Crypto World
Bitcoin’s Shot at $90K by March Is Slim
The flagship cryptocurrency has come under renewed selling pressure, extending a slide that has left market participants cautious about any near-term rebound. The latest move comes as a combination of softer U.S. job data and renewed concerns about AI-sector capital expenditure weigh on risk appetite. The price retreat follows a roughly 30% decline from a late-January high after a failed attempt to push above the $90,500 level on Jan. 28. As macro cues accumulate, derivatives markets hint at a cautious stance, suggesting that a rapid snapback may be unlikely in the near term as investors digest the evolving risk backdrop.
Key takeaways
- Bitcoin slipped below $63,000, entering a seasonally volatile zone as macro data challenges persist and AI-sector investment concerns mount.
- Options markets imply a relatively low probability of a swift rally back to $90,000 by March, with pricing signaling a muted upside scenario.
- Concerns over quantum computing risks and the prospect of forced liquidations by debt-funded Bitcoin holders have amplified risk-off sentiment.
- Public-company Bitcoin holdings and equity-structure dynamics show growing strain, as some firms face large unrealized gaps between market value and cost bases.
- Broader tech and AI narratives—capped by elevated capital expenditure plans and supply-chain bottlenecks—contribute to a cautious market tone across traditional equities as well as crypto.
- Risk-off conditions intensified after a run of negative headlines across large-cap names and an uptick in January layoffs across the U.S. economy.
Tickers mentioned: $BTC, TRI, PYPL, HOOD, APP, QCOM, MSTR, MPJPY
Sentiment: Bearish
Price impact: Negative. The ongoing price drift below key support levels reflects a softer near-term outlook and heightened risk-off sentiment.
Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. Caution remains warranted as macro headlines and AI investment cycles influence liquidity and risk appetite.
Market context: The current environment blends macro fragility with sector-specific dynamics in AI and tech, creating a cautious tone for risk assets. Liquidity conditions and derivative positioning continue to shape price action as investors weigh near-term catalysts against longer-term macro trends.
Why it matters
The forces weighing on Bitcoin are not isolated to crypto alone. A broader risk-off mood is filtering through global markets, with technology and AI-driven narratives playing a central role. The debilitation of a near-term revival above important thresholds underscores a structural challenge for the asset class: while institutional interest remains, upside momentum has been tempered by macro headwinds and the fear of swift retracements triggered by external shocks.
On the derivative side, traders are pricing in relatively modest odds of a dramatic rally, with call options at elevated strike levels pricing in limited upside potential. For context, on the Deribit exchange, a March 27 call option with a strike of $90,000 traded at around $522, suggesting that market participants assign a low probability to a rapid surge in price in the weeks ahead. The corresponding put options reveal a sense of potential downside risk priced into the market as well, underscoring a balanced but cautious risk-reward calculus in the near term. These dynamics echo the broader tension between bull-case scenarios and risk-off realities facing cryptos amid evolving macro data and capital allocation concerns.
Beyond price dynamics, a suite of fundamental developments has intensified risk aversion. Quantum computing fears—specifically worries that advanced quantum systems could threaten private keys—have led some investors to rethink crypto exposure. In mid-January, Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, removed a 10% Bitcoin allocation from his model portfolio, arguing that quantum threats introduce a material tail risk to hodling strategies and that the market could respond abruptly to new information. While such positioning shifts reflect sentiment rather than immediate price catalysts, they contribute to a cautious macro backdrop for crypto markets.
On the corporate front, the landscape of on-chain exposure among publicly traded firms remains a focal point. MicroStrategy (MSTR) remains the largest holder with on-chain BTC reserves, but the company’s enterprise value has fallen to around $53.3 billion while its cost basis sits near $54.2 billion. Similar gaps exist for Metaplanet (MPJPY US), where the market cap stood at roughly $2.95 billion against an acquisition cost of about $3.78 billion. The potential for a prolonged bear phase to force such entities to sell reserve holdings to service debt has investors watching balance sheets closely, even as executives underscore long-term conviction in the technology and underlying use cases.
Additional macro factors are weighing on risk assets as well. The week’s early data showed broad risk-off momentum, with silver, often viewed as a risk-off asset, retreating sharply after reaching an all-time high in late January. While crypto markets are distinct from traditional commodities, the cross-asset pull—driven by higher risk sentiment and macro uncertainties—helps explain the correlation in recent weeks between the performance of large-cap equities and crypto assets.
In the broader tech arena, larger dynamics around AI investment cadence are shaping the indirect risk profile for crypto markets. Google’s parent company signaled that capital expenditure in 2026 will be materially higher than in 2025, highlighting a continued push into data-center infrastructure. At the same time, Qualcomm reported softer guidance as supplier capacity shifts toward high-bandwidth memory for data centers, underscoring a delicate balance between innovation cycles and near-term profitability. Analysts anticipate that AI spending could deliver longer payoff horizons than many investors currently expect, a factor that compounds uncertainty for risk-sensitive assets, including crypto.
Against this backdrop, Bitcoin appears unlikely to stage a rapid rebound toward the $90,000 region in the near term. The price action around $62,000–$63,000 has become a focal point for traders watching for a sustainable bottom or a capitulatory event that could usher in a new phase for accumulation. The path forward for the asset will likely depend on a combination of macro resilience, continued liquidity, and the pace at which AI-capital expenditure and its supply-chain constraints unwind.
What to watch next
- Upcoming U.S. payrolls data and macro indicators, which could shape risk sentiment and liquidity conditions.
- Derivative flows and March expiry activity (including BTC options around key strike levels like $90,000).
- Updates on AI-capex realization and supply-chain bottlenecks affecting tech stocks and related risk assets.
- Monitor developments around large on-chain BTC holdings and any potential forced-liquidation events tied to debt covenants.
- Central bank signals and policy expectations that could influence risk appetite across crypto and traditional markets.
Sources & verification
- Deribit options data for March 27 BTC calls and puts, including the $90,000 strike call and $50,000 strike put pricing.
- Public-company BTC holdings and balance-sheet implications (on-chain context and company-level risk exposure).
- Jefferies note referencing a reduced Bitcoin allocation due to perceived quantum-computing risks.
- January layoff data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas (108,435 layoffs) and related macro commentary.
- Alphabet (EXCHANGE: GOOG) capex trajectory for 2026 and Qualcomm (EXCHANGE: QCOM) guidance signals; broader AI-funding implications.
Bitcoin under pressure in a cautious macro environment
The feature allows CEX users to copy top traders on the largest perp DEX.
Crypto derivatives-focused centralized exchange BitMEX has expanded its copy trading feature to let users copy the strategies of top traders from Hyperliquid, the largest decentralized perpetual futures platform by trading volume and open interest.
The new feature, called Hyperliquid Copy Trading, lets BitMEX users automatically replicate trades from selected Hyperliquid traders, according to a press release viewed by The Defiant.
Trades are opened directly on BitMEX and users can copy up to five Hyperliquid traders at once. Other features include basic risk-management tools, such as take-profit and stop-loss options.
The launch illustrates how CEXs continue to push into decentralized finance as on-chain platforms for both spot and derivatives trading gain popularity. A spokesperson for BitMEX told The Defiant, “We’ve basically leveraged Hyperliquid L1’s open-source code to track their users’ positions and have that as an automated system as part of our copy trading feature,” noting that the offering lets traders replicate trades using the CEX’s interface and risk management features they’re used to:
“It’s an opportunity for users to make the same perp trades as top hyperliquid traders and have that automatically reflected to their accounts.”
The Rise of DEXs
The move comes as trading activity continues to grow across DEXs, with volumes in some cases overtaking those on CEXs.
Over the past 24 hours, BitMEX reported about $655 million in trading volume and $14.5 billion in open interest, which represents the value of outstanding derivatives contracts. While OI on Hyperliquid is smaller at $5.8 billion, the perp DEX saw nearly $13 billion in trades in the past 24 hours, outpacing the CEX by nearly 20x.
The contrast is notable given BitMEX’s role as a first mover in crypto derivatives, and as the pioneer of perpetuals futures in particular, a version of which it first launched in 2016.
“BitMEX pioneered the perpetual swap, which has since become the industry standard for futures trading,” BitMEX CEO Stephan Lutz said in the release, continuing:
“The launch of Hyperliquid Copy Trading completes the circle, bringing the alpha available on the world’s leading PerpDEX to BitMEX users and incorporating it into their existing workflow.”
In the face of rising competition from decentralized platforms, as well as centralized giants, smaller CEXs have had to get proactive with their strategies. For example, in December, Bitfinex removed all trading fees across its spot and derivatives markets in an effort to attract and retain users.
The announcement comes as crypto markets have swung sharply in recent weeks, with Bitcoin falling to levels not seen since April 2025.
In October, self-custody crypto wallet MetaMask integrated Hyperliquid to offer perpetual futures trading from directly within the wallet.
A growing share of information driving crypto markets comes not from journalists, but from paid press releases.
A Chainstory analysis of 2,893 crypto press releases published between June and November 2025 shows that these distribution networks operate as a parallel news market, capable of shaping sentiment and temporarily moving prices, even before verification occurs.
Over 60% of Releases Come from High-Risk Projects
The study found that 62% of releases originated from high-risk (35.6%) or outright scam (26.9%)projects. Meanwhile, 27% were low risk, and 10% were medium risk.
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Unlike editorial coverage, where journalists assess credibility, press-release wires publish client content with minimal review. This allows misleading or exaggerated claims to reach audiences quickly, influencing asset prices.
Only 2% of releases (58 total) covered substantive events such as funding rounds, mergers, or research. Nearly 50% were product or feature updates, and 24% were related to trading and exchange listings, often flooding the market with repetitive content ignored by credible newsrooms.
Tone analysis revealed that only 10% of releases were neutral, while 54% were overstated and 19% overtly promotional.
In total, around 70% contained blatant marketing spin, with words like “revolutionary,” “game-changing,” or “leading the Web3 future.”
Category
% Of Total
Product / Feature Updates
48.98%
Trading, Listings, Exchanges
23.99%
Token Launches / Tokenomics
14.00%
Events, Conferences, Sponsorships
6.01%
Metrics, Research, Reports
3.01%
Funding / VC / Corporate Finance
2.00%
Vanity, Awards, Community Fluff
2.00%
Market Impact and Manipulation Risk
Syndication practices amplify these effects. Many platforms guarantee placement across dozens of sites, including crypto media outlets and mainstream sidebar feeds. This allows projects to showcase “as seen on” signals.
Small or overlooked disclaimers may lead casual investors to treat promotional content as independent reporting.
The hype-laden content can trigger retail investor activity and even algorithmic trading bots, generating short-term price moves based on perception rather than fundamentals.
This mirrors traditional pump-and-dump tactics in penny stocks, where press releases have historically created artificial demand before insiders sell.
Therefore, the study presents a crucial takeaway for investors: visibility does not equal validation. Press releases, especially from high-risk or scam-adjacent projects, should be treated first as promotional material and second as potential market-moving signals—with skepticism applied at every step.
A group of European tokenization operators has urged EU policymakers to swiftly amend the bloc’s DLT Pilot Regime, warning that current asset limits, volume caps and time-limited licenses are preventing regulated onchain markets from scaling as the United States advances toward industrial-scale tokenization and near-instant settlement.
In a joint letter coordinated ahead of an upcoming parliamentary debate, tokenization and market infrastructure companies Securitize, 21X, Boerse Stuttgart Group, Lise, OpenBrick, STX and Axiology called for targeted changes to the DLT Pilot Regime, the EU’s regulatory sandbox for tokenized securities markets.
The companies said the EU’s broader Market Integration and Supervision Package sets the right long-term direction, but warned that existing constraints are already limiting the growth of regulated tokenized products in Europe. Pointing to the United States as a key contrast, they wrote:
Without timely action on the DLT Pilot Regime, the EU risks losing market relevance. The structural inertia of this package delays effective application until at least 2030 — creating not a temporary setback, but a critical strategic vulnerability.
They added that “global liquidity will not wait” if Europe remains constrained, warning it could migrate permanently to US markets as onchain settlement infrastructure matures.
Rather than calling for deregulation, the companies proposed a narrow technical “quick fix” that would keep existing investor protections intact. The changes would expand the scope of eligible assets, raise current issuance caps and remove the six-year limit on pilot licenses to allow regulated operators to scale products already live in other jurisdictions.
The group said the adjustments could be adopted quickly through a standalone technical update without reopening the EU’s broader market-structure reforms.
It warned that prolonged delays risk weakening the euro’s competitiveness in global capital markets as settlement and issuance activity shifts toward faster, fully digital market infrastructure.
Related: Gemini announces exit from UK, EU, Australia, slashes workforce
US regulators and exchanges advance tokenization framework
The US has taken regulatory steps toward tokenization by clarifying how tokenized securities can be issued, custodied and settled within existing market infrastructure.
On Dec. 11, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Trading and Markets Division outlined how broker-dealers can custody tokenized stocks and bonds under existing customer protection rules, signaling that blockchain-based securities will be governed within the traditional regulatory framework rather than treated as a new asset class.
The SEC issued a no-action letter on the same day to a subsidiary of Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, clearing the way for a new securities market tokenization service. DTCC said its Depository Trust Company unit has been authorized to launch a service that tokenizes real-world assets already held in DTC custody.
On Jan. 28, the SEC issued guidance clarifying how it views tokenized securities, splitting them into two categories: those tokenized by issuers and those tokenized by unaffiliated third parties, a move aimed at giving companies a clearer regulatory footing as tokenization activity expands.
Alongside clearer US regulatory guidance, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange have begun exploring tokenization within traditional market infrastructure.
In November 2025, Nasdaq said securing SEC approval for its September proposal to list tokenized stocks was a top priority, noting that the exchange was responding to public comments and regulator questions as the review process continued.
On Jan. 17, the NYSE said it is developing a platform to trade tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds, pending regulatory approval, that would support 24/7 trading and near-instant settlement using blockchain-based post-trade systems.
Magazine: 6 weirdest devices people have used to mine Bitcoin and crypto
Crypto investors are looking for someone to blame for a crashing market that has already shed one-fifth of its total market capitalization since the start of the year — and they have Binance squarely in their social media crosshairs.
However, the world’s largest crypto exchange is firing back, denying rumors that it’s sending legal letters to silence critics.
“Winning is the best response to FUD,” founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) wrote today. “Binance saw net inflow for ALL 1 day, 7 day and 1 month periods, to the tune of $ billions. Some possible FUD sponsors saw the opposite,” he laughed.
Amid the bearish knock-on effects from Binance’s role in a massive liquidation event on October 10, sentiment against the company has continued to deteriorate.
Goodwill gestures by the exchange have failed to calm complaints, and some traders with losses even threatened Binance with legal action.
Recently, critics have been broadcasting ragebait and screenshots of alleged cease-and-desist letters about October 10–11, from Binance, or even an alleged direct message threat from CZ.
Schrödinger’s letters from Binance lawyers
Whether Binance’s law firms have sent cease-and-desist letters this week is a classic case of he said, she said. Thousands of people seem either entirely convinced or entirely unpersuaded.
Today, for example, CZ denied sending not only that direct message but also any legal letters over insolvency allegations.
In contrast, a trader with massive losses from October 10-11 insists that Binance group attorneys “are leveraging UAE law to warn me to delete my posts” and have threatened him with a lawsuit.
Elsewhere, a social post with over a million impressions claimed that Binance was suffering insolvency. Later, that same person claimed Binance mailed him a cease-and-desist letter about that insolvency claim — which again earned almost a million impressions.
However, Binance’s help desk called that letter a forgery, and Binance co-founder Yi He reiterated that correction.
Examples of allegations that Binance actually sent a cease and desist letter are replete on social media, but whether or not the company actually sent them is dubious.
Read more: Lawsuits are piling up against Binance over Oct. 10
Binance has sued writers in the past
Complicating this matter, Binance has a true history of suing reporters, which makes CZ’s statement today that he has “no need to issue any letters” difficult to believe.
Indeed, Binance sued Forbes and two of its writers after their negative publicity, and CZ also sued Bloomberg’s Hong Kong publisher.
Moreover, CZ has extensive experience in the legal system and often crafts precisely worded answers to difficult questions.
Within the last week, for example, CZ claimed, “I don’t have personal investments in Aster, and Binance as a company is not involved.” Although that statement was technically true, CZ nonetheless had money invested in Aster via his family office, YZi Labs.
In other words, his statement was only true because of a technicality of the word “personal.”
So whether and to what extent the crypto industry can trust CZ’s claim today that he has “no need to issue any letters” is a matter of public debate.
Despite Binance’s denials of cease-and-desist letters this week, moreover, some critics remain convinced that real letters might still be out there.
Protos has reached out to Binance for comment but didn’t receive an immediate response. We will update this story if we receive a reply.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
In January 2026, digital asset trading platform Gate released its latest Transparency Report. The report shows that Gate continues to advance across key areas, including multi-asset trading, on-chain derivatives, and asset management, with its trading structure and user use cases steadily expanding.
While maintaining the stable operation of its core crypto asset business, Gate is accelerating its evolution toward a comprehensive digital asset platform that integrates traditional financial assets, on-chain trading, and yield management.
On the trading front, Gate’s derivatives market share has risen to 11%, marking it as one of the centralized exchanges with the largest period-on-period increase.
CryptoRank noted in its annual report that Gate’s perpetual futures trading volume grew from $911.2 billion in Q1 2025 to $2.42 trillion in Q3, remaining at a high level of $1.93 trillion in Q4. Additionally, Gate was recognized as the exchange with some of the fastest contract trading volume growth in 2025.
In the traditional financial assets segment, Gate TradFi now covers asset classes including metals, foreign exchange, indices, commodities, and selected popular equities. Since the launch, cumulative trading volume has exceeded $20 billion.
These features have been fully integrated into the Gate App and Web platform, allowing users to trade across multiple markets within a unified account system using USDT as margin. As demand for precious metals and macro-related assets increases, multi-asset price trading and cross-market hedging are emerging as new growth drivers.
Beyond trading and asset allocation, Gate is actively introducing AI capabilities into high-frequency user decision-making scenarios. Launched in January 2026, GateAI focuses on asset analysis and market interpretation, supporting market browsing and candlestick analysis through a global floating interface and contextual prompts.
In its first month, GateAI achieved a user satisfaction rate of approximately 88% and began to integrate into users’ daily trading decision workflows.
At the same time, Gate continues to strengthen its decentralized derivatives trading capabilities. In January, Gate DEX completed a brand and experience upgrade, with Gate Web3 officially rebranded as Gate DEX. The platform now supports one-click login via account or wallet, significantly lowering the barrier to on-chain trading.
Perp DEX recorded nearly 440,000 cumulative transactions monthly, reflecting a notable increase in on-chain perpetual trading activity. In addition, activity on the Gate Layer network continued to rise, with on-chain addresses surpassing 100 million and monthly transaction volume increasing by more than 22% month-on-month. User interaction and on-chain activity frequency continued to strengthen, providing foundational support for multi-chain asset circulation and ecosystem application deployment.
In asset management and structured products, multiple Gate product lines advanced in parallel. By the end of January, Staking recorded a total value locked (TVL) of $1.301 billion, having peaked at $1.512 billion during the month. ETH staking volume reached nearly 170,000 ETH, setting a new historical high.
Leveraged ETF tokens recorded trading volume of over 6.7 billion USDT in January, representing a month-on-month increase of 32.6%. Simple Earn saw cumulative subscriptions exceeding 2.5 billion USDT, with an average of more than 350,000 participating users per day. Holdings of BTC and GT continued to grow, indicating sustained user demand for core assets and more stable allocation strategies amid market volatility.
In terms of security and transparency, Gate continued to strengthen its reserve and verification mechanisms. In January, the overall reserve ratio increased to 125%, with total reserves valued at approximately $9.478 billion. BTC reserves reached a ratio of 140.69%, while reserves for major assets, including ETH, USDT, and GT all remained above 100%, keeping Gate’s asset backing and risk buffer capacity at an industry-leading level.
On the branding and community side, Gate continued to reinforce long-term connections with creators, users, and institutions through content system upgrades and high-quality event operations. Centered around Gate Square and Gate Live, the platform further refined content incentives and conversion pathways, promoting deeper integration between high-quality content, trading activity, and ecosystem collaboration.
Meanwhile, through closed-door institutional exchanges, annual community summits, and other multi-layered initiatives, Gate expanded professional dialogue and brand influence, further consolidating its position as a leading comprehensive crypto platform in terms of user ecosystem engagement and industry participation.
Overall, Gate is advancing across multiple business lines simultaneously. By continuously expanding asset coverage, product formats, and technological capabilities, the platform is progressively building a more structured and synergistic trading and asset management ecosystem.
As market conditions and user needs continue to evolve, Gate’s long-term development path as a comprehensive digital asset platform is becoming increasingly solid, with further potential to expand application scenarios and ecosystem boundaries.
Details can be found here.
About Gate
Gate, founded in 2013 by Dr. Han, is one of the world’s earliest cryptocurrency exchanges. The platform serves over 49 million users with 4,400+ digital assets and pioneered the industry’s first 100% proof-of-reserves. Beyond core trading services, Gate’s ecosystem includes Gate Wallet, Gate Ventures, and other innovative solutions.
For more information, please visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn| Instagram | YouTube
Disclaimer: This content does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation. You should always seek independent professional advice before making investment decisions. Note that Gate may restrict or prohibit certain services in specific jurisdictions. For more information, please read the User Agreement via https://www.gate.com/user-agreement.
TLDR:
- BitMine’s ETH holdings drop to $8.4B, down $8B from the initial $16.4B investment.
- BMNR stock plunges 88% since its July peak amid Ether price declines.
- Over 2.9M ETH staked, generating 2.81% annual yield in staking rewards.
- BitMine holds $538M cash with no debt, allowing it to maintain ETH positions.
BitMine ETH losses have reached $8 billion following Ether’s decline below $2,000. Despite sharp declines, the company reports no debt obligations and continues earning staking income from its Ethereum holdings.
BitMine’s Ethereum Holdings and Stock Performance
BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) currently holds 4.29 million ETH, purchased at an estimated total cost of $16.4 billion. At current prices below $2,000 per Ether, the portfolio’s market value has fallen to approximately $8.4 billion.
This represents nearly $8 billion in paper losses. BMNR shares have reacted sharply to Ether’s decline.
Since July, the stock has fallen 88% and hit a new low on Thursday, declining 7% on the day alone. This movement reflects investor concern over BitMine’s heavy exposure to Ethereum, especially amid declining prices.
The firm’s funding strategy differs from many other crypto treasuries. Rather than borrowing, BitMine relied on equity issuance to acquire its Ethereum and other digital assets.
According to Thomas Lee, Executive Chairman, the company faces no debt covenants or restrictions. This approach allows BitMine to hold its ETH through periods of market volatility without immediate pressure to sell.
In recent weeks, BitMine has continued Ethereum accumulation. The company added 41,788 ETH in the past week, following steady weekly purchases since December 2025.
This demonstrates a consistent commitment to maintaining and growing its Ethereum portfolio.
Financial Position, Staking, and Market Activity
BitMine maintains a strong cash position of $538 million while staking over 2.9 million ETH. Staked Ethereum generates an annual yield of approximately 2.81%, providing a steady income stream despite the market drawdown.
In addition to Ethereum, BitMine holds 193 Bitcoin and strategic investments in other companies. This includes a $200 million stake in Beast Industries and $19 million in Eightco Holdings.
These assets contribute to liquidity and diversify the company’s portfolio. Ethereum network activity has shown strong fundamentals, with daily transactions reaching an all-time high of 2.5 million and active addresses surpassing one million.
These metrics suggest robust usage and engagement, even as prices remain under pressure. BitMine also ranks among the most actively traded U.S.-listed stocks, averaging $1.1 billion in daily volume.
The firm’s large-scale Ethereum holdings, diversified portfolio, and staking income support its ability to ride out short-term market volatility.
Altcoin sentiment remains sour, but Midnight (NIGHT), Hyperliquid (HYPE), and Monero (XMR) are flashing accumulation signals and catalyst-driven strength. This offers a rare ‘risk-on’ pocket inside a weak market heading into early February 2026.
Our analysis flagged three tokens as candidates for fresh highs, with roadmap progress and improving money flow signals as key drivers. While the broader market shows extreme fear, capital is rotating toward projects with clear development milestones or durable narratives like privacy and decentralized trading.
Technical Breakouts for NIGHT, HYPE, and XMR
Midnight ($0.047, -4.3%) is advancing its Q1 2026 roadmap, centered on the ‘Kūkolu’ phase. This stage delivers a stable mainnet with trusted validators and privacy-first applications, according to a January update.
Technical indicators like the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) are rising, indicating that outflows are shrinking. A key level to rebound from is $0.053, with a potential move back toward its prior all-time high near $0.120.
For its part, Hyperliquid’s CMF has moved above zero, suggesting inflows are now dominating. HYPE’s price at $33.74 also shows a reported -0.22 correlation with Bitcoin, implying more independent price action. Open interest on the decentralized perpetuals exchange surged to $793M around Jan. 26–27, up from $260M a month earlier. This reflects growing demand for its derivatives market structure.
Monero is trading near $305 after a sharp 30% correction over 11 days. Its Money Flow Index (MFI) suggests selling pressure is nearing exhaustion. Monero, a privacy coin launched in 2014, maintains a durable narrative focused on fungibility and censorship resistance.
A Flight to Quality Amidst Market Dispersion
While broad altcoin indexes are weak, dispersion is the key theme. The outperformance of these three tokens is not random. It is a flight to quality within specific narratives. Midnight represents progress in privacy-enhancing L1s. Hyperliquid reflects the growing market share of high-performance decentralized derivatives platforms.
Monero’s resilience indicates a persistent, non-speculative demand for private transactions. For a desk trader, these are not degenerate altcoin plays. They are targeted bets on maturing crypto sub-sectors that are showing independent strength against a risk-off macro backdrop.
The post These Three Altcoins Defy Crypto Winter With Technical Strength appeared first on Cryptonews.
Bitcoin has entered a critical phase after its recent correction dragged the price toward the $70,000 level. Viewed through a macro lens, this move has exposed BTC to elevated downside risk.
Several on-chain and technical indicators now align with a bearish outlook. However, large holders are actively accumulating, attempting to slow or reverse the developing trend.
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Bitcoin Loses A Major On-Chain Support
Bitcoin has dropped below the True Market Mean for the first time since September 2023. This metric reflects the aggregate cost basis of actively circulating supply. Trading below it signals weakening conviction among participants and marks a structural shift in market behavior.
The loss of this anchor confirms deterioration that has been forming since late November. From a mid-term perspective, Bitcoin is now confined within a broader valuation corridor. Upside momentum has weakened, while downside pressure continues to build across multiple timeframes.
Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.
On the downside, the Realized Price near $55,800 represents the historical level where long-term capital re-enters. On the upside, the True Market Mean of around $80,200 has flipped into resistance. This configuration limits recovery potential and increases the probability of further downside exploration.
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Bitcoin’s Macro Outlook Suggests 37% Crash
This structural weakness aligns with a macro bearish setup visible on the charts. Bitcoin is breaking down from a Head and Shoulders pattern that has been developing for months. This formation carries a projected downside of roughly 37%, targeting $51,511 if fully realized.
The sharp 20% decline over the past week accelerated this breakdown. Rapid selling pressure confirmed the pattern’s neckline breach, intensifying bearish momentum. Such moves often lead to follow-through declines as trapped long positions unwind.
The next critical support below $70,000 sits at $68,072. Losing this level would validate the bearish projection. A decisive break would likely trigger additional liquidations, increasing volatility, and accelerating price movement toward lower structural levels.
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BTC Whales Jump In As Rescue
Despite mounting bearish signals, Bitcoin whales are actively attempting to prevent further downside. Addresses holding between 10,000 and 100,000 BTC have accumulated more than 50,000 BTC in just four days. At current prices, this accumulation exceeds $3.58 billion.
This behavior reflects strategic positioning rather than speculative trading. Large holders often accumulate during periods of fear, especially after sharp corrections. Bitcoin slipping below $75,000 appears to have created an attractive entry zone for long-term capital.
If whale accumulation continues, it could absorb sell-side pressure and stabilize the price. Historically, such activity has preceded short-term rebounds. However, sustained impact depends on broader market sentiment and whether retail selling pressure subsides.
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BTC Price Is Close To Falling Below $70,000
Bitcoin price is trading near $69,500 at the time of writing after a 20% weekly decline. For now, BTC is yet to close a daily candle below $70,000 psychological support. This level has acted as a demand zone in previous corrections, making it critical for near-term stability.
From a short-term perspective, downside risks remain elevated. A breakdown below $68,442 would likely trigger accelerated selling. Under that scenario, Bitcoin could fall toward $65,360. Losing that support may expose BTC to a deeper slide toward $62,893.
Alternatively, whale accumulation could influence price direction. A successful defense of $70,000 may allow Bitcoin to rebound toward $75,000. Reclaiming that level as support would invalidate the immediate bearish thesis and reopen the path toward $80,000 if momentum improves.
The Bitcoin buying company Strategy reported a net loss of $12.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven down by Bitcoin’s 22% fall over the quarter.
Bitcoin (BTC) reached a peak high of $126,000 in early October, but tumbled over the quarter ending Dec. 31 to under $88,500. Bitcoin is down 30% so far this year to $64,500, below Strategy’s average cost per BTC of $76,052.
Strategy (MSTR) said on Thursday that despite the loss, its Q4 revenues rose 1.9% year-on-year to $123 million, driven in part by its business intelligence arm, but the recent Bitcoin sell-off saw its shares close 17% down on Thursday to $107.
Bitcoin’s latest tumble pushed it to a low of $62,500 on Thursday, leaving Strategy down 17.5% on its 713,502 Bitcoin holdings.
Strategy on strong financial footing, says finance boss
Despite the massive quarterly loss, Strategy chief financial officer Andrew Kang said in a statement that the company’s capital structure remains “stronger and more resilient today than ever before.”
“Strategy has built a digital fortress anchored by 713,502 Bitcoins and our shift to Digital Credit, which aligns with our indefinite Bitcoin horizon.”
Related: US won’t ‘bail out’ Bitcoin, says Treasury Secretary Bessent
The company boosted its cash holdings to $2.25 billion in Q4 to allow for 30 months of dividend payouts, signaling financial strength despite the market downturn.
Strategy also has no major debt maturing until 2027, meaning it isn’t under immediate pressure to repay borrowings and may not be forced to liquidate Bitcoin to meet obligations in the near term.
Strategy CEO Phong Le told investors on an earnings call that there’s no reason to panic about the company’s financial position and its Bitcoin strategy.
“I’m not worried, we’re not worried, and no, we’re not having issues.”
He noted that Strategy’s enterprise value is still above its $45 billion Bitcoin reserve and that its $8.2 billion of convertible debt only represents about 13% net leverage, below most Standard & Poor’s 500 companies.
Magazine: South Korea gets rich from crypto… North Korea gets weapons
Tether’s $100 million investment in Anchorage Digital underscores a commitment to secure, regulated financial systems, reinforcing Anchorage’s status as the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S.
Tether announced a $100 million strategic equity investment in Anchorage Digital today, Feb. 5. The move is aimed at bolstering secure and regulated financial infrastructure within the cryptocurrency industry, according to a press release from Tether today, Feb. 5.
Anchorage Digital, recognized as the first federally chartered crypto-focused bank in the United States, both fiat banking services as well as crypto custody, staking, and stablecoin issuance, primarily for institutional clients. The bank obtained its charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in 2021, marking a pivotal moment in the regulation of digital assets in the U.S.
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, emphasized the strategic alignment between Tether and Anchorage. “Our investment in Anchorage Digital reflects a shared belief in the importance of secure, transparent, and resilient financial systems,” Ardoino said in a statement.
Nathan McCauley, co-founder and CEO of Anchorage Digital, echoed the sentiment, noting that “Tether’s investment is a strong validation of the infrastructure we’ve spent years building the hard way.”
Anchorage is the issuer of Tether’s recently launched dollar-backed stablecoin for U.S. markets, USAT, designed to comply with the GENIUS Act. Tether is the issuer of the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, USDT, which represents just over 60% of the sector.
This article was generated with the assistance of AI workflows.
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