Odaily News Defiance has announced its decision to close and liquidate the Nasdaq-listed Ethereum exchange-traded fund: the Defiance Leveraged Long and Yield Ethereum ETF (ETHI). The last trading day will be January 26, 2026. This ETF was launched last September and tracks Ethereum ETPs listed in the US market, employing a credit call spread strategy to seek yield. Additionally, Defiance will also close and liquidate seven other leveraged long and yield ETFs, namely: PLT, HOOI, SMCC, AMDU, HIMY, TRIL, and LLYZ. (Globenewswire)

Odaily News Cryptoquant analyst DarkFrost stated that the selling pressure from OG holders has significantly decreased. The 90-day average of spent UTXOs has dropped from the cycle high of around 2,300 BTC to the level of 1,000 BTC. The current trend leans more towards holding, which aligns with the largest net outflow of Bitcoin from exchanges since December 2024. Analysis indicates that Bitcoin has entered a breakout phase and may target a price of $107,000. Driving factors include technical indicators, reduced selling pressure from long-term holders, and continuous BTC outflows from exchanges. Regarding macro signals, Bitcoin's correlation with gold has turned negative. Historical data shows that in such cases, BTC has typically risen by an average of 56% within approximately two months.

Odaily News Token Terminal posted on platform X, stating that stablecoins other than USDC and USDT currently account for approximately 20% of Solana's total stablecoin supply, a significant increase from 3% a year ago. Beyond mainstream varieties, Solana currently hosts deployments of PYUSD, USDG, USD1, and over ten other stablecoins, including non-USD stablecoins such as the Swiss Franc (VCHF) and the Euro (EURC).

Native Solana applications are also launching their own stablecoins, such as wallet Phantom introducing CASH and Jupiter launching jupUSD. This indicates that the Solana application ecosystem has matured, with native teams expanding their products into various financial offerings. For Solana, this diversification reduces concentration risk and reflects issuer confidence. A year ago, regulatory issues at Circle could have threatened Solana's entire stablecoin foundation, whereas today's diverse issuers make the network more resilient. The choice of new issuers to deploy on Solana also demonstrates confidence in its ecosystem.

Odaily News On this day 17 years ago, January 17, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto released the first version of the Bitcoin client v0.1, namely: Bitcoin v0.1 Alpha, which allowed anyone to start their own node from any computer.

It is reported that the source code for Bitcoin version 0.1.0 also included an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client, designed to create a simpler method for message bootstrapping. Furthermore, it contained a framework for creating a virtual poker game. This game framework was added to the Bitcoin codebase on April 16, 2008, and was completely removed after Bitcoin version 0.8.2.

Odaily According to industry insiders, as the application of stablecoins in cross-border payments accelerates, a global remittance market worth approximately $900 billion is facing restructuring. Experts point out that stablecoins, leveraging blockchain technology, can significantly reduce the cost and time of cross-border transfers and are poised to challenge the traditional remittance system represented by Western Union.

World Bank data shows that the average fee for cross-border remittances remains above 6%, placing a particularly heavy burden on low-income groups sending money to developing countries. Experts believe that stablecoins enable peer-to-peer transfers directly through digital wallets, with significantly lower fees and friction compared to traditional channels.

On the regulatory front, US President Trump signed the GENIUS Act in July, establishing a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins and pushing them into the mainstream financial spotlight. Since then, traditional payment and remittance institutions, including Western Union and PayPal, have begun deploying stablecoin-related products.

Analysts note that traditional remittance institutions possess global customer networks and mature compliance systems, giving them an advantage in large-scale adoption; however, their existing business models could become obstacles to transformation. In contrast, crypto-native companies and large trading platforms (such as Coinbase, Kraken) have greater flexibility in technology and product iteration but still face challenges related to brand trust and regulatory implementation.

The market widely believes that competition in the remittance sector will evolve into a three-way contest among traditional financial institutions, crypto-native companies, and fintech platforms. As regulatory details are gradually refined, the penetration rate of stablecoins in the global remittance market is expected to continue increasing this year.

Odaily News: Alex Thorn, Head of Research at Galaxy Digital, stated that the scheduled review meeting for the crypto market structure bill by the US Senate Banking Committee has been postponed, highlighting deep-seated disagreements between Congress and the industry on several key issues, particularly focusing on stablecoin yield mechanisms and DeFi-related provisions.

The delay occurred just hours after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew his support for the bill. Armstrong publicly opposed the bill's language concerning tokenized securities, DeFi restrictions, and stablecoin yields. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott subsequently announced the postponement of the hearing but has not yet released a new schedule. As the Senate is in recess next week, the earliest possible resumption could be between January 26th and 30th.

Alex Thorn pointed out that within just 48 hours, the bill draft was released late at night, over 100 amendments were submitted, and stakeholders continued to uncover new points of contention at the last minute, significantly increasing the difficulty of political coordination.

At the market level, following the announcement of the delay, crypto assets generally trended lower, with Bitcoin and Ethereum falling approximately 2% on the day; related US stocks also faced pressure, with Coinbase down 6.5%, Robinhood down 7.8%, and Circle down 9.7%.

In his analysis, Thorn believes that while consensus has largely been reached on the "market structure" itself, non-core but highly sensitive issues surrounding stablecoin yields, DeFi compliance, and granting the SEC regulatory tools in the tokenized securities space have created a political fault line that is difficult to bridge. "The surface gap in disagreements is not large, but the substantive chasm is deep."

Odaily News: OpenAI founder Sam Altman posted on platform X to address privacy concerns regarding the advertising plan. He stated that the reason ChatGPT is testing advertising features is because many users want to use AI frequently but are unwilling to pay. The team hopes to explore viable commercial paths through the advertising model. Regarding privacy concerns, ChatGPT's ad placements will adhere to clear principles: it will never accept any paid actions influencing ChatGPT's responses, and user conversation content will remain invisible to advertisers.

Odaily News: Coin Bureau posted on X, stating that BlackRock has withdrawn a total of 12,658 BTC (worth $1.21 billion) and 9,515 ETH (worth $31.3 million) over the past 3 days.

According to Arkham data, BlackRock currently holds 784,400 BTC (worth $74.68 billion) and 3.49 million ETH (worth $11.51 billion).

According to PRNewswire, global quantum technology company BTQ Technologies Corp. announced that it has been included in VanEck's Quantum Computing UCITS ETF. This ETF is listed in Europe and provides diversified exposure to companies driving quantum computing research, development, and application. It aims to track the MarketVector Global Quantum Leaders Total Return Net Index (MVQTMLTR). Its portfolio includes 30 companies selected for their exposure to quantum computing operations or verified ownership of quantum patents, with total net assets of approximately $524.5 million. BTQ previously launched the "Bitcoin Quantum" testnet, where miners, developers, researchers, and users can stress-test quantum-resistant transactions.

Odaily News Trader "Pigeon" Eugene posted on his personal channel stating that he has largely exited his altcoin long positions because the market performance of the related investment targets did not meet expectations, so he chose to take profits at this stage. However, his core Bitcoin long positions are still being held, and he has significantly increased his cash holdings to await the next round of trading opportunities.

Odaily News BitMine Chairman and Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee stated at the latest BitMine shareholder meeting that Ethereum is positioned at the core of a new wave of financial infrastructure transformation, and 2026 could be a pivotal year for Ethereum's full-scale breakout.

Tom Lee pointed out that Ethereum reached a historical high in the ETH/BTC exchange rate in 2021. With the tokenization of real-world assets and accelerated adoption by mainstream financial institutions and users, this ratio is expected to surpass its previous peak again in 2026. Standard Chartered Bank also views 2026 as the "Year of Ethereum," predicting an Ethereum price of $12,000.

Against this backdrop, Tom Lee emphasized that BitMine's business model will directly benefit from the rise in Ethereum's price. Based on historical correlation calculations, if the ETH price reaches $12,000, BitMine's (BMNR) stock price theoretically corresponds to approximately $500.

Furthermore, BitMine is expected to generate substantial cash flow from Ethereum staking rewards and its ample cash reserves. The company currently holds approximately 4.2 million ETH and has about $1 billion in cash. Under current conditions, this is projected to bring in $402 million to $433 million in pre-tax income. If the ETH price rises to $12,000 and the company controls about 5% of Ethereum's supply, the pre-tax income scale could expand to $2 billion to $2.2 billion.

Odaily News: According to a report by Globenewswire, Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company Sharps Technology (STSS) announced it has entered into a 90-day stock lock-up agreement with SOL Markets. Under this agreement, SOL Markets has agreed to restrict the sale of its advisor warrants and related shares for 90 days, effective from January 16, 2026. Previously, Sharps Technology's board of directors approved a stock repurchase plan of up to $100 million. The company is currently developing a universal digital identity and authentication framework through strategic partnerships with Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Jupiter.

Odaily News: Galaxy Research Head Alex Thorn posted on platform X, stating that U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott has announced a delay in the hearing for the crypto market structure bill. It is reported that the issue of stablecoin yields is a key sticking point in the negotiations. Banking lobbying groups are actively pushing to restrict stablecoin rewards, concerned that interest-bearing stablecoins could siphon bank deposits and undermine the stability of the banking system. A compromise proposal put forward to secure lawmaker support was ultimately deemed unacceptable by the stablecoin industry, with some viewing the issue as existential. Other unresolved issues include restrictions on DeFi and illicit activities, as well as limitations on innovations in tokenized securities.

Furthermore, Alex Thorn revealed that although Tim Scott has not yet announced a new hearing date, since the Senate is in recess next week, the Banking Committee could potentially reconvene for a revised hearing as early as the week of January 26-30. The Senate Agriculture Committee, responsible for CFTC-related matters, had previously postponed its revised hearing to January 27.

Odaily News FTX creditor representative Sunil posted on platform X to disclose updated information on the FTX compensation distribution schedule. According to the previously announced compensation distribution date of March 31, 2026, registration must be completed by February 14. Additionally, users must complete the relevant processes before the deadline to receive compensation. Specific requirements include: completing KYC verification, submitting a W-8 BEN form, and selecting and confirming a compensation distribution agent.

Odaily News: According to data from Polymarket, the probability of Kevin Warsh being elected as the Federal Reserve Chair is currently reported at 57% (the probability of Kevin Hassett being elected is reported at 15%, Christopher Waller at 15%, and Rick Rieder at).