Bitcoin extends consolidation amid ETF outflows, echoing pre‑2025 surge patterns

  • Bitcoin currently trades in a tight range near $90K amid a 3-day streak of ETF outflows.
  • The current market consolidation mirrors pre‑2025 surge patterns with low volatility.
  • The key levels to watch include the support at $90K, the immediate resistance at $95K, and $100k in case of a breakout.

Bitcoin (BTC) price has remained stuck in a narrow trading range around $90,000.

The cryptocurrency is showing signs of consolidation after a volatile start to 2026.

Bitcoin ETF flows and macroeconomic uncertainties are playing a key role in the price movement.

Bitcoin ETF outflows weigh on BTC price

In early January, Bitcoin spot ETFs initially attracted strong inflows, signalling renewed institutional interest.

However, a three-day streak of outflows totalling over $1 billion has nearly erased those gains.

This shift indicates waning conviction among institutional investors.

The outflows have contributed to Bitcoin’s inability to break above $95,000.

Traders are cautious as geopolitical tensions between the USA, Latin American countries and Iran, and broader risk-off sentiment, weigh on the market.

ETF redemption patterns are currently a major driver of near-term price behaviour.

These flows may represent tactical rotation rather than long-term liquidation.

Investors could be reallocating capital to other assets while maintaining exposure to Bitcoin.

Nonetheless, the short-term pressure has kept BTC trading in a tight range between roughly $88,000 and $95,000.

Echoes of pre‑2025 rally patterns

Bitcoin’s current sideways trading resembles the consolidation phase before its 2025 rally.

In the months leading up to the surge, BTC spent nearly 50 days in a narrow range, a phenomenon called time-based capitulation.

This period allowed weak hands to exit and set the stage for a powerful upward move.

The current market consolidation mirrors that pattern, suggesting the market may be quietly building momentum.

Bitcoin price analysis
Current consolidation mirrors pre-2025 rally consolidation | Source: TradingView

Unlike traditional capitulation, this phase does not involve panic selling or sharp drops.

Instead, low volatility and a steady range characterise this pre-rally accumulation period.

Some analysts see this as a signal that Bitcoin could be preparing for a significant breakout.

The ETF outflows and geopolitical pressures may simply be temporary obstacles.

If history repeats, a sustained push above resistance could trigger renewed bullish momentum.

The key Bitcoin price levels to watch

One of the key price levels to watch out for is the key support that remains near $90,000.

A break below this support could open the door to further declines toward $86,000–$88,000.

However, a sustained move above $95,000 would signal renewed institutional buying and potential acceleration.

If Bitcoin overcomes $100,000, the market could revisit mid‑2025 highs and even target $110,000 in the medium term.

Moving forward, traders and investors should monitor both technical levels and macro catalysts to gauge the timing and scale of the next potential surge.

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Zcash price rebounds 10% after dip below $400 amid developer turmoil

  • 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.

Zcash Price Chart
Zcash price chart by CoinMarketCap

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.

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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UK’s FCA grants regulatory approval to Ripple

  • 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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Sky token slides over 5% as altcoin weakness deepens

  • Sky token price dropped over 5% as altcoins struggled.
  • The token could fall further amid broader market weakness.
  • Anchorage Digital has reportedly transferred over 69 million SKY tokens.

Sky (SKY), the governance asset of the decentralized Sky Protocol (formerly MakerDAO), has dropped by over 5% in the past 24 hours as major cryptocurrencies face downward pressure.

After renewed uptrends in early 2026, Bitcoin has retreated to support at $90,000, Ethereum to $3,000 and XRP to around $2.15.

Increased trading volume as the token faces significant downward pressure suggests there could be further downside movement.

SKY price falls amid large token transfer

SKY’s price declining nearly 6% to trade near $0.056 is a drop that aligns with a broader altcoin market weakness observed on Friday.

Sky Price Chart
Sky price chart by TradingView

The token’s struggles come as profit-taking adds to risk-off sentiment.

For Sky, sellers have been on top since prices fell from highs of $0.096 in July 2025.

Bears even tested the support levels around $0.041 in November.

Recent gains saw buyers top $0.068, but things have looked tough on the upside across the cryptocurrency market, and SKY is following a similar trajectory.

On Jan. 9, the price decline happened as onchain data showed that Anchorage Digital, a prominent institutional crypto custodian and federally chartered bank, had moved over 69 million SKY tokens.

This significant on-chain transfer is likely a repositioning for custody services, institutional allocation, or other strategic purposes.

However, such large transfers often trigger heightened selling activity.

What next for SKY price?

Technical indicators on the daily chart point to continued downside risk for SKY in the near term.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is hovering in the mid-40s, suggesting weakening momentum and leaving room for a further slide toward oversold conditions.

At the same time, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains bearish, with the MACD line below the signal line and a negative histogram.

Despite the recent decline of roughly 9% over the past week, some investors remain constructive on the token’s longer-term outlook.

Supportive factors cited include ongoing token buybacks funded by protocol revenue and signs of growing real-world usage.

Data also shows that annualised SKY repurchases have risen sharply alongside a jump in revenue, placing the project among the top-ranked protocols by buyback activity.

While Hyperliquid leads the group, Sky ranks second, ahead of names such as Pump.fun, TRON and Solana.

The positive fundamentals may provide a boost that could see bulls counter macro-driven headwinds.

If bulls take control, bullish price targets include $0.080 and $0.10. Conversely, bears might eye $0.050 and $0.037 lows.

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Polygon (POL) jumps 15% as open money stack plans and Coinme deal boost sentiment

  • 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.

Polygon Price Chart
Polygon price chart by TradingView

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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