Kategorie: Crypto Markets

• Zcash (ZEC) has staged a notable intraday recovery in the volatile world of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.
• The token pumped following a sharp sell-off triggered by governance uncertainties at the Electric Coin Company (ECC).
• ZEC price has rebounded more than 10% in the last 24 hours, up from lows of $396.

The price of Zcash (ZEC), the privacy-focused cryptocurrency that staged a notable surge in 2025, has rebounded from its latest dip under $400 with an impressive 10% uptick in the past 24 hours.

Zcash (ZEC)  traded around $436 at the time of writing, posting a double-digit recovery after the token dipped to around $396 amid negative ecosystem developments.

Why did Zcash price dump?

Notably, the recent price action follows the sharp sell-off triggered by internal governance challenges within the Zcash ecosystem.

On January 7, 2026, the development team from the Electric Coin Company (ECC), the primary entity historically responsible for Zcash’s core development, announced mass resignations. The split impacted the ZEC price.

The departure stemmed from a misalignment with the Bootstrap nonprofit board.

Developers cited concerns over shifts away from the project’s original privacy mission as a reason.

But despite the lingering jitters of what turmoil for Zcash developer Electric Coin Company could mean for the privacy coin, the swift reversal suggests investor interest remains high.

Zcash price recovers 10%, can bulls go higher?

News around Zcash prompted panic selling, driving ZEC to an intraday low near $389 on Thursday.

Losses helped wipe out a significant portion of the privacy coin’s market value, with bulls under threat as bears threatened the psychologically important $400 level.

According to data from Coinglass, uncertainty saw more traders lean bearish.

However, buyers have quickly stepped in, absorbing the selling pressure.

The movement has seen 24-hour liquidations increase to over $7.95 million. Among these, over $6.20 are in short positions, while over $1.75 are long positions.

This double-digit recovery highlights the bulls’ resilience as fresh demand emerges for the privacy coin.

Significantly, the Zcash Foundation has emphasized that the protocol remains decentralized, open-source, and unaffected by the organizational changes.

In light of recent developments @ElectricCoinCo, Zcash Foundation would like to reaffirm several key facts about the Zcash network and our enduring role in the ecosystem.

— Zcash Foundation 🛡️ (@ZcashFoundation) January 8, 2026

The developer split, while disruptive in the short term, has not crashed Zcash bulls.

“We recognize that moments of transition within the ecosystem can create uncertainty. However, at moments like this it is important to understand this distinction: distinguish between organizational shifts and the health of the network. The Zcash network is fundamentally independent of any single organization, board or corporate entity,” the foundation noted via X.

Given the outlook, could the ZEC price edge higher?

Short-term, the key for bulls would be to stay above $400. A close above $450 and a retest of $500 will be a huge step. If not, a reset to the support around $313 is possible, and near-term reload zones will be at $220.

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• The approval allows limited crypto-related activities but not full financial services authorisation.
• Registration confirms compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules.
• The approval supports Ripple’s expansion in regulated international markets.

Ripple has taken a formal step into the regulated UK crypto market after securing approval from the country’s financial watchdog.

The development places Ripple among a limited group of digital asset firms that have met the UK’s compliance standards, at a time when regulators are tightening supervision of the sector.

The move reflects how crypto companies are increasingly navigating jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction rules to maintain access to key financial centres.

For the UK, it also underscores efforts to bring crypto activity within an established regulatory perimeter rather than leaving it to operate on the margins.

FCA registration status

Ripple’s UK subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK Ltd., has been registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the country’s money laundering regulations.

The update appeared on the FCA’s official register on Friday, confirming that the entity has satisfied the regulator’s requirements related to financial crime controls.

Registration under these rules signals that Ripple complies with UK standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

Firms listed on the register are required to monitor transactions, carry out customer due diligence, and report suspicious activity.

For crypto businesses, this registration is a legal requirement to operate certain services in the UK.

Scope of the approval

While the registration allows Ripple to carry out specific crypto-related activities, it does not amount to full financial services authorisation.

The FCA’s approval is limited in scope and does not permit activities such as offering regulated investment products or providing broader banking services.

This distinction is central to the UK’s regulatory framework for digital assets.

Crypto firms can gain entry to the market by meeting baseline compliance requirements, but further permissions are needed as business models expand into more heavily regulated areas.

Ripple’s status reflects compliance with financial crime rules rather than a comprehensive licence.

UK regulatory direction

Ripple’s approval comes as the UK seeks to position itself as a global hub for digital assets while strengthening oversight.

Policymakers have been working to integrate crypto firms into existing regulatory structures, focusing first on areas such as money laundering and terrorist financing risks.

The FCA has adopted a selective approach to crypto registrations, with many applicants failing to meet its standards in previous years.

Against this background, inclusion on the register indicates that Ripple has cleared a relatively high compliance bar.

The process also highlights the regulator’s emphasis on governance and controls rather than rapid market expansion.

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• Polygon price pumped to highs of $0.15 amid a 15% spike.
• The POL token rose on Thursday as Bitcoin tried to bounce off its latest lows around $90,000.
• Open Money Stack and the potential Coinme acquisition buoyed buyers.

Polygon (ex-MATIC) saw a sharp 15% price surge in the past 24 hours, with the token inching to its highest level in a month amid broader cryptocurrency weakness.

The POL token traded around $0.14 at the time of writing, with trading volume up 137% to $228 million.

While Bitcoin seemed to struggle with downside pressure on Friday, the Polygon price spiked.

Data showed a double-digit rally, allowing the bulls to hit intraday highs of $0.15, gains that have added to renewed momentum following the ex-MATIC token’s rise from lows of $0.09 on January 1, 2026.

Polygon price today: Why is POL soaring?

As noted, the Polygon token’s price jumped to near $0.15 as the community reacted enthusiastically to key project-related developments.

Pivotal among these are plans to make the network the future of on-chain money.

News of what lies ahead in 2026 appears to have boosted bullish sentiment for the Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution.

The vision is outlined by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron.

Specifically, the project has announced Open Money Stack, a modular framework designed to bridge fiat and on-chain settlement.

Instead of creating a closed ecosystem, the Open Money Stack is built to be interoperable, allowing businesses to adopt only the components they require while remaining connected to other networks.

Polygon presents this approach as a move toward making blockchain-based payments as seamless as those in traditional financial systems.

According to Nailwal, “all money will move on-chain over time,” and Open Money Stack positions Polygon as a foundational infrastructure for the next era of programmable finance.

Another news that buoyed bulls was the report that Polygon is close to sealing a $100-$125 million acquisition of Coinme, a prominent Bitcoin ATM operator.

Coinme is one of the largest crypto ATM platforms and has a presence across 49 US states.

The acquisition represents a strategic move for Polygon and is key to the quest to bridge traditional fiat infrastructure and blockchain technology.

Investors are showing confidence amid these developments.

Overall, these moves signal the L2’s ambitious evolution.

Polygon price forecast

Bulls are hovering at a month high after breaking above the key resistance at $0.13.

Market conditions suggest caution is warranted. However, Polygon’s trajectory could extend upwards if bullish momentum persists.

The token’s recent breakout from lower levels showed bullish strength.

Buyers feared for the worst when POL dropped below $0.10, but amid a notable bounce, the next critical threshold lies at $0.20.

If bulls successfully reclaim this level, it could pave the way for a more substantial rally.

Immediate supply wall pressure above the $0.20 area will be $0.27 and $0.30, with the near term allowing for a retest of $0.50 range.

On the downside, year-to-date lows of $0.09 remain a key target.

The extended RSI on the chart above suggests potential pullback amid profit-taking.

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