative flows of FBTC and ARKB.”

This relationship suggests that flows into and out of these ETFs provide a more refined lens for assessing Bitcoin’s underlying demand. Their performance offers additional context, particularly when evaluating medium- to long-term price trends rather than short-term volatility.

FBTC and ARKB point to slowing institutional momentum Flow and price behavior across FBTC and ARKB suggest that Bitcoin’s next sustained upside move may not yet be in place. Instead, current conditions point to continued consolidation or weakness in the near term.

This assessment is rooted in liquidity trends across both ETFs. FBTC has not recorded a new all-time high since March 2025, while ARKB has trended lower since July.

These patterns indicate that institutional capital inflows have slowed materially compared to earlier phases of the rally.

Source: CryptoQuant

Given Bitcoin’s tendency to track the movement of these ETFs, persistent weakness in FBTC and ARKB implies that upside momentum in Bitcoin may remain limited.

A downtrend in ETF liquidity does not typically support the formation of new price highs in the underlying asset.

The report also highlighted that this type of correlation is not unprecedented, drawing comparisons to Bitcoin’s relationship with Strategy’s MSTR in 2024.

After reaching a peak, MSTR failed to establish higher highs and entered a sustained decline, reflecting capital rotation out of the asset. Bitcoin followed a similar path during the same period, reinforcing the role of correlated liquidity signals.

Source: CryptoQuant

This historical parallel suggests that continued capital outflows could place further pressure on Bitcoin’s price. Even if short-term rebounds occur, sustained upside would likely require a clear reversal in ETF flow trends.

Without such a shift, any near-term strength may give way to longer-term consolidation or downside risk.

IBIT’s market impact differs despite its dominant size BlackRock’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, remained the dominant product by net asset value, holding approximately $74.57 billion as of writing.

This compares with Fidelity’s FBTC, the second-largest U.S. Bitcoin ETF, which stood at $18.97 billion. However, IBIT’s market impact differs in structure and execution.

According to the report, a significant portion of IBIT’s activity is conducted through over-the-counter transactions. As a result, many of these trades do not directly affect spot market pricing in the same way as on-exchange ETF flows.

Source: CryptoQuant

Even so, IBIT has played a stabilizing role during periods of market stress, helping to limit sharper downside moves as liquidity exits the market.

That said, IBIT has also begun to experience outflows, aligning with the broader slowdown in institutional capital across the Bitcoin market.

On-chain and ETF holding data show that Bitcoin’s aggregate holding trend continues to decline and has now returned to levels last observed in May 2024.

This reinforces the view that selling pressure and reduced liquidity remain persistent headwinds for price recovery in the near term.

Final Thoughts Fidelity’s FBTC and Ark Invest’s ARKB U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF remain key instruments to watch when assessing Bitcoin’s next potential price swing. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.8 billion in net inflows over the past week, signaling a temporary easing of selling pressure.

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Ethereum treasury company BitMine has faced some criticism over its $200 million investment in MrBeast’s Beast Industries earlier this week. This comes amid Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya’s revelation of his stake in the company. Meanwhile, the chairman of the ETH treasury company, Tom Lee, has again explained why investing in MrBeast’s company is a good move.

Crypto Commentators Criticize BitMine’s MrBeast Investment In an X post, crypto commentator Ran Neuner revealed that he had sold all his BMNR shares. This revelation came as he criticized the company’s investment in Beast Industries, stating that he had invested in an ETH treasury company, not “Tom Lee’s venture fund.”

Neuner also remarked that he wants more ETH per share, indicating that BitMine should focus on buying more Ethereum rather than investing in Beast Industries. “I understand influencer marketing better than most, but I can’t be convinced that an ETH treasury company should be making these investments. I’m out,” he added.

CoinGape had reported that Tom Lee’s company invested $200 million in Beast Industries earlier this week. The BitMine chairman explained that this move was a way to create a collaboration between Ethereum, which he claimed is the future of digital finance, and the number one content creator in the world.

Neuner isn’t the only one to have criticized this move by the Ethereum treasury company. The Altcoin Daily also questioned why Tom Lee’s company is buying a stake in MrBeast’s company rather than buying more ETH. ” I like MrBeast… but how does this make sense? Someone please explain this to me,” the crypto commentator added.

The Bull Case For ETH and BMNR Stock Tom Lee highlighted the bull case for the ETH price and BMNR stock this year. He noted that this could be Ethereum’s year, with the ETH/BTC ratio hitting a new all-time high (ATH) and tokenization and mainstream adoption driving the altcoin’s price higher.

The BitMine chairman also mentioned that Standard Chartered sees 2026 as Ethereum’s year, with a potential rally to $12,000. Lee expects the treasury company will benefit from ETH’s rise, with historical correlation suggesting that a $12,000 Ethereum price could translate into a $500 BMNR share price.

2/
The year of $ETH Ethereum

– prior ATH ETHBTC ratio 2021
– tokenization and mainstream adoption drive higher
– Standard Charter sees 2026 as year of ethereum
– this implies $12,000 $ETH pic.twitter.com/lVL2jLaFJg

— Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FSInsight.com (@fundstrat) January 16, 2026

Tom Lee added that BitMine will also earn substantial income from ETH staking rewards and from $1 billion cash on hand. He estimates that their current Ethereum and cash holdings could generate pretax income of $402 to $33 million. At a $12,000 ETH price target and with the company potentially hold 5% of the altcoin’s supply, this pretax income could rise up to $2.2 billion.

4/
Bitmine also to earn substantial income from $ETH staking rewards and from $1 billion cash on hand

– existing 4.2mm $ETH plus cash
– to generate $402 to $433 million pretax income

– at $12,000 ETH and 5% of supply
– this rises to $2.0b to $2.2 billion

This implies BitMine… pic.twitter.com/iVUHwyjEer

— Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FSInsight.com (@fundstrat) January 16, 2026

Chamath Reveals Stake In Beast Industries Famous investor and entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya revealed that he invested $45 million in a Series A that created Beast Industries by bringing together all of MrBeast’s various business interests under one umbrella. He added that creating this holding company allowed them to streamline their capital allocation and double down on big, long-term opportunities such as financial services, telecoms, and a creator marketplace.

Tom Lee highlighted Chamath’s comments and said he looks forward to many organic collaborations between BitMine and MrBeast. Meanwhile, while giving a recap of the shareholders’ meeting held yesterday, Lee said that the top layer-1 network Ethereum needs to tap into a larger community to drive mainstream adoption.

He further remarked that MrBeast is the iconic content creator of the generation, with each of his videos garnering over 250 million views, surpassing the Super Bowl. As such, he sees a lot of “potential synergy” between the ‘number one’ content creator and largest Ethereum holder in the world, BitMine.

Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) saw $39.29M exit Friday—the biggest single-day outflow in months—as both DOGE and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) break key support levels with zero buying interest.

DOGE: $39.29M Exit Signals Panic

DOGE is, down 2% today, trapped in a downtrend after collapsing 49% from September’s $0.27 peak.

The $39.29M outflow is a red flag showing large holders are actively selling. 

The chart shows increasingly aggressive exits throughout 2025, with today’s spike being particularly alarming.

Moreover, DOGE spot ETFs have seen zero inflows since January 9, according to SoSoValue data, with the last inflow of $353.83K coming on January 8.

DOGE is stuck in the $0.12-0.15 range with weakening rallies. Each bounce gets sold immediately, with RSI at 48.27 unable to break above 50—the level that separates bulls from bears.

Price trades below all key moving averages: 20  at $0.13938, 50 at $0.14289, 100 at $0.15817, and 200 at $0.17788.

DOGE Key Levels Support: $0.12 floor is critical. Breaking opens $0.11640, then potential drop to $0.10 or worse to $0.08-$0.09. Resistance: $0.14061 immediate ceiling, then $0.14289. Breaking $0.15550 would surprise everyone. SHIB: All Moving Averages Pointing Down

SHIB is down 1.5% today, after dropping 53% since August’s $0.00001785 peak.

The meme coin barely holds the $0.00000750-$0.00000850 support zone, with the Supertrend at $0.00000754 acting as the last line of defense.

SHIB also trades below all moving averages pointing down: 20 at $0.00000836, 50 at $0.00000837, 100 at $0.00000905, and 200 at $0.00001044.

Each rally gets immediately sold with zero buying interest. 

The January bounce to $0.00001000 was rejected fast—typical bear market behavior where any rally becomes a selling opportunity.

SHIB Key Levels: Support: $0.00000754 (Supertrend) critical. Breaking opens $0.00000700, then December low at $0.00000676. Loss risks drop to $0.00000500. Resistance: $0.00000850-$0.00000900, then $0.00001000. Breaking $0.00001044 would be shocking. Image source: Shutterstock

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XRP Price Recovery Rejected Again, Can It Avoid Falling Below $2?XRP recovery rejected again as price struggles to sustain upside momentum.Long liquidations near $2.02 threaten downside acceleration below $2.00.Exchange outflows show accumulation, offering short-term support near $2.03.XRP price continues to struggle as broader crypto market conditions deteriorate. The token has remained under pressure for several days, failing to sustain recovery attempts. 

Despite persistent selling, XRP investors are actively accumulating, aiming to defend key support levels and limit downside risk.

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XRP Holders Change Their StanceCurrent market sentiment around XRP remains fragile as liquidation data highlights rising downside risk. According to the liquidation heatmap, XRP long traders face significant exposure if the price slips toward $2.00. A dense cluster of long liquidations sits near $2.02, representing approximately $25.4 million in leveraged positions.

A move into this zone could quickly erase bullish confidence. Forced liquidations would amplify selling pressure and attract short sellers.

This shift would likely tilt sentiment decisively bearish, especially among derivatives traders who have maintained optimism despite XRP’s prolonged downtrend and weakening short-term momentum.

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

XRP Liquidation Heatmap. Source: CoinglassDespite near-term weakness, macro indicators suggest improving underlying demand. Exchange position change data shows an increase in green bars, signaling net outflows from exchanges. This trend typically reflects rising buying pressure, as investors move XRP into private wallets rather than preparing assets for sale.

This marks a notable shift from the previous three months, when selling pressure dominated XRP price action. Sustained accumulation could help stabilize price behavior if broader market conditions do not worsen further.

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The transition from distribution to accumulation supports the possibility of a medium-term recovery scenario.

XRP Exchange Net Position Change. Source: GlassnodeXRP Price May Be Safe From Further DeclineXRP price is trading near $2.06 at the time of writing, maintaining an active downtrend that has capped recovery for over ten days. The token continues to hold above the $2.03 support level, which remains critical for short-term market structure and trader confidence.

This support has withstood multiple tests in recent weeks, suggesting strong investor interest at current levels. Continued accumulation is expected to defend $2.03, even if XRP consolidates near that range.

A successful bounce could push the price above $2.10, allowing XRP to break the downtrend and regain momentum.

XRP Price Analysis. Source: TradingViewHowever, broader market weakness could override these bullish efforts. A decisive break below $2.03 would expose XRP to a drop under $2.00.

Such a move would invalidate the bullish thesis, trigger roughly $25 million in long liquidations, and potentially send XRP down to $1.93 under intensified selling pressure.

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.

Dogecoin consolidates near $0.137 after a drop, with oversold indicators suggesting a potential short-term rebound in price.

Newton Gitonga2 min read

17 January 2026, 02:26 PM

Dogecoin is trading near $0.137, consolidating after a sharp intraday drop from around $0.138 to $0.135, where strong buying interest emerged. The swift rebound from this level highlights $0.136 as a key short-term support level, with the price quickly reclaiming the $0.137 zone. Since the recovery, DOGE has moved sideways in a tight range between $0.137 and $0.138, indicating market indecision after the volatility. A sustained hold above $0.136–$0.137 keeps the near-term structure stable, while a breakout above $0.138 would signal renewed upside momentum.

At press time, Dogecoin was trading at $0.1376, down 0.38% over the past 24 hours.

Dogecoin Stochastic Hits Oversold Zone, Hinting at Potential BounceAccording to analyst Trader Tardigrade, Dogecoin’s daily stochastic indicator slipping into the oversold zone signals that downside momentum may be nearing exhaustion. The stochastic oscillator measures the speed and strength of recent price moves, and when it drops into oversold territory, it suggests selling pressure has become stretched relative to recent ranges. Historically, this condition has often appeared near short-term bottoms for DOGE, especially after a pullback within a broader consolidation or recovery phase.

DOGE 1-day price chart, Source: X

From a technical perspective, Trader Tardigrade highlights that similar oversold readings in the past have preceded relief bounces or trend resumptions, rather than prolonged declines. While an oversold signal does not guarantee an immediate reversal, it increases the likelihood of stabilization as sellers lose control and buyers step in. In this context, the current stochastic setup suggests a potential rebound phase if the price confirms with follow-through and improving momentum in the coming sessions.

Dogecoin Price Stalls Near $0.138 as Bearish Trend PersistsDogecoin has remained in a sustained downtrend on the daily timeframe, sliding from the mid-$0.20 region toward the current $0.137–$0.138 area. The chart shows a consistent pattern of lower highs and lower lows, with each recovery attempt capped below previous resistance levels around $0.16 and $0.15. While price has recently stabilized near $0.1377, this move still sits well below prior breakdown zones, indicating the broader bearish structure remains intact.

DOGE 1-day price chart, Source: TradingView

The Bollinger Bands show price trading near the lower band, with the lower band at $0.120 and the middle 20-day moving average around $0.139, highlighting continued downside pressure and weak volatility expansion. Price remains below the mid-band, which acts as dynamic resistance. On the momentum side, the MACD is close to the zero line, with the MACD line at 0.00133 and the signal line at 0.00149, resulting in a marginally negative histogram.

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

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The weekend has started with a continued market correction, according to CoinStats.

ZEC chart by CoinStatsZEC/USDThe price of Zcash (ZEC) has declined by 2.13% since yesterday.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the rate of ZEC is looking bearish. If a breakout of the local support at $399.43 happens, the drop is likely to continue to the $390 zone soon.

Image by TradingViewOn the bigger time frame, there are no reversal signals yet. If the daily candle closes around the current prices or below, traders may witness a test of the $370-$380 range over the next few days.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, the situation is similar. If the bar closes below the $371 level, the energy might be enough for a further decline to the $300 zone.

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Such a scenario is relevant until the end of the month.

ZEC is trading at $399.52 at press time.

TLDR: Strive now holds 12,797.9 BTC, ranking 11th among public companies with Bitcoin treasuries  The all-stock merger increases dilution but significantly boosts Bitcoin exposure per share  Strive trades near BTC NAV with a modest 1.18x EV/NAV premium, signaling fair valuation  New leadership appointments reinforce long-term Bitcoin conviction and strategy execution Strive, Inc. has officially completed its acquisition of Semler Scientific, creating one of the largest Bitcoin-focused corporate treasuries in public markets. The all-stock merger positions Strive as the 11th largest corporate holder of Bitcoin globally.

This strengthens its leadership team and integrates a healthcare operating business alongside an aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy.

Strive–Semler Merger Strengthens Bitcoin Treasury Strategy The acquisition was finalized on January 16, 2026. It consolidates two of the most prominent Bitcoin treasury adopters in public markets. 

Under the deal, each share of Semler Scientific common stock was converted into 21.05 shares of Strive Class A common stock. In turn, it led to the suspension and delisting of Semler’s Nasdaq listing.

Following the merger, Strive now holds approximately 12,797.9 BTC. This makes it the 11th-largest public corporate holder of Bitcoin globally. 

The company’s acquisition history reflects a conviction-driven strategy. All significant Bitcoin purchases are executed during periods of market weakness rather than price strength. 

Strive Announces the Completion of Semler Scientific Acquisition

• Strive now holds approximately 12,797.9 bitcoin, becoming the #11 largest public corporate holder of bitcoin globally.

• Strive also announces the appointment of @Avik Roy as Chief Strategy Officer of Strive.…

— Strive (@strive) January 16, 2026

Notably, a major January tranche added over 5,000 BTC at an average cost of $95,524, underscoring a counter-cyclical accumulation approach.

Strive’s average Bitcoin cost basis of roughly $105,979 places current market prices near its breakeven level. While this limits short-term downside protection, it offers substantial upside leverage should Bitcoin resume its long-term growth trajectory. 

The company now controls approximately 0.0609% of Bitcoin’s total supply, reinforcing its position as a meaningful institutional accumulator.

Valuation, Leadership Changes, and Forward Outlook Strive’s equity valuation closely mirrors its Bitcoin exposure. With a market capitalization of about $1.19 billion and an enterprise value of $1.44 billion, the company’s Bitcoin net asset value stands near $1.22 billion. 

An EV/NAV multiple of 1.18x suggests investors are paying only a modest premium for Strive’s corporate structure, management, and strategic optionality. The merger also reshaped Strive’s leadership. 

Avik Roy was appointed Chief Strategy Officer, tasked with monetizing Semler’s healthcare operations, including early disease detection products. Roy brings a rare combination of medical, investment, and Bitcoin policy expertise. 

Meanwhile, Joe Burnett joined as Vice President of Bitcoin Strategy, and former Semler Chairman Eric Semler became an independent board member.

Looking ahead, Strive plans to employ a “preferred equity only” leverage model, avoiding near-term debt maturity risks common in leveraged Bitcoin strategies. 

By blending asset management, healthcare cash flows, and disciplined Bitcoin accumulation, Strive has positioned itself as a high-conviction, Bitcoin-levered public equity tightly aligned with the asset’s long-term performance.

The Ethereum price prediction January 2026 is gaining traction as ETH extends an upward trend that began in late November 2025. By mid-January, Ethereum retested its 200-day EMA while ETF inflows, improving on-chain metrics, and shifting market psychology strongly pointing toward strengthening momentum that might result in a rally soon.

Ethereum Price Prediction January 2026: Trend Structure StrengthensSince late November 2025, the Ethereum price chart has consistently printed higher lows, which displayed an emerging uptrend following $2620 low witnessed in November 2025. 

But this bullish structure matured further by mid-January as ETH revisited the 200-day EMA band, aligning near the $3300 area. 

Meanwhile, the Ethereum price today continues to hover near the 200-day EMA, reflecting resilient demand around $3,300 despite broader market volatility.

Importantly, Ethereum ETF activity has added more value to current price setup. Becuase, over the past week alone, Ethereum ETFs recorded approximately $480 million in net inflows, underscoring renewed institutional appetite. These flows have helped stabilize its price while improving confidence in the broader Ethereum price forecast narratives.

On-Chain Metrics Signal a Shift Into Markup PhaseBeyond price action, on-chain data adds weight to the Ethereum price prediction January 2026 narrative. The MVRV 30-day metric currently sits near 5.8%, having flipped decisively above the neutral zero line earlier this month. This transition typically marks the end of an accumulation phase and the start of a markup phase, where price appreciation is supported by real buying conviction.

Notably, this level remains far below historical “overheated” thresholds. Santiment analytics MVRV 30-D readings above 10% often invite profit-taking, while levels beyond 20% suggest excessive correction possibilities. For now, the relatively muted MVRV positioning implies room for upside without immediate structural risk, aligning with a healthier Ethereum price outlook.

Network Activity and Whales Reinforce Bullish BiasAt the same time, Ethereum crypto activity has picked up meaningfully. Active addresses across 30-day, 7-day, and 24-hour timeframes have all increased, indicating renewed user engagement. 

In parallel, wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million ETH have grown noticeably, pointing to increased involvement from large holders. This pattern often reflects strategic positioning by smart money during early trend reversals, rather than late-cycle speculation.

Historically, such expansions in network participation and strategic positioning by smart money during early trend reversals, confirms bullish outlook.

A Taker-buy Dominant Phase Confirms Shifts in Sentiment CryptoQuant’s data further complements the bullish thesis. The 90-day Spot Taker CVD has shifted firmly into a taker-buy dominant phase, reversing the sell-heavy conditions seen during Q3 and late 2025. This change highlights improving sentiment and sustained demand absorption, a key feature of early bull phases.

Additionally, from a technical standpoint, a confirmed break above the 200-day EMA in ETH/USD could unlock the next upside zones. In the short term, resistance levels around $3,827 and $4,218 stand out, implying potential gains exceeding 25% from current levels. 

As long as on-chain conditions remain balanced, the Ethereum price prediction January 2026 continues to favor gradual expansion rather than an abrupt spike.

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Posted: January 17, 2026

Strive has finalized the acquisition of Semler Scientific, marking the first merger between publicly traded Bitcoin treasury companies. 

The outcome? The digital asset treasury (DAT) consolidation has allowed Strive to scale its holdings to 12,798 BTC from 7,626 BTC. Strive is now the 11th-largest BTC treasury firm, surpassing Tesla and Trump Media. 

As part of the deal, Semler’s team, Avik Roy, Joe Burnett, and Eric Semler will join the Strive board. 

Source: X

The merger was first floated in September 2025, valuing Semler at a 210% premium to its trading price at that time. 

As such, Semler’s share would be exchanged for 21.05 Strive Class A shares. Subsequent shareholder voting in late 2025 sealed the deal that was finally closed on 16 January. Strive’s share ASST surged negligibly, but it has since rallied 28% on a year-to-date (YTD) basis. It was trading at $0.96 at press time. 

What the merger means for Bitcoin DATs Most of the Bitcoin [BTC] treasury fears have been – Low mNAV (share price trading below their crypto holdings), a debt crisis, and muted BTC prices could trigger forced crypto liquidations. 

However, such scenarios would present opportunities for larger players to acquire or merge with smaller firms, according to some market watchers. The Strive-Semler deal validates this point. 

Regarding the debt crisis, the top player, Strategy, has increased its U.S. dollar reserves to $2.25 billion to cover mid-term obligations (32 months or nearly three years of coverage). This means the risk of a forced BTC sell-off has been minimized until 2028. 

Additionally, the immediate MSCI index exclusion risk was cleared after the global index opted to retain the DATs. Especially as it seeks more feedback and discussion with stakeholders. 

In fact, Grayscale characterized the fears as overblown and projected, 

“These vehicles (DATs) are likely to be a permanent feature of the crypto investing landscape but are unlikely to be a major source of new demand for tokens or a major source of selling pressure in 2026.”

Bitcoin treasury demand in 2025 Here, it’s worth pointing out that BTC treasury firms have accumulated a total of 855,200 BTC as of early 2026. In Q4 2025, the firms added over 55k BTC. This means that they took advantage of the discounted window as BTC fell over 30% to scale positions. 

Source: The Block

Final Thoughts The Strive-Semler deal became the first public merger in the Bitcoin treasury space and could help reduce liquidation risks. Corporate treasuries scooped up over 55k BTC in late 2025 despite Q4’s market rout.

Bitcoin’s first difficulty adjustment of 2026 was anything but dramatic. The network nudged the dial down to about 146.4 trillion, a pretty small retreat after the late-2025 grind higher.

Graph showing Bitcoin's mining difficulty from Oct. 14, 2025, to Jan. 14, 2026 (Source: CoinWarz)But small isn't the same as meaningless in mining, a business where margins are measured in fractions of a fraction and the main input (electricity) can turn from bargain to backbreaker in a week. Difficulty is Bitcoin’s built-in metronome: every two weeks or so, the protocol recalibrates how hard it is to find a block so that blocks keep arriving roughly every ten minutes.

When difficulty falls, it usually means the network noticed something miners feel before investors do: some machines stopped hashing, at least temporarily, because economics or operations demanded it.

That matters because in 2026, miners are navigating a squeeze with two layers. There’s the familiar post-halving reality of less new Bitcoin per block, and more competition for it. And then there’s the new backdrop: a tightening market for megawatts as AI data centers scale up and start bidding for the same power access miners once treated as a competitive moat.

CryptoSlate’s own reporting has framed this as an energy war where AI’s always-on demand and political momentum collide with miners’ flexible-load pitch.

To understand what the 146.4T print really means, we have to translate the mining dashboard into plain English, and then connect it to the parts of the story Wall Street often misses.

Difficulty is the stress gauge, not the scoreboardDifficulty is often mistaken for a proxy for price, sentiment, or even security in a broad sense. It’s certainly related to those things, but mechanically it’s much simpler. Bitcoin looks at how long the last 2,016 blocks took to mine: if blocks came in faster than ten minutes, it raises difficulty; if blocks came in slower, it lowers difficulty.

So why does it read like a stress gauge if it's that simple? Because hashpower isn't some kind of theoretical quantity, it’s literally industrial equipment drawing electricity at scale. If enough miners unplug, blocks slow down, and the protocol responds by making the puzzle easier so the remaining miners can keep pace.

In early January, multiple trackers showed average block times drifting just under the ten-minute target (around 9.88 minutes in one widely cited snapshot), which is why projections pointed to the next adjustment swinging back upward if hashpower returned.

CoinWarz’s public dashboard, for example, has displayed the current difficulty around 146.47T alongside forward estimates for the next adjustment date.

The important takeaway is what difficulty doesn’t say, which is why miners dropped off. It doesn’t tell you whether it was a one-day curtailment during a power spike, a wave of bankruptcies, a flood, a firmware issue, or a deliberate strategy shift. Difficulty is just the protocol’s symptom readout. The diagnosis lives elsewhere.

That’s why miners and serious investors pair difficulty with a second metric, one that behaves much more like an income statement than a thermostat: hashprice.

Hashprice is the miner P&L in one numberHashprice is mining’s shorthand for expected revenue per unit of hashpower per day. Luxor popularized the term, and its Hashrate Index defines hashprice as the expected value of 1 TH/s per day.

It's a neat little way to compress block rewards, fees, difficulty, and price into a single number that shows where the money is.

For miners, this is the heartbeat that keeps them alive. Difficulty can fall and still leave miners hurting if the price is weak, fees are thin, or the global fleet remains intensely competitive. Conversely, difficulty can rise while miners print money if BTC rallies or fees spike. Hashprice is where those variables meet.

Graph showing Bitcoin's hashprice index from Oct. 14, 2025, to Jan. 14, 2026 (Source: Hashrate Index)Early-January commentary from Hashrate Index noted that forward markets were pricing an average hashprice around $38 (and roughly 0.00041 BTC) over the next six months. That's useful context because it signals what sophisticated participants expect profitability to look like, not just what it is today.

If you’re trying to interpret a modest difficulty dip like 146.4T, hashprice helps you avoid a common mistake, which is assuming that the network threw miners a bone. The network doesn’t know miners exist; it only corrects timing.

A difficulty drop is relief only in the narrow sense that each surviving unit of hashpower has slightly better odds. Whether that translates into real breathing room depends on power costs and financing, variables that have become much less forgiving.

Here’s where consolidation enters the story. Because when mining is flush, almost anyone with cheap power and access to machines can survive. When hashprice compresses, survival becomes a function of balance sheets, scale, and contracts.

The consolidation wave is the real difficulty adjustmentBitcoin mining is often described as decentralized, but the industrial layer is brutally Darwinian. When profitability tightens, weak operators don’t just earn less; they lose their ability to refinance machines, service debt, and secure power at competitive rates.

That’s when consolidation accelerates: through bankruptcies, distressed asset sales, and takeovers of sites with valuable grid access.

This is where the mining narrative diverges from the market narrative. In the ETF-and-macro era, BTC trades like a risk asset with catalysts and flows. Miners, in contrast, live in a world of energy spreads, capex cycles, and operational leverage.

When their world gets tight, they make choices that ripple outward: selling more BTC to fund opex, hedging production more aggressively, renegotiating hosting deals, or shutting down older rigs earlier than planned.

A difficulty dip can be one of the first on-chain hints that this process is underway. Not because miners are capitulating in a dramatic, one-day event, but because enough marginal machines quietly go dark to move the average. The market might see a small number, but the industry sees a competitive shakeout beginning at the edges.

And in 2026, those edges are being pushed by something bigger than a single hashprice print, and that's the rising value of power itself.

AI is changing the unit economics miners used to take for grantedMining has always been an energy business disguised as a crypto business. The pitch has been straightforward: find cheap, interruptible power; deploy machines quickly, switch off when prices spike, and arbitrage the volatility of electricity into a steady stream of hashpower.

CryptoSlate’s January reporting made the argument that AI data centers are challenging that model at its foundation, because they want certainty, not curtailment, and they come with a political story (jobs, competitiveness, “critical infrastructure”) that miners often lack.

The same piece highlighted BlackRock’s warning that AI-driven data centers could consume an enormous share of US electricity by 2030, turning grid access into the scarce asset investors are underpricing.

Even if you treat the high-end forecasts as nothing more than provocative headlines, the direction here matters: more baseline demand, more interconnection bottlenecks, more competition for the best sites. In that world, miners’ old advantages (mobility and speed) can flip into disadvantages if the gating factor is securing transmission upgrades, transformer capacity, and long-term contracts.

CryptoSlate’s November feature pushed this one step further: AI isn’t just competing for power, it’s competing for capital and attention, pulling liquidity toward compute infrastructure and nudging miners to pivot from hashing to hosting.

That piece described miners repositioning themselves as data-center operators and “power platforms,” precisely because megawatts are becoming more valuable than machines.

None of this is an abstract narrative. It's real data and real effects that change how you read difficulty.
A miner curtailing for an hour during a price spike is one thing. A miner mothballing a site because an AI tenant can pay more per megawatt over a multi-year contract is another.

In the first scenario, hashpower comes back when conditions normalize. In the second, hashpower may not return at all, not because Bitcoin is “dying,” but because the highest-value use of that power has changed.

That’s the subtle stress embedded in a 146.4T print. The network will keep adjusting, because that’s what it does. The question is what the mining industry looks like after repeated adjustments in an environment where energy is repriced by AI.

For investors and serious market observers, the practical value is in reading the mining tape like a set of linked signals rather than isolated metrics.

Difficulty shows whether hashpower is steadily expanding or briefly blinking out as marginal machines shut off, while hashprice translates that same environment into the one thing miners can’t negotiate with: whether the fleet is earning enough to keep running.

From there, the industry’s response tells its own story, because tightening economics tend to accelerate consolidation, determining who gets to keep playing and whether the network’s industrial base is becoming more concentrated.

And behind all of it sits the new constraint: energy competition, which will decide whether “cheap power” remains a durable moat for miners or a vanishing edge as AI data centers lock up long-term capacity.

Bitcoin won’t stop producing blocks because difficulty moved a few points, but mining can still slip into a regime shift while the protocol keeps humming along, quiet and indifferent.

If 2025 was the year the sector learned to live with the halving’s leaner baseline, 2026 may be the year miners learn their real competitor isn’t another pool, it’s the data center down the road that never wants to power down.