Valour, the UK subsidiary of digital asset company DeFi Technologies, has secured regulatory approval to offer crypto exchange-traded products to retail investors on the London Stock Exchange.
In a Monday notice, DeFi Technologies said the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had approved Valour’s exchange-traded products tied to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) staking. The offerings, called 1Valour Bitcoin Physical Staking and 1Valour Ethereum Physical Staking, began trading on the London Stock Exchange on Monday.
“The UK is one of the world’s most important financial markets, and these approvals broaden our ability to serve UK retail investors with transparent, exchange-listed products that provide straightforward exposure to the evolving digital asset economy,” said Johan Wattenström, DeFi Technologies chairman and CEO.
The company announced in September that it would list a Bitcoin staking ETP on the London Stock Exchange, but this was limited to professional investors, in contrast to Monday’s offering, which was targeted to UK retail investors. The FCA lifted a ban on crypto ETPs for retail investors in October, prompting offerings from asset managers such as Bitwise.
The move by Valour builds upon the company’s efforts in Brazil, where it launched an exchange-traded product tied to Solana (SOL) in December. Cointelegraph reached out to Valour for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Related: Solana enters Brazil’s main exchange as Valour expands regulated crypto access
According to the London Stock Exchange, more than 50 issuers list more than 2,300 ETPs. The exchange reportedly recorded about $280 million in trading volume for crypto ETPs in December.
Largest outflows on record for crypto ETPs
CoinShares reported on Monday that exchange-traded products tied to cryptocurrencies saw more than $1.7 billion of outflows last week.
The company’s head of research, James Butterfill, attributed the change from $2.2 billion of inflows the previous week to “dwindling expectations for interest rate cuts, negative price momentum and disappointment that digital assets have not participated in the debasement trade.”
Some of the largest asset managers offering crypto ETPs and exchange-traded funds include Grayscale Investments, Fidelity Investments and BlackRock.
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Bitmine Immersion Technologies’ growing Ethereum staking position may translate into more than $160 million in annual staking revenue at current rates, as more of its Ether holdings are put to work onchain.
Bitmine, the largest publicly traded Ether treasury, said it added 40,302 Ether (ETH) over the past week, lifting total holdings to 4,243,338 million ETH. Bitmine’s staked ETH balance jumped by 171,264 ETH over the period, bringing total staked holdings to 2,009,267 ETH.
Based on the 2.81% Composite Ethereum Staking Rate (CESR) cited by the company, a benchmark designed to estimate the annualized yield of Ethereum validators, Bitmine’s staked Ether position would translate into $164 million in annualized revenue based on ETH price at time of writing.
Chairman Tom Lee said that if all of the company’s Ether were staked, the operation would generate about $374 million annually or or “greater than $1 million per day,” based on the same CESR benchmark.
The company is working with multiple staking providers and plans to launch its own US-based validator infrastructure in 2026, which would allow it to internalize staking operations.
Along with its ETH holdings, Bitmine reported holding $682 million in cash, 193 Bitcoin (BTC) and minority equity investments, bringing total crypto and cash holdings to $12.8 billion.
Bitmine’s ETH holdings now account for 3.52% of the token’s circulating supply, based on an estimated 120.7 million ETH outstanding. The company’s goal is to acquire 5% of the total ETH supply.
Staking emerges as a core strategy for Ether companies
Bitmine is not the only digital asset treasury to stake a large portion of its holdings to earn protocol rewards. SharpLink Gaming has also disclosed generating staking yield from its Ether treasury as part of a fully staked ETH strategy.
On Jan. 9, SharpLink Gaming said that it generated 10,657 Ether, worth about $33 million, in staking rewards over the past seven months, according to data published on the company’s dashboard.
SharpLink is currently the second largest Ether treasury company with 864,840 ETH, according to CoinGecko data.
Source: SharpLink
Staking, the process of locking tokens to help secure proof-of-stake blockchain networks in exchange for protocol-issued rewards, has been a primary motive for several companies that pivoted to Ether treasury strategies in 2025.
In June, Bit Digital announced plans to wind down or sell its Bitcoin (BTC) mining infrastructure and use the proceeds to increase its Ether holdings. At the time of writing, Bit Digital held 153,546 ETH and only six BTC, according to data from CoinGecko.
About a month later, Ether Machine announced plans to launch a publicly traded, yield-focused Ether vehicle aimed at institutional investors. Ether Machine is now the third largest Ether treasury company, with 496,712 ETH.
The rising demand for Ether staking has become increasingly visible in Ethereum’s validator queue data. On Jan. 17, Cointelegraph reported that Ethereum’s staking exit queue had fallen to zero, while more than 2.6 million ETH waited to enter staking, the largest entry backlog since mid-2023.
Top 10 Ether treasury companies. Source: CoinGecko
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Microsoft introduced Rho-alpha, a new vision-language action model designed to make robots more adaptable, responsive, and capable of operating in real-world environments.
The tech giant revealed the generative AI vision-language-action (VLA) model in a blog post earlier this month. The model is derived from Microsoft’s Phi open model series.
Rho-alpha translates natural language commands into control signals for robots performing manipulation tasks.
To train its model, Microsoft said it combined physical demonstrations and simulations together with a multistage reinforcement learning process built on the open Nvidia Isaac Sim framework.
For better perception, Microsoft also added tactile sensing capabilities, enabling robots to use touch to respond to their environment rather than solely relying on visual input.
In future iterations, Microsoft said it plans to add force sensing and other modalities.
A video demonstration included in the blog post shows Rho-alpha interacting with BusyBox, a physical interaction benchmark recently introduced by Microsoft Research, using natural language instructions.
The Microsoft model release comes as more industries are starting to use robots, shifting from narrow, task-specific deployments to rollout across more dynamic, unstructured and often human-centered environments.
Related:Serve Robotics Acquires Hospital Assistant Robot Company
The shift has led to increased focus on models that enable robots to reason and act with greater autonomy.
In this context, Microsoft is positioning Rho-alpha as a more flexible and adaptable AI system for robots, enabling greater deployment opportunities across sectors than traditional models.
“The emergence of VLA models for physical systems is enabling systems to perceive, reason, and act with increasing autonomy alongside humans,” Ashley Llorens, corporate vice president and managing director at Microsoft’s Research Accelerator, said in a blog post introducing the model.
Rho-alpha is currently being evaluated on dual-arm robotic systems and humanoid robots, with Microsoft planning to publish a technical description of the model in the coming months.
The model will initially be available through an early access program, with broader availability planned in the Microsoft Foundry in the future.
Bitcoin is attempting a recovery, but higher levels are likely to attract solid selling by the bears.
Several major altcoins are at risk of breaking below their support levels.
Bitcoin (BTC) bounced off the $86,000 level, but the bulls are struggling to sustain the higher levels. That shows selling on rallies.
Although analysts are divided about the near-term prospects of BTC, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao said in an interview with CNBC that BTC may witness a super cycle in the next 12 months.
In contrast, Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone said in an interview with Cointelegraph that BTC has put in a long-term top. He added that he doesn’t know where the bottom is but said “it is going to be like a low-price cure.”
Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView
However, several institutional investors have a different opinion and say that BTC is undervalued from $85,000 to $95,000. Coinbase said in its Charting Crypto Q1 2026 report that 80% of the surveyed institutional investors plan to either hold or add to their crypto positions on another 10% fall.
Could BTC and the major altcoins hold on to their support levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.
S&P 500 Index price prediction
The S&P 500 Index (SPX) rebounded sharply off the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) (6,840) on Monday, indicating buying on dips.
The 20-day exponential moving average (EMA) (6,904) is flattening out, and the relative strength index (RSI) is just above the midpoint, indicating that the bullish momentum is weakening. Buyers will have to push the price above the 7,000 level to start the next leg of the uptrend toward 7,290.
Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will attempt to pull the price below the 50-day SMA, starting a deeper correction toward 6,720.
US Dollar Index price prediction
The US Dollar Index (DXY) slipped below the moving averages on Monday and the 97.74 support on Friday.
Sellers will attempt to yank the price to the solid support at 96.21, which is a critical level to watch out for. If the support gives way, the index may resume the downtrend toward the 94.62 level.
Buyers have an uphill task ahead of them. They will have to thrust the price above the moving averages to keep the index range-bound from 96.21 to 100.54 for a while longer.
Bitcoin price prediction
BTC turned down from the 20-day EMA ($90,521) on Friday and plunged below the uptrend line on Sunday.
The 20-day EMA has started to turn down, and the RSI is in the negative zone, signaling advantage to bears. Any recovery attempt is expected to face selling at the moving averages. If the price turns down from the moving averages, the BTC/USDT pair may plunge to $84,000 and then to $80,600.
This negative view will be invalidated in the near term if the Bitcoin price turns up and breaks above the moving averages. The pair may surge to the $97,924 overhead resistance.
Ether price prediction
Ether’s (ETH) symmetrical triangle pattern resolved to the downside with a break below the support line on Sunday.
Buyers will attempt to push the Ether price back into the triangle, but are expected to face significant resistance from the bears. If the price turns down sharply from the moving averages, the likelihood of a drop to $2,623 increases.
The bulls will have to quickly push the price back above the moving averages to suggest that the break below the triangle may have been a bear trap. The ETH/USDT pair may surge to the resistance line of the triangle.
XRP price prediction
XRP (XRP) has been gradually falling inside the descending channel pattern, signaling that the bears remain in control.
There is support at $1.81, but the relief rally is likely to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($1.97). If the price turns down sharply from the 20-day EMA, the XRP/USDT pair may tumble to the solid support at $1.61.
On the contrary, if the XRP price breaks above the moving averages, the recovery may reach the downtrend line. A close above the downtrend line suggests a potential trend change in the near term.
BNB price prediction
BNB (BNB) closed below the 50-day SMA ($883) on Sunday, indicating that the bulls are losing their grip.
The rebound off the uptrend line is expected to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($896). If the BNB price turns down from the 20-day EMA, it increases the possibility of a drop to the $790 support. Buyers will have to defend the $790 level with all their might, as a close below it may resume the downtrend.
The first sign of strength will be a close above the moving averages. The BNB/USDT pair may then ascend to the $959 overhead resistance.
Solana price prediction
Solana (SOL) bounced off the $117 support on Monday, indicating that the bulls are defending the level.
The relief rally is expected to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($131). If the price turns down sharply from the 20-day EMA, the risk of a break below the $117 level increases. The SOL/USDT pair may then plunge toward the solid support at $95.
Contrary to this assumption, if the Solana price turns up and breaks above the moving averages, it signals that the pair may continue to oscillate inside the $117 to $147 range for some more time.
If the $0.12 support gives way, the DOGE/USDT pair may start the next leg of the downward move to the Oct. 10, 2025, low of $0.10.
If the price rebounds off the current level, the bears will attempt to halt the recovery at the moving averages. If that happens, the possibility of a break below the $0.12 level increases. Buyers will have to drive the Dogecoin price above the moving averages to retain the pair inside the $0.12 to $0.16 range.
Cardano price prediction
Cardano (ADA) has turned up from the $0.33 support, which is a critical near-term level to watch out for.
Buyers will have to swiftly propel the Cardano price above the downtrend line to signal strength. The ADA/USDT pair may then climb to the breakdown level of $0.50, which is expected to pose a strong challenge to the bulls.
Sellers will strive to halt the recovery at the downtrend line. If the price turns down from the overhead resistance, the bears will again attempt to tug the pair below $0.33. If they succeed, the next stop is likely to be the support line of the descending channel pattern, which is close to the Oct. 10, 2025, low of $0.27.
Bitcoin Cash price prediction
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) turned down sharply from the 20-day EMA ($596) on Sunday, but a minor positive is that the bulls held the $563 level.
The downsloping 20-day EMA and the RSI in negative territory suggest that the bears will again attempt to sink the Bitcoin Cash price below the $563 support. If they manage to do that, the BCH/USDT pair will complete a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern. The pair may then plunge to $518.
Contrarily, if buyers drive the price above the moving averages, the pair may rally to $631. Sellers are expected to fiercely defend the zone between $631 and $670.
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.
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Discussions are still rampant about which cryptocurrencies could outperform Bitcoin as the entire industry looks ahead to what 2026 has to offer. According to a recent commentary on X, X Finance Bull noted that XRP, HBAR, and Litecoin are a few cryptocurrencies that can outpace Bitcoin.
The crypto commentator pushed back against claims that XRP and Hedera have lost relevance, arguing instead that both are increasingly positioned as foundational blockchain infrastructure. These are based on recent events that have seen both the XRP Ledger and Hedera leading crypto enterprise infrastructure.
XRP, HBAR, And Litecoin Are Coins To Watch In 2026
According to the commentary shared by X Finance Bull, XRP, Hedera, and Litecoin are a few of the top cryptocurrency ecosystems to watch in 2026. Notably, the crypto commentator grouped XRP and Hedera (HBAR) in the same group to watch due to their growing presence in financial infrastructure. This means these two cryptocurrencies are increasingly leaving the realm of pure speculative assets and are now being considered as important players in financial rails.
Based on this, investors can expect upside divergence from Bitcoin in 2026 as these coins start to go on bullish momentum on their own. This view is based on the investor outlook shown in the image below, which identifies financial infrastructure as an important area of focus for 2026. XRP and HBAR anchor the infrastructure structure, while Litecoin is in the privacy-assets category.
Litecoin’s optional privacy features place it alongside established privacy-focused networks like Monero and Canton. As it stands, you can easily argue that privacy assets are currently underappreciated, especially now that regulatory clarity and digital payments growth are bringing attention to data protection. Based on this context, Litecoin is another top coin to look forward to upside divergence from Bitcoin in 2026.
Interestingly, tokenization platforms and stablecoins are other important themes for 2026. Ethereum and Solana are the primary networks for tokenized assets, while newer platforms such as Sui, Sei, and Injective are beginning to see higher adoption. At the same time, stablecoin supply has grown to over $300 billion, with USDT, USDC, USDE, and RLUSD expanding due to maturing payments infrastructure around stablecoins.
XRP Ledger’s Institutional Appeal
X Finance Bull supported his XRP outlook in a separate post by pointing to the XRP Ledger’s cost structure. The Ledger charges just 0.00001 XRP per transaction, and this places total daily fees across the entire network at around 650 XRP. Furthermore, the Ledger has maintained low and predictable fees since 2012, even during periods of heavy activity, which is in contrast to Ethereum’s variable gas fees and Bitcoin’s congestion pricing.
All transaction fees generated by the Ledger are permanently burned, and this adds a deflationary element to the network. According to the crypto commentator, this combination of speed, low cost, and reliability is what makes its infrastructure the best for long-term institutional use.
XRP trading at $1.88 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com
Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview.com
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Gold advocate and longtime Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff renewed his attacks on Bitcoin during a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, arguing that the cryptocurrency industry is seeking government regulation and a government bailout not to restrain itself, but to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
Schiff said that calls for regulatory “clarity” in crypto amount to an attempt to secure government endorsement. According to Schiff, regulation would allow Bitcoin proponents to claim official approval, encouraging new investors to enter the market under the belief that the asset has been validated by the state.
“The government now endorses it. The government is supporting it,” he said, adding that political support for Bitcoin has been driven by financial incentives rather than monetary fundamentals.
Schiff alleged that early Bitcoin holders who profited from later inflows of capital used their gains to influence politicians, including President Donald Trump, to publicly support the asset.
He pointed to proposals for a U.S. Bitcoin strategic reserve as an example, characterizing them as a potential “Bitcoin bailout fund” that would use taxpayer money to support the market.
Schiff did not present evidence for claims that politicians were “paid off,” framing them instead as his interpretation of political incentives surrounding crypto policy.
Carlson pushed back by arguing that the declining purchasing power of the U.S. dollar and its use as a geopolitical tool suggest the need for a new global reserve asset. He asked why Bitcoin or stablecoins like Tether could not fill that role.
In response, Schiff reiterated his long-held distinction between money and currency, arguing that gold is money while fiat currencies and Bitcoin are substitutes that depend on confidence rather than intrinsic value. He said Bitcoin’s value rests on speculation that it can be sold later for more dollars, rather than on its usefulness as a stable store of value.
“Most people who are buying Bitcoin are buying it to get more dollars,” Schiff said. “If they wanted a safe store of value, they’d buy gold.”
Schiff: Bitcoin is a fad
Schiff argued that Bitcoin is unsuitable as a reserve asset for central banks, claiming its volatility would make it impossible to hold at scale without destabilizing markets. He said that while some sovereign wealth funds and governments have gained limited exposure to Bitcoin-related assets, such allocations are small and driven by performance pressure rather than conviction.
He predicted that institutional interest would fade and warned that recent buyers could face losses. Schiff noted that Bitcoin remains well below its peak when measured in gold terms, claiming it has declined roughly 40% relative to gold over the past four years.
Schiff also rejected overall comparisons between Bitcoin and gold, arguing that Bitcoin is a speculative asset rather than a form of sound money.
He likened bitcoin and crypto to past manias like tulips and ‘Beanie Babies,’ saying it lacks intrinsic value and would fall alongside stocks in a major financial crisis.
BlackRock (BLK) is moving deeper into the cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) market with a plan to offer income from bitcoin BTC$88,067.56 exposure.
The world’s largest asset manager, with an estimated $12.5 trillion in assets under management, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a Form S-1 to list the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF.
The proposed fund would actively manage exposure to bitcoin, either directly or through shares of BlackRock’s existing iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), while generating income by selling call options on that exposure.
This “covered-call” approach is already common in stock-based income funds, and some fund managers have already applied it to the crypto market. Through a covered-call strategy, the fund would generate income by selling a counterparty the right to purchase its underlying at a fixed price.
The fund, which doesn’t yet have a ticker or fee defined, would actively manage this covered-call strategy and would distribute the generated premiums to investors as income. The tradeoff here is it effectively trades potential upside for income.
Funds with similar strategies to generate income from options include the Roundhill Bitcoin Covered Call Strategy ETF (YBTC), Amplify Bitcoin Max Income Covered Call ETF (BAGY), and the NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF (BTCI).
Still, BlackRock’s entry stands out for its scale and ties to IBIT, already the dominant spot bitcoin ETF with over $69.7 billion in assets according to SoSoValue data. IBIT and other bitcoin funds offered by BlackRock have been so successful they have become the firm’s top revenue source.
Some covered-call ETFs tend to dilute net asset value (NAV) as they offer higher yields to investors, partly through the return of capital. YBTC, for example, currently shows it has a 35.87% distribution rate, while BTCI shows its distribution rate is at 27.25%. BAGY’s distribution rate is at 37.1%.
Excluding distributions, which are often in the double-digits given the underlying asset’s volatility, bitcoin-focused income ETFs have so far underperformed BTC, something they’re often designed to do given the higher yields offered.
Over the last 12-month period, BTCI is down by around 31.3%, while YBTC lost 45% of its value, compared to the cryptocurrency’s 14% drawdown. BAGY, which launched in late April 2025, is down 25% since its debut.
In a move that underscores the growing demand for AI infrastructure, Nvidia expanded its partnership with neocloud vendor CoreWeave.
The vendors revealed on Monday that Nvidia will help CoreWeave build AI factories to produce 5 gigawatts of electric power capacity by 2030. Nvidia also invested $2 billion in the neocloud vendor by buying CoreWeave Class A common stock at a purchase price of $87.20 per share. The news sent shares of CoreWeave, which has seen prices plummet over concerns about its debt load, higher in early trading. The new investment is in addition to the $6.3 billion commitment Nvidia made last year to use CoreWeave’s infrastructure through 2032.
The expanded partnership points to an AI market increasingly focused on AI infrastructure and the build-out of AI factories and data centers.
The demand for land and real estate to build these data centers has intensified over the past year. Microsoft revealed plans for a $17.5 billion AI infrastructure investment in India in December. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Stargate initiative is underway with construction on an AI data center in Texas already started and five more data centers planned in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank in Ohio, New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin. For its part, Nvidia has numerous infrastructure partnerships. The AI hardware and software giant revealed plans to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply chips to the generative AI vendor to build out its own AI data centers.
Related:AI Startups Merge to Launch First Full-Stack AI Cloud
Nvidia’s Support
With the expansion of its partnership with CoreWeave, Nvidia is acting more like a co-developer, helping the neocloud provider secure both compute power and real estate, said Nick Patience, an analyst at Futurum Group.
“Power is the new bottleneck here and real estate to a certain extent,” Patience said. “The two things are closely linked because you get a lot of data centers being put where the power is.”
Moreover, Nvidia will use CoreWeave’s software in its reference architectures, elevating the neocloud provider from a pure service provider to a technology partner. Nvidia’s reference architecture is a blueprint that helps organizations build AI factories.
“This is … basically an endorsement by Nvidia saying [CoreWeave’s] software is worth something,” Patience said.
For CoreWeave, the stamp of approval from Nvidia helps it differentiate from competitors such as Lambda Labs and Nscale.
CoreWeave’s access to the new Nvidia Vera Rubin platform also gives it a competitive advantage.
“Potentially, enterprises could look upon CoreWeave for more than just GPUs,” Patience added.
Related:Meta Launches Meta Compute to Build out AI Architecture
Advantages for Nvidia and Challenges
For Nvidia, the deal is also an avenue to promote its Nemotron family of open models.
“Nvidia certainly wants the world to know that it’s much more than a GPU company,” Patience said. “This gives them another channel for distribution of their software and models.”
However, the deal raises the now-familiar issue of circular financial arrangements, Patience said. Since Nvidia is investing in a company that uses the money to buy Nvidia chips, then Nvidia is essentially getting that money back.
Another challenge for CoreWeave is that it could become dependent on Nvidia as a supplier.
Bitcoin market data shows that pro traders are avoiding risk and paying extra to protect against a price drop.
Gold is hitting record highs, but Bitcoin remains stuck as investors favor traditional safe havens.
Bitcoin (BTC) rose 1.5% following a retest of the $86,000 level on Sunday as traders weigh the risks of a US federal government shutdown by Saturday. This week features multiple high-stakes catalysts, including earnings reports from global tech giants and the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision on Wednesday.
Despite gold hitting record highs, Bitcoin traders remain cautious. Derivatives metrics suggest skepticism regarding further gains; demand for leveraged bullish positions is weak, and professional traders are currently pricing in higher odds of a negative price swing in the options markets.
The annualized BTC futures premium (basis rate) stood at 5% on Monday. This level is barely enough to compensate for the longer settlement periods inherent in these derivative contracts. Typically, when traders turn bullish, this indicator jumps above 10%. Conversely, bearish periods can cause the rate to turn negative. Overall, market sentiment has remained neutral-to-bearish for the past two weeks.
Bitcoin 30-day options delta skew (put-call) at Deribit. Source: laevitas.ch
Similarly, the BTC options delta skew reached 12% on Monday. This indicates that put (sell) options are trading at a premium, reflecting a strong reluctance among traders to hold downside exposure. In a neutral market, this indicator usually fluctuates between -6% and +6%. The last time the skew reached these levels was Dec. 1, when Bitcoin plummeted from $91,500 to $83,900 in just a few hours.
Bitcoin lags as gold surges amid rising US debasement fears
Attributing Bitcoin’s bearish momentum solely to the US fiscal standoff seems counterintuitive, especially as the S&P 500 climbed 0.6% on Monday. Meanwhile, gold surged to $5,100 for the first time in history. This rally has led analysts to wonder if a “debasement trade” is accelerating. While the US dollar losing value against scarce assets is a common theme, it currently reflects a broader lack of trust that is not necessarily translating into immediate gains for Bitcoin.
Investors have become increasingly risk-aware after the Federal Reserve Bank of New York signaled a potential rescue of the Japanese yen—a move not seen since 1998. Over the past year, other major fiat currencies have outperformed the US dollar, making US imports more expensive and exerting upward pressure on inflation. If the Fed proceeds with an intervention, traders may interpret the move as a desperate measure to stabilize global markets.
US Dollar Strength Index (left) vs. gold/USD(right). Source: TradingView
The US Dollar Strength Index (DXY) dropped below 97 for the first time in four months on Monday as traders sought protection in rival fiat currencies.
Interestingly, even with 5-year US Treasury yields surpassing those of Europe and Japan at 3.8%, investors are still bracing for higher US inflation. It is becoming increasingly evident that the US will adopt a softer monetary policy, particularly as Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s mandate ends in April.
US President Donald Trump has made it clear that Powell’s successor must focus on trimming Fed funds rates. Such a move would provide more breathing room for the US Treasury by reducing interest expenses. While a more expansionary monetary policy typically supports the stock market, it does not always create an immediate or direct incentive for Bitcoin investment.
Related: Crypto funds see $1.7B outflows, biggest since November 2025
If corporate earnings from major tech companies surprise to the upside this week, there may be even less incentive for investors to rotate into alternative scarce assets. Ultimately, Bitcoin’s path to reclaiming the $93,000 level hinges on professional traders regaining their confidence. This recovery might take longer than expected as macroeconomic shifts and the corporate earnings season dominate the spotlight this week.
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.
The bitcoin price steadied a bit today after an early slide to $86,000 over the weekend, as traders weighed Federal Reserve risk, heavy recent liquidations, and growing technical pressure.
The largest cryptocurrency was up about 1% at $87,850 by midafternoon, after falling as low as $86,000.13 earlier in the session. Price action remained volatile, with market participants cautious about sharp reversals following a weekend selloff.
Attention is now centered on the Federal Reserve’s policy decision due Wednesday. The central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates in the 3.50%–3.75% range, but the meeting has drawn unusual scrutiny amid debate over the Fed’s independence.
Recently, President Trump’s administration escalated its fight with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell by starting a rare criminal-investigation threat tied to Powell’s oversight of a big Fed renovation project.
At the same time, Trump is pushing to reshape the central bank leadership as Powell’s term ends this spring, drawing legal pushback (including a Supreme Court case over Trump’s attempt to remove a Fed governor) and sparking a broader debate over the Fed’s independence from politics.
Crypto markets continue to absorb the impact of continued selloffs, which was exacerbated by forced liquidations across leveraged positions.
U.S.-listed spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds remained a source of pressure. Spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.33 billion in net outflows in the week ending Jan. 23, marking the largest weekly outflow in nearly a year.
The redemptions have contributed to selling pressure amid already fragile market conditions.
Corporate bitcoin accumulation persisted but failed to stabilize sentiment. Strategy., the software company that has shifted toward a leveraged bitcoin acquisition strategy, disclosed in a recent SEC filing that it purchased 2,932 bitcoin between Jan. 20 and Jan. 25 for approximately $264.1 million, paying an average of $90,061 per coin.
The firm now holds 712,647 bitcoin, with the latest purchases financed primarily through its at-the-market equity offering program. These purchases did little to change the bitcoin price.
The company’s aggregate purchase price for its holdings stands at approximately $54.2 billion, including fees and expenses, translating to an average acquisition bitcoin price of $76,037.
Bitcoin price analysis
According to Bitcoin Magazine analysts, the bitcoin price posted a sharp bearish reversal last week, closing the week near $86,588 after failing to hold momentum following a test of $98,000 resistance. The move marked a decisive loss of the $87,000 support level and shifted near-term market control back to sellers.
The $84,000 level is now critical. A sustained daily close below that support could accelerate downside pressure toward the $72,000–$68,000 zone, with a deeper retracement toward $58,000 possible if selling intensifies.
Bulls are expected to defend $84,000 aggressively to avoid a broader breakdown.
On the upside, buyers must first reclaim $88,000 to stabilize price action. Additional resistance sits at $91,400 and $94,000, while $98,000 remains a major ceiling. A move above that level is considered unlikely in the near term, though a breakout could open a path toward $103,500.
Technical indicators reinforce the bearish outlook. Bitcoin price closed below the 100-week simple moving average, the MACD remains in bearish territory, and the relative strength index has turned lower again.
This coming week is pivotal, with broader market earnings potentially influencing sentiment, though correlations with equities remain uncertain.
At the time of writing, the Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index is currently at 20 out of 100, signaling extreme fear among market participants. Historically, periods of extreme fear have coincided with heightened uncertainty and, at times, potential buying opportunities as prices trade below perceived value.
The bitcoin price is currently $87,698. It is currently -1% from its 7-day all-time high of $88,635, and 2% from its 7-day all-time low of $86,126.
