Author: Bitxjournal Team

The first full week of 2026 saw volatile but informative movements across the cryptocurrency and precious metals markets, shaping investor sentiment and capital rotation. Key developments included shifting ETF flows for Bitcoin and Ethereum, strong performance from XRP-linked funds, major institutional filings, and geopolitical influences on gold prices. Bitcoin remained anchored above the $90,000 level for most of the week, trading between roughly $88,000 and $94,000 amid profit-taking and consolidation after earlier bullish momentum. By January 10, BTC’s drawdown was notably milder than previous cycles, which some analysts interpret as market maturation and stronger support levels at current prices. Ethereum…

Analysts note current market mood resembles conditions seen before Ethereum’s last major rally Ethereum’s social media sentiment has fallen to levels that historically preceded a significant price rebound, according to recent crypto sentiment analysis. While short-term price action remains under pressure, analysts suggest the broader setup may point to reduced downside risk and a possible shift in momentum. Ethereum Sentiment Mirrors Pre-Rally Conditions Recent sentiment data shows Ethereum is experiencing unusually low engagement and optimism across social platforms. Analysts say this pattern is similar to sentiment seen before Ethereum’s strong rally in 2025, when the asset rebounded sharply after months…

Retail trading platform prioritizes Ethereum security, scalability, and liquidity Robinhood is accelerating its push into blockchain infrastructure by developing its own Ethereum-based layer-2 network, marking a strategic shift toward deeper integration with decentralized technology. Rather than launching a standalone blockchain, the company chose to build on Ethereum’s scaling ecosystem, aiming to combine innovation with proven security. The company’s crypto division evaluated launching a layer-1 blockchain but ultimately opted for a layer-2 built on Arbitrum, one of Ethereum’s most active rollup networks. The decision centered on gaining Ethereum’s security, decentralization, and liquidity while avoiding the technical burden of maintaining a base…

State regulators say federally regulated event contracts still violate Tennessee gambling law Tennessee regulators have taken decisive action against three major prediction market platforms, ordering them to stop offering sports-related event contracts to residents. The move underscores growing tension between federal derivatives oversight and state-level gambling regulation. According to copies of the documents published by gaming attorney Daniel Wallach; Tennessee Sports Betting Enforcement Action The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) issued cease-and-desist orders to Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com, demanding they immediately halt sports event contracts offered to users in the state. According to regulators, these products function as sports wagers and…

Key Senate committees prepare for long-awaited action on digital asset regulation The U.S. Senate is preparing to take a major step toward defining how cryptocurrencies are regulated, as lawmakers plan to hold critical hearings and votes on a long-anticipated crypto market structure bill next week. The development signals renewed momentum after months of delays and negotiations. Senate Committees Prepare for Markup Hearings Both the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee are expected to hold markup hearings and potential votes on January 15, according to committee confirmations. These sessions will determine whether updated versions of the crypto market structure…

Large Holders Reduce Leverage While Historical Bull Pattern Signals Potential Upside Bitcoin whales on Bitfinex are once again drawing attention after sharply reducing their long positions, a move that has historically preceded major price advances. As overall whale exposure declines, analysts are revisiting a familiar bullish setup that points to a potential six-figure Bitcoin price in the months ahead. Recent market data shows that Bitfinex whale long positions have fallen from a peak near 73,000 BTC, signaling an aggressive unwind by large, sophisticated traders. These investors are often considered “smart money”, with their positioning closely watched for early trend signals.…

Early Bitcoin Pioneer Remembered as Speculation Around Satoshi Nakamoto Continues Bitcoin supporters around the world are commemorating the 17th anniversary of Hal Finney’s historic Bitcoin post, a moment widely regarded as one of the earliest public milestones in the network’s history. Finney’s brief message in January 2009 signaled that Bitcoin was no longer just a whitepaper, but a functioning peer-to-peer system. On January 10, 2009, Hal Finney shared a now-famous update stating that he was running the Bitcoin node software. This message confirmed that Bitcoin’s code was live and operational just days after the network’s launch. Finney also became the…

Report Details Execution Bug, Block Reorganization, and Steps to Prevent Future Disruptions Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Starknet has published a detailed post-mortem report explaining the cause of a temporary mainnet outage that occurred earlier this week. The incident marks the second significant network disruption for Starknet in 2025, once again raising questions about the complexity of multi-layer blockchain systems. According to the report, the outage was triggered by a state inconsistency between the execution layer and the proving layer, two core components responsible for processing and validating transactions. A rare edge case involving cross-function calls, state writes, and reverted executions…

Mining Sector Faces Continued Pressure After Record-High Difficulty in 2025 Bitcoin’s mining network has recorded its first difficulty adjustment of 2026, marking a modest decline after a year defined by rising competition and shrinking miner margins. The change reflects shifting network conditions following an exceptionally challenging period for the global mining industry. The Bitcoin network’s mining difficulty decreased slightly to 146.4 trillion, representing the first downward adjustment of the year. Mining difficulty measures the computational effort required to validate a new block and plays a central role in regulating block production across the decentralized network. Despite the dip, average block…

Bitcoin, Stablecoins, ETFs, and Tokenization Expected to Drive Next Growth Cycle Crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin has outlined six major trends it believes will define global cryptocurrency markets in 2026. The outlook points to accelerating institutional adoption, expanding regulatory clarity, and new onchain use cases transforming digital assets from speculative tools into core financial infrastructure. One of the most notable projections is bitcoin’s growing role as a store of value. Mercado Bitcoin estimates that bitcoin could reach 14% of gold’s total market capitalization by the end of 2026. With bitcoin currently near 5.65% of gold’s value, this scenario implies a price…