Category: Analysis

XRP Drops Below $2 as ETF Outflows Spike and Stablecoin Settlement Debate Clouds Outlook

XRP has slipped below the $2 mark, extending a week-long decline that has unsettled traders and renewed questions about the token’s short-term outlook. Related Reading The drop comes amid heavy outflows from XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), broader market weakness tied to U.S. tariff developments, and fresh debate over Ripple’s growing focus on stablecoins for global payments. After briefly recovering to around $2.20 in mid-January, XRP fell as low as $1.85 over the weekend following what market commentators described as a liquidity sweep. XRP’s price trends to the downside on the…

Iran’s Central Bank Used $507M in USDT to Bypass Sanctions, Elliptic Reports

Key Notes The Central Bank of Iran built a dollar-linked reserve using USDT on TRON and Ethereum to avoid traditional banking restrictions. Funds initially flowed through Nobitex exchange before shifting to cross-chain bridges following a major hack in June 2025. The strategy mirrors Venezuela’s approach to managing dollar scarcity while leaving auditable traces on public blockchains. Iran’s central bank used at least half a billion dollars in USDT to ease a currency crisis and work around sanctions-driven limits on dollar access, according to a new Elliptic report. The blockchain analytics…

Trump Expects to Sign Crypto Market Structure Bill Soon, Unleash Innovation

Key Notes Trump stated Congress is advancing crypto market structure legislation to prevent China from dominating the digital asset space. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong identified critical issues including tokenized equity bans and DeFi prohibitions in the current bill. Bitcoin dropped below $90,000 amid regulatory uncertainty, triggering significant liquidations across the cryptocurrency market. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, United States President Donald Trump signals he expects to be able to sign the CLARITY Act soon. The Act is the crypto market’s structure bill that has been involved…

Cork Raises $5.5M via a16z CSX, Road Capital to Build Tokenized Risk Platform

Key Notes Cork Protocol raised $5.5M from a16z CSX and Road Capital to build programmable risk infrastructure. The protocol introduces cover tokens and depeg swaps as insurance-like products against stablecoin failures. Phoenix launched on Ethereum as one of the first decentralized risk management solutions for onchain assets. Cork Protocol, a decentralized programmable risk layer, has raised $5.5 million in a successful seed round led by a16z’s CSX startup fund and Road Capital. The funding round drew participation from a slew of noteworthy VC and crypto investment groups including 432 Ventures,…

Ondo Brings 200+ Tokenized Stocks to Solana, Challenging xStocks Dominance

Key Notes Ondo’s platform allows instant token creation during US market hours, sourcing liquidity directly from major exchanges. xStocks has processed over $3 billion in transactions with 57,000 holders since launching in June 2025. The expansion marks Ondo’s third blockchain deployment following Ethereum and BNB Chain integrations in 2025. Ondo Finance expanded its tokenized securities platform to Solana on Jan. 21, entering the blockchain’s growing market for digital versions of traditional stocks where rival xStocks has held roughly 93% market share since launching in June 2025. The expansion brings 200+ tokenized…

Vietnam Opens Crypto Exchange Licensing

Key Notes Applicants need at least $380 million in funding, with 65% from institutions and 35% from banks or tech companies. At least five major banks and securities firms, including MBBank, Techcombank, and VPBank, have announced preparations to launch crypto exchanges. Vietnam ranks among Asia-Pacific’s top three crypto markets with over $220 billion in annual transaction volume. Vietnam began accepting applications for crypto exchange licenses on Jan. 20 under a new pilot program. The move makes official a market that has operated in a legal gray area for years. The…

Ethereum Price Prediction: Top Analyst Predicts Breakout Is Just Moments Away – All-Time High Coming Soon?

The $3,400 zone continues to act as a major resistance, with weekly candles showing multiple rejections at that range. Still, analyst Ali Martinez believes Ethereum could be gearing up for a significant rally, as on-chain activity surges. Before bulls can take control, though, reclaiming $3,000 remains the crucial first step. Is Ethereum $ETH preparing for a bullish breakout? pic.twitter.com/nlysjq1saN — Ali Charts (@alicharts) January 19, 2026 On-Chain Activity and ETF Demand As per Martinez, network activity shot up in early January. Daily active addresses doubled in two weeks and now…

KindlyMD Rebrands to Nakamoto Inc.

Key Notes KindlyMD rebrands as Nakamoto Inc. to highlight its Bitcoin treasury focus. The company holds 5,398 BTC while healthcare runs via a subsidiary. KindlyMD, Inc. has changed its corporate name to Nakamoto Inc. following its merger with Nakamoto Holdings in 2025. The rebrand aligns the company’s identity with its long-term Bitcoin BTC $90 230 24h volatility: 0.4% Market cap: $1.80 T Vol. 24h: $59.67 B treasury strategy. Chairman and CEO David Bailey described the move as an effort to eliminate ambiguity around the company’s objectives and reinforce its role…

Gemini Founders Donates $1.2 Million for Zcash

Key Notes Shielded Labs said it received 3,221 ZEC worth $1.16 million from Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. This is to fund the core protocol work amid ongoing changes within the Zcash ecosystem. Former Zcash developers have launched the CashZ wallet after exit from Electric Coin Company. The Winklevoss twins have donated to Shielded Labs, an independent Zcash ZEC $369.2 24h volatility: 3.5% Market cap: $6.10 B Vol. 24h: $542.64 M development organization. The latter confirmed that it received 3,221 ZEC valued at approximately $1.16 million from Gemini founders, Tyler and…

XRP ETFs Face $53M Outflow

Key Notes U.S. XRP ETFs saw a $53M outflow, led by Grayscale’s GXRP.XRP’s price struggles below $2, risking further declines to $1.Crypto market sentiment turned bearish amid geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty. The spot XRP ETFs trading in the US experienced their largest single-day outflow, totaling $53 million, as the broader crypto market faces significant selling pressure. Since their launch in mid-November, Ripple XRP $1.94 24h volatility: 1.2% Market cap: $118.29 B Vol. 24h: $3.70 B funds had shown strong performance and steady inflows. However, on January 20, the funds…