Today's Cryptocurrency News (January 4) | Bitcoin returns to $90,000; Trump orders the arrest of the Venezuelan president

This article summarizes cryptocurrency news as of January 4, 2026, focusing on the latest Bitcoin updates, Ethereum upgrades, Dogecoin trends, real-time crypto prices, and price forecasts. Major Web3 events today include:

1. James Wynn in recent days rolled over a $10,000 floating profit into $500,000 by going long on PEPE

According to on-chain analyst Yu Yan monitoring, James Wynn, a rollover trader who lost $100 million (including $87 million profit + $21.77 million principal) six months ago on Hyperliquid, has recently gone long on PEPE, turning a $10,000 floating profit into $500,000.

Starting December 27, he used $10,000 to go long on PEPE, which began rising from January 1, gaining 64% in four days. He has been increasing his position through floating profits, currently with a floating gain of $480,000.

After a significant floating profit on PEPE, he added a long position on BTC two hours ago.

2. Ethereum Price News: ETH holds above $3100, next target may be $3300

Ethereum’s price recently stabilized above $3100, signaling a clear technical warming. After a period of consolidation, ETH’s breakout is seen as a key point indicating a short-term trend shift, prompting many traders to reassess ETH’s upside potential and risk-reward ratio.

From a price structure perspective, this breakout is not a one-sided surge but a gradual upward move after consolidation. Currently, ETH oscillates near $3100, with 24-hour trading volume above $17 billion, indicating active market participation but no extreme volume spikes. This “mild volume-price coordination” often suggests the market is still in a confirmation phase.

The core focus is on the $3020–$3050 range, which was previously a clear resistance level now transformed into a key support after the breakout. If ETH can hold this range during a retest, it’s seen as a healthy bullish sign and a foundation for further gains. Such “breakout–retreat–resumption” patterns are common in ETH’s historical price movements.

From a technical analysis standpoint, the four-hour interval breakout has been completed, and short-term corrections are viewed as normal technical adjustments rather than trend reversals. Using Fibonacci extensions, if support holds, ETH’s potential target range could be around $3250–$3300. However, this outlook heavily depends on whether the price can stay above key support levels.

Market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. On one hand, the improving ETH/BTC trend supports ETH’s relative strength; on the other hand, weekend low liquidity and unexpanded volume imply short-term volatility risks. Many traders prefer waiting for retests to confirm support rather than chasing after breakouts.

Overall, ETH’s stable above $3100 is an important market signal. In the short term, the $3020–$3050 zone will be critical for trend continuation. If it becomes a solid support, ETH may gradually test $3300; otherwise, it could enter a longer sideways phase. For investors interested in ETH price forecasts, technical analysis, and medium-term trends, this support zone will be the most important focus.

3. Delphi Digital: Major Solana upgrade Alpenglow scheduled for 2026, with theoretical delay shortened by 100 times

Delphi Digital announced on X that Solana is preparing for a major upgrade called Alpenglow. This upgrade involves a complete overhaul of the consensus mechanism, aiming to achieve sub-second finality by replacing Tower BFT and Proof of History (PoH).

Alpenglow introduces two new protocol components: Votor and Rotor. Votor replaces the incremental voting rounds of Tower BFT with a lightweight aggregation model, allowing validators to aggregate votes off-chain before final confirmation, enabling block finality within 1 to 2 confirmation rounds. This reduces the theoretical finality delay to 100–150 milliseconds, about 100 times shorter than the initial 12.8 seconds.

Votor achieves finality through two parallel paths: rapid confirmation when proposed blocks receive over 80% total staked support in the first round; if support is between 60% and 80%, slow confirmation is triggered, requiring over 60% support in the second round.

Rotor redefines Solana’s block propagation layer. The original Turbine network relied on variable-latency multi-hop relays, while Rotor introduces a stake-weighted relay path prioritizing bandwidth efficiency. Validators with high stake and reliable bandwidth become core relays.

Simulations show that under typical bandwidth conditions, block propagation can be completed within 18 milliseconds. The upgrade is expected to be phased in, with initial deployment scheduled for early to mid-2026.

4. Tom Lee bullish on Bitcoin: demand revival and ETF fund inflows may push BTC to $180,000

Since late December 2025, Bitcoin has oscillated between $85,000 and $90,000. Previously, BTC reached a high of about $126,000 in early October but was pressured afterward due to global financial market uncertainties, year-end institutional trading slowdown, and tax-related sell-offs. Meanwhile, spot ETF fund inflows slowed, and market sentiment turned cautious.

However, from January 2026, signs of market recovery emerged. Data shows about $335 million net inflow into Bitcoin ETFs at the start of the year, reflecting increased risk appetite among institutions and long-term funds. Against this backdrop, Fundstrat’s managing partner Tom Lee reaffirmed his long-term bullish outlook, predicting Bitcoin could reach $180,000 in the next cycle.

Lee states that the core logic for Bitcoin’s rise includes market structure maturation, increasing institutional participation, and clearer regulation. He believes the proliferation of Bitcoin ETFs is transforming the market from a highly volatile speculative asset into a mainstream allocation. Data shows BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) had accumulated $24.7 billion in inflows by the end of 2025, and US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw about $31.77 billion in net inflows during the year, becoming key channels for institutional allocation.

On-chain data also shows changing behavior among long-term holders. Recent on-chain monitoring indicates some addresses shifted from selling to accumulation, with a net addition of over 10,700 BTC in a single day, easing selling pressure and supporting prices. Meanwhile, firms like Strategy continue to increase their Bitcoin holdings, maintaining stable demand during corrections.

Looking ahead, analysts focus on the key support near $85,000. If BTC can hold above $90,000, a new upward trend may be confirmed. Additionally, Federal Reserve interest rate policies, macro liquidity, and correlation with US stocks will remain important factors for 2026. Under the combined effects of demand revival and improved capital structure, Lee’s $180,000 target is increasingly a market focus.

5. US airstrike on Venezuela: BTC remains above $90,000, analysts say large correction unlikely

After the US launched an airstrike on Venezuela, market concerns about geopolitical risks impacting crypto prices arose. However, many analysts believe Bitcoin is unlikely to experience a broad short-term correction. Although historically Bitcoin has been volatile during major geopolitical events, current market structure and sentiment show increasing resilience.

MN Trading Capital founder Michael van de Poppe stated that the US airstrike would not trigger a sharp decline in Bitcoin. He noted the military action was a “planned, organized attack,” with a short duration and already concluded, making sustained market impact unlikely. In his view, such events that are quickly digested by the market rarely trigger deep price corrections.

Market data shows a restrained response. According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin rose about 1.66% in the past 24 hours, re-approaching $90,000, with a high of $91,290, indicating strong buying support. CoinGlass data shows about $60 million in Bitcoin leverage liquidations in 24 hours, with over $55 million in short positions, reflecting short squeeze pressure during the rally.

Historically, Bitcoin has experienced short-term dips during geopolitical tensions, such as during escalations between Iran and Israel, Russia and Ukraine, with a 3% drop within 90 minutes after explosions in Tehran in June 2025. Compared to those events, Bitcoin has demonstrated stronger stability at high levels.

Other analysts share similar views. Tyler Hill notes that when markets expect escalating conflicts, risk assets tend to sell off sharply, but this time, no such reaction occurred, possibly signaling market strength. Shagun Magan also points out that Bitcoin remains resilient amid “geopolitical noise,” boosting confidence in BTC’s ability to stay above $90,000.

Overall, in the current macro environment, the US airstrike on Venezuela is more of a short-term emotional disturbance. As long as there is no further systemic escalation, the probability of a large short-term correction remains low, and $90,000 continues to be a key support zone for bulls and bears.

6. Bitcoin news today: BTC back above $90,000, ETF weekly inflow of $459 million, bullish signals reappear?

Bitcoin (BTC) broke above $90,000 for the first time since mid-2025, attracting widespread market attention. One of the main drivers of this rebound is the end of two weeks of net outflows from US spot Bitcoin ETFs, with about $459 million net inflow in the week ending January 2, providing strong support for market sentiment.

From a capital structure perspective, leading institutional products are the main drivers. iShares Bitcoin Trust and Fidelity Bitcoin ETF each recorded several hundred million dollars in net inflows, indicating renewed confidence among institutional investors in Bitcoin’s short- to medium-term outlook. Continuous ETF buying directly impacts supply-demand dynamics, helping BTC stabilize above $90,000.

On the macro front, recent declines in the 10-year Japanese government bond yield and a weakening dollar against yen eased concerns about forced liquidation of yen carry trades. With improved global liquidity expectations, risk assets, including Bitcoin, attracted capital inflows. Meanwhile, expectations of a Fed rate cut in March remain, further boosting risk appetite.

Regulatory developments also offer potential upside. News of US legislative efforts to establish a comprehensive crypto market framework has increased expectations for compliance and long-term institutional participation. If legislation progresses smoothly, it could expand institutional involvement in Bitcoin and crypto markets, improving medium-term supply-demand balance.

Despite the clear price rebound, the Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index remains in “extreme fear,” indicating market sentiment has not fully shifted to optimism. This divergence suggests a potential for further recovery after a phase of overselling.

Technically, Bitcoin remains below key moving averages, but as long as support at $90,000 holds, the short-term target could rise to $95,000, with a medium-term goal of $100,000. Conversely, if macro policies or ETF flows weaken again, a correction back to $80,000 remains possible.

Overall, Bitcoin’s break above $90,000 is driven by a combination of spot ETF fund inflows, macro liquidity improvements, and regulatory expectations. Whether $90,000 can become a solid support will be crucial for the next phase of BTC’s trend.

7. Ethereum news: ETH price no longer the core? Why fundamentals will determine true value in 2026

As Layer-1 blockchains release their 2026 roadmaps, the crypto market is undergoing a significant shift in perception. In 2025, ETH’s price performance diverged notably from network fundamentals, with frequent volatility reinforcing a long-term conclusion: in later cycles, fundamentals often outweigh short-term price movements.

Against this backdrop, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin reiterated the importance of “decentralization” and real-world applications, positioning these as the core focus for ETH’s development in 2026. The effectiveness of this strategy is now a key concern for investors and developers.

Fundamental data shows 2025 was a very strong year for ETH operations. On-chain transaction volume hit record highs, multiple key upgrades were completed, DeFi market share remained above 50% long-term, and tokenized real-world assets (RWA) grew by 212% year-over-year. These indicators confirm ETH’s role as the primary infrastructure for smart contracts and financial applications.

However, growth came at a cost. As Layer-2 networks expanded, mainnet gas fees declined. Growthpie data shows Layer-2 revenues fell 53% YoY, costing ETH nearly $100 million in lost income. This raises concerns about ETH’s long-term revenue model: if transaction fees continue to compress, can ETH sustain its ambitious roadmap?

Market opinions diverge on this issue. Short-term investors are disappointed with ETH’s approximately 11% annual return in 2025, leading to more cautious sentiment and reduced speculative activity. But from a long-term perspective, low costs and high throughput are attracting more institutional and application deployments, such as JPMorgan’s asset tokenization efforts, which endorse ETH’s infrastructure capabilities.

Notably, ETH’s exchange reserves declined about 20% to 16.6 million ETH by the end of 2025, indicating a shift toward long-term holding rather than frequent trading. This suggests the market is moving from price speculation to value assessment.

Looking into 2026, with further decentralization and real-world application expansion, ETH’s fundamentals may become more relevant than its price. Short-term volatility may persist, but the long-term anchor points will be driven by network usage, ecosystem depth, and institutional participation.

8. $70 million buyback considered a resource waste? Jupiter may halt JUP buyback plan

Solana-based DeFi superapp Jupiter is considering halting its JUP token buyback program, sparking widespread discussion in the crypto community. On January 2, co-founder and CTO Siong Ong stated on social media that the buyback has not significantly impacted JUP’s price and may be a resource waste.

Ong said Jupiter spent over $70 million on buybacks over the past year, but the token’s price did not improve substantially. He suggested that instead of continuing buybacks, the funds could be better used to incentivize existing users and attract new ones, supporting long-term protocol growth. This view aligns with Helium founder Amir Haleem, who previously announced halting HNT buybacks due to weak market response.

Historically, Jupiter launched its buyback plan in mid-February 2025, achieving initial success with JUP rising about 300% in the first month. But the rally quickly reversed, and in 2025, JUP hit new lows, currently around $0.20, down about 88% from the $1.80 peak. This raises the core question: do buybacks truly benefit JUP’s price?

Community opinions are divided. Some suggest reallocating protocol revenue directly to stakers to boost staking yields and attractiveness. An estimate shows about 753 million JUP are staked, and distributing rewards could yield nearly $0.09 per JUP annually, with over 40% APY, potentially supporting the price.

Ong remains cautious about this approach, fearing that focusing resources on staking rewards could limit product innovation and ecosystem expansion. Analyst Fabiano notes that JUP is not equivalent to protocol equity, and its correlation with Jupiter’s success is limited; thus, simple buybacks may not sustain long-term value. Short-term, sharing rewards with stakers might help alleviate cyclic selling pressure.

From an industry perspective, buybacks are not a panacea. Even Pump.fun’s large buyback did not significantly boost its token performance; however, in bullish market conditions, mechanisms like Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Aave (AAVE) saw positive feedback. This indicates buyback effects are highly dependent on market environment and tokenomics design.

Jupiter team has not yet made a final decision. As Jupiter expands from a DEX aggregator to a DeFi superapp covering lending, prediction markets, and perpetuals, its total revenue has reached $369 million. Whether the buyback plan is terminated and how future value capture mechanisms are designed will be key factors influencing JUP’s long-term trend.

9. 500 million XRP locked until 2028, over $1 billion frozen supply—will it trigger a new rally?

XRP’s recent price strength, amid a risk-on macro environment, has pushed it back above $2. The improved sentiment has ended weeks of sideways trading and even temporarily surpassed BNB in market cap, attracting renewed attention. But this rally is driven by more than short-term speculation; structural changes are underway.

On-chain data shows over 500 million XRP transferred into escrow accounts, with lock-up until 2028. This effectively removes over $1 billion worth of XRP from circulating supply, reducing tradable supply temporarily. If demand remains stable or grows mildly, supply contraction can amplify price elasticity, supporting XRP’s price. This is a key reason market focuses on “XRP supply lock-up impact.”

Long-term holder behavior is also improving. The HODLer net position indicator shows long-term addresses have resumed accumulation after nearly a month of reduction. These wallets tend to focus on medium- to long-term trends, and their return signals growing confidence in XRP’s mid-term outlook. Long-term capital inflows help buffer sell-offs during corrections and stabilize the overall price.

Price-wise, XRP has risen about 6.7% in 24 hours, currently around $2.00. This level is both a psychological integer and a short-term support/resistance point. If the price can hold above $2.00 and break through $2.03, it may target $2.10, where significant historical trading volume and liquidity are concentrated.

Downside risks remain. Some short-term holders may take profits after the rebound, and if selling pressure intensifies, XRP could retest support at $1.93. A breakdown below that could increase the chance of further decline toward $1.86, turning the overall trend neutral or weak.

Overall, the 500 million XRP escrowed until 2028 is reshaping supply-demand dynamics, and combined with long-term holder accumulation, it adds important variables to XRP’s mid-term trend. Whether the price can continue upward depends critically on defending $2.00 and market confidence.

10. ZEC may rise 38%? Zcash’s technical pattern upward, but market sentiment cooling

Zcash (ZEC) has recently shown sustained strength, remaining in an upward trend. Technically, ZEC is in an ascending wedge pattern, often seen as a potential breakout precursor, reigniting discussions on “Zcash price forecast” and “Will ZEC break out soon?”

However, despite optimistic chart patterns, market sentiment has cooled significantly. At the end of 2025, investor sentiment briefly improved, and prices held high, reinforcing recovery expectations. But as the new phase began, this optimism waned, and sentiment indicators turned bearish again. Reduced confidence has led some investors to wait and see, limiting new buying momentum and weakening short-term energy.

On-chain data somewhat offsets this sentiment decline. Over the past week, holdings of the top 100 ZEC addresses increased about 6%, indicating core investors remain confident in ZEC’s mid-term prospects. Large holders continue to accumulate, absorbing retail selling and helping stabilize the market amid uncertainty.

Price-wise, ZEC is consolidating within an upward channel, around $500. A breakout above the wedge could theoretically yield about 38% upside, targeting over $800. But this depends on a clear improvement in market sentiment and successful support at $600.

Conversely, if sentiment remains weak and buying support diminishes, the pattern could break down, and ZEC might fall back toward $442, negating the bullish outlook. Overall, ZEC is at a technical and sentiment crossroads, with the next move depending on catalysts that could trigger breakout or reversal.

11. Cardano wallet security alert: Eternl Desktop phishing attack exposed, private keys at remote risk

Recently, a phishing attack targeting Cardano users has been spreading. Several security researchers found that attackers used carefully crafted emails to lure users into downloading a fraudulent wallet app called Eternl Desktop, aiming to hijack device control and threaten crypto assets. This incident is considered one of the most serious wallet security risks in the Cardano ecosystem.

The phishing emails are highly professional, formal in tone, grammatically correct, with almost no spelling or formatting errors. They claim users can earn NIGHT and ATMA tokens through the Diffusion Staking Basket program, enhancing credibility, and include a download link. The link points to a newly registered domain: download.eternldesktop.network, not an official source.

Researcher Anurag found that the distributed Eternl.msi installer is about 23.3 MB and contains a hidden remote management tool, LogMeIn Resolve. After installation, it releases an executable named unattended-updater.exe, creating a full directory structure in Program Files and writing configuration files like unattended.json, logger.json, mandatory.json, and pc.json. The unattended.json file enables remote access without user confirmation.

Further network analysis shows the malicious program connects to GoTo Resolve infrastructure, using hardcoded API credentials to continuously send system event data to remote servers in JSON format. This means that once compromised, attackers can maintain long-term control, execute remote commands, steal credentials, and potentially access wallet private keys, with high security risk.

The fake Eternl Desktop interface and features nearly mirror the official version, including hardware wallet compatibility, local key management, and advanced staking delegation, making it highly deceptive. Attackers exploit narratives around Cardano governance, staking yields, and ecosystem incentives for social engineering.

Security experts advise all Cardano users to verify software sources through official channels before downloading wallets or participating in staking. Any “wallet update” from new domains, email attachments, or non-official links should be treated as a threat. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of crypto wallet phishing and supply chain abuse in Cardano’s ecosystem.

12. Democrats strongly oppose Trump’s Venezuela strike, some call for impeachment

Recent unilateral US military strikes on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro have sparked strong dissatisfaction among US Democrats. Several Democratic lawmakers accuse the government of bypassing Congress and lacking transparency, with some calling for Trump’s impeachment. Democratic leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said they received no briefing beforehand and only learned details through media reports. Senate and House Democratic leaders have demanded the administration explain quickly. US Attorney General states Maduro and his wife face federal charges. Most Republicans support the action, but some lawmakers express doubts. (Axios)

13. 2025 surge in crypto M&A and IPOs, industry expects trend to continue into 2026

According to The Block, M&A and IPO activity in crypto surged in 2025, with 265 mergers completed totaling $8.6 billion, and $14.6 billion raised via IPOs, all significantly higher than 2024. Benefiting from clearer regulation and renewed institutional participation, market expectations are that this trend will persist into 2026, focusing on compliance licenses, payment infrastructure, stablecoins, and enterprise tools. Investors also see rising opportunities in SPACs and RTOs.

14. Federal Reserve’s Posen: If inflation cools, Fed may cut rates further

On January 4, Fed Philadelphia President Patrick Harker said that if inflation eases, the Fed could further cut interest rates, but any additional easing may not happen immediately. In a speech in Philadelphia, she expressed cautious optimism that inflation pressures might ease in the coming months. This is her first term as a voting member of the Fed’s policy committee. She noted the current target range of 3.5%–3.75% remains “slightly restrictive,” enough to curb inflation, potentially creating room for future rate cuts. The speech transcript states: “If inflation moderates and the economy remains on track, a modest adjustment to the federal funds rate later this year may be appropriate.” She also said the signals about the health of the labor market are mixed, but overall, the market is under pressure without collapsing. She is awaiting more data to clarify the outlook. This suggests she prefers to see more evidence of economic evolution before supporting further policy easing. (Jinshi)

15. Vitalik: Combining ZK-EVM and PeerDAS will push Ethereum into a new decentralized network paradigm

Vitalik Buterin said that ZK-EVM has entered the alpha stage with production-level performance, with remaining work mainly on security; meanwhile, PeerDAS has officially launched on Ethereum mainnet.

Vitalik pointed out that this is not incremental optimization but a transformation of Ethereum into a new type of P2P network that combines decentralization, consensus, and high bandwidth. He reviewed that BitTorrent has high bandwidth but no consensus, Bitcoin has consensus but limited bandwidth due to full replication; Ethereum, with PeerDAS (data availability sampling) and ZK-EVM, aims to achieve decentralization, consensus, and high throughput simultaneously, solving the “trilemma” with “real code running on mainnet.” PeerDAS is already live, and ZK-EVM has reached production-level performance.

He expects that from 2026 onward, with mechanisms like BAL and ePBS, gas limits will gradually increase, and there will be opportunities to run ZK-EVM nodes; between 2026–2028, gas re-pricing, state structure adjustments, and blob execution load will occur; by 2027–2030, ZK-EVM could become the main way to verify network blocks, further raising gas limits.

He also emphasized the importance of distributed block construction, aiming to avoid complete block building at any single location and to decentralize block construction rights through protocol or external mechanisms, reducing centralization risks and improving regional fairness.