hodler

28 Jan 2026, 16:24

XRP Price Prediction: Altcoin Still in Disbelief stage as Fundamentals Climb Despite Sentiment Lagging

XRP Poised for a Major Move as Disbelief Stage Persists XRP sits in the disbelief stage, according to on-chain data provider XRP Update. Despite subdued sentiment , strong fundamentals and steady price action hint at an early phase of a major move. As of now, CoinCodex data shows XRP is trading at $1.91 , poised for a crucial market test. Well, the disbelief stage is a key phase in crypto cycles, prices stabilize and fundamentals strengthen, yet investor optimism lags. XRP Update highlights that while underlying health improves, many traders remain cautious. Historically, this quiet conviction often precedes sharp upward moves. Supporting this view, market analyst Whale Factor notes that XRP is loading , indicating significant accumulation by large investors ahead of a potential breakout. Technical indicators show XRP testing a key trendline resistance, with market reactions in this phase likely shaping its next major move. If XRP breaks above trendline resistance, it could surge to $2.10, signaling renewed investor confidence and an ongoing uptrend. Failure to break may trigger a pullback to $1.80, presenting a potential entry point for long-term holders. Volatility is on the horizon for XRP, with rapid price swings likely in either direction. Investors who stay patient and focus on fundamentals could be best positioned to seize the next major move. Therefore, XRP is gaining quiet momentum as market sentiment lags. Strong fundamentals, price stability, and technical buildup point to an imminent move. Key support and trendline resistance should be keenly watched because volatility is likely, and conviction at this decisive juncture could pay off. Conclusion XRP is at a critical juncture, fundamentals are strengthening, price remains steady, and sentiment lags. This rare alignment hints at a major move ahead, whether a bullish surge to $2.10 or a corrective dip to $1.80. Sometimes, the quietest buildup precedes the loudest moves, making patience and strategy essential.

28 Jan 2026, 16:23

Bitcoin’s Next Big Move May Depend on Japan and Fed Liquidity

Bitcoin hovered near $88,000 as Arthur Hayes pointed to Japan-driven liquidity risk as the potential catalyst, while a long-term chart revived the question of where the next bear market bottom could land. Hayes links Bitcoin’s next move to possible Fed action in Japan Arthur Hayes said Bitcoin may stay stuck in a sideways range until fresh dollar liquidity hits markets, and he tied that potential trigger to turmoil in Japan’s currency and government bond markets. In an essay dated Jan. 28, 2026, Hayes described a “woomph” moment in financial markets after the yen weakened while long-dated Japanese government bond yields rose, a mix he framed as a loss of confidence in Japan’s ability to protect purchasing power and fund deficits cheaply. He argued that higher yields also raise borrowing costs for the Japanese government and deepen paper losses for the Bank of Japan, which holds a large share of JGBs. Hayes said the United States has an incentive to prevent Japan from becoming a forced seller of U.S. Treasurys. He pointed to Japan’s large overseas asset holdings, including significant Treasury exposure, and said higher JGB yields could pull Japanese money back home. In his view, that would pressure Treasury prices and push U.S. yields higher at a time of large deficits. He then laid out a scenario in which U.S. authorities intervene through the New York Fed by creating bank reserves, exchanging dollars for yen, and investing yen into assets such as JGBs. Hayes said this would expand the Fed’s balance sheet and show up in the weekly H.4.1 report under “Foreign Currency Denominated Assets.” He framed that balance-sheet growth as the key signal to watch before taking more risk. On Bitcoin, Hayes said more balance-sheet expansion would mechanically lift Bitcoin in fiat terms, even if the timing does not match short-term traders’ expectations. At the same time, he warned that a fast yen rise often lines up with risk-off behavior as investors unwind yen-funded trades, and he cited past periods when Bitcoin fell as the yen strengthened. He said he would wait for clear evidence of Fed balance-sheet growth before increasing exposure, and he described re-entering leveraged Bitcoin-linked equities if his indicators confirm intervention. Bitcoin chart maps past bear market floors as price holds near $88,000 Meanwhile, a long-term Bitcoin chart shared by Crypto Caesar on X compares prior cycle peaks and bear market lows while Bitcoin consolidates near $87,900 . The monthly chart highlights three major rallies since 2015, followed by sharp drawdowns and long recovery phases. In the 2017 cycle, Bitcoin peaked near $20,000 and later bottomed around $3,000 in 2018. In the 2020–2021 cycle, it climbed above $64,000 and later fell into the roughly $15,000 to $20,000 area during the 2022 downturn. Bitcoin Monthly Cycle Chart. Source: Crypto Caesar on X Across both cycles, the chart shows bear market lows holding above the previous cycle’s peak. That pattern places the 2021 high zone as a key reference level if the market searches for a deeper floor in a future decline. At the time of the chart, Bitcoin trades below its recent high above $100,000 but remains well above earlier peak zones. The post does not name a specific bottom, but it frames the debate around whether Bitcoin repeats the same step-up structure seen in earlier cycles.

28 Jan 2026, 16:22

K9 Finance DAO Announces Final Sunset of Shibarium Products

January 2026 In response to the Shibarium exploit, DAO members approved an operational wind-down and community-led transition beyond Shibarium K9 Finance DAO announced the DAO-approved, orderly, and permanent sunset of all products deployed on Shibarium, effective February 25, 2026. The decision was made following the September 12, 2025 Shibarium bridge exploit and the subsequent determination that Shibarium no longer meets the minimum decentralisation, security, or economic standards required for responsible K9 DAO operations. This decision was reached through a formal governance vote of K9 DAO token holders, with record-setting participation, reflecting the seriousness of the circumstances and the community’s commitment to resolving the situation transparently and decisively. DAO-Led Decision With Record Participation K9 Finance DAO is, and has always been, a fully decentralised autonomous organisation. After exhausting all reasonable recovery, remediation, and negotiation paths, the DAO was presented with a structured set of options. Following extensive public discussion, KNINE holders voted to sunset all Shibarium-based products, marking an unfortunate but necessary outcome driven by a number of factors. This decision was not taken lightly. It represents the collective judgment of the community, recorded on-chain, after months of diligence, analysis, and engagement. A Record of Leadership, Delivery, and Ecosystem Contribution A history of K9 Finance DAO shows that they historically performed well. The DAO executed against a clearly defined roadmap — on time, on budget, and with over-delivery — supported by ecosystem partnerships and external validation. Some of these highlights include: Record-setting total value locked (TVL) on the Shiba Inu Layer 2 The largest DeFi protocol on Shibarium with the most daily active users (DAU); with over 500,000 users across its products The most widely used utility in the Shiba Inu ecosystem Material SHIB burn contributions are larger than any other Shibarium products A DAO-managed budget that gave the product operational runway for many years with dedicated upgrades & maintenance, while also exploring expansion opportunities through DAO-voted exploration funding programmes A fully decentralised contributor base exceeding 1,000 active DAO participants that produced open source, audited smart contracts across all product lines In 2025, K9 Finance DAO was selected as a recipient of a $200,000 Google Cloud Grant for Web3 Startups, awarded in recognition of its software development, validator infrastructure, analytics tooling, and open-source contributions. Audited, Open-Source Infrastructure Left for the Community K9 Finance DAO has consistently prioritised audited, open-source development. As part of the sunset process, all Shibarium-based K9 products — including smart contracts, documentation, and deployment tooling — will remain fully audited, open source, and publicly accessible. This enables the Shibarium team or any independent community member to host, operate, or modify these systems at their own discretion, expense, and business model. Following the sunset, the K9 DAO Foundation will no longer be responsible for hosting, maintaining, or operating these services. Root Cause of the Exploit and Independent Findings On September 12, 2025, the Shibarium bridge was exploited following the compromise of 10 out of 12 validators, all operated by the Shibarium team. K9 Finance DAO’s validator was not compromised. Independent assessments of validator decentralisation and operational risk concluded that validator concentration at this level constitutes a systemic security failure and is not an appropriate environment for DAO-level financial infrastructure. Approximately 25% of the total KNINE supply was removed from the bridge and remains unrecovered, leaving the Shibarium deployment economically impaired and under-collateralised. These findings materially informed the DAO’s decision to sunset. Exhaustive Recovery Efforts Following the exploit, K9 Finance DAO undertook extensive good-faith recovery efforts, including: Emergency on-chain actions to blacklist stolen tokens Joint bounty initiatives with Shib-affiliated contributors On-chain communication with the attacker Independent forensic tracing of stolen assets Escalation to centralised exchanges Public disclosure of findings when progress stalled Despite these efforts, the stolen assets were not recovered, the bridge remained closed, and no finalised compensation plan or remediation timeline was delivered. The Shiba Inu team publicly announced that they would compensate all impacted users, but their compensation plan consisted of a product called a Shib Owes You (SOU) program in which impacted users would receive an NFT on-chain that represented the amount that they were owed. They announced their recovery efforts would be made incrementally to these NFT holders, and impacted users are still eligible for Shiba Inu’s compensation plan and should contact Shiba Inu directly regarding these. Orderly Sunset, Liquidity Migration, and Decentralised Transition As approved by DAO vote: All Shibarium-based K9 products will sunset on February 25, 2026 Liquidity currently deployed on Shibarium will be migrated to a new chain Operational bottlenecks will be handed to the community to further decentralize control K9’s full-time development and operations contributors will assist with product shutdowns, open-source releases, and the delivery of a fully audited membership token and secure claim portal on a new chain. A new decentralised website hub will be launched and hosted as a permanent community archive and historical record of K9 DAO. Following this transition, the continuation and evolution of K9 will rest entirely with the community. DAO-Governed Migration and Claims Process Following DAO approval: K9 membership tokens will be minted on a new chain Tokens will represent DAO membership and governance rights A claim portal is expected prior to May 30, 2026 All affected users will be notified through official K9 channels Any claims related to losses arising from the Shibarium bridge exploit must be addressed to the Shibarium team, as K9 Finance DAO does not control or operate Shibarium infrastructure. Conclusion K9 Finance DAO is a truly sad story. The DAO delivered on its roadmap, exceeded its mandate, and upheld the highest standards of decentralised development. This sunset is not a failure of the DAO — it is the consequence of infrastructure conditions that no longer meet the requirements of trustless, community-governed systems. K9 leaves behind a legacy of audited code, open infrastructure, and a decentralised future — now governed entirely by its community. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

28 Jan 2026, 16:17

Tether stores $24 billion in gold inside a Cold War nuclear bunker in the Swiss Alps

Paolo Ardoino didn’t pick some shiny downtown vault to store billions in gold. He picked a nuclear bunker buried deep in the Swiss Alps. Built during the Cold War, it was designed to survive a nuclear blast. Now it’s full of gold bars owned by Tether, hauled in every single week, one to two tons at a time. The place has thick steel doors, concrete walls, and enough security to scare off anyone dumb enough to try something. “It’s a James Bond kind of place,” Paolo said. “It’s crazy.” Right now, Tether has around 140 tons of gold locked in that bunker. That’s $24 billion worth of metal. It’s the largest stash outside of central banks, ETFs, and major banks. And the pile is still growing. Last year alone, Tether bought over 70 tons. That’s more than most countries. Only Poland reported buying more. And the company’s still going. “We will continue in this direction,” said Paolo, adding that they’ll check every quarter to decide if they need to slow down. Tether steps into gold trading with new hires from HSBC Tether isn’t just stacking gold. It’s getting ready to trade it. And it’s not hiring amateurs. When two top gold traders left HSBC, most people didn’t expect them to show up at a crypto firm. But that’s exactly where they landed. They now work at Tether, helping manage the company’s gold operations. Paolo said the goal is to build “the best trading floor for gold in the world.” The company is planning to trade its own bullion, looking at arbitrage plays where futures prices are out of sync with physical ones. “We remain very long physical gold,” he said. That means they’re not flipping it for a quick buck, they want to hold it while still making money from the spread. To pull that off, they’re buying gold from big players. Tether gets its metal from Swiss refiners and some of the biggest financial firms in the world. Buying nearly $1 billion a month in physical gold isn’t easy. “One to two tons per week is a very sizable amount,” Paolo said. Sometimes a big order takes months to arrive. He’s looking for ways to speed that up. Gold prices hit records as Tether ramps up weekly purchases Gold recently blew past $5,200 an ounce, and Tether’s massive buys helped push it there. Analysts at Jefferies called the company a “significant new buyer” and said its entry into the market helped fuel demand. But Tether wasn’t alone. Total gold purchases from central banks and ETFs topped 1,500 tons last year. Even so, Tether’s role wasn’t small. John Reade from the World Gold Council said it clearly played a part. “They have been a component of the rally, but not all by any means,” he said. That’s fair. But buying 70+ tons of gold still makes waves, especially when it’s all being trucked into an underground bunker every week. The secrecy around global gold buying makes Tether stand out. Countries like China report tiny purchases (27 tons last year), but most people in the market believe they bought much more. With Tether, there’s no guessing. It’s open about how much it buys and where it stores it. That’s rare. Tether makes billions from its USDT stablecoin ($186 billion in circulation) and uses those dollars to buy gold and Treasuries. It’s part of a bigger plan. Paolo thinks global demand for real assets will keep growing. He even said he expects U.S. rivals to launch gold-backed alternatives to the dollar. “We are soon becoming basically one of the biggest, let’s say, gold central banks in the world,” said Paolo. He said they’ll keep buying for now. Whether they pause later depends on how the market plays out. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

28 Jan 2026, 16:14

Bitcoin briefly rebounds above $90K ahead of FOMC decision; PIPPIN jumps over 50%

Bitcoin price saw a modest rebound earlier today as markets turned cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision due later in the day. The total crypto market cap climbed nearly 3%, settling around $3.13 trillion after a choppy start to the week. Market sentiment also improved slightly, with the crypto fear and greed index rising two points to 37, inching closer to neutral territory. Most major altcoins were in recovery mode by late Asian trading hours, while a handful posted double-digit gains. Why is Bitcoin price up today? Bitcoin’s brief push back to $90,000 was supported by a combination of macroeconomic expectations and strategic positioning by traders ahead of several major catalysts on the horizon. The most immediate driver is the US Federal Reserve’s policy announcement due later today. Markets have largely priced in a pause in interest rates, with the CME FedWatch Tool showing a 97.2% probability that the Fed will hold steady. The expectation of a rate hold has eased pressure on risk assets, giving Bitcoin and other digital tokens some room to recover as the cost of holding non-yielding assets temporarily declines. But beneath the surface, seasoned traders are eyeing the historic trends. Last year, Bitcoin proved to be a “sell the news” favourite, tanking after nearly every FOMC announcement regardless of the outcome. Unless Jerome Powell delivers a surprisingly dovish masterclass at 2:30 PM ET, this recovery could be nothing more than a short-lived relief rally in a mid-January downtrend. Elsewhere, the US dollar continued to weaken, touching its lowest level since early 2022, and the downturn accelerated after the Trump campaign signalled support for a weaker dollar strategy to improve US export competitiveness. As the dollar index loses ground, flows have begun rotating into perceived stores of value. Gold remains the primary beneficiary, having surged past $5,300 per ounce. But Bitcoin is starting to absorb some of that capital as well, buoyed by its appeal as a hedge against fiat currency erosion. On-chain and treasury activity have also contributed to the rebound. Despite ongoing outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs, new disclosures suggest select corporate buyers are stepping in. American Bitcoin Treasury and SRx Health Solutions are among the firms that revealed fresh BTC purchases this week, treating the sub-$90,000 range as a strategic accumulation zone. Adding to the optimism was the reintroduction of a Bitcoin Reserve bill in South Dakota, which has injected a dose of legislative momentum into the market narrative. Analysts also noted that the weekend’s drop to $86,000 helped purge over-leveraged positions. With excess leverage cleared out, the market structure has become cleaner, making it easier for prices to rebound on relatively lighter volume. Still, the rally is not without risk. Some traders warn that this could turn into a dead-cat bounce, a short-term recovery that ultimately gives way to further downside. With volatility remaining high and multiple catalysts still to come, the next few sessions may determine whether Bitcoin’s recovery can hold, or if today’s move was just a brief pause before the next leg lower. Will Bitcoin price go up? Whether Bitcoin’s bounce leads to a sustained market-wide recovery will depend on whether bulls can convincingly reclaim and hold the psychological $90,000 level. So far, price action has struggled to maintain momentum above that threshold, failing to secure it as solid support. There’s also a new geopolitical twist adding pressure to the mix. US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran, stating that time was running out and urging the regime to come to the table for a nuclear deal. His comments came as a large US naval presence moved into the Middle East, stoking fears of escalation. Data from Polymarket shows rising trader concern, with odds of a US strike on Iran before the end of 2026 climbing to 75%. The probability of such an event happening before March 31 now stands at 60%. Historically, markets have not reacted kindly to Trump-led sabre-rattling. Bitcoin, often touted as a safe-haven asset, failed to live up to that narrative in past geopolitical flashpoints. It dropped during episodes like Trump’s threat to take over Greenland and again when he proposed trade tariffs on NATO allies. However, the rising tension has driven renewed demand for traditional safe-havens like Gold, which has drawn some of the liquidity from the crypto market including Bitcoin. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin had slipped into oversold territory, which according to crypto analyst Crypto Caesar, could position it for a rebound. “Bitcoin will bounce soon imo,” he wrote. However more downside may be in play before any upside moves happen as concerns over institutional selling have emerged late in the day. On-chain data flagged large transactions from wallets linked to BlackRock. Arkham Intelligence logs show multiple deposits to Coinbase Prime wallets over the past hour, including four transfers of 300 BTC each and one of 256.87 BTC, totalling over $100 million. There were also sizeable ETH deposits, including a single 10,000 ETH transaction worth over $30 million. See below. ardizor 🧙‍♂️ @ardizor · Follow 🚨 BREAKING:BLACKROCK JUST STARTED LIQUIDATING CRYPTO AHEAD OF FOMC MEETINGTHEY ARE DUMPING MILLIONS OF $BTC AND $ETH RIGHT NOWWHAT IS GOING ON?? 8:25 PM · Jan 28, 2026 29 Reply Copy link Read 12 replies Although transfers to Coinbase Prime don’t necessarily mean selling activity, some market watchers believe BlackRock could be liquidating some of its crypto holdings ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. This selling activity was echoed in the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index, which measures the difference in BTC prices between Coinbase and other exchanges. Analyst Ted Pillows shared a chart showing the premium had dropped sharply into negative territory, a signal that institutional sell pressure on US platforms continues to rise. See below. Ted @TedPillows · Follow Coinbase Bitcoin Premium keeps on getting worse.Too much $BTC selling by institutions. 8:20 PM · Jan 28, 2026 141 Reply Copy link Read 66 replies All eyes are now around $89,000, which has provided a strong floor throughout the day. If Bitcoin price breaks below this, it could position the flagship crypto for a visit towards it intraday lows near $87,000. Altcoin market recovers In the past 24 hours, the altcoin market picked up pace as it rose 4.6% to $1.35 trillion but lost a portion of these gains as late day selling began. Ethereum (ETH) rallied a little above $3,000 before parting with some of its gains and settling at $2,988, with gains of 2.2%. Other major altcoins, such as BNB (BNB), XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Dogecoin (DOGE), traded slightly above break even with gains of 1-2% as of last check. Pippin (PIPPIN) led altcoins, rallying over 50%, supported by a short squeeze and a technical breakout from a key resistance level that spurred bulls to target higher prices. However, some market watchers called foul play, speculating that the recent pump may be a result of market manipulation as suggested by on-chain data. See below. StarPlatinum @StarPlatinum_ · Follow I just found manipulation inside $PIPPIN Here’s what is happening:PIPPIN pumped +60% in 24h from ~$0.44 to ~$0.55Before pulling back fast to ~$0.48.Onchain data shows clear signs of whale distributionMost of the selling traces back to the same wallet: 6:13 PM · Jan 28, 2026 68 Reply Copy link Read 38 replies Hyperliquid (HYPE) surged by 23% as it extended its rally for a second day, primarily driven by explosive growth in commodity perpetuals. Under the recently implemented HIP-3 framework, builders can permissionlessly deploy new markets by staking 500,000 HYPE, which has created a significant supply sink as traders flock to the platform’s high-volume silver and gold contracts. This surge in activity directly feeds the protocol’s ‘buy and burn’ engine, which utilises a vast majority of trading fees to aggressively remove HYPE from the circulating supply. For Jupiter (JUP), which also clocked 12.6% gains, support was largely driven by its growing traction in the RWA (Real-World Asset) sector. Besides this, it has recently completed a full integration with crypto exchange Coinbase, which now routes Solana-based token swaps directly through Jupiter’s liquidity engine. Source: CoinMarketCap The post Bitcoin briefly rebounds above $90K ahead of FOMC decision; PIPPIN jumps over 50% appeared first on Invezz

28 Jan 2026, 16:10

Bitcoin Price Prediction as Polymarket Sees Near-Certain Fed Hold

Bitcoin has surged past the $90,000 level today, marking a fresh milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency as prediction markets show overwhelming confidence that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged in today’s policy meeting. In the past 24 hours, the crypto king saw its price rise over 2% to a new multi-month high , data from CoinCodex shows. Market Confidence Builds Ahead of Fed Decision BTC’s climb to above the psychological $90K mark comes amid strong optimism that the Fed will decide to keep interest rates unchanged. In a contract asking what the Fed’s decision will be in January, traders on Polymarket have placed over 99% odds that the reserve bank will choose to keep rates steady during the policy meeting scheduled for later today. Meanwhile, traders have placed less than 1% odds that the Fed will either cut rates by 25 basis points, cut rates by 50 basis points, or increase rates by 25 basis points. A Fed pause is typically viewed as supportive for Bitcoin, which tends to benefit from improved liquidity conditions and stronger demand for alternative or non-correlated assets. Even without imminent easing, the absence of new hikes provides a clearer macro backdrop for institutional allocators who have steadily increased exposure to digital assets throughout 2025 and into early 2026. Odds that the Fed won’t change rates in today’s meeting are just as strong on the CME FedWatch tool . Here, analysts see a 97% chance that rates will stay the same between the range 3.50%-3.75%. A Macro Backdrop Filled With Quiet Stress Signals While markets appear confident heading into the Fed’s policy decision, not everyone sees the current calm as reassuring. Some analysts argue that beneath the surface, stress fractures are beginning to form in the global financial system. One of the loudest warnings is coming from Arthur Hayes. According to Hayes, the United States cannot afford to let Japan’s financial structure crack. Japanese institutions hold roughly $2.4 trillion in foreign bonds, much of it U.S. Treasuries. If JGB yields become attractive enough to draw domestic capital back home, he warned that “Japan Inc.” could become a large net seller of U.S. debt. This would happen right at a moment when America is already grappling with soaring deficits and rising long-term yields. Allowing that cycle to unfold would lift Treasury rates, expand federal interest costs, and threaten U.S. economic competitiveness. Hayes believes the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve are preparing to intervene quietly. He outlined a mechanism in which the New York Fed effectively “prints” reserves, channels them through primary dealers to buy yen, and uses those yen to accumulate JGBs — all while expanding the Fed’s balance sheet under the line item Foreign Currency Denominated Assets. Crucially, Hayes argued that officials can classify this as currency stabilization rather than quantitative easing, even though it would increase global liquidity. He also pointed to signals he believes foreshadow intervention, such as reported phone calls from the NY Fed to major dealers about yen and JGB pricing. In Hayes’ view, this is intentional telegraphing designed to let markets front-run any policy move, reducing the amount of intervention required once it begins. If such a U.S.–Japan liquidity pipeline forms, Hayes says the consequences could be far-reaching: a stronger yen to ease Japan’s inflation pressure, lower JGB yields to keep domestic investors from dumping Treasuries, and a softer dollar that reshapes global trade dynamics. Most importantly for crypto markets, an expanding Fed balance sheet historically translates into fresh liquidity for risk assets — and Bitcoin, he argues, tends to “mechanically levitate” when global money supplies grow.