In January 2026, the XRP Ledger processed 1.45 million daily transactions, extending an upswing in activity that started in late 2025 alongside new payment corridors and stablecoin integrations. Analyst Sam Daodu notes that this growing on-chain usage, combined with eight-year-low exchange reserves and ETF inflows, contrasts with XRP's retrace from $2.42 to about $2.048 after a prior rally to $3.65, a pattern he says has historically preceded delayed price breakouts.

White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt stated that Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case has not been sold and will remain on the US government's balance sheet under the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The assets in question amount to 57.55 BTC, valued at nearly $6.4 million, and were seized after US authorities said the mixer was used for over $237 million in illicit transactions.

Analysts at JPMorgan, led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, reported that crypto exchange-traded funds pulled in a record $130 billion last year, with Bitcoin and Ethereum products and digital asset treasuries driving most of the demand. More than half of 2025's digital asset inflows, about $68 billion, came from DAT companies, while institutional activity in CME futures fell versus 2024. The analysts expect institutional flows to rebound in 2026, potentially supported by US regulatory initiatives such as the CLARITY Act, while Bitcoin recently traded around $96,050 after gaining 10% in two weeks.

Senators Ron Wyden and Cynthia Lummis introduced a bipartisan, standalone version of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act on Monday evening. The bill seeks to clarify that developers and infrastructure providers who do not control user funds should not be treated as money transmitters, aiming to provide federal clarity for blockchain software and network operations.

Bitcoin's price recently slipped under $90,000 before recovering to about $91,390, and analysts have highlighted several critical levels that could shape its short-term path. They point to supports around $89,200, $87,500 and $87,200, warning that a break could open the way to about $69,230, while upside scenarios involve reclaiming the $94,000–$95,000 band and potentially extending toward $102,000–$103,000 or even $135,000.

The crypto market's recent bounce has given way to renewed volatility, with Bitcoin and other major assets giving back part of their earlier gains. In a report released on January 6, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan set out three conditions he believes are required for a durable rally in 2026: avoiding a repeat of the record October 10, 2025 liquidation that wiped out about $19 billion in futures, securing passage of the CLARITY Act, and maintaining relative stability in U.S. equities.

According to VanEck's long-term capital study, Bitcoin could reach $2.9 million per coin by 2050 on a projected 15% CAGR from about $88,000. The framework spans a "Settlement Pivot", where BTC processes 5–10% of cross‑border trade and 5% of domestic activity, and a "Reserve Pivot" tied to G7 debt concerns, with outcomes from a $130,000 bear case to a $53.4 million bull case.

According to Bull Theory analysts, MSCI's October 10 proposal to remove Digital Asset Treasury Companies from its global indexes and the later ETF filings by Morgan Stanley may be linked to Bitcoin's sharp downturn and recovery. They argue the 31% Bitcoin drop, nearly $18,000 in losses and over $900 billion erased from the crypto market set the stage for institutional accumulation before the January 1, 2026 price rebound and subsequent ETF announcements. Bitcoin is now trading around $91,550 after pulling back 2% from a recent $95,000 local high.

On Monday, Bitcoin climbed back above $93,000 as major altcoins including Ethereum, XRP, and Solana staged their strongest rebound in nearly a month. CoinGecko data shows Bitcoin up 7% over the week, while Ethereum and Solana gained nearly 9% and XRP advanced about 15%. On-chain figures cited by analysts indicate whales bought around 270,000 BTC, worth roughly $23 billion, in the last 30 days, while the $93,500 zone is now highlighted as an important resistance level that could cap prices for an extended period.