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Positive Signs for Shiba Inu as 29,169,846 SHIB Disappears from Exchanges in 24 Hours

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A combination of on-chain and market activity is supporting bullish sentiment for Shiba Inu despite the ongoing consolidation.

Yesterday, millions of Shiba Inu disappeared from exchanges, hinting at renewed accumulation despite price uncertainties. Additionally, key network metrics are turning green, further amplifying the momentum in the meme coin’s ecosystem.

Key Points

  • Yesterday, millions of Shiba Inu disappeared from exchanges, hinting at renewed accumulation despite price uncertainties.
  • The 82,066,732,850,077 SHIB in reserve on January 25 has dropped to 82,066,703,680,231 SHIB today, culminating in the 29 million SHIB difference.
  • Total exchange outflow also stood at 256 billion SHIB, while inflow was 183.5 billion SHIB, showing that withdrawals far outpaced deposits.
  • Aside from net inflows, Shiba Inu has also seen renewed user participation, with boosts in transaction count and active addresses.

Shiba Inu Exchange Reserve Drops

CryptoQuant data shows that 29,169,846 SHIB moved out of exchanges in the past 24 hours. As of yesterday, there were 82,066,732,850,077 SHIB in reserve. However, this has dropped to 82,066,703,680,231 SHIB at press time, culminating in the 29 million SHIB difference.

Shiba Inu Exchange Reserve/CryptoQuant
Shiba Inu Exchange Reserve/CryptoQuant

The platform’s trending metric overview also confirms this. It shows that the exchange reserve dropped by 0.09% in the past 24 hours and has been on a downtrend in the last seven days.

Total exchange outflow also stood at 256 billion SHIB, and inflow at 183.5 billion SHIB. This shows that while deposits into centralized trading platforms have been substantial, those withdrawing from them far outpace those depositing.

Notably, withdrawals of this nature suggest that users prefer self-custody over leaving their tokens on exchanges. Not only does this spark bullish sentiment, but it also reduces immediate selling pressure.

Growing Network Participation Sparks Rebound Prospect

Aside from net inflows, Shiba Inu has also seen renewed user participation. CryptoQuant shows a mild 0.83% increase in active addresses to 195. The active receiving address also improved by 1% to 131.

Furthermore, the total transaction count increased to 5,863, aligning with the rise in active addresses on the network. Altogether, this shows signs of life in the Shiba Inu ecosystem.

While this may not affect prices now, its sustainability is a crucial indication that a recovery is not far-fetched. When the broader crypto market stabilizes and Shiba Inu reclaims key moving averages, such increased participation could drive a big price shift.

In the meantime, Shiba Inu trades at $0.00000767, down 1% in the past 24 hours and 2.7% in the last seven days. Despite this downtrend, it remains up 10.5% year-to-date, showing resilience amid weak momentum in the crypto market.

A recent analysis highlighted that Shiba Inu has a key support level around $0.0000074, and continued price action above it could pave the way for further gains. However, it comes with an alleged March timeline for SHIB to recover to $0.50 or face a steeper correction.

Shiba Inu Prediction for Jan 26: Can SHIB Reclaim the Supertrend?

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Shiba Inu has slipped further as traders continue to watch a key trend indicator, with volatility easing and funding rates slightly positive.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has changed hands slightly lower over the past 24 hours, down about 0.8% to around $0.000007695. The 24-hour range sits near $0.000007414–$0.000007787, with price sliding from the upper band into the day’s low before rebounding and stabilizing back around the mid-to-upper part of the range.

Broader performance remains mixed: SHIB has dropped about 2.1% over the last 7 days and 9.2% in the past 14 days, but still up roughly 7.4% over 30 days. The next question is whether buyers can turn this rebound into a clean breakout.

What’s Next for Shiba Inu?

On Shiba Inu’s daily chart extracted from TradingView, the Supertrend remains bearish, with the indicator plotted above price and the Supertrend level sitting near $0.00000889. This positioning typically signals that the broader trend bias has shifted lower until SHIB can reclaim the Supertrend line and trigger a flip back to bullish. 

Shiba Inu Price Analysis
Shiba Inu Price Analysis

Volatility indicators also point to a calmer tape. Specifically, the Average True Range is trending lower (around 0.0000004339), suggesting daily ranges have compressed after the bigger swings earlier in the month. Falling ATR often coincides with consolidation, and it can set the stage for a sharper move once direction returns. 

In terms of practical levels visible on the chart, the early January base around $0.00000683 is the near-term support zone to watch. On the other side, the $0.00000887 Supertrend line marks the key overhead hurdle that would need to break for momentum to shift more decisively.

Shiba Inu OI-Weighted Funding Rate

Elsewhere, Shiba Inu’s OI-weighted funding rate has spent much of the period oscillating around the zero line, with frequent flips between positive and negative readings. In early January, the funding rate shifted more consistently positive alongside a short-lived price rebound, suggesting longs were paying shorts as leverage leaned more bullish. 

Shiba Inu OI-Weighted Funding Rate
Shiba Inu OI-Weighted Funding Rate

More recently, the chart shows SHIB’s price easing while the funding rate returns close to flat, before ticking slightly positive at the latest data point (around 0.0041%). This means that the price moves are less likely to be driven by an aggressive one-sided derivatives trade, unless funding begins to trend persistently higher or sharply lower.

ADA Unlikely to Stay at No. 10 Once Market Understands Cardano Fundamentals

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A prominent Cardano community member argues that ADA’s current ranking as the 10th biggest token reflects market misunderstanding rather than technological inferiority. 

Critics have widely interpreted Cardano’s position as the 10th biggest cryptocurrency as a sign of low adoption or innovation. However, supporters have consistently disputed this view, emphasizing that its low ranking is due to persistent market ignorance of Cardano’s core design advantages. 

Consequently, they argue that once investors fully understand its design advantages, particularly around decentralization, security, and staking, Cardano’s position will improve based on fundamentals rather than hype.

Key Points 

  • Cardano bulls claim that ADA’s current ranking as the 10th-largest token reflects market perception, not technological weakness. 
  • They believe ADA’s ranking will improve once investors recognize its fundamentals over hype. 
  • Skeptics suggest otherwise, pointing to Cardano’s inability to attract institutions and top-level stablecoins. 
  • Ongoing efforts by Cardano’s team reflect a commitment to address ecosystem gaps. 

Cardano’s Unique Design 

Analyst Dr. Cuadrado highlighted in a tweet that Cardano is widely regarded as one of the most decentralized blockchains in the industry, featuring real on-chain governance and a security model built from first principles.

Unlike many competitors with uncapped supplies, Cardano has a fixed maximum of 45 billion ADA. The token remains in users’ wallets at all times, and rewards are distributed every five days without reliance on external smart contracts. 

How Cardano Differs From Ethereum 

Comparing Cardano to Ethereum, Cuadrado highlighted what he described as a structural divide. While Ethereum pioneered smart contracts and DeFi, its liquid staking ecosystem often requires custodial arrangements that expose users to protocol and counterparty risk. 

However, Cuadrado noted that Cardano’s design eliminates these trade-offs by embedding staking directly into the base layer. Therefore, he suggested that once the market fully recognizes the ability to earn yield without lockups, custody loss, or hidden risk, Cardano’s ranking will reflect its fundamentals. 

Mixed Reactions Trail Cuadrado’s Commentary 

Cardano, which briefly ranked third-largest in 2021, now sits in 10th place. At a price of $0.3474 and a circulating supply of 36.04 billion tokens, ADA carries a market value of $12.52 billion.

Nonetheless, many Cardano proponents, including Cuadrado, expect ADA to climb higher in the future. They cite Cardano’s on-chain governance, research-driven and peer-reviewed development model, and its focus on solving scalability, interoperability, and sustainability challenges seen in earlier networks as factors that could fuel this growth. 

In addition, they point to rising institutional interest, with ADA included in several basket ETFs in the U.S. and Grayscale seeking to launch a product solely tied to ADA. 

However, skeptics remain unconvinced. Specifically, Pablo Antonio, founder of on-chain asset manager PBG, argues that strong fundamentals alone are unlikely to drive market leadership. 

He contends that crypto’s success depends more on institutional adoption, which Cardano has yet to secure at scale. Antonio also criticized Cardano’s ecosystem for lagging in key areas such as stablecoins, oracles, and real-world assets (RWA), while emphasizing that the current leadership lacks a strong business and enterprise focus.

Meanwhile, Cardano is taking steps to address these challenges. Founder Charles Hoskinson has discussed launching the RLUSD stablecoin on Cardano with Ripple executives. 

Moreover, Cardano stakeholders are also advancing real-world asset tokenization, with the blockchain participating in a project introduced by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). However, these initiatives have not materially impacted ADA’s price or valuation. 

Timeline to “Close Shop” if Cardano Does Not Move Up

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The recent retracement has brought Cardano to a key buying zone, suggesting that a possible recovery could be in the pipeline.

Specifically, the current price level marks the support area in a broader descending channel, an area that could determine the near- and mid-term price development for Cardano. Losing this level or consolidating around until a specified timeline could be detrimental to bulls.

Key Point

  • Recent retracement price action has brought Cardano to a key buying zone, hinting that the coin could recover higher soon.
  • The recent correctional wave, which saw ADA drop to a low of $0.33 last week, pushed it close to the demand zone at $0.32
  • Cardano needs to rebound from here before March or risk a steeper price decline.
  • If the broader crypto market remains this heavy, $0.50 would be an optimistic move for Cardano.

Cardano at Support

Analyst SwallowAcademy shared this time-sensitive Cardano price analysis, urging close monitoring, especially for short-term holders. His TradingView commentary discussed the cryptocurrency’s trend on the 4H and daily timeframes, along with key areas to note.

An accompanying chart shows that ADA is currently near the bottom of a descending channel. While the chart does not show the origin of this consolidatory channel, the analyst emphasized that the current phase would be decisive for Cardano’s price development.

Cardano at Support/SwallowAcademy
Cardano at Support/SwallowAcademy

The recent correctional wave, which saw ADA dump to a low of $0.33 last week, pushed it close to the demand zone at $0.32. Meanwhile, as previously recorded, the market watcher expects a recovery from there.

Cardano Needs to Bounce from This Level

Specifically, the analyst insisted that Cardano needs to rebound from here before March. If it does not move up by then, he asked holders to “close shop and go on vacations.”

He added that if Cardano fails to react positively from the descending channel support by the end of March, then investors who do not sell their investments would be left “holding the bag” for the remainder of 2026.

However, he believes that ADA would go up from here. SwallowAcademy highlighted a bounce towards the $0.40 region from here, with the potential to climb to $0.50 before March. His chart identified $0.54 as the upper target but does not rule out a move to the “zero line” at $0.61.

$0.50: An Optimistic Target?

In a follow-up comment, he called attention to the current negative trend in the crypto market. According to him, $0.50 would be an optimistic move for Cardano if the broader crypto market remains this heavy.

Notably, Bitcoin dropped to $86,000 last week before rebounding to its current level, with major altcoins following suit. Unless there is a course reversal, Cardeano may not reach greater heights.

This emphasizes Cardano’s dependence on broader market trends and how further sideways price action could undermine bullish expectations. As a result, there is no guarantee of a Cardano uptrend, nor is it certain that prices will fall further.

Changpeng Zhao Sees 2026 as Start of Bitcoin Super-Cycle

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Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of Binance, predicts Bitcoin could be on the verge of breaking free from the four-year market cycle that has historically defined its price movements.

Zhao shared this view during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box. He said 2026 could mark the beginning of what he described as a Bitcoin “super cycle”. In his view, the asset may no longer adhere to its familiar pattern of sharp rallies followed by deep corrections every four years.

Key Points

  • Binance founder Changpeng Zhao expects 2026 could mark the start of a Bitcoin “super cycle.” 
  • U.S. regulatory stance on crypto is becoming more favorable, according to Zhao. 
  • Institutional inflows, including ETFs and corporate treasury purchases, are moderating Bitcoin’s volatility. 
  • Grayscale projects Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high in the first half of 2026.
  • Standard Chartered forecasts Bitcoin reaching $150,000 by the end of 2026.

Shift in Bitcoin’s Market Behavior

Historically, Bitcoin’s major price peaks have closely tracked its halvings. Meanwhile, Zhao argued that this rhythm is beginning to weaken as political and regulatory conditions evolve. He cited a more crypto-friendly stance emerging in the United States and noted that other countries appear to be moving in a similar direction.

In economic terms, a super cycle refers to an extended period of expansion driven by durable structural forces rather than short-term speculation—an environment Zhao believes Bitcoin may now be entering.

Institutional Inflows Redefine Market Dynamics

Zhao’s outlook is echoed by analysts who focus on market structure. Nick Ruck, director at LVRG Research, said the traditional halving-driven cycle began to lose influence in 2025. He said the change was largely attributable to sustained institutional participation.

Ruck noted that inflows from exchange-traded funds and corporate treasuries have reshaped Bitcoin’s behavior. Consequently, these developments have helped moderate volatility and reduce the severity of post-peak sell-offs seen in previous cycles.

While short-term consolidation remains possible amid broader macroeconomic pressures, he expects the broader uptrend to extend into 2026.

Major Institutions and Executives Echo the Same View

Large financial players have reached similar conclusions. For instance, in December, Grayscale projected that Bitcoin would reach a new all-time high in the first half of 2026.

The firm attributed this forecast to increasing macroeconomic demand, persistent concerns over currency debasement, and a more supportive regulatory environment in the United States.

Standard Chartered has likewise adjusted its outlook. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, said the four-year cycle theory no longer reflects current market conditions. The bank now forecasts Bitcoin reaching $150,000 by the end of 2026.

Beyond traditional finance, several prominent crypto industry leaders share this perspective. Executives from Ark Invest, BitMEX, CryptoQuant, Bitwise, and Real Vision have all suggested that Bitcoin’s historic cycle model may no longer define its long-term trajectory.

Zhao Addresses His Future as Binance Era Closes

Alongside his market commentary, Changpeng Zhao also spoke about his personal future in the crypto industry. He confirmed that he has no plans to return to Binance. This position persists despite a presidential pardon that lifted the restrictions previously imposed on him.

Zhao said stepping away after seven years at the exchange ultimately felt appropriate. Although the transition was difficult at the time, he noted that it allowed room for new leadership to take shape.

In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance. Subsequently, he served a four-month prison sentence and was barred from working at the exchange.

President Donald Trump issued a pardon in October, a move that drew scrutiny from some U.S. lawmakers. At the time, Trump said that he did not know Zhao personally.

Shiba Inu Holds Key Support Area, Indicating Potential Channel Recovery

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Shiba Inu hints at a possible recovery after holding key support, potentially targeting the upper range of a price channel.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) ended the week poorly with its 4% decline on Sunday. The downtrend, mirroring a broader market trend, brought its weekly retracement to 7.17%. However, recent price behavior suggests a rebound could be on the horizon for the token.

Key Points

  • Shiba Inu hints at a possible recovery after holding key support, potentially targeting the upper range of an existing price channel.
  • SHIB ended the week poorly with its 4% decline on Sunday, bringing its weekly retracement to 7.17%.
  • Yet recent price action suggests a rebound could be on the horizon for the meme coin, as Shiba Inu has held key support at a lower time frame. 
  • So long as SHIB continues to trade above this lower-timeframe support, it has a chance of a price recovery.

Shiba Inu Holds Structure

Despite the 7.17% drop last week, Shiba Inu has held a key support. Zooming into the hourly chart, Sunday’s weak price action led the token to retest the demand zone around $0.0000074.

SHIB first dumped to the area following its bearish trend on January 18, reaching a low of $0.00000745. However, it rebounded to close the week at $0.00000787. Since then, Shiba Inu has been range-bound, with several attempts to break out failing.

Shiba Inu Range
Shiba Inu Range

For context, it reached the channel’s resistance area on January 20, rallying to $0.00000815 before momentum collapsed. Again, it retested the demand zone, with highs of $0.00000817 and $0.00000815 on January 21 and 23, respectively, but met selling pressure.

Consequently, SHIB fell at the closing stages of last week to retest the channel’s lower support trendline. Meanwhile, like last week, Shiba Inu has also recovered from this area, bouncing from a low of $0.00000736 to close the week at $0.00000750.

What Does It Mean for Shiba Inu

So long as SHIB continues to trade above this lower-timeframe support, it has a chance of a price recovery. Moreover, repeated rebounds from this area show that bulls view it as a key price point; hence, they step in to prevent the price from falling below it.

The rebound has also forced a bright start to the week for SHIB. At the time of writing, the meme coin is already up by 2% today. If momentum sustains, then higher prices are possible.

Naturally, SHIB’s first target is the upper range of the channel, around $0.0000082. If the token succeeds in breaking out after this, then larger price spikes would follow. However, this remains purely based on analysis, and there is no guarantee it would happen.

Moreover, prices can still trend lower. If the current upward momentum stalls, SHIB could revisit its current support level. Breaking above creates paves the way for newer lows. However, at this point, the current demand zone recovery spells bullish momentum.

XRP Up 31,000% Since 2012, As Ripple and Its Executives Sold 58B+ XRP in 13 Years

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While Ripple and its executives have sold over 58 billion worth of XRP since 2012, the XRP price has surged more than 31,000% within the same period.

Notably, many believe this reality invalidates the consistent narrative that Ripple’s XRP sales have contributed to XRP’s underperformance during periods of stifled price growth. 

For context, when Ripple launched as NewCoin in 2012, the original XRPL architects donated the entire XRP supply of 100 billion to Ripple and its executives to leverage toward the development of the XRPL. Today, this figure has reduced to around 41.485 billion, indicating the sale of over 51 billion XRP. However, the XRP price has surged more than 31,000% since then.

Key Points

  • When Ripple launched as NewCoin in 2012, the original XRPL architects donated XRP’s total supply of 100 billion to the firm and its executives.
  • Today, public records of their holdings show that both Ripple and its executives hold around 41.485 billion.
  • The current figure indicates that they have sold more than 51 billion XRP since launch, drawing mixed reactions.
  • However, despite these sales, the XRP price has increased by over 31,000% within this period.

How the XRPL Launched with a Fixed Supply

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) went live in 2012, and unlike Bitcoin and many later networks, it launched with its entire supply already created. The system introduced exactly 100 billion XRP at inception, and the protocol permanently blocked mining or staking from ever generating new coins. 

Development began in 2011 under Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz. When the network officially launched in mid-2012, the founders immediately structured the supply to support long-term growth, liquidity, and enterprise adoption. 

However, instead of keeping most of the tokens personally, they transferred the overwhelming majority to the company that would later become Ripple.

Ripple Receives 80% of XRP Supply

Shortly after XRPL’s debut in 2012, the founding architects gifted 80 billion XRP, representing 80% of the total supply, to the company then known as NewCoin, later rebranded as OpenCoin, and eventually Ripple. This set up Ripple as the main steward of XRP’s distribution, liquidity strategy, and ecosystem development.

For several years, Ripple managed these holdings directly. In 2017, the company introduced a cryptographic escrow system to bring predictability to the market. Notably, Ripple locked 55 billion XRP into time-based escrows that released up to 1 billion XRP each month. 

Ripple Executives Receive Remaining 20% 

While Ripple received the majority of the supply in 2012, the remaining 20 billion XRP went directly to founders and early insiders at the network’s creation. Jed McCaleb, who later left Ripple in 2013, received 9 billion XRP at genesis. 

Chris Larsen, who joined the project in September 2012 and later served as CEO before becoming executive chairman, received roughly 9 billion to 9.5 billion XRP. Arthur Britto, another XRPL co-creator and early advisor, received between 1 and 2 billion XRP in 2012.

David Schwartz, the network’s chief architect and current CTO of Ripple, held far less than the other founders. He has publicly disclosed that his peak balance reached about 26 million XRP, a fraction of the multi-billion-dollar allocations given to others.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s current CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, entered the company years after XRPL’s launch and did not participate in the original 2012 distribution.  

Ripple and Its Executives Have Sold 58B XRP

Today, Ripple and its executives currently hold 41.485 billion overall. Specifically, Ripple itself holds 3.5 billion in spendable balance across trackable wallets, with 34.185 billion currently in escrow. This brings Ripple’s total holdings to 37.685 billion XRP.

Meanwhile, Chris Larsen, Ripple’s current Chairman, holds 2.5 billion across eight wallets, while Arthur Britto has seven wallets with a cumulative balance of 1.3 billion.

The current balance of 41.485 billion XRP held by Ripple and its executives indicates that they have sold around 58.5 billion XRP tokens since 2012, which would cost $109 billion at the current XRP price. Interestingly, within this period, XRP’s price has actually increased.

Specifically, XRP’s earliest market data shows a price of  $0.00587 in August 2013. Today, the altcoin changes hands at $1.87, marking an increase of exactly 31,756% since 2013. According to Schwartz, Ripple’s consistent sales represent an effort to drastically reduce its large XRP holdings, which have raised centralization concerns.

Is 20,000 XRP Enough? Crypto CEO Makes Financial Breakdown

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Jake Claver, CEO of Digital Ascension Group, has resurfaced a long-running question in the XRP community: how much XRP do holders really need to own?

Specifically, he has laid out a simple financial scenario centered on holding 20,000 XRP. Claver framed the discussion around outcomes rather than hype. In his breakdown, he argued that portfolio size, combined with patience, can dramatically change long-term results.

Key Points

  • At $100 XRP, 20,000 tokens equal $2M, potentially generating $100K yearly at 5% returns.
  • At $1,000 XRP, that same bag hits $20M, producing about $1M annually without selling principal.
  • Critics warn $2M isn’t true freedom after taxes, inflation, and decades of living expenses.
  • The takeaway: bag size matters, but strategy, discipline, and expectations matter more.

Is 20,000 XRP Enough?

The crypto CEO pointed out that if XRP were to reach $100, a 20,000-token holding would be worth $2 million. Using a conservative 5% annual return, that portfolio could generate about $100,000 per year.

Meanwhile, Claver noted that at a much more ambitious $1,000 per XRP, the same holding would be valued at $20 million. He projects that this portfolio could produce roughly $1 million annually at the same return rate.

The message is that the “right bag,” when paired with time and discipline, can go a long way. As of this writing, XRP is trading at $1.87, down about 1% over the past 24 hours.

A Different View From XRP Network OGs

Claver’s optimism contrasts with a more cautious view recently shared by an early XRP community figure, who warned that holding 20,000 XRP may not automatically lead to financial freedom, even in aggressive bullish scenarios.

That perspective argues that headline numbers can be misleading. While $2 million sounds life-changing on paper, real-world factors such as taxes, rising living costs, lifestyle inflation, and unexpected expenses can quickly erode that capital.

For younger investors especially, money may need to last 30 to 50 years, making sustainability far more important than the initial valuation.

From this angle, reaching a seven-figure net worth is not the finish line many believe it to be. Inflation steadily reduces purchasing power, and what feels like wealth today may only cover basic needs decades from now.

What Financial Freedom Actually Requires

According to this more conservative camp, real financial freedom requires a sizable cushion—often around $5–7 million—depending on where you live, your age, and your lifestyle.

This view also warns against chasing aggressive price targets that depend on extreme growth many doubt will happen in the next decade. Instead, it calls for long-term planning, increasing one’s holdings, protecting capital, and generating steady income.

Notably, Claver’s example does not assume spending down the principal. Instead, it focuses on living off returns, which aligns more closely with traditional wealth-management strategies.

How Much XRP Is Really Enough?

Some voices, like crypto commentator King Vale, have urged investors to aim for at least 50,000 XRP. Others, including analysts like Edoardo Farina, argue that 10,000 XRP could still be meaningful if XRP reaches high valuations.

On the other side, community figures such as Xena push back against fixed numbers altogether. She argues that financial literacy and disciplined money management matter more than bag size, and that smaller, well-managed portfolios can outperform larger ones over time.

Ultimately, this debate highlights that outcomes depend not just on how much you hold, but on expectations, strategy, and how capital is managed when prices move.

Ethereum Address Inactive Since 2017 Moves 50,000 ETH

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A long-inactive Ethereum whale has resurfaced after nearly a decade, moving a substantial amount of ETH.

The renewed activity, uncovered through blockchain tracking, comes as cryptocurrency prices decline and liquidations accelerate.

Key Points

  • The Ethereum address “0xb5…Fb168D6” moved 50,000 ETH across two transactions.
  • Total value of the transferred ETH is approximately $145 million at current prices.
  • The wallet had been inactive since 2017, previously withdrawing 135,000 ETH from Bitfinex.
  • On-chain data shows the wallet still holds roughly 85,283 ETH.

Ethereum Whale Moves After Years of Silence

On Sunday, a previously dormant Ethereum address transferred a combined 50,000 ETH to a wallet associated with the Gemini exchange. Analytics firm EmberCN detected the movement through Arkham Intelligence data.

The transfers occurred in two separate transactions. The address first moved 25,000 ETH. Then, several hours later, it sent another 25,000 ETH, bringing the total to roughly $145 million at current prices.

This sudden activity stood out because the wallet had been dormant for a long time. The address, labeled “0xb5…Fb168D6,” had remained inactive since 2017. According to EmberCN, its last known movement involved withdrawing approximately 135,000 ETH from the Bitfinex exchange.

At the time, Ethereum was trading near $90, valuing the holdings at $12.17 million. Despite the recent transfers, on-chain data indicates the wallet still retains approximately 85,283 ETH, highlighting the magnitude of the remaining position.

Parallel Whale Activity Emerges in Bitcoin

Interestingly, the Ethereum movement coincided with renewed activity from long-dormant Bitcoin holders. Last week, a Bitcoin wallet that had been inactive for 13 years transferred roughly 909 BTC to a new address. The transaction was approximately $84 million at the time.

Although there is no direct connection between Ethereum and Bitcoin wallets, the near-simultaneous reactivation of long-term holdings has sparked speculation about evolving sentiment among veteran crypto investors.

Crypto Prices Slide Amid Renewed Selling Pressure

These whale movements occurred amid declining cryptocurrency prices. Ethereum continued to weaken, falling below the $2,900 level for the fourth time since November 20, 2025, according to CoinGecko.

At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $2,866, down 2.5% over the past 24 hours and 10.2% over the previous week. Bitcoin also moved lower, slipping 1.2% to around $87,730, contributing to broader market weakness.

Liquidations Surge Across Major Exchanges

The downturn triggered a wave of forced liquidations across crypto exchanges. CoinGlass data shows that approximately $676 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours.

Notably, long positions accounted for most of the losses, totaling approximately $605.11 million. Ethereum recorded the highest liquidation volume at $220.46 million, followed by Bitcoin at $192.99 million.

In particular, the largest single liquidation occurred on Binance, where an ETHUSDT position worth $15.22 million was closed during the sell-off.

Crypto LIquidations on January 25 2026
Crypto Liquidations on January 25, 2026

First Ever Bitcoin–Cardano Bridge Enters Final Development Phase

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Leading Cardano-based DeFi ecosystem, FluidTokens, has confirmed that the first-ever BTC-ADA bridge is launching soon. 

According to the announcement, the bridge has entered its final development phase. BIFROST is now finalizing its GitHub documentation, with active updates continuously added to the repository. As a result, the project is nearing implementation and public release, transitioning from theory to deployment readiness. 

Key Points

  • FluidTokens confirmed that the BTC↔ADA Bridge has officially entered its final development phase. 
  • BIFROST is finalizing GitHub documentation for the bridge. 
  • The BTC-ADA Bridge would allow cross-chain liquidity flow between Bitcoin and Cardano. 
  • The initiative aligns with growing efforts to position Cardano as the ideal blockchain for Bitcoin DeFi. 

BTC-ADA Bridge Enters Final Development Phase 

In a tweet, FluidTokens confirmed that the BTC-ADA Bridge is now in its final development phase. The protocol seeks to enable Bitcoin liquidity to be utilized directly within the Cardano ecosystem. 

Historically, Bitcoin has functioned primarily as a store of value, with limited participation in decentralized finance (DeFi). This bridge aims to change that by enabling BTC to interact with Cardano’s smart contract infrastructure, unlocking new financial use cases while preserving Bitcoin’s role as a foundational asset. 

The announcement follows the testnet launch of Fluidly by FluidTokens, which enables trustless peer-to-peer swaps between BTC, ADA, and ETH. The protocol lets users link wallets and post on-chain swap offers that settle atomically once conditions match, without intermediaries or liquidity pools. 

What This Means for Cardano and Bitcoin 

The bridge’s entry into its final phase suggests that Bitcoin’s capital could soon become fully functional on Cardano. Once it goes live, the bridge will allow cross-chain liquidity flow between Bitcoin and Cardano and enable BTC-backed DeFi applications on Cardano. 

It will also provide new mechanisms for users to mobilize long-term, idle BTC holdings without selling, while strengthening Cardano’s position as a hub for secure, multi-chain liquidity. 

Once operational, the bridge would allow BTC to be used in lending, liquidity provision, and other DeFi mechanisms on Cardano. This unlocks new economic utility for long-held BTC while preserving its monetary properties.  

Cardano Targets Leadership in Bitcoin DeFi

Meanwhile, Cardano is positioning itself as a hub for Bitcoin DeFi. Founder Charles Hoskinson and other stakeholders are actively driving this vision, with Hoskinson projecting that Bitcoin DeFi will eventually surpass Ethereum’s market cap. 

Last year, at the Bitcoin conference, Patrick Tobler demonstrated a live swap of Bitcoin for Minswap tokens directly on Cardano, prompting Hoskinson to welcome Bitcoin DeFi to the network.

In June 2025, IOG launched Cardinal, Cardano’s first Bitcoin DeFi protocol, enabling users to bridge, stake, and lend BTC within the EUTXO model without centralized custodians.

Additionally, EMURGO partnered with BitcoinOS to expand Bitcoin DeFi on Cardano. Following the deal, Hoskinson announced plans to revive the Bitcoin Education initiative to train developers to build smart contracts on Cardano using Aiken programming language.