$BLUR – Massive Breakout with Explosive Momentum! 💥🚀

$BLUR has launched to 0.1244, posting an impressive +34% gain as bulls dominate the NFT sector. The price action on the 15M chart shows a clear breakout from tight consolidation, confirming strong buyer interest. If the momentum holds, BLUR could see continuation toward higher resistance zones.

📈 Trade Setup:

Entry Zone: 0.1210 – 0.1240

TP1: 0.1290

TP2: 0.1350

SL: 0.1160


💡 Pro Tip: Breakouts from sideways ranges often lead to fast moves—don’t chase, wait for controlled
 re-entries on retests!

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🎙️ MMCrypto Technical Analysis

https://agora.coinmarketcap.com/cmc/agora/157fba5881431b0a99a144a3e52b5b6a_339050915.json

Bitcoin

Lighter

Ethereum

Solana

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[[{"type":"text","content":"Events like this shows how fast the ecosystem is growing"}]]

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Events like this shows how fast the ecosystem is growing

#ApolloGlobal  To Take 9% Stake in Morpho Protocol  Apollo Global Management has signed a partnership agreement to acquire up to 90 million $MORPHO  governance tokens over four years, representing 9% of the total supply. The $940 billion asset manager will collaborate on #DeFi  lending infrastructure development.  The Morpho Association announced the cooperation agreement on Friday. Apollo or its affiliates may purchase #tokens  through open-market buys, OTC transactions, and other contractual arrangements, subject to ownership caps and #trading  restrictions.  The partnership will support on-chain lending markets on Morpho's protocol, though specific details were not disclosed. Apollo's gradual token acquisition spans 48 months, with transfer and trading limitations built into the agreement.  $MORPHO  price jumped 17.8% over the weekend following the announcement, rising from approximately $1.12 on Friday to $1.32. The asset remains down 38% over the past 12 months amid broader cryptocurrency market declines.  Morpho ranks as the sixth-largest DeFi protocol by total value locked with $5.8 billion, according to DeFi Llama data. The project provides #lending  markets and curated investment vaults for investors seeking yield opportunities.  The deal marks another significant partnership for Morpho following recent months of institutional expansion. Digital asset manager Bitwise joined in late January to provide curated vaults offering 6% annual yields on the platform.

Bitcoin Crashes to $66,000 as Jobs Data Kills March Rate Cut Hopes    $BTC  plunged below $66,000 on Wednesday after January employment figures crushed Federal Reserve rate cut expectations for the coming months. The #cryptocurrency  fell more than 4% over 24 hours as traders abandoned near-term monetary easing bets following stronger-than-expected labor market data.   U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in January, nearly double the 70,000 economist forecast, according to the Department of Labor. Unemployment dropped to 4.3% versus expectations of 4.4%, eliminating pressure on the Fed to stimulate economic activity through lower borrowing costs.   CME FedWatch data showed March rate cut probability collapsed to just 6% from 21% before the report. April easing chances fell to 23% from 52%, marking a dramatic reversal in trader expectations over a single data release.   $ETH  declined 5.5% while $SOL  dropped similar amounts as altcoins amplified the downturn. $XRP  fell 3.5% during the same period as risk asset selling accelerated across cryptocurrency markets.   Friday's rally had lifted $BTC  nearly 20% from Thursday's $60,000 bottom to approach $72,000 over the weekend. The recovery proved short-lived as the jobs report triggered renewed selling pressure, with analysts characterizing the bounce as a failed technical pattern.   #Bitcoin  perpetual futures open interest collapsed 51% below October 2025 peaks, according to market monitoring data. The decline signals retreating trader conviction and reduced leverage deployment across #derivative  markets as participants exit positions.   David Hernandez from 21Shares called the employment data a #short-term  headwind for #risk  assets. The crypto investment strategist wrote that the cheaper money catalysts needed for sustained recovery got pushed substantially further into the future.

JPMorgan Cuts Bitcoin Floor Price to $77K After Mining Difficulty Plunge    The estimated cost to produce one $BTC  has dropped to $77,000 from $90,000 since January, according to a Wednesday analysis from #JPMorgan  managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou and his research team. This production cost metric has historically functioned as a support level for #Bitcoin  prices during market downturns.   Network #difficulty  fell approximately 15% year-to-date, representing the sharpest decline since China eliminated domestic mining operations in 2021. The metric adjusts automatically every two weeks to maintain consistent 10-minute block times, meaning reduced hash rate triggers corresponding difficulty reductions.   The analysts expect production costs to rise again soon as the network hash rate shows signs of recovery. Surviving miners are capturing market share previously held by unprofitable operations that shut down equipment, creating breathing room that prevents further cost deterioration.   Two factors drove the difficulty #collapse . Firstly, Bitcoin's price decline this year pushed mining below break-even for operators running older hardware or paying elevated energy rates, forcing widespread equipment shutdowns.   Then, winter storms across the United States, concentrated in Texas, compounded the problem by taking large facilities offline. Grid operators reduced power allocation to mining sites as they prioritized residential and commercial electricity needs during extreme weather events.   Significant difficulty drops typically signal miner capitulation, according to the JPMorgan team. Higher-cost operators often liquidate $BTC  holdings to cover ongoing expenses when operations become unprofitable. China's 2021 mining prohibition provides historical context, as that event triggered a 45% #difficulty  reduction between May and July before recovery began later that year.

#BitMine  Purchases 40,613 $ETH  as Price Drops 62% From Peak  BitMine Immersion Technologies acquired 40,613 #Ethereum  during the week ending Feb. 8, expanding its position to 4,325,738 tokens valued near $9.2 billion. The purchase increased the company's ownership to 3.58% of circulating Ether supply, advancing toward a stated objective of controlling 5% of all tokens.  Executive Chairman #TomLee  disclosed that the acquisition occurred while Ethereum traded at levels 62% beneath its 2025 high. Prices fluctuated from above $2,300 to lows near $1,700 throughout the week before settling around $2,000, though the company did not specify its average purchase cost.  Lee highlighted data showing #EthereumNetwork  activity reached record levels despite price declines. Daily transactions touched an all-time high of 2.5 million while active addresses climbed to 1 million per day in 2026, creating what the chairman described as an attractive buying opportunity based on strengthening fundamentals.

Backpack Exchange Unveils Tokenomics Plan   #Backpack  will distribute 25% of its native token supply during the #token  generation event, with 240 million tokens allocated to participants in its Points program and 1 million reserved for #MadLads  NFT holders. The crypto exchange founded by former FTX employees disclosed the tokenomics structure on Monday.  The platform created pre-IPO and post-IPO tranches that each contain 37.5% of the 1 billion token supply. Pre-IPO tokens will unlock progressively based on growth triggers such as regulatory approvals, new product launches, and geographic expansion into markets like the EU, Japan, and the United States.  CEO Armani Ferrante stated the approach prevents dilution of retail holders by tying token releases to measurable economic activity rather than arbitrary time schedules. Each regional expansion or product launch creates an opportunity to distribute additional tokens as the platform grows its user base and revenue.  The post-IPO tranche will remain locked until at least one year after Backpack completes an initial public offering. These tokens will form the company's corporate treasury. Ferrante said the founding team receives no direct token allocations and instead owns equity in the company.  Team members can only realize value from the project after Backpack goes public or completes another equity exit event. The structure requires the company to access public capital markets and complete the regulatory work necessary for a listing before founders benefit financially from token appreciation.  Backpack joins other projects moving away from traditional lockup periods toward #metrics-based  token distribution. #MegaETH  recently decoupled its TGE from its mainnet launch using a similar framework tied to network development milestones and user adoption targets.  The exchange did not announce a date for the token generation event but indicated that additional details about the token's utility will be released soon.

#Tether  Acquires 12% Stake in Gold(dot)com for $150M  Tether has acquired a $150 million stake in precious metals marketplace Gold(dot)com to expand tokenized gold access. The investment gives the #stablecoin  issuer approximately 12% ownership in the publicly listed company.  Gold(dot)com will integrate Tether Gold ($XAUt ), a gold-backed #cryptocurrency , into its platform under the partnership agreement. The marketplace sells gold, silver, and platinum to customers across multiple markets, including the U.S.  CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that gold has preserved value for centuries during monetary stress and geopolitical uncertainty. #Gold  exposure represents a hedge and long-term allocation to protect users in an increasingly unstable world, he said.  The investment reflects a belief that gold should be as accessible and transferable as modern digital money without compromising physical backing. Tether views this as a strategic move beyond short-term #trading  considerations.  Tether and Gold(dot)com are exploring options for customers to purchase physical gold using $USDT  and the new U.S. market stablecoin $USAT . The companies launched USAT with Anchorage Digital on Jan. 27.  Gold rallied over 80% in the past 12 months to reach $5,600 on Jan. 29 before cooling to $4,800. This price movement has increased interest in gold-backed digital assets and physical precious metals.

#Tether  USDT Adds 35.2M Users in Q4 Despite Market Crash  The world's largest stablecoin recorded notable growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 despite the October market crash. $USDT  hit a fresh high of $187.3 billion in #marketcapitalization , increasing by $12.4 billion during the quarter, according to Wednesday's market report from Tether.  The stablecoin added 35.2 million new estimated users in the fourth quarter to reach a total of 534.5 million users worldwide. The quarter marked the eighth consecutive quarter in which the stablecoin added more than 30 million users, demonstrating continued adoption despite broader #marketvolatility .  #On-chain  holders increased by 14.7 million during the quarter to 139.1 million, with USDT wallets accounting for 70.7% of all stablecoin wallets. Tether estimated that over 100 million users hold USDT on centralized platforms, while monthly active on-chain users reached an all-time high average of 24.8 million in the quarter.  Tether's total reserves grew by $11.7 billion during the quarter to $192.9 billion. The reserves include 96,184 Bitcoin, 127.5 metric tons of gold, and $141.6 billion in U.S. treasuries, providing backing for the expanding stablecoin supply.  The continued growth in USDT comes from diverse use cases beyond the crypto market, with the data showing users' preference for USDT as the stablecoin to both store wealth and transact in. USDT's growth in market capitalization and usage came despite a major crypto liquidation event in October, followed by increased volatility throughout the fourth quarter.  #Crypto  prices have fallen significantly since the October liquidation cascade, with Bitcoin trading near $71,200, the lowest level since October 2024. The crypto liquidation cascade of Oct. 10, 2025, has meant the stablecoin ecosystem is not growing as fast as it has been, with the total crypto market cap declining more than one-third between Oct. 10, 2025, and Feb. 1, 2026.

#Tether  Partners With Opera To Expand MiniPay #Wallet  Access  Tether announced Monday it will support $USDT  and $XAUt  within Opera's MiniPay wallet application. The stablecoin issuer aims to expand financial access across emerging markets through the partnership.  MiniPay operates as a self-custodial wallet built on the Celo blockchain. The mobile app serves users in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia with dollar-denominated stablecoins for savings and transfers. Activation requires only a mobile phone number.  Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company's mission centers on providing simple, reliable access to stable value for people who need it most. Opera reports MiniPay operates in 60 countries with 12.6 million activated wallets and 350 million processed transactions. The platform recorded 50% user growth during Q4, predominantly in emerging markets.  The app processed over $153 million in send and receive transactions during December alone. The figure demonstrates growing demand for stable, dollar-based payments in mobile-first regions. Users can access Tether's flagship #stablecoin  plus #tokenized  gold for inflation-resistant savings.  $XAUt  reached an all-time high of $5,600 in late January alongside spot gold markets. The tokenized real-world #asset  maintains a circulating supply of 712,747 $XAUt  with a $3.4 billion market capitalization. MiniPay availability extends to both Android and iOS devices.  Despite strong emerging market demand, overall stablecoin metrics have declined. Total stablecoin market capitalization began falling in December, ending a sustained growth trend. CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost reported Monday that stablecoin-to-exchange net inflows have been largely eliminated.

Bitcoin To Massively Outperform Gold, Says Pantera CEO    Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead declared that $BTC  will massively outperform #gold  over the next decade during a panel at the Ondo Summit in New York City on Tuesday. Morehead appeared alongside Fundstrat's Tom Lee, with both executives expressing long-term bullish outlooks despite current market challenges.   Morehead argued that fixed-supply assets will benefit as fiat currencies are debased, calling the long-term $BTC  advantage over gold very obvious. Paper money is being debased at 3% annually, which compounds to 90% over a lifetime, making it rational to invest in assets with fixed quantities like gold or #Bitcoin . Total ETF inflows into both assets have been roughly equal over the past few years, with investor attention rotating between them in cycles.   Institutional exposure to #cryptocurrency  remains minimal despite recent developments such as $BTC  ETF launches, according to Morehead. Major alternative investment firms with $100 billion in assets hold zero $BTC  or crypto, which Morehead cited as evidence against bubble concerns. The median holding for institutional investors is literally 0.0, making true market saturation impossible at current adoption levels.   Morehead noted that the list of reasons for large institutions to avoid crypto has been systematically addressed, pointing to improving custodial options and regulatory clarity. #Blockchain  has delivered 80% annual returns over 12 years with low correlation to stocks, creating a rare asset class offering both high growth and portfolio diversification. The Pantera Capital CEO called it the best asset class in history.   Tom Lee challenged the four-year cycle theory that some believe is driving the current downturn, citing diverging metrics like #Ethereum 's rising activity and accelerated deleveraging during October 2025's crypto crash.

#Coinbase  Tests USDF Stablecoin for Custom Token Feature  Coinbase is conducting operational tests of Flipcash's $USDf  stablecoin as part of a feature that will allow businesses to create branded, dollar-backed #tokens . The exchange introduced Custom Stablecoins in December to let companies earn rewards on activity and move funds across supported chains.  The testing phase involves back-end operations only, with no trading, deposits, or withdrawals currently available, Coinbase announced Tuesday on X. The tokens will be collateralized by Circle's $USDC , providing businesses with flexibility for payroll, business-to-business payments, cross-border transactions, and treasury management.  Flipcash is developing $USDf  as the primary #stablecoin  for its crypto infrastructure platform, with an expected launch in early 2026. Solana-focused wallet Solflare and decentralized finance platform R2 are also working with Coinbase on customized stablecoin solutions.  Coinbase currently generates stablecoin revenue through its partnership with Circle, earning interest and fees from $USDC  listings. The exchange brought in nearly $247 million in #stablecoin  revenue during the fourth quarter, making these products central to its business model.  The company has been advocating for U.S. senators to ensure stablecoin rewards remain unrestricted in the upcoming crypto market structure legislation. Stablecoins represent a growing focus for Coinbase as the broader market expands.  The stablecoin market reached $312.6 billion, with the U.S. #Treasury  estimating it will hit $2 trillion by 2028 in an April projection. Bloomberg predicted earlier this month that stablecoin payment flows would increase at an 81% compound annual growth rate to $56.6 trillion by 2030.

#Tether  Buying $1B Gold Monthly for Reserve Vault  Tether is purchasing up to two tons of physical gold weekly as the stablecoin issuer builds a 140-ton stockpile valued at approximately $24 billion, making it one of the largest non-governmental gold holders globally. The company's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, told Bloomberg that Tether plans to maintain this buying pace for at least the next few months.  At current prices, the weekly purchases equate to over $1 billion in monthly gold #acquisitions . The bullion is stored in a high-security former nuclear bunker in Switzerland, which Ardoino described as comparable to locations in espionage films.  Most of Tether's gold represents the company's own reserves. A portion backs $XAUt , the firm's gold-backed #stablecoin . Tether added 27 metric tons of gold to its fund exposure in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company's gold-buying pace has exceeded that of Greece, Qatar and Australia.  Ardoino said in a press release that Tether Gold now operates at a scale placing the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders. He stated that XAUT exists to remove ambiguity during a period when confidence in monetary systems is weakening.  Björn Schmidtke, CEO of Tether gold-treasury firm Aurelion, said the ambiguity stems partly from investments in gold exchange-traded funds and #stocks . Schmidtke characterized these as investments where holders do not know which specific physical gold bar they own. He estimated that roughly 98% of gold investments are made through ETFs or financial instruments that do not guarantee specific bar ownership.  Schmidtke warned that this structure could face stress during market crises if mass redemptions are triggered. Tokenized #gold  eliminates the bottleneck in gold delivery and provides proof of ownership, he said.

#BlackRock  Files for $BTC  Income ETF Using Options #Strategy   BlackRock has filed an #SEC  registration for an iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF that will generate income through an actively managed options strategy. The new fund will track the price performance of $BTC  while providing premium income by writing call options on IBIT shares and indices that track spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products.  In practice, the fund sells options that give other investors the right to buy its IBIT shares at a set price and collects the option premiums as income. Shares in the ETF will represent fractional beneficial interests in that income and the fund's Bitcoin, IBIT shares, and cash.  A BlackRock spokesperson said the firm cannot comment further on how the new fund will compare to competitors or when it will share details about the expense ratio for the new ETF. Initial S-1 registrations typically leave out details like tickers, custodians, and management fees.  The new fund will compete with several similar Bitcoin income or covered-call ETFs already trading. The NEOS Bitcoin High Income #ETF  has traded under the BTCI ticker on the Cboe BZX Exchange since its October 2024 launch and had $1.09 billion worth of assets under management as of Friday. The expense ratio for BTCI is approximately 0.99% of assets annually.  BlackRock's offering will also compete against the Roundhill Bitcoin Covered Call Strategy ETF and YieldMax Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF, which account for $225 million and $74 million in assets under #management , respectively. Actively managed ETFs, like BTCI and the new iShares offering, charge higher fees to cover the costs of implementing their option-writing strategy.

#Gold  Soars Past $5,000 While #Bitcoin  Slides to $86K  Gold surged to a record high of $5,080 on Monday following a 17% gain in January, while $BTC  fell toward $86,000 as the divergence between the two #assets  expanded. Traders flocked to the precious metal amid fears of a potential U.S. government shutdown and uncertainty over the Trump administration's escalated tariff threats.  #Trade  tensions increased over the weekend as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Canada with a 100% tariff over a China trade deal. "A likely government shutdown just added fuel to the fire for precious metals," the Kobeissi Letter stated on Monday.  Gold beat $ETH  to the $5,000 milestone, closing out a #Polymarket  bet placed in early October on which asset would reach it first. $ETH  price tanked below $2,800 on Sunday and is now more than 40% down from its August all-time high of $4,946.  $BTC  lost 1.6% on Monday, erasing all gains made this year as it fell to a five-week low just below $86,000 on late Sunday. The crypto is now 30% below its October peak of $126,000 as the gap between digital assets and gold continues to expand.  Silver has also surged above $107 per ounce for the first time in history and is up 48% in 2026. Gold prices have climbed 83% since this time last year, while $BTC  has declined 17% over the same period.

#Bitcoin  Faces Resistance at $98K as Recent Buyers Sell, Glassnode Reports  $BTC  dropped beneath $90,000 after unsuccessful attempts to break through overhead supply concentrated near $98,000, according to #on-chain  data from Glassnode. The digital asset briefly climbed toward that upper threshold last week before encountering significant seller resistance.  Recent buyers holding coins near their acquisition cost provided substantial selling pressure as prices approached the $98,000 zone. #Glassnode  identified this pattern as similar to early 2022 dynamics when Bitcoin repeatedly failed to reclaim short-term holder breakeven levels, extending consolidation phases.  Holders who bought $BTC  during early and mid-2025 are now the primary source of distribution. Data shows loss realization concentrating among the three- to six-month cohort, while profit-taking activity comes from traders securing modest gains instead of maintaining positions for larger moves.  Exchange selling pressure has moderated despite the pullback. Cumulative volume delta turned more buy-dominant across major platforms, with #Coinbase -driven distribution slowing after sustained outflows during previous months.  Corporate buying remains inconsistent and tied to specific events rather than steady accumulation. Futures #trading  volumes remained compressed with subdued leverage use, while options markets showed volatility adjustments concentrated in near-term contracts with minimal shifts in longer-dated pricing.

#Grayscale  Files To Convert NEAR Trust to ETF  Grayscale Investments filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday to transform its existing NEAR Protocol Trust into an exchange-traded fund. The Form S-1 submission seeks NYSE Arca listing under ticker GSNR, representing the second U.S. application for a spot $NEAR  product.  The trust was established in November 2021 as a Delaware statutory vehicle to hold $NEAR  tokens and provide investor exposure through publicly traded shares. Grayscale intends to rebrand the product as Grayscale Near Trust ETF following regulatory approval, moving from over-the-counter trading to exchange listing. This follows the firm's standard approach of launching private trusts before pursuing #ETF  conversions.  #Assets  under management total approximately $900,000 currently. The company's website acknowledges the product has fallen short of its investment objective, with shares experiencing significant premiums and discounts to net asset value. Per-share NAV reached $2.19, representing a 45% decline since September when OTCQB #trading  commenced.  The filing addresses staking arrangements, which have drawn regulatory scrutiny in recent crypto ETF proposals. Trust documents allow staking only under specific conditions, which remain unmet as of Tuesday. Current rules prohibit the trust from staking $NEAR  holdings. Future staking would employ third-party validators while Grayscale retains #token  ownership and collects rewards exclusively in NEAR.

Pump.fun  Launches Investment Arm With $3M Hackathon  Meme coin launchpad Pump.fun  has announced the launch of Pump Fund, a new investment arm backing promising startups, marking its first major expansion beyond #memecoin-focused  operations. The platform will kick off with a $3 million hackathon, funding 12 projects with $250,000 each at a $10 million valuation.  Pump.fun  said on Monday that the investment arm would align itself with projects long-term, noting they do not need to be #crypto -related. The fund will provide mentorship from Pump.fun  founders to selected projects.  Pump.fun  said its new investment arm would fund projects of all maturities, verticals, and traction, focusing on teams that ship quickly and openly communicate their plans. The announcement comes as the platform expands its focus to include early-stage project funding.  The hackathon lasts 30 days, during which participants create a #token , share updates on their project, and let the market judge whether the project succeeds. Instead of pleasing judges or venture capitalists for money, tokenizing allows the market to become the judge, Pump.fun  explained. Users fund projects by betting on them early.  Pump.fun  co-founder Alon Cohen said the numerous trends in #crypto  over the past three years show that demand for good founders by traders and long-term allocators has remained incredibly high, regardless of market conditions. He added that, soon after Pump.fun  launched, projects began launching tokens because users loved buying into fresh ideas they thought had a chance of becoming successful.

#CFTC  Chair Selig Launches Crypto Oversight Plan  Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig has introduced a modernization initiative targeting #digitalasset  oversight. The recently appointed regulator announced plans for comprehensive rule reviews, advocating what he termed the "minimum effective dose of regulation" for emerging sectors.  Selig outlined his approach Tuesday in a Washington Post editorial, arguing that agricultural futures regulations prove inadequate for contemporary digital products and #trading  venues. He stated the derivatives agency requires fundamental upgrades as American businesses modernize legacy financial infrastructure through new technologies.  The chairman assumed leadership last month as Congress debates legislation expanding CFTC jurisdiction over #crypto  markets. Legislative progress encountered setbacks last week when the Senate Banking Committee postponed hearings on digital asset bills following stablecoin reward disagreements.  Selig declared agency readiness to regulate cryptocurrency markets, pending congressional authorization. He committed to ensuring domestic digital asset #market  prosperity through customized regulatory frameworks maintaining American financial market competitiveness globally.  The Future Proof program appears to encompass prediction market oversight, a sector experiencing rapid growth since the 2024 election cycle. These platforms recently attracted regulatory attention following insider trading allegations and legislative proposals restricting political wagering.

Ethereum Protocol Complexity Risks Core Values, Buterin Warns   Ethereum co-founder #VitalikButerin  argues protocol complexity threatens the network's core principles despite strong decentralization metrics. He published his concerns Sunday on X, warning that backward compatibility priorities have created unsustainable technical bloat.  The developer emphasized that trustlessness depends more on simplicity than raw node counts or fault tolerance percentages. Even networks with hundreds of thousands of validators fail when protocols become unwieldy masses of code requiring multiple forms of advanced cryptography, according to Buterin's assessment.  Protocol complexity creates three critical problems for #Ethereum  (ETH) infrastructure. First, users must rely on experts to understand system operations, undermining trustlessness. Second, #high-quality  client rebuilds become unrealistic if development teams disappear, failing the walkaway test. And third, technical users lose the ability to independently inspect or reason about network behavior, eroding self-sovereignty.  Current upgrade evaluation methods prioritize avoiding disruption to existing systems, which favors backward compatibility over efficiency. This decision-making framework creates a bias toward adding features rather than removing outdated ones, causing steady protocol expansion over time.  Buterin called for explicit "garbage collection" processes within Ethereum's development workflow. The approach would reduce total code lines, limit complex cryptographic primitives, and introduce more invariants, making client behavior easier to predict and implement across different development teams.  Past changes demonstrate effective cleanup potential, Buterin noted. The #proof-of-work  to #proof-of-stake  transition represented one major reset, while recent gas cost reforms replace arbitrary rules with clearer resource usage links.

TD Cowen Lowers #MSTR  Target Amid Buying Spree  Wall Street analysts have adjusted their outlook on #Strategy  despite the company's continued $BTC  accumulation strategy. TD Cowen dropped its 12-month price projection to $440 from a previous $500 target while reaffirming a Buy recommendation on the Virginia-based firm.  Strategy deployed approximately $1.25 billion during the first week of January to acquire 13,600 additional $BTC . The purchases occurred during a period when the #cryptocurrency  experienced price weakness, pushing the company's total holdings to 687,400 $BTC  valued at above $62.8 billion at current market rates.  Research analysts Lance Vitanza and Jonnathan Navarrete noted that Strategy actively embraced recent price compression rather than pausing its treasury operations. The firm raised capital through both common stock sales and variable-rate preferred shares branded as Stretch, converting nearly all proceeds into immediate $BTC  purchases.  Chairman Michael Saylor has rejected evaluation frameworks that focus exclusively on net asset value multiples when assessing Strategy's performance. Saylor emphasized that corporate valuation should reflect operational value creation rather than simple comparisons between market capitalization and underlying #asset  holdings.  Kronos Research's chief investment officer, Vincent Liu, connected Strategy's aggressive approach to fundamental changes in $BTC  market infrastructure. He explained that institutional derivatives markets, regulated exchange-traded funds, and systematic hedging strategies now drive price formation instead of purely speculative retail #trading  activity.

#Revolut  Stablecoin Volumes Jump 156% in 2025  #Stablecoin  payment volumes on fintech platform Revolut increased an estimated 156% year-over-year to approximately $10.5 billion in 2025, demonstrating accelerating adoption of dollar-pegged tokens for everyday transactions.  #Crypto  researcher Alex Obchakevich calculated that stablecoin volumes nearly doubled as a share of total Revolut payments compared with 2024, though the firm has not published official figures. Despite representing a small absolute percentage, the growth dynamics prove impressive according to #Obchakevich 's analysis using Dune Analytics data.  Transfer amounts between $100 and $500 comprised 30% to 40% of all stablecoin transactions on the platform, indicating Revolut users actively employ these tokens for medium-sized everyday payments rather than exclusively large transfers. The common transaction range suggests practical utility beyond speculation or investment purposes.  $ETH  accounted for over two-thirds of Revolut stablecoin volume, while Tron ranked second at 22.8%. The platform supports multiple blockchains, including #Ethereum , Tron, Polygon, Solana, Arbitrum and Optimism, for stablecoin transactions.  Revolut enhanced its stablecoin strategy in October by launching 1:1 exchanges between U.S. dollars and $USDC  and $USDT  without commissions or hidden fees. The feature removal of transaction costs aimed to encourage broader adoption among the fintech's user base.

#Monero  Reaches $687 Record as Privacy Demands Surge  Privacy-focused cryptocurrency $XMR  climbed to an all-time high above $687 on Tuesday, driven by investor appetite for confidential transactions amid tightening #digitalasset  regulations. The rally marks a 14% gain in 24 hours.  The token posted 45% in weekly gains, pushing its market capitalization to the 11th-largest position among #cryptocurrencies . Privacy coin sector capitalization increased 3.5% while trading volumes jumped 32%, according to market data.  Privacy tokens outperformed the broader cryptocurrency market throughout the three months following October's $19 billion market crash. Regulatory developments appear to be the primary catalyst behind shifting investor preferences.  Narek Gevorgyan from CoinStats attributes the demand surge to escalating surveillance of digital economies and government oversight of crypto transactions. Investors seeking financial confidentiality are turning to #privacy  coins as Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering frameworks expand globally.  European Union regulations set to take effect in 2027 will prohibit crypto service providers from handling privacy coins and anonymous accounts. The sweeping #AML  rules specifically target $XMR  and $ZEC  under the ban.  Analytics platform Santiment cautioned investors about overheated social sentiment surrounding Monero despite positive price action. The firm recommended waiting for reduced hype and fear of missing out before establishing new positions.  Data shows Monero's development activity declining since January began, while social media discussion peaked over the weekend. The divergence between price momentum and underlying development metrics signals potential risks for new entries.

#Bitcoin  Drops Under $90,000 as Early 2026 Rally Loses Steam  $BTC  has fallen back below the $90,000 threshold after an early January surge faded, with the retreat reflecting overhead resistance and cautious positioning following disappointing 2025 performance.  The #digitalasset  approached $95,000 at the start of 2026 following roughly $1.2 billion in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF inflows over the first two trading sessions. Prices have since declined to under $90,000 on Thursday as ETF flows turned negative for two consecutive sessions.  Paul Howard, senior director at Wincent, noted the pullback aligns with the recent market structure. He stated that $BTC  and $ETH  could drift lower in the near term to fill a gap on CME #futures , adding that macro pressures remain the dominant driver of price action.  Wincent described current conditions as choppy and better suited for short-term #trading  rather than sustained directional bets. Howard noted January has historically been a relatively flat month for crypto prices.  Markets continue to process Bitcoin's lackluster 2025 performance. $BTC  ended last year down approximately 6.3%, marking the worst performance among major asset classes and the first time it failed to outperform in its typical four-year cycle, according to K33. It also marked only the second year on record where Bitcoin posted negative returns while the S&P 500 rose meaningfully.

#Coinbase  Sees 38% Upside in #BofA  Upgrade  Bank of America upgraded Coinbase from “neutral” to “buy” on Thursday, citing the exchange's expanding role in moving financial activity #on-chain  and its evolution toward an everything exchange. The investment bank set a $340 price target, representing roughly 38% upside from current levels as short interest reverses and tax-loss harvesting pressure eases.  BofA highlighted Coinbase's expansion beyond trading into tokenizing real-world assets, including stocks and exchange-traded funds, plus its entry into prediction markets. This product expansion positions the company to cross-sell more services to new and existing users while leading development of a new financial system. The bank noted that while COIN shares have dropped 40% from July highs, the company's product velocity has increased and its total addressable market has expanded.  BofA pointed to Coinbase's growing product roadmap as a longer-term positive. The exchange's push into areas like real-world asset tokenization and #prediction  markets could broaden its addressable market and support cross-selling opportunities.    Investment bank Goldman Sachs also assigned Coinbase a buy rating on Monday, explaining the recent market pullback left #crypto  stocks trading at a discount. BofA suggested a Base token could raise billions of dollars and incentivize developers and early adopters to build more decentralized finance applications on-chain.    Another catalyst includes U.S. President Donald Trump having three more years to advance his vision of making America the crypto capital of the world.  The investment bank sees Coinbase as the trusted platform with the number one market share in the U.S., making it a perfect traditional finance partner.

Solana Mobile SKR Token Launches Jan. 21 With Airdrop   $SOL  Mobile confirmed Wednesday that its SKR governance token will launch Jan. 21, completing plans announced in December for a 10 billion token fixed supply. The company stated that a snapshot has already been taken for #airdrop  allocation. SKR will distribute 20% of total supply to eligible users and developers through the airdrop mechanism.   #SKR  functions as the governance and incentive layer for #Solana  Mobile's ecosystem, which centers on its Seeker smartphone and decentralized app store. Token holders will stake SKR to Guardians, a delegated group that secures the platform and participates in governance decisions.   The Jan. 21 launch provides #Seeker  users with a clear timeline as anticipation builds around airdrop mechanics. Staking and governance features will activate following the token launch.   Solana Mobile's December announcement established the 10 billion token supply framework. The company designed SKR to integrate directly with its hardware products and application ecosystem.   Guardian #staking  will enable token holders to participate in network security while earning rewards. The governance structure allows SKR holders to influence platform development and strategic decisions through the Guardian delegation system.   The airdrop targets early adopters who purchased Seeker devices and developers building applications for the Solana Mobile ecosystem. Snapshot timing ensures distribution reflects historical participation rather than last-minute positioning.

#Gold  Hits $31.1 Trillion Market Cap as Investors Flee Risk  Gold and #silver  briefly retook their positions as the two largest #assets  by market capitalization as 2026 began with global uncertainty. $BTC  currently sits in eighth position among all assets tracked by market cap.  Gold holds a market cap of $31.1 trillion according to CompaniesMarketCap data. Silver has been trading positions with Nvidia for second place since December, briefly flipping the tech giant before being overtaken again.  Nvidia's market cap surge stems from strong demand for computing resources supporting artificial intelligence development. The company has seen explosive growth as AI applications require more processing power.  Investors have increasingly moved toward precious metals over the past year, seeking traditional stores of value. Global conflicts and trade disputes have driven this flight to safety in #gold  and #silver  markets.  Expected rate cuts from the U.S. Federal Reserve under new leadership are also pushing investors toward commodities. The increased demand has pushed gold and silver to new all-time highs near $4,500 and $80, respectively.

MSCI keeps crypto treasury firms in its indexes, removing $15B in forced selling risk and easing pressure on BTC.

15B Forced Selling Taken Off Table

15B-Forced-Selling-Taken-Off-Table

Jupiter Rolls Out JupUSD Stablecoin With BlackRock BUIDL Backing   Solana-based trading platform Jupiter announced #JupUSD  Monday, a new dollar-pegged digital asset developed alongside Ethena Labs that draws its reserve backing primarily from BlackRock's tokenized money market product. The stablecoin launch positions Jupiter as the latest protocol to introduce platform-specific settlement tokens.   Jupiter structured JupUSD reserves with 90% allocated to USDtb, a regulated stablecoin that derives value from #BUIDL  shares in BlackRock's on-chain money market fund. The protocol maintains the remaining 10% in $USDC  to provide immediate liquidity through a secondary Meteora pool.   The platform built JupUSD as an SPL token using #Solana 's native standard, enabling deployment across decentralized applications operating on the network. Porto handles custody services via Anchorage Digital with full reserve transparency maintained through blockchain verification.   Jupiter's lending infrastructure converts JupUSD deposits into yield-generating tokens that maintain earning potential during use in trading features, including limit orders and automated investment strategies. The protocol intends to incorporate JupUSD throughout its perpetual contracts system by progressively replacing existing USDC positions.   Institutional participants and professional market makers can execute direct minting and redemption operations against $USDC  through Solana's settlement layer in single transactions. Ethena Labs assumes responsibility for reserve management tasks including custody arrangements and asset allocation adjustments using separate #blockchain  addresses with public capacity indicators.   The $JUP  governance token appreciated roughly 18% across the previous week, coinciding with the stablecoin announcement. Ethena Labs operates the Ethena protocol while issuing both USDe and USDtb as part of its #stablecoin  product suite.