On January 3 2026, Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan reported that crypto investor sentiment on social media had turned upbeat to start the year, even as other gauges still signaled fear. With Bitcoin trading near $89,930 after a 1.77% daily rise, analysts said a cautious retail stance could support further gains, while separate forecasts pointed to a possible but short‑lived price rally driven by ETF inflows and January's historically positive returns.

On Friday, Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, asked shareholders to lift the company’s authorized share cap from 500 million to 50 billion to enable potential future stock splits. BitMine stock rose about 14% to around $30.93, and shareholders are set to vote on the proposal by Jan. 14.

Nearly 40% of major Bitcoin treasury firms are priced under the value of their BTC holdings, with at least 37 of the top 100 trading below balance‑sheet Bitcoin. The premium-driven playbook that lifted shares in the first three quarters of 2025 has faded, and by year‑end only France’s The Blockchain Group beat the S&P 500’s roughly 16% return.

Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine Immersion, is asking shareholders to approve lifting authorized shares to 50 billion from 500 million. He says the move aims at flexibility for capital raises, acquisitions, and future stock splits tied to the company's Ethereum treasury strategy. The vote closes on Jan. 14, with the annual meeting set for Jan. 15 in Las Vegas.

At the start of 2026, analysis from Santiment indicates that social media sentiment among crypto traders has turned notably optimistic, even as broader fear gauges remain subdued. Bitcoin trades around $90,054, with analysts watching the $92,000 area as a key psychological level that could trigger a shift in retail behavior and potential FOMO. Seasonal data show January has historically delivered positive returns for Bitcoin and Ether, but observers caution that excessive enthusiasm and rapid rallies have often preceded reversals.

At the start of 2026, a Santiment analyst reported that crypto-related discussions on social media are notably upbeat, even as broader sentiment gauges show fear. Brian Quinlivan cautioned that if Bitcoin were to rise rapidly toward $92,000 from around $89,930, retail trader FOMO could emerge and potentially signal unhealthy market behavior. January has historically delivered positive average returns for both Bitcoin and Ether, yet the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has remained in the Fear to Extreme Fear zone since early November 2025.

Jerome Powell's term as Federal Reserve chair ends in May, while his governor seat runs two more years. He has declined to say whether he will remain on the Board, calling the question "irrelevant at the moment." A Supreme Court hearing involving Governor Lisa Cook is set for January 21 and could affect control of the Board.

By 26 December 2025, Strategy ($MSTR) had fallen roughly 66% over six months, wiping close to $90 billion in market value while Bitcoin stayed comparatively firm. The move tracked a collapsed NAV premium, ongoing share issuance, and mounting leverage and balance-sheet concerns that pushed the equity away from Bitcoin’s performance.