Crypto Market News Today, January 8: BTC USD Follows The Trend Line as Ethereum Price in Queue for A Breakout

Ben Graham · January 8

Honestly, crypto feels deliberate as BTC USD drops again to under $91,000, as the range itself is getting wider, and it somehow says where the market stands right now. After an early-year rally of a good 8%, BTC USD is holding its ground. Ethereum, though, is following as it holds above the $3,100 price level, as it finally printed a red candle after six straight green days.

These all can sound bearish on paper, but in reality, this pause is needed. With the US inflation easing to 2.7% and we starting to price in the possibility of more Federal Reserve rate cuts, both BTC USD and the Ethereum price remain very tied to macro expectations.

Sentiment is not on the bullish side yet, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index slipping to 28 fear from above 40 neutral territory. At the same time, institutions keep their spending spree going, which rarely happens at market tops.

Crypto Fear and Greed Chart

All time 1y 1m 1w 24h

BTC USD Holding Its Structure?

Yesterday, on January 7, Trump-linked World Liberty Financial filed for a US banking license. A day earlier, Morgan Stanley became the first major bank to push forward with a Bitcoin ETF filing.

World Liberty Financial Announces that WLTC Holdings LLC has Submitted an Application for a National Trust Bank Charter to Issue and Custody USD1 Stablecoins https://t.co/ulapagYLYq

— WLFI (@worldlibertyfi) January 7, 2026

Bullish?

If you are not, hear me out. BTC USD moved back above a diagonal trend line that has shaped price action for about six months. That same line acted as both support and resistance throughout the second half of last year. Over the past six weeks, BTC USD has also printed higher lows between $81,000 and $94,000, a structure that shows sellers are losing control, most of the time.

(source – BTC USD, TradingView)

That said, the $94,000 to $95,000 area is still the one to watch. BTC USD hasn’t fully cleared it yet, and until that happens, sideways movement shouldn’t be a surprise. Consolidation at higher levels is positioning.

DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2026

Ethereum Heavy Rotation as Bitcoin Price Holds?

Ethereum price is where things get interesting. Recent downside flushed out late long positions, which reset momentum. On-chain data shows Ethereum network throughput hitting a new all-time high of 32,950 transactions per second across its layers, with more than 2 million transactions 2 days ago.

(source – Etherscan)

Looking at the bigger picture, Ethereum price remains about 35% below its 2021 peak, and this kind of imbalance doesn’t usually last forever. Charts also suggest that momentum is tightening.

Rotation is ongoing. When BTC USD stalls above previous price lows, capital often rotates, and Ethereum is usually first in line. If Ethereum clears the $4,850 level, then we can talk about the altseason euphoria.

Markets have a habit of frustrating most people possible. Right now, BTC USD looks stable and in range, as Ethereum looks underappreciated price-wise, and sentiment needs to flip above neutral.

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2 minutes ago

Rumble and Tether Launch Wallet for Crypto Tips: New Era of Financial Freedom?

By Akiyama Felix

Tips? That means micro-transactions, and Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin by valuation, is ready. The success of Tether USDT $0.9993 0.05% Tether USDT Price $0.9993 0.05% /24h Volume in 24h $63.51B Price 7d Learn more and the regulatory warmth towards crypto is exactly why they think a new non-custodial wallet is what’s needed for crypto tips to be the norm.

The issuer of USDT won’t be doing it alone. They have found a partner in Rumble, the video platform.

So, on January 7, they rolled out Rumble Wallet, a new in-app crypto wallet. The wallet lets users tip creators directly in USDT, a portal for buying next 100X tokens, and Bitcoin (BTC), the digital gold.

BREAKING: Rumble and Tether Launch Crypto Wallet for Creator Economy

"Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:RUM), the Freedom-First technology platform, and Tether, the largest company in the digital assets industry, today launched the Rumble Wallet, a non-custodial crypto wallet integrated… pic.twitter.com/BHaeSjSEaJ

— Rumble (@rumblevideo) January 7, 2026

The launch arrives as the total market cap of all stablecoins stabilize above the $312Bn mark with Tether leading the charge, minting over $186Bn of USDT. If anything, this launch is timely and strategic for Tether as it fits a bigger trend: crypto shifting from trading chips to everyday internet money.

(Source: Coingecko)

Read the full story here.

10 minutes ago

CertiK and YZi Labs Launch $1M Grant as DeFi Hacks Continue to Rise

By Akiyama Felix

CertiK and YZi Labs announced a $1M security grant aimed at helping early-stage DeFi startups catch bugs before hackers do. The timing matters because DeFi users lost over $2.47Bn to hacks and scams in the first half of 2025 alone, according to <a class=”general-link” href=”https://www.certik.com/resources/blog/hack3d-the-web3-security-report-2025″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>CertiK data</a>. This move comes at a time when trust, not token prices, determines whether everyday users stick with DeFi or seek out safer places to park their assets.

While and Ethereum remain above $90,000 and $3,000, respectively, capital continues to flow out of high-risk protocols following each high-profile exploit. These continuous exploits across DeFi explain why infrastructure news like this matters more than another short-term pump. Safety now drives adoption.

The story is bigger than just one grant. DeFi continues to grow rapidly, but attackers seem to be one step ahead, adapting faster than most teams can deploy fixes to buggy code and poor SecOps.

CertiK and @yzilabs have established a $1M audit grant program for all participants in the EASY Residency incubation initiative.

This partnership supports the next generation of Web3, AI, and biotech startups by embedding security from day one. pic.twitter.com/ZdRsBoeLt8

— CertiK (@CertiK) January 6, 2026

Read the full story here.

15 minutes ago

Morgan Stanley Doubles Down on Crypto: Ethereum ETFs with Staking Rewards

By Akiyama Felix

Wall Street’s embrace of crypto took a major step forward this week as Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest wealth managers with over $1.8 trillion in assets under management, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch its own spot Ethereum ETFs Trust. This proposed product would directly hold Ether Ethereum ETH $3,130.52 3.11% Ethereum ETH Price $3,130.52 3.11% /24h Volume in 24h $19.66B Price 7d Learn more , track its spot price, and incorporate staking rewards, allowing investors to benefit from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake yields without managing the process themselves.

The filing, submitted on January 6, 2026, comes just hours after similar registrations for spot Bitcoin and Solana trusts, marking three crypto-related ETF proposals from the bank in under 48 hours. This rapid push signals Morgan Stanley’s shift from merely distributing third-party crypto products to creating in-house vehicles, reflecting growing confidence in digital assets amid a more favorable regulatory environment.

(Source: sec.gov)

Read the full story here

15 minutes ago

Morgan Stanley Doubles Down on Crypto: Ethereum ETFs with Staking Rewards

By Akiyama Felix

Wall Street’s embrace of crypto took a major step forward this week as Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest wealth managers with over $1.8 trillion in assets under management, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch its own spot Ethereum ETFs Trust. This proposed product would directly hold Ether Ethereum ETH $3,130.52 3.11% Ethereum ETH Price $3,130.52 3.11% /24h Volume in 24h $19.66B Price 7d Learn more , track its spot price, and incorporate staking rewards, allowing investors to benefit from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake yields without managing the process themselves.

The filing, submitted on January 6, 2026, comes just hours after similar registrations for spot Bitcoin and Solana trusts, marking three crypto-related ETF proposals from the bank in under 48 hours. This rapid push signals Morgan Stanley’s shift from merely distributing third-party crypto products to creating in-house vehicles, reflecting growing confidence in digital assets amid a more favorable regulatory environment.

(Source: sec.gov)

Read the full story here

44 minutes ago

Solana DEX Volumes Spike on Meme Coin Frenzy: Will SOL USD Price Break $150?

By Akiyama Felix

Solana and meme coins go hand in hand. In 2024, meme coin activity single-handedly propelled the SOL USDT price to nearly $300. And whenever more developers launch meme coins on platforms like Pump.fun, decentralized exchange (DEX) activity on Solana spikes.

There are hints that Q1 2026 would shape up to be favorable to some of the top Solana meme coins. Recent on-chain data shows that on-chain trading just heated up again as DEX activity surged alongside a fresh wave of meme coin speculation.

Earlier this week, the Solana price jumped to nearly $145 after climbing +6% on the week as traders chased fast-moving tokens. This fits a familiar Q1 2025 pattern where meme coin hype pulls users back onto Solana’s low-fee rails. When activity spikes like this, prices often follow. But they also snap back fast. That tension sits at the heart of today’s Solana story.