hodler

23 Jan 2026, 17:46

Asset Manager Bitwise Launches New ETF Combining Bitcoin And Gold To Hedge Against Fiat Currency Depreciation

Bitwise Asset Management is expanding its ETF lineup beyond pure-play crypto exposure. The firm has launched the first-of-its-kind exchange-traded fund that seeks to address the declining purchasing power of fiat currencies by pairing Bitcoin with traditional stores of value, including gold, silver, and mining equities. On Thursday, Bitwise introduced the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF,

23 Jan 2026, 17:30

Stablecoins May Soon Power Payments Made Entirely By AI—CEO

Circle’s chief executive painted a brisk picture at Davos this week: autonomous software agents that act for people could be using stablecoins to pay for everyday things within three to five years. He said these agents will need a money system that is stable, fast, and programmable. That, he argued, points to stablecoins as the likely choice. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Sharp Reversal Leaves Over $800 Million Liquidated In 1 Day AI Agents And Money According to reports, Jeremy Allaire of Circle said “literally billions” of AI agents may be transacting on behalf of users in the near term. “Three years, five years from now, one can expect that there will be billions, literally billions of AI agents conducting economic activity in the world on a continuous basis,” Allaire said during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He described work on new networks and tools aimed at letting software act like small businesses or helpers that buy services, settle bills, and tip content creators. This idea is simple on the surface: software needs a reliable unit of account when it spends, and tokenized dollars can fit that role. Building The Tools Reports say companies across the crypto and tech world are racing to build the plumbing for this future. Circle is pitching USDC as a neutral payments layer that software can plug into. Other firms are testing protocols that let a machine sign off on a payment when certain conditions are met. Some large tech groups are also exploring ways for their platforms to let software pay for services automatically. Progress is visible, but the path is not yet clear. What Regulators Might Ask Regulators will have questions. Reports note concerns about money flow, consumer protections, and where bank deposits sit if stablecoins grow rapidly. At Davos, the CEO pushed back on the idea that stablecoins would drain bank deposits the way some fear, saying comparisons to other financial instruments are more fitting. Still, lawmakers in the US and elsewhere are watching closely. Rules could move faster if policy makers see real volume coming from so-called agentic commerce. New Networks, New Risks Based on reports, the technical choices will shape both convenience and danger. If agents can move value at scale, fraud and theft risks may rise too. Related Reading: Bitcoin Influencers Get Spotlight In X’s New ‘Starterpacks’ Systems will need clear identity checks, fault handling, and ways to stop runaway payments. Some safety work is already under way, but much remains to be designed and tested. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

23 Jan 2026, 17:15

US consumer confidence jumps to five-month high in January, survey shows

American consumer confidence rose sharply in January, reaching its highest level in five months as people felt better about the economy and their own money situation. The University of Michigan’s final sentiment index climbed to 56.4, up 3.5 points from December. The reading came in above the early estimate and beat every forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The increase marked the largest monthly gain since June. Optimism improved across income levels, age groups, education backgrounds, and political affiliations. Fewer people brought up tariffs without being prompted. That share has now fallen for five straight months, based on the same survey. Even with the improvement, overall sentiment is still more than 20% lower than a year ago, as consumer pressure from high prices and job worries has not gone away. Households report better finances while price worries ease slightly Survey data showed Americans expect prices to rise 4% over the next year, the lowest one‑year outlook since January 2025. Over a longer period of five to ten years, expected inflation stood at 3.3%. Despite anger over prices, consumer spending stayed firm and continued to support economic activity. Buying conditions for durable goods improved to a three‑month high. Tax refunds are also expected to help ease stress for many households in the months ahead. A separate gauge tracking expectations for personal finances jumped to an almost one‑year high. Views on current household finances improved at the same time. An index measuring overall expectations rose to a six‑month high. Another index that tracks current conditions bounced back after hitting a record low in December. On global events, Joanne Hsu, who directs the survey, said, “They do not appear to see meaningful consequences for their personal finances nor the US economy more generally.” The survey collected responses between Dec. 16 and Jan. 19. During that period, consumer views on the economy improved even as uncertainty remained in other areas. Businesses add a few workers as growth stays slow While consumer sentiment improved, U.S. businesses started the year with only mild gains. S&P Global’s flash January composite output index edged up 0.1 point to 52.8 after dropping to an eight‑month low late in 2025. Any reading above 50 signals expansion, but growth stayed weak. Chris Williamson of S&P Global Market Intelligence said, “A worryingly subdued rate of new business growth across both manufacturing and services adds further to signs that first‑quarter growth could disappoint.” He also said, “Jobs growth is meanwhile already disappointing, with near stagnant payroll numbers reported again in January, as businesses worry about taking on more staff in an environment of uncertainty, weak demand and high costs.” Headcount barely grew in January. New orders increased, but the pace remained below most of last year’s levels. Manufacturing activity improved slightly, though the index stayed close to its weakest level since July. Service sector activity matched the slowest expansion since April. New manufacturing orders rose modestly after shrinking in December for the first time since 2024. Service sector orders also improved. Cost pressures eased, with indexes for input prices and prices charged both moving lower. Even so, the data did not suggest inflation is cooling fast. With inflation still above the Federal Reserve’s target, policymakers are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged next week. Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

23 Jan 2026, 16:40

Trump sues JPMorgan for $5B! Ledger prepares for $4B IPO! “Crypto Adoption is no longer reversible” says PWC!

Crypto majors are red while Gold nears $5,000 and Silver closes in on $100; BTC -1% at $89,100; ETH -2% at $2,925, SOL -2% at $127; XRP -2% to $1.90. ZRO (+15%), AXS (+10%) and DASH (+8%) led top movers. Ledger is preparing for a $4B IPO, enlisting Goldman Sachs, Jefferies and Barclays for support. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicted crypto could hit new highs in 2026, pointing to regulatory momentum and institutional participation as key drivers. President Trump sued JPMorgan for $5 billion, alleging politically motivated “debanking”. BitGo briefly surged in its stock market debut before finishing its first day of trading just over its $18 IPO price. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink pushed the idea of a single blockchain for tokenization to avoid corruption and aid in scaling. Kansas introduced its own Bitcoin Strategic Reserve bill. PwC said institutional crypto adoption has crossed a point of no return, as regulatory frameworks move from draft rules toward active supervision. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed the Trump administration’s push for U.S. crypto leadership and support for a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

23 Jan 2026, 16:40

Bitcoin V Gold: The Only Bitcoin Chart You Need To See

The focus of financial-market meme-chasing has shifted from bitcoin to gold. The FOMO mindset that has driven crypto for so long has landed in the precious metals arena.

23 Jan 2026, 16:38

Whales Massively Buying Gold Instead of Bitcoin: Details

Bitcoin slipped today as on-chain data showed large investors shifting capital toward gold-backed assets instead of crypto. The move comes as traditional safe havens surge to fresh all-time highs, leaving the digital asset market in the red. Visit Website