Invest ideasNews
21 Jan 2026, 06:00
Trumps Crypto Empire: One-Fifth Of Family’s $6.8B Fortune Tied To Digital Assets
A year into his presidency, US President Donald Trump and his family have reportedly seen a notable shift in their wealth distribution, with a growing concentration of crypto ventures linked to the presidential family. Trump Family’s Wealth Gets Crypto Boost On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the Trump family’s wealth has remained relatively steady over the past year despite the plunging value of their social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, and the massive gains of their new crypto ventures. According to the report, the family’s overall net worth has not grown significantly since President Trump’s inauguration, remaining at around $6.8 billion, as data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows. Notably, the gains from their new projects were offset by the losses of Trump Media, whose shares have declined by around 66% over the past 12 months, despite efforts to diversify into various endeavors . Nonetheless, “the way the Trumps’ wealth is distributed now — particularly its concentration in virtual assets and public companies, some of which didn’t exist when he left office in 2021 — represents a sea change in how they’ll earn money for years to come,” the report highlighted. Per Bloomberg, the family’s most notable change has been the growing concentration of their net worth in cryptocurrencies, with one-fifth of their fortune coming from crypto projects for the first time. As a result, “cryptocurrency projects became the key driver of the Trump family’s wealth last year,” generating around $1.4 billion from the different digital asset-related ventures managed by the President’s eldest sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. In a statement to the news media outlet, Eric Trump reaffirmed that his family’s crypto push was driven by their experience with banks after the President’s first term. “Having been canceled by banks, out of political malice, led us to many incredible opportunities, as we redefine the future of finance,” he asserted. Digital Asset Fortune Breakdown Over the past year, various news outlets have estimated the first family’s crypto fortune, with some reports calculating its value at around $1 billion. In October, Eric Trump shared that the real number was “probably more.” While the Trump family dived into multiple crypto-related projects, Bloomberg analysis highlighted three of their main ventures: World Liberty Financial (WLFI), American Bitcoin Corp., and the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins. World Liberty Financial reportedly sold $550 million worth of tokens, generating $390 million for the presidential family, according to the news media outlet’s calculations. In August, the company announced its partnership with Alt5 Sigma and became an investor in the technology firm, which sought to raise $1.5 billion for its crypto treasury strategy based on WLFI. According to Bloomberg, “the Trumps netted more than $500 million” from the deal. The company also launched its USD1 stablecoin in March, which has grown to more than $3 billion since its debut. Bloomberg estimated that the business could be worth more than $300 million. Meanwhile, the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins, which launched the weekend before President Trump’s second inauguration, generated gains worth roughly $280 million from the family’s holdings and associated proceeds. In addition, Eric Trump owns about 7.4% of American Bitcoin, worth roughly $114 million despite the company’s shares declining 82% since their September peak. Donald Jr. reportedly owns a smaller, undisclosed amount. The report also noted that the Trump family’s fortune could be worth billions more on paper, as they still own founder WLFI tokens, worth $3.8 billion at current prices. Nonetheless, these tokens were not included in the calculations as they remain locked.
21 Jan 2026, 06:00
Satoshi Nakamoto’s BTC stash – 17 years later, how much is it worth?
Seventeen years of untouched Bitcoin outweighs any single week of tariffs, sell-offs, or headline-driven volatility.
21 Jan 2026, 06:00
Chainlink Drops To $12.50, But Largest Whales Are Accumulating
On-chain data shows the largest of Chainlink whales have been accumulating recently even as the cryptocurrency’s price has slipped below $13.00. Top 100 Chainlink Whales Have Been Expanding Their Supply In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has talked about the latest trend in the holdings of the 100 largest addresses present on the Chainlink network. Related Reading: Bitcoin IFP Hints At Potential Turnaround: What It Means This category of holders naturally includes the large whales, investors who carry sums significant enough to have some influence on the blockchain. As such, their combined supply can be worth keeping an eye on. Below is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the supply of the 100 largest Chainlink addresses over the last few months. As displayed in the graph, the Chainlink supply held by the top 100 addresses went up in November as the cryptocurrency’s price plummeted, a possible sign that big-money investors were loading up. These whales shed some of their holdings in December and the first week of January, but recently, they have showed signs of renewed accumulation as LINK’s price has plunged below the $13.00 level. Compared to the start of November, the cohort’s holdings are up 16.1 million tokens. “As retail sells off due to impatience & FUD, it’s common to see smart money gather up more $LINK to prepare for (or cause) the next pump,” explained the analytics firm. It now remains to be seen whether this accumulation will have any effect on the cryptocurrency. Chainlink isn’t the only asset that has seen movements from large investors recently. As Santiment has highlighted in another X post, Bitcoin sharks and whales have participated in net buying over the last nine days. In the context of BTC, sharks and whales are defined as investors holding between 10 to 10,000 tokens. Below is a chart that shows how the supply of these investors has changed since late July. As is visible in the graph, the Bitcoin sharks and whales have increased their combined supply by 36,322 BTC in the last nine days, equivalent to an increase of 0.27%. Interestingly, the large investors have held on despite the fact that the asset’s price has gone through a retrace over the past few days. Related Reading: $790 Million In Crypto Longs Decimated As Bitcoin Plunges To $93,000 However, the same hasn’t been true for the opposite end of the market, the retail entities. These investors, corresponding to addresses holding less than 0.01 BTC, have shed 132 BTC (0.28%) in the same window. LINK Price At the time of writing, Chainlink is floating around $12.33, down more than 10% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
21 Jan 2026, 05:55
Bitcoin Searches Plunge: The Surprising 2025 Decline in Online Interest Despite Market Turmoil
BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Searches Plunge: The Surprising 2025 Decline in Online Interest Despite Market Turmoil In a surprising turn for the digital asset world, online interest in Bitcoin demonstrably waned throughout 2025, even as the cryptocurrency itself experienced one of its most volatile years on record. This divergence between price action and public curiosity presents a critical puzzle for market analysts and signals a potential maturation or shift in the narrative surrounding the world’s premier cryptocurrency. Data from Google Trends and social media analytics firm Brandwatch, first reported by Cointelegraph, confirms this counterintuitive trend, raising questions about long-term retail engagement. Bitcoin Searches Defy Volatility in 2025 The relationship between Bitcoin’s price and public search interest has historically been tightly correlated. However, 2025 broke this pattern decisively. The year witnessed extreme market movements, including a rally to a new all-time high near $98,000 in early March, followed by a sharp correction that erased over 35% of its value by mid-year. Typically, such volatility triggers spikes in search queries as both new and experienced investors seek information. Yet, aggregated Google search data for the term “Bitcoin” shows a steady downward trajectory from January through December 2025. This decline occurred despite the high-profile political event of the previous November, which provided a temporary but sharp spike in attention. The Trump Election Spike and Subsequent Fade The election of U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2024 served as a clear case study in event-driven interest. Google searches for Bitcoin surged by approximately 280% in the 48 hours following the election result. Market analysts attributed this to Trump’s previously stated, albeit mixed, positions on cryptocurrency regulation and broader macroeconomic uncertainty. However, this surge proved ephemeral. By the first quarter of 2025, search volume had not only normalized but had begun its consistent decline. This pattern suggests that while geopolitical events can create short-term noise, they may no longer sustain long-term mainstream curiosity about Bitcoin’s fundamental technology or investment thesis. Analyzing the Social Media Silence on X Parallel to the drop in search interest, conversation volume on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) also contracted significantly. According to the reported data, the total number of posts containing the keyword ‘Bitcoin’ fell to 96 million in 2025. This figure represents a substantial 32% decrease from the approximately 141 million posts recorded in 2024. This decline in organic social discussion is particularly noteworthy. X has long been the central public square for crypto discourse, where developers, investors, and influencers converge. Reduced Hype Cycle: The decline may indicate a move away from the constant, hype-driven news cycle that characterized previous bull markets. Community Migration: Discussions may be moving to more private or niche platforms like Discord, Telegram, or dedicated forums, making public metrics less representative. Fatigue: Long-term holders and institutional players may be engaging less in public price speculation, focusing instead on infrastructure and regulation. Expert Perspectives on the Data Shift Market strategists offer several interpretations for this dual decline in search and social metrics. Dr. Anya Petrova, a behavioral economist at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, notes, “We are potentially observing a normalization phase. The initial years of explosive growth in Bitcoin interest were driven by novelty and speculative frenzy. The 2025 data could reflect a settling period where interest is consolidating among a more dedicated, less reactive cohort of users and investors.” Meanwhile, data scientist Mark Chen from Blockchain Intelligence Group suggests the metrics might not capture the full picture. “Search behavior evolves. People aren’t just searching ‘Bitcoin’; they’re searching for ‘Bitcoin ETF performance,’ ‘layer-2 solutions,’ or ‘regulatory news.’ Our aggregate keyword tracking needs to adapt to more sophisticated queries.” The Broader Context of Crypto Market Maturation To understand the 2025 interest decline, one must consider the broader evolution of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The market structure in 2025 differed markedly from earlier cycles. Institutional participation through spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) approved in early 2024 had become a dominant force. Consequently, large asset flows are now less dependent on retail sentiment measured by Google searches. Furthermore, the regulatory landscape in major economies like the U.S. and the EU had become more defined, removing some of the uncertainty that previously fueled speculative debate and news cycles. Bitcoin Interest Metrics: 2024 vs. 2025 Metric 2024 2025 Change Google Search Volume (Index Avg.) 100 68 -32% X (Twitter) Mentions ~141 million 96 million -32% All-Time High Price $73,000 $98,000 +34% Annual Volatility (Std. Dev.) ~85% ~78% Slight decrease The table above highlights the core paradox: higher prices and continued volatility coexisted with lower public engagement metrics. This scenario aligns with a market where price discovery is increasingly driven by macroeconomic factors, institutional portfolio allocation, and derivatives activity rather than retail FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) detectable through broad web searches. Implications for Investors and the Media Landscape The declining trend in Bitcoin searches and mentions carries significant implications. For investors, it may serve as a contrarian indicator. Historically, peak retail interest often coincides with market tops, while periods of quiet consolidation can precede major rallies. Media outlets and content creators focused on cryptocurrency must now grapple with a potentially smaller, more knowledgeable audience, requiring deeper analysis beyond price updates. The shift also challenges the traditional marketing playbook for crypto projects, which heavily relied on social media buzz and trending topics to drive adoption. Looking Beyond the Headline Metric While headline search volume for “Bitcoin” fell, deeper analysis reveals nuanced trends. Searches for related terms like “Bitcoin custody,” “on-chain analytics,” and “hash rate” showed stability or even growth in 2025, according to auxiliary data from SEMrush. This indicates a progression from basic curiosity to more technical and operational inquiry. The conversation is not disappearing; it is evolving and perhaps becoming less accessible to casual observers. This maturation is a natural step for any transformative technology as it moves from early adoption towards mainstream integration. Conclusion The 2025 decline in Bitcoin online searches and social media mentions presents a fascinating chapter in the asset’s history. It underscores a decoupling between short-term price volatility and mainstream digital attention. This trend likely reflects a combination of market maturation, institutional dominance, and a natural evolution in how both enthusiasts and professionals seek information. Rather than signaling dwindling relevance, the data may point to a quieter, more substantive phase of development. Monitoring these interest metrics remains crucial, but they must now be interpreted with a more sophisticated lens that accounts for the deeper, less visible currents shaping the future of Bitcoin and the broader digital asset ecosystem. FAQs Q1: Did the price of Bitcoin go down in 2025 because searches declined? No, correlation does not imply causation. Bitcoin reached a new all-time high in early 2025 before experiencing a correction. The decline in searches is considered a separate behavioral metric, potentially indicating reduced retail hype, not direct selling pressure. Q2: Where did the Bitcoin conversation go if it left X (Twitter)? Experts suggest discussions may have migrated to more private or specialized platforms like Discord servers, Telegram groups, research portals, and institutional communication channels. The public, broadcast-style conversation may have simply become less frenetic. Q3: Is declining search interest bad for Bitcoin’s long-term future? Not necessarily. Many analysts view it as a sign of maturation. Early explosive growth in interest is unsustainable. A consolidation of interest among more committed users and institutions can provide a more stable foundation for long-term development and adoption. Q4: How reliable are Google Trends and social mentions as market indicators? They are useful sentiment and attention indicators, especially for retail investor behavior. However, in a market increasingly influenced by institutional flows and ETFs, their predictive power for price action may have diminished, making them one of many tools to consider. Q5: Could this trend reverse in 2026? Yes. A major new technological development (like a significant protocol upgrade), a dramatic macroeconomic shift, or unprecedented regulatory clarity could reignite widespread public search interest. Market cycles and media narratives are inherently cyclical. This post Bitcoin Searches Plunge: The Surprising 2025 Decline in Online Interest Despite Market Turmoil first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
21 Jan 2026, 05:51
Winklevoss Brothers Donate $1.2M ZEC to Shielded Labs to Support Zcash Network
Billionaire Brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, co-founders of Gemini exchange, have donated 3,221 Zcash tokens (ZEC) to Shielded Labs, supporting the network’s initiatives. The contribution is valued at approximately $1.2 million at current market prices. Shielded Labs, led by Zcash founder Zooko, announced Tuesday that the donation will directly support Shielded Labs’ core initiatives. This includes strengthening long-term security, sustainability, and scalability of the Zcash network. Privacy is Crucial for Crypto: Winklevoss Twins Cameron Winklevoss emphasized that privacy is the next frontier in crypto. It’s the point at which government and corporate overreach end and your freedom and self-sovereignty begin, he wrote on X. “Shielded Labs is committed to building Zcash — unstoppable private money. That’s why Tyler and I are supporting their mission.” Privacy is the next frontier in crypto. It's the point at which government and corporate overreach end and your freedom and self-sovereignty begin. @ShieldedLabs is committed to building Zcash — unstoppable private money. That's why @tyler and I are supporting their mission. https://t.co/Y63ynX0TGY — Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) January 20, 2026 Further, Tyler noted that the donation at the protocol level would help foster a healthy Zcash ecosystem. “Shielded Labs plays an important role in that effort, and we’re glad to support their work.” Winklevoss twins initially donated to Shielded Labs in 2023 to support the formation of the dedicated Crosslink team. “Their contribution meaningfully accelerates our ability to execute on critical protocol-level work and to collaborate openly with other contributors to advance Zcash’s mission,” Swiss-based Shielded Labs noted. Besides, Winklevoss-backed Cypherpunk bought 56,418 ZEC last month, holding nearly 2% of the token’s circulating supply. Zcash Token ZEC Trades in Red, What Next? Zcash, in its turn, has been registering among the most robust performances in the crypto market since September 2025. increased nearly 800% in the last 12 months. However, the token is showing bearish outlook since the start of this year. ZEC has been trading within a narrowing triangle pattern on the daily chart. The price has formed a series of lower highs and higher lows, showing a loss of momentum in both directions. At the time of reporting, ZEC trades near $357.79, down 1.5% in 24 hours , extending a 14% weekly decline. Analysts warn that a close below $360 could target $300 next – a 16% downside risk from current prices. That said, Zcash Foundation recently cleared a years-long investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission without any enforcement action. The move brought regulatory clarity to the industry’s most closely watched privacy projects. The post Winklevoss Brothers Donate $1.2M ZEC to Shielded Labs to Support Zcash Network appeared first on Cryptonews .
21 Jan 2026, 05:51
Grayscale files to convert NEAR Protocol Trust into ETF on NYSE Arca
Grayscale continued its pattern of trust-to-ETF conversions with the NEAR Trust despite declining fund performance.
