Trading

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%.

Evernorth plans to expand its XRP holdings beyond 1 billion dollars in gross proceeds and collaborate with t54 Labs to deploy AI-based agentic finance on the XRP Ledger. The firm aims to generate yield via lending, liquidity provision, and DeFi activity, while preparing a Nasdaq listing through a SPAC merger under the ticker XRPN in early 2026. The treasury already holds 473.2 million XRP and is backed by investors including Ripple, SBI, Pantera Capital, Kraken, and GSR.

On January 15, Bitcoin's Fear & Greed Index stood at 61; six days later it plunged to 24, signaling extreme fear, according to Alternative. The indicator, built from market cap dominance, trading volume, volatility, Google Trends, and social media inputs, previously sprinted from 26 to 61 in two days as BTC moved above $97,000. Bitcoin dipped below $88,000 before rebounding to $90,200.

XRP is attempting to stabilize near $1.95 after a volatile start to 2026, with buyers defending short-term support following a brief dip below $2.00. While institutional developments around Ripple and XRP ETFs continue to support the long-term narrative, price action remains corrective, keeping focus on whether XRP can reclaim key resistance levels in the week ahead.

On 22 January 2026 at 08:30, Ripple unveiled a partnership with DXC Technology to link its XRP and RLUSD payments to the Hogan core banking platform. Banks using Hogan can add blockchain payments, custody and tokenization without replacing existing systems, with transactions expected to settle on the XRP Ledger.

Story’s (IP) price recently bounced sharply from a key support region around $2.40, forming a potential short-term base. At the same time, Open Interest and whale holdings climbed, with large players now controlling 55% of the supply and derivatives positioning hitting about $89 million. If buying pressure from these participants persists, IP could attempt to revisit the $4 resistance area where notable liquidity is clustered.

Thailand’s securities regulator is preparing rules for crypto ETFs and for trading crypto futures on TFEX, with formal ETF guidelines targeted early this year. The plan classifies digital assets as another asset class with a suggested allocation of up to 5% in diversified portfolios, and also advances market-making and a tokenization sandbox.

Bitcoin fell below $90,000 as macro tension between the United States and the European Union, alongside concerns linked to Greenland, weighed on risk assets. Analyst MorenoDV reports that new whales now command a larger share of Bitcoin realized cap than long-term whales, while CryptoQuant data places their realized price near $98,000 with spot seen around $88,300.

On Wednesday, FFTT founder Luke Gromen said on Coin Stories that institutional investors are unlikely to propel Bitcoin from around $89,880 to $150,000 without a major catalyst. CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju countered that demand remains strong, citing 577,000 BTC (about $53 billion) purchased by institutional funds over the past year. Gromen also floated a potential drop to $60,000.

XRP attempted a recovery above $1.950 but was rejected near $2.00, and it now trades below the 100-hour SMA with $1.920 exposed. Resistance sits at $1.990–$2.00, followed by $2.065 and $2.10. A close under $1.90 could target $1.8650 and $1.820, while a break over $2.00 may open $2.150–$2.20.