On 17 January 2026, Cathie Wood reiterated in ARK Invest’s 2026 outlook that Bitcoin’s fixed issuance schedule gives it a structural scarcity edge over gold. She noted that gold supply historically expands as prices rise, while Bitcoin’s programmed halvings drive annual supply growth below 1% and toward about 0.4% later this decade, supporting her long-term price projection of roughly $1.2 million by 2030. Wood also highlighted Bitcoin’s low correlation with traditional assets and its asymmetric upside versus gold, arguing it has a distinct role in diversified portfolios.

According to on‑chain analyst Darkfost, Bitcoin’s short‑term holder realized price sits near $102,000, with spot trading below that mark. On January 16, 2026, trader Merlijn The Trader highlighted a potential double bottom and said a clean break above $102,000 implies a move toward $110,000, while holding around $95,500 maintains structure and a drop under $87,500 invalidates.

On 16 January 2026, Justin Bons, founder and CIO of Cyber Capital, presented an analysis warning that Bitcoin could face a structural breakdown in roughly 7 to 11 years as halving events reduce miner incentives. He argues that declining miner revenue, limited fee scalability, capacity bottlenecks, and rigid governance could make profitable attacks and severe congestion more likely as block rewards trend toward zero.

On January 16, 2026, West Virginia introduced a bill to let the treasury allocate up to ten percent of state funds to Bitcoin and other inflation-hedge assets meeting a $750 billion market cap. Arizona is advancing separate measures to accept Bitcoin for taxes with instant USD conversion, and to permit certain public funds to hold up to ten percent in a Bitcoin reserve.

On 16 January 2026, Ripple secured registration from the UK Financial Conduct Authority for its local unit Ripple Markets UK Limited, allowing it to operate within Britain's regulatory perimeter. The authorization enables Ripple to offer crypto-related payment services, manage fiat flows domestically, and strengthens its positioning with banks and institutional clients across the UK and wider Europe.

KBC will open retail access to Bitcoin and Ether trading through its Bolero self-directed platform from mid-February. The bank says all assets will be held under its custody and structured to meet MiCA standards, after Belgium's implementing law took effect on Jan. 3, 2026. KBC has filed its crypto asset service provider notification.

On 16 January 2026, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan warned that authorizing yield on stablecoins could drain deposits from US banks and erode lending capacity. According to studies cited by the US Treasury, potential outflows could reach several trillion dollars, with small and mid-sized businesses most exposed as credit tightens while the Senate debates the CLARITY Act.

On January 15, 2026, Ki Young Ju highlighted on-chain signals that retail participation in Bitcoin has faded. By January 16, 2026, the market appeared subdued as larger holders accumulated, with smaller-wallet activity reverting toward long‑term norms. According to the article, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw early‑year inflows, while capital rotated to stocks and silver.

On 16 January 2026, Belgium's second-largest lender KBC Group was reported to be preparing a launch of cryptocurrency trading for customers in February 2026. The regulated service, integrated into the Bolero investment platform and aligned with the EU's MiCA framework, would make KBC the first Belgian bank to offer direct, compliant access to digital assets.