Month: January 2026

Vitalik Buterin Outlines $45M Eth Plan for Privacy, Open Hardware

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he has earmarked 16,384 Ether, worth about $45 million, to support privacy-preserving technologies, open hardware and secure, verifiable software systems.  In a post on X, Buterin said the funds were withdrawn from his personal holdings and will be deployed over the next few years. He framed the move as part of a broader shift as the Ethereum Foundation enters what he called a period of “mild austerity,” while continuing to pursue an aggressive technical roadmap. Buterin said he is also taking on responsibilities that might…

Bitcoin ‘Miner Exodus’ Risks Crashing BTC Price Below $60K

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A Bitcoin (BTC) metric tracking the electricity cost to mine one coin is flashing a warning for the bulls, with a so-called “miner exodus” adding to the bearish outlook. Key takeaways: BTC could fall toward the $59,000–$74,000 miner cost zone. Big hash rate drops often precede rebounds toward Bitcoin’s energy value at $121,000. Mining data hints BTC may decline below $60,000 As of January, the estimated average in electricity costs to mine a single Bitcoin is $59,450, while the net production expenditure is about $74,300, according to data from crypto-focused…

Bearish Bitcoin Analysts Predict BTC Price Can Drop to as Low as $50K

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Bitcoin (BTC) has finally slid below a key support level at $84,000, which has held the price since mid-November 2025. Where will BTC price action head next? Key takeaways: Bitcoin dropped to a two-month low of $81,00 on Thursday, fueled by $1.6 billion in long liquidations  Some analysts forecast deeper declines in a prolonged bear market targeting $50,000-$58,000. Bitcoin sentiment at record lows suggests “no upcycle” Bitcoin extended its sell-off into the late New York trading session on Thursday, dropping to two-month lows of $81,000.  Support at the 2026 yearly…

Binance Shifts $1B SAFU Fund from Stablecoins into Bitcoin

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Binance is shifting its flagship user protection vehicle, the Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), from stablecoin holdings into Bitcoin over the next 30 days, re‑denominating the fund’s reserves into BTC. In an open letter to the crypto community, the exchange framed the move as an expression of its conviction that Bitcoin (BTC) is the core long‑term asset of the crypto ecosystem rather than just another trading product, and said it will rebalance the fund back up to $1 billion if market volatility drives its value below $800 million.  That…

Bybit Faces Compliance Hurdles With Neobank Push

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Bybit’s push to offer neobank-style services is testing how far crypto exchanges can expand into traditional finance (TradFi), highlighting regulatory hurdles and the growing reliance on licensed banking partners. Bybit CEO Ben Zhou announced the exchange’s push into retail banking on Thursday, with a planned launch of its retail banking product, “MyBank,” in February. The move would mark one of the most ambitious attempts yet by a major exchange to offer bank-like services to retail users. As crypto increasingly intersects with TradFi, industry observers and executives warned that Bybit’s neobank…

DOJ Finalizes $400M Helix Forfeiture in Early Bitcoin Darknet Case

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The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized the forfeiture of over $400 million in cryptocurrency and other assets tied to Helix, an early Bitcoin-era darknet mixing service, according to a statement released Thursday.  The assets were seized from Larry Harmon, the operator of Helix, which processed transactions between 2014 and 2017. The crypto mixer was designed to obscure the source and destination of Bitcoin (BTC) that was linked to darknet markets.  The forfeiture follows a Jan. 21 order by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, formally…

Circle Says Stablecoin Infrastructure Updates to Spur Use

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Stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group plans to focus on building more durable infrastructure throughout 2026 to spur greater adoption among companies and institutions. Circle chief product and technology officer Nikhil Chandhok said in a blog post on Thursday that the company is aiming to push Arc, its layer-1 blockchain designed for institutional and large-scale use, from testnet toward production. At the same time, Circle plans to focus on deepening the utility and reach of its tokens, USDC (USDC), EURC, USYC, and its partner-launched stablecoins by expanding to more chains. “That…

Bitcoin Crashes To Nine-Month Low On Tariffs, Liquidations

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Bitcoin has fallen to a nine-month low of $81,000, causing billions in liquidations over the past day as escalating tensions in the Middle East and US President Donald Trump’s fresh threats of tariffs caused traders to sell off. Bitcoin (BTC) fell to a low of $81,058 on Coinbase in early trading on Friday, its lowest point since April, according to TradingView. The cryptocurrency has dropped 35% from its all-time high of $126,000 in October. CoinGlass data shows 270,000 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with total liquidations hitting…

Bitcoin ‘Massive Rotation’ Is On The Rocks: Benjamin Cowen

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Bitcoin’s price downtrend may not be as short-lived as many holders anticipate, says crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen. “Bitcoin’s likely going to keep bleeding against the stock market,” Cowen said in a video on Thursday, adding that strong expectations of a “massive rotation” from metals like gold and silver into crypto may be misplaced. The price of gold and silver has recently surged to reach all-time highs of $5,608.33 and $121.64, respectively, according to Trading Economics.  Citi predicts silver won’t slow down Citi predicted on Tuesday that silver could climb to…

Binance to convert $1B SAFU fund into Bitcoin reserves

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Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, announced today it will convert its $1 billion Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) from stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin within 30 days. The exchange said the move reflects its belief that “BTC serves as the core asset in the crypto ecosystem and represents long-term value.” Binance will monitor the fund’s market value and rebalance if it falls below $800 million due to Bitcoin price fluctuations, restoring it to $1 billion. The SAFU was established in July 2018 as a financial safety…