hodler

17 Jan 2026, 21:10

Axie Infinity is leading the GameFi rally as the sector witnesses a resurgence

Axie Infinity’s token, AXS, has been witnessing a significant price surge in recent days, and the rally has once again attracted attention to the GameFi sector, as it has outpaced several mid-cap altcoins. Commentators have noted that unlike previous spikes characterized by lower trading volumes, this surge seems to be backed by considerable trading activity and bullish market sentiments. Axie Infinity’s AXS is up over 100% in the past week According to data from Coingecko , Axie Infinity’s token $AXS went on a run today, surging by about 64% to approximately $2.02 and topping charts as the leader in the broader GameFi sector . Today’s rally comes after months of bearish movements and is happening as interest in the gaming sector is returning with multiple gaming tokens turning green, much to the delight of traders and investors. The price surge of the AXS token comes amid a marked improvement in daily trading volume, with the past 24 hours pulling in over $997M while the overall market cap stands at over $346M, indicating increased investor engagement. Analysts have attributed this positive price action to a return of investor appetite for high volatility sectors like GameFi as well as futures market activity and staking adjustments. The futures trading volume has exceeded $500M with open interest hovering around $44M, signaling short coverings and the creation of new positions. All that is happening amid recent changes to the project’s staking program as well as the introduction of new incentives, including an Axie Score rewards experiment scheduled for this year. More about Axie Infinity’s score reward The score reward is a metric that will reportedly reflect a player’s contributions to the Axie Infinity community, influencing governance and rewards. According to recent announcements, that reward will be transitioned into an app token version of AXS (bAXS). The token will be able to be spent in Axie core as well as staked. The team plans to integrate Axie’s reputation, the Axie score, into the selling mechanic. There will also be a variable fee, paid to the treasury, that gets charged to a seller of the token, with the fee reduced for those with higher tiers of Axie score. “A good day for $AXS, but the true story here is the structural changes to supply that we’re making this year,” the project’s cofounder wrote on X. According to more recent updates, bAXS (Bonded AXS) will be backed 1:1 by AXS and designed to keep value circulating within the ecosystem and rewarding its citizens. “This is the start of a transformative year for Axie Infinity, something is coming and the strongest will survive by working together as one digital nation,” one X post shared via the Axie Infinity account on X read. Which GameFi tokens are doing well in 2026? The GameFi sector is witnessing a resurgence in interest. The overall sector’s market cap is currently around $7 billion, up 6.3% in the past 24 hours. While Axie Infinity is leading the charge, it is not the only GameFi project witnessing bullish movement. Based on data from Coingecko , other tokens doing well in the GameFi sector include Ronin (RON), the Sandbox (SAND), Smooth Love Potion (SLP), Decentraland (MANA), and Illuvium (ILV). RON’s price has gone up by about 20% in the past 24 hours and 28% in the past seven days; SAND’s is up 30% in the past 24 hours and 32% over the past 7 days; SLP is up 14% in 24 hours and 16% over the past week; MANA is also up 21% in 24 hours and 18% over the past seven days and ILV is up 15% in 24 hours and 14% over the past seven days. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

17 Jan 2026, 21:00

Ethereum Futures Volume Hits Highest Level On Binance Since Mid-December — Details

Over the week, Ethereum struggled to sustain any significant move to the upside. Although the second-largest cryptocurrency reclaimed the $3,300 price level, it could not break above $3,400 to continue its path towards higher price levels. As it stands, it appears that the Ether token is taking on a short-term bearish structure. However, an on-chain evaluation has recently been put out, which suggests that market participants might be gearing up for a significant move in the near-term. Related Reading: The Ethereum MACD Crossover That Could Lead To A Massive Bull Wave Ethereum Futures Activity Reaches Monthly High Following Market Inactivity In a recent QuickTake post on the CryptoQuant platform, analytics group Arab Chain reveals that there has recently been a spike in futures trading activity on the Binance derivatives market. This revelation is based on the Binance: ETH Futures Daily Volume metric, which monitors the total value of Ethereum futures contracts being traded on Binance each day, hence reflecting market activity, trader participation, and potential leverage exposure. The latest reading of the metric has highlighted a major shift, with trading volume climbing as high as $21.7 billion. According to Arab Chain, this reading marks the highest level since mid-December, reflecting that strong momentum has returned to the futures market. Notably, the spike in futures trading volume was preceded by a period of relative decline in the second half of December. This event coincides with a period of price stability, alongside a tapering risk appetite among traders. Interestingly, institutional investors also contributed prevalent aversion to risk. Arab Chain explains that the decline is a typical sign that market participants want to “wait and see,” instead of speculatively opening large positions. However, the present scenario — where futures volume surged — paints an opposing story. As the futures trading volume reflects levels above its mid-December high, it becomes apparent that interest among Ethereum traders is being rekindled. This is because increasing futures volume “is typically associated with higher leverage usage, hedging activity, and speculative positioning” — a line up which indicates that the market is preparing for significant movement. The reason for this spike could also be attributed to traders who are reacting to key technical levels or shifting expectations around near-term price action of a potential trend reversal. In the grand scheme, however, the Ethereum price reacts to this activity, depending on the alignment of spot demand with derivatives activity. Till such a definite sign comes up, the market stands at a point of uncertainty. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Will Still Rally Above $99,000 Despite Bearish Sentiment, Here’s Why ETH Price Overview As of this writing, Ethereum stands at a price of $3,292, reflecting no real growth since the past day. Featured image from Flickr, chart from Tradingview

17 Jan 2026, 21:00

Monero price prediction – Assessing volatility risks after XMR’s latest ATH

Monero investors should consider taking profits after the token set a new all-time high.

17 Jan 2026, 21:00

Bitcoin Adoption In West Virginia Sets A New Regional Benchmark

Bitcoin literacy and community growth are accelerating in West Virginia, and it’s starting to reshape how communities across the state engage with digital finance. What was once viewed as a niche interest among tech enthusiasts is now gaining traction across broader segments of the state’s population. As residents become more curious about digital assets, conversations are shifting from speculation to understanding how BTC works and what it could mean for personal and regional economic resilience. Bitcoin As A Tool For Regional Economic Growth West Virginia has been making headlines in the Bitcoin space recently, particularly with fresh legislative moves as of January 2026. MartyParty revealed on X that the biggest current development is Senator Bill 143 (SB143), which was introduced this week by State Senator Chris Rose. This is officially titled the Inflation Protection Act of 2026, which would allow the state’s Board of Treasury Investment to allocate up to 10% of public funds into precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. The bill requires any qualifying digital asset to have maintained an average market capitalization of at least $750 billion over the prior year, which qualifies only BTC. In addition, the bill also allows for regulated stablecoins , but only the US federal or state regulators can approve the assets. However, the bill frames this as a hedge against inflation and currency depreciation, and empowering the state treasurer to invest in BTC without directly naming it in most of the statute. Although the purpose section explicitly mentions empowering investment in gold, silver, and BTC. These assets would need to be made through qualified custodians, ETFs, or other secure frameworks. What Pension Funds And Endowments Think About Bitcoin The Bitcoin price prediction by funds indicates a bullish outlook for 2026. CryptoRank.io has mentioned that the institutional analysts are pricing in a bullish scenario for BTC in 2026. The average target across the forecasts shown is around $150,000 per BTC, implying roughly 75% upside from current levels. At the same time, longer-term valuation models assume a more gradual growth path . Popular asset manager VanEck predicts BTC could reach approximately $2.9 million by 2050, which equates to around 15% annualized growth broadly in line with the BTC historical long-term performance as a macro asset. In contrast to institutional forecasts, prediction markets maintain a more conservative outlook. On Polymarket , the pricing base-case range between $110,000 to $130,000. This consensus could shift toward the institutional targets if spot ETF inflows remain strong and if the US regulatory uncertainty continues to decline, including initiatives such as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act.

17 Jan 2026, 20:58

Steak 'n Shake announces $10M notional increase on Bitcoin holdings

The company began accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment in May 2025, following hundreds of store closures between 2018 and 2025.

17 Jan 2026, 20:53

ETF Movements Shape Bitcoin’s Market Direction

ETF flows are crucial indicators for Bitcoin's short and medium-term direction. FBTC and ARKB ETFs provide significant insights into Bitcoin's real demand structure. Continue Reading: ETF Movements Shape Bitcoin’s Market Direction The post ETF Movements Shape Bitcoin’s Market Direction appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .