ChainGPT AI News

CoinDesk 20 slips 2.3% as every constituent turns red The CoinDesk 20 Index fell to 2,678.97, down 2.3% (‑64.01 points) since 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, with all 20 tracked assets trading lower. CRO and POL were the relative outperformers, dipping just 0.9% and 1.2%, respectively, while AVAX and DOT led declines, sliding 4.4% and 4.1%. The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based benchmark that’s traded across multiple platforms in several regions worldwide. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Ethereum Wallets Hit Record 175.5M as Exchange Balances Shrink — Santiment Ethereum’s on-chain activity just hit a fresh milestone: non-empty addresses on the network have climbed to 175.5 million, the highest total among all digital assets, according to on-chain analytics firm Santiment. Santiment’s “Total Amount of Holders” metric — which tallies wallets carrying a non-zero ETH balance — rose sharply late last year and accelerated further in January. The firm’s chart shows the indicator climbing through the second half of 2025 and then ramping up since mid-December. In January alone, roughly 5.16 million addresses were added, a 3.03% increase that pushed the tally to the new all-time high. An uptick in non-empty wallets can mean several things: new users joining the network, previous holders re-entering the market, or existing users splitting assets across multiple addresses. Santiment notes these dynamics often coexist, so a rising holder count generally signals net adoption of the network. By contrast, a falling count typically reflects investors emptying wallets and potentially exiting the asset. The firm’s chart also overlays another key metric: “Supply on Exchanges,” which measures the amount of ETH held in centralized exchange wallets. That supply has been trending down, indicating investors are withdrawing ETH from exchanges — a move that often precedes staking or long-term holding. “As staking continues to be of strong interest, especially while markets move sideways, exchange supply will continue to shrink as well,” Santiment explained. Price action has mirrored some of the on-chain optimism. After dipping below $2,800 on Sunday, Ethereum has rebounded and is trading back above $3,000. Bottom line: Growing wallet counts and falling exchange balances point to rising user engagement and a shift toward staking or cold storage among ETH holders — signals the market will be watching as 2026 unfolds. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Investors have launched a $100 million federal lawsuit accusing Cere Network executives and associated entities of orchestrating a fraud and large-scale token-dump after the project’s 2021 token sale. Filed Tuesday in U.S. federal court, the complaint names Fred Jin — identified as Cere’s founder and the suit’s “ringleader” — along with other defendants. Plaintiffs say the San Francisco–based blockchain data storage startup misled investors about product readiness, customer adoption and promised token lockups, then sold off massive amounts of CERE tokens shortly after the public offering, triggering a price collapse. Cere pitched itself as a decentralized cloud data platform that would let organizations securely collaborate across blockchain and conventional systems. The project’s native crypto asset, CERE, was billed as the network’s payment and governance token; investors were told proceeds from token sales would fund infrastructure buildout and that the token would eventually list on major exchanges, including Binance. One plaintiff, Lujunjin “Vivian” Liu, says she was recruited as a senior strategic advisor and paid in CERE tokens while also investing personally and through Goopal Digital Ltd., an affiliated investment firm. Liu claims she worked up to 20 hours a week from 2019 through 2021 on fundraising, investor introductions and token planning ahead of the public sale. According to the filing, Cere raised nearly $50 million via private and public token sales in November 2021. Investors were allegedly told insiders’ tokens would be subject to lockups to prevent early selling — a safeguard the complaint calls false. Plaintiffs contend Jin and other insiders sold tens of millions of dollars in tokens soon after launch, causing CERE to plunge from roughly $0.45 at launch to $0.06 within weeks, and to about $0.0012 as of Thursday — a drop of more than 99% from its peak. The suit accuses the defendants of overstating customer traction, technical readiness and enterprise adoption — including claims of Fortune 1000 clients that plaintiffs say were misleading — and alleges token-sale proceeds were used to enrich insiders rather than build the business. Liu and Goopal seek $25 million in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages. The complaint frames the case as fraud and racketeering tied to the token sale and alleged post-launch sell-off. Cere and the individuals named have not yet publicly responded in the filing, and the allegations remain unproven in court. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Sygnum Bank and partner Starboard Digital have pulled in more than 750 BTC—roughly $65 million at current levels—for a new yield-focused bitcoin product, underscoring growing institutional demand for income-generating crypto strategies. The Cayman Islands–domiciled BTC Alpha Fund, launched in October, is built to produce steady returns on bitcoin holdings without relying on price appreciation. In its first full quarter of trading the fund delivered an 8.9% annualized net return, and it targets 8–10% annual BTC‑denominated returns going forward. BTC Alpha pursues those returns by systematically capturing price differences between spot and derivatives markets. In practice, the fund runs systematic arbitrage-style strategies that exploit short-term dislocations across exchanges to generate income irrespective of bitcoin’s direction. Markus Hämmerli, Sygnum’s head of portfolio management, says the strong early inflows reflect rising institutional appetite for yield solutions that preserve long-term bitcoin exposure. The fund is available to professional investors in jurisdictions including Switzerland and Singapore. Sygnum also allows fund shares to be used as collateral for Lombard loans, giving investors a way to unlock liquidity without selling their bitcoin positions. Earlier this year the bank teamed up with bitcoin-lending startup Debifi to launch what they described as the first bank-backed loan platform that lets borrowers keep control of their BTC. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has approved the country’s first US dollar–backed stablecoin, marking a major regulatory milestone for digital assets in the region. Under the bank’s Payment Token Services Regulation (PTSR), Universal Digital will issue and manage the USDU token. Universal is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Reserves backing USDU are held 1:1 in safeguarded onshore accounts at Universal’s banking partners — Emirates NBD and Mashreq, with Mbank. Why it matters - USDU becomes a fully regulated USD stablecoin operating under a central bank payments framework, a step that the press release says places the UAE ahead of the U.S., EU and much of Asia on regulated stablecoin issuance. - The 1:1 reserve model and onshore custody with established UAE banks aim to deliver transparency and institutional confidence, key hurdles for broader crypto adoption. Market infrastructure and distribution - Aquanow, a digital asset infrastructure firm, has been named global distribution partner to support institutional access to USDU outside the UAE where local rules permit. - The move is pitched as supporting the maturation of regulated digital-value instruments for institutional clients. Reaction “USDU sets a new benchmark for regulated digital value,” said Juha Viitala, senior executive officer of Universal. “Being the first Foreign Payment Token registered by the UAE Central Bank — and supported by leading UAE banks — gives institutions the clarity and confidence they have been waiting for. It lays the groundwork for a more transparent and efficient digital-asset market in the UAE and beyond.” “We see growing institutional interest in regulated digital-value instruments, and Universal’s introduction of USDU is a timely step that supports this market’s maturation,” added Joel Van Dusen, Group Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Mashreq. The approval signals increased regulatory clarity in the UAE’s digital-asset ecosystem and could accelerate institutional adoption of stablecoins tied to fiat under formal central bank oversight. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bybit is moving beyond trading with a crypto neobank push that could accelerate fiat on-ramps and sharpen its bid for global expansion, Bloomberg reports. The Dubai-based exchange plans to launch “MyBank” in February, pending regulatory sign-off, offering users the ability to hold and move 18 fiat currencies — including U.S. dollars and euros — via IBAN accounts, according to CEO Ben Zhou. Through partner banks, such as Georgia-licensed Pave Bank, MyBank will let customers send and receive fiat and immediately convert deposits into crypto, simplifying the journey from traditional banking into digital assets. The move flips the script used by fintechs like Revolut and Robinhood, which introduced banking features before adding crypto. It also places Bybit directly in the growing crypto neobank market, where startups such as Ether.fi, Kast and Offramp are already competing to blend payments and custody with crypto-friendly banking rails. Bybit has been expanding its payments footprint already — earlier this year it integrated Bybit Pay with digital wallets in Peru — and sees MyBank as another lever for international growth. CEO Ben Zhou told Bloomberg the exchange is contemplating a U.S. market entry but would require a licensed local partner to proceed. Bybit says it serves more than 81 million users across 200+ countries and has a long-term aim of listing publicly in the U.S. Bloomberg broke the MyBank story; CoinDesk’s follow-up request for comment from Bybit was not immediately answered. The regulatory approval process and details on which jurisdictions will get MyBank first will be watched closely by industry participants and regulators alike. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

BCB Group has named Tim Renew as its new CEO in a leadership reshuffle designed to steer the crypto payments and institutional digital-asset infrastructure provider through its next growth phase. The London-based company said Thursday that co-founder Oliver Tonkin will move into the newly created role of president, where he will continue to shape strategy, company culture and long-term development. Renew — who joined BCB in July 2024 as chief revenue officer and was later promoted to deputy CEO — will assume day-to-day operational leadership. “With the recent grant of our Canadian licence to add to our multiple licenses in Tier 1 jurisdictions and another major region to follow this year, we’re taking a meaningful step toward becoming a truly global platform,” Renew said in emailed comments. “We’re entering 2026 with strong foundations, growing institutional demand and a clear road map. The priority now is disciplined execution - expanding into new markets, strengthening our product set and continuing to build trust with clients, regulators and investors. Scaling globally for us means connecting traditional banking rails with real-time, blockchain-enabled infrastructure in a way institutions can trust.” During Renew’s time at BCB, the firm expanded its international footprint and reported growth in transaction volumes and revenue, with an increasing share of recurring income, the company said. The leadership move comes as BCB positions itself as a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain settlement networks—providing payments and banking infrastructure that enables institutions to use stablecoins and other crypto-native rails. BCB has also been beefing up its senior management, broadening its product offering and preparing to close a Series B funding round as it pursues wider geographic expansion. Tonkin framed the transition as a way to sustain scaling while preserving leadership continuity; Renew will be responsible for executing the company’s growth plans and expanding its customer base. As institutional interest in digital assets and stablecoin-based payments matures, BCB says it enters 2026 with a stronger regulatory footprint and deeper investor relationships — positioning the firm to capitalize on growing demand for trusted, bank-grade crypto infrastructure. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Metaplanet moves to raise up to ¥21 billion ($137M) to cut debt and expand its bitcoin hoard Tokyo-based Metaplanet has launched a private capital raise that could bring in as much as ¥21 billion (about $137 million) to help fund additional bitcoin purchases and reduce leverage. Deal mechanics - The company will issue 24.53 million new common shares at ¥499 each (roughly a 5% premium to the prior close), generating about ¥12.24 billion in immediate proceeds. - The placement is structured as a third-party allotment—securities sold directly to selected investors rather than the open market. - Each new share is paired with 0.65 stock acquisition rights (warrants), representing 15.94 million potential additional shares (65% warrant coverage). The warrants carry a fixed exercise price of ¥547 and can be exercised during a one-year window. If all are exercised, Metaplanet would receive up to about ¥8.9 billion more, bringing total potential proceeds to roughly ¥21 billion. Why it matters - Metaplanet will use ¥5.2 billion of the upfront capital to partially repay existing debt; the company reports roughly $280 million of debt outstanding on its dashboard. The balance of the funds is earmarked for further bitcoin accumulation and general corporate purposes. - The warrants are fixed-strike rather than “moving strike” style, which caps potential variability in dilution and gives investors a clear exercise price and timeframe. Market reaction and crypto exposure - Despite the offering price’s premium, Metaplanet shares closed the day at ¥456 (down about 4%), reflecting investor concern over near-term dilution. - Metaplanet already holds 35,102 BTC—making it the fourth-largest bitcoin holder among publicly traded companies—so this capital raise is explicitly aimed at accelerating an already aggressive BTC buying strategy. Bottom line: the move shores up liquidity and reduces debt while positioning Metaplanet to buy more bitcoin, though the placement and accompanying warrants introduce dilution risks that weighed on the stock in the short term. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: TRM Labs — Illicit Crypto Inflows Soared to $158B in 2025, Driven by Sanctions-Linked Activity Even as Market Share Shrinks A new report from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs shows 2025 was a landmark year for illicit cryptocurrency inflows, with incoming funds to illicit wallets jumping roughly 145% year‑over‑year. TRM estimates illicit wallets received about $158 billion in 2025, up from $64.5 billion in 2024 — the highest total recorded in the past five years. Big picture: dollar surge, smaller market share - In absolute dollars, illicit crypto activity rebounded sharply after several years of decline (from $85.9B in 2021 to $75.4B in 2022, $73.3B in 2023 and a low point in 2024). - Despite the surge in dollars, illicit activity made up a slightly smaller slice of the overall on‑chain market in 2025: 1.2% of attributed on‑chain transaction volume (down from 1.3% in 2024 and well below the 2.4% peak in 2023). - Illicit entities received 2.7% of incoming flows to virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in 2025, versus 2.9% the year before and 6.0% in 2023. Sanctions drive the spike TRM identifies sanctions‑related activity as the primary engine behind 2025’s jump. The report points to roughly $72 billion in inflows associated with the A7A5 token and another $39 billion tied to the A7 wallet cluster. Much of that volume is concentrated among Russia‑linked actors and platforms — including entities like Garantex, Grinex and A7 — underscoring how sanctioned networks accounted for a large share of the year’s illicit flows. Geopolitics and the institutionalization of crypto rails The report stresses a broader shift in behavior: state and state‑aligned actors increasingly use crypto as a core part of their financial infrastructure, rather than only as a last‑resort workaround. While Russia‑linked networks were the most visible contributors to sanctions‑related volumes in 2025, TRM warns that other sanctioned actors are similarly professionalizing and institutionalizing crypto payment rails. China’s growing role in illicit services China remains central to the illicit crypto ecosystem as a hub for financial services infrastructure. TRM documents explosive growth in Chinese‑language escrow services and underground banking networks: adjusted crypto volumes tied to these networks rose from about $123 million in 2020 to more than $103 billion in 2025, highlighting how rapidly these operations have scaled. Why it matters The report presents a complex picture: illicit crypto flows surged to record levels in dollar terms, but those flows accounted for a smaller portion of the booming overall market. The concentration of activity in a handful of clusters and the increasing use of crypto by state‑aligned and sanctioned actors underscore persistent compliance and enforcement challenges for exchanges, regulators and blockchain intelligence firms. Featured image from DALL‑E; chart from TradingView.com. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Crypto analyst Ted Pillows is warning that the much-anticipated “altcoin season” might not materialize this cycle, arguing that market dynamics today are fundamentally different from past bull runs. In a recent post on X, Pillows challenged the common narrative that gains in Bitcoin and other safe-haven assets will automatically rotate into altcoins, saying that expectations are based on old playbooks that no longer apply. Why this cycle is different - The 2024/2025 cycle, Pillows says, hasn’t produced the classic BTC-to-alt rotation because the dominant buyers of Bitcoin are now institutions rather than retail traders. Institutions typically accumulate BTC as a long-term asset and are less likely to redeploy those gains into smaller altcoins, unlike retail-driven rotations seen in 2021. That behavior helps explain Bitcoin’s outsized market share: CoinMarketCap currently lists Bitcoin dominance at about 58.9%. Gold, silver and the “rotation” myth - Some market observers have speculated that strength in precious metals—fuelled by rising prices and social-media interest—could funnel flows into Bitcoin and eventually into altcoins. Pillows pushed back, noting that today’s primary buyers of gold and silver are central banks rather than retail investors, which again reduces the odds of a cascading retail-style rotation that benefits altcoins. The article cites gold trading above $5,270 per ounce and silver near $113 per ounce, with both metals pushing toward new highs. What would actually spark an altcoin surge? Pillows isn’t ruling out an altcoin rally entirely, but he says it would likely require two major developments: 1) Clear regulatory progress — specifically approval of the so-called Clarity Act, which could boost institutional confidence in a broader range of digital assets. That bill, however, is currently delayed in Congress. 2) A return to aggressive liquidity expansion akin to the quantitative-easing environment of 2020–2021. Absent those conditions, Pillows predicts only a small group of altcoins with strong fundamentals or unique use cases will outperform, while many others could steadily decline and potentially go to zero. Bottom line Pillows’ take is a reminder that structural shifts in market participants and macro liquidity can change how crypto cycles play out. Traders and investors should temper expectations for a broad altcoin season unless regulatory clarity and renewed liquidity come into play. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Tether is quietly building what its CEO Paolo Ardoino describes as a central-bank-scale gold operation — and it’s doing so in physical metal, not just on paper. In a Bloomberg interview, Ardoino said Tether is “soon becoming basically one of the biggest, let’s say, gold central banks in the world.” The company is reportedly moving more than a ton of bullion into a high-security Swiss vault each week, creating what Bloomberg calls the largest known private stash outside of banks and nation-states. Why now - Gold has rallied to fresh records above $5,200 an ounce this week amid a broader “debasement trade” — investors fleeing sovereign bonds and weaker currencies into hard assets. Ardoino framed Tether’s accumulation as a monetary decision: “Gold is logically a safer asset than any national currency,” he said, noting that many BRICS central banks are buying gold and that Tether’s user base tends to favor gold as a hedge against local currency debasement. How it’s funded and run - The cash engine behind the push is USDT. With roughly $186 billion in circulation, Tether takes in dollars for stablecoin issuance and puts reserves into Treasuries, gold and other assets — generating yield and trading profits that can be recycled into more bullion. - Ardoino says the company will manage its gold position dynamically, reassessing demand quarterly rather than treating purchases as one-offs. He insists Tether will “remain very long physical gold” even as it develops trading strategies to buy at scale and exploit market inefficiencies. Operational changes and logistics - This is being treated like commodities operations, not typical crypto treasury management: Tether is streamlining logistics, buying directly from Swiss refiners, sourcing metal from major financial institutions, and accepting that large orders can take months to fill. - The firm has hired two senior gold traders from HSBC and is building out a “trading floor for gold” to handle large, recurring purchases and to trade around dislocations between futures and physical markets. Tokenized bullion and market footprint - Tether’s tokenized gold, XAUT — a token redeemable for physical bullion — currently represents about 16 tons of gold, roughly $2.7 billion. Ardoino said there’s a “good chance” XAUT could reach $5 billion–$10 billion in circulation by year-end as interest in tokenized gold grows, particularly among countries and investors seeking alternatives to the U.S. dollar. - At the time of the report, XAUT traded around $5,283. Implications - Tether’s approach changes the conversation about stablecoin issuers: from fintech treasuries to entities operating at sovereign-like scale in specific asset markets. Ardoino framed this as a responsibility: “We are operating at a scale that now places the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders,” he said. - For crypto markets, the move underscores growing intersection between tokenization and traditional commodity markets — and raises questions about market impact, custody, and the role large private holders play in price discovery. Bottom line: Tether isn’t just backing dollars anymore — it’s building a sizable presence in physical gold and pushing deeper into tokenized bullion, positioning itself as a major player in both the bullion market and the growing on-chain gold ecosystem. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

South Korea’s financial regulator is pressing ahead with plans to limit how much founders and major shareholders can own in crypto exchanges — a proposal that’s already drawing resistance from industry leaders and lawmakers. What’s proposed - The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is reviewing a cap that would limit controlling shareholders’ stakes in crypto exchanges to roughly 15%–20%. FSC Chairman Lee Eog-weon says the measure is intended to “align governance standards with the exchanges’ increasing public role.” - Lee warned that “excessive concentration of ownership” risks conflicts of interest and could undermine market integrity, noting that securities exchanges and other trading platforms already face similar ownership limits. - The cap would be written into the Digital Asset Basic Act (the second phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act), which aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for the entire crypto sector. Why the change now - Under current rules, virtual asset exchanges operate under a notification system that must be renewed every three years. The draft law would move the sector to an authorization system — effectively granting exchanges permanent operating status — and, Lee argues, that higher status requires governance rules comparable to public infrastructure. - Until now, most rules have focused on anti-money laundering and investor protection; the ownership cap is intended to address corporate governance risks as exchanges take on a larger public role. Who’s pushing back - A joint council representing major domestic exchanges — including Upbit, Bithumb, and Coinone — has opposed the cap, warning it could stifle the development of South Korea’s digital asset industry. - Founders such as Song Chi-hyung (chairman of Dunamu, operator of Upbit) and Cha Myung-hoon (founder of Coinone) would likely have to sell significant holdings if the law takes effect. - The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has also expressed reservations, noting that such caps are uncommon internationally and could make South Korea’s rules at odds with global regulatory trends. Stablecoins, bank involvement, and other sticking points - The DPK’s Digital Assets Task Force met with government officials and plans to introduce the Digital Asset Basic Act before the Lunar New Year holiday on February 17. Lawmaker Ahn Do-geol said the party hopes to present a framework “agreed upon with the government as much as possible” by then. - On stablecoins, the task force rejected the Bank of Korea’s proposal for a unanimity requirement for authorization. Instead, it chose a consultative body — comprising the BOK, the FSC, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Financial Supervisory Service — to review stablecoin approvals. The task force reasoned unanimity could slow issuance; critics saw the BOK’s original push as a bid to exert control over stablecoins. - The minimum statutory capital for stablecoin issuers was set at 5 billion won (about $3.48 million). However, the task force has not reached agreement on whether won-pegged stablecoins will be permitted and under what terms. - A major point of contention remains the role of banks in stablecoin issuance. The Bank of Korea reportedly wanted any approved stablecoin issuer to be at least 51% owned by a consortium of banks, a proposal the FSC has pushed back against. DPK lawmaker Lee Kang-il acknowledged the “50%+1 share rule remains contentious,” but said a mediation plan is ready and decisions will be made “in a direction that serves the national interest overall and benefits the public.” What’s next Expect intensive negotiation in the coming weeks as regulators, the ruling party, and industry stakeholders try to finalize the Digital Asset Basic Act ahead of the February 17 target. The result will shape not only ownership and governance rules for exchanges, but also the future of stablecoin issuance and the role of banks in South Korea’s crypto ecosystem. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

All eyes are on the U.S. dollar as markets weigh competing forces: President Donald Trump has praised the dollar’s recent weakness as “great,” but that softness also signals fading investor confidence amid rising U.S. debt and tariff uncertainty — factors that are eroding the dollar’s yield advantage. DXY’s slide is already visible in the data. The dollar index dropped 9.4% in 2025 — its worst annual performance in eight years — and has extended losses into 2026, down about 2.23% so far. Historically, such dollar weakness has coincided with powerful Bitcoin rallies: when DXY fell below 96 in 2017, BTC surged nearly eightfold; a similar decline during 2020’s liquidity wave preceded roughly a sevenfold BTC run (source: TradingView DXY/BTC). Trump frames a softer dollar as constructive for the economy — boosting exports, keeping rates lower, and supporting GDP — and his public pressure on Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates reinforces the perception of ongoing dollar weakness. That narrative could push investors to rotate capital away from dollar-denominated yields and toward alternative assets like Bitcoin. But the Fed pushed back. At the most recent FOMC meeting, Chair Powell resisted political pressure and kept policy rates steady, reiterating a data-driven approach. Bitcoin briefly reacted with a modest 1.3% intraday dip, trading around $85k after failing to hold above $90k. That choppy action keeps BTC in a “pre-breakout” pattern, but it raises the key question: will investors follow the historical playbook this time? There are clear warning signs. Long-term Bitcoin holders (LTHs) have sold 143,000 BTC over the past month — the fastest pace of offloading in four months — pushing their net position deeper into the red (source: Glassnode). AMBCrypto notes that this behavior suggests some LTHs aren’t buying into the softer-dollar thesis. At the same time, analysts warn that the U.S. — the world’s largest importer — faces inflation risks that could undercut any easy case for rate cuts and complicate Trump’s narrative. Bottom line: dollar weakness has historically favored BTC, but the current setup is more conflicted. A politically driven push for a softer dollar sits against a Fed intent on data-driven policy, fraying investor conviction. If dollar pressures persist, Bitcoin could resume its historical rally; if confidence continues to slip and bids weaken, capital may flow back toward safer havens. What to watch next: DXY direction, Fed communications and incoming macro data, large-cap BTC flows (especially LTH activity), and BTC’s ability to reclaim $90k. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading carries high risk; readers should do their own research before making decisions. Sources: TradingView, Glassnode, AMBCrypto. © 2026 AMBCrypto. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The crypto industry is moving fast to salvage a long-stalled market-structure bill as U.S. political pressure ramps up ahead of November’s midterms. What’s happening The White House has convened a meeting for Feb. 2 with crypto firms and banks to seek a compromise on the CLARITY Act — the proposed bill intended to overhaul crypto market structure. The sticking point: stablecoin yields. Banks and crypto firms remain at odds over whether and how rewards on stablecoins should be allowed, a dispute that has frozen momentum. Why the bill stalled The CLARITY Act lost a major backer in mid‑January when Coinbase withdrew support, saying the draft contained “too many issues,” including what it described as a direct ban on stablecoin rewards and restrictions on tokenized securities. That move forced the planned Senate Banking Committee vote to be postponed and sparked a series of tense negotiations. Reports say the White House pressed Coinbase to return to talks, while Senate leadership pushed the Banking Committee to focus on affordable housing policy — further sidelining the bill as winter storms and the threat of a government shutdown added to the uncertainty. Why the Feb. 2 meeting matters The meeting signals renewed intent to push the bill forward and could mark meaningful progress toward what many in the industry are calling the most consequential regulatory effort since the stablecoin framework known as the GENIUS Act. If negotiators can bridge the stablecoin-yield divide, the CLARITY Act could set major precedents for how U.S. markets handle tokenized assets and crypto market mechanics. Industry response The Blockchain Association — an umbrella trade group that includes Coinbase, Kraken, Ripple and others and was invited to the White House meeting — welcomed the talks. CEO Summer Mersinger said the group “looks forward to continuing to work with policymakers across the aisle so Congress can advance lasting market structure legislation and ensure the United States remains the crypto capital of the world.” Cody Carbone, CEO of The Digital Chamber, praised the White House for “pulling all sides to the negotiation table.” Politics and money Political stakes are high. Former President Donald Trump, who received sizable crypto support on the 2024 campaign trail, has pledged regulatory clarity for the industry — and the sector is planning to defend and advance that agenda. Crypto-aligned Super PAC Fairshake has unveiled a $193 million war chest ahead of the November midterms. According to the PAC, it has raised an additional $74 million since July, including $25 million each from Coinbase and Ripple and $24 million from VC firm a16z. Fairshake’s spokesperson, Josh Vlasto, said the group will “oppose anti-crypto politicians and support pro-crypto leaders.” Analysts now rank Fairshake as the second-largest Super PAC by funding, underscoring crypto’s growing role in U.S. political influence. Bottom line Negotiations around the CLARITY Act are heading back to the table, with the White House playing an active mediating role. The outcome will shape whether the U.S. delivers the long-sought regulatory clarity many in the industry want — and it will unfold against a fraught political calendar that has both sides racing to lock in advantages before November. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risk; readers should do their own research before making financial decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitwise plants a flag for a possible Uniswap ETF — but UNI’s charts still show cracks Bitwise quietly took a preparatory step toward a Uniswap-linked ETF this week by registering a Delaware trust named for a Bitwise Uniswap ETF. The move signals the asset manager is positioning itself to offer a product tied to Uniswap (UNI) if and when the regulatory environment allows — but it’s important to stress this is an early legal setup, not an active SEC filing. Why the Delaware trust matters Delaware trust registrations are a common tactical move in traditional finance and increasingly in crypto: they establish a legal vehicle that lets firms move quickly should regulations or SEC guidance change. Analysts caution that such registrations often precede — but do not guarantee — a formal ETF filing. At present there is no active SEC review of a Uniswap ETF and no confirmed timeline for any official application. In short, Bitwise appears to be preparing the groundwork rather than launching an immediate product. Market reaction and flows The filing did give UNI a short-term lift. Around the announcement Uniswap traded near $4.82, up roughly 3.8% over 24 hours. But that pop comes against a mixed backdrop in the broader ETF-driven flow environment: - Ethereum (ETH) saw heavy outflows totaling $63.53 million. - Ripple (XRP) led inflows with $9.16 million. - Solana (SOL) recorded $1.87 million of inflows. - Chainlink (LINK) captured around $439,030 in inflows. These divergent flows suggest investors are reallocating capital — in some cases trimming exposure to larger, more established assets like ETH while directing funds to other tokens. UNI’s structural headwinds The price bump hasn’t erased longer-term concerns. UNI has underperformed over the past three weeks, lagging many altcoins that rallied alongside Bitcoin in early January. Momentum that briefly returned during the UNIfication governance proposal evaporated soon after the vote passed. Even high-profile, token-positive updates — a 100 million UNI burn, Uniswap Labs removing frontend fees, and activation of fee switches — failed to ignite a sustained rally. What it means Bitwise’s filing is notable because it reflects institutional interest in packaging DeFi exposure for traditional investors. But investors and analysts should treat this as strategic positioning rather than an imminent product launch. Meanwhile, Uniswap’s improving fundamentals and governance milestones haven’t yet translated into consistent price appreciation, leaving bullish traders cautious. Disclaimer: This article is informational and not investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading carries high risk; do your own research before making decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Institutional money is quietly backing Chainlink as a core piece of the DeFi stack — and the flows tell a different story than the broader market noise. Despite heavy hype in the 2025 cycle, many institutions haven’t fully bought the “fundamentals-led” narrative across the board. Take Ethereum: the chain finished 2025 down about 11%, yet on-chain activity has been strong. Network upgrades Fuska and Pecta have cut fees and eased congestion, with daily transactions climbing to a record 2.3 million as the 2026 cycle gets underway — a tangible sign that the improvements are working. Still, big-ticket capital hasn’t followed: ETFs recorded nearly $664 million in outflows in a single week. Chainlink, however, stands out. Grayscale’s Chainlink ETF (GLNK) posted $4.05 million in inflows over the same period, a clear divergence from Ethereum’s Grayscale Spot ETF (ETHE), which saw $52 million in outflows. Source: SoSoValue. The contrast deepens when comparing Chainlink to other large-cap tokens. SoSoValue data shows Chainlink’s ETF flows outpacing Dogecoin’s (DOGE), even though DOGE’s market cap remains nearly three times larger. That pattern suggests the capital flowing into LINK isn’t a short-term momentum chase — it looks more like institutions allocating to a fundamentals-driven narrative. Why LINK? DeFi is resurfacing: DeFiLlama reports total value locked (TVL) across Layer-1s has climbed back to $170 billion, reclaiming levels last seen before the post‑2022 drawdown. Growth has flowed into stablecoins, real-world assets (RWA), and AI-linked projects — and Chainlink has positioned itself at the center of that expansion. The network joined the Global Alliance for KRW Stablecoins (GAKS), signaling a direct role in Korea’s stablecoin infrastructure — a backbone for DeFi rails worldwide. Source: DeFiLlama. Chainlink’s fundamentals are showing in the metrics. Its total value secured (TVS) — the aggregate assets protected by Chainlink oracles — hit a record $70 billion in Q4 2025, underscoring growing adoption and real-world usage of its oracle services. That combination of protocol-level adoption, integrations with stablecoin ecosystems, and rising TVS helps explain why institutional inflows to LINK appear more strategic than speculative. Bottom line: while macro and market-level ETF flows have been weak, Chainlink is attracting targeted institutional interest based on utility and infrastructure value. For investors and observers, LINK’s latest inflows could signal a selective, fundamentals-driven rotation into real-world DeFi plumbing rather than a broad risk-on move. Disclaimer: AMBCrypto's content is informational and not investment advice. Trading cryptocurrencies carries high risk — do your own research before making decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

A major infrastructure piece for on-chain AI is set to arrive just as traders watch the market cautiously. Ethereum’s new ERC-8004 standard—designed to let AI agents discover, register and validate one another directly inside smart contracts—is expected to hit mainnet imminently, and could reshape how decentralized AI services interoperate. What’s happening MetaMask’s head of AI, Marco De Rossi, said development on ERC-8004 has been frozen and mainnet deployment is expected midweek, likely Thursday around 9 AM ET (source: Telegram). Ethereum’s official X account echoed the timing, announcing the protocol is going live “soon” and calling the rollout a move that “unlocks a global market where AI services can interoperate without gatekeepers.” Why ERC-8004 matters Unlike protocol-level upgrades, ERC-8004 requires no changes to Ethereum’s core network. Instead it provides a common on-chain registry and validation pattern for AI agents, enabling discovery and basic trust guarantees inside smart contracts. Existing tools such as MCP and Agent2Agent already handle communication and task coordination between agents, but they don’t solve discovery and reliability at the registry level—ERC-8004 aims to fill that gap. The standard could make it easier for developers to build interoperable AI marketplaces and services that find and verify counterparties without centralized intermediaries. Market context Despite the potential, ETH’s price action shows a measured market. At press time ETH traded near $3,025, up slightly after rebounding from a dip toward the $2,900 area earlier in the week (source: TradingView). The recovery came with higher trading volume, signaling buyer interest on the pullback, but momentum indicators paint a cautious picture: RSI isn’t overbought and lacks strong bullish pressure (source: Coinalyze). Derivatives picture Aggregated open interest has climbed to roughly $17.05 billion, recovering from recent lows. That suggests traders are rebuilding positions, though current activity doesn’t appear to be driven by aggressive leverage. The takeaway ERC-8004 could lower the friction for on-chain AI services to find and trust one another, potentially attracting developers and new use cases to Ethereum. Whether that drives sustained on-chain activity and capital back to Ethereum’s mainnet remains to be seen—adoption will depend on developer uptake, integrations with existing agent frameworks, and real-world use cases. Disclaimer: AMBCrypto's content is meant to be informational in nature and should not be interpreted as investment advice. Trading, buying or selling cryptocurrencies should be considered high-risk and every reader is advised to do their own research before making decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: PIPPIN Rockets 69% in 24 Hours — Liquidity Clusters and Smart‑Money Moves Now Set the Next Leg Pippin (PIPPIN) ripped 69% higher in a single day on January 28, standing out as most memecoins faded. The rally came with a surge in activity — trading volume jumped more than 600% and Open Interest spiked as speculative demand poured in — pushing the token into a highly sensitive decision zone. Why this rally could flip fast CoinGlass liquidation data highlights two critical liquidity clusters at $0.55 and $0.47. Those levels matter because forced liquidations can amplify moves: - Holding above $0.55 would likely trigger short liquidations and could fuel an upside squeeze. - A drop toward $0.47 would probably trigger long liquidations and accelerate downside pressure. That configuration makes intraday sentiment the dominant driver: momentum traders can keep pushing price up, but profit-taking or a quick smart‑money exit could flip the script. (Source: CoinGlass) Smart money piling in — and why that’s risky On January 28, StalkChain flagged Pippin as the single most‑bought token by smart‑money wallets in one day, with inflows of $120,889.40. Heavy buys from sophisticated wallets can signal confidence, but they also carry the risk of rapid selloffs — smart money often rotates quickly, and their next moves could decide whether the rally sustains or collapses. (Source: StalkChain) Technical picture and targets At the time of reporting, PIPPIN was trading above its 50% Fibonacci retracement and hovering near a $0.71 all‑time high. The next upside target lines up around $0.90, near the 79% Fib level. That path, however, largely hinges on clearing the $0.55–$0.56 resistance band: a clean breakout through that range would increase odds of a run to new highs, while failure to hold above $0.55 risks renewed liquidation pressure and a pullback toward $0.47 — a move that would undermine the bullish setup. (Source: TradingView) Bottom line Pippin’s explosive move has put it at a crossroad: liquidity clusters and fast‑moving smart money are now the key determinants of what comes next. Traders will be watching $0.55 and $0.47 closely — a breakout through the former could spark a squeeze, while a slide to the latter could accelerate the selloff. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading is high risk; do your own research before making any decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Dogecoin cools off after recent rally, slips below $0.122 Dogecoin (DOGE) pared some of its recent gains and slipped under $0.122 against the US dollar after failing to push past $0.1275. The pullback, which tracked a broader market wobble alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, has left DOGE hovering near short-term support at $0.120 (Kraken hourly data). What happened - The downswing began from the $0.1275 high and pushed DOGE below $0.1250 and $0.1245. - On the hourly chart, price fell beneath a bullish trend line that had supported moves around $0.1245. - DOGE is trading below the 100-hour simple moving average and under the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the $0.1175–$0.1275 move (around $0.1225). Key levels to watch - Immediate upside resistance: ~$0.1235, then $0.1250 and $0.1275. A decisive close above $0.1275 could open a move toward $0.1350, with further targets near $0.1380–$0.1420. - Near-term support: $0.120 (also the ~76.4% Fib of the recent rise) and $0.1192. The main floor sits at $0.1150; a breach below that could expose $0.1080 and even $0.1050 in the near term. Technical read - Hourly MACD: bearish momentum building. - Hourly RSI: below 50, signaling loss of short-term bullish strength. Bottom line DOGE’s fate in the coming sessions hinges on the $0.120 support. Holding that level could set the stage for a rebound toward $0.125–$0.1275; failing it would likely accelerate downside pressure toward $0.1150 and lower. Data source: Kraken. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez is flagging a familiar — and historically ominous — technical signal for Bitcoin: a short-term moving average has just crossed below a longer-term one, a pattern that has preceded sharp sell-offs in previous cycles. What happened - On a daily chart Martinez shared on X, Bitcoin’s 21-day simple moving average (SMA) recently slipped under its 50-day SMA. SMAs average price over a set period to smooth out noise; traders often watch crossovers between different SMAs for trend signals. - Historically, this particular 21/50-day crossover has acted like a “death cross” for Bitcoin. Martinez’s decade-long chart highlights prior instances where the signal was followed by steep drawdowns, typically in the 54%–69% range. - The most recent comparable instance was the 2022 crossover, which preceded a near-66% decline into that bear-market bottom. Why it matters now - If this crossover again ushers in bearish momentum, on-chain metrics suggest a possible downside target. Martinez pointed to the Realized Price-to-Liveliness Ratio — an on-chain level that blends two indicators: - Realized Price: the cost basis of the average investor/address on the Bitcoin blockchain. - Liveliness: a measure of how much long-term holders are spending versus HODLing. - Martinez noted on X: “The last time Bitcoin $BTC fell below the Realized Price-to-Liveliness Ratio, it moved toward the Realized Price.” Today the ratio sits around $87,500 and the Realized Price is about $56,000. Short-term price context - Bitcoin briefly dipped below the $87,500 Realized Price-to-Liveliness mark during a Sunday pullback but recovered above it. At the time of writing, BTC is trading around $89,500, roughly 2% higher over the past seven days. Bottom line - The 21/50-day SMA crossover is a warning signal with a track record in prior cycles, and on-chain levels give a framework for potential downside if selling intensifies. As always, moving averages and on-chain ratios are probabilistic tools — useful for context but not guarantees — so traders and investors should weigh signals alongside risk-management plans and broader macro conditions. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news