In a 2026 market outlook, Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood said Bitcoin's unusually low correlation with traditional assets makes it a strategic diversifier for institutions. Ark cited a 0.28 correlation to the S&P 500, while Jefferies strategist Christopher Wood shifted his long‑standing 10% Bitcoin allocation to gold on Friday over quantum‑computing concerns.

XRP is trading near $2.06 as spot ETFs logged $1.28B of inflows, helping offset selling pressure. Price consolidates in a descending triangle around $2.05, with downside targets near $1.91 and potential resistance toward $2.19. Coinbase's criticism of a Senate draft on stablecoins may add headwinds for crypto sentiment.

According to Immunefi CEO Mitchell Amador, nearly 80% of crypto projects that suffer a major hack never fully recover, largely due to operational paralysis and lost trust during incident response. Chainalysis data shows 2025 crypto hack losses hit $3.4 billion, with the $1.4 billion Bybit breach helping drive 69% of losses by early December.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.42 billion in net inflows last week, with $754 million on Tuesday and $844 million on Wednesday, according to SoSoValue. BTC is consolidating near $95,030 in a flag pattern, with support at $94,357 and targets at $97,700, $99,000, and $100,500. U.S. holdings exceed 328,000 BTC worth $31 billion.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee, chaired by Tim Scott, has delayed a planned January 15 vote on the CLARITY Act, a key bill on crypto market structure. The postponement, which follows intense industry lobbying, adds uncertainty around rules for DeFi treatment, stablecoin yields and token issuance while drawing mixed reactions from market participants.

On January 18, 2026 (9:08 AM UTC update), Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko argued that Solana must continually iterate to remain viable, signaling future versions that may not come from Anza, Solana Labs, or the Foundation. His stance contrasts with Vitalik Buterin's 2026 focus on decentralization, privacy, self-sovereignty and resistance to centralization.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has pushed back on reports of a rift with the White House, saying the administration remains engaged on the CLARITY Act even after Coinbase withdrew support for the current draft. He argued the bill's latest version could damage DeFi, tokenized stocks and stablecoin yield products, and indicated lawmakers are revising the proposal after a Senate Banking Committee markup was postponed.

Vietnam police reported arresting several suspects in Da Nang over an alleged cryptocurrency scam that mimicked a Nasdaq investment platform and caused losses of more than VND14 billion ($532,800). Authorities said the group operated from Cambodia, used social media and messaging apps to lure victims with promises of high returns, and converted misappropriated funds into crypto while the investigation remains ongoing.