As Japanese interest rates climb and U.S. liquidity conditions tighten, Bitcoin has been reinforcing its position as a macro asset, trading at $70,681 after a 3.03% daily gain alongside a 2.03% rise in gold to $4,966.26 per ounce. Cathie Wood of ARK Invest argues that AI-driven "agentic commerce" is pushing blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into core financial infrastructure, encouraging institutions to use gold for stability and Bitcoin for growth and innovation. Even as short-term volatility and a decline in active Bitcoin users persist, rising market dominance near 59% and growing institutional participation are reshaping its traditional boom-and-bust cycle.

Vitalik Buterin moved 705 ETH, including a 493 ETH transaction valued at about $1.16 million after an earlier 211.84 ETH swap. The activity prompted concern, but it aligns with his recurring practice of converting ETH to stablecoins for charitable initiatives, notably funding Kanro and other research-focused projects. Ethereum traded near $2,274 with mixed technical signals.

Bitwise registered a Delaware trust tied to a potential Uniswap ETF, signaling groundwork without an active SEC review or a disclosed timeline. Around the filing, UNI rose to $4.82, up 3.83% in 24 hours, while altcoin ETP flows split: ETH logged $63.53 million outflows, and XRP, SOL, and LINK posted smaller inflows.

According to Arkham, Strategy Inc., led by Michael Saylor, bought $2.16 billion in BTC over the past week at an average of $95,284. As Bitcoin hovered near $89,199 at press time, down 2.14% daily, the firm's total holdings reached 709,715 BTC, while Saylor personally holds 17,732 BTC.

Ethereum's price has dropped to about $2,964 amid broader crypto market weakness tied to recent U.S. tariff moves under President Trump and rising risk-off sentiment. While retail traders appear to be selling, large investors such as Trend Research and another whale have bought more than 44,000 ETH through Aave and OTC desks, committing over $130 million. This accumulation around the $2,900–$3,000 range relies partly on leverage and could face liquidation if ETH slides toward $2,500–$2,600.

On the night of 10 January, an attacker used social engineering to drain over $282 million in BTC and LTC from a single holder. The haul moved through THORChain, into ETH and XRP, with 1,468.66 ETH (~$4.9 million) mixed via Tornado Cash, while Monero activity briefly spiked.

In January 2026, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) ramped up its Bitcoin strategy with a fresh $1.25 billion BTC acquisition followed by additional large buys. Michael Saylor has now hinted at another major purchase, after the firm lifted its holdings to about 687,410 BTC and roughly 3% of the 21 million BTC supply while MSTR stock and institutional interest showed renewed strength.

As of January 2026, Ethereum's gas costs have fallen to $0.01, according to Etherscan. A 17 January 2026 throughput peak of 2.6 million transactions was handled smoothly after late-2025 upgrades and wider Layer-2 use. ETH traded at $3,319.87 (+0.62%), while SOL stood at $142.26 (-1.23%).

On January 18, 2026, Lookonchain reported that a long-standing Bitcoin holder sold 500 BTC worth $47.77 million, part of a 5,000 BTC stash held for over a decade. The seller has been trimming since December 2024 at six-figure prices, and on-chain metrics show older holders have cooled while institutions absorb supply.