Crypto News: Bitcoin builds momentum 📈 Is a triangle pattern forming on Ethereum?

Cryptocurrencies are trading in mixed mood, but overall price action still leaves room for a potential resumption of gains in early 2026. Statistically, January has been positive for Bitcoin in about 50% of cases, while Q1, much like Q4, has often delivered gains. The US dollar weakened today after Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned against Trump’s interference with the Federal Reserve’s independence. Powell called the criminal investigation linked to the Fed building renovation, and the targeting of the Fed Chair, a “cover” aimed at forcing a looser monetary policy stance. US equity indices on Wall Street barely reacted to the dispute. If anything, the persistence of this conflict may reinforce the view that US interest rates moving toward 1% could ultimately be a matter of time.

• Bitcoin barely reacted to MicroStrategy’s (MSTR.US) largest BTC purchase since July 2025. The company bought 13,627 BTC worth $1.2 billion (compared with over $2 billion in July 2025). Its average purchase price is now around $75,000 per BTC, and MicroStrategy holds 687,000 BTC in total.
• Tom Lee of BitMine Immersion Technologies proposed that shareholders approve a massive share issuance (the company currently has around 500 million shares, potentially rising to 50 billion after the issuance). The proceeds would be used to purchase Ethereum. A decision is expected on January 15 at the shareholders’ meeting. Shareholder approval could be supportive for Ethereum.
• Standard Chartered cut its end-2026 Ethereum price forecast to $7,500, implying roughly 125% upside from current levels. The bank projects $22,000 per ETH by end-2028 and above $40,000 by end-2030 (around a 13x move from roughly $3,000 today). Previously, the bank’s forecast was $30,000.
• Net outflows from Bitcoin products totaled $681 million in the first week of 2026, while Ethereum saw $68.6 million of net outflows. Despite “dovish” signals from Trump, the market remains cautious about the likely scale of rate cuts in the first half of 2026. Last week, the largest single-day outflow from BTC products was $486 million on Tuesday, followed by nearly $400 million on Thursday, and almost $250 million on Friday. Momentum remains unfavorable for cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin and Ethereum chart (D1)

Bitcoin is trading near the 50-day EMA (EMA50) on the daily timeframe. On October 27, 2025 and January 5, 2026, this moving average acted as a strong resistance level. A move down toward $89,000 could trigger another bearish impulse, while a rally toward $95,000 would open the door to stronger gains, potentially supported by forced dealer buying linked to gamma positioning (negative gamma).

Source: xStation5

Ethereum is trading within a symmetrical triangle, a formation that typically suggests continuation of the dominant trend (currently downward). At the same time, price action has been printing higher lows. A drop below $3,000 could renew downside pressure and trigger a bearish impulse, while a move above $3,300 would increase the odds of an upside breakout from the triangle. The setup suggests that the consolidation and lower-volatility phase may gradually be approaching its end.

Source: xStation5