Veteran trader Peter Brandt has outlined a medium-term downside objective for Bitcoin near $58,000 after the sharp rejection below $100,000 in January 2026. Using a long-term power law chart with a logarithmic growth channel, he argues that a return toward the channel's midline around $58,000–$60,000 would represent a reversion to fair value. Brandt's view comes after Bitcoin dropped from a high of $97,939 to a low of $75,555 in January, signaling strong selling pressure around the six-figure threshold.

On January 30, 2026, Anthony Scaramucci urged Bitcoin holders to "get ready" after BTC gained more than 10% against gold earlier that day. Gold fell to an intraday low of $4,683 and silver dropped over 30% in a single day, while Scaramucci has previously said he would like Bitcoin to reach $150,000.

On January 29, 2026, veteran trader Peter Brandt highlighted a symmetrical triangle on the ETH/USD weekly chart and a right-angled broadening pattern on the total cryptocurrency market cap. He suggested these formations place the burden of proof on bullish traders, implying potential downside for Ethereum and the broader market. The total market cap, under pressure at horizontal support, could slide toward $2.41 trillion, representing an estimated 15%–20% drawdown.

On Thursday, Bitcoin plunged from levels near $90,600 to around $84,635, briefly breaking below the $85,000 area. The sharp move triggered liquidations of nearly $800 million in leveraged positions over 24 hours, including about $301.15 million in longs wiped out in a single hour. One BTC-USD position worth $31.64 million on Hyperliquid was the day's largest forced closure.

On Jan. 26, Michael Saylor stated on X that MicroStrategy buys "real Bitcoin" and audits its custodians to avoid rehypothecation concerns. The comments followed the firm's disclosure that it had acquired 2,932 BTC for $264 million, lifting its total holdings to 712,647 BTC while critics questioned whether all coins are fully reserved.

Santiment reports the first uptick in "millionaire" XRP wallets since September 2025, with a net gain of 42 in recent weeks. Despite XRP being down 4% year-to-date at the start of 2026, large holders are accumulating, a trend 21Shares argues could contribute to an emerging supply shock if demand strengthens.

Institutional manager 21Shares issued a 2026 base-case price target of $2.45 for XRP, alongside a bull scenario of $2.69. It highlights exchange reserves at a seven-year low of 1.7 billion XRP and U.S. XRP spot ETFs amassing over $1.3 billion in assets under management in their first month as drivers of scarcity.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed the Sostack v. Ripple Labs class action, finding the federal securities claims time-barred under the Securities Act's three-year statute of repose. The panel determined the clock began in 2013, when Ripple sold over 500 million XRP, making the filing in 2018 untimely and affirming summary judgment.

Ripple executives have reiterated that XRP will remain central to the company's strategy as it broadens into custody, stablecoins and prime brokerage. Reece Merrick and Brad Garlinghouse both emphasized that XRP sits at the core of Ripple's vision, with a detailed discussion of its role scheduled for an X Spaces event on Feb. 11. The company is also backing Evernorth, a dedicated XRP treasury firm, to support institutional use of the token through its Ripple Treasury platform.