🚫 Divided Fed Signals Limited Rate Cuts Ahead: Implications for Bitcoin

📉 The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) recently displayed increasing internal tensions, with three members officially dissenting on an interest rate reduction for the first time in over six years. This division raises concerns about the future of interest rate cuts, particularly for 2026, as the Fed's own polling suggests there may be only a single rate cut that year. This news has already impacted bearish traders, causing Bitcoin prices to dip below $90K.

“You just have people who have strong views,”

said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell during the press conference. He noted that while nine out of twelve members supported the cut, it was not the usual scenario of unanimous agreement.

📊 The “dot plot” chart, which illustrates interest rate projections by FOMC members, indicates that the median projected interest rate for the end of 2026 is 3.4%%. This suggests that many officials anticipate only a single 25-basis-point cut in 2026, a situation that could be detrimental for risk-sensitive assets like Bitcoin. Currently, the interest rate range stands at 3.50-3.75%%.

“In our summary of economic projections, FOMC participants wrote down their individual assessments,”

Powell explained. He emphasized that the median participant projects a federal funds rate of 3.4% by the end of 2026.

📉 As for Bitcoin's market performance, it was priced at $91,346.75 at the time of reporting, reflecting a 1.82% decrease over 24 hours and a 0.43% decline for the week. Daily trading volume increased by 13.56% to reach $65.64 billion, while market capitalization fell to $1.82 trillion. Despite this, Bitcoin dominance rose by 0.45% to 59.34%%.

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💰 Tokenized Treasury Funds Approach $9 Billion Mark Amid Strong Onchain Demand

📈 This week, tokenized Treasury funds have nearly reached the $9 billion milestone, experiencing a 0.94% increase over the past seven days due to steady onchain demand for yield-bearing government debt. According to data from rwa., the total value of the tokenized Treasury sector has risen to approximately $8.99 billion, supported by a slight uptick in weekly yields, with the average seven-day annual percentage yield (APY) at 3.71%.

💼 The market now encompasses 60 active products and over 57,600 holders, demonstrating the rapid transition of blockchain-based access to U.S. government debt from a niche experiment to institutional-grade infrastructure. Tokenized Treasuries are digital representations of short-term U.S. government debt or money market funds issued and settled on blockchains.

⚡️ These funds allow investors to hold exposure to Treasuries in token form, enabling near-instant settlement, programmability, and compatibility with onchain financial applications. Demand has surged as investors seek dollar-based yield without leaving crypto rails, especially during periods when traditional finance (TradFi) fixed-income products are less accessible or slower to settle.

🌐 Ethereum continues to dominate the tokenized Treasury sector’s blockchain footprint, hosting approximately $4.9 billion in tokenized Treasury market capitalization. BNB Chain follows with about $1.8 billion, while Stellar accounts for roughly $603.6 million. Solana holds around $529.4 million, Aptos stands near $345.7 million, and Avalanche’s C-Chain carries close to $193 million.

🔄 Rwa.’s data dashboard reveals a dynamic market with net flows over the past month indicating capital rotation rather than a wholesale retreat. Circle’s USYC led inflows with roughly $266 million, followed by Superstate’s USTB at $102 million and Libeara’s ULTRA at $58 million. On the other hand, Securitize’s BUIDL recorded net outflows of about $684 million, signaling a shift in capital rather than a complete withdrawal.

📈 Bitcoin ETFs Surge as Ether Struggles; Solana and XRP Attract Capital

💰 Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced a significant rebound with a net inflow of $457.3 million, primarily driven by Fidelity’s FBTC and Blackrock’s IBIT. In contrast, ether ETFs faced continued outflows, marking their fifth consecutive day in the red.

Fresh capital flowed decisively back into BTC-linked funds, signaling renewed conviction after days of heavy redemptions,

the article states. Fidelity’s FBTC led the way with a substantial $391.5 million inflow, while Blackrock’s IBIT contributed $111.2 million. This surge easily offset modest outflows from Ark & 21shares’ ARKB and Bitwise’s BITB.

📉 Ether ETFs, however, posted a net outflow of $22.4 million. Blackrock’s ETHA was the main contributor to this decline, shedding $19.6 million. Despite these challenges, trading volume remained robust at $2.20 billion.

📌 Solana ETFs showed resilience with a total inflow of $10.99 million. Bitwise’s BSOL led this segment with an addition of $6.96 million. XRP ETFs also performed well, attracting $18.99 million in inflows. 21Shares’ TOXR and Canary’s XRPC were the top performers in this category.

Taken together, the day highlighted a clear divergence in investor behavior,

the article notes. Bitcoin regained momentum while ether struggled. Solana and XRP benefited from steady rotational flows as investors reallocated capital across the crypto ETF landscape.

Institutional validation for OpenLedger ($OPEN) grows as Korean gaming giant Netmarble, via MarbleX, announces an investment.

This move, combined with established academic/industry partnerships and a transparent development plan, coincides with a 15% price increase. The project appears to be reaching an inflection point, with market momentum building for a potential test of the $0.30 range.

Check it out:

👉 Announcement
👉 Telegram: English | China | Korea
👉 Twitter: Global | China

📌 Stealka: The Infostealer Disguised as Game Mods

🔍 Kaspersky has identified a new infostealer named Stealka, which spreads primarily through popular platforms like Github and Sourceforge. This malware disguises itself as game cheats, mods, and software cracks, targeting Windows users by stealing sensitive information from browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, messaging apps, and various other applications.

💻 Stealka can compromise over 115 browser extensions, 80 cryptocurrency wallets, and multiple gaming and communication platforms. It collects system data, takes screenshots, and can potentially hijack accounts by extracting cookies, session tokens, and authentication credentials. Kaspersky warns users to be cautious when downloading unofficial software and to use robust antivirus protection.

How does Stealka spread? — Primarily through fake game mods, software cracks, and pirated software on legitimate platforms like Github and Sourceforge.

What types of data does Stealka steal? — Browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallet information, messaging app data, gaming service tokens, and system information.

🚀 BC Card's Successful Stablecoin Pilot in South Korea

📌 BC Card has successfully completed a two-month pilot program that tested the use of foreign-held stablecoins for QR-code payments at domestic merchants. This trial, which took place from October to December 2025, was conducted in collaboration with Wavebridge, Aaron Group, and Global Money Express.

💳 The pilot demonstrated the feasibility of integrating stablecoins into South Korea's card-payment system. It allowed foreign users to make seamless QR-code transactions without the need for physical cards or currency exchange. CEO Choi Won-seok stated,

Stablecoins have great utility for cross-border payments, and BC Card will progressively develop a compliant stablecoin-payment model.

⚠️ This initiative is significant as it paves the way for a domestic stablecoin-payment infrastructure that aligns with emerging virtual-asset regulations. The solution will be implemented where permitted by Korean law.

🔍 In summary, the BC Card pilot tested the conversion of foreign stablecoins into digital prepaid cards for QR payments at Korean merchants. It concluded on December 23, 2025, and is usable at BC Card-affiliated stores across South Korea, subject to local regulations.

🚀 XRP ETFs: A Strong Start and Future Challenges

📈 XRP spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) made their debut in the U.S. on November 14, 2025, quickly attracting over $1.1 billion in inflows within six weeks. This rapid accumulation of assets positioned them as significant players in the market as they headed into 2026.

In the period ending November 14, XRP ETFs pulled in $243.05 million, lifting net assets to $248.16 million.

Their opening week set high expectations with solid trading activity. Momentum continued to build throughout November, with net inflows reaching $666.6 million by the end of the month. This demonstrated sustained demand rather than mere speculative interest.

📊 December further confirmed the ETFs' staying power. They recorded their largest weekly inflow of $230.74 million on December 5, bringing total assets to $861.3 million. Despite a slight moderation in inflows the following week, trading activity remained robust.

XRP ETFs added $82.04 million in the week ending December 19 and another $43.89 million by December 22.

By the end of the year, total net assets had climbed to $1.25 billion with cumulative inflows exceeding $1.12 billion.

💪 Notably, XRP ETFs did not experience any weekly net outflows during their initial launch period. This consistency is remarkable given the volatile nature of the broader crypto market. The successful rollout can be attributed to regulatory clarity, pent-up demand, and diversified issuer participation.

🔔 Looking ahead to 2026, the challenge will be to maintain this level of engagement as the novelty wears off. While XRP ETFs enter the new year from a position of strength with over $1 billion in assets secured, future flows will depend on liquidity depth, broader market sentiment, and XRP’s evolving role within institutional crypto portfolios.

🚀 BC Card and Coinbase: Pioneering USDC Payments in South Korea

📌 BC Card, a leading payment processor in South Korea, has teamed up with Coinbase to test a hybrid crypto-to-fiat payment solution. This initiative involves linking BC Card's popular QR payment system with Coinbase's Base ecosystem, which was launched in 2023.

💱 The pilot aims to allow customers to use USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin, for domestic transactions. Merchants will receive payments in Korean won, ensuring compliance with local regulations.

“This represents an early step in exploring how stablecoins can improve payment efficiency and global interoperability,”

said David Hyuckjae Park, Base’s Regional Lead for East Asia.

🔗 Following the pilot, there is potential for a medium to long-term partnership to enhance the current USDC payment settlement model in Korea. Choi Won-seok, President of BC Card, emphasized the goal of creating a

USDC payment ecosystem optimized for the domestic environment

by leveraging both companies' infrastructures.

🌍 BC Card serves over 36 million customers in South Korea and 3.5 million internationally. This collaboration seeks to introduce global stablecoin payments to these users in a seamless manner.

🛡 Shlomo Kramer Advocates for Limiting the First Amendment to Combat Cyber Warfare

🚨 Shlomo Kramer, CEO of Cato Networks, has sparked controversy by calling for restrictions on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He argues that such measures are necessary to safeguard the nation against cyber warfare and social media manipulation.

🗣 In a recent CNBC interview, Kramer, a former member of Israel's cybersecurity unit 8200, stated,

It’s time to limit the First Amendment to protect it. And quickly, before it’s too late.

He emphasized the need for the government to take control of social media platforms and verify the authenticity of online voices.

⚠️ Kramer's remarks have ignited a backlash on social media, with critics expressing fears about potential infringements on freedom of speech. Former Representative Matt Gaetz firmly opposed Kramer's view, stating,

No. We aren’t going to do this.

Similarly, Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the proposed measures as contrary to the principles upheld during President Trump's election.

🔍 As the debate continues, the intersection of artificial intelligence, social media, and political stability remains a contentious issue. Kramer's call for action highlights the ongoing struggle to balance national security with individual rights in the digital age.

📈 Crypto ETFs Surge as Bitcoin Sees Largest Inflow Since October

💰 The week began with a significant demand for crypto ETFs, particularly for bitcoin, which recorded its largest daily inflow since early October. This positive trend extended to other cryptocurrencies like Ether, XRP, and Solana, resulting in a rare all-green session across major spot crypto funds.

📊 Bitcoin ETFs experienced a net inflow of $697.25 million, marking their strongest single-day performance since October 7. This surge was widespread across nine funds, with Blackrock’s IBIT leading the way with $372.47 million and Fidelity’s FBTC following with $191.19 million. Additional inflows came from Bitwise’s BITB ($38.45 million), Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB ($36.03 million), and Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ($17.92 million).

📈 Ether ETFs also showed a strong rebound with inflows of $168.13 million. Blackrock’s ETHA led this recovery with $102.90 million, indicating renewed institutional interest. Other contributors included Grayscale’s Ether Mini Trust ($22.34 million), Fidelity’s FETH ($21.83 million), and Bitwise’s ETHW ($19.73 million).

📉 XRP ETFs continued their strong performance post-launch with inflows of $46.10 million. Bitwise’s XRP led with $16.61 million, followed by Franklin’s XRPZ ($12.59 million) and Grayscale’s GXRP ($9.89 million).

🌟 Solana ETFs attracted $16.24 million in new capital, with Bitwise’s BSOL dominating this segment with $12.47 million.

📈 Overall, the flows from January 5 indicated a renewed risk appetite among investors. Bitcoin reasserted its leadership, while ether stabilized and both XRP and Solana continued to build momentum, delivering one of the strongest ETF sessions of the year so far.

🏦 Tokenized Deposits: A New Era for Institutional Finance

🚀 Ripple and BNY have achieved a significant milestone in institutional finance with the launch of tokenized deposits. This development allows for the on-chain representation of client deposit balances through BNY's Digital Assets platform. Ripple Prime, an early adopter of this service, expressed enthusiasm about this integration of digital assets into the banking system.

Today, our partners at BNY launched tokenized deposit services for institutional clients – bringing the promise of digital assets directly into the banking system – with Ripple Prime as an early adopter,

Ripple stated. They emphasized their strategic collaboration with BNY, which serves as the primary reserve custodian of RLUSD, highlighting their joint efforts to bridge traditional and digital markets.

🔗 BNY's announcement outlined that this launch supports its goal of providing programmable, on-chain cash for institutional market infrastructure. Operating on a private, permissioned blockchain, these capabilities are governed by BNY's existing risk and compliance frameworks, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.

📈 The initial applications of tokenized deposits focus on collateral and margin workflows, aiming to enhance settlement speed and liquidity efficiency. As the market shifts towards always-on operating models, BNY plans to expand these functionalities to enable near real-time cash movements that reduce friction and improve operational efficiency.

This launch helps to advance BNY’s ambitions to support programmable, on-chain cash for institutional market infrastructure,

the bank noted. This initiative positions tokenized bank money alongside stablecoins and tokenized funds as essential components of a unified digital ecosystem.

🌐 The collaboration between Ripple and BNY illustrates a broader trend of convergence between crypto-native firms and established financial institutions. This partnership seeks to achieve speed, transparency, and programmability while maintaining regulatory compliance. The successful launch of tokenized deposits signifies a growing acceptance of on-chain cash as a vital tool for institutions, reinforcing the idea that programmable bank deposits will be crucial in linking traditional financial markets with digital settlement systems.

🚀 XRP Surges as Bullish Momentum Grows Amid Regulatory Developments

📈 XRP has recently experienced a significant price surge, trading around $2.17 against the U.S. dollar. This follows a strong intraday advance where the price briefly reached $2.18 before settling slightly lower. The bullish pressure is evident after a breakout from the lower $2.10 region, with buyers actively defending higher levels as trading activity remains high.

📊 The short-term outlook for XRP has turned decisively bullish after reclaiming and accelerating above key moving averages. This upward movement followed a period of sideways trading and evolved into a sharp impulse that pushed the price towards the upper Bollinger Bands near $2.18. The volume increased during the breakout and remained active as the price stabilized near the highs, indicating ongoing engagement rather than immediate exhaustion. As long as XRP stays above the $2.14 to $2.15 zone, the broader technical tone favors continuation over a rapid reversal.

🗓 Market participants are positioning themselves ahead of the Senate Banking Committee’s markup of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act scheduled for January 15. The release of a bipartisan manager’s amendment by Chair Tim Scott has fueled optimism for a final legislative framework for assets like XRP. Additionally, the broader cryptocurrency market sentiment has been positive, with strength across major digital assets and discussions around recent inflation data and expectations for more favorable financial conditions.

📉 Momentum indicators highlight the strength of the move while also signaling near-term tension. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is elevated near 72, indicating strong bullish momentum but also an overbought condition that can accompany powerful trends. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains positive, confirming upside momentum. XRP is trading well above its 50-period and 200-period Moving Average (MA) levels, while Bollinger Bands have widened noticeably, highlighting the recent expansion in volatility.

🚨 Why Are Crypto Stocks Dumping Today? Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle

👉 Read more

📌 Trump Celebrates Low Gas Prices with 'Gasolina' Dance on TikTok

🎉 President Trump recently celebrated his administration's achievement of lowering gas prices across the U.S. by sharing a TikTok video of himself dancing to the Latin hit "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee. The video, posted on the official White House account, claims that 43 states now have gas prices below $3 per gallon, with some states like Kansas and Texas reporting prices as low as $2.

promises made, promises kept

states the video, highlighting Trump's focus on reducing fuel costs for Americans. This marks a significant contrast to the average gas prices of $3.45 that President Biden faced during his term from January 2021 to December 2024.

📉 Experts suggest that current market dynamics, particularly OPEC's production decisions, have played a crucial role in achieving these lower prices. Patrick De Haan from Gasbuddy noted that

global supply dynamics

have been the primary force behind the relief drivers are seeing at the pump. High U.S. production levels, combined with a steady flow of OPEC oil, have contributed to this situation.

🌍 Additionally, Trump's actions regarding Venezuela and Iran could impact future oil production. While some experts argue that Venezuelan oil returning to the U.S. market may not significantly affect prices, others warn that

small imbalances in volume can lead to large shifts in prices

This recovery depends on Venezuela's ability to increase its oil output, which currently faces challenges due to aging infrastructure.

📉 XRP Faces Sharp Decline Amid Broader Crypto Market Sell-Off

🚨 XRP has experienced a significant drop, trading around $1.95 against the U.S. dollar, as the overall crypto market weakens. This decline follows a pullback in total crypto market capitalization, which has fallen to approximately $3.12 trillion. The price of XRP broke below a consolidation range of $2.04–$2.06, indicating a shift in control towards sellers.

📉 Prior to this decline, XRP's price action was characterized by sideways trading under falling resistance. However, support around the mid-$2.00 zone failed, leading to a wave of selling that coincided with the broader market retreat. Trading volume surged during this breakdown, highlighting the urgency of the move.

💰 Data from Coinglass reveals that XRP faced significant forced deleveraging in the past 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching about $40.57 million, primarily from long positions. This liquidation wave included a sharp burst of pressure in the most recent hour.

🌍 Geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties have also impacted market sentiment. Tensions between the United States and European allies over tariffs, along with delays in U.S. crypto legislation, have added to macroeconomic unease. Coinbase's withdrawal of support for a crypto market structure proposal and concerns from industry leaders about regulatory clarity further complicate the outlook for digital assets.

📊 Technical indicators reflect the severity of the recent momentum shift. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped to around 19.7, indicating extreme short-term downside momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has turned sharply lower, confirming bearish acceleration. XRP is trading well below key moving averages, with Bollinger Bands expanding rapidly, suggesting a volatility-driven breakdown.

🌐 Ondo Finance Expands to Solana with 200+ Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs

🚀 On January 21, 2026, Ondo Finance announced the launch of Ondo Global Markets on the Solana blockchain. This expansion brings over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to Solana's ecosystem, which boasts 3.2 million daily active users.

📈 With this move, Ondo Global Markets becomes the largest issuer of real-world assets on Solana by asset count. It offers near-zero slippage for million-dollar trades by leveraging liquidity from traditional exchanges like NASDAQ and NYSE. This launch follows Ondo's previous successes on Ethereum and BNB Chain, where it achieved over $460 million in total value locked (TVL) and $6.8 billion in cumulative trading volume.

Over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs are available on Solana.

🗓 The announcement was made via Ondo's official blog. The company ensures liquidity for its tokenized equities by tapping into NASDAQ and NYSE resources, enabling large trades with minimal slippage.

⚠️ More than 3.2 million daily active users on Solana can now access these tokenized assets. However, availability is subject to applicable securities and jurisdictional rules.

📉 Crypto ETFs: A Mixed Bag Amidst Ongoing Pressure

🔄 Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) faced continued pressure on Thursday, with Bitcoin and ether extending their outflow streaks, albeit at a slower pace. XRP and Solana managed to attract some capital, providing small pockets of stability.

📉 The recent selling has lessened but not disappeared. After two days of significant withdrawals, crypto ETFs experienced more moderate movements, yet the overall trend remained unchanged as investors continued to reduce their exposure to bitcoin and ether.

Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $32.11 million net outflow, driven entirely by withdrawals from the two largest products.

The outflows were led by Blackrock’s IBIT with $22.35 million and Fidelity’s FBTC with $9.76 million. Other bitcoin funds did not show significant flows, indicating a persistent risk-off stance.

Ether ETFs fared slightly worse, posting a $41.98 million net outflow as selling pressure remained concentrated in a few funds.

Blackrock’s ETHA saw $44.44 million leave, while Bitwise’s ETHW shed $15.16 million. However, Grayscale’s products experienced inflows, with $9.71 million entering ETHE and $7.92 million flowing into the Ether Mini Trust.

💪 XRP ETFs showed resilience with a $2.09 million inflow for the session, all coming through Franklin’s XRPZ. This reinforced its position as the preferred vehicle during recent volatility.