Hey everyone, as a crypto enthusiast diving deep into the daily swings, here's my take on the latest developments as we move into the second week of 2026. The market is showing classic early-year chop: Bitcoin holding firm but flat, while some altcoins like XRP continue to shine brighter than the majors.
Bitcoin (
$BTC ) Steady Around $90K
Bitcoin is trading in a tight range near $90,400–$90,600 today (slight 0.1–0.3% dip in recent hours), after touching highs near $91K earlier in the week. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen significant outflows in the first full trading week of the year — around $681M net pulled out, with combined BTC and ETH funds facing roughly $750M in redemptions. This reversed the initial January inflows (over $1B early on) and reflects fading risk appetite amid broader macro caution.
Despite the pressure, BTC remains resilient with strong institutional backing. Analysts like Tom Lee are still bullish, eyeing potential new highs soon, while others warn of volatility in the $75K–$150K band for the year.
Ethereum (
$ETH ) Outlook & Bold Predictions
ETH sits around $3,090, down mildly but holding support. Wall Street analyst Tom Lee is super optimistic here, forecasting ETH could climb to $9,000 early in 2026 — that's a potential 177% upside from current levels, driven by network upgrades (like the upcoming "Hegota" milestone) and growing DeFi adoption. Spot Ether ETFs also saw outflows (~$68M+ last week), but the long-term narrative around scalability remains strong.
$XRP Leading the Altcoin Pack
XRP is the standout performer right now, trading near $2.09–$2.10 after a wild early-January rally (up 25%+ in the first week from December lows). Spot XRP ETFs are bucking the trend with net inflows ($38M+ for the week) and record trading volumes hitting $219M — the highest since launch! This highlights growing institutional interest, especially post-Ripple's regulatory wins (like the UK FCA authorization) and shrinking exchange supply.
While the token has pulled back a bit (testing supports after hitting near $2.40), traders see this as healthy consolidation rather than panic. Institutional absorption through ETFs ($1.3B+ since late 2025) and supply dynamics could set up for more upside in 2026.
Quick Broader Thoughts
Overall market cap hovers steady, with tokenization, stablecoins, and regulatory clarity as big 2026 themes.Sentiment is neutral/cautious (Fear & Greed around fear zone), but altcoins are defying the majors in spots like SOL and XRP.Always remember: Crypto is volatile — this is just my independent roundup based on the latest data. DYOR, manage risk, and let's see how the week unfolds!
What are your thoughts on XRP's momentum or ETH's potential surge? Drop a comment below! 🚀
#btc #eth #xrp