Crypto World
Solana Active Addresses Soar as More Merchants Accept Bitcoin
January delivered a mix of on-chain momentum and macro headwinds, spotlighting how activity on major networks can surge even as prices wobble. In particular, Solana and Ethereum posted notable milestones, while Bitcoin miners in the United States faced weather-driven disruption. Beyond network metrics, the month also underscored the growing role of crypto in everyday commerce as PayPal highlighted rising merchant adoption. The month’s narrative wove together rapid token launches, upgrade-driven efficiency gains, and geopolitical jitters that reverberated through risk assets, leaving investors weighing the pace of innovation against real-world constraints.
Key takeaways
- Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) saw a 115% jump in active daily addresses by Jan. 28, regularly surpassing 5 million, driven by renewed memecoin minting and an ecosystem push around token launches.
- Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) activity surged 25% in January after a December milestone where the network surpassed several major Layer 2s in daily active addresses, aided by upgrades that boosted throughput and lowered costs.
- Network fees on Ethereum remained low on average, dipping to under $0.01 on Jan. 29 as capacity improvements took effect.
- Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) faced price volatility, briefly pushing toward $100,000 mid-month before retreating to around $87,000 amid geopolitical headlines centered on Greenland and broader risk-off sentiment.
- Merchant adoption of crypto payments continued to expand in the US, with four in ten merchants reporting acceptance, and 84% predicting crypto payments will become mainstream within five years, per a PayPal (EXCHANGE: PYPL) January report.
Tickers mentioned: $BTC
Price impact: Negative. Bitcoin moved from a monthly high near $97k to about $87k amid geopolitical headlines and shifting risk sentiment.
Market context: The month illustrated how on-chain activity can accelerate even as macro headlines and policy signals shape risk appetite, with Ethereum’s upgrade cycle contributing to lower fees and Solana’s launch-driven activity underscoring a healthy, if episodic, ecosystem dynamic.
Why it matters
The January dynamics underscore a recurring theme in crypto markets: on-chain activity can accelerate even in periods of price uncertainty when infrastructure improvements, developer activity, and user demand coalesce. Solana’s surge in active addresses signals continued trust in its ability to support rapid token launches and decentralized applications, particularly as launch platforms like Bags compute the economics of new tokens and liquidity taps into a broader user base. The 115% rise in daily active addresses by late January, anchored by data from Nansen, points to a cohort of participants returning to activity after a quieter stretch, and it hints at a cyclical pattern of experimentation and completion within Solana’s ecosystem.
Ethereum’s resilience, evident in a 25% rise in daily active addresses in January, reinforces the narrative of a network maturing beyond episodic speculation. After overtaking some notable Layer 2s in December, Ethereum’s continued usage reflects a combination of broader dApp engagement and ongoing optimizations—essentials for a network contemplating sustained scalability. The drop in average transaction fees to sub-cent ranges around the end of January illustrates how upgrade-driven capacity expansions can alter user experience, lowering the cost barrier to routine usage and potentially widening the audience for on-chain services. This dynamic matters for builders seeking predictable costs and users seeking reliable, fast transactions.
On the funding, infrastructure, and governance side, the month’s events remind market participants that energy and risk management remain acute for miners, especially in climates where grid stability is tested. The storm-induced curtailment scenario in the United States—where seven mining operations faced potential reductions—highlights the sector’s reliance on demand-response programs and the delicate balance between profitability and grid reliability. As Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck, noted, these facilities can act as flexible loads, a capability that could prove valuable during periods of grid stress. The broader takeaway is that mining economics are increasingly intertwined with energy policy and regional weather events, not solely with Bitcoin price movements.
Beyond network activity and mining resilience, the integration of crypto into everyday commerce continued to gain traction. PayPal’s January report showing that roughly 40% of US merchants accept crypto marks a meaningful expansion from niche adoption to a broader business reality. With 84% of merchants surveyed expecting crypto payments to become mainstream within five years, the trend points to a persistent demand-side readiness among consumers and a growing willingness among merchants to accommodate digital assets in checkout flows. The combination of merchant adoption alongside on-chain efficiency gains strengthens the case for crypto as a viable complement to traditional payments, even as headline risk and regulatory chatter persist.
The January price narrative was tempered by geopolitics. Bitcoin’s mid-month push toward the $100,000 level gave way to a retreat as Trump-era tensions and Greenland-related headlines created risk-off dynamics across markets. Analysts argued that cryptocurrencies did not provide a safe haven during a broad market sell-off triggered by policy rhetoric and cross-border tensions. While the macro environment remains uncertain, the month’s on-chain signals suggest that user activity and infrastructure improvements could sustain longer-term momentum, even if short-term price action remains fragile in response to external shocks.
What to watch next
- Solana ecosystem activity: Track the pace and quality of token launches on Bags and any shifts in memecoin issuance that could drive activity into February.
- Ethereum upgrade cadence: Monitor further network efficiency gains, blob sizes, and gas-price dynamics as core developers push toward finalization milestones and the walkaway test concept gains broader attention.
- Mining and energy dynamics: Watch potential curtailments or reliefs as winter weather patterns evolve, and assess how demand-response programs influence miner economics and network security.
- Crypto payments adoption: Follow PayPal’s ongoing reporting on merchant uptake and consumer usage to gauge how mainstream adoption is progressing and what that means for on-chain settlement velocity.
- Geopolitical and regulatory signals: Remain attentive to developments that could impact risk sentiment, capital flows, and the willingness of institutions to engage with crypto markets during periods of geopolitical tension.
Sources & verification
- Nansen data on Solana’s active daily addresses, with figures peaking above 5 million by late January.
- DeFiLlama metrics showing Bags platform fee activity and the token-launching landscape on Solana, including the comparison with Pump.fun.
- Etherscan gas tracker figures indicating January 29 average Ethereum fees below $0.01.
- Vitalik Buterin’s public remarks on Ethereum’s “walkaway test” and the idea that the network should function without constant developer intervention.
- VanEck commentary by Matthew Sigel on how mining operations can operate as flexible loads to support grid stability during stress periods.
- PayPal’s January report on crypto payment adoption, noting the share of US merchants accepting crypto and the sentiment around mainstream adoption in five years.
- Geopolitical developments around Greenland and related market responses that influenced risk-on assets such as Bitcoin.
Market reaction and key details
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) posted a striking gain in on-chain activity in January as the ecosystem gathered momentum around token launches and integrations. By Jan. 28, total active daily addresses on the Solana network exceeded five million, marking a roughly 115% jump from the start of the month. The surge aligned with a renewed minting cycle on the Bags launchpad, a Solana-based platform that has become a hub for new tokens, and with the broader appetite for fast, low-fee transactions. The momentum was amplified by a parallel development: the release of Claude Cowork, an AI agent from Anthropic intended to help manage tasks, which developers leveraged to accelerate token-related experiments. The resulting activity helped lift network usage into new territory even as the broader market navigated a volatile January.
Following this spike, fees on the Bags ecosystem reached about $4.5 million on Jan. 16, highlighting how surges in launch activity can temporarily elevate on-chain costs. By contrast, the broader Solana ecosystem had experienced days with substantially lower fees in late 2024 and 2025, underscoring how launch-driven demand can create short-lived headwinds for users and developers participating in token drops. The number of tokens that “graduated” from Bags continued to outpace other Solana launch venues, indicating Bags’ growing role as a go-to path for new projects seeking initial liquidity and community engagement.
On Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), activity mirrored a maturation trajectory that has been evident since late 2023. After Ethereum overtook several prominent Layer 2 networks in daily active addresses in December, January’s metrics showed a further 25% uptick in on-chain activity. Upgrades implemented through the month improved blob sizes and reduced transaction costs, with average fees dipping below $0.01 on Jan. 29, according to on-chain trackers. The upgrades were framed by the ecosystem as foundational work toward a more scalable and accessible platform, enabling more users to transact without the friction that previously constrained adoption.
That momentum occurred in the context of Vitalik Buterin’s call for a “walkaway test”—a benchmark for Ethereum to function sustainably without developers actively guiding the chain. The thrust behind the comment was to emphasize that a resilient network should continue to meet users’ needs even in the absence of ongoing, hands-on governance. In tandem with this vision, Ethereum’s upgrades were designed to improve efficiency and lower costs for end users, reinforcing the idea that long-term usability is central to network health.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin faced a different set of headwinds in January. A winter storm disrupted power grids across the Southeast and South Central United States, prompting seven mining operations to consider curtailment. Data cited by Matthew Sigel of VanEck indicated that major players—Riot Platforms, Core Scientific, CleanSpark, and Bitdeer—maintained the ability to reduce grid demand through demand-response programs, a mechanism that can help stabilize power costs for operators while preserving grid reliability. The storm’s impact extended beyond energy, with travel disruptions, outages, and a humanitarian toll in several states as conditions worsened. The price narrative reflected this mood, with Bitcoin briefly testing near $100,000 earlier in the month before retreating toward $87,000 as turbulence persisted.
Beyond price action, crypto payments continued to gain traction in the broader economy. PayPal, a major payments processor, reported that four in ten US merchants now accept crypto, signaling increasing practical acceptance of digital assets in everyday commerce. The same report highlighted that crypto payments can offer faster settlement and enhanced privacy, factors that could drive further merchant experimentation in 2026. PayPal (EXCHANGE: PYPL) executives noted that crypto payments are moving beyond experimentation into everyday commerce, with 84% of merchants anticipating crypto’s mainstream status within five years.
The month’s mixed signals—robust on-chain activity on Solana and Ethereum against price swings driven by geopolitics and weather—underscore a market still in the process of reconciling technology-driven momentum with macro risk. The Greenland headlines, which briefly suggested potential policy pivots and security considerations, reminded markets that crypto assets remain sensitive to global political developments. Analysts argued that while cryptocurrencies don’t always act as a hedge in the face of geopolitical stress, their growing integration into real-world use cases—from token launches to payments—could help sustain longer-term interest even when price action turns choppy.
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Crypto World
Where Is The Best Place To Turn $500 Into $5,000? Remittix Rewards Presale Investors With 300% Bonus
As investors search for high-upside opportunities in a cautious crypto market, Remittix is drawing serious attention. The PayFi-focused project has already raised over $28.9 million, launched a live wallet and is now offering a limited 300% bonus to presale participants.
With real product traction and tightening supply, Remittix is increasingly viewed as a rare early-stage setup with asymmetric potential.
Why Remittix Is Drawing Capital Right Now
Remittix is not competing on hype. It is competing on usefulness. The project is building a full PayFi ecosystem that allows users to convert crypto into fiat and send funds directly to bank accounts worldwide. No delays. No hidden charges. No complex steps.
This focus on everyday payments is resonating with both retail investors and businesses. Remittix solves that problem directly.
Momentum is already visible. Over 701 million tokens have been sold and the token price has climbed steadily to $0.123. The Remittix Wallet is live on the App Store. This will give users hands-on access to the ecosystem before the core crypto-to-fiat feature launches on February 9th 2026.
Security and credibility also matter in this stage of the market. Remittix has been fully verified by CertiK, with audited smart contracts and a public development roadmap. Exchange exposure is lining up as well, with BitMart confirmed and LBank announced.
These factors explain why many analysts now describe Remittix as a best crypto to buy now for investors seeking real utility rather than narrative-driven speculation. With the presale entering its final stretch, some are already framing RTX as a top crypto under $1 that still offers early-entry dynamics.
The 300% Bonus Is Driving Urgency
The strongest short-term catalyst is the limited 300% bonus, available for just 72 hours. This incentive dramatically increases token allocation for early participants and has accelerated inflows across the presale.
Combined with a referral program that rewards community growth, the structure favors fast movers rather than passive observers.
What presale investors are getting right now
- A time-limited 300% bonus that multiplies initial token allocation
- A 15% referral reward paid in USDT and claimable every 24 hours
- Confirmed centralized exchange listings starting with BitMart
- A live wallet product with crypto-to-fiat functionality launching next
This combination is why some investors believe Remittix offers one of the clearest risk-reward profiles currently available. Turning $500 into $5,000 is never guaranteed. However, bonus mechanics, fixed supply and early-stage pricing significantly shift the math.
At $0.123, RTX still sits firmly in top crypto under $1 territory. With supply tightening and bonuses expiring, many see this window as unusually short. That urgency is also why Remittix keeps appearing in conversations around the best crypto presale opportunities this cycle.
A Long-Term PayFi Thesis With Short-Term Catalysts
Beyond bonuses, Remittix is structured for durability. The project targets the global payments market. This is a market estimated in the tens of trillions annually. That means that even modest adoption translates into sustained demand for the RTX token.
Unlike meme-driven assets, Remittix benefits from usage. Every transfer, every settlement and every business integration reinforces the network. That is why some analysts are already labeling it a best new altcoin candidate with staying power beyond launch.
Upcoming exchange listings are expected to enhance both liquidity and market visibility. The wallet rollout reduces onboarding friction for new users, while the planned February 2026 crypto-to-fiat launch completes the PayFi loop. Together, these milestones are advancing at a rapid pace.
From an investment perspective, this mix of near-term incentives and long-term utility is rare. It is also why Remittix is increasingly compared to earlier breakout projects that combined real-world relevance with early-stage pricing. Some market watchers even position RTX as a next big altcoin 2026 contender if execution continues as planned.
The referral program adds another layer of momentum, encouraging organic growth rather than paid hype. Community-driven expansion has historically supported stronger post-launch price stability.
For investors scanning the market for the best crypto to buy now, Remittix ticks multiple boxes at once. It pairs a best crypto presale structure with tangible delivery, clear timelines and shrinking availability. With the 300% bonus clock running down and tokens moving quickly, the question for many is not whether Remittix will launch, but how much of the early allocation will still be available when the window closes.
That same calculus is why some are already treating RTX as a potential next big altcoin 2026 story in the making, rather than just another short-lived presale.
Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:
Website: https://remittix.io/
Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Some parts of the crypto world think Hyperliquid might be slowing down. That talk comes as new numbers show traders and capital flow shifting toward new DeFi projects like HFDX. On-chain data shows trading patterns and volume trends that hint at real changes in where users spend their time and capital.
Meanwhile crypto prices, news, and expert views shape how people see these projects today. In this piece, we look at Hyperliquid’s recent situation and then contrast it with what HFDX is doing. The goal is to give you a clear snapshot of the current state of play.
Hyperliquid: On-Chain Data, Price Moves and What Experts Say
Hyperliquid’s native token HYPE has had a mixed run lately. Some reports show that HYPE had strong periods of trading and network activity in 2025. At times, its prices climbed after large on-chain liquidity and network upgrades that lowered fees and drew traders to its perpetual markets. On-chain figures show huge trading volumes and growing open interest, which helped push HYPE toward past price highs.
But recent market chatter suggests pressure on the token. Some news points to price slides or sideways trading around current levels, even though earlier in late 2025 it rallied thanks to on-chain liquidity innovations.
Analysts and price prediction models still talk about potential upside for HYPE into future years. Some long-term price outlooks suggest that if adoption and volume remain strong, HYPE could trade significantly higher in the medium term.
Still, not all views are upbeat. Some experts say the market overall remains weak, and the hype around early growth may fade as users look for fresh opportunities. The idea that Hyperliquid is losing ground is tied to how traders react to alternatives and look for new ways to manage capital and risk.
HFDX: On-Chain Futures and Structured Yield Momentum
HFDX is a newer protocol that offers non-custodial perpetual futures trading along with structured yield frameworks based on real protocol revenue. It targets active traders and investors who want precise tools without giving up control of their assets. HFDX runs entirely on-chain, and all actions, whether trades or liquidity participation, happen in smart contracts.
On-chain data shows some traders migrating from legacy decentralized exchanges to HFDX because of its risk-managed liquidity strategies and transparent fee structure. Reports that Bitcoin perpetual traders have been splitting volume between Hyperliquid and HFDX point to a real shift in user priorities. HFDX’s structured approach draws those who want returns tied to actual trading revenue and borrowing fees rather than just speculation.
HFDX’s technical design mixes deep liquidity with risk controls that appeal to DeFi-native users. The liquidity loan note (LLN) strategies let participants put capital into protocol liquidity and receive fixed rates that reflect real activity. This model may attract users seeking a different balance of risk and return.
What HFDX offers:
- On-chain perpetual futures with full user custody
- Trades that clear against shared liquidity pools
- Pricing based on decentralized oracle feeds
- Liquidity Loan Note strategies with fixed terms
- Yield tied to trading fees and borrow costs
- Smart contracts that manage risk rules on-chain
Experts Note A Shifting Landscape
In the short term, Hyperliquid still holds significant on-chain volume and active user counts. Its upgrades and network features helped it achieve strong adoption in earlier phases, and experts continue to discuss its price prospects. Still, recent market signals and trader behavior hints that some of its user base is looking elsewhere.
HFDX’s rise does not mean Hyperliquid is done. It just shows the market is evolving. Traders now split capital, test new products, and choose platforms based on what fits their goals. HFDX’s structured yield options and transparent execution are part of that shift. The next few months will be critical for both protocols as price trends, on-chain metrics, and user choices play out in real time.
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Website: https://hfdx.xyz/
Telegram: https://t.me/HFDXTrading
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
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Pudgy Penguins, a globally recognized non-fungible token brand known for creating NFT-inspired toys, has expanded into soccer through significant NFT partnerships with two leading football clubs. Pudgy Penguins NFT team, which partnered with Spain’s soccer club CD Castellón last year, has now partnered with England’s Premier League soccer club Manchester City. In this article, we shall explore this expansion journey further.
Pudgy Penguins’ Journey From Toys To Soccer
Over the weekend, the Pudgy Penguins team, via its official X account, confirmed that it has dived deeper into the world of soccer. Launched in July 2021, the Pudgy Penguins is a digital asset incubation studio known for creating Pudgy Penguins, a globally recognized non-fungible token collection featuring a fixed set of 8,888 unique digital penguin characters on the Ethereum blockchain network.
🚨PUDGY PENGUINS PARTNERS WITH MANCHESTER CITY
Pudgy Penguins will release a premium collectibles for 18+ audience and merch line with Manchester City, tapping into the club’s 300M+ global fanbase. pic.twitter.com/B0HtfgNj2q
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) January 16, 2026
Pudgy Penguins is also the brainchild behind Lil Pudgy, a non-fungible token series that features a fixed supply of 22,222 smaller NFTs hosted on the Ethereum blockchain network, Pudgy Rod, a companion collection of fishing rod NFTs that were airdropped to original holders in 2021 and are now used as multipliers in the ecosystem and soulbound tokens, a non-transferable tokens such as ‘Opensea x Penguins SBTs’ launched to recognize community engagement, loyalty, and licensing participation.
Pudgy Penguins entered the physical retail space in May 2023 with the release of its first line of toys. Initially launched online through Amazon, the collection sold over 20,000 units in its first 48 hours and generated more than $500,000 USD in sales. This was clear evidence of a strong demand beyond the NFT community. Later that year, the toys were stocked in more than 2,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., and within 12 months of launching, over 1 million plushies had been sold worldwide. These plushies are now available in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Hong Kong.
Pudgy Penguins Dives Deeper Into Soccer
Pudgy Penguins NFT team partnered with the Spanish soccer club CD Castellón in January 2025 to feature their characters on the team’s official jerseys and shorts. As part of the collaboration, an open edition NFT was released, and some holders of that NFT were eligible to be featured in some way related to the partnership. Pudgy Penguins and Lil Pudgys characters appeared directly on CD Castellón’s jerseys.
CD Castellón🇪🇸 x Pudgy Penguins🐧 https://t.co/DgPV0URVMz pic.twitter.com/7jb2Ww8BJ9
— Football Shirt News🌍 (@Footy_ShirtNews) January 24, 2025
In the latest news, the Pudgy Penguins NFT team has announced a “landmark partnership” with English Premier League champions Manchester City to launch a premium co-branded NFT line targeted at an adult audience. This move is considered one of the highest-profile crossovers between a web3-native brand and a global sports giant, aimed at bringing the Pudgy Penguins intellectual property to a massive, mainstream audience. The merchandise drop was scheduled for January 17, 2026.
These ventures are part of the Pudgy Penguins’ broader strategy to evolve beyond their digital origins and toy lines into a mainstream, global intellectual property (IP) through real-world utility and high-profile brand building, bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional markets. This integration will provide tangible ways for NFT holders to feel part of the brand’s journey, reinforcing holder identity and community.
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XRP (XRP) price dropped below $1.50 over the weekend, its lowest level in over 14 months. Now, a bearish technical setup on the charts suggests that the downtrend may extend throughout February.
Key takeaways:
-
XRP’s bear pennant on the four-hour chart targets $1.22.
-
XRP futures open interest dropped to $2.61 billion, which gives some hope for the bulls.
XRP price chart shows a textbook bear pennant
On Saturday, XRP price fell about 14% from a high of $1.75 to a low of $1.50, losing the $1.60 support level for the first time since November 2024.
The latest drop has put it into the breakdown phase of its bear pennant setup, as shown on the four-hour chart below.
Related: Price predictions 1/30: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, DOGE, ADA, BCH, HYPE, XMR
XRP dropped below the pennant’s lower trendline on Tuesday, then rebounded to retest it as support. The price is likely to drop lower if the retest fails and a four-hour candlestick closes below this level at $1.58.
The measured target of the bear pennant, calculated by adding the height of the initial drop to the breakout point, is $1.22, representing a 23% drop from the current price.
XRP’s recovery to $2.40 in January turned out to be a “fakeout” as the price continued to form “price formed a fresh lower lows,” pseudonymous analyst AltCryptoGems said in a recent post on X, adding:
“The downtrend remains intact and we are on the verge of a disastrous collapse in a huge no-support zone.”
Trader and investor Alex Clay said that after breaching the support line of a double bottom pattern at $1.60, the path is now cleared for a drop toward $1 or lower.
As Cointelegraph reported, XRP’s next major support level is near its aggregated realized price at $1.48. If this level is lost, it would put the average holder underwater, a setup that closely matches the 2022 bear phase that ultimately ended in a 50% drawdown toward $0.30.
XRP buyers step back
The 90-day Spot Taker Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD), a metric that tracks whether market orders are driven by buyers or sellers, reveals that buy-orders (taker buy) have been declining sharply since early January.
While demand-side pressure has dominated the order book since November 2025, buy orders have dropped sharply over the last 30 days, according to CryptoQuant.
This indicates waning enthusiasm or exhaustion among XRP investors, signaling reduced bullish momentum and increasing downside risk for the price.
Previous sharp drops in spot CVD have been accompanied by 28%-50% price drawdowns within weeks.
However, in the current downtrend, one hope for the bulls is the declining XRP futures open interest (OI). It has dropped sharply to $2.61 billion on Wednesday, from $4.55 billion on Jan. 6.
When OI declines in combination with falling prices, it indicates a weakening bearish trend or a potential trend reversal.
This could provide some fuel for the bulls to test the important overhead resistance at around $1.85, a level that served as support throughout most of 2025.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
Ten years on from the most notorious hack in Ethereum history, The DAO has been exploited once again.
However, this time, far from 2016’s existential crisis, it’s actually good news.
In what a Security Alliance (SEAL) member described as a “long-planned whitehat rescue,” over 50 ether (ETH) were rescued from an insecure contract.
The funds, worth over $100,000 had sat in a vulnerable smart contract for a decade. They currently sit in this recovery address.
Read more: 2025’s biggest crypto hacks: From exchange breaches to DeFi exploits
The 2016 hack of the original DAO saw 3.6 million ETH lost. The sum was worth around $60 million at the time, but would now be valued at close to $8 billion.
Whitehat hackers subsequently sprang into action, racing to reverse engineer the hack and drain the contracts themselves in order to secure funds that blackhats may otherwise have gained.
This bought time until a longer-term solution could be decided on by the community.
The event caused such disruption to the Ethereum community that it collectively took the decision to fork the network, restoring the blockchain to its pre-hack state.
Today’s whitehat rescue was announced by “Giveth,” whose co-founder Griff Green worked on The DAO back in 2016.
It may be surprising that such a high profile codebase, especially from a security standpoint, would still contain an unidentified vulnerability a decade later. But a recent spate of blackhat attacks on older projects show that such hidden weaknesses may be more common than expected.
Read more: Legacy DeFi platforms lose $27M as hacking spree continues into 2026
The rescue mission comes on the back of more good news for the Ethereum security community.
Last week, Green pledged that recovered funds will be returned “to the people who put it there, or if unclaimed, [used] for funding Ethereum Security.”
Any unclaimed funds from today’s rescue will be added to the pot.
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Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee and brace yourself: markets are moving in ways few expected. One asset is swinging wildly, defying norms, while the other struggles to catch up. Traders and investors are watching closely as volatility reshapes familiar narratives, signaling that nothing is quite as it seems.
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Crypto News of the Day: Gold’s Volatility Surges Past Bitcoin Amid Historic Market Swings
Gold has overtaken Bitcoin amid market turbulence. Its recent price swings surpass even Bitcoin’s, highlighting a rare inversion in risk dynamics that few investors expected.
Data shows the 30-day volatility in gold surged to a new peak of 48.68, and stood at 41.04 as of this writing. Notably, this level was not tested since the 2008 financial crisis.
In comparison, Bitcoin’s volatility currently hovers around 39%, despite its reputation as a highly speculative asset.
The surge in gold volatility follows its sharpest plunge in more than a decade, including a single-session drop of nearly 10% from a peak of $5,600 to roughly $4,400 per ounce in Asian trading.
Since Bitcoin’s creation 17 years ago, gold has been more volatile only twice. The most recent was in May 2019 during a flare-up in trade tensions sparked by tariff threats from US President Donald Trump.
The wild swings in gold come amid broader macroeconomic uncertainty. As indicated in a recent US Crypto News publication, renewed fears of geopolitical instability, currency debasement, and questions about the Federal Reserve’s independence drove investors to pile into precious metals.
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Gold Rebounds $6 Trillion in Two Days, Leaving Bitcoin Behind
The recovery in gold has been equally dramatic, with XAU prices surging back above $5,000/oz, up 17% in just 48 hours.
During the same period, gold added $4.74 trillion to its market capitalization, while silver gained $1 trillion. This brings the total growth in the precious metals market cap to nearly $6 trillion in two days.
“That’s over 4× Bitcoin’s market cap,” stated analyst Crypto Rover.
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The rebound reflects strong accumulation by institutional and high-net-worth investors, with consistent buying on every dip speaking volumes about who’s accumulating the precious metal, regardless of the noise.
“Volatility shouldn’t surprise anyone here—it’s rare for an asset to absorb a hit like last week’s and then move straight back up without a few bumps. Gold remains severely under-owned, and this move has real legs as part of a much larger cycle,” said Otavio in a post.
Even amid volatility, gold has maintained its status as a safe-haven asset, up roughly 66% year-on-year, while Bitcoin remains down more than 20% over the same period.
The contrast mirrors how, in times of macroeconomic stress, traditional precious metals continue to command a premium in investor portfolios, outpacing even high-profile digital assets.
As geopolitical and monetary pressures persist, gold’s newfound volatility is likely to remain in focus, offering both risk and opportunity for traders seeking refuge from broader market swings.
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Chart of the Day
Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
Crypto Equities Pre-Market Overview
| Company | Close As of February 3 | Pre-Market Overview |
| Strategy (MSTR) | $133.26 | $132.55 (-0.53%) |
| Coinbase (COIN) | $179.66 | $178.89 (-0.43%) |
| Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) | $21.98 | $22.11 (+0.59%) |
| MARA Holdings (MARA) | $9.05 | $8.99 (-0.66%) |
| Riot Platforms (RIOT) | $15.34 | $15.32 (-0.13%) |
| Core Scientific (CORZ) | $17.74 | $17.65 (-0.51%) |
Bitcoin is increasingly behaving like a software stock, with its latest correction unfolding alongside the broader software sell-off.
The relationship between bitcoin and software equities has strengthened notably. On a 30-day rolling basis, bitcoin’s correlation with the iShares Expanded Tech Software ETF, (IGV), stands at a high 0.73, according to ByteTree. The IGV is down around 20% year to date, while bitcoin has fallen 16%.
IGV is heavily weighted toward software and services names such as Microsoft (MSFT), Oracle (ORCL), Salesforce (CRM), Intuit (INTU) and Adobe (ADBE).
While the technology sector appears relatively resilient at the headline level — the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), is only around 4% below its record high — software stocks have absorbed most of the selling pressure, and bitcoin is increasingly trading in line with this weaker pocket of the market rather than the broader index.
As for why software names are getting hammered, the answer is simple: AI. The rapid progress towards fully functioning artificial general intelligence (AGI) is currently being considered an existential issue for software.
“There can be no doubt that bitcoin has been caught up in the technology selloff,” said ByteTree. “At its heart, bitcoin is an internet stock. Software stocks have been the most recent casualty, and the price of bitcoin has shown similar performance over the past five years, with high correlation.”
ByteTree also notes that the average technology bear market lasts about 14 months. With this current downturn having started in October, this suggests pressure could persist through much of 2026. However, ByteTree notes that a resilient economic backdrop could provide support for bitcoin.
“Bitcoin is just open-source software,” said Van Eck’s Matthew Sigel.
Crypto World
DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER): What Early-Stage Project Reigns Supreme in 2026?
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill approved by the US House of Representatives, which will reopen the government after a recent partial shutdown.
While the political tailwinds could push some liquidity into the choppy market, many traders are actually exploring presale opportunities.
The biggest debate pits three projects against each other: DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER).
Although all entries are the epitome of quality, DeepSnitch AI takes the cake with its upside potential and mass appeal that places it on a path to 100x gains post-launch.
The government may be opening soon
On February 3, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that will largely end a four-day partial government shutdown, voting 217–214 to pass the roughly $1.2 trillion funding package already cleared by the Senate.
The measure funds most government operations through September 30, with some Democratic support despite opposition from many in the party over immigration enforcement provisions included in the bill.
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation without any changes, which will swiftly reopen affected sectors.
The brief shutdown, which only partially disrupted government functions, was far shorter than the 43-day shutdown in 2025. The quick resolution avoids prolonged disruption, but it’s expected that the immigration-related funding fights will resume shortly
Meanwhile, retail traders are trying to decide on DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER).
What’s the best presale in Q1?
1. DeepSnitch AI: Is DSNT a mass-adoption coin?
Early-stage sales are back in the limelight as majors keep printing lows. Case in point, DeepSnitch AI raised $1.47M fast, and its $0.03830 price attracted buyers who are eyeing 100x with reasonable investments.
The reason for this conviction is the utility. DeepSnitch AI is powered by five AI agents that help users spot breakout opportunities while dodging common traps like rugs, honeypots, and liquidity issues. The workflow is dead simple: paste any contract address into the LLM-style interface for an instant audit and clear risk assessment.
While that’s certainly a godsend for the retail trader, the ability to predict social sentiment shifts and incoming FUD is another trick that DeepSnitch AI brings to the table that strengthens the mass adoption narrative.
When comparing DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), many traders highlight DSNT’s broader mass-adoption potential thanks to its retail-first focus and practical daily utility.
Many traders are debating the merits of AI analytics vs payment-focused crypto, but DeepSnitch AI’s approach is certainly more original than most of the popular DeFi projects.
2. LivLive: Is LivLive too niche?
The DeepSnitch AI vs LivLive comparison is common among investors hunting fresh Q1 opportunities. However, the two projects couldn’t be more different.
LivLive is all about the concept of augmented reality, which lets users tokenize daily actions, blending lifestyle posting with blockchain rewards. Users earn LIVE tokens and XP by completing quests, check-ins, business reviews, social challenges, streaks, and AR interactions.
The level of gamification is high, meaning that LivLive could have viral potential (think Pokémon GO meets blockchain impact).
The LIVE presale price sits at $0.02. While the project certainly has a place in your portfolio (especially if you’re sold on the concept, many argue that DeepSnitch AI’s utility for day-to-day trading offers more durable long-term growth and staying power.
3. Bitcoin Hyper: Could Bitcoin L2 outpace the competition?
DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) debate is tough to call simply because all the projects ooze quality.
Take Bitcoin Hyper as an example. The project delivers genuine innovation with its Bitcoin-native Layer 2 built on the Solana Virtual Machine. This allows it to provide ultra-fast off-chain transactions while opening Bitcoin’s massive ecosystem to Solana dApps.
The Bitcoin Hyper valuation remains speculative at this stage, but the fundamentals are compelling. At the current presale price of $0.013675, HYPER offers an accessible entry point with a solid narrative. While it may not have the day-to-day appeal of DeepSnitch AI or the social angle of LivLive, Bitcoin Hyper still has a strong draw, especially for those looking for quality tech.
Final words: Take your pick
As ICOs attract serious attention, traders are split between DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER).
While personal taste certainly plays a role in deciding your own personal “winner”, DeepSnitch AI may have the most compelling narrative. Look at it this way: DeepSnitch AI combines mass appeal, real AI utility for everyday traders, explosive upside potential, and a bullish trajectory with $1.47M in the bank.
Moreover, you can get an unreal amount of value by jumping in right now. The largest code, DSNTVIP300, delivers 300% on $30K+ ($90K worth of DSNT tokens), which basically seems like printing money.
Reserve your spot in the DeepSnitch AI presale today and follow the latest community buzz on X or Telegram.
FAQs
1. Which is the best presale? DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) vs LivLive ($LIVE) vs Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER)?
DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT) leads as the next crypto to explode, with $1.47M raised at $0.03830, five AI agents for real-time risk detection and sentiment prediction, plus strong mass-adoption potential and widespread 100x forecasts.
2. What makes DeepSnitch AI stand out in the DSNT vs LIVE vs HYPER comparison?
DeepSnitch AI offers practical daily utility and mass appeal potential that could elevate it above its key competitors.
3. How does the US government reopening impact the market?
The US House passed a $1.2T funding bill to end a partial shutdown, with President Trump expected to sign it quickly. The resolution boosts overall sentiment and liquidity.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Bitcoin fell back below $74,000 in the early innings of the U.S. session, with the bounce from Tuesday’s lows quickly fading away as weakness in tech stocks weighed on crypto.
The Nasdaq 100 was 1% lower following the previous day’s 1.5% decline. The software sector continued its tumble, with the thematic iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) declining another 4%, now down 17% in a little over a week, amid fears that AI will be severely disruptive.
Crypto miners, increasingly tied to the buildout of AI infrastructure, mirrored the slide, with Cipher Mining (CIFR), IREN, and Hut 8 (HUT) falling by more than 10%. The declines stemmed from chipmaker AMD, which fell 14% after its 2026 outlook missed analysts’ expectations.
Gold was also caught in the selling, with the yellow metal quickly reversing an overnight surge to $5,113 per ounce and sliding back below $5,000.
U.S. economic data is mixed
The ISM Services PMI for January held steady at 53.8, matching December’s revised reading and beating expectations by a hair, pointing to continued expansion in the services sector.
However, private job growth slowed sharply, with just 22,000 jobs added according to an ADP report, well below forecasts for 48,000 and December’s already weak 37,000. The government’s January job report would normally have been released this Friday, but the short government shutdown has delayed it until next week.
“Manufacturing has lost jobs every month since March 2024 (Main Street recession) but this month professional and business services and large employers joined the weakness,” said Lekker Capital CIO Quinn Thompson, who believes markets are underestimating the amount of Fed stimulus that may be coming in 2026.
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The Bitcoin price has dropped 3% in the last 24 hours to trade at $93,324, as crypto investment products continue to attract strong interest from investors with record inflows.
Last week, crypto funds saw inflows of $2.17 billion, the highest in 2026 so far and the largest weekly gain since October, according to European asset manager CoinShares. Most of the money entered the market earlier in the week, but Friday recorded $378 million in outflows due to geopolitical tensions in Greenland and fresh concerns over tariffs.
James Butterfill, CoinShares’ head of research, also noted that sentiment was affected by expectations that Kevin Hassett, a leading contender for US Fed Chair, would likely remain in his current position. Bitcoin dominated last week’s fund inflows, pulling in $1.55 billion, which represented over 70% of the total.
Ether followed with $496 million, while XRP and Solana attracted $70 million and $46 million, respectively. Smaller altcoins such as Sui and Hedera recorded minor inflows of $5.7 million and $2.6 million. Despite proposals under the US Senate’s CLARITY Act that could limit stablecoin yields, Ether and Solana funds held up well.
Among fund types, multi-asset and short Bitcoin products were the only categories to see outflows, totaling $32 million and $8.6 million. On the issuer side, BlackRock’s iShares ETFs led the market with $1.3 billion in inflows, followed by Grayscale Investments at $257 million and Fidelity Investments at $229 million.
Geographically, the US accounted for the majority of inflows at $2 billion, while Sweden and Brazil saw small outflows of $4.3 million and $1 million, respectively. With these gains, total assets under management in crypto funds surpassed $193 billion for the first time since early November, showing renewed investor confidence.
Bitcoin Price Indicates Bullish Breakout After Rounded Bottom
The Bitcoin price 4-hour chart shows a series of bullish developments, though recent price action indicates some short-term consolidation. Price recently rebounded from a major support zone around $87,500–$88,500, which had previously acted as a strong accumulation area. This level has successfully absorbed selling pressure multiple times in the past, providing a solid foundation for higher moves.
Following this support, Bitcoin formed a rounded bottom pattern between January 6 and January 12, signaling a shift from bearish to bullish sentiment. The rounded bottom reflects a gradual loss of selling momentum, allowing buyers to regain control.
A bullish breakout occurred after the rounded bottom, pushing the price above prior resistance levels around $91,000. This breakout was accompanied by strong upward momentum, with the price briefly testing the $96,000 region. The breakout confirms that buyers were willing to step in decisively after the consolidation, signaling potential continuation of the short-term uptrend.
Currently, the price has pulled back slightly after hitting the $96,000 resistance area. The minor retracement appears healthy, as it allows buyers to enter at lower levels without threatening the overall bullish structure. The relative strength index (RSI), currently around 39.8, shows that Bitcoin is not yet oversold, indicating room for further upside once buyers re-enter. The 46-level on the RSI also indicates previous resistance in momentum, now acting as a potential pivot point.
The chart shows a well-defined support and resistance structure, with price respecting the $88,000–$91,000 range before attempting higher levels. The rounded bottom and bullish breakout highlight a transition from accumulation to renewed upward momentum. Traders may watch for a retest of $91,000–$92,000 as a key support level, while the $96,000 area remains a near-term resistance barrier.
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