Trading

At the start of 2026, XRP extended a rebound from the Dec. 31 low of $1.80. At press time it was up 2.2% over 24 hours at $1.89 after touching $1.90. Price is confronting layered resistance near $1.90–$2.00, while support sits around $1.82 and $1.77. A decisive move above $2 remains the key trigger.

On Jan. 1, 2026, Shibburn reported SHIB's 24-hour burn rate jumping 10,728.80%, with about $172 million sent to burn addresses. Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP in three tranches at the start of January 2026, per Whale Alert. The digest also notes Bitcoin's first post-halving red year, diverging from the prior four-year cycle.

On Thursday, January 1, 2026, Ripple executed its routine monthly escrow, releasing 1 billion XRP and placing 700 million back into long-term escrow. The remaining 300 million was allocated for liquidity and ecosystem needs. By Friday, January 2, XRP traded near $1.91 after a 2.74% daily gain, with circulating supply at 65.78 billion and 34.18 billion held in escrow.

Bitcoin is consolidating between $86,400 and $90,600, with chart projections pointing to a potential move toward $94,589, $100,000 and even $107,500 if resistance breaks. Several major altcoins, including Ether, BNB, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, Bitcoin Cash, Chainlink and Zcash, are testing important moving averages and support zones that could either launch relief rallies or extend the broader downtrend.

On Friday, January 2, 2026, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD) surged about 36% in premarket trading after issuing 2026 guidance above Wall Street expectations. The outlook includes total revenue of $450–475 million and adjusted EBITDA above $300 million, supported by LINZESS U.S. net sales of $1.125–1.175 billion and a list price cut effective January 1, 2026.

On Friday, the memecoin sector’s market capitalization climbed 8% to $39.45 billion, adding $3 billion in a single day as PEPE gained 23.6%, BONK rose 10% and DOGE advanced 8%. At the same time, open interest and derivatives volume for leading memecoins expanded sharply, with PEPE’s OI up 77% to $441 million and total daily derivatives trading volume across memecoins reaching $4.75 billion.

Polymarket prediction markets currently assign Bitcoin a 21% chance of touching $150,000 before 2027, with expectations clustered around a peak between $100,000 and $120,000. Analysts are divided, with some projecting a major rally in 2026 that could lift BTC as high as $150,000 to $250,000, while others argue that growing Bitcoin options and covered call activity is constraining price upside.

A well-known crypto trader argues that 2026 is not the window for a $1,000 XRP price, even as long-term upside remains on the table. The debate followed a widely circulated forecast highlighted by Uphold that envisions $1,000 by 2030. Commentator Pharaoh also ruled out 2025 and 2026, aligning with Don Kwok’s caution against short-term hype.

Bitcoin approached $90,000 into the first U.S. trading session of 2026, with a fresh CME futures gap and long‑liquidation clusters near $88,000 signaling potential downside. Liquidity and cross‑crypto liquidations exceeded $200 million ahead of the Wall Street open. Gold rebounded after its New Year's Eve dip, edging back toward all‑time highs and highlighting 2025's divergence.

Dogecoin has surged more than 9% in the past day to reach $0.13, while the broader meme coin market value has climbed about 8% to nearly $40 billion and trading volumes have risen over 32%. At the same time, the meme-focused Maxi Doge token has attracted almost $4.5 million in its ongoing presale, offering 71% APY staking and a token price of $0.000276 as it targets highly leveraged traders.