Cryptocurrency News, Thursday, January 15, 2026: Bitcoin Hits Two-Month High, Chainlink-ETF Launches on NYSE
Opening trading on January 15, the cryptocurrency market is showing optimism: total market capitalization has surpassed $3.23 trillion, reflecting a growth of over 3% in a day. Below are the key market indicators:
- Bitcoin fluctuated within the range of $91,800–$96,500, nearing a two-month peak of around $96,000.
- Ethereum is trading at approximately $3,330 (+6.0% over the day), Ripple (XRP) at around $2.15 (+3.7%), Dogecoin at ~$0.148 (+6.0%), and Cardano at ~$0.421 (+6.6%).
- Binance Coin (BNB) is priced at around $937 (+3.0%), Solana at approximately $145 (+2.1%), with other leading altcoins also experiencing growth amid the overall bullish sentiment.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin continues its recovery following December's correction. On Wednesday, the price of BTC reached $96,348 on Asian exchanges, the highest since mid-November, maintaining a steady upward trend in January. As of the morning of January 15, BTC is valued at around $95,000, approximately 5% higher than at the start of the year. Despite being about 27% below its all-time high of $126,000 (October 2025), experts remain optimistic. They estimate that depending on macroeconomic dynamics, the potential price range for the end of 2026 could be between $75,000–100,000 to $200,000–250,000 per coin. Geopolitical instability and low interest rates enhance interest in Bitcoin as "digital gold" — a hedge against global economic uncertainty.
Altcoins and Other Assets
The wave of recovery has also affected most altcoins. Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has risen to ~$3,300 (up ~6% over the day) and aims to exceed key levels of technical resistance. Other major coins are also trading above yesterday's prices: XRP at around $2.15 (+3.7%), Dogecoin ~$0.15 (+6%), Binance Coin ~$937 (+3%), Solana ~$145 (+2.1%), Cardano ~$0.42 (+6.6%). There is a noticeable surge in activity in the privacy coin market: Monero (XMR) has reached an all-time high, surpassing $680 per coin amid growing interest in transaction anonymity. Analysts note that the theme of privacy is coming to the forefront in the crypto industry.
Institutional Trends
Institutional players and large funds are actively increasing their positions in cryptocurrencies. According to analysts, corporate hedge funds and public companies have bought approximately 260,000 BTC over the last six months — nearly three times the mining volume for the same period. The largest holder of corporate Bitcoin reserves remains MicroStrategy (around 687,000 BTC, over 60% of all corporate stocks) — at the beginning of January, the company announced a record purchase of 13,627 BTC in one week. Beyond Bitcoin buyers, there is also sustained interest in crypto ETFs: in 2025, over $22 billion in net inflows went to spot Bitcoin ETFs, supporting demand for this asset. For the first time, the range of such products is expanding — on January 15, 2026, the world's first cryptocurrency spot ETF for Chainlink (ticker CLNK) will begin trading on the NYSE Arca, allowing investors to gain direct exposure to LINK without the need to self-custody the tokens.
Regulation and Legislation
Active discussions regarding the legal status of cryptocurrencies continue in various countries. In Russia, the State Duma is preparing a bill that will remove digital assets from "special regulation" and equalize them with standard financial instruments. According to the initiative, non-qualified investors will be allowed to purchase cryptocurrency up to 300,000 rubles per month, and crypto itself will be officially recognized as a means of payment. This law is expected to become one of the main topics of the parliamentary spring session. In the U.S., the Senate has suspended hearings on the cryptocurrency regulation bill, indicating the need for further discussion on regulatory measures. Simultaneously, several countries, including some European and Asian jurisdictions, are considering easing rules for cryptocurrency platforms and investors, creating an overall positive sentiment for the market.
Top 10 Popular Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin (BTC) – the first and most well-known cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has the largest market capitalization and is viewed by investors as "digital gold," serving as a hedge against inflation.
- Ethereum (ETH) – the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and the main platform for smart contracts and DeFi applications. Ethereum supports thousands of decentralized protocols and continues to attract investors focused on industry growth.
- Binance Coin (BNB) – the native token of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. BNB is used to pay fees on the platform and to participate in projects on the Binance Smart Chain blockchain, making it a popular tool within the Binance ecosystem.
- Ripple (XRP) – the token of the Ripple payment network designed for fast international transfers. XRP is known for its high transaction speed and is supported by financial institutions despite ongoing legal battles with regulators.
- Solana (SOL) – a high-throughput blockchain known for low fees and fast transaction confirmations. SOL is widely used in NFT projects and gaming applications due to the network's performance.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) – a meme cryptocurrency initially created as a joke project but has gained widespread popularity. DOGE is often used for micropayments and donations, attracting attention due to support from prominent entrepreneurs and its growing community.
- Cardano (ADA) – a next-generation blockchain with a Proof-of-Stake consensus model grounded in research. ADA is designed for scalable and energy-efficient applications, and its development is supported by a reliable team of developers.
- Polkadot (DOT) – a multi-chain protocol allowing different blockchains to interact with one another. DOT facilitates the exchange of data and assets between networks, expanding the possibilities for decentralized finance and cross-chain applications.
- Avalanche (AVAX) – a blockchain platform known for high speed and customizable architecture. AVAX is actively used in DeFi projects and offers the ability to create custom subnets, allowing adaptation of the network for different business cases.
- Chainlink (LINK) – a decentralized oracle network that transmits external data to blockchains. LINK enables smart contracts to access asset prices and events from the real world. At the beginning of 2026, the first spot ETF based on LINK will launch, further increasing investor interest in this coin.
In conclusion, it can be noted that optimism among investors remains high in the global cryptocurrency market. Key drivers continue to be institutional investments (bank funds and corporate reserves), the launch of new financial products (ETFs for altcoins), and macroeconomic factors. Simultaneously, regulatory initiatives in many countries create conditions for broader integration of cryptocurrencies into the economy. However, investors should be prepared for volatility: decisions by the Federal Reserve on interest rates, news about global inflation, and other unexpected events may cause short-term market fluctuations. Key levels to watch for market participants are the $100,000 mark for Bitcoin and the $4,000–$5,000 level for Ethereum. A breakout beyond these levels, according to analysts, could pave the way for the next rally in the crypto space. In the current conditions, maintaining a diversified portfolio and considering long-term fundamental factors remain important strategies for investors.
