Crypto Market News Today, January 2: Bitcoin Price Closes $90K, Ethereum Bursts $3K as On-Chain Activity Peaks
Hello!! Forget any crypto news for a moment, because today, I woke up to the news about MTV closing, as the game “Video Killed Radio Star” music video. It made me think, we listened to the radio before there was TV, and eventually we moved from television to the internet. So, do Bitcoin and crypto, all we think about is their price, when in fact they are here to replace traditional currencies.
As Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US, said:
If the American people ever allow private banks to control their money issue, first through inflation, then deflation, banks and corporations will expand all around. [the banks] it will rob people of all their property until their children wake up homeless in the continent their fathers conquered. The power that has been withdrawn must be taken from the banks and returned to the people, which rightfully belongs to them.”
I am by no means American, but this is very true. The government can control us because we use their money. A country can go to war and force people to be drafted, they can close your bank account, and you will lose everything, but Bitcoin is forever. The government can’t take your Bitcoin or crypto, for that matter. Eh, even the prosecutors would still seize and recover Do Kwon’s crypto assets if it wasn’t for Kwon forfeiting them as part of the plea deal.
Market Performance and Recent Cycle Characteristics
Enough ranting, back to crypto news today as the markets start the year with an uneasy balance. Bitcoin is still just below $90,000 price resistance, moving sideways since Boxing Day. Right now, we have to watch closely as bankruptcy conditions develop around the world, and momentum can return without much warning.
(source – BTC USD vs Global Liquidity, TradingView)
Ethereum is approaching $3,000, supported by the growing use of the network, even when people called it dead during the Solana meme. Ethereum’s daily sales recently crossed 2.2 million, setting a new record, with Stablecoins and DeFi protocols doing most of the work.
Moving back to the news, crypto is still dealing with the damage left behind by late 2025 today. Bitcoin closed the fourth quarter down more than 23%, making it one of its worst finishes in history. Ethereum followed with the biggest decline, losing more than 28%. On paper, this looks about as bad as it gets. Beneath the surface, however, adoption stories keep piling up.
Gold and silver were the clear winners last year, rising 64% and 120% respectively, and flipping the general story where Bitcoin reigns supreme. Bitcoin ended the year down about 7%, an unusual underperformance. A weak dollar and a soft yen are likely to drive investors towards metals, leaving altcoins sidelined and momentum focused on the biggest assets.
Silver will destroy Gold, Dollar and Bitcoin by 2026. pic.twitter.com/Y4BjoNtgiG
– CHRISDUANESILVERSHIELDCOINS.COM (@SilverShield76) December 25, 2025
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X By 2026
Crypto News Today: Acquisitions Increase While Liquidity Builds
Beyond the crypto charts, most of the news today keeps circling back to real-world usage. Reports of Iran turning to crypto for international arms deals show how digital assets are filling gaps that traditional systems cannot. Persian will trade machine guns for digital gold.
🚨 BREAKING: Iran now accepts crypto through arms deals.
Missiles, drones, and warships are being supplied to foreign governments with digital assets used to circumvent Western financial sanctions, according to the Financial Times. pic.twitter.com/YpsKxOnaSB
— Mk (@mkmyro) January 1, 2026
MicroStrategy remains one of the constants in crypto news today. Its growing Bitcoin exposure continues to attract more market interest than other major technology stocks. Owners are quietly piling on, seemingly comfortable with current prices.
That being said, Saylor of Strategy posted an interesting chart today, showing how MSTR’s open interest to marketcap ratio is higher than some of the biggest stocks in the world like Nvidia, Apple, and Amazon.
Bitcoin does $MSTR interesting. pic.twitter.com/XF80ngHGlt
– Michael Saylor (@saylor) January 2, 2026
As crypto news unfolds today, Bitcoin is approaching $90,000, and Ethereum’s record network activity shows a growing market.
Will 2026 be the year of crypto? God only knows, because right now, I’ll be playing “Video Killed the Radio Star” on loop.
FIND: 16+ New and upcoming Binance listings in 2026
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Meme News Today: PEPE and Pudgy Penguins Pengu Crypto Are Back!!
By
PEPE and PENGU are back in business, because before today, I think early last year was the last time they were both off my crypto radar. But, in the last day, PEPE jumped 26 percent, and PENGU followed with a respectable 12 percent move.
Bitcoin is cooling and going sideways, and even the crypto chains of Ethereum and Solana, PEPE and PENGU, are moving very slowly. However, memecoins have once again caught our attention.
Trading activity on PEPE is approaching $1 billion in daily volume, while PENGU crypto has exceeded $130 million. Both tokens hit hard in late 2025, so this jump brings excitement.`
2026 here.$ PEPE earning money to go out the gate.
It’s going to be a wild ride. pic.twitter.com/2lgmab6hMo
— Rexha 🐸 (@RexhaRexhaRexha) January 1, 2026
Read the full story here.
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