Canadian billionaire and mining executive Frank Giustra has renewed his criticism of Bitcoin, arguing it has not justified being described as "digital gold" and remains a speculative asset driven by dogma. He contends Bitcoin has gone through multiple failed narratives, accuses high-profile Bitcoin maximalists such as Michael Saylor of promoting risky advice to unsophisticated investors, and contrasts this with central banks and major powers accumulating physical gold as part of a broader financial reset. Giustra concludes that real power still lies with those who hold gold, while Bitcoin functions mainly as a distraction.

A so-called Satoshi-era Bitcoin miner has transferred 2,000 BTC, in what analyst Julio Moreno describes as the first notable on-chain move from this early cohort since November 2024, when Bitcoin traded near $91,000. Historical netflow charts suggest these long-term holders often move or sell coins during major price rallies, reinforcing their perceived influence over market sentiment.

BNY announced a system to tokenize bank deposits, with Ripple Prime joining as one of the first institutional users. The tokens represent a direct claim on cash and are designed for instant, programmable transfers around the clock, with the initial focus on collateral and margin workflows.

On Thursday, Evernorth, a newly public digital asset treasury firm holding over $1 billion in XRP and backed by Ripple and SBI Holdings, announced a partnership with Doppler Finance to develop institutional-grade treasury and liquidity frameworks for the XRP Ledger. The collaboration aims to turn XRP into a yield-generating asset for corporate treasuries by professionalizing XRPL infrastructure, risk management and liquidity access for large institutional holders.

American banking group Morgan Stanley has submitted documents for a Solana ETF that will hold SOL via third‑party custodians and add staking rewards to the fund's NAV. The firm has also lodged a separate filing for a Bitcoin ETF, positioning itself alongside other major asset managers pursuing spot crypto products.

On Monday, MarketVector's Martin Leinweber reported that the MarketVector Crypto Heat Index, used by VanEck, has issued a "Buy" signal for the first time since early April 2025. The index, now at 16.8% in its undervalued band, has historically preceded notable medium- and long-term Bitcoin gains, while BTC currently trades around $93,662 amid growing discussion of a possible move toward six-figure prices.

On January 6, 2026, veteran chart analyst John Bollinger cautioned that XRP's roughly 32% surge since January 1 is not backed by a particularly strong technical base. He argued that Bitcoin still leads the market structure, with Ethereum in second place and XRP lagging in third despite its sharp price advance.

On January 5, 2026, analyst David Cox stated that Bitcoin is challenging a crucial resistance area between $93,500 and $94,000 while its daily moving averages have turned bullish. He pointed out that the price has moved back above the 50-day simple moving average and that the broader structure of higher highs and higher lows remains intact, with the 200-day SMA near $106,645 seen as the next major upside objective.

At the start of 2026, XRP has jumped about 15% and briefly traded above $2.15, but its hourly chart is flashing a bearish RSI divergence that points to fading momentum. The pattern suggests buyers may be losing conviction, with traders watching the $2.05–$2.10 area for a possible pullback and support retest.