Daily Crypto Briefing – January 9, 2026

Bitcoin holds steady near $90,000 as the crypto market navigates mixed signals from ETF flows, regulatory developments, and the year's first major DeFi exploit.

Top Stories

Bitcoin Consolidates Near $90K Amid ETF Outflows

Bitcoin steadied near $90,000 as ETF flows turned negative and institutions repositioned. Despite three consecutive days of outflows totaling over $1 billion, analysts suggest this could signal a healthy consolidation phase before the next major move.

Pump.fun Overhauls Creator Fees as Activity Surges

Pump.fun announced major changes to its creator fee structure as token launches hit their highest daily count since September. The platform said creator fees worked for organized teams but had minimal impact on typical memecoin deployers.

Truebit Suffers First Major DeFi Hack of 2026

The Truebit protocol was exploited for $26.6 million, with the TRU token collapsing 99.9% following the attack. Security experts warned that most hacked projects never fully recover after major exploits, marking an unfortunate start to 2026 for DeFi security.

Analysts Eye Bitcoin Rally Past $125K

Key metrics suggest Bitcoin could surge past $125,000 before April, according to analysis from Coinbase. Four structural indicators are flashing early signals of a first-quarter recovery as December's sell-off dust settles.

Regulation

Trump Rules Out SBF Pardon

President Trump confirmed he will not pardon Sam Bankman-Fried, mixing his name with other high-profile figures when asked about clemency requests. The statement provides clarity on the former FTX CEO's legal future.

Ripple Secures UK Regulatory Approval

Ripple won FCA authorization to scale its crypto payments business in the UK. The approval allows limited crypto-related activities and confirms compliance with anti-money laundering requirements.

Colombia Mandates Crypto Data Disclosure

Colombia's tax authority now requires crypto exchanges to submit user transaction data, enhancing fiscal transparency and potentially influencing global tax policies affecting crypto markets.

Wall Street Groups Meet on Crypto Bill

Major Wall Street trade group SIFMA held private talks with crypto leaders on market structure legislation. The discussions signal potential shifts in crypto regulation amid ongoing legislative debates.

Markets

Altcoins Outperform Bitcoin

XRP and Solana posted double-digit gains while Bitcoin remained flat. Experts noted altcoins' superior performance is driven by ETF narratives and markets awaiting key U.S. economic data.

Bitcoin ETFs Face Three-Day Outflow Streak

U.S. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $399 million in outflows, extending their losing streak. Tactical de-risking and declining investor sentiment are behind the recent outflows.

Zcash Rebounds After Developer Turmoil

Zcash price recovered 10% after dipping below $400 amid ongoing developer disputes. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency staged a notable intraday recovery despite internal challenges.

Technology

BNY Launches Tokenized Deposits

BNY rolled out tokenized deposits to enhance real-time payments and settlement for institutional clients. The service could revolutionize financial systems by improving liquidity and enabling programmable payments.

Iran Internet Blackout Intensifies

Iran's internet traffic dropped to near zero as protests calling for regime change spread and authorities tightened control. Cloudflare data showed a near-total blackout affecting the region.

DeFi

Tom Lee's Bitmine Stakes Massive Ethereum Position

Bitmine staked 827,000 Ethereum worth over $2.5 billion, highlighting growing institutional confidence in crypto assets and potential for increased market influence.

Optimism Proposes Token Buybacks

The Optimism Foundation proposed using 50% of revenue for OP token buybacks, with voting set to begin January 22 and buybacks starting in February if approved.

Companies

Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15 Billion

Major crypto investor a16z raised $15 billion across multiple funds to propel technology investments and boost America's competitive prospects in the global tech race.

Rain Secures $250M Series C

Stablecoin payments firm Rain raised $250 million at a $1.95 billion valuation, led by ICONIQ, to scale its payments infrastructure.

OKX Cuts Institutional Staff

Crypto exchange OKX reduced its workforce amid global restructuring, with approximately one-third of its sales team exiting.

Quick Hits

• South Korea plans to allow spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2026 as part of its economic growth strategy
• Grayscale registered a BNB ETF in Delaware as the token lags broader crypto gains
• Vitalik Buterin backed convicted Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, calling privacy tools a human right
• [Nancy Pelosi and Democrats backed a bill](https://www.theblock.co/post/384962/ex-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-other-democrats-back-bill-to-