$BTC Today, January 3, 2026, is a historic day in the crypto world as the community celebrates the 17th "birthday" of Bitcoin, marking the anniversary of the Genesis Block (Block #0) mined by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009.
Beyond the anniversary celebrations, here is the breaking news across the market:
🏛️ Regulatory & Global Adoption
* **Turkmenistan Legalizes Crypto: In a surprise move, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has signed legislation officially legalizing cryptocurrency mining and trading. While crypto is not legal tender there, it is now integrated into the country’s civil law framework, with the Central Bank acting as the primary regulator.
* GENIUS Act Momentum: In the U.S., the "GENIUS Act" is the focus of the new year. It is setting a global standard for stablecoins, with the Senate expected to hold critical hearings this month to define whether tokens fall under SEC or CFTC oversight.
* EU's DAC8 Enters Force: As of January 1, the EU’s DAC8 directive is now active, mandating that all crypto-asset service providers report transaction data to tax authorities to combat evasion.
📈 Market Snapshot
The market is currently in a "consolidation phase" following the New Year’s holiday, with cautious optimism for a Q1 breakout.
| Asset | Price (Approx.) | 24h Change | Notable News |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | $90,016 | +1.63% | Holding the $90k level; support at $87k. |
| Ethereum (ETH) | $3,112 | +3.40% | Showing stronger momentum than BTC recently. |
| Altcoins | Mixed | +8-12% | XRP, SOL, and DOGE are outperforming the majors today. |
⚡ Technical & Corporate Alerts
* **Bitmine (BMNR) Share Surge: Shares of Bitmine Immersion Technologies are up after Chairman Tom Lee urged shareholders to approve a massive increase in authorized shares. The company has pivoted to making Ethereum its primary treasury asset.
* Exchange Volume Lows: Data from December just released shows that centralized exchange (CEX) volume hit a 15-month low last month, suggesting a period of "wait-and-see" from retail investors before the next big move.
> Genesis Block Fact: On this day in 2009, Satoshi embedded the famous headline: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." 17 years later, Bitcoin's market cap sits at roughly $1.8 Trillion.
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