Global Cryptocurrency News, Sunday, January 11, 2026: Bitcoin Consolidates Around $90k After a Volatile Week, Moderate Growth for Ethereum and Major Altcoins Amid Macroeconomic Uncertainty, Institutional Interest Persists, Top 10 Popular Cryptocurrencies.
As of the morning of January 11, 2026, the cryptocurrency market has stabilized overall following significant fluctuations in previous days. The price of Bitcoin hovers around $91,000, with the total market capitalization estimated at approximately $3.1 trillion after a brief downturn midweek. Following Bitcoin, the leading altcoins, particularly Ethereum, also experience a more confident market sentiment: many of the top 10 digital assets are showing moderate gains. Investors, including institutional players, remain active in the cryptocurrency market, albeit with caution given the mixed macroeconomic signals and adjusted prices. Long-term factors such as heightened regulation and the integration of cryptocurrency instruments into traditional financial platforms continue to support industry interest.
Bitcoin Consolidates Around $90k
Following a volatile start to the year, Bitcoin (BTC) is consolidating around the psychologically significant level of $90–91k. In the early days of January, the first cryptocurrency attempted to rise: on January 5, the price climbed to approximately $94,800 (a local peak over recent months), but thereafter corrected. By the morning of January 8, BTC temporarily dropped below $90,000, negating the week’s earlier gains; however, it has since recovered to around $91,000. Current levels are about 25% below the all-time high (around $124k, reached in August 2025), yet since the beginning of 2026, BTC has still shown growth of about 3%. Bitcoin's market capitalization is valued at approximately $1.8 trillion, accounting for roughly 58% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization.
Analysts note that Bitcoin's dynamics are influenced by conflicting news trends. On the one hand, there are expectations of easing monetary policy: weak economic data in the U.S. (for instance, the December ADP report, which showed an increase of only ~41k new jobs instead of the expected 50k) has heightened forecasts that the Federal Reserve may begin lowering interest rates in the second half of 2026. A looser monetary policy typically favors risk assets like cryptocurrencies, sustaining bullish sentiment. On the other hand, geopolitical uncertainty caps growth: investors are cautiously awaiting resolutions to trade disputes and other political factors. For instance, market attention has turned to the U.S. Supreme Court hearing on the legality of tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, the outcome of which could impact risk appetite. Under these conditions, Bitcoin demonstrates relative resilience—on its 17th anniversary (the genesis block of BTC was mined on January 3, 2009), the first cryptocurrency retains its status as "digital gold" and a key industry asset.
Ethereum Maintains Second Position
The price of Ethereum (ETH) is mirroring Bitcoin's trends and is trading around $3,200 as of January 11. In the early days of the new year, Ethereum reached approximately $3,300, marking its highest levels since the fall, with ETH gaining around 6% over the week. Despite pulling back from historical highs ($4,900 in November 2021), Ethereum confidently retains its status as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. The current market cap of ETH stands at around $380 billion, equivalent to ~12% of the total cryptocurrency market value.
Interest in the smart contract platform remains robust. Institutional investors gained a new avenue to invest in Ethereum in 2025, with the introduction of the first spot ETFs on Ethereum in the U.S., driving a record influx of capital into ETH-related investment products. This reflects the confidence of major players in Ethereum's long-term prospects as a foundational infrastructure for decentralized applications (DeFi, NFTs, etc.). The technical development of the ecosystem continues: network upgrades and scaling solutions (layer-two solutions) strengthen Ethereum's market position. Experts note that with a combination of technological leadership and institutional backing, Ethereum maintains potential for further price appreciation in the medium term.
Altcoins: Mixed Market Dynamics
After a tumultuous rise in 2025, the broad altcoin market is showing mixed movement at the start of 2026. Prices of most major cryptocurrencies have changed minimally (within a few percentage points) in recent days, reflecting a consolidation phase. The total market capitalization of altcoins (excluding Bitcoin) remains around ~$1.3 trillion, significantly lower than the peak of $1.7 trillion recorded last summer, but it indicates sustained interest from investors in alternative digital assets. Some larger altcoins continue to trade close to their multi-year peaks. For example, Ripple (XRP)—the token for cross-border payments—has managed to maintain high levels thanks to legal clarity regarding its status (the company's victory over the SEC in 2025) and the appearance of ETFs based on it. XRP is currently trading above $2 (for comparison, its 2025 peak was about $3), and its market capitalization (~$100 billion) has once again secured its place in the top three. Another example is Binance Coin (BNB): despite regulatory pressure surrounding the Binance exchange, the token is valued at about $500 (with a market cap of around $80 billion) and is among the top five. Although the current price of BNB is below its all-time high (~$750), the coin demonstrates resilience due to its broad applicability within the exchange ecosystem and the BNB Chain blockchain.
High performance is also demonstrated by platform tokens. Solana (SOL) has climbed back above $150 per coin at the beginning of January for the first time since 2022. SOL’s support was bolstered by news of the launch of the first spot ETF based on this network in the U.S. in late 2025—access to new investments gave momentum to the growth, and Solana’s market cap is now approaching ~$60–70 billion. Another top ten altcoin, Cardano (ADA), has caught analysts' attention: at the end of last year, investment firm Grayscale filed for launching an ETF connected with ADA, which has sparked interest in the platform. As a result, ADA at times has shown double-digit percentage price growth (although the crucial psychological mark of $1 has yet to be surpassed), confirming its status as one of the most promising projects. The segment of meme cryptocurrencies also witnessed a surge in demand: in the first week of January, there was a spike in interest for high-risk "meme coins." For instance, Dogecoin (DOGE) increased by more than 20% over seven days, while Shiba Inu (SHIB) rose by nearly 19%. The total market cap of the meme token market has exceeded $45 billion, reflecting active participation from retail traders and a growing appetite for risk in specific market niches.
Institutional Investors and Crypto ETFs
One of the key trends in recent months is the high engagement of institutional investors in cryptocurrencies. In 2025, the U.S. approved the first ETFs based on Bitcoin and Ethereum, granting access to digital assets for a wide array of large players through traditional stock exchanges. By the end of the year, regulators also allowed ETFs on certain altcoins—among them XRP and Solana. The emergence of these instruments marked an important milestone, demonstrating the expanding interest from the financial industry in various crypto assets.
Riding the wave of new fund launches, the initial weeks of their operation brought record capital inflows. However, by the beginning of 2026, the dynamics somewhat shifted: data from recent days have indicated that spot crypto ETFs faced short-term outflows amid price corrections. For instance, during trading on January 7–8, a total outflow from American Bitcoin funds amounted to about $0.5 billion, and Ethereum-based funds saw a loss of approximately $0.16 billion—this marked the first series of consecutive sessions with net capital outflows since their launch. Experts view this trend as profit-taking following the late-2025 rally rather than a decline in confidence: institutional players still hold record volumes of crypto assets historically. Major asset management firms (BlackRock, Fidelity, etc.), hedge funds, and even pension programs have incorporated Bitcoin and Ethereum into their portfolios, considering them as a prospective asset class for diversification. Factors supporting significant money interest in crypto include hedging against inflation risks, increasing adoption of blockchain technology, and client demand. Currently, regulators are reviewing applications for launching ETFs related to other cryptocurrencies (such as Cardano), indicating further expansion of institutional participation in the market going forward.
Market Sentiment and Volatility
The autumn correction of 2025 noticeably cooled market participants' enthusiasm, and investor sentiment remains cautious. The Fear and Greed Index for cryptocurrencies has been in the “fear” zone since mid-December. As of January 8, its value was 28 out of 100 points, reflecting traders' prevailing apprehension and inclination towards cautious trading. Analysts note that prolonged periods of low index values may signal an oversold market—similar levels have often preceded local upward reversals, as the most nervous players have already exited their positions. On the other hand, sustained fear indicates that confidence has not yet returned after the recent price collapse. This contradictory tendency is evident in the market's structure: despite the overall "fear" index, pockets of speculative activity (such as the rise of meme tokens) indicate mixed sentiment among different groups of investors. Experts advise market participants to maintain composure and manage risks: until new fundamental drivers emerge, sudden surges in optimism may quickly be followed by sell-offs.
Short-term volatility remains high. Sharp price movements in early January led to mass liquidations of leveraged positions on cryptocurrency exchanges. According to Coinglass, over 24 hours leading to the morning of January 8, positions totaling more than $460 million were liquidated; approximately $415 million of this amount came from long positions betting on a market rise. As a result of the rapid price pullback, over 127,000 traders had their positions forcibly closed. Such "squeezing" of excessively optimistic longs (long squeeze) aggravated Bitcoin's price decline; however, such episodes underscore the risks for players using high leverage. The cryptocurrency market has repeatedly experienced similar volatility spikes—in fact, on October 10, 2025, amid an unexpected macroeconomic shock, the market saw a record liquidation of positions amounting to around $19 billion in one day. This incident demonstrated that market participants should be prepared for sudden price surges and drops, especially when trading on margin.
Forecasts and Expectations
Market participants' views on the outlook for 2026 are divided. Some analysts believe that after the fervent growth of the past year, the market may continue to cool down. They point to historical cyclicality: in the past, after a year of hitting new highs (as was the case in 2025), periods of decline often followed. Risks from external factors support this scenario—some experts warn that a potential bursting "bubble" surrounding AI hype or other macroeconomic shocks could trigger another downturn for cryptocurrency valuations in the first half of 2026. Additionally, a significant portion of long-term holders of BTC and ETH still remain in profit following the rally, and continued profit-taking could create pressure on the market. Analysts from CryptoQuant note that the exit of short-term speculators and "weak hands" during the autumn sell-offs has largely cleared the way for more stable dynamics, but they do not rule out the possibility of another wave of correction.
Conversely, another group of experts adopts a more optimistic stance. With unprecedented institutional participation and cryptocurrency integration into the global economy, the traditional four-year cycles may soften—should the bearish trend continue, it is expected to be less prolonged and deep than previous "crypto winters." Their forecasts suggest that after the current consolidation phase, the market could return to growth by the second half of 2026, particularly if the external macroeconomic environment becomes more favorable (slowing inflation, lowering rates, etc.). Some scenarios envision a wave-like development: notable downturns are possible in summer (June–July) followed by a new uptick by year-end. Certain months are projected to be especially successful for cryptocurrencies—April and the period from October to December 2026 are considered potentially strong segments when the market could recoup losses.
Overall, the consensus points to the notion that the fundamental growth drivers for the industry have not vanished. Cryptocurrencies continue to expand their applications, while blockchain technologies are being integrated into finance, supply chains, and other sectors, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency. This is long-term positive for the market. Therefore, even in the event of further corrections, many investors view them as opportunities to accumulate assets at lower prices. With sustained institutional interest and no new shocks, the majority of analysts anticipate that the total cryptocurrency market capitalization will gradually resume growth in the latter half of the year, potentially reaching new highs established in 2025 within a 12–18 month horizon. Regarding long-term targets, major financial firms continue to issue bullish forecasts. Several Wall Street banks maintain price targets for Bitcoin significantly above current levels—ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 in the coming years—based on the limited supply of BTC and rising demand. Whether these predictions come to fruition remains to be seen as time and the future development of the global economy unfold.
Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies
As of January 11, 2026, the following digital assets belong to the list of the ten most popular cryptocurrencies by market capitalization:
- Bitcoin (BTC) — the first and largest cryptocurrency. BTC is trading around $91,000 after recent volatility, with a capitalization of approximately $1.8 trillion (≈58% of the total market).
- Ethereum (ETH) — the leading altcoin and smart contract platform. The price of ETH is holding around $3,200, significantly below historical highs, with a capitalization of about $380 billion (≈12% of the market).
- Tether (USDT) — the largest stablecoin pegged to the USD at a 1:1 ratio. USDT is widely used for trading and transactions, with a capitalization of around $170 billion; the coin consistently maintains a price of $1.00 due to reserves backing.
- Ripple (XRP) — the payment network token for cross-border transactions. XRP is currently trading around $2.00, with a market capitalization of ~ $110 billion. Legal clarity regarding the status of XRP in the U.S. (following the 2025 court decision) and the launch of an ETF for this token have bolstered investor confidence, allowing XRP to reclaim its position among market leaders.
- Binance Coin (BNB) — the token of the largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance and the native token of the BNB Chain network. BNB is priced at about $500 (market cap around $80 billion). Despite regulatory challenges surrounding Binance, the token remains in the top five due to broad applicability within the exchange and DeFi sector.
- Solana (SOL) — a high-performance blockchain platform for decentralized applications (dApps). SOL is trading around $150 per coin (market cap ~$60 billion), regaining a significant portion of the decline from autumn 2025. Interest in Solana is fueled by the launch of the first ETF based on this asset and the growing ecosystem of projects built on its platform.
- USD Coin (USDC) — the second-largest stablecoin, backed by reserves in USD (issued by Circle). The price of USDC remains at $1.00, with a capitalization of around $60 billion. USDC is actively used by institutional investors and in DeFi protocols due to its transparency and regular auditing of reserves.
- Cardano (ADA) — a blockchain platform focused on a scientific approach to development. ADA currently trades at about $0.70 (market cap ~$23 billion) following a correction from local peaks. Cardano is attracting interest with plans to launch an ETF connected to this token and an active community that believes in the project's long-term growth.
- TRON (TRX) — a platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications, particularly popular in Asia. TRX is trading at about $0.25; the market value is ~ $22 billion. TRON maintains its presence in the top 10, partly due to the extensive use of its network for issuing stablecoins (a significant portion of USDT is traded on the Tron blockchain).
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — the most famous meme cryptocurrency, originally created as a joke. DOGE hovers around $0.14 (market cap ~$21 billion), supported by community loyalty and occasional celebrity attention. Dogecoin continues to exhibit high volatility, yet it remains among the largest coins, demonstrating remarkable investor interest.
