Daily Crypto Briefing – January 16, 2026

The crypto markets showed mixed signals today as Bitcoin tested resistance near $98,000 while regulatory uncertainty continues to weigh on sentiment. Here's what moved the markets in the past 24 hours.

Top Stories

Monero Hits All-Time High Amid Major Theft Investigation

The Block reports that crypto investigator ZachXBT believes stolen funds from a social engineering hack were swapped to Monero, contributing to XMR's new highs. The privacy coin surged as criminals sought to launder approximately $282 million in stolen Bitcoin and Litecoin through XMR.

Bitcoin Rallies Past $95K Despite Policy Stalls

Cointelegraph notes Bitcoin breached $95,000 this week amid broader market recovery, even as investors digested regulatory delays to the much-awaited CLARITY Act. ETF flows showed signs of rebounding despite the legislative uncertainty.

Wall Street Strategist Exits Bitcoin Over Quantum Fears

The Block's daily newsletter highlights that a Jefferies strategist dropped a 10% Bitcoin allocation over quantum computing concerns, reallocating to gold and gold-mining stocks instead.

Base App Pivots to Trading Focus

The Defiant reports that Base lead Jesse Pollak announced the web3 app will focus more on trading features, dialing back its social-heavy approach just six months after rebranding to SocialFi.

Goldman Sachs Explores Tokenization

Bankless confirms CEO David Solomon said Goldman Sachs is actively exploring tokenization and prediction markets, though he downplayed any near-term implementation plans.

Regulation

Crypto Bill Compromise Expected Soon

• Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz predicts imminent passage of crypto legislation with potential stablecoin compromises
• The Block reports Novogratz expects finalization within weeks despite Coinbase's concerns

Belarus Authorizes Cryptobanks

• President Lukashenko signed a decree establishing framework for crypto banking operations
• New rules allow certain firms to combine token services with traditional banking

South Korea Tightens Exchange Access

• Google Play will block unregistered exchanges starting January 28
• Only VASP-registered platforms will remain available on the Play Store

Markets

Bitcoin Technical Signals Mixed

• BTC tested $98,000 resistance but analysts warn of potential correction to $86,000
• Decrypt notes Bitcoin flashed its most reliable bullish signal despite recent dips

Altcoin Performance Varied

• Axie Infinity jumped 13% to near $1.30, extending weekly gains over 30%
• Vaulta (formerly EOS) crashed 20% to new all-time lows below $0.14

Ethereum Shows Strong Activity

• NewsBTC reports massive activity spike driven by first-time users and heavier transaction flow
• Network staking hits all-time highs as ETH targets $4,000 zone

Technology

Mining Sector Developments

• Riot Platforms shares jumped 11% after announcing Texas land acquisition funded by Bitcoin sales
• Nasdaq warned Canaan about potential delisting as shares languish below $1

Platform Updates

• X recovered from massive outage affecting thousands of users globally
• Interactive Brokers launched stablecoin funding allowing USDC deposits via multiple blockchains

DeFi

Stablecoin Developments

• Citrea launched ctUSD, a Bitcoin-native stablecoin backed 1:1 by T-bills and fiat
• Artemis data shows crypto cards now rival peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers with $18 billion in spending

Tokenization Progress

• Galaxy tokenized first CLO on Avalanche with $50 million Grove allocation
• Total deal size reaches $75 million, bringing private credit onchain

Quick Hits

• Nexo signed sponsorship deal with Audi's new F1 team as official digital asset partner
• Iran's crypto ecosystem reached $7.8 billion in 2025 according to Chainalysis
• Utah man sentenced to three years for $2.9 million crypto fraud scheme
• CME Group plans to launch futures for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar
• Polygon reportedly [