News
18 Jan 2026, 11:23
Talks planned as South Korea moves to avert U.S. tariffs on Samsung, SK Hynix

South Korea says it’s not going to sit quietly while Donald Trump slaps a 25% tariff on imported artificial intelligence chips. On Sunday, a presidential spokesperson said the government will push for favorable terms and talk directly with the U.S. to protect its chipmakers. The focus is Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, two of the biggest memory chip exporters in the world. Trump’s proclamation might not hit them immediately, but no one in Seoul is taking chances. The official reminded reporters that last year, South Korea and the U.S. published a joint fact sheet. It said South Korea would not face worse tariff treatment than other chipmaking countries. That agreement is now under pressure. The new tariff order only covers some types of advanced chips, for now, but things could escalate fast. Trump order hits AI chips first, but more tariffs could follow South Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said on Saturday that Trump’s new tariff plan mainly targets high-end artificial intelligence chips, not memory chips. “While the government remains cautious at an early stage, the first-phase measures announced so far focus on advanced chips made by Nvidia and AMD,” he said . He pointed out that the memory chips South Korea usually exports are not included in this first phase, so the impact is “expected to be limited.” But Yeo made it clear the government is not relaxed about the situation. “It is not yet time to be reassured,” he said, noting that no one knows how wide the next phase could be. He added that the government will keep working with local companies to secure the best possible deal for South Korea. Trump signed the new tariff proclamation on Wednesday, claiming it’s about national security. It puts a 25% duty on AI chips like Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X. The White House said the scope is “narrow,” and the tariffs won’t apply to chips imported for U.S. data centers, public sector uses, consumer electronics, startups, or civil industrial applications that don’t involve data centers. Still, the fact sheet makes it clear that wider tariffs are on the table. The U.S. could expand this to include more types of chips and related products to push more domestic production. Basically, if chipmakers don’t build factories in the U.S., they could get taxed hard. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers who aren’t investing in the U.S. could face tariffs as high as 100%. “If you want to sell in America, you should build in America,” he said at the groundbreaking of Micron’s new plant in New York. The new rules come after a nine-month investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The investigation targeted advanced chips that meet certain performance levels and the gear built around them. Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.
18 Jan 2026, 11:22
Biggest Weekly Gainers and Losers as Bitcoin Consolidates at $95K: Weekend Watch

Similar to the previous weekend, bitcoin’s price has stagnated again on Saturday and Sunday, with little to no action over the past 36 hours or so. Most larger-cap altcoins have remained sluggish as well, unlike small gains from HYPE and TRX. XMR, on the other hand, continues its freefall after the mid-week all-time high. BTC Stable Despite Political Turmoil As mentioned above, the previous weekend was quite dull, with BTC trading sideways around $90,500. However, it broke out on Monday and confirmed it on Tuesday when it flew past $92,000 with force. Its price gains continued on Wednesday when it tapped a multi-month peak of $98,000. After gaining around $8,000 in less than a week, bitcoin lost some of its momentum and slipped below $94,500 on Thursday. It rebounded on Friday and has remained above $95,000 ever since. What’s particularly interesting about this price stagnation is the fact that the geopolitical tension has skyrocketed since Friday. First, several EU nations sent troops to Greenland after Trump’s most recent remarks. Then POTUS announced a new set of 10% tariffs on all those eight EU nations. The Union lawmakers responded with an emergency meeting today, and threats about pulling out of the ongoing trade deal. BTC has remained unfazed and still stands at around $95,000. Its market cap is $1.9 trillion as of press time, and its dominance over the alts is at 57.3%. BTCUSD Jan 18. Source: TradingView Weekly Gainers and Losers TRX has emerged as the top gainer from the larger-cap alts since yesterday, surging by 3% to almost $0.32. HYPE and XLM follow suit, while XMR has tumbled by 10% once again to well below $600. CC, PUMP, and ZEC are also in the red daily. The weekly scale is quite favorable for ETH. The second-largest crypto has soared by 7% and sits above $3,300. BNB, SOL, LINK, TRX, and even XMR, are also in the green since this time last Sunday. In contrast, XRP, DOGE, BCH, and LTC are deep in the red. Nevertheless, ICP has soared the most since last Sunday (25%), while POL has lost the most value within the same timeframe (-18%). The total crypto market cap has slipped slightly over the past day, but it’s still above $3.3 trillion on CG. Cryptocurrency Market Overview Weekly Jan 18. Source: QuantifyCrypto The post Biggest Weekly Gainers and Losers as Bitcoin Consolidates at $95K: Weekend Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato .
18 Jan 2026, 11:02
Pundit to XRP Investors: A Lot of People Are Not Ready to Hear This

Crypto commentator Pumpius has presented a view that challenges how market participants assess relevance in the digital asset space. In a recent post, Pumpius argued that while attention often shifts toward new blockchains and familiar narratives recycled each cycle, XRP has continued to strengthen without relying on visibility or trend-driven momentum. The commentary positioned longevity and endurance as more meaningful indicators than short-term enthusiasm. Pumpius emphasized that a decade of participation in real-world finance represents a level of exposure that cannot be artificially created. According to the post, ten years of operating through regulatory pressure, market downturns, and changing industry conditions provide evidence that goes beyond promotional claims. The argument focused on survival as a measurable outcome, rather than promises about future potential. A lot of people are not ready to hear this. While the market chases shiny new chains and recycled narratives, XRP has been quietly dominating in the background. Ten years of real world finance cannot be faked. Ten years of regulatory pressure cannot be simulated. Ten years of… — Pumpius (@pumpius) January 17, 2026 Regulatory Exposure and Operational Stress A significant portion of the commentary addressed regulatory pressure. Pumpius stated that XRP has operated while facing regulators directly, rather than attempting to avoid oversight. This experience, the post suggested, subjected the network to scrutiny of governments, banks, and institutions, creating conditions that many newer projects have not yet encountered. The post contrasted this with emerging blockchains that have not cleared large volumes of real value or operated at scale under sustained oversight. Pumpius argued that many networks promote ambitious goals but remain untested when confronted with coordinated regulatory enforcement or institutional demands. In this context, XRP’s continued operation was presented as evidence of structural resilience. Building Through Market Cycles Pumpius also reflected on the repeated rise and fall of projects driven primarily by hype. The post referenced multiple market cycles in which highly promoted blockchains failed once market conditions tightened or regulatory pressure increased. According to Pumpius, these failures often occurred when real stress replaced favorable conditions. In contrast, XRP was described as continuing to develop practical integrations during these periods. The commentary stated that while other networks focused on experimentation or online debate, XRP concentrated on establishing payment corridors and maintaining functionality. This approach was linked to consistency rather than rapid expansion fueled by speculation. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Assessing Value Through Longevity The post concluded by encouraging a reassessment of how digital assets are evaluated. Pumpius stated that the issue is not personal preference or loyalty to a particular project, but the ability of a network to remain operational under prolonged pressure. Survival through adverse conditions was presented as a form of proof that cannot be replicated quickly. By highlighting XRP’s history of regulatory engagement , institutional testing, and endurance across bear markets, Pumpius positioned the network as an infrastructure that has resisted repeated attempts to undermine it. The commentary suggested that certain realities in the digital asset sector become clear only after extended observation, rather than during periods dominated by attention-driven trends. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Pundit to XRP Investors: A Lot of People Are Not Ready to Hear This appeared first on Times Tabloid .
18 Jan 2026, 11:01
Ethereum (ETH) Ready to Enter Bull Market: Official Data

Ethereum's ability to break into a bull market is here, but it requires way more inflows.
18 Jan 2026, 11:00
SUI Price Breakout Next? Analyst Sets $2.3 Short-Term Target

The SUI price struggled to replicate its early-year momentum over the past week despite the general market seeing renewed optimism. The altcoin’s price mostly moved sideways, oscillating between the $1.70 – $1.90 levels. According to a popular analyst on the social media platform X, this slight inactivity might be a bullish signal of what is to come over the next few weeks. Is SUI On The Verge Of A 30% Surge? In a January 18 post on the X platform, crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared an interesting chart setup for the SUI price. According to the market pundit, a break out of the current chart setup could see the altcoin reach the $2.29 level over the coming weeks. Related Reading: Dogecoin RSI Just Entered Historical Oversold Levels Again, Will It Repeat 2021? The rationale behind this positive prediction is the formation of a bull flag pattern on the 4-hour timeframe of the Bitcoin price chart. The bull flag is a technical analysis pattern characterized by a period of steep upward movement (the flagpole) typically followed by sideways or slightly downward price action. Typically, the bull flag functions as a prevailing continuation pattern for an existing upward trend, suggesting a potential move to a higher price point. While this chart is often a bullish signal, it is crucial to wait for a successful breach of the upper boundary of the consolidation range; this increases the odds that the price will continue in its upward trajectory. As shown in the chart above, the price level that needs to be broken to confirm the uptrend continuation lies around the $1.84 mark. Meanwhile, the target for this chart pattern is usually calculated by adding the vertical height of the flagpole to the potential breakout point from the flag. According to Martinez, a sustained break above this level could see the SUI price run up to as $2.29, representing an almost 30% surge from the current price point. SUI Price Overview As of this writing, the price of SUI stands at around $1.78, reflecting a mere 0.9% dip in the past 24 hours. This tame daily action highlights the indecisiveness currently affecting this altcoin market, as the SUI bulls and bears battled for dominance over the past week. According to CoinGecko data, the altcoin’s value is down by 1.7% in the last seven days. However, this past week’s struggles have not been enough to wipe out SUI’s recent success, especially on broader timeframes. For instance, the altcoin’s value has increased by more than 28% on the monthly timeframe. With this positive performance, the token has maintained a position within the top 30 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap. Related Reading: XRP Wave C Push On The Way: What Could Send Price Below $2? Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
18 Jan 2026, 11:00
Vanguard’s $505mln MSTR bet – Is the Bitcoin blockade officially over?

What changed behind the scenes? Bitcoin price or MSCI exclusion or something else.






































