First of all, Happy New Year!!! Yeah. Today, the first day of 2026, crypto seems unusual considering how quickly things moved just a few months ago. BTC USD sits at $87,000, barely changed from its price levels since Christmas. ETH USD is also moving quietly, settling just under $3,000 as the market calms through 2026.
There is some movement, but it’s slow and measured, even though we have a sudden up and down movement, it looks like it’s trying to dodge both the shorter ones and the longer ones.
This slower pace follows a difficult stretch. In 2025, the total crypto market capitalization fell from $3.26 trillion to $3 trillion, erasing around $300 billion, although it passed $4 trillion mid-year. Despite this, BTC USD and ETH USD held firm near key support zones.
(source – CoinGecko)
BTC USD continues to trade in a narrow band. Price support formed at $85,000, while resistance remains near $90,000. Sentiment indicators tell us we are cautious, and social metrics show risk levels remain relatively low. We hope these conditions bring back some volatility, or better yet, a pump.
ETH USD is also drawing stable lines. Ethereum has built higher lows, creating a constructive structure. A confirmed breakout could push ETH USD towards the $3,500 zone. At the same time, the ETH/USD stablecoin ratio is close to levels last seen around previous market pico levels.
The confidence of the long-time actors hasn’t disappeared either. Tom Lee’s BitMine added over 32,000 ETH and staked a much larger amount, a confidence in Ethereum despite the asset closing in 2025 with nine negative months, a similar trend to the 2018 bear market.
(source – Cryptorank)
For me, however, BTC, as the very first crypto, will always decide how alts evolve. But if those who get up early catch the worm, why do good things come to those who wait?
DISCOVER: 10+ next cryptos at 100X In
Outside of charts, crypto today is also shaped by regulation and adoption. In the UK, new rules now require exchanges to report user transactions to tax authorities, closing compliance gaps without blocking innovation. Lawmakers in the United States are preparing to move forward with legislation on crypto market structure later this month.
Adoption also continues. Ferrari has expanded Ethereum payments to the US and Europe, while Visa settles billions in stablecoin volume using Ethereum. And the ETH mainnet recently processed 2.2 million transactions in a single day, with average fees falling to around 17 cents USD.
