Kategorie: Crypto Markets

Daily headlines and news about crypto markets.

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Ukraine blocks Polymarket over unlicensed gambling

  • Ukraine blocks Polymarket for operating without a gambling license.
  • Polymarket is a decentralised prediction market where users bet on real-world events.
  • ISPs in Ukraine have been instructed to restrict access to Polymarket’s domain.

Ukraine has blocked access to the popular prediction market platform Polymarket.

The action was taken because authorities classify the platform as engaging in unlicensed gambling.

Internet service providers in Ukraine have been instructed to restrict access to Polymarket’s domain.

This decision is part of a broader effort to regulate online gambling and protect consumers.

Regulatory action and legal basis

The official block is based on Resolution No. 695, issued by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (НКЕК) on December 10, 2025.

The resolution implements a prior decision by the State Agency PlayCity, which identified unlicensed gambling platforms.

Under Ukrainian law, any website facilitating gambling without a license must be restricted.

Internet providers are legally required to comply with the block and prevent access for users.

The resolution also mandates oversight to ensure compliance, including inspections and reporting by authorities.

Polymarket’s domain has been added to the public registry of blocked resources in Ukraine.

Authorities warned that noncompliance by providers could result in legal consequences.

This move reflects Ukraine’s ongoing crackdown on unlicensed online gambling platforms.

Hundreds of sites have been blocked alongside Polymarket under similar regulations.

Polymarket’s operations and why Ukraine blocked it

Polymarket is a decentralised prediction market where users bet on real-world events.

Participants buy and sell “shares” that represent outcomes, with payoffs depending on the actual results.

For example, a market might predict whether a city will be occupied by the end of the year.

Users place bets using USDC, a stablecoin, on the Polygon blockchain.

Transactions and results are recorded publicly, ensuring transparency through blockchain technology.

Polymarket is valued at approximately $8 billion and was founded in 2020 by Shayne Coplan.

The platform has seen significant activity, with Ukraine-related markets exceeding $100 million in bets by the end of 2025.

Authorities expressed concern over war-related betting markets, citing legal and reputational risks.

Prediction markets like Polymarket are considered gambling under Ukrainian law, despite their decentralised and blockchain-based operations.

This legal interpretation has led to similar restrictions in other countries, including Romania, France, Belgium, and Thailand.

Push to regulate crypto-based platforms

Ukraine’s action against Polymarket underscores the increasing scrutiny of crypto-based platforms.

Authorities are determined to enforce licensing requirements and prevent unregulated gambling.

While Polymarket continues to operate in other jurisdictions, its access in Ukraine is now fully restricted.

The move is part of a broader trend of regulatory oversight for online betting and crypto platforms worldwide.

Users in Ukraine must now seek licensed alternatives or risk accessing illegal platforms.

The post Ukraine blocks Polymarket over unlicensed gambling appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Dash surges 30% to lead privacy coin rally as Monero jumps above $680

  • Dash price hit highs near $50 with a 30% spike in the past 24 hours.
  • Monero also soared as privacy coins gained.
  • DASH outpaced both XMR and Zcash.

Dash and Monero prices rose by double digits early Tuesday as privacy-focused tokens registered fresh gains.

Zcash, which has struggled in recent weeks, also showed renewed strength. Other coins, such as Verge and Horizen, also posted intraday gains.

But the broader upswing in the privacy coin segment comes amid an overall jittery market, with Bitcoin and Ethereum both poised at key levels.

Dash jumps 30% to lead privacy coins higher

Dash (DASH) traded more than 30% up in the past 24 hours, hovering near $50 as price action signalled bullish sentiment.

“Privacy coins are trending today, led by $XMR and $DASH as the top two most-searched coins in the last 3 hours,” CounGecko posted on X.

Market data shows the asset trading within an intraday swing of $37.20 and $49.47 as of writing on Jan 13.

Buyside pressure showed in the 24-hour trading volume surge.

Per CoinGecko, trading volumes jumped 212% to over $234 million.

Key technical levels for DASH include near-term support in the $36–$38 range.

Meanwhile, a resistance cluster has formed around $47–$53.

If the token breaks the resistance cluster it could lead to a potential breakout.

Monero continues uptick with 17% gain

Monero (XMR) has taken the spotlight among privacy-focused cryptocurrencies at the start of 2026, even as Zcash led the sector through much of last year, and analysts remain constructive on ZEC.

Attention has increasingly shifted toward XMR, which is widely regarded as a benchmark for transaction privacy due to its default use of obfuscation techniques.

Supporters argue that this design makes Monero one of the most robust privacy coins in the market.

The token has rallied sharply, gaining about 17% over the past 24 hours to trade above $680.

The move has been accompanied by a notable surge in trading volumes, signalling strong market participation.

From a technical perspective, traders are watching whether momentum can carry prices toward the $700 level.

The $650 to $615 zone is seen as an important area of support in sustaining the current advance.

If the rally extends, market participants are looking at the $800 to $880 range as a potential next area of resistance, with the psychologically significant $1,000 level emerging as a longer-term upside target.

What’s the outlook for Dash, Monero?

Despite the recent gains, analysts note that liquidity in the privacy coin segment remains relatively thin compared with major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

As a result, assets including Dash and Monero are more prone to sharp price swings.

That said, privacy-focused tokens have begun to reclaim key technical levels amid renewed investor interest, raising the possibility that bullish momentum could persist.

Alongside Dash, Monero, and Zcash, traders are also keeping a close watch on Verge and Horizen for further signals from the sector.

The post Dash surges 30% to lead privacy coin rally as Monero jumps above $680 appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Litecoin price outlook: is $80 next as BTC reclaims $92k?

  • Litecoin traded to lows of $75 as top altcoins slipped in early US trading.
  • Bitcoin and Ethereum also slid before picking up slight gains.
  • US Department of Justice has opened a criminal probe against Jerome Powell.

Litecoin price slipped more than 5% as the cryptocurrency markets experienced a synchronised downturn on Monday, with stocks also down amid concerns over the independence of the US Federal Reserve.

The price of Litecoin reached $75 but with BTC eyeing gains, could LTC jump towards $100?

Litecoin to mirror top coins?

Downside action across the crypto market followed a fresh dump for Bitcoin.

Bitcoin hovered near the $90,000 level in the early US trading session on Monday, having pared gains from above $92,000.

However, the token traded at around $92,135 at the time of writing, while Ethereum lingered close to $3,134.

Both Bitcoin and Ethereum were showing resilience as markets weathered bearish pressure.

While the two remain near respective psychological thresholds, reclaiming upside momentum may be key to Litecoin gains.

LTC traded at around $77 at the time of writing.

But as the chart below shows, the path lower appears stronger for the altcoin.

Litecoin Price Chart
Litecoin price chart by TradingView

Crypto slid amid Fed subpoenas

Notably, buyers saw prices dip as markets reacted to news that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Top altcoins like XRP and BNB saw declines, and Litecoin traded to lows of $75, last seen in late December.

The slide in the leading cryptocurrencies stemmed from risk-off sentiment triggered by the news of a DOJ probe against Fed chair Jerome Powell.

Powell released a statement on Sunday,  revealing subpoenas from the Justice Department.

Although the news saw Bitcoin flip to above $92k, declines followed as Wall Street futures dipped.

 

The DOJ’s subpoenas and criminal probe against Powell have intensified fears of political interference in US monetary policy.

Powell emphasised that the investigation appeared motivated by the Fed’s resistance to demands for aggressive interest rate cuts, rather than solely the renovation-related testimony.

“While the Fed needs reform, including maintaining the crucial issue of central bank independence while strengthening accountability, a mishandled process risks derailing appointments and undermining further policy effectiveness,” Mohamed El-Erian said on X.

This uncertainty has US stocks pulling back from recent record highs.

On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 0.8%, while the S&P 500 shed 0.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down around 0.2%.

The pullback reflects broader risk aversion, with investors rotating toward perceived safe havens like gold. Gold prices indeed extended gains on Jan 12. amid the turmoil.

The post Litecoin price outlook: is $80 next as BTC reclaims $92k? appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Arbitrum price forecast as investors ponder $19M ARB unlock

  • Arbitrum price is hovering near $0.20 amid a 3% dip in the past 24 hours.
  • The altcoin could dip further as investors await an upcoming $19 million ARB unlock.
  • Overall market sentiment and network milestones will help bulls.

Arbitrum’s ARB token has returned to the $0.20 level, as the Ethereum-based layer-2 network prepares for another sizeable token unlock that will add to the circulating supply.

ARB was trading about 3% lower over the past 24 hours, while sentiment across the broader cryptocurrency market remained mixed amid continued volatility.

Supply-related concerns, alongside wider market conditions, are expected to influence Arbitrum’s near-term price performance.

Arbitrum faces $19 million token unlock this week

Arbitrum is set to undergo a major cliff unlock on January 16, 2026.

Details show the L2 is poised for the release of 96 million ARB tokens worth about $19.6 million.

This unlock, representing about 1.68% of the adjusted circulating supply, is directed primarily to the Arbitrum DAO Treasury.

It’s part of Arbitrum’s structured vesting schedule, which allocates tokens across categories including the DAO Treasury, team, investors, and ecosystem participants.

According to data from Tokenomist, the ARB unlock occurs amid a busy week for token releases across the crypto space.

Some of the large cliff unlocks scheduled for January 12 to January 19 include ONDO with over $770 million and TRUMP with over $299 million.

Notably, these supply injections can introduce selling pressure if recipients liquidate holdings, particularly in a cautious market environment.

While the impact may not be so devastating, historical patterns show that such events often trigger short-term volatility.

ARB price outlook

ARB has declined nearly 5% in the past week.

Bulls pushed to highs near $0.23 earlier in the week, but have since pared gains as prices fall below $0.21.

Currently, buyers are regrouping near $0.20 as the impending unlock appears to shape immediate market action.

Risk-off behaviour that has pushed Bitcoin and Ethereum off recent highs, and tokens like XRP to key support, could impact the ARB price too.

“US-hours BTC selling, while less concentrated than in prior weeks, remains a persistent feature, and uncertainty around the remaining overhang of supply continues to cap upside. Combined with rising macro volatility, the relative appeal of crypto looks increasingly challenged, particularly when set against the resilience of precious metals and equities,” QCP analysts said in a note.

As per the analysts, investor focus will be on key events such as the US CPI data release and the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling.

Short-term, Arbitrum price could fall to support in the $0.19-$0.17 region.

On the upside, ARB could rally to $0.25 and then $0.30 with long-term targets of $0.60 and $0.80.

Arbitrum’s key milestones, including Orbit for Layer-3 chains, gaming initiatives and institutional integrations like the Robinhood partnership, are crucial to this outlook.

The post Arbitrum price forecast as investors ponder $19M ARB unlock appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Whale purchases and reserve growth hint at a possible Chainlink (LINK) price bounce

  • Whale wallets and new accounts are accumulating large amounts of Chainlink (LINK).
  • Chainlink’s reserve surpasses 1.5M LINK to support network growth.
  • White House mention and high social activity boost adoption signals.

Chainlink (LINK) has been attracting attention due to recent whale activity and growing institutional support.

According to Onchain Lens, newly created wallets have accumulated significant amounts of LINK.

Wallet 0x10D withdrew 202,607 LINK worth $2.7 million, while wallet 0xb59 withdrew 207,328 LINK worth $2.78 million.

This coordinated accumulation suggests that a single entity or institutional player may be building a substantial position in LINK.

These large purchases occurred after a period of relative selling, signalling renewed confidence among major holders.

To confirm this, LINK’s trading volume has increased by roughly 63%, indicating that market participants are taking note.

Chainlink reserve growth and institutional adoption

In addition to the whale accumulation, the official Chainlink reserve update shows that the network has accumulated 87,829.55 LINK in a single day.

This brings the total LINK held in the Chainlink reserve to over 1.5 million tokens.

The Reserve is designed to support long-term growth by acquiring LINK using revenue from enterprise adoption and on-chain service usage.

Such accumulation demonstrates that the network itself is actively investing in its sustainability.

Institutional recognition of Chainlink is also on the rise.

A recent tweet highlighted that Chainlink was mentioned in the White House Digital Asset Report.

This acknowledgement indicates that regulators and government bodies are monitoring LINK adoption and partnerships.

At the same time, social engagement metrics point to a strong community interest.

A recent report by Phoenix Group stated that Chainlink leads gaming projects in social activity, with over 6.2K engaged posts and 1.3 million interactions.

This combination of on-chain accumulation, reserve growth, and social attention reinforces the idea that Chainlink is gaining real-world traction.

Current market context

At press time, Chainlink was trading at $13.15, down roughly 5.5% over the past month.

Its 24-hour trading range is between $13.09 and $13.49, with a market capitalisation of $9.31 billion.

Circulating supply stands at 708 million LINK, while the Chainlink reserve and treasury holdings continue to concentrate significant amounts of the token.

Despite being down over 33% year-to-date, whale accumulation and reserve growth may act as a stabilising force.

Chainlink price forecast

With whale purchases and Chainlink reserve growth, LINK could see support around $13 and attempt to reclaim the $13.7–$14 range.

Sustained accumulation from both new wallets and institutional players may provide upward momentum.

If social engagement and real-world adoption continue, the network could experience renewed interest from investors.

However, price movements will still depend on overall market sentiment and broader cryptocurrency trends.

Chainlink’s combination of on-chain growth, institutional recognition from the White House Digital Asset Report, and robust social activity suggests that a potential bounce in LINK price could be on the horizon.

The post Whale purchases and reserve growth hint at a possible Chainlink (LINK) price bounce appeared first on CoinJournal.