Kategorie: Crypto News

• ENA price has surged 6% as bulls eye a breakout above $0.24.
• Upbit and Bithumb have listed Ethena USD (USDe).
• Arthur Hayes has shared a fresh prediction for the ENA price, noting a potential surge to $1.

Ethena (ENA) surged on Wednesday as cryptocurrencies bounced, and amid major South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges’ listing of the synthetic stablecoin Ethena USD (USDe).

The fresh dose of optimism around Ethena’s governance token ENA saw prominent investor Arthur Hayes express a strong bullish conviction as he predicted a potential spike to $1.

Ethena price gains as Upbit and Bithumb list USDe

South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, have both added support for Ethena’s USDe.

The platforms announced the listings on Wednesday, which means USDe is now supported on two of Asia’s most active trading markets.

Upbit now supports USDe pairs against KRW, BTC, and USDT, while Bithumb confirmed the listing of the USDe/KRW market.

These listings mean enhanced liquidity, accessibility, and adoption of USDe in a market where fiat-to-crypto trading volumes are often substantial.

Upbit’s listing of tokens has historically coincided with a price surge for the respective cryptocurrencies.

ENA, the governance token of the Ethena protocol, could ride this bullish outlook to new highs.

As of writing, ENA traded around $0.24, up 7% in the past 24 hours. Trading volume jumped 160% to over $389 million while USDe saw a 48% increase in volume as  the listings went live.

ENA’s price reached intraday highs of $0.25 amid this volume surge.

Arthur Hayes sees ENA price rallying to $1

Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and an influential crypto investor, is optimistic that the ENA price will go parabolic in the short term.

The entrepreneur, who has previously backed Ethena to explode, shared his latest prediction in a post on X, noting “it’s time for $ENA = $1.”

This aligns with Hayes’ other bold market calls, having accumulated ENA during dips.

His latest commentary suggests that increased exchange support, particularly in high-volume markets like South Korea, could catalyze greater adoption. Upward price pressure on ENA may allow bulls to target the psychological $1 level.

ENA last traded around this level in January 2025, with the overall market downturn seeing prices touch lows of $0.22 in June.

A rebound allowed bulls to retest highs of $0.80, but the area marked a double top pattern and prices slumped to under $0.20 in early Jan. 2026.

Ethena’s ongoing efforts to integrate USDe across major platforms, potentially driving further protocol growth and revenue, could cascade upside momentum to ENA.

If the current levels mark a double bottom, a retest of $0.80 and then $1 is likely.

The post Arthur Hayes eyes Ethena price surge to $1 as major Korean exchanges list USDe appeared first on CoinJournal.

• MANTRA has announced major team reductions after a challenging 2025.
• The restructuring aims to enhance capital efficiency and focus more on core business operations.
• OM token was priced around $0.076 at the time of writing.

MANTRA, a layer-1 blockchain focused on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, has announced plans for a restructuring, with major layoffs impacting the team.

The decision comes as MANTRA looks to turn the corner following a challenging past year, said Mantra chief executive officer and founder John Patrick Mullin.

He described the move as one of the most difficult decisions in the company’s history, with this coming as the native token OM hovered around $0.076.

The cryptocurrency crashed from its highs of $8.5 in February 2025.

MANTRA eyes 2026 rebound with key restructuring

According to Mullin, the restructuring will primarily impact support functions such as business development, marketing, human resources, and other non-core roles. 

The layoffs are part of the organizational overhaul that also targets broader operations, resource utilization, and other moves. 

“As part of this strategic shift for MANTRA in 2026, we aim to be leaner overall, streamlining operations, focusing our resources, and committing to disciplined execution,” he added.

The company cites several factors for this difficult decision, including the “incredibly unfortunate and frankly unfair events” of April 2025. 

At the time, the OM token experienced a dramatic 90%+ price collapse in a flash crash that wiped out billions in market value, triggered by a combination of forced liquidations on centralized exchanges.

Manipulation issues rose and rapid sell-offs amid low liquidity hit the project. 

“The prolonged market downturn, increased competition, and shifting market dynamics have made our cost structure unsustainable relative to our near-term realities,” Mullin noted.

MANTRA’s potential

Despite the many setbacks and challenges, Mullin says the team is upbeat and is ready to build on prior achievements.

In the X post, he outlined a belief that the MANTRA Chain has the potential to drive innovation and adoption within the real-world assets market.

Streamlining operations, cutting non-essential spending, and redirecting resources toward core priorities will allow MANTRA to deliver disciplined execution.

The goal remains that the project should be able to relentlessly ship products as it curves a path towards profitability and sustainability. 

However, the announcement has elicited mixed reactions, with some community members praising the transparency while others have expressed outright concern.

Mullin says he does not plan to quit the project and that the team will share more details on its streamlined priorities and operating rhythm in the coming weeks. 

The native token, which hit an all-time high of $9.04 in February 2025, had hit intraday highs of $0.082 as of writing on Jan. 14, 2026.

The post MANTRA announces team layoffs amid company restructuring appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Bitwise’s spot Chainlink ETF offers direct LINK exposure via NYSE Arca.
• The ETF trades as CLNK with a 0.34% fee and an early fee waiver.
• The ETF approval signals rising acceptance of altcoin ETFs in the US.

Bitwise Asset Management has received approval to list its Chainlink ETF on the NYSE Arca.

This launch opens a new avenue for US investors to gain exposure to Chainlink (LINK) without directly holding the cryptocurrency.

Trading for the ETF, which will carry the ticker CLNK, is expected to begin as soon as tomorrow.

The Bitwise Chainlink ETF

The Bitwise Chainlink ETF is a spot ETF, meaning it directly holds LINK tokens.

Therefore, investors can now participate in LINK’s potential upside through traditional brokerage accounts.

This approach eliminates the complexities of self-custody, private keys, and wallets that come with holding crypto directly.

Initially, the ETF will not offer staking services, but Bitwise plans to explore staking as a future feature.

In addition, the fund comes with a management fee of 0.34% annually, which is in line with many similar investment products.

To attract early investors, Bitwise will waive sponsor fees for the first three months on up to $500 million of assets under management.

This incentive is designed to encourage adoption and build liquidity in the ETF at launch.

A new chapter for crypto ETFs

The approval of the Chainlink ETF reflects growing regulatory acceptance of cryptocurrency-based financial products.

It follows a broader trend of institutional investors seeking regulated exposure to alternative cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

By listing on the NYSE Arca, Bitwise ensures the ETF meets strict regulatory standards and offers a familiar investment framework.

The market response has been positive, with LINK prices experiencing a boost as investor sentiment rises.

This development may also set the stage for other altcoin ETFs to enter the US market in the near future.

Investors now have a streamlined way to add Chainlink to their portfolios through a regulated vehicle.

Moreover, the ETF’s fee incentives and potential staking features make it an attractive option for both retail and institutional participants.

The approval of CLNK is particularly significant because it highlights the growing acceptance of altcoins in mainstream finance.

It demonstrates that regulators are willing to permit direct investment in specific cryptocurrencies via structured products.

This move also bridges the gap between the crypto market and traditional finance, providing a more secure and accessible entry point.

As investors monitor the ETF’s performance, the broader crypto ecosystem may experience a ripple effect.

For Chainlink, this listing could increase adoption and market interest, potentially impacting token liquidity and price discovery.

At press time, Chainlink’s native token LINK was already up 5.15%, trading at $13.91, showing the ETF approval has had a positive impact on the altcoin.

The post Bitwise’s Chainlink ETF approved for listing on NYSE Arca appeared first on CoinJournal.