Invest ideasNews
26 Jan 2026, 16:50
Crypto Misses the Macro Trade as Retail Dives Into Gold, Stocks
Gold is topping $5,000. Stocks keep booming. The dollar is falling again. Yet Bitcoin — hailed as both a momentum and “debasement” trade — is sitting out the action. Its price is stalling, volumes are limp, and longtime believers are drifting toward more dependable markets like equities and precious metals.
26 Jan 2026, 16:00
Bitcoin Bulls Eye Dollar Weakness As Yen Intervention Rumors Build
Bitcoin traders are once again anchoring to FX, after intervention rumors around USD/JPY revived a familiar tug-of-war: short-term shock risk from a strengthening yen versus the longer-horizon bid that typically follows a softer dollar and easier global liquidity. The spark over the weekend was a viral X thread (2.9 million views) from Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio), which framed reported “rate checks” by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a prelude to coordinated action. “The New York Fed has already done rate checks, which is the exact step taken before real currency intervention,” the account wrote. “That means the US is preparing to sell dollars and buy yen. This is rare. And historically, when this happens, global markets surge.” Bitcoin In The Crosshairs Bull Theory pointed to the macro backdrop in Japan , years of yen weakness, Japanese bond yields at multi-decade highs, and a still-hawkish Bank of Japan, as the pressure cooker forcing officials toward more aggressive signaling. In the thread’s telling, the key variable is coordination: Japan acting alone “does not work,” while joint US-Japan action “does,” citing 1998 and the Plaza Accord era as historical reference points. A Bloomberg report cited by the account described the yen’s sharp jump on speculation that Japanese authorities could be preparing intervention to arrest the currency’s slide, after traders reported the New York Fed had conducted rate checks with major banks. The story said the yen rallied as much as roughly 1.6% to around 155.90 per dollar, marking its strongest level since December in that session. THE FED IS PREPARING TO SELL U.S. DOLLARS AND BUY JAPANESE YEN FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS CENTURY. The New York Fed has already done rate checks, which is the exact step taken before real currency intervention. That means the U.S. is preparing to sell dollars and buy yen. This… pic.twitter.com/7xFReOFoDo — Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) January 25, 2026 The fight in the replies was less about whether markets moved and more about what a “rate check” actually signals. Daniel Kostecki (@Dan_Kostecki) dismissed the viral framing outright, arguing the mechanism is often misread. “The Japanese asked the NY Fed to act as their agent in the American market,” Kostecki wrote. “NY Fed employees then started calling banks in New York to perform the ‘rate check’—strictly at the Japanese’s request. If officials from Tokyo had called New York banks, traders might have ignored it as a ‘local Japanese problem.’ But when the Fed calls, banks treat it as a signal that a joint intervention (USA + Japan) might be coming.” That distinction matters for crypto because the thread’s “bull case” leans heavily on the idea that selling dollars to buy yen mechanically weakens the dollar and expands liquidity , conditions many macro-focused crypto traders associate with risk-asset upside. Ted (@TedPillows) echoed the liquidity-first interpretation while flagging the path dependency. “The Fed is preparing for a possible yen intervention,” he wrote, before laying out the causal chain: dollars sold, yen bought, dollar weaker, liquidity higher, risk assets helped, then warning that “a strengthening yen could first cause a similar crash like in August 2024.” After that, he added, markets could stabilize and rally. Michael A. Gayed (@leadlagreport), Portfolio Manager of The Free Markets ETF, offered a different rationale for why Washington would care, suggesting the Fed is acting to prevent a scenario where Japan would need to sell US Treasuries to raise dollars to intervene—“It’s not that Japan will panic. It’s the Fed that will panic,” he wrote. Bull Theory’s most concrete crypto claim was that the setup contains both a near-term trap and a medium-term tailwind. The account argued there are “hundreds of billions of dollars tied into the yen carry trade ,” meaning abrupt yen strength can force deleveraging in the very assets, stocks and crypto, funded with cheap yen borrowing. As an example, the account pointed to August 2024, claiming a small BoJ rate hike pushed the yen higher and “Bitcoin crashed from $64K to $49K in six days,” with crypto losing “$600B in value.” Bull Theory framed that episode as the template for the “catch” in 2026: yen strength can be toxic in the first act, even if sustained dollar weakness ultimately improves the liquidity backdrop for Bitcoin. LondonCryptoClub (@LDNCryptoClub) leaned into that lagged-liquidity framing, arguing that a weaker dollar tends to filter into risk assets with a delay, while also introducing an additional US liquidity variable. “Continued and accelerated breakdown of the dollar will be good for Bitcoin and broad risk over the next few months,” the account wrote, adding that the dollar “tends to act with a 3 months lag” outside of “knee jerk reactions.” It also warned that a potential US government shutdown and subsequent Treasury General Account rebuild could offset some of the positive liquidity impulse. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $87,926.
26 Jan 2026, 15:54
Tether Gold Now Controls Half of the Entire Gold-Backed Token Market
Tether Gold (XAU₮) capped off 2025 by cementing its lead in one of the fastest-growing corners of the digital asset ecosystem, with the tokenized gold product now accounting for more than half of the entire gold-backed stablecoin market. A newly released attestation report shows XAU₮ surpassed $4 billion in market value as the flight to hard assets strengthened amid geopolitical fragmentation, monetary uncertainty, and record-breaking bullion prices. The past year marked a turning point for on-chain commodities. The total market capitalization of gold-backed stablecoins expanded from roughly $1.3 billion to over $4 billion in 2025, driven by soaring demand for real-world asset (RWA) exposure that can be traded instantly on public blockchains. The surge coincided with spot gold breaking above $5,000 per ounce. Gold price (Source: CoinCodex) Within that boom, Tether Gold maintained a dominant share, commanding around 60% of all gold-backed tokens in circulation. The latest attestation from TG Commodities, S.A. de C.V.—a regulated stablecoin issuer and Digital Asset Service Provider under El Salvador’s Digital Asset Issuance Law—detailed the scale of the token’s growth. Record Reserves and 1:1 Physical Backing As of Dec, 31, 2025, TG Commodities confirmed the following key metrics: Total Physical Gold Reserves: 520,089.350 fine troy ounces Total XAU₮ Tokens in Circulation: 520,089.300 XAU₮ Backing Ratio: 1:1 with physical gold Total Market Value: US$2.246 billion Tokens Sold: 409,217.64 XAU₮ Tokens Available for Sale: 110,871.66 XAU₮ The physical gold reserves are fully vaulted in Switzerland and adhere to London Good Delivery standards mandated by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), ensuring that each token corresponds to institutional-grade bullion. Tether Joins the Ranks of Major Sovereign Gold Holders According to data cited from the IMF and a late-2025 Jefferies analysis, Tether’s aggregate gold exposure now places it among the top 30 gold holders in the world, surpassing national reserves held by Greece, Qatar, and Australia. In the final quarter of 2025 alone, Tether Gold Investments, including Tether International Limited and TG Commodities Limited—added approximately 27 metric tons of gold, outpacing the purchases of most individual central banks during the same period. That pace reflects a growing trend of private entities stepping into roles historically dominated by sovereign monetary authorities. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said that Tether Gold is now operating at a scale that places its investment fund alongside sovereign gold holders, and that carries real responsibility. “XAU₮ exists to remove ambiguity at a time when confidence in monetary systems is weakening. Every token represents physically held, vaulted gold that can be verified on-chain, and the market’s growth shows that investors increasingly expect tokenized assets to meet the same standards as national and institutional reserves.”
26 Jan 2026, 15:00
Gold Hits Record $5K While Bitcoin Struggles To Keep Pace
Gold shone brightly today, racing to a new high while crypto took the back seat, and the gap between the two assets opened wide. Related Reading: Money Keeps Leaving: Bitcoin ETFs Shed $1.72 Billion In Just 5 Sessions On Monday, the precious metal moved past the $5,000 mark, registering a price point market sentinels had not witnessed before. Bitcoin, by contrast, failed to keep pace and traded well below its recent highs. Gold Hits Record Levels Safe-haven demand pushed gold sharply higher. Prices were up above $5k an ounce and inked roughly $5,110 at the peak. Silver, for its part, did not go unnoticed, jumping to fresh peaks near $107/ounce. Source: Gold Price Traders pointed to simmering geopolitical friction and talk of tougher trade moves led by US President Donald Trump as fuel for the rally. A weaker greenback made metals more attractive to customers overseas, and central bank buying provided steady backing. Liquidity in some corners were thin as investors rushed to shift cash into things that feel stable when risk elevates. Bitcoin Falls Behind Market numbers show Bitcoin hovering in the mid-$80,000s range, retreating from peaks seen late last year. Reports note the alpha crypto is roughly 30% below the highest level it hit reached in October 2025, leaving some holders quite jittery. Volatility was another factor. Where bullion is being sought for safety, Bitcoin is viewed more as a growth or speculative play, and that difference in investor application becomes clear when markets tighten. Some funds slashed their crypto exposure, signaling a short reroute away from high-risk gambits. Why Investors Are Shifting Analysts and traders described a simple choice: shelter or swing for gains. When headlines push worry, money flows into assets that are widely trusted across markets and governments. Metals fit that ticket. Based on market chatter, fears of a US government funding clash and fresh tariff announcements stacked pressure on stocks and added a sense of urgency to safe-haven acquisition. Options and futures trading hinted at a more cautious perpective, with volatility indexes rising and bond yields behaving in ways that made the yellow metal look more appealing by comparison. Related Reading: XRP Charts Flash Familiar Signal As Analyst Calls For $11, Then $70 What Traders Are Watching Market watchers said eyes will be glued on a few key metrics: The dollar’s path, moves by major central banks, and any sign that US politics escalates could keep metals elevated. For Bitcoin, network activity, large wallet flows, and regulatory headlines will likely set the tone. Some traders expect swings both ways. Others caution that when risk appetite is back, crypto may bounce hard, but that outcome is not a sure thing and will be dependent on a string of policy and macro moves. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
26 Jan 2026, 14:37
Gold Beats Ethereum to $5K Milestone, Hitting Record Above $5,100
Gold smashed past $5,100 as Ethereum falters below $3,000—and prediction market users called it months ago.
26 Jan 2026, 14:04
Ripple partners with Riyad Bank’s Jeel to explore blockchain in Saudi Arabia
Ripple, the global blockchain and digital payment company, has announced a strategic partnership with Jeel, the innovation arm of Riyad Bank in Saudi Arabia. Reece Merrick @reece_merrick · Follow More big news from the Middle East! @Ripple is partnering with @Jeelmovement , the innovation arm of @RiyadBank , to advance Saudi Arabia’s financial future through blockchain innovation 🇸🇦The Kingdom’s visionary leadership has established Saudi Arabia as a forward-thinking 12:23 pm · 26 Jan 2026 840 Reply Copy link Read 45 replies The collaboration aims to explore blockchain technology to enhance the Kingdom’s financial infrastructure. While the news has done little to change the bearish XRP market sentiment , it has added some positive impetus to the overlay bearish market. Exploring blockchain use cases in Saudi Arabia Through this partnership, Ripple and Jeel will focus on practical blockchain applications. One of the primary objectives is to improve cross-border payment processes. Blockchain technology has the potential to make these transactions faster, more transparent, and cost-efficient. In addition, the collaboration will explore solutions for digital asset custody. This involves developing secure and compliant ways to manage digital assets. Another key area of focus is tokenisation, which allows the digitisation of financial assets. By tokenising assets, financial services can become more efficient and accessible. These initiatives will be tested in Jeel’s regulatory sandbox, ensuring compliance with Saudi financial regulations. The sandbox environment allows innovative solutions to be trialled in a controlled and supervised setting. This ensures that new blockchain applications meet local regulatory standards while promoting financial innovation. Alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 The partnership is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda . Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy and modernise the financial sector. By embracing blockchain technology, the Kingdom can strengthen its financial infrastructure. Ripple’s collaboration with Jeel is part of a broader effort to position Saudi Arabia as a forward-thinking financial hub. Reece Merrick, Ripple’s executive, emphasised that the partnership will help shape the future of the Kingdom’s financial ecosystem. He highlighted the importance of exploring cross-border payments, digital asset custody, and tokenisation to support the Vision 2030 goals. The initiative also reflects the leadership’s commitment to digital transformation. Saudi Arabia has made significant investments in innovation and fintech to attract global talent and investment. By partnering with Jeel, Ripple gains direct access to the Kingdom’s innovation platforms. This allows Ripple to test new solutions while benefiting from local expertise and regulatory guidance. The collaboration also strengthens Ripple’s presence in the Middle East. The region has increasingly embraced blockchain technology for financial services. By combining Ripple’s global blockchain experience with Jeel’s local innovation capabilities, the partnership has strong potential to deliver tangible results. Saudi Arabia is now positioned to lead in the adoption of blockchain-based financial solutions. The partnership sets a precedent for collaboration between international fintech firms and local financial institutions. It demonstrates how blockchain innovation can support economic growth and modernisation. As Ripple and Jeel move forward, the Kingdom could see faster, more secure, and more efficient financial services. The post Ripple partners with Riyad Bank’s Jeel to explore blockchain in Saudi Arabia appeared first on Invezz
