XRP fell 9% in 2026 and touched $1.60, its first nine‑month low, after breaking the $1.80 support. According to Alphractal, a 0.998 correlation to Bitcoin and an 87% altcoin‑BTC linkage keep price action tethered to BTC swings. Despite SoSoValue's noted ETF inflows and RWA TVL rising 11% to $235 million, gains remain muted.

Metals reversed after a crowded run-up, with silver dropping 27% and gold down 8%, while Bitcoin slipped 0.54% but stayed above $80k. BTC dominance rose 0.70% and the Altcoin Season Index hovered near 40, signaling muted risk appetite as investors reassess whether capital cycles back to metals rather than altcoins.

Amid the first FOMC meeting of 2026 and lingering government-shutdown worries, XRP climbed 2.13% from the $1.70–$1.80 floor on the weekly chart. Altcoin Season Index jumped 10 points and BTC dominance tested 60%, yet structure remains weak, with $2.15 capping rallies and $1.80 support at risk as ETFs saw $23 million inflows.

In Q4 2025, Chainlink’s network reached a record $70 billion in total value secured while its Grayscale ETF GLNK recorded $4.05 million in inflows, even as broader crypto ETFs saw heavy outflows. Over the same period, Ethereum and Dogecoin spot ETFs faced significant redemptions, underscoring how institutions appear to be rotating capital toward Chainlink as it deepens its role in DeFi and global stablecoin infrastructure.

Bitcoin-focused firms have been adding BTC to their treasuries while capital shifts toward AI-related legacy assets. American Bitcoin increased its holdings to 5,843 BTC with a 137% treasury jump, even as Bitcoin fell to $88k and ABTC sat on about $100 million in unrealized losses. At the same time, Bitmine has staked over 2.33 million ETH, contributing to a record 36 million ETH staked, which supports a resilient market narrative and aligns with a longer-term “crypto capital” vision.

In 2025, Bitcoin has come under pressure as capital shifts toward metals, even as the U.S. dollar weakens and risk assets typically benefit. Over roughly 13 months, silver has gained about 270% while Bitcoin has fallen 11%, and the BTC/Gold ratio has dropped to a multi-year low of 17.35/oz. Analysts link this divergence to AI-related investment, with AI data center spending rising 14% to over $270 billion and expectations that copper demand for AI infrastructure could jump 127% to 2.5 million tonnes by 2040.

As January draws to a close, Bitcoin is navigating rising volatility tied to five macro data releases on 27 January and an FOMC meeting on 28 January, alongside a scheduled speech by U.S. President Donald Trump. With ETF outflows, weak spot demand, and a tight $85k–$90k trading range, leveraged positioning and a 70% long skew on Binance leave BTC vulnerable to sharp swings. This combination raises the risk that Bitcoin's monthly return turns negative for the first time since the 2022 bear market.

ASTER fell 3% over the week to a new low of $0.50 after losing the $0.60 support, extending its 2026 decline to 5%. Following a post on X by Binance founder CZ about staking ASTER, the token jumped 5% in a day to $0.66, while around 97% of supply remains concentrated among the top 100 holders. Traders are now watching whether ASTER can break the $0.70 level in the coming trading sessions to confirm sustained momentum rather than a short-lived spike.

In early 2026, WLFI's native stablecoin USD1 climbed past $4 billion in market cap, overtaking PYUSD and securing a 1.2% share of the $315 billion stablecoin sector. WLFI has risen 25% year-to-date and about 8% over the week, with price now testing resistance near $0.20 as liquidity concentrates on Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain.