BeInCrypto JP

The altcoin market is entering its second week of January without clear direction. Some tokens have reached new all-time highs, while others have pulled back amid growing skepticism. Many altcoins are still struggling to recover from the large-scale sell-off in October last year.

Amid these conditions, there is a risk that traders may be misjudging actual market demand, increasing the large-scale liquidation risk for three altcoins.

As the global digital assets industry matures, the focus of discussion is shifting from speculation to structure, compliance, and long-term infrastructure. One company that most clearly embodies this change is Bitpanda. Originally founded in Europe, the company has continuously evolved into a multi-asset investment ecosystem operating within regulated environments, steadily expanding its global presence.

In a recent conversation with Vichal Sachindran, Deputy CEO of Bitpanda's Global Market Strategy and Operations, one point was consistently emphasized: 'Regulation does not hinder the company's growth—it is actually a driving force for expansion.'

The price of Monero (XMR) has risen by over 35% in the past 7 days and recorded a sharp increase in the past 24 hours. This move pushed XMR up to around $598, near its all-time high, but then selling pressure emerged, leaving the price lingering slightly below the high range.

Although it may appear to be a strong trend at first glance, multiple internal signals indicate that the upward movement is entering an unstable phase. The key question is whether Monero is in a corrective phase before further gains or whether underlying supply-demand imbalances are worsening, potentially triggering a deeper decline.

The cryptocurrency market is set to see a large-scale token unlock over the next week. Over the coming 7 days, the total amount of newly supplied tokens is expected to exceed $1.69 billion. In particular, three major ecosystems—Ondo (ONDO), Official Trump (TRUMP), and Arbitrum (ARB)—are scheduled to release new tokens into the market.

While these unlocks may boost liquidity, they could also trigger short-term price fluctuations and increased volatility. Key points of attention for each project are outlined below.

India's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has introduced stricter compliance requirements for cryptocurrency platforms, significantly enhancing identity verification for users nationwide.

Under the new rules, regulated cryptocurrency exchanges are required to conduct identity verification through live selfie authentication and geolocation data collection during user registration.

India strengthens identity verification standards, monitoring deepfakes as well

FIU's new rules go beyond simple document verification and strengthen user authentication. Exchanges must implement live selfie authentication requiring dynamic movements such as blinking or head motion to confirm that users are real individuals. This measure aims to prevent spoofing attacks using static images or deepfakes.

A trader turned $321 into $2.18 million in just 11 days using the Chinese meme coin '114514'. This exemplifies the intense speculation set to move the market at the beginning of 2026.

This surge coincides with strategic investments by the BNB Chain Foundation and the cultural significance of the Year of the Dragon. Analysts believe these trends will drive the Chinese meme coin market in the first quarter of this year.

Listed on Binance, Binance Life has a market cap of $153 million

Cryptocurrency funds recorded outflows of $454 million last week, nearly erasing the $1.5 billion inflows seen at the beginning of the year.

The recent sell-off appears to be driven by weakening expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in March. Following the latest macroeconomic indicators, speculation has strengthened that the Fed will maintain its current policy.

Cryptocurrency funds saw a JPY 4.54 billion outflow due to retreated expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts

According to the latest CoinShares data, cryptocurrency outflows reached over $1.3 billion for four consecutive days last week.

The first month of the new year is typically when major network and protocol upgrades occur. Altcoins are capitalizing on this momentum, with several showing movement in the past few days.

BeInCrypto analyzed three altcoins to watch in the second week of January.

Mantle (MNT)

Mantle is approaching a major network upgrade at the beginning of the year. This mainnet update is expected to support all features of Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade. Launch is scheduled for this week, with expectations of improved utility and scalability. This could lead to acquiring new users and increasing on-chain activity.

Ethereum's long-term evolution is reaching a critical juncture. At its core is Vitalik Buterin's concept of 'Oscillation Resistance'—the idea that the network can continue functioning without core developers, avoiding 'freezing.'

This vision was first clearly demonstrated in 2024 as part of the 'Walkaway Test.' It positions Ethereum not merely as a platform for decentralized applications (dApps), but as a trustless infrastructure capable of independent operation for decades.

The bullish scenario for Bitcoin is ongoing, but the necessary rebound is hard to clearly define. Bitcoin's price has recovered key trend support, past data suggests further upward movement, and short-term selling pressure has decreased.

Still, supply continues with each rise. The price alone does not provide a clear reason. A certain holding group continues to sell despite the bullish market, which is acting as a factor delaying the next upward phase.

Ethereum's price is rising again. It has gained over 2% in the past 24 hours and remains in positive territory for the month. Although the rebound is encouraging, the underlying support structure remains fragile.

The weak pattern continues. If the key level is not held, this rebound could turn into a deeper decline.

Ethereum price rises within a weak structure

Despite the rebound, Ethereum continues trading within a head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart. The high on January 6th serves as the right shoulder, and currently, prices are attempting to stabilize without invalidating this structure.

Multiple members of the cryptocurrency community have accused Nikita Bia, X's product manager and advisor for Solana, of intentionally suppressing cryptocurrency-related content on X (formerly Twitter).

This suspicion arose after several users reported a noticeable decrease in the visibility of cryptocurrency-related posts in their feeds.

Concerns grow over reduced visibility of cryptocurrency posts on X

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, the U.S. dollar (USD), traditionally regarded as the 'safe-haven asset' in markets, is not showing the conventional reactions seen historically.

Meanwhile, gold (XAU) and silver (XAG) are moving far beyond typical commodity surges.

Gold hits new highs, silver surges—markets are on alert for risks exceeding inflation

Instead, capital is clearly flowing into tangible assets, with gold approaching $5,000 and silver surpassing $80. These levels are prompting investors to reevaluate traditional macroeconomic assumptions.

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell stated on the 12th that he believes the ongoing criminal investigation by the Department of Justice has political motivations behind it. The claim stems from his refusal to raise interest rates in line with the president's wishes, once again bringing the independence of monetary policy into focus.

As the term of the U.S. President Trump approaches its end in May 2026, tensions between them are escalating. The conflict over interest rates may affect not only stock and bond markets but also the cryptocurrency market, which is sensitive to monetary easing, drawing market participants' attention to the political pressures surrounding central bank decisions.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson mentioned on the 12th the realization of XRP's decentralized finance (DeFi) features. He revealed a plan to provide new opportunities for XRP holders through Cardano's privacy-focused partner chain, 'Midnight.' The initiative, aimed at unlocking over $100 billion in previously unused XRP liquidity, has drawn significant industry attention.

Privacy features brought by Midnight

This week, multiple U.S. economic indicators are scheduled for release, any of which could significantly impact investor sentiment and thus serve as factors influencing Bitcoin price movements.

Investors can focus on the following major news from January 12 to 17 and carry out strategic portfolio management.

4 key U.S. economic events to watch this week

Four macroeconomic events are concentrated from Tuesday to Thursday, which may increase volatility in Bitcoin prices during this period.

Monero (XMR) hit a new all-time high, reaching $598, and its market capitalization surpassed $10 billion for the first time. Many analysts remain bullish, believing this movement is just getting started.

Veteran trader Peter Brant supported a positive outlook by comparing XMR's price movement to that of silver.

Can Monero become the 'silver' of the cryptocurrency market?

January 12, according to BeInCrypto's price data, Monero (XMR) rose more than 30% from last Saturday, trading above $585 and surpassing a market capitalization of $10.7 billion.

The early Ethereum investor is likely to have completely divested their ETH position. On-chain data confirms that their holdings have been transferred to a centralized exchange. The profit from this sale is estimated to be approximately $274 million.

ETH continues to face selling pressure from U.S. institutional investors. Nevertheless, some market analysts maintain an optimistic outlook on the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

China's state-run television broadcast tense footage on the 7th, showing a man wearing a hood and handcuffed being escorted by authorities at Beijing airport. The individual being detained is Chen Ji, suspect in the founding of Cambodia's conglomerate Prince Holdings Group, aged 38. He is suspected of leading what is considered Asia's largest fraud organization and amassing substantial illicit funds.

Cambodian authorities detained the suspect the previous day and carried out his extradition to China. Market participants and investigative agencies have been closely watching whether this suspect, who had evaded capture for years, will finally face justice. However, the full details of the case remain unclear. This is due to growing speculation that the $15 billion worth of Bitcoin, considered central to the fraud proceeds, has already been seized by U.S. authorities. The whereabouts of this massive amount of cryptocurrency remain unknown.

It was reported that the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea has finalized guidelines permitting listed companies and professional investors to trade cryptocurrencies.

As a result, the nine-year ban on corporate investment in cryptocurrency will end. This measure is linked to the government's comprehensive '2026 Economic Growth Strategy,' which includes recently announced stablecoin regulations and approval of physical cryptocurrency ETFs.

Framework for corporate investment

According to local reports, under the FSC's new guidelines, eligible corporations can invest up to 5% of their capital annually in cryptocurrencies, with investments limited to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on South Korea's five major exchanges.