Finance: News, Insights, Predictions

BNB Smart Chain is set to implement its Fermi hard fork on January 15, which will feature a reduced block time.

Bitcoin temporarily fell below $90,000 as investors took profits, leading to declines in Ethereum (ETH), XRP, and Binance Coin (BNB).

Bitcoin has dropped below $90,000 after reaching a 30-day high of $94,000 earlier in the week. Sellers have pushed the cryptocurrency's price down to $89,700.

The 2025 upgrade of BNB Chain significantly reduced transaction fees by 98%, decreased block times to under one second, and sparked substantial user growth and renewed interest in BNB.

Despite a decline of over 35% from its all-time high, several fundamental factors could influence BNB's price trajectory in 2026.

The decline in BNB's value below $885 is likely influenced by a civil conflict within a prominent BNB treasury firm, as a shareholder is contesting the company's leadership.

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization fell from $3.17 trillion to $3.12 trillion over the past 24 hours, marking a decline of 1.52%. Bitcoin's price is currently down by 1.84%. Meanwhile, ELF has surged by 49.38%, making Onyxcoin the Coin of the Day.

Bitcoin Cash has surpassed the significant resistance level of $638.90, showing resilience despite overall market weakness. This surge is driven by its recent listing on Binance and forthcoming protocol upgrades, which have contributed to its upward momentum.

BTC holders are generating a passive income of €9,800 daily through CryptoEasily, which provides top news, forecasts, exchange rate data, and transfer comparisons.

The core development team of Zcash has resigned due to a governance dispute, leading to significant price volatility and raising concerns about the future direction of the cryptocurrency.

Investors are looking ahead to 2026, with 11 promising cryptocurrencies emerging as top choices. The demand for APEMARS Stage 2 is rapidly increasing, highlighting its potential in the market.

The total altcoin market capitalization, TOTAL2, currently stands 55% below its peak levels, indicating a phase of market consolidation. Both USDT and USDC continue to exhibit strong liquidity and stability as investors focus on five high-conviction tokens.

Bitcoin Cash USD (BCHUSD) is currently trading at $645.56, reflecting a daily increase of 0.98% as of January 8, 2026. The cryptocurrency has demonstrated consistent momentum, achieving a total gain of 9.72%.

XRP's tokenized assets on the XRPL increased significantly from $24.7 million to $567.9 million in 2025, although this figure remains far behind Ethereum, which boasts tens of billions in tokenized assets. Additionally, Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin achieved a market capitalization of $1.3 billion.

Current market trends have exhibited fluctuations in value. Recent updates suggest that XRP is aiming for significant price targets, with predictions indicating it could potentially reach $10 by 2026, while another emerging cryptocurrency is eyeing an $8 target.

Ripple's XRP token is gaining attention as significant quantities are being withdrawn from major exchanges like Upbit and Binance.

Ripple is exploring a potential partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance the speed and scalability of the XRP Ledger (XRPL).

XRP has had a robust beginning to the year, rising more than 20% from its lows in December. Ripple Labs' native token, XRP, is performing well alongside the overall cryptocurrency market.

XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have received $1.3 billion in investments over the past 50 days, coinciding with exchange balances reaching their lowest levels in eight years. The question now is whether institutional demand can drive XRP's price to $4, or if it will remain capped at $2.50.

In the latest CoinDesk 20 performance update, Ripple (XRP) saw a decline of 4.5%, while Aptos (APT) fared even worse with a drop of 5% since Wednesday.

Standard Chartered's $8 price target for XRP is gaining attention as XRP whale activity increases. Meanwhile, Ripple has stated that there are no current plans for an initial public offering (IPO).

XRP has gained a unique position with clear regulatory approval in the U.S. following significant court decisions, establishing Ripple's token with a defined legal status while much of the cryptocurrency market continues to face uncertainty.

The article discusses the author's investment journey, highlighting the similarities between investing in Bitcoin and considering XRP (Ripple) as a potential investment. The author reflects on how both cryptocurrencies have attracted attention and the potential for significant returns, comparing the early days of Bitcoin with the current interest in XRP.

XRP Ledger experienced a significant increase in whale activity at the beginning of the week, as reported by on-chain data provider Santiment, which highlighted a rise in large-value transfers exceeding $100,000, reaching a three-month high.

On January 8, the cryptocurrency market experienced a decline, with the global market capitalization falling to $3.1 trillion. Bitcoin's price dropped below $91,000, while Lighter emerged as the top gainer of the day.