Analysts expect US core CPI to rise to 2.7% year over year in December, slightly above November's 2.6% and still near early‑2021 lows. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said it could not release month‑to‑month amendments to the latest CPI because of the recent government shutdown, complicating readings. The Federal Reserve is seen keeping rates steady as inflation stabilizes and consumer spending stays firm.

BNY Mellon has launched tokenized deposits for institutional clients and selected Ripple Prime as an early adopter. This collaboration positions Ripple at the center of a potential "digital dollar" shift, as XRP ETFs have accumulated $1 billion in assets under management since their November launch despite XRP ending 2025 down 12%.

Ethereum’s social sentiment has fallen to levels similar to those seen ahead of its 2025 price surge back to its 2021 all-time high, according to Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan. He argued this negative mood could limit further downside, even as Ether trades about 36% below its peak and broader crypto sentiment remains stuck in “Fear” territory.

Smart money traders are piling back into meme tokens, with Solana-based White Whale turning a $366 buy into roughly $1.5 million for one early participant. Alongside this mid-cap surge, larger names like Dogecoin and Pepe and presale projects such as Bitcoin Hyper and Maxi Doge are being highlighted as key meme coin opportunities in the current bull market.

Elon Musk stated on the X platform that the service will release as open source the code used to recommend both organic and advertising posts, with the first release set for seven days after his announcement and subsequent updates every four weeks. The move follows a sharp rise in bot-driven crypto posts, including a reported 7.75 million bot messages in one day and a 1,224% jump in such activity, and could alter how sensitive the algorithm is to crypto-related content.

Bitcoin has recently traded in a tight band between $90,000 and $93,000, with price action showing little decisive movement. Data indicates spot market inflows have dropped to a six-week low, while institutional investors have shifted from net buying to selling hundreds of millions of dollars in BTC. Despite weak broader sentiment, long-term holders remain largely inactive, helping to limit deeper downside for the cryptocurrency.

Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Council has issued cease-and-desist directives to Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com, requiring them to shut down sports betting contracts in the state and refund users by January 31, 2026. The council argues these unlicensed sports event markets violate state gambling law and could trigger civil penalties or criminal exposure for non-compliance. The decision adds to mounting U.S. regulatory pressure on crypto-based prediction and betting platforms.

A Bitcoin miner who earned rewards in 2010 has transferred 2,000 BTC, valued at nearly $200 million at prices close to $100,000 per coin, to Coinbase after 15 years of inactivity. On-chain data shows multiple whale selling waves since late 2024, including an 80,000 BTC move in July 2025 and several other dormant wallets reactivating. Analysts are debating whether these sales and cooling ETF inflows will disrupt Bitcoin’s historical four‑year cycle as institutional demand continues to expand.