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18 Jan 2026, 15:32
Bitcoin Price Analysis: Rally to $100K or Drop Below $90K Is Next for BTC?
Bitcoin continues to consolidate just below a major resistance cluster after a strong recovery from the December lows. The price chart shows a clear sequence of higher lows, while on-chain data indicates that the percentage of supply in profit has undergone a deep reset and is now recovering. Technically, the market is approaching an important decision zone: either a sustained breakout above the current ceiling opens the door to a new leg higher, or a rejection here triggers a corrective phase back toward recently established support levels. Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart On the daily chart, BTC is trading around the $95,000 resistance band, which coincides with the lower boundary of a broader supply area and the 100-day moving average. This zone has acted as a price cap since November and is the key level currently under test. Below the current levels, an ascending structure has formed from the $80,000 demand zone, creating a series of higher lows. The recent advance has pushed the asset from that base into the current resistance area without any meaningful daily pullback, leaving the $90,000 short-term level as the first notable support layer in case of a rejection. Daily RSI has also cooled from recent overbought readings, but remains above the mid-line, consistent with a market in early or mid-trend rather than at a mature top. As long as the higher-low structure from the December bottom holds, the broader bias on the daily timeframe remains constructive, even if short-term volatility emerges around resistance. BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart The 4-hour chart highlights the recent breakout from an ascending triangle structure. The price spent several weeks compressing between a flat resistance around the $95,000 mark and the rising trendline of the pattern. This resistance has now been marginally exceeded, and the market is consolidating just above the former range high, potentially targeting the $100,000 region next. Yet momentum on the 4-hour RSI points to a downtrend, reflecting waning short-term strength and raising the risk of a corrective phase or at least a period of sideways consolidation. If such a correction unfolds, $93,000–$94,000 forms the immediate breakout-retest zone, where stability would preserve the integrity of the bullish breakout. Further below, the $90,000 region marks the prior consolidation band and mid-range support, a logical area for a deeper but still healthy pullback within the prevailing uptrend. On-Chain Analysis The Supply in Profit (%) metric currently provides an important cyclical signal. Recently, the percentage of circulating BTC that was in profit dropped to levels comparable to those seen when the spot price was below $30,000 earlier in the cycle. This occurred despite the current price being in the $90,000+ region. Such a deep reset in profitability at a much higher nominal price indicates that a large portion of coins changed hands or saw unrealized gains compressed during the recent correction. Historically, similar resets have often preceded new medium-term advances, as weaker hands are flushed out and a more robust holder base emerges. The metric is now recovering back toward the mid-70% range, suggesting that profitability is improving again but has not yet reached the extreme levels (above 95%) typically associated with late-stage euphoric phases. This combination can be interpreted as a constructive on-chain backdrop, consistent with the early stages of a potential new rally, provided that key technical resistance on the chart is eventually absorbed. s The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: Rally to $100K or Drop Below $90K Is Next for BTC? appeared first on CryptoPotato .
18 Jan 2026, 15:10
Ethereum's long-term development may run into a complexity wall
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has declared 2026 a crucial year for the blockchain network, openly acknowledging that the blockchain has lost sight of its founding principles, which are self-sovereignty and trustlessness. In a lengthy post on X, he expressed concerns about the long-term trajectory of the blockchain’s development as the chain grows more complex. Ethereum’s long-term development may run int o a co mplexity wall In a post on X, Vitalik expressed concerns about the trajectory of Ethereum’s protocol development, saying that the current changes being made to the protocol are invariably adding more bloat. He argued that the basis of the blockchain is simplicity, and adding more complexity actually challenges the network’s sovereignty and trustlessness. According to Vitalik, trustlessness, passing the “walkway test,” and self-sovereignty are essential parts of a protocol’s simplicity. He added that if a protocol is decentralized with fault tolerance, “if the protocol is an unwieldy mess of hundreds of thousands of lines of code and five forms of PhD-level cryptography, ultimately that protocol fails all three tests.” When only a small group of experts can grasp the full scope of a software, then trust has been shifted from the people to the code. At the core of Vitalik’s message is a critique of protocol bloat, which happens when software gains new features and complexity over time as new use cases and demand arise. While many upgrades, such as Fusaka and Pectra , have improved scalability and functionality, they also introduce more cryptographic complexity. He remarked that this is partly due to the need to maintain backwards compatibility, which results in additions rather than removals from the codebase. Vitalik proposes how to handle bloat and protocol development Vitalik proposes “garbage collection,” by removing or demoting older and underused features. This will counter bloat on the protocol, reduce complexity, and make it easier for users to understand. According to Vitalik, simplification requires three things: minimizing the total code in the protocol to a page, avoiding dependencies on complex technical components, and reducing how much storage is modified in a single operation. The question now is “how do modern blockchains stand with high-performance networks without straying from the original ethos of censorship resistance, autonomy, and decentralized verification?” Vitalik’s post fits into a larger discussion about Ethereum’s current phase. He has stated that 2026 should be a year to “take back lost ground” regarding trustlessness and self-sovereignty. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
18 Jan 2026, 15:00
Bitcoin Long Signal That Preceded 370% Move Is About To Go Off Again — What To Know
Going into the weekend, the price of Bitcoin was unable to sustain the bullish momentum it displayed earlier in the past week. Since Friday, January 16th, the world’s leading cryptocurrency, repudiated by the price resistance above, now trades in a tight consolidatory bracket. Interestingly, this period of silence has been deemed transient, as recent on-chain data suggests an exciting time ahead for the BTC price. Kimchi Premium Flips Positive As Local Demand Sees Buildup In a January 17 post on the X platform, DeFi asset management platform XWIN Finance released an on-chain report, which suggests that Bitcoin might be closer to reaching a turning point than is apparent in its price action. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price To $100K: Why All Eyes Are On The Short-Term Holders This hypothesis is based on the Bitcoin Kimchi Premium indicator. This measures the percentage difference between a cryptocurrency’s price (in this case, Bitcoin) on South Korean exchanges and its price on global exchanges. Simply put, it shows how much more Korean traders are willing to pay for Bitcoin. When the Kimchi Premium transitions steadily from low or negative levels to cross above historically significant levels, this is typically viewed as a long signal from the metric. This interpretation is because a rising Kimchi Premium reflects growing local demand in South Korea, usually often influenced by retail buyers. In essence, Korean buyers are willing to pay more for Bitcoin, hence overwhelming the available supply and consequently pushing prices upwards. In the post on X, XWIN Finance highlighted that this long signal had been sighted on the indicator. History also attests to the bullish significance of this signal; there have been major price moves to the upside following sustained increases in the Kimchi Premium. An example is the last sighting of the long signal in October 2023, where the index rose above a major threshold, as shown in the chart above. The price of Bitcoin witnessed a 370% rally after this signal went off in 2023. According to XWIN Research, this same pattern seems to be playing out again in 2026. Hence, if the Kimchi Premium completes its long-signal formation, it could be a sign that buyers are occupying favourable positions for a bullish ride. If history does repeat itself, the Bitcoin price could be on track to witness another exciting voyage, with the flagship cryptocurrency possibly putting in a more than 300% surge in the next cycle. However, it is worth noting that macro conditions, institutional demand, and derivatives activity would be playing their roles to augment the pattern’s plausibility, as it should not be viewed as a standalone bullish sign. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $95,280, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Bitcoin Net Taker Volume Finally Flips Positive — Why This Shift Matters Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
18 Jan 2026, 15:00
The Only Crypto to Buy Now as Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) Slow Down
Newcomers in the crypto market tend to win as the oldies enter the consolidation strategies. Some of the top altcoins that have provided massive growth over the last one year have failed to recap their greatest growth. Liquidity has become more profound, stories have become colder, and the price action has become flatter. Although that is the expected trend of growing assets, it compels investors to seek the emerging opportunities of the next cycle. According to analysts, there is a single new token less than one dollar that is already showing the signs of becoming that new player because traders are leaving the meme asset and moving onto utility driven models. Shiba Inu (SHIB) Shiba Inu (SHIB) was among the most aggressive assets of the last run in memes. The token paid off the early adopters with astounding percentage returns. SHIB is currently trading in and around the ranges of $0.000008 with a market cap of billions of dollars. It remains popular and has good brand recognition among the retail audiences. Nonetheless, the very factors which were driving SHIB in the past are today hindrances to structure. The huge market value indicates that SHIB requires substantial liquidity inflows to cause a meaningful upside. Another aspect observed by analysts is that chart structure indicates the movement is slowing down with recurring stalls around breakout sectors. High elasticity of prices is decreased by high liquidity and high float. SHIB is not a failed project, but instead it acts like a full-fledged asset as opposed to a lopsided one. Dogecoin (DOGE) Dogecoin (DOGE) took another course. It increased based on the narrative momentum and communal energy as opposed to protocol features. DOGE trades at an approximate of the $0.15 range with billions of market cap. The benefit to early investors was that they enjoyed viral attention and celebrity endorsements which created a powerful feedback loop. This enabled DOGE to outpacing utility driven assets at the height of the cycle at the time when the meme movement was the order of the day. However, stories dissipate in the lack of a new stimulus. The community has been diluted, the strength of trends has solidified and no new driver of adoption has come into the ecosystem. In the absence of fresh hype, DOGE has performed in sluggish price action and analysts have given it an average price outlook. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) as The Structural Solution The altcoin that is receiving exposure following the slowdown of SHIB and DOGE is Mutuum Finance (MUTM) . It does not have the liquidity problem or the narrative problem. It does not take billions of inflows to be transferred. It is not based on social cycles and hype. Its model is constructed in the form of two types of market lending. One of the markets involves pooled lending which is represented by mtTokens following deposits and interest. The second market employs isolated borrowing when it comes to assets where there are certain collateral and liquidation provisions. Price drivers are more predictable and measurable using these mechanics. This shift is supported by Presale participation. The token is sold at Phase 7 at a price of $0.04. Over one-point nine eight million dollars were raised. The number of holders exceeding 18,800 is tremendous. The total of the 4 billion supply has been dedicated to the presale distribution at 45.5%. Over 830 million tokens are already bought. These are signs of accumulation at a young age as opposed to hype rotation. Basic Processes Which Reinforce MUTM A revenue mechanism is also presented by MUTM. Part of the protocol revenue will be utilized to purchase MUTM in the open market when it is live. The protocol acquires tokens and redistributes them back to the users who stake mtTokens in the safety module. This establishes system level buy pressure that is associated with utilization as opposed to social attention. Chainlink oracle feeds and fallback modules will be used to help with correct pricing in the case of collateral and liquidation events. These mechanics deal with the same weaknesses that SHIB and DOGE are grappling with. The creation of value is connected with the activity rather than the sentiment. Analysts project a scenario in which MUTM increases to $0.36 in the year 2027, and this will be equivalent to a 9x growth in value should the adoption be scaled through several phases. The Roadmap Catalysts This positioning is strengthened in the roadmap. V1 protocol testnet prepares for Q4. CertiK issued a 90 out of 100 score. A review of the codebase by Halborn Security was done. The stablecoin borrowing is to provide predictable flows of repayment. The goal of layer 2 deployment is to minimize the fees and execution delays during the volatile periods. These measures are important since lending processes grow with usage and not hype. Phase 7 is being sold out at a faster pace than the previous phases. There have been reports of whale inflows with one wallet giving an estimated amount of $115,000. There is a 24 hour leaderboard that rewards the highest number of daily purchases with $500 in MUTM. Combined, analysts believe that MUTM is in its recognition phase as DOGE and SHIB move to mature return profiles. For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below: Website: https://www.mutuum.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance
18 Jan 2026, 14:53
Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Alert: Bulls Lose Control as Popular Indicator Signals -14% Drop
Shiba Inu lost its daily mid-Bollinger Band yesterday, opening the door to a mechanical reversion toward $0.00000718, a 14.36% drop if the pattern plays out.
18 Jan 2026, 14:35
Hyperliquid donates 10,000 HYPE tokens worth $254,000 to on-chain investigator ZachXBT
The Hyperliquid Foundation has donated 10,000 HYPE tokens, which are worth about $254,000, to blockchain investigator ZachXBT. According to ZachXBT, the donation is now the second-largest contribution he has received in institutional support from blockchain platforms. ZachXBT confirmed the donation through his Telegram channel on January 18, 2026, and also published an updated leaderboard of his top donors. Hyperliquid comes second, trailing only Optimism, but is ahead of other major blockchain projects, including Octant, The White Whale, Arbitrum, BNB Chain , Unipcs, Nouns, CL207, and High Stakes Capital, respectively. Why did Hyperliquid donate money to ZachXBT? Some see the contribution as a symbolic gesture from a DeFi platform towards an investigator who has previously exposed fraudulent activity on its own network. However, neither the Hyperliquid Foundation nor ZachXBT have shared any specific reason for the donation. ZachXBT is a pseudonymous blockchain investigator who is also an advisor at crypto investment firm, Paradigm. ZachXBT, who has maintained anonymity, relies on community donations and grants to fund his work and also fight litigation. His investigative methods involve tracing cryptocurrency flows across blockchain networks, using techniques such as address clustering to uncover hidden connections between wallets and expose fraud patterns. The investigator has helped track hundreds of millions of dollars across different cryptocurrency exploits, and his approach has positioned him as one of the industry’s most prominent fraud detectives. Recently, he spotlighted an incident that occurred on January 10, where a victim lost over $282 million worth of LTC and BTC due to a hardware wallet social engineering scam, as Cryptopolitan reported . According to ZachXBT, “The attacker began converting the stolen LTC & BTC to Monero via multiple instant exchanges, causing the XMR price to sharply increase. BTC was also bridged to Ethereum, Ripple, & Litecoin via Thorchain.” The investigator also shared the theft address. Does ZachBXT have any ties to Hyperliquid? The donation carries particular significance given ZachXBT’s investigative works involving Hyperliquid’s platform. In March 2025, ZachXBT uncovered an elaborate scam and the identity of the individual at the center of the scheme, which happened to be a high-profile trader on Hyperliquid’s decentralized exchange. The person behind the scam was William Parker, a UK national with a criminal history involving fraud and casino theft. At the time, ZachXBT’s investigation revealed that Parker’s trading wallet had received funds from victims of phishing scams and other potentially illicit sources. Parker had attracted attention after generating around $20 million through highly leveraged positions on Hyperliquid and GMX, including suspiciously well-timed trades ahead of major market announcements. Separately, ZachXBT flagged a $400,000 exploit involving stolen Hypurr NFTs from compromised wallets on the Hyperliquid network. He has also flagged and tracked fraudulent transactions from bad actors that have occurred on Hyperliquid’s platform, although it’s worth noting that his work is not limited to the platform. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
