Altcoins Surge as Ethereum Leads Crypto Market Rally; BTC Stable

I. Crypto Market Overview

Key Takeaways

Macro Environment

China's central bank injected $260B to support recovery, boosting global risk appetite. The US Fed signals a stable 2026 outlook with inflation easing and rates near neutral, reducing crypto volatility. India will update CPI and GDP data, aiming to enhance data credibility and investor confidence.

Crypto Market

The crypto market rallied in the past 12 hours, led by altcoins. Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.03% to $95,415, while Ethereum (ETH) gained 12.78% to $3,306, driven by strong staking inflows and DeFi activity. Top performers include Immutable (IMX) +10.1%, Quant (QNT) +10.1%, and The Graph (GRT) +9.0%, all supported by sector-specific catalysts and high trading volumes.

Today's Outlook

Today's highlights include the launch of the SPACE New Prediction Public Sale and ChangXin Technology's IPO review on STAR Market, which may impact China's semiconductor sector and broader tech sentiment.

Fear and Greed Index

2.00% Annual Percentile

50 Neutral

Total Crypto Market Cap

$3.23T

0.10%

Total Market Trading Volume

$81.24B

27.80%

Altcoin Season Index

25.00%

Quarterly Percentile

25 / 100

Total Futures Market Open Interest

3.75B

12.23%

Futures

564.39B

14.90%

Perpetuals

II. Industry Updates

Macro-economic Policies

China's central bank injected ¥1.85 trillion ($260B) into the financial system this week to boost economic recovery, increasing global risk appetite and potentially supporting crypto asset demand.

India will launch new CPI and GDP data series in February, updating base years and calculation methods. Improved data accuracy may enhance investor confidence and impact capital flows into digital assets.

Nigeria's Q3 2025 Balance of Payments surplus reached $4.6B, driven by FX market reforms and rising non-oil exports, strengthening external buffers and supporting local crypto market liquidity.

The US Federal Reserve Vice Chair signaled a cautiously optimistic 2026 outlook, with inflation easing and policy rates now near neutral. Stable macro conditions may reduce volatility in BTC and DeFi markets.

South Korea has legalized blockchain-based tokenized securities, enabling trading of digital assets like equities and real estate. This integration is expected to drive institutional adoption and DeFi innovation.

Cryptocurrency Regulatory Trends

Kazakhstan has enacted a new banking law integrating digital assets into its financial system, mandating licensing for crypto exchanges and expanding regulatory oversight, which is expected to boost investor protection and market compliance.

US mortgage lender Newrez will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and spot crypto ETFs for mortgage qualification from February 2026, reflecting regulatory adaptation and potentially increasing crypto's role in traditional finance.

South Korea has legalized blockchain-based tokenized securities, establishing a legal framework for their issuance and trading, which may accelerate institutional adoption and expand digital asset markets.

The US CLARITY Act vote has been delayed as lawmakers and industry leaders debate stablecoin yield restrictions and DeFi rules, prolonging regulatory uncertainty and impacting institutional confidence in the crypto sector.

The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, created a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins in the US, encouraging their integration into mainstream finance and intensifying competition in the global remittance market.

Immutable (IMX): IMX surged 10.2% in 24h to $0.299, driven by a breakout above long-term resistance and renewed gaming sector momentum, with $38.9M trading volume.

Quant (QNT): QNT rose 10.1% in 24h to $80.62, breaking key resistance with $39.5M volume; price action confirmed by strong volume expansion and enterprise adoption narrative.

The Graph (GRT): GRT climbed 9.0% in 24h to $0.0438, supported by trend continuation setups and $35.2M trading volume, as protocol usage and DeFi indexing demand increase.

Smart Money Movements

Bitmine purchased $65 million in Ethereum, reflecting growing institutional confidence and expanding its crypto portfolio beyond Bitcoin.

A major Ethereum holder increased their position by 20,000 ETH ($736 million), bringing total holdings to 223,340 ETH and realizing a $29.46 million floating profit.

A new wallet withdrew 76,661 Zcash (ZEC) worth $31.65 million from Binance, signaling significant capital movement into private storage.

Grayscale transferred 148.372 BTC, valued at approximately $14.15 million, to a Coinbase Prime address as part of ongoing ETF operations.

Strategy (MicroStrategy) acquired 13,627 BTC last week, surpassing the 3,150 BTC mined in the same period, highlighting aggressive institutional accumulation.

Events to Watch

Jan 17 (Sat)

Space SPACE New Prediction Public Sale launches; ChangXin Technology's IPO review on STAR Market may impact China's semiconductor sector.

Jan 18 (Sun)

1.9B ONDO tokens unlock, potentially increasing sell pressure if demand is insufficient; China Q4 GDP YoY growth rate estimated at 4.4%.

Jan 19 (Mon)

PBOC policy decision and LPR announcement; China Q4 GDP and December activity data release; Eurozone HICP and Core HICP data; Bank of Canada CPI and Core CPI data.

Jan 20 (Tue)

Germany releases Producer Price Index and ZEW survey for Germany and Eurozone, key for European economic sentiment.

Table of Contents