hodler

27 Jan 2026, 18:36

Bitcoin ETFs Turn Positive After Five-Day $1.7B Losing Streak

Bitcoin ETFs saw a modest $6.8 million in net inflows Monday, putting an end to a five-day streak of outflows.

27 Jan 2026, 18:33

Investor risk appetite hits five-year high, Goldman Sachs data shows

Investors are taking on more risk than they have in five years, even as global tensions continue. That’s according to new data from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The Wall Street bank’s risk appetite indicator hit 1.09 last week. It’s the highest level since 2021. The reading puts current investor behavior in the 98th percentile compared to all measurements taken since Goldman created the gauge in 1991. “Such elevated levels of risk appetite are rare,” the Goldman team wrote in a research note seen by Bloomberg. The bank has only recorded six other instances where the indicator climbed above 1.0. But the strategists say this isn’t necessarily a red flag. “Equity returns can be sustained by a supportive macro backdrop,” they said. Nearly every component tracked by the Goldman index shows investors favoring riskier assets. This reflects the broader stock market gains that started last year and continued into 2026. Small caps lead the charge The strongest signals come from investors picking small-cap stocks over large-cap companies. Small-cap stocks have had a strong start to the year. The Russell 2000 index jumped 7.5% in its best opening since 2021, CNBC reported on January 26, 2026. The index beat the S&P 500 by more than 830 basis points in just 15 trading sessions. A Jefferies strategist called the performance “incredible.” There are good reasons for the shift to smaller companies. Analysts expect the Russell 2000 to grow earnings between 30% and 35%, compared to 22% growth for the Magnificent 7 large-cap technology stocks, according to a January 27, 2026 report by FinancialContent. Smaller companies also benefit from Federal Reserve rate cuts, which ease the pressure from their floating-rate debt. Wall Street’s rotation away from big tech As reported by Cryptopolitan previously Wall Street has been increasingly bullish on riskier stocks , with investors placing more bets on the Russell 2000 than on the S&P 500. Last week, tech sector funds saw $900 million in outflows, while $8.3 billion went into other industries including materials, health care, and industrials. Emerging market stocks have also attracted significant investor attention, with some indexes posting their longest winning streaks in decades. The preference for emerging markets reflects confidence that global economic conditions will support these higher-risk investments. Gold prices are one of the few signs that some investors remain cautious. The precious metal has more than doubled over the past two years. Investors have bought gold as a safe place amid political risks and as an alternative to currencies and bonds. Goldman strategists said removing gold from their risk calculation would have pushed the index even higher. The bank’s strategists are overweight on equities based on the current economic environment. This means they think stocks will keep delivering strong returns. Despite previous warnings about market risks , the combination of economic optimism and risk-taking behavior marks a shift in investor psychology. While geopolitical concerns remain present, they appear to be taking a back seat to positive expectations about economic growth and corporate earnings. The data shows investors are moving money into assets traditionally seen as riskier but offering higher potential returns. How long this appetite for risk lasts depends on economic performance in the coming months and whether current conditions hold up. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

27 Jan 2026, 18:30

Cardano’s Big Rally In Sight? ADA’s Interest Sees Subtle Shift As Smart Money Accumulates

Cardano’s price and the sentiment of investors are demonstrating a divergence that is crucial in the altcoin’s short-term and long-term performance. Despite the waning price action over the past few days, seasoned investors are showing robust interest in ADA as they continue accumulate the altcoin. Big Brains Are Buying Back Cardano Even with heightened volatility in the market, major Cardano investors are jumping into the market at a steady pace. Santiment, a leading market intelligence and on-chain data platform, reported that smart money seems to be quietly positioning itself in Cardano, with seasoned investors building up ADA at a steady and encouraging rate. In the research shared on the X platform, the platform highlighted that the smart money wallet addresses have been accumulating ADA while the token’s price is being suppressed due to the current market state. Interestingly, these individuals are gradually increasing their exposure during times of muted emotion and low volatility rather than chasing short-term price movements. Typically, such buying activity among smart traders signals conviction in the token’s long-term prospects since smart capital often moves ahead of the general market’s enthusiasm. With the ongoing bullish sentiment from key investors, there is a possibility that the underlying market structure of Cardano is getting stronger. The cohort appears to have been quietly buying more ADA for several weeks. However, smaller holders, who are also regarded as retail investors, have been offloading their stash during this period. In the last 2 months, wallet addresses holding between 100,000 ADA and 100 million ADA have acquired an additional 454.7 million ADA, which is valued at more than $161.42 million. Meanwhile, retail investors, those holding 100 ADA or less, have dumped over 22,000 ADA, worth $7,810 over the past 3 weeks. When cryptocurrency markets start to stabilize, Santiment stated that whales adding and retail dumping have traditionally created the ideal conditions for an eventual resurgence. A New Landmark In Terms Of Total Transactions Despite ADA facing steady volatility that has capped its upward attempts, the Cardano network continues to wax strong. The leading network is experiencing significant adoption and interest as transactions carried out on the blockchain have increased exponentially. Cexplorer, the most featured OG blockchain, announced that the network recently hit a new record level in total transactions. Data shared by Cexplorer shows that the total transactions conducted on the network since its foray into the cryptocurrency market have surpassed 118,400,000. With more value and interactions resting on the network than ever before, the growth indicates a growing appetite for Cardano and its broader ecosystem . Furthermore, rising transaction counts frequently indicate ongoing demand from users, apps, and developers as opposed to transient increases caused by speculation. At the time of writing, the ADA’s price was trading at $0.35, indicating a 0.77% increase in the last 24 hours. Its price may be slowly turning bullish, but trading volume has sharply declined by more than 28% over the past day.

27 Jan 2026, 18:30

Solana Price Prediction 2026: Here’s Why SOL is Down 50% in 1 Year

The cryptocurrency market is going through a repositioning phase of heavy repositioning. Whereas high-speed blockchains were considered by investors as the end of capital, the future of 2026 has arrived. Most of the popular altcoins are not performing well in sustaining their earlier values. The new crypto story is slowly shaping up as the industry leaders are put under severe selling pressure. Individuals paying attention witness an apparent abandonment of the older over saturated networks in favor of newer protocols that provide new utility and require fewer barriers to entry. Solana (SOL) Solana (SOL) is also in a challenging economic situation at the moment. At the end of January 2026, the token was trading at around $123 in a staggering 50% loss to its yearly peak of about $253. The set of macro issues and legal problems has affected the network, even though it has a huge market cap of more than $76 billion. The market has been grappling with the uncertainty that a recent law-suing of an ecosystem partner and Solana Foundation has provided. The latest price movement is not bullish even as the early surge of 2024 and 2025 resulted in the happiness of many investors. SOL is trading at a point where it falls below its major moving averages which depicts a neutral to bearish trend. Analysts opine that the price may keep on declining unless an enormous new crypto catalyst is introduced. A downward price forecast of late 2026 is a bearish view that SOL may be testing the range of $79 to $85 in case it cannot maintain its present levels of support. This potential to lack growth is making smart money seek other places where there is a next big crypto move. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) With Solana becoming centralized, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is developing a decentralized lending protocol for the next crypto generation. It seeks to address the liquidity problems inherent in the older DeFi designs, by employing a two-market mechanism. This developing infrastructure provides users with unparalleled flexibility through its dual models. In the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) model, you can supply stablecoins like USDT to earn a steady APY of up to 12%, receiving interest-bearing mtTokens in return. For those seeking leverage, the protocol utilizes safe Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratios, such as 75% for stable assets, allowing you to borrow $750 against every $1,000 in collateral. Meanwhile, the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) model offers a marketplace for direct, custom lending agreements on more volatile assets. This enables them to lodge or borrow assets in a more flexible and favourable manner. In early 2026, the protocol plans on the Sepolia testnet its V1 protocol release . The move towards full functionality of financial tools will come with this launch. The project also has gone through a stringent security audit by Halborn , a leading company in the blockchain industry, in order to assure the user safety. It is also rated highly in security on CertiK, which provides the investors with the confidence they require in such a volatile market. Mutuum is establishing a base of practical use as opposed to the old coins, which are based on hype. Organized Development and Community The expansion of the Mutuum Finance (MUTM), is controlled by a well organized distribution. Over $19.9 million have already been raised in the project and over 18,900 holders have already joined the project. The investors have the opportunity to invest with the help of crypto or a simple card payment, which makes it available to all people. The project has a 24 hour leaderboard to ensure that the community is kept entertained. The best daily contributor will get a reward of $500 in MUTM by this board and it will make the protocol highly active and supported all the time. The price is now fixed to $0.04 per MUTM in presale phase 7 although the official launch price is fixed to $0.06. This implies that there are still fresh entrants who are offered a great discount. MUTM vs SOL: Reasons Investors are Shifting The leading crypto investors have confidence that MUTM will beat SOL in terms of token growth in 2026-2027 based on one factor; headroom. Solana requires another capital of $76 billion, in order to increase twofold. In the case of MUTM, it takes a fraction of the percentage increase. That is why investors are experiencing Phase 7 selling out soon. This cheap crypto price creates a unique opportunity for high growth. While larger assets struggle to move the needle, market analysts believe that the MUTM token is positioned for a potential 10x-15x as long as the lending protocol reaches full mainnet adoption. This growth would be driven by the platform’s ability to capture a significant share of the decentralized lending market. As the V1 launch is near and the launch price of $0.06 is close by, the opportunity to enter at $0.04 is waning. When searching for the greatest crypto opportunities of 2026, the contrast between stagnant giant and a utility protocol in the ascendancy is increasingly apparent. For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below: Website: https://www.mutuum.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

27 Jan 2026, 18:27

KuCoin EU Completes MiCAR Compliance Milestone, Appoints Sabina Liu as Managing Director to Lead Next Phase of Europe Expansion

Vienna, Austria — KuCoin EU announced the appointment of Sabina Liu as Managing Director of KuCoin EU. In her role, Sabina will be responsible for driving the company’s strategic development in Europe, overseeing regulatory governance, and advancing local market operations. Prior to her current role, Sabina Liu led KuCoin Exchange’s institutional business, where she drove the expansion of institutional partnerships and market growth, strengthening the platform’s institutional capabilities. Before joining KuCoin, Sabina spent 14 years at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), where she led business development across Asia-Pacific and managed relationships with global investment banks trading on the secondary markets of the London Stock Exchange. The management appointments follow KuCoin EU’s successful acquisition of its MiCAR license, a key regulatory milestone under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. This achievement marks a pivotal stage in KuCoin EU’s regulatory journey and supports its transition into a new phase centered on stable operations, localized services, and long-term development in Europe. BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin, said:“Europe remains a core market in KuCoin’s long-term and compliance strategy. Obtaining the MiCAR license represents a critical step. It not only establishes a solid regulatory foundation but also positions KuCoin EU for sustainable and compliant operations across the region. Sabina’s experience spanning institutional markets and traditional financial infrastructure will be instrumental as KuCoin EU enters its next stage of development and enhances services for European users.” Sabina Liu commented: “MiCAR provides a clear and unified regulatory framework for the European crypto industry. With the completion of our core compliance foundations, KuCoin EU will now focus on deepening local operations and continuously improving user services, while pursuing long-term, sustainable growth within a compliant environment.” Obtaining the MiCAR license is not only a regulatory achievement but also a foundational component of its long-term European infrastructure. Operating within a clear and harmonized regulatory framework, KuCoin EU is positioned to further enhance service quality, local engagement, and operational resilience across the region. About KuCoin EU KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH is a licensed European entity established to offer digital asset services to users across the European Economic Area (EEA”*” except Malta). Authorized as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) with the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), KuCoin EU is approved to provide regulated services, including custody and administration of crypto-assets, crypto-asset exchange services (crypto–fiat and crypto–crypto), the placing of crypto-assets, and transfer services on behalf of clients. Headquartered in Vienna, KuCoin EU operates in accordance with the applicable EU regulatory framework, including MiCAR requirements around transparency, market integrity, and investor protection. KuCoin EU is not the operator of a crypto-asset trading platform and does not provide investment advice. Learn more: www.kucoin.com The post KuCoin EU Completes MiCAR Compliance Milestone, Appoints Sabina Liu as Managing Director to Lead Next Phase of Europe Expansion appeared first on Cryptonews .

27 Jan 2026, 18:27

Steak n Shake Expands Bitcoin Treasury With New $5M Allocation

Steak n Shake has added another $5 million in notional Bitcoin exposure to its growing crypto treasury, marking the latest step in the fast-food chain’s pivot toward becoming one of America’s most Bitcoin-integrated restaurant brands. The company announced the move in a post on X on Tuesday, saying that all Bitcoin-related sales continue to flow directly into its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), which is a corporate treasury program funded through customer payments, operational efficiencies, and the company’s broader push into BTC-based financial technology. “Steak n Shake’s Burger-to-Bitcoin transformation continues,” the company wrote. “All Bitcoin sales go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Our self-sustaining system — improving food quality that grows same-store sales that then grow the SBR — is transforming the chain via financial technology.” The move builds on a rapid series of Bitcoin-focused initiatives that have positioned the 90-year-old burger chain as an outlier in the U.S. fast-food industry. Expanding a Rapidly Growing Bitcoin Treasury The new $5 million allocation follows a string of BTC treasury actions over the past several months. Steak n Shake has already added or allocated around $10 million worth of Bitcoin to its SBR since late 2025. Steak n Shake has linked its improved operating performance, including double-digit same-store sales growth last year, partly to these Bitcoin-driven efficiencies and the customer attention generated by its crypto strategy. Bitcoin Compensation Program for Workers Beyond treasury accumulation, Steak n Shake is also bringing its Bitcoin strategy into the workplace. Beginning March 1, 2026, hourly employees at company-operated restaurants will receive a Bitcoin bonus of roughly $0.21 per hour, vesting over two years. That benefit could amount to more than $400 worth of Bitcoin annually for full-time employees, though the exact payout depends on Bitcoin’s future price. Integrating Bitcoin Into a Legacy Brand Steak n Shake’s “Burger-to-Bitcoin” transformation represents one of the strongest examples of a traditional consumer brand building a vertically integrated Bitcoin strategy. The chain’s management says this is not a marketing stunt but a financial and technological positioning decision designed to reduce payment processing costs, generate new customer engagement, and build a long-term BTC reserve directly tied to business performance. While most restaurant brands that accept Bitcoin do so via third-party processors and settle immediately into fiat, Steak n Shake’s commitment to holding earned BTC, expanding its reserve, and compensating workers in Bitcoin places it in a category closer to corporate Bitcoin adopters like Strategy, though on a much smaller scale.