Data from Ethereum Validator Queue indicate that the validator exit queue has dropped from a peak of 2.67 million ETH in September 2025 to zero, while the entry queue has climbed to 2.6 million ETH, with wait times extending to 45 days. Nearly 46.5% of Ether's supply is now locked in the proof-of-stake deposit contract, and analysts say these inflows and a staking yield near 2.8% are tightening ETH's supply-demand balance even though its $3,300 price remains below the August 2025 all-time high.

On January 17, 2026, Patrick Witt, Director of the White House Crypto Council, confirmed that the U.S. government is still working to build a strategic Bitcoin reserve funded only by judicially seized assets. The initiative, constrained by President Trump's executive order and complex inter-agency legal requirements, excludes open-market purchases while retained Bitcoins from Samourai Wallet developers and ongoing market shifts in Bitcoin are monitored for potential policy impact.

Ahead of the Consensus event in Hong Kong, Auros chief commercial officer Jason Atkins argued that the main issue in crypto markets is insufficient liquidity rather than volatility. He said thin order books and weak market depth make it hard for large institutions to deploy capital and manage risk without moving prices. Atkins warned that this cycle of volatility, caution and illiquidity is keeping major Wall Street players from fully entering the sector despite rising institutional interest.

DOGE slipped nearly 15% over six sessions, then recovered about 9%, with $0.15 acting as firm resistance and $0.13 under scrutiny as support. According to WhaleAlerts, a wallet moved 500 million DOGE to Binance, adding focus on whale behavior. TradingView shows repeated failures at $0.15, including an attempt 10 days ago.

On January 16 and January 18, 2026, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong rejected suggestions that the White House had pulled its support for the CLARITY Act and stressed that talks on the crypto market structure bill are continuing. Coinbase has paused backing for the legislation over its potential impact on DeFi, tokenized stocks, and stablecoin yields, while the Senate Banking Committee has postponed a planned markup to allow more time for negotiations.

Axie Infinity’s AXS token climbed 39% in the last 24 hours and over 50% in the past week, while trading volume surged to $326 million. The price is now testing the upper boundary of a long-running descending channel near $1.50, a level that could open the door to further upside or trigger a pullback if bears step in.

Market analyst Paul Bennett reports XRP-linked futures open interest has reached $4.03 billion, signaling widespread leverage on venues including Binance and CME. CoinGecko data shows XRP is up 10.2% over the past month and trading near $2.17, while a $30 million long and shrinking spot volumes point to a fragile, derivatives-driven setup.

BMNR is pursuing a 5% share of Ethereum’s supply and says it manages large ETH holdings with staking income, alongside a $200 million investment in Beast Industries. Analysts highlight recent multi‑million ETH buys and structural demand from Digital Asset Treasuries as they discuss a potential path toward a $12,000 year‑end price versus a $3,500 high.