Bitcoin | Crypto

Gold and copper have moved higher even as the Federal Reserve continues to signal patience on rate cuts, a divergence that shows how markets tend to price liquidity conditions ahead of formal policy shifts rather than wait for confirmation from central banks. These metals are responding to changes in real yields, funding conditions, and forward […] The post Bitcoin is lagging while metals soar, but this rare divergence preceded every major crypto breakout since 2019 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane delivered a warning that most markets treated as European housekeeping: the ECB can stay on its easing path for now, but a Federal Reserve “tussle” over mandate independence could destabilize global markets through higher US term premiums and a reassessment of the dollar's role. Lane's framing matters because […] The post Bitcoin is the only “escape valve” left as the ECB warns a political tussle will soon destabilize the dollar appeared first on CryptoSlate.

By mid-January, open interest in Bitcoin options rose to about $74.1 billion, edging past Bitcoin futures open interest of roughly $65.22 billion. Open interest is the stock of outstanding contracts that have not been closed or expired, so it measures position inventory, not trading activity. So, when options inventory exceeds futures, it often shows a […] The post Bitcoin options just overtook futures for the first time, and the new way institutions hedge is trapping retail leverage appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The company began accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment in May 2025, following hundreds of store closures between 2018 and 2025. Steak ‘n Shake, a fast-food restaurant chain that accepts Bitcoin (BTC) payments at its stores, announced on Friday that its BTC corporate treasury grew by $10 million in notional value. “All Bitcoin sales go into our strategic Bitcoin reserve,” the company said, adding that adopting BTC as a treasury asset has led to a flywheel effect that increases same-store sales, which, in turn, grows the company’s BTC stash. In May 2025, the company announced it would start accepting BTC as a method of payment at all its locations worldwide, in a phased rollout. Read more

Corporate credit quality is deteriorating beneath a surface that looks deceptively calm. JPMorgan tallied roughly $55 billion in US corporate bonds that slid from investment-grade to junk status in 2025, the so-called “fallen angels.” At the same time, only $10 billion returned to investment-grade status as “rising stars.” Another $63 billion of investment-grade debt now […] The post Bitcoin’s next major move hinges on a $63 billion “fallen angel” signal that most investors are completely ignoring appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The bill is still a "priority," White House Crypto Council Director Patrick Witt said, but interagency legalities remain a challenge. Progress is being made toward establishing a Bitcoin (BTC) strategic reserve in the United States, but “obscure” legal provisions are holding up the process, according to Patrick Witt, the director of the White House Crypto Council.  Several government agencies are discussing the legalities and regulatory issues of establishing a Bitcoin strategic reserve, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), Witt told the Crypto in America podcast. He said: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a “Digital Asset Stockpile” that included altcoins and other types of cryptocurrencies in March 2025. Read more

Bitcoin’s first difficulty adjustment of 2026 was anything but dramatic. The network nudged the dial down to about 146.4 trillion, a pretty small retreat after the late-2025 grind higher. But small isn't the same as meaningless in mining, a business where margins are measured in fractions of a fraction and the main input (electricity) can […] The post Bitcoin difficulty just retreated, but a more critical “survival metric” signals the mining sector is bleeding out appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Selling the Bitcoin would have violated President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14233, which mandates that any Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture “shall not be sold.” A White House crypto advisor said he received confirmation from the US Department of Justice that no Bitcoin forfeited from the Samourai case was sold, putting rumors to rest. The confirmation was shared on X by Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets: “We have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated,” Witt posted to X Friday, adding that the forfeited Bitcoin would remain part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Read more

Speaking on the What Bitcoin Did podcast, Strategy chairman Michael Saylor pushed back against criticism of companies issuing equity or debt to buy Bitcoin. Strategy chairman Michael Saylor defended Bitcoin treasury companies against criticism during a recent appearance on the What Bitcoin Did podcast.  Responding to questions about smaller companies that issue equity or debt to buy Bitcoin (BTC), Saylor said the decision ultimately comes down to capital allocation, arguing that companies with excess cash are better off allocating it to Bitcoin than holding it in Treasurys or returning it to shareholders. He compared corporate treasury strategies to individual investing, arguing that ownership levels vary but the underlying decision to hold BTC is rational regardless of company size or business model. Read more

Bitcoin’s rejection near $98,000 took place as spot traders ran out of energy and short-term investors harvested profits. Will bears defend the resistance level throughout the weekend? Bitcoin’s (BTC) push toward $100,000 met strong resistance, with spot demand showing signs of exhaustion just as sellers stepped in. After setting a local high near $98,000 on Wednesday, BTC retraced for two straight sessions and slipped below $95,000 by Friday New York session. Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s pullback followed fading spot demand, reflected in a weakening Coinbase premium. Read more

Bitcoin miners entered early 2026 in a familiar but increasingly unforgiving setup: network hashrate is slipping from late-2025 highs, difficulty is adjusting on a delay, and power costs remain the hard constraint that decides which fleets stay online and which go dark. The result is a market that can look resilient on the surface, especially […] The post Bitcoin’s hashrate continues to fall as the price spike doesn’t convince miners to turn machines back on appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin ETF inflows have rebounded, but the total assets under management remains 24% below the all-time high, indicating the recovery has just started. Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally above $97,000 was supported by surging inflows to the spot Bitcoin ETFs, and one analyst says the demand must continue for BTC to break through the $100,000 barrier. Key takeaways: US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.8 billion in weekly net inflows, the strongest since early October 2025. Read more

Bitcoin breached the $95,000 mark this week amid a wider market recovery, as investors digested regulatory delays to the much-awaited CLARITY Act in the US. Cryptocurrency markets posted a broad recovery this week, led by gains in major coins, even as investor attention remained focused on the uncertainty of pending US crypto legislation. Bitcoin (BTC) rose over 5% during the past week to top the $95,000 mark, while Ether (ETH) pumped by around 6.6% on developments related to the top Ethereum treasury companies. US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also returned with a bang, with the funds logging four consecutive days of net positive inflows of around $1.7 billion in total, according to Farside Investors. Read more

A hardware wallet social engineering scam resulted in $282 million stolen in Bitcoin and Litecoin on January 10, exceeding the previous $243 million record as attackers converted funds into Monero and bridged assets across multiple blockchains. The post Victim Loses $282M in Bitcoin and Litecoin to Hardware Wallet Scam appeared first on Cryptonews.

The deal followed Riot announcing last week that it sold more than $160 million of its Bitcoin holdings as part of a strategy shift, to broaden use of its data centers. Shares of Riot Platforms jumped more than 11% after the crypto miner said it sold Bitcoin to help finance a land acquisition in Texas. In a Friday notice, Riot said the $96 million deal for 200 acres of land in Rockdale, Texas was funded entirely by the sale of about 1,080 Bitcoin (BTC). The miner also signed a data center lease and services agreement with semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), initially deploying 25 megawatts (MW) of “critical IT load capacity.” “These results mark a pivotal moment that cements Riot’s position as a leading data center developer, less than twelve months since the launch of our formal process to evaluate our assets for AI/HPC use,” said Riot CEO Jason Les. Read more

BTC price surged nearly 150% after a similar BTC–gold undervaluation signal in late 2022, highlighting how extreme discounts have preceded major rallies. Bitcoin (BTC) slipped into its deepest undervaluation against gold (XAU) on Friday, reviving expectations of a potential capital rotation away from the precious metal and back into cryptocurrency markets in 2026. Key takeaways: Bitcoin is at a record undervaluation versus gold, a level historically linked to major BTC bottoms. Read more

The consensus that Bitcoin has matured into “digital gold” faces a new fracture line on Wall Street, one that has little to do with daily price volatility and everything to do with the distant future of computing. Two prominent strategists named Wood are currently offering diametrically opposed roadmaps to global allocators for the world’s largest […] The post Bitcoin’s “quantum” death sentence is causing a Wall Street rift, but the fix is already hidden in the code appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the broader crypto market cooled after a busy week on Capitol Hill

Bitcoin market research warned that BTC faced another bear market in 2026 if it was unable to reclaim its yearly moving average. Bitcoin (BTC) bulls risk a reality check as BTC price action mimics the 2022 “bear market rally.” Key points: Bitcoin “appears” to be at the start of another bear market as price remains below its yearly moving average. Read more

Bitcoin analyst Willy Woo says Bitcoin’s near term future is bright. CLARITY act may have a nasty surprise for XRP holders. Trade Secrets.