Crypto asset manager Bitwise debuted an exchange-traded fund on Thursday that offers exposure to cryptocurrency and precious metals, positioning the product as a way for investors to capitalize on the debasement of fiat currencies, including the U.S. dollar. The Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF, which trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol BPRO, is issued in partnership with Proficio Capital Partners, a Boston-based investment advisory firm that manages around $5 billion in assets, according to ...

Core Insights - The Dogecoin Foundation has launched a spot Dogecoin ETF on Nasdaq under the ticker TDOG, allowing investors to gain exposure to Dogecoin without using self-hosted wallets or crypto exchanges [1] - This ETF is the first to receive endorsement from the Dogecoin Foundation and the first to gain SEC approval, marking a significant regulatory milestone for Dogecoin [2][3] Group 1: ETF Launch and Features - The Dogecoin ETF began trading on Nasdaq, providing a new investment vehicle for both retail and institutional investors [1] - It is the only Dogecoin ETF endorsed by the Dogecoin Foundation, differentiating it from previously launched ETFs by Grayscale and Bitwise [2] - The SEC's approval of the ETF indicates that Dogecoin is not classified as a security, which is a pivotal development for the cryptocurrency [3] Group 2: Market Appeal and Strategy - The president of 21Shares anticipates that the ETF will attract younger, affluent traders seeking crypto exposure through traditional brokers [4] - The Dogecoin Foundation's corporate arm, House of Doge, aims to transition Dogecoin from a meme to a viable global payment system, supported by notable figures like Elon Musk's attorney [5] - Despite skepticism regarding the ETF's rollout, 21Shares views this as an opportunity to engage investors and stimulate interest in Dogecoin [6]

Core Insights - XRP is a digital asset that serves as the native token of the XRP Ledger, facilitating fast and efficient cross-border payments with the capability to process 1,500 transactions per second, significantly outperforming Bitcoin's 3 transactions per second [2] - The regulatory landscape for XRP has improved following the SEC's conclusion of its lawsuit against Ripple in August 2025, reducing previous uncertainties [3] Market Position - XRP is currently the fifth largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $115 billion, which is relatively small compared to Bitcoin's market dominance of over $1.7 trillion [4] - Advisors typically view XRP as a satellite investment rather than a core holding, suggesting that investors may want to maintain Bitcoin as a primary asset while allocating a portion to XRP [4] ETF Developments - The launch of XRP ETFs has gained momentum, starting with derivatives-based products in early 2025, followed by the introduction of spot XRP ETFs, including the first one launched by REX-Osprey in September 2025 [5][6] - The Canary XRP ETF (XRPC) currently holds the most assets at $374 million, with other ETFs like Bitwise XRP and Grayscale's GXRP also seeing significant inflows [8] Investment Strategy - For newer investors, XRP presents an attractive opportunity in the banking and financial sector, serving as a complement to core crypto holdings like Bitcoin in a diversified portfolio [10]

Core Insights - Chainlink (LINK) is identified as a crucial piece of crypto infrastructure that is often overlooked by investors, despite its significant market capitalization of nearly $10 billion, making it the 11th-largest crypto asset [1] - Bitwise's chief investment officer, Matt Hougan, emphasizes that Chainlink is one of the least understood yet most important and potentially undervalued crypto assets, arguing that its description as merely a data oracle is insufficient [2] Company Overview - Chainlink was launched in 2017 by Sergey Nazarov and Steve Ellis as a decentralized network designed to connect smart contracts with real-world data, thereby serving as a core infrastructure layer that bridges blockchains with external systems [3] - The platform enables blockchain applications to securely access off-chain information, which is essential for their functionality in real-world financial systems [4] Investment Case - Chainlink's value proposition becomes clearer when viewed from an institutional perspective, as it is integral to the functioning of stablecoins, tokenized assets, and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, which rely on its services for pricing, compliance, and settlement [5] - The asset has gained adoption among major financial institutions, including SWIFT, DTCC, JPMorgan, Visa, Mastercard, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Euroclear, and Deutsche Börse, indicating its embeddedness in both crypto-native and traditional financial sectors [6]

Group 1 - A significant surge of capital into digital asset investment products occurred last week, with inflows totaling $2.17 billion, marking the highest weekly total since October 2025 [1] - U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) contributed the most to the inflows, with a net flow of approximately $1.42 billion, led by BlackRock's IBIT with $1.03 billion [2] - Bitcoin dominated the inflows with $1.55 billion, while Ethereum and Solana also saw inflows of $496 million and $45.5 million, respectively [3] Group 2 - The current market environment is influenced by macro factors and global tensions, which have a short-term impact on the crypto market, despite recent inflows [4] - Bitcoin's recent price drop has potential for recovery, with a prediction market indicating an 83.7% chance of Bitcoin reaching the $100,000 level [5]

Core Viewpoint - XRP's price has experienced a decline amid a broader crypto market correction, falling 4% and losing the $2.0 support level, yet spot XRP ETF inflows continue to sustain investor optimism [1] Price Movement and Market Sentiment - XRP's price has dropped nearly 18% from its January 6 high of $2.40, with bearish sentiment prevailing in the market [1] - After consolidating between $2.05 and $2.06, XRP reached an intraday low of $1.906 before rebounding to $1.97 [2] - Open interest for XRP decreased by 10% to $3.58 billion, while daily trading volume surged by 166% to $3.66 billion [2] Technical Analysis - Analyst Crypto Patel indicates that XRP is trading above a confirmed multi-year breakout zone, suggesting potential for a significant upside move following a prolonged accumulation phase [3] - Patel highlights a descending wedge breakout from 2020 to 2024 as a key technical catalyst, with XRP's focus area around a fair value gap between $1.90 and $1.30 [4] - The bullish structure remains intact as long as XRP stays above $1.30, with upside targets set at $3.50, $5.00, $8.70, and $10 [4] ETF Inflows - Despite the price pullback, inflows into spot XRP ETFs have remained consistent, with net inflows rising by $1.12 million on January 16, bringing cumulative net inflows to $1.28 billion [5] - Grayscale's GXRP ETF saw inflows of over $287 million, while Bitwise's XRP ETF added $310 million, both reaching assets of approximately $291 million [6] - Year-to-date, spot XRP ETFs have attracted over $108 million, with total assets exceeding $1.52 billion for the first time [6]

Market Overview - The cryptocurrency market capitalization has decreased by 3% over the past 24 hours, now standing at $3.21 trillion, with 95 of the top 100 coins experiencing price declines [6][5][12] - Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped by 2.7% to $92,532, while Ethereum (ETH) is down 3.6% to $3,192 [5][10] Price Movements - BTC began the day at $95,000, reaching an intraday high of $95,467 before falling to a low of $92,263 [9] - ETH traded between $3,089 and $3,379, with a current price of $3,192 [11][10] Market Sentiment - The crypto fear and greed index has fallen from 50 to 49, indicating market uncertainty [12] - Market participants are awaiting macroeconomic and geopolitical signals to guide near-term movements [12] Investment Trends - Newrez, a mortgage lender, will allow specific crypto holdings, including Bitcoin and Ether, to be used as qualifying assets in its mortgage underwriting process [2][5] - Steak 'n Shake has purchased $10 million of BTC for its treasury, marking its first direct allocation since accepting crypto payments [15][16] ETF Flows - US BTC spot ETFs recorded outflows of $394.68 million, while ETH spot ETFs saw inflows of $4.64 million [5][14] - Among twelve BTC ETFs, only one posted positive flows, while four recorded outflows [13] Future Projections - Analysts suggest that BTC may see further downside unless buyers step in, with strong support around $88,000 [8][6] - A close above $104,000 would indicate the start of Wave V in the current bull run, while a drop below $80,000 could lead to a decline towards the low $70,000 range [7][5]

Core Insights - The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) provides direct exposure to Bitcoin with a lower expense ratio and larger assets under management compared to the Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ), which focuses on crypto-related equities and has a more diversified portfolio [2][3] Cost & Size Comparison - IBIT has an expense ratio of 0.25% and assets under management (AUM) of $70.1 billion, while BITQ has an expense ratio of 0.85% and AUM of $400.6 million [4] - The one-year return for IBIT is -5.0%, whereas BITQ has a one-year return of 26.3% [4][5] Performance & Risk Comparison - Over a two-year period, IBIT has a maximum drawdown of -32.73%, while BITQ has a maximum drawdown of -51.22% [6] - The growth of a $1,000 investment over two years is $1,921 for IBIT and $2,023 for BITQ [6] Portfolio Composition - BITQ invests in 33 companies across various sectors, with major holdings including Iren (14.68%), Coinbase Global (8.39%), and Microstrategy (6.80%) [7] - IBIT exclusively holds Bitcoin and cash, resulting in direct price tracking of Bitcoin without equity diversification [8] Liquidity and Trading Considerations - IBIT's larger size and liquidity make it more suitable for larger trades or institutional investors compared to BITQ, which has higher expense ratios and deeper drawdowns [9]

Core Insights - Ethereum USD has maintained a strong performance in early 2026, remaining above $3,300 as institutional buyers replace short-term speculators, leading to a price increase of over 10% since the start of the year [1][2] Institutional Demand and Market Dynamics - ETFs and publicly traded Ethereum Treasury firms have significantly contributed to Ethereum's recent strength, as institutions and Digital Asset Trusts (DATs) seek to secure Ethereum staking yields, creating organic demand for ETH [2] - Spot buyers have emerged as a key factor in the current rally, contrasting with previous crypto rallies that relied heavily on leverage, which can lead to forced selling during price fluctuations [3][5] - Data indicates a decline in Ethereum's estimated leverage ratio, which has historically correlated with price surges; for instance, a drop from 0.65 in April 2025 to below 0.60 resulted in a price increase from $1,600 to $2,700 by June [5][6] Supply Dynamics - Spot ETH ETFs have seen record inflows of $175 million on January 14, 2026, marking four consecutive days of positive flows, highlighting the growing interest from traditional investors [7] - Ethereum balances on exchanges have reached seven-year lows, indicating a decrease in readily available supply, which typically leads to price increases due to scarcity [8] - Over 29% of the total ETH supply is currently locked in the native staking contract, with institutions capitalizing on a 2.8% annual percentage yield (APY) [9]

Core Viewpoint - The article compares the Bitwise Solana ETF (BSOL) and the Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL), highlighting the differences in their structures and investment strategies [1]. Group 1: Investment Products - The Bitwise Solana ETF (BSOL) is designed to provide exposure to Solana (SOL) through an exchange-traded fund structure, which may offer advantages in liquidity and trading flexibility [1]. - The Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL) operates as a private trust, which may limit its accessibility and liquidity compared to ETFs [1]. Group 2: Analyst Background - The author has a background as a media research analyst with a focus on cryptocurrency, Bitcoin miners, metals, and media equities, indicating a strong foundation in these sectors [1]. - The author also writes a newsletter called the Heretic Speculator, further emphasizing their expertise in investment analysis [1].