Ethereum is consolidating around $3,000 as tokenized assets on its network scale, with stablecoins near $190 billion and other segments measured in the billions. On January 10 and 11, 2026, Merlijn The Trader and Ted Pillows flagged a potential ETH rotation and a possible move toward $3,500–$3,600 if the $3,000 support holds.

On 11 January 2026, new analysis from Alphractal indicated that Bitcoin’s one-year percentage change is hovering just below zero, a zone that has historically aligned with bear markets or major trend shifts. Analysts estimate that a 4–5% price increase could flip this metric positive without a deeper drawdown, echoing a rare pattern last seen around July 2020. The coming trading sessions may therefore clarify whether Bitcoin is exiting a long consolidation phase or remaining in a broader corrective structure.

On January 11, 2026, Ethereum's Beacon Chain saw its staking entry queue rise to about 1.759 million ETH (roughly $5.5 billion), according to ValidatorQueue. The exit queue fell to zero, while price hovered near $3,000, with traders eyeing $2,700 if support breaks.

On 9 and 10 January 2026, police in Hilir Perak carried out three coordinated operations in Teluk Intan, seizing forty-one machines allegedly used for illegal crypto mining. Investigators believe the sites were stealing electricity from the national grid, and no suspects have been detained as authorities work to identify those responsible. Officials warn that such unlicensed setups can trigger fires, grid instability, and higher power costs for legitimate users.

On 10 January 2026, VanEck outlined a capital markets framework modeling Bitcoin’s evolution through 2050. The paper frames Bitcoin as a structural monetary asset, with a base case of roughly 15% annual compounding and expected volatility of 40%–70%, while small 1%–3% allocations are shown to improve portfolio efficiency.

On 10 January 2026, Coinbase outlined how it spent 2025 rebuilding its trading stack across spot, futures, perpetuals, and options to function as a unified marketplace. Over the year, the exchange broadened U.S. and international derivatives, integrated the Deribit acquisition, and expanded spot listings to more than 350 assets while preparing to deepen USDC collateral use in 2026. The company is now positioning its platform as an institutional-grade venue that blends crypto-native products with structures familiar to traditional financial markets.

On 9 January 2026, BNY announced a blockchain-based system that lets institutional clients move bank deposits on-chain and use them around the clock for collateral, margin, and payments. Early adopters of the tokenized deposit platform include Intercontinental Exchange, Citadel Securities, DRW, Ripple Prime, Baillie Gifford, and Circle. The bank positions these deposits as a regulated settlement layer for tokenized assets and always-on markets.

On 9 January 2026, Asheesh Birla outlined how crypto is evolving from speculative trading toward serving as financial infrastructure, with XRP positioned for institutional use. He argued that XRP’s design for cross-border settlement, liquidity, and programmable treasuries aligns it with emerging regulatory standards and enterprise-grade tooling. In this view, long-term adoption will favor networks that integrate quietly into global financial systems rather than those driven by retail hype.

World Liberty Financial is seeking a U.S. national trust bank charter through WLTC Holdings LLC, with its filing to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency aimed at placing stablecoin operations under federal oversight. The plan would transform WLFI into a regulated trust institution focused on USD1 issuance, reserves, and custody rather than consumer banking. Since 2024, the project has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and its bid has triggered intense political debate.