First, happy new year!!! Yay. Today, the first day of 2026, crypto feels unusual given how fast things moved just months ago. BTC USD is sitting pretty at $87,000, barely changed from its price levels since Christmas. ETH USD is also grinding quietly, leveling just under $3,000 as the market eases into 2026.
There is movement, but it is slow and measured, even if we have a sudden up and down movement, it looks just like it’s trying to duck both shorters and longers.
This slower pace follows a difficult stretch. During 2025, the total crypto market cap slid from $3.26 trillion down to $3 trillion, wiping out around $300 billion, though it blasted above $4 trillion mid-year. Even so, BTC USD and ETH USD have held their ground near major support zones.
(source – CoinGecko)
BTC USD and ETH USD in a Level to Watch
BTC USD continues to trade in a tight band. Price support formed at $85,000, while resistance remains close to $90,000. Sentiment indicators tell us that we are cautious, and social metrics show risk levels remain relatively low. We hope that these conditions will bring back volatility, or even better, a pump.
ETH USD is drawing steady lines as well. Ethereum has been building higher lows, creating a constructive structure. A confirmed breakout could push ETH USD toward the $3,500 area. At the same time, the ETH to USD stablecoin ratio is close to levels last seen around prior market pico bottoms.
Confidence from long-term players has not disappeared either. Tom Lee’s BitMine added more than 32,000 ETH and staked a much larger amount, a belief in Ethereum despite the asset closing 2025 with nine negative months, a pattern similar to the 2018 bear market.
(source – Cryptorank)
For me, though, BTC as the first ever crypto will still decide how alts move. But if the early bird gets the worm, why do good things come to those who wait?
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2026
Regulation and Adoption Are Shaping the Crypto Market Today
Outside of charts, crypto, today, is also being shaped by regulation and adoption. In the UK, new rules now require exchanges to report user transactions to tax authorities, closing compliance gaps without blocking innovation. In the US, lawmakers are preparing to move forward with crypto market structure legislation later this month.
BREAKING:🇺🇸 U.S lawmakers expected to advance crypto market structure legislation in early January 2026. pic.twitter.com/JudcbYOxTP
— Micon Crypto (@MconCrypto) January 1, 2026
Adoption continues, too. Ferrari has expanded Ethereum payments across the US and Europe, while Visa is settling billions in stablecoin volume using Ethereum. And, the ETH mainnet recently processed 2.2 million transactions in a single day, with average fees falling to about USD 17 cents.
As the year begins, BTC USD and ETH USD are still the market’s anchors. We wait, because the market can move both ways, up or down.
DISCOVER: 16+ New and Upcoming Binance Listings in 2026
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Mama! Tether is at it again; they have bought 8,888 more BTC. This happened while Bitcoin traded in a tight range after the news, as we weighed the bullish signal of more institutional buying against worries about stablecoin risk. This comes while regulators and rating agencies increase scrutiny on stablecoins and their backing. Tether acquired 8,888.8888888 BTC in Q4 2025.https://t.co/vMh1uzv1wO — Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) December 31, 2025 Hedge funds reportedly built one of their biggest bearish bets against the Japanese yen in years, lining up around 85,000 net short contracts as pressure on the currency grows. As yen stress picked up, Bitcoin slipped below $87,000 in early December, with around $527 million in long positions wiped out in just 24 hours. All of this sits inside a bigger macro story. The rising Japanese bond yields, shifting central bank policies, and a huge yen “carry trade” that now spills directly into our crypto portfolio. (source – BTC JPY, TradingView) Going into 2026, the crypto market moved sluggishly. Prices have moved sideways for weeks, volumes dipped during the holidays, and most major coins struggled to attract attention. Although usually this is when smaller caps start to shine. This time, LIGHT and RIVER stood out while the rest of the crypto market seems deader than dead, especially on-chain. Both LIGHT and RIVER crypto benefited from the same conditions in different ways. Low liquidity and slow trading gave speculative moves more impact, and people looking for momentum found it. While many of us ignored low caps, both LIGHT and RIVER climbed in silence and started the New Year as the strongest gainers. (source – Coingecko) Read the original piece here. On 30 December 2025, Bitwise Asset Management announced submitting applications to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for 11 new “strategy” exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bitwise’s filings target an array of altcoins, including DeFi leaders like AAVE and UNI, privacy coin ZEC, AI-focused TAO, and others such as CC, ENA, HYPE, NEAR, STRK, SUI, and TRX. Each ETF employs a hybrid approach, blending direct token holdings with ETPs and derivatives to deliver targeted exposure, all while navigating regulatory constraints. Notably, in July 2025, the company scored wins with its Bitwise Crypto Index Fund (BIT) conversion to spot and expedited BTC ETH ETF nods within 45 days. 💥BREAKING: BitWise files for 11 Altcoin ETFs. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/AaLrmcwozF — Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) December 31, 2025 Will this move be able to push Bitwise into altcoin ETFs amid a maturing US regulatory landscape, aided by the US President Donald Trump administration? Read the full story here.Tether Loads Up 8,888 BTC Again: Smart Reserve Play or Risky Game?
Hedge Funds Hammer Japanese Yen and Probably Bitcoin
Bitlight LIGHT Crypto and RIVER Top Gainers This New Year: Best Coins to Buy in 2026?
Bitwise Files For 11 New Crypto ETFs, Including Uniswap, Sui, Near
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