Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
Bitcoin/Crypto Daily Podcast 01/16/2026
Welcome back to the show. Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Monero Price Hits All-Time High After a 60% Breakout, Here’s Why
By Mohammad Shahid — January 16, 2026 | Source: BeInCrypto
Monero surged past $797 to a new all-time high amid a week-long, 50%+ rally driven by escalating demand for financial privacy and front-running ahead of potential restrictions. Capital rotated from Zcash following governance turmoil, while a clean technical break above $600–$650 drew in momentum players. The move underscores how tighter surveillance debates, including CLARITY Act revisions, are elevating the case for privacy coins—even as XMR faces near-term resistance around $700.
Bitcoin ETFs post record 2026 inflows as BTC rallies above $97K
By Helen Partz — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Spot Bitcoin ETFs logged three straight days of strong inflows, including a 2026 single-day record of $843.6 million, as BTC revisited two-month highs above $97,000. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $648 million, while cumulative January inflows reached $1.5 billion across nine trading days. The rekindled demand also pushed the Crypto Fear & Greed Index back into “greed,” signaling improving risk appetite.
La regulación cripto deja en el aire los 100.000 dólares del bitcoin y 5 billones en depósitos
By Alejandro Sánchez — January 15, 2026 | Source: Expansión
U.S. crypto regulation is in focus as Bitcoin edges back toward $100,000 and a Senate Banking markup is delayed, leaving key provisions—like commodity treatment for certain altcoins and a path to altcoin ETFs—up in the air. A Treasury-linked analysis warns that up to $6 trillion in U.S. bank deposits could migrate to stablecoins if interest-paying features aren’t curbed. The stakes span both digital assets and traditional banking, with potential changes to stablecoin incentives and DeFi rules shaping flows into 2026.
Lemon launches Bitcoin-backed credit card in cash-hoarding Argentina
By Christina Comben — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Lemon rolled out a Bitcoin-backed Visa credit card in Argentina, letting users post 0.01 BTC as collateral for a 1 million peso credit line without selling their coins. The product targets a market scarred by bank crises and dollar hoarding, with plans to expand into stablecoin settlement. It’s another sign that crypto-collateralized credit is moving mainstream in Latin America’s increasingly crypto-native financial rails.
Sygnum sees tokenization and state Bitcoin reserves taking off in 2026
By Zoltan Vardai — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Sygnum forecasts that clearer U.S. rules (CLARITY Act, potential Bitcoin Act) could spur sovereign BTC reserves—potentially from at least three G20 or G20‑equivalent economies—with modest allocations creating outsized signaling effects. The bank also expects tokenization to hit the mainstream, projecting up to 10% of new bond issuance could be on-chain thanks to faster settlement and collateral efficiency. Skeptics see adoption skewing toward U.S. states and municipalities first, but the institutional shift is underway.
Crypto Fear & Greed index flips to ‘greed’ for first time since October
By Stephen Katte — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Market sentiment swung back to “greed” with a 61 reading as Bitcoin climbed to a two-month high near $97,700. On-chain data shows a drop in non-empty wallets and a seven-month low in BTC held on exchanges, both often interpreted as bullish. The shift suggests traders are leaning back in as supply tightens and spot demand improves.
Short squeeze hits top 500 cryptos as traders unwind bearish bets
By Zoltan Vardai — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Crypto logged its largest short squeeze since October with roughly $200 million in shorts liquidated across the top 500 coins, led by Bitcoin ($71M), Ether ($43M), and Dash ($24M). The unwind, coupled with improving sentiment, fueled hopes of a broader recovery as Bitcoin begins to outperform the U.S. dollar amid geopolitical uncertainty. Short squeezes can accelerate upside by forcing bears to buy back, reducing sell pressure.
Bitcoin open interest falls 30%, setting up bullish recovery: Analyst
By Martin Young — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Bitcoin derivatives open interest has dropped about 31% since October, a deleveraging move that historically aligns with market bottoms and more durable recoveries. While options positioning is skewed to the $100,000 strike, analysts note derivatives markets haven’t yet flipped structurally bullish. The reset lowers liquidation risk and suggests recent gains are increasingly spot-led, a healthier setup.
Crypto industry split over CLARITY Act after Coinbase breaks ranks
By Martin Young — January 15, 2026 | Source: Cointelegraph
Coinbase withdrew support for the CLARITY Act, citing concerns over privacy, DeFi prohibitions, tokenized equities, and stablecoin rewards—while a16z and Coin Center argue that imperfect progress still brings needed rules of the road. The Senate Banking Committee delayed markup, but markets appear to be pricing the possibility of a clearer U.S. framework. How the bill evolves will shape innovation, surveillance boundaries, and the stability of U.S. digital asset markets.
Uno stato fondato sul bitcoin
By Josh Spero — January 16, 2026 | Source: Internazionale
A Bitcoin billionaire is backing “Destiny,” a network‑state style community in Nevis enabled by a new Special Sustainability Zones law, promising villas, clinics, and private dispute mechanisms. Locals worry about resource strain, displacement, and a de facto “state within a state,” while proponents tout investment and jobs. The project highlights how crypto wealth and governance experiments are testing the limits of local autonomy and regulation.
