27 jan Crypto Brief January 22, 2026

Investing involves a high degree of risk, including possible loss of principal. 4 Stablecoin transaction volume is outpacing spot cyrpto trading volume- Coin Metrics, as of Sept. 30, 2025 & Allium via Visa Onchain Analytics Dashboard, as of Sept. 30, 2025. In 2025, IBIT surpassed $70Bn in AUM in 341 trading days become the fastest ETF to ever hit that threshold. IShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.

On Privacy (and Security)

Price performance lags behind larger caps, but AVAX is well-positioned if institutional adoption of subnets accelerates. Its utility across trading, DeFi, and payments keeps it relevant for long-term holders. It reduces trading fees, powers token sales, and https://tradersunion.com/brokers/binary/view/iqcent/ secures the BNB Chain. It is expanding its On-Demand Liquidity network for cross-border payments, giving it a use case that directly addresses the global remittance market. It has become the hub for retail speculation, but also for serious applications in payments and decentralized infrastructure. Market sentiment has been especially strong around Solana because it combines speed, low fees, and an active developer community.

What Makes Xrp Different From Other Payment Tokens?

• Ondo Finance (ONDO) is building a bridge between traditional finance and crypto through tokenized treasuries.
• "As a result, we now think future Bitcoin price increases will effectively be driven by one leg only – ETF buying," Kendrick said.
• After a turbulent few years marked by dramatic price swings and high-profile exchange collapses, cryptocurrency ownership in America has stabilized and begun climbing again.
• The complaint asks the court for a declaration and injunction to stop Polymarket, the largest prediction market exchange globally, from offering unlicensed wagering in violation of Nevada law.
• It is expanding its On-Demand Liquidity network for cross-border payments, giving it a use case that directly addresses the global remittance market.

Investors should be urged to consult their tax professionals or financial professionals for more information regarding their specific tax situations. The information presented does not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy or investment decision. The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and are not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding the funds or any issuer or security in particular.

• These risks often are heightened for investments in emerging/ developing markets or in concentrations of single countries.
• But over the past two years, an increasing number of institutional investors have been involved in the space.
• When users are on private blockchains, on the other hand, the chain they choose matters much more because, once they join one, they’re less likely to move and risk being exposed.
• Simple chats use a little fuel, but harder jobs, like coding help, generating videos or AI that can complete multiple steps on its own (i.e. agentic AI) use many times more.
• But, she previously said bitcoin could hit $200,000 in 2026, which did not materialize.
• Crossing the boundary between a private chain and a public one — or even between two private chains — leaks all kinds of metadata like transaction timing and size correlations that makes it easier to track someone.

Crypto Ownership Bounces Back—but Hasn’t Broken Through The 2022 Peak

But although institutions continue participating at higher levels than before, https://www.producthunt.com/products/iqcent-launch investor sentiment is mixed due to the most recent shock to the market — a rude reminder that volatility remains a defining feature of crypto. Tokenization, which means putting traditional assets like funds, bonds or real estate on blockchains, is also gaining traction heading into 2026. Beyond bitcoin, analysts expect continued growth in crypto-related infrastructure next year as use cases expand.

Elsewhere, Damon Polistina, director of research at Eaglebrook, believes that as more major institutions lean into digital assets, it reinforces the view that crypto is becoming a standard component of diversified portfolios. “That doesn’t mean crypto suddenly belongs in every portfolio, but it does reinforce that digital assets deserve to be evaluated thoughtfully, within a disciplined framework, rather than dismissed outright. Bitcoin may be struggling in recent months, down around 30% from its all-time high, but cryptocurrency as an asset class is riding a hot streak heading into 2026 as more wealth managers plan to add it to their model portfolios. Nexo’s 2025 call of $250,000 for bitcoin "was less a rejection of its long-term thesis and more a consequence of market mechanics colliding with a shifting macro backdrop," according to Iliya Kalchev, an analyst at the cryptocurrency exchange. DATs are entities that buy and hold cryptocurrency, mainly bitcoin, and attempt to outperform the market. Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital asset research, said that the price decline seen in 2025 was "within expected bounds." However, the price action has led Standard Chartered to revise its call.

Thinking About Tokenization Of Real World Assets, And Stablecoins, In A More Crypto-native Way

A fund’s use of derivatives may reduce a fund’s returns and/or increase volatility and subject the fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. International investing involves risks, including risks related to foreign currency, limited liquidity, less government regulation and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments. There is no guarantee an active fund will meet its investment objective. Actively managed funds do not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index, may have higher portfolio turnover, and may charge higher fees iqcent reviews than index funds due to increased trading and research expenses.

President Trump’s Impact On Cryptocurrency In The Us

• Despite regulatory scrutiny around Binance, BNB holds its ground as one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market cap.
• The information presented does not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy or investment decision.
• A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and the Villanova University School of Law, and a former stockbroker, David has been working in financial media for more than 20 years.
• They are rising in popularity, as evidenced by a rise of stablecoin adoption.4 Stablecoins are one example of tokenization, where the underlying asset is a fiat currency like the U.S.

After a year defined by unexpected outcomes, identifying the most compelling investment opportunities for 2026 is no simple task. Investor sentiment is extremely negative, marked by caution and skepticism, even as the industry finds itself in an unprecedented position. Notably, Bitcoin’s gains failed to cascade into the broader market, leaving hopes for a full-fledged altcoin season largely unfulfilled. Bitcoin’s on-chain metrics and historical parallels paint a clear picture of an emerging bear market in 2026. For instance, corporate treasury flows provide marginal support but remain episodic and price-sensitive.

Start Small And Use Reputable Exchanges

• It all comes down to the question of “perpification vs. tokenization”; but either way, we should see more crypto-native RWA tokenization in the coming year.
• “Some of this stems from investment mandates and geographic and regulatory issues.
• Fifth, it requires futures commission merchants to use qualified digital asset custodians to hold digital assets.
• "Bitcoin dominance" is receding, but bitcoin can still get bigger.

In 2026, “Bitcoin will break the four-year cycle and set new all-time highs,” they argued, pointing to structural shifts that are reshaping the market. In doing so, these participants may be reshaping crypto market behavior, gradually shifting the narrative away from traditional drivers such as miners, long-term holders and Bitcoin whales. Institutional capital, with longer time horizons and stricter mandates, is increasingly influencing price action and liquidity dynamics. Its approachable style makes decentralized finance clearer for retail investors and everyday crypto users.

However, in doing so it largely glosses over the widely recognized financial stability risks of stablecoins’ vulnerability to de-pegging and runs. There is a zone where stablecoins are circulating and the amount of deposits and bank loans are higher than they would have been without any stablecoins. And, perhaps even more importantly, under the Cong and Chiu et al. papers’ analysis, at any point that CBDC or stablecoins are actually being issued, bank deposits and loans are declining, and the greater the quantity of stablecoins, the greater the reduction in deposits and loans. However, the Chiu paper also shows that if the amount of CBDC rises above zero – in other words, if the threat of the issuance of a CBDC becomes a reality – bank deposits would in fact fall, and potentially fall to zero, with a corresponding drop in bank lending. Importantly, Chiu et al. find that the threat (but not the actuality) of the Federal Reserve issuing an interest-bearing CBDC would lead banks to raise deposit rates to attract more deposits.