Santiment Re-poster

While analysts have frequently debated the potential migration of profits from precious metals into the cryptocurrency space, the market movements observed today took almost everyone by surprise. Specifically, the price of gold tumbled by more than -8% today, and silver experienced a decline of more than -25%. Despite these sharp downturns in the metals sector, there is a positive takeaway: Bitcoin and altcoins displayed stability and remained flat on Friday.

We have compiled a ranking of the leading cryptocurrencies that are either fully or partially linked to the Ethereum-based ecosystem, evaluated according to their development activity. The directional arrows below indicate how the standing of each project has shifted compared to the previous month:

➡️ 1) @metamask $mUSD 🥇
➡️ 2) @starknet $STRK 🥈
➡️ 3) @chainlink $LINK 🥉
📈 4) @radworks_ $RAD
📉 5) @safecoin $SAFE
➡️ 6) @ethereum $ETH
📉 7) @decentraland $MANA
📈 8) @worldcoin $WLD
📉 9) @ethstatus $SNT
📉 10) @cartesiproject $CTSI

To understand why these metrics are valuable for crypto trading and to review the Santiment methodology for isolating significant GitHub activity data from project repositories, please read the full explanation here: https://t.co/hPpga2LHWZ

You can access insights that other market participants might miss by saving our watchlist for ETH-based projects:

We invite you to tune in to our This Week in Crypto livestream. Our discussion focuses on the bloody week the cryptocurrency sector has just experienced. You can watch the full broadcast at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prhpL4OJBtU

Social media metrics indicate that critical discussions regarding Bitcoin have surged, hitting their highest point for the entire year. This spike in FUD among crypto traders arrives as the asset hits a valuation of $84.2K today, marking its lowest price point since November 21st.

History suggests that such a pivot toward severe fear is often a precursor to capitulation. When this occurs, retail selling typically clears the way for smart money to purchase the available coins, which inevitably leads to a price recovery. In the short term, you should anticipate ongoing and unpredictable turbulence, given that the crypto markets are reacting to retraces currently affecting equities, silver, and gold.

Traditional assets such as equities, gold, and silver are enduring heavy losses, but the decline in cryptocurrencies is notably steeper. With Bitcoin dipping to $83.2K and altcoins retracing, traders are scrambling to determine the right move, holding mixed views on whether this downturn offers a buying opportunity.

Have you ever wondered how crypto wealth is divided based on the specific amount of time investors have been holding their assets? We are introducing a fresh content lineup called Metrics Explained to help you understand how to utilize distinct, untapped data points to refine your trading approach. Click below to get the full breakdown on Hodl Waves.

https://app.santiment.net/insights/read/metrics-explained-realized-market-capitalization-hodl-waves-10430?utm_source=x&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=x_metrics_explained_hodl_waves_b_012926?fpr=twitter

Have individual investors lost patience with the sideways trends in the cryptocurrency space? We joined forces with @ThinkingCrypto to analyze the situation. Current data points to a rotation in capital, as traders appear to be favoring gold and silver. You can view the complete discussion via the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP9sK6ddhtI

🐳🦈 Even though the price of XRP has drifted down by -4% since 2026 started, the count of substantial holders is increasing again. This marks the first rise in wallets containing at least 1M $XRP since September. Seeing a net gain of +42 of these major addresses on the ledger serves as a hopeful indicator for the long-term picture.

The Federal Open Market Committee has finalized its decision for the year's opening meeting, opting to leave interest rates unchanged. During the announcement, Jerome Powell described the current rates as being in a neutral range, which implies that they could remain at this level for the indefinite future.

Because Federal Reserve decisions heavily influenced cryptocurrency volatility between 2022 and 2025, these press conferences naturally attract significant scrutiny from the market.

As illustrated in the data below, distinct colors represent social sentiment. The substantial red bars signify periods where social media discussion regarding the FOMC meeting was driven by greed and bullishness. Conversely, the prominent blue bars highlight times when the crowd felt fearful and bearish.

In the cryptocurrency sector, market movements often contradict popular sentiment. Generally, values climb when the majority expresses bearish views and decline when the crowd turns bullish. This trend suggests that retail investors frequently incorrectly predict price trajectories.

To keep track of whether FOMC-related discussions are skewing positive or negative, utilize this insightful chart provided by @santimentfeed.

Substantial capital has exited Bitcoin ETFs as the market awaits the results of today's FOMC meeting. During the period beginning January 15th, the accumulated net outflows over the previous 7 full trading days have reached -$1.86B. You can explore the specific money flows and trading volumes for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana via the dashboard below.

https://queries.santiment.net/dashboard/etf-volumes-728?utm_source=x&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=x_btc_etf_outflows_b_012826?fpr=twitter

Relative to the broader altcoin market, Uniswap and Chainlink are currently facing a disproportionate volume of bearish sentiment. This trend is accompanied by retail investors selling off their positions. Paradoxically, these conditions suggest a potential recovery, positioning both $UNI and $LINK for further price bounces in the near future.

🤔 As we draft this update, Bitcoin has successfully moved back up to $89.3K. This brings up the question of what we should expect to happen now.

The Ethereum network has established a new industry record, with the number of non-empty wallets rising above 175.5M. This total surpasses that of any other cryptocurrency. As the market navigates a sideways trend, the demand for staking remains high, which suggests that the supply available on exchanges will continue to decline.

Below are the top 10 AI & Big Data projects in the crypto space, sorted by development progress. The directional arrows provided indicate how the ranking for each project has shifted since the last time we updated:

➡️ 1) @filecoin $FIL 🥇
➡️ 2) @chainlink $LINK 🥈
➡️ 3) @dfinity $ICP 🥉
➡️ 4) @nearprotocol $NEAR
➡️ 5) @oasisprotocol $ROSE
➡️ 6) @livepeer $LPT
📈 7) @swarms_corp $SWARMS
➡️ 8) @graphprotocol $GRT
📈 9) @runonflux $FLUX
📈 10) @aleph_im $ALEPH

You can learn more about how @santimentfeed filters essential github activity data from various project repositories by reading our methodology. Understanding this process is highly advantageous for crypto trading: https://t.co/hPpga2LHWZ

Please bookmark our AI & Big Data watchlist to gain visibility on trends that others in the crypto world might overlook:

💸 Rather than treating stablecoins merely as idle safe havens, consider the valuable market intelligence they provide. Observing the accumulation or distribution patterns of dollar-pegged assets by large holders often reveals significant trading opportunities. Our newest article details how our dashboard utilizes metrics like exchange supply and changes in market capitalization to signal upcoming trends in the crypto space. Learn how to anticipate the next major market shift by reading the full breakdown below. 💭

https://app.santiment.net/insights/read/a-stable-mind-in-a-wild-market-reading-crypto-s-signals-through-stablecoins-10494?utm_source=x&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=x_stable_mind_in_a_wild_market_b_012626?fpr=twitter

Have cryptocurrency investors and traders tuned out? A review of social data from within crypto circles suggests that the primary focus during January has evolved significantly.

The first week of the month saw minimal discourse as traders returned from holidays, a time when crypto values increased despite the silence. In Week 2, the narrative changed as gold discussions erupted when the precious metal reached new all-time highs, pulling crypto up with it. By Week 3, interest in Bitcoin suddenly surged during a price retracement as retail buyers targeted dips, which coincided with a crypto plummet. Finally, Week 4 saw silver prices erupt to break new all-time highs as traders chased the momentum, while crypto markets have been ranging for the time being.

Digital asset traders are famously agile, often moving between different sub-sectors like memecoins, ai, and blue chips depending on the current hype cycle. However, retail investors are now proving they are willing to switch asset classes altogether. Social metrics highlight growing interest in gold, silver, and even equities, seemingly driven by wherever the latest price pumps occur.

Investors should note that market tops generally appear when crypto retail participants begin to succumb to FOMO. This was exemplified today when silver set records by soaring past $117.70, only to drop back below $102.70 just 2 hours later after the retail hype reached its peak. To trade successfully, it is often best to operate against the current direction of the crowd.

Even as the price of Cardano remains suppressed, smart money investors appear to be taking the opportunity to quietly bolster their positions. A look at the data reveals a stark contrast in behavior between different tiers of holders. Over the past 2 months, large-scale wallets holding between 100K and 100M coins have collectively acquired 454.7M $ADA, representing a significant inflow of +$161,420,000. Conversely, smaller players have moved in the opposite direction; within the last 3 weeks, wallets containing 100 coins or fewer have dumped 22.0K $ADA, resulting in an outflow of -$7,810.

Over the course of just the past 10 days, the aggregate market capitalization of the industry's top 12 stablecoins has fallen by $2.24B. This contraction has occurred simultaneously with an 8% decrease in the price of Bitcoin. We can derive several key insights from this data.

First, it appears capital is pivoting toward established safe havens, specifically silver and gold. As these precious metals reach all-time highs while crypto and stablecoin valuations recede, it is clear that investors are prioritizing security over speculative risk. During times of rising uncertainty, money tends to migrate into assets recognized as reliable stores of value, moving away from volatile sectors.

Furthermore, funds seem to be departing the crypto space entirely rather than lingering on the sidelines. Under normal circumstances, proceeds from selling Bitcoin or altcoins remain in the ecosystem as stablecoins. The shrinking market cap of stablecoins implies that a significant number of traders are converting directly to fiat currency instead of holding funds ready to purchase dips.

This also means that near-term purchasing power is contracting. Stablecoins serve as the primary liquidity engine for crypto purchases. When their supply dwindles, there is less available capital to drive prices back up swiftly, which can result in sluggish or weak market rebounds.

Additionally, altcoins are experiencing greater strain than Bitcoin. When liquidity evaporates, riskier and smaller assets typically endure the worst impact. Although Bitcoin generally maintains better stability in such climates, the reduced supply of stablecoins ultimately caps the potential upside for the broader market.

Finally, a sustainable recovery will likely require a resurgence in stablecoin growth. Historical patterns suggest that significant rallies in the crypto market usually commence once stablecoin market caps arrest their decline and begin to climb. This reversal would serve as a signal that investors have renewed confidence and that fresh capital is flowing back into the ecosystem.

Understanding the 30-day MVRV ratio is essential for assessing risk when you consider opening a new trade or increasing your current holdings. In general, a lower value indicates a safer entry point for investors.

When this metric shows a negative percentage, it signals that the average trader you are competing against is currently facing a loss. This situation presents a chance to buy in while profit levels are beneath the standard zero-sum game threshold. Essentially, the deeper the value drops into negative territory, the safer the purchase opportunity becomes.

Conversely, a positive percentage implies that the average market participant is in profit. Entering the market under these conditions carries greater risk, as profits are exceeding the normal zero-sum game baseline. As the positive percentage climbs, the danger associated with buying that asset increases significantly.

For your reference, here is the current status of several prominent assets:

ChainLink: -9.5% (Undervalued)
Cardano: -7.9% (Undervalued)
Ethereum: -7.6% (Undervalued)
XRP: -5.7% (Undervalued)
Bitcoin: -3.7% (Mildly Undervalued)

You can monitor this chart at your convenience to identify the optimal moments to buy low or sell high.

There is a promising accumulation trend occurring among substantial Bitcoin investors. Wallets holding at least 1K $BTC have added 104,340 coins to their collective total, which equates to a +1.5% rise. Additionally, daily transfers valued at $1M+ have recovered to 2-month high levels.

Chart: https://app.santiment.net/s/lHTOGe6o?utm_source=x&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=x_btc_1k%2B_wallets_1m%2B_whale_tx_b_012426?fpr=twitter