In the first week of the year, XRP jumped from under $1.90 to $2.40 before slipping below $2.10. ChatGPT expects consolidation above $2.00 and beneath $2.30, while Grok warns a close under $2.00 could revisit under $1.90. Perplexity and Gemini see scope to reclaim $2.20–$2.25 and potentially retest the $2.40 peak on January 6.

Steak 'n Shake has disclosed a $10 million Bitcoin purchase for its corporate treasury, its first public Bitcoin allocation since enabling crypto payments in May 2025. The 91-year-old burger chain has formalized a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that channels all customer Bitcoin payments into long-term holdings, linking reserve growth to same-store sales performance.

On 18 January 2026, Moldova's finance leadership said the country is preparing its first nationwide crypto framework, targeting completion by the end of 2026. The draft will be modeled on the EU's MiCA, aiming to clarify rules for issuance, trading, and service providers while enhancing investor protection and market oversight.

The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that 57.55 BTC forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers will stay on the U.S. government balance sheet under Executive Order 14233, instead of being auctioned. Valued at about $6.3 million, this Bitcoin is designated for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, highlighting a shift in federal digital asset management.

Several EU states sending troops to Greenland prompted the US president to unveil new tariffs on those countries starting February 1, with a possible hike on June 1. While EU officials called an emergency meeting and US Democrats prepared legislation to counter the measures, Bitcoin's price held steady at just above $95,000 during the weekend. Analysts who reviewed Trump's tariff strategy over 12 months view this as step four in the broader trade confrontation and expect traditional markets to open lower as events unfold. Bitcoin, which previously dropped sharply during the April 2025 trade war, has so far shown greater resilience in the current Greenland-related dispute.

On January 17, The Sandbox token SAND rose nearly 15% after a tight consolidation. The surge came with spot volume around $140 million and Open Interest near $25 million, while price closed above the 20- and 50-day EMAs. Holder counts kept climbing through mid-January, signaling broader participation.

Recent price action shows Ethereum breaking from its usual correlation with the Russell 2000, even as U.S. small-cap stocks continue to climb. At the same time, the ETH/BTC pair has risen about 8% since October, pointing to stronger relative demand for Ethereum and hinting at a potential shift in altcoin market dynamics.

On 18 January 2026, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong rejected reports that the White House plans to drop support for the CLARITY Act. He said talks remain constructive and that officials asked Coinbase to help explore compromises with community banks, including on stablecoin yield-sharing provisions. The Senate Banking Committee delayed its markup, with negotiations expected to resume in the coming weeks.