Ethereum

On Wednesday, Vitalik Buterin proposed embedding native distributed validator technology (DVT) into Ethereum's staking protocol to mitigate single-node failure. The design lets a validator register up to 16 keys and require threshold signatures for block duties. The move comes as more than 36 million ETH are staked across nearly one million validators, with staked value above $118 billion.

On January 21, Bitcoin ETFs registered net withdrawals exceeding $700 million, while Ethereum funds saw about $287 million in outflows. In contrast, Solana and XRP-linked products posted modest net inflows, signaling rotation toward specific structures like lower fees or staking support rather than a broad exit.

BTC stabilized around $90,000 after sharp swings in the past day, with dominance at 57.4%. Canton (CC) climbed about 10%, while ETH touched $3,000 and XRP neared $2.00. RAIN advanced 13% and MYX 10%, alongside gains in XMR to $510 and HYPE to $22.

On 22 January 2026, Vitalik Buterin set out a long‑term vision for online communication and said he will shift more of his activity to decentralized social media in 2026. In a post on X, he noted he already reads and posts via Firefly.social across Lens, Farcaster, and Bluesky, and criticized token‑based social models for rewarding popularity over quality.

A speculative comparison of BTC, ETH, and XRP argues that XRP could deliver the highest percentage returns by 2029, while Bitcoin is characterized as the safer reserve allocation and Ethereum as a utility-driven play. The discussion comes alongside Trump's pledge to make the U.S. a crypto hub, as Bitcoin is down 15% since his inauguration and many altcoins fell 70%–90%.

X is introducing Starterpacks, an onboarding tool that helps new users follow curated crypto and technology feeds. Unveiled Thursday and previewed by Head of Product Nikita Bier on January 21, 2026, the crypto category will feature memecoin trading with real-time trends and sentiment from active traders. A short video showed users selecting interests and following vetted accounts.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin proposed adding native distributed validator technology to streamline staking. In a Wednesday forum post, he outlined a design that lets a validator create up to 16 independent keys that the chain treats as one, aiming to cut downtime penalties and improve security for self-stakers.

Layer-1 network Saga has paused its SagaEVM chain at block height 6593800 following a January 21 exploit that moved nearly $7 million in tokens to Ethereum. The project is investigating the coordinated attack, working on remediation with partners, and keeping the chain offline while it validates the impact and strengthens security.

In its Big Ideas 2026 report released on Wednesday, Ark Invest projected that the total value of digital assets could jump from about $3.13 trillion to $28 trillion by 2030, implying roughly 9x growth. The firm expects Bitcoin to capture around 70% of this market and forecasts its market cap could climb from nearly $2 trillion to $16 trillion over the next five years, while smart contract networks and tokenized real-world assets also see substantial expansion.

Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said in a report shared on Wednesday that the fourth quarter of 2025 showed mixed signals and may have marked a crypto bear‑market bottom. He compared the setup to early 2023, when prices climbed from around $16,000 to $98,000 by early 2025, and highlighted record Ethereum and layer‑2 activity, a stablecoin market cap above $300 billion, and rising DeFi usage.