At 01:45 market open, Bitcoin dropped nearly $4,000 in one hour to $92,000 amid a $500 million liquidation of leveraged longs. Gold surged to a record $4,660 per ounce and silver reached $94 as traders sought havens. A 10% tariff on eight EU countries begins February 1 and rises to 25% in June.

Large holders amassed over 210 million ADA across the past three weeks while the token traded below $0.40. Price compressed near $0.38–$0.39 inside a multi‑month descending channel, with Binance top traders 72.52% long and the OI‑Weighted Funding Rate at +0.0018%. Momentum stayed weak, leaving a breakout above resistance as the key signal.

On January 15, Solana recorded $804 million in stablecoin inflows in 24 hours, later maintaining $532 million, outpacing Tron's $397 million and contrasting with Ethereum's net outflows. Stablecoin supply on Solana has reportedly climbed to a record $15 billion, a 200% year-on-year jump, while one analyst suggests SOL could reach $300 if it breaks out of its current range. Recent data also indicate six straight weeks of inflows into SOL-linked ETFs, with $8.94 million added on January 15 and total net assets rising to $1.19 billion, equal to 1.49% of Solana's market cap.

Bitcoin whales are depositing less to Binance in early 2026, just 15,800 BTC versus December's 37,133 BTC, leaving flows at 42.5% of last month. Daily whale transfers are under 2,200 BTC, while Bitcoin trades near $95,020 alongside strong U.S. spot ETF inflows above $750 million.

Altcoins gained momentum as Bitcoin’s dominance weakened and Ethereum emerged as a key driver of sentiment, with ETH/BTC trading at 0.03484. The Altcoin Season Index fell to 35 while Total 2 formed an ascending triangle around $1.29 trillion, and several privacy-focused altcoins recorded outsized gains.

The European Council will hold an emergency meeting to coordinate a response to President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on eight EU countries. Leaders aim to finalize a unified stance before the levies take effect on February 1, considering a €93 billion retaliation plan and potential use of the EU's anti-coercion instrument.

X reported record creator payouts at the end of 2025 under its "Year of the Creator" plan, centered on written content and higher revenue sharing. The platform will grant a $1 million reward to the single highest-earning U.S. article published between January 16 and 28, requiring at least 1,000 words of original writing. Elon Musk positioned this as a strategic push to boost high-impact creator work, though observers note ongoing questions about the long-term sustainability of such incentives.

On January 18, 2026, Lookonchain reported that a long-standing Bitcoin holder sold 500 BTC worth $47.77 million, part of a 5,000 BTC stash held for over a decade. The seller has been trimming since December 2024 at six-figure prices, and on-chain metrics show older holders have cooled while institutions absorb supply.