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Control over Bitcoin's price has shifted from long-term holders to newer large-scale investors, according to an analysis by CryptoQuant contributor MorenoDV. The analyst noted that new whales, defined as those holding BTC for less than 155 days and with balances over $1,000, now represent a larger share of Bitcoin's realized capitalization than original, long-term whales. This indicates a decisive shift in control over the Bitcoin supply, with a significant portion having been traded at recent high prices. The shift is critical to understanding current market dynamics, as the new whales have a realized price of approximately $98,000, well above the current spot price. As a result, this group is currently sitting on about $6 billion in unrealized losses, a factor that directly influences their trading behavior. On-chain data shows that these new whales have been the primary source of realized losses since the cycle's peak. They have repeatedly sold into price declines and used short-term bounces to exit positions, demonstrating a focus on risk management rather than conviction. In contrast, the original whales, with a realized price of around $40,000, remain substantially profitable. While they have engaged in some profit-taking, their transaction volume is minor compared to the newer cohort. MorenoDV concluded that the market's direction is now being dictated by these new whales. Until their losses are fully absorbed by the market, either through capitulation or a price recovery, a seller-dominated environment is likely to persist for Bitcoin.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has appointed a lawyer specializing in cryptocurrency as one of its two senior counsels, Cointelegraph reported. The new appointee, Michael Passalacqua, previously worked at the global law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he focused on litigation related to cryptocurrency and blockchain.

A Massachusetts court has issued a temporary injunction ordering prediction market operator Kalshi to stop offering sports betting markets, Decrypt reported. The ruling is the first of its kind in the United States. The outlet noted that such injunctions are typically granted when a plaintiff is likely to win the case. The court explained that before March of last year, Kalshi advertised itself as the "first nationwide legal sports betting platform." Although it now describes its service as a "regulated exchange dedicated to trading on the outcome of specific events," the court found Kalshi's model to be similar to other forms of digital gambling. Following the ruling, state regulators are expected to ban Kalshi from offering sports betting contracts as early as this Friday. The decision comes as numerous state governments have sought to regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket as sports betting platforms. The platforms have argued that they offer event contracts regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), not state-regulated sports betting contracts. In a separate case, a federal court in Tennessee recently ordered the state to temporarily withdraw a cease-and-desist order it had issued against Kalshi.

The stablecoin appchain Noble is transitioning its Cosmos-based blockchain into a standalone, Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible Layer 1, The Block reported. The project stated that while Cosmos has been beneficial over the past few years, it is now time to advance to the next stage. Noble explained that the move to EVM will enable the creation of a high-performance stack and a robust foundational product layer for developers. The Noble EVM is scheduled to launch on March 18.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has argued for the need to integrate Decentralized Validator Technology (DVT) directly into the Ethereum protocol, according to a post on the ethresearch community forum. DVT is a validator execution system that relies on multiple operators rather than a single node, similar to a multi-signature system. Centralized exchange Kraken is among the platforms currently utilizing this technology. Buterin stated that while various DVT solutions exist, some simpler versions offer a lower level of security because they do not perform full consensus within each validator. He noted that many organizations are exploring DVT for staking but face several challenges, including complex setup procedures and the requirement for network channels between nodes. Furthermore, Buterin pointed out that such solutions are vulnerable to quantum computing. He emphasized that making DVT a native feature of the Ethereum network could resolve these issues in a surprisingly simple way.

Layer 1 blockchain platform Sui (SUI) announced it has begun recruiting for its ecosystem internship program, LAUNCH Career. According to Sui, successful applicants will have the opportunity to join major projects within the ecosystem as full-time employees. Participants may also launch their own startups with support from Sui and can serve as future mentors or hackathon leaders. The program is a paid, three-month internship.

Daily trading volume in major prediction markets has surpassed $814 million, setting a new all-time high, The Block reported. The outlet noted that this marks the sixth consecutive month of growth and that the monthly record is also poised to be broken. So far this month, cumulative volume has reached approximately $10.5 billion, nearing the $11.5 billion recorded last December. The Block added that barring any sudden market changes, it is highly likely that this month's volume will set a new record.

Oracle solutions provider RedStone (RED) has acquired real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platform Security Token Market (STM) and its conference business for an undisclosed sum, Cointelegraph reported. The acquisition gives RedStone access to STM's data on over 800 tokenized products, including stocks, real estate, bonds, and funds, as well as the brand rights to its tokenization conference.

Prediction market platform Polymarket has been banned from operating in Portugal and Hungary, Decrypt reported. Hungarian regulators and the Portuguese gaming regulatory authority have ordered access to the platform to be blocked, determining that Polymarket offered illegal gambling. The media outlet noted that while Hungary's ban is a temporary measure that could potentially be lifted, it is part of a broader trend toward stricter regulation.

Bybit announced it will list SKR for spot trading at 2:00 a.m. UTC on Jan. 21.

Jack Mallers, CEO of the Bitcoin investment firm Twenty One Capital (XXI), predicted that Bitcoin could rise to between $150,000 and $200,000 by the end of this year. Speaking on the YouTube program The Jack Mallers Show, he noted that prolonged issues surrounding President Donald Trump's tariffs could exert continuous selling pressure on the asset. Mallers explained this is because Bitcoin is one of the world's most freely traded assets, causing its price to immediately reflect macroeconomic uncertainty. He added that in the long term, an expanding global money supply and a potential interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve could stimulate demand for safe-haven assets, which would be a positive factor for Bitcoin.

Layer 1 protocol Solayer has launched a $35 million ecosystem fund to support the development of on-chain applications, Unfolded reported.

Mastercard is considering an investment in crypto firm Zerohash after acquisition talks between the two companies broke down, according to Unfolded.

Mike Selig, the new chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has unveiled an initiative called Future Proof to reform the agency's crypto oversight framework, Coindesk reported. The initiative aims to institutionalize supervision of innovative financial sectors, including the cryptocurrency market, through formal rulemaking. In posts on X and an op-ed for The Washington Post, Selig stated that he will announce further policy changes in the near future.

Coinbase announced on Jan. 20 that it will list the ELSA/USD spot trading pair. Trading is scheduled to begin once liquidity conditions are met.

Chainlink (LINK) has unveiled its 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams, a service designed to transmit U.S. stock and ETF market data on-chain, according to its official website. The offering is an extension of the Chainlink Data Streams feature and provides fast, reliable data across all U.S. stock trading sessions. Chainlink stated that this enables the creation of an always-on, on-chain stock market infrastructure that transcends the limitations of traditional trading hours.

Delaware Life Insurance Company has launched a fixed indexed annuity that includes Bitcoin (BTC) exposure, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. The product is structured through a partnership with BlackRock and utilizes its spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT.

Greenland's prime minister has stated that the country must prepare for a potential military invasion, Walter Bloomberg reported. The prime minister noted that while an invasion is not highly probable, the threat cannot be ruled out amid ongoing pressure from the United States. In response, the Greenlandic government is establishing a dedicated task force for emergency situations and plans to issue guidelines to residents, including instructions to stockpile essential supplies for several days. The prime minister also mentioned that Denmark and its allies are reinforcing their defense posture in the Arctic, explaining that these measures are intended to strengthen the community's readiness for a crisis.

Staking and validator infrastructure firm TenX Protocols has acquired 5,542,935 XTZ as part of a strategic staking partnership with the Tezos Foundation, CoinDesk reported. The acquisition, valued at approximately $3.25 million, was made at an average price of $0.5868 per token through a combination of on-market and over-the-counter (OTC) trades between Jan. 2 and Jan. 19. TenX Protocols stated it plans to stake the XTZ through its own validator to generate recurring revenue.

Four members of Russia's State Duma have introduced a bill to impose fines for illegal cryptocurrency mining, Wu Blockchain reported. The draft legislation proposes fines for individuals ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 rubles (up to $1,930). Public officials would face penalties of 300,000 to 800,000 rubles (up to $10,300), while legal entities could be fined up to 2 million rubles ($25,700).

The U.S. Supreme Court will not issue its ruling on the Trump administration's tariff policy today, Walter Bloomberg reported. The decision was previously scheduled for 3:00 p.m. UTC on Jan. 20.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. government plans to incorporate seized Bitcoin (BTC) into a digital asset reserve, Watcher.Guru reported.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has fallen below $90,000. BTC is trading at $89,999 on the Binance USDT market.

Major exchanges have seen $121 million worth of futures liquidated in the past hour. In the past 24 hours, $505 million worth of futures have been liquidated.

Whale Alert reported that 3,000 million USDT has been burned at the Tether Treasury.