Bitcoin climbed more than 5.5% this week, briefly touching $97,000, after U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $840 million in inflows over two days. Despite the surge, derivatives and options data suggest the rally is being driven by capital rotation into macro hedges rather than speculative risk-taking.

Global Settlement Network announced a pilot to tokenize eight government-contracted water treatment sites in Jakarta, according to a Wednesday statement. The plan aims to raise up to $35 million for upgrades and to test rupiah‑stablecoin settlement rails, with a target to scale to $200 million in tokenized assets across Southeast Asia over the next 12 months.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated on Wednesday that the exchange cannot back the latest US Senate crypto bill in its current form, arguing it would be worse than existing rules. He warned the draft could amount to a ban on tokenized equities, restrict DeFi and privacy, weaken the CFTC relative to the SEC, and curb stablecoin rewards, just as lawmakers prepare for a key Senate Banking Committee phase.

CleanSpark has signed a definitive agreement to buy 447 acres in Brazoria County, Texas, to build large-scale AI and high-performance computing data centers as Bitcoin mining becomes less profitable. The new location can initially support 300 MW of power with expansion up to 600 MW, and combined with the firm's Austin County site, offers nearly 1 GW of potential capacity for AI customers. CleanSpark plans to serve both front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter power needs, using Texas's strong grid to deliver reliable energy and long-term growth options. Rising mining costs and volatile margins are driving the company and other miners to diversify into AI and HPC infrastructure.

According to the analysis using data from Kraken, XRP could not extend above $2.20 and pulled back through $2.150 and $2.120, slipping below the 100-hour Simple Moving Average. Buyers are attempting to defend $2.080 and a trend line support, while $2.120 and $2.150 cap the upside; a break could revisit $2.20.

Bitpanda is preparing for a Frankfurt listing in 2026, seeking a valuation of €4–5 billion. The Austria-based platform is reportedly working with Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank, and could launch as early as the first quarter. Recent European approvals, including a MiCA license in Germany and FCA clearance in the UK, bolster its case.

On January 15, 2026, crude prices pulled back after President Donald Trump signaled no immediate U.S. military action against Iran. Benchmarks surrendered a recent rally, with Brent and WTI down about 2–3% in after-hours trade. The move reflected a swift fade in geopolitical risk premiums amid Middle East unrest.

Chainlink’s price has broken out of a long-running descending channel and is holding above former resistance around the mid-$14 region. Large holders recently withdrew 342,557 LINK worth $4.8 million from Binance, while spot exchange netflows turned negative by about $2.26 million and Open Interest climbed 9.5% to roughly $673.5 million, with funding near 0.0101%. These shifts in supply, leverage, and structure favor bullish continuation as long as price stays above the old channel boundary, though a breakdown could trigger sharper downside if leverage unwinds.