Crypto Market News Today, January 1: BTC USD Hits 87K This New Year, ETH Slightly Under 3K
First of all, happy new year!!! Yes. Today, the first day of 2026, crypto feels strange given how fast things have moved in the past few months. BTC USD is sitting comfortably at $87,000, unchanged from its price levels since Christmas. ETH USD is also quietly grinding, settling below $3,000 as the market enters 2026.
There is movement, but it is slow and measured, even if we move suddenly up and down, it looks like it is trying to swim both short and long.
This slow motion follows a hard stretch. By 2025, the total crypto market has dropped from $3.26 trillion to $3 trillion, wiping out nearly $300 billion, though it exploded to over $4 billion by mid-year. Nevertheless, BTC USD and ETH USD are holding their base near major support areas.
(source – CoinGecko)
BTC USD and ETH USD at View Rate
BTC USD continues to trade in a tight band. Price support is built at $85,000, while resistance remains near $90,000. Sentiment indicators tell us to be cautious, and social metrics show risk levels remain very low. We hope that these conditions will bring back the volatility, or better yet, the pump.
ETH USD is drawing stable lines again. Ethereum has been making higher lows, creating a constructive structure. A confirmed breach could push ETH USD to the $3,500 area. At the same time, the ratio of ETH to USD stablecoin is close to the levels last seen near the pico bottoms of the previous market.
The confidence in the long-time players is not lost. Tom Lee’s BitMine added more than 32,000 ETH and added a lot of value, a belief in Ethereum despite closing the stock in 2025 with a bad nine months, a pattern similar to the bear market of 2018.
(source – Cryptorank)
For me, however, BTC as the very first crypto will still determine how alts fare. But if the early bird gets the worm, why does good come to those who wait?
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X By 2026
Regulation And Discovery Shaping The Crypto Market Today
Off the charts, crypto, today, is also designed for regulation and discovery. In the UK, new rules now require exchanges to report user transactions to tax authorities, closing compliance gaps without stifling innovation. In the US, lawmakers are preparing to move forward with crypto market structure legislation later this month.
BREAKING:🇺🇸 US lawmakers are expected to develop crypto market structure legislation as early as January 2026. pic.twitter.com/JudcbYOxTP
– Micon Crypto (@MconCrypto) January 1, 2026
The discovery continues, too. Ferrari has boosted Ethereum payments across the US and Europe, while Visa is settling billions in stablecoin volume using Ethereum. Also, the ETH mainnet recently processed 2.2 million transactions in one day, with the average cost falling to around USD 17 cents.
As the year begins, BTC USD and ETH USD are still market anchors. We wait, because the market can go both ways, up or down.
FIND: 16+ New and upcoming Binance listings in 2026
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Bitlight LIGHT Crypto and RIVER Top Gainers This New Year: Best Coins to Buy in 2026?
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Going into 2026, the crypto market went sluggish. Prices went sideways for weeks, prices dipped during the holidays, and most major coins struggled to attract attention. Although usually this is when the small caps start to shine. In this case, LIGHT and RIVER shine while the rest of the crypto market seems deader than dead, especially on chain.
Both LIGHT and RIVER crypto benefited from similar situations in different ways. The low liquidity and slow trading gave the speculative movement more impact, and the people looking for momentum got it. While many of us ignore the low caps, both LIGHT and RIVER ride quietly and start the New Year as strong gainers.
(source – Coingecko)
Read the first clip here.
Bitwise Files 11 New Crypto ETFs, Including Uniswap, Sui, Near
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On December 30, 2025, Bitwise Asset Management announced it will submit applications to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for 11 new “strategic” exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Bitwise’s filing targets an array of altcoins, including DeFi leaders like AAVE and UNI, private coin ZEC, AI-focused TAO, and others like CC, ENA, HYPE, NEAR, STRK, SUI, and TRX. Each ETF uses a hybrid approach, combining direct token holdings with ETPs and derivatives to deliver targeted exposure, all while navigating regulatory hurdles.
Notably, in July 2025, the company won awards for its conversion of the Bitwise Crypto Index Fund (BIT) to recognize and accelerate BTC ETH ETF heads within 45 days.
💥BREAKING:
BitWise files 11 Altcoin ETFs. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/AaLrmcwozF
– Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) December 31, 2025
Will this move be able to push Bitwise into altcoin ETFs amid the growing US regulatory environment, aided by US president Donald Trump?
Read the full story here.
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