Crypto Market News Today, January 2: Bitcoin Price Closing $90K, Ethereum Blasts $3K as On-Chain Activity Hits Highs

Ben Graham · 5 horas atrás

Good morning!! Forget any crypto news for a while, because today, I woke up seeing news about MTV shutting down, as the play “Video Killed the Radio Star” music video. It got me thinking, we listened to the radio before TV became available, and then we eventually switched from TV to the internet. So, do Bitcoin and crypto, all we think about is their price, when in fact they are here to replace traditional currencies.

As Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd US president, said:

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”

I am by no means an American, but this is so true. The government can control us just because we use their currency. A country can go to war and force people to be drafted to the army, they can close your bank account, and you’ll lose everything, but Bitcoin is forever. The government can’t take your Bitcoin or crypto, for that matter. Eh, even the prosecutors are yet to seize and recover Do Kwon’s crypto assets if it was not for Kwon forfeiting them as part of a plea deal.

Market Performance and Late-Cycle Signals

Enough ranting, back to the crypto news today as the markets start the year with an uneasy balance. Bitcoin is still just below $90,000 price resistance, moving sideways since Boxing Day. Right now, we should be watching closely as liquidity conditions improve globally, and momentum could return without much warning.

(source – BTC USD vs Global Liquidity, TradingView)

Ethereum is approaching $3,000, supported by rising network usage, even when people call it dead during the Solana meme season. Ethereum daily transactions recently crossed 2.2 million, setting a new record, with Stablecoins and DeFi protocols doing most of the work.

Zooming out from the news, crypto is still processing the damage left by late 2025 today. Bitcoin closed the fourth quarter down more than 23%, making it one of its worst historical finishes. Ethereum followed with an even steeper decline, losing over 28%. On paper, this looks about as ugly as it could get. Under the surface, though, adoption stories keep stacking up.

Gold and silver were the clear winners last year, rising 64% and 120% respectively, and flipping the usual narrative where Bitcoin dominates. Bitcoin ended the year down about 7%, a rare underperformance. A weaker dollar and a soft yen likely pushed investors toward metals, leaving altcoins sidelined and momentum concentrated around the largest assets.

Silver is going to destroy Gold, Dollar and Bitcoin in 2026. pic.twitter.com/Y4BjoNtgiG

— CHRISDUANESILVERSHIELDCOINS.COM (@SilverShield76) December 25, 2025

DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2026

Crypto News Today: Adoption Grows While Liquidity Builds

Beyond the crypto charts, most news today keeps circling back to real-world use. Reports of Iran turning to crypto for international arms transactions show how digital assets are filling gaps that traditional systems can’t. The Persian is going to trade machine guns for digital gold.

BREAKING: Iran now accepts crypto for arms deals.

Missiles, drones, and warships are being offered to foreign governments with digital assets used to bypass Western financial sanctions, according to the Financial Times. pic.twitter.com/YpsKxOnaSB

— Mk (@mkmyro) January 1, 2026

MicroStrategy remains another constant in crypto news today. Its growing Bitcoin exposure continues to attract more market interest than some major tech stocks. Holders are accumulating quietly, seemingly comfortable with current prices.

That being said, Saylor of Strategy posted an interesting chart today, showing how MSTR’s open interest to marketcap ratio is higher than some of the world’s biggest assets like Nvidia, Apple, and Amazon.

Bitcoin makes $MSTR interesting. pic.twitter.com/XF80ngHGlt

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) January 2, 2026

As crypto news unfolds today, Bitcoin is edging toward $90,000, and Ethereum’s record network activity indicates a maturing market.

Will 2026 be the year for crypto? Only God knows, because for now, I will be playing “Video Killed the Radio Star” on loop.

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4 minutes ago

Cardano jumps 7% as 2026 Opens Its Cypto Chapter While BTC and ETH Quietly Grind Higher

By Akiyama Felix

Cardano (ADA) jumped about 7% in early Asian crypto trading as 2026 kicked off, while Bitcoin and Ethereum posted smaller gains. Bitcoin trades at $88K level with about 1% gain as Ethereum hovered above $3K with 1% rally, extending their slow recovery from December lows. This all happened as global stock markets and even gold moved higher, signaling that investors feel a bit braver about risk again.

Cardano, Bitcoin, and Ethereum are three different crypto in the same tech sector. Today, the whole sector is green, but one name (ADA) stands out with a bigger move. ADA outperformed major coins like Solana, XRP, and BNB, even as analysts warned that this still does not count as a full “altcoin season.”

30 minutes ago

Bitcoin ‘$150K by 2026’ Bet Gets Just 26% Odds on Polymarket

By Akiyama Felix

Bettors on a prediction market, Polymarket, currently give Bitcoin only a 26% chance of trading above $150,000 at any point in 2026. Other related markets are more optimistic on lower milestones, with odds near 80% that Bitcoin touches $100,000 before 2027.

One related market prices about 80% odds for Bitcoin to touch $100K before 2027, but the jump from $100K to $150K is where confidence drops.

So, what are users actually saying? They see a strong chance of higher prices, but they treat mega-bull calls like $150K Bitcoin in 2026 as far from guaranteed.

(source – Polymarket)

2 hours ago

Meme News Today: PEPE and Pudgy Penguins Pengu Crypto Are Back!!

By Akiyama Felix

PEPE and PENGU are back in business, because before today, I think early last year was the last time they both popped in my crypto radar. But, over the last day, PEPE jumped 26%, while PENGU followed with a respectable 12% move.

Bitcoin is cooling off and moving sideways, and even Ethereum and Solana, PEPE and PENGU crypto chains, are moving very sluggishly. However, memecoins are once again catching our attention.

Trading activity on PEPE is pushing close to $1 billion in daily volume, while PENGU crypto has crossed $130 million. Both tokens took a hit late in 2025, so this bounce brings joy.`

2026 is here.$PEPE leading the charge out the gate.

Its going to be a wild ride. pic.twitter.com/2lgmab6hMo

— Rexha (@RexhaRexhaRexha) January 1, 2026

Read the full story here.

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